Fighting Back

Chapter 14

"You? Why would he have a problem with you? Nicole would tell him, knowing it wouldn't go any further, but she couldn't the less people knew about this the better. The three of them had kept this secret for 9 years and she was about to spill now.

"It's nothing, we just had a fight years ago."

"What and he still holds a grudge?"

"Guess we both do. We were to stubborn to admit our faults, and as the years passed I guess it got harder." Nicole noticed Carl looking at his watch. "Am I holding you up?"

"I have to be somewhere, but if you want me to stay I can."

"No it's okay, you've done enough plus I think I've done enough talking today. You should go."

"Only if your sure."

"I'm sure." He went towards the door, but stopped and turned back to face her. "What?" Nicole asked.

"Don't do anything about Ryan okay, not without speaking to me first."

"Okay."

"Promise me Nic." Nicole rolled her eyes, she hated making promises she knew she wouldn't keep but she it was the only way she was going to get rid of him.

"I promise."

"Good."

As he closed the door behind him, she felt physical and mentally exhausted. Thinking about her past with Kozik brought back all the feelings that she had buried all those years ago and reminded her that she had always been a screw up, and considering how her life had been lately she still was.

In desperate need of some air, she opened the office door propping herself against the door frame. Looking across the parking lot she saw Kozik sitting on the picnic table, knocking back a beer. She was going to go over to him and try and talk, finally try and build some bridges between them. But as started to walk down the steps to the office she got distracted.

Turning her attention away from Kozik she looked towards the car pulling into the lot, and realised it was Tara's Cutlass, only Tara wasn't the one driving it was Gemma.

Nicole watched as Gemma frantically ran towards the clubhouse. She saw her speaking to Kozik who was now pointing in Nicole's direction. Gemma turned on her heels and started rushing over to Nicole, but stopped halfway when her phone started ringing.

Nicole watched as Gemma answered her cell. She slowly started to make her over to Gemma when she saw her Aunty drop to the ground, clutching her chest.

"Aunt Gemma." Nicole screamed as she ran over.

When she got to Gemma, Nicole dropped to her knees as she tried to wake her up.

"Wake up come on don't do this to me." Nicole tried to feel for a pulse but her hands were shaking too much.

"What happened?" Nicole looked up at Kozik who was crouching down beside Gemma.

"I don't know she just went down. Koz I can't feel a pulse, I don't think..." She stopped when she felt a warm hand on her cheek.

"Nicky, she's going to fine. I promise." He gave her a sympathetic smile, before the sound of motorbikes took their attention.

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Nicole stood up, which for some reason seemed to grab the attention of all of the sons who were packed into the tiny waiting room at . At first she was confused by this but then she remembered where she was and knew straight away Ryan was the reason for the reaction.

"Where you going Princess?" Clay asked.

"To the bathroom. Why do you all want to come. Because something tells me it will be a bit of a tight squeeze." She replied sarcastically.

"Just come straight back inside, no wondering off." Clay warned her ignoring her last comment. He knew she'd had a rough day watching Gemma collapse in front of her couldn't have been easy. Nicole nodded.

She didn't really need the toilet what she really needed was some space, it was becoming way to crowded in the small waiting room, she felt like she couldn't breathe.

She splashed her face with cold water and dabbed it dry with a paper towel. Taking one last moment to enjoy the silence she finally headed back towards the waiting room.

Walking outside she saw Kozik standing by the coffee machine. She hadn't seen him since Teller/Morrow, everything had moved so quickly. But she did remember how sweet he had been.

"How come your out here and not inside with everyone else?" Kozik turned around at the sound of her voice. He took a small sip of the coffee he had just poured before answering her.

"Didn't think it would be a good idea for me and Tig to be cooped up in the same room right now."

"Your probably right." Kozik took a seat next to the coffee machine, Nicole followed him taking the available seat next to him. "I think we need to talk." She told him as she nervously played with her necklace.

"No we don't."

"Yes we do."

"Maybe." He took another sip of his coffee. "But now ain't the time. We deal with this shit then we'll deal with ours." He placed his hand on top of her knee, nudging her playfully. He was glad that it made her smile, he hadn't seen alot of it since he had come back and he felt guilty because he knew he probably was a cause for that.

Nicole couldn't help but smile at him. They hadn't been this close since he transferred to Tacoma. Every time they had been in one another's company it had always ended in a row. She missed moments like these. Before that drunken night, she had always gotten on so well with Kozik. And sometimes she missed that.

