"Oh, so you're married?" CC perked up looking across the kitchen island at Andrew's cousin Georgina.
"Yes," Georgina nodded, and Niles set a tray of hors d'oeuvres on the island.
CC glanced at Niles before probing Georgina. "Do you have any children?
"Oh, no. My husband and I are putting it off for now. Having children would interfere with my surgery schedule."
"You're a doctor?" Niles and CC both crossed their arms and leaned forward hopefully.
"No, I'll be undergoing surgery." The well-groomed woman grabbed a cracker off the tray in front of her and took a bite. "I'll be upgrading…" She looked down at her chest. "-the girls."
Niles and CC's faces fell.
"I'm a lingerie model. It's a business expense." Georgina swiped at a few crumbs that fell. Niles slumped his shoulders and took a drink from the tray in front of him as the woman continued to nibble.
Georgina finished her cracker and reached for another. She raised her voice an octave and looked at CC. "I'd love the name of your surgeon. Your chest is amazing."
Niles abruptly choked and sputtered as CC's face fell. "-I don't- "
"-I don't admit it either." Georgina smiled and took a drink from the tray before walking out of the kitchen.
Still standing beside her, Niles laughed heartily as he looked down dabbing his wet sleeve with a napkin.
CC turned on him. "What the hell is so funny?!"
He halted his laughter, looking at her innocently. "So, we're not going to ask her to adopt Sophie?"
"Niles! She was our last hope!" She balled her fists.
Niles stopped laughing and straightened his black jacket. "No, Babcock. We're Sophie's last hope."
"Her very last." CC folded her arms again and leaned back on the counter. Her words felt hollow.
"We should probably get out there. I'm not sure your sister and Andrew would have decided to use their memorial reception as an adoption fair." Niles picked up the tray in front of him and then leaned in toward her ear lowering his voice. "After all, Georgina needs the name of your surgeon."
She could feel her teeth grit. "Niles, I swear-"
Chandler walked into the kitchen, then stopped and stared at the proximity of Niles to CC's ear.
Niles slowly backed away from CC with a smirk and nodded at Chandler on his way out of the kitchen. "Chandler-pooh."
Chandler's anger flashed across his face. He looked at CC and pointed at Niles accusingly.
"Chandler, he's joking. We were just…" CC sighed and stood up, straightening her jacket.
Chandler narrowed his eyes at her. "You always seem to be… just."
He pulled down on the lapels of his jacket. "CC, I've had just about enough of this."
"This what? We're trying to find a guardian so we can get out of this kooky living arrangement." And suddenly, she heard it herself. Her voice had that nervous sound. The one she used when she lied.
Chandler moved in front of her and began to speak when Niles' girlfriend, Shea entered the room with Sophie in her arms. Irked, CC's gaze instantly went to the sight.
Shea beamed. "I'm sorry. Niles sent me in here to look for a new pacifier for Sophie." Sophie's head shot up from Shea's shoulder and she reached for CC.
CC moved from Chandler and retrieved a pacifier from a nearby bottle rack. She handed the pacifier to Sophie, who instantly popped it in her mouth.
Chandler perked up looking at Shea and used his most dashing voice. "You look very natural holding a baby. Doesn't she CC?"
CC Nodded half-heartedly. "Sure."
Shea smiled and rocked Sophie who continued to reach for CC. "She's adorable. I have half a mind to adopt her myself."
CC quickly rescued Sophie from Shea's arms. "Niles and I will be raising her ourselves."
Chandler looked at her incredulously. "CC?"
"DD really wanted her to be raised by family." CC shrugged.
Shea crossed her arms lightly but kept her chipper smile. "And Niles."
"Yes, and Niles." She turned back to the Island with Sophie just as the baby put her head down on CC's shoulder.
CC looked down at Sophie in amazement because it was the first time Sophie ever acted so comfortable with her. Something inside CC melted as she stared at the baby. Sophie needed her.
Shea tried again. "Well, maybe someday Niles and I could- "
"I'm keeping her," CC said firmly, but inside she felt a calm warm feeling. She pulled out a stool at the sland and sat down slowly without moving her eyes from Sophie.
"Babcock? Do my eyes deceive me?" Niles entered the kitchen and walked up to CC where she sat holding the infant in front of her with Sophie's head down on her chest. His deep blue eyes met CC's icy blues. He placed a hand on Sophie's head and his voice softened. "Have you made friends, or are you sizing her up for a meal?"
