She had just needed a moment. Today had been stressful from the get go and she'd needed just a minute to calm herself down and sort herself out. So she'd gone to the edge of Ops, on the stairs where she'd sat with Becker on a rare occasion they had time to spare and spoke about Abby and Connor's disappearance. Everyone was gone for the day and she'd figured she could spend a few minutes to get herself under control before heading out past the sentries for the night. That's how he found her sitting on the steps with her head in her hands, in an empty Ops room.

"Jess?"

Letting out a squeak of surprise said girls head shot up, eyes wide in shock. "Becker! What are you doing here?"

He raised a brow as he approached her. "I work here."

Her shoulders slumped. "Sorry I didn't mean it like that."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine why do you ask?"

"You're sitting on the floor with your head in your hands in an empty room."

She bit her bottom lip. "Right."

"Jess is everything alright?" She hesitated a moment as he stepped forward and dropped down to a crouch beside her. "Something's bothering you." It wasn't a question and he wanted an answer.

"It's just been a bit of a full on day is all."

"You're upset."

"I just wanted to compose myself before I left."

Frowning he sat beside her, placing his arm around her shoulders. "Hey, you don't need to do this alone. Talk to me."

"It's just been so full on all day and nothing's gone right and I'm so tired and all I want to do is crawl under my covers and block out the world but that's not fair because you guys are in the field experiencing everything first hand and you're fine."

His hand squeezed her shoulder. "Jess I'm trained for high pressure situations like that. I know how to deal with them and process everything afterwards."

"But Abby and Connor aren't. I mean I get Matt and Emily. Emily travelled through the anomally's and Matt grew up in a future wasteland with predators everywhere."

"Abby and Connor have been doing this longer than you or me. Plus they have each other. Things are a lot easier to deal with when you have someone there to help you and support you."

"But we all support each other."

"Not like Abby and Connor support each other or Matt and Emily. They have each other it's harder for those of us who don't have that special someone to hold on to."

"Yeah."

"Jess, if you need someone to lean on, or cry on or you're just having a rough day please don't wait till everyone's gone home and sit on the floor. Come get me okay?"

Her head snapped up from looking at the floor to meet his eyes. Seeing the concern and determination she smiled. "Really?"

"Really, day or night. Doesn't matter. If you need someone, come to me. I don't mind. I mean it Jess."

Her smile growing Jess acted on impulse throwing her arms around his neck and pressing against him for a hug. She was only mildly surprised when he hugged her back burying his nose in her hair. She buried her own nose into the side of his neck as she closed her eyes. Enjoying the rare act of affection between them before he would eventually pull away. She waited for him to pull away first but found he didn't move. After a while she pulled away and looked up at him.

"You didn't pull away."

Becker shrugged. "You needed it."

"Thank you."

He reached forward to brush an errant strand of hair out of her face. "You're welcome Jess. Feel better?"

"Yes."

"Good. Come on I'll walk you out, are you okay to drive?"

"I'll be fine."

Becker nodded and lead her through the halls with a hand on the middle of her back. He walked her to her car and watched until she was out of sight before going back inside to finish off his work then head home himself.

The next morning Jess felt much better and her mood only improved when she found a block of chocolate and a small bunch of white carnations and magenta zinnia's on her desk. The note attached simply read:

Hope today goes a little better, come find me if you need anything

Jess was grinning at her desk when Abby, Connor, Matt and Emily came into Ops to drop off yesterdays reports. They all stopped however to watch Jess and subsequently went to investigate.

"Nice flowers."

"Thank you Abby."

"Who are they from Jess? Whoever it was has put a smile to rival Becker on your face."

"Connor!"

"Yes I am curious as to who sent you the flowers and why."

"No reason."

"The card says different."

"Oh my gosh, Matt! How did you get that."

Matt smirked then read the card for the rest of them. "Hope today goes a little better, come find me if you need anything. Huh, didn't know he had it in him."

Connor whistled. "Action man strikes again. First regular doses of chocolate, now flowers. You sure you guys aren't dating?"

Now very red in the face Jess shook her head. "We're not dating Connor, he was just cheering me up is all."

Abby frowned. "Why? What upset you?"

Jess sighed. "Yesterday was just so full on and I guess it got me a little down."

"Why didn't you say something?"

