Friends and Lovers

Chapter Ten

C.C. smiled and waved at the kids as the car drove off, and then headed back into the kitchen to finish cleaning up. She was rinsing the dishes and stacking them in the dishwasher when Niles came down the back stairs.

"Oh, don't move, I need to get my camera."

"What for?"

"No one will ever believe that C.C. Babcock was in the Sheffield kitchen doing the dishes."

"Ha ha ha. Very funny, Niles. You know, I'm laughing so hard that I don't think I can finish loading the dishwasher."

He smiled and stepped off the staircase. "That's fine. I appreciate the help, thank you." She looked up and smiled at him. "Did the family get off to the movies already?"

"Yes, they just left. Fran said as long as Irene held out, they'd try to stay out all day. They plan to be out till after dinner."

"Irene without a nap, now that I'd pay good money to see. She'll either run out of gas, or spend the afternoon crying."

"Not if Maxwell holds her, she won't. That child absolutely adores her father. Well, you know what I mean."

"You're taking all this better than I expected. For the last two years, I've watched you try to get Mr. Sheffield to notice you, to think of you as more than just a business partner, and now you seem to be genuinely happy for him. You really do love him, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I actually thought I was IN love with him. Then I saw the way Fran was with him, how she put his children before herself, treated them as her own. Then I found out that they fell in love, and she talked him into working on his marriage. I could never have done that. I would have talked him into divorcing Sarah before we left London, but not Fran. She thought of Maggie and Brighton, and even gave Sarah the benefit of the doubt when Maxwell thought she was being unfaithful. It just goes to show you that no good deed goes unpunished. She went through hell watching Maxwell with Sarah and the children, and living with that creep she was married to."

"I've noticed such a change in you since you became friends with Miss Fine. Now, don't get me wrong, I see you on the phone with the directors and stage managers, you're still the hard as nails producer. When you first walk in the front door, you drip icicles, but then you see Fran or one of the children, especially the little ones, and you turn into…"

"A human being? Was I really that bad, Niles? Wait, of course I was, otherwise you wouldn't have been so rough on me."

"I never really thought you were bad, I actually enjoyed teasing you."

"You call that TEASING? You were downright mean most of the time."

"Well, that's all you responded to. If I was nice to you, you just blew me off. The only way I could engage you in conversation was to torment you. If I hurt you, I'm truly sorry."

She smiled and slid onto a stool. "No, you never hurt me. I was pretty rotten to YOU, though."

"I have very thick skin, you gave as good as you got." He finished loading the dishwasher and looked around the kitchen. "Well, that's done. How are you at baking?"

"Baking? That's why I have Angelica. I do NOT bake."

"Well, I need to bake some snacks for the children. I thought maybe some banana bread and some cookies. Would you like to help?"

"Well, if it's for the children. You really don't play fair, you know that don't you?" She laughed as she grabbed the apron he tossed to her. "What do I have to do?"

"If you'd grab the flour and sugar canisters off the shelf, I'll get the butter and eggs from the refrigerator."

"What kind of cookies are we making?" She sighed. "Knowing Fran, probably something healthy like oatmeal raisin."

"Brighton detests raisins, so I was thinking oatmeal chocolate chip."

"Oh, that sounds good, healthy, with a touch of chocolate."

"The children seem to like them and the chocolate and nuts haven't bothered the little ones."

"Fran's daughter bothered by chocolate? The kid was probably born addicted to it!" She laughed as she pulled the canisters off the shelf.

Niles chuckled. "You're probably right, I'm sure she was. Irene can be upstairs, and someone opens chocolate down in the kitchen, and that child is right under your feet asking for a bite."

"What's funny is that I've seen the snacks she packs for the children. She packs dried fruit, nuts, cheese and crackers; I don't think I've ever seen her give them cookies or candy."

"No, they only get healthy snacks when they're out running around. She saves the cookies and cakes for after school and after dinner. Irene just doesn't want to think she's missing out on something."

"I'd hate to be at the movies with them right now. Imagine her at the candy counter!" She laughed. "It was bad enough when we walked past the food court at the mall. She was so adorable. "Want a hot dog' 'no honey. K…Want ice cream. No honey. K. Want pizza. No honey.' The best part was right after we passed the food court, there was a jewelry store. Irene looks at it and says 'Want diamonds'. Smart baby she has there."

"So did she get the diamonds?"

"Fran just smiled and told her maybe for her birthday. That seems to work with her. Rather than tell her no, Fran just tells her she has to wait for her birthday, knowing full well she won't remember by July."

"She certainly has a way with the children, doesn't she?"

"I just wish I had half her patience." She measured the flour and dumped it into the bowl, splashing it all over the counter. She slammed the measuring cup on to the counter, sending flour flying. "DAMN!" She looked over at Niles, who now had flour covering the side of his face. "Oh, Niles, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

He put his hand to his face and wiped the flour off, then moved his hand to C.C.'s face and spread the flour on her nose and cheeks. "There, now we BOTH look like we're baking." He smirked as he saw the shocked look appear on her face.

She reached into the flour canister and tossed another handful of flour in his direction. "I SAID I was sorry."

He wiped the flour off his face, and looked into the bowl he was stirring. He took a spoonful of the sweet mixture of banana and sugar and flung it onto C.C.'s face. "Now I bet you're sorry."

"Niles!"

He took a step closer to her, reached over, and wiped the banana off with his thumb. He moved his thumb to his mouth, licking off the mixture. "Mmmm, you should try it."

C.C. looked into his hypnotic blue eyes and took a deep breath. It was now or never, he was daring her to make a move. She took a finger full of banana mixture and spread it across his lips, then leaned forward and tasted it. She never tasted the banana; all she could taste was Niles. He pulled her to him and deepened the kiss. It seemed like several minutes before they pulled apart, breathless. They smiled at each other like a couple of teenagers. "Nope, I'm definitely NOT sorry." She grinned at him and went back to measuring the dry ingredients. They stood mixing the banana bread silently for several minutes, exchanging shy glances.

"You know, I've been wondering what that would be like."

"Are you disappointed?"

"Far from it.

She smiled brightly. "You're not just saying that?"

His answer was to pull her to him and kiss her softly. "We may have exchanged many jokes over the years, but I'd never joke about something like this."

She laid her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms tighter around her. "Thanks, Niles."

"For what?"

"Oh, you wouldn't understand. All my life I've felt like I've had to prove something. You've seen me at my worst, and you accept me for who I am. It's like you know me better than I know myself."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but at times, you remind me of a lost puppy. You snap when you're frightened, but all you really want is to be loved. I think that's why the children have the effect on you that they do."

"I think I know what you mean." She laughed. "All these years of acting like we hated each other, and now it's like you've always been my best friend."

