Chapter 29

The giggling could be heard all throughout the house. It was a precious sound that Warrick never could get enough of. He loved playing hide and seek in the house with Emma. She made him laugh every time because no matter how many times he found her hiding behind the living room chair, she would hide back there again and again. She would also give away her hiding space with her uncontrollable laugh. She laughed like her mother. Well, she laughed like her mother used to laugh, Warrick said to himself sadly.

"I is hiding on you!" Warrick heard his niece scream out laughing.

"Where is Emma? Under the couch? Nooo. Under the table? Noooo," he pretended to look all around.

The little laugh bellowed throughout the house from behind the chair.

"I think I hear someone laughing!" Warrick started laughing himself.

"BOO!" he yelled at her and she screamed with delight.

Warrick scooped her up and brought her into the kitchen on his hip as they laughed together.

"Mommy coming home?" she suddenly asked Warrick as he put her on the counter.

"Yeah, why? What do you mean?" he said.

"She coming home now?" she said a bit panicked.

"Emma! Of course! Why wouldn't she come home, Honey?" he touched her face.

"My daddy he not home now," she looked at her uncle, "mommy cries, you know dat?" she tilted her head and squinted her eyes.

Warrick felt like he was kicked in the stoATMh.

"I sleep in Mommy and Daddy's bed!" she said suddenly happy at the thought. Emma still wasn't understanding what was happening with her parents and Warrick was glad.

"Oh yeah?" Warrick said still stung by her words.

"Uh huh, I sleep there. Mommy cry sometimes when I'm sleeping," she whispered. "I isn't sleeping sometimes. Don't tell mommy, kay Uncle Wick? Cuz only babies cry, right?"

"No, no, Tiny, big people cry too. They cry when their sad AND when their happy," he smiled, "Mommy must be happy to be snuggling with youuuuuu!" he picked her up and swung her around making her laugh.

Inside, Warrick wanted to cry himself.

Jules carried in two big bags of groceries.

"Can you grab the rest or no?" she asked.

"Yeah," Warrick answered.

He walked back into the kitchen with the last of the grocery bags and rested his elbow on the counter.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"Fine, better than fine, surprisingly well actually….why?" she said not looking at him.

Warrick was surprised she wasn't telling him the truth. She always told him everything.

"Nick been calling you?" he asked, "I hope you haven't talked to him." he said and grumbled about him being a piece of shit.

"No! I have nothing to say to him," she frowned.

She was lying.

"Did you go swimming with Emma?" she asked trying to change the subject.

"Uh huh," he said looking at her sideways, "they call this a bathing suit for a reason, Girl."

"Oh, right, um," she realized her error.

"Baby Girl, I love you, you know that, but I am begging you…don't be a fool with this. You know better. He cheated on you. He is still calling her. Don't be blind, Baby Girl, don't be blind. Promise me you won't be fooled and let yourself get sucked back in," he said as he grabbed her hand.

Jules stared at him.

"Walk away before you dig yourself into deeper heartache. You have your friends, you have me forever…I will help you through this," he pleaded with his sister.

"I know. I know. I am strong, don't worry," she let go of his hand and walked to the counter. "Oh, guess what, there was a DB found by the bank!" she told him trying desperately to change the subject.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"I stopped at the ATM on the way to the store and the alley was blocked off," she said putting a gallon of milk away.

"Huh, well they must have enough CSI's since no one called me in; that's cool," he rationalized and looked over to see Emma hop on one foot over to him. He smiled and leaned over to her, "That's more time I can spend with YOU, Tiny Girl!" he tickled Emma on her side.

"Mo time with me, right?" she nodded happily.

"Are you going in tonight?" she asked him as he was heading toward the back door.

"Yep."

Warrick took his niece by the hand and told her he would push her on the swings.

"You stand by me and push the whole time, right?" she asked, "Same way you push Mommy when she little too, right?" she asked wide eyed.

"Right, same way, Tiny, same way," he smiled down at her before looking back at his sister. "Ill always stand behind you…the way I stand behind your mommy, too."

Jules stared at him before looking away.

As Jules put the last of the groceries away she began thinking about her day; about what happened just an hour earlier. She hadn't told Warrick the truth. She had spoken to Nick. She had actually seen him. But…it didn't go well.

Her mind went back to how she was pushing her PIN number in the ATM when she looked over and saw the crime scene tape. It made her think about Nick. As she collected her money she tried hard to push her thoughts of him away, she looked over again and jumped when she saw him. He was kneeling down and photographing something. He looked so handsome…she never could resist him in uniform.

