Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful festive season. I am very excited to share this story with you, I've been working on it for a few months now but I just wanted to say a few things before you get started.
I have done this completely on my own so I know for a fact that some things aren't going to be accurate so much of this story is going to be more character based rather than the whole pathology/forensic side. I have included them to the best of my ability - stealing a few ideas (science wise) from the show here and there just to help me along the way (Sorry!) This has been set out like a series would be so I'm going to be uploading two chapters a week at around 9pm (GMT) every Monday and Tuesday. I started writing this story a little while before Adam Yuen was announced as the new character and I did debate on going back and changing it for a while but, I decided to stick with my idea.
I wanted to do this story because I am so going to miss having those familiar faces on our screens this January and I wanted to, in some sort of way, emulate that feeling (obviously it will be nowhere near as good as the actual show!).
I would like to dedicate this story to anyone who has ever left a review, you keep me going when I don't feel like writing much. You really do brighten up my day. There are a few other people who I would like to thank for being there for me and for making me smile when I have needed it the most...you know who you are :) You keep me inspired. So without further ado, here goes. I hope you enjoy.
Fragile is the Heart - Part One
Summary: Sam Ryan is back and a new arrival is headed for the Lyell as a case of a missing girl comes along their way. How are Jack and Nikki going to take this new change in dynamic?
Four months. Four months since Thomas had died saving lives. Four months since Clarissa decided to take another path in life. Four months since Nikki's and Jack's lives had been turned upside down, when the four of them had quickly dwindled down to just the two of them.
It wasn't to be for very long however as after the Lyell had to be deep cleaned and they had their few weeks of freedom, they had soon arrived back to see someone else's name on Thomas' office door. A name that Nikki had heard in passing over the past couple of years but never had the chance to meet. Professor Sam Ryan. They had offered Nikki the job just as they had before. But she once again declined, one day she would accept it but it had to be under the right circumstances and not because her predecessor had died unexpectedly right in front of her.
Sam had been just as has she had expected from the way that Leo and Harry had described her all those years ago. She wasn't too dissimilar from Nikki in the way that they chose to work and she had quickly realised why Leo and Harry had often compared her to her over the years. Jack had been frosty towards her in the beginning, he had never been that good with new people. Especially given the reason Sam had been employed again, he had been the same with Thomas when he first arrived. But it didn't take long for the two of them to bond and before long they were getting on like a house on fire.
Nikki had arrived to work first that day, as usual. She had always been a stickler for being early, wanting to get herself in the right headspace straight away. Sam soon joined not long after her, carrying two coffee's in her hand, one for herself and the other for Nikki. She never bothered getting one for Jack, he was more often than not late for work, wanting to get himself a round in at the gym beforehand. He wasn't unlike Nikki; wanting to get himself ready for the day ahead, he just had a completely different approach to her.
"Can you tell Jack when he gets here that I want to see the two of you in my office please," Sam breathed, setting the paper cup down on Nikki's desk.
Nikki looked up at Sam, her brows furrowing, "Sounds ominous, what's it about?"
"Nothing to worry about," she replied. "Just something that I think the Lyell could really benefit from and I want to know what the two of you think of the idea."
"Okay," Nikki dragged out, not entirely convinced. "Well we'll be straight in as soon as he gets here." She took a sip of her drink before turning back to her computer and watching as Sam disappeared into her office.
Sam had probably done more for the Lyell in the past couple of months than had been done in a very long time. She was always coming up with new and fresh ideas to really push them out there. To really get a name for themselves again. Thomas was losing his spark towards the end and the Lyell had started to get a bad name; thanks to certain people who were determined to bring them down. But Sam had somehow turned that all around and worked it towards their own advantage and now they were getting more cases than they had had in years.
It had felt as though they had been getting a new case everyday which had certainly kept them on their toes. But had also meant that they were going to have start thinking about employing more people to work alongside the three of them. They could only do so much and were now starting to get desperate for an extra pair of hands around the place. Maybe that was what Sam had wanted to talk to them about, Nikki had thought to herself.
Making her jump was Jack bustling through the doors, his face bright red and the sweat dripping down his face. He clearly didn't leave himself enough time to cool down and have a shower before coming to work. She chuckled at him, glancing over at him as he settled down in his chair.
"Good morning," she let out as he sighed and leaned back, placing his hands behind his head. "Everything alright?"
"Perfect," he moved again, now resting his elbows on the desk.
"Well I hate to make your morning worse but Sam has asked to see the both of us in her office," she spoke, standing up and making her way out of the room.
"What about?" Jack questioned, his eyes following her.
Nikki shrugged her shoulders, turning back to him, "Your guess is as good as mine."
Jack groaned, standing up himself and trailing closely behind Nikki as they walked into what was now Sam's office. It hadn't changed that much from when Thomas had occupied it, save for a few things being in different places and new paintings on the wall. Although if Nikki really thought about it, it still had a sense of Leo about it. Like he was still hanging around, still watching over her.
"Right, now that the both of you are here, I can tell you the reason I've brought you in here," Sam started, looking up at the pair as she sat behind her desk. "As you both know we have been very busy over the past couple of weeks, every police department wanting to send cases our way. As a result, we need an extra pair of hands around the place, to assist closely in these cases. I have been wondering how I was going to do that until I received an email the other week. From the University."
Sam paused for a moment, allowing Jack and Nikki to get their heads around what she was trying to say to them, "They have asked if we will take on one of their students for the next year or so. As a sort of work placement to aid their course. It will throw them right in the deep end and get them used to what it is they'll eventually be working with once they graduate," her eyes flicked between the two, trying to gauge a reaction. "I think something like this will be really good for the Lyell. I know we've had graduates helping out in the past with the odd thing here and there but we've never had someone come in full time and get to come out with us and work on the cases closely."
Nikki nodded, taking it all in. She was quite open to the idea but her mind was quick to remind her of what had happened a couple of years ago, when her whole career had nearly been shattered because of a student that she had been mentoring. If Sam were to go down this route then she would have to do a thorough background check. She didn't think the Lyell would survive another blow like that somehow.
Jack on the other hand, wasn't too sure. It sounded like a good idea but with students, comes an increased chance of making mistakes. And there's not exactly much room for mistakes in their line of work. Mistakes could cost lives. And ultimately ruin the reputation of the Lyell that they had spent the last couple of months building back up again. But then, given what Sam had done in those months maybe she was on to something by bringing this new project in.
