Chapter Fifty Three - Unexpected Surprise...Again.

**8:12 AM**

"Good morning my sweetheart"

"Hmmmm… Mornin’…"

"You can’t possibly still be asleep"

Nikki snuggled inside the blanket, leaned the receiver on the other ear, and mumbled, her eyes closed "I…think I still am asleep…"

Victor was sitting in his office, leaned back on his comfortable leather chair and laughed at her sleepy voice.

He asked "Do you want me to just let you sleep or should I continue and try to wake you up? Because if I hang up now I don’t think
you’ll even remember that we had this conversation "

Nikki’s lips curved up in a smile, glaring evidence to the fact she was much more alert than a few moments ago. She stretched like a cat,
yawned and said "Nooo…I want you to come over here and crawl into bed with me, it would be much more fun"

Victor’s closed his eyes, her words inciting a very provoking image in his head.

He said reluctantly "I wish I could my sweetheart, but I am extremely behind at work, I haven’t been around and things just…piled up."

Nikki rolled on her back and opened her eyes and smiled to herself.

She replied, her eyes sparking mischievously, "That’s okay. I understand. After all, a pile of files is a lot more appealing to you than
you, and me, in bed…in front of the fireplace, while the snow is falling outside and I’m wearing…"

She looked at herself and her warm pink flannel P.J and lied  "This tiny sexy nightie…"

She couldn’t suppress her grin as she heard his breathing quicken on the other end of the phone.

She knew he couldn’t help his reaction to the sexual web she was weaving around him. He never could.

She enjoyed the game tremendously.

Victor sighed deeply, completely captivated in the mental image she was conjuring.

He said hoarsely with a hint of frustrated admonishment in his voice "Oh Nikki…Do you enjoy torturing me?"

Nikki admitted to the truth, grinning "Very much so darling"

Victor said, still trying to stop thinking of what she suggested just a moment ago "Believe me that I would love nothing better than to spend the rest of the day, night, and the following day in bed with you but…"

Nikki said, sitting up in bed, leaning against the pillows "You’re very behind. Victor, I do understand. You were preoccupied with the situation with Nicholas, and you’ve been neglecting the company, and your empire deserve your undivided attention for a while… I was merely teasing you"

Victor smiled "I know you were, you’re very good at it, too"

Nikki laughed "I do have years of experience behind me"

There was a small pause and then Nikki asked, a bit sadly "So I won’t see you until tonight?"

Victor said,  "I’m afraid not sweetheart"

Nikki asked him, slightly anxious "You still want to tell the kids today, don’t you?"

Victor said, reassuring her "Of course, I don’t want to postpone it for one minute longer, and beside, after we tell the children, I could
take you up on your invitation"

Nikki said tearfully "Yea, that would be good, hmmm… you want to be here around seven?"

Victor looked at his calendar "Yea, that’s fine…I’ll be there…"

Nikki wiped her tears away and said, "I love you, seven seems too far away…"

Victor was feeling the exact same thing, but he said "Now come on now, we wanted both of Nicholas and Victoria to be there, and now we can make it happen, and it would be as perfect as you wanted it to be…okay?"

Nikki nodded "Okay…"

Victor said softly "I love you, I’ll see you tonight,"

Nikki whispered "I love you too….bye"

With a dreamy smile she slide off the bed and headed toward the shower.

Victor closed the phone and smiled to himself.

Three weeks ago, he didn’t dare hoping for such a successful ending of things.

Nicholas was free, at long last, and the heavy shadow that has been cast over their hearts for the past two months was finally gone.

Nikki and him have found the way back to each other, which was something he had lost hope would ever happen, he almost couldn’t
believe how good it felt to talk and laugh with her, to kiss her, to love her…

It was as if something that was missing from his life for so long was finally in its place again, and he relished on every moment he spent with her now, and tonight, things would become official.

But there was one thing bothering him very much, and he had no idea what he should do about it…
 
 

**9:05 AM**

 
Nikki got out of the shower, dressed, and was heading downstairs to eat a late breakfast when she literally bumped into Nicholas, who was trying to sneak upstairs…Nikki was startled "Nicholas!"

