WARNING: SPOILERS!!! ~A Watty's 2019 Submission!

Saved for The Pure Hearted Heroine

"Listen Rico! I'll get the money for your goons! Just back off!" They heard her voice shout from inside.

"Nichole? It's me, Nicky." They heard clattering, then the sound of many locks unlocking, then the door swung open, and there she stood. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, and a little greasy. She wore a white tank top with a red stain down the front, and she had on black sweatpants that hung loosely around her legs and were tied as tight as they could be around her waist, and she wore no shoes or socks, though her toenails were painted black. She looked like she was busy, and she held a wooden baseball bat in her hand, her eyes wide when she saw them standing there.

"Nicky?" She asked, her chest heaving. "How'd you find me?" Swaine stepped up, and she stumbled back. She hadn't noticed him yet, and she looked as though she was about to faint.

"Magic, Nichole." he answered, taking her hands. She dropped the bat, and she stumbled back.

"S-S-Swaine?!" She whimpered. She looked as though he was holding a gun to her head, her face completely red, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. "Wh-Why are you here? What are any of you doing here?! You can't be here!" 

"Nichole, let us in, please." Swaine begged, stepping forward to make her step back, and they all filed into her apartment, Evan shutting the door behind them so no one would think Nichole and Nicky were crazy for talking to people that they couldn't see. "It's as you said. Trouble. We need to know where you're keeping Lucien. We need you to come back." She shook her head, turning away, from him.

"You've wasted your time. My powers are gone, and I don't have Lucien anymore. I left it on my ship, along with my coat, my hat, my sword, and my pride. Why don't you get Oliver or Harmony to help"

"My father was kidnapped by a wick man called Mortui." Nicky told her. "And Harmony just had her baby. Please, Nichole. We need you!" 

"I told you! I don't have that kind of power!" She snapped, her hands in fists. "I can hardly leave the house to get food anymore! How am I supposed to help you defeat Daimon or Lelina? Or your ruddy Mortui?" Then she heard a creak from somewhere else in the building, and she cocked her head as though she was listening to it. But Swaine listened, and he caught something.

"Wait. How did you know about Daimon? And who's Lelina?" Nichole didn't say anything. "Nichole, you know who Daimon is. WHo's Lelina." She sighed, and turned to face them again.

"Lelina is Daimon's assistant. It was she who drove me into hiding." She sounded like she wanted to cry, but she was fighting herself hard. "I was sailing near Castaway Cove, and she attacked my ship. She killed about half my crew and drained me of my power. I knew a storm was coming, so I left the crew behind, and left. Left the ship with Oliver and a a crystal ball with my parents." Tears leaked from her eyes, and Nicky felt heartbroken as she took her hand. 

"Nichole, please. It's not just Lucien we need, we need you back." Nichole shook her head.

"Really? what use can I be with no power?" Swaine pushed Nicky aside, wrapping his arms around her, Nichole burying her face into his shoulder.

"Nichole, I've seen you in action. I've seen you without your power. You're amazing the way you are! And I don't care at this point if we get that stupid wand anymore or if we defeat any of them! Just please! Please, just come home! Come home to your ship and be with me please!" The only noise they heard were Nichole's shuddering sobs, unable for her to use her voice. "I know you want to come back, and I want you to come back! Please! If you won't come home for yourself, please come home for me." She looked up at him.

"Swaine, there's one other problem." She said, her breath shuddering, and he smiled at her.

"Nichole, whatever it is, we can get through it together!" She didn't return the smile.

"I don't know if we can this time." Suddenly, a cry came from somewhere else in the building, and she let out a sigh. "There's something I didn't tell you before I left." Swaine's smile fell, and his face went white, as she took his hand and led him to a room in the back, the others staying back as she took him into the one bedroom in the apartment, opened the door, and in the room was one large bed, and a crib. In the crib was a diaper clad, chunky, matted blonde curled hair baby girl, standing up in the crib, cooing at Nichole, reaching her hands out to her.

"Nichole." Swaine's face was completely paper white, staring at the baby. "What. The hell. Is this?" She sighed a shuddering sigh, tears about to fall again, but she went to the crib and lifted the girl into her arms, the little girl pulling at her ponytail, a red stain on her diaper matching the one on Nichole's shirt.

"Swaine," she took a deep breath. "This is Camilla. She's... well, she's our daughter." Nicky worried that he was going to faint. 

"Camilla?" She nodded.

"Yes, Camilla. That was the name we had talked about if we ever had a child, that's what we would name her." 

"Camilla." He said again, and she nodded again, holding the little girl tight as she lay her head on her shoulder. 

"I was going to tell you until I got attacked by Lelina. I didn't want you or her to be in danger, and I knew you'd insist on staying in our world, but I knew she'd be safer here, and I didn't want you to get involved, so I just left."  

"Camilla." Swaine began to walk towards them, and Nichole held the baby close to her, cradling her head protectively against her chest, backing into the wall.

"Please, Swaine, don't be mad. She's the sweetest little girl alive, and I love her so much-" He pressed her against the wall and kissed her gently, pulling her and Camilla into a hug.

"Why would you ever deprive me of time with both of you?" He whispered to her, pulling Camilla into his arms and cradling her head, petting her soft blonde curls and holding her close as if he hadn't seen her in years. "She's perfect."

"She is?" Nichole's cheeks turned pink, biting her lip. "You really think that?" He nodded, putting his arm around her.

"Of course I do. I love her already, and I love you." She smiled, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head on his chest. 

"I love you too, Swaine." She whispered, before looking up. "But it isn't safe to bring her back to our world. You know this as well as I do!" Swaine shook his head.

"And it never will be if you don't come back with us!" He insisted. "Come on, we'll all protect her! We have a special place back home, a place where anyone is safe! We can take her, and Harmony's baby there, they'll be safe! I'm sure of it!" Nichole sighed, putting her hands on Camilla as if to lift her from Swaine's arms.

"But, Swaine-"

"And even if you want someone to watch over her, the fairies'll keep an eye on her!" Swaine kept on going. "I could even convince Harmony to stay behind! She needs bed rest after giving birth, so she can protect them while she's there!"

"Swaine I said no!" She growled, snatching Camilla away from him. "I'm not risking my child's life because you think I have any sort of capability to stop what's happening back home!" She turned away, holding Camilla close. "Look, if you're going to stay, then stay. But I'm not going with you."