Breaking Storms

Usual disclaimer applies, and once again I have nothing of value, unless you value odd socks, old copies of Top Gear Magazine and many, many pictures of Jenson Button.

Daphne was hurridley packing an overnight bag, she had just had a massive row with Sherry and needed to get out of the apartment, "Maybe if I can get away for a couple of hours I can clear my head. Right underwear, clean top, bathroom stuff, check,check,check" Daphne muttered to herself. "PILLS!" she yelled a little too loudly as she made for the door, "I can't be going out to clear my head for the evening if I forget me pills, I really don't want to have to come back tonight" she thought to herself.

Looking around the living room and making sure that Sherry wasn't there she quickly crossed the room and made her way down to the garage. "Going for a drive, the perfect way to clear my head" Daphne mused to herself as she drove out of the parking lot, with the windows wound down, and the local rock station blaring Daphne tried but failed to clear her head, she went to both Annie and Holly's apartments, but they were both out, "Probably on dates" Daphne thought to herself before going to her last chance saloon as it were, The Montana.

When she was riding up in the elevator a small critical voice in her head was telling her, that like the others he would be out, and even if he wasn't, why would he want to spend the evening with her. She managed to completey ignore it by the time she arrived at Niles' door.

She rang the doorbell, not expecting an answer, to her surpise he called something incomprehenisble, but probably that he was coming to the door as within seconds he opened the door. Daphne was shocked, she had never seen Niles in anything other than a suit, apart from on the rare occasion he was in squash whites, but the more casual look suited him, she was distracted from her thoughts by the fact that he had fainted, probably due to the heat, as it was extremely sticky. When she had managed to get him over to the fainting couch, and undone a couple of the buttons on his shirt to cool him down a little, he came round breifly and then fainted again. Eventually he managed to keep himself conscoius and she explained why she had come over. She then said that she wanted to get out of her sweatly clothes, which once again had Niles on the verge of fainting.

On returning from the bath, in Niles' bathrobe, she discovered that he had brought a bottle of champagne and a platter of fruit, "What does he think is going to happen tonight?" she thought to herself as she accepted a glass of champagne. Unsurprisingly given the cirumstances that lead to her apearring at his door the conversation had turned to their love lives, or the mutual lack of a love life, when she took his hand when they were discussing how much she missed the simple pleasure in holding hands, he felt the familiar surge of love through his body. Unusally this time she seemed receptive to his advances, when it came to discussing the sleeping arrangements, she was the on who suggessted that they share a bed. The atmosphere was thick with sexual tension by this point, Niles was ready to rip his clothes off, tell Daphne how he felt and scream "LOVE ME!". Fortunatley for both parties they were spared the embarrasement by the alarm on Daphne's watch going off, to remind her to take her thyroid pills. Niles went to get her a glass of water from the kitchen, he was glad of the interruption, he could calm himself down, "She only suggested sleeping in the sma e room so we can share the fan" he told himself.

After taking her pills Daphne set the glass on the table, turning round Niles suddenly kissed her with a passion that surprised him as much as her, after many minutes of heated kssing, Niles cautiously broke the kiss, "Daphne, I must say this now, I love you, this isn't a line to get you into bed, I love you with all my heart, I have done for the past four years. At the Snow Ball I was crushed when you thought I was acting", in response to this news Daphne looked shocked, but quickly collated all the looks, the comments, the kiss at the Snow Ball, how could she have been so blind, she was distracted from her thoughts by Niles' kissing her once again, caught up in the moment, she let her hands drop down to his butt, where she gave a small squeeze. Niles took this as encouragement and slowly raked his fingers up her spine,when she moaned against his mouth he was in heaven. Slowy he moved his lips down to her neck, Daphne gave up her attempt to undo the buttons of Niles' shirt and gave herself completley to the sensation of his lips on her skin, when he began to loosen the tie on the robe she was wearing and genly led her back on the fainting couch. This momevement gave Daphne the chance to once again attempt to remove Niles' shirt and she was successful this time.

