Silent Tears No Longer-by Blair the Alien.

Several doors down the castle hallway Derek Rayne was fighting to wake up. The psychic was sharing in his young friends nightmare, as he had done many times before.He ahd never wanted to go to Nick before, but Nick had never had a nightmare as bad as this . When Derek finally woke up it took him a minute to register where he was, when his heart rate returned to normal he grabbed his robe and headed down the hallway

Nick Boyle thought he heard someone calling his name but he quickly dismissed it as part of his nightmare. Nick woke to find someone shaking him. His first instinct was to back away, but when he saw that it was Derek he wrapped his arm around his precepts neck clinging to him.

Derek was unsure of what to do, he had never seen Nick behave like this before, he'd never seen Nick this scared before. He slowly wrapped his arms around Nick's back and shoulders returning the hug. They remained like that for only a few seconds when Nick quickly released him, mumbled something that sounded vaguely like an apology and scurried back to the head of the bed, suddenly discovering how fascinating his hands were.

"Do you want to tell me who the other two were?" Derek asked cautiously. Nick shook his head , slowly sliding down in the bed onto his back and then curling up into the fetal position. Derek crouched down in front of him and said "Nick you've got to tell me who they are and why you're having these dreams again!" Nick shook his head vehemently as he said " No!" forcibly.

"Do you want me to leave?" Nick didn't answer. Derek thought for a moment, and then walked over to Nick's closet. He turned the light on, looked around for a second and then saw what he was looking for. He took it off the back shelf, turned the light off and closed the door as he walked out of the closet.

Nick had half sat up, leaning on his elbow and arm while still lying on his side. Derek handed the well worn teddybear to Nick. "How did you know he was in there?"

Derek smiled at Nick's embarrassment. "I'm psychic remember? Besides I know you (kid/son?)." Nick just mumbled something inaudible and rediscovered how fascinating his hands were. Derek took that as his cue to leave. "Try and get some sleep Nick." Derek said as he walked out shutting the door behind him. He lingered for a moment and the went back to his room.

Nick curled into the fetal position clutching the bear to his chest as tears began to fall silently down his face.

" Nick are you all right?" She asked a little to eagerly. Nick winced he was nursing a headache from lack of sleep.

" I'm fine." Nick said while pouring himself a cup of coffee.

" Yeah right, and pigs can fly! You had a nightmare last night."

" Don't tell me I woke you up too!"

" Too? Did you wake Derek up?"

" Yeah I think I freaked him out, he looked kind of worried last night."

" He's still worried." Both Alex and Nick turned to see Derek walk into the kitchen looking like he had gotten less sleep than Nick.

" Theres no need to worry, I'm fine. It was just a dream." With that Nick walked out of the kitchen, coffee in hand, headed for the control room.

Derek raised one eyebrow and met Alex's worried look.

Nick walked to the computer furthest away from Rachel, failing miserably at trying to look relaxed and normal. Rachel ignored him for a while hoping that he would come to her. She went back to her work keeping one eye on Nick while he tried to appear engrossed in his work. It continued like this for an hour or so until Rachel became fed up.

Nick was on the verge of putting his fist through the computer screen, he was getting absolutely nowhere with his research. He was angrier with himself, he didn't usually act this way.

Rachel could see all of this, she slid her chair over to where he was sitting. "Nick ..........?" Rachel began to ask, but she was cut off.

" No."

" No?"

" You want to talk, I don't."

" What makes you think I want to talk?"

" You've got that look on your face, your doctor face." Rachel was now at the end of her rope.

" Nick you've got to talk about this, something is really bothering you."

" No! I don't want to."

Nick had gotten up to storm out of the control room, but he was stopped short by Derek's arm. Derek was just about to tell him to sit down when he heard Dominick calling. The three of them walked into the library to see what he wanted.

" What is it Dominick?" Derek asked sounding brusquer than he intended. He was trying to keep an eye on Nick, making sure he wouldn't leave.

" There are two gentlemen here to see master Nick, Dr. Rayne."

" Who?" Nick asked hesitantly. He knew the answer but he was hoping he was wrong.

