He gave a slow nod of his head as if he believed her, "But you would if I didn't use it often," His eyes looked anywhere but her as he had said about his screw ups, he looked at her when she asked, and grimaced at the image she supplied, "That sounds painful, but I don't know about being fixable." Oh callouses helped, but he wasn't going to point that out.

He could only stop and stare at her when she snapped at him, "I don't know either of them anymore. As far as sins of father is concerned," he was going start rambling, "I doubt they would bat an eyelash when it came to me. And stop giving me that look, for Christ sake." He got to his feet slowly as she point out about him not giving up, "I gave them up, for a reason. I'm not here to claim what isn't mine and it's that family."

Picking the pill he broke it half, and drowned water, and stared out. They should be playing and doing everything he had done with his cousins, "But they aren't. And from the looks of things, they won't be doing it anytime soon," or ever, but he didn't add that, "Start where? How? I won't blame Travis if he slammed the door at my face without hearing a word." It was something he was expecting the Colonel to do, "Even better how do I know, that he will even see me. If Noel's reaction was anything..." he trailed off.

He almost snorted at 'civility', "Oxfords aren't known for that when it comes to one of their own. Mind you, I'm not one of them. So it doesn't apply," And hadn't been for twenty years. He faced her when she said she would deal with his father, "I always thought he was a reasonable," he shrugged, "no idea if he still is." He shook his head at her encouragement. Strength? He mused, hadn't he used it all up to keep them at more than a arm length away? "I'm tired Vicki," Jason admitted, as he pulled back from the kiss. Emotionally drained and empty as well when it came to Oxfords, "I don't have that kind of strength anymore." Nor the heart to find it and build.

Victoria pushed herself against him. It was to do with him still connected to her wrist via the handcuffs. She wasn't letting him go for right now. Using her free hand she put her hand under his chin. "Robert Oxford look at me" her voice was hard but she meant well. "You haven't even tried" The woman made a point to look him in the eyes as her eyes pierced into his.

"Because you can't even fight for yourself or throw the truth out. So help me they will know the truth." And she didn't, if it meant throwing a wrench in her marriage to help him then so be it. The woman had lived for 5 years in a loveless marriage; throwing a wrench into the works wasn't out of the question. She could handle it. "And I will give you that look for as long as I feel that you need it" she snapped hotly.

When he got up to take his medication she went with him. There was no getting out of this discussion. "No! but you aren't doing ANYTHING to try and fix it. You can lay the blame everywhere all you want to; but until I see you actually TRYING. Then I will be on your case. Why? Because I actually care!" her voice raised in volume a bit. Her eyes narrowed. Victoria was a whirlwind of emotions and letting them all go.

"You are tired? You think I am just this cheerful happy perky woman? I'm tired too Robert and dammit it's time someone did something about it" she fired off. "I know damn well you are hurting your mother by not trying. Because you have your head too far stuck up your ass" she stated firmly. Victoria was not afraid of him; but this had been the first time in a long time she had fired off on him. Tears were freeflowing and she didn't care. She pinned her husband against the wall. "I had the strength to marry a man I didn't love! To keep him alive. Not so he could stop fighting to live his life. Now that I fell in love with him; you think I am going to give up on him? Then you seriously need a headcheck." Maybe she should just have told Robert to run and let her father shoot her. No, she knew better than that to know that it wouldn't have ended well.

<Tag: Jason Robert Oxford>

He tried not filching at her tone. Even if he didn't want to look to see the expression on her face -the one she normally used in the girls when they misbehaved- he obeyed her. It wasn't often she was in a foul mood with him. The only time he could remember was during the first five years of their marriage. The name she used no longer felt like his own, even if it was his. For him; his father was the only Robert Oxford. He didn't want to try or start trying. For years now he was contented with his world as it was. He had his wife and kids, and that was all he needed.

He closed his eyes and struggled with the panic that was threatening to break out. He took a moment to find the calm, "Trying and telling them will depend on how they take to us being here," he opened his eyes, "so far it hasn't been favorable. Girls are getting bullied, you got into a fight with Jamie. Noel threw more than icy welcome." Ver was the only one who was happy to see him. "You won't say a word, Vicki. Please."

He set the glass down she point out few facts. So far it was true, he wasn't doing anything. It wasn't that he was scared, but uncertain. A part of him frowned at himself. Okay to so he was partly scared. He was too used to keeping what mattered to him close to his chest, it was a hard habit to shake. He could have said something but the choose not to.

