AN: Hi there! Thank you all for your reviews, they keep us going! We wanted to warn you this chapter has an M rated moment. Just so you know :) Well, enjoy the chapter, and as we usually say, let us know what you think!

H&L

Chapter 6

C.C. wouldn't say that her recent accident had been something positive, but in light of recent events she could at least agree that it had certain positive aspects to it – namely, Niles having come to live with her and Amelia.

During the past three weeks Niles had become a saving grace not only because he was a big help with the chores around the house, but also because he had become Amelia´s full-tome caretaker. Despite the fact most of her injuries had started to heal, C.C. still couldn't move on her own, so there were things – such as picking her daughter up from school, bathing her, changing her, among many others – that she needed help with.

And as a consequence, Niles and Amelia had started to spend a lot of time together, much to C.C.'s delight.

The two of them had hit it off instantly, and had made sure that C.C.'s long convalescence was as comfortable as it could be. He'd gotten the little girl to help him around the house with the cleaning, he helped her with her homework and he also tucked her in at night.

So, as the saying goes, "every cloud has a silver lining". Niles arrival had clearly been one.

Truth to be told, C.C. found absolutely endearing just how well Amelia and Niles were getting along, so she constantly encouraged them to go out and have fun together, even if she couldn't go with them due to her injuries.

That's exactly why Amelia and Niles had gone to 5th Avenue that day. C.C.'s birthday was coming up, and they wanted to buy C.C. a present. Niles had already bought one with his own money (she had given him an extension of her credit card for the time being, but he'd chosen to buy the gift with his savings) but now Amelia wanted to buy one for her mother, too.

He had actually told C.C. about Amelia´s desire; C.C. had resolved to humour her daughter and gave Niles permission to take Amelia on a shopping spree. He had been wary at first (mainly because going on a shopping spree with a five year old and a limitless credit card was a bit of a risk, in more senses than one) but the producer had cajoled him into acquiescing her wishes and had clearly stated that she wholeheartedly supported the idea and that money was no concern. That last statement had actually been made clear by her using the phrase "Niles, I am a millionaire. Let the kid buy whatever she wants for me and for her. Use my credit cards."

He hadn't been able to say no to her after that. C.C. had practically insisted, and when she insisted upon something, it usually – always – got done.

That was why he was there on 5th Avenue, holding Amelia's hand firmly in his as they both stared around them, just wondering exactly where to begin. After taking a look in all possible directions, he crouched down in front of Amelia to speak to her.

"What exactly did you have in mind as a present for your Mommy?"

"Um...I don't know," the little girl admitted. "I just want it to be nice."

That didn't give them an awful lot to go on, but luckily they were right in the heart of the place where "nice" things could be found. It seemed some shopping around would be in order, that was all. And it would probably be easier to talk to the girl inside the stores, rather than out on the street, where the traffic was making it noisy.

"Well, why don't we start looking in the nearest store, and keep going until we find something, hm?" he suggested.

The little girl nodded back, a determined look in her eyes. She was definitely her mother's daughter, and she took his hand with what seemed to be a newfound sense of purpose as they began to head towards the nearest store.

And so they began their search for the perfect gift. As it so happened, the first store that they went into was Chanel, and although they did find many beautiful (and expensive) things, none of them really called Amelia's attention.

They hopped from store to store – Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci – but none seemed to have anything that Amelia liked.

Usually Niles would have protested or felt tired if anyone else had dragged him from store to store, but with Amelia it was different. With Amelia he was actually having fun...

He liked observing her as she walked around the stores, browsing the racks or looking at all the products attentively and occasionally asking him questions. The many clerks and salesgirls had eyed at her with endearment. Many had even expressed just what a nice and well-behaved girl she was!

And he couldn't blame them... Amelia was adorable, and dressed in a lilac Gucci dress and a white Chanel parka, she looked every bit of the rich little heiress she was – in other words, she fit perfectly in those stores.

After a fruitless two hour and a half search, the pair finally entered the only store they hadn't checked – Tiffany & Co.

"Hello, how might I help you today?" a young, smartly-dressed salesgirl approached them, a pleased smile on her face.

