A/N: Thanks again to those of you who keep reviewing. As promised, Niles and C.C. meet again in this chapter. ;) Enjoy and R&R please! :)

Chapter 8:

While at first he had been discouraged and frustrated at his recent discoveries, Niles soon decided that it was time to stop whining and do something a little more active instead. He was too old-fashioned of a Brit to think that both their presence on Guadeloupe had anything to do with fate, but he did believe that he had been given another chance. So he spent some time pondering how to get in touch with her but in the end decided to take her by surprise. She wouldn't be pleased about a visit from him either way but arriving without a warning meant that she wouldn't have the time to make up excuses or to run away either. Secretly, he was hoping to interrupt one of her dates with the doctor as well.

What he didn't know was that C.C. had already moved on from him. She wasn't in the mood for dating or big romantic gestures. She finally had to have her needs met and when Doctor Clark had become too clingy she had spelled things out for him and they had parted ways. Since then she had been with a dentist, a lawyer and a surprisingly good Jet Ski instructor. All of them had lasted just one night, of course.

Waking up now with the weight of someone's arm wrapped around her waist she realised that she had forgotten her latest conquest. Timothy, or Todd something or other. It didn't really matter. His name was hardly required and she could get away with incoherent moaning most of the time. C.C. turned to face the sun that was shining in from the balcony and merely glanced at her companion. He was still fast asleep and she was glad. Once the deed was done there was hardly anything worth talking about. As thrilling as the previous night had been she felt fatigue settling into her bones. A little voice in her head warned her that maybe she was reverting a little bit too much to her old ways and she partially agreed. With all these guys around she hardly had a moment to herself and she felt less independent somehow. On the other hand the companionship was addictive. It wasn't so much an attachment that she felt towards the men but rather her need for validation that was constantly met. And it was structured, she was in charge. She only had to gesture and she could have her pick from any men she wanted and when she was tired or bored of them she could simply cast them aside. No commitment issues, no insecurities, no longer the butt of the joke. She glanced to her side a second time and decided that Todd had overstayed his welcome.

"Wake up," she nudged him, while letting her toes curl against the sheets.

His brown eyes found hers and for a moment he just seemed dazed, then he propped himself up on his elbow and gave her a dazzling smile.

"Morning, babe."

Yes, it was definitely time to get rid of that one.

"I'm going to have breakfast in a minute so you better leave."

His handsome face distorted in protest but C.C. wasn't paying attention. She slipped out of bed and firmly yanked the sheet from under him and used it to cover herself up.

"Damn…those rumours were right." He muttered and hurried to pick up his clothes that lay strewn all over the carpet.

"Of course," C.C. replied haughtily, tilting her chin higher before wandering off to the bathroom. She was certain that he'd be gone by the time she returned from her shower.

As much as she had hated the silence in the past few weeks, this morning she was happily embracing it. Her body seemed to be aching everywhere and the warm water could only do very little to make things better. As predicted, the bedroom was empty when she set foot in it again and so she took all the time she needed to dress for breakfast. It was late once more and she could only guess how many dishes the maid must've already prepared and then scrapped, having learned to only serve perfection. When she was finally dressed she headed downstairs, where she encountered her sister on the deck again.

"That one was cute," she said in greeting "where'd you pick him up?"

"Oh that party last night," C.C. shrugged "I don't remember the details."

"You know what that makes you, right?" D.D. challenged but C.C. merely grinned.

"Yes, the same thing it makes you."

"At least I am looking for my future husband. You don't even keep them around long enough to figure out if they'd be worth it."

C.C. let her talk while the maid brought out her breakfast. She gave a grateful nod to acknowledge her efforts but noticed that Martha was refusing to make eye contact. Choosing not to dwell on it, she reached for a croissant and turned her attention back to D.D.

"Oh stop talking," she raised her hand and rolled her eyes "you're looking for a husband as much as I am. If I remember correctly it was you who told me only a few days ago: "Use men for sex and sex alone. That's what they're good for." You just claim to look for a husband to make yourself look better, to appear more decent towards mommy."

At this she witnessed her sister shrinking away for the first time, rather than engaging her in an argument. Why though, C.C. wasn't sure. Perhaps she had hit a mark with her comment or perhaps Deirdre was hoping to find Mr Right, after all.

"You're just jealous because I can easily get more men than you." She muttered petulantly and shrank further into her reclining sun chair.

But C.C. ignored her again, determined not to let her spoil her breakfast. So they remained in silence until the sound of the bell startled them out of their thoughts. Deirdre only looked up when the maid appeared out on the deck a few minutes later.

"There's a man wanting to see Miss Babcock."

"Which one?" C.C. asked, her lips curling into an amused smile.

But before Martha had the chance to elaborate, D.D. had abandoned People magazine and risen to her feet.

"Me, of course!" she announced confidently and marched back into the house and to the front door.

