Hello, Hello. Sorry, it's me again. Now that my oneshot is done I can focus on this story again. So...new chapter...I hope you enjoy it and please leave me a review. :) Thanks!

Disclaimer: Sam is mine...happy with that!:)

Chapter 4: Overture: The Marriage of Figaro - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

While Sam's concern for her mother had taken first priority to begin with, this had soon changed. C.C.'s complete and utter stubbornness on the topic of her mother and her inability to cut Sam some slack had enraged her greatly.

"She's my grandma," Sam insisted for the umpteenth time Sunday night at dinner "she is family. Yeah, she isn't the easiest person on the planet but neither are you, mum, still I get to see you on a daily basis."

"Good tactic, kid, go with that." C.C. replied dryly and continued to eat as if nothing had happened.

"Niles," Sam whined "can't you say something?"

Niles, who had been sipping on his wine happy to be excluded for once, looked up.

"Sam, I…" he sighed "this is up to your mother and she said no…"

He didn't feel particularly comfortable taking C.C.'s side in this fight, for he was actually rather torn. On one hand he very much understood C.C.'s need to protect her daughter, just as her daughter's desire to be with her grandma. He felt that it was wrong to inhibit their contact, for Sam was a clever girl and would always find a way to get what she wanted. And he much preferred knowing what she got up to or where she was, then finding out from someone else that she hadn't obeyed their rules.

"Why?" Sam demanded now, throwing her cutlery roughly on the table "You always say you're my dad, then act like one!"

"Samantha, I can't," he sighed, glancing at his wife "C.C. said no and-"

"So what? Don't you have a say in this? You were so keen on trying to make peace with grandma the other day, or at least…I don't know…coexist peacefully and now you don't even argue! I hate you, both of you!"

And she jumped up and fled the table. C.C. continued to eat silently for a moment as if nothing had happened and then set her cutlery aside.

"What?" she now asked too, frowning at her husband's serious look.

"I am in an impossible position here," he voiced steadily "you told me a while ago that you are her mother, so you make the rules and I have to agree with them. And I suppose that is your right, not because she is biologically yours but because of what happened between us and you essentially raised her on your own, but this…" he sighed and threw his hands up "I don't agree with it. The girl has a right to see her grandmother whenever she wants."

"So you want that? You want B.B. back in our life? Need I really remind you what she did to us? That she caused part of your panic back then?" C.C. challenged.

"No, of course I haven't forgotten. But whatever she did to us, it only concerns us, it does not concern Samantha. I think she deserves a chance…and your mother deserves a second chance, if anyone can change her it's Sam." he said firmly.

"You're finding this all very easy, don't you? You play the neutral, nice guy, while I again have to be the bad one with the firm rules. You always take the role of Samantha's father, well then why don't you start acting like it for once?" she yelled.

"You know I find that more than difficult, C.C., but you can't even see straight because of this hate towards your mother…I'll leave you to cool off a little now…and I hope you will, because the way you are carrying on right now you remind me more and more of B.B." And he got up, grabbed his coat and left the apartment.

When he returned later on the lights in the apartment were switched off. C.C. was curled up in bed but he knew better than to suspect she was asleep. Slowly and quietly he stripped out of his clothes and then crawled into bed with her.

"Are you ok?" he whispered and pulled her against his chest, kissing her shoulder.

"You always told me when you thought I was wrong, when everybody else remained silent, you always told me…but on this…I just wish I had your support." she answered quietly.

"I know and I'm sorry, but on this I'm between you and Sam and I don't know what to do here, C.C… I do believe in second chances though…"

"Why?" she asked, turning around in his arms to face him.

"Well, for starters because we wouldn't be here, if you hadn't given me a second chance." he replied and tenderly ran his thumb over her cheek.

"Not a fair move, Brightmore…" she sighed frustrated and closed her eyes.

"Never playing fair, Babs," he reminded her gently and captured her lips "but seriously… what's the difference here?"

"It's my mother," C.C. groaned, getting more than a little fed up with his relative calm "why don't you understand that?"

