Disclaimer: I still don't own any part of The Nanny…but I'm still hopeful!
A/N: Ok folks...it's about to hit the fan...I'm sorry...but it had to be done.
The Reunion, The Visit, and The Grand Charade
Chapter 15
That evening after Patrick and Fiona returned home, Gin was out in the stables chatting with 'Paint.' "Joseph," Marie began. "I think it's time for our walk."
"Huh?" Joseph looked at his wife. "Oh, yes, must keep the old bones active." Joseph looked at Niles. "We shouldn't be long. We'll let Gin know you're in here if she should need anything."
"Alright, Dad." Niles tossed his father a scolding look and sighed heavily as his parents left the room.
They sat in silence for a short while. "Niles, why did everyone leave us alone?"
"I suppose they think we have things to discuss." Niles answered avoiding eye contact.
CC leaned back against him. "What is it they think we need to discuss?"
"Marie, love," Joseph started. "What's going on with them?"
Marie slipped her arm into Joseph's. "Well, Dear. As I see it, when Niles returned Chastity's bag, that girl…Becky, believe him to be the fiancé Chastity told them about. So, Niles, being the man he is, played along to protect Chastity from embarrassment. Then we showed up. With Becky still in the room, the charade continued."
"But why would the boy propose if he didn't think she's say yes?" Joseph frowned.
"I don't think for a minute that she'd have said no. She wouldn't embarrass him either. The problem lies in that neither of them knows for sure if the other was sincere." Marie explained.
"I just don't understand young people today." Joseph shook his head. "And to be honest, neither of them is really very young. They should've been married years ago…given us grandchildren by now."
Marie touched her husband's well worn face. "My dear, Joseph, everyone can't be as impetuous as you were. Niles fears that Chastity is too far out of his reach. And maybe now it's too late for them."
"It's all just damned ridiculous, Marie. I've seen how they look at each other. They're in love as sure as I'm standing here." Joseph started walking again.
"I know, Joseph." Marie walked along on her husband's arm. "I've seen that look in Niles eyes before."
Joseph looked down at his wife of more than fifty years. "When's that, Love?"
"Every time you look at me." Marie grinned at her ability to still shock her husband.
"Well, Niles?" CC asked him after several minutes of silence. "What is it your parents think we need to discuss?"
"The truth, CC." Niles sat up on the sofa bringing CC with him.
CC frowned. "Alright, Niles, what part of the truth do they mean? The lying to them part, the lying to my friends part, or the proposal part?"
Niles leapt off the sofa. "Is that what you think? You think that I would get on my knee, in front of my family and ask you to marry me as part of a charade? I gave you my grandmother's ring…you think it was…? Really?" Niles couldn't decide if he was angry or hurt or offended or just plain confused. He settled on confused.
"I didn't know what to think." CC stood up from the sofa. "I was thrilled when you went along with Becky's presumption, it saved me a lot of embarrassment and I'll never see those people again. So I didn't think it mattered. But when your parents showed up…I didn't feel right lying to them…but Becky was still in the room and you still wanted to protect me, my reputation."
"That doesn't mean I would go through with a proposal for a charade. I could've told them the truth…you gave me that option before we left the penthouse, remember?" Niles voice showed no anger, just frustration.
"I know, but then Patrick told me what your folks said and about the rings and I didn't want to embarrass you either. I didn't know you'd propose, I just thought you'd give me the ring… If we were engaged, I figured it meant you'd already proposed…wait...does that mean it was…it was real? I didn't think that it was…"
"But…you said yes." Niles was even more confused.
"I…uh…I'd couldn't refuse you in front of your parents." CC broke eye contact.
Niles tilted his head for a moment. "But you kissed me too."
CC turned her back to him. "Well, sure…you'd proposed and I'd accepted…" CC paused and sighed lightly. "How would it look if I hadn't kissed you?"
"Like you didn't mean it." Niles moved closer and put his hands on her waist. "CC…" Her eyes instinctively closed when his breath caressed her cheek. "Chastity…did you mean it?"
CC was desperately trying to hold it together. She has just spent four of the most amazing days of her life 'pretending' to be in love with and engaged to Niles. Not Niles the butler as his name had practically become in NY, but Niles the man. "Niles, I just…"
Niles turned her to face him as his parents came in the back door. "That would be my parents. What should we tell them?"
"Niles…it's been so wonderful these last few days. But you know I'm not good at this sort of thing. I'm not good and anything like this sort of thing." CC tried to explain.
"It's just me, Chastity, but I have to know. I can't keep going on the way it's been. I thought I could. I thought the banter and the occasional function, stolen looks and accidental touches, a rare kiss; I thought that would be enough. Not now…I can't go back to that. I won't. I need to hear it, Chastity. I want it all, the good, the bad and the ugly." Niles smirked at the frown that brought to her face. "I need you to say it."
"But what if it isn't real, Niles? What if it's all just born out of the charade?" CC searched his eyes for the answers she needed.
