It had been two hours since Jason had returned to an empty apartment. Pacing the living room he honestly didn't know whether it was just his overly sensitive mind but something certainly didn't feel right: Nicky was meant to have been back from work nearly 4 hours ago. Looking out of the window down on to the busy street below Jason thought about India: when there had been no prior warning that someone would just turn up, and then Marie…

Shaking his head Jason moved to the front door – if someone had shown up then Nicky was in serious danger – he wasn't going to let it happen…not again.

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The rain had been increasingly steadily as Jason ran over to the language school. By the time he arrived he was soaked to the skin. The school was locked and dark, no sign of anybody around – of course she could be inside, but Jason was highly doubtful. Turning around to survey the square that the school was situated on, he took in all the faces sat at the cafes – nothing looked out of place. Panic started to rise as Jason realised that he had no idea where Nicky could be, loud music was coming from a bar to his left and he shook his head to try a clear his mind from the throbbing noise. Thinking that he would retrace his steps back to the apartment, he past the noisy bar sparing it a casual glance and stopping dead in his tracks – through the glass front he could see Nicky dancing.

Still wearing her work clothes from that day – though with many more buttons undone – Nicky lost herself in the music, relishing the release that it had always allowed. Jason watched her as she moved – so happy in the moment, and so very sexy. It seemed as though she was years younger – before Treadstone...and before him. Watching her suddenly Jason felt indecent; almost as though he was privy to something he shouldn't be. And yet he found he couldn't stop staring at her, not simply because she was a very good dancer, but because of the change he saw… and suddenly he had a glimpse of understanding.

Not exactly a memory…more like a harbinger of a recollection: Jason caught a glimpse of Treadstone's Nicky Parsons – not the officious, cold person she had always presented the assets with; but the Agent Parsons who was running away from a past so painful that she chose her only human contact to be men, who were so processed that they could not even feel. As Bourne stood there in the pouring rain, he realised that he and Nicky had been running away from the same thing – whatever had happened it had been enough for him to enrol in a programme which would reduce his life to little more than a headache. And for Nicky…well, Nicky seemed to keep her pain so close to her…almost a daily punishment.

Then the song came to an end and Nicky turned toward the window; whether because she felt someone's eyes upon her, or simply to check on the weather. Jason watched it like it was slow motion, her blue eyes shone with a long forgotten vibrancy as they came to rest on him. Then widened as she recognised the strange man staring at her so intensely: Those beautiful eyes deadened instantly and Jason was surprised to find that he winced ever so slightly, because he had caused that beautiful light to go out. They stared at each other and gradually Nicky began to walk towards the door, reaching it, she yanked it open and came out into the rain.

'What the hell are you doing here?' She shouted, not even noticing the tumultuous downpour that soaked her instantly. Jason, surprised at her anger quickly became defensive.

'I'm here because you didn't show up, because you said you'd be back hours ago.'

'And so you thought that you'd check up on me? You thought that because – once – a very long time ago we'd been together, you had the right to know where I was?' Nicky glared at him infuriated and embarrassed; she would have given anything for him not to have seen her here. She knew that she was being irrational, that he had only seen her dancing, but she felt oddly violated.

'No Nicky, it's just that I have experience of this. You didn't show up and if something had been wrong, then you'd have been damn relieved that I did come to find you!' He shouted back, angry at both of them. He had sworn that after Marie he would never do this again; and yet she stood there with her arms crossed so defensively, biting her lip in her characteristic way. Nicky looked so angry and embarrassed that for one mad second Jason wanted to laugh – she had reminded him of the fights they had used to have. And then he felt sick, sick because he knew where this was going – he could see what would unfold between them, despite all the pledges and protestations he had made after Marie had been murdered. Jason suddenly wanted to get out of this place, away from Nicky who stood in front of him, her clothes clinging to her. He turned and crossed the road, but she followed him.

'What the hell? So you think we're still in danger? Jesus Jason give it up! It's over! For Christ sake, give it a fucking rest!' She shouted, stopping in the middle of the road as he reached the opposite pavement and turned to her.

'Have you ever seen someone shot Nicky?! Have you ever killed anybody? I have – so don't you fucking dare speak to me like this is trivial – like I'm over-reacting. I watched Marie get shot, I watched her float away down that river, knowing there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. So fuck you!' Jason shouted at her moving slightly closer; Nicky watched him, her eyes narrowing slightly as she began to understand.

'Jason I'm not Marie – and Marie wasn't shot for being Marie. Her death was accidental…they wanted you.' Nicky shouted, though no longer angry but the rain was bouncing off the cars and tarmac that it made it difficult to hear anything at all.

For a while they simply looked at each other, neither really wanting to break the pregnant silence. Nicky knew the guilt that Jason carried with him, at first she had rejoiced at it. But watching him as he stood there in the rain, her anger subsided to be replaced by pity and shame – shame that she had secretly known what she had been doing when she had gone out and not informed him, hoping what his reaction would be. Ashamed, Nicky admitted to herself that she had been testing him.

'I'm sorry' Nicky whispered. She was not sure that Jason even heard it, but after a moment he nodded. Starting to walk from the middle of the road toward him; Nicky didn't hear the screech of frantically braking tyres, or the panicked blaring of a horn. In that moment all she could see was Jason, as his head turned toward the sound of the commotion, and the terror suddenly written on his face as he realised what was going to happen: He had frantically called to her but she couldn't hear him over the rain.

And then the broad metal bonnet had slammed into her body and Nicky Parsons was lost in darkness.

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Hey guys, I'm sorry about the massive delay in posting. For some reason this chapter just wouldn't come…took me ages. Anyway the next one will also be awhile; these chapters are getting more complicated and so need longer to write. Plus I got really ill a few weeks ago and recovery is taking ages!!

So stick with me and thank you for reading my fan fic.