Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to any of the characters of 'The Nanny.'

A/N Pretty much my all time favorite TV couple. I know it's a long time coming, but I really wanted to finally get the story out on paper. Well, I guess it's not really paper, but you understand…

Am I Dreaming?

Chapter 7

Niles was just checking the front door before going up to bed when he thought he'd heard giggling. "Miss Margaret has been home from her date for hours." Niles thought to himself. So he carefully crept up and peeked over the sofa at the sleeping CC. "I don't think I've ever heard the witch giggle." Niles whispered to himself.

"OOhhhh…that tickles…you'd better stop." CC cooed.

Niles raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Oooooo she's having a sex dream." Niles frowned and thought, "I thought she stopped seeing Chandler?"

"Mmmmmm…oh yeah…that's it…don't stop…" CC moaned and Niles felt a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach. "Oh, God, yes…Niles…please." Niles' jaw dropped to the floor and his eyebrows shot to the ceiling.

He could feel his mouth moving but no sound came out… "She's having a sex dream about me?" Niles wasn't sure what he'd thought. "First the thing at the theatre now this…?"

"Mmmmmm…Niles…you smell so good, how do you do that?" CC sighed.

Niles shook his head and whispered, "Great, I didn't even have a dream and I'm going to need a cold shower." Niles carefully lifted CC off the sofa. "Let's go old girl. I'd better take you to bed." Niles whispered softly.

CC nuzzled into his neck. "That's right, Niles. Take me to bed or lose me forever." CC giggled again.

"No more 'Top Gun' for you, Missy." Niles continued up the front stairs.

The next morning Fran came down the back stairs after breakfast to find a singing Niles cleaning up the kitchen. "Hey, you! What's gotcha so happy today?"

"I'm always happy, Miss Fine." Niles tossed back. "And what are your plans for today?"

Fran still wasn't sure what was different about Niles, but she was going to find out. "Well, the kids all have plans with friends so I guess I'm on my own. I might call Val and go shopping."

Fran watched the man to see if he gave her any signs of the reason for his mood. "What are you gonna do today?"

"Well, now that the Man Beast is living here, she keeps Mr. Sheffield working non-stop on their new show. So, I doubt I'll get much time to myself…" Just then CC flung open the kitchen door and strode in. "Good morning, Miss Babcock, did you sleep well?" Niles smirked bringing an odd look from both CC and Fran.

"Niles, that's the third time you've asked me that this morning." CC snarked at him.

"Really? I am sorry. Will you and Mr. Sheffield be working all day, Miss Babcock?"

CC shrugged. "I don't know what Max has planned. I'm tired today, maybe I didn't sleep well. I had the strangest dream."

"Oh yeah?" Fran's interest peaked. "Strange how?"

CC it was about that movie, 'Top Gun'. I watched a little of it yesterday with Brad, Bobby...the boy."

"Hey, a dream about Tom Cruise can't be all bad." Fran smirked. "Whooowheee!"

Niles and CC both frowned. "It wasn't about Tom Cruise. I don't actually like him that much."

"Well, Anthony Edwards isn't bad either, less hair, but still not bad." Fran responded.

CC shook her head. "Nope…wasn't him either." CC turned to the fridge. "I uh…I can't remember who it was. But it was…oh my God." CC froze realizing what she'd just admitted and who she admitted it in front of. "I think I'm going to go take a nap." CC grabbed a bottle of water and went up the back steps.

Fran looked at Niles who didn't seem to be a little disappointed. "Whatsa matta, Niles?"

"Hmmm? I'm just thinking I should go and change. It's my day off and if the Man Beast can take a nap then I'm not wearing my works clothes if I don't have to." Niles went to his room to change. "Fran is going shopping, the children will be out all day, Max is working and Miss Babcock is resting. Niles gets the TV!"


CC strolls down the front stairs dressed casually in a pale pink t-shirt and jeans. She hears the TV and walks over to find Niles sleeping on the sofa. She moves around the sofa and clicks off the TV.

