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Even before she opened her closet door and removed the beautiful long red dress (the one with the plunging square neckline and the long draping sleeves) Daphne could feel her heart rate increase with each breath. The dress was Frasier's doing, albeit in a roundabout sort of way. It was he who had showed her the invitation and had told her all about Niles' "fabulous" Halloween party, the one that his younger brother was throwing on Halloween night at his home at The Montana. The only requirement to attend was to come dressed as your favorite literary character.It seemed silly at first, but it was a Halloween party after all and the more she thought about it, the more the idea of attending such a lavish party (as only Niles Crane could throw) seemed wonderful. But once more, the familiar reluctance (and ache) to see her friend began to resurface. When, at his persistence, she expressed her feelings to Frasier, he shook his head."Daphne, that's ridiculous! Of course Niles wants you there! Why would you think otherwise?"She inhaled deeply, surprised at how much her chest hurt. "Because I…""Oh Daphne, you can't think that he's still angry! That's all in the past! Even I'd forgotten about it until just this very moment!""I-I can't forget about it." She said, doing her best to keep her voice from breaking. She said the words so softly that she wasn't sure if he'd even heard her. And quite honestly, she didn't even care. She felt his hand on her shoulder and she was suddenly aware of the tears that had fallen onto her cheeks."Here." He said, handing her a dishcloth to dry her eyes. "Dutifully she took it and began to wipe her eyes. "Thank you, Dr. Crane. I'm sorry for being so daft about this." When she returned her attention to him, he was staring at her in that familiar way, his fingers on his chin."You know, Daphne… I think-.""No one cares what you think, Fras." Martin said from the kitchen table. "If she doesn't want to go to the damn party, she doesn't want to go! You can't make her do it!""I know that, Dad!" Frasier snapped. "I just thought, well, I'd hate for Daphne to miss the best Halloween party of the season for the wrong reasons!""What about for the right reasons, like she just flat out doesn't want to go?" Martin retorted.Daphne nodded and tried to the Crane men. Bless them for trying to help her, even if their opinions differed greatly. "I know, and it sounds lovely, but-.""Listen, I know Niles better than anyone and he's not one to let something like this ruin your friendship. If you really don't want to go, I'm sure he'll understand but I know that he would be disappointed. Just think about it, all right?"She smiled and hugged her boss. The hug was more for her own comfort than for gratitude, but she hoped that he knew how much she loved him. He'd done so much for her and going to Niles' party was the least that she could do."What costume will you be wearing, Dr. Crane?"His eyes lit up. "Oh, well, since you asked, I'm coming as Geoffrey Chauncer from The Canterbury Tales.""Oh, I see. Well, I'll have to start thinking of what kind of costume I want to wear.""Why don't you come as my wife?"His words startled her and her head shot up. "What?""My wife. Oh, or rather, Geoffrey Chaunceor's wife, the wife of Bath!"She had no idea who he was talking about, but she found herself nodding. "Oh, well, all right. Where do I get this costume?""Don't worry about a thing, Daphne. I'll take care of it.""I don't know…""Come on, it will be fun! I'll swing by Champion Party Supply on Elliott Avenue and pick it up. I know they'll have the perfect costumes!""Oh… All right."He reached for her hand. "Don't worry, Daphne. Everything will be fine, I promise."When he went to answer the phone, Daphne quickly retreated into her room and sank onto the bed. Frasier's words echoed in her head.Don't worry, everything will be fine.But Daphne wasn't so sure.
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She couldn't get it out of her mind. The argument began unexpectedly and escalated into something that nearly shattered her friendship with the man whom she'd grown to care about very deeply. The things that she'd yelled at him burned in her mind. Angry, hurtful words that she would never dream of saying to anyone else on earth. But once the words were out of her mouth, there was no taking them back. And worst of all, she couldn't stop. She kept on, painfully aware of how deeply she was wounding him.Niles, never one to let anyone walk all over him (especially after his divorce from Maris became final), shot back, saying things that he'd never said to her before. The words stung of course but she knew that she fully deserved them.When the shouting match came to an end, Niles stormed out of the condo, slamming the door so hard that the walls shook. And in the deafening silence that followed, it only took seconds for her to sink into Martin's chair, sobbing uncontrollably into her hands.She cried for everything. The things that she'd said, the things that she'd done, the hurt look on Niles' face, the deep remorse that followed and the fear that things would never be the same.Niles would never speak to her again. Of that she was certain. And he had every right to shut her out of his life completely. But the thought of never seeing him again, never hearing his voice, feeling his arms around her when he hugged her, and the fear that things would never be the same nearly tore her apart.Soon thereafter when Martin and Frasier returned from wherever they had been, she tried to pretend that things were all right, that nothing out of the ordinary had happened. But it only took one look from Frasier for her emotions to break yet again. She collapsed into his arms and after she'd calmed down some, she told Frasier and Martin (albeit reluctantly) all of the painful details of her argument with Niles.She feared that one or both men might be angry with her-and, like their younger counterpart, they had every right to be, but to her surprise they were quite understanding about the whole thing. Frasier, being Frasier insisted on talking it out even further and even Martin offered some well-intended (and even helpful) advice on mending her friendship with his youngest son.Afterward, she felt much better, for talking about it with the two people who were closest to him was a tremendous help. But the pain, although dull, was still there.Just as she'd feared, days turned into weeks, and weeks into months without a sign of her friend. The phone calls and impromptu visits stopped altogether, which only brought her further into despair. She feared that without Niles in her life, she might never be the same.
