Weeks passed and winter gave way to spring. The snow melted and the sun began to peek through the clouds again. Nicky settled uncomfortably, and rather reluctantly, into a sober life. And whilst Red's arm healed, Nicky wondered what had caused the other fractures in her.

It was in the quiet moments that Nicky noticed that something wasn't quite right. In the moments when Red watched her out of the corner of her eye. The moments when the older woman stared into space. When her eyes would mist and her breath would catch in her throat, but she would never explain why. When she would call even if she was ten minutes later than she said she would be. There was something under Red's skin; a layer of anxiety that she couldn't shake, no matter how tough she played.

One particularly early morning had let her see Red cry. She had peeked through the window wanting to surprise her, but instead saw a much older woman than she remembered, hunched over a cardboard box. It had shaken her.

Truthfully, Nicky wanted to level the playing field. It irritated her that Red knew so much about her, yet she knew next to nothing about Red. There was a secret between husband and wife - she could hear the way Dmitri spoke in guarded tones, the way he looked at her sometimes. There was something. And she was determined to figure it out. It had almost become her new addiction, replacing heroin. It wasn't healthy, and she felt guilty when Red caught her staring and gave her a small smile, but she just couldn't let it go.

It was only when they had a lull in customers at the market that Nicky got curious enough to ask. Now that Red's arm was better, she'd taken to dragging Nicky along to the market to help serve customers and keep an eye on her. She had been pleasantly surprised when the only resistance Nicky gave was a complaint about early mornings.

The rag in Nicky's hand rubbed halfheartedly over the market countertop three times before she worked up the nerve to ask the question. She glanced at Red washing dishes out of the corner of her eye as the older woman pretended not to notice. Her attention was more on the crumbs that had been pushed from one side to the other over and over. When the final dish was sat dripping on the drying rack, Nicky cleared her throat.

"Did something happen to you?"

Red looked up, a quizzical expression present on her features. She hadn't been expecting that question. A complaint about the customers for the third time this morning, that's what she'd expected. Reaching for a rag, she raised her eyebrows.

"Something?" she asked. There was a twinkle in her eye. "Things happen every day. Life tends to do 'things', you know."

Nicky frowned. "No, I meant…" she searched for the right words. None came to mind. "Something bad."

The look on Red's face almost made Nicky regret asking. Almost. She stopped drying her hands, the towel hanging limply in front of her. Heaving a sigh, Red perched on a stool at the counter.

"Well," she said, running her thumb down the length of her jaw. She wondered what Nicky was getting at. If she'd heard something, if she'd seen something…"Bad things are a part of life, too." A wistful smile painted over the pain on her face.

As Nicky was about to dig deeper, the bell on the door rang, signalling a customer entering the market. In an instant Red was transformed from haunted mother to businesswoman, and she greeted the customer with gusto.

"Nicky, the menus please," Red said, all traces of grief washed away. Nicky nodded swiftly, counting out a couple of menus and placing them down with a smile. She didn't quite have Red's aptitude for customer service, but she was getting there.

And with that, the moment had vanished. Underneath her apron, Red's heart still thudded at the thought of having to relive that awful moment in her life. She hoped her makeup had covered all the blood draining out of her face, but she doubted it.

The day drew to a close. Sunlight had faded so that the market was swathed in dusky pinks, and Red smiled as Nicky swept the floor.

"You can head off early, if you want," Red offered. She drained the last of her coffee and set the mug down on the counter. "I'm just going to balance the register."

Nicky nodded. When she'd first started working at the market, Red had shown Nicky the ropes. Anything and everything, including balancing the register. When Nicky had resisted the last task, feigning headaches and being terrible at math, Red had probed further. Nicky could be lazy, but she was eager to please.

"I don't trust myself," the blonde mumbled. "I don't wanna…" It was a hard thing to admit, and she hesitated. "I don't wanna steal from you, Red."

As much as she hated to think about it, she had stolen from Marka. She'd been a terrible mother, but stealing from family wasn't something Nicky wanted to be known for. And Red...well, she was starting to feel a lot like family.

Red stared at Nicky, dumbfounded. After a moment, she let out a deep sigh, resting her forehead against her fingers. Nicky had chewed the inside of her cheek so much that she was tasting blood before Red continued.

"I'm sorry."

Nicky blinked. For all the reactions she'd been expecting, that wasn't one of them. "You're...sorry?"

Red swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes, I am."

Her boys would never have dreamed of stealing from her. They knew what the consequences would have been, and they feared them. They also respected their mother and her business. She'd built it from the ground up on her own, and she was proud of it. Stealing from her would have been akin to stabbing her in the back.

Tricia had been too young, too fragile, and too fleeting in Red's life, to ever have been given the chance to work. Red had dreamed of it, but it had never come to fruition. It just hadn't been meant to be. So she simply hadn't thought of the pull of addiction. How tempting the money must be to Nicky, how much she could have bought with it.

