Author's Note: Welp... we've made it to chapter 12, folks. As always, thank you so much for tuning in to read this story. There is more canon content, so please let me know if I've done the show justice! Even though there isn't a lot of recognition here, my writing is very near and dear to me, and to receive the traffic that I get is all I could ever ask for. As always, please feel free to review this story, bookmark it, favorite it, or leave me a message! I would love to interact with all of my readers out there!
Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own Fran Drescher and Peter Marc Jacobson's show. I just own the Babcock baby. Also, speaking of the Babcock baby, I don't own the songs she covers and neither does she.
West Side Story was quite the experience for every one of those who were involved with the production. Some of the cast and crew gained good memories, some of them didn't have good memories. Of course, everyone's opinion about the show was different. The critics had many reviews, mostly mixed. It was difficult to tell whether the show was incredible or if it was once again, mediocre. Ticket sales were doing quite well for the first few weeks of the show, however, sales started to die down after many other productions opened up on Broadway. It was safe to say that West Side Story wasn't getting as much attention as everyone thought. Unfortunately after only a three month run, West Side Story finally closed.
The final night of the show was bittersweet. There wasn't really a closing night that highlighted the special moments that had happened during the run of it due to the fact that the show closed earlier than expected. As a result of this, the cast and crew of the show were facing distress now that there was a large void left of their lives. However, in Sabrina's case, this finally meant spending more time with her mother was now something that she could do every day when possible. Of course, she knew that CC was going to be working, but she was definitely still going to be around for her. Sabrina sat in her room and began to play some keys on her piano. This was one of the days where she felt like playing spontaneously. It was what she did to calm her nerves down. As she started to play the keys, she found herself singing one of her favorite songs:
"Oh thinkin' about all our younger years
There was only you and me
We were young and wild and free.."
Of course, now CC was drawn to her daughter's music and voice. She walked from the living room and stood beside the door. She was in a particularly off mood to start off the day with. The day prior, she had been invited to the Sheffield's house, because Maxwell was planning to propose to Fran. That was the last thing she needed to hear in her life, especially when she and Maxwell still had unfinished business to take care of. He was on the brink of engagement, and she was on the brink of insanity. The only thing that was keeping CC sane and on her toes was her daughter. Without her, she probably would've been on the edge towards depression. Luckily, nothing major had happened between Maxwell and his nanny yet, so engagement was a thing out of the question. All of her worries about the previous night had drifted away listening to her daughter play the piano. Out of nowhere, CC felt the urge to do something she never thought she'd bring herself to do at random: sing.
"Now nothing can take you away from me
We've been down that road before
But that's over now.."
Sabrina's eyes widened hearing her mother sing. She never thought in a million years that her own mother had just as beautiful of a voice as she did. Even though she was in a state of shock, she continued to play the piano wanting to hear more of her mother's singing voice. She smiled widely and then joined in harmony for the line:
"You keep me comin' back for more.."
Sabrina motioned to CC to join her at her small music studio. The fact that she heard such a soft and angelic voice from her mother made her instantly think that she got her singing talents from her. The grin on her face had gotten wider seeing CC slowly make her way towards her. "Sing it, Mama!" she called out to her continuing to play the music. She couldn't wait to hear more of CC's voice. It was truly a surprise for her.
"Baby you're all that I want
When you're lying here in my arms
I'm finding it hard to believe
We're in heaven.."
After just hearing her mother sing, Sabrina joined in with harmonizing the last stanza of the chorus.
"And love is all that I need
And I found it there in your heart
It isn't too hard to see
We're in heaven.."
Even though she was concentrated on her music, Sabrina was still astonished that the beautiful voice she had just heard came from her mother. It was probably a rare occasion where CC sang, and Sabrina could understand that. She had always thought her mother was more reserved than her, hence why she was a producer and not a performer. "Wow, Mom! That was amazing," she chimed beaming at how talented her mother was.
"Oh, honey. It was nothing. I'm not that good of a singer," CC replied trying to shrug her singing off. She didn't typically like to sing in front of people, but since she was around Sabrina, she felt comfortable. She didn't feel as if her daughter would judge her regardless.
"No, it was so good!" the teenager chimed again. "I didn't know you could sing like that... actually, I didn't know you could sing at all!"
"I typically like to keep any hidden talents to myself," CC said back. "There's a reason why I'm a producer. I'd rather stay on the sidelines of any performance rather than be a performer. It's just not for me.. I'd rather leave the performing to my baby."
"Aww," Sabrina gushed as she leaned her head on her mother's shoulder before kissing her cheek. "Well technically, since the show ended so soon, I'm unofficially retired now. So.. the only performing I'll ever do is small gigs that cost 10 grand per hour."
CC sighed heavily hearing that come from her daughter. She wished that wouldn't have been brought up. West Side Story was majorly publicized on Broadway and was expected to be a big hit, but after Sabrina announced her retirement, ticket sales plummeted. "Don't remind me that the show's over," the older woman grumbled as she got up from the bench and started to walk out of her daughter's room. "I've got a ton of problems of my own, and I don't need to be consistently shown that West Side Story is cancelled."
Sabrina noticed her demeanor change quickly and followed her mother out of her room. "Hey.. what's the matter?" she asked her with concern. "What happened?"
