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Chapter 3

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Alex glanced to her slightly younger friend who sat quietly in the backseat, worried for him because she knew what was waiting for them when they got back. Rachel had managed to keep away the annoying Precept Giles for as long as Nick was admitted to the hospital, but now that Nick was released, he would be at the mercy of Giles. And that was the whole problem; Giles had no mercy at all. He seemed determined to make sure Nick wouldn't be the new precept of the San Francisco House. They had tried to keep Nick longer in the hospital, but as stubborn as Nick was, they had tried without result. He was out now, and ready to go to Rachel's house.

He looked bad, a ghost of what he had been like. His pale face was accentuated by the dark rings under his eyes, and the many pounds he had lost in weight. Rachel had assumed it was of the grief and quilt, it was eating him away. Rachel saw the worried looks Alex was giving Nick and smiled to her, trying to give some sort of reassurance, though she felt none herself, understanding her worry all too well. They had to make sure their youngest colleague was up and about in no time, to fulfil his tasks as the new precept. The drive home was spend in deepest thoughts and total silence. They gave glances to Nick from time to time, he didn't respond, or was just ignoring them while staring out the window.

"Nick?" Alex had to tell him the facts', knowing to delay it, was to put it of and never to be told. Nick's head snapped up, looking at Alex with the big green eyes, a frown etched on his face, as if he was asking why he was disturbed. Alex knew this was a sign indicating he was listening to her, he wouldn't say a word, that much she had learned the last couple of weeks he had spent in the hospital.

"The house is going to be rebuilt on the Island again; they're already working on it, should be done by the end of the year." And that was only a few months away, but to her it seemed like it was going to take forever. Nick showed no reaction at all, it was like he didn't even care for it.

"Giles is waiting at home for you, we tried to talk it out of him, but he seemed determined that you talk to him and the a few other precepts. It will be a long talk; you think you're up for it?"

The ex-seal just shrugged, he knew he didn't have any other choice, and that he had to face his fate and responsibility as precept. He also knew it was going to be a long talk, he had met Giles, and the guy wouldn't take no for an answer. He was lucky if he could stay team member, or even a member of the Legacy. Somehow that didn't scare him in any way. The Legacy only meant troubles, hurt and pain, and he wasn't sure if he was really up for it again. After loosing Julia, his brother, Kristin and now Derek, he really didn't care.

As soon as they got to Rachel's place, Nick was taken away from them, to the secret meeting of the precepts, deciding over Nick's fate. Nick knew it had to be some sort of tribunal, and that the outcome could really be bad. They took him to a building he did not know and was shown to a conference room, where five people sat before him, looking at him with their cold stone faces, showing no emotion what so ever. Nick just stared back at them. For minutes there was silence, until Giles stood up, looking at the young man with hatred eyes.

"Nicholas Boyle, precept of the San Francisco House, you are here to face the facts about the disappearance of your precept Derek Rayne, and the destruction of your house. We're here to see if you're fit as new precept and if your actions were justified. Will you face the facts and accept the outcome, Mister Boyle?"

The minute Nick said yes, the trial started. And a trial it was. They kept asking him about the explosives, the events and his actions in that. They made him believe he had done it all wrong, they tried to make him confess the fact he had given to much explosives. Nick kept repeating his story over and over, telling them how he had tried to save Derek. But he was telling to the walls, nobody even listened. The day went by unnoticed, and it was almost unbearable to the young precept. He was still exhausted, the accusations driving him mad.

"As I already told you like a hundred times, Derek lured me out, telling me Alex had been attacked. When I wanted to get back in, it was too late."

"Then why did you take the ring?"

"Because Derek insisted on it. I didn't know he was planning to blow himself up."

"But you knew he was going to blow up the house?"

"Ye….No! He was going to close the portal, and that was it, only the portal."

The last hours were like a blur to Nick, the questions fired at him not even making sense anymore. He tried to answer them correct, his eyes kept closing, and he was almost falling from his chair from pure exhaustion. A hand on his shoulder shook him out of it for a moment, the face of the Cairo precept looking down at him. The eyes showed a little compassion, and a friendly smile was etched on the face, but it didn't seem real to Nick. The mouth spoke to him, but the words didn't reach him, they got lost somewhere, and he was too tired to go look for them.

The Cairo precept looked to his fellow precepts with a worried face. The young man looked like a ghost, as if he was about to die. They had to stop; Nick was in no condition to answer anymore of the questions. He was just about to suggest that to the rest, when the young man collapsed, about to fall on the ground and to bump his head nasty, if the precept hadn't caught him just in time. The tribunal was over. They had won.