Hope Wilson's Revenge

Niktor vs Hope

Victor Newman had settled down at his chess board with his glass of scotch. He was about to start a game when a voice called out to him, a voice he hadn't heard in years. "Hello Victor"

"Hope. What a pleasant surprise." Unlike his nasty daughter, Victor meant it. He looked up to see Hope glaring at him from across the board. "Let me guess, you're here to talk about our son."

"Of course I am Victor. I told him that you were his father, so he wouldn't be alone after I died. And based on what I've witnessed, I regret that decision. Adam would have better off not knowing about you."

Victor slammed the table in anger. "What do you mean, from what you witnessed, what are these alleged things you've witnessed."

"Let's see how you constantly pit him against his siblings for your own amusement, put him through all these tests to prove his loyalty, the standards you hold him to are impossible to reach and the fact that you don't treat him the same as you do your other children. Victor, Adam is your son, he shouldn't have to prove himself to get love from you. A parent's love is unconditional, the fact that you put conditions on it sickens me." Hope spat at her ex-husband.

"How dare you judge me? It's your fault that Adam and I don't have the bond, I do with my other children. Adam is my son, mine, and you kept him from me!" Victor stood up from the table, Hope followed him. "I love my son, don't you tell me otherwise."

"Then prove it!" Hope angrily snarled. "Stop testing him, forcing him to prove himself, just love and support him and for the love of God keep your brats with Nikki in check. Stop choosing them over him and pitting him against them. Did you ever stop to think that Adam acts the way he does because of the treatment he gets from you and Nikki and your children? Adam isn't solely responsible for this mess."

Victor turned away from her in anger. He refused to see her side because that would mean that he failed Adam and Victor Newman didn't like to fail. Hope didn't know what she was talking about, she only had Adam, it was hard to juggle the wants and needs of multiple children. And besides she was dead and not around to see the larger impact of Adam's choices.

"What's the matter Victor, cat got your tongue?" Hope said in a teasing tone. "I've never known you not to have something to say."

"Did you ever think that maybe I have so much to say, I don't know where to start." Victor furiously replied. Hope just raised an eyebrow. Was she supposed to be scared of him? The mustache's display reminded her of when Adam would throw a tantrum when he was a little boy.

"I'm sure that you do. I would love to hear how you defend putting your children with Nikki ahead of Adam and Abby despite your claim that you love and treat all of your children equally"

"Who?" Victor froze for a moment before remembering, "We're not talking about Abby. We were discussing Adam. Our son, Adam." He loved to remind Hope that he was Adam's father, not Cliff Wilson.

"Yes, we were discussing our son. Tell me how you're going to fix your mess, I'm curious."

"My mess?! This is not my fault."

Before Hope could get out her next retort, a new voice entered the room. "Victor? What is all this yelling about, I could hear you from the..." Nikki froze as she entered the living room to see Hope Adams standing there. Hope died eighteen years ago, how she was standing in her living room, yelling at Victor? 'Perfect' Adam's mother thought, ' saves me the trouble of having to find her later'.

"Hello, Nikki. How have you been?" Hope asked, trying to be pleasant. Nikki just continued to stare in shock. Hope noticed Victor's concern out of the corner of her eye. "Relax, you're not hallucinating or drunk. I'm really here."

Nikki's face twitched as she swallowed that low blow from Hope. Who did this woman think she was to come into her home, insult her husband and make a crack about her alcoholism? "Excuse you? You dare come into my home and insult me like this? You're no better than your son."

Hope raced across the room so quickly, Nikki didn't even see her coming. But she certainly felt that slap across her face almost as much as she felt it when she fell onto the couch. Victor ran over to his wife, concerned for her safety. "Don't you ever insult my son to my face. Especially after the horrendous way you've treated him for years. If you could gotten over yourself and accepted the fact that Victor loved someone other than you, his life as a Newman could been so much better."

Hope had taken to pacing the living room. "Before you start, I know that Adam has done terrible things. I'm not excusing them, but he is deserving of love and a relationship with his family. If you had your way Nikki, he would be completely cut off and isolated as the town pariah. You refuse to see how much he has grown because it's easier for you to keep him as that troubled screwup he was when he first came back. Think about this, what if one of your children had done the things that Adam has done, you would still be fighting for their place in this family and no matter what you would still love them."

Nikki couldn't help but agree with what part of Hope said, no matter what Victoria or Nicholas did she would always fight for and love them. Newman Media's CEO did understand Hope's instinct to protect and defend her child, but unfortunately for Hope her kid was Adam. "Hope" Nikki said in her usual condensing tone, "Mother to mother I totally understand your natural instinct to defend your child. I will fight for Nicholas and Victoria to the ends of the Earth, but my dear, your son is the devil. There's no defending that."

Hope was silently fuming as once again Victor sat on his ass and did nothing to defend his son. He was all talk and no action when it came to Adam. "Well, Victor, you claim to love your son. Here's your chance to prove it. Tell Nikki that she's full of shit, our son is not the devil."

Both women turned to Victor curious to see what he would do. Victor grew uncomfortable as two of the mothers of his children were staring daggers at him. The mustache's eyes flickered between the two of them, he watched as they grew angrier and angrier by his silence. "I love my son. I will always love him. As long as I am here, he will have a place in my family." Victor hoped this answer would satisfy them... it didn't. If anything Victor's refusal to commit to a stance further enraged both women.

"Victor, what is wrong with you? You've gone soft in your old age!" Hope screamed as she prepared to rip Victor a new one. Before she could get started though Nikki decided to repay her for the slap she had received earlier. Hope chuckled, she supposed she had that coming; after all she had been slapping people all night. She was about to congratulate the other woman on a job well done, when Nikki slapped her again.

"The first one was for hitting me, the second was for insulting me and my husband, and the third..." Nikki never did get to say what the third one was for as Hope started to choke her. The CEO screamed before throwing up her arms to break the hold. Before Victor knew it the ghost of his ex-wife was fighting his current wife in the middle of his living room. The mustache watched as hair was pulled and slaps were landed; he didn't jump in until they got near his beloved chess board. With a heavy sigh, Victor stepped in and pulled the two apart.

"Hope, I think it's time that you left." Victor said in a kind, but tired voice.

"Yes, get out now!" Nikki echoed her husband in a not so kind voice.

"Fine I'll go, but remember I'll always be watching. And I can and will come back here again if I need to" And with that Hope disappeared out of the Newman Ranch. If Nikki wasn't bleeding she would chalk it up to a hallucination brought on by exhaustion. Knowing that Nikki would be pissed, Victor hid the urge to chuckle. That was the fiery and loyal Hope Adams that he fell in love with all those years ago. And as much as he hated to admit it, she wasn't totally wrong. He could and should do better when it came to Adam. Tomorrow was going to be a fresh start for all of them.

She knew that had to get back to Heaven, but Hope couldn't resist the urge to check on her son one last time. By the time she arrived, Adam was asleep. The mother walked into his bedroom to see her son sprawled out with the covers thrown off. She smiled, he looked so peaceful. Knowing this would be her only chance, Hope tucked him under the covers and kissed him on the forehead, just like when he was a little boy. Eyes brimming with tears, Hope Adams Newman Wilson whispered a goodbye to her son and went back to Heaven, hoping that her visits had helped Adam be happy once again.