Niles shifted on the sofa. "What are you doing?"

CC turns to answer and see's that Niles is still sleeping. "He's dreaming…again. I hope it's pleasant this time."

"You felt inspired at 2:00 am?" Niles laughed lightly.

CC clicks the TV back on to check the movie, after a few minutes she smiles. "Ghost." CC smiles and turns the TV off again and heads into the office.

Later that night, Niles heads down the back stairs to the kitchen to get a snack. What he sees stops him dead in his tracks. "What are you doing?"

CC is standing at the counter with a mixing bowl and her hands covered in something. "I felt inspired."

Niles frowned and stepped a little closer. "At midnight?"

CC nodded. "I felt like cinnamon rolls and I haven't made them in a while."

Niles couldn't understand why kneading dough seemed suddenly so erotic to him. "You're going to make them tough if you do it that way."

"Then show me." CC dares.

Niles doesn't know what he's supposed to do. "Do I ask her to move, do I just jump in? Why does this all seem strangely familiar?" His thoughts run rampant. Niles steps up behind CC and puts his hands on top of hers in the big bowl of dough. "Like this."

CC feels the warmth of Niles' body against her back. She's standing at the counter in her bare feet and he's just tall enough to lean over her shoulder and she can feel his breath on her neck. "What are you doing?" CC whispers.

"I feel inspired." Niles lightly growls as his strong hands show her how to gently fold the dough over onto itself until it's a firm ball of dough in her hands. Niles' breathing is getting rough and shallow, and he swallows hard. "See? Simple." He tries to pull his hands away but CC holds on for a moment.

CC turns in his arms and their eyes lock. "Thank you." CC whispers harshly. Niles opens his mouth to speak and finds her lips on his and her tongue softly stroking his bringing a deep seeping moan from him. Ever mindful of his messy hands he keeps them from her practically floating around her. She pulled back and whispered again, "Sweet dreams, Niles." And she was gone.

Niles opened his eyes thinking it must have been another dream. He found himself standing in his kitchen and there was a bowl of dough on the counter. "I don't know what the hell just happened, but I hope it happens again." He sighed heavily, covered the bowl with a towel and put in on the stove to rise until morning. Then turned and went up to bed.

In the morning Niles alarm didn't go off. "Shit!" He practically leapt out of his bed when he realized the family should have had breakfast over an hour ago. He tossed on his robe and flew down the stairs. Fran was sitting at the kitchen table with the Sunday fashion section. "Morning, Niles. Do you believe some of the clothes people are wearing?"

"Miss Fine, what did everyone have for breakfast?" Niles head turned to the stove and there was no covered bowl of dough. He thought to himself. "I guess it was all just another dream."

"Miss Babcock made us cinnamon rolls and coffee. The kids were all still at friends so no need to wake you." Fran went to get the plate of rolls out of the fridge for Niles. "I can't tell you how surprised we were when they were more than edible. I think that you must be rubbing off on her."

Niles looked at her in shock. "What?"

Fran frowned. "I said I think you're rubbing off on her. She's in here all the time, Niles. I guess she must've learned something." Fran was a little worried about her friend. "Niles, you look a little pale, have a cinnamon roll and go back to bed."

Niles head was reeling. "Am I dreaming?" Niles whispered to no one. Then he felt the firm pinch on his rear and he shot forward a step.

"I thought I'd pinch you to see if you were dreaming." CC's soft voice whispered past his ear. Niles eyes betrayed him and fluttered closed. CC leaned in very close. "You're not dreaming." Niles felt a light kiss on his cheek. He opened his eyes and watched as CC walked out of the kitchen.

"I really need a long, cold shower." Niles turned and slowly returned to his room.

Niles took his cold shower and realized he had in fact been awake. "Well, that definitely puts a new spin on things." It was Sunday, so Niles had the day off. He slipped into a well fitting pair of jeans and a knit sweater and stepped into his favorite loafers.

