"Achhhhh!"

Nikki and Clarissa looked up in alarm as Jack came flying backwards and almost horizontally out of the office he shared with Nikki. He knocked into the desk with his side, knocking over Clarissa's cup of coffee and nearly ended up on his backside. Nikki automatically stepped behind him and caught his arms, pushing him back to his feet.

"Shhh" She soothed him, with her arms around his waist. " what's the matter?"

"It's in there! On my laptop! It crawled over my hand!" Jack exclaimed, sounding more and more hysterical. It would have been hilarious if he hadn't been so scared, but he was shaking so Nikki just carried on trying to soothe his trembling form.

"You can handle dead bodies and cage-fighting but you scream like a girl when you meet a spider?!" Clarissa interjected indignantly.

"Shhhh your ok." Nikki whispered softly to Jack. He seemed to be calming down slightly. She turned and glared at Clarissa for mocking him. Everyone was scared of something. "It's not his fault, Clarissa. He doesn't like them." He always looked after her when she was scared so she was damn well going to stand up for him.

Upon hearing her standing up for him, Jack squeezed her arms gratefully in the embrace they were currently entangled in. She smiled up at him encouragingly and he relaxed a bit more. She patted his calmer hand and took a step towards their office - intending to remove the creature that had offended him.

"No!" He shouted, pulling her back. It wasn't just him he was scared for. He found the idea of her touching it equally terrifying. Nikki gently pushed him into a chair.

"Jack, it's ok." She told him, pulling him close again and cradling his head against her.

"Thomas" Clarissa sighed, making Jack look up - he hadn't noticed that the older man had come in. "Thomas, could you go and remove the spider from Jack's desk, please - he won't let Nikki go in there!" Thomas nodded and went into their office.

Jack tightened his hold on Nikki. She patted his shoulder. "It won't hurt you, I promise."

"I know, but I just can't" he muttered. She squeezed his arms.

Thomas came back out. "It's gone." Jack tensed up again, it was still running around somewhere. Thomas sighed. "Out the window, Jack. I put it out the window."

"ok, now?" Nikki asked softly. Jack nodded.

He relaxed.