Here's to the Night - Ch. 8
Sep. 9th, 2010 06:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
whedonistFandom: Nikki & Nora
Pairing: Nikki & Nora
Rating: PG-13 to R (depends on the chapter)
Title:Here’s to the Night – Ch. 8 - Inconsolable
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not my intellectual property. They belong to Nancylee Myatt and other people that I don’t associate with. If they were mine, Nikki & Nora would still be in production and we would all be very very happy. This is for fun…read - me mucking about for some entertainment in another person’s sandbox, not for money. While this has been beta’d, we’re not perfect and I accept full responsibility for all mistakes.
A/N: Good Morning, er uh, or evening, depending on when you’re reading this…might even be afternoon too, but eh, well, I’m sure yinz get the picture. So here it is, the final chapter. I hope none of you hate me too much. It’s called plot and character progression. Some things needed to happen for me to get the girls where I need them to be by the end of this set of stories, which is right before where they are introduced to us in the Little Pilot That Should Have. I’ve started work on the next story. I just drafted and sent out the first scene. I’m going to try to have something together for you next week, but I can’t promise anything. At the very latest, you’ll see something in two weeks or so. Other than that, as always, my thanks go to my beata. He’s a nifty fellow, despite his bickering about my spelling and my mistreatment of small words.
Read, enjoy, cuss me out at will if you feel the need. =0)
Reaching my hand around, I cup the cheek of my bedmate and pull her closer to snuggle deeper into the covers. Hopefully, if I burrow deep enough, I can ignore the Michael Jackson song that’s set as my ringtone and go back to sleep. Being cuddled up with my girl sounds like the most appealing option.
“Nikki,” a voice rasps in my ear, a voice that is not the same as my beloved’s in the early morning hours, “it’s been goin’ off for forever, pick the damn thing up.”
The hand that was placed on the rear end of my bedmate gets snatched back and I hear the woman snort.
I do a quick assessment of what happened last night. I remember the drinks, I remember the dancing, but I don’t remember leaving the bar. I don’t know who I left with and that causes my stomach to churn.
A long arm reaches over me and I see the ring.
Shit.
Jill.
I’m in bed with Jill.
I watch as she unfolds the device and presses it to my ear. I rasp, “Beaumont.”
“Nikki,” Dan says, sounding relieved. “Thank God. I’ve been calling for the last ten minutes. You had me starting to worry.”
“Sorry,” I croak and sit up, dislodging Jill from my side as my back rests against the headboard. “Late night.” I look at the clock and see that I have another three hours before I’m due in. Him calling means… “Who died?”
He laughs a little and says, “Thankfully, no one. I’m calling you in for a new case that came in. I need you to meet Toussaint over at Oschner.”
Jill shifts and rolls to the other side of the bed facing the opposite direction. Good to know that she can fall back asleep so easily. Lucky her.
“Why?” I ask.
“I’m assigning you to a reported rape. Came in about two hours ago. I’ve been on the phone since four-thirty this morning, fielding calls,” he answers and truthfully, he sounds downright exhausted.
I swing my legs off the mattress and sit on the edge of the bed. Quietly, I stand and make my way to the bathroom, requesting more information, “We usually don’t handle assault cases, Dan. Who’s the vic? And which one, the hospital off Jefferson or Napoleon?”
He huffs. “Victim is Bethany Griffith. College student at Tulane. Napoleon, the one closest to the university.”
Griffith…I turn the shower on and begin stripping out of the underwear and tank top I found myself in. Another piece of disconcerting information as I continue to wonder what happened last night.
“Nik, did I lose you?” Dan chimes in.
“What? No. I was just trying to figure out if I should know that name or not.” I tap my finger to my lips running through the list of society people I know. “Usually when you assign direct cases to me it’s because of who they know in the city.”
Dan laughs lightly and says, “You may not be aware of who Griffith is. She’s not from around here. The kid’s from Washington State.” He must pick up on my lack of knowledge and supplies the rest, “Her mother’s Johanna Griffith, fifth round senator. The woman has also been notified.”
