It's Nothing Personal

A Promise is a Promise

Later that day Nikki and Jack arrive home with Poppy who they have collected from day nursery and have now bathed and fed Poppy and Jack is now putting Poppy to bed for the evening. Nikki sits on the end of her bed and listens to Jack who is reading to Poppy in the other room, she shuffles backward onto the bed and pulls her knees up to her chest.

Around five minutes later Nikki looks up and watches Jack walk out of Poppy's room and shut the door too, he then turns around and looks through to Nikki and smiles at her. He walks across the hallway and into Nikki's room, he pushes the door to slightly and smiles.
"How are you feeling? did you enjoy your bath?" Jack questions sitting himself down beside Nikki.

"Mmm, It was nice," She says quietly.
"I'm not mad at you Nik... well I am slightly, but I understand it's hard for anyone" He smiles sympathetically.

Nikki nods and shuffles back against the headboard and brings her knees up to her chest and rests her chin on her knees. Jack moves so he can see her and he just looks at her sympathetically, "Jack? why aren't you mad at me? you have all the right to be mad with me, it's my fault that I've miscarried" Nikki replies hoarsely.

Jack sighs and looks at her, "You should have told me, I could have been there for you" Jack replies. Nikki messes with the ties on her pyjama bottoms, "Nikki, don't you ever blame yourself for this miscarriage... you did nothing wrong, I can assure you this! It's just natures way of saying not just yet" He smiles as he stands up and moves around the bed and sits down beside Nikki.

"Is it" Nikki mumbles the tears once again threatening to spill.
Jack grabs Nikki's hand and strokes it calmingly, "Look Nik, look at me... this will never be your fault, I'm not mad... I was just shocked, we can always try again... if that's what you want" Jack smiles looking at her.

"I would... but not too soon" Nikki replies and finally makes eye contact with Jack.
"Nik, we have Poppy, it's not the end of the world. Poppy proves we can produce a child together" Jack smiles making Nikki cringe at his words.

"... I'm... scared" She stutters.
"Scared of what?"
"Don't leave me, Jack, You're going to leave me aren't you?" Nikki says quickly.

He looks at her stunned and then pulls her into his side, "I'm going nowhere, now come on you need to sleep" Jack replies kissing her head gently.

Nikki gets up off the bed and then opens up the covers and gets into them, Jack looks down at her as she lies down and gets herself comfortable. He then stands up and pulls back the duvet on his side and climbs in. "What are you doing?" Nikki frowns knowing she hasn't allowed him to get back into bed with her just yet.

"Making a promise to you, I'm not leaving you," Jack says and reaches over Nikki and turns out the lamp.

"But-"She begins
"No 'Buts' I brought this mattress too. It's memory foam" Jack smirks.

Nikki rolls her eyes and rolls onto her side and makes herself comfortable, Jack then turns out his lamp on that side and lies down and starts to get himself comfortable. Jack fidgets for a good ten minutes which starts to annoy Nikki, she huffs and pulls the covers over to let him know she is annoyed.

She lies there looking out into the darkness a slight crack in the curtains allowing the street lamp to floor in through a tiny gap. Suddenly she jumps as she feels Jack's arm slip across her waist and around to her stomach followed by his body pressing up against hers. "Jack... what are you doing?" Nikki whispers.

"I'm cold, I'm getting warm" He replies and then says no more. Nikki makes a slight noise to acknowledge what he has said.

Before long they are both in a deep sleep, their bodies embraced in each other. Around 2 am, Jack gets out to the toilet and pushes the duvet back and it covers Nikki's entire body in the process.
Nikki wakes and suddenly starts screaming and fighting against the covers, "Get me out of here! get me out!" She screams suddenly having flashbacks to Mexico over five years ago.

Jack finishes in the bathroom and hears Nikki screaming and walks back through to the bedroom, "Nikki, Nikki!" Jack speaks shutting the bedroom door behind him so the noise doesn't want Poppy. He climbs on the bed and sits Nikki up, embracing her in a hug he starts to calm her down, "Shh, I've got you... It's okay" Jack speaks calmly to Nikki as she tears stream down her face.