Chapter Sixty Six - A Tangled Web

It looked like it was going to be a beautiful, clear morning.
The heavy grey rain clouds were gone for the time being, and the wind was cold and refreshing.
There were very few cars on highway B at this early hour, and the lands of the ranch were covered in thick layers of bright, white snow.

After a silent drive Victor finally commented "The weather seem to be improving"
Nikki, gazing out of the window replied blankly "After last night, everything is an improvement"
Victor glanced at her and sighed "A storm inside and outside, is that what you mean?"
Nikki slowly turned her head at him and said quietly "I wish I have known if we weathered the storm"
Victor was silent for a moment and then replied "For that we need to wait for the storm to be over"
Nikki said sadly "Yea…"
She wiped a tear off her cheek, turned to Victor and asked "We need to decide what we're going to tell the children"
Victor looked at him watch and said "It's very early, they may just be asleep"
Nikki asked hopefully "God, I hope so, I dread talking to them"
Victor said "We need to be honest with them now"
Nikki shook her head "I don't want to tell them anything about the paternity issue, not until we know one way or the other"
Victor sighed "Nikki, we can not hide it from them any longer, they already know you're pregnant, you've told me in front of them; from my reaction they are going to think it's my child"
Nikki cried out "Which it might be!"
Victor said firmly "But we don't know it yet, and I refuse to tell our children that it is before we know for sure"
Nikki turned her head from him, extremely upset.
Victor sighed, he didn't want to upset her, but there was no way in hell he was going to lie to their children about something like that.
He asked her "Do you realize what a catastrophe it will be if we tell them it's my child and we later find out that it isn't? We can't do that to them"
Nikki didn't listen to him, she just couldn't do it. How do you tell two nearly grown children that their mother doesn't who the father of your baby is?
She tried so hard to keep from crying, but her quivering shoulders gave her away.
Victor, incapable to keep on driving, stopped the car at the sidelines, opened the glove compartment and handed her a tissue. Nikki didn't take it, and didn't look at him.
Victor said softly "You think I want to hurt you? I don't want to hurt you… "
He sent his hand to touch her cheek, but she shoved it away and cried "But you are, you are hurting me by making me tell them!"
Victor sighed and said softly "This is the last thing I want to do, but you must see that there is no other way! We need to be honest with them"
Nikki shook her head, and sniffed, trying to block the tears, and the realities.
Victor said "Take it" and handed her the tissue and she took it from him, and wiped her eyes.
She looked at him and said, her voice choked "I can't tell them, I can't… they would never forgive me"
Victor tried to reassure her "It won't be as bad as you think"
Nikki sniffed and sighed "Have we raised the same two children?"
Victor smiled and then told her "You won't go through it alone, I promise, okay?"
Nikki shook her head and said tiredly "Victor, I *am* alone in this"
Victor said, angered "How can you say that? You know I'll stand by you when you talk to them"
Nikki replied sadly "Victor, you can barely look at me, and when you do, I see that look in your eyes, and now I will get the same look from both of our children"
Victor sighed and shook his head "You're not being fair, you know. I'm doing the best I can"
Nikki bit her lip and nodded "I know"
Victor was quiet for a moment, and then said "You asked me something earlier and we were interrupted…"
He shook his head and then continued "I wish I had an answer for you, I don't…" He inhaled and then said "I need time to process it all, I hope you can understand it"
Nikki nodded her head yes quickly, and asked "I don't have a choice, do I?"
Victor did not reply, he just started the car and they drove toward the ranch.

Victor stopped the car, and both of them stepped out of the car, Nikki leaned on the car tiredly, and looked toward the main house windows, and then at Victor and said "No lights"
Victor went around the car and stopped in front of Nikki.
He gave her a long look and then leaned his forehead against her own gently. Nikki closed her eyes and he gave her a kiss on the cheek and then said quietly "I can look at you, alright?"
Nikki nodded and Victor offered her his arm, Nikki smiled at him and took his arm. And they both made their way up to the door.
When they reached the door, Nikki froze "I don’t have my keys here; I left my purse at Catherine's"
Victor fumbled in his suit's pockets and pulled out his keys and slowly opened the door.
 

