CC sat and stretched in her seat in the office. She'd been reading contracts for a few hours and noticed that Niles had not brought the afternoon tea yet.
"Maxwell, I'll go see about the tea." Maxwell stopped working and nodded at her as she got up and smoothed down her long black skirt with the slit in the side. She straightened her short sweater and arched her back before she had the distinct feeling that Maxwell was still staring as she left. She turned quickly to find him checking her out and she smiled. "Be right back."
Nanny fine had him wrapped around her finger, but CC knew he still couldn't help but appreciate her.
Her satisfaction carried her to the kitchen, which had become somewhat forbidden after the initial falling out with Niles.
Things had lightened up since the baptism, but Niles still had sudden spurts of formality-usually around discussions of Chandler or sometimes at the end of the day.
She still missed the way they used to work in the same room after the Sheffield family went out. The way he'd lean back on the desk with a gleam and a devious look in his eye as he'd start to pick on her.
The memory jarred something in her that still wouldn't go away no matter how long she was engaged to Chandler.
She stopped with her hand on the kitchen doorway. The memory of the way they used to be suddenly made her weary of playing with that feeling again. This was especially risky while their so-called truce was shaky. Neither ever knew what they were walking into.
"I enjoyed it too." Niles' muffled voice carried through the door. She turned her head to hear better before her curiosity urged her to enter quietly and stand in the doorway.
Niles had his back to her. "Ok, I'll see you then." He laughed quietly. The night after the awards banquet ran through her head. After the belly laughs and the dips, it was the quiet laugh he used when they made eye contact after a gentle barb.
It had been so long since she'd heard it and now to hear it like this…. Her shoulders tightened. She went to the kitchen island and noisily began to prepare herself tea from the tray that Niles had abandoned.
Niles turned quickly in surprise and quieted his tone. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later."
CC looked up at him and she tried to hide her annoyance as he hung up the phone. "I'm used to you abandoning your duties, but I don't see why Maxwell and I have to suffer while you chase the next skirt of the week." She knew she was dancing on the fine line.
Niles took the teapot from the tray and set to reheating the water. She hated the way his face had fallen when he got off the phone. "Aww, Babcock it's almost as though you care."
She put her lukewarm tea down. "Well, I don't, but is it too much to ask for hot tea once in a while? That is, without having to wait while you run around pollinating every flower you can find?"
"And this is coming from a former chorus boy eater."
CC glared and Niles put his hands on the counter while he waited for the water to warm, and he smiled. "Hm. I think someone might be jealous."
"Excuse me?" She blinked.
He was smiling, but there was also a bit of cold ire in his eyes. And they were teetering again.
"I'm not the one acting jealous." She had to be careful, it was a very fine line.
"Oh, then who is?"
She heard the little laugh he'd given on the phone again in her mind and it made her angry. "I'm just saying that in the last few months you've trotted every woman in Manhattan through this house. It's obscene."
"And you would care because….?" He angled his head up looking down on her.
"Because I can't get any tea!" She spit in frustration.
Niles bent over laughing and hit a hand on the counter. "Well, a martini, I'd believe…but…tea?" He straightened up and dabbed at a tear in his sparkling eyes. "Typical Babcock-wants to be the center of attention." He smugly pulled his shirt cuff. "As usual."
Her fist curled and her answers came before she could think. "Maybe the center of someone's attention! But not yours."
"Which is why you're in the kitchen?"
"No! Which is why I left you behind for Chandler!" Once it was out, she bit her bottom lip. She'd just pushed them back into the territory they'd been stuck in for months before the baptism.
Niles' face still wore the smile, but the laughing stopped briefly. She braced herself for the light going out in his eyes again.
He came around the Island to where she was standing, and they stood eye to eye "Babcock…"
His eyes and face were close. As close as they were at the baptism. "Maybe I have dated a few too many women as of late, but we all have our coping mechanisms. Don't we?" His deep voice became hard but, there was something else.
CC stiffened trying to block out the peaked chill. "And what's that?"
"You work too much, and you don't go home to the fiancé that you proclaim to adore, but still have not set a wedding date with."
CC took a shallow breath. "We set a date." It was just set recently. Chandler had implied the threat of an ultimatum soon after the baptism. She had delayed as long as she could.
Niles pushed her hair back on one side. "Well, that a girl." He let his hand rest on her shoulder and came close to her for a moment before he looked down at her lips and her eyes.
She was still angry, and her body became confused. It was almost painful. He slowly brought his face closer. She expected him to kiss her, and she readied for it.
The tea kettle went off behind them and he backed away as slowly as he'd moved forward. "You sure have showed me, brunette."
CC slammed her teacup so hard that it broke on the counter. "You—you absolute—ingrate. Have fun cleaning that up, beulla!"