"I love you." Niles locked his eyes to hers. "I love CC Babcock, the bitch of Broadway who makes grown men cry. I love Miss Babcock, the bane of my existence who lives to bring me grief. I love CC, the warm and witty coed who thought enough of herself to say no when others didn't. And I love Chastity, the rare beauty who lets her guard down, cuddles an ancient teddy bear and has woven herself into the fabric of my family." Niles pulled her closer to him.
"Niles…I…" CC's eyes fought to hold back her tears.
"I love you, Chastity; here and there, now and then, forever and for always. That will never change. Please…" Niles paused a moment. "…just say it."
CC rested her head on his chest and her thoughts moved through her head like a movie. "Dear God, he smells so wonderful… What does he want from me? Why does he want me? Niles of all people should know I can't just say it… Oh God, I do love him…desperately… I don't remember ever not loving him. He's handsome and warm and witty. He's the most intelligent man I've ever known, and he's amazingly charming. CC…for crying out loud you have to say something before its…"
Niles pushed away from her as his parents, who'd gone unnoticed until now, looked on. "What was I thinking? I'm sorry. I never should've said anything. It was a charade, right…save face and all that." Niles turned and was face to face with his less than sympathetic looking mother. "Excuse me, Maman." Niles left in a sad huff out the kitchen door.
"Niles…" CC's voice was strangled from holding back the tears.
"It's alright, Lass." Joseph pulled CC into a warm hug that only served to remind her of Niles. "He's always been an emotional boy. Loves hard and plays hard. You'll get used to it."
"Joseph," Marie started. "Could you put the water on for tea?" Marie gave him her knowing glance.
Joseph nodded and released CC. "Of course, Love." Joseph moved into the kitchen to start the water.
Marie pulled CC to the sofa and they sat. "Tell me, Chastity. Do you love my son?"
CC looked at her and nodded slowly as the tears started. "More than anything."
"Then why can't you just tell him?" Marie asked softly. "I'm guessing you haven't heard it enough to know when it's real or how to say it in return?"
CC's lip trembled a bit and she nodded. "Oh, Maman, I want to tell him, I really do."
"What he says is true, lass. He's loved you for as long as I can remember. When he came home two years ago…I knew something had happened between you two." Marie stood and walked CC into the dining room where Joseph had set the tea tray before retreating to the kitchen.
"There was a kiss…it was like nothing I'd ever felt before…" CC recalled.
Marie nodded. "I suspected as much. Oh, Niles never said a word about it. But a mother knows." Marie poured their tea. "There was something on his mind. He puttered around the house did the list of things I had waiting for him as always. But any free moment he had he was out on Buster. Sometimes he'd be gone for hours at a time. I'd never seen him that way before. Well, there was once, he'd had an argument with Maxwell about something…Sara I believe. But this was different, he wasn't angry he was…"
"Sad?" CC interjected.
Marie shook her head. "No…not sad…lost. Like he didn't know where he belonged. He came to me his last morning here and said he'd decided to stay. He was going to call Maxwell and tell him that he wanted to be here near his family. I told him I wouldn't allow him to use us as an excuse to run away."
"So that's why he returned to the states?" CC needed to know the real story, not the one Niles felt safe telling her.
"No…he was angry with me. He'd have found a way to stay here anyway. But then after the incident at the river bed, when he lost Buster, he told me he knew he had to go back. I'll never forget how he said it. 'Maman, I'm going back, my life is there. My world is there, rare bits and stolen pieces of a world it may be, but it's there…with her.'" CC's head popped up from her tea. "You see, Lass. Niles went back to the life of service, just to be nearer to you. So…"
Marie was cut off when Joseph burst into the dining room. "Niles has taken off on Champion."
CC jumped up quickly. "Don't worry, Lass…he always rides when he needs to think." Marie sipped at her tea. CC nodded remembering that Niles told her that.
"Not bare back." Joseph offered and called to Gin. "Gin, come tell your Grandma what Uncle Niles was saying."
Gin came in. "He was talking to himself. I was hiding 'cause I'd saddled Paint and I know I'm not s'pose to. He just kept saying, 'Why can't she say it, what did I do wrong, how do I fix it…' over and over." Gin looked down. He seemed really sad. Then he jumped onto Champion and took off toward the river bed."
"The river bed!" CC's eyes showed her fear. "Oh, God, what have I done?" CC thought for a moment. "Gin, may I borrow Paint?"
Gin nodded. "Sure, Aunt Chastity." Gin started out to the stables and Joseph grabbed CC's arm.
"Don't worry, Dad. I'll check the saddle before I mount up." CC winked.
CC made a quick check of Paint's saddle and tightened it just bit. She climbed into the saddle and looked down at Gin. "You did a good job, Gin. I just had to tighten it up a bit. I'll be back soon. Which way did Uncle Niles go?" Gin pointed and CC took off quickly after Niles.
"Let's go Champ." Niles spoke to the horse he rode with only the reins in his hands. Faster and faster he took off heading directly to the dry river bed. "Come on, Champ."
CC finally caught sight of Niles a good bit ahead of her. "Let's go, Paint. We've got to catch him before he gets to the river…" CC leaned into the horse and drove him on faster. She was narrowing the distance between them and called out. "Niles! Niles, stop…please!" It wasn't until she saw Champion lift off the ground that she realized that she was too close to stop herself.
