Sorry it took a while, I was very distracted. xD This chapter is a little intense, well, not really, but for me it is! xD Conrad's sanity is at stake! dun dun dun. Enjoy~


Chapter 3: Viral

The following week was like walking up the staircases to heaven after a long and exhausting journey to hell.

Niles was gradually becoming more lively very quick, and it was immediately noticeable. He smiled and talked to his fellow employees, he amused the guests with jokes as he served, and he did so three times quicker. He wasn't exactly the good and cheerful Niles the Butler yet, but he was at least a fraction there. Conrad immediately noticed.

"Niles, may I speak to you?" Conrad pulled Niles aside for a moment.

"Yes, sir?" This time, Niles didn't sound so indifferent, but instead spoke with more enthusiasm.

"How have you been feeling?"

"Better, sir."

"That's wonderful," Conrad smiled with pride as he stood up straight. "So Niles, since my best employee is right now exceeding best, how would you like to be head chef?"

Niles was speechless in amazement. He collected himself in a few seconds. "S-sir, I don't think I can accept that!" He stuttered.

"Ohh yes you can! You deserve it, my man. I know how you can cook."

Niles became breathless. "I don't know what to say sir, thank you so much!"

"I knew you would." Conrad smiled. "You start tomorrow, and be sure to be on time!"

"Yes, sir!"

Conrad dismissed him and Niles left off giddily.

Things were very noticeable in C.C. as well. She was a lot more hyper and occasionally sadistic--which was not necessarily a good thing, but Conrad found it pretty damn cute whenever she laughed at him when he'd randomly trip over the chairs in his doziness after returning to home. Because she was happier, she talked more and became more outgoing, which brought Conrad and her a lot closer. She was also very jittery and excited whenever Saturday was mentioned--she looked forward to it and it was her motivation to wake up and go to sleep early. C.C. was becoming alive again.

Just not today.

Conrad came home and found C.C. hopelessly lying in bed. She stirred at his arrival.

"Hi honey..."

"Little Miss Chastity Claire," he said softly as he sat on the edge of the bed. "I thought you were at work?"

"I called in sick..." Her voice was weak and nasal.

Conrad laid the back on his hand on her forehead and on her neck. "You're scorching."

"I think I'm aware of that..."

He ignored her sarcasm (which he would normally find adorable) and went to dig around the drawers for the digital thermometer. Finding it, he went to the bathroom to wash the tip thoroughly and went back into the room to stick it under her tongue.

"Conrah itsh jusht a small feverr..."

"You're hitting 102 degrees."

C.C. groaned. Conrad removed the thermometer and cleaned it again and capped it.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. You'll be better in no time. I'll go get you some Tylenol, stay put."

C.C. nodded and drifted back to rest.

Days passed, Conrad took intense care for C.C. and went home after every 2 hours of work to take care for her. But things seemed to get worse--regardless of how many layers of socks, sweaters and blankets she had she was always shivering. Conrad would always be awakened in the living room sofa by her coughing. Her breaths would be short and fast, and she'd have trouble talking for a long period of time, cause she would always run out of breath. B.B. tried to contact her, but Conrad had to tell her that she was ill.

"That better be natural illness and not something on your responsibility, mister!" She'd warn.

Eventually she looked paler and her skin became clammy. One night, she started to cough so heavily, small splatters of blood escaped. Completely convinced that she wasn't hit with a regular fever, he took her to a doctor immediately.

"She's got a case of Pneumonia," Dr. Willard diagnosed. "Right now it is not that serious, but it could be. I'll give you some antibiotics that you will use right away."

"Thanks doc, will do." Conrad said as he received the antibiotics with C.C. half-passed out on his shoulder.

In the car on the way home, C.C. sat in the back seat with a small blanket around her.

"So I won't be making it back to work any time soon."

"At most a week and a half... I'll make sure that your clients know and won't go psychopathic about your absence. Though I know most of the know already judging from the amount of get-well cards you've received the past week."

C.C. put on a tired smile. "You can't blame people for loving me."

After a small amount of silence used to drive, C.C. spoke up once more.

"Does Niles know?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Could you tell him?"

"Of course, honey."

"Okay. Thanks." She drifted into a small nap until they got home where she knocked out after coming in contact with the bed.

Conrad laughed and retrieved her pile of socks to slip them on her feet, then her lasagna of blankets.

Laying next to her with his arms around the form of her head, he watched her sleep. Even in her days of being absolutely healthy as opposed to now, he had never seen her so happy. Right now she was having problems talking, breathing, staying awake, eating, but she still slept with peace on her face.

And it was all ever since Niles came.

That's when Conrad began to think, that perhaps there was something more to C.C. and Niles that he'd thought. Both of them were miserable at the very same time, and both of them came from a place "they couldn't bear to go back to", and right when they meet each other, everything starts to fall back in place for the two of them...

No, no, he couldn't think anything like that. C.C. was his wife and Niles was his best friend and employee. Surely, it was just like a negative-times-negative effect...

The next day C.C. awoke with the sunlight penetrating form the blinds. She was still feeling like crap. It was noon, and Conrad was not in yet. Probably another busy day.

The door bell rung and C.C. immediately groaned. "Son of a..."

Lifting herself out of bed, she trudged her way to the door. Her head felt so heavy--it was probably a bad thing to lay down 24/7...

Using the walls as support, she opened the door, squinting her eyes against the sunlight.

"Delivery for Ms. Claire Faulsman?" Said a young man in light green uniform. He worked for the floral shop down the road, as he was carrying a lovely bouquet of orange roses.

C.C. stared amazed at the lush bunches. "Oh, yes.. that's me. Thank you."

