Sissy
Ringtone: All the Things She Said Pick a Fight
It was Halloween of 1991 when Colette Elizabeth Nichols entered the world and Nicole's heart broke. She's spent the bulk of her adult life trying to make up for being unable to shield her little sister from the same abuse she grew up with. When their mother was diagnosed with cancer, Nicole was quick to take Colette into her home. After Evagneline Nichols' cancer was determined to be terminal, Nicole was keen never to let her sister go back to the home they grew up in, and their father's brand of "care." Instead, Nicole attempted to become not only the cool sister, but the cool parent, and give Colette a freedom she hadn't experienced before. Only recently has she realised that her plan backfired, as it seems Colette's become adept at getting herself into trouble when left entirely to her own devices.
In 2006, Colette was supposed to be at home, and home was extremely damaged by the bomb that destroyed Midtown Manhattan. When no survivor matching Colette's description was to be found, a devastated Nicole presumed her sister dead. It was this unwillingness to live a life without her sister that caused Nicole to abandon her own identity, have her memory wiped, and start over as someone new. Her love for her sister was so deep, that when she thought Colette was dead, Nicole wanted nothing more than to be dead, too.
Reuniting with Colette was bitter-sweet. While for Colette, it had been years since she'd last seen her sister, it had felt more like days for Nicole once she regained her memory. She didn't have years to grieve her loss. It put the two on very unequal footing, and left Nicole very able to simply dive back into work. Despite it seeming as though Nicole takes very little interest in her sister's whereabouts, activities, hobbies, and friends, she is still fiercely devoted to Colette and would do anything to keep her safe.
This may mean locking the girl in her bedroom for her own good in the future. With Colette now on the run due to her affiliations, Nicole has to wonder where she failed her sister and if she could have done more to prevent her from getting in so deep in the freedom fighting channels.
With scrutiny on her now (rightfully so), Nicole has to wonder if Colette won't be the death of her.
Despite all this, Colette is still the most important thing in Nicole's life, and she will do whatever it takes to protect her and bring her home.
Judah
Ringtone: Hotel California
Judah Demsky is Colette's adoptive father, and so that makes him something like family to Nicole, even if no blood or legal documentation binds the two.
Perhaps the two act somewhat like a divorced couple, or the kind of couple that produced a child from a one-night stand and never had any intention of co-habiting, though they share child-rearing duties. Regardless, Nicole knows very little about Judah.
All she needs to know is that he's a detective with the NYPD's SCOUT unit, and that he loves her sister as much as she does.
Now that the man has been arrested for harbouring her sister, Nicole can't help but feel an immense amount of gratitude for all that he's done to keep Colette safe, and her as well. She's in the man's debt, and only hopes she'll have a chance to repay that debt someday soon.
Tamara
Ringtone: Breaking the Girl
Sissy's girlfriend.
Nicole knows even less about Tamara than she does about Judah.
The important thing is that Colette seems to love her, so that makes the girl okay in Nicole's book.
She also seems to be okay with this whole Colette-apparently-having-two-girlfriends-thing-I-don't-even, and Nicole thinks that may qualify Tamara for sainthood. …Or maybe an institution.
This last bit is possibly a bit ironic in hindsight, considering Tamara's been taken into Institute custody.
Tasha
Ringtone: Dead Man's Party
Sissy's other girlfriend?
Nicole doesn't know a whole lot about her sister's love life except that it seems to be exceptionally complicated, but it maybe somehow works?
Judging from what she's been told, Colette seems to love both Tasha and Tamara, and at least Tasha doesn't appear to have a weird ability that makes her speak in riddles. So far, so good. She even seems to have good taste in pyjamas, and good manners.
What Nicole can't figure out is how Sissy's getting more ass than she is.
Carrot Cake
Ringtone: Golden
Find Delia Ryans. Save her.
