I wanna thanks F.Q, what you said really meant a lot. And my fiend Andrea for reading and helping me with some stuff out… And to all of you, who I suppose are about to read my story…

Old Feeling

by

Jaby
(cat__soul@hotmail.com)

"Dad, there's a woman stuck in an elevator and I think it's Fran"

"What make you think it's Fran?"

"Well because it's stuck like thirty floors below us and you can still hear a woman talking"

"Oh yeah, that's my Fran. Oh my God! That's Fran!"

Niles and Max were petrified for a second, but when they realized what that meant they run towards the elevator.

Niles heart was racing miles per hour, he needed to know the answer, his entire life depended on that. What if she said no? What if she said yes? He wasn’t prepared to react in both occasions. He never even dreamt that the moment when their lips were going to meet again was going to be under the effects of love and not booze.

They arrive in front of the elevator doors and heard Miss Fine’s screams, she probable was in labor, thought Niles that for some reason didn’t give a damn. He heard C.C’s voice after Max tried to call Fran, his blood freeze.

"I have an answer to your question. I thought long and hard about it and my answer is....."

"Ahhhrrrgh".

"Oh crap".

"What I said was..."

"Honey are you all right?"

"Of course she's fine. Miss Babcock could you say it one more time?"

The guy that was trying to open the elevator looked back at Niles and then at Max, those two must be heads over heals for their ladies, he thought.

"Done sir"

Max looked at him with relief as the door opened, Niles run towards C.C and grabbed her by her hand. Max and the kids run where Fran was. Max looked at Maggie and B and told them to call an ambulance, Gracie you call Dr. Reynolds and tell her she is in labor. Okay dad.

"How are you darling?"

"How do I look I am!" Fran screamed grabbing him by the collar "Bring me drugs and bring them quick"

He smiled sweetly.

"They’re on they way"

"Better be"

Niles looked at C.C charmingly; he kissed her hand looked deep into her eyes.

"I think I’ve waited enough, don’t you?"

"Niles I…" She said looking down.

"You…" He said as his heart raced and he swore she could hear it.

"I…"

"You’re killing me woman! You what?!"

"I don’t think I’m ready for marriage"

He felt someone kicked his stomach hard and couldn’t breathe, his heart stopped and he wanted to die, he looked at her questioning. Why? What did I do wrong? Am I not good enough? Is it my looks? My sweet way of loving you with all my body, heart and soul? Is it my money? Why? Is there someone else? Are you too good to me? Am I too good to you? What is it, sweetie? What?! Instead he just nodded.

"That doesn’t mean we can’t be together anymore"

"I know exactly what it mean Babcock" He kissed her cheek and stormed out.

Max looked at them, went near C.C and saw the pain in her stare.

"What happened?"

Babcock looked at him and he saw nothing was right.

"C.C what’s wrong?"

"Everything Maxwell, everything" As she started crying Max encircled her with his arms and tried to calm her down but he had his own problems. He couldn’t understand why they hadn’t go through with it if they loved each other so much. He had learned over the years that Niles lived for the times when C.C was around, and she lived for Niles to open the door for her in morning. He knew that when they kissed the universe was perfect, and everything fit. Just like him and Fran, they were simply meant to be. Speaking of Fran…

"You damn Maxwell Sheffield come here in this same moment, you hear me screaming and you run to another woman’s arms"

"Sweetie I…"

"Go Maxwell" C.C said as she got out of his embrace and wiped away the tears.

"It’ll work out, you’ll see"

"I hope so"

"Ahhhhhhrrrrrrgh"

Max turned around and run towards his wife. She needed him right now. C.C looked how much they loved each other; maybe she had made the wrong decision. She needed to find Niles and talk to him, she needed to kiss him and hear from his lips and with his sweet British accent that everything was okay and was going to be for ever. She knew it wasn’t. It was never going to be and it was all her fault!!! But Fran had said it, she couldn’t be sure if she was going or not to make the right choice, and if something she had learned from showbiz was that you never make a deal until your 100% sure.

Why the hell she wasn’t?! If she loved him so much, why the hell she felt this strange feeling in her stomach and the only thing she wanted to do was throw up??!!

***

Niles was standing in the corner and saw how Max embraced C.C… How could he be so foolish?! It was so obvious; she was still in love with him. She had never stopped loving him. How could he be so bloody blind? That was why she has refused to marry him. He turned around walking lost, like a abandon puppy. He needed her, to breathe, to walk, to see, to live. He needed her always, ever since the first time he saw her.

Where things did failed so much? Or was it that they never started right? Had she faked it all along? Now he came to think about it she had never told him she loved him.

Why of all women he had to fall for her?

He walked without destiny in the cold streets of New York, he felt almost the same pain he felt when she had rejected him those four times. Now they were five. Five! But he felt twice more pain because now he had taste her skin, and kissed her lips and made love to her and made her scream his name to the night and he knew what he was loosing. He was loosing he eyes, her hands, her lips, her body, her soul. Now it was twice as painful because before he only had an idea or a dream of all that, and since the first time he had tasted her he had become addicted, or even worst he couldn’t live without her. Wasn’t that the same?

He looked up and found himself in front of the hospital Fran was supposed be in. What else he could loose tonight? So he walked in.

The smell wasn’t nice, it smelled like a hospital and it gave him horrible memories of his heart attack. Back then, she had been at his side always, even when she denies it he knew. He knew he had felt her hand upon his all night long, and heard his voice giving him strength not to give up.

"Don’t go away butler boy, what am I suppose to do without you? My life would be senseless. Don’t leave me alone, I couldn’t stand the long days without you. Maxwell needs you now more than ever; he and nanny Fine are having a huge fight and you are the only one that can solve them, I know you think is my chance to woo Max, but how could I, having you here with chances of death, it was so scary… This family needs you… I need you. Niles don’t leave us, you can’t leave me damn it!! I know that through the years I’ve created this bitch image, and the truth is I’m not an easy person to get along with" Niles laugh… Tell me about it "…But you’re the only one I can have a relationship with and if you leave me today I will never forgive you, Niles never"

She thought he was sleeping he was sleeping, she though he couldn’t hear her, but he could and he was listening and recording every word of it. Now those times were just memories, he didn’t know if he should thank to god for the chance he gave him with her or to curse him because he have take her away. He got sick to his stomach, the smell made him sick. He better just looked for Fran’s room.

He found it easily, after all her voice carries. And a giving birth Fran was, I assure you, something easy to hear. He opened the door. Fran was alone.

"Niles? What are ya doing here? I thought you were with Miss Babcock"

"She said no"

Fran looked at him with sorry eyes but just then a contraction kicked in.

"Ahhhhrrrgh"

"Are you okay?"

"All I want is to get these demons out of me, I swear I will never let Max touch me again" Niles smiled knowing that promise wasn’t going to last.

"But sweetie what happened? I swear I thought I convinced her"

"I don’t have a bloody idea, thanks anyway Fran you helped me even if we were doomed to end up like this"

"But you can’t give up Niles"

"I don’t have other choice"

Just the Maxwell and Dr. Reynolds came in.

"Old man? C.C is looking for you"

"She is?!"

"Yes but I’m not quite sure where she is, she drove the kids over and then got lost. You should ask them"

"Could we get back to me, I’m dying here! Nothing personal Niles"

Niles got out thinking. Why would she want to meet him? Why now? It didn’t make much sense, it was clear she only was with him cuz he loved her and made her feel loved not the other was around. He sighed and walked through the halls looking for the children.

***

C.C walked down by the stair she wasn’t going to get trapped in the elevator again, and this time she didn’t have Nanny Fine’s for them to find her. What was she thinking letting the best thing of her life walk away? She reached the first floor; there was B, Maggie and Grace waiting fir a cab that let them to the hospital.

"What are you doing here?"

"Miss Babcock?"

"No, Petula Clark" She said sarcastically.

"Could you drive us to the hospital? We’ve been waiting for a cab 30 minutes and mom went to the hospital 10 minutes ago"

"Follow me, I left my BMW somewhere around the block"

They found it easily and C.C drove as fast as she could. Maggie looked at Grace with concerned eyes.

"What do you think she’s up to? Maggie asked Grace.

"No idea, after what she did to Niles…"

"She tear his heart apart" B whispered as the car went at the speed of light.

"I know he was devastated"

C.C heard them; they had to be on Niles’ side, and after all they had grown up with him by their side. She was trying to convince herself it wasn’t entirely her fault. But it was. The hospital was almost empty and she parked outside.

"Thanks Miss Babcock" Maggie smiled

"Call me C.C"

B and Grace looked at each other and raised their shoulders. Fran’s room was somewhere in maternity but they needed to find Max first.

"Kids!" C.C yelled before they got lost "Tell Niles I’m looking for him, or Max, whatever" Brighton nodded and run looking for his father and mother.

C.C sat in the waiting room. She didn’t feel quite well, she wanted to throw up but the bathroom was too far so she just concentrate herself in her stomachache. Don’t throw up now, is the last thing you need.

"C.C?" She opened her eyes slowly.

