Chapter Fifty Nine - Fight!

***9:40 PM***

Brad turned his head away, his eyes not meeting Nikki’s.
Nikki said, softly but assertively "I don’t mean to hurt you, but this is the truth"
Brad looked back at her "You want to tell me all we shared meant nothing to you?"
Nikki tried to get him to listen to reason "Brad, I never made any commitment to you"
Brad stared at her, getting upset "We were together for 6 months, Nikki, I’d thought what we had together was real!"
Nikki closed her eyes, and fighting another wave of nausea, tried to explain "I didn’t say I wasn’t committed to you, but we weren’t engaged… "
Brad retorted "It would have only been a matter of time till I’d asked you"
Nikki said pointedly "But you didn’t ask, and I did not give you any answer"
She sighed, "I’m sorry, you obviously had certain expectations of me… I did not mean to mislead you"

Nikki looked at him, and felt so guilty, she was trying to convince him of something that just wasn’t true.
She did feel committed to him at the time, and he certainly did not imagine it, he had no way of knowing that the night of passion with Victor, the pain they shared, the feelings that were awoken - changed EVERYTHING for her.

But she couldn’t tell him that, not now, when she might be carrying his child, Brad’s baby…and not Victor’s.
She felt so trapped inside that net of lies, she didn’t know how to get out of it.

Brad looked at her, hurt "Can’t you see how right we are, how right this feels?"
He tightened his grip on her "I do! I know I love you from the button of my heart, nothing you do can convince me you feel differently. You have nobody else, what’s so wrong in giving me a shot to win back your heart? You never you don’t love me, you said you can’t – that’s not the same thing,  I know how it was like for both of us… and how it could be that way again"
He leaned down to kiss her.
 
 

***9:38 PM***

Victor and Cole approached the kids, neither of them noticing Nikki and Brad on the dance floor.
Victor said to Cole "I don’t see Nikki"
Cole replied casually "She probably went to the ladies room or something"

Victoria’s eyes widen in alarm as she saw her father, and that alarm did not go unnoticed by Cole.
A quick look toward the dance floor explained the whole situation to him.

Nicholas noticed his father too "Oh damn" He muttered as he exchanged worried looks with Victoria, realizing that if not defused, the situation might be explosive…

Victoria quickly rushed toward her father and hugged, trying to distract him.
She said,  "Oh, I’m glad you’re here, I was worried you might have gone home"
Victor smiled at her and softly replied "You know I wouldn’t do that, not without saying goodbye"
Nicholas went over toward his father as well "Dad, hey…"
Victor said "I heard Catherine was going to propose a toast for you"

Catherine, approached him from behind said "And right you were"
Victor turned to Catherine with a smirk "Catherine my darling, I’m always right"
Catharine said "And modest, too"
She looked around the room, and Victoria closed her eyes in panic, knowing what coming.
Catherine asked Victor "Now where is Nikki, for heaven sake? I saw her a few short moments ago"
Victor replied "I don’t know, I wasn’t here. Victoria…Where’s your mother?"

Victoria just looked at her father, and didn’t say a word, she couldn’t lie to him, not with her mother and Brad standing a few short steps from them, although it was obvious that Nikki, standing with her back at them, couldn’t see them.
Victor saw her silence and his eyes, almost as they had their own mind, scanned the room and the dance-floor.
And there she was, dancing with Brad as if she didn’t know exactly how he felt about him, as if his feelings don’t matter to her at all, as if she felt nothing for him.
Victor stood there and looked at Brad and Nikki dancing, his expression totally unreadable, unreflecting the pain he was feeling.

All at the same time, Brad looked up, and saw Victor looking straight at them.
He had to restrain himself to control his smile, "Talk about perfect timing" he thought as he leaned down to kiss Nikki.

Victor watched as Brad said something to Nikki, and then kissed her.
As much as wanted to, he couldn’t will himself to look away, so he kept staring…he didn’t even flinch, but inside he was shaking with fury.

