Friends and Lovers

Chapter Sixteen

The next thing Fran knew, she was in Max's arms, leaning against their car.

"You know, if you want to leave me, there are easier ways to do it, Darling." He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry, Fran. I overreacted, and you're right, Maggie is old enough for a horse, and you ARE her mother. You're also right about the sailboat. I should have consulted you before buying something like that for our sons."

Niles and C.C. stared out the front window at their friends.

"They're fighting; this isn't good." C.C. leaned back against Niles' chest.

He wrapped his arms around her waist. "It looks like they've gotten things resolved. Look at the way she's looking at him."

Fran looked up at her husband with tear-filled eyes. "I DON'T want to leave you. I tried that once, and I didn't care for it in the least." She smiled as she looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have gotten so worked up, I told you, I'm really emotional today. I can't believe I walked out in front of that truck. I never even saw it." My GOD, I almost killed our baby! "I love you, Maxwell."

He held her closer. "I love you, too, My Darling." He looked over at the townhouse and saw the two figures in the window. "It seems we've drawn an audience." He nodded toward the window.

She laughed softly and kissed him gently. "Maybe we'd better go in and take out our frustrations on the movers."

He held her tightly in his arms. "I can think of better ways to work out our frustrations."

"Mr. SHEF-field!" She grinned at him. "I like the way you think. Can I have a rain check?"

"Anytime, Mrs. Sheffield." He reached down for her hand. "Come on, let's go take care of this mess, and then I'll take you for some pancakes."

"Waffles. I want waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

"Darling, the diner isn't going to have that this time of year."

"There's fresh strawberries and cream in my fridge…and there's Niles. Do you think he'd make me some?"

"I'll ask him." He checked for traffic before leading his wife across the street.

Niles met them at the door with a smile. "Good morning! I have the movers working on the top floor right now. I figured they could pack up the children's rooms first."

"Great, thanks, Niles."

"No problem, Mrs. Sheffield. Did you get a chance to eat breakfast?"

She shot a glance to her husband. "No, we left as I put breakfast on the table. Max said he'd take me to a diner later, unless…"

"Fran has a craving for waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream this morning."

"A craving?" Niles grinned at Fran and then at C.C, who now had her eyes wide open in shock.

Fran softly frowned at her friend, and then looked back at her butler. "You know a taste for them? I just felt like your wonderful waffles this morning, is all. If you don't feel like making them, I'm sure I can take the fresh berries to the diner and they'll put them on a waffle for me."

"We haven't eaten yet, either. I'll be happy to make them for you. Just give me a few minutes." He headed down the stairs to the kitchen.

Max slipped his arm around his wife's waist. "Feel better?" She nodded and laid her head on his shoulder. "Good. I'll go up and check on the movers progress, and see why they showed up a day early. I'm sure you and C.C. have some things you need to discuss." He kissed her cheek and headed up the stairs.

C.C. held her breath until she was sure Max had reached the fourth floor. "A CRAVING? Did you tell him?"

"NO! I'm not sure how long I can hold out, either. My hormones are out of control, this morning sickness is killing me, the cravings are kicking in, and I've got another THREE months until Father's Day!"

"If you make it that long. I saw that stunt you pulled with the truck. What the HELL were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking, that's the problem. Max and I were fighting, and I just got out of the car and started walking."

"You two never fight, what happened?"

"I told him about the horse, he tried to tell me that Maggie was too young, blah, blah, blah, we argued and then he almost told me that Maggie wasn't my child."

"Oh, he DIDN'T!"

"Well, he was going to. I cut him off before he had the chance. I reminded him that he bought a little sailboat for the boys without consulting me, and he didn't see ME going off the deep end. I said a few more not so nice things, too."

"Oh, God, what did you say?"

"Um, something along the lines of while he was hiding in his office for the last two years, I raised all the kids by myself."

"Oh, Frannie! What did he say?"

"Nothing. That's when I got out of the car and walked in front of the truck."

"Good planning…attack him, then try to kill yourself AND the baby!"

"Shhh! Anyway, we made up. We were both wrong. I can't believe my emotions are so out of control."

