Thousands of apologies for the long delay. But I'm back with a new chapter and possibly more in the very near future. :)

Author's Note: Without further ado, please enjoy this new chapter. :)

Per usual, replies from previous comments can be found at the bottom of the page.

Disclaimer: I don't own Candy Candy manga and all the characters in it, but the talented Kyoko Mizuki does. This fic is a product of my own twisted imagination and inspired by Mizuki's masterpiece. If any of the plots, specific scenes, or dialogues appears to be similar to that from another fic or story, it is purely unintentional and coincidental. 'Great minds think alike', after all.

The characterization in the fic is based on the Manga and not the Anime.

Acknowledgement: As always, my heartfelt gratitude goes to my diligent beta readers, who have given invaluable feedback and suggestions. Thank you. :)

And last but not least, I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to read my stories and write a review. Again, thank you for your patience. My sincere appreciation goes to you. :)

Ninety Days

By forever

Day 37: Unresolved Resolution

The first thing Candy felt when she roused from her sleep was her pounding head. Then as she struggled to raise her head from the pillow, the aching all over her body impeded her movement and made her grimace in discomfort. With difficulty, she attempted to pry open her eyelids, but as soon as a ray of light hit her eyes, she clamped her eyes shut while letting out a loud involuntary groan.

"How are you feeling?"

The warm male voice coming from somewhere inside her room made her stiffen on her back instantly. She certainly didn't expect that Albert would be inside her room at this time. Ignoring the throbbing headache that seemed to have intensified by the seconds, she opened her eyes forcefully and slowly turned her head in the direction of the voice. However, the bright light from the morning sun filtering through the sheer curtain that covered the window above her desk caused her to squint in reflex, and her head swiveled away abruptly from the brightness.

Through narrow slits, she could see the outline of Albert's familiar figure sitting on a chair by her desk. Registering that fact in her mind, she scrambled to heft herself up to sit on the bed. Clearly, she had undermined the post effect of drinking. What should've been a very simple thing to do felt like an impossible task for her to complete. She nearly gave up trying as she heard him speak again, "Don't force yourself to get up yet, Candy. Just lie down on your bed for now."

She was tempted to do just as he had suggested, but she knew she couldn't afford to waste time anymore. Did he forget that she had a job? Gathering all her strength, she finally managed to sit up on the bed.

"Do you want me to inform Dr. Martin that you are feeling under the weather today?" he offered. "I can stop by at the clinic on my way to work."

It appeared that he had made the decision for her. Without looking at him, she snapped back, "That's not necessary. What made you think that I would skip work today?" Lifting her head, she faced him.

He stared at her with a look of incredulity on his face. "Candy - you know you're not feeling well," he replied in a soft reprimanding tone.

Instead of conceding that his claim had been correct, Candy sighed in annoyance and retorted, "I'm fine, Albert. I'm old enough to know if I'm feeling well or not. I'm no longer a kid that needs to be told what to do." Seeing a shift in his visage as wrinkles marred his forehead while his jaws clenched tightly, she knew then that her words had cut through him not so gently. The truth was that she was actually surprised herself that she had responded to Albert in such a hostile fashion. The painful headache must have provoked her to be in a sour mood today. And the last thing she needed right now was for him to act like a concerned brother. Nevertheless, she should still explain her sudden outburst to him. "I'm sorry. It's just-"

"Are you upset with me?" he asked in a sad voice, talking as if he hadn't realized that he had just interjected her. His solemn eyes held hers in a steady gaze. "Please be honest with me, Candy. I know that what I did… "

She noticed that he had let his speech hang, his eyes downcast. Although she wasn't even sure what he was trying to tell her and why he appeared so anxious, she decided to continue for him, "What did you do, Albert? You didn't do anything wrong. I was the one who started it." Her voice was infused with a hint of melancholy.

"But I… " He attempted to protest but didn't continue when he lifted his lids, gazing right into her eyes.

She searched his face and found a timid expression there as he swiftly looked away from her. Frankly, his action had only made her grow more frustrated. "I don't know why you're blaming yourself for this when it was me who let it go out of control."

Turning his head toward her slowly, he said in a low voice, "I promise that this is not going to ever happen again."

She couldn't believe that he had actually said that. "Wh-what are you saying!?" Her voice rose sharply as she glared at him. "Can you please stop talking like you were the one at fault?"