CC went to grab the newspaper that was sitting atop of her table. "I got the displeasure of receiving this morning's paper. Guess who was on the front cover?" She quickly opened the paper to show her daughter that she was on the front cover with the headline, 'Sabrina Taylor Cancels Own Broadway Show with Retirement Announcement.'
Sabrina looked over the newspaper and then rolled her eyes. "What is it with the tabloids? They always switch the story around and put words in my mouth," she grumbled setting the paper back down on the table. "My announcement was never meant to close the show. You know that!"
"Of course I know that, honey, but the journalists don't give a shit about anybody's feelings. They want to publish anything they want to hear or see, not the truth," CC informed her. She picked up the newspaper once again and then wrapped an arm around her distraught daughter. "Oh come on. You can't possibly believe this headline, right?"
"I don't want to believe it," Sabrina mumbled before looking over at her mother. "But... a part of me feels like it is true." She paused thinking about the people she had potentially hurt when she announced her unofficial retirement, especially her mother's business partner. He was particularly unhappy with Sabrina's choice of words during her interview on opening night. "I feel like I let a lot of people down with my decision."
"Hey. What did I tell you before your interviews?" CC asked. She stepped in front of Sabrina and placed her hands on her shoulders. "I told you that you could say whatever you wanted. You didn't have to feel pressured to answer what other people wanted to hear.. only what you wanted to say from your heart." Sabrina bit her lip remembering what CC had told her weeks ago. "Do you not remember that?"
Sabrina let out a shaky deep breath. "I remember.." she muttered.
"And when you did talk about retiring, did I ever berate you or put you down?" CC asked her again, receiving a silent head shake from Sabrina. "So guess what? You didn't let me down, baby. Sure there were some people that were disappointed with your response, but who gives a damn about what they say? What matters is what you think and feel for yourself." She poked her daughter's chest where her heart was making sure that Sabrina understood.
Sabrina spread a soft grin on her face and rolled her eyes playfully. "Stop being right for once.." she spoke quietly hoping that her mother wouldn't hear.
"You need to admit one day that your mother is always going to be right," CC said confidently with a chuckle and pulled her daughter in for a hug. Sabrina couldn't help but chuckle back and closed her eyes in her mother's embrace. This was always the best feeling for her. She couldn't imagine losing this feeling any time soon. After a moment of being wrapped up together, CC kissed her daughter's cheek and let go of her embrace. She took the newspaper and her cup of tea. "Now I really wish I could stay, but I have to get to work soon. Maxwell wants to discuss mounting a new musical.. although I doubt that will ever happen. He's probably immersed in his own thoughts and feelings."
"Why do you think so?" Sabrina asked curiously as she watched her mother carefully step into her pink slippers that were by the coffee table.
"Well, you weren't there yesterday at the house, but Maxwell was planning on proposing to Nanny Fine. Can you believe that man?" CC asked her huffing at the thought of it. "I never thought I'd see the day where a smart and sophisticated man such as him would want to marry that trashy, lowlife... trollop."
The teenager's eyes went wide. Hearing that Mr. Sheffield wanted to marry his own nanny almost made her gag. Of course, this seemed like any other cliché with rich men hiring nannies who were too promiscuous, and Nanny Fine was no exception. "Oh my god," Sabrina said in shock and disgust. "He really wanted to stoop that low?"
"Take it from me, baby. There are a lot of men like Maxwell out there who have done that and then some," CC replied as she sat on the couch and patted a spot next to her so Sabrina could sit down. "Although, I'm not sure if they're even engaged or not. They didn't return home until late, so I just assumed Maxwell had cold feet, and I started packing up her stuff so she could move back in with her mother!" CC let out a laugh before she heard the doorbell ring. Both Babcock women furrowed their eyebrows wondering who was at the door. CC motioned for Sabrina to stay put while she walked over to her front door holding her newspaper and tea mug in her hands. She opened the door and was a bit shocked to find two singing tap-dancing telegrams at her door. The two men started to sing:
"Fran and Maxwell are engaged, and it looks like you're a loser!
She'll be happy all her days, and you'll become a boozer!"
CC's jaw dropped hearing the two men sing those words. She couldn't possibly believe something like this would happen. Although, how would they have known where to go and what to sing? Somebody must've set them up to do this. She felt her left eye twitch in irritation as she froze watching them dance away from her door. Before she could close the door, the two men were back once again and started to sing:
"Fran and Maxwell are en-"
Before they could sing another word, CC yelled, "SHUT UP!" She then hurled herself over at them and proceeded to put them in their place. Sabrina could hear the commotion coming from outside the front door and she slowly stood up looking over to see what was going on. Before she could get a glimpse of anything, she watched her mother come back with one of the dancer's top hats ripped open. "Don't you ever come back here again!" she screamed at them once more before slamming the door.
"Holy shit.." Sabrina spoke quietly. "What the hell just happened?" She had no idea what to react to seeing as her mother angrily stepped out of her slippers and went to get her dress shoes and long beige trench coat.
"That good for nothing butler sent those pests over," CC said as she quickly put on her coat. "I'm going to go to Maxwell's house and put that piece of shit in his place just like I did with them!" CC began to walk over to the door before she stopped herself. She didn't hear or see her daughter join her, so she turned around and inquired, "Well are you going to come with me or not?"
