Don't Leave

Chapter 18

Nick's POV

"Did you even get any sleep last night?"
Must've been pretty obvious that I was up all night. Everyone seemed to be asking me this.
"Does resting my eyes count?" I joked with Liv.
She didn't find much humor in my remark.
"Seriously Nick what's going on?"
"Nothing, I mean yeah...nothing "
"I know that's not true. Now what did Amanda tell you last night"
"Ok, fine. She didn't really tell me just talked to nothing or herself I'm not really sure." I was not liking having to leave Amanda alone especially after what happened last night, but there wasn't much of an option.
"What'd she say?" Fin joined the conversation.
"Well she was still kinda in her nightmare just kept asking why."
"Why what?" Fin asked.
"Why...why he was hurting her, why he didn't love her, why..." My voice drifted off. "Why he didn't just kill her."
I closed my eyes and thought about her pleading eyes. Looking at me, begging for answers.
"I'm going to kill those bastards."
"Nick you're not doing anything now"
"Liv you didn't see her." I started tearing up. "You didn't hear how scared and desperate she sounded. You didn't see how she clenched to me after a bad dream. You didn't have to look in her eyes and have her ask you why everyone kept hurting her."
To hell with everything I was crying now and I knew they wanted to too.
"I hate leaving her alone. She's still scared one of Jeff's buddies are going to come back."
"Then don't. " Liv said. "It's been a slow day. Go home, be with her. I'll call you if anything happens. "

Amanda's POV

I was in the kitchen when I heard the front door open. Shit I thought. I dunked behind the counter. I listened as footsteps got closer and closer.
"Amanda?"
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
"Jesus" I mutter.
"Sorry for scaring you" Nick said.
I shook my head.
"What are you doing back already?"
"Liv sent me back. It's been a slow day."
"Tucker hasn't, um, been by the precinct has he?" I asked.
He had been by my room at the hospital a few times bit I hadn't seen or heard from him or any of the others since.
"No." He said confused. "Why would he be?"
"I..I um I don't know."
Shit I was making it so obvious.
"I'm sure Liv probably filled him in about what's going on so he doesn't come around questioning where you are, but no I haven't seen him."
"Okay"
I sighed a breath of relief and left the kitchen. I actually completely forgot why I was there.
"Amanda I have to ask you something."
He came into the living room and sat down. Dammit I thought. Although I kinda knew this was coming.
"What were you talking about last night?"
That wasn't what I thought he was gonna ask.
"What..what do you mean?" I tried to sound clueless.
"I woke you up. You were asking questions to yourself and me."
I sat there for a second.
"I don't want to talk about it." I muttered.
"Amanda" he stood up and started walking toward me
"I said I don't want to talk about it!"
I got louder, more agitated. I immediately regretted it. I put my heard down and covered it. Force of habit I suppose. Nick wouldn't hit me. Would he?
"Amanda" he whispered gently.
He knelt down besides me.
"I'm sorry" was all I could say.
"Don't be."
He kissed my head and pulled me into a hug. I began to calm down.
  I need to be more carful I thought.
  He looked at me confused.
  Dammit I said that out loud. I closed my eyes and looked back down trying not to show my emotions.
   "Let's just watch TV"
   I just wanted to get off this topic.

                     Nick's POV

   Judging by how quietly she spoke I knew she hadn't meant to speak out loud. I need to be more careful. The words buzzed around my head for a bit. The way she covered her head, how she apologized. She thought I was gonna hit her.
   "TV"
  I heard the last part of what she'd said.
  "Ok"
  I backed off and got the remote. I sat down and to my surprise she laid in my lap. It wasn't till now that I really paid attention to anything. I was now seeing the bruises covering her arms and neck. Her hands and feet were bandaged from the burns. There was a scar starting below her neck I'm assuming went down her back. A whip I thought. Jesus Christ what did he do to her.
  "Have you eaten?" I asked knowing she hadn't.
  She shook her head.
  "I'm not hungry"
  She hadn't eaten anything since being released from the hospital. Even there she didn't eat much.
  "Well you have to eat."
   I sat up and she moved her head.
  "I can't cook for the life of me. Let's just go out. You need to get out of the house."