"We are looking for a birthday gift for my Mommy!" Amelia said. "It needs to be something really pretty because she is really pretty…" she trailed off and her eyes widened. She practically bolted to the other end of the store, where a diamond necklace was being shown in the shop's window, "… like this necklace!"

The sales assistant giggled, charmed by the child's energy and personality. "Your daughter is adorable," she said to Niles.

That struck Niles immediately. Not with hurt, or with joy – more like he'd been hit by an extremely brief and very violent gust of wind, that had left him feeling momentarily stunned.

None of the other salespeople, if they had assumed, had mentioned them being related...

Well, he couldn't very well say that she wasn't, either. That would send up more alarm bells than walking out with an armful of the contents of the store without paying. But he did want to be. And he was dating her mother...they weren't exactly related, but there was a possibility that they could be, one day...

Perhaps a happy medium would suffice.

He chuckled, "Well, actually, she's my stepdaughter."

It was less complicated than saying anything else, even if it wasn't entirely true yet.

The assistant nodded and smiled in understanding, "Oh, my apologies. It's just that she...well, you resemble each other so much-"

"No, no, it's fine," Niles couldn't help the little burst of joy inside him at the fact that she had said they'd resembled each other. "It's a common mistake."

They said no more about it, and began to wander over to where Amelia was still excitedly hovering over the necklace.

"Niles, isn't it pretty?" she was nearly jumping up and down in her happiness. "It's perfect for Mommy!"

He had to admit, the girl had good taste, even though she was still young. The necklace was, indeed, absolutely stunning. White gold, inlaid with a chain of square-cut diamonds, with the middle ending in a white gold heart that seemed to join the two sides together.

"Do you think Mommy will like it?" Amelia asked, looking up at him hopefully.

"I think your Mommy will absolutely adore it," Niles said, crouching down next to Amelia and smiling at her. "Do you want to buy her the necklace, sweetheart?"

The girl nodded enthusiastically, her little body practically bouncing in excitement.

"Very well. Then you can ask the nice saleswoman to wrap it up for you, okay?" Niles scooped the girl up in his arms so she could talk to the sales assistant face-to-face.

"Okay," Amelia said and wrapped her arms around Niles' neck before addressing the saleswoman. "Can I have that necklace, please?"

"Of course you can!" the sales assistant beamed at the girl. "And we'll wrap it up real nice so you can give it to your Mommy for her birthday."

"Thank you very much!" Amelia exclaimed.

Once the sales assistant had gotten a new necklace for C.C., she neatly wrapped the light-blue box up and put it in a bag. She then stapled a white ribbon to the side of the bag as a finishing touch. Niles then proceeded to pay an obscene amount of money for the piece of jewellery – more than he earned in a year! – and Amelia was given the bag with her purchase. They left the store feeling pleased with themselves, but also completely drained. Their long search had taken its toll on them, so seeing as they needed to rest and it was almost lunchtime, Niles decided to have lunch out with his "stepdaughter".

He truly hoped that one day he could at least call her that – the ideal would be that he could call her his daughter, of course – but only time would tell.

"Where are we going now?" the young girl asked.

"To have lunch, Little One," Niles replied, tidying her little scarf so that the cold gushes of wind wouldn't get into her clothes and cause her to catch a cold.

"Can we go to McDonald's?"

The girl may be a millionaire, but she was just like any other child in that regard...

He chuckled, "Yes, we can go to McDonald's."

"Yay!" the girl squealed, and hugged at his legs. "You're the best, Niles!"

That was the highest praise he'd probably had all day, and he was very grateful for it. He certainly hoped C.C. would like the necklace – it was gorgeous, and it had come from her daughter, so everything suggested that she would.

He just couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she opened it.

But he'd have to wait. Her birthday wasn't just yet, and they had lunch to attend to.

They found the nearest McDonald's, and Niles ordered them a meal each, before they settled down at a table. Amelia took the little toy from her Happy Meal and started examining it. It looked like a tiny wind-up robot, and even though it wasn't anywhere near as expensive or elaborate as her toys at home, she seemed happy with it, as well as with her meal.