"See, Mom.. I'd love to join you on your little escapade," Sabrina started out nervously as she fidgeted with her fingers. "But.. I have an obligation of my own happening soon. I have a date!" She chimed at the last part excitedly.
CC looked at her daughter in disbelief. "You have a date? With who? You barely knew anyone in the cast, let alone anyone outside of the cast," she pointed out.
"I know! I'm going out with Dominic today," Sabrina chimed as she walked over to her. "Oh my god, Mom, I can't wait to see him! Can you believe that he and I despised each other so much when we first met? Like.. we hated each other's guts. I'd insult him, and then he'd insult me. I'm pretty sure the daily banter was a form of flirting." Sabrina couldn't help but laugh at the thought of her and Dominic's relationship progressing. "Now look where we are. After one small make out session, he's instantly changed his opinion about me. I'm almost certain he's already fallen in love."
Hearing that made CC's stomach turn into knots. She was hoping she wasn't living a parallel life from her daughter as far as her own love life went. What if the same thing were to happen with her and Niles? They had their own make out session two years ago, and still nothing had happened between them romantically. Her daughter's little story about her and Dominic sounded a lot like how her and Niles' relationship was, minus the falling in love. After a moment of thinking about those possibilities and cringing at every single one of them, she finally managed to reply. "Okay, honey... have fun," she replied weakly. "Just so you know, your curfew is 10pm, unless I call you... and if he touches you, he's dead meat."
About a few minutes later, CC had already arrived at the Sheffield house holding the ripped top hat from one of the singing tap dancers. She was already annoyed with Maxwell getting engaged to that yenta, but her annoyance only escalated seeing the dancers at her door that Niles had sent over. CC stood at the doorway and rang the bell awaiting the stupid butler (or anyone of that matter) to answer the door. As she waited, she heard a muffled cheer from Niles on the inside, "It is Miss Babcock! It is!"
CC huffed as Niles opened the door for her and stepped inside holding the top hat in her right hand and her clutch purse in her left. "Their next gig will be tapping on your grave," she emphasized to Niles as she pressed the ripped top hat to the butler's chest. Once he grabbed it, Niles couldn't help but laugh to himself. His own idea of breaking the big news to CC had clearly paid off for him. She was upset, and his mission was accomplished. CC noticed that the smug grin never left his face, so she inquired, "What are you so happy about? Hoover introduced its spring line?" She couldn't help but laugh to herself at her own quip that she made.
"No, I'm just happy about Miss Fine's engagement," Niles answered honestly and happily. Of course, Nanny Fine, Sylvia, and the children were all in the room, so it was clear that everyone was excited about this occasion. However, CC had no idea that Maxwell had actually proposed to her, so it was Niles' mission to get her raw reaction to this moment.
"They ain't married yet. I haven't seen a ring.." CC was about to continue her statement until Niles quickly took her hand.
"Well then CC Babcock, come on down!" Niles chimed as he led the blonde socialite to the foyer where Fran giddily flashed her new diamond engagement ring to her. The big-haired yenta had the biggest grin on her face as her own mission was to rub this in Miss Babcock's face as much as possible. Seeing the ring, CC gasped and nearly choked on her own breath. She couldn't believe the sight that was in front of her. After all of these years of putting up with this woman's antics, she realized that she would have to put up with her for the rest of her working life until she retired from show business. She couldn't even understand what Maxwell saw in Nanny Fine. Most of the time, she'd have him driving up the walls. It was slowly coming to her that CC was losing on her own mission, and she needed to accept it or do something about it.
Taking a glance at the ring again, she felt herself twitch out of anger. "Well... it's beautiful," she replied twitching her head towards her left side. She felt like throwing a fit, but knew she needed to keep her composure in front of the family. She slowly let go of Fran's hand and clutched onto her small purse as she turned away from her. "I have to get back to work.." she muttered as she started twitching again. Niles noticed this and wrapped an arm around her guiding her to the kitchen so she wouldn't go insane.
Once the two got in the kitchen, Niles eagerly took CC's coat for her. This time he could understand why CC was upset. Maxwell was now engaged, and her plans to talk to him were slowly going down the drain now that he was nearing his second marriage. Since nobody else was around them, Niles decided to show some respect for her. "Miss Babcock, I can understand why you're so upset, but you must know that they are happy with each other," Niles said as he walked over to the counter to prepare her a sandwich for lunch.
"I cannot believe Maxwell actually had the decency to propose to her," the blonde producer muttered to herself fidgeting with her fingers. She sat at the table nervously thinking about how she was going to approach him with this. She knew she had to do it eventually, but time was clearly ticking on her end.
"Isn't it wonderful? I haven't seen Mr. Sheffield this happy ever since Miss Grace was born," Niles said as he was finished preparing her sandwich. He then slid something under it before he brought the sandwich to her on a small plate. "Considering your demeanor, I can imagine you may be quite starved." CC looked up at him wanting to thank him, but she was afraid he had more tricks up his sleeve. Niles smirked and then turned to walk away from her back to the foyer where Maxwell and Fran were talking. CC sighed and looked down at her sandwich before she gingerly picked it up with both of her hands. Before she was about to take a bite of it, she noticed an invitation for Maxwell and Fran to the Clarington's dinner party, an event that would acknowledge Fran as Maxwell's fiancée for the first time publicly. "NO!" she screamed loudly dropping her sandwich on her plate.