Jules stepped away from the ATM and leaned against the brick wall of the bank. She silently watched him and felt a love in her heart that just wouldn't leave. She wanted it to, but it was still there. She wasn't sure how long she watched him before he looked up and spotted her. She tried to scurry away quickly but she was frozen to the sidewalk. She watched him stare at her and their eyes wouldn't unlock. They stared at each other for what seemed like a long time. She watched Nick let the camera hang around his neck and get up from his squatting position. He was heading toward her.

She backed up a few steps and bumped into the man behind her at the ATM.

"I'm sorry, Sir" she said half looking at him.

"No problem, Honey," he smiled, "Did you just call me , Sir?" he laughed.

Jules looked over at him. "Did I?"

"I do believe you did," he laughed again.

"Hey, it must be fate that you're here right now," he smiled a gorgeous smile. "I saw you earlier in front of that shoe store window. Um, any chance I could…I don't know, uh, buy you lunch? I just got money out of the bank, what do you say? My treat?" he smiled.

He was handsome and looked to be only a few years older than her, which was funny since she did call him "Sir".

"Oh, no, no…I, um," she furrowed her brow confused.

Was she getting hit on? Was she getting hit on in front of Nick who was heading her way? Jules sucked in a huge breath and let it out slowly.

"My name's Jason," he held out his hand.

Jules shook it and looked over to see if Nick was watching.

He was, and he frowned as he walked closer.

"Um, Jules…my name…it's Jules," she said looking over her shoulder.

The man saw the CSI coming toward her and asked if she was okay.

"Oh, yes, yes, I'm fine, thank you," she stammered.

Nick walked up to the two of them.

Nick looked over at the man who was still holding his wife's hand. His mind raced. He couldn't believe it. His wife was at the bank with another man. Had he not been at a crime scene there he would never have known that she was meeting someone. He was blown away as he watched her hold his hand. He felt pure anger creep up his neck.

Jules stared at him. Frozen. She forgot to take her hand back from the man.

"Is there a problem?" Jason asked looking over at Nick.

Nick glared at him.

"That depends on whether you let go of her hand or not," Nick said with his jaw tight.

"What?" the man laughed in Nick's face.

Jules stood still. She was frozen with her hand still in Jason's hand. The man held it tighter now just out of spite.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is…uh… Stokes," he said looking at his name sewn across his jacket. "But we have nothing to do with that crime over there…we're just going for lunch so if you don't mind!" he pulled Jules by the hand closer to him.

Nick's mouth almost fell open. He was right, she was there with this guy and she was going to lunch with him. How could she? He wondered where she met him. He was a good looking guy which made Nick angrier.

Jason was being quite brazen and Jules was taken by surprise. In fact, she was a bit startled. This man was being way too presumptuous; she never even said yes to his lunch invitation. She was about to pull her hand away when she heard Nick's sharp tone.

"Excuse me?" Nick said shocked and frowned at the man before looking over at Jules asking her with his eyes what the fuck she was doing.

"No, no, we're not, I," Jules said panicking.

She was afraid Nick would snap. She knew he was already under an extreme amount of pressure and it wouldn't take much to set her normally calm man off.

Jason looked over at Jules. "Oh come on, Sweetheart, I would love to take you to lunch. Really, I won't bite…much," he laughed at his own joke and continued to hold her hand tightly. She tried to pull her hand away but he gripped it.

Nick turned and looked at him furiously. "Was this man calling his wife 'Sweetheart'?" the rage brewed.

"Let go of her hand and back the fuck off," he growled.

"Whoa, hey buddy, you back the fuck off," this man said loudly with sudden determination. "I'm taking this lovely lady to lunch…and it doesn't concern you!" he said in Nick's face.

"No, your not actually, you are gonna turn around and keep walking," Nick told him.

"Yeah, I don't think so tough guy," the man said stepping closer to Nick.

"Back up," Nick said calmly.

The man laughed. This was now becoming a matter of principal and spite.

"Back up and get the fuck out of my face!" Nick said pushing his chest into the man's.

"NICK!" Jules yelled out nervously.

"You know him?" the guy spun his head to look at her.

"Yes! He's…he's…" she tried to explain.

"An asshole?" the guy said and looked back at Nick.

Nick looks at Jules and then back at the guy.

"I'm her husband, scumbag," he said grabbing Jason by the shirt, lifting him slightly and pushing him out of his personal space.

The man reached over and pushed Nick hard away from him.

Jules closed her eyes as a scuffle began. She felt like her feet had just been glued to the cement again.

