(A/N): I'm back, again. Can't get rid of me these days. This is set post season 24, but ignoring season 25. Jakki, I promise, though it wouldn't be me if there wasn't a little of angst or hurt in there, would it? Anyway, you know who you are fishies, no murder. I own nothing, as always.

Misunderstanding

Jack didn't mean to eavesdrop, he really didn't. He'd been walking across campus when he'd spotted Nikki, who was meant to be in a meeting, heading in the opposite direction of the Lyell. She didn't appear to be sneaking around or hiding her movements, but something had compelled Jack to abandon the idea of going back to work and instead he chose to follow her. Their relationship of the last couple of weeks had been slow going, both trying to find their feet with the other, and sometimes Jack found himself wondering if they were going to dance hesitantly around each other forever. So, he'd followed her, tamping down the guilty feeling he had for doing so. Only for his blood to run cold as he saw a dark haired student spot her and wave with a wide smile, hurrying over to the blonde pathologist. To Jack's increasing horror, the boy around the same age as Ollie hugged Nikki immediately, Nikki hugging the student back just as tightly before directing them both to sit on a nearby set of steps.

Jack ducked behind a nearby tree, his mind racing. Nikki had promised him Ollie was a one off, a blip, that she'd been drunk and stupid and she would never ever involve herself with a student again. Paired with her wide doe eyes and a gentle kiss to his lips, he'd believed her. Foolishly, so it seemed. For Nikki and the student were sat nearly leg to leg on the steps, Nikki leant back relaxed and smiling. Smiling. At a student. And not her normal distant professional smile either. A real smile. Ducking down as much as he could, Jack shuffled forward to hide behind a closer tree, where he could hear them from.

"… and Johnny threw up everywhere. It was hilarious." The student proclaimed with a laugh as Nikki shook her head fondly at him. Jack nearly growled at the familiarity between them.

"Oh yes, because sick is automatically funny." Nikki shook her head again. "How's your placement going?"

"Dr Gibbs is brilliant; I'm learning a lot." The dark haired student grinned. "Not as brilliant as you though." Jack felt his hands clench at the compliment. Not that Nikki wasn't brilliant, because she really was. But Jack was getting extremely sick of watching students flirt with Nikki, watch them try for a chance to bed her, to woo her. Was he really trying to start a relationship with Nikki when she apparently had multiple students on the go?

"She should be brilliant; Harry and I trained Charlie." Nikki smiled proudly. Jack couldn't remember Nikki ever mentioning a Charlie, but then she'd only mentioned Harry more often recently.

"Yeah, that's not what she said." The boy smirked, nudging her lightly in the side. "She said she had to, and I quote, 'put up with Nikki and Harry practically shagging all the time'."

Jack had heard enough, his head swimming as he stormed away back to work, never noticing the very people he'd been eavesdropping on turn to stare at him, startled. He'd heard enough and he had to get back to work.

…

Nikki stared in surprise after Jack. She hadn't even realised he was there to begin with. Her companion caught her attention with another nudge to her side. "What was all that about?" He asked with a nod in Jack's direction.

Nikki forced her eyes from Jack's retreating figure back to her companion. "That was Jack, Niall. Though what he was doing here is beyond me." She swallowed heavily, wondering just how much of her conversation he'd heard.

Niall nodded knowingly as a bunch of students began descending the stairs near them. "He'll come round, you'll be fine. So anyway, mum, how's dad?"

A gasp had the pair looking up to see Ollie and his group of friends staring at them in shock. Nikki flushed red in shame and embarrassment even as she placed a hand on Niall's arm to keep him calm. Niall had proven to be one of her staunchest supporters over the years and she just hoped Ollie left without antagonising Niall. That was the last thing she needed. "Your dad's doing fine, Niall. I spoke to him last week." Niall had disowned his real father not long after being adopted by his grandfather, but he'd kept in regular contact with Harry and Nikki and eventually asked if he could just tell people they were his parents and if he could call them mum and dad. Both pathologists had laughed but agreed, and so to this day, Niall acted as though they were his parents and called them regularly. He even met up with Nikki a few times a year whenever they both were available to do so, and they'd both promised to be there no matter what the other needed. He knew about Ollie, as Nikki had called him when she was waiting for Jack that fateful night. He was part of the same school as the other student after all and she wanted to pre-warn him, just in case. "He's really proud of you, as am I."

Thankfully, Ollie and his friends moved on, Henry at the back of the group offering Nikki and Niall a tiny smile. Niall glanced after them. "You really could've picked better, you know." He commented idly.

"Niall!"

"What? You could've." Niall rolled his eyes. "Then again, you've probably got your hands full with the really tall guy."

"Niall." Nikki rolled her own eyes, still very red in the face. "I love him, Niall. I love Jack."

"I know mum, I know." Niall smiled softly at her. "Anyway, did you bring that case file for me?"

