Disclaimer: I don't own the nanny or its characters
"C.C. could you hand me that file when you're done?" Maxwell asked.
C.C however didn't acknowledge that she had heard him and continued to look at the document in her lap but it didn't appear that she was reading it.
"C.C.? … C.C.!" Maxwell yelled, snapping her out of her trance.
"What!?" she hollered back as she jumped from shock.
"Did you hear what I asked you?" Maxwell asked crossly.
"Of course I did." C.C. said but was very unconvincing.
Suddenly Niles chimed in from where he was "dusting" with a zinger he couldn't resist.
"You have to forgive her sir, she easily gets lost in one of her man fantasies. You know, where she has rich handsome man that wants her."
C.C. glared at him as she stood up and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips.
"That is not what I was thinking about lemon fresh. But if you want to talk fantasies at least I am creative enough to come up with one."
"Oh? Just what do you mean by that?" He asked.
C.C.'s eyes wandered on the man in front of her and landed on a folded over Victoria's Secret catalog just barely sticking out of his suit.
C.C. snatched it before Niles could stop her and she flipped through it, grinning wickedly.
"This is what I mean butler boy; you get turned on by women who are way out of your league. Unless you keep this catalog to order out of, because this red teddy would look fabulous on you." C.C. said, causing Niles to turn pink with embarrassment.
Niles snatched back the catalog, glared, and mumbled bitterly before he left the room.
"C.C. why don't you give the old man a break for once?" Maxwell asked.
"Oh he'll get over it; we've done worse to each other." She said before sitting back down.
"Okay then, well I think we need to get back to the matter at hand C.C."
"What are you talking about Maxwell?"
"I'm talking about this mood you are in. I've noticed that this time every year you seem to be very distracted and more depressed than normal."
C.C.'s nostril's flared as she glared darkly at Maxwell.
"I assure you Maxwell I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about."
"Oh no? Well let me enlighten you. Monday Fran heard you crying your eyes out in the bathroom but you immediately went quiet when she tried to talk to you. Tuesday Niles caught you in the kitchen breaking into Fran's rocky road ice cream when you know she is pregnant and her cravings are off the charts. In addition, today I haven't been able to get your attention at all. So why don't you tell me what the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Maxwell asked.
C.C. stood up from the couch and was fighting back tears for what seemed like the hundredth time that week; instead, she appeared very angry before she spoke.
"Maxwell Sheffield, whatever is going on with me is none of your business. It is my personal problem and not yours so do me a favor and JUST. BUT. OUT!" C.C. yelled before storming out of the office and nearly running into Fran.
"Miss. Babcock, what is the matter with you?" Fran asked.
"Do me a favor Nanny Fine, from now on stay out of my business, and make sure your husband does to." C.C. said, rushing past her.
Fran new whatever was bothering Miss. Babcock was bad when she called Maxwell "Fran's husband".
As fast as a 7-month pregnant woman could move, Fran waddled her way into Max's office and shut the door behind her.
"Okay, what did you say to Miss. Babcock?" Fran asked.
"I had just asked her what the bloody hell is wrong with her."
"In those exact words and in that tone?" Fran asked, getting a little cross.
"Yes why?"
"Oy! Never leave a British man to do a Jewish woman's job." Fran said before taking her usual spot over on the corner of Maxwell's desk with just a little difficulty.
"Don't you realize how harsh that sounds? Especially when directed towards an emotional woman? Honey from now on when it comes to Miss. Babcock and her emotions; let me take care of it. She might not like me but we are both females and she might have an easier time talking to me than you."
"Oh I suppose your right darling. I just wonder what makes her so upset. She goes through this the same time every year but this year it has become much more severe. She has always been distracted and had the bad mood swings, but she has never had the craving for sweets, or has become so depressed that she cries in public."
"Hmm let's see, depression, mood swings that could rival mine, food cravings, fatigue, and distractedness. I swear Max it almost sounds like…" Fran paused as the realization hit her with a gasp.
"What is it love? It almost sounds like what?" Max asked.
"Max honey, it almost sounds like Miss. Babcock is pregnant." Fran said.
Suddenly the baritone laughter of Niles came through loud and clear on the intercom and quickly annoyed the couple.
"And what is so damn funny Niles?" Maxwell asked.
