My Dearest Lilly,

If you are reading this, it means that I have gone from this world. I wanted to tell you, one last time. 

I love you.

I always have, ever since I met you at the ball, when Old Flip was in love with Ella. I remember thinking, "Wow, Ms. Linton is surely different from the rest of these ladies." I was enticed by your fire and passion. You aren't like other women, Lilly. I count myself lucky to be married to you, and to have spent most of my life with you by my side. I don't mind the fact that your heart does not belong to me fully, I have always known that it lives with Rikkard Ambrose, as his lives with you.

I cannot blame him, actually, for loving you. I'm sure our reasons are similar in their essence. But thank you, Lilly. Thank you for making these last few years the best of my life. You gave me a beautiful daughter, our sweet Alexandria. I cannot help but see you in her eyes all the same, and I love how you've brought her up to be such a bright girl. Of course, Rikkard too. Your son, not... You know. He looks so much like his father, but I don't begrudge him for that. He has your fire, your passion for life. I think of him as my own son, and would gladly give up my life for him, and everyone one of you.

Do you remember when I was shot through my shoulder? Of course you do, you nursed me for two whole months! I realized then how I would have died, if the bullet had been just 2 inches closer to my heart. I realized that you never would have known how much you truly meant to me, had I died. So I wrote this, for you.

Lilly, you're the strongest person I've ever known. You're fierce, and you don't let anything beat you down for long. I know you, and I know that you'll get up, dust yourself off, and keep on running. I know that you will continue to live your life as my widow, and not marry unless I tell you to. You may think yourself obligated not to marry after I die, in respect to me. But I think Mr. Ambrose has waited long enough, and so have you. Be happy, Lillian. Be with him.

Don't even argue, alright? Do this one last thing for me, Lilly. Take care of our children.

I love you.

Forever.

~James Carter

Lilly, the new widow, stared brokenly at the words scrawled across the yellowing page. James' last words. A tear joined the others on the paper. I love you. Forever. Be happy, be with him. Be happy, be with him.

Why? Why did he make it so hard to let go? Lillian glared at the gun and sabre of her dead husband, sitting on the table. Both were polished and shone scintillatingly in the light. General Carter had been killed with a gunshot wound to the head. He had not suffered.

"Ma'am? A Mr. Ambrose is here to see you." Nancy, her elderly housekeeper, poked her head inside. "Do you want to let him in? I told him you were in mourning but he threatened to kick the door down if I didn't open it."

"What? Oh yes, well, let him in. Where's Alex and Rik?"

"Rik went to work, Alex is in her room."

Lilly nodded and settled down on her sofa to wait for her guest. She had no idea why he'd come here, Rik had gone in, hadn't he?

Nancy admitted the tall, black clad figure.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Carter." His low voice alerted her to his presence. Seeing the James' letter, she snatched for it and stuffed it into a nearby drawer.

"Come, sit, Mr. Ambrose. What do I owe this unexpected and unwanted visit to?" His face twitched in amusement as he sat next to her.

"I've heard the news. I'm sorry, he was a good man." She glared at him, why was he being so nice?

"Why are you here? Rik went to work today."

"I'm not here about our son, Lillian. I'm here about you, us, if you will."

"There is no us." Lilly retorted defiantly. "Haven't you already found a wife, Mr. Ambrose?"

"No. I tried. I couldn't get a certain ifrit out of my mind."

"I'm afraid you'll have to look somewhere else. I will never remarry again," She sniffed and turned away. "Is that all?"

"Lillian, look at me!" Grabbing her chin roughly, he pulled her toward him.

Staring into her eyes, he murmured, "I need an Heir for my business. Plus," He licked his lips, eyes drifting down to hers. "I cannot get you out of my mind."

Shocked, Lilly stared at him. He still loved her? "After all this time?"

"Always," He whispered against her lips, kissing them softly. She reacted immediately moving closer and drawing her arms around his neck. He pushed her lips open, delving inside. She moaned lightly and ran her fingers through his hair, over his ears and down to his face.

