Chapter One - Even in the storm we'll find some light...

It was the last few days of 1995,  Nicholas had just been given his verdict that very morning.

The wind was howling outside and it was snowing heavily, it was so incredibly cold....
Nikki was lying, curled up on the couch in her silk robe, in the front of the blazing fire, deep pain in her eyes.
Her son was gone, they took him away, he was given 15 years in prison and there was nothing she could do, she buried her face in her hand and tried to control her tears.
She couldn't cry anymore, it was just the pain wrenching her heart, she felt so incredibly alone.

She saw Victor after the sentencee was given, he came to the ranch for a few moments, it was a sad, odd discussion as two parents faced the same deep pain and were unable to share it with each other.

Nikki fell apart as soon as he left... she called him three hours ago, there was no answer. she thought about calling Victoria but she knew her daughter was hurting too, and couldn't give her the support she so desperately needed.

A lighting flashed, and the thunder's roar was heard, Nikki shivered and pulled the blanket up to her neck...she opened Nick's photo album for the fifth time today, looking at the pictures of her son.

Suddenly the key turned in the keyhole, Nikki jumped at her feet, frightened,and looked toward the entrance.

Victor walked in, he was wearinghis  riding clothes, and had his leather jacket on, he was soaking of water and covered with a light cover of melted snow.

Nikki cried out in surprise "Victor...dear god..you scared me!"

Victor walked inside, his shoulders slumped, he looked defeated and when he looked up to look at her, his eyes reflected the pain she was feeling, and Nikki shivered as a cold air from the outside entered the house...

She asked him worriedly "Are you okay?"

He replied quietly, looking at her but not really seeing her "I just went for a ride"

Nikki approached him slowly ad asked tenderly "In the rain? Oh Victor..."
 

Still standing near the entrance, dripping water all over the floor he said "I guess I needed that, to sort out my thoughts"

Nikki approached him "Come, let me take it off you, you'll freeze to death"

He let her help him out of his jacket.

She gasped as she touched his hands"God, you are freezing, Come here".
She led him to the front of the fire, and took his cold hands in her and rubbed them together to keep them warm.
She tried to catch his look, He wouldn't make eye contact with her.

Nikki pleaded "Victor, please talk to me, please, you're scaring me when you're like that"

Victor slowly pulled his hands from her grasp and turned his back to her... he walked to the other side of the room and said dejectedly "I have failed terribly"

Victor replied tiredly "He trusted me to get him out of his mess, and I have failed him"

Nikki had tears in her eyes as she said "Oh Victor, you didn't, it wasn't your fault... it wasn't anyone's fault, okay? I can't let you blame yourself".

Victor snapped angrily  "But I am blaming myself Nikki!, our son is doomed for 15 years in that god forsaken hellhole, and there is nothing I can do, nothing! I have never...."
He sighed "Never felt so helpless in my entire life... I should have paid that bastard Matt Clark what he wanted, I let my ego get in the way of completing the deal and now it may cost me my son's life"

Nikki looked at him, not quite knowing what to say "Victor, you couldn't have known, It wasn't your fault and I don't want to ever hear you say that! and Beside, you've found Amy, she might talk every day now, she can give us the information we need to save Nicholas"

Victor didn't answer her, he just looked at her with a sad look.

Nikki asked with growing concern "Victor?"

He said "Amy can talk now, or not at all  and we are not at all sure she has any information to save our son....and until she does speak, all I can do is sit and wait, while our son's life are in constant danger"

Nikki shook her head, tears falling on her cheeks, "Victor, you can't do that, you can't lose hope, you can't lose hope that we would find away to free him, because if you lose hope, I lose hope and I can't deal with it it's the only thing that keeps me going, I can't deal with the thought of losing our son forever, I can't!"

He looked at her and said with tears in his eyes  "I just feel so helpless about our son's fate, I don't know what else I can do... I was riding all night, looking for answers... I have found none"

A thunder stuck as Nikki reached to touch Victor's cheek, and she was startled to see how cold he was, she said tenderly "Victor, you will get yourself sick, at least go and take a warm shower, okay?"

Victor said nothing in response and didn't give any indication he even heard her.

Nikki pleaded "Victor, please! Nicholas needs you! It won't help him if you will catch a pneumonia right now, please go and take that shower and I see if I can find you something to wear, your clothes are soaked of water and snow"

Victor lifted his eyes to look at her and nodded quietly and headed to the upstairs bathroom.

Nikki looked after him helplessly, she bite her upper lip, she was deeply concerned by his mood and didn't know what to say to him, the pain he was feeling, she was feeling it as well.

