Chapter 6 Five

Nik blinked his eyes open. The smell of coffee filled the air which brought him fully awake. The sun wasn't even fully up yet. Then he remembered that Lauren was here. His body instantly reacted to the thought of how close she was to him. As if his body wasn't already aching from the injuries now it's hurting from some much needed relief. He realized the dream didn't come to him during the night.

He couldn't ease the pain he was feeling by muttering, "Hell." Nik flung the sheet and blanket aside and stood up. He was overcome by the smell of coffee.

As he crossed the room, his bare feet made their way into the living room. Neither she nor the kitchen where in his peripheral vision as he looked toward the kitchen. He became frantic when he could not find her inside the house. Nik stepped outside; Nik gazed down the driveway to the private property.

As soon as he saw her jogging back to her house, his heart stopped beating and began to pound. He breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her. Even after what happened last night, he knew she would be fine, so he wasn't worried. Despite this, he was still worried about her. As Nik ran his hand along his cheek, he felt the stubble. He could hear his mobile ringing through the open door. Having turned around, he walked back into the house and straight into his bedroom.

He picked up his mobile. "Hello?" he answered without looking at the caller ID.

"Glad I got you," Lleyton said.

Nik groaned inwardly. The band's manager was the last person he wanted to speak with at the moment. "What's up?" Nik closed the door to his room and changed into a pair of jeans with rips in the knees. After putting on his black high-top shoes, he put on a deep purple sweatshirt. While Lleyton continued. "So the concerts for the next year had been canceled."

Nik already knew that since his sister had told him a couple of days ago when he was released from the hospital. "Except for one that is slated six months from now. A children's group would benefit from the concert."

Nik knew which concert the manager was referring to. The band held it dear to their hearts for a number of reasons. He hoped the injuries would be completely healed by then since the concert was on the beach in Tokomaru Bay.

"Hopefully we'll be able to do it," Nik told her manager. "I know the guys are eager to do this concert." He was eager to do it as well and the last thing he wanted was to let the kids down.

Lleyton paused for a moment on the other end. "I am aware of it."

Nik's heart skipped a beat when he heard Lauren entered the house through the backdoor. "Don't cancel it yet," Nik told the other man. Nik eyed the nondisclosure agreement on top of the dresser. He had a feeling he wouldn't need it but he wanted to be sure. He opened the door to his room and stepped out while he disconnected the call. He paused in the middle of the living room as he heard Lauren moving about in the kitchen. He could still smell the coffee and his stomach growled. Nik couldn't remember the last time he actually ate.

Lauren didn't need to turn around to know he was watching her; she could sense and feel him. Her heart pounded wildly as she poured herself a cup of coffee. It took everything she had inside of her to keep her hand from shaking. She knew there would be a time when she would have to face him. So, she placed a smile on her face and turned to face him. He was still standing in the living room watching her.

"Want a cup?" she asked, lifting her cup.

She then poured him a cup of coffee from the cupboard. Nik nodded before taking the cup out. In his hand was a piece of paper, which she noticed when she handed him the cup. Taking a sip, he said, "Ta." He then poured himself another drink. He set the cup down on the counter. "There is something I would like you to sign. It's a nondisclosure agreement. I know you won't tell anyone what may or may not happen here-"

Before he could finish, Lauren grabbed the paper and a pen from the counter and signed it. She signed the paper then returned it to him. "I won't tell anyone if you won't." She said with a smug. Even though she had nothing to hide, she was a private person. "Also, I am not your maid and you clean up after yourself and I would do the same."

Nik wasn't sure if she was angry or not but he took the paper back and picked up the cuppa. He gave a silent salute with his cup before he spun on his heel then walked out of the kitchen.

The only thing Lauren could do was watch him leave. She wasn't angry about signing the paper. Whatever he did here at the cabin was his business not hers. There was no reason why she should tell anyone what went on here.

When her cell phone began to ring, she glanced down. It was Emily. When Lauren answered the phone, she smiled. She knew the reason why her friend was calling. "Hello, Emily."

"We found them. The two have arrived safely." Lauren noted how happy Emily sounded as she spoke.

Lauren exclaimed, "That's great news!" She picked up the cup of coffee and took another sip. She turned to the fridge and peered inside. There wasn't much inside the steel appliance. She was going to need to go to the store soon. Lauren sensed Emily was hiding something from her. "What's wrong?"

Emily paused for a moment. "There was something the children said that didn't make sense."

Lauren held her breath for a moment before letting it out. "What?" Lauren asked.

Emily hesitated at first. She continued, 'they said an angel with reddish hair and blue eyes helped them," Emily paused then continued, "They said an angel with reddish hair and blue eyes." 'they said an angel with reddish hair with blue eyes. Their fears were calmed by her visit."

