Chance

AUTHOR: Shirley


E-mail: sbell_1944@yahoo.com

RATING:  PG-14 (Sexual situations)
 
 CONTEXT: This storyline immediately follows The Guardian episode—"Sacrifice"—in 
an alternative direction. The Guardian fans will recognize excerpts from that 
episode for which I credit writer, Rick Eid. 

DISCLAIMER: Some of the characters portrayed herein have been shamelessly taken 
directly from The Guardian – a CBS TV Series. Others are strictly figments of my 
imagination. The resemblance to any person(s) living or dead is purely 
coincidental. Any similarity of events, dates, or characters or the portrayal of 
events, dates or characters depicted in any FanFic previously posted by other 
authors is totally unintentional. This is a work of FICTION. 

~~~~~~

The sun had been down over an hour and Nick, as usual, was still working. He 
wanted to finish up the Suatoni matter before he left for the night and maybe 
avoid the usual last minute rush in the morning. 

"Oh, good." Nick looked up to find his father standing in the doorway wearing 
his overcoat and carrying his hat. "You're still here. What are you doing?"

Nick returned his attention to the project on his desk. "I'm just finishing up 
the Suatoni stuff. I've got to file a motion to dismiss tomorrow." 

"Oh, good. Oh… how's, uh… how's that girl, uh, Lulu?" Nick narrowed his eyes as 
he looked at his father then returned, again,  to the work on his desk. Why was his dad, all of a sudden, so interested in  Lulu? "Well, you did what you had to, son." 

"Yeah." He again tried to focus on his work. 

"Uh… by the way, I, uh, I talked to Tivnan." Nick looked up to see his father 
grinning. Burton put on his hat and tugged at the brim to settle it on his head. 
"He hired us." 

Burton stepped forward and reached out. Nick stood to accept his father's 
extended hand. "That's great." 

"Yeah. We're gonna have dinner to celebrate. Want you to join us." 

"Well, I-I… you know, I have a lot of work to do. A-and I don't have time…"

"This is business, son," Burton said, as he moved to grab Nick's overcoat. 
"Client development. All right? Here." He held Nick's coat out to him. "Here." 

Nick rubbed the back of his head then held his hand up in an effort to halt this 
nonsense. "Yeah… uh… Dad. Dad…"

"Nicholas! Bobby Tivnan and his daughter are waiting for us out there. Now put 
your coat on and come on. Let's go," he said, insistently. "Act like a gentleman."

Nick took his coat and started to pull it on, aggravated at his father's 
insistence. "You're making me go on a date?"

His father was already into the hallway outside his office. "Right." Nick 
followed him, doggedly, to the lobby, pulling on his overcoat.

"So… Nick. Say hi to Bobby Tivnan and his daughter, uh…, Julie. My son 
Nicholas." 

Nick first shook hands with Mr. Tivnan then turned his attention to Julie. Her 
small hand took his as she said, "Hi." 

He was immediately taken by her striking good looks and sweet smile. "Hi," he 
managed, sheepishly.

His father broke the silence that followed. "Well… guess we should get going. 
Our reservation's at 7:00." He held the door open. 

A gust of cold air greeted them as they exited the building on Grant Street. 
Against the light of the street lamp you could see an occasional snowflake or 
two. Nick turned his collar up to shield his neck from the chilly breeze and 
buried his hands in his overcoat pockets. Julie wrapped her scarf around her 
neck. 

"Uh… Dad. Listen, I need to take my car. Where are we going? I'll meet you 
there." 

"Oh… Okay. Café Allegro's. You know, on Carson in South Side." 

"Yeah, I know the place. Uh…" He turned to Julie. "Would you…uh…?"

"Sure. I'll ride with you." She smiled to allay his discomfort. 

"Good. Good. I'm parked in the corner lot. This way." He indicated the corner of 
Grant and Forbes. "Dad, we'll see you there." 

"Okay. Sure." 

Nick turned the ignition and the Beamer came to life. "It'll be warm in a 
minute." He blew on his hands, rubbing them together, while he waited for the 
engine to warm up. He glanced over at Julie. She raised her hands which were 
clad in a pair of wool gloves and smiled at him. 

He grinned back and nodded. "Yeah. Good idea."

He slowly pulled into traffic. The theatre crowd was already beginning to 
descend upon the city. 

"I should apologize for my father."

"Why?" 

"For some reason, he's put himself in charge of my social life." He grimaced as 
he turned to Julie. 

She laughed and said, "I know what you mean." 