Red placed her hand over Nicky's, relieved when she didn't pull away. "I'm sorry I didn't think. I'm sorry you feel that way. But one day, it will be easier. And one day, you will cash up for me. Because I believe in you. Okay?"

Nicky looked down at their hands, one over the other. "Okay."

Red was going to balance the register, but it wouldn't take long. Truthfully, she just needed some time alone. Ever since Nicky had mentioned "something bad" happening, Tricia had been playing on her mind.

The image of her girl on that mortuary slab permeated her brain. Even when she tried to remember happier times, that image flashed in her mind. It haunted her. She couldn't even shake it in dreams - and, though she hated to even admit it crossed her mind, sometimes she saw Nicky's face, too.

"I'll meet you…" Nicky began, trailing off at the end. She couldn't bring herself to end the sentence, yet she badly wanted to.

"At home, yes," Red finished for her, a small smile playing on her lips. Nicky had earned enough to rent her own room by now, and whilst she did stay there most nights, she spent most of her evenings at Red's.

Nicky picked up her bag and threw her jacket on over her shoulders. "I'm going to see Lorna first," she said, flipping her hair out of her jacket.

Red nodded absently. She still wasn't sure what the deal was with those two, but she'd overheard enough heated conversations with Lorna on the phone that she could sense that she was probably bad news.

"Why don't you visit your mother?" Red asked. She'd been wondering about the elusive Marka for a few weeks now. Whilst what she'd heard of her wasn't great, she didn't feel happy that she was the one keeping a mother from her child.

"What?" Nicky stuttered. She looked stricken and the hands that fastened her coat paused midair. "Are you saying you want me to go back to Marka?"

Red looked up, blinking in surprise. "Of course not," she said bluntly. "We'd never throw you out, Nicky. But she's still your mother. I bet she misses you."

"You don't know Marka."

"No, but I know you," Red sighed. "You don't want to hurt her. Don't be that person. Go and see her. Show her you're alright. And then meet me at home. It'll just be me and you tonight. Dmitri has some work."

Nicky glared, but she relented. "Fine."

Nicky stood outside of Marka's building, taking a drag from her cigarette. It was the last one in the packet and whilst she was dragging it out, she also knew she couldn't put it off any longer. She'd already spent some time calling Lorna and trying to let her know she was running late, but she hadn't even answered. It had put her in a bad mood before she'd even begun her actual task.

Red had been right. It was important to show Marka that she was alright, if only to show that she could do it without her money. But still, she resisted buzzing the door. It would be awkward, and if there was anything Nicky hated, it was awkwardness.

The elevator ride up to the top floor was the longest ride she'd ever taken in her life. Each floor seemed to pass in slow motion. When she finally reached the floor, she hotfooted it to Marka's door. Knocking on it once and not getting a response, she began to get antsy. She gave the door another loud rap and waited. When again there was no response, she called, "Marka, it's me. Nicky. It's been a while but I wanted to see you."

It wasn't a lie, but not wholly the truth, either. When there was no response to this, either, Nicky frowned. Assuming her mom was punishing her for the radio silence, and for all of the phonecalls she'd dodged, Nicky glared at the door.

"Marka! Open the door, damn it. I'm trying to make it up to you!" She huffed in annoyance. "Fine! If you don't wanna answer, I'm just gonna hit the door until you do."

"She's not coming out, sweetheart." An older man poked his head through the door on the opposite side of the corridor. "Mrs Nichols is in Prague."

"Prague?" Nicky echoed. "What the actual fuck."

He looked at her sour expression and shrugged. "Sorry, kid."

Nicky kicked the door once and then nodded at the neighbor, ducking her head. Her cheeks stung with heat. "Thanks, man. Not your fault."

In truth, she was pissed. She turned on her heel and fled the building, her face set like thunder. She'd pushed aside her meeting with Lorna for this, and yet again, Marka had let her down. She stood outside of the building and called Lorna one last time. It went to voicemail.

"Call me back, will ya?" Nicky snapped. "I thought we had a date." Her voice faltered. "I kinda need you now. Okay. Call me back," she repeated.

Hanging up, she made her way back to Red's apartment. She slipped the key out from under the mat and unlocked the door. It was empty, as Red had said. Slipping out of her jacket, she threw herself down on the couch.

It was sitting in the silence that gave her the idea to snoop around. She knew it was wrong, and she knew she shouldn't from the guilty feeling forming as a pit in her stomach, but she couldn't help herself. Walking around the perimeter of the room, she lifted up pieces of paper and opened drawers. Every time she heard someone's footsteps on the ground outside she shifted guiltily.

It was in the airing cupboard that she finally found something. The cardboard box she'd seen on that fateful morning. Before she put it down, she wiped over the countertop to make sure it was clean. Placing it carefully down on the countertop, Nicky closed the airing cupboard. It was clearly important to Red and she didn't want to damage it.

