Conflict of Interest (5/?) - Morgana/Nikki
Title: Conflict of Interest (5/?)
Fandom: Silent Witness/Merlin (Modern AU)
Characters & Pairings: Morgana/Nikki (with side Arthur/Gwen and past Gwen/Morgana)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,746
Summary: When Uther is found dead, Morgana is at the top of the authorities' list of suspects, despite her insistence that she has been set up. But there is one person who believes her, even when the evidence against Morgana seems conclusive.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Merlin or Silent Witness, this is not for profit, just for entertainment!
Note 1: A special thanks goes to Peers, my beta!
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
I'm dissapointed to say that on the last chapter I only got 4 comments. If you are still liking this then please comment because 4 comments doesn't really give me much incentive to carry it on! Thank you!
Chapter 5
“I’m sorry I have to rush off,” Nikki said, quickly pulling on her coat. “I’d try to reassure you that this was unusual but I’d be lying.” She un-tucked her hair from her coat and shivered, she hated how cold coats were when you put them on, it was so very unhelpful. Why couldn’t someone invent a self warming coat? It was no use if you had to warm them up yourself first, it defeated the object.
To Nikki’s surprise, Morgana didn’t seem irritated at all. That was certainly a first. Several of her relationships had been dead in the water from the moment her phone went off during a date. That’s if they even got to a date, most of the time they had gone running the moment she had answered their question, “Patholo-”. She never did quite get to finish the word before they were out the door. It was so much easier when she could say that she was an anthropologist and they could pretend to know what that meant.
The far away sound of a siren brought her back to the present.
“No need to apologise,” Morgana smiled, handing Nikki her scarf. “More dessert for me.”
“Ah, so you’re pleased to get rid of me,” Nikki teased, leaning against the hall wall and tucking a stray strand of hair - that wasn’t there - behind her ear.
“Well, I always have been a bit of a chocoholic,” Morgana quipped. She ran a hand through her hair and concentrated very hard on not taking step closer to trap Nikki against the wall. “If you have five minutes, I can put one in Tupperware for you?”
Nikki smiled impishly, biting her lip. “Five minutes. And then I’m definitely leaving.”
~*~
Forty minutes later, she found Harry standing in front of one of the lab’s interactive screens, looking over crime scene photos from the Pendragon house. He looked as though he’d been dragged through hedge - no, make that a forest - backwards. Evidently he had taken a shower and decided to forgo a hairdryer, which was not a good idea with hair like his, long as it currently was; the back of his blue shirt sported a dark wet patch dripping down from his collar to the middle of his back and his left shoe trailed its laces on the floor. It was impossible not to smile.
“So, what’s this big news? What did the DNA results turn up?” Nikki asked, dropping her bag and the molten centred chocolate pudding on the table. “This better be good, I thought I’d finished for the weekend.”
When Harry turned around, he eyed Nikki appreciatively, eyes wide with exaggerated shock. “Wow, now I know you’re keeping something from me. Who’s got you all dressed up to the nines after a ten hour shift?”
“None of your business,” Nikki smirked. “The results?”
“Nothing came up on the database but we did get sex, female.” He swept his hand across the screen, enlarging the DNA profile. “I faxed the report over to DI Anderson but I haven’t heard back from him yet.”
“No, that would ruin his plans for a relaxing weekend,” Nikki said, the tone of her voice making clear she disliked the man. It was an opinion that she knew Harry shared.
“I assume that, when he does get back to me, he’ll want samples from the family, especially the stepdaughter.” Harry went back to the crime scene photos. “That should be a fun Monday morning, people are always so happy to have a swab poking about in their mouths.”
“Anderson should widen the net. He was a successful business man in a fiercely competitive industry. He’s bound to have stepped on a few toes on his way up the career ladder.” Nikki said, carrying on before Harry could question her. “Why are you looking at the crime scene photos, there was nothing out of place?”
“Just a hunch.” It was intentionally cryptic.
“What kind of a hunch?” Nikki asked.
“None of your business,” Harry retorted, grinning.
Nikki laughed, “Touché. Fancy a cup?”
“As long as you put something in it.”
Rolling her eyes, Nikki headed for the door. “What is it with you and working late? It makes you go even stranger than you usually are. I’m not quite sure I want to add caffeine to your current state, even if it is only tea.”
Five minutes later, cups in hand, she returned to find Harry helping himself to her chocolate pudding.
“Harry!” she protested, her voice whiny with inevitable defeat. “That was my consolation prize for an evening well and truly ruined by something you could just have easily told me over the phone.” No matter how much she wanted to be, she couldn’t truly be annoyed at Harry over something like this. Which was in itself incredibly annoying.
