A/N Yep Still away, but been addicted to Barrett Foa and Traci Thompson singing bust a move on YouTube, and thus this little product of my insomniac mind was born.

I will update my others as soon as I get back and have access to my other files.

As always these were Shane’s…and will be again, although I may not return them in pristine condition, I still respect his ownership of them, and if he can find me I’ll fight him for the rights…;P

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Bust a move! by CALLEN37

It had been a bad end to a bad week for Eric; He had dropped the ball twice that week in Ops.

Luckily, Nell had covered for him.

The first time he had been distracted by Nell as she moved, just moved and the lights caught her hair, he had missed the bad guys going around the back to ambush Callen and he’d been winged by a bullet in the surprise attack.

Callen hadn’t blamed Eric, but Nell had given him a look of horror as she’d seen Callen go down. Sam had been furious and hadn’t directly spoken to Eric for the last three days and to be honest Eric had been hiding in ops the whole time.

Today had been the worst, the team had been through a lot, and Nell had given him a note. He had grinned stupidly as he read it, “I love you.” It said simply. He hadn’t been able to contain his smile even as Granger came in to talk to them.

He’d found out later that she had sent notes to all the team, her I love you was truly universal, Nell had a big heart and he loved her for it.

“I could use a drink!” Nell smiled to Kensi as they offered to go to a bar after work.

Eric walked with them out of the building but refused to go with them to the bar, citing chores he had to do.

The others bid him goodnight and left.

---

Eric smiled watching them go and picked up his phone.

“Hello, it’s Eric Beale, I was wondering…how is she today?” he asked.

“Mr. Beale, she’s doing a lot better today, she’s eaten and sitting up, she’s been asking about you, will you be able to visit her this week?”

Eric smiled, “I will try Francine, did my check make it in time?” he asked worried.

“We had most of it, did you not get our letter, and we had to raise our prices…your mother’s care is…extensive. Her physiotherapy alone…”

“I know, I know, look I’m doing extra work tonight, I will get the rest of the money to you by Friday, is that alright?” Eric asked cutting her off.

“Of course Mr. Beale, I will tell her that you will be coming over to see her this week.”

Eric hung up and walked to his car, his mother had been a vibrant happy person until six months ago, when she had gone to an award ceremony in Washington D.C. which had been blown up by a terrorist called Benam Parsa. Since then he’d waited until his mother was sufficiently stable to travel and he’d had her brought back out here. He had thought about telling Hetty and asking for some time off, but then Kensi was sent to Afghanistan and the team was a man down and Kensi had cornered Eric before she’d left and asked him to keep an eye on Deeks, to watch his back while she wasn’t there. Eric being Eric wasn’t one to shirk from a task.

So he’d moved her into a nursing facility near to his home and carried on with his work. However her care was costing him money, he hadn’t arranged for access to her accounts, after all if…no…when she recovered she would need access to her funds to resume her life. He didn’t care that right now she had to learn to walk, talk and eat again. It didn’t matter that she didn’t know who he was. She was his mother and he loved her. The only problem was that his wages from NCIS didn’t cover his living expenses and his mothers.

So he’d taken an evening job, the boss knew he worked odd hours and provided he did his job here well, the boss was fine about him changing shifts, besides on nights he worked he usually worked up the crowd to a frenzy and get a great lot of custom.

He pulled up at the back of the bar and nodded to Jon on the door.

“Hey Jon.” He said with a small smile.

“Barratt!” Jon smiled.

Eric waited as he unlocked the door, “Got a big crowd in tonight. Traci’s on shift too!”

Eric nodded at Jon and gulped. “Sure, great more tips.” He smiled and went to the dressing room at the back.

---

“So why here?” Deeks asked as they pulled up to the bar.

“They got a kickin’ music act but its hit and miss when he’s on.” Kensi said with a grin. She’d heard about Barrett Ford from a friend and she really needed to listen to some good music, “Come on…” she said getting out of the car, “It’ll be great!” she enthused walking over to the car where Callen, Sam and Nell sat.

“Come on! If he’s there the act will start in ten minutes!” Kensi bounced on her heels.

“Do you think he will be?” Nell asked.

“Who will be?” Callen asked.

“BARRETT FORD!” Kensi and Nell squealed as the boys laughed.

“Who’s that?” Sam asked.

“Only the best singing sensation this side of the San Andreas Fault.” Nell sighed, “He’s awesome, my friend taped his singing, he’s so good.”

“Did she get him on film?” Kensi asked.

Nell shook her head, “Nope. Camera’s aren’t allowed.” She sighed, “I heard he was a hottie!”

“Maybe we should go somewhere…..else?” he said but realized he was talking to an empty door as the girls walked towards the bar.

Callen shrugged shut his car door and followed them.

They walked inside and ordered their drinks and sat at the only available table. It was at a dark side of the stage, but it had a great view.

“Ladies…and Gentlemen, the Cellar is proud to introduce Barrett Ford and Traci Torrent singing tonight.”

The crowd erupted and the lights went down in the audience and up on the stage.

The team at the table stood transfixed as Barrett took the stage.

“Eric?” Nell breathed.

“Oh my God…is he gonna sing?” Sam asked.

The music started and Eric started rapping.

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He started singing Bust a Move, and the group started whooping along with the crowd, Eric was good…really good. Then the spotlight moved to Traci and the crowd went wild as she joined him on the stage. The team laughed at Eric’s dance moves along with the crowd and then he pulled Traci to him and the lights went down.

