Chapter 17
He would have never imagined that waking up with an acute neck pain would make him feel so good. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes, was his daughter lying next to him, with her head on his lap.
And right in front of him, lay his fiancée, wrapped in a blanket and fast asleep.
Right there was his family... his girls. The girls he loved with all his heart and soul. He didn't want to give this up... this was everything good and wholesome in life. Right there, sleeping soundly, was his everything. He only hoped that it wasn't about to be taken away from him...
He didn't want to get up just then. It was still a little early, and both C.C. and Amelia were still asleep. They'd be wanting breakfast soon enough, but for now he was just going to enjoy watching them sleep. He was going to burn this moment into his consciousness. The last, dying hours of his time as Amelia's father.
He didn't know how long the peace lasted, but eventually C.C. stirred awake, and groaned. No doubt she had a stiff neck, too. She gave him a soft smile as her eyes fluttered open, and she reached up to gently lean over Amelia and kiss him good morning.
"Hey, Sleeping Beauty," she murmured.
He wasn't really in the mood for fun in that way, but he did appreciate her attempt at cheering him up.
"I have something for you," she continued before he could speak. "You can see it when Amelia gets up to go get dressed."
Well, now he was awake and intrigued. What could she possibly have?
He moved closer to her, curiosity curling around his thoughts like a vine. Part of him needed a distraction – something to take the edge off the dreadful morning that lay ahead. He prayed for forbearance; he was going to need it if things didn't turn out the way he hoped. It was almost ironic, he thought – he was days away from getting married to the love of his life, and yet a simple phone call had been enough to vanish all the blithesome happiness that had dwelt in his heart. It had been replaced by dread and a dark sense of foreboding that he couldn't get rid of.
Amelia was his child – his little girl… he didn't want her to be taken away from him. But Amelia had the last word when it came to deciding who was to be her father. Not him, nor C.C. – Amelia. One word from her part and his whole world would come apart at the seams. One word and everything would be over.
But it wasn't over just yet. Amelia Hadn't pronounced her verdict. These, he knew, were his last hours as a father.
"Mommy?" a small, groggy voice said, immediately followed by a yawn.
Amelia was awake. He must have awoken her when he moved closer to C.C., Niles thought.
"Morning, sweetie," C.C. smiled down at her little girl, who looked up at her, eyes still bleary with sleep.
It took her some moments to understand exactly where she was, but when she did, her brow furrowed.
"We fell asleep on the sofa..." Amelia said, sitting up so she could stretch.
"We all did," Niles said, smiling. Or, at least, trying to smile – one last effort to conceal his pain from his child. "It seems we had a little too much fun last night."
"And you didn't invite me?" C.C. piped up, feigning offence. She turned her back to both Niles and Amelia. "I am deeply offended!"
Father and daughter exchanged a smirk and both of them wrapped their arms around her.
"Sorry, Mommy! It's just that Daddy said you had a headache," Amelia said.
C.C.'s smile twitched ever so slightly. She had to admit that Niles had resorted to a good tactic. Explaining Amelia the real reason behind why she had gone to bed early hadn't been an option for Niles, so he had recurred to an innocent lie.
Well... to be fair and considering the stress of the previous day, she actually had suffered from a headache.
"Oh... of course! I forgot about that. How silly of me…" she said, going back to sporting a beaming smile as she leaned over to hug her. "You were taking care of me! How considerate of you."
"Of course, Mommy!"
C.C. couldn't help it – she pressed her nose to her daughter's hair and she breathed in her smell. It was bittersweet, for she could detect a faint trace of Niles' scent, too. Amelia had slept against him, so it only made sense…
It reminded her of what was at stake. Her family. Her way of living…
She hadn't considered herself a resentful person since the breakdown, but right then she felt the loathing for Patrick creeping up. She tried to distract herself by gently poking her child on the side, eliciting peals of delighted laughter from Mia.
If happiness had a sound, both parents knew that's how it'd sound.
"Stop, Mommy, stop!" Mia said in between laughs and as she tried to break free of her mother's grasp. "It tickles! Daddy, help!"
With one, swift movement, Niles expertly snatched the girl from her mother's arms, laughing a bit in spite of himself. He then jolted to his feet and dashed to the other end of the room – and for a moment, as he ran, he actually allowed himself to be happy.
"Back away, you Tickle Monster!" he said pressing himself against the wall right next to the staircase and deepening his voice so as to make Amelia laugh. "And you, princess Mia of New York, run upstairs and get dressed! I shall distract the monster!"
"Okay!" the little girl cheerfully scurried away, blissfully unaware of what was about to happen.
The couple watched her go as she climbed the stair, the hubbub that had reigned in the living room for the past cheerful minutes. Silence made its sudden appearance the moment the sound of her bedroom door closing echoed through the mansion, and Niles turned to face C.C., his smile not quite gone but slightly dimmed. He noticed fiancée had already gotten to her feet and had gone over to the bookshelf to retrieve...her camera?