“Consolation prize from what?” He curled an arm protectively around the plastic container. It was his food now, and he was going to protect it with his life. “And which restaurant is so climate change denying that they have plastic containers for doggy bags? Not to mention the included silverware.”
“Who said anything about a restaurant?” Nikki raised an eyebrow at him.
“Well, it’s either from a restaurant, or you’re having a whirlwind affair with Marco Pierre White.” Another forkful of oozing chocolaty goodness disappeared into his mouth. “And not even you have taste that bad.”
“That, I can neither confirm nor deny,” Nikki said, putting Harry’s cup of tea in front of him and making an unsuccessful grab for the pudding. “Come on Harry, I haven’t even had a bite.”
He held up his hands in surrender and pushed the container towards her. There was approximately one forkful sitting lonely in the bottom.
“I really do hate you sometimes,” Nikki muttered, taking the fork from him and going in for her one and only taste. The moment it passed her lips, an irrepressible moan reverberated in her throat. “Oh God, that’s good.”
“Told you.”
“I am definitely going to find a way to pay you back for this, and it isn’t going to be pleasant, not for you anyway.” Her eyes will still closed as she savoured the taste.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, there’s a note at the bottom of the container. I didn’t open it,” he was smiling at her genuinely now, without a hint of amusement or mischief. Not opening it was worth it, getting to see the sparkle of anticipation in Nikki’s eyes.
~*~
It felt incredibly girly and teenage, but had Nikki waited until she was sat cross-legged on her bed in her nightie to open the note. She laughed at what was inside.
I’ll need the fork back, its part of a set.
Below it, in smaller writing:
What did you expect, a love letter? I’m not that kind of girl. XX
She checked the clock. Twelve am. Not too late to call.
Morgana picked up on the third ring. “You got my note then?”
Nikki laughed. “Yes.”
“So, how was it?” Morgana asked, her voice low and rich.
“The note?”
“The pudding,” Morgana clarified, amused.
“The one bite I did manage to have was heavenly. Unfortunately, my college stole the rest. I’m going to make him suffer for it.”
“I’ll have to make you another,” Morgana said, her smile evident in her voice. “But don’t go getting any ideas about me and the kitchen.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Nikki smiled.
“Good,” Morgana said. “Besides, next time I’ll expect you to cook for me.”
“Trust me, you really don’t want that.”
“It’s only fair. You may not be used to it Nikki, but that’s how this works, give and take.”
Nikki shivered. “I can’t wait until this case is over.”
Morgana sighed. “You have no idea how hard it was not to push you against the wall and kiss you tonight.”
“About as hard as it was not to make you.” Nikki’s voice sounded strange to her own ears, as if she was hearing it from far away. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I don’t know if I can do this, wait until it’s over.”
“We have to,” Morgana said reluctantly.
“I could take myself off the case,” Nikki said. “If I told Harry, my colleague, he would take over. I know he would.”
“That wouldn’t change anything, you’ve already been too involved,” Morgana reasoned. “And that bloody detective would just try and make it seem like I’m using you.”
Nikki took a shaking breath. “I know you aren’t doing that.”
“I know,” Morgana said, “but we can’t take any chances. As far as they know nothing has happened, we don’t even know each other. Even if they do find out, all they will see is a drunken one night stand that you nipped in the bud the next morning when you realised who I was.” She paused. “I’m worried about this, Nikki. I keep feeling like somebody’s watching me. I need you to catch whoever did this so I can feel safe again.”
“It’s only natural,” Nikki assured. “Something like this... it makes you think.”
Morgana laughed. “This conversation is getting way too serious for this late at night and this early in a...”
“Relationship?” Nikki offered.
“Not that this is a relationship. That would be a conflict of interest.”
“Of course,” Nikki agreed, smiling. “Look, I’d better go. I’ll see you soon, but you aren’t going to like it.”
“The case?”
“Unfortunately.”
“I trust you,” Morgana said. “You have a reputation for giving evidence as you see it, looking at the facts objectively, no matter what the police think. It’s amazing what you can find out on the internet”
“Did you Google me?” Nikki asked, laughing.
“After you left tonight. Two can play at that game.”
“Goodnight, Morgana.”
“Goodnight, Nikki.”
~*~
Monday morning came far too quickly and Nikki found herself once again faced with Harry and a cold feeling of unease in her stomach. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself that the sureness she felt when she was around Morgana was right, she knew that keeping it to herself any longer was not a good idea. By a stroke of luck, she found herself alone in the lab with Harry.