" A Mr. William Boyle and a Father Stephen McCabe." Derek was in agony by the time Dominick had finished saying this. Nick was clinging to his arm, and his nails were digging into his skin, there would be a bruise there by tonight.

" Dominick could you tell them to wait in the living room, we'll be there shortly." Derek said trying and failing to remove Nick's hand from his arm.

" Sorry." He said sheepishly, backing away with his head down and his hands in his pockets. ".... I-I didn't mean to hurt you."

" I know you didn't. Nick you have to tell me what's wrong, who are they?"

" For Christ's sake leave me alone, I don't need your help!"

" Nick....." Now it was Derek's turn to grab Nick's arm. But Nick pulled away storming out of the room.

" What? No hug for your dear old Uncle Bill?" William Boyle said arms outstretched. This infuriated Nick.

" Go to hell you sick son-of-a-bitch!"

" That's no way to talk to your uncle." Father McCabe said slapping Nick upside the head. Nick backed away, the slap reaffirming their authority over him.

" Now, nephew. We are going to be here at midnight and your going to be waiting for us, right? " Nick's nod was followed by a barely audible yes.

" What was that boy?"

" Yes Sir."

" Good boy. Now your not going to tell anyone are you? No I didn't think so." Nick wasn't really listening he was to busy trying to keep his uncle between himself and Father McCabe. His uncle was less likely to hit him again in a house full of people. " Now be a good nephew and show us to the door."

After his uncle and Father McCabe had left Nick discreetly disappeared up to his room.

Nick's exit hadn't been as discreet as he had thought. The little girl came out from her hiding space at the top of the stairs. She kept shifting her gaze from Nicks room to the library, unsure of what to do. When she heard the shower start in Nick's room, she decided to go down to the library.

" Derek your the only person he can stand to be in the same room with, you have to talk to him."

" He shuts down when it comes to this stuff." Derek said exhasperatedly (?), covering his face with his hands.

" This stuff? You know what's wrong, don't you?" Rachel said becoming furious. She received no reply from the dutchman. " Derek?"

" I don't know, not exactly." Rachel expression didn't change. " Look I don't know what's wrong honestly. It's just that he's acted like this before."

Rachel was confused. " Before? When?"

" Anytime I've asked him about his father." Derek said sighing, obviously in pain.

" His father?"

" You don't know? Of course not, the only reason he told me was to hurt me." Derek said, his face once again finding his hands.

" Derek help me out here, you've lost me."

" Do you remember when we helped my friend who was accused of abusing his son?"

" Sure it turned out to be his dead-son seeking vengeance."

" Well just after we brought Michael here Nick confronted me in my office. He was furious, he didn't think we should be helping Damon. I told him that I knew my friend, that he couldn't do that to his son. Then he said that I probably thought I knew his father, that I thought Robert could never hurt Nick or his mother, but he said that Robert had beaten him all his life." If Rachel hadn't been sitting down she would have fallen.

" I take it it worked?"

" What?"

" You said he was trying to hurt you. He chose a pretty good way to do it." Derek just nodded. " His fathers dead, so what do you thinks wrong?"

" I don't know. I'll try talking to him again. Where is he?"

" He's in his room." They both turned startled by the small voice.

" Kat sweetheart, I thought you were upstairs."

" Hurt?" Kat turned to the dutchman.

" Yeah his lip was bleeding and he was holding the side of his face." Kat turned back to her mother. "Mom what's wrong with Nick?" Kat was confused and she was worried about her friend. She liked Nick and he looked really scared.

" I don't know sweetheart. Will you go find Alex for me, Derek and I will go see if Nick's okay."

When Kat had gone to look for Alex, Rachel turned her attention back to Derek. The dutchman was hunched over in his seat, head in hands, he looked like a worried father. Rachel was about to speak when Derek said " We should go up there." Rachel simply nodded and followed him out of the room.