"It's fine I was just taking a moment to process everything when Becker found me and we talked for a while. No big deal really."

"I disagree."

Jess frowned. "What do you mean Em?"

"The flowers he has chosen completely disagree with this not being a, as you say, big deal." When Emily got confused looks from Abby, Connor and Jess she continued. "He has sent you Magenta Zinnia's which mean Lasting Affection and White Carnations can be a good luck gift but they also stand for innocence or can mean sweet and lovely or-"

"Or what?" Connor asked wide eyed.

"Or they can mean Pure Love."

Matt smirked, Abby and Connor grinned and Jess stood there with her mouth open in shock. After a moment she gathered her wits and shook her head. "They must be a good luck gift. For today."

Abby frowned. "Oh please they mean more than that. In all the time I've known Becker I have never seen him near anything remotely flowery unless you count capturing the Dracorex at that strawberry farm."

"Abby he's just being nice. I was having a bad day and he's cheering me up. I doubt he'd even think of the meanings of the flowers let alone know them and use them as a coded message."

"Don't you think he's gone above and beyond though considering chocolate would have probably done the trick?" Connor grinned.

Jess shook her head. "Don't read too much into it. This is Becker we're talking about."

"You guys talking about me?" the new voice sent shivers down Jess' spine.

"Becker! What are you doing here?"

Becker smirked. "I thought we covered this last night Jess. I work here."

Her cheeks flushing instantly Jess bit her lip. "Yes, we did, didn't we?"

"So why were you talking about me?"

"Oh um well, you see-"

Abby stepped in and saved Jess from further embarrassment. "We were just admiring the flowers you got for Jess, they're lovely."

Becker nodded turning back to Jess. "I figured you could use a pick me up today along with your usual dose of chocolate that is."

"Thank you they're beautiful."

"You're welcome Jess."

"We were also discussing the meanings of the flowers. You wouldn't happen to know what they mean would ya mate?"

Becker shot a confused look at Connor. "Temple do I look like someone who knows the meanings of flowers?"

Connor just grinned. "Well the purple ones mean lasting affection and the white ones mean pure love."

Becker froze. Jess blushed furiously. "Connor that's not all the carnations mean. They also mean innocence and sweet and lovely and, and-"

"Good luck."

"Thank you Emily." the woman just nodded.

Becker simply nodded. "Okay, uh good to know."

Jess turned back to him. "I'm sorry I tried to tell them."

He smiled. "It's fine Jess. Why don't I stop back in at lunch when it's not so crowded in here."

Jess smiled. "Are you coming to say hello or to check up on me?"

"Um, both?"

Jess' smile widened. "See you at lunch."

"Yeah."

The others left her not long after, shooting various looks at her which she pointedly ignored. By the time lunch rolled around she had glanced at the flowers more times than she could count and hadn't been able to wipe the smile from her face all morning. When he arrived she felt rather than heard him before she even knew for sure. His body heat gave him away in the end. He was standing so close. Her smile widened.

"You're very punctual Captain."

He leant forward to speak directly into her ear. "How did you know it was me? I know I was quiet."

Jess bit her lip for a moment deciding whether or not to let him know then gave in when she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "You're the only one who stands so close I can feel you're body heat. That's how I know. Plus you carry a distinctive firearms smell with you even though we don't use real guns."

"Oh."

"Not that I mind, I mean you standing close doesn't bother me. In case you were wondering."

He nodded before pulling back. "Are you coming to lunch or do you prefer to sit there grinning at your flowers."

She huffed at him as she spun in her chair and smacked him in the shoulder. "Nobody likes a braggot Captain."

He merely winked in response before stepping in beside her resting his hand on her back as they walked towards the canteen. His hand dropped when they entered the large room once he noticed the others watching them closely.

"Would you like to sit with the others? Or find a table for us to talk?"

Chancing a look at their table of friends she shook her head. "Let them stew, why don't we find a table?"

"Sounds great Jess."

He steered her towards a small table at the back of the room currently unoccupied by any other staff. Becker had Jess sit while he went and got them each a tray of food. When he joined her they settled in comfortably to eat.

"So how was the morning? It's been slow today."

"Pretty good actually I've had time to catch up on the paperwork that's been getting neglected lately plus I was able to run a diagnostic on the ADD to check for bugs."

"I'm glad today's shaping up to be better for you than yesterday."

