Two weeks later
Jen hasn't heard from Waverley about what she spoke to her about. She told Nick that night about her meeting with her and what she had asked for. Both had decided they would just kept acting like they have been at work and let Waverley take as much time as she needs to decide on the situation that has been presented to her by Jen.
A new case came in and Matt got Nick, Duncan, Lucy and himself working on it leaving Jen, Rhys and Allie on the other case that had come in the day before.
Of course no one was prepared for what they found when they walked into the house 30mins later.
"Senior Constable set up a media block further down the road away from this crime scene." Matt says as he comes out of the house ringing back to Homicide.
Back inside the house Nick has been looking at the victims when Duncan mentions something.
"Nick we don't have any dead children do we?"
"None, why do you ask?"
"There is three Lunchboxes with food in them on the bench here and I found three bags two have school books in them and the other a change of clothes along with a reading folder."
"So we have the possibility of three missing children then?"
"We need to find a photo of them."
"Here's a photo of the family, and also three of the children they were on the bookshelf in the lounge." Lucy says as she passes them to Duncan.
"This will help us to pick out which bodies are the parents, but we still need to find out who the other two are." He says as he passes the photos to Nick who starts going through them. As soon as he looks at the family photo he recognises one of the children in the photo and goes white as. As Matt walks back into the kitchen where the four are he sees the pale face of Nick and also that he is holding some pictures. He quickly puts them down and heads out of the house, trying to get himself together again
Matt comes out to see him.
"Nick you ok?"
"I'll be fine, it's never easy when kids get taken in something like this?" he says to Matt hoping he can pass it off as just the case getting to him. They all feel for it when kids get involved in cases withers they are killed, see the killing or something else.
"True there Nick."
"If you don't mind Matt I'll head back to Homicide and start back ground checks on the home owners and see if I can't get Id's on the other two victims?"
"Go ahead Wolfe and Jarvis are on their way down here so we can spare you."
"Thanks mate." Nick says as he heads off. Matt is worried for him as he's never seen him go this white at a crime scene before.
Around 11.30 am
Nick hasn't seen Jen or had a chance to talk to her about what he saw. He rang and left her a message to ring him when she got a chance but he knew she was busy dealing with her case and may not ring him back till she was on a break and had time. Jen had noticed his incoming calls but had been busy with her suspect that she had ignored them because she knew they weren't on the same case so were not urgent enough for her to take the call straight away.
Midday arrives and Jen is walking back up to the homicide floor after having finally getting her suspect to crack.
Nick is on the Homicide floor when Chris comes walking in, as soon as Nick sees him he goes up to him grabs him by the collar and places him up against the wall of the Homicide floor this gets everyone's attention who is around.
"Where the hell is he Chris?" His voice angry and full of emotion
"Who Nick?" Chris asks having no idea what has happened this morning.
"Who damn well know who Chris where the hell is he and you better start telling me the damn truth."
"Nick I have no idea what you're talking about." He says Nick then drags him to the area where they meet and go over cases.
"This Chris, I walked in to find this this morning now he is missing along with two others so where the hell is he." Nick angrily says to him while pointing at the boards, Chris stands there shocked to see the photos of four dead people on the board, two of them who he should have known about if something happened. Matt, Lucy and Allie hear Nick talking to this Chris guy they recognise him from the other week when he came up to see the two.
"Nick I um…" Chris isn't sure what to say.
"Damn it Chris we trusted your lot to do their damn job and now he is missing so you better tell me what the hell is going on and where the hell he is and those two other children or help me god you will wish you were dead." He says to him, Matt can tell he is angry and Jen has arrived on the Homicide floor to hear Nick yelling at someone. Nick doesn't register her being there yet.
Nick.
"Don't Fking Nick me Chris, what is his mother going to think when she finds out."
"Haven't you told her yet?" Chris says looking at Nick for the first time since arriving to the room.
"No I haven't been able to get through to her to inform her of what is happening; she's been busy doing her job unlike your lot." The two talking as if there is no one else around and no one has the faintest idea what the two are talking about. All they know is that Nick knows one of the missing children and for Matt this explains why he went white at the crime scene, but then why hasn't he said anything yet to them.
"Nick honestly I had no idea that this had happened."
"For Christ sakes Chris he was in your bloody care, your lot were meant to keep him safe, we trusted you to do your job."
"Have your lot done a full search of the house?"
"Of course they did Chris and Matt had neighbouring houses check there is no sign of them. They had to have been taken by the people who did that to those four adults and you must have some idea who it could be."
"Nick, Chris stop it now why are you both yelling at each other for?" Jen says as she walks closer to them after listening to what is going on and because of where Nick is standing she doesn't see the photos of the three missing children. Nick turns to look at her their eyes lock and she can tell he is trying to hold himself together that something has him upset.
"You three my office now." Waverley says her voice very firm as she looks at the three that are standing in the door way of the room, as everyone else on the floor stayed clear of Nick and Chris unlike Jen who walked straight up to them.
Waverley having called the three away prevents anyone from finding out what is going on to have Nick going off his tree at this Chris guy that walked on to the Homicide floor not so long ago.
The three go up to Waverley's office and talk; no one knows what is going on up there.
"Ok everyone back to work would you please we have two homicides to solve." Matt says.
"Matt, Jen got our suspect to confess so we're just tying up loose ends do you want us to help out with your case?"