Derek knocked on Nick's door, and opened it when he got no answer. The first thing he noticed was the heat radiating from the bathroom, he could feel it from across the room. He walked into the bathroom, the shower was on full, the temperature as high as it could go. Nick was huddled in the corner of the shower, wearing only his tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt, scrubbing furiously at his skin. Derek turned off the shower and grabbed a towel. He went to help Nick up, but Nick only crawled even further into the corner wrapping his arms protectively around himself. Derek wrapped the towel and his arms around Nick from behind, holding him until he stop fighting, whispering again and again. " It's okay Nick, its okay."

Nick turned around to face Derek, Looking into his eyes, searching, he found nothing but love and pain. Derek felt sick to his stomach when he saw the fear and pain in in his young friends eyes. Nick threw his arms around Derek's neck, once again, clinging to him. Derek returned the hug, unsure of what to do to comfort his crying friend. To see his usual strong friend terrified was breaking Derek's heart.

The dutchman stood one arm across his chest the other leaning on it, chin in hand. He was trying to figure out how best to go about this, how to find out what was wrong while causing Nick the least amount of pain.

He looked over and met his young friends eyes. He looked deep into Nick's eyes, the terror was no longer there, it had been replaced by fear and a pleading. A pleading to help, to make the pain go away.

Derek walked over and hunched down infront of Nick, never breaking eye contact. " They hurt you don't they?" The only response Derek got was Nick's sudden fascination with his hands. " Nick, zoon, talk to me please."

Nick looked back up at Derek, zoon, he hadn't called him that in a long time. Nick simply nodded. " Does that mean you'll talk to me?" Derek asked hopefully. Nick nodded again. " They do hurt you, don't they?"

" They like hurting people."

" How? Why?"

" They like young boys." Nick stated matter-of-factly. Derek was shocked and confused, he didn't want to hear what his mind was telling him.

" What?" Nick bowed his head fiddling with his sleeve.

" I think what he's saying is that they prefer young boys to women." Rachel interjected.(?)

Derek didn't have a chance to respond as Alex and Kat returned. Rachel had sent them off to get her medical kit once they had gotten Nick to calm down.

Rachel thanked Alex for getting her bag. She turned back to Nick. "Let's take a look at you sweetheart." Nick didn't move, his eyes were fixed on a point behind her. She turned to see her daughter, Kat, standing there clinging to Alex. Rachel looked down at Nick, who looked up at her and then back at Kat.

" Sweetheart........."

" No, she doesn't need to see this."

" She'll be okay."

" No." Nick grew quieter. " You haven't seen my back."

Rachel turned to her daughter. " Kat why don't you and Alex go down stairs and make us something to eat."

" No, I want to stay, I want to stay with Nick." She started to go to him but Derek stopped her.

" Kat don't."

" Why? Let me go, I want to go to Nick."

" No, you'll See he doesn't want that."

" See?" It was Nick, he didn't understand.

" She'll see what your thinking, your memories. It would be too much for her." It took them a few minutes to calm Kat down, and a few minutes more to convince her to leave.

" Do you want anyone to stay while I do this?" Nick nodded and said something so low Rachel couldn't hear it. " What?"

" Derek." Nick said not much louder, but loud enough for Rachel to hear.

" Derek, you want Derek to stay?" Nick simply nodded. Alex left with a reluctant Kat in tow.

Derek walked over and sat down in front of Nick, while Rachel moved around behind him. " Are you okay?" Derek asked trying to catch Nick's eye. Nick nodded, still not looking at Derek. Derek raised Nick's head until their eyes met and smiled gently.

Nick moved Derek's hand so as he let go of his face, but Nick didn't let go of Derek's hand. He looked up at Derek expecting to see anger, or shame at his weakness, but all he saw was love.

Derek squeezed Nick's hand trying not to show that he was struggling to keep his mental barriers up. He was telling the truth earlier the flood of emotions would have been to much for Kat to handle. It would probably be to much for him to handle, and wasn't sure he could cope with what he would See either.

Rachel lifted Nick's t-shirt trying to be as gentle as possible. When she saw his back she thought she was going to be sick. She resisted the urge to grab Nick and hold him close. She forced out one word. " Derek."

