Author's note: I'm sorry for not posting in such a long while. I moved to
another house, and had to deal with the loss of internet connection, lots
of boxes and all the chaos moving brings with it. But I'm back now. This
chapter is for you Denise, thank you for letting me know you love the
story.
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Rachel sat there with Nick for hours, she let him cry, let him express his fear and helplessness. She held on to the little boy, who used to be a grown up man, and prayed that everything was going to be
all right.
The days passed by, weeks flew by, but nothing happened. It was getting summer; the weather was beautiful, not too hot, nor too cold. Rachel brought Kat over, and she and Nick were playing in the garden, trying to catch the first rays of the sun. Their laughter echoed throughout the house, causing Derek to smile. It was a good idea of Rachel to bring Kat here. The lights in Nick's eyes finally returned and his smile was as before, like he was planning something, that boyish smile ladies used to love, when he had the right age, of course.
"What are you laughing about?"
Derek turned around surprised, to find Alex standing beside him. He smiled briefly, seeing the curious glint in her eyes.
"I'm just watching the kids play."
Alex raised an eyebrow, something she had copied from Derek, without even realising she had done so. Derek never called Nick a kid before, only when he was mocking Nick's playful behaviour towards Kat. But it had been jokes back then.
"Why do I get the feeling you're not against the idea of Nick being so young anymore?"
Now it was Derek's turn to raise his eyebrows, his surprise showing with that reaction. "What do you mean, Alex?"
"Oh c'mon Derek. I saw the way Nick's reacting to you. He is seeing you as a father, and that's something you like. You never had a son."
Derek smiled. Alex always red him like a book, somehow he never had the chance of hiding his emotions to her.
"I suppose I don't mind being a father for Nick, he's a great person. But I'm not hoping for anything right now."
"Maybe nothing is going to happen, maybe Nick was given his youth back to try it again, to have pleasant memories, instead of the ones of his father."
Derek smiled amused, shaking his head. "And maybe I'm Santa, no Alex, we're the Legacy, and in the Legacy nothing happens without a reason. Something is going to happen."
Alex nodded, she had that feeling to. "But why and what?"
Derek shook his shoulders. "I don't know, I think we........."
He was interrupted by a scream of Kat. He immediately turned to the window, but saw nothing. He felt sick in his stomach. Where were Kat and Nick? Did something happen? He ran into the garden, where he found Kat sitting on the grass. He grabbed her by the arm. "Where's Nick?"
Kat smiled. "I don't know. We're playing hide and seek, we have to..."
"Where's Nick, Kat? It's important!"
"I don't know. You're hurting me Derek!" She looked at him with big eyes, he was frightening her.
At that moment, Nick came around the corner. He saw Kat's fear and Derek's worried look, a frown etching on his youthful face.
"'What's going on?"
Derek sighed relieved, awfully glad to see Nick up and about, unharmed. He walked to Nick and hugged him tightly. Nick didn't know how to react to this all. Was Derek loosing his mind? Wasn't he supposed to be that up tight no emotions kinda person? Derek saw the look on Nick's face, knowing he had some explaining to do.
"I thought something has happened, I heard Kat scream."
Nick was angry, not understanding Derek's reaction all that well. "We were just playing, people yell when they're having a good time. Jeeezz, lighten up Derek!" He ran off, not looking back, too angry to even noticed the hurt look on his mentor's face.
Nobody spoke at dinner. Everybody was shocked about what happened. Nick was right. They were so worried about what was going to come, they had forgotten how to live in the now. Nick went depressed to bed. He slept almost immediately, from all the stress. Around midnight he awoke, because he felt something touching his face. He opened his eyes and saw a dark haired woman lying beside
him on the bed. She smiled sensual, when she saw him awake.
"Do you remember me, Nick? I don't think you do."
She said with a husky voice. Nick was surprised, to find a woman in his bed, who knew him and was quite goodlooking.
"Are you a Legacy member too?"
He asked it innocently, not sure what else to ask a woman who was laying there, half naked, in his bed. She laughed again, a warm sensual sound.
"Oh no, not in a million years. I'm more like an old friend. I just came to see how you were
doing."
She stroke his face again as if she was mesmerized by that smooth skin. Nick felt uncomfortable with her, he didn't know why, because she was beautiful, but there was something about her.
