Author’s Notes: This could have happened anywhere between the episodes "The Nose Knows" and "Fran’s Gotta Have It".
I hope you will enjoy reading it as I much as I enjoyed writing it…
Lyrics to "Losing my mind" are from "Follies" by Stephen Sondheim. No copyright infringement is intended.

The Perfect Alibi

by

CB
(cbrady_equilife@msn.com)

There is no sexier thing in this world than a steamy tango with a red blooded Argentinean brunette…

Niles pulled her a little closer, and he felt every muscle under her olive colored skin. They looked at each other with fierce passion in their eyes until she had to smile. The face of an angel, he thought, but the body of a goddess. Then they concentrated again, gliding over the dance floor, two bodies becoming one…

"Niles?"

Her eyes had met his across a crowded floor, burning with desire as she had crossed her legs provocatively and smiled at him. He hadn’t seen a woman smile at him like this since…

"Niles!’

He turned around, still embracing the electric broom and glanced straight into CC Babcock’s amused face.

"Isn’t she a little skinny for you?" CC broke into hysterical laughter, as she passed him and dropped her purse on the couch. "Where is Maxwell?"

"He took Miss Fine shopping," he replied truthfully but with great pleasure.

"Don’t tell me that he’s going to take her to our benefit tomorrow."

"No. They are shopping for their honeymoon in South America…"

"What??!!"

He smiled and left her standing in the living room, choking on the piece of chocolate she had just popped into her mouth.

"Now I want no distractions of any kind, is that understood? Miss Fine?"

"Why does he always look at me when he talks about distractions?"

"I wouldn’t know," Niles remarked with a faint smile and helped her into her coat.

"This is a benefit program for disabled children. CC and I worked very hard to put it together, and it is very important that we look good tonight," Maxwell continued his little speech.

"So she’s not coming," Niles pondered.

"And the same rules apply to you, old man. I want CC to shine tonight. This is primarily her evening."

"Should I bring the extension cord, sir?"

Niles earned a reprimanding glance from Maxwell as he reached for his scarf and gloves. He was invited to go along this evening, and he was looking forward to an entertaining event. And there was always plenty of entertainment for him when CC Babcock was going…

The doorbell rang.

"Would you like me to get that?"

"No, I would like you to just stand there and be ornamental—of course I’d like you to get that. What’s the matter with you??"

"He doesn’t get out much," Fran remarked as Niles passed her and opened the door. Even he wasn’t prepared for the picture before him. He stared at CC Babcock in a smashing dark blue evening gown that would have made a priest think twice.

"Hallo, hallo. Are we ready to go?"

"I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for my first drink," Niles stammered and watched her pass him by. He would have never admitted this in public, but CC looked absolutely gorgeous and very much to everyone’s dismay she was painfully aware of it.

"Well, I have to say CC, you look particularly…beautiful this evening. "

Even Maxwell was staring at his long time business partner with awe. He could not remember ever seeing CC look so alluring and….sexy.

"How sweet of you to notice," she said only partly in jest, and the way she took off one of her long evening gloves made both men in the room drop their jaws.

"You guys act like you have never seen a sexy blonde in hot dress before," Miss Fine remarked with little sense for the intensity of this moment. "Come on, let’s go, or all the seats next to the buffet will be taken."

"We have never seen Miss Babcock imitating a sexy blonde before…" Niles shot back, but even he couldn’t take his eyes off certain parts of her anatomy.

"Did they let you come down from your bell tower for the occasion?" CC wanted to know, and the deep full sound of her laughter didn’t exactly harm her appeal.

"Yeah, but they didn’t warn me, Esmeralda would be a blonde, but wait…" CC turned and slapped Niles straight in the face when she skillfully pulled the second glove off. He couldn’t help but smile when her eyes met his.

"Oh, I’m so sorry," CC chirped.

"I’ll make sure you will be," Niles promised in a voice low enough for only CC to hear.

The fight was on and they realized that maybe tonight they both would go home winners.

The benefit party was held at the Waldorf Astoria and turned out to be well organized and highly successful for all involved. It was no surprise to Maxwell for he was aware of the immense abilities of his business partner, and he had always admired CC’s remarkable attention to details. But this time she had really outdone herself, and he was determined to let her know about it as soon as he had a moment alone with her. Right now he was too busy swirling around the dance floor, holding Miss Fine for the third consecutive dance, and he had no intention of stopping any time soon. Fran smiled at him.

"This is nice…" she said loud enough to talk over the music. It somehow lost its effect.

"Yes, CC did a fabulous job."

"Oh, the benefit party, right. Yeah, that’s nice too," Fran muttered more to herself and rested her head on his shoulder again.

They had ended up sitting further away from the buffet than Fran was comfortable with, but then Maxwell made up for it by asking her to dance, and they hadn’t stopped yet. CC and Niles remained seated at their table and Niles had a hard time taking his eyes off her—let alone his mind.

"Doesn’t Maxwell ever get tired of listening to that aggravating racket?" CC finally broke the silence. Somehow she had hoped that Maxwell’s initial reaction to her appearance tonight would have helped retain more of his attention, but of course it didn’t. And as good as she felt about herself, she was already on her sixth drink.

"I think the music is rather pleasant," Niles said looking around the room.

"Not the music, you imbecile. Nanny Fine’s voice."

Niles made a face and was just getting ready to make a snide remark when a handsome, tall gentlemen stopped behind CC’s chair and put his hands on her shoulders in a rather familiar way.

"Well, hello, hello," he said very much to Niles surprise, and CC almost took a bite out of her glass.

"Can it be? Little CC?" the man added.

"And not so little anymore…" Niles added. He wasn’t sure what he disliked more, the fact that the man was extremely attractive or that CC’s color changed to a deep crimson when she turned around and looked at him

"What are you doing here?" he said much too gentle for Niles’ taste.

"I happen to be hosting this party. Just shows you how closely people look at their invitations…" CC responded, but her voice was insecure and much less cutting than it could have been.

The man took her hand and kissed it briefly, but did not let go of it when she tried to pull it back. CC cast Niles a quick glance.

"Dance with me," the stranger pleaded, and she got up when he pulled her closer to him.

CC followed him to the dance floor as if in a trance. She obviously knew the man. Niles emptied his glass of gin with one swallow and reached for another when a waiter passed him by with a tray. He was unable to take his eyes off the dancing couple. This is not how this evening was supposed to unwind…at least not for me.

"You look fabulous," the man said very softly and smiled at CC. "Did you know I was going to be here?"

"Who do you think put together the guest list?" she replied and tried not to drown in the deep dark blue of his eyes. She had so looked forward to this moment and had dreaded it at the same time. She had thought of a million ways of confronting him, a thousand questions to fling into his face, and all she could do now was blush like a damned teenager and melt into his arms. CC tripped, and he had to stabilize her for a moment…

"Are you all right?" he wanted to know, but continued to dance.

"Never mind me. Just trying to get the toilet paper off my shoe…" and when he instinctively looked at her feet… "Just kidding."

He smiled, and she was cruelly reminded why she had fallen head over heels in love with him so many years ago…

Am I going crazy or does he look just like Maxwell? Niles shifted in his seat to get a better look at the man: he was taller than Maxwell, but his hair was full and dark and he resembled him in every other way. Who the hell is he???

"I guess it’s been a while, CC Babcock."

"Yeah, a little over twenty years if I remember correctly."

"No hard feelings?" he wanted to know, and before she could answer he swirled her around in a nauseating turn.

"Don’t get me started, Neville."

"You’re the one who addressed the envelope, not me."

"And you’re the one who walked out with another woman. Did her daddy have a bigger bank account?"

"Don’t flatter yourself, CC. What about: was she a nicer person?"

"Oh, now that’s original…"

"Not every woman defines her idea of fun by the amount of insults she can land before you make it to the bedroom."

"It never seemed to have bothered you before the engagement."

"How would you know?"

CC stopped dancing and looked at him.

" I loved you…"

"Well, yeah? You had a funny way of showing it. Sorry, not my cup of tea, darling, but I’m sure someone was willing to put up with it for the right amount…"

"You are a bastard."

