I'll Shield You Through The Coming Storm -- UNICK

[nicholas]

Nick had headed for Yulia's place as soon as he'd gotten on the phone with her and she'd given him some of the details as to what was going on. He didn't like this one bit. He still didn't know the full details on what was going on here, but he had a feeling that he'd want to break someone's neck if he did. Namely her father's. He sounded like a sick son of a bitch that needed a bit more than some jail time. He needed to learn that his daughter was off limits now. He needed to learn that there were people who would step up on her behalf and ensure that she was safe and sound. She was far too sweet of a girl to live her life in fear of someone who should have protected her all of her life. Not hurt her.

In essence, Nick had a real problem with people who preyed on the innocent.

Nick tucked his SIG Saur P229 back in the holster at the small of his back after checking the slide on it and making sure a round was chambered. He wasn't taking any chances here. She was kind of in between a rock and a hard place where everything was concerned, but Nick was going to make sure the coast was clear for her before anything wound up happening. And then he'd get the story from her and get her settled in for the night. But if there was one thing for damned sure, it was that he wasn't letting her out of his sight until this was all taken care of.

Nick punched in the code to get into her apartment - a code that would have to be changed again now that she'd vocalized it over the phone. Who the hell knew what she had in her apartment or who would wind up selling her out. She was a sweet girl. A genuinely sweet one. But it was his job to keep her safe and his job to be paranoid. Being paranoid was what had kept him alive for as long as he had been already and he fully intended on staying alive and keeping her alive as well. He made his way to her apartment and gave a light knock on the door. He gave a light knock on it. "Yulia, it's Nick Black. I'm coming on in now." He announced to her.

He gently turned the door handle and opened the door a fraction of an inch. "You all right?" He asked her as he got his first good look at the woman who had been talking to him first online and then on the phone. Shit. She was beautiful. Stunning even. Nick turned his attention to the task at hand, however. "Stay here, all right? I'm just going to check the rest of the apartment to be on the safe side. I called the police already and they should be here soon enough to take a statement about the letter. Just sit tight." He told her before he slipped off into the rest of the apartment, leaving the lights all off as he checked each room.

A few minutes later, he returned to Yulia at the front door. "All right. You can turn on some lights. Everything's all clear in here." He suggested.

[YULIA PROFIT]

Yulia had gotten home early the day before and hadn’t gone to get the mail after she knew it would be there. She normally just left it for whenever she was next passing the box and then grabbed it. She didn’t normally get anything except bills and junk mail anyway so it wasn’t too important to get it right away so she never worried too much. She’d grabbed it on the way to work and stuffed it into her purse so she could worry about it later. Working at the flower shop was nice and she enjoyed it because the flowers were beautiful and being able to create something that she knew would go to someone and make them smile? That was a good thing and the fact that someone thought to sent the flowers to the person who’d be smiling warmed her heart a little.

The day was long and she was doing a double shift to cover a girl off for a doctor’s appointment. It was during her second break that she found herself with nothing to do since she’d eaten her lunch earlier. She dug into her purse to check through the mail she’d gotten seeing something mixed in that wasn’t part of the normal mail. An envelope with just her name and no return address or stamp at all. Wondering what it could be she’d opened it only to feel her whole body tense up and the fear that lived in her very bones came to high alert. "Go ahead and keep running little girl. I will always find you." were the words printed inside in her father’s handwriting. Looking around the room as if expecting someone to pop out at her she only saw the shop owner who looked at her worriedly and asked if she was okay. Trying to explain she was “fine” got her nowhere and she was told she looked sick and to take the rest of the day off. With wishes of her feeling better and orders to call in sick the next day if she wasn’t better she was sent toward home.

Digging in her purse she opened her contacts and selected the number she’d just recently added to the list there. Nick, the guy who’d said he owned a “body guard” business and had offered to help if anything happened. Speaking to him as she walked home and into her apartment she looked at the door wondering whether she should lock it or not. He would need to get inside though so she left the latch unhooked for him. Wrapping her arms around herself and looking into the apartment her ears straining for any sound that meant she should be leaving fast she nearly jumped out of her skin at the knock on the door and stepped back from it fast realizing a second later she recognized the voice from the phone and the man it was attached to from a tiny picture on an internet chat when he opened the door just a little. ”Yes…I’m okay.” she said her voice soft and a little timid as she got a look at the man who seemed so big now that she was meeting him in person. She could easily understand how he could protect people just from his size that would make other’s think twice. The thought that he was handsome caught her a little off guard since her mind rarely supplied that sort of thought but she figured he did have handsome qualities most women would find interesting.

Nodding to his saying for her to stay there she rubbed her hands across the upper halves of her arms as she waited for him to check out the apartment really hoping he didn’t find someone lurking somewhere. The police were coming and she supposed that was a good thing because they’d helped her before so they could help again. She listened for Nick’s steps through the space as she waited and when he came back without their seeming to be any complications she let herself relax a little bit. ”Thank you…I’m sorry about calling and rambling and things. It just really shook me up. So thank you for coming.” she said reaching over to hit one of the light switches on the wall lighting up the room they were in properly. Shifting her bag from her shoulder she reached inside her fingers closing over the envelope and paper pulling them out. ”This is the letter…No one but me’s touched it still.” she said remembering him saying he was going to hold onto it for evidence and safe keeping.

