(Author's Note: This plotline for this chapter is primarily based on the Season 4 Episode, "The Nose Knows". I know the individual chapters are kind of long, but I'd decided that I prefer to contain the entire episode in a single chapter rather than break it up. This might mean a longer gap between updates, but you shouldn't have as many cliffhangers to deal with. I hope. *smile*)

CC slept in the next morning, unplugging the phone after it rang the first time because she wanted to be left alone. She needed a day to herself to process what had happened and decide how to handle it going forward. Somehow she had a feeling this couldn't be a one-night stand. First of all, it felt too damn good to give up, even if he was just the Butler. How could she turn her back on the best sex of her life? But there were so many things going against any kind of a relationship working between them; they were from two different worlds, her mother would never tolerate it, and no matter how much CC wanted to think of herself as an independant woman, on the inside she was still a little girl striving to earn a mother's approval. Add to that their eternal bickering and the insults flying back and forth between them for years. Just last night they told each other they loathed and despised each other - how could that ever develop into a meaningful relationship?

Niles was never more grateful for a day off in his life. He needed to get away from the family for a little while to process what had happened and decide how to handle it going forward. He found his most comfortable pair of jeans, a long sleeve polo shirt, and a jacket and just started walking. It was something he enjoyed doing, but rarely had time to do, but a wonderful way to think. He eventually decided to pretend nothing had happened and try to tone down his nasty comments to be more teasing and less mean until he could get a read on what HER reaction to what happened was. There would unlikely be a chance to talk about it in private, unless he went over to her place or caught her in the morning before breakfast. Somehow he didn't think she'd appreciate an unexpected guest, no matter how good of an idea it was for them to talk things out, and there just wouldn't be time before breakfast. He enjoyed a hot dog in the park and later dropped in to watch a movie (he felt lucky to have found a theater showing the new version of 'Persuasion') and ate a large tub of buttery popcorn. As he headed for home, he decided that somehow he needed to figure out a way to turn this one-night stand into a relationship. After the most incredible night of his life, he wasn't going to give that up without a fight. He knew there would be a lot to overcome, she was Babcock after all, but despite all his teasing to the contrary over the years, she was a desirable woman, and he now found himself in the unlikely role as the man who desired her. If this relationship was meant to be, he didn't want to wait any longer to find that out; like the characters in the movie who were separated for over eight years before finding themselves thrown back together again. He and Miss Babcock had already been bickering back and forth for over twenty years, they couldn't afford to waste a lot more time if there was going to be something more between them.

CC spent most of the day in casual clothes curled up in bed, listening to music and just reliving the night before. Later that night, after she was fairly certain everyone would probably be in bed, she drove over to the Sheffield house and snuck around to the side patio to retrieve her basket. She had originally intended to bring Niles' jacket back and hang it on the doorknob, but when she picked it up from the living room floor where she had thrown it the night before, the scent of his cologne hit her, and she just couldn't bear to give it back now that she had it. As childish as it sounded, she hung it over the bedpost of her bed, and that night when she crawled into bed, she pulled the jacket into bed with her and held it like a teddy bear through the night. There was the scent of something more than just his cologne clinging to the jacket, there was the scent that was Niles. Yes, it smelled like lemon pledge and some kind of dish soap, but there was also the pure scent of Niles in there. *How had I never noticed how attractive he could be?* Her little voice answered for her, Because you never allowed yourself too, you were too focused on Maxwell because he would meet your mother's requirements, and Niles wouldn't. CC sighed, knowing that was exactly the reason. It looked like she'd have a lot to talk about with Dr. Bort during her next appointment.

