No Good Nick

Family Reunion?

Nick's POV

I don't remember that much. After that drink, everything went black. Everything that happened around me felt like a dream. It was one of the nicest dreams I've had in a long time. Liz was there. She was with me in Franzelli's. I can't remember exactly what was happening, but the next thing I do remember was moving, or being moved. It was strangely peaceful.

Liz's POV

I don't know what she'd been through. Even before she left, she barely talked about her life before us. When I was driving her home, she was mumbling something in her sleep. "Stop. Give it to me. Where are you? Why did you leave? I miss you." 

What was she talking about? Who was she talking about? The truth is, everyone of us had been worried sick about her. So much so, that the rest of the family barely socialized with each other. Maybe this will save us, all of us, me, Ed, Jeremy, Molly and Nick. She was and still is a part of this family and when she left, there was a hole in everyone's hearts. Molly lost her best friend who became her sister, Jeremy lost someone he never thought he could trust, Ed lost someone he loved enough to call a daughter and I lost someone I could call both a daughter and a friend. But I can't just bring Nick in, out of the blue. I need to prepare them. Because the Nick they knew is now gone, and now this Nick needs us, her family.

Nick's POV

I know this place. I know this smell. I know this house. I know this car. I know where I am. I wake up and I'm in attached to a car seat. I can't be back here. Being here would only bring people pain and heartache. I can't face them. Not after what I did to them. There was no way they could ever really forgive me. I needed to leave. All I could think about was, how would I face Molly? I destroyed her all of her friendships. I made her out to be a badmouthing, mean and dishonest person. I broke Ed's heart by lying to him and almost getting him fired and pretending to be his family. I saw the way he looked at me when he called me his daughter, when he told me he loved and I still broke his heart. Jeremy trusted me. It took him a lot of someone like him to trust me. It took me even longer to get him to like me. But when he did, he became one of the best and kindest people ever. Whenever you were in trouble, he's there. No problem. And Liz, she treated me like I was her friend, her daughter. She was cautious of me when we first met, but she still opened her home, and her heart to me. 

I can't be here and remind them of everything I did. I don't trust myself around them neither. I don't trust myself enough. I'm afraid I will hurt them again. Being here is wrong. 

Liz's POV

I get in the house and I catch Ed looking at the family photo. He always looks at it, but he never admits that he misses her. 

Liz: Hey honey. 

Ed: Oh! Hey sweetie. You're home late. Is everything ok?

Liz: Kind of. Jeremy! Molly! Come down here. 

Jeremy: What's up? I'm on the phone with Eric. 

Liz: I found Nick. 

Jeremy: (nervous) She-she's here?

Molly: She is. She ran into me today. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how.

Liz: Ed, honey? You haven't said anything yet. 

Ed: I...I don't know what to say. 

Liz: Well, it's great. Right? Everyone has been down since she left. Maybe now that she's back, we can be a family again.

Ed: We already are a family. 

Liz: Are we? When was the last time you smiled? When was the last time Molly laughed or volunteered for something? When was the last time Jeremy spent a minute in the same room as all of us? When was the last time I exhaled? Face it. Nick is a part of this family. And when she left, it was like something broke. She hurt us, but we still hurt her. 

Jeremy: We need her. It was our fault that she ended up like this.

Molly: Where is she?

Liz: In the car.

Ed: Let's go get her back. 

When we left to see her, the car door was open. The seat was empty and Nick was nowhere to be found. The look on their faces was unbearable. It was the first time I saw them excited about something. They loved Nick. I know she loved us. 

Liz: She was here. I don't get it.

Molly: She left. 

Jeremy: She doesn't want to be here. 

Ed: We're not giving up this time. Everyone! Pack some things for the road. We're not giving up on her. 

Jeremy: Dad don't you see? She doesn't wanna be here. 

Liz: You didn't see her. She was terrible. I looked in her eyes and I could see she needed help. OUR help.

Molly: Mom's right. 

Jeremy: I'm in. 

Ed: Great. Now let's go. 

Nick's POV

This town is cursed. This restaurant is cursed. I am cursed. I can't go two minutes without ruining something. I need to leave. As soon as I try though, someone walks into Franzelli's.

Nick: What are you doing here?