Author's Note: I don't own anything. Wish I did! Just the thought of Niles and CC and babies makes me giddy! :)
Goodnight, Sweetheart
By:
Kate
"Sarah, darling, if you don't hurry up, we're going to miss our reservations!" Maxwell called up the stairs as he looked at his watch for the tenth time in five minutes.
"Just a minute, dear!" Sarah yelled back hastily.
The two had barely been able to spend any time together in the past few months, and this night out was a rare treat for them. They had been so busy, with Maxwell Sheffield Productions finally taking off and getting the acclaim he had so worked for, and Sarah busy taking care of their infant daughter Maggie.
Sarah hurried down the stairs all the while clipping on earrings and squeezing her feet into high heels. "Well, how do I look?"
"You look beautiful, love." Maxwell said as he took her hands in his and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Now let's go! I've had these reservations for weeks and I don't want to lose them!" He hurried to the closet to fetch their coats.
"Maxwell we can't leave. The babysitter's not here yet!" Sarah had barely gotten the words out when the phone rang. She hurried over to the phone and picked it up from its cradle.
"Hello? Yes, hi Jessica … what do you mean you can't come over? We've had these reservations for weeks … yes I understand. You take care now… okay … goodbye." She hung up the phone and looked at Maxwell sadly. "She's come down with the flu."
"Oh darling, we'll just reschedule. It's okay."
"It's not okay, Max. When will we ever have a free night like this again? For the first time in ages you're not at a backers meeting or holding auditions or held up in your office with mountains of paperwork! We can reschedule, all right! I'll see you when Maggie goes to college!" Sarah said on the verge of tears.
"Sweetheart, calm down. I'll think of something. Let's see, who do we know who won't have plans on a Friday night that we can count on, on such short notice…"
The two looked at each other before shouting simultaneously, "NILES!"
Niles hurried down the steps and was soon at their sides. "Yes, sir? Mrs. Sheffield?"
Maxwell slapped Niles on the back good naturedly. "Niles, old man! You wouldn't happen to have plans tonight, would you?"
"Actually, I do. This woman I met at the supermarket today, Angela, asked me out to dinner tonight. We met in the produce aisle. She asked me squeeze her melons. I told her that was rather promiscuous of her. We shared a good laugh. Ah, Angela…" Niles said, getting a far off look on his face.
"Well … any chance you could take her out some other night, instead?" Maxwell asked eagerly.
Niles looked at Max like he had just grown a third eye. "Are you kidding me, sir? I can't even remember the last time I went out on a date…"
"It was probably around the same time Maxwell and I went on a date. 3 B.C." Sarah said gloomily.
"Before Christ?" Niles asked confusedly.
"Before Child! Oh please Niles! Please cancel your date tonight and watch Maggie for us! It would mean the world to me!" Sarah practically begged.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Sheffield. Any other night I would, but this Angela could be the one for me!"
"The one?" Maxwell scoffed, "She asked you to squeeze her melons, for Christ's sake!"
"Well I'm going out with her tonight! And there's nothing you can do to change my mind!" Niles said determinedly.
"I'll pay you triple your salary for the week." Maxwell offered.
"Well, what do I really know about Angela anyway…I mean, 'squeeze my melons'? Please, oldest line in the book!" Niles said already making his way to the phone to cancel his date.
Sarah threw her arms around Niles. "Oh thank you Niles! Thank you so much!"
"Yeah, yeah. Now get out of here you two, before I change my mind!"
With that, Maxwell and Sarah quickly hurried out the door.
"Oh the things I do for this family," Niles rolled his eyes to the now empty room.
"Well," Niles said as he plopped down on the couch and glanced at the quiet baby monitor, "at least she's sound asleep. Makes for an easy paycheck!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth did the blaring sounds of the infant's cries fill the room.
CC Babcock was having a bad day. First she overslept, making her late for work. Then she realized she was all out of coffee, meaning she had to settle for a lousy can of soda to give her the much needed jilt of caffeine she desperately craved in the morning. And then, after putting in a hard day's work and rushing home to get ready for a highly anticipated date with Harry, the stockbroker, he canceled, saying he caught the flu that was spreading like wildfire around New York City. 'Stupid Harry! Why didn't he just get that stupid vaccine that's always being talked about on the news!' CC thought selfishly.