Lauren was puzzled, she thought when she visited the children on the spatial plane, and they wouldn't see her. She was wrong. Lauren ran a hand through her hair and gulped. She had no idea what to say about what Emily had told her but gave her the excuse she needed. She couldn't be in two places at the same time.

"It would have been impossible, right? I mean you're there and they were in the middle of the ocean. You couldn't have been in two places at the same time." Emily rushed out.

"Yeah. Impossible," Lauren agreed that it was impossible.

There was some sort of commotion in the background that Lauren heard when Emily paused. "I have to go, Lauren. Once I get back home, I'll get in touch with you."

"Okay." Lauren missed being out on the missions. She let out a deep breath and turned back to the fridge. She sensed Nik in the living room again. "There's not much in the fridge, gonna need to go shopping," Lauren called out over her shoulder. She watched him nod his head.

Nik agreed with her. He was going to head over to the store himself that morning. "I'll go with you." He placed his hands in his pockets.

Lauren shook her head. "Is that the right course of action? Given the fact that you are famous in this country and your fans will be clamoring for you, and the state you're in?"

He knew she's right, bugger it. "Okay. I'll write a list and give you some money."

His speedy departure caught Lauren's attention. "That went smoothly. Most men would pitch a fit."

Though he could have argued with her, he knew she would win. Also, he will have more time to work on his album. As he wrote down a list of what he wanted, he practiced his breathing techniques for singing. Nik pulled some money out of his wallet and walked back into the living room a few minutes later. A slight noise gave him pause and he turned around, but he couldn't see her at first. Earlier, she had been wearing black sweatpants. She wasn't in a uniform. She was wearing jeans and a soft pink sweater. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She literally took his breath away.

Taking the money and list from him, she slipped them into her back pocket. "Anything else?"

Nik shook his head. "Just what is on the list will be fine." As she turned to leave, he said, "Be careful out there." He said as she turned to leave. He watched her as she left the house, standing at the living room window. As soon as he couldn't see her car any more, he turned. Back on the couch, Nik settled down with his guitar on his lap and turned around. After strumming a few chords, he paused. At the moment, he didn't think it was right. Somehow, he couldn't seem to nail this one song. Nik scratched his chin before returning to the guitar. He looked down at the caller ID and groaned inwardly.

Nik greeted his mother "Yeah."

"Your father is improving," Greta said. "The new medication is helping."

Nik was pleased that his father's condition is improving. If it meant paying for his father's, Alton, cancer medication and treatment, he would do anything. He would do anything for his father even pay for the medication and treatment the older Kaur needed for cancer. It pained Nik that his father was ill.

Nik finally said, "That's good news." As he looked down at the guitar, his hand gripped the mobile.

"How are you doing, Greta?" she asked after a moment of silence. "It was a terrible plane crash, and you were hospitalized for two weeks."

"I'm doing well. And don't worry, someone is here with me." Nik told her.

Greta paused again for a moment. "That's good to know. Right now, you shouldn't be alone. I am sure you're still recovering."

Taking a deep breath, Nik let out a sigh. As a result of Lauren's tossing him on his ass, he was still healing. He didn't feel as if any stitches were ruptured, but he was still sore. He ran his hand along the lower part of his stomach.

"I do have an appointment with a local doctor in the morning," he told her.

Greta asked, "Please, let me know how that goes."

"I will," Nik promised before telling her goodbye and disconnected the call. He put the mobile down on the coffee table then went back to his guitar. Hugging the guitar close to his chest, Nik leaned back in the couch and titled his head back then closed his eyes.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he opened his eyes again. Lauren had returned and she was placing items in the fridge.

"You're awake," Lauren said as she looked over to him. "I brought something that resembles what I call donut that is what the clerk at the market told me and they were popular around here. I think they're pikelets."

Nik set the guitar aside and then stood. "Ta." He muttered.

Lauren looked a little puzzled at first then understood what he meant. She nodded before handing him a plate with a couple of pastries on it. He settled down on a barstool at the counter. "You're welcome."

As she handed the plate to him, their hands brushed against each other. The first thing she noticed when she returned to the cabin was that he was asleep. She hoped he didn't see her reaction and she tried to smile at him which he returned with ease.

When she returned to the cabin, the first thing she noticed was that he was asleep. With a trained eye, she checked him over skillfully. She noticed that his features were returning to their original coloring, indicating that he was healing. Her fingers itched to brush a lock hair from his forehead. As she stepped back, she wondered where that thought had come from. Instead, she stepped away and back into the kitchen. Quietly, she began putting the groceries away.

It didn't take long before something told her that he was awake. She paused, contemplating the feeling. It was something that was happening far too often lately. She frowned as she fumbled with a loaf of bread. She caught it before it the floor.

Stepping into the kitchen, Nik said, "Nice catch."

A smile spread across Lauren's face as she glanced over her shoulder. "Thanks." She offered him the pikelets. He settled down at the table and ate. After putting the things away, she reached into her back pocket. "Here's the list and receipt and your change." She placed the items on the counter beside him.

