Hi everyone! I've never written Silent Witness fan fiction before (I've written Our Girl fan fiction and then OG inspired books), but I've been reading Silent Witness fan fiction all weekend and wanted to have a go.

This is probably going to be a collection of One Shots set after each of this series's two parters, if an idea pops into my head.

This one is set after series 24 episode 2, Redemption Part 2. Hope you enjoy!

Hauntingly, the glow of the laptop reflected in Nikki's eyes. It was late and she had all the other lights down low, a single candle glowing on the coffee table in front of her. She'd been trying to finish this report for the last couple of hours, but her mind was elsewhere.

What an eventful day. Scott had been right, she couldn't let him die. And now that she was on her own with time to think and the adrenaline had worn off, she knew that she'd done the right thing. No matter what he'd done, she couldn't let him die. She'd faced him, saved him, and now after all these years she could close that box properly. Holding pressure on his wound to stem the bleeding, all the power in her own hands, had been almost therapeutic.

The laptop bleeped its low battery warning, a sign that she should go to bed. It was far too late, and she'd regret it in the morning when she needed to wake up for work. With a sigh, she closed the lid and reached for the charger cable she always kept behind the sofa. After plugging the laptop in, she left it on the arm of the sofa, blew out the candle and padded across the room towards the stairs.

After brushing her teeth and putting on her pyjamas, she closed the bedroom door with a click, just like she always did. Then she folded the cotton sheets back and climbed into bed, a satisfied sigh escaping her as she snuggled down. When she closed her eyes she was in Jack's arms again, enjoying the warm hug he gave her when she got back to the Lyle, covered in Scott's blood, and he was relieved to know she was safe. Nikki took a deep breath and she could still smell him, feel the steady thump of his heart beating against her cheek. The stiffness of his muscles against her as he thought about what could have been.

He'd been catching glimpses of her all day, probably when he thought she wouldn't notice. But nothing got past her, and she'd seen him a few times at her desk, out of the corner of her eye, when she was chewing her pen or jotting something down, or typing away on her laptop. And then when he drove her to the lecture that afternoon, she was staring out of the window, mind drifting through the events of the day, and she'd felt his eyes on her half a dozen times. She didn't even need to be looking in his direction to know when he was looking at her like that. The depth of his stare felt warm on her skin, it caused an eruption of goosebumps. He'd been looking at her like that for months, it was the same way he'd looked at her when she visited him in hospital with his father and told his dad that he loved him.

Or at least, that's what Nikki had thought at the time. Now, with every day that passed, she allowed herself to get her hopes up ever so slightly more that he'd been talking to her instead.

She thought about how she'd glowed when he watched her speak in the lecture, taking Thomas's place. She missed Thomas so much, but she couldn't imagine what things would have been like if it was Jack they'd lost instead. She couldn't imagine a life without him in it, he was her best friend and she'd go to the ends of the earth for him - and she knew he'd do the same for her.

Unable to sleep for the buzzing in her mind, she reached over and lifted her phone from the bedside table. It was past 1am but she knew he'd probably be up, he wasn't sleeping that well at the moment either. She typed a quick goodnight text and felt a little stir in her stomach when the screen lit up a minute later, and he'd replied.

So proud of you today, Thomas would be too. Night x

After clutching the phone to her chest for a few seconds, she placed it back on the bedside table and turned the lamp off, snuggling under the duvet to sleep.

She dozed for an hour or so, and was groggy from sleep when she heard something unusual. She'd never slept deeply since Mexico, and was bolt upright in bed within seconds, rubbing her eyes. Everything was quiet - it was probably just a fox. A few minutes later she heard it again - a very faint crackling sound. Frowning, she switched the light on and her stomach dropped when she saw wisps of smoke coming under her bedroom door.

Rushing out of bed, she hurried across the room and placed her hand on the brass door handle. Almost immediately she withdrew it, shocked at its heat. Why hadn't the smoke alarm gone off? Her stomach flipping, she remembered a night several months before, when she was still with Matt and he'd taken the batteries out after the alarm had woken them up a couple of times in the night. With everything that had happened, she'd forgotten to replace the batteries.