Nicole's first experience with Delia was in her dreams. A lost princess, looking for her way home. She sent the young woman in the wrong direction, due to jealousy. Delia's connection with The King of All, or John Logan, made Nicole into a literal green-eyed monster. Even if it was just a dream, it's not one of Nicole's proudest moments.
In the waking world, Delia Ryans is one of Brad's half-sister. He calls her Carrots, due to her orange hair. Nicole calls her Carrot Cake, because she's so sweet. She's come to embrace the dreamwalker as sort of a second sister, perhaps due to her closeness in age to her actual sister. The fact that Delia is keen to embrace Nicole as an older sister doesn't hurt things, either. If she's honest, Nicole enjoys being wanted by the younger woman.
Where things get complicated is the fact that Delia allowed herself to be seduced by Logan, despite full knowledge of Nicole's feelings for him prior to the act. Perhaps it's because Nicole likes Delia so much that makes it feel like such a stinging betrayal. Though she tried to convince herself at first that she didn't blame Delia for sleeping with him (if only because Nicole understands how persuasive her lover can be), Nicole eventually did come to hold the girl somewhat responsible. Rather than hate her, she simply begged her not to do it again. To have to compete with Delia, who's younger and prettier in Nicole's mind, is a harrowing prospect.
Jester
Ringtone: Does He Love You?
Nicole has been a follower of The Advocate since its inception back in 2003, which means she's something of a fan of Bradley Russo's. In perhaps a moment of serendipity, he happened to have space at his table on a particularly crowded night at the Orchid Lounge. Despite having rubbed elbows with the president and other influential and highly visible political figures, she was still a little starstruck by the meeting. She enjoyed the man's conversation, however, pleased to know that he's just as sharp in person as he seems to be on his program. She hoped to make a good friend of Brad, figuring it could be exceptionally advantageous to her political career.
What actually happened was something that she maybe only dreamt about. In undergrad.
The two had bonded over politics and vices alike, but discovered they also had a common adversary, prompting them to take action together. For Nicole, that meant trying to gather enough information for leverage. For Brad, it seemed to mean giving them an excuse to meet and be in the public eye. When he proposed, it caught Nicole completely off guard. And on live television, she found herself with no other choice than to say yes.
Nicole considers her engagement to Brad to be a strictly political arrangement, and sees no reason why it should interfere with her relationship with John Logan. Despite this, she feels simultaneously a certain kinship – a strong connection – with Brad, and a deep resentment toward him for how she feels trapped in with him. Especially considering they're both in love with different people.
To try and smooth things along, Nicole made a fumbling attempt at manipulating Russo. She mistakenly believed he needed her to think she was in love with him, and achieved the exact opposite effect she was hoping, pushing him far away and leaving her even more bitter about the arrangement than before. She's stopped wearing his ring as a result of her unhappiness.
Logan
Ringtone: Womanizer Toxic Uno
John Logan quickly became someone Nicole considers a friend. At first, she found him somewhat detestable, what with having run a brothel, probably being a kidnapper, and just being a player, but when her ability manifested itself and he was able to quell it for her…
Well, Nicole suddenly developed a need to get to know Logan better.
She can't say she's disappointed. He's really a decent fellow, now that she's gotten to know him. As decent as most criminal types are, at least. And, let's face it, she does know quite a few between working in fronts for organised crime and working in politics. (Really one and the same, right?)
During a visit to Saint Luke's where Logan was laid up after a rather unfortunate bus accident, and while she was reeling from finding Jenn Chesterfield dead, the pair proceeded to sneak cigarettes in the restroom and get drunk. A little rule breaking in times of crisis. Breaking one of her own rules, or at least breaking out of her own shell, Nicole may have possibly flirted with Logan and confessed a bit of an attraction.
When the Corinthian Hotel hosted a gala to celebrate its grand opening, Logan was Nicole's date - if only to keep her ability in check. Several glasses of champagne and a tumble into the fountain later, Nicole found herself kissing the man. Seeing the act as a mistake, she was quick to put some distance between she and him after that night, without backing off on the friendship she felt she had built.
