The Bar

The Bar
Thankfully, Derek had opted to wait in the lobby and work on whatever he’d planned out with Ian. Nikolis was glad for it. 

Derek being in the same vicinity had done more for his mood and ability to deal with everything than he could say. And Derek didn’t need this to sit on his own, personal mountain of pain. 

He could handle being a decent P.I. and person and visit the people he’d saved without support. 

Nikolias drifted between beds, taking note of their injuries and numbers until he found the little girl, surprisingly awake and eating pudding. Her arms were wrapped in bandages, as were her legs. She was much cleaner and smiled when she saw him, waving. 

He waved back, stopping at her bedside. 

“How are you feeling?”

She shrugged, looking down into her pudding. 

“That’s fair, you’ve been through a lot.”

“Is Tyler okay?” Her voice was so small, barely a rasp, prodding at his brain the way he knew she was speaking a different language. Spanish? Castilian, to be specific.

Nikolias swallowed. “I don’t know, but I think he’d want you to focus on getting better. What’s your name?”

“Polly.” She wrinkled her nose. “My real name is too long.”

He chuckled. “I go by Niko’. It’s nice to meet you, Polly. Is there… anyone we can call to come get you?”

Her shoulders slumped as she shook her head. “I don’t think so.” She blinked. The waterlines of her eyes glimmered with aquamarine light. “Mommy and Daddy didn’t make it.” She glanced up at him. “They stabbed Mommy with a spear when they came.”

Nikolias swallowed. “I’m sorry to hear that… Can you tell me where you were before?”

Her eyes brightened. “We’re from the Gulf.”

Nikolias blinked. “Which Gulf?”

“Venezuela.”

Nikolias nodded. “Do you have any other family?”

She shook her head. 

“Okay. Well, for now, you’ll be taken care of here. Do you remember anything about the people who took you? Something small?”

Her hands shook. “They were in a big boat with lots of people on it and a big blue letter on the top… Everyone looked like they were having fun.”

Nikolias swallowed thickly, wishing an enforcer were here to take note, that he wouldn’t have to be the one to relay the information that fucking cruise companies were linked to hunter trafficking, but he kept himself calm and asked her about her favorite color and if she wanted something more to eat than pudding. 

“Can I have fish?”

“Of course you can.” Even if he had to foot the bill, or cook it himself, he’d get her the best fish he could manage. 

“P.I. Abraham?” He looked up to find Healer Benjamin coming toward him. “Wish we weren’t meeting like this again.”

“Same.” Nikolias tucked Polly in as she started to drift into sleep. 

The others glanced up as he passed, recognizing him in a way that tugged at his mind. 

“Are you helping with them?” Nikolias asked.

She nodded. “I hear you saved a lot of lives yesterday.”

“Probably, but that’s not what you’ve pulled me aside to say, is it?”

She sighed. “You’re too perceptive, but no. It’s not… It’s about Tyler.”

Nikolias’ stomach sank. 



The hospital had a small waiting room, and it was empty. He supposed it was because they had ended visitation, but it was just fine for him since Ian, Nikolias’ uncle-in-law wanted to partially recruit him for some investment moves. 
The fact that Theodore was on the call as well was the most amusing part of it all. When Nikolias came back, he had a smile, but it wasn't reaching his eyes. He looked at his watch and wiggled his eyebrows.
"What say you to a pre-dinner show? Maybe sitting across the table from an up-and-coming band?"
Derek narrowed his eyes, took a deep breath, and focused. Other than the scent of Tyler that still irritated him, a nervous, devastated sour scent was twined in Nikolias' scent.
"What's wrong?"
Nikolias' lips twitched, offering him his hand. "You're reading me too much. We can talk about it later."
Derek hesitated, but took his hand, feeling that maybe this was all the support Nikolias could take right now. It was odd, sometimes, to realize that Nikolias didn't respond to support the way Derek did or the way Derek would think someone with Nikolias' background would. Nikolias didn't fall into it, ask for it, or even seem to expect it, though he gave support and understanding and strength freely.
Derek squeezed his hand as they headed to the front doors, following the police officer who wouldn't look at them. The low-level disgust in his scent had irritated him when he'd first recognized it, but the man was also terrified of two teenagers and kept his hand hovering on his gun belt.
"You can rely on me."
Nikolias cocked an eyebrow.
"I mean... I know that I don't know a lot about the I.C.S., the world, and stuff, but I want to help if I can, really."
He smiled and brought their hands up to kiss the back of Derek's hand. "What makes you think I don't?"
"You're... bothered. Angry, maybe? Sad, too, and you don't seem like you're going to talk about it."
He chuckled. "I promise I will. Just... let me enjoy being with you in the midst of all of this for now, hm?"
Derek nodded, but he still wasn't convinced that it would be a 'for now' instead of an 'indefinite'. He was going to have to trick Nikolias into letting him help where he could, stealing things off of Nikolias' mountainous plate instead of waiting for him to hand it over.
They drove back into Houston and wound up in the area Nikolias called Montrose again. The car parked, and they all climbed out to stand in front of a pink and purple neon sign. The building was painted black, and all the windows were tinted, obscuring the inside.
A sign of the I.C.S.'s crest hung in the window above a sign that read All Are Welcome!
"Hollow?" Derek glanced at Nikolias, who chuckled and led him in.
"Don't judge the place by the outside. I've been here before. Really good burgers, nice atmosphere, good live performers always. They're always supporting local talent."
Derek blinked as the scent of human alcohol hit his nose.
"Tell me why exactly you would have been in a bar before? Who let you in?"
"I came with my dad." He laughed. "And just because they have a bar doesn't mean it's twenty-one and older only."
Derek let Nikolias lead him forward. The enforcer and the officer came in behind them, sitting a table away from them without a word. Nikolias got them a table by the stage before snagging a pair of menus.
"I don't know about you, but I want to eat my weight in beef. How do you feel about loaded fries?"
Derek shook his head. "I've never had them."
"How do you feel about the description of them, then?"
Derek glowered at him and dropped his gaze to the description. "What's... bulgolgi?"