Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to any of the characters of 'The Nanny.'
A/N Pretty much my all time favorite TV couple. I know it's a long time coming, but I really wanted to finally get the story out on paper. Well, I guess it's not really paper but you understand…
Time To Tell - Finale
When CC and Fran came down the front stairs into the foyer the rest of the family, including Niles, was waiting to open presents. Niles handed CC a cup of coffee.
"Thanks Niles." CC offered before sitting down on the floor next to Grace.
Niles smiled. "You're welcome, Miss Babcock. Merry Christmas." Niles sat down between Grace and Maggie.
"You know, Niles. You can call me, CC. It's Christmas." Max, Fran and the children found themselves exchanging glances at the odd scene unfolding before them.
"Ok, CC." Niles grinned. "Mr. Sheffield, should I play Santa?"
"Uhm…no thanks, old man, I think I'll do the honors this year." Max was still confused at the new dynamic playing out between Niles and CC.
They all shared a wonderful morning of stories, and gift giving. Everyone loved everything they received. They sat for nearly two full hours and ooohhhhed and aaahhhhed over the clothes, trinkets, toys and jewelry; the silly and the serious gifts alike.
Niles stood. "I'm going to go get dressed, Sir. Then I'll prepare breakfast. Max nodded and Niles was heading up the stairs.
CC leapt up the minute Niles was out of sight. "Maggie, Grace, would you like to help me surprise Niles?" The girls were not only shocked at the request CC was making but that she'd gotten their names correct in the process.
"Uhm…sure, Miss Babcock," Maggie answered. CC turned to Grace.
"Yeah…I'll do anything for Niles." Grace chimed. And the three ladies were off to the kitchen.
CC turned one last time. "Hey, Brighton…you wanna help too?"
Brighton looked between Max and Fran. "Yeah!" He jumped up off the floor and followed after CC and his sisters.
"Max…" Fran started. "What in the hell is happening?"
Max shook his head. "I don't know darling. I don't know." Max and Fran took the opportunity to head upstairs and get themselves showered and dressed. When they returned to the dining room Niles was sitting in the chair at the opposite end of the table from Max's usual place. "What's the matter, old man?"
"I feel like a prisoner on death row." Niles offered.
Fran shook her head and sat down. "Why would you think that, Niles? The kids are in there with CC. They wouldn't let her do anything to your food."
"It's more the state of my kitchen than the food that I'm worried about." The words had barely left his lips when CC and the kids carried in the serving trays brimming with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, scones, and fresh fruit.
"Breakfast is served." The children took their seats and CC made a plate for Niles and placed it in front of him then made her own and sat down. Max, Fran and the kids got up and served themselves.
"Wow, CC, children this is really quite good." Niles commented and smiled at them. "Thank you for this surprise. You are welcome to help in the kitchen whenever you'd like."
Brighton grinned. "Hey, Niles. Don't get used to this, it was all Miss Babcock's idea….Ow!" Maggie kicked Brighton under the table and CC laughed.
"Brighton!" Maggie yelled. "We all helped." Gracie smiled that little smile that still tugged at Niles' heart.
"We did all help, Niles." Grace looked at CC. "But it was all Miss Babcock's idea. She wanted to surprise you and give you the morning off since you'll be tied up most of the day doing dinner."
"Hey, come on…" CC tried to change the subject. "We all need a break now and then. Let's just eat before it gets cold."
The family spent a very nice breakfast chatting and eating until the children excused themselves to finally get dressed. CC took the opportunity to head upstairs to the guest room she was staying in to clean up and get dressed as well. The children and CC had cleared away everything from the dining room and only asked that Niles wait until they were all 'safely upstairs' before going into the kitchen. He did and what he saw nearly gave him another heart attack.
"Well, Mr. Sheffield, Fran, I think I'd better start cleaning up the kitchen or I'll never get dinner started on time." Niles stood up and sighed deeply as he prepared himself for what awaited him in the kitchen. He pushed the door open and gasped loud enough that Fran and Max came practically running to check on him.
Fran shot through the door first. "What's the matta?" What she saw surprised her. The kitchen was immaculately clean. Not a spoon or cup out of place and the dishwasher was softly humming through its cycle.