Nicholas apologized "Geez, sorry mom, I didn’t mean to frighten you"

Nikki put her hand on her chest "You didn’t startle me, just took 10 years out of my life,  that’s all"

She suddenly beamed at him and hugged him tightly "But that’s a small price to pay for the joy of seeing your face every morning again angel"

Nicholas wrapped his arms around his mother and said, "Likewise, mom" He had missed her very much, more than he thought he would.

Nikki at last pulled back and wiped her tears away, she eyed him up and down, he was holding a bag in his hands, and looked rumpled.

Nicholas felt uncomfortable under her observant eyes and moved his hands through his longish hair "What?"

Nikki shrugged with a smile "Nothing, did you have breakfast yet?"

Nicholas shook his head "No, and I’m starved, you didn’t eat either?"

Nikki led her son to the table just as Miguel showed up with a trey of coffee and muffins.

She took the mug from Miguel, inhaled deeply and said "Hmmm, fantastic, thank you Miguel…"

She turned back to Nicholas as she sat down "No, I slept in today…I expected you to do the same but apparently you were up at dawn".
Nikki took another sip from her coffee, and raised her blue eyes at her son, who averted his mother’s gaze  "You didn’t sleep here last night, did you?"

Nicholas blushed and stirred uncomfortably on the couch "Mom, come on"

Nikki said reassuringly "I’m not mad, although I would have appreciated ahead warning, Nicholas, so I wouldn’t worry"

Nicholas asked cautiously "If you’re not mad, why are you so interested in where I slept last night?"

Nikki took a bite from her muffin and said casually "Just curious…did you sleep at Sharon’s last night?"

Nicholas drank his orange juice and then mustered up the courage to look up "Mom, I’ve been in jail for over a month, I haven’t had one moment alone with Sharon and…"

Nikki interrupted him "Nicholas, I’m aware that you’re a grown man now, and that you have a steady girlfriend for a long time, and that you’d be…"

She choked on her words "Doing things adults do when they are in a relationship. I just didn’t realize it was that serious, that’s all"

Nicholas said pointedly "Mom, it’s been that serious for a long time, so if you’re trying to have the birds and the bees talk with me, don’t bother"

Nikki was taken off guard  "Oh, Hmmm…. Okay…wow, you’re direct" She laughed sheepishly.

Nicholas chuckled "Sorry…but really, mom, I’m a big boy and beside, both Dad and Jack had that discussion with me"

Nikki stared "They did?"

Nicholas laughed, reminiscing "Well, with Jack it was when I was much younger, so the highlight of it was that you don’t kiss a girl after you ate spicy foods, and that’s in the first date, you only kiss on the cheek"

Nikki grinned, "That sound like a good advice, I think"

Nicholas said with a smile "Well, he said that the first advice is good forever, and the second one just till I am older and I wasn’t suppose to tell you he said it…"

Nikki rolled her eyes "Jack was always a smart man"

Nicholas continued "With Dad it was just after I got back from boarding school, that was a little more serious and before you ask, you’re
not getting any details"

Nikki said quickly "Do you hear me asking?" She smiled at him "If you talked to your father, than I’m more or less reassured and I know you’re grown, but forgive me if I have…hmmm…certain difficulties in accepting the fact that my son is… sexually active"

Nicholas made a face and looked at his mom with horror "Mom! Can we please, please drop it?"

Nikki held her hands up defensively "I will, in a moment, I just have one thing more to ask you"

Nicholas closed his eyes and shook his head "I’m almost afraid to ask, what?"

Nikki asked straightforwardly "Just, please tell me you two are being careful, and I mean real careful"

Nicholas got up sharply "Okay, this conversation is so over, mom!"

Nikki protested "Hey, I think that’s a fairly legitimate question. You and Sharon are young, unmarried, and I have no particular desire to become a grandmother before my 40 birthday. So, you can either reassure me, and we will end it right now. Or you can let me worry, and I will just go to Sharon with that question"

Nicholas moaned "Okay, Okay…yea, we’re being careful, Sharon is on the pill, satisfied?"

Nikki wasn’t satisfied, she really didn’t trust Sharon that much. But couldn’t really say that to Nicholas so she sighed and said, "Yes, I am"

Nicholas shook his head at his mother with a hint of a smile "You know, you’re worse than some of my jailers"

Nikki shrugged and said with a smile "Hey, I’m your mother, it comes with the territory, now sit down and finish your breakfast, I promise not to harass you anymore"

Nicholas looked at his mother suspiciously for a moment and then said, "Okay…" and then set down, pacified.