The next day, CC dressed with extreme care, wanting to look her best, not for Niles of course, but just because it made her feel good to look good. *Yeah, if I tell myself that enough times, maybe I'll actually start to believe it.* She rang the doorbell and waited for Niles to answer the door. She pasted a polite smile on her face and as the door opened, called out her trademark, "Hello, hello!" and started to take off her coat to hand to Niles. Only when she turned to look did she see it was Nanny Fine standing there instead. Her smile fell, "You're not Niles." Fran smirked, "And you're very observant, Miss Babcock. Niles is already serving breakfast and I was just coming down the stairs, so I got the door for him." Fran took her coat and put it on one of the hooks in the closet. CC put her smile back on, "Oh, of course. I'll just drop off my briefcase in the office and be right in for breakfast!" She watched Fran heading towards the dining room in another one of her fluffy multi-colored robes. She hurried to the office, laid the briefcase on the green leather sofa that served as her office, and headed for the dining room. *Don't appear to be excited to see him, don't appear too eager, CC stands for Calm and Cool today* She entered the dining room and gave another "Hello, hello!" to the room in general before heading to the empty seat next to the Big Girl. She didn't dare look up at Niles; she was too nervous. "Just some juice and toast for me this morning, Niles, I'm not very hungry this morning." The plate of toast was set in front of her along with the pitcher of juice and she heard Niles comment, "Oh, did you snack on a few small children on your way to work this morning?"

The comment just hung in the air between them. Neither the children, nor Fran, nor Maxwell picked up on it, but both Niles and CC froze in place for a moment after his comment. He closed his eyes and mentally berated himself for the wisecrack. It was a habit that was obviously going to be harder to control than he expected, but he didn't dare apologize in front of the family, or they'd know something was up. Miss Fine especially could be a real yenta about things like that. Because he was standing behind CC, he couldn't see the flickering look of pain cross her face before she got it under control. *Either he doesn't remember or he doesn't want to remember what happened, well fine, two can play at that game!* CC slowly reached down and picked up a piece of toast with one hand and began to pour the juice with her other hand, proud of herself that her hand wasn't trembling in the slightest. "No, Niles, I have a big date planned for tonight, and I'm just so excited about it." CC took a bite of toast, and felt her tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth along with the dry toast, having no idea where the lie had come from, but deciding that now that she had thrown it out there, she'd just have to run with it. Niles scowled to himself and moved back over to the buffet area. *A date? Just one day after what happened between us and she has a date already? Either she doesn't remember or she doesn't want to remember. Maybe it really was just a drunken one-night stand to her, and she really is a trollop.*

Maxwell said, "Are you seeing someone new, CC?" CC nodded, taking a sip of juice and clearing her mouth while trying to figure out what to say. *Oh, oh, what's the name of the funny guy on that friendly TV show I saw the other night? Uhm..... yeah!* "Oh yes, Chandler, we met at that backer party a couple of weeks ago. He gave me a call yesterday and asked if I wanted to go see a show and have some dinner tonight. I hope you don't mind if I call it an early day so I can go home and get ready, would you Maxwell?" Maxwell shook his head, "No of course not, CC, good to hear you're getting out." Niles commented with his back to the table, but loud enough to be heard, "Don't forget your leash." CC couldn't bear to handle another comment from Niles, she could feel tears pricking at her eyes and was not about to be reduced to tears by that Butler in front of Maxwell and the others. She picked up her juice and plate of toast, "I think I'll go finish my breakfast in the office so I can start working and get out of here a little earlier." She swept out the other side of the dining room before anyone could say a word. Maxwell turned to Fran, frowning, "I don't recall her mentioning this Chandler fellow, do you, Miss Fine?" Fran shook her head, "But then, Miss Babcock and I aren't exactly bosom buddies." Niles choked when she said "bosom" and quickly made his way into the kitchen. *How could she get involved with someone so soon - before we had a chance to talk or anything?* Niles was both steamed and very hurt.