“Harry,” she began, not really knowing what she was going to say next.
“Hmm?”
“I need you to take over the Pendragon case. You were present at the autopsy and all of the evidence has gone through you as well as me,” she said, holding Harry’s gaze to show she was serious.
“Any particular reason?” he asked, tilting his head and smirking at her.
“I’m... involved - personally - with one of the family, one of the possible suspects,” she said, leaning back against the sinks.
“Personally?” Harry inquired.
“Sexually, romantically, whatever you want to call it.” Nikki said, exhaling sharply.
Harry frowned. “Not the son?”
“No,” Nikki said, sighing and looking her feet. “Harry, you have to promise me that you -”
He cut her off. “Of course, Nikki, you know that. Anything.”
“Morgana,” she said quietly. When he didn’t say anything, she carried on. “We met in the bar on Thursday night, after you left. We had a few drinks, talked - not about the case, just... about work, her work, my work, university, music... I wasn’t drunk.” She said the last bit defensively.
“Never said you were,” Harry said, holding up his hands.
“Sorry.” Nikki shook her head. “There was just... something between us, I don’t know what, and we were sitting so close and... I instigated it, not her.”
“Go on,” Harry encouraged, smiling slightly to reassure her.
“I spent the night at hers.” She smiled despite her the fact that her heart was pounding in her chest. “I was at her house when you called on Friday. She’s cooled it off, until after the case is over.” She looked up at him. “I really like her, Harry. Really like her.”
“So you want to pursue it?”
She nodded, taking a shaky breath.
Harry sighed and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her head. “You picked some person to have a personal revelation with,” he said softly. “I’ll have it put on record that you came to me over a conflict of interest that developed on the case. It won’t count against you and it won’t impact the case. You can still be involved as long as you don’t solely handle any evidence.”
“Thank you, Harry,” Nikki whispered, sinking into him.
“No problem.” He gave her a squeeze. “Now, how do you fancy filling me in on the details of your night with the mysterious Morgana Pendragon.”
“Lafferty,” Nikki corrected. “And you should be so lucky.”
“So it was good then?” He pinched her side lightly to make her squirm.
She laughed. “I told you I went back the next day, didn’t I?”
I'm dissapointed to say that on the last chapter I only got 4 comments. If you are still liking this then please comment because 4 comments doesn't really give me much incentive to carry it on! Thank you!
.
Fandom: Silent Witness/Merlin (Modern AU)
Characters & Pairings: Morgana/Nikki (with side Arthur/Gwen and past Gwen/Morgana)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,746
Summary: When Uther is found dead, Morgana is at the top of the authorities' list of suspects, despite her insistence that she has been set up. But there is one person who believes her, even when the evidence against Morgana seems conclusive.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Merlin or Silent Witness, this is not for profit, just for entertainment!
Note 1: A special thanks goes to Peers, my beta!
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
I'm dissapointed to say that on the last chapter I only got 4 comments. If you are still liking this then please comment because 4 comments doesn't really give me much incentive to carry it on! Thank you!
Chapter 5
“I’m sorry I have to rush off,” Nikki said, quickly pulling on her coat. “I’d try to reassure you that this was unusual but I’d be lying.” She un-tucked her hair from her coat and shivered, she hated how cold coats were when you put them on, it was so very unhelpful. Why couldn’t someone invent a self warming coat? It was no use if you had to warm them up yourself first, it defeated the object.
To Nikki’s surprise, Morgana didn’t seem irritated at all. That was certainly a first. Several of her relationships had been dead in the water from the moment her phone went off during a date. That’s if they even got to a date, most of the time they had gone running the moment she had answered their question, “Patholo-”. She never did quite get to finish the word before they were out the door. It was so much easier when she could say that she was an anthropologist and they could pretend to know what that meant.
The far away sound of a siren brought her back to the present.
“No need to apologise,” Morgana smiled, handing Nikki her scarf. “More dessert for me.”
“Ah, so you’re pleased to get rid of me,” Nikki teased, leaning against the hall wall and tucking a stray strand of hair - that wasn’t there - behind her ear.
“Well, I always have been a bit of a chocoholic,” Morgana quipped. She ran a hand through her hair and concentrated very hard on not taking step closer to trap Nikki against the wall. “If you have five minutes, I can put one in Tupperware for you?”
Nikki smiled impishly, biting her lip. “Five minutes. And then I’m definitely leaving.”
