Firstly, thank you for the reviews....they really inspire me to write
more:)
Secondly, I apologise for this chapter being so brief. The next will be longer.
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Alex stirred, moaning a little. What was that noise? She could hear banging, and something that sounded suspiciously like......cursing? For an instant, she almost panicked. Until she realised that she only knew of one person that could curse like that. Nick Boyle.
She could vaguely remember him saying something about the maintenance of the security system last night, utilising some of the words and phrases she could hear floating up from downstairs now. And before she had retired to bed the previous evening, she had seen him laying out several tools in preparation for the day ahead., one of which was a blowtorch. She had fleetingly wondered what he would be using that for, but fatigue had overcome her before she'd had the chance to ask.
She sighed at the thought of Nick. He still seemed tired, even though she'd thought he was getting it together after their talk the other night. But, nothing had changed. She had taken to watching him, making sure he was eating and getting to bed at a reasonable hour.
Alex knew he was aware of her watchful eye, and he had tolerated it so far, making a conscious effort to humour her. But now she could tell he was beginning to get annoyed. She found herself feeling very glad that Rachel had been able to make time in her busy schedule to come over today.
She was actually making the trip to see them both, but Alex had secret hopes that she would be able to get something out of Nick with those techniques that she was paid to use.
She got out of bed, heading for the shower. She had bought a few things since all of her belongings had perished in the fire that had consumed the mansion. Things like a few pieces of clothing, and some other essentials. The Boston house thankfully had most of the other things they needed, but it was not enough.
After the shower, she got dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweater, the best clothes she owned at the moment. She thought about inviting Rachel on a shopping spree, should she have time. They hadn't been able to do something so -- well, normal really, as go shopping, in a long time.
Feeling rejuvenated by the idea, she went downstairs to find Nick. The banging and cursing had ceased when she was in the shower, leaving an air of ominous silence in it's wake.
'Ominous silence in it's wake? I have got to stop reading those Victorian Legacy case files,' Alex joked to herself.
She found her way to the Boston Control room easily this time, entering and looking for Nick. She saw a pair of feet sticking out from under the same control panel she had caught him labouring under her first night back. Laughing quietly to herself, she moved over to him. The laughter stopped, however, when she realised that he was wearing the same clothes as he had on the previous evening.
' I know he went to bed last night, I practically had to march him there. He must have come back down later. The little sneak,' she thought to herself.
She decided it was time for a little payback for his sneaking around. She moved closer to him, slowly, so she didn't alert him. He seemed intent on his task, his whispered imprecations only coming every now and then. She opened her mouth, and in her loudest voice said, "Nick!"
His reaction was everything that she had hoped for. He jumped, forgetting where he was and banging his head, his curses coming loud and strong.
Smiling at her achievement, she crouched down next to him. She could see him rubbing the spot on his head that had connected with the underside of the panel.
"Good morning Nick," she said in her most innocent voice. "You know, you want to be more careful in future. You don't want a concussion. Well -- *another* concussion, anyway." It was all she could do to suppress her laughter at the expression on his face.
"Thanks for the warning, Alex," he said, gritting his teeth.
"Pity it came a bit late," he then ground out, his tone promising that he was going to get even with her. He clearly wasn't amused.
'Oh well," she mentally shrugged. "It was well worth it. Alex Moreau managed to startle Nick Boyle rather than the other way round. This was a good morning.'
Sobering as she remembered her reason for wanting payback, she frowned. "Nick? I thought you went to bed last night. So what are you still doing here?"
Nick lay back on the floor, resuming his previous position and continuing his work while dividing his attention between the machine and Alex.
"I did. I couldn't get to sleep, and I figured I might as well do something constructive, so I came down here. This damn thing is still acting up, so every minute spent with it is needed." He fiddled about with something. "Why are you up so early, anyway?"
Alex jumped to her feet, shaking out a leg that had almost gone numb from her previous awkward position. "Early?" she asked, echoing him.
"Nick, it's gone 11:00 am. I slept in."
Nick tore his gaze from the panel, and looked up. Suprise was written all over his tired face, but all he said was, "Oh."
Alex sighed in exasperation. "Well anyway, Rachel will be here in a few hours. So what I suggest is, you go take a nap, then a shower, and be here to greet a friend that has made a trip all the way to Boston to see us."
She tried her best command tone, the one she had used on Derek every time he had tried to leave the hospital prematurely after the explosion.
Nick smiled, levering himself up from the floor with a little difficulty after so long laying prone.
"Yes, sir," he said, earning himself a playful swat from Alex as he passed. "Just don't let me sleep too long, okay?"
Alex nodded dutifully, ushering him out of the room with hands waving.
When he had gone, she sighed.
"What am I going to do with you Nick?" she whispered. She sat down to check over the status reports that had come in from the other houses. "I have no idea," she answered herself.
