I'm really sorry this took forever to update; but I just got so busy with school & I really need to get my own laptop because some certain family members are busy with their Farm Town and Tumblr/formspring shiz (which I find very irritating). XD What's worse, I have writer's block! DUN DUN FRICKIN DUN. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 5: Reunification

C.C. came home with the large box of papers she had in her office of which she would put away into the storage closet. She had finished moving all her clients to her other therapist friend, who thanked her with all her heart for she was almost on the verge of financial turmoil. C.C. was never fit to be a therapist anyway---no matter how she changed, she'd still be a little vain and self centered.

She tried to get her mind off what she just said to Niles. She didn't particularly care whether he knew that it was really her or not, but she certainly gave herself away there. And God, did it tear her apart.

She went into her bedroom and found B.B. packing her things.

"Mummy? What, where are you going?" She said as she put down the box on the floor and kicked it underneath the bed.

"I have to go," She explained without looking up as she zipped her bag shut.

"But why?" C.C. asked like a little toddler, disappointed as hell.

"I'm all out of Valium," B.B. slipped out. "Shit."

"Valium. You're kidding me."

B.B. looked down in half shame, half "ugh-how-did-I-let-that-out".

"Mummy," C.C. looked at her with deep eyes. "I don't know what to feel... You can't love me without taking what's basically a chill pill... but you took them just to love me."

"Whatever you think suits things best, C.C., I've gotta scram before I get all anal and uptight and make your life even worse."

"Thank you... and thank you!" C.C. hugged her mother quickly and B.B. left, leaving C.C. on her own.

C.C. slipped off her shoes and collapsed herself onto the bed, relaxing all her tensed up back muscles. She had to think. She wasn't a little girl anymore, she couldn't rely on people like Conrad or even her own mother anymore.

She was pregnant. She was single. She was alone. She was jobless. Thinking of all this and how to pull it all together, she only thought of one solution.

She needed Niles.

------

Niles sat alone on the bench in the park, idly watching happy families picnic while their children played in the last hours of daylight. The back of his eyes and throat ached and swelled as if he wanted to burst into tears, but he couldn't find the power to even do that.

He was just so overwhelmed by everything. How was it that the worst things happened the fastest without warning? C.C. was right there in front of him, their second chance was right there, and somehow they blew it again. Something felt heavy in Niles' heart, and it was nothing he could sigh off. It just grew heavier that way.

He replayed the office, and how they first met there, and how he had no idea. Even when he didn't know who she was, she didn't fail to make him happy. Then he remembered what she'd said to him, that C.C. was out there waiting for him, waiting or him to see her.

Oh what a stupid mistake he had done to leave her! Even if it was her command, how could he forget the way C.C. was even after all this time? She was still stubborn and didn't know what was good or bad for her. He needed to go back before he lost her for good. Fate did not give them another chance just to squander.

He got up and went to catch a taxi. The ride was excruciatingly slow, and he could feel his heart jittering as he came closer and closer to her. If in any possible way he bumped into Conrad on the way, Niles would have his funeral. But for C.C., just for C.C., dying would be a worthwhile risk.

C.C. was having a cup of coffee, thinking of what to do or say to Niles when she saw him. Did she even know where he lived? No way could she look for him at Mercielo without running into Conrad...

Like an answered prayer, someone on the door knocked. She was startled for a moment, but quickly gathered herself up.

She opened opened the door, and her heart skipped a beat as whom she saw was Niles. He stepped in and shut the door behind him slowly.

"Ni.." She felt breathless as her eyes began to glimmer with tears and covered her mouth. C.C. was eaten with happiness yet fear and she didn't know whether she should back away or hug him him.

Niles' eyes shimmered as well as he smiled affectionately at her. "Hey, kiddo."

C.C. exhaled roughly as she cried and embraced him, arms tight around him as he secured her with his own. Tears flowed down like currents from both their faces, out of relief and ever longed security.

With the words she could not say, she merely hugged him tighter, feeling warm in every part of her body and soul. Niles rubbed her back as he couldn't help but to smile and cry.

"Funny how this takes us half a decade," he commented.

C.C. hit his back with a small light fist as she smiled. "Shut up, you're ruining the magic." When indeed, he made the magic manifest and made her feel at home again. Hell, she could stand like this with him forever.

"Oh Niles," she sobbed. "Everything's gone so wrong."

"I know, but it's all right now..."

"...You don't know what's happened do you?"

"Not at all."

C.C. giggled under her sniffle. Niles pulled himself away and kept his hands on her arms. "Tell me."

