Hello, Hello!:) Well guys, it's me again. lol Just when you thought you were rid of me!:p I actually started writing this story about a month ago...but then put it on hold coz of "Again and Again". The idea came to me while reading a book about Cognitive Neuroscience. lol (specifically about amnesia) Now, I know we're all familiar with the good ol' amnesia stories but I love them, that's just a fact. So now I'm giving it a go. At the moment it looks like this will be a nice, fluffy story with just some minor underlying tension. (so a change after my other story!lol ) I hope you'll enjoy it. Christmas is approaching and we all deserve some kinda Niles/CC happiness. lol Also, for those who voted...I'm also working on the "M" continuation I promised! ;)

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine and my mouth is still burning from Lauren Lane's cucumber salad. lol

Binding Thread

Chapter 1: Beware of Darkness

For C.C. Babcock this Monday morning was as ordinary as the next. She had got up early, showered and dressed and enjoyed a light breakfast. She knew that this particular day was going to be a long one, but just how long she had no idea. Checking her reflection in the hallway mirror once more she smiled and was out of the door a second later.

For Niles Brightmore a typical day in the Sheffield household had also begun. He had awoken at the crack of dawn and was preparing breakfast in the kitchen before anyone else was up. As he was frying the eggs in a pan he mentally considered what this day would be like. First he'd be serving breakfast, the kids would be in a rotten mood because the summer holidays were over and they'd had to return to school and Fran Fine would still ignore Mr. Sheffield to make him pay for having taken back "the thing". And best of all: No C.C., for the entire duration of the day. With their new play heading for its premiere soon, Maxwell was spending more time in his office and C.C. more time at the theatre. She could remain there forever, for all he cared. He could retire and live happily without the arrogant blonde making his day unbearable any chance she got. Of course, what Niles didn't mention to himself was that he could give as well as receive and that the socialite probably didn't think any differently about him. On this particular day, however, their world was about to be turned on its head. C.C. and Niles would be asked to reconsider their feelings for each other, while Maxwell would be forced to overcome his doubts about a possible future with Fran. But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself...

It was 7.30 pm when C.C. stole the final glance at her watch. She was sitting alone in the deserted auditorium of a theatre, the lights around her were dimmed and only the quartets and LEDs onstage illuminated the scene. She was feeling tired and hungry and incredibly cranky. Maxwell had never showed up to the casting, though he had promised to, and she had been left with a large amount of work again. But now that she had finally wrapped things up, she placed the scripts into a folder and stored them away safely in her briefcase. As she rose to her feet she arched her back until it clicked pleasantly, before heading down to the stage. It was her job to make sure no objects had been left onstage or in the wings where they could easily be overlooked, leading to accidents no producer liked to see weeks before opening night. She had just spotted a bucket that was standing in the way and had crouched down to pick it up, when a blunt object hit her at the back of her head. For a moment a searing pain shot through her, before her knees buckled and she fell into the darkness.

There were days, Niles thought while parking the town-car, that just weren't worth getting up for. He was getting so sick of Fran's whining and Maxwell's excuses and on top of it all he had now also been asked to deliver a picnic basket to C.C. His boss, evidently suffering from a bad-conscience, had given him that particular order which now supposedly concluded a horrendous day. A small smile stole across his face at the thought that his boss had no idea that Niles hadn't only kept the champagne for himself, but that he had also wasted countless minutes driving through New York City. A furious Miss Babcock was always fun! Now, however, it was certainly time he made it to the theatre; otherwise he'd never be back in time for his favourite Spanish soap. Opening the unlocked backdoor he entered the theatre, balancing the basket in his arms. A light frown appeared on his face when his eyes took in the darkened, empty auditorium. He was just about to turn around and head back home when he spotted C.C.'s briefcase that had been placed on one of the chairs in the front few rows. "Miss Babcock?" he called, certain that the blonde would be around. However, when he got no reply he decided to investigate and quickly made his way down to the stage.

"Only Babcock could forget her briefcase and I came here for nothing." he muttered, angrily when he suddenly saw a pale white hand.

He carelessly dropped the basket and ran into the wings where he encountered C.C. on the floor, unconscious.

"Miss Babcock, can you hear me?" he called her and kneeling down by her side he carefully took her hand in his.

Her soft, pale skin felt cold in his hand, far too cold for his liking. Normally he would've made a crack about the temperature fit for the ice queen, but no amusing comment made it past the butler's lips, not when it looked as if his sparring partner was dead. The blood at the back of her head confirmed his worst fears and only the slight flutter of her pulse assured him that some life was still left. Cradling her hand in his left, he used his other to extract a cell phone from his pocket and called 911. After the phone had been put back to its original place, Niles began to wait for the ambulance. His thumb brushed over her skin while he carefully stroked her cheek.

"Miss Babcock, can you hear me?" he asked again and she slowly opened her eyes.