He dragged himself back to the sofa and plopped himself down on it as C.C. scuttled back to him without saying a word. She soon joined him and snuggled by his side as she turned on the camera.
What on Earth was she doing? Surely this wasn't a time to take photos? Was...was this what she said she wanted to show him? What was on that camera? C.C. pressed a button to take the little device to the screen where a person could view their saved pictures, and she turned it around to present it to him.
"Here," she said simply.
Niles stared, in no small amount of awe. She'd taken a picture of him and Amelia from the night before, snuggled on the sofa like any other father and daughter. Like there was nothing wrong with the world, and like Niles hadn't been dreading the morning.
"I thought that I should keep this moment somewhere," C.C. explained, almost ready to burst into tears. "To show you that, no matter what happens later, this isn't going anywhere. We both still love you, and no one can take what you have away. It's right here, forever."
And, damn it, she did burst into tears! And so did Niles. They were a family, and the fear of everything falling apart was more than a little scary – it was more like it was terrifying. Niles knew he was loved, but until Amelia hadn't made her choice, he'd simply feel that he had partially lost his family. Until the girl hadn't explicitly said that she wanted him, he'd feel like he was more of a replacement – a substitute – for her real father.
"Thank you," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. "Not just for the picture but also for giving me the opportunity to be part of this family in the first place. Because, regardless of what happens today, you will always be my family."
She held him just as tight as he was holding her. They had to get through this together...
"No, thank you, for wanting to be part of it," she replied.
They shared one heartfelt kiss before moving to the kitchen and getting breakfast started. They tried to compose themselves while they prepared the table and the food. Actually, they appeared to be completely fine by the time Amelia returned to the kitchen. She was delighted to find out her parents had prepared her favourite food and had put extra marshmallows in her hot chocolate. It was almost enviable just how blissfully unaware she was...
Unawareness, however, wasn't eternal. God knows C.C. wished she could keep Amelia ignorant of this, but it wouldn't be right...
She had to be strong.
And so, when they had all finished their meals, C.C. hesitantly reached out for Amelia's hand and grasped it.
"Sweetie?" C.C. began. "Could we talk for a little while?"
Her countenance became one of worry as she looked between her parents. Had she done something? Was she in trouble?
"Uh... I..."
"You did nothing wrong," C.C. was quick to add, sensing her daughter's unease. "But I have to talk to you about... about your birth father."
Amelia's eyes widened. Seldom did her mother mention the father who had put her in her Mommy's belly. She remembered C.C. had told her that she didn't know how to find him, and shortly before her Mommy had started dating her Daddy, she had first explained to her the term "birth father". She had told her that a birth father was the man who puts the baby in the mommy. C.C. had then added that, even if her Daddy wasn't her birth father, Niles was still her father. No matter what.
"My... my birth father?" the girl stuttered.
"Mh-hm," C.C. nodded. "Remember I told you I didn't know where he is? Well, he found us and I talked to him yesterday."
An indescribable look spread across the girl's features, and Niles thought he might die from the suspense alone. He couldn't tell what she was thinking at all. A horrible, hideous part of him said that any moment now, an excited smile would spread across her face. She'd bounce up and down in her chair, wanting to know everything her mother and father had talked about. She'd want to meet him as soon as possible, and then it would be over.
Why did time have to stand still right at that moment? It was best over and done with quickly, like ripping off a Band-Aid.
Eventually – far too late for his like – the little girl spoke.
"Oh," she considered again, and then looked up at her mother. "What did he want?"
That was...not what Niles had been fearing at all. Amelia was oddly calm about it being suggested that her birth father could come into her life. She only showed a little curiosity, and that was it...
"He...wants to meet you," C.C. managed to get out. "I told him I'd ask what you wanted first, and he agreed to wait until you'd decided. So...I'm asking. Would you like to meet your birth father?"
Niles held his breath. Any second now. One word from her, and it was all over.
Of course, he'd have to compose himself in front of Amelia, but the second he was out of the room and on his own, he was going to let his whole world crumble around him.
That's what it would feel like anyway.
The girl's brow furrowed again.
She had spent a great part of her short life wondering about where her birth father was, but now... now she wasn't sure that she wanted to know anything about him. What was more – Amelia began to feel angry. Angry at the man who had put her in her Mommy's belly.
"Did he tell you why he took so long?" Amelia blurted out. "How did he find us now?"
Her words felt like a slap to Niles' face. She was wondering why he hadn't come earlier... and despite the anger in the girl's voice, he couldn't help but feel that, as soon as they had discussed why Patrick had taken so long, she'd ask to meet him.
And he'd be left behind, missing the daughter that had once been his.
"Well...uh ... remember I told you that he didn't know about you?" C.C. said, feeling an ever-growing urge to cry. "Well, we had no idea how to find each other and he only found us when he saw out picture on the newspaper. Remember? The newspaper people taking pictures of us when we went to the theatre the other day?"
Amelia nodded.
