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Date Posted: 10:21:03 12/23/01 Sun
Author: Antje
Subject: Holiday Chapter 37
In reply to: Antje, reposting for Leigh ;-) 's message, "Holiday (continuing)" on 10:16:36 12/23/01 Sun

Nikita heaved a sigh of her own as she closed the door to her father’s office. The smile that had graced her lips a moment
earlier, faded. Across from her, Sophia, her father’s secretary glanced up, eyes enquiring.

“Are you all right, Miss Wolfe?”

“Mmm.” Nikita refocused, pulled at her jacket top to straighten it. “I’m fine,” she said, stepping away from the door. “Do me
a favor please? Call my office and let Rose know I’m heading out to my next appointment.”

She left then, her stride long and purposeful. She pulled to a halt a minute later when, turning the corner, she ran straight into
Chris.

“Whoa!” He steadied her with a strong hand to her shoulder. “Nikita. Sorry.” He smiled an apology, hands lowering as he
took a half-step back.

She shook her head quickly, brows puckering. “No, it’s my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” With her fingers she
lightly plucked the lime green dress shirt he wore. “This is new.” Tilting her head to one side, her mouth crooked up at one
corner. “I like it.”

A flush crept up the side of Chris’s neck, eyes lowering to the silk shirt. “Thanks. It’s not my usual style, but it was a gift and
I promised to wear it.”

“Ah!” Nikita’s smile became wider, almost sympathetic. “That explains it. It looks good on you. Less somber. The color
reminds me of a certain someone though.” She tapped a finger thoughtfully against her temple, lips pursing, brows wrinkling.

Chris cleared his throat, shuffling on his feet as he scoped the area. “All right. Yes, it’s from Carla,” he said, voice lowered.
“Happy?”

Nikita chuckled and folded her arms across her chest. “I was just on my way out to see her. By the way, sorry I ditched out
on you two the other night. Did she tell you I called to explain?”

Chris nodded once, his mood shifting, becoming more businesslike. “She said Michael’s back in town. I need to give him a
call. The layout for the studio ad is back, I’m sure he’ll want to look at it before it’s finalized.”

“If you’d like, I can check with him and we can get together over at my place. You and Michael can discuss his account and
Carla and I...,” she smiled, gaze lowering to his shirt briefly, “I’m certain we’ll… we’ll find something to talk about.”

*

Carla’s mouth dropped open, eyes widening. Then laughter bubbled up and spilled over. “Oh Nicky, you’re awful!” she said,
when she was able to speak. “Oh my poor Chris. Do you know how much work it took for me to get him to wear that shirt?”

Nikita grinned and sank into a couch by the window in Carla’s studio. “I have no idea, but I’m willing to hear all about it. Did
I tell you Michael’s just as bad as Chris? His whole wardrobe is either black, charcoal, or gray. Not that I’m complaining. The
man looks good in whatever he wears.”

“Yes he does,” Carla agreed dreamily. “He’s absolutely gor-geous.”

Nikita smiled again, her brows arching. “I was talking about Michael.”

Carla dropped down into the seat next to her. “I know,” she said, smiling wickedly. “But I was talking about Chris.”

“Ah-hah.” Nikita’s gaze swept over her friend’s flushed face. “So things have progressed with you two? You’re no longer
‘just’ friends? I knew it wouldn’t last long that way between you two.”

Carla rolled her eyes. “Yeah right.” She levied a finger at Nikita. “You should know, Miss We’re-going-to-take-it-slow.” The
two broke into a fit of giggles and embraced. “Oh, Nik,” Carla said a moment later, her voice breathless. “I’m so happy. I feel
like I’m walking on air. I can’t stop smiling and everywhere I go, the world seems brighter, new and beautiful.”

“Oh girl,” Nikita chuckled. “You’ve got it bad.”

“I know,” Carla sighed. She pulled her legs up onto the chair and hugged her knees tight. “We haven’s, you know, slept
together yet. But he kissed me for the first time on New Year’s eve.” Carla’s eyes were full of stars, brimmed with
tenderness as she gazed straight ahead, remembering that night. “He wanted me, I could feel him, but I wanted to wait.” Her
head turned, brown eyes meeting blue. “He’s so special Nik. He’s really been a good friend to me. I didn’t want to ruin that. I
told him I wanted to wait until we were both really certain. And you know what? He accepted that.” She took a deep breath,
eyes closing, head tilting back. Her voice became reflective. “I never had that with Chuck, you know? He was always the one
in control of our relationship.”

