I'm sorry for the glaring grammar mistakes of the previous chapter. I just noticed them after I published it, and am too lazy to put it down for corrections, once it was not something that made reading impossible.
Thank you for the always generous feedback.
Memory Loss
Chapter 6: The Ending Scene
Fran noticed Niles enthusiasm early in the next day, and went back to the kitchen as soon as the children were settled for the Saturday morning.
The butler was cleaning up and singing Old Time Rock'n'Roll to himself, and she didn't resist teasing, 'Someone seems ready to shine!'
'This song came to my mind while I showered and now I'm stuck with it', he grinned at her while in frantic activity, 'Luckily, I like it'.
'I'm surprised you're so energized', she observed while he took some mugs and put them efficiently in the dishwasher, 'Your bestie didn't come for breakfast, today. Maybe she is not even coming for work'.
'Yes, it seems she wasn't brave enough to face our morning ritual, but I'm sure she will come over', he closed the machine door with too much force, and started cleaning the counter, rubbing it almost viciously, 'I may not remember everything about Miss Babcock, but I know what I feel'.
Not exactly understanding, Fran decided to seize the rare opportunity of a Niles distracted by work, and prodded, 'And what would that be?'
He went on as if he hadn't heard her, 'She will not ignore my feelings. She won't treat them as an illusion. I have taken a decision, and nothing is going to stand between me and my goal'.
Fran went closer and tried again, 'And what would that be?'
'If she thinks she is going to distract me with her powers, that witch is very wrong! I'm not permitting her to-'
'Niles!'
'What?!', he stopped, annoyed, and looked at her.
Fran walked to him and spoke in a soothing voice, 'I'm here to help, sweetie. Calm down and tell me what is going on'.
He opened his mouth to answer, but the swinging door moved, revealing a hurried Miss Babcock, 'Hello, hello! I couldn't get up from bed, this morning'.
'Someone put that rock on your coffin again?'
Both CC and Niles looked at Fran – it was her who made the comment.
'I'm sorry, I was just trying to bring up some normalcy. Go on as you wish'.
The socialite glared, 'I barely slept, and was too tired to come for breakfast'.
'It's Saturday', Fran informed, 'You didn't have to come to work'.
'Have you eaten anything?', the butler asked the blonde, pointedly ignoring the brunette and trying to divert The Eye she was receiving from the socialite.
CC left Fran off the hook, 'No. I decided to come directly here. I have a lot to do', she threw a quick glare at the other woman, 'Not that some people in this same room would understand what having a real job is'.
The butler frowned quickly at the notion that he may be included in the zinger, but decided to let it go, 'I'll prepare something for you'.
'Ok'.
He moved to pick a mug for her and decided to make small talk, 'I hope our time together yesterday had nothing to do with your bad night'.
To his chagrin, what he said was not taken lightly, and CC lashed out, 'It's funny how you promptly think me being late has something to do with you. Would it be because you're so old and decrepit you're always late?'
Niles froze.
CC had the deer in the headlights look.
Fran looked from one to the other, desperate for clues on what was going on.
He turned to face the blonde and frowned deeply, 'When did-'
'I think I've heard Maxwell calling me!', she almost yelled to cut him off, 'I'm out of here. I mean, I'm gone. Going. To the Office'.
She exited the kitchen hurriedly.
Fran went to the fridge to see if there was something to munch on later, when her mother came, while commenting on the danger of running like that in a house with so many people, including children.
She closed the fridge and realized she was alone.
Niles had gone after Miss Babcock.
Fran, obviously, ran after them.
When she arrived in the living room, the butler was standing behind the sofa, his eyes glued to something Gracie was watching on television.
The Nanny saw the terrified face of the businesswoman, some steps ahead, her eyes going from Niles to the screen.
Noticing the small crowd that suddenly seemed very interested in what she had been watching, Gracie joyfully shared some info with them, 'It's that very interesting documentary we saw together, Niles, about the representation of love in fiction and how it reflects how society see men and women. It has already presented classics as Casablanca, Romeo and Juliet and Cleopatra. Now it's analyzing how cavemen dragging women by the hair was a favorite motif in early cinema, reinforcing the idea that initiative and decision-taking were features expected in men'.
