Author's Note: This one-shot song fic is dedicated to LadyBrin & is in response to her request for a new Niles/CC fiction. Note, I still do not own the rights to "The Nanny" or any of its characters. "Learn to be Lonely" belongs to ALW. Reviews inspire writers, so please leave a note.
C.C. Babcock quickly shut the door to her penthouse apartment, flicked the lock, and began to rifle through her briefcase. Pulling a manila envelope out of it, she tossed her briefcase onto the sofa and walked across the room to the tape player as she tore open the envelope. As it dropped on the floor, the yellow envelope with a red stamp marking it "PRIVATE" looked bright against the beige carpeting. The envelope was addressed to C.C. Babcock of Sheffield/Babcock Productions and noted as "Special Request Audition Tape".
After slipping the tape into the machine, she walked over to the wet bar and poured herself a glass of whiskey. As soon as she had heard that Sir Andrew was writing a new song for the upcoming "Phantom of the Opera" movie, she knew she had to be one of the first ones to hear it. After all of the hurdles she had gone through to get her hands on it, it'd better be worth it. But then she knew it would be, it was Sir Andrew after all. After a deep sigh, she hit the play button and walked over to the window to look out over the city as the opening bars of the music swelled behind her.
Child of the wilderness
Born into emptiness
Learn to be lonely
Learn to find your way in darkness
Who will be there for you
Comfort and care for you
Learn to be lonely
Learn to be your one companion
Never dreamed out in the world
There are arms to hold you
You've always known your heart was on its own
So laugh in your loneliness
Child of the wilderness
Learn to Be lonely
Learn how to love life that is lived alone
Learn to be lonely
Life can be lived life can be loved alone
She stood silently in front of the window, her drink untouched, as two tears trailed down her cheek. *By God, that song could have been written for me!* She took a deep breath, swallowed the whiskey in one toss, and went back over to rewind and replay the tape, over and over again.
She was certainly born into emptiness; a life void of love known as the Family Babcock. Even from a young age, she had learned to make her own way in the world, following the road her mother had laid out for her, but always knowing that one day she was going to escape from it and be her own woman. She had dated, but never one man long enough to call it a real relationship, her only companion in Life was herself... and Chester, who didn't really like her much. She'd given up ages ago the thought of finding an equal to herself out there; the Bitch of Broadway was meant to be alone. It was a moniker she had embraced for years, yet the loneliness that went with it, she still railed against inside. Maybe that was why she was so terribly unhappy, because she was unwilling to embrace the life of solitude that had been dealt to her. She turned and headed for her bedroom as the tape finished playing in the room behind her...
"Life can be loved alone..."
Meanwhile, back at the Sheffields...
Niles was running through his nightly checklist for a Tuesday night. If he was lucky he'd finish up early enough that he could watch a little "La Viva Rocha" before heading to bed. The last thing on his list was to empty the garbage cans from downstairs and set them outside for the garbage men to take in the morning. He was buzzing his way through the rooms downstairs, with the last room to hit being the study. As he lifted the small garbage can to dump it into the larger bag he held, an envelope that was sitting halfway out of the can fell onto the floor. He dumped the can then reached down for the envelope. It was a small manila envelope and he could feel it held a cassette tape in it. What caught his eye was the return address was Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber! *Now what on earth would he be sending to Mr. Sheffield?* The need to know the answer to that question outweighed the desire for a little Latino soap opera time. Setting the bag down, he reached inside the envelope. Besides the cassette tape was a crumpled up note. Unfolding it, he read, "This is why I'm on top and you're a flop. ALW". Raising an eyebrow he added the note to his garbage bag, and took the cassette tape over to the tape player. Just to be on the safe side, he plugged in the headphones and settled them over his ears before hitting the play button. As the music began to flow, he leaned against the corner of Mr. Sheffield's desk and crossed his arms.
Child of the wilderness
Born into emptiness
Learn to be lonely
Learn to find your way in darkness
Who will be there for you
Comfort and care for you
Learn to be lonely
Learn to be your one companion
Never dreamed out in the world
There are arms to hold you
You've always known your heart was on its own
So laugh in your loneliness
Child of the wilderness
Learn to Be lonely
Learn how to love life that is lived alone
Learn to be lonely
Life can be lived life can be loved alone
As the song ended, Niles gave a deep sigh, and took the headphones off. Another winning song by Sir Andrew, and one that could have been written about him! He pulled the tape out of the tape player and slipped it into his pocket while he finished gathering up the garbage. He had been born into what some would consider emptiness, a life of servitude, his life not really his own. He loved the Sheffields as if they were family, but it still wasn't quite the same as having a family of your own - something he had dreamed of once, but given up long ago. He did everything for himself, and for the Sheffield family besides, AND Miss Fine AND Miss Babcock come to think of it. When he had a night off from work, he spent it reading in his room or going to a Butler Association meeting with a bunch of other lonely single men like himself.
