Dark End of the Street

"O-kay," Aubrey replied knowing that was it.

"Can you read to me tomorrow night?" she asked Nicole as she sat up.

"Well, that's up to your father," she said as he helped her stand up.

"If you're not tired of us by then, I think that would be very nice," he told her as he put his arms around her waist.

"Are you going to kiss my daddy again?" Aubrey asked as she watched.

"Is that okay?" Nicole asked her.

"Yes. It's okay. I love you now so if you want to kiss my daddy I don't mind."

Nicole felt her eyes welling up again and said to Nick, "I think I may die of happiness."

"Please don't," he told her before he softly kissed her.

Aubrey giggled then her father bent down and kissed her goodnight.

"I love you, pumpkin."

"I love you, too, Daddy."

"May I give you a kiss?" Nicole asked.

Aubrey nodded her head and reached up for her as Nicole bent down before kissing her on the cheek.

"I love you, too, Aubrey," Nicole told her.

"I know," she said causing both adults to laugh. "Will you be here in the morning time when I wake up?"

Nicole went to answer when Aubrey said very sternly, "And please don't say it's up to my dad again, okay?"

Nicole tried hard not to laugh again but couldn't help it.

All she said was, "Good night, sweetheart."

"G'night!" the little girl said. "And don't forget to leave my nightlight on, okay?"

Her dad flipped it on before turning out the overhead light then let Nicole leave first.

As they walked down the hallway, he put his arm around her and said, "Are you sure you want to get involved with us?"

She stopped them both, turned toward him, and put her arms around his neck.

"Nick? Other than wishing what happened hadn't happened, I've never wanted anything more in all my life."

He smiled, put his arms around her waist then told her, "That was very well said, and I feel exactly the same way."

He went to kiss her again, but she stopped him and said, "I'm...I'm really falling hard for you, Nick. And well, I'm not in my 20s anymore."

She watched his eyes before saying, "I'm not even in my 30s so I have to ask you if you're sure you want to get involved with..."

Before she could finish her sentence he kissed her in a way that let her know he had no reservations. A long, slow, passionate kiss that involved swirling tongues, gentle groans and soft moans.

"Any other questions...doc?" he asked with a smile.

"Uh-uh," she whispered as she pulled him close and kissed him the same way.

As she pulled, he pushed, and for the first time in years, she felt a man in the way she'd only felt her husband. It was that wonderful, unmistakable bulge that made her moan in a not-quite-so-softly kind of way.

She pushed back against him, smiled, then said, "Well, maybe I do have one more question."

His bedroom was at the other end of the hall, and Nick knew Aubrey fell asleep almost as soon as her light went out.

He took her hand and said, "If you'd like to stay, Aubrey and I would both be very happy."

She smiled, followed him to the bedroom, and closed the door behind them.

She turned to face him, put her arms back around him, and said, "I can't stand the thought of disappointing that sweet, wonderful, little girl."

"Or me?" he teased.

"As to you...I'm already more than a little bit anxious about how you'll feel when you see my ancient body knowing how yours must look so please don't make me feel any worse, okay?" she told him in the kindest possible way.

She was smiling, but Nick knew she was feeling apprehensive. He knew it didn't matter that she was a runner who took very good care of her body. Until she felt reassured that he found her just as beautiful out of her clothes as he did in them, she couldn't help feeling the way she did.

But by the time Nick had paid very careful attention to every inch of it a hour or so later, she not only stopped worrying, but knew he found her as perfect as she'd found him.

As she lay in his arms she asked, "Nick? Do you believe in miracles?"

"Had you asked me that a few days ago, I'd have probably said 'no', but after tonight, I'm not sure. Why?"

"I don't know. I guess I was at a point where I started to believe I could never feel this way again about anyone."

She turned on her side and smiled at him then said, "But after tonight..."

He smiled back and touched her pretty face before saying, "I agree with you completely. I not only felt like that, I was bitter and angry at the world. If not for Aubrey, who knows what I might have done."

Then he rolled over onto his side and looked into her eyes and said, "But now I feel alive again. And above all I finally feel hopeful again."

"Me, too," she told him as she put her hand on his face and smiled. "I'd almost forgotten what it was like to love someone...I mean...to feel like this again."

He took her hand and kissed it.

