Best Friends

Nikki Clyne slumped face first onto her large bed and groaned loudly. She couldn't remember the last time she had peace and quiet. Ever since having children, she had been running around like a headless chicken just so she could keep up with her motherly duties. And on top of that she had a large responsibility with helping Lacus run the colonies. Such was the burden of being one of the highest ranking officers in all of the PLANTS. And in whatever spare time she had she spent working in the gym or hanging out with friends.

She sighed tiredly. 'I really need a break.' This was the last thing she thought before she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

"Muummmyy!"

Nikki groaned at the all too familiar noise. 'Great…now what?' She glanced to her bedside clock to see it read 'eight am.'

She grimaced at the time. "You have got to be kidding me."

"MUMMY!"

"Alright I'm coming!...Urgh."

She reluctantly pulled herself to sit on the edge of the bed before pushing herself onto her feet. She barely took a few steps out of her room when her youngest daughter Lucy bowled into her and wrapped herself around her mothers' legs. Nikki stared in bewilderment at the small girl and crouched down to pick her up. The young toddler latched onto her neck the minute Nikki lifted her up, making the older woman laugh.

"Lucy…sweetie what's the matter?"

Little Lucy just shook her head and tightened her hold.

Nikki sighed and carried the girl as the she walked downstairs. She turned into the kitchen to find her husband hovering over a frying pan at the stove. Her two older children were sitting suspiciously quiet at the dinner table and shovelling food down their throats. She walked over and stared sternly at them.

"Would you two mind telling me why your sister is upset?"

Abigail and Zach both stopped eating and turned to give their mother identical guilty grins. But they ducked their heads in fear when she gave them hard looks.

Abby, her oldest sheepishly admitted. "We were just teasing her a little, it's not our fault she's so sensitive."

Nikki sighed and turned a critical eye to her husband. "And what were you doing when this happened?"

Kai put up his hands modestly. "Hey I tried to comfort her but she wanted you. So I sent her upstairs."

Nikki exhaled exasperatedly and looked back at her two children. "No more teasing alright? Or I'll take away your time in my armoury."

Both looked horrified at this idea and rapidly nodded their heads in agreement. Nikki shook her head and turned her attention back to the toddler still clinging to her.

"Lucy, you need to let go of mummy now."

She tried to pull the girl off her but Lucy just gripped onto her shirt with her fingers. "Noooo!

Nikki sighed again. "Come on, mummy needs to go out."

At this Kai turned around from the stove to look at her. "Where are you going?"

Nikki walked over to him and leaned in close to whisper. "I'm going to see if Echo's free. I just need a break; do you think you could watch the kids for a while? Besides I can't remember the last time I was able to freely hang out with my best friend."

Upon looking closer, Kai could see slight bags under his wife's eyes and realized just how exhausted she must be feeling. Being a mother, wife AND soldier couldn't be easy. Understanding the time off she so desperately needed, he nodded in consent and reached forward to pluck Lucy from her arms.

The little girl chucked a small fuss again so Nikki used a little more strength to finally pry her hands from the tight grip from her shirt.

Before she left, Nikki placed a gentle kiss on her daughters' forehead. "I'll be back before you know it. But I want you to behave for daddy okay?

Lucy quietened down and nodded, her large eyes still shimmering. Nikki smiled at her, kissed her husband and bade farewell to her other children before heading for the front door. As she stepped out, she pulled her mobile out from her pocket. She dialled an all too familiar number and held the phone up to her ear. It rang a few times until the line clicked and a welcoming voice answered.

"Hey there Nikki, you're up early!"

Nikki smiled bemusedly. "Hey Echo, come on I always get up early now. It's kind of my job."

She heard Echo snigger. "But back in the old days you used to kill anyone who woke you up before midday."

Nikki rolled her eyes. "Yeah well, things change. But hey listen, are you busy today?"

"Not really, Laithal took Lysander out for the day. You know…the whole father and son bonding stuff."