Fran looked at the screen and there it was: a black and white scene of a man wearing an obviously fake animal skin with a club in one hand and a woman by the hair in the other.
Niles put a hand on his head, where he had been hit.
Fran approached him, and touched his arm, worried, 'Are you ok, sweetie?'
CC gave more steps away, visibly dreading his answer.
He lowered his arm and looked at the brunette, 'Miss Fine, would you do me a favor?'
'Anything'.
'Tell Mister Sheffield his business associate arrived for work, but that she is a person decent enough to be with me for a while in order to clarify some things', he looked at CC, hardening his voice, 'I'll be in the butler's pantry'.
She cringed as if he had slapped her.
Niles exited the room without looking back.
Gracie used the remote to stop the video, 'What is happening? Did I say something wrong?'
'I don't think so', Fran reassured the girl, then turned to glare at CC, 'But I wish I knew'.
The blonde was looking at the swinging door, where Niles had disappeared.
She was the image of desolation.
Always empathetic, Fran approached her, 'Miss Babcock? May I help you?'
'Yes', the woman answered looking at empty space, 'Tell Maxwell I had something to deal with before going to the office'.
And she exited the room, too, not looking back.
'They are so similar', Gracie commented, and pointed the remote control to the VCR, 'I hope they figure it out soon'.
xxx
When CC arrived at the pantry, Niles was waiting for her, supporting his back on a cabinet, his arms crossed over his chest, his brow furrowed.
She entered and stopped the moving door behind her to gain some time.
Then, she joined her hands nervously.
He directed his glare at her, 'What do you have to say in your defense?'
She gulped down. Any hope that he still had some doubts about what had happened were vanquished.
Well, it was time to keep the façade.
CC separated her hands and raised her chin in defiance, 'I don't have anything to defend myself from. I came here that Wednesday to talk to Maxwell and consult some contracts, I didn't find him or them, I found you, and it's completely understandable that I was disappointed'.
He uncrossed his arms and put a hand behind his ear to cradle it as if he needed to hear her better, 'And?'
She passed her tongue on the front of her teeth, 'You refused to give me any information and walked away as if you owned the house. I went after you, we had an argument and I… may have… thrown something on you'.
He supported his hands on the counter by his sides, nodding encouragingly, 'And?'
She huffed, 'I didn't hear any noises. I thought I had missed and you would be laughing at me, so I exited the house as quick as I could', her shoulders fell, 'When Nanny Fine called me to say you were in a coma I was sure it was my fault. But then you woke up and couldn't remember me, and I decided it was for the best', she shrugged in obviously fake nonchalance, 'I told you I've done some terrible things', she crossed her arms and looked away, 'I tried to warn you. It's not my fault you're an idiot'.
CC waited for his answer, running all possible scenarios in her head to prepare for the backlash.
Maybe he was going to yell at her, furious she had left without checking if she had hit him.
Maybe he was going to declare coldly how right he had been about her for all those years, and leave her alone. Forever.
Maybe he was going to mock her for putting herself on his hands so easily, hurting him physically and hiding it to try to avoid being hold responsible.
She realized he now had something to tell her on Maxwell.
To her surprise, CC considered that the worst possibility.
Not because it would make her partner horrified at her vicious personality and violent actions (he already knew about them and seemed not to mind when they were useful for business).
It was because it was a clear signal that Niles' memory was back, that the Niles who knew her was back, and that his first thought was not of sympathizing with her decisions, but of how he could make the whole world despise her.
Deciding to attack before he said any hurtful words, she hissed, 'Don't you even think of using this to blackmail me. You can spread the story as much as you wish. I don't care', her hands closed into fists, by her sides, 'And for your information, I'm not sorry I hit you!'
'And you shouldn't', he answered calmly, 'Once you didn't'.
She must have heard it wrong, 'What?'