He bit his lip, "I don't mean that way," he started to clarify, but her look told him nothing would help with that, when she mentioned his mother, emotions banged on the door of his heart. Thought her in pain almost floored him. If not for anyone else, he could consider doing for her. She had given him birth. He hardly felt being pinned, saw the tears and swore, "I never stopped fighting to live my life. I lived it, I still live it." Hearing about her not giving up on him, he brought her closer, "Give me time, that's all I ask. Time." He couldn't ask for something like a week or two, simply he had no idea how much needed. While he knew that she knew it was the right time, but he wasn't sure.

"But for now," he looked at her making some effort to shift her attention to another matter at hand, "we need to talk to Crissy about fighting at school, and with Vanessa. We can get into conversation another day."

<<Tag: Victoria Oxford >>

Victoria was not thrilled, and yes she was using a tone that she didn't use with him on a usual basis. She knew that while her tried to get himself to be content with what he considered his family, she knew better. That meant that Victoria was going to fight for him, it wasn't like they were fighting against each other this time. Deep down she knew better than that, even if he was a stubborn jerk right now. She glanced over his body a bit more softly, as if to make a point that she wasn't angry with him specifically.

"You leave that to me. It is an uphill battle but you cannot give up" she informed him flatly. "I will say what I feel is necessary" she reinterated. She knew he wouldn't say a word and if it came down to it the truth would come out. Victoria didn't care what wounds it opened at this point. She knew it would open some of her own too, so it wasn't like she wasn't putting her ass to the fire either.

The red head put her arms around him. She could sense that part of him was scared. It was just part of always being open to him. She ran a hand through his hair. The woman could chide at her husband and comfort him all in one fell swoop. There was just something about him that she couldn't fight with him without reassuring him unless she was pissed off and that hadn't happened in years.

Still connected at the wrist and against the wall she brought her one finger over to his lips. Tears still stung at her face. It hurt her that he was doing this to himself, that he was laying down and giving up. "You keep telling yourself that, because if it were true this conversation wouldn't be happening" she informed him. Though she felt him tug her closer and she looked him in the eyes. "Time is irrelevant at this point. If you don't open your mouth dammit Robert I will" she promised.

When he tried to shift her attention away she glared. "Don't change the subject on me just because you aren't not comfortable with it" she informed him rather bluntly. "Their fighting will be addressed after you get your head out of your own behind and they stop following your example" she pointed out. She knew that they were only being stubborn and belligerent because their father was. "Those girls look up to you and if they are fighting in school for the reason I think they are. Then you have only yourself to blame." she pointed out. Vanessa had told her who had been picking on her. "Vanessa is getting picked on because of you, me, Jamie, and Travis. Chrissy is only standing up for her sister. You want to fault them for that Robert go ahead; but I am not blaming them" she stated fervently.

<Tag: Jason Robert Oxford>

He always been a stubborn jerk when it came talking about the Oxford's he had left behind. The key to the guarded door had been lost in time. While Bobby wasn't ready to open it, fate was having other plans. His wife was banging on that door. It was a battle he didn't want to fight. "You can't fight them on your own. And there are chances they won't listen to what you have to say." What was she going to do? Pull a conference with the Oxfords? He did pay to see that get pulled off. Whether they believed her or not was up in the air then there was a issue if they could actually up and listened.

He sighed as her fingered combed his hair, "I don't have to keep telling myself anything." He was protesting he knew that, "I'm reminding you. And this conversation would have happened regardless. Perhaps it was past time we had this talk." A part of him was baffled how the conversation flipped from Jamie and Vicki to him and Oxfords. Maybe he should reconsider the type of pain killers he was taking.

Jason nearly made a face at her words, time was relevant, always been. He didn't want to make it look like he was barging back in their lives, if they didn't want him. He wasn't even expecting open arms, let alone a pat on the back. "I'm not trying to change the subject. Once we deal with them. You can tear into me all you want." He knew the girls looked up to him and did try his best to give them all his positive sides. Yet clearly they had gotten few bad ones too. Fighting had come naturally to him, he shook his head at Vicki, "Chances are is she getting picked on cos she is our daughter. I can't and won't blame Crissy for doing something I have done myself. That is standing up to bullies for my siblings."

<<Tag: Victoria Oxford >>

Victoria wasn't just going to bang on the door, if she had to she was going to pry it open and drag her husband with her. "I can and I will if I have to do. I will find a way to make them listen. I am not as naive as you like to believe." Victoria only needed to find one to listen. Right now she had an idea where to start. If she had to pull a conference with of them she damn well would. Victoria had done some crazy things in her time.

