Hello, Hello!:) Story update and this is a seriously long chapter: 5 1/2 A4 pages, so you better review!lol No seriously, I'd appreciate a couple of reviews coz it took me a looong time to write it...many hours at least...and I still finished in my regular 3 days!;) Right, there is an "M" scene in there also, just thought I'd warn ya. And um... the description of C.C.'s earrings are well.. they are mine. I bought them in Stockholm and they reminded me of C.C. lol and the story Niles tells Sam...I got the inspiration for that last Monday in my Intercultural Drama lecture!:) (it's an old Japanese tale)I dreamed about Lauren Lane last night, so I was in a good mood all day long... which makes me sound so sad...lol And I also discovered the screencap function on my laptop, so I've been going Niles/CC screencap crazy... I still need to upload them somewhere though...mmh...Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I very much hope you'll review!:)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

Chapter 14:

Remember him, whom Passion's power
Severely-deeply-vainly proved:
Remember thou that dangerous hour,
When neither fell, though both were loved.

That yielding breast, that melting eye,
Too much invited to be blessed:
That gentle prayer, that pleading sigh,
The wilder wish reproved, repressed.

Oh! let me feel that all I lost
But saved thee all that Conscience fears;
And blush for every pang it cost
To spare the vain remorse of years.

Yet think of this when many a tongue,
Whose busy accents whisper blame,
Would do the heart that loved thee wrong,
And brand a nearly blighted name.

Think that, whate'er to others, thou
Hast seen each selfish thought subdued:
I bless thy purer soul even now,
Even now, in midnight solitude.

Oh, God! that we had met in time,
Our hearts as fond, thy hand more free;
When thou hadst loved without a crime,
And I been less unworthy thee!

Excerpt from Lord Byron

C.C.'s cold had disappeared after a couple of days; however, her thoughts concerning Niles were refusing to do the same. She was sitting on a bench in Central Park and watched her daughter who was happily running around, kicking a football as she went. Of course she hadn't forgiven Niles entirely for abandoning them and she had doubts if she would ever be able to, yet she couldn't deny either how nice it had felt to have him around again. Maybe, if she took small steps... and Sam certainly seemed more than happy to welcome him into their family.

"Samantha, come here for a minute!" C.C. called, acting on a whim.

Her daughter picked up the ball and approached.

"You know that I got to work late again tonight, right?" C.C. asked as Sam climbed up on the bench to sit beside her.

"Yes," she answered miserably and C.C. wrapped her left arm around her shoulders.

"How would you like it if Niles came and looked after you while I'm gone?"

The effect was instantaneous, Sam whirled around, beaming at her and her light blue eyes were alive with hope. "Really?"

"If you like, we could call him now and ask if he's available?" C.C. offered, who had begun to grin herself.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Sam exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the bench.

C.C. nodded and extracted her cell phone from her purse and typed in the number Sam happily provided.

When his phone rang he nearly growled in annoyance, for the kitchen was buzzing with life and pressure. It was just past noon and part of the staff was gone to cater one event while Niles and the rest of the crew were preparing dishes for a Bat Mitzvah this afternoon.

"Niles Brightmore?" he barked and tried to make out who it was over the noise of the kitchen and the noise at the other end of the line.

"Niles, Niles, Niles!" a little girl was happily yelling and his heart skipped a beat "Mummy's not mean anymore."

He quickly stirred the soup he was making and pressed the phone closer to his ear.

"What Sam is trying to say," C.C.'s voice suddenly said, sounding much closer than Sam's voice "is that I will be away tonight on business and we were wondering if you could come and look after her?"

He took a moment to calm his beating heart and added some parsley to the soup.

"I'm catering an event this afternoon but I'd be delighted to play with her tonight."

"She can't really hear you, Niles," C.C.'s dry response came "you don't have to talk so overly pompous to me."

"Sorry, old habits. When should I come by?"

"About 7.30 and you're sure you can manage?"

