Hi, we're from England so this takes place in the third season, way before Max and Fran get married.

Disclaimer: Fran Drescher and all who sail with her own these characters, the plot, storylines, sets, scripts and anything else they can get their mitts on.

The songs Late Again by Judie Tzuke, and Runaway by The Corrs are also not owned by us,  (go figure!)

This story was originally put on the Niles and C.C. web page is pieces but after an immense re-write we have put it as one story here :o),  'cause we like to be confusing like that.

When Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

by

Mandy Reynolds and Lorraine Reynolds
(Editor231@aol.com)

"Are we going to get in trouble for this, Niles?" Brighton asked.

"No, of course not. To get in trouble we'd have to get caught first." Niles replied smiling, "Now look for a red wire." Niles said handing Brighton a torch and pointing underneath CC's car. Brighton crawled under the car and after some strange noise said, "Ok, I've got it, what now?"

"Pull it out." Niles said grinning.

"Ok, done it. What now?"

"Now we run."

"Oh come on, Maxwell." CC begged, "We have got to sign this contract now."

"I don't know CC, I don't like being rushed into things."

Just then Fran walked in, "What don't you like being rushed into?"

Maxwell sighed, "CC has managed to get us a contract with a German singer who is apparently very hot property at the moment. But he wants an answer before the end of the day."

"If we don't get this contracted signed we lose Hans Mueller, do you know what he's been in recently - Andrew L…"

"I'll sign it!" Maxwell shouted before CC could finish. CC smiled and handed over the contract. Maxwell frantically signed it and said, "I'll get Niles to courier this over to him right away."

As Maxwell left Fran said, "Wow, Miss Babcock how did you manage to get hold of this singer, everyone must want him if he's been in a Andrew Lloyd Webber Production."

"I didn't say he'd been in an Andrew Lloyd Webber Production, I was trying to tell Maxwell that he'd been in the Andrew Larkin Production" CC replied, smiling.

"Andrew who?" Fran asked.

"Oh, I don't know, some nobody." CC said whilst reading a fax.

"Couldn't that destroy your next production?"

"Nanny Fine, in our last production we tried to combine rap with opera - in my book we have gone as low as we can go. Now we can only go up. Well anyway, I don't have time to stand here whittering to you, some of us have important things to do. So ta-ta." CC said, as she breezed out of the office.

"So Niles, what does the red wire do?" Brighton asked when they both had returned to the kitchen.

"Well according to this," Niles picked up a book titled The Best Pranks on Earth, "once the victim has entered a central locking car, by closing the door they activate a safety mechanism, which will keep the door locked for three hours." Niles read.

"Well it was nice knowing you." Brighton said as he shook Niles' hand, "by the way can I read that book so I can get some idea's?"

"Knock yourself out." Niles said handing the book over to him.

While CC was driving she realised that she had left her coat at Maxwell's and she'd need it for later that evening. I'll phone the troll and tell him to bring it over she thought, as she pulled her mobile phone out of her bag.

"Sheffield Residence." Niles answered.

"Ah, Bellboy, I need a favour."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"I was talking to God."

"Oh shut up, Niles. Look I left my coat at the house you'll have to bring it over."

"Will you take no for an answer?"

"Niles!"

"Will you take," Niles blows a raspberry, "for an answer? It's the same answer just harder to spell."

Suddenly Brighton came crashing into the kitchen; "Niles you've gotta read this!"

"Could you hold on a minute Miss Babcock."

"Don't you dare put me on hold…" CC screamed as Niles put her on hold.

"What is it Master Brighton?"

"You said the red wire right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Well I think I cut the wrong one - Look, this is a diagram of the underneath of a car with all the wires and there are two red ones. One's for the locks on the doors and the others for the gas flow to the engine, I'm sure I cut the wrong one." Whilst Brighton was talking Niles had been reading the book.

"As long as she doesn't break hard she should be ok." Niles said as he picked up the phone and said, "Miss Babcock, I know your going to hate me for this and I assure you it was an accident…." Niles began and then stop when he realised all he could hear was siren's and people screaming, "Miss Babcock!! CC can you hear me?" he shouted. There was no answer. "Brighton get your father and tell him what happened, I'm going to take the car and see if I can see what's going on."

"Oh great leave me to get shouted at." Brighton said as Niles ran from the kitchen.

While Niles was driving he started getting angry with himself, Why do I always do this to her, I mean she's not that bad. I hope she's alright, oh God I hope she's ok, I'll never forgive myself if she's hurt.

"You did what!!!!" Maxwell screamed, "well where is she? Is she ok? What happened?"

"I don't know. Niles went out in the car to see if he could find her."

"Brighton, I don't believe you could do this, playing around with someone's car is very dangerous." Fran said, "I remember my cousin Jackie, now she thought that she could fix her own car…."

"Miss Fine, please don't take this personally but could you please shut up?" Maxwell said, "and Brighton go to your room."

As Brighton walked out the office, Fran said to Maxwell, "Oy, poor Niles."

"What do you mean 'Poor Niles'? CC is the one who could be dead."

