Going Up

by

IvanaBgood
(IvanaBgood@aol.com)

Thundering footsteps cut through the silence of the building, as CC enters the elevator.

"Wait, Miss Babcock! Stop!" Niles gasps as he rounds the corner grasping a manila folder.

CC pushes the STOP button and holds the door open. "What are you doing here?"

Trying to catch his breath, Niles wheezes his reply. "Didn’t you see me waving at you before that damn doorman of yours threw me out?!"

"All I saw was Duke grabbing some geezer in a tan trench coat by the neck and hurling him onto the sidewalk."

"Well, what am I wearing?!"

CC looks at him, "Oh." And then laughs evilly. "Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it Niles!"

"Yes, when it happens to me," he replies dryly, rubbing the pain away from his neck.

"So what do you want? I have better things to do than stand around talking to a character from a Grimm’s fairytale!"

Niles grimaces, scrunching his face as CC yells at him. "Please Miss Babcock, pop a tic tac."

"This from a man who sucks on Odor Eaters before a hot date."

"Well, at least I have dates."

"Betty Crocker and Aunt Jemima don’t count Niles." CC grins.

"Oh - here!" Niles tosses the manila folder at her. "Mr. Sheffield wants you to work on this over the weekend."

"Great going Niles, now the papers are scattered all over the floor!"

"I thought with those big mitts of yours you would be sure to catch it."

CC sneers and attempts to gather it all up. Hiding the surprise she feels when Niles enters the elevator and begins to help her.

Both of them turn as they see the elevator doors closing.

"Damn!" Niles exclaims as his attempt to stop it fails. He looks at the neon numbers rise as the elevator makes its way to the penthouse. "Now I have to ride all the way up with you before I can go down."

"Serves you right, you shouldn’t have thrown it at me."

"You mean I shouldn’t have let my conscience get to me and end up helping you. Why do you live on the top floor anyway? Oh yeah, I forgot, old bats like to live in the belfry."

Just as CC was about to cut him down with another sarcastic remark, they both feel the elevator shudder to a stop. Hearing a whirring noise and then silence.

"Oh my god, we’re stuck!" CC’s eyes widen in panic.

"Calm down Miss Babcock, it’ll probably resume in a minute." Niles keeps his alarm in check.

They both wait, staring at the numbers that weren’t budging.

Then CC spots the emergency red phone and quickly walks over and snatches it up. "Hello is anyone out there? We’re stuck in the elevator…we need help NOW!!"

Hearing static and then a low voice trying to break through.

"WHAT?! Speak up DAMN IT, I can’t hear you!"

"We’re aware of the problem ma’am and are attempting to fix it. Just sit tight and get comfortable, this is going to take awhile."

"AWHILE! What do you mean awhile?!"

"Uhh…I would say an hour ma’am. We’ll try to work as fast as we can."

"You better! Because if you don’t…"

"Miss Babcock."

"…I’ll take a certain tool of yours…"

"Miss Babcock."

"…and by the time I’m done with it…"

"BABCOCK!!"

"…What is it?!"

"It’s not wise to threaten the people who are here to rescue us," Niles replies sardonically.

"Oh…yeah…umm…I can’t wait to see my handsome strong saviors," CC finishes sweetly into the phone.

Niles shakes his head and sits down on the floor.

CC backs up to the other end of the elevator and does the same. Sighing and leaning her head back onto the cold wall, CC stares up at the ceiling. A flash of an idea pops into her head. "Niles…"

He looks at her and follows her gaze up. "Not even if your life depends on it, will I climb up there."

"Fine." Exasperation in her voice. Hating the feeling of helplessness. Wanting to think about anything, but being closed up in this small room, she attempts a conversation.
"So what were your plans tonight?"

Looking at her suspiciously, Niles shrugs and answers her question.
"I was on my way towards some scintillating conversation with a very special lady."

"You mean that old bar maid Lizzie at that watering hole you call a pub?"

"Yes," Niles answers in surprise. How did she know  about the British pub that he likes to frequent? "And she’s not that old."

"Oh puh-lease. She’s so old she knew Captain Crunch when he was just a sailor." CC laughs loudly at her own remark.

