Will You Take Care of Me?

Suspicion

Nick and Ellie had just gotten down to the parking lot when Ellie remembered she had left her bag at her desk. "Nick, I left my bag, I'll be right back."

"Okay, B., I'll go ahead and start the car." When she got off the elevator, she saw Jack and Gibbs at the top of the stairs.  Gibbs leaned in to kiss Jack, and suddenly, she dodged it. They spoke for a minute and then she kissed him on the cheek and left. Gibbs' eyes met Ellie's and she quickly looked down at her desk.

"Bishop, I thought I told you to go talk to the guy."

"Yeah, yeah." She stuttered. "I just forgot my bag."

"Alright, you've got your bag now so get on it." She nodded and rushed to the elevator. Nick and Ellie got to a shady looking apartment building and she was starting to get out of the car, when Nick put his hand on her arm.

"El, wait." She looked back at him.

"What?" She asked.

"What is it?" He pressed.

"What is what?" She said, playing innocent.

"You haven't spoken to me the whole drive here. What is it? What's wrong? Is it Sloane again?"

"Sort of. More like Gibbs." She got back into the car.

"What about Gibbs?" Nick questioned her.

"When I went back in for my bag, I saw something happen with him and Sloane on the stairs. He saw me see it. Now he probably thinks I was spying on them."

"Why would he think that?"

"Because I tried to ask him about Sloane in the car this morning and he basically told me to back off.  I might've kind of pushed him a little about it."

"Ugh, Bishop, why would you do that?  Now Gibbs will take his bad mood out on all of us."

"Excuse me?  I'm concerned about Sloane here and you're just worried about if Gibbs is gonna be in a bad mood?"  He put his hand on her shoulder.

"Look, B., of course I care about Sloane, but she can handle her own problems, she doesn't need us to interfere."

"Yeah, Nick, you're right.  You're right."  Ellie didn't believe this, but she knew they had to get on with their jobs. A while later, they got back to the bullpen and filled in Gibbs on their findings. After they finished, Gibbs handed Ellie a folder.

"Information about our dead Petty Officer. Take that to Sloane." She nodded and headed upstairs. When she got to the office, Jack wasn't there so she laid the folder on her desk. She turned to leave when she saw Jack entering her office, looking extremely pale.

"You alright Jack?" Ellie questioned worriedly. Jack took a minute to breathe, then nodded.

"I'm fine, Bishop." She returned with a sense of gratefulness in her voice. She looked weakened as she walked over to her desk and picked up the file. "This our victim?" She regained her composure quickly, but Ellie could tell something was wrong. The younger woman nodded. Suddenly, Jack started to fall against her desk, looking completely drained.

"Jack, why don't you sit down?" Ellie took her hand and guided her to the couch.

"I'm fine, Ellie, really." She insisted.

"Really? Cause you don't look fine."

"I'm just tired, I promise." She wasn't sure if she believed Jack, but nonetheless she let her off the hook and headed for the door. "And Ellie?"

Ellie looked back at her. "Yeah?"

"No one needs to know about this, okay?" She nodded at her friend and left the room.