They stopped at a traffic light. "Uh... whadaya say we, uh… duck our parents? I 
know a nice little restaurant…"

She interrupted, "I'd like that." 

"Great," he said, a little surprised at her quick response. He pulled his cell 
phone from his inside coat pocket and speed-dialed LeMont's. "Charles? Nick 
Fallin. Yeah, I'm fine. It has been awhile. Listen, uh… would you have a table 
available, say in about 20 minutes? Good. Thanks." He then speed-dialed his 
father's cell phone. "Hey, Dad. It's Nick."

"Where are you, Nicholas?" 

"Uh… we're in traffic. Listen, Dad…uh… We've decided to check out another 
restaurant." He looked over at Julie and gave her a crooked smile. "Do you mind 
if we take a rain-check?" 

"No. No. What… you kids don't wanna spend an evening with your ole dads?" he 
laughed. 

"Dad. Gotta go. The light just changed." 

"Okay, son." Burton turned to his passenger. "Well… looks like our kids are 
gettin' along better than expected. They won't be joining us." Burton raised his 
eyebrows. "Nick's got this favorite little restaurant he likes. Guess it's just 
us ole folks tonight."

It was snowing harder and was beginning to stick on the grass and shrubs as the 
Beamer plied its way up Mount Washington. Nick wheeled into the drive in front 
of LeMont's which was lavishly decorated for the holiday season. 

"How are you, Mr. Fallin? It's been awhile." Mike, the valet, held the door open 
then produced a claim check which Nick stuck in his pants pocket. 

"I'm fine, Mike. I guess it has been awhile. Been busy." Julie was assisted from 
the car by the doorman and they made their way into the restaurant. Nick checked 
their coats and proceeded to the dining room. 

He was immediately greeted by Charles, the indomitable matre d'. "Good evening, 
Mr. Fallin. We have your table ready." He signaled to a passing waiter. "Luis, escort Mr. Fallin and his guest to his usual table. Enjoy, Mr. Fallin." He nodded to Julie, "Miss." She nodded back, unaware of the casual exchange of money between Nick and Charles. 

Once seated, with their drinks ordered, Julie spoke. "You must be a regular here 
with the treatment you get."

Nick rubbed his fingers together. "Money talks." 

She laughed. "Well, it's a great view. I've never been here before."

After what seemed a very long lull, Nick asked, "So… have you lived in Pittsburgh long?" settling for a standard icebreaker question. 

"Not really. I was born here but when my parents divorced I moved with my mother 
to San Francisco. What about you?" 

"Uh… yeah, I was born here, too." He was reluctant, as always, to divulge much 
in the way of personal information. 

Drinks were served and the waiter took their dinner order. Nick took a sip of 
his drink and gazed out at the lights sparkling below. The restaurant sat high atop Mount Washington with a panoramic view of the City and its three rivers. 

Julie reached out and touched his hand, which fiddled, nervously, with his water 
glass. He resisted the impulse to pull away. "Nick. I know how awkward it can be on first dates, if that's what you want to call this." She removed her hand and took a sip of her wine. "I would like to get to know you better but I promise I will not do the twenty questions routine so… your secrets are safe." 

Nick glanced away and said, "What makes you think I have secrets?"

She smiled, broadly. "Don't we all have secrets?" 

He chuckled. 

With the ice broken, they spent a delightful two hours over dinner. He learned 
that her parents were divorced her first year in high school. She moved with her 
mother to San Francisco to finish her schooling, obtaining her law degree from 
Stanford University. Sadly, her mother had passed away from an unexpected 
heart-attack in Julie's last year at Stanford. Upon graduation she moved back 
home to Pittsburgh. Neither one of her parents had remarried. She was a lawyer 
with Ridley-Hollingsworth Properties, a real estate development company with 
international holdings. They had offices in One Mellon Place, located 
catty-corner from the Frick Building, but oddly Nick had never run into her 
before. 

Outside the restaurant they waited for Mike to retrieve the car. It was really 
snowing now—big fluffy white flakes—which were already sticking to the roadway. 

Mike pulled the BMW to the front of the restaurant and leaped out to assist 
Julie with her door. Nick handed him a substantial tip and made his way around 
to the driver's side of the car. "Come again, soon, Mr. Fallin. And Merry 
Christmas to you and your lady." Nick gave him a sideways glance. Mike really 
earned his tips making the customers feel special but Nick wasn't buying it. He 
figured Mike and the other valets probably laughed about all the Fat Cats and 
their fancy cars and expensive women. 

"You're laying it on a little thick tonight, aren't you Mike?" He laughed.

