(VI)

Niles couldn't concentrate on anything after that. He was furious and jumping to conclusions. He had never seen Miss Babcock so defeated. She looked fragile, and it troubled Niles deeply. I swear to god, if he's laid a hand on her… I'll kill him. I will. He grumbled and paced his small bedroom. He wasn't sure of what to do. He desperately wanted to go back over there and collect her into his arms and tell her exactly how he felt. She'd laugh at me for sure. Niles collapsed onto his bed and covered his face with his hands, willing the tears not to fall.

The following morning, C.C. was at the mansion bright and early for breakfast. She danced through the door and chirped a chipper "Hello, hello" that fell on deaf ears as usual. Maxwell munched on his toast and the children were chattering amongst themselves. C.C. sighed and sank down into her chair. Niles was glad to see her back at work, but her merry mood seemed suspicious to him.

"Coffee, Miss Babcock?" Niles inquired.

"Thank you, Niles."

C.C. avoided his eyes when he poured her coffee. He moved around to retrieve a plate of breakfast and set it in front of her. She wrinkled her brow, noticing that her food was perfectly normal: no dried eggs, no toast that fell on the floor…it was all edible. She watched Niles carefully as he scuttled around, refilling glasses and giving second-helpings. She took a sip of coffee and wondered if he had given her a clean mug as well.

"Daddy, Michael asked me to go to the coffee shop with him after school to study." Margaret smiled at her father.

"Have fun, dear." He took a bite of egg.

"Thank you, Daddy!"

C.C. listened to the bean sprouts drone on to their father about their plans for the day. She was relieved when they left for school and she realized that Nanny Fine was with her mother for the day. Today is going to be good. She smiled to herself.

Shortly after the children ran off, Maxwell excused himself to the office to make a phone call. He left C.C. and Niles in the dining room. There was a short, awkward silence between them until C.C. spoke.

"Are you feeling alright?"

He looked at her dejectedly and nodded his head. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet and began to clear the dishes.

"Then why are you serving me an actually appetizing breakfast? Why aren't you calling me a cow?" she questioned him.

"Why are you so agitated? Did Farmer Chandler forget to milk you last night?" he deadpanned.

C.C. seethed at him and dropped her fork onto her plate with a loud clang. She scooted her chair back and strode out of the dining room. Niles slumped down into a chair and put his head in his hands. Damn. I've really done it this time.

Maxwell looked up to see his business partner march into the office. She opened up her briefcase and flipped through the papers. She dropped the finished contracts on Maxwell's desk and then gruffly sat down on her settee.

"All finished with the contracts, Maxwell."

"C.C., are you feeling alright?" he lowered his glasses to peer at her.

"I'm fine, Maxwell. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Things are going well with Chandler?"

"Swimmingly." She piped and turned to her script.

Maxwell decided to cut the chit-chat and get to work. The two business partners sat in silence, reading though their respective scripts. C.C.'s red pen made a multitude of marks across the pages while Maxwell read his script carefully, making only a few scribbles. After a while, Maxwell's voice broke the stillness.

"Tea?" he asked his partner.

"No thanks." She kept her eyes on the script.

Maxwell buzzed Niles on the intercom and requested a pot of tea. C.C. grumbled to herself, not wanting to see that sorry excuse for a man. Within a few minutes, Niles came bustling into the office with a silver tray in his arms. He poured a cup of tea and handed it to Mr. Sheffield. Then he poured another cup of tea and offered it to the blonde. She didn't notice him.

"Your tea, Miss Babcock." He drew the cup closer to her.

She scowled into her script and shook her head.

Niles placed a tea biscuit on the saucer and offered it to her again with a clearing of his throat. This time, she looked directly at Niles with a look on her face that could easily kill a man. Her eyes sent bolts of lightning straight to the nape of his neck that shot down his spine and into his toes. He snarled at her and banged the cup down onto the tray.

"Fine." He swiftly made his leave through the door.

Niles had finally finished the laundry for today. He folded everything and separated the items into their respective piles. He sat them aside, deciding to put them away later. He grabbed the windex and a dirty rag, ready to pace off to clean the glass door of the mansion. He crossed though the kitchen and the sitting room. He swung the door open and found a blonde woman sitting on the stoop, facing away from him and the door. Niles took a deep breath and stepped out.

"Miss Babcock, I need to talk to you." He wrung the rag nervously in his hands.

"Not gonna happen, Butler Boy." She refused to look at him.

Niles watched her red lips close around the filter of her cigarette and she took a deep drag. The smoke came pouring from her nostrils and floated up into the air around them.

"Miss Babcock, I wanted to apologize for earlier. I was only trying to be nice to you."

"Well don't." she flicked her cigarette, sending ash flying to the ground.

"Why not?" Niles took a step closer to her back.

"What do you want, Niles? You apologized. You can leave now."

Her head was propped up in one of her hands and she had her knees drawn up to her chest. It was warm outside, and the gentle breeze was making her sunlit hair sway around her in a mesmerizing rhythm.

"I just… I… I was worried about you…yesterday." He mumbled.

"Huh?" she turned to face him this time.

"I – you…seemed so upset when I dropped off those contracts." He watched her continue to breathe smoke.

"What do you care?" she scoffed and stamped out the cigarette.

"Well, I…I sort of jumped to conclusions but…well-" he looked down at his hands with uncertainty.

"Spit it out, Toilet Duck!" she rose to her feet.

"I was just concerned that he might have…harmed you."

Niles slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers. He noticed the unnamed expression on her face. It took her a few moments to find her voice.

"That's…kind of you, Niles."

They watched each other for a short while, in an amiable quiet.

"Well?" he began.

"Well what?" she questioned.

Niles gave her a look.

"Everything's fine, Niles." She sighed.

"Listen, I know you hate me, but you'd tell me if…if…well, you'd tell me, wouldn't you?"

His eyes implored her and she could feel them boring into her heart. C.C. brushed past him to go back inside. She paused and spoke with her back turned away from him.

"I don't hate you, Niles." She told him simply in a quiet voice.

Niles watched her retreat back into the mansion and a slight smile spread onto his face. He was satisfied just knowing that the love of his life didn't absolutely hate him. Things are looking up.