“Ah,” I clue in. “So who does she have breathing down your neck?”
“The Governor, the mayor and the superintendent. Just everyone that can make my life a living hell. Not to mention she is coming down here today at some point.”
“Well, you know what they say Dan,” I chide.
“And that would be what Nikki?” he asks.
“It rolls down hill and you and I, my friend, are at the bottom of that hill.” I press my hip against the sink and try to figure out how this is going to play out.
“Ain’t that the truth.” Poor Dan. I really wouldn’t want his job.
“Alright, call Toussaint and tell him to meet me there in twenty. I need to go,” I say not waiting on a response as I close my phone, set it on the sink and hop into the steaming shower.
I take only a brief minute to luxuriate in the hot spray of the shower, allowing it to loosen up some of the knots on my back. The rest of my cleansing ritual takes a back seat and the utilitarian in me takes hold.
I’m out of the shower and dressed in under ten minutes. There’s barely enough light for me to make my way around the room and not bother Jill.
I look back at my bedmate and wonder just what happened last night. It doesn’t feel like anything happened, but…
I shake it off, feeling for my gun and badge on top of the tall dresser by Nora’s door. I need to get going. I clip my holstered gun and badge to my belt, look myself over in the mirror and decide to leave my damp hair in the ponytail it’s in. I don’t think my hair will look much better today anyhow.
Shoes, where in the Sam Hill did I put my shoes?
My hands go to my hips as I swivel around and survey the room. A few small piles of clothes, ones from last night presumably, pock mark the floor, but other than that the place is as usual, spotless.
Crap.
Sighing, I spin around and ease open the door bypassing the closed guest bedroom door and into the living room. Nora and Ann’s temporary workstation beeps softly and the whir of the fans from the computers are the only sounds in the entire apartment.
I look towards the front door and spot my shoes from last night. I jam my foot in one boot and raise my leg to zip it up, repeating the process with the other. As I look at the end table for my keys that are thankfully sitting next to the box of tissues, I see the two small duffle bags underneath it.
Going on a hunch and aware that I’m running out of time, I stride towards the guest bedroom’s closed door. I can’t remember if it was closed last night or not. Gently, I turn the doorknob and push the door open.
The light from the hallway spills through, slicing the room in two. It illuminates the bed’s two occupants. My breath hitches as I take in their positions. Ann is flat on her back, one arm, bent at the elbow, tucked under her head. Her other arm is wrapped around my lover. Nora is half lying on top of her very married ex-girlfriend. I can’t see under the covers but my guess, by the way they’re laying, is that Nora and Ann’s legs are entwined. My partner’s free arm is gripping Ann’s hip.
I shouldn’t feel the burn of jealousy. I don’t think I have anything to be worried about but seeing them like this…I blink back the tears that sting my eyes. I can’t deal with this right now.
“It’s not what it looks like,” Jill whispers behind me.
Just as softly as I opened it, I shut the door and spin right into Jill’s arms. Her hands grip my hips and she says, “They came home last night. You were passed out. They were both exhausted and I didn’t think waking you up so that you and Nor could argue was smart.”
I swallow the lump in my throat and nod. One hand comes up catching the tear at the corner of my eye. “I’ll have her call you when she wakes up Nikki. I promise.” The model offers me a warm, endearing smile and I cave.
She steers me out the door and gives a little wave before shutting it behind me. Sighing, I do as instructed and steer my dark thoughts towards Toussaint and how I’m going to get him to keep his trap shut on this case.
The stupid jerk has as much sensitivity as a fly. I turn right and into the flow of traffic and wonder if I’d get in trouble if I put a muzzle on him.
Ann clicks away on one of the keyboards of one of the computers that have taken up residence in my living room. Jill is opening the door for John and I’m clutching my cup coffee, wondering if it would be sacrilege to make an altar to the holy coffee bean or not.
“Jill,” John says entering the living room, “it’s good to see you kiddo.” I look up from my cup and smile at him.
