Nikki knocked on the door of the apartment, Victor opened it widely and stared at her for a few moments, Nikki smiled “You seems so shocked to see me”

Victor said “No, it’s just that I’ve been expecting a delivery from the office...” he looked at her with a smile “And you don’t look at all like the delivery boy”

Nikki sauntered in “Sorry to disappoint you” she said with a little smile.

Victor looked at her with a warm expression “Never...” he turned serious “I wasn’t sure I’ll see you today, You weren’t terribly happy with me last night”

Nikki lowered her head and said “I didn’t mean to be, it was a very emotional day and difficult for me
and I think I came a little harder on you than I should have... I’m sorry”

Victor shook his head “There’s no need”

Nikki protested “Yes, there is... you were the one thing that made me survive that holiday, I wouldn’t
have managed without you and we managed to have a good time despite of everything, and I know that... that Brad coming over wasn’t easy on you”

Victor looked at her and said quietly “No, it wasn’t... ”

He set down on the sofa “It’s very hard for me to watch another man trying to weasel his way into your life again, especailly him”

Nikki titled her head and said “Victor, that wasn’t what he was doing”

Victor stressed in issue “Sweetheart, you can’t deny that he is trying to win you back”

Nikki said firmly “Yes, *trying*, doesn’t mean he is going to succeed”

Victor looked up at her and said “My head my realize that Nikki, but my heart...” he looked at her and turned his head away “I just don’t deal with that sort of things well, you know I have a tendency to get a little jealous”

Nikki almost laughed “A *little* Jealous? Victor, you were one moment away from punching him out last night”

Victor claimed “Well he was doing whatever he could to provoke me”

Nikki said with a smile, trying to calm him down “Yes, I know and I’m sorry to say darling but you walked right into it...”

Victor didn’t reply and she sent a hand to his cheek good naturally, and turned his head to her “I just want to know you believe me when I say I will tell everyone the minute I feel it’s the right thing to do, for us, and for everyone who might be affected, because if we tell one person.... well, we might as well put an article in the GC gossip column”

Victor looked at her and said “I believe you...”

Nikki smiled “Good...”

Victor added “That doesn’t mean that I’m happy to see Brad Carlton hanging around”

Nikki told him “When since running into you is not his favorite thing in the world I doubt he would run into you on purpose, but I don’t understand, don’t you cross paths at work?”

Victor said “As little as possible, I had him report to Jack about the last few business I had him attending”

Nikki sighed “Oh boy...from bad to worse”

She sighed “I should probably remind Jack to keep his mouth shut... he can be a terrible blabber-mouth and Brad hearing about it from him would be almost worse than hearing about it from you”

She and Victor exchanged looks and then smiled at each other as they almost settled the subject of Bradley...

Victor asked her “So, what are you doing here?”

Nikki said with a smile “Nicholas called”

Victor’s expression changed into a smile, albeit a sad smile... “He did?... let me guess, the presents...”

Nikki smiled “Yes, that too... and there was something else...”

Victor gave her an questioning look “What’s that?”

Nikki said softly “He wanted me to look after you...”

Victor didn’t understand “Why would he ask you that?”

Nikki said “Because he feel you blame yourself for him arrest, and I just happen to know he is right”

Victor was upset “That boy should worry about his own safety, instead worrying you about me!”

Nikki said “Could you not get defensive for once?!”

Victor said “I’m not getting defensive, I just think Nicholas should worry about keeping himself out of
troubles right now and not worry himself and you about me”

Nikki didn’t let go of the issue “Victor, I know you’re still blaming yourself so arguing about it with me... it’s a moot point, I just wish you’d admit it to me”

Victor got up and said “And what good that’s going to do?”

Nikki approached him and said tenderly “It might help...”

Victor said grimly “No it won’t, won’t get Nicholas out of jail”

Nikki pointed out “It might help you”

Victor looked at her concerned expression and took a step closer to her “Sweetheart, I know you mean well... I just... I just don’t want to talk about it right now, okay? So, could we change the subject please?”

Nikki sighed deeply,  crossed her arms and said “Do I have much choice?”

Victor shook his head “No”

Nikki rolled her eyes and said “Fine, for now, but we will have that discussion and soon”

Victor said firmly “Well, if Amy remembers we won’t have to, and I’ll be off the hook”

Nikki asked carefully “How is she progressing?”