~*~
Forty minutes later, she found Harry standing in front of one of the lab’s interactive screens, looking over crime scene photos from the Pendragon house. He looked as though he’d been dragged through hedge - no, make that a forest - backwards. Evidently he had taken a shower and decided to forgo a hairdryer, which was not a good idea with hair like his, long as it currently was; the back of his blue shirt sported a dark wet patch dripping down from his collar to the middle of his back and his left shoe trailed its laces on the floor. It was impossible not to smile.
“So, what’s this big news? What did the DNA results turn up?” Nikki asked, dropping her bag and the molten centred chocolate pudding on the table. “This better be good, I thought I’d finished for the weekend.”
When Harry turned around, he eyed Nikki appreciatively, eyes wide with exaggerated shock. “Wow, now I know you’re keeping something from me. Who’s got you all dressed up to the nines after a ten hour shift?”
“None of your business,” Nikki smirked. “The results?”
“Nothing came up on the database but we did get sex, female.” He swept his hand across the screen, enlarging the DNA profile. “I faxed the report over to DI Anderson but I haven’t heard back from him yet.”
“No, that would ruin his plans for a relaxing weekend,” Nikki said, the tone of her voice making clear she disliked the man. It was an opinion that she knew Harry shared.
“I assume that, when he does get back to me, he’ll want samples from the family, especially the stepdaughter.” Harry went back to the crime scene photos. “That should be a fun Monday morning, people are always so happy to have a swab poking about in their mouths.”
“Anderson should widen the net. He was a successful business man in a fiercely competitive industry. He’s bound to have stepped on a few toes on his way up the career ladder.” Nikki said, carrying on before Harry could question her. “Why are you looking at the crime scene photos, there was nothing out of place?”
“Just a hunch.” It was intentionally cryptic.
“What kind of a hunch?” Nikki asked.
“None of your business,” Harry retorted, grinning.
Nikki laughed, “Touché. Fancy a cup?”
“As long as you put something in it.”
Rolling her eyes, Nikki headed for the door. “What is it with you and working late? It makes you go even stranger than you usually are. I’m not quite sure I want to add caffeine to your current state, even if it is only tea.”
Five minutes later, cups in hand, she returned to find Harry helping himself to her chocolate pudding.
“Harry!” she protested, her voice whiny with inevitable defeat. “That was my consolation prize for an evening well and truly ruined by something you could just have easily told me over the phone.” No matter how much she wanted to be, she couldn’t truly be annoyed at Harry over something like this. Which was in itself incredibly annoying.
“Consolation prize from what?” He curled an arm protectively around the plastic container. It was his food now, and he was going to protect it with his life. “And which restaurant is so climate change denying that they have plastic containers for doggy bags? Not to mention the included silverware.”
“Who said anything about a restaurant?” Nikki raised an eyebrow at him.
“Well, it’s either from a restaurant, or you’re having a whirlwind affair with Marco Pierre White.” Another forkful of oozing chocolaty goodness disappeared into his mouth. “And not even you have taste that bad.”
“That, I can neither confirm nor deny,” Nikki said, putting Harry’s cup of tea in front of him and making an unsuccessful grab for the pudding. “Come on Harry, I haven’t even had a bite.”
He held up his hands in surrender and pushed the container towards her. There was approximately one forkful sitting lonely in the bottom.
“I really do hate you sometimes,” Nikki muttered, taking the fork from him and going in for her one and only taste. The moment it passed her lips, an irrepressible moan reverberated in her throat. “Oh God, that’s good.”
“Told you.”
“I am definitely going to find a way to pay you back for this, and it isn’t going to be pleasant, not for you anyway.” Her eyes will still closed as she savoured the taste.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, there’s a note at the bottom of the container. I didn’t open it,” he was smiling at her genuinely now, without a hint of amusement or mischief. Not opening it was worth it, getting to see the sparkle of anticipation in Nikki’s eyes.
~*~
It felt incredibly girly and teenage, but had Nikki waited until she was sat cross-legged on her bed in her nightie to open the note. She laughed at what was inside.
I’ll need the fork back, its part of a set.
Below it, in smaller writing:
What did you expect, a love letter? I’m not that kind of girl. XX
She checked the clock. Twelve am. Not too late to call.
Morgana picked up on the third ring. “You got my note then?”
Nikki laughed. “Yes.”
“So, how was it?” Morgana asked, her voice low and rich.
“The note?”
“The pudding,” Morgana clarified, amused.
“The one bite I did manage to have was heavenly. Unfortunately, my college stole the rest. I’m going to make him suffer for it.”
“I’ll have to make you another,” Morgana said, her smile evident in her voice. “But don’t go getting any ideas about me and the kitchen.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Nikki smiled.
“Good,” Morgana said. “Besides, next time I’ll expect you to cook for me.”