Niles put the loaf pans in the oven and started cleaning up the kitchen. "Why don't you go upstairs and get cleaned up. The cookies can wait until later. It's a nice day, why don't we go for a walk?"

She smiled. "I'd like that. I'll be down in a few minutes." He watched her climb the back stairs, then closed his eyes, thinking of the feel of her soft lips on hers, the taste of her mouth, the way she felt in his arms. He opened his eyes and smiled. He couldn't wait until Valentine's Day. First, he was going to give her a little preview. They'd walk through the park, and he'd give her a glimpse of the fun to come.

C.C. walked slowly down the stairs, unsure if she should have changed her clothes. She only had her business clothing, so she'd rummaged through Fran's things and found a pair of jeans and a sweater. Fran was like a sister, surely she wouldn't mind. She never realized how tiny Fran actually was until she tried to squeeze into her jeans. They fit her fine, unless she wanted to breathe. She opted for less attractive sweat pants, choosing comfort over style. She prayed Fran's sneakers would fit her. Thank goodness, they wore the same size! She took a deep breath when she got to the landing. Boy, that bread smells good! She descended the stairs to find an empty kitchen. "Niles?" She looked at the timer on the counter. The bread still had about 20 minutes to cook; he couldn't have gone too far. She moved through the kitchen into the dining room, then on to the living room. "There you are." She smiled as she saw him sitting on the sofa, legs propped up on the coffee table. "Don't YOU look comfortable?"

"I could say the same thing about you. I didn't think you owned a pair of sweat pants."

"I don't. These are Fran's. You don't think she'll mind, do you?"

"That's her sweater, too, isn't it? No, I'm sure she would have told you to help yourself."

"Good, I'd hate to upset her by going through her drawers, but I had nothing to wear." She laughed. "You know, Niles, while I was searching her room for something to wear I was thinking that she's become more like my little sister than my friend."

"She certainly confides in you more than she does her own sister."

"And I NEVER confide in mine."

"I think she'll be thrilled you feel close enough to her to violate her privacy." Niles chuckled. "If you're that worried, call her on her cell phone and ask her."

"No, I'll risk it. I don't want to disturb their day."

"The bread will be done in just a few minutes, and then we can go. I think I'll run upstairs and put on some comfortable clothes as well. Will you listen for the timer?"

"Sure, Niles. I'll keep your spot on the sofa warm." She sat down and picked up a magazine as Niles headed up the stairs. He went to his room and changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, then pulled on his jacket. He exchanged his loafers for tennis shoes and ran his hands through his hair. Much better. He pulled his wallet from his dress pants and moved it to the zipper pocket of his sweats.

He returned to the living room and walked quietly behind C.C.. She looked like a little girl dressed in sweats and sneakers. He wished he could have seen her as a child, before the pain of loneliness had made her so bitter. Hopefully, he could ease a little of her pain. The timer started buzzing in the kitchen, and she hopped up to attend to it.

"I'll get it, just relax. I'd hate for you to burn yourself." He winked at her as he headed down the hall to the kitchen. He emerged a couple of minutes later with a small bite of warm bread in his hand. "Here, taste this, see what you think." He held the warm morsel up to her mouth and slid it between her lips.

She chewed it slowly, savoring the flavor. "Oh, Niles, this is wonderful! Do we really have to save it for the children?" She laughed.

"Now I think you really ARE related to Miss Fine. Don't worry; I saved you half a loaf. We'll have it with coffee when we get back from the park."

"I can't wait."

"Well, the sooner we leave, the sooner we get back. I thought we'd grab a nosh in the park. We can act like a couple of kids and eat hot dogs and popcorn."

"You're not serious. You really expect me to do THAT?"

"Come on, Miss Babcock, live a little. You're already half there; you're dressed comfortably, now LIVE comfortably."

"C.C., Niles. My name's C.C.. I can't believe you expect me to eat hot dogs and popcorn, next you'll be ordering me a beer!"

"They don't sell beer in the winter, you'll have to settle for soft drinks, and, if you're a good girl, an ice cream cone." He winked and reached for her hand.

"Ice cream in the winter? Isn't it a little cold to be eating ice cream?"

"One thing I learned from being around Miss Fine; it's always a perfect time for ice cream."

She laughed. "She does like her ice cream, doesn't she?"

"Absolutely. Day or night, summer or winter."

She sighed and put her hand in his. "All right, Butler Boy, show me a good time. Sorry, old habits again, that was completely thoughtless."

"It was, but I'll allow it." He grinned. "I'll try to refrain from calling you Ice Princess once we get out in the cold." He pulled her through the door and locked it behind him. "Where to first?"

"This is your excursion, Niles, I'll follow you."

"Very well, to the park!" They turned the corner and crossed the street to enter Central Park. Niles stopped at the first vendor and bought two hot apple ciders that they sipped while walking towards the deserted playground. Their cups were empty by the time they reached the benches. Niles took the cups and disposed of them in the trash receptacles. "Come with me." He pulled her towards the swings, and guided her into one of the seats."

"What are you doing?" She looked at him, confused.

"Sit down, and hold on."

"Niles!"

He carefully began pushing her on the swing. She lifted her legs in front of her, so as not to hit the sand. Sure that she was holding on tightly, he began pushing a little higher. He was sure a giggle escaped her lips.

"Do you know how to make yourself go higher?"

"Are you kidding? I can't remember ever being on one of these!"

"Then hold on tight." He began pushing her higher and higher.

She smiled broadly as the wind whipped her hair and the cold stung her cheeks. She looked around when she heard a giggling child, and was shocked to realize the sound was coming from HER mouth. Niles continued pushing her on the swing for several minutes. When she finally came to a stop, she was grinning from ear to ear.

"I never knew that could be so fun!"

He took her hand again. "Then let's try another ride." He pulled her over to the teeter-totter and helped her sit on the bottom seat. He pulled the top seat down, and moved his leg over it, balancing them. "Ready?"

"No; what do I do?"

"Just follow me; do what I do." He lowered his seat to the ground, sending her into the air, then pushed himself up, causing her to fall toward the earth. "Put your feet out, don't let the seat hit the sand."

She stopped the seat and pushed herself back up. Niles was grinning, C.C. was laughing. They looked like two overgrown children having fun. When they were done, C.C. was out of breath.

"Don't laugh, but I actually think I'm ready for that hot dog now."

"Then let's go find a vendor then, shall we?" She smiled and nodded, wrapping her arm through his and kissing his cheek. "What was that for?"

"For just being the sweet man that you are." She laid her head on his shoulder as they walked arm in arm through the park in search of a hot dog. "Is that a vendor?" She pointed to the red cart with the umbrella.

"It certainly looks like one. What do you like on your hot dogs?"

"I have no idea, Niles. Mustard?"

