Victoria and Nikki were sitting at the ranch enjoying their light lunch, a lunch Victoria cooked for her and Cole - before he had to leave. They were trying to have a conversation about something other than Nicholas.
Nikki drank some lemonade and told her daughter in surprise "I didn't know you can cook so well"

Vicki laughed and said "Well, Miguel taught me a few things, don’t you remember how I used to stand in the kitchen and watch him cook?"

Nikki smiled at her daughter "Yes, I remember, I also remember when you insisted to cook yourself and your father and I had to eat it"

Victoria called out "I wasn’t that bad!"
Nikki laughed "Do you remember when you made that cake to your father on his birthday?"

Victoria said "Well, so? I used to make one every year"

Nikki continued "Well, when you made that chocolate cake, I can’t remember, you were about 6... you put salt instead of sugar, Sweetheart"

Victoria protested "I did not!" Nikki nodded "Yes, you did" Vicki mumbled "But I remember you and Dad eating it!"

Nikki laughed "Your father did, I was on a diet - lucky me...I would never forget the look on his face when he took that first bite and had to eat more and more because you looked at him with those big
eyes of yours and encouraged him to eat it all..."

Victoria said in surprise "You never told me that story"

Nikki shrugged "We had no reason to tell you, ever since everything you cooked was terrific, only god knows who you got that from, certainly wasn’t from either of your parents"

Vicki said "I bet Dad can cook, he had to take care of himself when he was young"
Nikki smiled knowingly at her daughter "He can fix himself an omelet if he feels like it, but it doesn’t go much further than that..."

Vicki smiled "yea well..."

Mother and daughter smiled to each other, enjoying the light talk about the good old days, Vicki suddenly asked "Don’t you ever miss that, mom"

Nikki asked distractedly "Miss what darling?"

Vicki replied "Dad, Us, living together as a family"

Nikki looked at her daughter and tried to control her reaction, she *had* missed it, she missed it very much, she never realized how much until the other night.

Nevertheless, she and victor still had issues to work through and until they does, she can’t admit her feelings to her oldest daughter, so she said "Sometimes I do... I know you do"

Vicki looked away "I can’t help it mom" she laughed nervously "I am a married woman now and I still miss the way my family used to be like years ago, isn’t that a laugh?"

Nikki touched her daughter’s hand and said softly "I don’t think so..something's... one never stop wishing for"

Victoria sent a sharp look toward her mother, she recognized that dreamy eyes look, she knew who she must be thinking of... before she could say anything more the tackhouse door opened, Victor stood at the door.

Brad was at Gina’s having lunch, thinking about his talk with Victor, he thought it went rather well, sure, Victor was shocked and a bit angry, but he didn't’ expect anything different - he knew how possessive Victor always was toward his ex wife, and he wasn’t about to let him mess with his and Nikki’s relationship.

He thought about the situation and decided to call Nikki later tonight to see what is going on with her, and to tell her about his talk with Victor.

Brad honestly believed that once Nikki hears that the road block that telling Victor was not in their way anymore she would take him back.

During those last few months he grew closer to her than he ever believed possible, and he wanted their future together very much.

Suddenly he looked up and saw Jack looking at him with a hard stare, he stretched on the chair "Jacko, sit down"

Jack sat down and eyed Brad carefully, there wasn’t seem to be any damage, so he could only assume things did not regress into a physical confrontation, he let a sigh out, he should have expected it, Victor would not reveal his feelings that way "So, how did it go?"

Brad asked innocently "How did what go?"

Jack said "Telling Victor, of course"

Brad said casually "Rather well"

Jack said pointedly "I don’t believe you"

Brad said, annoyed "Well, he wasn’t pleased, and he had the nerve to ask me how far involved with
Nikki I was and when he didn’t like the answer - he threw me out"

Jack looked at him with almost horror "And...?"

Brad stressed "I told him it was none of his business, and in case you are wondering the same thing - it is none of your business either"

Jack said "Nikki’s my friend"

Brad said "Then ask her"

Jack shook his head with disgust "What she would do to you when she find out you went to Victor
behind her back"

Brad said "Oh, I am sure she’ll be angry at me for a while, but right now, I don’t have a thing to lose"
Jack wanted to say "But she does" but didn’t, he shook his head again in disgust and said "You will live to regret it Bradley, I mean it" and walked away.

Brad leaned back on the chair and sipped his cabernet with a smile...

Victoria and Nikki was startled to see Victor, Nikki put her hand on her heart "Gawds Victor, you nearly gave me a heart attack"

Victor walked in and took off his coat, He said nothing and looked straight at Nikki, his look startled her more than his quite entrance, there was a new look in his eyes that wasn’t there before, and Nikki didn’t like it.

Victoria didn't’ notice and she went toward her father and hugged him and said lightly "Hey dad, came to join us for lunch?"

Victor said "No... No.." and said no more, Nikki looked at him with curiosity and asked "Than why..."