“Trust me, you really don’t want that.”
“It’s only fair. You may not be used to it Nikki, but that’s how this works, give and take.”
Nikki shivered. “I can’t wait until this case is over.”
Morgana sighed. “You have no idea how hard it was not to push you against the wall and kiss you tonight.”
“About as hard as it was not to make you.” Nikki’s voice sounded strange to her own ears, as if she was hearing it from far away. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I don’t know if I can do this, wait until it’s over.”
“We have to,” Morgana said reluctantly.
“I could take myself off the case,” Nikki said. “If I told Harry, my colleague, he would take over. I know he would.”
“That wouldn’t change anything, you’ve already been too involved,” Morgana reasoned. “And that bloody detective would just try and make it seem like I’m using you.”
Nikki took a shaking breath. “I know you aren’t doing that.”
“I know,” Morgana said, “but we can’t take any chances. As far as they know nothing has happened, we don’t even know each other. Even if they do find out, all they will see is a drunken one night stand that you nipped in the bud the next morning when you realised who I was.” She paused. “I’m worried about this, Nikki. I keep feeling like somebody’s watching me. I need you to catch whoever did this so I can feel safe again.”
“It’s only natural,” Nikki assured. “Something like this... it makes you think.”
Morgana laughed. “This conversation is getting way too serious for this late at night and this early in a...”
“Relationship?” Nikki offered.
“Not that this is a relationship. That would be a conflict of interest.”
“Of course,” Nikki agreed, smiling. “Look, I’d better go. I’ll see you soon, but you aren’t going to like it.”
“The case?”
“Unfortunately.”
“I trust you,” Morgana said. “You have a reputation for giving evidence as you see it, looking at the facts objectively, no matter what the police think. It’s amazing what you can find out on the internet”
“Did you Google me?” Nikki asked, laughing.
“After you left tonight. Two can play at that game.”
“Goodnight, Morgana.”
“Goodnight, Nikki.”
~*~
Monday morning came far too quickly and Nikki found herself once again faced with Harry and a cold feeling of unease in her stomach. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself that the sureness she felt when she was around Morgana was right, she knew that keeping it to herself any longer was not a good idea. By a stroke of luck, she found herself alone in the lab with Harry.
“Harry,” she began, not really knowing what she was going to say next.
“Hmm?”
“I need you to take over the Pendragon case. You were present at the autopsy and all of the evidence has gone through you as well as me,” she said, holding Harry’s gaze to show she was serious.
“Any particular reason?” he asked, tilting his head and smirking at her.
“I’m... involved - personally - with one of the family, one of the possible suspects,” she said, leaning back against the sinks.
“Personally?” Harry inquired.
“Sexually, romantically, whatever you want to call it.” Nikki said, exhaling sharply.
Harry frowned. “Not the son?”
“No,” Nikki said, sighing and looking her feet. “Harry, you have to promise me that you -”
He cut her off. “Of course, Nikki, you know that. Anything.”
“Morgana,” she said quietly. When he didn’t say anything, she carried on. “We met in the bar on Thursday night, after you left. We had a few drinks, talked - not about the case, just... about work, her work, my work, university, music... I wasn’t drunk.” She said the last bit defensively.
“Never said you were,” Harry said, holding up his hands.
“Sorry.” Nikki shook her head. “There was just... something between us, I don’t know what, and we were sitting so close and... I instigated it, not her.”
“Go on,” Harry encouraged, smiling slightly to reassure her.
“I spent the night at hers.” She smiled despite her the fact that her heart was pounding in her chest. “I was at her house when you called on Friday. She’s cooled it off, until after the case is over.” She looked up at him. “I really like her, Harry. Really like her.”
“So you want to pursue it?”
She nodded, taking a shaky breath.
Harry sighed and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her head. “You picked some person to have a personal revelation with,” he said softly. “I’ll have it put on record that you came to me over a conflict of interest that developed on the case. It won’t count against you and it won’t impact the case. You can still be involved as long as you don’t solely handle any evidence.”
“Thank you, Harry,” Nikki whispered, sinking into him.
“No problem.” He gave her a squeeze. “Now, how do you fancy filling me in on the details of your night with the mysterious Morgana Pendragon.”
“Lafferty,” Nikki corrected. “And you should be so lucky.”
“So it was good then?” He pinched her side lightly to make her squirm.
She laughed. “I told you I went back the next day, didn’t I?”
I'm dissapointed to say that on the last chapter I only got 4 comments. If you are still liking this then please comment because 4 comments doesn't really give me much incentive to carry it on! Thank you!
.