Disclaimer: You don't need Daphne's psychic abilities to know what this disclaimer will say.
A/N: This is story is dedicated to BaronessBlixen for her birthday. Enjoy all!
A Wish Granted
FRASIER'S APARTMENT
Oh, the good old days, Martin thought to himself as he perused through some old photos scattered across Frasier's mahogany table. He sighed as he stared at the messy collection of memories…those of his prime days, when Frasier and Niles were young, when Hester was alive and well, and, when he was still a cop serving in the field. Indeed, those were the good times, and there were days, like today, when he wished he could jump into the photos and relive the past.
Martin felt somewhat guilty; if anything, he should be in a happier mood. Today was his birthday, after all. He should be looking forward to the beer he knew he would undoubtedly get, and the cake that Daphne had spent the previous night baking. But for right now, he couldn't help but think of this day as a sign of being another year farther from the prime of his life. In particular, it had been on his mind lately, that even though he was working for the police department again, it simply wasn't the same as before, and although he didn't like to admit it, neither was the satisfaction of his job. Not only was he older, but with a bullet in his hip, he couldn't participate in the field like he once could, and it was through active duty he really felt like an important civilian.
Silly as it might be to admit, I really wish my participation in the police force could feel as significant as it once did.
He sighed again, shaking the thought from his head and taking one last look at the photos before putting them back in a shoebox. He could hear Frasier waking up and knew that if he walked in on him looking at the pictures, he would analyze him, conclude he was experiencing nostalgia, and then give some boring Freudian speech about desiring the past. Oh, well. The past was the past. He shoved the box away and smiled as Frasier came out into the living room, humming some song from last night's opera.
"Ahh! Good morning, Dad, and happy birthday. Niles and Daphne will be by later to celebrate, as will Roz and Alice!"
"That sounds great, Frase! I can't wait to see them!" he smiled at his older son as he walked away to put the shoe box back in his room.
….
ROZ'S APARTMENT
Roz opened the door to Alice's room and poked her head in. Before making her presence known, she smiled at the sight of her little five-year old engrossed in her art. She was momentarily in her own world, coloring away on a piece of paper, accompanied only by her imagination and a pile of crayons scattered like a messy rainbow on the floor.
"Alice, honey?" her throaty voice broke the silence as she walked up to her daughter and sat next to her on the carpet.
"Yes mommy?"
"Remember that gift you wanted to give to Uncle Martin for his birthday?" Alice nodded her head in excitement as a toothy grin spread across her adorable face. "Well, I finally went to the photo shop today, and made some final touches. And…you're going to love mommy for this…I got you a bag and tissue paper so you could wrap your own gift!"
In an instant, Alice went from sitting crisscross apple sauce to standing up and wrapping her arms tightly around her mother before thanking her and rushing into the kitchen to prepare Uncle Marty's gift. She handed Alice the items and watched her fiddle with the white tissue paper and the birthday bag. Roz smiled again, and this time because she couldn't help but think how thoughtful her daughter was. Her baby was growing up so fast, already picking gifts and wanting to wrap them herself. She hoped, as did her daughter, that Martin would really love this gift.
….
FRASIER'S APARTMENT
Frasier strolled into the living room, Eddie following closely behind, and placed a large box before his father. "Here Dad, open my gift."
"Oh, I'll bet I know what this is," Martin smiled as he pressed his fingertips against the wrapping and took a minute to feel around for the unmistakably cool touch of glass or aluminum. Yep, as he suspected! It was a case of Ballantine beer. "I knew it! Thanks, Frase!" Then he turned to his beloved jack Russell terrier, "look what I got, Eddie!"
A proud grin crossed Frasier's face. "Oh…You're welcome Dad."
"But, why am I opening this gift now? Aren't we supposed to wait for Roz and Alice to show up first?"
"Well, of course Dad, but uh, I wouldn't want Alice to see…"Frasier motioned his hand in circles, indicating the beer. "…the beer. You know what I mean, she's five."
Martin shrugged. "Point taken, I guess." He shared a look with Eddie and couldn't help but roll his eyes at the thought of how overdramatic and protective his sons could sometimes be. True, Alice was five, but even if she were there to see him unwrap a case of beer, it wouldn't ruin her innocence. It was a beverage, for all the girl would know! And besides, that's not as half as bad as Gertrude Moon telling Alice she could have a cigarette in exchange for helping her look for them.
Suddenly the doorbell rang. That would be mother and daughter Doyle. Daphne's heavy Manchester accent rang through the air, "I'll get it! Niles, please put the last of the candles on the cake." An eager "will do, my love!" could be heard from the kitchen as she rushed to open the door. "Hello Roz, Alice!"
"Hi Daphne. I hope we're not late."
"Hey! Not at all, you're just in time." Martin cut in, as he faced Roz and then opened his arms to welcome the little girl running toward him. "Hey there sweetheart!" he said as he pulled her up on his lap and sat down in the chair his boys despised. Alice, excited to give Martin his gift, broke the bear hug to show him the bag in her hand. "Whatcha got there, Alice?"
"Something for you, Uncle Martin."
Martin took the birthday bag from her hands and gave her another hug. "Why thank you Alice. Would you mind if I saved the best for last, and open yours after I receive Niles' and Daphne's gift?"
"Okay!" she replied as she hopped off Martin's lap and made her way to the mahogany table where Daphne and Niles presented a fancy envelope for Martin, obviously one that Niles picked out. Its contents revealed a pair of front row seats to an upcoming Supersonics basketball game, and a birthday card that bore the words:
DAD, HAVE A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY, AND ENJOY THE BASKETBALL GAME!
- LOVE, NILES AND DAPHNE.
After thanking his son and daughter-in-law, he turned his attention to the little birthday bag on the table. "Now I wonder what this could be." Slowly he pulled the bag toward him, and took his time removing the tissue paper Alice placed around the gift, keeping the suspension momentarily alive for the little girl whose excitement was growing with each passing second. He prepared himself to feign utter surprise (not that he wouldn't appreciate whatever it was Alice had to give him), but by the time he pulled out the gift, he realized he didn't have to. For in the bag, was a picture, encased in a beautiful silver frame. In the photo Martin sat in his chair, dressed in his black and blue cop uniform. Alice sat on his right knee, wearing in a pair of jeans, a bright shirt with flowers on it, and her brunette hair in two even pigtails. Both were smiling as Alice sat in his lap and flashed his badge at the camera. That was the day I went to Alice's school for a safety talk, Martin quietly reminded himself. What touched him most about the gift, though, was not the photo itself, but the words specially engraved on the frame:
ALICE AND HER HERO, UNCLE MARTIN
Martin lifted the picture and pointed it in everyone's direction so that they could all see it. For a moment, his vision blurred, as he realized it was because he had a tear in his eye. And Alice, who was sitting right next to him, noticed. "Sad, Uncle Martin?" she asked as she reached to wipe the tear away.
"No, sweetheart. Just touched…absolutely touched." Then he hugged her again, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and turned to thank Roz, too.
Once he finished opening the gifts, Niles and Frasier cleared the clutter of wrapping paper away as Daphne popped out of the kitchen with a chocolate-covered cake in hand. "Alrighty, who's ready for some cake?" Everyone nodded, Eddie barked in approval, and Alice cheered "yeah!", as you would expect a five-year old would. "But first, let us all sing happy birthday to Martin!"
After she lit the candles and everybody sang, Daphne told Martin to make a wish. He humored everybody as he briefly closed his eyes and blew out the candles, but he didn't make a wish. He didn't have to, because thanks to Alice, it had already come true.