Chapter fourty Nine - Lost And Found
Victor and Nikki froze on the stairs when they heard the doorbell, Nikki said irritably “Darn it!”
She turned to Victor and moaned “Ugh, what a lousy timing…”
For a response, Victor grabbed her and pulled her to him and kissed her passionately, he mumbled “Don’t answer that.”
Nikki sighed as he she felt his body pressing onto her as he pinned her against the wall, and started kissing her neck
Nikki closed her eyes, tilted her head back but forced herself to ask “Hmmm….Victor, Oh…Don’t we need to get it?…”
Victor said “No…” he pulled away from her and said “Come here” as he started leading her by the hand toward the bedroom…
The next three loud rings made them stop and stare at each other helplessly.
Nikki said at Victor “Oh, it could be important”
Victor sighed and gestured with his head toward the door “Get it, if you feel have to”
Nikki gave him two quick kisses and said “I will see if I can get rid of whoever it is, It would only take me one moment”
Victor leaned against the wall with a frustrated expression, right now, even one moment felt like one moment too many.
The Doorbell rang again, more urgently this time.
Nikki, still wet, still freezing, called out “I’m coming, I’m coming, hold your horses!”
She opened the door to find a good-looking brunet woman in her late thirties or early forties at the door, the woman was wrapped in a long, wet coat, and her lips were almost blue – it was raining heavily outside and the hailstorm was growing worse and worse.
Nikki stared at the woman for a moment before realizing she knew who she was, she said quietly “Come in, it’s freezing outside”
The woman accepted the invitation with a nod and walked inside the house, Nikki fought to the wind to close the door behind her.
The woman hung her coat on the hanger, she was relatively dry underneath. She walked into the living room after Nikki, who went to stand by the fireplace again.
Nikki turned to look at her, and said rather in a voice whose coldness matched the weather outside “You’re Amy’s mother, Terri, Terri Wilson, isn’t it?”
The woman looked surprised “Terri Scott now, But How did you know who I was?”
Nikki eyed her and replied “I knew you were Amy’s mother because you look a lot like her, and now I remember you. We were on the PTA together when Nicholas was in jr. high, I didn’t make the connection before, but I do now.”
Terri nodded “Yes, You’re Nikki Abbott, I remember”
Nikki eyes flashed and she said in a cold voice that was touched with something between disgust and mock “Wish I could say ‘nice seeing you again’ ”
The woman took a step back, she had no idea what she was doing there and why she received such a cold welcome “Look, I don’t know who you think you ar…”
Victor, who came down the stairs, wearing a dry shirt, drying his hair with a towel, interrupted the spat.
“Sweetheart, who was at the…” He stopped when he noticed Terri and said “Hello”
Nikki, still glaring at Terri introduced them “Terri Wilson, excuse me, Terri Scott - this is Victor Newman, my former husband”
Victor’s eyes darkened and he stated “Amy’s mother”
Terri did not back down under his look “Look, I got a call. From you, I assume, Mr. Newman. Telling me that there is an emergency going on with my daughter, and that my presence was requested back here, and to come to this address. I do not appreciated being looked at like I have the plague so why don’t you tell me what happened to my daughter and what I am doing here!”
Nikki pressed her lips together and was about to answer harshly but stopped at the last moment “Look, Mrs. Scott, I’m going to go upstairs and change. As you can see we were caught in the storm a few moments before you arrived, sit down, have a cup of coffee, and we’ll explain everything in a moment”
Terri’s expression softened “Thank you, I appreciate it, just one thing, though…”
Victor asked “What?”
Terri asked in a steady voice “Is my daughter okay?”
Victor and Nikki exchanged glances and Victor replied quietly “She is now, no thank to you, Mrs. Scott”
Nikki glanced at Victor, worried about him losing his temper and said with a sigh “I’ll be right back”
On her way up she turned to look back at Victor and signed deeply, whatever they had in mind will just have to wait…
A few moments later Nikki was back down stairs, wearing a black, dry suit.
