I decided eventually to go with a different track with this story, than what I had originally planned. I think you'll find this version much more... satisfying.
Disclaimer (since I didn't put it in the first chapter): I will never own Cassie, Nick, and the Push franchise, no matter how much I want to.
"How much further to your apartment?"
Nick had just started to drift off into deep oblivion, but Pinky's words jolted him back into the world of the living. His eyelids were heavy, his mind barely in the same place as his body, and he had to struggle to realize that Pinky had spoken to him, and not just aloud to himself.
"Sorry, man," Nick said groggily, "I was about dead back here. What'd you say?"
Pinky laughed softly. "Yeah, man, I'm almost asleep at the wheel, myself. I was just wondering how much longer it was 'til we get to your apartment."
Nick looked out the window, trying to find some sort of landmark that he could recognize. No such luck; the rain was still falling in obscene quantities, and even without the rain, it was still too dark to see much of anything.
Nick was about to speak when a road sign caught his eye, illuminated by the car's headlights. He read it and smiled.
"About a mile and a half," Nick said, already ready to drift back into sleep.
"Good," replied Pinky, "I think I can make it, then." He glanced in the rearview mirror, looking at the pair in the backseat. "How's Cassie doing?"
Nick looked down at his newfound friend, sleeping peacefully, snuggled up next to him, and smiled. "She'll be fine, she's a strong girl. Nothing a good, long rest won't help."
Nick looked down at the floorboard behind Pinky's seat, and noticed somehting lumpy down there. Picking it up, he realized what it was, and laughed softly to himself.
"What's so funny?" Pinky asked, glancing in his rearview mirror. "And what the hell is that umbrella doing in my car? I'm pretty sure it's not mine; leopard-skin prints just aren't my style..."
Nick groaned, partly due to the lame joke, and partly due to the spasm that had just racked his leg, the same one that had been paining him all night.
When the agony died down after a minte, Nick spoke up: "It's Cassie's. Funny thing, though... Before we all went our separate ways, Cassie had one of her visions, and told me to bring along an umbrella.
"And of course, being the stubborn ass that I am, I blew it off and didn't take one."
"Did you end up needing it?" asked Pinky, grateful for the conversation to keep him awake.
"Actually... yeah. I woke up after I had injected myself with that Red Dragon soy sauce-"
"Whoa," Pinky interrupted, "you did what?!"
Nick chuckled; he had almost forgotten that Pinky hadn't been there at the tower during the fight. "That part's a long story; I'll tell you that in the morning. So anyways, I woke up, and Cassie's standing over me with that umbrella of hers...
"I'm telling you, man, of all the people I had expected to see standing over me... Cassie was hardly on the list. And yet, when I saw her... It wasn't an unpleasant experience, I'll put it to you that way."
Nick looked up at Pinky, who had an odd expression on his face. "What?"
"You ain't getting all sappy on me, are you, Nick?"
Nick laughed. "Hardly. I just meant that it was a big relief to actually see a friendly face standing over me." He looked up ahead. "Turn left at the next light."
About five minutes later, they were all at Nick's apartment. As Nick got out, he noticed that Cassie was still asleep. Smilng softly to himself, he picked her up and gently cradled her against his chest, shutting the car door soft enough to where it wouldn't wake her up.
As Nick unlocked the door to his apartment, Pinky asked from beside him, "Where do I sleep?"
"In the fridge," Nick replied, without even looking over at him. He walked into his bedroom and laid Cassie down on his bed. He grinned, as he realized just how beautiful she looked, even when asleep. He shook his head, bringing himself back to reality, and walked back into the dining room, where he was greeted by a perplexed Pinky.
"When you said I had to sleep in the fridge," Pinky said, "you were kidding, weren't you?"
Nick wagged his head in disbelief; sometimes, Pinky could be just plain... stupid. "Yes, I was kidding. I've got an old sleeping bag in the closet over there, that you can use. There should be a bed pad and a few pillows in there, too."
"You go camping a lot or something?"
"Used to," replied Nick, "before Division first caught up to me. Anyways, everything you need is in there. Feel free to take a shower, raid the fridge, whatever." Nick yawned. "I'm going to sleep."