"Well, that's how he knew. And he called me and asked me if he could see you."
Amelia grimaced and fidgeted on her chair. She was clearly upset, and it was tearing at C.C.'s heart to have to put her in this situation...
"If... if I meet him," the girl began, casting her eyes to the floor. "Will I... will I have to call him Daddy? Because I don't wanna call him Daddy... my Daddy is Niles," she made a pause, almost as if considering something, and her face suddenly became worried. "You are still are Daddy, right?"
And relief flooded Niles' heart, making his chest want to burst with joy.
He immediately took to the floor next to Amelia's chair, kneeling on the tiles and placing a hand on her arm as he ignored the tears in his eyes, "I am...if you want me to be."
His daughter – still his daughter! – was tearing up, too as she nodded, "Yeah...yeah, I do. I don't care if he put me in Mommy's belly. I don't want him, I want you."
Then she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, and that was the final straw for Niles' tears. They couldn't be stopped as he held onto his little girl for dear life, stroking her hair and picking her up to rock her from side to side.
She didn't want Patrick...he still had his family, whole and complete...it wasn't going anywhere...
C.C. watched the scene unfold as the tears streamed down her cheeks. Mia had chosen, and she'd chosen exactly what she had hoped. Their family wasn't breaking apart, it was going to be stronger than ever...!
So she rushed over and threw her arms around them both – her fiancé, and their little girl. Niles gave them both sound kisses on the forehead, and the family held each other in silence for some time, just taking in the peace that had washed over them all when Amelia had made her decision.
But there was something still left unanswered about the whole scenario, and, wiping her eyes, C.C. pulled away so she could ask.
"So what should we tell him?" she sniffed. "He'll be waiting for an answer."
She looked at her daughter, who was clinging to Niles like she would never let go. The sight made her feel somewhat relieved, but at the same time she was still nervous about what the girl would say.
C.C. swallowed, and tried again, "Do you want to meet your birth father, Amelia?"
The little girl shrank against Niles and shook her head, "Not if I have to call him Daddy, because he's not..."
"Oh, sweetie, you wouldn't have to..." C.C. stroked her daughter's cheek brushing away a tear. "I'd never ask you to do something like that if you didn't want to...!"
"But he might," the girl replied. "Maybe I'll see him when I'm older, and he won't try to make me. But not now. And I won't call him it ever, because he's not."
C.C. let out a sigh, continuing to stroke her daughter's face.
"Alright," she nodded, trying to manage a smile after all the emotions that had been surging through the room.
Her daughter had made her decision. She'd see Patrick when she was older. There was the answer. For now, all Mia clearly wanted was to spend time with the man she had chosen to be her father.
"I can say hi if he wants to," Amelia added, almost as if voicing a sudden second thought. "On the phone I mean... but I won't call him Daddy."
Niles smiled down at his little girl. She had chosen him... and even if she wasn't refusing to have contact with Patrick, she still preferred to be cautious with this new man. He wasn't going to lie, he was positively thrilled about Amelia having chosen him over her biological father. Patrick surely was a decent man, but he had never been in Amelia's life – at this point, he was more of a father to Amelia than the Scottish would ever be. He had been in her life since she was five, seen her grow, taken care of her...
He was her father.
Biology be damned.
"Well, your Mommy promised to phone him today, so you can say hi to him if you really want to. But remember, you don't have to do it if you don't want to," Niles explained, stroking her hair.
"Mh-hm," the girl nodded, burrowing her face into Niles' neck. "I wanna do it. But could you stay with me while we talk?" Amelia asked.
"We sure can!" he reassured her. "We will do everything the way you feel most comfortable with."
Amelia nodded again. She felt safe in her Daddy's embrace, and there was a part of her that didn't want to let go. He loved her and she loved him – they were a family, and that wasn't going to change.
"Okay..." the girl mumbled, "How should I call him when we speak on the phone?"
C.C. and Niles exchanged a look. It was almost as though they'd wordlessly agreed on how to reply to Amelia's question.
"You can call him Patrick," C.C. said without hesitation and looking at her daughter in the eyes. "That's his name, so I'm sure he won't mind."
Well... she wasn't so sure about that last part, but at this point it wasn't relevant – Amelia had made her choice, and her Daddy was Niles, not Patrick. Period.
"Okay... can I talk to him now?" Amelia asked. "I just want this to be over…"
C.C. frowned. This was stressing Amelia… but she understood her daughter's desire to just get it over and done with. And even if the idea of Amelia talking to Patrick didn't exactly sit well with her, she wasn't about to deny her child the right to speak with her birth father. However, she still wanted to communicate Amelia's decision to Patrick before he was allowed to talk to Amelia.
"Well... let me just phone him first and I'll call you when he is ready to talk, okay?" C.C. said as she rose to her feet. "Meanwhile, why don't you and Daddy go to the living room and watch those cartoons you like so much, hm?"