Wearing This :: MEL/NICK :: DONE

[nicholas]

Surprisingly enough, all through his training and earlier days with the SEAL community, his height had been more of a hindrance than it had been helpful. That was, until he had developed his own methods and ways of dealing with things. All through BUD/S, being the tallest of his class meant that he was always carrying more than his share of weight when it came to carrying their boats overhead up and down the beach in the soft sand on the coastal line of California. It had been rough, but he had never given up in those days and he wasn't about to start giving up now. It just wasn't in him to give up and he sure as hell wasn't going to start giving up on a girl who needed protection so desperately.

When he returned to her side once more, he offered her a small, comforting smile (or what he hoped was comforting anyhow). "You really have no need to apologize, Yulia. It's a sticky situation. I've dealt with them more times than I'd like to count, to be honest." He admitted to her. This wasn't his first rodeo, that was for damned sure. During his time as a SEAL, he'd done plenty of security detail for the US President. What most people didn't realize was that any time the President was near a body of water of any kind, there was always a SEAL team on stand by, just in case. Some people called it excessive. Nick was pretty damned sure it was one of the most brilliant ideas that the Secret Service had ever had. And Nick was determined that if he could keep a President safe and secure, he could damned well keep this woman safe and secure.

Nick slid a glove on each hand before he took the envelope from her. Perhaps it was overly cautious, considering the fact that they knew damned well who the note was coming from, but he was careful all the same. Who knew what screwed up accusations the police would fire his way once they learned that he was who he was? He was glad for the moment that she was okay though. At least there was a blessing in that and the fact that he had gotten to her apartment before this sick son of a bitch had. But he had to wonder if he had her under surveillance of some kind. He had to wonder if he wouldn't just bide his time until the moment that Nick stepped away from her apartment. Maybe he'd call Zander and Biz in the morning and have them do a walk around to see if they found anything sketchy in the area.

"This is good." He said, pointing to the letter in his hand as he pulled it out and read it. "It's got to violate some kind of parole or something of the sort just in what he wrote alone, Yulia. Once the two police stations put their heads together I'm sure they're going to realize just how dangerous this guy is. And in the mean time, I'm going to be the one to keep you safe, you understand?" He said simply. The thought of someone hurting this girl didn't sit well with him at all. Well... it never sat well with him knowing that an innocent person was being preyed upon, but somehow she was different. Perhaps it was the connection that they had already made but to Nick, someone hurting her felt... personal on a strange level.

[YULIA PROFIT]

Yulia had always been a victim to her father’s whims and anger, she’d lived with the man’s heavy fist and hurtful words, she’d lived with the way he used her in ways no parents should use their children. She’d also been the one responsible for things like cleaning and cooking once her mother died, so she knew how to survive and keep herself going because she’d had to do everything since the age of ten. Moving into the apartment alone had been a big step for her and she’d actually been proud of herself for doing it, being able to be on her own away from her father was huge to her. He was locked up in jail but that didn’t mean he was away, being in the same state as him made her feel like he could appear at any time. She’d thought in moving away and not telling anyone but her foster parents where she was going that she’d feel safer, that she’d actually be safe. It had worked for a little while, she’d felt safe being away from florida and from where her dad was locked away. But then she’d come home and landlord was getting the locks changed on the doors because someone had broken into the building. It was just a normal robbery but it shook her up because if a robber could get into her nice safe apartment building then so could her father if he got out of jail and figured out where she was.

Now she was faced with her biggest fear and she had to deal with the fear doubling which was no small amount thanks to how very much she feared her father ever getting his hands on her again. It had been hell before, now that she’d gotten him put behind bars once already? Well he blamed her for it and he was right but he didn’t know she’d been the one to call in the tip to check the attic of their old home…if he ever found that out? She’d expect to end up the same way her mother did in truth since she wouldn’t put a second murder past her father. Looking at the man who’d come to her rescue now as he gave a smile and stood there strong and seeming to be the kind of man who could and would be a wall between her and her father she was baffled. Why this stranger would be nicer than flesh and blood, why he would be here after just a phone call from a strange woman who rambled when scared. It was mind-boggling to her but she wouldn’t question the way she felt safer right now just because he was there. ”With your line of work…you’ve kinda chosen to deal with sticky situations?” she said and realized the stupidity of what she’d said and continued on. ”But still I’m sorry for rambling at you instead of just being clear and to the point. And thank you for coming, I just got that letter and you saying to call was what I thought of so I did.” she finished reaching up to brush her hair back from her face with a slightly shaking hand.

Letting him take the letter and envelope she could see the sense in him putting on gloves so they couldn’t think he was just screwing with her head or something. He didn’t seem the type to do such things but the gloves also prevented ruining any of the possible evidence the envelope might have. Listening to him she nodded a little in agreement knowing her father was only screwing himself over in the end with this letter because the police would have it now and then he wouldn’t be able to get out right? It would mean more jail time and that would be a good thing. Or at least she hoped it would mean more jail time. ”He’s not supposed to have any contact with me, the judge said so…I don’t…He was never a stupid man before so why he would risk it now I don’t know and that’s what scares me more. It could mean he’s not behind bars anymore or it could mean he doesn’t think the police can stop him? Either would be really dangerous and not just to me…” she said and took a breath to calm herself and think clearly. ”If he were to get out and…deal…with me then he’d find someone else to hurt probably and I don’t want people getting hurt by him.” she said honestly more worried about him putting someone else through the torture she’d been through now that the thought crossed her mind. Giving him a little strained smile honestly grateful to this man she nodded. ”I understand…I am glad you’ll be here till the police come, I don’t know how I’d stay calm enough to make any sense to them if I were alone right now.” she said honestly knowing being alone in her apartment with just the letter while waiting for the police to come would make her more paranoid and freaked out and probably have her a rambling mess when the police got there.

