…………………..Monday the 13th of May…………………………………

It was just 8 AM in the morning when the two men from the CIA once again stepped into the room. They slowly went up to the team. Everyone was there even Abby so the agents felt they could show them what they wanted to show them.

"We didn't expect you again." Gibbs told them.

"We didn't know we would be back. We're glad you stopped looking into the case because there is another case we want you to look into. The case of Ellie Hart." One of the CIA agents told them.

"Who is she?" Gibbs wondered.

Then the two men both took a few steps to the side. Behind them they revealed a woman.

"I'm Ellie Hart and 35 years old. You guys know me by another name. I want to get that name and age back. I came here for help." Ellie told them.

"OMG…Emma!" Kate said shocked.

"I'm alive…I thought you wanted to know…My family and friends all know I'm in witness protection and that they can't contact me. They are hurting so much because of that. Especially my siblings. I agreed to do this witness thing as long as my family was taken care of. It was I who identified the suicide bombers when they were walking around in Washington. They would have killed more people if I hadn't identified them and if the police hadn't warned people and ran after the terrorists. No one knows I'm still alive and I want to keep it that way for the time being. Just until you catch the ones who are after me and you." Emma explained.

"I can't believe you're alive." Abby said going up to her. Emma/Ellie then took a few steps back.

"I don't want you to hug me. It's not because you're pregnant but for a long time I wanted to kill you all. I did blame you." Ellie told them.

"I can't blame you for that." Tony told her.

"I don't anymore. Since the CIA rescued me it has been a very long uphill battle. I think I'm over the worst now. I'm glad they rescued the same day it happened because I wouldn't be alive then." Ellie told them.

"The same day…Why didn't we get notified?" Kate asked upset.

"The risks…The leaks…We just couldn't…Emma is just Ellie now. Accept that." One of the agents quickly answered.

"Why did you come here? Why couldn't the CIA investigate your case?" Gibbs asked.

"We got stuck! We thought that if you read through it all maybe you'll see something we missed. You know a lot about them so with your knowledge maybe we can find the ones who are financing them and helping them establish contact here in this country and in other countries. Ellie will help if she can. She heard a lot and saw a lot too during her capture." One CIA agent said.

"Emma…I mean Ellie, something is different with you." Kate noticed.

"I had to undergo several plastic surgeries. It was all against my wishes. They reduced the size of my breasts because of the damages but I think so I would get less recognised. I probably never can breastfeed. It is also highly unlikely I can have children because of what happened. I didn't get any brain damages. Therapy is also going well. I lost some weight, they did some skin treatment so my facial skin looks better with less zits and scars from the zits, acne and beatings. You can hardly see them now… I'm Ellie Hart the rich writer who likes to be alone. I don't like that so I want to become Emma again. I want to clarify some things that I know you're thinking about. My therapist thinks it is ok for me to visit you. The day I got kidnapped I became Ellie and I'm determined to let her die and become Emma again. I fought hard to be able to meet you again. I needed to meet you to move on. Even if you can't find something in my case then I'm still not letting go of the idea of taking back my life. I don't hold a grudge on any of you. Don't feel bad about what happened to me. It wasn't your fault. You'll never see me again. At least not until I'm Emma again…If that will happen one day. Have a good life everyone!" Ellie said before turning around. She went to the elevator, pushed the button, waited for it to come, went in, turned around and looked at them as the doors closed. Doing this had been one of the hardest things she had to do in the last few months.

The CIA agents stood there.

"Why didn't you go with her?" McGee asked.

"She'll wait in the car. We don't have to be with her 24/7 and she doesn't like that either. She is becoming a bit like the person we told her to be. Ellie hates that but can't do anything about it. She is writing a book about her ordeal. It is helping her very much. She knows she can never publish it so don't worry. As long as some CIA agents read her chapters she is happy." One of the agents explained.

"How is she coping? I saw she tried to put on a brave face but inside she must be all torn up." Tony wondered.

"After she left the hospital she stayed in her bed for a week or so. She refused to go up, talk to anyone, didn't want to eat…Basically she didn't want to do anything. We had to help her with everything. No one could get through to her. Ellie got a therapist but no one thought she even listened to what the therapist said the first week. One day she got up and demanded a computer. She wrote, slept, rested, wrote some more, slept and rested…Two days later she was ok with talking to the therapist…In April all her siblings celebrated their birthdays and she got really upset for missing them. She started to talk about becoming Emma again. No matter what we did she didn't stop. We hoped giving you the case would stop her from pursuing this impossible dream. As soon as we told her what we did she demanded to see you. Ellie has a lot of willpower and my bosses said yes to her request. I guess they did it so she would stay in the witness protection programme and help us out. No one knows what Ellie wants. I don't think she knows either. What she did want she can never have. Ellie stopped going to her therapist two weeks ago. We don't want anything to happen to her so we try to fulfil her requests."

