Victoria Newman was sleeping in her bed when she felt a warm body sitting next to her in bed and kissing her on the lips.

She opened her eyes and saw her husband sitting there “Cole!”

Cole smiled at her “Well hey there gorgeous”

Victoria asked her husband in surprise “What are you doing here? I didn’t expect you back till tomorrow”

Cole kissed his wife and said “Well, I thought you might need me here, everything is pretty chaotic lately”

Victoria said to her husband “It is, I’m so glad you’re back”

Cole smiled at her “Well, I've missed my wife”.

They kissed and Cole asked “So, did you get to see Nicholas?”

Victoria shook her head “No, but I talked to him last night”

Cole asked “How is he?”

Victoria’s expression grew worried “He sounded okay, as much as anyone can be okay in his condition, he wanted us to ask to invite Sharon to the family Christmas because he only gets this one phone call and wants to speak with everyone at once.The thing Is, I’m not even sure we’re gonna have Christmas this year”

Cole was shocked “Why?!”

Victoria threw her body back on the bed and muttered “Take you pick, first of all, I don’t think Mom or Dad are in any mood to celebrate and they...well...”

Cole asked “What?”

Victoria said “I don't know, Dad found out Mom was seeing Brad so he pretty much exploded”

Cole said “Well, it didn't come as a shock for you did it?”

Victoria said “I guess not, but Mom ended things with Brad and Dad is still upset, or hurt or whatever, and from things Mom said last night it is because they spent all this time together lately and mom didn’t tell him, I mean I can see why that might upset Dad, he really confided in Mom in the last few months ever since Hope left, They’ve been very close”.

Cole added “Yet nothing happened between them”

Victoria said “No, not that I know about, and I would have known if they decided they wanted to get back together...”

She smiled at the thought but then saddened again “So apparently Mom and Dad had this huge blow up, and Mom is so ticked at him, he sent flowers and I’m not sure she even called him, she’s really mad and kinda hurt too, they both are. I’m not even sure we will all have Christmas together and god only know how I’ll explain it to Nick, he didn’t even know Mom was seeing Brad and now that it’s a done deal I don’t want to tell him” She said sadly.

Cole said “Come here” and hugged his wife and kissed her.

She smiled and added “But you, my husband, is a very good distraction”

Cole smiled “Why I’m flattered Mrs. Howard”

Vicki smiled “You should be...” They started kissing and closed the lights.
 
 

***Nikki was walking in a dark huge labyrinth, she wasn’t sure where she was, she was looking for her son, calling out his name “Nicholas?! Nicholas where are you, Baby can you hear me?!” She called desperately “Nicholas!” She heard Nick’s voice calling out “Mom! I’m here?! I’m right here!” Nikki walked hysterically in the labyrinth “Where?! I can’t see you, You gotta tell me where you are” Suddenly she saw him standing in the front of her he called out “Mom, thank god!” She ran to him “Nicholas!” As she was about to reach him huge bars of steel came down in the front of her, she sent her hands through the bars “Nicholas” Nicholas grabbed his mother’s hands “Mom, you gotta help me, you gotta help me to get out of here!” Nikki cried “I’m trying, I’m trying, There is no key” Suddenly two men came and dragged Nick away “Mom! Help!” He called out, Nikki called after them “Let go of him, don't take him away, Nicholas!!!!!”***
 

Nikki sat up straight in the bed, drenching cold sweat, breathing hard she looked around and realized she has been dreaming “It was a dream, only a dream” she said, and then reality hit, It wasn’t a dream, it was a nightmare, a nightmare coming true! Nicholas was in jail, possibly forever, she buried her hands in her face, and tried very hard to stop her body from shaking.

There was a knock on the door, Miguel said “Mrs., Abbott?! Are you okay?” Nikki pulled her robe around herself and opened the door “I’m fine”.

Miguel said with concern “I heard you screaming”

Nikki tried to smile “I just had a nightmare, that’s all”

Miguel said “Would you like me to get you something warm to drink?!”

Nikki said “That would be great Miguel, thank you” She looked at him questioningly “What time is it?”

Miguel replied “Just a little past 7 AM”

Nikki said “Oh...” She looked up at Miguel “I’m sorry I’ve scared you”

Miguel said “If there’s anything you need...”

Nikki nodded “I’ll tell you, don’t worry”

Miguel turned to leave and Nikki went back into the room and sat on the bed, Suddenly there was a Knock on the door, Nikki said “Come in Miguel”

The door opened just a crack and a voice said “It’s not Miguel”
Nikki turned at the door “Jack!”

Jack walked in ‘Hi... I just came by to offer you company and to play catch up, I wasn't’ sure if you were awake yet but Miguel said you were”

Nikki tried to smile at him but couldn’t, she just sat on the bed and didn't’ say anything, Jack approached her “Nik, are you alright? You don’t look good”

Nikki said tearfully "I just had a bad dream, about Nicholas...”

Jack asked “Want to talk about it?”

Nikki shook her head “Not really”.

She sent a hand to straighten her hair and said to Jack “Do you mind terribly to wait till I’ll dress up? I want to talk to you”

Jack smiled “Sure, I’ll wait downstairs”.
 
 

At his apartment, Victor’s phone rang “Hello?”