"This student has been recommended to us by the University, his lecturers praising him greatly," Sam continued, with neither Nikki nor Jack outwardly projecting against the idea, she assumed that they were on board. "Apparently he is the best in his class and he will surely be an asset wherever he goes. His name is Evan Myles, he is studying Forensic Science. So, Jack, I would hope that if you are okay with all of this then you will be his main mentor. Guiding him through the dos and don'ts, getting him used to physical crime scenes. Of course, Nikki, I would expect you also to help out with this. But what do you think?"
Jack and Nikki shared a look between each other, neither against or particularly for the idea. But given the way that Sam had been talking about it, it sounded as if they didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Turning their heads to face Sam again, Jack spoke first, given that the task was mainly intended for him.
"I think it could be a good thing," he sighed. "But are we prepared for the problems that it may bring to have a student at crime scenes? I remember my first crime scene I was a mess and I had actually completed my degree at that point let alone continuing my studies at the same time."
"That's partly why I want to do it," Sam interrupted. "Get him used to it all now, that way there's less pressure on him for when he is able to go out there on his own. And who knows, if this is successful then maybe we can bring in more in the future."
Jack shrugged, not too sure of what to say. "I just have one favour to ask," Nikki piped up. "Please can you make sure to do a background check on this Evan, I'm not having a repeat of what happened last time. Apart from that," she looked at Jack briefly before turning back to Sam. "I think it's a wonderful idea and we could certainly do with a change around here."
She felt her stomach drop as the words fell from her mouth. Change. It's what Leo had wanted for the place all those years ago when Jack and Clarissa had walked through the door like two whirlwinds taking them by surprise. She had been reminded of Leo a lot recently, especially with what had happened with Thomas and the changes that had been going on. It had felt like a lifetime ago that Leo had died and Thomas had swooped in to take over from him. Now they were both gone. It was strange. But life had a funny habit of doing that.
"When does he start?" Nikki questioned, having a feeling that Sam had already said yes in the hope that they would go along with it anyway. Even if they hadn't, it wouldn't have taken much to persuade them. As Sam had kept reminding them, this was going to be good for the Lyell.
Sam let out a breath as she glanced down at the watch on her wrist, "Oh, in about ten minutes."
Nikki and Jack glanced at each other, they were not expecting that. Thinking that she would've given them at least a day to get their head around all of it and allowing enough time to get themselves prepared. But then, of course, in this line of work there's not much you can really prepare for.
"Well I best get the welcome banner ready," Jack grinned, standing up from his chair and walking back to his desk.
Nikki gave Sam a small smile of reassurance, she knew Jack on the surface was sharp and abrasive but deep down he was up for the idea and would probably find himself enjoying it. After all, he would get to be the boss for a change. Sam had to quickly learn that about him in the first month. Nikki had taken it upon herself to let her know that he wasn't being serious and just to ignore him as she usually did.
Lifting herself from her own chair, she followed behind after Jack, sitting at her desk opposite him. She shook her head at him for a moment before being distracted by a message coming through on her phone. Picking her phone up from the table, she felt herself sighing as she took in the words.
It was Matt, telling her that he was going to be late getting back tonight. He had supposedly missed his flight again. This was the second time in the past twenty-four hours. There was a slither of doubt filling her thoughts. Missing a flight the first time is easily done but a second time, there was obviously something holding him back. That something she was scared to give a name to but it stayed there, feeding into her fears.
"Everything alright?" Jack asked, noticing her now sullen mood.
Nikki leaned back in her chair, dropping her phone down on the glass. She could feel Jack watching her closely, she wasn't one for emotional outbursts like him. She usually tried to keep herself contained most of the time unless of course someone pressed the wrong buttons.
"It's Matt," she answered him, running her hands over her face. If she was someone who smoked then this would've been a good time to get some air. But she wasn't, thankfully. She folded her arms, her eyes connecting with Jacks. "I think there might be someone else."
Jack puffed out his cheeks, surprised by that, "How come? I thought the two of you were sweet." At least, that's what the impression he had got from the past couple of months. But then again, if he really thought about it, she hadn't been mentioning him nearly as much as she used to. And she did seem to be throwing herself back into work. He'd put it down to them being more busy but now that he was getting wind of her feelings, everything was starting to click into place.
"I don't know, he's just," she paused. "Different. Distant."
"Have you talked to him about this?" he pondered.
Nikki tilted her head at him, "What do you think?" She spoke with a sarcastic tone.
Jack rolled his eyes, "Talk to him about it, you might be worrying over nothing."
She just sighed in response, not quite finding the right words. He had a point, she did have a tendency to make up her mind about something without confronting her thoughts first. It was something she would've thought she'd have learnt not to do by now. She was glad she had Jack though, he was the only one who could knock some sense into her when she needed it the most.
Interrupting their conversation was the sound of knocking on the glass, Nikki glanced over at Jack, it was time. Nikki stood up first, Sam didn't seem to have heard the knock. Or she was choosing to let Jack and Nikki do the introductions considering they would be the ones guiding the poor student throughout the next year or so.
Nikki headed towards the entrance, Jack hot on her tail as she pressed the switch next to the door, the buzzer echoing throughout the hall. She pulled the door open to be met face to face by a young boy, dark brown hair and round glasses. He looked innocent, pure, a face that hadn't been touched by death and despair. Something that would take seconds to settle in, especially in this line of work. Some people cope with it, some people don't. Only time would tell for this boy. But she supposed that if he had made it this far in this course then maybe he would be fine.
Jack, however, had judged by his whole appearance that he wouldn't last very long in this place, but he had been proved wrong in the past so who knows. He could be surprised. Extending his arm out, he took hold of Evan's hand, shaking it firmly.
"You must be Evan Myles," he said with a firm but not intimidating tone. "I'm Jack Hodgson, and this is…" He turned to Nikki, dropping his hand.
"…Dr Nikki Alexander," she interrupted, her own hand now shaking with Evans. "It's a pleasure to meet you, we've heard all about you. Would you like a cup of tea? Coffee?" She asked as she lead her way through to the kitchen.
Evan's eyes darted all around the room, taking every little detail in. The two desks on his left, one of which had papers and pens all over the place whilst the other barely looked used. He had guessed that the neat one belonged to the woman, Nikki, the messier to the man, Jack.
On his right looked like some labs, not too dissimilar from the ones he had been used to at University. But given that the Lyell Centre was a part of the campus then it was no surprise. There was a third desk but that was clearly unoccupied. He quickly made his way into what he guessed was the kitchen area given the kettle and the various mugs on the counter.
He could feel himself getting quite nervous, he had preparing for this for the whole week. Ever since his lecturer had got into contact with him and told him that he would get the chance to work in an actual lab, alongside actual police detectives as they worked their way through various cases. He clenched his fists, trying to stop his hands from being so obviously sweaty.