"Oy, men! You really don't get it do you?" Fran said as she sat on the couch, "let me explain it to you in a way you would understand. You and I both know that Miss Babcock has the intellectual capacity and charisma of a cactus. Miss Babcock is cactus woman - But, and it kills to tell me this, your butler is cactus man."

Maxwell just sits behind his desk with a blank expression on his face.

"THEY'RE IN LOVE!" she shouts at him.

"They can't be - they hate each other."

"There is a fine line between love and hate."

"All they do is insult each other!"

"That means nothing. I wouldn't be surprised if they got it together one day."

"That's if the doctors can find enough of CC to put back together again (!)" Maxwell muttered.

Niles pulled up on the side of the road near a big accident. There were about five cars, which had smashed into each other in the middle of the road. Niles tried to see if one of the cars were CC's. That's when he realised that he could hardly see anything because of all the smoke. He saw a woman who seemed to be telling a story to some people standing by the cars. He walked over and begun to listen.

"…And then this car swerved in front of the silver car and the silver car braked and then … BOOM … the silver car's engine just seemed to blow up. There was this huge flash of light, it almost blinded me and I was way down the other end of the street. Then all the other cars piled into the first two cars…"

Niles had heard enough the silver car had to have been Miss Babcock's, the explosion must have been the gas exploding. He heard another siren and turned to see an ambulance coming towards the scene of the accident. A police office was just coming from the cars.

"Excuse me Officer, but I believe that I know one of the injured parties. A Miss CC Babcock. She's tall with blonde hair. She owns a silver BMW"

"That's the car in the middle, there is a woman in there but she's badly hurt and is not moving, are you her husband because I can't let just anyone in here, Sir."

"Yes, I'm the husband." Niles said quickly, although he was sure that he could hear Brighton's voice in his head saying, Can you say the word 'felony'?

One hour later

CC was lying in a hospital bed, her faced had been burned slightly. Her right arm was fractured and she had bruises everywhere. But the Doctors were more worried about the fact that her eyes were not responding to light yet, but they would not know anything for sure until she woke up.

Niles sitting was in the waiting room, his head in his hands.

"Niles, what's going on? How is she?" Maxwell said as he ran into the waiting room.

"They fire brigade cut her from the wreckage and she hasn't gained consciousness yet. She has a minor fracture in her right arm. Her face has been burnt but that should heal in about a month." Niles replied

"Well that's good, you should be thanking God, Niles." Maxwell said.

"Oh, I am Sir, don't worry. I'm going to beg for forgiveness and never insult her again."

Both men stared at each other for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.

"Oh, good one, Niles!" Maxwell said through tears.

"Yes, I thought that was rather good, Sir. But I will apologise, though."

"You'd better!" A new voice said as Fran entered the room, "you should be ashamed of yourselves laughing like that!"

"Sorry, Miss Fine." They both muttered.

"Excuse me Mr. Babcock?" A doctor said as he came in.

"Yes," Niles said as he stood up, ignoring the looks on Maxwell's and Fran's faces.

"I'm afraid, there has been more damage than we originally thought to her eye. The blast of the gas was so bright it blinded her in both eyes…" Fran put an arm around Niles as he sank back into a chair, "we believe that she will regain her sight but it could be months or even years until her eyesight is fully restored."

"Can I see her?" Niles asked.

"Yes, of course."

She was lying in bed when she heard the door open and someone creep in. So it's true, when you lose one sense your others do make up for it, she thought.

"Miss Babcock? Are you awake?" Niles whispered.

"Come to gloat?" she muttered.

"No! Of course not." He said shocked that she would think that lowly of him, "how are you feeling?"

"I'm blind, how do you think I feel?"

"The doctor said you should be out of here in three days, Mr Sheffield said you are to stay with us until you're better."

"Oh…" she whispered unsure of what to say.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked trying to break the atmosphere.

"No," She replied, still wondering what he came for.

"Can you remember what happened?" Niles asked wondering if he should be calling a lawyer.

"I remember a car swerving in front of me and I had to break hard," she said thinking, "then there was this huge flash of light and then it went very dark."

"I suppose you thought the Mother Ship had come to take you back." Niles muttered, not being able to help himself.

CC laughed and then said, "Niles come here." She held her hand out and when she felt him take it she hit him.

"Ouch, what was that for?!" he cried.

"Being rude to an invalid. Now say sorry."

"Sorry." Niles said trying to hold back the laughter.

"I can hear you smiling." She warned.

"I am sorry," Niles said seriously, "I'd better let you rest." He turned round to walk to the door.

"No!" CC shouted and then softer, "no, please stay for a while. I suppose it's not being able to see but I feel terribly lonely." Niles considered this and pulled up a chair by the side of her bed and took her hand in his.

"God, I haven't seen a mirror for ages how do I look?" CC asked

"Almost human." Niles replied, "besides I thought your kind didn't have reflections"

CC smiled and Niles asked, confused, "aren't you going to scream and yell?"

"No, it's just that you insulting me feels … right. It's like one of life's constants, you will always be there to insult me."

"Don't get all mushy on me Babcock." He laughed.

Niles stayed with CC until she went to sleep and then the nurse had to tell him to leave. When he got back home Maxwell called him into his office.