After a night punctuated with a healthy dose of fear, a tipsy Nicole made peace with her desires and slept with Logan. If for no reason other than to scratch an itch. Neither seem to be under any illusions that one might harbour feelings for each other beyond simple physical attraction.
In truth, Logan's playboy ways make Nicole nervous. She doesn't exactly have a history of relationships, and she'd hate to be like a tissue to Logan: Soft, strong, and disposable. In spite of this and all her misgivings, Nicole has given Logan a key to her condo with the instructions not to hesitate to hole up there if he needs a place to stay for any reason. This is a decision she will likely regret very quickly doesn't yet regret.
Much to Nicole's dismay, she finds herself jealous when she sees any other woman on the man's arm. It's just a phase, she's sure. It will pass. Once again sorting out her own feelings, she confessed to Logan, admitting both to herself and to him that she's in love with him. Possibly to both their dismay. He isn't her usual type (while he may be somewhat emotionally unavailable, she usually likes her men much older), which leaves her feeling somewhat baffled, but she's slowly learning to stop questioning it, and just let it happen.
Her engagement to Bradley Russo throws something of a wrench into the non-relationship she had been maintaining with Logan. Somehow unexpectedly. She had been under the impression that what was between herself and Logan was strictly about the sex to him – a friends with benefits type of situation. It never occurred to her once that the man may actually consider her to be "his."
Not until he attempted to break her fiancé's face, that is. The ensuing discussion brought the relationship into an entirely different light, leaving Nicole feeling conflicted as to whether she should have attempted to salvage it at all. That he sees her in a way she's never seen herself is disconcerting, because even though his assessment of her is unkind, that doesn't make it untruthful. She may just be too broken for him.
Nicole may be too broken for anybody.
Trying to balance her political ambitions with her romantic ambitions has backfired horribly, resulting in being ignored by both the men she considers important in her life. While Logan may think that she doesn't notice his avoidance, Nicole suffers terribly for it and regrets underestimating his level of investment in the first place. If she'd realised how he felt, she'd have humiliated Russo when he proposed to her on live television (by saying no) without a single shred of remorse.
In their time semi-separated, Nicole discovered Logan had slept with Delia Ryans. A fact that crushed her heart. Nicole isn't naive enough not to realise that she isn't the only one to share their bed with Logan, but to realise that he's sharing it with someone she knows and has a great deal of regard for is like twisting the knife. Despite feeling like a fool, Nicole still holds out hope that she can make things work out. If only because she needs something to work out.
Sable
Ringtone: Ring of Fire
Nicole was presented to Sable as sort of a runner-up prize when Colette decided that two girlfriends is apparently quite enough, and Sable didn't fit into that bizarre love triangle she's got going. The two went out on a couple of dates, and Nicole genuinely likes Sable, but the fact that she's Sissy's age kept Nicole from pursuing the relationship in earnest.
That much is for the best, it seems. Both women had their sights set on other targets, despite the pleasant distraction they provided for one another.
Sable is the one Nicole goes to when she loses touch with her sister and isn't sure what's going on in her world. It's only disconcerting to realise that Sable doesn't know much more about Colette's comings and goings than Nicole does.
Daniel
Ringtone: Notorious
While Daniel Linderman is her employer, Nicole still considers him one of her closest friends. She often shares her troubles with him, and seeks his advice. Daniel is the first man Nicole came to trust after her home life soured her to the gender. She perhaps puts him on a higher pedestal than he deserves, but she isn't entirely naive as to his ways. Quite the contrary. While Nicole's hands, from a legal standpoint and one of plausible deniability, are clean of the illicit affairs of the Linderman Group, that doesn't mean that she doesn't truly know what's going on behind the scenes. Though, she doesn't quite know the depth of Daniel's involvement in things like The Company have begun to come to light and she finds it vaguely reminiscent of Jenn's ties to Pinehearst. While she was willing to overlook it as a mistake made years ago, Kain Zarek has suggested that perhaps Daniel's motives regarding her are not nearly as altruistic as she always believed - insinuating that Daniel left Sissy to the state's foster system, when he could have arranged for care for her even while Nicole was under her cover as Steve Caiati.
