Disclaimer: I don't own any part of 'The Nanny'…yet.
A/N: I just wanted to do a little story from CC's POV. One Shot. As always...let me know what you think. - D
CC's Recollections
"Wow, he's loves you even more than I thought." Fran joined CC at the table.
CC's head popped up. "What? Who?"
"You just aren't going to admit it are ya?" Fran shook her head. "CC, why do you think none of your 'relationships' last very long?"
CC frowned at her new friend. "What are you talking about? I've had long term relationships. I've known Maxwell for almost twenty years."
"Right, he was your boss, then your associate, then your business partner, now he's my husband." Fran detailed.
CC looked away. "There've been others."
"Name one relationship you've had with a man that has lasted more than three months." Fran asked and waited.
CC thought for a minute. "There was Chandler…we dated for more than three months."
"No…you dated for a month, and then he dumped you. Then you dated him for another month and he dumped you again." Fran wasn't trying to be mean, but she wanted to make a point.
CC scowled at Fran. "So what is your point, Fran?"
"How long have you known, Niles?" Fran asked innocently enough.
"I've known Niles as long as I've known Max, almost twenty years." CC answered plainly.
"How many business functions and stuff have you and Niles gone to together?" Fran asked her again as innocently as she could.
"Geez, Fran…in twenty years?" CC didn't think she could answer.
Fran rolled her eyes. "Just guess, gimme a ballpark figure."
CC sighed. "Between him escorting me to business functions and some openings, and the times I went with him to a few of his friend's weddings, or a butler banquet or something…I don't know…maybe twice a month. Why?"
"Ok, once a month, twelve months a year, twenty years, that's…" Fran started working the figures with her finger in the air.
CC rolled her head. "It's two hundred and forty, Fran."
"Two hundred and forty dates…" Fran smiled at CC who still didn't seem to be catching on to Fran's point. "Now, when you were dating a guy, how many times a week would you go out?"
"Fran…what are you trying to say?" CC was getting a little impatient and couldn't even remember how this conversation started.
Fran tilted her head at her new friend. "Just huma me."
"Ok, I don't know…maybe twice." CC finally answered.
Fran smiled at CC. "Ok, twice a week, good. So we've got two hundred and forty. Now divide that by two."
CC sighed heavily. "A hundred and twenty, Fran, but I still don't see you're point."
"I'm gettin' there, CC." Fran thought for a minute about how to proceed. Fran decided to stay as far from the word 'date' as possible. "How many weeks are there in a year again?" Fran asked actually knowing the answer to his one."
CC looked at her with genuine shock. "Fifty two! Geez Fran, what in hell are you trying to say?"
"What's a hundred and twenty divided by fifty two?" Fran was closing in for the kill.
CC frowned at Fran and shook her head. "It's a little more than two...two point three give or take."
"Wow…you are really good with numba's." Fran looked a little shocked.
CC nodded. "Thanks, now what's the point?"
Fran stood and with her hands firmly planted on her hips she explained. "You said yourself ya've had two hundred and forty 'dates' with Niles."
CC nodded. "So?"
"Well, as ya just showed, if ya break that down to an average of two dates a week it means that you and Niles have been datin' for ova two years. So, Niles is your longest relationship with a man, no matter how you look at it, two years or on and off twenty." Fran left CC sitting with her jaw flapping at the kitchen table.
"Oh my God, is she insane? Is Fran really trying to tell me that Niles is in love…with me?" CC laughed aloud for a second. "Wait. She's trying to say that I'm in love with Niles! She is insane!" CC sat for a minute and thought to herself. "What's so special about Niles? I mean, he's a great dancer and a perfect gentleman so he was always en excellent escort."
CC let her mind wander as she stood up from her place at the table and made her way into the den. She sat on the sofa. "Niles is incredibly intelligent, more so than Max for sure. He's exceptionally sharp, witty, and really funny. He's an excellent chef and knows how to fix things. He's well built, muscular even. But he's Niles…he's the butler…we've known each other for…twenty years…"
CC thought back all the times he'd been her escort when Sara was still alive and the four of them would attend openings or other business functions or parties. "He was amazing after Sara died, with the children and the house and keeping the family together." He'd always accompany her when Max was unavailable. It's been no different since Fran came either.
CC remembered the time they all got trapped at the Fine's apartment during the blizzard. "I remember him in that ridiculous night shirt and me in Sylvia's caftan. What a pair we'd have made." CC laughed and then a small smile crept across her face as she recalls sliding under the covers and snuggling in close to him in the pull out. "I knew it couldn't be Max, I'd heard him in the kitchen with Fran when I came into the room." CC shook the thoughts out of her head. "I need to get some work done."
CC stood up and made her way into the office. It was empty and she sat in her usual place. She grabbed a script and started reading. She came to a description of the action and read… "She turned and grabs him into a kiss…" CC laughed lightly and looked up to where she'd done that same thing only got Niles instead of Max.
CC's thoughts took her back. "…kissing is an art. It has to be sensuous, deeply felt and most of all it has to be spontaneous." "I remember thinking how incredibly good he tasted…" CC sighed, "And then I opened my eyes and saw Niles. I practically recoiled in horror. But why?" CC tried to remember. "Was it because it wasn't Max or because Niles looked so disgusted?" CC shook her head and returned to her script. She couldn't concentrate.