Changing out of the cocktail dress she had decided to wear on the date and into a pair of jeans and a sweater, CC suddenly remembered that Sarah had wanted to borrow her pearl earrings for the night. CC threw on some sneakers and rushed out the door of her apartment, not bothering to call the Sheffield house. 'They probably haven't even left yet. Plus this way I avoid having to talk on the phone with that lousy excuse for a butler!' She thought as she veered in and out of traffic making her way over to the mansion.
Quickly and carelessly parking half on the curb, half on the street, CC got out of her Porsche and walked up the steps to the front entrance of the house. She impatiently rang the doorbell twice, waited thirty seconds, and then began pounding furiously at the door.
When she still didn't receive an answer, she tried the doorknob. She opened the door and was promptly met with the ear-piercing wails of an infant. She cautiously took a few steps into the living room, and saw Niles tending to a very unhappy Maggie Sheffield on the couch. CC wasn't one for babies or butlers, so she quickly turned on her heels and made a beeline for the door, hoping Niles would be none the wiser of her visit.
"Miss Babcock, wait! What are you doing here?" Niles had to shout to be heard over the crying baby.
CC cursed under her breath, not that it mattered. She could have shouted a slew of profanities into a megaphone and still would not be heard over Maggie's screams.
"Sarah wanted to borrow a pair of earrings, so I was just bringing them by." CC explained, loudly.
"Oh. Well Mr. and Mrs. Sheffield already left for the night, so looks like your trip was for nothing. Sorry!" Niles said, truly meaning it. He felt bad for anyone, including Miss Babcock, who had to come into contact with the horrible sound of the baby crying.
"It's fine, I'll just be on my merry way!" CC called over her shoulder as she made a dash for the door.
"Wait, Miss Babcock!" Niles once again foiled her escape plan.
"Niles, what is it? I need to get out of this house. That howling creature is going to give me a migraine!" CC yelled and then covered her ears.
"I would have thought you would have been used to howling! After all, isn't that what one can usually find you doing at this hour? Baying at the moon?"
"What?" CC shouted, unable to hear her own thoughts, let alone his insult, over the god-awful crying.
"Nothing!" Niles said innocently. "Miss Babcock, would you mind holding her while I go get her a bottle? Every time I try to put her down, she screams even louder, if that's even possible."
CC looked at Niles incredulously. "All that incessant screaming must have rattled a few screws loose up in that head of yours if you think I'm taking one step near that … that thing!"
"Please, Miss Babcock. I'm at my wit's end. Just hold her for a few minutes while I prepare her bottle, and then you can go." Niles pleaded.
Something about the look in his eyes convinced CC. "Okay. Just be quick with getting that bottle ready! I don't know how much longer I can take hearing her cry like this!"
Niles looked like he was ready to kneel down and kiss CC's feet. "Thank you, Miss Babcock!"
"Uh, yeah, sure thing." CC said, sounding very nervous suddenly. 'Why did I agree to this? I haven't held a baby since … well, since ever! What if I break her! Okay, CC, be cool. You can do this. The important thing is, don't let Niles know you've never held a baby.'
"Oh Christ, you've never held a baby, have you?" Niles surmised from the look of sheer terror and nausea evident on her face.
"No! But so what if I haven't!" CC said childishly. "Look, one of us is going to have a nervous breakdown soon if we don't get the kid to pipe down, so go get the bottle! There's a first time for everything, right? And how hard can it be? I just have to watch her head and not drop her, easy!" She didn't want to back down now, especially because Niles knew it was something she had never done before, and if she didn't do it, she knew he would rub it in her face every chance he got.
"Any other day I would give the baby to Hannibal Lector over you, but today I'm making an exception. Just don't frighten her, please." Niles said as he carefully placed Maggie in CC's arms.
Suddenly the room filled with silence.
"Oh, my God. Either I've finally gone deaf or she just stopped crying. For you, of all people!" Niles was shocked.
CC's eyes were wide as saucers and filled with total and complete awe. "I got her to stop crying! I must have magical powers!" She whispered triumphantly as she sat down on the couch.
"Oh yeah, you're a real wicked witch." Niles muttered sarcastically.
CC looked up from the baby and glared at Niles. "Just go get the bottle so I can get out of here, you flying monkey."
"If you think you're leaving now after you got her to finally be quiet, you're out of your mind, Babcock!" Niles said as he quickly rushed out of the room to avoid hearing CC refuse.