The man cocked his arm back as if to throw a punch but spotted Nick's gun positioned quietly on his hip. The man thought twice about whether he wanted trouble with this man that he was beginning to think was a police officer. He put his fist down. Nick had his fist clenched and ready.

"Oh, oh," the man looked at Jules and frowned. "He's your husband?"

Jules nodded still not speaking.

Jason looked her up and down. He liked the way she looked in her jean shorts, tank top and flip flops. He loved the way her toes were polished. He was pissed he wouldn't have a chance with her after all. And, he was not used to getting rejected.

"You never mentioned you were married…perhaps you should wear your wedding ring!"

Nick couldn't believe what he was hearing. Jules wasn't wearing her wedding ring and she never told this guy she was married? He was sickened.

Jason shook his head disgusted.

"Fuckin' tease," he grumbled, frowned and walked away.

"HEY!" Nick said getting in Jason's face again.

"NICK! Stop. Let it go," she said as she watched his face.

She knew he did not like that guy talking to her that way. She knew Nick would confront him so she stopped him before he could even think about taking it further.

"Fuck this shit. I don't even know her, man, and it looks like I don't want to! I don't need this drama!" he scoffed, turned, and walked away. "ASSHOLE" he yelled when he was far enough away from the gun carrying CSI.

Nick glared at him before turning toward Jules with fury in his eyes.

"On the prowl already?" he said with a hurt, harsh, tone.

She just stared.

"You waste no time, huh," he frowned angrily.

She still stared at him saying nothing.

"Where'd you meet him?" his nose flared as he asked.

Jules didn't know what to say; she was realizing Nick thought she was standing by that brick wall waiting for her "date".

"It's not what you think, Nick," she said quickly to diffuse his anger, "I was just here because…"

Nick squinted unsure if he believed she wasn't waiting for her date when he spotted her.

"You weren't waiting for him to get money out of the ATM ATMhine, Jules? I fucking saw you!"

"No, I was not," she insisted.

"You just happened to be standing with him, waiting with him at the fucking bank? And just happened to be going to fucking lunch together?"

"It is not what it looks like, Nick, now stop it and don't you dare curse at me!" she frowned.

"Then who was that guy?"

"I didn't have a chance to find out," she said coldly.

"Oh? Did you want a chance to find out?" he asked calmly.

"Maybe," she responded.

Nick looked down at his feet.

"You don't mean that," he said looking up half way, "do you?"

"Just walk away, Nicky, walk away and leave it alone," she said as she started to walk away herself.

"Wait!" he said firmly.

"Nick, please, I don't want to do this here, I…" she sighed.

"Did you do that on purpose, Jules?" he asked pissed off.

"Do what? I didn't do anything!" she defended.

"Did you want to make me fucking jealous? Mission accomplished if you did!" he yelled.

Nick was furious.

"No. No, I…" she began but he cut her off.

"That is fucked up, Jules. You flirting in front of my face? Going to fucking lunch with a guy already?" he said nastily.

"Whoa, wait…ya know what Nick, I don't like your nasty tone and I can tell you this…you fucked someone else so I really don't think you're in a position to ask ME questions!" she spat back.

She couldn't believe it. Here they were, the most "in love" couple that ever graced the earth, fighting like teenagers on the streets of Las Vegas. She was sick over the whole situation. She was mad to be fighting over a guy she really didn't even know and had just bumped into innocently. She was even angrier that he would get jealous over something so innocent but expected her to forgive his infidelity. How incredibly hypocritical, she thought.

Nick stepped closer to her and pointed. "No, no, you saw me there and you purposely held his hand!" he yelled.

Jules lowered her tone and whispered to him to please knock it off.

"No, I won't knock it off! I am ready to beat a guy down because you want to hurt ME!" he yelled louder.

"Nick?" she said calmly.

"WHAT?" he said exasperated.

She leaned closer to his ear and he tilted in to listen to what she was going to whisper.

"Fuck you. No, really, ffffuuuck you!" she whispered.

Nick stared at her surprised that she would be so calm and easily tell him to fuck off. He wasn't used to this cold side of her. He began to wonder if maybe he was way off base with what just went down. He might not be thinking clearly and he knew it.

"Babe, look…I'm sorry, I…" he began.

"Didn't you hear me?" she asked softly, "Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you!"

She turned and walked away.

"Wait," he yelled after her, "I'm sorry!"

"Leave it alone, Nicky," she said. "Leave ME alone too."

Jules stormed off across the street and left Nick standing there…alone.