GUESS WHAT?! I was just so on a roll today and I completed 3 chapters in one day, which is normally a NEVER for me cause I always get so frickin distracted with my ADD and stuff xD This chapter may be a little messy and typo-prone cause was just like, in front of the computer going O_O *TYPETYPETYPE* Chapter 5 will be posted tomorrow, though, because there are things I need to add. ENJOI.

Chapter 4: Bounced

C.C. stood there, scared out of her mind. Her heartbeat was sprinting. "What.. do you mean? You know therapy sessions are completely confidential and I'm not allowed to--"

"Cut the crap," he scolded as he pulled away from her and turned around to compose himself. Facing her again. "Just tell me... what's going on between you two."

Her heart pounded and sunk and she didnt know what to say. "Okay..." She closed her eyes and sighed shakily. "Nothing is going on between us... but."

Conrad tried to calm down and listen attentively.

"Remember... when I told you where I came from before I met you?" She didn't really know where to start, or how to explain it.

"Yes.. you used to work with Maxwell Sheffield."

"Yeah and... Niles did, too."

Conrad's expression became puzzled as he tried not to jump into premature conclusions.

"But.. he was just a butler," C.C.'s eyes watered at the phrase she used to say so much. "And I was this rich 'high class' socialite and.. we couldn't be mixing levels. But somehow, he just... became my everything." C.C. paused to swallow as tears started to flow.

"I didn't want him to be, but he was.. and he loved me..and I did, too." For some reason it was so hard to say. "But I was a real bitch, and I blew everything by pushing him away... He proposed to me, four times, and I coldly broke his heart each time... He quit and, I just had to leave, and I never was able to tell him what he really meant to me..."

C.C. wiped off her tears as tried to speak up again. "And.. when you brought him to me, it was like... it was like a second chance..."

Conrad was shaking with self failure and anger. What he was afraid of came. And it felt like shit.

Not wanting to hear any more, he grabbed his keys and headed for the door.

"Conrad? Conrad! Where are you going?" C.C. called as she followed him.

He didn't answer but instead gave her a cold heartbroken look before going out the door and slamming it.

"Conrad!" She shouted through the door but he kept on and she gave up, falling on her knees and crying.

------

Niles was in the locker room, changing out of his uniform, when Conrad bursted in, startling all the other employees.

"Niles!"

"Yes, sir?" Niles looked up, not panicking, but frightened.

"You listen to me and listen good," Conrad spat as he glared at Niles. "You stay away from C.C., alright?"

Niles' heart jumped at the name. "....C.C.?"

A vein in Conrad's head pulsated. "Why do you two keep feeding me this bullshit? That's it, Niles, you're fired. I never want to see your face or hear of your presence near her, understood!"

He stormed off angrily, which left Niles so utterly confused, not understanding what happened. Taking it all in, he frowned, and resumed packing.

------

C.C. didn't sleep the whole night. Everything happened so fast, things were falling apart right when things were getting better... She finally fell asleep in her cries, curling up hopelessly on her bed, with no covers or warmth but her own arms.

The morning thereafter, Conrad did not come home. In fact, when she awoke, all the drawers were empty except with her belongings. Her breathing became heavy as she held at her head and nearly clutched her hair out.

"This is not happening, it's not, it's not happening..."

She quickly combed her hair and washed hair face and dressed up to go out and look for Conrad.

She took the bus to Mercielo, knowing for sure he'd be there. The drive was tedious, and her heart was jumping out of her chest.

C.C. couldn't let this happen, not after she all Conrad had done for her. He deserved so much more than what she gave him--which was nearly nothing at all!

The bus stopped on the street where Mercielo snugly lay and she quickly boarded off. Anxiety and fear rushed through her as she opened the doors. She was successful in finding Conrad--but what she found with him made her boil.

Conrad was sitting in a round booth, his arm tossed around some woman, who didn't look that skanky nor innocent, shamelessly flirting. He looked up and found C.C. far at the entrance, and she quickly turned away and pushed the door open.

He ran after her, catching her before she crossed the street.

"What do you think you're doing here?" He demanded as he grabbed her by the arm and she turned around with red eyes.

"Leave me alone, you clod," she said quietly yet seriously as she tried to break loose from his grip.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked with a bitter tone as he pulled her back. "Why does it bother you so much? You don't need me."

C.C. paused at his words.

Avoiding public attention, he pulled her closer and spoke softy.

"Don't be ridiculous to yourself, C.C. You don't need me anymore. Niles has made you happier by just existing in front of you in a tenth the time it took me to get you a fraction of happy."

C.C. breathed in heavily through her nose, trying not to cry.

"It's clear now, C.C., that I just wasn't enough for you." His face winced as he said it, saying the words that he was supposed to hear himself. After a few seconds of silence, Conrad let go of her. "It's done now. Don't squander what you have left."

C.C. watched him walk away as she sucked in a breath and awaited the next bus home.