"This isn't the end of this conversation Robert." No it was far from the end of it. The issues were starting to affect their family unit. There was no way that Victoria was giving way once it seeped its way into things. She had only let it go years ago because it was her husband's battle and his battle alone. She had respected his decision but now that time had passed things were only getting worse. Victoria was no longer going to keep out of it, regardless of what he said. The redhead just had to hope her husband wouldn't hate her for it.

"Then it doesn't need being addressed and you are trying to change the subject. This will all clear up, one follows the other. Until you take your damned blinders off and face things; this is going to be a hell of a lot harder because there is no if ands or buts about this. I WILL fix this either alone or with you." she stated. Victoria almost stormed off into the other room; but that solved nothing. Instead she kept her eyes directed at the ground. Vicki had gotten a lot bolder over the years; though her fiery personality had always been slightly evident. She didn't tell him she intended to start with his mother and Jamie's mom. She remembered Katherine having a strange fondness still for Robert. She had a feeling Sarah was going to be a little more difficult; but she would find a way. Victoria was good at that.

<< Tag: Jason Robert Oxford>>

Jason has no doubts that his wife wasn't as naive as when he had married her. Perhaps some of his own habits had rubbed off on her and some of her on him. He sighed but nodded as she held her ground, "A room full of stubborn men, I can see that going well," as he could see it, his lips twitched a little. All Oxford men had various stages of stubbornness in them. They all were just as bad as each other. A trait that twins had been given.

He kissed her forehead, "I have no doubts of that." While the talk was done for now, but it wasn't totally finished. It  had just gotten started. There were still more that needed to be covered. Whether anyone was ready for it or not. It was avoided while they were in New York, yet he didn't doubt that Vicki would have picked on some stuff. He had pretended to 'call' his parents after the twins had been born. He had covered their absents with whatever excuses he could pull out of his mouth. On top of that he had never spoke about his side. When the girls started asking him questions, he knew he was in trouble.

The issue he knew wasn't the blinders, never had been.  The trouble Crissy was in, the fight that Vicki had gotten into  was enough to stop him from taking the steps needed to fix this. To him it didn't matter if they knew the truth at this point. Since their problems were with him, it was not right to take out of his family. Jason placed his hand on her chin and lifted her face, "We can try fixing it, but we are going to take one thing at a time. Why don't we see where we this time next week and take one step and repeat?" Or other they could bite too much off and nothing will get achieved, "Think we can try that? Before we go bulldozing into their lives?"

<<Tag: Victoria Oxford >>

Victoria just gave him a tilted head glare. "Mhmm. What's your point?" she stated. She was fairly certain she had married one of the more stubborn men in the bunch. So he could just get over it. The redhead was used to dealing with stubborn. Victoria put a hand on the crevice of where his shoulder and his neck met. Her touch was soft and light.

She leaned into his kiss and snuggled up on his chest. She would comfort him and get him through this. If she made a mess, then she would clean it up and try to bandage the damage done. Victoria didn't fight to make things raw, but sometimes you had to bear the scars to heal. She would not deny that it hurt that he lied to her face about calling his parents. Victoria hated it when he lied to her. It was her biggest pet peeve and yet he still tried it.

The fights they weren't going to fix themselves. If no one stepped up they were going to get worse and Victoria knew it. She was about to respond to him when he said something about little bites. Yeah well he was playing Chicken. The house phone rang and she picked it up. It was Jamie's mother. "Kat what.." she started in confused. "Whose idea was this?" She put the phone on speaker so Bobby could hear.

"It's something that might work Victoria for all the kids involved."

"Kat. Let me get this straight you are asking me to let Travis Oxford raise Crissy for a week while I bring the kid who is bullying Vanessa into my house?" Robert was going to kill her.

"Talk it over with your husband. Think about it."

"He's right here Kat. I think it might work." she hit mute so that Kat couldn't hear her.

"Babe?" she offered. Little steps. Victoria gave him a look.

Anything he wanted to say was lost when the phone rang, but it was Kat's name that him looking at his wife. Another name and face from the past, listening, his face firmed. He and Kat always had some level of mutual affection for each other. He never understood why that was the case and even today he still had no answers for it. But what she was proposing was not possible. There was no way he was having that kid in his house. He opened his mouth to refuse, to use an excuse why this was a terrible idea. But the look Vicki was giving him, he knew she was trying to make a point of his own idea he had mentioned. Now it was going to be two against one.