Wearing This :: MEL/NICK :: DONE

[nicholas]

Nick couldn't begin to imagine what was going through the woman in front of him's head at the moment. He couldn't say that he had never felt victimized in his entire life, because that was wholly and entirely untrue. But by the sounds of things, her father was one hell of a piece of work that Nick wouldn't have minded laying in to. He had a serious problem with any man who laid their hand on a woman. He had even more of a problem when a father abused his own child in any way, shape or form. Couple that with a few other things he suspected about the man and Nick had a real hate on for the son of a bitch. A real hate on for him. And if he ever had the chance, Nick would make damned sure his elbow, fists and boots 'accidentally' slipped and connected with various parts of his body. Yulia deserved better than that.

He smiled a little bit when she said that he had more or less chosen to deal with sticky situations. "It's not about choosing to deal with sticky situations. It's about doing what's right. I was just fortunate enough to be both patriotic enough and stubborn enough that the American government was willing to pour thousands of dollars into training me to become the man that I am today." He admitted with a shrug. And it was the truth at the heart of it all. He'd had extensive training and had been chosen as one of the best of the best to join Task Force Mercy. He'd worked tirelessly and still worked tirelessly. It was just who he was and what he did at the end of the day."Really, it's fine." He murmured when she apologized yet again. She was way too damned sweet and it blew his mind that a woman who had seen so much and been through so much could still be as such. She had to be a saint or something.

Nick watched her as she spoke about the man again and he nodded after a moment. "First thing's first. He's not going to get to you because I'm not going to let him get to you. And yes, it is that simple, Yulia." He said, point blank. He'd keep an eye on her and make sure that she was safe. She deserved at least that level of comfort in her own home. He hated the fact that this asshole had her living on edge like she was at the sheer thought of him coming around again. There were a number of things that he planned to do to see to it that she was a little more safe. A little more secure. "Second, I don't know how you feel about a house guest, but I fully intend on parking my ass on that sofa and not leaving for the rest of the night and, possibly, many nights to come." He said simply enough. "If he's stupid enough to show his face, he's stupid enough to pay the price for his cockiness in the first place."

It was then that the police showed up at Yulia's apartment. Nick let them in and, for the most part, let Yulia do the talking as she gave her report. One of the officers took him aside to get his portion of the story and Nick delivered as much information he could offer up in a very professional and to the point manner. One of the officers offered to post a patrol car outside of her house at night, but Nick shook his head. All that would wind up doing would be to make the bastard a little more creative in getting in. By the time the police made it upstairs, a million things could have happened to the woman. Nick simply kindly informed them that he would be keeping a close eye on her and that he was being contracted out as her bodyguard. Simple as that.

Once the police left the apartment, Nick closed the door behind him and then turned to face Yulia, tucking his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. He rocked back on his heels a little. "You're safe with me here. I don't know if you're feeling up to crawling into bed just yet or not, but don't worry. We'll get this sorted out and everything'll be fine soon enough." He reassured her.

[YULIA PROFIT]

The doctors Yulia had talked to once the police rescued her from her father had all tried to tell her to find her inner-strength. To become a woman that she respected and felt good about being, she’d tried doing what they said but becoming that woman would involve moving past her fears and those were so hard to get by most days that she was scared to even begin trying to heal the way they wanted her to do. She was still too afraid of him coming back, too afraid of someone else being just as bad, too afraid he’d somehow have someone on the outside who’d take up his role and “take care” of her while he was locked away…there were honestly too many possible outcomes that she could see and thought about daily that were mostly bad. She knew normal people who didn’t go through this stuff didn’t have these worries and she wished to be one of those normal people some day but knew she never would be. She did a good job at keeping the world from seeing how scared she was a lot of the time though, it wasn’t a lie to seem stronger than she was…she just didn’t need everyone to know she could fall apart with the lightest breeze like a house of cards. Of course she didn’t give herself enough credit either and the strength she had she denied because it wasn’t something she saw as clearly as someone else might see it.

Pulling out of her own thoughts of fear and pain she saw the smile Nick was giving and managed to give a slightly strained one back. Thinking about what she’d said she frowned a little realizing it could be taken as an insult actually and she really hoped he didn’t see it as her being all “you chose it so deal with it” kind of thing but he seemed to have understood her if his answer was anything to go by. ”It’s respectable for you to be patriotic and stubborn enough to take that step and to do what’s right. Plenty of people choose to do what’s easy instead of what’s right and sometimes people choose what’s right for the wrong reasons…but the worst are those who knowingly choose to do what’s wrong because they think they can get away with it. So you doing what’s right for the right reasons and in your own way makes you kinda a hero.” she said then felt her cheeks heat a little as she realized she’d once again been rambling at him and this time at him about something he probably already knew really well. ”I need to work on not rambling at nice people when stressed…obviously.” she mumbled softly and shook her head at herself.

