Alex:

I took Nicky to get furniture for her apartment this morning. After my talk with Parker the other day about me and Nicky on the couch, I decided it was time to get Nick into her own place. Parker didn't want to come which, worries me a bit. We used up the last of Kubra's credit bribing the delivery guy to pack it up and deliver this afternoon. Nicky and I have been moving stuff around and its starting to look good. I think she's happy with it. Probably happy to have her own place again, finally.

Nicky and I haven't talked yet about how this two apartments in one thing is going to work. I ask her to come back with me and we can sit and talk through it. We find Parker at the kitchen table and Nick and I sit with her.

This isn't going to be an easy conversation, telling an adult about rules and curfews and stuff like that. I look to Parker but her face is completely neutral. I'm not going to get any help from her. I sigh. "Ok Nicky. Here's the deal. Parker and I have talked…" We both look at her but she has that far away look in her eyes she gets when she doesn't want to engage. I know she's listening though so I continue. "The whole point of this is, well, we care about you. You know that. And I, we, we want you to have the support you need to stay clean." Nicky nods. "I want that too" She says. "I know" I tell her "But Nicky, I don't know how else to say this…" "Then just say it Alex. Stop all this crap and just fucking tell me!" "Ok" I say. "We don't trust you." Nicky laughs loudly. Parker just stares at her.

"OK" Nick says. "You don't trust me. I'm a child. You're the parent." "Don't be like that Nick" I tell her. "We just want to help you until you can handle it yourself." "And if I never can?" "Then you stay here. But, there's gotta be some rules." "Like what?" Nicky asks. She doesn't sound pleased. "Well, simple stuff. Like the door. It doesn't lock. I'd prefer that you leave it open, at least for a while." "So you can check up on me." Her voice is sounding more and more hostile. "Yeah Nick. So we can check up on you. No secrets." "And no privacy. This is starting to sound more and more like Litchfield."

Parker finally pipes up. "You don't have to stay here Nicky. Not if you don't like the rules..." I glare at her and she shuts up and stares off again. I try to soften what she said. "Parker's right. She's not always the most tactful…" I look at her but she doesn't act like she's listening. "Anyway, you don't have to stay. But we want you to. We love you." Nicky raises an eyebrow but I ignore her. "It's an open door. You can come and go. We can come and go. No secrets. You let us know when you're going out, when you'll be back." "Like a child?" Parker opens her mouth to say something and I glare at her again. She decides not to say whatever it was and goes back to 'Parker-land'."

Nicky thinks for a few seconds and when she speaks again, her voice is calm. "I get it. You don't trust me. I don't either. I'll play by the rules. I know you're doing it for my own good. God! I sound like my fucking mother!" I smile. She continues "I'm going to prove it to you Alex, and to myself. I'm going to stay clean. I'm going to get a job. I don't want to die again. That sucked enough the first time." I smile. "Good. I'm glad we're OK. I was worried." "Well you should have been. You're acting like my mother." "Maybe I am Nick. But it's only because I love you." "I know" She says.

"Now" I say as I stand up. "I need to go to the store and get something for dinner. Any special requests? Parker's eyes snap towards me. I laugh. "Fine. Chicken or pork?" Parker just smiles. Nicky looks confused. "You wanna come?" I ask her. She shakes her head no. "Not now. I've got some things I need to do here. Tomorrow I'll go and get some of my own food." "OK" I tell her. "Just remember that open door goes both ways. You're always welcome to eat here with us. In fact, for a while, I'd prefer to see you here more than there." "Gotcha" she says pointing at me with both forefingers. I roll my eyes and get up from the table to get my keys. As I'm leaving I turn to see both women watching me. I get a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. "Um…you two be good OK?" They both just stare at me.

Nicky:

Now that Alex is gone, I think Parker and I need to have a talk. I try to get her attention. She's fucking weird and I'm not sure how to even talk to her. "Hey! You there?" She doesn't say anything but at least she's looking at me now. I decide to just talk at her. She'll figure it out.

"Look Parker, I know you don't like me." Her expression doesn't change. She just stares at me with that fucking weird look she has. "You don't really want me here do you?" She shrugs. "So why am I here?" She shrugs again. "You gonna talk to me? Cuz if we have to have this stupid open door shit you're going to have to talk to me. Why am I here?" She starts to shrug again then finally decides to say something. "Alex loves you and I love Alex." "That's it?" She shrugs and starts to look off at whatever the hell she looks at. LaLaLand if you ask me.

