Written By Joseph
Pictures by Juanita

Allie screams, pointing forward causing everyone to look as Nick staggers through bleeding from the chest. Julie screams that he's been shot as Nick collapses. Rafe calls in for an ambulance. Julie holds Nick asking who did this to him as Nick, clutching his chest, stares up at the crowd of everyone in the town square. Julie cries as Nick passes out.

Hope runs into Maggie at the Pub. Hope mentions being on her way to work but asks if Maggie has a minute. Hope sits with her and says it's about Nick.

Julie wants Nick to stay with her. Sami and Lucas rush to Allie to try and comfort her. Allie stares at Nick with tears in her eyes. Rafe gets off the phone and tries to check on Nick but Julie tells him to get back. Julie says Rafe hated him and shouts that they all hated him. Julie declares one of them tried to kill him and he knows it. Rafe tries to help but Julie screams at everyone to get back.

Hope tells Maggie that she has heard Nick is in in the middle of the custody agreement and making trouble. Hope brings up trying to talk to him. Maggie talks about how defensive Nick is and says she hopes Julie got through to him. They joke about turning to Julie. Hope gets called to the town square and rushes out.

Jordan rushes to help Nick. Jordan asks Gabi for a clean cloth and she brings it. Julie holds it on the pressure. Sami and Lucas continue trying to comfort Allie. Kate joins them and tries to talk to her. Allie cries that Nick has a lot of blood on him. Sami and Lucas argue over who should take Allie. EJ agrees that Lucas should take her so they can prepare Johnny and Sydney. Lucas and Kate walk off with Allie. Hope arrives. Julie questions where the ambulance is. Rafe says it should be here soon. Jordan tells Hope that he's alive but his pulse is weak. Paramedics arrive with the stretcher. Julie insists that Nick is going to make it as they check on him. Julie goes with the medics taking Nick away. Rafe explains to Hope what happened. Hope asks anyone if they saw what happened or heard the shots. Hope sends a cop and talks about getting statements from everyone. Rafe goes to Gabi. Will and Sonny say they have Gabi and she's fine with them. Rafe checks in with Jordan and then goes with Hope. Gabi wants to go to the hospital. Jordan agrees. Ben asks if he's going to make it. Jordan says it doesn't look good. Will and Sonny go with Gabi and Jordan to the hospital. Ben checks on Abigail and she wants to go too so they go to the hospital.

Lucas and Kate take Allie to the Pub. Allie worries about Nick as they try to encourage her. Allie talks about Nick helping her with her homework and how he was really nice. She asks if he's going to die. Lucas says he doesn't know. Lucas suggests going home but Allie says no. Lucas says they can go see Caroline and wait at the Pub. Allie mentions Nick liking the Pub. They enter where Maggie is still seated. Maggie greets them. Allie repeats that he had a lot of blood on him as Lucas takes Allie to see Caroline. Maggie asks Kate what happened. Kate says Nick was shot and worries about Allie being the first one to see it. Maggie asks how Nick is. Kate says it looked bad and he was taken to the hospital. Maggie rushes out.

Nick is brought in to the hospital. Julie follows them in. Nick is stretchered to the operating room. Julie is stopped and told she can't go in despite being family. Will and Sonny arrive. Will asks if Julie is okay. Julie tells him that they just took Nick in to surgery. Will asks if they can do anything for her. Julie wants the last two hours back and says if she just took him to dinner then this wouldn't have happened. Julie adds that she knows he made mistakes but he didn't deserve this as she walks away. Abigail and Ben arrive. Abigail asks about Nick but Will tells her that they don't know anything yet. Will checks with Julie again. Julie worries about having to call Nick's mother. Sonny encourages her. Julie sees Ben and questions who he is. Abigail says he's her friend. Julie asks if Ben even knew Nick. Ben says he met him twice. Julie accuses them all of hating Nick.

Hope and Rafe follow the blood trail to where Nick was shot in the park. Hope says making it to the town square had to be a real struggle. Hope asks about everyone in the town square and if they could have been involved. Hope talks about anyone having time to shoot Nick and get to the square. Hope declares that everyone who was there is a suspect.

Sami and EJ walk out of the town square as Sami finishes with a call checking on the kids. Sami worries to EJ that Nick was looking straight at them and about to point the finger at them. EJ tells her to breathe. Sami continues worrying about it. EJ says Nick only raised his hand and then dropped it. EJ doubts Nick even heard Julie. EJ says he wouldn't recognize their guy that shot him. EJ talks about the man being a professional. EJ says all they have to worry about is Sami's worries. Sami asks if Nick survives. EJ tells her that he would never connect it to them. EJ kisses her and encourages her. EJ decides they should go to the hospital since Will and Gabi are there.

Gabi arrives at the hospital and asks about Nick. Abigail tells her that she's in surgery. Julie checks with Gabi and talks about knowing how close they had become. Gabi can't believe this is where they are. Julie says Nick must have confided in Gabi more than anyone so she must have an idea of who hated him enough to do this to him.

Rafe and Hope return to the town square where it's taped off as a crime scene. Rafe asks Hope if she's okay since Nick was her cousin. Hope remarks that she can still do her job. Hope adds that she knew something was wrong. Hope mentions Will and Sonny asking her to talk to Nick then getting sidetracked and she blew it off so now she may never get the chance.

Maggie arrives at the hospital and hugs Julie. Julie says they haven't heard anything since he went in for surgery. Jordan checks in with Gabi and mentions texting Rafe since he's worried. Maggie talks to Julie about calling Nick's mom. Julie hopes they can get good news. Julie recalls Nick collapsing in her arms and reaching out scared. Julie cries as Maggie hugs her.