She couldn't believe what Niles had done to her. For the past few weeks, she trusted him with her personal and private life. She trusted him with her own daughter, and now that he was pulling these pranks on her again, CC was seriously considering on taking away those privileges in trust that he had with her. He knew that CC was struggling with a private matter with Maxwell, and for him to pull these pranks on her was extremely disrespectful on his part. Not only was it disrespectful to her, but it was even more disrespectful to her daughter, who had yet to hear the news. After a moment to herself, Niles returned to the kitchen beaming. Before he could get another word out, CC threw the sandwich directly at his face. "How could you do this to me!?" she angrily retorted.
"What? I had to find out some way to break the news to you," Niles stated innocently as he tried to brush the sandwich and the condiments off of his suit. He wasn't thinking about what CC had on her mind, but more so of torturing her with this engagement. The man she had been pursuing for years was unofficially taken.
CC found herself clenching both of her hands into fists. "That's not what I'm upset about, Toilet Brush!" she shouted before she moved in on him closer so nobody else could hear their conversation. "You know damn well why I'm upset! This isn't about my own advances to Maxwell anymore; this is about my daughter wanting to know who her father is!"
It was then that Niles understood CC's frustration. A wave of guilt had immediately washed over him due to the pranks he had pulled on her. He could see tears pool in the socialite's eyes from the hurt and anger she was feeling. "Miss Babcock.." he tried to speak, but she was quick to interrupt him.
"I cannot believe I trusted you enough with the bombshell that I dropped on you," she huffed trying to wipe a tear quickly that rolled down her cheek. "Now that Maxwell's taken, I don't have enough time to reunite the family that I wanted since she was born.. I don't have enough time for my daughter to get to know her own father.. I don't have enough time to get everyone else to notice that this is more important to me than anything else in the world.." She turned away from Niles not wanting to cry in front of him. "How could you be so insensitive?"
Niles felt even more guilty seeing her react to all of this. What were supposed to be innocent pranks had clearly crossed the line for CC. He was the only one that knew the entirety of her secret, and this was how he repaid her. He truly did care for this woman and her daughter, and he would've never had done any of those pranks had he known what was on her mind in that moment. "Miss Babcock, please. I'm.. very sorry for this," he practically pleaded. "I - I know how much you're struggling with this matter.."
"Just save it, Jeeves. You have no idea what life is like for me now." CC weakly sat back down at the table grabbing a tissue to dab her eyes. "Keep in mind that I am a struggling single mother, Niles. I go to work every day and leave Sabrina so I can try to provide for her as much as possible. I know that I have help with the food, shelter, and money, but I'm struggling more with keeping her happy." She grabbed her clutch purse and opened it up looking at some of the polaroid pictures she and Sabrina had taken. "I'm not sure if she's still angry with me... keeping our family a secret... keeping her father a secret... sometimes I question if she really does love me. I just.. I feel so bad forcing her to keep our relationship a secret."
Niles took a deep breath and went to sit next to her in the other chair of the kitchen. He placed his hand on her back softly. "Well.. I can assure you of one thing: Miss Sabrina absolutely loves you. Whenever she talks to me, she takes a moment to mention how great you are as her mother. There's never a moment that passes by where she doesn't mention you.. in fact it does get quite irritating," Niles playfully responded. "In all seriousness, I've never seen someone be so passionate about how her mother is her best friend."
CC listened to the last few words that he stated. Those few words about her being Sabrina's best friend really took a shot to her heart. Even though she wasn't being 100% truthful with Sabrina, she saw that her baby loved her unconditionally. Even Sabrina herself had proved that time after time, and CC had failed to notice that. "That's... the sweetest thing I've ever heard.." CC muttered to herself smiling softly. "Are you sure she doesn't hate me?"
"Oh god, no," Niles replied reassuringly. "Let me tell you something that I've already told your daughter: before you two found out your biological bond, you both had the same cruel, dark, cold, and narcissistic personality. Didn't have a care for anyone else but themselves. Within days, moments.. you both have completely changed each other's lives. It seems as if she's taught you how to become a better person.. and how to love. As far as I'm concerned, she's never had a hateful bone in her body towards you." He gave CC a moment to process the information that he had just provided her. "She's a wonderful girl, Miss Babcock. Sure we may have had our differences in the beginning, but she's really grown on me. You on the other hand just don't know how lucky you are."
"Do you really mean that?" CC asked him with concern in her voice and eyes. She was hoping to God that this wasn't another prank, but it seemed as if this conversation was as serious as they come. She needed exact confirmation from him in order to believe his words.
"Absolutely," he replied. She asked for verbal confirmation, and he easily gave it to her. Eventually, the two absent-mindedly moved their hands towards each other's. Soon enough they found themselves softly grasping each other's hands on the table. Neither of them paid attention to what was happening with that since their conversation had gotten so deep.