Terri was drinking a fresh cup of coffee that was handed to her by Miguel, Victor was standing next to the fireplace, staring into the flames. As annoyed as he was with that woman, he still rather let Nikki handle her.
After all, Amy was her daughter, and he didn’t want to be the one to tell her about he daughter’s rape of following mental problem, he though Nikki could handle her with more sensitivity than he was capable of for the moment.
Terri turned to Nikki, “Are you going to tell me what happened to my daughter, and how come you are involved in it at all?”
Nikki sighed, “Please sit down, it’s a long story, I’ll try to give you the short version”
Terri obliged and set down, beginning to look worried “What happened to my daughter?”
Nikki said “I met your daughter when she was dating my son”
Terri opened her eyes “Really? When was that?”
Victor said, an edge to his voice “A little over year ago, you didn’t know?”
Terri’s eyes moved from place to place “No, No… I knew she was dating someone. I didn’t know it who it was”
She said in an apologetic manner “We don’t talk a lot, my daughter and I, she lived at the dorm, she didn’t come to visit that often, I didn’t really know what’s going on with her”
Nikki exchanged glances with Victor and continued with a smile “Amy is sweet, we got along beautifully, I wasn’t really pleased when she and Nicholas broke up, but there is a limit to how much a mother can meddle”
Terri asked, “So they broke up?”
Nikki sighed “Yea… and soon they both started seeing other people, my son started seeing Sharon Collins, and your daughter started seeing Matt Clark”
Victor, who was sitting next to Nikki interfered “Did you know him?”
Terri slowly shook her head, she was beginning to feel very uncomfortable “No, as I said, Amy and I don’t really talk about her personal life, I am remarried, and she doesn’t like my new husband, or her new step sister, so she doesn’t come home much”
Victor said harshly “So it’s not uncommon for you not to talk to your daughter for months?”
Terri said defensively “I was on my honeymoon, I called once or twice, I just assumed I missed her and I could not be reached where I was, so I was not surprised she never called”
Victor said sternly “Trust me, I know, I spent weeks trying to find you!”
Terri asked angrily “Why? What happened to Amy that my presence was needed here, and how come you two are involved?”
Nikki tried to explain “As I said, Matt was seeing your daughter, later Amy realized the kind of man Matt was, that he was a cruel man who loved to toy with others, especially our son…so she broke up with him.”
Terri asked irritably “Okay, then, so what was the problem?”
Nikki opened her mouth, but couldn’t find the words, she looked at Victor with a plea for help in her eyes, and he gave her a small, reassuring nod.
Terri looked at her with alarm, her eyes searching Nikki’s face.
Nikki finally managed to say “I’m sorry to be the one telling you that, but your daughter was raped by Matt”
Terri paled and shook her head ”No, you can’t be right”
Nikki whispered to her “I’m so sorry, I know it can’t be easy for you to hear, but it’s the truth”
Terri got up and walked around the room, shocked…trying to process what she just heard and then turned around sharply “Where is she? I want to see her!”
Nikki sighed, it was so complicated, she didn’t know how to tell her the rest, she brushed her hair back nervously “Hmmm, There’s more… There’s more we need to tell you before you can go and see her”
Terri froze and asked one the verge of hysteria “More? What could possibly be more?”
Victor said softly “Amy shot Matt”
Terri shook her head, and said angrily “What are you two talking about?! This is insane!”
Victor said, trying to get it all to make sense for her “Our son Nicholas has been blamed for Matt’s shooting, he was the first to arrive to the scene, there had been a trial, and he had been found guilty”
Terri flared up, and shrieked “Oh, so now you’re trying to pin the murder charges on my daughter!?”
Nikki stood up, loosing her cool, and angrily corrected her “Attempted murder, and it is nothing like that! How dare you accuse us of something like that? *Now* you’re trying to protect your daughter? A mother who was gone for months and didn’t even bother to find out if her child was okay? I’m not even convinced that you cared!”
Terri’s eyes widen and she was about to reply something nasty in return but Victor’s icy voice stopped her “Enough. Now, do you want to hear what is going on with your daughter, or you would you rather
Accuse us of things that couldn’t be further then the truth!?”
