Sometime in November 2025

Darien felt like a fool.

His plan had seemed perfectly sensible within his own mind, but now he wasn't so sure that walking sideways along railings with a charm upon himself to blend in was the best option.

Hesitantly, he dove into a crowd, removed the charm and, hood up, approached the door.

"Knock knock, who's there..." He muttered to himself.

Killa the house-elf opened the door. Seeing Darien Vaight outside he squealed out in fear, jumped out and pushed Darien Vaight indoors while closed the door behind him swiftly. All of this in the span of about three seconds.

"Killa is sorry Mister Darien Vaight. Dangerous times. Dangerous times." Killa explained.

"Master is out, Sir. Mistress is upstairs in the Library to the left, Sir." Killa pointed to the direction of the Library.

Darien remained where he was for a moment, in stunned silence.

"Um...Thanks. I'll uh...just go um..."

He realised he was still wearing that ridiculous hood. Pulling it down he headed in the direction indicated.

Diana had just finished re-reading a novel, closing it she disentangled her legs and stood up from the armchair.

She crossed the room towards the shelf the book came from and replaced it.

She was browsing the shelves, looking for yet another book to read when the baby started to kick. She stopped in mid-motion and put her hand on top of her swollen belly.

It was November, that meant two more months until the baby was due. Diana wondered if things would be different then. If these stupid Prugers would be gone by then, if he'd be back by then...

She missed him so much it made her want to just curl up in her room and cry. It had been all right, when she had a job, at least she could take her mind of off it when she was healing a patient. But Nicolas had made her quit. They didn't need the money. She and Nicolas were heirs to the Casillas fortune. Work had just been a distraction. A pretty good distraction at that. She may have been straining herself a little bit, but the more she worked, the less she thought about how much she missed him. Now she had no work, she had nothing to distract herself. She started spending time with little Fitz and little Eliza but at the moment they were both asleep. Not much distraction there.

So, she took up various things to distract herself. But being seven months pregnant, that made her choice in activities rather limited. Reading seemed to be the best option and she started reading almost non-stop. It was a nice form of escapism.

The baby was still kicking. "Goodness, you should take it easy." She said to her stomach.

Darien paused, silently loitering in the doorway.

...Idea...something to say...something...snappy...dramatic...funny...

"I agree."

...THAT WAS IT?! Darien was ashamed of himself. That was possibly the worst thing to say when returning to question the wife-you-left-to-save-her-but-screwed-it-all-up-and-made-it-worse-then-got-all-depressed-over. Pathetic fail.

She knew that voice... Startled, one because she wasn't expecting anyone (Nick wouldn't be home for another hour), and two, because the voice belonged to the last person she ever expected, Diana quickly looked up.

Darien. And there he was standing just by the doorway. This was a dream.

Diana blinked once. He was still there. Blinked twice. Still there. Pinched herself. Ow, no, he was real all right.

"I was just..." talking to our unborn baby? Yes, because that's what sane people do.

She decided it wasn't in her best interest to finish that sentence and started a new one.

"What are you doing here?" She was careful to make her tone neutral, just added a dash of curiosity in it. Didn't want him to think she was a mess without him now did we?

Darien was slightly surprised by the neutral tone. Nick hadn't said she was so...over him?

Is she...But, I don't want her to be...or do I? I should do. Definitely should do. But do I?

His first impulse was to reply the same way; neutral, calm, collected.

Darien sighed. Screw the impulse, he was too tired.

Tired of running, hiding, and lying. Maybe some honesty would do him some good...

"I...I screwed up. I know I screwed up, and I've wrecked everything I was trying to save." He focused on the floor, gazing at it intently. "I...just need to know...the truth." He switched his gaze to look Diana directly in the eye, pleading silently.

Am I a father?

She wasn't over him. Not by a long shot. But she wanted to know where he was here.

"The truth?" Diana said uncertainly. There was a high pitched quality to her tone. But what he was talking about was blatant.

Still, "What would you like to know?"

Darien felt the debate grow quiet in his mind, leaving space to think.