He’s really not a bad guy. From our interaction, he actually seems pretty cool and I can see why Ann likes working with him. If Dan were less of a stickler, they’d be an awful lot alike...well except for the whole hitting on me thing.
I set my cup down, stand and offer the man my hand in greeting. “Morning, John.”
He smiles brightly at me. “Nora it’s good to see you again looking as beautiful as I remember.”
“Do you flirt with everything that has two legs?” Ann snips from her seat.
I glance at her managing to keep the blush from my cheeks. The tips of John’s ears tint pink.
His face sours briefly and then he winks at me. “I don’t flirt with everything that has two legs, just the ones that I need to get on the good side of.”
Ann finally cracks a smile and says, “Take a seat, boss. We’ve got some ground to cover for today.”
“Uh, guys,” Jill says from the doorway, “I’m going to let you three work. Nora, call your partner. John, I will talk to you soon. We need to talk about you interrupting my vacation with my wife. Ann,” she looks pointedly at her wife, “I love you and all of you be safe.” With the last bit of mothering, she’s out the front door and off to parts unknown. My guess is a coffee shop for some quiet time with that script that she’s been reading.
Apparently her manager thinks that putting her into movies would be good for her. I don’t think Jill’s sold on the idea. I know Ann isn’t.
“How was Boston and Houston?” he asks taking a seat next to me on the couch.
I stand and ask, “You want anything to drink?”
He shakes his head. “I’ve had my requisite three cups for the morning and I’m not due for the next three until noon.”
“Ann?” I direct my attention her way.
She doesn’t look up, but shakes her head in answer. I sit back down and Ann says, “Boston was a bust.” She looks up and levels a glare at John.
He sinks back into the couch. “Houston?” he asks hopefully.
It’s then that her face breaks into a grin. “The only thing different in Houston was that we got a positive I.D. on one of our own.”
“What do you mean one of our own?” John leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees.
“The rouge isn’t A.T.F.,” I fill in. “He’s F.B.I.”
“No shit?” John’s eyebrows are in his hairline and Ann scowls. To say that she was displeased with the information would be putting it mildly. She cussed a storm from the Bureau to the airport and most of the flight.
“Yeah, Reagan Poviyemo fingered Jack Beckwith as the agent that worked with him and his team. Beckwith disappeared the day after the raid and when Poviyemo followed up on it, he was told to drop it,” I fill in.
“What have you been able to pull on Beckwith?” he asks standing and pacing the length of my small living room.
“So far, not a lot. His files are blocked through standard measures. I haven’t tried using our override codes,” Ann answers.
“Why not?” he stops and puts his hands on his hips, pushing his jacket back to reveal a small red stain, a stain that looks like blood on his right flank.
“We know it gets tagged and sometimes it gets pinged to the wrong party. I’d rather fly as much under the radar as possible right now.” Ann’s fingers click away and the one large monitor that rests on top of my mantle lights up, displaying Beckwith’s personnel file.
“If you use the regular connection and servers, yes it does and will because of the security measures. If you go through the N.S.A., like you should, nothing gets leaked.” John’s lips purse and he eyes the photo of Beckwith. “Go through the N.S.A. and find out which division he works for really. I’ll go through the top. You ladies can come from underneath.”
I look at my watch and my stomach tightens. The drop’s today and we still don’t have enough to do anything with. Our first solid lead and Ann and I have come up a day late and a dollar short.
Shit.
John must be thinking the same thing as he says, “The fucked up part in this is that we’re still going to have to go through with the drop. I’m going to need you two at the scene.”
Ann and I exchange glances. We already expected this.
“So,” Ann drawls, “Nora and I are going to make some smoke signals, draw Beckwith out and take him down with the Sungs?”
John shakes his head. “I want you two to try and mitigate the collateral damage.” He finally drops his hands from his waste and takes to pacing again. “Let’s get over the idea that people won’t die, assume they will and find a way to make this be the last time.”