"But I am," he contended.

"Huh?" She was honestly feeling at a loss.

"Candy-"

She intercepted what she presumed was his attempt to explain to her, "I'm capable of taking responsibility over my own mistake, Albert. I don't need you to do that for me."

Rather than responding to her, he just stared fixedly at her for a few seconds, making her feel rather self-conscious, before he suddenly stood up from his seat. "So you think it was a mistake?"

She thought she had detected the hurt in his voice, but she wasn't certain. "Uhm… yeah… My mistake not yours - I admit it. I'm sorry..." she told him in a contrite tone, shame weighing her down. Admittedly, she was not very proud of what she had done - it had been a reckless act at best.

Albert made his way slowly toward her as his shoulders sagged lower and the gleam in his eyes faded away and became dull.

She just couldn't comprehend why he had to react like he was the one with guilt, and that only made her feel worse. "I don't know why you're so stubborn to feel bad about something that is clearly my fault. It was me who decided to get myself drunk. I-"

"Drunk?" he blurted out, ceasing her in mid-sentence. His pace slowed to a halt.

She was taken aback by his sudden interruption and wasn't sure whether she should proceed or not.

"Is the mistake that you mentioned earlier is about you being drunk?" he asked in a near whisper, throwing her a look that was difficult for her to describe in words.

She affirmed at once, "Uhm… Yeah… " The doubtful look on his face suggested to her that he had a completely different thought than hers. "Is there something else?" she questioned back unsurely.

Letting out an awkward chuckle, Albert shook his head and briskly replied, "No - no, there's nothing else."

For some reason, she just didn't believe him but before she could say anything else, he had already moved back to her desk and picked up a glass filled with clear liquid from there. As she observed him in silence, she noted that he was already in his work attire; his crisp white shirt was tucked in neatly into his black trousers.

Holding the glass in his hand, he sauntered back toward her and stopped to stand by the side of her bed. "I apologize for waking you up, Candy." he told her in a remorseful tone while silently urging her to take the glass from his hand.

She simply replied, "You didn't wake me up, Albert." Looking down, she grabbed the glass from him and held it in her hand.

Then, he produced a small packet of medicine in his other hand and deposited it unto her other palm. "You may want to drink this to help with the headache," he suggested as she glanced up, peering at him from underneath her lashes. "And if you're hungry, I already prepared some light breakfast. I'll wait for you outside." After giving her a quick smile that didn't seem to reach his eyes, he turned on his heel and made his way to leave the room. That was when she finally noticed that Pouppe had been in the room all along. The small animal trotted past him toward the door.

Candy's eyes followed the sight of Albert's tall figure until it disappeared as the door swung to a close. Exhaling loudly, she released a puff of breath she hadn't known she had been holding. She couldn't shrug off the feelings that there was something amiss with his behavior this morning. It almost felt like he was hiding something. But why would he do that?

She quickly shook her head to dismiss the ridiculous notion. No, Albert wouldn't do that to her. But then again, he was also the one who had attempted to walk away from her in a surreptitious manner and would have done that successfully if she hadn't thwarted his plan by catching him right in the act. Had something happened last night that might have affected the way he perceived her?

As she began to sift through her mind, replaying everything that had occurred last night, another wave of pain, pulsing across her temple, attacked her. She lowered her head while scrunching her face in agony to contain the pain. The glass that was still in her hand came to her line of vision, and she instantly recalled the instruction that Albert had given her before he stepped out of her room.

Without thinking too much, she propped one end of the packet on her bottom lip at an angle, letting the powder flow right onto her tongue. Hurriedly, she took several gulps from the glass to wash the bitter powder down her throat. While swallowing the last drops of water, she just then noticed her sleeping attire, which didn't resemble her nightgown at all. She hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep without even changing her clothes last night. What had happened to her? Vaguely, she recalled being carried to her room by Albert. Did I fall asleep in the dining room?

Unfortunately, she couldn't remember much other than the part in which she had liberally poured Dr. Martin's cocktail into a glass and felt rather dizzy after taking several sips. The alcohol must have been the culprit for her partial memory loss. Albert definitely should have known more, and she decided she would inquire him later.

Candy laid her nearly empty glass on the nightstand carefully, and that was when her eyes widened in bewilderment as she stared at the clock. It was past ten o'clock already.

