CHAPTER 29

A couple of weeks went by and the pain in Nigel's ribs and the rest of his body was starting to decrease, although he still had to take pain killers and hang onto whatever furniture happened to be nearby when he tried to walk. However, even though he appeared to be getting better physically; psychologically, new problems were beginning to surface as he discussed his life with Nancy. The worst problem he was facing now was his fear of strangers, particularly women; which was already having a bad effect on him! Of course, he'd always been shy around the fairer sex, but this was quite different and had caused him to believe he might never have a normal relationship with a woman again!

At the moment, however, it was only Nancy and Preston who knew the full extent of his problems and they all hoped it would stay that way. It hadn't been too difficult, so far, to hide his fears from Mrs Jackson and Nathan as he'd only been to the park with them in his wheelchair and they'd rarely seen any strangers. When they did, he'd just close his eyes and squeeze the arms of his chair really hard until the person had passed by! If they had visitors in the house, whom he'd never met before, he'd always pretend to be too tired to meet them, or he'd make up some other excuse as to why he couldn't be present.

Regardless of those fears, his nightmares had, fortunately, deceased, but he still had some bad nights when things happened that reminded him of Brazil and he'd gone to bed feeling jittery.

One morning Nigel was lying on the sofa in his parent's sitting room when the telephone suddenly rang. He jumped a little and dropped his book, but hoped no one saw him. To his utter astonishment, having picked up the phone before anyone else could do it, he discovered it was Cate! Having gotten over his surprise and after some initial chit chat, during which time Nigel told her he was feeling fine, she advised him that she needed to come to his home to talk about the case and obtain an official statement! Nigel's heart almost stopped! He'd been through so much and having talked through everything with Nancy in detail, he hoped that would be the last time he'd have to do it "No! No! No! I don't want to discuss it anymore Cate; you know everything; I can't tell you anything more!" he shouted, hoping she would just go away.

Of course, Cate had no idea quite how traumatised Nigel actually was, as he'd just told her he was fine and every time she'd spoken to Sydney, she'd basically told her the same! Of course, that was because Sydney knew Nigel hated appearing weak in front of Cate and, if she was being really honest, because she wanted to convince herself that he really was OK! Obviously, Cate, being an Interpol agent, knew first-hand the effect that trauma could have on a victim of violent crime, which was why she was so surprised when Sydney described Nigel as being 'fine'. She could clearly remember how troubled and distressed he'd been just before he left Rio, although she also recalled how resilient he could be as well. However, as it was simply imperative that Nigel, as the star witness in the trail of an international criminal, was able to provide a statement, she decided she had no choice but to be honest with him and hope he'd see sense!

"Nigel, I'm really sorry…..but please don't be difficult about this, it's important…and don't forget, even though I'll have your statement you'll still probably be needed in court to give evidence" Cate said, hoping he'd not react badly to that.

"What!" Nigel cried out.

"I'm sorry but it's a big possibility…. I just need to get the details on paper and your signature next to it" she said, wishing it wasn't necessary but believing if he was thinking clearly he'd understand that it was if he wanted to put Ferreira away.

"I can't do it! I can't!" he squealed, his voice showing signs of distress.

"On Nigel….don't get upset, I thought you said you were fine" Cate said, realising now that he'd been hiding his true feelings from her. Of course, she didn't feel she could back down as she was in England specifically to get this job done, which was very costly to Interpol "Is Preston there? I need to talk to him too."

"I'll…I'll g….get him" he said, his voice quivering as he thought about going to court to speak openly about things that terrified him and were so personal and humiliating! A minute or so later, having shouted for his brother quite loudly, he came to the phone where Nigel explained what Cate wanted. Looking pleadingly at his brother he desperately hoped that Preston would tell her to leave him alone, as he truly believed he'd be unable to speak of those horrors again.

Believing that Preston wouldn't mind him eavesdropping, as the matter obviously concerned him, Nigel stood next to his brother and listened hard, hoping he'd be able to hear what Cate was saying too.

"Hello Cate, its Preston" he said, forgetting she'd know who it was.

"Hey Preston, I guess Nigel told you I need to visit and get a statement from him?" Cate said, trying to sound professional.

"Yes….but… but is it absolutely necessary? He's doing so well; bringing that all up again is going to set him back and nobody wants that!" Preston said, being far too polite in Nigel's opinion.

"I'm really sorry Preston but it's really important, I need one from you as well, I'm afraid….I have to get as much evidence against Ferreira as I can; he's got some very clever lawyers who are doing all they can to manipulate the system; I'll try and keep it short" she said, trying not to be too insistent, as she didn't want to anger him.