As they walked into the living-room Victor pushed the switched up and a bright light spread in the room,  and Victor and Nikki were both startled when they realized Victoria, completely awake, was sitting in the middle of the couch, arms crossed, waiting for them to realize she was there.
Nicholas was sleeping on the couch, next to his sister.

Seeing her parents walking in, arm in arm, made Victoria even more confused – was Sharon's theory last night completely wrong? She didn't know what to think anymore.

Nikki said, breathing out "Oh, you've startled me"
Victoria raised her eyebrows and said in a voice that made it obvious she didn't mean it "Sorry"
Victor asked his daughter quietly "What are you doing up?"
Victoria looked around "What does it look like? Waiting for my parents to come home after a night out, just like any loving, concerned daughter would"
Victor glared at his daughter "Victoria, don't be a sarcastic , and try to listen to us, because we need to talk to you"
Nikki sat on the couch and sighed "I can't believe you just sat here the entire night, after such a long day"
Victoria looked at her mother and said bitterly "Well, I couldn't really sleep; I had way too many questions"
She shook her little brother's shoulder "Nicholas, get up, mom and dad are here"
Nicholas just groaned and turned to the other side.
Nikki said to Victoria "Why don't you let him sleep?"
Victor said warningly "Nikki"
Nikki said defensively "What? He just got home yesterday, he needs to sleep"
Victor said quietly to her ear "You really want to go through it twice?"
Nikki clammed up; she didn't even want to do it once.
Victoria, nervous pulled the blanket off Nicholas "Oh Come on, get up"
Nicholas barely opened his eyes; he blinked and groaned as the light hit his eyes "Damn it"
Victor frowned at him "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Victoria responded coolly "It's called a hangover dad"
Victor rolled his eyes "Get over it, please, and get up"
Nicholas, sulking, sat up and asked Victoria "How come *you* don't have any?"
Victoria rose her eye brows at him "I can drink?"
Victor decided to spare him of the lecture, he just said "Go wash your face, your mother and I need to talk to you both"
Nicholas nodded, and got up, trying to avoid grimacing.
As he went to wash his face, he tried to exchange looks with his sister but Victoria did not cooperate, she sat on the edge of the couch, looking annoyed and worried.
As Nicholas came back, water dripping from his hair, he looked at his mother, who sat on the remote couch, still cuddled in Victor's coat, quiet and withdrawn.
 

He looked at his mother questioningly "Mom? Are you okay? I was worried about you last night, you just left the party and it was freezing outside"
Nikki tried to smile for an answer "I'm fine now"
Victoria looked up "Now, meaning what?"
Nikki explained, her jaw tense "Nothing, we made a short trip to the hospital, that's all, my doctor made me spend the night there, but I'm fine"
Nicholas looked at her "You don’t look fine, mom, you look like hell"
Nikki replied wearily "My beauty sleep left a lot to be desired"
Nicholas raised his hands defensively "Okay, sorry, but you look…" He looked from his mother to his father, who didn't say anything. And added "Not like I would expect you to look…why don't you tell us what's going with you?"
Nikki sighed, glanced at Victor and then said "Why don't you just…ask us, whatever you want to know and we'll do our best to fill in the blanks for you"
Victoria and Nicholas glanced and each other, Nicholas leaned and whispered something in Vicki's ear, Victoria shook her head, and whispered something back, now Nicholas shook his head aggressively no and disagreed, and whispered on his sister's ear "You ask her that, I'm not going to"
Victoria turned to her mother, but the words got stuck in her throat.