Derek looked up at Rachel and felt his stomach tighten at the look of absolute horror on her face. He looked back down at Nick who had let go of his hand and returned his gaze downward.

" I-I think you should look at this." Rachel could barely get the words out.

Derek stood up and walked to stand behind Rachel. He was shocked by what he saw; Nick's back was covered in large red welts. Derek reached out and stroked Nick's hair. Nick flinched from the touch. " Ssh Nick, it's all right." Derek reassured him. The dutchman moved around to face Nick as he said this. Once again he hunkered down beside Nick. He began stroking Nick's cheek with his fingers. Tears began to fall down Nick's face, they were joined soon after by Derek's own. Derek pulled Nick close, rocking him gently, saying nothing.

Eventually Rachel broke the silence. " We need to take him to a hospital, Derek."

" No!" Nick pulled away from Derek." Please don't make me go to the hospital, please."

" Nick we have to I don't have enough medical knowledge to treat you."

" No, they'll want to know how it happened. They'll ask questions. Please don't make me go." Rachel was about to speak when Derek motioned her to stop.

" Nick?" Nick didn't look at him, Derek tried again." Nicholas?" Nick looked at him immediately. " You are going to go the hospital, young man. "

" But......."

" I will not take no for an answer. You are going to go to the hospital, and you are going to let the doctors look after you. Understood."

Nick nodded. He opened his mouth as if to speak several times, only to close it again.

" What is it?"

" W-what if they ask questions?"

" Then you answer them and if you can't you tell them as much." Nick still looked very uneasy. " Don't worry we'll be there with you." Derek reassured him.

Nick eyed the hospital wearily from his position in the back seat. The nauseous feeling in his stomach had gotten progressively worse the closer they got to the imposing building.

Rachel, who was sitting beside him, was very much aware of his growing discomfort. She took his hand in hers, gently stroking it with her thumb, trying to ease his discomfort. Nick was barely aware of Rachel's efforts.

" It'll be all right sweetheart. We'll be there with you the whole time." Rachel said trying to reassure him. Nick turned to face her, it was written plainly on his face that Rachel's words hadn't helped.

Derek pulled the car into the parking space closest to the entrance. He glanced in the rear view mirror, trying to gauge the situation. From the look on Nick's face he could tell that he would have some convincing to do. Derek got out of the car, walking around to open Nick's door. Nick merely sat there unmoving, staring down at his hands.

" You coming?" Derek asked tentatively. Nick nodded, but made no move to rise. Derek extended his hand to Nick, making sure it passed directly in his line of sight. " Come on, it'll be all right." Nick slowly and hesitantly raised his gaze to Derek's face. Derek smiled gently trying to reassure him.

Nick slowly reached for Derek's hand, gently taking hold of it, still a little uncertain. Nick got out of the car headed for the hospital entrance, still holding onto Derek's hand.

Rachel and Derek walked in the direction of the main desk. Derek looked down at Nick, Nick was obviously very afraid. He was still clinging to Derek's left hand, and scanning the room frantically for a way out. Derek reached out with his left hand, still holding onto Nick's hand with it, to stroke Nick's face. Nick turned to face Derek pleading with his eyes, begging to be allowed to go home.

" Dr. Corrigan?" They all turned at the sound of the voice. A short middle-aged man in a dark gray suit was walking towards them. Rachel recognized him as Dr. Browne, a lecturer of hers from college.

"Dr. Browne, how are you?" Rachel asked returning his smile.

"I'm well, I'm well, how are you?" He replied taking Rachel’s hand in his own.

" Can't complain. What are you doing here?"

" I work here now, with the students up in the psychiatric ward. And yourself?"

" I'm here with some friends. This is Derek Rayne, and Nick Boyle- I work with them at the Luna Foundation. I'm afraid Nick isn't feeling to well."

A young blond haired woman walked up to them. "Dr Browne....?"

" You'll have to excuse me I'm afraid I have an appointment. It was nice to see you again Rachel. I hope you feel better soon, son." With that Dr Browne hurried off to attend to hospital business.

" Come on." Rachel said leading them over to the front desk to about someone to see to Nick.