"Niles, are you sure about this? Have you really thought it through?"

Niles looked his brother in the eye and swallowed hard. "Frasier, I haven't been able to think about anything else. I can't stay in Seattle any longer."

"But Niles, Montana? That's over seven hundred miles away!"

"Remind me again how far Boston is from Seattle." Niles shot back.

"You know damn good and well that they're not the same things! I moved to Boston to further my education! Not to…"

"Run away." Niles finished. "That's what you were going to say, isn't it?"

Frasier ran his hand through his hair; a nervous habit that Niles knew well. "Look, Niles…"

"My mind's made up, Frasier. Daphne has made it clear to me that she wants nothing to do with me unless it's in friendship. And although her friendship means the world to me, I-I just can't. I need more."

Frasier's expression softened. "Is this about Mel?"

Niles looked away, fighting back tears. And when he felt his brother's hand on his shoulder, he daringly made eye contact, surprised to find that Frasier's expression was sympathetic.

"Look, if you want to talk about this-."

"No."

"Because we never had a chance to really-."

There's nothing to talk about. Mel left me, Frasier. Ran off with that… that… intern at the hospital and did nothing more than leave me a note and an order to move out of her place immediately. Thank God I decided to sublet my place at the Montana and that no one had taken advantage of it yet. I suppose the fact that I was able to move back in right away was a blessing. "

"Niles, look-."

"I can't stay here any longer, Frasier. I just can't. I need a change of scenery, all right? Somewhere that has no memories."

"But Niles, Montana?" Frasier said again.

"Yes. I'm moving to Montana."

"Well, do you have a job lined up?"

Niles lowered his head. "No…"

"NO?" Frasier shouted, startling Niles with the outburst. "Oh Niles, how can you be so impossible? What will you do for income?"

"I'll ignore that remark." Niles snapped. "I'm not an idiot, Frasier. I have plenty of money saved. I even bought a house!"

"I see… Well…."

"I'm sorry, Frasier. About leaving so soon; not about leaving. If the circumstances were different-."

"Have you told her?"

"What?"

"Oh for God's sake, Niles you know what I mean! Have you told Daphne that you're moving away?"

Again Niles lowered his head. "No…"

"Don't you think that you should?"

"Well of course I'm going to tell her! I just-."

"When, Niles? When are you going to tell her? After you're gone?"

"Frasier-."

"If you're really her friend, you-."

The door opened and they looked up. Niles' heart began to race at the sight of the vision standing in the doorway. Her smile instantly lit up the room.

"Oh, hello Dr. Crane. I didn't expect to see you here at this time of day."

"Oh, well, I-."

She smiled and went to him, making him shiver when she touched his forearm. "It's nice to see you. I hope you didn't think-.

"No, not at all. Thank you, Daphne. It's… wonderful to see you too."

After a moment of silence, Frasier cleared his throat and indiscreetly motioned to Daphne.

Niles swallowed hard.

"Well…" Frasier said. "I'm going to clean out my closet."

Daphne's eyebrows rose. "Your closet? But I just did that for you yester-."

"Daphne, may I speak to you for a moment?" Niles interjected, shooting his brother a grateful look.

Confused she glanced at him and nodded. "Of course. I-."

"I'll leave you two alone." Frasier said.

When Frasier was gone, Niles was overcome by the silence that filled the room. And he wondered if Daphne could hear his heartbeat. She sat next to him on the sofa and smiled. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

He stared into her beautiful eyes. God how he loved her. If only-.

"Dr. Crane?"

"What?"

"I-."

"Oh, right."

"Would you like some tea?"

"No thank you. I have to say this before I lose my nerve."

"It sounds serious."

"Well, it is in a way."

"What is it?

He took a deep breath. "I'm leaving, Daphne."

"What?"

"I'm leaving."

"I see. Well, when will you be back?"

"Actually, I won't."

"I guess I don't see. You mean you're never coming back? But why?"

"Well, of course I'll come back, but not on a regular basis anyway."

"I- I don't-."

"I'm moving away."

She gasped. "Oh… Well, when?"

"In two weeks. I leave on the First."

"I see…"

He thought, as he looked into her eyes, that he saw the beginnings of tears, but it must have been his imagination.