"You're welcome ma'am." He smiled as he handed it over and saluted a goodbye.

C.C. closed the door and walked over to the kitchen and sat down on a chair. A small white note was dangling on the ribbon, and she out of great curiosity immediately flipped it open.

High hopes to your health, for you gave high hopes to mine. --Niles

And then she recognized the bouquet. It was the same kind of flowers Niles had when he was about to confess to her when she had that fling with Colin... She remembered that moment perfectly; how she tried to play dumb and act as if she didn't know whom those were for. But C.C. was no stereotypical blond, she knew exactly when she saw it.

She then woke out of her reminiscing. If they were the same ones, then perhaps... he knew? Impossible.

The door's locks jiggled around as C.C. turned her head to find Conrad opening the door.

"Hey darling, why aren't you sleeping?"

"Oh uh," she stood up to find a vase somewhere. "Someone had something delivered for me."

Conrad stepped to the table and eyed the flowers. "Who are these from?"

"Ummm." C.C. was distracted. She found a sturdy blue vase underneath the sink cupboard. "What in the world is this doing here... Oh, yeah, it's from Niles, honey."

"I see." He eyed the flowers as she tore off the note and stuffed it in her pocket and placed the flowers in the vase filled with water.

"Ugh Conrad sweetie can you put these on the table in the living room, I need to get back to rest."

"Of course," he answered dully. "Did you take your antibiotics?" He added as she retired into the room.

"Yahh," she shouted back.

Conrad sighed as he placed the vase on an end table in the corner of the room. He was still paranoid of the connection he made with the two of them. The flowers made it worse. She seemed so pleased with them, and just because they were from Niles.

He decided to set it aside for now.

Along the days, C.C. began to recover with lots of rest and following the doctor's orders. Conrad treated and pampered her like she was his child, and like he had never loved her so much before. Meanwhile at work, he distanced himself from Niles. Niles would always ask Conrad how C.C. was doing, and Conrad would always answer a vague "she's fine." It was against Conrad's morals to let his personal suspicions get in the way of things--it wasn't professional.

But it ate him, it ate at his mind and it drove him mad and jealous, like a virus. It was out of his hands to control it. It was because of a rough childhood, when his single mother committed suicide. He loved her so much, but he never did anything for her the way she did for him, most likely because she was the mother and he was only seven. But from that day he promised to help everyone he cared about. Then came the foster families, always happy to give him up because "he was only a burden", past girlfriends that would dump him because "he only paid attention to himself", and jobs lost because he would not "work efficiently."

Rethinking of this, he saw C.C. one day leaving him telling him that he wasn't enough for her, and it broke his heart.

Conrad went home finding C.C. up and running, all better.

"Hi honey," she greeted as she gave him a quick kiss and returned to cooking dinner.

"Hey," he smiled. "You're all better?"

"Yes sir," she playfully saluted.

Seeing that she was barely starting to boil the water, he turned off the stove. She looked up at him curiously.

"How about we dine at Mercielo to celebrate?"

"Sure," C.C. agreed with a smile. "It's about time I went inside."

Conrad put on a sour smile--something in his mind told him that she agreed this one time because of Niles.

He fetched their coats as C.C. slipped on her heels and they went off.

When they arrived, they took a special booth at front. Employees greeted them from every corner, and all of their eyes laid curiously on C.C., knowing who she was, but never actually seeing her before.

"You run a fancypants place here don't you," C.C. joked as she looked at the ceiling and the chandeliers hanging gracefully, reflecting a beautiful light.

"Don't you regret not coming here before," he laughed almost bitterly.

The waiter soon came by. "Orders ready, sir and ma'am?"

"Medium rare steak, my good man," Conrad ordered.

"Umm I'll take a chicken alfredo."

"Drinks?" The waiter added.

"Coke."

"Water."

He nodded and walked off to submit their orders.

"So," C.C. started almost awkwardly. "Niles works here as a waiter right?"

"No, not anymore. I upgraded him to chef. Bert was too slow of a cook, and Niles is real fast guy."

"Oh, I see." She tried to hide her disappointment of not being able to see him tonight.

For the rest of their waiting they talked about small things, like how work went, about how some clients were really nutty, and how B.B. threatened Conrad over the phone.

C.C. had a little split second of heart attack as she saw Niles, peering out of the kitchen. She caught his eye as well, and he winked and went back inside to return to his work. She smiled and felt herself grow warm.

Conrad didn't entirely notice, but he felt C.C. distracted.

And she was like that the whole dinner. They'd talk normally and casually, but C.C. would always take a suspicious glance at the kitchen, hoping she'd see Niles there.

After they ate and paid, Conrad, irritated, immediately took her home.

The car ride was silent and awkward.

Getting home, Conrad nearly slammed the door closed, and C.C. had to step in about this one.

"Conrad, what's the matter with you?"

He stared at her, not really knowing what to say. For once in his life, he wanted to yell at her, he wanted to scream at her, when right now all he wanted was the truth.

"You've been acting like this for the past few days..." She put her hand on his forearms and smoothed back his hair affectionately. "What's wrong?"

He stared at her long and hard and was on the verge of breaking down.

"Tell me the truth, C.C." He said quietly and solemnly.

Her eyes slightly widened at the name. He never called her by that form, not since they were just colleagues.

"What?" She said softly, hesitating to hold him.

"About Niles."

*CLIFFHANGED*

You hate me now, huh. xD I hate myself too, don't worry. More will come soon! (hopefully) ;D

Just a little note, Conrad's a really awesome dude, he just got issues, and he's based off of me a little (cept my background story isn't the least as crappy), but you're sooo gunna hate him soon. XD

~Rei