by deity
'No wonder he’s acting so strangely. Everything Jemma just told me points to a cult, including her reaction! How else can I explain his behaviour; the mood swings, the bizarre confession, the falling out with his best friend. Though Jason is probably still involved.' Nikki thinks as she paces away from her meeting place with Jemma.
'I need to find out what is happening? I'm not going to lose him to some whacko cult of nutjobs!' She stops for a moment, she wasn't actually going anywhere she just knew she had to get out of there to try and come to grips with what she had just discovered. Even though she was the one who voiced the idea she couldn't, or didn't want to comprehend exactly what it meant. Billy, her Billy was caught up in some horrible cult and people are being murdered.. what can I do?'
What was she doing now? She couldn't stay here in the middle of the sidewalk, her shift at the cafe didn't start for hours and Billy would probably still be at home, she didn't want to see him at least not right now. She needed some peace and quiet to think all this over, what the hell was she going to do? Victoria Park was nearby, she could go there and try to make sense of all this and get out of everyone's way she thought as another haughty pedestrian elbowed past. She crossed the road toward the park, still in a state of disbelief; everything from Billy's behaviour to Police investigation was pointing to him being wrapped up in some bizarre and apparently deadly cult! What was she going to do?
Could she follow Billy? First he'd have to leave the house again and then she'd need to disguise herself and catch up to his trail without being recognized or conspicuous… No, that wasn't going to work.' She thought as she arrived in the park and took a grassy spot in the sun.
She could confront Billy, though in his current mood that probably wouldn't get her anywhere. Why wouldn't he confide in her? Couldn't he see she was just trying to help? After so many years together didn't he see them as a team? And realise that he's problems were her problems too?
This whole drama made her doubt how well she actually knew Billy... This was hardly the first time he had become sulky seemingly overnight and she had long tried to placate his stubborn streak. Early on in their relationship, when they were getting to know each other’s habits and lifestyles, she had told herself it was well worth dealing with his stubbornness for the kindness and love that he showed her and the way it made her feel to be with him. Looking at her current predicament, maybe she had been wrong? While she hated the idea of being that type of girlfriend who tries to change and manipulate their man maybe she had been too easy on him... Oh, why did all this have to happen? Why couldn't things be like they were a few weeks ago when they were sitting in a park together happily and he was confiding in her about this astral planing, she let out a sigh of exhaustion and frustration.
What could she do now? Confronting Billy would probably make him even more distant so that wasn't an option and trailing him simply wouldn't work. So what else could she do now? Because she couldn't just sit back helplessly and let this happen. She could catch up with Peta! She was involved in all of this somehow and Nikki knew her better than Billy and Jason, well differently to Jason she thought with what was almost a smile. She was starting to feel a little better already, well at least not so helpless. She would try to find out more of all this 'cult' madness from Peta. Because if Billy wasn't telling her anything, she doubted she would get anything from Jas and that left Peta, who she thought of more as her friend than Billy's, at least she had thought so before all this craziness started, now she was less certain. Regardless, she was her best chance to find out more.
But what if that didn't work? If Billy could be indoctrinated to keep things from her by this cult then surely Peta could too. Maybe there was another way? There was so much that she didn't know about here. It definitely made sense not to put all her eggs in a single basket; so if talking to Peta didn't reveal much she had another chance, another hope, something to distract her from the inevitable frustration at being so hopeless against this danger threatening the man she loved.
How else could she uncover these secrets? There was every chance Peta would not tell her. Maybe Billy would come around, return to the lovely, beautiful boyfriend she remembered so fondly and so recently. He had had similar moments before and they had been temporary and previously she thought she would just let him sulk a little, give him some space and get over it but that was before Jemma and her agreed that there was a murdering, mind-control cult involved! What if they were involved in his recent mood and he was going to be like this for weeks or months? For one, she didn't know if she could bear it but then she couldn't imagine breaking up with her Billy. She clearly had to do something and talking to Peta was a start but only a start. She would have to talk to Jemma again but who knew how that would go? Trying to share a coffee after years apart and Nikki flees after a few minutes! What must Jemma think of me! And while she knew she had good reason for her behaviour she could hardly share it with Jemma, or expect her to keep it to herself. Jemma was in the police and Nikki would be telling her that her Billy was involved with the murderous cult she was investigating.
She would have to work out what she would tell Jemma to explain her behaviour later. She needed to think of another way to unravel this mystery and save Billy, but how? What did she know? Ultimately, not much. A few details from Jemma's police file and a brief, though surprising conversation with Billy about astral planing. But there must be something there.. Hang on! Billy had compared astral planing to meditation, she even recalled this was a critical part of the process. She could start meditating! That would help her understand what they were involved with and once she got the hang of it she could ask Billy for assistance and get more involved and hopefully save him from this horrible mess! She would have to move quickly and get good at it quickly but this way she could have a basic understanding and get involved rahter than hope someone stops to tell her while she watches from the sideline. She would still keep a close eye on Billy and catch up with Peta and try to explain to Jemma but meditating and then astral planing was an even better way of uncovering the secret double life of her boyfriend. It wouldn't be easy; she needed to continue studying and work and maintain a regular social life and have time for Billy as well as meditating but she would have to fit in all in somehow, she had to. She searched the contacts in her phone for Peta's number so she could arrange to catch up, brushing the grass from her skirt as she got up and made her way home. Maybe Billy wouldn't be home right now and even if he was he was probably still sulking; giving her a brief opportunity to start trying this meditation thing before her shift at the cafe started. She had a lot to do if she was going to uncover Billy's bizarre astral cult and not much time to do it in she thought as she paced across the park toward her apartment.