"I'm not trying to rush anything, but if that wasn't a...what's that called? Something about Freud."

"A Freudian slip."

"Yes. Thank you. Was it?" he asked.

"No. No, it wasn't. I just didn't want to scare you off, Nick."

"You won't because you can't," he said as he gently stroked her hair. "You can't because I love you, too."

He saw her eyes filling with tears and smiled.

"Does that mean you love me, too?"

She nodded and blinked several times.

"Yes. I do love you. And...I love Aubrey, too."

"I can tell she loves you back," he said tenderly. "My biggest unspoken dream was to find a woman who would not only love me but love my daughter, too."

"You have," she said, barely able to speak as tears fell from her eyes.

Nick gently wiped them dry before she said, "Nick?"

"Yes?"

"Would you make love to me again?"

"Of course," he told her.

"But this time, would you please not be so...gentle? I mean, I loved that for our first time, and it was unbelievable, but sometimes I need more than just tender, sweet lovemaking."

He didn't reply and Nicole worried she'd just done what she feared she might do.

"Is that too...weird for you?" she ask, the concern in her voice evident.

He smiled then said, "Not at all. Nothing two people who love each other want is 'weird'. I just need to know what it is you need so I can give it to you."

She reached for him and when he responded she said, "Well, I believe this will do."

"Ah. I see," he replied with a smile. "I assume that means you'd like me to give that to you."

"Uh-huh. And don't worry. I won't break no matter how hard you give it to me," she said with a smile.

"Oh. I see," he told her as he smiled back and rolled her over on her back.

He flipped her hard and fast, and when she yelped loudly, she went, "Shhhhh!" as though Nick was the one making noise.

"I'll try and hold it down," he said as he took in her beautiful face.

"Please don't hold back, though, okay?" she said as she lined him up then let go.

He began to push then stopped and said, "You are so beautiful."

"You make me feel beautiful," she said as her eyes darted with his.

"My beautiful Nikki."

Her smile faded causing him to ask, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No. It's just that Jeremy is the only person who ever called me that."

"I'm sorry. I won't say it ag..."

She shook her head and said, "No. I want you to call me that if you like it. I actually loved hearing you call me that."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It's special when you say it to me, Nick."

"You're special to me...Nikki," he said before telling her again, "and I love you very much."

"I love you too," she said as he entered slowly before giving her exactly what she wanted and needed in the way she needed it.

Nikki stifled several screams as her body orgasmed twice just from his thick cock inside her, ramming her so hard she thought he might actually break her. When he got ready to cum, she begged him to stay in and let her have him inside of her. Nick was all too happy to oblige her, and when they both came together, Nikki felt like every dream she'd ever had had come true.

Within minutes, she was fast asleep in his arms.

The following morning, Aubrey came into their room about 6:30 and when she saw Nicole in bed with her father, she not only didn't think something was wrong, when Nicole finally opened her eyes and saw her, Aubrey said, "I knew you would be here."

"I am," Nicole said as she blinked and tried to focus her eyes.

"Can I come up?" Aubrey asked.

"Of course you can, honey!" Nicole said as she helped the little girl up.

"Hey there," her dad said as she crawled in between them.

"Hi, Daddy," she said before giving him a kiss.

"Hi, punkin'. Did you sleep okay?"

"Yes. Did you?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes I did," he told her as he glanced over at Nicole. "I slept...very well."

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Can we have pancakes this morning?"

Nick smiled and said, "We sure can."

As they made then ate breakfast together, Nicole felt like this had been her family her whole life. Yes, she knew she'd had parents and a wonderful husband whom she would always love, but nothing had ever felt more right than being right there with these two people she also now loved with all her heart.

Nicole left after breakfast to go home so she could shower, change and get ready for work. Kathy's teasing wasn't nearly as bad as she'd anticipated when she told her Officer Abrams wouldn't be coming back and why. In fact, the older woman told her she was very happy for her and that she was pretty sure he was the reason she'd left for lunch that day.

When Nicole mentioned her only real concern which was the difference in their ages, Kathy's answer surprised her.

"Love knows no boundaries, Nicole," she said using her given name for the first time. "People put boundaries up, but love doesn't care. So unless you refuse to let a boundary come down, none of that matters one bit."

