Gibbs closed the door behind her and led her into the coffee shop. This had to be one of the best-kept secrets in D.C and he made it a point to stop here for coffee everyday.

Jessica looked up at him slightly as they entered the coffee shop. Then, she looked around at everyone. Could they tell that she had tried to commit suicide? She felt like they were staring at her.

Gibbs walked her over to a booth in the corner and went to make an order.

Jessica looked around the coffee shop; feeling like everyone there was staring at her.

Quickly, Gibbs was back in now time with two cups of steaming hot coffee. He set one down in front of her and started sipping at his own.

Jessica stared at the cup, before looking up at Gibbs. "T-thank you... for everything" she said to him quietly

"Can't have my agents falling apart now can I?"

She looked down again. He was right, she was falling apart. "You're right..." she said to herself quietly.

"Have you ever known me to be wrong," he countered quickly.

Jessica couldn't help but laugh. "I can remember one time..." she started, looking into his eyes, smiling slightly.

"That never happened," Gibbs said immediately with a hint of humour.

She laughed again. Smiling, she lifted her coffee and took a few sips, looking at him.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow to her as he continued sipping.

Jessica placed her coffee cup down and looked out of the window. Her hair had begun to fall down she pulled the clip out and let her hair fall around her face. "Sorry... I must look a mess".

"Don't worry about it," he answered not looking at her.

Jessica smiled at Gibbs as she tried to make her hair slightly decent, putting her clip into her bag and tucking a piece of her hair behind her ears. Breathing in slightly, she looked around the place, not sure of what to say to Gibbs.

Gibbs carried on looking around the place; people seemed to be getting on with their own conversations.

Jessica sighed slightly as she took another sip from her coffee and picked her bag up, standing up from the booth.

Gibbs turned back to her in question.

Jessica looked at Gibbs slightly.

"Something wrong?"

Jessica smiled, shaking her head slightly. "No... Just going to the ladies room" she said before turning away from him and making her way to the bathroom.

Far be it from him to stop someone using the bathroom. Gibbs placed his cup down on the table and glanced out the window.

Jessica walked into the bathroom and locked the door. Looking into the mirror, she then splashed her face with some water. Then she pulled her lipstick out of her bag and began to apply some. "I look terrible..." she said to herself quietly. Trying to make her feel better about herself, Jessica shook her head slightly to get her hair to fall right. Breathing in, Jessica decided that she was looking as could as she would do, considering. Unlocking the door, Jessica made her way back to the table.

Gibbs tapped his fingers absently on the table while looking to his watch. It wasn't too late and he still had some time left before he went back to work, not that they had a lot of work to do. The repair work on the one elevator was underway and cases were few or so trivial that they'd been handed to different departments

Jessica sat back down at the table and looked at Gibbs, smiling slightly

"Everything okay?"

She nodded. "Yes its fine... thank you" Drinking the last of her coffee, Jessica placed the cup down on the table.

Finishing his own coffee, Gibbs sat back in the seat and allowed himself five minutes. Normally when he started working, he didn't relax until the end of the day and now it was only what? 10.30?

Jessica looked at Gibbs and saw that he had finished. What should she do now? She didn't want to go back to the office; it wasn't like she had anything to do there anyway. "Is there anything that needs to be done back at the office"? She asked.

"Depends..." Gibbs said quietly not looking at her. "You gonna try and trash another car?" he asked bluntly as he looked back at her.

Jessica opened her mouth to say something but instead looked down into her lap, closing her eyes.

"It's a valid question"?

Jessica looked back up at him, a few tears in her eyes. "I..." she then stood up and walked out of the coffee shop, suddenly feeling like the walls were closing in on her.

Sometimes Gibbs could be a bit of a bastard, hell he had admitted to Kate on at least one occasion but he had been serious. He got up from behind the table and followed her out.

Jessica looked around at everything, breathing in deeply to try to regain control of herself.

He strolled up beside her and put his hands in his pocket.

Jessica glanced in his direction. "I..." she didn't know what to say.

Gibbs merely raised his eyebrows.

Breathing in deeply, Jessica turned to him and looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry... I had to get out of there... I felt... crowded..." she looked down at herself and laughed slightly. "I'm acting like a child aren't I"? She asked before looking back up into his eyes.

Gibbs thought about it for a few moments. "No...You're acting like someone who's been through a traumatic experience."