"Should have listened to your mommy…"

"That alone is scary enough."

"Oh, come on, you got over it, didn’t you? Looks to me like somebody took daddy’s bait…" He nodded at Niles who had gotten up and was now approaching the dance floor.

"What?" CC stared at him with tears of anger in her eyes, when Niles stopped right next to her.

"Are you all right, darling?" he asked her softly, and looked sternly at the man she had called Neville.

"And who are you?"

"I am her husband, and I am asking you to leave, or I will call security and have you removed from the premises," Niles said fully in control of the situation.

He put his arm around CC’s shoulder and guided her back to the table, while Neville just turned on his heel and left the room with a string of rather unkind remarks.

CC was sitting on the kitchen steps outside the back door of the restaurant, smoking a cigarette. She wanted to be alone for a moment, needed to be alone. Is that it, she couldn’t help but wonder, everyone just puts up with you for the money? It’s clear Neville thinks so… She looked up at the pale Cheshire cat smile hanging above her in the dark night sky. The moon was barely there, and yet it was a pleasant night. Could have been a pleasant night…should have been! When she had heard Neville Sinclair was living in New York now, a flicker of hope had pierced her mind and her heart. She still loved him, always had…Funny how a guy can walk away and break your heart, and you can still have feelings for him after all these years. When he was holding her close earlier, the irresistible sparkle of his eyes… She had wanted to be especially beautiful tonight, because she knew he would be here, and she had wanted to show him what he had missed out on…Right. That really worked out. Now he is gone again, and you feel twice the loser.

Niles appeared in the open door, but she did not notice him right away. He should have been happy that Neville was out of the picture, and so easily, but he wasn’t. CC obviously was upset about the incident, and he couldn’t help but feel for her. Not like he never got hurt before… And we’re smoking again…not good.

"Need a shoulder to cry on?" he asked carefully, but she jumped anyhow. She had not seen him coming out of the kitchen.

"Yes, but it wouldn’t be yours," she replied in her usual insulting manner, but it was more force of habit than the desire to start one of their rounds of verbal sparring. She was tired, so tired…

"Oh, come on now. Can’t we just put this butler thing aside for a moment? Worked like a charm a minute ago…"

He smiled at her, but CC did not answer him. She did not look at him either. She just inhaled from her cigarette again and blew the smoke provocatively into his direction.

"What you just did in there… was awfully nice…" she suddenly said.

"See."

He sat down next to her, and this time she did not despise his company. They both just sat there, silently, shoulder by shoulder for a moment, before CC suddenly threw her cigarette to the ground and started crying silently. Niles wouldn’t have even noticed it, had he not looked at her at that moment.

"Now, now. Nothing can make the incredible CC Babcock cry, remember?" he said softly and handed her his handkerchief. She took it, but only crumbled it up in her hands, tears running down her cheeks almost in slow motion. She doesn’t even cry like other women…

"Neville was my first love; the only man who ever really meant anything to me…" she started to remember, more to herself really. "But then we always think that, don’t we?"

"What happened?" Niles took the handkerchief out of her hands, straightened it and handed it back to her. "It’s for your nose, you know," he said gently, and she finally looked up at him and smiled. She looked like a little girl, hurt and vulnerable, and he found himself wondering if one single man could have done all this damage…No that takes years of practice….

"We got engaged. I was over twenty-one, of course, but I had known Neville since I was… fifteen or sixteen, I can’t remember. I just know that he beat me at a tennis match one day, and when he smiled at me victoriously and the blue of his eyes made the sky look dull, I knew that I would never love anyone else as long as I live."

"Except Maxwell Sheffield, of course."

She looked up at Niles slightly surprised, but not because he mentioned Maxwell’s name, but because the tone of his voice sounded hurt.

"There is a distinct difference between…loving someone who doesn’t even know you exist, and…loving someone who loves you in return."

"Tell me about it," Niles muttered, but he knew she had not heard him.

"Or loving someone who is completely out of your class…like Nanny Fine," she added with some satisfaction.

"Pretty now. We agreed, the claws stay in."

" I know, but it already made me feel so much better…" CC smiled at him, and she actually did feel a little better. Just having him sit there, listening to her made her feel like somebody cared about her. Even though it was just Niles. She cleaned her nose with his handkerchief and handed it back to him.

"What?"

"Well, you can’t expect me to put that into my purse?" she said, and he took the handkerchief and started looking for a place to put it.

"What happened next? I’m waiting for the part where he breaks your heart beyond repair...Oh, there, now I said it." He gave up and put the handkerchief into his pocket with an expression of slight disgust.

"Worse, you meant it," CC replied seriously.

"No, I didn’t really."

"Pleeease, Niles…what can possibly give you greater pleasure than seeing me heartbroken and defeated?"

"Seeing you happy."

It took all his courage to say it, and he could feel his heartbeat in his temple after it was out. CC stared at him, and he just wanted her to make some crude remark, but she didn’t.

"That was the second nice thing you said to me tonight. What’s the matter with you, old man?"

"I don’t know, I must be slipping," he said quickly, but she did not buy into that either.

"Must be it. What else would you like to see me in?" She suddenly whispered, and he couldn’t tell whether she really said what he thought she said, or he just heard what he wanted to hear…

"Waterproof mascara," he said carefully, still not sure he heard her right. He nervously played with the handkerchief in his pocket until he realized what he was doing and pulled his hand back.

"Only waterproof mascara?" Her voice was suddenly deep and warm.

"I don’t think, I really want to go there with you right now…Because if you’re just toying with me, and that’s exactly what you’re doing, isn’t it, then I…"

CC grabbed the collar of his tuxedo and pulled him closer. Her eyes met his for a split second and that was all the warning she gave him before she kissed him passionately. It was a hard kiss, cold and desperate, but to CC’s surprise Niles did not kiss her back. He knew it wasn’t really him she was kissing; it was a knee jerk reaction to all men who had ever hurt her before. And it wasn’t fair. She slowly separated her lips from his and felt a bit of a fool when he just looked at her with sudden sadness in his eyes.

"What’s the matter? Don’t you like me toying with you, paleface?" she asked. Her voice was little this time and full of insecurity.

Niles did not smile, and he did not look away from her either.

"That’s all this is for you, isn’t it? A game, a sick joke…good old Niles always there for a laugh, a biting remark…anything for a good line."

"It’s always been that way between you and me," she said, slowly realizing that this time she was out of place. He cares, can it be…he really cares about me?

She suddenly realized how much she must have hurt his feelings. All these years of fighting and taking stabs at each other…Of course, he wanted to comfort me this time. It wasn’t about who has the last word, but about being there for each other in a time of need. This is different somehow…

"I’m sorry, Niles. I didn’t mean to…," she was fishing for words but couldn’t even find a decent way out of this dilemma.

"No, you never do. Good night, Miss Babcock."

Niles got up and wanted to go back inside, but she reached for his hand and pulled him back down next to her. His eyes did not soften when he looked at her.

"What now?"

"Can you just sit back down like a grown up and stay for a moment longer. Please?"

"What for?"

"So I can get a better angle on your lips this time and not just slide off."

Niles was beginning to be seriously annoyed with her, and she had to admit she had never seen him like this before. She had never seen him step in and protect her before either, and she found this side of him rather comforting and…attractive…

"I think I had enough of this for one evening," he said firmly and shook off her hand.

"Of what? Of me making a complete fool out of myself? I thought you’d rather enjoy the view."

"Yeah, I can’t wait for the grand finale," he shot back and got even more annoyed for playing into it. He was upset because for once he had felt close to her, for once he had felt that he wasn’t just the butler and she wasn’t…unattainable. And then she made him look like an idiot, as usual, and he let her. And then…

"Please sit down, Niles. I am grateful for what you did in there, and I’m sorry I hurt your feelings --and that’s as much of a confession as you’re going to get out of me tonight."

It wasn’t the greatest apology he had ever heard, but he could tell it was heartfelt. He hesitated.

"I take it feelings are not exactly your department."

"No, as a matter of fact, I was just reminded that it’s a lot safer to leave them at the front door when you enter a man’s life. You don’t get hurt that way."

