A/N: Okay, I know I'm overflowing with half finished fics at the moment, but this idea came to me in a dream, and I'm actually finding the ideas coming for this fic a lot quicker than my other, but I will update them soon, I promise!

Jo knocked on the door to Jack's office; the unexplained summoned ominous in Jo's opinion. Hearing her cue to enter, she pushed the door open, surprised to see Sam huddled in one of the chairs, shaking uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.

'Shut the door please, Jo.' Jack commanded, conscious of Sam's request that this stays private and aware that someone could walk past at any time.

Adhering to the request, Jo clicked the door shut, looking to Jack. 'What's this about?'

'Can I ask first that you remain… discrete with the information you're about to receive?' Jack asked very formally.

Jo glanced from Jack to Sam, her face sporting a confused expression. 'Of course I will. Jack, what's going on?' she asked hesitantly, a series of frightening possibilities running through her mind.

'Take a seat.' he offered, motioning to the spare chair next to Sam.

Jo complied cautiously, taking a seat next to the blonde, her gaze involuntarily drifting to Sam, concerned for her friend. The blonde looked away, self-consciously curling up tighter in the chair, hugging her feet to the chest. Jo looked back to Jack when she heard I'm clear his throat, obviously about to begin speaking.

'I'd like you to work with me on a… highly sensitive case.'

'Okay.'

'I ask that you don't inform any of your colleagues.'

'Alright.' Jo replied dubiously, having no idea what was about to come.

'It's a rape case.' Jack stated, his eyebrows raised, hoping he wouldn't have to say anymore.

Jo's mind slipped into action quickly, her brain putting the pieces together. She bit down on her bottom lip, turning to the figure beside her. 'Sam.' she whispered softly, the word not intended to escape her mouth. The blonde looked away, a tear trickling down her face.

'Guv, just one question before we start, why me?'

Sam turned to face Jo, reaching out to her hand, gingerly taking it in her own. Jo's head snapped around at the unexpected contact, her eye's meeting Sam's teary blue orbs. 'I asked for you.' She replied, giving Jo a minute to formulate a response.

'Why?' was all Jo could muster. She'd never been terribly close to Sam, they'd argued when she'd first arrived, and yes, they'd since made up, but there was nothing tying the two of them together firmly. Nothing Jo would have thought would lead Sam to request the brunette for a case obviously affecting her on such a personal level.

Sam gulped, a lump formed in her throat. 'You're a good copper… and… I thought, a friend.'

Jo tightened her grip on the blonde's hand, 'Of course I am.' She soothed, a little shocked, but then she did consider Sam very highly herself.

'And, I thought I could trust you.' Sam continued in between sniffs, attempting to fight back tears.

'You can.' Jo replied firmly, giving the blonde a small smile, hoping to provide a little support. Sam nodded at Jo, obviously grateful for the small action.

After looking at the blonde for a little longer, Jo turned her vision back to Jack, flicking between her two colleagues, not really sure who to direct her questions at. 'When?' She questioned, choosing to aim then at Sam.

'Earlier today.' She answered, shutting her eyes briefly, blinking away a few tears.

'I'll leave you two alone.' Jack broke the silence that had descended on the two women, 'I can find out everything I need to know from Jo.' He added, directing his words to Sam, 'I think you need to tell her alone.'

'Thanks.' Sam replied meekly, giving him a small smile as he left the room.

Jo flicked on the small tape recorder Jack had left on the desk, following procedure and recording the interview.

'Do you know who?' Jo continued after Jack left the room, attempting to conceal just how much this was affecting her, hating seeing the blonde in such pain.

'Yes. An old boyfriend, James Ratherson. It didn't end well, he never really let go of me properly, I had to report him a few years ago. He was… stalking me I guess.' Sam closed her eyes briefly, dragging up the memories again obviously affecting her. 'I got an injunction, stopping him from coming anywhere near me. When he broke the terms and approached my house I dialled 999. It's lucky I did because by the time they arrived he was attempting to break in. I was petrified; I'd never felt that vulnerable before. He was sent to prison four years ago, and apparently now he's out. I wasn't informed, which I should have been,' She added sternly, obviously blaming the authorities slightly, and quite rightly so, someone had neglected their duties with disastrous consequences.

'So I wasn't prepared for him arriving at my house at 5am this morning. I opened the door to him, and when I saw who it was, I panicked. I tried to slam the door but he stopped it with his foot.' She fought back a few tears, remaining adamant in a promise that she'd made herself, that she wouldn't let him affect her this much. 'He pushed the door open, and,' Sam paused again, taking in a sharp breath, a tear escaping her eye as she thought back, 'And he barged in, and slammed the door shut. I tried to scream but he put a hand over my mouth roughly, and told me that "I was going to get what I deserved." I was terrified; I couldn't breath properly, so when he told me that he'd remove his hand if I didn't make any noise, I agreed. I got my breathing back to normal, and tried to make for the door, but he stopped me.' Sam let out a quiet pained whimper as she thought back to what happened next.

