Ta da! And the plot thickens....

"So let me get this straight....you and Nick are no longer friends? Let me guess...Tony had something to do with this right?" Brent sat down a little surprised.

"Well yeah...but how did you know that? Did Nick tell you?" I laughed, sighing and looked towards the hospital room that my son was in.

"No he didn't...Nick has a habit of leaving those parts out of the conversation. How did I know exactly? Well I had a run in with Tony myself. Let's just say he used my son as emotional blackmail asking me to walk away from Nick and I told him I would never do it....he was right about one thing though...I can't protect them both, as much as I want to deny it. Nick is the one I do love and care about...but my son...I love and care for him too....I can't do this alone..." Brent put his hand on my shoulder in sympathy.

"You are never alone Skye...no one is...you may feel like you are alone but you have Dylan and Brian and Leigh and most of all Nick, someone who I may never get back as a best friend, but he loves you all the same. And you know you love him too. Tony ruined my friendship with Nick...don't let him destroy any hope of you and Nick being happy...that's what Grace would have wanted...." I smiled for the first time in a few days. Here was a man who lost his sister, he so dearly loved and for me to have his support, I really appreciated it.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I turned to look above me and saw Nick looking straight at Brent with a look on his face that contained anger, frustration and most of all....pain from his past....

Looking at the two men face to face, there was a measure of silence. Studying each other and sizing each other up, it was a spooky feeling to see a part of Nick's past, someone he hadn't shared with me just yet. Although I could understand why.

"Nick please let's just talk about this like adults?" I looked at both men again and realised this wasn't such a good idea saying that...but hey I wanted to liven up the mood.

"Adults? You want to sort this out like adults? Skye what bullshit has he been feeding you? Brent blames me for Graces death, something I can never forgive him for and now he has the nerve to show up here and for what?" I stood up and provided space between the two men.

"Well sorry for creating a rational idea Nick, but do you think Brent might have wanted to sort things out? Wires do get crossed sometimes...please just hear him out!" Nick moved his hands away from me.

"Besides Nick I never said that, we both loved the same woman, you just as much, we're both hurting, don't you see? Tony is playing on your grief; he's toyed with your emotions and made me out to be the bad guy. He's the one feeding you bullshit Nick not me, I'm not your enemy. Let's talk about this..." Nick shook his head and moved further away.

"I can't...I'm sorry...I just...I look at you and I see her...all I see is Grace and even if you didn't say those things...I can't...no more lies please..." I grabbed Nick's hand in a last attempt.

"Nick please listen to him, he's your best friend still, don't fight this, after all this time he believes in you, and will always support you...something Tony would never do..." Nick pulled his hand away from mine in anger.

"To think you of all people would believe what he says! Don't bring Tony into this! You're just looking for someone to blame! He's not the villain here." I threw my hands up and exasperated.

"Well Nick who is the villain? Obviously not Tony coz you seem to defend him even though he put you in a hospital bed and left you for dead, or manipulate and controlled you? Or fabricated lies so you would believe him and as a result turn everyone you've ever loved against you. Oh no he definitely isn't the villain here and he sure isn't a saint either. You know who the villain is Nick? YOU, you're your worst enemy and pretty soon that's all that will consume you, Tony has used you as a puppet on a string and you can't face the fact that you trusted him and he betrayed you and until you accept that, I don't want to be apart of this, now if you'll excuse me I have a son to attend to and you two need to sort this out, not only to remain friends but for your own sakes..."

"She's right about everything you know...Tony being the villain. He still controls me sometimes, and half the time I don't know he's doing it." Nick and Brent both sat back on the bench where I had left them moments ago.

"Nick we were both hurting, we had something in common and still do. Grace, she was the one person who brought us closer together, we've been friends since we were at school...we used to support each other, trust each other and be honest with one another. Don't let what Tony said rattle you. I'd never blame you for Grace's death. He played us both men, one against the other, you have to understand..." Nick stood up and turned around to face Brent, hands in his pockets.

"I saw her in that hospital bed, fighting for her life, suffering in pain, I had to stand by and watch her slip away. The woman I loved, gone in an instant and Tony right there, behind me, I thought he was a good friend. Now all I see is lies and deceit and what can I do now? Nothing, absolutely nothing, Dylan is in the exact same position, and it's like an old re-run that doesn't stop, when it comes down to it, we are all our worst enemies. I just didn't see what Tony did to everyone..." Brent stood and joined his friend he so dearly treasured and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I think some things are too good to be true Nick, like Tony. He was a great friend, while it lasted and now he's free to do this to someone else. He made you feel like you were someone you're not and didn't that feel unusual? To be someone that you really weren't supposed to be in the first place? Tony had taken every piece of you like a jigsaw puzzle, rearranged it so it looked like you but when you looked a little closer it really didn't look like you at all. Once we realise from our mistakes, that's when we begin to see ourselves in a more familiar light. Nick what I'm trying to say is, I want to be friends like we used to be, best friends, I want that friendship back, please?" Nick looked at Brent in the eye and he saw not only himself in those eyes but Grace as well.

"Okay...but first I have some fences to mend... you don't mind if we catch up later?" Brent silenced Nick with a smile.

"Go...Skye needs you, Go to her..." Nick embraced Brent like he should have a long time ago. A friendship saved. Smiling he ventured back to Dylan's room but he didn't see anyone in there, opening the door he saw Tony with me close to his chest, an arm wrapped around me, preventing me from escaping and a gun pointed at my head.

"Close the door Carter, there's some things we need to discuss..." Nick closed the door, looking quickly over at Dylan's sleeping form and waited patiently for instruction.

"Tony we don't need to use extreme measures here...it's me you want, leave Skye out of this..." Tony chuckled and what the fear spread across Nick's face, wondering what he'd do next, who was the next life to be toyed with.

"That's where you're wrong, I simply can't Nick, she didn't take up my offer like I told her to, she did the wrong thing and ran to you and now she has to pay, don't make this any harder..." Nick put his hands up.

"Wait! Maybe we can come to some agreement?" Tony released his grip on me a little, smirking he nodded.

"Okay Carter, I'm listening..."

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