Oh my gosh,folks, this is it!I'm very sad to announce that another project of mine is finished!:( Maybe you're glad that I finally got it over and done with but well, I get kinda attached to these long projects!:/ This is also a ridiculously long chapter lol 6 A4 pages on word, coz there were a number of things that needed to be wrapped up!;) The mention of Billy Joel's "Always a Woman" is just a little tip of the hat to my favourite Niles and C.C. tribute video on youtube!;) I just want to thank all of you for bearing with me, to those who reviewed and to those who simply read!;) I might disappear for a little while but then I said the same after my oneshots project was finished...lol There is a new project that I will tackle though and the idea was provided by the lovely NilesLover101! I won't give anything away...only the fact that it'll be slightly different coz Niles and C.C. are already a couple!lol But yeah, I might take a couple of days off though first...to clear my mind or something. But I'm almost certain I'll be back soon, seeing as I can't get enough of those 2!;) For now I hope you enjoy this final chapter of 20 years and I hope I haven't disappointed you!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters but it is my greatest joy at the moment to borrow them and play with them!;)

Chapter 22: Childhood Memories and a Heart of Ice

"Mr. Brightmore?" a soft voice asked and he turned his attention away from the blonde woman who lay heavily sedated in his arms.

"Yes, Dr. Bort?" he asked quietly, almost certain that she had come to take him away.

"You have been with her since this happened, but it would be better for the both of you if you'd come with me now."

He sighed, ignoring his aching arm that was wrapped around C.C.'s shoulder.

"I can't, I caused all this…you can't expect me to abandon her now."

"You're not abandoning her, but you need to get some sleep. It is also vital that Miss Babcock regains consciousness without anyone she knows present, it might agitate her further and I can't allow that until I know how bad this nervous breakdown is." she explained carefully.

He nodded, afraid to do more harm. So he gently removed his arm and made sure C.C. rested comfortably on the bed, before following the Dr. outside.

"Go home and get some sleep," she repeated, squeezing his hand "and we can talk more tomorrow."

C.C. was returning from a lovely walk by the sea. She knew her grandmother hated it when she went out all by herself, but she was 10 years old after all, certainly mature enough to do things on her own. She spotted her nana's white house which stood in perfect contrast to the darkening sky and sighed, spending her summer holidays here was almost as good as Easter at her other house in the countryside. As she flung the front door open, the smile on her face instantly died as she saw the seriousness in her grandmother's eyes.

"Chastity Claire Babcock, where have you been? I was worried sick about you!" and despite her chiding tone, she pulled C.C. into a fierce embrace.

"I'm sorry grandmamma, I played at the beach and lost track of time." she apologized.

"Well Missy, looks like we'll have to buy you a watch real soon." The older woman said teasingly and thus signaled the end of the lecture.

"Besides," C.C. continued, dropping her voice to a whisper "there was this really cute boy at the beach today."

"Antony?"

"No, not him…someone else I haven't seen and grandmamma he has the most gorgeous eyes!" she gushed, excitedly playing with her skirt.

"And did you talk to him?"

"Yes, I told him to buy me a soda and when he didn't do it I told him he had to coz I'm a Babcock," suddenly she looked sad "but he only threw sand at me, laughed and ran away."

"Well, Chas, you have to learn that you can't get everything just by dropping your name."

"But mother says…"

"I know," Claire answered coolly "but I'm afraid your mother is wrong."

C.C. awoke with a start, the memory of the boy's blue eyes and the wonderful smell of her nana's clothes still surrounding her. When her eyes had adjusted to the darkness she realized that she wasn't at her grandma's anymore. She appeared to be at a hospital, she didn't know why, the only thing she knew was that she was hurting rather badly.

"Grandmamma?" she cried, certain that the old woman was near.

But when no-one answered she began to cry louder… Why was she alone? Didn't anyone care about her? Light flooded into the room and two men rushed in, dressed like doctors.

"Mrs. Babcock, are you alright?" they asked.

She just stared at them wordlessly… why were they addressing her mother, when the only person in the room was her?

"Please, Sir, I want to see my nana." she pleaded.

"I'm sorry, she isn't here." The other man replied.

"But she has to be! She'd never leave me here alone!" C.C. yelled, becoming agitated.

"Hush, calm down." One man whispered, while the other one prepared an injection.

Didn't they know how much she hated needles? Working herself into a panic, she began to thrash about in the bed, crying and scratching them when they got near her.