"Robert? What are you doing here?"

"I work here, why are you here?"

"Long story"

"I’m in my break you can tell me"

She smiled nostalgic. "We were in the wedding anniversary of my boss, which is my boyfriend’s boss, or ex-boyfriend, I’m not sure. He asked me to marry him and I run away, my boss’s nanny, I mean wife, run after my trying to convinced me about marrying him… we went in an elevator, it stopped, she was pregnant and went into labor. You can imagine me; I got scared to hell… I don’t really know why I’m here"

"Not really that long" he said smiling "How long was it since we last saw each other?"

"Almost 25 years now, back in college"

"You are still the same good looking girl I knew then"

She felt nauseas and felt her all stomach was going to come out from her body.

"You look terribly darling; let me check what’s wrong with you"

"No really I’m fine…"

"I insist, I’ll do it for free"

"In that case…" She smiled the best she could.

"You haven’t changed a bit" he said taking her by her arm and leading her to his room.

The hospital smell broth her horrible memories from The Place. All she wanted to do was forget them but they kept popping in her head. The more she forced herself to forget the more she remembered. Her head felt light, her stomach sick. Robert looked at her with concerned eyes while they walked through maternity and heard some nasal voice screaming and cursing. He touched C.C’s forehead, she didn’t have temperature but she looked like she was going to pass out.

"Robert I can’t…"

"Relax C.C, let me take you. I need to run some exams on you, I have some clue of what this might be" He took C.C in his arms and walk as fast as he could, crossing in the way with a reddish blond blue eyed man that looked at them in concern.

"Sir please, I’m in a hurry, can you excuse me?"

"But…"

"I don’t have time" Robert went into his room and put C.C in the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Horrible"

"C.C I need you to take some blood and urine test"

"Okay" She said as she felt something crawling up from her stomach to her throat "I’m throwing up" she announced letting Robert enough time to put in front of her something to throw up in. She threw everything she had in her stomach and more. She had no energy left in her body but the energy needed to cry. So she cried, uncontrollably until she didn’t have the energy for that either so she felt asleep.

***

Niles walked through the halls trying to find C.C, in the way he saw Yetta thinking she was in Vegas or Atlantic City, but he didn’t feel like telling her her granddaughter was giving birth… Sylvia was going to take care of that.

He saw Brighton sitting in a corner with his face in his hands. He sat next to him.

"What’s wrong master Brighton?"

"Niles?" He looked at him "Nothing old man is just the last time I was in the hospital waiting for results was for mom’s death"

"But now they’ll be another type of results"

B sighed "But they’re gonna change our lives in the same way. I’m not sure if I should leave to Europe"

"Leave, you’ll regret it if you don’t. Besides everything is going to turn out okay"

"I know" B looked at the sad features of Niles "Are you all right?"

"No"

"You can’t get like that over her, maybe it just wasn’t the right timing or woman"

"You’re still young master Brighton; you don’t understand what love is, I’m old I don’t have that much chance with women anymore"

"Who are you and what did you do to my butler?" B asked "This is not you Niles, you never give up. Today I drove from the party to the hospital in Miss Babcock’s BMW, the one you sold back to her and it reminded me all the time you swore to hate her, and she swore to hate you, but now I know you secretly loved her and I can understand lots of things…"

"Like what?"

"Remember the time she was dating this guy name Chandler?"

"Vaguely" But he remembered as if it was yesterday.

"Before that we were chatting in a chat board… she was named goodandplenty if I must recall…"

"And well she meant it"

"Arg man, I didn’t need to know that!!! Anyway she told me how lonely she was and stuff I don’t need to tell you and I don’t think I want to remember myself. But she told me she was in love with someone, but it was impossible that that person returned her feelings – B laughed – When I discovered it was her I thought she meant dad, but when she offered me 100 bucks to keep my mouth shut I knew something wasn’t good. Why would she want to hide something everyone knew?"

"I don’t know…"

"You don’t need to know, she told me she wanted to talk to you"

"Where is she?"

"I don’t know"

"Go over to your mom’s, they need you there"

"We need you too, please don’t do anything rush"

"I won’t"

B stood up and was about to turn when Niles stopped him "Master Brighton!"

"Yes Niles?"

"Thank you"

"Anytime" he smiled heading where Fran was.

Niles walked through the halls thinking what B had just said. If she loved him back then, then why did she turn him down in his proposal? What if she wasn’t the one? That couldn’t be, she was the one and something inside him told him she was. He passed maternity and saw a doctor running with a woman in his arms. They came closer. He looked at her. It was C.C!!! What the bloody hell! His heart jump scared, he couldn’t loose her, not now, what was wrong with her?

The doctor tried to pass but he was too shocked to move.

"Sir please I’m in a hurry can you excuse me?"

"But…" Thousand thoughts cross Niles’ mind.

"I don’t have time" and he got lost in the hall. Niles had a bad presentment about this. A very bad one.

***

"C.C wake up" Robert whispered "You have been sleeping 5 hours"

C.C came to her senses slowly remembering everything: Niles, Max, Nanny Fine, the kids, the babies, everything.

"5 hours!!!" She screamed noticing she hadn’t had the chance to talk to Niles.

"Yes and the results are back. Just as I predicted"

"What’s wrong with me, Rob?"

"Nothing, at least I don’t know if it’s wrong for you or not but you are pregnant C.C"

""I’M WHAT!" She screamed grabbing Rob by his neck "Tell me your joking"

"I’m afraid not"

C.C’s face got frightened.

"I’m pregnant" she whispered realizing the only possible father was Niles.

"Niles sweetie?"

"Yes ma’am?"

"Can you burp Jonah, please?"

Niles took the 8 months old Jonah to burp him.

"There, there. Here you go Mrs. Sheffield"

"I never though having twins would be something so exhausting" Fran said "With Max finishing the first season of his sitcom and all he barely has tine for me and the kids"

"You’ll see, he’ll come around"

"Is just all this work is too much for him, he made auditions for several assistants but, he said, no one was good enough… no one could be as half as good as Miss Babcock…" Fran put her hand on her mouth, the unmentionable word had just been spoken in front of Niles "I’m sorry darling I…"

"Don’t worry, I have to get over her anyway2 He said with a fake smile in his face.

Eve started crying. Jonah looked at her questioning and cried as well. Fran took them both in her arms and went upstairs saying something about making Max pay for lost time tonight.

Niles sat in the kitchen table and drank some ice tea, the California weather was worm, as always. He sighed knowing his life was now too different without her. After the hospital incident he didn’t knew where she was. He ran from room to room but he didn’t find her. He called to her penthouse but she wasn’t there as well, she wasn’t registered in the hospital as a patient either. He never saw her after that, he just head from her when she called Max to quit but even then he was too hurt to ask anything even if he was dying to know. He sip his tea, he couldn’t explain how lost he felt without her. It was eating him, the pain, the sorrow, just to not know where she was.

The kitchen door was abruptly opened.

"Old man? You know where is Fran?"

"Upstairs, trying to convince the twins they have to sleep"

Max sat on the chair next to Niles, he was literally exhausted.

"It was a hard day, the director didn’t show up and the actors are getting tired of the plot, I don’t know what the bloody hell to do!"

"Get an assistant" Niles said as the oven rang telling him the pie was done. He stood up and went to get it.

"She’s not coming back Niles, I can’t hire her back even if that’s what I want with all my heart and soul, if she doesn’t want to go back she wont… You know her as well as I do or even better"

"I don’t believe I said hire C.C back I just said "Get an assistant"

"Is that lemon pie you’re baking?"

"Yes it is"

"Give me some, I’m starving" Niles cut a slice when the phone rang.

"I get it old man" Max took the cordless and spoke.

"Hello Maxwell Sheffield………" his features changed from tires and relax to frightened "Yes this is him…… Lloyd Webber? What do you want??" Niles look at him questioning, Max looked alarm "You hired who?! And you called me to tell me that?…………………………Yes my sitcom is doing great. Thank you I’ll consider it" He hang up even before Andrew could say good bye.

"What was that?" Niles asked serving himself and Max a slice of pie.

"He hired C.C"

Max still didn’t registered in his head the words that had just crossed his mouth…

"What?" said Niles almost dropping the plates.

"C.C’s working for Loyd Webber bloody hell! Just what I needed" He punched the table with his fist.

"Must I remind you you’re not competing with him anymore, sir"

"It’s a thing of pride, my production business is still called Sheffield-Babcock productions, and she… she betrayed me!!"

"Sir calm down"

"How he hell do you want me to calm down!"

"The same way I calmed down when she left me! For crying out loud!"

"Dear god in heaven how could she do this to me?"

"Sir, please, calm down"

Fran run downstairs and looked at both guys. Why where they yelling so much. He came near Max and hit him in his forearm a few time with an annoyed face.

"You woke up the twins with your screaming"

"Sorry darling is just I received this call…" He sat down and put his hand in his forehead. Fran looked at Niles by the was out in space.

"Who called?"

"Webber"

"Oy, what did he wanted?"

"To tell me C.C is working for him damn it"

"Oy!!"