"Niles.." CC finally found her words after a long pause. "I can't believe I'm saying this.. and don't use this against me.." She really was taking a risk here, but it was well worth it, considering the environment she was in with her supposed archenemy. "..but, I wish you were Sabrina's father. You care for her so much, and she just.. loves to spend time with you.. life would just be so much easier."
He was quite astounded to hear that come from CC's mouth. This was something he never thought he'd hear from her. She wished that he was the father of her child? That thought would've never occurred to him five years prior to this moment. Niles was truly at a loss of words, but at the same time found that so endearing. He did care for Sabrina greatly and cherished the moments he spent with her, but this was much different. "I.." he couldn't form a complete sentence. "I don't know what to say.." At this point, their hands still hadn't withdrawn from one another.
"You don't have to say anything, Niles," she reassured him with a soft smile. It was then that they were speaking to each other silently, with their eyes. CC had always believed that the eyes were the windows to one's soul. She could see through his own blue eyes that they had mutually agreed and had lost their sense of time in their own gazes. It took a long moment before CC realized what she was doing. She felt her hand grasp the butler's hand and then snapped back to reality. The thoughts of her daughter's new relationship had sparked back in her head. Surely this was a moment that was proving to her that they did live parallel lives in a way. In order to break that belief, CC immediately let go of his hand and stammered, "I... I should go back to the office. Maxwell needs me." She got up from the table and then walked away towards the office leaving Niles alone at the kitchen. The both of them had realized what had just gone on in the kitchen and took a couple more minutes to recuperate before they went back to their usual routines.
The night had started to form, and Sabrina and Dominic were still together. They had decided to go out to Central Park as a part of their date. Since the night was quiet and peaceful, this was the perfect place to get away. Plus, it easily saved them the trouble of running into fans. That was the last thing they needed if they were to - heaven forbid - get caught together. Walking alongside each other hand in hand, Sabrina marveled in awe at how nicely decorated the park was at night. It seemed as if this was the perfect romantic getaway for couples like them. "Isn't life strange?" she asked Dominic as they were walking. "Almost four months ago, the only thought I had in my mind of you was pummeling you to a pulp onstage."
Dominic couldn't help but laugh at that thought. He and Sabrina really had a lot in common despite how much they hated each other in the beginning. "Yeah? That was my exact thought about you," he replied back which made them both laugh. Dominic wasn't really known to be much of a heartthrob or a ladies' man, but quite the opposite. When he first told Sabrina his mutual attraction, he was quite naïve and nervous. It was a trait that Sabrina didn't really expect to come from him since he seemed so confident when the cameras were rolling.
"Typical.." the girl muttered as she leaned her head against his arm as they walked together. They both took a moment to look up at the sky and gaze at the stars that had formed. Everything about this night was beautiful, and they wouldn't have changed it for the world. "I am curious about something though.. did you ever have any positive thoughts about me?" she asked him as they continued walking.
"Well.." Dominic had to think about this for a moment. He did have positive thoughts about her, but they weren't in the way that Sabrina probably would want to hear coming out of him. "I did.." he stammered.
Sabrina curiously looked up at him wondering what those thoughts were. "What were they? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," she promised him intertwining their fingers together.
Dominic chuckled to himself as he gazed down at the girl next to him. He then couldn't help but blush and look down at his feet. He really was going to be shot in the foot if he were to tell her what was on his mind at the moment. "I.. thought you were the only one in the cast who actually looked hot in those Spanish flamenco outfits.. and the red dress.. and well.. everything else you wear," he stated blushing. "But.. in all seriousness one thing I did admire about you was your drive. You're so... annoyingly persistent.. but that's what I like about you. You really lead when everyone else needs you.. I guess you can say you're a full on badass."
Sabrina chuckled hearing all of his words, from the way she looked to the way she led. Now it was her turn to spill the truth about him. "Well.. thank you.. for those kind words. Now was that so bad?" she teased him with a smirk. Dominic just playfully rolled his eyes in response. Sabrina then went on to say, "I mean for me... I kind of had a thing for you in those costumes you wore during the show. Now I can understand why every girl in the nation would want to get a piece of your hot ass." She paused hoping that she didn't hurt his feelings with how she worded her reasoning. "However the thing that made me drawn to you was your charisma. You have so much stage presence and you make everything so believable. You even have charisma offstage.. being passionate about this date just as much as I am."
They both stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to look over at each other. She was right. He was passionate to be with her and to make her have one of the best nights of her life. Dominic took both of her hands into his own while gazing down at her. "Everything about today and now is perfect. Gosh if... if I hurt you in any way during the show's run.. I'm sorry," he sincerely said as their hands stayed clasped.
The girl shook her head with a soft smile. "No need to apologize. I never took all of those snide insults to heart," she reassured him gazing up at him. "Besides, I actually like when we banter together. It kind of draws us closer." In that moment, the two stepped towards each other so they could close out any space that was separating them.
"I never really saw it that way, but now that you mention it.." Dominic mused as he let go of one of his hands from their grasp and cupped Sabrina's cheek. "I plan on roasting you any chance I get."
