Part Eighteen by
IvanaBgood
(IvanaBgood@aol.com)
"Anyway, so the old lady turns out to be Niles’ mother!" continued Grace, her eyes closed as she pictured the scene.
"His Mother!" snorted Brighton, interrupting her. "Geez, Gracie! That is so far-fetched! Even if we could somehow engineer it to get Niles and CC alone together in London, which I sincerely doubt we could, how are we going to bring his mother into things? We don’t even know the woman!"
"Well it was just a thought!" said Grace, defensively. "At least it was better than your stupid idea of spying on Dad from the clothes hamper! You haven’t even been able to fit into that thing since you were nine years old!"
"Okay, so it was a lame plan…but it wasn’t as lame as Maggie’s idea of having CC help out Dad and Fran by locking them in the wine cellar! As if that would ever happen!!"
"It might!" argued Maggie. "CC doesn’t want Dad for herself anymore, remember? She wants Niles!"
"Yeah, but that still doesn’t mean she suddenly likes Fran any better!"
"Actually! Fran and CC have formed a sort of alliance in the last couple of days!" stated Grace, interrupting her siblings before things erupted into a fully-fledged argument.
Maggie and Brighton looked over at their younger sister in surprise.
"What! What do you mean?" demanded Maggie.
Grace shrugged her shoulders. "I’m not exactly sure what’s going on but I overheard them talking. I think Fran is trying to get CC and Niles to talk to each other after that argument they had the other night…after Niles caught her kissing Chandler."
Maggie and Brighton fell silent as they digested this piece of information.
"Dad and Niles are also working on a plan!" offered Grace into the silence.
Again they looked at her in amazement.
"How do you find out these things?" asked Brighton, shaking his head in wonder.
"I’m little! People don’t seem to see me standing there." she replied. "And I’ve learnt a bit from Fran and Niles over the years!"
"Geez, remind me to keep a better eye out for you in the future!" grumbled Brighton, flopping down on Maggie’s bed.
"I wouldn’t spy on you, Brighton!" smirked Grace. "And I wouldn’t know a thing about those Playboys you have stashed under your bed!"
"Why you little…"
"Cut it out guys!" interjected Maggie, "We have to focus here! Grace…what about this plan of Dad and Niles’?"
"I don’t know what it is but it’s happening on Friday night. Dad asked Niles for his help. I remember that Niles wasn’t very happy because he was going to have to cancel a date with CC."
"Oh…okay. So getting back to the original subject, we don’t seem to have had any trouble coming up with bad ideas…the question is, can we come up with a good one?" Maggie looked at her brother and sister.
Brighton shook his head. He couldn’t think of anything.
"Well," answered Grace, "Why don’t we keep our ears to the ground, find out what their plans are and then just make sure we’re on hand in case we need to help out at all?"
Maggie and Brighton looked at each other and nodded.
"Sounds logical!" said Brighton.
"Yeah, good idea." Maggie agreed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later on the afternoon Niles walked into Max’s office. "We need to talk about the plans for Friday night."
Max looked up from his desk. "What about them?"
"Well, you don’t think that maybe they’re a little too…complex?"
"Niles old man, you worry too much. Everything will be fine! All we have to do is map out a route, leave a trail of clues along the way, Fran will follow them, end up at The Rainbow Room, which I’ve booked out for the night. Once she’s there we can have a lovely romantic dinner and I’ll manage to convince her that I don’t think of her as a bimbo. Then, she’ll agree to wear the ring again! It will be a piece of cake. It will be just like a treasure hunt, Fran will love it!"
"If you say so." Niles replied sceptically. "Er…I was wondering if we could modify things a bit though?"
"What do you mean?"
"I was hoping that we could change things to include CC as well."
"CC?"
"Yeah, I’ve realised that I may have over-reacted to the whole Chandler thing. I thought maybe this could be a way of making things up to her a little bit. It wouldn’t be for the whole evening, once they arrive at The Rainbow Room you and Fran could have your romantic dinner and I’ll take CC somewhere to talk!"