Niles gave her a questioning look. Was she ready to talk with Patrick when being completely on her own? Last time she'd done so, he had been in the room, and he didn't want C.C. to burst into tears again, least when he wouldn't be there to console her.
"Please, go," C.C. insisted despite Niles' obvious reluctance. "I'll use the kitchen phone to call him."
"Okay, Mommy!" Amelia exclaimed, still clinging to her father. The latter was still unconvinced, but he complied with his fiancée's wishes.
Once alone, C.C. took a deep, calming breath and grabbed the phone. Despite the fact that Patrick had showed to be a decent man, C.C. didn't know how he'd would react to the news of Amelia having chosen Niles over him.
Would he decide that he wasn't going accept Amelia's choice? Would he fight for his biological daughter?
There were too many possibilities...
And she'd only discover the answer when she'd called him.
Pushing her fears aside, the former producer dialled the number and waited.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Patrick, it's Claire," C.C. said and she heaved a sigh. She didn't know why she still called herself Claire; force of habit, she guessed.
"Hi, Claire!" the man sounded bright and eager – maybe even a little excited. C.C. still wasn't quite sure how she was going to tell him, but it had to be done. "How did everything go?"
C.C. sighed again, and ran a hand through her hair.
Here went nothing.
"Well, I told her..." she began slowly.
Patrick's voice almost sounded impatient in return, "And...?"
A pause.
This was the moment of truth.
"She doesn't want to see you, Patrick," she blurted out, but then quickly continued. "Not yet, at least. Maybe when she's older..."
There was silence down the other end of the phone, and for a moment C.C. wondered if maybe they'd been cut off, or if Patrick had hung up, but there was no tone to indicate that that's what had happened.
But eventually, the voice on the other end came back.
"I see," he sounded...clipped, at first but then became resigned. "I...I suppose it's completely understandable. She has a father, and that isn't me."
C.C. couldn't help but feel bad for the man. He was a good person, and one mistake had led to all of this. This newfound pity didn't mean she was regretting Amelia's choosing of Niles – not even close – but she no longer felt such a strong animosity for the man. Her worrying mind had made her imagine the worst and most painful scenarios – Patrick deciding to somehow taking Amelia away from the, Amelia choosing Patrick over Niles – but there was nothing further away from the truth.
Patrick was a decent mind, and as such he had apparently chosen to respect Amelia´s wishes. She didn't dare ask why, though. Just in case explaining his reasons made him change his mind.
"She says she'll come and say hi on the phone right now, if you want," she told him gently, almost as if wanting to soften the blow. "As long as you don't mind her calling you Patrick..."
"She... she'd do that?" he sounded a little bit more hopeful. It wasn't what he'd wanted, C.C. supposed, but it was a sort of consolation price. "And of course, I don't mind her calling me Patrick if it means I'll be able to talk to her."
God... she had truly come across an outstandingly decent and honourable man. He was willing to accept the wishes of his daughter, even if that meant being pushed out from Amelia's life for the time being.
"I'll tell her to come then," she said. Just as she was about to call Amelia, C.C. gulped and brought the phone back to her ear. "And Patrick..."
"Yes?" came a slightly nervous voice from the other end.
"I just wanted to thank you. Thank you for respecting Amelia's wishes and for being so understanding..." she sighed. "What I mean to say, is that you are a wonderful man."
"There is nothing to be thankful for, Claire," he chuckled. "I have four other children, and if I've learnt something from fatherhood, is that sometimes a parent has to sacrifice their happiness for what is best for their children. And clearly, what is better for Amelia is to be there, with you and your fiancé."
His words touched her. They touched her more deeply that she'd ever thought they would. She knew what he meant – she had sacrificed many things for Amelia, and she'd done it gladly. Her daughter's happiness had always been (and would always be) her priority.
It seemed that it was Patrick's priority too.
"Thank you..." C.C. murmured. "I'll call Amelia now."
Minutes later (and after C.C. had called her name twice) the small girl and Niles entered the kitchen, hand in hand. She tried to give Amelia an encouraging smile – judging by the girl's expression, C.C. could tell she was nervous. The phone was soon handed to Amelia, who took it to her ear and, just like her mother had done before dialling the number, she sighed.
"Hi there," she eventually said. "It's Mia."
"Hello, Amelia," Patrick's voice sounded thick with tears, like he was trying to swallow them back. "How...how are you?"
"I'm...good, thank you," she replied, not really sure of how to talk to this strange man. She didn't know what to say. What was there to say?
He didn't know anything about any of her friends, or her school work, or what she did for fun...
The man whose hand was on her shoulder did, though. He knew everything about her life, and listened to her every day when she came home and told him what had gone one at school, or at her after-school activities. And he'd make her dinner and they'd watch TV, and he'd tuck her up in bed...
That's why he was her Daddy, and not this stranger on the other end of the line. The conversation felt forced, and awkward, and Amelia heard Patrick make a gulping noise on the other end of the phone.