"Ok. I get it." I tell her. I think for a second. No. I don't get it. I know I should be smart and keep my mouth shut but when have I ever done the smart thing. "You know what Parker? I don't get it. You're fucking weird and I don't see what Alex likes about you. You must have some really good pussy."

Parker's expression doesn't change except her eyes narrow a bit. For some reason this scares me more than if she had gone off on me. Her voice is perfectly calm when she speaks and that creeps me out too. "Alex loves me because I am nice to her. I don't call her names. I don't call her weird. I take care of her and she takes care of me." She smiles and it is terrifying. "And I am really good at sex too."

I smile back at her though I don't really feel like it. I just want to get a reaction out of her. "Yeah. So is Alex." Parker's eyes get really cold but still her tone never changes. It's like she's talking about the weather or some other shit that doesn't matter. "Nicky, Alex loves you and I don't get it either. You're not nice, not a nice person. But I want you to stay. I want you to stay because it makes Alex happy. I will do anything to make Alex happy. But…" She's really freaking me out now. I want to leave but I can't. It's like a car accident. You know what's coming and there's nothing you can do about it. She continues. "I know you and Alex had sex. I don't care about that. I know she likes to touch you. I don't understand. I trust Alex. But, if you touch her, if you try to have sex with her, I will kill you."

I slowly stand up and back away. I can't take my eyes off of her. She's just sitting there with that damn calm stare. I almost can't believe what she just said to me, yet I feel a chill deep inside. She's serious and I know it. I want to tell her that I would never do that, not to someone else's girlfriend but we both know I would be lying. I don't take my eyes off of her until I have backed all the way out of my room. I go to my apartment and I shut the door.

Parker:

I think that went well.

Alex:

Parker is still sitting where I left her. I put my bags on the counter and give her a kiss. "Where's Nicky?" She shrugs. "I think she went to her room." "What did you say Parker?" She looks at me. "Why do you think I said something? Maybe she said something." I look at her. "I think you both said something. And now I've got to go fix it with Nicky. I'll deal with you later." Parker smiles. "Promise?" I get a warm tickle deep inside. I can't help but smile back. "Yeah Parker. I promise." As I leave the kitchen I hear her say "Goody."

Nicky's door is shut. Damn it! Didn't we just talk about this? I bang on the door. "Nick! We talked about this! I'm coming in!" I open the door to see Nicky just sitting on her couch. "What the hell Nick?" "Your bat shit crazy girlfriend told me she was going to kill me." "What? What did you say?" "What makes you think I said anything?" She asks, her voice indignant. I raise an eyebrow and she looks away. "Fine. I told her I know she doesn't like me." "Oh God Nicky. You just need to give her some time." "Alex, she's a fucking psycho bitch." "Nicky! Just don't provoke her. She's fine. She'll like you. She just needs to get to know you." Nicky glares at me. "She fucking told me she was going to kill me!" "She didn't mean it." She raises her eyebrows. "She did Alex. She's cold. I believe her." "And why did she say she was going to kill you?" "She said if I, um…" I get it now. I laugh which just pisses Nicky off more.

"She told you not to have sex with me right?" "Yeah. Why would she even say that?" I sit next to Nicky on the couch. She scoots herself to the edge, away from me. I laugh again. "Its OK Nick. She's not going to hurt you. Parker, she thinks differently. She knows that I, and that you, we would never do anything. But Parker doesn't trust anyone. Not at first. She needs to hear you say it to believe it. Just tell her you promise. That's all she wants. And try to be nice. She'll come around. She wants you here, even if it's just for me right now. OK?" Nicky nods. "Ok." "Now c'mere." I open my arms to hug her but she shakes her head. "It's OK Nicky. I promise." She nods and lets me slowly pull her into a hug. "Leave the door open. Please?" She nods again and when I let go she has tears in her eyes. "I love you Nicky. I really do."

"Now" I tell her. "I've got to go deal with Parker. Gimme an hour or so and I'll make some stir fry for dinner." "You're going to go fuck her now aren't you?" "Yes Nicky. I am."