"Let me go, please." she sobbed, but the man wouldn't let go off her.

Niles entered the Presbyterian hospital the next morning feeling worried and exhausted. Upon his arrival at the Sheffield residence he had gotten into a fight with Maxwell about his treatment concerning C.C. Afterwards he hadn't been able to sleep very well…the few times he had succeeded he had dreamed of her lying in bed, all by herself, completely frightened and disoriented. Dr. Bort met him at the reception and they both walked into an empty room she had rented for a couple of hours.

"How is she?" was his first question.

Dr. Bort took a seat and studied him quietly.

"She is very scared…she woke up last night asking for her grandmother and had to be sedated again."

"This is not acceptable!" Niles yelled, jumping to his feet "I trusted you to take care of her and now they have probably scared her even more."

"Mr. Brightmore, you have to calm down."

"No, dammit! I wanted to stay with her, but you told me to go home!"

"She would've reacted the same way…if not worse, if she had found you asleep next to her." Dr. Bort said quietly.

"I know…you're right, I'm sorry." he sighed, taking deep calming breaths and sitting down again.

"What happened yesterday?" the woman asked him gently.

"She was confronted with the possibility of losing her job and she just snapped."

"I'm almost certain there is more, Mr. Brightmore, if you'd be willing to tell me?" she probed.

"Yes, I…you see, this is all my fault. There was this terrible misunderstanding… C.C. and I were getting so much closer ever since I had that heart attack and well, one day I asked her out on a date and she agreed. I was so happy because…well, because I love her," he whispered, averting his gaze as he felt a blush creep up his neck "but then I overheard a conversation between her and Maxwell, our boss. He mentioned paying her to be nice to a man…and the description and the way she talked about that man…well, it fitted me perfectly. The betrayal hurt so much that I got into such a rage I.."

"You stood her up?"

"No, if only…I told her I'd only been nice to her out of pity…that she was crazy to even think I'd like her." he said, burying his face in his hands.

"I can't tell you in detail, because it's confidential, Mr. Brightmore, but this evening was very important to Miss Babcock, a lot depended on it."

"That's when it all started…C.C. was so vulnerable, but then proceeded to work longer and harder and Maxwell was so occupied, he just got engaged, you see, so she was…"

"All alone." Dr. Bort finished, nodding her head.

"But why is she talking about her grandmother now?" Niles asked confusedly.

"Claire Babcock has always been a safe person, someone who showed her unconditional love, so naturally she'd retreat to that part of her childhood."

"Can I do anything that would help her remember?"

"You can't force it, Mr. Brightmore, be patient and she'll return to you eventually."

"Can I see her now?"

Niles was scared when he opened the door that led to C.C.'s room. He didn't know what to expect and was worried, at the same time, that she'd suddenly remember what he had done to her. She was sitting in an armchair, feet tucked beneath her bum, staring out of the window.

"C.C.?" he asked softly.

She turned around to face him, a curious look in her light-blue eyes.

"Funny, your eyes are like the one of that boy."

He stood rooted to the spot, uncertain of what to say.

"He wouldn't tell me his name though." she pouted.

"Well, maybe I am that boy." Niles suggested carefully, deciding to play along.

"No, silly! You are much too old, you could be his father!" and she suddenly gasped "That's it, isn't it? You are his father! He probably told you about the way I treated him…I'm really sorry, Sir, I shouldn't have ordered him around."

"That's quite alright." Niles said gently, approaching her.

"You should talk to him about his manners though, he did throw sand at me! And I can tell you now, if he does that again, I will not hold back!"

Niles chuckled lightly, crouching down in front of the arm chair.

"I will tell him that, he has to learn to control his temper."

"I agree." C.C. said with a radiant smile.

"I have to show him how to treat you like a lady."

"Oh no, please don't!" she suddenly shrieked "Mother always tells me to spend time with gentlemen, but they are really boring! But I want to have fun!"

"I'm Niles, by the way." he introduced himself, careful not to push her.

"Niles? That's a stuffy name." she said, covering her mouth with her hand when she realized what she had said.

"You're quite right, C.C." he said, laughing softly.

"C.C.? I'm called Chastity Claire, Chas for short."

"I will remember that, Chas." he said, nodding.

"How do you know my name?" she suddenly asked, glaring at him suspiciously.

"Y-Your grandmother told me." he lied, nervousness growing in his stomach.

