Mkay, I wanna thank LaurenLaneLover and Brandy (Mark xD) for helping me with the plot. Now I can probably go over 7 chapters! Lol. This whole thing is sort of dark, and it's not usually what I write, but I've been planning to for a while. This chapter is more like a prologue and introduction. Hope you enjoy. :)
I do not own anything of The Nanny
Seeing in the Dark
Chapter 1: Faulsman
Niles checked in wearily as he immediately got into his uniform. It was his shift in Mercielo, a highly praised restaurant that he was lucky to work for. He had kept up this job for the past 2 years. The staff was friendly, the customers were never a pain in the ass, and his boss was generously amazing. He was only a simple waiter, but he was one of the best. He was fast, he was precise, he out waited all the other employees.
Unable to leave New York due to the incorrect amount of money necessary, he was fortunately saved by his parents wanting to move. They were able to get a comfortable two bedroom apartment. Being so retired and exhausted out of their years, it was Niles' duty to take much care of them. He worked hard for him, for working hard was his life, and what else gave a better reason to work than his own family?
But things were different. He couldn't replace what used to be with his own place (shared with his parents) or a fancy job with an awesome boss; things were never going to be the same. There was no one going to love him the way the Sheffields did. He'd meet no one like his precious C.C. either. He was only here to serve, not to talk, not to make friends. Thinking this way all the time led him into a silent depression. It made him speak to no one. He came to work with no expression on his face, he came home the same way, although he tried to fake one for his dear parents.
Nine hours of serving passed and Niles was tired. Not that he wasn't always tired.
"Niles, my man," Mr. Conrad Faulsmanm, his boss, called as he caught Niles in the employee's dressing room, stuffing his uniform back into the locker. "How are you?"
"As splendid as always, sir," Niles said neutrally with slight sarcasm. It sounded rather cold to other people, but Conrad for some reason always understood that it wasn't his intention. They were quite close, actually. Niles bothered to actually confide in him once in a while. However, he never told him anything about C.C. and what had happened between them. He never gave explanations to anything either, he would only say what happened, like a tedious narrator.
Conrad took a seat on one of the benches and pat a place next to it for Niles to sit. He sighed and joined Conrad on the bench. "Yes sir?"
"You've been getting worse each week." The two talked without looking at each other, but rather the wall mirror in front of them.
"I know, sir."
"Please, Niles, call me Conrad."
"I'd rather not, sir."
Conrad breathed a laugh that made Niles sort of guilty. "I apologize. I just miss home and the antidepressants aren't working very well."
"Why can't you go back?"
Niles cringed at the thought. He still had no idea that C.C. had quit as well. And he was afraid. Afraid of walking in and seeing them all happy without him. He couldn't handle that. Not after five years.
Using Niles' reaction as an answer, Conrad spoke up. "Perhaps you need someone besides me to help you. Like you know, a therapist. I may be a rather happy-go-lucky man, but I'm really horrible at handling problems."
"It's far too costly, sir."
"Oh, no, don't you worry about that," Conrad said with enthusiasm. "My wife is new to psychotherapy, but from the few clients she's had, they've described my Claire as absolutely brilliant. She charges cheap. And for you, my best employee, I'll even pay half for you."
Niles tried to smile weakly. "I don't think I could accept that sir."
"Nonsense!" Conrad exclaimed as he stood up. "Conrad is your comrade. You'll start next Saturday, my man, here's the address to her office, I'll set up everything for you!" He handed Niles a small white card and walked briskly with a hand in his pocket, whistling a tune back to his office.
Conrad Faulsman was a great man, always full of optimism, always willing to help. Stinge was never a case for him. He was never afraid to offer his hands to those who needed it--who at this moment happened to be Niles.
------
It was a gleaming Saturday afternoon, C.C. was sitting in her gorgeous office, sitting at her desk. After five years she managed to give herself a new career, and it changed her life forever.
She didn't even look the same anymore. Her hair was always cut above her eyes, hiding them with her glinty glasses, and tied back subtly into a tail.