Sabrina laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "We'll see about that," she said shaking her head before they brought each other to have their lips meet. They kissed tenderly and lovingly for the first time in a while. Sabrina never thought she'd do this with him especially, but she thought for a moment that she had fallen in love with him. What he said was true: everything about this night was perfect. The best part about this moment was the moonlight and the stars that illuminated their silhouettes on the sidewalk of Central Park. After a while of tasting each other's lips, she broke apart to catch her breath. "Why didn't we do this sooner?"
"With my dumb ass.." Dominic started brushing their lips lightly against each other. "I have no idea." He brought them in for another kiss, this time a little bit more heated and passionate. They had completely lost themselves in each other and had no care for anyone or anything else around them. They were in a moment of privacy, so it was something that they never took for granted, especially being in a big state such as New York. As their kisses started to get even more heated, they found themselves wanting each other desperately. However, before anything could happen, Sabrina's cell phone started to ring, which made them pull apart. "Is that yours?" Dominic asked.
Sabrina groaned pulling away from him. "Yeah.. I'm sorry. I gotta take this," she said huffing as she pulled out her phone and answered it. "Hello?"
On the other line, CC immediately spoke, "Sabrina, I need you to get over to the Sheffield's house as soon as possible. There's some unfinished business that I need to discuss with you and Maxwell."
The girl shook her head in disbelief. She walked away from Dominic momentarily before she whispered, "Mom, I'm kind of busy here.. with Dominic.. and what do you mean by unfinished business? The show's done! I'm free and on this date!"
"I'm sorry honey, but you have to get over here," CC insisted her daughter to drop her date. "I know the show is cancelled, but I need to speak with you and Mr. Sheffield about some other matters."
"Regarding the show?" Sabrina asked her furrowing her eyebrows.
"No, no.. it's something else," CC replied not specifying her reasoning. She couldn't possibly let her know right now. It was best to just let everything out in person. "Just, please come over when you can, okay?"
Hearing her mother's pleas and the tone of desperation in her voice, Sabrina sighed heavily. She didn't want to leave Dominic behind, but even though he was a part of her life, her mother always came first. "Alright.." she solemnly replied looking over at Dominic who had a look of concern on his face.
"Thank you. I love you, sweetheart," CC said to her daughter before she hung up the phone. This allowed Sabrina to hang up as well. Even though she cared about her mother's well-being, she really didn't want to leave the date so early. She turned to Dominic and said, "I'm so sorry. I have to go."
Dominic frowned seeing how their chance at being intimate with one another was taken away by a single phone call. With how their day and night went, he figured he was going to see Sabrina again. "I guess it's alright," he muttered before he stepped closer to her. "I'm sure we can continue this some other time," he added with a smirk.
Sabrina noticed him near her and then smirked back at him knowing they definitely were going to continue their unfinished business another time. She pulled him in for another soft kiss as a sign of her promising him. "We will. Don't worry," she said winking before giving him one more kiss. "You know where to find me." With those words, Sabrina let go of Dominic's hand and started to walk away from the park. She hailed the nearest taxi and requested for the driver to take her to the Sheffield house. She had to admit she was nervous. She had no idea why her mother acted so strange over the phone, but soon enough, she was about to find out.
"Thank you! We'll call you," Maxwell waved to Erwin, Sammy's grandson and Ty, the new investor for Sheffield-Babcock Productions' newest musical. He watched as the two gentlemen hailed the nearest cab, which had pulled up to the front of the house. As the two men were going into the cab, Sabrina was coming out of it. She carried her clutch purse with her cell phone as she walked up to the open front door. Maxwell furrowed his eyebrows seeing the young singer come up to the door. He turned away to look over at CC who was standing in the foyer. "CC... Sabrina's here," he mentioned.
CC waited patiently for her daughter to arrive. It had to be the longest 20 minutes of her life. She didn't think she was so nervous to see her daughter again, but this time, she was. Whatever was happening this night would make or break her relationship with her baby. The minute Maxwell had mentioned that she had arrived, her heart started to race. She really was not looking forward to this meeting, but she knew it had to be done. "Yes. She is," CC said not moving from where she was standing. "She.. obviously needs to meet me here before going back home."
"Hello hello," Sabrina greeted the two in the foyer casually. She looked over at her mother, who had a face of worry and regret and it made her heart drop. If Maxwell wasn't in the middle of the room, she easily would've rushed to hug and comfort her. Instead, she stayed by the foyer and respectively kept her composure.
"Sabrina.. I thought you left for California already. You are aware that the show is closed, right? There's no point of you being here anymore," Maxwell pointed out. He didn't expect Sabrina to return back to the house after the show had ended. Surely there must have been some other reason as to why Sabrina was still in New York. He wanted to inquire this to CC, but he heard CC quickly respond back.
"Maxwell, I need to have a talk with you," CC interrupted. He looked over at his business partner and saw CC's face of worry. Surely whatever she had on her mind had to be important. "Alone. Please," she practically begged. She couldn't afford another interruption or change of pace. She watched as Maxwell saw how serious she was about her request.
He had never seen CC this anxious to talk to him before.. well.. minus the constant attempts at flirtation. Maxwell always knew that she had a thing for him, and he just couldn't pinpoint why. Showing concern for his business partner, he nodded his head reluctantly. "Alright. Very well," he muttered as he strode towards the office with CC following close behind. They started for the door to the hallway, but CC stopped realizing that Sabrina was still standing by the foyer, confused.