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One day, something wonderful happened.She was standing over the laundry basket, fluffing Dr. Crane's knickers. She'd dressed casually that evening, choosing a pair of black leggings, black flats and an oversized denim shirt, choosing the items randomly. If only she'd known what was to transpire.The song she was humming to herself stopped when the doorbell rang and she hurried to answer it. Most likely it was one of the neighbors asking to borrow some flour. But when she opened the door, she gasped in surprise. For it wasn't a neighbor at all.At once her heart grew warm and she stared at the visitor in disbelief."Dr. Crane…""He-hello, Daphne."Her eyes moved to the bouquet of flowers wrapped in green paper that he held in his hand. "Wh-what are those?"He looked down at the flowers and slowly brought his arm toward her. "Oh, these are for you. I-."At once her emotions broke and she burst into tears. He sat the bouquet on Frasier's credenza and wrapped his arms around her, holding her closer than he'd ever held her before."Oh Daphne…"She cried against him, damping the lapels of his suit, but he didn't seem to care. And when he spoke, his voice trembled, bringing her briefly out of his arms. She gasped at the sight. For he, too was crying almost just as much as she."Dr. Crane…""Daphne, I'm so sorry, I-."But she shook her head, looking at him through tear-filled eyes. And like the true gentleman that he'd always been, he reached into his pocket and held out his handkerchief.She took it with trembling fingers and blotted her eyes, but the tears proved to be relentless. "No, the fault was mine, Dr. Crane. I'm the one who-.""Daphne, no. Please don't blame yourself. It was entirely my fault.I-I can't believe that I said those terrible things to you.""I said some horrible things to you too, Niles. And I'm so sorry.""Please don't do this to yourself, Daphne. The fault is mine. I-I hurt you, I-"To her disbelief, he began to sob, and as he had done just moments before, she took him into her arms and held him close.At that moment, they were closer than ever before, both physically and emotionally. She slowly began to realize that, perhaps the argument had been the best thing that happened to them, for it seemed to strengthen their relationship in ways that neither of them could have ever imagined."I missed you so much." She said, inhaling the scent of his cologne. "I-I was afraid that I'd never see you again and I couldn't-.""I know, I-I'm sorry for staying away for so long. It wasn't easy and Frasier told me time and again to come over, but I was afraid."Her lips went to his cheek. "It's all right. I-I felt the same way. But I'm glad you're here now. I'm so glad.""Me too."When she looked at him again, he smiled at her. "I'm so very sorry, Daphne. I will never hurt you again. Can you ever forgive me?"She returned his smile and knew that there was only one way to answer him. She hoped that the kiss on his cheek and the warm hug would only be the start of showing him how much she cared about him.Sometime later he drew back but this time he was looking her up and down in a way that he'd never looked at her before."What's wrong?""Um, nothing. I…"The way his eyes moved across her body made her a bit uncomfortable and she looked away. "Dr. Crane…""I'm sorry, Daphne. I don't mean to stare. It's just that you…""Yes?""You look so beautiful."His words were all too familiar and she laughed. "Oh Dr. Crane, you're sweet, but I'm hardly-.""Yes, you are. And your outfit…""Oh, this? I wish I had put on more suitable clothes. If I had known that you were coming over I would have worn-.""No, it's perfect.""That's sweet, but-.""I'll never forget the first moment I saw you. You were wearing the exact same outfit."His memory of their brief first meeting surprised her. "Oh, really?""Yes and…" He went on giving a moment by moment recount of their first meeting at Frasier's and she felt a slight tinge of guilt that she didn't remember it as well asher friend. But she knew that she would remember this, the day that he came back to her, for the rest of her life.
