I cannot let this pairing go. I love them too much. Please enjoy and let me know what you think. I own nothing and mean no harm.

Sixteen March

"This is getting really old," Cassie moaned as they opened a door into another crappy motel. More eyes were on them the nicer the places where they stayed; so they avoided any place that might have regular maid service.

They had spent Cassie's birthday in New York, both of them had enjoyed the vibe of the city, with so many people there really had been safety in numbers for them. Money had driven them out, they had little, and their avenues of funding were better served in a city with less security. Even with so many people the cops and cameras were everywhere.

By accident they had ended up on a boat, in the Mid-Atlantic; Nick had been looking for work in the heart of Chesapeake country, a little legal work until they figured out where to go. Crab boats were looking for hands and Nick had signed up.

Crowley was a miserable old man, but Nick didn't let the surly attitude get to him, work was work. So Crowley yelled and cursed and steered while Nick hauled crab pots over the side and set the bait lines; it was a match made in heaven.

All had been going fairly well, well enough for them, Cassie had been confident that her visions were leading up to something. Meditation had seemed to help and Nick knew she spent hours perched on the single bed they shared in the pay by week motel off the highway. He had worried at first at the obsessive edge to her methods, but relaxed when she had promised him no alcohol not if she could break through this way.

So he left her to it and she had left him to the river.

And then she had shown up unexpected and shaved a year off his life, "God Cassie what is it?"

The sun hadn't even considered rising yet, the boat left by three thirty each morning, and she had appeared on the dock with wide eyes and shaky hands.

Nick had known Crowley was watching had sent a quick prayer that he wasn't looking at them like so many others did.

They got the curious stares everywhere they went now. Cassie had let the colors fade from her hair and he had begun to cut his short. Gone were the ripped tights and tiny shirts, Cassie had switched to boots and jeans and shirts that were years too old for her. Their attempt to dress him young had given Cassie a good a laugh in Pensacola when they had gone in the Hollister to find him clothes.

Nothing helped; he still looked too old and she still looked too young. Nick couldn't worry about that now. He jumped onto the dock and reached her in three quick steps.

"Cassie," he took her arms and ducked down to see her face, whatever she had Seen had absolutely terrified her. Pulling her in tight he hugged her close, trying to rub warmth into her back, it was warm during the days already, but the mornings were cool by the water and she wasn't wearing a coat.

Finally he felt her react, felt her arms come up around his waist and hold him tightly. Nick felt the tightness around his heart ease, as her powers grew so did the risk that whatever she Saw might be too horrible to come back from; one more thing he had to fear and there wasn't anything he could do to stop it.

Except be there, here, and holding her so close he could admit he didn't want to let go; he pushed those thoughts far, far to the side.

"Can you tell me," he asked, leaning back enough to look at her.

Cassie looked up, those blue eyes still hazy with fear, but she blinked, he watched as she fought for focus and felt his pride grow; she was so strong.

"There's a severed bit of cable, pollution," her voice has that dreamy quality it gets when remembering, Nick has always preferred her badly drawn images over this.

"It gets caught in that," Cassie points to the boat, more specifically the propeller, Nick looks, sees that Crowley is watching too, but there's nothing to be done about that now.

"The storm comes in today, not tomorrow, it's early, the temperature and the wind, it's early," Nick knows it's going to be bad, can hear it in the roll of her words.

"Rocks and wood and water, so much water," her eyes have tears in them when she looks up at him, "you die today, you both die because it's early and I was late."

Nick sucks in a rough breath, it's the first time she's Seen it, and they had danced around the issue, never really talking about the possibility. There was never a good time to talk about dying, to talk about her Watching one or both of them die. Nick's amazed that it's taken so long for it to happen.

"Cassie," he tries to get her to see him, her eyes are unfocused, "Cassie look at me," he might have shaken her a bit, nothing to rough, but she needed to look at him not See him.

"I'm here Cassie, alive, I'm alive and I'm not going on the boat," Nick insisted and maybe it was the grip he had on her arms, there would be bruises tomorrow, or the tone of his voice but she stopped Seeing him and finally looked.

"Nick," his name was a sob and he pulled her in tight as the tears came. Nick managed to get his arms under her legs a second before she fell. Panic easing into him, he didn't know what to do, where to go.

"Here boy," Crowley grumbled.

Turning Nick saw that Crowley was on the dock and pointing towards one of the dry docked boats. The yard was scattered with boats in perpetual state of repair or in need of winter boarding. The boat Crowley was climbing on board was a sleek thirty foot that Nick knew had been repossessed by the bank last summer. Crowley loved to share the tales of the 'young bastards' from the western shore who bought big and couldn't pay what they owed.

Nick was surprised when Crowley headed into the cabin, technically the bank owned the boat but it looked like Crowley had spent a few nights on board rather. The bow was lined with bench seating so Nick took a seat, Cassie's sobs had quieted but her head was still pressed against his neck.

What could he say? Nick thought over this exact scenario dozens of times, but none of the comforting thoughts were coming to him now. Cassie had Watched him die, he couldn't imagine seeing her die, his stomach rolled at the thought, what words would fix that?

Instead he held her close, rubbing her back, smoothing back her hair, physical contact was what he would want, to feel and know that she was OK.

Crowley emerged from the cabin with a bottle of water and a blanket, both of which Nick took with gratitude. There would have to leave again, head back to their motel and pack up, Nick supposed they could steal a car, something to get them out of the state and be gone by nightfall.

Nick didn't want to leave and he knew Cassie didn't want to either, but it couldn't be helped.

"Dreams are funny like that aren't they," Nick looked up as Crowley spoke, "they can scare the life out of you."

Nick nodded not fully understanding where the conversation was headed but certainly not ready to give up on their situation just yet, something in Crowley's voice had given him hope.

"Sometimes though dreams can do just the opposite," Crowley looked down at Cassie and his thoughts were clear on his face, he believed her words.

Explaining anything wasn't an option it was a risk he wasn't going to take with any of their lives, but if Crowley wanted to think that Cassie was a little bit psychic Nick wasn't going to correct him.

They didn't go out that day or the next, and when the boat did head back onto the water it was with a new passenger.

Cassie had taken to the water like a bird to flight. Her addition to their crew had eased Nick's concerns and improved Crowley's attitude. Helping where she could Cassie had begun to smile more and even laugh on occasion.

Not long after they had settled into a routine Crowley had offered up an old houseboat he had won in card game. There were as many patches of dry rot as there were sea worthy boards but Cassie had fallen instantly in love with it and Nick could appreciate the lack of rent.

Life had moved onto the river in the Mid-Atlantic. Nick watched as the sun set and smiled, Cassie was cursing the hot plate, willing it to heat faster. They were happy, safer than they had been in months.

He wondered when the bottom was going to fall out.