She knew she was overly emotional lately, but she just couldn't help tearing up again when her assistant and friend told her that.

"He's young but he's experienced more than many people do who've lived much longer. He's responsible and hard working, and in case you didn't notice, he's very handsome. And then there's that little doll his! So what's not to...love—right?"

Kathy saw the tears and hugged her boss and told her again how happy she was for her.

"Thank you, Kathy," Nicole said. "I can't believe how this all worked out, you know?"

"Indeed. The things you have in common are uncanny."

"Uncanny but wonderful," Nicole said as they let go of one another.

As they spent more time together, the two new lovers learned they shared a very large number of things from big ones like money and sex to smaller things like running and hiking to their love for a little girl who meant everything to them both.

Nicole was essentially living with Nick after that first night together, but he formally asked her to move in with them on New Year's Eve. Without hesitation she said 'yes.'

Then four months later, on the Ides of March, he asked her to have lunch with him. He stopped by the office, and when she asked him where they were going, Nick said, "I thought we'd walk there."

Even though he hadn't answered her question, Nicole was happy to go anywhere with him. And yet when he made the turn that took them to the place where their worlds had changed she said, "Nick? Are you taking me to lunch?"

"Yes. But there's something I need to ask you first."

He held her hand as they entered 'the war zone' and squeezed it when he stopped halfway between the places where their loved ones had died.

"Nikki? This place has haunted us both for years. And while it will always be a place of tragedy and loss, it's also the place that brought us together."

He let go of her hand and reached for something in the pocket of his uniform then knelt before her. He opened the small box, and Nicole began to cry.

"Nikki? Honey? You once asked me if I believe in miracles. I still don't know if they're real, but I do know that before you came into my life, I was lost and adrift. You became my anchor and my rock. You've made me whole again. And above all else, you've made me happy and given me a reason to live. Nicole Benson, I love you with all my heart, and I will always love you. So...will you marry me?"

Tears flowed down Nicole's face as she nodded and tried to speak. Unable to, she held out her hand and let her handsome fiancé gently and carefully remove the ring she'd worn for so many years and place it her right hand before sliding his ring on her finger in its place.

She looked at the ring she was holding and hurt for the love she'd lost, then looked at the one on her left hand, and felt overjoyed at the love she'd found.

When Nick stood up, Nicole put her arms around him and let him hold her close until she could speak.

She pulled away and looked into his eyes and said, "Very few people ever have anyone to truly love them. But I've been blessed to have not only one but two men who have. And I cannot tell you how much I love you, Nick Abrams, but I can promise you I will try and show you that every day of my life."

Her tears had stopped falling and the love in her heart was overflowing as the man she loved kissed her there on the dark end of the street where dreams had not only died but come to life.

Nick married the second love of his life on the 1st of August in the police chapel with Megan serving as her mother's maid of honor with Aubrey as the flower girl, spreading rose petals as a symbol of her new mom and dad's love as they promised themselves to each for as long as they both shall live.

She was so very thankful for the continued love and support of her former in-laws who were there and as happy for her as they could be.

At their reception, Nicole requested the first song be The Dark End of Street, something she'd asked the band to be able to play from the day she'd booked them. She'd shared her love for the song with Nick early on, and he, too, had found it a beautiful, bittersweet reminder of his past. As they danced to it, neither of them needed to mention its significance. They just held one another close as they made small circles while the song was sung, binding them together for life.

While they were on their honeymoon, movers came and packed up both of their worldly belongings and took them to the new home they'd bought together as both of their former houses were snatched up within 48 hours in the seller's market. This new house was their home' a home where the three of them could be a family and create the kinds of memories that would last a lifetime.

Both of them had initially wanted another child, but now, at 44, Nicole knew that Aubrey was more than enough to fulfill all of the dreams she ever had about being a mother again after having already raised a wonderful girl of her own, a girl who would go on to become a medical doctor in just a few short years.

The day Nicole formally adopted her new little girl was among the happiest of her life, and to Aubrey, who was too young to really remember her first mom, Nicole Abrams became her mother and the best friend who was always there for her in every way possible.

Nicole never again returned to that place on the dark end of the street since the moment Nick proposed to her, but she would always carry its memory along with the scars—and the joy—that place had brought her.