A/N: A Christmas gift for Leigh Ann with love and hugs for your friendship and support!
The moment he turned right on Washington Avenue, Niles knew that something was wrong. The bright streets suddenly became increasingly darker, the dim light casting an eerie glow around him. By the time he'd reached Queen Anne Avenue, the only light visible came from the headlights of his BMW. He shuddered, trying to will away the apprehension that surrounded him like an unwanted fog. But when he reached the Elliot Bay Towers, the anxiety grew.
It took some doing but he finally managed to park the car and climbed out, grateful for the interior lighting that allowed him to retrieve the gift that he'd carefully placed in the backseat. But once the door was closed, he found himself in darkness once more. The glow of the small slender flashlight was his only salvation as he entered the building and he made a mental note to thank the man at the upscale leather store who insisted that a flashlight would come in handy someday.
At the time Niles had shunned the idea, convinced that the salesman was merely trying to increase his commission by adding a token item to the already expensive leather wallet. It was an impromptu gesture to be certain, but now he was eternally grateful. For without that small godsend, he would have made the hasty and irrefutable decision to return to his home, having missed his father's birthday party. "Good evening, Dr. Crane."
At the unexpected but vaguely familiar voice, Niles jumped and within seconds a beam of light illuminated the face of the mysterious speaker. He couldn't hide his sigh of relief when he realized that it was Morrie, the friendly doorman, and he put his hand on his chest, feeling the rapid beating of his heart as he worked to catch his breath.
"I'm sorry I startled you, Dr. Crane. " Morrie said. "I guess I should have brought a bigger flashlight."
"It's fine, Morrie. I just-why is it so dark?"
Morrie shrugged. "No idea. The lights flickered and then everything went black. Some kind of weird power outage."
Niles eyes widened in disbelief. "At this time of year?"
His comment made Morrie grin. "Power outages don't follow a schedule, Dr. Crane."
Perturbed, Niles rolled his eyes, almost grateful for the darkness. His first instinct was to reply with a sarcastic remark, but because of the fact that Morrie was a longtime friend, he refrained from speaking in haste. Instead he smiled, forming a thought carefully in his mind.
"That's true Morrie, but I was referring to this particular one. Dad's birthday party is about to begin and he won't be too happy that he's been inconvenienced by this!"
"That's right! I forgot it was Marty's birthday!" Morrie exclaimed. "Say, how old is he now?"
"Well, he's-."
"You know what? Never mind. It's none of my business." Morrie replied. "Just tell him happy birthday for me, okay?"
Niles smiled. "I will, but he's most likely driving Daphne and Frasier crazy with his complaining."
Morrie laughed out loud, a sound that Niles found strangely comforting. "You're right about that, Dr. Crane!"
"So I'm guessing the elevators are out, so how do I-."
"Oh, well I hate to say it, but you'll have to take the stairs. Hope you're prepared, though. Nine flights is quite a feat!"
"Normally in a situation such as this one I'd just send my regards and be on my way, but I don't want to disappoint Dad. He's been talking about his birthday for months. Still, the thought of climbing all of those stairs…."
"Just take it nice and slow." Morrie said. "And hold onto the handrail."
Niles chuckled. "You sound just like Dad."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Dr. Crane. I didn't mean-."
"That was a compliment." Niles said. "Now if you don't mind showing me the way-."
"Right. Just follow this beam of light and you'll be fine."
Grateful for the flashlight that Morrie held in his hand, Niles followed the beam of light into the center of the lobby. From there he easily found the door that led to the stairwell. Normally he dreaded the thought of climbing nineteen flights of stairs, but now he relished the idea. For soon he'd be with his angel. His heart fluttered in his chest when he imagined how beautiful she must look tonight, all dressed up for the party. But the thought was followed by a curse for the darkness that would prevent him from seeing her. For now his imagination would have to do.
And it was his imagination that gave him the will and the courage to open the door and enter the darkened stairwell. Despite the darkness, he jumped in surprise as the door closed behind him. He began slowly, moving at a snail's pace until he was stopped by the edge of the stairs, forcefully touching the toe of his Italian leather shoes. They were all but ruined now, what with the subtle scuff marks such an impact would leave.
As carefully as possible he began his long journey taking each step one by one. It was bound to take a while but the reward would be more than worth it. And in his subconscious he heard her voice, calling to him….
"Where are you, Dr. Crane?"
And in the darkness he replied "Hang on, Daphne. I'll be there soon..."