Niles looked at her and with all her money and intelligence, her good sense for business and her impeccable taste, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for CC Babcock.

"I’m sorry to hear that," he said sincerely.

"Oh, don’t be. Nothing a couple of millions and a bottle of gin couldn’t fix, believe me."

He nodded and felt strangely compelled to sit back down next to her.

"He must have hurt you very much," Niles concluded and their conversation came full circle.

"I was young…"

"No, I mean tonight."

He couldn’t tell if she wanted to laugh or to cry, but he knew that his remark had deeply distressed her. She’s crying again. Now I made her cry…

He reached for her hand and pulled her into a firm embrace while she was holding on to his arms like a woman drowning in a sea of despair, stoically trying not to lose her composure again.

"I loved him so much, and he thinks I’m a coldhearted bitch with only one appealing quality and that’s my father’s bank account," she whispered. "Do you know how I feel right now?"

"I know how I feel right now. I would very much like to march back into the ballroom and knock the crap out of this Neville fellow," Niles said, and CC lifted her head and hastily wiped a couple of tears off her cheeks before she looked at him.

"Niles, you’re full of surprises tonight," she said and now her smile was warm and sincere. So much in her eyes, so much pain...Those beautiful blue eyes.

"Try me."

His voice was merely a whisper as their lips locked for a second time this night. There was no coldness left between them, no sporty competition. She had let down her guard for a moment, and he enjoyed every second of it. Funny how natural it feels, how right to hold you in my arms…

"Can we talk about the toying part again?" he suddenly asked when their lips slowly parted and made her smile again.

"What now?"

"Why not. Who’s going to look for us?"

"Okay."

"It’s going to be better than just okay."

"You promise?"

"You bet, baby"

Maxwell Sheffield was reading the morning paper, leaning back behind his desk. Since no one else was up yet, he had asked Niles to bring his breakfast into the office and absentmindedly reached for a piece of toast. He turned a page of his paper, reached for the fork and took a bite of the omelet before he spit it back out.

"Niles!"

"And a good morning to you too, sir," Niles replied in an excellent mood when he walked into his office. He was even humming. Maxwell looked at him slightly surprised.

"What happened to the omelet?"

"Oh I don’t know, the chickens wouldn’t tell," he replied lightly.

"The thing is so salty; I can’t eat that."

"Hmm, I didn’t notice. Would you like me to make you another one?"

"No, I think I’ll have pancakes instead. And you know what they say about cooks and …salt…don’t you?"

"No, what do they say, sir?"

"Where did you disappear to last night anyhow? Miss Fine was looking for you, but we couldn’t find you," Maxwell said with a sudden lurking smile on his face. "Who is she, Niles?"

"Oh no, sir. You should know me better. I took Miss Babcock home?"

"CC?" Now Maxwell was seriously intrigued. "How did that happen?"

"How did it happen?" Niles echoed slightly embarrassed. "Actually quite unexpectedly…"

"The taking her home part, I mean. That is what we’re talking about, isn’t it…?"

"What else is there, sir?"

"I don’t know, you tell me."

They just looked at each other for a moment.

"I called a cab," Niles finally broke the silence.

"What?"

"That’s what happened. I called her a cab and brought her home."

"And then you left?"

"What else would I do with Miss Babcock?"

At this moment the door opened and CC walked in with a beaming smile on her face. She looked absolutely lovely in a beige pantsuit and a flowery silk scarf around her neck.

"Good morning, Niles. Maxwell… How is everybody this morning?" she wanted to know and fell backwards into the couch facing Maxwell’s desk.

"CC. You’re up early. And on time for once… Maybe Niles should take you home more often, I mean, bring you home so you get some…sleep. Get some sleep." Maxwell tried to smile as innocently as possible, but could not make heads or tails out of this one. "Would you two excuse me for a moment?"

He got up from his desk and rushed out of the room.

"What’s the matter with him?" CC wanted to know. Nothing could spoil her excellent mood today, she decided. Not even Maxwell Sheffield. Except of course….

"I don’t know, he’s acting very strange. He claims the omelet is too salty to eat…"

"Really?" CC walked over to Maxwell’s plate and took a bite of his omelet. Then, she looked back at Niles and shrugged her shoulders.

"Tastes good to me," she said and shook her head, before she continued eating the rest of it. "Oh Niles, about last night… you didn’t by any chance mention anything about it to Maxwell, did you?" she added as lightly as humanly possible.

"And if I did?"

"I’d kill you!" CC said much too fast and too serious to please him. He looked away from her.

"Are you ashamed about last night?"

"Ashamed? What’s there to be ashamed of? We are both consenting adults… we had a couple of drinks, the mutual confessions, yada, yada, yada… I mean it was just the spur of the moment right?" She was trying very hard to make light of it. "Right? I mean, you didn’t read anything into it, did you?"

She laughed, but it didn’t sound as mean as it usually does. Niles didn’t know what to say.

"Oh, come on, you can’t honestly think…"

"No, I guess I can’t. After all, I’m just Maxwell’s butler, nothing more…" he cut in on her, picked up the empty plate to prove his statement and was on his way out the door.

"Oh, don’t be so hard on yourself." CC tried to save whatever there was to be saved between them. She grabbed his arm and made him circle back to her instead of leaving the room. "You know you’re more than that… you’re the soul of this house. What would Maxwell do without you?" she said with a radiant smile, but realized instantly that she had just added insult to injury.

Ok, what would I do without you? But of course she couldn’t possibly say it out loud. Not her, CC Babcock. Not to Niles of all people.

"I shouldn’t just stand here wasting time, Miss Babcock, after all there is plenty of work to do…if you would excuse me…" he wiped her hand off his sleeve like it was some kind of catching disease and continued to the door.

CC closed her eyes, but he could not see her. If only she could jump over her own shadow and tell him how much she had enjoyed his company last night, his unexpected tenderness…

"Niles…" she suddenly pleaded, her eyes still closed. "I don’t expect you to understand. Hell, I don’t even understand it myself, but…" She opened her eyes and turned around only to notice that he had already left the room.

The doorbell rang just when Niles was ready to serve lunch for Maxwell and the children. He was tying an apron behind his back while he walked to the door and hesitated when he couldn’t tie a proper knot. Come on hands, stop shaking…He was still upset about CC’s reaction this morning. He wished he could have just laughed it off, sharing a good joke with Miss Fine in the kitchen. He had tried, but it didn’t work. Finally he got the apron right and opened the door.

The woman in front of him presented her NYPD badge in a very professional manner before she smiled at him more confidentially.

"Are you going to let me in, or do I have to come back with a search warrant?" she asked with a slight Nordic accent. Niles nodded and a pleasantly surprised smile rushed over his face, but he did not move.

" Does that mean yes, I can come in, or yes, I have to come back with the warrant…?"

"Please come in."

He finally pulled himself together and closed the door behind her. The faint smell of her perfume instantly brought back memories of long summer nights spent in the back of a parked police car…

"It’s been a while, Niles…" the woman said, checking him out with more than professional interest. She was much too attractive to be an officer of the law, and he was sure that many men had mistaken her outer appearance for weakness and probably paid dearly for it.

"Yes, what can I do for you…I mean, what brings you here?"

"Business, I’m afraid. I wish it were pleasure…" She was perfectly in control of the situation and seemed to thoroughly enjoy his slight discomfort. The brightness of her smile still took his breath away.

"In that case I’ll better get Mr. Sheffield for you…" he said quickly.

"You mean for the business part?" she teased and made a step toward him. He tried to keep his usual butler face, but that wasn’t easy with her standing so dangerously close to him. Her jacket bulged a little over the spot where she wore her gun, and Niles finally gave in and smiled at her.

"As far as the pleasure part is concerned…"

CC came out of the bathroom and was surprised when Niles didn’t turn around to address her. He must have heard the bathroom door close. I slammed it hard enough… Niles still stood with his back to her, talking to a beautiful blonde police officer in her early forties. CC hesitated and watched them for a moment.

"Velvet or leather?" Niles whispered into her ear, when suddenly she made a step away from him and cleared her throat.

