Hello, Hello!:) So today was a bit of a rubbish day for me, the only thing that helped was writing this story, hence the early update. In other news, I got my exam results yesterday and they're all really good so I'm rather relieved and happy. Right now, as I'm posting this I'm sitting in the car at the roadside...lol We're in this tiny, dead village where nothing is happening and this is the only thing really worth doing!;) Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and I get working on the next one tonight!:) R&R please!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, I'm just playing with them.

Chapter 3: Sara sees it

How C.C. had made it home was a mystery even to her. All she had known was that she needed to get away from him, anywhere possible, but she had eventually wound up at her front door. For a few moments she stood there unmoving, before her body seemed to function again and she fished her keys out of her purse. Once the door was locked behind her, she took off her heels and walked into the bathroom. The only thing she wanted now was a good soak in the tub. Turning on the water and selecting a bubble bath scent she began stripping off her clothes until she stood completely naked in the room. Ignoring the goose bumps that were spreading across her skin, she instead looked for a pin which she then used to tie up her hair. She dipped one finger into the water to test its temperature before fully climbing into the bath and lying down. Letting out a deep sigh she allowed the water to envelope her, enjoying the warmth that immediately turned her skin red. Niles Brightmore was a butler… out of all the professions there were in the world, he had to be a lousy butler. As a Babcock even talking to him was a bit of a taboo, as a matter of fact she could only address him when she required his service and there he had been comforting her about her fear of flying. She closed her eyes in shame when his "crying like a baby" remark crossed her mind again. C.C. Babcock didn't cry! In a matter of minutes that overstuffed butler had managed to completely dismantle her reputation, now she would have to work even harder to gain Maxwell's respect.

Because of the time difference she awoke the next morning at 5 am. Turning around she tried to go back to sleep but found it impossible, she wasn't only wide awake but also rather restless. And so she spent some hours reading through new scripts. Burying herself in work had always been one of her favourite strategies but now it proved pretty convenient too, considering that she could use all that to impress Maxwell. Nonetheless, when she arrived at the Sheffield residence she felt nervous, what more about though she didn't know… her future employer or the butler that was sure to open the door for her. But before she could ring the bell the door was already flung open and Niles asked with a cocky smile:

"Scared?"

Straightening her back and squaring her shoulders she marched right past him, throwing her coat at him as she went, and hurried on to Maxwell's office. Although she was raging with anger she just managed to remember to knock before entering. Expecting to find Maxwell sitting at the desk, she was surprised to see Sara there with him.

"Hello, Hello." she tossed out easily, although it barely disguised her annoyance.

"Have a seat." Maxwell said formally and C.C. was beginning to wonder if something was wrong.

"There is something we really wanted to tell you yesterday, Chas, but didn't get the chance." Sara said, skirting the topic of the disastrous turn the previous night had taken.

"Oh?" C.C. merely asked, raising an eyebrow, while her hands were busy pulling out scripts and arranging them.

But before she could say another word a rapid knock could be heard and a moment later Niles breezed into the room, carrying a tray.

"I thought you might want to take your tea with your husband." he said, addressing Sara politely.

"Yes, thank you, Niles. But there are only two mugs, why didn't you bring one for Chas?"

Niles quickly looked up from pouring the tea, innocence written across his face. "Oh really? It must've slipped my mind."

"Yeah, right." C.C. growled but before another heated argument could break out, Sara spoke up.

"Anyway, what I was going to tell you is that Maxwell and I have some wonderful news: I'm pregnant!" she said, beaming happily.

"I'll get that missing mug now." Niles mumbled, exiting the room.

All the way down to the kitchen he couldn't forget C.C.'s face. Having heard the same the previous it had been just as surprising to him but Maxwell had always wanted to be a father and well, he didn't know Sara a long time but she seemed pretty delightful. C.C.'s expression, however, hadn't been one of mere surprise or shock, she had been completely taken aback by it and if he wasn't mistaken he had seen a brief flicker of pain in her eyes. He didn't understand what was going on inside her and it kept him occupied for quite some time.

Having come down initially to fetch another mug for her, he now wasn't paying any attention anymore to what his hands were doing, or where he was going. What was with that woman? It was driving him insane that he didn't know everything about her and so he decided to focus on the facts that he did know. Her last name being Babcock and the way she threw it around wherever she went, it seemed to carry some importance. Trying as he might though the name didn't ring a bell…She was clearly wealthy though and quite happy to use the money, although she seemed to be something of a black sheep in her family. Niles made that assumption based on the way she had talked about her mother, and the fact she had become defensive immediately when he had inquired about her working position. It had almost felt as if she needed to justify to herself why she had chosen that path, instead of living a luxurious life.

He sighed, coming to the conclusion that he couldn't really figure anymore out while standing in the kitchen and so he returned to the office. Niles immediately noticed that the atmosphere seemed to have changed, it was icier somehow, and all of it was rippling off C.C. Glancing sideways at her while pouring some more tea, he could tell that the smile she had plastered on her face was fake. He handed her the tea and she took it without looking at him.

