(AN: My first one shot! How exciting.........)

Chapter 1

"I hate this!" I yelled into my empty penthouse as I walked in the door, and through my keys down on the table. Chester was at obedience classes, so I really was all alone.

I walked over to the couch, and curled up with a blanket. Alcohol wouldn't help this time. I knew it wouldn't, the pain was too much for alcohol to even give me an ounce of relief. I was curled up on the couch, in my empty apartment, mourning. Mourning over the loss of a man who was still on the Earth. In fact, I saw him everyday. But, I wasn't just mourning him, I was mourning our relationship. I suppose I should explain......... When I walked into the Sheffield Mansion yesterday morning, with my signature "Hello, hello!", something was.......off, and I didn't like it.

"Hello, Hello!" I exclaimed, walking into the kitchen. I looked around. Niles wasn't there. Nanny Fine walked in just after myself.

"Heya, Miss Babcock. Somethin' wrong?" She asked me.

"Where's Benson?" I was very, very confused.

"Oh, Niles? He left right after breakfast this morning. He had a date." She got that little smile on her face, and walked over to the refrigerator to grab a water.

Inside, my heart dropped. Niles? A date? But, I kept it cool, Ice Queen cool, on the outside. "Where'd they meet? The fruit aisle?" I laughed.

"Nah, the cereal aisle." Nanny Fine said seriously.

Oh my God! 'Good job, Babcock, you didn't let him know, so now he's gone. You didn't tell him.' The little voice inside me pestered. I suddenly felt very sick.

"You know what, Nanny Fine? I don't feel so well. Will you let Maxwell know I'm just going to return home, and that I'll see him tomorrow?" I told her.

She looked at me very odd. "Yeah, sure. Are you sure you're okay, Miss Babcock?"

I nodded,"Yes, I'm sure it's just something I ate."

I went home, and found myself in the same position I am now. The plan was to get some rest, get over Niles, and go back to work the next day. And I was planning on doing just that. Until, he showed up later that evening.

"Bark, bark!" I was laying in bed, trying to just sleep the queasiness I felt off when I heard Chester barking from the living room.

"Chester, shut up!" I yelled, not wanting to be disturbed.

When the little fur ball continued to yap, I got out of bed, and walked towards the living room.

"Shhhh.... Chester.......quiet, little guy." I heard, and my heart dropped into my stomach.

I had stopped in the hallway when I heard the whispering voice, so, now, I walked on. When I rounded the corner, there was a man in my fridge. He was bent over, looking in my fridge. What kind of robbery is this? I remembered asking myself. I cautiously walked over to the oblivious man with the vase I had grabbed from the end table in the hall. I was holding it over my head, ready to strike, when the man turned around.

"Babcock, what the he-"

"Niles?" I asked with astonishment.

"Yes, Niles! Now put that bloody thing down!" He yelled.

I immediately set the vase down on the kitchen counter. "What were you doing?" He asked.

"Me!? What were you doing!?"

"I came over to bring you some soup. Mr. Sheffield told me you were sick. And, I know you don't eat right normally. So, I figured it couldn't hurt to bring you some food." He explained.

"How'd you get in here?" I asked with curiosity.

"The spare key." He answered.

I nodded. "Sorry for almost taking out your skull." I smiled, "I thought you were a burglar."

He smiled, "If you're going to try and kill me, just do it with me watching next time, okay?"

"Deal."

"Would you like some soup?" He asked.

I nodded. "I would."

While Niles was making the soup, I decided to ask him, "So, I hear you've got a new girlfriend?"

He smiled, "Yeah, I do."

"Do you like her?" I asked.

His back was to me, because he was facing the microwave, so I couldn't always catch his facial expressions, but I saw him shrug and answer, "Yeah. She's a good person."

"Why do you say it like that?" I questioned further.

He shrugged again, and I could tell by his body movements he was contemplating something. "What is it? Just tell me. It'll make you feel better."

He turned around to pour the soup in my bowl. Then, he sat down next to me.

"There's just something missing." He told me, as I blew on a spoon full of soup.

"What do you mean?" I asked. I knew exactly what he meant it felt that same way with me whenever I dated someone. Because none of the guys I dated were him.

"It's like...... Okay, remember that time I was taking you home, but had to run into the market on the way, and we ran into Chandler?" He asked.