Next to him, Nicholas flinched.
Knowing his mother and Brad were involved wasn’t the same as getting the preview live, and he didn’t like it anymore than his sister.
Victoria stared at Brad and Nikki the same way her father did, only she didn’t bother to keep her expression blank and said in disgust "Oh, that's just great"

Catherine was busy looking at Victor, she was beginning to get a strange sensation there’s a lot going on here she didn’t know.

Victoria said hurriedly "I’m going to tell her you’re going to make that toast now Catherine"
She was about to walk over there, but her father’s hand on her shoulder stopped her "Stay here, I’ll go"

And decisively walked toward Brad and Nikki.
 

Nikki pulled back after a few seconds and asked Brad in an angry whisper "What do you think you’re doing?"
Brad simply replied "Kissing you, why, didn’t you like it?"
Nikki stared at him, aghast "No! You had no right to do this!"
Brad say "I don’t see you running away screaming"
Nikki rolled her eyes at him "I’m not that melodramatic, but do that again and I just might"
Brad apologized, "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you, just to give your ex husband a show"
Nikki stared at him, her blue eyes open wide as she asked him in a shaky voice "What?"
Brad added with a smirk "Don’t look now, he’s coming over"

Nikki, of course, turned around sharply, and her eyes locked on Victor’s.
She could see the jealousy and the anger in them, and it hurt deep inside.

Victor stopped next to Brad and Nikki, and told Brad icily "I need a moment alone with Nikki"
Brad assessed the situation, and thought a little bit of rudeness might serve him well "Maybe after we’ve finished dancing"
Victor stared at him, shaking his head  "You have a lot of nerve"
Brad smirked, "Oh, I do, do I?"
Victor raised his voice, finally fed up  "You certainly do, now, Are you going to leave here, or do I need to make you?"
 

 

***9:41 PM***

Jill, talking with Jack and Luan on the other corner of the room, noticed Brad and Nikki dancing and elbowed Jack "Ohhh, at least some people are having fun"
Jack asked her, not seeing what she did "What are you talking about?"
Jill pointed out to the dance floor "Are you blind? Look behind you."
Jack turned around and groaned when he saw what she did "I don’t believe it, What is she doing dancing with Brad?"
Jill smirked, "Well isn’t it obvious? They are back together"
Jack shook his head as he looked "I doubt that"
At that moment, they saw Victor approaching the two, and the beginning of the argument
Jill said, looking with great interest "I should have brought some popcorn"
Luan said worriedly to Jack "Someone should stop that"
Jack shook his head and told his wife "Don’t look at me, I refuse to get involved in this, either way, I get screwed"

Brad looked at Victor, and said, "Make me"
Victor responded to the provocation and advanced at Brad.

Nikki came back to her senses when she realized that if she would just stand there, Brad and Victor could do serious harm to each other.
She stood in the middle of them, not allowing Victor to come any closer and pleaded "Both of you, please stop, now"
She turned to Brad "Brad, maybe it would be best had you left"
Brad shook his had no "I don’t see why, because of him?!" He jerked his thumb toward Victor.
Nikki tried to keep her voice as calm as possible "Victor and I need to talk"
Brad replied angrily "So do we, we were in the middle of something and we haven’t finished this".

Nikki could feel Victor’s temper rising next to her and put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down, which didn’t really help.
Victor said to Brad, wearing a sneer "I think you already have finished, a long time ago, you just apparently missed that when she told you"

Nikki sighed, this wasn’t helping…

Now it was Brad’s turn to get mad and he retorted "I didn’t miss a damn thing, which is more than I can say for you"
Victor said coldly "Oh really?"
Brad said angrily "You still butt into Nikki’s life whenever you feel like it, meddle in our relationship, as if you are still together! Let me break the bitter news to you Victor, you’re not, and haven’t been for a long time. Nikki’s moving on, she shouldn’t suffer because you can’t"
Nikki glared at Brad "Brad, stop that, now! "
She looked from one man to the other and said angrily "And don’t talk about me as if I’m not even here!"
Victor took one step closer to Brad and taking a look at Nikki, and said in a menacing tone  "That’s right, she shouldn’t – she shouldn’t have a *leech* like you in her life"
Nikki, standing in the middle of them yelled, "I said ENOUGH!" She pushed both of them away from each other as forcefully as she possibly could.
But Brad and Victor were not to be stopped, Victor, consumed with rage growled "Not till I teach him some manners"
Brad, laughed "Manners? How about I teach you to mind your own business, Newman! Instead of interfering where you don’t belong, and not wanted"

