CC stared out of the window. Wondering how much longer the traffic would continue to drag.
"…it was unavoidable. Perhaps, I can make up for missing brunch by buying her a pony?"
CC dragged a nail across the handle of the door. She barely registered that Chandler was talking to her until she heard her name.
"CC?"
She turned her head quickly and stared at Chandler as she tried to review in her mind what he'd said. "A po…?" She twisted her face hoping he'd fill it in.
"A pony."
"-For the baby?" She smirked. "You can't be serious. She's only a month old."
"Maybe just a check to cover the price of a pony then?" Chandler smiled.
CC took note of it and patted his hand before turning back to the window.
"Are you ok?"
She looked back at him blankly. "Hm?"
"You seem a little tense."
"I'm fine." She put her hand on his for another moment before removing it and turning back to the window.
The limo finally stopped in front of the church and her door opened. She pulled down her slightly off the shoulder nude/pale pink form fitting dress and then straightened the sleeves that went from shoulder to elbow. She pushed one side of her ear behind her ear.
Chandler appeared behind her and put his hand on the small of her back as he stopped to chastise the driver. "This time, don't make me wait more than a minute when I call you."
CC glanced back at him rolling her eyes. "Chandler, the traffic is awful, at least give him two minutes."
Chandler shook his head as he turned away from the driver to follow her up the steps.
"CC!" DD met them at the top of the stairs. "You're late!"
"DD, you told me the baptism wasn't until the end of the service. You didn't mention that I had to arrive at the beginning." CC laughed deviously.
DD cocked her head. "To think, Sophie's godmother can't even attend her baptism service."
"Well, I'm here now, and she won't even remember, DD." CC waved her hand as she followed DD into the church and to the front pew. Chandler slid into the pew behind.
It was the moment she'd been dreading. Niles and Andrew stood as CC approached. Niles wore a light brown suit and a tie that matched her dress perfectly. Her mouth opened slightly in wonder before Niles and Andrew gestured for her to sit. It barely registered that DD walked off to speak to someone.
Niles looked directly at her, and they locked eyes for the first time in months. She straightened her spine and pushed back the hair that kept falling from her ear as she looked over to see DD speaking with someone from the church.
"What happened, Babcock? Afraid of lightning striking?" A small smile played on his lips.
Her eyes narrowed at him. It was the first time in 6months that he'd said anything that wasn't completely necessary. And it was the closest any of their cold little comments even came close to anything near banter.
"I believe we're ready to begin." A voice announced and she turned her head with no chance to think about the comment. She could still feel Niles' eyes on her as they walked up to the baptismal font and then stood side by side.
She glanced over from the corner of her eye without moving her head. "Nice tie," she whispered glancing again at the tie in the same color as her dress.
"Nice dress," he returned.
"DD," they said at the same time and both proceeded to nod their head looking down.
DD approached them with Sophie in her arms and held the baby out to CC.
CC raised her eyebrows as DD stared back while presenting the baby to her.
"What is it?" CC stared at DD.
"It's a baby, Babcock." Niles whispered next to her.
"Hold her, CC." DD held the sleeping baby closer to CC.
"But she-" The baby cried every time she held her. She turned to look at Niles. "Can you-?"
"It's customary for the godmother to hold the baby." The Pastor smiled.
CC put her arms out and DD placed Sophie in her arms. Sophie instantly woke up and began to cry. CC looked over at Niles as DD walked away.
He put a hand behind her back, and she stiffened.
He whispered, "I'm going to help you out, Babs. Now, don't get testy." He reached his other hand under her arms helping to cradle the baby, and he gently began to move their arms in a rocking motion left to right.
As the baby settled, the rocking slowed, and Niles attempted to remove his arm cradled under hers. As he pulled back, Sophie let out a wail.
A rumble of laughter came from the congregation and the pastor. CC stiffened and looked at Niles, who cocked his head waiting for permission to assist.
CC nodded.
Niles slid his arm around her so he could get closer and used his other arm to help support Sophie again. CC stayed tense as the ceremony proceeded.
