Moving On Chapter 10, a presidio med fanfic

Chapter Ten

***

Four evenings later, Nick stood at the bar in The Rite Spot watching the small cafe fill up with the staff from Presidio Med. Michelle stood near the stage talking to the house band. The band's lead singer had brought in a synthesizer to produce the symphony-like sound Shel needed for the song she was going to perform.

"Hello, Dr. Kokoris," Maria greeted warmly. "How's Shel doing?"

Nick smiled and nodded toward the stage. "She looks a bit on edge." He noticed her tugging at the short hemline of the skimpy emerald green dress she wore. "But I'm sure she'll be fine."

"I know she will," Maria winked. She had come to rehearsals with Michelle for the last couple of days. "It was nice of Jason to work this out with the band and the owner."

"Yes, it was. He's also contacted her family, trying to get them to show up and give her their support. I'm not sure if he got through to them." Nick gestured toward the stage. "She could use your moral support, Maria."

Maria laughed good-naturedly. "I think you're right. She's going to tug that dress right off if she keeps it up."

Nick chuckled as she made her way toward Michelle and watched her hug the nervous young lady that he had become almost inseparable from. He hadn't imagined when he first saw her that he could become so taken with her, but she was a part of him now. Of course, he hadn't found the words to tell her, he was too afraid of rejection. Again.

"I'm so nervous," Shel whined to Maria. "My voice is going to crack, I know it."

"Stop that," Maria insisted. "You're going to knock their socks off."

"They're not wearing socks," Shel commented, watching Rae, Letty, Harriett, Jules and Jackie enter the room. "Dresses...no socks." She watched while Jason and Liam pushed three tables together for them as Sean Brennan,Tom Roback and Norman joined them.

Michelle took in a nervous breath and let it out slowly. She needed to calm down. When Nick crossed the room to sit at the end of the table with the group, between Norman and Jackie, he locked eyes with her and Michelle instantly knew calm. The serene confidence she saw in the depths of his dark eyes. He had whispered earlier how beautiful she looked and how much he was looking forward to hearing her sing. And somehow his confidence in her chased away her doubts.

Matt pulled a chair up and squeezed in between Norman and Nick. "Did I miss it?"

Nick tore his gaze away from Michelle and turned toward Matt. "No...I think they're about to start."

"Good. I've been dying to hear her since I heard about her act in Vegas."

Chuckling, Nick said, "You make it sound lewd. It was a lounge act not a strip show."

"Says who?" Rae questioned wryly, staring intently at her former lover.

"Shelley," he answered crisply. The sound of tapping the microphone sounded through the speakers ending further conversation.

Jason stood on the low stage, his hand gripping the mic firmly in his hand. "Hi everyone...and welcome to The Rite Spot Cafe. Tonight in addition to our fabulous house band, we have a close friend to many of us here making her California singing debut tonight. I give you...Michelle Chambers!"

He kissed Michelle's cheek lightly when she joined him on the stage. Scanning the crowd quickly, she felt the old familiar thrill of being on stage. She never thought she would miss that feeling, and really hadn't thought she had until she was up on the stage once again.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded to the bandleader, Mick. The mellow tones flowed easily from the keyboards and the whishing taps from the brushes against the drums kept a steady, soft beat. Michelle took a confident breath and began.

Laugh and cry
Live and die
Life is a dream we are dreaming

From the first word, Nick noticed the crowd seemed captivated by the melodious tones of her voice. He felt such a need to approach the stage. How he managed to keep his seat, he'd never know.

Day by day
I find my way
Look for the song and the meaning

With each breath and note she sang, Michelle's confidence returned. She walked the small stage confidently and stopped when she faced Nick.

Then you look at me
And I always see
What I have been searching for
I'm lost as can be
Then you look at me
And I am not lost anymore

His breath caught in his throat as the words echoed in his brain. She looked amazingly beautiful under the muted stage lights. Suddenly he felt as if he was being watched and from the corner of his eye he spotted Rae looking his way. He shrugged her off and turned his attention back to the angel on the stage.

People run
Sun to sun
Caught in their lives ever flowing

Michelle moved slowly across the stage, reaching out and making eye contact with her audience. 'At least they haven't run screaming for the door,' she thought hastily between stanzas.

Once begun
Life goes till it's gone
We have to go where it's going

He watched her glide across the stage with grace and poise. The others were in rapt appreciation of the woman before them and he was proud of her. Of her ability, talent and her willingness to put herself out there, chancing ridicule.

Then you look at me
And I always see
What I have been searching for
I'm lost as can be
Then you look at me
And I am not lost anymore

She held the last note, for how long he was unsure. What he did know was that most people held their hands to their chests, mesmerized and moved by the sound of her voice.

