Victor walked into the apartment and poured himself a stiff drink, it was close to 7 PM and he was emotionally drained.

He came back from Amy’s psychiatrist now and was as frustrated as always, Amy remembered Nick and she also remember Matt, which had been an improvement - but she didn't’ remember him being anything but a nice guy.

He wanted to trigger her memory by taking her to Matt’s apartment but the psychiatrist vetoed the idea, and he didn't want to do anything that might hurt Amy, the young girl looked so fragile and been through enough Trauma for a life time, but he was afraid for his son’s life.

Victor reached out to the phone, wanting to call Nikki but stopped himself, she was probably still mad at him.

Whatever anger he felt because she didn’t tell him about her relationship with Brad had subsided for the time, though he knew it was still there, he wanted to talk to her if only to apologize for what he said to her, and to check up on her, and just to hear her voice...

He wondered just how mad she still was, and if he should go over there to talk to her.

He didn’t want to run into Victoria, she already figured out too much as it is, he could only imagine what questions she was asking Nikki.

He looked out the window, snow was falling again, and he suddenly remembered it would be Christmas soon, Christmas - he couldn't’ remember a year where he wanted to celebrate this holiday less.

Hope and the baby were in Kansas, He had no idea what Nikki was feeling or thinking at the moment, and with Nicholas in jail, he had no idea how they would make it through the holiday, he sighed “Maybe it’s best if we won’t have it at all this year”.

He sighed and closed his eye, things were so unclear and complicated, the events of the past week were so.. overwhelming, Nicholas sentenced to 15 years, Nikki and him making love, the fight.... he wondered when things will ever go right, if they ever go right.

What he have to do now is to find out a way reach out to Nikki, he just wasn’t sure how.
 
 

Victoria walked into the ranch and threw her coat on the couch, she went up the stairs and knocked on her mother’s bedroom door “Hmm... Mom?” she called out.

No answer, she knocked on it again “Mom, can I come in?”

No answer again, she walked in to see the room completely dark, from the light that came from the crack in the door she noticed Nikki lying in the bed, fully dressed, and her eyes were open, she ignored Victoria’s entrance to the room.

Victoria sat next to her and said “Mom, are you okay?”

Nikki just said “No”.

Victoria asked tenderly “What’s wrong?”

Nikki replied quietly “everything”.

Victoria asked “Did you and dad had a serious fight?”

Nikki sent a look toward her daughter and turned her head away “Is it That obvious”

Vicki said “I saw Dad at the board-meeting”

Nikki asked an inquisitive look toward her daughter “He told you?”

Victoria replied “He didn’t have to, I could see it on his face, I knew something was wrong the moment he walked in”

Nikki said bitterly “So he is still upset at me, is that it?”

Victoria said “He looked sad, not mad, he hardly spoke at the meeting at all, he was really out of it”

Nikki sent a look toward her daughter and sighed “Well, *I’m* still mad”

Vicki said “You look more sad than mad yourself”

Nikki sighed and rolled to the other side and muttered “yea well, I wish I didn't’ feel that way”

Victoria said “You should be, at Brad for telling Dad all those lies”

Nikki looked at Victoria “I am mad at him, so don't start, but he didn't’ lie to your father, Brad and I
have been seeing each other"

Victoria said “Not anymore, he had no right to tell him” she looked at Nikki and asked “Was Dad
upset because you didn't’ tell him?”

Nikki nodded “That was part of it”

Victoria asked “Oh?”

Nikki caught herself and turned her head  away, trying to cover on her tears “Nothing, just forget I even say something”

Vicki sent a hand to touch her mother’s shoulder and said “Mom, you know you can tell me”

Nikki said “I don't want to upset you, or burden you or to even worry you with my problems”

Vicki said tenderly “You know I want to help”

Nikki said “I know you do, It’s just, it’s just complicated that all” .

Vicki wondered “Didn’t you tell Dad you and Brad were over?”

