A/N: Okay guys, no new content just fixed the format a bit per your requests.

Chapter Two

She wandered slowly around the living room running her hands along the couch and then the bookshelf looking for a clue as to why she always felt the safest and at peace here. As she examined the contents of the living room she knew the reason had nothing to do with the house or the stuff in it. It was his presence that brought the feeling of safety to her. She hadn't even seen him yet but knowing he was close had already had such a calming effect on her. If she was completely honest with herself she would admit that he was the only one that had ever made her feel that way and he was the only one that ever would.

She angrily shook her head. How had this happened? How had she let him into that tightly guarded place that no one was allowed access to? Not only had he found a way in but he had taken up permanent residence there and it scared her just to think about it. But she wasn't sure what scared her more at this point. That he had found a way in without even trying or that one day he may not be there. A tear lingered in the corner of her eye at that last thought and then she angrily wiped it away and turned to walk back out of the house. She couldn't do this. She needed to regain control of herself. He was off limits. He was her boss, her superior, he was…well, to plainly put it he was GIBBS!

She made it as far as the front door when her dream came rushing back with a vengeance. She shuddered and stood there frozen. She knew what would happen if she left. She would be up the rest of the night being tortured by the flashbacks. She sighed. All she wanted was a few hours of relief. This was a war she had been fighting for quite a while now. At this point she wasn't sure what was worse. The physical torture she endured or the mental/emotional torture she was left with. Somehow she sensed this was worse. The bruises, the cuts, the broken bones had healed without any lingering effects with time but this was a new pain that didn't seem to be getting any better. She slowly took her hand off the doorknob and turned and made her way to where she knew she would find him at this hour. Her desire for relief was stronger at this point than her fear of exposing more of herself to him.