-1Meredith lay in Gibb's arms, the need for him just to hold her. Her arm fell across his chest, Gibb's running his hand up and down it. He lifted it gently, turning it over to reveal the bruises. He climbed out the bed, Meredith trying to grab his hand.

'Jethro,'

'I'm gonna kill him,'

'Baby, please…don't do this,'

'No, he's gonna pay for this,'

'Gibbs I don't want him to,'

'How can you say that?'

'because he's lonely and has no one in the world,'

'He's not gonna hurt you like this,' Meredith fell back onto the bed, sighing heavily as the front door slammed shut. She lay waiting, not wanting to go after him, knowing he couldn't be stopped. She could see the shadows starting to appear on the ceiling when the front door opened. Leaning up on her elbows she waited for him, Gibbs coming in with his back to her.

'Jethro,' he turned to her, his lip burst.

'god…' she climbed out the bed with the sheet wrapped around her and tilted his head to the side.

'Go back to bed, I'll only be a minute,' Meredith lay on her side looking at the bathroom door. His face was drawn, Meredith pulling the cover back. She lifted his hands, both of his knuckles starting to turn purple.

'How many times did you hit him?'

'Four,'

'Then where did you go?'

'no where,'

'You did not get these bruises from punching him four times. Where did you go?'

'NCIS,'

'You went to the dry wall,' Gibbs nodded, Meredith kissing each of his knuckles gently. She had seen him punch the wall over and over again when his anger became too much or he couldn't change something. The concrete wall had a thin layer of padding over it but over use had worn it down to a bare sheet.

'Where?'

'In his office,'

'How bad was he?'

'I have no idea,'

'What?'

'I…I left when Mark came in,' Meredith eased him back down into the bed, holding him in against her.

'You didn't need to do that,'

'he's not gonna hurt you and get away with it. I won't let it happen, I refuse to,'

'Gibbs, you've wound yourself up to the point that your gonna be in agony tomorrow and barely able to bend your fingers,'

'I'll be fine,'

'Gibb's,'

'Just,' Meredith sat on his hips, her hands pinning his hands above his head. She looked down at his torso, fist prints on his side.

'He got you,'

'Yeah,' Meredith ran her hands down his sides, her hands pulling away the cloth between them. He smiled, flipping them over. She held him, her arms locked around his neck. She laughed gently, Gibbs tickling her. They separated, looking into each others eyes.

'Thank you…for doing that,'

'I won't let anyone hurt you again, I promise,'

Meredith walked into the hospital, people looking at her and whispering.

'Hey, what's going on?'

'Shepherds on the war path,' Meredith made a small groan sound, Mark pushing her back protectively as Derek came in the locker room.

'You, in my office now,' Meredith looked at his face, the bruise running around his eye and cheekbone, the small cut sitting above the opposite eye.

'Derek,'

'Now,' Meredith nodded, changing into her scrubs before she went along to the office. Patricia smiled weakly, Meredith closing the door behind her.

'You want to tell me what you want me to do? How I'm supposed to act around you?'

'Excuse me?'

'Your husband comes into my hospital, hits me for no reason and then leaves again?'

'No reason? NO REASON?' Meredith hit her hand off the wall, Derek looking at her. She pulled her sleeve back, Derek shrugging his shoulders.

'What?'

'You…you did this to me at the ferryboats,'

'it's a few bruises,' Meredith shook her head and walked out.

Gibbs paced back and forward in the bullpen, Tony and Kate debating over how he got the bruised lip on his face.

'Maybe he got jumped?'

'Tony, this is Gibb's we're talking about, he doesn't get jumped,'

'What are you other suggestions then Kate?'

'I don't know, but they're better than you're he got jumped theory,'

'hey,' Kate and Tony looked round before following Gibbs into the hour long meeting that had been scheduled to take place for days. Gibbs stood staring out the window, Jen trying to get his attention. The door opened suddenly, Gibbs still not looking round.

'Jethro,' Gibbs looked over, his eyes widening at Meredith.

'What's wrong?'

'We need to talk. Now,' Gibbs followed her out; Jen, Tony and Kate exchanging looks. Gibbs sat on the end of the desk, looking at Meredith as she paced up and down in front of him.

'I…I can't believe I just did that…I lost my temper more than I ever have before…I never…oh my god what have I done?'

'Mer, maybe if you told me what the hell your talking about then I could help,' Meredith put her hands on her hips and she stopped in front of him.

'I resigned from Seattle Grace…I packed my stuff…and I've left,'