Niles was hovering near the entrance to the Babcock's beach house, nervously adjusting his shirt so it didn't reveal too much of what he perceived to be excess fat. He had taken a huge gamble inviting himself. There was no other word for it. He had chartered a boat to take him to Fajou and the driver had left him there with blessings and well wishes, as if he was about to fight a dragon. A grin lit up his face for a second when he realised how oddly appropriate that sentiment was. Now he was stuck here and at Babcock's mercy, hoping that she would at least arrange for another boat should things not go too well between them. Otherwise he'd be stranded unless he fancied a swim back to Guadeloupe.

"Do I know you?" a voice startled him.

It had the same quality as C.C.'s but was a little bit less deep. He turned and flashed a smile that unbeknownst to him attracted the youngest Babcock almost instantly. "No, I'm afraid we don't. I'm Niles Brightmore and I was wondering if Miss Babcock…C.C. is around?"

Distaste coloured her face for an instant. "How do you know my sister, Niles?" she probed, licking her lips and shifting closer.

He squared his shoulders and inched back a little. "We worked for the same employer in New York," he then explained.

D.D. was smaller than her sister, both in height and in shape. But she had the same blue eyes and the same challenging, haughty air around her. Still she wasn't appealing to him in the slightest. She smelled as if she had been dunked into a bath of rose petals and the tightness of her outfit emphasised her body in all the wrong places. Too bony, too flat. He tore his eyes away from her but D.D. had already misinterpreted his lingering gaze.

"Mymy…you're that butler, aren't you?"

Although he didn't like her tone it did thrill him to hear that C.C. must've mentioned him. "Yes, I am." He nodded.

"I should've known…" she took yet another step closer and ran her hands over his chest "only working class men have these kind of muscles."

He blushed, more in embarrassment than anything else and gently pried her hands loose. "Thank you, Miss. But I am here to see C.C. So could you tell me if she's around? Otherwise I won't bother you any longer."

D.D. looked as if she had smelled something sour. "Yes, she's just having breakfast. Follow me," she then muttered and gestured for him "Though I don't know how much time she'll have. She's just kicked out another man and I'm sure she's ready to sink her claws into the next one."

Niles swallowed and felt his heart sink but refused to let it show. "In that case I won't take too much of her time."

D.D. stopped just in front of the doors that were leading to the deck. "Well, should you find yourself bored my room is on the second floor at the end of the corridor. And I'll be sure to make time for you." She winked and ran her hands over his chest again.

It was C.C.'s shocked face that broke through his discomfort this time and he managed to free himself before she had joined them.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," he replied and she nodded.

"Obviously. Who told you I was here? I swear to God Maxwell can't keep a single-"

"It wasn't him," Niles interrupted "he just told me that you had quit."

It didn't strike him as odd that she relaxed a little at that piece of information. Then her gaze flickered over to her sister. "Do you mind?"

Deirdre rolled her eyes and then trudged off towards the stairs.

"I was in the hospital when I heard your name being mentioned by one of the doctors," he continued to explain once they were alone.

"Hospital, mmh?" she asked, slipping past the patio doors and out onto the deck again to get some distance between them "Is that a habit of yours now or are you just getting closer to death?"

Her harsh words stung and he could feel a retort forming on his lips but forced himself to swallow it down. It was his own fault that she was more defensive than usual now.

"My heart needed another check-up," he said calmly but unable to meet her eyes at the same time.

"If you expect me to feel sorry for you now you can guess again." She snapped, her whole body tense because she had felt a certain amount of concern bubbling up "Last time I saw you, you didn't look too bad."

"I didn't, I wasn't-" he groaned and uttered a curse "damnit, Babcock, you don't have to feel anything for me." He paused again, grimacing at how awkward his words sounded. "What happened at the hospital was bad and I'm sorry. I woke up, I was disoriented and you were there cooing over me. I thought you were setting me up so I did what comes natural to us."

"Because God forbid I might be capable of feelings other than anger and bitterness," she retorted dryly, arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Well, it was unheard of up to that point." He joked, hoping to lighten up the situation but her posture only grew more rigid. "Babcock, I am sorry. Miss Fine told me everything, that you had been with me from the start and –"

"Stop talking about it!" her voice grew louder.

"I won't," he said and stepped closer "I appreciate it and I hate that I messed things up instantly. When I had my heart attack, when it happened, I was terrified but I was so glad that you were there with me. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else by my side." She squirmed a little but he was relieved to see that some of her anger had disappeared. "You don't have to quit because of me."

"Don't flatter yourself," C.C. scoffed "I have other reasons as well."

Now it was his turn to grimace, knowing that she could only be referring to Maxwell. "Well, he isn't worth it either."

For a moment there was nothing but silence between them while they eyed each other like battle-weary opponents.

"So how long are you here for?" C.C. finally asked.

"Indefinite," he shrugged "I came here to recover."

"More or less successfully," she pointed out dryly and he grinned.

"Granted, I may not have chosen the perfect destination."

"You have been prone to making many mistakes lately," she chuckled and he shot a glare in her direction.

"Just for that comment alone I'll drop by more often now to harass you."

"In that case I'll be sure to let D.D. deal with you. She seems so willing in anyway." C.C. replied.

"Well, be that as it may. She's not the Babcock I came here for." And finally a comfortable silence settled between them.