In panic, she jumped out of the bed, nearly tripping over the blanket that had fallen on the floor due to her frantic movement, and rushed to throw open her wardrobe, snatching the first outfit her hand could grasp from there. While muttering to herself, she darted to exit her room and directly went into the bathroom, where she then carried on with her morning ritual.

Breakfast was quick and quiet. They barely exchanged words other than common pleasantries. Truthfully, despite the nagging question about last night, she was not in the mood to be chirpy. And from the look of it, he didn't seem to be too enthusiastic to share anything with her either. But that didn't bother her much as they were already very late and needed to rush to the train station if they ever wanted to make it to work.

The silence between them persisted into their commute. Albert obviously had missed the express morning train to downtown Chicago and consequently had to ride the local train with her. At first, Candy wasn't sure how to feel about having his company for another thirty minutes or so. It had been a while since they had sat together across each other in the same train. Perhaps, if she were her normal self, she would've been ecstatic at the chance to spend more time with him. Alas, nothing had felt normal so far to her today. Then, as if it wasn't enough, apparently, her hangover symptoms hadn't worn off completely, and she experienced another light-headed spell.

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"Candy - we're here," Candy heard the familiar gentle voice as she felt a slight tap on the shoulder. Her eyes flew open, and she looked right into a pair of captivating blue eyes. Their eyes locked in a gaze for a brief moment before he swiftly broke it by turning his head to the side as he straightened his back, pulling away from her.

The remnant of her nap was still affecting her brain as she shifted sluggishly in her seat. Somehow, she had ended up falling asleep during the whole journey and hadn't even realized that the train had arrived at her destination. When she saw him stand up with briefcase in hand, she bounced off her seat quickly and asked, "Are you getting off here too?"

Albert passed her a fleeting smile and replied, "Yes. Is that a problem?" Looking away from her, he stepped into the aisle and placed himself in the queuing line with the other passengers.

She moved toward him, casting him a look of disbelief, as he took a step back to allow enough room for her to stand in front of him. "But aren't you supposed to go to the city? How about work?" she argued as they started to make their way to alight the train.

He didn't answer right away and remained speechless until they had disembarked from the train and stepped onto the platform. "Work can wait," he finally responded to her. Then without elaborating further, he said, "Come on - I'll walk with you to the clinic."

After a few steps, she suddenly stopped and heaved a loud exasperated sigh. With a stiff smile, she told him, "I'm fine, Albert. You don't need to fuss over me. I'm perfectly capable of handling myself. It was only a hangover after I drank a little-"

A sarcastic chuckle escaped his mouth, "You called that a little?" He sent her a disapproving look and added, "Candy - you're a trained nurse. You should know what alcohol can do to you." He paused while she attempted to maintain a neutral look on her face. She just couldn't appreciate his lecture at this moment and hoped that he would not force her to listen to it. Thankfully, he seemed to sense her annoyance as his expression softened, his lips lifting into a faint smile.

"You practically passed out just now in the train," he told her in a candid tone. "I just want to ensure that you'll be fine at work."

Great! Now he wanted to escort her. Is he planning to baby-sit me too? "You're not my brother…" Candy muttered under her breath, bowing her head to avoid his questioning look.

Albert's head swiftly whirled toward her. "Candy- "

She lifted her eyes slowly until their gazes met. There was confusion reflected in his eyes but the determination was still there as she could tell from the firm setting of his jaws. She shifted her focus away from him and without bothering to subdue her exasperation, she told him, "Fine - if you still insist, you can accompany me to the clinic." As the words were being said, she resumed her steps, striding off in haste, purposefully leaving him behind her.

Candy knew that she had been out of line this time and might have hurt Albert a little, but she couldn't help it. It aggravated her to no end when he coddled her like an overprotective brother. She didn't want him to be her brother. Why couldn't he see that?

They then spent the rest of their journey in awkward silence. Fortunately, it didn't take long before they arrived at the clinic. They were immediately greeted by Dr. Martin, who was standing with his back to the door, "Well, well, well… If it isn't my favorite blond couple." One corner of his mouth tilted upward into a half smirk as he continued, "I was getting worried that my nurse has decided to ditch today."

Despite his casual remark, she knew that the relief look on Dr. Martin's face was genuine. She wouldn't be surprised if he had actually been standing there for a long while, waiting for her. A feeling of regret washed over her. "I'm sorry, Dr. Martin," she told him in a rueful tone.