She was basically in an embrace with the very man she'd had a cold relationship with for the last 6 months. They both looked down at Sophie and watched her settle as she looked up at them with eyes that looked remarkably like DD's and CC's.
CC eventually gave in to the process and let Niles' small movement soothe them both despite how uneasy she felt. It was the only way to get through this.
When the pastor poured the water on Sophie's head, she began to squirm and looked up at the two adults. CC again looked at Niles as they pulled Sophie closer and away from the baptismal font while Niles gently hushed the baby. Niles again supported her from underneath.
CC's hair fell forward, and CC tried to flip her head back to get it out of her face.
"Allow me." Niles took the hand from CC's back and pushed the loose hair behind her ear for her. At that moment, CC looked up at Niles to catch the trace of an old look on his face.
She was distracted by Chandler clearing his throat loudly, and she scanned the first few pews to see Chandler adjusting his tie, an indignant BB in the 2nd pew next to an amused Stewart, and finally, she spied DD smiling giddily with Andrew as they stood in front of Niles' unhappy girlfriend.
CC rolled her eyes and smirked turning back to the pastor. DD's amusement was infectious even if it was misguided.
The pastor ended the ceremony and CC looked at Niles as he stared down at Sophie and whispered. "Well, you're stuck with us now, kiddo."
CC walked into the brunch with a beautiful envelope embossed with Sophie's name. DD greeted her at the door. "Where is your supposed fiancé, CC?"
CC stopped in mid motion as DD's housekeeper took her wrap. "Excuse me?"
DD sighed. "Well, you say you're engaged, but it's been eons, CC— and you still haven't set a date."
"Oh, stop it. You know Maxwell and I have to finish our new show." CC shook her head. "For a moment there I thought you heard the conversation that I just had in the car," CC said flatly.
DD leaned in close in her floral chiffon short dress. "Oh? And what was that?"
"Chandler had to go out of town, but before he dropped me off, he actually had the nerve to ask me what was going on with the butler in the church. Can you believe that? I mean we barely speak." CC was exasperated.
"Well, if something was going on, it would be about time." Stewart stepped forward into DD's foyer.
"Daddy!" CC crossed her arms as DD giggled.
"It's not a wonder that he asked, CC. It was absolutely scandalous the way you two carried on." BB entered behind Stewart with her nose up in her cream-colored suit. The pink scarf hanging from her shoulder flowed slightly behind her.
"Mother, seriously." CC handed the envelope over to DD and turned on her heal. She stopped as Niles entered the foyer in front of her.
"I apologize, Mrs. Babcock. It's just that CC's strengths are more for the boardroom and less for the nursery. And I wouldn't be much of a domestic if I didn't assist her in calming young Sophie." He winked at CC.
"Do you see what you've done, Diandra? It's a world gone mad." BB admonished DD as Andrew entered and put an arm around DD with a smile.
Stewart laughed and held his arm out to BB. "Come on, BB. We'll work it out over a little drink."
"Why make it little?" CC looked up the stairs behind them briefly wondering how to make her escape.
BB huffed and took Stewart's arm. They passed Noel holding a drink on their way out of the Foyer. BB pointed at him. "And you better not be next young man!"
Noel smiled deviously and looked over at CC and Niles. "I can't say a butler is what I had in mind." He downed his drink looking at CC. "I'm more of the pool boy type." Noel put his finger to his lips and laughed.
CC held her temple listening to DD's giggle. The last thing she wanted was to hear more of BB's complaints.
Niles put his arm out and made a near announcement. "Miss Babcock, I believe Miss Sophie is in her crib. Shall we visit the god daughter."
CC looked around and shrugged before she took his arm. "Well, how much worse could this get?"
"Don't ask." Niles whispered to her before they walked up the stairs. She could hear DD's appreciative hum of approval behind them.
Upstairs Niles and CC entered the nursery to see Sophie sleeping. CC was secretly relieved, and motioned for Niles to back out of the room.
"Shall we go back downstairs?"
"Are you kidding?" CC headed down the hall to DD's office.