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After a long moment she drew back, feeling shy and awkward. "You must be cold. It looks like there's quite a chill in the air. I'll make us a pot of tea."But his hand in hers prevented her from leaving. "Daphne, wait."She turned to him, her heart beating rapidly beneath her chest. "Yes?""Would it be all right if we talked for a little while?"A strange feeling of uneasiness came over her. Talking about the argument with Frasier and Martin was one thing but talking about it with Niles was quite another. They needed to talk things through, that much was certain. But she had no idea what she would say. How could she even begin to properly apologize for the terrible things that she'd said to him, the words that had wounded his heart? She considered declining but when she realized how much it meant to him she smiled."Of course."Once they were seated side by side on Frasier's Cocoa Chanel sofa, they turned to each other, both speaking at once."Dr. Crane?""Daphne?"The coincidence made them laugh like never before and they threw their arms around each other, grateful for the laughter instead of tears. Eventually, however, the conversation did turn to their argument and their relationship and after they had made their peace, they vowed to never argue again, at least not in the same way as before.In that moment and the moments that followed, she began to feel differently about him. They talked into long into the night, unaware of anything or anyone but each other, and it was the most wonderful conversation they'd ever had. They laughed, cried and shared their innermost secrets. It was a sign of their deepening friendship.When she opened her eyes sometime later, she realized that something was different. One glance out of the window told her that morning had come. The bright October sun streamed into the living room. She yawned and stretched and turned to her side, momentarily startled to realize that she was not alone. A blanket was draped around her shoulders and beside her was Niles, still wearing his clothing from the night before.For a moment she panicked wondering what exactly had happened between them. For surely they didn't- and then the memories of the previous night began to fall together like pieces in a puzzle. Of course.She'd been terribly upset when he'd arrived at Frasier's and the way that he had comforted her made her feel something that she had never felt before. The talk they had shared the night before was one that she would never forget, and it ended with them falling asleep against one another. Purely platonic, but beautiful in its own right.She looked over at the handsome man sleeping soundly beside her and smiled. She couldn't resist brushing her fingertips across his soft cheek. The touch of his skin made her heart flutter.
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She stared at him for a moment, watching him sleep. He was so handsome. When at last he opened his eyes, he looked around the room. Disoriented, he sat up and stared at her. "Daphne…""Hello..." she said, hoping that he wouldn't see the color that crept into her cheeks. "Would you like some breakfast?"He ran his hand through his hair. "Um, breakfast?""Yes, I can make some scones or whatever you'd-.""What happened?""I-I don't…""What happened? Why am I here?""You came over to see your brother but he and your father were out, so we sat and talked. We talked for a long time, I'm afraid.""Why?""Well, we were both quite upset and we talked about our argument and-."He sighed deeply. "Oh God, yes, I remember. Daphne, I'm so sorry.""Hush." Her fingers went to his lips. "No more of that. You've apologized more than necessary for something that wasn't your fault. Now would you like some breakfast?""Actually I'd better not. I should get home and get changed. I have patients due this morning. But thank you for the offer.""Now, you can't very well go to work and expect to give good advice to patients without a good breakfast. I'll make something quick and you can take it with you.""That's very nice of you, Daphne. Thank you.""No need to keep thanking me. It's my job.""Well, perhaps, but I still appreciate it.""I'll only be a few moments.""All right."She disappeared into the kitchen and began whipping up some quick items for breakfast and then put them in a bag along with a bottle of orange juice. As soon asshe walked into the living room, he was holding his keys in his hand."Here you are, Dr. Crane. I hope you like it.""Thank you, Daphne. This is wonderful. I can't thank you enough for this.""It's me who should be thanking you. Last night…""Daphne…""Talking things over really meant a lot to me, Dr. Crane. And I know that we didn't mean to keep talking so long, nor did we mean to spend the night with each other-I-in any sense but if I can say something…""Of course…""Thank you, for making me feel so safe last night."He looked away and she turned his face toward her. "I mean that with my whole heart. You have no idea how much you helped me last night and I hope you know how much you mean to me, Dr. Crane."The hug that followed was just as wonderful if not more so than the hug she'd received from him the night before. And suddenly she didn't want him to leave."Well, goodnight. Or good morning, rather." She laughed at her joke, happy that he was laughing along with her. "Have a good day at work, Dr. Crane." It sounded like something a woman would say to her husband but she didn't care. And his expression told her that he appreciated her thoughtfulness."Thank you, Daphne. I hope you have a good day as well.""Thanks to you, my day is going perfectly, Dr. Crane."He turned to walk out of the condo, but not before she stopped him with a kiss on his cheek. And when he was gone, she closed the door and leaned against it, sighing.She wasn't sure what was happening between herself and Niles, if anything was happening at all, but it was a wonderful feeling and she never wanted to let it go.