"Talk to your doctor at your next appointment, I'm sure it's just normal pregnancy stuff."

"Oh, good, so I have another seven months or so of being a total bitch. You know, I couldn't even stand to listen to Irene's screaming fits this morning? I had to get out of that house before I had one myself!"

"Oh, that I'd PAY to see."

"You pretty much just DID see one, so pay up, Sista!"

C.C. laughed and hugged her friend. "So are you O.K. now?"

"Yeah, so tell me about last night!"

"Nice subject change."

"TELL me!"

"He was wonderful, sweet, sensitive, unselfish, and attentive." She sighed deeply. "I hate to think what would have happened if I hadn't listened to you."

"You would still be a lonely, miserable woman…" She grinned at her friend. "…chasing after MY husband."

"You're right, I would be…which means you and I would never have become friends. I'm so glad I picked that particular day to forget to be a bitch."

"Well, there's a time and a place for everything. If you were this sweet at work, Sheffield Productions wouldn't be nearly as successful."

"Oh, yeah, can you just see it? Oh, Mr. Director, that last scene just didn't do it for me, so could you please see about fixing it?"

Fran giggled. "Instead it's 'You call that ACTING? Get the casting director in here, I want the whole play recast immediately! WHAT? I don't CARE that we open tomorrow, just get it done or you'll never work in this town again!'…is that about right?"

C.C. doubled over in a fit of laughter as Max came down the stairs. "Fran, that was a pretty good imitation of my business partner. Maybe you should come down to the theater with those out of control emotions of yours and kick some touchas."

C.C. stood up and looked at Maxwell seriously. "Maxwell, that's not a bad idea, really. She IS a part of Sheffield Productions now."

"I am NOT!"

"Uh, hello! You are Francine SHEFFIELD."

"That's actually a good idea. You did a great job with the pageant, Darling. You have to admit we made a good team."

"So, what you're saying is that you want me to take care of the house, the kids AND help you produce?"

"No, not at all. Niles will take care of the house, Denise will take care of the children, THEN you can help me produce."

"C.C., remind me to kill you later."

"Sure thing, Frannie. I'll mark it down in my book. Is next Thursday good for you?"

"No, I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday, can we make it Friday?"

"You two are completely insane, do you know that? Wait a minute…doctor's appointment? Why are you going to see a doctor?"

OY! Think fast Fran! "Um, my yearly checkup."

"I thought you already had that."

"THAT was with my regular doctor. This one is with my gynecologist. Do you wanna come with me?"

"Uh, no, Fran, as exciting as that sounds, I think I have several business meetings on Thursday."

"All right, suit yourself! How are the movers coming?"

"They've already got the children's rooms packed, and are ready for your bathroom and bedroom. Is there anything you want to get out of there first?"

"No, I already got out what I needed, thanks. Are they moving on to the playrooms next?"

"Yes, that should give us a chance to eat."

As if on cue, Niles appeared on the staircase. "Breakfast is ready."

"Thanks, Niles!" Fran wrapped her arm through her husband's and headed down the stairs, followed by C.C..

The two couples ate quickly, and then quickly started cleaning up the kitchen. Max and Fran headed to the basement to pack up the wine cellar, while C.C. packed the kitchen, Niles headed to the study and boxed up all the books. Fran had compiled a list of what furniture went to the new house, and what stayed to be donated to charity. By lunchtime, the house was packed.

"I can't believe we got so much accomplished today!" Fran looked around at her nearly empty house.

"It's a good thing we did. Tomorrow they're heading for the other house. When the children come home from school, the house should be empty.

"I need to go to the new place tomorrow, Max. The new furniture is being delivered."

"Why don't I go with you, Frannie? My stuff is supposed to be picked up tomorrow, too, so we can wait together."

"Is that all right, Honey? Can you do without C.C. tomorrow?"

"Absolutely. I didn't like the idea of you being out there all alone, anyway. Thank you, C.C.."

"Don't mention it, Maxwell. You know, Frannie, we can load up the Range Rover with some of the things and get a good head start."

"Good idea. Honey, I was actually thinking of just buying new soaps and shampoos and things, so maybe C.C. and I could just shop in Monroe for toiletries and things for all the new bathrooms."

