Silent Witness fic
Title: Aftermath
Rating: T
Summary: Sequal to 'Grieving'. Harry and Nikki relax together after the hectic days they have had.
Notes: SPOILERS FOR "BLOODLINES" IN BOTH FICS! DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS EPISODE!
Disclaimer: Don't own, never will D':
“Are you okay?” Harry murmured to Nikki as they lay in bed in the hotel that they were staying in. Harry had been checked over by the paramedics, his cuts cleaned and the wound on his leg bandaged before he had told them he didn’t need a hospital and just wanted to leave. He had made sure they checked Nikki over though for any signs of stress to the baby and Nikki had just let him sit there while they did so, knowing that it was for his own sanity that they did it.
“I should be asking you that” Nikki whispered as she continued to stare of the window, Harry laying behind her with his chest pressed against her back, their legs entwined and one hand each entwined on Nikki’s bump, feeling their baby moving and kicking underneath.
“I’m fine”
“No you’re not” Nikki sighed and shook her head, still not looking away from the window “But you will be”
“With a lot of TLC from my wife” Harry chuckled and Nikki couldn’t help but giggle, her husband rolling onto his back as she turned over and nuzzled herself into his side, Harry wrapping one arm around her shoulders, the other entwining with one of hers as she lay it on his chest, her bump pressed up against his stomach.
“I’m sure I can give you that”
“I know you can give me that” Harry smiled and glanced out of the window over Nikki’s head, absentmindedly stroking her back through her blouse as he did so. “I still don’t know what happened to the baby”
“Harry” Nikki sighed and looked up at him, her eyes full of understanding “I’m sure he is in a good home wherever he is”
“He should be with his mother”
Nikki bit her lip to stop herself from saying what she was thinking but Harry frowned and prompted her with a slight nod of the head.
“Harry she’s a prostitute”
“So? That doesn’t mean she won’t be a good mother” Harry shook his head, surprised that his wife was talking like that when she was normally so open minded “You didn’t see her with the baby”
“I’m sure she really does love him” Nikki nodded “I’m not disagreeing with you there, after nine months of carrying you can’t help but love them” she smiled as her own baby moved in her “But that doesn’t mean that she can provide for him properly. And what if she doesn’t come back after a job? We’ve seen for ourselves how people treat women like her. What happens to the baby then?”
Harry was silent as he contemplated Nikki’s words, knowing deep down that she was right but still angry that the young woman couldn’t have the baby that she had bonded with after his birth. He couldn’t imagine ever taking their baby away from Nikki and it pained him to even think about it.
“She was terrified”
“I would have been as well” Nikki murmured, her eyes closed as Harry continued to stroke her back.
“My strong and stubborn Nikki scared?” Harry mock gasped and Nikki sighed quietly, opening her eyes and turning her head slightly so she could look at her husband.
“I was terrified that I’d be raising our baby alone. I wanted to die Harry, it felt like...”
“Don’t say things like that” Harry shook his head, propping himself up slightly on the pillows as he did so, stroking Nikki’s hair away from her face as a few tears fell from her eyes. “You would have been strong and you would have raised our baby brilliantly”
“Not without you” Nikki let out a sob and closed her eyes, Harry gently pulling her even closer to him and wrapping his other arm around her, nuzzling the top of her head.
“I’m sorry I put you through that”
“I understand why you did it” Nikki nodded “But if you ever do that again I will kill you”
Harry couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped from him and he nodded.
“I’ll try not to”
“You have to apologise to Leo as well for all the grief you caused him”
“What?” Harry asked and Nikki opened her eyes, her deep brown ones staring into Harry’s confused green ones.
“Leo. He was distraught, I’ve never seen him this upset” Nikki told Harry who looked even guiltier than he did, something that his wife was happy about, he wasn’t getting away that easily. “You’re like a son to him Harry”
“And you’re like a daughter, so that makes this relationship rather incestuous don’t you think?” Harry smirked and Nikki hit him on the chest, making him pout before she reached up and traced her fingers lightly over the bruises and cuts on his face.
“Do they hurt a lot?”
“Not when you do that they don’t” Harry murmured, closing his eyes as Nikki’s soft touch relaxed him, his exhaustion finally taking over. He fought sleep but Nikki’s touch and her soft voice as she told him about all the happy days they would have with their baby soon relaxed him even more.
Nikki smiled to herself as she saw Harry drop off into a deep sleep, knowing how exhausted her husband was. She didn’t blame him for what he did, faking his own death or killing the man to do it. It was either Harry’s death or the man’s, and Nikki would have gladly killed him herself if it meant Harry staying alive.
Nikki watched Harry for a few more minutes to make sure that he was sound asleep before laying down properly and snuggling closer to her husband, resting her head on his chest as she too closed her eyes, the feeling of their baby moving inside her lulling her off into an uninterrupted sleep.