Hearing how he spoke about the situation with her father and how he wouldn’t get to her because he wouldn’t let her father get to her. Amused by how he cut off her argument of “it’s not that easy” she tilted her head a little at him, ”Am I that easy to read? Or just predictable?” she asked curiously and shook her head a little reaching up to run her fingers through her hair as he continued speaking about houseguests and him parking his ass on her sofa. ”I can’t pay and I’m not the sort to just expect it for free or take advantage of a nice guy…so while it was so unbelievably nice of you to come over today when I was freaking out I don’t expect you to take it farther than this.” she said not wanting him to think she was expecting him to protect or take care of her now because she’d called him for help when she had no one else to turn to. She would never place her problems on someone elses shoulders and expect them to deal with them for her and her father…well he was a problem that was hers and that fact wasn’t something that seemed like it would change any time soon.

When the cops showed up she cooperated with them giving all of the information about her father that she could and explaining the note and things. She hated talking about the past and what had happened because it just made the nightmares worse but it had to be done and she was willing to do it if it meant being safer in her home and in the life she’d made for herself. Still a bit concerned about Nick’s plan to stay and her not being able to pay him for helping her she looked over at the man when he was speaking to the officer and she heard him offer to have someone outside the house at night. Seeing Nick shaking his head she let out a little sigh and chewed her lip, she wasn’t against his help she just knew that she had absolutely no way to repay him for being nice enough to watch out for her like this. She wouldn’t argue in front of the police though, wouldn’t cause any problems. Waiting until they’d left she tugged at the hem of her shirt as she kicked off her shoes settling in now that everything had been taken care of and that they were sure her apartment was clear with no one lurking around. ”Not really tired…I don’t sleep much anyway.” she said softly and turned to look at him taking a breath and figuring out her words. ”Nick you’re…really really nice and kinda amazing for offering to stay here and make sure nothing happens but I’m sure you’ll miss your own bed and that you have more important things to be doing. I’ll just…I can call the officers back and ask someone to drive by now and then?”

Wearing This :: MEL/NICK :: DONE

[nicholas]

He smiled at what she had to say about the choices that people made and whether or not they were doing what was right for the right or wrong reasons. She had an incredible amount of insight, he had to admit that much. He liked the fact that she was so willing to speak her mind on a subject like this. Nick could remember back to a time where he'd just been a young kid, hell bent on doing what he needed to do to make a little bit of money for his family. He'd joined the Navy at the time, but when he discovered what the SEAL teams were really all about, he fell in love with the lifestyle and he knew, deep down inside, that he could do it. He'd been a young kid who wanted nothing more than to serve his country in the best way he knew how rather than just barely scraping by and doing the bare minimum. That had never been the type of person he was. Ever. In the end, he'd wound up making it through BUD/S and had done a hell of a fine job as an operative, making it as far as the SEAL counterterrorism group and eventually heading up a team of Black Ops soldiers who were a part of Task Force Mercy.

Life had a funny way of working out.

Yulia obviously had yet to learn just how stubborn of a man Nicholas Black was. He arched a brow at her as she went on about how she couldn't pay him and wouldn't take advantage of what she claimed to be a nice man. Nick wouldn't exactly consider himself nice in a lot of situations, but he shrugged the comment off for the time being. "I didn't ask for money and you're not taking advantage of me if I'm the one offering to do it. One thing you'll learn quickly about me... I wouldn't offer if I wasn't already committed to doing it." He said simply enough. And that was all there was to it for him. "Whether or not you expect it... Well... You're definitely not the type to think the world owes you anything, Yulia." He said before he got right to the task at hand.

Nick looked at her when she said she wasn't really tired and didn't sleep much. It was a common trait in a lot of people who suffered from PTSD, and after all of the cases of PTSD he had seen over the years, it didn't surprise him in the least, given everything he had heard from both the police and her statements, that she suffered from it. She'd been through world war three and it was a hell of a lot for any person to deal with, let alone someone as sweet natured and gentle as this woman was. It pissed him off knowing that her own flesh and blood would wind up fucking her life up so terrible. He couldn't begin to understand why she would even contemplate trusting another human being again to begin with. But after hearing what he had heard, it only solidified his resolve to see this through to the end.

And then she was protesting his efforts again. Nick held up a hand. "Stop. Just stop right there, okay?" He said. He looked at her point blank. "I'm not doing this because I feel some sense of guilt. I'm not doing it because I feel I'm obligated. I'm doing this because there's a scum bag out there in the world who has the audacity to do this to another human being. I'm doing this because you deserve the chance to sleep easier at night. I'm doing this because I know I have the power to stop this." He paused a moment. "'All that is necessary for evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.'" He looked at her. "Edmun Burke spoke it well enough when he said that. I'd like to think I'm one of the good guys and I'm not about to stand around and do nothing, Yulia."

