A/N: Hope you like this story so far. I would love to hear your reviews. I thought it would be different seeing Daniel as the antagonist. I always thought in the movie he seemed to be sort of too perfect. Please review. :-)

A few days later Nikki was in the body shop at work. She saw two cars were ready for bodywork in the first two bays. Daniels daughters friend SUV and Johnny's car. Walking around the cars taking assessment notes she noticed that the black SUV had red paint scratched on it and Johnny's car had black scratches. Not to mention the dents seem to match up. She knew the girls had said that they hit a tree after a dog ran in front of the car. But, there was no trace of that. Knowing how sneaky they were, it all fit. Johnny told her where it happened. It was on the road leading to the Golf N' Stuff where kids their age hung out. "Edward, when did the SUV come in?"

"Same day as the Firebird, Mrs. Larusso."

Remembering the look on Johnny's face the day he saw Daniels daughter it made perfect sense.

"Nikki, can we talk." She turned seeing Daniel. A wave of fear hit her and she backed up against the Firebird.

"Go away, Daniel. I am done talking. Look what you did to me. I have to lie and say I fell down on my own. Look at what you have become." She cowered from him.

"I know honey. I'm sorry, can't we fix this? I want you to come home." Daniel reached out to her. She flinched looking at him with fear in her eyes.

"And, Ali? What about her?"

"She stays. That's final. I said I was sorry. Now, tonight I will be there to pick you up for the night. I'm not ready for you to come home just yet. Ali is out of town tonight with her mom. I want you in my bed. You better be there." Daniel stood over her trying to intimate her. He reached up touching her face. "Come on baby. I miss you." His touch was gentle but, the overwhelming fear blocked out any feeling of affection she may have had. A moment of needing some sort of kindness dropped her guard. She met his touch and felt the tears flow. "See, you do miss me. Come home tonight."

"Do you still love me?"

"You just make me so angry. How could you help that jackass, Johnny?" Daniel tried to stay calm.

"I...I don't know?" She did know. Johnny wasn't the monster Daniel made him out to be. Sure he was as cocky as people say but, he wasn't like the stories.

"Alright, I will be there at six to pick you up. We can work it out."

That night Daniel had picked her up and they were walking down the stairs at the apartment. She saw Johnny peer out the window. She didn't want to go to the mansion or be alone with her husband. Her lip started to tremble as she looked back at Johnny's eyes. He could see the look of fear on her face but, there was nothing he could do. It wasn't his place to interfere. He shut the curtain and went back watching TV.

At the mansion Daniel pretty much ignored her. Doing paperwork and planning for the new car lot opening in Santa Monica. "Daniel, I fixed dinner if you're hungry. You're favorite."

"Thanks. I will eat later. I have a lot of work to do. Go ahead without me." He shook his hand waving her away. She dropped her head feeling worthless. Why did she even come here? He had no interest in her being there. It was just so the neighbors would see them together. He paid special attention outside when the nosey neighbors were watching. Soon as they were inside he went to ignoring her.

"Alright, I might go up in the attic if you need anything. I wanted to look at some old family photos. Maybe work on my scrapbooks."

"Yea, yea...go. Whatever. I'm busy." He waved her away. Typical. It was no different than it had been the last couple of years. He ignored her as usual. She knew he wouldn't have anything to do with her till bedtime. When he would either want sex or for her to run a bath for him. Going in her bedroom felt out of place. She grabbed her silk nightgown and robe to change. Noticing that the Asian jewelry box was on the nightstand. Opening it she saw her pearls were gone. She would ask him about it later. He was usually calm before bed.

Making her way to the attic she grabbed her cell phone. Sitting in the little desk where she always did her crafts. She moved the box of leftover books from his biography. Nikki was a writer as well as an artist when they met. They met when she was commissioned by her agent to writing his story of the tournament. The book eventually became a documentary. Johnny had pretty much gone into obscurity after that from what people at the country club said. She always noticed the looks she would get from the Cobra Kai and their families. They probably blamed her for the backlash from the book.