"Oh forgive me sir, but the thought of Miss. Babcock having a bun in the oven is just so funny. After all, she already has a few behind her. And how could she get pregnant anyway? No man would dare touch her and she isn't exactly Virgin Mary material."
"Niles that is enough! Look, she has all the symptoms. There could be a good possibility she is." Fran said.
"But she isn't even in a relationship Mrs. Sheffield." Niles said.
"Who said she had to be? She might have gotten comfortable at the bar with her friend Jack and some guy might have gotten comfortable with her."
Niles didn't say anything after that, in fact it had gone very quiet for a few minutes, which worried the couple waiting for a response.
"Niles, old man are you alright?" Maxwell asked.
"Oh god it can't be true!" Niles said, sounding clearly distressed.
"Now Niles calm down, we don't know for sure yet. We will just have to ask her when she comes back tomorrow." Fran said.
"I guess your right Mrs. Sheffield." Niles said before leaving the intercom.
Maxwell took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes and sighed heavily. "As much drama that goes on in this house on a daily basis, we should be on Days of our Lives." He thought.
"Oh poor Niles, if this is true and she really is pregnant it will devastate him." Fran said.
"What do you mean darling?" Max looked up at her confused.
Fran's jaw dropped to the floor as she stared at her husband. She didn't understand how one man could be so clueless.
"Oh my god Max you have got to be kidding me!"
"What?" He asked.
"You really don't know do you?"
"Darling I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about" Max said.
"Hello! Niles loves Miss. Babcock." Fran said.
This got Maxwell laughing and laughing hard, so hard he almost fell out of his chair.
"Oh Fran that is a good one, that is why I love you so much. You are so funny."
"Max I'm serious. Do you not see the sparks between those two? It is so obvious."
"Okay then, give me an instance where you noticed that he loves her." Max said.
"Alright, what about when Miss. Babcock went to the place. Niles moped around the whole time she was gone, was the only one who went to visit her on a daily basis, and missed her enough to make a dessert with her face on it, now you tell me that isn't love." Fran said.
"Sweetheart he missed his sparring partner, which is why he did those things. Besides they fight all the time, how can you call that love?"
"Many ways actually. Miss. Babcock is too proud to be with a domestic so they insult each other to show affection. Honestly Max you have to pay more attention to what goes on in your own house." Fran said before leaving the room.
C.C. was glad to be home, her emotions were all out of whack today, and she was just ready to soak in her Jacuzzi tub with a glass of chardonnay and her favorite vanilla bubble bath. However when she opened the door to her apartment she was met with a sight that just made her day worse.
Her demented dog from hell Chester was on her sofa and had one of her favorite red Prada pumps in his mouth and his tail wagging.
"Chester sweetie, give mommy's favorite shoe back please." C.C. said as she was slowly moving towards the dog.
Chester growled at her since he knew what she was doing and took off, running towards the bedroom.
"Come back here you filthy mutt!" C.C. screamed as she chased after the beast.
Chester gave her a good run for her money until she was finally able to catch him and get her now ruined shoe back. She looked at it and it was as if her breaking point had hit.
C.C. threw herself down on the bed and proceeded to cry all her frustration and sorrow she had felt for the past 20 years. Oh how she wished she could tell someone, but she was forbidden to speak of it by her mother.
She opened the drawer beside her bed and pulled out an old photo, the one photo that reminded her of what she lost so long ago and would give anything to have back again.
"Happy birthday baby, I love you." C.C. said before kissing the photo and clutching it to her chest.
The airbus 747 touched down at JFK around 9:00am. A brunette woman with a pretty smile got off and made her way to collect her baggage. She then hailed a taxi and requested that it take her to The Hilton.
She reached into her purse and pulled out a manila envelope. She opened it and pulled out a photo of a confident, blonde woman in a business suit.
"At long last C.C. Babcock, I've found you. I can't wait to see you again." She said while staring at the picture.
The next day C.C. walked into the mansion only to find that everyone was paying more attention to her and being very attentive to her.
"Oh do sit down C.C. you work too hard." Maxwell said before gently shoving her down on the couch.
"Can I get you something Miss. Babcock? Some tea, mineral water perhaps?"Niles asked.
"What in the hell is going on here? You both are acting very weird." C.C. while standing up only to have Niles gently push her back down.
