Elizabeth and causing nothing but pure mayhem. Will that make you happy?”
“Yee haw,” she drawled, only to have Callen drop his hand over her mouth.
“Shhhhh he’s focused on someone other than us right now. Let him have at it!” Callen hissed in her ear. They loved causing trouble. Whenever he was in from an assignment, they’d pull pranks and cause chaos- much to Ethan’s dismay.
“You’re off the hook,” Blackhawk said as he pointed at the people he loved. “You two are not.”
Chris leaned back and closed his eyes. “Thank God!”
“Okay, since we can skip that part of the meeting what else do you have for us, Chris?” Ethan inquired, crossing things off on paper.
“I do have one issue that needs to be addressed. It’s why I opted to leave Christina in the lab today and not bring her with me.”
They all looked over at him. That didn't bode well.
“Go ahead,” Ethan said, leaning back in his chair. Christina was their head lab tech and one of his brightest stars at FBI West.
Where to even begin with this? “I’ve noticed some serious issues that have been popping up with her. I’m not one to ever complain when someone has an off day, we all have them, but lately,” he paused.
“It’s okay, Chris. This is part of your job,” reassured Elizabeth. She didn't doubt that he hated ratting out a friend and co-worker. If there was a problem, they all needed to know.
“Lately, she’s distracted. We’ve had to double check her findings to make sure she’s not wrong. If it was just an office situation, it wouldn’t be a big deal. We could carry her weight, but our reports are instrumental in court. We don’t have the luxury of doing them wrong. If we do, criminals go free.”
None of this made Blackhawk happy. “How long has this been going on?”
Chris shrugged. “I’ve noticed it about two weeks ago, when she was working that arson case that went to trial. She found a chemical that wasn’t on the other victims. I asked another tech to re-run it, and it came back with entirely different results.”
“Wow,” Callen whistled. “It’s not like Christina to be off her game ever, but then with the science? That has never happened before.”
“ Not that we’ve been made aware of,” Blackhawk added. “What’s going on in her life to make her scattered?”
Chris didn't like talking about her behind her back, but this was his job. As head of the forensics department, the lab was essentially his responsibility. If he let them slack, it was his ass on the line with the bosses.
“I think it’s all because of Kane Redwolf.”
Elizabeth got it. Christina had encountered the man back in Red River working the ‘ Skinwalker ’case. Since then, she’d been trying to carry on with her life in the FBI and the three hour long distance relationship.
It had to be hard. She tried to picture her own life fitting those parameters, and it made her sick to her stomach.
“Shit!” Blackhawk didn't like this at all. The last thing he wanted to do was handle some relationship issues. “Elizabeth? Can you take one for the team and handle the girl stuff?”
Callen laughed. His brother was about to get his ass handed to him for that one.
“What? Why do I have to do the girl thing? She’s your head tech and idolizes you.”
“You have estrogen and ovaries , just like her,” offered Chris from beside her.
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. “You’re lucky I can’t put my hands on you, or I would have knocked you off the couch.”
Blackhawk was so glad he didn't have to answer that one. The ME saved him by wearing the bull’s-eye.
“Baby, she’s a woman. You’re a woman. You know how uncomfortable I get talking relationships with the staff,” he pleaded. “If you loved me, then you would handle this.”
“Oh boy,” Callen stated snickering. Now, his brother just pulled the love card out for this one. He was new at the relationship thing, but he even knew that was a dangerous thing
“Yee haw,” she drawled, only to have Callen drop his hand over her mouth.
“Shhhhh he’s focused on someone other than us right now. Let him have at it!” Callen hissed in her ear. They loved causing trouble. Whenever he was in from an assignment, they’d pull pranks and cause chaos- much to Ethan’s dismay.
“You’re off the hook,” Blackhawk said as he pointed at the people he loved. “You two are not.”
Chris leaned back and closed his eyes. “Thank God!”
“Okay, since we can skip that part of the meeting what else do you have for us, Chris?” Ethan inquired, crossing things off on paper.
“I do have one issue that needs to be addressed. It’s why I opted to leave Christina in the lab today and not bring her with me.”
They all looked over at him. That didn't bode well.
“Go ahead,” Ethan said, leaning back in his chair. Christina was their head lab tech and one of his brightest stars at FBI West.
Where to even begin with this? “I’ve noticed some serious issues that have been popping up with her. I’m not one to ever complain when someone has an off day, we all have them, but lately,” he paused.
“It’s okay, Chris. This is part of your job,” reassured Elizabeth. She didn't doubt that he hated ratting out a friend and co-worker. If there was a problem, they all needed to know.
“Lately, she’s distracted. We’ve had to double check her findings to make sure she’s not wrong. If it was just an office situation, it wouldn’t be a big deal. We could carry her weight, but our reports are instrumental in court. We don’t have the luxury of doing them wrong. If we do, criminals go free.”
None of this made Blackhawk happy. “How long has this been going on?”
Chris shrugged. “I’ve noticed it about two weeks ago, when she was working that arson case that went to trial. She found a chemical that wasn’t on the other victims. I asked another tech to re-run it, and it came back with entirely different results.”
“Wow,” Callen whistled. “It’s not like Christina to be off her game ever, but then with the science? That has never happened before.”
“ Not that we’ve been made aware of,” Blackhawk added. “What’s going on in her life to make her scattered?”
Chris didn't like talking about her behind her back, but this was his job. As head of the forensics department, the lab was essentially his responsibility. If he let them slack, it was his ass on the line with the bosses.
“I think it’s all because of Kane Redwolf.”
Elizabeth got it. Christina had encountered the man back in Red River working the ‘ Skinwalker ’case. Since then, she’d been trying to carry on with her life in the FBI and the three hour long distance relationship.
It had to be hard. She tried to picture her own life fitting those parameters, and it made her sick to her stomach.
“Shit!” Blackhawk didn't like this at all. The last thing he wanted to do was handle some relationship issues. “Elizabeth? Can you take one for the team and handle the girl stuff?”
Callen laughed. His brother was about to get his ass handed to him for that one.
“What? Why do I have to do the girl thing? She’s your head tech and idolizes you.”
“You have estrogen and ovaries , just like her,” offered Chris from beside her.
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. “You’re lucky I can’t put my hands on you, or I would have knocked you off the couch.”
Blackhawk was so glad he didn't have to answer that one. The ME saved him by wearing the bull’s-eye.
“Baby, she’s a woman. You’re a woman. You know how uncomfortable I get talking relationships with the staff,” he pleaded. “If you loved me, then you would handle this.”
“Oh boy,” Callen stated snickering. Now, his brother just pulled the love card out for this one. He was new at the relationship thing, but he even knew that was a dangerous thing
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