A/N: Once again, I don't really know what this is, but I think it has plot. A very AU version "And The Dish Ran Away With the Spoon." I think this is me pretending Frasier is not a sitcom.

Happiness, Niles realized, was a curious thing. Hours had passed and he was still on cloud nine. Just looking at Daphne's glowing face and shy smile, he knew she felt the same. She felt the same in every respect. It was a day for celebration. For a while Niles had ignored all the obstacles that still stood in their way. He didn't want to think of Mel, who didn't care about him and who was only interested in her social standing. Or about Donny, who was so angry and disappointed that his eyes seemed to be almost hollow. All those things circled around Niles and Daphne's bubble of love. He was reluctant to let anyone burst it. They had just found each other. Didn't they deserve a happy ending? He had been waiting so long for this. Daphne had dated frogs that had never turned into princes. This time they would both be happy together and most importantly: forever.

Reality has a way of hitting you right in the face while you're standing there smiling. At least that's what it felt like when Niles had to pose with Mel as the happy couple they just weren't. She gripped his arm too tightly, she smiled too brightly. It had never occurred to him that he had hurt her. All he'd seen was his own happiness. The fleeting thought that he'd cheated on her, physically and emotionally, passed by him swiftly. His thoughts were elsewhere; they were with Daphne. The woman he loved was finally his and he still had to spend his nights with someone else. To him, it didn't seem fair. Mel's happiness never crossed his mind. Because he was almost certain she had never concerned himself with his either.

"I'm going home now." He whispered into her ear. The smile on her face never wavered.

"You mean you're going to see Daphne."

"Daphne is my home. Wherever she is… is my home." He told her and realized how true it was. For just a second her fake cheerfulness seemed to crack, but she'd rehearsed this long enough. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. Somehow he was surprised how soft and warm her lips were. They didn't fit with her demeanor. Her perfume filled with his nostrils and as always it was just a little too strong for his taste, just a bit too much. But it only bothered him now. He knew he didn't have to live with it any longer. All his senses were longing for Daphne. Like a robot, he followed Mel and let her stage their perfect goodbye. Everyone seemed to cheer them on. Niles played along, knowing that as soon as the door closed after them, they would be going their separate ways.

"I'll call you when I need you." Mel told him outside. Luckily, he had brought his own car, because he had no idea where Frasier and his father had disappeared to. He nodded absent-mindedly.

"You always knew this would happen, didn't you?" Her soft voice yanked him from his thoughts. He turned to her in the darkness. Her voice had always had a vulnerable quality to it – and Niles knew how much she hated it. Weakness was not something she accepted. Not in herself and not in others. She had constantly tried to make Niles someone stronger, too. But she had never seen that Niles had not wanted it. He didn't see vulnerability as a weakness. Not anymore.

"What do you mean?"

"You and Daphne, of course. The only reason you went out with me was because you couldn't have her."

"No."

"I no longer believe anything you say, Niles. I know it's true. You pride yourself on being different from other men. You're not." She smiled at him and meant it to be a mean grin, but it turned out to be a sad grimace. He watched her drive off. The words she'd said stayed with him a moment, but they didn't touch him. Niles had been determined to make it work with Mel. Whatever his reasons, he had liked her. He knew he could have made a life with her. He could have been happy. At least, he wouldn't have been unhappy. When she was gone, he got into his own car and started towards the Elliot Bay Towers.

Niles wasn't sure whether dating Daphne qualified him to enter the apartment without knocking. He was too polite to try it. He had picked flowers on his way back. Now he stood in front of the door feeling like a schoolboy on his first date. How he wished they could just go to a restaurant and show everyone how happy they finally were. To be seen with Daphne as his girlfriend in public was something that had to wait however. The small shadow that loomed over the beginning of their relationship became bigger, but Niles didn't see it. All he saw was Daphne, who finally opened the door. Her smile looked strained, but he didn't see that either.

"Are you alone?" He asked with a silly grin. Daphne nodded. So Niles leaned forward and gently kissed her lips. It felt as if his feet left the ground. Somehow it still felt like a dream, being able to kiss her whenever he wanted.

"You wouldn't have kissed me hello had your brother and father been home?" Daphne tried to put humor into her voice, but she failed.

"Of course." Niles answered quickly, much too quickly. Showing his affection in front of his family still seemed strange. Wasn't that normal? He wondered. With Maris he'd never had that problem, because she hadn't shown affection, period. With Mel it had seemed so much easier. But this was Daphne. He simply wanted to do everything right, clearly she understood that.

