Halcyon

The Note

Nikki is instantly greeted by Clarissa, Thomas, and Harry who have all been waiting for her to arrive but have tried to keep it as normal looking as possible for Jack who is sat working. Nikki manages to slip into Thomas's office unnoticed by Jack.
"What's wrong with him?" Nikki asks as she looks out the window at Jack sat alone in the office.
"Now that is where we wish you knew what was going on?" Clarissa sighs.
"Oh... honestly, I have no idea... he's been off with me for weeks" Nikki responds as she puts her bags down and switches which hip Maddison is on.

"Harry mentioned he seemed very low a few weeks back, we just put it down to maybe an argument at home" Thomas chips in.
"We argue all the time at the moment" She sighs as she feels defeated by Jack at the moment. "He isn't himself, should I be worried?" Nikki adds.

She moves Maddison again as she is getting fidgety now she is waking up more and looks to Clarissa, Thomas, and Harry for answers. She crouches down and places Maddison on the floor and turns to look at her colleagues. "Where's he gone?" Harry asks peering through the blinds noticing Jack isn't there.

"What her a moment" Nikki speaks indicating for one of them to stop with Maddison. Nikki leaves the office and walks to the doors of the Lab to look for him but no joy. She walks over to Jack's desk and looks down at it and notices a yellow sticky note - 'I'm sorry, Nikki x' her heart plummets as she reads the note that is in Jack's handwriting, he knew she was here and all she needed to do now was find him.

"Nikki?" Harry speaks as he walks out of the office.
"We need to find him, I think he's going to do something stupid!" Nikki speaks her face full of fear.

Nikki instantly dashes off in search of Jack leaving Clarissa and Thomas with Maddison, Harry follows her as he doesn't want her alone with Jack while he's in this mindset. Nikki dashes out the building and looks around outside. She steps forwards and instantly notices something different about the shadow the building is projecting to the ground. She looks up and that is when she notices Jack stood on the roof, "Oh shit!" She panics.

She hesitates for a moment before dashing up the stairs with Harry hot on her heels. "Nikki! slow down, where are you going!" He breathes as they get to the stairs which leads out onto the room. She pushes the bar and the door opens with a loud clatter.

Nikki steps out onto the roof immediately followed by Harry who notices Jack on the edge of the roof sat down looking over the edge, "Nikki..." He breathes.
"Jack?" Nikki speaks softly as she steps towards him.
"Nikki, don't go too close, you don't want to startle him and make him fall" Harry speaks as he attempts to catch his breath.

She walks a couple of centimeters away from the railings and stands to look at her partner, Harry follows her quietly behind and holds onto the belt of her jacket just in case she gets too close to the edge. "Jack?" Nikki speaks again causing him to glance at her.
"Go away!" He speaks.
"Please Jack, I want to help you!" Nikki sighs.

Jack glances at her, "Go inside, I want to be alone with my thoughts!" He demands.
"No Jack! I'm not going anywhere without you" Nikki replies trying to reason with her lover.

He looks at her again and she notices he's been crying, a rare sight for Jack as she's only ever seen him crying on a handful of occasions, He looks at his lover and proceeds to speak "You don't love him anymore and there is nothing left for me now."

She sighs and looks at him, her heartbreaking even more with every second that passes by, "Please Jack, of course, I love you..." She compromises.

"Everyone I love leaves me" He responds instantly.
Nikki bites her lip and steps forwards so her hands are resting on the railings, Harry also steps forwards with her and holds her tied belt to her jacket, "I willnever leave you... Look what we've made together, that's all down to both of us."

A deadly silence fills the air and Nikki hopes it's enough to copse him back, He looks away from her and bites his lip, "If I jump... you will just move on to the next man."

Nikki looks down at him tears threatening to spill already, "No Jack, you are the only man for me!" She sighs her voice pleading with him, there is another deadly silence between them and Nikki looks down at him.

She takes a breath and is suddenly filled with rage, "If you jump, I won't be able to cope with the girls. What am I meant to do with them?" She questions.
"Youwill find a way, you are Nikki."

Nikki laughs and looks up at the sky, "If you jump and die, I will put the girls in care!" Nikki speaks.
Jack looks back at her again and shakes his head, "Don't believe you," He responds and looks back.
"Do you dare to test that?" Nikki asks as she notices the tears streaming down Jack's face. In a spur of the moment situation Nikki looks back at Harry behind her and then down at her lover, "If you jump, I jump... then the girls will end up in care" She speaks as she steps up onto the railings.

She lifts her leg over the railing and then glances down at the floor meters below, she swallows heard and then proceeds to step over it but at the same time, her heel on her boot catches the railing causing Nikki to tip forwards and slip. "Nikki!" Jack shouts.