Nick and Niamh's Fight

A/N: This is what I consider a huge turning point in the plotline. It sets off a whole other set of events further in the arc…And I'm really, really, really, really hoping it can stir something in my readers. If don't review anything else, at least review THIS one. PLEASE.

Timeline: Mid-March 2012

The inspiration hit as Niamh was flipping through her latest brief. With a smile, she shoved it aside and began making plans on a nearby notepad, plans to surprise Nick and put a twist on their usual stay-in dates.

'He's been having such a hard time lately…two difficult clients in a row,' She thought as she wrote. 'A nice, home-cooked meal should cheer him up a bit…I'd love to do steak, but I can't afford it right now, besides I'm more in the mood for Italian…' At that, Niamh stopped, threw the page away and started a new one with her new wave of inspiration. After a half hour of turning over plans in her head, she finally made a decision and headed out, grabbing her belongings as quickly as she could.

"What's the rush?" Martha asked as she entered.

"It's date night and I'm cooking dinner for Nick," Niamh explained as Martha crossed the room to retrieve a book from Nick's desk.

"I saw him earlier and don't remember him saying anything about a date."

"He doesn't know. I decided that I'm going to surprise him at his flat."

"Well, good luck with that. I just came to take back this book he borrowed from my room. Clive needs it now."

Niamh simply shrugged as she slipped her jacket on. "Before I go, I have to ask. How's it going with John?"

"We've only been out three times Niamh. But, it is going better than it normally does for me, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. He wants to have our first stay-in date at his flat tomorrow."

"That's pretty big. It takes a lot before a guy becomes comfortable inviting you over."

"You don't think it's too fast, do you?"

"Not if you're both completely comfortable with it," Niamh said as they headed out of the room. "Now, I have to go home, change and then run out to the supermarket."

"Have fun with that," Martha replied as she walked off, grateful that she didn't have to run all over the place.

Niamh ignored her and simply headed out, grateful that she only had a short wait before her usual bus arrived, as she didn't feel like waiting for the tube.

Once she stepped into her flat, she immediately dropped all of her belongings and headed off for a quick shower before dashing into the bedroom to choose and outfit. 'I'm sick of wearing jeans,' She decided as she closed the bottom drawer on her wardrobe and then looked up at her casual dresses, her attention quickly being drawn to the first one in the row. 'I don't think I've worn this for him yet,' She thought, pulling out a short-sleeved, violet, skater-style dress adorned with a black belt. 'All I need to do is find some tights and I'll be set. It'll give off a cute and flirty vibe.' She then pulled open another drawer with a smile, and, after finding a decent pair of tights, matched them and the dress with a pair of black flats and a simple necklace before moving onto her makeup and deciding to use only a few, slight touches of it. She used and lightly applied a dark-violet eye shadow; matching it with a soft, pink lip-stick and gloss and just a touch of blush on her cheeks.

'Perfect,' She thought with a twirl in the mirror. 'Now all I have to do is head to the supermarket and then his flat. But…he is working late and may not be home by the time I get there and I don't have a key…wait a minute…I don't have a key!'

Niamh frowned as she pulled her coat back on. Nick hadn't given her a key to his flat, yet carried around a key to hers and they had been together since September. She quickly pulled out her mobile and dialed Nick's sister.

"Patricia? It's Niamh. I need a favour."

"What?" Patricia asked.

"Can I borrow your key to Nick's flat? I want to surprise him, but…"

"He hasn't given you a key?!" Patricia replied, a hint of shock in her voice.

"Please don't sound so shocked," Niamh said, thinking, 'This is embarrassing enough…'

"Alright, but are you going to come get it…or…?"
"Can you meet me at the supermarket by his block of flats? The one right across the street?"

"Sure. I'll text you when I arrive."

"Thank you." At that, Niamh hung up, sighed, and headed out again.

She was halfway through shopping when Patricia arrived with the key on a pink key ring. "Here you are," She said as she presented it.

"Thank you," Niamh said, closing her hand around it with a forced smile as she tried to convince herself that there was no reason to feel embarrassed. No reason to feel slighted by the man she had been friends with for more than a year and dating for six months now because he hadn't given her a key.

"What are you making?" Patricia inquired as Niamh walked on to the next aisle.

"I decided on chicken parmesan. I was in the mood for Italian and Nick has yet to try mine. He's had my mum's though."

"My brother's lucky to have you. He hasn't had the best luck with women in the past. In fact, his last girlfriend had a bad habit of stealing things from his flat."

"Oh."

"I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you that. I…"

"It's fine. The past is the past for a reason. I have to get going. Thank you again, Patricia."

"No problem," Patricia replied as she headed off.

Soon after she left, Niamh double-checked her ingredients and headed off herself after checking out, grateful that his block of flats was only a short walk across the street and up a few blocks. Once she arrived, she spent a happy hour and a half putting away groceries and setting up for supper, taking breaks in between to do a bit of cleaning here and there, as Nick had not only neglected vacuuming, but had left a pile of dishes in the sink. The moment she put the last dish away, she began searching for the pots and pans she needed for her cooking and got started on her traditional, homemade garlic bread so that Nick would have something to eat when he arrived. Partway through preparation she decided it was too quiet, put on music to fill the silence and quickly started humming to it as she slipped a pan in the oven the same moment Nick stepped up and out of a nearby underground station, thoroughly pissed off with the result of the day's trial. His client still wasn't talking and the prosecution was dragging him into the ground six feet under.