Victor and Nikki looked at each other, not knowing what to expect and Nikki, nervous, said "Whatever it is, just ask already, I promise… I won't get upset at you"
Nicholas asked his parents skeptically "We can ask anything?"
Victor, already realizing where this was going, and hoping to spare Nikki and himself some of what was coming, replied stoically, "Within limits of reason"
Victoria looked at her mother and said nervously "Okay…um…it's more like a two part question"
Victor, as nervous and as upset as Nikki, lost his temper "Victoria, get on with it!"
Victoria said, nodding "Okay, are you really pregnant? And…who is the father?" She looked at her mother, hoping to see anger, disgust, shock, anything but the sudden pallor that spread on her mother's face as she stared at her, and anything but the look on pain on her father's face.
She mumbled, shocked "Oh I don't believe it"

Victor felt his throat choking up, that question just summed it all up perfectly, so much depended on that question, and Victoria realized it as well as he did.

Nicholas looked away, he didn't know what to say, he didn't even know what to think, he got up "I think I'm going to make coffee or something"
Victor, not wanting to prolong it any further said "My boy, sit down, lets finish this"
Nicholas, upset, said "No I really think I'm going to make coffee, cause I don't think I can stay here right now"
Nikki called after him "Nicholas Christian Newman, get back here"

Nicholas stopped, and slowly turned around, to give his mother a look that tried to be angry, but was more hurt and confused than anything else.
Undeterred, finally finding the strength to deal with her children, Nikki said sharply, her eyes flaring "Come back here and sit down, and don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you, I am still your mother, even if you're not too happy with me right now"
Nicholas, his jaw clenched, walked back into the room, and sat on the edge of the sofa, next to his sister.

Nikki closed her eyes in pain and then said steadily "To answer, um, your questions, the first answer is yes, I'm pregnant, the answer to the second question is…" She swallowed hard and continued "Is that I don't know"

That caused both Victoria and Nicholas to look up, from her reaction, they both assumed the worse.
Victoria looked at her mother "You don't *know*? How could you not know?"
Nikki chuckled bitterly and said "Victoria…you are a grown, married woman, you figure it out"
Victoria was speechless for a moment, and then said, looking at her parents "Okay, just so *I'll figure it out* One… well, a totally gross option is Brad…, and the other option IS dad, right?" She looked at her father, seeking approval

Victor said softly "Victoria, what else?"
Victoria shook her head and stared at her father "What else?! Gee, Dad, I don't know, it isn't like the fact you and mom are *sleeping together* is public knowledge! Or, maybe it is, I mean, Jack and Cole seemed to know a lot"
Nikki sighed "I told Jack because he is my friend, and because he backed me into a corner and I had no choice but to tell him, and Cole found out by accident, I'm sure he already told you that"
Victoria said bitterly "Yea, he told me, not that it gets him off the hook for lying to me for so long"
Victor told her gently "I hope you didn't give him a hard time"
Victoria looked at her father and shook her head, her eyes flaring "He is my husband, dad, and you asked him to lie to me"
Victor tried to make her understand "We asked him to help us protect you from unnecessary pain, alright? He agreed with us that it was for the best"
Victoria looked at her parents, tears in her eyes "How could you not tell me?"
Nikki sighed, "Oh, Victoria…you mustn't…"
Victoria sniffed and said, choking "I mustn't what? Mother, be upset that you both lied to me, and then you told my husband and didn't tell me?"
Victor said "We had a good reason not to tell you, both of you"
Victoria gaped at him "You had a good reason not to tell me the truth when I asked?! You made me think I was delusional"
Nikki, upset, cried out "We did it to protect you; If you talked to Cole I'm sure he told you that.
I wish you would see it through our eyes, do you think we just got up one morning and decided how things are going to be? Things didn't happen overnight!"