Max shrugged. "That’s fine by me. Umm…how will you get CC and Fran together to follow the clues?"
"I’m not sure yet. I’ll figure something out! I was also thinking that maybe we should go tomorrow afternoon and put everything in place."
"Tomorrow? But it’s only Wednesday today, this won’t be happening until Friday!"
"I know that but Fran has made a point of asking me if I’m going to be home tomorrow afternoon for the children. That must mean she’s going out. So, it gives us an opportunity to slip away and organise things…we might not get the chance on Friday!"
"Oh, I see! But, what about the kids? Shouldn’t someone be here for them?"
Niles rolled his eyes in exasperation. "In case you haven’t noticed, the children have grown up! Miss Margaret’s even driving now…they hardly need a baby-sitter!"
"I guess you’re right." sighed Max, not liking to be reminded that his babies weren’t babies anymore. "Okay, we’ll go out and get everything done tomorrow then."
Niles looked at his boss and shook his head in amazement.
"What?" frowned Max. "Did I forget something?"
"No. I was just thinking that this plan of yours is quite…creative! Not really like you at all!"
"I am a Broadway producer Niles!" he protested, before giving Niles a rueful smile. "Okay, so I got the idea from a play that was sent to me to read… Fran doesn’t need to know that! She’ll think it was all my idea!" He smugly leant back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head, having totally forgotten that CC had also read that very same play!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grace, crouching down on the other side of the door, quickly put down the glass she’d been using to eavesdrop with and went in search of her siblings, eager to fill them in on these latest developments.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Fran was in the kitchen, surreptitiously making a phone-call. "CC…it’s me!"
"Me who?"
Fran sighed impatiently. "Fran…Nanny Fine!"
"Oh! Nanny Fine! Sorry I didn’t recognise your voice." deadpanned CC.
"Listen, I just thought I’d let you know that Niles has come home. Why don’t you come by tomorrow afternoon and talk to him?"
"I don’t know…what if he doesn’t want to see me?"
"Come on CC! You two have got to sit down and sort this misunderstanding out!"
"Okay, I’ll come."
"Perfect! He’ll be here…I’ve made sure!"
Hearing footsteps approach, Fran quickly hung up the phone and hurried out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following afternoon, Fran was about to descend the stairs when she saw Max and Niles meet up in the living room. She paused to listen.
"All set?" Max asked.
"Yep. Everything’s under control." Niles replied.
"Have you got the notes?"
"Right here." Niles tapped his breast pocket.
"Okay, let’s go!"
They cast furtive glances around the room to make sure nobody was watching and left the house.
Curious, Fran came down the stairs and went to the window. She watched as the two men again looked around before getting in the car and driving off down the street. CC arrived at that moment, parking her car in the recently vacated spot. As she got out of her car Fran opened the front door and raced down the steps to meet her.
"Quick! Get back in the car!"
"What? Why?" asked CC confused.
"Our men just left." explained Fran as she quickly got in the car beside CC. "They’re up to something and I wanna know what it is! Now drive!"
Grace, having seen all this from her up-stairs bedroom window, ran down the hallway and barged into Maggie’s room, relieved to find Brighton there as well. "Guys…" she gasped, a little out of breath, "Dad and Niles have just left to go and set up their plan but Fran and CC are following them! We have to follow them!"
Brighton quickly stood up. "Let’s roll!"
Maggie snatched up her car keys.
~~~~~~~~~
"Where are they going?!" CC gunned the gas pedal and manoeuvred past a few cars and a truck, managing to be three car lengths behind Maxwell and Niles in an instant. Both women oblivious to the screech of tires, erratic honking and swearing behind them.
"I don’t know, but don’t lose them!" Fran grimly held on to the car’s console. "When Niles can keep a secret from me – you know that means trouble!"
