C.C. backed away from the door.
"Whats wrong?" asked Fran in her nasally voice.
"I-Its Maxwell." She answered.
Fran looked at her with big eyes. Then, in a hoarse voice she replied, "let him in."
C.C. nodded, twisted the knob, and let the door creak open. C.C. gasped. Maxwell looked like a wreck. He was wearing a pair of torn, dirty jeans, and a huge sweatshirt that had a large rip in the sleeve. His hair was mussed up, and he had a cut just below his lower lip.
"Fran, darling, I'm sorry. I need you!" he wailed. Fran had a sudden urge to just run into his arms, clean him up, kiss him, hold him, make wild passionate love to him.......but then she thought about all he had done to her, and merely crossed her arms.
"Oh, so NOW you need me." She said sarcastically, glaring at him.
C.C., not wanting to be caught in the middle of World War Three, backed out of the hotel room, but not after saying, "I'll just leave you two alone."
She jogged out of the room, glancing nervously behind her. She finally got to her room, and thankfully Niles wasn't there. She needed to be alone, out of sight, out of the picture. She lay on her bed, and buried her face in a pillow. Crying silently, she could her Fran's screams at Maxwell six rooms away:
"What the hell do you mean you didn't know?! Of course you did! You ungrateful bastard! Stupid Brit! I can't even-
Unable to take it no longer, she ran out onto the deck. Fran's screams that reminded her so much of her parents fights drifted away. She sank down to her knees, determined not to cry. She looked at the sky with a far away look in her eyes. She wondered if she should just end it all. Right now. Slit her wrists and get it over with. But no, she had Niles. He loved her. He would never forgive her if she did this to him. Never. Her sobs returned as she thought about the men that had threatened her, and all of her friends. She didn't want Niles to get hurt. She didn't want Fran or any of the children to get hurt. She didn't even want Maxwell to get hurt, after all he had done. Her cries became more violent, more body-wracking. She buried her face in her knees, and suddenly jerked her head up to look out angrily.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!" she screamed, bringing her hands up to her tear-soaked face, "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! LEAVE ME ALONE! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"
She retreated back to crying, until she felt a gentle hand touch her shoulder. She jumped, then slowly turned her head. Fran knelt beside her, a concerned look on her face. Neither said anything. Fran wrapped her arms around her friend, and C.C. buried her face in the crook of her neck.
Fran held her sobbing friend for a long while, as Maxwell watched the tender scene unfold in front of him. After C.C. had calmed down, she thanked Fran for holding her, and then went downstairs to the hotel café.
Fran sat down on her bed, and Maxwell was standing perfectly still by the balcony. "That was a really nice thing you did." He said softly.
She looked at him, a sober look in her big brown eyes. "Nice?!" she cried, "she's my friend! What the hell do you expect?! I can't believe you! You will always want me to be 'The Nanny'! Jesus, Max!"
He hung his head. "I'm so sorry."
"Sorry won't fix anything! I can't believe you want to take custody of the children! And to ask Sarah's parents to write a letter! I hate-
"WHAT?!" he screamed.
Fran looked at him. "What do you mean WHAT?"
"How the hell did they find out?!" he screamed.
"You mean you didn't call them?" Fran asked, shocked.
"Fran, I was angry, but even I wouldn't do that! Who the hell do they think they are?!" he screamed.
She looked up at him. "This softens it a little."
He cupped her face in his hands. "I never wanted to take away the children. I-I just overreacted a bit. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Fran. Fran, not The Nanny, Fran, my beautiful, intelligent, sexy wife." He then kissed her deeply.
After the kiss was done, Fran had a huge smile on her face. "Who-ha! That softened it even more!"
He then whispered briskly in her ear, "I'm sure it did. Oh, god, Fran, I want you so much right now."
She ran her fingers through his thick hair.
With a grin of satisfaction on her face, she said seductively, "Then take me."