"That’s a rather delicate matter if you’d ask me, and I would much prefer talking about it somewhere else," she said quickly and smiled at CC, who had just reached them.

"What did you do, Niles, rob a parking meter?" CC wanted to know and smiled back at the police officer. Her smile was as fake as the blonde in her hair.

"Oh, Miss Babcock, I didn’t see you…" Niles said.

"That’s a first," CC replied.

"This is Lt. Lola Anderson. She is with the NY police department…Lola, Miss Babcock, Mr. Sheffield’s business partner, but of course you knew that already if you’re here...on business." It suddenly dawned on Niles that business for Lola almost always meant something rather uncomfortable. Almost always…he remembered.

"Nice meeting you, Miss Babcock."

Not if I have anything to say about it… CC was still smiling.

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine. I’m sure…" she chirped, and Niles gave her a warning glance. He knew she wouldn’t take kindly to a beautiful blonde professional with handcuffs dangling off her belt. But Lola does have the law on her side…he considered with some sarcasm.

At this moment Maxwell came out of his office.

"I thought I heard a familiar voice. Nice to see you again, Lola. I hope it’s something more exciting than business that brings you to our doorstep." Very much to CC’s surprise even Maxwell cast a very ambiguous glance at Niles.

"I’m afraid not this time. But we would need to discuss that in your office, and I have to talk to you later, too," she said to Niles. And he nodded with all the grave sincerity he could come up with.

CC raised her eyebrows and just looked from one to the other, waiting for anyone to address her. A moment of awkward silence followed.

"Don’t you have a dragon to slay?" Niles wanted to know, when CC made no attempt to move. It felt good.

"Why, are you taking off now?"

Maxwell shook his head and motioned Lt. Anderson to follow him.

"Why don’t we go into my office for some privacy, while Tristan and Isolde here, are fighting it out…"

"Please sit down" Maxwell said and pointed at the couch before he sat down behind his own desk. It made him feel more secure. "So what brings you here?"

Lola sighed and pulled a little notepad out of her pocket. She opened it and silently looked over her notes before she started to talk to him.

"Do you know a man by the name of Neville Sinclair?"

"No," Maxwell answered truthfully. He had never heard the name before.

"He was a guest at your benefit gala last night."

"I’m sure that’s true. We had about 150 invited guests, and CC was responsible for the invitations. I didn’t know everybody invited, to be honest with you," he explained, and then added with a smile, "I know Andrew Lloyd Webber wasn’t there…"

Knowing Maxwell’s line of business and his ongoing rivalry with Webber from a previous fraud case she was assigned to a couple of years ago, she looked up and allowed her investigation to be interrupted by a sincere smile.

"Why doesn’t that surprise me?" she remarked lightly, but immediately got back to the initial reason for her visit. "Neville Sinclair was found dead this morning, in an alley not far away from the Astoria where your benefit was hosted."

"Dead?"

"As a doornail. The estimated time of his death is about one o’clock in the morning…"

" I don’t think I like the sound of that. Is it going to be in the papers?" Maxwell wanted to know. Of course he had to worry about the repercussion this could have concerning his benefit gala.

"Eventually, I’m sure. Mr. Sinclair was a very influential banker, no doubt the reason he was invited in the first place…but right now we’re trying to keep it out of the press until we know a little more about the case."

"I appreciate that. And of course I will support you in any way I can. As you can imagine it’s in my best interest, as well, to bring a quick end to this investigation."

"I would like to start with a complete guest list of everyone there last night."

"That shouldn’t be a problem. I’m sure CC can provide you with it," Maxwell assured her. Lt. Anderson nodded slowly. He could tell she wasn’t quite ready to leave yet.

"Unfortunately there is something else I have to ask you about…Did you know that your charming business partner Miss Babcock and Neville Sinclair were engaged at one point?"

"What? CC?"

Lt. Anderson nodded again and got up from the couch, closing her little black notebook.

"I had no bloody idea…does that automatically make her a suspect?"

"No, of course not, but I will have to talk to her, and I would appreciate it if you could keep our conversation to yourself until…well, I would like her to hear it from me first," the Lt. concluded.

"But of course. I’m sure she will be devastated about the whole thing."

"Most likely. I will be back tomorrow with my partner, and we’re going to start the official investigation."

Niles and CC were standing shoulder by shoulder listening to Maxwell’s conversation with the Lt. over the intercom in the kitchen. When CC heard the news about Sinclair, she had to cover her mouth not to cry out, and Niles automatically put his arm around her.

"So today you just came here to let us know…?" they heard Maxwell’s voice through the intercom.

"In a way…for old times sake." Lola said with a smile in her voice.

CC looked at Niles, but he just shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

"And it was really nice seeing Niles again," she suddenly added. "Well, I better get going."

CC staggered to the kitchen table and sat down while Niles made sure he had deactivated the intercom before he joined her.

"What was that all about?"

"What?"

"The ‘for old times sake’?"

"Nothing." He said too fast. "I’ve met her before…"

"Well, dah!" CC said and just stared at him for a moment before more pressing issues reentered her mind.

"My God, Niles. Do you think I’m in trouble?" she finally said almost voiceless. It wasn’t: how horrible that he is dead or how sudden…

She might look like a scared little girl… but underneath it all, there is pure steel. In a twisted kind of way Niles liked that part about her.

"Well, you know what they say, be careful what you wish for…" he remarked but thought better of it when CC sent him an astonished glance.

"Niles! You don’t really think…?"

"No, of course not."

He sat down on the chair next to her and took her hand. "Come now, we both know where you were last night…" Niles said and than it dawned on him: She was with me, of course, but in order to have an official alibi she would have to admit to it first…And in front of Maxwell. He watched her nervously bite her lower lip.

"Yeah, great…how’s that going to look?" she said, more to herself.

"It’s going to look like you have a pretty good alibi for last night." He got up and walked around the kitchen counter to make coffee.

"Hopefully it’s not going to come to that. I mean, it’s not exactly like I am a suspect."

"Why not?"

"Because I was with somebody else at the time of Neville’s murder, remember Yetta?"

"Actually I do…But nobody else knows that, and you just made yourself very clear on the point that you would prefer it to stay that way." Two can play the game, he decided, and maybe it was time to teach the abominable CC Babcock a lesson or two.

CC suddenly turned around and stared at him. "You wouldn’t…"

"I’m just following your lead, darling."

At this moment Fran walked into the kitchen door closely followed by her mother, Sylvia.

"Oy, am I exhausted. Two hours at Loehmann’s semiannual sale and you know why they shoot horses." Fran said and put down a fleet of shopping bags. CC was still staring at Niles.

"Are you making coffee, Niles?’ Sylvia asked. Niles smiled because he knew exactly where her remark was leading. And he was grateful for the distraction…

"Yes and yes." He answered while pouring the water into the coffee maker. "Yes, I am making coffee and yes, the cheesecake is still in the refrigerator."

"You’re a doll," Sylvia said and passed him to go to the fridge, while CC got up from the table.

"Yeah, Elmo" she hissed into Niles direction and left the kitchen. Fran looked at Niles and made a face.

"Boy, is she the charmer today! What happened? Did she get her bar bill from last night?"

"No, actually they found her broom next to a dead man’s body in the alley this morning…" Fran broke into hysterical laughter, until she realized that Niles wasn’t joining her, but wistfully stared at the kitchen door.

Nothing about the murder appeared on the news the following morning and Maxwell was more than relieved about it. Following his instructions he had not discussed his initial conversation with neither CC nor Niles, but then interestingly enough they didn’t ask too many questions about it either. CC, however, seemed strangely removed and Niles was nervously avoiding being in the same room with her.

Around two o’clock in the afternoon Lt. Anderson arrived with her partner Lt. Joe Pantero to start with the official investigation in this case. She asked Max if she could use his office for obvious reasons of privacy, and he was glad to comply. Niles was her first victim.

"I’ve talked to some of the guests sitting near your table on Saturday, and they stated that there was a heated discussion going on between Miss Babcock and Mr. Sinclair…did you notice any of that?"