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(Present Day)"Daphne, are you sure you're all right?"The thoughts that had filled her mind suddenly vanished, leaving her momentarily confused. She found that she was looking directly at Frasier. "What? I-.""That dress can't go to Niles' Halloween party on its own, you know!"She was grateful for Frasier's humor, but at the moment she just wasn't in the mood. "O-Of course.""Fras, are you still trying to make her go to that damn party?" Martin's unexpected appearance in her doorway made Daphne smile. "She's already told you that she doesn't want to go!"Frasier seemed surprised by his father's scolding and sighed deeply. "All right, Dad. I know that! I was just trying to help Daphne make an informed decision about the party!""Oh geez, she's a grown woman! She can make her own damn decision! She doesn't need you-.""It's all right, Mr. Crane." Daphne said, unable to take any more of their bickering. "I'll go."Frasier glared at Martin "See, Dad? Was that so hard?""I suppose I am being a bit silly about this whole thing but I just can't help myself.""Daphne-.""Fras, can I speak to Daphne alone for a minute?"Daphne and Frasier looked at Martin in surprise, and then at each other."Sure, Dad. I'll just… go and get ready for the party." Frasier smiled at them before slipping out of Daphne's room, leaving Daphne alone with Martin.Daphne loved Martin of course and felt that he had become a friend and was no longer just a grumpy old man whose health had improved greatly since she'd started working with him just five years ago. But even though they had become somewhat close, the idea of being alone with him so that he could talk to her was, at best, a bit unsettling. But Martin was rarely direct about such things so his request must have meant that whatever he wanted to talk to her about was important. Still, she couldn't imagine-"You wanted to talk to me, Mr. Crane?""Um yeah, I did. Look Daphne, I'm sorry that Fras is putting pressure on you to go to Niles' party."Daphne smiled. "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Crane, but it's all right. I'm being silly about the whole thing.""Well, I don't know about that. I mean, from what you told Frasier and I, you and Niles must have had quite an argument."At the reminder, her chest tightened and she turned away, unable to look at him."But you made up, right?"She smiled. "Yes, we did, but-."Martin held up his hand to silence her. "Niles cares about you and like Frasier said, he's not going to let something like this come between you and ruin your friendship. Now if you really don't want to go to his party, that's your call and I won't blame you a bit. But I think that Niles will be really disappointed if you don't come and I think you would be disappointed that you missed it."She couldn't help but laugh. "You're taking Dr. Crane's side, aren't you?""Well-."She hugged Martin and kissed his cheek. "All right, you've convinced me. I'll go." When she drew back, she noticed that Martin was smiling."Great! Well, I'll go and change into my Sherlock Holmes' costume! Meet you in the living room?""You mean your Lord Peter Wimsey costume?"Martin chuckled. "Yep, that's what I mean.""It's a date. I'll be there soon."When Martin left the room, Daphne's heart began to pound faster. She removed her Wife of Bath costume from the closet and laid it carefully across her bed. She took more time than usual in getting ready for the party, but she wanted to look absolutely perfect. She just hoped that the evening would be perfect as well.
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She felt like a princess when she entered the living room where Frasier and Martin were waiting for her. Dressed as Geoffrey Chaucer and Lord Peter Wimsey respectively, they looked wonderful. But she couldn't help feeling a bit nervous. The elder Crane men smiled approvingly and she did her best to curtsey in response."Thank you Mr. Crane, Dr. Crane.""That's husband to you!" Frasier bellowed making her laugh. "Come, wife, we have a party to attend!"The closer they came to The Montana, the more the nervousness crept into her chest. She'd been to Niles' home many times before, most notably on a hot summer night after a fight with Sherry. Had things gone differently that night, who knows what their relationship might be like? But at the time, the thought didn't occur to her. She was only trying to escape the wrath of Sherry. And she supposed that running away wasn't the answer, but being with Niles helped, if only for a little while."Well, here we are." Frasier said. "My, the neighborhood certainly is busy with activity tonight, isn't it?""What do you expect, Frasier? It's Halloween!" Martin shot back.Frasier, of course, ignored his father and led them into the building. "Come on; let's just get to Niles' party, all right? I'm sure that he's expecting us."Daphne took a deep breath and followed the two men into the elevator and by the time that they arrived on Niles' floor, she feared that she might faint. She had no idea why she'd become so bloody nervous. It wasn't like her at all, and yet she didn't know exactly what she should be feeling. The anticipation of seeing Niles again even though they had (for the most part) made up worried her a little. What would she say to him? How should she act? She decided that it was beat for the time being anyway, to remain calm and simply thank him for inviting her to the party.Frasier rang the doorbell and it was answered almost immediately. Niles appeared, wearing a fake nose and a costume that Daphne couldn't quite place."Frasier, Dad... Daph-." He froze, his eyes moving up and down her body."Hey Niles, great costume! Cyrano de Bergerac could only aspire to look so good" Frasier laughed."Thanks Frasier. I should say the same about Geoffrey Chaucer! And Dad, you look great!""Thanks, son. Now where's the beer? I'm thirsty!"Niles looked perturbed, but pointed to the center of his living room where a crowd of costumed guests had gathered around a table that held a large bucket of ice.The old man's eyes lit up. "All right! Now this is my kind of party!""Dad, don't overdo it, okay?" Frasier warned."Oh, leave him alone, Dr. Crane. Your father will be fine."Frasier looked around the room and his eyes sparkled at the sight of a woman dressed entirely in beige with long flowing hair. "Oh my, if you'll excuse me, I have to meet this literary creature!""Of course." Daphne said, glancing at the woman of Frasier's immediate affections.When Frasier was gone, she found herself alone with Niles. And her heart beat faster."Well, Dr. Crane. This is quite a party. And you look very handsome.""Thank you, Daphne. And you look…. Well, you're stunning. Absolutely breathtaking."Her cheeks flushed and began to burn. "Dr. Crane…""I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable.""It's all right. I'm flattered, really. I wasn't planning on coming as your brother's wife, but he insisted, so- "Niles' eyebrows rose. "I beg your pardon?"His confusion made Daphne laugh. "Oh, well, he's Geoffrey Chaucer and I'm The Wife Of Bath."This time Niles smiled. "Of course, how silly of me not to notice. A-and I would have noticed... I-I mean I did notice, but you're just so-.""Thank you." Her cheeks flamed once more and an awkward silence filled the space between them. A silence that was almost too awkward."Daphne, in light of all that's happened between us-.""Dr. Crane, I'm sorry. I-I know that I probably shouldn't even be here. I didn't want to come."Niles expression changed and she knew that she'd hurt his feelings-again."Oh, no, I didn't mean that. I-I did want to come. I just-."He nodded. "I understand. At least I think I do.""I'm sorry, I didn't mean-.""It's all right. I know what you mean. And for what it's worth, I'm glad you came. Um, very glad, in fact."She smiled and reached for his hand. "So am I.""Well, I suppose you should get something to drink. And there's plenty of food. Please, enjoy."Impulsively she kissed his cheek and then wished that she hadn't. The softness of his skin and the faint scent of his cologne only served to conjure up feelings inside ofher. They were feelings that she shouldn't be having. But she couldn't help herself. Love did funny things to people, even when that love unrequited.