Victor said “Rather well, and I have a plan to do something that might trigger her memory even more... but I have to ask Doctor Hamings so I’ll tell you about it as soon as I get the final okay”

Nikki said “Sure... as long as you promise you’ll keep me up to date”

Victor said “I promise...”
 

He looked at his watch, it was still quite early and he wasn’t due at the office for another hour for a meeting... he asked her “Did you had breakfast yet?”

Nikki shook her head “Nope... I just had a cup of coffee and than Victoria walked in with a mouthful about her last night impressions”

Victor smiled “Do I dare asking?”

Nikki muttered “You probably shouldn’t”

Victor said “Well, I am!”

Nikki said “Well, she was worried about us fighting over the subject of Brad. And commenting on your, how did she put it ‘Interesting shade of green’.. “

Victor said, not that amused “Was I really that obvious?”

Nikki nodded “Yes, you were.. at least to Victoria”

Victor asked “So, does she suspect?”

Nikki leaned back on the couch and said thoughtfully “Well, Yes but not about that... I don’t think she
expected another reaction from you...”

She smiled at Victor “But she commented on our closeness lately and of course she reached on the subject of the kiss...”

Victor couldn’t help but smile as he remembered the kiss they supposedly staged for the benefit of Christmas “Oh, what did she had to say about that?”

Nikki rolled her eyes and said with a smile, miming her daughter’s voice “Well, According to our daughter she could ‘feel the sizzle to the other side of the room’"

Victor laughed “She’s right you know”

Nikki couldn’t help but smile at him but commented seriously “I was very close of telling her everything...and than Nicholas called and I was relieved I didn’t later”
 

Victor looked at her, conflicting if he should bring up all of that again but decided against it, it seems to distress her everytime he did it and he always had the feeling she had another reason for not telling everyone she hasn’t shared with him yet, he just didn’t want to make matters worse.

Nikki felt him looking at her and she knew what he wanted to ask her... and was relieved he didn’t and asked instead “So, do you want to eat something?”

Nikki smiled “Why not?”

Victor got up and headed toward the kitchen, Nikki looked after him with curiosity and laughed when she saw him bringing goodies from “The head of the towers”

He commented “I just ordered it from downstairs before you came...”

He added “But I had no idea you’ll stop buy so I’m not sure there’s enough here for the two”

Nikki reassured him “Victor, there’s plenty of food and I’m not hungry”

Victor glared at her “Again?”

Nikki’s smile faded “My appetite is just not there... ever since Nicholas was convicted... I just can’t get anything in”

Victor looked at her disapprovingly but said “I guess I don’t really blame you for that”

Nikki said “Good, than I won’t experience the rerun of what you and Miguel did a couple of days
ago?”

Victor said “No, but I do want to see you eat”

Nikki smiled “Alright... so, what did you order?”

Victor said “Well, a little of everything, vegetables and fruits and bread and cheese and chocolate
muffins”

Nikki said “Oh, you do have everything...”

Victor said “Come on, lets sit down”

They sat down to the table and started eating.
 

A little time later as they finished eating Nikki wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked up at Victor and said with an amused smile “For a moment there when you got into the kitchen I thought you’re going to make the breakfast yourself”

Victor said “I can make breakfast you know, I’m not that helpless around the kitchen”

Nikki said with a serious expression, teasing him “Oh, I know you can make breakfast, but - would be be able to eat it?"

Victor glared at her and said “You’re incorrigible..”

Nikki shrugged and said with a smile “Hey...I just say it like it is.... unless of course, Hope taught you to cook when I wasn’t looking” She ended the sentence sarcastically.

Victor put his fork down and looked at Nikki, surprised “Where did that come from?”

Nikki asked “Where did what come from?”

Victor replied “That comment about Hope”

Nikki looked away and said “I was just wondering”

Victor said “No, you were being sarcastic”

Nikki was silent for a moment and then said “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to”

Victor looked at her and said “Apology accepted, I just want to know why you brought up Hope all of a
sudden”

Nikki sighed and leaned back in the chair “I was just wondering...”

Victor asked “Wondering what?”

Nikki said “If you heard from her, ever since she filed for divorce”

Victor shook his head “No, I haven’t”

Nikki was surprised “Not a word?”

Victor said “No”

Nikki commented “I must say, I’m a little surprised by it”

Victor asked “Why?”

