Home

As soon as Rikki entered her apartment she collapsed onto her couch. Her body screamed at her to rest and she couldn’t fight it any longer, within seconds she was passed out. Thatcher had insisted she stay at the hospital longer but she couldn't stand being there anymore. As much as she appreciated what he'd done she needed to be alone.

When Rikki woke it was late. She checked her phone and had a ton of missed calls from Finn. She stared at the phone for a moment, unsure of what to do. He’d been worried about her all day, no doubt and had been texting and calling her non-stop. Rikki felt guilty that in response to all that worry she’d have to lie to him. Her phone started ringing again and she answered, trying to steady her breath.

"Hey babe," she said, her voice hoarse but steady.

“Where the hell have you been?" Finn’s voice crackled through the speaker, a mix of concern and frustration. "I’ve been trying to reach you all day. I’ve been worried sick."

"I—" She swallowed, trying to mask the strain in her voice. "I’m sorry, Finn. I... I just needed some space, you know? I had a lot going on today."

A beat of silence passed on the other end, and she could almost picture him running a hand through his hair, the way he always did when he was thinking.

"Space? If you’ve got stuff going on you can talk to me, you know that right?"

She closed her eyes, the weight of his words pulling at her heart. He was always so understanding, so patient with her. She’d never wanted to hurt him. And yet, here she was, keeping a part of herself hidden from him.

"I know babe. I’m sorry," she said, her tone more sincere now. "I’ve just been... dealing with stuff. Work stuff. Personal stuff. It’s been a lot, you know?"

She winced as soon as the words left her mouth. It wasn’t a lie, not exactly, but it was far from the whole truth. She could feel the distance between them growing, like an invisible wall she’d built, brick by brick, every time she hid the real reasons behind her actions.

"Is everything okay?" His voice was softer now.

She hesitated, her hand tightening around the phone. She had to be careful. If she told him anything too specific, anything about her true life as Nightingale, there was no going back.

"I’m fine," she said, forcing the words out, even though she felt like she was suffocating. "Just… need some time to myself. I’ll be okay."

"Okay," Finn replied, his voice soft, but there was a trace of sadness underneath it. "But listen, if you need anything, anything at all, just let me know.”

Her heart ached at the tenderness in his voice. Finn didn’t deserve this.

"I will," she promised, though she wasn’t sure if she believed it herself. "I’ll… I’ll talk to you soon, okay?"

Another pause. She could hear him sigh, but he didn’t push. "Alright. Just be safe, okay?”

"I will," she said softly, trying to keep the exhaustion from creeping into her voice. "Talk to you soon babe."

With a final click, she ended the call, staring at the screen for a long moment. Her chest tightened, her emotions swirling in a mix of guilt and longing. Finn trusted her. He cared for her. And she had to keep this secret, even if it meant shutting him out, even if it meant keeping him in the dark about the dangers she faced every day.

She dropped the phone on the floor before heading to the kitchen. The weight of everything crashing down on her. She’d nearly died, Thatcher knew her identity and her relationship was falling apart. Rikki reached into her pantry and pulled out a bottle of vodka. Making her way back to the couch she gulped from the bottle before falling asleep again.