"Will you trust me to order for you?"

"Well, you've been cooking for me for years, and haven't killed me yet, sure, go ahead."

Niles ordered two hot dogs with everything, including onions. He handed them to C.C. and then ordered two large Cokes. "Here we are, this should do it."

"Niles, this thing is huge, how am I going to eat this?" She laughed and stared at the meal in front of her.

"Well, first thing is to forget that you're a lady when you eat one of these. You're going to get catsup and mustard all over your face. Here, I got you extra napkins, since you're a beginner."

"Oh, God."

"The second thing is to remember you're wearing one of your sister's favorite sweaters, so be careful." He smiled at her, his blue eyes sparkling.

"Is there a third thing?"

"Yes, have fun and enjoy your hot dog before it gets cold." He opened his mouth wide and pushed the end of the hot dog into his mouth.

She watched him with her eyes opened wide. No WAY was she doing that! She watched him take another bite and a wicked though came into her mind. What did Fran call it? Oh, yeah, this was definitely a SPLASH. C.C.'s mind was in the gutter. She gave him a little smirk and opened her mouth wide, then gave the end of the hot dog a little lick before inserting it into her mouth.

Niles stopped chewing and stared at her. He watched her tongue flick at the end of the hot dog, and then watched her as she moved it deep into her mouth, then back out, before staring into his eyes and taking a bite. She felt something on the corner of her mouth, and let her tongue dart back out and lick the mustard off. "Gee, Niles, you're right; these hot dogs are GOOD!"

Niles couldn't chew. His mouth had gone dry. He picked up his cup and took a long drink of soda. Satisfied that she'd completely shocked him, she giggled softly and took a big bite of her hot dog. No, these weren't bad at all. She slowly chewed and swallowed, then grinned broadly at him. "What's wrong, Niles, don't you like yours?"

"Um, er, yes, it's fine. I see you're enjoying yours."

She suppressed another giggle. "Yes, I didn't expect to enjoy it this much."

"Is it the hot dog you're enjoying, or simply that you're tormenting me?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I'm enjoying both. I'm sorry, Niles. Wait, why am I apologizing? You TOLD me to have fun!"

"Yes, I certainly did. Come on, let's go grab a bench." She followed him over to a bench where they sat and watched some teens playing Frisbee. They finished their meal in silence, but after Niles carried the trash to the receptacle, he sat down and laced his fingers through hers. She sighed contentedly and laid her head on his shoulder. It had been a long time since she was completely comfortable around a man. She could always be herself around Maxwell, and now she had that same feeling with Niles. He accepted her, faults and all. She didn't have to prove anything to him. She looked up at him, and he smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead. She smiled back and leaned up, intending to kiss his cheek, but he moved and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I'm glad you're having a good time. You're due a few of them, C.C.."

Her eyes filled with tears at his words. He was right; it was time for her to have some fun. "What's that thing the kids are throwing around?"

"That's a Frisbee; do you want me to see if we can borrow it?"

"No, Niles that's all right. Niles!" She was too late; he was already on his way across the grass to the teenagers. She saw Niles point in her direction, then one of the boys tossed the disc to her. Niles ran back to show her how to throw it.

"Just wrap your hand around like this, and then fling it away from yourself." C.C. tried to follow his instructions, but he disc just fell to the ground. "Watch me." He gripped the disc and rotated his hand sending the disc flying towards the boys. One of them picked it up and tossed it back to Niles. "Are you ready to try again?" She nodded and took the toy from him. She was not about to let this small piece of plastic get the better of her. She gripped it as he showed her, flicked her wrist, and the disc went flying. Her aim was off, but she had good distance that time. "Much better! Next time, don't forget to aim." He chuckled. He loved her determination.

They played with the teens for a few minutes, then Niles waved goodbye to them, grabbed her hand, and headed back toward the playground. "Are we leaving?"

"Not yet, I saw the ice cream truck heading for the play area. After all that exercise, I could use a double dip, how about you?" She nodded and followed him back to the playground, where the truck was parked. Niles ordered two double dip cones, and escorted her to the swings, where they sat and pushed themselves slowly while Niles gently prodded answers out of her about her childhood.

Max parked the Range Rover and helped the children out one by one. "Maggie, boys, watch the little ones. This was definitely a good idea, Darling; the girls were getting quite restless."

"Can we get ice cream, Mom?"

"No, you just ate lunch. Oy, maybe we should just take them home and let them play inside." Fran looked at her children, who had stopped and were staring at something in the playground. She quickened her step, followed closely by Max. "What is it, kids?"

"Look!" Maggie giggled and pointed to the swings. "It's Niles and C.C.! He KISSED her!"

"Isn't that my sweater?" Fran looked at Max and grinned. "Come on, kids, let's leave them alone. They deserve a little privacy."

"I take it this means he won't be home to prepare our dinner." Max was frowning.

"Well, it sure doesn't look like it, Honey. I guess you'll have to settle for MY cooking."

"Fran, you know how territorial Niles is."

"So, we eat at my house. Oh, stop looking at me like that, I know you like to pretend the house doesn't exist, but it DOES."

"I don't pretend it doesn't exist. I just don't like to hear you refer to it as YOUR house or HOME."

"Oy, all right. Let's go to OUR other house for dinner tonight. How's that sound, better?" She scooped up her youngest, who was still trying to run for the swings.

"Here, Sweetheart, I'll carry her. The rest of you, hurry up now, back to the car."

The children raced for the car, with Gracie bringing up the rear. Max placed Irene on the grass and patted her bottom. "Go on, Ree, hurry; run and catch Gracie." The toddler took off running toward her siblings. Max caught Fran's hand and held it tightly. "I'm sorry, Darling. I guess Niles isn't the only one who's territorial. You're staying there tonight, aren't you?"

"Yeah, Honey, I am. I can either drive you home, or you can take the Rover and send the limo for Anth…Michael in the morning. I just CAN'T get used to that name."

"It'll get easier, I'm sure. You're sure you want me to take the Rover? What if you need a vehicle in the middle of the night?"

"Then I'll drive you home after dinner." She hugged his arm tightly.

"So what's for dinner?" He leaned over and kissed her cheek softly.

"I have no clue, to be honest. I'll have to go through the cupboards and the freezer. It'll give the kids a chance to play for a while."

As soon as the Rover came to a stop in front of Fran's townhouse, the three older children climbed out and raced up the steps, leaving the younger girls crying in their car seats. Max shook his head as he opened the back door to release Irene from her seat. She climbed over her sister's seat and jumped out onto the sidewalk. "Boys, come back down here and help your sisters up the stairs, please."

The boys plodded slowly down the stairs and took their sisters by the hands. "Sorry, Dad." Max smiled and tousled Brighton's hair before taking Fran's hand to help her up the stairs.