Her apology was returned by the doctor's kind smile as he patted her shoulder lightly while saying, "The most important thing is that you're here now." Dr. Martin then directed his focus away from her to glance at the tall blond man standing next to him. "But I do wonder what might have happened to you that will require the presence of your brother here."

"That's because-"

Before she could finish, brushing off her astonished glare, Albert answered lightly, "It's because she woke up late."

In between chuckling, Dr. Martin commented, "Is that right? You didn't wake up on time this morning, Candy?"

She felt herself simmer in anger at Albert's interference and couldn't stop herself from scoffing, "Why don't you ask Albert? He certainly knows more than I do." Pushing the door open, she evaded Albert's perplexed look and said, "Doctor - in case you need me, I'll be in the back room to check on our supplies."

As she strode inside the building without looking back, she heard Dr. Martin's baffled voice saying, "What has gotten into her today?" She was so tempted to cease her steps and listen to Albert's response, but in the end, she managed to overcome her curiosity and continued marching to the supply room.

Once there, she began working right away to prevent her thoughts from meandering to a certain blond man with sky-blue eyes. However, it didn't take long before she acknowledged that her effort was fruitless as her mind was pervaded by the very person, only after five minutes had elapsed.

A feeling of utter remorse gradually crept inside her as she recalled their encounter earlier. Now, that she had more time to herself, she had to admit that she might have been a bit harsh on him. She couldn't truly explain why she had felt so tensed by his mere presence and had been easily riled up with everything he had said. Shouldn't she be thankful to have someone like him by her side, caring for her?

A sad smile materialized on her face. Whatever it was that had caused her to behave so out of character, she was quite positive that her burgeoning feelings toward him had somehow contributed to it. It had been an ongoing struggle for her to keep her feelings locked inside since the day she had become conscious of them. How could she be so foolish to think that alcohol would help her? If anything, her drinking binge last night had only succeeded to impair her ability to control her emotions, which was a complete opposite from what she had believed the effect would be. From now on, she swore that she would never touch any type of liquor ever again.

The creak from the door alerted her that someone else had just joined her there. Her head tilted backward as she saw Dr. Martin's friendly face looking down at her.

"It's lunch time, Candy. You can continue again later. It doesn't look like it's going to be a busy day today."

"Did Albert leave?" Her mouth spewed the question before she could even stifle it.

The old doctor nodded his head right away. "Yes. He went back to the station directly from the bakery to catch the next train to the city. He apologized he couldn't bid you goodbye in person, and also said that you shouldn't wait for him since he will return late tonight."

"I see…" she uttered weakly without being able to mask the disappointment in her voice and brought her attention back to tidying up the clutter. She had hoped that she would see him one last time before he went off to work – but now she wouldn't. There went her chance to properly thank him.

She sensed the doctor's scrutinizing gaze on her for a brief period before he inquired, "Is there something wrong between you and Albert, Candy?"

Her hands stopped moving instantly as a nervous chuckle slipped out of her mouth. "Uhm…. Nothing. What made you think of that?" She wondered whether Albert had mentioned anything to Dr. Martin at all.

"I don't know… but it seems that you're upset at him," he responded in a contemplative tone.

Raising her head slightly, she took a wary glance at him and found his eyes looking searchingly into hers. "Well, are you?" he asked her bluntly.

She flinched at his seemingly keen sense of perception and stood to her full height quickly to cover her discomfiture, mumbling an answer, "I… hum… No." Rotating her head around to flex the strained neck muscle from bending down for an extended period of time, she switched the topic of their conversation by asking, "So what's for lunch?" Her lips curved upward in a cheery smile.

Dr. Martin just shook his head, letting out a few amused chuckles. "You're a terrible liar, do you know that?"

She just knew that he would see right through her facade and could only give him a sheepish smile in return.

Without moving his eyes from looking at her, his expression transformed into a sympathetic one, "I don't know what's going on between you two but whatever it is - I know that he cares a great deal for you." As soon as he had said that, he pivoted on his heel and stepped away from her, exiting the small supply room.

She sighed out loud and uttered in a weak voice, "Yeah, I know… " In her mind, she then added, "just like a brother to his sister… "

"Candy – are you coming?" Dr. Martin asked all of the sudden, startling her slightly, as he poked his head around the door. "Thanks to your generous brother - today we can have freshly prepared delicious sandwiches for lunch."