'And to top it all off I have two more trials lined up…One of them being some crap traffic case,' He thought with an aggravated sigh. At this point, all he wanted was to go home, shower and settle in front of a pointless film with a beer, maybe give Niamh a ring and invite her over to vent with him. As he made one final turn into the building, he was just grateful that he was home and could relax for awhile. Be somewhere where solicitors weren't screaming at him to do something for a client who wouldn't tell him anything. Somewhere he wasn't constantly being watched and looked after, where people weren't waiting for the one moment where he would screw up and prove he didn't belong at the Barr, something he had been told since he started. He had wanted to show everyone he could make something of himself, but at this point, felt like he accomplished nothing. He figured if he was going to put all this time into a case, he should at least feel like he'd done something useful. With another sigh, he headed for the stairwell, always skipping the lift when he didn't have heavy items since he only lived on the second floor. He felt relief once he reached the door, until he heard the music coming from within.

'What the hell?' He thought, taking note of the unlocked door as he pushed the handle down. 'Oh, God. No.' He kicked the doorframe in frustration. All he had wanted to do was come home and relax, but was now stuck with someone who would require attention and conversation in his flat. As soon as he stepped inside he saw her fiddling with a pan, eagerly humming along to the radio as she placed something on a serving plate and then reached for her water glass.

"Nick!" She said as soon as she turned around. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear you come in."

"I wouldn't expect you to. You are entertaining the entire floor."

"It is loud, isn't it?" Niamh said as she turned off the stereo. "The bread is ready if you want something now. Unless you'd rather wait for the sauce, which should be done in another minute or so."

"What I want is a shower."

"You've had a bad day." She stepped away from the cooker and approached him, brushing a strand of hair from his face before leaning up to give him a light kiss. "Why don't you go do that and relax while I get supper started? Unless you'd rather I hold off on the food while you unwind a little bit."

"What is all this Niamh?"

"I knew you were having a hard time lately, so I thought a nice home-cooked meal would cheer you up…I guess I thought wrong." She stepped away to turn off the sauce on the cooker to avoid burning it.

"No. I appreciate it; I just had a bad day."

"Which I've added to. I can see it in your face, Nick."

"No, you haven't. I just wished you had given me a ring first," He said, as, out of sheer habit, he picked up Patricia's key and stuffed it into his pocket.

He may as well have slapped her.

"Don't worry Nick. Everything is still in its place. I only fucked up your kitchen."

"What?"

"And don't give your sister any grief about letting me borrow her key. It's not like I went out and made a copy of it."

"Niamh, what are you talking about?"

"Don't stand there and pretend like you don't know," She snapped with a scowl. "Do you know how humiliating it was to even think of asking her for a key? To know we've been together since September and I still can't be trusted!"

"It has nothing to do with trust I just…"

"Bullshit Nicholas! You let me keep clothes here because it's convenient, and you let me stay here and get ready when I need to as long as I keep it clean. Why? Because it's your space. God forbid I leave even a stray pinch of eye-shadow."

"Niamh, stop it. I really don't want to fight with you."

"Too bad, because I want to fight with you! You're irritated because I'm here in your space making myself at home in the kitchen without you here to watch over my every move and make sure I don't put a pot in the wrong place. Do you know what that tells me, Nicholas? It tells me that I'm wasting my time and my feelings because you don't trust me!"

"You're blowing this out of proportion. You just caught me at a bad time is all."

"Don't you dare pull that on me! You're scared to let me in because it's too close to commitment for you!"

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm committed. There's no one else and hasn't been!"

"This isn't about anyone else! It's about you and me. About you pushing me away because of your past. You're afraid this will end like all your other relationships, that I'll push and shove and abuse my privileges. Your sister told me about your thieving ex-girlfriend. I just can't imagine why you'd even think of putting me on the same level with someone like that."

"But, Niamh I didn't…I haven't…"

"No. Every time we get together it has to be planned. On your schedule. As long as we work around that, we're fine! God forbid if I change the plans up a little bit, unless it works in your favour, of course! But what about me, Nick? What about things that work for me? Have you ever thought of that? Like this. This worked for me, but since it doesn't work for you, it's a waste of my time. Why should I work at cooking you a fucking meal when it ends in incitement?!" In her anger, she quickly snatched up the bread plate and threw it into the sink with a hard crash of stoneware.

"Alright, that's enough!" Nick snapped.

"NO it's not! It's never going to be enough! I'm in love with you, Nick! And I want you to be in love with me! I want to make something of this! I want a future together! I don't care what happens in it as long as you're there! So, this? Working on your terms, not being allowed to even think about surprises…It's not enough!"

"Wait a minute….What?"

"Go ahead and run, but don't expect me to follow you! I'm done with this and you. We're over."

"Hold on a minute. Will you give me a second to think?"

"You had six months to think! Don't you dare touch me," She warned as he moved toward her. "You had your chance! I gave you everything. I gave you all of me and if you had needed more, I would have given it to you. I would have gone to the ends of the earth to find more and give it to you. That's how you make me feel. That's how I want to love you! I've never felt anything like that before. Unfortunately, I've just found out that I've been wasting my time and I'd rather not stay where I'm not wanted."