Nicholas and Victoria exchanged horrified looks.
Nick told Victoria "We should interfere, this thing is only going to get worse!"
Victoria looked at him and said "Good! I want to see Dad beats the crap out of that jerk"
Nicholas nudged her "And get into a huge fight with mother afterwards? You want THAT too?"
Cole urged her "Victoria, he’s right, You should go and help Nikki calm them down before this thing gets physical"
Victoria moaned "Oh, alright!"

She walked over the the dance floor.
 
 

Ryan and Nina joined Nicholas and Sharon.
Ryan looked at the scene and said to Nicholas, sniggering, "Speaking from experience, my money is on your father"
Sharon said, mortified "I hope it won’t get that far!"
Nicholas said worriedly "I’d feel a lot better if dad wasn’t recuperating from that stupid car accident, he cracked two ribs"
Cole looked at Nicholas and said, "Man, I’ve forgotten all about it, I just hope Victor remembers it"
Nicholas looked at Cole and shook hid head "I doubt it"

Nikki, her voice hoarse from the yelling, begged "What do I have to do to get you two to stop this?!
She turned to Brad "If you think this sort of macho behavior is going to get to me over, you couldn’t be more wrong!"
She then turned to Victor and put a hand on his chest and pleaded  with him in a whisper "I know what you’re thinking, but you don’t understand, please stop, please, for me...!"
 

At the same time, Victoria carefully walked toward them, walked behind her father and put her hand on his shoulder, that was practically shaking from rage "Dad, please"
She glared at Brad and said in a voice dripping of hatred "He isn’t worth this"
Victor looked at his daughter, her presence made him aware that the entire room, his children’s included, was watching. He also became very aware of Nikki’s pleas, he took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
Nikki took a deep breath of relief as she saw Victor relaxing, and stepped back...

Only Brad wasn’t calming down, not at all... 4 glasses of martini has clouded his judgment completely, this wasn’t a good time for one of his usual spats with Victoria.

Brad snapped at Victoria "Mind your own business, Victoria!"
Victor barked, all his self control gone "Don’t you dare talk to my daughter like that!"
Brad, livid, retorted "Why not? Cause she’s daddy’s little girl? Face it Victor, you  - have -  raised  - a brat"
Victor did not lose a second before punching Brad with all his might.

Nikki gasped, as mother and daughter stared at each other in shock.

Brad, unprepared, stumbled back a few steps from the impact of the blow.
He put his hand on his nose, and then looked at it, it was filled with blood "I’m going to kill you Newman" He whispered, and didn’t waist another second and came toward Victor, fists raised.

Simultaneously, Jack and Nicholas and Cole, decided it was time to get involved as they raced toward them.

Victor WAS prepared for Brad retaliating, and avoided the fist aimed at his direction.
He got a hold of Brad, and punched him again.
Brad ducked, and managed to send a powerful kick into Victor’s midsection right to his still-healing ribs.
The pain was stunning and intense, and Victor doubles over in pain, feeling as if someone sucked the air from him,
Brad used that moment to get another blow in, directing to Victor’s mouth.
But Victor managed to move away from his range.
Using his leverage, He tackled Brad, making him to lose balance and fall onto the floor. Victor was on top of his in a second, sending a quick left fist into Brad’s face, investing every bit of his anger in it.

Nikki put her hands over her mouth, tears streaming down her face, she could see it coming for weeks, and there was nothing she could do to stop that now but beg them to stop, pleadings that went off unheard by the two of them, they were too far gone. Victoria was yelling for them to quit, it was getting way too violent, she couldn’t care less about Brad, but she didn’t want her father to be injured.

By the time Victor raised his hand to hit Brad again, Brad managed to free himself and push Victor away, and both men were on their feet again, getting ready for a second round.

