Two Against the World

by

Aimee
(aimeed@earthlink.net)

The wind whipped her long, golden hair out behind her like a curtain of sunlight. Her cloak streamed out behind her and the skirts of her long blue satin gown fluttered against her legs as she bent low over the neck of her horse. She could hear the pounding of hooves shaking the earth, both those of her mount and that of the man beside her. Both wore grimly determined expressions as they rode to face their greatest enemy.

CC woke abruptly and stared up at her ceiling, heart still racing. She could still feel the horse pounding the earth, the wind tossing her hair and stinging her eyes, the satin gown sliding against her body. She could still feel the sense of triumph and rightness she felt with him, better than anything she'd ever felt before, and most of all, she could still feel the ache of desire tormenting her.

For God's sake, it had been too long if she was having such vivid, erotic dreams about the butler, of all people.

The reality of the dream stayed with her as she dressed in a crisp white suit and threw on a touch of makeup. She was even slightly surprised to find that her hair was its normal trendy, chin-length bob rather than the tangled, windblown, waist-length mass it was in her dream.

It was warm and a little bit windy outside as she stood waiting for the valet to bring her car. When she slid behind the wheel, she knew a moment's thrill as she ran her long, strong fingers over the leather-covered steering wheel. She'd only recently ditched her BMW to buy this classic black Mustang GT convertible, and she never got tired of the way its engine felt so powerful, the looks she got, the exultation she felt when she was driving it. If Maxwell let her off early today, she thought she might leave the city for a couple of hours and just drive and drive, it didn't matter where as long as it was fast. It would be a welcome touch of freedom in her rigidly proscribed professional life.

She grinned, remembering Niles' look of envy. "Wow, that car has almost as much testosterone as you do," he'd commented acidly. He wanted the keys so badly he'd practically developed a twitch in his fingers.

Well, she was feeling generous that day. She pulled up to the Sheffield door and honked obnoxiously until he poked his head out the door. She exited the car but left it running.

Niles rolled his eyes at the way she was showing off. God, she had attitude, they way she ran her fingers over the hood, then leaned against it looking so hot -- although he'd never tell her that -- in her sunglasses and tilted beret, the morning sun glinting on her short hair.

CC dangled the keys under his nose. "Wanna park it, Niles? Oh, come on, you know you want it."

Niles bit back his comeback, and replaced it with, "I'll make you a peanut-butter cheesecake if I can drive it to pick up Mr. Sheffield's dry cleaning."

"Niles, what could you possibly want with my little 'Stang, considering the otherwise glamorous life you lead?" She dropped the keys into his open hand.

Niles slid behind the wheel. "And it in no way troubles you that a man gets more pleasure out of touching your car than he would out of touching you?"

"The pleasure I get out of touching that car is way more than any man has ever given me. Just the all-leather interior -- woohoo!"

Niles exited the car, wiped the seat carefully with a hanky, and got back in.

CC rolled her blue eyes and ran lightly up the steps as he gunned the engine and pulled away from the curb. She tried the front door. Nothing. She shoved a little harder. It was locked. "Damn you, Niles," she muttered.

When Niles came back to find her curled up on the office sofa with a script rather than pounding the front door and cursing, he had to admire her resourcefulness. "Who let you in? We don't have a dog-flap for you to crawl through."

"Simple, brainless butler. I circled round, climbed over the terrace, and since Maxwell wasn't here, broke in with my credit card and disabled the alarm with a paper clip so the cops wouldn't come bursting in."

"Did Mr. Sheffield run a background check on you before he hired you?"

"I have no idea, but I wasn't in a sorority for nothing. Shut up, Niles."

"Good God, woman, did you go to college at McDonalds and study with the Cheese Burglar?"

"If I had you'd remember me, Dean of the French fry department. Speaking of which, don't you have a cheesecake to make?"

"I'll see if we have any milk that's past its sell-by date."