Victoria raised her eyes at her mother "Oh, they didn't?' She smirked "That's not how it looks like to me"
Victor and Nikki glanced at each other and Nikki replied seriously "Look, for a long time we didn't know where we stood with each other, we had to be sure of what we've wanted before we told you. Both of you have got to understand that"
Victor sighed and said, "We did not meant to hurt either of you, just to spare you pain in case things wouldn't… work out"
Nikki added in pain "And when the decision was finally made – we wanted to wait till your brother gets out of prison, so we could tell you together" She closed her eyes in pain "I planned this moment for so long, I wanted it to be special…" She looked at her kids in pain "I'm sorry it didn't work out that way, the last thing I wanted is for you to be mad or hurt, but we handled things the only we could"

Victoria looked at her parents and then shrugged, sighing, recognizing the truth in that "Okay, I guess I can understand that" She smiled sheepishly "I did hassle you a little in the last few years about getting back together"
Victor couldn't help but smile "A little? You were relentless"
Victoria rolled her eyes "Okay, fine, maybe I have gone overboard at times" She grinned "And it turns out I was right all along when I said you could never live without each other"

That hit Nikki right in the gut; she gasped and put a hand over her mouth, unable to suffocate her feelings any longer.
Victor was at the end of his emotional rope as well. And he sent a look at Nikki, and let out a deep, pained sigh and then leaned backwards to the sofa, and looked at the ceiling, shaking his head.
The smile disappeared from Victoria's face as she looked at her parents who were obviously deep in torment, and at Nicholas, who sat on the most remote spot on the couch, and didn't look at his sister at all, but rather stare at the floor.

Victoria swallowed her tears and made an observation "You were going to tell us you got back together right before the party, right?"
Neither Victor nor Nikki responded to that, Nikki looked toward her daughter, wiping the tears from her eyes, and said nothing.
Victoria continued "You were going to tell us, and didn't because you…" She looked at her mother "…never showed up.."

Nikki barely managed to utter "I.." She sniffed on her tears "I found out I was pregnant, they called me and asked me to come to the hospital... after the accident they ran tests on me and that's how they found out…and I didn't want to tell you about us, because…"
Her breathing became ragged with tears as she finished the sentence "Because I haven't even spoken with your father, and I didn't want to ruin the party for Nicholas"
Nicholas let out a bitter chuckle "Yea, good job, mom"
Victor looked at his son and said quietly "My boy, enough, your mother got enough grief from me and doesn't need to go through this again with you, alright?"
Nikki looked at her son and said "I'm sorry, alright? I didn't know how else to handle it but to keep it to myself until the party was over, and that didn't happen because…"
She didn’t complete the sentence, she didn't want to accuse Victor of pushing her to the point she had no choice but to tell him.

She didn't really had to, the point was obvious, Victor sat up straight and asked her irately "What was I suppose to do? I thought there was something seriously wrong!"
Nikki looked at him, distress in her eyes, fighting with his was about the last thing she wanted to do, and she nodded and said "I know, I'm not blaming you" She pleaded "We've done it before, let's not do this again"
Victor looked at her, sighed and nodded, he didn't want this either.

Nicholas, quiet so far, suddenly said "You never mentioned anything about seeing Brad, not to me anyway…"
Victor clenched his jaw, the last thing, the very last thing he wanted is to hear is Brad's name mention, the very thought of him made him ill to his stomach.
Nikki stirred uncomfortably and said "Angel, does it really matter now? He and I aren't together anymore, and haven't been for a while now"
Victoria exclaimed angrily "Of course it matters; you might be pregnant with *his* child"
Nikki said quietly "I pray to god I'm not"
Nicholas said angrily "Well, you know something mom, maybe you should have thought about it before! You've lectured me about being careful with Sharon for like a million times and then you go and…" He made a face and didn't complete the sentence.
Victor upset at his son's rudeness was about to say something, but Nikki stopped him and said, her voice strained "I was careful, but not careful enough I'm afraid, and my mistakes doesn't make what I told you wrong, I've done many things in my life I wouldn't want you to do, that's one of the perks of being a mother, you get to teach your kids from your mistakes"