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Daphne had never seen so many people at a party, let alone costumed guests. Niles was quite a popular man. It was a fact that shouldn't have surprised her, but in fact it did. And Niles certainly pulled out all the stops in throwing a lavish Halloween party for the Literary Association.She mingled with the guests and introduced herself to those that she didn't know. She'd always assumed that all of Niles' friends would be snobbish and pretentious but she was happy to see that they weren't that way at all. In fact, she found them very interesting. Even Bulldog, who never failed to annoy her in some way made her laugh in his ridiculous "Where's Waldo" costume. Waldo was hardly a literary character in the sense that Frasier and Niles would think of one, but the sight made her smile. Bulldog seemed to fit right in.Niles of course, had no clue who Waldo was, but Martin certainly knew. She'd seen Martin reading the book to Frederick many times. It was a moment that she always appreciated, watching him bond with his grandson. She knew that he missed Fredrick terribly and cherished the moments they were able to spend together. Few things were lovelier to look at than a grandfather and his grandson. If she had been nervous about attending Niles' party, she certainly shouldn't have been. She was having a very nice time; a wonderful time, in fact. And she found it easy to smile.But sometime during the course of the party, things began to change. The guests, who had previously been nothing but friendly toward her, began to give her strange looks. She was used to it, of course, for she was hardly in the same class as Frasier and Niles' friends. But she couldn't shake the feeling of unease. What was going on? The whispers and stares were enough to make Daphne cry. And she wasn't someone who cried easily over such things."So Daphne, I hear you've got one in the oven!"The sound of Bulldog's laughter made her whirl around in shock. "What?""The baby!""What baby? I'm not-.""Trust me. It's nothing to be ashamed of, all right? Happens all the time. Well, not to me. At least I hope not. Let's see… October, November-."While Bulldog counted on his fingers, she tried to take in the information. "Bulldog I have no idea what you're talking about! What baby? I really-." And then it hit her."Oh my God, is that why everyone's been staring at me?""Well, it ain't because you won the costume contest!""What? But I never-."A tall brunette wearing a Scarlett O'Hara costume caught Bulldog's attention and in a trance he followed her, leaving Daphne alone.As the guests continued to mingle around her, she tried to make sense of the situation. How could anyone have possibly thought that she was pregnant? She hadn't had a boyfriend in months and-.A horrible thought came over her. Roz!She knew that she shouldn't be angry. Roz was her friend-or was supposed to be. Just days before, Roz confided in Daphne that she thought she might be pregnant. She'd sworn Daphne to secrecy, but somehow the tables had been turned.Suddenly she wanted to cry. How could this have happened? She'd assured Roz that she would never tell another living soul about Roz's dilemma and it seemed that Roz had gone and told at least one person who had changed the entire story. And the urge to cry gave way to the real thing.All around her the guests blurred before her eyes. Daphne could only imagine what people were saying behind her back.Unfortunately Daphne's lack of a male companion had become common knowledge so there was only one other explanation for her so-called pregnancy. She slumped onto Niles' fainting couch, wishing that she had never come to his party.
