Nikki to Connor

"I need to find Jack. He's in some trouble at work and I want to help him, but he won't answer the phone to me..." Nikki trailed off.

"What trouble's he in?" Connor asked, his brow furrowing in concern.

"It's complicated" Nikki exclaimed "but basically they don't know him as well as I do – the detective, Simone. I know he'd never ever kill anyone, but his fingerprints are on the evidence and it's stacked up against him. There has to be another explaination. He didn't do anything. I thought he'd be here, but he's not" She sighed "I think he's scared and running." She got up from the soda where she was sitting and started pacing as if she didn't know what to do with herself. "But I don't know where he is and he won't answer when I ring"

"Why won't he answer the phone? He always answers when it's you – unless you've had an argument." Connor added.

She ran her hand through her hair in an agitated manner. "He's angry and doesn't want to speak to me." she answered, confirming Connor's suspicions of an argument of some kind.

Connor stood up and took the unhappy doctor by the hand "come on, I'll put the kettle oon – try him again."

They went in the kitchen, where Connor filled the kettle.

He turned and looked at Nikki. She shook her head sadly. Jack still wasn't answering.

"Shall I try?" Connor suggested

He put the phone to his ear, Jack answered proving that it was Nikki's calls he was cancelling.

"Jack?"

"Hi Dad"

"I've got Nikki here. She really wants to speak to you."

Jack went quiet again, but at least he hadn't hung up, Nikki thought. Connor put the phone on speak, just in case the conversation went badly due to the current circumstances and he needed to intervene and calm Jack down. He suspected that normally Nikki was the one to calm Jack down, after seeing how she was with Jack when he himself was injured, but in this instant it might be different.

Nikki spoke in what wa,s to start with a very one-sided conversation, since she was met continuing silence, but she was glad Jack was still there on the other end. "Jack? Jack? Do you know what happened before Derek Galton died?...Please talk to me, Jack. Please let me help you...We get through everything together. You know I'll always be there for you."

Still hearing nothing back, Nikki turned away from Connor, not wanting him to see her crying. She was gutted by Jack's silence, but she would be there waiting for him however long it took. If somebody was going to hang up, it wouldn't be her. Just when she was starting to give up hope that she'd ever get him back...

"Nikki?"

Jack had been things mulling over. He knew Nikki was as devastated at their falling out as he had been when he'd heard Ollie's voice. She had been so happy when she'd breezed into the Lyell that morning, after they'd finally succumbed to their feelings, and she hated herself for her drunken mistake, especially when she realised he knew. She was always there for him though – even when she knew he was angry with her and he suddenly realised it didn't matter – not Ollie, the mistake she made, not Simone and Steve suspecting him of murder – nor the evidence stacking up against him. Nikki believed him – he could tell that from her voice, and she would do anything to help him. She loved him and despite her obvious fear of commitment in the past, she was going to be there with him, no matter what. He knew he loved her too and would forgive for anything. Ollie meant nothing. Matt was gone. But Jack and Nikki – they meant everything to each other.

"Yeah, I'm here, Jack where are you? I know you haven't done anything."

"I found Derek in the night. He was trying to kill himself with the syringe. He couldn't because of the arthritis and asked me to do it. I took him back to lounge and put the syringe back in the box – that's when Simone saw me."

"And That's why your fingerprints are on it." Nikki concluded.

"Yeah, but I didn't do anything to Derek."

"Of course you didn't, Jack" Nikki told him. "I knew that straight away."

"I know who it was though." Jack admitted. "It was Beattie. I've found her on CCTV. I'm on the way to the care home to speak to her." He heard Nikki give a sharp intake of breath and knew exactly what was running through her mind. "I'll be fine, Nikki. Beattie won't hurt me." He promised confidently.

"I'll ring Steve and tell him to meet you at the care home – ok?"

"Yeah." He agreed "I'll have spoken to Beattie by then. I want to give her the opportunity to explain."

"Alright." Nikki paused. "Jack – I know you said Beattie won't hurt you and I don't believe she would, but just be careful – please?"

"I will" he answered "I promise See you later"

"So now that we know Jack is ok" Connor remarked, after he and Nikki sat down with their cups of tea "Is there anything you want to talk about, Nikki? – Because you still seem a bit upset and I'd like to help if I can."

Nikki was fond of Jack's dad and was worried he would lose respect for her, but as much as she didn't want to admit her shameful mistake to him, he was caring and easy to talk too. Before she could stop herself, all the regret was pouring out as easily as the boiled kettle had given up it's water. "There was a party last night – a Halloween party with the students I teach at the university. They invited me – wanted me to judge their costumes – stupidly I went." She stared into her tea, before setting it down on the coffee table. "I drank too much. I didn't know Jack was trapped at the care home. I should have been with him not there. I wish I had been." She sighed. "When you called, I tried to ring Jack again, but I still couldn't through – I left him a message, but \I didn't realise that the student-" she broke off and covered her face with her hands in shame. Nikki managed to regain her composure after a minute or two, aware that Connor was waiting patiently. "Yesterday, when I put him in the taxi home, something happened between me and Jack. It was so special and we were so happy, but this morning at work, Jack was really upset. He'd listened to the message – and heard the student's voice at the end." Nikki didn't dare look at Connor – she was sure he was shocked, so she carried on quickly. "Jack was angry and hurt. He said the only thing he cares about is if I lose my job. I made a stupid mistake – and now I've lost the person that means more to me than the whole world."

Connor moved from his armchair and sat on the sofa next to her. "I highly doubt that Nikki. You heard him on the phone – I'm pretty certain he's forgiven you." The elderly man put his empty mug on the table. "What about you job?"

"I spoke to the student earlier. Told him it was a mistake and it won't happen again. I told him when I was there, I realised I should be somewhere else – with someone else." She muttered. "He understood. I've resigned from teching at the university now." She admitted. "Its not for me. I wasn't enjoying it as much as I thought I would – as much as I did at the beginning." Nikki shrugged "It was more Thomas' thing. I much prefer being at the Lyell." She sighed and shook her head. "I just wish I hadn't gone to that stupid party."

Connor put his hand on her arm. "We all make mistakes, Nikki. Jack thinks the world of you. I take it you're going to wait for him to come home?"

Nikki nodded. "I'd like to, if you don't mind."

Coonor smiled "Not at all Nikki. Drink your tea before it gets cold." He paused "If you want my opinion – I think you two are a math made in heaven. I've never seen two people look at each other the way you and Jack do."