Here's a new chapter for those who have been following the story, anxiously (and impatiently) waiting for an update. It's a bit delayed-but better late than never, right? ;)

Please enjoy.

As always my heartfelt gratitude to everyone of you who have followed, favorited, and written a review. Thank you for your encouragement. I truly appreciate it. All of you are simply the best :D

Forever and a Day

(A sequel to Ninety Days)

By forever

A Not So Ordinary Day - Part 2

But never had Albert imagined that he would be crumbling in front of Sarah, as he had done earlier.

Ironically, it had not been her sharp claws that had struck him. Rather, it was his own memory and the guilt and shame that accompanied it.

The fox hunting day in Lakewood was one of his darkest days, possibly the darkest day of his entire life. It had scored a deep, gaping gash from which he had never truly recovered.

He had been sitting in his study room in Chicago, conjuring in his mind Candy's radiant smile and the happy faces of his family and relatives as they had partaken in the festivity in Lakewood, when a loud, urgent rapping at the door had startled him. He couldn't forget George's look as he barged in. It was a mixture of shock, dread, worry, and anguish, all smeared into one blob of emotions. And that was also the first time he had witnessed the normally eloquently spoken George stuttered out his words.

It had taken him an entire minute to process the news as his brain simply couldn't accept it as real, but when it finally sank in him that his nephew had been killed in a freak accident, he felt a bolt of lightning slice through him, leaving him gasping from the pain. After that, darkness seemed to have fallen and engulfed him whole. Everything he saw appeared gray, shrouded in black fog. Everything he touched turned into black ashes.

As he had sat in his private car inside a moving train on his way to Lakewood, regret relentlessly mocked at him while guilt thrust its sword at him every time he recalled the decision he had made to hold the family event. Sleep eluded him as he refused to close his eyes, fearing to see bloody faces and mangled bodies of those he cared and loved. Not a single drop of tear had fallen. It wasn't because he had suppressed himself from crying. It was because he couldn't. To be able to wail and weep like a baby, as he had done on the night of Rosemary's passing, would've been better—probably his chest and throat wouldn't have been burned raw from choking sorrow. But he couldn't. It was as though his tear ducts had been torn off from his eyes.

He had been dangerously close to falling, teetering around the edge of a cliff—and he knew that. He was fully aware of the forthcoming doom but had done nothing to turn himself around. He had failed. He had wanted to relinquish his name. He had wanted to flee his home. He had wanted to disappear. He had wanted all to end.

But then he saw Candy. She was sobbing. It crushed his heart to see how broken she was, and he knew he would only destroy her by abandoning her. And he would commit the same heinous crime to Aunt Elroy who had put her trust on him and the family members and employees who had relied on him, bringing them to ruin. His senses returned, and he realized he could never run from his destiny.

At that time in the rose garden his nephew had planted, as he had his arms wrapped around Candy in a comforting embrace, looking down at her grief stricken face, he promised to himself that he would never forsake those who had trusted him, those who had believed in him, those who had placed their hopes in him.

He might have regained his purpose then, but there was something he had neglected to do till this very minute—talking to Candy about the incident. They had somewhat talked about Anthony two nights ago, but neither one of them had mentioned anything about the accident.

Candy's reaction daunted him. He couldn't predict how she would react. He worried of what might happen. Would she run away from him like she had done when she had discovered about his identity as her Uncle William?

Maybe not to such extreme.

She could be very upset—and she had every right to be. His nephew Anthony was after all her past love, her first love. But he knew she would find it in her heart to forgive him because that was the kind of woman she was: kind and generous and merciful with a beautiful soul.

Still, the whole situation, with Anthony and Candy and him, put him in a very awkward and uncomfortable spot, and he loathed to be there. Had Anthony still been alive, the wedding next week would have been for his nephew and Candy while he—he would probably be nothing but one of the applauding audience to their declaration of eternal love.

The realization clenched around his throat like a manacle, for whether he wanted to admit or not, he was the one who had been responsible for Anthony's death, the one who had snipped off the budding romance between his nephew and Candy.