Victor bite his lip and didn't look at her and said "I need to talk to you" Nikki looked at him, not quite understanding while Victoria asked "Dad, is that new about Nick?"

Victor shook his head "No, but..hm.. you know I saw him at prison today"

Nikki stood up and approached them and looked at Victor anxiously "And...How did he looked like to you?"

Victor looked at his daughter and told her  "Sweetheart, I need to speak with your mother alone?"

Victoria was alarmed "Dad, if something happened to Nicholas I want to know!"

Victor reassured her "Nothing happened to your brother, he is doing fairly well under the

circumstances, I just... just need to talk to your mother"

Victoria was confused,  on any other circumstance she would have gladly given her parents time alone together upon requested but this time... but now...

She said "Okay...I’ll go"

She smiled to her father "I’ll see you in the office, don’t forget, big Brass and Sassy meeting" and kissed her mother, who stood, almost frozen next to her "Thanks for lunch mom"

Nikki smiled to her child "you welcome angel"

Victoria walked out the door, pausing a second in confusion and sent a look back but walked to her car anyway...

Nikki looked at Victor with nervous, panicking anticipation "Well, what did Nicholas say? How did he looked like, I want to know everything!"

Victor’s heart pounded hard, and his look softened as he looked at her, standing there so concerned, and told her "Nicholas is alright, now"

Nikki asked him "What do you mean now?!"

Victor replied quietly "We got into a fight with another inmate"

Nikki gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth "Oh no.. oh god no..."

Victor reassured her "He is fine, he wasn’t badly hurt"

Nikk  cried out desperately "He shouldn’t have been hurt at all!"

Victor told her "The other inmate had been transferred, and I warned the warden to make sure things like that won’t happen again"

Nikki buried her face in her hands and cried "Oh god.... I am so afraid of what will happen to him in there"

Victor nodded sadly  "I know you do, so do I"

Nikki reached out to hug him, she warped her arms around him, like she did so many times in the last few days, so many times in the past when she needed him, but this time, it felt different.
Victor stiffen and didn’t respond to her at all, he didn’t even put his arms around her, he just stood there silently.

She pulled back and looked at him, puzzled and asked softly "Victor, is anything the matter?"

Victor sent a look to her and his heart ache in pain, all he wanted was to take her in his arms, but he couldn't do it, he turned away.

Nikki looked at him, completely taken by surprise "What had changed?" she wondered.

She called out his name "Victor, talk to me".

Victor turned his look to her, and she winced as she saw his eyes, they were full of pain and yet, so cold... she just looked at him, waiting for some kind of reaction and finally said "Why didn’t you tell me you were seeing Brad Carlton?"

Nikki pulled back, and her eyes opened wide, she was caught of guard completely, and one thing raced through her mind "How-did-he-find-out--How-did-he-find-out--How-did-he-find-out..."

She licked her lips and asked in a shaky voice "W..what?"

Victor turned back to her and said "I got a visit from Brad Carlton today, he told me you two have been seeing each other for quite a while now"
He looked at her accusingly "You never said a thing."

Nikki had no idea what to tell him, and her heart sank...  he looked so insulted and sad...and.. ...angry standing there, a flash of anger ran through her body "How did Brad dared to tell him?"

She said quietly "I’m sorry... I had no idea Brad would come to see you"

Victor looked at her "I imagine you didn’t... so, who of us you were playing with? Him.. or me?"

His voice choked on the very last word, Victor immediately regretted the way it came out, he had no intention to showing her how hurt he was, how much it hurt him, he wanted it to sound cold and it came out so vulnerable.
Again it was a reminder for him how her presence made him lose control over his actions, this time, over his words... so he immediately added "Or did you enjoyed playing games with the two of us"

Nikki was getting angry, she wasn’t playing with either one of them and told him that, a little more harshly than she meant "I didn’t play with any one of you!".

Victor said, his voice raising "Oh you didn’t? so how come you never told me about him?"

Nikki composed herself and tried to answer "I didn't see any need to, you were married when I first started seeing him"

Victor breathed deeply and tried to relax, she had a point there, but he tried to ignore that "Oh, so that meant you shouldn’t have told me? I thought we had a relationship honest enough for you to tell me something like that, I definitely shared with you what was going on in my life".

Nikki nodded, first tears starting to show  "Exactly"

Victor said "What does that mean"

Nikki shook her head and tried to explain to him something she tried to explain him when he first found out she was seeing someone "Victor...god... this was exactly why I did that for, because you confided in me..."

Victor looked at her and said "I don’t understand it"

Nikki looked up in despair, she never meant that this conversation to go there, but since it did...

"Victor, do you think it was easy for me to listen to your problems with Hope? And to give you advice on how to work it out? Well it wasn’t, not for me anyway.."

Victor stood there and listened to her.

She shook her head tearfully "I don’t know what is it about us Victor, we can never be just friends, and we can’t be just confidants, with us, it’s always more - maybe it’s the history, maybe it’s the present... I don’t know... but it was very hard on me to  talk to you about your marriage!".

