A/N: OK, this chapter was a nightmare. There's a scene with like 6 people talking. At the same time. So for reference - BB is CC's mother, DD is CC's sister. Stewart is CC's father, and Noel is her brother. Man, do I hope that's right, because I felt a whole new kind of stupid typing out all those dumb initials. Please let me know what you think of this, it's all a bit of an experiment.
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For disclaimer see Chapter One.
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TWO
CC can't remember ever thinking this would be a good idea. A week with the family, all the family; her parents and siblings, his father. Everyone staying under the same roof - theirs. They've come together for the first time for the christening. CC might only go to church to attend funerals, but Niles had asked tentatively if their son could be christened, and she couldn't refuse him.
David's two months old and they're still getting used to him; alternating their sleeping patterns and carefully timing feedings like military strategists. CC's still holding him like he could break at any moment, still creeps into his room and leans into the crib to check his breathing. The Sheffield house hasn't been cleaned in days, and CC can't remember the name of the show they moved all this way to make. To say things have been slipping away from them would be putting it mildly.
Yet here everyone is, in glorious Technicolor. They've already had to replenish the alcohol twice. There's been screaming and shouting and the slamming of doors. Every time she begins to think she wouldn't have it any other way, CC checks herself, realising what complete and utter bull that is.
The ceremony itself goes smoothly; with Maxwell and his hair in the room to distract BB and DD they're walking on air. People have flown in from New York CC hadn't expected to ever give a damn about her, and she's shocked by how happy this makes her. It's at the meal after the christening that things begin to derail; there is wine thrown and someone tries to kiss one of the network suits in full view of his wife. Luckily CC and Niles have had a lot of practice at the groveling apology, and they do it well.
...
The week passes, slowly but surely. And when everyone settles into their routine of shouting and screaming and flamboyantly storming off to the beach, Niles and CC revert to their default state of blissful happiness, their greatest 'concern' becoming Niles' father's intrinsic need to tidy the house.
...
On the last day of their visit, Niles comes down from changing the baby to find his father folding the laundry.
'What are you doing?' Niles hisses. His father just looks at him.
'Folding.'
'You're a guest. Guests don't fold.' His father frowns. 'Go mingle or something.'
'Mingle with whom? Your psychotic father-in-law or the ex-wife who hates him?'
Niles laughs.
'Will you please just –'
Niles' father nods, putting down the sheets and turning to go.
'Niles,' he says, and Niles looks up at him.
'What is it?'
His father clears his throat, scratches his neck.
'You've done well here,' he says, 'the wife, the son, the house.' He looks away. 'You've done very well.'
Niles smiles.
'Thank you.'
...
They make it to dinner, though by this point someone's started supplying CC's mother with martinis. Niles has cooked chicken for them all, and serves it up himself. They sit in silence.
'So,' BB says, 'CC, when are you going back to work?'
'I don't know, there's no hurry.'
'What will Maxwell say?'
'We haven't discussed it.'
'Well don't you think you should?' BB sounds appalled.
'Not really.'
Niles steps in.
'Noel, how's the chicken?'
'Wonderful, thank you.' He pauses. 'Niles, where did you learn to cook?'
'I didn't.'
'Oh.'
'I sort of learned on the job.'
Niles glances up to meets CC's eye, but she's looking at her mother with a stern expression, challenging her to say something. Her sister snorts.
'Nice one Noel.'
'Will you shut up.'
'Oh I didn't realise I was –'
'That's quite enough.' Stewart says, and they are all quiet.
Stewart looks to CC, and they share a smile.
'Niles, how's the golf round here?' Noel asks.
'Golf?'
'Golf.' Stewart pauses. 'Do you golf?' Niles laughs.
'No.'
'Never mind.'
'Has Maxwell given you some time off?' Stewart asks Niles.
'No, not really, but we have an understanding.'
'Of course.'
CC warms at the sight of the men in her family engaging with Niles. Of course, her mother can't resist.
'Maxwell is such a nice man.'
'Mother,' Noel warns.
'I always liked men who golfed.' She mutters.
'Well you liked me,' Stewart says, 'and I never golfed.'
'I never liked you.'
'Course you did. Look around sweetie-pie, look at all these children; you liked me on at least three occasions.'
From the three youngest Babcocks come noises of disgust.
'Don't start, Stewart,' BB continues, 'God knows we don't need you making another one of your scenes.'
'My scenes? I'm the one always making the scenes?'
'Hey,' Niles says, though it has no effect, so he stands. 'Hey!' And this time he shouts it.
There is silence.
'Don't you remember where you are?' Niles continues. 'You might be accustomed to your seedy bars and your 5th Avenue nail parlours, but you're in my house now. Here, we don't yell.'
Looking up at Niles from the chair beside him, CC feels a great rush of gratitude, and finds herself excited for the day Niles teaches their son how to talk like that.
There's a collective exhale from the room when he throws his napkin on the table and rushes out.
...
DD puts up her hand.
'I call bull,' she says. 'I know CC, and she likes to yell.'
From the corner of her eye, CC sees Niles' father stand. Her arm shoots out to point at him.
'Don't you dare,' she says.
'I was just –'
'Sit down. Don't touch a thing.' She turns to her sister. 'DD, please collect the plates. Noel, for God's sake, please pour the wine.'
CC stands and moves to leave.
'See, this is why you need a butler,' DD says.
'For once we agree on something.' CC mumbles as she pushes open the door, 'a butler is exactly what I need.'
...
She finds Niles in the kitchen; stood at the stove, stirring a yellow sauce. CC walks behind him, slides her hand round his torso, links her fingers over his stomach. She kisses the back of his neck above the collar of his shirt and buries her face in his shoulder.
'Are you ok?'
'Your mother is completely toasted.'
'I know. I'm sorry.'
Niles chuckles.
'It isn't your fault. Who started giving her alcohol?'
'My father.'
Niles sighs.
'Why would he do that?'
'To make things more interesting.'
'That makes perfect sense; things were so boring before.'
She laughs.
'Is David asleep?' She says.
'Yes.'
'This feels wrong. Shouldn't one of us be sleeping too?' This time Niles laughs.
'I'll flip you for it.'
She glances down at the stove.
'What's cooking?' She says. He pauses.
'It's custard CC.'
He dips his finger in the custard and turns in her arms. He brandishes his finger towards her face and she jerks back. He smears it on her neck and she squeals.
'Niles!'
He leans forward and licks it off; as his tongue slides over her she cackles and the vibrations of her throat shoot straight down his spine. It ends in a kiss and Niles is delighted to find he's still thrilled to be able to do this, to be allowed all of a sudden to wrap her in his arms and render her speechless. He pulls back breathlessly, and there's a smile on his face she doesn't recognise.
'CC, I'm so excited,' he whispers.
'For what? Clearing up my mother's vomit in the morning?'
'For being able to do this with you for the rest of my life.'
He's flush against her, but still he feels too far away.
'Niles I love you.' He's grinning again.
'You do?' And she nods.
'I really really do.'
He kisses her, softly.
'Want to go back in?' He asks. She smiles.
'Absolutely not.'
She kisses him just once more, steps back and takes his hand to lead him from the room.