"Oh alright, when do you want to come" he asked, looking at Nigel, who looked really scared.

"Tomorrow at about midday, if that's OK, I'm at Heathrow right now, but I have to see the police and a few other people before I see you and Nigel?" she said, realising he'd be surprised it was so soon.

"Tomorrow! For goodness sake! Look...have you spoken to Sydney about this yet?" Preston asked; looking at Nigel's worried expression.

"Yes I got her statement yesterday morning…. I thought she'd have called to forewarn you I'd be coming" Cate said, wondering why Sydney hadn't done that as she'd said she would.

"Well she hasn't" Preston replied, noticing Nigel had sat down on the sofa again and was looking quite bewildered.

"Maybe she just hasn't gotten around to it yet; you know how busy she is" Cate said, thinking it was strange.

Preston had no sooner put the phone down when there was a loud knock at the door. Believing it was Nancy, who was actually due at bit later; Nigel carefully made his way to the front door feeling very unhappy. By the time he reached it he was totally convinced it was Nancy, as she often came early when her previous patient was better than she'd expected. However, to Nigel's utter astonishment, it wasn't Nancy at all….. it was Sydney!

"Hi Nige; I was in the neighbourhood, can I come in!" she said, giving him a huge smile.

"Sydney!" Nigel said, looking absolutely thrilled as he stepped away from the sideboard he was holding onto and leapt into her arms "it's so good to see you Syd!"

"Likewise" she said as she held him, realising he was actually hanging onto her as he couldn't stand unaided.

Nigel's heart was doing flip flops at the sight of his beautiful boss, but what he didn't realise was that Sydney's was doing the same! As they hugged each other tightly Nigel suddenly became aware of something that was rather unusual 'was Sydney caressing my behind!' he thought; and immediately started to feel flustered. Of course, Nigel being Nigel he had to second guess everything and considered she might be holding him like that just to support him….but he certainly wasn't sure!

Lost in their thoughts as they hugged each other, they suddenly became aware that Preston was calling from the living room "who is it Podge?" he said, believing it couldn't be Nancy as Nigel would have gone straight to the room where the counselling session was to take place.

"Oh um, Preston….Sydney's here!" he called out to his brother, feeling like a naughty schoolboy who'd been caught doing something wrong!

Preston rushed into the hall, causing Nigel to let go of Sydney rather quickly and fall back onto a large trunk that was by the side of the door "Hello Sydney! What a lovely surprise" he said, as he bowed, took her hand and kissed it "let me take your coat….Podge show Sydney the way to the sitting room so she can get warm by the fire."

"Thanks Preston" she said, handing him her favourite long black ankle length leather coat and thinking how charming the Bailey men were.

Feeling quite excited at seeing Nigel again, she began to follow him along the corridor and immediately noticed how he was clinging to the furniture to keep his balance. Realising Nigel would get embarrassed if she mentioned it; she decided not to and just continued to follow him but got closer by the second. They soon arrived at the living room where Nigel had been reading earlier and Sydney sat in one of the comfortable armchairs that were placed either side of the fireplace. Nigel sat on the sofa and tried not to think about the call he'd received from Cate, although he knew he couldn't keep that a secret for long.

Sydney looked at her assistant and thought how gorgeous he was; even if he could do with putting on a couple of pounds and his hair needed cutting. She was about to tell him that when Nigel gave her one of his cute little lopsided looks "um…you're looking well Syd" he said; blushing all over as he thought about what seemed to have happened in the hall and realising her eyes were piercing into him.

"Thanks Nige; you look….look really well too" she replied, wanting to say 'handsome' but resisting the urge as he was already bright red! Looking a little closer she noticed a blanket right next to him which he began to fold up when he realised she'd seen it. There were several books on the arm of the sofa, along with the photo album that Preston had given him when they were in Rio and Nigel's brown framed spectacles as well. It was pretty obvious that Nigel had been reading there earlier, which pleased Sydney a lot as it meant he was returning to his old self; even if he couldn't walk unaided "Can I look at the photo album Nige? I'd like to see you in the bath again!" Sydney said, laughing a little, as she picked it up.

"I was two years old Syd!" he said, continuing to blush as he suddenly recalled his mother's favourite baby picture of him "You can't see anything in the bubbles anyway!"

"God you were cute!" she said, making Nigel cringe! "Your mom was beautiful too; I'd have loved to have met her…..and your dad, of course."

"I wish you could have met them too Syd" Nigel replied, trying to smile but looking quite sad at the same time.

