Fran was moving on. She had her bags packed and the cab was waiting, although Niles had offered to drive her anywhere she needed to go. He of all people understood her reasons for leaving, although it just about broke his heart to see her go. Her reasons for leaving the Sheffield household were obvious, and apparent, at least to everyone except for the true reason for her leaving. It had been nearly five years, and still Maxwell was unwilling or unable to commit, and Fran had reached her limit. She'd worn her heart on her sleeve for so long that she was starting to grow cold. Niles shed a single tear of unity as he watched the Nanny from Flushing walk out the door, and out of their lives.

0000

She didn't' have anywhere to go. Her ma would have taken her in, but there would have been questions, questions which required answers. Fran wasn't ready to face the cold, heart truth- that Mr. Sheffield didn't love her, never had and never would. How could she admit that to her ma when only Niles knew the truth? She'd spent the previous night not in the master bedroom with Mr. Sheffield, where she knew she belonged, but in the kitchen, over two banana cheesecakes with Niles.

0000

"I can't do this anymore, Scarecrow. I can't keep loving a man who doesn't love me."

For someone who prided himself on having all the answers, even Niles knew that humoring Fran wouldn't help. For once he was speechless, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Fran.

"See, you can't even lie to me and tell me that he loves me. I would prefer a lie to the truth at this moment, ya know?"

Niles nodded, then poured her another cocoa.

"A lie from you, I could handle. But I can't keep lying to myself. He doesn't love me. He doesn't care. He won't even notice I'm gone."

"He'll notice, Miss Fine. He'll notice."

"But then what? What's gonna happen next? All of a sudden Mr. Sheffield realizes what a fool he's been and he stops me at the bus station and we kiss in front of hundreds? Then he takes out a billboard on Times Square declaring his love for me? This ain't no fairy tale, Niles," Fran began to sob. At first the tears trickled down slowly, one by one, but soon they caught up with all of the heartache she was experiencing and flooded her beautifully mascaraed face. Even in a state of distress Miss Fine was extraordinarily beautiful. Why oh why couldn't Mr. Sheffield notice that? Damn that Mr. Sheffield, Niles thought bitterly as he pulled Fran in for an embrace.

"What did I ever do so wrong that he couldn't...that he can't...that he doesn't...?"

"You did nothing wrong, Miss Fine. It's Mr. Sheffield who's the fool. He's a damn fool, and I don't mind telling him so."

"Oh, you're so sweet," Fran smiled through her tears. "There's no reason to risk your life for me. I'm not worth it."

"Oh but you are. If only we could talk to him, make him see..."

"Make him see what, Niles? That I've been throwing myself at him ever since the minute I laid eyes upon him? That he's the love of my life, but I've been competing with a ghost? No, Niles, the talk I need to have is with myself. I need to tell myself the truth. He just doesn't love me, does he?"

Niles' silence spoke volumes to the both of them.

"I'll be gone in the morning. Tell the kids..."

"I'll tell them how much you love them," Niles replied stoically. Inside he was fighting the tears that he knew would come on this day, but he had to be strong. Miss Fine deserved one strong man in her life.

"Do you think he knows, Niles?" Fran looked him in the eyes.

"Knows what, Miss Fine?"

"You know very well what I mean! Do you think he knows I love him?"

"Maybe not. Maybe he doesn't know. He just is so unaware of what's going on most of the time...why do you think he keeps Ms. Boobcock around?"

"Not now Niles. It's me you're talking to. Don't lie to me. Do you think Mr. Sheffield knows I love him?"

Now Niles knew what he had to do. He simply nodded, and held open his arms for his best friend. He couldn't lie to her, not when her heart had been played with and chewed up like one of CC's chewtoys.

"You can't do it. You can't lie to me anymore, can you?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Fine. I wish there was something I could do...anything..."

"Just don't let the kids forget me." With that she turned to go to bed, her last night at the Sheffield mansion.

"No one could ever forget you," he sighed as he took a final bite of his cheesecake.

TBC