"Niles, I hate to do this to this to you but I have to go to Paris for a business deal. And Miss Fine suggested that I take the children there for a holiday too. I'm afraid I'll have to leave you to look after CC by yourself."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll manage just fine, Sir." Niles said as he left the office happy that he would get to spend sometime alone with her.

"The coast is clear Miss Fine." Maxwell whispered.

Fran crept in through the patio doors, "did he buy it?"

"He seemed to, I hope you're right about this or when we get back we'll have two murders to deal with."

Niles arrived at the hospital early in the morning to take CC home. A nurse came over to him and asked, "Mr. Babcock, will you be taking care of your wife during her recovery?"

"Yes, I am." Niles replied.

"In that case here are some eye drops which she has to take. Two drops in each eye, three times a day, but they will hurt her. And here are some pills which she must take, one a day." She said handed Niles the bag with the medication inside.

"Anything else?" Niles questioned.

"Well, this is a very frightening time for her, she needs her husband there for her, just try to keep her relaxed, perhaps a massage would do her good." The nurse said smiling as she left.

Yes, if she'd let me Niles thought.

Niles arrived at the hospital early to take CC home, he'd gathered her stuff and put it in the car and then helped her into the car. Once they'd got onto a main road Niles saw CC stiffen and start to look scared. He decided to ignore so he wouldn't raise her fears. A truck drove past and CC nearly jumped into Niles' lap.
"What was that?" she almost screamed.

"It's all right it was only a truck." Niles replied calmly.

"Why have we stopped?"

"Traffic lights." Niles answered.

It was silent in the car until CC asked,

"Do they know what was wrong with my car?"

"Err, I don't know." Niles answered, part relieved she didn't know but worried because he knew he had to tell her. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a car swerving out of the road quickly, Niles slammed on the brakes and put his arm out to prevent CC from flying forwards.

"What the hell was that?" she screamed.

"Nothing, just an idiot pulling sharply out of 42nd. I had to stop sharply, I'm sorry."

He glances at CC and notices that she has started to shake, slightly.

"Miss Babcock, are you alright?" he asks.

She is silent and then looks in his direction and says, "42nd? That's the opposite direction to my apartment, where the hell are you taking me, Niles?"

"Back to the Sheffield's."

"Why?"

"I still have a job to do as well as look after you, so I thought I'd, pardon the expression, kill two birds with one stone."

CC woke in a strange room. Where am I? She thought. and why can't I see? She wondered as she began to panic. She sat up in bed and screamed as she realised her sight wasn't coming back. Niles ran in like lightening and went over to her side and sat on the bed and asked,

"What's wrong?"

"Where am I? How did I get here? She demanded.

"You're at the Sheffield's, you fell asleep in the car and I didn't want to wake you so I carried you up here, and god do you need a "Heavy Load" sticker on your butt"

"Muscle weighs more than fat." She stated.

"Then you are ready to be a sumo wrestler!"

"Shut up, Niles" she replied much calmer now he was there.

…

There was an awfully heavy silence in the room until Niles said,

"Are you ok now?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Do you want to go back to sleep?"

"No, I want to do something."

"Like what?"

"Work."

"And how do you propose to do that, shall I bring up the accounts so you can view
them?"

"Shut up, so now I'm blind and fired."

"No of course not!"

"Well I want to do something but I don't know what."

"Well, we could erm… talk?"

"About what?"

"Anything!"

…

"Well?!?" Niles asked.

"I'm thinking." She replied.

…

"How do you do it?"

"Pardon?"

"Serve someone, day in, day out?"

"You get used to it."

"I wouldn't."

"You wouldn't have to, your loaded."

"Well, yes. But that's not all that matters though."

"Did I hear that right? CC Babcock just said 'money isn't everything'?"

"What?!?"

"I'm sorry, I just didn't think you'd feel like that."

"Thanks!"

…

"What is then?" he asked after a while.

"Hmm?"

"What is the most important thing?"

"Love."

"Love!?"

"Yes love! People say that when you are rich you should be pleased with that. But it's not true, the saying 'money can't buy you love' is true."

"Very true." He whispers.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing." He replies as CC yawns, "I'd better go and let you rest."

"Ok, I'm suddenly really tired."

"The nurse said to expect that from you medication." Niles told her as she laid her down in the bed and pulled the covers over her, when he left she was already asleep.

Niles was busy cleaning the kitchen thinking about the conversation he'd had with Miss Babcock - he'd hardly insulted her at all. And he actually enjoyed the conversation they'd had. Must be going soft in the head he thought to himself. At that moment the phone rang he answered it,

"Sheffield residence."

"Have you told her yet?" was Miss Fine's immediate response.

"Have I told whom, what, Miss Fine?"

"Miss Babcock that you love her?"

"What!"

"Oh come on, Niles."

"Miss Fine, please, I have a headache already."

"Fine, have it your way but my cousin, Alan, was in love with this beautiful woman, and she was in love with him but they never admitted it each other. They were always waiting for the other one to make the first move, well things begun to get more strained between them, and one day he was shouting "Miss Fine!" and I came in thinking 'well that's just'…..Oh. you know Niles I just can't concentrate on you and CC, it always seems to come back to me."

"Indeed, I had noticed."