Nikki grinned. "Ah yes I know all about that. Kai and Zach have those days as well. Anyway I was wondering if I could come chill at your place today. Need a break from my life, and when's the last time we got the chance to hang out?"

She chuckled when Echo let out an excited whoop. "YES! You are more than welcome! Come on over and lets party!"

Nikki shook her head, smiling to herself. "Alright then, guess I'll see you in a bit. Be there in about fifteen minutes!"

"Okay! See you soon! Bye!"

"See ya."

She hung up chuckling to herself. 'That girl will never change.'

Since Echo only leaved a few blocks away, Nikki always just walked to her house. So stepping outside her mansion gate, she started making her way down the sidewalk. And just as she said, she arrived at Echo's large estate not even fifteen minutes later. She walked up to the gate entrance and pressed the buzzer. A few seconds later her best friends' chirpy voice rang out.

"Helloooooo? Is that pizza delivery?"

Nikki rolled her eyes at the typical humour but decided to play along for old times' sake. "Sure is, where's my money?"

She grinned when Echo laughed. "Come on in and I'll grab it for you!"

Nikki chuckled and stepped inside when the gates rolled open for her. When she was inside, they quickly slammed shut behind her. Nikki, who was quite used to this, calmly made her way to the house without flinching. Just as she was approaching the front door, it swung open to reveal her blonde friend. Echo grinned brightly when she saw the brunette.

"Hey! So…where's my pizza?"

Nikki waved her off. "Knock it off, Echo."

The shorter girl smirked. "Just pulling ya leg. Come make yourself at home! We can do anything you want!"

Nikki grinned smugly. "My house is still bigger."

Echo pouted. "You just had to go rub that in didn't you?"

Nikki shrugged. "Just saying…say how about some of that famous hot chocolate of yours?"

Echo's eyes lit up. "Absolutely! Why don't you go to the lounge room and I'll bring them in!"

Nikki smiled and watched her friend head towards the kitchen before making her way to the living room. She slumped on the couch and took in the familiar surroundings. Echo's home wasn't quite like hers, sure there were pictures of family and friends on the walls…but there was also security measures that only a trained eye could see. Being a soldier herself, Nikki could easily spot the discreet cameras and traps Echo had set up around the room. She smirked to herself. 'I feel sorry for whatever poor bastards try to sneak into this place.'

"Ok here we go!"

Nikki averted her gaze to Echo who came walking in with a tray holding two steaming mugs. She grabbed one of the beverages and handed it to Nikki who took it with a thank you. Echo picked up her own drink and tossed the tray onto the coffee table. She then sat down on the couch right next to the brunette.

Echo took a small sip from her mug then turned to her friend. "So…why the sudden urge to visit my lair?"

Nikki sighed. "Guess I just needed a time out."

Echo sipped her drink again before asking. "Time out from what exactly?"

Nikki leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "Just…everything."

Echo stared thoughtfully at the older girl. "I figured you had a pretty decent life."

Nikki smiled at her. "Don't get me wrong I love my life. I have a wonderful family and awesome friends like you. (At this Echo smirked) My life has been really smooth ever since the wars ended."

Echo nodded in agreement. "So then what's bothering you?"

Nikki chuckled. "That's just it! Nothing is! I love my life! But everything I do leaves me exhausted by the end of the day!"

Echo let out an 'hmmm'. "Well let's go over this, what do you do all day?"

Nikki gazed back at the ceiling in thought. "Let's see…I get up early to take care of the family. Then soon after I usually go into the office, mainly for paperwork and crap like that. After spending hours staring at files I spend some time in the gym before I have to go home and cook dinner."

Echo gave her a look. "What is that husband of yours doing all day?"

Nikki smiled. "The days I go out he stays home and looks after the kids. And I do the same the days he works as well."

Echo nodded. "Fair enough, so you just need some time off every once in a while huh?"

Nikki sipped her drink and sighed. "Actually Echo, I'm thinking about resigning from the military."

Echo, who was also sipping her drink, sprayed the liquid immediately. She turned to gawk with wide eyes at Nikki. "Resign?"

