A/N: Thank you all so much for your kind reviews! I keep telling myself that I write for my own pleasure but have to admit that getting positive responses is a very effective way to make me write more and faster. So, as a 'thank you' I've posted the next chapter already. (Didn't want to do so this soon, but you made my day, so you deserve it!)

The next day greeted them with sunshine and a nice and steady breeze. The decision to go

sailing was made in a split second. They were prepared, supplied and ready to go in no more

than thirty minutes.

Gibbs had found Erin still being in a pretty contemplative mood when they got up, and was

glad to see how much being out on the bay again cheered her up.

Round noon, they let the 'Morning Glory' run before the wind and Gibbs motioned for her to

sit beside him. She did, although she tensed a little, wondering about what he had in mind.

He could see she was fighting an inner battle, torn between the need for comfort and love and

the necessity to protect herself against a world she only knew as hostile and frightening.

"Not easy, hm?"

She could feel his gaze on her. She shook her head.

"Am I pushing too hard?"

Something in his voice made her want to cry.

"No," she whispered.

"That's good."

He reached out and gently rubbed her back.

"No need to be strong out here. There's nobody here who can hurt you – or do you think I

would?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess not."

"You guess? I hoped you'd know that by now. But then – the bad guys got some thirty-five

years on me, right?"

He was stroking her hair now.

"How did you manage not to become an alcoholic or drug addict? I know, people commit

suicide for much less than what you've been through."

His hands were on her back again.

"Daydreams."

He almost didn't hear her.

"Daydreams? So you create your own imaginary world?"

She nodded her head, already regretting she told him. He had to think she was immature and

foolish.

"What happens in those dreams?"

Erin knew she couldn't tell him. She didn't have to.

Gibbs gently pulled her back so that she leaned against him. One hand still on the tiller he

wrapped his arm around her.

He placed a light kiss on her head.

"They sometimes come true, you know?" he whispered.

Erin knew this wasn't true for her. She would have to leave some day soon. But this felt so

good. She gave up her fight and snuggled up to Gibbs.

He noticed her relax.

"It will all be ok, you'll see."

"Yeah," she though. "It will; you just got to stop the world from turning."

x

Abby met Erin in the door to her flat, when Gibbs dropped her off the next evening.

"As much as I would like to appear to be courteous, I'm not going to invite you in, Boss."

She gave him a conspirative smile.

"Erin and I have some serious girl-talk to do. I'm sure you understand that you can not be part

of it?"

"No problem Abbs. Just call me when you want me to pick her up again."

"I will. See you then."

"Bye you two, have fun."

Abby turned to Erin and led her to the living area of her flat. Erin looked around. This was

Abby to the core. The entire room was held in black and red. Lots of leather and strange

accessories. Artificial spider-webs, lamps in form of skulls and even a tombstone in one

corner of the room.

"So, what did you do with my boss-man?"

They sat on the couch.

"What do you mean?"

"He is completely different from how we know him at the office."

"I which respect?"

"Gibbs is a workaholic. He never gives anybody slack. He's sharp as a razor's edge. Word

goes the second "B" in his last name stands for 'Bastard'."

"Hard to believe."

"Exactly. You must have done something to turn this maniac into the mild, soft-spoken and

relaxed man I met on the boat and today."

"I didn't. I don't make people do anything. And I don't think anyone could manipulate the

skipper."

"The skipper? Now that's a great nick for Gibbs. And you're definitely right about nobody

being able to change him. He's been married three times. That tells a lot, doesn't it?"

"Is he married now?"

Abby gave Erin a curious look.

"No, his last wife hit him with a baseball-club."

"Ouch!"

"Yeah, big ouch! But he's used to it. The second one preferred a golf-club though."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. He doesn't tell what exactly happened, but he doesn't deny it either. So I guess it's

true. Want some coffee?"

While they had coffee, Abby tried to question Erin about her life. She was not too successful.

Erin just told her she was travelling around, taking jobs as crew on sailboats to make a living.

When they decided to go for a short walk and left the building, it had cooled down pretty

much and the wind was blowing hard.

Erin looked up, turned this way and that. To Abby it looked like she listened to something.

"What is it?"

"This is going to be bad. I think we should call Gibbs."

"Ok, back in then."

Abby called Gibbs number.

"Gibbs. Don't you two get along?"

"Yes we do. Your 'sailor' wants to talk to you." She handed Erin the phone.

"Hi."

"Hi Erin, everything fine?"

"Yeah, I'm ok. We just wanted to go for a walk. There's a storm coming up, a bad one I

think."

"Maybe we should better go back to the marina then?"

"That's what I thought."

"I'm on my way." With that he hung up.

When Gibbs had picked her up, he speeded back to the harbour. He wondered there was no

comment from Erin's side considering his driving.

"Do you drive?"

"Yes."

"I just wondered that you don't complain. My co-workers always do."

"Let them drive with me once, and they'll never say a word again."

Coming to a sliding stop he looked at her. There was a sparkle in her eyes that he liked a lot.

"Ok, let's hurry."

On their way to the 'Morning Glory' they saw some boats that had already come loose and

where drifting around in the harbour.

They used extra lines and fenders to secure the boat and helped some other owners do the

same afterwards.

The wind had even grown stronger and it had started to rain. When they went back to the boat

to change into dry clothes, they saw one of the other old sailing boats drift towards the cliffs

just outside the harbour.

"And another old beauty gets wrecked. It's the 'Spirit of Endeavour'. Why don't those people

pay a little more attention to safety?" Gibbs said regretful.

Erin had picked up the binoculars from the navigation table and took a closer look.

Then she opened one of the closets in the cockpit and took out a sheet line.

Gibbs looked at her, not knowing what she was up to.

"Can you bring me over in the zodiac?" she asked him.

He gave her a questioning look.

"I'll try to sail her out. The main sail is tied to the boom. I don't know where they stow their

sheets, so I take this one with me."

"You're crazy! This is never going to work."

"I have to try, Skipper. I can't just watch her get wrecked without trying to do something."

"No way I'll change your mind, right?"

"No!"

"I'll go with you."

"I'd rather have you stay in the zodiac. In case I don't make it I'll jump over board and you

can pick me up."

"That easy, ha? This is not a swimming pool."

"I don't wear a bikini, do I?"

Gibbs was stunned. The Erin he faced now was far from being scared and shy. She was

confident, strong and witty. She seemed to enjoy the challenge. He could easily relate to that.

Gibbs climbed into the dinghy that was tied to the stern and took the sheets from Erin.

Erin jumped in, and Gibbs started the outboard.

"I'll kill you if you drown, that's a promise."

Erin smiled. Gibbs couldn't believe it. She actually smiled.

"Fair enough," she said.