"You know grandmamma? Do you know where she is? The doctors say she isn't here…but she promised not to leave me alone."

Terrified by the alarm in her voice, he quickly reached for her hands.

"She didn't leave you alone, Chas." he said soothingly "She just had to find someone to take care of the house and in the meantime she sent me to take care of you. Is that alright?"

"Yes…"C.C. conceded, nodding slowly "I guess that's fine…you're kinda fun."

He returned home that day, feeling somewhat relieved. Her retreat to her childhood clearly wasn't positive and yet one of the better things that could've happened. He had been afraid that she'd be a nervous wreck, unable to express any emotion or thought, but at least she was still capable of that.

"Niles?" his employer asked, emerging in the den upon having heard the door close.

"Yes." he sighed, not really in the mood to face Maxwell yet.

"How is she doing?"

Niles hung up his coat while pondering whether or not to ask him if he actually cared, but then decided not to, he was too tired to fight.

"She's doing alright, considering the circumstances."

"Did she talk to you?" Maxwell asked.

"Yes, she did…but she isn't herself. She currently believes she's a little girl and that her grandma has brought her to the hospital because she's been hurting."

Maxwell looked shocked to say the least.

"You will understand, Sir, if I take a couple of hours off every day." Niles said, walking towards the kitchen because he didn't really expect an answer.

"But Niles, you have certain duties-" he stopped, when his butler whirled around, glaring at him.

"You are just as responsible for this as I am, Maxwell Sheffield, so you will surely understand that I will go and visit her." he said coolly and this time he could continue walking without further interruptions.

Maxwell avoided the kitchen for the rest of the day, knowing that Niles was hiding there, only Fran was brave enough to enter.

"Honey, ya know I don't wanna bother you, the kids and I could just really use a little nosh."

He gave an almost unnoticeable nod and continued to stare at the table.

"Ya know, this scene looks kinda familiar." Fran spoke up again, setting several sandwiches down beside him.

"What do you mean?" he asked quietly, looking up at her.

"Miss Babcock was in the same state when you had your heart attack."

Niles involuntarily smiled at that, relishing the feeling that she had cared.

"It was really scary; it was almost as if she was human."

"She is, Miss Fine." Niles said emphatically.

"If I didn't know it betta, mistah, I'd say you got it bad." Fran said, rubbing his back.

"I do." he admitted silently.

"Then you betta do ya darndest to show her that." Fran told him and he nodded.

"I will, Miss Fine, I will."

She gave him an encouraging smile and piled up all the food in her arm, heading for the kitchen door.

"And Niles, you betta don't take it back afterwards."

The next morning he found himself at the hospital again, this time it was his turn to wait for Dr. Bort. Ten minutes later the young woman hurried towards the lobby, looking very disheveled.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Mr. Brightmore," she apologized, closing her umbrella "it's quite a weather out there, isn't it?"

He smiled at her and then proceeded to follow her down a corridor. They walked in silence until they reached the same office they had been in the previous day.

"After you." Dr. Bort said, holding the door open for him.

He waited patiently for her to take off her coat and sit down.

"So tell me, how did it go yesterday?" she asked while cleaning her glasses.

"Well, she didn't seem to mind my presence; however, neither did she really remember me." he explained.

"Yes, I didn't expect anything else." Dr. Bort nodded.

"She told me that my eyes reminded her of those of a little boy she had met that day, but she was disappointed because he hadn't told her his name and she was appalled, because he had thrown sand at her. Then she asked me if I was the boy's father and I said yes."

At this point Niles looked up, wondering if the therapist would approve.

"How did she react to that?" Dr. Bort asked.

"She seemed fine, I think she wanted me to be the boy's father…not really wanted…but when she asked me she sounded very sure of it."

"Then what's bothering you, Mr. Brightmore?"

"I don't know…something about this little boy…he has my eyes and he behaves like me." he stated carefully.

"You don't mean to tell me that you and Miss Babcock knew each other when you were children, do you?"

Niles nearly laughed at that, wondering if the therapist was imagining a fated love story.

"No, I'm pretty certain we didn't, I was just wondering if that boy is real and if his features are merely a coincidence."

"That's quite possible, but it can also be that she is mixing her childhood memories with the memories of you and her grown-up life"

"Do you think that's what this it?"

