When Gavin woke up the next morning, he thought that he had dreamt Tasha lying beside him like he usually did most nights. But as he shifted slightly he felt her move with him, her hand resting against his chest. He slowly opened his eyes, glancing down at Tasha's sleeping form.

Gavin wanted nothing more than beat the life out of her ex, but the thought faded away as Tasha stirred beside him, slowly opening her eyes to look up at him. She smiled sleepily at him before resting her head against his chest again. Gavin slowly rubbed her side, smiling when she sighed contently.

They laid there for a while, enjoying the comfortable silence and the closeness of each other.

Tasha sighed as she tried to get up. "I should probably call into work."

Gavin held her to him, not letting her get up. "Relax, Tash, I already told Fowler what's up."

Tasha smiled slightly, "And you're staying with me?"

"Of course." Gavin replied, "I'd never leave you alone after last night."

Tasha sat up slightly, causing Gavin to do the same. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Gavin held her close, relishing in the way her small body felt against his. How nice it was to feel her hands on his bare skin. He never wanted this moment to end. He could spend an eternity here just laying with her.

"Thank you for... for..." Tasha can't say the words she can think of, but Gavin shushes her gently, his thumb lightly rubbing circles on her back.

"Shh, it's okay." Gavin said softly as she nuzzled closer to him. He had been trying to focus on keeping his heart steady but at this point he didn't care if she heard how fast she made his heart beat, he just wanted to help her forget what happened. "I'm here, alright? I won't let anyone put their hands on you ever again. I promise, Tasha."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Gavin." Tasha mumbled as she pulled out of his grasp, sitting next to him on the bed.

"I won't." Gavin replied as he sat up, looking at her sad face. "I promise you I will protect you. No matter what." He gently took her hand, holding it tight as he leaned his head against her shoulder. "I don't know what I would've done if I lost you."

"You would've been okay, Gav." Tasha said softly.

"Do you honestly believe that bullshit?"

Tasha smiled at him calling her out. "Fine, no, I think you'd be pretty upset if I died. But you'd survive."

"Would I?" Gavin asked, looking at her. "Because just the thought that he could've — " Gavin's jaw clenched. "Done much worse to you—"

Tasha sighed as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into another hug. "Just don't think of it, alright? I'm here. I'm alive. It's gonna take a lot more than that to kill me."

Gavin smiled slightly, pressing his lips to her hair. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore. Disgusting."

Gavin pulled back, sliding off the bed and walking into the bathroom. Tasha yawned, walking out into his living room where she saw his three cats laying on the couch. She immediately went to the two she hadn't met, giving them gentle pets as they slept. She then moved over to Pounce, smiling as he rubbed against her hand.

Gavin couldn't help but smile as he saw her petting his cats. "I see I have been replaced."

Tasha giggled, "Yep! Sorry, Detective."

Seeing her happy made Gavin's heart soar. "Uh... You can have a shower, if you want."

•••

Gavin sat impatiently as he waited for Tasha to get done in the shower. He felt like a teenager all over again, her being away from him even the smallest amount made him feel crazy. He needed to protect her, and even the thought of anything else happening to her made him Andy.

Gavin's cell phone rang, causing him to groan in annoyance. "What?"

"Change of plans, Reed. We need Miss Price to come in today."

"Today?!" Gavin lowered his voice, not wanting to startle Tasha who was still showering in the other room. "She was raped last night! How—"

"Which is exactly why you need to bring her in. The sooner we get her side the sooner we may be able to catch the perpetrator."

Gavin hung up on his boss, sighing deeply as he walked over to his bedroom. "Tasha, Fowler—"

"I heard." Was all she replied as she dried her hair on a towel, her clothes already back on.

"You don't have to—"

"Yes, I do."

••

"Start from the beginning, okay?" Gavin said softly as he watched her. Tasha hadn't quit fidgeting the entire way to the precinct, and when they got to the interrogation room he could feel how tense she was.

Tasha nodded, "Funny enough, I know how this works, Reed." She smiled slightly before leaning back in her chair uncomfortably. "Okay, um... I guess I'll start from when I left the station. You and Chris had asked me if J-Jeremiah was beating me. I left the station and went home. I texted him and broke up with him. He has been to my place before so he knew where I was and after a few hours he just came into the house and starting beating on me, yelling and screaming, 'How dare you break up with me?!'" Tasha imitated his voice, "Um, that went on for a bit. I fought back but eventually he... shoved me hard against the wall and I hit my head on the corner of a table. I was dazed for a moment and that's when he..."

Tasha paused, and Gavin could see the fear on her face. "He..."

Gavin reached his hand out to her, squeezing it reassuringly. "It's alright, Tash, just take your time, ok?"

Tasha nodded, not letting go of Gavin's hand. "He got on top of me and he put a knife to my throat. He threatened to kill me, said he would do it slowly..."

Gavin's grip on her hand tightened at that. "He threatened to murder you?!"

Tasha nodded, frowning. "Um... I was still dazed after that but I begged and I pleaded with him but then he took... he took his pants off and he —" Tasha went silent as the fear on her face melted into nothing as she pushed her feelings further down.

"I passed out for a while. I was in an out though. He raped me, over and over again until I guess he was done with me, and then left me there. When I came to I called the first person I could think of... you."

"You did great." Gavin said, slowly letting her hand go. "Are you alright?"

Tasha scoffed, standing from the chair. "I was raped less than twenty four hours ago, Detective, no, I am not alright. But I'll get better."

Gavin trailed after her to the hidden room where Chris was finishing his notes. Tasha leaned over him, looking at his notes. "That should be enough to fuck his day up."

Chris nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, Tasha. We're gonna catch that fucker."

Tasha simply nodded.

•••

That night, Tasha was incredibly quiet. She would only nod or smile when Gavin spoke, rather than contribute to the conversation.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Gavin started as he rested his hand on her knee. "But I am here if you want to talk."

Tasha smiled slightly, grabbing his hand and interlacing her fingers with his. "Thank you, I just... I think I'm still in shock. I mean I feel... okay? Sort of... maybe it's because I'm with you? I don't know..." She sighed as she stared at the bruise on her wrist. "After I left work, I texted Jeremiah and broke up with him. Yeah, he was beating me. I don't know why I stayed. I guess I feel I deserve it? After— Well, anyways I guess he didn't like it, so he broke into my house and... and he kept screaming at me and he wouldn't let me go and he—" Tasha's voice broke as tear fell down her face.

Gavin immediately pulled her against him, shushing her softly. "It's okay, I'm here. I won't let that fucker touch you ever again. We're going to get his ass in jail, I promise."

Tasha sobbed into his chest. "He wouldn't stop, Gavin. I begged him to stop but he wouldn't and — and it hurt so bad, it still does! How can — how can someone do that?! How could he do that?!"

"I don't know," Gavin replied sadly as he pressed his lips to her forehead. "What I do know is I'm going to kill that son of a bitch."

Tasha laughed as she cried. "No. You'd go to jail and I can't lose you. Not now."

•••