"Yeah." I replied, eating my soup.

"And you told me to kiss you while he was watching?"

I blushed a little at this. "Yeah."

"And there was just that......" He made big gestures with his hands, "You know......."

"Pow?" I supplied.

He nodded, "Yeah! There's just that 'bam!'?"

"Yes."

"I don't have that with her." He finished, "I like her, I want the 'pow!' to be there, but it just.........isn't."

I shrugged, "You can't make it be there."

"I can't?" He asked with sadness.

I shook my head, "No. Trust me, I've tried."

I was putting my bowl in the dishwasher, and knew he was standing right next to me.

"You've tried?" He asked with surprise.

I stood up and turned around, "Yeah. Everyone has. But, it never works because, you can only have the spark with your special some..........one." I was nose to nose with him, and had practically just confessed I thought we were made for each other.

He put his hand on my cheek, and closed the distance between us before I had a chance to pull away.

He was kissing me, I was kissing him, and we were both enjoying it. However, when he started to trail kisses along my jawline, I pulled away.

"Niles..... I'm sorry....... I just....." I tried to find the right words to tell him, but when I couldn't, I closed my eyes, waiting for his reply.

"Can't?" He asked, "CC, you never can! Quit fighting it, just let it happen!"

Before you start to think, "Why is Niles being such a jerk?"Allow me to explain. That kiss in the kitchen, wasn't our first kiss. It wasn't the only one that had gotten so........ involved, either. Any time Niles and I even touched, this spark just exploded. I can't really explain it, but that's what happens. And, every time it does happen, Niles and I become very touchy-feely. And I'm always the one to put the brakes on things. I don't blame Niles for being mad, I' be mad too.

"I can't.....I just can't." I told him, crying.

"CC, I'm done waiting." He told me, "I want a relationship with you. That spark we were talking about, is there with you. It's always there, and it's always been there. Yes, or no. I need an answer. If you turn me away, this will never happen again. But, if you say yes, and let me into your life, I'll do the best I can to make you happy."

I was still silent. "Say yes." He pleaded, "Just say yes, CC."

"I......" I sighed, and suddenly found my chipped manicure interesting, "I can't." I told him.

He looked at me. "I'm sorry to hear that. I'll see you, Love." He kissed my cheek, and walked out of my penthouse, and my life, forever.

Now you understand why I didn't go to work today. I was too upset. I couldn't do it. What I did d, however, is drive by the Sheffield Mansion. I don't know why, really I just did.

It's almost midnight now, and I'm still in the same spot I was at 8:00. On the couch, curled up, crying. "This sucks!" I screamed, "I love him, I want to say yes! So why can't I!?" I yelled.

I put my head in my hands as the tears started up again. I answered my own question, "I can't because I'm afraid.... afraid of rejection......of failure..... of deception."

Suddenly, I sat up. Oh my...... I'm in love with Niles, but I compare him to all of the other guys I've dated. He's not in the same category. That's what the problem has been all of these years. I haven't viewed Niles as Niles, I've viewed him as a potential date, which all of the men in the date category are automatically put into the jerk category! I've got to talk to Niles!

I got it my car, and drove over to the Sheffield Mansion. I used my key to get in, and climbed the stairs to Niles' room.

I lightly knocked on his door. After a few moments, he opened it. "What do you want?" He asked not rudely, just...... tiredly.

"I want you." I replied.

He sighed, "Babcock...."

"Can I just come in?" I asked.

He stepped aside, and closed the door behind me.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"Because there are 8 million people in the world, and I only want you." I replied.

"It took you 23 years to figure that out?" He asked, only partially kidding.

"I kept saying no because I'm afraid." I confessed.

"Of what?" He sincerely questioned.

"Failure, deceit, rejection." I told him.

"You don't have to worry about any of those things." He told me, "Failure," He held out on finger, "With the spark we have, ain't gonna happen." He held out another finger, "Deceit, it took me this long to get you, there's no way I'm screwing it up," He winked, and held out another finger, "Rejection. I love you, and I want you."

Whatever I was about to say got stuck in my throat just then. "L.....love?" I asked.

"Love, want, need, have to have. Which ever you prefer." He stepped closer to me, and put his hands on my hips.

I sighed, "I"m sorry."

"It's quite alright, Love." He replied, kissing me.

And this time, I won't say no.

THE END