"I can't tell you that for sure, Mr. Brightmore, and I won't be able to until I have discussed this with Miss Babcock, but of course I can't do that until she-"

"She's back, I know." he said.

Niles regularly visited C.C., eager to learn more about her, and just as intent on making sure she was alright. Then one day, after another session with Dr. Bort, he entered the room to find that something had changed. First of all C.C. was still in her pajamas and her hair was braided and secondly something was different about the way she looked at him.

"Chas?" he asked quietly.

"Did Sara tell you my name?" she snapped, narrowing her eyes.

He racked his brain, trying to remember everything C.C. had told him about Sara and how they had met.

"Yes." he tried, seeing as it was the safest option.

"I can't believe her, after I've told her several times that boys aren't allowed to-" she suddenly stopped, eyeing him closely once again "You do know that you only get a kiss when you've solved three puzzles."

"What makes you think that's what I'm here for?" he asked, approaching her carefully.

"You think I'm stupid, do you? It's obvious: you are a very handsome man, clearly terribly well-bred and you've brought me flowers." she said bluntly, pointing at the bouquet in his hand.

"Touché." he conceded, taking off the wrapping paper and picked up a vase the nurse had already put on her nightstand for him.

"Lilies, they're my favourite." C.C. suddenly exclaimed, sounding very excited "How did you know?"

"I know a lot about you, Chas." he said softly, emerging from the bathroom where he had filled the vase with water.

"Don't flatter yourself, blue-eyes." she said firmly, though the slight smile on her face and the glint in her eyes suggested otherwise "You still have to solve three puzzles to get that kiss."

"What if I were to tell you that I've already solved two?" he asked, sitting down on her bed.

"I'd say you're mad. Can you prove it?"

"Just ask me again." he said softly, smiling at her.

"Alright, what does C.C. stand for?"

"Chastity Claire, Claire after your grandmother." he replied in an instant.

Her eyes widened for a second before she begrudgingly nodded.

"The second," he spoke, before she had the chance "was different for me, I brought you back that teddy that Sara always steals from you."

For a brief moment recognition lit up her face.

"Alright, you were telling the truth."

"Then will you give me the final puzzle?" he carefully asked.

She considered this thoroughly for a moment, before she nodded.

"It's neither heaven nor is it earth, It closes but is always open, It's between animals and men, Though small it holds the key."

It took him a moment to collect his thoughts, seeing as he hadn't expected a proper riddle.

"Trying to be the Sphinx?" he asked her, but she only laughed.

"Solve it and you get that kiss. But in the meantime, I don't want to see you." she said and he rose to his feet.

"Very well, there's one more thing, I brought this for you." he said, pulling her jewelry box out of his trouser pocket.

"Thank you." she said, after having studied it carefully.

He had originally brought it along because she, or little C.C., had asked him to, but now he was forced to make up another reason. He had no idea what she kept in that box, only that it seemed of great importance.

He spent several days working on that puzzle, as well as discussing it with Dr. Bort, without any result, however. Then one night, while he mused about the contents of her jewelry box he had a sudden idea.

"A treasure chest." he muttered quietly.

The chest could be closed, yet without a key it was never locked, open so to speak. His instinctive reaction told him that this was the right answer, he couldn't put his finger on it, but he was certain that this was correct. The following day while he was dusting, he said the puzzle aloud, trying to make more sense of it.

"What's that, Niles?" Grace asked him, who was doing her homework in the same room.

"It's a riddle, Miss Grace." he explained.

"It's quite difficult though, wouldn't you say?" she asked in return, smiling nonetheless.

"It is, but I think I've solved one part."

"Oh I know, so have I. Between animal and men is simple, right? It's clearly a farm of some kind." she babbled happily.

And with that simple answer, Niles suddenly knew the solution, or part of it.

"Grace, tell your father I've taken the day off." Niles instructed, already on his way to find the telephone.

"Dr. Bort?" he asked, while putting on his coat "This is Niles, I've solved the puzzle! Whatever it is that I have to get will be at Claire Babcock's house."

"But where is that?" Dr. Bort asked.

"I'm on my way to C.C.'s place now to find out."

A couple of hours later he was in the car, heading to Pennsylvania. It didn't matter how long he'd have to drive, all he knew was that he had to find that answer. He thought about the remaining verses that still didn't make any sense, but something told him he'd find out once he got there. For the time being there was nothing he could do and so he turned up the radio volume and listened to Billy Joel's "Always a Woman".