Nikki, upset, got up from the couch and told Victor “She’s all yours, I really have had enough” She went to stand by the piano, shaking her head. She was torn between feeling sympathy for the woman, as well as a lot of anger. She was worried she might say something she regrets.
Terri tensely apologized to Victor “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said it, I would just really want you to get to the point”
Victor sighed, he wanted to break it to her gently but if she insisted… “Your daughter had suffered some kind of emotional break down after her rape, Matt had a gun and she used that gun to shoot him, She ended up in Chicago and I located her there. It was a little over a month ago. Amy didn’t know who she was or what she was doing there, and of course, no memory of what happened to her”
Terri asked him, unable to process what he was saying to her “You want to tell me my daughter have no idea who she is?”
Victor shook his head “No, Amy is doing a lot better now, she has been treated in a privet clinic ever since I found her, I’m sure the psychiatrist, Doctor Haming, would be able to explain things to you better then I could. ”
Terri nodded blankly and turned her head to Nikki, tears in her eyes “Is she okay?”
Nikki answered softly, sitting next to Victor yet again “She’s getting there, now that she remembers what happened to her, she’s beginning to recover, I think…I hope… And as Victor said, I’m sure the psychiatrist would be able to tell you more”
Terri’s voice choked up “Did she ask about me? Talk about me?”
Nikki nodded, trying to control her own tears “Yes…She wanted to see you, she will be very happy now that you’re here”
Terri sniffed and said, “I hope that you’re right…” She raised her head and asked with fear “Will charges be pressed?”
Victor replied “I can’t make you any promises, but I think not. Our son’s hearing is today and the charges against him should be dropped. And though it was not promised to me, I don’t think there will be actions against Amy, considering her mental state at the time. My Lawyer is on the case, and he is excellent, but I will hire anyone you may want”
Terri said proudly “Thank you, but I would like to pay you back, for any costs you might have had, and I’m sure there were. I’m quite capable of paying on my own ”
Victor shook his head “I’m sure you are but I refuse you accept your money, without your daughter’s help my son would have spent 15 years in prison, it’s not charity, it’s from genuine gratitude and because I like your daughter a lot”
Terri looked at him for a long moment and said “Thank you, I appreciate it, and I accept. I just hope we won’t need the lawyer’s services”
Victor smiled “So do I. Now, I assume you want to go and see your daughter?”
Terri nodded tearfully “Where is the clinic?”
Nikki answered “Its on Jefferson’s avenue 105, next to Parker jr. high”
Terri said wearily “Yes, I know where it is”
She got up and said to Victor and Nikki “I want to thank you both for everything you have done”
Nikki said apologetically, regretting her outburst, that implied Terri didn’t care about her daughter “Don’t thank us, our motives were not exactly selfless, without Amy’s statement our son would have stayed in jail for a long time”
Terri said, “Even if that’s true, I can see that you care a lot about her”
Nikki answered “We do, give her my love, okay?” She paused for a while and then said “And if it seemed like we were passing judgment it’s because...”
Terri completed the sentence for her “It’s because you were, and I probably deserve this”
Victor’s eyes lingered on Nikki for a long moment, and then he asked Terri “May I be presumptuous enough to give you an advice?”
Terri smiled weakly and replied “I’ll be brave and say go ahead”
Victor said “When you make a mistake, you can do two things, Try and make up for the mistake, and more important, learn from it. That’s what I try to do with mine, anyway”
He sent Nikki a long look and their eyes met. Nikki smiled at him, unable to stop the tears from falling, she brushed them away quickly, before Terri notices them, she did.
Terri said to Victor “I will try to keep that in mind, thank you again…I’ll show myself out”
Victor told her “Tell Amy I wish her nothing but the best”
Terri nodded “I will”
She wrapped herself in her coat and walked out…
Victor set down with a deep sigh and looked at Nikki, who was standing next to him with a thoughtful expression. Victor recognized the thoughtful look and asked her “What do you make of her?”
