Forever's a long time

Chapter 21

Callen walked into the room where Anatoli was sitting waiting for them to join him.

"Sam, this is my grandfather, Anatoli Reznikov." He said indicating the older man.

Sam smiled and extended his hand. "G tells me you've been nothing but kind to him."

"He is family." Anatoli said, as if that explained everything.

Sam looked worried for a moment and Anatoli noticed. "Ah, but then family has not been kind to my grandson and you are concerned no?"

"G is my family, I am concerned for him." Sam said glaring at the older man.

Callen moved and touched his hand to Sam's arm.

Anatoli nodded, "I understand, you love my grandson and he loves you, this is a good thing. As to my place in his life, I fully intend to earn it. I do not expect for him to trust me, especially if his father has told him about me, but rest assured Mr. Hanna, I care a great deal for my grandson and intend to prove it to the best of my ability."

Callen blinked in surprise, as he measured the truth of the old man's words. His grandfather really did care about him.

With a smile he could not contain, he moved to sit next to Sam at the table as Anatoli took his seat.

"Shall we eat?" The old man asked. "I took the liberty of ordering a selection so you may eat what you want. Also, my men tell me that you are a Muslim Mr. Hanna. I do not know much about the religion, but I do understand that you are forbidden pork products, as such I have made sure that none are in this selection."

Although Sam studied the Qu'ran, he was not a fully practicing Muslim, however, he did appreciate the gesture and told him so.

Anatoli smiled back at the larger man, "I like to make sure my family is well taken care of." He said. "You as my Grandson's partner are now a part of my family."

They did not talk about the upcoming surgery at all during the meal, instead Anatoli asked about Callen's thoughts and views on a wide variety of subjects, listening intently and agreeing where he did.

Callen found himself liking this man more and more as the evening progressed.

In the end, Sam made his excuses and went back to his room, sensing that Callen wanted to talk to the older man alone.

Sat in two wingback chairs watching as the sun went down, they looked out of the huge picture window that adorned Anatoli's main room and sipped on a glass of bourbon each.

"This has been a pleasant evening." Anatoli said as he sipped his drink.

Callen nodded. "I am sorry." He said quietly.

"For what?" Anatoli looked at his grandson worriedly.

"I think I misjudged you."

"You do not know me well enough to have formed a real opinion of me. I understand that." Anatoli shrugged. "All you know about me is what you have been told by your father. I heard you had a run in with his cousin as well. Konstantin was always a handful, ran with the wrong crowd."

"I thought he worked for you?" Callen said, confused.

Anatoli laughed, "No... not at all. I was until my retirement a loyal KGB officer. I toed the party line, but never... never crossed it."

Callen looked over at him, he just knew instinctively that this man was telling the truth. "So... tell me what you know about this chip?" he asked.

Anatoli sighed, "A man... Marcel Janvier, he worked with an underground subversive group to help destabilize Russia. I believe he worked with my Nikita to smuggle people out of the country. These were not good people. These were people wanted for crimes inside of Russia."