Nick didn't show for breakfast this morning. Derek looked extremely annoyed. Well, as annoyed as Derek gets. He didn't let us see it, of course, I think he has this belief that a precept must always hide his emotions, appear calm at all times, or something. But I could tell that he wasn't happy. He's gotten into the habit of discussing with Nicholas over breakfast certain tasks that he might consider doing, if he gets bored enough. Nick, with incredible self control, has not made a single sarcastic remark yet but I feel it coming. Of course, he doesn't always do what Derek wants, on average, he does about half of it, then when Derek tries to pull him up on it, he simply smiles, in that disarming way he has, and comments "I wasn't that bored."
He's challenging our precept, I can feel it, and I wonder how long it will be before Derek gives him an order, not just a suggestion. And I wonder how Nick will react.
I went looking for Nick after breakfast, the events of the past few days have worried me. Ever since I came downstairs and saw him drinking, I've kept one ear open at night, and I'm sure I've heard him moving around. I can sense that there's something going on with him that he hasn't told us. I've always wondered why he is here, why he stays, especially with Derek on the warpath constantly. And why he left the SEALs. People don't usually do that without a really good reason. There's something going on that I don't know about.
Anyway, I found Nick around the back of the house, practising karate. For a violent sport, it's definitely beautiful to watch. Nicholas makes the whole thing flow, like it's meant to be a dance, and not someone beating another person up. He continued on for a few minutes, then stopped, grabbing a drink bottle from the grass. I spoke his name, trying to get his attention, but his mind must have been elsewhere. He didn't even hear me. That probably should have warned me that something was up, but it didn't, and I walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.
He whirled around, his body tensing into an attack stance, and his fist clenched.
Luckily he managed to restrain his instincts to attack, because, for the first time, I
saw his eyes go cold. He stood there, simply watching me, until I left. Later that
afternoon, I went up to my room to get a book, and lying on the bed was a single
red rose, and a note saying "sorry".
| NEXT |
| CONTENTS | PTL FANFIC |
| E-mail: Dubricus | E-mail: Debbie W. |
