"Listen, I said a lot of hurtful things..."

"Yes, you did. And some of them were hurtful because they're true. I do find it hard to trust people. Even people I have strong feelings for - people I love. I don't know if I can change that now or if I ever could."

Nikki sat in her empty flat. It was quiet. Too quiet. It had been a long day. It wasn't often that a person like her got framed for murder before nearly being murdered herself. She had spent a miserable night in a cold prison cell and when she'd finally been released, someone had tried to kill her. Not to mention the argument with Scott - well she had tried to trick him into giving her a DNA sample. He was right - she had 'trust issues'. She sighed. Thank God for Jack.

Jack. Now there was a man she did trust. She smiled to herself. He'd been so brilliant when he picked her up from the prison. So caring and supportive. He had never doubted her and even when she insisted on going back to the church to do more investigating instead of going home like she was meant to, he had gone along with it. When she had suspected Scott in the car, he had said everything he could think of to reassure her - even throwing some light banter to cheer her up. When that hadn't worked, he'd gone back to the office after dropping her home and eager to put her tired mind at rest, he had sat up late into the evening waiting for the DNA results to come back.

She sighed again, suddenly feeling very lonely, now that he wasn't here. He had offered to come in with her, but she had told him she was fine - a move she now regretted. Scott had come by to apologise for his part in their earlier argument, but now he had gone too.

Nikki shivered at the silence. It was so quiet that she could once again hear Carmichael's shots reverberating around her empty flat.

Jack. She wanted him here. She didn't want to be alone.

She picked up her phone and dialled. "Jack?"

"Nikki, are you ok?" He answered straightaway.

"Um..." She hesitated. "I know I said I was ok, but it's so quiet, too quiet. I don't like it..." She trailed off.

"I thought Scott was with you - I saw him arrive as I was leaving." Jack sounded slightly confused.

"He's gone." She replied, simply.

"Do you want me to come over?" He spoke softly. "I'll bring pizza."

"Yes, please" came her equally soft answer.

*20 minutes later..."

There was a rap on Nikki's door. She opened it to find Jack standing there, holding a double pepperoni. He had obviously gone straight to get the pizza after she'd rung. She stepped aside and let him in, shutting the door behind him. "Thank you" She whispered.

Jack nodded "Anytime, love"

He followed her into her living room, where she sat down on the sofa. He sat down next to her and she snuggled into him. "Thank you for coming, Jack" she repeated. "I couldn't have got through this case without you."

He opened the pizza box and put his arm around her. Kissing the top of her head, tenderly. He whispered "Are you ok, love?"

"I am now you're here." She whispered back. "It was just so quiet before. I felt so lonely."

"I'm here now, love." Jack stroked her hair. "Eat your pizza."

They cuddled up, eating their pizza. They didn't need to talk.

Just by being there with her, Jack broke the silence.