Niles has to grin in spite of himself.

"And she’s sooo fat that her Levi’s aren’t 501s-they’re 747s!" CC finishes as her chortle soon turns to a full blown roar, and then doubles over in glee.

He looks at her, chuckling at the sight of CC’s tear stained face. "You are so bad. Picking on an elderly, portly, but very nice woman like that."

"I know, but I call them as I see them," she gasps starting to calm down. "Besides you don’t have to make up stories, I know you have a pathetic life."

"What’s more pathetic - me spending a Friday night with a little old lady or you going home to a yapping ball of fur?"

"Oh Niles, I wouldn’t say you yap, but I do get tired of your snapping." CC smiles, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

Shaking his head and trying to control the curve of his smile from getting any bigger, "Okay, okay - truce."

"Yes! I finally win a round and my luck, no witnesses!"

Niles chuckling once more. "Too bad."

"I’m getting hungry…Oooo, I might have something in my purse!"

He watches as she filters through her purse. "Why do you women always insist on lugging so much junk around?"

"You be nice or I won’t share this with you."

"Bubble gum! I would never think that you would be the kind of person who likes bubble gum."

"Why, what’s wrong with bubble gum," CC asks, pulling off the wrapping.

"Nothing is wrong with it. I just associate a bubble gum person to be fun and carefree. You’re more a ‘stick-of-gum’ person."

"Well, you’re wrong," popping it into her mouth. "Here I’ll even give you my second to last piece."

Niles nods a thank you.

Despite the situation she was in, stuck in an enclosed space with her sworn enemy, CC was enjoying herself. "Watch this!" Puckering her mouth and blowing a bubble with her gum, she then pops it and sucks it back in expertly.

Niles’ eyes grow open in amusement.

"Can you beat that?" She challenges.

"Is this an elevator we are in or a time machine? I swear, you are acting like a pig-tailed 8 year old!"

A flash of humor crosses her face, loving the light friendly bantering.
"I guess that means I’m the winner again. Niles you are no fun."

"No fun…just because I never learned to puff a sphere of a gooey sweet out of my mouth! My mum would have pitched a fit if I brought gum into the house."

"Why?"

"I don’t know. I guess she was afraid I would swallow it and it would expand, making me fatter…who knows."

"Fatter? Oh that’s right. I forgot about that. When I first met you, you had a weight problem. How did you conquer it?"

Not wanting to give her the true answer and also not wanting to lie, Niles hunches over, his arms resting on his thighs, and shrugs.

Noticing a muscle quiver at his jaw, CC draws in her eyebrows thoughtfully.

Not wanting to lose the lightness of the atmosphere, Niles changes the direction of conversation. "So what other hidden talents do you have Miss Babcock?"

"Hidden talents? Well, that’s something you’ll never know!" She smiles mischievously.

"Lucky me!" The warmth of his smile echoing in his voice.
"You know it’s getting quite hot in here. I feel like I’m in some sort of a sweat box." Getting up, Niles takes off his trench coat and opens it up onto the floor. "Miss Babcock, why don’t you sit here. It would be a shame to soil that skirt of yours."

A grin finds its way through a mask of uncertainty.
"Are you being nice to me so you can have my last piece
of gum?"

Niles shaking his head. "No, I was just thinking that your skirt is large enough to make into a great tablecloth for the kitchen and I didn’t want you soiling it." A chuckle catches in his throat at the sight of the even whiteness of her smile, dazzling him.

Suddenly the lights go out and the two find themselves in pitch darkness.

"Niles!"

Hearing CC scream his name in pure panic, Niles tries to control the rush of adrenaline going through his body.
"It will be okay, Miss Babcock. Don’t be alarmed. Let me see if I can get a hold of the mechanic." Fumbling his way towards the direction he knew the phone to be, he slid his fingers against the cold steel walls. His hands grasp the familiar shape, cradling it under his ear, "Hello! We’ve loss the electricity in here! HELLO!" Nothing. The phone was dead.

"Niles?" CC questions, wrapping her arms around herself.

Turning towards the sound of her voice, "It’s dead, but don’t panic. I’m sure they know and we’ll be out of here soon."

"I sure hope so. I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all."