After a few moments of eating he looked at her and after thinking about it for a few moments, he said "You know mom, you haven’t said
a thing about what’s going on with you"

Nikki looked up at him, puzzled "What do you mean?"

Nicholas said with a naughty smile "The romance department mom"

Nikki grinned "Oh, that"

Nicholas said "Yes, oh that, anything going there?"

Nikki said mysteriously "Maybe yes, maybe no…you won’t get an answer for that now"

Nicholas protested "Hey, that’s not fair, I told you!"

Nikki pointed out to him,  "I’m your mother, that means I get to ask and you don’t"

Nicholas nodded, and then said quietly "Look, the only reason I’m asking is for Vicki"

Nikki asked, "What do you mean, for Victoria?"

Nicholas sighed, it wasn’t easy for him to tell her that "That if nothing is going on with you and dad, that you tell her about it. She think
something might happen between you, and if it won’t happen she’ll be very disappointed, so if you and dad aren’t going to get back together, or if you’re seeing someone else, tell her, okay?"

Nikki was quiet for a moment and then asked her son "And how do you feel about it?"

Nicholas frowned at her "You and Dad? Of course I want you guys back together, you’re my parents.  But I can deal with it if you won’t,
but Vicki just doesn’t see it the same way at all"

Nikki reassured him, "I know that, and I already talked to her, yesterday, so don’t worry about her, I took care of it"

Nicholas nodded, missing the fact that his mother never told him exactly what she said to Victoria.

He just assumed that she told her to forget about it, in a nice way.

Nikki moved to sit next to him, hugged her son and said, "I feel a lot better knowing you two are close and talk about things, especially where your sister is concerned, she doesn’t always confide in me, so keep an eye on her for me"

Nicholas nodded "I will"

Nikki pulled back from the hug and asked "So, did you rent a Tux?"

Nicholas groaned "Yea, unfortunately"

Nikki pinched his cheek affectionately "Oh, you’re gonna look so handsome in it"

Nicholas groaned louder "Mom…"

Nikki rolled her eyes "This is where the ‘adult’ thing come in again, right?"

Nicholas said "Exactly"

Nikki let it slide and asked him "What about Sharon, any idea what she’s gonna wear, it was kind of short notice"

Nicholas grinned proudly  "I took care of it, so she won’t have to waste her entire salary on a dress she's going to wear once"

Nikki leaned back and stated knowingly "Let me guess, you bought her one"

Nicholas asked her "You think I shouldn’t have? When I talked to Dad last night he thought it was a good idea"

Nikki chuckled and shook her head with a smile, thinking back "I’m not surprised, it’s exactly something he would do. It’s something he
did do, actually, on a great number of occasions. First when we just met, and he wanted to take me somewhere fancy and I just couldn’t afford those kinds of clothes, and then even after we were married, simply because he saw something beautiful in a store and wanted to see me in it…"

Nicholas smiled, he could imagine his father doing just that "So like father like son?"

Nikki said, smiling "Something like that". She asked him, "So, what did Sharon say when she saw the dress?"

Nicholas said "Oh, she loved it, can’t wait till I see her in it"

Nikki looked at her son thoughtfully, and sighed.

How she could ever try and resist Sharon, he was so completely in love with her, she knew that feeling so well. What she was feeling right now toward Victor was wonderful. it was more than wonderful, it was absolutely exhilarating.

Nicholas noticed the far-away look in his mother’s eyes and asked "Mom, are you still with me"

Nikki looked up, flustered "What? Oh, yes sweetheart, I just remembered I wanted to tell you and your sister to be here around 7, I
want us to go together to Catherine’s party as a family"

Nicholas asked "Dad too?"

Nikki nodded "Of course…"

Nick said,  "Okay, no problems…" He got up from the sofa "I’m going to grab a shower, I’ll see you later?"

Nikki replied "Sure…"

Nicholas leaned down, kissed his mother’s cheek and headed up.

Nikki looked at her son as he climbed up the stairs joyfully, it was so good having him home.

Her thoughts was interrupted by the sound of the phone, she took her earring off and answered "Hello?"

"Hello, May I speak with Mrs. Nikki Abott?"

 "This is she"

"My name is Valerie, I’m calling from memorial hospital"

Nikki frowned, "Memorial? Why, What’s wrong?"

