A/N: I was working on another fanfic when suddenly this idea popped into my head. It's set just after "The Nose Knows" and Niles and C.C. may have shared a little bit more than just a dance. At the same time C.C.'s parents have an announcement to make...I suck at summaries. lol Just give this a go please and leave a review.

Family Ties

Prologue:

It was early on a Monday morning when C.C. Babcock found herself waiting in front of the Sheffield mansion for an unusually long time. She had rang the bell twice so far without any result. Never a big fan of Mondays her patience was already running thin but on this occasion the stormy weather outside and a slight itch in her throat only served to make things worse. It really hadn't been a good idea to wear such a revealing gown to the awards ceremony the other night… Before her thoughts could wander any further C.C. stopped herself. Pondering their motivation would not improve the events of that night. Besides, she had already wasted the weekend considering things from all angles.

A little droplet of rain landed uncomfortably right at the parting of her hair and slid its way down her forehead. C.C. snatched it away before it could disappear in her eyebrow and then harshly pressed her index finger against the bell once more, letting it ring out three times in rapid succession. Where was everybody? Finally, footsteps could be heard and C.C. was prepared to fling all kinds of names the butler's way when to her disappointment it was Fran who opened the door. Sparing the nanny for the time being she strode inside the warm building, visibly trembling by now. Swiftly she took off her drenched coat but was finally forced to speak when nobody volunteered to take it from her.

"Where is everyone?"

"Mr Sheffield is ill." Fran replied and C.C.'s eye twitched dangerously.

"While he might qualify as "everyone" to you, as far as I am aware there are other people occupying this house. None of who seem to have heard the doorbell."

"We were enjoying a lie-in…" Fran spoke slowly as if addressing a child "the kids are still on vacation."

C.C. simply raised an eyebrow at her for being so lazy.

"Oh don't mind her, Miss Fine," Niles suddenly said, appearing in the den "she doesn't understand the concept of a good lie-in. I'm sure it's not so tempting when you're miserable and alone."

A retort was already forming on C.C.'s lips when something strange happened. Just for a split second she made eye contact with Niles, a second that was long enough for her to take in his whole appearance from the dishevelled hair to the slippers on his feet. And somehow the comment never made it past her lips. Instead she muttered a pathetic: "All of which apply to you." And then strode off towards the office.

Fran was so shocked by the lack of bickering that she turned to her friend to see his reaction. But surprisingly he only wore a secretive little smile. "Okay, Mr, dish, what the hell did I miss?"

"Mmh?" Niles turned to her, the smile curving upwards into an amused grin.

"You know what I mean. What just happened here?"

"I won another round?" he replied clearly pleased with himself and then started walking into the kitchen, Fran hot on his heels.

"Well, that's not really difficult when your opponent isn't even fighting back."

"Oh Miss Fine, you know the poor woman tries."

Fran watched him silently for a moment while he expertly manoeuvred his way around the kitchen, grabbing bowls and pans and setting everything up in preparation for breakfast. The air of smugness around him was a definite indication that he was hiding something and she wasn't used to him not sharing things with her.

"Alright…you have your secrets…I have mine…" she sighed deeply and dramatically dragged herself to the door "and to think you are my best friend…"

"Jewish guilt doesn't work on the British, Miss Fine." He reminded her dryly and Fran left the room, promising herself that she would find out what had happened between the blonde and the butler.


C.C., in the meantime, had arranged herself in the office. In these moments keeping her working environment neat and organised made her feel in control over one aspect of her life while everything else seemed impossible to handle. She was cursing herself for acting so awkwardly in front of Niles, for letting him change the rules of their game so easily and swore that she'd never slip up again. Instead she threw herself into the work, grateful to a certain extent that Maxwell had fallen ill, because there were more things now that required her attention.

C.C. managed to work quite peacefully until lunch time when Niles suddenly entered the office. She had assumed that he was providing her with the daily snack and a gym-sock-flavoured cup of coffee but then noticed that he was holding the telephone. Curiously she hadn't even heard it ring, most likely because it happened so frequently at the house that it had already become background noise.

"It's your mother." He simply said and handed over the phone.

C.C. took it but covered it with her free hand. "Anything else?"

"No," he replied but made no move to leave the room.

Rolling her eyes, C.C. removed her hand again. "Mother?"

"Yes, Chastity. What took you so long?"

"I'm busy," she replied shortly, her eyes never leaving Niles.

"Yes, well, aren't we all?"

"Why are you calling?" C.C. asked with a sigh, tiring of the conversation already.

"We would like to invite you to dinner." Her mother said.

"Who is "we"? Your demonic friends and you?"

Niles' lips quirked into an amused smile which she mirrored unknowingly.

"No, your father and I."

"Daddy?" her attention shifted completely to the conversation now and a frown appeared on her face.

"Yes, that would be him," B.B. acknowledged without a trace of emotion in her voice "Friday evening at 7. Would you be able to fit that into your busy schedule?"

C.C. was still frowning but couldn't deny a certain curiosity either. She couldn't even remember the last time her parents had been in the same room together. "Yes, so what's this about? Is one of you dying?"

"Don't sound so hopeful." B.B. snapped and then went silent for a moment "Just attend dinner…oh and bring someone. Your father suggested the man who accompanied you to the awards ceremony."

"How does he know who I went with?" C.C. asked through clenched teeth.

There was a click at the other end of the line and then her father spoke: "Because I was there…in passing…I had some urgent papers to deliver. So do bring Niles along."

"Niles?" C.C. and her mother echoed simultaneously. Up until then it could've been that he had seen her with another man but now there was definitely no doubt.

"Isn't that the Sheffield's butler?" her mother went on, her voice growing more high-pitched.

"Yes, Barbara." Stuart replied calmly and then addressed his daughter again "We'll see you two on Friday." And the line went dead.

"What about me?" Niles asked when C.C. had turned her attention back to him and to her amusement he was actually looking a little scared.

"They want us to come to dinner on Friday night." She repeated and then silence enveloped the room.

At the Babcock estate the atmosphere was similarly uncomfortable. "Why would you ask the Sheffield's butler to accompany our daughter to dinner? I don't even understand what she was doing at an awards ceremony with him in the first place."

"Calm down, Barbara." Her ex-husband was smiling much to her chagrin "You know she won't react well to the announcement and I've seen the two together. If anyone can handle her it's him…and we're going to need all the help we can get."