The next morning in Ops, everybody noticed there was something out of the ordinary between Eric and Nell. Normally very exuberant and bright, the two techs looked terrible when the team of agents saw them. Nell looked as if she had spent the entire night crying: her eyes were bloodshot and her face was a bit red and puffy. Eric had dark circles under his eyes and had not bothered to shave, which added to his already haggard appearance. What was most noticeable was the fact that Eric and Nell did not speak to each other or even look at the other.

"Yikes. I would not like to be in either one of their shoes.", Deeks stated as he walked into the bull pen where the other agents had already assembled to compare notes on the tech and analyst. "Any guesses as to what happened over there? Fight or a breakup or both?"

"Could you please try to not be so loud?" Kensi asked as she gave him a scowl. "Nell looks really upset."

"And Eric looks like he slept under a bridge. They'll figure it out; let's just leave them be." Callen said, though he was privately worried the obvious tension between Eric and Nell would throw the team.

"They better get over this. My money was on those two going all the way." Sam said with a shake of his head as the team was summoned upstairs by an uncharacteristic yell of 'Get your butts up here!' from Eric.

All through the briefing, Eric and Nell took care to not look at each other. They stood apart, not just on opposite ends of the big screen but on opposite ends of the room. All the friendliness was gone. No bouncing of ideas, no finishing sentences, no mentioning with pride that the other had uncovered a clue. They made their points and took their directions without comment and silently set about doing their job.

All the agents felt that the pair would work things out and be fine by that evening or the next day. However, three days later, even Hetty seemed worried, going so far as to call each into her office to discuss their ability to work together. While Eric and Nell were getting their work done and cases were being handled and closed, the cold silence that penetrated the ops room was palpable at times. It set the agents on edge not knowing if their dynamic duo and technical lifeline would be able to work as a team to get them through a sticky spot in the field. While this went unsaid, it did not go unnoticed by Hetty.

On Friday evening, just as the team was closing up shop for the weekend, Deeks looked upstairs to the ops room and said, "Okay, I know its been a few days but we've been busy. They'll work this out over the weekend, right? I mean they seriously look like hell. Maybe we should offer to go for a drink or something. You know- as a group and try to ease them back together…?"

"Whatever they have going on won't be solved by alcohol and team bonding, you idiot. This is serious. I don't think they are together anymore.", Kensi said sadly. She had been jealous of Nell's giddiness for months and it hurt her to see someone be cut down so suddenly in a relationship that seemed to be going well.

"I'm with Kensi on this one. I think they broke up. I don't think they had even gone this long without those annoying sideways glances and not-so-secret-touches. Not to mention the mornings where they come in yawning and late but still manage to smile at each other while Hetty chews them out." Sam dejected.

"Wow. Married life not treating you too well lately, big guy?" Callen asked with a grin, knowing he was the only one who could say such a thing to his partner and still be able to breathe the following minute.

"It's young love, G. Brings some happiness into this place, into this life. I just thought they would make it is all." Sam replied as he got up and left to go home.

Eric was startled awake by the shrill ringing of his phone at 2am. Not looking at the screen or turning on a light, he picked up and grunted what he hoped sounded like 'hello'.

"Hi Eric, it's me….It's Nell, I mean."

Eric was jolted fully awake by the sound of her voice. She was crying. He had only seen her cry once but knew the sound all the same. She never cried. Shit.

"What's going on? Who are those people in the background? Wait-don't answer that. I don't have any right to ask anymore. Why are you crying?" Eric asked in a slight panic.

"Uhh, the people in the background are cops. I was mugged walking home and-"

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Eric jumped in, now in a complete panic and putting on glasses, pants, and hunting for his shoes.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just…I'm sorry to have called I shouldn't have I just didn't know what to do and all I could think of is that I wanted to talk to you and I'm so sorr-"

"Nell. Stop. Where are you?", Eric knew he sounded angry but he was in such a state that he could not handle having Nell crying from being mugged and waning to talk about their fight over the phone. All he wanted to do was get to her and make sure she was safe and really unhurt. If he had nothing else from her he had to at least have that.

Nell waited before replying, not knowing how Eric would react to her situation given how she had acted to him earlier in the week. As her mind screamed Just tell him you will get a cab and see him Monday she said in a whisper, "The police station on fifty-sixth. By the grocery store."

"Do not leave. I'm on my way to get you. Don't argue." He said as he hung up the phone and rushed out the door to his car.

Eric broke every traffic law in the book on his way to get Nell. He could think of nothing other than making sure she was okay…and getting security cam footage so he could track down the person who mugged her and electronically put his pathetic life in ruins forever. As Eric approached the police station, he saw Nell outside. She had been looking for his car and walked to the curb as he pulled up.

"Why didn't you wait inside? I would have come in to get you." Eric asked. "Are you okay?"

"I didn't want you to have to go to any trouble for me. I really could have taken a cab. I shouldn't have called you…" Nell was worried by how Eric sounded. He seemed like he was mad at her. He was never mad. Even during their fight, he wasn't mad he was just hurt and saddened. Eric being angry made Nell nervous- not for herself, but for him. You should not have called him, you hurt him enough, let him go was all she could think of as he drove in silence, with a white-knuckle grip in the steering wheel.

Nell looked around her after a few minutes and asked, "Where are you going? This isn't the way to my apartment…"

"You're staying with me tonight. Whoever mugged you has your license and keys so he knows where you live and can get in. You need to get your locks changed- don't go to your place alone until you do."

"Eric, you don't have to do that. I have a gun, you know. Or I can stay at Ops for the night. I know you must hate me…" Nell could not continue what she was saying since she had started to cry again.

"I don't hate you Nell. I still love you. I thought you hated me." Eric said softly as he pulled onto his street and parked in front of his duplex.

"I don't hate you either. I love you." After a moment, Nell added, "I'm sorry you had to say it first again."

"I don't want to lose you, Nell. The last few days have been awful."

"I know. I want you back, if I can have you I mean. I don't like my life without you in it. Will you…can we talk about it? About what happened?" Nell asked tentatively. She knew she had no right to ask him for anything but the events of the evening had worn down her wariness.

"Yeah. I want to talk. We should probably get out of the car first. The neighbor lady thinks I'm a criminal since I'm in and out at all hours due to work stuff. This probably isn't helping me any." Eric said with a smile and nod to the house next to his, where a light had just come on in the front window and the outline of a person could be seen at the edge of the curtains.

Nell grinned at Eric and got out of the car.