Daphne woke up, and immediately smiled at the memory of last night's events. Dr. Crane (the younger one) had confessed that he loved her. She'd always thought of him as a friend, a very good friend. But to know he would think of her in a completely not-friendly sort of way was flattering. She remembered how adorable he'd looked when she discovered he'd fallen asleep in the time it took her to get a blanket for him. Quietly, she crept out of her room, being careful not to wake Roz. Luckily, pregnancy had taken quite a toll on Roz's energy level, and she never even noticed Daphne had left.

When she reached the living room, she saw Dr. Crane still asleep on the couch. He must've gotten up at some point to cover himself with the blanket. Daphne's heart warmed at the sight. She walked over toward the couch and slowly bent down, gently kissing his cheek. He woke immediately.

"Morning," Daphne said with a smile.

Niles smiled. "So I guess last night wasn't a dream."

Daphne shook her head. "Not unless I'm dreaming too."

Niles kissed her on the lips, amazed at the way it made him feel. "Do you have plans for today?"

"Well, of course I have to look after your father. But it is the weekend, so I suppose I'm entitled to a few hours off," Daphne replied, taking his hands in hers.

"Perfect," Niles said. "How about we go shopping?"

"Shopping? What for?" Daphne asked.

"Earrings. I told you I'd get you the most beautiful ones I could find, and I shall."

"Oh, but Dr. Crane just gave me a pair of earrings," Daphne said.

"I know. But those were a friendship gift. I'm talking about a not-friendship gift." Niles gently caressed her cheek.

Daphne liked the way he touched her, with the greatest care possible. She reached up, covering his hand with hers. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look..."

Niles grinned and eagerly led her out the door of Frasier's apartment.

A few minutes later, Niles and Daphne were seated in Niles' car, parked just outside of one of Seattle's most expensive jewelery stores. Niles turned to Daphne. "I can't believe we're actually doing this!"

Daphne laughed, loving how excited he was. "I love you so much."

Niles kissed her then. "I don't think I could ever get tired of hearing you say that. All I want is to make you happy, Daphne. Because I already am happy, just having you here."

Daphne's heart melted. "Well, you know, bringing me to a jewelery store isn't really necessary. I mean, I've never had much money for things like this."

"But it doesn't have to be that way, Daphne. I do have money. And I want to take care of you. The same way you take care of Dad and Frasier."

Daphne laughed. "I've never bought your father or brother jewelery!"

Niles smiled, trying to look innocent. "OK, maybe not the exact same way." He took a long moment just to look into her eyes. As he did, he felt himself falling even more in love with her, which he hadn't thought possible.

He swallowed hard, suddenly remembering they'd come here for a reason. He got out of the car, then carefully helped Daphne out. They walked into a store filled with cases of rings, necklaces, and other extremely expensive items. Daphne knew immediately that there probably wasn't a thing in here that she could comfortably afford. She had to remind herself that Niles wanted to do this for her.

"Well, do you see anything you like?" Niles asked, seeing how overwhelmed Daphne was.

Before she could answer, a salesman walked over to Niles, obviously having seen him here before. "Dr. Crane, are you here to buy something for your wife?" The man gave a knowing look in Daphne's direction.

Niles immediately felt his cheeks redden. "No, Pierre, this is Daphne. She's just... a close friend of mine."

"Actually, we're more than friends!" Daphne said, kissing Niles cheek.

Niles was lightheaded, both from Daphne's words, and the unexpected kiss. "We'd just like to look around for now. We'll call you if we need you."

Pierre nodded, and left the two of them alone.

Once again, Niles turned his attention to Daphne. "So, where would you like to start?"

Daphne looked around in disbelief at the place. "I don't know. I've never seen so many beautiful things in one room before!"

Niles kissed her hand. "I have. It was the first time I saw you."

Daphne merely smiled, not knowing how she should respond. She'd never seen Niles act like this before, so open about his feelings. Sure, he'd complimented her plenty of times before, but she'd never understood how deeply he meant it until now. "Why don't we start over there?" She pointed to a case that contained a collection of earrings.

Niles nodded and carefully walked her over to where she'd pointed. "Well, do you see anyhing you like?"

Daphne looked at the earrings. Each one seemed to have more stones than the last. She was nearly blinded by the reflections. "I'm not sure...these really aren't my style."

Niles looked down, slightly hurt by her answer. "I see. Well, perhaps there are others here that will be more to your liking." He walked over to another display with earrings which were slightly less expensive, but still exquisite.

"You really don't need to do this, Niles," Daphne said as gently as she could. "I appreciate the thought, but I just don't think I'm the right person to wear these things."

Niles' heart sank. He wanted so much to give Daphne the kind of life she deserved. But he could see this was making her uncomfortable. Her feelings meant everything to him, so he had to find a way to compromise. Looking around, he saw another couple, obviously picking out jewelery. It gave him an idea. He signalled to Pierre. In a matter of seconds, the jeweler was in front of them.

"Yes, Dr. Crane?"

"Where are your rings?" Niles asked.

"Niles, what are you doing?" Daphne asked, completely bewildered.

Wordlessly, Niles followed Pierre over to yet another display. He looked over all the rings, seeing many 24-carat diamonds. He would willingly purchase any one of them in heartbeat, but he knew Daphne would never accept it. He continued to look over each item until he found what he was looking for. "I'll take this, please." He pointed to a solid gold band tucked into a corner. Next to the other pieces, it could easily go unnoticed. Pierre quoted him a price, and without hesitating, Niles took out his checkbook. He then accepted the ring and box from the salesman.

Daphne continued to look on in surprise and confusion. What was he doing? "Niles, I don't understand. Why are you -"

Without answering her, Niles took Daphne's hand. He took the ring from out of its box. Gently, he placed it on her finger. "You said you wanted something simple," he explained. "But I want to make sure you understand just how much you mean to me. I would never want to do anything that made you feel uncomfortable. So, I'm giving you this simple ring with a promise. One day, when you are ready, I will bring you back here and get you one of these rings, and I will ask you to be my wife. I understand that right now, that feels a little overwhelming. That's why I'm starting small, with this ring." He pointed at the band on her finger. "It may not be exactly what I wanted to get you, but at least you'll always know that I love you. The rest can wait."

Daphne was speechless. No one had ever made her an offer like that. Suddenly, she realized that she did want forever with Niles. Maybe she wasn't ready to say it out loud just yet, but someday, she would be. No matter how many other rings Niles might give her, she knew that this one would always be special. The words he'd said today told her that he not only loved her more than she'd ever realized, but there was more to it than that: he cared more for her happiness than for his own. He didn't want to impress her or overwhelm her with his wealth. All he really wanted to do was love her.

The End