Nicholas didn't say anything and continued to sulk, so Nikki said "What's done is done and now *I'm* dealing with the consequences, but even if this child is your father's – the pregnancy is still a huge surprise" She smiled tearfully at her children "Much like the both of you were, you weren't exactly planned either"
She looked at her son and said "If I was sure the baby is your father's, you wouldn't have cared how I got pregnant"
Nicholas muttered angrily "Of course not, there's a huge difference if you're pregnant from dad or from someone else!!"
Nikki sighed,  "Of course there is, I'm not disputing that! There's a difference for me as well, I love your father very much"

Nicholas asked her "And you don't have any feelings for Brad?"
Victor couldn't help but raise his eyes to look at her; wanting to hear the answer to the question he would give a million dollars to be absolutely sure about..

Nikki said firmly "I care for him, but if you're asking about anything more, the answer is *no*"
She looked at Victor as she said that, stressing the last word.
Nicholas, still resentful, retorted "You cared enough about him to go to bed with him"
Nikki stared at her son for a moment, and then composed herself enough to reply "You slept with Amy, didn't you? Was she your one great love?"
Nicholas looked at his mother in shock "How did you know that?"
Nikki rolled her eyes "I'm your mother and I have eyes"
Nicholas brushed it off "That's not the same; I wasn't with Sharon at the time"
Nikki said edgily "And *I* wasn't with your father! I don’t need to excuse my relationship with Brad, I was a free single woman with the right to see whom ever I wanted."
 

Victoria, sitting quiet for the last few minutes, shot in pain "Well, good, good!" She cried "You did what you wanted, mother – just like always - was it worth it? This is tearing this family apart!!!"
She shook her head in anger and disgust "I told you to stay away from him and you didn't want to listen, now look what happened… how can you excuse your relationship with him?! Look at the result! Look at what happened last night! "
She got up, looked at her father who sat dejected on the couch and cried out, through tears "This is your fault too, if you weren't so damn stubborn! No, you had to go chase after Hope to Kansas and back for 6 months when it was clear to everyone but you that marriage were over! All because you didn't want to have another failed marriage in your hands, and you just assumed mom wouldn't get involved with anyone else until you decide what you're doing with your life! Well, there's been a little glitch in your plans and now this entire family is paying the price!"

Nikki, trying to control her tears, said "Honey…"
Victoria cut her mother off "How dare you both come here and tell us that you planned to get back together, but now it might never happen, this IS what you're saying, don't you?"
Victor, trying to suppress his tears, said "My sweetheart, no one has said that, neither one of us"
Victoria asked them "What are you saying then?"
Nikki exclaimed "That neither of us wants to make hasty decisions before we have all the facts"
Victoria asked "You mean a paternity test?
Nikki, trying to control the shake in her voice "I'm having one later today"
Victoria asked pointedly "And if it turns out the baby is Brad's?"
Nikki bit her lip and said "I really rather wait to the results before I start making plans of any sort"
Victoria said in disbelief "So you're just not thinking about it, putting it out of your head? Do you really expect us to believe that, you must have some idea what you're going to do?"

Victor looked at Nikki, who said in a voice that was almost unheard "I don't know…I have no idea what I'll do… I just found out about it, just yesterday, I haven't even begun to process it all and neither has your father"
Victor interfered and put a reassuring hand on Nikki's back and said to Victoria "Enough with that now, alright?"
Victoria didn't listen, and carried on asking her questions in a row "If the baby is Brad's are you going to have an abortion or keep the child?"
Victor snapped angrily "Victoria enough!"
Nikki yelled "I DON'T KNOW, DAMMIT!!!" Her voice cracked, and she said through her tears "There's no point of you asking! I don't know… I wish I did but I don't…I just don't…" She buried her face in her hands, trying to muffle the sound of her sobs.