"All in a day's work, Mr. Fallin. All in a day's work." He saluted Nick then 
hustled after another car, which pulled up just as Nick settled into the Beamer. 


The car had warmed up slightly but was still far from warm. They could see their 
breath as they exhaled. Nick placed his hand on the gear shift to put the car 
into Drive. Julie placed her gloved hand over his and squeezed. He glanced down 
at their hands then turned his gaze on her lovely face. They traded smiles then 
he quickly lowered his eyes. She removed her hand and he pushed the gear shift 
into Drive.

"I guess I should ask where you live." 

"I have an apartment at The Pennsylvanian." Nick gave her a look. She added, 
"Corner of Liberty and Grant." 

"Yeah. I know the place. You can walk to work from there." 

"That was the idea. Traffic in this town is really bad right now with all the 
construction going on." 

They passed a car which had skidded off the road into a ditch. The wrecker was 
already there to assist. Nick could tell the roads were beginning to get slick 
by the reflection of the street lights on the icy pavement. As they approached 
the Liberty Bridge he noticed the salt trucks had already been out; 
nevertheless, he drove cautiously to avoid any undue mishap. 

Nick pulled up in front of The Pennsylvanian, a 15-story apartment building in 
the Cultural District. He turned off the car, removed his seatbelt and started 
to alight when Julie reached out and touched his arm. 

"Nick… I had a lovely time tonight." 

"I'll see you in." 

"No. Thank you, Nick. I can manage." She removed her seatbelt and turned to face 
him. 

"Are you sure?" He looked in her eyes.

"I'm sure. The weather is getting worse. You should get home while you still 
can." She smiled. 

He leaned closer. "I'll call you." 

"I'd like that." She leaned toward him and he kissed her lightly on the lips. 
She took his right hand in both her hands and squeezed. "You should really think about getting a pair of gloves." 

He chuckled and nodded as she turned to exit the car. She waved then hurriedly 
made her way toward the large glass entry doors of The Pennsylvanian—a highly 
coveted, tenant-owned apartment complex and home to many of the movers and 
shakers of Pittsburgh Society. He watched until she was safely inside.

The forced `date' had been nothing like he had expected. He probably owed his 
dad an apology for the way he had acted but, of course, he would never give him 
that satisfaction. He smiled and put the car in forward gear and pulled slowly 
away from the curb. 

~/~/~/~

Nick surveyed the scene. His car had three inches of snow on it. He would likely 
be late for work this morning. He started the car, pushed the defrost buttons, 
then popped the trunk and took out the scraper, making short work of the 
windows. It had been so cold that the snow was dry and light and was easily 
swept away. 

In the car he rubbed his frozen hands together. They were red from the cold. He 
laughed to himself remembering what Julie had said about investing in a pair of 
gloves. 

The main roads had been plowed before daybreak making them easily passable. He 
made surprisingly good time since the traffic was lighter than usual—many people 
opting to stay home until the road situation improved. 

On the way to his own office, Nick passed his father's and noticed that his dad 
was already at his desk, hard at work. He pulled off his overcoat and hung it on 
the coat tree in his office. He still had some finishing touches on that Suatoni 
matter then he had to get over to Legal Services. 

He looked up at the sound of a knock at his door. His father stood just inside 
the doorway. He was smiling from ear to ear. 

"Is there something you needed, Dad?" he asked, as he returned to the Suatoni 
file on his desk. 

"Well… how'd it go?" 

"What?" He cut his eyes at his dad. 

"Julie? Whadaya think?"

He looked at his father in amazement. "Dad, please. That is one thing I'm not 
going to discuss with you." 

"Are you gonna see her again?" His father was still fishing, grinning from ear 
to ear. 

"Dad!" Nick looked squarely at his father and frowned. 

"Okay. Okay." Burton turned to leave, clearly disappointed. 

"Dad." 

Burton looked back over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

"It wasn't so bad." He smiled and returned to work. Burton smiled back as he 
pulled the door closed. 

~/~/~/~

Nick hurried to catch the elevator to Legal Services before the doors closed. As 
he slipped between the closing doors he noticed Lulu was already on board, 
holding a box of files—the only other occupant of the elevator. 

She grunted a barely audible greeting but deliberately avoided his gaze. 

"Uh… you need some help with…?"

"No. I'm fine," she interrupted, tersely. 

He pondered whether to speak further then said, "Lulu…"

Lulu again interrupted. "Nick, please!" At that moment, the elevator stopped and 
the doors opened. She quickly made her exit. 

He stood for a moment, stunned, then hurriedly stepped off just as the doors 
began to close. 

