A/N: This is just a tiny one-shot set after 'Momntum'. LadyJordan wanted to see a hug, so I decided to write it. Enjoy.
Polly Emmerson was gone. They had tried everything to save her. Nick's attempts had been desperate but ultimately fruitless. It had been a tear soaked Jay that had finally convinced those who were working frantically to let the ambulance technician go.
Nick had made the phone call to Polly's aunt. Jeff and Dixie were both with him so when he'd finished he passed the phone to them and let the two of them recount some of the memories they had of the woman's niece.
Nick scrubbed his face with his hands and sighed deeply. It wasn't right. She was too young; much too young.
As he rounded the corner on the approach to his office, a brown haired woman fell into step beside him. Zoe didn't speak; she just walked by his side and then followed him in to his office. Nick said nothing about her uninvited presence, instead he wordlessly poured her a generous measure of the scotch he kept in his bottom draw and handed it to her.
Nick took the seat behind his desk and wasn't surprised when Zoe perched on the edge on the wooden surface. Their legs would touch every so often and the warmth was comforting. Zoe could feel the tears begin to sting her eyes; not wanting to force him to comfort her she downed the rest of the measure she'd been sipping at and slipped from the table.
Nick watched her for a second before getting up and reaching for her hand as she was half-way to the door.
"Zoe," he whispered.
She turned to him and they came together in a tight embrace. Her hands had slid underneath his jacket so she could feel the muscles in his back. His arms were firmly around her shoulders holding her to his chest; his heartbeat was loud in Zoe's ears.
Her fingers traced lines across the bottom of his back, then they interlaced together. Zoe didn't want to let go just yet.
That was fine with Nick; he didn't want to give up the warmth he was taking from her. His hand stroked her hair knowing how soothing it could be; his mother had sat for hours with him when he was a child.
Time ticked slowly past them but neither of them cared. They just stood moulded to each other in the shadows of Nick's office with the wet patch on his shirt growing ever bigger as it held the tears Zoe cried.
It was Zoe who moved first; she was getting cramp. She pulled back so she could look into his eyes.
"We did our best," she choked out.
"I know," he murmured back.
She nodded and then did something Nick wasn't expecting. Zoe pressed her palm to his cheek and stood up on her tiptoes to press a gentle kiss to his lips. And then she was gone. And he was alone.
Nick stood stunned for a moment as his fingers ghosted over where her lips had just been. He let out another heavy sigh. It had taken something like this to start inching them back together.
Nick wasn't going to delude himself; he knew they wouldn't speak of what happened. What he didn't know was if she would ever kiss him again.