Chapter Twenty

Nicki awoke a little after 7am, rolling over carefully, manoeuvring muscles that hadn't been worked out in years, maybe ever, she turned on her side . Dean lay on his back, one arm across his ribs protectively, the other hanging off the bed, he looked peaceful, despite the bruising and gauze which wrapped his being in their warm embrace. Sam sat on a chair next to the bed, feet resting by Dean's hip on the soft mattress, his head was tiled back and his mouth slightly open. Both men emitted soft snores, almost in unison.

Nicki sighed and pulled herself into a sitting position. It was hard to believe what she had been through in the past two days, hard to believe it had only been two days. Since deciding visiting her Aunt would be the perfect way to relax and get her head together, she'd been kidnapped, threatened, had murdered vampires and run for her life.

Puts things into perspective.

She needed to call her Dad. Not a conversation she was looking forward to, part of her didn't know if he'd want to talk to her now that he'd had time to think about their argument, but still, she needed to hear his voice, and as Aunt Grace always says, 'If there's something needs doing that you're scared of honey, do it right away so that by the time your mind catches up, the deed is done'.

Nicki smiled as she quietly closed the door to the brother's motel room and made her way along the path to the reception and main house. Aunt Grace was the perfect person to help her sort things out, help her get her mind straight. Aunt Grace took no crap and was never afraid to give someone a kick up their ass to get them moving along.

She found her Aunt in the kitchen, already up and making breakfast.

"Hey Aunt Grace"

"Oh honey, so good to see you up" Grace engulfed her Niece in a fierce hug, Nicki could feel herself drowning in the woman's depths, the warmth making it's way through her tired skin and into her weary bones, spreading it's fingers through her muscles and into her blood stream, travelling to her heart where the organ swelled and beat with a love long forgotten.

Nicki buried her face in her Aunts shoulder and Grace held tight as she felt the young woman give into her grief, her shudders reverberated throughout Grace's soul and she felt her own tears begin to fall, fall for Maggie, fall for Mark, fall for Connor and rest upon Nicki's slender shoulder.

A year of grief, a year of not knowing who she was without her mother, a year lost.

Being lost.

Found.

Found within the arms of the love holding her upright, pinning her to the ground and feeding her the strength she needed to walk tall, to stay connected to the earth. To not give up.

So many times the blade had hovered above the skin.

So many thoughts, a quick movement and it would have been over.

But Nicki couldn't do that, she couldn't abandon the family she had left. She would see her mother again. When the time was right.

Grace smoothed Nicki's hair , ran her hands along her niece's back until she felt the tremors begin to subside, the hitching in her breath begin to calm.

Nicki turned her head to look at her Aunt, the silent understanding within the depths of their eyes gave way to an inner pact. I'm here for you. You'll be ok.

Nicki nodded and Grace smiled.

"Ok honey?"

"Yeah Aunt Grace"

"You sure?"

"No more running away"

"Oh child that's all I've wanted you to say for so long"

"I'm so sorry, so sorry for everything"

Nicki's voice had begun to take on a panicked tone as the weight of her actions, the weight of her ordeal began to assault her every nerve.

"Nicki" Grace cupped her face within her warm, safe hands. "You have nothing to be sorry for, you watched your mother die child, you almost died with her. You are entitled to fall, to collapse to your knee's, but hear me now, you are to get up off them, you are to stay here until you learn to stand proud, hold your head high and meet the world with open arms. Just as Maggie would have wanted, she was a brave woman Nicki, and you have that strength and don't you forget it. Honour your mothers memory honey."

"How?" Nicki forced her eyes to meet her Aunts.

"By remembering her, by loving her, and by taking a step forward when the world is pushing you back"

"Is that how you did it? When Uncle Albert died?"

"Yes honey, and it's not easy, lord knows it's not easy. But it can be done."

Nicki smiled at her Aunt and walked toward the stove, wiping tears away with every step. Grace watched as her niece's shoulders straightened, her gait strengthened. Small steps baby, we all take small steps toward each other with our arms held open to hope.

"What are you cooking?"

"Well honey, I thought you could all use a good old fashioned fried breakfast, complete with pancakes and bacon."

"Sounds wonderful"

"After breakfast I want to call the sheriff up in Lockton, you can give him a description of those drifters that kidnapped you"

"I don't think they'll find them though Aunt Grace, they all left pretty quickly once we escaped, we saw them drive off out of town"

"But still honey, people need to be warned"

"I'll call after breakfast, I promise"

"Good girl. Now, are those boys awake?"

"They will be when they smell this cooking"

Grace passed Nicki the bacon and pan and busied herself with the pancake mix, both women worked contentedly, oblivious to the figure watching them from the hallway.

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Another short chapter, but i promise to make it up to you all

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