But they didn’t get a chance to do it.
Jack and Nicholas grabbed a hold of Victor,  and Cole grabbed Brad powerfully from behind.
They were struggling to keep both men away from each other, but Brad and Victor both fought them, making it very difficult to restrain them.

Catherine suddenly emerged at the scene, holding a big vase filled with water and throwing the water on both of them "Enough!" She roared "Enough I’ve said!"
Brad and Victor got soaked to the bone, and Jack and Nicholas got their share of water to the face as well.
But the shock of the cold water put an end to the fight... Cole dragged Brad backwards a few more steps, wanting to create some space between them, should things heat up again.
Brad, looking a bit shocked, didn’t try to fight Cole much.

Jack and Nicholas still held Victor’s hands behind his back, worried about a second outburst.
Victor, breathing hard, said in a calm voice "You can Let go of me now"
Nicholas and Jack exchanged skeptic looks and Victor, irritated, repeated himself "Myboy, enough"
Nicholas nodded and freed his father, who straightened with a wince.

Jack brushed his wet hair away from his face and said, trying to make the scene lighter "Well thank you Catherine, now I won’t have to shower tonight"

No one was amused.

Nikki stepped to the middle of the scene, looked from Victor to Brad, looking at a lose for words from anger and helplessness.
Brad, bleeding profusely from the nose, tried to find a way to apologize "Nikki, I..."
Nikki put her hands on her ears, she couldn’t bear this anymore. On the verge of hysteria  she cried out "Shut up, shut up, I don’t want to hear anything EITHER of you has to say right now!" Her voice turned into a pained whisper "Not one word!"
She yelled "I asked you BOTH to stop! Why couldn’t you have listened? Look what you’ve done to each other! Are you happy now? Does this sick violence make you feel better, huh?"
She turned to Victor, and said tearfully "Does it? I’m the one you’re angry with!"
She didn’t wait for an answer as she bolted out of the room, and disappeared into the house.

Victor closed his eyes in pain and shook his head, she was right, as much as the very site of Brad made him want to hit him. Nikki was the one who truly angered him, just because he loved her so much.
He couldn’t get it, she was obviously aware of what she was doing in her silence, he could see it was causing her pain, but she still wouldn’t talk to him.

Victoria whispered in a little voice "Maybe I should go see if she’s okay"
But Catherine snapped  "Your mother will be just fine, you stay here, young lady"
Victoria shrunk in her place, and looked at Nick.
His look wasn’t sympathetic, he was mad at her for stirring things up instead of calming them down.
She added with a bark "All of you, come here" and pointed toward the corner of the room, wanting to continue this conversation away from the eyes of the rest of the guests, who got enough drama in one evening to last them a life time.

Brad made a gesture as if to walk away, but Catherine said with a menacing whisper "I said come here"
Brad didn’t dare resist her.  Blocking the bleeding from his nose with a tissue that was handed to him, he walked after her, still shooting daggers to Victor.
Victor didn’t even looked at him, he felt much too emotionally drained for that.
Catherine looked from Brad, to Victor - fury on her face and began to lecture "For two people who are guests in my house, you have shown a lot of nerve! I expected much better from both of you"
Victor sighed and apologized "You’re right, Catherine, I am sorry"
That didn’t exactly pacify Catherine as she said angrily "As well you should be, Victor Newman!  I know you are not without manners! You should have known I would never tolerate you two fighting under my roof! You want to squabble - take it outside!"
She glared at Brad "I hope you realize just how angry I am!"
Brad protested "I didn’t exactly start this!"
Victoria stared at him "And insulting me was what?!"
Catherine shot at her "Well deserving! You made a bad situation worse instead of better, you damn well know it Victoria!"
She turned to Brad "And you are a grown man, you don’t pick a fight with a child 15 years younger than you! Especially in front of her father! He did what every other father would have done!"
Victoria was annoyed "I’m not a child" she sent an haughty look toward Brad "And fighting words, I can take him any day"
Victor interfered and said curtly "Victoria, that’s enough!" He glared at his daughter "You’re not helping"
Catherine scolded Victoria "I helped your mother change your diapers countless times, for me - you’re a child, and you sure have been acting like one tonight!"
Victoria sulked and walked away, brushing Cole’s hand away.
Cole sighed, he didn’t feel like he could deal with anymore of her mood.