"So..." he seemed to be thinking of something to say, "Are you happy, Mia? Do your Mommy and...Daddy...make you happy?"
"Yes they do," she replied evenly. "My Daddy is the best Daddy in the world, and so is my Mommy!"
"I am sure she is," her birth father replied. It was a completely incredible experience to be hearing Amelia's voice – he was lucky to be able to do so, if he was being honest. "We used to be friends."
"Really? My Mommy and my Daddy used to be friends too," the girl said, beginning to smile. "But then my Daddy became Mommy's boyfriend and then my Daddy proposed and now they are getting married!"
"So has your mother told me! Are you excited?"
Amelia nodded enthusiastically. "Mh-hm... and I'll get to be the flower girl and the ring bearer!"
And so, a conversation that had once felt awkward and forced, began to flow. At first it reminded C.C. of the feeling she'd got when Amelia was starting to walk – the conversation was, in a certain sense, taking baby steps and slowly becoming more fluid. Amelia had always been a talkative child, and it wasn't any different with Patrick (once she'd warmed up to him, of course). The girl told him all about her life with Niles and C.C. – where they went, what they did, how much fun they had...
She even told him about the time when they'd gone dress shopping with her Mommy.
It was nice to hear that Patrick and Amelia were having a peaceful conversation, but eventually it was time to hang up. Amelia had to have lunch and she still had some homework to do. If anything, there would be other opportunities for Amelia to talk to Patrick if she so desired. But for today, it was more than enough.
"I have to go," Mia said after C.C. had told her that it was time to hang up. "My Daddy will be making lunch soon and I have to help him!"
"Of course, I understand," Patrick replied. But before he thought about saying goodbye and hanging up, another idea sprung to mind. An idea that he felt he just had to gamble with. "But...would you mind quickly passing the phone to your Daddy?"
Niles watched as Amelia blinked in confusion, "Um...sure."
She looked over towards him and handed him the phone.
"He wants to talk to you," she whispered.
Patrick...wanted to talk to him? What about? What could the two men possibly have to say to one another?
But he had asked. And Mia seemed to insist, so he nodded, and let her go to start getting the vegetables out to set them on the counter in preparation for their salad, and put the phone to his ear.
"Hello, Patrick," he was well aware his voice sounded cautious, but he couldn't help it. He'd probably spent too much time watching bad movies and soap operas, but this was the part in his head where Patrick vowed to come and get his daughter, and make Niles regret the day he'd stolen a family from him.
But of course that didn't happen.
"Hello, Mr Brightmore-"
"Niles," the butler interrupted. If they were going to talk like this about anything, being on equal footing was probably a good place to start.
"Niles," Patrick corrected himself. "I...I know we probably don't really have a lot to say to each other, but...I just wanted to thank you. For being a good father to Amelia; she clearly adores you, and from what I understand, the feeling is completely mutual."
"It is," Niles replied, a strange feeling creeping up inside him at the idea that he was talking to Mia's real father. But he couldn't quite work out what it was. "She is a wonderful little girl, and I couldn't be more proud of her."
"Good," Patrick sounded on the verge of fresh tears again. "Just from that conversation, I already know that you and her mother are doing a brilliant job as parents, and I'm sure you'll continue along that line."
"Thank you," he said truthfully, glancing over where C.C. stood, checking on Amelia. His fiancée would occasionally look at him – after all, she couldn't imagine what Patrick had to say to Niles and it was putting her on edge – so he gave her a soothing smile. One that clearly said that everything was okay. "And I promise to take care of her until my dying day."
"I know you will, and it means a lot. What you did – raising another man's daughter as your own – is incredibly honourable, and I am glad Claire chose you to be her husband."
"So am I, if I'm being honest!"
The two men shared a soft laugh before a brief silence hung between them. It was eventually broken by Patrick, who heaved a sigh and spoke.
"Well, Niles, I won't keep you any longer. Do enjoy your lunch."
"Thank you. And considering the time difference I hope you enjoy your dinner," the butler said. "Goodbye, Patrick."
"Goodbye, Niles."
The line went dead moments later, and Niles had to take a few moments to recover. He'd just spoken to Amelia's biological father... and unlike what he'd imagined in his dreadful fantasies, the other man had accepted that Amelia had chosen him.
Well... not only had he accepted it, but he had also thanked him for the job he was doing! That was certainly a surprise!
"Are you alright?" C.C. asked softly as she walked to him and wrapped her arms around him.
Niles couldn't help the wide, beaming smile spreading across his face as he looked between the two most important people in his life.
"I've never been better," he replied and caught C.C.'s lips in a wonderful kiss.
C.C. sighed in relief as she lowered herself inside the steaming bathtub. It had been a long, emotional day, and she was exhausted!
After being stressed about not knowing what Amelia would choose, the woman had needed to relax, and her fiancé had kindly offered to tuck Amelia in so she could take a relaxing bath. She'd filled the tub with oils and scents of the finest quality, so the entire bathroom now smelled of jasmine and coconut.
