Niles looked toward the running man, and looked back at CC. Tears were already flooding her eyes, she nodded. Before he could even think, he was sprinting toward the man, quickly gaining up on him.
CC stood back, and watched in fear as Niles disappeared in the crowd of waiting people. She quickly wiped the tears from her face, hoping nobody will see her crying in public. She didn't know what to do.
Looking around she found a Park Police Officer.
Niles sprinted through large crowd of people, keeping his eye on the black coat running toward the docks in front of him. Whatever happened, he knew he wasn't going to let that man get away.
"Somebody stop that man!" Niles yelled ahead. People turned around who were in line for the water taxi. A tall muscular man stood in the man's way, blocking the dock. Aggrivated, he pushed the man into the water below, causing four other people to fall in also.
People started to panic, searching the water for the four people who fell in.
Park Police were immediatly swarming in, and rafts were sent out to get the people in the water. Niles caught up to the man, his eyes furious. The man looked terrified, he was young, in his or early thirties.
He tried to run away, but Niles pulled his jacket. Both of the men lost their balance, and plummeted into the freezing cold water.
CC caught a glimpse of Niles falling in. Running past people, she reached the edge.
"Niles!" she screamed, getting on her knees and searching the water.
Niles felt the cold water swallow his body. All he saw was darkness as he lowered farther down to the bottom of the New York Harbor. He could make out the moving shape below, going deeper into the darkness than him. Soon, he saw nobody.
He realized he still had air in his lungs, looking above him to the surface, he saw he could save the man. He swam deeper into the water until he felt the coat, running out of air quickly, he pulled the man to the surface with him, getting a bright flash of sunlight before he blacked out. The last thing he could remember was somebody's warm hands on his cheeks, and the most beautiful set of blue eyes he'd ever seen before everything went dark.
CC sat in the stiff chair, faint marks of mascara lining down her cheeks as she heard the monotone beep of the heart monitor in Niles' hospital room. The doctors had given him sleeping medication so that his heart would slow down from all the action, they also gave him some oxygen after he had passed out.
She looked up when Fran and Max appeared in the doorway, looking terrified as they saw Niles laying in the bed. Fran immediately ran to his side and looked back at CC.
"Is he okay?" she asked, holding his hand. Maxwell walked beside his wife and sat in the chair next to her's. CC nodded.
"Ya, um, he's on medication, the doctors said he was fine," she said, looking down. After a moment of silence, she stood up.
"I'll be right back," she said heading toward the door. Max and Fran nodded. CC walked out into the hallway, watching as various nurses and doctors walked in and out of rooms checking on patients. She walked to the nurses station.
"What room is Evan Graves in?" she said nicely. The woman checked the computer, and looked up with a bright smile that was a little too happy for a hospital.
"He's in room 317, ma'am," she said. CC gave a faint smile and headed down the hall.
She slowly and quietly walked into the room to see the man of her nightmares handcuffed to the hospital bed, his skin oddly pale and his eyes closed. She sighed and walked further into the room, making sure to not get too close to him.
After doing background checks, and looking at the rental name for the loft CC aggreed that was the one she was raped and held in they confirmed that the man in front of her, Evan Graves, a thirty four year old business graduate was indeed the suspect of a second degree murder and sexual abuse.
After ten years, the case was finally solved.
Ten years.
CC thought back to the times before her best friend died for her. All the times when they would laugh and stay up late eating pizza in their dorms. She could remember the first time she and Sara met Maxwell and Niles. The way Sara would not stop talking about Max for a week straight. She remembered how excited she was when they went out on their first date, when they got married, when Maggie, Brighton, and Grace were born.
The last ten years were the worst years of CC's life.
One week after Sara was killed CC entered a bar for the first time, her eyes dark, her skin pale. All she wanted to do was take the place of her best friend. Sara had so much going for her: a family, a loving gorgeous husband, wealth. All CC had was a dysfunctional wealthy family and her inheritance, it was obvious to her who should have ended up dead in the situation.
She can remember taking her first swig of beer, and asking for another. She can remember having to call Niles to come get her.
She vaguely remembered Niles looking her in the eyes, and telling her that she was going to kill herself if she kept doing this.
CC could also remember that her reply was that she was hoping she would.
All those nights she came home, fell into her bed and soaked her pillows with tears. Praying to the great man that normal people other than her family called God that he could go back to that night, hoping that maybe it would be her that dies.
Some days she would leave the mansion early, and go back to her penthouse. Out of anger she would destroy anything in her way to the bedroom, where she would go cry for the rest of the night.