Nikki shrugged “I don’t know, she was your wife up till not too long ago, she’s the mother of your son, I just assumed you two would talk”

Victor said “Well, we haven’t...”

He looked at her and asked “Nikki?”

Nikki, who played with her food distractedly looked up and he asked “What is it that you want to know?”

Nikki wasn't sure she wanted to go there "What make you think I want to know something?"

Victor said "Your demeanor, I know you too well"

Nikki put down her fork and said “I just can’t help but wonder... if what happened between us would have happened if Hope hadn’t filed for divorce a few days before Nicholas conviction...”

Victor looked at her thoughtfully and said “Meaning what?”

Nikki struggled with her words “I know... I know you loved Hope...’ She barely looked up to him “And
it’s not something that very easy for me to admit to myself...”

She said, directing her look at him ‘I just wonder if everything that happened between us wasn’t... wasn’t a rebound situation on your part”

Victor asked “You truly think that what happened?”

Nikki asked quietly “I don’t know, I’m asking you...”

Victor said “My feelings for you and what happened between us, had nothing to do with Hope or our
divorced, I was not on rebound”

Nikki asked doubtfully “You’re sure about that?”

Victor stood up and took her by the hand “Come here” He led a reluctant Nikki to sit next to him on the couch.

Victor told her softly “I don’t believe you really think that, I mean... my relationship with you had nothing to do with Hope, you and I had a wonderful relationship that started long before me and Hope even met!”

Nikki tried to explain “I wasn’t talking about that, I know it’s two different things... Victor, you and I always had that relationship that boarded on romance even when we weren’t together.
But... you married Hope and well, obviously nothing happened between us and than you had your problems and we had issues with Nicholas..."

She paused to get some air and than continued "And we were there for each other, but even though I had my hopes... I don’t think I truly believed anything would happen, and then you had to deal with all of those problems at once, your wife leaving you and taking your son with her, and *our* son going into jail and I just, I just can’t help but wonder if all those feelings you now have for me are not at least partly result of that”

Victor looked at her, a bit taken aback, she never once told him anything in that spirit and it was obviously bugging her... but he couldn’t answer her just like that without thinking about it and answer her honestly.

He looked into her eyes that were filled with tears by that point and started saying something but than the phone rang, Nikki closed her eyes and sighed, the moment was gone.. Victor answered the phone “Hello”

Connie was on the other line “Mr. Newman, I’m sorry to interrupt but you’re late to your meeting”

Victor looked at his watch, he was half an hour late for his meeting “Damn, Connie, is the people from Japan there yet?”

Connie replied “Yes they are Mr. Newman”

Victor asked “Have they been waiting long?”

Connie said apologetically “Well, they came 10 minutes early and the meeting...”

Victor said “I know, I know , was half an hour ago... Connie, apologize for me, I’ll be there in a moment”

Victor hung up and sighed as he looked at Nikki who gave him a small smile “You need to go”

Victor said ‘Yes, I do...I have a meeting I’m terribly late for, I was distracted by my lovely company...”

Nikki smiled “That’s okay, I understand”

Victor sent a hand to caresses her hair “It shouldn’t take more than an hour and a half, you’re welcome to wait if you want”

Nikki shook her head and wiped a tear that rolled on her cheek away “No, no that’s okay, I’m suppose to meet Catherine, I haven’t seen her in a while... avoiding her is more true...”

Victor smiled “I don’t blame you, ol’ Kay got the eyes of a hawk for interesting events in other people’s lives”

Nikki said “Don’t underestimate my powers of reassurance”

Victor asked “You intend to tell her there is nothing interesting going on with yours?”

Nikki nodded “Yes, I love Catherine to death, she’s like a mother to me, but if I tell her about us I’ll just hear plenty of advises I’m not in the mood for”

She smiled at him “You can go, I lock up after me, I don’t want to keep you”

Victor sent his arms to hold her and said, hugging her “I want to continue this conversation later, you
had your say and now is my turn, okay?”

Nikki, feeling so incredibly safe inside the warmth of his embrace said in an uncommitted tone, not really sure she wants to hear what Victor has to say “Okay...”

Victor pulled back and kissed her tenderly on the lips “I’ll see you later”

Nikki nodded and Victor walked out, and paused outside the door, thoughtful... realizing that Nikki was right, and that they still has quite a road ahead.