A/N: My first Frasier fanfiction! AbsolutelyNO FLAMES. I'd rather have just nice comments. I'm really sensitive. Thanks guys! Saffron is my original character, she is not a Mary Sue, at least I don't intend her to be, but I don't want anyone saying she is. Saffron Crane and the story is the only thing I own. I do not own Frasier or any of the characters. Now, warning, I have not seen every episode (although Hallmark does show it regularly) so I have no idea (except for looking it up) on most things. The math probably isn't right (sorry! I'm terrible in math) so there's another warning. Okay, enough chitter chatter. On with the story.

Chapter One

1993

Quickly, I made my way up the elevator. It was late, probably around nine or ten o'clock at night. Well, it was late for my brothers at least. I was more of the partier than the type to stay in and read some books. I prefer clubs over literature.

"C'mon, God dammit, hurry up." I muttered. The elevators in my brother's apartment building always moved so slowly. I'd would've gone to Niles' but I don't have a key yet.

I'm the youngest of three, and the only girl. I was more of what you would call a surprise baby because...well...I literally was a surprise. When I was born, my brothers were sixteen and fourteen. Plus, it was their decision and my mother's decision to name me Saffron, although my father wanted to name me either Dorothy or Mellissa. But if I had it my way my name would be something normal. Like Sandra. My brothers are Frasier and Niles Crane. They're both pretty renowned psychiatrists, even though Frasier has his own radio show now. Niles, on the other hand, still continues his practice, though Frasier is more well-known because of the radio show. Sometimes Niles would get jealous because of it, but he'd get over it. Now, however long it took depended on how mad he was.

I believe that if you can't make fun of yourself, you can't laugh at anything. I constantly kid with myself, mainly with the way I was born. I was born via caesarian section, so I don't really say I was born. I was removed. On my birthday, since I was about seven, I've called it Removal Day and I've nicknamed myself Tumor Baby. My father tried to stop it, but soon-mainly to bother Dad-my brothers picked it up, so it just really stuck.

Though we weren't much alike, my brothers and I got along pretty good. They were more in the realm of fine art, wine, cuisine, things like that. Me? Well, I was more of a rock n roller. I loved to party and meet guys at clubs. I loved to write and act, my passion was to become an actress and be one of Michael J. Fox's leading ladies in a movie. Of course...I guess being an actress could suffice too. My favorite musical was Rocky Horror and more than once I have attended a midnight showing (once I went as Janet, another I went as Columbia, but most of the time, I was Magenta). But yet... The three of us could somehow always end up having a great time together and having fun.

In 1987, I lost my mother to lung cancer. I was nineteen years old. I had just entered college, Frasier was living Boston at the time, and Niles and Maris (married three years at this point) were living in the home in Seattle they're living in now. Dad was a cop (since this was before he was shot in the hip and had to live with my brother). It was a sad day for all involved. Niles gave me the call personally. We've always been the closest out of the three of us (ever since I said his name for my first word). I remember the day vividly. I had gone back to my dorm room and was relaxing on my bed after my theatre class.

1987

I was high lighting lines in my script as my phone rang. I finished high lighting the last Penny line on the page and picked it up.

"This is Saffron." I answered it, smiling.

"Hello, Saf." Niles's voice came over the line. There was something odd in it though. I couldn't place it.

"Niles? You okay?"

A sigh. "I have to tell you something. It's about Mom. I'd drive out there if I could, but Maris took the car again."

"What is it?" the smile left my face and I sat up, my eyebrows furrowing. He hadn't had this tone in his voice since the time he had told me he and Frasier had accidentally gone through my diary. They thought it was just one of my journals that I had written until they saw the first few pages and it clicked. That was Christmas, 1983.

I could Niles exhale a shaky breath. "Well..." his voice was shaking. "It must've happened last night because when he found her this morning it had already happened."

"What're you saying?" I forced myself to say. I already knew it. I just needed to hear my brother say it. At this point, I could hear him crying.

"Mom died, Saf."

I sat there in shock. My grip started to loosen on my phone.

"Saf?"

"H-how's Dad?"

"He's torn to pieces. He can't even leave their bedroom. It's terrible."

"Niles, where are you right now?"

"I'm at Dad's house. I'm calling Frasier next. Why?"

"I can have four days off this semester. It's Tuesday. I can take the rest of the week off. I'm coming over." I stopped. "Wait... If Maris has the car, how'd you get to Dad's?"

"She dropped me off before she left."

"Makes sense. Okay. I'll be there soon."

I had enough time to think going up in the elevator. Quickly, I wiped my eyes for the millionth time that night it seemed. When it stopped, I walked to the door directly across from the elevator. I knocked on the door softly, hoping I didn't wake anyone up. If no one answered, I would've used my key. But, before I could even get it out of my pocket, I heard the jingling from a dog collar.

"Eddie. Eddie. Get away from the door. I said back." Came a voice. The door opened and there stood Frasier. "Saffron? What're you doing here?"

I looked down. "Can I come in?"

"Yes, of course." My older brother stepped to the side, letting me in. Frasier's hair was thinning on the top, but full on the bottom. It was almost to his shoulders. He needed a haircut but I never said anything. If he wanted his hair long, then he could keep it long. He wore a tan sweater and some slacks, but he was barefoot. I sat on the couch and held my head in my hands. I heard the jingle of Eddie's collar and after a few minutes I felt him crawl into my lap. I scratched him behind his ears. "What's wrong?" I felt the other side of the couch dip as Frasier sat next to me. I felt the tears fall down my face.

"Ethan kicked me out."

"He what?"

I nodded.

"Why?"

"Apparently, um," I looked up at the ceiling for a few moments before I looked at my brother. "I'm not the right girl for him and, even though I'm nice, I'm not his type."

"That's preposterous."

"You're telling me." I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, not dwelling on the past. Could I stay here for the night?"

"Yes, of course. You can stay in the guest room, although you might need to find somewhere else tomorrow night. Dad's physical trainer's coming tomorrow. You could stay at Niles's if you wanted."

"Yeah... But, Maris doesn't like me."

"Maris doesn't like anyone. Except Niles." Frasier rolled his eyes.

I nodded. "True, true, very true... How is Dad anyway?"

"Well, he's walking better but he still needs his cane." Frasier reached for the wine glass that was on the coffee table. I looked at it and then looked down.

"I wasn't interrupting or anything was I?"

"No, no, no." my brother shook his head as Eddie hopped out of my lap and crawled into my father's old, beaten chair. "I was just enjoying a glass of wine and a good book."

"Ah, yes." I nodded. "The old routine then. No dates, no nothing."

Frasier was silent for a few moments as I began to giggle. "It's not funny." He pouted slightly. I giggled a bit more.

"Sorry, Frasier. I meant no harm."

"Uh huh."

"I didn't." I laughed a little. "I guess I'm gonna take a shower. God knows I need to relax."

"You know where the bathroom is?" Frasier picked his book back up.

"Yeah, I know." I walked down the hall and into the bathroom. I heard Eddie bark a couple of times and his collar jingled. Not too long after, Frasier made a kind of "Oof!" sound. I walked out of the bathroom a little and saw the tiny dog on my brother's lap. Frasier picked him up and set him down. Eddie didn't move. Not one bit. He sat right in front of Frasier and I quietly made my way back to the bathroom, and right before I closed the door, I heard my brother groan.

"Stop staring at me!"

And, trying not to laugh, I shut the bathroom door.