He had buried the un-confessed transgression for so long that he had almost forgotten about it, but with a single phrase Sarah had managed to unearth it.

It was time for him to atone for his past sin.

Next week, once he was back in Lakewood, he would devote a time to take Candy to Anthony's grave. Then he would earnestly appeal for forgiveness from both of them.

A loud coughing, weaving through the rumbling of the engine, prompted Albert to open his eyes.

"I'm sorry for intruding on your nap, sir. But I need to alert you that we shall arrive soon."

"It's fine, George. I wasn't really napping." Albert leaned forward in his seat and turned his head to the right. A rush of cool air coming from the open split top windshield struck his face and made his bangs flutter against his temple.

Through the glass window, Lake Michigan, resplendent in the morning sun, beckoned him. A moment later, the unobstructed view of the vast lake slipped away, and the new Municipal Pier that was nearly finished construction appeared in his line of sight (1).

Work to build the shipping dock that also served as a recreational center, the first of its kind in the Great Lakes region, had commenced two years ago. It was a part of the Chicago's master plan envisioned by the city planner. The Andrews corporation, under Aunt Elroy's direction, was heavily involved in the project as one of the major contributors, providing the needed funding. Albert had no doubt that they would derive handsome benefit from the multi-function pier once it was opened to public this coming July. He must commend Aunt Elroy for making the decision to undertaking such a high profile project, carving a place for the Andrews name among the nation's greatest.

"Once it's inaugurated, the pier is sure going to attract a huge crowd," George commented all of a sudden, halting his train of thoughts.

"Yeah... I agree," Albert replied, looking at the multitude of construction workers gathering in a circle at the center of the dock. "People from the neighboring states will feel more encouraged to visit as well."

"Have you been informed that Mr. Milton was supposed to deliver the opening remarks at the inauguration ceremony?" George asked. "As the appointed chair liaison between the private parties and the city officials, he had been requested to do so by the Mayor."

Albert whipped his head to the front and examined George from the back. His assistant appeared to be concentrating in maneuvering the car, looking straight ahead. He wasn't sure where George was leading him with what he had just told him. For all the years he had known him, the man was never a zealous conversationalist, who took pleasure in random, lighthearted chatting. So he knew there must be a matter requiring his attention George would like to convey. "I knew about Mr. Milton's role, but I'm not aware he had been asked to give a speech. I wonder if someone else would speak on his behalf. Perhaps someone from his family?"

"No, it will be Madam Elroy," George corrected. "She is the acting co-chair, but with Mr. Milton's passing, she will succeed him as the chair. But before the ceremony is scheduled to take place, Madam Elroy will step down, and you as the conferred new patriarch will take over her place, so..."

"I will be expected to deliver the speech in front of hundreds of people," Albert finished in one breath, stretching forward across the seat and placing a hand on the divider that separated the passenger from the chauffeur compartment. "Is that what you're trying to say, George? You do realize that I'm terrible at public speaking."

George kept quiet for a moment before saying, "You'll do fine, sir. Besides, this is something that you'll be doing often in the near future."

"Well, thank you, George," Albert muttered, failing to mask the hint of irritation in his voice. "You're right, of course. It's something I have to do. But it doesn't mean I'm brimming with excitement at the prospect."

"I'm sorry, sir. I shouldn't have mentioned it."

"No, it's okay." Albert expelled a long sigh in resignation. "If anything I should thank you for letting me know. I have plenty of time to prepare for the event."

"It's my duty to timely inform you of such matters, sir."

"Yeah... I suppose." Albert drew back, reclining into the seat.

More than his reservation toward speaking in front of the masses, there was a mounting anxiety over the forthcoming changes that he would undergo as he assumed his prominent position. He knew nothing would ever be the same again. His schedule would look downright scary. Gone were the days he could amble freely along the sidewalk by himself whenever he needed a half hour respite away from the piles of documents or leave work early to stop by at the butcher and the bakery and cook a modest meal at home. He would be lucky to be able to arrive home by dinnertime, would be lucky if he could return home at all.