Sydney moved a little closer to Nigel and thought about giving him a little peck on the cheek, but just before she could do that the door suddenly opened. They both stared towards it and watched Preston boldly walk into the room. However, upon seeing the look on Sydney's face, which obviously meant 'come back later!' his demeanour changed "Oh um….I'm interrupting you….but um…..oh…where are my manners…. would you like a cup of tea Sydney? I'm sure you'll have one Podge" he said, trying hard not to blush, although he could see that Nigel looked flustered, which worried him a little.

"Do you have any coffee? I'd love a cup if you do" Sydney replied, noticing Preston seemed to be looking at Nigel very closely.

"Um…oh yes, only instant I'm afraid, is that OK?" Preston asked, making a mental note to buy some fresh ground coffee later on and waiting for Nigel's reply.

"I'll have tea please Pres" Nigel said, immediately realising why Preston was concerned about him being alone with Sydney, although Nigel believed he was being overprotective as Sydney wasn't a stranger, even if she was very sexy!

As soon as he left Sydney got up and walked towards a large black and white photo that was on the far wall. Although she was very interested in the picture, her main motivation for getting up to ask about it was to make Nigel come over and stand close to her again!

"Who are all these people Nige? Are they your family?" she asked, feeling a little guilty that she'd made him walk across the room when, clearly, it was painful for him to move around so much.

"Oh um, yes….it was…um…that's me when I was about two, that's Preston, mum, dad… oh that's Aunty Jean and Uncle Victor and that's my grandma and granddad. The others are aunts and uncles; none of them are alive now; it's just Preston and me left" Nigel said, looking very sad as he gently stroked the face of his mother with his thumb.

"Oh Nige, that's so sad….you…. you really need to think about the Bailey name you know, Preston's not dating anyone is he?" Sydney asked, going quite deep in thought for a second or two.

"No…it's um my fault really; he's been looking after me. He's hardly been out of the house except to go to the museums and to sort out what he calls his 'business affairs'. Oh he's taken me out to the park a few times for some fresh air, but he's not likely to meet the love of his life there" Nigel said, feeling rather guilty as he said that.

Just then Preston returned with their hot drinks and noticed Sydney and Nigel looking at the photograph and chatting. Believing Nigel looked alright and that they were having a good catch up Preston put their drinks on the coffee table "I have a few things to do in the study, so I'll leave you two in peace; Podge, don't forget Nancy will be here in a little while."

"Oh no no….I won't" Nigel replied, glad that Preston reminded him, although he realised he'd now have to tell Sydney about his therapist.

"Who's Nancy?" Sydney asked, feeling a twinge of jealousy, believing it might be an old girlfriend.

"She's….um….helping me with my psychological problems" Nigel said, feeling a little embarrassed, as he'd strongly resisted Sydney's advice to see someone previously and had hidden the fact that he was.

"Oh you mean she's your psychiatrist?" she said, feeling glad it wasn't someone he was romantically involved with and pleased that he'd come to realise he needed help.

"Well sort of, she calls herself a therapist or counsellor, though" Nigel said, suddenly looking upset "she's helped me a lot."

"You don't look very happy though; isn't she nice?" Sydney asked, hoping she wasn't being too nosey, as she knew it was a bit of a touchy subject for Nigel.

"She's really nice, she says I'll be able to go back to work….well…in the not too distant future….but..." he looked down at the floor.

"But what?" Sydney asked, hoping it was nothing serious.

"Well… Cate called just before you got here and said she wants to take a statement from me; that means I'll have to practically relive that horrible time….I don't want to do it, I don't!" he said, getting quite agitated at the thought of it.

"Oh Nige…I know" Sydney said, placing her hand on his shoulder "that's actually why I'm here, the Dean understands; although I did kind of exaggerate the need to be with you before and after you speak to Cate…..but you know what?…..Now I'm here I don't think I did overstate it...you really are as upset as I told the Dean you'd be!"

"I…I am Syd; I just know that talking to Cate is going to flood my head with all those vile things again…..I just want to forget about them!" Nigel said, looking really distressed "I don't think I can do it alone Syd."

"Oh Sweetie….look I know Cate won't let me or Preston sit with you…we're too closely involved...but what about Nancy? She's nothing to do with the case….I'm sure Cate will understand that you need someone with you to….well…hold your hand" Sydney said, hoping that would make him feel a little more at ease.

"Oh my God….that would be great!.…But she's so busy….but I have to ask her!….I have to…..she's my only chance to stay sane!" Nigel said, desperately hoping that Nancy wouldn't have too many patients to see tomorrow.

