Prompt: Eyes

Steve feels helpless as Danny gently coaches Jessica through her panic attacks. He's never been good at this, never been good at calming Jessie down. She feels things too intensely and he's used to compartmentalizing, pushing all of his feelings aside. He learned early on that skill isn't something that is particularly helpful for Jessica; he remembers the argument between him and Danny when Danny had come home from the store one day early when Jessica had first came to live with them to find Steve trying to talk her through SEAL techniques of detaching. He had been more than a little out of his element and Danny had been livid. They'd gotten her into therapy soon after that; had come up with coping techniques for her panic attacks, ways to reduce the anxiety. It'd been a while since she's had an attack this bad. Even still, Steve's never quite felt like he'd been able to connect with Jessica during these attacks. Danny's always been more successful in calming her down.

So Steve does what he's always done, provides a solid, supportive presence. He doesn't say anything, just let's Danny do his thing. They're a good team, him and Danny. Danny with his words, him with is presence. This is something he can do. Let her know that she's not alone, that he won't leave her, no matter what. Right now it's the best he's got.

"I'm sorry," Jessica apologizes to both, after she finally calms down. "I should have been stronger, I should have been able to hold it together better. God, I made such a mess of everything."

Danny goes to say something, to reassure her that she did nothing wrong, but Steve gets there first.

"Hey. Look at me. Look at me Jessie, "he repeats when she doesn't initially respond. He waits until she's looking at him and locks eyes with her, as if he could he sear the very words into her soul. "You did just fine Jessie. Ok? I promise you. You didn't mess up anything sweetheart."

"But the jury…"

"Don't worry about the jury. They're smart enough to understand that you had a panic attack and even if they don't that's on them, not on you ok?" He waits, holding her gaze, until she nods ever so slightly. "What is it we always say?"

"No lies."

"That's right. No lies." Steve confirms. It had been one of his first promises to her and had quickly become a motto in their house. If there's one thing that Steve can do it's make sure that Jessica always knows the truth. In a childhood that had been so marred with lies from her biological father, Steve made it his mission to ensure that Jessica never faced that again, that she always knows the truth no matter how unpleasant. "Look, I don't know what's going to happen with the jury ok. I don't know what the verdict will be. We have a strong case. But Jessica, I promise you that no matter what the outcome, you did not mess up anything. Ok?"

Jessica nods again, taking a deep breath. Steve can tell that the panic attack has finally ended and while there's still some lingering anxiety around the edges the worst of it at least is over for now. "Ok. Thank you," she says, reaching out to squeezes his hand, then Danny. "Both of you."

Steve leans in to plant a kiss on her forehead before he wipes away the tears away from her eyes with his thumb. "Ready to go get cleaned up?"