Double Take

Kensi walked into Ops to find her small red headed friend. “So, Nell, who are we going to be tonight? And where are we going?”

The small Intelligence Analysis turned and smiled at her long legged and gorgeous friend. “You are Rachel McMann who works for an Events Corp, and is on holiday from Long Island, visiting her friend, me.”

“And who are you, my friend?” Kensi asked her.

Nell smiled and widened her eyes. “I am Lisa Gunning, who works for Paramount pictures as an assistant to a well known Producer.”

“Cool, who?”

“You are full of many questions tonight aren’t you?”

“Now whose throwing questions back at me?” Kensi smiled. “I’m just making sure I know all our details for our night out on the town.” As she smiled, her eyes lit up. It was their last day working before their holidays began. Four whole weeks of bliss. No bad asses to kick, no Deeks cracking jokes, and no smirk from Callen when she’s peeved at someone. She was eager to start their holiday out on the town with her dear friend.

“Are you two going out tonight?” Eric asked, hopeful of an invite.

Both Nell and Kensi turned to face the Computer Tech. “Yes we are. Girls night out.”

“Oh. Have fun.” Eric turned back to his screen, disappointed.

“Don’t be so down, Eric. We have our nights of video games, Kensi and I have our nights of girlie talk and checking out the scenery.”

“TMI,” Eric responded. Glad not to have been invited after all. “Well have fun, Rachel and Lisa.”

With that, Kensi and Nell said good bye and left to prepare for operation girls’ night.

“Where’s Kensi and Nell going?” the detective asked Eric as he walked down the stairs.

“Girls’ night out. And we’re not invited,” Eric answered.

“Oh. Any plans, my man?”

“Um, no.” And as Eric turned to leave, Deeks caught up with him. “Let’s have ‘man night’ then.”

“Cool.”

“Hey Sam, Callen.” Deeks turned to the two senior agents. “Want to come out on man night?”

“No, thanks, Deeks,” Callen replied. “I have a plane to catch.”

“What? You’re not serious are you?” Sam piped in. “You, G. Callen, flying somewhere for your holidays?”

“Yes, Sam, I am.”

“Where?” Sam asked. Both Eric and Deeks stood curiously waiting for his reply.

“Hawaii.” Callen grinned at his fellow team mates. “Detective Chin Ho Kelly has offered me a room during my visit.” Callen picked up his duffle bag and walked out of the Mission. “Have a great holiday folks.” And he was gone.

Sam, Deeks and Eric stood there astounded at their team leader’s news.

“What is so surprising to you three gentlemen that Mr Callen has planned his holiday?” They jumped at the voice of their tiny yet fearsome Operations Manager, Henrietta Lange.

“Hetty, we didn’t see you there,” Deeks finally said.

“Oh come on, Hetty. You know better than any of us, G doesn’t go on holidays.”

“True, Mr Hanna, but this time he has. And I for one am glad he has.”

“Yeah, me too,” Sam replied. “Well I better go home and pack for my family holiday.” He turned to Hetty, Deeks and Eric. “Stay out of trouble and have a great holiday. See you all in four weeks.” Sam smiled at the thought of spending every minute of every day with just his family, and not having to dash out when he got a call for work. Like the three before him, he left.

“We’ll that just leaves the two of us for ‘man night’,” Deeks turned to Eric. “Night, Hetty.”

“Goodnight, gentlemen.” Hetty smiled at her last members of her team to leave. “Time to set sail for the seven seas,” she said to herself, and also left the mission, locking up as she went.

Kensi and Nell got out of their taxi and went to join the queue for Club Z. But they were only there for about a minute, before a bouncer led them straight inside. “Wow Rach, that was fast, even for you.”

Kensi smiled at her friend. “Yes, it was quick. More time for us to spend inside.”

They found a table and ordered some drinks. Fruitie Tutie for both of them, for starters. With none of the guys around, they could order cocktails without any jives from them. “Good choice to start our holidays together, Lisa.”

“Let’s dance.” Nell dragged her friend onto the dance floor. They grooved for a few songs before heading back to their table for a break and more drinks.

A waitress brought over some more Fruitie Tutie cocktails for them. “Compliments from the gentleman sitting up at the bar,” she told them.

Both girls look over to the bar and saw a blond figure sitting on his own at the bar. He turned and smiled their way. He was tanned and had short blond wavy hair, but longer on top. “Hmm, he looks harmless,” Nell piped in.

“Yeah, he does,” Kensi smiled back. “And he’s coming over,” she giggled.

“Um, doesn’t he look familiar to you?” Nell asked.

As the man got closer, both girls looked from him to each other.

“Oh my goodness, he looks just like, no.” Kensi turned from looking at Nell, to their visitor.

“Hello ladies. How are you both this evening?”

Both Kensi and Nell were speechless. The shock of seeing someone they knew so well, but was different. They knew it couldn’t be him, cause how could he possibly grow his hair so quickly.

“Is everything alright?” he asked them.

Kensi quickly got her composure back again. “Hi. Yes, all good. Thanks for the drinks.” She gave him her sparkly smile. “Your accent. You’re not from around here?” She asked him, as she tilted her head.

“May I join you two beautiful ladies?” They nodded and he sat down next to Kensi. “Hi, I’m Kevin. Kevin Manning, from Dallas.”

“Hi.” Kensi shook his hand. “I’m Rachel McMann and this is my friend Lisa Gunning. I’m also visiting—-from Long Island.”