"Was it a coffee or a tea?" Nikki asked again as the kettle clicked, the steam permeating throughout the room.
"Tea please," Evan replied, a small smile on his face. "Milk and just a little bit of sugar."
Nikki reflected a smile back at him before carrying on making the young boy a cup of tea along with drinks for everyone else. No doubt they had all wanted one as well, they usually did when they could hear the kettle going. Nikki had quickly given up on trying to make herself a sneaky cup of tea, Jack would more often than not be at her side the moment he heard her pushing the button down.
Jack had left them for a moment, making his way to Sam's office to let her know of the new arrival and soon the two of them were joining them again. Nikki handed the mug to Evan who took it from her, a thank you falling from his lips.
"You're early," Sam breathed. "I'm impressed. Professor Sam Ryan." She reached her arm out, shaking his hand. Chuckling to herself as he struggled to manoeuvre the mug around before he settled on just putting it back down on the counter. Sam turned to face Jack. "Jack how about you give Evan the guided tour around the Lyell? Give you two the chance to get to know each other and break the ice since you'll be working closely together for the next year or so."
Jack raised his eyebrows, giving Nikki a look which caused her to roll her eyes at him. "Right, let's not hang about, who knows when that phone is going to ring with the next case being thrown our way."
Jack moved and headed down the hallway in the direction of the morgue, not giving Evan a chance to even realise what was going on. But it didn't take him long to catch Jack up and he was now following closely behind.
"This is the locker room and behind that curtain is the mortuary," Jack began. "I can't take you in there just in case of cross contamination but no doubt you'll be in there soon enough. Working a case, obviously," Jack's lip twitched at Evan's nervous reaction.
Evan took everything in, not that there was much. It was simple. The bench in the middle of the room, lockers and sinks surrounding it. He was mostly intrigued by the mortuary behind the thick sheeting. He couldn't see much but as Jack had said, he would see it soon enough. He'd seen many pictures of a morgue but was yet to actually set foot in one. He couldn't help but feel wrong for feeling quite excited at the prospect.
"If we go through here, it leads through to the observation or meeting room," Jack continued as he opened the door, letting Evan enter the room first, "As you can probably guess we use this room for meetings when we're working alongside the police during cases and sometimes it's just a good place to come to if you need a quiet minute to yourself."
Evan ran his finger along the back of the chair, it was all starting to feel quite real now and he had barely even started. He glanced over his shoulder, the big windows looking down into the mortuary. He could feel his breath being taken away slightly as his eyes darted around everywhere, digesting it all. He couldn't wait to get in there and see a real post mortem being performed before his very eyes. He had seen countless videos of them but of course only the parts that were relevant to his course. He couldn't help but feel so lucky that he was currently in the position that he was in.
"How many post mortems have you observed?" He asked Jack, finding his voice. He couldn't bring himself to look away however as he placed his hands on the railing.
"Oh gosh," Jack breathed, folding his arms as he leaned back on the wall. "I've lost count. I'll never forget my first though, I can remember it as if it was yesterday. Made me realise how important our jobs really are. How the body can reveal clues just as much as the crime scene can. How forensics and pathology can't exist without the other, not in our job anyway. You'll get to see your first soon enough and no doubt you'll get to see Dr. Alexander in work and she's quite," he paused for a moment, trying to come up with a word that would best describe Nikki. "Spectacular."
"What made you want to do this job?" He questioned, suddenly feeling quite curious and now slightly more comfortable in his surroundings.
"I'm not sure," Jack shrugged, moving to rest his elbows on the railings as he looked over at Evan. "Forensics has always been something that's interested me and I was always good at science. Plus, in this line of work you get to see a direct difference that you make to people's lives. You get to find justice for them and their loved ones and that feeling you get, when you've helped someone find peace. It's like no other. You'll realise it soon enough."
Evan nodded, "I can't wait."
Jack reached over, patting his hand on Evan's shoulder, "I just hope you're prepared for the other side of this often grim business. It's not pretty and it can be upsetting and I just want you to know that we, Nikki and I, are going to be with you the whole time," a small smile spread across Jack's face. "Anytime you feel overwhelmed, or that you need to have a break. Just let either of us know. We've both been in the position that you are in now so we know what it's like."
"Thank you," Evans lips twitched.
They were soon walking back out of the room and down the hallway. "This then leads us back to the offices and on the other side is our lab. That's where yourself and I will be spending most of our time. Usually being bossed around by the other two," he joked but Evan still seemed unsure. "Any other questions?"
Evan shook his head, "Not at the moment," he let out eventually.
"Well if any more come to mind, don't hesitate to ask myself or Nikki or Sam," he spoke.
"That's right," Nikki walked over to the two of them. "We're here to answer any of your queries so don't be scared. We are going to be your mentors after all, the ones who are going to be with you every step of the way."
"Thank you," Evan's eyes flicked between the two people in front of him. "Again."
"Come on then, what made you want to become a forensic scientist?" Jack asked, throwing the question back at him as he sat down at his desk once again. Evan quick to realise that the tidy desk had actually belonged to him rather than the other way round.
"Well like you," he started. "It's always intrigued me. Of course, you see it all in the movies and it's so fascinating. But as you said earlier, it's people like us who make a difference. Who help people. And that's important. I wanted to be that person who made a difference."
Nikki looked over at Jack, winking at him before turning back to Evan, "Well with that attitude, I think you'll get along just fine."
"It seems you've arrived in perfect time, Nikki, Jack," Sam called out, entering the offices. "We've got a call. Young girl found in the woods, part of a big missing persons case. I've written down the address." She handed a piece of paper to Jack before disappearing once again.
"Let's get going," Jack announced, standing up and grabbing the coat from the back of his chair. Nikki was also quick to move and grab her stuff. Picking her case up along the way.
"You ready?" She turned to Evan who was watching the two of them dash around. He quickly nodded, the eagerness evident on his face. "Just observe Jack and I for now, okay? I'm sure you know the protocols of a crime scene so I shouldn't have to remind you not to touch anything unless you are told to. If you have any questions, we will answer them as best we can but please be patient with us. This is going to be a real crime scene after all so it will need our full attention."
Nikki wasn't usually one for pep talks, Sam had often taken that upon herself. But she felt the need to remind Evan of just exactly what he was getting himself in for. She had been young and excited before so she knew what was running through his head and she had quickly gathered that he was someone who just wanted to get stuck in. But he needed to take a step back, at least for the first couple of days. Just to get used to how things were run around this place.
Jack drove the three of them to the crime scene, Nikki in her place at the front and Evan quickly settling in at the back. He was running his hands slowly up and down his legs as he watched the world go by in the window.