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No one seemed to notice her after that and she was grateful. But it was hard not to notice Niles. He seemed… different. And that concerned her. He stumbled when he walked and his eyes were hazy defiantly a sign that something was wrong. When, in her current state of confusion, she was finally able to put two and two together, she realized that he'd had too much to drink. At once she forgot all about the pregnancy rumors that had been circulating in his apartment. When the opportunity presented itself, she went to him."Dr. Crane, are you all right?"He smiled, looking a bit dizzy. "Daphne, you're an angel. A goddess…"Her heart warmed. "You're sweet. But I'm worried about you.""Oh Daphne, you're an angel for worrying about me, but I'm fine. I promise. It's you I should be worried about."Her smile faded. She should have known that he had heard the rumor as well. But it was no time to try to explain. However at the last minute, she felt that she had to say something."Dr. Crane, I hope you don't believe whatever it was you heard because it's simply not true! Please! You have to believe me!"He took her hands in his. "Of course I believe you, Daphne. I believe you. I believe in you. I'll always believe in you, no matter what.""Dr. Crane-.""Daphne, I don't want anything or anyone to come between us again. I want to take care of you as best as I can for as long as I can.""Well that's very sweet, but I really-."Slowly he lowered himself to one knee. She looked around, stunned to see that they were surrounded by almost every guest at the party, including Frasier and Martin.Her heart began to pound."Dr. Crane…"The scene unfolded like some sort of dream, or a scene from a romantic movie. And even though she knew that it was no dream, it didn't feel real. Not at all."Niles, what are you doing?" Frasier shouted. "You're a drunken idiot!""Oh geez, I can't believe what I'm seeing, Niles! What is wrong with you?" This, from Martin."Niles, think about what you're doing!" Frasier shouted."I have thought about it Frasier. Daphne needs me. And I need her."Once again her heart warmed. "Dr. Crane-."He stared at her and she found herself staring into his beautiful blue eyes. He was more handsome than she'd ever imagined him to be; even with his costumedCyrano de Bergerac nose. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she found that she could hardly breathe."Dr. Crane, what is this?" She whispered, aware of the way her voice was trembling."Don't you see, Daphne? I want to take care of you. To make sure that no one hurts you ever again.""But-.""Please… allow me to finish or I'll never get through this.""Of course.""Daphne Moon. Angelic Daphne Moon. Wil you marry me?"Tears spilled from her cheeks and she could hardly believe that the moment was real. But there was no doubt in her mind about what her answer to the completely unexpected question would be. She felt it in the very depths of her heart.She touched his cheek and smiled. "Yes. Yes of course I'll marry you. I love you Niles Crane. I love you so much."
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"Daphne, are you insane?""Dear God, Daphne, don't you see what you've gotten yourself into?""Daphne you must be crazy. Even I'm not that drunk!"The words were being thrown at her from all sides and she could hear the guests chattering. Suddenly she was hugged patted, congratulated and by almost everyone in the room. Someone called for a toast, but Frasier promptly shut them down."This party is officially over!" Frasier shouted in dramatic fashion. "Thank you all for coming! We'd better go, too." He said to Daphne and Martin. "Roz, I'll drive you home.""Thanks Frasier."They started to leave but Daphne stayed where she was."Are you coming?""Yes, but… Don't you think we should say goodnight?""You can tell him goodnight tomorrow." Martin said. "He's so out of it right now anyway.""But Mr. Crane, it's not right!"The two men looked at one another and then at Roz."Please, I can't just leave. Not quite yet. Niles and I have… some things to talk about.""Daphne-.""Please."After a deep sigh, Frasier nodded. "All right. We'll wait in the car.""Thank you. I won't be long."When they were gone, she walked over to Niles. He was still sitting in the same spot where he had proposed. Daphne looked at her watch, surprised to see how late it was. Most of the guests had gone and she knew that she needed to leave as well. Frasier, Martin and Roz were waiting for her. But she couldn't leave without saying something. And she hated to leave Niles in his current state."Niles?"It felt funny to say his name, but she liked the way it sounded. That's when she noticed that he'd fallen asleep in his chair. She took the empty champagne glass from his hand and set it on the coffee table. Gently she touched his cheek."Niles, are you all right?"He opened his eyes and smiled. "Daphne…"Suddenly she felt a bit shy. "Hello… Can I get you anything?""What? I-.""I think your party is over now. Would you like some help cleaning up?""No, it's all right. Thank you, Daphne. I think I just need to lie down.""Of course." She took his hand and led him to the fainting couch. When he climbed on it, she covered him with a blanket. "I'm going to go home with your father and brother now, but I couldn't leave without saying goodbye.""Well goodnight, Daphne.""Goodnight Niles. And thank you… thank you so much.""For what?""For tonight. For… well, everything. I never expected something so wonderful and in front of all your friends and your father and brother. Oh Niles!" When she went to hug him, she found herself brushing away tears."Wait… you called me….""Niles.""Right. I-.""That's all right isn't it?""Of course, but-.""Well I can't very well keep calling you Dr. Crane, can I?""Why not? Not that I…"She ran her fingers through his hair. God, it was so soft."… Mind… of course." He finished.Carefully she removed the Cyrano de Bergerac nose and smiled. "You're so handsome, Niles Crane."He gasped in surprise. "Thank you, Daphne. I-."Slowly she leaned to kiss his lips. "I'll see you tomorrow, all right? We have a lot to talk about.""T-talk about?""Goodnight, Niles. Happy Halloween."The smile never left her face as she walked out of his apartment and closed the door.