The crowd roared, he was a hit, Kensi and Nell were clapping and then Deeks whistled.

The lights went back on again for Eric’s second number of the night. He sang Twist and Shout and the crowd lapped it up.

A group of people came on stage to sing with him again and at the end as he turned his back on the audience and fell back into the arms of his fellow singers and the lights went out he thought he saw the team.

He hurried out to the edge of the stage, trying to catch a glimpse of them, but the table he’d seen them at was empty.

He sighed, it was just his imagination.

“Well done man!” Traci said as she walked past him to the girls’ dressing room, “You rocked it tonight, the tips are huge!” she grinned.

Eric smiled at her, “Thanks Traci.”

“BARRETT!” his boss came up behind him, “You were great! Looks like you made over $100 in tips alone.”

Eric grinned he needed the money and this would help. “Great, I’ll be out front to work bar soon.”

“Don’t worry; I know I saw you have some fans waiting for you tonight.”

Eric shook his head, there were usually two or three people waiting for him, he used to smile politely and would sign a piece of paper in his cover name, but no absolutely no photos, it had been a prerequisite for the job.

“Eric!” Nell squealed jumping into her partner’s arms, “You were totally awesome.”

Eric stood there stunned, “Wha…what? What are you guys doing here?”

“We said we were going to a bar, didn’t realize you were going to be doing the entertainment.” Sam smiled.

“Well, you’ve had your laugh, but I have to go back to work.” He said walking past them.

“Hey Eric what gives man?” Deeks asked as they followed him into his dressing room, “We ain’t judging you if this is the way you wind down after work it’s cool!”

“No! it isn’t cool, none of this is cool” Eric snapped pulling off his leather jacket and putting on a t-shirt, not noticing Kensi and Nell checking out his abs as he changed.

“Eric?” Callen said.

“Look guys’ I’m not here to wind down, I’m here to work, I have to work guys…I promise I’ll talk to you on tomorrow, then you can haze me all you like, but right now I need the paycheck.”

“You saving for a new surfboard?” Sam asked.

“On an X-Box?” Deeks added.

“No.” Eric turned away ashamed.

“Eric?” Nell moved to stand in front of him. “Talk to us?”

“You remember that bombing in D.C. the one where that agent, McGee…from Gibbs’ team was in?”

Callen nodded, he had talked long with Jethro Gibbs after that incident.

“My…my mother was there, she was injured in the bombing, I have to pay for her nursing care.” Eric said sitting on his chair as they all watched him, “She was beautiful, she was vibrant a real socialite, she even had a debutante ball when she was young. My mother is from German Aristocracy, she kept up the lifestyle, Parties, awards stuff like that. She was at the convention center for the awards and was hurt, badly.

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

Eric shrugged, “It was never the right time, too much on.”

“Well, we know now, what can we do to help?” Callen asked.

Eric shrugged, “I got it all in hand guys, you go out and enjoy your night, drinks are half off, and first rounds on me.” He grinned grabbing his apron and heading out of the door.

The rest of the night was spent doing the undercover performance of their lives, just for Eric. They all acted like they were having a great time whenever he looked over, but in reality they were trying to figure out how to help him.

---

The next morning, Eric got up at 5 am, stopped at the home to drop off last night’s wages and visit with his mother, who was as usual fast asleep. He kissed her and headed into work.

Dropping his bag by his desk he had just logged on when his phone rang.

“This is Eric?” he said calmly into the phone.

“Mr. Beale will you come to my office please?” Hetty asked.

“Sure, on my way.” He jogged down the stairs ignoring the look that Callen, who was the only one there, was giving him.

“Hetty?” Eric said knocking on the post where, if she had a door, a door would have been.

“Mr. Beale, come in…” she said handing him a cup of tea and gesturing to a large chair near her desk. “About your mother…” she started.

Eric put his cup down. “She’s fine, we’re fine,” He said automatically.

Hetty watched as he squirmed for a moment, “Eric…I have to go to Washington soon…I may be a while, I want to help…You are essential to the team and I need you on this team, to watch over them for me. You need to have your head 100% in the game.”

“I do Hetty!” Eric protested, “I haven’t let the team down…Have I?” he asked.

“No…No Mr. Beale, you haven’t let any of us down, not at all, I just need to be reassured that while I cannot be here to watch over the team that the best person I know of is in Ops watching out for all my field agents.”

“I am Hetty! I do my best…If you…if you want me to quit….” He trailed off not knowing what she was on about.

“Mr. Beale, what I am trying to say is, if it is ok with you I’d like to help. I have arranged to fund your mother’s care, if that is alright with you, by all means if you need to sing, and I hear you are very good, please do so, but you don’t need to do it.”

“Why?” Eric asked amazed.

“I have known your mother for a long time, she is a good woman, who did a lot to help others less fortunate than herself and I am only too pleased to be able to give back, I owe your grandmother.”

Eric looked at her confused.

“Your Mother was a child when I was small, and her mother rescued me from a labor camp and brought me to America. I would be pleased if you would allow me to repay the favor.”

Eric nodded stunned, “Th…thank you Hetty.” He stood up to go as the others started to file in for the morning.

“Oh and Mr. Beale!” she called loud enough for the other’s to hear.

“Yes Hetty?” he replied turning back to her.

“I expect to see a display of your talents at the works Christmas party, I hear you can bust a move!” she smiled as he turned read and practically ran up the stairs.

Callen smiled and nodded at Hetty, Eric was going to be fine and hopefully, so was the team.

He turned to get on with the day not knowing what the day was going to bring them all.