Nikki and Ezekius waited in the back of the van as Sam and Josh escorted their Charges to the departure lounge. It was plain to see Josh was unhappy - the crease between his eyes had deepened the closer to the airport they'd driven but he'd kept his mouth tightly shut. Nikki knew this was killing him, the desperate need to protect them both and having to choose between them ripping him apart from the inside. It hurt to see.

"No." Zeke's voice rasped. She jumped, startled by the sudden noise. "It would be wrong. As much as you want to save him from this torture, you have to let him make his own decisions. Taking the choice away from him would be worse than making him choose. So no, you cannot leave them behind."

"I ... "

"I know what you were thinking."

Nikki clamped her mouth shut. She'd not quite reached that point yet but Zeke was right. Her musings had been wandering down that path and she was probably just about to ponder the merits of driving away and leaving the Guardians out of it all together. Shuffling closer she leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"I can remember a time when my biggest problem was having no plans at the weekend," she reminisced wistfully.

Ezekius remained stoic but his tone took on a much softer edge. "You have a strength within you that will see you through. Hold fast to that and remember this isn't forever. You're a demon now. You're lifespan is essentially endless if you so wish. There will be times of trouble and hardship but, to coin a very human phrase, 'in the grand scheme of things' it's nothing."

A cold shiver caught Nikki off guard and she chilled at his sobering words.

"If that was supposed to be comforting--"

"No, it is merely the truth."

"Thanks," she replied in a flat voice.

In the silence of her mind she contemplated his words. He was right, her lifespan really was without expiration, but then, so was Josh's. Whilst not immortal in the literal sense they were looking at an inconceivable amount of time together, if they could make this work. And that meant no running away when things got sticky.

Thinking about it from a new perspective gave Nikki a fresh sense of hope. She'd spent enough time miserable, what was a few days or weeks hard work and stress for potentially an eternity with Josh? It was nothing; it was a walk in the park, now if she could just get Josh to see it her way. Peeking up at Ezekius, she caught his sly smile before he managed to hide it and yet again her gratitude for him swelled.

"You're no demon," she muttered, snuggling closer and closing her eyes, "you're an angel. My angel."

Taking Nikki's hand in his, he wrapped his fingers around hers and brought the back of her hand to his lips. "Go to sleep, your sentimentality is turning my stomach."

She smiled widely and let out a small chuckle. "My apologies, I'll try to keep it under control in future."

With a smile in his voice, Ezekius responded. "You do that."

* * *

Nikki came too when the back door opened and both Sam and Josh clambered in. Neither looked particularly happy but Nikki understood why.

"They're going to call as soon as they touch down." Sam informed them.

Josh twitched and fidgeted, the scowl on his face even deeper than it had been earlier. "We should go."

Blinking a few times, Nikki got her bearings and stretched. She'd been in a very deep sleep when they'd woken her and she was struggling to shake the disorientation that came with it.

Sam held out his hand, stopping Nikki on her way to the drivers seat. ""I'll drive. It'll give me something to concentrate on." In his eyes she saw the silent pleading. Rubbing her hands over her face she nodded.

"You know where you're heading?"

Sam threw her a look laced with contempt and annoyance. Holding her hands out in surrender she backed away. "I was only asking."

"Who booked the damn hotel?" Sam snapped, shaking his head and climbing behind the wheel.

Backing away from Sam and his bad mood, Nikki turned to Josh, "You wanna sit up front?"

For the first time since he got in, he snapped out of his distraction, seeming to notice her for the first time. "What?" he asked irritably.

She clenched her jaw and forced down the annoyance that was beginning to rise. "Would you like to sit in the front?" she repeated controlling her temper.

Josh's eyes glanced to the front seat and then back to her. "Oh, yeah, whatever." Stiffly he moved past, hardly acknowledging her. Without offering any other words he sat in the seat and buckled up, his head and eyes remained fixed forward.

"You still think we shouldn't have gone without them?" Nikki bit testily.