"Wow," Max offered in shock. "I don't think it's ever been this clean." Then he added, "Well, I mean of course it's been this clean. It's always this clean I just mean that after a big meal it's usually…"
Fran cut him off. "Ok, Honey, stop talking now." Fran gave Niles a little squeeze. "See Scarecrow, nothin' like love." Fran turned and grabbed Max and shoved him out the door.
Niles stood in his kitchen and just looked around in wonder of how they managed it. "They would have had to…"
"Clean as we went…" CC interrupted him. "Isn't that what you always do? Clean as you go?"
Niles looked up and saw CC standing on the bottom step. "Uh…yeah. Thank you, for this and for breakfast."
"You're welcome, Niles." CC met his deep blue eyes with her own pale blue eyes. She heard that voice…"Don't waste anymore time, Chas. Tell him."
Niles swallowed hard and the voice was in his head again. "It's time for you to be happy now, Niles. Tell her."
They both opened their mouths just as the children bounded the steps. "Hey, Niles, Brighton spoke first. "Whacha think of the kitchen?"
"Miss Babcock insisted that we clean as we go. She said it was what you do. Keeps ahead of the mess, I guess she was right, huh?" Maggie rubbed Niles' arm as she followed Brighton out of the kitchen.
CC and Niles' eyes remained on each other. Grace seemed to be the only one who noticed. She smiled a little and followed her siblings out of the kitchen.
"Well," Niles finally managed to break the stare. "I suppose I should think about starting on the dinner preparations."
"Uhm…yeah... I better see if Max has anything he wants me to go over." CC slowly walked toward the door as Niles walked around the island to the place where he hangs his jacket while working in the kitchen. When they passed each other their arms touched lightly, and they both stopped for an instant feeling the connection in more than just their arms. Then they both continued on their individual paths.
Niles got the turkey in the oven and started on the rest of the meal. The children, CC, Fran and even Max took turns coming in and offering a little help here and there until it was nearly a full on Sheffield family cooking extravaganza. Brighton thought it would be fun to put the radio on and sing Christmas carols, however, that's not what they got. The first song that came on was Vonda Sheppard singing 'Tell Him'.
"Ooohhh," Fran cooed, "I just love this song. Turn it up, B." Maggie, Grace and Fran did their best 'Supremes' imitation with the radio.
Tell Him
I know something about love, you've gotta want it bad
If that guys got into your blood, go out and get him
If you want him to be the very thought of you
Makes you want to breathe here's the thing to do
Tell him that you're never gonna leave him
Tell him that you're always gonna love him
Tell him, tell him, tell him, tell him right now…
CC's eye's got very big after that first chorus and she excused herself.
"What's with her?" Maggie asked Fran. Fran just shrugged and kept singing.
CC meanwhile was at the bar knocking back a shot of Johnny Walker Black. "Sara, I don't know how you did that, but please don't do it again. Just give me a little time will ya?"
Niles came in just about that time. "CC? Are you alright? I thought I heard you talking to someone?"
"Uh…just running something over to myself, I needed to hear how it would sound out loud. Where are you going?" CC noticed Niles was heading to the closet.
"Sylvia was here last night and Fran forgot to mention that she finished all the whipped cream. I'm just off to get some. Would you like anything?" Niles asked as he put on his coat.
CC shook her head. "No thanks. I better go in there and make sure they don't wreck the joint." CC pointed back toward the kitchen.
"Thanks. I'll be right back," Niles said and left.
CC took a deep breath in and blew it out. Then she headed back into the kitchen. It wasn't long before Niles returned. He tossed open the kitchen door to find Brighton doing his best 'Billy Joel' singing the chorus of 'Tell Her About It.' Niles looked like a deer caught in headlights when he heard those words…
Tell Her About It
…Tell her about it tell her everything you feel
Give her every reason to accept that you're for real
Tell her about it tell her all your crazy dreams
Let her know you need her let her know how much she means
Listen boy it's not automatically a certain guarantee
To insure yourself you've got to provide communication constantly
When you love someone you're always insecure
And there's only one good way to reassure
Tell her about it let her know how much you care
When she can't be with you tell her you wish you were there…
"I forgot to get…orange juice." Niles turned and left the kitchen. He had barely made it to the den before he was practically hyperventilating. "Sara, you can't do that to me. Not in front of everyone. It's not in my nature, you know that."