"I'd love nothing more, C.C." he seriously answered.

"Alright then, but make sure you're on time, Butler Boy," she sternly said, before adding as an afterthought" though I guess this nickname doesn't have the same effect anymore."

"Of course it does, Chas." he gently said and hung up.

As her daughter happily danced around her, planning all the things she would have to show Niles, C.C. allowed herself a small moment of bliss. The name, his response, it all brought back memories she had been trying to forget for too long. As the tingling sensation spread through her body, C.C. closed her eyes and enjoyed the sun that was warming her face. "You are incorrigible ..." she thought.

That was the moment in which Niles' and C.C.'s lives changed a bit for the better, though of course there was much still to happen before they'd ever be able to be completely themselves again. But Niles valued the second chance he had been given and from then on made certain that he was available in the evenings, which was only possible thanks to the good reputation his company had in New York. He enjoyed nothing more than to play with Sam and he could feel how their bond strengthened after every time, and him and C.C. were at least back on a friendly basis, though it still took her a couple of minutes to lower her guard when he was around.

Then one day, something happened. C.C. spent an uncharacteristically long time away on business and Niles could sense that Sam was getting worried. Nonetheless he kept her occupied as best he could and still both breathed a sigh of relief when the key turned in the lock and the blonde entered the apartment with her traditional "Hello, Hello!"

"Mummy, where have you been?" Sam immediately asked, flinging herself into her mother's arms.

"Oh I'm sorry, baby; business ran a little bit longer today."

And although Sam seemed to be happy with that explanation Niles wore a frown. He had known C.C. long enough to be aware that she wrapped up business quickly and that she was showing definite signs of nervousness. So he followed her into the kitchen and quietly asked: "What kept you?"

"Do you need to get your hearing checked?" C.C. said, though without any hostility.

"No, but I'd like to know the real reason."

"Nosy as ever," she commented and sighed "I was just getting ready to head home when Cole Jameson approached me and asked me out on a date for Friday night, can you imagine?"

Surprise swept over Niles' face that fluently turned into pain, before he regained control and managed a weak smile. "Should I know him?"

"Well, he's currently the most popular actor on Broadway." she explained and he shrugged.

"But mummy," a soft voice said and caused Niles and C.C. to turn around "why do you want to see that man? We already have one, we have Niles."

For a moment C.C. could've sworn to have seen a look of pride on Niles' face, before it was replaced by a smug grin.

"Well, Sammy, Niles is nice and he's here to look after you. But Cole is very nice also; you have many different friends too, don't you?"

"I guess," Sam shrugged, not sounding convinced.

"Well, I'll leave you two to discuss this matter." Niles said, winking at Sam before heading for the door where he grabbed his coat.

On the way home, however, the little smile he had been wearing slowly disappeared as he considered the consequences that might arise from C.C.'s date. By the time he reached his apartment, his thoughts had worked him into frenzy and so he decided to call the all-knowing Yenta.

"Hello Niles! How was your babysitting session with Samantha?" she instantly asked.

"Wonderful, though I'd hardly call it babysitting, she's growing up far too quickly."

"Awww, look at you, aren't we getting attached, mistah!" she exclaimed and her honking laugh drew a sad smile to his lips.

"That's exactly the problem." he quietly said.

"What do ya mean, ya not thinking about leaving them again, are ya?"

"No, of course not. But when C.C. came home tonight she announced that she'd be going on a date on Friday." And he filled her in about all the details, from the look on C.C.'s face to Sam's comment. "What if she and that Cole guy hit it off? What if Sam likes him more than me... then C.C. and I would have to get a divorce and Sam would find out and it'd all get so messy." He sighed, worried still but also relieved to have confided in someone.

"First of all, I'm guessing from what Sam's said, this Cole is gonna have a hard time winning her over. And secondly, I doubt that C.C. will fall in love with him. Maybe they'll get along well but Niles, she still has feelings for you... nothing has really been resolved and, trust me, they'll linger."