Regardless of the fact that Daniel is somewhat of a glorified mobster, Nicole still trusts him implicitly and will defend him and his interests in any way that she can. With the man relocated upstate, it leaves her juggling control of the Linderman Group as discreetly as possible.
When Danny dies, a part of her will go with him.
Robert
Ringtone: Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Of all her fellow employees, Nicole perhaps most closely relates to Robert Caliban. While she handles more of the administrative duties, Robert wrangles the press much in the same way she has done for political campaigns. This gives the two a common thread to ensure no shortage of chit-chat when they get the chance to speak at functions. She finds him respectable, even if what the two of them manage to suppress, dress up, and distract from isn't quite so.
At the soft opening of d'Sarthe's, Kain first enlisted her help to distract Robert, who in turn drafted her to follow and eliminate a ghost from the Group's past - Lola Mayeux. While shocked that he would include her in something she's largely been expected to stay out of (the true business side of things), she only too willingly went along and did her best to help clean up the mess Kain had left behind. She's pleased he trusted her to assist him, and hopes to work more closely with him in the future. Especially given the current state of unease within the Linderman Group following the exposure of The Company and those involved with it.
Manny
Ringtone: Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
Manny Calevera is one of Nicole's closest friends. The two can bond over cosmos and work-related banter easily. When Nicole needs muscle, she calls Manny. When she needs a drinking buddy, she calls Manny. When she needs a driver, she calls Manny. It may seem as though she takes advantage of the man, but the fact is that she trusts him more than any average joe off the street. Whether he's aware of her trust issues or not, he indulges her most of the time. And when he can't be there for her, he's quick to point her in the direction of someone who can, or set her up with a suitable substitute on his own. Manny is one of those people that Nicole is eternally grateful for, and she makes sure that's abundantly clear to him.
With Kain gone, Manny has all but disappeared from Nicole's life, much to her sorrow.
Sweeney
Ringtone: The Bomb
Roderick Sweeney's true function within the Linderman Group is somewhat of a mystery to Nicole. She has a vague idea of what he offers to the Group, but no real confirmation. She is very aware that he is an asset, and tries to assure that he's protected as an interest of the Group. Beyond that, Nicole finds him rather pleasant company. Charming, and his accent isn't too bad to listen to, either. While she doesn't spend much time with him personally, she does genuinely get along with the man and considers him a good acquaintance that she hopes to count among her friends eventually.
Roderick is something like the comic relief of the group, and Nicole finds his mischievous nature infectious. This is a blessing, in that sometimes Nicole needs to lighten up and have fun, but she has to be mindful not to get carried away. He's earned himself some points by agreeing to be her date so she wouldn't have to attend the gala for d'Sarthe's grand opening on her own. He could have gone with a stripper, after all. And while vapid, Nicole wouldn't have blamed him for preferring the arm candy Daisy would provide as opposed to the conversation she will.
Reynolds
Ringtone: Default
Nicole knows less about what Kelly Reynolds' true position within the Group is than she does about Sweeney's. She does know that the woman - maybe she is an enforcer of some sort? - is nice to look at, if exceptionally acerbic or just plain venomous. She also knows that she's Kristen Reynolds' sister. Which explains a thing or two.
While she means to keep a good working relationship with Reynolds, Nicole expects to keep the woman at arm's length or better. Call it a hunch, but it seems like the smart thing to do.
