Jakki One Shots

OTP Writing Challenge- Day Sixteen

Day Sixteen Prompt
Past
The otp finds something that reminds one or both of the past.

Let's just imagine that Jack and Nikki didn't fall out after Mexico so this one shot makes sense :)

A body had been found in the back garden of a house, Jack and Nikki arriving at the scene to investigate. They introduced themselves to the detective, a middle aged man, DI Burns, before following him out into the garden. A body lay on the grass, beside a reasonably large hole; the three of them approached it, Nikki crouching down to begin taking photos.

“Female. No ID on her, ” DI Burns informed them, “The owners of the house came home after a holiday to see their lawn had been dug up and filled again. Got closer and saw a hand poking out of the soil. Turns out that hand was attached to a body.”

Jack went to check out the hole, dropping on his knees so he could look closely into it. Nikki joined him seconds later, her eyes scanning across the soil, until she spotted something sticking out. Noticing the same thing, Jack reached down, retrieving the object and dusting it off. It appeared to be a plank of wood. Nikki watched him investigate further, sticking his hand back into the hole, feeling around. Suddenly, he turned to the detective.

“Have you got a shovel?”

Burns asked around, eventually returning with what Jack had asked for. Jack thanked him, using the shovel to chip away at the soil, creating a small pile of it in the grass beside him. It wasn't long until he reached a barrier, the metal colliding with something hard. Nikki helped him brush away the soil, revealing a wooden box. A coffin.

“She must have been buried in here,” Jack said. He carried on looking around it. “Multiple planks have been ripped off of the lid.”

“How was she found outside the box then?” the detective asked obliviously. He obviously hadn't latched on, but Nikki knew exactly where this was going. She tried to ignore the thoughts that were attempting to invade her mind, going back to the body, checking it over.

“There's soil under her nails, in her hair, in her mouth. She's covered in it.” Nikki could feel her voice beginning to quaver. She still carried on, but she sensed Jack's anxious stare upon her. “All of this is pointing to one explanation.”

Finally, DI Burns had realised what they were suggesting.

“She was alive when she was put into the box and tried to escape.”

Nikki couldn't even bring herself to nod in acknowledgement. Her head was beginning to spin, her vision blurring. The noise around her faded, until there was silence.

Complete silence.

She took a deep breath. It was fine. She was fine. She was safe; it was just a case, reminding her of her past. The sooner she examined the body, the sooner she could leave. Closing her eyes, Nikki tried to rid her mind of the intrusive thoughts.

But suddenly she was back there.

In the box. In the darkness, trapped, barely able to move. Left to her own thoughts, wondering whether she would die alone, thinking about how no one would be able to hear her screams.

Apart from her.

The act of complete and utter fear that came over her, piercing her ears, wasting her breath. She had been so fucking terrified for her life, screaming felt like the only way to calm herself down.

Nikki put a hand down onto the grass, trying to steady herself. The visions carried on.

Now she could hear Jack, her only form of communication in there. She remembered listening to the pain in his voice, the way she was able to tell he was close to tears even without seeing his face. It was the sort of emotion that Jack rarely showed, but when he did, Nikki knew that it meant something greatly.

She'd almost given up hope. Almost. When Jack had told her that they'd found the others, something inside her clicked. Nikki wanted to at least try to get out. And, somehow, she did. Somehow she'd survived.

But, the only question that was going through her mind was, what if she hadn't? What if she had choked to death and left Jack, Clarissa and Thomas to deal with it? What if she'd rotted away in there, her decayed body being left for someone else to find, to dig up years later.

She could feel the bile rising up her throat. Now wasn't the time. She had a job to do. But every time she tried to swallow it down, tried to get rid of the disgusting taste, it came straight back.

Nikki couldn't take it any more. She rose to her feet, legs feeling like they'd collapse underneath her,

Jack called her name multiple times, but she ignored him. She didn't even flinch at his voice, heading into the house. There were multiple people crowded in the living room, police and the couple who owned the property so she found herself in the empty kitchen, beginning her attempt to calm herself down.

***

Jack watched Nikki leave. He knew there had been something wrong as soon as they'd begun to put the pieces together. He'd seen her face drop, the way her eyes had suddenly glassed over.

It had to do with Mexico. What had happened out there, there were many parallels to the case, many things to trigger Nikki. She had a right to be so distressed; Jack knew she had been through absolutely hell. But he just hated to see her suffer. 

“What’s up with her?” DI Burns asked, interrupting his thoughts.

“Doesn't matter,” Jack replied, rising to his feet, “I'll go and see if she's okay.”

He hurried inside, eyes frantically searching, desperate to find her. A police officer pointed him in the right direction, and he went into the kitchen.

Nikki had her back to his when he entered, but he could hear cracks in each breath she took. She was crying.

He said her name softly, not wanting to startle her. Still, she jumped, her head jolting around to look at him. She'd been trying to hold her emotion back, but when she saw Jack, her face crumbled and she let out a sob.

The tears streaming down her cheeks were too much for him; he rushed over to her, arms wrapping tightly around her shoulders. Jack could feel her shaking profusely in his arms, each cry only causing him to hold onto her together. She was so fragile and Jack feared that if he let go, she’d collapse into a heap on the floor.

A hand caressed her hair, softening his voice in an attempt to sooth her. Eventually, the crying subsided, Nikki finally catching her breath. She broke away from him, glancing up to him, her eyes red and blotchy. Jack gave her a small smile, a thumb automatically wiping away a tear from her cheek. She didn't pull away when he did so, the touch feeling ever so natural between them. It caused Nikki's face to lighten up, just a little bit, before her head fell back to his chest.

“Thank you,” Nikki whispered. 

Jack tightened his hold, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“You're welcome.”