They didn't eat quickly – there was no rush, and it gave them a chance to talk some more.

He smiled as he observed her play with her toy; the girl was completely focused on her game, and she was pretending that the robot and one of the ketchup packets were friends. He had seen scenes like this plenty of times before – after all he had taken care of the Sheffield children for yeas now – but for some reason watching Amelia play was... special. He didn't really know why, but it was endearing.

He looked down towards were her half-eaten meal lay. It was getting cold, and Amelia needed to eat. So, as much as he liked seeing her play, her health came first.

"You should eat, Little One," he pointed to her fries and playfully stole one.

"Hey!" Amelia protested and snatched it back. "They are mine!"

The butler laughed. "Oh, dang, I was hoping to get it for myself!"

Once again he "attempted" to steal a fry, but Amelia used her robot to "protect" her meal. He pretended to be frustrated and slumped against the back of his chair as the girl giggled.

"My robot Chip won't let you!" she said and placed it before her meal as she grabbed a chicken nugget and took a bite of it.

"He is a fair guardian, I must admit. Do you like robots?" Niles asked, grabbing one of his own chicken nuggets.

"Yep," Amelia replied as she chewed on her food. "But my favourite toys are dolls – especially princess dolls."

"Oh, I see," he sipped on his drink, and replaced it on the table. He thought he'd found a good way to keep the conversation flowing. "Who's your favourite princess?"

"Cinderella," the little girl replied with no hesitation whatsoever.

"Ah, alright," Niles smiled. "Why is she your favourite?"

Amelia thought about it for a while, "She's nice, and she sings really well. She has animal friends, and she's really pretty."

Niles nodded, but before he could say anything, Amelia piped up again as she studied one of her fries.

"She looks like Mommy."

That was a fair enough assessment to make. He'd never seen C.C. as the servant type, obviously, but he could see why her daughter would see her as being like Cinderella; specifically, the blonde hair and blue eyes.

"I also like Sleeping Beauty," Amelia said, interrupting his thoughts. "I like it at the end when her prince comes and saves her."

"You like it when there's a happily ever after?" the butler asked, now no longer paying attention to his food himself.

He was genuinely interested in what the girl had to say about this – he might, if they had time, ask if she wanted to watch a movie. And hearing about her interests would make it easier to pick one out.

"Yeah," she replied, looking down at her food, and then back up at him. "I like it when the princess gets her Prince Charming."

Niles smiled. It seemed Amelia was just like any other little girl when it came to princess stories.

"Well, it is always nice when the prince and the princess fall in love and have their happily ever after," he said, helping Amelia open a packet of ketchup and putting some of it over her fries.

"Yeah, when that happens everyone is happy!" Amelia said, grabbing another fry and wolfing it down. "But do you know what my favourite thing is?"

Niles thought for a few moments before answering; he thought about the many times when they had watched movies at the mansion, but he couldn't quite pinpoint the girl's favourite part. She always got really excited when the prince and the princess got married or when the prince saved the princess, but that was about it...

"What do you like the most, Little One?" he eventually asked, smiling down at her as they both ate.

"I like it when the prince carries the princess in his arms!" she exclaimed, dabbing some ketchup on her fry. She was thoughtful for a moment and the smirked at him. "Like you carry Mommy!"

Niles laughed softly – it wasn't the first time Amelia said that he carried C.C. like a princess. "Well, yes, but I do it because your Mommy needs help because she is still hurt due to the accident."

"I know... but you also love Mommy, right?"

The butler nodded.

Amelia looked pleased with his answer and sat back on her chair. She observed him for a long time – almost as though she was scrutinising him. What was she thinking about?

"So if you love Mommy and you carry her around, when are you gonna marry her? You know, like princes do..."

The smile dropped away from Niles' face – he physically felt it.

He didn't know what to say to her question. How could he possibly reply simply to something so complicated? He and C.C. did love each other; they knew that, but they'd only just gotten together, really. They hadn't even...been intimate...yet! Not that he'd be able to explain that part to her, anyway, it just happened to be another factor.