"It will be okay," Niles replies soothingly.

"Ouch! Niles you stepped on my foot!"

"Well, I didn’t do it on purpose! It’s just so big, I couldn’t help it."

"Just because it’s dark in here doesn’t mean I can’t kick you in your tuchus!"

"Tuchus?" Niles laughs at CC Babcock’s use of a yiddish word.

"Oh I can’t believe I said that. Being around Nanny Fine so much, I guess her vocabulary is infiltrating my mind. Pretty soon, I’ll be using fermished and shlep in passing conversations!"

"Or meshugina and schmendrick!"

"Schmootz and nosh!"

In unison, "Yenta!" They both convulse in laughter.

Without warning the lights come back on and they blink at the sudden brightness. Niles wiping at the tears on his face, another laugh threatening to escape.

Together they walk over to his coat. Spreading it out more and pulling it closer to the wall, they sit almost shoulder to shoulder.

Feeling his gaze upon her profile, CC fidgets uncomfortably. Becoming increasingly uneasy under his scrutiny, her question to him coming out harsh and demanding. "Niles, with all that life has to offer, why would you want to spend it as a servant, attending to someone else’s needs?"

Retaining his affability, but with a distinct hardening of his eyes, Niles answers her question. "My life is made richer by making others happier. Mr. Sheffield and his children are very dear and close to my heart. To give them pleasure gives me pleasure and I would hope that even you would realize that in this whole galaxy that is our world, giving love and having it returned is the most precious gift of all."

CC listens to his words of wisdom and nods slightly. "I’m sorry Niles, what I said was very rude."

"It’s okay, I’m use to you being rude." Nudging her shoulder with his own.

Happy that they were on even footing once again, CC blows out a big bubble.

Pop!

"Niles, you schmuck!"

"I’m sorry, it was too tempting to resist!" His body convulsing in merriment.

"Well, great! Just great! Now I have bubble gum all over my face!" CC attempts to pull it off her cheeks, chin and jaw. In the process her fingers are full of the gooey mess.
"Go get some wipees out of my purse."

"Wipees?"

"The moist towelettes. I’m sure I have some in there."

"Okay…let’s see…sunglasses, wallet, keys…lipstick, mascara - how can you find anything in here, it’s so disorganized?!"

"Will you hurry up!"

"Alright, I’m trying! Umm…mints, receipt from the Doggie Parlor - going to a new stylist?"

"NILES!"

He chortles. "Checkbook…a package of batteries?" His eyebrow quirking at her in amusement.

"It’s for my walkman!"

"Uh huh…here it is! Buried under all this debris - towelettes!" Pulling one out in a flourish and ripping it open, he hands it to her.

CC grabbing at it annoyingly, proceeds to wipe her face with it.

"Here, I don’t think one is going to cut it, each of your chins will need its own."

Snatching another one from his hand, CC gives him a scathing look. And then remembering an old trick she learned when she was a little girl, her eyes light up.
Taking the wad of gum out of her mouth she proceeds to dab it all over her face, pulling the sticky strands off easily.

"Now that’s disgusting!" Niles exclaims, scrunching his nose.

"No - this is!" CC squishes the whole wad on Niles’ nose.

"Ewww, woman you are going to pay big time for that!" Niles cries out pulling the gob off his nose and wrapping it up in a tissue that he gets from her purse.

CC watching him, her eyes glinting in pleasure and quickly turning into agitation as she sees Niles pulling his own gum out of his mouth.
"Don’t you dare!"

Niles wields it threateningly. Laughing at her wide-eyed expression of anger, "Calm down, I’m kidding!" Popping it back into his mouth and chewing it with relish. "There’s still flavor in it."

CC shakes her head at him and takes her purse back. Pulling the last piece of bubble gum out she proceeds to pop it in her mouth. Just as she was about to blow another bubble, she warns Niles, "Now keep your hands to yourself."

"Hmm…that’s something you don’t say often."

Ignoring him, CC blows another bubble. The familiarity of it all, calming her down and taking her mind away from the predicament.

Niles watches as her tongue curves up and the way she blows lightly out as the bubble takes form. His gaze riveted to her mouth and then it slowly travels to her light blue eyes.