Victor got up, dragged his daughter by the hand to the other side of the room and scolded her "I've asked you to stop with the questions, your mother have been through enough for one night, the doctor gave her strict orders to avoid stress of any kind, you get it? Enough"
Victoria looked at her father and asked him in disbelief "You've been all night together and didn't ask her all that?"
Victor replied firmly "Not once"
Victoria raised her eyebrows and asked  "Is that because you're afraid of upsetting her, or afraid of the answer?"
Victor closed his eyes in pain and shook his head, he looked at his daughter and said simply "I don't know"
She said in a whisper "Dad, you've been through this before, and she couldn't go through with it then, you've waited months to be together, you left Ashley, she left Jack, you gave everything up to be together - and then suddenly, Bam, mom's pregnant and it all ended in seconds! I've thought about it, don't tell me you haven't!"
Victor sighed deeply and looked from Nikki, who tried to calm down with a glass of water Nicholas gave her, and back at Victoria and answered plainly "I've thought of little else…"
He shrugged helplessly and said to his daughter "I can only hope those tests bring us back the result we want to hear"
Victoria pleaded with her father "Dad, it isn't all up to mom, not all the decisions rests on her shoulders…you need to make a couple of decisions too, what you're willing or unwilling to do!"

Victoria looked at her father, and asked him  tearfully "If you really love mom – could you really walk from what you have again? Or let mom walk away without doing anything to stop her? Haven't you wasted enough time already?"
Victor looked at his daughter for a long moment and said, nodding "Yes, we have lost time, precious time…"

He turned to look at Nikki; she was sitting on the couch; her hands hugging her knees that were pulled up and against her.
She raised her eyes to meet his. They both looked at the other for a long moment from across the room, all of their confused emotions reflecting from their eyes, and then she lowered her head to her knees, resting her forehead on her knees in total exhaustion.

Nicholas asked his mother worriedly "Mom, are you okay?"
Victor approached them, and sat on the table in front of Nikki, and said to Nicholas "Myboy, you can go make that coffee now, give me a moment with your mother"
Nicholas silently nodded and went to Vicki and said "Come help me make it"
Victoria, reluctantly, let herself to be led into the kitchen…She turned before she left, just in time to see her father sitting next to his mother, and putting his hand on the top of her head….

Nikki, feeling the touch of his hand, lifted her head and straightened; she looked at him with red, weary eyes and said "Just don't say that 'It wasn't so bad'"
Victor sighed deeply, moved to sit next to her, leaned on the back of the sofa and shook his head "I wouldn't say that"
Nikki said miserably "I wish I could say something of what they've said was wrong, especially Nicholas… I've been so stupid…I'm a mother who can't teach her children what it means to be responsible"
Victor tried to calm her down "Come on, enough with that now, what you said to Nicholas was very true and very appropriate, and he took it to heart,  beating yourself up won't change things, just make you feel worse"
Nikki said blankly and turned her head away from him "Maybe I deserve this"
Victor turned her back at him, so that their faces were mere inches apart "You deserve nothing but the best" He sighed deeply and then said quietly "I wish I could say I played no role in how things turned out… but as our daughter was quick to point out – that's not entirely true, is it? I practically pushed you into another man's arms"
Nikki couldn't help but chuckle and said "Victor Newman, no one, ever, would be able to accuse you of pushing me to see another man"
Victor smiled to her "Well, I don't mean literally, but I married, I had a child... this are not a thing a man does when he still have feelings for a woman…"
Nikki said, shaking her head "I didn't doubt you had feelings for me, I knew you always would… I doubted your willingness to act on them, ever" She shrugged.
Victor sighed "I know…"
He softly touched her cheek, noticing she was looking pale again; he asked her  "How are you feeling?"
Nikki answered weakly "My head is exploding"
Victor leaned down, and gave her a kiss on the forehead, and said "You know what; I think you should go to bed, I can see how exhausted you are, and you barely slept for three hours"
Nikki wanted nothing more than go to bed and sleep, she felt her eyes were closing on its own.
She looked toward the kitchen and asked Victor "What about the children?"
Victor replied "We've talked to them; we told them all that we can right now, I don't see how there's anything more to add"
Nikki still looked skeptic and said "I don't know, that might make them madder"
Victor reassured her "Nikki, go to sleep, I can see you're not feeling well, I will deal with the children by myself"
Nikki looked at him gratefully and said "Thank you so much for that"
Victor looked into her eyes and whispered "No need…"
He said, smiling at her "I'll help you up"

He got up and helped her to rise from the couch, Nikki tiredly stood up, moving her hair away from her face.
Victor escorted her up the stairs and into the bedroom, the heated room with the made up bed looked extremely appealing to Nikki, she wanted to get into bed and never come out.

