Derek studied Nick, looking for any changes in his friend. He was skinnier
than before, and smaller. His face was younger too, more boyish, more like
a teenager. And he could know, he knew Nick form the day he was born. He
decided to try something out, something fairly ridiculous, but maybe
something that was holding the truth.
"Nick, how old are you?"
Nick looked at him in surprise, as well as the two women who stood a little aback. His face showed how stupid he thought the question was, and why the hell he was asked something like that.
"I'm seventeen, you know that. You were there. Just cut the crap and tell me what is going on'? And who are they?"
He pointed at Alex and Rachel, who both looked shocked. Rachel had a worried frown on her face; she had also noted the slight changes in Nick's physical appearance. Derek had heard enough, his suspicion confirmed, although he had fervently hoped he had been wrong. The question remained though, why did it happen and who had done it? He decided to figure that out later. First he had some explaining to do.
"Nick, go to the study room. I'll explain everything to you."
"But....."
"'No buts, I'll be right there!"
He received a stern look from Derek, a look that had made the normal Nick holding back his objections, but the younger one was shutting up immediately. He nodded and left, heading upstairs, to Derek's room. Alex and Rachel looked at Derek with big eyes. Rachel still wore the worried look, and looked at her Precept questioningly.
"You know what's going on?"
"No, I don't. Somehow Nick turned into a boy in a night. I'm going to give him some answers, to questions that are very delicate. I want you two to check for spells or incantations that can change somebody, or something close in that area."
Rachel and Alex exchanged glances, knowing that questions weren't delicate, this situation was. But they knew better then to argue with Derek when he was in this state. Derek sighed. How can you tell a seventeen year old boy, that he's actually twenty seven, that he's a member of the Legacy, that his father is death and that he was a Seal for five years? He did not know, and decided to be best to be straight forward with the answers if the questions were going to be asked.
************************************
Alex stretched her body, glancing at her watch. It had been an hour and things were still quiet in Derek's office. She did not know if it was a good thing though. From what she could have gathered form the young Nick, was that he was shy, and not as forward as her normal colleague was. She wondered what had happened that he changed so much. She looked at Rachel, who was reading through a book.
"I think I've seen enough spells for the day. Did you find anything?"
Rachel shook her head. "Except for fairytales about witches that turn people in toads, no, not really."
"Don't worry, we'll find something sooner or later,"
Derek's heavy Dutch accent answered from behind them. They turned around to see him coming in alone. Rachel looked worried, she feared for Nick's emotional state, and how he was taking it all.
"How did it go?"
Derek shook his shoulders, not really wanting to tell the whole truth, but not hiding it all either. His conversation with the utterly confused young man had been draining for the both of them.
"He took it all pretty well, with his normal sceptic humour. But with Nick, it's always hard to tell." He stopped, thinking for a moment before looking at the blond psychiatrist, knowing she was going to be the perfect company for a confused young man. "Rachel, I was wondering if you could take Nick shopping. His old clothes are too big for him."
Rachel smiled, liking the suggestion Derek made. She had never been able to take him out shopping. Sometimes she did not like the clothes he wore. They were big and baggy, and didn't do him any good. Such a waste for an attractive young man.
"I'd love to. I never had this opportunity." She smiled sweetly to Alex, who grinned back, having the exact same thoughts.
Derek knew what she meant. Nick hated shopping and especially with the girls. He always went alone, to the dismay of the women in the house.
"He's in the hall waiting for you. And be careful, he could snap anytime."
With that he meant the fact that Nick always exploded when things got out of hand, keeping a hard time to control his anger. And the young man was angered; there was no doubt about that.
Rachel nodded, knowing perfectly well what he was talking about and left. Alex still looked worried.
"How did he take it?"
Derek decided to be honest with her, knowing she would understand it, as she had the same gift as him. "He's still confused. He doesn't understand why this is happening to him."
"Well, he's not the only one. Do you know?"
"Only a faint idea. The old Nick was strong, confident, with a lot of experience concerning the Legacy. He was a dangerous opponent. And now he's a young boy, a teenager. He's insecure, weak and confused. Whoever is responsible for this, he will go after Nick soon. And we'll have to be ready!"
Alex was reassured with that answer; it only made her more worried. She did appreciate Derek's honesty towards her. But somehow, it left her with a gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach.
**************************************
"Nick, honey, how's the sweater?"
Nick groaned behind the curtain, throwing a quick glance to the curtain, afraid she might walk right trough it. And did she have to call him honey all the time? It was annoying, very annoying.
"It's no good, Rachel. It's too big."
"I've got a smaller one here."
And before he could stop her, or say something, Rachel entered the fitting- room. He tried to cover up his naked upper body, but he was already too late, as he saw her smile disappear, turning into a shocked expression. She could only gasp when she saw her younger colleague's naked torso. His back was covered in nasty scars, there were long, as if he was beaten with a belt, or whip. His front was no better. She did not understand it, she had never seen such scars on Nick before, and there was no way they could fade away. What had happened? And although she knew the answer to the question she was going to ask him, she asked it.
"My God, who did this to you?"
Nick flushed. He was embarrassed that Rachel saw him like that and immediately backed away from her. He pulled on his old sweater, covering up the scars. He looked away from her, avoiding her gaze.