Max closed his eyes and sighed Niles finished drinking his tea and cover his face with his hands.

"That’s it family we need some vacations!" Fran declared looking how stressed everyone was, she hadn’t realized how important C.C was for the family, as a matter of fact, before Niles declare his feeling for her she thought if she left they were going to make a party "I don’t care how but we’re going for two weeks to some place nice and you’re going too mista!" she said pointing at Niles "I’ll tell Gracie we’re going and I’ll make some arrangements with Ma and Val to baby-sit the kids"

"But sweetie…"

"But sweetie my ass, you’re having the time of your life and that goes for the two of you" She stormed out with a smile on her lips. It was gonna be a second honey moon and that was settled.

"How can you fight someone with that fire?" He said lovingly smiling.

"Try fighting my C.C" Niles found himself saying. Max looked at him and put his hand on his best friend’s back.

"You sure could use this vacations, Niles"

"I know sir, I know"

***

She woke up stretching her body for another gray day in New York. The morning sickness were growing with the time and the desire to tell Niles she was expecting his child were growing with the same intensity. She still didn’t knew why the hell they hadn’t speak and why he had been so cold towards her when she called to resign to S-B productions. It was the hardest decision she had ever taken, give up a life of working for and with Max just because the butler filled her dreams.

She questioned herself.

Why the hell am I here and not in his arms? She didn’t know. The thing she most missed in the world was to wake up every morning in his arms, to watch his sleepy face and to wake him up with gentle kisses after a night of passion.

She cleared her thoughts, everything she did lately was to think of him. Maybe if she called…

She picked up the phone, dialed the first three numbers but hang up realizing she didn’t know what to say.

"Why is your mother such a coward?" she talked to her 8 month’s old belly. The baby kicked. "I wish he was here to feel that, he can be such a sentimental sissy sometimes"

The phone rang. C.C looked at it and her heart raced.

"Talk"

"C.C Babcock?"

"Yes who is this?"

"It’s Andrew Lloyd Webber personally"

"What the hell do you want?"

"No need to be so rude"

"What the hell do you want, SIR?" she spoke sarcastically.

"I called you for a very special reason"

"Spill it"

"First I heard your unemployed so I was going to offer you a job as my associated and assistant"

C.C was speechless, the words couldn’t leave her mouth.

"What?" she manage to say.

"What you heard" He smiled from the other side of the line "You can take your time to think about it but…"

"I take it"

"Now?"

"But with certain conditions"

"Which are…"

"You have to pay me, obviously, more than Maxwell did, I have to own the 50 percent of the company…"

"20%…"

"30%"

"30 and it’s a deal"

"And I’m pregnant so I wouldn’t start working until after my baby is born"

"You have a deal!"

"Bring the papers to my penthouse between today and tomorrow"

"Done"

"Ciao" and she hang up. She own the 30% of Lloyd Webber production business and somehow it didn’t feel as good as she thought it would. She had never feel so empty and traitor. She had broken a 30 years pact with Maxwell to work for the competition. She just wished Max never found out.

The baby kicked again.

"I know darling I’m the worst, I know"

***

"Is everything in the limo?" Max asked Niles as Niles came back from putting the suitcases in the trunk.

"Certainly"

Fran came running from upstairs looking with concern eyes at Niles, she smiled sweetly and said.

"I forgot to put a few things in. Do you think they’ll fit?"

"It depends, how many bags?"

"Four"

"Four! That’s a few things darling?"

"I’m impressed sir, how little do you know your wife, if you were like me you’ll already had made room for four or five more bags" He said as he head up the stairs to pick’em up.

"Niles ya doll" Fran watched him leave, her face turned sad.

"What’s wrong Fran?"

"It’s all my fault, darling, that he is all alone. I should have never followed C.C in that elevator I made her change he mind I can feel it. He deserves to have someone that loves him as much as he loved C.C. I mean loves C.C"

Max enfold her in his arms.

"How can you say such a stupidity Fran, look at me, you’re right he deserves to have someone but maybe C.C is not the one, and is sooooo not your fault. We don’t know what was going through her mind when she said no, or when se bloody took that job from Lloyd Webber or why the hell he called me to rub it in my face… he sure was jealous for Yetta’s Letters… I just know it. He can be such a……."

"Sweetie you’re getting out of topic"

"Which was?"

"Niles"

"Right.. Why don’t you set him up with someone. To get the issue out of his mind" He said trying to kiss her but failing the attempt for Fran was to exited with the idea.

"I have a single friend in Hawaii that might be just Niles’ type, let me give her a call, we have to make this look casual, you know" She left humming a Straisand song and with joy in her heart. Then Max remembered what had happened the last time she interfered in Niles’ relationships.

He put his hand on his forehead and prayed to God that everything turns out fine.

Grace came down stairs with the twins in her arms. She handed Eve to Max. He kissed her daughters hear and the Gracie’s forehead.

"They get bigger by each second that goes by" Grace said playing with Jonah’s hand "I can hardly carry them together"

"Gacie" Jonah said smiling and laughing. Max looked at him and opened his eyes wide.

"He just said your name!"

"He already knows how to say several words dad, so does Eve"

"My go have I been working to much or what? Fran was totally right"

"Dada" Eve said grabbing Max’s finger.

"She knows how to call me!" He looked at her almost year old daughter, she looked just like Fran, in fact almost sounded like her, then he looked at Grace, god was she big! Then he looked at Jonah, he swore he even saw the gray stake in his hair. He laughed.

Niles came down with two suitcases and his heart melted watching such touching scene. Max had everything, a successful carrier, a loving family a wonderful life, and he had nothing. Max looked up and smiled at him.

"Nile" Eve pointed him up. Niles smiled.

"Hand them to me dad, I have to leave them with Sylvia, I don’t know why but I have a presentment she’s in the kitchen. By the way when are we leaving?"

"Half an hour sweetie. Here" he put Eve in her arms and Grace disappeared with the twins.

"I think after this vacations I’ll hire an assistant, old man, I’ve done too much work in my life and I don’t want to loose my children’s childhood for that"

"I’m glad to heart it, sir" but his tone was nostalgic.

"Cheer up Niles"

"How could I cheer up? I lost everything that mattered in my life"

"Once I lost it too, remember?"

"At least you still had your kids"

"And you… I don’t know what would I had done without you"

"How long are we staying, sir"

"Two weeks, and stop calling me sir… for now"

***

C.C looked at the hour, 10:30. She was tired. Tired of not working. It had been 8 months since the last time she had work. And she was already tired.

The time she had been alone she had travel a lot, but when the baby turned 5 months Robert had forbid any kind of trip for her, due to some lost symptoms she had had. In that time she had thought about lots of things mostly about Niles. About how lucky she had been to find him and stupid to left him. She had realized how lonely life could be and how pathetic. And the worst thing was that pregnant she could not drink alcohol she couldn’t smoke; and the truth was that without Niles she needed the booze and tobacco more that ever.

She picked the phone giving, finally, up.

"Yellow"

"Sylvia?"

"Yes, who is this"

She thought the answer, now or never.

"Miss Babcock"

"Miss who? Babcock? I thought you had a restriction order not to call since you never do…"

"Stop bugging… Give me Niles on the phone"

"Haven’t you made him suffer enough already?"

"Just give him to me!"

"He’s not here" the twins’ crying could be heard in the background "Morty! Check the twins please. I’m at the phone.

C.C was shocked, he wasn’t there, a million thought crossed her mind, he could be in a date, could he have remade his life? moved on? She had never consider that until now. What if he was married?

"Miss Babcock?"

"I’m here, could you tell him I called?" She thought how rude she had been before "Please"

Sylvia heard her plead, love could be heard in her words, and despise the fact she hated C.C long before she did that to Niles she felt pity for her.

"He won’t be back until two or three more weeks"

"Where is he?"

"Vacations"

"Vacations? With whom?"

Sylvia thought she better didn’t answer that.

"Morty! Watch the kids, they ate chocolate pudding, you better change their dippers!"

C.C knew there was a reason she didn’t answer that question: girlfriend.

"Where?"

"I don’t know" Sylvia lie.

"Thank you anyway. Send the Sheffield my blessings and tell Max I’m really sorry. He’ll know why.

She thought nothing could be worst. Nothing. She felt to her knees, she was so miserable. Her blue eyes were filled with tears and her body was too heavy. For her it had been living hell, and abortion had come many times to her mind, maybe too many. But the love she had for Niles was so big<she kept him, or her, with love all along. And with time she had learned to treasure it. Niles had the right to know he was a father, and before today she had consider telling him after the baby was born, which, according to Robert wasn’t going to be in much time. Actually the purpose of the phone call was mostly for that.

She had never picture Niles in bed with other woman, all this time. He probably was now. She dry the tears from here eyes and turned on the radio, she needed to relax.

"It’s very clear

She turned it of quickly.

"Is everything going to remind me of him" She yelled to herself. The baby moved, she looked at it and smiled.

"Yes you have the right to have a father, specially if it’s him"

***

Niles looked through the window, only clouds could be seen. He sighed.