Wanting to concentrate on something she headed to the closet in her room and searched after a shirt, or a pair of pants Victor might have left there from the old days, she found a pair of pants and a blue shirt, and then ran into his old robe.

She held it in her hand and went up to the bathroom and knocked on the door, once and twice.
Victor didn't answer, so she opened the door and found him standing near the mirror, wearing only pants.. looking at something.

She called out tenderly "Victor..."
He turned around to look at her, a little surprised "I knocked and you didn't answer, I brought you your robe..."
Her eyes couldn't help but trail around his naked chest, that was moist from the rain and snow... she swallowed hard and asked him "What are you holding?"

Victor quietly showed her locket, it had a tiny picture of little Victoria and Nicholas, she smiled a tearful smile "The.... the clip broke today, so I took it off" She looked up at him and said bitterly "Ironic isn't it?"

He looked at her, and managed a smile "Do you remember when I gave it to you?"

She nodded and said emotionally "Yes, Of course I do, on New years eve, a year after Nicholas was born, I always loved it... Nick and Victoria looked so happy then, so young and innocent"

Nikki's voice chocked and a sob escaped her lips, Victor looked at her, with tears in his own eyes...

She whispered to him "I..I.. just came in to give you this" And handed him the robe.

Victor said quietly "Thank you sweetheart" quietly and took the robe from her, the tip of her fingers brushed against his chest as she handed him the robe...and a wave of electricity went in her entire body.

He looked deep into her eyes and grabbed her hand just as she was about to pull it away, he slowly pressed it against his lips and by doing it, pulled her closer...she looked at him and her heart was filed with passion, and need for him.

He put his hands on both sound of her face and moaned her name "Oh...Nikki..."

They stood there, their faces so close together, tears in both of their eyes...foreheads almost touching.

Suddenly Victor pulled back, and then bent down to flicker his lips on her neck, Nikki breath stopped, her knees turned into Jelly, she closed her eyes, her hands in tight fists.

Victor untied her robe and it slipped onto the floor.
Nikki remained standing there, clad in nothing but back panties only, he looked at her with a sweet, strange mixture of lust and tenderness - he knew how much he needed her.

He closed his eyes and inhaled on the scent of her hair... they looked at each other, both breathing heavily.

Suddely Victor picked her in his arms and carried her into the shower, Nikki clung to him and buried her lips at the hollow of his neck and breath warm air... with all intention to drive him crazy with desire.

Victor put her down at once, unsure of how much he would be able to hold her while she was doing this to him.

He closed his eyes and titled his head back, and let out a groan of passion, she slide her hand down and opened the buttons of his trousers, she slide them down his legs, along with his pants.
It got thrown outside of the shower.
Victor did the same with hers... everything was very gentle, lust ridden yet almost painfully slow.

Nikki slowly turned the hot water on, and fumes started rising...

Without even thinking she slide her hand over his chest, and then pressed her lips against it, trailing the tiny drops with her tongue...She traced a path with her lips over his chest until she reached his lips, that were warm and responsive.

Victor pulled back and looked  intensely into her eyes, Nikki stopped and looked at him, shiver running through her spine, she needed him so much at that moment, he recognized the yearning look in her eyes, a look he had seen so many times before.... and he saw the pain as well, the pain and the heartache, over their son.

He pulled her for that kiss, it was long, and sweet and intense and powerful all at the same time.

Victor kissed her all the way down from her mouth to her chin, to her neck, down to her breasts and up again...as Nikki fought to stay on her feet and not let herself be overwhelmed  by her desire for him,  an unfulfilled desire that had been there for years...

She took some from the soap in her hand and slide it across his chest... leathering him, creating a cloud of foam...  Victor leaned against the titles and just looked at her as she moed his hands on his body, never breaking eye contact with her

Nikki leaned her forehead against his chest as she stopped to compose herself.
Victor took some of the Shampoo in his hand and moved it through her hair, and she turned around to give him better access, he gently sponged her long, silky hair and then let the water wash it, she moaned as he ran his finger tips across her back... he slowly turned her to face him, she pushed him a little against the titles and Victor shivered as his back touched the cold, peach - cream titles.

She began making the same sweet journey with her lips again, he breathed her name as she reached his neck and from there to his lips again they kissed this time,much more passionately and intensely this time, losing all control over themselves.

Her body pressed against his as his hands wrapped around her thighs drawing her closer to him, she slide her feet against his leg as she stood on her toes to reach to his lips, she stumbled a little as she tried to reach a better position and Victor caught her to stabalize her.

He pushed her against the titles, her legs instantly wrapped around his waist as he buried his face in her neck she moaned his name and kissed him again, and they began making love like never before, as the warm water were running....