"It’s probably nothing. It looks like Niles is taking him to his attorney’s office – they’re heading for 5th Street."
"Does Max’s lawyer suffer from bad banana breath and a hatred for airplanes?"
"No," CC pulled her attention away from the street and threw Fran a confused look. "Why?"
Fran pointed, "They’re headed for the Empire State Building. Hurry up and pull over, Niles just got out of the car and ran in."
"Nanny Fine, this is New York City! I can’t just pull over and park"
"Oh yeah. Drop me off and loop back over here and pick me up. It looks like Max is going to do the same thing."
Fran leaped out and ran inside the building. She saw Niles face just before the elevator doors closed and she watched the numbers outside climb.
‘He’s going to the very top. I’m sure of it!’ Listening to her own hunch, Fran stepped into another elevator and rode it to the surface. Eagerly she stepped out into the sunshine and looked around and above people’s heads for that face she knew so well.
There he is!
Fran peered around the corner as Niles pulled out a couple scraps of paper, folded them over, looked around carefully before wedging them inside a metal pole, just under a telescope. With a smirk of satisfaction, he patted it and made his way back to the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, Fran made a dash to where he’d been and poked a long fingernail in, pushing the object out. Then tightly holding it in her fist, she ran back to the elevators.
She squinted into the bright sunshine as she stepped out, heard the squeal of brakes and watched as CC made an illegal U-turn.
The passenger door was thrown open.
"Get in! Hurry or we’re going to lose them!"
Fran threw herself in, her bottom sliding into the leather seat as she frantically pulled the door closed, fighting a buffet of wind as CC drove off without waiting for her to get settled.
The kids were not far behind. Brighton’s mouth gaped open as he watched CC nearly clip a little old lady in a walker who was trying to cross the street.
"So…" CC took a deep breath now that she had Maxwell and Niles back in her sight, "what did he go in there to get?"
"Not get, drop off." Fran said as she opened her hand to CC’s view, two scrunched up bits of paper inside. She opened the one marked with her name.
"Darling, the beautiful lights of the skyline tremble with jealousy at the majesty you cast with one single smile, Love Max." Fran sighed. "Awwww… isn’t that the sweetest thing you’ve ever heard?"
"Yeah, yeah. Is there one for me? Ooo!" CC grabbed the other paper when she spotted her name. "Take over for a sec."
"Wha?" Fran’s eyes enlarged with fear as she watched CC take her hands off the steering wheel. "Are you crazy?!" She seized it and the car swerved as she desperately tried not to bump into the car next to them.
CC ignored her as she read her note.
"Babcock – your lips are so hot, my mouth how they scorch; your ass so hard, rivals the lady with the torch. Love Niles." CC pressed the paper to her bosom. "Awwww… he is such a romantic," she softly breathed.
"Yeah, a regular William Shakesporn. Will you grab the wheel already!" Fran sat back and peered through the windshield. "Where do you suppose they’re heading to now?"
"Statue of Liberty."
"Heh? How do you figure?"
"Niles’ note. Weren’t you listening?"
"Yeah, but I guess I’m not as fluent in kinky as you are."
Sure enough, the ladies watched as Niles walked behind the statue. A few moments later he jumped back in the car. Fran waited for him to walk away before snatching the new notes from their hiding place and then hopped in with CC hurriedly.
"I swear, grown-ups are so weird." Gracie muttered as she watched them from a few yards away.
"Yeah," Brighton replied, not listening to his sister as he made eye contact with the cute redhead who pulled up next to them. She winked and held out something to him. With a slight tremble he took it and with a quick blown kiss of goodbye she was gone. He looked down. It was a business card with her name and number. "Follow that black van!"
"We’re suppose to be following CC and Fran," Maggie rolled her eyes at her brother.
"Yeah, we’re on a mission, remember?" Gracie put in. "Besides that girl was way out of your league."