"Fine. Be pissed off. Break dishes. But don't you dare tell me that I don't want and value you."

"Not the way I need! And trying not to want and holding back from loving you the way I want to…It's killing me." She quickly snatched up her coat and handbag.

"You are not going anywhere," Nick ran forward and slapped a hand on the door to stop her. "I want you to sit down and talk with me. You are not the only one with things to say."

At that, Niamh truly snapped. "Fuck off, Nick! I'm sick of thinking about what you want. I'm sick of caring!" She looked up at him then and he slowly slid his hand off the door. It wasn't anger or heat in her eyes…that he would have just ignored. He would have waited until she cooled off, but he could do nothing about her pain. It broke his heart.

"Niamh, please don't do this…"

She said nothing, slipped out the door and ran, stopping in the lobby to pull on her coat along the way before she headed to the underground, where she stood staring at the routes for what felt like hours. She didn't know where she wanted to go. She just knew she didn't want to go home. She didn't want to be alone, so she simply let her instincts guide her as she struggled to dam the tears in her eyes.

Meanwhile, completely unaware of everything that had just transpired, Martha sat in her flat contemplating her latest brief and picking at the cheese and vegetable tray she had made as supper, not wanting to cook. Music played in the background as she flipped through pages, took notes and occasionally ate, stopping once to get up and finally change into her pyjamas, and then a second time at a knock. At first, she waved it off, thinking it was nothing until it continued.

With a sigh, she set her pen down and forced herself up. "I'm coming, I'm coming," She called, thinking that it was probably someone from chambers offering her more work. Instead, she found a heartbroken Niamh. She was shaking and staring at the ground in an attempt to keep composed, to stop her continuously flowing tears. She had no idea why her feet had led her to Martha's, but she was grateful to have someone there. Someone who would be willing to listen without judging.

"Niamh?" Martha asked after a small silence.

"Martha…" Niamh whined, finally looking up before falling into her arms and sobbing unashamedly.

"Niamh?!" Martha said again, this time with concern rather than surprise as she turned over possible reasons this situation was occurring. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

"Not like that," Niamh choked out through sobs.

Martha didn't have to think at that point, she understood immediately and quickly ushered Niamh inside, stopping to close the door as she slipped off her coat. "Come with me," She said, wrapping an arm around Niamh as soon as the jacket hit the ground. She led her to the sofa, sat and coaxed Niamh into her arms, holding her like a child.

"I can't stop…I can't make it stop," Niamh choked out.

"You don't have to," Martha soothed.

"How could I be so stupid?" Niamh gripped Martha's nightshirt and let out a loud wail as she finished speaking.

"You're not stupid," Martha reassured as she gently ran her fingers through her hair.

"It hurts. It hurts so much. It's like having some terrible illness and…"

"Shush, I know," Martha said.

At that, Niamh stopped talking and simply cried. She choked out raw sobs until her throat burned and there were only silent tears left.

Martha simply listened, offering reassurances when needed. She knew that Niamh had been hurt badly and let her instincts guide her as she comforted her sobbing friend. "Are you ready to talk?" She asked carefully once the noise stopped, desperately wanting context.

After a moment of silence and sniffling, Niamh nodded and said in a hoarse voice, "N…Nick…and I…We…"

"Did you have a fight?"

"No. Not just a fight."

"Tell me about it."

With a loud wail, Niamh relayed all of the details….From having to ask Patricia for a key to Nick's arrival and the subsequent fight.

"How could I be so stupid?" Niamh repeated. "To think that this was a good idea…"

"It was a good idea," Martha replied.

"This just…isn't right. He has a key to my flat…and…"

At that, Martha forced her up and put a gentle hand to her face, not wanting to hear anymore yet. Instead, she wanted Niamh to sit back and relax, take a breather and think about things. "Look at me," She ordered as she slipped a hand under Niamh's chin, forcing her to look up into her eyes. "It's going to be alright, you're going to be alright. I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear right now, but broken hearts heal. The cracks will be there for a while, but they'll also heal eventually. Now, listen to me. First, you're going to take a long, hot bath, then, I'm going to get you some ice cream and after your second cry-there will be another."

"Yes, there will," Niamh agreed in a soft whisper.

"After your second cry," Martha repeated. "You and I will talk some more, then you're going to bed and are to sleep until you wake up."

"I'll still be in love with him when I get up."

"Yes," Martha agreed.

"And it will still hurt."

"Yes."

"But…I'll be a bit stronger."

"You will."

"About the ice cream…Extra chocolate syrup?"

Martha gave a sympathetic smile, nodded, "And sprinkles," She promised, quickly handing over tissues as she spoke. "I'm going to set your bath. I know your formula.

Niamh shifted, allowing Martha to get up and then curled up on one side of the couch with her knees to her chest. 'How could this happen…How could I let this happen? Women like me don't get hurt…They're not supposed to get hurt…' She sighed and laid her head on her knees. For years she had put up walls, not allowing herself to be brought down by men. She promised herself when she was young that she would never be one of those girls who was always crying about heartbreak and "the one that got away," only to now find herself in their position. Of course, this was far different than some fake teenage drama, but she imagined it hurt just the same. She sat like that for awhile, only looking up when Martha placed a hand on her shoulder to tell her the bath was ready.

