Author's Note: Thanks once again to Andrea (iloveromance) for her amazing support for my writing, and of course for writing "Hoping." After getting permission to write a sequel, I decided to see what I could do. This is quite a bit longer than I'd planned, but I hope it turned out OK!
Daphne walked into Cafe Nervosa and was glad to see Roz already seated at a table in the middle of the room. She went and sat with her friend immediately. Roz had asked her to meet for coffee. Evidently she was desperate to vent about her boyfriend troubles.
No sooner had Daphne taken her seat than another costumer entered the cafe. It was Niles. Daphne stood at once, happy and surprised to see him.
"Hello, Daphne!" Niles greeted her cheerfully. He gently took hold of her hand and kissed her cheek. He then noticed Daphne's companion. "Nice to see you, Roz." He left the two alone to go and purchase his drink.
Roz was speechless. In the time that she'd known him, Niles had rarely failed to offer some sort of witty remark at her expense. And what was up with him and Daphne? "OK, spill!" she said when her friend sat back down.
"Niles loves me." Daphne couldn't beat around the bush. She knew that Roz was hungry for details. And who could blame her, when Daphne herself had only been aware of his feelings for a few weeks now? "I overheard him speaking to Dr. Crane's contractor about me. He said I was a goddess and an angel."
Roz was used to knowing all about Daphne's relationships. They'd always confided in each other. But Roz's own dating life had become even more hectic than usual lately. As a result, she and Daphne hadn't had as much time for girl-talk. "So what happened?" she asked. She still couldn't believe Niles was in love with Daphne. It seemed so unlike him!
Daphne blushed a bit. "Well, I was rather surprised! It seems that he and Mrs. Crane have been having problems for a while now. The poor thing's so lonely and heartbroken. I invited him here for coffee. We've been spending time together ever since that day. It's nothing special. Mostly he comes over to Dr. Crane's when he has time between patients. We sit and talk while his father naps."
Roz's eyebrows raised. Talks on the couch while Martin napped? What kind of a relationship was this? Even teenagers did more than that!
"Now, Roz, I know what you're thinking," Daphne said, smiling. "Niles and I just want to take things slow, that's all. He's been very sweet to me. I insisted on treating him to lunch last week. We've been having a wonderful time together."
Roz was still skeptical that anyone could have that much fun without physical contact. But she decided not to argue about it. "Does Frasier know about this?"
"Niles thinks that his brother wouldn't approve. But I hate lying to Dr. Crane and his father. They're like me family!"
"Well, if you want my advice, you and Niles should just come clean! If all you're doing is sitting around talking, what's the big deal? Niles is a grown man. He needs to stop letting Frasier tell him what to do!"
Daphne thought about what Roz was saying. Of course she would suggest being direct. That was Roz's style. But still, her feelings for Niles weren't going to change anytime soon. Even if they were moving slowly right now, they still would eventually progress into a much deeper relationship. Niles made her happy, happier than she'd been in a long time. Shouldn't she be able to share that happiness with those around her?
Just then, Niles returned with his drink in a to-go cup. "I have a therapy group meeting in just a few minutes, so I've got to run," he explained to Daphne. "But I'll drop by to see you later." He caressed Daphne's cheek, then gently kissed her.
Suddenly, Daphne knew in her heart what she needed to do. She caught up to him just as he was about to leave the cafe. "Niles?"
Niles turned around immediately. "Yes, Daphne?"
"I think we should tell your father and your brother. I love you, and I don't want to keep it a secret." She pulled him into a tight hug.
Niles hardly knew what to say or think. "Oh, Daphne," he finally said as she continued to hold him. "I can't tell you what it means to hear you say those words. And I can't bear to think of you feeling uncomfortable around Dad and Frasier. If telling them about us will make you happy, then I will support you. Why don't I come over tonight, and we can tell them together?"
Daphne nodded, glad that he was agreeing. Niles truly was the sweetest man she'd ever known.
That evening, Daphne was nervous as she finished preparing dinner for the Cranes. She hadn't changed her mind, but she wasn't sure how they would react to this news. Niles had told her all about how Frasier had advised him not to approach Daphne while he remained with Maris. She only hoped that the elder Dr. Crane could see how happy his younger brother was, and be happy for him.
The doorbell rang, and Daphne immediately went to answer it. She felt her heart race a bit at the thought of seeing Niles. She opened the door, and without hesitating, Niles gently kissed her. Fortunately, the other two Cranes weren't paying attention.
"Hello, all!" Niles said in general greeting.
"Hey, Niles." Martin gave a small wave, not turning his attention from the Mariners game on TV.
Frasier looked up from the book he was reading. "Hello."
There was an awkward moment of silence as Niles and Daphne exchanged a nervous glance.
"What's going on?" Frasier asked as he watched them.
Daphne walked over to stand next to Niles. She slipped her hand into his. She hoped the gesture would comfort him, even though her own heart was beating out of control.
Niles looked into Daphne's warm brown eyes for a moment before speaking. "Frasier, do you remember a few weeks ago, when you hired that man to do some work for you here?"
Frasier nodded. "Yes. Why?"
"Well, when I told Joe, the contractor, to try to ask Daphne out again, he said he thought that I was in love with her myself. And of course I couldn't deny the accusation. To make a long story short, Daphne overheard our conversation. She knows that I love her. We've been spending time together, just as friends. We thought that you should know before things went any further."
Frasier could hardly believe this. "What about Maris?"
"Maris has been in Europe for a month now. I don't think she plans to return. I know that she and I still have details to work out. But, Frasier, in the meantime, Daphne makes me happy."
Frasier's first impulse was to argue. How could he be involved with Daphne when he still had unresolved issues with Maris? Strange though Daphne was, Frasier felt rather protective of her. What if she wound up being hurt if this didn't work out?
Daphne could see that her boss was skeptical. "I know this is a shock to you, but I care about your brother. I know that we have a long way to go before we can do anything permanent. But I don't care. I'm happy with your brother."
Frasier still wasn't sure what to make of this. It was so sudden. He'd had no idea any of this was going on until now. But before he could voice another objection, his father interrupted him.
"Aw, Frase, let them be. They're happy, and they're not hurting anyone."
Daphne felt tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Mr. Crane." She went over and kissed the old man's cheek.
Martin rolled his eyes. "Don't mention it, Daph. Don't worry about Frasier. You two just keep seeing each other, and we'll support you. Right?" He glared at his other son.
Frasier sighed. He'd advised his younger brother numerous times not to do anything with Daphne that he'd regret. But he could see that nothing he might say would change anyone's mind. So he might as well go along with it. "All right."
Both Niles and Daphne felt a weight being lifted off their shoulders. Daphne returned to Niles' side. Niles took her hand once again, kissing the back of it. "Daphne, after we eat the wonderful meal you've prepared, would you allow me to take you out for dessert to celebrate this new stage in our relationship?"
Daphne smiled. She understood that their relationship might seem strange or old-fashioned to some. But she'd never felt more loved or cared for in her life. They might be moving slowly, but it didn't matter. She knew in her heart that she and Niles were headed toward a bright future with a happy ending. She kissed Niles as she never had before. It left them both breathless. "Yes, Niles. I'll go anywhere with you," she whispered.
The End