"I do," he softly said, unwilling to get into another fight with her "but think about your daughter here…please…is what your mother did to you really so bad that you can't put it aside for Sam?"

She remained silent for a moment and pensively traced the lines on his face. "She took you away from me…"

"No," he shook his head and took her hand to press his lips against it "she was judgmental, yes, but I was the one who left because I was a fool. I thought we had accepted that." When she didn't answer he pulled her closer still and whispered: "Just think about it."

She nodded and pressed her face to his chest. "I don't like it when you walk out on me, Niles, I'm never sure if you'll come back or not."

Her voice was thin and she had to swallow after almost every word, a firm reminder of how sore she still was from time to time.

"I'm sorry," he kissed the crown of her head "I promise to bear the Babcock wrath like a man from now on and not run like a coward."

She responded by squeezing his body.

"I love you…" and he caressed her back until he felt her falling asleep against him.

Samantha Claire Brightmore had enough, enough of her mother and her unbending ways, Niles' neutrality and all the damn secrets. And so, when school was over on Monday, she slipped out of the building quickly and ran all the way to the bus stop. Once inside she took a seat in the middle of the vehicle, squished somewhere between people and hidden from view. And yet, when the bus passed the school she slid down in her seat, lest Niles catch a glimpse of her. She was vaguely aware that it wasn't right what she was doing, but her desire to get away from it all was simply too strong. The bus took her straight to her uncle's apartment in the heart of Manhattan. Skipping out she took the key from the chain around her neck and gave the doorman a big smile as she headed into the building. One elevator ride up to the 4th floor later, she walked to the door and opened it with her own key. Sam gave a satisfied nod when everything was quiet. Her calculations had been correct, Noel was still at work. She dropped her bag by the door and then walked into the guestroom where she flopped down on the bed and via remote control switched on the player. For a moment she went through the mental catalogue of things she liked to listen to and then got up again to approach the player. Her uncle had a big collection of records and she carefully pulled a Tchaikovsky LP out of its cover and placed it on the player, moving the needle with even so gentle care. The static sound made her smile already and she was lying comfortably curled up in a ball by the time the music started. The volume was put on loud, just the way she liked it, and she closed her eyes and let the music drown all her worries.

The first strange thing that Noel Babcock encountered, was the happy smile the doorman gave him when he arrived at his building. There was a secretive twinkling in his eyes that people usually only got when Noel's niece was around. The second strange thing was the music that reached his ears even before he had opened the door to his apartment. For a moment he hesitated and in his head tried to think about his schedule and if he had missed a meeting with his niece, but reached the conclusion that it hadn't been an oversight on his part. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, the bag confirming his suspicions, and he took a momentary breath while hanging up his coat. She wasn't in a good mood, that much he could tell both by the volume and the choice of music. Quickly he flipped his cell phone open and dialed the number of his brother in law.

"Niles? Noel here," he began but before he could utter another word, Niles had interrupted him.

"Is she with you? I arrive here at the school and they tell me Samantha already left… I haven't told C.C. yet, I've been driving around trying to find her…"

"Niles, she's here." Noel confirmed gently.

"Good…" and he heard him breathe a sigh of relief.

"Is everything ok between you and C.C.?" Noel asked.

"Yes, but your mother has been meddling…well not meddling, but she made another appearance and you know what C.C. is like where your mother is concerned. Sam naturally wants to keep in touch with her grandma…and I…."

"You're stuck in the middle," Noel added.

"Yes and I just think that it has to mean something when your mother is taking the initiative. I think Samantha can perhaps melt her a little and that it would be wrong to put a stop to this."

"But try telling that to C.C…."

"Exactly…anyway, I'm glad that Sam is safe with you…", he smiled.

"So should I send her home or are you coming to pick her up?"

"No, just…let her stay with you…if that's ok? Let her blow off some steam…and then bring her home tonight if she wants."

"Sure, I have always time for that little whirlwind of yours. I'll see you tonight. Bye" And he hung up.

Tchaikovsky continued to echo through the house while he tried to come up with a plan. Then suddenly an idea occurred to him and determined now he approached the room to talk to Sam.