"Yes pleas Rhys that would be great we need as many hands as we can get as we have four dead adults and three missing children. Once you finish your reports them come and see me" Matt says to Rhys and Allie.
Up in Waverley's office Nick and Jen explain what Chris is in relation to them and they talk some more.
Jen and Nick return back to the Homicide floor some time later, everyone notices they seem not themselves.
"Allie, Rhys hand everything over to Nick and Jen they will wrap up the case your both now on the open case." Matt says as he walks out of his office after coming off the phone to Waverley.
"Matt Nick wasn't..."
"Rhys just do it, its orders from above ok." He says as he looks at Nick and shakes his head. He walks up to him and whispers in his ear. "If you need to talk you know where to find me." He says and then walks off leaving it at that. Hoping that Nick will talk to him about what is going on.
Nick and Jen get to work at finishing off the reports and paperwork for the case that Jen finished off closing up. Jen does a quick check and finds none of the crew around.
"You could have warned me." She says quietly to him.
"I did ring and leave you several messages to ring me it was urgent. I even a text."
"Sorry I was in with our main suspect cracking him wide open, I got them but as you weren't on my case anymore I ignored them."
"It's ok; I gathered work was the reason. But I would have preferred to have told you on your own."
"I'm going to go make myself a drink you want one?" She asks as she gets up and he nods his head in agreement and she heads off to get something to drink.
Jen is still making the drinks when Lucy walks over to Nick, Jen steps out and sees this and stays back so Lucy doesn't notice her being there within ear range.
"Nick you ok?"
"I'm fine Lucy just today's crime scene got to me, ones that involve kids always do." He says rubbing his face with his hands.
"Who is that Chris guy and why were you going off at him?" She asks as she sits on the side of his desk and he pushes his chair out away from his desk to give him some space form her.
"It was private and I'm sorry you over heard the conversation I had with him. But it has nothing to do with you." He says a he goes to stand Lucy places a hand on his arm.
"Nick you know how I feel about you and I'm here for you, you don't need to bottle these things up. You can talk to me."
"No thanks Lucy I'm fine and as I have told you before I don't have the same feelings for you, now if you will excuse me I'm off to get myself a drink." He says as he turns around and starts to walk Jen comes up to him.
"You look like you could do with a drink so I made you one." Jen says as she walks up to him and passes him a hot drink and then continues to walk to her desk. Nick takes a sip of it and then turns and walks back to his desk.
"Thanks Jen just what I needed." He says as he takes another drink and continues working away at the paperwork that is on his desk.
The rest of the day goes by in a blur for Nick. As evening comes he is pleased when Matt sends him home for the night.
He arrives home and heads straight to the shower where he ends up on the shower tray floor crying, and this how Jen finds him twenty minutes later after knocking on his door and him not answering, as she hears his music playing and lights on she uses the key he gave her to unlock the door and let herself in.
She turns the water off and hands him a towel which he takes and quickly dry's himself off before going and getting changed.
The spent the evening mainly in silence none of their normal banter or talk is heard and it is not long later before the two head off to bed for the evening.
Around 9pm there is a knock on the door that wakes up both of them and Nick goes on high alert. He takes his service weapon out from the safe and walks up to the door he leaves the chain up as he opens it and puts his head around to see who it is.
"Lucy what are you doing here?" he says frustration sounding in his voice.
"I came to make sure you were ok?"
"Did it pass you mind that I might be in bed considering there are no lights on in my house?" he says back to her sharply.
"Sorry for caring." She says back hurt sounding in her voice.
"Lucy it's been a long stressful day for me and I just want to go back to bed." He says as he goes to shut the door Lucy puts her foot in the way.
"I can help you relax if you like?" her voice dropping a few octaves hoping to entice him.
"Lucy I'm not interesting a relationship of any kind with you, I'm not attracted to you so please stop trying to come on to me."
"But Nick I love you."
"But I don't love you Lucy never have and the sooner you understand that that better. Now if you don't mind I'm going back to bed." He mangers to get the door shut and heads off to bed.
"Maybe we should just go elope tomorrow then you can tell her you're married?" Jen says to him as he snuggles back into bed behind her.
"And what will Waverley think about that?" He replies back as he places a gentle kiss on her shoulder.
"Well she's not said anything about what I spoke to her about and it's been three weeks, maybe it might show her that we both serious about each other."
"Yes but neither one of us wants the other to leave Homicide." he says back to her and he pulls her closer to him.
"It's not like we've not lied to them already, we've hidden this from them for how long and it's not the first time we've done it."
"Well Matt and Duncan know Jen so we can't say we hide it from them?"
"True but Duncan being a good investigator figured it out, anyway I know for a fact Rhys and Allie are living together and Waverley has no idea about them two."
"And when did you find that out?"
"The other day when I had a long lunch break with Allie well that is when I found out, and those two have been hiding their relationship as long as we have."
"So it's just Matt and Duncan left out of the group." He says to her as he places another kiss on her shoulder.
"I doubt Duncan will be an easy win over and Matt is still getting over Emma leaving him."
"Well at least I still have you."
They say a few more things before both drifting off to sleep again, there slept wasn't a pleasant one both waking at different times. Jen suffering with nightmares from the first time under cover for the SIS, dreams she thought she had managers to buried but have come back.