Ellie x Nick Oneshots

Not your fault

Just to give you a warning, this chapter contains torture.

This was what Nick had been afraid of ever since joining the team.
Ever since developing feelings for his new NCIS family, and especially since he realized and acknowledged how deep his feelings for Ellie went, that they were different than what somebody feels for a family member or friend.
This was why he'd been afraid of getting too close to them, in fear that his feelings for these people would eventually be used against him by people from his past. That his past would not only come back to haunt him, but also his family and friends.

And now, his worst nightmare had come true.
The person he loved the most was being hurt because of him.

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As the fist collided with his stomach, he suppressed his scream as much as he could, instead letting out a pained groan through his gritted teeth that sounded through the small room.

He braced himself for the pain as Diego drove his fist into his stomach again, then hitting the right side of his face with as much force as he could muster, but Nick refused to let anything more than a groan escape his mouth, refused to show any reaction other than that, knowing that that was exactly what Diego wanted...to see and hear him suffer.

And now, after days of beating Nick, giving him countless bruises that were sure to last for weeks, it seemed like Diego had enough of Nick's lack of reaction, Nick figured as the other Latino took out a knife that had previously been concealed from view.

''Well, alright. Apparently beating you isn't gonna be enough. Let's see how you're gonna like this then,'' Diego mockingly said as he slowly dragged the blade over Nick's skin, on his bare chest, drawing blood.

Nick had to grit his teeth at the pain of the knife ripping open his skin, but one look at Ellie, who was chained opposite from him, - hands also in shackles above her head that were hanging from the ceiling- and he knew that he couldn't let her see his pain.

It was his fault in the first place that she had even been captured with him.
If Diego hadn't observed him for months before he made his move, -which he'd told them on their first day of being captured in this dark room- hadn't seen him and Ellie together outside of work numerous times, how they'd kissed, and figured out they were in a relationship, then she would never be in this situation.

The least he could do now was to hide his painfrom her, knowing that she flinched with every beat he received, just like she let out strangled sobs now as the wound on his chest grew longer and longer as it continued slicing over his skin, Diego showing now sign of stopping anytime soon.
At least Ellie had been spared from this torture so far. Diego had only focused on him, intent on making him suffer as much as he could as payback. Nick could only hope it stayed that way, clung to that hope with all he had.

''STOP IT! STOP!''
Diego let out a frustrated sigh at Ellie's screaming, the knife coming to a halt, but he still didn't remove it from Nick's chest.

The former gang leader turned his head to look at the blonde, took in the desperation in her eyes as she could do nothing but watch her boyfriend be tortured.

Focusing back on Nick, Diego observed the look on his face, the hate in his eyes directed at him.
To his disappointment, Nick had yet to scream, had not yet shown the reaction he had hoped for when he started his torture.

He was about to drag the knife over another part of Nick's skin, as Ellie once again raised her voice, now filled with even more desperation, making it almost sound pleading.
''STOP! Please!''

That's when Diego got a wicked idea.
He let the hand holding the knife drop back to his side, at which Nick almost let out a relieved breath. Almost.
But then he saw the evil glint in Diego's eyes, the vicious smirk on his lips, and Nick found it hard not to shudder.

Looking across at Ellie, he saw that she too was holding her breath, both not daring to breathe as they waited for what was to come next.

The former gang leader turned around, his eyes meeting Ellie's, and at the expression on his face she had to gulp, especially when he slowly strode toward her, knife still in his hand.

Daring to take her eyes off him for just a second, she glanced at Nick, saw the horror in his eyes that intensified with each step Diego took toward her, each inch that he got closer to her.

He came to a halt beside the blonde, then reached out his free hand to grab her face between his fingers so harshly it hurt.
Ellie's eyes were fixated the man standing beside her, glaring at him as she stared right into Diego's face, eyebrows narrowed both in pain and hate at the man who hurt Nick.

He studied her face for a few moments, the look in her eyes, before he spoke to Nick without looking away from Ellie.
''You know Nick, I have to say...I grew quite frustrated with each day that passed without once getting a satisfying reaction from you...'' he started, before finally focusing his gaze back on Nick, wanting to see his face when he said those next words, his fingers digging into Ellie's skin as he turned her face a bit to the side, despite her trying to resist the movement.
''But maybe we'll get more of a reaction from her, don't you think?''

That's when Nick let out a low growl, his jaw clenched while his hands above his head balled tightly into fists, nails digging into the palms of his hand, but he couldn't care less about it in that moment.
''DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!''

Diego just let out a laugh, before replying in a smug tone of voice.

''What are you gonna do about it, Nicky?'' he mocked, arching his eyebrow while with his head he motioned once to the shackles around his hands.