Once in the bath, Niamh ordered herself to stop thinking, but failed in doing so and sat, wallowing in her own sadness for a few minutes before she simply stopped, figuring that it just was not worth it to waste her thoughts on someone who didn't really care for her. What she needed was to relax, not relive recent memories, so, she forced herself to lie back and enjoy the bath as the scent of vanilla and lavender surrounded her. She spent nearly an hour in the bath before she had enough and stepped out, only realizing that she had nothing to wear once she finished drying. With a sigh, she stepped out in only her towel, shivering at the chill in the room. She found Martha reading a brief in the lounge and stood by a wall, carefully asking, "Martha?"

"Hm?" She asked at the sound of her name, stopping and standing once she processed the image in front of her. "I'll get you something to wear. Stay there." She quickly made her way to the bedroom without a second thought and pulled open her pyjama drawer, hastily searching through it for something, anything, that would fit Niamh. Finally, she happened upon something that looked decent and presented it to her. It had been a present from her aunt, but ended up being a size too small due to a small misjudgment on Millie's part. "Here, I know violet is your favourite colour."

"Thank you," Niamh said, gently taking the garment from her. She moved back into the bathroom and quickly dressed, finding the simple, three-quarter inch sleeved, violet sleepshirt a near perfect fit and rather comfortable. She then gathered her clothes and returned to the sofa in the lounge. Once there, she set her clothes out to fold them and shoved them in her handbag. She then looked over at the desk, tempted to investigate the brief, but decided against it and simply sat on the sofa with a sigh.

Moments later, Martha returned, handing her a bowl of vanilla ice cream drowned in chocolate syrup and sprinkles. "With extra chocolate syrup," She said.

"Thanks," Niamh muttered, carefully taking it.

Martha gave her a sympathetic smile and grabbed a brush, taking a place behind her. "Do you mind?" She asked.

Niamh shook her head and sat back as Martha gently brushed through her hair, finding it soothing. It reminded her of the talks she and her mother often had while doing this sort of thing and she found it comforting.

"Why do you think he did it?" Niamh asked after a long silence. "Take the key back, I mean."

"I think he's afraid that it will turn out like his other relationships," Martha replied, having listened carefully when Niamh told her what Patricia had said earlier.

"Do you know how humiliating it was to ask his sister for a key? To know how long we've been together and that I still cannot be trusted."

"It seems to me like he's afraid of giving another woman privileges that were previously abused."

"He's put me on the same level as his thieving ex-girlfriend. That hurts…"

"I know it does."

"Thank you," Niamh said after another silence.

"For what?" Martha asked, setting the brush down as she spoke.

"For listening."

"Anytime."

Niamh gave her a small smile and set down her now-empty bowl. She then sat back a moment as the images came back. The fight, his words, and all of her feelings. "Oh, God…Oh God, Martha…Here comes the second one."

"It's alright," Martha said as Niamh shifted and laid her head in her lap. "Just cry it out," She soothed as she gently rubbed Niamh's back and ran her hands through her hair, letting her cry until she could cry no longer, just as she had done earlier. After she finished, Martha handed over more tissues and said, "You need to rest. You can sleep in my bed if you want. I'll take the sofa."

Niamh simply nodded, and wiped the last of her tears away, following Martha when she got up and headed into the bedroom. There, Martha quickly prepared the bed by pulling back the duvet and throwing on a few extra pillows before allowing Niamh to climb into it.

Once she was settled, Martha draped and extra blanket over her and sat. "Comfortable?" She asked, pushing a strand of hair from Niamh's face.

Niamh nodded and turned away with a long, heartbroken sigh.

Martha rubbed her back with a sympathetic smile. She understood the feelings of a broken heart all too well, having lived through several. She knew the hurt, the anger, the self pity and soon found herself being grateful that she had John, even if she hadn't known him for long. She ended up staying until Niamh fell asleep and then returned to her brief for the trial the following afternoon, quickly finding that she couldn't stand looking at it, not after everything that had happened. With that in mind, she decided to go to bed, figuring that she would just look at it the next morning at chambers, as the trial wasn't until one. With a sigh, she forced herself up and settled herself on the sofa with one of her extra pillows and her favourite blanket, her thoughts drifting back to Niamh one more time before she slipped into a dreamless sleep.

The following morning, out of habit, Niamh woke at her normal time and ordered herself to get out of bed, to stop feeling sorry for herself. Instead, she clutched the blanket and lay there, observing pointless trinkets in the room. The curtains were drawn, not that it would have mattered if they were open as, it was still dark. A vase of white lilies and pink hydrangea sat on the nightstand, which was set with a picture she couldn't identify and an alarm clock with a long worn-out snooze button. She let out a long sigh, knowing that she should feel ashamed of being so weak and needy. Ashamed that she had let a man make her feel this way. But, she could only be grateful that Martha had been there, that she'd listened and understood what she needed. She wiped away a tear threatening to fall and turned at the sound of soft shuffling at the door.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," Martha said, her voice indicating that she had been up for awhile. It was calm and reassuring rather than sleep-slurred, as it would have been had she come in right after waking.

Niamh said nothing and simply returned to studying the flowers.