Another thing on the list of reasons, each and every one too difficult to explain to the little girl patiently waiting in front of him for an answer.

"Um..."

Amelia bit her lip, eyes suddenly flashing with worry, "You look scared. Don't you wanna marry her?"

And suddenly he felt fear in his own chest, and he reached out a hand across the table in what he hoped was a comforting fashion.

"Oh, no, no, no, it's not that at all!" a panicked breath left his body, and he supposed that he'd have to at least tell her a little, even if only to stop her from being afraid of someone leaving her life without warning. "Of course I would, someday. It's just that your Mommy and I haven't talked about it yet."

"When are you gonna talk about it?" Amelia asked him, blinking.

That was something of a point...but they weren't ready, for so many reasons. He didn't want C.C. to feel pressured into anything.

"When we're both ready," he eventually said, giving it the kind of tone that worked on the twins when he wanted them to understand that that was the only answer they would get.

It seemed to work with Amelia, too, for the girl eventually nodded and went back to her food. By now he knew Amelia was not an overly-inquisitive child – he supposed that, as C.C. had told him, Amelia had quickly learnt that sometimes it was better not to push it.

In the past, there had been many questions about her father, but eventually the girl had understood that her Mommy couldn't give her the answers she wanted right then. She knew her birth father hadn't run away from her and, when she had gotten a bit older, her Mommy had promised she was going to tell her more about him. But in exchange for that, the girl had promised to not ask more questions about him.

It was a blessing that at such a young age Amelia was capable of understanding that some topics simply were too delicate to be discussed. She had learned to make the best of what she had (which, as her mother always reminded her, was a lot more than many people had) and enjoy herself.

That's why the rest of the day was just as fun as their morning had been. Niles took the child to the cinema, they went grocery shopping together and then they made a quick stop at a bakery near C.C.'s mansion and bought the former producer the cheesecake she liked so much. Then, they'd finally returned to their home.

"We are back!" Amelia exclaimed as she burst through the door, followed by Niles (who was carrying the many shopping bags).

As Niles put away their purchases (and hid the Tiffany & Co. bag in the butler's pantry), the little child dashed upstairs, towards her Mommy's room.

As she opened the door, she found her asleep. The television was on and C.C. was holding the remote in her hand, as it had become a habit these past few weeks. Her injured leg was propped up on some pillows and it was the only part of her body which wasn't covered by the warm, fluffy blanket Niles had placed on her when they'd left that morning.

Amelia silently climbed onto the bed, crawled to her mother's side and hugged her.

"Hey, Mommy," she whispered. "Are you awake?"

"Hm?" C.C. started, and looked down towards the sudden weight she felt on her one good side. She smiled when she saw her little girl. "Oh, hey, sweetie...! Did you have a good day today?"

"Uh-huh," Amelia nodded, snuggling into her mother's side.

"What did you do that was good?" C.C. slipped her arm around her daughter, and cuddled her close, glad to have been woken up in such a nice way.

"Niles took me to McDonald's," the little girl said. "I got a robot in my Happy Meal."

"Oh, that's nice!" C.C. smiled into her daughter's hair as the little girl showed her the tiny robot. She hadn't exactly set a rule as to whether or not Niles was allowed to give Amelia junk food, but she supposed just this once it wouldn't hurt. "Did you do anything else?"

"We watched a movie," Amelia continued. "And then we got groceries, and then we came back here."

"Mm, sounds good," C.C. kissed her daughter's head.

There was quiet for a second, but then Amelia jolted, as though she was remembering something important.

She bounced a little on the bed in her excitement, "Oh! We got cheesecake, too!"

"And as if by magic, it is here," called a voice from outside the door.

Both Amelia and C.C. looked up as Niles entered, carefully carrying a tray. Three plates of cheesecake and some forks were carefully arranged on it, the smallest slice obviously for Amelia. It was absolutely endearing to see how both mother and daughter's eyes glimmered when they first sighted the treat on the tray – he had thought it a million times before, but C.C. and Amelia were incredibly alike.