'He slammed me against the table thing I have in the hallway, and he leaned in closer to me. I could feel his breath on my cheek.' Sam let out a small sob as she recalled even the most minor details, moving her hand up to her face to wipe away the tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Jo squeezed gently on the blonde's hand, their contact still not broken from when Jack was in the room. Sam sniffed, biting her lip gently before continuing. 'He pressed his body up against mine, and, he said that…' She paused again, shutting her eyes tightly, trying to banish the images in her head conjured by her recollection. 'He said that I'd suffer for what I did to him. He said I'd made him suffer and he was going to make me repay him. I said I'd give him all the money he wants if he just let me go.' She stopped again, looking up to the ceiling briefly before turning back to Jo.

'He said that wasn't the kind of payment he was interested in. I, I tried move, um, he still had his body pushed up against mine, but he just held me tighter, he's strong, really strong. Then he…' Sam took a sharp breath in, blinking away the tears in her eyes, moving her hand up to her face to wipe away the ones that had already escaped and were rolling down her cheek. 'He…' she let out a soft whimper again, the brunette pained at seeing the Sam so distressed. 'I don't know if I can do this, Jo.' The blonde admitted quietly, pressing her palms up against her eyes. Jo instantly rose from the seat, kneeling down in front of Sam and taking the blonde's hands in her own. Releasing one of them, Jo brought her right hand up to Sam's face, carefully brushing away the tears surrounding her now puffy eyes.

Jo gulped, pulling the fragile blonde closer to her, wrapping her arms around the teary detective in an attempt to comfort her. Holding the blonde tightly, she reached across to the tape recorder on the desk, clicking it off. 'It's okay.' She soothed, whispering into the blonde's ear. 'It's fine, we can do it later, or even another day.' She offered, not wanting to push Sam too far.

Sam shut her eyes briefly, pulling back from the hug and looking into Jo's eyes. 'I just want protecting.' She confessed before moving forward, lightly brushing her lips against the brunette's. Jo responded to the kiss initially, though pulled back after a few seconds, the blonde left with a confused expression.

'I can't. This isn't what you need right now.'

'Surely I know what I need.'

'You're looking for comfort, Sam, it's natural, but you're looking for it in the wrong way. What you need is a friend.'

'Don't patronise me, Jo.' Sam's voice was harsh; her words cutting through the tense atmosphere like a blade. 'Just tell me the truth, don't make out like you're doing this for my sake. I know what I'm doing, it seems it's you that doesn't want this, not me.'

'No, Sam that's not what…'

'Don't, Jo.' Sam ordered sternly. 'We can finish the interview now.'

'Are you sure you're…'

'Yes.' Sam cut in, looking away from the brunette.

'Okay.' Jo clicked the tape recorder back on, 'What did he do then?' she asked, picking up from where they left off.

'He reached for my trousers. He undid the zip and pulled them down a little way over my hips.' Sam continued, her voice devoid of emotion, promising herself she wouldn't let Jo see her break down again. The only way she was managing to keep her face straight was by imagining she was watching what happened, and that the victim was not in fact her, but someone else. 'Then he… and then he raped me.' Sam concluded, a little emotion returning to her voice and face as she thought back.

'Okay, what happened afterwards?'

'He knocked me slightly, I fell to the floor. I was crying, had been all the time he… he was y'know…' Sam looked around uncomfortably, a few tears returning to her eyes as her façade slipped slightly. 'And he looked down to, he looked disgusted, he said I wasn't as good as he'd imagined I would be, that I was a let down. He just walked out of the house, bold as anything, shut the door and left me crying on the floor.'

'And he gave no indication about where he was going?' Jo attempted to remain professional, but deep down hearing all this was affecting her more than words could describe, the thought that someone had been allowed to hurt Sam in such a way was horrifying. She knew she'd probably just ruined any chance of the two of them ever being together, but then again when she left the house this morning she didn't think there was any chance, so she supposed she was no worse off, but that didn't mean she didn't care for Sam. The idea that someone had made her feel this weak and vulnerable was making Jo feel physically sick, but she knew these weren't things she could let Sam see, not after what had happened.

'No, none at all. He could be anywhere for all I know… he could be… could be doing it to someone else.' She whispered, horrified at the thought.

'Well we've got most of uniform out looking for him, he won't get far.' Jo reassured, hoping to offer some form of comfort to the distressed woman. 'So what did you do next?'