Meanwhile over in the office, CC had set her breakfast on the side table and began laying out "The Chandler Plan aka How to Create a Boyfriend from Thin Air". *God, that was a stupid thing to do, coming up with another man before we had a chance to talk about what happened between us. I have to salvage this somehow!* First she'd pretend to go out tonight, pick out a show she knew and a restaurant where she'd eaten before and have a story about what a wonderful time she had to share over breakfast the next morning. Then over the next few days, she'd call home on her cell phone and pretend to be talking to Chandler. It'd be easy enough to create additional pretend dates, as long as he always picked her up at home or they met somewhere, no one in the Sheffield house would ever need to meet him. Then she'd break things off with him after a couple of weeks, that's usually as long as one of her normal relationships lasted. She could watch Niles carefully and see if he acted upset or jealous, and use that as a barometer of how he felt about her. *Sure I could just ask him, but that would be too easy, and too embarrassing. This is much more clever.* Glancing at the calendar, she realized that the Hollywood Guild Awards were only a couple of weeks away. She remembered that she was nominated for an award this year, and would need a date. That gave her an even better plan for disposing of Chandler, and hopefully give her an excuse to spend some time with Niles. She began putting the pieces together and put an outline together on a notepad where she was supposed to be making notes about some new leasing agreements. When Maxwell entered the office after finishing his breakfast, he found CC hard at work sitting on the sofa, making lots of notes on a notepad. He smiled, appreciating that she was trying to get everything done for him before leaving on her date.

Over the next couple of weeks, CC took every opportunity to talk about the wonderful time she had with Chandler in front of Niles; the shows they went to, the restaurants they dined at, and the first weekend they were together, they went up to Connecticut to go skiing. Of course, every night, CC actually spent at home with Chester. That weekend she actually did go out of town, but just to a quiet Bed and Breakfast nearby that she liked to stay at to wind down when her life got too intense. She was very carefully watching Niles for his reaction to her stories, and by the end of the first week, she was sure she could see him grinding his teeth. His little barbs were as sharp as ever, and sometimes they did sting badly, but she knew she needed to keep up her pretense right up until the day of the awards ceremony. She could tell she was getting to him, in fact she really was beginning to think he might be jealous. The second weekend of her affair with Chandler was spent shopping for the perfect dress for the awards ceremony. She wanted something with lots of glitz, but something that she could get into without assistance. If things went the way she wanted, she hoped for another late-night sneak out of Niles' room, and didn't want to have to worry about her dress falling off of her. It took her several stops around town to find the knockout dress she wanted. It was black and shimmering in the light, floor length with something like a halter top that left half of her back bare along with her arms and shoulders, but was far more modest in the front with straps that circled her neck. There was also a long slit in the back that would show an amazing stretch of leg when she walked or danced. It would be very easy to put back on in the dark. She already had black shoes that would work, and of course just the right lingerie. It was also a good basic black dress that she could use again at future functions. She was thrilled with her purchase, and hurried home.

Three days before the awards ceremony, she came in to work about lunchtime. She breezed in and bantered cheerfully with Niles, even letting his "almost 50" comment slide a bit, but her comeback about his girlfriend being the feather duster was classic! She acted practically giddy with excitement as Maxwell gave her the two tickets to the Hollywood Guild Awards ceremony that night. That night, she wrote up a fake "Dear Jane" letter on her computer, and put it in an envelope with one of the extra keys to her apartment. She drove over and stuffed the envelope into the Sheffield's mailbox at midnight before returning home, and planned out carefully how she would approach the next day, even writing down several potential script-like lines that she memorized. She couldn't remember the names of Maxwell's children, but when she really needed to memorize something and focused, she could do it. This was her chance to see if there was really a spark between her and Niles or if it was just a drunken one-night stand; that was all the incentive she needed to learn her part.

