************

Nikita laid back on the bed, listening to the sounds of Chantel and Michael's voices drift into the room from the open bathroom door. It always warmed her heart to hear their laughter and to see the love they had for each other, but, tonight there was a sadness that weighed heavily upon her spirit. A heaviness that left her feeling lonely, even though she wasn't alone.

Sharon was leaving on the morrow along with Daniel and Kimber. During the past week Nikita had gradually grown more comfortable in Sharon's presence. Once they had even shared a laugh while watching Chantel conduct a tea party with Michael, Daniel, and Kimber as her captive guests. But there was a part of Nikita that still hesitated to draw close to Sharon. Whenever it appeared that she and her mother were beginning to form some sort of tentative bond, she'd make an excuse to leave the room and quickly withdraw from Sharon's presence.

Even now her feelings were muddled. She was partly relieved that Sharon was leaving. Then she could go back to concentration all her attention on Michael, Chantel, Adrian ... and the baby.

Her hand strayed down to her stomach. Should she tell Sharon that she was going to have another grandchild come spring? Would she even care? And what did the future hold for them anyway? Would Sharon, when she left here tomorrow, keep in contact? Or, having met her and her family, would Sharon now be content to fade back out of her life? Nikita was surprised to find that the thought caused the ache within her to intensify.

She was distracted from her thoughts by the sound of Michael and Chantel entering the room. He had wrapped her in a thick blue towel. Her hair, still damp, bore the disheveled appearance of having received a vigorous rubbing. She had one arm looped around her father's neck and the other on his shoulder as he carried over to the bed and sat down.

"Go get your clothes and I'll help you dress," he said, as he placed her down on the ground.

"I know how to dress by myself," Chantel informed him as she ran over to the chair where Nikita had left her clothes. She let the towel fall to the ground as she sorted through the clothes till she found her panties, then sat on the floor and proceeded to slip them on.

"She's growing up so fast," Nikita said softly, and Michael turned to look at her.

"I thought you'd be sleeping by now."

"I can't."

His gaze flowed over her face as his hand reached out for hers. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Nikita shook her head. "I'll be fine." She gave him a reassuring smile then looked past him to where Chantel was slipping her pajama top on over her head. "Sweetie, do you need help?"

"No," came the muffled reply. Her head emerged a second later out through the neck of the top and she stuck her hands into the sleeves. "See?" she said, then smoothed the pink top down over her stomach. It took her a little longer to put on the bottom and then she was running toward the bed and climbing up on top. She crawled over to where Nikita lay and stretched out beside her, resting her head on the pillow next to her mother's. Her little arm reached out, crossing Nikita's shoulder as she curled her short fingers around her neck. And then she said, "I love you, Mommy."

Nikita smiled as she turned to face Chantel. The tip of their noses touched as they smiled at one another. "I love you too, my sweetheart."

Michael sat staring at the two of them. Amazed again at how so very much like her mother Chantel looked. Seeing them like this, side by side, grinning at each other as Nikita playfully tickled Chantel filled his heart with love and joy.

"Alright you two," he said at last. "It’s time for both of you to go to bed. Sweetheart, kiss your mother and let’s go."

"No, Michael, wait." Nikita reached for his hand as she pulled Chantel closer with her other arm. "Let’s tell her tonight," she said, gazing into his eyes. "Right now."

"Tell me what?" Chantel asked, curiosity shining in her blue eyes.

Nikita kept her gaze trained on Michael and when he nodded, she smiled then turned to face Chantel. "Sweetheart," she said in a quiet tone, "Daddy and I want to tell you something very important tonight. Something that makes us very happy and I hope will make you happy too."

"What is it?"

Nikita paused, then said, "We're going to have a baby."

Chantel blinked and the curiosity in her eyes deepened. "A baby? How?"

Nikita laughed and Michael moved so that he was kneeling on the floor next to the bed. He lifted Nikita's t-shirt to expose her stomach then said to Chantel. "Darling, there's a baby growing right here," and he placed his fingers lovingly on Nikita's stomach.

Chantel sat up. Her eyes were round with a look that was both amazed and full of disbelief. "There's a baby in Mommy's tummy?"

"That's right."

Chantel ran her little fingers lightly over Nikita's stomach, then looked up at her. "How'd the baby get inside there?"

"Daddy put it there," Nikita answered, smiling innocently as Michael's head spun to look at her.

"Really?" Chantel stared at Michael "How did you do that, Daddy?"

Michael stared back at her, his mind blank for a few seconds. And then his lips spread into a wide smile. "Daddy magic," he proclaimed, then stood. "Now kiss your mother goodnight before I use some of my magic to turn you both into frogs."

"You don't have magic," Chantel giggled, but she turned obediently and kissed her mother goodnight "Does this mean I'm going to be a sister? Like Kimber?"

"That's right, my love."

"Alright!" she exclaimed, then lifted her arms up to her father. "Goodnight, Mommy."

"Goodnight, Chantel. I love you."

Nikita smiled as Chantel threw her a kiss then turned and circled her arms around Michael's neck. "Do you really have magic, Daddy?" she asked, as they disappeared around the corner and out into the hallway.

************

Michael woke in the middle of the night and sensed something was wrong. He reached out in the dark, his fingers feeling their way across the bed and found only empty space. Startled, he sat up and fumbled about till he found the switch to the bedside lamp and turned it on.

Light flooded the room and Michael blinked a few times as he looked first at the empty place beside him and then searched the room.

"Michael."