The smoke was quite thick and she choked, stumbling backwards. She staggered into the en-suite and drenched a towel in the bath, then rolled it up in a long sausage and pushed it under the bottom of the door. That should buy her some time. Then, she reached for her phone on the bedside table, firstly calling for the fire brigade and then the number she knew she could rely on to keep her strong while she waited. After all, he'd done it before, for hours.

'Nikki?' He answered on the first ring. He was lying in bed but not asleep as usual, and it was unlike her to call him at such a time.

'Jack!'

Instantly he identified panic in her voice and he shot upright, a jolt of adrenaline causing his pulse to thump in his temples.

'Nikki?'

'Jack! Jack, help me!'

'Where are you?'

'I'm at home.' She hadn't even finished her sentence before he'd pulled a pair of joggers on and was running down the stairs towards the front door. 'I'm stuck, there's a fire.'

'Nikki, you need to get out.'

'I can't Jack, I'm stuck in my bedroom. It's in the hallway. I'm trapped.'

His blood ran cold. 'I'm coming, I'm coming. I'll be as fast as I can. But you need to get out, ok? Have you called the fire brigade?'

'Yes, but they're not here...'

She stopped speaking then, choking instead. Suddenly there was a thump and she was muffled - she'd dropped her phone. He jumped in his car and started it, before roaring off down the road, his foot flat to the floor.

'Nikki! Nikki, can you hear me?'

He was frantic now, she was silent. What if he was too late? An image of Scott's mother's charred body was forced to the front of his mind. What if? He slammed a fist against the steering wheel and drove faster, almost drifting his car around every corner, taking a chance and hoping there wouldn't be anything coming round the corner in the opposite direction. All he could think about was Nikki.

After what felt like hours, but was in reality just a few seconds, he heard her voice again. It was weak and croaky, but he could hear her.

'I can't get the window open, Jack...'

'You've got to. You've got to get it open, Nikki. I'm coming for you. Are the fire brigade there yet?'

'No,' she coughed, using every ounce of strength she had to try to force the window open. But it was locked, and the key was elsewhere. She'd always kept the windows locked since Mexico, only unlocking them if she wanted them open. They were all on the same key and she kept the key in the main bathroom on the landing, in the medicine cabinet. She didn't think anyone would find it there.

'Jack! The smokes getting thicker, I can barely see!'

She was panicking now, not thinking clearly. He could hear it in her voice. His heart ached, wishing he didn't live so far from her.

'Nikki, you need to break the window,' Jack instructed, trying to keep his voice level even though he thought he was going to be sick.

She was choking more and more by the minute, if he or the fire brigade didn't get there in the next couple of minutes she might not make it out. A sudden realisation hit him that she was going to have to save herself, again.

'I'm just a couple of minutes away now ok, but I need you to find something and break the window. Get yourself some air.'

'Ok...'

He heard her banging around and then there was a little tap, and her voice became more muffled. She was back at the window, and her phone was down on the floor.

'I've got a stool. I'm going to throw it through the window.'

'Good. Get the stool and smash the window, Nikki.'

She did as she was told. There was a loud crack as the legs of the stool impacted with the window, but she had to ram it several times for it to break, leaving jagged shards all around the window. Fresh air rushed in and she gulped it in, relieved that she wasn't choking anymore.

'I've done it! I've done it, Jack. I've broken the window.'

'Good. Now find something you can put over the frame, towels or pillows or something. And will the mattress fit out of the window?'

'Um...' despite the burst of fresh air, the smoke was making her head hurt and she could barely think.

Looking back at the door, she could see the glow of the fire around the edges of the door. It was growing in intensity. The whole room was roasting hot and she suddenly worried that if the fire was below her too, the floor might give way. Jack heard her cry out as she panicked and he gripped the steering wheel, swinging the car around the corner of the next street. He was almost there.

'Pillows, Nikki. Or towels. On the window frame.'

'Um... yes.'

