This idea came to me after Matt had gone through the anomaly and Becker hugged Emily and kissed her forehead. It was such a sweet moment and it got me thinking about what would have happened if Matt hadn't returned. Anyway, I own nothing, and I'm sure there will be many Jecker fans who are glad I don't ;)

(Set after 5x06)

Becker watched as Abby and Jess surrounded the grieving woman, currently half-collapsed on the steps leading down to the hub, feeling useless. He had never imagined what Matt was planning to do when he jumped into the truck – it was the most courageous thing he had ever seen, and it seemed even braver considering he couldn't reap the rewards of his actions.

'I'll make tea,' he heard Jess say quietly before disappearing off to the small kitchenette to boil water. Abby looked up to see the soldier eyeing them both with concern, and tried to smile. The entire team was in shock, and they both knew that the smiles would be short-lived once it finally sunk in.

'Becker, can you get Emily into Lester's office – he thought she might be more comfortable there?' Abby said, standing up and trying to take Emily with her. She wouldn't budge.

'Don't worry, I can manage. Go and find Connor – we need everyone together right now,' he suggested, and Abby nodded before hurrying off to the lab, knowing it would be the only other place her boyfriend would have gone.

Becker knelt apprehensively in front of Emily, tears streaming down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, knowing exactly what it felt like to lose a colleague. But then again, he knew Matt had never been just a colleague to her, and he was sure that made things ten times worse.

'Why did he have to be so... stupid?' Emily asked through the tears, another breaking sob ripping from deep within her. It hurt so much.

The soldier tentatively moved forwards so that he was sitting next to her, and pulled her into a warm hug. She rested her head against his chest so that her curly hair tickled his chin, and let the tears flow freely as they quickly dampened his black top.

'The world's safe because of him,' Becker reminded her, knowing it was little consolation for her loss. If she had had to choose between losing Matt or the end of the world, she would have had to have asked what the difference was.

Becker carefully placed an arm around Emily's waist and slowly lifted her to her feet, feeling her shaking body beneath his tender touch. She could barely stand. As he led her back up the stairs, half-lifting her up the steps, he managed to get her to Lester's door before she finally broke down again. He pulled her tighter into him and then lifted her into his arms, knowing there was no way she could walk any longer. She was exhausted, grieving, and there was no one who knew those feelings better than Becker.

xxx

When Abby entered Lester's office a little while later, having left Connor with Jess, she was surprised to find Emily fast asleep lying across a dozing Becker. The young soldier had one arm draped across the back of the couch while the other was tucked underneath Emily's waist. She couldn't help smiling a little, considering how difficult Becker found it to express any sort of emotion which involved opening up. If things weren't so awful right now, she might have taken a picture!

As she sat down in the leather armchair opposite them, slender fingers wrapped around a steaming mug of comforting hot chocolate, Becker shifted slightly in his sleep and his eyelashes fluttered before opening. He registered the office, Abby, and finally the sleeping Emily lying across him. He sighed deeply.

'How long?' Abby asked simply as she took a sip of the sweet liquid.

Becker rubbed his eyes before answering. 'About two hours. She just couldn't stop crying, and when she finally did stop, she kept replaying every single moment. She's determined to make this as hard as possible on herself.'

They both looked down as Emily turned, groaning quietly, into Becker, her breath warming his side. He stroked the top of her head lightly, soothingly as he glanced at Abby's shocked face.

'What?'

She snapped out of her expression quickly and shrugged. 'I suppose I've never seen you so... caring before,' she replied, not sure whether that was too blunt for the current situation – she knew he tried his best, even if he sometimes couldn't quite express himself in the way he wanted to.

He smiled sadly. 'I know what she's going through,' he said, re-clipping a piece of hair which had fallen across her face.

Abby nodded. They all did, she thought, and felt worse for thinking that Matt was certainly not the first to be lost in their team. It seemed like death's shadow was looming larger than ever above the ARC, and she was so tired of seeing it clouding their lives day after day. She loved her job, she really did, but sometimes...

'Matt...' Emily suddenly mumbled, pulling at Becker's top as she moved in her sleep. He shushed her softly as he prised her fingers from the black fabric. She gave a small, vulnerable whimper, and Becker's heart broke a little to see someone usually so strong, so fierce now reduced to such despair and sorrow.

'There's no point her staying here – it's just going to remind her of... everything,' Abby said quietly, her voice faltering as she silently said his name. The familiar hurt which had penetrated them all at one time or another suddenly returned with full force, and she felt the painful prick of tears behind her eyes as she remembered Matt's face.

Becker nodded, moving slowly off the couch as he balanced Emily's head so she wouldn't wake.

'I doubt she's going to want to go back to their flat either. I think it's best if she stays with one of us tonight,' he suggested quietly as he carefully placed the sleeping woman back down onto the couch.

'Who, though? It's already cramped at Jess's, and I can't see Lester-'

'It's fine,' Becker interrupted. 'I have plenty of space at mine, and I think she might open up a bit with me around. I worked closely with Matt, and I think that might help her in some small way.'

Abby was more than a little surprised at his generosity – no one had ever, ever seen inside Becker's home, and yet here he was readily welcoming a near-stranger into it. Perhaps Matt disappearing had changed him more than she had ever thought possible.

'OK, if that's... I mean, you don't have to, Becker. I'm sure we could work something out-'

'Abby, stop worrying. It's perfectly all right. I'd like to, in fact.'

'Great. That's... that's great! Well, I'll go and get some stuff for her and I'll drop it off back at the ARC in say... half an hour?'

Becker nodded, already distracted as he took a blanket from the cupboard and draped it across Emily. Her face crumpled slightly in her sleep, obviously having a bad dream. Or just remembering, Becker thought sadly. He knew the pain loss could bring, and knew how long it took for the raw edges to fade. But perhaps he could finally help Emily in a way he never managed to help Nick or Stephen or Sarah. Perhaps now he could be of some use...

Please, please review – I know there will be some who will be determined to hate this storyline, but give it a shot. You never know it might surprise you!