A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Strong Language, Adult scenes. Alternate Lyrics are from the song "How long" By the band Hinder. The more I write about Miller and Carlos, the more I like them as a couple. but Nick and Miller are still going to have their "moments"


"Why'd you go and break what's already broken
I try to take a breath but I'm already choking
How long till this goes away?"

With Nurse Louise holding his hand Nick went up the ramp towards Dominick Cruz's car. "Lou I'm good" Nick said as he opened the car door for himself. He wondered why Louise wasn't getting in the back seat with him until he looked to the side and saw his little brother next to him. "What happened?" Nate asked. "Nothing" Nick lied. Nate shrugged. "Nick...Dom told me you collapsed in the street and shit" His little brother said. "I'm tired" Nick said. Dom looked at Nate as a sign to be quiet. "Come on guys relax" Dominick said as he dropped them off. Nate got out of the car and opened Nick's door to help him out. "Nate I'm fine" Nick said getting out by himself.

He walked into his room and Nate pulled up a chair. "What happened?" Nate asked again. "Dom told you" Nick said. "I got ill, I wasn't on the floor and shit, it's just a stomach bug, it's nothing" Nick said getting into bed. "I'm staying over" Nate announced. "No...why? I'm great, and Lou's here and you know if she wasn't I'd be cool" "I'm getting my stuff" Nate said as he took Nick's car back to his place to pack a bag. "I've taken a couple of days off work, so it's just gonna be me and you, isn't it great?" Louise asked snuggling up to him. Nick coughed and she left promising to get him teas and coffee and juices.

"I try to remember: forget you
But I slip up every time I do"

Nate parked near to the house ran in and threw his night things and clothes into a backpack. He came back out again and decided to go to the store to get drinks and soups for his brother. He quickly got a basket and was running down the aisle when he someone say his name. "Hey Nate, you gonna be fighting soon?" Mark asked. "Umm...dunno..." Nate shrugged walking past him. "Haven't seen Nick around, I was gonna thank him for all the help he gave to Jase" Mark said. "I'm kinda gonna see him" Nate said as Mark followed him around. "Can I come?" Mark asked. Before Nate knew it he was driving Mark back to Nick and Louise's place.

Louise let them in and Nate told her she could go back to work. "He needs me" Louise said. "You know, it's gonna annoy him if you're here like all the time" Nate told her. Louise squinted from her chair and made no effort to move. Mark said a brief hello to her before stepping into Nick's room. "Mark's here" Nate said as he brought in drinks and the store brought food and put it on his brother side drawer. "You Okay Nick?" Mark asked. "I'm here to just say thanks from Jase, about helping him out, he needed it" Mark said. Nick nodded, but didn't want his little brother focusing on him helping out Miller.

"It's left Nick aching in bed
Beating down the flu"

"Nate you should really train you know, Louise is here." "Nick..." Nate said. "Nate...if you don't go, I'm getting out of bed and I'm driving you" Nick said. Grudgingly Nate left and said he would call Nick to check on him. Mark nodded a goodbye as he sat down in Nate's seat. "So is it just a cold?" Mark asked. Nick nodded. "Yeah...Mill told me...about Addison" Mark nodded. "lets hope that's the last we see of him" Mark said. "Jase has got other things going to to keep his mind off Addison" Mark said. "I heard that Ariel stuff" Nick said leaning over to get his glass of water. Mark picked it up and gave it to him. "Do you mind if Jase comes over?" Mark asked. " He might ask about you...so you want me to lie?" Mark asked. "Say whatever" Nick said as Mark left him to it.

Nick groaned as his moblie vibrated, it was his little brother, asking him if he wanted anything.

"Stomach bug?" Miller said when Mark met him at the gym. "Yeah Dominick Cruz found him unconscious" Mark said. "Shit" Miller said. The first thing Miller wanted to do was visit, but he wasnt' sure if little brother/guard dog Nate was staying with Nick all day every minute of the day. He could imagine Nate feeding Nick soup and washing his clothes. "Why are you smiling? Mark asked."I know you don't like Nick but..." "No, it's not that, I'll go visit" Miller said. When he got back Carlos texted him, saying he was coming over. Carlos was picking at a fruit salad when Miller told him the surprising news. "Nick's dead Carlos, he kicked the bucket half an hour ago" Miller said looking at his phone.

