Post by melindajo2000 on Dec 3, 2012 14:52:13 GMT -6
here is my submission for the Niles/CC advent calender, started on ff.net. I am a die hard Fran/Max shipper but I wanted to try something a little different. I hope you like it
It was the night before Christmas, and Niles was all alone in the Sheffield mansion. Maxwell had taken Fran, the kids, and CC (for business purposes, of course) to Colorado for a skiing vacation, and after barely getting by with his duties for the past few days, and doing the risky business dance yet again, Niles found himself strangely bored. Without his sparring partner around, he found life to be rather dull.
So he opened up on of Maxwell's bottles of sherry and drank himself to a near stupor. What else was he to do? Why shouldn’t he have been invited? After all, according to Miss Fine, Niles was part of the family. But CC had convinced Maxwell that someone needed to tend to the house. Oh, he'd thank her for that in his own way. Maybe some Windex in her coffee, or something to amuse himself.
After watching five straight hours of It's A Wonderful Life, Niles couldn't stand it anymore. He was ready for bed, but as soon as he stood up off the couch who should burst in but Miss Babthingy herself.
“How...how dare he!” she declared as she walked over and took a long swig of the sherry.
“What in the world are you talking about? Don't tell me you can't hold your liquor. I've seen you drink more than that... remember the chicken and swine incident?”
“Don't be funny, Niles. Now's not the time. I'm talking about Maxwell. Talk about your swine!”
“And what, pray tell, did Mr. Sheffield do this time? Did you catch him kissing Miss Fine under the mistletoe?”
She glared at him. “It's worse than that. It's much worse.”
Niles had never seen CC so upset before. “What happened, and sit down before you hurt yourself.”
She obliged, and to his surprise, she began to cry.
“What on earth is going on, Miss Babthingy? I know how much you were looking forward to spending the holidays with Mr. Sheffield. Of course, Miss Fine and the kids were in the way, but that's never been a problem with you. What did he do this time?”
She looked at him and lowered her voice. “He...he proposed.”
Niles' jaw opened. “He proposed? And that's why you're so upset? I would have thought you'd taken out a billboard on Times Square.”
“Not to me, you imbecile. To her.”
There was no doubt to whom CC was referring to. Mr. Sheffield had proposed, all right, to the Nanny. No wonder Miss Babthingy was so upset.
“Come on,now, surely you knew this day was coming?”
“I always imagined it would be me he proposed to, not the help. No offense, Butler Boy.” She grabbed the bottle of sherry and drank as much as she could get down before Niles took away the bottle.
“Surely you must have known how Mr. Sheffield felt about Miss Fine. Even the kids can see it.”
“Some comfort you are. Don't you have some antique to dust?”
He nodded, then started to swipe away at her shoulders. She pushed him away.
“I'm sorry, Miss Babthingy. I had no idea you really didn't know how he felt about her.”
“Oh, I should have known. She sashays into the room in her tiniest miniskirts, throwing herself at the man every time she gets the chance. I try to stay classy, and look where it gets me? Alone on Christmas Eve with Mr. Clean.”
“There, there, Miss Babthingy. Things could be worse. Sylvia could be here right now.”
She almost laughed. “Don't you dare try to make me smile, Niles. It won't work. Not tonight.”
“Forget this sherry. How about I fix us some nice cocoa and we try to salvage the night. It beats crying yourself to sleep, surely?” Niles asked as he got up without waiting for an answer.
It didn't take him long to prepare the cocoa. Soon it was just the two of them. As fate would have it, CC looked up and behold, they were indeed sitting underneath some mistletoe.
“If you expect me to kiss you...”
“No, but I expect to kiss you. That's your problem, Miss Babthingy. You haven't been kissed in so long that you're blinded to what's in front of your very eyes.” And with that, he took her in his arms and kissed her, so hard she thought she might die in his arms.
Slowly he pulled away. “There's a Wonderful Life marathon on. Care to join me for my umpteenth viewing?”
Instead of insulting him, the way he thought she would have, CC nodded. She slid comfortably by his arms and rested her head on his broad shoulders. Soon she was asleep, a single tear falling down her face.
Silly woman, Niles thought. He may not have the resources that Mr. Sheffield did, but surely he would never have thrown away a woman like CC. True, in the morning, she would pretend that the kiss hadn't happened. But he knew. He would always know. And for that, he would never give up hope. It was all just a matter of time.
