"Babcock, what in the name of heaven is all this?" Niles looked in wonderment at the small circus that had accompanied the woman on her unexpected return to the home late that evening.

"What does it look like? I've come to stay a while," she said, gesturing for two of the movers to proceed up the stairs with the largest suitcase Niles had seen in his life. "Second door on the left," she called out.

"You and your crew are going to wake the baby," Niles huffed. Never would he have imagined that she might actually stay more than an occasional night, and he couldn't even guess at her motivation.

"They'll be gone in a few minutes," she responded, and Niles wondered why she hadn't said something rude in response.

"And then I can start cooking and cleaning for yet another person," he said, not even trying to hide the smile that accompanied his long-suffering tone.

"Oh, please. You've been cooking for me for ages," she said, and twitched her lips in something that, if he hadn't known better, almost resembled a blown kiss.

Niles tilted his chin in acknowledgement and felt a tremor work its way up his spine.

Two hours later, Niles found himself outside the guest room, observing silently as Miss Babcock finished unpacking her last suitcase. Lifting his hand to the door jamb, he knocked twice and questioned, "Is there anything you need?"

CC looked over at him. "Of course you show up after I've finished all the work," she groused.

"I didn't want to overtire myself, you understand," he grinned.

"Why, you got big plans for tonight?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them.

Niles raised his brows. "Well, there's this blonde, see? I was thinking of buying her a drink."

"You were thinking of letting your boss buy her a drink, don't you mean?" CC put her hands on her hips.

"Potato, potahto," Niles replied, and stepped closer to her.

"I don't think we mix well with alcohol, do you?" CC took a step back.

"On the contrary, I found the combination to be a most delicious cocktail," Niles said, and CC laughed out loud at the belabored metaphor.

"What, too much?" He asked, spreading his hands palms up in front of him.

She nodded. "Much too much." She was referring to more than Niles's language.

"So that's the way of it, then?" He spoke softly.

"Yes—I mean. We were drunk. It was clearly a mistake." She tried to sound like she didn't care, like she made similar mistakes all the time and took them in stride. Which honestly wasn't too far from the truth, she tried to convince herself. Only it didn't happen all the time with Niles, did it?

"Was it?" He approached her cautiously, and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

She trembled, just a bit. "Wasn't it? What was I…?" He had just moistened his lips and she couldn't take her eyes off them. What the hell was wrong with her?

Gingerly, Niles extended his hand until it rested on her waist, and CC's hand, of its own accord, she could have sworn, moved lightly up his bicep. Why on earth didn't she shove him away?

Swallowing, she began, "This is such a bad—"

And his lips were on hers, stopping her from voicing what a bad… she didn't even remember. His mouth was soft and warm and he held her so gently in his arms and god, she almost wanted to cry and she couldn't fathom why.

And she kissed him back, of course she did, and before she knew it, her hands made their way up to his hair and she found that it was silkier than it looked.

It took a few moments before the baby's cries pulled them from the haze that enveloped them, and when they finally did hear her, they broke the kiss but stayed in each other's arms. CC leaned into him and pressed her forehead against his shoulder, just for a second, and he trailed one hand up and down her back, dragging his fingers across the fabric of her blouse, dipping down just below the waistband of her slacks, then back up again.

When the cries in the next room grew louder, he released her reluctantly. "I'll see to Miss Grace," he said, and she nodded and ran her fingers through her hair as he left her room.

This had to stop happening.

CC thought she could take a moment to collect herself, but although Niles's arrival in the nursery had reduced the volume of Grace's displeasure, the baby continued to cry. And unless she was imagining it, she could just make out a "Babcock" here and there amongst the sobs.

Walking into the nursery, CC found Niles seated in the rocker, trying to soothe the little girl he held in his arms. CC felt incredibly awkward. What had made her think that she would be able to do anything to comfort the child? Niles had years of experience at it, and he held the distressed toddler with practiced ease. If he hadn't glanced up at that moment, she would've backed out of the room.

But he did glance up, and when he did, Grace turned and noticed her too. She stopped crying and reached her arms toward CC, babbling "Babcock" over and over.

CC looked at Niles, and he shrugged. "Don't let me stop you," he said dryly.

She walked across the room and lifted Grace from Niles's lap, and the little girl immediately wrapped her legs around CC's waist and rested her head against her chest, hiccupping slightly. CC pushed the baby's hair back from her face in a gesture that felt equally right and peculiar.

Niles watched her from his spot in the rocking chair, and when she looked over at him again, she couldn't read his expression.

"What?" She asked defensively, self-consciously lifting her hand off Grace's head.

"Did I say anything?" He responded, putting an innocent look on his face.

She grimaced at him, and then began pacing slowly, rubbing Grace's back until the baby's legs grew heavy and slipped from around her waist. But when she stopped beside the crib and began to lean over it, the little girl said "No, no, no. Babcock bed."

Niles, who hadn't moved from his spot in the rocker, laughed quietly. By the time CC turned to look at him, he was smirking at her.

"What am I supposed to do now?" She implored him. "I don't want her to get in the habit of not sleeping in her own bed."

He paused to consider. "I don't see what it could hurt, Babcock. Somehow, the poor little dear finds comfort in your presence. Isn't that why you came back over here tonight?"

A loaded question, to be sure. "Of course it is. The only reason," she claimed.

He hummed his response to that. "Come on, I'll tuck you in," he offered, and damn it, she shivered again and just hoped it was too dark in the nursery for him to notice.

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! Thank you for all the lovely reviews. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!