Chapter 1

Olivia sat quietly in the back of the car looking out the window at the passing street life; she looked down at her hands they were still shaking. She tried to open the bottle of water to take a drink but she couldn't grip it hard enough to turn the top.

Fin turned around in his seat and looked back to her. "You okay Liv?" he asked her.

She nodded without speaking and went back to looking out the car window.

"She gonna be okay?" asked Nick quietly. "After what that bastard put her through….. It's a good job he is fucking dead."

"I don't know man," said Fin. "I mean how much more she can take," he shook his head and sighed before turning back around to look at her. She didn't look back as she kept her eyes on the passing street.

A single tear rolled down her face and she quickly wiped it away before either of them saw her, as she dropped her head against the window and closed her eyes. Her mind reliving the last day again.

She jumped when she heard the car door slam and looked around she hadn't realised they had arrived at her apartment.

"Come on Liv," said Fin" Let's get you inside," he said holding the car door open for her. She nodded and gave a little smile as she climbed out and walked up the steps to the door, followed by Nick and Fin. They were all silent as they got in the elevator and rode up to her floor nobody quite knowing what to say.

Olivia took her key from her pocket and opened the door entering her apartment. She threw her keys into the small bowl on the top of the cabinet her heart jumping when she saw what else was in there along with her keys and another set of keys. She quickly reached in and turned it over before Fin and Nick seen it and started to ask questions.

"You want us to get you anything to eat?" asked Fin as she sat down on the couch and Nick went into her kitchen and began to look around.

"A glass of wine?" he said opening the fridge.

"We could order in," said Fin looking down at her.

"No guys I'm fine," she said laying back, her eyes wandering over towards the bedroom door which was closed.

"You should drink something," said Nick still searching around in the kitchen. "You want us to call Cassidy?"

Olivia tried not to smile as she looked over at the bedroom door again.

"No…. I err…. I spoke to him already," she said, hoping the bedroom door would stay closed until they left.

"He coming over?" asked Fin as Nick joined him from the kitchen.

"No I'm fine," she told them taking the vodka from Nick and putting it on the table. She just wanted them to leave.

"One of us can stay if you like," said Nick standing next to Fin. "You shouldn't be alone right now."

I won't be she thought but instead said "I appreciate it, I think I just I just need some quiet. I just need to sleep; I'm due at IAB first thing in morning."

"You have a lawyer right?" said Nick.

Olivia glared at him getting defensive. "A lawyer, no for what for? Lewis shot himself," she said dropping her head back against the couch. "Know what he said to me?" she asked them both holding back the tears. "He said, I want this to be the last thing you see before you die. "

Fin and Nick just looked at her.

"Screw him," said Fin looking down at his friend and holding his temper. Nick looked between them both.

"Get some rest," he said turning away. Olivia dropped her head back against the arm of the couch again as she watched them leave. She climbed off the couch locking the door behind them before glancing back into the small bowl where her keys were, she picked up the small black wallet and ran her fingers over the gold shield.

"When did you get back?" she asked without turning around as she sensed someone behind her.

"About 15 minutes before you. I heard you talking outside the door and then heard Fins voice, thought it was best I hid in the bedroom, as they don't know I'm back yet."

She nodded as he wrapped his arms around her waist and dropped his head to her shoulder holding her tightly to him.

"Liv…"

"I'm so glad you came," she sobbed as she turned in his arms and held him tight as he pulled her to him.

"Its okay I got you," he said pulling her close to him and holding her as tight as he could without hurting her. "I would have come sooner. As soon as Gibbs found out he got me out of there and on the first plane back here," he whispered into her hair as he held her tight. "I was gonna come to the station but DiNozzo was there to meet me off the plane. He told me that you had been taken to the hospital and were getting released so I came straight here."

He kissed the side of her head as she sobbed in his arms.

"I was so scared when Gibbs told me baby. As soon as he saw the news and your confession he made some calls. He got in touch with me as soon as he found out Lewis had escaped…. But I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere for a long time….I promise you. I should never have left you alone like that. I should have stayed with you instead of leaving. "

"You had no choice," she sniffed and rubbed her nose on his t-shirt. "You had a job to do. None of us could have known he would have got out of prison." She wiped her nose on his t-shirt again as she sniffed.

