Set S15E01.
The door to McGee's flat closed behind them. The welcoming party had come to a close, and one by one the team had begun to make their way home. Ellie and Nick made their way through the building's corridors, falling into an easy step next to each other.
"Have you…" Ellie trailed off. "When you were undercover, were you ever tortured?"
"Not like that."
McGee hadn't exactly been forthcoming with the details, but it was clear that whatever had happened in Paraguay was no joke. Delilah's fingers had danced over his bruises and cuts all evening, and while McGee had been smiling, there was an emptiness in his eyes that betrayed him.
"Me neither," Ellie continued quietly. Then, forcing a small laugh, she said, "It wasn't exactly part of the SAS job description."
"I mean, sitting at a desk all day sounds like torture to me."
Ellie frowned. "Do you think—"
"It's been known to happen."
"—that it might happen to us one day?"
Nick froze mid-step. Instinctively, he reached out and pulled at her hand, bringing her to a pause next to him.
"Bishop." Then, waiting for her eyes to meet his, he said with urgency, "Ellie. If that ever happened to you, we'd come for you. I would come for you."
"I'd come for you too."
Before letting go, Nick gave her hand a squeeze. Just a small one—small enough that he could deny it ever happened. But Ellie knew. And it was just enough to reassure her in the moment—just enough to make her feel a little less alone.