If he wanted to either win or lose this war, he was going to have play by the rules. "Fine," he gave in; knowing it could be two steps forward and twenty steps back.  He asked Vicki to un-mute, then addressed Katerine, "Mrs Brighton," Jason began, while he understood the idea partly, "what are the end are you expecting? I mean, what purpose is this exchange going to ...I dunno,  help?" Better word as any.   

"Robert," Kat greeted him, "It's Kat, you have always called me that. Besides, it is good to hear your voice after many years. As for the end result, well, it will get the kids to get better understand of other life. Bringing them closer might be a bonus. Fred doesn't realise what he is doing will help heal wounds."

Sighing, "Kat," he spoke, "It's Jason; not Robert. That paints a better picture. As for healing wounds I'm not too sure about that, yet. Travis and Jamie okay with this?" Little did he know that his father was arriving in coming days to Winterly.

Tag: Victoria Oxford

Later that night after things were set for the children swapping Victoria lay in the bed staring awake at the ceiling. Then suddenly she rolled over and out of the bed. There were no words just the light padding of her feet towards the window. Staring out off towards the lake they overlooked she sighed. She wanted to run again, the red head could feel the running instinct taking over but she just stood there watching the moonlight dance on the lake. It was the middle of the night and she was just not able to sleep.

Peering over her shoulder she took note of her husband's figure on the bed. Watching him broke her heart. 'You can't replace Jamie' she shook the thought from her head. 'Just stop trying to help. I don't need it' The words just kept coming at her. 'You slept with him didn't you? You betrayed me Victoria' She curled her hand in a fist and released some of the tension but found herself letting silent tears take over. The last thing she wanted to do was wake her husband because she was upset. He didn't need to worry about her.

What did he care anyway? Jamie was within the same town lines. Victoria knew she would never fill the gap that had been Jamie and it hurt. The first few years of her marriage came flooding back at her like being hit by a door on the rear while walking through it. The pomeranian came over to the window and quietly nudged Victoria. Reaching down to gently stroke the little while fluffy puppy went to go annoy Bobby, in hopes of stirring him awake. The puppy never really bothered him in the middle of the night unless something wasn't right in the house.

Victoria moved to scoop the dog off the bed. "Angel. Let him sleep" it was clear that her voice was strangled with tears to anyone who could hear the tones but maybe it was enough of a whisper and Bobby wouldn't catch it if the dog had woken him. Setting the dog back on the floor he quickly jumped up and took refuge on her pillow watching the two adult figures. Victoria took a seat back on the bed and looked over her shoulder pulling the blanket over Bobby's shoulder where the dog had dragged it off. She laid down beside him but her gaze remained on the ceiling. Victoria felt very lost. Rolling over to her side she slid back down in the bed beside him and curled her arm around him. There weren't words at the moment. Her embrace was in such a manner that could be presented as clingy. Yes, she was scared of losing him.

He rolled ever in his sleep and felt Vicki's side empty, barely awake to eve think, Jason settled again into slumber. even the pup walking on the bed didn't awaken him, but the tugging of the blanket away did. He had cracked one eye open to see the white fluff pulling the covers away, not wanting to get up at the dog's request, Jason just lay there. When Vicki's arms came around him, he snaked his own up her arms, "You wanna tell me what's bothering you?" he asked as he blinked his eyes open, being barely awake was still evident on his face.

"If it is the fight with Jamie," he was only guessing here, "Just let it go. She's not worth losing sleep over. None of them are. And Chrissy will be fine." If she wasn't, Bobby already decided that he would bring her home and send the other kid back to his. He was only doing this cos she was in trouble. He wasn't doing to to set things right for himself. At least not yet. If Travis opened his big mouth to old man, that was on the colonel's shoulders.

<<Tag: Victoria Oxford >>

When her husband asked her what was wrong she wasn't sure she wanted to knock on that door. Though the way she buried her head suggested that she was deeply troubled by something. Of course that only had her husband guessing out in left field. The fight with Jamie didn't bother her in the least. The two had fought since Jamie saw Vicki falling in love with Bobby. "It's not that" the words were honest but choked out. "It's not Chrissy either." It was true Chrissy didn't take anyone's advice, like her mother she was stubborn.