In the meantime C.C. was sitting on her bed, toying with the jewelry box that strange man had brought her. Something had kept her from opening it so far, but she couldn't forget the familiarity of the man's smile and his blue eyes and so she finally decided to open it. Inside she found a beautiful pearl necklace and several earrings. She looked at each piece carefully, before setting them down on the table. The last object that caught her attention was a small silver necklace, whose charm was a broom. Something stirred inside her as she let it glide through her fingers. And before she could stop herself she was crying, her heart aching with a longing so strong she couldn't bear.

"Niles.." she whispered, as her eyes focused on the necklace once more.

About an hour later she found herself in therapy. She sat in an armchair, trying to feel comfortable enough to address Dr. Bort who was facing her.

"When did this happen?" she finally asked.

"About a week ago." Dr. Bort answered "You were overwhelmed by everything that had happened, you couldn't cope anymore and so your mind simply shut down."

C.C. took her time processing this piece of information and took a sip from the water that had been placed next to her.

"I remember talking to Niles, has he been with me often?"

"Every day." Dr. Bort said, unable to hide her smile.

C.C. looked down at the necklace that was now gracing her throat and wondered if the pain upon hearing his name would ever go away.

"Where is he now?"

"On his way to Pennsylvania, do you remember giving him a puzzle to solve?"

"Yes, the third one…it's what I used to do with boys. Solve three puzzles and you get a kiss. But wait a moment, why is he on his way to Pennsylvania?"

"Because he said he had found the solution…and whatever it is he will find it at your grandmother's house."

"That's impossible." C.C. said firmly.

"Now, Miss Babcock, why don't you give the man a chance?"

"You don't understand, it is completely impossible." she repeated angrily "It's true, this is the last puzzle I'd give to those who had come far enough…but it is also impossible to solve. It was my way of keeping them away, there wasn't a solution, so naturally they couldn't come back to claim that kiss."

"It seems Niles is certain though that the answer can be found at your grandmother's place." Dr. Bort said again, eyeing her closely.

"The only thing he could find is my old memory box." C.C. said coolly.

"If you were aware, all along, that there wasn't a solution, then why did you give him that puzzle?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's my way of getting rid of him…I think he's hurt me quite enough." she stubbornly said, wrapping her arms around her body.

"Then why, Miss Babcock, are you wearing his necklace? And why did I detect the slightest sign of excitement when I mentioned that he had solved the puzzle?"

Niles stood leaning against his car, looking at an old farm building. He knew he should've been happy, for apparently Grace's clue had been correct and yet he felt an odd sense of helplessness as his eyes took in the vast estate. Finally forcing himself to move, he entered the main building in search for Claire, surely she would be able to help him.

"Excuse me," he asked a young man who was just passing him by "could you tell me where I can find Claire?"

"Claire who?"

"Claire Babcock, she owns this house, if I'm not mistaken."

"I'm afraid so, Sir, Mrs. Babcock passed away several years ago… my father now owns this farm."

"Oh," Niles mumbled pathetically, incredibly disappointed by this set-back "Then would you mind if I went for a walk here?"

"No, fine by me. Just stay out of everyone's way coz we're working here, alright?"

"Yes, of course." Niles agreed.

He didn't know where to start but the main building was clearly out of the question now, after all it was illegal to go snooping around in someone else's rooms. He sighed softly and strode back outside, heading towards the meadows where horses were grazing. There he stood for several moments, watching them and trying to sort his thoughts when suddenly another building caught his eye. It looked like an old deserted stable, at least it was one building he could surely enter. It was dark inside, the only light source coming from the large wooden doors he had just opened. The smell of hay tickled his nose and made him sneeze, but he continued to wander around, until he reached a ladder.

"It's neither haven nor is it earth…" he muttered, suddenly getting an idea.

If he climbed up to the first floor he wouldn't be standing on earth anymore, yet it clearly wasn't heaven either. The only trouble was that upstairs there was even less light, causing him to wander around blindly. He was just about to give up when his foot caught on something and he fell to his knees. Swearing under his breath, he felt in the dark to find what had tripped him and to his surprise he found a handle that was sticking out from a ball of hay. He pulled on it until a large object landed in his hands and with that he climbed back down the ladder to examine it in day light. A crazy gurgling laugh escaped his throat when he realized what he had found. There in the Babcock stable C.C. had really hidden a treasure chest. Of course, he couldn't be absolutely certain that it was hers until he had opened it. Inside he found a number of unreadable letters and old shells, but also strangely hard against his skin, the rough edges of a photograph. He turned it around and saw a younger version of C.C. smiling at him, her brother and sister by her side and her parents standing behind them. B.B. Babcock proudly hugged her older daughter, while Stuart Babcock had one hand on C.C.'s shoulder and the other one on Noel's. He flipped it around again, trying to read the little note he had missed before.