"Can we go now? I've got enough clothes to last till the next century!"
"Nick, how old are you?"
Nick looked at him in surprise, as well as the two women who stood a little aback. His face showed how stupid he thought the question was, and why the hell he was asked something like that.
"I'm seventeen, you know that. You were there. Just cut the crap and tell me what is going on'? And who are they?"
He pointed at Alex and Rachel, who both looked shocked. Rachel had a worried frown on her face; she had also noted the slight changes in Nick's physical appearance. Derek had heard enough, his suspicion confirmed, although he had fervently hoped he had been wrong. The question remained though, why did it happen and who had done it? He decided to figure that out later. First he had some explaining to do.
"Nick, go to the study room. I'll explain everything to you."
"But....."
"'No buts, I'll be right there!"
He received a stern look from Derek, a look that had made the normal Nick holding back his objections, but the younger one was shutting up immediately. He nodded and left, heading upstairs, to Derek's room. Alex and Rachel looked at Derek with big eyes. Rachel still wore the worried look, and looked at her Precept questioningly.
"You know what's going on?"
"No, I don't. Somehow Nick turned into a boy in a night. I'm going to give him some answers, to questions that are very delicate. I want you two to check for spells or incantations that can change somebody, or something close in that area."
Rachel and Alex exchanged glances, knowing that questions weren't delicate, this situation was. But they knew better then to argue with Derek when he was in this state. Derek sighed. How can you tell a seventeen year old boy, that he's actually twenty seven, that he's a member of the Legacy, that his father is death and that he was a Seal for five years? He did not know, and decided to be best to be straight forward with the answers if the questions were going to be asked.
************************************
Alex stretched her body, glancing at her watch. It had been an hour and things were still quiet in Derek's office. She did not know if it was a good thing though. From what she could have gathered form the young Nick, was that he was shy, and not as forward as her normal colleague was. She wondered what had happened that he changed so much. She looked at Rachel, who was reading through a book.
"I think I've seen enough spells for the day. Did you find anything?"
Rachel shook her head. "Except for fairytales about witches that turn people in toads, no, not really."
"Don't worry, we'll find something sooner or later,"
Derek's heavy Dutch accent answered from behind them. They turned around to see him coming in alone. Rachel looked worried, she feared for Nick's emotional state, and how he was taking it all.
"How did it go?"
Derek shook his shoulders, not really wanting to tell the whole truth, but not hiding it all either. His conversation with the utterly confused young man had been draining for the both of them.
"He took it all pretty well, with his normal sceptic humour. But with Nick, it's always hard to tell." He stopped, thinking for a moment before looking at the blond psychiatrist, knowing she was going to be the perfect company for a confused young man. "Rachel, I was wondering if you could take Nick shopping. His old clothes are too big for him."
Rachel smiled, liking the suggestion Derek made. She had never been able to take him out shopping. Sometimes she did not like the clothes he wore. They were big and baggy, and didn't do him any good. Such a waste for an attractive young man.
"I'd love to. I never had this opportunity." She smiled sweetly to Alex, who grinned back, having the exact same thoughts.
Derek knew what she meant. Nick hated shopping and especially with the girls. He always went alone, to the dismay of the women in the house.
"He's in the hall waiting for you. And be careful, he could snap anytime."
With that he meant the fact that Nick always exploded when things got out of hand, keeping a hard time to control his anger. And the young man was angered; there was no doubt about that.
Rachel nodded, knowing perfectly well what he was talking about and left. Alex still looked worried.
"How did he take it?"
Derek decided to be honest with her, knowing she would understand it, as she had the same gift as him. "He's still confused. He doesn't understand why this is happening to him."
"Well, he's not the only one. Do you know?"
"Only a faint idea. The old Nick was strong, confident, with a lot of experience concerning the Legacy. He was a dangerous opponent. And now he's a young boy, a teenager. He's insecure, weak and confused. Whoever is responsible for this, he will go after Nick soon. And we'll have to be ready!"
Alex was reassured with that answer; it only made her more worried. She did appreciate Derek's honesty towards her. But somehow, it left her with a gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach.
**************************************
"Nick, honey, how's the sweater?"
Nick groaned behind the curtain, throwing a quick glance to the curtain, afraid she might walk right trough it. And did she have to call him honey all the time? It was annoying, very annoying.
"It's no good, Rachel. It's too big."
"I've got a smaller one here."
And before he could stop her, or say something, Rachel entered the fitting- room. He tried to cover up his naked upper body, but he was already too late, as he saw her smile disappear, turning into a shocked expression. She could only gasp when she saw her younger colleague's naked torso. His back was covered in nasty scars, there were long, as if he was beaten with a belt, or whip. His front was no better. She did not understand it, she had never seen such scars on Nick before, and there was no way they could fade away. What had happened? And although she knew the answer to the question she was going to ask him, she asked it.
"My God, who did this to you?"
Nick flushed. He was embarrassed that Rachel saw him like that and immediately backed away from her. He pulled on his old sweater, covering up the scars. He looked away from her, avoiding her gaze.
"Can we go now? I've got enough clothes to last till the next century!"