"Me too. I don't know what I would have done if today had been problematic."

"You would have come to me like I told you to."

"And then what? I cry?"

Becker shrugged. "If you needed to. Like I said if you need a shoulder to cry on or just someone to lean on I'm right here Jess. If you're having a crappy day and need a hug I'm here."

She chewed on her lip a moment then met his eyes shyly. "Okay but on one condition."

"Name it."

"It goes both ways."

"What?"

"If you need to talk to someone or just need company after a bad incursion then well, you can come find me and I'll do what I can to help."

"Jess, you don't have to do that."

"I want to."

He nodded then steered the conversation to something a little easier to discuss while they continued to eat. When their time was up Becker escorted her back to the ADD before heading back to the armoury for the rest of his shift. Except before the end of his shift the detector went off. Becker ran as fast as he could to Ops and stopped next to Jess leaning in close.

"What've we got Jess?"

She frowned as she narrowed down coordinates. "Anomally just opened. I'm getting coordinates now."

"Think you could get any closer mate? Maybe you could double as a chair?" Matt's voice broke her concentration a moment causing her to blush and chuckle.

"Good heavens Captain would you give the girl space enough to breath. Honestly you'd think he had no idea what personal space was." Lester grumbled as he walked past.

Jess quiet chuckles turned into outright giggles while Becker awkwardly cleared his throat. "Be quiet you and get me some coordinates."

She bit her lip and spared him an amused look. "Yes Sir." He rolled his eyes but pulled back to give her space to work. A second later she had the coordinates downloaded into the hand helds. "Done, you guys have your coordinates now go save the world."

Connor laughed. "One anomally at a time!" he cheered as he ran out the doors.

"Good job, see you when we get back." Becker praised as he ran out.

"Be careful!" She called after them grinning when she heard the "Always." that returned before the lift closed.

An hour and a half later Jess' grin had slipped from her face and her uplifting mood had soured long ago. Unchecked tears ran down her cheeks as she watched the CCTV feed again erasing and editing until any evidence of the prehistoric creature slaughtering young children no longer existed. A day care centre. The anomally had opened in the main room of a day care centre. The creature, a Herrerasaurus had come through almost immediately and slaughtered the ten small children and two adults occupying the room. The team had arrived not long after but were unable to save anyone from that room. Luckily the other carers in the building had heard the screaming and locked all of the doors until they were told it was safe.

The team were arriving now. She heard the elevator but refused to turn around and acknowledge anyone until she had finished with the footage and had gotten herself under control. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Jess, you need to take a break."

She shook her head. "I need to get this footage doctored then I'll take a break."

"Jess."

"Becker."

"Jessica, you need to take a break, that's an order. Kelly takeover for ten minutes." before she could protest she was gently pulled from her chair and guided down the hall to an empty lab.

It wasn't until the lock engaged that she realised what had happened. "Becker I need-"

"No, you need to look at me, look at me then tell me your okay cos I sure as hell am not okay and I'm a hardened soldier."

She looked at him for the first time since he'd left as new tears fell down her face. "Becker."

"I could use my side of the deal right now, if you don't mind."

In less than a second her arms were wrapped around his waist. His immediately circled her small body in return as the first of her withheld sobs broke free. He held her tightly, burying his face in her neck to hide his own wet eyes uncertain as to whether her tears were running down her neck or he was actually crying for the first time in years. As a soldier he had seen some terrible things. Horrible things but today, today there had been so much carnage. It was worse than anything he'd seen so far and he had seen a lot. His heart broke for the families who would bury their children in the coming days.

Jess' sobs eventually stopped and her breathing evened out. Even then he didn't let go or pull away, just kept holding her. "Are you okay?" he asked huskily.

"I will be." she looked up, tears still stuck to her lashes and reached up placing a hand on his cheek, smoothing her thumb over the skin there. "Are you okay?"

He smiled sadly. "I will be." he took a deep breath before biting down on his insecurities and saying what he had wanted to say for so long. "Jess Parker, I need you in my life and sometimes I think I need you more than I need to breathe. Will you have dinner with me tonight?"

"Will you promise to keep my nightmares at bay?" she asked matching his sad smile with her own.

"Only if you promise to keep mine at bay in return."

"Deal." she murmured and rose on her tip toes to press a light and innocent kiss to his lips as one last tear fell.