Disclaimer: I don't own any of the fabulous characters from 'The Nanny'.

A/N: I've always wondered if this could ever really happen. Not just Niles and CC but anyone, anywhere.

Phantom of the Mansion

Chapter 5

Christmas

"Whoowhee! That was one heck of a Christmas dinner, Niles. I didn't think you could top Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, but yet again. I was wrong." Fran stands up and starts helping to clear the table.

Max stands. "Fran's right, old man, you've out done yourself. Alright, children, help Niles clear the table and then it's time for our movie." Max actually took his plate and started into the kitchen himself passed a literally stunned Niles.

"Daddy, can Fran watch the movie with us this year?" Gracie asked.

Max smiled. "Of course, Grace, as long as it won't make Fran uncomfortable."

Fran winked at Gracie and smiled her biggest 'I love you kiddo' smile. "I'll be right in."

CC joined Niles in the kitchen. "Can I help?" CC leaned on the counter. "I think it's best if I don't watch the movie this year."

"Miss Babcock, you know that Fran won't mind if you stay. Sara was your best friend." Niles sympathized.

CC tilted her head at him. "Niles, why don't you ever watch the movie? You loved Sara just as much as the rest of us."

"That's why." Niles smiled sadly. "She was a very dear friend, and I confided in her quite a bit. I miss her. So I find that watching the movie makes me sad, and I don't want to be sad at Christmas."

CC turned and surprised Niles with a hug. "I miss her too, Niles. I could never trust anyone as much as I trusted Sara." Niles returned the hug and they embraced for a good minute before they realized what they were doing and broke apart.

Niles walked to the small closet where he kept his jacket when he was cleaning and pulled out a wrapped package. "I got you this, Merry Christmas." Niles handed it to CC.

"Niles, we already did the gift thing this morning with the family." CC looked confused.

"I thought it best if I gave you this away from the rest of the family." Niles confessed sheepishly.

CC smirked and winked at him. "It's not something dirty is it?"

He shook his head slightly embarrassed. "Just open it." Niles started loading the dishwasher.

CC tore into the package and nearly cackled when she saw its contents. She leaned in and whispered. "I see why you didn't want Max to see this." CC held up the CD set. "The Phantom of the Opera…Max would have a stroke on the spot." They both laughed. "Thanks Niles, I love it."

"Just make sure you use the headphones when you listen, no sense in us both getting fired." Niles winked just as Max threw open the door and CC quickly tucked the CD up the back of her sweater and stood next to Niles both with the cat-ate-the-canary look on their face.

Max frowned at the odd looking pair. "Niles, the children were wondering if you could make some popcorn."

"Absolutely, Sir, I'll have it out in two shakes." Niles didn't move a muscle since his unseen hand was keeping the CD from falling out of CC's sweater.

"Oookkkaayy." Max turned and left shaking his head.

"That was way too close," Niles said handing her the CD set that had come to rest in his hand. "You'd better take this to your room."

CC frowned. "I was going to help you clean up."

"I'm almost done." Niles grinned. "Miss Babcock…have we called a holiday truce? I don't think either of us has whipped off a zinger in well over a week?"

CC tilted her head thinking. "Well, Hazel, don't get used to it, no Babcock can be nice to a servant for long or we lose our membership in the snooty witch country club."

Niles smirked as CC started up the stairs. "Since we still have a few hours left before you turn back into a shrew, care for a game of scrabble or something?"

"Bring your best game, you know where I live." CC continued up to her room.

After a few rousing scrabble matches CC and Niles decided to just call it a tie since they kept trading games back and forth. They used two sets of head phones and listened to the CD set Niles had given CC. They were even comfortable enough to sit in CC's room, with the door closed in their pajamas. It was positively domestic, well, almost.

"Well, My Evil Queen, I suppose that the family will be up as usual in the morning for their breakfast." Niles stood and collected the game. "Thank you for a lovely evening which I will never admit to spending with you." He smirked as he started toward the door.

CC stood and trailed behind him. "Yeah, well you won't hear me screaming it from the roof tops." CC nudged him lightly in the back. "Thanks again, Niles. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Miss Babcock, pleasant dreams." Niles stepped out of the room and walked down the hall to his own room.

CC watched him go.

"Stop checkin' me out, Babcock." Niles called without turning around.

"You wish!" CC called back.

CC found herself in that grand ballroom again. And once again she was wearing the white lace negligee. The room was bathed in a golden glow from the literally hundreds of candles burning around her. She stood in the center of the room, alone waiting they the music started as a whisper so soft she had to strain to hear it.

"…You have come here in pursuit of your deepest urge.

In pursuit of that wish which till now has been silent, silent."

CC spun around and there at the top of the grand staircase stood the Phantom…her Phantom. He sang more forcefully as he started slowly down the stairs toward her.

"I have brought you that our passions may fuse and merge.
In your mind you've already succumbed to me.
Dropped all defenses completely succumbed to me.
Now you are here with me, no second thoughts, you've decided, decided."

When he reached the bottom of the stairs he stared circling CC like she was his prey. It excited her and she felt like she was in a trance cast upon her by his voice.

"Past the point of no return.
No backward glances.
The games we've played till now are at an end.
Past all thought of "if" or "when".
No use resisting, abandon thought, and let the dream descend."

The Phantom reaches CC and pulls her into him. Her back so tightly against his warm chest that she can feel his heart beat. It seems to be racing as badly as her own.

"What raging fire shall flood the soul?
What rich desire unlocks its door?
What sweet seduction lies before us?"

His hands move slowly up the sides of her legs to her hips to her waist finally to her wrists and he turns her out to arms length.

"Past the point of no return.
The final threshold; what warm, unspoken secrets shall we learn?
Beyond the point of no return."

CC still shocked that she can manage to sing in these overpowering dreams meets his eyes to confess all she's been feeling.

"You have brought me to that moment where words run dry;

to that moment where speech disappears into silence, silence.
I have come here, hardly knowing the reason why.
In my mind I've already imagined our bodies entwining
defenseless and silent, and now I am here with you.

No second thoughts, I've decided, decided."

CC finds herself as the huntress now. She circles the Phantom until they are at near opposite ends of the ball room. The Phantom and CC move slowly toward each other seeking to have each other completely.

"Past the point of no return.
No going back now.
Our passion-play has now, at last, begun.
Past all thought of right or wrong.
One final question, how long should we two wait, before we're one?
When will the blood begin to race the sleeping bud burst into bloom?
When will the flames, at last, consume us?

Past the point of no return the final threshold."

Reaching each other in the center of the room the Phantom spins CC into his chest again. She can still feel the heat of him and his heart racing, his hands covering hers and caressing her.

"The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn.
We've passed the point of no return."

CC abruptly bolts up in her bed, her breathing rapid and shallow, to discover another single rose tied with black satin ribbon on her night stand.