They pulled apart, resting their foreheads against each other. "This feels.... Right." Lilly murmured quietly.

"I should have done this years ago," Mr. Ambrose said- slowly kneeling down in front of her. "But... Ms. Linton, will you marry me?" He drew the ring box out of his pocket, flipping it open.

A gasp escaped out of her lips at sight if the ring. A beautifully crafted pink rose stared out of the box. Stunned, she put her hand out for him to place the ring on.

As the ring slid into her finger, she looked up shyly. "Did you really waste this much money on a ring for me!?"

"It's a worthwhile investment, Mrs. Ambrose." A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and Lilly laughed for the first time in a month, ever since James had died.

Drawing up onto her tip toes, she kissed along his jawline, lips brushing the slight stubble growing there. Movement rumbled through his chest and he pushed her back into the wall. Bending lower, he nibbled lightly on her ear lobe, eliciting a breathy sigh from her. "Rikk- Rikkard! Stop..."

"Make me."

Rikkard Carter went home in low spirits. His father was dead, and to add to that, his boss was mad at him. Mr. Ambrose had left two hours earlier for a meeting, though Rikkard had no recollection of ever writing it down in his planner. He nodded a greeting to Nancy, and inquired as to where his mother was.

"She's attending to a visitor in the parlor." Nodding, Rikkard continued up the stairs to his sister's room. He figured that another Army man or reporter was here to offer their condolences and ask how she was doing. He knocked in Alexandria's door, calling softly to let her know it was him. Besides mom, Alex was most affected. She had aways been Dad's favorite, but Rikkard didn't mind.

She opened the door, and immediately collapsed into his arms. Bowing his head, he placed a kiss on her messy brown ringlets. "Shh... Alex, Dad hates it when you cry." He led her to the bed, where he laid down with her. Together, the siblings mourned for their lost father.

At at six, Rikkard held Alex's hand as they went to the sitting room to meet their mom. She had been in there for quite a while, and there were weird sounds coming from inside, but the children figured it was just their mom torturing another poor soul inside.

When the door swung open to reveal what was inside, Rikkard immediately clapped his hands over his innocent sister's eyes. "Rikkard, what it!?" His sister protested, trying to loose his hold over her eyes fruitlessly.

Rikkard stared at two people inside. One was clearly his mother, but she had half her gown unbottoned, revealing her corset. The other was a man, familiar in a way, but he hadn't yet seen his face. Both were frozen, his mother staring guiltily at her children. The man let her go, and she quickly redid the ties of her dress as he straightened his bow tie.

When the man finally did turn, Rikkard's world tumbled to pieces. Mr. Ambrose.

"Mr. Ambrose!!"

"Uh, hi Rikkard..." This was the first time he'd ever seen him look awkward- and he would have laughed had the situation not been so strange.

"Rik let go!!" Elbowing his stomach, Alex ran to her mother and buried her face into her dress. "What's happening?"

"Shh..." Lilly was stealing nervous glances toward Mr. Ambrose as his son was glaring murderously at him.

"What were you doing with my Mom!?!"

"You don't understand, Mr. Carter."

"What don't I understand?!"

"I'm your father,"  Mr. Ambrose said, simply.

Rikkard stared at his employer. "What?" His mother ran forward, taking his arm. He looked down at her, at her wide brown eyes and saw the truth shining out if them.

"It's true, Rikk. He's your father." His eyes strayed back to his 'father'. His employer, more like.

The annoying little voice in his head chimed in. 'Then why does all his business partners think you are his son, and you have to explain that you're only his secretary. Look at his eyes, his hair. They're just like yours.'

'No! James Carter is my father!'

'You don't even look like him, you never have. Look at the facts Rikkard!'

Rikkard shook his head, disbelievingly. Alex butted in, staring at Mr. Ambrose. "Are you my father too?"

"No, Alexandria. I wish I was though."

"Oh."

"Rikkard?" His mother looked cautiously at her eldest son. He turned away, muttering,

"I need to be alone." Lilly looked worriedly at her son, who stalked from the room. Mr. Ambrose started after him, but she caught his arm and shook her head.