“Uh,” I start, “why can’t we stop it before the bust?”
Ann’s face sours, but she says, “We should.”
John looks at her and that alone causes an audible clack of her teeth as she shuts her mouth. He then turns his gaze to me. Folding his arms across his chest, the look he gives is reminiscent of what you’d give to a dog that was being stupid.
Am I missing something?
I do a quick inventory of what we know thus far. The obvious smacks me upside the head. Among the other commonalities, there has been one other constant that we’ve just ignored. John obviously hasn’t.
Damn it.
He must see the dawning of recognition in my eyes. Before turning to Ann, he winks at me and I continue to chew on my bottom lip.
“We can’t. We need this drop to go like all the others,” John’s voice is soft and resigned. “Do you know why?”
Ann looks to me and I tip my chin, letting her know I get it. She doesn’t.
“So what am I not seeing?” she asks her boss.
“We’ve identified the agent responsible for all of this. Who’s giving the agent the orders? We know how the Bureau works, Ann. You can’t go to lunch without a directive in most of the departments. Who’s pushing Beckwith’s buttons?” John turns to me and smirks. “Nora was right to ask who asked me to ask you to step into this investigation. We really should have started there.”
“So we’re bait then?” Ann asks, not looking too pleased.
I’m not either.
The director runs his left hand through his hair and nods. “It’s a win for everyone. We draw Beckwith into the fight, capture the Sungs and follow the missing guns. With a little bit of luck, elbow grease and solid manipulation, Beckwith will lead us to his boss.”
Her lips purse as she scowls at her boss. “I hate being bait. Do we remember the last time I was bait?”
I raise an eyebrow in question and she gives me a look that says we’ll discuss this later.
“Yes,” John nearly whines, flopping back into the couch and looking at me. “She ended up on a boat headed for the western coast of Africa. It took us three days to track the boat in international waters and then do a full on raid with the help of the U.S. Navy.”
How come this is the first time I’m hearing about it? Ann would have told me about this…
At least, I think she would. After meeting John and hearing some of the conversation, I can’t be sure of that anymore.
“Does Jill know?” I feel the need to ask.
Ann nods. “She wasn’t really happy about it.”
“Yeah,” John agrees. He points to a faint line above the right side of his upper lip. Barely noticeable until he sticks his tongue behind it and pushes it out. “That’s courtesy of Missus Flemming herself. She didn’t like the downward turn our trap took when Ann went missing.”
I wince. The jagged line looks like it hurt when it was fresh. “She smacked you?”
Ann snorts. John rubs his upper lip. “No, she decked me. Then, in front a group of F.B.I. agents and a small group of Navy Seals, told me that if I didn’t get her wife back, she’d gut me herself.” The man’s head swivels to Ann and he amends, “By the way, just so we’re clear on everything, if you’re ever in a fight with Jill, I’m on her side.”
I smile and Ann laughs. “You scared of my wife?” Ann asks around the laughter.
John nods. “I’ve been to too many countries to name, with time spent in at least a dozen of said countries being tortured by some of the best the world has to offer. None of them were as scary as Jill when she found out you’d been taken.”
Ann shrugs. “She’s crazy like that.”
I shuffle behind Toussaint as we emerge from Dan’s office. My head is pounding and I don’t think I’ve ever ground my teeth as much as I have the past half hour as we were getting our asses handed to us.
A thorough chewing out all because the salaud in front of me.
It wasn’t bad enough that Toussaint showed up at the hospital with a hickey the size of a baseball on his neck nor was it even as bad as his lack of compassion or hell even empathy when questioning the victim and her sorority sisters who’ve not left her side.
No, that wasn’t as bad as sitting outside Bethany Griffith’s room with Toussaint when Johanna Griffith showed and Toussaint in all his glory propositioned the senator outside of her victimized daughters hospital room.
That was the worst of it. That and watching a mortified Missus Griffith smack Toussaint across the face. Actually, come to think about it, that’s been the best part of my day so far. I wonder if Johanna, after the damage control I did, would be willing do to do a repeat performance for me?