"Mom, can we rehearse our songs tonight?"

She looked over at Max. "I guess so, Honey."

"We've only got a few more weeks, and I haven't even heard you and Dad sing your songs."

She looked at her son and let out a playful growl. "Fine, I'll rehearse my songs. I don't see you getting on Niles or Aunt C.C.!"

He grinned. "I can MAKE them rehearse?"

Max put his arm around his shoulder. "You're the producer, Son, you're in charge."

"YES!"

Fran got the doors unlocked and followed the children into the house. "We'll be in the playroom, Ma!"

"Michael, Brighton! Did you forget something?" She looked down at the two youngest children as they started climbing the stairs after their brothers.

"Come on girls, let's go play. I'll turn on the intercom when we get up there."

"Thanks, Honey." She watched the children as they turned the corner to their room, and then turned to Max. "I guess we'd better practice, or the producer is gonna fire us. Wait a minute…that could work!" She laughed as she headed to the living room. "You want a drink, Sweetie?"

"Why don't I go downstairs and pick out a nice bottle of wine?"

"That sounds wonderful, while you're doing that; I'll look through the refrigerator and freezer. If all else fails, we can have leftovers from your party."

"Leftovers, Fran?"

"Oh, now don't start with me. I've eaten leftovers my whole life and I didn't grow and extra thumb or anything." She laughed as she gave him a gentle shove toward the stairs.

Fran stopped in the kitchen and switched on the intercom as she watched Max continue down the stairs to the basement. She opened the refrigerator and peered in side. "Leftovers, it is!" She began to pull dishes out of the refrigerator and assemble them on the counter. No way was she going to allow this food to sit and spoil because Max didn't like to eat the same thing two days in a row.

Max appeared at the top of the stairs with two bottles of Merlot. "Will this go with leftovers?"

She grinned at him. "As long as your pampered palate isn't offended." She giggled and took the bottles from him. "These will be perfect, Honey."

"What can I do to help?" Max looked around the kitchen.

"Well, for starters, you can open a bottle of wine and relax. I just need to pop these dishes into the oven to warm them, and we'll get the boys and Maggie to set the table."

"Oh, they'll love that."

"Max, they've been doing it for two years. We don't have a butler over here. When Maggie and B are over here, they've always done the same chores as Michael. I just can NOT get used to calling him that. Anyway, they've set the table, shoveled snow, raked the back yard, dusted, vacuumed, cleaned the playroom, and even helped with laundry. You know, they never once complained? I guess they know what they can get away with at home.

"They never told me they did chores over here."

"You think they were going to complain? They saw us doing chores as a family; even Ree would help clean up the playroom. We made a game of seeing how many toys she could get into her baskets. The playroom actually became hers and Gracie's to clean. It was something they could handle, and still be part of the fun."

"I've fallen in love with Mary Poppins!"

"Hardly! We don't run around the house singing and snapping our fingers to get our chores done. I do try to make housework fun for the kids, though. I hide Hershey's kisses in places I know they'll find them, little things like that. I thought you were going to get me a glass of wine?" She poked his arm playfully before opening the oven.

"Are you coming upstairs to relax after you put those in?"

"You'd better believe it. I don't know why I feel so tired today."

Max smiled at her as he headed up the stairs. He opened the bottle and poured two glasses. Fran appeared at the top of the stairs before he could sit down. He handed her a glass and kissed her cheek. "Your wine, Darling."

She sat on the sofa and waited for him to sit next to her, then snuggled against him. They say quietly for several minutes, listening to the sound of their children's laughter coming over the intercom as they sipped their wine.

"It's starting to get a bit cool, how about I start a fire?"

"That would be nice, Honey, thanks. I wonder if the kids are warm enough."

"You don't want a fire in the upstairs fireplace, do you?"

"Are you kidding? They'd burn the house down! I was actually thinking of turning the thermostat up a bit."

Max walked over to the wall and moved the dial slightly. "That should do it, they're so busy playing, I'm sure they'll be fine."

"Thanks Max." She laid her head on the back of the sofa and closed her eyes while he went out onto the terrace to bring in some firewood. She heard him building the fire, and soon the warmth has reached across the room to where she sat. "That feels so much better." She felt him slip back onto the sofa next to her and wrap her in his arms. "Even better." She moved her head against him and sighed softly.

He kissed the side of her head. "So, Darling, when are we going to rehearse?"

"You're really going to hold me to that, aren't you?"

"You promised our sons you'd rehearse the songs."

She grinned. "That means that YOU are going to be singing, too, doesn't it?"

"I suppose it does." He held her tighter. "How about after dinner, this feels too good to move."

"You read my mind, Maxwell." She closed her eyes again. "I could sit like this forever."

"Daaaaaadeeeeeee" Reenie's pitiful whine could be heard coming from the playroom, even without the benefit of the intercom.

Fran groaned and sat up. "Or until she starts that." She turned toward the intercom. "What's going on up there?"

"She's fine, Ma, she just keeps trying to mess up our Lego city."

"Did you give her some of her own?"

"Yeah, we did, but she still keeps taking ours."

Max and Fran both stood up. "You go check on dinner; I'll go take care of the children. Shouldn't it be about time to set the table?"

She looked at her watch. "Just about. By the time you get them washed up, it should be time."

"I suppose the children have a system for where they like to wash?"

"Maggie uses my bathroom, the boys use the playroom, and the girls come down to this bathroom. Well, either this one or the one in the kitchen." She laughed as she headed down the stairs. "They're all yours, Daddy."

She assembled the silverware and napkins on the counter for the children while she listened to her family over the intercom. She heard the water start to run in the playroom bathroom, and then heard the girls crying as Max pulled them from their playtime and brought them downstairs to wash up. He bypassed the living room bathroom and headed right for the kitchen with the two screaming girls in tow. "Would you please take one of these angels for me, Darling?"

Fran looked sternly at her daughters. "No way. I want you BOTH to stop this right now, do you understand me? No more screaming or you're both going to bed right after dinner. It's our fault, they didn't nap today. Girls, that's enough, now get into the washroom and wash your hands for dinner, and I'll let you help the big kids set the table."

Grace rubbed her eyes and sniffed. "OK, Mommy." She wiggled out of her father's grasp and wrapped her arms around Fran's legs. Irene continued to sniffle and bury her face in Max's neck, refusing to let go. Fran just shook her head and helped Grace wash her hands. When they finished, Max took Irene in and tried go get her cleaned up. In the meantime, the older children had made their way down the stairs and were starting to put the silverware on the table.

"Kids, make sure you leave something for the little ones to bring into the dining room." Fran watched the kids making trip after trip with the table settings.