The next day she came in dressed to the nines, wanting to have confidence for her acting job by looking the part. After an exchange of comments with Niles, he handed her the envelope, saying it had been stuffed in the mailbox. She pulled out the key and said excitedly, "Oh ho ho, things are heating up with Chandler! He sent me the key to his apartment!" Setting the key down on the table, she began to read the letter, her tone changing from delight to fury as she read, "Dear CC, you're suffocating me, here's your key back." She went into her prepared rant and Niles walked right into it when he said, "I can't imagine anything more humiliating." She held back her smile as she responded, "Oh yeah? How's this? What are you doing Saturday night?" She expected him to turn her down flat, and was ready for his comeback, "What makes you think I'd be caught dead at an awards ceremony with you?" by answering "250 bucks". He fell right into her trap. She grabbed her key and the letter and headed back to the office, allowing herself to smile once he couldn't see. It went exactly according to her plan. Now she had two days to think about how to handle her date with Niles. It would certainly be worth the $250 to have a real date with Niles, and see if there was a spark of a relationship beyond the obvious sexual one that had set them afire a couple of weeks ago. But would they be able to hold back the biting commentary and act like normal people for one evening? Did they have anything in common besides their constant fighting? She nibbled on a thumbnail, not sure about what the answer to that question was.

For the awards ceremony on Saturday night, she had arranged a limo to pick her up and then swing by the Sheffield's to pick Niles up promptly at 8 as they had agreed. She had gone to the local florists and found a white calla lily wrist corsage, which sat in its packaging waiting for him to put it on her. It was small, but being a lily, not cheap, just as he said. Her stomach was in knots as the limo pulled to a stop in front of the house. *Do I get out and ring the doorbell to let him know I'm here? I've never picked up my date before, I don't know what to do! I don't know what he's told Maxwell, maybe he wants to keep this just between us?* Just as she was ready to leave the warmth of the car, the front door opened, and Niles walked out with a black overcoat over his black tuxedo. She managed to close her mouth and shift to the opposite side of the limo as he opened the back door. *Oh my god, how have I never noticed how damn good he looks in a tuxedo?* He climbed into the back seat, and she picked up her corsage so he wouldn't sit on it accidentally. It was warm enough in the car that he sat forward and took off his overcoat and tossed it into the other seat next to CC's own black wrap before settling back into the seat and finally looking at CC.

If he hadn't known she was watching him, his jaw would have dropped just as hers did. She looked absolutely stunning in the black dress with her hair swept up into a chignon on top of her head. The only jewelry she wore were two small diamond studded earrings. The neckline of the dress would have showcased any number of necklaces, but she had chosen to go without one. Sitting in her lap was a wrist corsage; it looked to be a lily of some sort. She awkwardly held it out towards him saying quickly, "A regular one wouldn't work too well with the dress, so I thought this would work better." Niles raised one eyebrow and silently opened the package to extract the fragile corsage as the limo pulled out and headed for the awards ceremony. *She seems genuinely nervous, or maybe she's scared about being seen out in public with a mere Butler?* The past couple of days had been filled with an internal debate within Niles. He didn't know how to approach this date. He was angry with her for seeing this Chandler fellow right after they had become intimate, but at the same time he was relieved it was already over with. He was certain he had hurt her feelings with his comment over breakfast that morning, and never could find a way to apologize for it. Finally he had decided to be a charming and attentive escort for her this evening, and see what happened. CC extended her left arm. Niles slipped the corsage over her wrist, and tied the black ribbon firmly to hold it in place, but not tight enough to hurt her wrist. When their hands came into contact, both felt the electricity jolt back up their arms. Each glanced at the other, wanting to see if they had both felt it. Their eyes met, and silently, they seemed to acknowledge that they both felt it, and made a silent, but mutual truce for the evening.

After Niles had put on her corsage, she turned to sit on her side of the limo. Neither one seemed to want to risk making small talk and having it escalate into something nasty between them. CC's nerves were on edge with the quiet. She leaned forward and turned on the radio, which she had set for some light classical background music. She was content to listen to the music as they rode. It certainly helped to relax her. She had her left hand placed carefully in her lap, protecting the lily from any damage. As she relaxed, her right hand fell to the side to rest palm up in the space between her and Niles. Niles glanced over at the movement and then down at her hand. CC had her eyes closed, lost in the music. Slowly, Niles brought his left hand over and rested it lightly on top of CC's. Her eyes flew open, but rather than jerk her hand away as he expected, she closed her hand, interlocking her fingers with his. She glanced at him, and he smiled softly at her. They both settled back and closed their eyes to enjoy the music, their entwined hands resting on the seat between them.