"I'm sure she'll see how important it is to help you Sweetie" Sydney said, hoping that Nancy wasn't a good-looking woman who Nigel might be attracted to!

"I…I th…think she will….if she's free….God I hope she's free!" Nigel said, looking nervously at Sydney but feeling the need to change the subject before he got too emotional "so um Syd….what about the dagger? Do you have any clues to help you find it yet?" He was desperately hoping she did as that would mean she wouldn't have to rush back to America once he'd finished the statement.

"No…the guys are still looking for more information at Trinity, but the dagger's no closer to being found….unless Preston finds something" Sydney said, not really caring anymore now that she was with Nigel!

"Oh…I see…um Syd.… have you um…booked a hotel yet? You know there's plenty of room here if you want to stay. Preston won't mind" Nigel said, really hoping she'd stay as he realised he'd see more of her that way. Not only that, he considered it might give him a chance to find out if she actually liked him in a romantic sense; or if it was just wishful thinking on his part!

"Well actually I didn't book anywhere; I just got on a plane and came here when Cate told me she was going to interview you…so…..so if you're sure, that would be great" Sydney said, looking at Nigel's face, which positively lit up.

"You're most welcome Syd" he said, his heart doing flip flops again "um...you haven't seen the house properly yet have you? Would you like a quick tour of a couple of rooms down here before Nancy arrives? You can see the rest later."

"That would be lovely, I only really saw that beautiful wood panelled hallway with the piano and a couple of other rooms when I came here before, so I'd love to see the rest" she said, looking really pleased "are you sure you'll be OK? I can see it hurts you to move around."

"It hurts a bit…but I'll be alright…I can cling onto things so I don't fall…no need to worry Syd…." he said, looking at her with his head tilted to one side, which always made him look so appealing. Realising he was actually quite enthusiastic about showing her around, she let him continue and considered that if he did stumble a bit, at least she'll get a chance to hold him some more!

"This room is really lovely Nige….I suspect it's not just an ordinary sitting room though" she said, looking around at the beautiful furniture and the pictures on the wall.

"Um you're right Syd….this room was actually mum and dad's special sitting room; they'd only let Preston and me in here every now and again when we were children….they'd come in here after work and nobody was allowed to disturb them until dinner was ready. Preston's been letting me use it though because the sofa's really comfortable and there's a television and fire in here" he said, accepting Sydney's arm so that she could help him walk into the dining room "mum and dad used have amazing dinner parties in here; but when they weren't entertaining we all ate dinner at that huge table….we still actually use it for breakfast and dinner, except when nana doesn't come in to cook….Preston and I eat in the kitchen then."

"Well it's certainly very grand…when I first met you I had no idea you came from such a distinguished family…but your mom and dad were very well known….I looked them up on the Internet!" Sydney said, noticing Nigel looked most surprised.

"Oh! Yes um…they did a lot of charity work; they were even invited to the Queen's garden party each year…um there're some photos of them with the Queen above the sideboard" Nigel said, hoping she didn't think he was showing off.…"There're lots of photos of me and Preston too; I think mum and dad used to show them to their friends and business associates at their dinner parties….you know….rather than get us out of bed to meet them."

"Wow Nige… your parents met the Queen! Those are amazing photos!" Sydney said, truly starting to realise that Nigel and Preston really did come from a very special family.

Nigel could see she was totally fascinated by the photos, but she was looking very closely at one in particular "oh um….that was me when I was about three….that huge rocking horse used to belong to my dad…I wasn't allergic to him" he laughed "it did make me woozy if I rocked too hard though…..oh well" he said, looking at Sydney's beautiful face as she smiled at the photo.

Sydney could almost physically feel the love Nigel's parent's had for him when she saw how securely they were holding him on the horse "gosh how did such a cute little boy turn into such an ugly guy like you Nige!?" she laughed, pinching his nose playfully.

"Genetics Syd, genetics!" he laughed, just as he heard a knock on the door "that'll be Nancy, come and meet her; I've told her about you."

"Oh….OK" Sydney replied, sounding quite calm as she took hold of Nigel's arm. In reality, however, she felt a little nervous as she wondered, as they slowly made their way to the front door, just what Nigel had told his counsellor about her and if now Nancy knew more about Nigel than she did.

"Hi Nancy…..come in, how are you?" Nigel said, as he gave her a hug and sat down on the chest.

"I'm fine Nigel; are you OK? You look a little nervous" she said, just as she looked to the right and saw Sydney standing there.

"I'm well Nancy….um…this is Professor Sydney Fox" Nigel said, smiling and looking up at his counsellor and then at Sydney.