"I need to know whether that's our baby." His face gave nothing away, as the debate raged again inside his mind.

Did he want it to be his? That would mean he was a ass! But if it was Nick's...that would hurt too much.

"The truth. I need you to tell me...I'll leave no matter what if you want me to-but please....I need to know! I won't screw up again, I just-I've got to..."

Diana couldn't take this. She'd missed him so much.

She turned her back on him so that he wouldn't see the emotions she couldn't hide anymore.

She didn't want to give in so easy. She'd been so hurt, so alone.

"Why would you think that the baby's yours?"

She didn't deny it...not straight out...

"Nick came to see me. He-He said I don't deserve a second chance...I know he's right. But I can't believe-I won't believe...unless you tell me." He felt tears stinging the back of his eyes.

"Please, just tell me the truth! I don't know what happened in the hospital, but I need to know now...please..."

He bit his lip. "You know what you can say to make me go away forever. No matter what, I'll believe it. Please..." He cautiously took a few steps nearer, stopping an arm's length away.

"Just one word...Please, tell me..." He swallowed. "Is that our baby?"

Nick came to see him? And yet again Nicolas Casillas does the most unexpected thing. He really is unpredictable that one.

Diana felt Darien approach and felt her heart-rate speed up.

She didn't want him to leave. But she could if she lied. But if she told the truth... The truth...

Ahh those damn Purgers!

She turned to face him, already tears were making their way down her face. She whispered one word. "Yes."

This time the earth didn't shake, as though Diana saying that one word had cured all his problems.

"...He...I'm...a dad?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "I..." Darien felt numb with shock. "Ca-What do you want me to do? Do...Do you want me to go?"

Please please please God, let her say no...Please...let me stay...PLEASE.

"No," Diana shaking her head. "No." You going is the last thing I want.

Darien paused, searching for words.

"I...I don't know if anything I could say will make up for what I've done...But...he's my son, I won't leave him...I can't."

A short burst of awkward nervous laughter escaped him. "And I sure as hell can't leave you...again."

He gingerly put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not over you. I don't think I'll ever be over you. I tried to cut out my feelings so it didn't hurt...but...I don't want to again. I just didn't realise...or I pretended I didn't...I don't know. I just-I was fooling myself. Whether it was my baby or not, whether you hate me or not, I can't not try any more."

"I don't deserve to be forgiven, and I don't expect the impossible. But please, let me try and sort this sh!t out...please?" He felt his eyes spill over, and he tried to smile. "God, I sound like something out of a bad romance novel."

Diana closed her eyes and leaned onto his touch. It was so good to hear him say those words. She better not be dreaming or else she'd be terribly ticked off.

"Alright," Diana said wiping her eyes and smiling despite herself.

"I don't think so, in a bad romance novel, I think you would have kissed me already." Diana said.

Darien cracked a smile. "If I kissed you now would that make it a good romance novel?"

No waiting for an answer, he did so.

Diana was about to reply with a 'maybe'. But was unable to do so. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

And she pulled away. "Darien, I'm so sorry for lying to you. I didn't... I wanted to tell you the truth but... everything just went wrong."

"I know." Darien sighed.

"But...I think Nick might be going to help us fix it, with some charm or something...And we'll be safe again...we'll be a family." He smiled brightly, still amazed that he was going to be a father...

"I would like nothing more." Diana said unable to keep the happiness from her voice.

"I should probably go and divorce him then." She added.

Darien chuckled. "I'm in love with a married woman, I forgot. This really must be a bad romance novel."

Diana smiled. "I've always wondered what it would be like to have an affair."

Suddenly there was a commotion followed by yelling downstairs. "KILLA I TOLD YOU TO MOVE THE SHOES!"

"And there is my husband right now." Diana said amused.

Darien sighed and shook his head. "He really does have quite a sense of timing..."

"Diana do you know where that bloody -" Nicolas said appearing. "Oh hello Vaight."

Darien half-smiled. "I...just came to talk to Diana. You were right, I guess."