Ok, the usual disclaimers apply here. All characters are property of Fran Drescher, High School Sweethearts, Columbia Tristar etc. I'm just a poor college student, putting off studying by doing something infinitely more entertaining. This is my first attempt at fan fiction so any comments-- good or bad-- are welcome. Send them to Zoikes319@aol.com. Thanks, Maureen.

The Anniversary

by

Maureen
(Zoikes319@aol.com)

Fran awoke lazily as the sunlight spread through her window onto the bed. She stretched, yawned contentedly and reached her right arm over to Maxwell's side of the bed. Empty. She frowned. He never got up this early. Only 5 o'clock, on a Sunday no less! Hmm. Something just wasn't right with Maxwell lately. Last night, he had actually claimed to have a headache and asked if they could just cuddle. Max just cuddle? This was unheard of. But she had accepted his excuse at face value, at least outwardly, and allowed him to bundle her up into his arms.

She had lain there for some time, unable to sleep. Aware just by listening to him breathe that Maxwell wasn't sleeping either. She wondered what was wrong. Something had been bothering him at dinner but he had said nothing. Now he couldn't sleep. Something was definitely wrong and it irked her slightly that he had yet to share whatever the problem was with her.

Eventually, he must have assumed Fran had fallen asleep, because she felt him kiss the top of her head and very gently roll away from her. He had gotten up in the middle of the night and left the room, not to the bathroom, as she had initially suspected, but completely left the room.

Fran had waited, almost two hours. She had wanted to follow him but some inner instinct told her that even if she found him, he would deny that something was bothering him. No, she would just have to wait until the time was right and he opened up to her. Finally Max had come back to bed. Finally he fell asleep. She gently rolled over to face him and watched him breathe softly as he slept. She reached out to lay her hand on his face. Her fingers came away damp. Maxwell, her husband, had been crying? She had never seen him cry, ever. What on earth was wrong?

She had almost woken him up right then and demanded an explanation, but he looked so sweet sleeping, almost like a small child--all curled up in a ball, his chest slowly rising and falling-- that she let him sleep and left herself to wondering. Eventually she too had fallen asleep.

But now she had awoken to an empty bed. "I deserve some kind of explanation." she thought to herself as she sat up and grabbed her robe. "But should I press him?" She wondered. "This is his problem. If I press him will I drive him away?" Despite the wedding and the honeymoon and his countless assurances, some small part of her was still afraid he was going to take it all back. Tell her he wasn't ready. Or worse yet she was afraid that she would awaken to discover that this was all just a dream. Everything seemed so perfect in her life, at least until now, that she still had problems assimilating it all sometimes.

Fran sighed, and wrapped the robe around her. "So I won't press him," she decided. "He'll tell me eventually, or I can just ask Niles. He'll know what was going on--he always does." That thought made her smile as she walked into the bathroom and prepared to shower. That's what she would do--she would ask Niles.

Having finished her shower, her hair and her makeup, she finally made her way downstairs. It was now almost 7. It had taken her two hours to get dressed, but then she had been rushing slightly because she was in a hurry to see Maxwell...and Niles. She walked into the dining room, expecting to find the kids and Maxwell eating breakfast.

"Good morning, everyone! " She announced before realizing she was announcing herself solely to Niles. She sat down as Niles heaped breakfast onto her plate.

"Niles, where is everyone? "

"Out. They had something to attend to this morning."

"What?"

"Just something." Fran noticed the change in his voice, warning her to question him no further. But this was something she just couldn't drop.

"Niles? Dish. What's up lately? Something has been bothering Max and now they all run out before breakfast? What is going on here?" Niles looked at Fran, his best friend. Yes, she had changed this house. She had even started what was going on this morning, even if she didn't know it yet. For a moment he was tempted to tell her all, but in the end he realized it was Maxwell's place not his. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Sheffield, but this time it is not my place to dish. Only Maxwell can tell you what is up. I suggest you ask him when he gets back." He turned to leave but Fran jumped up and grabbed his arm.

"Niles? Is something wrong?" Again a simple shake of the head.

Fran sighed, realizing when Niles had reached his point and that was it. There was no information to be gotten here. He was usually an incredible gossip, but occasionally he would decide that something just wasn't gossip material. Once he had made that decision, nothing would get him to dish.

"When do you expect them back Niles?" She let go of his arm.

"I'm not sure. Usually this takes most of the day."

"Usually?" Fran asked realizing she had just gotten some important info out of the yenta after all. "Do they do this a lot?"

Niles sighed. "Once a year." He conceded and left the room.

Once a year? She wondered as she sat down to breakfast. What on earth was going on around here, and why hadn't she known about this before?

Later that afternoon, Max and the children still not having returned, Fran sat on the couch trying to concentrate on the "Bewitched " marathon that was on. But she had to admit, she wasn't really concentrating on it, even if the little trivia bit about when Darren number two had first made his appearance was wrong, a key trivia fact that always annoyed her when people got it wrong. Her mind was still trying to make sense of what was going on in this house. So far she had come up with at least 50 different solutions and rejected each one of them in turn. She was stumped. She had no idea what was going on... and she hated it.

