Found this and had to post it. Another holiday one...short but hopefully sweet.

Cobb knew that he was a pushover. In fact he was so aware of it that he didn't bother to put up a fight anymore when Mal told him, he'd be babysitting her and Arthur's kids. Arthur, having known Cobb for years, knew that he was good with children, so good that he was often the go to babysitter for all their married friends whenever they went out.

This was such an occasion.

Arthur and his wife, Mal, were going go out to hang out with their friend, Eames and his wife, Georgiana. Eames had been out of the country for some time and it was the first time all of them would be together in several years.

And since Cobb was still terminally single, as Mal often put it, he was asked if he'd watch their children. He'd been asked if he wanted to go many times in the past but they all knew how much he hated being the only single guy in a group of blissfully married couples.

Cobb had known Philipa and James since they'd been born and as such saw them as his own children. So when Mal mentioned that her little sister had come a day earlier than expected he'd volunteered to watch her as well.

So that was how he found himself at the Pembrose house waiting patiently for someone to open the door. Perhaps he should mention to Mal that he needed his own key. He was there often enough.

Philipa, Arthur's oldest, finally opened the door.

"Uncle Cobb!" the little brunette shouted and threw herself into his arms.

Cobb spun her around and the little girl squealed. "Hi, Philli. Where are your mom and dad?"

The little girl pointed to a note on the table.

Cobb adjusted her in his arms and picked up the note.

'Sorry couldn't be there to see you, afraid that Eames got here early.'

Does no one believe in punctuality? Food and the usual numbers are in and on the fridge.'

P.s. Mal's little sister is named Ariadne.

P.s.s. You're also watching Eames' little girl, Lily.

P.s.s.s. At least until you make the babysitter leave.

Cobb put the note back on the table and went in search of his other charges.

He put down Philipa and she told him that Ariadne and Lily had been playing dolls in the toy room. Cobb went up the stairs and found a beautiful little redheaded girl sitting on the bed, Barbie in one hand and dream car in the other.

The little girl looked at him but didn't move from her spot. Cobb carefully sat on the bed. "That is a very nice car."

"She has three." The little girl said.

"Wow. I'm Cobb and you are?"

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." The little girl replied but she handed him the car.

"That's good. You shouldn't. I'm a friend of Phillippa's mommy and daddy so I'm not a stranger to her, do you want me to go get her and she can tell you if it's ok to talk to me?"

The little girl looked at him and nodded.

Cobb got up and said, "I'll be right back ok."

The girl slid off the bed and pulled on his jacket. "I'll come with you."

Cobb kneeled and looked at her. "You sure? Cause I can just call Philipa from here if you want." The little girl shrugged and he began dramatically shouting. "Philipa! Philipa! Can you please come here?"

The little girl giggled. "You're funny."

"Am I?" he said making a very silly face.

"Yeah. I'm Lily," she said and shook his hand.

"That's a pretty name. You know I know your dad."

"You do?" the little girl asked. "Really?"

"Yup."

Lily smiled, "do you want to help me find Ari. She went to find Philli but she hasn't come back yet and I'm getting hungry. She must be hungry too."

"Maybe little Ari got lost. We better got find her."

"Maybe I can help." A voice said from above him.

Cobb looked up and found a very attractive petite brunette staring down at him.

He quickly rose to his feet and dusted himself off. "Sorry for not letting you know I was here so you could go home. Do you need to call for a ride or anything?"

"That's not necessary but I appreciate the offer. I'm going to assume you're Dominic, Arthur's friend."

"I am and you are?" he asked.

"I'm little Ari." She said with a grin on her face.

"You're Mal's little sister?"

"Yes, though I hope she meant age not height. Mal likes to rub it in that she's taller than me."

"I assumed age."

"Don't worry, it happens all the time. When Arthur first starting dating Mal, she mentioned me and he came over with this cute pink stuffed rabbit."

"I would have paid good money to see that."

"When I answered the door and told him who I was, he was mortified."

"Poor Arthur."

"I still have it. I thanked him then refused to let him take it back. Mal always called me that, so while she was dating I acquired a rather impressive amount of stuffed animals from her would be suitors."

"I bet you did but I'll have to owe you one."

"You're not dating my sister but if you were you wouldn't be off to a good start until I received one," she teased.

"I'll keep that in mind." He said smiling.

Ariadne led Lilly and Cobb down to the kitchen and between the two of them began collecting all the fixings for the burgers, "Lilly can you please get Philipa and James."

"Kay, Ari."

"So are you going to be staying long?" he asked placing the mustard and ketchup in the middle and setting down plates around the table.

"I'm only here for a few days. After Easter I'm going home, I have exams." She said setting up the children's glasses and putting a large pitcher of iced tea next to them.

"Where's home?" he asked handing her the glasses one by one so she could fill them.

"Paris."

"That's far away." He said quietly.

"I never thought so before." She replied glancing up at him.

"Ari, we're ready to eat." James declared from the doorway, the two girls behind him bobbing their heads in earnest agreement.

