Disclaimer: I don't own any part or character from The Nanny…
A/N: This chapter is a bit longer, and don't worry, it will deal with the last chapter, just bear with me as I get this set up ok?
It had taken a week, before they had told anyone else about the pregnancy. One of CC's biggest concerns, was taking the limelight away from Fran. The new Mrs. Sheffield had tried everything to get pregnant, and now that she was, CC didn't want her news to make Fran's seem less special. Niles was surprised at how strongly CC felt about this. He thought he had figured out "The Bitch of Broadway" a long time ago (even though his feelings for her betrayed him and knew there was more to her than that image), and now she was showing a side he never knew existed.
They had discussed this at length, and finally decided to tell Max and Fran on the weekend, while the kids were away at ski camp. Niles had suggested that it would better to start small and then work outwards through the rest of the gang, and CC wholeheartedly agreed. The actual thought of telling anyone scared her much more than she let on.
So before leaving work on Friday, CC had asked Maxwell if she could come for supper the next day as she had an announcement to make. Maxwell assured her that, of course she was welcome for supper, and that he and Fran would be there to listen.
"Hello, Hello" she greeted them upon entering the dining room. She took the seat two to Maxwell's left, purposefully leaving the seat next to him empty.
Niles served the meal to all four places, and as he was putting the serving utensils away, heard Maxwell ask, "CC, is someone else joining us?"
"I will be sir." Niles answered, easily sitting in the last empty seat.
Fran and Max looked at each other and then Fran said "What's going on Niles?"
"Miss Babcock, CC ,and I have something to talk to you both about." he looked at CC and she half smiled at him.
"CC huh?" Fran full out smiled. "This should be interesting."
"Nanny Fine, I know we are not really friends, but I think given that I'm Maxwell's partner, calling you Mrs. Sheffield seems…well, do you think I could call you Fran?"
Fran had not been expecting that. "Uhm..sure…Miss…CC?"
"Yes, CC."
"yes, well, that's wonderful CC. I'm happy to see that my wife and my partner can get along." He smiled genuinely at both of them. Arching his eyebrow, he continued "However, I think there may be more to this little gathering, no?"
"Of course Maxwell," CC agreed. "I have…we have something to tell you." Niles took her hand in his and squeezed it for comfort, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by either Fran or Max. "First, we just want you to know that we didn't plan this, and second, once we tell you, don't assume that it means more than what it is ok?"
"Means more than what? What are you talking about CC?" Maxwell was getting frustrated.
"Calm down Max, she's trying to tell you." Whoa, Niles just called Max..Max…this was going to be big. Fran leaned in to figure this all out. She put a hand on Maxwell's shoulder and said "Come on honey, let 'em talk ok? Now Miss..CC, you were sayin'…"
"I'm pregnant" There, all the rehearsing and the planning had gone straight out the window. She couldn't take it any more and just had to get it out. It was surprisingly easy to do.
"You're what?" Max and Fran both said at the same time. "How? When?" sputter Max.
"Oy! Who's the father? I mean, I didn't know you were seeing anyone." Fran asked.
"It's me" Niles replied calmly. "I'm the father."
"Wh-at! What are you saying old man? That you and CC, that CC is having your baby?" Maxwell was completely confused, and visibly upset.
"Niles, you dog! I mean, I didn't even know you were seeing each other…you didn't tell me?" Fran was now starting to lay on the guilt. "Me, your best friend, and you didn't tell me…why didn't ya tell me?"
"Fran, please, he didn't know." CC answered exasperated. "And we are not seeing each other. That's what I meant earlier by assuming that it means more than it is." She took a deep breath, quickly looking at Niles to see if he was ok with how she was doing this. He nodded, so she continued. "I found out last week that I was pregnant, which, let me tell you, was quite a shock. You are right Fran, I'm not seeing anyone, and I haven't been with anyone in a while, so finding out I was with child really took me for a loop. When I found out about how far along I was, it put the conception date around the time of your wedding. The only possibility was the actual night of your wedding. Niles and I had quite a bit to drink that night, and we sort of drowned our sorrows together and ended up, we think, because neither one of us remembers, sleeping together and the consequences of that fateful night are growing in my uterus." She didn't realize she had been holding her breath until she stopped talking.
Niles gave her hand a quick squeeze and whispered "Well done."
"So, if you're not seeing each other, what's with the hand holding?" Fran asked.
"Just a gesture of support." Niles answered. "CC was really worried about how you both would take the news, Mrs. Sheffield. She especially didn't want you to feel like she was trying to overshadow your pregnancy."
"Fran. Call me Fran Niles, you are my best friend."
"Ok Fran, and it's true, it was one of her biggest concerns, about how you would react." Niles wanted to make sure that both Fran and Max understood that part. He knew it was important to CC, and somehow it made it important to him.