"Well, anyway, tell her, Niles. You might be surprised at her reaction."

"Thank you, Miss Fine. Goodnight."

Niles had checked on Miss Babcock late that night, she was asleep, so he decided to go to bed. He been in the middle a rather nice dream involving CC, an empty mansion, and a chicken. When he was woken by a noise, he glanced at the clock which read 4:58am. Then he heard footsteps, so assumed that CC had woken up. He gets up an puts on his dressing gown. And walked out of his room in search of CC. As he walked towards the main stairs he stopped in shock. CC was right on the edge of the stairs about to take the first step - straight down.

"Miss Babcock! Don't move." Niles shouted to her. CC flinches at Niles shouting but stops completely. He runs over to her and pulls her away from the stairs by her arm.

"What were you doing?" he almost screams at her.

"Going to the bathroom, why are you shouting at me?"

"Because you nearly fell down the stairs!"

"The stairs!? I must have taken a wrong turning."

"Will you please call me next time?" Niles says, still angry.

"I'm not an invalid, you know!"

"YES! Yes you are!" Niles shouts at her still holding her arm tightly. The second the words left his lips he realises what he's done, she starts to cry and Niles knows he has to say something, "Miss Babcock, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted like that."

"No, you're right I am an invalid." CC whispers as she cries. She wraps her arms around Niles' waist and puts her head on his chest. Niles, unsure of how to proceed, goes with his feelings and holds her tightly.

Niles held her for a long time until she stopped crying, "are you ok?" he finally asked, breaking the silence that had held them together. She lifted her head from his shoulder and silently nodded. She wipes her eyes and draws her strength together before saying, " look at me, seeking emotional support from the Bellboy."

Niles just laughs takes her arm and leads her to the bathroom.

Half an hour later, Miss Babcock is still in the bathroom. What is she doing in there? He wonders. He knocks on the door and asks, "Miss Babcock? Do you need an help?"

"I'm perfectly capable of dressing myself, thank you, Niles."

"Just checking," Niles says as he leans up against the wall and counts to ten.

"Ermm, Niles?"

"Yyyeeessss." He replied, managing to stretch every syllable.

"Can you help me?"

"Of course, are you decent?"

"How the hell would I know."

Niles laughs and walks in, he sees Miss Babcock dressed in a pair of blue jeans with a white T-shirt on. She is feeling along the bed for her jumper which Niles can see has dropped on the floor. He walks over to the jumper and silently picks it up and puts it in front of her hands on the bed.

"Oh, looks like I don't need your help after all." She comments as she finds the jumper and puts it on.

"May I ask, how did you manage to put your makeup on?" Niles asks, noticing how beautiful she is.

"Years of rushing around early in the morning." She replies.

"Oh, well may I escort you to breakfast?"

She walks towards the sound of his voice, he takes her arm and guides her down the stairs and towards the kitchen.

CC has a bit of trouble eating breakfast, but manages, with Niles' help. They made small talk for a while until Niles remembers something.

"It's time for your eye drops."

"Niles, they really hurt!" she whined, in Miss Fine fashion.

"So I've been told." He answered calmly.

"You're going to enjoy this, aren't you?" she stated.

"No!" Niles replied sharply.

He gets the bottle and sits next to her, he puts his left hand on the side of her face to hold her still. She leans in to his hand and whispers, seductively, "Niles, lets go upstairs and make wild, passionate love."

"Nice try, you ARE having these eye drops."

"Damn!"

"If you want to 'make wild, passionate love' after I've put the eye drops in …" He didn't have time to finish the sentence as CC stamped on his foot. But Niles continued to put the eye drops in. CC's scream of pain could be heard in England.

"OOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That REALLY hurt, Niles!" she shouted at him.

"I know, I'm sorry." He said watching her face carefully. He could tell she wasn't putting it on, it obviously did hurt a lot. He felt the guilt begin to rise in himself again as he realised it was all his fault.

"Niles?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"I wondered if you were still there, you went very quiet."

"Yes, sorry, I was just thinking."

…

"Niles!"

"What?"

"Say something!"

"What do you want me to say?"

"You're impossible."

"Thanks(!)"

…

"I'm sorry, why do we always end up arguing, Niles."

"I don't know, it just comes naturally I guess."

"Shall we try to be friends and to not argue … just for today?"

"Yes, so what would you like to do today?"

"Well, there's that film I want to watch - and then I can play some darts, and perhaps I can finish the day off by reading a book!"

"Don't be stupid! There are plenty of things you can do."

"Like what?"

Hmm, well she's got me there. What can she do? Looks like I've dug a hole for myself now

"Ok, we are going to have the most fun-filed and action-packed day of your entire life!!" Niles said as he got up and grabbed her arm to lead her out of the kitchen.

CC sat in the car, in the middle of THE biggest traffic jam in New York, trying not to laugh, "Well this is getting too exciting for me – just too much action-packed adventure here."

"How was I supposed to know it was going to be this busy?  Traffic’s never usually this bad!"

"Niles, it’s New York – it’s always bad." She stated, still trying to hold back laughter.

"I was just trying to make a point that your life doesn’t have to end just because of a temporary bout of blindness!"