At the awards ceremony, there was to be dinner served before the awards were handed out. CC and Niles had a table for two off to the side of the dining area. Those up for the major awards were in the center, and her award category was a minor one. CC was on the one hand glad that they were alone so they'd have a chance to talk without having to deal with others at their table, but she was also nervous; what if they didn't have anything to talk about? Niles glanced around and wondered about the seating arrangements, not having attended before. *Did she request a table off to the side so no one would recognize her escort is just a Butler?* Niles had never been ashamed of his profession, but somehow thinking about wanting a relationship with CC Babcock made him far more aware of his station in life, and the difference in their classes. *Maybe that's more than we can overcome, maybe she doesn't want to, maybe she just wants to enjoy the physical spark we seem to have until it burns out, or until she finds a suitable husband.* Niles took a couple of calming breaths, this line of thinking wasn't going to help him be a good escort, it was going to make him angry and increase the likelihood of a comment coming out of his mouth that he'd regret later. Once dinner was served, Niles decided he'd try getting a conversation started otherwise they might eat in silence like they rode in the limo. He pulled out her chair and pushed it in for her gently as she sat down before taking his own seat to her right.

"We have an excellent view of the stage for being seated so far off to the side." *Damn, I hope she doesn't take that wrong* CC nodded, glancing around, "Yes, well, you only get the best seats up front if you're up for one of the major awards, my category is so minor, I'm lucky I qualify for a table on the floor at all. But the layout of the room is excellent so you can get a good view regardless of where you're seated." Niles took a bite of his salad to mask his relief. *She isn't hiding us over here deliberately, I can't let my imagination run on me or I'll ruin this evening.* "Do you have your acceptance speech ready?" CC smiled, "Oh yes, I know exactly what I'm going to say when I go up there." Niles smiled back at her, "Confident you're going to win, are you?" She nodded, taking a small sip of the wine, "I've worked too hard this past year not to win." CC glanced down at her plate, not wanting to talk about work, she wanted a chance to get to know Niles as a person. *I am a master of small talk from all those backer dinners and banquets, but when it comes to talking to Niles, why do I get so tongue tied when I'm trying not to be mean to him?*

She took another sip of the wine and took a deep breath before turning to look at him, "So, besides tormenting me, what other hobbies do you have?" Her face froze in a pleasant looking smile while she cringed inside. *Damn, I hope he doesn't take that wrong* Niles paused, taking a sip of his own wine, pondering the question seriously before answering. "Actually, I enjoy reading and watching movies a great deal, when I have the time to do so." CC sampled the chicken that was part of the main course and asked, "What genres do you enjoy the most?" Niles glanced over at her, trying to tell if she was seriously interested or just making idle chit chat. She met his eyes, waiting for his answer, and he decided she was serious. "Well, I enjoy historical stories a great deal, comedies, and musicals of course. I couldn't be around the theater community so much without some of it rubbing off. Miss Fine and I have spent our share of Saturday nights in front of the television watching a movie and noshing popcorn, as she would say. A couple of weeks ago, I went to see the new film production of "Persuasion", and it wasn't bad. When I find time to read, I like to read British authors like Jane Austen or C.S. Lewis, depending on my mood." CC sat up a bit straighter in her chair, "Do you mean like the Narnia series?" She sounded pleasantly surprised, and Niles nodded, "Yes, I have the complete series and usually read it every year or two. When Miss Grace was little, I used to read her 'The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe' as a bedtime story when she couldn't get to sleep." She leaned towards him, "That was one of my favorite series of books as a teenager. It introduced me to fantasy, and got me interested in the theater in the first place. Which sequence do you prefer, publication order, chronological order, or the order they were written?" This led to a surprisingly enjoyable discussion on the Chronicles of Narnia, their favorite scenes and characters, and how they'd turn it into a musical for the stage. Before they knew it, dinner and dessert were finished and it was time for the awards portion of the evening to begin.