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She could hardly sleep that night because she was filled with utter happiness. Finally, after all this time, the man she loved so deeply had proposed to her-on Halloween-in front of his family and friends! What could be more romantic?She lay in her bed and stared out of the window for what felt like hours before she finally climbed out and crept into the darkened living room. On the balcony, she gazed up at the night sky. It was rare on this, the wee small hours of the last night in October for the sky to be filled with stars. Usually at this time of year the sky was overcast. Perhaps it was a sign.She sighed deeply. Soon she would be Mrs. Niles Crane. Mrs. Daphne Crane. It had a wonderful sound to it.Sometime later she returned to her bedroom where she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of her future husband.The next morning she woke earlier than usual and happily prepared breakfast. As she sat the bowl of oat bran in front of Frasier he smiled. "Well, Daphne you certainly are cheerful this morning.""Thank you, Dr. Crane. I have lots of reasons to be happy this morning.""Anything I should know about?"She said nothing, but simply smiled at her boss."Here you are, Mr. Crane."Martin eyed his plate suspiciously. "What's this?""What does it look like? It's breakfast!""You said that I couldn't have bacon for breakfast. Or toast for that matter. In fact, just last week you said-.""Never mind what I said last week. This is a special occasion!""Oh yeah? What kind of special occasion?""Well for starters-."The doorbell rang, making her heart skip a beat. "I'll get it." She floated to the door and opened it, unable to stop staring at the man standing before her."Niles…""Hello, Daphne. I-."She took a step forward and drew him into her arms for a hug and then softly kissed his lips. The gesture left him completely surprised. "I'm so happy to see you.""Well, um, thank you Daphne. I'm happy to see you…I…""I missed you.""Y-you did?""I know it's silly, since we just saw each other last night, but-."He sighed and lowered his head. "Actually that's why I'm here.""I thought so." She reached for his hand and brought it to her lips, giving no thought to the fact that Frasier and Martin were sitting at the breakfast table, watching them."Daphne, I must apologize for my behavior last night. It was deplorable and I'm so ashamed and embarrassed. I promise to make it up to you.""There's no need to be embarrassed and it was anything but deplorable. What you did last night was-.""Completely ludicrous!" Frasier yelled. "Niles, what in God's name were you thinking?""Don't listen to your brother. It was a beautiful moment." Daphne protested.Niles looked from Frasier to Daphne and back again. "I-.""I'm so happy, Niles! You have no idea!""Well, I'm happy to hear that." Niles said."So when should we tell everyone?""Tell everyone?""Yes, about our engagement! Should we have a party, or-.""Niles, may I speak to you alone?""Oh, certainly Dr. Crane. I'll just gather the laundry. The sheets are way overdue." Her heart pounded as she hurried into Mr. Crane's room and removed the sheets, pillow cases and blankets from his bed. She did the same in Frasier's room and she was about to cross the living room to go to her room when she paused. Frasier andNiles stood staring at her, wearing looks of apprehensions."What's going on?""Daphne, can I talk to you for a moment?"She smiled and put down her laundry basket. "Yes. Yes of course.""Dad and I… Well, why don't I take these sheets down to the laundry and get them started?""You don't have to do that, Dr. Crane. I can manage.""I know you can, Daphne, but I insist. Dad can help me.""Well, all right. Thank you, Dr. Crane, Mr. Crane."When the elder Crane men were gone, Daphne turned to Niles and smiled. "We do have a lot to talk about, don't we? I think-.""Daphne, about last night. I know my proposal must have come as a shock.""Yes, it did. But it was a wonderful surprise.""I'm glad, but I need to explain something. You see, when I proposed to you… which, given my state of mind at the time, I barely remember doing, I….""Don't worry yourself about that, Niles. It was lovely.""I'm glad, but Daphne, there's something you need to know. I had consumed too much champagne.""It's all right. It was your party and it's only natural…""Yes, but you see, when I asked you to marry you… well, my intentions weren't sincere."She stepped back as a feeling of unease came over her. "I-I don't understand.""Of course you don't because I'm not explaining this very well." He took a deep breath. "I asked you to marry me because….""Yes?""I thought you were pregnant."