"Sabrina, please join us," she said to her daughter not turning around to look her in the eyes. She had enough guilt and shame with this choice, and she didn't want Sabrina to know that she was suffering on the inside. It was already hard enough that she had to hear her voice over the phone. With a concerned look, Sabrina silently walked over to her mother who was waiting for her. She walked alongside CC knowing she was safe, but also was scared as to what was going on. When CC and Sabrina walked towards the office, they watched as Maxwell had a tender moment with his future wife. This made CC's blood boil. She was not going to allow this to happen again. "Nanny Fine.. would you please excuse us? We need to have a private discussion."
Fran wasn't paying attention at first since she was too immersed in her fiancé's gaze. She wasn't ashamed to be in love with the man, and she especially loved to watch CC cringe at the moments they were spending together. "Not now, Miss Babcock. I -"
The minute Fran started talking, CC instantly interrupted her. "I'm serious! Please leave!" she shouted to the woman. Fran was slightly offended by the way CC had approached her with this. She wasn't one to listen to CC, so she turned to Maxwell, who had a serious look on his face.
"Darling, I'm sorry. Give us a few minutes, alright?" Maxwell said as he leaned in to peck Fran's cheek before she walked out of the room and out of their sight. Once Fran was gone, CC made her way to close the door behind the three of them. She walked up to Maxwell and clasped her hands together nervously. While she did that, Sabrina took a seat on the green couch across from the desk, a spot where CC would usually accompany herself when Maxwell was always at his desk. "Now what is the matter, CC? What do we need to have this discussion for?" he inquired curiously.
CC felt her hands begin to shake. She had never felt so frightened and vulnerable before in her life until this very moment. This was the moment she had been dreading ever since her daughter was born, and now that she was in the same room as them, this was hitting her hard. "Maxwell, before I say anything, I just want you to know that I'm very appreciative of the years that I have been a part of this partnership. I don't usually say it enough, but I just want to thank you for this incredible position that I'm in. You have shown and taught me many things throughout the past 20 plus years. It's always been a real pleasure working alongside you.. even on the days where we disagreed."
Maxwell had to admit, he wasn't expecting CC to be so open and honest with him. Sure, he appreciated the kind words that she was saying, but he felt like there was something CC was trying to omit from this discussion. This couldn't have been the reason why she so desperately needed to talk with him alone.. and why Sabrina was in the room with them. "CC that's very kind of you, and I do know you've taught me a lot throughout the years we've worked together," he said in response with a soft smile. "But you should know that I know this isn't the reason why you wanted to see me in private. It doesn't explain why Sabrina is here with us."
"Oh god.." she whispered to herself closing her eyes. The truth was about to be revealed, and this was the one part she was dreading the most. She then thought that if she were to drag on her explanation, it would save her from actually saying what was on her mind. "Maxwell, remember in the late 70's... when we had.. you know... our times together in private?" she asked him fidgeting with her fingers anxiously.
Hearing her question made Maxwell's eyes widen. He knew exactly what CC wanted to discuss: their affair. Why was she bringing up their affair now? He was an engaged man. She couldn't have been propositioning this idea to him again, right? After what happened between her and Sara's death, he couldn't afford to be unfaithful to another woman again. He especially couldn't afford to be unfaithful to Fran knowing the consequences he would have to suffer in return. "CC.. I thought I explicitly told you years ago that we were to never discuss this matter again," he gritted his teeth quietly knowing Sabrina could still hear them.
"You knew damn well this was going to be brought up again. I know you don't want to talk about this as much as I do, but guess what? We have to, so bite the damn bullet and listen to me!" the blonde snapped back defensively. At the same time, she was guarding Sabrina from seeing any of the Broadway producer's reactions.
He knew that she was right, but didn't want to admit it up front. Even though he was ashamed of his own actions and didn't want to discuss the matter with his former lover, he had to face the truth himself. "Alright.." he sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair. "Why are you bringing up our affair?"
CC licked her lips and took a deep breath before she bravely spoke up. "Maxwell, where did you think I was when I resigned back in 1978?"
He narrowed his eyes at the blonde. "Didn't you.. head over to Europe for some business promotions?" he asked her. Maxwell was surprised at himself for even remembering how CC had told him so adamantly that she had to resign. It was heartbreaking at first, but he was fortunate enough to have her back less than a year later.
She shook her head confirming that what she had told him in the past was a lie. "That's what I told you," she started. "That wasn't the truth though... I was pregnant.. in fact I got pregnant around the same time Sara did with... you know... the big one." Hearing that come out of her mouth made his eyes widen in shock. This was the one thing he didn't want to hear from her. He was hoping during their affair that nothing was going to happen to CC. In fact, they continuously assured each other that they were protected. She could feel pools of tears build up in her eyes. "When I resigned, I moved to upstate New York, where nobody could find me. I disconnected all possible contact.. and I had our baby during those five months.." It was then that CC really started to cry. She grabbed one of her tissues and started to dab her eyes with it carefully. "But I gave her away shortly after she was born.."
It was then that Maxwell grew furious. How could CC drop such a large bombshell on him so late? "CC, what the bloody hell are you saying!? You mean to tell me that I have an illegitimate daughter out there somewhere that I don't know about!? How could you do this to me!? I trusted you with nearly everything!" he shouted. He stood up and started to pace around the room angrily. "How am I supposed to live with myself now knowing that my daughter is still out there, hmm?"
