Tommy heard the doorbell on the first ring, ever since learning about the phone call that Haley had received from Nikki he had been on edge. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight that was on the other side of the door. There she was after all these years still as beautiful as he remembered. They stood there for a minute not knowing what to do or say just staring at each other and realizing that this wasn't a dream, it was real.
"Thomas," she finally whispered and she started to collapse. Tommy reached out and caught her before she fell to the ground and brought her close to him and held her tight as she started to sob.
"I've waited so long for this day," Tommy told her as he too started to cry.
"I thought you were dead," Nikki said as she clung to him.
"I know and I am so sorry for that, I wish I could have spared you all that pain of mourning my death," Tommy told her.
"It wasn't your fault, I got scared and I shouldn't have run away, all this time we've lost together could have been prevented," Nikki replied.
"Let's not get into all that, not now," Tommy said as he pulled her into a kiss.
"Thomas, I've missed you so much," Nikki said once they broke apart.
"I've missed you too, you have no idea how crazy I went when I wasn't able to find you," Tommy told her.
"I made it impossible, maybe if I hadn't you would have been able to find me," Nikki replied.
"That doesn't matter now, the only thing that matters is that after all this time we're together again," Tommy said.
"Yes we are, I still don't believe it yet, but here you are alive, oh Thomas I have so much I need to say to you," Nikki said but she was silenced as Tommy kissed her again.
"We have plenty of time to talk later," Tommy said as he lifted her up in his arms and carried her off to his bedroom.
The next day, Tommy watched Nikki as she lay sleeping. He couldn't believe that last night had actually happened. But it had, Nikki had shown up on his doorstep and they spent much of the night, really the morning since Nikki had arrived shortly after midnight, making up for the three years they had spent apart.
"It wasn't a dream," Nikki said as she slowly opened her eyes.
"No, it definitely wasn't a dream," Tommy said leaning down and kissing her to prove just that.
"You don't like to waste time do you," Nikki teased.
"I think three years was wasted time enough don't you," Tommy replied.
"Yes it was, I still can't believe you even started looking for me after all these years," Nikki told him.
"I never really got over you, I mean one minute we're engaged to be married and then I come back only to learn that you disappeared thinking I was dead, and even though I eventually gave up the search I never stopped hoping that I'd learn something about why you left," Tommy explained.
"And that's when you finally got Anton to come clean about everything, tell me something is he really the changed man that he claims to be," Nikki said.
"Trust me, I've seen the worst of Anton and I can assure you he's nothing like the monster that drove you away all those years ago, I think he's happier than he's been in a long time since marrying Elsa and believe it or not he's a pretty decent dad," Tommy told her.
"Anton has a child?" Nikki questioned.
"He's not a child more like a young adult, Anton adopted him when he was a teen, he actually used to be one of my students but he's graduated now," Tommy explained.
"Anton's a father, that's going to take some getting used to," Nikki replied.
"Yeah it struck me as odd first too but enough about Anton, I want to know about you, what have you been doing in Italy for the past three years," Tommy said.
"I don't even know where to start," Nikki told him.
"Maybe you could start by telling me that you're not married, and that last night wasn't a mistake" Tommy said.
"Married, why on earth would you think that?" Nikki questioned.
"When Anton's investigators first saw you in Italy they reported to him that you were seen with a man and a child so naturally I assumed you had moved on and that you had a family," Tommy told her.
"Thomas, do you recognize this ring, it hasn't left my hand since the day that you put it on me, in fact it's the reason I never allowed myself to move on, I couldn't bear to take it off because taking it off would have been admitting to myself that you were really gone," Nikki informed him.
"You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that," Tommy said.
"Thomas you are the only man that I've ever wanted as my husband, I couldn't dream of anyone else taking your place in my heart," Nikki declared.
"Does that mean you still want to marry me?" Tommy asked.
"Are you asking me?" she inquired.
"Nicole Elizabeth Hunter will you still do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Tommy asked kneeling down beside the bed.
"Yes, of course, I mean I do still have the ring don't I," she replied as Tommy joined her on the bed and they embraced.
"Well, now that we have that settled, why don't we go visit Haley I'm sure she's going to be so happy to see you," Tommy said.
"Yeah I do owe her an apology for hanging up on her, it seems to be a pattern of mine, but first Thomas there's something I need to tell you," Nikki replied.
"What is it?" Tommy questioned.
"I'm not really sure how to tell you," Nikki admitted.
"You can tell me anything you know that," Tommy told her.
"Well, you said that Anton told you I was in Italy with a man and a child and while that man wasn't my husband, the child was mine, my daughter," she revealed.
"You have a daughter?" Tommy asked in disbelief.
"Yes, she's three and her name is Abigail, Abby for short," Nikki responded.
"Where is she now?" Tommy inquired.
"Back in Italy with Bruno, he's our bodyguard, he's probably the man that Anton mistook for my husband, he's been with me since the day I left London I hired him to protect us in case Mesogog ever found us," Nikki explained.
"Wait a sec, you say he's been your bodyguard since London, I mean I understand why you have him now since you have a child but why would you have needed him back then you've always been able to take care of yourself," Tommy replied a little confused.
"Oh Thomas, you really don't get it do you?" Nikki asked almost laughing.
"No I guess I don't," Tommy admitted.
"I needed Bruno's protection because I was pregnant, that's why I disappeared from London after Mesogog attacked me, I was trying to protect my unborn child," Nikki revealed.
"You were pregnant, then that means that…." Tommy said finally putting it all together.
"Yes Thomas, Abby is our daughter, yours and mine."
