Victoria looks beautiful. The long, white gown, appliqued with silver sequins on the shoulders fits her long, slender frame perfectly, the thigh high slit on her right showing off her long legs. She looks beautiful, but for whom. Certainly not just for herself. The person who should see her in this gown is not here; she didn't invite him. When her mother tells her that she had called Billy and asked him to come, she tried to act annoyed, but was secretly glad. Now, she stands here alone, her eyes trained hopefully at the entrance to the ballroom. But, he isn't here. Disappointment flows through her, and she realizes she has no one to blame but herself.

Victoria wants him by her side, but she didn't invite him. "You fool" she says aloud, "You need to make up your mind." She can't expect Billy to be there for her, if she can't be there for him. Her mother is right; she must decide to help him if she is to stay with him, to have a real marriage with this man.

Victoria has not been lucky at love or marriage, in fact, her failure rate is epic. She has always held something back, even after convincing herself how much in love she was at the start. She admits she has never truly put any man first; she couldn't. She could never allow herself to give up that much control. And trust or the lack of it on her part or the man's has always been an issue. There was always Newman Enterprises and her father and her never ending quest for his approval. Other than Reed, these things always came first.

Then there was Billy, a man her father hated. Billy, who didn't need to be married to Victor Newman's daughter to further his own agenda, he didn't care about an agenda. He wasn't intimidated by her father and didn't feel he needed Victor's permission to love and marry his daughter.

He makes her laugh when she doesn't want to. He listens to her; wants to know her mind and how it works. He isn't afraid to argue, to go toe to toe with her, yell if necessary to get his point across. She often tries to declare victory by leaving the room. She never expected it, the first time he followed her. No, her walking away did not mean the issue was resolved. Sometimes, he would laugh at her anger, other times, he would just kiss her, right in the middle of one of her tirades, especially those times when they both knew she was being irrational. And somehow, he gets her to look at things, issues differently. They have learned to agree to disagree, but through it all, he supports her decisions, as long as their family is put not in the line of fire.

It was different that night she declared she was going back to Newman, the night he won the restaurant. After their argument and her running upstairs, he didn't follow her or wait for her return, he left. It was then she knew how truly angry he was and that she was wrong.

Then, there is that smile, which always gets her attention. She thinks back to that first time they were together in his trailer; it was just a supposed to be a good time with an attractive guy, at least, that's what she wanted to believe. She surprised herself by going back, again and again, to talk about any and everything. They played together and she found that she enjoyed their constant banter. Arguing often led to sex, but it was good; she was able to relax with him and be herself, a self she hardly recognized. Billy makes love to her and loves her in a way she has never experienced before. Or, is it because, with Billy she can be that uninhibited, free Victoria? Or is it both? She still hasn't figured that out, but it is all Billy.

She knows her husband. Sometimes he will need that rush of adrenalin; it makes him feel alive. The corporate world doesn't provide the thrill he needs. She wonders if gambling gives him that, she never asked him, but she will.

"He doesn't try to change me; he just makes me look at myself". She realizes how different her life is, how different she is because of him and his love for her. She can't be Billy's wife, completely and 'daddy's little girl' at least not in the way she is now. Her father will always be her father, regardless of what he does or the pain he causes her. Her father hates Billy, but she will no longer make that her problem.

Her decision made, she decides to leave early, he is probably still at the restaurant. She needs to see him, to hold him, to let him know that she still belongs to him. After quickly kissing her parents good night, she rushes to her car. The drive to the restaurant is not too far, but does give her time to decide what to say to him when she arrives.

Victoria gingerly opens the door to the restaurant, her eyes searching for him. He's behind the bar, slicing lemons. The restaurant is empty, Melanie having just left. This simple manual task helps him center his thoughts so he can plan his next steps to winning back Victoria's trust. He looks up to find her standing there. His eyes takes in the sight of her, the white dress hugging every curve of her long, slim torso, the slit opens as she slowly walks towards him, allowing a glance at her toned leg. He marvels at how beautiful she is.

He comes from behind the bar, and she walks up to him. "Hi" is all she can say. She can't find any other words. She moves close to him and rests her head against his chest, releasing a deep breath. She raises her head to look into his eyes, a mesmerizing shade of blue. She wraps her arms around his neck pulling his face closer, kisses him, letting her lips speak the words that still won't come. Her mind and body is all Billy. She needs this closeness, it's been too long since she's felt his arms around her or inhaled the scent that belongs only to him. She speaks his name, "Billy", almost inaudibly.

Billy holds her close, his arms reaching around her waist, one hand finding the soft skin of her bare back, the other holding her neck, his fingers entwined in her hair. A slow moan escapes from his throat when he hears her call his name. He returns her kiss, his lips parted and his tongue teasing hers.

They stay that way, standing there, one kiss after another, becoming increasingly demanding, each wanting more. Billy moves his lips to her neck, kissing her there, then her shoulders, up to her face to capture her mouth with his once again.

They continue to hold each other, Billy releases a breath as he nuzzles his wife's neck, then looks into her eyes. "I'm sorry I missed the fundraiser, but I didn't think you wanted me there."

"No apology needed. I should have invited you myself. I just came here to tell you..." she hesitates, still searching for the right words, "to tell you, that", she looks up at him, "that, I'm all in."