"That may well be, but we can’t be sure that it is temporary – I may have to live like this."

"I know, I know, I understand that, I just want you too know that I’m here for you. You don’t have to fight this alone."

"You can’t always be there, Niles.  No matter how hard you try to be – I’m going to be alone at some point.  And I have to learn to deal with things on my own."

"I know, I just feel responsible." Niles said, without thinking.

"Why would you feel responsible?" CC said looking in his direction.  She looked so innocent and lost that Niles felt a hundred times worse than he did before.

"Miss Babcock…" he started.

"Call me, CC." She corrected.

"CC, I, I have something to tell you…it was …."

"I know."

"No, you don’t…it was me who…"

"Sabotaged my car, I know." She said quietly.

"But…how?…why?…when?…" Niles was in such shock he had no idea that she knew, why hadn’t she told him?

"The mechanics who were at the crash scene told the nurses in the hospital and they told me – I guessed it must have been you."

"I am so sorry – it was just a stupid prank – I never thought it would go this far.  If I could have stopped it before it went this far I would have but it all just…" CC cut Niles’ ramblings by kissing him lightly on the lips.  He looked at her in shock and then leaned in closer to kiss her back.  Just as they were about to make contact, the loudest car horn ever went off behind them and as Niles looked up he realised the traffic jam they were in had cleared.

"Traffic cleared?"  CC questioned.

"Yes, wonderful timing – wouldn’t you say?" Niles replied, smiling.

"Well, of course.  Where are we going to go?"

"Home?  No point in driving around here forever."

"I agree, take me home, Brillo."

"Your wish is my command, Ice Maiden." And they laughed together.

The both entered the Sheffield house and Niles took her coat off as he asked,
"When were you going to tell me that you knew?"

"I wasn’t – I was making you suffer, I know you hate me but you also have an incredibly HUGE conscience and it would play on your mind for ages until you told me."  She said, as she laughed her evil laugh that Niles had grown to love.  Niles, for his part just looked at her in shock.

"You really are the most devious person I know." He told her matter-of-factly as he spun her around to face him.  She still hadn’t gotten used to movement without being able to see so place her arms on his forearms to keep her balance.

"I'm devious? What about you??" she quizzed.

"Well, what can I say?  It's a gift?" He replied wistfully.

"God's you sound like Brighton!" She laughed.

"You remembered his name?" Niles asked, amazed.

"Yes, I know his name, it's just more fun to wind you and Nanny Fine up pretending I don't.  That sounds terrible, doesn't it?"

"No, not as bad as what I have done to you."

"Niles, lets not do this."

"I need to tell you how sorry I am, what I have put you through is just…" he didn't finish his sentence as C.C. placed her fingers over his lips, "don't say anymore, you'll just start us arguing again, and we haven't argue for, wow, at least 3 hours now!" Niles replied by kissing her finger tips, and watched as she started to blush.  He continued kissing his way to the palm of her hand.

"Niles…" She whispered, "don't do this, unless you mean it, I'm in no state to be tricked again."  As if to prove his credibility he gently pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply.  At first she was too surprised to respond, but soon she returned the kiss with equal passion.

C.C. lay in bed, knowing that she had a massive cheesy grin on her face. 'Who'd of thought that spending time with Niles would be so … enjoyable?  And he was such a gentleman, making me a nice dinner and then just talking for hours' C.C. stretched in bed feeling happier than she could remember feeling in a long time.  And all because of one man.  She smiled as she thought of him in the room next door and quietly feel asleep dreaming of him.

Niles had been awake for a few hours and was occupying himself in the kitchen.  He couldn't stop thinking about C.C. and how she made him feel.  Excited, scared, happy all in one.  He was practically skipping when he woke up.  He had decided to let her sleep in, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get any work done if she was around.  He went to the fridge to get some milk out, when he realised that that the fridge was practically empty, he almost laughed at himself for having his head so high in the clouds that he forgot to get the basic essentials.

C.C. slowly woke up to the sound of birds tweeting and immediately thought that she must be trapped in some soppy love movie, like in her dream she had just woken from.  She felt a breeze and realised that the window was open, she crawled out of bed, not being much of a morning person, and felt along the wall until she reached the window and closed it.  She heard someone behind her and smiled,

"Good morning, Niles." She said seductively.  She slowly turned around and smiled in the direction she could hear the footsteps approaching.  She suddenly felt herself pushed back quite harshly, until she was pinned against the wall being kissed passionately, not resisting one bit she brought her arms up around his shoulders and returned the kiss.  He put his arms firmly, perhaps too firmly around her waist and pushed her towards the bed and lay her down, kissing her all the way.  She thought that she was hearing things when the she heard the echoing slam of the front door downstairs.  She knew that she was in trouble when she heard Niles' voice downstairs, asking if she was awake yet.

Niles opened the front door and struggle in with all the bags he had with him.  He hoped C.C. didn't mind him popping out She's probably still asleep anyway, he thought.

"C.C.!  Are you up yet, you lazy old witch?" he called upstairs as he put the shopping on the hall table.  Suddenly the scream of his name could be heard echoing through the upstairs corridors, he jumped into action and dashed up the stairs three at a time.  He raced down the hallway towards her room.