Nick said “Hello Dad”

Victor said warmly “I’m so glad you called myboy, so good to hear your voice”

Nick said to his father “It’s good to hear your voice too, look Dad, I don't have a long time, the reason I’m calling - Everyone are having Christmas together right?”

Victor wondered “Why do you ask?”

Nick said “Because when I talked to Vick last night she said that it might not happen”

Victor said to him son “I just don’t feel like celebrating this year, I’m sure your mother feel the same - we are just not in a mood for Christmas.

Nick asked “Did you talked to Mom about it?”

Victor shook his head “No, not yet”

Nick asked “Is that because you are not talking?”

Victor was surprised “Who told you that?”

Nick replied “Vicki did”

Victor was upset “She shouldn’t have worried you”

Nick said “But I am worried, like I don't have enough of my mind right now beside the fact that my parents decided to use the time I was in jail to start world war three”

Victor said “It’s nothing like it, your mother and I simply have some issues to work out”

Nick said firmly “Well work them out, before Christmas”

Victor sighed “I think it’s more up to your mother right now than it’s up to me”

Nick asked “What happened?”

Victor said “Nothing for you to worry about right now, How are you?”.

Nick said “Hanging in”.

Victor asked “No more run ins with that punk?”.

Nicholas was silent, Victor asked with concern “Nicholas?”.

Nick said “Dad, I’m fine, I’m holding my own, don’t interfere, please”.

Victor said his son firmly “I don’t want you to be in life danger, okay? I’ll do what I have to do to protect you”.

Nick said “I know that, but this place has it’s own rules and people here don't like when things are dictated from the outside, it might just make things worse”.

Victor sighed and said “Okay, I’ll accept this, for now”.

Nick tried again “Dad, It’s really important for me that everyone will be together for Christmas, to know that my family is together”

Victor said “You can always call your mother”

Nick said “Dad, you know how I feel about that”

Victor said “I know you do, but things would be easier on her if you do, think about it, okay?” Nick said “Okay Dad, I gotta go, I love you”

Victor said “I love you too myboy”.

They both hung up as Victor sighed deeply, He has got to talk to Nikki.
 
 

Nikki went downstairs to find Jack waiting for her, looking at the newspaper, he looked at her and handed her a cup of coffee “Here, looks like you can use it”

Nikki thanked him and took the coffee, she looked at him with a little smile and a knowing look “So, you came by to find out the latest”

Jack said “I figured out you could use someone to talk to” Nikki said “I do”.

Jack said “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop golden boy from telling Victor”

Nikki sighed “It’s not your fault, it’s mine, I  should have told him”

Jack asked “So, how did the black knight reacted when he found out you didn’t sit and waited for him while he was married to Hope?”

Nikki said “He wasn’t terribly pleased, but he was more upset that I didn't’ tell him about it after we...”

She paused and continued “He was hurt, and jealous”.

Jack asked “You got into a fight?”

Nikki played with her cup of coffee “Oh yes”

Jack asked “What did he say?”.

Nikki bit her lip and said "Well... a lot, he blamed me for sleeping with Brad behind his back, and for ... initiating what happened between us, I got really angry with him, I still am”

Jack said “And rightfully so”

Nikki clasped her hands “He only said it because he was hurt, I know he was, I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice... and He did had a point, I should have told him, it was easier for me to avoid telling him about it - I should have known he would find out sooner or later, I just... preferred the later, I guess".

Jack asked “So, what’s going on now?”

Nikki said sadly “I don't know, I don’t know what to do, I’m angry at him, for not believing my feelings, for saying what he did... but I miss him so much, especially after last night”.

Jack asked “Last night?”.

Nikki said “I sent me flowers, and apologized, and asked to see me”

Jack asked “And..?”

Nikki got up and walked around the room “It’s gonna take more than that this time, we have so much to work out but none of us can deal with that right now, so we don't deal with it and than something like this happens...”

Jack asked “Did you went to see him?”

Nikki said quietly “No, but I called him... I couldn’t help myself..” Jack asked her “And, did it make you feel better?”

Nikki nodded tearfully “Oh yes... It did..”

Jack said “Then you need to talk... and I suggest before Christmas”

Nikki buried her face in her hand “Christmas, god.... I totally forgot... If things remain as they are I don't know how we’ll get through Christmas, neither of us needs another fight, and I don't know how I’ll ever manage to keep Victoria from finding out everything during Christmas anyway - she knows too much already”.

Jack grinned “I’m surprise she hasn’t figured it out yet”

Nikki said “Yea, me too, But why would she think that? that Victor and I made love, it came out of the blue for us as well , we gave no indication this is where it headed, and she knows we had a fight...”

She turned to Jack and said tearfully “I don't know how I’m gonna get through Christmas at all without Nicholas here, I don’t know...”

Jack hugged her “You need to be with your family, AND with Victor - neither of you will survive sitting alone for Christmas, and I am sure your kids would appreciate it”

Nikki smiled at him “You are just full with good advises today aren’t you?”

Jack said “And that’s a new thing?”

Nikki smiled and said “I appreciate your friendship, more than you know”

Jack smiled warmly to her “As I appreciate yours”

He hugged her again and said “I gotta go Nik, I have a big meeting, you’re gonna be okay?”

Nikki nodded “I will, thank you for coming”.

Jack kissed her on the cheek “Any time”. And walked out...