"OK, Ma." He handed the place mats to Grace and tried to get Irene to carry the napkins. The toddler took them from her brother, threw them on the floor, and ran to Max.

"Daddy, up." She pulled on his pants, attempting to climb up his legs.

"Oh, someone's tired, isn't she?" The child laid her head on her father's shoulder and put her thumb in her mouth. "Is this something new, Fran?"

Fran looked at her daughter sucking on her thumb. "It sure is! Irene, take that thumb out of your mouth. You are told old to start that."

She closed her eyes and clung tighter to her father. "Maybe we should just overlook it tonight, Sweetheart. She IS over tired."

Fran sighed deeply. Her daughter didn't need her anymore, OR want her. All she wanted was her daddy. "I'm too tired to fight with her tonight, Max."

"I'm sure she'll be asleep before we get through with dinner." He bent over to retrieve the napkins she had thrown.

"Why don't you go sit with her in the dining room and supervise the kids setting the table? I'll bring the food in and we can get these kids fed. They've all got to be exhausted."

The family made it through dinner without the youngest falling asleep, but just barely. As Fran was dishing out dessert, she watched Irene's head start to bob up and down, followed quickly by Grace's. "Honey…" she pointed to the girls. "Will you finish serving dessert? I'll take Irene upstairs and change her first, and then I'll come back for Grace. So much for driving you home."

"I'll call Niles."

"No, why don't the kids just sleep here, and you can take the Mercedes home?"

"Your MERCEDES?"

"Wha? I trust you with my children, why wouldn't I trust you with my car?"

"I didn't think anyone drove that car but you."

"No one ever has. You've been dying to see her, now's your chance. Just make sure she's garaged for the night. She's never spent the night outside."

"Geesh, Ma, you sound like she's one of your kids or something."

"She IS, Honey."

"I'm surprised you kept it, since HE gave it to you. You've gotten rid of almost everything else, except me and Ree." He looked up at the pained look on his mother's face. "I mean, it's OK, Ma, I want to forget him, too. We have Max now. Why can't Max get you a cool car that you want as your baby?"

"Oh, here we go again. I am NOT keeping my Mercedes because your…because HE gave it to me. I'm keeping it because I happen to adore the car. I'd wanted that car for a long time. As for a new car, maybe Max will get me a new car, but that's not gonna happen tonight. Tonight, he takes the Mercedes home so I can have the big car for you kids, got it?"

He looked down and pushed his food around his plate. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Now, I'm going to take your sister upstairs before she falls head first into her plate. Do NOT give Max a hard time while I'm gone.

"I won't." He grinned at his mother as she carried his sister out of the room. "Sorry, Ma, I love you."

"I love you more, Sweetie." The family finished their meal as she carried the toddler up the stairs to get her ready for bed. When she came down for the next child, she was asleep in her father's arms, and he was supervising the boys and Maggie loading the dishwasher. "You have GOT to be kidding!"

"I would have done it myself, but, as you can see, my hands were full. You had no sooner left the room, than Grace nodded off herself."

"Oh, the poor little darling. I guess we can't skip naps then, can we?"

"That's not really fair though, that means we can't go to movies until they're old enough to not need naps."

"Not necessarily, Brighton, we DO have a nanny. We can leave the little ones with Miss Spencer next time. They get to do a lot of extra things while you older children are in school." Fran reached down to take Grace from his arms. "Do you want me to carry her up, Darling? She's getting awfully heavy."

"Sure, I'll go up and help you. Kids, don't break anything, and don't start the dishwasher. Let Maggie make sure everything's loaded properly. The intercom's on if you need us."

The children looked up and smiled. They all loved the way Fran trusted them to handle chores. "We'll be fine." Maggie reached out and stroked her sister's hair. "Good night, Gracie. Boy, she's really out, isn't she?"

"She sure is. We'll be back down as soon as we get her into bed. Why don't you kids talk about where you're going to sleep tonight? I'll inflate the air mattress and someone can sleep downstairs in the play room. I suppose it will be either Maggie alone, or you two boys. You'll just have to go right to sleep, since it's a school night." She turned and followed Max up the stairs to the girls' room. "We are definitely out growing this house. It was so much easier when they were smaller."

"We're out growing both houses. The children can't share rooms forever." He started pulling Grace's pajamas on.

"No, they can't. We could turn the playroom back into a master suite, but that only frees up one bedroom," She helped him put the child under the covers and kissed her lightly.

"We'd lose the guest room and the nanny's room if they each had a room at the other house. Then what if we decided to have more children, we'd be out of room."

"More children, there you go again."

"I'm just saying, we need to consider our future. Maybe it's time to start looking for a larger home."

"Maggie was talking about that the other day. She wants us to get rid of both small houses and buy something up around Yonkers. She wants a place with land for horses and lots of room to play."

"That's something to think about. It would be nice for the children to have someplace where they could run and play outside without the fear of them running into traffic." He looked down at the sleeping girls. "These two are growing so fast, they won't be able to share a bed much longer."

"I know. I can't believe that Irene turns three this summer, and a couple of months later, Gracie will be FOUR. You know the one that I can't get over though…Maggie's going to be twelve next month, she's almost a teenager."

"It just doesn't seem possible, does it? They're all growing up so fast."

"Not too fast, I hope. We'd better get back downstairs and see what kind of mess the kids have made of the kitchen." She laughed. "They love to be treated like I think they're responsible, but I usually pay for it later." She walked over to the intercom and clicked it on. "I'm putting this on one way, so we can hear them, but they can't hear us." They walked to the door, stood, and watched the children sleep for a few seconds before closing the door and heading down stairs.

The children were sitting in the living room waiting patiently when their parents arrived. Fran clicked on the intercom and looked over at them. "OK, what's up?"

"Nothing. We loaded the dishwasher, and it's all ready for you to check. We're ready to rehearse."

She looked over at Max. "I guess there's no getting out of this, is there?"

"It doesn't look like it. All right, boys, what have you got in mind?"

"Well, we need to hear your song, and Mom's song, then we need to hear you together."

"Well, it's getting late, so why don't we just do the duet, then you children can start getting your baths and get ready for bed?"

"Aw, Dad, you're just trying to get out of singing."

"No, I'm really not. Darling, why don't you and Maggie go make us some hot chocolate?"

"Maxwell, are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Actually, yes, Sweetheart. I've got a bit of a surprise planned, and I need to discuss it with our producers."

"Fine, let's go, Maggie, we're being thrown out of the room. Listen for the girls; I'll turn off the intercom in the kitchen." She kissed him on the head as she got up.

Once the girls were safely downstairs, Max turned to the boys. "I've picked a song that I'd like to sing, but I don't want to rehearse it in front of your mother. It's a song that will give her an idea that I want to marry her."

"What song, Dad?"