Ina
Ringtone: I Cut Like a Buffalo
Part of Nicole's time in Las Vegas was spent evaluating Ina Anderson. Eager to promote another woman into a position of power - should she fit the role, of course - Nicole was pleasantly surprised to see just how exceptionally capable and ambitious Ina was. The two spent a brief time getting to know each other, and deciding her a good fit for their New York operations, Nicole recommended transferring Ina to the new Corinthian as a floor manager. A decision she has not come to regret. Ina has shown herself to be a shrewd thinker, and a good fit for the operation.
Now, if only Nicole weren't so troubled by the way she's caught Ina speaking with Marie d'Sarthe.
Kristen
Ringtone: She Ain't Pretty (She Just Looks That Way)
Kristen Reynolds is the producer for The Advocate and the Capital K in Studio K. She's smart, recognises talent when she sees it, knows how to manage her time, her money, and her employees (Bradley Russo not withstanding). All in all, she's exceptional at what she does, and Nicole admires her for it.
The only thing keeping the two women from properly bonding is Russo. With Kristen in love with him, and Nicole engaged to him, there's some tension there that goes unaddressed between the two women. Nicole hopes to salvage a friendship out of the situation, but realises that if she were in Kristen's shoes, she would hate her, too.
Dirk
Ringtone: What is Love?
Dirk is the resident fuck-up around Studio K, or so he would have everyone believe. Upon their first formal meeting, however, Nicole saw a very different side to him. Dirk is competent and fiercely devoted to Kristen Reynolds' success. Or at least to keeping her apart from Bradley Russo, romantically. Which is where Nicole factors into his schemes.
He's candid with her, which is something Nicole endlessly appreciates. The two might make great partners in subterfuge, if they can manage not to put one another in the hospital. Accidentally.
Nicole's quickly discovering that she and Dirk have much more in common than she initially thought, and he's fast becoming the closest thing to a BFF as she has.
Robyn Quinn
Ringtone: Gimme Sympathy
Robyn Quinn is one of Sissy's friends, and a member of a band that's apparently up and coming! She seems to understand what Colette is like, which is something Nicole endlessly appreciates. Quinn has also begun working at Studio K, which lumps her into the realm of politics merely by her association. Running a radio show will doubtlessly come in handy.
If Magnes Varlane can manage to avoid getting her arrested on suspicion of treason.
In a dangerous situation, Quinn stood up and kept more people from getting hurt. Protecting someone she loves is something Nicole can understand better than any other motivation. Quinn's display kept Nicole from having to take action herself, which only earned her bonus respect points in Nicole's book.
In addition, Quinn approached Nicole to find out if she was experiencing any weird dreams. Knowing someone else is having the same problem with unbidden visions is a comfort. Knowing there are others out there trying to find answers is also a comfort, and it prompted Nicole to ask Quinn to sponsor her entrance to the Ferrymen's network. Now the only thing left to do is wait.
Colonel Heller
Ringtone: Run
Nicole knows very little about Colonel Leon Heller, aside from his name, his rank, and that he's involved in some Very Big Things. He found her at Logan's club and asked her about his associates. Then, he asked her about her sister, and where to find her. He admitted to having taken Judah Demsky (though not in so many words), which tells Nicole that she could be next.
She suspects that his motives are something to do with the Ferrymen Network, which she's purposely tried to find out very little about. According to Brad, and to Logan, there were five people murdered by the government, and Heller is trying to cover it up. Nicole doesn't care about stopping Heller, or bringing the crimes and tyranny of the government to light, so much as protecting her family, and herself.
Heller keeps Nicole awake at night, and leaves her paranoid about what's lurking around every corner.
Richard Cardinal
Ringtone: Giant
Cardinal's first mistake was breaking into Nicole's home. His second was telling Nicole what to do. The largest mistake was threatening Colette. Even if he and Sissy are supposedly on the same side now, Nicole still remembers that he was willing to expose her little sister in order to get his way, and firmly believes that he'd do it again if it suited his purposes. For that, she hates him.