"I wish I was as certain as you are." he muttered.

"All I'm sayin' is, ya can't give up now. Fight for her, show her that you love her."

Niles considered her advice for a moment and decided to take it with a pinch of salt. Though the general idea was sound, he also trusted his instincts that told him not to show C.C. any grand gestures, for he'd only make a fool of himself. Maybe all he had to do was to show C.C. that he was reliable, that despite her date and the possible changes that might ensue, his devotion to Sam wouldn't stop.

Friday night arrived much too quickly for C.C.'s liking, but then she had spent most of the days in between thinking about the expression on Niles' face and Sam's response. And there was something else, too, for ever since Niles had touched her that day she'd been having dreams of a more intimate nature. She tried to rationalise these by telling herself that she simply hadn't been with a man for a very long time, however, this still didn't explain in the slightest why it was always Niles she was dreaming about. And so on Friday morning as she was standing in the shower, getting ready for work, her mind drifted off yet again to a particular encounter many years ago.

C.C. and Niles had certainly made the most of their time off, before they'd both return to work and had thus christened almost every possible place in their Californian home. But now that Niles was having a shower, she had decided to prepare for work by reading the pilot script. She was comfortably lying on the living room couch, the drapes drawn shut and the fire creating a cosy atmosphere. She managed to concentrate on the script very well, until her husband entered the picture wearing nothing but a towel. The firelight painted his chest in a warm bronze hue and she smiled as she eyed him over the top of her reading glasses.

"You're not working again, are you, witch?" he questioned, sitting down on the living room table.

"Well, somebody needs to earn the money in this house." she teased and reached out to take his hand to ensure him of the lightness of her remark.

"I advise you to take off those glasses." he suddenly said very seriously.

"Why?" she asked, propping the script up against her legs.

"Because if you don't, I'll be forced to take everything else off,"

She shrugged and pretended not to believe him and picked up where she had left off. From the corner of her eye, however, she noticed that her favourite lopsided grin had appeared on Niles' face. Desperately fighting the direction her thoughts had begun to wander, she forced herself to concentrate on the dialogue taking place in the script, when moments later she felt her husband's lips caressing her neck.

"You look so stern in those glasses, Chas," Niles whispered, his tongue exploring the hollow of her neck, while his hands slowly unbuttoned her pyjamas "it would turn me on to see you lose all control."

She instantly felt her whole body responding, as a trembling took hold of it and as quickly as that she knew she didn't stand a chance.

"Like the first night, when we christened the kitchen counter," he continued, trailing numerous kisses down to her tummy "when I made you give in, made you mine all over."

The little breeze of air that occurred when he opened her pyjama top made her tingle all over. He seemed to notice her reaction and lowered his hot mouth to her right nipple, sucking on it so hard that she couldn't distinguish between pleasure and pain anymore.

"How could I not? I'll always be yours, Butler Boy." she whimpered and the sincere, loving smile he gave her warmed her heart.

"Damn those sexy glasses," he then muttered, before he continued his assault.

The throbbing at her core increased and she tried to distract herself by slipping one hand under his towel where it wrapped around his hardened member. The moan that left his lips was breathed directly against the sensitive skin of her tummy and she closed her eyes as a wave of pleasure overwhelmed her, while her hand continued to stroke lovingly up and down his shaft. Finally he moved away to pull down her panties and she groaned in frustration, for she couldn't reach him anymore. Yet all of this was rapidly forgotten as his tongue touched her clit, teasing it until it became engorged and throbbing which caused her vision to become blurry for a second.

"Niles, oh God Niles...I..." she moaned "I want you to touch yourself."

His deep blue eyes found hers for a moment, before he lowered his mouth to her core once more while he was stroking himself. Although desire was flooding her senses, C.C. forced herself to keep her eyes open, because she wanted to see how she made him feel. As if on cue his fingers replaced his lips as he groaned loudly.

