==================5 Years Later:==================

It has been 5 years since his romantic fling with Celestia. Acre got out of college and got a job working for a software company in their IT department. It was the typical cubical job that white collar folk would get in the professional world but Acre took what came his way. He also rents an apartment in the close to the commercial of Canterlot that allowed him to live independently. As far as he is concerned, Acre has his life on the right track. Yet, there was always that lingering thought at the back of his mind he couldn't shake.

It was the saturday morning after he got off work for the weekend. He wanders around his apartment to stretch his legs after a night's rest. After getting his morning routine squared away, he decides to chill out on his apartment's balcony and admire the beautiful sight of the city. Skyscrapers towering tall and proud above the city made one imagine what it looked like before.

As Acre tries to reach his phone for a picture of the skyline, he felt a small metal trinket he left in his pocket. As he pulled it out, It was revealed to be a pocket watch, a gift from Celestia during that night. It all came back to him as he opened the watch and saw a picture of his former principal within it. In the picture, she was smiling with her long and sparkly hair flowing in the wind. It fills him with bittersweet joy to remember the good time the both of them had all those years ago.

"Thank you, my love."

Those words echoed through his mind as he looks back on that dance that started it all. He breathes a heavy and sorrowful sigh as he still longs for her. A tear flows down his cheek as he remembers that vow he made to her that night.

"I promise... I'll comeback for you one of these days. If it takes me a year or two, I will come back, my love."

Holding the trinket close to his chest, He began to feel regret for having made her endure the years they've been apart thus far. With resolve replacing sadness, he decided it was time to honor the vow he made.

"I guess it's time." He mutters to himself as he exited his apartment and to his car. He took a minute of breathing to prepare him for the emotional roller coaster before he set out on the road for Celestia's house. It took 15 minutes of driving before reached his destination, still as vibrant looking as before. Without a sound, he exits his car and approaches the front door. He paused for a few moments as his mind raced with storm of thoughts.

"Will she even remember me?
"Has she moved on?"
"Is she even still living here?"

Those possibilities scared him as he proceeded to knock on the door to find out.

*Knock*
*Knock*
*Knock*

After a few minutes of tension, the door opens up to reveal a familiar face he waited to see again.

"Acre?" Celestia says in surprise as she sees Acre for the first in years. She was overwhelmed with happiness and sadness as she began to shed tears of joy. She was finally reunited with her lover at last. Not holding back her joy any longer, she lunges at him an entraps him in a tight embrace that nearly threw him off balance. Acre begins to rub her back to calm Celestia down as her tears begin to soak the shoulder part of his shirt.

"I'd knew you'd come back. I never gave up hope that you would." Celestia says as she weeps in Acre's shoulder.

"I've never forgotten about that." Acre reassures Celestia as she lets go of him.

"Let's go inside."

Acre and Celestia walk into the house that hasn't changed much from the last time Acre was there. He and Celestia sat down on the couch to catch up on old times.

"So, what have you been doing with yourself?" Celestia asks as she crosses her legs.

"Working as technical specialist for TechnoBytes downtown. It's a cubicle job, but it pays. You still work at CHS?"

"Of course I do. Recently, Mrs. Cheerilee became head of the mathematics department."

"I'm bet she's enjoying that promotion."

"She does miss teaching they way she used to, though."

"Heh, I'll bet."

"Say, would you like some tea?" Celestia says as she got up from the couch.

"That sounds good right about now." Acre says as Celestia walks in to the kitchen. Acre takes another gander of the living room to appreciate the decor. Paintings, Depressionware, and a few pictures made the room an interesting enough sight to the eyes spark a conversation or two.

"She does have quite an interesting taste." He says as Celestia walks back in the room with two cups of tea in hand.

"Why, thank you." She says as she sat the couch, handing Acre his tea. "Half of this stuff was inherited from my parents."

"How long did it take them to gather such a collection?" Acre inquires.

"About 20 years, It was more of a hobby for them."

"Hey, everybody's gonna their own pass time." As Acre finished his statement, Celestia held out her cup in a familiar gesture.

"To our reunion." She says, prompting Acre to follow suit.

"And may our love be eternal." After they clicked their cups together, they took a long, hearty sip of their tea. The atmosphere of the moment was broken by a pitter-patter of soft footsteps that grew louder and closer.

"Hello Mommy!" A child, around the age of 4, rushed up to Celestia and gave her a hug.

"Hey there, Orchard." She says as she ruffles his hair.

"Who is that, mommy?" It shocked Acre to learn that Celestia has a son. He hadn't know about it during their 5 years apart.