"Pretty much all of it, and it was nowhere near heated," Niles replied. "Miss Babcock has the rare but precious gift to make even the slightest remark sound like an insult."

"So you don’t think they were arguing?"

"Heavens no. It looked to me like they were reminiscing old times…" he answered somewhat truthfully. Lola nodded and made a note of his statement. She was all business this morning. She had, however, shared with him over a cup of coffee that she strongly suspected a robbery, especially since all of Sinclair’s valuables were missing, including his wedding ring…

"So when you cut in on Mr. Sinclair on the dance floor, you were not trying to break up a fight between them?"

"No. I had just determined they were dancing too close…" Niles was watching her very closely when she looked back at him. How long would it take her to find out what was going on between him and Miss Babcock?

"You were jealous?" she wondered with a sudden interest that was going far beyond the limits of her interrogation.

"Me? Nonsense. You met her, the woman is cold enough to spit ice cubes when she smiles…no, but Mr. Sheffield had asked me to keep an eye on her."

"And you couldn’t do that sitting down…?" It was almost a reproach.

"Well, she is rather tall…"

Lola sighed and sent him a warning glance before she turned the page in her little notebook and continued. She was beginning to smell a rat. But she also knew that it had nothing to do with her case.

"What happened next?"

"We danced, and Mr. Sinclair took off to the buffet, if I remember correctly."

"How do you know he went to the buffet?" she wanted to know.

"I heard Miss Fine talking to him…" Niles earned his second dirty look from the attractive police officer, and he smiled at her sheepishly.

"Did you see him again?"

"No."

"Did you stay with Miss Babcock for the rest of the evening?"

"Pretty much, until she asked me to call her a cab."

"When was that?"

"Around eleven."

"Did she have a couple of drinks?"

"Oh yes."

"Did you bring her home?"

"Heavens no."

"You didn’t?" Now Lola was seriously surprised. Maybe her instincts weren’t as reliable as they used to be. She could have sworn there was something between them. Something more than just a healthy challenge.

"No. Lola can I talk to you alone for a moment?" Niles suddenly asked, and she stared at him for a moment. Here it comes… I knew it.

"Joe would you mind getting us some coffee?" she finally said, and her partner hesitated but had no other choice but to nod. She was after all the senior officer in the room.

"There is some in the kitchen. I just made it fresh…" Niles added and watched him get up. Joe Pantero was a bully man with the face of a prizefighter, and Niles was sure Lola just used him for intimidation purposes. He certainly had not added anything as far as the interrogation was concerned.

Lola waited until Joe had left the office before she turned to Niles and shook her head with a pitiful smile.

"Ok, Dorian, now I would like to hear the real story…" she said and closed her notebook.

CC was pacing up and down outside the kitchen door, smoking one cigarette after the other. Niles had been in Maxwell’s office for over an hour now, and she was beginning to get seriously alarmed. What could he possibly have to tell them that would take an hour? If her partner hadn’t been in the room with them, CC would have expected Lola to try out an ulterior investigation method…

She threw down the rest of her cigarette, stepped on it and looked at her watch again, when she noticed someone sitting in the kitchen, having a cup of coffee with Nanny Fine. CC froze when she recognized Lola’s partner, Joe.

"What’s the matter? Is it your turn to count to ten?" she suddenly heard Niles’ voice behind her. She smiled. Just hearing his voice made her feel better. Her shoulders relaxed a little.

"Not a good time, Rochester. I’m nervous and cranky, and I can be mighty ugly…" she replied and turned around.

"So I’ve noticed."

She looked him straight in the eyes, trying to read what had been going on in there, but he didn’t give it away. Not a bit of it. She switched her strategy.

"You told me the other night I was beautiful," she said as softly as possible and blinked her eyes in innocent confusion.

"And you agreed we were drunk." He shot back quickly. She was so transparent it was almost too easy for him. "Lt. Anderson is looking for you. It’s your turn in the dungeon."

"Lt. Anderson? Why so formal all of a sudden? I thought she was Lola to you…" And right back to the throat…

"She was a lot more than that, but today she is Lt. Anderson," he said ambiguous by choice, and CC knew when she had lost a good one. Nice going… She smiled confidentially.

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her exactly what happened Saturday night. Right down to the gory details…"

"You didn’t!" she almost shouted out loud. "You wouldn’t …"

"I would and I did, right there with Mr. Sheffield in the room."

CC’s eyes widened with pure panic. He was bluffing. She knew he was bluffing…and yet…

"Maxwell was in the room??!!!"

He formed a gun with his left hand and pulled the trigger.

"Gotcha. You better go upstairs."

He was almost to the kitchen door when her voice held him back.

"Niles?"

He turned around and looked at her, raising his eyebrows to a curious arch.

"Sometimes I really hate you."

"I know, baby. I wouldn’t want it any other way."

He entered the kitchen with a victorious smile.

"How did he die?" CC wanted to know and looked up at Lt. Anderson, who was sitting on Maxwell’s desk. The severity of the situation had finally grabbed her when Lt. Anderson had shared some of the more explicit details of the murder with her. So far she knew that Neville had left the party around eleven, had for whatever reason decided to walk rather than to call a cab, and never made it home. His body was found by a group of children playing in the alley behind their houses.

"He was stabbed. Seventeen times…Then the murderer decided it would be much harder to identify the body if his face was unrecognizable…Not a pretty sight."

CC shuddered by the thought of this handsome and vain man not only being murdered but have his face mutilated. Poetic justice? This was even too macabre for her taste.

"We found the murder weapon in a nearby dumpster. It’s in the lab for analysis right now. Whoever did this was either in a dead hurry or really stupid."

"Why?" CC asked. She was only half listening at that point. A picture of Neville smiling at her, kissing her hand at the benefit party pressed into her thoughts. How well he looked, how self secure in his masculinity.

"Covered with fingerprints…" Lt. Anderson stated and exchanged worried glances with her partner, who was sitting in Maxwell’s chair. Joe scribbled a note into his notebook.

"Isn’t there a strong possibility that he was mugged?" CC wanted to know. The whole thing had left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"It’s possible. It could also be a crime of passion, seventeen stab wounds…someone wanted to make sure he wouldn’t get up again. And mutilating his face…the ultimate revenge on a man who relied a good deal on his looks? I have several witnesses testifying that you and Mr. Sinclair were arguing on the dance floor. Niles said the argument was rather heated."

The experienced police officer watched CC closely enough to see her flinch by the mention of Niles’ name.

"He said that?"

"He also said you had too much to drink and were rather upset about the whole incident. He said he found you on the kitchen steps of the restaurant and had to calm you down."

"Did he also tell you how?" There was a strong undertone of resentment in CC’s voice that did not escape the trained ears of both police officers. There we go…good girl. Lola got up from the desk and started pacing the room.

"He said he called you a cab and sent you home."

Now CC looked at the attractive Lt. with her eyes opened wide. Why would Niles say that? Why would he do that to me?

"What time did you get home, Miss Babcock?" Lt. Anderson continued her wave of questioning. CC was beginning to feel uneasy and somewhat betrayed.

"I can’t remember, really, it wasn’t that late…"

"Did anyone see you come home? A neighbor perhaps?"

"I…don’t know. I don’t remember seeing anyone…"

"Miss Babcock, I don’t think you are telling me the truth."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I’ve been in this business long enough to know…to know what it means when you start sliding around in your chair…" Lola said and stopped instantly. Great strategy, Sherlock.

"I have to go to the bathroom?" CC asked carefully.

Lt. Anderson looked at her slightly confused, before she realized what CC was saying. She really had this one coming, she had to agree, and let CC off the hook.

"I have to go to the bathroom." CC repeated. "Would you excuse me for a moment?"

CC got up and left the room, carefully closing the office door behind her. She looked down the hallway and when she could be sure that she was alone, she let down her brave façade and started shivering. She stood close enough to the wall to let her head sink back and closed her eyes.

"Have they already finished with you, CC?" she heard Maxwell’s voice and opened her eyes. "Good, then I can have my office back…how did it go?" He was aimlessly scanning through his paper.

CC looked at him and tears started to build in her eyes.

