jealousy

"You want to get hurt?" asked Joelle.

"Not happening."

"Callen as my boyfriend."

"What if he says no?"

"He won't." She was smug as she said it.

KC put her cell phone on speaker and hit speed dial.

Callen opened his phone, hearing KC and Joelle arguing.

"Ask him." KC told her.

"What?"

"Joelle, either ask him or back the hell off."

"Fine. Callen, do you want me or this person?"

KC could only hope he would tell the truth and not what he thought she wanted to hear, but either way, things were about to get worse before they got better.

"I want my family, Joelle. That does not include you. I'm sorry if that hurts you, but I need you to go away. Now."

"Thank you." KC said, hanging up, before addressing Joelle. "Satisfied?"

"No. I want him back."

"He doesn't want you so how do you go about doing that?"

"I'll get him."

"How?" There was no way she was letting Joelle go into that hotel room. "Game's over."

"No." She started forward. KC moved between the girl and the hotel room. "Get out of the way."

"You'll have to go through me to get to anyone in that room. That includes MY boyfriend and MY daughter."

"You know he's only with you because of that pathetic child."

"You're out here in the middle of the night chasing a man who doesn't want you, doesn't love you. Who's pathetic?"

"You are!" Joelle screamed.

It was all Deeks could do to hold Kensi as they heard the screaming and then the silence. Callen burst outside, going to KC for help. Deeks let Kensi go to call for help and soothe Alina.

(I thought Kensi was going after Joelle)

Joelle had her claws out and swiped at Kensi, cutting her shoulder. Deeks couldn't go after her and leave Alina alone, but before he knew it, there was a gunshot. KC had Callen's gun in her hand and Joelle, while not dead, was not going to be hurting anyone else any time soon. "I'm okay, G. I'm okay. Go help Kensi." Whatever device Joelle had had in her hand had made her pacemaker stop working, either temporarily or permanently, but she wasn't bleeding, just weak.

"The pacemaker...the pacemaker stopped." She could feel her heartbeat had changed, no longer steady and even as it had been with the machine. She felt like she was racing inside and couldn't stop, although she was barely moving. Deeks joined them, Alina in the baby pack that the girls usually wore. "Ambulance is on the way. So are the cops. Sam's gonna meet them at headquarters."

"Okay, I'll call back in, tell them we're just taking her in." He slipped off the pack. "Take the baby. You and Callen go on. I'll be there. I promise." He didn't want to leave Joelle until the cops had her.