CC stood and stepped forward to lean on Max's desk. "Cluck like a chicken…" She could almost hear him whisper in her ear and smiled thinking how foolish she felt clucking like a chicken. Then she thought about what came later. CC's hand instinctively went to her lips and her eyes slid shut as she recalled the kiss they shared. "It was so amazing. The feel of his hands on me, the way his hair felt between my fingers. His incredible lips… So warm, so wet, so perfect…" Her eyes popped open. "This is ridiculous…it's Niles for crying out loud."
CC thought since no one was around or seemed interested in working that maybe she'd just take off for the rest of the day herself. She started toward the foyer and stopped when she got to the banister. "Wait a minute…" CC sat on the bottom step. Her eyes grew big and that 'CC smirk' crossed her face as she thought of another time...
"…I smell a Tony." I told Marvin.
Niles was right there with his zinger. "Well then you should have showered after he left." Then after a not so subtle sigh, he leaned in and did that sexy growl thing when he whispered, "Welcome back."
"I remember the look on his face. God, I wanted to take a bite out of him."
CC looked over at the fireplace and another memory played through her mind. She could almost hear the music…
'…it's very clear our love is here to stay...' "He spun me out and back…" CC laughed as she did that night.
Niles said, "You know, I'm really glad this little fling between you and Chandler is over… he was beneath you."
CC smiled remembering what she said back to him. "Not anymore." CC laughed again. "Then I gave him the check…and he tore it up."
CC's face got very serious. "And he was such a good sport about all that crap I made him do after the benefit auction." CC chuckles lightly and thought, "I paid more to rent that car than I did for Niles. I 'won' him for $37.00, but I would've paid a lot more. I can't believe I sent him to Sylvia and Morty for massage's when I could've gotten one myself." That sly smirk ran across CC's face and then just as suddenly changed.
CC's eyes closed in what would be described by an observer as 'pain' but it was actually the realization that Fran could be right. "I don't believe this." CC whispered quietly to herself. "Could I really be in love with…" Suddenly he was standing in front of her. "Niles!" She leapt up from the step and nearly fell into his arms.
"Isn't it a little early to be drunk?" Niles caught her and kept her upright.
CC frowned for a minute. "I'm not drunk." She pulled harshly from his grasp and then softened a bit. "Niles…"
"What?" He turned to face her in a bit of a huff.
CC looked at him oddly making him frown a bit. "Would you do something for me?"
Niles rolled his eyes and sighed heavily knowing he would regret even asking. "What do you want me to do?"
CC extended her hand to him. Niles looked at her for a moment but he took it. She led him to the sofa and sat him were he'd been sitting the night of that amazing kiss. Niles frowned and looked at her. She turned on the sofa to face him. "Niles, do you remember that night when you played that trick on me in the office? When you asked me to…" CC swallowed a bit. "Cluck like a chicken."
Niles smirked. "Yes, I remember. You did rather well, actually."
"Thank you. But do you remember what happened later…out here." CC had couldn't recall ever being as nervous with Niles as she was at this moment.
Niles made an odd face not knowing where she was going but decided to play along. "Yes. I remember."
CC stood up and looked down into his eyes. "Would you kiss me like that again?" She could feel her heart racing…if he did, there had to be some sort of feeling there. Neither of them could say they'd been drinking. Not at 11:15 in the morning.
"Why?" Niles was suspicious. "What evil trick have you planned for me?"
CC was most sincere. "No trick, Niles. I promise. I'm testing something Fran said this morning."
"What did Fran say this morning?" Niles needed to have some idea what was going on.
CC sighed. "Well, to make a Fran story short, she said technically we've been dating on and off for twenty years and it's high time we admit we're in love with each other."
"And how does this test that theory?" Niles was trying to buy himself some time to regain his composure after that little speech.
CC swallowed. "I can't ever remember being kissed like that by anyone else. I need to know it wasn't a…a fluke."
Niles stood up and faced her. "I…uh…I suppose I can try." He made no move. Not because he didn't want her, but they'd been bickering, tossing insults, there was a heat, a passion built up. Now it was just longing, want and desire, burning yes, but not like that night.
He inhaled deeply and sighed then he lifted his hand to her face. "God, CC you're beautiful." Her eyes closed and she leaned into his touch. He brushed his lips to hers softly at first then, as he moved his hands around her waist and pulled her into him he deepened the kiss. Their tongues danced and stroked together in an all consuming kiss which poured years of pent up desire, love, frustration and need out over both of them. Her hands cupped his face as they did that night. Her fingers slipped into his hair. Niles wanted CC, and CC wanted Niles. Neither would deny it again. Then it happened.
The front door opened and Max and Fran came in. Fran's jaw didn't drop this time, she smiled. Max's jaw, well it still dropped and he closed the door a little more firmly than necessary, breaking Niles and CC apart, again. CC sighed and started past Niles.
"Not this time, woman." Niles swept CC into his arms and carried her past Max and Fran and up the stairs to his room.
"Fran…" Max asked. "Why does this keep happening?"
Fran smiled and elbowed him in the ribs. "You know better than anyone, Honey. Ya can't fight love."