Nikita sat up from where she lay upon the chaise on the opposite side of the room next to the window. A light quilt covered her legs and she held a pillow in her arms. She wiped at her cheeks quickly in an attempt to hide that she'd been crying.

"Nikita?" Michael swung his feet over the side of the bed, stood, and strode quickly over to where Nikita lay. He knelt at her feet, his eyes full of concern as he reached out and cupped her face with the palm of his hand.

Nikita gave him a small crooked smile as she struggled to compose herself. "I'm okay," she assured him. "My hormones must be acting up," she added with a slight laugh.

But Michael could not, would not, be fooled. Even if she would not admit it aloud, he knew that her tears and inability to sleep lately were due, not to her pregnancy, but to her feelings about her mother.

Michael brushed his thumb over her cheek then stood and gently pulled Nikita up and into his arms. He sighed softly as he felt her arms encircle his waist. He pressed his lips to her brow, the tip of her nose, and then her mouth.

"She loves you," he whispered, and Nikita began to cry again. "Your mother loves you, Nikita. Is that so hard to believe?"

"I don't know what to believe," she replied, burying her face into the curve of his neck.

Michael held her tighter. "Yes you do, my love. You can see it every time she looks at you."

"No."

"Yes."

She cried some more while he held her. Then, when her tears subsided, he walked over to the dresser, picked up the box of tissues there and handed it to her so that she could wipe her eyes and blow her nose. Afterward he led her back to their bed where they laid down together and embraced each other. After a long while, Nikita spoke.

"I'm afraid, Michael."

"I know," he replied softly.

"I don't want to lose her again."

"You won't."

And then Nikita pulled back slightly so that she could look up into her husband's eyes. "I need to forgive her, Michael." Then she took a deep, trembling breath and said quietly, "I need to tell her that I love her."

************

It was barely seven o'clock when Michael went to wake Chantel. He, and everyone else in the house with the exception of Chantel, had been up since five. The suitcases were packed and loaded into the car; tires checked, engine checked, all that was missing were the three travelers.

Daniel had disappeared into the barn, probably to take one last look at the horses. Kimber was in the kitchen helping Adrian make sandwiches and coffee for them to take and Sharon had retreated with Nikita into the guest bedroom where they were having one last conversation.

Once Nikita had been able to admit to Michael and to herself that she still loved her mother, she'd fallen asleep in his arms, her spirit seemingly at peace, and didn't stir again until Michael had woken her this morning.

He knew she was still afraid of opening her heart again to the one person whose actions, all those years ago, had caused her a lifetime of pain and sorrow. But he also knew that Nikita needed her mother's love. No matter how much love she received from the others in her life, there was a part of Nikita's heart that could only really be healed by Sharon.

Michael paused in the hallway just outside of the guest room door and listened. He could hear no sounds coming from the other side of the door. That, he hoped, was a good sign.

He glanced at his watch as he continued on to Chantel's room. Nikita and Sharon had been talking now for nearly an hour. Another good sign. Hopefully, Michael thought, these last few minutes together would finally allow them to reach out to each other and re-establish the mother-daughter bond that had been severed so long ago.

"Chantel." Michael sat on the edge of his daughter's bed and gently shook her. "Wakeup sleepyhead, it's time to get up."

Her lashes lifted partially, then slowly slid close again. Michael smiled as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. She was so very much like her mother. He smoothed her golden hair back then ran his hand lovingly over her cheek. "Chantel, it’s time to get up. Don't you want to say goodbye to Uncle Daniel and Aunty Kimber?"

Her lashes rose once more but this time the blue eyes that gazed back at him were more alert. Wordlessly she sat up and climbed onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I guess this means you want me to carry you?"

He felt the nodding motion of her head against his shoulder which caused him to smile again as he stood and carried her from the room.

This time as he approached the stairs, the door to the guest room opened and Nikita and Sharon stepped emerged. Both women bore evidence of having shed tears. Their eyes were red, their cheeks were wet, noses shined, but they both also looked happy.

Chantel lifted her head at the sound of Nikita's voice and called out. "Hi Mommy. Hi Grandma Sharon." She indicated to her father that she was ready to walk and he placed her down on the ground. Chantel made her way over to Sharon and took her hand in hers, then said, "My mommy's going to have a baby."

"Really?" Sharon said, a smile lighting up her face as Nikita moved to stand next to Michael. She'd already told Sharon about the baby along with all the other important things she'd had to say.

Michael placed his arm about her shoulder and waited as Chantel and Sharon passed, and then they followed behind them.

"Everything okay?" he asked softly, and Nikita smiled up at him as she nodded once then leaned into him.

"They're going to come back at Christmas. Is that okay with you?"

"Of course it is, my love," Michael whispered, stopping to look into her eyes. "It'll be good to have family here for the holidays. Chantel will love it too."

Happiness shone in Nikita's eyes as she smiled up at him. "We'll put up all the lights like we did during Grandpa's last Christmas with us. Remember? And we'll need to convert the den downstairs into another bedroom in case Jenna and her husband want to come.

Michael laughed to hear the excitement in his wife's voice and he pulled her gently into his arms and hugged her. "Yes. We'll do all that and anything else you want. But first we must go downstairs and say goodbye to your mother and brother and sister before they wonder what has happened to us."

"Chantel will entertain them," Nikita chuckled as she slipped her arm around his waist. "Maybe she'll even tell them about how you got me pregnant."

"That's what I'm worried about," Michael answered, with a grimace and Nikita laughed as they made their way down the stairs.

The End

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