He set the garbage outside and looked up into the night sky. It wasn't a bad life that he had here, he worked hard but was paid well, and was cared for by those around him, he supposed. Maybe that was why there was always just a little inkling of unhappiness inside of him, because part of him resented the loneliness that life had presented to him. He knew that was part of the fuel he used when zinging Miss Babcock; she may be rich, but she really wasn't much better off than him when it came to Life. He continued to ponder the song as he went up to his room.
"Learn to be lonely..."
The Next Day
It was a quiet Wednesday in the Sheffield house that morning. All of the children were off at school. Miss Fine was at a sale at Loehmann's, so she'd probably be gone for the rest of the day. Mr. Sheffield was working down at the theater, having just finished casting his new play for the season, he was eager to see the cast begin rehearsals. C.C. Babcock was in the study, reviewing all of the contracts with the various actors and actresses to make sure nothing had been changed she didn't agree with before she would take them down to the theater for final signatures. Since Maxwell wasn't there, she took advantage of being able to sit at the desk and spread the paperwork out. Niles came bustling in with his feather duster and started dusting the bookshelves. C.C. looked up and glared at him. "There isn't anyone here for you to eavesdrop on, Butler Boy, so use the feathers to fly on out of here." Niles glanced back over at her and gave her a droll look, "Oh I'd never risk sharing the same airspace when you were about, Miss Babcock."
She returned to her paperwork, determined to forget he was there. Soon she was lost among the clauses and legalese of the contracts. This was part of the job she enjoyed, checking all the details, crossing the T's and dotting the I's. It was a lonely job, but someone had to do it, and she'd do it better than anyone else. Without realizing it, she began humming under her breath the melody line from the song she had listened to last night.
Niles was dusting away at the bookcases, eager to get done with the job as quickly as possible and leave the witch to her work. As he moved around the room and got closer to the desk, he could hear the faint sound of music and realized it was the song from last night. *I didn't leave the tape playing in here, did I?* Without even realizing it, he picked up the lyrics and began to softly sing along to the music.
Who will be there for you
Comfort and care for you
Learn to be lonely
Learn to be your one companion
C.C. slowly lifted her head as her humming was now being accompanied by a soft baritone voice - one she recognized all too well. She switched from humming to softly singing as the next verse began, and turned her head slowly towards Niles.
Never dreamed out in the world
There are arms to hold you
You've always known your heart was on its own
Their eyes met at the last word and they both said in a rush, "How do you know that song?" C.C. turned the chair and rose, "How could a mere Butler get his hands on a preview copy of Sir Andrew's new song?" *One that I had to work my ass off to get a hold of!* she thought to herself, anger rising. Niles shrugged, "You'd be amazed what one finds in the garbage, look at you for example."
She used the extra height of her heels to tower over him, "Servant!"
"Trollop," he replied, putting his hands on his hips, feeling his anger rising to match hers.
"Bellboy!" Her temper was boiling, the thought of all the work and promises she had made to get a copy of that song, a song that meant something to her, and HE had gotten it by doing nothing at all!
"Brunette!" He couldn't help but notice as her eyes flashed angrily at him that Miss Babcock almost looked pretty when her spirit was fired up. She looked like she wanted to slap him, but he really didn't want to be slapped. So he did the first thing that came to mind.
He dropped the feather duster, reached out and grabbed C.C. by the waist and pulled her to him and began kissing her. And C.C. wrapped her arms around him, began kissing him back eagerly, hungrily, her anger turning into something quite different in an instant.
When they broke apart in desperate need of air, they stared at each other in shock and there was a long silence.
Niles said softly, "Who knew. For once, I think Sir Andrew just might be wrong." He slid his hand up to take her by the hand. "Care to learn NOT to be lonely, Miss Babcock... with me?" Her eyebrows shot up, and she gave him a sly smirk. "Let's see how well you wield your feather duster, Butler Boy." Niles pulled her out of the room, and they headed for the privacy of his room.
~The End~