"What?" Carlos said in shock.

"I'm just kidding...your face. Nick got sick, Dom drove him to the hospital, you wanna visit? Miller asked. Carlos was going to say no, but how was he going to look if he refused? Jase would be suspicious and think he was a selfish prick, so Carlos took his last bite of fruit before getting a shower. They drove to Nick and Louise's place. Nate opened the door and stepped in front of Miller's face. "Hi Carlos" Nate said nodding. "We've just come to check on Nick" Carlos said. Nate let Carlos though, but blocked Miller and shut the door in his face. Miller half expected it and walked back to the car.

"Nick can't see him with you"

It was time for Carlos to cover his ass. He knocked on Nick's door to find him watching TV with Louise. She left them alone and Carlos stood there looking for the right words. "You're lucky I'm sick" Nick told him. "Even coughing and shit I could still kick your ass" Nick said leaning forward. "Jase is outside" Carlos said. "I'm not apologising for what I did, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell Jase" Carlos said. "Get out" Nick groaned. "Look you've been talking trash about me for months. Saying that I'm not a real champ, that I'm runner of the year, you deserved it" Carlos said, careful that he wasn't too close to Nick's bed.

"Are you done?" Nick asked rolling away from him. Carlos checked that no-one was listening. "It's wasn't my fault...you're not my fault" Carlos said leaving. Nick wondered where Miller was but figured he was arguing with Nate. Carlos went out and talked to Nate just to cover his tracks. "He's getting better" Carlos said. "Yeah, just need to stop him from training" Nate said. "Yeah we all want him up and running" Carlos said patting Nate on the back. He met Miller out by the car. "How is he?" Miller asked. "You know Nick, talking trash...again" Carlos said as he got in. They drove back to Miller's place, Miller was putting the key in his lock when he got a phone call from leader of the M-I5 wolf-pack, John.

"What do you plan to do now Mr Miller? John asked. "You need to keep this up, you need to become one of Mr Moore's friends or at least one of his trusted acquaintances" John told him. "Yeah I'll need time" Miller said. "There's only so much time we can give" John warned before he ended the call. "You wanna help me train? Come on, you me and Braulio, it'll be fun" Carlos said sliding his hands down Miller's back. "It's just...M-I5 thing" Miller said pointing to his phone. "Jase why are playing along with a fantasy?" Carlos asked. "Carlos a few months ago getting that belt was a fantasy. Being welterweight champion was just a fantasy. There were doubters out there that didn't think you could beat Nick. That fantasy is a reality and haven't told you to just get another hobby" Miller said.

"Jase what's your point? I'm champion because I take fighting seriously. I don't get why you even decided to do the M-I5 thing, can't you pick one thing?" Carlos asked. "I don't know Carlos, I like to stick my fingers in a lot of pies" Miller said before going to the gym to see Mark. "Did you see Nick?" Mark asked. "Yeah and no" Miller said. "Nate was there and Carlos saw him. He said he's okay" "Weird isn't it? Mark said. "You don't picture someone like Nick getting sick" "I did, I pictured him puking from getting knocked out by my fist" Miller said. "You know, in the early Strike-force days when every time I saw Nick I wanted to feed him his guts" Miller said. "Be nice Jase" Mark said. "Nick prides himself on being in shape, he's gotta be feeling pretty shitty now"

It was Mark's comment that, made Miller text him just to prove that he wasn't a complete asshole. "Can I come over?" Miller texted him. He got a text from Nick fifteen minutes later. "No" was all it said. Miller spent the rest of the night looking up coffee spots where George Moore lived. He was going to take John's advice and step it up a notch. He was munching on sticky toffee honey cereal flakes when he heard a tender tap at the door. He opened the door and a hooded creature walked past him coughing. "Sick Nicky?" Is that you?" Miller asked. He followed Nick to the lounge. Mick sat on the sofa and folded his arms.

"What did you wanna say?" Nick asked wiping snot from his nose. "God, let me drive you home" Miller said tugging at Nick's sleeve. Nick pulled away. "Lou's driving me crazy, I just needed some fucking space" Nick said looking at the TV. He reached for the control and used his other hand to cup his coughing. "Want me to tell you a goodnight story?" Miller asked. "What? The story of fucking rabbit runner Carlos? Mill he's fucked up" Nick began. "No it's about this real tough guy that was in the army, became a para-trooper. He lived the dream" Miller said as Nick watched the TV. This tough army guy settled down and had kids. Had a son that he wanted to make into a solider, but the son didn't want that kind of life" Miller continued.