He looked down at her, "Did you just wipe your nose on my t-shirt?" he asked her trying to lighting the mood.

She nodded and looked up smiling at him. "You stink and are a mess anyway….. A little bit of snot from me isn't going to do any more harm."

"Well excuse me," he smiled. "But I never had time for a shower. Between getting extracted from the middle of Afghanistan and getting here I never found the time, and if were being honest…" he said sniffing. "You don't smell or look to hot yourself."

She looked up at his smiling face "God I love you," she said pulling his face to hers and kissing him. No matter what he always knew the right thing to say to calm her down and make her smile.

"I love you to," he said cupping her face. He kissed her nose and pushed her hair off her face. "You ready to tell me what happened?" he asked her as he looked her over.

She shook her head holding back the tears that were threatening to fall again.

"Can we do it later…. I will tell you, but right now I want to get cleaned up, have something to eat and a glass of something strong and sleep. I need to speak with Tucker in the morning and give my statement on what happened."

He nodded and kissed her lips softly. "Do you want me to come with you?"

She shook her head "No, I best do it alone."

"Okay if you're sure," he said not wanting to put any pressure on her.

She nodded and leant back into his chest.

"Just knowing you will be here when I get back is enough for me."

"Why don't you get in the bath, while I call Gibbs and let him know what has happened. Then I will join you in there, after I order something to eat and pour us a glass of wine….. Unless you want something stronger," he said looking at the large vodka Nick had poured.

"Sounds perfect and wine is good," she smiled, kissing him before she turned away and walked towards the bathroom. "Tell Gibbs thank you from me," she smiled at him before she disappeared.

He reached into his pocket and took out his phone and hit his speed dial and waited for an answer.

"Hi Boss," he said when Gibbs answered.

"How she doing?" he asked him.

"She hasn't talked yet, I'm not gonna push her, I know what that bastard put her through the first time…. I should… I should have been here," he said letting out a deep breath. "If I had he wouldn't have got to her."

"You couldn't have stopped it," said Gibbs. "She would have done anything she could to save that little girl and you know that, even if you had been here she would have gone after her and him."

"But I could have tried to stop her."

Gibbs laughed down the phone.

"Stop her. I've met her remember and she scared the hell out me the first time I went to see her…. and there aren't many women who do that… well apart from my ex-wives."

He was silent as Gibbs talked. "She needed closure. Sending Lewis to prison didn't give her the closure she needed after what happened in that beach house…. Everything was so screwed up, you know it was. She is tough and she will get through this, just give her time. And she will talk when she is ready."

"Yeah," he said. "I'm gonna go…. And I will call in a few days when everything settles. I might even try and persuade her to come to Washington for a few days, get away from work and the New York."

"Sounds like a good idea, I'm sure Abby would love to see her. I will only bring you back in if something major happens. Take care of her," he said before hanging up.

He threw the phone onto the couch and walked into the kitchen and poured them a large wine each and headed to the bathroom walking straight in. Olivia was already lying in the bath only her head was visible above the bubbles.

"Room in there for me," he asked as he began to undress after putting the wine down next to the bath. He pulled off his t-shirt and dropped his combat trousers to the floor.

"Always," she smiled moving forward as he slipped in behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "How long you home for?" she asked linking her fingers with hers.

"Gibbs said to take as long as I need, well unless something important turns up and he needs us all in."

"I will have to thank him," she said dropping her head back against his chest.

He took a drink of wine and handed Olivia her glass.

"You ready to tell me what happened yet?" he asked her.

"Not yet… but I will I promise, just let me relax and enjoy having you home."

"Liv… we really need to talk about it."

She turned around in his arms to face him. "I will but right now I need you to kiss me…. all I need is you El, you're the only one I have ever needed," she said as her lips met his.

So what did you think worth carrying on or not? The story will involve a lot of flasbacks explaining what happened with Elliot and how they got back in touch with each other. Reviews and opinions please.