"They are concerned for their Charges. You will have to get used to their sudden mood swings and constant digression. As an outsider, you will only ever have half of his attention until the day his Charge dies."

Nikki rubbed her eyes and threw herself down next to Ezekius. "So what you're telling me is that this is as fun as it gets."

A smile flittered briefly across his lips but he declined to answer.

"Fabulous. All aboard the party van. Destination grey skies and moody Guardians."

"Nikki," Sam glanced over his shoulder as he called her.

"Excuse me, I've been summoned!" Although she knew it was petty, Nikki couldn't stop the sarcasm as she obediently shuffled to the front of the moving van.

Grabbing the backs of both seats for support she looked expectantly to Sam.

"With Jo and Nate gone, I think it's time for a full and frank discussion. Tell us everything, start to end and don't leave anything out."

Nikki baulked, unable to believe Sam's condescending tone or his request.

"Excuse me?"

Looking up to catch her eye, Sam recoiled under her heated glare. "Sorry, no, that came out wrong. I mean, would you please go through everything for us again, but this time leave everything in. I know you omitted because of our Charges and I'm - we're grateful. I just think it's worth reiterating everything so we're all on the same page."

Nikki shook her head. "No. Here's how this is going to play." Her icy tone caught Josh's attention and brought him back into the moment. His mouth opened a little as he listened to Nikki's harsh words. "You're only here because we let you come. This has nothing to do with you or your Charges. You're coming because of our shared history and a stupid sense of guilt, although at this moment in time I'm struggling to remember exactly why I should feel any remorse." Nikki huffed angrily.

"Ni-"

But Nikki wasn't done. "Neither of you have the right to dictate to me anymore. I'm nothing to do with you, so kindly respect that and stop thinking of yourselves as superior or in command. If it wasn't for me choking when I first saw you in the alley you'd still have no idea about any of this so let's get it right, we're in charge and you do as we say. If we tell you to sit in the van and wait you damn well do it, if we--"

"Nikki!" Josh grabbed her face and yanked it in his direction, stopping her mid rant. "Shut the hell up, woman!"

Her open mouth closed as fury stole her words.

"We were talking, in the airport, and we decided, you're right. This isn't our battle; we're only here because of you. Not because of guilt or obligation. We're here because we love you. What ever it is you're facing, we want to help. It's hard for us because, well, you were my Charge and all I've known is this paralysing need to protect you," his eyes closed and he shook his head making his hair flop over his face. As his lips quirked up into a haunting smile, Nikki felt her resolve falter. His eyes reopened and he looked out at her from under his dark lashes. "All I know is the urge to keep you from harm, it's as strong as my love for you or my ... " his smile grew in to a smirk and he eyed her hungrily, raising his brows once.

Suddenly her heart leapt and her animosity changed to a desire so strong she had to dig her nails into the head rests to stop herself acting on it.

"What he was trying to say, before he got distracted." Sam interrupted. "Is that it's going to be difficult, but we accept that we have to take a back seat, and that you're in charge. Just, don't think for one moment that if you get in to trouble we're staying put. The second you need us, no matter what's happening, we're going to be there, whether you like it or not. Yes it's hard that we have to leave our Charges behind and yes there are times we're going to be grouchy but you're ours as well as his, Ezekius's, and like he said, where you go, we go. We're a family. A damn strange one, granted, but we're family."

Words failed Nikki as she listened to the two Guardians. Could they really make this work? Was it possible?

Sam pressed on. "So, I ask again, not because I'm trying to take over but because the more we know the better prepared we are. Would you please run through everything that happened and you've learned over the past few years?"

Sheepishly, Nikki nodded. She was both exhilarated by his lecture and ashamed at her own misgivings. But most of all she was hopeful. With Sam, Josh and Zeke by her side she was sure she could find a way through the danger that lay ahead.

Taking a deep breath she cast her mind back and began to tell her story. It was a good job they had a few hours dive ahead as she would need it.

"I woke up an hour after the battle at Vidaru in the church you found me in..."