When Kain Zarek died, it didn't take long for Nicole and Logan to make Cardinal their number one suspect. For that, she wants him dead, and isn't entirely unwilling to do the dirty work herself.
Sylvia Lockheart
Ringtone: Default
Sylvia Lockheart bested Jenn Chesterfield in the run for mayor. That alone is enough to piss Nicole off. While Jenn may not have had the cleanest past, she had ideals. Solid ideals that Nicole could believe in.
She cannot say the same for Lockheart. And what the woman's done in her time as mayor has done nothing to remotely endear herself to Nicole.
If Lockheart seeks re-election, this time Nicole intends to destroy her.
Pastor Sumter
Ringtone: Hallelujah
Nicole first met Joseph when she didn't know where else to turn, and she wasn't sure if even God could forgive what she had done. He was there when she needed to confess, and Joseph remains the only person to have been implicitly told that Nicole murdered her father for what he'd put her and her sister through.
He also shared his gift with her. And while it isn't something she wholly understands, Nicole is grateful that he saw fit to share it with her when he could have sent her away after her terrible confession. The fact that he didn't simply send her away endeared Joseph to Nicole, and she considers him a qualified candidate for sainthood for that.
To Nicole, Joseph is a voice of reason when she needs to be reminded about the important things in life. She hasn't seen him since before she went to Las Vegas on business, and fears it isn't her right to attempt to re-connect now. She has no idea that he was in the same predicament as her sister. Nor did she realise that Colette had formed a strong enough bond to attempt to rescue Joseph.
Catherine Chesterfield
Ringtone: Ms. Know-It-All
Nicole has very mixed feelings when it comes to Catherine Chesterfield. She partially blames her for the trouble Colette has gotten herself into, believing that she should have tried harder to keep the young girl out of the line of fire. On the other hand, Catherine is Jenn's daughter. The fact that Catherine was so loved by Jenn gives Nicole pause enough that she can't quite write the other woman off entirely. This doesn't necessarily mean Catherine should expect an invitation to afternoon tea any time soon, but it does mean Nicole will be giving the benefit of the doubt.
As a person to be judged on her own merits, Nicole finds Catherine to be positively infuriating. When asked direct questions, it seems Catherine is fond of giving indirect answers and it makes Nicole wonder if the girl missed her calling to fall into the realm of politics. As a person valuing directness and honesty (oh, the irony), Nicole is rubbed the wrong way by Catherine's secretive nature.
Satoru Lawrence
Ringtone: Default
Chance facilitated a meeting between Nicole and Toru at a coffee shop across the street from Dorchester Towers. The two figured out they both know (and maybe love) the same man. They have completely different approaches for when it comes to how to theoretically gain the attention of John Logan, however, which causes the two to clash, even if Nicole thinks Toru seems a decent enough person and might like to get to know him better.
She just gets the feeling that that doesn't go both ways.
Tess Winslow (Zarek)
Ringtone: Default
Nicole met Tess completely by accident while trying to get some work done at Chambéry. She came looking for Kain, and Nicole initially misunderstood the reason for her search, until the girl smiled. Despite some misgivings, Nicole arranged a meeting for the young girl, if only because she's still a little mad at Kain for sort of shattering her worldview and seemingly not caring about how it would affect her.
But what started out as fun and games may come back to bite her in the ass, Nicole worries. It seems Tess is serious about inserting herself into her father's life and has gone about getting to know his associates. While she knows Kain will never hear the end of the teasing, Tess could prove to be problematic for the members of the Linderman Group if she gets a little too eager about getting involved.
Also, she's young, blonde, and cute, and possibly interested in Logan. One of these things does not sit well with Nicole.