Martha sat on the bed and placed a gentle hand on Niamh's shoulder. "Did you sleep?" She asked carefully.

"I did, actually. I guess it was sort of like…an escape route. A way to forget all of my feelings and drift away from my trouble."

"I have an idea. How about we skip going to chambers and have a girl's morning out? We can have breakfast, get our nails done, go shopping…what do you say?"

"No. I…I want to go to chambers."

"Are you sure?" Martha asked, knowing that it might be difficult for her to face Nick.

Niamh nodded. "I know that…If I focus on work, I can put him…it," She corrected herself. "Out of mind for awhile. Focus on trials and clients and justice…But, if I skip work, it gives me time to think, and if I start thinking…"

"I know. In that case, how would you like to work with me, today? You can come to trial as an observer and won't have to be in the room with him today or any day until you're ready."

"Are you sure I won't be a burden?"

"Of course not. Well, not to me anyway. I can't promise that Clive won't mind," Martha said. "Do you really want to go?"

"Yes."

"In that case, I'll find you something to wear. You can give it back later."

"Martha…?" Niamh said, finally forcing herself to sit up.

"Hm?"

"Thank you…for everything."

"It's nothing. I know how it is, trust me," Martha replied, finishing by giving Niamh a light, sisterly kiss on the head. "Now, if you're going to chambers, you have to get up and get ready. I'll look for some clothes."

Niamh nodded and pushed herself up. She retrieved her small bag of emergency toiletries from her handbag and made her way into the bathroom, taking time in brushing her teeth and doing her hair as Martha searched her wardrobe. Finding nothing smaller than her normal clothes, she simply put out an extra set, figuring that she could help Niamh adjust them.

In the bathroom, Niamh quickly and almost frantically searched her bag, unable to find any kind of lipstick to match her makeup. She then remembered that she had taken it out for a touch up in between her cleaning and had left it on Nick's bathroom counter.

'Dammit!' She thought with an aggravated groan. 'All that does is prove that I am taking over his space!'

"Something wrong?" Martha asked, joining her moments later.

"Nothing really…I…I just lost my lipstick," Niamh lied.

'Is that all?' Martha thought with a soft smile. "Here," She said, choosing and picking up one of her own. "I haven't opened this one yet…Look at me."

Niamh did as she was told, and Martha gently set a hand under her chin, holding her head up as she carefully applied the lipstick.

"Perfect," She said, handing Niamh the tube when she was done. "Go ahead and keep it."

Niamh smiled, truly grateful for all her help.

"There's a set of clothes on the bed for you. I know they're big, but we may be able to fix it."

Niamh simply nodded and stepped out to dress, giving Martha the bathroom. She found that the clothes needed a few adjustments and, after her shower, Martha helped by adding a belt and tweaking what she could before dressing herself and moving into the kitchen to make breakfast.

They stepped into chambers at eight, ignoring the looks from those who passed by, all of them confused by and curious about their matching attire. As they made their way to Martha's room, they passed Nick going over a brief in his and Niamh's room. He and Niamh locked eyes for only half a second before she put her head down and headed on.

"Trouble in paradise?" Clive asked, stepping in moments later with a brief of his own, having been kicked out of his room by Martha.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nick lied.

"I saw the look Niamh's eyes when Martha brought her in. You did something. Word of advice-whatever happens, don't let her guilt trip you. Women are good at that."

Nick gave him a look, slammed his binder shut and headed out, stopping to glance at Niamh's desk, which, was empty, giving the room the same feeling. He sighed and decided to work in the library. Though he had sat down to prepare his defense, it was halfhearted as his mind focused on his own guilt. 'Clive is wrong. I don't need Niamh to guilt-trip me…I can do that myself…Plus, she isn't like that,' He thought, the image of her leaving from the previous night coming back to him. The look of pain in her eyes had been a huge blow to him, especially knowing that he was the cause of it. He would have been fine if she had slapped him, or left in an angry huff…But her pain was a whole other matter. 'Oh, God. What did I do?' He thought, immediately making the decision to speak to her. He quickly stood, and without a second thought, made a path for Martha's room.

"Nick!" Martha called, stopping him as she headed the opposite way. "Can I speak with you? It's about your trial."

"Um…Sure?"

He followed her out into the street, where, she set her hands on the rail and looked out at the scenery for a brief moment before turning to him.

"I know that my defense hasn't been perfect," He started. "But I've been…"

"This isn't about the trial. I lied to get you out here," Martha interrupted. "It's about Niamh."

"How do you…?"

"She came to me last night. I figured that she didn't wish to be alone and I don't blame her. You hurt her, Nick. You hurt her badly. She was crying when I answered the door."

"Is she alright? I tried calling her, but…"

"Did you honestly think she would answer? She doesn't want anything to do with you," Martha snapped.

"I can't fix it if I don't talk to her. She's in your room, right? If I could just have a few minutes…"

"No." She said coolly, taking note of the sting in his eyes. "I want you to stay away from her for awhile. You both need some space. I want you to think about yourself, what you need, what you want, your plans for the future and how Niamh fits into them. If she doesn't, you better let her down easy. If you don't, I will come after you. You already hurt her once, I will not let you do so again," At that, Martha turned away and headed back inside, leaving Nick to ponder what she had said. She then spent the remainder of her day with Niamh, watching as she overworked herself, going over briefs and preparing defenses until her head hurt. She couldn't help but feel pity for her, knowing how she was trying to forget it all. To forget him despite knowing that he was right down the hall. The broke an hour before the trial to allow time to stop by Niamh's flat for her wig and gown before heading to the courthouse, Martha lying that Niamh was her pupil to get her into the trial as an observer.