Victor looked at Cole and asked him "Did she drink something tonight?"
Nicholas sighed "Just a few gallons of Champaign"
Victor asked him angrily "How did you let THAT happen?"
Nicholas said irratably "IT's not my fault Dad! You *know* how she gets when you and mom fight!"
Victor sighed, he didn't want to hear it.

Catherine looked at both of the men, both looking pretty bruised and battered, her look softened as she looked at Victor, no matter how angry she was at him, he had been her friend for years.
She understood his jealousy, but still couldn’t condone his behavior.

She waved her hand "Okay, enough, lecture over... go take care of yourselves now, you both look like something the cat dragged it"
She sighed "And someone really should go and try to find Nikki"
Before anyone had a chance to say anything, Sharon said "I’ll go look for her"
Nicholas looked at her, a bit shocked "Sharon, you’re sure?"
Sharon nodded "Yea, I don’t think it would be a good idea if Victoria went,  they would only fight. Plus I think I know where she might be"
Nicholas looked at his father who nodded "I think that’s a good idea, Sharon, thank you"
He than looked at Cole "Try to see if you can find Victoria, I’m worried about her"
Cole said "She doesn’t like being kept in the dark, Victor"
Victor glared at him "She’s going to have to"
Cole nodded and went to look for his wife.
 

***10:00 PM***

Catherine looked from Brad to Victor "If I had any sense in me, I’d tell you both  to get out of here - but I would agree to both of you remaining here if you promise to stay away from one another"
Both men quietly nodded, realizing it had gone too far.
Catherine sighed deeply "God knows this fiasco would be on every paper tomorrow morning"
She looked at Brad "You should have this nose looked at"
Brad nodded wordlessly and walked away.

The moment Brad was out of eye shot, Victor sat down heavily on a nearby chair and cursed.
He put his hand on his ribcage, realizing by the intense pain,  that whatever that was already healed, has sustained an injury once again.

Now that Brad was gone, Catherine turned to look at Victor and asked him, her voice a lot softer "Victor, are you okay?"
Victor said, annoyed "I would be a lot happier had that bastard aimed anywhere else"
She asked him "Do you need anything from me?"
Victor looked up at her and said "Not unless you can tell me what her problem is"
Catherine asked "Nikki, you mean?"
Victor said "You’ve obviously been covering for her, and for the mysterious reason she didn’t come with us"
Catherine sighed "Victor, I may have done so, but I don’t know why, she wouldn’t tell me either - I was simply doing what she asked of me"
Victor asked her "Don’t you find it a little unusual that she won’t confide in you about something that obviously been bothering her?"
Catherine shook her head "Not necessarily, Nikki  doesn’t tell me everything, especially not if she think she wouldn’t like what I have to say, I strongly suspect that’s the case here"
Victor shook his head in frustration and then groaned, his ribs were hurting him.
Jack looked at him and commented "You should feel yourself lucky, had he aimed any lower with that kick, that fight would have been over before it even got started"
Victor sent a look up at Jack "Thanks for breaking it up"
Jack waved his head dismissively "No thanks needed, just know that it would look very bad for NE, he is one of your key people"
Victor growled "By name only, but that’s the least of my worries now"

He looked toward the place Nikki ran away to and sighed deeply, that day turned out to be the opposite of what he had planned, and he still had no idea what happened.
Nicholas looked at him and said "You know, Vicki does have a point"
Victor looked up at him "What do you mean?"
Nicholas looked at his father and asked him "Dad, what the hell is going on here? Mom has been acting so weird all night"
Victor asked him "What makes you think I know why?"
Nicholas said "Come on, Dad! You must know something"
He looked toward Jack "At least one of you!"
Victor stood up, fighting pain,  and said "Myboy, I have no idea what got into your mother tonight, and that’s the entire truth. Now do me a favor, and help Sharon find her, this is a big house and she was very upset when she left"
Catherine said "I will see if I can find her as well"