"What’s wrong Niles?"

"Nothing Miss Grace, nothing"

She looked at him and shook her head with concern.

"I’ve been in therapy for 12 years I think I can tell when something is or not wrong"

Niles smiled to her sweet mistress.

"The witch cast a spell over me and I felt deep. Maybe too deep."

"I never understood your relationship with Miss Babcock that much. It was clearly Love/hate, that I can tell. But sometimes you liked her, then despise her, then looked up to her, then hated her, then loved her…"

"I always felt all those things together" he laughed.

" I remember that time, back then in New York, when we were having breakfast and you acted funny with her

"Hey babe"

"Hey dumpling" She quoted imitating their voices. Niles laughed hard.

"Forget her, forgive her or at least call her Niles. I want to see you happy again. You have been too much to this family. I love you"

Niles caressed her head.

"Thank you Miss Grace, I’ll consider that, and I love you too"

Fran was looking at the whole display from the seat in front, she was going to make a huge effort to take C.C out of his head. She kissed and sleeping Max’s cheek and thanked god that it had took him 5 years but at least she had get the guy. And some guy!

Maxwell woke up. Looked at her loving Fran and kissed her deeply.

"What?" he asked drowsily.

"Could you let me call home? I need to know how the twins are"

"Okay" he took out his credit card "I know how you and your mother get so make it quick"

Fran laughed "Make it quick, you can be hysterical darling" Max rolled his eyes.

"Ma? How are ya doing? How are the twins? Do they miss me? Did they ate all their meals? And have you change their diapers? I’ve been thinking about it and two weeks is too much so you can fly with them in next week, what do you think?"

"You haven’t been out 5 hours Fran, and Fine, Good, Yes, Almost, Yes, Absolutely"

"Let me talk to them, Ma"

"They’re at sleep, they got tired of crying so much, And Eve, oy, it reminds me or you and your sister Nadine when you where littler, boy can she cry"

"They cried too much?"

"Fran a couple of cops stopped by and almost put us in jail cuz he thought we were hurting them!"

"Were you?"

"Fran!"

"Those are my babies. Did Val called?"

"No, but Miss Babcock did"

"MISS BABCOCK WHAT?!" Fran screamed and woke up all the sleeping passengers, Niles looked at her amazed and Max tried to apologize for her.

"What did she said? Where is she? How is she? Ma you have the gossip of the year… spill the beans!"

But she couldn’t finish listening because Niles grabbed the phone and questioned Sylvia.

"What the hell did she said? Where is she? How is she? Who was she looking for? What the hell did she said? Did I say that twice?"

"Niles?"

"Yes"

"She called, she was looking for you. She sounded very stressed and seemed as if she needed to tell you something important"

"What did you said?"

"You were on vacations"

"You told her where?"

"Nah"

"Where is she"

"I don’t know, I don’t know how is she either"

"Nothing else"

"She sends her blessings to the family and sorry to Max and she said he’d understand why. Now if you could explain me that…"

"She’s working for Lloyd Webber"

"Oy"

"Yes"

"Well Niles have a nice trip"

"Thank you very much Sylvia"

"Ya welcome"

Niles hang up. Why the hell had she called? What was so important she needed to tell him? She wanted to invite him to her wedding? She wanted to go back with him? To laugh in his face? To make him suffer? With her everything wasposible.

"What did she say? Fran asked, Max and Grace were looking with expecting eyes.

"She wanted to talk to me… She sneds her blessings to the family and she apologize to you sir, she said sorry for you-know-what"

"That’s all?" Max asked.

"Yes"

"At least she’s sorry" He mumbled getting back in his seat.

"I wonder why she called…"

"Don’t wonder sweetie just forget her, for once and for good"

"I’ll try, I’ll do my best, but I’ve been trying for a really, really long time. I can’t make promesses"

Fran kissed his cheek and looked at him with worry.

"Stop worrying about me so much, I’m getting tires. I’m not a baby, I’m a grown up man. Can you please leave me alone?"

"Relax Niyules"

"Sod off"

"Get a grip"

Fran sat and wonder if it wasa good idea, but there was no going back. Her friend had put her eyes in Niles and once Naomi did that, there was no way she didn’t get the guy.

Niles felt bad. Inside he knew he had been too rude with Miss Fine, but he couldn’t help it. He desperately needed to know why C.C had called. He took his credit card and dialed C.C’s penthouse number the only possible place he could imagine C.C.

"Hello?" a man’s voice answered. Niles hang up. He covered his face with his hands and slowly felt asleep.

***

The door bell rang. She looked at it, she needed to answer. She was dressed wit a red top that left her belly uncovered and a red wine long colored skirt. She looked good to be pregnant, she thought, she had taken special cares for her pregnancy, exercises especial diets, not working so hard and the only thing that had grown were their belly and their boobs, which she found strangely uncomfortable.

The doorbell rang again.

She opens.

A tall, handsome dark haired man was standing in the doorway.

"Are you Miss Babcock?"

"Yes"

"I come from ALW, I’m very worry ma’am that we didn’t come last week"

"I thought you weren’t going to come at all"

"Here we are"

"Good, hand me the contracts"

He couldn’t deny that he expected her to be a 60 years old decrepit women and instead he found her, even pregnant he found her quite delicious. But then she talked.

"So you got cut in traffic all week or what?"

"Nor, err, they just send me late"

"A little bit too late. Don’t you think?"

"Certainly ma’am"

She read the contract slowly and carefully. It was okay, no tricks what so ever a pretty much comun contract. The phone rangas C.C finished the reading. She looked at the guy.

"Would you mind?"

"Not at all"

"He picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

No answer.

"They hang up, ma’am"

She nodded finishing her reading.

"Do you have a pen hum… em…"

"Stephen"

"Stephen"

"Here"

She closed her eyes signing. "I’m sorry Maxwell" she whispered,

"There you go"

"Miss?"

"Yes?"

"Mr. Lloyd Webber sends you this plane ticket as an apology for being so terribly late"

"Thank you"

"Good bye"

She closed the door in his face and looked at the plane ticket. It wasn0t such a lame idea.

…He kissed her deeply, grabbing her face in is hand as she whispered his name gently, pushing her body against his, feeling the fast beating of her heart. She looked so beautiful…

"Dear passenger we are ready to land in Hawaii. Our final destination, we hope you had enjoy your flight, aloha."

Niles woke up. Why they always managed to wake him up in the best part of his dream!

"Miss Grace, wake up we’re about to land"

"What?" she said sleepily "land? I don’t like landings"

"You’ll like this one"

"Why" she said opening her eyes.

"Just look outside" Niles said as she got close to the window and admired the beautiful view they had from the island.

"Wow" she said expressing what Niles felt too in that small expression.

"Exactly"

The plane landed smoothly. Max and Niles were looking for the bags and Grace and Fran were waiting for them near. Fran looked at Gracie noticing the guys needed help.

"Too many bags, huh?"

"I guess"

Fran looked around looking for someone. Max noticed it and remember Fran’s plan, he wanted it to work so badly, and not only because he wanted Niles to be happy but because it had been his idea and from that point if Niles hurt himself (thing he knew he was capable of, since when he lost Sarah the only things he stood in earth was his kids, and Niles didn’t have that kind of reason) or became even miserable than he already was Fran was going to blame it into him. He sighed.

"Is Naomi going to pick us up?"

"No, she’s going to, by accident, meet us at the hotel."

"Good" he whispered back "And sweetheart…"

"What?"

"You better make it work"

"I will"

The hotel wasn’t far, there was a limo waiting for them at the airport. The drive was quiet, everyone was tired from the flight. Tired and hungry. Niles just looked through the window, he was suppose to be relax, that was what this vacations were meant to…… if she just hadn’t call. Damn it! Grace put her head in his father’s shoulder and Fran did the same. He enfold the two of them in his arms and kiss their foreheads.

"He is mine" Fran mumbled to Gracie.

"I had him first" She said back.

Max laugh, but he couldn’t take his eyes from Niles. He was his best friend and for what he knew he had supported him every time in his life when he needed it. Since Eton, through college and even when he was his boss. Deep down he knew he was like Niles’ little brother, always taking care of him, always there…

"What do you think?"

"What?"

"I said what do you think about stopping to eat something before we go to the hotel, hon"

"Oh, I think we better get to rest, and get things ready… then we can do anything you want Fran"

"Anything?" she said looking him with sparkle in her eyes.

"That, we’ll do tonight… you’ll just have to wait" he whispered in her ear.

The hotel was beautiful, full of flowers, with a lot of light. It looked like a little palace. Max had made the arrangements to this hotel not too big and not too fancy but 5 stars, of course. He wanted to have a nice vacations.

The bell boy took the bags and carry them to their rooms. He was a young man, not too tall, with blue eyes and dark hair. He was tanned from all the surfing hours he had in his shoulders. He smiled at Gracie, she smiled back. Max noticed it and was about to say something to the guy when Fran stopped him. She was her youngest baby, she understood, but she had the same right as Maggie to date. Or like boys.

"But she has a boyfriend back in California" He complained.

