Only two today, my lovelies. Chapter 20 is probably where the story ends, but as soon as I started uploading, I knew I'd not get away without writing a reunion. I had nothing for a long while, but suffice it to say there are 3 more after these two. I'm not promising they're any good, but there are 3 more. In the meantime, if you want a proper reunion fic try hushedgreylily's: Alive . Now that's a reunion fic. Thanks as ever to my lovely readers and reviewers.


Chapter 19

"I'm sorry," he apologised. "It's none of my business." He could see a tear forming in her eye, threatening to spill down her cheek. He suddenly felt plunged back into those first days, the days when she stared at him with that haunted look.

"What?" he asked, when he could bear the silence and stare no longer.

"It's nothing, it's just that; that was exactly the sort of thing Leo would have said to us… to me. For a moment you sounded just like him." The tear tracked down her cheek as she spoke. "Only he'd have probably shaken his head and muttered 'idiots' under his breath too."

Thomas sucked in air and half coughed half laughed as he did so. What had happened to him as he'd sat in all those different chairs over the last few days? How had he started thinking in such a completely different way?

"I'm not Leo." He said, watching her scrub away the tear.

"I know, but now? This – It's better than how it was before… with us…?" she asked.

Thomas nodded his answer, "Definitely better." He exhaled heavily and watched Nikki's face return to its mask of invulnerability. "So, what about you and Harry, now?"

"We're older… Amira's been good for him. Someone he can love and control."

"For now…" Thomas suggested. "Wait till she's a teenager!" But he took note of Nikki's choice of words.

"He'll be fine, Thomas. The two of them work. I have no idea how he manages work and day care, but he does. He's happier than I've ever seen him. He's a great dad."

"Aren't you afraid of him?" Thomas asked.

"Of Harry?"

"All those things he said to you Nikki, to wake you up. They were all…" Thomas struggled to think of the words: asking for help, joking about their sex life, referencing Budapest, mocking her suicide attempt, making her relive her fear. Every single one had been designed to cause the maximum emotional impact. As if Harry, had deliberately targeted every open wound between them and given it another stab and twist of the knife. "The things he said were really hurtful, are you sure you want to see him?"

"Thomas! You asked him to help you wake me up. What was he supposed to do? Offer me a cup of tea?"

"What!" Thomas exclaimed. "Out of all of you, the only one who does what I tell him to do, is the maverick that breaks all the rules and the only one who doesn't work for me?! I wanted you to wake up, so we could leave. I didn't mean for him to hurt you."

"That didn't hurt me," she said quietly but didn't continue. Love and loss, whatever Harry had explained about his going all those years ago. That had hurt. He took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm sorry," Thomas said sincerely.

"I told you, it's complicated Thomas. We've known each other for years. He's the longest standing friend I have, it's been rocky but Harry knows me, he does know how to hurt me. But he knows how to make it better too. He's family."

There was a heavy pause, the drone of the engines seeming louder and more threatening.

"And us?" Thomas cocked his head towards Jack.

"Harry, you, Jack, Clarissa. You're the only family I've got. I told you all that. I recorded you all messages." The faraway tone returned to her voice.

Thomas shuddered. He was glad that THAT phone had not been returned along with her.

"What if you don't want to come back?"

Nikki sighed. "Saying goodbye all over again, that does scare me. But New York is his home. London is mine. We work better this way. Will you call him for me, when we land please? Let me stay if he says 'yes?' I know he's probably told you to confiscate my passport."

"Did you hear us talking?" Thomas asked.

"No, but it doesn't surprise me. Please ask Thomas. I won't stay long, I'll be 48 hours, in and out. You'll hardly notice I've been gone." She paused and swallowed, ghosts of conversations past haunting her very words.

Thomas became aware that despite the seeming progress in their relationship, there was still so much about her that he did not know.

"I'll be back," she added. "I promise."


That '48 hours in and out,' is what Harry said before he left to go on the fateful trip to Hungary. I know most of you will have spotted it, just thought I'd help out any newbies (and my mum).