"Hey…you look like you saw a ghost…you ok?" CC asked when she came out into the den.
"Yeah…I uh…guess I'm not used to so many people in my kitchen. Not to mention the singing and dancing and cooking. It's a little overwhelming to walk in on all that"
"Ok…" CC turned then stopped. "I checked, there's another bottle of orange juice in the fridge, so no need to go back out."
"Oh…good." Niles hoped that Brighton's performance would be finished when he returned.
The rest of the dinner preparations were a blast for everyone. There were many songs and mini-performances but no more 'tell somebody something' type songs.
Dinner was wonderful and everyone felt like they had contributed something to the overall effort. Niles did get most of the credit and Max even suggested he carve the turkey at the table this year. After dinner and dessert where cleared away, cleaned up and the left overs packed into the fridge, the family loaded into the den to watch old home movies. It was sort of a family tradition that Sara had started when Maggie was very young. Max and Fran sat snuggling on the sofa and the children sat on the floor in front of them. Niles sat in the overstuffed chair and CC perched on the arm of the chair next to him. Except for an odd glance from Fran no one else seemed to find it strange.
They had all seen the movies before, but they still laughed and enjoyed them and told stories about each other and Sara. It kept her alive for them all. Fran felt a strange comfort in 'getting to know' Sara this way. Niles and CC seemed strangely melancholy during the later videos. They watched as Sara often stood between them, or made the odd glance from one to the other. Niles heard the voice again. Not coming from the video, but from his memory.
"It's time for you to be happy now, Niles. Tell her." Niles heard it over and over. It had haunted him all day. Like a strange chant or mantra in his head. "It's time for you to be happy now, Niles. Tell her."
CC found herself leaning on the back of the chair a little bit she looked down at Niles sitting mere inches from her, and the voice rang clearly in her mind. "Don't waste anymore time, Chas. Tell him." All day it had played there, over and over. "Don't waste anymore time, Chas. Tell him."
When the last of the movies had finished the children excused themselves to bed. Max and Fran sat for a few minutes and chatted with Niles and CC. Fran stood and extended her hand to Max. "Well, Mista, how about we head upstairs?"
Max stood and said, "I think I'm ready, Fran."
"You guys headin' up, too?" Fran asked as Niles stood up from his place in the chair.
"I suppose so." Niles smiled. "Shall I walk you?" He raised an eyebrow and offered his arm to CC who laughed and took it.
"I would be very honored, good Sir." She threw out in her best southern belle voice.
Both couples started off to the stairs, Max and Fran toward the front and Niles and CC toward the back. Just as Niles and CC took the steps up to where the baby grand piano sits Fran called back to them, "Hey you two." Niles and CC stopped. "You're standin' under the mistletoe!" Fran smirked and she and Max started up the stairs leaving Niles and CC.
Niles and CC both looked up at the mistletoe. "When did you put that up?" CC asked him.
"I didn't put that up." Niles answered, both still looking up at the mistletoe, when they heard the voice.
"Geez, one of you say something!" They both looked around the room and saw no one.
"It's time to tell!" Her voice was a little more forceful this time.
"Sara?" Niles and CC said together. "You heard it too?" Their eyes locked and it was like time had stopped.
Niles heard the whisper in his ear. "It's time for you to be happy now, Niles. Tell her."
"Don't waste anymore time, Chas. Tell him." The voice was soft and quiet.
Their eyes were fixed and they didn't even notice that they were moving closer. They were so close that you could barely see the light between them. Suddenly they both felt their hearts pounding and their breathing grow ragged. When they both whispered, "I…love…you." Then their lips met in a kiss that poured out all the pent up passion and desire, the years of yearning and want, the timelessness of their love for each other. When the need to breath became stronger than their need to be connected they broke their kiss and their foreheads met.
"CC, you…really love me?" Niles asked softly.
"It's always been you, Niles." CC answered. "You really love me?"
"Of course, my love. Always have, always will." Niles leaned in and kissed her again.
As they kissed beneath the mistletoe and shared their recently expressed love they heard the voice again…
"Merry Christmas, my friends."