First, thanks to all my readers and reviewers! We are drawing nigh to the end, but there are still two chapters after this. I hope that you enjoy! Please remember to leave a note after you read to tell me what you thought. And now...how will Tara react to the letdown after such an emotional case? Let's go see...

After the debriefing the team returned to the bull pen. It was early afternoon and not quitting time yet. Everyone seemed to be much more relaxed and cheerful.

It's like when I first came here. Was that just a week ago? It doesn't seem possible. My whole view of this job has been confirmed. I'm getting to be a part of the team. Was it just days ago that I hacked their computers and spoiled their coffee? Really?

Tara looked up from her reports that she was filling out. Other thoughts took over as she propped her head against her hands.

Little Marine is alive. The hospital said that she should be okay. The blood transfusions seem to be working and she's okay. But they also said that she was sexually abused. Her head is banged up and she's suffered a concussion. Her arm is broken and her ankle is sprained. She exhibits terror anytime a male doctor or nurse enters her room. The only man who can be near her is her uncle. I get that. I've been there before-that terror. And her whole life is ahead of her. Now she'll always struggle with nightmares, fears in relationships, terror-just like me. I still can't go for more than a few months without waking up screaming or shaking through the night. I block out portions of my life, trying to forget the abuse. I can't go home to my parents because they victimized me. My relationship with my aunt and uncle is wonderful but it is always a reminder that my own parents were horrible. I can't date because I'm afraid that a man won't listen to "no". I will be back to the stage of being terrified any time that I have to walk across a dark parking lot alone, thanks to that episode last night. And now Marine will have to go through it too. Both of us will struggle because of something that we had no control over-for the rest of our lives.

As Tara was absorbed in such unhappy thoughts someone touched her. She panicked.

NO! Not again. She reacted before she could think the situation through. This time she decided to attack instead of be attacked. She swung around and punched.

"Oww!" Bobby yelped and jumped back.

Oh, dear me! I just punched Bobby! Tara was horrified by the realization as she drew back and her eyes widened.

"What...?" Jack queried.

"I just...tapped...her shoulder," Bobby panted out, trying to catch his breath. He had staggered backward, but he still took a few cautious steps backward, looking at her with confused eyes.

I hit him straight in the stomach. Oh, I've hit him hard. He'll never believe that was an accident. Tara began to feel panicked. They were sure to think the worst of her. I see it now. Headlines-"Female FBI agent fired after unexplainably assaulting colleague".

"What's the problem here?" Shep asked coming over.

"She...she punched me," Bobby stammered.

"WHAT?" Shep turned to Tara. "Why in the world would you do that?"

Tara stared at him with wide eyes. How in the world am I to explain this? I can barely make myself understandable when I'm calm. Anything that I say now...well, I don't know what to say!

"Tara, why?" He demanded again.

Tara just looked at him with what she was sure was a blank look. Why? How can I explain this?

Just then D came into the room. He stopped short and looked at all the people gathered around Tara's desk. He seemed to take in her blank look, Shep's frown, and Bobby's bewilderment in one glance and moved to her side. "What's going on? No one seems to be finishing up all those reports."

"She punched him," Shep pointed to Bobby, "and I want to know why."

Tara blinked hard. "I'm sorry. I just...reacted."

"What to?" D asked. It was not demanding or accusing. It was friendly and trusting, understanding that she would have a real reason.

Tara avoided eye contact with anyone while she answered quietly, "He touched me."

"Oh," D replied.

He understands.

"I just tapped your shoulder," Bobby replied.

Tara sighed. "I know. It just...just startled me, that's all." She finally looked up to Bobby. "I'm so sorry, Bobby. I was thinking and I was just..."

"It's okay." Bobby shook it off. "We've all been there before."

Tara tried to nod, but it felt very jerky.

At least he isn't going to kill me. But he hasn't been here before-at least I doubt that he has.

D cleared his throat. "Hey, it's been a stressful day everyone. Maybe we should just finish up this work before it's time to go." Tara caught D exchanging a glance with Shep.

"I second that," Shep spoke up. "Finish up, guys. And Tara. Go ahead, get at it."

Tara turned back to her work but her focus was still slightly off. She scribbled away on her reports and tapped away on her computer. She focused the best that she could under the circumstances and succeeded in finishing most of her report.

"Hey," D said from the edge of Tara's desk. He looked around the room. Everyone was working on their own reports. He turned back to Tara and spoke softly. "Did this case bother you?"

He's figuring it out. "No!" she snapped. I don't need to be so spicy in how I'm treating people. I just don't know if I can help it though.

"Come on, kid," D coaxed softly. "Did your parents ever teach you not to lie?"

Tara froze. She was transported back.

Her mother pinned tiny Tara against the wall. "What did you tell them?" her mother demanded. "What did you tell them?"

"I told them that I was home."

"I told you to tell them that you were at a doctor's."

"But I wasn't."

Her mother pushed harder against her and her nails dug into Tara's chin.

"Ouch."

"I told you that you were to say that you were at the doctor."

"But I wasn't..."

Her mother slapped her. "Just say what I tell you. Don't ever ignore what I say again-ever!"

Suddenly she was transported to a separate to a different time. Her father was holding her down, his full weight on her. She was breathing hard. The heavy stench of alcohol seemed to drown her.