"Oh Professor Fox, how wonderful to meet you; Nigel's told me so much about you" Nancy said, holding out her hand.

"Call me Sydney….it's very nice to meet you too…so how's he doing?" she asked, looking closely at Nancy's face to see if she appeared to have a problem with her…after all she thought…she'd put Nigel in danger many times and she knew she'd been rather insensitive at times!

"Do you mind me telling Sydney, very basically, how you are Nigel?" Nancy asked, looking at her young patient.

"Um…well…no not really as….as long as it is quite um…basic!" Nigel said, even though he knew Nancy would be very discreet.

Nancy smiled at Nigel and realised he was feeling a little excited by Sydney's sudden appearance and simply didn't want to feel uncomfortable around her "He's doing well…you know….considering what he's been through… he's had a few set-backs, but we're working through those…..and there're a few issues that are causing him problems inside that amazing brain of his" Nancy said, noticing Nigel looked a little teary eyed "but even though it might take a little while….he will get better….we just have to ensure he doesn't encounter anything too awful before he's completed the sessions." Nigel Immediately gave Nancy a very worried look "what is it Nigel? You'll be alright; really, you will! I've just got to sort out those couple of things."

"I… I know but…." Nigel explained about the statement and then gave her a pleading look in the hope she'd come up with a plan.

Understanding Nigel's concern, but realising the importance of her patient giving the statement, Nancy asked him for Cate's cell phone number "I just want to make sure she's fully aware of the damage she could cause if she's insensitive, or too pushy, with you Nigel Of course, as I'm your counsellor I'm going to make sure I'm able to sit beside you when she speaks to you…although I will try and get her to delay this for a couple of weeks" Nancy said, noticing how relieved Nigel looked as he handed her Cate's number "I'll call her after we've finished our session today…so don't worry."

"Thanks Nancy; I don't know what I'd do without you!" Nigel said, wondering how Cate would react to the call from his therapist.

Just then Preston came downstairs to join them and overheard part of the conversation "good afternoon Nancy" he said, smiling at the therapist "Nigel's told you about tomorrow then?"

"Yes he has Preston, darn nuisance!" she replied, looking a little annoyed.

"Pres, if Nancy can't stop Cate taking our statements, she's coming in with me; she understands why I don't want to do it and she'll stop it if Cate get pushy" Nigel said, trying not to think too deeply about it just yet.

"Oh, that's wonderful Nancy; he's so wound up about it…..you obviously feel it's not a good idea" Preston said, feeling a little embarrassed that he'd not tried harder to stop Cate from coming to the house.

"Yes I do Preston; I'm very worried it's too soon….but it still has to be done. Of course, as Nigel's told me more or less everything that happened in Rio, I should be able to help if it gets too much for him. It's obviously vitally important that you all do everything you can to put that monstrous thug away, I just wish the timing wasn't so bad" Nancy said, noticing Preston looked a little uncomfortable.

"Podge….do you want me to come in with you as well? I don't mind at all" Preston said, wanting to make up for being so weak when Cate rang.

"Yes I would Pres…. but Syd thinks Cate will object to anyone being there….but she won't be able to stop Nancy! At least I hope not!" Nigel said, looking at the three of them with a nervous expression on his face.

"No she most certainly won't!" Nancy said, looking quite adamant "but actually I think Cate will be more understanding than you think….she must know that what she's asking could genuinely cause you serious problems Nigel…she'll have known others in your situation."

He looked a little sceptical "Why do you say that….she didn't seem to understand much when I spoke to her earlier" Nigel said, looking quite miserable.

"Because you told me yourself that Cate has a caring side; perhaps she'll be alright about me being there; even if she does insist you give her your statement tomorrow. Anyway young man, we'd better get on with today's session; I'll soon have you relaxed again" Nancy said, taking Nigel by the arm to help him up off the trunk.

They went into a small sitting room that used to be a playroom for him and Preston when they were children, as Nigel always seemed to do particularly well in there when he was more stressed than usual. Nigel loved this room as he had some very fond memories of playing in there with his father and, occasionally, when he was very young, his brother. The beautiful rocking horse, which was in the photograph in the dining room, was still in this room and had presumably been kept for the use of his and Preston's future children!

Once the session was over, Nigel felt a little calmer and as soon as Nancy left he played the piano for a little while before joining Sydney and Preston in the living room.

"Hey Podge….I could hear you playing…you're improving by the day!" Preston said, looking at his brother as he came through the door and caught hold of the sideboard.

"Yes I heard it too Nige…you're very good!" Sydney said, noticing how pleased Nigel looked as she said that.

