[Author: This is possibly my wackiest story yet and I'm afraid the drama level is off the scale! It kind of wrote itself over just a few days, then it took ages to refine and literally months, possibly more than a year to find a damn ending that didn't make me cringe (too much) :D
Set post-series, everything is pretty much as we know it except that CC is not pregnant. It would have added a layer of complication that I didn't want to go into, and I much prefer a childfree CC. I am not super sure the premises for this story are really strong (the Niles side of it), but I needed to create drama… and if we all accept it then it works, right?]
"Okay Maxwell, I really do think this is it and we can finally take some time off!" CC Babcock looked up from a big pile of paper and smiled tiredly.
"Yes! These are the last documents and there is nothing more we can do until Monday. Oh, I can't wait to spend some quality time with Fran and the kids, it's been such an intense few weeks!"
CC nodded, looking outside the window at the California sun, shining like a symbol of a life so different from the New York darkness, real and figurative. She wouldn't have cared about time off in the past, and five weeks of solid working, 16-hour days, weekends included, would have been a delight to her. But she had to admit it was different now that she had Niles. Someone to come home to, someone to enjoy time off with. They had only seen each other in the evenings for the last three of those weeks, and she had often been too tired to do much more than lounge on the sofa with a glass or two of good Californian wine. She missed their intimacy crazily and that Friday afternoon off seemed like a great time to catch up and set the mood for a great weekend. She suppressed a lustful smile as she stirred, ready to go.
She left the office with Maxwell and they said goodbye entering their respective cars. CC considered ringing Niles to say that she was on her way home already, and that she was thinking of picking up some lunch for both on the way, but then she decided to surprise him. She knew he would be home as on Fridays he had no duties at the Sheffields – unless of course Fran had summoned him for some important task or just some gossip, now that she had some free time thanks to an army of servants and nannies for her two new brats.
CC started driving home and stopped at a cute Turkish restaurant she and Niles had been meaning to try, but had not had a chance yet in the three months they had been living in LA, to buy some delicious take-away food.
At home, she kicked off her heels and placed the take-away bags on the kitchen counter, then set off looking for Niles. It didn't seem too strange that he wasn't in the kitchen or living room, maybe he was cleaning something upstairs or had decided to do some writing on their beautiful bedroom balcony, or read a book in the bathtub, or…
The bedroom door was closed, and muffled sounds were coming from within. Strange sounds. But it couldn't be… Was she about to walk in on her husband pleasuring himself? The thought felt embarrassing but also arousing, she couldn't wait to join him and she was sure he would have been delighted to be able to continue the performance with her.
But she walked in on something far, far worse. On top of Niles, who was sat on the bed with his back on the wall, eyes closed, was a woman. Naked, writhing excitedly on top of him, facing him, long blond locks jumping wildly on her white back.
CC felt like she had walked into an alternate reality. She didn't realise how petite the woman was, or how young her face was when she turned around to face her, until the scene started playing out in her mind again and again, hours later. Right then, she only felt something smashing into pieces inside of her, and she would forever associate that moment to a loud noise of exploding glass, which had played only in her head.
It was a split second, when Niles opened his eyes and gasped in terror seeing CC standing by the door, her mouth open in a silent scream. His gasp caused the young thing to turn around, stop her frantic movements and bring a hand to her mouth in surprise.
There was no time for anything else. Escape. Escape was all that was in CC's mind, escape before she sank, escape even if her legs felt heavy like she was moving inside rubber, escape for air, escape because if she wasn't looking at it then it wasn't happening, right? It couldn't be happening.
It felt like it took hours to make her way back down the stairs, though she knew it was only seconds. She barely stopped to put her shoes on and grab her handbag, thankfully the car keys were easily placed next to the bag, which made her escape even quicker.
She sat in her car and drove off.
She drove for hours, holding her breath until she reached a motorway and could speed up, which somehow relaxed her somewhat. She drove to the coast, imagining that the car had an open rooftop and she could feel the wind in her hair, trying not to think of it, trying not to think of anything. She considered driving into the sea, putting an end to it all. What was left for her besides pain?
When it was getting dark, she realised she was thirsty and hungry, having effectively skipped lunch. That somehow brought her back to reality and she realised she wasn't too sure where she was, though she was aware she had driven in big circles for at least some of the time. Anyway, going back home was out of the question. Nevertheless, she decided to find her way back to LA.
She checked into a hotel not too far from her office. She ordered some junk food from a take-away nearby, but was only able to take some bites of food. She ordered a glass of wine from room service but realised with shock that she wasn't even able to drink, so tight were the knots in her stomach.
And what she had been fearing all afternoon was now happening. In the stillness of the hotel room, the scene she had witnessed started to play in her mind. Niles, with another woman. Niles, who had fought so hard for her, for his CC. Niles, who hadn't had a stable relationship in decades, and very few casual relationships, at least that she knew of. Niles, who had enjoyed tormenting her for almost twenty years before proposing to her five times, stubbornly and relentlessly. Niles and his idiotic smile after their odd wedding ceremony. Niles, who hadn't left her side since.
Yes, CC reflected, she had been very busy for a few weeks, but surely he knew what her job was like? Surely he could hold on for just a few weeks, instead of looking for a substitute so young she could have easily been his daughter?
So young… Her surprised face and perfect body were etched forever in CC's mind. Who was she? Had she seen her before? Where had they met? How long had this been going on?
CC planted her own fingernails in her arm, looking for physical pain. There were no knives in the room. The wine glass… She tried hard to compose herself by taking deep breaths. Her head felt like it could explode, but she hadn't shed a single tear. She lied down on the bed and, surprisingly, she fell asleep, escaping the pain for several hours.
In the morning, she realised she had no clean clothes, nothing at all with her. With a gigantic effort, she drove herself to the nearest mall, where she bought all the necessities and a few professional suits to last a few days. She had a plan after that, or so she thought. She spent the rest of the weekend lying in her hotel bed, staring at the ceiling, throbbing head and dry eyes.