Before she could look at the contents, though, her phone rang throughout the room. Sighing, she fished it from her pocket. Upon seeing Lorna's name, her eyes lit up.

Darkness had fallen over the city before Red got home. When she put her key into the door, she could sense something was wrong. The atmosphere was just...different. Call it mothers' intuition, but she didn't even want to open the door.

When she did, she saw Nicky heaped on the couch. Her face was pressed into a pillow and though she couldn't hear crying, she was definitely breathing weirdly. Red tentatively shook Nicky's shoulder.

The blonde sprang up with a shock. "Red," she stuttered, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "I didn't think you'd be back so soon."

Red looked at Nicky warily. She didn't look high. She just looked wrong. No sparkle in her eye, no cheery greeting, not even a sarcastic remark about Marka. Red frowned. She knew that look from raising three boys. Something wasn't right.

"What's wrong?" Red demanded. "What have you done?"

"Nothing," she said flatly. "I haven't done anything."

Red sighed inwardly. She hated riddles, and she hated going round in circles. Her girl wasn't in immediate danger sitting in front of her, so she nodded swiftly, and began to unbutton her coat. When Red said nothing else, Nicky had to fill the silence.

"Lorna's getting married," Nicky said quietly, placing her phone in her lap. She stared at the phone as if it was its fault for being the object that made it possible to hear the message. Copper curls fell in front of her face as she stared down.

Red glanced at Nicky, the only indication that she was stumped for words being hands that stopped unbuttoning. The sound of Red taking her coat and shoes off had been a pleasant background noise. The silence was suddenly deafening. When Red finally spoke, it was in soft, measured tones.

"That's...wonderful," she said, pulling off her gloves. She met Nicky's eye, her own blue eyes crinkling. "But I'm sorry, honey."

"I know you are," Nicky managed, blinking back tears. She tapped her phone against her leg, shrugging like she didn't care. Red knew better than to believe the act, though. "Lorna's not, though."

"She will be," Red said. "One day, when she's at home with a baby and wishing you were by her side."

Nicky smiled, but it was a visible effort. Red's words were kind but empty. What wasn't empty was the way Red grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch, sat down on one side, and patted the seat next to her. She was torn on whether Nicky would accept her offer or not, but the gesture was worth it anyway.

Nicky hesitated for a moment. Keeping someone at a distance was easy, getting close was harder and opened yourself up for a world of pain. But as the tears began to splash down her cheeks, she couldn't help but dive down onto the seat. The warmth that met her was foreign.

Red immediately enfolded her into her arms. "Shh, shh," the older woman said gently, coiling a curl of Nicky's hair around her finger. She rocked Nicky like a baby, one arm round her waist, one on her cheek.

After some time of rocking, Red sat her up a little. "Everything will be okay, hmm? You know that?"

Nicky shook her head. "I really loved her," she said through tears. "I still love her."

"Love doesn't just evaporate," Red said, resting her chin on Nicky's head. "But it will fade." And I will be there as it does, she added silently. She brushed some hair from Nicky's eyes and wiped away stray tears. "How are you feeling?"

Nicky shrugged. "Like I wanna go out and get fucking high."

Red couldn't pretend that didn't hurt. It showed on her face and the way she pulled away, but she tried to stay neutral.

Nicky looked up at Red with watery eyes. "I just wanna forget."

"You never forget, silly girl," she sighed. "You never forget those you love. No matter how much shit you shoot into your arms. Or smoke. Or snort. I'm not au fait with the drugs these days."

Nicky snorted a laugh, and Red smiled despite the uneasy feeling in her stomach. It looked like everything was gonna be okay.

Red squeezed Nicky one last time before coming to a stand. "Let me make dinner. Everyone feels better with a full stomach."

Though eating was the last thing on Nicky's mind, she nodded all the same. Cooking was the way Red showed her feelings. The way she released her own. If it helped Red, she reasoned, it would probably help her. Red smiled down at her.

"Let's see.." Red said, walking over to the kitchen. "You want chicken? I make a good chicken. You know, I even caught one once. It was walking round the neighborhood like it owned the place and…" Red trailed off.

Nicky snickered at the mental image of Red trying to corral a chicken. "And?" Nicky prompted.

Red was staring at the cardboard box on the kitchen countertop. Nicky had forgotten all about it as she had picked up Lorna's phonecall. Seeing it there on the countertop somehow took Red's breath away. She placed a shaking hand on top of it. Everything Tricia had ever owned in the world was in there. She kept it in a safe place, and now it had been moved.

Nicky turned round, the color draining from her face as she saw what Red was looking at. They locked eyes.

Red's eyes were dark and her tone was harsh. "Have you been looking through that box? Nicky, answer me!"

A/N:

It has been a minute since I've updated this one, let me tell you!
Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed it...
Let me know what you thought!

- Star xo