Other Woman

KC wasn't stupid; she knew Callen was dating someone else. She knew she was lying to Kensi when she said she wasn't involved with anyone, gave excuses why she wouldn't come to LA. Somehow none of this mattered when she saw him though. Callen smiled happily when he saw KC in the distance. He had missed her immensely, and was so glad they had finally found some time to be together. She had rotated shifts to be with him, but it was worth it when she felt his arms around her, her lips against his.

Callen had told the team that he was taking a break for lunch, something he never did, though they all thought he was dating someone Sam had set him up with.

Instinctively, they went inside to the takeout, making sure not to come out where anyone might pass by and see, just like they never went to one of their houses, never answered the phone where the other could be heard in the background. If she didn't love him, she would have given up long ago, but she couldn't let him go.

"I've missed you so much, KC"

"I missed you, baby." She thought back to when they'd first met, through Kensi, although they'd pretended to fight, to hate each other, whenever the subject came up ever since.

"How have you been?"

"Busy. Better now. You?"

"So much better. Work is hectic, but I suppose Kensi told you that. I was thinking..." He didn't get to finish the sentence because he fell face first onto the floor, blood pooling under him.

"Baby?" She knelt beside him, trying to stop the bleeding. "Callen?" He wasn't responding. "G?!?" She looked up to see the shooter on a building across from the hotel. A man sitting near the window bent next to KC to help her stop the bleeding. He called 911 as he did so.

*****

If she had looked up when Kensi and Deeks came in, she would have known she was in trouble, but she couldn't look at anything, couldn't focus on anything, not even the blood that had come from Callen's body. Kensi stopped short when she saw who the witness was, but pushed past the anger at being lied to so she could comfort her best friend.

"KC? Are you hurt?" she asked.

She looked at Kensi blankly for a moment and then processed what she'd been asked. "No. No, I'm not hurt."

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"G..." She paused, biting back tears. "There was a shooter across, there." She pointed where he'd been standing. "He was far away, but I saw enough that I could tell you if I saw him again."

"Sketch?"

"What? Yeah, yeah, I could do that. There may be some video of that building as well that I could watch. Whatever...whatever will catch the son of a bitch."

"He'll be okay," said Kensi, putting her notepad away. "He's tough."

"Do you want us to drive you to the hospital when we're through here?" Deeks asked.

KC shook her head. "I can't...I can't go there."

"Why? He's going to want you there."

"She won't. Sam won't."

Deeks hurt for her, knowing that Callen was seeing someone else. "Do you have a room? I think you need to get cleaned up. Maybe rest a bit."

"We...uh, yeah, we had one."

"You and Kens go up and talk. I'll finish up down here and then we'll decide about the hospital, all right?" KC looked like she was about to start crying or completely fall apart. He knew that would be as rare as Kensi doing the same.

Kensi took her friend's hand and led her out of the shop. "Where are we going?"

KC told her the number and went upstairs with her.

Once they were sitting inside, Kensi asked about their relationship. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We didn't tell anyone. Sam...Sam doesn't even know." She paused. "At first it was because we wanted it just between us. Something we didn't have to share. And maybe part of us was worried...worried it wouldn't work out." The tears did start coming now. "And then it just got too complicated. How to tell you, how to tell Sam, that we...we've been together for four years. And he wanted to protect me. He was...He was so afraid...so afraid that something like this would happen and that I wouldn't be safe. We got to the point where we were going to tell and then Sam sets him up with the teacher. It just..." She paused. "What he did with her, what he did on cases, that didn't have anything to do with us. I know that sounds stupid, but it didn't. He was Callen with me the way he wasn't with her, the way he wasn't with anyone else but the team and sometimes not even you guys." Tears were still streaming down her cheeks. "He's gonna be okay, Kens. Please...Please tell me he's gonna be okay."

"He will be okay, KC, I promise." She knew how KC felt. Though it was common knowledge, the relationship she had with Deeks was precious and they were always worried about this kind of thing.

"I can't go to the hospital. Sam's under enough stress already and...I just wouldn't fit in." There was no place she'd rather be though.

"Who cares about Sam and that woman? They aren't important like you are to Callen. I'll deal with them so you can see him."

"What if I lose him, Kens?"

"You won't. I won't let him leave you."

"Like your dad? And my mom? Sometimes...sometimes you just can't stop it." It was why she'd been so attracted to Callen at first; it had all seemed so easy then. No attachment.

"I will if I have to."

She finally realized she had blood on her. "I...I should change."

"Okay."

"I don't...I don't have any clothes I can wear to the hospital." All she had was an outfit she'd bought especially for Callen.

"We can go to my place. You can use my stuff, have a shower."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome, like always," smiled Kensi.