"Dear C.C., happy sixth birthday. We will always love you."

Niles swallowed and although he wasn't sure that this was the right object, he pocketed it and returned to his car.

By the time he made it back to New York City it was late at night. He felt nervous and anxious and yet determined to see her.

"Chas?" he asked quietly, entering the dark room.

"Go away, Niles." she replied coolly.

"C.C.?" he asked confused, wondering if she had returned.

"I told you to leave." she repeated.

"I solved the puzzle you gave me." he tried, rounding the bed to see her face.

"I really couldn't care less, now what does it take to get you out of here?" she hissed.

"A lot more than that." he whispered, crouching down in front of her.

"Look, I will call the doctors if you attempt to-"

"Hurt you again?" he finished her sentence, arching an eyebrow.

"Don't flatter yourself, Niles." she said coldly "It takes a lot more to hurt me."

"C.C., you were hurt by my foolish actions, because I suddenly made you believe I didn't love you, but-"

"Enough!" she shrieked, jumping into a sitting position "Go now!"

He sighed, pained by the anguish that lingered so clearly on her face and reluctantly he got to his feet and headed towards the door. But one last look at her changed his mind again, she sat knees drawn to her chest, hugging herself…looking completely lost.

"No." he said to himself and turned around again "You're just afraid, C.C."

"Bullshit." she snapped, looking anywhere but into his deep blue eyes.

"The last puzzle, it's this." he explained, extracting the photograph from his breast pocket.

C.C. stared at it for a moment, seemingly unmoved, but Niles registered every little nuance in her eyes.

"You're still that little girl, C.C., afraid to be loved."

"You don't know what you're talking about." she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.

He carefully took her hands in his and ran his thumb soothingly over her skin.

"You're scared that you might not be good enough, that the love will be taken from you again. After all it's what your mother did when she chose D.D. over you and what your father did when he neglected you."

"So now that you've told me I'm all alone, can you leave?" she pressed through gritted teeth.

"No." he replied, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth "I'm going to stay here until you believe that not everyone is like this. That people might disappoint you, but that they still love you."

"Very moving, Romeo." she said sarcastically.

"It took you 20 years to fall in love with me, C.C., 20 years to admit it…so why back away now?" he asked softly.

"I-I don't love you." she stammered.

"Alright," he agreed, inclining his head "but you haven't hated me and I certainly haven't hated you for the last 20 years."

"Niles, don't you see you've lost? You wasted all these years!"

"I refuse to believe that." he said evenly.

"Then you're an idiot." she sighed.

"I thought we'd already established that." he teased carefully.

"You're annoying." she muttered.

"Or persistent?" he asked, sitting down on the bed facing her.

"Just stubborn." she said, placing her hands on his chest to stop him from getting too close.

"Or charming?" he asked, carefully moving closer and despite her intentions C.C.'s hands moved up to his shoulders, until her arms were wrapped around his neck.

He rested his face against hers again, like he had done that night at the hospital after his heart attack.

"I love you, C.C." he simply said.

"Mmh," she hummed and the feeling of her lips pressed against his cheek made him shiver "you are crazy."

"So are you." he teased back, placing a tender kiss on the corner of her mouth.

"The least you could do is kiss me properly, Butler Boy." she whispered, but before the last word had left her mouth his lips were already upon her.

The kiss was soft and gentle, as he took his time to get them reacquainted.

"And what do we do now?" she asked, once they had pulled away for air.

"We've spent 20 years getting this far and now you're hurrying me?" he mocked and she rolled her eyes while scooting over to make room for him on the bed.

"I'm serious, Niles."

"So am I, love," he replied sincerely "now we just wait and enjoy each other's company for the time being."

She shyly smiled up at him and nodded, enjoying the feeling of his strong arms around her.

"Welcome back, witch." he softly said, his eyes lingering on her necklace.

She blushed before a grin swept over her face.

"Welcome home, Butler Boy."

And with that she buried her face in his shirt.