"Take me, Niles." she whispered, and even though she had done so quietly, he seemed to have heard her and got to his feet, ripping of his towel.

Within seconds he had moved into her, hovering above her, before he began to thrust in a steady rhythm.

"Faster, baby," she said, squeezing his ass to egg him on and he willingly complied "yes, that's it, come on harder!"

And just as she had reached her climax then, so she did now, muffling her cries as best as she could. She hadn't intended to pleasure herself, especially not with Samantha in the house, but she reasoned that over the sound of the running water it was rather unlikely that her daughter had heard anything. She stood there panting, until the water had washed all the traces of her passion away, before she considered it safe to switch the water off and move out of the shower. She quickly toweled her hair and slipped on her robe, before unlocking the door and walking into the living room where she found Sam curled up on the couch crying.

"What's wrong, darling?" she asked, immediately concerned.

"I heard you groaning in pain and I knocked on the door but you didn't reply...I thought you were hurt." Sam whispered, wiping away her tears.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry," C.C. apologised, feeling utterly embarrassed and helpless for not being able to offer a better explanation "I just hit my head earlier on but then the water was so loud and I am a very thorough cleaner... I'm fine though!"

"Can I have a hug?" her daughter quietly asked and C.C. who couldn't stand to see tears in her light-blue eyes, happily obliged.

It was 7 o'clock in the evening when Niles appeared, looking far too good in a beige polo, a burgundy scarf loosely wrapped around his neck. C.C. had only stolen a quick look at him, before disappearing into her bedroom to change. She left the door half open, curious to hear what Niles and her daughter would talk about, but the hunt for the perfect outfit got her so distracted that she only realised too late what the conversation had shifted to.

"It's nearly 8, I thought they were having dinner at 8?" Sam asked, not exactly sounding unhappy about her mother's tardiness.

"She always takes this long, she's very thorough." Niles explained at which Sam nodded fiercely.

"That's what she told me this morning. I was so silly..." and she giggled.

"What happened this morning?" Niles asked.

"Oh I heard mummy moaning in the shower and thought she was hurt, so I got really upset, but turns out she'd only hit her head and didn't hear me knocking coz of the water..."

"Sam, could you bring me my favourite earrings, please?" C.C. asked, who had made a hasty appearance looking visibly flushed.

The little girl shrugged and jumped off the couch to do as she was told, which caused Niles and C.C. to be left alone.

"Don't even say anything," she growled after a while, unable to bear his triumphant grin.

"Must've been quite a shower when you didn't hear you daughter," he commented despite her warning "certainly very talented."

And his smile broadened when C.C. blushed even further. But what struck him as odd was the fact that she refused to look him in the eye, almost as if she was especially embarrassed because...

"No," he breathed.

"Sam, I'd really like those earrings now!" C.C. practically yelled, scared that he was on to her.

When Samantha emerged she held a beautiful set of light-blue pearl earrings in her hands, from which three blue diamond-shaped stones were dangling.

"Here, let me help you," Niles offered and rose to his feet, taking the jewellery from Sam.

C.C. hesitantly brushed her hair behind her ear and cursed herself for being unable to refuse his touch. He was working fast and efficient and yet his close proximity made her feel as if time was moving excruciatingly slowly.

"How do I look?" she asked, her voice a little hoarse.

"Very pretty," Sam replied and Niles nodded.

To him "pretty" was an understatement: The long white tight fitting dress had a slit that showed off her beautiful long legs, whenever she put one foot in front of the next. That combined with her long hair and the scent that was simply C.C. made it incredibly difficult to control himself.

"Alright, I better go then," she asked, reaching for her wrap and her purse "don't wait up."

"We won't!" Sam promised, but Niles could read in her eyes that this particular promise would easily be broken.