"Then why did she give me this, huh? C’mon you guys, please. I’ll do anything!"
Noticing the desperation in their brother’s eyes, the two sisters grinned at one another. "Anything?"
"Yes!"
"Let’s see where Dad, Niles, Fran and CC go to next. Then maybe. Meanwhile, why don’t you try that number, ask her if she likes to be paid in small bills or large ones."
Brighton grabbed the cell phone. "I hope she takes credit cards!"
~~~~~~~~
After both women sighed as they clutched their notes, Fran got all weepy.
"I shouldn’t have gotten so upset with Max. He loves me. This whole marvellous adventure proves it."
"Yeah, but it sounds so familiar somehow. Like something I’ve seen or read somewhere." CC nibbled on her bottom lip as she drove.
"Who cares? I just want to do something as romantic for him too. Don’t you?"
"Hmm…?" CC mumbled as she turned right, keeping Niles and Max in her sight. "They’re heading for Rockefeller Center."
"I said, don’t you want to do something just as romantic for Niles?"
"Oh, I do. Silky scarves, a blindfold..."
Fran grimaced as she listened to CC’s deep-throated chuckle. "Now that was a visual that I didn’t need."
~~~~~~~~
"Are you sure that they’ll be able to find the notes?" Maxwell asked worriedly. "Otherwise I’ll end up all alone waiting for a date that won’t arrive."
"Yes. I took turns with each piece of paper. They should be able to figure out our riddles."
"I can’t wait to see the look in Fran’s face when she sees the champagne chilling, the bouquet of roses that I’ll have waiting to give to her."
Niles’ eyebrows danced. "I can’t wait to see CC in a hot tub and the bouquet of me that I’ll be waiting to give her."
"A bouquet of you?"
"Yes. She gave me this leather string briefs that has a bow in the front and when you untie it…"
"Never mind – I don’t want to know!"
~~~~~~~~
"Yeah… I do look sort of like Brad Pitt," Brighton smiled into the phone.
Maggie looked into the rear-view mirror and shared a grimace with her sister.
"Uh huh. You are the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen Cordelia. You must be a model."
"Face it Brighton. Charlie Brown never got the cute little red head and he had better fashion sense."
He snarled at his big sister.
"What? Oh no, Cordelia – that was the loud beating of my heart that you just heard."
"Now they’re leaving Rockefeller Center, where do you suppose they’ll be going to next?" Gracie asked.
"Who knows," Maggie shrugged. "All I know is this better start getting more interesting because I was suppose to be hanging out with Heather today."
"You’re in a band?! Wow! So, is that why you gave me your card, you want a roadie, someone to carry your equipment?… Really? No, I’m attracted to you too!" Brighton turned his shoulder away from his sisters who were eavesdropping.
"What are you doing?" Maggie asked as Gracie poked her head out the window and looked up.
"I’m looking for frogs falling out of the sky. This must be the apocalypse if that girl actually wants Brighton."
"Who? Oh them… those are just my dopey sisters you saw with me. I’m a free-wheeling guy. So are your brothers? Logan, 21 and Alec, 15. And they’re in the band with you?"
Maggie and Gracie’s heads snapped, looking at him.
"I don’t know… I would love to meet up, but my sisters don’t…"
Gracie elbowed him hard.
Brighton smiled, "Where are you guys at? Sure we don’t mind hanging around while you work at some party."
~~~~~~~~
"This is like a treasure hunt! Our guys have been sending us all over New York, leaving sweet romantic notes, giving us hints on where to go next."
"That’s it!" CC snapped her fingers. "No wonder this whole thing sounded so familiar."
Off Fran’s confused look. "Maxwell read about it in a play."
"So it’s not original. It still shows me something." She held out the note that they’d just un-taped from under a bench in Central Park.
"What?"
"That Max thinks I’m more than a pretty face."
"Yeah, right!"