"He is just a friend, besides Maggie wasn’t all the time faithful and you said nothing… Let poor Gracie be"

Max crossed his arms and put himself in the middle of the two teens. Niles noticed. It was hard for him to admit but he had a special affection towards Miss Gracie, it wasn’t that he didn’t love Miss Margaret, she was so much like Sarah, or Master Brighton, but Gracie was somehow more intelligent, she reminded him of C.C. After all they shared the same tons of years in the shrimp. He smiled.

The elevator door was opened. A young girl was walking to it, she had dark curly hair and green forest eyes. She had a smile across her lips and was humming a song, a Sinatra song. She was dressed in light pink with a jean skirt, not too long. She had a big red flower behind her ear. They got out of the elevator. Niles, Grace, Max and Fran last. She looked at the girl and opened her eyes big.

"Break a leg" she thought to herself.

"Naomi?!" She yelled recognizing her friend.

"Fran Fine?! I can’t believe the odds"

"Imagine"

"How are you?" Naomi hugged Fran.

"How do I look" Fran said showing her the wedding ring.

"O My God, you’re married, I always thought I was going to get married first" She looked at Max, then at Niles and when close to him "I imagine you’re the lucky guy, you’re lucky Fran, no all people have the luck to find such a handsome husband" Niles blushed a little.

Gracie giggled, Max didn’t knew if that was part of the act or not, he was sure it was. Fran closed one eye at him, he didn’t want her husbands ego flatted.

"Actually Na, this is my husband. Maxwell, Naomi, Naomi, Maxwell"

"How funny, Maxwell as in Maxwell Sheffield the Broadway producer… Wait a minute you are Maxwell Sheffield!" Naomi laugh, she knew Fran too well, she knew she didn’t want to hurt her husband so for now she had to be a fan of Maxwell plays, kissing asses was her job after all so…And Niles was far more handsome than she imagined.

"Yes, I’m certainly are"

"How fantastic, Fran I envy you"

"I envy myself…ha-ha" They laughed together.

"We have to get together sometime, you know, to catch up"

"Here is my room number"

"Okay I’ll call, lets have lunch some day".

"Certainly"

"Bye Nao"

"By Frannie"

Naomi blew a kiss to Niles and Max and went in the elevator. The door closed.

"From all the placed in the world… imagine that"

"Who was her, Fran?" Gracie asked.

"And old friend, me Val and Nao used to hang around together until she had to move to Boston. Then we lost contact for several years. She looks the same as she did then, maybe a pound more but no one is perfect" she said as she stopped in her and Max’s room.

"Finally" Max breath.

Grace was in a room three doors from there and Niles across the hall from Grace. Max and Fran went into their room and closed the door behind.

"I should win an Oscar" She said as she threw herself in bed and Max threw himself on top of her.

"I would appreciate if the acting stopped" He said as he kissed her deeply.

"Whatever you say"

***

Niles put his stuff in the floor, opened the bed, got his shoes of and got in bed. He took his glasses and a book out. He ordered room service; a glass of juice and some waffles and made himself comfortable.

There had been at least an hour when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in"

Gracie opened.

"I was alone and I figured I could come to join you, I won’t make much noise is just I don’t want to be alone"

"But of course Miss Gracie"

She came in, closed the door and sit in the edge of the bed. She look at the food.

"Can I order something?"

"You won’t make me bring it to you, right?"

She smiled "No"

"Then it’s fine with me"

She order the same than Niles.

"This is good" she said chewing some waffles "But nothing compares with the ones you make"

"Why thank you" he said leaving the book aside.

"How are you, Niles?"

"Much better thank you"

"I mean about, you-know-who"

"Okay, I guess"

"I been thinking about it" she said sipping some juice "I don’t agree much with Fran, Maybe the most easy way to get over her is not forgetting her, because, Dr. Bort used to say, the more you try to forget something you most remember it. Then why don’t you try talking about her"

"Nice theory"

"I came up with it all by my self"

"What do you want me to talk about’"

"How you meet, for example" She sat next to Niles, looking at his book.

"How we meet? The first time I saw her I was thirty and she, I believe twenty something, she went to college with Maxwell, and your mom and her were pretty good friend. She was a part of the group, you know, Your dad, your mom, her former boyfriend Steve and a couple of more that I don’t remember quite well…"

"You have a very good memory"

"I do, well, Once my beloved boss went to a party, he was with his friend, when he is with him he is a totally different person. Your dad didn’t know your mom yet. As your grandfather requested me I had to go with him, to take care he didn’t do anything improper for him, or the Sheffield’s. There… there…"

"There what?" Gracie said loving to know stuff she didn’t about his father.

"There I saw her, she was wearing a red simple dress and her hair was much longer that she has now, she looked like and angel. She eyed us from the other side of the room and went to Max, he kissed her in the cheek. She looked at me, I looked at her. I thought she was the most beautiful creature in the world… of course then she spoke"

"What did she say?"

"Your father made the mistake of introduce me as his butler, we spend the whole night fighting."

"No, really? I would have never guess" she said moving her head and rolling her eyes. Niles laughed, that was just a gesture Brighton did.

"She was so in love with theater, just as your dad. I think they secretly knew all along they were going to form a company, but they just announced it a little after you’re parents were married"

"Was she really brunette?"

Niles laughed, he had forgotten.

"That’s a secret, just I know that"

"I could ask dad anyway"

"He won’t remember, he has a lousy memory"

"I’ve noticed"

"I’ve never know nothing about C.C, by the way what does that stand for?"

"If I only knew…"

"You don’t!"

"Nope"

"Shame"

Grace stretched and felt a little sleepy. She kissed Niles on the cheek and waved good bye, she smiled just before she closed the door and she told him to write down all the memories he remembered. She wanted to listen to them but she was too tired. She closed the door.

Niles closed his eyes remembering exactly the way C.C had walked towards him that night at the rave, if only Max hadn’t told her he was a butler maybe things would have been different. Now he thought about it, he wouldn’t have it any other way, and maybe for the fact that he felt guilty for her going to The Place he would have done everything all over.

He put the book aside and put the glasses in the bed table. He cover himself with the sheets and off to sleep he went. And guess with whom he dreamt.

***

A soft knock woke Niles up. He opened the door still sleepy, his hair was all up and his eyes almost shut. He looked at Fran, Max and Grace.

"We’re going down to have something to eat, ya wanna come?"

"I’ll meet you down later, I’ll take a quick shower and I’ll be with you"

"Okay sweetie"

He closed the door and head off to the bathroom. It was late at night. He showered quickly, the water was cold. He came out from the bathroom with a white towel across his waist and water drops falling from his chest down. He wiped them with another towel. The looked through the window, the night was amazing, he went out in the balcony. He sat in a chair and admire the stars.

When he was little he wanted to be an astronaut, then a singer, then a layer. He guessed dreams only became real for some people, not people like him, he was born to serve. He shook his head letting those thoughts out, this were his vacations and he was to enjoy them as much as he could.

He took out a cigar, but a cold breeze came by, he wouldn’t want to grab a cold, he though.

He got dressed with a white polo shirt with the first three bottoms opened and black pants, not too fancy, not too casual. He looked in the mirror and was satisfied. He took his cigars and put them with the light in his back pocket. He turned off the lights of his room, took the key and head off to the restaurant.

The elevator took a while to come, when it finally did Niles let out a sighed, he was happy, happy to be alone.

He looked for the restaurant, he came in noticing a few ladies checking him out, he smiled at them, they giggled. He was the old Niles again, but deep down in his heart he was still in pain. He eyed the Sheffields, they looked happy, they were all laughing about something he couldn’t hear. He thought he better didn’t interrupted. He sat on the bar.

"What do you want, sir?" Sir, he thought, that was something he could get used to.

"Give me a double whisky on the rocks"

"The same to me" he heard a woman’s voice talking from behind. He looked back. Naomi was there, she was wearing a blue pale dress, and a yellow flower in her hair.

"I don’t believe we were introduced" She said "Naomi, Naomi Ireland"

"Niles, a pleasure" He said shaking hands as she sat next to him.

"The pleasure is mine"

"So, Niles… What are you doing here with Fran and her family?"

"Actually I’m Mr. Sheffield’s butler"

"Butler? Really, I would have never guessed"

"And you, what do you do?"

"Theater producer" she said as she sipped her whisky.

"Really? Then how come you didn’t recognize Maxwell?"

"I did, is just I know my Frannie too much, she didn’t want her husband to be hurt, so after I confused the two of you I had to kiss his butt" She laughed. Niles looked at her, her laughing was so beautiful.

He sipped his scotch. "What are you doing here? I thought you lived in Boston?"

"Well, I lived, my family never stood to much time in one place. Now it’s my sabbatical, so I decide to come here. It’s a very nice place, I could give you a tour… if you want"

"I would love to"

"What about you? When did you came from England to here?"

"I worked for Maxwell when he decide he wanted to come to America, and as his butler I didn’t have much choice"

"What about your family?"

"The last time I saw them was about ten months ago"

"Well I don’t see mine 10 time that" she smiled. Niles smiled back.