Victor said defensively "You never said anything".

Nikki sighed "Victor, did I really had to say it? And when you and Hope had the baby... It just hit me that I can’t... that I can’t keep doing it anymore, I thought it was over for us... and then I started seeing Brad and I didn’t see any reason... no, I didn’t want to tell you, I thought I was making a fresh start for myself..."

Victor looked at her, he understood where she was coming from regarding him and Hope... but he couldn't get over  relationship with Brad, he told her "Lets say I understand why you didn’t tell me then.. why didn’t you say anything to me later?"

Nikki told him pointedly  "Victor, Me and Brad are over, I told him that, he apparently didn’t hear me, or wouldn’t believe me" she sighed and looked at him, waiting from reaction.

Victor looked at her, not knowing whether to believe her or not, that made things different if she and Brad were no longer involved.. but he still felt hurt, and deceived... "And when did he became aware of the fact and you and he were history?"

Nikki looked to the floor "Early this morning".

For Victor that was another blow...he looked at her and asked in a hurt, angry, jealous voice  "So you were still seeing another man while you and I made love the other night?"

Nikki looked down and told him "Victor, I didn’t plan the other night"

Victor said "You didn’t tell me in the morning either"

Nikki looked at him sharply and shot, "You weren’t there in the morning, you left, or need I remind you of that?"

Victor’s voice arose "You still should have told me about it when we talked!"

Nikki almost yelled "And what would have been the point of that?!"

Victor yelled back "I would not have been feeling lied to! I would not feel what I feel right now, that the woman who I have confided in so many times those last few months betrayed me!"

He came close to her and looked into her eyes and whispered, in a voice that was furious and sad all at the same time  "Do you know that ever since the other night I couldn’t stop thinking of you, all I saw where ever I went was you, images of what we shared, of what we share now, and ever since Bradley told me about your relationship with him all I can see is you and him!"

Nikki looked at him in total shock, she didn’t expect such an admission from him, her heart wrenched in pain, she never intended to hurt him, it was the last thing she wanted.

Tears stood in her eyes as she said "I am sorry, I am sorry I didn’t tell you now, but I am not sorry about my involvement with Brad, nor do I feel the need to justify it, you were married, I could see whoever I wanted to and it is not fair of you to say that I played you two along, it’s just not true".

Her voice choke, she could hardly let the last words out.

Victor wouldn’t listen to her, he was too deep into the jealousy and he couldn't get of the imagine of extremely cocky Brad telling him that he was involved with her "You made advances at me while Brad thought you were seeing him - and when we talked about a future, our future, you never once mentioned your involvement with him, how am I suppose to feel?"

Nikki was offended and yelled "Advances?! Oh that’s just great, suddenly  I made *advances* - next you are going to claim I seduced you the other night! And since do you care if I were in a relationship - you never did in the past! that’s hypocrisy Victor."

She turned her back to him and stood there, wiping her tears away.

Victor knew she was right, but his pride kept him from admitting his mistake and apologize to her for saying that, the hurt and anger in him spoke for him as he changed the subject and said in offensive voice "Oh So now I’m a hypocrite? Now that’s good to know, you know what’s hypocritical Nikki?   You talking to me about honesty in a relationship while you went around and slept with Brad Carlton behind my back!"

Victor regretted the words as soon as he said them, but he could see that from the hurt expression on he face that he was too late, her jaw clenched and her hand closed into a fist, she crossed her hand across her chest and said in a restrained voice "You know what Victor, I really think you should leave now"

Victor looked at her with regret, she and Brad were over, there was no need for this, his expression softened as he opened his mouth to apologize to her, he never meant to say it - he was just  hurt, and caught off guard he called out softly "Nikki..."

She shook her head, turned around and said, biting on her lip "Just go... now!"

Victor sent his hand to reach out to her but pulled it away and went out the door, He sent a look to her, but she was still standing there, her shoulders tight and he didn’t had to look at her face to know how offended she was.

But he didn't call out her name, he was still hurt and still didn't appreciate that she told him nothing about her relationship with Brad, although the fact that she broke up with him made him feel a lot better, but he was still confused, even more than he was before...

He walked out without another word. He leaned on the door, breathing deeply, the anger that was still running in his heart mingled with pain, he walked to his car.

Inside, Nikki was trying to control her tears, that was a mixture of hurt and sadness, he turned back only to see Victor gone.
She knew she was at fault here, she couldn’t blame it all on Victor, she should have told him about Brad - and she should have told Brad something more than "We need time apart" - then he wouldn’t have gone to Victor.

But She was so angry at Victor too, she didn't like being accused of playing with two men... if she played with someone, it was more Brad than Victor.

He should have known that. But what just happened was just another sign that not everything is solved between them, that there are too many unresolved issues between them, too many uncertainties and too much hurt.
And suddenly, she felt they were back to square one.