"I’ll prove it to you. Listen to my note." Fran cleared her throat, "You’re lovely like a Goddess, from your head to your size sevens. An Aphrodite of beauty, my love from the heavens."
"Nanny Fine, I hate to burst your bubble… who am I kidding, I’m loving this! That whole thing talks about your appearance."
"No it doesn’t."
"How do you figure?"
"Aphrodite? Get it? Born from the foam of the sea."
"So…?"
Fran sighed, "She was married to Hephaestus, the god of fire and smithy to the gods. Sacred to her are the myrtle, rose, apple, poppy, sparrow, dove, swan, tortoise, ram, the planet Venus, and the month of April."
"Nanny Fine – get to the point! I want to ravish Niles before we both end up in a Nursing home!"
"April, the month of showers?" Fran shook her head at CC’s confused look. "What happens after it rains? The light refracts and makes a…"
"Rainbow! They’re headed for The Rainbow Room! – Duck!!"
The women peered over as they drove slowly by. Max and Niles had gotten into a little car accident. They both stood around looking at the fender bender and talking to the other guy who’d hit them from behind.
Once they’d driven far enough past they straightened in their seats. CC glanced over at Fran to find her grinning idiotically. "What?"
"I have just had the most amazing, crazy, brilliant idea!" exclaimed Fran.
CC groaned.
"No, no! This one’s a good one…I promise! Find somewhere to pull over and I’ll tell ya."
As CC searched for a parking spot, Fran worked her plan through her mind again, nodding to herself with satisfaction when she realised it could work.
"Okay…" said CC as she finally located a spot and drove into it, "What’s this idea of yours?"
"I’ll tell you in a second but I need to ask you something first! This thing between you and Niles….is it serious? Or are you just looking to…er…scratch an itch?"
CC was amused by the question. "Well, I’m definitely hoping to get a few itches scratched in the process but, yeah, I’m serious. Damned if I don’t love that male maid!"
"Good!" beamed Fran, relieved. "That’s just what I was hoping you’d say! Here’s what I was thinking…."
CC’s head drew nearer as Fran proceeded to spell out her latest scheme.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CC looked at Fran with approval. "Not bad…not bad at all! In fact…I like it!"
"You mean you want to do it?" asked Fran, squealing with excitement when CC nodded her head.
"It’s going to take some quick planning to pull off though…assuming that the guys are setting this up for tomorrow night!" CC said, thoughtfully.
"It’s also going to take a few bucks!" replied Fran, beginning to rummage through her purse, "Here! I’ve got $6.35cents." She held the handful of coins out for CC to see.
CC rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess that means I’m bank-rolling this thing then! What the hell…it’s only money! If it’s going to help me get Niles…"
"Wow! For you to say something like that, you must be serious!" declared Fran. Suddenly another thought hit her. "Oh…the kids! I have to find them and tell them what’s going on!"
"That shouldn’t be too hard." replied CC dryly, "Considering they’re parked four cars behind us!"
"What?!" exclaimed Fran, quickly looking over her shoulder.
"They’ve been trailing us ever since we left the house!"
"How on earth did you spot them? I thought you were occupied keeping track of Max and Niles!"
"Don’t forget, Nanny Fine, I’ve been playing Roadrunner to Niles’ Wiley E. Coyote for nearly twenty years now. I’ve learnt to have eyes everywhere! Hmm…let me see…Marsha’s driving, Brian’s in the passenger’s seat next to her and the little one, damn I can never remember her name!, is in the back seat."
"Gracie!" sighed Fran in exasperation, not even bothering to correct the other two names.
"Gracie?" repeated CC with a frown, "Are you sure? Doesn’t seem right somehow!" She looked in her rear-vision mirror. "Anyway, there seems to some kind of discussion going on. My guess is that it has something to do with the black van we passed a couple of miles back and the red-head who leaned out and handed Brian a piece of paper."
"I’m going to go and talk to them." said Fran, climbing out of the car.