"Why?"

"We got in a big fight ten years ago, I’ve tried, really, to get us together but my dad is too stubborn"

"Oh I see"

"Would you like to go for a walk?"

"Sure" He helped her stand and they go lost in the crowd.

Fran was looking from the table, she smiled Max looked at her looking behind his shoulder and smiling and a prank of jealously crossed his heart. He looked back and saw Niles and Naomi walking arm in arm.

"Is she quick or what?" Fran said out loud.

"What?" Gracie said sipping her coke.

"Nothing darling" Max tried to cover as he crossed his finger praying everything turned out the right way.

***

Naomi looked at the stars. The air was fresh, not cold. She sighed. Then looked at Niles. They were sitting near the pool admiring the view. She looked at Niles once more, she could see something was troubling him, and she knew it wasn’t any of her business.

"Do you like it?"

"Huh?"

"I asked if you liked it, Niles?"

"I liked what?"

"This, everything"

"Yes, is very nice"

Niles looked at Naomi, and took her hand in his. She felt his touch, it was rather nice.

"Have you ever been married?" He asked out of the blue.

"Three time"

"What? I thought, before you said that Miss Fine had married before you"

"I did, is just Fran is too sentimental about this things, I never understood why until I saw Sylvia" she giggled.

"It never worked out?"

"No" She sighed "we were too different I guess, You never know who you’re marring until you’ve lived and shared the everyday things with them"

"Oh"

"I got married too soon, after a month or two tops… It’s mostly my fault, I thought I have found my soul mate. There is no such thing as a soul mate. I know that now" She looked at him and saw how sad he suddenly got. She pressed his hand "What about you?"

"Never"

"Not even close?"

"Once"

"What happened?"

"I don’t think I’m ready to talk about it. But the truth is I have no idea"

"I’m sorry"

"Don’t be"

"It’s kindda late, I better go off to sleep. It was nice chatting with you. Why don’t we get together to lunch tomorrow?"

"I’m right with you"

"I’ll call to your room"

"Okay"

"Bye" She kissed him on the cheek caress his hair and left. Niles looked at her walking away. He felt bad about wanting another woman that wasn’t C.C. But she had sure moved on… He covered his face with his hands. And the laid down looking at he stars, he felt he cigar in his back pocket, he took it out light it and smoke in that worm night, thinking of the woman that filled his dreams.

***

Niles woke up at seven. He looked at the time, force of habit. He tried to remain in bed but once he was up he couldn’t fall asleep again. He closed his eyes and opened them again trying to remember exactly his dream.

The only thing he could remember was a baby, a blue eyed baby looking at him, and then somehow Naomi appeared in smiling and the baby disappeared crying. That was all he could remember. He looked through the window. The sun was coming out, he got up and opened it getting out in the balcony. He inspired the cold morning air and look the beautiful view he had from there.

He felt new, refreshed. Suddenly the phone rang. He looked inside, who the hell could call at this hour.

He came inside and picked the phone.

"Sheffield residence… I mean Niles. What can I do for you?"

"Niles is Nao, I figured you were up, as a butler you had to woke up early and force of habit… I have an inner clock myself"

"So, why did you call?"

"How sounds breakfast to you, I know this amazing restaurant near the beach"

"Give me 30 minutes, I’ll wait you down"

"Kiss kiss"

He hang. She was a lovely person, and he felt comfortable with her. It had been five days already and he was recovering very well, he wasn’t stressed anymore and he found himself smiling without any particular reason. Thinking about how wonderful the world was and sometimes when he was alone, enjoying a good cup of tea, thinking of Naomi. He felt good, too good for his likes. Almost like cheating on C.C, but he couldn’t help it, Nao made him feel alive again, like something inside his grew. He had hardly see the Sheffields and all he knew was that Gracie was dating the bellboy and Max didn’t like it a bit.

He went in the bathroom and took a quick shower. Got dressed in jeans and a blue t-shirt, put some cologne on and opened the door. Gracie was standing there.

"Miss Grace? What are you doing here up so early?"

"Just walking, I couldn’t sleep. I’ve been up since 5"

"Why don’t you see a movie?"

"I’ve seen three"

"Bad"

"Yes" she said as she looked at him "I was hoping you could tell me more about, well, you know, old times"

"Actually right now I’m going out but as soon as I get back…"

"No, don’t waist it, I’ll go out with Mathew"

"Then we’ll have to postpone it"

"I guess" She said looking at the floor.

"Bye Miss Grace, have a nice time with Master Math"

"I will"

She looked at Niles getting lost in the elevator. He sure was joyful, she liked that, but for some reason she hated the Naomi woman. She knew that she was a little jealous, before Niles had all the time just for her but even when he was with C.C… She had to admit something, she was starting to like C.C.

She turned around and knock in her parents door. A moment passed and Max opened, he yawned.

"What’s wrong sweetie?"

"Up for some breakfast?"

"It’s seven, why don’t you go back to bed?"

"I can’t sleep"

"Oh in that case let me ask Fran"

"No don’t bother in waking her up, I’ll just order something in"

"Okay, have a nice day" He was about to close the door when he heard Gracie said.

"Dad? Do you like Naomi?"

"I don’t know, yeas, she is a lovely lady…"

"No I mean for Niles, do you like her for Niles?"

"I don’t know darling. Why?"

"I think I’m starting to like Miss Babcock, as a matter of fact I think I like her all along"

"Get some sleep Grace, I’ll do good to you"

Niles look for Naomi in the lobby, she wasn’t there yet, she was never on time. He looked at his watch. Seven thirty. It had been over half an hour already, he looked again, no sign of her. Suddenly he felt someone grabbed him from behind. He turned slowly.

Naomi was wearing a red dress and sneakers. She kissed Niles slightly on the lips and smiled. He smiled back. Took her hand and stormed out. The day was amazing, the sun was rising and the sky was of a light blue that made Niles’s heart think of someone’s eyes… He shook his head, not now, not today, not ever.

"Where are we going?"

"You’ll see" She said as she put her head in his shoulder and he enfold her with his right arm.

"There is a party tonight at the hotel"

"I know, I was going to ask you out, but if you want to go to the party"

"I do"

"Okay then"

She turned in a corner. There it was, this little place hide in an ally. She opened the door, there were a few people in. A waiter came closer.

"Naomi, what a pleasant surprise"

"Sweetie! How are you?"

"Fine, and who is this good looking man here with you?"

"He’s Niles, and he’s straight so don’t bother" She smiled to Niles "Niles this is my brother Steve"

"Nice to meet you" Niles said shaking hands.

"An he is British? Nice catch little sister"

Nao walked to a little table in the corner, it had a window and you could see the beach, the water was calmed. They sat.

"What do you want to order?" Steve asked.

"I’ll have a coffee and some toasts with butter" She said.

"I’ll have the same, but with a fruit juice, any flavor, I don’t care"

"Done"

Steve left to the kitchen. Nao looked at Niles. Niles looked at her.

"He is the reason your family fought?"

"How did you know?"

"I don’t know, he seems a great guy"

"He is, really"

Niles looked at her and smiled back, the only thing in his mind was her, Naomi. She looked so beautiful in that dress, there was a moment when neither of them spoke, but their eyes told everything there was to tell. Steve arrived with their breakfast, stood there a moment, he didn’t want to break it but, well the breakfast was there.

"Guys?"

Nao looked at Steve. Niles looked through the window, the beach was lovely. Steve handed them the breakfast and left. Niles drank some coffee, Nao did too.

"Tell me about her"

"Who?"

"You know who"

"Oh…her"

"Yes her, tell me about her" She sipped some of his fruit juice "This is exquisite"

"What do you want to know?"

"What did she do that hurt you so much babe?" She sipped more coffee. Niles looked outside and sipped his, his mind had forgotten about her, his heart other wise…

"I asked her to marry me and she… she refused too"

"I understand. Have you talked to her since?"

"No" He couldn’t look at her.

"Then how are you suppose to get over with it?"

"I guess that forgetting her"

"Do it the way it’s better for you"

"What’s that suppose to mean?"

"Nothing"

"Naomi tell me"

"Nothing really, is just you’re thinking about her all the time, and you sigh, and you look sad. I don’t want you to look sad" she caressed his face.

"Naomi please, I don’t need another person pitying my life. I need someone to be there for me someone to… to.."

"Love you?"

"Hum…"

"That I can do" She said while she kissed him on the lips, and he returned the kiss with equal passion. Niles parted her face slowly, smiled. He made a move so Steve came near, he asked for the check. Paid and left leaving an uncertain Naomi sitting by herself.

Niles run through the door with his hands on his lips, she was the only woman he have kissed since C.C, it scared him. It scared him that it felt good. He wan in love with love, he was so used to the feeling of being in love with C.C that leaving it scared him, scared him too much because it was the only feeling he felt comfortable with. It had hate and love all in one package, and it was nice.

Then Naomi came.

