Hello, Hello! :) It's me again!^^ You should like this chapter *hehe* and we're already halfway through this story! Just in case anyone was wondering your Christmas treat is coming along well and already has 3 1/2 pages. ;) Sadly I can't promise you a quick update for this coz I have a lot of fun things planned this week/ weekend. My favourites being "Spamalot" on Friday :) and the Snow Ball on Sunday. But, as always, I will try to get some writing done!;) Ok, today is also when I give you the link to my Lauren Lane fansite. Just to warn you again that it's crappy but it's the best I could do. If any of you guys have Niles/C.C. related work they'd like me to "publish" on the site just contact me. And obviously if you could give me some general feedback/things that could be added comments on the site, that'd be fab! www dot laurakaylane dot beepworld dot de
Read and Review!:)
Disclaimer: None of this is mine...only the storyline and the strange Lauren Lane addiction!;)
Chapter 5: Kiss and Make Up
Niles had been correct in the assumption that something had happened which was responsible for putting Maxwell in such a bad mood. In fact, he had had to fire a member of the cast due to drug abuse and an important backer had resigned when he had gotten wind of this. Now Maxwell was facing a bunch of additional work that he would also have to tackle alone.
"Mr. Sheffield," the familiar tones of his Nanny reached his ears and he took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose "look what I found!"
But before she had a chance to explain the latest source of excitement he had already cut her off.
"Look, Miss Fine, I'm very busy, especially now that C.C. has run off with my butler!"
Fran looked slightly disappointed as she hopped onto her usual spot on his table.
"I doubt that," she commented "but what's wrong with you? If you were Miss Babcock I'd offer you a tylenol."
"I have 2 weeks to find a new actor and a new backer, that's what's wrong." he grumbled.
"Oy...2 weeks?" she exclaimed and he merely gave her a dark look as if to say that this didn't exactly help his situation either. "Alright, alright, let's not panic!" she continued undeterred "With Miss Babcock temporarily unavailable, so to say, why don't I help ya?"
He opened his mouth to tell her what a ridiculous idea this was, when he finally reached the conclusion that he didn't really have any other options.
"Alright, Miss Fine, you can help. But right now I have a number of telephone calls to make, so if you'll excuse me." he said, putting on his glasses again and beginning to look through his address book.
"Fine, and I'll get you that actor." she promised.
"A tall young man, between 20-30!" Max called after her, not really getting his hopes up.
Fran knew that it wasn't her business but the situation with her and the Broadway producer was bad enough, she didn't really need him to be in a bad mood as well.
While Fran was out to get Maxwell the help he needed, C.C. and Niles were taking a stroll through Central Park. She had been in a subdued mood ever since their conversation about Sara and even now as she linked arms with him she remained silent. He took her as far away from the crowd of people as one could possibly get, heading to the northern end and away from Bethesda Fountain.
"Why did you bring me here?" C.C. asked after a while.
"Just to clear your head, get some air." he answered.
But she looked at him with her eyes slightly narrowed before shaking her head.
"That's not the only reason though, is it?"
"No, you always go here for that purpose...that's why you spend most of your lunch breaks here also. You tell everyone that you're going to some sort of posh restaurant, but in truth you're going for a walk, Winter or Summer, it doesn't matter, you can always be found here."
"How do you know that?" she probed softly, coming to a standstill.
"I've seen you sometimes when Mr. Sheffield gets me to run errands for him." he replied, avoiding her eyes.
"And?" she asked, carefully taking his hands.
"And sometimes in Winter when you returned your hair was glistening with snow and your cheeks were red and you looked...happy again...somehow." he gently said, smiling to himself.
Niles slowly lifted his head and found her expectant blue eyes that were trying to tell him something. Her face, so familiar that he had memorised all its nuances, and yet her behaviour was nothing like the person he normally associated with it. What was happening here?
"Niles, what if I was to tell you that there is something I don't understand and that only you can help me?" C.C. quietly said.
"Then I'll try my best to help you," he replied, his voice a little hoarse.
"When you found me after my accident you looked terrified of losing me but then at the hospital you told me that we barely knew each other."
"Anyone would've been worried," Niles tried to justify but C.C. continued nonetheless.
"You know a lot about me, things that are more personal...things that only you could tell me about. And this morning when I asked you if we'd kissed you admitted it, but then added that both of us were drunk."
"We were," he weakly uttered, unable to tear his gaze away from her.
"Well, I remember the kiss, Niles. In every tiny detail, I can still feel it, I can still feel you. I have to know that this means so please, will you kiss me again?"
Niles, too, remembered the kiss as vividly as she did. Though he had made it a point to think of something else if the memory ever came up, but not because he found it revolting, on the contrary, because it evoked feelings inside him he couldn't possibly face. Her eyes were hopeful and filled with longing and he was melting, wanting nothing more than to touch her soft skin and feel her lips. He raised his hand and felt her cold cheek before languidly brushing his thumb over her trembling bottom lip. Desire was coursing through his veins, not just to feel her completely, but to have her by his side forever. But it wasn't right, because trying though he might he could not shake the feeling of betraying her, taking advantage of her. He only thought about her that way since the accident, never before had he associated sensuality with C.C. Babcock, or had he? But it wasn't only the need to clarify his feelings that stopped him from kissing her, it was also that she didn't know the truth. She was different, changed and had no idea about how much she loathed him, for Niles wasn't presumptuous enough to consider that C.C. might have had feelings for him too. Nothing could happen between them until she had regained her memory and it broke his heart to know that he now had to push her away again.
