Disclaimer: We don't own any part or character of 'The Nanny'…but if we could choose…well, you know.

A/N: Just another little collaboration with DannyFan66. This one is about 80 percent improv and 20 percent discussed. Let us know what you think.

No More Pretending

Chapter 4

Niles thought for a moment. "Have you missed your usual walk time?"

CC nodded her head in mock salute. This was their usual element; she knew how to deal with it. She was already formulating a zinger in her head when a strange feeling overcame her. I don't want our usual element. "Guess I walked right into that one, Hazel." She said flatly.

Niles grinned. No comeback, she's already softening. "Well, as for our first date. I think drinks would be best, yes?" He looked at CC and she nodded. Niles stood, put his mug on the table, closed the space between them and took CC's mug and put it next to his. "Then, for our second date, we'll go dancing." CC looked up at him and smiled softly. Niles extended his hand. "May I have this dance?"

She took his hand and said, "There's no music, Niles."

"CC…" Niles spun her deftly into his arms. "When I'm with you, there's always music." He softly sang the song he thought most conveyed his feelings. "When I fall in love, it will be forever…or I'll never fall in love…"

CC relished in the feel of his arms around her and the way they moved around the apartment. One thing she had never doubted, even when they were at each other's throats, was how well they danced together. When he finished singing the song, CC asked him genuinely, "So, Butler Boy, where are we going on our third date?"

"I was hoping you'd ask." Niles was eyed her coyly. "You sit here…" He led her back to the sofa. "And I'll be back in two shakes." Niles practically flew into the kitchen. "Keep your eyes closed, for a minute, please. He came in with a picnic basket. He laid the blanket from the back of the sofa on the floor and quickly unloaded the basket in near silence. He stood and again offered his hand. "Ready, Love?"

"Ready for what exactly?"

Niles sighed lightly. "Well, to be perfectly honest, I usually don't go to this much trouble for a third date, but you're special. It's a picnic." Niles helped CC take her place on the floor. "We got all the very best in last minute picnic food: There's this carton of leftover chicken lo mien; two slices of what I believe is my quiche; an unopened dark chocolate pudding snack; and this nearly full bottle of champagne."

"I'm special, huh?" she said, settling herself on the makeshift picnic area. Looking at the spread before her, CC continued, "You really do go all out when you woo someone, Niles."

Niles poured her a glass of champagne and served her a little bit of everything. "I told you, CC. I want to win your heart and I'll do whatever it takes."

"I'm beginning to see that." CC clicked glasses with him and took a sip. Putting her glass down, she took up a plate and started picking different foods she wanted to eat. "I'm starving." Looking across the 'picnic area' to him, she could see that he was happy with himself. She took a bite of the quiche and closed her eyes in appreciation. She knew even before she opened them again that he was looking at her.

Niles couldn't help but watch her. She was free of makeup and her hair was still tousled from where she toweled it dry. She was radiant. I know you feel it, CC. I wish you weren't so… "…afraid." Niles whispered before he knew what happened.

"Hmm?" CC queried "What did you say? Something about being afraid?"

Niles knew he was caught and knew it would only make her angry so he fibbed, a little. "Well, I'm just…a little nervous, that I'll screw up." Wow! Quick thinking, Old Man.

CC could tell he was lying, in fact she was sure of it. However, she was enjoying herself and didn't want to spoil the mood by calling him on it. Instead she said, "Well, there's nothing to be nervous about. Not many people I know would even have attempted a picnic with the little food that was in my fridge and there you've gone and done it, and done it brilliantly. This was an absolutely splendid third date," she said, grabbing the dark chocolate pudding. She eyed it and then looked up at him with a shy smirk "Do you want to share it with me?"

Niles nodded. "I'll get another spoon."

"It's ok Niles, you don't have to get up." She scooted over closer to him. "We can just share this one. I really like this pudding snack, by the time you'd get back here with another spoon there wouldn't be any left." She confessed, laughing lightly.

Niles smiled sheepishly. "Alright, ladies first, then I'll have a bite."

CC didn't have to be asked twice. She tore open the cover and eagerly filled her spoon with the chocolate treat. She brought the desert to her mouth and carefully made sure to not spill any as she thoroughly enjoyed the taste and the texture. When she was done, she looked over at Niles who was breathing rather hard. She did her best to hide the smile that crept at the corners of her mouth and held the spoon and the cup in front of her. "Your turn. You want me to feed it to you?" she offered, having more and more difficulty maintaining a serious expression.

"Yes." Niles growled softly.

Hearing the tone of his voice, she got a devilish idea. Quickly dipping her finger in the pudding, she half turned towards him, holding chocolate covered digit in front of his mouth, grinning from ear to ear and said "Open up."

Niles raised an eyebrow and knew he was headed for trouble when his mouth dropped open.

CC slowly slipped her finger along Niles' tongue. She had to close her eyes at the sheer intensity of the experience and was unable to stifle the soft moan that crossed her lips.

Niles couldn't move his gaze from her face and thought he'd go completely round the bend at the sensation when he closed his mouth around her finger and lightly sucked.

"Do you like it?"

"The pudding or the vessel for delivery?" Niles asked when she slipped her now wet finger out of his mouth.

"Both" she dropped quietly. When he didn't answer right away, she added, "You know, you didn't exactly answer me before, in the kitchen, about us..." she leaned right into him, their noses almost touching "...kissing."

"Well, technically, this is our third date. So, I think a little kissing could be arranged." Niles locked his eyes with hers. He'd decided at the start of this little operation that she'd have to be the one to make the physical advances. Niles wasn't sure he'd be able to maintain his resolve should he take the lead.