The doorbell shocked her out of her reverie. She jumped up, glad for the distraction.

"I'll get it!" She called out and pranced to the door.

She opened the door to find a delivery boy standing on the other side holding a huge bouquet of flowers.

"Isn't that sweet." She cooed, immediately assuming that Max had sent them to her to make up for being gone all day.

"Flowers for a Mr. Maxwell Sheffield." The boy announced and then held out a clipboard to sign. Fran took the clipboard, now completely confused. She scrawled her first name, then took extra time to clearly write her new last name, "Sheffield" , finishing it with a flourish. She still loved the fact that it was Fran Sheffield and not Fran Fine.

"Thank you, Miss." The boy handed her the flowers and took off. He didn't even wait for a tip. Fran turned around and shut the door. The bouquet was huge! What could Max have done to deserve flowers? She placed the bouquet on the table and looked for a card. Sure, they were for Max, but she was his wife, she could open the card right? Besides if she did it right, Max would never know she had opened the card.

There it was. Not even sealed! Hmm trust delivery boys to do anything right. She quickly took the card out of the envelope.

Flowers from Maxwell's brother? Ok if she hadn't been totally confused before, she certainly was now.

Fran was startled as she heard Niles cleaning his throat right behind her. She spun around.

"Niles, I didn't hear you."

"No wonder. You were too busy concentrating on that card, I'll bet."

"Oh well...this?" She held up the tiny card and Niles nodded. "Oh um well. The delivery boy said it was for Mr. Sheffield, I was just making sure he didn't mean *from* Mr. Sheffield." She hurriedly put the card back into the envelope and stuck the envelope into the flowers.

"Uh huh. If you're done, I'll take this into the office with the others." Niles swept the flowers up in his left hand and headed off to the office.

"Others?" Fran asked running after him. "There are other flowers? From who? For what? Where?" She spun her head around the living room thinking that maybe she had just been so involved in her own thoughts that she had missed them, but alas no flowers appeared.

"Yes. From many people. For Mr. Sheffield and the children. I told you before I can't tell you for what, and in the office." Niles paused with his hand on the door to the office and watched Fran try to arrange his answers in her head.

"For Mr. Sheffield *and* the children? Niles what is going on here?" Niles shook his head about to repeat again that he couldn't tell her when the front door opened and in walked Maxwell and the children.

Fran ran out into the living room. "Maxwell! You're back!" She tried to appeared unworried, as if his disappearance and recent behavior hadn't been driving her out of her mind. He was dressed in a black suit and red tie. A suit--on a Sunday!?

"Yes, we're back. Did you think we weren't coming back?" He gave a tired smile at her reaction and walked over to kiss her cheek. Fran watched the children file in silently behind their father and walk up the stairs. All of them were dressed in black. She pulled away from Maxwell.

" Kids, Where are you going?" She asked. Trying again to hide the fright in her voice which was becoming stronger with each passing moment. Something was going on here and she didn't like being left out of the loop.

"To change." Brighton replied. Giving her the same tired smile Max had just given her.

"Yeah, we'll be down in a minute." Maggie added. And they were gone, up the stairs.

"So, Niles any messages?" Maxwell asked as he glanced through the mail on the table.

"Yes, sir. They're in on your office desk."

"Thank you, old man." Maxwell headed off towards his office.

"Along with the flowers." Fran added.

Maxwell froze and turned on his heel to face his wife.

"Flowers?" He asked trying to appear surprised. "Who would be sending me flowers?"

Fran wasn't fooled. He knew the why and wherefore of the flowers. "Your brother for one."

"Nigel." His face relaxed into a small smile. "He would remember." He turned again towards his office. Fran followed.

"Remember what?" she asked him, but she got no reply.

She entered his office on his heels and gasped audibly at the display of flowers in the office. They covered every available surface and had spread to the floor. No wonder the delivery boy hadn't waited for a tip, his pockets were probably already full.

"Why on earth did he put them all in here?" Max asked as he tried to clear a path to his desk.

"Because he didn't want to tell me." Fran answered still awed at all the flowers.

"Tell you what?" Max asked absentmindedly as he searched under the vases on his desk for the messages Niles had said were there.

"Where you were, and what is going on Maxwell?" The pleading, worried tone in her voice caused him to look up immediately. She had tears in her eyes as she asked him again. "Maxwell. What is going on?"

He found his way back over to her side.

"Niles didn't tell you?"

"No." Maxwell took her into his arms.

"Niles didn't tell you?" He repeated. "Wow, I guess even the yenta has his limits."

Fran pulled away. "So you tell me." She thumped him in the ribs. "You tell me what's going on."

Maxwell sighed. "I should have told you a long time ago, I guess." He took her hand. "But not here." He gestured with his hand't on indicate the room. "Too many flowers."

"I don't care *where*, honey."

Max smiled and took her hand. "I know...follow me."