Allen
Ringtone: Until You're Over Me Bet you thought it would be Iron Man. Please, I'm not so predictable. Matches to Paper Dolls
While Nicole came to know Allen Rickham under her cover as Steve Caiati, he appeared to have since forgiven her for her deceit, perhaps realising that she's basically the same person underneath it all. Nicole was one of the first that Allen trusted enough to reveal his power to, and she is forever grateful for that trust. Over the course of Rickham's campaign for the presidency, Nicole became very close to Allen, and eventually fell in love with him. A professional first, and someone with feelings second, Nicole kept herself in check, though she suspects that - deep down - he always knew about her feelings for him. She confessed to him his last day in New York City before leaving for Alaska, and asked him if he felt the same. She was heartbroken to hear that he didn't, and even more devastated because she was almost certain he was lying to her. When she found herself face to face with a version of Allen from the future, she asked him again, and he danced around the issue of whether he truly felt the same about her.
Despite how much she feels she may love Allen, Nicole never made a move to destroy his marriage. As it turns out, that seemed to have happened all on its own. It was a bitter-sweet development, however, as Nicole could never bring herself to try and replace the void left by Allen's wife, knowing how deeply he cared for her. With a heavy heart, she has moved on. Allen was a perfect example of Nicole's type - older and entirely unavailable.
Seeing Allen with Jenn Chesterfield raised questions that Nicole couldn't begin to answer, but she was happy to see he was the man she had grown to admire and love so much, despite all that had happened.
At least until Jenn's murder. He claimed that all hope of changing things peacefully died with Jenn, and though some part of her believes that is true, she doesn't fully understand why Allen had to follow that path. It seemed that overnight he became the man he was destined to become ten years down the line. She offered repeatedly to help him achieve what he wanted, but he rebuffed her each time. Perhaps he really did care too much to allow her to walk his path.
When she was told that Allen died, Nicole felt destroyed, and hopeless. Though she's trying to pick up the pieces of her heart, and her shattered ideals, there's no denying the impact Allen's death has left on her.
Kain
Ringtone: The Sharpest Lives
Kain Zarek was one of Nicole's oldest business acquaintances. As such, she came to build a bit of a trust with him over the years. While she maybe didn't confide as much in him as she does his partner in crime, Kain was still someone Nicole was inclined to turn to when she needed professional advice. At the very least, the two were able to commiserate about the lives they'd handed over to Daniel Linderman on a silver platter. Even if she is considerably less remorseful than he was. As such, she tended to take his view of their employer's motives with a grain of salt, believing she's somehow exempt from the manipulations she knows Daniel Linderman to be capable of. The manipulations Kain has been a victim of. However, when he suggested to her that Colette was deliberately ignored by Daniel after turning up when the bomb left her presumably dead, and subsequently homeless, Nicole couldn't help but take notice.
Kain Zarek was also one of Nicole's oldest friends. His death has left her more impacted than she cares to admit (except perhaps to John Logan), and she harbours a strong desire to see his killer brought to justice. Even, or especially, if it's just she and her colleagues handling it themselves.
Jenn
Ringtone: Default
It didn't take long for Nicole to bond with Jennifer Chesterfield after signing on as the woman's campaign manager for the mayoral race. Jenn was sharp as a tack, able to laugh at herself, and above all else, genuine. It made her a fast friend. The two were able to relate to each other, commiserating over the woes of "their girls," snarking about their political counterparts, and being women in the Old Boys' Club. Jenn was the sort of woman Nicole aspired to be, and she made sure the other woman knew it.
When Nicole's best efforts fell short and Jenn lost the election, she blamed herself for not doing more, even if it would have been underhanded. The ultimate failure came when Nicole found Jenn dead in the stairwell of their campaign headquarters, and she was unable to revive her friend. The helplessness of that moment weighs heavily on Nicole. The loss she feels, and the void Jenn left behind, will not easily be forgotten.
Now more than ever, Nicole finds herself wondering if there is anyone who can pick up where Jenn left off.
And sometimes, she wonders if she shouldn't be the one to step up and be that catalyst for change.