"Thanks guys…..um Pres, did Sydney tell you I've invited her to stay here?" Nigel asked, as he dropped down onto a large floor cushion and pressed his back against the side of Preston's chair so that he could look up at Sydney and see the television at the same time.

"No she didn't, but I assumed you had; I'd have been cross with you if you hadn't!" Preston said, smiling at Sydney who in turn smiled at Nigel "Podge have a glass of wine and we'll watch 'Indiana Jones' together; I expect you could do with a bit of light-hearted entertainment."

"Oh…OK I think I will… thanks" Nigel replied, as Preston poured out a very small glass of white wine for him. Sitting on the floor next to Preston, Nigel managed the first hour of the film and then dozed off, which didn't surprise Preston at all. However, as Nigel had curled up on the cushion, Preston realised he wouldn't be very comfortable like that for long.

Kneeling down on the floor Preston gently tapped Nigel's face to wake him and then carefully helped him up so that he could sit next to Sydney, on the sofa; which neither of them objected to! He soon dozed off again, probably due to the wine, as he'd hardly touched alcohol since he'd been home. Pretty soon, as often happened in the past, his head fell against Sydney's shoulder.

"Oh I'm so sorry Sydney, I'll move him over" Preston said, as he saw Sydney looking at Nigel, as he leaned against her.

"He's fine Preston, he does this all the time on trains and planes….he works so hard, he can't help falling asleep and doing this. It's no problem, really….. I'm used to it" Sydney said, looking at Nigel affectionately.

"Well it's not very gentlemanly but if you're sure you don't mind, I'll let him sleep….he looks so peaceful" Preston said, feeling very glad and quite surprised that Nigel wasn't reacting badly to the Cate's forthcoming visit and that he felt so relaxed with Sydney.

After dinner, which Preston had had delivered to the house from a top restaurant in the city, as Mrs Jackson was out for the evening; all three of them cleared the table, put the dishes in the dishwasher and wondered into the living room to relax. However, at about 9.30 p.m. Sydney yawned and looked at Preston "you know what…..I've been up for over 24 hours now, so if you don't mind, I think I'd better get some sleep before tomorrow's fun and games…. I want to be fresh for Cate's visit."

"Oh I don't blame you Sydney; actually though…. I think you should go to bed too Podge, you look very tired" Preston said, offering a hand to his brother to help him up off the sofa.

"Thanks Pres…you're right...I've got a headache too so a good night's sleep will help...I don't want to take any more pills unless it gets really bad" Nigel said, as he leaned against his brother for support.

"OK let's get you up those stairs….I can carry you if you like" Preston said, holding on to Nigel.

"I can help too Nige" Sydney said, noticing Nigel was yawning too.

"No….I..I can walk thanks, I'll hold the bannister" Nigel said as all three of them made their way into the hall and up the stairs to bed.

"There's plenty of hot water in the bathroom and there's some nice bubble bath too….if um…you didn't bring any Syd" Nigel said, remembering she always packed light, although she'd changed into a dress before dinner, so she obviously expected to be going somewhere nice!

"Thanks Nige" she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek, although what she really wanted to give him was 'a deep slow kiss!' "You have a good night guys and I'll see you in the morning….say 8.30 a.m. is that alright?"

"Yes…that's perfect…um that's my room there" Nigel said as he pointed to a door directly opposite where they were standing "I'll show you around the rest of the house tomorrow; we never did finish that tour!"

"OK" she said as she went into her room.

Preston waited in Nigel's bedroom while his brother had a quick bath and cleaned his teeth as he'd noticed his brother looked a little agitated; obviously due to Cate's pending visit "I've put some water and a couple of paracetamol on your bedside cabinet Podge, just in case your headache gets worse….now I have a few bits and pieces to do in the study before I go to bed, so ring that bell loudly if you need me OK?" Preston said, helping Nigel get into bed.

After Preston left, Nigel fell asleep quite quickly although, unfortunately, he began to have rather bad dreams almost immediately. Compared to the recent past though, these dreams were not too horrific; however, they were bad enough to make him moan.

By 11.00 p.m. when Sydney had been asleep for about an hour, she was suddenly awoken by Nigel crying out for someone, although she couldn't quite make out who it was. Thinking it must be Preston, who she believed would go into see him at any moment, she tried to go back to sleep. However, it became difficult for her to drop off when fifteen minutes later he was still intermittently calling out. Believing then that Preston must still be downstairs, as he'd obviously not heard Nigel at all; she quietly walked over to his room, opened the door and went inside.

