Hello, Hello. The chapter after this will be the last of the regular chapters and then 2 different ones will follow...you'll see why :p The text in italics is what Niles hopes for in the future...just in case I didn't make that clear enough ;) I'll be back on Thursday! Leave me a review, please! :)

23rd February: Brightmore Cottage, Winchester

The family reunion hadn't exactly gone as smoothly as expected. Not that he had thought to be greeted with open arms or without any comments at all, but he certainly hadn't reckoned with this either. His father found him crouching outside in the garden, picking some herbs that were necessary for the dinner preparations.

"Don't be angry at her, son, you know your mother's temper."

Niles stood up again, running his thumb absent-mindedly over the newly picked basil and offered a smile."I don't blame her…I haven't exactly been a good son lately."

Marie hadn't spoken a word with him since his arrival 6 days ago.

"She was worried about you, what with your heart condition and all." Henry nodded and Niles sighed, his cheek still sore from his mother's firm slap.

"Yes, I know…I should've called more…just to let you know that I was ok."

"Seems you weren't…" his father interjected gently.

"No…I….I've quite the journey behind me. Still, no excuse to believe like such an…."

"Ass, I believe is the word you're looking for. Definitely the word a certain Miss Babcock would've used." Henry's eyes sparkled softly, much like his son's in his happy days.

But now he only smiled sadly. "Yes…that's her, alright…"

"And I do suppose she's the reason for your disappearance…your withdrawal?"

He gave a non-committal shrug and grunt.

"Niles," his father sounded stern this time "I know about the situation and your struggle to convince her in the first place, but I only have one piece of advice for you: Move on and let her slip into the past or make her your future. You can't continue living like this. It's not even living…" he added quietly at the end.

"I've tried, dad, "Niles sighed, throwing the basil into a bowl and rubbing his face "but I can't just let her go…"

"Well then, it seems option B is your only choice." Henry nodded, the twinkle returning to his eyes "Think about the future, son."

"Hello, Hello!" her voice sounded and a second later he heard the front door thrown shut.

"How did work go?" he called back from his position in the kitchen, keeping an eye on the various saucepans.

"Good," she stuck her head into the room "busy as always, but that's just how I like it."

He nodded, her excited grin utterly infectious. "Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes."

"Oh timed it perfectly again, you little Hausfrau!" she called, ascending the stairs to their bedroom to get changed before dinner.

"Oh shut your mouth, Babcock, it isn't too late to add dishwater to your wine!" he called back, already busy setting the table.

"You wouldn't dare!" and she reappeared in her usual sweats and sat down at the table.

"I wouldn't?" he raised an eyebrow in challenge "Have you learned nothing from the past?"

"Well, this is different…you don't want to endanger the little one, do you?"

His heart missed a beat and he whirled around to face her so quickly that he almost knocked over the bowl of mashed potatoes.

"You're?" he asked in shock, an expression that slipped away a second later when C.C. burst out laughing.

"No…got you!"

"I hate you, woman." He growled and shot her a playful glare.

"Hate you more!" she cooed.