With this it was her turn to slowly kiss down his neck, Niles was in heaven, not only had it been a long time since he had been intimate with a woman, even then it was with Maris who wasn't exactly the most passioniate woman in the world, and when they were together she just demanded he focus his attention on her, it was wonderful to be with someone who understood he had needs too, "How about we take this upstairs?" Daphne said as she lightly caressed his chest. "Sounds like a plan to me", despite this they remained as they were on the fainting couch for a few minutes more. Eventually Daphne stood up, strched languidly and removed her robe "It's going to come off anyway so why not now?" she said to a stunned Niles, he had never known a woman so conifdent of herself, even when she was almost naked.

Later in the evening they lay holding on to each other, neither quite believing what had just happened. Niles was just drifting off to sleep when a massive clap of thunder sounded, waking him, "What was that, someone's been shot!" he said running around the room in a panic. "No-one's been shot you idiot, it's just the storm breaking" Daphne said "God, you're worse than your brother and that's saying something." A million thoughts raced through Niles' mind, had she been in this situation with Frasier, how could he do that to his only brother?. Daphne watched Niles expression with a mixture of confusion and amusement. "I meant that you both completely overreact to the smallest things, you don't think I slept with him do you?" she said, looking quite hurt at the implication she would do that. "Oh, I'm sorry, I just guess I'm not thinking straight, I have just spent the evening with a goddess and my mind is elsewhere"
"Evidently" she said her eyes roaming down his body "you seem to be keeping it in the same place as most men" Niles suddenly blushed when he realised to what she was referring. In response he simply rejoined her in the bed and said "I think I'm going to have to make up to you for my hideous slur earlier"

When they woke in the morining Daphne had her head in the crook of Niles' neck, "Mmmmm, morning" she said turning to face Niles, who was wearing the most contented expression she had ever seen on anyone, "Morning my love, I'll just go and make a start on breakfast, eggs Benedict OK?" "That's fine but if I'm being honest I'd rather just have you" she replied with a mischevious glint in her eye, "How about me followed by eggs Benedict?" he replied clearly much preferring her suggestion.

Later on when they had finished eating and Daphne was getting changed, Niles was clearing the plates when the phone began to ring,

"Niles Crane"
"Niles it's Frasier, Daphne never came home last night, this is a long shot, but did she come over to yours?"
"Yes she did, she's just getting ready and will on her way back within minutes"
"Why didn't you ring last night to let us know she was OK?"
"She didn't arrive here til 11.15pm, and I didn't think you'd want me ringing at that time of night"

"A question you may or may not want to answer, did you two sleep together last night? She was arguing with Sherry because she gave her number to some men a McGinty's because she thought Daphne needed a man"

"I shouldn't dignify that with a response, but we slept together to the the extent that we were both in the same apartment and were asleep at the same time"

"I'm sorry I insinuated that you would take advantage of her like that. I have to go I have a patient in 45 minutes, I'll be over later, goodbye Frasier"
"Who was that?" Daphne asked, starling Niles as she had come down the stair mid-conversation "Just Frasier asking if I knew where you were, he actually asked if I slept with you too?"
"I'm guessing you weren't entirley truthful" Daphne replied motioning to the fact that his nose was bleeding, "You have to consider the fact that I'm still technically married and what happened last night was an act of adultery, but I did tell him that I would be over later, what he doesn't know is that I am coiming over to take you to dinner at Au Pied Du Coshon, but do you want to meet for coffee in my lunch break, Nervosa at 12 o clock"

"Oh Niles, that sounds wonderful, I'll just tell everyone that we had a long chat and that you told me how you felt, and that we agreed to give it a try" with that and a kiss she left.

Later That Day

"Hey Daph" Roz said as she noticed her friend sat at the table alone, "Hi Roz, I'd get another chair, Dr Crane and his brother will be arriving in a minute". Their coffees arrived at the same time as Frasier and Niles, while Frasier went to order the drinks Niles greeted Daphne with a kiss. Roz natrually looked rather shoked at this, "What's going on between you two?"