CC's category was one of the first ones to be done, building up to the major awards at the end of the evening. As they read the nominees and the light shone on her, she smiled brightly, looking every inch the sophisticated lady, no sign of the Bitch of Broadway that some knew her by. Possibly only Niles could see the tense set of her shoulders and the clenching of her teeth. *She really wants to win this badly* When she was announced as the winner, she glanced back at Niles and mouthed, "Told you so" before rising and climbing the stairs to the stage to accept her award and give her speech. She smiled and waiting for the applause to die down before taking a slow deep breath and saying her prepared speech, speaking slowly. "I'm so very honored to have been nominated for this award tonight, to have won it is an even bigger honor. I know this symbolizes many hours of hard work that I've put in during the past year to make all of Sheffield-Babcock productions as successful as possible, and I know that it will motivate me to continue my work going forward so I can hopefully get another one in the future to have a matching set of bookends." The crowd laughed along with her at the joke, and she finished by simply saying "Good night." and returning to her seat. Setting the award next to her plate, she took another sip of the wine, and nodded at people mouthing their congratulations from the nearby tables. Her shoulders still felt very tense, so she allowed her arms to fall to her sides and focused on her breathing while she watched the next presenter take the stage and begin introducing the next category. She was surprised when she felt Niles take her right hand in his and give it a squeeze. Glancing at him, he smiled warmly at her and murmured, "Congratulations, Miss Babcock." She smiled warmly at him, and squeezed his hand back, "Thank you, Niles."

After the last award was given, the crowd began to make their way outside. After claiming their coats, they headed outside and began to walk down the sidewalk. Niles had arranged for their limo to pick them up a couple of blocks away from the theater so they wouldn't have to fight the crowds waiting for their turn in the line of limosines. Niles tucked her arm into his as they walked, her award cradled in her left arm just above the lily, and her clutch purse held in her left hand. In her high heels, she and Niles were close to the same height. Part of her wanted to lean her head against his shoulder as they walked, but she didn't want to risk ruining what had been a splendid evening up to that point. When they approached their limo, Niles opened the back door for her and helped her in. She settled into the seat, setting the award on the small table in front of her long enough to remove her wrap and throw it on the other seat. The driver had done a good job of keeping the back seat comfortably warm. She turned the radio back on, picked her award back up, and set it in her lap. Meanwhile, Niles had gotten in the car, and shed his overcoat again before closing the door and calling the driver to take them back to the Sheffields. CC casually laid her right hand back down on the seat between them, hoping he'd take it in his again, but too afraid to ask. Niles looked out the window for a couple of blocks before turning to her and caught her watching him anxiously. He glanced down, saw her hand waiting for his, smiled, and laid his hand back down. She smiled as they resumed holding hands, and they again rode in silence back to the Sheffields. As the limo pulled up, she prepared to say good night when Niles said, "Would you like to come in for a night cap, Miss Babcock?" She nodded, and they released hands while she gathered up her wrap. He dismissed the driver for the night, and led CC up to the front door of the house.