It wasn't a surprise, to be honest... as his mind reminded him, C.C. had been raising Amelia on her own, and so it was only natural that they had similar personalities – technically, C.C. had been the main role model in Amelia's life!

He carefully lowered the tray on her bedside table and passed C.C. and Amelia their plates before he grabbed his own and settled himself down against the pillows alongside them. He couldn't help but cherish the domesticity of the whole situation, and he found himself wishing that this was his routine from the rest of his days.

Of course that it would be even better if C.C. wasn't injured, but they'd eventually get there.

For now, he limited himself to enjoy from being close to his girlfriend and her daughter. Amelia actually snuggled in between he and C.C.; the latter had given Amelia the remote, and she was busy channel hopping and looking for something to watch.

"I would have started dating you sooner if I knew you came with cheesecake delivery," C.C. teased, taking a bite of her cake. "Not to mention the house has been spotless since I started dating a maid!"

"So that's the reason why you decided to date me?" Niles gave her an unimpressed look. "Because of the services I provide?"

"Some of them, yeah," a mischievous glint shone in her eyes. "I still have to try certain... services of yours."

He grinned back at her, catching her drift. It was good that Amelia simply couldn't understand the implications in her mother's words yet...

In fact, she wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention at all.

Which was just as well, because the way C.C. looked at him as she cut of the tip of her cheesecake and slid it into her mouth was positively indecent.

He raised an eyebrow in return, and took a little of his own cake to his mouth. They had yet to try intimacy like that, but he would be lying if he said the notion hadn't been in his mind. More than a fair amount, too. He supposed that he had missed C.C. so much, wanting her in every possible way now that they were together was only natural. It had just been difficult, both with Amelia around, and now with C.C.'s injury.

They'd get there. They both knew that. It was just...frustrating, that it couldn't happen sooner.

Well, judging by the way C.C. was looking at him, she didn't care about her casts or her broken bones so much. At least, not as much as getting what she wanted from him.

Which he would be so happy to give. So very happy...

His musings were interrupted by a cartoon explosion from the television, and Amelia giggling. She'd found a Roadrunner cartoon, and was now absorbed in it.

Maybe when Amelia was at school, they could have a better discussion.

As long as they discussed it (and judging by the way she was behaving he suspected it would happen sooner rather than later), then everything would be perfectly okay.

For now, however, both he and C.C. resolved to enjoy from a tranquil afternoon together. An afternoon which soon turned into evening, and that was thoroughly spent watching cartoons and munching on different treats that Niles occasionally brought from the kitchen.

Seeing as they had eaten quite a lot of junk food, neither of them felt like having dinner; instead, Niles prepared them some homemade cocoa which they accompanied with some cookies.

Due to her injuries, C.C. couldn't help Amelia get ready for bed – the task now fell upon Niles, and he had gladly taken it. He would always prepare her a warm bath, help her dry her hair and get dressed once she had finished her bath and then he'd tuck her in. Usually, Amelia asked him to tell her a story or to sing her a song, and that night was no different.

"Niles?" she said, getting comfortable under the covers and hugging her toy monkey.

"Yes, Little One?"

"Can you tell me the story of the Beauty and the Beast? Please?"

He smiled. She adored that story... especially since he always sang "Be Our Guest" when he told it to her.

"Of course I can," he settled himself on the edge of her bed, and began the story.

Amelia listened intently, thrilled by everything that he described.

He was sure he'd probably done it the same way each time, but the effect on her was always the same – it was like she was hearing it for the first time again. He used different voices for all the characters, sang "Be Our Guest" perfectly in tune (with Amelia singing along, too), and brought the story to its happily ever after just as he tucked the covers in around the little girl.

She yawned, and stretched comfortably. The cocoa, followed by her bath and subsequent change into pyjamas, had made her warm and sleepy.

"Goodnight, Niles," she mumbled, her eyes barely able to remain open.

He whispered his own reply, "Goodnight, Mia."

The little girl turned over onto her side, and Niles knew it wouldn't be long before she was completely asleep. But he stayed anyway, until he knew for sure. Then, easing himself from her bed, he tiptoed quietly out of the room, leaving the door ajar behind him.