[YULIA PROFIT]

Yulia liked seeing the smile on his face, he was a handsome man to begin with, and she actually amazed herself being able to acknowledge that, but even more handsome when he smiled. She wished she could be strong like he was, to do the right thing for the right reasons and be someone who helped others or saved them even. She knew that wasn’t her place in life though, and it wasn’t that way because of her own choice either. She’d been placed into a role at a young age and though she may grow and branch out to fill better, healthier, or someday stronger roles…she’d never be like him in terms of being able to help and protect people. She might help in small ways by being someone that a person could talk to or confide in, someone to support others but she couldn’t even save herself let alone other people. She respected Nick already just from how strong he was as a person and how willing he was to help others at risk of himself since being in the navy had to mean taking risks and putting himself in dangers path quite often.

Not knowing him well enough to know she was fighting a battle she’d never win when it came to his helping her she made her best attempt at giving him an out that wouldn’t make it seem like he hadn’t done something good for her which he had. She’d have been a nervous wreck dealing with everything if it weren’t for him being there and the way he made her feel safe. She figured it had to have something to do with the type of man he was that he must just have some sort of aura around him that calmed and made people feel secure because he could and would protect them. A good quality to have in his line of work she figured and focused on what he was saying as she chewed nervously on her lip. ”Sorry I wasn’t trying to be rude or imply anything like that you’d do something you didn’t have to or anything…I just don’t really expect people to come to my rescue ever? So I’m used to it just being me dealing with what’s going on and learning to protect myself somehow time and time again. So when people say “I’m going to help you” I kinda get into my own head on the “You don’t have to” train and it just never stops anywhere just keeps going along.” she said knowing she probably wasn’t making a whole lot of sense in truth but not knowing what words to string together to explain it properly. She really just didn’t want to offend him or anything since he genuinely seemed like a nice guy which was rare in the world she’d learned.

She didn’t want to seem ungrateful or like she was pushing him out when he was being nice and trying to help because that wasn’t the case at all. She had just had a lot of experience in people pitying her or feeling like because of her past they were somehow obligated to help her even if they didn’t really know her or the whole story. They just saw a woman who had a rough past and who’s father was a sick fuck and thought “hey I’m stronger than her so I shall help this poor creature” and the experiences with those attitudes were people who felt she owed them somehow in return as well. None of this was what she thought Nick was thinking, somehow she thought he did just honestly want to help and that was amazing. When he told her to just stop right there she bit her lip to keep from saying anything else as she just listened now. His words struck home inside her along with the quote he recited and she nodded slowly as he finished looking away as her fingers worried the hem of her shirt again. ”Alright, message loud and clear…doing it for the right reasons not the wrong and not going to take no for an answer and this generally amazing kind of guy I didn’t believe really existed in the world.” she said lowering her voice and mumbling the last bit before taking a breath and looking up at him again giving a smile. ”Well you already gave yourself the tour so…Um…if you give me a minute I’ll change the sheets on the bed and you can crash if you’re tired and want to sleep?” she offered figuring it was the least she could do to give him the bed since she’d spend the night hyper-aware of every little sound and not sleeping anyway and she knew it. She knew where her earbuds were so she’d make sure to get them out so whatever she did on the laptop wouldn’t keep him up or something and that way she could have one in and the other not so she could still hear what was going on around her.

Wearing This :: MEL/NICK :: DONE

[nicholas]

Everyone certainly had their own little niche in life. Nick had found his long ago when he'd entered the special operations community. This was all a part of who and what he was now. Most people might have thought that it was a little sad the way he had learned to live his life but, in truth, he didn't know any other way. He had lived as a solitary creature for such a long time. Not to say that he didn't enjoy company. He certainly did. He invited people over to his place every now and then. He held barbecues for the people on his team in the summer. But he never had anyone of his own to go home to. Most of the time, he was fairly certain that no one would understand the life he lead. When he'd still been on the SEAL teams, he knew damned well that no woman in her right mind would put up with his absence constantly in their lives. These days... it just seemed like he was making excuses for himself more often than not.

He smiled at her mini rant about how she wasn't used to anyone coming to her rescue. He didn't consider this being him coming to her rescue at the heart of it. He was offering to help her in a circumstance that he had the ability to help her in and that was really all that there was to it all as far as he was concerned. He wasn't offended by the fact that she was trying to tell him that he didn't have to help her, but he knew that already. He didn't have to help her, but he wanted to help her. Helping her was absolutely the right thing to do in this instance. Not to mention, it was something he felt a pull towards doing. It was more than just doing his duty in this case. He couldn't put his finger on it and he wasn't even going to try and understand it at the moment, but it felt right.

He arched a brow at her. He didn't feel like an amazing guy. Not by a long shot. Not when he considered all the crap he'd seen and done in his lifetime. But he let the comment slide for the time being. It seemed kind of counter productive pointing out the amount of blood that he had on his hands, even if he had been doing it for God and country. Yulia was a sweet, kind hearted woman and he didn't need to push her away by pointing out the fact that he was capable of being quite the ruthless monster when he needed to be. He just hoped to God that he never had to show her that side of him. He hoped that his offer to protect her wouldn't wind up being something that he had to follow through with overly much. He hoped that her father would leave her the hell alone and just damned well carry on with his own life far the hell away from her.

But the world rarely ever worked out like that...

