...Chapter 13...
Kozik rode over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, through Gig Harbor, Port Orchard, passed Bremerton, until he hit Old Town Silverdale. He went down to the waterfront, parked his bike, then walked onto the dock, and just stood there, looking out at the water, when a few memories of Nicole, from 2005, clouded his mind.
...Flashback - 3 years ago...
"Kozik, where are you taking me?"
"It's a surprise." he chuckled, helping her walk. "You can't see through the blindfold, right?"
"Nope, can't see anything." she paused. "You didn't bring me here to kill me or dispose of my body, did you?"
"Baby, don't be silly."
Nicole laughed out loud. "Okay, just checking."
Kozik suddenly stopped walking and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "You know, I'd never hurt you."
"Yeah." she nodded. "I know."
"I just can't see how Juice hurt you the way he did."
"Koz." she groaned. "Could we not talk about him, please?"
"Sorry." he started walking, guiding Nicole with him. "Onto your surprise."
"How much further?" she whined.
"It's not too far away." then a minute later, he came to another stop, and stood behind Nicole. "Ready?"
"Uh-huh."
"Okay." he removed the blindfold from her eyes. "Surprise."
Nicole's eyes widened. "You did all of this for me?" she asked, looking at the wooded area with a blanket on the ground, with a picnic basket, underneath their 'special' shady tree.
"Well, I had a little help from Lorca's Old Lady."
"It's great." she gave him a hug. "I love it."
"Well." he backed up to look into her eyes. "I love you."
...End of flashback...
Kozik shook his head, thinking about the first time he told her that he loved her, only to get no response back, because all Nicole did was smile and nod. He heavily sighed as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it, thinking of another memory of her.
...Flashback - 6 months later...
Nicole was standing on the dock, at the waterfront in Old Town Silverdale, when Kozik pulled up on his bike, and shut it off. "Hey, Babe." he was about to hug her, but she backed away, and he frowned. "What's wrong?"
"I can't... I can't do this with you anymore."
"Why not?"
"Because my dad said that he'd kill you, Jax too." she shook her head. "And I don't want it to come to that."
"I ain't scared of either of them." Kozik studied her face and knew there was something else bothering her. "That's not the main reason."
"Yes, it is."
"Nic, you're lying... now, what is it?"
"Alright, fine!" she kind of yelled. "You wanna know why I can't do this with you, anymore?" Kozik nodded, waiting for her to continue, but she started to sob. "I lost our baby!"
"What?" his eyes widened. "Our baby?"
"Yes." she nodded, wiping the tears from her face. "The doctor said that I was nine weeks and I had a miscarriage." Nicole kept shaking her head. "I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry."
"Hey, hey." he pulled her into his arms for a hug. "Nic, it's not your fault, okay?" he felt her nod her head on his chest as he rubbed her back. "It wasn't meant to be."
...End of flashback...
"It wasn't meant to be." Kozik heard his own voice in his head, over and over. At that time, he wasn't ready to have a kid, but ever since Nicole showed back up in Tacoma, that's all he thought about and what could have been. He flicked his cigarette into the water below, when one more memory popped into his head.
...Flashback - 2 months later...
Kozik had just walked out of his shower, when he heard a knock on his door. "Hold up!" he yelled, then put on a pair of boxers, and jeans, then he opened it, as he was drying his hair with a towel. "Oh, hey, Nic... come in." she slowly walked inside and shut the door behind her, then leaned up against it. Kozik frowned. "What's wrong, Babe?"
"We, uh, need to talk."
"About what? Is everything okay?"
"No, Kozik... it's not." her eyes started to well up, then she looked away. "And please put a shirt on, this is hard enough for me, already."
"Fine." he went into his drawer, and pulled out a plain black t-shirt, then put it on. "Okay, there... what's wrong?"
Nicole took a deep breath and counted to three in her head, before she spoke. "I." she started, slowly looking back up at him. "Need to leave."
"To where?"
"I'm going back to Charming... I can't stay here, in Tacoma anymore."
Kozik crossed his arms over his chest. "This is because of the baby, isn't it?"
"Part of it... I just miss being at home and I miss my family."
"Nic, I told you that I'd give you some time to sort things out, so WE can work this out."
She shook her head. "It's too late for that... it would be impossible for things to go back the way they were."
"It would work, if you let it." Kozik took a deep breath and placed his hands on the door, trapping her in between his arms. "I love you, Nic, and I think we should give us another try." tears were falling down her cheeks as she slowly shook her head. "But I love you and I want to be with you."
"Kozik, if you really love me, like you say you do... you'll let me go, for good."
"No, I can't." he felt his own eyes starting to get watery. "I can't do that."
"Please." she begged. "Let. Me. Go."
...End of flashback...
Even though Kozik, told Happy that he couldn't stay away from Nicole, he decided to be the bigger man. He knew what he had to do, and as much as it hurt, and as much as he hated it, he had to let Nicole go, once again. And what he told Nicole on the docks, after she told him about their baby, it wasn't meant to be, he was totally right, even now.
A few minutes later, he pulled out his phone, and dialed a number. "What do you want?" is what he heard in his ear. "I don't have time for this."
Kozik heavily sighed. "Listen, Juice... if you want your Old Lady back, then you better get your ass over here."
"Why should I, when she's got you?"
"Nic's never had me, it's been you all along... and she needs you, right now."
"Is she okay?"
"She was sick earlier and I think she's still asleep, but if you want this to work between the both of you, then you gotta get to Tacoma... NOW."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because she loves you."
Juice took a deep breath. "Alright.. I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Good... I'll stay away until then." Kozik told him, before he hung up his phone, and sighed, wondering if he really made the right choice or not.