Kevin turned to Nell. “Are you also visiting the City of Angels, Lisa?”

Nell shook her head. “I moved here a few years ago. Rach has come for a visit.”

He was a really nice guy, they concluded. Safe, charming and very handsome. Nell excused herself to the ladies, where she tried to call someone, anyone, from their team—-with no luck. “Holidays.” She muttered to herself, and returned to the table.

Kevin had moved closer to Kensi, and Nell felt a pang of jealousy, that her friend had scored nicely. She knew he wasn’t who he looked like, nor who he reminded her of. But all the same, Kevin tried to involve her in the conversation, trying hard not to make her feel left out—-which she was thankful for.

Out of the blue, Nell’s phone vibrated, and relief covered her face, when she saw Eric’s text. “What’s up, Lisa? Had enough of girls’ night?”

Nell excused herself from the table and headed back to the ladies, where she called Eric. “I’m so glad you texted me, Eric.”

“What’s up, Nell?” Worried something had gone wrong.

“Can you come and pick me up from Club Z, please.” She sounded desperate for him to come.

“Yeah, sure.” He answered her. “What’s up with Kensi?”

“She’s got lucky with a really nice guy.” She paused. “I’ve tried calling Callen, but he’s not answering his phone.”

Taken aback by this, Eric hesitated. “You want Callen to pick you up?”

“No, Eric.” Frustrated, Nell continued. “I’ll tell you in person.”

“Um, ok. I’ll see you in fifteen minutes. Deeks and I have to get out of here first.”

“Thanks ,Eric. I’m sorry I’ve ruined your time with Marty.” She hung up and returned to the table. But she was alone. Kevin had dragged Kensi up onto the dance floor and they were having a great time.

She waited fifteen minutes and left. She sent Kensi a text to let her know Eric had come to pick her up, so she was free to do whatever with Kevin. It was hard to get any guy to look at you at the best of times, she thought, but when she was out with her dear friend, she felt like she was in her shadow. Why couldn’t he of wanted her instead? Why was she so jealous? This had never happened before. She analysed it over in her head as she waited for Eric’s car to pull up at the curb.

“Hi Eric, Marty.” Nell quickly jumped into the back. “Thanks for the rescue.”

“So Kensi is still inside the club?” Deeks asked her, a flash of jealousy crossed his face as he turned to speak to her.

“Yes, she is.” She looked into the mirror to make eye contact with Eric. He noticed sadness and jealousy there too, which had him pondering.

“So what is it that you said you needed to tell me in person?” Eric asked.

Nell sighed and took a deep breath. “Do either of you know where Callen is?”

She saw Eric give her a look of disappointment. “What’s going on, Nell?”

“Callen’s on a plane to Hawaii,” Deeks added.

“What?” Nell couldn’t believe it. Callen never went on holidays.

“We know. Even Sam was surprised.” Deeks told her. “What’s going on, Nell?”

“Kevin Manning, from Dallas. That’s what’s going on.” She had two sets of eyes on her with confusion. “The guy that’s picked up Kensi tonight. That’s his name.”

“And?” Deeks and Eric were both confused.

“He’s...” It was just so hard to say it out loud.

“Nell!” Frustration added to their confusion, Deeks and Eric spoke up.

“He looks just like Callen.”

“What?” They both exclaimed. Eric had arrived at Nell’s apartment. Both guys were looking at Nell.

“Are you serious?” Eric asked her.

“You sure it wasn’t Callen playing a joke on you both.” Although he thought he believed Callen when he said he was flying to Hawaii for his holiday.

“I took a photo of him, without him noticing,” she told them both.

Deeks was impatient now. “Show us, please.”

Nell handed Deeks her phone. Deeks and Eric stared at the photo on Nell’s phone. Both were speechless.

“When we first saw him, we thought he was cute. Then when he walked closer, we were speechless too. But how could Callen grow his hair so quickly. And his Texas accent was no fake either.”

“Wow, Callen with hair.” Deeks smiled. “We’ll have to blow this photo up and put it on his desk for a ribbing when he returns.”

“He looks so handsome with hair.”

Both Deeks and Eric stared at Nell.

“Um, Nell.” Eric started to speak to his partner. “Do you have a thing for Callen, by any chance?”

Nell opened her mouth and began to speak, but closed it up again. What could she say? She hadn’t figured it out herself. “I don’t know,” she finally told them.

Shaking her head, “I’m sorry.” She looked at Eric. “I really am sorry.” She knew Eric had a thing for her. But she couldn’t be honest with him, when she wasn’t sure herself how she felt about Callen or him. Meeting Kevin, Callen’s double, had shaken her up more than she realised.

“If Callen was flying to Hawaii, do we know how to contact him?” She asked Eric, feeling bad for asking the question.

“He’s staying with Detective Chin Ho Kelly. So it should be easy to get in touch with him, even if he has left his phone at home,” Deeks told her.

“Thanks for the ride home, Eric. Marty.” She got out of Eric’s car and headed for her apartment. Eric and Deeks left once she had entered her place and turned the lights on. Nell shrunk down the back of her door to the floor, hugging herself, trying to get a grip on tonight’s events. “Hawaii, here I come.” With that thought in mind, she phoned the airline and packed her suitcase. She sent Kensi a text, hoping she wouldn’t see it till after she had gone.