A/N: This is based on a Season 11 episode, but for storyline purposes, the timeline is right around the time of Niles' divorce from Maris; long before he and Daphne became a couple.

Curious, Niles moved through the hallway in search of his brother. And he found him in the most unexpected place; in their father's bedroom. He popped his head in the door, surprised to see such a faraway expression on his brother's face. As always he was concerned. "Frasier?"

The older Crane brother looked up. "Oh, hello Niles. I thought you'd gone home."

"No, I…. I was just thinking."

"May I ask what about?"

"Well, Dad of course, but-."

"I thought as much. It's been quite a week, hasn't it? Who would have thought that a routine checkup could send Dad to the hospital? And here I was complaining that it was such an inconvenience that I had to leave work and go to the University of Washington Medical Center."

Niles chuckled softly. "I did the same thing. That is, I told Mrs. Woodson that I had to leave because of an emergency meeting. Can you believe that?" Niles certainly couldn't believe his own actions. It was almost funny, had his father not been closer to death than ever before. He tried not to think about it, but it wouldn't leave his mind.

"You know, I'm not ready to lose him, Niles."

Niles sat down on the bed. It felt strange to hear those words coming from his brother. The great and successful Frasier Crane, who never seemed to worry about… well, anything, was now worried that their father could have…. He swallowed hard, barely able to even think about the word…

Died…

His composure slowly faltering, Niles sighed deeply, doing his best to keep his emotions intact. "I'm not ready to lose Dad either. I mean, I know I'm not married anymore, but when I do get married again… Um… if I get married again-."

"You will, Niles. You'll find someone. I promise."

Niles turned and looked at his brother, smiling in gratitude. "Thanks, Frasier. That means a lot to me."

"Well, I meant it. Dad's… health scare made me realize just how important life really is."

"Me too." Niles replied. He meant every word, even if he hadn't realized it until that very moment that Frasier brought it up.

"You know, when Dad first moved in here all t hose years ago, I couldn't imagine a bigger nuisance in my life." Frasier said. "And now I can't imagine life without him."

"It would be very hard to walk into this apartment and see that chair, knowing that Dad wasn't… that he wasn't around anymore." Niles voice broke as he said the words, but he no longer cared what he sounded like. "I- I can't imagine-."

"You won't have to, Niles."

"What are you saying?"

"Well, I'd get rid of that chair immediately."

Niles gasped in disbelief, but he'd barely opened his mouth to respond when he heard her voice.

"Dr. Crane, that's a terrible thing to say about your father!"

The Crane men turned to find Daphne glaring at them from the doorway.

"Daphne, what in the hell are you doing? This is a private conversation!" Frasier shouted.

"Then you should have your private conversation under different circumstances, like with the door closed!" She shouted.

Angrily, Frasier looked at Daphne. "Well excuse me! I had no idea you were going to be snooping around my hallway!"

"Snooping? How dare you!"

Daphne and Frasier continued to argue until finally Frasier rose to his feet. "I'm going to go check on Dad and then I'm going out!"

"Out where?" Niles asked, not really interested in the answer.

"Just out!" Frasier snapped.

"Fine, do that!" Daphne shouted.

When Frasier was gone, Niles gaze was on his feet, but he could feel her presence as she stood watching him from the doorway. And suddenly she was in the room, standing beside him, her hand on his shoulder.

"Dr. Crane, are you all right?"

"I-."

When he tried to speak, he found that he couldn't. His throat was tight and the tears were dangerously close to the surface. He couldn't let her see him cry. Not like this.

"May I?"

Confused, he looked up to find her gesturing to the bed.

"Oh, of course." He replied, scooting over a bit. "By all means, sit down."

She smiled and did as he asked; the matters shifted under her weight. "I'm glad that your father is going to be okay."

"So am I." He replied.

"But for a while there, I was really worried." She continued. "I-I mean…" When her voice broke, he looked up to see her brushing away tears. And it was just his luck (bad luck) that he didn't have his handkerchief with him. But he couldn't sit idly by and do nothing. His eyes moved around the room until they landed on his father's dresser, where, as if by fate, a box of Kleenex sat.

Slowly he rose to his feet and crossed the room to retrieve the box. Then he carried it over to where she sat on the bed. She smiled and took a tissue, which she used to blot the tears from her eyes.

"Thank you, Dr. Crane."

"You're welcome."

After a moment of silence, she spoke again; her voice much softer than before. "Were you scared?"

He looked at her with interest. "Scared?"

"About losing your father?"

He nodded. "Um… yeah, actually I was."

"I was too. I can't imagine him not being here anymore. I'm so used to his being here so that we can argue about him doing his exercises, but if he was gone, I wouldn't have any place to live."