It was absolute bliss – the water felt exquisitely warm, and resting her back against the tub was giving her a wonderful amount of support.
She couldn't feel more comfortable if she tried.
It wasn't even disturbed by the light knocking at the door, and her fiancé's head poking round to look at her. She smiled softly back at him.
"Hey," she greeted him as he slipped into the room and closed the door behind him. "Our daughter all tucked in?"
She'd used those words completely on purpose, and they had their intended affect. Niles couldn't help the beaming grin that spread across his face as he came to sit on the ledge next to the bath, by her head.
He reached down and grasped at her hand, "Sleeping like a log."
"Excellent," C.C. shifted to try and make herself more comfortable, and closed her eyes as she rested her head against the back of the tub. "She deserves some peace and comfort after a day like today."
"She's not the only one," Niles frowned down at her, observing her movements. She looked pained. "You don't seem comfortable; are you aching?"
C.C. grimaced. Her back and her neck were killing her, hence the bath. She'd hoped the warm water and the oils would soothe the ache. The latter was probably a consequence of stress and a bad and restless night on the sofa.
"Yeah..." she groaned as she sat up and arched her back. "My neck and my back are killing me."
Niles frowned again. "Do you want me to give you a massage? Maybe a back rub?"
"Would you do that?" C.C. asked. There was a disguised plea in her words.
"Of course, love," he bent down to kiss her. "I'll go get the coconut oil – it will help your sore muscles."
"God... how I love you," C.C. hummed, easing herself against the tub once again.
Niles huffed out a laugh through his nose and quickly retrieved the coconut-scented oil. He went back to the tub and laid it on the ledge.
"I am liking this idea even more now," C.C. purred. Niles was undressing, and he clearly intended to get into the bath with her.
"My ideas are brilliant, my dear," he said and slipped into the bathtub – C.C. had moved a bit forward so he could get settled behind her.
"Someone needs to get off his high horse."
A deep moan of pleasure followed her words. Niles had just drizzled some oil on the skin of her shoulders and was gently applying pressure to her sore muscles.
"Were saying?" he teased.
"Less talking, more massaging," she groaned, rolling her head back and leaning into his hands further.
Niles chuckled, pleased he had her in this position, "Alright, then..."
His hands wandered over her back and neck, squeezing and relaxing all her aching muscles wherever he came across them.
Meanwhile, C.C. moaned and let out grunts of satisfaction as his touch made all her aches and pains ebb away. He made so many of her pains go away. It was actually nice that it happened to be physical pain for once. Emotional pain took a lot longer for them to fight through, even if they did manage it in the end.
But she knew that everything was alright, especially when his fingers were exploring her skin...
"God, you know how to work with your hands..."
Niles grinned, and as his hands worked on a particularly tough knot in her back, he leaned forward and kissed her shoulder, sucking at the skin.
"I know how to work with other areas, too..."
It didn't even take a second for C.C. to catch his drift.
"Why is it that every time you put your hands on me, you automatically want to put other things in me?" she moaned again as he worked on another knot near the base of her back.
"You are simply irresistible, that's why," Niles said, leaving a trail of kisses along the back of her neck.
"You don't have to sweet-talk, lover, you know I'd never refuse you working on any part of my anatomy," C.C. leaned against his chest, pressing her back firmly against it. One of her hands moved over her head and threaded itself through his hair.
"I am not sweet-talking, it's the truth," he said and his hands – which had been wrapped around her waist – began to wander. One travelled to her flat stomach and stroked it, whilst the other moved further south and began teasing.
Almost subconsciously, C.C. began spreading her legs. She and Niles had been in this same position so many times before, and she simply couldn't wait for the feeling of ecstasy that his fingers on her clit provided.
"You are an old smooth talker," she hummed. "And I love you very much."
"Glad to hear so," Niles stopped his teasing for a moment, eliciting a whimper from C.C.. But he wasn't intending to neglect her for long – the hand on her stomach travelled to her breasts and began fondling one of her nipples. Meanwhile, the other hand grabbed the shower head and began guiding it to his fiancée's innermost area. "Because I love you too."
And with that, the hand on her breast moved again to her womanhood, opened it for him and he directed the jet of water towards her clit.
C.C. let out a yelp of delight, and jumped a little. The hand running through his hair pulled him as close as she possibly could, and she began to giggle.
"Mm, that was certainly an interesting reaction," Niles mused aloud, spreading kisses further along her shoulder, and back up towards her neck again.
He directed the jet of water at her core again, and C.C. giggled again, her hands starting to travel along the inside of his thighs.
"Mm, that feels good..." she turned her head more towards him, succeeding in managing to plant some small kisses on his cheek as he caressed her shoulder with his lips. "But you know what would feel even better...?"
There was a rumble of laughter from somewhere deep in Niles' chest. He knew what she wanted, and he'd be happy to give it to her...in a while.
He was going to have a little more fun first.