His first real crime scene. He was excited as much as he was nervous. Although there was that nauseous feeling beginning in the pit of his stomach. Sam hadn't exactly specified who the victim was going to be but the words young girl and missing persons case painted quite a clear picture. That eagerness vastly disappearing from Evan. Maybe this wasn't to be what he had quite anticipated.
He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't even realised that they had come to a stop and Jack was now looking over his shoulder at Evan, asking if him if he was ready, once again.
Evan's lips twitched, giving Jack and Nikki a small nod. Better to just get it done and out of the way. That way at least he would have gone through the worst and would be prepared for anything that this job would throw his way. He watched as the two people in front of him shared a look and not a particularly hopeful one. They were both thinking the same thing as him.
This was going to be a tough, hard-hitting case and would more than likely scare anyone away that hadn't been used to this sort of thing. But he was determined now, more than ever, to prove them wrong. He may be young and relatively new to all of this but that didn't mean he wasn't made of hard stuff. He could deal with this, he would deal with this.
Jack and Nikki got out of the car first, Evan following quickly behind them. They all walked around to the boot, pulling out their respective suits. A white one for Nikki and two dark blue ones, one for Jack and the other for Evan.
Once they were all suited up, Jack and Nikki picked up their silver cases and directed the way to the crime scene, flashing their IDs to the police officer before passing under the tape. Jack quickly checked behind him to make sure that Evan was still with them. He was starting to worry about him and they had barely even begun. The first case he had ever worked on had been a child so he knew how damaging this was going to be to him.
He could remember it as if it was yesterday and it still haunted him. It never got better, or easier as the detective had told him back then. But at least Evan now had someone, or rather two people, who were going to be very supportive of him and backing him the whole way. He wished he had that. Maybe he would've turned out to be a different person if someone had been there to remind him that it's okay to feel scared. To feel anxious.
Distracting him from his thoughts was a blonde woman walking over to the three of them, "You must be forensics, I'm DI Zoe Fall," she started, her eyes washing over Nikki, Jack and Evan respectively. "The body is just this way."
She turned away from them and guided them to just exactly where they needed to be, "The victim is Lily Brown, aged ten years old," she let out a breath. "She was reported missing on Tuesday evening and our search for her has led us here. Her disappearance has already caused a massive media stir so if you could wrap up the crime scene as quickly as possible so we can keep the newspapers away from this, I would be very grateful."
"We'll try our best," Nikki spoke softly, already feeling the lump in her throat forming. She had always hated child murders but someone had to fight their corner. Someone had to find them justice. And that was the only thing that kept Nikki going in these cases.
She glanced over at Evan double checking that he was still okay, if she still found it tough even after all these years then she couldn't imagine what was running through his head right now. But she couldn't focus on him too much, she was there to do a job after all and she was meant to be setting a good example. Do your job and don't let anything distract you.
Her eyes surveyed over the body, taking in every little detail. She felt sick at the sight of the girls matted hair, the dark dried blood sticking all the strands together. There was dirt all over her body. The killer had clearly tried to cover her up. Nikki closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she steadied herself.
"You alright?" She heard a whisper coming from her left side. Slowly blinking her eyes open again, they quickly connected with Jack's. A simple nod would suffice for now as she kneeled down to the floor and opened up her case.
She peeled the white gloves on and began her initial examination of the body. Her hands travelled to the girls head, not taking long to conclude that the cause of death had more than likely been blunt force trauma. Although as Nikki looked closer at the body she noticed there were red marks forming around her neck, she had been strangled as well. The panic was rising up in her throat already knowing what she would find when she were to conduct the post mortem later that morning. This girl had been tortured in the run up to her death. This was certainly going to be a hard one.
As she finished taking the temperature, she was able to place time of death to be around twelve to fourteen hours ago, relaying this information to the detective and going on to explain, "Both lividity and rigor mortis has set in so this would support my other findings. This also matches with the timeframe of when she was reported missing. I will be able to give more accurate findings at the post mortem."
Jack was on the other side of the body, using his tweezers to pick up blowfly larvae as Evan held various tubes out for him. But it wasn't long before he was standing back up again and starting to inspect the scene as a whole while Nikki focused on the body. His eyes scanned every inch that had been mapped out, trying to find even the smallest of clues, anything that jumped out to him but there was nothing so far.
Evan was stood next to him and although he was only there in an observational capacity he knew that he was doing the same. He had spent the past couple of years preparing for this moment after all, he should at least get a moment to showcase his skills.
As the two of them walked around the area they had come to spot some tracks, most likely from a car. No other car would've come out this far so it was unlikely to be the fault of the police or themselves. Bending down, Jack took a closer look, spotting some small stones imbedded in the tracks. They were in the middle of the woods and he had failed to spot any of these little stones anywhere else so chances were, they belonged to the person who had killed the little girl.
He gestured to Evan, who was still close to him, to pass him the camera. If this was linked to the murder then it was absolutely necessary that they document it. Plus it may help to identify what car it was that brought her here.
"Evan if you could take a sample from the soil," he looked up at the boy. "I doubt we'll get anything since the body has been here so long but it's better to be safe than sorry."
Evan nodded, doing as he was told. Pulling out another tube, he carefully scooped up a small sample of the soil, including some of the stones that had caught Jack's attention. He couldn't quite describe the feeling that was in his stomach right now. He had wanted to feel excited but now it was all starting to feel very real and he wasn't enjoying himself as much as he thought he would be.
"Do you want to take a minute?" Jack asked.
Evan shook his head, he had get used to that feeling sooner or later. And if he was actually going to do this for the rest of his life then it was definitely going to have to be sooner. Besides, they had been told to wrap this all up pretty quickly and he didn't exactly want to be the one to hold them back. At least, not right now.
"I'm okay," he replied. "It's all just a little bit overwhelming right now. But I'll be fine."
"As long as your sure," Jack continued. "My first case was a child as well, so if there is anyone who is going to understand how you're feeling right now it's going to be me. So please, if there's anything you need then let me know."
He felt as though he was repeating himself but he just wanted to let Evan know that he was far from being alone in all of this. He just wanted to be that person he never had. But he had to trust that if the boy had said he was okay then he was okay. No point in pushing it, he had let him know that he was going to be there with him every step of the way so when he was ready he could talk to either himself or Nikki.
He was distracted by Nikki letting the team know that she was done with the body and she was ready for it to be moved. There wasn't much else for him to look at now, whoever had left the body here had been forensically aware. They had left barely any trace apart from the tracks in the mud but even then they couldn't be sure that they belonged to the killer. Their best bet was what Sam and Nikki would hopefully find on the body.
