This was a submission to EspoirDio's 2014 Advent Calendar. I'm also currently working on another N/CC Christmas themed fic as I speak and plan to have that posted soon as well. As always, please submit your reviews and I hope you like it!
A few days before Christmas, CC was in her office finishing off some paperwork from her latest production, hoping to get them memorized by New Years. As she read through the files, Niles came in supporting a small tray of tea and sat it beside CC's elbow. Her eyes immediately went to two pieces of paper sitting on the tray, obviously put there so she could see them.
"Oh My God, more of them?!" She looked up at Niles who nodded his head.
"You gotta be kidding..." She looked at both of them and shook her head, "This is getting out of control!"
"Getting out of control? You obviously haven't seen the hoard I found in her backpack."
CC shook her head, "I don't believe this... I mean how many Zhu Zhu pet ads can one kid collect?"
"Enough to get our attention, I suppose. I know she has mine, at least." He looked down at his wife.
Ever since the very first commericial aired for the Zhu Zhu pets earlier on in the year, their now 9 year old daughter Sara has been showing her dying interest in owning one of them, verbally drop hints or showing them ads. But with Christmas being days away, the hints came to an all time high. They were bombarded by ads, seeing them on cabinets, windows, in the town car, and even in CC's office. Now they were catching them before they were even posted.
"The only problem I have for her wanting to have this toy is that we won't be able to get it!" CC said.
"Not only are they popular, but CNN just named it most wanted toy in the nation." Niles chimed in worriedly. CC glared up at him, fully admitting he was sitting out on his duties.
"I was taking a break. Don't creatures like you take breaks, too?"
CC sighed and continued in her thought. "Granted, I might have a few connections in the toy industry that could help..." Niles raised an eyebrow. "Alright, a lot of connections in the industry, but that was only because I needed a lot of toys for that Annie production." She shook her head at the thought. "I couldn't control those brats for anything."
"Then there's only one way left to get it."
"You're right. I'll make the money to provide for it, while you stand in line at the store and get it."
Niles shrugged, "Alright, but our daughter will be very disappointed that her mother doesn't have a Christmas present for her."
CC looked at him confused, "Yes she will. Like I said, I provide the money and you will - "
"You know what I mean."
"Oh no..." CC stood up and shook her head, "Oh no... no, no, no. No, I know you're your aiming for, Tilex Breath, and it ain't gonna happen. You're not going to sucker me into standing out in an obnoxiously long line for hours on end just to get a rodent robot!"
"A rodent robot your own daughter wants for Christmas."
"I told you no, Niles. I'm too busy here as it is trying to finish paperwork for Mr. Kandy... Mr. Kanda... oh whatever, the guy who owns the production company I'm working for. Like I said Niles, I will pay for it, just put the purchase on the credit card and I will pay it off when the bill comes." CC said before attempting to go back to her paperwork and tea.
Niles shrugged, "Alright..." His tone then shifted, "But you do know that means I will be out for a lot longer. You know it being Christmas and all..." He said, dawdling over at his wife's desk, tracing his fingers along the wooden grains of the desk, "And I will have to fight the Christmas shoppers all by myself. No body at my side if something goes wrong, or if someone runs me over with a cart... or worse, someone could mistake me for criminal and taze me in the midst of the crowd."
"ALRIGHT, KNOCK IT OFF!" She exclaimed. "If you are that worried, desperate, and wimpy..." She glared up at him before sighing, "I will go with you."
Niles smiled, "My baby by my side?"
CC rolled her eyes, "Yeah. Sure." Her answered grumpily.
Later on that night, coincidentally enough, Sara said that she was going to be over at friend's house finishing a school project, giving Niles and CC the perfect opportunity to get the presents. Niles decided not to mention that it was also the night the Zhu Zhu pets would be on sale.
"I can't believe I let you convince me to do this." CC moaned as she sat in the front seat with Niles driving. "I should be finishing off those reports by now."
"Oh what's a few hours?" He answered.
"A few hours is getting those reports done and a hot relaxing bath."
"Calm down, Medusa. You'll get them done."
"If I survive this, that is." CC grouched. Niles merely shook his head and laughed. But his laughter was short lived as he pulled int the parking lot and saw the large crowd of people already forming a few hours before the store was scheduled to open, nearly wrapping around the building.