CC stared up at him feeling some sort of welling in her eyes. Or was feeling welling in her core?
CC thought she heard Shea and Chandler speaking. Then there was a sudden realization that Chandler and Shea had moved to their sides.
"Niles, CC told me that the two of you are keeping Sophie." Shea raised her voice.
"She did?" Niles said it quietly and backed up as Shea hung on his arm.
"And someday, maybe I can help you. I mean, after all, Chandler and CC are about to get married." Shea's eyes flitted between Niles and CC in their locked gaze.
"What a splendid idea." Chandler said looking down at CC and then Niles.
"No." CC tried to look down at Sophie, but her gaze came back to Niles. "I'm keeping her."
Niles, began to smile softly at CC. "No, you and I are keeping her."
Still unanswered, Chandler put his hand on CC's arm. "CC?"
Stewart entered the room booming, "Kitten! Now if that isn't the sweetest thing I've ever seen." Sophie instantly picked up her head at the volume of Stewart's voice. "Let me hold that rascal."
Chandler left the room as CC broke her eye contact with Niles and they both handed the baby over. She then glanced at the doorway to see Chandler's exit and she followed.
She could hear Niles behind her running interference with Stewart. "I can just imagine this is what CC looked like as a child."
"Yes, Sophie looks exactly like her auntie."
"Honey, she has your hair color. Are you sure you aren't related?" Shea giggled.
CC rolled her eyes at the comment as she walked swiftly to catch up to Chandler in the hall.
"Chandler, wait." She caught his elbow and pulled him into the office along the hall and shut the door. When she turned back, he was at Andrew's bar and poured whiskey in a glass and then pounded the shot.
He set the glass down loudly. "I thought this is what you wanted. If you let those two get married and raise Sophie, you're completely off the hook."
She shook her head in disbelief. "Chandler, I was never going to be completely free of Sophie. I was always going to be in her life. What did you think would happen?"
"That if you didn't find someone, you'd let Niles raise the child with whomever he chooses."
"Chandler!"
He shook his head. "CC, that girl was right. We are about to be married and have children of our own.
"No, Chandler. We are not about to have children of our own. That was never my plan. It was yours."
Chandler pulled at his tie. "I don't understand. Then why are you so insistent on keeping the child."
She threw her hands up. "Because I don't have a choice. DD entrusted her to me."
"And don't forget Niles."
CC clutched her pearls and spun away from him in a fit.
"CC, I was onboard with this because I thought you were softening to the idea of having our children."
Her head dropped, and her eyes shut. She was metaphorically putting her finger through the pin of a grenade. "No." She walked to the window and looked out. "But she's here now, and I'm keeping her."
"And let's not forget Niles."
"How can I forget. You keep reminding me every 5 minutes." She turned back to face Chandler. "He's part oaf the package."
"Then we'll buy him out."
"He won't take it—the stubborn old goat." She smiled to herself. "Besides, Sophie loves him."
Chandler wilted back onto the arm of an overstuffed leather couch. His eyes bore into her. "And you?"
CC could feel tension in her shoulders. "Me what?"
"Do you love him too?"
The sting was sharp. "I resent that!"
Chandler pulled his tie completely off and stood up slowly. "CC, call me when you finally figure it out."
CC's voice broke. "Seriously?"
His voice was less frustrated and softer now and he smiled. "Were you planning on marrying me and living here with him for the next 18 years? And how long could he stay here platonically? -Especially with miss hot to trot out there."
All she could do was shake her head. Her mouth wouldn't move. It wouldn't deny…what exactly, she wasn't sure."
"When I proposed, Niles and Sophie weren't part of my plan."
She just slowly shook her head. "Niles-" She realized she'd said the dust mop's name on accident.
Chandler raised a dark eyebrow, looped the tie he'd been holding around the back of his neck, and he bent to kiss her goodbye.
She put two hands on his chest. "Maybe -maybe, just give me more time."
"For what, darling?" He held her chin and then planted a peck on her lips. "You're not leaving."
He walked to the door and then looked at her. "Are you?"
One of her hands clasped the other a little too hard, but nothing came out of her mouth. Chandler opened the door, went through it, and then slowly shut the door behind him.
She took a deep breath. She willed herself to speak. She made no move toward the door.
She finally collapsed backward onto the couch and sat silent and numb. She glanced over at a smiling laughing picture of DD.
She turned it around and looked away. "No, you did not tell me so."