"He's an old friend of mommy." Celestia says to Orchard as she kisses his forhead. "Why don't you run back into your room and play for a bit, okay deary?"

"Okay mommy." Orchard ran back into his room in a slight sprint. The knowledge that the one he loved has a son shocked Acre into confusion. He slowly got up, pacing around the room, thinking about how Celestia has a child.

"So... He's your son?" Acre asks in a puzzled tone, prompting Celestia to walk towards him.

"Yes."

"Adopted?"

"No." Celestia's answer shocked Acre to the core.

"What?!"

"Isn't it obvious? He's your's." Those last two words shook Acre to the core, nearly making him faint. The revelation that Celestia had a child by him during the last 5 years. It all made sense. the looked child looked a bit like her and him in that Orchard has his eyes. He leaned his head against the wall, confused and hurt.

"Bu-bu-but how?" He says in a muffled, pained tone. The emotional hurt was also felt by Celestia as she hung her head in guilt.

"That night we made love, I wasn't on the pill. When I learned after your graduation that I was pregnant, I decided to keep the child as a reminder of you. I never informed you for your own sake." Frustrated and slightly angry over the explanation, Acre snaps out of his confused state.

"Why?!" Acre blurts out, causing Celestia to tear up in her guilt. "I would've helped you out at the drop
of a hat!"

"I never wanted to distract you from establishing your life." Celestia turns away, not wanting to look him in the eyes out of shame. "I didn't want you to throw your life away when you just started it." Overcome with guilt over causing Acre emotional distress, she began to cry. It was not a sight he enjoyed seeing. After a few contemplative moments, He came to the realization that all that matters is that he's with her again and they have a son to raise. It nonetheless made Acre proud of being a dad. Wanting to end her sadness, he grabs her in a loving embrace, rocking her slightly. She was at first caught off guard by his gesture but accepted it with her own.

"I'm so sorry about all of that. I never wanted to hurt you." Celestia whispers as her spirits were lifted.

"I'm the one who should say that. I shouldn't have acted the way I did." Acre said as he rubbed Celestia's back to calm her down further. "What we can do now is leave all this drama behind and look towards our future, together."

As the continued to embrace each other, a brief moment of eye contact revived the same spark that brought them together. Before they knew it, they brought their faces close to one another with Celestia closing the gap with her lips. The kiss was different than the one from their date long ago. They were no longer held back by the confines of being student and principal, they were now an actual couple. The kiss lasted for a few more minutes before Celestia breaks it.

"Agreed." she says as she pulls out of the embrace. Then, Orchard dashes into the room and approaches Acre.

"You're tall." He says, eliciting a humorous chuckle from Acre

"Well... Fe fi fo fum!" He responds with a mock stomp, making Orchard giggle loudly. As he looked towards Celestia looking through her mail, he leans in towards Orchard's ear and whispers to him.

"Hey, why don't you ask your mother to get you a drink?"

"Okay mister." Orchard rushes to his mother, asking her for a drink. She wanders into the kitchen and pours Orchard a sippy cup of juice. As Celestia walks out of the kitchen, she turns to see a surprise that left her speechless. Acre is on one knee, holding out a small box in his hands. He opens it to reveal a small diamond ring, nestled in the case.

"Will you, Celestia, be my wife?" She couldn't believe what she just heard and saw: Acre was proposing to her. Her mind was filled with a hurricane of joy that brought to tears. It was the happiest moment of her life since she became a mother.

"Yes! Yes! A million times yes!" She says as she rushes to embrace him. Their love now came to another big milestone: Engagement. Orchard approaches his parents, confused as to why his mother was crying.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" Celestia turns to her son and wipes away her tears.

"Mommy is happy, deary." She says, pointing to Acre. "I also have to tell you something. Mommy's friend here isn't just her friend." Orchard was confused as to what his mother meant by what she said. Acre crouches down Orchard's level, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Hi son, I'm your daddy." Orchard's eyes widened over what he heard. The stranger was his daddy. He never saw him before, but he was nonetheless excited to finally meet him.

"DADDY!!!" Orchard hugged Acre tightly as joy overcame him.

"It's good to meet you, too." Acre chuckles as Celestia Joins them in the hug. In that moment, they felt like a family. After a few moments, The group hug was broken.

"Say Honey, how about when your sister gets home, we go out to eat to celebrate?" Acre asks to Celestia's delight.

"That sounds good, dear." She says as she holds her fiancee's hand with a deep feeling of love. She at last now has what she wanted: a fiancee to start a family with, including a son. She couldn't ask for anything more than that.

"Life is good."

Author's Note

I'm glad for the feedback on my first clopfic. I know i messd up on a few parts here and there, but i'll improve the next time around.