"Of course you would, Daphne. Frasier wouldn't kick you out if something happened to Dad. He has plenty of room."

To say what he really wanted to say; that she was more than welcome to live with him. It was out of the question, at that moment anyway. And he didn't want anything at all to ruin this moment.

"Thank you, Dr. Cr-Oh, I'm a horrible person!"

"What? No, Daphne please doesn't say that! Why would you even think such a thing?"

She was crying openly now, the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Because I-What's wrong with me, thinking only of meself? What about your father?"

"Daphne-."

"I love your father, Dr. Crane! I love him so much! And to think of losing him-." Her sobs interrupted her next words and Niles' heart went out to her. He wasted no time in taking her into his arms, doing his best to comfort her.

"I-I want him to be around forever."

Her whispered words made his heart ache and he drew her closer.

"So do I, Daphne." His voice was shaky, surprising him, but she didn't seem to notice. Instead, she clung to him, her scent wafting around him. She sobbed into his chest, soaking his brand new Hugo Boss dress shirt and tie (The one he'd spent a fortune on) with her tears.

The salt from those tears was very likely to ruin the colors of his tie and the fabric of the shirt, but he could have cared less. All he cared about was making her happy again. He held her close, breathing in the scent of her hair, while his hand moved gently up and down her back in circular motions.

After several moments, she drew back, brushing the tears from her cheeks. And he turned his head slightly, wishing that he'd removed more than one Kleenex from the box. For he found that he needed to dry his own tears.

If ever there were any doubts in his mind about her self-imposed psychic abilities, it was at that moment. For she rose from the bed and crossed the room, retrieving the box of Kleenex before she returned to the bed and removed a tissue from the box. And then in the most romantic gesture of his life, gently blotted his tears away.

"There, Dr. Crane it's all right." She said in a soft whisper. "Your father is strong and he'll be around for a long time. A-At least I hope he will."

He couldn't help it; his composure broke and suddenly he was the one sobbing. In a strange (and wonderful) role reversal, she was the one, this time, to take him into her arms and hold him.

"Please don't cry…"

He forced himself to calm down by taking a few deep breaths (the way he'd often taught his patients) and then slipped his fingers through hers. "Thank you, Daphne. Not just for… well, you know, right now, but for everything. For taking care of Dad and loving him. I don't know how to repay you."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "You've already paid me. You pay part of me salary, remember?"

"Well, yes, but I meant…."

"I know what you meant. And I appreciate it. But I think I know what would make us both feel better."

"You do?"

"Come…"

Her hand still in his, he rose to his feet and followed her out of his father's bedroom. His dad was, of course, sitting in the living room, in his favorite chair, a Mariner's game blaring on the television. They entered the living room quietly and walked over to where he sat.

"Mr. Crane?" Daphne whispered.

He looked up in annoyance. "Yeah?"

She smiled and leaned to hug him, placing a kiss on his cheek. "I love you, old man."

Niles, in turn, followed suit, leaning to hug his father and kiss his cheek as well; an uncomfortable gesture to be sure, but one that felt strangely familiar.

"I love you too, Dad. I love you very much."

Wordlessly, Niles and Daphne walked away and Niles headed for the foyer. There they stood, almost oblivious to the stunned and confused expression on the eldest Crane man's face as he sat in his chair, watching them. Instead, Niles stared at Daphne and smiled.

"I know I said this already but thank you. I really can't thank you enough. I feel like I should… repay you somehow."

"Dr. Crane…"

"Really, Daphne."

She smiled and reached for his hand. "Well, if it means that much to you, I have some shopping to do downtown tomorrow. Why don't you meet me at Café Nervosa for a drink at The Fox and Whistle? I haven't been there in years; since your brother made it his favorite hangout. But he swore to me that he doesn't go there anymore, so I thought-."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It wasn't a date, not really, and he refused to let himself think so. Such thinking could only turn into heartbreak.

Her suggestion of meeting at the Fox and Whistle for a drink was just an offer of an evening out between two friends who loved the same man, in very different ways. And although he wished, prayed and hoped that the evening might turn into something more, he knew that he had to take it slow. He would let her be the one to initiate… well, whatever might or might not happen. If it did, he would be the happiest man on earth. And if it didn't? Well, he'd treasure her friendship always.

"I can hardly wait."

The grin she flashed him was shy, the way a schoolgirl might grin at a boy that she was smitten with. And his heart began to thunder in his chest.

"I'll call you, all right?"

"That sounds wonderful."

They stared at each other a moment longer. And then she kissed his cheek once more. "Goodnight, Dr. Crane. Until tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Daphne."

He returned to his car and started the engine, taking a moment to breathe deeply and sigh. He definitely needed a good night sleep. For tomorrow was certain to be the most wonderful day of his life… so far.

THE END