"C.C., it's about time we returned to the house. Mr. Sheffield will be very angry if I'm late to prepare dinner."
He saw a rebellious fire in her eyes that gave him hope for a second, before she lowered her gaze and let go of his hands.
Fran Fine, a couple of blocks away, had done it again. She had managed the impossible and with her resourcefulness found several actors to audition for the part. She had gotten help from her mother and her best friend Val, of course, and once they had arrived the three of them had set off to Times Square where they had approached promising looking young men. It was certainly a very original approach to the casting process but it had worked. Maxwell had frowned upon her chosen method, as always, but she could now see his appreciation. The soft brown eyes of the Broadway producer had long since begun to glow with excitement as each prospective actor entered the office. The brunette smiled happily to herself and then retreated into a kitchen where she helped herself to generous slice of Niles' cheesecake.
"Well, Miss Fine, it appears congratulations are in order." The familiar British accent reached her ears "You were a big help."
"Anytime, Mr. Sheffield and maybe from now on you will stop underestimating me." she bravely said but instantly earned a stern :"Miss Fine!" that put her back in her place.
For a moment she listened to the sound of cutlery and dishes, before he joined her with a slice of cheesecake of his own.
"You know, Miss Fine, ever since Miss Babcock's accident you have been wonderful. You're helping her and you're helping me and you've put "the thing" behind you." he said hopefully.
Fran chewed pensively and set her fork down.
"Did you ever wonder what might have happened if ya hadn't taken it back?" she asked.
"Often," he voiced truthfully, his tone soft and gentle "you are a very attractive and beautiful woman. Funny, warm, caring..." He listed, slowly getting lost in her eyes.
"Oh Mr. Sheffield," she whispered and moaned slightly when their lips met in a kiss.
He dropped his fork and cupped her face, pulling her closer to get as much contact as possible. Then suddenly before either one of them could react, they heard the kitchen door swing open.
"Oh I-", Brighton stuttered and backed out again.
"And this is why I took back "the thing".", Maxwell suddenly angrily exclaimed "Because my children are involved and I can't trust you not to break their hearts!"
"Break "their" hearts? Don't you mean yours? The kids are on my side and would love nothing more than to have me as their mother. You are just afraid to make a commitment!"
"You'll never be their mother, Sara will always be!" he yelled.
"I quit." she quietly said and with another swing of the kitchen door, was gone.
The moment Niles and C.C. set foot in the house, three agitated children stormed towards them.
"Fran quit!" Maggie yelled frustrated.
"Why?" Niles asked, only slowly comprehending the meaning as his mind was on a totally different topic.
"It's all his fault!" Maggie continued, glaring at her brother.
"I walked in on Fran and dad kissing," he explained sheepishly.
"And since dad is most afraid that we will get hurt again but represses his anxieties, this triggered a projected aggression towards Fran." Grace concluded.
"So Fran quit."
"Ok, here's the plan," Niles began, noticing from the corner of his eyes how C.C. quietly slipped away "you will go and talk to your father. Assure him that you want Fran to be here, use Jewish guilt, maybe it'll work! I will go and talk to Fran and I make sure that she'll return!"
It took much more time than he had anticipated persuading Fran to continue working for the Sheffields. But with Sylvia's help it was finally accomplished; now he only hoped that the children had done their job at the other end. He felt tired and lacking energy when he reached the front door of the Sheffield residence. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, taking off his coat and hanging it up. He only noticed that C.C. was leaning against the couch when she started to speak.
"How did it go?"
"It was difficult, but Fran's coming back. She loves the children too much to simply disappear."
"You are a very nice man and a wonderful friend. It makes hating you quite hard."
"What do you mean?" he asked, slowly heading for the stairs.
"What happened today in the park?"
"Please not now, C.C., I'm tired and I just want to go to bed."
"That's fair enough for you, Niles, but I won't be able to sleep until I know what happened." she insisted, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Nothing happened," he snapped.
"Exactly, I am aware of that." she replied ironically "But your actions...they gave you away, I saw that you wanted to kiss me. Why didn't you?"
"Let's just drop this, alright?"
"No," she stubbornly replied, approaching the stairs as well.
"I'm going to bed!"
"You know, I'm beginning to think Maxwell isn't the only man here who's afraid of making a commitment! If you want me, Niles, why don't you take me?"
The fighting almost felt natural and he felt the familiar passion stirring inside him.
"Good God, C.C., you have no idea what you do to me." he growled, whirling around and moving so close that their faces were inches apart.
"Tell me," she demanded, her voice low.
"You don't know how often I've imagined touching you, kissing your body until you tremble and beg me to release you." he began, not realising that he was talking about situations that were far back in the past "I want to hear my name leaving your full, red lips. I crave you, all of you."
When he finished his breath was hot and his body shaking.
"Then why did you back away today?" she asked again, her lips invitingly close.
"Because you're weak and vulnerable right now and I cannot take advantage of you. I've waited too long for this."
"I'm not an idiot, Niles," she said coolly "and only because I've got a stupid head wound doesn't mean I can't be strong. I will not be treated as a charity case and I don't accept pity!"
The anger in her eyes was familiar, so was her tone and he smiled before he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hungrily. Just like in the memory she pulled him closer and closer, bruising his lips with hers over and over again. When they finally pulled away to suck air into their lungs a happy smile lit up C.C.'s features.
"Will you stay with me tonight, Butler Boy?" she asked, tenderly wiping lipstick from the corner of his mouth.
"Of course," he promised, lacing their fingers together.