PART ONE

Author's Note: Okay, I ship Baxley and this is a Baxley fic. I just want Molesley to be happy. Is that too much to ask of Julian Fellowes? Well, is it?

It wasn't a new thing for the staff of Downton Abbey to be found talking to each other, and the privacy the boot room offered was superb. But when Baxter asked Molesley if she could have a word with him in the privacy of the boot room, he wasn't expecting it at all. He followed her into the room and she shut the door.

"So, Mr Molesley," she said. "After all that happened at the bazaar between the two of us, I thought that you might have taken a fancy to me. Perhaps though, I was wrong. You seem to be ignoring me."

"Not on purpose," he said. "Certainly not, but Jimmy has begun to say things that aren't too nice about the whole thing. Mr. Barrow too, for that matter. And, to be quite honest, I have taken a liking to you."

"What have they been saying?" she asked, fearing the worst. "They can't know anything about me before I came here, I've said nothing. Except to you, and even then, that wasn't much."

"They've been saying that I'm after you and that I fancy you and everything else. They're also saying that you like me," he said. "I don't believe it, I've never been lucky when it comes to women, so why would that change?"

"I do though, that's why I'm upset that you've been ignoring me," she said. "I haven't been lucky when it comes to men either. I wish I could just erase my whole past."

"Would you ever talk to me about it?" he asked. "Because I do care and I want to know. I'm not going to risk our friendship and force it out of you, but I would like to help."

Baxter smiled at him lightly and moved a bit closer to him. "I know you would. Maybe at some time, I will. Once we know each other better. Once we've spent more time together. Because, I want you to know, more than any one. I trust you and I like you quite a bit as well."

Molesley smiled back at her and reached out to touch her hand. Baxter responded by gripping his hand tighter and moving towards him even more. She looked up into his eyes and smiled. "You're more lucky than I have ever been in my life, but with you, I feel like I can be lucky. It feels possible. You make me happy."

Molesley looked down at her, smiling, before kissing her lips gently. Baxter smiled against his lips and trailed her hand up his arm before wrapping her arms around his neck. Molesley broke the kiss after a moment. "How was I?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Baxter asked, her eyes still shut and her lips parted.

"That kiss. Was I any good?" he asked, nervously. He had never kissed or been kissed before, but he didn't want to admit that to her. He liked her and didn't want to seem like such a loser.

"You were wonderful. I haven't been kissed like that before," she said. "Mind you, I haven't been kissed that much before."

"How is that possible?" he asked. "I'd kiss you all the time if I had the opportunity."

"Then do it," she replied in a whisper. "Kiss me again, to show me how you feel."

Molesley paused for a moment before pressing his lips to her's again. Baxter opened her mouth, telling him it was alright to bring his tongue into the equation, making him even more nervous. What if he messed up? Would she hate him and never want to hide away in the boot room with him again? He nervously slipped his tongue into her mouth where her's met his, sending a jolt of electricity through him. He broke the kiss a moment or so later, after allowing their tongue to dance around each other. "I think I love you, Miss Baxter," he whispered, pressing his forehead against her neck.

Baxter smiled lightly and brought her hand up again to run her fingers through his hair. "I know that I love you," she whispered back at him. "Because I have never felt this way about anyone before. And I'm pleased that I love you."

"Really?" he asked, moving his head to look into her eyes.

"Yes, I do," she replied, keeping her fingers in his hair, before pulling him towards her and kissing him with more passion than she had ever kissed with before. Molesley moved the two of them so that Baxter's back was against the table in the centre of the room before he began to let his hands move. His hands ended up on her waist, while her's were on his chest when the door suddenly opened, making them fly apart.

"What's going on?" Jimmy asked from the doorway. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Yes," Baxter snapped, tears forming in her eyes. "You actually were. Please leave, or tell us what you want."

"I need a boot rag," he replied. Baxter turned around, and picked up a boot rag from the table. She threw it at Jimmy and he shut the door and retreated.

"I am so sorry," Molesley said, touching her cheek softly. "Miss Baxter, please forgive me."

"It wasn't your fault," she said, looking up into his eyes and beginning to smile. "And I think now you can call my Phyllis."

"And, if you want, you can call me Joseph," he replied, smiling lightly before kissing her again.