Worse, his low profile life as an ordinary citizen had ended. Sensation seeking tabloid reporters would put in their best efforts to dig up dirt about him. They would salivate over the scandals and conspiracy theories that riddled his past, as if those were thick slabs of juicy, A-grade steaks.

And Candy...

God, what must he do to protect her from those barbarians?

"Pardon my insolence, sir, but I think you were rather impeccable in your handling of Lady Sarah earlier."

Albert stared blankly, unsure whether he had heard correctly. Had George just outright praised him for vanquishing Sarah? That was so uncharacteristic of George to do something like that. He broke into laughter. "You think so? I thought I was a tad too harsh on her—she hasn't changed a bit, has she, George? Do you remember how she used to bully all of us in the mansion? I was only a small boy at that time, a head shorter than her."

George didn't respond, but Albert could perceive the distress he must have felt back then in his silence.

No one had been left unscathed by Sarah.

Yet he couldn't recall a specific incident in which Sarah had caused trouble for George. Instead, he vaguely remembered how Sarah had always appeared keeping her distance from George. She seemed to be afraid and suspicious of George, throwing wary glances whenever George was around and avoiding any interaction with the dark haired man as much as possible.

George had come to live in the mansion a year after he had been born. He had learned of George's not-so-sunny, sordid past when he had turned five. His father had told him the entire story—from how he had caught George pick-pocketing to offering the orphaned boy a second chance, inviting him to come with him to America. Having accompanied his father when he had encountered George in Paris, Aunt Elroy must have known about George's former life as well, and Sarah could have easily found out about George from Aunt Elroy.

Aunt Elroy herself hadn't been as trustful toward George as she was now. During George's first few years living in the mansion, she had often whispered to Rosemary and him words of warning of George eventually showing his true color and returning to his wicked ways. Of course, he and Rosemary had not heeded her. Instead, they had both welcomed George with open arms and treated him just as they would their own sibling. George was the only boy with whom he had interacted and played in the mansion. There hadn't been anyone else.

As opposed to Rosemary and him, Sarah must have conceived Aunt Elroy's prejudice toward George as a sound advice by which she must abide, and had thus applied vigilance in all her conduct toward George.

But was there ever such a situation where Sarah had acted gracious toward anyone other than those with whom she had vested interests?

Now that he thought about it, it had been neither George nor Rosemary who had furnished a touch of amusement to an otherwise mundane life in the mansion. It was Sarah. Not that he actually found appreciation for it. Yet there was always an occasion in which she had turned something seemingly paltry into a huge spectacle, a ludicrous circus as Rosemary would say—and a few of those occasions had left him in stitches from all the laughing.

Suddenly he was jerked off his seat and crashed one of his knees into the wooden barrier as the car skidded to a halt with an ear piercing screech.

George swiftly threw a worry glance over his shoulder. "Are you okay, sir? I'm sorry—the car in front of us has stopped abruptly."

"I'm fine, George," Albert brushed off, biting back a groan of pain from the throbbing he felt on his kneecap. "I hope it's not another serious automobile accident. It seems we've been having many of those lately." Using his hands, he pushed himself backward but paused halfway settling into the seat when his gaze landed on a small blackboard standing in front of a store.

He quickly read the bright chalk printing to himself. "Come grab a fresh copy of novel from your favorite authors. On sale this week only."

An idea leaped into his mind.

"George—could you park the car?"

"Here, sir?" George asked, his tone skeptical, but he obliged and navigated the car out of the traffic toward the curb before bringing it to a complete stop.

"Thank you, George." Albert flung the door open and bounded off the car to stand on the pedestrian walkway, the bruise on his knee forgotten. "I won't be long. Please wait for me."

George hastily exited the car and approached him. "Would you like me to accompany you, sir?"

"That won't be necessary. I'm going to that bookshop in the corner," Albert explained, gesturing with his hand, his other hand pushing the door shut. "I promised Candy that I'll replace her book that was ruined by the storm."