One Hour Later

"And you were out where, Sir?" the police officer patronisingly asked Niles.

"I went to get some shopping, just a couple of blocks away from the house.  Can I see C.C. now?" Niles repeated for the third time as he paced the kitchen of the Sheffield home.

"She's talking to my colleague at the moment, when she's finished, you can see her.  Now what happened after you ran into the room?"

"I've told you this!" Niles barked, exasperatedly.

"Tell me again." The officer said relaxing in his chair.

"You should be out after this mad man not asking me ridiculous questions!" Niles attempted to point out.

"The more information you give me, Sir, the easier it will be for us to catch him, now what happened after you went into the room."  Niles realised it was pointless and sat down opposite the officer and started to tell his story … again.

"I heard C.C. call my name and I ran up the stairs towards the guest bedroom, when I got there she was kneeling on the floor holding her face, she had obviously been hit in the face.  The window was open and I ran over to it to see a man running away from the house.  He was wearing black jeans and a black jumper, he had blonde hair, and that's all I can remember.  I wanted to go after him but C.C. was hurt so I went over to her but she was in hysterics and wouldn't let me near her.  She has only been blind recently and is still unsure about having people around her when she is not sure who they are.  I spoke to her, trying to calm her down and she eventually calmed down a bit.  Then I called you.  Can I see C.C. now?"

The police officer sighed and got up to check on his colleague, "stay there." He called back to Niles.

"So you thought he was Niles?" The female police officer asked C.C., quietly.

"Of course I did!  You don't think I kiss just anyone do you?!?" C.C. shouted back angrily.

"Of course not Miss Babcock, but I just need to get the story straight."

"I've told you everything enough times,  I want to see Niles now."

"If you're sure?"

"Of course I'm sure, I'm not a baby you know I can handle myself!"

"I wasn't implying…"

"Oh, shut up!  Just get out there and catch this…this…person."

Niles closed the front door after the two police officers had left and turned around to see C.C. standing by the hall table.  He had no idea what to say.  He walked over to her and took her hands in his,

"I'm SO sorry." He finally said.

"It's wasn't your fault, Niles." She whispered back.

"I shouldn’t have left the house." He muttered, almost to himself.

"You did nothing wrong, Niles, you weren't to know." She whispered, as she brought herself closer to him and kissed his cheek.

"You're staying here." He stated.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You are not going to be alone until this idiot is caught." He told her.

"You think you can tell me, C.C. Babcock, what I can and cannot do?!" she raised her voice even though she was smiling, "Niles, this protective streak of yours is down-right sexy."

Niles knew she was just trying to change the subject to make him feel better, but he appreciated it and decided to play along anyway.

"I'll have to keep you with me at all times," he whispered in her ear as he brought her into his arms, "I'll have to tie you to the bed." She laughed at that, "but first…"

"Yes..?" she whispered.

"First….you need those eye drops." He finished quickly standing up and taking her arm to pull her towards the kitchen.

"Oh, Niles!  I've had a traumatic experience!  I think we should put it off, just for today." She tried to get her way out of it.

"Hmm, try again."

"Um, how about, what's that noise upstairs, we should go to investigate?"

"No, try again.  Last chance."

"Is that the phone ringing?" she tried, desperately attempting to avoid the dreading eye drops for just one day.

"Nope, you lose, I win, eye drops it is." He said as they arrived in the kitchen, after he had dragged C.C. the whole way.  He sat her down at the kitchen table.  And went to the cupboard to get the eye drops out.

"What's that noise?" C.C. asked.

"Oh come on!  You can do better than that!" Niles admonished.

"No, really, do you hear that noise?" C.C. insisted.

"I can't hear a thing." He replied, "what kind of noise is it?"

"A sort of tapping noise." She said, quietly, still intently listening.

"Could be my foot, waiting for you to stop wasting time."

"Ok, ok, I'm probably just dreaming it." She admitted.

Niles got the small jar and walked over to her and held her head back with his hand to put the drops in. C.C. was wincing in anticipation of the pain.

"Hold still, this WILL hurt." Niles muttered.

Just at that moment the telephone rang and both Niles and C.C. nearly jumped out of their skin.

"Oh, trust Nanny Fine!" C.C. stated.

"How do you know it's her?" Niles asked as the phone continued to ring.

"Well listen, it's an annoying, repetitive and piercing whine, who else could it be?"

Niles laughed as he answered the phone,

"Oh hello Miss Fine.  Yes…ok….yes…any idea when?   Right…ok…yes that's fine.  Ok, goodbye Miss Fine."

"What did she want?" C.C. asked as Niles hung up and sat back down at the table.

"It would appear that the French Pilot's association is on strike and there will be no planes leaving France for 4 days at least, so they are stuck there for now." Niles explained.

"On strike?!  They don't do anything anyway!  It's all automatic now, you just push the "go" button and poof your on the way." C.C. told him.

"What is it you Americans have against the French?" Niles asked.

"They seem to think they are so marvellous and that if they go on strike the world will come to a standstill!  Remember when the French farmers were on strike?" Niles said yes, knowing there was no stopping her when she was on a roll, "well what were they striking from??  I mean they do NOTHING."