"You mean, like you are? By the way, Niles, you may want to look into getting a new alarm. I don't think I did it quite right."

"I'm sure your last date would agree." Niles ran to inspect the box. Sure enough, a wire was sticking out and the little light wasn't blinking. He tried to reconnect the wire.

Sirens shrieked throughout the house and CC huddled on the sofa with her hands over her ears while Niles tried to fix the wire. Finally, she dashed over, hooked her finger through, and yanked. Not only did the wire come loose from the box, the box came loose from the wall.

"You broke it!" he complained.

"Like your last date did to you?"

"Like I did to your car about twenty minutes ago?"

CC gave an anguished scream and ran for the door.

"Just kidding," he called.

When Maxwell wasn't back by two o'clock, CC decided she'd had it. He hadn't even called to say where he was. Niles claimed he was just off with his wife and the children somewhere.

In the living room, she heard the phone ring, but ignored it. If it wasn't the business line, it wasn't any of her concern. She gathered up a couple of scripts to read and shoved them in her briefcase.

"Hasta, Niles," she called as she slipped into her trenchcoat and fished in her briefcase for her sunglasses.

Niles came flying out of the kitchen. "Miss Babcock, wait!"

"What's the matter with you, being chased by a possessed spatula?"

"Only annoyed by a possessed brunette."

"And Nanny Fine is where?"

"Trapped in New Jersey with Mr. Sheffield."

"He finally decided to throw her into the Hudson River with all the other waste products?"

"No, they're being held hostage by kidnappers."

For once, CC had no response.

Thank God for eight-cylinder engines, CC thought as she opened up the Mustang farther than the law would allow. Not only were they making it to New Jersey in record time to save Maxwell, Fran, and the three children, the intense pleasure she took in driving took the edge off CC's anxiety.

She glanced over at Niles. He, too, seemed to welcome the sting of the wind in his face, though his fingers were white-knuckled with terror as he clutched the briefcase containing the ransom money. "Thank God for eight-cylinder engines," he remarked.

CC grinned at him as he echoed her thought. "How can you be enjoying this?" he demanded. "Did it not occur to you that these people are in terrible danger, or do you just not care?"

"I'm mad as hell, like anybody would be," she told him. "It's just that being on the open road like this, with the wind in my face, flying to meet whatever comes, makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something. Anyway, I see the look on your face. You're getting an adrenaline high just like I am."

Niles refused to admit she was right. "There! For God's sake, woman, merge right! That was our exit!"

"It still is," said CC, coasting two lanes to the right, swerving sharply, and hitting the brakes.

The car slowed down as it eased onto the exit ramp. "Go left," Niles said as soon as his stomach returned to its proper position.

CC found herself on an unpaved country lane. "That's it up ahead," Niles told her, pointing to an empty-looking, run-down white farmhouse.

CC pulled over and drove up a small lane leading to a fallow field. She pulled the car in where it couldn't be seen from the road, locked it, and got out.

"What the hell are you doing, you lunatic?"

"Approaching the house on foot in case they have any thoughts about disabling the car and grabbing us, too. Now, how are we supposed to manage the exchange?"

Niles frowned. "They said we're supposed to just go up to the front door and someone will meet us."

"It's nearly dark, I bet we could do some recon first. Did you get an idea of how many of them there are when you were on the phone with them?"

"At least two there, with mention of a third, I don't know where he is. Surely you're not contemplating a rescue mission."

"I'm not giving up half our profits for this quarter so they can kill us all anyway."

CC slipped off her heels and tucked them into her briefcase. "Bring the money, stay low, and keep quiet." She led him between two rows of dead vegetation until they could see the house about three hundred yards distant.

"Wait, Miss Babcock. Let me go. If anything happens, we'll need you still safe out here when the police arrive."

CC swallowed hard. "Niles," she began.

"What is it, Caca?"

"Umm, I, well, just be careful. And take this." CC handed him a small revolver.

"What the hell are you packing iron for?"