"Let him be, he needs time."

Mr. Ambrose turned back to 14 year old Alexandra. Her brown eyes were still wet with tears from her grief of her father's death. She sat dejectedly on the couch. He shot an aprehensive look at Lilly, and she nodded at him. Together, they sat on either side of the teen.

She glanced up at Lilly. "You cheated on Dad, then." A pang of hurt pierced Lilly's heart.

"I.... Yes." As hurt flashed in her daughter's eyes, Lilly quickly added, "I didn't mean to though! I wasn't married at the time."

"It was mine, Alex. I was leaving to stay with my mother when she was sick, and uh- things occured." Mr. Ambrose shifted uncomfortably. "Well, she was pregnant with Rikkard and she married your father."

"James Carter-" Lilly started, then choked on her tears. "Is an honorable, great man. He loved me," both women were crying now, "and respected me. He chose to stay with me, and over the years, we had you. He never got mad, that I didn't love him as much as- someone- but continued to give me all the kindness and love that I didn't deserve. He told me, in a letter, to be happy. Be with Mr. Ambrose. Are you alright with that, dear?"

Alex looked at her mother's face, then at Mr. Ambrose's. "Did you miss her?" She asked him.

"What?"

"Did you miss her when she was with Dad?"

His pretty blue eyes softened. "Everyday." Finding the love in his eyes, Alexandria found that she trusted this man.

"It's alright if you marry him, Mother. I just won't call you Father," She directed this at Mr. Ambrose, fierce brown eyes daring him to disagree.

"I would never ask you to Alex."

Rikkard Jr. Listened outside the sitting room door, listening to the conversation inside, anger bubbling inside him. How could his sister agree with that vile man inside!? He's your father. I don't care! 

Fuming to his room, Rikkard crashed down onto his bed. Where was his so called father when other kids had bullied him while at school? James Carter was there, comforting him! Where was Mr. Ambrose when he had broken his arm after falling off his horse? James Carter held him while he had cried! Where was he when his first attempt at wooing a lady went wrong and he was left crying in the scent of her perfume? James Carter had given him advice on how to do it better the next time he tried. Though James Carter may not be his true father, how was Mr. Ambrose deserving of that title? The first time he'd ever even heard of him was when his mother forced him to apply for that Secretarial position? Mr. Ambrose, though he was his biological father, would never ever, deserve that title. 

A knock at the door forced him out of his thoughts, and he went to go open it. As soon as his eyes laid on the familiar, granite face of Mr. Ambrose, he tried to slam the door shut, to no avail. The man merely stuck his cane through, and from experience, Rikkard knew that it was strong, and concealed a sword beneath the wood. Mr. Ambrose forced the door open and strode inside. "Can we talk?" 

"We might as well," Rikkard grumbled, "Seeing as you gave me no choice." He sat on his bed while Mr. Ambrose took his son's desk chair. 

"I know that this hurts. A lot, and, I... I'm sorry." 

"Keep going."

"I love Lilly. I always have, I think. I was young, and foolish, I did not intend to uh, impregnate her. I am severely indebted to James, for he is an honorable man. But, I know you listened to our conversation from earlier. He wants her to be happy, you do want your mother to be happy I think? If not for me, do it for her."

Rikkard studied his sperm donor's face intently. Eearnestness filled his face, and he could see that Mr. Ambrose truly loved his mother. And, if Rikkard was honest with himself, tonight was the first he'd ever seen his Mom so happy in a long time.

Finally, he nodded. Yes, he'd give him a chance. Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Ambrose wouldn't be so bad. In his time as his employee, Rikkard knew that this man had morals, and knew when he set his mind to something, he'd get it. He may be a cold, chauvinistic miser, but clearly, he cared for them.

"Alright, Mr. Ambrose sir." A small smile twitched on his lips, his eyes brightening again. They were a true family, now.

The End.

Hey guys!! Last update of a New Beginning!! I'm so sad!! I made myself cry when writing that letter!! What did you think?