"She'll commit suicide otherwise, right?" McGee asked.

"She has never said that. We don't even know if she has implied that but we can't risk it. Now you know the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Deep down inside Ellie is still Emma. I think that is why she did this. She wants you to move on too. We don't have any hopes of you finding out something new. You don't have to do anything really. Ellie will never find out anyway. We have to go." The agent told them.

"Did she learn to drive?" Kate asked.

"We're still trying. Once the car broke down because she got scared and didn't know if it was the clutch, gas or break she should press. Overheated the car or something. We had to call a tow truck and then we walked home. Another time a dog ran out in front of the car and she drove straight into a tree. We were in a forest just to be sure that she couldn't kill someone but still a dog showed up out of nowhere. Ellie hasn't given up yet. She even insisted on laser eye surgery so it would be easier for her to see things. I don't think it has helped yet because it is hard to see improvement in her driving." The agent answered.

"You've drove with her a lot haven't you?" Kate asked. She sensed that the agent had done so.

"A lot. I'm one of the few who still has the courage to do so. I can't help but to feel sorry for her. She tried so hard to make her life better and everything backfired. I think that learning how to drive is the last thing she can do and it isn't working either. Everyone who protects her knows it is eating herself up inside. We who are protecting her read so much about her, her therapist talked to us, all the background info which was available was given to us and it was still so hard to imagine how much this is hurting her until you met her for the first time…That's why I hope this will never ever happen to another single person in this world." The agent continued.

"Try giving her a hug every time before you drive with her. I think it will work." Kate suggested. She thought that it must have been ages anyone hugged her and that she hadn't been hugged much in her life.

"She won't let people close to her." The other agent said.

"Don't give up on her. If she gets her driving license I think she'll be happier. Drive every day with her." Kate suggested. From the bottom of her heart she wanted to do something for Ellie.

"We really need to go." The nice agent said.

"What's your name?" Tony asked.

"I'm Adam Craig and this is Chris Becker." The nice agent said.

Then they both quickly left the office. A big void was felt in the room.

"He seemed nice but too bad he had a wedding ring on him." Tony then said.

"You noticed that?" Becky asked.

"I checked out of habit. One of my skills. I'm an NCIS agent." Tony said. Then Gibbs wacked him in the head and Tony didn't understand why. Then Gibbs left the office going the way which lead to MTAC.

"Why did he do that?" Tony asked while touching the back of his head.

"Frustration…Maybe he wanted you to see that they weren't totally truthful but you only concentrated yourself on the ring." Tom answered before going back to his desk.

"I don't know Tony…Maybe it is just the whole case and you just said the wrong thing in the wrong time." Abby suggested.

"That's probably right." Kate ensured him.

"We all agree." McGee continued.

………………………………………………………………

"I've never seen such a destroyed person in my whole life. There's no Emma left in her. She can never get Emma back. Never get her dreams back. Never fulfil them. I feel so awful." Abby said breaking the silence which had after a while filled the room.

"She was so hollow." Becky said.

"Scary hollow…Like a ghost…A sad ghost…" Andy continued.

"She's unlucky…To me she seemed like a person who could drain the life energy out of anyone. Just look at how we all are now. Personally I'm glad we won't meet her again." Tom said.

"How can you say that? That's so mean!" Tony told him. He thought it was totally the wrong thing to say.

"Take an early break everyone." Gibbs ordered. He felt that something bad could happen between Tom and Tony and he didn't want that to happen.

Tony and Kate went to the cafeteria with Abby and McGee.

"I know this sounds strange to you but I really think she needs a hug. All she ever wanted was to be in a relationship with a man. If a man gave her a hug without wanting anything back then it would mean the world to her. Baby steps to getting her well again." Kate told them.

"You got a point Kate…I'm just wondering if it is too late." Abby wondered.

"It's up to her to make that decision. I'm wondering if there is really a man out there who would want to be with her after everything she's been through. It doesn't seem likely. Just as unlikely as to one of the CIA agents would hug her." McGee stated.

"The situation is so hopeless. I feel hopeless. I wish there was something I could do." Tony told them. He felt what Kate felt. They were married so they now shared pain too.

Everyone looked blank because they knew there was nothing they could do.

"All we can do is to never let this happen again. I don't want anymore destroyed lives on my conscience." Kate told them.

They all nodded. Then they went back to work.

……………………….A month later……………………………..

Kate got an email.

"Ellie got her driving licence. She drove everyday, aced the written exam and barely passed the practical exams but she got it. She'll drive every day until she is ready to be in traffic.

The hug idea worked." Kate read to everyone.

"I guess we know who sent the email then." Abby stated. It was Adam Craig.

"The sensitive agent who really got touched by her story." Kate said with a smile.

"Too bad he's married." Tony then said.

"I guess I was wrong about CIA agents." McGee stated.