Disclaimer: I don't own any part or character from The Nanny…
A/N: Doing the touristy thing for a few days
The following days were a blur to CC. She met so many of Niles' friends and relatives it was hard to keep everyone straight in her mind. She also got to spend some time with his parents, which was really interesting. Joseph and Marie fought all the time, arguing over just about everything, from which road to take to what time to leave, to which lights should be turned on or off when they were in the sitting room. At the same time, they held hands, doted on each other, and always kissed each other before leaving each other's presence.
It was bizarre actually, almost like getting a glimpse into her future with Niles. Now she understood why he had been insulting her for all those years…this was his role model of how you interacted with people you cared about.
Niles had taken her out driving almost every day. He wanted to show her his old haunts, where he and Max used to play and so on…make her a part of his memories of England. He didn't count on the baby taking root on her bladder so often though, and one day they had driven a little too far to get back to a gas station or even a farm before she could not wait anymore.
The sight of CC Babcock crouching in some bushes to relieve herself was too much for Niles to bear and he burst into a full belly laugh.
"Not funny Niles. Wait until this Servant Spawn comes out…you're doing all the diaper changes!" she yelled from the field.
"I just wish I had the camera…" CLICK "Oh that's right…I do!" he laughed evilly.
"Hey!" she came around the car but he had already put the camera away. "Just please tell me that you took that with the digital camera?" He nodded. "Thank God. You wait, Butler Boy, I'll get you back for that."
"Promises, promises" he tossed back at her.
The ate at a little bistro they found, savoring some of the best fish and chips even Niles had ever had. When they got back to Niles' parents, they found them sitting in the front room sipping tea.
"Well hello you two" Joseph greeted them, and stood up to kiss CC on the cheek. "You're just in time. Niles, could you give me a hand in the garage, I need to bring in a few pieces of wood, the fire is low and we're all out in here."
"Sure Dad. Will you be ok, Love? Do you want some tea before I go?"
"Go Niles, I'll get CC something to drink" his mother shooed them both away.
"Hey, what about my kiss, woman?" Joseph said to her, as he came back to get his prize. Niles looked at his dad and got an idea.
"Hey, what about my kiss, woman?" he said to CC, in the same tone his Dad had used. She just rolled her eyes and him, but gladly brought her lips to his when he was close enough to do so. As the boys went to the garage, Marie came back in the room with the tea.
"How do you do it?" CC asked incredulously.
"What's that my dear?"
"Put up with all of Joseph's antics." The two of them smiled. "Though I'm sure they are aren't half as bad as what Dust..uh Niles put you through as a child." CC had stopped herself from calling Niles Dustmop. Even though she saw how Joseph and Marie acted together, she wasn't sure that calling her only son names of cleaning supplies would ingratiate herself to Marie.
Marie looked at CC quizzically, but didn't address the nickname situation, making a mental note to bring it up with Niles another time. She answered CC "You're right, Niles was quite a handful. However, he was also extremely helpful. Anything I needed done, I just had to say and Niles was on it. He was quite a little helper around here for me. And well, growing with Maxwell also took his toll on Niles. Maxwell was forever getting them into trouble. Since Niles was the oldest, he took the brunt of it. Sometimes, I think that he had to grow up too fast…I don't think he ever really got to be a kid…he was responsible for Maxwell almost from birth…and though they acted like brothers, Maxwell's family always made sure Niles knew his place" Marie looked sad, feeling the loss for her son
CC got up with a bit of difficulty, and slowly walked over to Marie. Getting her attention, she said "I know Niles doesn't hold it against you, and from what I've seen with him for the past few days, he holds a lot of good memories of his time with you and with Maxwell when they were younger. And I can tell you that if didn't have much time to act like a kid when he was young, old Toilet Brush is sure making up for it now." Realizing what she said, she quickly added "and I mean Toilet Brush in the best possible…uhm.. way?" She hoped her genuine smile would cover her slip.
Marie, however, couldn't let it go. "You know CC, I wasn't going to meddle, but …"
Joseph interrupted "…then don't meddle Marie. What is the woman asking of you now, my dear?"
"Joseph! I was not doing anything wrong, I simply wanted to know why this woman, who is carrying our future grandchild, and that our son is so obviously in love with, keeps calling him such nasty names."
CC wasn't sure how to answer…how did she explain that those were names of love.
"They're not nasty, Maman" Niles said, catching the tail end of that conversation. "You see, CC and I have been insulting each other ever since she came through the door at the Sheffields. We didn't know how to deal with our attraction to each other, as I thought I was beneath her and she wouldn't let me forget it." He grinned his silly lopsided grin at CC and continued. "From the first moment, we set out to see who could out prank the other, and it has been a battle of wits that has gone on for over twenty years. So when she calls me DustMop, it's like she's saying "honey", and when I call her witch, I mean princess."
His mother still looked confused, but his Dad had a knowing look plastered across his face.
"It's ok if you don't understand, or even approve…it works for us and we're perfectly happy with the way things are, right Babcock?"
"Right, Bell Boy." CC answered grinning right back. He walked over and gave her a quick kiss.
"Well, you do seem happy." Marie acquiesced. "And that's all I want anyways. My Niles to be happy."
The four of them chatted about the sites Niles and taken CC to see, and soon the fatigue was overtaking them and CC really needed to go to sleep.
"I'll be right with you, Love. I just want to see something in the kitchen with my Mother first, ok?"
"Sure. Goodnight Joseph. Goodnight Marie." CC said to them as she headed to the bathroom for the umpteenth time that night!
Niles followed his mother into the kitchen and walked to the corner where she took a small box out of the cupboard.
"Thank you Maman. I'm so glad that you still had them."
"You know Niles, I have to admit that I had pretty much resigned that I would never see you married. I'm not sure that this lady would be my pick for you…but it is so obvious that you make each other happy. Your eyes twinkle when you speak of her, and you can't let her out of your site for more than a moment when she is in the room with you. I can see that she feels the same way. Whether you were looking for it or not, you have my blessing."
"Oh maman" Niles took his mother in his arms and swung her around the kitchen.
"Niles, my boy…that's my job!" and the three of them shared a hearty laugh.
"Goodnight!" Niles said to both of them as he headed off to bed.
As they watched their son go, Joseph looked at Marie and said "Now, let's just hope she has the sense to say yes when the time comes!"