Symphony

Get it Over and Done With

A few days later Nikki and Jack have managed to track down Victor despite Nikki attempting to put off finding him again, and now they have arranged to meet up with him to find out why he faked his own death. Nikki and Jack have just left the house and left the three girls with Gemma the nanny for the day, they get into Jack's car and head into town.

As Jack pulls into a parking space Nikki catches sight of Victor and instantly Jack watches her tense. "Jack, I don't think I want to do this," She speaks as Jack turns the engine off.
"We need to do this, you want to find out why all this has happened?" Jack speaks and Nikki nods as she runs her hand over her bump, "You know if it gets too much we can leave," He adds placing his hand on her now overly large bump.

She takes a long deep breath before picking up her handbag from between her legs and then gets out the car at the same time at Jack. Jack locks the door and then walks around to Nikki and takes hold of her hand before heading in the direction of Victor who is waiting outside the park café for them. "Niks, thank you so much for agreeing to talk to me..." Victor smiles as they get close to him.

"Let's just get this over and done with, yeah?" Nikki responds coldly.
"Nikki!" Jack warns.

They take a seat outside the café and Jack agrees to get them a drink each leaving Nikki with her father. They sit in silence until Jack returns after ordering the hot drinks to their table. "So have you spoken?" Jack asks his wife.

Nikki gives him 'the look' which instantly means she hasn't. Victor looks across at Jack and notices their matching wedding rings, "So you're the man who decided to marry my daughter?" He speaks.
"What? erm... yes... why do you ask?" Jack questions.
"Oh, no reason. Well, I didn't have her down as settling down and having children, in all honesty. Niks has always been about her work since she was a child," Victor speaks.

"Oh give it a rest Dad, I don't want to hear your sob story. You're here to tell me why you are here and not six feet under..." Nikki hisses.
"It's complex Nikki," He responds.
"Well I've got time, you better start now..." Nikki huffs.

Victor soon begins to explain to the pair about how he got into money difficulty and had some bad people after him meaning he faked his own death and went back to cape town once again, Nikki knew this was just one of his games although she then questioned to who she had buried and Victor still to this day doesn't know although was shocked to find out Nikki threw him in the ground without checking it was him in the first place. "...Look I've done bad things in my life and I could never forgive himself for abandoning you," Victor speaks.

"And knocking Mum about? abusing her? beating the absolute shit out of her when I was barely five years old?" Nikki asks the tears threatening to spill, she quickly grabs a tissue and wipes her eyes and sniffs slightly.
"You remember that?" Victor speaks.

She laughs and rolls her eyes at him, "Seriously, How could I not forget it? you piece of shit..."Jack looks at Nikki completely shocked there were so many things Nikki hadn't told him about her relationship with both her parents.

"Nik... calm down, you know it's not good..." Jack begins and places his hand on her knee.

Nikki looks down at Jack's hand and smiles lightly before looking up and glaring at Victor, "You know there are better ways than faking your own death and leading your own daughter to believe you've been six feet under for fucking ten years!" Nikki snaps again.

"Nikki the baby, please..." Jack warns again.
"I know I've done wrong, it felt so right at the moment... but now looking at your right before me in the flesh I realise I shouldn't have put you through that," Victor responds.
"Too right you shouldn't have. Next time you fancy dying I won't even give you a service I'll throw your straight in the hole where you belong," Nikki snaps.

There is a silence for a moment as Nikki picks up her cup of tea and sips it, Victor watches her for a moment before looking away briefly, "When are you due?" Victor quizzes.

"That's none of your business," Nikki says sharply.
"Nikki, he's only trying to be nice," Jack responds and receives a glare from Nikki himself.
"If you must know... three weeks," Nikki says trying to act nice.
"That soon? So I have other Grandchildren..." He begins.
"Yes and you're not meeting them," She butts in.

Jack rolls his eyes and glares at Nikki, "Be nice," He mumbles.
"If you must know I have three daughters... with Jack... we're married... that is all you need to know" She responds.
"Yes.... and their names are Poppy, Maddison and Freya," Jack responds informing Victor, once again he receives a glare from Nikki who is really annoyed with Jack now for not going along with how she wants to treat and talk to her father.

Victor smiles slightly before giving a sigh, "I deserve everything she is throwing at me, don't bother... stopping her, I've ruined her life in many ways," He speaks and for a moment Nikki feels slightly sorry for him before catch onto his game.

"And the baby you're carrying now do you know if it's a boy or girl... technology these days anything is possible," He smiles.
"No!" Nikki snaps.
"Yes!" Jack responds at the same time.

Nikki glares at Jack and rolls her eyes before looking elsewhere, "Yes we're having a girl, we have a name sorted and we're very much prepared for her," Jack responds.
"Lovely, and my other granddaughters how old are they?" Victor quizzes Jack.

Nikki snaps her head around at Victor and shivers at the thought of her daughters calling her Dad, 'Grandpa'. Jack looks at Nikki but sees nothing an indication of what to say so proceeds. "Poppy is five, Maddison is two, and Freya is almost ten months old," Jack responds, Jack then gets his phone out to show Victor a picture of the three girls.

"You've done well Niks, they're beautiful, Your eldest reminds me of your Mum, that smile... it's just her," Victor smiles hoping for a reaction from his daughter.
"Could I maybe meet them soon?" He adds.

"NO!" Nikki practically shouts at him.
"Nikki!" Jack warns.
"No Jack, No he is not going into their lives just to fill it full of disappointment," Nikki hisses.
"You know Nikki you said the same about My Mum, that we should let her see the girls even though I didn't have a good relationship with her. So I'm saying it to her, don't deprive the girls of their Grandpa?" Jack reasons with Nikki.

Nikki thinks to herself for a moment, she knew Jack was right but didn't want to give him the pleasure of admitting he is right. She sighs and looks up at her Dad, "Okay, but only once. You are not to tell them who you really are. I don't want the girls getting upset when you never show your face again, got it!" Nikki demands.
Victor nods and smiles slightly at his only daughter, "Thank you Niks," He smiles and Nikki just huffs in disgust, as usual, Jack then discusses a day with Victor for him to meet the girls and invites him round to their home to meet the girls.