Thank God. CC inched forward and lightly pressed her lips to his for a few brief moments. "Is that what you meant by a 'little kissing', Butler Boy?"

He looked at her and smiled. "Well, yes and no." Niles cupped her face in his hand and took her lips in a warm and gentle kiss. He ran his tongue slowly along her bottom lip until the smallest of spaces opened and he slipped his tongue into dance with hers. He knew it was a risk, holding anything back from CC would be a challenge, and kissing her now, would be the first test of his strength.

CC had realized from the few kisses they had shared that he was a great kisser and they had such chemistry together. The kiss a little while ago in the rain had chased away any doubts she had about whether or not the spark was still there. The kiss he was sharing with her now held all that intensity and yet she could feel Niles holding back. Even now, he was true to his own beliefs and she loved him all the more for it. WHAT?!? She screamed in her own head, stopping the kiss abruptly.

Niles frowned, confused at her sudden withdrawal. "What's the matter?"

"Give me a minute." CC bolted to the bathroom. Staring at herself in the mirror. "Get it together Babcock," she talked to her image. "What's going on with you? Did you just say that you loved him? Did you? What are you thinking? You don't even know what that means?"

Niles was already at the door. "CC? Are you alright? Please, tell me what's wrong. What have I done?" Niles overheard her confession to the mirror but was confused as to why it seemed to bother her. He couldn't help but wonder what he'd done to upset her.

Looking over at him and seeing the obvious concern on his face, she ran a hand through her hair and walked over to him. "I'm sorry Niles...I didn't mean to worry you." She took a breath, and then another, deeper one. "Before, when you were kissing me, I felt that you were holding yourself back a bit." She explained, and he immediately opened his mouth to speak, but she brought up her hand and put it over his mouth to silence him. "Wait, let me finish. When I felt it, I admired that you were willing to make some concession in your plan to woo me, but that you wouldn't trample your own values. However, when I noticed all that in my head, I didn't exactly use the word admire..."

"What word did you use?" Niles asked softly.

"Uhm...I think my exact thought was 'I loved you all the more for it'"

Niles smiled genuinely. "And what do you think that means?"

"Why do you think I'm freaking out? Somewhere, some part of me thinks that I love you." She looked pointedly at him. "How can I even think that I love you...geez Niles. I told you this, I have no concept what that means. It's just a word; I don't know the first thing about it."

Niles pulled her into his arms. "CC…tell me something. When you look at me standing in the kitchen washing dishes at the sink, what do you feel?"

"What? What kind of a question is that?" Niles gave her a look that said humor me, so she thought about it for a minute. "Well, first I feel a pressing need to make some zinger about your whole identity as a man," she joked, "and then I want to come up behind you and put a kiss on the back of your neck and whisper that you should hurry up because those dishes aren't the only things that are wet."

Niles wore an expression of shock at her words. "Well, that's not exactly what I was looking for, but it'll do. Now I want you to tell me, how do you feel when I toss a zinger or say something suggestive or look at you like I could positively devour you."

"You mean the way you're looking at me right now?" CC said in a low, sexy voice and they both smiled deliciously. CC gave it some thought. I feel quite flush at the moment. She let her mind wander to the last time they'd exchanged barbs and she had to admit, she could recognize the same heat coursing through her. "All those situations turn me on."

Niles smirked. "I can't think of a single thing you do that doesn't turn me on, woman, but that's not what we're talking about here. Don't change the subject." Niles took her hand and placed it over his heart. He savored the feel of her hand on his skin. "Do you feel that?" CC nodded. "I knew for certain how I felt about you, when that started skipping a beat every time you entered a room. And it was confirmed when it broke at the site of you leaving the mansion on another man's arm. And I've never been surer of my feelings than when it practically burst from my chest less than five minutes ago when you said… 'you loved me all the more for it." Niles lifted her hand from his chest and kissed her palm then rested her hand over her own heart. "What does your heart say?"

"Is that what love is, what you're describing?" She found the confirmation written all over Nile's face. "See for me, the first part, about your heart skipping, I sort of get that. It's like my blood moves faster, like I'm more awake when you're around. I need more coffee to function when I don't see you." She admitted. "The second part, about your heart breaking, that's not what happens to me. When I know you're on a date, I get angry, frustrated and you have to notice that my barbs become harsher. I also drink... a lot," she quietly confessed.

"You get jealous when I go out on dates?" Niles perked up a little at the thought.

"Jealous?" She looked at him in utter surprise. "Yeah...I guess I am jealous. I never thought of it that way before."

Niles chuckled softly. "Jealous is ok, CC. But there isn't any need. I can't give my heart to anyone else…I've long ago given it to you."

"But I didn't know that then, now did I?" she answered in the same tone.

Niles inhaled deeply. "Well, now that you do…" Niles allowed his voice to fade.

CC met his eyes as his voice faded, and let her fingers dance across his chest to rest at the opening of the robe. God I just want to rip this off him. Feeling rather impish, she bantered back "Well, I guess I won't be jealous anymore when you go out on dates..."

Niles frowned. "CC, please…don't joke…not about this, not anymore."

"Ok, Niles," she took on a completely serious tone, actually backing out of his embrace. She made sure to reassure him with her eyes, sensing his increasing unease. "I won't have to be jealous because you'll be dating me...right?" He nodded. "And you just said that you gave your heart to me long ago, so there are no worries there...right?" He nodded and she could see the hopeful smile forming at his lips. "And you heard what I said inside my head, about loving you, even though I'm not sure exactly what that means?" He was jumpy now; she couldn't talk fast enough for him. "Well, that's what I can offer to you now Niles, the knowledge that love, whatever that means, resides inside of me, for you." CC took a deep breath. I hope it's enough for him now. "Will you help me find it and set it free?"