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When Nick saw the knife he couldn't believe his eyes, his first instinct was to pick it up but from watching too many episodes of CSI he knew better than to. He took out his cell phone and wallet out of his pockets. Inside his wallet he took out a card with the name of a the detective working on the case. He explained to him where he was and what he found. He also told him to come from the other side away from Nick's home. Stacie's parent's didn't need any more stress on them that day.

Nick then put in Brian's numbers. "Hey could you just let Mr. and Mrs. Steven's know that I'm going to be a little longer than planned please?"

"Of course, do you want one of us to join you out there?" Brian asked.

"No, I just, well-" Nick debated on whether or not to tell Brian about his findings yet or not. "I just need a few more minutes."

"Alright Nick." Nick hung up the phone and waited by the rocks. He wanted to get a closer look to the knife but he was told to only stand by it and not touch any more of the area. Within fifteen minutes, two squad cars pulled down to the beach with flashing lights. Nick was thankful the sirens weren't on.

"Where is it?" The detective asked and Nick pointed him to where the knife stuck out between two rocks.

"And you didn't touch it?"

"No sir."

"Alright, we have your statement and number."

"Is it alright if I go back to the funeral?" Nick asked squinting because of the sun.

"Sure thing. We will keep you informed as well as for the Stevens." Nick nodded and went back up to his house.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Five hours had passed since Nick had found the knife. Everyone had gone home besides the guys and were helping Nick pick everything up.
Nick then had explained what he found at the beach, leaving everyone speechless.

"So, it really could've been a murder." Howie asked drying the dishes on the counter.

"I don't know. Thanks for everything you guys have done, if you want to head out I can finish the rest." Nick told them.

"Nonsense, we'll finish cleaning and we're doing a guys night." Kevin told him sternly.

"I don't think I can stay here though," Nick looked around. Any evidence of Stacie being there was up in Nick's room where Leigh had put everything. The memories however surrounded him like a thick blanket.

"We can go back to my place," Alex offered.

"Yeah, I already told Leigh Ann I would probably be with you tonight." Brian told Nick.

"Okay. Well, I want to get this cleaning done with and out of here." Everyone agreed and within an hour the house was cleaned and they were packed up to head over to A.J's.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
That night the guys hung around A.J's playing pool, watching a few comedies and ordered a pizza. They did anything and everything to keep Nick's mind occupied. That was until about ten o'clock at night when Nick's phone rang. Howie hit pause on the movie as Nick answered the phone and all eyes were on Nick.

"Hello? Yes this is...have her parent's been notified...I understand. Me?...Do I need to come down?...I just never saw it and neither did Stacie...I understand....okay...bye." Nick hung up the phone and stared down at his hands.

"Nick was it the detective?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah."

"What did he say?" Brian asked.

"She didn't kill herself and the blood on the knife was Stacie's. The finger prints were of Payton's."

"WHAT?!" Brian spoke up first.

"They got a warrant to go to her house and its a match to her steak knifes and her room was full of pictures of me and of Ryan."

"Stacie's ex boyfriend that died in the ski accident?" Howie asked.

"I have to get some air," Nick stood up and went for A.J's front door.

"Her speech at the funeral today was kind of sketchy," A.J. admitted.

"Nick was right a long that she didn't kill herself though, that has to give him some peace." Brian thought.

"It's unreal. You think you know someone..." Howie's voice trailed off.
~*~*~*~
Nick walked around the gated in block and wrapped his arms around himself. The air was cool but still fairly warm, but he shivered as he continued to walk. He tried to make sense of everything and the more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. A bunch of 'what if's' swam through his mind. The biggest was, 'what if I hadn't gone to that meeting that day'? He would've most likely would have been with Stacie, he would have gone to the game she had to train at, they would've gone to bed together and then woke up the next day together.

It wasn't fair. That's all he just kept saying to himself and he kicked a rock. The days before today he was in denial of everything and took it all in as a nightmare. Today, the funeral, the knife and the phone call set everything in stone. How was he going to carry on with life? He knew that he didn't want to at that moment and he fell to his knees on the pavement. "Anastasia!" He yelled and began crying the tears, he felt would ever stop.

The End*~