'Er, I stayed there for a few minutes, I guess I was shocked. Once I'd slowed my breathing and could think straight, I got up. I went and changed, and put my clothes I'd been wearing in a plastic bag. I wanted to go and have a shower and just wash the… dirty feeling off me that I was left with, but I knew that I'd need to be examined so I went back downstairs, made myself a drink and sat down on my sofa with it. I must have been there for a while because the next thing I knew it was half nine and my coffee was very cold.' She said with a half smile, trying to lighten the mood slightly.

'Okay, so is that when you came into the station?'

'Yeah, I brought the clothes with me, but I left them in the car because I didn't want anyone to… y'know, see them. I hadn't really calmed down by this time, but I was trying to act as normal as possible when I walked past people in the corridors. I don't think anyone noticed anything was wrong because no one said anything, but then again I did just rush through and came straight to Jack's office.'

'Alright, I think that's all I need.' Jo said, switching the tape machine off before going and kneeling in front of Sam again. The blonde instantly looked away, leaving Jo to reach out and gently turn her head back with a finger. 'Sam don't ever think that I don't care about you.' She whispered softly.

'Then why…'

'I told you, I really don't think this is what you need right now, but I'd like to be a friend to you, if you'll let me.' She added hopefully.

Sam shut her eyes briefly, nodding as she did so. 'Thank you.'

Jo took the blonde into a hug, holding on to her tightly while the woman cried. After Sam had calmed down and pulled away, smiling gratefully at Jo, the brunette rose.

'I better go speak to Jack, tell him everything and get someone to fetch the clothes from your car. Have you been examined yet?'

'No, I came straight here and about five minutes later you were called in.'

'Okay, well, I'll sort that out, get someone to take you down to the hospital and get you checked out.'

'No.' Sam interrupted, 'I don't want anyone else knowing.'

'Sam, you're in no fit state to go along, I could get Nikki, I'm sure she'd…'

'Please.' Sam begged, taking one of Jo's hands. 'I don't want anyone else knowing.'

'Okay.' Jo resolved, seeing Sam's desperate eyes, 'I'll come with you. Then I'll get somewhere for you to stay.'

'I don't want to be alone.' Sam admitted.

'Is there anyone you can stay with?'

Sam shook her head.

'Abi?'

'No, I don't want her knowing, she's got enough to cope with at the moment.'

'Okay, well how about you come back to mine?' Jo offered.

Sam nodded slightly, squeezing Jo's hand gratefully.

'Alright, well let me go and speak to Jack, and then I'll come back here for you and take you down the hospital, take you to your place so you can pick up some of your stuff and well go back to mine. Is there no one else in CID you'll let help on the case?'

'Please. I don't want anyone else knowing.'

'Okay, but if I'm going to be out with you most of the day Jack'll be working on it alone.'

'He can call you if he needs anything.' Sam suggested, knowing she was making things harder but adamant that no one else would find out about how vulnerable she could be.

'Okay, I'll see what he says.'

'Thanks.' Sam whispered as Jo headed towards the door.

'Don't mention it.' Jo said with a slightly smile as she exited the small office. She spotted Jack almost instantly, the concerned male standing with his back to the wall about five feet up the corridor.

'How is she?' he asked quietly when Jo got closer to him, quickly scanning the corridor for any sign of life that could overhear.

'She's shaken up, she's scared and she doesn't want to be alone.'

'Well we could call Abi in.' Jack proposed, thinking for someone Sam had a close relationship with.

'No, she doesn't Abi told, I offered her a bed at my place.'

'Jo…' Jack warned, knowing that she couldn't get too close to Sam.

'She needs a friend right now, Jack, and truth be told, she doesn't have anyone else.'

'Just be careful.'

'I will. I told her I'd fill you in on what she said and then take her down the hospital to be examined.'

'Okay.'

'One problem though.'

'What?'

'She's adamant that she doesn't want anyone else on the case.'

'Right.'

'And to be honest I don't think she'll be in any state to be left alone tomorrow.' Jo added, seeing Jack's face fall slightly.

'You want me to handle the case alone?'

'I'll be at the other end of the phone all the time.'

Jack sighed, knowing that when Jo had something in her mind, there was no arguing with her. 'Okay then, but if I need you in, you come in the moment I tell you to, okay?'

'Yes. Thanks.'

'I think you're right, I think she does need someone with her, that's the only reason I'm agreeing.' He added, a slightly smile on his face, 'She's lucky she has you around for her.'

'Yeah, well, I'm just being a friend.'

'I know, a good one.' He added warmly, a sense of pride filling him as he saw the concern for colleagues between the members of his team, even if Jo was only one individual.