She decided to take a short walk along the ocean's edge while it was still cool outside. There was still a lot on her mind that she wanted to think about.

Lauren stood on the sand staring at the bluish-green depths of the ocean. She was surrounded by a gentle breeze as she stood there. She wasn't sure whether staying in the Air Force would be right for her. It has been almost eight years since she enlisted. Her options outside the military were limited. Perhaps, she thought, she could live in one place, cross her arms; tilt her head to one side and to enjoy a home and life.

Her attention was drawn to the music coming from the cabin. It sounded like he was working on a new song. The song sounded slow and seductive and sexy. Her heart nearly stopped beating when she from where she had heard that song before. It was the one from her dreams. She spun around to face the cabin then back to the ocean's waves.

"How is that possible?" Lauren whispered tightly as the music stopped, she hugged herself even tighter. After closing her eyes tightly, she opened them to look at the cabin. Her gaze was fixed on Nik as he stood on the deck. The lure of his presence called to her. Nevertheless, she stood there and watched him as her heart was beating out of control. She heard her cell phone ring. With her gaze never leaving his, she reached into her back pocket and retrieved the card.

"Hello," she greeted the caller.

Emily informed her, "I'm back at the base."

Then she watched Nik turn and slowly walk into the house. The heated moment ended and her heart sank. "It's good to hear that. Did you receive a debriefing?"

She paused for a moment before saying, "Not yet." Lauren could hear some commotion and people talking in the background.

"Are you alone?" Lauren asked.

Emily replied, "No. I'm in the lobby right now waiting to be debriefed."

"Okay. Don't tell me anything more until you do." Lauren told her. "And you can take that as a command."

Emily chuckled as she replied, "Yes, Captain, Ma'am."

Lauren slipped the phone back into her back pocket. She didn't want to deal with what she was feeling, no matter how much she wanted to see him. "Damn Emily for putting the idea into my head." She wanted to laugh but couldn't

"But the song.." she began but was unable to finish. "How?" She wondered out loud. It was the same one from the dream; she had been dreaming about him for so long. "Is he having the same dreams?" Lauren dug her hands into her pockets. She frowned as she looked over at the ocean again. She decided to continue to walk away from the cabin along the shore. Lauren had the beach all to herself as she walked along the shore.

A part of him wanted to go to her. Nik tried again to work on the song; however, he couldn't make it work. It was something inside of him that made him look out of the window. Standing along the shore, she looked so lonely that he wanted to go to her, but he didn't. When she turned to him, he noticed the sad look on her face. His desire was to reach out to her and grab her by the arms and just hold her tightly. His breath caught in his throat when he thought for a moment that she was going to approach him.

When she wasn't looking, he pushed away from the rail and walked back into the cabin. Nik had thought about just packing up and leave the cabin. But didn't. Something had told him to stay. He settled down on the couch again with the guitar on his lap. Staring down at the one song he wanted to work on and finish, he couldn't.

"Fuck it," he said and pushed the music sheet aside and started working on the other song. The way he was feeling, the music he was working on turned to the darker side of him. He stood with the guitar in hand and started the song from the beginning with the darker tone. Then he began singing the song with the dark tone. He swirled around and kicked his leg out as he continued singing and playing the guitar. For some reason, he liked the dark tone of the song then the lighter side. He stopped suddenly as he thought he should do a video call with the other band members about the doing the song with darker side.

Nik settled down on the couch and finished the song with the dark tone. He checked the time on the wall and saw that it was starting to grow late. It was past lunch time and was almost dinner. He also noted that Lauren hadn't returned from her walk either. Worried, he stood and went to the deck and looked out toward the beach. There she was, sitting on the sand with her legs up to her chest as she gazed out to the ocean.

He walked into the kitchen and looked into the fridge. Stunned, he realized that she had placed everything in a neat and orderly fashion in the fridge. Even his stuff was on one side and hers on the other side. For some reason, it made him smile. An idea came to mind and he pulled out a couple of steaks and potatoes. He stepped back out onto the deck and took the cover off the Barbie and lit the propane burner. While the Barbie was heating up, Nik stepped back into the kitchen and rummaged the cupboards and grabbed some seasonings and poured them on the steaks.

A few minutes after he started cooking the steaks, he looked over where Lauren sat on the sand. He watched as she sniffed the air and looked over at him. Watching as she stood and started walking back to the cabin.

"I didn't realize it was that late," she said as she looked at the time on her phone.

"I didn't either. I was working hard on a new song," he told her as he looked in the direction of the living room.

Lauren nodded. "Anything that I can do to help?" She asked as she rubbed her arms.

"You can do the veges."

Lauren was puzzled at first then nodded. "Okay. I think I know what you mean by that." She started inside but stopped. She turned to face him. "I've been here for almost a month and I still have a little trouble with the slang here. It's...different." Then she disappeared inside.