The next two weeks went in the same fashion. Niamh walked, talked and healed slowly, putting on the face of a collected, confident woman despite her collapsing heart. The Saturday following the fight, she took Martha up on her offer for a girl's day to escape, thinking that time with the women would do her some good. Together, they gathered Pippa and Felicia and spent the day shopping and pampering themselves, the three other women watching as Niamh put on a smile, pretending to be truly happy with everything rather than hurt and looking for an escape. She even took the time to go visit her parents one Tuesday evening for dinner, being careful about the details she relayed about the fight and hoping her father wouldn't immediately jump up and head to Nick's flat to give him the decking he deserved for making his daughter cry. She knew it would take time to heal, and simply took everything a day at a time, also knowing that she would have to speak to Nick and some point. To figure out what they were going to do, to find out if there was still a relationship, because, even though she had claimed it was over, it wasn't. As stupid as it was to think about, she was in love, and desperately wanted him to return her feelings.

Nick, on the other hand, spent most of his time hiding his rising insanity. Not being able to even say a word to Niamh was driving him crazy. All he wanted was a chance to explain himself, to apologize for making her feel unwanted, but every time he tried, either his mind or Martha held him back. He thought about how it could have gone different constantly, soon figuring that it was useless to dwell on it. It had happened and the important thing now was to face the consequences, own up and apologize.

'It's been over ten days!' He thought as he was heading home one evening. 'We work in the same chambers and haven't said a single word since then…Nothing…Not even a small smidgen of legal speak…I need to…No. I will fix this.' He decided, immediately turning away from the underground station. Instead, he headed for the bus, which was the quickest and easiest way to Niamh's. Part of his mind told him to stop, but the other part, the one that ran on instinct told him to keep going. That this was right. He had his doubts as he stepped into the building, but easily pushed them aside with each step he climbed.

Once he arrived, he stopped outside of the door, took in a breath and knocked, hoping she was home.

Inside, Niamh looked up from a book at the sound of the knock and quickly rose to answer it, thinking that it was Martha, or Felicia, as they had gotten into a habit of seeing her regularly so that she wouldn't be alone often and, while she appreciated the effort, she found it aggravating at times and was prepared to tell one of them to go away until she actually opened the door.

"Niamh…" Nick started, immediately being interrupted by the door slamming in his face.

Niamh wasn't sure why she had done it. She had simply acted on instinct. Though she kept telling herself she was ready to talk, as soon as she saw him there, she realised that she wasn't. All his presence did was bring back all of her rage.

"Niamh, we need to talk," Nick said from outside, determined to do what he had showed up for. He was sick of their dancing around each other and just wanted closure.

"Leave me alone," Niamh snapped as she leaned against the door.

"If you won't open the door, I'll just talk to you from out here," He decided. "I just wanted to apologize for making you feel unwanted. I swear it wasn't intentional. It's just that…You and my sister were right. I'm hung up on the past a bit too much. I never meant to put you on the same level with the thief, or the cheater or any of them. In fact, I wouldn't even think of it, not for a minute. I love you Niamh. This is going to sound cliché, but you make me feel things that I never even thought about feeling before and it…well…it scares me." He admitted, pausing when he heard the locks on the door click.

"Do you want to come in?" Niamh asked. "So we can…talk without a barrier?"

"I'd like that," Nick said as he carefully stepped in and took off his shoes, knowing that Niamh didn't like people having shoes on inside. He then moved to join her on the sofa. "Can I…?" He asked.

Niamh nodded and they sat in silence for a moment before she finally spoke, asking, "What is it you're scared of?"

Nick sighed. "My feelings. I told you, no one's ever made me feel the way you make me. It's new territory for me and it's scary. And, I'll admit that I was also afraid of letting a woman past my comfort zone. You know that I've done so before, and that every time I did, it turned out badly. My sister told you about the thief, but before her I was with a woman who cheated on me and then flaunted it. So, I would think it's understandable that I took a step back, but on the other hand, I've come to realise that I've been completely unreasonable with you. I didn't even give you the slightest inkling of a chance. I assure you that I didn't mean to. It was all subconscious."

"You have trust issues," Niamh clarified.

"Yes," Nick admitted. "The night we fought…I was having a bad week and all I really wanted to do was go home and relax, then I found you. Someone that would require immediate attention when I didn't want to give a shit about anybody. That was what initially ticked me off in the front of my mind, but I realise now that I was secretly thinking, 'here we go again.' I had another girl who wanted to break boundaries and assert herself into my space, which was wrong of me."

"It's understandable," Niamh said. "I did step in uninvited."

"Don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong, I did. I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. There was no reason for my reaction, no matter how I try and justify it. Like I said, I never gave you a chance and for that, I'm really sorry. I'm also sorry that you feel you've crossed a line by trying to do something nice for me. Something that I should have appreciated. If I could go back to that exact moment, I'd do it differently, but we can't go back."