Nikita listened quietly, peace settling over her. She covered Carla’s hand with her own and squeezed it gently. “I’m happy for
you,” she whispered.

“How are things with you?” Carla asked, turning now to face her. Her eyes sparked, but this time it was with happiness for
her friend. “I nearly cried when you told me Michael flew back early to surprise you. Oh Nik, he must really be in love with
you.”

Nikita bit down on her lower lip as she stared down at her hands. On the wall, she could hear Carla’s old grandfather clock
ticking. “I hope so,” she finally said, “because I think I’m really in love with him.” Her gaze lifted, fingers dancing restlessly
in her lap. “I told him, Carla, about my being adopted.”

Carla blinked, her eyes growing round. “Oh Nik, this really is something. I didn’t realize things had gotten so deep with you
two.”

Nikita grinned at her. “You mean beyond the lust and great sex stage? Yeah, well I didn’t either. It just sort of happened, you
know? One moment he was asking me a question about my family and the next I was blurting it out. And then like a fool I
started crying.”

“Oh baby.” Carla reached over and hugged her. “I know that was hard for you.” Pulling back, she looked Nikita in the eye.
“Maybe now you’ll start to let go of all that heartache?”

Nikita shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I can. I’m taking him tomorrow night to officially meet my parents. I think I just
wanted him to know before we went over.”

“Yeah, but you’ve taken others over to meet your parents, and you never mentioned it to any of them.”

“Michael’s different,” Nikita said, still staring at her hands. “I want him to know everything about me.”

“Did you think he would feel differently if he knew?” Carla asked, and Nikita shook her head.

“No. And really, I don’t think the issue of my adoption is a big deal to the outside world. Only to me, personally. As much as
I love my parents and they love me, there’s always that little part of me that…”

Nikita grew silent and Carla put her arm about her shoulder. “There’s always a part of you that will wonder what could have
been.”

Nikita nodded slowly. A frown formed on her face. “It’s more than that though, Carla.” She hesitated, the pause lengthening.
“I didn’t tell anyone but I hired a private detective.”

“You what!” Carla sat up, her feet dropping to the ground. “When? And why?”

Nikita stood up, she paced the room, then stopped again and stuck her hands into her pockets as she stared out the window
onto the street below. “A couple of months ago.” She looked back over her shoulder. “My parents don’t know, please don’t
tell them.”

“Of course not.” Carla rose and crossed the room till she stood at Nikita’s side, facing her. “I don’t understand why though. I
thought that you had let all of this go, that you agreed to let it lay in the past.”

“I did. And I tried, Carla, but I couldn’t. The older I got and Stephen started hinting about wanting to settle down and starting
a family… It brought up old issues with me, questions I had when I was younger but was too afraid and hurt to find the
answers to. I want to know who my birth parents are, and why they gave me up.”

“Oh Nik,” Carla sighed, her eyes closing briefly. “Baby, are you sure you want to do this?”

Nikita nodded, her mouth set. “I have to, Carla. I can’t explain it. I just need to know.”

“And you told Michael al of this?”

“About the private investigator? No. There was no need to drag him into all of that. I just wanted him to know in case…” She
shook her head again. “I just wanted him to know.”

“I take it you haven’t heard anything from this, what, investigarot, you hired?”

“Not yet. He’s filed a petition to have the records released to him but there’s some sort of complication. Something about the
agency requiring to know who the petitioner is. They’re required to let the adoptees to know whenever such an inquiry is
made. I don’t want my parents to know that I’m seeking this information.”

“It would help with the investigation if they did know,” Carla suggested.

“Yeah, I’m sure it would. But it would also break my father’s heart and I’d feel as if I’m being ungrateful for all that they’ve
done for me.”

“Ni-cky.”

She held up a hand, warding off Carla’s disapproval. “I know, I know.”

“They love you, Nik. And if you went to them and told them that you want to know more about your birth parents, I’m sure
they’d understand.”

Nikita wasn’t convinced. “My mother might, she’s always been the rational one. But my father wouldn’t.” She smiled
weakly. “He loves me too much, I think. I’m afraid he’d see this as some sort of betrayal on my part.”

“Oh,” Carla shook her head, she placed her hand on Nikita’s shoulder. “That’s not true. Well yes, he loves you, anyone who
knows your family can see that, but your father would never doubt your love for him. And if he knew about this…”

“Well it’s my call,” Nikita said, her mind made up. “And I’m not going to let him or my mother know.”

Carla gave a resigned sigh. “All right, if that’s the way you want things, then I’ll support you a hundred percent. You know
I’ll always be here for you.”

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