Causality Continued Redux

Author: JDillon

Email: jdillon@mail.win.org

Rating: PG

Summary: This story is a different take on what happens after Nick and Burton 
leave the bar in "Causality". It follows the thread established in the opening 
scene of "Privilege", but it really concentrates on Burton's internal monologue 
as he drives Nick to his house. 

Author's Notes: This is my second take on what happens after the closing credits 
of "Causality". My first story ("Causality Continued") was written before 
"Privilege" aired, and we learned that Burton had taken Nick back to his home, 
rather than Nick's.

Authors Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of a character in 
this story to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. Likewise, any 
resemblance between an organization depicted in this story and any such actual 
organization is purely coincidental.
 
.......................................
Prologue: from "Causality"

It was 2:00AM on a Friday night, and Nick had just gotten into a fight with two 
guys in "The Incline". They had him down on the floor kicking him when Burton 
came in from outside, and stopped the fight by threatening them with a broken 
bottle. The following conversation took place as Burton helped Nick to his feet. 

Burton: "Nicholas, you okay?" (as he bends down to Nick, and starts to roll him 
over onto his back)
Nick: "Ahh,Dad... Dad, I just screwed up."
Burton: "I know. I know."
Nick: "I'm a screw-up."
Burton: "I can help you."
Nick: "I'm a screw-up!"
Burton: "Come on. Let me help you. Get up. We'd better get out of here before 
the police come. Come on. Come on. That's it." (as he helped Nick to his feet). 
Burton bent down to grab Nick's suit jacket, and then helped his son walk to the 
door. Nick was partially bend over in pain, and making small whining sounds as 
they exited the bar. 
......................................
Nick and Burton emerged from the bar, one arm clasped around each other's back. 
Nick was bent over, and clearly struggling to walk. Burton was supporting a 
majority of his son's weight. Burton said, "Hang on, Nicholas. It's not far. My 
car is just over here." They proceeded silently for a few steps, and then Burton 
heard Nick say, "I'm sorry, Dad." His voice was ragged, and he began to cough 
after the words were spoken. Burton said, "That's all right, son. Come on." 
 
Father and son continued slowly to the car. When they reached the passenger 
door, Burton paused, and retrieved the car keys and alarm remote from his 
pocket. The car alarm beeped, as he unlocked the car. Shifting Nick's weight a 
little to one side, he reached out, and opened the passenger-side door. "Watch 
your head, Nicholas," he said, as he carefully assisted his son into the front 
seat. Nick got in with a groan, and immediately bent forward, arms wrapped 
around his middle. "Wait, son," Burton said, "Sit up for a minute so I can get 
your seat belt on." Nick complied, and Burton fastened the seat belt securely 
around his son's waist. Nick then returned to his head-forward position. 
 
Burton closed the door, and swiftly made his way around to the other side of the 
car. He slid into the driver's seat, and looked at Nick for a moment. His son 
was still uttering small groans of pain. "Do you think you're really hurt, 
Nicholas? Do I need to get you to the hospital?" Nick, still bent over, shook 
his head, and said aloud, "No." 
 
Burton considered for a moment, then put the car in gear, and pulled out onto 
the road. He had already decided he would take Nick home with him. As he drove 
through the quiet streets, he found himself shaking his head, and thinking, 
"Nicholas, what am I going to do with you? Christ Almighty!" He loved his son, 
but the boy could be a god-awful trial at times. 
 
Like this latest nonsense. Leaving the firm for "Kirk & McGee"... then blowing 
the Sloane deal. He still thought that Nick must have been on SOMETHING at that 
meeting with McGee and the Sloanes. He had just not been himself. He had been 
totally unprofessional, and that wasn't like Nick. If he had been anyone other 
than his own son, Burton knew he would have washed his hands of him right then. 
He let out a sigh. But he was his son, and although Nicholas sometimes 
frustrated the hell out of him, he loved him, and wanted the best for him. That 
was why he hadn't made too much protest about Nick leaving "Fallin & Associates" 
for "Kirk & McGee". Although it stung like hell, part of him thought that maybe 
this would turn out to be better for Nick. Maybe it would be better for him to 
get out from under his father's shadow. He realized there were pros and cons to 
being the "boss' son". He'd always tried to do what he could to minimize the 
negative aspects, but he knew Nick couldn't help but wonder sometimes if people 
thought he'd gotten where he was only because his name was "Fallin". 
 
He turned once more to the maddening question of whether his son was back on 
drugs. He mentally reviewed that last encounter with Nick in his office. It was 
true that Nick had not actually denied that he had been using drugs. Instead, he 
had gone on the offensive, peppering him with accusations about his own 
suspicions. "God!", Burton thought. It made his blood pressure rise just 
thinking of it. The whole thing had been a disaster. 
 
His mind continued to turn over the events of the past week. Meeting Nick at 
Anne's grave... Their confrontation there... Seeing Nick in "The Incline"... 
Nick had seemed furious with him all week long. It couldn't all just be anger 
over his mother. That was old territory, old wounds. No, there had to be 
something else, some other reason. 
 