Her light blue orbs were directly focused on his face, and yet Niles could tell that she couldn't really see him. The cloudy, misty blue wasn't what he knew so well, for C.C.'s eyes were normally either shining with brightness or burning with a fiery intensity.

"I know I've talked so often about you dying, Babs, but you've never listened to me before. Don't start now! I don't know what my day would be like without you insulting me."

Even when the words he had uttered were nothing but a quiet echo, surprise still remained edged into his face. Hadn't he been happy to be rid of her just this morning? Surely he couldn't have been so mistaken. Of course he hadn't wanted her to die but what he had just confessed had sounded scarily much like feelings.

"Hello?" a voice called and Niles replied: "Down here on the stage, in the wings!"

And a minute later they were by his side. He stepped away to let the paramedics do their work and watched as they swiftly bandaged C.C.'s head before lifting her onto a stretcher.

"Which hospital are you taking her to?" he suddenly remembered to ask.

"Lenox Hill, I'm afraid you can't ride in the ambulance."

"I know," Niles agreed nodding and followed them outside the theatre.

With the last lights of the ambulance gone, Niles jumped into the car and followed them to the hospital. It was abuzz with action and panic and he had a hard time getting any information on C.C. Finally he conceded defeat and slumped down on one of the chairs, flipping his cell open again.

"Max, this is Niles." he said.

"What's wrong?" his employer instantly asked.

"I found C.C. at the theatre, unconscious and bleeding from a head wound, I have no idea what has happened but I'm at Lenox Hospital with her now."

"Oh my God, what are the doctors saying?"

"No-one can tell me anything yet." Niles sighed quietly.

"Just hang in there, old man," Maxwell said and then the line went dead.

"Are you Niles Brightmore?" a nurse asked, approaching him.

"Yes, do you have any news concerning Miss Babcock?"

"Yes and normally I wouldn't be allowed to tell you," she said but the honest concern in the man's blue eyes made her reconsider "Miss Babcock is suffering from retrograde amnesia."

"What does that mean?" Niles inquired, his head pounding with the foreign terms.

"It means that her memory has been affected by the blow her head's taken. She can't remember anything of her past, her name, her profession, her family and friends, however, everything from now on she will be able to remember perfectly well, it's just the old memories that have been affected."

"Can I see her?" he asked quietly.

"Well, if you were to provide me with her family's contact details my attention might just be distracted for a while and I might not notice you heading for room 414." The nurse said winking at him.

Niles gave her a grateful smile and then scribbled down Maxwell's number on her notepad.

"He's our employer, he will have all the relevant details."

And after the nurse had nodded curtly, he slipped away and down the corridor towards the nearest elevator. C.C. was still asleep when he found her and he stood in the background and watched as another nurse tended to her needs. An odd sensation was slowly making its way through his body, something he couldn't quite put his finger on yet. It felt weird to see his nemesis lying in bed, her head bandaged, because powerless and weak were two things he didn't naturally associate with her. And God knows he had tried to provoke her, played pranks on her that had ended in minor injuries. But never had C.C. looked defeated, on the contrary, she had always found a way to pay him back in the end. Niles just couldn't piece together what had happened there... After a while the nurse shooed him out and he busied himself drinking cups of the watery tasting coffee while waiting outside for the inevitable arrival of Maxwell Sheffield. He arrived half an hour later with Fran Fine in tow looking appropriately worried about his business partner's health and yet it surprised Niles, for he rarely showed an appreciation of the woman who essentially ran the business.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I'm not sure myself, Sir. I went to the theatre, as you asked me to, and I just found her lying in the wings bleeding from a head wound."

"Maybe someone hit her?" Fran suggested.

"Miss Fine, I think you've been watching far too many-" Max began to scold her but Niles cut in.

"Actually, Sir, I think Miss Fine might be right. There was no way she could've fallen, nothing there that could explain the wound. So I'm beginning to think myself that somebody else did it."

"Maybe C.C. will be able to tell us once she wakes up." Maxwell said hopefully.

"That is unlikely. Miss Babcock is suffering from amnesia."

"You can come and see her now, she's awake." The friendly nurse who had helped Niles before informed them and quietly they filed inside the hospital room.

"How are you feeling, C.C.?" Maxwell asked gently.

"A little groggy, but mostly confused. C.C.'s such a funny name...and I'm sorry, I don't remember you."

"That's alright," Fran jumped in, approaching the blonde and taking her hand "it'll all come back to you."

"Your wife's really nice." C.C. remarked, smiling carefully.

"Oh, Miss Babcock, I like you this way." Fran cried loudly.

"This way? What do you mean?" C.C. asked, suddenly looking scared.

"Nothing, she's just emotional." Maxwell hurried to say, leading Fran away and patting her back.

"I'm Niles Brightmore, the Sheffields' butler," he introduced himself, clearing his throat and slowly stepping closer.

"I remember you," C.C. quietly said to everyone's surprise "your eyes...you're the one that found me."

"Yes," Niles said, smiling warmly at her.

"Thank you," she genuinely said, grasping his hand "I probably owe you my life."