Protector of innocents, by chibiness87

Rated T: Language

Spoilers: After the Fall, pt.2 (s.19, ep 1, pt 2)

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Summary: Two missing scene inserts, Jack POV.

"They've arrested Nikki."

He hears the words, but for the life of him he cannot understand how it has come to this. "You have got to be kidding me!"

When Thomas doesn't say anything more, Jack does the only sensible thing left. He has one arm through his coat sleeve and the other searching for his keys before his brain realises he's been asked a question.

What is he doing? Seriously?! Well, gee, I don't know, I was going to go down to the police station to beat each and every one of those pillocks up until they release her? Like any sensible person would do?

Surely the question isn't, "What is he doing", but, "why is he having to do it alone?"

Thomas is arguing that the best way to help is to work the case. Jack seriously doubts the best thing for Nikki is to be holed up in a police cell, but he lets himself be persuaded, and stays. Instead of beating people up (later, that will most definitely happen later (even if he has to break a promise and go back to cage fights)), he spends it going over everything they have with a fine tooth comb. Because damn it all to hell if he's just going to stand by and let her be fed to the wolves.

When the find what they need, it still takes time to get the stupid cold faced cow put in charge of the investigation to come by to even hear what they have to say, and even longer for her to accept her nice tidy little story is all a pile of complete shit.

Nikki has been in custody for over 15 hours by the time he manages to get them to agree to release her.

He is the one to pick her up (of course he is), and when he is finally allowed to see her he wishes he had gone along with his first instinct and beat every single person who thinks she could hurt anyone up to within an inch of their life. (Heck, it's not like he hasn't done it before, and this time his reason is so much better.)

To say Nikki looked a little rough would be putting it gently. To say she looked like hell would be being kind. She looked like the world had turned its back on her, and she was just waiting for the final smack across the face. She just stood in the doorway, almost in a trance, as the desk sergeant returned her belongings to her.

"Nikki?"

The small flinch she gave at his gentle approach was almost his undoing. He could feel his hands tightening into fists. Forcing himself to relax, he moved to stand in front of her. "Hey, you ready to get out of here?"

"What?"

"Come on." Giving her a gentle, encouraging smile, he guided her forwards towards to door. It was only once they were out of sight of the officers on duty that she pulled them to a stop. Before he could ask if everything was ok, he found himself being pulled into a firm hug.

Hugging back as hard as he could, he almost missed her whispered, "Thank you."

Pressing a small kiss to the top of her head, he tightened his grip on her slightly. "Anytime."

He promises himself this is the last time she will ever have to face anything close to this kind of shit alone.

He almost breaks his promise not even 12 hours later.

How many times in the past few days had she told him she thought someone had been in her flat? Heck, the only reason she even went to Belinda's house had been because of a recovered fingerprint. So why, for the love of all that was good and holy, had he gone and let her go home alone?!

The terrified yell she gave down the phone just before the line went dead in his hand had his heart in his mouth. When his frantic re-dial went unanswered, he didn't bother trying it again. There was no going by the book this time. He had his keys in one hand and was dialling with the other while running through the Lyall building for all that he was worth.

When his call was finally answered by DI Rankin as he reached his car, he started speaking before she could say a word. "You need to get armed units to Nikki's apartment. Right now. She's in danger."

"Who is this?"

"Wha-? It's Jack Hodgson." He paused while weaving between cars at twice the legal speed limit. Hitting speaker, he demanded, "Did you hear what I said?"

"And why, pray tell, should I be sending armed police units to Nikki Alexander's flat at this time of night?"

He shot his phone a dirty look. "Are you actually serious? She's in danger."

"Of what? From whom?"

Hands tightening into fists on the wheel, he growled back, "Look, if I knew that I wouldn't be wasting time on the phone to you, now, would I?"

"So how do you know she's in danger?"

"I was on the phone to her. She yelled out. And now she isn't answering her phone." Jack seethed out through gritted teeth. If Nikki was even the slightest bit hurt because of this delay he really would reach down the line and kill her…

"Maybe she…"

But Jack had had enough. "No, LISTEN TO ME! She was set up, framed, and now something startled her so much she yelled out and isn't answering her phone."

"What if you're over-reacting?"

"What if I… She needs help!"

"Says you. What if she saw a cat?"

It was all too much, and the words came out unchecked. "What if she's being chased by a murderer and you're too bloody stupid and proud to protect her. Maybe it is nothing, and if that's the case you can crow 'I told you so' all you fucking well want to, but how good would it look for you if it is something and something happens to her and you could have stopped it? Huh? What then?!"

There was a pause, and he could hear her give a sigh of resignation. "Give me the address. I'll have them there."

"Thank you."

"I'm not doing it for you."

Jack gave his phone a disgusted look before hanging up and throwing it back on to the passenger seat. When he finally pulled up outside Nikki's flat complex, he was relieved to see, true to her word, there was armoured police present and a cordon being set up. Before he had a chance to explain who he was, however, there was a loud commotion from the back of the building.

Turning, he ran round the corner, just in time to see Nikki appear from the doorway, shaken, scared, but alive. Not paying any attention to the officers around them, nor the body slumped by the car, he headed straight for her. He knew the moment she caught sight of him, and he almost fell when she sagged into his arms, clutching at him in desperation.

His arms came around her automatically, and he pulled her tightly against his chest, willing his heart to slow down. Words of nonsensical comfort came out, though whether for her benefit or his he wasn't sure. "Shhhh. It's ok. I got you. You're ok now. It's all ok."

"Jack…"

"I know. It's ok. Your fine. Shhh. It's over."

Glancing over her shoulder as the police secured the scene, she asked, "Who… who is he?"

"I don't know. Did you recognise him at all?"

"No. I have no idea who he is." Straightening up but not pulling away, she gave the body a curious glance. "But I want to find out."

Jack gave her a small smile. "Of course you do. You're Nikki."

This time, she simply smiled back.

Thoughts?