Sipping lightly she said: "Well, as I said, congratulations. But Maxwell and I really need to get some work done, so if you wouldn't mind…?"

"Of course." Sara said, getting the hint, but Niles remained where he was.

"Same goes for you, Butler Boy." C.C. snarled and he left, but not without glaring at her first.

What C.C. missed completely though was the look of excitement that stole across his face once he had left the room. His heart was pounding so loudly in his chest he thought that Sara could hear it. It was silly, really, but the combination of the nickname chosen and her voice addressing him in such a way was turning him on tremendously. Suddenly, and before he could help it, images were flooding his mind: their bodies entwined in bed, the nickname leaving her full, red lips in a moan. He ran a hand though his hair and even pinched himself to shake himself out of the dream-like daze, while he was still able to function without needing a cold shower.

Once C.C. and Maxwell had some time to work in peace, she took the very important first step at ensuring her future at Sheffield productions. Agreeing with Maxwell that "Cats" clearly wasn't an option, she had suggested a play she had read in the morning. Maxwell instantly loved it and knew which people to call and so, by lunchtime, they had managed to secure their first show.

"Break out the bubbly!" Maxwell exclaimed, walking into the kitchen followed by C.C.

Sara, who had been standing at the counter reading the newspaper looked up. "What's there to celebrate?" she asked.

"Well, obviously we're christening Miss Babcock." Niles replied, standing behind C.C. , the bottle raised just above her head.

"It looks like you'll need a new butler soon, Maxwell, I could help you out with that." C.C. offered, ignoring his remark.

"Leave it to Miss Babcock to know how to meet one." Niles managed to say before Maxwell cut in.

"I have to apologise, C.C., I'm sure Niles will be nicer once he remembers whom he's talking to." he shot Niles a warning look before telling Sara about their success.

"Oh, that's wonderful! I think we should arrange a little party for tonight, to celebrate C.C.'s new job and how much she excels in it. We could invite some more backers, just so they get to know her, that's always useful."

Niles was sure that she would love such an opportunity to shine, a moment in which all attention was focused on her, but he was mistaken.

"I don't know, Maxwell." C.C. said, squirming a little "It's a bit sudden and I wouldn't know who to bring."

"Oh, I don't think that will be a problem," Niles chimed in again "the moment you open that big, fat check book of yours, people will just be dying to be your friend. Isn't that how it normally works?"

He could tell that he had hit her hard that time, that the confidence she was displaying was wavering, enough for him to see the insecurities hidden behind it.

"Niles, that's enough." someone said and he was surprised to find it was Sara. She, too, seemed to have noticed that C.C. failed to reply. Niles clenched and unclenched his fists and made his escape via the backstairs.

When the evening had finally arrived Niles was quite proud to see that he had managed to arrange a last minute soiree. But he also knew that it wasn't due to his own doing, that he never would've managed it without the help of the woman who was currently chopping vegetables at the kitchen counter.

"Have I thanked you today Lucy?" he asked, with a happy smile.

Said woman looked up and wiped away some droplets of perspiration from her forehead. "An awful lot and I'm still glad I could help."

He had met her the previous day when he had been grocery shopping for the first time. Maxwell had specific wishes of what he wanted to eat and had emphasised several times that only the best was good enough. This in turn, had proven to be a bit of a problem for Niles who didn't know New York well enough to have an idea where the closest store was. Of course he knew all the big names and roughly where they were located, but he still liked to make his own discoveries. Having wandered around for over half an hour though without any results to show, he had decided to ask the next best person for directions.

"Excuse me," he had asked the young dark-haired woman standing at the traffic lights next to him "I'm looking for a shop called "Eric's Delikatessen" but I cannot seem to find it. You wouldn't know where it is?"

"Eric's?" she had asked with a light chuckle "Of course, I'm a regular there, just follow me."

On the way there they had chatted a little and it turned out that she was a chef who owned her own little restaurant and to top it all off, she was charming. Niles and her had gotten along so well that they had even exchanged telephone numbers. So when Maxwell had just sprung the news of the party on him, she was the first person he knew he could call. Lucy had been delighted to hear from him and had not only called in many favours to get all the products, but had even suggested to come around and help him cook. It just so happened that Wednesday was her regular night off, of course Niles didn't know if this was actually true or if she was simply influential enough to take a night off whenever she wanted to. Whatever the reason, he was glad that she was here with him now.

Lucy, on the other hand, also knew how lucky she was to have met Niles. He was very friendly and incredibly relaxed, even though she could tell that there was a different side to him too. In the 24 hours she had known him she had seen bits of it cropping up, hidden very well behind sarcastic remarks. But she felt incredibly amazed by his skills, but even more so by the fact that he didn't seem to know just how good he was. In the shop, for instance, he had shown an unbelievable knack for flavours and combinations and now he was working as quickly and efficiently as a professional.

As the evening progressed the guests became happier and happier and the champagne began to flow more easily. Niles was just seeing Lucy out when he felt the inexplicable sensation of being watched.

"Good night." he said softly, closing the door behind Lucy and turned around.

