Moonlight Nocturne

"Nick, you know I'm just yanking your chain right? I'm going to call the principal after this, and visit him after that if he doesn't like talking to me on the phone. Now I need you to take a deep breath and hold it for ten seconds okay?"

 

"Um... u... uhhuh?" she says, and takes a deep breath, trying not to cry as she holds it.

 

Nick lets out a low rumble, pulls in a breath, and holds it, letting it out in an unhappy bark.

 

"Alright Nick? You hear me?" Gabriel asks voice.. pleading?

 

"I hear you. I hear you," Nick hisses out. "I'm okay. Just. Just mad."

 

Elena smiles shyly up at Nick, like his anger is profoundly reassuring. "... really?"

 

" I know, that why I want you to know I'll take care of it, and you can relax and focus on breathing and driving okay?" Gabe asks cautiously. To him Nick's anger is less then comforting.

 

Nick lets out another low rumble. "I know. I know. I'm just. I'm just mad." He tightens his grip on the steering wheel, breathes out in a low upset whuff. "...she was the only one in the principal's office. I didn't see anyone except the principal. She was curled up in a corner and crying when I got there."

He pops a knuckle, but this time there's a little less anger and more genuine distress. "...and bloody."

 

"I understand. I'm gonna ask him some pointed questions, but right now your anger can't be constructive. Save it for when it can be alright Nick?'

 

"... I heal fast, I'll be okay," Elena offers, curling up tighter. "It's just bruises and stuff."

 

"...yeah, Gabe," Nick whines.

 

"Alright, see you two when you get here." Gabe hangs up the phone and dials the principal.

 

"... we can go hunt something when we're done, um... with what Mister Wilkins wants?" she offers. "We could try to catch a rabbit?"

 

The drive to the station is quiet and uneventful, and Elena moves to climb out of the car when they arrive, scrubbing at her eyes. It's still obvious that she's been crying; all she really manages is to smear some dried blood and dirt across her cheeks, like a filthy sort of raccoon.

"... what's he going to do?" she asks quietly, hand in the pocket of her skirt. Now that Nick knows that's where she keeps her knife, that might be a more worrisome gesture.

 

"...Elena, I'm gonna need the knife. You can't have it in the station, with other cops around. Okay?" He hugs her close, arm on her shoulder. "...and he's going to do what he does best. Fix stuff."

 

She flinches, still squeezing her knife's handle tight, breath catching in panic as she leans into Nick's hug. "... ... all the knives?"

 

"All of them. It's okay. You've got me, and Gabe doesn't go anywhere without his guns. You're going to be okay." His hand squeezes her shoulder tighter. "I'm here."

 

She leans unhappily into him, and hands him the big dagger in its sheath, the pocketknife, a little stiletto she had in her backpack, a particularly pointy set of scissors.

"... that's all," she mumbles.

 

Nick stares, then quietly pockets the knives, biting his lip as he leads her in.

 

"... I didn't want to get eaten," she mumbles, clinging to his hand. "I wouldn't have used them, but they just. They wouldn't stop kicking me, and I couldn't breathe."