His hand started to sensually rub at his fiancée's womanhood, and a loud, guttural moan came from deep within her. And as she moaned and started to writhe, he pressed the button on the shower head and directed the water at her clit once again.
Her moan became a muffled scream of pleasure – and it was only muffled by him catching her lips with his. He knew she could be carelessly loud when in the throes of passion, but as he had a level head he had to think about their daughter's wellbeing – namely, that Amelia didn't listen to them having sex.
If they were too loud they'd wake her up and the fun would be over before it had even started.
"Holy shit," C.C. moaned, shifting her head and pressing it against Niles neck. Unlike the other times, he wasn't moving the shower head – he was keeping it firmly in place. The feeling was as overwhelming as it was blissful, and she could feel her orgasm building fast.
The powerful gush of water on her clit combined with his lips on her skin was almost too much, and she was on the verge of screaming out again when he inserted a two fingers inside her and began to thrust them in and out of her body.
"God... yes!" she exclaimed, pressing her back even harder against Niles' chest. "I... I love you so much."
"So do I, Babcock, so do I..." he murmured, enjoying the view (and the feeling) of C.C.'sbuilding orgasm.
Her body was sublime, and although he considered she was absolutely gorgeous at all times, there was something special about this type of moments. It was as though she glowed when she was screaming in pleasure underneath his hands, as though her beauty was enhanced by an unparalleled eroticism...
He simply couldn't get enough of this image.
Wanting to prolong the experience he lowered himself further into the water and helped settle her comfortably on top of him. He briefly stopped the shower head (and she made her protest known in the form of a desperate whimper) and in a swift, quick move, he entered her. He didn't move, he just buried himself to the hilt and turned the shower head again, directing the jet at her clit.
"Oh, God, Niles...!" C.C. panted, the palms of her hands rubbing against his thighs as she let out several loud moans. "This feels so good...!"
It did feel good, and he pressed his lips against her neck as he continued to direct the water at her innermost core, not moving at all and just feeling her walls tightening around him...
But he held off a little bit, not wanting her to reach her peak before he had prolonged the experience.
Not that C.C. would have had any complaints. The water and the feeling of him inside her were bliss of a different kind to what she'd experienced only moments before. In the throes of her passion, she grasped for his hand, but instead of letting him entwine their fingers like she usually would, she directed it onto her breast, which he began to palm and fondle.
"Don't ever stop..." she grunted, rolling her hips into the feelings he was creating in her and allowing him to run his fingers back and forth over her nipple.
C.C. felt like she could touch ecstasy – that the blissful thing was actually a tangible thing. Her mind was immersed in a haze of pleasure and love, and only the enrapturing sensations that her lower body was experiencing existed.
She was torn between wanting him to stay there forever and reaching her peak. She had an overwhelming need to come, but the feeling was so good she simply didn't want it to stop. She fell back against Niles' chest, simply giving in to his wonderful touch. She moaned, grunted and groaned as he brought her to the point of ecstasy and back. He would move the shower head every time she was about to come, and being inside her gave him quite a good idea of when she was reaching the point of no return.
It was both maddening and heavenly, and part of her didn't know just how more she could take.
"Niles... please... please, Niles," the blonde rambled, raking her nails up and down his thighs.
"What do you need?" he asked, his voice strained. He was struggling to keep himself from tossing the shower head away, flipping them and simply ramming into her until they both tumbled over a blissful edge.
"I... need... I need to come!" she cried out; he had just adjusted the water pressure and now it was impacting against her clit with even fore force than before. "Please... Niles!"
And he could only let her...
So he turned the water pressure up as high as it would go, and directed it fully against her clit.
With a loud cry of triumph, C.C. tumbled over the edge, her walls contracting and relaxing in a fast and brilliant rhythm as she came. She collapsed against him as she rode out the waves of pleasure, panting heavily.
"That was amazing..." she breathed, feathering kisses all over his body as the last waves of pleasure faded away.
But they weren't done yet. The both of them knew they weren't done yet.
And Niles knew C.C. had begun to recover her strength after her orgasm, as she began to rock her hips back and forth against him, allowing his manhood to slip in and out of her a little. He couldn't help the grunts and groans of pleasure that began to tumble from his own mouth as she did, trying to grin at him, even though the pleasure made that difficult.
However, and despite pleasure clouding his senses, Niles knew exactly how he wanted things to go. He'd vowed to pleasure her and make her feel good, and that's what he intended to do. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her, forcing to halt her rocking motions. She whimpered again, but at this point she was willing to give herself completely to his wishes and fantasies.
And so, he moved from behind her until he was hovering over her and her back was resting against the bathtub. He leaned down to give her a, slow, sensuous kiss as he slipped inside her once again. He began moving with purpose, and C.C. could only hold him; her hand wandering over his back and shoulders.
"You feel so good..." Niles grunted, thrusting into her, staying there for a few moments and withdrawing once again. "So very, very good..."
"So do you," she moaned back, delighting in the feeling of him pushing back into her, stretching her completely. "I love you so much..."
