Disclaimer: I still don't own any part of The Nanny…but I'm still hopeful!
A/N: I hope you are all enjoying the give and take and back and forth. They reach the middle soon enough... - D
The Reunion, The Visit, and The Grand Charade
Chapter 10
He'd barely closed the door when there was a knock at the door of their room. CC grabbed Niles' robe from the foot of the bed and wrapped it around her. "Yes?" She opened the door to a stunned Becky. "Good morning, Becky. I hope you and James slept well." CC wore a satisfied grin that only she could understand.
"Uhm…yeah…I was just wondering when you'd be ready to head down to breakfast?" Becky hoped she'd catch Niles at the door.
CC smiled and waited. "Niles is in the shower now. We could knock on the door to get you or you and James could just head down when you're ready. It's completely up to you."
Becky thought she'd attempt a dig. "So then James and I have time for a quickie?"
"Well, I suppose yes. Niles and I don't do quickies…it's well worth having him take his time." CC winked. "I'll see you down stairs. Maybe I'll join him in the shower. That could speed things up…or slow them down." CC grinned and closed the door.
It wasn't another five minutes before Niles emerged fresh and clean and looking as handsome as ever. He was still toweling his hair, but she got a very good look at him. He wore a well fitting pair of jeans and a long sleeved yellow polo. She thought the bare feet just added to the sexiness of the entire look. "What's gotten into you?" He asked the nearly giggling CC.
"Becky was at the door again. She wanted to know when we'd be ready to head down to breakfast." CC smirked.
Niles frowned. "Why is that funny?"
"She asked if she and James would have time for a quickie." CC burst into laughter.
Niles shook his head. "You've lost me, CC."
"I told her that I supposed so, but that you and I didn't do quickies because it w…" CC realized what she was about to do and stopped mid word. "Uhm…I better get in the shower." CC grabbed her things and flew into the bathroom.
Niles smiled and started running the brush through his hair. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I left my shirt out here and heard it myself or I'd never know."
Niles was fully dressed and waiting for CC when she came out of the bathroom attired as he can't ever recall seeing her. She wore jeans, ok, he'd seen her in jeans before, but she was wearing a blue ribbed tank top that looked like it was a size too small. "Wow…you're going out there like that?" Niles couldn't help himself but stare.
"Actually, I was wondering if I could wear one of your shirts over it?" CC looked as innocent as she could muster but truly enjoyed the look on Niles' face. "I usually bring a light denim button down, but I must have forgotten it."
"Absolutely!" Niles flew to his suitcase and rifled through every shirt he had until he found what he deemed appropriate. Niles lifted out his bulky fisherman's sweater. "How about this?"
CC grinned at how perfectly adorable he was. "Niles…not a sweater, I'd like one of your button downs…maybe the flannel you wore the other day?"
"I haven't had a chance to wash it…" Niles lifted the shirt up. "Are you sure?"
CC nodded and slipped into the shirt. "It's perfect." CC only buttoned three or four buttons and then tied the tails into a knot that rested at her waist. Then she folded up the sleeves to the middle of her forearms. "Well, what do you think?" She did a little turn.
"You're beautiful." Niles dropped without thinking. "But you smell like me." Niles winked and took his coffee mug back into the kitchen.
CC held the collar to her face and inhaled deeply. "That's the idea." She whispered softly.
It was a lovely day in the park where they held the reunion picnic. There was a small pavilion so if it should start raining, as it so often does in London, there would be cover somewhere. There were typical picnic games and activities set up. Horse shoes, volley ball, softball. Niles and CC were content to just sit on their blanket and watch the model boats on the small lake. There were 'sailors' of all shapes, sizes and ages.
"Niles…" CC asked softly nudging him lightly where he lay next to her. "Tell me what you were like as a child."
Niles leaned up on one elbow and sighed deeply. "Well, you see that boy over there, sitting on the bench just behind the other, smaller boy?"
CC looked across the lake in the direction Niles nodded. "Yes…" CC thought the boy who was slightly overweight looked a little sad.
"I was him," Niles said flatly.
"How so?" CC coaxed him. "Didn't you like boats or was it the water? Come on, Niles…I would really like to know."
Niles sat up and crossed his legs at the ankle. "I was Max's watch dog of sorts. If he wanted to go to the park I went to the park. He always asked me to join him, but the other boys didn't care for me, I was to…mindful I suppose. It wasn't my job to have fun; it was my job to make sure Max didn't have too much." Niles looked at that boy across the lake. Sitting all alone, he remembers what it was like…is like. "I read a lot, studied, and took care of Max." Niles sat up more alert. "Oh no…"
"What?" CC looked tried to see what Niles saw. "Niles… what is it?"
"Look." He nodded again at the boy on the bench. "Just watch him for a minute and don't worry, I'm ready."
CC frowned at his cryptic request. But CC watched and she was amazed at what she saw. The small boy who was playing with his boat too near the edge slipped into the water and the boy from the bench was in the water after him before anyone but Niles and CC even knew what happened. "Oh my God, Niles!" CC moved to help, but Niles stopped her.
CC looked at him like he was crazy. "Just look." The older boy, the boy from the bench, lifted the smaller boy out of the water almost before he'd gone completely under. He carried him to the bench and they sat together until the nanny arrived. Then CC looked on in horror as the nanny hugged the small boy and yelled at the older boy.
Niles sat back down on the blanket and released the breath he didn't know he held. "He's fine, CC. He'll be just fine."
"I can see the little one is fine. I'm thinking of the older boy." CC looked down at Niles.
Niles laughed. "I wasn't talking about the little one."
CC sat back down next to Niles. "How do you know he'll be fine?" CC watched as the nanny carried the little boy off followed by a very dutiful looking older boy.
"Keep watching." Niles watched with her. CC waited and after a few minutes the older boy, still trailing behind the nanny, lifted his head and walked proudly out of the park.
"Niles…" CC turned to look at Niles. "How did you know?"
"I told you…I was him." Niles lay back on the blanket with his hands tucked behind his head. CC lay on her side facing him and rested her head in her hand so she could look at him. "That very same thing happened to me. I told Max he was too close to the edge, that the rain had made the bank too soft. He didn't listen and he fell in. I pulled him out and he was fine. His parents took him to the rugby match that night and I wasn't allowed off the grounds for a week."
CC leaned down and kissed him softly then rested her head on his chest. "I'm sorry, Niles."
"It's just the way things are here, CC." Niles explained. "Max and I are unusual, we're really very close. But, we were still raised here. Everything to its' place. You don't have to be sorry."
CC wrapped her arm around his middle. "I don't mean about that. I'm sorry for the way I've treated you all these years. You deserved so much better."
"Oh…" Niles was a little shocked. "Ok then you should be sorry…but you're forgiven." Niles moved his hand from behind his head and wrapped it around CC's back where it came to rest on her hip. "Hey look…a crocodile."
"What!" CC nearly shouted.