For the first two years after Sara was gone, she hated her own guts. She didn't hate her life. Other than the absence of a rich wealthy husband, she had the perfect life, she wasn't complaining about that. She hated the person that lived it: herself.
She remembered nights that Niles would visit her apartment to see it completely trashed after she had another melt down. He would walk to her with sorrow-filled eyes, and she would just crumple into his arms, sobbing into his strong muscular shoulder.
Then everything changed when a energetic woman named Fran Fine moved into their lives. She lightened up all the Sheffields from Sara's absence, and soon, CC was the only one who was the bitter, cold woman everyone feared. She knew she had to change also, and even though she would never admit it, Fran Fine probably saved her life. She probably would have soon drowned herself in alcohol if she wasn't so jealous of the nanny.
CC was torn from her thoughts when the man on the bed fluttered his eyes open to see her standing in the doorway. He opened his eyes wider when he realized who she was.
It was silent for a few moments, as they just looked at each other. She could see in his eyes how vulnerable he was, how easily she could tear him apart just with her words, and how much she wanted to do that very thing.
He broke the eye contact by looking down.
"I am so sorry for what I did," he said quietly.
"Your husband shouldn't have saved me, he should have let me drown," he finished. Something clicked in CC's head. Her husband. She really liked the sound of that.
She looked back up at him. Tears were filling her eyes.
"Why?" was all she could say at the moment. He looked at her, with sad eyes.
"I don't know. I had just gotten out of college, I was so stupid-" he was intterupted by CC's anger.
"Do you know how much pain you've caused her family? She had three young kids, who had to grow up half their lives without a mother! For ten years, I have thought back to that day, how I died inside. Your ruined our lives, and I hope you burn in hell for it," she left the room and stormed down the hallway until she came to Niles' door.
She stood in the hallway, watching Max hold Fran in his arms. She was completely jealous. She wanted that warm fuzzy feeling when she was around someone, someone who loved her, and finally, after ten years, she finally did. Now, he was laying in a hospital bed.
When Fran saw CC in the doorway she and Max stood up.
"We're going to head back to the mansion, to tell the kids the good news, if anything is needed, we'll pay for it, money is not a problem," Max said. He smiled and gave CC a warm hug. Fran did the same, and soon, they were both gone.
CC sat back down in the chair next to Niles, she immediately grabbed for his hand, and as soon as she touched his hand, his eyes quickly fluttered open to see her smiling at him.
"CC," he said, sitting up in the bed, not letting go of her hand. She smiled brighter and scooted closer to him.
"I'm here, Butler Boy," she said softly. He smiled. He reached out and touched her cheek. That warm fuzzy feeling she was jealous of was within her now, and she liked it. Her smile faded, as she remembered a question that lingered in her head earlier. He noticed her smile fading, and started to stroke her cheek.
"Why did you not let him drown?" she asked quietly, looking back up at him, her eyes soft. Niles smiled faintly.
"Because, he should be punished. I wasn't going to let him die and not suffer the consequences. He killed one of by best friends and hurt the person I loved the most," he said warmly. He looked into her eyes, and saw the happiness return.
CC smiled.
"I love you," she said, leaning closer to him. He smiled, he realized how lucky he was to have such a beautiful woman who loved him.
"I love you, too," he said before their lips met in a warm, love filled kiss.
Niles came home later that day, he and CC decided that he would stay at her penthouse for a few days until he feels better to come back to work. Evan Graves was shown guilty, and sent to prison for forty years and possible parole in thirty.
Unfortunately, Niles, CC and Fran had to tell the truth to what really happened to Max and the kids, who were all heartbroken from it. But with the help of the beloved Fran, after a few weeks they recovered from it.
8 MONTHS LATER
Niles pulled CC along the trail, the England sun filtering down on the couple as they walked through the park at Eton.
"Niles, what are you doing? You fly me to London, take me to a bunch of places we've already been, what's up with you?" she said as he pulled her farther, her hair that she grew out just past her shoulder in soft waves because she didn't care enough to straighten it.
Finally, they stopped at a familiar place, and CC smiled, remembering the place like it was yesterday.
1980
CC and Sara walked along the park, their books in their hands as they laughed, the two freshman at Eton learning their way around campus. Someway or another, possibly fate, CC tripped on a twig, sending herself, and her books toward the concrete below.