Nikki stared in bewilderment at the carpet where she had spat the drink. "Wow…projectile much?"

Echo growled. "Never mind about that, ill clean it later! What do you mean you're resigning?"

Nikki sighed. "I have a family now Echo, they're more important right now. And I want to have the time to train my children so they can one day take my place. You should know what I'm talking about since you have Lysander."

Echo deflated and slumped into the couch. "Yeah…guess you have a point."

Nikki smiled and placed a hand on her friends' shoulder. "Don't you worry, I highly doubt another war will break out. It's mainly just paperwork now, boring crap.

Echo sniggered. "Piling all the files onto your sister are ya?"

Nikki grinned sheepishly. "She's Chairwoman for a reason."

Echo grinned back. "So true."

The two girls continued chatting for several hours and just generally making up for lost time. Nikki felt she barely had any time to spend with her best friend anymore, so moments like these were some of the best times of her life.

Around three in the afternoon found the two friends relaxing on Echo's large bed in her main suite. Echo was sitting up with her laptop on the side while Nikki was lying on her friends' lap with her eyes closed and a content smile on her face. Echo paused in her typing to smile in amusement at the brunette.

"Are you comfy?"

Nikki smiled. "Of course, helps that you have a comfortable lap."

Echo smirked. "That's what I'm here for."

Silence fell between them again until Nikki's phone sounded out loudly from her pocket. She groaned, pulled it from her pocket and squinted at the screen. She sighed when she saw it was her alarm.

"Well...looks like it's time for me to head home."

Echo stopped her work on her laptop again to watch as her best friend sat up. "Aw you're leaving?"

Nikki grinned. "Yeah sorry, I promised Lucy I'd wouldn't be too late. I also told her to behave for Kai."

Echo raised an eyebrow. "Did she behave?"

Nikki shrugged. "I don't know yet. Guess I'll find out when I get home."

Echo smirked. "Isn't it your two oldest you should be worrying about? You did say they were giving Lucy a hard time this morning."

Nikki turned to look at her. "Yeah you have a point. I hope they haven't burnt the house down or anything."

Echo laughed. "Naaaah. You got your hubby there to keep things in order."

Nikki playfully socked her in the arm. "Seriously Echo, he has a name."

Echo grinned. "I know, but it's so much fun coming up with nicknames for him."

Nikki shook her head and went to climb off the bed but suddenly paused. A strong feeling overcame her and she turned her head to look at her best friend in time to see her quickly type something before closing her laptop. A strange urge rose in her chest and she knew she needed to say one last thing before she went home.

"Say…Echo?"

The blonde looked at her curiously, recognising the serious tone in Nikki's voice. "What's up?"

Nikki crawled back to the middle of the bed and sat cross legged in front of her. "I know I don't say this much but..." She reached out and gripped her friends' hand. "I really do love ya."

Echo leaned backwards a little. "Okay Nikki, you're creeping me out, where's all this coming from?"

Nikki shook her head seriously. "I don't mean it like that. I was just thinking…we've been through everything together. We grew up together… we went to school and survived a full scale war together. How many friends' can say they've done everything we've been through?"

Echo's eyebrows shot upwards. "Wow…I never really thought about it like that."

Nikki nodded. "Exactly, neither did I. The only thing I was ever sure of was that I had my best friend there beside me the entire time."

Echo smiled. "You're starting to sound cheesy Nikki."

Nikki laughed. "Come on Echo I mean it. You're like a sister to me. You know me better than anyone, even more than Lacus or Kai. And that's my sister and husband!"

Echo pretended to look smug. "Because I'm awesome that's why."

Nikki smiled widely. "You definitely are, don't ever forget that."

Echo's smirk then turned into a genuine smile that close people like Nikki only had the pleasure of seeing.

"But seriously, I get what you're talking about. You've been my best friend for practically my whole life too. Can hardly imagine a time when we weren't together."

Nikki smiled and held up her hand. "And we'll always be together right? Best friends forever."

Echo's smile widened and she lifted her own hand to grasp Nikki's tightly. "Best friends."