He took her out of the office and into the living room. Fran expected him to stop at the couch but he kept going. He reached into the closet and took out her coat along with his.

"Where are we going Max?" Fran asked as he helped her on with her coat. He kissed the back of her neck.

"I thought you said you didn't care where."

"I'm beginning to rethink that position." He laughed as he put on his own coat.

"I've never known you to rethink *any* position." he whispered in her ear. Then he turned to see Niles standing near the couch.

"Niles, while we're gone, do you think you can spread those flowers out a little? It's a bit stifling in that office". Niles nodded and for once didn't have a witty comeback about the extra work. Fran opened her mouth to question him but before she got the chance Max had retaken her hand and dragged her out the front door.

They were riding in the porsche and finally Fran could take it no longer.

"Where are we going Max?"

"You'll see."

"You're not going to tell me?"

"Nope." He looked over and saw he worried expression. "Don't worry darling, we'll be there in just a minute." He tried to smile at her, but his smiles had grown more tired and less cheerful as they had driven along.

"Here we are." Max announced as they pulled off the road. He reached in front of her and opened the glove box. Pulling out a pair of dark sunglasses, he put them on and opened his door. Fran stepped out of the car and looked around.

"A cemetery? You brought me to a cemetery? " Maxwell walked around the car and reached out for her hand. Fran put her hand in his and allowed him to lead her up the path.

"Max?" She was beginning to be worried by his silence. "Why did you bring me to a cemetery?"

He didn't answer but just led on up the path and finally off to the right to a small patch of grass and a headstone.

"Max?" Fran was really beginning to be scared now. He pointed straight ahead to the headstone.

"You know, you're beginning to remind me of the ghost of Christmas future." Nevertheless she leaned over and read the inscription.

July 9. Today's date. Today. Today was the anniversary of Sara's death.

"Oh my god!" Fran's hand flew up to her mouth and she turned to face Max. "Today." She said. It wasn't a question but he nodded anyway.

"Today." It came out in a horse voice, and he cleared his throat. "Today." He repeated.

She walked back to where he stood and wrapped her arms around his waist. He responded by putting his right arm around her shoulder. Suddenly things were becoming clear.

"Max, why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know how." He sighed, a deep ragged breath. " At first, it was just that you didn't need to know. I would come here by myself every year. But I didn't really want to remember and I didn't want the kids to remember. It was just something I felt I had to do. I even had Niles throw away the flowers as soon as they arrived." He smiled at her. "Yes, we've always gotten such a flood as today. In years past, we usually got more. Anyway after you arrived at our house, the home movies reappeared, the photo albums were put back on the shelves and the kids began to talk. Slowly and not often--not to me anyway. Then two years ago I was coming back from my visit and I heard them talking to you. They remembered. They knew what anniversary it was. I didn't think they would remember. I didn't want them to but they did. I heard Maggie say something like *I* didn't remember and Brighton was obviously very angry because I heard him say, 'He doesn't want any of us to remember her.'" Maxwell sighed.

"That hurt. I realized I wasn't doing them any good by trying to pretend. So as soon as you left the room, I went in there and told them to get their coats. At first they thought it was another diversion, but when we pulled up here, they knew. They cried. I had never taken them here before. Eventually even I cried. We went out after, really just to get our control back before we came home. We started talking. And remembering. We shared our memories of Sara and it was wonderful. I couldn't understand why I had never done it before." He smiled at the memory. "Then it just became something to do every year since. It didn't start out as an annual pilgrimage or anything, it just happened."

"That's the way the best traditions get started." Fran replied softly.

Maxwell nodded and swallowed hard.

"There was never any reason not to tell you...but then there was never any reason to tell you either I guess. I suppose I just assumed that since I heard the kids talking to you once, you knew what today signified and you would have figured it out. I wasn't trying to keep it from you, the subject just never came up--that is until today." She leaned her head on his chest and he drew his other arm around her. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" She stepped away from him. "Why are you sorry?" He looked off towards the headstone and then down at her.

" I..." He took a deep breath and reached out and took her hand. "It's just that you're my wife now. I feel like I shouldn't be dwelling in the past."

"Max. I knew this when I married you, well most of it. Sara will always be part of you life. She is the mother of your children. She is a part of *you* Max."

"Yes, I suppose she is. But so are you."

"Max." Fran reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. " I know I'm a part of your life. You don't need to tell me...you don't have to justify this to me." She reached up and removed his sunglasses to reveal the tears in his eyes. "Sara was a part of your life and always will be. I know that. It's ok."

He smiled down at her, still trying to fight the tears. "I guess I was silly not to tell you."

"Well.. Yes." She nodded, then smiled. "But you can tell me now. What was Sara like Maxwell?"

Maxwell smiled and finally allowed the tears to fall. "What do you want to know? "

"Everything."

He took her into his arms. "Everything?" She nodded. "Ok...um, let's see. She was a wonderful woman. Everybody liked her." He looked down at the woman in his arms. " She would have liked you, I think. I have a feeling you two would have been great friends." He smiled, trying to remember. "I remember the first time I saw her....."

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