"And I love you..." he fastened his pace – his orgasm was not far along. But he wanted to make her come again... he was going to make her scream in pleasure again!
He began to slam into her harder and faster, and her moans became rhythmic and constant, like his thrusts. She pulled him to her and held him as he slowly took them both to a joyous culmination. The last thing they remembered before they tumbled over the edge, was screaming each other's names. His release seemed eternal, and only after the waves of pleasure had ebbed away, did Niles slip out of her again.
They curled up against the back tub. He was practically cradling C.C. in his arms – she had curled up in a ball by his side, and she had hidden her head in the crook of his neck.
Their breathing was erratic, but they were in the seventh heaven.
That was until...
"We didn't use protection," Niles breathed out when the pesky thought penetrated his mind.
Unlike what had happened the first time they'd been together, C.C. wasn't on the pill anymore. She'd temporarily stopped taking her contraceptive pills because she'd had a bad reaction to the ones her doctor had last prescribed, and she hadn't gotten a prescription for any other type of contraceptive pills, either.
C.C. angled her head upwards towards him, letting her own breath calm a little before she tried speaking, "Oh...yeah..."
She hadn't even thought about it. The whole experience had kind of been spur-of-the-moment...
And neither had really cared enough to stop and think about that kind of thing. They'd wanted their pleasure, and they'd got it.
Maybe one time wouldn't matter so much.
As she thought about it to herself, she huffed out a laugh, "Well, maybe this'll make you a daddy all over again..."
Now there was a thought for the books! Niles being affirmed as someone's father on the same day he set himself on course to become a father again...
He chuckled, "If it did, I wouldn't be disappointed. But I suppose there's only a slim chance, right?"
"Extremely," C.C. relaxed against him, enjoying the feeling of their bodies pressed together. She entwined their fingers, and Niles rubbed his forefinger against hers.
"Well, there's no rush," he said, reaching down a little to kiss the top of her head. "We have all the time in the world."
"Indeed," she agreed. She didn't really care much about the possibility of her getting pregnant – if she did, then fantastic! She and Niles already had a child, but she wouldn't mind welcoming another one.
And if she was being honest, it would actually be wise to try for one soon. She was not as young as she had been when she'd gotten pregnant with Amelia, and as much as she loathed to admit it, her biological clock was ticking.
She supposed she still had a fee more child-bearing years, but the risk of having a complicated pregnancy increased as the years went past. Her first pregnancy had been extremely relaxed and east, so she could only hope that when (and if) the time came, her next pregnancy would be just as tranquil as the first one.
"As a matter of fact..." C.C. mused aloud, stroking his chest with her bejewelled hand. "Why don't we start trying?"
Niles' eyebrows shot up in surprise. Was she... was she serious? They hadn't really discussed the topic of becoming parents – mainly because they already had a daughter – but it had been kind of implicit that they might try in the future.
He loved being a father and he loved C.C., but did she want to start already?
"Are you sure?" he asked cautiously.
C.C.'s brow furrowed. "What, you don't want to? Because it's fine is we-"
"No, no... of course I want to!" he quickly clarified, noticing her discomfort. "I would love if we have another one; I just want to be sure you are sure about this."
"I am," C.C. said. "Especially since... well..." the woman blushed. She knew she wasn't what one would call old, but at the same time she did feel like time was taking its toll on her. She hadn't mentioned it to Niles, but it didn't make the fear any less real.
"Since what?" he asked gently.
"Well... I am... you know... older. And the clock is ticking and I feel... I feel like I am getting close to being too old to be a mother again – not to mention I really want to have more children with you."
That truly warmed Niles' heart. A small part of him had, before this conversation, been afraid that maybe she wouldn't want more children, considering she already had Amelia.
But to actually be there from birth. To see a little one that he had helped to create, not just to nurture, grow up alongside his or her big sister...that felt extremely special to him. And C.C. might have talked about her own age as though it was something to be scorned, but he didn't think so. She had plenty of time to be a mother still, no matter what anyone said.
He kissed her on the lips, "I really want to have more children with you, too. And even if you think you are becoming too old, I don't see it in the slightest. But, if you want for us to start trying as soon as possible, then I am perfectly ready and willing."
C.C. smirked at him, "I'll bet."
He grinned back at her, "Well, what can I say? Making you happy makes me happy."
"As does a number of other things," she nudged him playfully, splashing the water a little.
He slipped an arm down to wind it around her waist, and brought his lips close to her ear, "It's not like you don't enjoy them, too..."
"I never said I didn't," she retorted, her hand slipping down his chest and towards his stomach. "As a matter of fact, I am looking forward to enjoying them again."
What followed was Niles yelp of pleasure as C.C.'s hand wrapped itself around his stiffening member.
"And it seems you are more than up to it," she teased, nipping at his earlobe.
He could only groan – this time, it was him who'd at her mercy.
And, indeed, there was nothing in the world that could be better than that.