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"I'm so sorry, Daphne. I never meant to hurt you."She felt as though he had punched her in the stomach. At once, all of her hopes and dreams melted away into a puddle of disillusion at her feet. Of course he had proposed because he thought she was pregnant. After hearing the rumor about her in his apartment it was only natural that he would come to her rescue. He was gallant and gallant men like Niles Crane always did the right thing, no matter what. She should have realized that a man like Niles would never be attracted to someone like her. They were from completely different social statuses.So why was she hurting so deeply?"Daphne-."She couldn't look at him for fear of completely breaking down into tears. She felt his hand on her back; the familiar soothing feeling. But nothing he could say could possibly soothe her aching heart. She could almost feel the shattered pieces inside."Daphne, are you all right? Please, say something. Anything."She turned to him with unshed tears in her eyes. His handsome face was blurry. "Yes. I-I just remembered. I need to do something in my room. Excuse me."Before he could say anything, she ran into her bedroom and shut the door. Seconds later she began to cry as though she would never stop.She lay on her bed doing her best to ignore the knock on the door. Most likely it was Niles, coming to tell her that he was sorry for misleading her. Or perhaps it was Frasier, coming to say I told you so. The truth was that she didn't feel like talking to either of them. The only thing she wanted to do was crawl further underneath her covers like a child, where no one and nothing could hurt her ever again. She'd already been hurt quite enough.When the knocking continued, she sighed and reluctantly climbed off of her bed. She crossed the room to the door. "Dr. Crane, if you're here to give me advice, I'm sorry but I'm just not in the mood for it. I already know what you're going to say and-."She froze. For the figure at the door wasn't Frasier at all. "Niles…"He stood before her, looking forlorn. She should have felt sorry for him, but she did not. He deserved everything he got, for making her feel small and ridiculous."Hello, Daphne.""Hello, Niles."Amazingly he smiled. "I love hearing you say my name.""What do you want? Haven't you done enough?"He lowered his head. "Yes, I have. Too much, in fact. But I think we should talk.""There's nothing to talk about, Dr. Crane." She could see the way he flinched when she called him by the name she'd always called him. Good. If she hadn't been so upset, she might have smiled."Actually there's a lot to say.""Like what? Like how you made me feel small and stupid for thinking that you possibly-.""Daphne-.""Look, I'm the idiot here, not you, all right? I'm the one-.""I know it's easy to become swept up in-.""In what? A fantasy? Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble Dr. Crane!" She yelled, emphasizing his name. "I can't help it if I feel the way I feel about you, all right?""Look, when Frasier and I spoke earlier he said-.""What, Dr. Crane? What did he say? Did he tell you about how horrible I felt-how horrible I still feel for the way I treated you after our fight?""Daphne-.""I know you apologized, and I appreciate it, but that's just the problem. I didn't deserve it! Any of it! The fault was mine, no matter how many times you say it wasn't!""Look, I-.""And did your brother tell you that ever since you came over and brought me those flowers… that when you were so sweet to me… I…" Her voice broke and she was barely aware of the way he had reached for her hand. It was so easy to slip her fingers into his. Tears began to stream down her cheeks."I can't apologize enough for our argument. And I never want to fight like that again. To do so would break me into a million pieces. I hope you know that.""What else did your brother tell you?""Well, he said-.""Did he tell you that somehow, after we made up, even though I had been the most horrible person imaginable, I-.""Don't do this to yourself, all right?""Dr. Crane, please! If I don't say this now I might not ever be able to say it!"He nodded. "All right.""I-I didn't mean for this to happen, Dr. Crane. Any of it. But somehow, after that night that we spent together, I-I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. I think about you constantly, day and night. You're in my dreams… and my daydreams…"She smiled at the way he blushed."Thank you, Daphne. That means a lot to me. I think about you a lot too.""You mean a lot to me, Dr. Crane…. Niles. You don't mind if I call you Niles, do you?""Not at all.""All right… Niles. Last night when you proposed, I thought-.""I know, Daphne. I know. And I'm so sorry. I never-.""You're not making it very easy for me to say this.""I'm sorry, Daphne. Go on.""When you proposed, I thought…. I thought it was real. And the reason I wanted it to be real, so badly, in fact, is that…" She let go of his hand and cradled his face in her palms. "I've fallen in love with you."Before he could say another word, she kissed him tenderly.
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When the magical kisses ended, she drew back and stared at him. He was staring at her, saying nothing. And she feared that she'd done something terrible."Say something Niles. Please. Anything. Even if you don't love me, I promise I'll understand. Well, sooner or later I suppose."He moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. The moment their lips touched she was swept up in a series of kisses that were more wonderful than the previous kisses. He kissed her with everything he had, and she didn't hesitate to give into her emotions. She loved this man; she loved him with her whole heart. And the kisses spoke volumes; more than any words he might have said. When he drew back, she found that she missed his closeness. She missed it terribly."Daphne, I-I don't know what to say."His words made her laugh. "I think you've already said more than enough.""Well, then let me say it in words. I love you too, Daphne. I've loved you for a long, long time.""Then why-.""I don't know why, but this… this is more wonderful than I ever dreamed. So let me say it again… and I'll keep saying it for the rest of our lives. I love you, Daphne Moon. I love you so much."Tears streamed down her cheeks; tears that he brushed away in-between kisses. "I love you too, Niles."(One year later-October 31st)They stood in Niles' living room at the Montana. Daphne, in her Wife of Bath costume, Frasier dressed as Geoffrey Chaucer, Martin as Lord Peter Wimsey and Niles, who looked so handsome in his Cyrano de Bergerac costume (sans nose of course) surrounded by friends who were all dressed as literary figures. Everyone was in attendance except for Roz, who was home taking care of her newborn daughter Alice.At the instruction of the minister, Daphne turned to Niles and took his hands."I, Daphne Moon, take thee, Niles Crane to be my husband. To love and cherish forever."The minster turned to Niles who gazed at Daphne. "I Niles Crane, take thee Daphne Moon to be my wife. To love and cherish forever."The minister smiled. "I now pronounce you husband and wife."The End