Will finishes a call with Marlena about being with Arianna. Sonny talks about Gabi being a wreck. They say they can't believe it. Will tells Sonny that he has to get the gun back to Victor's as soon as possible. Sonny says he will the first thing tomorrow.

Jordan talks to Gabi about what happened. Will and Sonny come back out as Sami and EJ arrive. Will tells them that there's nothing new. Maggie tells Julie that she can't imagine who would do something like this to Nick. Julie says that Nick could. Julie tells Maggie that Nick was trying to tell her when he collapsed so he knows who did this to him and will tell her when he wakes up.

Lucas joins Kate at the counter after putting Allie to sleep. Lucas asks if there's any news. Kate hopes Nick will be dead soon. Kate talks about half the town hating Nick. Lucas checks his phone. Kate asks if Nick is dead. Lucas says his only message was Sami asking about Allie. Lucas says he has to get to the hospital. Kate hopes they have something to celebrate and goes with him.

Maggie wonders to Julie if it could've been someone from Nick's past in prison. Julie hopes so since it would be easier to deal with. Will and Sonny talk about Allie having to deal with this. Sami mentions Nick being Allie's favorite cousin. Julie interrupts and questions them being there. Julie talks about them hating Nick. Maggie tries to stop her and tells her to focus on Nick. Rafe and Hope arrive with Lucas and Kate. Rafe hugs Gabi and tells her he's there. Maggie tells Hope that there's been no news. The doctor comes out and says Nick's wounds were severe and they revived him twice but Nick has been pronounced dead. Julie cries as everyone is left stunned. Hope talks with Rafe and Jordan about being the one to find out who did this. Kate jokes with Lucas about Nick's contract. Lucas doesn't speak and walks away. EJ makes a call to get rid of the photographs and destroy flash drives at Nick's place. Sami approaches and asks EJ what photographs he wants destroyed.

Hope goes to see Nick. Hope cries about knowing who he was and what he had been through. Hope says Nick deserved better from her and she's so sorry for letting him down. Hope calls him a sweet soul and she's sorry that he never found the real happiness he deserved.

EJ tells Sami that he had Nick's apartment sanitized for her comfort. EJ claims it was the photos Nick had of the night at the river. Sami asks about Percy. EJ says he's been taken care of and not coming back.

Abigail checks with Julie, Gabi, and Maggie. Abigail tells Gabi that she's sorry. Abigail asks Julie if she can do anything. Julie tells her they'll handle it and she can go on. Abigail says she'll call Gabi and exits with Ben. Hope comes back and tells them that they can go in now so they do.

Gabi, Julie, and Maggie go in to the hospital room to see Nick where they all cry. Julie says she should've stuck with him tonight. Julie talks about their dinner plans. Maggie says he always felt safest alone except with Gabi. Julie says she should've done more and been around. Maggie cries that she tried but not enough. Julie says they all failed him. Maggie says Nick didn't want help but Julie argues that he just didn't know how to ask for it. Julie says God gave him peace. Maggie decides they will give Gabi some time. Maggie and Julie exit. Gabi cries and flashes back to all her memories of good times with Nick.

Will goes home and holds the gun as Sonny walks in.

Rafe asks Jordan what he's supposed to say to Gabi when she knows how he felt about Nick. Jordan encourages him to just focus on being sorry that she's hurting. Jordan hugs him and tells him that he's better at it than he thinks. Rafe is glad she stayed and she is too as they kiss.

Ben goes home with Abigail. Ben tells her that he's sorry about everything and he hopes she's okay. Ben goes to leave but she stops him and says she's the one who should apologize for snapping at him. Ben says he didn't take it personally. She calls him amazing. She can't believe she has to tell her family about Nick's death now. Ben encourages that she will find a way. Abigail agrees and thanks him for everything. Ben exits. Abigail thinks back to Nick threatening her over her secret with EJ and then to Nick collapsing in the town square.

Gabi joins Rafe and Jordan in the hospital waiting room. Gabi hugs Rafe as she cries. Rafe apologizes and says Julie shouldn't have pushed her but Gabi says it was good because she needed to see that Nick is at peace.

Will notes Sonny got back quick. Sonny says everything was good at the club. Will asks if Sonny came earlier. Sonny says he had to get milk for Arianna. Will admits he was checking if the gun was still there and wants to get it back as soon as possible since Victor isn't home. Sonny says Justin and Adrienne are there so they have to wait until the morning when they leave. They agree to do it first thing in the morning. Sonny tells Will that everything is going to be okay. Sonny says he's going to bed. Will mentions that he would do anything for him. Sonny says he knows and would do anything for him.

EJ and Sami go home to the living room. EJ suggests a drink but Sami says no. Sami opens the doors to the garden. EJ brings her a drink. Sami says he doesn't have to tell her again that they did the right thing. EJ says it doesn't seem like it but soon. Sami knows it's what she wanted but after seeing Nick, she doesn't think she'll ever feel the same way again.

Hope sits with Julie and says she knows it's hard but she needs to ask the questions. Julie tells her to go ahead. Hope goes over Julie asking Nick who did this. Julie recalls Nick looking up at everyone and raising his arm to point. Hope asks who all was there that Nick could see at that very moment. Julie mentions Sonny, Will, Lucas, Kate, Gabi, Rafe, Jordan, Ben, Abigail, EJ, and Sami.

Sonny and Will clean the gun and put it away in the closet.

Kate walks through the town square.

Jordan watches as Rafe comforts Gabi

Ben works in the club.

Abigail sits at home crying.

EJ kisses Sami and walks away. Sami looks over at the portrait of Stefano.

The nurse comes in and pulls up the blanket to cover Nick's body.

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