She forced herself to move, grabbing the bedding and lying it over the jagged pieces of glass until they were no longer a threat. She looked out of the window. It was a long way down.

'Jack, they're not here! You're not here!'

She was desperate now. There was creaking and popping outside the door, and the door had turned completely black. Within minutes the fire was going to breach the door, and then what would happen to her? Should she jump? She remembered what Jack had said about the mattress. But it was only a small sash window, and her mattress was super king size. There was no way she'd fit it through, she probably wouldn't even be able to lift it by herself.

'I think I'm going to have to jump, Jack.' She cried, a bright flash catching her eye behind her as the flames penetrated the bedroom door. The fire was in the bedroom. The smoke was growing thicker by the minute. 'Help! Help!' She shouted out of the window, to anyone that might hear.

'I'm here, Nikki. I'm here.'

She saw headlights speeding down the road, and to her great relief, she could hear distant sirens now too. There were no blue lights yet, but she knew that if Jack was here, he wouldn't let her down. He'd scale the burning house and get her out if he needed to.

Within a few more seconds, the car roared to a stop outside the house and he leapt out, running up the driveway.

'Nikki!' He yelled, beyond relieved when he saw her blonde head sticking out of the upstairs window. Smoke was billowing around her and his stomach dropped when he realised the extent of the fire, but she was alive and he knew he could help her.

The sirens were growing louder and he knew they were already here, but they had no more time. He stood under the window and held his arms out.

'You've got to jump, Nikki. There's no more time. I'll catch you.'

'It's miles down, Jack!' She scanned the ground below, frantic. 'What if you miss?!'

'I never miss!' He grinned, trying to make light of the situation even though inside he was in turmoil.

'Nikki. Listen to me. Trust me ok? Jump, and I'll catch you. Climb out of the window, mind the glass.'

She knew she could trust him. Lifting a shaking leg, she perched on the pillows she'd stuffed on the window frame, her head woozy from the smoke. Then she had two legs over and lowered herself down until she was holding on with just her arms. She couldn't see below her anymore but she could feel Jack's strong gaze on her, and she knew everything would be alright as long as he was here.

'I'm here, Nikki. You can let go.'

She closed her eyes and let go. The air rushed around her as she fell and her body picked up speed, until she landed with a thump on him. Even though he was bracing himself for it, the impact knocked Jack flying and he fell back on the grass, with Nikki on top of him. It knocked all the wind out of him but at that moment nothing mattered, only that she was safe. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight as she sobbed, her body trembling violently.

It was almost light by the time they got back to Jack's. Nikki was silent as she crossed the threshold and stood in the hallway, a foil blanket still wrapped around her shoulders. It all felt so surreal. This time yesterday she was waking up in her own home, making herself a breakfast smoothie. Now, her home was burnt to a crisp, almost all of her possessions destroyed. All her clothes, photographs, furniture... the home she'd built for herself over several years, getting it just how she liked it. Gone in a matter of hours.

Jack closed the front door quietly behind them so as not to wake Conor, and slipped an arm around Nikki's trembling shoulders.

'Would you like a hot drink?' He asked softly.

'I don't know what I want, Jack,' she whispered, her voice hoarse.

Silently, he pulled her into him, wrapping his strong, warm arms around her fragile body. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out everything that had happened, focusing only on how good his arms felt around her right now. She never wanted him to let go.

He could feel her shivering. 'Maybe a hot shower then?'

Hesitantly, she nodded. 'Yes. Yes, I think that would be nice.'

'I'll get you a towel and something to wear.'

Minutes later, Nikki stood in Jack's tired old bath, letting the weak water from the shower above dribble down her body. She scrubbed at her hair and her skin, trying to rid her body of the stench of smoke, but no matter how hard she rubbed she felt like she couldn't get clean. She opened Jack's simple mint shampoo and rubbed it into her hair, not looking forward to having to use a comb to brush the knots out due to the lack of conditioner. The smell of him was comforting, though.