"Well, CC…what’s the matter?" He let the newspaper sink, and since he had hardly ever seen his partner so emotional before he didn’t quite know what to do with her. It was easy with Miss Fine, but CC? What works for one…

Maxwell opened his arms and wanted to give her a quick hug when CC suddenly clung to his jacket and didn’t let go.

"Are you all right? I know it must be a terrible shock for you …after all you were engaged to the chap some time ago…"

"Can you just shut up and hold me for a second?" he heard her mutter, her face burrowed into his jacket. "Please?" she added in her little girl’s voice, and he shrugged helplessly and clumsily petted her back. He had no idea what to make of the situation.

Under different circumstances CC could have enjoyed this close encounter with Maxwell, but right now he was the furthest from her mind. And yet it was his shoulder she was leaning on…

"Maxwell, I think I’m in a lot of trouble."

"What do you mean, a lot of trouble?" he asked carefully and gently pushed her away from him. He kept holding her at arm’s length.

"I mean A LOT OF TROUBLE…"

"You mean, you didn’t go straight home that night?" Maxwell wanted to know. CC hesitated when she didn’t really know what to say. Maxwell had to misinterpret her hesitation.

"CC. Are you trying to say you were with him?"

She looked him straight into the eyes and nodded slowly; then hesitated again. Wait! Him? Who him? Before she could rectify the situation Maxwell made a step back in horror.

"CC…but that’s horrible. How could you?"

"I mean, I’m sure he was leading you on…and you simply acted in self defense…"

Self-defense it was, CC thought for a moment and the shadow of a smile rushed over her face when she recalled Niles pinning her against the wall of her walk in closet with the full impact of his bodyweight...

"Don’t worry, darling, we will get the best lawyers in town…"

"I’m sure you had every reason…" Maxwell was still rumbling on, panic-stricken and worried to death about his partner and friend, when his office door opened and he looked straight into Lt. Anderson’s face.

"…to kill the man." he finished his sentence and froze.

Niles was sitting at the kitchen table, in the dark, picking the chocolate chips out of his ice cream with little enthusiasm. The radio was playing a song he had heard a thousand times before, and yet when he listened to it this time, it was as if the words were written just for him.

"The sun comes up, I think about you,

The coffee cup, I think about you,

I want you so, it’s like I’m losing my mind."

He couldn’t stop thinking about CC and the way she had looked at him before she had left the house today. If looks could kill he would be in the morgue now, right next to Neville Sinclair.

"All afternoon, doing every little chore,

The thought of you stays bright.

Sometimes I stand in the middle of the floor,

Not going left, not going right."

God, how she must hate me right now, and who can blame here…? This time you really pushed it too far, old man. And yet she had it coming. Boy, did she have it coming…

"I dim the lights, and think about you

Spend sleepless nights, to think about you.

You said you loved me,

Or were you just being kind?

Or am I losing my mind…?"

Niles reached over the counter and turned off the radio, when he noticed a movement close to the stairs.

"Can’t sleep either, he…?" he heard Miss Fine’s unmistakable voice behind him. "Mind if I turn on the light?"

"One would think you can find your way to the refrigerator in the dark by now…" he remarked but his voice sounded tired and without its usual spark. The light came on and blinded him for a second.

"Oh, you already got the ice cream…" he heard her conclude and pushed the Häagen Dazs container listlessly into her direction.

"Help yourself."

"Oh sweetie, you look like you need it more than I do, and you don’t hear me say that very often…" She grabbed a couple of cookies off the counter and sat down next to him. "You know, I have always said you two will either end up in bed together, or in prison."

"Or both’" Niles added.

"Oy. Did we get caught with our hands in the cookie jar or what?"

"Why? What did you do?"

"Nothing," Fran said much too quick to be believable, "but we’re not taking about me. We’re talking about Miss Babcock and you. That didn’t sound right…"

"Her point exactly."

"Ahh, now I get it: Unrequited love, rejection, getting even for the BMW…the whole magilla."

"What on earth are you talking about woman?"

"Well, isn’t it obvious? You spent the night with Miss Babcock, she was worried about someone finding out, which in return hurt your feelings, and now you’re getting even with her by doing exactly what she asked you to do, keep your mouth shut about Saturday night." Fran concluded and Niles just stared at her with his mouth wide open.

"Now, how would you know so much about it?"

Fran smiled and slapped his hand.

"You think you’re the only one who knows how to use the intercom?" she said and got up from the table to get the rest of the cookies. "Now the only problem I see in this whole sick-little-fatal-attraction-thing you two have going on, is the fact that without your alibi….Miss Babcock doesn’t have an alibi."

"Yes, I know." Niles said with a tired smile on his face, before he cleared his throat and nodded gravely.

"No, seriously Niles, she could be in a lot of trouble here."

"I’m counting on it."

"Has anyone ever told you that you’re really a sick little puppy in a butler’s suit? You could be responsible for Miss Babcock spending the rest of her life in prison."

"Don’t tempt me."

"Niles!" Fran said and shook her head before she suddenly froze, terror deeply embedded in her eyes. Niles looked at her.

"What’s the matter did you just notice the whipped cream?"

"No, I think I just dropped a cookie into my nightshirt…going down, going down …" She got up from the chair and started jumping in one place. "…going all the way down…" The cookie hit the ground and broke into a couple of pieces. "Elvis has left the building…" She smiled at Niles, picked up the cookie pieces and put them back into her mouth, while he watched her in total awe.

He had never met anyone like her before…

When CC arrived at the Sheffield residence she stopped outside the front door and took a deep breath. She had seen the police car parked in front of the fire hydrant, and she knew it meant another day of endless investigation and useless questions that she was unwilling or unable to answer. Does she really think I killed Neville? I have no motive…except the fact that he run out on me two days before the wedding twenty years ago… She wanted a cigarette so badly but she reached for the doorbell instead and waited for Niles to answer the door. And he did.

"Ah, Miss Babcock. Everybody is waiting just for you…" he said and very much to her dismay she couldn’t tell whether that was good news or bad news. He looked her straight into the eyes, and she stood strong, returning his glare.

"Traitor," she suddenly hissed.

"Coward."

He broke their eye contact and stepped behind her to help her out of her jacket.

"Judas."

He was now very close behind her when he whispered into her ear…

"Yes, but remember…Judas loved Jesus…"

"And I loved…Lucy."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. Did you happen to see the episode where an innocent man gets arrested because Lucy doesn’t want to tell Ricky that she spent the night locked into the closet with this man and…it’s hilarious, trust me."

"You’re babbling Babcock. I take that as a sign of weakness."

"Yeah, yeah, you take it anywhere you can…where is everybody?"

Niles threw her jacket into the closet and kicked the door shut with his foot. "In the kitchen making oatmeal cookies…what do you think?"

At this moment Lt. Anderson entered the room and smiled at CC in an almost patronizing way. CC didn’t like the feel of it.

"Good morning, Miss Babcock. I’m afraid I have a couple more questions for you."

"But of course. Do you want me in the office…" she asked but looked at Niles who was still standing next to her.

"How about the kitchen counter…?" Niles suggested when he passed her very closely and left the room.

"That won’t be necessary. I’ll make it short and painless."

"Too late for that," CC said under her breath and waited for the first question. Lt. Anderson looked at her for a moment, and CC almost had the impression that she felt sorry for her.

"Do you drive a black BMW, Miss Babcock?"

"Yes, but I left it at home on Saturday because Maxwell was picking me up in his limousine and as you know I took a cab home."

Lt. Anderson’s expression changed from one second to the other. CC could tell she was now deadly serious.

"We have an eyewitness stating that a black BMW was parked outside her window at about 12:30 AM Sunday morning."

"Yeah, and were was that? My apartment building?"

"About ten feet away from the dead body of Mr. Neville Sinclair. Miss Babcock, I have to ask you to accompany me to the police station…"

"You’re joking, right?"

"I wish I were." Lt. Anderson said and gently reached for her arm but CC pulled back.

"You can’t do that."

"Miss Babcock, please…you don’t want to be charged with resisting an arrest on top of it, do you?"