Noticing he was actually asleep, even though he was wriggling around and turning from his back to his right side ever few minutes, she was saddened to hear him suddenly call out "mummy". He'd done that a few times when they were relic hunting, although she never made an issue of it, believing he'd be embarrassed. Then, as she sat by his bed, to her utter astonishment, he cried out her name! Without thinking any more about it, she went around to the other side of the bed and got in with him, recalling how peaceful he'd slept on the sofa next to her earlier that evening. As Nigel was led on his right side at the moment she got into bed, she led right behind him in the same position and placed her arm across his body, holding him gently in place to prevent him from turning onto his back. Keeping her arm there for a little while and whispering several times "it's going to be alright Sweetie" he eventually stopped trying to move and fell into a more peaceful sleep. Not wishing to disturb him she left her arm in place for further ten minutes and then slowly turned over so that she could get some sleep herself.

Hoping he'd sleep through the night and wake up refreshed in the morning, she was dismayed when less than an hour after she'd helped him back to sleep he was calling for her and mummy again. Not knowing what else to do she repeated the procedure she'd used earlier and he soon went back to sleep again; obviously having no idea she was there!

At 8.30 a.m. the following morning Preston opened Nigel's bedroom door, went inside and threw open the curtains "hey Podge; did you sleep well?" he said, as he turned back to look at his brother..."What the! …what on earth! Sydney! You shouldn't be in here; please leave now!"

"Preston, what's wrong? Why shouldn't I be in here, he needed me!" she replied, very surprised at Preston's tone, as she couldn't see anything wrong with her being there at all.

"What do you mean, he needed you?" Preston shouted back, feeling a little peeved that if Nigel needed anyone it was him!

"He had a bad night…. I thought he'd relax if I slept with him" she said, wondering why Preston appeared to be so angry.

"You had sex with him! In this room!...That's…. that's not allowed, you shouldn't have even been in here!" he yelled, shaking his head in exasperation.

"What do you mean 'not allowed!' I said I slept with him Preston, we didn't have sex!" she replied in disbelief "besides, he's nearly 25 years old for goodness sake; he can do what the hell he likes in his own room!"

"Oh no he can't; not in this room and certainly not in that bed!" Preston said, getting even more agitated.

"W..what's going on Pres? …..Sydney! W…what are you doing in here?!" Nigel asked, very sleepily, as he woke up with a start and looked even more shocked than Preston at the sight of Sydney lying next to him.

"Morning Sweetie; it's alright…. I was just telling your bossy brother here how you had some bad dreams last night and woke me" she said, smiling at Nigel but noticing he looked a bit dazed. She turned back to Preston and glared at him "Look! I was exhausted, so rather than spend the night in a chair I calmed him down by sleeping here" she looked back at Nigel "Preston thinks we had sex Nige!" Nigel's eyes almost popped out of their sockets and his face went bright red! "Damn it Preston!" Sydney continued..."Nigel and I have shared a bed dozens of times and we've never had sex!...have we Nigel!?"

"N…no! Never!" Nigel managed to get out, feeling like he'd just woken in the middle of some bizarre movie!

"Alright!...Alright!" Preston said, realising he'd partially misread the situation "look I understand you have to share accommodation sometimes on your hunts, but here you don't! You should have called me! Podge you know mother's rules about entertaining females in the bedrooms."

Nigel stared at his brother and looked quite upset "Y…yes but...but…Sydney doesn't know them and I….I… d…didn't know she was here" he said, feeling just like he did as a boy before Preston punished him.

"Oh Podge….it's alright, don't get upset, I'm not cross with you…. but Sydney…look although I'm sure you meant no harm, please remember from now on that his bedroom is off limits, well at night anyway…..he may not be a virgin, but he's not ready to have a woman in his bed, not even you! Are you Podge?"

"Um… I…I don't know; I…I" Nigel said, not sure what to say at this point, because even though Preston was partially correct, he knew inside he wanted a romantic relationship with Sydney!

"Well anyway Sydney…you should have realised he'd still be psychologically traumatised by what that bitch, Maria, did to him" Preston said, as he looked at Nigel and recalled that only a few days ago, after a particularly difficult session with Nancy, Nigel confessed that, even though he felt a lot better, he was desperately struggling to come to terms with that.

Sydney looked really surprised "well actually I didn't! I'm so, so sorry Preston" Sydney said as she turned to look at Nigel "I suppose I should have really….but well….now I come to think of it, that must be what Nancy meant when she said she needed to 'sort out a couple of things'…it's just that you seemed fine with me.… you know…..when we were together in the hall and sitting room…..in fact you seemed to be quite at ease!"