"Well as of last night we are officially dating, it's a long story, but it turns out that a certain person has been in love with me for four years", "What, Niles is in love with you?!" Roz said a little too loudly, causing the entire cafe to look over in the direction of the table. "Just tell the world why don't you?" Daphne said with a murderous look in her eye, "You slept with him, I can tell" Roz whispered to Daphne, "No I didn't, I think I would know if I had, you must be slipping" Daphne replied with a slightly guilty look, she hated lying to everyone about the events of the night before, but the last thing Niles need was for it to get out that he and Daphne had spent the night together. Especially as he was going to his attoreney's office later that day to have divorce papers drawn up, so he could be free of Maris forever.

The doorbell of Frasier's apartment rang, "Can you get it, I'm still getting ready" came the cry from Daphne's room. On opening the door Frasier was greeted by the sight of his brother with a huge cheesy grin. While they waited for Daphne to finish getting ready the chatted about the events of the night before. "So how did you two come to this little arrangement?" Frasier asked, so Niles explained that while she was explaining why she had reacted so irrationally to Sherry's attempts at matchmaking, "It struck me if I don't tell her how I feel now, I may never do, so I just blurted it out, natrually she was stunned, but she wasn't repulsed as I had originally feared." Frasier seemed to have become bored of his brother's incessant gushing, but was secretly quite pleased to see him with a woman who truly made him happy. In a moment of either extreme coinicdence, or perfect timing, as soon as Niles finished recounting the story Daphne appeared from he room wearing a certain red dress. "Daphne, you're a vision, I adore you" they shared a chuckle at this as he had said exactly the same things the last time she wore the dress. "We have to go to keep our reservation." Niles said escorting Daphne to the door. "Have a great night" Frasier called to the rapidly closing door.

"So you msy not want to talk about this, but how did things go with your attorney?" Daphne asked as Niles was driving them to the restaraunt, "It went well, they should be serving her with the papers tomorrow, I'm citing unreasonable behaviour, my main concern is how long her lawyers will try and drag the case out." The rest of the journey passed in silence.

"Ah Dr Crane, it's so nice to see you again, I take it you have a reservaion?" said the maitre 'd, "yes we do, my usual table", when they had settled at the table and ordered, the conversation turned to how their day had been. "Same old, same old, I'm glad you went to the bathroom in Nervosa earlier, when you were gone Roz said that she could tell we made love last night, and if you had to deny it your nose would have bled."

The meal passed without incident, Niles dropped Daphne off at Frasier's with a kiss outside the door, "I wish you could stay with me tonight, I'll be so lonley" Niles said, "I know but it would look a little suspicious, and you know as well as I do we have to be careful now you are serving Maris with divorce papers, she will do anything to place blame on you for the divorce" replied Daphne, the lok on Niles' face was one of reluctant agreement.

Two Days Later

Niles sat alone in his study trying to concentrate on the case study he was reading but kept being distracted from the shriek from across the room, Maris was on the phone and had evidently just been served with the divorce papers, she had been screeching down the phone for the best part of an hour, she only stopped to tell Niles that he wouldn't be getting a penny in the settlement. Eventually she hung up, presumably because she had lost her voice. Niles was quite relived at this, but was reluctant to answer the phone in case Maris had got one of the staff to tell him all his failings, fortuantley when he picked up it was just Frasier asking if he was still oming round for dinner, "Sorry I had completley forgotten, it's been a stressful couple of days, Maris got the divorce papers today and has just been shrieking down the phone for an hour, but I'll be right over".

Daphne greeted him at the door, an natually everyone turned to stare at them, "I just need to get the roast out of the oven, Niles can you give me a hand?" she said, "Of course". When they got into the kitchen Daphne kissed Niles, "I wasn't going to do that they were staring at us like animals in a zoo was I?", Niles replied with a giggle and kissed her again, unfortunatley they were interrupted by Frasier, "I thought you were getting the roast out of the oven." Frasier said looking at Daphne who was now busy getting it out of the oven. "Happy now, oh by the way can you carve?" she said, whilst being dargged out of the kitchen by Niles, leaving him to shake his head in a gesture of defeat, and hoping that this wouldn't be a regualr occurrence.

Please R&R