"While this kid's friends joined the army to go to war, this kid ran off to join the circus, he got into fighting, he trained with Tito Ortiz. He had some wars of his own. MMA was this kid's life. He went all over world and met great people, some assholes too. He was getting better fights in bigger places. This kid grew up to be a fighter. A fighter that wanted to be a champion by thirty. Strikeforce were giving him a pay cheque. Then The UFC came knocking and it was the beginning of the end" Miller said getting the cereal box and getting some flakes out in his hand. He made Nick some coffee and went upstairs to get a blanket. He went back downstairs and put it on Nick's lap. Nick grabbed the blanket and put it on his shoulders.

"Why'd you go and break what's already broken?"

They watched TV in silence before Miller impulsively put his hand on Nick's forehead to feel his temperature. "You're hot. Not as in hot hot, like "wow you're so hot" although you kind of are, but I shouldn't really say that, because you're with Lou-Lou and you're sick, and I'm with Carlos..." Miller babbled. "I get it" Nick said rolling his eyes. "What do you mean kind of hot?" Nick asked after a pause. He coughed and Miller grabbed the control to try and control the subject. "Nick I've gotta take you back home" Miller said. "Mmmmm..." Nick said coughing and gripping his fist on the sofa. "Have some coffee" Miller offered "Fuck no" Nick said shaking his head from dizzyness. He leaned to the right and moved away as his head accidentally touched Miller's shoulder.

"Relax Nick, I know this isn't a date night" Miller said.

"Fuck, you know at this rate I'm never gonna fucking fight" Nick said pounding the arm of the sofa.

"Nick's it's just a cold, not rabies" Miller teased. "Fuck" Nick said as Miller touched his forehead again. Without thinking he leaned in closer to kiss him, only for Nick to turn his head away. feeling rejected Miller sat away from him and tried to focus on the TV.

"You can't catch this" Nick warned pointing at his own chest. "People will say shit"

"I'll just have to stay away from your mouth then" Miller said. He began to lick Nick's neck, but one painful throaty cough from Nick put them both off. Miller got Nick some tissues and Nick put bundles of them into his pockets. "Shit" Nick moaned sniffing. "If it makes you feel better, you make mucus look sexy" Miller said "Shut up" Nick said taking the control back and turning up the volume. "Fighting is only one piece of the puzzle for me" Miller said. "Do you want a belt or what?" Nick asked. "Nick...I'm with M-I5 you know, the whole spy Mission:Impossible stuff" Miller blurted out.

"Yeah fucking right" Nick said.

"It's true" Nick grabbed the cereal box of sticky toffee honey cereal flakes, shook it and looked in it. "Are you high?" Nick asked. "Nick it wasn't police that picked me up that night when you followed me...it was M-I5. They want help with George Moore, that guy Dominick hates" Miller told him. "You gonna do it?" Nick asked in a hoarse voice. "I' am doing it" Miller replied. "You know...your story shit...what happened to the guy who wanted to be champ?" Nick asked getting more tissues out of his pockets. "I'll tell you if I ever see that guy again" Miller replied. Miller drove Nick back home and helped him out of the car. "Does this M-I5 shit mean you're like...going all over the world and shit?" Nick asked. "Dunno...wouldn't that be cool?" Miller asked thinking about him and Carlos living on an Island somewhere. Little Owen playing with Carlos on a beach while Miller was doing undercover work for John.

"I think Carlos is gonna need a holiday...after that ass-kicking" Nick said.

Miller helped Nick inside thinking he was talking about Carlos VS George St Pierre at UFC 154, but Nick was talking about the ass-kicking that he'd had been plotting since Carlos put him in hospital. When this flu had disappeared from Nick's system Carlos would need security, his own bodyguards twenty four hours a day. The George ST Pierre fight was gonna feel like a day off compared to what Nick had in mind. Maybe the M-I5 stuff [if it was true] was a good thing. It could get Carlos out of the way, but if Miller was playing "James bond" Nick wouldn't see him much either...but Nick couldn't afford to give a crap about Miller's disappearing act, it was none of Nick's business...was it?