AN: Inspired by the line in "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles that says "Promise me that you'll leave the light on."
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or "Love Song."
Leave the Light on
A young CC was lying there in the middle of her giant bed. The bed covers were pulled way up to chin and she was shaking as she heard the voices coming from below. The angry shouting shook their home and even though the house was a monstrosity, she could still hear every word of her parent's argument. All of the lights were off and she was lying in the middle of the darkness. The tears threatened to fall from her eyes but she refused to actually let them fall. She hated being in the dark. She was scared and when she was scared she wanted to cry. It was the only time that allowed her to cry without being seen and she hated crying.
Once, she had worked up enough courage to ask her mother for a night light but was shot down immediately with her mother asking: "You're not afraid of the dark, are you?"
When CC's eyes dropped to the floor and her cheeks began to flush, her mother only laughed at her.
"Pathetic, little girl," was all her mother said as she walked away.
The voices got louder as her parents were moving through the house. CC immediately shut her eyes and prayed that she could be anywhere else.
The storm was brewing; the thunder clashed and the lightning struck. The wind howled as it rattled against the house. Rain drops were beating themselves off of the window panes. CC knew what was coming and yet she couldn't do a damn thing about it. She was seated in a chair in the Sheffield living room. Her brain was telling her that she was safe to enter the office and get some work done but her heart was telling her to stay in the living room with the others. She hated storms. Storms led to power outages and power outages led to darkness. And the last thing that she wanted was to be alone in the office in the dark.
She didn't care if Niles saw her like this. The only thing that mattered was that she wasn't alone and he could ridicule her all he wanted. The children were all playing on the floor in front of her. Maxwell and Niles were both in the kitchen.
Another clash of thunder rumbled the mansion. The only person missing was Sarah. CC had tried to convince her not to go out today but Sarah being persistent as ever said that she would be back soon and walked out the door. And that was hours ago.
Niles and Maxwell walked back into the living room.
"CC, you haven't gotten word from Sarah have you?" Maxwell asked.
"Not since she left but she should be home soon, I suppose." CC replied while trying to keep her composure. "Come on, Sarah. Just call. Please Call. Just let us know you are ok."
The phone rang just then. Niles answered. His jaw dropped and the phone slipped from his hands. Tears filled his eyes but before Maxwell or CC could ask what happened, the power went out and the room was full of darkness.
It wasn't his fault. He didn't know. If Niles would have known that CC was afraid of the dark and tight cramped spaces, he would have never left her in the wine cellar by herself. It wasn't so bad when she was stuck with Nanny Fine because the lights were still on and she had company. And for her, annoying company is still company. But he didn't know. He might have held it over her head for a while but he surely wouldn't have acted on it. They had rules. They could tease and torment but there was an unspoken vow to never let it go too far.
She was left alone in the wine cellar. Nanny Fine must have hit the lights when she tricked CC. So CC was stuck in a locked cellar, in the darkness, by herself with no way of getting out unless someone opened the door from the outside. She had a bit to drink when Nanny Fine was in the cellar with her but she didn't dare to touch a bottle now. Her body started trembling and she leaned back against one of the racks. Her shoulders shook and she could feel the tears in her eyes and the throbbing in her head. She closed her eyes and her breathing quickened.
Think Florida. Think California. Warm sunny beaches. Lots of light and sun. Think anywhere. Think. Think. Think.
She imagined herself anywhere but where she was now. The trembling continued and every squeak or sound that she heard made her jump and hold herself a little tighter. It felt like days later when a bright beam of light shone through the door. She lifted her head off of her knees and squinted towards the light.
Niles was there holding the door open for her. She didn't say anything. She just got up, walked out the door and herself as far away from the mansion as she could.
She was exhausted. She had a horrible day at work between sorting out all of the paperwork that Maxwell seemed to manhandle and dealing with the troublesome crew members that couldn't seem to get anything right. As soon as she entered the mansion after returning from the theater, the first thing that she asked Niles for was a drink. It got worse from there as she kept drinking as she was finishing up some things in the office.
She didn't appear in the dining room when Niles announced that dinner was served. With Maxwell out of the office she attempted to do some more work but it was no use. She couldn't concentrate and as important as all this work was, the only thing that she wanted to do was go home and relax.
Several hours later, Niles found her curled up on the green sofa in the office completely asleep. Knowing that she didn't have things to wear for the next day, Niles thought it would be best to just take her home. He carefully lifted her off of the sofa and made his way towards the front door. Somewhere between the office and the car, she leaned her head against him. He placed her in the passenger seat and quickly made his way back into the mansion to grab her purse and coat from the front closet.
When they got to her penthouse building, he parked the car and unbuckled her seat belt. Once he got around to the passenger side, he opened the door and lifted her out of her seat. They rode the elevator up to her floor and she was still sound asleep.
He unlocked her door with her keys and carried her inside. He placed her on her bed, removed her heals, and put a note on her bedside table saying that she could bring her work clothes to the mansion with her the next day and he would take care of all the wrinkles.
He didn't notice it when he walked into the penthouse or into her bedroom for that matter but as he went to turn her bedroom light off, an automatic night light shined from the outlet near the door.
They had argued. It had been their first real fight since they became a couple, gotten married and found out they were expecting a child of their own. They had been talking and everything seemed normal. That is until her mother called and ruined their nice quiet evening. He knew her mother was over the top and a horrible woman but when CC talked to the woman she did not stick up for herself.
She just took the verbal lashing, wore a frown and hung up when it was over. She didn't mention how much she loved him and how this was her decision, and that she was happy to be having a baby. She just retreated, went silent and didn't say a word. And then they argued. He wanted to know if she was even happy about any of this. She tried to explain that this was more than she could ever imagine and that it was easier for her to just pick her battles with her mother.
They had gone at for what seemed like forever. They were both angry. Both had brought up things that they shouldn't have they were both hurt by things the other said. Eventually she just got up and went to their bedroom to cool down from the argument. She took a nice warm shower but when she retreated back to their bedroom, she noticed that he was already in bed and asleep and the light was off. She hadn't needed the night light since they had gotten together. He was always there to protect her but tonight she wished she had it.
So she lay there next to her husband of a short time, in the dark and just listened to the sound of him breathing.
CC was awoken in the middle of the night with a cry coming from the room next to her own. Niles had been catering an event that night and was exhausted. Knowing that Niles needed his sleep, she got out of bed and made her way to the nursery down the hall.
There were tears in the blue eyes of the blonde haired baby girl that Niles and CC had brought into the world about two months before. CC gently lifted her child from the crib. She changed the baby before she sat down in the rocking chair with her daughter in her arms.
"That's it. Don't cry, Momma's got you." The little girl eased up a bit but still whimpered. CC then began to feed her daughter and burped her when she was finished.
Everyone knew that CC had doubts when it came to motherhood and many worried for the sake of her child especially after seeing her work mode. But she seemed to have adjusted well despite all of her fears. Little Sarah Claire was the light of her life and she never thought that she would be able to feel the way she did when she was around her daughter.
When Sarah finally settled down and was on the verge of reentering her slumber, CC got up and put her daughter back in her crib. Sarah let out a whimper but CC ran her finger along her daughter's cheek to let her know she wasn't alone.
After a few minutes CC stepped away from the crib and sighed.
By now she knew her daughter was asleep but she couldn't help but say: "Don't worry, I'll leave a light on."
And with that she turned on a lamp projected soft images on the walls of the room and returned to her room to curl up next to her sleeping husband.
AN: Reviews are always welcomed!