Probably not, considering Dan’s pulled us from the case. Since Toussaint and I are partnered together and he was yanked, that means I was too. The upside of that is that Benny and Dominic picked the case up and they’re a good team.
I drop into my desk chair and look at my phone, turn it on and wait for the display to let me know if I’ve missed any phone calls. It takes a minute or two but when I flip it open, the display shows three missed calls, all from Nora. There’s also a lone voicemail.
I dial my voicemail and wait for it to pick up. When it does and once the automated voice let’s me know that I do indeed have one new message, I relax just a little at Nora’s voice, “Nik, it’s me. I, uh, Christ, I’m no good at this and I thought I was going to talk to you, but…but you’re not picking up so, here it goes. I’m sorry. I love you and I’m sorry. Please call me back when you have a minute. We need to talk.”
I know we do sugga. I sigh and end the call after making sure to save the message. I look around at the empty squad room. Only one or two Uni’s are around and they’re typing away at reports no doubt. Toussaint is involved in his computer screen as well. I pick up my office phone and dial Nora’s number.
Eight rings and her voicemail picks up. Shit. I leave a brief message and convey my annoyance of the game of phone tag that we’ve begun and hang up.
“Nikki!” Dan shouts as he comes barreling out of his office. “Let’s go.”
I barely have time to react before he’s next to me, pulling me out of my chair and shoving me towards the doors. Something tells me to not ask any questions, as we race down the steps. It doesn’t really register that we’ve made it outside and I’ve steered us towards June Lee until I’m following Dan’s directions to get us to the Lakeside Airport the quickest way possible.
The station house on a good day is about twenty minutes from the place. Today, I make it in under ten as Dan fills me in on what happened. The only words I truly caught were Nora and explosion.
We don’t slow down at the checkpoint as I’ve got the emergency lights on June Lee going and Dan’s holding out his badge for the officers to view through the windshield. Black smoke billows in the distance. I can see the flames engulfing one of the hangers as firefighters struggle to contain the flames.
I come to a screeching halt, hopping out of the car as I slam it into park. June protests at the treatment. Dan’s matching my stride as we come up on the scene in its entirety.
There are five men cuffed and covered in soot sitting in front of a cruiser. Three officers are standing watch over them while three of the arrestees are arguing with each other in I think Chinese.
“Where’s Detective Delaney?” Dan asks one of the Uni’s.
The kid, no older than twenty-two, scratches the back of his neck and then points to a small cluster of ambulances about a hundred yards to our left. My stomach drops.
Dan and I take off at a sprint. It seems like it takes forever, that the destination was getting farther away, but it’s not. I know that. I just can’t…this isn’t happening.
We round the back of the first bus and come to a halt. Nora and Ann are sitting on the back of the third ambulance. Wrapped in emergency blankets, they aren’t talking just surveying the burning hangar before them.
“Nora!” Dan calls.
I can’t say anything, I can’t trust my voice right now.
They give no indication that they heard us, but Nora does notice us as we stride up to them.
It doesn’t look like she’s been injured. There’s dirt and ash smudges on her face and neck. Some soot in her hair. Other than that she appears okay. Ann is in a similar condition.
Nora’s face breaks into a lazy smile as we stop in front of the two women. My hands clench at my sides. I want nothing more than to pull her to me, wrap my arms around her and check her over to truly ensure that she isn’t injured.
“What are you two doing here?” she yells.
“Nora, we can hear just fine,” Dan hisses.
Ann shoulders Nora and tugs on her earlobe. Nora’s face shows understanding at what Ann was trying to communicate and she yells again, “Can’t hear real well. The explosion sorta messed with our hearing. That and the raging headache we have.”
Ann nods in agreement.
I watch the looks that pass between them. A series of questions and answers all in a look shared between two people that depended on each other to stay alive. My lieutenant’s hands go to his hips as they eye each other. Somehow satisfied, his shoulders slump as he rushes over to my lover, smothering her in a hug. I notice Nora stiffen in the embrace, coughing uncomfortably as her ex-partner releases her.
