Chapter fourty Seven - Heart to Heart
"Victoria! honey, are you there?"
"Yes, Yes! What is it mom?"
Victoria got out of her old bedroom in a hurry, fearful it was bad news as she heard her mother's anxious voice.
Nikki, standing on the top of the stairs looked at her daughter with a puzzled expression and asked her "Hey, what are you doing in there honey?"
Victoria shrugged and walked toward her mother "Oh, one of my necklaces is missing and I wondered if I might have left it here, my diamond necklace, the one you got me for my 17 birthday"
Nikki frowned "No sweetheart, sorry, I haven't seen her, I would keep an eye for it though"
Vicki smiled "Thanks..." Her smile faded "What's wrong, why did you look for me?"
Nikki grinned broadly at her daughter "Your father is downstairs, lets go down and I will tell you"
Vicki said, not knowing what to think "Alright..."
She let herself be dragged down by her excited mother.
Downstairs, Victor took a sip from his orange juice and leaned back on the couch with a grimace. Walking around hurt his ribs and he had a hard time taking deep breath without feeling waves of pain in his entire right side.
Nevertheless he rose when he heard Nikki and Victoria coming down, chatty.
He exclaimed, seeing his daughter "Now there you are, we were looking for you"
Vicki hugged her father and set down before answering "I was just looking for something, so what's up? Is it news about Nick?"
Nikki, sitting next to Victor looked at him with a joyous smile, as Victor replied quietly "Yes it is, it's about your brother and it's good news" he pronounced "We finally have proof"
Vicki gaped at her father and asked "Proof? That Nick is innecont?"
Victor nodded "Yes, Amy finally remembered who is the real person that shot Matt Clark"
Victoria put both her hands over her heart and whispered "Oh, Dad! I can't believe it, she confirmed it wasn't Nick?"
Nikki nodded "Yes, she sure did"
Victoria asked anxiously "Well who did shoot him then?"
Victor and Nikki exchanged somber glances and Nikki replied softly "Amy Wilson shot him"
Victoria could not believe it "Amy?! Oh you've got to be kidding me, Why for heaven's sake? She was his girlfriend!"
Nikki replied quietly "Because Matt raped her. She shot him and apparently that was the reason for the way we found her, the memory loss - it was the way her body dealt with the trauma, but she remembers now "
Vicki's face fell "Oh no, that jerk! no wonder he framed Nick, he didn't do it just because he hated him, he couldn't say it was Amy!"
Victor nodded "He would have framed himself had he said it was Amy, she had no other apparent motive, Nicholas's hatred for Matt was well known"
Vicki looked up at her father with a tearful excited smile "Now what? Nicholas will be out, won't he?"
Victor replied "There will be a hearing, and I don't see any reason for the judge not to free him, he has a confession by another person now"
Victoria was in tears, overcome with emotions "Then everything will finally be alright! I can't think of anything in the world that could make me happier right now!"
She wrapped her arms around her father, overjoyed.
Victor softly replied as he hugged his daughter "Neither can I, sweetheart"
Over her shoulder, Victor glances at Nikki who looked at both of them with a tearful, happy smile.
Feeling Victor's eyes resting on her, she looked up to meet his eyes and grinned mischievously at him, a grin that matched the amused twinkle in Victor's eyes.
Both of them were thinking the same thing, that their daughter was wrong - there is one thing that could make her happier.
Victoria pulled back from her father's embrace, wiping her tears and asked "So how did Nicholas react? He must have been so thrilled"
Victor said "Actually, we haven't told him yet, I want to wait for a word from John Silva and to tell Sharon first - I'm sure she would like to be there when we tell him"
Vicki said happily "So do I dad, Gosh... I can't wait to see the expression on his face when he finds out he is finally going to come home! You're going to the prison tomorrow?"
Victor nodded "First thing tomorrow morning, As soon as we learn the date of the hearing"
Vicki stood up and said excitedly, clapping her hands together "I'm going to tell Cole, Don't forget to call me when you're going ,I want to come with you!"
Nikki said in a reassuring tone "We *Will* Victoria, don't worry..."
Vicki said innocently "Oh, I'm not worried mother..."
She grabbed her coat and headed toward the door, a naughty spark gleamed in her eyes as she pulled the coat’s cap on, to protect herself from the snow.
“Just making sure, after all, you seem to be like doing a whole bunch of things by yourself lately”
She flashed a winning grin toward her parents and disappeared into the blizzard outside, not even giving Victor a Nikki a chance to respond.
Victor chuckled softly while Nikki said in amazement “She knows us so well it’s almost frightening”
Victor said with a slight nod of the head “she knows us well and yet she still doesn’t really know anything, she think that she’s just speculating, that it’s nothing but her wishful thinking...”
