My trip to Edinburgh got cancelled yesterday, so the good news (I hope) for you guys is that I am now posting the Epilogue. :) Before I go into all the corny and mushy details, I just wanna say that I'm dedicating this to Ashton for her birthday!;) Ok, first of all: You wanted a happy ending? You're getting it!;) Nothing is perfect, but then life never will be. This story, from the beginning, was about being human and the mistakes we make. But also showing that some things can be fixed, if given enough time. It's hard and it's difficult but maybe if you're persistent, it will work out in the end. Even though I am not as attached to this story as I was to "20 years" I'm still sad now that this is the end. I always feel a bit bare and naked when I have no big new project to tackle. lol For this particular project I have to thank NilesLover101 who gave me the inspiration, without you I never would've written this so THANK YOU. I also have to thank SamandDianefan10 for your wonderful, amazing, remarkable reviews. They made me smile and quite often made my day. The same goes for nrfan who writes these huge paragraphs -thanks for taking the time!:) You 3 have been reviewing since the very first story I've posted on here 7 months ago, so your support means A LOT. Great thanks also to negs and triple L, as always. :) And any of you who have been reading/ reviewing this. It wouldn't be half as much fun without you guys! (ok, I gotta shut up now coz I didn't win an Oscar or something lol... I just feel that I never thank people enough) Now the question is: Who would like to have an "M" ending for this? If I'll write one, it'll be in the "M" category, so separately! ;) So let me know, I've already got a couple of ideas. I hope you enjoy the Epilogue!:)

Disclaimer: Sam is mine and I'm proud of that, Niles and C.C. sadly aren't mine, but I love em still.

Epilogue:

Again and again, however we know the landscape of love
and the little churchyard there, with its sorrowing names,
and the frighteningly silent abyss into which the others
fall: again and again the two of us walk out together
under the ancient trees, lie down again and again
among the flowers, face to face with the sky.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Niles continued to stare after her, completely disorientated and confused. The rain was still falling hard and was soaking him to the skin. He hadn't noticed its intensity before, so wrapped up had he been in C.C.'s embrace. But with her sudden departure the cold had come... For a moment he considered to simply leave it at that, walk away because her decision was clearly made. But then he remembered her eyes and the longing within them and her hands that were guiding him closer. Whatever it was that had caused her to flee he was certain he could fix it, he somehow had to because he couldn't stand to lose her again. And so Niles began to run, run like a man willing to do anything to win his love back, as he had so often seen it in the movies. The wind was howling in his ears and the rain mercilessly lashed his face but still he ran.

C.C. was surprised to find that the light in her apartment was switched on and even more surprised to see her daughter.

"Wasn't Noel supposed to pick you up half an hour ago?" she asked.

"He was late...and I just forgot my football so I came back up here... but what are you doing back?" The girl asked, staring at her mother who looked completely drenched.

"It started to rain..." C.C. quietly said, as if that was answer enough.

"Where's Niles?" Sam probed suspiciously.

When her mother failed to answer she finally noticed her smudged lipstick and traces of mascara on her cheek that made it look as if she had been crying.

"You blew it, didn't you?" she then yelled angrily.

"You don't understand, it's not that simple." C.C. tried, pressing a hand to her heart as if that would stop it from aching.

"Ok, maybe I'm too young to get this...but here's what I see. He loves you and he loves me, he told me so himself and I love him...he might not be my real dad but he's been playing that role bloody well for the past couple of years."

Despite the situation they were in C.C. had to chuckle at her daughter's choice of words, clearly showing that she had spent an awful lot of time around Niles.

"But maybe I don't..."

"That's a lie and you know it. You're just scared that he's gonna leave us again. But you love him, so give him a chance, because he will be a part of my life, like it or not!"

C.C. had never been so proud of her daughter as she was then, although saddened at the same time. Her bravery and ability to speak her mind amazed her, yet she also knew that no six-year-old should have to fight so hard to have a family.

"Uncle Noel's waiting, I'll see you tomorrow." Sam softly said and walked to the door.

"Hey," C.C. called and waved her daughter to her "of course he can be a part of your life. I love you."

And she pulled her into a hug, kissing the crown of her head. Samantha pulled a face and cringed at the touch of her mother's wet clothes but returned the hug nonetheless, before leaving the apartment. C.C. loved Niles, of course she did, she had acknowledged that herself several times in the last couple of hours. That didn't stop her from wondering, however, if that love was enough. She slowly walked into her bedroom and began to strip off her soaked clothes, before slipping into some warm sweatpants and a bulky T-shirt. Then she sat down on her bed, staring at the wedding ring which she was still wearing. She couldn't take Niles away from Samantha, because it wouldn't only cause a rift between them, it would also deprive her of an important male figure she needed. Sure, her daughter had Noel and Stuart Babcock to look up to but the fact remained that she had chosen Niles. Unable to ban him from her life completely she would be forced to find some other way to draw a line...and the only way she saw was filing for divorce. And she couldn't. She simply couldn't. The mere thought of being separated from him, if only on paper, caused the tears to sting in her eyes. It would erase everything: their life with the Sheffields, the long way they had had to go before finally finding each other, their love-making, the agony of losing him, the unbearable joy of finding him again... it would all vanish, destroyed by the pain and harshness of divorce proceedings. And it would tear Sam apart. She had always thought that the "What have I done?" moment in books was corny and unrealistic, but that was until she experienced one herself. All they had done was kiss, kiss and feel their love for each other, there had been no talk about moving in with each other or any other life-changing discussions. Her feelings hadn't altered since the kiss, she had still been in love with him before that, so her fear of losing him again was understandable yet irrational. For it didn't matter either way, if he would've left her before the kiss or after, she would have gotten hurt because she was involved, her feelings were involved. Following an instinct she jumped to her feet, although completely uncertain of what to do. She didn't know where to find him or what to tell him, unsure if he would even accept her apology. But he had to come back to her, that's all that mattered. Minutes ticked past silently as she stood by the window, phone in hand, willing him to pick up. But nobody answered and the despair was causing tears to well up in her eyes. The sudden ringing of her doorbell startled her and she shakily ran a hand through her hair on her way to answer it.

"C.C.," was all he said.

He sounded scared, out of breath and determined at the same time and she pressed the button to allow him in. Her stomach was in knots and her heart was racing as she opened the door, waiting for him to step out of the elevator. Then finally, when it opened the first tear fell, running down her cheek. Niles looked worn out and was breathing heavily his hair wet, his tie loosened and his dress shirt sticking to his chest. No word was said between them and he slowly came closer. C.C. was crying, her eyes begging him for forgiveness for leaving him like that. And then slowly his lips curved upwards until the smile reached his eyes. The warmth melted her last doubts away and she lifted her hands to cup his face, examining if his injuries were severe. Through all of this he continued to smile, as if nothing had ever caused him more joy in his life and then he pulled her into an embrace, holding her, caressing her in the knowledge that he'd be doing so again and again, until she would learn to trust him.