"Just don't overdo it, Darling. You HAVE been rather tired lately."

"I'll keep an eye on her, Maxwell."

"You need to give her a raise, Honey."

"We'll discuss that later. I also want to talk to you about hiring an assistant for you."

"For me? Isn't that what I have Denise for?"

"She's the nanny, Fran."

"Mr. and Mrs. Sheffield, if it's convenient for you, we could start on your other home today to get a good head start. We were told it's a much larger place."

"It IS larger, unfortunately, it's also filled with children and visiting relatives."

"We could go to the Waldorf for the night, Max. It might be a good idea to get started."

"Well, then we'd better get home and break it to the children."

"We could always to go Ma's." Fran giggled and winked at C.C..

"You know, the Waldorf is sounding better and better." He grinned and winked at Niles.

"What about my place, will you be able to get it early, as well?"

"The Babcock residence? I don't see why not. How much packing will we be doing?"

"None at all. I've been staying at the Sheffield's, so my place is ready to go."

"Great. I'll call in a few more men for the main house, we should be able to get yours done tomorrow. Will you be ready for delivery on Tuesday?"

Max looked over at Fran, who nodded. "Can you make the delivery in the morning, while three of our children are in school? That should make things a bit easier on my wife."

Fran laughed. "Easier? You're talking about Irene and Grace here, Honey."

The mover laughed. "That sounds like my kids. How old are yours?"

"Let's see, Maggie is the oldest, she'll be twelve next week. Brighton will be eight in October, Michael will be eight in November, Grace will be four in September, and Irene will be three in July."

"Wow, you've got a handful. My boys are six and eight, and I've got a ten year old daughter. The girl, I have no problems with. I keep threatening the boys with military school." He laughed.

"We've got the opposite problem. Our oldest is perfect, and the boys are manageable. Grace isn't that bad, until she starts following the baby. Irene is really something. She wants WHAT she wants, and she wants it NOW, and that is usually her father."

"Ah, Daddy's girl, huh?"

"She adores her father. She sits under his desk when he's working."

"Uh, speaking of working, Mr. Sheffield, my wife and I are really big fans of your work. Any new shows coming up?"

"We're working on one now, and have a couple more we're thinking about. Make sure I have your address and phone number, I'll make sure you get tickets."

"Really? Wow, that'd be great. My wife really is a huge fan. All her girlfriends like that Webber guy, but she says he's really over rated. All his stuff is so over produced."

C.C. rolled her eyes and turned away. Was this guy sucking up or WHAT?

Fran smiled. "You know, I tell my husband that all the time. See, Honey, your fans have spoken. I hate to cut this short, but I need to get home and get packed for our hotel adventure. C.C. and I will be at the new place all day tomorrow, probably after about nine in the morning. I won't leave until the kids go to school."

"You're going to leave the poor nanny at the hotel with the babies?"

"Max, we have too much to do at the new house, and I don't want to have to be helping Denise chase those two all over that huge house."

"I see I'll be writing a bonus check soon."

"Why? She gets paid for watching the kids, no matter WHERE she watches them, remember? We made that clear to her when we hired her."

"Yes, we did, but I'll still give her a bonus for putting up with this move."

Fran giggled. "I think your brother took care of THAT."

"Oh, God. Tell me about it on the way home. Or do I want to know?"

"Have you two got everything under control here?"

"Sure, Fran, go ahead, we'll lock up after the movers leave."

"Great. Thanks, C.C., we'll see you back at the house in a bit."

"Niles, I think we'll plan on eating dinner out this evening. You have your hands full with helping with the move. Do you have any preferences, before we get home and ask everyone else?"

"No, Sir, let the children choose. Oh, as long as it isn't Chuck E. Cheese." He grinned.

"Well, considering that my mother will be joining us, I think Chuck E. Cheese will have to wait until later." Max chuckled.

"How about Oceana?" Fran grinned.

"Don't you get tired of that place, Darling?"

"No, besides, I'm sure your mom and brother have never eaten there, and we HAVE been promising the kids we'd take them."

