How Soon Is Now

Part Two - Chapter Nine: Olalla's Punishment

Fernando smiled stepping into Nicola's hospital room, she was slowly starting to get the colour back in her skin even if she was still ill; he was just happy that she was finally awake after everything that had happened. 

"How are you feeling?" Fernando asked giving his wife a kiss, he had been so worried about her and he was pleased to see that she was going to be alright. 

Nicola smiled at Fernando as he sat down next to her and took his hand, she knew how scared he had been and she wished that she could have talked to him while in her coma. 

"Better... I take it you found the cause," Nicola mused watching her husband, she didn't know who had done this to her but she had a feeling that they had been taken care of. 

The last thing that Nicola wanted was for the person to take another shot at her, she was slowly getting better and she wasn't going to let the person get away with this. 

Fernando nodded his head and he rubbed a hand up and down her cold arm, he was sure that it wouldn't be long before he got to take his wife home where she could recover properly. 

"Olalla's a witch," Fernando revealed making Nicola nod, it had always been on her mind that Nora had inherited her gifts from Olalla and that the Spanish woman was just too lazy to raise her own daughter. 

Nicola hated how quickly Olalla had just dropped her daughter when it suited her, she was sure that Nora would hate her mother one day for how she had treated her. 

"She was using her powers to do this to you," Fernando murmured feeling guilty that he hadn't been able to protect her; he looked down as he looked at their wedding rings, he had promised to do so and had failed. 

Nicola watched her husband and shook her head, she didn't blame him for what had happened; they hadn't known that Olalla would be so stupid to go that far with her powers.

"Nando, this wasn't your fault... it's Olalla's for using her powers for personal gain," Nicola reassured making Fernando look at her, she smiled at him softly before there was a knock at the door. 

Nora rushed to Nicola's side as Steven carried Charlotte into the room, he knew how much the children had missed their mother and he was pleased to see that Nicola looked so much better. 

"The girls wanted to see their mother... you look better Nicola," Steven said smiling, he glanced at Fernando knowing that he couldn't have been happier for his friend; he gently set Charlotte in her mother's arms knowing it had been a tough couple of weeks. 

Fernando smiled at Steven, he knew that the Scouser was curious about if he had considered the offer; however now wasn't the time or place to ask not when he had yet to tell Nicola. 

Nora was quickly filling in Nicola with what she had missed since she had been in hospital, Fernando placed his daughter onto the bed and flashed a smile at Nicola before he and Steven stepped out of the room to talk. 

"I heard about Olalla, is she okay?" Steven asked knowing that while Fernando was divorced from the Spaniard, she was still Nora's biological mother; he couldn't imagine what was going on right now in Fernando's mind. 

Fernando took a deep breath, he didn't truly wish to talk about the woman that had nearly killed his wife without a second thought but there was no way around it. 

"Doctor says she has hyper-exhaustion," Fernando replied with a shrug, he knew what had really brought about her illness but it wasn't something that he could talk to Steven about. 

Steven nodded amused as he patted Fernando on the back, he knew that his friend had a lot on his mind right now with Nicola and Rogers offer, he didn't need to be thinking about his ex-wife. 

"I'm going to the canteen. Do you want anything?" Steven asked making Fernando shake his head, this was his chance to speak with Olalla and make her see sense.

***

A smile formed on Olalla's face as Fernando stepped into her hospital room, she had been hoping that he would come and see her; her room was pretty empty and it was clear that she'd had no visitors. 

Fernando almost felt sorry for her, she was alone in the world for all the stupid mistakes she had made; he shuddered at the thought of still being married to her if he hadn't have met Nicola. 

"Nando, I'm so happy that you came," Olalla said watching him, however she frowned when she realised he was still wearing his wedding ring; she had been hoping that his worry when she had convulsions early would have been a good sign. 

"I came to talk to you about what you did," Fernando said making her look down at her hands, she had thought for a moment that he had come to tell her that he had left Nicola for her. 

Fernando moved to sit next to her, she watched him closely and licked her lips; he ran a hand through his blonde-brown hair as he tried to think of what to say. 

"You really love her don't you?" Olalla said watching her ex-husband, she could see that he loved Nicola more than he had ever loved her; that alone made her want to weep knowing that she had never been enough for him. 

Fernando nodded his head, he wasn't going to give Olalla any false hope and he wanted to put this all behind him and move forward with his family. 

"More than life itself... I'm sorry that our marriage ended the way it did Olalla, I truly am but we were never meant to be," Fernando told her making Olalla purse her lips and frown at him; she didn't like what he was saying and she knew that she should have expected it. 

Fernando knew that his ex-wife had every right to be hurt about how all of this had ended, he didn't want her to be sad; he wanted her to find her own happy ending.

"Says who," Olalla demanded, she knew that their marriage could have worked if they hadn't have moved to Hallows Town and Fernando had never met Nicola; she didn't think it was destiny that had brought him to the blonde. 

Fernando took a deep breath and opened his mouth to explain, he didn't want Olalla thinking that she could come back and change things; he was always meant to end up with Nicola. 

"Says me," said the Angel of Destiny, who appeared behind Fernando; she had a frown set upon her face that made Fernando feel uncomfortable while Olalla swallowed hard, she had never seen an Angel of Destiny before. 

"Fernando, it's a pleasure to see you again... do you mind if I talk to Olalla alone," the Angel greeted making Fernando nod at her before telling Olalla that he hoped that she got better soon before he left the two of them alone. 

Whatever the Angel had to say to Olalla, it was her business not his; though he knew it would be linked to her using her powers for personal gain. 

Stepping back into Nicola's hospital room, Fernando smiled at the sight of his wife and two daughters; he couldn't think of anywhere better in the world than being with them. 

"Papa, the doctor says that Mama can come home this weekend," Nora said with a smile that lit up her face, Nicola watched as Fernando grinned at her and moved to give her a kiss on the lips; the sooner the blonde was home the better.

"That's good news... and I have even more, Rogers has offered to help me get back into Professional Football," Fernando revealed smiling, he had a feeling that this was going to be the start of some good things for them.