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Disengage and Resolve pt.3

"If someone stays with you after you hurt them more than once, they love you. Think about it. They're choosing pain over pleasure."

***

Maya woke up in a hospital bed, Gibbs was fast asleep in the chair beside her. "Gibbs?" Maya spoke, her throat dry. He moved in his sleep, but didn't open his eyes. "Gibbs," Maya said again, touching his hand.

Gibbs eyes opened then and saw that his daughter was now awake, "Oh, Maya." He sighed in relief, "You have got to stop scaring me like this."

"Did you interrogate that asshole? He said he had some master plan," Maya asked, worried, "he said he was gunning for--"

Gibbs interrupted her, "I did. There were no other targets. He was delusional," Gibbs paused, "His contact didn't exist, but we need draw precautions and sent out extra agents and police officers to every location that he talked about."

Maya sighed in relief, "good. good."

"Knock, Knock," Nick said, appearing in the door way and Maya could see the relief in his eyes that Maya was okay. "Mind if I talk to Maya for a second, Gibbs?" 

Gibbs said nothing to him but stood up, he bent over and kissed Maya on the top of the head, "I'm going to head home unless you want me here."

"Go home, I'm fine," Maya nodded and Gibbs nodded, looking over at Nick then back to Maya. It was then that Maya knew for sure that Gibbs was aware of the chemistry between her and Nick. 

"Love ya, kiddo," Gibbs walked over toward Nick and said something under his breath to him, "take care of her." Then he was gone, closing the door behind him. 

Nick looked back for a second then brought his attention back to Maya. He didn't say anything, he crossed the room and stood by her bed, "scoot."

"Excuse me?" Maya asked, puzzled.

"Scoot over," he said again and this time she moved to the edge of the bed. He slid in next to her and put an arm around her. "I'm glad you're okay. Really really glad. You don't even know." Maya reached for his free hand and squeezed it. 

"How long did it take them to get the bullet out?" Maya asked, but before Nick could answer there was a knock at the door. "Enter," Maya said. Her doctor entered. Nick made a movement to get up but Maya stopped him. 

"You're awake," he smiled, "surgery went really well, took about two hours and we got the bullet out. By some miracle, no broken bones, but the bullet did tear your ACL. You will walk again, but you'll be in cast for 6 to 12 weeks and then mandatory knee brace for 4 to 6 weeks, and you will probably need that knee brace for the rest of your life."

Maya nodded, not feeling knocked down by the news. "Thank you, doctor."

"I'll let you rest now and spend time with your husband," he said then stepped out, closing the door behind him. Neither of them corrected him but it also wasn't awkward for them. 

"Nick?" Maya said.

"Yes, Maya?" he said, turning his face toward her. Maya took her hand out of his and moved it to his face, kissing him. He kissed her back eagerly and without hesitation. 

She pulled away after a long minute, "I am so sorry." She told him, dropping her hand into her lap now.

"Why?" he asks, confused because he thought she was apologizing for kissing him. 

"I've been awful to you," she said, looking at her lap. "I pushed you out and I was rude to you. I don't want to do that anymore, I don't want to push you away. It was just that this death was so different for me. I didn't know how to tell you how I felt and feel or what happened. I told Gibbs but I lied, I changed details. It wasn't sincere and I just couldn't be vulnerable with him, but I want to be vulnerable with you."

"Can you be vulnerable now?" he asks, turning her face to look at him with his hand. "Will you stop pushing me away? I'm not going anywhere." Maya nodded.

"Renee and I," she paused, "we slept together the night we met." His face stayed the same, waiting for her to continue. She then proceeded to tell him the truth about that 36 hours and how life and death led to a friendship. A friendship where they would get together whenever they were in the same place. She must have gone on for thirty minutes before she let out a breath. 

"You are so strong, Maya," he said, "and brave and that makes what I am about to say so hard..." He sighed and continued, "I think you need to take time off from work indefinitely. You have been through SO much these last five, six, seven months. It has been one thing after another with you." He voice was full of deep concerned and distress. She had a desk job, but she still ended up in the field or in some situation that got her in trouble.

"I appreciate your concern but this is my job. You get that don't you? I know you do because you do it everyday," she says, confident in herself, "plus I'm just lucky."

"I'm afraid your luck will run out," he tells her, a hint of fear in his voice. 

"I'll think about it," Maya said to him, "but for now..." She trailed off, leaning toward him. He sighed defeated by her very presence, then smirked a little before bringing his mouth back onto hers. She groaned and spoke against his mouth, "what is it about you?"  

"What do you mean?" he pulled away once again confused by her, "why do you say that?"

She smiled, "I mean it in a good way if that is what you're concerned about."

"I just want to know what you mean," he pauses, "how do you feel about me?"

"Oh, Nick. I feel so many things," she smiled small, "I don't even know where to begin. You've just been amazing. You're amazing." She shrugged with that, not knowing what else to say but also not wanting to babble on and say something like I think I'm in love with you because she didn't feel like they were there yet. Especially with her pulling away. She didn't want to get more and more confusing. She wanted this to get simpler, for both of them.

He shot her a cocky smile, "I know."

She rolled her eyes at him, "you know, Torres. Sometimes you're a pain in the ass." They both laughed at that.

"You're amazing too," he paused, "you're a handful and confusing but you're amazing." He kissed her again and he stayed with her through the night.