Author's note: The continued support for this story has been amazing. I finally feel as though this story is moving in the right direction. I hope you continue to enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it.
moonlite-n-roses: The J.Lo movie you are referring to was entitled Enough. I had someone at the beginning of the story ask if that's where the idea for this story came from but it wasn't although I really liked that movie.
CoolDiva: Thank you so much, the most important thing to me is that the interactions between characters are realistic. As for more of Tommy/Nikki you can count on the Bewitched sequel coming soon. But after the Jason/Kim fic is started.
GracefulCrane: Thanks, I know you've been waiting patiently for the Jason/Kim story so in the mean time keep reading this one.
HarryPassionFan: It just made sense that Tommy would teach Nikki how to defend herself.
Chylea3784: It's nice to see I'm doing what my readers want to see in the story.
GinaStar: Thanks for the tip!
Alaskantiger: Thanks so much for reviewing!!!
PinkAzn: I can't remember where I got that info from I was just searching for things about the movie and I came across it somewhere.
Lone Nightblade: Thanks, it's really important to me the way these characters come across.
general-joseph-dickson: Thanks, your review is appreciated.
"It is such a beautiful day," Nikki remarked as she and Tommy sat on a blanket in his backyard watching Emma who was chasing a butterfly.
"Yeah it is," Tommy said smiling at her.
"It was really sweet of you to suggest a picnic, Emma loved it," Nikki told him.
"Thanks but I didn't do it just for her," he replied.
"Well thanks, I enjoyed it too," she admitted.
"Tommy, come play with me," Emma called.
"Duty calls," Tommy said as he got up and ran to Emma sweeping her off the ground and spinning her in a circle.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were the perfect picture of father and daughter," Hayley said as she walked upon the scene.
"He really is great with her," Nikki agreed as Hayley took a seat next to her.
"You guys really do make a beautiful family," Hayley told her.
"Hayley, please don't start with that again, we may look like a family but we're anything but," Nikki replied.
"I thought things were going good between you and Tommy," Hayley remarked.
"Things with me and Tommy are good but it's just friendship so you can take whatever romantic notions you had in that head of yours and forget them," Nikki told her.
"Then why haven't you taken your eyes off him?" Hayley questioned.
"For your information, my eyes happen to be on Emma, I get nervous when he swings her around so much and I just want to make sure he doesn't drop her," Nikki answered.
"Nice try, you know for a fact that Tommy would never drop her, but if you want to keep on denying your feelings for him…," Hayley replied.
"Is there a reason you stopped over?" Nikki asked.
"Not that I really need one but yes I do happen to have a reason for stopping by," Hayley responded.
"What's up," Nikki said.
"I was in a book store yesterday and I ran across some books that I thought Emma might enjoy," Hayley told her.
"That was really thoughtful of you," Nikki said.
"It's the craziest thing, I was just browsing through the children's section and I came across this series of books that reminded me so much of you and Emma and I couldn't resist buying them," Hayley informed her.
"Really, it reminded you of us?" Nikki questioned.
"Wait till you see them, it's almost like they were written for you," Hayley replied.
"Tommy, Emma, come inside and see what Hayley found," Nikki called to them.
Nikki and Hayley headed inside the house to the living room with Tommy and Emma running after them to see what all the fuss was about.
"What's going on?" Tommy asked.
"Hayley brought over some books for Emma," Nikki informed him.
"Let me see, let me see," Emma said running over to the table where the books were laying.
"Oh my gosh, I don't believe it," Nikki said as she read the title of the series.
"The Adventures of Queen Nicole and Princess Emmaline," Tommy said.
"What are the odds of me finding a series that actually has your names in it," Hayley remarked.
"Mommy look, there's a new one," Emma said.
"I see that baby," Nikki said tears welling up in her eyes as she read the title of the newest book The Adventures of Queen Nicole and Princess Emmaline: The Escape.
"I take it you've seen these stories before," Hayley said.
"My best friend from college, Jen Gordon, is the author, she wrote the series for us," Nikki informed them.
"The newest one is about your escape from Tim," Tommy assumed.
"Jen probably wrote it after we left," Nikki said.
"Hey Emma, why don't you take your books up to your room and maybe your Mommy will read to you later," Tommy told her.
"Ok, thank you Hayley," Emma said giving her a hug before grabbing her books and running up the stairs.
"Are you ok?" Hayley asked Nikki once the adults were alone.
"I'm sorry for losing it like that but seeing those books again really got to me, they were the one escape from reality that Emma and I had," Nikki responded.
"Jen seems like a really wonderful person to create a series like that for you," Hayley told her.
"She is wonderful, she's the reason I finally had the courage to leave in the first place, it's been so hard not being able to tell her that Emma and I are finally safe but with Tim probably watching every move she makes it's just not possible," Nikki replied.
"Maybe this newest book was her way of telling you that even though you're apart she's still with you," Hayley said.
"I'm sure she wrote it as a way of getting back at Tim, they never really got along and it wouldn't surprise me if she sent him a copy as a way to remind him that I finally managed to escape him," Nikki told her.
"How did the series come about?" Tommy asked.
"When Tim would beat me, sometimes Emma woke up and she'd get really scared and I needed a way to reassure her that everything was fine so to get her back to sleep I invented this story about beautiful Queen Nicole who had a daughter named Princess Emmaline and they lived in this magical castle where it was just the two of them and nothing bad ever happened and they would go off on these great adventures together in search of a handsome prince who would marry the Queen and then the three of them cold live happily ever after," Nikki explained.
"And you told Jen about this?" Hayley questioned.
"No, she overheard me tucking Emma into bed one night and she asked if she could turn it into a series, she's a really talented children's author and I thought it would be nice for Emma to see the stories brought to life like that, she even asked me to illustrate them, of course Tim wouldn't allow that, after we married I wasn't allowed to be an artist any more, nothing could interfere with my duties as his wife," Nikki told them.
"What a jerk, he was really that insecure that he couldn't even handle you illustrating a simple children's book especially one that was for your daughter," Tommy said.
"Tim didn't want his wife to work, it didn't matter that drawing wasn't work to me so I did the illustrations in secret, I was allowed to have lunch with Jen once a week and we used that time for me to work on the illustrations but I couldn't attach my name to them so it just says story and illustrations by Jen Gordon," Nikki informed him.
"Didn't Tim ever suspect that the illustrations might be done by you?" Hayley inquired.
"Of course he did, he'd seen enough of my work to recognize it and every time a new book would come out I was punished for defying him but I didn't care, it was worth taking a beating to see the joy on Emma's face every time she saw herself reflected in Princess Emmaline," Nikki answered.
"You know if I didn't think it would lead Tim back to you and Emma I'd go to Denver myself and beat the shit out of him for hurting you," Tommy said with anger in his voice.
"With all the lessons you've been giving me I think I'd be able to do that myself now," Nikki told him.
"Nikki, I never would have bought those books if I'd known it'd bring up such horrible memories for you," Hayley finally said.
"No Hayley bringing those books was the best thing you could have done for Emma and for me because Queen Nicole and Princess Emmaline exist somewhere that a monster like Tim doesn't exist and reading those stories to my daughter will help her accept that it's ok for her and mommy to live without a daddy," Nikki said.