They pulled into the parking lot and parked a few spaces from the building with CC ogling at the already large crowd. "Oh My God..."
"I suppose now would be a bad time to tell you that tonight is also the night that Zhu Zhu pets are on sale?" Niles said as he walked over to her.
"Why didn't you tell me?!" She exclaimed to him with wide eyes, "You just did this to piss me off."
"Did I?" Niles innocently asked her as they walked towards the growing crowd, with CC recognizing someone in the crowd immediately.
"Mr Kandvisch?" CC called out to one of the people in the crowd. The fourth gentleman in line turned around.
"Oh, Ms. Babcock. Hi."
"Ms?" Niles questioned, getting a murderous glare from her in response before she looked back at the man again. "What are you doing here?"
"Probably the same reason why everyone else is: A Zhu Zhu pet. Both of my daughters want one." He explained, "I would probably have to ask you the same question."
"Well," CC had to think fast in this situation, "as it turns out our daughter wants one too and I thought, well since you're here already..."
"You think I'm gonna give you a place in line? After I've been here several hours to claim this spot? Sorry, Babs. Doesn't work like that. All I can do for ya wish ya good luck."
Niles was on the verge of wanting to punch the guy in the gut. Only he was allowed to call her 'Babs'. He stepped forward with CC blocking his way, "Niles..." he growled. She turned to the man and gave off one of her stunning smiles, saved only for charming backers, investors, or tax collectors. "That quite alright Marc. We thank you for the good wishes." CC then turned to Niles, "Remind me to delete that bastard from my contacts when we get home." Niles nodded in agreement as they walked shamelessly to the back of the line, the end so far away from the front door they could barely see it from where they stood.
"This is ridiculous!" Niles exclaimed, "We will never be able to claim one of these pests like this."
"Pet."
"Same thing." Niles grumbled, Can't you use your connections somehow?"
"How? Do you think any of my contacts even shop here?"
"Perhaps. If they wanted to stay rich."
"Please," CC huffed, "They could spend a million in three seconds and gain it back in five."
"Talking from experience, are we?" Niles looked over at her with a lifted eyebrow.
"No!" She answered truthfully enough, "The most I've spent is half a mil."
Niles gave a sigh, "Well what about that 'Babcock charm' you always keep insisting you have?"
"Well you're here, aren't you?"
"That had nothing to do with charm. That was a charm!"
CC then proceeded with a few angry "Shut up, Niles" before relative calm came between them yet again.
"Well we've got to do something."
CC sat there and thought for a second, before spitting out her thoughts. "Well what about you? Does Belvedere have any connections?"
Niles chose to ignore her prodding as he thought carefully at the question. "I don't know... Karl went to Cambridge with the Rockerfellers, Martin went to Manchester with the Goldsteins..."
"Oh for Christ sake, think faster soft scrub. The line isn't getting any smaller."
"No I don't!" Niles exclaimed. CC gave off a huff as she adjusted her purse strap and turned away from him, just as Niles settled his hand into his pockets and smiled.
CC immediately noticed it, "What?"
Niles slowly pulled a twenty dollar bill out of his pocket. "Some leftover change from yesterday's grocery shopping." He said with glee.
"So?"
"Watch and learn a few things, Babs." Niles as he nonchantly left the line and went further down. CC watched with arms crossed as Niles talked with a younger man for a minute or so before watching him actually get out of line and go into his car and leave! CC's jaw dropped as she watched the events unfold in front of her eyes and immediately went to Niles' side as the guy pulled out of the parking lot.
"Well, it seems I'm not the only one with a certain 'charm'." CC gave off one of her throaty chuckles, "What's your secret?" She asked as leaned in to him.
Niles leaned in to her ear, "I told him I would save his spot if he went down the street and bought me and my wife some McRibs."
CC chuckled evilly, "Perk of knowing how to connect with the younger set?"
Niles shrugged, "That and knowing my wife isn't the only one that can be baddd..." They both gave a chuckle. "And the fact that I did learn from the best." CC met his eyes with her own, rolling her eyes in contempt.
"God, I hate you..."
During the next half hour, they both decided they needed to go about this a bit more aggressive than they planned. They decided that, once the doors open, they would work separate, with separate carts and each getting half of the items on the list, CC being stuck with getting the Zhu Zhu pet. And since Niles had been to that store several times, he was going down her part of the list and mapping out where exactly she would be able to find those items quickly. A quick revision later and CC had a complete route made up for herself, starting with that damn hamster and going in a large circle from there.