Victoria didn't say what it was. 'I TRUSTED YOU' Victoria's mind kept it up. 'It's MY boyfriend you slept with' Jamie's words kept coming at her from that day in the park. 'When he starts screwing some other hooker I am not answering my phone for you.' There was no telling if Robert had slept around on the first few years of their marriage or not and she wasn't about to ask. For years she had forgotten most of it as time healed things. Though Jamie wasn't there. Jamie had been miles away. Now she was 5 blocks down the street.

"It's nothing" Victoria was not in a habit of lying and she was a terrible liar, though saying it was nothing reeked of nothing but a lie. "Coraggio , sei più forte di quanto si creda" (Chin up, you are stronger than you realize) she spoke in Italian under her breathe. Her Aunt had spoken that to her long ago. To Robert, she knew it wouldn't have much meaning so it was just mumbled. She was doing that closing herself off and comforting herself thing that she hadn't done since their marriage had started off so badly. Though she was staying close to him which suggested that she wasn't entirely shutting him out; thoughs he clearly didn't want to discuss what had made her suddenly upset.

Jesus, he knew he had gone the wrong way about it, when she brushed off. Rubbing his face he opted to sit on the bed, taking a moment to shrug the sleep away, and looked at the time of 2:30 am. Shifting he faced his wife, "I know something is bothering you. I'm only guessing here." Okay so if she was not upset about the fight with Jamie, nor worried about Crissy either. Then his half awake brain was coming up blank.

"Sweetheart," he held her in his arms, "There has to be something. Or otherwise you won't be waking up." It couldn't be Noel since the guy wasn't really a threat. He only had a lapse of judgement for a moment. On the other hand he couldn't blame Noel. The man would have had to deal with the aftermath of Bobby's actions, reactions and the everything in between.

"If you don't tell me what it is, I can't help. I want to help." He looked at her pleadingly, "Please."


Tag: Victoria Oxford

Victoria buried her face in the pillow beside him and took a few breaths. "It's the past. There is no point in discussing it." Well there was, in that the two needed to work through it, if their marriage was even about to survive. Hearing him call her out on her lie she just nodded. "Non important" (It's not important) she whispered. Though her voice sounded croaked.

"Too many bad memories come with this town. I will sort it all out in time" okay so maybe she would sort it all out. This wasn't a choice, so there was little that she could do about it. She was scared of going backwards. Victoria always felt like Jamie had ended up with the most normal life. Maybe a life Bobby was supposed to have had. Victoria wanted nothing more than to go back to New York or at least go back somewhere else. "I'm homesick" she lied again. Well it wasn't really a lie but it wasn't the whole truth either. The homesickness came from not feeling like she belonged here at all. Feeling his arms she held him close, "It's not easy knowing that you are living the life someone else should have had" she finally spoke without using names. To anyone else it wouldn't have made sense.

Victoria stared out the window that overlooked the lake. Her focus was outside. It meant that she was in one of her free spirited and wanting to outrun everything moods. Though her body remained pressed against her husband's. Perhaps Crissy going to stay with Jamie only pushed matters more on the what if's. A lot of things lately did. Family was everything to Vicki and the last thing she wanted to do was lose any part of it.

No point?

Jason rose an eyebrow her way. Hadn't she been the one who was chasing the past for him earlier. With a sigh, he kissed the top of her forehead, "If it wasn't important," he told her, "you won't be this upset. If it wasn't worth discussing, you won't be pacing in the middle of the night." Absently his thumb brush her ring, on her finger. He should have put a new one on when they started afresh, but that time it didn't strike him.

He lifted her chin so she could look at him, "Not you," he corrected, "We will. I share bad memories with this town as well." There were memories that were worse than others. Over the years many stayed while others faded away. He knew they were home sick, as was he. While New York didn't fill the void of Boston, the place was closest thing to it. While he knew she was lying, partly, he let that go. At her words about life and living, he sighed, if she had said them in the first five years of their marriage, it would have been held true, but they didn't belong into what they were today, caressing her arm, "You are living a life you are meant to be living. I didn't make a family with someone else. I made it with you. That someone isn't the mother of my children, you are. I love you." He doubted that anyone from the two families would even understand what he gave up, so they could be alive today.

"Vicki," his voice was soft, "What we have here today, is all that matters. We made something from  nothing. You and the kids mean more to me than I can ever put in words." His what-if's ever never about Jamie. His were focused on not knowing how they would treat his daughter or how she would handling being so close yet far away. Chrissy going to camps or sleepovers  didn't and hadn't frustrated him, but she was going stay with those he knew, yet didn't know worried him.


Tag: Victoria Oxford