"I was Syd and…and… I am…..but well, sometimes….I um get….um" Nigel said, hanging his head as, although he knew she had a right to know the truth, he didn't know quite how to tell her without making her feel guilty in some way.

"What he means" Preston said "and I hope you don't mind me telling her this Podge….is he gets panic attacks when woman he doesn't know come on to him.….you know, because they think he's….well…. cute….I think that's the word you'd use. It happened just the other day you see…..there was a woman who quite aggressively drooped herself all over him while I was being served at the Post Office. I had no choice but to bring him out with me as Mrs Jackson and Nathan were out and I didn't want to leave him home alone. He was sat in his chair behind some shelves where I couldn't see him….and she um shook her um… breasts in his face and offered to well…do things….he was panic stricken!… It was just awful! Thank goodness the Post Office manager saw what was happening and threw the offensive woman out…..when I returned the manager offered to take him to the hospital….Nigel was so upset he was having trouble breathing….but luckily he was alright after a few minutes and I brought him home."

"It…it was like…I…I was with….with HER again!" Nigel said, blinking back the tears as talking about it immediately made him recall the horrors Maria had inflicted upon him…."you weren't to know though Syd; I…I didn't feel anything bad being around you… not for a second!"

Sydney forced a little smile "thank God! But look Preston…Nigel….I meant no disrespect to your mom, you must realise that! I just wanted to make sure you were alright Sweetie, that's all…..look…I'll go back to my room now and get dressed…we can talk about this over breakfast, OK?"

Preston nodded as she left the room and then sat down on Nigel's bed "I'm sorry for being so cross with her Podge; it was just such a shock to see her in your bed. I hate to think what would have happened if you'd have woken up and not realised it was her! It could have set you back months with your therapy! I know I shouldn't have shouted at her though; that was so rude of me….I'll apologise properly at breakfast…. I should have realised she wouldn't know about the kind of rules you and I have been brought up with; she's a very modern American lady" Preston said, looking directly into Nigel's eyes.

Nigel smiled at his brother "she's definitely not from a family like ours; her mum's passed on, but her dad's very different for sure….he scared me to death when I first met him…..he's even taller than you! He's a great dad to Sydney though and I think he really likes me now….but Pres….you um….don't need to worry about me and Syd….I know her so well….but you're right; I'd have been terrified if it had been anyone else I woke up next to" Nigel said, giving his brother a rather serious look.

"Oh Podge…I know first-hand just how much Sydney cares about you; darn… I wish I'd been nicer to her just now…..I think this statement business is getting to me; I should have just told Cate to stay away until you're more able to deal with it…. Oh well… at least Sydney's not under any illusions about you now…I was thinking about her last night when I was working in the study…I was wondering if she was going to ask you to return to America with her when she goes home…..but I'm sure now, if she actually was going to do that, she'll realise you're not ready" Preston said, wishing he'd handled the situation better.

"I….I suppose it's best that she knows the truth….she'll probably see what I'm really like today anyway, when Cate arrives. I was, I suppose, trying to hide my stupid fears because I hate her seeing me so anxious…but the fact is….well….she knows me so well….she'd eventually see through me no matter how much I bluff my way through things" Nigel said, looking a little distant.

Breakfast was cooked and served that morning by Nina, a lady who helped out when Mrs Jackson was unable to come in. The fact was, both Preston and Nigel were very glad that she wasn't going to be around that day as she'd have probably seen and heard things that would have upset her greatly once Cate arrived.

During breakfast, which Nina served rather more formally than usual, because they had a guest, Sydney apologised to Preston for shocking him by sleeping in Nigel's room. He in turn apologised for overreacting, although he still asked that, out of respect for their mother, it never happens again under the Bailey's roof. Realising Preston was very concerned about Nigel's state of mind, she reluctantly agreed to his wish, even though she believed Nigel would be fine with her.

After breakfast Preston insisted that Nigel relaxed on the sofa with a good book, hoping it would take his mind of Cate who'd be arriving in a couple of hours. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get past the first couple of pages as he was so wound up about the statement. Realising the problem, Sydney sat next to him, took the book away and just pulled him close to her "Nige…just rest your head against my shoulder; that never fails to relax you, or send you to sleep…come on Sweetie….this isn't your bedroom so Preston won't mind…..he's busy in his study again" she said, noticing Nigel didn't need telling twice.

"Thanks Syd….I wonder what Preston's doing; he's been working late every night for the past week" Nigel said, snuggling up to Sydney, just like he always did on relic hunts when he was tired or frightened.

Thanks to Beatrix for your review of the previous chapter; you're so kind.