“I’m going to go find the one’s in charge,” he says hooking his thumb over his shoulder as he announces his intent a little louder than he normally would.
We watch him scurry off and I finally step into Nora’s personal space. Ann looks between the two of us and slowly she gets up. She moves stiffly away as she motions for us to talk.
Nora watches her retreat and then turns her gaze to me. I search her eyes, trying to discern the swirl of emotions that I see.
I come up with nothing. Her usually clear, green eyes are unreadable. What I would like to see, some sort of apology and reassurance is absent. Nothing’s there to stop the thudding of my heart. Haltingly, I close the gap between us and gently wrap my arms around her.
I bury my nose in her hair, ignoring the smells that cling there. I don’t care if she smells like a bonfire and burnt flesh. Underneath the cloying bouquet, I recognize her unique scent and take comfort in that.
“Detective,” a male voice sounds behind us and we break apart.
I turn and face the man, an E.M.T., as he says, “We need to take Detective Delaney and Agent Flemming over to the hospital to get them checked out.”
Nora shakes her head and points to me, saying, “I’m going home.”
The E.M.T. shakes his head and says, “I’m under strict orders from Director Malone and Lieutenant Harney to take both of you in for an examination.”
Ann appears behind him and shrugs. She points to the bus and moves forward. “No sense fighting Delaney.”
I see Dan striding our way as he’s being barked at by two different agents. I recognize Diea from around the precinct, but the other I’m not very familiar with.
As they get closer, Diea turns her attention to Ann and Nora standing next to me. Diea points to them and bellows, “You!” She stalks up to my lover and friend. Dan trying unsuccessfully to put himself between Diea and the other two women.
“Just what in the fuck were you two trying to prove!” Meagan spits.
“Now, Agent Diea,” Dan tries, but he’s shoved out of the way as Diea moves him aside and gets in Nora’s face.
“You stupid fucking…” that’s as far as the A.T.F. agent gets.
My fist shoots out, connecting with her jaw. It’s sudden, unexpected and fierce. I watch, mildly shocked as the woman spins around and crumples to the pavement.
The other agent with Dan is the first to react as he lunges for me. Nora, intercepts him and knees him in the groin, letting him drop to the blacktop in a fetal position.
Dan and Ann stand there shocked, staring at the two of us as the ramifications of what just transpired are written across Dan’s face.
“Do you two want to have a job!” our boss rages. He drops down to his knees, turning Diea over to assess the damage.
The other agent lies on his side, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes.
We look at Dan and he shakes his head. “Get to the hospital. We’ll discuss this later.” Nora nods mutely and I help her into the bus. Ann follows suit as I stand below them.
“I’ll follow you,” I say. They nod and I close the back of the ambulance doors as another set of E.M.T.s come to take care of Diea and the other agent.
Dan stands there watching the bus retreat and turns to me. “Go,” is all he says, the muscles in his jaw quivering.
My legs swing off the edge of the hospital bed as I try to listen to the doctor itemizing my injuries. Concussion, a few lacerations, limited auditory capacity those are the bumps and bruises, nothing major. I do have a sneaking suspicion that I will be insanely sore tomorrow when I wake up.
“Also, I’ll be giving each of you a short supply of muscle relaxers. They will help with the pain more than any Vicodin or Percocet that I could prescribe. Take it easy the next few days and come in if anything seems to get worse.” The doctor turns to the nurse and scribbles on the chart. “I’ll have your release papers for you to sign shortly.” With that the man is out the door. His nurse following behind him.
I look around the room. Ann’s seated next to me and Jill and Nikki are sitting against the far wall. They wait as the door clicks shut before moving forward. Nikki and Jill’s positions mirror each other as Nikki settles between my thighs and Jill settles between Ann’s. The married couple collapses in on each other and Nikki’s arms stretch out to rest on my shoulders.
I finally allow myself to relax as our foreheads rest together.