CC watched her walked away, a smile playing across her lips. Someday she was going to have to stop this game she played with the kids names!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Here comes Fran!" hissed Maggie, interrupting the discussion as to whether or not they should meet up with Cordelia and her brothers. "Quick! Hide!"
As she approached the car, Fran saw all three heads suddenly disappear as the kids dove down into their seats. She tapped on the driver’s window. "Oh Kids!!!!!!!!"
Maggie sheepishly sat up and rolled down the window. "Hi Fran. We were just..um…"
"Whatever" answered Fran, with an uncaring sweep of her arm. "Listen, this is what’s happening…."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning at breakfast Fran and Max were playing it cool.
"So Fran, what are you up to today?"
"Oh nothing much!" replied Fran, ruefully thinking of the busy day that lay ahead for her. "I’ll probably meet up with Val and just hang out…maybe go to the mall."
"I see. And what about this evening? Any plans?" asked Max in a deceptively casual tone.
Fran couldn’t resist the urge to make him squirm a little. "Not so far. Why? You want to have dinner?"
"Um…no." said Max hastily. "I’m busy tonight. Sorry."
Biting the inside of her lip to keep from laughing, Fran decided she should leave before she blew it. She looked at her watch. "It’s getting late. I should go and get dressed and then go and meet Val. I’ll see ya later!"
"Okay, Bye!" Max said as he bent his head and began reading his paper.
Before she left the room Fran turned back to look at him, thinking of the next time she’d see him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fran hurriedly dressed and quietly slipped out of the house. She paused on the doorstep, retrieved her phone from her bag and dialled what was rapidly becoming a familiar number. "CC? It’s Fran! I’m on my way but I was just wondering how things went with the manager of The Rainbow Room?……"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that day an exhausted Fran and CC were in the midst of getting a manicure when CC’s cell-phone rang.
"CC Babcock speaking!"
"CC, it’s Max! I was wondering if you could do me a favour? I have some contracts being couriered to my office tonight at 6 o’clock. Unfortunately I’ve been held up in a meeting. Could you possibly be there to sign for them?"
"6 o’clock? Geez, I don’t know Maxwell, I’m kind of busy." replied CC throwing Fran a wink.
"Please CC." begged Max, sending Niles a stricken look. "It’s important!"
"Oh all right!" grumbled CC into the phone. She hung up and grinned at Fran. "Well, that was Batman setting up his part! I guess we will be hearing from Robin anytime now!"
Sure enough. Thirty seconds later, Fran’s phone rang.
"Oh Niles! What a surprise. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you!" dead-panned Fran, upon hearing the Butler’s voice.
"Yeah…well…I was hoping you could help me out with something. I was supposed to be in Max’s office at 6 o’clock to sign for some contracts but I can’t make it. Could you do it?"
"I don’t know Niles." she hedged.
"Please…it’s really important!"
"Okay, I guess I could!"
Niles hung up the phone and shared a triumphant hi-five with Max.
"Let me guess!" said CC as Fran put her phone away. "You’re needed in Maxwell’s office at 6 o’clock!"
Fran nodded and the two women dissolved into laughter. "Amateurs!!" they wheezed in unison.
"So, you’ve read this play…" Fran said once she’d composed herself, "What could we have expected to happen at the office?"
"Probably a new evening gown each and clues to the first destination!"
"Oh! I would have liked a new evening gown!"
"I’m sure we’ll get them eventually" said CC philosophically. "Besides we’re going to be much more appropriately dressed!"
The women laughed again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A little before 8pm, Max and Niles, both attired in formal tuxedoes, entered The Rainbow Room.
"I just hope they turn up!" said Niles as they walked through the door.
"Relax Niles. What could possibly go wrong?"
Max’s question was answered a second later when the maitre d’ came rushing up to them. "Mr Sheffield! I’m terribly sorry but there’s been a horrible mix up with the bookings. There’s another function booked for this evening as well! But we have set up a secluded table for you and your…" He looked at Niles questioningly, "…date. The meal will be compliments of the house, naturally!"