Understanding flickered across George's face. "Then I shall wait upon your return inside the car."

Albert smiled and gave a slight nod in appreciation. His lips remained curved in a smile as he began to walk away in lingering steps. He couldn't imagine how things would have turned out if George had not been a part of his life. Whether it had been intentional or not, George had played a crucial role in the evolution of his relationship with Candy, from her adoption to his confession.

The truth was that George had confronted him about Candy, years before Dr. Martin had cornered him a few weeks ago.

It had happened while they had been in London. He hadn't noticed how his face had lit up every time Candy's name had been mentioned, or how he couldn't stop talking about her after each encounter. Ignorance is bliss after all. But George had been a spectator to all.

One evening, as he had walked into his flat in London relaying a recount of his day volunteering at the zoo and meeting Candy, George, trailing right behind him, in his normal solemn voice, without a hint of humor, had bluntly told him, "I think you're very fond of Miss Candice, sir."

The unexpected statement had completely stumped him, but he had somehow managed to laugh it off, treating it as though it had been a silly remark that he could simply toss out into the air, and George hadn't pursued to probe him further.

That could've been the end of it—it hadn't.

Quite the contrary, it had turned out to be only the beginning.

It was as if the switch had been triggered, the seed had been planted, the lid had been opened.

Even though George had refrained from ever mentioning anything to that extent again, he couldn't purge it out of his mind and had pondered about it hours and days, long after that evening had passed.

He had not given his own feelings much consideration before. He had thought he had simply followed after his father's footsteps: helping someone in need. Candy was just a little girl he had saved from a misfortune—but the signs that she could be something more were all there, staring him in the face. The more he had tried to rebuff it, the deeper he had submerged himself in the awareness of his own feelings.

While it was true that the main reason why he had been in London was related to the oversea expansion of their banking operation, there was another reason, one that he had not divulged to Aunt Elroy. He had wanted to flee Lakewood, forget about the tragedy that had happened there, forget about his failure and transgression. And he had secretly wanted to see the beautiful smile return to Candy's face.

It couldn't have been love. Yet there was an undeniable, inexplicable power that had drawn him to her, the same power that had instilled in him the fierce need to protect her from the cruelty of the world.

He couldn't deny the perpetual smile etched on his lips every time he had been in her presence, couldn't deny the occasional burst of desire to hold her close, couldn't deny holding his breath as he gazed into a pair of brilliant, round emerald eyes, couldn't deny the gentle thumping of his heart from seeing her smile.

Indecent. Perverse. Inappropriate. Improper. Immoral. Vile. And so on and so forth. The voices inside of his head had grown louder and vicious, accusing him, rebuking him.

He had shut them up, contending he had not done anything morally wrong. He had regarded Candy as a younger sister, a friend at most, nothing more than that. His affection for her was a mere manifestation of his yearning for a close companion. A cry of his lonely soul. It would fade once he surrounded himself with people, real people, not his family.

So he had thought.

It was then he had decided to explore the side of the world he had never seen. His life had been nothing but a set of rigid walls and protocols. Ever since he was an eight-year-old boy, he had lived in total isolation and had been forbidden from socializing. For once, he had wanted to do as he pleased—that was exactly what he had striven to do.

Africa had been his place of refuge.

He could be what he had always dreamed to be. A free man. No duty. No burden. No rule. Only the splendor of nature.

He had met people, many of them, in fact. And had made acquaintances and friends with people of diverse ethnicity across a wide range of age from all walks of life.

Even so, at nighttime under the canopy of myriad of twinkling stars, when he had not been busy helping in the clinic or toiling in the field or trekking the untamed savanna, he had found himself thinking of Candy more and more that he had eventually succumbed to his longing and written a letter to her.

Perhaps that was the specific time when he had finally admitted to himself that he cared for Candy more than he ought to as a friend, more than as her rightful guardian.