The end
It was the night before Christmas, and Niles was all alone in the Sheffield mansion. Maxwell had taken Fran, the kids, and CC (for business purposes, of course) to Colorado for a skiing vacation, and after barely getting by with his duties for the past few days, and doing the risky business dance yet again, Niles found himself strangely bored. Without his sparring partner around, he found life to be rather dull.
So he opened up on of Maxwell's bottles of sherry and drank himself to a near stupor. What else was he to do? Why shouldn’t he have been invited? After all, according to Miss Fine, Niles was part of the family. But CC had convinced Maxwell that someone needed to tend to the house. Oh, he'd thank her for that in his own way. Maybe some Windex in her coffee, or something to amuse himself.
After watching five straight hours of It's A Wonderful Life, Niles couldn't stand it anymore. He was ready for bed, but as soon as he stood up off the couch who should burst in but Miss Babthingy herself.
“How...how dare he!” she declared as she walked over and took a long swig of the sherry.
“What in the world are you talking about? Don't tell me you can't hold your liquor. I've seen you drink more than that... remember the chicken and swine incident?”
“Don't be funny, Niles. Now's not the time. I'm talking about Maxwell. Talk about your swine!”
“And what, pray tell, did Mr. Sheffield do this time? Did you catch him kissing Miss Fine under the mistletoe?”
She glared at him. “It's worse than that. It's much worse.”
Niles had never seen CC so upset before. “What happened, and sit down before you hurt yourself.”
She obliged, and to his surprise, she began to cry.
“What on earth is going on, Miss Babthingy? I know how much you were looking forward to spending the holidays with Mr. Sheffield. Of course, Miss Fine and the kids were in the way, but that's never been a problem with you. What did he do this time?”
She looked at him and lowered her voice. “He...he proposed.”
Niles' jaw opened. “He proposed? And that's why you're so upset? I would have thought you'd taken out a billboard on Times Square.”
“Not to me, you imbecile. To her.”
There was no doubt to whom CC was referring to. Mr. Sheffield had proposed, all right, to the Nanny. No wonder Miss Babthingy was so upset.
“Come on,now, surely you knew this day was coming?”
“I always imagined it would be me he proposed to, not the help. No offense, Butler Boy.” She grabbed the bottle of sherry and drank as much as she could get down before Niles took away the bottle.
“Surely you must have known how Mr. Sheffield felt about Miss Fine. Even the kids can see it.”
“Some comfort you are. Don't you have some antique to dust?”
He nodded, then started to swipe away at her shoulders. She pushed him away.
“I'm sorry, Miss Babthingy. I had no idea you really didn't know how he felt about her.”
“Oh, I should have known. She sashays into the room in her tiniest miniskirts, throwing herself at the man every time she gets the chance. I try to stay classy, and look where it gets me? Alone on Christmas Eve with Mr. Clean.”
“There, there, Miss Babthingy. Things could be worse. Sylvia could be here right now.”
She almost laughed. “Don't you dare try to make me smile, Niles. It won't work. Not tonight.”
“Forget this sherry. How about I fix us some nice cocoa and we try to salvage the night. It beats crying yourself to sleep, surely?” Niles asked as he got up without waiting for an answer.
It didn't take him long to prepare the cocoa. Soon it was just the two of them. As fate would have it, CC looked up and behold, they were indeed sitting underneath some mistletoe.
“If you expect me to kiss you...”
“No, but I expect to kiss you. That's your problem, Miss Babthingy. You haven't been kissed in so long that you're blinded to what's in front of your very eyes.” And with that, he took her in his arms and kissed her, so hard she thought she might die in his arms.
Slowly he pulled away. “There's a Wonderful Life marathon on. Care to join me for my umpteenth viewing?”
Instead of insulting him, the way he thought she would have, CC nodded. She slid comfortably by his arms and rested her head on his broad shoulders. Soon she was asleep, a single tear falling down her face.
Silly woman, Niles thought. He may not have the resources that Mr. Sheffield did, but surely he would never have thrown away a woman like CC. True, in the morning, she would pretend that the kiss hadn't happened. But he knew. He would always know. And for that, he would never give up hope. It was all just a matter of time.
The end
Thank you so much for sharing it with us on my message board. 