When Catherine left, Nicholas asked his father "What’s the story with mom and Brad?"
Victor stared at his son "How do you even know about it"
Nicholas coughed "Vic told me"
Victor rolled his eyes and sighed "Why am I not surprised?"
Nicholas was irritated "*Someone* should have told me"
Victor said "I didn’t know about it till it was over between them, it was a very well kept secret.  There was no point of telling you, especially not when you were in jail. And to be honest with you, It wasn’t exactly my favorite subject of discussion, it still isn’t, so if you don’t mind..."
Nicholas glared at Jack "You knew"
Jack sighed "Do you know what your mother would have done to me had I broken her confidence?"
Nicholas chuckled, he knew.

Jack said with a nod "Yes, not a pretty picture,  you want to blame someone - blame your sister"
Nicholas muttered "Vicki has her ways of dealings with things" He said "Too bad they rarely work"
He looked at his father "Are you sure you’re okay?"
Victor nodded "Yea...just go find your mother"
Nicholas asked him "You want to talk to her?"
Victor shook his head "No, I don’t think that’s a very good idea, I just want to know she’s okay"
Nicholas nodded and was about to go when Victor stopped him "Nyboy, I’m sorry for the way that evening turned out for you, this isn’t the way your mother or I wanted it to be"
Nicholas tried to smile "That’s okay, the Newman family is always unconventional"
Victor smiled at him and patted his shoulder, and Nicholas left.
 

***10:09 PM***

Victor opened the door to the open porch, that was right behind them, and stepped outside. Jack went after him.

Victor leaned over the rail, ignoring the cold weather and said to himself "How did tonight turned to be such a mess?"
He suddenly realized Jack was still there "What do you want, Jack?"
Jack said "Information. what is really going on here Victor?"
Victor decided he could trust him "Nikki and I were suppose to announce that we were getting back together tonight"
Jack rolled his eyes "I’m not surprised, I thought things might be heading that way for the two of you.  Were you going to tell the kids in the party?"
Victor shook his head "No, at the ranch, right before the party..."
Jack asked... "So what happened?"
Victor shrugged "I don’t know, Nikki never showed up, she came up with some excuse about needing to help Catherine with something"
Jack asked You didn’t buy it?"
Victor snorted "Of course not, she was obviously avoiding me. At the party she wouldn’t tell me what happened, not even in a word, and she was wearing the earnings Brad Carlton gave her"
Jack stared at him "You can’t possibly think she still have feelings for that guy?"
Victor said, upset "What the hell am I suppose to think, you saw that kiss, she’s been avoiding me, and spent half of the evening with him"
Jack rolled his eyes "Victor, she spent half of the evening being miserable after the fight you two had, and the rest of the evening trying to avoid Brad. The man is like a dog who see a bone - he is pestering her... but I have to admit there is one thing I don’t get"

Victor looked at him "What’s that?"
Jack said, wondering "I don’t know why Nikki isn’t telling him to buzz off, I mean, I know she would never hurt his feelings deliberately,  that’s not her style. but I’m sure that if she really wanted, Brad would have gotten the hint"
Victor said "Exactly, which is why I suspect she might still have feelings for him, she could have told him about us, but she refused to do so"
Jack said, shaking his head "I don’t know what to tell you, she didn’t tell anything to me, but I doubt very much that the reason she stopped talking to you - is because she still has feelings for Brad,  She was never in love with the guy to begin with! He was just someone to keep her bed warm till you get smart and decide you want her back"
He closed his eyes when he realized his mistake, he wasn’t suppose to tell that to anyone, least of all to Victor.
Victor glanced at him from the side, and said "Don’t worry, I won’t tell her you’ve said it"
Jack breath out a sigh of relief "I’d appreciate it"
He looked at Victor and said "You have to know she’s always loved you. God knows why, you don’t deserve her love, if you don’t know that - you’re a bigger fool that I ever thought you were!"
Victor sighed from the bottom of his soul "Than what’s holding her back, then?"
Jack said to him "Did it ever occur to you that YOU did something to upset her?"
Victor said "I’ve thought of it, but I can’t see what it can possibly be, we talked in the morning and everything was fine...I just don’t know..."