"No matter what people ask, do not ever tell them about this. Understand?" She struggled and he pinched her while pressing harder against her. "Understand, Tara? Understand?"

She finally whimpered, "Yes."

"Tara."

Tara was pulled back to the present, but the past had already done its damage. She could not help it-she started crying.

"What's the matter?" D asked.

"My...oh, I can't...it..." Tara began sobbing. The weight of the last few days and the trauma of the years came back in a rush. The knowledge that everyone was staring at her did not help. Despite struggling against it, her tears would not stop. D slowly reached out and gently touched her shoulder.

"Maybe we should go down to one of the conference rooms," he suggested. Tara let him lead her to one. He closed the door behind them, then turned to her. "Are you comfortable with the door closed or do you want it left a bit open?"

Tara shrugged, wiping at her tears. She walked across the room to the other end of the table. With that much space she could still feel comfortable.

"I'll leave it closed then so that we can have some privacy. Now, what's the matter?"

Tara shook her head. "Nothing."

D sighed. "If so, why are you so upset?" He was gentle as he continued. "Are you okay? Like, did you get hurt yesterday?"

"No. I'm fine." That was short, but I can't respond any other way when I'm crying.

"Then is it today?" Tara tried to ignore him. I don't want to talk to him. Not about this.

The silence did not seem to disturb D. "I know the cases with children are always hard. I'm sorry that this is your first case."

Tara continued to ignore him.

"Tara, we can't get far if you don't talk."

"I'm fine. It wasn't nice, but I'm fine."

"I don't believe you."

Silence. D took a seat.

"Fine. We can wait."

Tara finally spoke up but did not look at him. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Look at me." Tara attempted to ignore him but he was quietly persistent. She finally looked up at him. "Whatever is bothering you, I think that we need to talk about this because it is important that any problems that you're facing be dealt with now." Tara looked away. "Do you want to talk to a counsellor or psychiatrist instead?"

"NO."

I've talked to enough of those. None of them helped.

"So talk to me. I'm supposed to be responsible for you right now, and that would include how you are handling this mentally and emotionally."

"I don't want to talk." I sound like a brat.

"Tara, you're stubborn. I can see that. But we aren't going to leave here until we find out something to fix this problem."

It can't be fixed.

She crossed her arms across her chest and turned away. I am stubborn. I am not giving up to him.

They waited quietly in the room. Tara glanced up several times but D was not giving in either. He was waiting patiently. Time crept by slowly. Tara found herself relaxing despite herself.

"What was it, Tara?" he finally asked.

I might as well tell him. He'll find out sometime if I don't tell him. And Donna knows anyway. She promised not to tell, but he might find out from her somehow. She took a deep, quavery breath.

"You know what you said about my parents?" she began.

"Can you remind me? I can't remember that exactly. What did I say?"

"My parents teaching me to tell the truth?"

"Yes?"

"Well..." Speaking was so hard. "My parents did not teach me to tell the truth. They...they taught me to lie."

D turned to look her head-on.

"Can you explain more?"

Here I go. "I was not raised by my parents. I was rescued from them by my aunt and uncle. My uncle literally rescued me from being sexually assaulted when I was a little kid. My parents spent time in jail and I don't know where they are today, and I don't want to. My father and mother taught me to lie-if I didn't say whatever they told me to say I was in major trouble. It took years for my aunt and uncle to encourage me to actually be able to tell them the truth without fear of being beaten or screamed at."

D took a deep breath. "I had no clue. You...that case must have been hard."

Tara plunged onward. "I've struggled with nightmares all my life. They got really bad when we first started this case. I've also had a bad history with relationships. Every boyfriend that I've had has hurt me. The final one raped me during college. I guess that some-well, most-elements of Marine's story upset me. I understand a lot of what she went through and what she will go through. She isn't fully rescued now. She's got plenty of terror ahead and so do I. So that's why my problem is unfixable and why I can't be all sunshine and rainbows like everyone else. And I guess that is the reason why I reacted so much and punched Bobby today."

"I'm sorry."

Tara nodded. So is everyone who has ever found out.

"Next time if a case is too emotionally difficult for you, please just let someone know so that you can be removed from the case."

Tara wiped at her eyes and nodded. "Thanks. But I had to show that I was tough enough, that I could do it. I didn't want to fail on my first case."

D came over and patted her on the shoulder. "You didn't fail. Thanks to you and your hard work, dedication, and awesome ideas, little Marine Costel is back with her family."

Tara managed a small smile between the tears.

"I'm sorry that you've had to come to a point where men scare you. I'm guessing that this case and the issue last night must have been pretty hard for you. You've got to be strong to have survived this past week. I don't know if I could have handle such trauma as well as you did as a new agent. But I do want you to know that you don't need to be afraid. All of these men on the team have done many background checks. You can trust them. They won't hurt you. And I can promise you that Donna and I will help you all that we can."

Tara nodded again and wiped more tears off of her face.

"There's only one question that I have for you, Tara."

"What is that?"

"Will you trust us?"

Tara looked and paused for a moment. She finally nodded.

"I can't promise anything-especially not fast. But I'll try."

D patted her shoulder and smiled at her. "That's all that anyone could possible ask."