All three of them packed their stuff up once again and headed back to the Lyell. When they got back Jack and Evan didn't hesitate to test their soil samples and the blowfly larvae in the hope that they would find something quickly and that way they would be able to get this case over sooner.
Evan watched as Jack got to work, doing all the little things he had been taught over the years. He had just wanted to get stuck into it all himself but at the same time it was quite satisfying seeing a professional do it. Someone who was completely lost in the zone and carefully examining every inch. It was almost like watching an artist create a masterpiece, it was so delicate and intricate. No stone going unturned. This is what he came here to do. That nauseous feeling he had earlier had quickly been forgotten about.
"What time is the post mortem?" Evan queried, noting that some time had passed since they had got back.
Jack glanced up from his sample, his eyes washing over Evan, "Are you sure you want to observe that one? There's going to be plenty of others…"
"…I want to do this Jack," Evan interrupted.
"Only if you're sure," Jack continued.
"I'm absolutely sure," Evan gave a small, reassuring smile.
Jack lifted his arm and looked down at his watch, it had been about an hour since they had come back and no doubt Nikki and Sam were getting themselves ready for the post mortem as they spoke. He wasn't completely convinced by Evan's façade but he supposed if he wanted to watch the post mortem then there wasn't much he could do to stop him.
He finished up working on his sample before he started to put his equipment away and the two of them headed in the direction of the observation room. It seemed that they had arrived at the right time as both Nikki and Sam were emerging from the locker room into the morgue. The body prepared for them.
Nikki's eyes connected with Jack who gave her a small nod. She was quite surprised to see the young boy standing next to him. And quite frankly she was disappointed in Jack for not convincing him to stay away. She knew that in this job you are going to face difficulties at every given opportunity but they should at least do their best to slowly introduce him to it. Not allowing the first post mortem he observes to be that of a child. But then she couldn't totally put the blame on Jack, she knew that he had been doing everything he could to make sure that Evan knew exactly what he was getting himself in for. So if the two of them were stood there then there was absolutely nothing Jack could've done to keep him away.
Shaking her thoughts away she turned her attention back to the small girl that now lay on the slab. She took a deep breath and entered the part in her brain that allowed her to get through these horrific and harrowing moments. Shutting her brain off in the way that she does allows her to justify what exactly it is that she does. Something she often struggles to come to terms with.
She looked over at Sam who was watching her closely. Neither of them feeling quite ready but they both supposed that someone had to do it. She edged closer to the body, starting her external examination.
"The victim is a ten year old female confirmed to be that of Lily Brown," she began. "There are significant injuries to the top of the skull most likely to be the cause of death. There also seems to be some bruising on the neck and what appears to be rope marks and various cuts and bruises on the arms. Most likely defence wounds."
Sam moved, picking up the small torch as she lifted the eyelids with her fingers, "Petechial haemorrhaging," she interrupted. "Cause of death may also be asphyxiation."
"Well I don't suppose we'll find out until we open her up," Nikki sighed.
Evan watched the two of them as they got to work, he was completely in awe despite the circumstances. It made him quickly realise what Jack had meant when he said to him this morning that forensics and pathology coincide with one another. One can not necessarily exist without the other. The way in which Sam and Nikki guided themselves around the body made him think of how Jack carried out his own experiments.
Every little detail was important in telling this girls story; what happened to her in the lead up to her death. The body was like their crime scene, giving them hints and clues. But where the body couldn't reveal some things forensics would reveal the other. Making them both as important as one another.
He felt as though he was lost in his own little world as he observed the two of them work away. He was sort of switching his brain off from the fact that the person that was lying on the slab was a young girl that should absolutely not be lying there in the first place. By forgetting who exactly it was, was helping to keep the anxiety down.
He hadn't even noticed that Jack had left him to it, left him in the room on his own. He gripped his hand on the metal even harder as he watched Nikki making cuts along the girls neck, lifting her skin up to reveal the muscles. He winced at that, the nausea creeping back up again. But he did well to swallow that down.
He stayed there until Sam and Nikki started to wrap things up and then he thought he had better go off and find Jack. But as he walked back through to the offices, Jack was nowhere to be seen. He was met, however, by DI Fall and who he assumed was the DS. He quickly came to the conclusion that Jack had gone to get Nikki ready for the briefing.
Jack waited just outside the locker room. Sam was the first to emerge who he informed that the police were there ready for the briefing. Sam nodded, thanking him before disappearing again. Jack checked the watch on his wrist, Nikki was taking her time. Knowing what she was like, he slipped behind the door and slowly walked inside.
"Nikki," he called out, just in case she genuinely hadn't finished getting changed. Thankfully she was ready but he just found her sat on the bench, her head flicking up to meet his. "You okay?" He asked as he sat down next to her.
She just shrugged, feeling her eyes welling up, "You know how it is," she breathed.
Jack was quick to wrap his arm around her, pulling her close into him as she rested her head on his shoulder. She was able to keep most of the tears at bay but a few escaped down her cheeks. She had kept herself grounded during the post mortem but as she came out it had soon sunk in and she couldn't keep the emotions down. Jack was helping, however. His hand smoothing up and down her arm calming her. He always had a way of doing that.
Wiping away at her damp cheeks, "How's Evan? I was surprised to see him there just now."
"I think he's doing alright, you know," Jack replied. "May have underestimated him in that department I won't lie. I keep double checking with him, making sure that he knows he's allowed to have five minutes but he keeps telling me that he's fine."
"Tougher than we thought," she added on. "Probably coping better than me."
"Hey now don't beat yourself up," Jack whispered softly. "We're going to find who did this and trust me they are going to suffer for what they've done. But first, we have to get this briefing over and done with."
Nikki let out a breath, smoothing her hands down her legs before standing up. She waited for a moment until Jack stood with her and the two of them made their way to the observation room. They were met by DI Fall and another man who was heading for them, holding their hand out.
"DS William Hart, you must be Dr Alexander," he spoke, shaking Nikki's hand firmly.
"Shall we get this over with," Nikki smiled, out of politeness. She wasn't feeling all that happy under the circumstances. She walked over to the board, the pictures from the post mortem already uploaded. "We were able to conclude that unlike my initial examination at the scene where I thought that blunt force trauma was the cause of death, we actually found that asphyxiation was the real cause of death." The lump in her throat was forming quickly and she was struggling to keep it together.
Her eyes landed on Jack who was trying his best to reassure her from across the room. She cleared her throat, focusing on the task in hand. "However, there were very obvious signs of torture in the time between her being taken and the time that she had died. We also came to the conclusion that the blow to her head occurred shortly after death. There's a possibility she may have fallen after the incident. Mercifully there were no signs of sexual abuse."