Max was disappointed but realised he didn’t really have a choice. "I guess that will have to do!" he grumbled, making his displeasure known.
Still apologising profusely, the maitre d’ led them to the table. Once they were seated, he walked away, grinning to himself with pleasure at how well he’d done his part.
"I hope this isn’t an omen of how the rest of the evening’s going to be." muttered Max as he began to survey the room.
"Don’t worry! Everything will be fine." Niles reassured him. "Besides, I’m the one who has more reason to be nervous. I haven’t even spoken to CC since our silly fight! I hope…."
"Niles?" interrupted Max, "That woman over there, the one wearing the big feathered hat, do we know her? She looks familiar to me."
Niles looked in the direction Max was gesturing at, his eyes widening when he recognised the woman. "That’s Fran’s Aunt Freda!"
Max groaned.
"It gets worse!" continued Niles, looking around the room. "Over there is her cousin Ira and seated in that corner over there are her Uncle Irving and cousin Tiffany!"
"You mean we’re in the middle of a Fine family gathering?" spluttered Max.
"It must be something important…. there’s a rabbi here!" informed Niles. "Although, just why he’s sitting with a Catholic priest I’m not sure!"
"Well, I’m not going to stick around to find out!" declared Max standing up. "If Fran arrives and discovers there’s a family event and she wasn’t invited…." He trailed off, the possibilities too awful even to contemplate. "Come on Niles! We’ll wait for the ladies outside and then go somewhere else."
Just as they were about to move away from the table the doors opened and Fran and CC entered the room. Both men dropped heavily back to their seats, their jaws falling open as they took in the scene before their eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fran and CC were both wearing wedding dresses and clutching bouquets. As the kids and Fran’s immediate family slipped into the room behind them, the women started walking slowly towards their men. They came to a stop in front of their respective mates and suddenly dropped to bended knees.
Fran reached out and took Max’s hand in hers.
Max gulped as he looked at her kneeling there. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her hair was swept on top of her head and crowned with roses. Her white dress was held up by wide straps and gathered beneath her breasts. The neckline was surprisingly demure.
"You look amazing," he managed to say and then caught himself, "for a very bright, intuitive woman that is."
A smile broke out on Fran’s face. "Love me?" she quietly asked.
"Always."
Fran felt the tension leave her body. "And I love you Maxwell Sheffield. The moment I set my eyes upon yours I suddenly felt whole. I never knew that my life before I stepped into that mansion was just a dress rehearsal. Now…," she licked her lips nervously, "now I would like you to join me and make it the longest running production ever. Marry me?"
She smiled at him then, a soft smile that always turned Maxwell’s insides into jelly, and he didn’t try to hide the admiration and love he felt as he smiled down at her in return,
But gently he replied, "No."
Fran’s eyes began to glisten, she stood up. Maxwell took her hand as she started to turn away and placed a soft kiss on her palm. "Do me the honour of marrying you, Fran. Please be my wife?"
Her teeth flashed immediately. "Yes!"
That’s when Sylvia started to cry.
As the couple embraced, the room then switched its attention to Niles and CC.
Typically, CC’s proposal was far less flowery. "What do you reckon, Butlerboy? It’s about time don’t you think?" Only the slight tremble of her hand holding his gave Niles any indication of how nervous she really was.
A broad smile swept across his face. "Yeah, I reckon it is!" As she broke into a relieved grin, Niles stood up and began helping her to her feet, her cumbersome gown making the task more difficult.
"That’s the last time I get to my knees before you!" she grumbled as she smoothed out the front of her dress. Niles raised an eyebrow and with a smirk opened his mouth to respond. CC, however, realised his intended comment and quickly clapped her hand over his mouth. "Don’t even think about it! There are children in the room!"