Nikki took off Victor's coat and handed it to him, remaining with the dress she had on the night before, and then groggily sat on the bed.
Victor sat next to her on the bed and looked at her with concern "Do you want me to stay?"
Nikki wearily shook her head no "You're probably tired too, you need to get some rest"
Victor couldn't dispute that, he was completely worn out, but he was worried about leaving her "I can stay in the other room"
Nikki smiled at him but shook her head "No…As much as I want you to stay I don't think it's a good idea, we're both tired, we both need to rest, and to think about things, alone"
Victor asked her softly "Are you sure? I mean…" He frowned "Are you sure you're all right?"
Nikki nodded "They discharged me from the hospital, remember? I'll be fine.. I just need to sleep for a while"
Victor said, still unsure "Alright… how about me picking you up at six thirty?"
Nikki looked at him, overwhelmed with emotions "You'll come with me to the paternity test?"
Victor was surprised she thought he wouldn't "Of course I will, I wouldn't let you go through this alone"
Nikki looked at him, and slowly touched his face, she whispered "Thank you, for being here for me, it means so much to me, especially in light of how I know you must be feeling"
Victor said softly, looking into her eyes "It's hard for me to see you so unhappy, you know"
Hecupped her face in his handsgently, and planted a soft kiss on her lips, and then pulled Nikki into a hug.
Nikki leaned her chin on his shoulder, and closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around his body, breathing his scent, relishing on the feelings of his arms around her.
Victor enveloped Nikki tightly in his arms, and they stayed like that for a long, long moment.

He pulled back eventually, and trying to keep his emotions in check, he said as he got up "I let you get some sleep"
Nikki nodded, trying to smile for him...
Victor turned to the door, got out, and closed it slowly behind him.
Nikki just felt like falling backwards on the bed and sleep for 48 hours, but she made herself get up from the bed and take off the dress, reach for the first flannel PJ she saw in her closet, throw it on herself, dim the lights, and only then she crawled back to bed.
She cuddled in the warm, fluffy blanket, and closed her eyes.
He mind was racing in so many different directions, but the weariness of the body ignored her mind, and she fell asleep not more than 45 seconds after her head hit the pillow.
 