" 'Ready to take a Chance Again', by Barry Manilow. Do you think she'll like it? I thought I could sing that after she does her song, and then we can do our duet as the finale."

"That'll be SO cool, Dad. She's gonna be so surprised. I'm sure she knows you want to marry her though, you're always talking like we're already a real family."

"We ARE a family, B. We have been for two years; it just took my mom and your dad all this time to figure it out."

Max laughed. "Yes, Son, sometimes adults can be a little slow."

"You're the slowest one, Dad. At least Fran treated us like her kids the whole time."

"Things were a little complicated, Brighton, it's hard to explain."

"At least we're all a family, now, B., that's what matters. Are you and Mom gonna have a baby when you get married?"

"I don't know, Son, that's something we'll have to think about."

"Well, we think it would be kinda cool. Reenie was fun when she was a baby, but she's getting older now."

"Yeah, Dad, and we need another boy to even things out."

"What if we have a girl?"

The boys looked at each other and made faces. "No, no more girls!" Max laughed and grabbed the boys and hugged them close.

"Let's just be patient, what do you say, boys. Now, not a word to you-know-who." He smiled and looked over at the stairwell as Fran came up the stairs with a tray of cocoa, followed by Maggie with a plate of cookies.

"I thought we might want a little sweet with our cocoa. All right, what's goin' on?"

"What do you mean, what's going on?"

"Look at the three of you, you're plotting something, I can always tell."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." The three men exchanged quick glances. "Ready for rehearsal?" He reached for a cookie and turned on the stereo.

The next few days were hectic, with rehearsals, homework, Irene seemed to be getting the start of an ear infection, and all she wanted was to sit in Max's lap. On Wednesday, Fran took both girls to the doctor as a precaution. Irene was given antibiotic for her infection, and Gracie was given a clean bill of health. Fran handed the prescription to Denise to go fill while she discussed another matter with the doctor. She had the doctor quickly swab the girls' mouths and had him order a DNA test. She may not have Maxwell with her to verify parentage, but if the test showed these two girls were related, that's all the evidence they'd need.

Fran met Denise at the drug store, and the women took the girls out for ice cream afterwards. By the time they arrived back home, Irene was once again screaming for her daddy. As soon as they walked through the front door, she ran into the office and climbed into his lap. Denise took Grace upstairs for her nap while Fran went into the office to try to pry the toddler away from her father. As she reached the door, Max had stopped working and was rocking her and singing softly, trying to lull the child to sleep. "She should go right to sleep, Honey, she just had Tylenol and an antibiotic."

"So you were right, it was an ear infection? What about Grace?"

"Gracie's fine, she's upstairs asleep already. Max, I had the doctor do the DNA test today."

"Don't you need me for that?"

"Not necessarily. If the test shows the girls are related, then we'll know for sure."

"Yes, I suppose we will."

"Are you O.K.?"

"Yes, Darling"

Irene looked up at her father. "Ya sure?"

"Yes, Sweetheart, I'm sure."

The toddler wrapped her arms around him and planted a wet kiss on his cheek. "Love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too, Reenie." He held her tight as his eyes filled with tears. "I don't give a DAMN what those tests say! These are MY children, all of them, Fran."

"I know, Sweetie, I feel the same way. I just wanted to know, in case, God forbid, we need her blood type for a transfusion or something."

"He drew their blood?" He held the child closer.

"No, I only let him scrape their cheeks. If the test shows they're sisters, we'll know the documents that we got from Tony's parents were accurate."

"How long before we know?"

"The doctor said two to three weeks. He could have put a rush on it, but there's really no hurry. The results aren't going to change anything."

"No, they won't." He saw Fran smiling at the baby in his arms. She'd finally fallen asleep. "I'll go put her in bed."

Fran sat on the leather sofa and put her feet up, closing her eyes. When Max came back, he slid onto the sofa next to her and pulled her close. "Max, how can we leave her tomorrow night?"

"Fran, it's a mild ear infection, she'll be fine. She'll be here with her sisters and brothers and her nanny, she won't even miss us."

"She won't miss ME. You know, when I was taking her for ice cream she was just fine, but let us get into the car coming home, she's screaming for her daddy. Maybe I should call Val to come over tomorrow night."

"Won't she have a date? It IS Valentine's Day."

She laughed. "This is VAL we're talking about. I don't think she's had a date for Valentine's as long as I've known her.

"Well, give her a call, then, maybe Irene will feel better with her Aunt Val here."

"She'll feel better with her daddy here."

"Well her mommy and daddy will be out to dinner and dancing, Darling. She's almost three years old; it's time she stopped these tantrums."

"I can't believe Gracie never had them."

"No, she just withdrew, that is, until you started spending extra time with her."

Fran yawned and laid her head on Max's chest. "I wish Irene would watch her big sisters and learn how to behave."

"She will, Darling, you'll see. I think she's just reacting to all the moving from house to house that they've been doing."

She yawned again. "I'm sure you're right."

"Why don't you go upstairs and take a nap? I have some paperwork to finish up before C.C. gets back from the theater, the children won't be home for a couple of hours, and the little ones are sleeping. You've been awfully tired lately; I don't want to see you get sick, too."

"You're right, I think I will go up and take a nap. Are you sure you can't join me?"

"As much as I'd love to, I really need to get this done. I've cut the weekends out of my work schedule, and started working shorter days, so I need to make the most of the time I DO work."

"All right, but if you change your mind, I'll be in the first room at the top of the stairs, the one with that huge bed." She looked at him and grinned. "Wha? It's more comfortable, and I love the way the pillows smell."

He stood up and helped her up. "Have a good nap, I'll come and wake you just before three, unless you'd rather sleep."

"No, no, I want to be up when the children come home, Max." He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply.

"Sweet dreams."

"Well, since I only dream of you, my dreams are always sweet." She kissed him softly and headed up to his room for her nap.

When the children arrived home, Fran took them into the kitchen and helped them with their homework while she fixed dinner. Niles sat in the living room pouting when the family took over his kitchen. Inwardly, he was smiling, his family was finally happy. HE was finally happy. C.C. arrived from the theater while Niles was relaxing on the sofa with a brandy.

"Oh, look at you! Did Fran throw you out of the kitchen again?"

"Yes, she did. She's helping the children with their homework, and making spaghetti. Can you just see the dining room after little Irene finishes with spaghetti? I have an idea, how'd you like to go out for dinner, Babcock?"

"Well, I DO have a lot of work today, Niles." She saw the smile on his face fade as she was turning him down. "Well, if we don't stay out too long, maybe a quick dinner?"

"That sounds wonderful; I'll run up and change while you tell Mr. Sheffield."