"Oh, Nick. There you are." Nick bumped into Alvin, coming out of the broom 
closet. "I put two files on your desk. Both custody cases. One hearing today and 
another on Wednesday." 

"Fine." Nick removed his coat and hung it on a pipe protruding from the hot 
water heater. He took his seat and absentmindedly opened the first file. He 
couldn't concentrate. This rift with Lulu was constantly on his mind. He finally 
shoved all the files in his briefcase to be reviewed later when his mind was 
more receptive and, pulling on his overcoat, he left the office. 

~/~/~/~

Nick's cell phone rang just as he emerged from Judge Damsen's courtroom. "Yeah," 
he answered, abruptly, while he continued to walk. He glanced at his watch. He 
was going to be late for yet another meeting. 

A sweet voice answered. "Nick. This is Julie. I hope I haven't caught you at a 
bad time. I got your cell number from my father."

"Julie?" For a second he was lost. Then he remembered. It had been over a week 
since they'd had dinner and he had meant to call her, really. "No. No. What's 
up?"

"I was hoping you might have time for lunch today." She waited. 

"Uh… well, I'm late for a partners' meeting right now." He glanced again at his 
watch which told him he was now 20 minutes late for the 10:30 meeting. "And I 
have to be in court at 1:00."

"Oh. Well, I guess that's a no, then."

"I'm sorry, Julie. Maybe another time." 

"Sure. Okay, bye." 

"Bye." He folded his phone, returning it to his coat pocket, and hurried down 
the steps of the courthouse. He made a mental note to call Julie, another time.

It hadn't warmed up much but the snow clouds, which had seemed to linger for 
weeks now, had finally gone leaving behind a clear, blue sky. 

~/~/~/~

The week virtually flew by. Lulu continued to give Nick a wide berth, avoiding 
him at every turn. He had heard from Alvin that Brian had returned to Columbus. 
But, there was no word about a divorce. Lulu was obviously preoccupied with her 
situation right now which probably accounted for her attitude towards him. 

"Alvin, here are those records you asked for from the courthouse." Nick handed 
Alvin a folder. 

"Thanks, Nick. Thank your friend for me. What's her name? Liz?" 

"Libby."

"Yeah, Libby. Hey… did you hear about tonight—at The Incline? A few of us are 
getting together to celebrate the holidays."

"Yeah. I heard." 

"Okay." 

"You need me for anything else?" Nick asked, anxiously. 

"No. No, I guess that's all for now. Hope you can make it tonight." Alvin 
watched as Nick whirled out of his office and 
toward the elevator. He was always in a hurry.

~/~/~/~

Nick found a parking spot along the curb about a half block from The Incline. 
Once inside, he surveyed the room and found what remained of the group back at 
the rear of the bar. It looked like Alvin and James were still here and he could 
see Kate. There were also a couple of lawyers who worked with Kate whose names 
escaped him. He didn't see Lulu and figured she must have already gone home. He 
indicated to the waitress that he would be joining that party. 

They had dragged tables together and were laughing about something when Alvin 
noticed Nick approaching. He jumped up and grabbed his arm, pumping his hand 
vigorously. "Nick. Nick. Glad you could make it. We had almost given up on you." 


Nick retrieved his hand. Alvin acted like he was drunk. Nick gave him a 
quizzical look and whispered, "Alvin, you haven't been…?" 

"No. No. Nick. It's Christmas. A time for joy." He laughed raucously. 

"Okay," Nick said, still wondering about Alvin's unusually buoyant mood. He had 
hoped that Lulu would be here giving him a chance to talk to her outside the 
workplace. Maybe, just maybe, they could resolve their differences.

"Nick, have a seat," Alvin dragged up a chair to the edge of the table. Nick 
indicated the two empty chairs already at the table. Alvin added, "Yeah. Lulu 
and Laurie will be back in a minute. They just went to powder their noses." 

Just as he hung his coat on the nearby coat rack, Lulu and Laurie emerged from 
the bathroom. He caught Lulu's eye as she passed him on the way back to the 
table. He waited for them to get settled then sat in the seat Alvin had pulled 
up to the table. 

Laurie spoke. "Nick. You're getting a late start aren't you?" 

"Not really," he said. 

The waitress appeared to take his drink order. He ordered a soda water. 

"We had just about given you up," Laurie said, echoing what Alvin had said 
earlier.

"Yeah. It's already 10:00 o'clock." Alvin pointed to his watch. 

Nick glanced at Lulu and saw her quickly look away. "Yeah… I was workin'." 