"You are arresting me???" At that moment Lt. Pantero appeared out of nowhere and started reading her Miranda rights, while Lola reached for her handcuffs. She grabbed CC arm again, this time with unexpected force, and twisted it behind her back.

"Please, don’t make this any more difficult than it already is, Miss Babcock."

CC was on the edge of being hysterical. She put up a decent fight, trying to push the police officers away, until she heard the snapping noise of the handcuffs closing around her wrists… She stopped resisting as sudden as she had begun, when she realized that Niles was standing in the half opened kitchen door watching her. Tears of pain and desperation filled her eyes and when she looked up at him, her whole body shaking in anger, he could have died. He wanted to go to her and take her into his arms and tell her how sorry he was, but he didn’t move. The age-old weapon of our defeat…tears. He made a step forward and let the door slam shut. You blow it now and it was all in vain.

"Niles?" her voice cracked under the burden of her humiliation, and she broke his heart. Just as she had broken it a couple of days ago….

"Can you please escort Miss Babcock to the car, Joe? I just want to have a word with Niles before we leave," Lola interrupted their eye contact by pulling Niles gently into her direction.

The rest of the scene drowned behind the veil of her tears as CC was pushed out of the door and carefully guided to the police car that was waiting outside. Lt. Pantero made sure to protect her head when he gently pushed her into the backseat of the car and slammed the door behind her, before he went back into the house.

CC was alone. Alone and handcuffed in the back of a police car…She started crying and rolled over to her side to bury her face in the backseat of the car. She had never felt so scared before, so insecure…They can’t really do anything to you…you didn’t do it. You have an alibi…and he would have to tell the truth under oath…in a proper court of law. Niles… if she had to go to jail for anything it would be over the cold-blooded murder of a certain butler. And yet…Did she not urge him to keep his big mouth shut about their romantic encounter? Now in the light of things it suddenly seemed so unimportant…so she had a great time with Niles Saturday night. So whose business was it anyhow? Maxwell’s? Hardly. He didn’t care about her, he only had eyes for Nanny Fine. So what was she so worried about? And was it worth it, going through all of this?

She was still facing the backseat when she heard the car door open and close. She felt someone slide into the seat next to her and tried to sit up, but it didn’t quite work.

"Here let me help you…" she heard Niles careful voice and snorted with anger.

"Don’t you dare put your hands on me, butler boy!!" she threatened.

"Or what?" he wanted to know, grabbed her by the shoulders and sat her up in her seat like a doll. "What are you going to do to me?"

He was still resting his hands on her shoulders, and started to caress her arms. CC was so angry she wanted to burst, she wanted to kill him slowly and with great pleasure and hurt him as much as he was hurting her and…kiss him and have him put his arms around her and promise her that everything would be all right and he would make this nightmare go away…she started crying again.

"You know, you could end this all right here," she heard his voice.

He so wanted to hold her and kiss her tears away, but he had to be strong now. He took his hands off her arms and hesitated.

"CC why don’t you just tell her? Is it so much worse than spending a couple of nights in prison?" he wanted to know. He wanted to hear her say it.

"You didn’t tell her."

"No, I didn’t."

"Don’t tell me you kept your mouth shut to protect my integrity?" she snorted in between a couple of sobs.

"No, I kept my mouth shut because you had asked me to…" he answered and carefully watched her reaction. She hesitated.

"Since when do you actually listen to what I say…?" she wanted to know, and he realized that her nose was running from all the crying. He pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and offered it to her. CC made a face at him and forgot about her tears for a second.

"Who do I look like, Houdini?" she barked at him, and he was somewhat relieved to see her old spunk sparkle in her eyes. And when he raised his hand with the handkerchief… "Oh no you won’t! You raise that hanky to my nose and I will…"

"Yeah, right," he just said and put the handkerchief over her nose. "Blow," he ordered and like a good little girl she did, pure lust for murder in her eyes. He pushed it to the limit by wiping her nose on top of it, before he let the handkerchief disappear and sat back.

"So where are we going to go from here?" he suddenly wanted to know, and she looked at him.

"You lost me," she admitted.

"Well, the question here isn’t really whether or not you killed Neville Sinclair, we both know the answer to that, and actually Lola does, too. They found a perfect match for the fingerprints on the murder weapon and arrested the guy last night."

CC started shaking with anger.

"I promise you, I’ll have her badge for this," she said remarkably calm.

"The question is whether or not you will ever stand up to the fact that Saturday night wasn’t just…that Saturday night was pure magic, baby, and you know it."

She felt his hand on her arm and a stab in her heart. Yes, I know it, but I wouldn’t admit it if you were the last man on earth. And especially not after this… If he thought for one moment that what he had done to her over the last couple of days would make her admit her true feelings, he had a lot to learn about CC Babcock.

She bit her lower lip and turned to face him. She could tell he was worried about her next response, and she felt a wave of anger and satisfaction sweep away any kind of tender feelings that could have changed her mind. Revenge is a dish best served cold…

"Niles, did it ever occur to you that what happened between you and me, Saturday night, was maybe really just a …one night stand, shall we say, and nothing more as far as I’m concerned?"

"You say it but you don’t mean it," he said but his voice was shaking. She smelled weakness, and she went in for the kill.

"What if I do?" CC wanted to know and looked away from him out of the window. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could not and would not let him get away with this. Never.

"You would break my heart."

"It’s not mine to break, Niles. Sorry if you misunderstood…" she said coldly and waited. She could feel him stir next to her. She heard the sound of little keys touching each other shortly before he took the handcuffs off her hands. She still didn’t turn around. The next thing she heard was the slamming of the car door after he had gotten out of the backseat. She just sat there for a moment. So confused. So angry and relieved and so lonely…

The night was mild and clear. The perfect night for romance, for looking at the stars together and being intoxicated by the smell of wild jasmine. Niles didn’t see any of it. He had taken a shortcut through Central Park, hurrying home for no particular reason other than to watch ‘The Late Night Show’ while getting ready for bed. Lola had asked him to come over to her house for a drink after their dinner, but he had politely declined. He had given her one fake reason or the other, and being the skilled investigator that she was she knew he was lying. And he didn’t even care. His heart wasn’t in it anyhow.

During the last couple of days he had hardly seen Miss Babcock, let alone talked to her. He couldn’t bear facing her. He felt like a complete fool for ever imagining that he could be more to her than just the hired help. She despised him. Loathed him, and she had made herself very clear regarding their little run in that Saturday night. He knew that nothing would ever be as it was between them. He had ruined all of it. Even the last drop of illusion on his side... Now he didn’t even feel like talking to her anymore. He just wanted to crawl back under his rock and die…

Niles opened the front door of the Sheffield residence and walked in. It was almost dark in the house but someone had left the little lamp next to the couch burning. He silently hung up his coat, closed the closet door and walked over to the couch to turn off the light, when he realized that somebody was sitting on the couch.

"Miss Fine?" he whispered and walked around the couch but it wasn’t his friend who had fallen asleep waiting for him, but CC Babcock. He stood for a moment watching her. The unexpected sweetness of her smile while she was sleeping cut his heart like a knife. He couldn’t help it, he still loved her… He stood there unable to move away and watched her for a moment. Now you lost her forever. Before you at least had your hopes and dreams about her, but now…

He grabbed a throw off the other chair and gently draped it around her shoulders, careful not to wake her up. He knew that he should go upstairs now, but sat down on the little coffee table in front of her instead and studied her face, her hands, the way she had tucked her legs under… he sighed again. We could have been so good for each other, baby, with each other…but you won’t let me into your heart and …I can’t keep you out of mine…

He did not move when she stirred a little and suddenly opened her eyes. He felt his heart race in fear she would get upset with him again, but very much to his surprise she smiled when she saw him in front of her.

"Niles…How long have you been sitting there?’

They had not talked in almost a week, and he had missed her so.

"About an hour…after I put your clothes back on. You mean you don’t remember any of it?" he said hoping she would accept his desperate attempt of an apology. All he had to offer her at this point was the fact that they were still a hell of a pair when it came to tormenting each other. His hands were shaking so violently he had to hide them behind his back.