She smiled as she headed into the office. "Maxwell, here are the contracts for the actors, and the agreement for the theater. I need to go out, but I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"You're not staying for dinner? Fran's making spaghetti."

"Maxwell, as much as I love Fran and adore your children, I've gotten a better offer. I'm going to dinner with Niles."

"With Niles, eh?" He took off his glasses and stood up. "You've been spending quite a bit of time with him lately, haven't you?"

"Do you have a problem with it, Maxwell? I work hard; I'm entitled to have some fun."

"I can see you've been listening to Fran again. I'm glad to see that, C.C., you DO work hard, and it's nice to see you relax. Fran and I are looking forward to tomorrow night."

C.C. laughed. "She told me about Reenie's ear infection. I'm surprised you're getting her out of the house."

"It was an argument, but we're still going."

"You two argued? I can't believe THAT!"

"Well, argued isn't really the word for it. We actually discussed it, and we decided that she'd call Val to come over and help Miss Spencer."

"Good idea. I just don't see Irene letting YOU leave; Fran says she's become a little clinging vine where you're concerned."

"She certainly has. She'll be awake any time, and she'll be right back down here in my office, in my lap."

As if on cue, the office door opened and Irene's brunette head poked around the door. "Hi, Aunt C.!" She ran and hugged C.C., before heading for her father's lap. "Miss you, Daddy."

"I missed you too, Baby." He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a color book and a box of crayons. "Don't get any crayon on Daddy's papers, Sweetheart."

"Kay, Daddy." She pulled two crayons from the box and started scribbling in the book.

"I don't believe it, Maxwell, crayons in your desk? You're turning into Fran."

"You should see this drawer. I have crayons, toys, fruit snacks, small packages of cookies. I'm ready for any emergency."

"It certainly looks like it!" She laughed and put the stack of contracts on the corner of his desk. "I'll just leave these right here. Niles should be ready to go by now." She headed back for the office door. "We won't be long. See you in an hour or so. Bye, Reenie."

"Bye, Aunt C.!" She blew kisses as C.C. vacated the office.

Max stood up and carried his daughter with him. "Let's go find, Mommy, shall we, Irene?"

"Kay, Daddy." He carried her into the kitchen where Fran was sitting at the table with the four other children and the nanny.

"Are you missing someone?"

Fran looked up and smiled at her daughter. "Hi, Baby. No, Denise told me her first words when she opened her eyes were 'where's Daddy?' I knew she'd be back in your office. She's really going to love it when I take her home tonight."

"Why don't you just leave her here?"

"Maxwell, there is no way I'm leaving my sick baby here with her nanny. No offense, Denise, but she needs her mother."

"Sweetheart, I was thinking that I could take care of her. If she won't leave me, how to you propose to get her to go home with you?"

"Simple; she's two, I'm her mother and she'll do as she's told."

"Fran…"

"Can we discuss this later?" She cast her glance at the other children. Max nodded. She had a point; it was not good to argue in front of the children.

After dinner, Fran and the nanny took the girls upstairs for their bath, and let them play in the tub for a while. Fran dressed them in their pajamas and got Irene's robe and slippers ready for the ride home. When she got downstairs, Niles and C.C. had returned, and the boys had roped them into a rehearsal in the living room. She looked at her watch. "Michael, it's time to go. Go get your coat and hat." She pulled Irene's robe on and looked over at Max.

"I'll go pull your car around and warm it up, Sweetheart. We'll try to make this as easy as possible."

She hugged her friend. "See you tomorrow, C.C.."

C.C. looked at Irene. "Is she going to be all right?"

"Physically, she's fine. She's just going to pitch a huge fit when she realizes that Max isn't going with us." She heard the horn of the Rover out front. "Michael, go get in the Rover; sit in the back like your dad is going with us." She hugged the other children. "I love you; I'll see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams." She scooped up her toddler and walked out to the Rover, putting the baby in her car seat. She climbed into the passenger seat and looked apprehensively at Max.

"Call me if you need me, Darling."

She nodded. "Hopefully she'll quiet down when she realizes not getting her way."

"If not, give me a call, I can come over until she falls asleep." He leaned over and kissed her softly. "I love you." He looked in to the back seat. He patted his son's leg and ran his hand over his daughter's head. "I love you two very much."

"Love you, Daddy."

"I love you, Dad."

"Mind your mother, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir. Good night."

Max opened the door and stepped out as Fran slid over into the driver's seat. Irene immediately began crying. "Just go, Sweetie, she's going to be fine. I love you."

"I love you, too. Call me when you get home."

"I will, as soon as I get them in and settled."

"Drive safely." She nodded and closed the door. Ignoring her daughter's wailing, she put the Rover in gear and headed home. By the time she arrived at her townhouse, Irene was sobbing hysterically. She handed her son the keys to the door and pulled the toddler from her car seat. She locked the doors and followed her son into the house.

"Don't forget to call Dad, Ma."

"I won't, Baby. Go upstairs and start getting ready for your bath. It's a school night." She checked her watch. Thank goodness, time for Irene's medicine. She gave her the Tylenol and antibiotic and carried her upstairs to her room. The child continued to ask for her daddy as she was put into bed. "No, Irene, Daddy isn't here, you need to go to sleep." She sighed deeply. Maybe if she just let her cry for a few min, she'd fall asleep. When Fran tried to leave the room, the screaming became louder, and the toddler sprang from her bed and threw herself at her mother's legs.

"Daaaaaadddeeeeeeee! Want Daaaaadeeeeeee!" This went on for another hour. Michael had finished his bath and got in bed to read his favorite book. Fran tried taking Irene to her bed, but the sobbing hadn't slowed down one bit. She finally gave in, picked up the phone, and dialed. Maxwell answered, and heard the wailing in the background. Fran didn't need to ask.

"I'm on my way, Darling; I'll be there in ten minutes."

Fran rocked her daughter and held her close. "It's all right, Baby, Daddy's coming." The tears were now flowing freely down Fran's cheeks. Her child had now become totally dependent on the man she loved.

Maxwell dressed quickly, and then stopped at his butler's room to let him know he was leaving the house. He descended the back stairs and headed for his office, then opened the safe and removed the small velvet box he'd bought the week before. He had so wanted to wait until the pageant to make this special, but he couldn't stand the woman he loved living apart from him any longer.

When he pulled up in front of Fran's townhouse, he looked up and saw the soft light coming from her bedroom window. He could hear his daughter's screams as he opened the door. He threw his coat over a chair in the den and bounded up the two flights of stairs to Fran's bedroom. She was sitting on the leather sofa, rocking their child, singing softly. He slowly entered the room and kissed her gently as he picked up the sobbing toddler.

"Everything's all right, Precious, Daddy's here." He reached down and caressed Fran's cheek. "I'll see if I can't get her to bed." Fran nodded as she wiped the tears from her face. Max carried the child down the hall toward her room. Her brother's door opened and Michael stuck his head out.