Nikki took out an unmarked box. Opening it she saw it was Daniel's high school memories. She never looked inside unless Daniel got things out to show her. Since his sensei Miyagi passed away he had been very different. Angry, unfocused, and uncaring. He uses to be very attentive and kind to her. But, it quickly faded after the passing of his mentor. Mr. Miyagi always kept Daniel in line. Now there was no one to hold him accountable for anything. Flipping through the photos she saw they were mostly Mr. Miyagi, tournament photos, trips to Okinawa, and of course Ali. Including old love notes.

Nikki just rolled her eyes cramming them back in the box. She pulled out his yearbook. Flipping through the book she saw a lot of Johnny and his friends. He was pretty popular. Since the book came out Johnny pretty much disappeared from the public eye. Nikki couldn't help but feel she was part of the reason now. She was friends with Bobby at first until she met Daniel. Who quickly convinced Nikki the guys from Cobra Kai were terrible people.

She came to Johnny's senior photo captioned 'Ex Degenerate'. He was so handsome even then. She ran her fingers over his face in the book. He didn't seem at all like Daniel described. Maybe he was a cocky high school jock but, the man who she knew was different. Although still a little cocky and gruff, he was kind to her. Even though she could tell he didn't want to help her because of Daniel, he did anyway. The night he found her beaten up, he just held her tight comforting her. She felt safe around him. No one, not even Daniel, made her feel safe and protected. She knew he probably felt nothing for her but, she appreciated his kindness.

"What are you doing?" Daniel came up behind her.

Nikki slammed the book shut. "I was just looking at photos from your memory box. Would you like me to put together a scrapbook of the tournament?"

"Don't lie to me. You were snooping around. Did you read my letters?" He stepped up next to her.

"No. I don't want to have them in my head. Ali...Daniel, she's pushing us apart. I just want our life back. How we used to be." Nikki closed the box.

"Ali is doing nothing wrong. Don't ever say anything about her. Matter fact, I don't want to hear her name come out of your mouth." He started to sound angry.

"I didn't mean…"

"Yes, you did. Get up! I said get UP!" He grabbed her pushing her to the stairs. He grabbed her in a headlock pulling her down the stairs. She struggled to get free. "Get in bed!"

"No! What now? You beat the shit out of me, now want to rape me?!" She yelled.

"Fuck you! I would never do that!" Daniel was mad. "How could you think that?"

"I don't know what you think about you anymore. You are not the man I married. I don't want to sleep with you tonight. Please don't make me." She looked away. "Where is my pearl necklace?"

"I gave it back to Ali. It was never yours, to begin with." Daniel went to change for bed.

"You gave me a necklace on our anniversary that you gave her? Was it a way to imagine her being with you? You're sick." Nikki was repulsed.

"Don't talk about her." Daniel got in bed.

"Tell me the truth. Are you sleeping with her?" She said calmly.

"Get in bed. I don't want to fight tonight. I brought you home to spend time together. Not fight. You are my wife and you will sleep in our bed. No discussion." Daniel shut off the light. She climbed in bed even though it terrified her.

"I wish Mr. Miyagi was still here. Whatever is going on with you, he could have helped." She pulled the blanket up around her.

Seconds later she felt her body being lifted from the bed thrown against the wall. "NEVER SAY HIS NAME! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HIM! YOU FUCKING BITCH!" He hit her hard in the stomach. Once she fell to the floor he turned on the nightstand light. "Get up! Fight! You are weak! Mercy is for the weak! No Mercy! Right! That's what your boy toy Johnny always said!"

"What?! I don't understand? Please stop! Don't do this to me, please! I'm begging you to stop! Is this the legacy you give to your mentor? Is this what Miyagi would have wanted? Who is the real bully here Daniel?" She cried.

"You think I didn't see you looking at his picture upstairs?" He started hitting her again continuing till she couldn't get back to her feet. She laid in the floor broken and scared. He stopped just smiling an evil glare. "Get in bed. I will take you to the apartment in the morning. Stay away from the office a couple days. I don't want people seeing you look like this." He yanked her up throwing her battered body in bed. Unable to speak from the swelling on her mouth. She just fell limp. Not sure if she would make it till morning.