Nikki nodded “I did”

Vicki was confused “Then I really don’t get Dad’s reaction”.

Nikki was silent, but Victoria could see the tears that gathered in her eyes.

Suddenly the number began to add up for Vicki as she started to see things more clearly “There is something else going on here, other than Dad being mad, or jealous because of Brad and you, isn’t it?”

Nikki got up and tried to get away from the bed but Victoria grabbed her hand “Mom, I am going to ask you something and I want an honest answer”

Nikki looked at her daughter and felt more like a child that have done something wrong rather than a grown woman.

Victoria continued “Even since Nick’s trail, you and dad spent a lot of time together, does that has something to do with it?”

Nikki tried to control her emotions and nodded silently, she looked away and released herself from her daughter’s grip, but stayed on the bed.

Victoria asked her mother “Is that why Dad was this upset, because you spent a lot of time together
and you still didn’t say anything?”

Nikki said quietly “That was a big part of it, yes”

Victoria said “I’m sorry, I can see you’re hurt, but I can understand dad’s reaction too”

Nikki said “So can I, up to a point, your father was married when I started seeing Brad and I had every right to start a relationship, god knows it had been a long time since I had someone in my life”

Victoria asked “Did you tell dad that?”

Nikki said “Oh yes”

Victoria asked “And?”

Nikki muttered “It was like talking to a brick wall”

Victoria smiled and said “But Dad’s reaction to you seeing someone is nothing new, what did he say to you?”

Nikki glanced at her daughter and said  “Victoria, I would really rather not to rehash it”.

Victoria lifted her hands up defensively “Okay, Okay, I won’t ask a thing”

She paused and said “Did you and Dad parted badly?”

Nikki smiled a weak smile “I thought you just said you won’t ask me anything”

Vicki smiled at her mother and said “Well?”

Nikki’s smile disappeared “Pretty much, yes”

Vicki said to her mother “Just you you’ll know, it’s affecting on him too, he looked totally miserable at the meeting, everyone noticed... and when I talked to him later...”

Nikki lifted her eye brows and asked her daughter “So you did talked to him?”

Vicki nodded and Nikki asked “What did he had to say?”

Vicki shrugged and said “Nothing much, all I managed to figure out is that you two had a fight, than I
went to talk to Jack and than *Brad* walked in”

Nikki looked sharply at her daughter “Tell me you two didn’t get into it?!”

Vicki scratched her head in embarrassment “Well, I call him a disgusting jerk and he called me a snotty Brat, does that count?”

Nikki said in shock “Victoria!”

Vicki got up an apologized “I’m sorry! Okay? but he had no business telling Dad anything, much less lies and he is the most arrogant man I’ve ever known! I can’t stand him, Jack pretty much broke it up, although he looked liked he was going to punch him out too”

Vicki looked at her mother “Speaking of Jack, he apparently knows a hell of a lot more than I do these days”

Nikki said tiredly “He knows me very well and he is a dear friend - and unlike you, he is not quick to jump into conclusions”.

Vicki said lightly “Touche...” and added “So, did dad call you?”

Nikki said, upset “Haven't heard a word from him”

Victoria said tenderly “Mom, he’ll calm down eventually, he’ll call you”

Nikki just looked away, she wasn’t going to tell Victoria anything more, especially not know.

Victoria suddenly remembered something and said “Oh, how could I forget, Dad talked to Nick, he asked me to tell you he is fine and feeling well so you won’t worry”

Nikki’s look softened “Oh, thank god”

Victoria wasn’t sure if she should say it, but she said it anyway “Mom, Nick called me today”

Nikki looked at her daughter in shock “He did?!!”

Vicki nodded tearfully “He sounded okay, really, he did”

Nikki asked her daughter “Did he say if we can see him?”

