Daphne was so glad to be home. The warm bath and this cup of hot chocolate were just what she needed. Her night out with some girlfriends had not gone as planned at all. They'd been hoping to get into a nightclub, and help Daphne meet "a hot guy," according to Roz. But the club had been crowded, and by the time they'd reached the front of the line, they weren't allowed in.

But Daphne's friends didn't mind. Somehow, they all began talking. Right there on the sidewalk, they compared notes on their love-lives. Daphne quickly grew impatient, not really wanting to hear all about her girlfriends' romantic dates with their significant others. Not only that, but the temperature had dropped considerably. None of her friends seemed to notice, however. Several times, she tried to politely make an exit. But her attempts fell on deaf ears. Finally, one of her friends got a "very important" call from her boyfriend, and the group went their separate ways at last.

Now, carrying the precious mug of hot chocolate into the living room, Daphne was glad all of that was behind her. That and the romance novel she'd bought only yesterday would make her forget all about her terrible evening. But just as she set her mug on the coffee table, there was a knock at the door. Since Mr. Crane was out with his buddies watching a football game, and his son was on a date, Daphne had no choice but to answer it. "Dr. Crane!"

"Hello, Daphne." Niles smiled the instant he saw her. "I didn't expect to find you in your pajamas at this hour. But you work hard; I know you need your rest. I'll come by later. Just tell Frasier I was here, all right?" He turned to leave.

"Dr. Crane, wait." Daphne put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not going to bed yet. I just had rather a trying night, and I wanted to unwind a bit."

Niles blushed. "Oh. Well, I'm sorry to disturb you."

Daphne smiled. "You're not disturbing me. Why don't you come in? This is your home, too, you know."

"Well, thank you, Daphne. But I think my brother would disagree."

"Since Dr. Crane isn't here, it's up to me to decide who's welcome here. And you're always so nice to me, so of course you can come in!"

At this, Niles entered the apartment. "It's nice to be wanted somewhere for a change."

A sad smile appeared on Daphne's face. "Your wife giving you troubles again? Would you like some hot chocolate?"

Niles thought for a moment. "Yes, I believe I would. I'll just go help myself."

"Nonsense," Daphne replied. "You just sit down on the sofa, and I'll be right back."

Somewhat dazed by the sight of her smile, Niles did as she requested. It never ceased to amaze him how she could remain so cheerful, no matter what frustrations she dealt with. He could hear her happily humming to herself as she poured boiling water into a mug.

A moment later, she came back. "There you are, Dr. Crane. I put in an extra marshmallow for you."

"Thank you." Niles couldn't remember the last time he'd even had hot chocolate, much less a marshmallow in it. "So, why was your evening so difficult? I mean, if you don't mind talking about it?" Niles asked, after taking a sip of the hot liquid.

A deep sigh escaped from Daphne. "Me girlfriends wanted to go out to this great new club." She rolled her eyes. "But we couldn't get in to the bloody place. I really didn't want to get in anyway, so I was glad. So, there we were, just standing there on the sidewalk. And somehow, everyone started talking about their boyfriends."

Niles smiled slightly, knowing he could relate. "That can be painful, when you're the only one who's alone."

Daphne nodded. "But that wasn't even the worst of it. It was bloody cold out there tonight. All I wanted to do was come back here, where it was warm. But, no, me friends wouldn't hear of it. 'Wait, Daphne, I haven't told you about me cruise to the Bahamas!'" Once again, she rolled her eyes. "I've never been so glad to see this place in me life!"

Feeling somewhat bold, Niles reached over to where her hand lay in her lap. He gently squeezed it. "I'm sorry you had such a bad night."

Daphne smiled. "It's not so bad now." She was quiet for a moment. "I must be a horrible friend."

"That's certainly not true," Niles replied without hesitation.

She gave his hand a grateful squeeze. "Thank you. But it's just me girlfriends. Sometimes, it's nice to be able to talk to someone, you know? I mean, they listen when your father's driving me up the wall. And I appreciate that. I really do. But sometimes...I just don't want to be around them."

Niles' heart went out to her. "Oh, Daphne. That doesn't mean you aren't a good friend. Everyone feels that way sometimes. Look at me. Maris is gone, yet again. I'm beginning to wonder if she's having an affair with an airline employee. She's flown back and forth to Europe so many times lately! And what do I hear Frasier going on about at the cafe today? His date with, as he put it, 'the one.'"

"We're quite a pair, aren't we?"

Niles nodded. "But at least we're not alone."

Daphne smiled. "Well, that's true. I'm so glad you're here, Dr. Crane. I feel like I could tell you just about anything."

Niles wanted so badly to say the same, but of course he knew that wasn't true. There was one major thing he hadn't told her. But as he looked into her eyes, he began to think. Maybe..."Daphne, you can tell me anything. But there is one thing I haven't told you. I'm afraid I've been a coward."

"After the way you let me go on about me problem, the least I can do is listen to what you've got to say. You're me friend, so please, tell me."

"All right. I'm so glad that you think of me as a friend. It's nice to have someone who cares about me, besides my family. And I want to thank you for that. But...deep in my heart, I don't want to be your friend. Not just your friend, anyway. There's no easy way for me to say this. But I love you, Daphne."

Daphne could hardly believe her ears. For a moment, she could do nothing but stare at him in disbelief. But once the shock wore off a bit, she began thinking. Maybe this was why he'd been so sweet to her all this time. Hadn't he cheered her up countless times when she was having a rough day? She'd done her best to return the favor when she could, but now she understood that it wasn't nearly enough. Because, what he'd really offered her wasn't just friendship. It was something far deeper. And there was something else, too. He'd understood her loneliness, because he felt the same. But he wasn't lonely simply because his wife had rejected him. It was partly her fault, too. "Dr. Crane, I'm so sorry."

Niles' heart began to race. Was this a rejection? "What? No, please, don't say that." He hated how vulnerable he sounded. That was probably why Maris didn't love him, either.

When she saw the look on his face, Daphne understood what he was thinking. "I'm sorry because I couldn't see it. I could never see how kind and caring you are to me. Or why. And I know it won't make up for all the time we've lost, or all you've been through, but I love you, too. Or at least I think I do."

Niles touched her cheek, brushing away a tear that had escaped. "As far as I'm concerned, the past doesn't matter. What matters is right now. And if you love me, that's enough. It's all I've ever wanted."

Suddenly, Daphne thought of how cold she'd been earlier. She'd thought she would never warm up. The hot chocolate had certainly taken care of that. But the warmth she felt now had nothing to do with that. She knew it was in her heart. "That's all I've ever wanted, too. Me friends told me tonight that they'd help me find a man, so that I wouldn't be alone. I didn't believe them then, but I guess, in a way, they did. I'm so glad it was you."

"I'm glad too, Daphne." Niles was still in disbelief that this was real. Just to be sure, he leaned forward slowly. Gently, their lips met. The sensation, mixed with the chocolate on her lips, was more wonderful than he'd imagined. "I'm very glad," he reiterated. For the first time that night, he felt genuinely happy.

The End