"What? Niles! Get back here!" CC said as loud as she could without shouting, as she did not want Maggie to go for a repeat performance.
She looked down at Maggie who was looking up at her. "I'm not staying here all night just to keep you quiet." She told the baby matter-of-factly. "That would be a waste of a night, sitting here with Niles and you. I have better things to do, you know!"
As if on cue, the baby girl let out an adorable belly laugh.
CC chuckled. "What, does Niles have you trained or something? It just so happens, little lady, that I had plans tonight with a gentleman named Harry. Unfortunately Harry had to cancel last minute because he caught the flu. Now why didn't he just get immunized, you ask? Well Maggie, I'll let you in on a little secret: sometimes men are idiots."
The baby smiled a big, toothless grin at CC, who couldn't help but smile back. "Gee you know, you're not so bad when you're not screaming at the top of your lungs like a howler monkey. And evidently I'm not completely void of all maternal instincts. I'm not exactly Mary Poppins when it comes to children. In fact, you're the first baby I've ever held. I seem to be doing a pretty good job at it though, right?" Maggie smiled again. "Huh, who would have thought it, CC Babcock: The Motherly Type!"
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Niles was taking his good ole time preparing Maggie's bottle. He was actually scared that Miss Babcock really would leave after he returned to feed Maggie, and he really did not want to be stuck alone with the baby again. Sure he loved kids, and being the eldest of four Niles had always helped his parents out with his siblings. But he never encountered anything like what he had with Maggie earlier. The constant, piercing sound of Maggie's cries had almost convinced him to schedule a vasectomy first thing in the morning!
Finally he decided that he had delayed the inevitable long enough, and he returned to the living room with Maggie's bottle. He could hear Miss Babcock talking patiently to someone, 'probably on her cell phone,' Niles guessed. 'Wait, who would Miss Babcock talk to so patiently on the phone like that? I've heard her give death threats to her mother for crying out loud!'
Curiously, he peered out into the living room and was flabbergasted by the sight before him. CC was sitting contently on the couch, gazing lovingly down at baby Maggie and talking to her.
"…And that is why, Maggie, if a man ever offers to escort you up to your apartment and promises he won't try anything, you always tell him to stick it where the sun don't shine!" CC finished proudly.
"Oh this is rich; dating advice from someone who hasn't been on a date since people thought the earth was flat." Niles interrupted with a sarcastic comment.
"Hey I'll have you know that I did have a date tonight, Scrubbing Bubbles. Harry had to cancel last minute. He came down with the flu."
"Yeah, it's going around. Jessica, Maggie's babysitter, had to cancel tonight for having the flu as well, which is why I had to cancel my date to babysit." Niles said, wanting it to be known that he, too, had a date tonight.
"You? Ha! You had a date tonight? Niles, I've got news for you, Inflate-A-Date doesn't count!" CC laughed at her own joke.
"Hey, I had a date! Her name was Angela. She had lovely melons!" Niles said defensively.
"Look I could care less about Angela or her melons…wait, you canceled your date tonight to babysit for the Sheffield's? Why would you do that?" CC asked in disbelief.
"Mr. and Mrs. Sheffield really wanted this night out. I didn't have the heart to turn them down. Plus he offered to triple my salary for the week."
"Gosh after hearing what you had to put up with before I got here and worked my magic charm on the baby," She paused to glare at Niles who had snorted in laughter at that comment, "You deserve more than triple salary for the week for dealing with that noise! You deserve sainthood and an all-expense paid vacation to the destiny of your choosing!" CC exclaimed as she took the bottle from Niles and began feeding Maggie.
"You don't have to do that. I can feed her if you really want to her out of here." Niles offered.
CC shook her head. "I'll feed her. I don't want her to start up with that racket again. Besides, I think I'm getting the hang of it."
"Yeah, you're really good with her."
CC looked up at Niles and smiled at the unexpected compliment, "Thanks."
Niles smiled back. "You're welcome."
The two lapsed into a comfortable silence, until CC broke it. "So where did you meet this Angela person?" She asked.
"Oh… the supermarket. She asked me to squeeze … never mind. It's not important. I'll never see her again."
"What? Just because you couldn't go out with her tonight you're giving up?" CC asked, surprised by Niles' lack of determination.