Alvin laughed and looked around at the group. "Nick. You should learn to relax." 
The waitress brought Nick's soda water and Alvin requested another round of 
drinks. 

James was the first to leave then Kate and her two friends followed shortly 
thereafter. Alvin couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be some tension 
between Nick and Lulu. They had hardly spoken all night. 

"Listen, it's getting late. I should be going." Lulu stood up and pulled on her 
coat. She said her goodbyes and left. 

Nick waited a minute after Lulu left and, when Alvin started on yet another one 
of his stories, he excused himself. Alvin gave him a look which he returned with 
a glare. Laurie had stayed much longer than she usually did when the group got 
together. Nick couldn't be sure but he thought he'd sensed something different 
in the relationship between her and Alvin. 

Outside The Incline, Nick looked up and down the street and saw Lulu, still in 
sight. He ran to catch up. 

"Lulu. Wait." She pulled up as he caught up with her. Slightly out of breath, he 
asked, "What did I do?" 

"Well… you ruined my husband's life… my life. That's all." She turned to leave. 

He took her arm. "How can you say that? I was just doing my job." 

She slowly turned to face him. "You know what I think? I think you just don't 
like Brian… because I'm married to him." 

"What? Lulu… listen…" He rubbed his hand through his hair in exasperation. "I… I 
don't have anything against Brian. My client 
had the right to know about his condition." 

She averted her eyes. He spoke the truth but she couldn't accept it. Her life 
had been completely turned upside down. "Just forget it, Nick. I don't blame 
you. I just…" She looked into his eyes. "I just need time."

"Time." 

"Yeah. Time to think all this through." She shivered against the cold and pulled 
her coat collar up around her neck. "I have to go."

"Sure." He stood there and watched her walk away. When she turned the corner he 
walked back to his car. 

~/~/~/~

He had driven around for probably an hour, he wasn't sure. Finally, he pulled to 
the curb and parked. He sat for maybe ten minutes looking at the darkened 
apartment and then got out of his car. He hesitated a moment before knocking, 
then waited. A sleepy-eyed Kim came to the door. 

"Nick. What are you doing here? It's after midnight." She ran her hands through 
her hair. Nick didn't say anything. "Okay. Come on in." He stepped inside and 
she quietly closed the door. "What is it, Nick? Is something wrong?" She moved 
closer and began unbuttoning his overcoat. "You wanna talk about it?" She could 
tell something was really bothering him.

Just having her near was a comfort to him. He pulled firmly on the tie to her 
robe. It fell open and he saw she was wearing a pair of boxer-type shorts and a 
tank top. He slipped his hands beneath her top, finding her breast, and as he 
leaned in to nuzzle her neck he half-whispered into her ear, "I need you." He 
covered her mouth with his and held her against him. 

She wrenched herself out of his grasp, laughing lightly. "Okay. Okay. But… you 
can't stay all night. Matty's in the other room, 
asleep." 

"Okay," he agreed as she led him to the bedroom.

They quickly undressed and Kim made sweet love to him. For a fleeting moment, he 
felt at peace. Afterwards she lay in the crook of his arm with her head on his 
chest and her arm and leg thrown over his body. 

"You don't want to talk about it do you, Nick?" She raised herself up to look in 
his eyes as he answered.

"No," he said, quietly. 

"I hate to see you so sad." She ran her fingers over his furrowed brow. 

He took her hand and kissed it then kissed her on the lips. 

"Is there anything I can do?" 

"You already have." He kissed her again then held her close. 

About an hour later, he dressed and slipped out quietly while Kim slept. 

~/~/~/~

Nick was bent over a merger proposal he was working on when Gretchen knocked on 
his door and entered, presenting him with a small package wrapped in 
silver-flecked black and gold foiled paper with a silver ribbon. 

"What's this?" he asked, as he took the gift. 

"A messenger left it at the desk this morning."

He turned it over in his hand looking for a card. "There's no card. Who's it 
from?" 

"I don't know. The messenger just said to give it to you." 

"I see. Who delivered it?" 

"I've never seen this particular messenger before. I'm sorry." 

"No. No. That's fine." Gretchen turned to leave. "Gretchen?"

"Yes, Mr. Fallin?"

"Next time don't accept a package unless you know who it's from. It could be a 
bomb." He flashed a quick smile to soften the impact of his statement. 

"Oh, right," she said, suddenly concerned. "Should I call the authorities?" 

"No. I'll handle it this time." Noticeably rattled, she made her exit. 

Nick looked the package over again carefully, shaking it beside his ear. It 
measured about 5" X 10" X 1-1/2". He set it aside on the corner of his desk and 
returned to his work. 