Preparing for the pain stricken fall, she was caught by a pair of muscular arms, her books skidding across the pavement in front of them. She looked up at the young man holding her, with bright blue eyes that matched her's and sandy blonde hair.
She quickly stood up to see the other boy with him, with black hair and dark green eyes.
"I'm so sorry," she said, walking toward her books. The boy with blue eyes smiled and picked them up for her.
"It was no problem," he said with a rich British accent, handing the books to her. CC smiled. He raised his hand to her.
"I'm Niles Brightmore," he said with warm smile that made her feel warm. She smiled back and shook his hand, a small tingle crawling up her arm.
"I'm Chastity Babcock,"
CC was torn from her thoughts as she felt the same tingle in her hand, and realized Niles had grabbed it, and pulled her to the exact spot where she had tripped on that twig.
"Do you remember?" he said softly, wrapping his arms around her as they both looked up at the tall weeping willow tree that the four of them used to study under. She smiled.
"Of course, it's where we first met," she said quietly.
Niles smiled, and pulled her under the tree, and they both sat down under it.
"I have something to show you," he said. She watched as he grabbed a stick, and started to dig into the earth under a root. To his pleasure, a few inches under the surface, was a white piece of paper, right where he left it. He smiled, pulled it out and handed it to her.
She grabbed it with hesitation, and looked at the tattered paper.
1980
Niles and Chastity
Forever Together
She smiled up at him, a tiny tear in her eye.
"I never remember writing this," she said, looking down at the paper. Niles smiled.
"Yes, that's because I wrote it, a few weeks after we met, I had a huge crush on you then, I was just to afraid to admit it. On the outside, I was always strong and protecting over Maxwell, but on the inside, I always got nervous when I was around you back then," he said, turning a little red.
CC laughed.
"I think it's adorable," she purred in his ear. He smiled again. When she looked back down at the paper, he silently pulled out a velvet box holding it in his hand.
"CC," he started, nervous. She looked up at him from the paper, he noticed how beautiful her eyes were as they were light in the sun. He smiled, lucky to love such a beautiful woman who loved him back.
"Yes, Niles," she said, smiling and grabbing his hand.
He showed the velvet box, and opened it to show a beautiful ring, just as big and gorgeous as Fran's. CC gasped, and covered her mouth.
"CC, I love you so much, from the first insult, to my last. I don't know what I would ever do if I don't make you mine sooner or later, will you marry me?" he asked, a smile growing on his face. CC smiled and nodded, letting him slip the ring onto her finger. Instead of saying something, she tightly hugged him, and matched her lips to his, not ever wanting to let him go.
EPILOGUE (Six Years Later):
"I think this is the college I want to go to!" Grace squealed as they walked out of the main hall of Eton. The two families, Sheffieds and Brightmores were in Winsdor to look around Eton for Grace, who was gladly accepted.
Fran squealed also, holding seven year old Eve in her arms. Maxwell smiled also, even though he was not excited to let his little girl move out. He looked at his youngest son, Jonah, who was smiling at his older sister.
"Are you sure you want to live this far away, darling?" he asked Grace, who looked back at him. She nodded.
"Of course, daddy! Niles and CC said that I could live with them while I'm out here!" she said, smiling at Niles.
Niles and CC moved out to London with their daughter, Sara, a few years after she was born, to run the Sheffield-Babcock Productions in London, while Maxwell worked with the one in New York. They often came back to New York though, at least once a month to handle with business and such, so they saw a lot of each other.
CC smiled at Grace as she switched five year old Sara to her other hip.
The young girl could pass as CC's twin if they were the same age. She had bright blonde hair, and stunning blue eyes just like her mother, with milky white skin.
After everything college based was settled, Niles, CC, and Sara headed over to to the famous willow tree where they met.
Niles smiled and held his wife's hand as he looked at his beautiful daughter.
All three of them watched as a pair of girls were walking on the sidewalk by the tree.
The tall blonde girl tripped on a stick, and fell into one of the arms of two passing boys. After he helped her stand, both of them smiled at each other. They introduced each other, and all four of the college students walked away, laughing and talking.
CC smiled and leaned into Niles. She looked at her daugher and kissed her forehead.
"Perfect," she said quietly, not taking her eyes off the two kids who were now exchanging phone numbers.
"Everything turned out perfect," she finished.
Looking up into the limbs of the willow tree, where the sun shown through, she smiled as a stray twig fell from the tree, and landed right in front of her feet. Looking closer at the twig, she saw six lines scratched into the limb, that formed a perfect heart.
Sara's favorite shape was a heart.