“How are you?” Nikki asks, breaking the silence.
I shrug. “I’m…actually for being blown up, I feel okay,” I snort.
She pulls back, her face darkening. “That’s not funny Nora. You could have died.”
I rest my hands on her hips and pull her tighter against me. It’s risky given our location, but the need to feel her outweighs my need for caution. “I’m fine. A little shaken up, but I’m fine Nikki.”
Her lips turn south and I reach up to try and smooth away some of the wrinkles that are creasing her brow. She shakes me off and huffs, “It’s not something to joke about. I can’t get there right now. I’m still trying to get over the fact that you nearly died.”
Nikki steps away from me and I catch her right hand with my left. She hisses in pain and I take a softer grip. Her knuckles are puffy, red on the peaks and a solid bluish purple between the joints. The skin on my debutante’s middle knuckle is split and bleeding.
I still can’t believe she went and cold cocked an A.T.F. agent. I’m not sure what Diea was ranting about, truthfully I don’t give a shit. Now seeing Nikki knock her out was interesting. Still can’t believe Omar Priddy came after Nikki though. Did he honestly believe I’d let anyone lay a hand on my partner.
Prick. Serves him right.
“We should get that cleaned up, Nik,” I say pulling her closer and laying a soft kiss on the busted knuckle. I glance over at Jill and Ann. I smirk as I realize they really are in their own little world and Lee’s voice from years ago whispers in my ear, “I was always the third wheel, Nora. When they were together, the world could have been ending and the only thing they’d see would be each other.”
A tightness grips me and I have to wonder if Nikki and I are that way.
“Come on,” I say exchanging positions with her. She sits down, allowing me to care for her. My body protests the movement, but I ignore the pain and take liberties with the supplies in the room.
I snag some cotton balls, a few band-aids and a bottle of antiseptic before settling on a stool and moving between Nikki’s parted thighs. I take her injured hand and lay it on her thigh, splaying the fingers out, remove the lid on the bottle, dip a cotton ball in it and move it over the battered knuckles.
My girls doesn’t offer a hiss of pain, but I know it stings, they used this on me today. Gently I clean the torn skin and blow on it to dry the solution before covering the knuckles up with a few band-aids. I kiss each knuckle and look up to meet her gaze.
I wonder if she knows how sorry I am for the words I said to her Friday night. Does she understand the apology?
It’s then that the door swings open, breaking our spell. John comes bustling in and then stops, looking at the four of us. A smile, bright and wide takes over his face. “Don’t stop on my account ladies. If you still need a minute to collect yourself, I’ll wait.”
Ann scowls. Jill giggles. I roll my eyes and Nikki asks, “Who are you?”
“John Malone,” he extends his hand in greeting and gently shakes Nikki’s being mindful of the bandages.
“Nikki,” Ann starts, “this is my boss.”
Recognition dawns on my lover’s face as her manners take over, “Oh, it’s good to meet you.”
“You as well,” he says, sitting down on another stool. “Ann and Jill have said some good things about you.”
Nikki’s eyes skirt between the two women whose proximity has only altered in the amount of space that is not between their bodies. John picks up on Nikki’s confusion and I smile at her, grabbing her hand. Her eyes grow large and I chuckle. That hurts.
“Please continue, I just wanted to fill Nora and Ann in on the latest developments,” John says, resting his hands in his lap. “I’d probably be just as touchy if it were my partner.”
I cough and say, “You were here about developments?”
“Right,” he bobs his head and presses on, “First the easy stuff. Beckwith is in custody. I have two federal agents en route to pick up his boss, David Amos, senior agent of the D.C.’s organized crime division. Amos has another two agents in the field doing what Beckwith was doing. They are being picked up as well.”
“Evidence?” I croak, not releasing Nikki’s hand.
“Enough that our A.U.S.A., is singing yours and Ann’s praises.” His eyes darken as he looks Ann over and then me. I notice him track the bruising and cuts on my head and neck. “I…thanks both of you for doing what you did.”