"I feel like i'm falling apart... i'm trying to hold it all together... its just... I don't know how..." she hated having to do it on her own. But she didn't want to force her problems on anyone else. So she then turned and began to walk down the street.

He remained standing where he was and waited until she was nearly out of hearing range. "It's nothing to be ashamed of..." Gibbs said calmly.

Jessica stopped walking and hung her head but didn't turn around.

Knowing that he still had her attention, Gibbs slowly walked up to her. "I've seen agents with 20 years experience fall apart on cases like this."

Jessica turned and looked at him. "I know that I have to handle this... but I don't want to force what's going on with me on anyone else..."

"Well you certainly can't keep it bottled up."

"I just hate the fact that you're seeing me like this... that anyone I know is seeing me like this" she added the last bit on as she knew how it would of sounded if she had just left it like that.

Gibbs nodded slowly but didn't say anything. He could understand her reasoning, hell after he found about his wife and daughter he tried to commit suicide. Then he had finally snapped out of it and instead enacted revenge on the SOB who was responsible.

Jessica looked into his eyes and smiled slightly. "I'm sorry to be putting you all through this because of... "She cut off and looked away slightly."Im sorry..." she said, almost too quiet for anyone to hear.

"You don't need to apologise," he said sternly.

Jessica looked back at him and smiled. "I can't help it..." she said, laughing slightly as she tried to regain composure.

"Sure you can."

Jessica laughed again. Why was he being this nice to her.? If she was still at the Mi5, they wouldn't care at all about it her. She wasn't used to it at all.

"Come on...let's get back."

Jessica didn't answer.

Gibbs waited patiently.

Jessica looked down, then back up at him. "I-I don't really think I would be much use back at the office right now..."

"Then go home...put your feet up and watch Jerry Springer."

Jessica laughed. "Jerry Springer? Oh please... I wouldn't even watched that if it were the only show on television"

"Well at least someone has sense," Gibbs said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Jessica looked into his eyes, her own smiling, as she laughed. "I can't stand chat shows".

Gibbs allowed a small chuckle.

Jessica's smile widened as she heard Gibbs laugh. "I can't see why anyone would go on national television to air their problems"

"You just answered your own question Agent Islington," he replied dryly. "To get on television."

Jessica sighed. "You're right... couldn't do it myself" she said, looking at him with a slight twinkle in her eyes before she looked around them.

"Me neither."

Jessica laughed again, looking back at him. She smiled. She hadn't expected herself to laugh for a long time but Gibbs was somehow managing it.

He was finally glad to get her back into something resembling good spirits. "Considering you have no car...I'll drop you off home."

Jessica smiled at him. "Thank you... for everything"

"You're welcome."

Jessica smiled, nodding slightly, before beginning to walk slowly towards his car.

Gibbs walked around the driver's side and unlocked it; he got in and reached across the passenger's side. He unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Jessica climbed into the car and fastened her seat belt, before looking at Gibbs and smiling. "My place isn't that far".

Gibbs started the car and pulled away from the sidewalk.

Jessica couldn't help but smile as they drove to her apartment. Watching the world go past outside the window, she couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards Gibbs for everything that he had done for her.

He pulled into the street and checked his rear-view mirror before finding somewhere to park up. Gibbs looked up. "Home Sweet Home".

Jessica sat in the car and looked up at the building she currently called home. "Yep... this home" she said before looking at him and smiling.

"I don't know how people can live in those things myself..." Gibbs said never taking his gaze off the place. "I don't think I could cope without a basement."

Jessica laughed as she undid her seat belt. "Oh my place is big considering how small it is from the outside. Plenty of space..." she looked at him, her eyes glinting slightly. "... not sure if it's enough for a boat, but..."

"You make it sound like a submarine."

"There's definitely not enough room for one of those"! She said laughing before opening the door and slowly climbing out.

"I meant that it's bigger on the inside than it looks outside..."

Jessica laughed as she leaned back inside the car to look at him. "I know" she said, smiling.

"Well...I'd better get back." Gibbs glanced to his watch. "And take all the time out you need."

Jessica smiled at him, nodding slightly. "Thank you" she said before closing the door and beginning to walk up to the door.

Gibbs watched her walk up the steps then wound down his window. "And if you need anything don't hesitate to contact us."

Jessica looked over her shoulder as she reached the door. "Thank you... Agent Gibbs" she said as she turned back and began to unlock the main door to the building.