They entered the office and Niles made a Bee line for the small bar in the corner as CC kicked off her nude heels and plopped down on one of two couches facing each other in the office. She let her head fall back and closed her eyes for a moment. Her family absolutely exhausted her.
"I should have known this runs in the family." Niles handed her a glass.
She picked her head up. "What?"
"Your affinity for office couches and whiskey."
She smirked as he sat down across from her slightly to her right.
She looked at her drink and then at him curiously, "That was more family time than I can bear in a month. But why are you hiding?"
"Well, let's see. Before you arrived, I was privy to three conversations about getting into the right pre-school, asked if I was married four times, recognized as Maxwell's butler two times and then asked where my date was about five."
CC smirked. "So, what did you say?"
Niles breathed deeply before rattling his sentence. "I recommended Miss Grace's preschool, said I wasn't married, it was my day off and that my date had to leave."
CC smiled looking down at the glass again. "So, you're back together with Shay?"
"Dating." He shrugged before continuing. "Anyway, there was so much Botox in that room, I was worried that I'd inhale and instantly look like the joker."
CC laughed. "Well, look who found his tongue."
Niles raised his head slightly as he looked down at her. "Yes, it must have been hidden under your inhumanity."
"And it's sharp as hell, too." She burbled laughter despite realizing he'd changed the subject quickly.
His smile faded a little and he stared at his drink and then straightened up. "Listen, Babcock. Maybe we could call a…"
He seemed to be struggling to spit it out.
"Well, it's probably just best that we…call a truce. You know now that we're Sophie's godparents."
CC smiled into her drink. "So, Andrew talked to you?"
He raised an eyebrow before peeking up at her. "And I suppose DD got to you?"
CC nodded as she thought back to the conversation with DD.
DD had leaned over giddily at a dinner and wiggled her eyebrows. "CC, I heard that Niles broke up with Shay!"
"So, what does that toilet duck have to do with me?"
"Well, maybe you could have a cozy little talk with him?"
"DD! I am engaged!"
DD rolled her eyes. "Oh, please"
"DD!" CC stomped her foot under the table.
"Anyway, the two of you have to talk sometime."
"Says who?" CC leaned over the table in a defiant stare.
DD waved her hand at her and flipped her hair acting bored and looking sideways. "It's fine. Your god daughter can just grow up in a broken godparent home."
CC sighed.
DD brought her wine to her lips. "Could you at least try? For your only nice?"
"Maybe." CC pouted slightly looking at another table in the distance.
The rift was Niles' fault. She didn't abandon him. She was just engaged to Chandler. She just wanted the physical torture she and Niles had been going through to stop.
He was the one who completely deserted their…friendship? It didn't seem to be the right word. Partner in crime? Partner in crime act? That was it. It all must have been a silly act.
The sound of footsteps and voices broke her thought. She looked up at Niles and he quickly switched sides to sit next to her and took her hand to nudge her down. They both scooted down on the couch so that they couldn't be seen over the back of the couch from the doorway.
"…and you wouldn't believe the condition of these walls when we moved in. It was frightful!" DD opened the office door and her heels clicked across the office floor with a gaggle of guests trailing behind her.
They listened to the women's Oh's and Ah's over the robin shell and pink accented wallpaper. CC rolled her eyes looking at Niles and he smiled.
A pair of heels stopped right behind them, and they both looked up slowly to see DD judgmentally peek over the top of the couch at them with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.
DD looked back at the group. "Come ladies, I'll show you the gift-wrapping room."
The heels began to file out as a woman, hooted. "DD, you stitch. I bet you never wrapped a gift in your life."
DD giggled at the women before the smile faded from her face and she peeked over the couch again. "Well, at least you're getting along."
DD then disappeared and the sound of a lone set of heels clicked away to the door and down the hall as the door shut.
CC and Niles looked at each other and then down at their still joined hands. They let go and sat up quickly with their drinks still in their other hand.
"That was close. We almost had to talk to people." CC smoothed her hair with her free hand.
"And it could happen again." Niles loosened his tie. And then turned back to her and clinked her glass. "Drink up, Babcock. We've got a whole brunch to get through."