Chuckling, Niles reached up and removed her hand. "Okay then, how about if I just say…I love you?"
"Much better!" she sighed happily, winding her arms around his neck and drawing him in for a kiss.
Recognising their cue, the Rabbi and the Priest began clearing their throats to get everyone’s attention.
"Okay Folks, let’s get this show on the road!" suggested the Rabbi.
As tables and chairs were quickly rearranged, Fran and CC gave the men one quick final kiss and hurried from the room, ready to re-enter when given their cue. Following instructions, Max and Niles went and stood in front of a hastily formed alter.
Brighton nodded to Cordelia and her brothers and the band, still unable to believe their luck at securing this unexpected gig, struck up the Wedding March.
Fran and CC each drew a deep breath and began their walk. Max and Niles, wearing identical smiles, both turned to greet their brides.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For a moment Niles’ heart lurched when CC smiled at Maxwell, but then he saw her eyes when she turned her attention to him. She never looked at his employer like that. The meaningful smile she was throwing his way told him that she wanted to throw Niles on top of an all-you-can-eat buffet table and to hell with the food. And she looked happy. Glowing.
His attention then went to her dress. After her proposal, he didn’t pay much attention to it, but he definitely was now. The dress itself clung to her body and seemed very traditional. Until she walked. It was then that he realised there was nothing beneath the slit except almost sheer white silk stockings. Each step she took revealed a startling expanse of leg. He was surprised by how overwhelmingly territorial he felt and he glared at the congregation as if daring every man there to even look at her. Maxwell laid a hand on his arm.
"Down, Niles. No one is going to touch her. All she wants is you."
He looked at his old friend standing beside him. Maxwell was smiling infectiously and so when the women joined them at the ‘altar’ Niles was chuckling. As CC reached his side Niles took her hand. She stepped away from Maxwell without a glance; Niles’ touch had erased every shred of doubt she still had in the back of her mind.
The wedding service was simple but special. Both couples were bathed in jewelled light as the sun set behind the windows. They never took their eyes from one another.
A moment later they were all married and facing the congregation as newlyweds.
A voice called out, amongst a cloud of smoke, "Kiss the brides."
They all gave Yetta a chuckle.
Maxwell put an arm around Fran and used his other hand to tilt her face up to his. She smiled at him and he bent down, brushing his lips across hers once, twice…she stood taller and captured his face in her hands. She kissed him passionately then stepped back, grinning cheekily up into his dazed expression. The congregation burst into applause. Maxwell took her hand and led her back down the aisle, past all their friends and family who smiled and offered congratulations.
"We never thought our treasure hunt would end with us getting the most cherished riches, huh, old boy?" Maxwell commented to his old friend as he turned around to congratulate him.
"Niles?… Niles?!… Niles!"
Everyone turned to look at the couple still embracing one another, sharing their first hundred kisses as man and wife.
"Oh, leave him be," Fran lightly swatted her husband.
Brighton nodded to Cordelia, and the room was filled with music.
"Would you care to dance, Mrs. Sheffield?" Maxwell smiled adoringly at her.
"Mrs. Sheffield? Mrs. Sheffield! Oh my God, I’m Mrs. Sheffield!" The astonishment on Fran’s face made the kids laugh.
Niles heard the band and ended the kiss. "I suppose we should join them on the floor as well?"
"Mmm…alright," CC agreed, giving him one last smooch. "But do I need to leave a bookmark to remind you where we were at?" She grinned lasciviously at him, as her tongue poked out at the corner of her mouth.
Niles chuckled. "I believe I’ll remember." He crooked his arm out for her and led her carefully to the middle of the room to join their friends who were swaying to the romantic music.
"You know, I always thought songs like these were so corny, so silly," CC murmured as she sighed happily, when she felt her husband take her into his arms.
Niles looked over and winked at Fran and Max. "Nothing wrong with silly love songs," he kissed the top of her head and smiled in happiness.
The End
Paul McCartney
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