"Err, well, no. When I called to see if we could reschedule, she heard the baby crying in the background and assumed I was one of those unhappy married men looking for a good time. She told me she never wanted to see me again. And then she called me a creep and hung up." Niles smiled awkwardly.
"Well, you are a creep. She's got you there." CC teased. "But she doesn't know what she's missing out on! You're a good guy, Niles. When you're not being an annoying little troll, that is!"
Niles laughed. "You're not so bad yourself, that is, when you're not being an insufferable old hag! So when are you and Harry going to reschedule for?"
"Oh, uh … I probably won't call him again." CC said absentmindedly.
"What, why? Miss Babcock, the man had the flu! It's not like he just wasn't that in to you!" Niles said incredulously.
"No, no! I know that! It's just … he was too wimpy for me. I mean first of all, he was practically crying over having a lousy case of the sniffles. Second of all, when I told him that under no circumstances would I allow him to cancel on me, and that he'd better march his ass over to my place immediately, he actually said he'd be right over! I mean, really! I need someone who will tell me when I'm being a ridiculous, intolerable bitch, someone who will put me in my place every now and then! You know?"
"I know." Niles said, looking deep into her eyes.
"Uh … well …," CC gulped, not used to the look Niles was giving her or the feelings she was experiencing, "Looks like she's done eating!"
"Do you want me to burp her?" Niles asked.
"No, it's fine. I've got her." CC said, once again surprising Niles.
Niles couldn't help but stare in fascination at CC as she carefully maneuvered Maggie so that she was in the correct position for burping.
"Niles, what is it?" CC asked concerned by his silence and the expression on his face.
"It's just … you're so natural with her. I never would have expected this from you. You'd make a great mom, Miss Babcock."
CC was shocked by Niles' candor. "Why … thank you, Niles." She said as she sat stunned burping the baby.
Maggie's loud burp disrupted the conversation, and both were a little relieved for it. They were not used to being so serious with each other!
"Well, now what?" CC asked.
"She's probably getting sleepy. We can try putting her to bed." Niles suggested. "I brought her bassinet down here earlier because I was getting worn out running up and down the stairs for her."
CC gently placed Maggie in the bassinet and tucked her in. For a few blissful seconds the baby lay peacefully, on the brink of slumber.
Until she realized she was no longer being held by her new best friend CC.
Suddenly, Maggie began to stir and whimper, and the two could tell they were about to fall victim to yet another cry fest if they didn't act soon.
"Miss Babcock, pick her up again!" Niles said desperately. "You are apparently the only solution to get her to be quiet!"
"Niles, I can't very well live the rest of my life holding Maggie Sheffield. That'd make for an awkward first date! 'Oh hello, don't mind the woman whose lap I'm sitting on! Whenever she's not around I burst into hysterics!'" CC snapped at Niles.
"Well, we have to do something! Oh! I know! Sometimes Mr. and Mrs. Sheffield sing to Maggie to get her to calm down."
"Sorry, Niles. I left my harmonica in the shop. Looks like you're on your own with this one." She began backing away.
"Please, Miss Babcock! Maybe we'll remind her of her parents, although with your manly voice she'll think she has two fathers…"
"Flattery will get you nowhere, my dear." CC deadpanned.
"Oh come on!" Niles said as he pulled CC back to the bassinet. "Just one little song!"
"Oh, fine!" CC gave in.
The two stared at each other for a few moments, each waiting for the other to act.
"Well?" CC asked.
"I can't think of any lullabies." Niles said sheepishly.
Maggie's wails began to get louder and CC was getting frantic.
"You mean to tell me you live with the Sheffield's, help them raise their daughter, observe them in all their parental duties, and babysit when they're in a jam, and you don't know one stinkin' lullaby!" CC shrieked.
"Uh okay, well … I can think of a song that mentions 'Goodnight.' That's got to count for something, right?" Niles asked.
"Sure!" CC said convincingly.
"Okay, well, here goes! … Goodnight sweetheart, well it's time to go." He suddenly stopped.
"Why'd you stop? I think it was working!" CC exclaimed exasperatedly.
"You didn't join in!" Niles answered.
"Oh…right. Okay, start over!"
And so the two joined in on a duet:
"Goodnight, sweetheart, well, it's time to go,
Goodnight, sweetheart, well, it's time to go,
I hate to leave you, but I really must say,
Oh Goodnight, sweetheart, goodnight.
