I miss Nell

Chap 1

Note: I mainly wrote this because I refused to believe that no one gave Eric some advice on how to deal with Nell being on vacation.

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 'Sigh, another day, another case without Nell working beside me'. Eric gloomly thought as he prepared to leave work.

Nell had left on mandatory vacation. And he was not taking it well. Deeks had been trying to make him feel better the day before, but, it didn't exactly work.

Ping! He got a text: 'Please come see me in my office.' It was from Hetty.

'Huh? What does she want?' Eric wondered.

He walked over to her office.

'You asked to see me?'

'Yes, would you take a seat, please?'

He sat down.

'What's up?'

'It has come to my attention that you've been feeling a bit gloomy about Miss Jones being on vacation.' Hetty said.

'What? What gloominess?! I'm perfectly fine!' Eric insisted.

'Mr. Deeks came to me today and told me about yesterday. And I thought it best that we talk. Come. Let's sit on my couch.'

They sat on her couch.

'Eric, sigh. Not having a partner can be hard. When, sigh. When Owen left, I, hid my unhappiness , which lasted a while. And got worse a year later.

'What? I didn't know.'

'That's because I know how to hide my emotions well.'

'That, is definitely true.'

'I still think about him most of the time, and I still miss him deeply.'

'We all so.'

'Look, Nell didn't retire. She's till your work partner. Please remember that.' Hetty insisted.

' It's just, even before you told her to take vacation, she's been very distant, and depressed. She's been taking the eventual loss of her mom very hard. She hardly talks to me. She hasn't even called me since she left! It's been like this ever since we decided to take a break from our relationship when we discovered we moved too fast.'

'I see.'

' Not sure why I'm telling you this since you're hardly around. No offense. But you've also been very distant this year.' Eric said.

'I know. As of why I have been, I'm just dealing with something. I'll try not to be so distant in the future, but it's tricky right now.' Hetty responded.

'Does it have anything to do with all of Anna's charges being mysteriously dropped?'

'Maybe. Changing the subject now. It's okay to miss her. And, I believe she will return when she's ready to.'

'That, helps. I guess.'

'Do you have somewhere to be?'

''Uh yes. It's been nice talking to you.'

Eric got up to leave.

'Hetty, um. Has Nell tried to call you?'

'No. She has not.'

'Oh.'

'Give her time! She'll call you when she's ready to!'

'Will do.'