"Niles, C.C., how's seafood sound?"

"I've been dying to try that place, Maxwell."

"Anything that I don't have to cook sounds good to me, Sir."

"Great, we'll get a nice bottle of wine; make a nice evening of it."

"I'll be the designated driver, Honey. I'm so tired, that even one glass would probably knock me out."

"Are you sure, Darling?"

She glanced carefully at C.C.. "Very sure, Sweetie."

The family went to dinner, then checked in to the Waldorf Astoria for a couple of days. After the new furniture arrived, Sylvia, Val and Nadine drove up to Monroe to help Fran start putting things in their proper places. C.C. got her home in order, and then came over to help Fran with the main house. Max and Niles got the office together, with help from the boys. By the time the weekend rolled around, all three houses were done.

Saturday morning was Maggie's twelfth birthday. She awoke to the smell of French toast and hot cocoa, which was her favorite breakfast. After breakfast was done, Niles left in the limo to pick up several of Maggie's best friends. Fran had arranged with their parents for them to come spend the weekend. During the party a truck and trailer pulled up. Fran and Max held hands as the driver opened the trailer and began to remove the contents.

"Oh, C.C.'s horses are here!" Maggie ran over to pet the first horse.

C.C. grinned at her friends. "No, Honey, those aren't my horses. There's one for you, and one for each of your parents."

"You got me a horse? Oh, Aunt C.C., thank you SO much!" She abandoned the horse and ran to C.C., throwing her arms around her. "I love you so much!"

"I love you, too, Sweetie. Happy Birthday!"

The boys nudged each other. "Boy, I can't wait till OUR birthdays!" Fran frowned at the boys, who snickered in response.

A second trailer pulled up and four more horses were unloaded. "What's this?" Fran looked at her husband.

"Well, we've got such a large stable, that I thought the boys would each like a horse, too. I got ponies for the little ones."

"Max! Reenie is only two, and Grace is three!"

"We'll be adding a small apartment to the stables, and hiring a wrangler. He'll teach the kids how to ride properly."

"What do we tell the kids until THEN?"

"Well, Darling, I thought he could live in the main house until his place is ready."

"Oh, you've got this all figured out, haven't you?" She looked at her friend. "Why do I have the feeling you had something to do with all of this?"

"Now, don't be angry with C.C., Fran, you two aren't the only ones who can plan surprises."

"I'm not angry, just surprised. You were the one that was upset about the horse just a week ago."

"I told you that I was wrong. I think the horses will be good for the children."

"I don't know how to ride, either, Honey."

"The wrangler will teach you, too, then."

"Well, I guess I can't be the bad guy, can I? So when does the building start?"

"Monday. I'm sorry, Sweetheart, I didn't want Maggie to find out before her birthday.

"You DO remember that we'll have a houseful of family next Friday for Passover, right?"

"That's next weekend, isn't it? Who all is coming, again?"

"Ma and Daddy, Grandma Yetta, Barry, Nay and the girls, and your mom and Nigel will still be here."

"It's a good thing we bought a big house, then." He smiled and kissed his wife as he watched the children laughing and petting the horses.

The rest of the week was spent getting ready for Passover and putting the overseeing the building of the new apartment. Fran left the children with Denise and gave in to Elizabeth's insisting that she accompany her into the city for her doctor's appointment.

"I know there's something that you're keeping from Maxwell, Dear. Be honest with me, are you all right? You've been so secretive about this appointment."

"I'm fine, Elizabeth, really. The only secret is that the appointment isn't with my gynecologist. It's with my obstetrician."

"You're pregnant? Why on earth haven't you told Maxwell yet? Is the baby all right?"

"The baby is just fine. I haven't told him because I have this big surprise planned for Father's Day. I'm just hoping I can keep it quiet until then. I made the mistake of taking Irene with me to my last appointment. Now she pats my stomach and says 'Mommy's baby'. I just laugh it off and tell her that she IS my baby. Maybe you can come back for the party."

"I'd like that, Fran. Please keep me posted on how things are going. I just don't know how you're going to keep this from Maxwell until the middle of June. You're such a tiny thing, he's going to start wondering when you start to show."