Niamh simply nodded, unsure of what he meant.

"We could go forward though. I've missed you Niamh. I've missed touching you, listening to you," He said, carefully placing a hand on top of hers. "Your smile, your voice, your laugh…everything. And, when I realised that…I also realised that you were right. I wasn't valuing you enough. I wasn't taking the time about to appreciate you the way I should have…and if you ask me, it's kind of sad that it took this for me to realise it, but I'm in love with you. I didn't want to admit it to myself at first. I thought that it couldn't be real, but now I know that it is. I don't just want you, I need you and I'll do anything it takes to fulfill that need. I'll run to the ends of the earth and back to satisfy you, give you anything you want…All I ask is that you give me another chance. Let me love you the way you deserve…The way you've been trying to love me all this time. Stay with me Niamh, please."

There was a long silence as she turned over his words and her options in her head. Finally she said, "I am with you."

"But are you here to stay?"

She nodded eagerly. "I love you, Nick. And, I've missed you too. My life is has been so dull without you. Without your cheeky comments for nearly everything, your going out of your way to help me…And, most importantly, your touch. I've been cold without you," She said, leaning in for a kiss. It started out soft, but quickly deepened. It was one of those soft but heavy kisses that said "I love you."

When they finally broke apart, Nick took Niamh's hands and held them as they stared into each other's eyes and the whole world disappeared for a soft, quiet moment before Nick, ever the cheeky bastard, whispered, "Does this mean we get to have hot make-up sex, now?"

Niamh laughed, something she hadn't truly done in days and Nick relished in it, having desperately missed the sound. "Of course," She replied as she threw her arms around him and brought him in for a hard, heavy kiss that he eagerly returned before quickly breaking off.

"What…?" Niamh asked. "Did I…?"

"You didn't do anything," Nick said as he quickly and eagerly gathered her into his arms and headed into the bedroom with her, saying nothing more until he gently laid her on her bed. "I wanted a proper bed," He continued as he climbed on top of her.

Niamh smiled and eagerly threw her arms around him again, pulling him towards her for an eager, hungry kiss that he resisted as a tease. She responded by pressing harder, biting his lower lip until he relented and their tongues engaged in a battle. She took her hands to his hair while he took his to her, attempting to pull at the buttons on her violet cardigan. Noticing this, she quickly pushed him away a bit and propped herself up, taking her own hands to the buttons to prevent Nick from ripping the garment.

However, before she got a chance to even graze the first button, Nick grabbed her hands and pulled her up, quickly urging her into his lap.

Niamh smiled and hooked her arms around his neck as he brought her in for another kiss, taking his hands to the cardigan again, quickly and carefully pulling at the buttons.

Once he flipped the last one open, she pulled away to slip it off and throw it away before returning to his lips and then his neck as she pulled at his blazer, quickly and easily slipping it off, before moving onto to his tie, which also came off with ease. She then moved onto pulling at the buttons on his shirt, pausing to help him slip off her lavender camisole.

"This shirt has too many buttons," She muttered in between kisses.

"You're impatient," Nick observed, taking his lips down to her neck and smiling against the skin as she titled her head back and let out a small sigh of delight.

"I know," She replied as she pulled him back down onto the bed with her, quickly capturing him with a series of deep, hot kisses as she again pulled at the buttons with trembling hands, trying to be careful as to avoid another ripped shirt despite her impatience. Her hands wanted flesh-his flesh. She wanted to touch it, possess it, revel in it. It had been far too long since they had been intimate and her senses were reeling with every little touch. She smiled once she flicked open the last button and finally got to what she had been craving.

Nick groaned as Niamh eagerly ran her hands over his chest, tracing and taking note of every curve, exploring him as if this was their first time, pausing only when he sat up to throw the shirt off. He then leaned down to kiss her again, but she acted quickly and had her lips on his neck before he could even brush hers, groaning again when she nipped at his pulse point, and kissed her way back up to his lips. She then tried to take her hands to his chest again, but was stopped when he grabbed her hands and used them to pin her to the bed.

He started with her neck, kissing and nipping his way down to her breasts, stopping along the way at the sensitive spot where her neck and shoulder met. There, he gently nipped and then sucked at her pulse point with the intention to leave a mark. He wanted everyone to know that she was his and no one else's. He wanted to possess her completely, show her that she was wanted, that she was loved. He was careful as he worked his way down, taking his time with soft kisses and gentle touches. As he moved, he carefully traced patterns on her skin, relishing in the soft gasps and whimpers that escaped her lips. He brushed her navel with his lips as his hands moved down to her jeans. He made quick work of the zipper and wasted no time in slipping them off of her and throwing them to some unknown corner of the room. He then kissed his way back up her body, surprised when she pulled him into a hard kiss, which she quickly took dominance in.

They broke apart because they had to, and as soon as they caught some air, she pulled him back by his hair, using her kisses to distract him as she moved her hands down and pulled at his trousers.

Catching onto what she was doing, he helped her strip him, but resisted when she tried to flip him over, instead he quickly distracted her with another passionate kiss as he slipped his hand under her back and flipped the catch on her strapless bra, which easily slipped away from her. The moment it was gone, he descended upon her breasts, taking his mouth to one and hand to the other. He was rewarded with a long, soft moan as his tongue circled her nipple, teasing it to a taught peak as his hand worked at her other breast, his thumb brushing over that nipple as he took the other into his mouth, earning a series of soft, sensual gasps in response. He took his time, using the moments to truly savour her and taking his time in leaving a trail of soft kisses in his wake as he moved to the other breast.

