"Have you rung Matt?"
"Erm" Nikki shuffled her feet nervously behind her desk. "Matt and I split up."
Jack creased his brow "When?"
"Before karaoke" she admitted guiltily. "I spoke to him before arriving there."
"Why didn't you tell me? – you tell me everything!" Jack muttered at the desk. He couldn't help feeling disappointed that she had not confided in him as she usually did and he didn't understand why.
Nikki moved over from her own desk to stand next to him. She had meant to tell him at karaoke but had not found a good moment, partly because Jack had originally been the one to encourage her relationship with Matt and she was worried that he might feel bad about it not working out. Nikki had then been put off her stride, and was bitterly disappointed to find that Simone had set up a blind date for Jack, - especially when the former had told her that he was enthusiastic and looking forward to it.
"I'm sorry Jack. It never seemed like the right time and I didn't want to make a big thing of it - I didn't want you to feel bad when you encouraged me to go with Matt in the first place." She told him. She leaned back on the edge of his desk. "The breakup was mutual – and then you were looking forward to the blind date – at least that's what Simone said..." she trailed off.
"What?" Jack took Nikki's hand in his. "Simone knows perfectly well that she practically had to force me to go on the date. I went because you seemed to want me to – and I nearly backed out. It was only because Liz saw me as I was about to leave that I actually went in."
"You had fun though, right? Irish dancing and – after?"
"Yeah I suppose" He shrugged "But if I had known you had broken up with Matt, I wouldn't have gone."
Nikki blushed. "Oh – why's that then?"
Jack pulled her towards him gently and onto his lap. "Do you even need to ask?" he murmured, putting his arms around her.
She smiled and wrapped her own arms around his neck. "No"
He hesitated slightly, unsure of whether to bring up a conversation which she may consider to have been finished, but he needed to know she was ok and happy. "You're ok after the breakup – I mean you were together a long time"
"Yeah – like I said it was mutual. We both knew it wasn't going anywhere – I just brought it up first." Nikki sighed "He was expecting it and he said he's known for a while that I preferred being over here to being in America with him – I mean I've never even left anything over there – clothes or anything. That says something I guess. There were no bad feelings – it was all amicable."
"You prefer it over here?" Jack repeated "Why?"
"Do you even need to ask?" Nikki whispered, echoing his own reply from earlier. She pressed her nose against his. Suddenly overcome with affection for her best friend, she pulled him closer into a tight hug, fully closing the gap between them and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, lingering there for just a little bit too long.
Jack himself was also overwhelmed by his feelings, especially as any doubt he might have had over Nikki sharing them had disappeared. He automatically turned his head in response to her gentle kiss and their lips met in a beautiful, emotionally-charged moment of completeness.
Pulling back after a couple of minutes, they smiled at each other – both slightly breathless.
"You did a good job of taking my blood earlier." Nikki commented, her arms still around his neck. "I always have a bruise when a nurse has done it!"
Jack chuckled. "I'm glad you approve of my skills Dr Alexander! Its ages since I had my training and it's not the sort of thing I get to practise very often!" He glanced at his watch. "We should have the results soon."
"What – really? It's not usually that quick!" she mused in surprise.
Jack grinned "I know people – someone in the lab owes me a favour and said he'd rush it through – and I might have told him that it was a life or death situation." He added sheepishly.
"Jack!" Nikki feigned shock.
"Well, you're important!" He shrugged unapologetically.
Just then Steve came in, followed by Simone. Neither appeared to bat an eyelid at the two comfortably sitting in one chair, although Jack detected a slightly gleeful smirk form Simone. He was quickly distracted, however, by a beep from his computer, announcing the arrival of a new email.
"I've just had the station on the phone" Steve told them. He looked at Nikki. "One of your students has just handed himself in. He says he spiked your drink last night with-"
"fentanylsilent witness
" Jack interrupted, having opened the email that had just come in.
"What?" Nikki blurted out "Why?"
"Ollie claims he wanted you to 'relax' a little bit"
"Creep!" Jack exclaimed through gritted teeth. He tightened his grip on Nikki, feeling her tense up.
"He didn't-we didn't- I mean I-" She stammered, still only able to remember bits and pieces herself.
"No" Steve reassured her quickly. "I don't think so. He said he only gave you a little and it was diluted by your drink. Apparently you came to your senses, grabbed your things and ran off before anything happened. I've no reason to suspect he's lying."
Jack felt Nikki relax again. "The fentanyl. Where did he get it?" she asked.
"The care home"
"They said they didn't have any at the care home!" Simone pointed out.
"Yes" Steve agreed "Mary Thorpe did say that, but it turns out that the two of them are related."
"Ollie's related to Mary Thorpe?!" Nikki spluttered in disbelief.
He nodded. "Auntie. And according to Ollie, it seems the deaths at the care home in Scotland may not have been down to Amrita Naidu after all."
"No wonder Thorpe was happy to help her change her identity." Jack smirked "Perfect scapegoat when she started working with her again. That woman's been terrified every time I've seen her – she must have thought she'd get the blame for Robbo and Derek as well. Do you reckon Mary Thorpe will confess this time?"
"I don't know, but perhaps knowing her nephew is a suspect, might loosen her tongue a bit!" Steve ventured. "I'll be in touch." He added, heading to the care home to bring Thorpe in. "Hope you feel better, Nikki"
"Thanks."
"Are you really alright?" Jack asked after Steve had left "It must have been awful last night, not knowing what was happening."
"Yeah it was pretty awful" Nikki agreed "But then I found your Dad. It kind of forced my mind back into focus. He's ok, you know."
"Yeah I spoke to him after my shower earlier. He was more worried about you."
"Aw was he?" Simone interjected – keen to remind them that she was there. "Bless him. So you two...that it then?"
"Sorry?" They both stated in unison.
"Are you together now?"
"Oh. Is that a problem?" Nikki mused
"You're kidding, aren't you?" Jack smirked. He motioned at their colleague "She's been trying to engineer this since she started here!"
"Yeah" Simone chuckled "Despite the obstacles you two keep putting in my way – or rather your way!"
Just then Nikiki's mobile rang. "Steve." She announced putting it to her ear. "Hello?"
Jack and Simone waited with baited breath as Nikki hung up.
"Mary Thorpe denied all knowledge until Steve told her that Ollie was in custody under suspicion -and then she confessed to the murders of Robbo and Derek – and the ones in Scotland."
"Oh great!" Simone chuckled "Case closed then!"
"What about Oliie?" Jack questioned
"He's being charged with having the fentanyl–and spiking me with it. He's also admitted that he gave Robbo fentanyl during a visit to see his Auntie Mary because he found out from her that the poor man was donating his body to the university after his death – which Ollie was told was imminent. He wanted me to 'notice' him, apparently, when he 'found' the fentanyl. Ollie believed that Robbo's death was natural and thought our further investigations would yield nothing. What he hadn't realised at the time was that his aunt was planning to kill the man to ease his suffering."
Jack sniggered "So Ollie inadvertently caused trouble for his aunt?"
Nikki giggled "Yeah basically"
Simone laughed "Oh I bet she was pleased with him for that! It must have been like a bad dream!"
"Yeah it must of" Jack answered "It would be even funnier if he hadn't hurt Nikki"
Nikki hugged him tightly. "Hey I'm alright. It was horrible, but no long term harm."
"Right well I'll take you home then." He suggested "Pizza?"
"I'll go and finish the paperwork then!" Simone announced "See ya later" She left the room and Nikki turned back to Jack.
"Pizza sounds nice – and I want to check on your Dad."
Jack leaned towards her "I won't let you have any more bad dreams" He whispered.