She was the total opposite from C.C. She was brunette, dark eyes, tanned skin, sweet voice, delicate attitude, she never hurt anyone, all she wanted was to see everyone happy. And that was nice too… but. He liked the excitement of not knowing what he expected when he saw his woman after a day of work, he wanted to be uncertain if she was happy, or cranky, if she was going to call him rubber maid or butler boy. That was what the excitement was about… He sat in the sand. Looking at the ocean.

He threw himself back and stared at the sky. He closed his eyes and heard the ocean, it was a soothing sound. Then he hard it, it was her voice, the voice he had yearned to hear for so much time. He opened his eyes, looked around but she wasn’t there. It had been just his imagination. He punched the sand. Damn it! How could e be so stupid. Of all the places in the world the last place for her to be was there.

He felt his heart run again as usual. He felt his body relaxing and a breath he didn’t know he had been holding released. He dream to kiss her once more, just once, then he’d be happy, then he’d forget her, then he’d stop dreaming about her, then, just then, he’d start a new life.

Naomi sat next to him, she didn’t look at him, just at the ocean. He looked down.

"I’m sorry"

"Don’t be"

"If it had been in other place, in other time. Maybe us could have worked"

"It’s not that late"

"It is, want it or not but my heart is not here. I left my heart in New York" He smiled remembering the song he had quote.

"I left mine in Boston" she whispered.

"Oh"

"See, it’s not that late"

"No, not that late"

He took her hand and kissed it.

"See you tonight"

"Ditto"

***

Grace looked at Math, he was surfing and she was sitting in the shore. She sighed; she liked him, but knew as soon as she was back in California it was over. He liked Math but she liked even more Junior. She made a mountain of sand by her side; she felt someone sat next to her. She looked.

"Hello girl"

She opened her eyes big.

"Hello"

"How are you?"

"Good" she gasped "and you?"

"How do I look?"

"I don’t know"

"It amazed me to see you here"

"Are you real?" Grace said touching her hand.

"No, I’m a ghost"

"Thought so"

As soon as she appeared she was gone. Grace opened her eyes, no one was there.

"A dream, just as I thought"

Niles looked in the mirror, he was glad he had brought his tuxedo. He splashed some cologne on and looked at the sky. He was happy and sad, if you really could be both at the same time. He wanted to laugh and cry. He wanted to held Naomi and kiss C.C so hard she passed out. He sighed. Why this was happening to him?

He heard a knock on the door. He opened it.

"My god are we handsome or what?" Fran said smiling.

"Thank you Fran" He smiled "You look gorgeous yourself"

"The party has already started, why aren’t you down?"

"You came to pick me up?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well Grace had to come to her room anyway so…"

"Is anything wrong with Miss Grace" He sounded concerned. Fran just moved her hand like without minding.

"Nah, she’s fine. She just forgot to put her perfume on. So are you going?"

"Let me take my lighter" He went in and took his lighter from his night table. C.C had given it to him the first time they had been together; he kissed it "I hope you bring me the luck you’ve always brought to me" He put it in his back pocket and went out with Fran. He offered her his arm, she accept it.

Grace came out from her room. And look at them.

"We look like a funny family" she laughed.

Niles grinned and Fran laughed. They went into the elevator. Max was waiting down with Naomi by his side. The exchanged couples and Grace run from where Math was he had taken the day off for the party.

Naomi kissed him slowly and lightly on his lips and he grabbed her by her waist. But his mind was in New York, so was his heart.

"Are we sitting all together?" Niles asked looking at Max.

"No, Fran made different reservation for the sis of us"

"Six?"

"Grace and Mathew" he said in a pissed off tone.

"Oh" Naomi embraced Niles "Where is our table then"

"There" Fran pointed out "Next to the dance floor"

"Thank you sir, I mean Max"

"Anytime Niles"

The band was playing a slow song. It was soothing and Niles sat, so did her. They order Champaign and drank it while listening to the music; Somewhere over the Rainbow was playing, in a Hawaiian summer night. Niles closed his eyes and listen to the singer’s sweet voice singing. Naomi wanted to dance, so she asked.

"Would you care for a dance?"

"No, not at all"

He took her in his arms and rolls her around, placing his hands in her back and grabbing he left hand in his, she put her head in his shoulder and her hand in his neck. They slowly crossed the dance floor moving as if the time had stopped. He thought of the last time he had danced like this with a women and he hated to realize he hadn’t dance with anyone but C.C in the last 20 years.

The song ended but he didn’t realize it, he kept holding her in his embrace. She looked up while the applauses were heard for the band and motioned him to go back and sit.

They sat silently.

"Who were you dancing with?" She asked innocently.

"What? What kind of question is that?" he had been caught.

"Who? You know what I mean"

"You" he said asking rather than answering.

"Oh" she said disappointed.

"Shall we order?"

"Okay"

The band started another song, That Old Feeling.

Niles turned to call the waiter and then, then he thought he saw her.

Their eyes met like in fairy tale, he couldn’t believe it, it was like magic. His heart beat million times faster. His body yearning with desire, his soul yearning for a kiss. When she came inside he got that old feeling. The moment she danced by he felt a thrill. And when she caught his eyes his heart stood still. Once again he seemed to feel that old yearning and he knew the spark of love was still burning, there be no new romance for him, it was foolish to start, for that old feeling it’s still in his heart. He stood up slowly, we wanted it to be a real, but he knew as well as her it was dream, a very pleasant one.

He walked towards her, he couldn’t believe his eyes, he rubbed them with his fists but she was still there, wearing a blue sea dress, with low cut and that traveled through her body like a sweet breeze. There was when he noticed it: he belly. He swallow hard, still looking at her, a guy came from behind and kissed her in the cheek. He stopped right there, he went a few steps back, trying not to fall. He closed his eyes and prayed to god that this was a dream which he would woke up sweating in his bed in New York holding her and that nothing had really happened.

He opened his eyes but she was still there petrified. He turned back and run listening a scream of his name. He couldn’t hold on any longer.

***

"How are you feeling?" He asked with sparkle in his eyes.

"Not that well, Robert. Are you sure I’m not going to have my baby here. God knows I’ll hate that"

"There are possibilities, but small, really small ones. Why do you think I wanted to come with you?"

"To get into my panties afterwards?" She said smiling as they got into the hotel for the party. Robert laughed, he didn’t want anything to happen to her, she was too hurt and he knew it. He didn’t know the reason the bastard of the father of the baby had left her. The only thing he knew was that she was alone as his doctor his dew was to protect her, besides he couldn’t reject an invitation to Hawaii and less time to share his company with her. He looked at her; she was petrified looking into the room. He kissed her cheek. She didn’t move.

She smiled at Robert, and then looked inside, she checked the room. The lights were down; the night was fresh and the sky full of stars. She listened at the song; her heart was somehow blue again. And then she made eye contact with him. With the one she had just dreamed to find in a place like this, her heart seemed to go faster than ever, her eyes flew open, she couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t move she couldn’t do a thing. She was just petrified. She slowly closed her eyes praying it to be a dream, wanting to run into his embrace, wanted to kiss him all over wanting to make love to him right there.

She felt Robert’s lips in her cheek and she cursed inside, of all moment of all life he had choose to kiss her there. She felt an urge running through her body, like fire. Anger crawl her spine, as well as surprise, love and sadness.

She watched him miles away with sudden regret in his face; he turned away and run far. The only thing she could manage herself to say was.

"NILES!!!!" She screamed as loud as she caused the singer to stop singing. She didn’t notice but Max and Max were with their mouth in the floor. Gracie smiled, it hadn’t been a dream.

She walked as fast as she could. But she saw how a woman stood up and followed Niles, she stood there, and suddenly Max was at her side asking the 20 questions. She just glared at him and walked away.

***

He sat outside looking at the stars. He cover his face with his hands and sighed. That was just what he nedde, her to be with other ma, her to be pregnant, her to tell her she had moved. But he had seen the passion in her eyes, from a large distance but he had seen it. She could have never been in love when anyone else and he knew it. Their thing was too powerful.

He heard Naomi sitting next to him.

"C.C Babcock?"

"Hum?"

"C.C Babcock was her?"

"Yes"

"And she is here" Naomi said sighing.

"Yes"

"Go, go and get her"

"What?"

"Go and kiss her so hard that she passes out" She looked at him and smiled "God knows once I loosed my chance and I will regret it the rest of my life"

Niles looked at her and kissed her slightly.

"I’m glad I met you"

"The feeling is reciprocate" she said holding his face "Go"

Niles stood willing to have her once more. There was when he saw her staring horrified at him and Naomi. She tried to run away but he caught her wrist.

"Hold on Babcock, you’re not running away this time" The only sound of his voice made her melt.

"I never did" She answered in a low tone, afraid to turn around.

"We need to talk" he said making her turn to look him. He look deep in her eyes, boy was she beautiful. She looked like an angel. Her eyes were exactly as they had been the last time.

She brought her hand to his face ad tough it lightly.

"I needed to know if this was real"

"It is" he whispered enjoying her touch.

He grabbed her hand and dragged her out, walking to a more private place. She smelled his cologne and tears formed in her eyes, it had been so useless much time they had been apart. She cursed herself.