Once they were inside, he took her wrap and his overcoat and hung them both in the closet. He wasn't sure that asking her in for a night cap was the right thing to do. He didn't want to get her drunk again, although he thought she only had a couple of glasses of wine with their dinner. Then he had an idea for something they could do besides have a drink, "Would you care to dance, Miss Babcock?" CC blinked at him a couple of times in surprise before saying, "Yes, I think that'd be very nice, Niles." He placed a hand in the small of her back and directed her towards the living room. She tossed her clutch purse in a chair and set her award on the end table. Meanwhile, Niles lit the fire in the fireplace and turned on the radio, changing the station until he found the right kind of music. CC stood waiting, and once he found the type of music that he wanted, he turned and took her in his arms and they began to dance. There was just enough distance between them to talk, but not too close that it seemed awkward. He spun her out once before pulling her back into his arms. They began to talk about the evening, and both knowing it was too good to last, their verbal barbs at each other began again. This time, however, they were delivered with soft smiles, making it clear they were teasing and not intending anything they said to be mean-spirited. In fact, CC found herself laughing with mirth at another one of Niles' comments hinting that she was really a man. Especially now that she knew he knew differently from an up close and personal inspection. Then Niles said he was glad things had ended with Chandler because he was "beneath her". *If he only knew...* she thought become coming back with a muttered, "Not anymore" that got both of them laughing. CC reluctantly pulled herself out of Niles' arms and went to her purse to get his check. She handed it him and was surprised when he only glanced at it before tearing it into small pieces and tossing it over his shoulder saying, "This one is on me, " before taking her back into his arms and continuing their dancing. He spun her around and dropped her into a dip, and she threw her head back and laughed, a sultry chuckle.

When he pulled her back up from the dip, she brought her body closer to his and whispered, "I'd rather be the one on you," before moving forward and kissing him gently. This time she knew they weren't drunk, they had only had a couple of glasses of wine with dinner which was ages ago. If he didn't respond, he wouldn't respond and she'd have her answer. Niles didn't respond for only an instant before letting go of the hand he had been holding while dancing, and putting both of his hands at her waist, pulled her to him and kissed her back with as much passion as he had the other night. She felt a warm feeling growing inside and responded in kind, running her hands through that thick reddish blonde hair. If anything, the feelings were even more intense sober than they were when she was drunk. Suddenly she realized where they were, and smiled to herself at what she was going to do. Moving her hands to his shoulders, she pushed him away with a "No!". She watched his eyes carefully and saw his desire start to turn to disappointment when she whispered, "Not here", mimicking what he said to her a couple of weeks earlier. He dropped his hands from her waist in surprise, and she made her way out of the living room, up the step towards the piano. Leaning against one of the pillars, she gave him a 'come hither' look and said softly, "Meet you upstairs, lover." She blew him a kiss and headed for his room.

Niles stood completely still, so shocked and pleased at what happened. *She likes me, she really likes me!* He turned off the fire and the radio, and shut off the living room lights before following her up to his room.

CC scampered through the kitchen and up the back stairs as quietly as she could in her heels. *He likes me, he really likes me!* Reaching his room, she glanced around. She wasn't sure where he had gotten the candles from before, so she settled for turning on one of the side table lamps. She slid off her high heels and set them by the chair of the desk where they'd be easy to find later on, and sat down on the edge of his bed to wait. She didn't have to wait long. As soon as he was through the door and it was locked behind him, they pounced on each other, eagerly helping the other out of their clothing, and diving under the covers to repeat the lovemaking they had enjoyed two weeks previously. When they had exhausted themselves, Niles turned off the side table lamp and spooned up behind CC, wrapping one arm around her waist and putting the other under her pillow so her head was partially resting on his arm. He loved the way she felt next to him. He loved the way it felt having her in his bed. He loved her. His eyes, which had been closing in sleep popped open. *I what?* It was a struggle to control his breathing as the thought raced through his head. He finally allowed himself to drift off to sleep, focused on how she felt in his arms, and not on the emotional declaration he had just made to himself in his mind. He wasn't ready for that; he was pretty certain that she wasn't either.

CC was equally content with Niles' arms holding her to him. She never could have imagined that making love with Niles sober was even better than making love when she was drunk. He gave as much pleasure as he took, and was easily the most considerate lover she'd ever had. *I guess that's what you get when you fall in love with someone who lives to serve.* Her inner voice chuckled even as her eyes flew open at the implications of that thought. *I what?* It was a struggle to control her breathing as the thought raced through her head. She finally allowed herself to drift off to sleep, focused on how his arms felt wrapped around her, and not on the emotional declaraction she had just made to herself in her mind. She wasn't ready for that; she was pretty certain that he wasn't either.

To Be Continued