Nikki rested her head on his shoulder, looked up at him and said something that was between a question and a careful statement “Well, it’s more than just Victoria’s wishful thinking now, isn’t it?”
Victor looked deep into her eyes and sent his index finger to draw a soft, tickling line from her forehead, down the bridge of her nose to her luscious lips.
He linger there for a moment, tracing the edge of her lips with his finger, barely touching and yet, touching Nikki just enough to make her unable to utter one word.
Victor whispered to her “It was always more than just Victoria’s wishful thinking”
Nikki murmured, regaining control of her voice “I don’t follow you”
Victor said softly “Yes you do...you know as well as I do that what we have never really went away, and this is why our daughter never gave up on us, even we gave up ourselves”
Nikki whispered back “I never gave up, I never could bring myself to give up on you, on us, on how I felt when I was with you, on the way I feel right now”
Victor caressed her cheek and sighed “I know you didn’t, and I haven’t made life easy on you”
Nikki closed her eyes and said sadly “No, no, you definetly didn’t, there were times I thought I would never forgive you for that”
Victor asked her “Then why did you?”
Nikki responded in a slightly trembling voice “Because I loved you too much to ever let go of what we had, there were times I wanted to forget all about you, I just couldn’t, there is no other way for me to explain that”
Victor sighed deeply and took her into his arms, hugging her tightly “I’m so sorry sweetheart, I don’t know what to say to you right now, other than I know I made so many mistakes that I can’t take back now”
Nikki buried her head in his shoulder until she no longer felt like crying and than pulled back, looking at him “You don’t need to be sorry, you told me to give up on you many times, remember?”
Victor’s voice was the one trembling now “Yes I do, because I don’t think I would have taken it well at well if you actually did”
Nikki couldn’t help but smile “I rather suspected that, that why I couldn’t do it, what you said - and the look in your eyes when you said it - just wasn’t the same...”
Victor was fighting his own tears as he kissed her eyes lids and leaned his forehead against hers and said “No, I guess it wasn’t, I’m just glad you could see it... because my life would never have been the same if you weren’t in them, and the change would not have been for the better”
Nikki told him “I feel the same way...it would have been very empty, maybe easier to live, but lacking of all the passion and excitement you brought to them”
Victor held her face in his hands “And without all the heart-break”
Nikki smiled sadly “Yes, without the heartbreak as well, but If I had been worried about breaking my heart - I never would have given it to you in the first place, and giving you my heart is one thing I could never, ever regret”
Victor leaned her forehead against her “Neither can I... that I gave mine to you then, and for giving it to you again now”
Nikki smiled at him, fighting tears “It’s nice to know I have it back”
Victor smiled at her, his eyes reflecting all the warmth and love he was feeling to her “I love you, and I don’t think I ever loved you more than I do right now”
Nikki wiped her tears away, and then did the same to his “I feel the same way, I love you so much...”
There was a moment of silence between them, their faces just inches away from each other and than Nikki whispered to him “Could you do just one thing for me”
Victor responded “Anything...”
Nikki said in a voice that was half sob half smile “Could you just kiss me already, please”
Victor smiled at her “I thought you’ll never ask”
He put his hands on both sides of her head and leaned down to kiss her.
His lips flickered on her at first, tasting her and teasing her all at the same time and then both of them delved into an intense, deep kiss that seemed almost endless
As they were kissing, Nikki moved to sit in his lap...as she tried to sit more comfortably she almost lost balance, causing them both to giggle and for the kiss to break...
With a smile on her face, Nikki slide closer to him, her each leg in each side of his body and wrapped one arm around his neck, and leaned down to continue kissing him.
Victor stopped her mid way, noticing she still wasn’t moving her other hand and asked “Does your hand still hurt?”
Nikki nodded “Yea, but it’s much, much better... I wish I could say the same thing about you, though”
Victor asked her “What do you mean?”
Nikki raised her eye brow at him “Don’t think you can hid this from me, I saw the expression on your face when Victoria and I headed downstairs, you are in a lot more pain than you’re admitting”
Victor told her “It’s comes and goes, and it hurts more when I’m moving around but right now I feel wonderful...”
Nikki beamed at him “So do I, things happened so fast with Nicholas and Amy lately, we haven’t had the time to really talk about things, I’m glad that’s we’re finding the time to do it”
Victor nodded as reached out to caress her cheek “So do I”
Nikki sighed softly and rested her head on his shoulder, Victor closed his eyes, feeling very much at peace with her lying between his arms life that.
With closed eyes Nikki asked him “When do you suppose John Silva calls about the hearing?”