"I'll just make sure he sees me noshing a lot. This morning sickness is what's going to give it away."

"Well, with his office in the other house, he won't see you as much as when he was always underfoot." Elizabeth laughed and patted Fran's arm.

"That's the other problem. He and C.C. want me to start helping with the producing once the house gets in order. He said he's got Niles to run the house, and Denise to watch the kids, and he wants me working with him."

"Then take your time getting the house in order. You've got the family coming this weekend, so you won't get much done then, and I can monopolize you a bit next week, we can do some shopping before I go home. That ought to buy you a few more days."

"Thanks, Elizabeth. Ma." She smiled at her mother in law. "You don't know how much it means to me to be able to talk to someone else about this. It's so hard to get C.C. alone. Either Niles or Maxwell is always nearby."

Fran pulled the Range Rover into the parking lot, and the two women got out and went in to see Fran's doctor. The pregnancy was progressing perfectly. Afterwards, they went to lunch and picked up some things for the weekend before heading back to the house.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're home, Fran."

"What's wrong, Denise? Are the girls all right?"

"Gracie's fine, well, sort of. Irene has been crying her little eyes out all morning. She can't find her daddy, and you weren't here. You'd think she'd never been away from you for this long."

"I'm sure it's just the new house. You finally got her to sleep?"

"She's in Gracie's room. I'm sorry, I know you want them to be in their own rooms, but she was just so sad. She screamed and hung on to Grace like her little life depended on it."

"How long have they been sleeping?"

"About an hour, maybe a bit longer."

As if on cue, Fran heard the sound of her youngest start to cry. "I'll get her, Denise. You look like you could use a break. Where's everyone else?"

"Mr. Sheffield, both of them, and Niles are all at the new office. C.C. is either there or at her place."

"Maybe the girls and I will walk over and surprise them. That way Irene will start to realize her daddy doesn't work in THIS house." She headed up the stairs, followed by Elizabeth. They opened the door to the bedroom and were met by two sets of arms hugging them. "How are my babies?"

"Mommy Daddy gone. Want Daddy."

"I know, Ree. How about we get you changed and we'll go see Daddy."

"Big girl potty." She ran for the bathroom.

"Thank goodness! I was afraid the move would set her back some." She looked over at her mother in law. "She wants big girl panties like Grace wears, and I told her she couldn't have them as long as she needed diapers."

"Good thinking, to get her out of them before…"

"Oy, I don't even want to THINK about that!"

"Done, Mommy!"

"Look at my big girl! I'm so proud of you!"

"Want Racy panties."

"You keep using the big girl potty over the weekend, and Mommy and Bubby will take you shopping next week, all right?"

"K, Mommy!" She ran to hug her mother. "See Daddy now?" She grabbed her sister's hand. "C'mon, Racy, go see Daddy."

"She certainly is becoming quite a talker!"

"I keep thinking about putting both of them in Pre School a couple of days a week, so they can interact with kids their own age."

"That's a good idea, Fran."

"Max is against it, but I think I can convince him. I may just have to wait and enroll them in September. Irene will be three then and completely out of diapers, and Grace will be almost four."

Elizabeth looked around. "You should be ready for some time away from them by then. You'll be so close to…" She smiled. "I wish there was a way I could be here for that."

Fran grinned. "Oh, that's easy. You'll come for Thanksgiving, and stay through Chanukah, unless you want to stay clear through Christmas."

"I don't think my son would appreciate me being around that much."

"Look, the problems that you two had in the past are over. One thing he and I have both learned is that you make the best of the time you are given. We blew it when we were in London together. We would've had a lot more time together, and maybe two people would be alive today if we'd left them and moved on with our lives. You're willing to let the past go, so is Maxwell. You've got these sweet babies to get to know. Maybe you weren't always there for your kids when they were growing up. That's why you get grandkids…to make it right."

"My son's a lucky man, Fran."

Fran finished getting her daughter dressed and stood up. "No, I'm the lucky one. I've got five great kids, great parents, and a wonderful mother in law." She gave Elizabeth a warm hug. "OK, my Darlings, ready to go see Daddy?" The girls jumped up and down, laughed, and screamed. "You wanna come with us?"

