Don't Leave

Chapter 56

Amanda's POV

   Backup arrived not long after the shooting. By than everyone involved was long gone. I sat on the porch steps thinking through all the events that took place.
   "How you doing?" Fin sat next to me.
   "How do you think? We were cornered, outnumbered. It could've been the end for all of us. And for what?"
   "We all made it out though. Alive, uninjured"
   "Except Nick"
   "It's just a flesh wound, he'll be fine"
   "IABs gonna be on his ass again"
   "IAB isn't gonna do anything. It was a good shooting. Bastard deserved it."
   We sat in silence for a minute or saw.
   "Well I should probably meet Nick down at the hospital. You coming with?"
   "No, um I gotta take care of Apollo. He's been locked in a car for two hours"
   "Alright well I'll see you soon"
   "Yeah"
   "Oh and Amanda"
   I looked up.
   "Nothing Jeff said was true. You're a good detective, a great partner."
   "Thanks Fin"
   He patted my shoulder and left.

  
Nick's POV

   "You ready?"
   I came back home a few hours later to find Amanda had already packed her stuff. We were going to stay at a hotel for the night, well probably until CSU left and the house was fixed up.
   "Yeah, let's go. What are we doing with Apollo?"
   "He's coming with"
   "You can't bring a dog to a hotel" she protested.
   "He's a service dog he can go where ever the hell he wants."
   She smiled.
   "Guess you're right"

   "I'm sorry Nick" she said sitting on the hotel bed.
   "For what?"
   "Everything."
   "Don't blame yourself Amanda, you know better."
   "I'm not just talking about just the whole deal with Jeff. I'm talking about the last four years."
   I stopped unpacking and looked at her.
   "If this is about what Jeff said don't worry about it."
    "He had a point though. Why did you bother with me? I've pushed you away for almost four years, yet when you still put your life in danger for me. Why?"
   The question stopped me in my tracks.
   "I really do care about you Amanda. I've always felt a need to be there, help, protect you. And I know you're strong, independent and you can easily take care of yourself, but I just I couldn't bare the thought of ever seeing you hurt"
   "But Jeff said..."
   "I don't care what he said. You're not the only one who has lied or made mistakes. God knows I've made mistakes"
   She sat silently trying to find a way to argue me. She couldn't.
   "You should sleep. It's been a long night"
   She turned off the light and laid down. It wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep. That's when I broke out Jeff's phone.
   "Alright you bastard. Who have you been talking to?"

   "No, stop!"
   It had only been an hour since she fell asleep when the nightmares started. I got out of my bed were I had snooping through Jeff's phone and went to wake her up.
   "Amanda, hey it's just a dream wake up"
   She did wake up, she woke up crying. She sat up holding her head and started rocking back and forth.
   "Hey"
    I reached for her arm. She gasped and quickly pulled it away.
   "It was just a dream." I tried explaining.
   "No it wasn't! Where is he?"
   "Jeff? Caleb? They're gone, dead. They're not coming back."
   She calmed down and was finally fully awake.
   "What about the rest of them?" She asked quietly. "I don't think this is over Nick"
   I sighed thinking about Jeff's phone.
   "I don't think it is either"