"Aha." Niles said leaning her head back again whilst she continued ranting.

"No more French wine?  Oh dear what will we clean the oil off the drive with now?"

Niles got ready to put the eye drops in here eyes again.

"No more of them "Golden Delicious" apples?  Oh, I'm slitting my wrists already!" she mocked.

"Ok, now open your eye." Niles said as he put the first drops in her left eye.

"OOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!" she shouted and then suddenly stopped and froze where she sat.

"What?  What is it?" Niles asked, worried.

"I saw something, sort of." She whispered.

"What do you mean 'sort of'?" he demanded.

"For a split second I saw you, it was blurry but I could definitely see, I saw the kitchen light was on too!" she exclaimed.

"The hospital said you had to go there immediately, if anything like this happened, this is brilliant!" Niles said with satisfaction.

One year later

"Where have you been?" C.C. asked as Niles entered the Sheffield home.

"Beirut – it's quieter." Niles deadpanned.

"Oh come on, Niles, my family aren't all that bad," C.C. said as she took his arm to lead him into the dining room where her mother B.B. sat waiting with Mr Sheffield and Miss Fine for the wonderful man that C.C. had told them all about, that she was engaged to be married to.

"You like them so much why don't we ask your mother is she would like to live with us?  So she doesn't have to spend so much time alone in that big old house of hers." Niles said innocently, watching and waiting for C.C.'s blood to start boiling.

"Because, my Dear, the second you let an OAP into your home its goodbye fun hello rubber sheets." She told him matter-of-factly.

"Oh, you weren't that much trouble, Love." Niles mocked

"Laugh now you'll be crying tomorrow," C.C. said as she pushed him into the dining room.

Niles walked into and smiled at everyone there and could she the disgust in B.B.'s face at the lowly butler that C.C. wished to marry.  C.C. saw that her mother was about ready to say something, no doubt  a nasty comment so she immediately stepped in front of Niles and introduced him to her mother.  B.B. smiled sweetly and nodded her head towards Niles.

Niles pulled out a chair for C.C. and then sat down to her left, the battle ground was set, Mr Sheffield sat at one end of the table, Miss Fine at the other.  He and C.C. were on one side and opposite was B.B.  Maxwell had arranged for a caterer to serve up a dinner, secretly preying that the presence of a third party might stop the war that he knew B.B. was so famous for.

"So…Miles…," B.B. said wiping the edges of her mouth with her napkin, "you are the one who blinded my daughter."

"Mother!" C.C. admonished.

"I know you're sorry – You're just trying to find the most degrading, grovelling, shoe-licking way of saying it." B.B. said smiling sweetly.

"Mrs Babcock, I don't think that we should really be discussing this now…" Niles begun but was cut off by B.B.'s overly loud yawn.

"You bore me, Giles." She said, again deliberately getting his name wrong again.

"Please Mother!" C.C. said through clenched teeth.

"Oh come now C.C.,  you've obviously got yourself into some bother with this … this…Piles."  She laughed at her own joke in that deep throaty laugh that everyone associated with C.C.  When she realised she was laughing alone she cleared her throat and continued looking at Niles, "Look you vile little man, you obviously have some power over my daughter perhaps this would persuade you to let her out of your grip?" she said handing Niles a piece of paper with a number written on it.   Niles picked up the piece of paper and gasped, "Is that how many miles it is to the sun?"

"Niles!" C.C. said, and then addressed her Mother," Mother, I thought you said you were going to be pleasant tonight?"

"I'm sorry C.C, Dear, could you speak up, Miss Fine's dress is too loud." B.B. said referring to the bright red and pink dress Fran was wearing.
 
"Well, I never!" Fran screeched indignantly.

"In THAT dress  I'm sure you DID my Dear." B.B. said looking at Fran with equal contempt she viewed Niles with.

C.C. knew this was the time to step in before B.B. went way to far, "Mother, I love Niles, I wanted you to meet him and perhaps give your blessing, but if it is too much to ask of you to…"

"Love!  Love him?" B.B. cut her daughter off, "When you had your hair cut did they slip in a quick lobotomy?" B.B. quipped laughing aloud again.

"Mrs Babcock, why are you so rude to your daughter?  Is it because you can see she is truly happy? You must be jealous, after your own marriage was a dismal failure." Niles gibed

B.B. looked shock that someone had the absolute gall to argue with her and begun to stutter her way through a come-back, but was abruptly cut-off by Niles, "You know I think I remember where I've seen you before, Mrs Babcock, did you appear in Deliverance?"

Fran and Maxwell both held back laughter, knowing that Niles was on a roll and B.B. had met her match.

"Well, I can see I'm not welcome here." B.B. said as she stood up.

"No, if you could see that, you would have gone ages ago." Niles countered following B.B. as she walked from the room.

"How dare you talk to me like this, you will hear from my lawyers, I'll crush you, Niles."

"You most certainly will, your ego is sucking up all the air!" Niles volleyed back as he walked around to open the door for B.B., "Off you go then you sad, little lunatic" Niles said as she stormed through the door.  Niles slammed the door and turned around to see an open mouthed Fran, Maxwell and C.C.