As Pinky got himself situated, Nick took his clothes off, stripping down to nothing but his underwear. He lay down on the bed beside Cassie, slightly wishing she were awake. He wasn't that way for very much longer, though, as he soon drifted off into a deep, beautiful sleep.
Two Days Later
Cassie slowly opened her eyes and lazily rubbed them, trying to get the blurriness out of them. When her eyes adjusted, she sat up, trying to place where she was.
It took her a moment, but she finally recognized that she was in Nick's apartment. Smiling to herself, she got off the bed and stood up, stretching her stiff limbs.
Curious as to where Nick was, she made her way to the kitched, but stopped when she heard voices coming from the dining room.
"Damn..." Nick said, groggily, "how long did we sleep?"
"About two days, I think," replied Pinky. "We were all dead, I guess. You, especially, using so much of your juice during the fight..."
"I didn't even think I had that kind of power in me..."
Pinky smiled wryly. "None of us do, until we're put into a situation where we have no other choice but to reach deeper than we ever have before. True power comes from true testing, you know."
Cassie stepped out into the open. "That... was really corny."
Nick looked up at her in surprise. "Hey."
Cassie smiled. "Hey, back." She took a seat at the table.
"Did you get a good night's sleep?" Pinky asked. "Or should I say, two nights' sleep?"
It took a moment for that to sink into Cassie's mind. "I've been asleep for two days?" Comprehension dawned on her, and she exclaimed, "Oh, no, our date!"
Nick laughed. "Don't worry, Cassie, I slept through it, too. So did Pinky, as a matter of fact."
Pinky shrugged. "Just means I didn't miss any of the action."
Both Nick and Cassie reacted simultaneously: Cassie blushed furiously, while Nick leveled a heavy gaze at Pinky. "Get your mind out of the gutter-"
"Can't. It's glued there."
"-And that's not even what I was referring to. She's only fourteen, you know."
"Thirteen," Cassie corrected with a wink, "but you're getting better."
"Doesn't matter. Four years away or five, she's still not legal. I wasn't even thinking about that, actually, 'til you brought it up..."
"Neither was I," agreed Cassie.
Pinky was now looking a bit confused. "So, let me see if I have this straight. Aside from the shagging, you don't have a single solitary problem with dating a thirteen-year old?"
"She's extremely mature for her age-"
"Thank you."
"-And no, I don't. But, if you didn't catch my drift, we're still just friends."
"For now."
Pinky let that last comment slide. "Mature or not, dating someone who's half your age is kinda frowned upon, regardless of what culture you've assimilated yourself into."
Nick was about to comment on that, when there was a sharp rap on the door. Cassie and Pinky froze, but Nick cautiously got up and made his way to the door.
"Division Sniffs again?" Cassie asked, as Nick peered out the eyehole.
When Nick saw who it was, he relaxed. "Nope, just the mailman."
As Nick opened the door, Pinky glanced at the wall clock. "At ten-thirty in the morning?"
"Mail comes early here." Nick thanked the man in Cantonese, and shut the door. He idly leafed through the mail as he walked through the room to the table. He tossed all but two of the pieces into the trash can.
"Damn junk mail..." he muttered. "And, I got another anonymous letter..." He stopped suddenly, when he saw the name written on the second letter.
"What is it?" Cassie asked, seeing the look on Nick's face.
Nick slid the letter across the table, and it came to rest directly in front of Cassie. "It's for you."
Cassie cautiously picked the letter up. "What the... From a Watcher, maybe?"
"Not likely," replied Pinky. "I've been trying my best to Shadow you two since we started driving. Can't do it perfectly when I'm asleep, though, so... I guess it's possible."
"Open them together?" Nick asked.
Cassie slowly nodded, though she wanted to just rip the letter into pieces, throw it away, and forget it had ever existed.
They both opened their letters in unison. When they saw who they were from, both of them gasped.
"Oh my God..." mumbled Nick.
"No fucking way..." added Cassie.
As Pinky looked at the two of them, they both looked at each other, wondering why them... and more importantly...
How had they been found?
OMG cliffhanger!!! Hope this entices you enough to wait patiently (though, probably for not more than a few days) for the next chapter.
I'm evil, I know... *laughs maniacally*