"I'd better be going now, Nicky, but don't worry, I'll be back. Oh, before I forget it, you can call me Julia."
She kissed him gently on his lips and then disappeared into the thin air.
*****************************************
Rachel sat there with Nick for hours, she let him cry, let him express his fear and helplessness. She held on to the little boy, who used to be a grown up man, and prayed that everything was going to be
all right.
The days passed by, weeks flew by, but nothing happened. It was getting summer; the weather was beautiful, not too hot, nor too cold. Rachel brought Kat over, and she and Nick were playing in the garden, trying to catch the first rays of the sun. Their laughter echoed throughout the house, causing Derek to smile. It was a good idea of Rachel to bring Kat here. The lights in Nick's eyes finally returned and his smile was as before, like he was planning something, that boyish smile ladies used to love, when he had the right age, of course.
"What are you laughing about?"
Derek turned around surprised, to find Alex standing beside him. He smiled briefly, seeing the curious glint in her eyes.
"I'm just watching the kids play."
Alex raised an eyebrow, something she had copied from Derek, without even realising she had done so. Derek never called Nick a kid before, only when he was mocking Nick's playful behaviour towards Kat. But it had been jokes back then.
"Why do I get the feeling you're not against the idea of Nick being so young anymore?"
Now it was Derek's turn to raise his eyebrows, his surprise showing with that reaction. "What do you mean, Alex?"
"Oh c'mon Derek. I saw the way Nick's reacting to you. He is seeing you as a father, and that's something you like. You never had a son."
Derek smiled. Alex always red him like a book, somehow he never had the chance of hiding his emotions to her.
"I suppose I don't mind being a father for Nick, he's a great person. But I'm not hoping for anything right now."
"Maybe nothing is going to happen, maybe Nick was given his youth back to try it again, to have pleasant memories, instead of the ones of his father."
Derek smiled amused, shaking his head. "And maybe I'm Santa, no Alex, we're the Legacy, and in the Legacy nothing happens without a reason. Something is going to happen."
Alex nodded, she had that feeling to. "But why and what?"
Derek shook his shoulders. "I don't know, I think we........."
He was interrupted by a scream of Kat. He immediately turned to the window, but saw nothing. He felt sick in his stomach. Where were Kat and Nick? Did something happen? He ran into the garden, where he found Kat sitting on the grass. He grabbed her by the arm. "Where's Nick?"
Kat smiled. "I don't know. We're playing hide and seek, we have to..."
"Where's Nick, Kat? It's important!"
"I don't know. You're hurting me Derek!" She looked at him with big eyes, he was frightening her.
At that moment, Nick came around the corner. He saw Kat's fear and Derek's worried look, a frown etching on his youthful face.
"'What's going on?"
Derek sighed relieved, awfully glad to see Nick up and about, unharmed. He walked to Nick and hugged him tightly. Nick didn't know how to react to this all. Was Derek loosing his mind? Wasn't he supposed to be that up tight no emotions kinda person? Derek saw the look on Nick's face, knowing he had some explaining to do.
"I thought something has happened, I heard Kat scream."
Nick was angry, not understanding Derek's reaction all that well. "We were just playing, people yell when they're having a good time. Jeeezz, lighten up Derek!" He ran off, not looking back, too angry to even noticed the hurt look on his mentor's face.
Nobody spoke at dinner. Everybody was shocked about what happened. Nick was right. They were so worried about what was going to come, they had forgotten how to live in the now. Nick went depressed to bed. He slept almost immediately, from all the stress. Around midnight he awoke, because he felt something touching his face. He opened his eyes and saw a dark haired woman lying beside
him on the bed. She smiled sensual, when she saw him awake.
"Do you remember me, Nick? I don't think you do."
She said with a husky voice. Nick was surprised, to find a woman in his bed, who knew him and was quite goodlooking.
"Are you a Legacy member too?"
He asked it innocently, not sure what else to ask a woman who was laying there, half naked, in his bed. She laughed again, a warm sensual sound.
"Oh no, not in a million years. I'm more like an old friend. I just came to see how you were
doing."
She stroke his face again as if she was mesmerized by that smooth skin. Nick felt uncomfortable with her, he didn't know why, because she was beautiful, but there was something about her.
"I'd better be going now, Nicky, but don't worry, I'll be back. Oh, before I forget it, you can call me Julia."
She kissed him gently on his lips and then disappeared into the thin air.