However Nicole didn't get to enjoy the moment for long because at that point Tig exited the waiting room with Happy. Tig watched as Kozik quickly retracted his hand from her knee, hoping Tig hadn't seen it but unfortunately for him he had.

"I'll catch up." Tig said looking at Happy. Happy nodded before continuing down the hallway.

Tig looked back at Kozik and Nicole. Not liking what he had seen he marched over and pulled Nicole out of her seat and away from Kozik.

"I warned you to stay away."

"We were just talking." Tig pushed Nicole behind him as he stepped up to Kozik, who was now on his feet.

"Right...See I don't believe you because from where I was standing it looked a lot more like you were trying to push up on her again." Kozik looked over Tig's shoulder waiting for Nicole to say something, defend him but she didn't just like she hadn't all them years ago. He shook his head, she hadn't changed one bit.

"Jealous are we?" Kozik replied smugly. That was the thing about them. they knew exactly what buttons to press. "Jealous I've had her and you can't." Tig pushed kozik, causing him to take a few steps backwards.

Nicole shook her head in disgust, why did they always have to do this. Why did they have to act like children. It had been 9 years. SHe wanted to just pull Tig away telling him to stop but when she heard the words leave Kozik's mouth she couldn't believe it. Couldn't believe that he was actually using the fact that they had slept together to goad Tig. Why was she even surprised.

"Watch your fucking mouth." Tig warned.

"Screw you Koz." Kozik looked over Tig's shoulder at Nicole. She looked pissed. He went to step pass Tig but he stopped him, placing his hand on his chest.

"Don't even think about it."

"Seriously Tiggy stay out of it."

"What the fuck. Can't you two cut the shit for one day." The three of them turned around to see Jax standing just outside the waiting room.

"Yeah." Tig said backing away from Kozik. "I'm just leaving anyway." Tig walked down the hallway.

"You wanna smoke?" Jax asked his cousin who nodded. The two of them walked down the hallway. Nicole didn't even give Kozik a second look.

They found a bench just outside of the hospital where they both took a seat. Jax lit up a cigarette inhaling deeply, he was stressed and needed the nicotine.

"What was going on back there?"

"You know what them two are like."

"Yeah well, stay out of it. I don't want you getting dragged into their shit."

"Yeah." She sighed as she took a hit from her own cigarette. She couldn't help but wonder how Jax would react if he knew she was responsible for the shit between the two brothers.

"So what happened?" Nicole asked changing the subject.

"Not sure. Tara took Nate into the home, by the time she came out Mom was gone. Guess she wanted to see her family."

"Probably. And you and Tara?"

"What are you talking about?"

"About the fact that you won't look at her, but she can't stop looking at you."

"It's nothing."

"Jay tell me I could be able to help you. Might have some good advice." Jax laughed."What?"

"I don't where to start." He admitted taking a drag from his cigarette. Nicole placed an encouraging hand on his arm.

"Start with the reason you're blanking her."

"Nate's caregiver. Mom and Tara killed her."

"What." Nicole gasped.

"Self defence or some crap like that. Tig helped them get rid of the body."

"That's a shock." Nicole replied sarcastically to finding out Tig's involvement in all of this. "So I guess you two argued."

"She shouldn't have even been there Nic, I told her to stay put."

"But she didn't listen. When are you going to learn that she will never do as she's told."

"I don't need an 'I told you so' speech right now. Plus you don't exactly do as your told either."

"I'm not going to give you one. I'm just worried about you Jay, you don't need this right now, you don't need her bullshit. Plus I can get away with it, I'm no one's Old Lady."

"Yeah." Jax took another hit from his cigarette. He looked to his side at Nicole as she ran her hand through her hair. He noticed that her hands was shaking. "Everything okay with you?" Nicole nodded as she swallowed hard.

"I'm good you don't need to worry about me." Jax watched as she mustered the falsest smile onto her face, something was wrong.

"I always worry about you." He said seriously. Nicole nodded again. Tonight had brought all her emotions to the surface, and hearing Jax say that she could feel the lump rising in her throat.

"Tonight was just abit of a shock. Watching her go down like that..." Nicole shook her head unable to finish her sentence. She felt Jax's arm drape around her.

"Must have been scary." Nicole nodded. "Come on lets get back inside." They flicked their cigarettes to the floor and the two went back inside.