"Niles!? How could you be that ruse to C.C.'s mother?" Maxwell admonished.  Fran, sensing the dangerous conversation that was about to occur, promptly begun telling one of her stories to try to calm the air.

"You know this is just like my cousin Gerald, he argued with his to be mother-in-law and, well, you won't guess what happened, he had this huge argument with his wife afterwards and then boom, he's moving out the house and she is going to China to cook Sushi. And what has China ever given the world?  Can you really respect a nation that has never got the concept of cutlery?  They come over here and they throw bean sprouts all over the place.  I know what you're thinking. What about the Chinese acrobats?  OVER-Rated I could hop up on a unicycle and balance a wheel barrow on my eyebrows but I'm far too busy…"  Fran stopped to take a deep breath and stopped dead when she realised everyone was looking at her as if she were mad, "Not that that could happen HERE!" she said quickly.

Niles looked from Fran to C.C. and turned and left the house quickly,  he ran down the path and out onto the street.

C.C. stayed at the Sheffield house waiting for Niles to return he had been gone for three hours and everyone else had gone to bed.  C.C. sat in the office with the radio on quietly, she slowly begun to drift to sleep as a beautiful song begun to play on the radio,
 

C.C. dreamed back to when she was regaining her sight, Niles had been there beside her all the time.  Helping her walk, and regain her balance as her sight slowly returned.  He always seemed to be there just when she needed him.  Throughout the year they had grown closer and closer as her sight returned their love for each other had grown and grown.

C.C. thought back to 10 months ago when the police had told her that they had tracked down and arrested the man who had been in her bedroom, he was the producer's assistant at the last production she and Maxwell had put on and he had made a pass at C.C.  She basically told him to get loss, later he was caught sleeping with the lead singer in the play, due to the scandal she and Maxwell had to fire them both. The assistant was less than pleased and wanted to give C.C. "what she deserved", Niles had been there for her through the difficult time of the court case that helped put the mad man behind bars.

She remembered back to a time when she was getting ready for an important backers meeting and she was very nervous…

"You look GORGEOUS!" Niles exclaimed as he walked into the guest bedroom.

"What are you the town crier?" she said at his outburst.

"Oh, feeling a bit touchy?" Niles asked her.

"This is an important meeting, we have a lot of new idea to convey to the backers,  I'm nervous about putting my butt on the line." C.C. said as she looked herself over in the mirror.

"How do you think the line feels?" Niles mumbled.

"Niles!" she tried to sound hurt but she was smiling too hard to be angry with him, truth be told she loved these moments with him.

She walked over to him and kissed him thoroughly.  They had been standing like that for a few minutes when Fran barged in, "Hey, Miss Babcock I was wondering if…Oh gee do you guys ever quit it?"

Niles disengaged himself from C.C. and said, "well it was either that or I would have had to beat her to death with that chair." He said smiling sweetly.

"I'd drive a steak through you heart if I thought anything would kill you," C.C. said equally as sweetly.

They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds and then forcefully threw themselves at each other again and kissed passionately.
 

Niles crept through the front door and closed it quietly, not wanting to wake anybody up.  He heard a noise coming from the office and went in their to investigate.  When he opened the door, he heard the radio was slightly on and saw C.C. sitting at the desk asleep.  He listened to the song he vaguely remembered which was playing on the radio…
 

Niles walked over to her and kissed her forehead.  She woke up immediately and look disorientated as to where she was and what had happened.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"Where did you go?" She asked groggily.

"I went for a walk I had to clear my mind."

"Blow the cobwebs out of your brain?" she commented.

He laughed for a second before he asked, "are you angry?"

"Angry?  Why on Earth would I be angry with you?" she asked surprised.

"Well, you know, after having a pop at your Mother," he elaborated.

"What that?" she asked incredulously, "Niles that was any normal family dinner in my house. In fact that was the best kicking my Mother has ever had." She smiled gently at him.

Niles laughed out loud, "I thought you would kill me, I suppose listening to Miss Fine's ridiculous story made me start thinking."

"Silly Old Man," C.C. said as she reached for Niles' face and pulled him closer to her, "MY Silly Old Man." She whispered as she kissed him.

Niles was cooking breakfast in the kitchen the next morning, when he heard Miss Fine's voice approaching and by the sounds of it she was telling another story to Maxwell,  "…Another friend of mine is a stripper and she does this act with a python.  I don't know what she does with it but it never smiles…Oh hello wanderer, back so soon?" she smiled warmly.

"Yes, I'm back." Niles said with a secretive smile.

"Where's C.C.?  She was waiting for you in my office." Maxwell said.

"Bad penny's always turn up eventually, Sir." Niles deadpanned.

"I heard that, Hopsing."  C.C.'s voice came from the upstairs as she walked down the stairs in Niles' rope, she stopped to pick up an apple from the fruit bowl, she turned to see Maxwell and Fran staring from her to Niles with open mouths, "My God, the miracle has happened, Nanny Fine has finally shut up, what's wrong?  Finally used up all those wonderful stories we all just LOVE to hear?"

She walked back over to Niles and kissed him deeply.  Niles put his arm over C.C.'s shoulder and they both smiled sweetly at the gobsmacked couple.
 

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