Victor got down the stairs slowly; Victoria and Nicholas were already there, wondering where both of them took off to.
They were both surprised when they saw Victor descending down the stairs
Nicholas pointed to the trey and said "Want coffee dad?"
Victor gratefully took the steaming mug from his son, and took a sip.
Nicholas asked "Where's mom?"
Victor replied as he finished his coffee "Asleep""
Nicholas said, a little guiltily "She was really dead on her feet, wasn't she?"
Victor replied with a sigh "Yea… It was a difficult night"
Victoria asked, guilt evident in her voice "Is she alright?"
Victor said, a bit coldly "That would depend on your definition of the word"
Victoria and Nicholas exchanged looks; they heard the unconcealed accusation in their father's voice.
Nicholas protested "It's not out fault"
Victor's exclaimed "She dreaded coming here and telling you, she absolutely dreaded it,   and I convinced her it was the right thing to do, because I thought you would be more understanding and perhaps a little more compassionate, instead you did the complete opposite"
Victoria said defensively "I wonder how you reacted when you got this bomb dropped on you last night"
Victor admitted "Not very well, and I wish I hadn't. But what's done is done.  I'm going to be there for your mother through all of it, and I expect you to do the same"
His look softened as he looked at his children and he said "I know how much you love her and want what's best for her"
Nicholas finally said "Dad, of course we do, we were just taken completely off guard, I mean – Sharon speculated this was why mom behaved so strangely last night but neither one of us believed it"
Victor sighed "She did, did she? Well, do yourself a favor my boy; don't mention this to your mother"
Nicholas nodded "gotcha"
Victor nodded "Good"
He stifled a yawn and said "Um, I'm going back to the apartment right now, your mother is sleeping and I would come back a little later"
He looked around "It isn't Miguel's day off"
Victoria said "No, hmmm… he called in from the city, there was a car accident and he is jammed in traffic"
Victor nodded and said "Alright, I want at least one of you here until Miguel returns, I don’t want your mother to be here alone"
Victoria asked him "Why won't you stay?"
Victor said softly to his daughter "That's how your mother wanted it, and she raised some good points, but I'm not going until I know one of you is staying here"
Nicholas and Victoria looked at each other and Victoria said "You stay with mom, I can't"
Victor looked toward his daughter, and just noticed she was wearing a coat.
He frowned "Are you going somewhere?"
Victoria was about to say she's going home, she couldn't be there anymore, she had to think… but then she realized seeing Cole was about the last thing she wanted, so she said "I'm going to work"
Nicholas gaped at her "Vicki, you were up all night"
Victor said gently "Victoria, it's Sunday morning"
Victoria sent him a blank look "So? I have ton of work to finish, dad"
Victor said "Not today"
Victoria replied as she grabbed her coat "Yea, today"
Victor went to his daughter and put a hand on her shoulder and said softly "You're tired, you're upset, you're emotional, you're still wearing the dress from last night, go home, get some sleep, forget about work"
Victoria didn't reply, she turned her back on her father and walked out the door.
Victor sighed deeply, and looked at Nicholas, a helpless look in his eyes "What did she tell you when you went to get the coffee?"
Nicholas shrugged "Nothing, she was totally out of it"
He looked at his father and asked worriedly "So, is mom mad at us?"
Victor shook his head no "No, she's not mad at you, just at herself"
Nicholas flinched "And I didn't make her feel better"
Victor responded "She'll welcome your apology, but even more so your support, and see if you can get your sister to do the same"
Nicholas shrugged "I don't know if I can, dad, you didn't see her last night when she realized you got back together, she was ecstatic…I never seen her this way" He added, "I was too, actually – until we realized there was something more going on"
Victor sighed "I'm so sorry things worked out the way that they have, my boy…"
Nicholas nodded "I know…you and mom had plans to surprise us with the news and it just got all messed up…but even now it shows you really love each other"
Victor smiled warmly to his son "It certainly does, doesn't it?" He took a deep breath and admitted in pain "That what makes it so hard"
Nicholas offered "Dad, are you sure you're not too tired to drive? Why won't I give you a lift?"
Victor said "Thank you, but I'll be fine. Although there is something I want you to do, and make sure to pass on that message to your sister"
Nicholas asked "What?"
Victor said "Brad Carlton has no idea your mother is pregnant,  or that she isn't sure about the paternity, I would very much like to keep it that way"
Nicholas nodded, and then said "What does mom say?"
Victor replied "Your mother agrees with me"
Nicholas said "He won't hear it from me, and you can be sure Vick wouldn't volunteer that information, she really hates the guy, more than I've seen her hate anyone"
Victor said dryly "Can't say that I blame her"
He looked at his son for a moment and said "I'm glad you're home, I'm just sorry we didn't give you the welcome home you deserved"
Nicholas just shrugged "That's okay, I just hope things will work out"
Victor nodded "Yea, so do I"

The two men hugged briefly, and then Victor said "Okay, I'm going, watch out for your mother for me, and if there are any problems, just call"
Nicholas said "Yes, sir"
Victor smiled at him, and left the house, sending a long look toward the stairs before leaving.