"Shit, I left it on my desk." Nikki nearly face palmed. She'd been in such a hurry to get to her meeting with the Dean and then meet Niall that she'd forgotten the reason she was meeting up with him in the first place. "Do you have the time to nip to the Lyell with me before your next shift?"

Niall glanced at his watch. "Yeah, I've about half an hour. Plus Dr Gibbs would probably accept my being late if I was with you."

"If you are late, I'll drive you over and apologise to Charlie myself. Does Zak still work with her?" Nikki asked as she pushed herself to her feet, Niall following suit after a moment.

"Dr Khan? Yeah." Niall laughed as he linked his arm with Nikki's, both wandering in the direction of the Lyell Centre. "I met Dr Gibbs first and she was the one to reintroduce me to Dr Khan."

"Oh no. What happened?"

"Well she sort of presented me and went 'Zak, here's Niall, Harry and Nikki's child'. Dr Khan looked so done. Even though I'd met him before." Niall laughed again. "Apparently, he likes you more than dad because you were always nicer to him, and he hopes I get my manners from you."

Nikki giggled, recalling all too well the number of times Zak had despaired of them, her less so than Harry. Zak was a good man, and he'd covered for her when she'd needed him to. "Zak's a good pathologist, Niall. Listen to both him and Charlie, okay?"

Niall nodded obligingly as they entered the building housing the Lyell Centre, still arm in arm. "Yes mum." He shook his head with a grin, prompting an eye roll from Nikki. "What? I'm agreeing with you."

"You're being facetious." Nikki corrected, though her smile belied her stern tone as they approached the frosted glass doors, dropping Niall's arm to fish through her bag for her ID card. Swiping them both in, she led her child over to her desk, offering Jack a gentle smile that quickly dropped into a frown of confusion when Jack glared at both her and Niall. A quick glance at Simone showed her to be just as confused as Nikki herself. "It's on here somewhere Niall, just give me a second."

"No problem, I can wait." Niall glanced round with interest. "This place has changed a bit over the years though. What happened to the table?" He motioned to the kitchenette area, where the conference table used to reside when he'd first met Nikki.

Nikki glanced up from her search through the papers on her desk. "Oh, it's in the viewing room now." She smiled as she found the right file. "Ah, here we are, found it. I hope it helps."

"Yeah it should do. Dr Khan said it was a good example to use if I could get the file from you." Niall ambled over to take the file from her hand, only to stop at her side as Jack's glare increased in its intensity. "Can I help you?" He asked, almost rudely.

"Niall stop." Nikki placed her hand on Niall's shoulder in warning.

Jack shoved himself to his feet, his chair flying backwards. "Nikki, a word."

Nikki made to move over to him but was stopped by Niall's hand on her wrist. Jack nearly growled at the contact as Nikki glanced at Niall's worried features. "Niall, it's alright," Nikki reassured him gently. "Jack won't hurt me."

"I can stay." Niall offered. "Dr Gibbs would understand."

"No, you need to get to your placement. I'll see you soon though, I promise." Nikki, Niall and Simone all turned to Jack as he scoffed loudly, his eyes darting between the former two. Nikki's eyes narrowed at his behaviour before realisation dawned on her and her mouth dropped open a little. "Wait, Jack, no, it's not what you think."

"Is it not?" Jack shook his head slowly, the hurt obvious for all to see. "You promised me, Nikki. Does that mean nothing to you?"

"It means everything." Nikki's face scrunched up as she fought the urge to cry. "I thought you trusted me Jack."

Niall glanced between them before glancing at his watch, obviously reluctant to leave Nikki in the tense atmosphere. "Uh, I have to go, but if you need me back…"

"I'll be fine Niall." Nikki tore her eyes from Jack to smile sadly at Niall, reaching out to hug him lightly. Niall returned the hug fiercely, just as he always did. "Go, say hi to Charlie and Zak for me."

"Alright. Bye mum. I'll call you and dad later in the week." Niall walked out with no little trepidation, his eyes watching to make sure the blonde pathologist was really alright with his departure.

"Bye Niall." Nikki waved to him as he left before turning back to her desk and turning her monitor back on, not wanting to look up in the oppressive silence.

"Did… did that student just call you mum?" Simone broke the silence in an incredulous tone, motioning towards the door Niall had left by.

"Yes." Nikki shrugged, not really in the mood to explain herself. Sighing, she pushed herself away from her desk as she recalled she'd left the files she needed in the viewing room. She left the room without so much as a glance in Jack's direction.

…

Jack barely left it a minute before he turned and followed Nikki in the direction of the viewing room. He'd gone back to the Lyell in full temper, hurt only fuelling those feelings. Only increased when she'd shown up arm in arm with said student, looking almost conspiratorial with him. That fear, the jealousy had almost overwhelmed him as he'd had to sit there and watch their intimate behaviour, the student's protectiveness over Nikki only irritating him more.

