Niles could hardly believe he and Daphne were here. After all they'd been through just to be together, all the obstacles, they were now about to start their family. For so many years, fatherhood had seemed out of Niles' reach. Now that it was close at hand, he had to admit he was more than a little scared. Sure, he'd read every parenting book he could find, but in the end, he'd realized that this was the one thing he couldn't learn just by reasearching it. He had to figure it out the same way his father had, with his gut. Niles was never any good at that, preferring instead to rely on hard facts and science to help make his decisions. That was probably why it had taken him and Daphne nearly ten years just to become a couple.

"Niles, I'm a bit scared." Daphne's words brought Niles' mind to the present.

"My love, I will be here with you the entire way. You have the best obstetrician in all of Seattle here to assist with the birth. I know it will be difficult, but just think of what we'll end up with. Our very own baby!" He took Daphne's hand and brought it to his lips, gently kissing it.

Daphne smiled at that. She ran her and over her stomach, amazed that the tiny creature inside was about to come out. It was exciting, but also very scary. Daphne knew she was a lucky woman, because not everyone had a husband as sweet and caring as Niles. In fact, not everyone had a husband, period. The more she thought about it, the more she admired Roz for the way she was raising Alice on her own. Even with Niles here, and all his promises of love and support, Daphne wondered how she was ever going to do this. Not just the delivery, but the entire thing, the process of raising a child. She hadn't the faintest idea how to do it. Looking after people was in Daphne's nature, but keeping an eye on Martin wasn't the same thing as taking care of an infant who would need constant attention and supervision. She wanted so much to be a good mom, because she knew how badly Niles wanted this baby. After the experiences he'd had in his previous marriages, he certainly deserved a little happiness. Daphne was more than willing to give it to him, considering all he'd given her.

"What do you think it's going to be?" Daphne asked, breaking the silence between them. From the moment she and Niles had found out they were having a baby, they'd both agreed they did not want to find out the sex in advance. When friends asked what they wanted, their answer was simple: "A healthy baby, that's all that matters."

"Oh, Daphne," Niles responded. "No matter what our little baby turns out to be, I will love him or her with all my heart. I have no preference one way or the other." He was grateful that Daphne chose that moment to admire the view outside the hospital room, because she missed him reaching into his pocket for a hankerchief to stop his nosebleed. He did not want to admit this to anyone, not even to Daphne, but he desperately wanted a son. He knew it was silly, really. All that nonsense about carrying on the family name. But still, was it so wrong for him to want a son who could make him proud one day by becoming the star of the school's chess team? Frasier practically glowed with pride whenever Frederick's name came up. Why shouldn't Niles want that? He had tried time and again to tell himself that a girl could be just as competitive in chess as a boy. But still, whenever he thought of the future with this child, he always saw a boy.

"I hope I can be a good enough mum to this baby," Daphne said with a sigh. Niles could tell that she was every bit as scared as he was.

"My love, you are the most caring person I've ever met. Our child will be lucky to have you for a mother." He kissed her, momentarily taking her breath away and making her forget her fears.

"Well, I think our baby's going to have a wonderful father, too," Daphne said smiling up at him.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Niles said as he blushed.

Daphne touched Niles' cheek. "If you take care of this baby half as well as you take care of me, you'll be an amazing father, Niles." They kissed once again. Both Niles and Daphne were grateful they had each other there to offer support at a moment like this.

Niles smiled at her, touched by her words. This moment was almost too good to be true. In a little while, he would be meeting his son. He felt tears well up in his eyes, causing Daphne to once again reach up, brushing a tear from his cheek. "I love you," she said.

"Oh, and I love you, my angel."

Daphne looked at her stomach. "Hello, little one. We can't wait to meet you!"

Just then, Daphne began to wince and she took hold of Niles' hand. This was it, her first contraction.

Niles used his free hand to stroke Daphne's forehead in an effort to soothe her. Suddenly, Daphne relaxed her grip on his hand. The contraction was over. They both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, that wasn't so bad." Daphne tried to smile, but it fell flat. Roz had warned her that this was just the beginning.

Several minutes later, another contraction kicked in, a bit more intense this time. Niles continued to hold her hand and comfort her as best he could. The doctor came in, smiling at what he saw. "Well, Daphne, it looks like we're right on schedule."

Niles and Daphne looked at each other, both in disbelief that they were about to meet their very own child. This was a moment they would both remember for the rest of their lives.

To Be Continued