Vicki shook her head “No, he wouldn’t hear of it, he said it would be too hard on him, he got so upset I
didn't’ want to press the issue, I was just so glad he called”

Nikki said in sadness “I can imagine”

Victoria looked at her mother tenderly “Mom, the only reason he is not calling you is because it would be really hard on him"

Nikki nodded, tears streaming from her eyes “I know, but it doesn’t make it any easier”.

Victoria looked at her mother, she wanted to bring up the whole Christmas issue, but couldn’t, she
didn’t want to upset her mother further, and Christmas was still four days away.

She wanted to see if things happen on their on, she was just afraid to talk to Nicholas and tell him things were not settled, she didn’t want to upset him, either.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door, Nikki said “Come in”

Miguel walked in, holding a vase with beautiful purplish pink lilacs he put it on the table and told Nikki “It's For you” and without another word, walked out.

Vicki grinned to her mother who walked slowly toward the flowers and inhaled their scent deeply, she sent a shaky hand toward the card, opened it and read to herself

“I’m sorry,I never meant to fight with you.

I need to see you.

Victor”.

She closed the card and closed her eyes, she took a one flower out of the vase and played with it with her fingers.

Victoria asked “From Dad?”

Nikki nodded.

Victoria asked “Well what did he say?”

Nikki said “He says he is sorry, and he wants to see me”

Vicki said “So, what are you going to tell him”

Nikki shook her head “I don't know, I’m still hurt and upset, I’m afraid that if I’ll see him now, we would only say things we’ll regret...”

Victoria pleaded “Mom...”

Nikki looked toward her daughter and said “Victoria, the flowers are gorgeous and I love them, your father knows lilacs are my favorites but, it’s too hard on me to call him right now.

She looked at Victoria “I’m going to sleep now”

Victoria asked her pleadingly “You’re not even going to call him?”

Nikki said “I don't know, maybe”

Victoria got up and kissed her mother “Well, goodnight mom, and please, give him a call, okay? You two have been getting along so well lately, it was really nice to see, you know it’s important to me, and it’s important to Nick as well”

Nikki nodded and smiled at her daughter “I know”.

Vicki walked out the door and Nikki walked into the shower....
 
 

Victor was sitting in the penthouse, depressed and alone, he really hoped she would call “I guess she is more angry at me than I have realized” he thought sadly.

He wasn’t going to deny that it angered him that she didn’t tell him, but he knew the way he handled it was wrong, suddenly his phone called, he sent a head to pick it up “Hello..”

Nikki was sitting in her bed, inside the covers, Victor’s note on her lap, she didn’t say a thing, Victor tried again “Hello, is anyone there?”

Nikki said quietly “It’s me”

Victor took a deep breath “Nikki”
 

Nikki said “I got your flowers, they were beautiful”

Victor said quietly “I’m glad you liked them”

Nikki smiled “You knew I would”

There was a long pause and Victor said “I know you well”

Nikki said, trying to mask the tears in her voice “Better than anyone...”

Victor said “I’m sorry, I really am”

Nikki said “I know you are, I’m sorry too, I should have told you”

Victor said “I won’t lie and say I like the fact you were seeing Brad Carlton”

Nikki said “I didn't expect you to”

Victor continued “But I shouldn’t have said what I did”

Nikki said “That’s right, you shouldn’t have”

She paused and said “I just called... to wish you goodnight”

Victor’s face fell “You’re going to sleep? It’s still quite early”

Nikki said “It had been a long day”

Victor said “I had hoped you could come over”

Nikki shook her head “I can’t today”

Victor asked “Are you still mad at me?”

Nikki said “Yes, I am”

Victor said gently “I wish you wouldn’t"

Nikki said "It’s just the way it is right now”.

Victor said sadly “I see”

He didn't say a word and there was this long silence.

Nikki tried very hard to control her tears as she said “Good night Victor”

Victor swallowed hard and “Sweet dreams, sleep well” and hung up.

Nikki put down the receiver and shut down the light, as she cuddled inside the blanket she knew it was going to be another sleepless night.