"That's the thing Maxwell!" CC interrupted him with tears in her eyes. "She's not still out there anymore... in fact..." she hated to do this. She hated to put Sabrina in this position. She had to be truthful to her daughter, but only because she loved her, even though it was going to hurt. "She's right here." CC immediately stepped aside to show Sabrina to Maxwell.
Both Sabrina and Maxwell reacted the same way. They were incredibly shocked at CC's words. Sabrina knew she wanted to meet her father someday, but she didn't imagine this moment being like this. Now this was a brand new revelation for the both of them: a father being acquainted with his long lost daughter. Sabrina stood up feeling tears well up in her own eyes. "Mom.." she called out to CC wanting to cry. If there was anyone Sabrina was hoping wasn't her father, it was definitely Maxwell. He treated her so poorly during the show, and she couldn't imagine how he'd treat her now that she knew he was her father.
"Sabrina!? You mean to tell me Sabrina's my daughter!?" Maxwell shouted angrily at CC before he walked over to Sabrina. "Did you know about this at all?" He watched as the younger girl shook her head nervously. "Well maybe I should give you some newsflashes! Did you know that your mother is a pretentious liar and could've been conning you this entire time? Oh, and may I mention that she's been after me like an attention whore for years trying to claw her way into my personal life?"
Sabrina's jaw dropped and she gasped. Before she could say anything, CC stepped in front of her defensively. "You better watch your mouth!" she shouted at him. "Do you know why I was though!? It was because of our daughter! I wanted a family, but you chose Sara over me!" She then turned over to Sabrina, who was very overwhelmed watching both of her parents argue. "Did you know your father is a lovesick nut-job completely oblivious to anything important in his life? Like his own daughter?"
"I was married to Sara, not you! Of course I chose her!" Maxwell shouted at CC. This time, Sabrina was standing near the door shaking. She wanted to leave so badly, especially after what she had witnessed. "I can't believe you would do this to me after all that we've been through the past 20 years! I trusted you with everything in our partnership, CC. I thought I could trust you more than that!"
"You can! Why do you think I'm bringing this up to you?" CC cried out. "You know I would've never imagined myself in a million years telling you the truth about your daughter, but I decided to bite my own bullet here. She's yours, Maxwell, and I certainly don't appreciate what you've been saying about her since she's gotten here."
"Maybe things would've been a hell of a lot more differently if I knew she was my own child back then," Maxwell snapped back at CC. "You know what? I've had enough of this! I knew your presence was always uninviting in my household... it's especially uninviting now. Don't plan on coming back tomorrow because you're f-"
"Where's Sabrina?" CC asked wide eyed as she turned around noticing that her daughter was gone. The door of the office was wide open, and the two producers looked over at each other. Without saying another word, they walked out of the office and into the living room. Once they opened the door, they could hear the girl crying softly as she grabbed her clutch purse and phone heading towards the front door to leave. Sabrina couldn't take another moment of this torture. Her own father was unwelcoming about this situation, and her mother was losing this battle. Seeing that she was about to open the front door, CC quickly grabbed Sabrina's free hand. "Sabrina stop!"
"Let go of me!" the young girl shouted at her mother quickly drawing her hand away. She turned around to face the both of them, and the tear stains on her cheek were very obvious. Her hands were shaking out of anger and sadness. "So what am I, Mom? Am I just some by-product of an affair that means nothing to my own father?" she asked her looking at the both of them.
"No, honey! No you're not.." CC tried to pull Sabrina in for an embrace, but Sabrina resisted. "Please don't do this.."
"How can I!? How can I just keep my composure watching both of my parents act like such lunatics!?" she cried out feeling more tears come down her eyes and onto her cheeks. "How can I trust you anymore?" her voice got softer looking at CC. "I trusted you with everything ever since I got here.. you're supposed to be my best friend.."
"Baby, you're still my best friend no matter what.. I promised that I'd tell you the truth.." CC said practically begging for her daughter to stay with her.
"This is not how I wanted the truth to be told or how I wanted to meet my own father!" Sabrina snapped back at her mother. She slowly started to step away back to the front door. "You know what? I'm done! I'm going home!"
CC walked over to the front door where Sabrina was about to head out. "We'll discuss this in the morning.." she tried her best to reassure her.
"No! I'm going home," Sabrina emphasized, letting CC know that she wasn't talking about returning to her mother's penthouse. "I'm leaving... to California. Clearly I don't belong here.." With those words, Sabrina walked out of the house angrily. Since she was in such a bad mood, she didn't feel like hailing a taxi cab and just decided to walk back to the penthouse. Halfway there, she felt herself grow weak as she started to sob profusely. She dropped her belongings on the ground and dropped to her knees. Her shaky hands came up to her face as she started to cry. She had never felt so alone before in her entire life, but after that ordeal, she felt helpless. Her first resort would've been to run to CC's arms, but since she was angry with her, she had no idea what to do with herself. She stayed on the sidewalk sobbing feeling defeated. All she wanted was a family... and it seemed as if she lost that chance to have one.