"Please make her stop, Dad?"

"I'm working on it, Son, now go back to bed." He stopped and gave the boy a hug. "I love you."

"I love you, too. G' night."

"Good night, Son." Max smiled, thinking of how excited that boy would be if he knew what he had in his pocket. He looked at his little girl, who had laid her head on his shoulder and was finally quieting down. Max put her in her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. He grabbed a book and read to her, then sang her a couple of songs before she finally fell asleep. He took a deep breath and carefully backed out of the room.

He made his way back down the hall, fingering the velvet box in his pocket. Fran's door was still open. He put his head in and looked around the room. She was standing next to her closet in her nightgown. "My God, Fran, you look beautiful."

She looked down at the floor, then back up at him. "Close the door if you're staying." He reached behind him, closed the door, and locked it.

"I didn't stop to pack an overnight bag."

"There's clean underwear and socks in the top drawer of the small dresser."

"When did you do that?"

She grinned. "The last time I was out shopping. You also have a toothbrush and shaving things in the bathroom."

He moved closer and took her in his arms. "Fran, that's so sweet of you. I just don't know how much longer I can take this. I want to roll over at night and feel the warmth of your body, smell your perfume. I want to wake up in the morning to your smile. I want our children raised under one roof; you see what pulling them back and forth is doing to them. Irene is a mess, and the rest of the children aren't too far behind. The boys are going to kill me for this; they were so looking forward to seeing your face."

"Max, what are you…." He put two fingers to her lips to silence her, then reached into his pocket for the box, and dropped to one knee.

"Fran, I love you. I've loved you since the first day I saw you. I know I can't make up for the time we've lost, but I CAN make the rest of our days together happier than you can imagine. I don't want to spend another day without you by my side. Fran, will you marry me?" He pulled out the ring and slid it on her finger, then stood up just in time for her to throw herself into his arms.

"Oh, Max, I love you so much. Yes, I can't wait to marry you!" They shared a passionate kiss, and then Max lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. "Honey, what did you mean when you said the boys would kill you?"

"Oh, Darling, I had such a romantic proposal planned for you. We were going to sing our duet at the pageant, then during the presentations, the boys would tell the audience that I had a presentation, and that's when I was going to propose, in front of the children, your parents, our friends. I didn't want to wait that long, but I wanted it to be special. Tonight, with Irene so upset, I just couldn't wait any longer, I want our family together, we've wasted too much time already." He climbed into bed, taking her into his arms. "What do you say to a bit of house hunting this weekend? I've done a bit of research, and found some estate homes in Ramapo."

"How far away is that?"

"Only about thirty minutes or so. Sweetheart, these are large homes on several acres. We can build an apartment above the garage for Niles, get horses for the children, maybe that dog that Gracie's been asking for. You know, there's one with eight bedrooms. That's enough for each child to have their own room, one for the nanny, and a guest room…or maybe a nursery."

She smiled and snuggled closer. "It sounds wonderful. Maybe we can go on Saturday while Niles is out with C.C.."

"You mean you actually want to leave all the children alone with the nanny?" He kissed her nose as he teased her.

"I was thinking that we'd take them all with us. If we're uprooting the kids from the only homes they've known, don't you think we should let them help pick?"

"I can just imagine what they'd choose." Max frowned.

Fran reached over and turned off the light. "Honey, they'll like anything we like, just you wait and see. Now, can we talk about this tomorrow?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his ear gently.

"What about the children, what are they going to say when I'm still here in the morning?"

"Let's see, Irene will scream Daaaaadeeeeee, and Michael, oy, I still have trouble with that name. Michael will probably say, YES! Actually, I was thinking that you could get up and go outside when the kids get up, and let them see you come in the door. They'll just assume you went home. Oy, did that sound as bad to you as it did to me?"

"How does the first of March sound?

"For what?"

"For a nice, simple family wedding at our larger house."

"Nice and simple, that sounds wonderful, Max."

"We'll call the priest and the rabbi tomorrow and get them scheduled, and then we can put together something simple, and have a nice family dinner afterwards."

"Maxwell, maybe we should all go out afterwards, otherwise Niles will be doing all the work, and he's family, too."

"Whatever you want, Darling."

She pulled him closer to her. "I WANT to make love with the man I'm going to marry. God, that sounds wonderful."

"Which, the making love or getting married?"

"Both." The next couple of hours were spent re affirming their love for each other. They had just fallen asleep with a soft cry came over the intercom.

"I thought she didn't have nightmares when she was with me."

"She doesn't know you're here…and that isn't a nightmare. I'll be right back." She got up and slipped into her robe and slippers, then tiptoed into her daughter's room. "What's wrong, Baby?"

"Hurts, Mommy." She pulled on her ear and rubbed the side of her head.

"Oh, you poor thing." She sat on the bed and pulled her daughter into her arms. "Let's go downstairs and get some more medicine, all right?"

"Kay, Mommy. Go Daddy house?"

"Tomorrow we'll go to Daddy's house, Sweetie, it's the middle of the night, and we'll wake Niles up." She picked up her daughter and wrapped a blanket around her before heading for the stairs.

"Niles get mad?"

She laughed softly. "You know, at this hour, he just might, Angel." She clicked the light in the kitchen on and pulled the Tylenol out of the cupboard, then grabbed the antibiotic from the refrigerator. She sat the child on the chair in the corner.

"Two medicine?" She pointed at the bottles.

"Yes, Sweetie. This one is to make your ear not hurt so bad." She spooned the Tylenol into the toddler's mouth. "This one is so it will get better." She poured the thick, pink antibiotic and held the spoon out to the child, who slurped it quickly.

"Mmm, good."

"You like that?" The baby nodded, her brown curls bobbing into her face. She reached up for her mother. "Where Daddy?"

"Daddy's in bed, Sweetie, and that's where you need to be." She scooped up the child and adjusted the blanket. "Ready to go back to bed?"

"Read book please?"

"Now why aren't you like this all the time?" She laughed as she carried the little girl up the stairs and plopped her into her bed. "Let's get these covers straightened out." She picked up the book that Max had read to her earlier and began to read. The child was asleep in no time. Fran checked the blankets, slipped quietly out of her daughter's room, and hurried back down the hall to her bed.

"Who was that child?" Max was sitting up in bed waiting for her.

"You heard that? She's sick, and she's tired. It must have taken the fight out of her."

"Nice cover when she asked where I was."

"Well, you ARE in bed. I didn't lie to her." She looked at the clock. "Oy, we'd better get to sleep, we have to get up early to get you downstairs before they wake up."

They snuggled down under the covers and made love one more time before finally falling asleep for the night.