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Peace

***
Maya wanted to sleep for a long time after that encounter.
Anxiety, crippling fear, a boy's life held in her literal hands.
Yeah...she definitely needed to cozy up in her bed and just let sleep take her, and just forget for a bit

***

Nick pulls of his jacket and gives it to her, "thank you, Nick." He says nothing and takes out an ear piece before putting it back into its box. "You were listening?" Maya asked, throwing on his jacket.

Nick nodded and to her surprise, he walked back over to her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, "nice work. You scared the shit out of me, but you saved that guy's life."

***

Maya avoided the office for several days, knowing that Gibbs more than likely heard her complaining about him was nerve-wrecking. She couldn't even think of what to say to him if she saw him. She had been seeing a lot of Nick, however. They had become close after all the trauma in her life recently and he had been a huge encourager for her.

There was a knock at the door on her third day away from the office. She went to answer it, assuming it would be the pizza gut but instead it was Gibbs and he was holding her pizza.

"Dad," she mumbled and he said nothing, he walked in, setting the pizza box in the kitchen. He came back to her and pulled her into a tight hug. She was was surprised, but her arms wrapped around him. When he pulled away, he looked like he was ready to talk.

"I love you, Maya. You know that, don't you?" He asks her but they were words that he rarely said.

"Of course, I know that. I know," she paused, "I'm sorry for what you heard the other night. I never meant to undermine your parenting. I appreciate all you have ever done for me and do for me."

"You we're right, Maya. I didn't do all the parenting stuff I was suppose to do. I didn't help you as much as I was suppose to, but I wanted you to have thick skin. I wanted you to be strong enough to take care of yourself. Maya, I would move mountains for you if you asked me to," Gibbs said, he was communicating with her more than he had in the past. Maya couldn't find words, her eyes were thick with tears and all she could do was just stand there. He laughed lightly and pulled her back into his arms. "What do you say we do dinner a couple times a week, no work talk. How does that sound?" Maya nods against his shoulder and he rubs her back gently.