A/N: So, here we go with chapter 2! It's Jenny from WalMart, and here's her story! R&R for me! I hope I have time to finish this before i leave on sunday, but i promise to finish it before we all get too old...lol
Niles patched up Jenny's leg, and while the cut was minor, she had still lost a lot of blood, making her a bit pale and weak. After the, he explained to the curious Sheffield's why he was on a first name basis with a girl off the street.
"So you're a butler then," she said, smirking. "You never told me that."
"Yeah..." he replied, taking a seat next to her on the couch.
Fran perched on the arm of the couch, and gave Jenny a once over.
"I'm Fran Fine. The nanny." she said, nodding her head. "So, ya fixed a car, huh? How did ya know what to do? I mean, it must take a genius to figure out what all those wires do. Ya know, I had a cousin -"
"Miss Fine!" Max said a little harshly, "Don't go interrogating the poor girl while she's in recovery! She's probably in no state to explain the anatomy of a car..."
"Oh no Mr..." Jenny trailed off, looking up at the uptight British man.
"Sheffield." Maxwell filled in for her, "And that's Margaret, Brighton, and Grace, by the way." he pointed to his children. Jenny smiled at each of them.
"It's fine, Mr. Sheffield. I'm actually feeling a lot better now. But anyway, Fran, I uh...took an interest in cars a few years ago, and learned quite a bit about them from going to NASCAR races and such. Well, I didn't actually go to them...but that's not the point," she stammered, "Anyway, I helped my friend fix his, and after that people have been asking for small favors and such ever since." she finished, glancing at the friendly faces around the room. "It's a nice place ya got here by the way, Mr. Sheffield." she added.
Maxwell smiled, and patted her shoulder.
"Thank you Jenny."
"So, what's you're surname, then?" Brighton asked, a little envious about her knowledge about something he should be good at. But he couldn't dislike her all the same. She was kind of pretty.
"Oh, uh, it's Bennington." she said a little quietly, propping herself up on the couch pillow.
Many eyes widened, but no one uttered a word. And then, as if on cue, CC waltzed in, holding a thick file.
"Maxwell, I got the - who's this?" she asked, pointing to Jenny.
"Thank you Miss Babcock." Maxwell said, taking the file from her and quickly retreating to his office.
Realizing that no one would introduce her, Jenny spoke up,
"I'm Jenny Bennington. I got hurt outside, and they were all just taking care of me." she told the blond woman.
CC scanned her, a little shocked that she was a Bennington.
"Wait a second...Sheffield, Babcock? Aren't ya'll the Broadway people?" she asked, realization hitting her like a ton of bricks.
"Yeah." CC said as an afterthought, following Maxwell's path up to the office.
"Well, I'm going to go start dinner then." Niles excused himself. "Miss Bennington, you are welcome to stay if you'd like. I could get the limo to take you home later."
"Oh, uh, no thanks Niles. I don't need a limo. I can just walk." she stammered just as she had done before. "Thank you though."
"It's no trouble, Miss Bennington. Are you sure though? It's got to be freezing out there. I would know."
"It's fine Niles." she glanced at the Sheffield kids and Fran who were still hanging around the sofa.
"Okay, then." he turned, and was almost at the kitchen door when he heard her again.
"Oh Niles? It's Jenny. Just Jenny."
Niles winked at her, and left.
As soon as Niles had left, Jenny sat up.
"Okay, so spill it girlie. What's got Max and Miss Babcock so uptight about the Benningtons?" Fran asked nasally.
"You're from Queens, right?" Jenny asked, recognizing the voice.
"Yeah. So dish."
The children crowded closer, if that was even possible. Jenny took a deep breath.
"Okay, here it goes. Lemme just say this first. I'm adopted. I'm not even supposed to know, but I found out anyway. So I'm technically not even a "Bennington". But the Bennington family got rich a long time ago over in England, and came over here and lived in Louisiana for a while. They were the snooty, uptight type. A lot like the Miss Babcock lady from what I can make of her. Anyway, as more and more of them came along, they made their way farther and farther up north. There's a bunch of them up here now, and they've been doing a whole bunch with Broadway plays. That's why I recognized the whole Sheffield-Babcock Productions thing. Apparently, my "parents" are getting ready to give a whole bunch of money to either that Webber guy or ya'll for some reason. But most people don't believe me when I say I'm a Bennington, because number one, I'm not stuck up, preppy, and wear the most gawd-awful clothes you've ever seen. Plus, I've got blue eyes. Brown eyes are like, they're trademark thing. Don't ask." she added, seeing Brighton's smirk, "Well anyway, "mom" hates me, mostly because I want to be a NASCAR driver and do the whole car thing, because "it's not ladylike". The last time she said that, I told her that I knew she's slept with tons of different guys, and that I knew I was adopted. I don't speak to her when I don't have to, and I really hate my ties with them. That's why I didn't want the limo; I can't take all that fancy nonsense. But this place is different. It's more...home-y." she finished with a smile.
The Sheffield kids looked at her with a mix of admiration and wonder.
"Wow. And I thought not having a mom was bad." Maggie said quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "She passed away a while back." she added, seeing Jenny's curious look.
"What about you're adoptive father?" Gracie asked.
"He left." Jenny dropped flatly.
"Wow." Fran said, "Well, honey, even though we just met, ya know that you can come ova any time ya want. Ya know, if ya just wanna get away from her." she hugged her. "I think we'll be great friends. Niles mentioned earlier that you only hang with the guys."
"My mother forces me to go to terrible girls-only academy. All of the people there are exactly what my mother wants me to be, so I hang with the guys that work at the bowling alley." she said quietly, flexing her leg a bit. "She no longer cares where I go and what time I go home. She thinks that I'm out shopping with people from school. It doesn't occur to her that ignored listened to her rant about the un-ladylikeness of cars and go hang out with bowling-alley people until all hours."
"That sucks." Brighton said pointedly.
"Yeah. If you ever want to, you can come hang with my friends and I at the movies and stuff. In fact, you can spend the night with us if you want." Maggie suggested. "As long as your mom doesn't skin you alive, that is. I mean, it is Christmas break."
"That's a great idea Mags." Fran said, smiling, "I'm sure Maxwell wouldn't mind. I can get Niles to get the guest room all set up for ya."
Jenny smirked.
"I still think it's funny that he's a butler. You never would be able to tell normally."
"I know. He wouldn't leave though." said Fran.
"Why?"
"Miss Babcock." grinned Fran, "watching the two of them go at can be more entertaining than watching Mr. Sheffield -"
"Okay, Fran." Grace interjected, "The point is, they can't stand each other. You should watch sometime. And bring popcorn."
Jenny chuckled. "I'll make sure of it."
A/N: Yay Jenny! Chapter 3 up soon! Review for me! It makes me happy!