After awhile, his eyes wandered back to the package still sitting on the corner 
of his desk. Finally, towards the end of the day, he could put it off no longer. 
He carefully unwrapped the package, removed the lid and pushed aside the tissue 
covering the contents. Inside was a beautiful pair of kid-skin, cashmere-lined 
gloves. A card was included which read: I thought of you today. And simply 
signed: J. He smiled. It had now been over three weeks since his dinner `date' 
with Julie. Clearly she was interested in seeing him again. He put the card 
inside his pocket as a reminder then placed the gift aside and returned to the 
work at hand. The phone rang on his desk and he answered, "Nick Fallin." 

"Nick, I'm returning your call. Graham Talbot here."

"Right, Mr. Talbot. I wanted to let you know we have everything ready to close 
tomorrow morning." 

"That would be fine, Nick. What time do you want us?"

"Ten o'clock would be good." 

"All right. See ya then."

"Good." Nick hung up the phone just as Jake poked his head in the door. 

"Nick. Do you have time to go over that stuff on Railway Transport? I just have 
a few questions." 

"Sure, Jake. Can you give me about an hour? You in the conference room?" 

"Yeah." 

"Okay. I'll be there in a bit."

Before Jake left he noticed the gift sitting on the corner of the desk. "What's 
this, Nick?" He smiled. "From a client?" 

"You might say that." Nick gave him a crooked smile and returned to his project. 


"Nice." Nick glanced once more at Jake as he turned to leave. 

It was six o'clock when he finally met with Jake in the conference room. The 
`few' questions Jake had mentioned earlier had turned into 'quite a few' and it 
was almost nine o'clock when they finally finished up. 

"Nick. You wanna get somethin' to eat at The Incline before you go home?" 
 
~/~/~/~

The Incline was crowded tonight. They had to wait about ten minutes to get a 
table. It wasn't until they were seated that Nick noticed Lulu and Kate sitting 
in a booth across the room. Lulu was looking his way but turned away when he 
caught her gaze. Thirty minutes later Lulu and Kate left the bar without 
speaking.

Anytime you sat down with Jake, there was never any lack of conversation. Jake 
could talk enough for two people. Nick quickly wolfed down his meal then sat and 
waited for Jake to catch up. It was nearly eleven when they finally left. 

Nick hadn't realized how tired he was until he finally stretched out in his own 
warm bed. He had a lot of things on his mind—the Talbot deal, Jake's deal with 
Railway Transport, Julie and, of course, the ever sweet and available Kim and 
then… there was Lulu. But, fortunately sleep overtook him immediately. 

~/~/~/~

"Nick". Nick heard his name and turned toward the familiar voice. Lulu 
approached him from the other end of the courthouse corridor. She stopped in 
front of him. "Alvin says he needs to see you today."

"What's it about?" 

"Something about a case you're handling. I don't know." 

Over Lulu's shoulder Nick spied Julie talking with another lawyer, whose name 
didn't come immediately to mind. Lulu noticed Nick's inattention and reached out 
to touch his arm.

"Nick. Did you hear what I said?"

Nick glanced back at Lulu and said, "Yeah. Yeah. I heard." He nodded and walked 
away, down the corridor toward Julie; leaving Lulu standing and wondering what 
had just happened. 

Julie ended her conversation with the other lawyer and turned in Nick's 
direction just as he neared her. 

"Nick. What a pleasant surprise." 

"Hi," he responded, shyly. "Uh… listen, Julie. Um… I've been meaning to call you 
and thank you for the gloves." No matter how hard he tried, he still felt 
awkward in situations like this. 

"Oh, don't mention it. I knew you could use a pair." She smiled. 

He smiled back and finally said, "Say… would you have time for coffee?"

"I'll make time," she answered.

"Good. Well, I know just the place." They started walking toward the courthouse 
exit onto Grant Street. Nick happened to look up and noticed Lulu, still 
standing where he'd left her moments before. She quickly averted her eyes and 
started down the corridor in the opposite direction.

~/~/~/~

Nick sat hunched over the desk in his bedroom where he had just finished 
reviewing the latest LSP file. He rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock which 
read 11:02 PM. Taking the TV remote control, he clicked on the 11:00 o'clock 
news.

He began removing his tie and walked to his closet to hang it neatly on the tie 
rack when he heard the TV reporter say, "…lead story is the shooting of Police 
Officer Kim McPherson during a routine traffic stop around 9:30 this evening. We 
have a film crew, live, at Pittsburgh County Hospital where the officer is 
reported to be in critical condition." 