Things had changed for her, too. After leaving Niles and the Sheffields, she had gone into a deadly depression and was hopelessly trapped in it; until a very nice gentleman came into her life. And after taking on her new job, she had a change of heart. Her previous coldheartedness melted in the midst of her depression and when she was treated, her mind was more open. She was softer, but didn't talk much. She didn't smile with much honesty either.
The door opened and C.C. looked up from her neat desk. "Hello, dear." Her voice sounded calm and soft and innocent, so unlike her usual sultry voice.
Conrad chimed in with a bright smile. "There's my Claire." He took a seat on the arm of her chair and wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick kiss.
C.C. smiled at him softly as she held at his hand. "How's work?"
"Lovely, like you," he smiled. "Your new guy will be here in a moment." He moved and took the seat in front of the desk.
"Oh yes, Nigel?"
"Nigel? I think you misheard." Conrad laughed.
"Oh..." C.C. looked down shyly, taking out a pen and her appointments, crossing out the name. "So who is he?"
"His name is Niles."
She froze and it took no more than a second for her to feel fear pump through her heart. "...You have an employee.. named Niles?"
"Yes, honey, why?" Conrad's expression puzzled only slightly.
"How long has he been working for you?"
"About two years. Why do you ask?"
Damn it all! If C.C. had bothered to come to Mercielo to eat or visit Conrad, she'd have known. But right now, she was caught between wanting to have known sooner, or not wanting to know at all. She looked at the nothingness on her desk and took a few silent deep breaths, nervous out of her mind.
"Conrad I don't think this is a good idea," she said softly, with fright in her tone.
"Aw, darling, how could you know that? Niles is a brilliant man, he just needs to find his way back to life," Conrad assured her as he got up to pet the top of her hair and kiss her head. "See you at home, cuppycake. I love you."
"Love you, too," C.C. replied as she tried to put on a smile for him. He smiled back with sympathy in his expression and pinched at her chin. "Don't kill yourself trying to do that, sweetie."
He left the room with his signature walk and C.C. dropped down her weak smile and looked back down at her desk and sat back into her chair with a plop and a heavy sigh. Poor Conrad, knew C.C. too well and still loved her, but C.C. couldn't return the favor.
But that was at the least of her worries. Niles was coming. After 5 long years, she'd see him again. Though she didn't want to, she always found herself thinking about him at her moments of solitude. She always tried to convince herself that what was done was done, and she couldn't fix them, so she best accept it. She wasn't sure if she should be glad or scared shitless. The possibility of making things right again and returning to friendship shined more or less, but there was that blaring chance that things would get even worse. Niles would walk out right when he saw her and she wouldn't be able to go after him.
This would be her last chance.
Feeling herself tense up, she emptied her head and drank her glass of water that was there whenever she needed it.
It was 1:41 PM. Niles' appointment was at 2. The wait would be painfully tedious.
-----
1:59. C.C. was getting scared. Her heart beat furiously and everything around her felt hot. She sat nervously at the chair in front of the patient sofa with a small glass coffee table in between them.
Calm down, C.C.... everything will be okay... more or less.
The knob turned as the door unhinged and opened, revealing a frail looking old man, dressed in a tan suit--just like the one Niles'd wear in the mansion.
"Niles...?" C.C. heart jumped out of his place for a moment. Niles closed the door and walked up to C.C. with a weak smile. Five years had aged him ten. There was a mixture purple and brown shadows around his eyes, the kinds that people get from stress and unhappiness. The look of despair.
"Good afternoon, Dr. Faulsman," Niles greeted and shook her hand, not noticing that it felt scalding. His voice was raspy and low, like he wasn't giving much effort to talk.
"He-hello, Niles..." She stuttered weakly for a moment.
He took a seat on the sofa and folded his hands over his lap.
C.C. was confused out of her mind, but kept her composure. "N..Niles?" she called.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Can I ask you... if you remember seeing me anywhere?"
Niles stared at her, looking puzzled and squinted. C.C. waited nervously as he took a few seconds.
"No, not at all."
How was it? :P It gets better. Well, not really better, but more eventful. xp Remember to Review! I don't lie when I say they make me smile.
Tata
~Rei