The children scampered around the table as they were served and only then did Cobb pull out her chair, "we should sit down and eat before the food gets cold, right Ariadne."

He sat down opposite of her and she lifted her glass and clinked it with his, "right, Dominic."

"Does that mean they're married now?" James asked his sister loudly.

"No, she has to wear a white dress first." Lilly replied.

"No, he has to ask Grandpa first." Philippa mumbled around her burger.

Dominic and Ariadne wisely ignored the conversation around them and ate.

A few days later on Easter Sunday Ariadne found herself setting up an impromptu nighttime egg hunt. Arthur had missed the original one due to work and Mallory wanted to make it up to him, plus it was an easy excuse to turn it into a party, Ariadne knew her sister well.

Mal invited Georgiana, Eames and Lilly and though Ariadne was curious she hadn't dared to ask if she'd invited Cobb, fearful Mal would try to play matchmaker even after Arthur reassured her that he'd made Mal promise not to meddle.

Ariadne had assumed nothing suspicious was going on and allowed Mal to put her in a blue and white dress with a bunny tail sewn onto it's behind. Mal claimed it was for the game of tag the kids would be playing later and the outfit came complete with a bunny ears headband that pushed her hair out of her face, something Ariadne usually fought.

Even though she had agreed to wear it, Ariadne still felt like an idiot, even if it was for her niece and nephew's benefit. Eames and Georgiana kept saying she looked fine and Mallory assured her that her humiliation would be limited to strictly family which was why when she found out Cobb was coming she nearly ran to change.

Arthur told her that Dom would not doubt think she was the most beautiful bunny he'd ever seen. Ariadne had not been convinced but after seeing the crestfallen looks on her niece and nephew's faces as she took off her ears, she caved and remained in the outfit cursing her sister all the while.

All she could hope was for the egg hunt to be over and done with before he got there so she could change into something less idiotic.

"You did tell him it was tonight, didn't you?"

"Yes, but you know that Dom is always late." Arthur replied.

"Little Ariadne leaves tomorrow for Paris, he must be here tonight," she replied.

"I'll have Eames go look for him if you are that concerned."

The doorbell rang and Mal shook her head, "non, it is not necessary now." Mal turned from her amused husband and shouted to the younger woman, "Ariadne, my petite, would you please get the door."

"Mallory, please don't call me petite. I'm going to develop a complex." Mal shrugged and she turned her attention back to Eames. "Stay away from my basket."

"Just one or two then I'll leave it be."

"I'm serious; I've counted them all so I'll know if any are missing," she told Eames as she managed to yank one of the two eggs he'd stolen out of his hand.

"You really should get the door darling." He said cracking the one he'd gotten and shoving a piece of it into his mouth. "I'm sure Cobb would love to see your outfit."

"Leave them alone, Thomas Eames," she wagged her finger at him.

"The door, Ariadne Miles," he sing songed getting another out of the basket.

"No need," Cobb said interrupting their argument and opening the yard gate. "I was knocking but nobody answered." He spied Ariadne trying to keep Eames away from her the brightly colored eggs and calmly stepped between them.

Cobb took the basket from her outstretched hand and Eames stopped trying to reach around the taller man especially given how protectively he stood in front of Ariadne not that she'd seemed to notice.

"Sorry that was my fault," she replied straightening her outfit. "I was trying to keep the Easter pig away from the chocolate eggs I was hiding,"

"I ate one egg that does not a pig make." Eames replied indignantly.

"It does when they are for your daughter and her little friends." Georgiana muttered from behind him.

"Luckily you seem to have plenty," Cobb said inspecting the basket to keep his eyes from roaming over Ariadne's form. "I'm sorry I'm late. I hope I didn't delay anything."

"Not at all," Mal purred. "We are just glad you made it."

"I almost forgot, I brought you this," he handed Mal a bright blue stuffed rabbit.

"How nice…but I don't understand," she said looking at the rather fluorescent animal with something akin to horror. Arthur took it from her hands with a grin on his face and handed it to Philipa, who just squealed with joy and ran off with it.

"Does that mean that you are courting me, Mr. Cobb?" Ariadne said with a hint of laughter in her tone.

"I would like to and you look beautiful by the way," he said turning from Mal and Arthur's surprised faces.

"Thank you."

"So I've never done an egg hunt at night, what do I have to do?" he asked removing his suit jacket and rolling up his sleeves.

"You are going to be chasing me," she said adjusting the ears on her head. "I'm the Easter bunny and the children will need help to catch me and collect the rewards."

"I'd be happy to." He replied and followed her.

Eames watched sway her cotton tail to the front of the small garden maze, and reach for the basket he was still holding onto. They looked at each other then she beckoned him forward and she whispered something too low for anybody to hear.

Ariadne then stepped back and Cobb placed the handle of the basket onto her arm. They looked at each other for a heated second then he moved out of her way and she disappeared into the hedges beyond.

"Somehow, I don't think she'd mind if he stole all her eggs."

"Oh, Eames," Mal said laughing as the children entered the maze with Cobb as their guide. "If you want to catch a sneaky little rabbit, you have to have a good carrot."