"How was your engagement party?" Daphne asked and shuffled back to the couch. It was only then that Niles noticed she was dressed in sweats. He decided she looked beautiful in everything and joined her on the couch. He took one of her hands into his. Somehow it felt cool against his skin. He was adamant to make it warm again.

"Just a lot of snobbish people, you know. The kind of people Mel likes. I'm glad to be here with you finally."

"They're your kind of people, too." Daphne told him without looking at him.

"You're my kind of people." He said gently and squeezed her hand. She turned to him then.

"I'm not your kind of people, Niles." The sharpness of her words surprised him.

"Is everything alright?" He carefully asked.

"Oh, I don't know. I had a lot of time to think while you were out with your wife." She got up, no longer able to sit still next to him. Niles watched her pace the room. Her behavior worried him, but he felt like taking her into his arms would make everything worse. His arms longed to hold her; not being able to was like physical pain. However, it was one he was used to.

"You know I didn't want to do this, but Mel insisted."

"Yes, Mel insisted. What would you say if I told you that Donny wants to see me?" Niles felt anger rise within him.

"Did he – did he call you?"

"I called him." She told him. Niles could no longer sit down. As he got up, he felt his knees buckle. He thought this was his – and Daphne's – shot at happiness. Where had they gone wrong now? None of this had been supposed to happen. They were supposed to share a beautiful meal, to stare into each other's eyes until nothing else mattered anymore.

"Why-why-why?"

"I hurt him, Niles. He is hurt. When I – choosing you, I was so happy. But then, when you kept choosing Mel-"

"I'm not choosing Mel, Daphne. I choose you. I always choose you! I love you." Daphne smiled at his words. It wasn't a happy smile. There was no glow. All he saw was a deep rooted sadness that didn't belong to this place, to her.

"You know how often you've said these words now?" At first it seemed like a rhetorical question, but when Daphne didn't continue he realized she was serious. He didn't know, so he shook his head no.

"Me neither, because you said it countless times. Too many times. If you really meant these words, would you really have to say them all the time?" Niles opened his mouth to say something, but what could he tell her? He did love her. He loved her more than words could even express.

"But-"

"No, Niles. All those years you never said them. At least not like this. You never told me you had romantic feelings for me. You chose to wait until you were married – again. You chose to wait until I was about to get married. Then you tell me and you tell me all the time now. But you know what? You don't show it." Somewhere in between, Daphne had started crying. It hurt Niles to see her like this, but she didn't want him to come closer. His heart beat faster, afraid that this was ending before it had ever really begun.

"I wanted to say them all the time and- and didn't I show you all the time how much you meant to me?" His own tears couldn't be held at bay anymore. Daphne nodded.

"Of course you showed me you cared deeply. As a friend. Your brother of all people had to blurt it out for me to understand that all these years our friendship was based on a lie. All you ever did was because you claim to have loved me."

"I do love you." Niles said and realized it was the wrong thing to tell her. She turned away as if he'd slapped her.

"You told Mel the same words, Niles. Probably the day you told me for the first time."

"But I didn't mean them! When I told Mel I didn't…"

"I think you did mean them. I think you meant them when you told me, too. I know I meant them. I do love you, Niles. But you know what? Words are not enough. If you really love me, why care at all for what Mel does? You say you don't care for her kind of people. Then why do you care what they think of you because of this, because of us?"

"She said she'd give me a quick and easy divorce." Niles answered.

"No, as always you think this is the easy way out. You waited until the last moment to tell me you have feelings for me, because it was easier than getting hurt. You're still doing that."

"Daphne, that's not true."

"Then show me. Show me you love me." She said, wiping away her tears.

"But how would I-" He stopped, knowing he shouldn't have voiced his doubts. Daphne looked more heartbroken than he had ever seen her and he didn't know how to fix this. This wasn't their happy ending. His only hope was that it wasn't an ending at all.

"See? Maybe… all these years. Maybe you don't love me. I could be just an idea of something you had. We've destroyed the lives of other people for this." She almost screamed the last words, now consumed by rage.

"I know this is going to work." Niles told and took a step towards her.

"Then show me, Niles. Show me." She whispered and disappeared into her room. He waited for the click of the door. The living room lay in perfect silence as he wondered where the happiness he'd felt earlier had disappeared to.

He knew he had to get it back. He knew he had to make Daphne realize how much he loved her and how all of this had been worth it.

TBC