Nick sat down on the end of his bed and watched as they replayed the film shot 
earlier of the arrival of the ambulance. A patrol car pulled up at the same time 
and the officer leaped out and began shoving people aside. Nick only caught a 
glimpse of the stretcher as it was wheeled quickly into the emergency room. He 
shut off the TV and pulled on his suit jacket. 

On the drive to the hospital Nick felt numb. He tried to make sense of the 
emotional turmoil that was going on inside him. He rushed into the E.R. and up 
to the desk, where he was directed to a cubicle. He cautiously approached the 
room. An E.R. doctor was standing near the bed making notations in a chart. Nick 
stood for a moment in the doorway then, taking a deep breath, he moved, 
tentatively, into the room. 

"Are you here to see Officer McPherson?" the doctor asked. 

Nick couldn't find his voice. He nodded instead. 

"Say, aren't you Nick Fallin… the lawyer?"

"Yeah, that's right." He now recognized the doctor from a recent case he'd 
handled for the hospital. He had interviewed a number of the E.R. staff during 
that investigation. "Can I…?" he motioned toward the gurney.

"Sure. Come in. How well do you know the officer?" The doctor's tone became 
solemn. 

"She's a friend. Is she gonna be all right?" Nick walked to the side of the 
gurney. 

The doctor hesitated and then replied, "There's nothing more we can do for her 
except make her comfortable. It's a miracle she's held on this long." 

Nick pulled up a stool and sat down beside Kim. He took her slender hand in his 
and brought it to his lips. Kim's eyes 
fluttered open and she turned her head slightly to face him. She was struggling 
to talk but the oxygen mask over her nose and mouth hampered her efforts. Nick 
glanced at the doctor, who stepped forward to remove the mask. 

Tears welled up in her eyes. As she blinked, one tear escaped and rolled down 
her face landing on the pillow. Nick reached out his left hand to touch her hair 
while he held her hand with his other. She managed to speak his name, softly, 
"Nick." 

"I'm here." He brushed the dampness from her cheek with his thumb then buried 
his face in her hair, struggling to hold back his own tears.

She whispered in his ear, "Nick… I loved you." 

He pulled back to look in her eyes and noticed a faint smile cross her lips. She 
closed her eyes and another tear escaped. Her hand went limp in his. He turned, 
fearfully, to the doctor who stepped up to replace the oxygen mask. "She's just 
lapsed into unconsciousness… I'm sorry." 

Nick removed his hand and stood. That was when he first noticed Paul and Matty 
standing near the doorway to the cubicle. He nodded at Paul and spoke to Matty 
then exited the room. For a moment, he stood outside the cubicle and watched as 
Matty climbed on the stool and leaned over his mother. 

"Mommy. Mommy. Wake up. It's me, Matty." 

Nick bowed his head and left the emergency room.

Back home, he removed his clothes and stepped into the shower, letting the hot 
water wash over him. He could no longer hold back the tears, which now came in 
torrents. It was an hour before sleep finally came to him.

~/~/~/~

The alarm went off rousing Nick from his slumber. He automatically reached for 
the TV remote and clicked it on for the morning news. Wearily, he sat up on the 
edge of the bed and for a brief moment in time, he forgot the awful events of 
last night… until he heard the TV reporter speaking. 

"Suspect, Rodriguez Rojas, is in custody and has been charged with the murder of 
Police Officer Kim McPherson, who died this morning at 1:12 AM from a gunshot 
wound received in a routine traffic stop last evening." 

Nick glanced at the TV in time to see a picture of Kim on the screen. He leaned 
over, his elbows resting on his knees and his 
head in his hands, and took several deep breaths. He pinched his eyes and 
sniffed then rose to get ready for work.

~/~/~/~

He had been at his desk with the door closed for at least twenty minutes when 
his father entered without knocking, closing the door behind him. 

Nick looked up without speaking. Burton assessed his son's appearance. It looked 
like he hadn't slept in days; his eyes ringed by dark circles. 

"Son, I just heard about it on the News this morning. I'm so sorry."

"Yeah." Nick leaned back in his chair and let his gaze wander to the window. 

"Why don't you take some time off? You look like you could use the rest." 

"I'm fine, Dad. I'll be fine." 

Burton walked over to the window and looked out. Finally he turned back around 
to face his son. "Nick… it's not healthy for you to hold things inside like you 
do."

Nick clenched his jaw while he thought of a response. Eventually, a little 
angrier than he intended, he said, "What would you have me do?! Have a nervous 
breakdown?! Right here?!" He kept his eyes on his father for a moment then 
looked away. He sat, absently turning his pen over and over in his hand. 

