Thanks to everyone reading and who added alert and sent reviews.

A/N: Each week my little computer decides that a certain letter key is not going to work properly. This week it's 'V', last week it was 'B'. I've literally gotta jab the darn thing to make it work properly. I have spell checked this a half a dozen times but if there are V's missing in words here and there I apologise.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter 2

Mac's heart was pounding wildly in his chest as he drove down the street. He was breaking all speed limits but the siren wailing loudly on top of his car gave people enough warning to get the hell outta his way.

He came to a junction where a sharp left now lay waiting for him, he was going far too fast so had to slam on in order to be able to turn. His car skidded round a hundred degrees, leaving behind black skid marks. As he floored the accelerator and sped off quick as a flash, the smell of burning rubber was the only other sign he'd been there.

He couldn't remember ever driving this crazed but Jo's voice was echoing in his head. He'd been in his office when she had called him, he could still remember her exact words. He could still remember how her voice was dripping with pain, was stained with fear.

"Mac, I need you to come help me and I need you to call an ambulance." His heart had begun pounding upon hearing those words that now echoed in his head. "Why Jo, what's happened? Where are you? Are you okay?" He'd asked. He'd been unable to hide the panic from his own voice.

"John Curtis, he attacked me… Mac, please," His mind had raced with a dozen thoughts of what that monster John Curtis could have done to her. "I had no choice Mac, I had to shoot him. He's dead."

"Jo, sweetheart, tell me where you are?" He'd asked as he'd made his way to the elevator. She told him and he'd offered to stay on the phone to her on the drive over, but she'd told him that she had to help Amanda. He kept thinking that John may not be dead, what if he was to get up and attack Jo again. The thought made him push down harder on the accelerator as he raced down the street.

He began to panic a little less when he saw two cop cars and an ambulance already parked outside Amanda's building, the ones he had ordered go there. His car screeched to a stop and he switched the engine off and jumped out in record breaking time. He had to push his way through a small crowd that had gathered. He didn't even need to flash his badge to the officer stood guard by the crime scene tape, he simply ducked underneath it.

He saw Amanda Tanner sat in the back of a police car holding her head. He saw the ambulance and ran and jumped into it. He grabbed an ice pack and slammed his fist into it, activating it. He then jumped out of the ambulance and went straight over to Amanda and gently placed the ice-pack where she was holding her hand. She offered him a small smile, a thanks.

A minute later he turned and watched as a medic walked out of Amanda's building, he was helping Jo and Mac felt a mixture of sheer anger and sadness when he saw her. She was a beaten, bloodied mess. She too offered a very weak smile, happy to see him.

He watched the medic walk her to the ambulance. He sat her down in the back of it and passed her an icepack for her face. He gathered some things up and Mac continued to watch as the young but skilled medic carefully cleaned her up. Jo never took her eyes off Mac, she needed to know he was there.

As soon as the medic was done he signalled for another officer to come hold the icepack for Amanda. He then walked over to Jo, grabbing a blanket off a nearby gurney. He draped it over her shoulders and fixed it there. He noticed her looking into the crowd. He glanced over and saw who it was who she shared a quick smile with. It was clear what the silent words passed between Jo and Serena Matthews were, 'Thank you. You're welcome.'

He finished securing the blanket around her and they both turned to watch the coroners van drive away, taking with it John Curtis. Jo turned to look at Mac, she saw the slight look of anger on his face as he continued to watch the van put more and more distance between them.

Mac kept his arm across her back and as she snuggled in closer to him he placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle, reassuring squeeze. He daren't let go of her out of fear she would be hurt again, it shocked him just how much the thought of her being hurt, or worse, scared the shit out of him. As she leant against his body, in his embrace, he couldn't help but think John Curtis was better off dead, and that after this if Jo hadn't have killed him, he would.

~0~0~0~0~

Mac opened the door to Jo's apartment for her and then held it open for her to step into. She walked through, looking around her apartment, a place that should feel safe to her, but right now nowhere but with Mac felt safe.

She'd never been the type of woman who relied on a man's presence to make her feel secure but after what had happened tonight she really didn't feel like herself at all. Ellie was at a slumber party and Tyler was out of town, and the thought that she had little choice but to be alone terrified her.

"You want me to make you a hot drink?" Mac asked her.

It was as if he were reading her mind, or hearing her thoughts. If he made a drink he would be here longer, she wondered how else she could stall his leaving. "Yeah, I kinda just wanna go take a bath. Will you still be here when I'm done?" she asked sheepishly.

Mac smiled and nodded. "Jo, I can be here for as long as you need me to be." he told her.

Jo tried to smile at him but the wince that replaced it told him that it hurt her too much to smile. "First things first." he said and gently took her hand and guided her over to the couch. "You need some aspirin."

Jo nodded, he was right. Her whole face was just a mass of pain. Mac was about to walk to the kitchen when he saw Jo try to sit down. He heard her whimper in pain and saw her clutch what he knew were broken ribs. He was sure she was going to fall forward so raced back over to her.

Jo grabbed a hold of his arm with her one hand and steadied herself. Mac placed his hands on her arms and held her until she was sturdy. "You okay?" he asked.

Jo took a second before she looked up at him and with tear filled eyes she shook her head. She quickly looked down, but suddenly noticed the angry bruises on her wrists, the bandage around her stitched hand. The sob that suddenly burst out of her shocked her more than it did Mac.

Mac didn't hesitate in wrapping his arms around her. He was surprised how tight her battered body held him back. She hid her face against his neck as she cried her heart out. All Mac could do was hold her, soothingly rubbing her back. He wasn't going to tell her it was okay, he knew eventually it would be, but right now it just wasn't.

~0~0~0~0~

Jo had come out of the bathroom after her bath wrapped up in a fluffy towel with her bath robe tightly tied over it. The hot water had helped ease her aching body some. "Sit down," Mac said to her, "I'll bring you a cup of tea over."

Jo did as Mac instructed, her painkillers making it easier for her to sit down without being in a world of pain. A moment later Mac was there with a cup of tea for her. She took it from him, thanked him and took a sip. A moment later he was back with a plate with a tasty looking sandwich on it.

"Mac, that looks wonderful, but my mouth is just really sore, I don't think my jaw could handle chewing."

Mac pulled his other hand from around his back to produce a bowl of soup. Jo could only try to smile.

"The sandwich is for me." he told her as he sat down beside her and passed her the soup.

~0~0~

After they had finished the food, they just sat there. Jo had once more snuggled up to Mac who had his arm draped across her shoulders, and it hadn't been long until she had fallen fast asleep. He suddenly realised that she was shaking and then she began whimpering, clearly distressed. He could only guess she was having some sort of nightmare.

He gave her shoulder a slight squeeze and quietly tried to bring her out of her nightmare, "Jo, Jo, come on, wake up."

She didn't, she just continued to become more distressed. Mac reached up and touched her face and she jumped like he had electrocuted her. As soon as she saw it was his eyes she was looking at and not the evil eyes of the man she'd killed earlier, the one she'd been dreaming about, she settled down slightly. However, Mac could still see she was shaking wildly so he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug.

In his arms she cried herself to sleep. She slept in his arms all night, drifting in and out of disturbed dreams. A few times Mac had to wake her up and she would cry again, the day's events haunting her dreams. He'd never seen her like this and he hated that John Curtis had done this to her, hurt her like this, affected her so mentally, emotionally and physically.

As she slept he promised her he'd help her through it and get her back to the Jo he knew…the Jo he loved.

TBC

Thanks so much for reading. Hope you liked. In the next chapter Jo goes to see the department therapist, it's not gonna go well.

Please review if you can and let me know what you thought.