It's Nothing Personal

Make this work

Jack guides a very tired Nikki to the sofa and sits with her, "Has it suddenly all caught up with you this past week?" Jack smiles as he pulls her into his side once they're sat down.
"She came crashing into my world. I didn't even want her to begin with" Nikki explains.

He looks at her urging her to carry on, "I booked a termination and everything, but something inside of me said this could be your only chance to have a child. it all felt just right like it was meant to be" Nikki explains in more detail.

Jack looks at Nikki in shock, he knew that if she had gone through with the termination that there would never be a chance of them being together. "I'm glad you didn't go through with it" He smiles.

Nikki nods slightly and starts to play with her phone case, "Don't try and feel sorry for me Jack, I shouldn't have let you come onto me. God help me if my Mother was still alive, She would defiantly have called me a reckless slut."

"Nik, I don't care I did come onto you but we were sober... there has to be a reason. Nikki you're most defiantly not a 'reckless slut' either, don't be too hard on yourself" Jack smiles.

"Thanks, I don't need sympathy" She replies.
"So come on Nik, we need to discuss our daughter."

Nikki looks at Jack and thinks for a moment, "Co-Parenting?" Nikki suggests. "You can have her half the week and I shall have Poppy the rest?" She suggests.

Jack's heart sinks slightly, "I want to be with her all the time, not just half a week for the rest of our lives!"
"Co-parenting is a good thing, Jack, It will work for us both. Best of it I can go back to work for half a week" Nikki smiles but Jack is having none of it.

"She's my daughter Nikki, I want to be around her all day, every day" He explains but still Nikki shakes her head.

"It's too soon Jack, I would love to but Jack I don't think I'm ready to commit," She says making every excuse possible.
"I want to make this work Nikki, the fact I have feelings for you is something totally different, but for Poppy's sake, I want to be around every day. What happens when you're ill and you can't physically help yourself?" Jack questions.

Nikki shrugs and stands up, she paces the room a little. "I love you, Nikki Alexander, I will chase you to the end of the earth... later on, we can focus on us but for now let me stay with you as a 'friend' and we can make this work together" Jack smiles.

"Really?" She asks.
He smirks and steps forwards and tries to embrace her in a hug, "no, Jack" She says stepping back.
"All I wanted to do was give you a hug, a friendly hug Nik," He says and tries again, this time Nikki obliges herself to a hug.

"Make this work?" He asks.
"yes," She smiles and hugs Jack tightly.

"Okay, now we've slightly settled this arrangement... can I go back to mine get a bag or something and come and stop with you... seeing that you have the biggest house. I will sleep on the sofa or on a camp bed if you have one" He smiles as they pull away from the hug and hold hands for a second.

She nods and gives in a little, Jack knew it was going to take a lot to get through to Nikki and break down her walls. "Okay, just for a few days... now can I go rescue my daughter from Thomas and Clarissa before they have her performing post-mortems at a week old" She smirks and turns away to get her stuff.

"Nik?" He smiles
"Yeah?" She replies with a happy smile.
"You mean 'our' daughter" Jack corrects and Nikki nods.

They get the stuff together before going to find Thomas and Clarissa, they walk into Thomas's office to see Thomas reading a book on human anatomy to Poppy. "Sorry, I couldn't stop him" Clarissa smiles looking up at Nikki.

"Thomas, please stop..." Nikki giggles finding it rather cute.
"Got to start them young, She'll be dissecting her pet hamster by the age of 3, performing postmortems on the neighbors' dead goldfish aged 5 and be a fully qualified forensic pathologist by 10" Thomas smirks as he cradles Poppy carefully.

"Hey she could be Forensic Scientist" Jack laughs.
"Poppy Alexander head of Forensic Pathology and Science" Nikki smiles as she goes to take Poppy out of Thomas's arms.

"She's going to be amazing" Clarissa smiles as she just knows Nikki will give her the best education possible and Jack will give Poppy life skills that she will need in today's society.

"Nikki before you go, a word?" Thomas smiles, Nikki passes Poppy to Jack and he leaves the room with Clarissa.

"So Maternity leave?" Thomas questions.
"Yes, I'm going to take 6 months maternity leave, I shall come back into part-time work and when Poppy is a year old I shall come back full time," She says confidently.

"Nikki are you sure this is what you want? 6 months comes around quick, how about a year's maternity and then part-time work until she's in nursery school?" Thomas suggests.

"No, I shall be fine, six months is enough" Nikki smiles as she gathers her stuff to leave.

"Nikki, if you want to change it to a year you're more than welcome" He smiles.

"Goodbye Thomas, see you soon" Nikki smiles as she picks up her jacket and Poppy's blanket and leaves his office.

She heads out to Jack and watches him gently secure Poppy in her car seat and then sets the handle so he can hold her. Nikki walks over and places the light pink blanket over Poppy's legs and tucks her arms in also.
"Ready?" Jack smiles and Nikki nods before she leaves her walks to Clarissa and hugs her gently.

"Don't be a stranger, I want Poppy cuddles at least twice a week" She smiles as they pull away from the hug.
"Bye Clarissa" She smiles as they head out of the Lyell centre and down to Jack's car.

"To yours?" Jack asks and Nikki nods as she puts Poppy's car seat in the back of the car.