Finished, not needing to go into any more detail; Nikki moved, pulling a chair out and sitting next to Jack. Her hand brushing against his as her arm rested on the desk. She tried to ignore the flutter in her heart as he moved his small finger to wrap around hers, squeezing it gently. A gesture that had gone unnoticed by everyone else in the room. Although, she doubted that it was all that obvious anyway.
"Well, we do have a suspect in mind," DI Fall started. "Mark Woods, he has been suspected to be involved in a number of kidnappings around the area. But until now we haven't been able to actually place him at any of the scenes. Is there any chance that we would be able to do that?"
"I found some tyre tracks at the scene," Jack piped up, his hand moving away from Nikki's as the eyes in the room were now looking in his direction. "The results won't necessarily be conclusive but we may be able to narrow down the model of the car. It would also help if we were to see where he lived. Embedded in the tracks were small stones. Could be a coincidence but considering that I couldn't find any stones similar to those found, it's likely that we would be able to place them at the scene."
"Is there any way we could place him at the scene now?" DS Hart asked.
Nikki opened her mouth to answer but she was quickly interrupted by the ringing coming from her back pocket. She reached around to grab it, sighing to herself as she read the caller ID. She had a feeling she knew what he was going to say. Excusing herself she answered the phone as she left the room.
"Matt, hi," she spoke, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible. She couldn't give him any indication as to what she was feeling about their current relationship and she could really do without all the arguing, especially with this case going on.
"Nikki," Matt began. "I've just landed, are you busy?"
"Well yes I am actually," she replied. "We've had a massive case come in and they really need my help. Listen, I'll see you after work we can talk then." She did her best to keep the conversation short, she wasn't particularly in the mood to talk to him right now and she couldn't be away from the others for too long. "I didn't think you were back until tonight?" She asked, suddenly remembering what he had messaged her this morning. There was something going on and she didn't like the sound of it.
"Yeah, we need to talk. I'll see you later." He hung up.
His voice caught her off guard, the sinking feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. She found herself leaning back on to the wall trying her hardest to stop the tears that were welling up in her eyes. It had been on her mind but it scared her to death to think that her thoughts may actually become a reality. She wiped at her face, taking deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth, calming herself down before she had to go back in there. She couldn't do with looking unprofessional.
She smoothed her hands down her clothes and shook her head. Almost as if she was shaking all the negativity away. She wandered back into the room apologising before she sat back down next to Jack. The DI was in the middle of trying to convince Jack to come with them to search this Mark Woods' house in the hope of finding something that would place them at the scene.
"I'm happy to come with you but I doubt we're going to find anything," Jack said firmly. It was way too convenient for it to be this man. And there was nothing on the body. But then he supposed if there was nothing on the body then there was no way they could rule this man out. It wasn't going to do them harm if they just had a look.
"Well there is no time like the present," DI Fall stood up, collecting her notes. "If you could join us Jack, please."
Jack nodded his head slowly as he pursed his lips. But he pushed himself up from the chair regardless and gestured with his head to Evan for him to join him. Evan picked up on that and was joining Jack straight away as they made their way out of the room together.
Jack picked up his case from his desk and shrugged his coat on. Evan too was putting his coat on and they were back in the car, following behind the police car as they headed in the direction of Mark Woods' house.
It wasn't long before they pulling up outside his house and Jack was quick to spot the lack of car and lack of gravel around the house. That little seed of doubt that was already planted in his mind growing. They joined the police by his front door as they knocked.
A man soon opened up the door, he was tall, brown hair and his clothes were all shaggy. Whoever this man was clearly didn't care about his appearance and if he didn't care about his appearance then Jack was struggling to believe that he would be quite so forensically aware at a crime scene. Regardless of that fact, he had to go along with the police for the sake of ruling him out.
Evan listened as the police spoke to the man, asking if he was happy to come in for questioning whilst they had a look around the house. Fortunately for them the man was happy to do so but was adamant that he had nothing to do with it. He reassured them that he had nothing to hide so he would come along and help them to prove that he was innocent.
Both Jack and Evan watched as the man settled in the back of the car and they drove away. Jack sighed, shaking his head. He knew that this was going to be a complete waste of their time but it was something he had to do. Or rather, they had to do.
Walking in through the house the first thing Jack noticed was just how messy the place was. It was disgusting and he couldn't describe the smell that was now settling in his nose. It had almost made him gag. Perhaps he should've worn a mask for this one.
Back at the Lyell, Nikki had received a phone call from the girls parents requesting for them to see their daughter. She couldn't exactly turn them down, they had probably wanted to confirm that it was actually their daughter. Most parents had the same attitude in this situation, denial. She couldn't blame them. She supposed that if she were in the same position then she would react in the exact same way. That didn't mean it was going to be any easier just because she understood though.
They didn't take long to arrive, her heart dropping as she heard them knocking on the glass. She rested her hands on her desk as she pushed herself back in her chair, allowing herself to stand up. She slowly made her way around the corner, watching as the man comforted the woman. The red rings around her eyes extremely obvious. Her heart ached for them. No parent should have to go through this.
Clicking the button at the side, the door buzzed open.
"Mr and Mrs Brown, I'm Dr Nikki Alexander," she held her arm out, shaking her hand with the man. She guided them to sit down on the sofas so she could brief them before she took them in to see their daughter. "I just wanted to talk to you before we go in there. This can be very distressing so if there is anything that I can do for you in the meantime then please ask. We have already confirmed it to be your daughter through the DNA database."
The woman in front of her began sobbing and Nikki couldn't stop herself from reaching out to take hold of her hand, squeezing it tightly, "I promise you that we are going to find out who did this. I will do everything in my power to get your little girl justice."
"Thank you," Mr Brown spoke for the two of them.
"Are you ready?" Nikki just about got out. The two of them nodded before Nikki stood up and guided them in the direction of the chapel.
She held her breath as she pushed the door open. The girls mother and father following behind her. She picked up a pair of white gloves, slowly pulling them on before she pulled the cloth down, revealing the girls face.
The cry that came from her mother made Nikki's heart break in two and she had to excuse herself from the room, finding herself unable to stay there. She had to keep professional, she had to be the strong one, for them. She was going to be the one fighting for their daughter after all. She waited just outside the door, taking her gloves off, wringing them between her hands. The sound of the latex rubbing together echoing throughout the corridor.
She glanced up at the sound of a door opening and closing. It was Sam and she was heading in her direction picking up on Nikki's change in emotion. She had known that the girls parents were going to come in to see their daughter but she hadn't quite realised that it would be so soon.