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Later that night, dressed in her nightgown, Candy was at home inside her bedroom, sitting on her bed with both legs drawn to her chest. Leaning forward, she rested her chin on her knees and wound her arms around her legs, her loose hair splaying over her back and shoulders.

Dr. Martin had sent her to return home early, as he had revealed to her that Albert had informed him about her less-than-fit condition. In her stubbornness, she had wanted to object to the doctor's suggestion but held herself back when she felt herself wobbling on her feet. At that time, she had finally admitted to the doctor and to herself that she was still not perfectly fine. Her kind mentor had offered to examine her to which she had refused instantly as she definitely didn't want him to be aware of the truth behind her un-wellness.

Shortly after that, she had taken a thirty-minute train ride home. Then, as soon as she had stepped inside the house, she headed directly to her bedroom and slid inside her blanket, taking a long nap. The afternoon rest had worked wonders. By the time she had stirred from her sleep, the cloud from the hangover symptoms that had obstructed her mind for nearly the entire day had vanished. And she owed it all to Dr. Martin and Albert.

Every time Albert's name floated in her mind, she would be reminded of what she had done earlier and became overwhelmed by compunction. Her manners had been mostly disrespectful and unkindly toward him while he had done nothing but express his concern to her and treat her with utmost care. To her pleasant surprise, he had even bought food for Dr. Martin and her from the nearby deli for lunch earlier – but Albert's thoughtfulness had only added more weights to her conscience.

There was no valid excuse for her to act so ungraciously toward him. Clearly, she had let her emotions seize her coherent thoughts. So what if he had treated her like his sister? She was just an orphan after all and should have been grateful that someone had willingly assumed the role of a brother to her. Hadn't she wished for them to be just like siblings so that everything would be back to normal for her? There was no point to mull over her mistake anymore. Instead, she should have invested her effort on fixing that. She just hoped that he would find the way to forgive her.

Her head spun toward the small clock on the nightstand as she glanced at the time. It was almost midnight, and there was still no sign of him. She didn't want to give up now, but her body didn't seem to cooperate as her mouth opened wide in a loud yawn. Resolving that she should just go to sleep now if she wanted to make it to work on time tomorrow, she reached over to switch off the light and leaned back to sink her body into the comfy mattress, pulling the duvet to drape over her. Expelling another yawn, she snuggled her head against the fluffy pillow and turned to face the ceiling before her lids lowered to a close.

But less than five minutes later, she propelled herself to sit upright on the bed. Her eyes opening wide in shock while her heavy panting filled the dark room, her heart thumping fiercely against her ribcage. Sweet Mother Mary! Where did that come from? Was that only a dream? It had certainly felt so real.

She shut her eyes tightly in an attempt to erase the images from her head but to no avail. Feeling dismayed, she let her eyes open slowly and stared into the darkness while bringing her arms to wrap around herself in a hug. It didn't look like that she would have a peaceful sleep after all. Whether her eyes were open or close, the pictures had stayed with her as if they had been branded permanently to her memory. She tightened her arms around herself as the scenes of Albert and her engaged in a passionate kiss were playing continuously inside her mind. How will I be able to face him and treat him like my brother now?

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Outside, on the step leading to the porch, a lone figure sat quietly surrounded by darkness. Albert had arrived about a few minutes ago but couldn't bring himself to enter the house. He was convinced by now that Candy hadn't had any recollection whatsoever about what had truly happened last night. That fact should have made him feel relieved somewhat since he was assured now that she would not request for him to leave and he didn't need to explain anything to her. But why did it feel like he had lost a great opportunity that made him want to scream in frustration instead?

Heaving a sigh, he reclined his back until it touched the hard surface of the ground and used his folded arms to cushion his head. The pale moon peered down upon him from above the starless sky as more clouds rolled in from across the horizon. It appeared that it was going to be another wet and cold night.

He closed his eyes as he savored the refreshing feel of cold air hitting his face. The familiarity of the situation was not something he could dismiss. He remembered lying on his back, just like right now, several months ago when he had finally recovered from his bout with amnesia. At that time, he had thought he had been the victim of a cruel joke - being rudely awakened from his long slumber only to be forced to admit to himself that he was in love with the one woman he wasn't allowed to have. Little had he known, it was only the beginning of what could have been described as a pure torment for him. Now, a few months later, he was back in the same position, reflecting on almost the same exact thing, only worse - he had kissed her without her being aware of it.