When Niles got down to the kitchen it was empty and tidy. He decided to go looking for the family. Fran told him that the children were still at friends. CC was probably in the office with Max and Fran, if she was home is either in the office on Max's desk or in front of the TV. A cursory search of the dining room and den found no sign of anyone. Niles decided to see if anyone was planning dinner at home. He was here so he could whip something up. Niles went into the office. Empty again. "Where the hell is everyone?" He asked himself.

CC stepped into the office. "Max took Fran to an afternoon movie then dinner. I thought it sounded like fun, but I didn't want to be a third wheel."

"Where were you when I came in from the kitchen?" Niles asked politely.

CC smiled. "Can I interest you in a movie?" She lifted up a video. "I'll get it cued up and you go make some popcorn."

Niles eye's narrowed a little suspiciously. "What movie did you get?"

CC blushes a little. "It's a Sunday, Niles. The selection was pretty slim."

"Come on, let me see it." Niles takes the video. "The Princess Bride?" Niles looks at CC and smiles softly. "I've always wanted to see that movie." Niles handed the video back to CC and went to make the popcorn.

After the movie Niles stood and stretched his arms a bit. "Well, that wasn't bad, Babs. Next time though, I get to choose." Niles smirked as he stood and turned off the TV.

CC scoffed. "Yeah…like there will ever be a next time." CC stood and started up to her room. "Night, Niles." "Why do I have to do that?" CC thought as she slipped out of her clothes and into her satin nightgown. She carefully slipped beneath the covers and dropped off to sleep.

"Why does she have to do that?" Niles sighed lightly and headed to bed. He peeled out of his clothes not bothering with pajamas and climbed into bed in just his boxers and t-shirt. He was asleep before he could pull up the blankets.


That night…

Niles walked out of the barn and looked down at himself. "Why am I dressed like this?"

He looks up and sees CC walk around the corner of the barn in a flowing cream colored dress holding the reins of a handsome black stallion. "Farm boy. Polish my horse's saddle. I want to see my face shining in it by morning." "Why did I call him farm boy and where did that horse come from?" CC thought to herself.

Niles thought to himself, "Just look at the horse if you want to see what your reflection." But all that came out was, "As you wish." "What the hell was that?"

What must be a few days later, Niles is outside the same barn. "Don't I have anything else to wear?" Niles thought noticing his clothes as he continued chopping wood.

CC walks up and drops two large buckets at his feet. "Farm boy," "Again with the farm boy?" "Fill these with water…please."

Niles looks up from his work. "Fill them yourself I'm chopping here." Niles' thoughts scream. "As you wish."

CC leaves but Niles' eyes stay on her. She stops and turns but he manages to look away as now her eyes stay on him.

Like a voice over in their heads Niles and CC hear. "It was that day they were amazed to realize, when he said 'As you wish' what he was really saying was 'I love you.'

"What?" Niles and CC both thought, though neither could say out loud.

Later that day in the barn, CC pointed to a pitcher she could easily reach herself. "Farm boy, fetch me that pitcher." CC frowned and thought, "I can reach that pitcher, what am I doing?"

Niles gets the pitcher and hands it to her. They are standing very close and gazing into each other's eyes. "As you wish."

CC looks into his deep blue eyes and her thoughts race. "I don't know what in hell is going on, but I have to…" She never finished the thought her lips were on his and her hands had found their way around his neck.

Niles' thoughts were running madly through his head. "My God she's beautiful. What is going on? I have no clue where I am but I have no desire to leave." His hands were resting gently on her waist and he breathed her in.

When they broke the kiss CC looked into Niles' eyes. "What's happening to us, Niles?"

"I don't know, Babs, but it seems strangely familiar." Niles answered.

CC tilted her head as Niles seemed to be moving away. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know." Niles reached out for her.

CC reached back for him. "What if I never see you again?"

"Of course you will, silly woman." Niles smirked.

CC called as Niles seemed so far away now. "But how can you be sure?"

"This is true love. You think this happens every day?" Niles smiled at her and she too felt reassured.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep… Niles and CC, each in their own, room popped up in bed. "What in the hell was that?"