"Well I know that a woman in your delicate condition needs to rest as much as possible so you should take it easy." Maxwell said.
Before C.C. could say anything else, Fran had come in with a small stool and placed it at C.C.'s feet.
"You know Miss. Babcock, keeping your feet up as much as possible helps keep down the swelling." Fran said.
"Swelling? Nanny Fine what the hell are you talking about. All of you are starting to freak me out a little." C.C. said.
"We're just trying to help you Miss. Babcock. After all it isn't easy being pregnant, believe me I know." Fran said while rubbing her swollen belly.
C.C's jaw had dropped to the floor at what Fran said. Did they seriously think she was pregnant?
"WHAT?! You think I'm pregnant?" She asked the three of them.
"Well you were showing the signs." Maxwell said.
"Yes, depression, mood swings, food cravings, distraction." Niles listed.
"Now wait a minute, first of all I'm not pregnant. I'm positive that I'm not pregnant. Second of all I thought I told you yesterday to stay out of my business." C.C. before getting up and turning her back to the group.
"C.C. if there is something really bothering you, you can tell us. We are your friends." Maxwell said while wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
"I can't talk about it Maxwell."
"Miss. Babcock are in some kind of trouble?" Fran asked.
"No Nanny Fine I'm not. Look the most I can tell you is that it is something that happened to me 20 years ago and I've been forbidden to talk about it to anyone or else my family will cut me out of the will and I can't risk that. So please stop asking me about it." C.C. said, almost distressed.
Niles saw the emotions running through C.C.'s eyes and it stabbed a pain in his heart. Whatever she was trying to keep from everyone was clearly hurting her and in turn hurting him as well. He would have given anything at that moment to hold her and sooth her anxiety but he knew that she would turn him away and plus it would look too weird to everyone else.
"Okay Miss. Babcock if that is what you really want then we won't bother you about it anymore. Just remember though if you ever want to talk about it, we are here for you." Fran said while gently rubbing her back.
"Thank you Nanny Fine, you're being so sweet." C.C. said before walking out of the room.
Friday came around and C.C. was feeling a little better. She was able to get her emotions under control and get back to working like normal, which made Niles feel a lot better as well. He hated to see his baby so upset and not be able to do anything about it. However, none of them realized that this was really the calm before the storm.
Niles was cooking dinner when the doorbell rang that afternoon.
"Hmm I wonder who that could be, we aren't expecting anybody." Niles said to himself as he went to the living room to get the door.
On the other side was a beautiful young lady that would have taken his breath away if he were younger. Her chocolate locks were curly and cascaded down her back. She was tall and thin with porcelain skin and had a pretty smile. What amazed him the most was the oddly familiar cerulean eyes that looked back at him, but from where he had seen them before he could not place.
"Can I help you miss?" He asked politely.
"Yes sir, I am looking for a Miss C.C. Babcock. I tried her home address but she wasn't there so I'm hoping she is here. Please I have come all the way from Georgia to see her." She said, almost begging.
"Come in then miss, though I honestly have no idea why one would come so far just to see her." Niles said while taking her coat.
She looked at him and thought about how rude this man was. Where she was from a man would never speak of a lady in such a manner.
"Is Miss. Babcock expecting you miss?..."
"Rachel, Rachel Hawkins and no she isn't expecting me." She said before sitting on the couch.
"May I get you something to drink Miss. Hawkins?"
"No thank you sir, but might I get your name?" She asked.
"I'm Niles Miss. I'm the butler of this household."
"Well Niles it is a pleasure to meet you." she said before hearing the sound of a woman coming down the hall."
"Well goodnight Niles, do try not to die during the night."
"Oh yes, after all you would hate to give up your coffin wouldn't you?" Niles retorted back.
Rachel sat there and watched the exchange between the two of them with amazement. Did they really hate each other that much?
C.C. turned from Niles and noticed the pretty girl on the couch that was looking at her with a confused expression.
"Who's your friend?" She asked Niles while smiling at her.
"I'm Rachel Hawkins and actually here to see you." Rachel said while standing up.
"Really? I don't know you." C.C. said.
"Oh you do but you don't recognize me. It has been a long time since we have seen each other… mom." She said.
AN: Yes, a mean cliffy I know. Please be kind when you review this is my first Nanny fic and I'm not the best speller in the world. However, please R&R.