"No, thank you, Dear. Let the girls have some time with their father, I think I'll fix myself a cup of tea."

"All right, you two, let's go find Daddy at his new office!"

Fran and Max sat on his new sofa and watched the girls explore his new office. Nigel and Niles decided to head back to the house, Niles to fix dinner, and Nigel to find the nanny.

"You think something's going on with Nigel and Denise?"

"I wouldn't doubt it, knowing how smooth my brother can be. Remember how he was with you in London?"

"Yeah, he was something else. He hasn't changed; he's still as cocky as ever." She laughed. "I loved the look on his face when I left him to take care of you. He didn't know we knew each other at the time."

"No, he didn't. All he saw was you walking away from the night of passion he had planned and into my room."

She giggled. "You had your own little night of passion planned, Mister. I'm always turned on by a man with his pants around his ankles…especially when he trips over them."

"You're going to torment me with that the rest of our lives, aren't you?"

"That's my current plan, yes!"

"I'll just have to find a way to silence you then." He pulled her to him and kissed her passionately.

"Wanna kiss Daddy, too!" Irene was climbing up on the sofa next to Max.

"Well, of course you do, Darling!" He picked up his daughter and planted her in his lap, then began tickling her stomach. "Give Daddy a kiss." She wrapped her arms around her father's neck and gave him a wet kiss.

"Me, too, Daddy!" Grace was pulling on his pant leg.

"Here, Ree, go see Mommy." Max tried to put his youngest on her mother's lap, but she was stuck like glue.

"No! No want Mommy, want DADDY!" She tightened her grip around his neck.

"Sweetheart, you're choking Daddy." He attempted to break her grip, but she clung tighter.

Fran picked up Grace and held her on her lap. "Here, Ree, Mommy has Grace, is that better? Can Gracie kiss Daddy, too?"

"K, Racy, kiss Daddy." Grace leaned over and kissed her father.

"She couldn't find Daddy's office in the house. She got mad. Dee Dee tried to make her take a nap, but she wanted Daddy to come home."

"I know, Gracie, and you took such good care of your sister. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you."

Gracie beamed, and put her head on Fran's shoulder. "We'd better get back; Niles went to fix dinner, didn't he?"

"That's what he said he was doing. The other children should be home by now; they'll wonder where we are."

"Your mom and Denise know we're here. Um, Honey, your mother was a bit sad about leaving, so I sort of invited her to come back around Thanksgiving and stay through the holidays."

"Which holidays, Fran?"

"All of them."

"Which 'all of them'?"

"Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas."

"Fran!"

"Honey, she wants to be part of the kids' lives. I told her that's what it means to be a grandparent…you get to make up for the mistakes you made with your own kids. I told her that you were ready to let the past go, and make up for the time you lost."

"I suppose you're right. Maybe it's time I let go of the past and let her be a mother, if that's what she wants to do."

"Good, because if you said she couldn't come, I was gonna make YOU uninvite her." She grinned at her husband.

"I love you, Mrs. Sheffield."

"I love you more, Mr. Sheffield"

"Let's get these girls back to the main house. Ready girls?"

"No, stay here, Daddy."

"No, Baby, we need to go find Maggie and the boys."

"K, Daddy."

They walked back to the main house to find Fran's parents had arrived a day early. Sylvia wanted to make sure they had plenty of time to cook for Passover. The rest of the family started arriving early the next morning. Having both sides of the family together for the holiday made it even more special. Once the holiday was over, the family slowly started leaving. Fran hated to see Elizabeth go back to London, but was looking forward to surprising her husband in June when his mother arrived again. Denise told Nigel a tearful goodbye. They'd gotten close during the visit, and Nigel promised he'd keep in touch by phone.

Max and C.C. took on the task of getting the older children to school each day. This gave one of them the opportunity to supervise what was going on at the theater while the kids were at school, then driving them home when classes were over.

Fran kept busy by finding herself small projects to do around the house. She knew she had to avoid spending too much time around her husband each day, so he wouldn't catch her bouts of morning sickness. Luckily, the morning sickness had slowed down.