She sat on the sofa as Niles found a box of tissues and swiftly pulled one out to wipe off C.C.'s tears as he sat next to her.

"What's happened to Conrad?" He asked in a low tone, finally noticed that her wedding ring was absent as he held her hand.

C.C. shuddered as she replayed everything. "He's left me."

A wave of anger pulsed through Niles' heart and head. "He what?" He seethed unintentionally. He was just furious of how he would dare to hurt her in such a way, when she placed so much trust on him.

"Niles, don't be angry with him," she shook her head as she wiped her eyes and held his hands tighter. "It was my fault."

"How?"

"Through all these years..." she started, taking a moment to swallow her sobs and find words to help explain. "I used him without really loving him... and when you came along, I finally realized that. Horrible isn't it? That no matter how changed I seem to be, I always end up being the same cold person that ruined your life."

Niles looked at the emptiness of her eyes that stared blankly into space, lost in what to say, for there wasn't anything he could find that would make what she just said any lighter on her shoulders. He held her closer to him and rested her head under his chin.

"I lied to you two. I lied by allowing you not to know who I was, and be allowing Conrad to believe that you were nothing more than his employee and my client... And to even to this point there is still something the both of you don't know."

Niles' heart froze for a moment, scared of what it might be.

"And...." she hesitated as she placed her hands upon her stomach. "And... I..." Her voice started to quiver and soften again as she ducked her head in shame and secured her belly with both her hands.

Tears of fright began to flow again and by then Niles knew exactly what was going on and made her say no more as he places his hands over hers over her stomach and held her close. She cried more freely now.

"Shh, it's okay now. I'm here," Niles whispered softly as he closed his eyes as they just held on to each other, falling asleep that way, trying to make up for the past five years that they were not holding on, slowly sinking into an undiscovered heaven.

In the middle of the night, C.C. awoke. Niles was laying down on the sofa with her snugly in his arms. He was still deep asleep, exhausted from everything, so she decided not to wake him by getting up. She held his hand as she stared blankly at the walls, thinking.

Things from this point were going to be difficult. Niles' arrival made it a lot easier to welcome, but it was all nonetheless going to be a challenge. They had to find new jobs, for they both couldn't just depend on the Babcock inheritance. What's more, Niles still had his parents to care for. He couldn't just ask them to go back to England or neglect them. If they stayed like this with a way to barely balance things out, what would happen if the baby were born? Shit, the baby...

"Are you awake?" Niles whispered softly.

C.C. flinched, startled a bit. "How did you know I was awake?"

"You snore."

"Do not..." she flustered.

Niles chuckled silently.

C.C. smiled but after a few seconds allowing silence, she became solemn. "Niles?"

"Yes?"

"About... the child..." Her voice trailed off to ghostly whispers.

"You don't have be afraid to talk about it, dear, I already know," he comforted. "What about it?"

"It's Conrad's... and... he's not here anymore, so..."

Niles pursed his lips and rubbed her arms. Her feelings hit him like roadkill and he couldn't imagine how conflicted she was at this moment. "C.C., like I said. I'm here now. I'll take care of you and little future C.C. junior from here on," he said softly with affection as he moved his hands to her stomach, caressing it lovingly.

She turned around on her back to face him. "You'll be its father? I mean... even if, it's not--"

"C.C.," he interjected gently. "If I know one thing is for sure, then it's that I love you and nothing--especially after this long--is going to get in the way of that. I will love that child as if it were my own as much as I do love you, regardless of who actually is the biological father. At this point and circumstances, it doesn't matter. If I should be angry at anything, it should be that I was unable to convince you to stay with me and actually being there to be the real father. So listen, Love, you have nothing to worry or doubt about with me, I promise." He wrapped his pinky around hers and shook it.

C.C. smiled. "Thank you, Niles." She stroked his cheeks and felt warm all over in relief. "I love you."

It felt weird to her, it was actually the first time she had ever said that to him. She was afraid that the timing also made it seem like her love was conditional. But she couldn't not say it any longer. It was true--it was true for the past who-knows-how-many-years.

Niles pulled her closer and kissed her warmly, sending sparks from head to toe. C.C. immediately complied and Niles turned her over, laying her back onto the cushions as he was atop her. No later than sooner, they were flushed at the heart with desire, using this one first night together to vent all the love bottled up, slowing drowning in the abyss.

Again guys, I'm really sorry this took forever and I couldn't even make it longer to make up for it. :( Writer's block just effs me up a lot D; Please forgive!

Lovies,

Rei.