Nikki shook her head, still with that look of concentration in her eyes “I don’t know… I don’t know what to think of her, she’s pretty much what I thought she would be, I guess” She snapped out of her thoughts and slide to the couch next to Victor “I just hope she’ll be able to reach out to Amy”
Victor said, “I think that she will…they are mother and daughter and they love each other”
Nikki nodded slowly “Yea…”
She raised her eyes to Victor and reached out to touch his face, running her fingertips along his jaw…“It was a good advice, What you said to Terri”
Victor looked at her with love in his eyes pulled her closer to him “I’m glad you approve...”
Nikki looked into his eyes and said seriously “Of course I do, it’s what we’re doing right now... learning, compromising, forgiving, loving... “ She smiled tearfully “Mostly loving”
Victor smiled at her and caressed her face “It’s wonderful, isn’t it?”
Nikki nodded and said dreamily “Oh Yes... and I honestly believe we could not have gotten here without some of the mistakes we’ve made in the past...”
Victor chuckled “That’s an interesting way of looking it”
Nikki narrowed her eyes but said with a smile “I said *some* mistakes, not all of them... I don’t think all the blunders we’ve made in our lives from the moment we met were *really* necessary”
Victor smiled “Yes, we have had a few of those...blunders...”
Nikki’s eyes sparkled as she leaned back on the couch and said “Oh Yes”
Victor eyed her, with the moist tousled hair and seductive grin she looked simply ravishing, he said with a smile “Come here...”
Nikki entwined her fingers on the back of her neck, stretched her legs forward and shook her head “No, I don’t think so, If kissing me if what you have in mind, Mr. Newman, you better come over here...”
Victor laughed and without a second hesitation grabbed her by the legs and pulled them to him, so that she lied flat on her back on the couch, causing her to gasp in surprise.
For a moment Victor set there, looking down at Nikki. who was lying on the couch, looking at him with a charming, expectant smile, waiting him to make the next move.
And he did.
He lowered himself down captured her lips with his...kissing her fervently.
Nikki sighed softly under the warmth of his body and responded to the kiss with everything in her, exploring the insides of his mouth with her tongue, sending ripples of passion all through his body...
As the kiss calmed down to a shower of soft kisses Nikki asked Victor hopefully “Tell me we have enough time to continue this...”
Victor looked at his watch and with a sigh propped himself on one elbow next to her “Nope, we need to be at the court house in one hour...”
Nikki leaned back and said with a smile “Nicholas would be home, at long last...”
She asked Victor “You really are sure that everything will be okay at the hearing, I just got this funny feeling in my stomach, like we might be celebrating way too soon”
Victor said in a reassuring voice, caressing her cheek “I’m sure it will be okay, there is no reason for the charges not to be dropped, don’t start worrying now”
Nikki nodded and hugged him “You’re right...I would just be glad it’s all over and Nicholas is home...”
She looked at Victor “Think you could find an excuse to stay here tonight?”
Victor chuckled “If we tell the kids tonight I might”
Nikki gaped at him “Tonight? Oh... that’s a little too soon, I wouldn’t want it to overshadow Nicholas’s homecoming... it’s his moment... we can tell them the day later”
Victor nodded “Fine, but that means you’re sleeping alone tonight”
Nikki wrinkled her nose “What’s that? blackmail?”
Victor said “Oh no, no - just harsh reality”
Nikki shook her, glaring at him “You are so full of yourself...luckily for you that I love you so much”
Victor said softly “I am lucky”
Nikki whispered “We both are...”
They kissed again and then Victor stood up sharply, afraid that if he would continue kissing her, they won’t make it to the hearing, and reached one hand to her “We need to get moving”
Nikki accepted his reached hand and pulled herself up, she ran her hands through her hair “I need to comb my hair and get organized... and you need to find a dry suit jacket here somewhere...are we meeting Victoria there?”
Victor shook his head “I think she’s coming to court stright from the office...”
Nikki said “Oh, okay then..”
They headed upstairs to finish getting dressed....
