Nikki had read about women feeling complete when they had a baby, but she'd scoffed at the very thought. She was happy by herself-of course, she was in love with Jack, but she never thought that he'd feel the same.
Mexico had changed all that.
After the hug, they'd realised that there was more between them than friendship, and so had begun dating.
The couple had been together six months when Nikki realised that she was pregnant. She was nervous about his reaction, but he was overjoyed, as she was.
7 months later, she gave birth to a baby girl, whom they'd named Olivia Lucy Alexander-Hodgson. The little one was born early because Nikki had been shot in the arm, the bullet had nicked her lower back and it had put her and Olivia's life in danger.
The baby girl was now 4 months old, she and her mum were doing well.
Nikki awoke to the sound of Olivia crying and Jack shushing her.
"I know that you're sad, but I can't feed you. There's no expressed milk left and your mum's asleep." He murmured, rocking the child. "Oh, she's awake."
Nikki shifted into a sitting position, holding her arms out. "Morning."
"Hello." Jack responded, sitting next to her, placing a kiss to the top of her head and handing Olivia to her.
Nikki placed a kiss to her daughter's cheek, and began to feed her. "Hello, sweetheart."
Jack wrapped an arm around his partner's waist. "You sleep okay?"
"Mmm." Nikki nodded. "You?"
"Yeah, she only woke up once for a nappy change." He said.
"Okay." Smiled his partner. "Four months has flown by, hasn't it?"
"It has." Jack agreed, gazing at their baby girl.
She had Nikki's blonde curly hair, Jack's nose and chin, and Nikki's big brown eyes. Like her dad, she could be grumpy, and like Nikki she often tried to calm people down when she was sad.
When Olivia was two months old, Nikki had fallen asleep holding her. Nikki had then had a nightmare, flashbacks to being shot. She'd woken with a start, and had looked at Olivia, naturally to check if she'd been distressed by her nightmare.
Instead of crying or being scared, the baby had been concerned, frowning and reaching her hand up to her mother's face.
Nikki had cried even more, and had held on to her baby tight.
Jack's phone buzzed, it was a text from Clarissa. "There's been a murder." He said. "Thomas is at the scene, he'll video call us when he gets there."
"Okay, better get dressed." Nikki chuckled.
After going through a murder scene with Thomas and Clarissa, Nikki typed the observations she'd made up to send to Clarissa.
Jack was back at work part time, Nikki was two days a week from home. She didn't want to leave her baby, not yet.
They had their breakfast, and Nikki balanced Olivia on her knee, holding her close.
"What shall we do today?" Asked Nikki.
"Park, feed the ducks?" Jack suggested. At his words, Olivia looked up.
Nikki chuckled. "You love duckies, don't you sweetheart?"
Olivia cooed happily, smiling at her mum.
Nikki and Jack finished their breakfast, and prepared to go out.
Jack was getting Olivia into her little coat, when Nikki's phone buzzed, DNA results from Clarissa. He saved the file and decided to discuss them with his partner on the way to the park.
Nikki made her way into the room and the little family went out.
"So, the first set of DNA on the body belonged to his drug dealer and the second belonged to his brother?" Nikki asked a while later when they were at the park, feeding the ducks.
"Yep." He nodded. "They're pulling the dealer in for an interview."
"I thought so." Nikki agreed, and sat back. "Who'd have thought it, eh? Us feeding the ducks with a four month old baby in tow, discussing a murder... Funny how life turns out. To be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way." She said, kissing Olivia's head.
"Me too." Smiled Jack. "I love you."
"I love you too." Nikki responded, and the couple kissed.