"No." He said with a shake of his head, but he softened his voice a degree a moment later. "Leave the bed open for yourself in the event that you do decide to get some sleep. I'll bunk out on the sofa for the time being. It puts me closer to the door anyhow." He said with a shrug of his shoulder. "You won't bother me if you have work to do or if you're moving around the house." He commented. He was a light sleeper, but he had learned a long time ago to distinguish between someone who meant ill and someone who was simply going about their own business. It was a part of what made it possible for him to sleep at night at all. Nick paused a moment and then headed for the sofa. "Just gonna rest my eyes... If you have a chance, get some sleep. You're safe with me here, Yulia..." He reassured her as he stretched out on the sofa and slung an arm over his eyes. Within a matter of moments, he was in a light sleep.

It was a short while later when something almost imperceptible jarred him awake. His eyes instantly shot open, but he remained still on the sofa where he had been laying. He could hear soft sounds coming from the bedroom in the apartment. Yulia was still awake, but she was trying her best to remain quiet. He'd had an ear out subconsciously all night while she'd been moving around the apartment. He knew whatever had woken him up hadn't been her. But then the sound came again and, finally, Nick was able to pinpoint it. It was the barest of scuttling outside the door to the apartment. Nick strained to listen in the dark even as he slowly rolled himself into a sitting position on the sofa. He reached for the grip of the Sig he had kept holstered under his jacket even while he slept on the sofa just as the door to the front of her apartment clicked open.

A masked figure entered the apartment and peered around. He didn't have the time to warn Yulia. For the moment, all he could do was wait until the would-be robber was far enough in the door that Nick could subdue him before he managed to bolt back out the front door again. Nick sprung on the robber, taking him down from behind. The robber hit the ground with a thud and a wail of surprise. He knew it wouldn't be long before Yulia came to see what the hell was going on so he got his hits in while he could, grabbing the robber by the back of the head and smashing his face into the floor of her apartment. Nick kept a knee jammed in the guy's back as his cheek was smooshed into the ground despite the fact that his nose was bleeding and, most likely, broken at this point. "Who the hell sent you here?" He growled. The robber gave another frightened yelp as Nick's hands tightened on the robber's restrained arms. "N-No one! I just... Come on man! I wasn't gonna take much!" Because somehow, in this guy's mind... that made this all okay...

"God, the police are going to learn to hate this address..." He muttered before slapping a pair of flexicuffs on the guy and rolling him over onto his back. "You screwed with the wrong apartment, buddy." He commented.

[YULIA PROFIT]

Yulia had chosen a path in life that didn’t put her into contact with too many people and hopefully not with people who’d take too much interest in her. Being a florist fit her needs pretty well because what she dealt with most were flowers and phone-orders called in from people who couldn’t get away from their busy lives to come in and actually order the flowers themselves for that special someone. She didn’t ever run the deliveries and the owner understood a little of her situation so she didn’t ask her to take the front desk often because of a respect for her fears of strangers. She enjoyed making the beautiful arrangements and not being put into situations where she’d be uncomfortable with strangers and enjoyed her job because of what the flowers could mean to someone or how they could make someone’s day even if she wasn’t the one sending the flowers.

The world had its ways of sneaking into her life whether she wanted it too or not no matter what her job may be. She couldn’t avoid it and that wasn’t healthy according to the doctors she’d seen along with her weight not being healthy either. She knew it was a side-effect of the abuse she’d been through though, not always guaranteed to have a meal any given day and stressing about things working against her ever being one to gain weight. She didn’t have to live like that anymore and yet here she was still in need of a rescue because her father was taunting her from behind bars, or she hoped he was still locked away. She hadn’t thought she’d ever have anyone but police officers willing to help her, willing to stand between her and her father and say “you’re not touching her again”, but she’d been wrong because Nick was here and that’s what he was saying he would do. He was recuing her by being there to protect her because if her father came or he sent someone it would only end badly for her if she was there on her own.

Looking at him as he said no she frowned a little in confusion before he explained and she fidgeted where she stood wanting so badly to argue that he should have the bed since he was the guest and he was the one doing a good thing for someone else. He didn’t need to sacrifice comfort while doing a nice thing, while protecting someone too weak to protect themselves. As he mentioned the couch putting him closer to the door though she saw some logic in the argument and chewed her lip before nodding slowly. ”Okay…if you’re sure? If you change your mind though I honestly don’t sleep much at all so the couch would be fine for me or I could be in the kitchen or anywhere else so you could sleep comfortably…” she said unable to just drop it without making sure he knew that the bed was open to him if he wanted it. Watching as he moved to the couch she nodded a little and tugged at the hem of her shirt again before moving to unplug her laptop so she wouldn’t be sitting there clicking away at the keyboard while he tried to get rest. ”Thank you Nick.” she said softly honestly feeling better not being alone and somehow trusting him when he said she was safe with him there.

She set her laptop down on her bed and plugged it in before grabbing the spare pillow and a blanket heading back out and setting them on the table next to the couch for if he woke up cold or not comfortable enough so he’d have them. Going back to her room she got changed into a tank and shorts to sleep in before pulling on her slippers and robe. Settling on the bed getting comfortable to surf the net for however long it took for either her to fall asleep or for the next day to come and it to be time to get ready for work. She was used to this routine and stuck one ear-bud into her ear so she’d hear if Nick was awake just in case. Turning the volume down but still loud enough to hear she hit Netflix finding something to watch and letting herself drift into the show on her screen so she couldn’t just sit there and think about the note or what it may mean. She’d been listening awhile when she heard the sound of the thud and wail causing her to jump and tense as she reached out for the nearest weapon. Her hand coming into contact with her dog pillow she didn’t think about it as she grabbed it and pulled the ear-bud from her ear heading toward the door to see if it was Nick falling off the couch or something else.

