Victoria leaned into her husband's affections with her forehead. That was normal for Victoria to fight for what was right and then let it all go when she thought no one was looking. "I was awake; but I was hardly pacing" she noted. Anything to avoid what needed to be said. She looked down at where his hand brushed over her ring. Even though she had first taken it off when they had married. It meant more than most people realized to the pair. Robert had slipped it on her hand one night when she was asleep. It had been a major turning point in their lives.

Victoria didn't pull away when he lifted her chin. Though it was hard to look into his eyes now without breaking down. Victoria intended to help him; but she didn't do to well when it came time to take help herself. Maybe they were both stubborn in that way. Closing her eyes all she could was nod. Though when he said he didn't make a family with someone else she closed her eyes tighter. Curling onto his shoulder all she could do was let all the tears flow. "I love you too" her words were sniffled out. It hurt even though she knew he meant them. "Not because I ever had to; but because I want to" she added with a small breathe.

All she could do when he spoke soft was to settle down in his arms. "I'm scared" she didn't admit it about what. Sure she was spearheading everything but that didn't mean that she wasn't afraid of getting caught in the middle between Jamie and Bobby while she fought for Bobby's happiness. Her breathing evened out a bit as just being close to him was helping. If he didn't truly love her, he wouldn't be sitting here with her; while she let everything go. Victoria liked to put up a front that she was a lot stronger than she really was deep down.

Victoria gulped down her words almost as soon as she spoke. "I want to know that we are strong enough to get through this" she spoke lifting her head to look him in the eyes. Well she had made it through 5 years feeling like she mattered to no one. They had drawn a new line and they didn't speak about things prior to that; but it was clear that the few years shaped her into the woman she was today. Victoria slid under the blankets and laid her head down on his lap, there was a strong sigh as she tilted her neck back to look up at him.

The man sighed at his wife's words. He knew her habits, sort of, in certain-ness. "Why were you awake?" he asked, unless something was stressing her. He knew the town held too much history for them and some days for him to handle. It didn't matter where he walked, something would always triggered a memory.

He held her as she cried, she was entitled to let the pain and the hurt that was being caused by being here leave through the tears, "Feeling is mutual," he added to her words. Their journey had shaped them to what they were today. There had been too many hard roads. When she mentioned that she was scared, "Of what? if there is a boogieman under the bed, I'm sure I can shoot it," he chuckled, but he knew she was serious, so was he. If she was scared of how his so-called family would react, the best option was to leave everything alone and go on about their own lives. "You know, we can just leave things as they are. They don't have to know."

Her words while heavy, also did seem silly to him, as a laugh escaped, "Baby," he looked at her, "we have been through much difficult situations. This should be like ice skating." he knew the word would be little help, "We are stronger Vicki. If we survived ourselves that time, then your father's actions, a year of being away from the girls while keeping them safe from Galacio, your kidnapping, my near death afterwards, I'm sure we will survive this. If you think for one minute that I'll pick them over you. Then, sweetheart, you are sadly mistaken."

Years ago, he had just stopped caring about a family that was no longer his. Seeing Travis again had triggered nothing. Not a single emotion, but plenty of memories that seemed to belong to someone else and weren't his own. He had felt more upon seeing Veronica than anyone else. Looking at his father triggered nothing but anger and building more thick barriers to shut everyone out, but his wife and children.


Tag: Victoria Oxford

Victoria shrugged when Robert asked why she was awake. Other than what she had just spilled to him? There was no other reason beyond that. Leaning on his shoulder she picked her head up. Cradling it back down just him being close and listening was enough to relax her. How did he always know exactly what to say to calm her? Perhaps it was the same way she knew how to handle him at his worst.

When he mentioned the boogieman she reached over grabbed a pillow and shoved it at him. "You think I can't shoot my own boogieman?" she was laughing through her tears. It was hard not to his comment had been funny. He was trying to make her feel better and it was working. Though when he got serious about the whole leaving things as they were she shook her head. "We both know that will only breed more resentment, cause more fights amongst the children. If we don't fix it for them, they wont. They deserve to be happy." She pointed out as she set the pillow back down on the bed.

"The first time you took me iceskating I fell flat on my ass and you spent most of the time picking me up off the ice" She reminded him with a poke. Though when he spilled everything they had been through she could only nod. She found herself laying on his chest listening to him. Could she had been that wrong about things? Her hands came to his neck as she yawned. Laying back down where she was she looked up at him before reaching up and catching his lips. "I don't deserve you sometimes" she added with a small smile.

Victoria was exhausted and it was showing. Her mind was winding down as just talking helped. She ran her fingers up and down his biceps. It was something she did when she was tired and trying to fall asleep but wasn't really ready for bed yet. While they had talked it would take her mind a little while to process everything so that she could rest for the night.

Jason Robert Oxford

He grabbed the pillow as she threw towards him, "Ummmm...." he mused for a moment, "no. You have a terrible aim." Shooting her fathers' right hand man had been sheer luck. But to see her laughing was worth being woken up. "Besides, you would need more lessons."

He sighed, so much for another try to keep things alone. There was resentment already he wanted to point out. Nineteen years worth to be exact and that was something he decided not to point out. Only because it was not going to help in any way if the others were not willing to mend fences for pretenses or for the kids. "They are happy, aren't they?" But this had him wondering if the girls ever asked about his family when he was not around, now that they knew he lied to them.

He snorted at the memory, "You couldn't get your balance right. One ting move and ice was kissing your butt." He kissed her when she caught his lips, and pulled her to him, holding her more closer, "Sure you do." He told her. Sometimes he didn't think he deserved her, since in the darkness she was his light. And he held her till both were asleep.