Meanwhile, Max was trying to figure this all out. CC was pregnant, and Niles was the father. They weren't a couple, but they seemed to be closer than … well, they had never been close, so any kind of civility would be considered closer…
"What are your plans, CC?" Maxwell asked.
"Yeah, are you guys going to keep it? What are you gonna do? Are you gonna get married?" Fran was all questions now.
"No, we're not getting married Fran. And as for my plans, well we're still working out the details Maxwell. Niles and I have gotten this far: We're going to have this baby, and we will both be a part of his or her life. How that will happen or what exactly that means, well, we haven't figured that out yet."
"We wanted to tell you first, obviously because this will affect all of us. And we didn't want to tell you when the children were her, Sir, because, well… we're not exactly sure how to explain how this baby came to be to them." Niles was nervous now, he was going to say something that he hadn't run by CC first, and just hoped she understood. "I know that my behaviour is not exactly role model material. I mean, I got drunk at my boss' wedding and then took advantage of his business partner and got her pregnant all because I wasn't gentlemanly enough to keep my pants on. I would completely understand if you terminated my employment, and though I will miss all of you, will be ready to leave in the morning if you asked it of me."
"Wh-at?" all three of them said at the same time, but it was CC who continued first. "What are you talking about Niles? How do you know that you took advantage of me? What if I was the one who seduced you? Neither one of us can say what happened, we don't remember. So Maxwell could just as well fire me as you."
"CC, you can't even stand me. I get that alcohol can reduce your inhibitions, but you coming after a Butler, come on…I don't think there's enough Johnny Walker on the planer for that to ever happen. As for leaving this office, you love the theatre. This job, it's your life. I can do what I do anywhere. I mean, the job part, because the family part, I can't replace…" he dropped his eyes, his heart evidently heavy.
"See what I mean?" CC continued. "You can't leave here, you're whole life is wrapped up in this house. They ARE your family. And don't sell yourself short, Niles, you have a lot to offer. I don't hate you, even if I act that way sometimes. You're infuriating. But you can't leave, I'll leave, it is just a job…even if I do love it."
"STOP IT" Maxwell insisted. "Both of you are right…I could fire both of you."
"Maxwell" Fran slapped him on the arm, giving him an evil look.
"But I'm not going to" Max continued, giving his wife a look that said "I know what I'm doing". "CC, where would I find someone to replace you. I know I don't say it enough, but I know we would not be as successful without you. And Niles, you are my oldest friend, you've been like a brother to me, and I couldn't get through the day without you here. No. No one is getting fired. We'll just take it one day at a time, and see how things develop, shall we?"
For someone who was usually clueless, Maxwell was making quite a bit of sense.
And so they finished their supper, mostly in silence, as everyone was still in shock about all that had transpired around the table that night.
Fran was still in shock that Niles was the father. She was also warming to the idea that she would have someone to share the pregnancy with ,go shopping with, maybe it wasn't all bad.
Maxwell wondered how this would affect the business. Would CC still be able to work? Would she keep her hard edge, or would pregnancy make her go soft. He also wondered how his friend was handling this. He looked forward to a quieter time when he and Niles could talk alone.
Niles couldn't believe that CC had come to his defense like that. First, she had refused his version of the wedding night story, saying that she could have been the initiator. Then, she had offered to quit so he could stay. She had also said she didn't hate him. What did that mean?
CC had realized what Niles was saying too late to stop him. He actually told them that he had taken advantage of her. Why would he say that? And why had she argued with him about it? Then he offered to leave if they told him to. What had he been thinking? He loved this family, this house. Where would he go? And if he did leave, she wouldn't get to see him every day. That bothered her the most, and it was the fact that it bothered her terrified her to no end.
After that supper on that night so many months ago now, Niles had taken CC back to her apartment in the town car, like he had done every night since. No matter what kind of day it had been, or what kind of mood either one of them were in, when CC was ready to head home, he could grab the keys and drive her there. He would always walk her to her apartment and she would always invite him in. They would sit on the couch and talk a little, throw out ideas about how they would deal with this or that aspect of the pregnancy or life with baby, and then Niles would go home.
So this is how it ended up that after they had left the doctor's office, both visibly shaken and quite uncomfortable with what the doctor had said, they were still back at CC's apartment, same as every other night before. The big difference was that neither one of them was saying a word. The tension in the room was palpable.
Niles thought back to what the doctor had said "are you telling me that you haven't had sex since you found out about the baby?" Dr. Wilson had sounded so surprised. Well, of course he would, how could he know the details of their relationship. "Hell, I don't know even know the details of the relationship, and I'm IN IT" Niles sighed to himself. Another thing the doctor had said popped into his head. "Like I said, just have fun, let CC set the pace, and enjoy yourselves." Enjoy ourselves? We needed to be sloshed out of our brains to actually have sex in the first place…how would we enjoy ourselves??