Noticing his interest, CC finds herself extremely conscious of his virile appeal. Snapping the gum in her mouth, she fills in the awkward silence once again. "So I take it your childhood wasn’t a happy one, being the Fat Albert of the block."

Raising his eyes heavenward in irritation, "It was just fine. A bit lonely because I was an only child, but Maxwell was always there for me."

"Maxwell? Since when do you call him that?"

"Well, I didn’t always call him Mr. Sheffield. In fact he would rather I just refer that way to him when he’s entertaining guests, but I have to uphold my butler training."

"So what kind of things did you and Maxwell do together?"

"Oh, I don’t know…umm…we enjoyed playing football."

"What were you - the wide receiver?!" CC guffaws.

Niles’ brows flicker a little as he answers her. "Not that kind of football - soccer!" Unbuttoning his shirt he proceeds to pull it off, revealing his white T-shirt underneath.

"What are you doing Niles?"

"It’s suffocating in here! I didn’t dress for elevator weather. How can you stand it? Aren’t you sweating under that outfit?"

"Excuse me….I do not sweat, I glisten."

Niles rolls his eyes. "Fine. Aren’t you glistening bucketfuls?"

"A little. Now that you mention it I would like to take off my raincoat…and this light sweater."

Niles watches as she removes her outer clothing, revealing a colorful, short sleeved blouse.

"What?" CC questions noticing Niles’ long silent stare.

"Nothing. It’s just normally you’re in dress suits and long skirts."

"This is a long skirt."

"Yes…but it has a slit up the side, very unbusiness like."
Clearing his throat and asking her a question this time.
"What was your favorite past time growing up?"

Tilting her head to the side, CC smiles in remembrance. "I enjoyed going to the movies. Me and my best friend Whitney use to go whenever we could. We loved watching the old musicals. ‘Singing in the Rain,’ ‘White Christmas,’ ‘Gigi’."

"You had a best friend?! So what happened to Whitney?"

"Oh, her father worked for the United Nations and she ended up moving to the other side of the world. We lost touch."

"Okay, here’s a groundbreaking question. Goobers or Raisinettes?"

CC smiles, "Goobers."

"The one with the nut, I should have guessed," he winks.

"Don’t you ever stop? "

"Do you want me to?"

CC nods her head and then shakes it negatively, smiling, "No."

Niles chuckles quietly. "Opie or Richie Cunningham?"

"Richie Cunningham of course. He had a car."

"Umm…Wilma Flintstone or Betty Rubble?"

"Velma."

"Who?" Niles asks in confusion.

"Velma, you know from Scooby Doo? Shaggy, Daphne, Fred, the Mystery Machine. You know - Velma!"

"Oh yes, the brainy one with the glasses."

Just as CC was about to pose a question, she feels the elevator shudder to life. Her stomach lurches up with the sudden speed and she watches the numbers as it goes all the way up to her floor. Sighing inwardly, she knew that the evening with Niles was over.

The doors slide open and there were three men in dirty jumpsuits, toolbelts around their waists, waiting for them.
"Is everyone okay," the man with the scruffy mustache asks.

"Yes, we’re fine. Thank you so much." Niles replies, although he wasn’t very grateful. And he follows CC out, after they both gather their clothes. Falling back a few steps he admires her long legs as the slit on her skirt gives him a peek as she walks to her door.

Before going inside, CC looks at him. "You do realize that starting tomorrow everything will be the same between us?" She asks, hoping that he will refute the stated question.

Niles feels his heart dip, his shoulders lower. Then with a quirk of his expressive eyebrows, he pans, "Looking forward to it. Remember I still owe you and I always pay my debts." With that he turns away.

CC’s eyes follow him as he quickly walks back to the elevator. Chester’s sharp yap, interrupting her thoughts of the evening.

The mechanics held the elevator for Niles and all four went down to the first floor in silence. Just as Niles was stepping out, he overhears one of the men comment to his friend. "That perfume that lady was wearing was mighty nice. I bet the missus would like it. I wonder what it was."

Niles smiles. He turns and replies over his shoulder,
"It’s Lalique." His shoes tap quietly away as he makes his way home.

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