They sat there grinning at each other until they finally let go. This time Nikki jumped off the bed properly and walked out of the room with the blonde trailing closely behind. Since she didn't really bother to bring anything, Nikki made a beeline straight for the front door. As she stepped out she turned around once again to face Echo who stood just inside.

Nikki grinned for the umpteenth time. "Thanks for the fun day; we should definitely do it again."

Echo nodded. "Definitely, nothing like a girly day." She grinned cheekily.

Nikki cringed. "Don't say it like that, you make it sound like a cheesy chick flick."

Echo snickered and winked. "Coz that's what we're totally about."

Nikki chuckled alongside her. "Yeah…totally."

She then sighed. "Guess I better get going."

Echo nodded. "Yeah you better."

Nikki turned to walk away and waved behind her. "Catch ya later, and be careful with your explosives!"

She laughed to herself when Echo yelled back. "Always am!"

Nikki waved one last time before exiting her friends' large gate and disappearing around the corner. The entire walk home, she was unable to erase the ear to ear smile on her face as she reflected back on her fun day with her best friend. So she was slightly startled when she suddenly found herself standing in front of her own mansion.

She walked through the gate, across her lawn and towards the front door. She stepped inside and announced her arrival.

"I'm home!"

"MUMMY!"

Nikki looked up to see Lucy running towards her with her arms stretched forward. She smiled tenderly at the girl and crouched down to greet her.

"Hi sweetie! Did you have a fun day?"

Lucy halted in front of her and held out her hands. "Look mummy! I did painting!"

Nikki indeed looked at her hands to see they were covered in about four different colours of paint. A sense of dread shot through her body but the excited wide eyed expression on her daughters face was too cute to ignore. 'Totally have to take a picture.'

She went into the next room and rummaged through a random draw. 'Now I know it's in here somewhere…ah! There it is!'

She triumphantly pulled out a camera and turned back to Lucy who was staring up at her curiously. Nikki smiled and raised the camera to take the shot.

"Come on Lucy! Hold your hands out to me again!"

Being the sweet, innocent age she was; Lucy obeyed her mother and stretched her arms out with the exact same expression. Nikki pressed the button to which the camera made a 'click'. She smirked to herself. 'Definitely a keeper.'

But then, as if a bomb went off in her brain, Nikki finally noticed what was off.

'Where did all that paint come from?

Keeping calm, she bent down to her daughters' level again. "Lucy, where did all this paint come from?"

Lucy pointed towards the other room. "Abby and Zach said I could play!"

Colour immediately drained from Nikki's face. 'Oh hell no…'

She dashed through the house, looking for her two older children. But when she entered the kitchen, she was met with a horrific disaster. There sat Abby and Zach, sitting in the middle of about half a dozen empty tins, all of which had been tipped over. All around them, the floor, table, walls; everything was covered in multiple layers of bright colourful paint. Even the kids themselves were saturated from head to toe in the thick paste.

Nikki stared around her in horror. "What in the HELL is going on here?"

Abby and Zach froze and turned in fear towards the sound of their mother's enraged voice. Nikki stared hard at them. "Where...is…your…father?"

Abby gulped and stood up. "He…he's asleep on the couch."

"WHAT?"

All three children jumped and shuffled back as Nikki stormed through the house towards their living room. As she walked in, her temper flared when she spotted her husband passed out on their sofa.

"KAI RODGERICKS!"

The sleeping man's eyes snapped open and turned his startled gaze to his very angry wife.

"Oh…hi honey. When did you get home?"

Nikki glared harshly at him. "DON'T 'HI HONEY' ME! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"

Kai stared at her confusingly. "What's the meaning of what? What are you talking about?"

Nikki roughly grabbed him by the ear and pulled him through the house into the kitchen, ignoring his painful yelps. She let him go and pointed to the huge mess the kids had made.

"Is THIS what you call taking responsibility? Are you STUPID?"

Kai's jaw dropped at the sorry state of their kitchen. "Wow...Nikki, I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it! You and the kids can get down on your knees RIGHT NOW and clean all this crap up! And you can forget coming to bed tonight! Go and sleep on the damn couch you seem to love so much!"