The phone rang briefly and then stopped, just as Nanny Fine came running through the kitchen door looking between them and the mess. "Again?! Honestly, I can't take it anymore. Just yesterday you were standing here flirting. You two turn so fast, my head spins. I feel like I'm living with Ike and Tina turner!"
"Nanny Fine!" CC turned on her now and stared for a moment before yelling. "Stay out of it!"
CC stormed back to the office where Maxwell was on the phone "Forget about the tea Maxwell. Your butler is too busy trying to catch a venereal disease."
Niles and Nanny fine dashed in hot on her heels. She turned to the couch and picked up her files before slamming them down again.
Maxwell put his hand up as Niles and Fran entered.
"I'm sorry sir." Niles looked at Maxwell quickly before turning on CC. "But I have had enough, and if you want something cleaned up you can do it yourself, you uptight, phony…. Babcock!" Searching for the word, Niles huffed and made two fists in frustration. "In the meantime, I'll be out with a woman who knows her own mind and not everyone else's"
"Niles! Everyone! Stop." Maxwell quieted again holding the phone to the side. "CC, it's DD."
CC crossed her arms. "If she's calling to give me her opinion on this, tell her I'm not interested." She readied for a quick exit. "What did you do, buella? Run and tell Andrew already?"
Maxwell covered the phone. "No, CC. It's Stewart something has happened to DD."
Everyone froze and CC took the phone in confusion. "Daddy?"
"I'm sorry kitten, there's been an accident. DD—well, they both—it's bad. Come down to the hospital right away."
"I'm on my way." CC hung up the phone and began gathering her things.
"What is it?" Nanny fine clasped her hands.
"DD and her husband were both in an accident."
Niles took a few steps toward her. "Are they ok?"
"It's bad." She looked at him briefly as she grabbed her purse.
"I'll take you." Niles rushed to get his coat as they all followed.
"Miss Babcock we'll go too." CC heard it behind her, but she was already rushing to the front.
Niles handed CC her coat and she left without waiting for anyone. She charged down the stairs and hailed her own cab. She didn't know how she did it since she didn't hear her own voice.
She got in and just as it was pulling off, the door opened, and Niles slid in and slammed the door without saying a thing.
"Daddy!" CC rushed to Stewart who stood in the waiting area of the trauma center. "Any word?"
"They just arrived. Garret is getting information for us now." He put his arm around her as she approached him.
Niles stood behind her and Stewart reached out shaking Niles' hand. "Garret is on the board. He's a very old friend of the family."
Stuart motioned to the chairs. "It shouldn't be long."
CC walked to the corner of the room to check her phone. There had to be something she could do. She sat down on a waiting room couch and stared at it as Niles hovered near her.
The sound of heels loudly clacked into the waiting area, announcing BB as she approached from her interrupted lunch. "Why don't we have any word?!" She approached Stewart as her lunch date loomed behind her. Holding her purse.
Stewart held her by both hands and responded. Behind them CC could see Garret arrive with a sheriff and another doctor at the nurse's station.
CC rose slowly and all the sound seem to vanish from the room. She could see Stewart speaking to BB as their heads also turned and Garret approached them with the sheriff and the other doctor nearby.
Garret was speaking. The sound briefly came back "I'm sorry." Then his mouth began to move silently.
BB turned on Garret still gripping Stewart's arm. Her words were muffled. "…did you tell them who we are?" Stewart stood behind her and gripped an elbow as BB bargained. "We can do anything you need." Stewart stepped closer as she became angrier.
As garret and the sheriff spoke again briefly. BB looked at Stewart. "Stewart, tell them!"
CC watched as BB gripped the lapels on Stewart's jacket and he pulled her in as she seemed to collapse into his chest in one surreal dream.
She then sank into her chair slowly hoping that she wouldn't miss as she went down. It barely registered that Niles had guided her and then his mouth moved as he sat next to her on the couch. All she heard was "Babcock." It was probably at the end of a sentence.
The blue eyes looked heavy, but he mostly looked worried. And then her face was in his shoulder and the air felt thick, like there wasn't much oxygen.
"Breathe…" His sentences were fragmented. But she could hear it and then she could feel his arm around her. He gripped her hand alarmed. "Damn it! Take a breath, Babcock!"
As she looked up at Niles, she heard one word clearly from the sheriff to Stewart. "Infant."
CC wasn't sure how much time passed. But the haze cleared, and she took a deeper breath and sat up slowly. She took a tissue from a relieved Niles' hands and looked at him in a panic. "Sophie!"
She wiped her tears with one hand as she dizzily stood pushing herself up with the other and Niles stood to assist.
She made her way to Stewart who was now speaking to his lawyer. "Daddy, what about the baby? Sophie. Where is she?"
"They're bringing her."
She looked around. "Where's BB?"
"Her friend is bringing her home."
Stewart went back to the phone call, and she turned to Niles so quickly, he caught her forearms as she almost fell. "Niles, we need to take her home."
Niles nodded. "Whatever you want, Babcock. Just breathe."