As he got to C.C.'s room, he glanced towards Amelia's room over his shoulder one last time – he could get used to this...

Actually, it was more like he wanted to get used to this – tranquil days spent together, and even more delightful evenings that would be laced with a blissful feeling of warmth and belonging.

Because that was what he felt whenever he was with C.C. and Amelia – he felt like he belonged. Not to get him wrong, the Sheffields were his family (in a certain way) but he'd never felt so content and at home like he did right then.

There was a time when he'd believed that he'd never get to experience this domestic bliss, but luckily fate had chosen to prove him wrong. With that thought in mind, he nodded softly and went back into the room.

"Is she asleep already?" C.C. asked from the bed. She'd gotten changed while he'd helped Amelia to bed, and the woman was using a tantalising satin nightgown. It was red, reached just a little above her knees and had a pronounced sweetheart neckline.

God... she was absolutely gorgeous!

He must have stayed in silence for a rather long period of time, because he soon heard her deep, sultry laugh echoing around the room.

"Like what you see?" the woman purred. "Even if I am all bruised and with a sturdy cast on my leg?"

Truth be told, the cast and the bruises hadn't even registered to him. The nightgown had taken all of his focus.

God, she really was beautiful. He honestly couldn't believe he'd gotten so lucky! And, if her current attire combined with the look she'd given him earlier was anything to go by, he was about to get even luckier.

"I, uh..." he tried to stammer out words, and gulped. He tried pulling at his collar, because for some reason the room had gotten quite a number of degrees hotter within the space of a few minutes. Maybe even seconds.

Well, when the very embodiment of "hot" was lying there seductively, waiting for him to come over, the room had no choice but to reflect the intensity.

"I'll take that as a "yes", then," she smirked, and beckoned him over with one finger. "Come on over here, Butler Boy. You can take a better look."

In the blink of an eye, Niles closed and locked the door (considering what was about to happen, he'd rather make sure Amelia didn't walk into them in the most inappropriate of times) and dashed to her bed.

The closer he got, the more he liked what he saw – the tingle he was feeling in certain parts of his anatomy was proof of this. She was breath-taking... the embodiment of sexy...

She was the most beautiful woman in the entire world.

He carefully lay down by her side, and he gingerly ran a hand up and down her flat stomach. She seemed to like the contact, for she hummed contentedly.

"That feels good," she said, and slipped one of her hands into his hair, entwining her fingers with his sandy locks.

"Good to hear so," he replied, leaning in and catching her lips in a slow, sensual kiss. "But I can do more than this..."

C.C. gave him a grin worthy of the Cheshire cat. Given that she couldn't move much, she simply shifted a bit so she could wrap her arms around his neck and pull him close. She then trailed kisses along his jaw.

"Then prove it," she purred against his ear.

For a fleeting moment, Niles thought about saying no – what about Amelia? What if she needed them? What if she heard something? – but then her heavenly touch quelled that worry in his mind. They would be careful and silent; if Amelia needed she'd call them, and if C.C. was okay with what they were doing, then so was he.

"With pleasure," he growled, moving to settle between her already open legs (taking care not to disturb her case) and continued his onslaught. He kissed her as his hands wandered, caressing the outlines of her body.

He delighted in the faint throaty moans erupting from her as he touched and kissed her. She was clearly enjoying herself (so was he, for that matter) but it was time to move things forward. Granted, he had to be extra careful given her state, but he'd make sure to make this a more than pleasurable experience for the both of them.

He pulled away for a second so he could get rid of his clothes. Garment after garment were removed – first his shirt, then his belt and pants, his socks... until he was only left in his underwear.

C.C. couldn't quite help the lusty smile spreading across her face. He wasn't a handsome man by traditional standards, but in her view his body was just perfect.

"Like what you see?" he teased, advancing towards her and pecking her lips.

"Quite a lot," she replied. "But I feel we are on uneven ground here," one of her hands travelled to one of the straps of her nightgown and pulled it down. She then repeated the action with the other. "I am too overdressed for the occasion."

Niles chuckled. God... he loved the woman...

Carefully – and mainly because he didn't want to put her in any pain – he helped her out of her nightgown.

His eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when he took in her naked – naked! – form.

Not even Aphrodite could compete with her... she was... gorgeous, breath-taking, beautiful, sublime, divine...

And, by God, he was a lucky man!

He was almost entranced by her beauty – so much so he almost didn't notice her discomfort when her stretch marks came into view. She tried to cover them with her hands, feeling slightly ashamed. No one had seen her naked body since Patrick, and after the pregnancy she'd noticed that some stretch marks had lingered and that her hips had widened slightly.

That was when he noticed. When he'd been tracing her curves with his eyes but found his vision blocked by her hands.

He frowned down at them, confused. Why would she cover herself up? He looked back up at her, hoping that she'd say something which gave away what was troubling her. She looked... embarrassed? Why would she be embarrassed? Did she not like her body, and think that he wouldn't like it either?

"What's wrong?" he asked, trying to take one of her hands but finding it difficult because she seemed to be clamping them both to her sides.

"Nothing," she said quickly, wondering if perhaps having the lights off entirely would be a better idea.

"Then why won't you let me see?" Niles tried prising her fingers away from her body again.

"Because you won't like it," she said, feeling like maybe just having out with it would be better. "The...the stretch marks, and...and my hips...you won't like it..."

He wouldn't like the ugly reminders of her pregnancy; things he'd have to see if they were up close like that.

But nobody seemed to have told Niles that he wasn't supposed to like the marks, or her hips. Taking advantage of her explanation to loosen the grip of her hands, he leaned down again, and began to feather kisses all over her stretch marks, and up and down her hips.

He alternated his kisses with words, "You are...sublime...and I...love you, so very much...all of you...it's all beautiful...and I'm going to prove it..."

She barely had time to even begin to imagine what he had in mind, because only moments after he'd moved downwards, leaving a trail of kisses behind until he reached her core. She sucked in a breath through her teeth as he began to tease, placing kisses all around her womanhood and teasing her outer lips. She craved for more... so much more...

Almost as if he knew what she was thinking, he suddenly covered her clit with his mouth and he began to suck, his fingers aiding him in bringing her to ecstasy.

"God, yes!" she whimpered as he lapped at her clit and thrust his fingers into her rhythmically. The pleasure was overwhelming... completely and absolutely mind blowing!

The woman felt like she was in heaven, both due to his wonderful touch and also due to his sweet words. It had only taken a few moments for him to go from feeling ashamed, to actually feeling more comfortable in her skin.

There was still a long way to go – she couldn't quite bring herself to accept that her body was as beautiful as Niles had said, but she'd try to get better. But back to the matter at hand, he was slowly bringing her to the peak of her pleasure, and although part of her simply didn't want him to stop, he wanted him inside her.

Usually, she enjoyed foreplay, but given her limited mobility and the fact that she wouldn't be able to reciprocate in equal measure (and also that she craved to be filled by him) she tugged at his hair, commanding him to come up.

"I need you in me..." she pulled him close and kissed him, tasting herself on his lips, "Now... please..."

Niles could simply nod and comply with her wishes. Just as he was about to enter her, however, a pesky thought came to surface.

"We need protection," Niles murmured, trailing kisses along her neck. He loved her, there was no doubt about that, but they weren't ready for a baby right then. God knows she wasn't… and she'd rather not make the same mistake twice.

Not to get her wrong, Amelia was the most precious and wonderful thing in her life and she wouldn't change her for the world, but she'd rather not go through a very much unplanned pregnancy… again. The next time she had children (if there was one) she wanted it to be planned.

"I am on the pill," she replied, raking her nails against his back.

"Are you sure about it?" he panted, his body quivering with excitement and the need to be in her.

"Quite sure," she kissed him. "Now, please, I need you in me..."

And without any further hesitation, he complied with her one and only wish.

They muffled their gasps and groans of pleasure by pressing their lips together once more, and Niles took great care in moving slowly inside her, so as not to disturb her leg or her ribs. The pleasure began to build slowly and surely, his thrusts rhythmic and long. C.C. dug her nails into his back, moaning softly.