"I’m Doctor Cameron secretary, there is no need for you to be alarmed, Mrs. Abott, doctor Cameron simply wants to go over some of your test results"

Nikki didn’t understand "What tests results?"

"You were admitted a few days ago after an accident, correct?"

Nikki said, confused "Yes, but my only injury was a dislocated hand..I…" She paused and said, as if to herself "They did took blood,
though…"

She asked, a bit frightened "Are you saying something turned up to be wrong?"

The woman on the other line said in a none committing tone "Mrs. Abbot, the doctor simply wants to talk to you, he can accept you in 30 minutes, if you’re available"

Nikki, saying hurriedly "Yes, Yes… I’ll be right there"

She put the phone down and brushed her hair away from her face, her eyes darting around the room.

"What can this possibly be about?" She thought to herself "What’s wrong?"

She got up, grabbed her coat and car keys and was about to rush out of there when she realized she still couldn’t drive.

She called out "Miguel!"

Miguel showed up, holding a basket of laundry "Yes, Mrs. Abott?"

Nikki said quickly, feeling bad she had to lie to him "Miguel, I forgot I had a check up on my hand at memorial, and I still can’t drive,
can you drive me?"

Miguel nodded, but noticed how distressed she looked "Mrs. Abott, is everything okay?"

Nikki said with a fake smile "Yea, everything is fine, I’m just late, I completely forgot about this appointment"

Miguel smiled at her "With Nicholas home, that’s no wonder"

Nikki tried to look relaxed and said "Yes, I suppose…."

Miguel took the car keys away from her, and they stepped outside.
 

**10:53 AM**

Nikki entered memorial hospital, and walked to Doctor’s Cameron’s office. She walked to the receptionist and asked "I’m Mrs. Abott, the doctor is expecting me"

The receptionist nodded "Come in, he is expecting you"

Nikki opened the door and walked into the room.

To her amazement, she saw it was Doctor Noah, her old physician, sitting in Doctor Cameron’s chair.

 "Doctor Noah!" She called out with a smile, "What are you doing here? I thought you were still in England!"

Doctor Bernard Noah got up from his chair and greeted Nikki "Not anymore, Nikki, it’s great seeing you"

Nikki smiled at him and set down "Well, the feeling is quite mutual, how long have you been back?"

Doctor Noah replied, sitting down in front of her "Just two days, after over a year in England, I thought it was high time I come back here…"

Nikki asked, "Home sick?"

Doctor Noah laughed "Something like that"

Nikki’s smile faded and she asked "Doctor Noah, I’m thrilled to see you but… I don’t understand, I’ve been expecting Doctor
Cameron… and…"

Doctor Noah asked with an understanding smile, "Found me?"

Nikki said, getting anxious again "Well, yes… his secretary called me a half hour ago, and said some of my tests results came back and
Doctor Cameron wanted to discuss them with me…"

She continued fearfully "And now I see you…you’re the doctor who treated me during my addiction and back injury…and…"

Doctor Noah said quickly, realizing she was upset "Nikki, Nikki, hold on…"

He  tried to reassure her "I can see you are frightened, it wasn’t my intention at all, forgive me. Doctor Cameron was called
away on an emergency, and since I was your doctor for many years he asked me to go over what we’ve found in your tests…you don’t have a problem with that, do you?"

Nikki shook her head  "No, of course not, We know each other for years and I feel very at ease with you…"

She looked at him with a frown "And you didn’t frighten me, the nurse or secretary or whoever it was that spoke to me on the phone did, what came up in my tests results?"

Doctor Noah said, looking at the file in front of him "Nikki, you were treated for a dislocated hand, right?"

Nikki nodded, a look of concentration on her face "Yes…"

Doctor Noah continued "Well, they ran a few tests on you when you were admitted, blood tests, routine tests they do on people who are brought to the E.R…"

Nikki listened, "Okay…?"

Doctor Noah scratched his head, feeling a bit awkward "Actually Nikki, I really don’t know how to explain to you how we’ve found what we did, I don’t know why this test was ordered by the E.R doctor, it might have been a mistake because it’s definitely not routine but…"

Nikki was getting extremely impatient and cried out "Doctor Noah, for the love of god, what is it that you’ve found?"

Doctor Noah looked at her and then his face curved into a smile "Congratulations, Nikki, you’re pregnant…