"I'm a single woman living alone in Manhattan. Enough said?"

Niles tucked the gun into his pants and crept forward.

The next fifteen minutes were the longest of CC's life. Once he crept around the other side of the house, she couldn't see him at all until she saw him heading for the barn.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Biting back a scream, she grabbed, twisted, and started to break it until she heard, "Damn it, you orangutan, it's me!"

CC released Niles. He told her, "The Sheffields are tied up in the barn with one guard. I saw two in the house and overheard a phone conversation claiming that two more would be here within half an hour."

"So we need to act now." CC called the police on her cell phone. They were already familiar with the situation, because Niles had called them earlier. She didn't mention that they were planning a prison break.

"They'll be here in fifteen minutes," she said.

"Do we wait?"

"No. We can't risk getting anyone shot, and we don't want it turning into a long-term hostage crisis."

Niles hadn't even thought of that. "How do you know all this?"

"NYPD Blue. Now, how are we going to bust this up?"

"We've got fifteen minutes. I say we each approach from a different side. I'll approach from the front and try to get a clear shot at the guard, you start untying the Sheffields.

"No good. The shot will bring the other men. I'll get one of the children to distract them, and you take him down quietly while his back is turned. If you can get in one good punch, I'll be right there to help out."

Niles nodded. "With one exception. You stay out of the fight, Caca. I don't want you in any more danger than necessary."

"But Niles -- "

Niles grabbed her arms. "Don't argue with me, witch. I grant you, no man in his right mind would touch you, but these men obviously are not in their right minds. Do you know what they might do to you, what they could already have done to Fran, or Maggie, or even Grace?"

CC swallowed hard and nodded her agreement. "Take him down hard and fast, and I'll get the Sheffields out. I'll meet you back at the car."

Niles touched her arm. "Miss Babcock, if anything goes wrong, save yourself. Just get out and don't do anything heroic."

CC agreed, but she had her fingers crossed. They were in this together, and despite the dire circumstances, she'd never felt this unity with another human being before. Maybe she he hated this man, but she wasn't leaving him to die.

They approached the barn together, and CC whispered. "When you hear the children complaining, then that's your signal that he's distracted."

"Okay. Be careful."

She swallowed hard and managed a weak grin. "Hey -- NYPD Blue, remember?"

It was no difficulty for CC to slip into the barn unseen. There was only one lantern, which created more shadows than light as she slipped inside.

Fran and Max were tied to one post, Brighton to another, Maggie and Grace to another.

CC had been planning to approach Grace, feeling that the youngest would have the most emotional impact, but seeing that Brighton was alone, she chose him instead. She didn't need Maggie to get startled and start screaming at the top of her lungs.

Brighton was pale and haggard, as were they all, but he bravely clenched his teeth when he heard CC hissing in his ear. "Not one word. Niles and I are here. I'm going to untie you, but you need to pretend you're still tied up. I'm going to hide. You ask to go to the bathroom. Niles is going to jump him when his back is turned, and when that happens, you untie your sisters and I'll get your parents and we're all going to run." CC touched the palm of his hand. "Touch my hand if you understand." Brighton squeezed her fingers. "Give me ten seconds," CC whispered.

She barely had time to hide behind a haystack when Brighton started his diatribe about needing to use a toilet. The guard turned to him and told him to shut up and tie it off, at which point Fran, who'd seen the entire exchange with CC, started in on him. The guard swore at Fran, causing Maxwell to protest. Grace and Maggie started to cry as they saw Niles sneak up behind the man, and the distraction was more than CC could have hoped for. Niles had no trouble sneaking up, grabbing the arm that held the rifle, and kicking his knee out. The gunman went down, and Niles shoved his head into the dirt to stop him from shouting an alarm.

CC dashed out of hiding and started to work on Max and Fran's ropes, and when she glanced over, Brighton was freeing his sisters. Soon, she was ushering them all toward the doors.

