Disclaimer: I don't own any part of The Nanny…yet.
A/N: What would happen if the world as you knew it, changed over night? Well, that's what happens in this little tale. Niles/CC and Max/Fran.
REVERSAL OF FORTUNE
Chapter 3
When Max and Fran came in from their evening out Niles and CC were sitting on the sofa in the den. Both were asleep. Niles sat on the end of the sofa and CC was leaning against him with her head on his shoulder. The TV was on AMC and it was the middle of some old black and white movie.
"Should we wake them?" Max asked Fran.
Fran walked around to the front of the sofa and whispered softly. "Niles, are you alright?" Niles eyes opened easily.
"I think all the packing wore her out; I didn't have the heart to move her." Niles whispered.
Fran waved Max over to the sofa. "Here, let us help." Fran and Max supported CC while Niles slipped off the sofa. Fran was going to lay her down and cover her.
"No, Fran, I'll carry her upstairs." Niles lifted the sleeping CC rather easily and carried her up the front stairs and into the big guest room. He'd already unpacked for her and put everything in its proper place. He had folded down the blankets earlier so he laid her in the bed and removed her shoes and covered her with the blankets.
When he turned to leave he heard her whisper, "Good night, Niles."
"Good night, Miss Babcock." Niles smiled and closed the door behind him.
Several weeks had passed since the unfortunate incident that put CC in the poor house as she described it. Niles still did most of his work himself at the mansion. They did actually hire a cleaning lady to do the messier tasks. Niles told her just what she was to do, no more no less.
CC was getting used to being more frugal with her money and didn't seem to even mind that much. She never realized how little she truly required. She and Fran had started building a friendship and the playful banter continued between her and Niles. It took a different bend, but for the most part remained as it had always been. Then Niles got a call from his parents and he was needed at home.
"I hate leaving you on such short notice, Sir, but…" Niles tried to apologize for the tenth time as he was slipping on his coat at the front door.
Max shook his head and finally cut him off. "Niles, stop. They're your parents. They called and said they need you. There is no reason to apologize. Now please, go before you miss your plane. We'll be fine. Take care of your family and we'll see you when you come home."
"Home is where the heart is, Niles." Fran winked at him and gave him a hug.
CC laughed. "That's right, Hazel, you be safe." CC gave Niles a little wink.
"Fran, please tell the children I said goodbye, I hate that I'm leaving without seeing them." Niles frowned. "I could take a later flight; wait until they get home from school."
Fran nearly shoved him out the door. "Geez, Niles, ya saw 'em this morning. I'll tell 'em ya got called away. Now, go. We're all lookin' forward to missin' ya."
"Alright, alright, I'm going. I'll be back as soon as I take care of this family emergency, whatever that is." Niles looked at each of them once last time and left.
"I hope it's nothing serious." Fran whispered as the front door closed on her best friend.
CC stood and watched as Max wrapped his arm around Fran. "I'm sure it's not as bad as Joseph and Marie made it sound. They call and ask Niles to come home every year and he always makes some excuse why he can't. Any little 'emergency' and they use it for all it's worth."
"What excuses does he give for not going home to see his parents?" Fran asked shocked. "Are they terrible? Are they crazy?" Fran gasped. "Are they like MY parents?"
Max shook his head. "No, Joseph and Marie are absolutely lovely. They doted on Niles when he was a child, me too for that matter. They were the parents I'd always hoped I'd have. There must have been something keeping him here."
"Yeah…something or…someone." Fran whispered as Max left her in the den and went into the office.
CC still stood in the foyer and watched the front door where Niles had left. They'd become very close over the last few weeks. He'd helped her move all her things from her apartment and into his storage facility. He'd even spent a few evenings there with her sorting through what she really wanted and what she didn't. He showed her how to list the more valuable items on EBay or helped her take them to the right auction house. She helped him figure out what to do with his money. She helped him deal with the taxes that go along with a large windfall and the interest and dividends of the investments. As Max and Fran's relationship grew closer, so did Niles' and CC's. It wasn't by any grand, overt design, just two friends helping each other through a major change in their lives.
"Hey…CC!" Fran called finally pulling CC's attention from the front door. "Ya ok, there?"
CC joined Fran in the den. "Sorry, Fran, I was just thinking that's all."
"Ya gonna miss him?" Fran offered more as a statement than as a question. "It's ok, he's gonna miss you too."
"I'm sorry Fran." CC dropped as they sat on the sofa.
Fran frowned at her. "Why…whadya do?"
"I've been so terrible to you." CC divulged quietly.
Fran sat in shock. "Are ya kiddin' me? Ya been great! Ya been almost as good a friend lately as Niles, or Val."
"Sure, lately. But for years, I was just terrible. I didn't even try to be considerate." CC winked.
Fran nudged CC. "Hey, I forgave ya for that stuff a long time ago." "Are we gonna watch the soaps or what?"CC leaned back on the sofa and got lost in her thoughts and Fran flipped on the soaps.
CC had changed, admit it or not. Somehow she realized how badly she'd behaved when she was CC Babcock, wealthy socialite. She noticed that her 'friends', those sorority friends, the men she dated, when the money disappeared, so did they. Niles, Fran and Max, even Val and Fran's family, they rallied around her. Helped how they knew best, they loved her. They didn't treat her any differently. She was the same old CC to them. Niles had offered to 'help' her financially, given his new found wealth, knowing she'd refuse and worrying she'd be offended. She surprised him. She did refuse, but practically hugged the stuffing out of him just for the offer.