Once her skin was hot and raw, she stepped out of the bath and rubbed at her hair with the towel, then wrapped the towel around her body like a sausage roll. Jack had given her a pair of Conor's pants, which made her laugh when she pulled them on and looked at herself in the mirror, and one of his own rugby shirts which was long enough to cover all the way down to her knees. She could remember him wearing it to work one day, during happier times, and briefly it made her smile.

Once she was dressed and her hair was towel dried, she headed across the landing to Jack's bedroom, where he was sitting on the bed, watching the sunrise outside the window. The sky was red and raw. As soon as he sensed her behind him he turned, but she caught sight of matted blood in his hair.

'You're bleeding,' she announced, going to him.

'It's nothing, just a graze,' he replied, trying to ignore the tickle of her skin on his as she stood between his legs and reached up to part his hair.

'It's not a graze, it's quite a large cut. At least let me clean it for you properly.'

He agreed, and she took him into the bathroom where she gently wiped the blood away and examined the cut. It didn't look so bad now that it was clean.

'You'll live,' she confirmed softly, squeezing his shoulder. 'Can I borrow a comb?'

He looked at her wild hair in the mirror and smirked. He'd never seen Nikki Alexander with such messy hair. She always looked picture perfect.

'What?!' She grinned back.

'Nothing,' he reached in the bathroom cabinet for a comb. 'Here. In a bit, I'll call work and let them know what's happened. And then I'll go and get you some things, do you want to write me a list?'

Nikki nodded, running the comb through her hair until the knots had disappeared. 'Thank you.'

'Least I can do. I'm really sorry, Nikki.'

'Why? You saved me, Jack. And the fire was my own fault, if I'd not left the laptop on the sofa...'

Suddenly he wrapped his arms around her again, burying his face into her neck. The gravity of what had just happened was really hitting him now - how many times was he going to almost lose her? How many times was his heart going to be bruised by the very thought of it?

He felt her yawn and sigh. She was exhausted, neither of them had slept.

'Come and get some rest.'

He took her hand and guided her into his bedroom. It was plain and not very inviting - he'd only moved in a couple of weeks before, and most of his stuff was still in boxes. She was probably looking at his bed, and thinking it was the last place she'd want to sleep.

'Don't worry, I know my house is a mess but I only washed the bed yesterday,' he gestured to the sheets.

'Oh, that's lucky,' she grinned, then slipped into bed as if she didn't care at all.

She looked so good in his bed, nestled under his duvet, on his pillows. He felt a little stab of guilt inside, remembering how many times he'd wished to have Nikki Alexander in his bed - and now she was. Except the circumstances weren't what he'd hoped. He hung back by the door for a minute, watching the anxious lines on her forehead soften as she relaxed and allowed herself to drift off. She was exhausted. He was too, but he could hardly just get in beside her, could he?! He'd have to sleep on the uncomfortable leather sofa downstairs.

He was just about to grab his pillow when she turned and grabbed his wrist.

'Hold me, Jack.'

She didn't need to ask him twice. He pulled the duvet back and climbed into bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her, resting his hands on her belly and tucking his chin into the warm gap between her shoulder and her neck. He could get used to this, her wearing his clothes and smelling like his shampoo. And he very much liked the warmth of her body framed by his. He liked it a bit too much.

'Sorry...' he muttered, pulling away from her slightly.

To his surprise, Nikki chuckled. 'Don't be. I'm just flattered you find me attractive when I look like such a mess, to be honest!'

'I'd find you attractive even if you dressed in a bin bag and didn't wash your hair for a week...' he muttered against her neck, relaxing against her once again.

'Is that a challenge?'

He laughed, tightening his grip on her body. He'd longed for this moment for so long - years, actually - ever since they'd met and he'd found her extremely attractive. But it wasn't just attraction. They were friends, best friends... it felt like they were meant to be together. He'd been with other women since they met, but none of them had lasted very long. Because he never could get a certain pathologist off his mind.

'Night, Nikki,' he whispered in her ear, before kissing the top of her head.

'Night, Jack,' she snuggled against him, closing her eyes.