He sat in a bench and made her sit by his side, he looked at her and watched the tears in her eyes, he dries them up, and they stood there a moment just looking at each other in the silent of the night. She looked down and then up at him and whispered something just he was able to hear. He nodded and smiled nostalgic, this was too much to be true. He was waiting to wake up.

Finally he had the nerve to ask the question he had in his mind since she left.

"Why?"

"I…" that was the question she feared "I wished I knew"

"Then everything was useless?"

"I fear so" she whispered as she watched him started to get mad.

"You have any damn idea for what I went through?!" He almost yelled at her.

"Oh, let me think, you cried a little, you whimpered, you stayed awake at night, you picked the phone up and just dialed the first three numbers, the hang up, you wished everything was a dream, you hated yourself, you hated me, you wanted everything to end and yet…and yet you never found the strength to call and say… I love you" She was crying, yelling at him, she was getting everything out of her chest. He watched her that was exactly what he felt. He embraced her in his arms and caressed her hair "It was horrible" she whispered.

"I know, Babcock, I know"

"I’m sorry"

"Me too" He couldn’t help but notice she was pregnant. He couldn’t help but being jealous, extremely jealous "I missed you you don’t know how much"

"I do, because I missed you the same"

"It doesn’t look like it" he whispered wishing she didn’t hear. But she did.

"I beg your pardon?" She said getting out of his embrace.

"I just, I just saw you with this guy. And you are… well!" He said pointing to her belly.

"He is my doctor for heavens sake! Besides is not like you weren’t having some fun with that tramp over there"

"She’s not a tramp!"

"Well be on her side. Is not like I care"

"You do" He looked at her grabbing her by the shoulders "Doctor? Is something wrong with you" he said bringing his tone down.

"No, you know, just in case I went into labor"

"But I think there is some capable doctor around here" he said with a prank of jealously.

"There might be, I’m sure. But he’ve been supporting me during this horrible pregnancy all year, I owe him big."

Niles sighed and looked at her straight into her eyes, trying to hide the constant desire he had to kiss her.

"How have you been?" She asked.

"Dreadful"

"Me too"

"Is it a girl or a boy?"

"I don’t want to know" She said smiling. She wanted to tell him so badly. "There is something you need to know, Niles. But please let me talk before you say anything"

"Okay" He said scared, really scared of what she might tell him. This was the moment of truth, was she staying with him or going.

"Niles, you remember the day at the hospital?"

"That’s all I’ve been thinking about the last eight months"

She vaguely smiled "I needed to talk to you desperately. But I felt like crap, that was when I found Robert… and passed out. Sortta"

"You what!" He remembered clearly "I remember, I saw you passing by in the arms of that gigolo"

She grinned.

"What had happen to you then? I looked for you for earth and sky and couldn’t found you"

"I was in maternity"

"Why?" He said raising an eyebrow and wishing that it was what he thought it was.

"This baby, Niles, this baby I’ve been carrying for the last eight months… is yours"

Niles froze. He looked at her with his mouth open, he swallow. He couldn’t find the words to say what he felt. He could just look at her; his mind couldn’t register what she had just said. He was a father? And his baby was from C.C? He was going to be the father of the love of his life’s child? The emotions couldn’t come out. He was frozen, his body didn’t respond and he saw how C.C’s eyes were filling with tears, we wanted to dry them up. But he couldn’t.

"I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I just couldn’t" she said sobbing "I can understand if you’re mad at me, and you don’t want anything to do with the baby or me is just I…"

"Are you insane!!!!?" He said as he didn’t notice he was touching a sensitive spot "Look at me" He raised her chin to his face "You are the most beautiful woman in the world for me, and that won’t change ever. The only thing that prevent me of calling you was my coward ness, if I had known you were pregnant WITH MY CHILD, thing would have been totally different" He smiled "I mean it"

She then noticed they were just inches apart, that was the reason she was having chills. He body was so turned on by his closeness; her eyes were burning with love, lust and desire. She brought her hand to his face shivering, not out of cold. He felt electricity all over his body, he felt chills. The moon suddenly grew. He brought his face closer and gazed into her eyes she touched his lips remembering everything they had been through. He closed his eyes and reached for her, and though they were just inches it seemed that it took millions of years to reach for her mouth.

"Niles? C.C? Are you there?!" They heard Max’s voice and opened their eyes quick without a chance of even touching.

Niles stood crying. "For God’s Sake Can you leave us alone for ONE just ONE second!!!!!!?" Max raised en eyebrow.

"Okay" he said going back to Fran. She hit him in the chest.

"Told you not to interrupt"

"I know" he said glaring "I just wanted to get her back as well"

"What’s wrong with you guys? Suddenly everyone wants her!!"

"Not as much as I want you" he embraced her, looking how she smiled. Grace was smiling looking at the scene. Finally everything fitted right, the puzzle was done and she could go to rest. She was a lucky girl for having a brother friend of Alistair Lloyd Webber, if their father knew they were going to be dead. She thanked god for Brighton, and she laughed remembering the condition Lloyd Webber had put to do it, just if he could rubbed it in Max’s face. She quietly laughed.

"Where were we?" Niles asked sitting back near Babcock.

"We were about to…"

"Right" He said grabbing her by her waist and not loosing one second more, their lips met. It had been so long, so long that it seemed like this moment wasn’t going too happened at all. Their mouths were too shocked, their minds were racing and they wanted everything at the same time. They wanted all. She felt his lips sensuously meeting hers, his tongue exploring her mouth so slowly she felt like kicking him and tell him to not loose one second and have her right there.

But he knew, he knew if he rushed things just as his body wanted he wasn’t going to get there, he wanted to taste every second as if was the last they had together, he wanted to taste every inch of her mouth. He wanted this moment to be perfect, just as it was. He wanted nothing more than her.

Their bodies crashed, in passion. It was heaven, a sweet and loving heaven that lasted hours. He felt it was a dream, as he felt when he saw her, as he felt when she said good bye, as he felt when he knew he was going to be a father. And for first time he preferred to stay in that endless moment that ever parting. She moaned. He was ever so sweet and ever so rough. Every moment apart was erased, and when she looked back she couldn’t see anything more but love.

How could she have forgotten how his kisses tasted like? How could she have forgotten how his touch felt like? How could she have forgotten how wonderfully right it felt being in his arms, mouth with mouth? He caressed her back and she put her hands in the back of his neck, as she did always, back in New York. They were lost in time and space and even though neither of them wanted, neither of them wished to part. They had to.

"I…" C.C began to say but Niles whispered a shush, making her quiet. He embraced her kissing the top of her head. Finally she was there; finally she was all his, finally thing were right in the universe, as they had to be.

"Is this a dream?" He asked himself out loud, looking at the stars.

"I hope not" She said looking into his eyes and kissing his lightly again. Being hold in his arms, to forever be there together. The song sounded in her head ever so slowly and the baby kicked.

He heard the phone rang. He picked it up slowly opening his eyes; he was still sleeping from a tough night. He looked at his side, she was still there sleeping, her arms around his chest, he smiled. The phone rang again.

"Niles talking" Niles said trying not to sound drowsy.

"Is Miss Babcock there?" A male voice asked. Niles frowned.

"Yes, who is this?"

"An old friend, can I have a word with her"

"She’s sleeping right now…" She opened her eyes and stole the phone from his hands.

"Hello Hello"

"C.C?"

"Yes, who the hell is this, I was sleeping?" Niles smiled kissing the top of her head and watching her naked body under the covers.

"You’re fired"

"Andrew?!" She said opening her eyes big "I though I had already quit?!"

"You had?!"

"Yes, three months ago"

"Oh, I’m dreadfully sorry" He cleaned his throat.

"Okay, anything else?"

"No"

"Bye" She hang up "That damn Stephen" she cursed.

"Who?" Niles asked a little jealous.

"No one" she looked at him "Are you jealous?"

"No" he said raising his eyebrow "Maybe, a little, sortta, kinda…"

"Don’t be a fool"

"I was a fool, letting you run away. I don’t know what I was thinking"

"Me neither" She looked at the clock, seven thirty "We have to go to work butler"

"I know" he said caressing her back. Then a cried was heard in the other room. C.C stood up, covering herself with the sheets.

"Oh, I think out little angel is awake. And I believe is your turn, daddy"

"Mine?!" He said standing up "I saw her last night"

"Please" she said grapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply.

"How can I refuse to that?"

"Thanks" She said getting in the shower and taking her wedding ring of to not loose it.

Niles looked her disappeared in as the bathroom door was closed. He loved damn much, but he had to take care of other business right now. He remembered Naomi as he opened the door of the nursery room. How could she be? He wished she had found the love she was seeking for. He came closer to his littler daughter’s cradle and looked at her bland hair, blue eyes and her cranky face. He smiled; she looked so much like her mother.

"There, there" he said picking her up.

"After all dreams do come true for people like me, don’t they Emma?" He though as he kissed the top of her little head and made her smile. He didn’t want that moment to end, and if everything was a dream he would be a fool for wanting to wake up.

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