Niles was only gone for a few days when he called and Fran answered. "Sheffield residence." She waited. "Niles!" Fran turned her head slightly and yelled, "Niles is on the phone!"
People came into the den from everywhere. Grace and Brighton clomped down the front stairs. Val and Sylvia came in from the kitchen. Maggie was already sitting on the sofa and Max and CC came in from the office.
"When's he coming home?" CC found herself asking.
"When ya comin' home, Niles?" Fran asked into the phone. "Yeah, it was. I will I promise. Really? Yeah…we're all fine, we miss you. I tell ya Niles, all I did was yell that you were on the phone and people came running. The whole family is here. Is everyone there alright? Good, I'm glad. Ok, we'll see ya then. Be safe, Niles… What? Uhm…ok…hang on. CC, Niles wants to talk to ya."
CC tried to be casual about her approach to the phone. "Niles?"
"Ok everybody, disperse, let the woman talk in peace." Fran shooed everyone away.
CC looked around. "They're gone now. I'm ok. No, really, Niles. Fran keeps me company, well, most of the time. But really, I don't have to be entertained all the time. I still have work to do and spend most of my time just like I did before. Niles, you worry too much." CC found herself smiling. Is everyone there really alright?" CC looked around again. "I miss you, Niles." CC bit at her bottom lip. "I'll deny it most adamantly, I assure you." CC let loose a hearty laugh. "Ok, I'll see you then, take care of yourself." CC clicked off the phone and whispered. "I love you, Niles."
That night at the dinner table everyone was quite curious about something Fran told them Niles said on the phone. "I don't know anymore, I promise. All he said was that he's got a big surprise, but we'd have to wait a few months more." Fran looked at CC who was rather quiet. "Did he say anything to you, CC?"
"Not about any surprise. Just that he'd taken care of the family problem and that he gotten to see his family, all of them. They had a huge family reunion while he was there. He said he misses everyone and hopes that the 'staff' is taking good care of us." CC stifled her laugh…the others didn't.
"Won't he freak when he finds out that you've been cooking all the meals!" Brighton laughed loudly.
Grace chimed in. "I think he'll be really proud of you Miss Bab…" Grace caught herself. "Aunt CC"
"Do you really think so, Gracie?" CC asked. "Thanks, I do my best, but it's nothing like Niles' cooking."
Fran laughed. "I think he's going to be more surprised by you kids calling CC Babcock, 'Aunt CC'."
"Or her getting all our names right, all the time." Maggie added.
CC sighed. "I've got to be honest. I've always known your names, how could I not? I was there when each of you were born. You're mother, was my very best friend." CC stood. "Ok, who's gonna help me clean up?"
"Uhm…Aunt CC I would, but I have a study date I need to get changed for." Maggie smiled. "Dinner was great."
CC turned to look at Brighton. "I know full well you don't have a study date, B, so what's your excuse?"
"Science project." Brighton smiled. "Really!"
"Get outta here." CC shooed him.
Grace stood and grabbed her and Maggie's plate. "I'll help Aunt CC."
"You were always my favorite, Grace." CC yelled loud enough for the other two departing children to hear.
"We heard that!" They called from the den.
Max stood and laughed lightly. "This is how I always imagined it would be when…"
"When what, Max?" Fran asked curiously, bringing CC and Grace's attention to Max as well.
Grace waited. "Well, Daddy?"
"Yeah, Max, what were you going to say?" CC grinned. He had a pretty good idea, but didn't dare speak it out loud.
"I just meant that this is how I imagined our family would be when…but…" Max bit the inside of his cheek. "I shouldn't say without Niles here. It wouldn't be fair." Max cleared his throat. "I'll be in the office if I'm needed." Max made a bee line for the door. He could hear the three he'd left behind laughing.
Grace, Fran and CC cleared the table and Grace went up to her room to do her homework leaving Fran and CC to finish up. "So, what do you think Max was going to say, Fran?" CC asked as she loaded the dishwasher.
"I think it was going to be something about the whole family being under the same roof, but since Niles isn't here…I don't know." Fran sat at the kitchen table. "What do you think?"
CC laughed. "I think it was going to be about you…all the way."
It was only a few more days and Niles was coming home. Everyone was waiting in the foyer for CC to open the front door so they could yell 'welcome home'. CC tossed open the front door and every yelled 'Welcome Home, Niles!'
A very travel weary Niles smiled at the sight of all his friends. "Thank you all. I missed you all very much."
"We all missed ya somethin' awful, Niles, some of us more than others." Fran winked at CC as she wrapped Niles in a hug.
Max clapped him on the back. "Welcome back, Old man. It's good to see you. Everyone fine at home?"
"Just fine, Sir." Niles answered.
The kids all hugged him and told Niles how much they missed him and how much they had to tell him about everything that's been going on. "I promise we'll each have a long dish session tomorrow. I'm just too tired really enjoy it now." Grace stretched up and whispered in Niles' ear. "Really? Miss Grace, you're not pulling my leg?"
"I'd never do that, Niles." Grace winked at him and he returned the gesture.
The rest of the guests took their turns greeting Niles and CC took his coat and hung it in the closet then took his suitcase and put it by the stairs to be taken up later. Then she brought him a mineral water with lime. And the look of shock on his face sent Val off in another direction leaving him to question CC about the drink.
"What's this?" Niles asked CC as she just looked at him.