Well, it's three o'clock in the morning,,
Baby, I just can't do right,
Well, I hate to leave you, baby,
Don't mean maybe, because I love you so.
Now, your mother and your father,
Might hear if I stay here too long,
One kiss and we'll part,
And I'll be going,
Although I hate to go.
Goodnight, sweetheart, well, it's time to go,
Goodnight, sweetheart, well, it's time to go,
I hate to leave you, but I really must say,
Oh Goodnight, sweetheart, goodnight."
As the song finished, Maggie's eyelids fluttered closed and she drifted off to sleep.
"Ah! I can't believe that worked!" CC whispered joyfully as she threw her arms around Niles.
"I know! I was expecting to be up all night with her!" Niles whispered back equally as joyful, partially due to getting the baby to sleep, but mostly due to having CC's arms around him.
"Whew, am I beat!" CC said disentangling herself from Niles and going and grabbing her things. "Thanks for tonight, Niles. It was … interesting, to say the least."
"Thank you for tonight, Miss Babcock! Without you, my eardrums would have exploded and I would have been carted off to the loony bin!" The two shared a laugh and then a shudder as they recalled the awful sound of the baby's cries.
"I just can't believe how much she liked me! I was not expecting that!" CC said as they made their way to the door.
"Neither was I!" Niles said amusedly. CC jabbed him in the ribs.
"Aw Niles, are you jealous that the little baby likes me more than she likes you?" CC teased.
"Believe me, the only thing I'm jealous of is your ability to grow more chest hair than me." Niles countered.
"Staring at my chest, are we?" CC said smugly.
"Only in your dreams." Niles said taking a step closer to CC. CC gulped and backed up into the door, feeling trapped and very, very turned on.
"More like nightmares." CC responded, her voice barely a whisper as Niles inched his way closer and closer to her.
"Is that so?" Niles asked seductively as he tilted his head toward hers, their lips inches apart.
"Mmm-hmmm," CC moaned, licking her lips.
Finally he brought his lips closer to hers, and just as they were about to finally touch…
Maggie woke up and began gurgling and whimpering for attention.
"Damnit!" Niles cursed under his breath as he pulled away, the trance that had them spellbound just moments ago now broken.
"You better go tend to her. I'd hate for you to have to hear an encore from earlier." CC laughed.
"Yeah, you're right." Niles said reluctantly.
"Well, goodnight, Niles." CC said as she quickly exited the Sheffield home, anxious to get away from all the feelings she was experiencing.
"Goodnight, Miss Babcock!" Niles yelled as the door slammed shut.
Niles chuckled to himself as he made his way over to the baby.
"Poor thing's probably terrified of what she's feeling, right?" Niles said as he picked up the baby.
Maggie cooed in response.
"Think I should tell her how I feel?" Niles asked the happy baby, who laughed in response.
Niles laughed quietly, "Someday," he sighed. "Someday…"
He then rocked the baby girl until she drifted off into a peaceful slumber.
20 YEARS LATER
"CC!" Niles yelled at the top of his lungs to try to overpower the crying infant in his arms.
"You bellowed?" CC said tiredly as she made her way over to the rocking chair that Niles was sitting in.
"Please make your daughter shut up!" Niles said exhaustedly.
"Oh so when she's cute and cuddly she's your daughter but the minute she gets difficult she's mine?" CC asked amusedly.
"You got it!" Niles jibed.
"Ugh, give me her." CC said holding out her arms for the pink bundle. "Hey, baby girl! You're keeping your daddy and I awake! Yes you are!" CC cooed to the baby, who was already calming down.
"How the heck do you do that?" Niles asked completely amazed by his wife's ability to quiet a screaming baby.
"I'm just magical, that's all!" CC said as she placed the now quiet baby in her crib.
"Oh yeah, you're a regular wicked-"
"Can it, Mr. Clean. We've already been down that road before." CC interrupted him before he could finish.
Niles smiled at his wife's memory. "Shall we? For old time's sake?"
"We shall." CC said as Niles placed his arms around her and they gazed adoringly down at their little bundle of joy. Softly, they began to sing:
"Goodnight, sweetheart, well, it's time to go,
Goodnight, sweetheart, well, it's time to go,
I hate to leave you, but I really must say,
Oh Goodnight, sweetheart, goodnight."
The End!