"How are they?" She spoke gently, standing opposite from Nikki.
"Heartbroken," Nikki replied, her eyes connecting with Sam's. "It doesn't get any easier, does it? No parent should outlive their child. How could anyone be so cruel? To take someone's child away from them like that."
"Unfortunately the world is a horrible place," Sam shook her head. "Full of horrible people. And unfortunately we can't do much to change that. But at least we get to provide answers. We get to find them some peace. It may not be much but it's something."
Sam edged closer to Nikki, resting her hands on her shoulders briefly before pulling her into a hug. Holding her tightly as the tears slipped down Nikki's face. Sam pulled away, her palm coming to rest on Nikki's cheek, "If you want me to take over for five minutes so you can have a break then I am happy to do so."
Nikki shrugged her shoulders slightly, "I'll be okay."
"If you're sure," Sam reassured her before dropping her hands. "How about we have a cup of tea in my office when they go? You look as though you could get a few things off your chest."
Nikki nodded. Sam had grown to be quite protective of the young woman over the past couple of months. Finding elements of herself within her. And although Nikki would never admit to it, there were times where she allowed herself to be so vulnerable it scared Sam. But it made her that little bit more admirable. And she had felt this maternal need to look out for her and make sure that she was coping with everything.
She had learnt from Jack quite early on that she had lost her mother at a young age and had never been all that close to her father. Jack had also explained to her that Nikki had seen Leo as her only father figure and from her understanding Leo had died in horrific circumstances so that too provided more of an explanation. The woman who was standing in front of her had been through so much and it was only right that she finally had someone looking out for her, someone who could understand and relate to most of the things she had gone through, Sam having lost her mother and father as well.
She left Nikki to it, not wanting to intrude too much. She slowly walked back up the corridor and disappeared behind the door. Nikki swiped her fingers across the corners of her eyes, clearing away the tears that were threatening to fall again.
Nikki hadn't been sure of how long she was stood out there but the parents were soon emerging, somewhat calmer than they had been when they first went in.
"Thank you," Mr Brown spoke, clearing his throat. "There are a few questions we want to ask you."
"Of course," Nikki guided them back down to the sofas, sitting down in the same places they had only moments ago. "What do you want to know?"
"Do you know how it happened?" Mrs Brown asked. She was rubbing her hands together, Nikki guessing that she was trying to keep herself calm.
"Yes," Nikki affirmed. She paused for a moment, mulling over how she was going to sensitively word it to the two people sat in front of her, their eyes glossed over and seconds from breaking down again. "We believe that although she suffered a blow to the head, the cause of death was…" she was biting the inside of her cheek trying to stop the tears spilling over. "I'm really sorry, your daughter was asphyxiated."
"Asphyxi-what? I don't know what that means," the woman shook her head, the emotions becoming too much for her.
"She was strangled," she managed to get out. There wasn't really any other way to put it. She'd much rather be direct than dance around the point. "It would've been quick. I must add that there were signs of torture in the lead up to her death. This may be significant in finding out who did this."
She had started sobbing again, her husband quick to engulf her in his arms. Nikki watched as the man spoke into her ear, his hands running up and down her arms in an attempt to calm her down. Although Nikki doubted that there was much he could do to console her. There was nothing like losing a child. But at least they had each other. And she just hoped that this wouldn't break them apart. She had read all the statistics about child deaths over the years and she knew that the prospect of parents staying together was slim.
Nikki reached out to take hold of the woman's hand again, "Please trust us to do our job and find out who did this."
Jack and Evan had quickly finished their sweep of the house and it came as no surprise to Jack that they found absolutely nothing that would connect this Mark Woods to the scene of the crime. No matter how much the police had wanted them too.
Both himself and Evan were now on their way to the police station to deliver their findings, or rather, their lack of findings and they were soon pulling up outside the station, making their way through.
This was also the first time, thankfully, that Evan had set foot in a police station. Although it had looked just as he expected. He stood next to Jack as they waited to be let in. Not much had been said between the two of them since the police had left them at the house. They had both been quite busy doing their best to find as much evidence as they could. But that hadn't been possible because it was becoming strikingly obvious that this man hadn't done it. He may have some dodgy history and quite often been at the wrong place at the wrong time but this murder wasn't of his making.
They were lead through the hallway, the police officer opening a random door and telling them to wait whilst they let the DI know that they had arrived. It had turned out to be an observation room and both himself and Jack sat down as they watched Mark Woods on the other side of the glass being interrogated by two of the detectives.
They had soon gone quiet when they had heard the knock at the door. There was a nod from DI Fall and she wrapped up the interview. Walking out of the room, she came around to meet the two of them.
"What have you found?" She asked, her voice sounding hopeful.
Jack had a feeling that they hadn't been getting anywhere during the investigation so had wished for something to pull through on the forensics. Jack was starting to feel bad about letting her down but he couldn't make up evidence. He shook his head slowly, "There was nothing. If Nikki is right with the girl being tortured then we should've found evidence of that in his house."
"But what if he has another house?" She queried, clinging on to anything.
"Given the state of his house then I doubt this is someone who would go to the effort of organising somewhere else to take a victim," Jack breathed. "I wish there was something that I could give you but from my findings, this man didn't do this."
DI Fall looked up at the ceiling, sighing as she folded her arms, "I'm going to have to let him go then," she stormed off, not giving neither Jack nor Evan the chance to respond.
Jack shared a look with Evan, raising his eyebrows at him before leading the way back out again. There was no point hanging around now. Besides, it was about time they got back to the Lyell. He needed to check in on Nikki. He hadn't particularly liked how she was when she had come back into the room after her phone call.
The two of them settled back into the car. Evan turning to Jack, opening his mouth to speak, "Why don't you think it's him? I mean she had a point back there, what if he did have another place he could've taken her to?"
Jack let out a sigh as he changed gear, "It's way too convenient for it to be him. Plus there was no car and I checked if he had any vehicle registered in his name but there was nothing. A car brought the girl to that scene. Now he could've stolen it but there have no reports of stolen cars in the area so it rules that out," he took a moment, gathering his thoughts. "They want it to be him. He hasn't got the best record and it would be easy to put him away. But someone else killed that little girl and they deserve to pay for it."
Evan digested this, it did make sense when he put his mind to it. That was something he was going to have learn in the upcoming months. Judgement. It was all well and good knowing all the science and knowing all the right chemicals to use. But you needed to have a good judgement of people as well. And when to trust your gut feeling. He had learnt in just one day that Jack had a strong gut feeling and he always trusted it. Hence why they didn't find anything at the scene and why Jack had been so adamant about that.