CC smiled again and motioned him to sit down next to her; an offer that took him by surprise. He wasn’t sure he could handle sitting so close to her.

"I went for a walk after Lola dropped me off," he said as if he had to explain to her why he came home so late. His leg touched hers when he sat down, and he moved over to the other side of the couch. CC raised her eyebrows but didn’t say anything about it.

"It’s Lola again, is it? Did you two pick up where you left off a couple of years ago?" He was somewhat relieved to still hear a slight trace of jealousy in her words. Maybe it wasn’t all lost yet… You are such an encourageable loser!

"I owed her a dinner."

"Right. I almost forgot about that."

"I wish you could," he said apprehensively, and his eyes met hers for the first time since their unfortunate conversation in the back of the police car. He was silently begging for forgiveness.

"I bet you do." She said painfully slow, playing this moment for all it was worth. "And maybe I could…I don’t know…What is it worth to you?"

She had just pushed him over the peak of his insecurity. He didn’t know where she was going with this, and he couldn’t at all trust her anymore. What if she was up for another game? How would he ever know the difference again?

"You’re kidding," and then, realizing that she was definitely up to something, "oh, you’re a cruel woman."

"You mean, you finally admit to that?" She moved closer to him on the couch and looked straight into his breathtakingly blue eyes. "I miss insulting you, Hazel… it’s just not the same with Maxwell. He doesn’t get half of it."

Niles had a hard time breathing, and it got worse when he tried thinking.

"So what do you propose?" he wanted to know. She could have done anything she wanted with him right now and boy, did she know it. And yet this time she did not go in for the kill, but only reached for his tie and started loosening it.

"Are you going to see Lola again?" she wanted to know. He did not move.

"No."

"Were you hoping I would be gone by the time you’d come back?"

"Yes."

"Do you want me to leave now?"

He had no clue where she was going with this, but it was exciting, and if she wanted to give him the kiss of death at least he wouldn’t see it coming if she continued on the path she was taking right now. She had opened the knot of his tie and pulled the tie off his neck.

"No. I want you to tell me why you’re still here."

He felt the temptation of the hunt slowly intoxicate him. He didn’t care what she was up to as long as she gave him the chance to put up a good fight.

"I had work to do."

"On the couch?"

"With Maxwell…"

"Don’t you wish."

She dropped his tie on the floor and they looked at each other intensely before they both broke into a satisfied smile. And there they were, right back to where they always had been with each other.

"I hate to disappoint you, Niles, but I’ve been thinking…."

"Please don’t scare me like this. You know what the doctor said: No sudden movements, no strenuous…"

"You can listen to what I’m going to tell you or not, but I’m only going to say this once, and if you blink you’ll miss it," CC suddenly said more serious than expected considering the fact that her body was heavily leaning against his.

"Definitely listening" he said quickly. Her skillful turn in strategy certainly deserved his attention. That and the fact that her face was close enough to his to almost taste her breath on his lips.

"I have been thinking about Saturday night…" she started and blew into his ear to refresh his memory. "And my reaction the next morning, and your reaction to my reaction…" she barely touched his lips brushing over his mouth until she could be reasonably sure that most of her words would pass him right by…

"See, it’s not easy for me to express my feelings." She finally confided and gently bit his lower lip. Niles closed his eyes and slid down into the couch. Whatever her intentions, he just hoped she wouldn’t stop.

"Could have fooled me…" he was barely able to speak, and that’s exactly how she liked it. She turned and rolled over his broad chest pushing him deeper into the pillows, before she suddenly hesitated. This was fun, but there was something else she wanted to confess while she was at it. She crossed her arms over his chest and studied his face for a moment.

"For me to admit that I have any kind of feelings for you would mean that I have to admit it to myself first, Niles…and I don’t know that I can ever do that."

"Right now you can do anything you want," he whispered, and her eyes widened when she felt his hands on her back, skillfully making their way down her body.

"Did you listen to a word I just said?" she wondered but let out a little shriek of surprise when he found what his hands had been searching for.

"Not really," he admitted willingly and abandoned his current course of action to reach for her hands instead. He affectionately started to play with her fingers.

"So what you’re saying is that you would rather like to take this slow for a while," he concluded. He guided her hand to his lips and started kissing her fingertips

"Slow is good," she considered and realized that he had just turned the situation shamelessly to his advantage. She put her index finger over his lips and he smiled. "Or not…" and without her eyes giving it away she pushed her finger into his mouth and pushed him back into the pillows.

Not a second later they were locked in each other’s arms, her lips taking over where her words had failed. Since the last time they had been together she had been longing for the touch of his hands against her skin. His lips pressed firmly onto hers. Nothing had changed that; not even the outcome of their encounter in the police car. Sure she had been furious, and yes, for a while she never, ever wanted to talk to him again… And yet, no other man had ever gotten under her skin so deeply. She instinctively knew that she could get used to this so easily…

"Later on you can just pretend you were having a bad, bad dream again…if it makes you feel any better," she heard him whisper into her ear while covering her neck with an army of aggressive little kisses.

"You know, I spend half my life pretending, and I’m really tired of it."

"Good. Then let’s go upstairs, stay over night, and tomorrow we let Mr. Sheffield and Nanny Fine walk in on us for a change…"

He could feel her body stiffen under his touch by the mere mention of Maxwell’s name and he sighed. It will be a while, no doubt. She has a long way to go, and I will be there every step of the road to remind her of this night…and the next, and hopefully many more…

"Actually, I wasn’t kidding," he reiterated suddenly.

"Why did I have a feeling you would say that…" she said but relaxed a little. She reached for his collar and started playing with the buttons on his shirt, unbuttoning one after the other in the process, but he grabbed her hand and stopped her cold.

"No, no, no, no, Miss Babcock. There are children in the house…" he considered and pulled her up from the couch. "You can come upstairs with me, or you can leave now."

She wasn’t sure if he was serious or just playing with her. When she wanted to protest he silenced her with another kiss until she was gasping for air.

"You can come upstairs with me or you can leave," he repeated in a no nonsense tone of voice. She gave him one of her Oh-no-you-don’t laughs and it wasn’t wasted on him. He kissed her again.

"Niles I can’t, not with Maxwell in the house, I’m sorry," she muttered under his lips and pushed him away until something else entered her mind. "But I have my car parked outside, does that count?"

"Only if you drive me to work in the morning," he said with a brilliant smile and she smiled right back at him.

"Deal," she said and reached for his hand. She felt like a teenager, sneaking out of the house at night, and she had to suppress a serious giggle attack when Niles bumped into the couch after turning off the little lamp.

"I meant to do that," he whispered, and she was just getting ready to say something else, when they both heard the sound of the refrigerator door closing in the kitchen. They froze.

"Well, we know it isn’t you…" CC said and looked at him, barely making out his face in the darkness. Niles didn’t move.

"Shhhhst," he shushed her. If we just stand still and don’t move, nobody…

The lights in the hallway came on and CC’s eyes widened in silent panic. They heard footsteps coming closer and then a hollow thump, followed by a sleepy, half-hearted curse. Nanny Fine…

Niles started moving first and pulled CC with him toward the entrance door, but thought better of it when the footsteps got louder and pushed her into the hallway closet.

"Oh no, you don’t…" CC grabbed him by the front of his jacket and pulled him with her, so they both made an unceremonious dive into the closet.

By now Fran had reached the living room and yawned again without dropping the piece of string cheese in her mouth. What a night. First, she couldn’t tune out Mr. Sheffield and Miss Babcock talking about some upcoming production or the other in his office; then Gracie couldn’t sleep, and she had to read her a story until she fell asleep in Gracie’s room… and now she had this horrible craving for string cheese and cherry pie… And she could have sworn she heard Niles come home a while ago, but when she passed his bedroom door, she checked-- just to say good-night, of course—and he was not in bed yet.

Fran was still too busy rearranging the pieces of pie on her plate to notice the subdued moaning coming from the closet. She stopped at the little side table in the living room, picked up the latest issue of People magazine and continued her way upstairs, when she noticed the closet door yawning at her, half opened. She sighed, kicked the closet door shut and continued up the stairs without giving it another thought

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