Symphony

One Emotion to Another

Jack arrives back at the Lyell to Nikki sat at her desk with her top off drying next to her and Freya in her arms having her lunchtime feed, Maddison is sat on Harry's lap with her bottle of water and Freya's comforter. "What have I missed?" Jack questions.
"Oh you know the usual, Maddie choking on a pen lid, Maddie being sick down my back in shock... and now I'm feeding Freya, never a dull moment when you're not around" She responds sarcastically.

"Why are you in a mood with me?" Jack questions as he puts his bag down and removes his damp jacket.
"It was your pen, on the edge of your desk... you knew Maddie was coming!" Nikki hisses as Clarissa, Harry and Thomas watch in horror as their semi-domestic unfolds.

"Woah, wait... no, I told you we were meeting outside... there was no need to bring the girls inside was there?" Jack responds in a calmer tone.
"Jack, it's raining outsides, do you really think I would stand outside with an eight week old and a one-year-old in the pouring rain? you know it wouldn't be good for them... they would catch their deaths... I mean brilliant that we're currently in a mortuary because that is where they would end up..." Nikki snaps as she pulls her damp top on which smells strong of sick.

"What?" Jack replies simply.
"Fuck sake Jack, why are you always like this, acting dumb or the innocent party" She questions with a frown.

Jack raises an eyebrow, "I don't know why you're firing off me at me now..." He speaks.
"Why do you always fuck everything up, we were meant to be going for lunch, now you can forget it" Nikki huffs as she begins to collect her things, "Come on Maddie, say goodbye to everyone," Nikki speaks as she holds her hand out to the one-year-old.

"Good because I have plans I would have had to cancel anyway" Jack replies completely annoyed with his wife.
"Arsehole" Nikki simply responds and then takes hold of Maddison's hand and walks out the Lyell.

Jack watches Nikki leave with two of his daughters and huffs before running his hands through his hair, "What got into her?" Harry questions.
"If I knew I would tell you, honestly she's been so off with me recently" Jack responds.
"Ahh Paradise doesn't last forever" Clarissa speaks.
"You don't think she's bored with me?" Jack questions slightly paranoid now.
"No, No, She seems pretty stressed out, she does still work part-time and looks after three very young girls when you're working a twelve-hour shift" Thomas responds pointing out that maybe Nikki is feeling the strain of not having Jack round all the time.

Six hours later, Nikki has prepared homemade Pizza's for Poppy, Maddison and herself and sat the two girls down for dinner, after that she have them their pudding consisting of some strawberries and blackberries before giving all three girls a bath, putting Maddison and Freya down to sleep before reading a story to Poppy.
Jack walks into the house and takes off his shoes and jacket before placing his forensic case down in the hall and walking through to the kitchen where the sound is coming from, he walks into the kitchen to see Nikki emptying the dishwasher and the radio on quietly. He clears his throat to let her know he's in the room, Nikki looks around at Jack and then back at the dishwasher.

"What's for tea?" Jack questions noticing a familiar smell in the air.
"Oh, I've already had mine... have what you like" Nikki responds as she shuts the dishwasher door and places the dry plates back in the cupboard.

Jack watches her for a moment and then turns around and walks out the door before grabbing his car keys again and putting on his shoes.
Nikki sits down in the lounge after tidying the kitchen some more, she places her glass of wine on the coffee table before picking up her iPad and flicking through some emails and also checking up on social media which she rarely does now.

Soon the front door clicks open and shut and Jack walks in with food, he sits down on the sofa and opens up the paper packaging and starts to pick at the chips, "Aren't you going to get a plate for that?" Nikki quizzes not taking her eyes off the idea.
"Anything else you want to judge me on today?" Jack questions and Nikki huffs at him. "I was going to offer you some chips, but then again you keep judging me and you didn't cook me dinner" He speaks.

"Oh seeing as you're offering" Nikki speaks as she puts her iPad down and gets up before walking over to Jack and taking a handful of his chips and sitting back down in the armchair.
"Oi!" He speaks looking at her in shock.

Nikki puts a chip in her mouth and smiles, "Oh my god they're amazing, are they from down the road?" She quizzes and Jack nods as he continues to eat his dinner. "They're so nice, sorry I'm so hungry I don't know what's got me like this recently... this is going straight to my thighs" Nikki speaks. Jack rolls his eyes at her and continues to eat what he can of his dinner as Nikki keeps helping herself to his chips.