------

C.C. laid down on her sofa, looking blanky at the ceiling. Things weren't supposed to turn out this way. But how could they not? There was no possible way she could fit in both Niles and Conrad snug into her life without any conflicts. But did she have to do it breaking his heart? What was with her? No matter what she did or how she did it, she ended up hurting people. Not cool.

Coping. The basic health skill that was suposed to be mastered by anyone in the psychologic department came so hard to her at this time. Ironic.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the phone rang. She prayed to God that it wasn't her mother; she didn't know how she would explain everything to her.

But well, God wasn't on her side right now.

"Hello..." C.C.'s voice was raspy and low.

"Good heavens! What's wrong?" B.B. automatically picked up on her tone.

"Ngh..." C.C. whined, sniffling in between.

"C.C., if you don't tell me what happened this instant..."

"You'll what..."

"Fly over there!"

"...Could you?"

"C.C., seriously, you sound as broken as that old recordplayer Noel overused. What, is it Conrad? Did that dolt finally screw things up?"

C.C. fell silent.

"I'll be there in a bit." B.B. hung up.

C.C. clicked the phone and dropped her arm onto the floor as well as the phone, curling up on the couch and going to sleep, where hopefully her nightmares would even be better than this.

------

B.B. arrived the day after. C.C. was more than happy to see her; she needed someone right now, and it might as well be her mother. It was as if C.C. were a little needy child again, unable to stand on her own. This all made B.B. want to hire someone to take Conrad down--which she could, if C.C. allowed.

Two days dragged on like a millenium like this.

One morning, C.C. woke up feeling nauseous. She threw up in the morning, the afternoon, so often that it worried B.B., and she took C.C. to a doctor for a check.

Now they were in the waiting room, anticipating Dr. Willard to come back with C.C.'s result.

"What do you think it is?" C.C. asked, worried as she clutched at the gurgling in her stomach.

"Anxiety, maybe.. you've been through a lot, it could be just that..." B.B. held back. She knew exactly what it was but she was too afraid it'd kill C.C. She prayed that her intuition was false.

Dr. willard opened the door to his office and gestured C.C. and B.B. in, to which they immediately responded to.

Closing the door, C.C. and B.B. took a seat as Willard skimmed over his clipboard.

"Everything seems normal... but," he paused, not knowing if the upcoming news would be considered good or bad. "C.C., you're pregnant."

-----

"Ohh, God! Why must you bring this upon the Babcocks!" B.B. wailed across the living room, walking back and forth as C.C. sat quietly on the sofa, holding at her stomach.

"Did you two even have sex? Cause you really seemed to live up to your name even after you two got married!"

"Of course, mummy.. who else would it be?" C.C. answered dully and matter-of-factly.

"You're positive it's Conrad's?"

"Yes..."

"I'm going to kill that bastard."

C.C. sighed. "Don't waste your threats, mummy."

B.B. faced C.C. with her hands on her hips. "Are you going to just sit there and take this?"

"Take what? A growing fetus?"

"You're not going to do anything about it?"

"You're suggesting I abort it?"

"Oh of course not, if I supported that you'd be gone."

"Thanks, mummy, that's really comforting."

"Anyways, who's going to help you raise the child? Your husband's gone, the rest of the male race is a pile of testosteral shit, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet, so just shut up, please!" C.C. yelled back. It's been a first time in a while since she had shouted at her mother. B.B. fell silent but still held stern in her eyes.

C.C. sighed and got up. "I'll be going back to work tomorrow. My sick days are done, I've been abusing them too much."

------

Niles sat against the headboard of his bed with his hands crossed over his stomach. He couldn't believe that he'd lost his job--hell, he couldn't believe that he didn't realize that Dr. Faulsman was actually C.C.! He knew he shouldn't have doubted it when he saw her, but he did, and he did so much that he overlooked it. Everything just happened during those 2 minutes Conrad was screaming his head off at him.

He no longer had a way to support himself or his parents, who still had no idea what has been happening. Now he'd have to go job-skimming. But all of that didn't seem to bother him as the fact that C.C. was in front of him the whole time.

Niles eyed the clock that hung over the door. He still had time for one last session.

Preparing a sandwhiches for his parents before he left, he quickly made his way to hail a cab and head for C.C.'s office.

Niles arrived at 2:05, and when he opened the door, he found her leaning her back against her chair, facing the large window that was always behind her during the sessions.

"Dr.... Faulsman?" He called, trying to get attention. He walked closer, standing beside his regular sofa.

"Leave." C.C. nearly whispered. Niles became stiff.

"Actually... I came here to--" Niles started as he took steps closer to her.

"Leave!" She snapped as she turned around, revealing her red eyes and nose. Niles paused and tried to say something, but couldn't find what to say.

"Just leave, Niles," she sobbed as she tried to push him away. "Every time you come into my life, something bad happens, so just, leave!"

Her eyes looked so hurt, and he really didn't know what to do, not even for his precious C.C. Hearthurt, he backed away and left.

And that was the last time the both of them set foot in that room.

DUN DUN DUN. Sorry. Another cliffy. Sorta. I can't help it, kay? xP

Stay tuned, my lovlies.

~Rei