Then they saw the crowd around them begin to rustle and move about. From what they could see fro where they stood, the manager was making final preparations before opening the store. And while they both began to brace themselves what they believed was going to be a stampede, Niles noticed the young guy he sent away coming towards them happily with a McDonalds bag in his hand.
"Alright sir, here's your McRibs." He gave the bag to Niles, "And I wanna thank you again for saving my spot. I would have definitely had done it for you guys, especially knowing that your kid was sick."
CC turned to look at Niles with bemusement. He may have had a history of going low to get what she wanted, but this took it to a whole other level.
"Actually, about that," CC intervened with a grin, "our child's sickness isn't as severe as he probably said it was..."
Just as she started to talk with the guy, the crowd shifted and halted. The manager was beginning to open the doors to the store.
"Babs!..." Niles nudged her.
"But its still very traumatic and we really appreciate your help..." She called out just as the crowd began to move, making Niles and CC move farther from the guy, who was just starting to understand what just happened to him. Once they were able to squeeze and nudge their way into the lobby the two dashed towards the carts, claiming one for each of them and rushed to their designated routes for the stuff. CC immediately headed towards the toys department, nearly running in her kitten heels as she dodged the crowds coming in and around her, heading towards the same direction.
Once she finally got near the toy aisle, she could see the designated area set for the Zhu Zhu pets and made a sudden dash for it. But as she got closer, she saw that all of the Zhu Zhu pets were gone!
Except for one. Sitting on a nearby shelf, obviously discarded by a picky chooser, was a black and white model known as "Winkie". It was not only the last one, but the very one Sara was begging for.
CC left her cart and ran to grab the toy, but just as she grabbed it, another lady grabbed it as well, creating a vicious tug of war between them.
"Let me... have it!" The other woman groaned.
"I had it first!" CC answered back with a growl.
The woman snatched it from CC's loosened grasp and was preparing to put it in her cart when CC gasped. Her eyes went wide and she point. "Oh My God, what happened?"
"What?! Where?!" The woman asked as she looked in the direction CC pointed just as CC turned around, snatched the Zhu Zhu pet out of her cart and ran to put it in hers. However, the woman was quick to meet her up at the cart and they were at tug of war yet again.
"I saw it first!" CC cried.
"I have several sons and daughters I have to care for." The woman argued back.
CC thought that she would never get out of the store alive, until she saw someone approach them from the corner of her eye.
"Ladies! Ladies! Split it up!" the manager came between them. "Please put the toy down. Put it down!" Though they were both hesitant, they each let go of the box. They both straightened themselves up and looked at each other dead in the eyes, each challenging the other.
"Now, ladies, I'm sure there are more of these in the back that I can get for you." He reached into his back pocket and took out his walkie talkie, looked at the box and gave the ID number to those at the end of the line. Within minutes, they heard the words they dreaded hearing "Negative."
The manager dropped the radio and sighed, "It doesn't seem theres any in the back, so I'm going to leave it to you figure it out for yourselves. But I'll leave you with this. I know its the hottest item in the stores, hell my little girl wants one too. But its Christmas guys, c'mon." He put the box on the nearest shelf. "Please don't make me have to call security on you two."
CC sighed and went over to take the box, "Well, I just have one little girl to please at home that really wants this particular color."
"And you don't think mine does?" The woman asked angrily. "Alright, just to save us both face here, why don't we flip a coin?" The woman went into her purse and brought out a coin. "Heads I get it, Tails you do."
CC considered the odds for a seconds. She never did like to do anything with high odds against her. But it seemed to be the only way she would be able to get the little one exactly what she wanted for Christmas.
"Whatever it takes."
The woman nodded and prepared to toss the coin in the air, "One... Two... Three!"
Days later, on Christmas Day, everyone was in a jolly mood. Especially little Sara who started opening her presents the moment she reached the landing. With each and every present that she opened, her smiled grew wider, a wonderful sight to the two adults sitting on the nearby couch.
"A nerf gun and water gun set!" Sara exclaimed as she unwrapped it further, looking back at her parents. She held it up and held it like a real handgun.