'You threw the casserole too high', he pointed at the rebuilt shelves behind him, 'It hit a weaker point in the structure that I was not aware of. I noticed things had moved, turned to get a stall for a closer look and everything went black'.
'You mean…', she pointed at the shelves, '…it was really an accident?'
'Yes, it was', he smiled, 'Relieved?'
For a moment, the tension was gone from her entire body, and she seemed on the verge of agreeing.
However, something occurred to her, and the Bitch of Broadway was back in full force, 'What are you?! A sadist?!', she advanced towards him, 'You knew it was not my fault and still you set me up just to laugh at my face?!'
He raised his hands, 'Woah! Calm down, Babcock'.
'Don't tell me to calm down when you're such an assh-'
'You misunderstood me', he cut her off.
She stopped walking to yell better, 'You asked what I had to say in my defense! What is there to misunderstand?!'
'I was referring to the fact you spent the entire time I had memory loss trying to convince me I don't like you, when you knew I do', it was his time to give a step towards her, 'And there is more: you spent the entire time of my memory loss trying to convince me you disliked me and would never give a chance to what exists between us, instead of telling me what you had really said before you threw the casserole'.
It made her retreat, 'I don't know what you're talking about'.
'Oh, really?', another step towards her, 'Do you need me to remind you?'
'There's no need to…'
'Yes, there is', he gave another step, stopping very close and looking her right in the eye, 'Your exact words were: I'm not surprised you act like this towards me, Niles. It must be sad to know you are too late to learn any new tricks that could impress a master as demanding as myself'.
She stayed silent, not able to take her eyes off his.
'You know what was your mistake, Miss Babcock?', he squinted, 'You didn't take into consideration that you are my lucky charm, and that the hit in the head you indirectly caused would prevent me to give you any of the stupid comebacks we are used to'.
She pressed her lips together stubbornly.
'But now I can give you the proper answer you deserve'.
He was so close she could see his eyes darkening.
She hoped he thought the flushing on her cheeks was angriness, and not the thrill at his closeness it really was.
'Do you want to hear it?', he asked in a low voice.
'Not really', she more breathed than spoke, but still tried to maintain some dignity, despite such twisted arousal, 'But I think you'll say it, anyway'.
'Yes. I will'.
His next gesture surprised her.
Niles rested his hands on CC's forearms.
He was not grabbing her.
It was a caress.
He licked his lips, looking at her mouth.
Then set his eyes on hers.
'I hope you are wrong, Miss Babcock, because I really want you to be my master and I wish with all my heart that I still have time to learn what to do to impress you'.
She blinked, realization dawning slowly on her.
That was the answer he thought she deserved.
The answer he couldn't give her then, but could, now.
'Oh, crap!', she finally exclaimed.
And immediately grabbed him for a kiss.
Niles followed her lead, deepening the contact when she did, enjoying her reaction without thinking of what it meant.
When CC let go of his lips (but still kept him close by the grip on his shirt), he whispered, 'May I say you keep being the charming one?'
She chuckled, planting her palms on his chest, 'I hate you'.
'Once you insist on naming it hate', he grinned and sing-songed, 'Hate you more'.
His words crumbled the rest of her resistance, and CC pressed her lips against Niles' in a loving touch.
When they parted, he involved her waist with his arms, keeping her close.
She caressed his cheek with her hand, 'You know, I was right'.
His voice was warm, 'About what?'
'About the importance of you recovering your memory'.
'Because now I know everything about us?'
'Because now you won't have any lame excuses, like a memory loss, to say I tricked you'.
'Being a magic being, you do tricks all the time, baby', he saw her lips part in surprise at the endearment and pecked them, 'And I wouldn't have it any other way'.
xxx
Luckily for Niles and CC, Fran Fine had heard everything through the old intercom in the pantry, and they were not interrupted.
When they decided to move it to her penthouse, Fran ran to the office to spread the news of a blooming romance in the mansion, in hopes that a certain British businessman stopped being in denial about love.
If Niles and CC, who were so similar and still so opposite – to the point they apparently could never fit in anyway - had managed it, anyone could.
The End