"Oh, God, Niles..." she let out, panting as he left her only to enter her again slightly harder, "You feel so good...!"

"So do you," he managed to reply with a grunt, not allowing his pleasure to overtake him before hers had overcome her.

But he did increase the pace of his thrust, just a little to make her moan a little harder.

The sound of him pleasuring her, even if it was quiet for the sake of a sleeping Amelia next door, was music to his ears. The feeling of her nails digging into his flesh, holding his upper half close to her as his lower half moved in and out of her, was the sweetest mixture of pleasure and pain that he could imagine.

Well, maybe the sweetest pain. The sweetest pleasure was definitely the feeling of being inside her, moving in and out of her rhythmically and feeling her walls clenching with the building satisfaction...

Sweet and heartfelt declarations of love left their mouths in the form of whispers, which were interspersed with their grunts and moans of pleasure. They could only hold each other close as they slowly dragged each other to the edge. The intensity of the moment was the result of years of unfulfilled fantasies; years of loneliness and pain and sorrow...

Their desire was fuelled by a primal need to be together after so much heartbreak, and the need to show each other the extent of their love – to show their loved one the desire they held for them. Neither of them could believe they'd waited so long to do this, and they felt like fools...

Fools that had lost precious time fighting a meaningless war.

A war that had resulted in both of them being declared losers. Actually, this was probably their first victory in decades.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips. She was almost there... a few more thrusts and she'd be a goner.

"So do I..." he replied, fully aware that she was on the brink, "With all my heart."

He fastened his pace just a little, and finally, her walls began to spasm and quiver as she fell over the edge, moaning his name. Perhaps it was the beauty of seeing and feeling her orgasm, but hers triggered his, and he soon joined her, moaning her name as he emptied himself inside her.

He couldn't help but press their lower bodies together – hard. The need to be near had reached its zenith, and so he held her close and kissed her as they rode the waves of their joint orgasms. He was thankful to be sharing this intimate and fulfilling experience with her, and his only wish was that he never had to go a day without this woman by his side.

This was it...

She was the one.

This woman was the woman with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life.

As they both recovered and started to catch their breath back, he rolled over and off her, nestling himself next to her. C.C. turned her head towards him, grinning all over her face.

"Wow," was all she could say. Well, she let it out with one, rough breath.

Niles huffed out a laugh, swallowing and taking in deeper breaths himself, "I know."

There was a small silence, in which C.C. stared at the ceiling. She could never, even in her wildest fantasies, have ever imagined it to be so good, so fulfilling... This really was what love felt like. And it made her realise what she wanted. Where she wanted them to go next.

"Well," she licked her lips, and reached out a hand to stroke his chest, feeling his heartbeat returning to normal, "I, uh...I can't possibly let you leave now that I know just exactly what kind of services are available to me..."

Niles chuckled, "That sounds like an invitation to move in to me, Babs..."

Her eyes travelled to where her hand was, scraping his skin lightly, "I guess it does, doesn't it?"

Another moment of quiet as she allowed him to take it in.

Was she...really asking...?

His eyes widened, and he grasped at her hand, "Are you...are you really asking me to-"

"It sure sounds like it, doesn't it?" she interrupted, now too excited by the look of delight on his features to think about any possible rejection. "You practically live here all the time anyw-"

Her words were cut off by him leaning over and planting one more, lingering kiss on her lips.

He answered as he pulled away, "I'd love to. I love your idea, and I love you."

"I love you, too," she beamed back at him, stretching as best she could so that he could hold her close as they got comfy. She stifled a yawn as she went.

"Someone's tired," Niles murmured amusedly. "Did I use up all of your energy?"

"I'm too tired to even argue, even if it does inflate your ego," C.C. cuddled into him as much as her casts would allow, closing her eyes. "I'll get you back in the morning."

"Deal. And then after breakfast, I'll talk with the Sheffields about this," Niles rested his head against hers, also closing his eyes and preparing to get some rest himself. He reached up and kissed her forehead once more. "Goodnight, love."

"Goodnight, lover."

The couple soon fell asleep, overcome by the most satisfying exhaustion.