She was nervous; oh so nervous when she arrived at the hotel, knowing that it was the craziest thing she'd ever done. He had no idea how she felt about him; no idea at all. But at Frasier's advice, she decided to be bold and confront him. So she put on a dress. It was a familiar one in a bright shade of fiery red; one that he'd surely recognize. And then she hopped into her car.

Now here she sat, waiting for the right moment. Her heart was racing. She knew that he wasn't alone. He was spending the evening with that woman. The one named Poppy. Who ever heard of a ridiculous name? The woman was probably the most unbearable person on each and her voice was enough to drive Daphne crazy. How could anyone possibly tolerate her for more than five minutes?

She sighed deeply knowing that the answer was obvious. Niles loved this woman; that much was certain, from the way he constantly talked about her. It was always Poppy this and Poppy that. If she heard that woman's name one more time…

Tears fell onto her cheeks, but she made no effort to brush them away. What was the use? She thought about leaving, for he'd never even know that she was there. But she couldn't leave; not until she took this chance. And she'd come all this way hoping to find true love and happiness.

Heart racing, she climbed out of her car and crossed the parking lot to the entrance. And when she walked inside the hotel she felt like a princess. The lobby was long, with beautiful marbled floors; the likes of which she'd never seen before. And before she realized what was happening, she was walking into the ballroom.

It was vast, elegant and familiar in an odd sort of way. But it was the sound of gasps and murmurs of those around her that made her smile. She walked past them all, moving slowly through the crowd until she spotted him.

He was sitting at the bar, looking awfully handsome in his black tuxedo, sipping a drink. But he was alone, and he looked upset. How could that be?

Her heart thundered in her chest as she approached him. At first he seemed oblivious to her presence. But it only took moments to gather her courage and touch him on the shoulder; gently of course.

He turned around, his eyes opening wide when he saw her.

"Daphne…"

"H-hello, Dr. Crane."

She saw his eyes move up and down her body, a sign, she hoped, that he liked what he saw.

"D-Daphne…" He said again with a bit more hesitation. "What… what are you doing here?"

She smiled and held out her hand. "Dance with me?"

Suddenly he was in her arms, twirling her around and holding her close. They stopped for only a brief moment to share a kiss; one that she'd remember for the rest of her life.

"Dr. Crane…"

"Daphne? Daphne! Daphne, are you all right?"

Slowly her eyes opened and she focused on her surroundings. She was no longer in the ball room but in Frasier's living room. On the television the credits were rolling, indicating that the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movie she'd been watching had ended. And he was standing beside her, his hand on her forehead.

"Dr. Crane?"

"Yes, it's me. I heard you calling my name and I was worried about you."

She became restless and apprehensive, looking around the room in confusion. "Oh, I-."

"Are you all right?"

"I-I'm sorry."

He smiled. "Don't be. We all have dreams and that's nothing to be ashamed of."

His words did wonders to calm her. "Thank you, Dr. Crane."

He touched her shoulder and she felt the welcome warmth of his hand. "Now, why don't you try to get some rest, all right? I'll take care of things here."

"All right."

She rose from the sofa and turned off the television, smiling at her boss. He was impossible, stuffy and at times, infuriating. But thankfully he had on idea… no idea at all that she was in love with his younger brother. And with any luck at all, he would never know… not for a long time.

THE END