Throughout the next couple of weeks, Jenny showed up at the mansion regularly, sometimes spending the night. Her stays became longer and longer as it got closer to the holidays, mostly because her mother continually threw party after party. Jenny didn't like those kinds of parties.
A guest room was set up just for her, and there she kept a few odds and ends along with a couple changes of clothes. She liked that room, and it was right down the hall from Maggie and Brighton's, so late-night escapades for ice cream were easier.
But Jenny wasn't the only one lingering at the Sheffield's. CC worked later and later every night, and Niles found her fast asleep on the green loveseat on countless occasions. Not that he minded, and Maxwell didn't care.
One night shortly before Christmas Eve, Jenny entered the mansion through the kitchen door as normal. She always liked to hang out with Niles and Fran in the kitchen, and sometimes liked to help Niles make dessert for dinner that night. He was really quite kind to her, and they bonded well. He treated her like the other Sheffield children, unlike Maxwell, who pampered her senseless, thinking that her mother would hear about the "oh-so-wonderful" treatment her daughter was getting, and give Sheffield-Babcock Productions the large sum of money instead of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Boy was he wrong.
CC tried to avoid her surprisingly enough. She really liked the girl, which was unusual in itself, but was afraid of seeming like the mean, cold hearted bitch that everyone else judged her as. Jenny also reminded CC of her younger self. A lot. But she was lucky. Jenny had the courage to stand up to her horrid mother and do what she wanted at a younger age, unlike CC, who had been stuck with her own until after college.
Jenny was in the kitchen mixing brownie batter when CC blew in, and plopped down at the table.
"Gimme some coffee Dustbuster." she demanded, and Jenny stopped what she was doing. She had seen the two bicker before, but not up close and personal. This was going to be good.
"You have four legs. Get it yourself." Niles spat, and slid a mug to her.
Jenny nudged his arm and grinned, pouring the batter into a pan to bake. CC scowled, and watched him take the mug from her anyway, and fill it up, adding salt instead of sugar.
Jenny walked around the front of the table where CC was sitting, stirring her own cup of coffee, and made to sit when CC took a long swig of hers. Tasting the bitterness, she spit it out, spewing salty coffee all over Jenny.
Niles laughed for a few seconds, and laughed even more when he saw CC's reaction. Her face was full of hatred and disgust, mixed with worry. It was quite funny. He locked eyes with her for a split second, and her blue orbs were icy and murderous. Niles let out another chuckle, and grabbed some paper towels.
Jenny didn't miss this silent exchange between the two, and accepted the paper towels from Niles, and surprisingly, CC offered to help.
After mopping up the coffee, CC hastily excused herself, not looking where she was going.
"Miss Babcock -" Jenny started, but it was too late.
The socialite tripped over the table leg, and with a loud BANG, she found herself sprawled on the floor. Jenny rushed to her aid, and Niles made a show of running in slow motion to help her. Jenny giggled, and CC glared at him and stuck out her hand expectantly.
"Help me up Merry Maid." she snapped.
"Oh, of course Miss Babcock! It is my job to clean messes up from the floor, you know."
Jenny laughed loudly, and helped CC up. Niles observed the pair. The blue eyes, the straight nose, the curvy figure...
"What are you staring at?" CC asked harshly, dusting off her jacket.
"Oh, nothing...You two have the same eyes." he stuttered.
Jenny grinned as she passed him, and whispered, "Glad to know I look like and ice princess, lover boy."
Niles gasped, and turned beet red as CC left.
"Lover boy?" he asked as she took the pan of brownies out of the oven.
"Oh come on! It's soooo obvious! I've only been here a couple of weeks, and I see something between the two of you. It's in the way you look at each other. It's in your eyes." she plucked a brownie off the tray.
"Are you serious? Me and the Bitch of Broadway? How can you...is it really that obvious?"
"Niles, have you ever heard the saying, "opposites attract"?" she asked.
"Uh, yeah. I'm guessing that's the case here, huh?"
"Well, ya guessed right."
"What am I supposed to do?" he sighed.
"Get her something nice for Christmas. I think she asked Max if she could stay here for the holidays. She claimed that she was having her kitchen redone, but I think she's lonely." Jenny said, nudging him on the shoulder.
"How do you know all of that?" he asked in awe.
"Hey, I didn't learn the art of intercom snooping for nothing." she chuckled, giving him a quick hug.
"That's my girl." he laughed with her before she turned to leave.