Niles was still struggling with the guard. CC was torn between fulfilling her commission to get the Sheffields to safety and going to help him. She couldn't leave him alone, but if she didn't go with the Sheffields, they would have no way of knowing where the car was. "Max, help Niles," she ordered. "I'm taking the children to the car."

CC couldn't resist one look back as she ushered Fran and the children out of the barn, across the yard, and into the field. "Keep low!" she hissed. When Fran tripped and fell, CC ripped her spike heels off and hauled her to her feet. For once, Fran didn't protest the rough treatment.

When the car was in sight, CC tossed Fran the keys. "Get everybody in," she said. "Leave room for Niles and Max. I'm driving." She started back.

She emerged to find Niles and Max running hell-for-leather at her. The three fled to the car. CC hopped right over the door of the convertible into the driver's seat. Niles got in the passenger side, and Max shoved himself in the back next to Brighton. Maggie sat on Fran's lap and Grace sat on Brighton's.

Fran pressed the button on the keychain to start it automatically as CC was getting in, then handed her the keys. CC slid them in and threw the car into gear. Soon, she was doing ninety and everyone had dust in their faces.

It wasn't two minutes before they met up with a calvacade of police, and CC screeched to a halt.

It was eight the next morning before they returned to the Sheffield house. CC had never been more disgusted in her life. "I should have known it was that floozy's fault," she muttered as she sank into a kitchen chair. Fran had demanded to go to a theme park in New Jersey, and had needed to stop to go to the bathroom on the way home. They'd been taken at the service station.

CC started to call Niles on the intercom to ask for coffee, then realized that Niles had just as rough a night as she did. She got up to make it herself, thinking, Damn. I'm too easy on Rubbermaid. When did I go soft?

She hadn't even figured out how to put the filter in when Niles came in with two shot glasses and a bottle of Johnny Walker Black. CC grabbed the bottle and took a long drink. Niles grabbed it away and took an even longer one. Neither even bothered with the shot glasses.

They left the kitchen and took up their usual drinking positions side by side on the couch. "If we're gonna drink, you better keep your goddamn hands offa me this time," she warned him, already a little soused.

"But the temptation to strangle you is just overwhelming."

For a long time, they were silent. Then CC asked, "So where are the Charmings?"

"Resting. Master Brighton is with Mr. Sheffield in the master bedroom, and Mrs. Sheffield is with Miss Grace and Miss Margaret in her old room."

"So, umm, listen, Rochester." He grinned at the familiar nickname. "You were a real Hogan's Hero out there last night. Or maybe you were more of an Old-age Mutant Ninja Turtle. I don't know. But you were good."

"Thanks, Caca." It was her turn to smile at the snide endearment. "You were something of a Bionic Woman yourself."

CC laughed and grabbed the bottle. Niles didn't grab it back immediately, so after a minute she looked at him.

His head had fallen to the side. CC carefully eased him onto his back so he wouldn't wake with a crick in his neck. She then sat at the end of the couch, intending to get smashed alone, but having Niles out of commission took away the appeal of the activity. So she set down the bottle and after a while, her head started to droop and she slumped down, fast asleep. Her body fell to the side, landing her on top of Niles.

Niles woke about an hour later and found the sleeping blonde resting her head on his chest. He shifted into a more comfortable position and put his arms around her. She mumbled and became restless for a moment, but never awakened.

CC awoke when it was nearly lunchtime to find herself atop a sleeping Niles with only the vaguest idea how she got there. The entire house was silent. She wondered how long it would take the reporters to start arriving, and knew she ought to go shower and borrow some clean clothing. It was always her job to field the press. But after the night's work and then being at the police station giving statements until early morning, CC felt incapable of sneezing, much less anything requiring effort.

She at least ought to get off of Niles and go rest in the guestroom. But what the hell. He looked comfy, and had his arms locked around her so she couldn't escape. So she lay her golden head back on his chest and closed her eyes.

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