Michelle stepped down from the stage and moved slowly toward Nick.

And you say you see
When you look at me
The reason you love like so
Though lost I have been
I'll find love again

She stood before their table, her eyes locked solidly, heatedly on to his as he stood to meet her.

And life just keeps on running
And life just keeps on running
You look at me

And life comes from...you

The song barely faded away before she found herself in his crushing embrace, his kiss maddeningly passionate, sending her senses reeling. She vaguely recalled the microphone being pried from her fingers while her arms were wrapped around his neck. Gone were the crowd and their reason for being there. To them, they were the only two people on the face of the earth.

Nick felt a tap on his shoulder and heard a loud, distinctive "ahem". He reluctantly broke away from Michelle. "You were fantastic, Shelley," he declared in a husky whisper before turning his attention to the person who dared interrupt them. It was Jackie.

"So, okay...she's got a set of lungs," she joked.

"I'll say," Sean commented and wondered at the frown he received from his wife.

Michelle felt the blush all the way to her toes when the group chorused their agreement.

"Didn't I say you would knock their socks off?" Maria whispered as she hugged her friend.

"Thank you," Michelle whispered in return.

"Now I feel like a heel for even asking for this 'screening'," Norman remarked, taking Michelle by the arm. "I hope you're still willing to join us."

Michelle smiled. "Of course I am. I never realized how much I missed performing."

Norman went on to explain that each in their little group had their own special talent. While he played guitar, Jackie was a drummer, Letty base player, Tom also played guitar and Maria was hell on keyboards.

Nick noticed Michelle's attention move from the group to something in the direction of the bar. He followed her gaze and found Jason and Marsha speaking to a small group of people. When he looked back at Michelle, he saw the tears welled in her eyes.

With a quiet excuse me, she took Nick's hand and headed toward the bar. When he asked if she was all right she only nodded and tightened her grip on his hand.

"Shel! Look who made it!" Jason exclaimed.

Michelle just stared without speaking. She hadn't expected to see her family for some time after the way she was shunned after Rachelle's death. When her father, mother and brother-in-law caught her in a group bear hug she was flabbergasted.

"Mom. Dad. Rick. I..." She trailed off as her gaze fell on each of them in turn.

"Shelley...we can never make up to you for how we treated you. Just know it was all the grief over Rach..." her father began.

"We love you, baby-girl. Can you ever forgive us?" her mother finished.

Michelle nodded as she wiped the tears from her cheek. "I love you," she answered.

"We're glad Jason called to tell us about this little set up. It's been ages since Vegas," Rick laughed.

Michelle chuckled. "You're one of the few unfortunates who knew me then." She chuckled softly as she felt Nick's arm circle around her waist. "I'd like you all to meet Doctor Nicholas Kokoris. Nick, Ben and Dora Chambers and my brother-in-law Rick Marshall."

Nick smiled warmly and offered his hand to Ben. The man was tall, maybe 6'2", clean-shaven and nearly bald. As they shook hands, Nick read the wary look in the older man's eye. Dora was much more accepting, hugging Nick readily. Nick thought her very attractive and the resemblance between mother and daughter was uncanny. Rick held the same wary look in his eye that Ben had. The younger man had a dark complexion, black hair and also stood approximately six feet. It seemed Rachelle and Michelle had similar taste in men.

Nick and Michelle spent the next hour talking with her family. He answered their many questions about his background and listened intently while they unknowingly embarrassed Michelle with stories of her and Rachelle's childhood. He found it extremely amusing that Rick had started out dating Michelle, but the twins secretly switched after the first date because Michelle found out that Rachelle had a crush on Rick. The rest was, as they say, history.

"Where's my little nephew?" Michelle asked suddenly.

Rick smiled fondly. " Rick jr. is at the hotel with Grandma."

"How long will you be in town? I don't want to miss the opportunity to see him and your mom," Michelle stated. "And why a hotel? You know I have room at the house."

Rick grinned. "Ah, well...that might have something to do with Jason tattling that you've been spending an awful lot of time with Nick here." He slapped Nick on the back. "Lord knows we wouldn't want to intrude."

"It wouldn't be..." she started.

"Nonsense, Michelle," Dora interrupted. "And after witnessing that little moment at the end of your song...I would say we made the right decision."

Nick took Michelle's hand and leaned over to whisper in her ear. Through the noise she was only able to make out the words "alone" and "talk". From the intensity in his eyes she began to worry just what he wanted to "talk" about.

"And with that, I think we should call it a night," Ben commented, helping his wife to stand. "We'll call you in the morning, sweetheart," he said and kissed Michelle's cheek and shook Nick's hand.

Nick and Michelle waited until her family had left before saying their goodbyes to the group from Presidio Med, Jason and Marsha and heading back to Michelle's house.