Victor shook his head “I don’t know... I don’t want to tell Sharon or Nicholas anything until everything is set, although I’m sure the hearing to release Nicholas should be soon enough”
Nikki raised her head to look at him “You don’t think something will go wrong, do you?”
Victor said “No, I don’t, I think we’re finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel”
Nikki smiled “Our son maybe home as soon as tomorrow”
Victor said, relishing on the thought “And what a joy that would be”
Nikki said “We could finally tell the kids that we’re back together’
Victor laughed “I can’t wait to see the expression on their face”
Nikki asked him excitedly “Oh, they have wanted it for so long, what do you think they will say?”
Victor shook his head “I don’t know - it would come as a real shock for Nicholas”
Nikki nodded “Yes, you’re right, he doesn’t know anything...”
Victor grinned “I kinda like the idea that we’re surprising him”
Nikki smiled “So do I, it’s Victoria I don’t know what to think about, you don’t suppose she will be mad at us?”
Victor frowned “For what?”
Nikki exclaimed “That we kept it from her for so long!”
Victor chuckled “She will be mad at herself for not figuring it out”
Nikki grinned “Yes well, that’s probably true, I sure hope she understands why we kept it from her as long as we did”
Victor said reassuringly “I’m sure that she will, she will be too ecstatic to dwell on that”
Nikki said with a dazzling smile “I am getting excited just talking about going public with our relationship, we will surprise a lot of people Victor”
Victor said, his lip curling up in satisfaction “Namely, Brad Carlton”
Nikki glared at him “And you were being so nice until a few moments ago”
Victor smiled at her and gave her a quick kiss “Well sweetheart, I can’t deny that I would take great pleasure in seeing the look on his face when he finds out we’re together again, and that you didn’t break it up with him because of the crisis with Nicholas”
Nikki shook her head at him “You are so bad, you know that? it gives you pleasure but it terrifies me, I don’t want to hurt him Victor, promise me you won’t make it a mission for you to rub his nose in that every time you two cross paths at work”
Victor gave in to the pleading look in her eyes “Fine, I won’t say anything , but I have no intentions of letting him go on fighting to get back together with you”
Nikki replied “I wouldn’t expect you to, but I hardly think he will try, so lets cross that bridge when we get to it”
Victor planted a kiss on the tip of her nose “Well, then we have no problem do we?”
Nikki sighed, but smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair and said “Well, lets hope so”
Victor looked at her lovingly and pulled her closer to him and asked her “Lets stop talking about what’s his name, alright?”
Nikki snorted “That’s fine with me darling...” and with a seductive voice asked him “What would you rather do, then?”
Victor reply was to kiss her like there was no tomorrow...
Suddenly Miguel entered the room “Mr. Newman...”
Nikki got off Victor quickly as if bitten by a snack and put her hand on her mouth, staring at Miguel guiltily.
Miguel froze when he realized what he was seeing and averted his eyes “Oh, I’m very sorry...”
Victor leaned back on the couch with a smile “There is no need to apologize Miguel, we were going to tell you soon enough”
Miguel was still embarrassed “Well, I shouldn’t have barged in”
Nikki regained her breath again and stood up, and said reassuringly “Miguel, that’s okay, Victor is right, you just scared me... hmmm...Yes, you guessed correctly, Victor and I are back together”
Miguel managed a smile “If I may say so, I am very glad to hear that”
Victor laughed “Well, that’s very good to know, Miguel”
Nikki added “Nevertheless Miguel, no one knows yet, so you will have to keep it a secret for a little while and not say a word to anyone, especailly Victoria”
Miguel nodded “I understand, I will not say a word”
Victor commented “We know you won’t, it’s not the first time you kept a secret for this family and you always did an excellent job”
Miguel nodded and than said hurriedly “There’s a call for you, John Silva, he called the other line, he said the usual line was busy”
Nikki look confused toward the phone, seeing it on the floor it dawned to her she must have knocked it down earlier, she blushed scarlet red and picked it up and said to Miguel “Have it transferred here Miguel, it’s okay now”
Miguel went to the other room quickly, glad to leave while Nikki sank back on the couch and commented “He couldn’t wait to get out of here”
Victor said with a smile “We surprised him, too”
The Phone rang and Victor turned serious, and leaned to pick it up “Yes John”
Nikki looked at Victor in a frightened expression as Victor just listened to what John had to say and then asked him “So we should be there when?” and “Thank you for all your help”
He put the phone down and turned to look at Nikki, she grabbed his hands and held it close to her “So, what’s the news?”
Victor replied with a smile “Apparently the judge took what John had to say about a confession very seriously, and the hearing has been set to early tomorrow!”