C.C. Babcock was standing in the doorway, her hand resting on the kitchen door, as if she was still trying to make up her mind whether to come in or back out again. They simply stared at each other but before either one could say something, Maxwell appeared behind C.C.

"There you are," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder "why aren't you out there? This is your party…"

"I'm sure she wanted something from me." Niles said, letting the ambiguity hang in the air.

"I came to ask for a glass of water, seeing as a certain butler was too busy chatting around to notice." she snapped.

"Water, C.C.? There is champagne out there, go on, Sara will pour you some more."

Niles shook his head and let out the breath he had been holding, before noticing that Maxwell was still standing there.

"Listen, old man, " Maxwell began, twisting his fingers uneasily "I wanted to ask you a big favour."

"You mean bigger than "Throw me a party in less than 7 hours notice?"", Niles quipped, untying his apron and hanging it up.

Maxwell visibly began to feel nervous, shifting from one foot to the other.

"Well, this time it's actually more of a request than a favour…and it's Sara who asked me to speak to you."

"Will you spit it out?" Niles asked, getting slightly annoyed.

"Look, C.C. didn't bring anyone and I think she's very miserable…and well, you know her as well as I do, when she gets miserable she isn't exactly good company and there are a lot of backers out there…" he drifted off, leaving Niles to wonder where this was going.

"I still don't see the role I'm supposed to play, unless you want to make her more miserable."

"Could you just ask her to dance?" Maxwell finally blurted out.

"Absolutely not." Niles said, stiffening immediately.

"But then it would look as if she's-"

"With all due respect, Sir, you know as well as I do that Miss Babcock would never accept. I am a butler and most of the backers know that, I don't see how it could help her reputation if she was seen dancing with me."

"You've been in the kitchen for most of the time, not a lot of them have actually seen you. It just looks better if she isn't standing around on her own, ready to bite everyone's head off the minute she's approached."

"But it's ok as long as it is just my head, right?" he muttered under his breath, but suddenly getting an idea he asked: "What's in it for me?"

"What do you mean? You are being paid, what more do you expect?"

"I'm not getting paid to keep Miss Babcock happy though, am I? You know, Sir, I'm still suffering from the jetlag and breakfast is quite early…"

"Fine, breakfast will be one hour later tomorrow, satisfied?" Maxwell suggested resignedly and Niles beamed at him.

"It's a deal." he said, shaking Maxwell's hand before leaving the kitchen.

The glorious feeling over that victory only lasted though until he entered the living room. How did Siegfried approach the dragon? Striding over to her more confidently than he felt, he took his time to assess her mood. She was hovering by the stairs, her eyes flickering to the door several times as if she had to force herself not to flee. His brain hadn't yet managed to formulate a plan when he was already standing in front of her.

"Miss Babcock, would you like to dance?" he asked, offering his hand to her.

"Are you completely mad?" she exclaimed loudly.

Niles noticed that all eyes were immediately on them and so he grabbed her hand and pulled her against him.

"Believe me, I wouldn't be caught dead dancing with you. But Mr Sheffield asked me to do it, you're scaring off the backers." he whispered, while slowly beginning to sway his body to the rhythm of the music.

"Let go!" she pressed, but he only tightened his hold on her.

"Think about your career." he tried again and took her grumbled response as a resigned "yes".

After the first moment of agitation had passed he began to notice how close they now were. Her hands were smooth and soft and her thumb and the rest of her fingers were curled around his hand. His other arm that was wrapped around her waist kept brushing over her curves that were barely hidden by the thin, silky fabric of her blouse. He tried to catch her eyes but she was steadfastly refusing to look at him, staring over his left shoulder instead. And so he decided to lower his gaze, taking in her entire appearance for the first time. Although the long black skirt she was wearing prohibited any glimpse of skin, he could still perfectly picture her gorgeous tanned legs. Once again it struck him how much she had changed since their fist encounter, switching from shorts and revealing clothes to a more formal dress code.

"Be careful what you're staring at, Benson." C.C. growled, misinterpreting what he was doing.

Niles chuckled lightly and then purposefully examined her chest region. It hadn't escaped him that her warning had been softer than all the insult she had flung at him thus far and a small gasp left his lips when he realised that her chest was rising and falling quicker than usual, just as if she was excited or nervous. He only noticed that the music had stopped when she abruptly pulled away.

Maxwell and Sara who had observed it all from a distance were now exchanging confused looks.

"Did you see that? It worked." Maxwell voiced.

"That's not the only thing I saw." Sara muttered and left her husband's side to follow Niles into the kitchen.

He was stowing things away in the fridge and she put her hands firmly on the door and without announcing her presence, said: "I had a feeling there was more to why you and Chas treated each other that way and now I think I might actually have been right."

"It's as she said: she's a Babcock, I'm a butler, we met at your house. End of story!" he replied calmly, looking at her.

She was aware that he wasn't telling the entire truth but knew that he wouldn't say more and so opted for a change of tactic.

"You insult her all day long and she does the same. But just now when you danced, I saw the way you were looking at her, Niles."

"You saw nothing, only what the butler was asked to do." he said harshly, leaving her alone in the kitchen.