With C.C. out of the house the conversation easily turned to the latest adventures Sam had had in her playmobil castle and how much she missed Fran, Maxwell and the twins. Feeling sorry for her, Niles decided to order take-away at the Chinese place that Fran had always loved and indulged Samantha in the many anecdotes that living with the flashy Jewish woman had produced. Tucked up in bed later than any 5 year-old should, he lay down next to her, wishing he could do so every night.

"Tell me another story!" Sam said firmly and Niles sighed.

"Alright, but just one more, it's a fairy tale so you'll fall asleep."

"Ok," Sam agreed nodding happily.

"There once was a young man in Japan who loved to fish. Every day he'd return to the same spot by a lake where he'd stand quite peacefully and fish, trying to escape the harshness of reality. You see, his father was very sick and he was struggling to provide for his wife and daughter. Then one day, while he was fishing, a little turtle came his way. He picked it up and studied it closely, musing that he could win enough medicine from it to save his father, or turn it into a beautiful comb for his wife. But the more he observed the turtle, the more he knew that he couldn't kill it and so he set it free in the lake. Many more hours passed when suddenly a boat, carrying a young woman, came into view. When it reached the shore he saw that the woman was crying. She told him that she had escaped from a larger boat that had sunk and that she desperately needed help to return to her home which was many miles away. The young man had a good heart and decided to help the woman, so he climbed into her boat and together they rowed back to her Island. She was so grateful to be back, that she allowed him entrance into a large castle. He marvelled at the grandeur and the beauty of it and willingly followed her. "As a thank you," the woman said "you can enter those four rooms." When the young man stepped into the first room he saw that it was Spring, it was green and there were flowers and everything he loved about that season. After a little while he entered the second room, to find that it contained the heat and the promise of a summer's day. Excitedly he moved on to the third room, and found himself caught up in the melancholy of Autumn and then finally in the last room, he stood ankle-deep in snow. Three times he went into all four rooms when he suddenly remembered his sick father and wife and child and he asked the woman how much time had passed. "Three years," she told him, for he had entered the rooms three times. He instantly panicked, worrying about his father who couldn't have possibly survived and his wife who must've thought he had died while fishing. He told the woman he wished to return and she agreed, handing him a box. "Do not open this, but it might be useful." She told him and he decided to ignore her advice and the box, for both were rather confusing. When he finally made it back to his town nothing was left anymore, he searched in all directions but his house was gone. Eventually an old man crossed his path and he asked: "Wasn't there a house here once? An entire village?" The man smiled sadly and answered: "Of course, but that was 300 years ago." The young man, befallen with grief returned to the shore of the lake and did the only thing left to do: he opened the box. At once he was enveloped in green mist, a mist that consumed his entire body until he turned into a crane and flew away, back to the Island where he was reunited with the woman who was, in truth, the turtle he had set free."

After the story had ended there was a pause, before Samantha asked: "That was it? But it didn't have a happy ending, he lost his wife and child and his father!"

Niles smiled softly at her and said: "That is one way of looking at it. He certainly made a mistake when he left them and out of his grief he opened that box. He was simply human, Samantha, but that was the path he was destined for."

"I don't understand it," she sighed and he pulled her into a hug.

"You will in time, now sleep."

After he had closed the door to her room, he busied himself clearing away the take-away cartons and filling the leftovers into containers, when in truth he was, of course, waiting for C.C. to return. Just after 11pm she emerged and it took one look at her face to know that there was still hope. He knew that she had enjoyed the evening, and yet there wasn't that glow that would've told him he didn't stand a chance.

"Sam's in bed, the dishes are washed, there's Chinese in the fridge and I'm off now." he quietly said, grabbing his coat.

"Don't you want to know about my evening?" she asked, taken by surprise.

"The less I know, the better." he answered, softly brushing his lips against her cheek as he went "Goodnight."

Even after she had closed the door behind him she was certain he could hear the thundering of her heart. How, she wondered, was it possible that Niles made her feel this way in only a few seconds when Cole hadn't accomplished that all night?