Hideaway daughter

Chapter 5

As they returned to the precinct, Sofia kept her head down, avoiding the concerned looks from the officers. Nick guided her to a quiet corner and sat her down, taking a deep breath.

"Sofia, you're going to stay here with Amanda and me for now. We'll figure this out," he said, his voice firm but kind. He handed her a bottle of water, and she nodded, taking small sips.

Amanda approached with Zara, who was now clutching a small teddy bear someone had given her. "Hey, Sofia," Amanda said softly. "We're glad you're okay."

Zara ran up to Sofia and hugged her tightly. "Please don't go away again," she whispered, her voice quivering.

Sofia hugged her back, tears streaming down her face. "I won't, Zara. I promise."

Nick watched the exchange, his heart aching. He knew Sofia was struggling, but seeing her like this was a harsh reminder of how fragile her recovery was. He had to keep her safe, but he also needed to get to the bottom of what had happened at the pizza place.

He turned to Amanda. "Can you stay with the girls? I need to have a word with the bartender who served them."

Amanda nodded. "Of course. Be careful, Nick."

Nick left the precinct and headed back to the pizza place. When he arrived, he walked straight to the bar and found the young bartender. Flashing his badge, he said, "We need to talk."

The bartender's eyes widened, but he tried to stay calm. "What's this about?"

Nick leaned in, his voice low and serious. "My daughter, Sofia. She was here earlier. I want to know exactly what happened."

The bartender gulped, glancing around nervously. "Look, man, I didn't mean any harm. She seemed a bit stressed, and I offered her something to help her relax. I didn't think it would go this far."

Nick's jaw clenched. "You gave her drugs?"

The bartender shook his head. "Just a little something to calm her nerves. I swear, I didn't know she had a problem."

Nick took a deep breath, trying to keep his anger in check. "You're coming with me. We'll sort this out at the precinct."

Back at the precinct, Nick and the bartender arrived to find Sofia talking quietly with Amanda. Zara was coloring a picture at a nearby desk, oblivious to the tension in the room.

Nick brought the bartender over to an interrogation room and closed the door. "You're going to tell me everything. Who are you working with? Where did you get the drugs?"

The bartender, now visibly scared, began to spill everything. "I get them from a guy who comes by the bar sometimes. He supplies a few of us who work here. I can give you his name, his location, whatever you need. Just don't arrest me, man. I didn't know she was your daughter."

Nick listened, his anger simmering beneath the surface. "You're not walking away from this. But if you help us take down your supplier, maybe we can work something out."

After gathering all the information, Nick left the interrogation room and rejoined Amanda, Sofia, and Zara. He knelt down in front of Sofia, looking into her tear-filled eyes.

"We're going to handle this," he said gently. "But you need to promise me you'll stay clean. I can't keep doing this, Sofia."

She nodded, wiping her tears. "I promise, Dad. I'll do better."

Nick pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly. "We'll get through this. Together."

As the family sat together, they knew the road ahead would be tough, but they were determined to face it united. Nick glanced at Amanda, who gave him an encouraging nod. They had a long way to go, but with love and support, they believed Sofia could find her way back. After a while Nick and Amanda left the room to let Sofia get some rest when Olivia came up to him.

"Nick, how's she doing?" She asked her voice filled with concern as Nick just ran his hand over his face.

"She's exhausted, scared and full of guilt and regret for leaving Zara alone like that" Nick explained as Olivia and Fin who had joined the conversation gave him a sympathetic look.

"She's going to be okay Nick, cuz she got you by her side and all of us as well. If there's anything you need don't hesitate to ask for help" Olivia said as they all agreed with her.

"Yeah we're here for you guys man" Fin added in as Nick thanked them all and went back to his desk as Zara went in to join Sofia resting on the couch in Olivia's office. As they all stood around Nick, Cragen came out of his office and offered his support to Nick and Sofia and reminded Nick the importance of having good support system and that he should focus on being with Sofia and Zara and take them home, as they would lead the investigation and keep him updated through it all, as Nick nodded his head went in wake them up again as Zara came up to him almost immediately as he picked her up and sat down with her on a chair next to the couch Sofia was laying on in the Captain's office as he gently stroked her hair which made her flinch a bit as she shut her eyes more which made Nick put Zara down and asked her to go out to Amanda and Olivia as he consoled Sofia who seemed to be having a nightmare.

"It's okay mi amor, it's dad, I'm here" Nick said gently as Sofia opened her eyes to be greeted with him as she immediately sat up and went into his arms as everything came crashing down and she just held onto him tight as Nick consoled her as much as he could when they stood up as Nick kept a firm but gentle and protective arm around her as they walked out of the office as Zara joined them and Nick put his coat around Sofia and picked Zara up who dozed off in his arms as he took them both back to his place.