Kai put his hands up in an attempt to calm her down. "Nikki! I said I'm sorry! Come on, don't make me sleep on the couch!"

Nikki turned away from him. "You should've thought of that before slacking off! I seriously can't leave you alone for ONE DAY, can I?"

Kai watched as she stomped back out of the room. "Crap…and she probably had a good day with Echo too."

He turned around to see his three children staring wide eyed in the direction their mother had gone. He smiled. "Yeah…I know. She's pretty scary when she's angry." He then pulled up his sleeves. "Come on kids, let's help mummy become happy again and clean this up."

The first thing Nikki had done the moment she entered her room was call Echo. She spent a good ten to fifteen minutes ranting about how irresponsible her husband was. Her best friend did her duty and lent her a patient ear while she carried on.

"Wow, that's quite the surprise to come home to."

Nikki growled in frustration. "Urgh! And I was having such a good day too!"

Echo laughed. "As sappy as this may sound, but you should cut the guy some slack. I mean it's not like he went out of his way to piss you off with a paint covered kitchen. And he probably fell asleep because of exhaustion. He does have just as much as a busy schedule as you do."

Nikki sighed. "I know, I know…I guess seeing all that mess just got to me. I mean no house wife wants to see that kind of disaster in her home. It'd make any woman go insane."

"And I'm sure he knows that better than anyone. He's probably down there right now making everything extra clean just to see you happy again."

Now Nikki felt guilty. "Great…why do I feel like the bad guy now?"

Echo snickered. "Oh you're not the bad guy. Believe me I probably would've gone off my face as well. You weren't the one responsible for the mess."

Nikki smiled. "That's true, but maybe yelling like that wasn't the best idea, especially in front of the kids."

"It can't be the first time they've seen you like that."

Nikki chuckled. "No and it probably won't be the last time."

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a gentle knock on Nikki's door.

"Nikki? Honey please…can we talk?"

Unable to ignore the pleading tone in her husbands' voice, Nikki sighed into the phone. "I gotta go Echo, confrontation time."

Her friend chuckled. "Good luck! Call me back if you need to talk more afterwards!"

Nikki smiled. "I will…see ya."

She hung up and stood up to answer the door. She pulled it open and stared at him with an unreadable expression. Immediately, Kai fell to the floor and practically grovelled at her feet.

"Please, forgive me Nikki. I didn't mean to let this happen. The kitchen is clean now; you can come and have a look."

Nikki stared in bewilderment at her husband bowing at her feet. She shook her head, bent down and placed a gentle hand on his back.

"No…it's okay. You don't have to apologize. I shouldn't have yelled."

Kai looked up, startled. "You…you're not angry anymore?"

Nikki smiled. "No, I had some time to clear out my head. Actually…I called Echo; she helped me to calm down."

Kai shook his head and stood up. "That girl is amazing, how does she do that?"

Nikki grinned. "She's my best friend, she has privileges you wish you had."

Kai smiled. "I'm happy you have her as a friend Nikki…I really am."

Nikki smiled back. "I know…she's one of a kind."

Kai placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you head to bed? I'll go tuck the kids in."

Nikki leaned forward and placed a loving kiss on his lips. "Then why don't you come join me?"

Kai raised an eyebrow. "I thought I had to sleep on the couch."

Nikki grinned. "You know I can't sleep without you next to me."

Kai smirked. "Alright I'll see you in a bit."

They shared one last long lingering kiss before splitting ways. Nikki went back into their bedroom and sighed contently. That man did things to her, he had his own privileges. She fell onto her bed and once again pulled out her phone. This time she sent her friend a simple text message.

Made up with Kai, everything is cool now.

Not a minute later, Echo replied back.

I totally called that.

Nikki grinned and answered.

Yeah you totally did.

Echo's next reply was what made her night.

So…about that pizza.

Nikki placed her hand on her face and laughed.

'I love my Best Friend.'

END