The sweet taste of her lips was not something that he could forget so easily. It would be extremely difficult for him to curb his desire for her. He had succumbed to his urge once last night - there was no guarantee that he wouldn't do that again. How many times during the day he had caught his gaze veering off down to her lips? One time too many. And every time that had happened, the kiss had come to the forefront of his mind, being replayed with vivid details. It would be a blatant lie if he said he had not entertained the thoughts of kissing her again.

Whether he wanted to accept it or not, there was no other way around it. To prevent a similar occurrence that could cause the ruin of their friendship, it would be best if he avoided her entirely as he just couldn't trust himself to be anywhere within her proximity, even if it meant that he would miss her like crazy. He could only pray that there wouldn't be any more incident in the remaining days of his ninety-day period. Then, he could walk away from her quietly.

To Be Continued

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I would love to know what you think. So, please don't hesitate to send me your feedback. -forever-

Author's Remark:

This chapter may seem a little shorter than the previous ones. But don't worry - more are coming soon. What will Candy do next? Will she eventually remember the kiss? Can Albert really stay away from Candy? Stay tuned for the next chapter. -forever-

Those of you who haven't read the announcement I posted on my profile might have not known that I have a wordpress blog now. And the blog will be the permanent home for all my fics (current, old, and new). I have started uploading 'Ninety Days' there, but you will notice some differences - one in particular is the chapter format and the other is some minor edit. From this chapter on, I will apply the same chapter format I've used in wordpress - this may explain why the chapters are shorter than before.

References/Notes:

During their time, medicines in the forms of tablets and pills were not commonly available. The manufacturing technology itself was only developed in the late 1800s. The more common method is a blend of the drug in its powdered form that can be mixed with solvents to ease dosing.

Replies to comments:

Your Fan - Thank you for reading. I will continue this but as far as carrying it past the 90 days? We'll see. ;)

Alina Ulianova - Thank you. I'm glad you like this fic. Yes, Albert and Candy make a really great couple. I hope you like the new chapter.

winry7405 - Thank you for the kind words and sharing the songs. I checked out the two beautifully made AMV and was so touched by them. I completely agree with you. Those are perfect songs for them. As for Candy... mmm... let's say that 'great minds think alike' :)

Candy2 - Thank you for reading and following this fic. We shall see whether the 'torture' will end soon for them or not. ;)

GosieKin - No worries. I'm glad you liked the new chapters. And thank you for your kind and encouraging words. I truly appreciate them. :)

Ms. Puddleglum - Thank you for the kind words. Both of them are two very conflicted people, don't you think? As for torture - I guess we writers just enjoy tormenting our favorite couple. ;)

luzpaat - Thanks for reading. I hope you like the new chapter.

Guest a happy reader - Thank you for your kind and encouraging words. Isn't it fun to see at our couple doing their 'tango' with each other? ;) I hope you liked the new chapter as well.

Guest - The end is still a distance away, but we'll get there. Thanks for reading.

Trastuspies - Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. I agree that what-if stories can be quite fun to read/write.

rowelorena - Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed reading this.

lhbarba - Thanks for reading. Well now you know that she's not happy person, yet. ;)

Guest GG - Wow! I don't know what to say! Your very kind and encouraging words made me blushing - literally. Thank you and I truly appreciate them. I agree with your assessment of Mizuki's writing with regard to Albert's character development, and that's one of the reasons that drove me to write a Candy Candy fic in the first place. As a writer, I find a great opportunity to explore this aspect in more depth. I'm glad that you like the way I've portrayed Albert in my fics, and that gives me the confidence that I have done at least one thing right. Again, thank you for following my fics. :)

Lezti Bella -Thank you, darling. Yes, we women like to confuse the heck of our men. LOL! And our dear Albert is a true gentleman, isn't he?

janja8 - Thank you. I'm glad you found the treat delightful. We'll see for how much longer Albert can withstand the 'torture'? ;)

Guest M - Thank you. Now you know that Candy doesn't remember, or does she? ;)

Guest - Thanks again for taking the time to read. I'm glad you loved the chapter. I hope you'll find this one as entertaining.

Milady Romina - Thank you for you kind words. I hope you like this new chapter.

Guest - Well, if he kissed her longer than that - the ending would have been different. ;) Thanks for your review.