Niles was sitting at the end of the couch with his legs propped up on the coffee table. He looked over at CC, who was sitting at the opposite of the couch, leaning back on the arm rest, with her legs bent at the knees, towards him. She looked as lost in thought as he was.
"Does the intensity of the cramps vary, and are they stronger or lasting longer after orgasm?" Dr. Wilson had asked that question like it was the most normal thing in the world. CC almost died of embarrassment. One didn't use the "o" word outside the bedroom, and definitely not casually. And then the rest of that crazy conversation with the doctor, where he told her to get a room with Niles and "let loose" so to speak. With Niles??? "Well, yes, sex. He is the father. It wouldn't be the first time now would it?" What an idiot Dr. Wilson was. Didn't he see that she wasn't with Niles, she was just having his baby? Hey, that sounds crazy, even to me. She leaned her head back and ran her hands through her hair, groaning out loud.
He watched her stretch out a bit, and saw she was favoring her lower back a bit. She moved enough that her foot touched his arm and he didn't know what made him do it, but he half turned towards her, bringing his leg up on the couch, and grabbed the sock foot that had touched him.
His touch sent her reeling and brought her right back into the room. "What are you doing Niles?" CC asked, curiously and cautiously. She could only hold his gaze for a second, the day had been just too much for her.
"I read in one of the baby books this morning that foot massage is a great stress reliever. The doctor said that you might be stressed…" Just the mention of the word doctor had them both look away. He kept hold of her foot though, and started massaging her gently.
"You know, I've been thinking about what happened today, and I just want to say that for the past three months, we've been getting along and you've let me be as much a part of baby's existence as was possible. You let me come to all the appointments, you let me sign you up for Lamaz, you listen when I tell you to take a break from work, well, most of the time" he laughed a bit under his breath. He saw her smile too, and felt her relax a bit. "I just mean that just because the doctor didn't have any clue about how what he said would affect us, I don't want it to. I don't want him throwing the idea of us having sex to come and ruin what we have. If something happens, like when the baby first kicked and you called me over at three in the morning to come and share that, I want you to be able to call me and not feel uncomfortable. So can we just file what he said into the "information that's good to know about a pregnancy" but not worry so much about it?"
Only then did he dare look at her. She had her eyes closed, but he knew she was listening to him. She didn't answer him at first, and finally said: "That feels amazing, Bell Boy. Now do my other foot." and she stretched it out for him. She smirked a bit, and when he took the other foot, she looked at him directly. "I don't think I can agree to that."
He didn't let go of her gaze, and debated whether he should let go of her foot or not. It took only a few seconds for her to keep going, but it felt like an eternity.
"I can't agree to it because, in a way, it's something I've been thinking of for a while now."
What was she saying?
"What I mean is… do you remember when we told Max and Fran about the baby?" he nodded. "Do you remember what you told them about how it happened?"
"Sort of..." He was lying, unlike the night of the wedding, he remembered every single detail that had happened since CC told him he would be a father.
"Uh huh, just as I thought. Do you remember saying that you were to blame, that it was you that took advantage of me? And when I proposed that maybe I had seduced you, you rebuffed me without a second thought?" Again, Niles nodded at her description of the event.
"Well, I've been thinking that maybe we were both to blame. That maybe all those years of insults and jabs was really just a cover. That perhaps there is something there that neither one of us is willing to look at."
"Oh come on Babcock. Your hormones are out of whack again."
"Really? Then tell me that you didn't feel anything the night we kissed? Tell me that even though you were playing a prank, you weren't turned on when I did cluck like a chicken?" She saw in his whole demeanor that she had hit a nerve. "Tell me that you haven't had one single solitary dream about how that night would have ended if Fran and Max hadn't walked through that door?" She knew she was right. She felt his touch change on her foot right now as she spoke of it. "Tell me you haven't had at least a dozen cold showers because of those dreams? Tell me that ever since you found out this child I'm carrying is yours, you haven't tried to remember how we conceived it?" She looked straight at him now. She couldn't believe that she had just said that to him. She had completely revealed her heart to this man, this butler. Her, CC Babcock, The Bitch of Broadway, had pretty much admitted that she found him attractive and had thought, no dreamed of making love with him.
He was thinking the exact same thought she was. Why had she told him this now? Did it matter that she was right? How would they deal with something like this between them?
"Ok, I'll admit it. Everything you've said is true. That kiss was mind blowing! I just close my eyes and I'm there. Mornings are rare that I don't have to take a cold shower because your face haunts my dreams almost every night. I can't count the number of ways I've imagined how that night would have ended if Fran and Max hadn't come home when they did. And I truly wish I could remember the night of the wedding." There, he had said it too.
"Oh Niles" she pulled herself up on her knees and leaned in to hug him, tears streaming down her face. She didn't dare kiss him, she didn't trust herself. "What are we going to do?" she asked softly.
"I don't know, CC, I just don't know." He held her close, rubbing his hand down her back.