"Oh, you dear, sweet man, give me a hug!" Before Niles knew what was happening, Daphne was running at him, hugging him warmly. All too soon, she pulled away, laughed at his stunned expression and hugged him again. "So, who is she?"

Niles suddenly felt his heart racing. She didn't realize she was the woman he'd been talking to Frasier about. "Um..."

"You should invite her over here!" It seemed Daphne hadn't even noticed his hesitation.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Niles replied.

"Nonsense!" Daphne exclaimed. "I can see you're a bit nervous about the idea of actually going on a date with this woman. Maybe it would be easier for you if you were in familiar surroundings, and you had your family here to help break the ice."

"Well, that's very true. I would take your suggestion in a heartbeat, Daphne, but I'm afraid there's a bit of a problem."

Daphne let out a frustrated sigh. Dr. Crane could certainly be shy sometimes. But why should he go on admiring this woman from afar if he didn't have to? "What could possibly be the problem?"

Niles looked into her beautiful, brown eyes. Suddenly, he saw that he now had no choice but to tell her the truth. "Because...she lives here."

A look of confusion came on Daphne's face. "You mean you're in love with a woman who lives here in Dr. Crane's building?"

"Well, yes. But she's not really a neighbor. She sort of...lives with him."

For a moment, Daphne was sure she hadn't heard him right. "Dr. Crane, you don't mean...?" Surely she must be misunderstanding something. Because he couldn't mean her, could he?

"Yes, Daphne. It's you. I know it's crazy. We've been friends for all this time. I should've told you long before this. I'm so sorry."

"But, why me? I mean, aren't there women out there who are more sophisticated? I think you'd probably be much happier with them." Daphne could feel her head beginning to spin. This couldn't really be happening.

"No, I wouldn't. Remember how, just a few moments ago, you were so happy when you found out I was in love with someone?"

Daphne nodded. "Of course. If you're interested in somebody else, it must mean you're moving on from your divorce. Anyone would be happy to hear that. Especially with the way Mrs. Crane has been treating you."

"Yes, but, Daphne, no one outside my family has ever acted that way toward me before. I know it sounds strange, because I have so much in common with Frasier, but I really do consider you my best friend."

"Oh," Daphne said. "Well, that's very flattering. I didn't know. I just always assumed you and your brother were so close..."

"I do love and respect Frasier a great deal. But he spends time with me because we're related. It's different with you. You're here to take care of Dad, and you do a wonderful job of it. But the way you care about all of us isn't in your job description."

"I suppose you're right, technically speaking. But I live here. I see you and your brother nearly every day. Of course I'm going to care about you. I can't help it."

Niles reached out to touch her cheek. It was even softer than he'd imagined it. "That's because you're a very sweet person. And that's why I love you so much."

Daphne didn't know what to say. All she'd done was be her normal self, and try to be a friend to him whenever she could. Because of that, he loved her? It was crazy. And yet, as Daphne stared at him in disbelief, she couldn't help noticing how handsome he was. Maybe she did have feelings for him. Still, she wasn't sure if she could bring herself to tell him. "I...I..."

"I know I sort of sprung this on you. Believe me, I've tried so many times to find a way to tell you. I wanted to do it in a way that would take your breath away. Or at least let you know I was serious. I never wanted you to find out this way."

For some reason, Daphne found herself reaching out to take his hand. "I know you're serious. I just wish I'd known sooner. I suppose I should've seen the signs. But I just thought you were lonely. You needed a friend, and I was glad I could be there."

"You have been there for me. In more ways than I could ever say. Both Dad and Frasier told me to be careful. But I just couldn't. I think sometimes when your heart tells you something, there's just nothing you can do."

"You're right," Daphne said. "I think me heart is telling me something, too." Suddenly, she leaned forward, lightly kissing his lips. When she opened her eyes, she couldn't help smiling at his stunned expression. "I know you weren't expecting that. I don't think I was, either. But I think maybe the reason I was so happy you had your eye on someone new was that I care about you. I want you to be happy. I don't think I realized until this moment how much that mattered to me."

Niles could hardly believe what she was saying. "Oh, Daphne, if what you're saying is true, you've just made me the happiest man alive." This time, he hugged her. The feeling of holding her close like this was something he knew he'd never get over.

"I do love you, Niles." Daphne pulled out of the embrace. She smiled nervously, realizing she'd never said his name before, at least not like this.

Just when Niles thought he couldn't ever top the feeling he got when she was in his arms, he found himself falling in love with her all over again after hearing her finally call him by his first name. "Oh, Daphne. When you overheard my conversation with Frasier, I thought it could only lead to disaster. I never imagined it might end up like this!"

"Well, it has. And even if you changed your mind about how you felt, I don't think I could go back to the way I was before we had this conversation."

"Daphne, I've been feeling like this since the moment we met. I don't think it's going to change anytime soon."

"That's good," Daphne replied, suddenly putting her arms around him.

For a moment, Niles could only stoke her back. He was too overwhelmed to speak. But, gradually, his logical mind kicked in. "So, what do we do now?" he whispered.

Daphne knew something major had changed in their relationship. And she wasn't sure yet what it all meant, or how they would go about explaining things to the family. "I don't know," she said. "But it doesn't matter. Just hold me. We can figure out the rest later."

Niles didn't need any encouragement. He would hold onto Daphne for as long as he could.

The End