“Part of the job, John. You know that,” Ann offers.
“Maybe, but both of you went in there knowing the outcome. Not many people walk into a building knowing that it’s gonna explode,” he says softly. “You two did good work today.”
“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” Nikki spits. She drops my hand and moves to the far side of the room.
John looks between us confused.
“You knew?” Nikki asks, directing her question at me. “You knew the hangar was going to explode?”
Shit.
Shit.
Fuck.
“They, uh,” John stumbles over his words, “Detective it was unfortunately a necessi…”
“Nora, answer the question?” she interrupts.
I meet her gaze and nod. “It was the only way Nikki. These people needed to be stopped.”
Her face falls, tears leak from the corner of her eyes and she wraps her arms around her midsection. “Why would you…why didn’t…”
“Nik,” I say standing, trying to move towards her. “It wasn’t as dangerous as it…”
She stops my words by a shake of her head. “You knew and did it anyhow. Nora that’s enough and I…” Her eyes and arms droop towards the floor. “I just can’t do this Nora…” She looks up and all I see in her eyes is heartbreak. “I can’t do this. I just…I need a break.”
With that she bolts from the room, leaving us in a stunned silence.
What just happened?
A stool is slid under me as my knees give out. John meets my eyes and silently asks if I’m okay.
I shake my head, unsure of how to answer.
Did Nikki just break up with me?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-09-09 02:44 pm (UTC)Since we already know where they end up this is just a little bump in the road.
I'll just sit and wait patiently for the next series. As patiently as I can anyway.
Very nice job.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-09 02:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-13 02:51 pm (UTC)That is the plus...we do know where they end up. I just like getting them there. I got a bit more done on the next story as the football gods were kind to us yesterday. Now it's up my beta to get his tail in gear.
Thanks for reading!
no subject
Date: 2010-09-09 04:20 pm (UTC)Waiting for more! :)
no subject
Date: 2010-09-13 02:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-10 10:52 pm (UTC)Well, I was expecting the break-up, but not so soon :D I wonder if Nikki will move to her dad's house now, or it'll be Nora doing the moving out.
And I don't wanna know what might've happened between Nikki and Jill. I don't think Nikki's overreacting to Nora's carelesness, so to speak. But the reasons for the break-up are more than that.
Thanks for posting! Can't wait for the next series.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-13 02:53 pm (UTC)Thank you for reading and commenting.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-12 01:36 am (UTC)You have left us with the most evilish cliffhanger
And the emotional rollercoaster of this chapter, I got all tensed up and never let down, very awesome pacing.
I love both ladies, but I think I am a bit more in Nikki's court and especially after you wrote this chapter - Nikki wakes up from a drunk bout to having to go in and wakes up in bed with not her partner and sees her partner in another bed and then the fouled rape case (which I wonder if sneaky you will have repercussions from... a very high profile case that was messed up) and then chewing out and then the bomb and then decking a Fed and then... well... I will say Nikki had a very bad day :P
thanks again for an awesome chapter and glad to hear more is on the way!!!!!
Isn't it amazing how a series of stories so easily builds itself around these ladies : )
no subject
Date: 2010-09-13 02:55 pm (UTC)and you're right, stories easily build for these two. Their creators need to be given a big hug and a cookie...or a more adult "pat on the back" I'm just not sure where to send the thank you bottle of tequila for creating suck amazing characters. =0P
no subject
Date: 2010-09-14 01:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-14 05:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-12 03:08 am (UTC)And I also think Nikki is making the right decision about needing a break for now, as much as I love Nikki and Nora together, but I do believe that Nora haven't learned how to be in a relationship with someone.
But please, please bring them back together soon, thanks for the lovely chapter.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-13 02:56 pm (UTC)Thanks for reading!
no subject
Date: 2010-09-14 02:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-14 05:39 am (UTC)We're getting there as I just got the first scene back from my beta and shipped off 2-5 today (apparently I have some major rework to do on the first scene *sigh*)