He didn't say much else on the topic, quite satisfied with Jack's answer. So he remained silent in the passenger seat, watching the world go by as they made their way back to the Lyell. It wasn't long before they were pulling into the car park.
Jack glanced over at Evan as he switched the engine off, "I doubt there's going to be anything left for you to do here and there's only ten minutes left until we clock off so why don't you get going. You've had a hard first day so make sure to take some time for yourself tonight. I know what you students are like these days," he joked.
Evan just chuckled at him, "Thank you," he clicked the door open and left Jack to it. Jack gathered himself for a moment before he too left the car and headed into the Lyell. As he walked in and buzzed himself in he was met by various lights turned off and Nikki stood by her desk packing her stuff away. He had assumed that Sam had gone home given that he could only see Nikki's car outside.
He edged around Nikki, perching himself on the side of her desk. She did seem chirpier but her eyes were definitely puffier. He leaned in closer to her so he could get a proper look.
"What's wrong?" He questioned, knowing that there was something wrong anyway but wanting to ease into the conversation.
Nikki looked up at him, one of her eyebrows raising, "Do you really need to ask that?"
Jack rolled his eyes, "I'm guessing it was Matt that was on the phone earlier? Do you want to talk about it?"
"He phoned to let me know that he was back and that he wanted to talk," she started. "And I've got this horrible feeling that it's going to be about what we were talking about earlier."
"Ah," Jack took in, already knowing that it was going to be a sensitive topic. "I didn't think he was coming back until tonight anyway? He missed his flight didn't he?"
"I don't know," she breathed, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm not sure what's going on in his head. I haven't known that for a long time. Hopefully, he'll be able to get it all off his chest tonight." Nikki zipped up her bag, smoothing it underneath her hands.
"Well if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to pick up the phone," he reassured her, placing his hand on top of hers. His fingers wrapping around and squeezing gently. "I'm always here for you Nikki, you know that." He had wanted to add that he would do anything for her but he supposed that she already knew that and it wasn't the time or the place to make such statements. Not with everything going on.
A grin spread across her face, having a feeling she knew what it was he was getting at. She honestly couldn't imagine her life without Jack now that he was in it. He had this ability to cheer her up and make her feel better no matter the situation.
Nothing else was said between the two of them as Nikki left the Lyell. Jack remaining there sat on the edge of her desk as he watched her walk out.
Wanting to get this night over and done with, Nikki made her way back to her house hastily.
She sighed as she pulled up on her drive. There was nothing she could do to prepare for what was going to happen the moment she got on the other side of that door. She knew what was going to happen. She had anticipated it for a while now but it still scared her. It was yet another failure. Another relationship she couldn't keep up with, no matter how long it had lasted so far.
Taking a deep breath, she left the car and headed into the house. It was unlocked so he was definitely here. She called out his name as she wandered down the hallway. She heard an answer when she walked into the kitchen, finding him sat at the breakfast bar. His face just as she had expected. Forlorn. A lot on his mind.
"Hi," she was the first to speak, setting her bag down on the table. "Shall we get this over with?" She didn't want to waste time going through all the small talk. They were both in this room for a reason and she just wanted to get straight to the point.
"You don't hang about do you?" Matt almost laughed which made Nikki get her back up instantly. If her suspicions had been correct then he really shouldn't be the one laughing. "It's not working is it?"
Nikki shook her head, folding her arms as she leant back on the counter, "No. It hasn't been for a long time," she paused trying to read his reactions. "Is there someone else?" Matt dropped his head and she felt her heart fall to the floor.
"Nikki I-" he began but was quickly interrupted by her.
"If there is someone, I just want you to be honest with me," she edged closer to him slowly. She tried her hardest not to come across as intimidating, that was the last thing she wanted to do. "I have a right to know."
Matt's eyes connected with Nikki's as he lifted his head, she could see that he was welling up, "I'm sorry," fell from his lips.
Nikki bit down on her lip as the tears slipped down her cheeks. She hadn't even realised that they were there. But she wouldn't let them get to her, she needed to keep her concentration if she was going to through the next couple of minutes.
"Do you love her?" She asked. She had to know. She had supposed that if he loved her then it would make things a little bit easier to come to terms with. People move on and change and sometimes you fall in love. And sometimes it's inconvenient but there's no point in denying it because the longer you deny it, the worse those feelings will get. And it will end up breaking you. She had learnt that the hard way, too many times if she was being totally honest.
Matt took his time to answer, he was clearly trying to prolong the heartbreak. If only he knew that he was making it worse by stringing it out longer. "Yes," he said eventually. "I didn't ask for it to happen but we've been so distant lately and she was there for me when I needed it. And I'm not saying that you weren't there. You were always there and I am so fond of you Nikki. But I think it's time."
Nikki sniffed, trying to hold in the sobs the best she could, "I agree and I don't blame you at all. These things happen and as much as it hurts you can't help the way you feel. You helped me to get out of a dark place in my life and I will forever be grateful for that," she smiled, a genuine one. She had meant every single word she was saying to him. "So go, be with her. Be happy."
She could see that Matt was quite taken aback by her reaction. He had half expected her to kick off and for there to be blazing rows but here she was telling him to go. And she wasn't putting a front up, there was no malice, she was being completely real with him. She had meant it. He stood up, meeting her in the middle. He placed a hand on her cheek briefly before pulling her into a hug. Holding her close against him.
Nikki hugged him back. It was breaking her heart but she would rather him be happy than stay in a relationship that wasn't working. Because it wasn't. It hadn't been for the past year. They had grown apart. No point clinging on to it. He pulled back from her, his thumb wiping away at her now damp cheek.
"Thank you Nikki Alexander," his lips twitched. "Thank you so much."
"And you," she backed away from him, wanting to put that distance between them now. She wiped at her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that day. "What are you still doing here? Go on, go." She smiled, gesturing her head towards the door.
He picked up a suitcase that he had clearly packed whilst she had been at work. They both said goodbye to each other one last time and she held it all in until the front door clicked shut. Then she felt her whole body drop to the floor as her sobs wracked her. She leaned her back against the counter, her hand covering her mouth, an attempt to keep the sobs down. The tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks and she completely let go.
All the emotions that culminated throughout the whole day escaping her now. She cried for the little girl that had cruelly been taken from the world. She cried for the parents that now had to deal with that reality. And now she cried for another failed relationship.
Next time: With Matt and Nikki's relationship coming to an end, will Nikki allow her personal life to affect her work as the case starts to take a curious turn?
If you managed to get through all of that well done! Please let me know what you thought and thank you for reading :)
