All the way home.

Chapter 12

Six whole months passed, Jake grew and was already trying to feed himself food, making a mess with his spoon as Callen laughed at his son's antics.

Callen had settled into fatherhood well, he had taken Jake to a daycare center that Hetty had recommended and had adjusted his schedule where possible. Even Sam had been impressed with Callen stepping up in the role as father to young Jake.

Gibbs had told Callen privately about Abby's assumption that Deeks was alive, and had shown him the evidence. Callen agreed with Gibbs that Deeks had to be alive, but he did not want to get the whole teams hopes up, opting instead to share his concerns privately with Hetty who had kept a tab on the Giamatti family to see if anything about Max was mentioned. He still held out hope that whatever was going on with Deeks could be remedied and that one day Deeks could end up back in the fold with his real family.

Callen put his coffee cup down and wiped the mashed banana from his son's mouth.

"Hey there champ, you nearly ready for the day?" he asked.

"Da…Da…" Jake replied, using the new and only word in his arsenal, he had learned it a few days ago and Callen was looking forward to the others hearing his son talk.

Callen lifted him and sniffed, "Ok Mr. … A new diaper before we leave; well, you don't want to make the lovely daycare people faint do we." He walked to Jake's room and quickly changed him. He placed sun cream on every exposed part of his body and placed a small LA Raiders cap on his head with a small smile. "Looking good." He grinned and placed him in his car seat.

Carrying Jake out to the car he looked up as a flash of light caught his eye. He looked around but seeing nothing he climbed into the car and headed off to start his day.

"So we walked into the daycare and I swear he's already got the girls swooning over him." Callen said to Sam as they walked into the mission.

"It's the hair, that kid has Deeks' hair…you're gonna be beating the girls off with a stick." Sam said shaking his head.

Callen nodded in agreement, "That I will be." He said as he placed his bag at his desk and nodded over at Kensi.

"Mr. Callen?" Hetty called from her office just as Eric whistled.

Callen looked up at Eric but Hetty beckoned him into her office as the other headed upstairs.

"You alright Hetty?" Callen asked.

Hetty shook her head, "I have just been informed that…" she sighed and took a deep breath, "You and your son are being followed."

"What?! No…!" Callen shook his head, "I take precautions, and we don't use the same route twice in a row. You checked out his daycare, it's the most secure in L.A."

Hetty handed him an envelope, "This came through secure mail from Washington D.C." she said.

He sat down heavily as he opened the envelope and looked at the pictures of Callen with Jake. Callen had been hacked out of the pictures and a note was added, the handwriting shaky but familiar, "GIVE ME MY SON OR YOUR AGENT DIES!"

"Is Jake…?" Callen could not ask his throat tightened and a large knot formed in his chest, "I need to get him now!" he said.

"Sam and Kensi are on their way to collect him, Director Vance has ordered you both to be placed into protective custody, and we are arranging a safe house for you. Nell is on the way to your house to collect Jake's favorite toys." Hetty said.

Callen blanched as he realized that Hetty was using everyone's first name to try to reassure him.

"Do…do they know it might be Deeks that's after him?" Callen asked.