She was hoping for the couch thing and froze as she saw the stranger in her apartment being held to the floor by Nick as the man spoke. She let the arm holding the pillow drop to her side as she chewed her lip. ”I…I’ll call the police.” she said reaching into a pocket for her cell and dialing the number not realizing she was now shaking head to toe and pale. Someone had sent her the note from her father, now her apartment was broken into? She had a strong feeling she wouldn’t be sleeping any time in the next year and would be looking for a new place to live. ”They’re on their way…” she said keeping a grip on her phone and wrapping her other arm around the dog-pillow she still held. ”Is there anything you need me to do?”

(NEW!) Wearing This :: MEL/NICK :: DONE

[nicholas]

This pretty well cemented it in Nick's mind as far as he was concerned. There were too many coincidences and, even if he didn't know for sure that the guy he had pinned to the ground had been sent by her father, the fact that her apartment had been targeted at all by a robber was enough to let him know that she needed to get the hell out of there for the time being. Nick was willing to guess that she didn't have much of anyone that she could really turn to at the moment and there wasn't anyone else that he'd trust with keeping her safe for the time being. He wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about the woman that made him want to protect her desperately. She was a good, gentle and sweet woman who deserved as much of an opportunity to live her life without fear as would be allowed. And this was it. Nick would make damned sure that no one bothered her again. Maybe easier said than done, but it was as the Navy SEAL motto went...

The only easy day was yesterday.

She had been more worried about him and his comfort than she had been her own. But he was thankful for the fact that he'd been the one to take the couch this time around for the simple fact that it mean that he could apprehend this son of a bitch long before he came into contact with Yulia. The moment he saw her in the doorway, he knew she was terrified. She was pale and shaking and he was worried to hell about her. But he had to deal with things one step at a time. Methodically. It was the way he did things and the way that everyone made sure that mistakes weren't made. He had to keep his emotions in check and tamp down the urge to go to her and make sure she was okay.

Once she had called the police, she asked if there was anything he wanted her to do. Nick was standing over the guy who was flipped over on his back and clearly in a bit of pain what with the way his arms were twisted behind his back and he was laying on them, but Nick didn't give a shit. "I want you to go into your room and close the door for now, Yulia. Wrap a blanket around yourself and just sit tight until I come in and get you, okay?" He said, his tone of voice smoothing out to a more gentle one for her. He watched her with one eye while keeping another eye on the guy on the floor to make sure that she headed for the bedroom. The moment the door closed behind her, Nick grabbed the guy by the collar of his shirt and got right in his face. "You'd better not be lying to me you piece of shit, because if you are, I will find out and there won't be a hole in the wall where you'll be able to hide from me." He said, his voice changing drastically as it dipped down a few octaves to a much more sinister tone.

The guy was actually shaking. Nick could feel him practically vibrating with fear for a moment. And low and behold, he started crying. Nick let go of him and he curled up into a ball on the ground. "So you make a living off of preying on innocent, single women, but the moment that you find something unexpected lying in wait, you turn into a pussy. Nice. Very nice." He said. Nick could see the reflection of the patrol car lights flickering against the curtains in the window. The police had arrived. It was only a few moments later that he heard a banging on the door. Nick calmly opened it and let the police step inside, keeping his hands up and in the clear so that they didn't wind up mistaking him for the antagonist in this particular story.

Once the cops were loading the guy into the back of the patrol car, Nick headed for Yulia's door and gave a light knock on it. "Yulia... it's Nick. The police are here, Sweetheart. I'm coming in, okay?" He asked. He sincerely hoped that she hadn't slipped into shock while he'd been dealing with everything out there, but that, in part, was the reason he'd told her to go back into the room and wrap a blanket around her. She didn't need to see or hear anything more than what she had already seen and heard.

[YULIA PROFIT]

Yulia wasn’t one to believe too much in coincidences, random things happening at the same time without any reason for them to be linked? Not so much something she could get behind as a fact of life with the way she’d grown up and learned to live her life. The note from her father then this? They may not be directly linked but they were a clear enough sign that something was changing or needed to change in her life right now. She wasn’t safe in her own home anymore, wasn’t sure how she was going to find some other place with decent security or rent that didn’t take her whole paycheck instead of just 3 quarters of it. She was so thankful for Nick being there right now, for him being the one the robber ran into first that she’d never actually be able to put it into words. Not knowing what she’d done right to deserve this bit of good luck after a life time used to nothing but the bad kind she felt like she was stuck in that moment afraid of the stranger who’d broken in and more afraid of herself because she was clueless what to do or how to handle this situation because this wasn’t how things went, people didn’t stop the bad things from happening to her. Sure the police had come in and fixed it year’s later maybe once she’d been the one to turn her father in for what he’d been doing but that had been way after the fact and this time it was stopped before anything could even happen.