Niamh gripped his hair as she let out another sensual gasp, taking it all in. His gentle touches on her body, the care he was taking with her, everything. However, while she appreciated it, she was also tortured by it. She was desperate for him, having been away from him for so long.

"Nick…Please…" She begged, arching against him demandingly.

Hearing her, he suddenly paused, receiving an aggravated sigh in response. Her eagerness fueled him, but he wanted to take it slowly. To ease back into things. He didn't just want to have sex with her for the sake of making up. He wanted to make love to her. Show her just how much he wanted and loved her. "Slow down, Niamh," He whispered, following up with a soft kiss. "Let me make love to you. Let me please you and appreciate you. Let me show you just how much I want you…how much I love you…" He then moved back down, creating a line of soft kisses down her body, from her neck to her breasts and then down her stomach, his hands again working her skin with patterns. He paused to slip his tongue into her navel and then hooked his thumbs into the waistline of her panties, carefully and slowly slipping them off. He gently parted her legs, kissing his way up her inner thigh as he did so.

Niamh nearly screamed when she felt his tongue on her. He worked her slowly, reveling in the moans he received in response as she tangled a hand in his hair and begged with her body language. She hadn't realised how much she wanted, no, needed this until now.

She let out an aggravated groan when he suddenly paused, delaying her release as he came back up to kiss her and she arched against him again, hoping he would get the hint. He did, but he refused to end it at that point, he was far from done with her.

"What did I tell you about your impatience?" He asked, not giving her a chance to answer as he crushed his lips to hers, his tongue entering her mouth as his fingers slipped into her.

"Oh, God," Niamh gasped once she caught her breath. She gripped him tightly, suppressing her moans by kissing him over and over again, her breathing erratic.

Nick watched her expression as he moved faster and stroked harder. Her eyes were glassed over with pure pleasure. Pleasure that he was creating. He took a bit of pride in it as he watched her expression change, her eyes darkening as she tried her hardest not to scream as it hit her. Hard and fast.

"Oh…Nick," She cried out.

'Oh, I'm not done yet,' He thought, muffling her cries with a kiss as he reached over and pulled open the drawer on her nightstand, wasting no time in finding and using exactly what he was looking for. The moment he was ready, Niamh, still recovering from the tremours of her orgasm, opened her eyes, locking them with his as he slipped into her.

Her ankles locked around his waist almost immediately, keeping him in place as he worked at setting a steady rhythm for the both of them, a rhythm that he tried to keep slow and even. He wanted to keep up taking his time with her, and while Niamh understood this, she also knew they'd get nowhere if he kept up with it.

"Harder, Nick," She demanded. "Do it harder."

With a satisfied smirk, he immediately obliged, slipping a hand under her thigh to bring it back so he could lengthen his thrusts. "Oh, God. I love you," He panted, ending with a strangled groan as he felt her tighten herself around him.

"I know," She gasped in response. "I know you do…Ah!" She threw her head back and let out a shrill whine as everything came crashing down on her a second time. She lost all control of her body, her only ability being to make it breath.

He followed shortly afterwards, moaning her name as he surrendered to the pleasure.

"Fuck, Niamh," He gasped as he collapsed on top of her, his head resting on her breasts. "You are going to be the death of me."

She said nothing, couldn't say anything, really. There were no words to describe how she felt. But, once they finally settled and he moved off of her, she realised exactly how she felt and knew exactly what she wanted to say. "Nick…" She started, tracing circles on his chest as she lay on him.

"Hm?" He asked, absentmindedly playing with her hair.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Will you…move in with me?"

"What?"

"Please? I think we're far past trying to bounce back and forth between our flats and…I just… I want you to live with me. I want you to be there when I wake up and to tuck me into bed at night…I want…well, I just want you."

"I'll have to think about it. There's a lot of factors to consider and…"

"Then we'll take it slow. There's no need for you to rush in here tomorrow. We can take our time in organising your belongings, selling what you don't need and going over what you do…It's better that way, then we don't forget anything."

"Are you absolutely sure you want this?" He asked.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't. There is one major rule though."

"And what rule is that?"

"Patricia's not allowed to have a key. Don't get me wrong, I like your sister just fine Nick, but the last thing we need is her walking in on us at one AM…again. Or her showing up unexpectedly when we have plans…You get the idea. I want it to be our place. You and me and no one else."

Nick laughed. "Agreed. I love her, but it's about time she started fending for herself a bit more and facing her fake drama."

Niamh smiled and drew him in for a soft kiss, and then another…and another. She kissed as if time would stop if she did. When they finally did break, she said, "I hate fighting with you."

"You're crying," Nick observed.

"I guess I'm still getting over it. But, I'm happy. I'm happy I have you and that we're together and both know exactly what we want now."

"I love you," He said back.

Niamh responded with a smile and another kiss as she carefully climbed on top of him. "I know. And now that you've shown me how much you love me, it's time for me to return the favour." They kissed then, hard and deep, both sharing the thought that it was going to be a long evening and an even longer road ahead.