Her plea of him trusting her cut him to his core however, had him doubting all he'd seen and heard. Nikki Alexander was no liar and she was intensely loyal. Had he really jumped to all the wrong conclusions? That had just been confirmed when the kid called her 'mum' and said he'd call her and his dad later in the week. She'd been behaving motherly towards him and Jack had completely missed it because he'd jumped to the wrong idea. He'd hurt her because he hadn't trusted that there could be an innocent explanation. Even if that explanation really only raised a hell of a lot more questions, such as how she'd kept being a mother from him for the last eight years. She'd always seemed to declare herself childless, longing for a family.

He paused in the doorway, watching her as she dejectedly read through a file, brushing a tear from her cheek softly. His heart sank as he realised he'd reduced her to tears. He stayed silent as her phone rang and she answered it.

"Hi Niall, I'm fine I promise… No, I don't need you, Charlie and Zak to dispose of him for me… Niall!… Listen to your mother." Jack managed a tiny smile at Nikki's teasing reproof, though he hadn't missed the tears she'd swiped from her cheeks. "No, I haven't changed my mind… you leave your dad out of this, I'll tell him when I'm ready okay?… yeah, yeah, I'll see you soon." She hung up the phone.

Jack cleared his throat awkwardly. "Hi."

Nikki jumped, wiping at her eyes again as she turned to face him. "Jack."

"So, uh, Niall, is it?" He pushed himself off the doorjamb and into the room, hunched over making himself as small as he felt inside.

Nikki nodded slowly, watching his approach warily. "Yes. Niall. And before you say anything Jack, I've never slept with him. That would've been so wrong."

"I know I know." Jack lowered himself gently into the chair beside her. "I didn't know you were a mother, Nikki."

"I'm not." Nikki sighed at his look of incomprehension. "Niall is the son of a former friend of Harry's. Anyway, a lot happened and we ended up looking after Niall for a little while, Harry and I. Afterwards, he asked if he could call us mum and dad, tell people we were his parents instead of his actual parents."

"And you said yes."

"Of course." Nikki shrugged. "I know what it's like to wish your parents were anyone else."

"I'm sorry Nikki."

"I made a mistake Jack." Nikki shook her head sadly at him. "I shouldn't have slept with Ollie; I know that. I thought you understood that, that you trusted I'd never put anything between us in jeopardy. Clearly, I was wrong."

"Nikki."

"No, because you spied on me, came to the wrong conclusion and then all but accused me of being unfaithful to you to sleep with a child who I've all but adopted for the last ten years." The tears spilled over her cheeks slowly.

"Nikki, please. I jumped to conclusions and I shouldn't have done." Jack reached out to capture her hands, a tear slowly trickling down his own face at what his suspicious nature had done. He'd always trusted Nikki and deep down he still did, but jealousy wasn't rational, and he was terrified he'd lose her before they'd even begun. "I trust you; of course I do. You're Nikki."

"Jack…"

"No, listen to me. Please. I love you, okay?" Jack reached out with one hand to tenderly wipe the tears from her face. "I promise, I trust you, no matter what. I panicked, and sulked, and yes, I was jealous."

"You had nothing to be jealous of, Jack. Niall is my son; you're my boyfriend." Nikki pulled a face slightly. "That doesn't sound quite right but it's as close as we're getting at the moment."

"I know, it sounds too trivial for us." Jack nodded his agreement, stroking her cheek. "Nikki, how about we go for dinner tonight? You, me and your kid."

"What?"

"If Niall is in your life, then I want him in mine too." Jack leant forward, pressing a light kiss to her lips. "You never know, one day that kid might end up with a step-dad too."

Nikki's eyes widened as she stared at him. Did he really just say what she thought he did? "Did you just…?"

"Not now." Jack hastened to assure her, all too aware of her issues surrounding commitment. "But someday? Yes. At least I hope so."

"…Yes." Nikki decided eventually, squeezing his fingers with a beaming, watery smile. "I'd love to go to dinner with you and Niall. And… also yes, someday sounds nice."

"Really?"

"Really." Nikki smiled again, wiping at her face with her free hand. "Now, we'd best get back to work before Simone sends out a search party."

"Sure. But first, have you any more kids you're hiding from me?"

"Twelve." Nikki quipped. "Harry's the father of ten of them."

"And the other two?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Nikki giggled as Jack pulled her off her chair and onto his lap, smothering her face in teasing butterfly kisses.

"What am I going to do with you?" Jack laughed out, his hands firmly round her waist to hold her steady on his lap.

"I don't know." Nikki replied coyly, her hands on his chest. "What are you going to do with me?"

"Hmm, I think I'll settle for loving you." Jack pulled her in for a comforting embrace. "Forever, if I'm lucky."

The End