**********
Secondly, I apologise for this chapter being so brief. The next will be longer.
***************
Alex stirred, moaning a little. What was that noise? She could hear banging, and something that sounded suspiciously like......cursing? For an instant, she almost panicked. Until she realised that she only knew of one person that could curse like that. Nick Boyle.
She could vaguely remember him saying something about the maintenance of the security system last night, utilising some of the words and phrases she could hear floating up from downstairs now. And before she had retired to bed the previous evening, she had seen him laying out several tools in preparation for the day ahead., one of which was a blowtorch. She had fleetingly wondered what he would be using that for, but fatigue had overcome her before she'd had the chance to ask.
She sighed at the thought of Nick. He still seemed tired, even though she'd thought he was getting it together after their talk the other night. But, nothing had changed. She had taken to watching him, making sure he was eating and getting to bed at a reasonable hour.
Alex knew he was aware of her watchful eye, and he had tolerated it so far, making a conscious effort to humour her. But now she could tell he was beginning to get annoyed. She found herself feeling very glad that Rachel had been able to make time in her busy schedule to come over today.
She was actually making the trip to see them both, but Alex had secret hopes that she would be able to get something out of Nick with those techniques that she was paid to use.
She got out of bed, heading for the shower. She had bought a few things since all of her belongings had perished in the fire that had consumed the mansion. Things like a few pieces of clothing, and some other essentials. The Boston house thankfully had most of the other things they needed, but it was not enough.
After the shower, she got dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweater, the best clothes she owned at the moment. She thought about inviting Rachel on a shopping spree, should she have time. They hadn't been able to do something so -- well, normal really, as go shopping, in a long time.
Feeling rejuvenated by the idea, she went downstairs to find Nick. The banging and cursing had ceased when she was in the shower, leaving an air of ominous silence in it's wake.
'Ominous silence in it's wake? I have got to stop reading those Victorian Legacy case files,' Alex joked to herself.
She found her way to the Boston Control room easily this time, entering and looking for Nick. She saw a pair of feet sticking out from under the same control panel she had caught him labouring under her first night back. Laughing quietly to herself, she moved over to him. The laughter stopped, however, when she realised that he was wearing the same clothes as he had on the previous evening.
' I know he went to bed last night, I practically had to march him there. He must have come back down later. The little sneak,' she thought to herself.
She decided it was time for a little payback for his sneaking around. She moved closer to him, slowly, so she didn't alert him. He seemed intent on his task, his whispered imprecations only coming every now and then. She opened her mouth, and in her loudest voice said, "Nick!"
His reaction was everything that she had hoped for. He jumped, forgetting where he was and banging his head, his curses coming loud and strong.
Smiling at her achievement, she crouched down next to him. She could see him rubbing the spot on his head that had connected with the underside of the panel.
"Good morning Nick," she said in her most innocent voice. "You know, you want to be more careful in future. You don't want a concussion. Well -- *another* concussion, anyway." It was all she could do to suppress her laughter at the expression on his face.
"Thanks for the warning, Alex," he said, gritting his teeth.
"Pity it came a bit late," he then ground out, his tone promising that he was going to get even with her. He clearly wasn't amused.
'Oh well," she mentally shrugged. "It was well worth it. Alex Moreau managed to startle Nick Boyle rather than the other way round. This was a good morning.'
Sobering as she remembered her reason for wanting payback, she frowned. "Nick? I thought you went to bed last night. So what are you still doing here?"
Nick lay back on the floor, resuming his previous position and continuing his work while dividing his attention between the machine and Alex.
"I did. I couldn't get to sleep, and I figured I might as well do something constructive, so I came down here. This damn thing is still acting up, so every minute spent with it is needed." He fiddled about with something. "Why are you up so early, anyway?"
Alex jumped to her feet, shaking out a leg that had almost gone numb from her previous awkward position. "Early?" she asked, echoing him.
"Nick, it's gone 11:00 am. I slept in."
Nick tore his gaze from the panel, and looked up. Suprise was written all over his tired face, but all he said was, "Oh."
Alex sighed in exasperation. "Well anyway, Rachel will be here in a few hours. So what I suggest is, you go take a nap, then a shower, and be here to greet a friend that has made a trip all the way to Boston to see us."
She tried her best command tone, the one she had used on Derek every time he had tried to leave the hospital prematurely after the explosion.
Nick smiled, levering himself up from the floor with a little difficulty after so long laying prone.
"Yes, sir," he said, earning himself a playful swat from Alex as he passed. "Just don't let me sleep too long, okay?"
Alex nodded dutifully, ushering him out of the room with hands waving.
When he had gone, she sighed.
"What am I going to do with you Nick?" she whispered. She sat down to check over the status reports that had come in from the other houses. "I have no idea," she answered herself.
**********
