"Elle, what's wrong?" McGee wanted to know, putting his arms around me.

I pulled away from him, frightened by any touch. "Nothing. Leave me alone, McGee. Just please, go away now!" I pushed past him and headed towards the coffee shop but he caught my hand gently.

"Let me help, Elle," he said softly. Softly and tenderly.

I looked into his green eyes and saw nothing but sincerity and concern. It melted my resolve to stay away from people.

"McGee, can we go somewhere quiet?" I whispered. "I need to talk to someone. I need to talk to you."

McGee nodded. "Yeah, there's a little park near here where I go sometimes. C'mon." He put his arm around me protectively and this time I didn't push him away.

As we walked a few blocks to the park, I kept my face buried in McGee's jacket, clinging to him with fear. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Hey Boss, it's McGee. I'm gonna be late this morning. I have to take care of someone—something!" he corrected quickly. "It's important. It's an important something."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with Elle, would it McGee?" Gibbs wanted to know on the other end of the line.

"Uh…yeah, it might, Boss. Look, this is something I really need to do right now. I'll be in as soon as I can."

"Take your time, McGee," Gibbs told him. McGee somehow got the impression that he was smiling on the other end of the call.

When we got to the park, McGee sat me down on a bench beside a small creek. It was quiet and secluded, since most people were at work this time of day.

"What's wrong, Elle?" McGee wanted to know. "You can tell me."

I shook my head. "I don't know, McGee. It's embarrassing. It's awful." I let a sob escape and he pulled me close again. It seemed instinctive to him, holding me.

"I promise, your secret will be safe with me," he assured me, stroking my hair tenderly.

"Scott…he…while I was unconscious, he…" I couldn't finish the sentence before I burst into tears. "Oh, McGee," I sobbed, sliding my arms around his neck. "I feel so…ruined. So violated."

McGee's arms tightened around me immediately. "Oh, Elle, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

I felt him kiss the top of my head and part of me rejected the gesture, but the other part told me that McGee definitely didn't mean anything sinister by the simple, affectionate kiss. "I can't sleep at night. I have these awful nightmares and everyone is worse than the other. I'm so scared!"

McGee's hand ran up and down my back lightly in a soothing pattern. I snuggled closer to him, enjoying the warmth and security of his embrace. "We can get you some help, Elle. There are people you can talk too about things like this."

I looked up at him sharply. "No, McGee. I don't want to talk to anyone but you. I don't want anyone, not anyone else but you too know about this. It's our secret, all right?"

McGee nodded. "All right, Elle. Our secret."

I leaned my head against his chest again, closing my eyes and sighing weakly. "What would you say if I asked you to come see me…a lot? To come see me a lot?"

"I wouldn't mind that at all, Elle," McGee told me, kissing my forehead lightly. "I'd enjoy it. I just wish we hadn't met the way we did."

"Me too," I whispered wearily.

McGee walked me back to the coffee shop where they had put my book and purse behind the counter, then he took me to my car, keeping his arm around me the whole time.

"You need to get some rest, Elle," he told me, cupping my face in his as we stood by my car. "It's not safe for you to be driving when you're this sleepy."

"I know, but I have to get my caffeine somehow," I insisted. "I have to find a way to stay awake. I bought three cases of Red Bull last night at Target and I've already finished off one."

"I'm coming over tonight and we're going to cook dinner and then you're going to get some sleep, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay. Whatever you say, McGee."

He leaned down and kissed my forehead again. "You're going to get through this , Elle," he declared. "I promise. You're going to get better very soon."

When McGee arrived at the office, Tony and Ziva were working at their desks, doing paperwork.

"Line at the coffee shop, McStarbucks?" Tony wanted to know, looking at McGee suspiciously.

"Not exactly," Timothy replied demurely. His mind was far away.

"Then where were you?" Ziva asked. She and Tony got up and walked over to McGee's desk, surrounding him.

"I was talking to a friend," McGee told them.

"You were with Elle, weren't you?" Tony deduced wisely. "She cry on your shoulder a little?"

McGee glared up at them. "Tony, she's been through a lot. Maybe she needs a shoulder to cry on."

"So you were with her?" Ziva pressed him.

"Yes, I was with her. Are you happy now? We saw each other at the coffee shop this morning."

"Your shirt looks a little wrinkled, McOprah," Tony remarked. "So, what'd she say to you today?"

"We had a private discussion, Tony," McGee insisted. "I'm not telling you what we talked about."

"Is she all right, McGee?" Gibbs asked, walking into the bullpen.

"Not yet, Boss. She's very scared right now," McGee told him, feeling like he could trust Gibbs with this information.

"You better help her out then." Gibbs looked McGee directly in the eye and McGee suddenly felt like a huge responsibility had been put on his shoulders.

"I plan to, Boss. I'm going over to her house tonight. She hasn't slept in over three days, she said. I'm worried about her."

At the end of the day, Tony and Ziva left, together as always. McGee watched them go, then walked over to Gibbs' desk.

"Boss, can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead, McGee," was Gibbs short reply.

"Elle was raped by Harper. She told me today and she's terrified. I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone, but I don't think she'd mind you knowing. She doesn't want to talk to anyone about it, except me. Any ideas on how to deal with it?"

"Don't make her feel like a victim. That's the last thing she'll want."

McGee nodded. "No victimizing. Got it. Anything else?"

"Only stay with her if you care. Don't break her heart." Gibbs looked up at McGee again sharply.