He went over it again. Nick had seemed so resentful, so... hurt... at each of 
these encounters. The way he was acting you'd almost think Burton had pushed him 
out the door of "Fallin & Associates", rather than Nick leaving of his own 
accord. He was acting as if Burton was the one who had instigated the 
separation. "That must be it," Burton suddenly realized. "Somehow, in his head, 
Nicholas has twisted this around to be my sending HIM away." It all made sense. 
Illogical as it was, Nick must be viewing this as another rejection by his 
father. Burton sighed. Would his son never be free of the emotional scars of the 
past? 
 
Burton glanced over at Nick. His head was still bowed, and he was now crying 
quietly. He seemed to be completely undone by the drink and the fight. But then 
he supposed Nicholas' world had come crashing down on him in the last couple 
days. He'd wrecked the Sloane deal beyond repair - his first assignment for 
"Kirk & McGee", and then tonight found himself being beaten up in a barroom 
brawl. Not exactly the turn of events that his proud son would have expected. 
 
The tears still irritated Burton to some degree, however. A part of him wanted 
to tell Nicholas to "suck it up". His son was a grown man after all, 32 years 
old, but emotionally, in many ways, he was still a teenager. 
 
His thoughts turned again to Nick's employment situation. There was no question 
about it. For Nicholas' own sake (and Burton's peace of mind) he would have to 
get Nick back under his wing at "Fallin & Associates". His foray into the world 
beyond his father's sphere of influence had been a disaster! Burton would just 
have to figure out how to go about it. But, in his mind, it was already a done 
deal. Nick would come back to "Fallin & Associates", where he belonged. He 
directed another glance at his son. Yes, Nick would come back to the firm. More 
at peace, now that that decision had been made, he returned his full attention 
to his driving. 
 
Nick stirred as Burton pulled the sedan into the garage. He had been completely 
silent for the last half of the trip. Burton stopped the car, turned off the 
engine and lights. He glanced once at Nick, then got out, and made his way 
around to the passenger side. He opened the door, and said, "We're here, son." 
Nick straightened slowly, unbuckled his seat belt, and got out of the car. 
Burton had taken his arm to offer support, but Nick had not needed the 
assistance. Once out of the car, Nick allowed his father to guide his progress, 
but he was traveling under his own power now. "Watch the step," Burton 
cautioned, as they entered the house. 
 
Burton flipped on the hallway light, then led Nick to the sofa off the kitchen. 
Nick sat down heavily, letting out a groan as he did so. He bowed his head, 
resting his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands. Burton took off his 
own overcoat, and then turned his attention back to Nick. "Here, son, let me 
loosen your tie," he said, as he attempted to get at Nick's collar. He succeeded 
in loosening the tie and unbuttoning a few more buttons on Nick's shirt. Then he 
bent down to pull off Nick's shoes. As he removed the first shoe, he paused, and 
eyed it with a frown. He would never understand why Nick wore these... ankle 
boots, he supposed you'd call them. They were not proper business attire, to his 
way of thinking. Oh well, that was the least of his concerns tonight. 
 
He assisted Nick to lie down on the couch. As his head came to rest, Nick looked 
at his father, and said quietly, "I'm sorry, Dad. I, I've made a mess of 
things." Burton replied, "It's gonna be all right, son. Everything's gonna be 
all right." He then went in search of something to cover Nick. He grabbed a 
multi-colored afghan from the hall closet, and paused a moment, remembering it 
was one that Anne had made. He had no idea whether Nicholas would remember this, 
or not. He supposed it didn't really matter, and returned with it to the couch. 
Nick already had his eyes closed, though his lips were still twisted in a 
grimace of pain. Burton carefully spread the afghan over his son. He kept the 
house fairly warm, but he didn't want to risk Nicholas getting cold during the 
night. 
 
Burton was halfway surprised that Nick hadn't made some protest about being put 
to bed on his father's couch like this. He'd thought he might offer some 
resistance when he found Burton had brought him to his house, rather than Nick's 
own apartment. But his son seemed very subdued, even defeated, after the events 
of the evening. Burton was grateful that Nick had not contested his decision. He 
stood there a second, indecisive, before sitting down in the armchair next to 
the sofa. He really wanted a cigarette, but decided to wait until Nick was fully 
asleep before lighting up. He didn't want the smell of smoke to disturb him. 
 
After just a few minutes it was obvious that Nick had fallen into a deep sleep. 
Burton reached for the pack of cigarettes in his pocket, and lit one. He drew a 
large drag from the cigarette, and leaned back in his chair. He would go to his 
own bed after finishing his smoke. He was tired. Despite the circumstances, 
however, he felt a sense of... contentment, having his son under his roof once 
more. At least tonight he knew where he was, and that he was safe. At least for 
tonight... In the morning he would set about convincing Nick that he should come 
back to work for him. And he did NOT intend to take "no" for an answer. 
 
END