But the letter was all that he had permitted of himself, for he had resolved it would be the only one he would ever send her. Because he had intended to discard "Albert" and the memory of being "Albert" behind in Africa. As soon as he returned to Chicago, there would be no more "Albert" who had adored Candy, only William the patriarch who had taken pity of the mistreated young girl and adopted her.

Well, so much for that.

The next thing he knew he had woken up without a name and a past, with Candy by his side, the persona he had planned to cast aside had become the only one by which he was known, and within weeks of reacquainting himself to Candy, he had fallen hopelessly in love with her, the very thing he had desperately fought against.

Such was destiny's quirky way of reminding him that while he could hide and postpone fate, he could never run from it.

Not that it had upset him. Oh, no, not all. To the contrary, he was immensely grateful. Everything that he had ever dreamed of had been granted to him. He had savored every minute he had walked and breathed as a carefree man that he wished it would never end.

And more than anything...

Albert halted his step and noticed the bookstore a few feet in front of him.

More than anything, there was Candy, his sweet Candy...

At the image of Candy laughing in glee, running toward him, he smiled. It was of a great consolation to have the assurance that he would not forge the future alone. Candy would be by his side. He would do anything to make her happy, even when he couldn't physically be next to her.

His gaze slid down to the books that were laid upright against the glass display, and he skimmed through the titles printed on the covers. None of the them looked familiar to him. He faintly recalled being part intrigued part baffled by the unique title on the cover of the book Candy had clutched when they had been on the train to Rockstown (2). He certainly had not the slightest clue that it could've been a romance novel.

Attempting to recall the name of the author, he walked into the store and saw tall wooden shelves full of books standing in neat rows from one side of the wall to another. Strangely, there was not a single person in sight, not even the owner.

Not letting that bothered him, he began browsing through the shelves, swinging his head side-to-side. Then as he randomly reached for a book from the rack, a polite voice of an older woman that sounded like Aunt Elroy sans the authoritarian lilt greeted him.

"Good morning, sir. May I help you?"

Albert whirled around to face his greeter, intending to respond to her kindly, only to have his smile unraveled into an audacious, open mouth stare the moment his gaze collided with the emerald ones belonging to the petite woman before him.

TO BE CONTINUED

Disclaimer: I don't own Candy Candy manga and all the characters in it, but the talented Kyoko Mizuki does. This fic is a product of my own twisted imagination and inspired by Mizuki's masterpiece. If any of the plots, specific scenes, or dialogues appears to be similar to that from another fic or story, it is purely unintentional and coincidental. 'Great minds think alike', after all.

The characterization in the fic is based on the Manga and not the Anime.

Reference:

(1) The construction of the Municipial Pier began in 1914 and it was opened to the public on July 15th, 1916. The project was ambitious and the pier garnered the reputation as the longest pier in the world during the era.

(2) Albert and Candy talked about the book in Ninety Days Chapter 13: Happiness Within - Qualm

Author's Note: As you can see, this series continues to deviate from the main theme of Ninety Days. It focuses more on the back stories of the character and less on the romance (at least for now), and you'll see how this theme will persist throughout the series. But not to worry, I can tell you that there will be romance :D

Aside from delving deeper into Albert's feelings related to Anthony and the accident in Lakewood, this chapter also reveals a lot about Albert's feeling for Candy and how it continues to evolve. Yes, I (and few of my dearest CC friends—you know who you are ;)) believe, firmly, the London's arc is where his feeling for her starts to flourish into something more, but he quickly stomps over it and sweeps it under the rug. He has no intention to pursue her. And he maintains his resolve in Africa, though he somehow admits it to himself and sends a letter to her, which is the very first one he ever writes to her. In the manga, this letter arrives in Candy's hand about a few months after he left, yet we know it is about two years later when Candy finds him unconscious in the hospital in Chicago. So there's still more than a year remaining after that—a lot could have happened during this stretch of time but he chooses not to send another letter to Candy. This could mean that he's just simply unable to do it because of his remote location or, that he has deliberately severed his connection to Candy, the first step to bury his growing feelings for hers.

Till next time

-forever-