Joseph and Belle babysit.

Joseph wasn't sure what possessed him to offer, but the young mother was clearly at the end of her tether, sick with a nasty head cold with a colicky baby, and some instinct told him that if he left them alone, something bad would happen.

Which was how he found himself standing in the middle of the living room, trying to soothe a screaming infant when Belle let herself into the house, struggling with the groceries. He automatically moved to help her, only remembering their guest when the baby wailed louder. His angel stopped just inside the door to stare at him. "Did I miss something?"

He explained as quickly as possible, struggling to be heard over the baby, and despite his fraught nerves, he still basked in Belle's approving smile. "You did the right thing," she assured him, reaching to take the child from his arms, settling her on her shoulder like she'd done it a thousand times.

"My friend Ruby had a little girl, and I watched her sometimes," she explained when she noticed him staring at her. She rubbed the tiny back and patted the diaper-clad rump, the baby's wails easing into sobbing hiccups and then silence as the little girl nuzzled her face into Belle's neck.

Belle turned her head to kiss the baby's forehead, and Joseph forgot how to breathe. Nothing had ever looked more right than his angel with a baby in her arms, and it took next to no effort to imagine it was their baby she was holding, their little girl.

This was their future, and he was so eager for it that he could almost taste it. Somehow he'd convince her to stay, and they'd be a family- a perfect family- the two of them and their baby, and they'd be so, so happy. Watching this little one made for good practice, and Joseph soon lost himself in his fantasy, imagining life the way it should be: the pair of them married and starting a family of their very own.

Caring for the baby was exhausting work, although nothing had ever been quite so fulfilling, and he blamed his exhaustion for what happened at bedtime, Belle giving the baby over to him to hold while she climbed into bed beside him. He fussed over her as Belle settled in beside him, cooing at her dainty features before relinquishing her, "Here you go, sweetheart, go to Mummy."

Belle caught her breath, looking at him with wide-eyes and he cursed his thoughtless words. "I-"

Reaching out, she took the baby from him, whispering, "Say good night to Daddy, sweetheart."

Warmth flooded him, tears pricking at his eyes as he wrapped his arms around both of them. It wasn't real, but it was a beautiful dream, and she was dreaming the same things. "Someday," he promised, his voice thick, and Belle leaned up to brush her lips against his.

"Someday," she agreed.