''You're chained. There's nothing you can do to stop me.''
He let go of Ellie's face then, leaving marks where his fingers had dug into her skin, patting her on the cheek with a smirk.

''Don't worry though, I'm not gonna ruin her pretty face.''

The next thing she knew, the knife wason her skin, slowly making his way across her stomach, ripping her shirt and cutting into her skin so that blood ran out, staining her shirt around the wound red.

Ellie let out a pained wince, biting down on her lip as he set the knife down once more.

Now Nick was the one who screamed at Diego to stop, his voice hoarse due to the lack of water they'd received over the last few days.

Diego chuckled darkly, clearly very amused at Nick's screams, finding the sound in his ears very satisfying.

''Now that is more of the reaction I wanted,'' he said to Nick, his lips still lifted upwards in a sadistic smirk.

''Leave her out of this, Diego. I'm the one you want. She's got nothing to do with this!''
Nick desperately demanded, but it simply caused the former gang leader to shake his head after a roll of his eyes.

''But without her it'd be so much less fun, dear Nicky.'' He chuckled once more, lifting the knife this time instead of dragging it over Ellie's skin, about to stab it deep into her skin, intending on making her scream in pain to make Nick suffer too.

''Don't you dare!'' Nick warned through gritted teeth.

The knife thrust down.

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Anhour later, Diego finally left for the day, not wanting to kill either of them yet.

Nick stared at Ellie, at the wounds on her body, some deeper than others, but all red from the blood, staining her clothes.

It was like he couldn't even feel his own injuries anymore, the pain numbed, all he could think about was Ellie, that she was in chains in this room because of him, hurt because of him.
All of this was his fault. All his fault.

He closed his eyes, squeezing them shut tightly, a tear escaping oneeye, making its way down his cheek.
He couldn't bear to see Ellie hurt, to see her suffer at the hands of this man, all because of him.

Ellie calling out his name in a soft and quiet voice made him open his eyes, but he still couldn't look her in the eye.
Until she quietly said his name again, not willing to accept that.
''Nick. Look at me.'' she softly demanded, and he reluctantly obliged, his dark brown eyes meeting her hazel ones.

She had a concerned look on her face, brows furrowed in worry, not oblivious to his self-blame or how much he felt guilty for all of this right at that moment.

Even in the dimly lit room, she had seen the tear, the pained expression on his face as he looked at her, and immediately knew that it wasn't because of his own wounds, but hers.
Knew that he felt like it was all his fault.

So, after making sure he was still looking her in the eyes, she spoke.
''It's okay, Nick.''

Her eyes brimming with tears convinced him otherwise though, unaware that those tears were for him, that Ellie's heart hurt at the thought of him thinking he was responsible for this happening, notbecause of her own pain. She needed to make him see that it wasn'this fault, that she would bear this if it meant that Diego would stop hurting Nick, as long as that meant he was not getting tortured anymore. She would gladly endure this instead of him, just like she knew he would for her.

All Nick could see and think of in that moment though was that she was trembling, knowing she was in pain from all the wounds Diego had given her with the knife everywhere but her face, so he shook his head.

''No, it's not. None of this is okay, Ellie, and it's all my-''
He didn't get to finish his sentence, as Ellie interrupted him, in a voice stronger and more insistent than he'd thought possible in her state.

''It's not your fault!'' she said, allowing no room for talking back, and repeated it directly after to make sure he understood that she meant it. Hopefully.
''It's not your fault, Nick.'' The tears now made its way down her face, dropping on the ground as they mixed with the small puddles of blood on the floor. It broke her heart that he was blaming himself for this situation, a situation he had no control over.
He had only done his job years ago when he had been undercover and and managed to take down Diego and his criminal gang,had no idea of knowing that he'd break out of prison one day and plan his revenge.

Nick opened his mouth to reply, but then they heard the door being unlocked as Diego entered the room.
''It's okay,'' Ellie whispered once more, even with the pain and fear and hopelessness in her eyes that they'd get out of this alive.
Nick had that same fear.
What if Gibbs and McGee wouldn't find them, or what if they were too late when they did?
Maybe Diego will have already killed them by then, or what if Ellie bled out from her knife wounds, or what if she got an infection.

But all these what if thoughts didn't help them now.
There was no way to escape.
They were on their own, chained, with a man who wanted to torture them,and make them suffer.
All they could do was endure it.

And as Diego went toward Ellie and took out the knife once more, finding hurting her a much better solution for making both of them suffer and thus having given up physically torturing Nick, Ellie's eyes locked on Nick's once more as she whispered those words to him again.
Words that she'd repeat over and over while Diego tore apart her skin with that knife.

''It's okay.''
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