"I better hear no more complaining about Master Jonah soaking you when they visit next year."
Sara shook her head with a smile, "You won't."
It was then Sara noticed the one final present in the corner beneath the tree. "Ooo! One more left!" She joked.
Niles and CC glanced down slightly as she brought it out from under the tree.
"Sara, dear, " CC called, "Don't be upset if it isn't exactly what you wanted. We only did everything we could."
Sara looked at her mother curiously before unwrapping the package and looking down at it with unsurpassed amount of glee. "A ZHU ZHU PET!" She exclaimed with a wide smile on her face, snuggling it the moment it was out of the wrapping paper. "The black and white one!" She jumped up from where she sat and went over to hug her parents. "Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!" They both embraced her back.
"Was it worth the overnight shipping?" Niles whispered to CC behind Sara's back.
"Definitely."
As Sara let go of them, she started asking Niles to help her with the batteries. And while he went to a nearby cupboard to fetch a stray set of screwdrivers, CC noticed two small presents beneath the tree that she didn't see before.
"Did Magoo forget a couple presents?" She questioned Niles as he came back.
"I've never seen those..."
Sara turned around, "Oh, those are my presents... for you."
Presents for them? Where was their daughter and where did they put her?
Sara brought them out from beneath the tree and distributed them out. "They're not that outstanding of a present."
With CC opening hers first, she pulled out a small, ceramic black and silver striped tissue box.
The sight prompted Niles to open his, finding a green leaf shaped bowl detailed with small veins and notches for texture.
"I made them in art class." Sara replied as she watched her parents facial features. "Are they okay?"
"Oh...please!" CC answered as she looked at her present. As she caressed it with her fingertips, it began to remind her of when her and Niles were just starting to become "friends" and he made her a tissue box not much different than this one. For the exception of his being entirely black and the card saying "For your funeral."
Niles noticed the way she looked at the box and smiled. This was an all too familiar road.
"Its a... great gift, dear. I'll use it in the office." CC said as she embraced her again. Sara looked over at Niles then, "Daddy? What about yours?"
"I assure you it shall be put to good use." He said with a grin. "It actually looks like the perfect size to use as mummy's new hand washing bowl after she comes in from the Colosseum."
Sara giggled as she watched her mother glare at him like he was the plague. "Watch it, or you'll be the one needing it." CC picked up hers and Niles presents and handed them off to Sara, telling her to put hers in the office and the bowl in the kitchen. And as the little one did as she was told, Niles scooted over a bit and whispered in her ear.
"Getting soft in your old age?"
CC scoffed, "Look who's talking, Aristotle." She looked away for a second. "Have you ever really realized that we've always been... a team of sorts?"
"You're just realizing that now, Babs?" Niles chuckled. "Getting soft and slow now?"
"No, but I can tell you who is." She scorned "No, no I mean... you know, like this..." She motioned back and forth between them, "I've always been dependant on you insulting me, so I can insult you back, get a thrill for awhile before going back to my invisible existence? Or last night when you and I SOMEHOW managed to set aside our differences and ran through the store like a couple of funny farm patients." CC chuckled.
"Only you would know about that" He answered back with CC rolling her eyes.
"Only because you took me there. Figuratively and literally." CC answered before throwing her hands up to stop herself. "The point is, haven't you ever noticed that? Since the VERY beginning we've been like this?"
"...Mm."
CC turned to him, "What's that suppose to mean? Are you... are you saying what I think you might be saying?"
"What?"
"You've known all along haven't you?"
Niles turned his head and became stoic.
"C'mon Butler Boy, spill it!"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"C'mon, Hazel..."
"No."
"C'mon!"
"There's nothing to say!" ~
"You know there is!" CC exclaimed as she pounced down on him and pinned him down on the couch, their noses nearly touching each others, Niles baring a large boyish grin on his face. "Maybe I did... what are you going to do? Fire me?"
"You bet your sweet ass I will..." She whispered into him as she stole his lips into a kiss, becoming slow and sensous, his fingers running through her hair in a comforting manner. She pulled from him and settled her head upon his chest, slight exhaustion still softly written upon her face while her other arm wrapped about him possessively said otherwise. And as his fingers danced across her back playfully, pulling her further into him, she gave him a punch in the arm for a good measure. He would probably deserve it later anyway.
~ FIN ~