"Nicholas. You know what I mean. When your mother died, you…" 

Nick leapt up from his chair and grabbed his overcoat. Before his father could 
say anything further he was out the door. 

On the street, Nick just started to walk with no destination in mind. When he 
returned to the office forty-five minutes later he passed his father's 
office—noting that his dad was with a client. Burton looked up as he passed. 

Nick closeted himself away in his office the remainder of the day, undisturbed.

~/~/~/~

The day had dawned, crisp and clear—a welcome change from the bitter cold and 
gloom of the days preceding. High above the City on a hillside dotted with grave 
markers, Nick stood apart from the crowd, replete with Police blue. He scanned 
the faces of the mourners. Matty stood with his father. He had yet to see the 
boy cry. Matty was still too young to realize how losing his mother would affect 
the rest of his life. Nick recognized Charlie, Kim's brother, and assumed the 
policeman, clad in dress blues and standing next to Matty, was her father, whom 
he had never met. Other cousins and uncles, all members of Pittsburgh's finest, 
were probably elsewhere in the crowd. He saw Lulu standing with Alvin and then 
noticed his father and Jake. His dad looked his way. Nick bowed his head and 
looked away. 

It was a very sad day—made all the more tragic knowing that Kim was not supposed 
to be patrolling the night of the accident. Nick had learned that she had 
volunteered to finish her friend's tour of duty, on that ill-fated day, when the 
friend, Annette, had been called away to attend to her sick child. Kim and never 
much liked being chained to a desk and jumped at the chance to get back on the 
streets. It had been easy to convince the commanding officer to let her take the 
patrol since it was the holidays and patrols had been beefed-up, trying to keep 
a lid on crime. They could spare her on the desk—they needed cops on the street, 
was her argument. By chance, on this particular night, Kim had neglected to put 
on a bullet-proof vest, standard police-issue given the danger on the streets 
these days, which could have saved her life. 

Before the crowd started to disband, Nick walked to his car. He waited, behind 
the wheel, for the other vehicles to disperse. At one point, he saw his dad stop 
and look his way, then continue on with Jake. 

He heard a tap on his car window and looked to find Lulu standing beside the 
car. He touched the button to unlock the passenger door and she slipped inside. 
He sat, with one hand resting on the steering wheel, looking straight ahead. 

"Nick." When he didn't acknowledge her, Lulu continued. "She loved you, you 
know." 

Nick swallowed hard, clenching his jaw, then turned to face her. In almost a 
whisper, he said, "I know." 

"I'll miss her, too." She wanted to reach out to him, to comfort him—in their 
mutual grief—but he was distant. Too distant. 

Nick looked away. "Yeah," he said, softly. 

Several moments passed and finally Lulu opened the door to leave. Nick continued 
to stare straight ahead. 

~/~/~/~

It had been several days since Kim's funeral. Lulu had made every effort to be 
kind to Nick and he had been cordial but they had not had a chance to talk. She 
poured herself a cup of coffee and looked up to see Nick, in his office, bent 
over a file on his desk. She looked around then made her way to his office. She 
tapped lightly on the open door and entered, closing the door softly behind her. 


"Hi, Nick."

He looked up and nodded. "What is it?" 

"Do you have a minute?" 

"I guess." Still holding his pen, he leaned back in his chair. 

"Brian and I are getting a divorce. I filed last week." She sat down and took a 
sip of her coffee. 

"Oh?" He wondered why she was telling him this, given her attitude towards him 
in recent weeks. 

"Nick. I know I've been pretty hateful towards you." She looked up to get his 
reaction. 

He sighed and said, "I thought it was just me who noticed." 

"No. I hadn't wanted to admit that my marriage was a mess from the beginning. I 
was angry and took it out on you. I'm sorry."

He waited for her to continue. She had hoped he would make this easy for her but 
it wasn't gonna happen. 

"I… I was hoping we could start over again… give me a chance to make it up to 
you."

Nick's expression did not change. He asked, "What did you have in mind?"

She took another sip of coffee. "Uh… what about dinner... sometime?"

"Dinner?"

She nodded. She waited.

"Dinner," he repeated. "Okay, dinner, it is." 

She hadn't realized it but she had been holding her breath, waiting for his 
response. She exhaled, "Okay." 

Nick returned his attention to the file on his desk. After a moment, Lulu rose 
to leave. He looked up, as she pulled the door closed behind her, and smiled. 

To be continued in "A Matter of Principle"