She may not know what to do or how to handle the situation herself but she did know that the police needed to be called and taking care of that was something she could handle. Once she’d hung up though she was back to standing there shaking like a leaf in the wind and lost as-to what to do next. Sinking into thoughts about how very wrong she’d been about being safe here was a dangerous and slippery slope but she didn’t get very far down it thanks to Nick. Hearing him talking to her, telling her to go into her room and close the door she nodded slowly. She could do that and the blanket sounded like a really good idea because she was freezing all of a sudden even with her fuzzy robe on. ”Okay…” she said softly with a nod before turning to head into her bedroom and pushing the door closed with a soft click behind her though the sound made her jump even if she’d been expecting it. She knew she’d be like this for awhile now, past history with her own reactions to things proving even if she didn’t want to be she wouldn’t be able to avoid feeling jumpy and tense now. Sounds that were just normal would make her jump and sleep was going to be hell filled nightmares if she could even get herself to close her eyes that long.

Moving to her bed she grabbed the blanket from the end and wrapped it around herself before sitting down on the edge of the mattress as if ready to get up and run if need be. She took a shaking breath as she felt the stinging in her eyes though tears wouldn’t fall, she hated feeling weak like this and scared, hated that her own father could cause her to be afraid of the world while other people got dad’s who treated them right and taught them to live good lives and be happy. Hate wasn’t a word she used lightly but toward her father she used it as freely as he’d used her as a child. Whenever she wanted and however she wanted. She had been doing good getting better, comfortable enough to get more than an hours sleep at a time even if the nightmares always crept in if she tried for more than four or even when less. She had learned to deal with the nightmares though, they were just normal to her these days but now they’d be worse. If she were the violent sort of woman she’d be tempted to go kick the man who’d broken into her place in the teeth. She wouldn’t ever be the type to hit or kick or really fight ever though and she had her dad to thank for that too. She’d talked to other women who’d been in her situation and so many of them were stronger now, more willing to face anything and stand up to it because they’d already been to hell and survived. She on the other hand felt weaker and out of place, she was thankful to be away from her dad but scared as hell of it happening again now that she’d had a taste of freedom. Unprepared to protect herself even if it did happen she’d get sucked back down into the pain and fear of it all.

The light knock on the door jolted her from her thoughts and she jumped finding herself standing and halfway across the room toward the closet she could hide in before she even realized the reaction. Hearing Nick’s voice though she made herself calm down and take a breath before she found her voice to answer though she stayed in that awkward space between bed and closet part of her still wanting to hide while the other part said that it was okay because it was Nick and he’d protected her not hurt her. ”Yeah okay…” she called out and reached up to push her hair out of her face. ”Do they need to talk to me or something? I only saw after when you had him on the floor so I don’t know…much of anything at all but if they do I can…I’ll talk to them if I need to?” she rambled still shaking but not as badly as before as she held the blanket tight around herself.

Wearing This :: MEL/NICK :: DONE

[nicholas]

Nick had a damned good feeling that the petite woman was going into shock and he wanted nothing more than to be able to go to her and make sure that she was okay, but at the moment, making sure this guy stayed put and was actually taken away by the police was an entirely different matter and a far more pressing issue. Not only did he want to make sure that the guy never bothered Yulia again, but he wanted to ensure that he never bothered another human being again. What he was doing was beyond low... Not as terrible as it could have otherwise been, but it was damned bad enough and it didn't sit well with Nick in the least. He didn't even want to contemplate how many lives the man had turned upside down and how many secure people he'd knocked the confidence out of. He just didn't understand that level of dishonesty. He studied it and understood it on a level that helped him deal with it with quick efficiency, but he didn't personally understand why the hell anyone would do it to another human being.

But Nick finally had his chance to go to Yulia and he was thankful when he was. He knocked on the door and listened, but he could hear her scurry from one side of the room to the other and it damned near broke his heart. She had just been starting to get her life back on track and now this... This would put her back a bit and he knew it. He just wished that shitty things didn't have to happen to really good people. And he knew damned well that Yulia was one of those really good people. He came across few enough of them in his life not to think she was genuinely special. He just wished that he could somehow make the world right for her again... Though, by the sounds of things, the world had never been quite right for her.

Nick opened the door a little bit more and slid inside the room. "They will want to talk to you, just to get the story fleshed out. I know a few of the officers that showed up tonight..." He admitted to her. 'They're just doing their job, but they know what happened. Apparently they've been looking for that guy for a while now in relation to a few other break ins. But Yulia... understand... your father did not send him, okay?" He offered her. But that didn't mean that he was going to be any less protective of her or treat this as any less of a threat. He would have been stupid to do so. She was definitely feeling the after effects of such a frightening experience though. Again, Nick was thankful for the fact that he'd insisted that he sleep on the couch rather than in her room for the night.

"Once you're done speaking to the officers, you're going to pack up a decent sized bag and we're going to head to my place. I don't like the idea of you being here much longer at the moment, Yulia. Clearly it's not as safe here as people might like to think." He said simply enough. "At least at my place I know we won't run the risk of someone being stupid enough to attempt breaking in. Not to mention the fact that I know no one will purposely come looking for you there." He said. He sighed. This was going to be an even longer night than it already was, but Nick had done more on less sleep. A hell of a lot less sleep. He'd set her up in a room where she could crash for the night because he had a good feeling that, once the shock wore off, she'd wind up crashing twice as hard as a normal person was for the simple fact that she already had enough trouble sleeping and likely hadn't slept well in a long while.

Nick would do everything in his power to make sure that she understood that she was safe and sound when she got to his place.