Even with the festive chaos around her; people singing, laughing and indulging themselves on gourmet food and drink, Daphne couldn't bring herself to join them. Instead she stared out of the window in a daze, oblivious to the world around her. For ever since that fateful afternoon, when a routine massage for her boss who was suffering from a back injury turned into something completely unexpected, she could think of nothing else...

Of no one else...

The words returned again and again, filling her head with what could only be compared to a haunting melody:

"When I said to your father 'Dr. Crane's in love with me' he said it's been going on for six years now." Daphne said. "What did he mean by that?"

"Oh that..." Frasier slurred, in his disillusioned state which came from consuming an alarming amount of pain pills. "He meant Niles!"

"What?"

"Niles...He's crazy about you!"

Dr. Crane… Niles Crane… a man who in the course of those six years had become a good friend... a close friend... had romantic feelings for her. It just didn't seem possible. But, in the months that had passed since that fateful day, things began to fall into place. And soon she couldn't get him out of her mind.

He was in her thoughts and even in her dreams, night after night after night. Suddenly she became aware of so many things, like how handsome Niles was and how sweet and thoughtful he tried to be, always complimenting her over the smallest things. And how he always knew when she was upset about something and never hesitated to offer a few words of advice or a gentle hug when she needed one.

Things that meant so little to her before were suddenly clues that fit together like an easily solved mystery. The way his eyes lit up when he saw her, the stunned expression on his face when she'd paid an unexpected visit to his office after having a seemingly ridiculous vision about her soul mate and a dragon. Deep down she knew that it wasn't Donny. But she just never dreamed...

Now she understood why he'd left Frasier's so quickly after Donny had lowered himself to one knee and promised her the stars. Her chest ached for her friend. It must have been so difficult and absolutely terrible watching the person he loved give her heart to another man. A man that he had introduced her to, having no clue what would transpire months later.

But perhaps he'd gotten over his so-called infatuation. Since he'd met Mel Karnofsky, he'd talked of nothing else... of no one else. And Daphne was genuinely happy for Niles. He deserved to be happy after what he'd gone through in his tumultuous first marriage. However, she couldn't help but feel strangely jealous. And now she was beginning to understand why. But she couldn't think of such things. It was wrong in every sense of the word.

Somehow, she'd managed to force the jealousy from her mind and decided to concentrate on what really mattered, which was shopping for Christmas gifts.

Donny's gift had been the easiest to obtain. A quick trip to the cell phone store for a brand-new cell phone was all it took. Donny had been complaining for weeks about Seattle's "unacceptable cell phone service areas" and it took virtually no time at all for her to get the hint. He was not a man who liked surprises, and she knew that being engaged wouldn't change that.

However, choosing Niles' gift was entirely different. He was full of surprises... wonderful surprises that made her smile whenever she thought about them. Although she had always enjoyed shopping for her friend, this year was especially difficult because things had dramatically changed between them, even if she was the only one who knew it. their relationship had completely changed, even if she was the only one who knew it.

After agonizing for weeks on what she could possibly buy him, she made the decision to splurge and with a smile on her face, she made her way to the best men's clothing store in Seattle; a store that she knew the Crane brothers frequented. Just walking through the door was intimidating but she soon found herself at ease when she encountered the most helpful salesman she'd ever come into contact with. The man knew Niles almost better than anyone and his help was invaluable as they scoured the store for the perfect gifts.

Less than an hour later, she emerged onto the sidewalk with shopping bags filled with a slender box of seven blue handkerchiefs and a blue Hugo Boss tie. It was a tie, according to the salesman, that Niles had been eying for some time and Daphne found herself wondering why he hadn't yet purchased it. The tie he was sure to love, but the handkerchiefs were an impulse buy. The moment she saw the blue silk and satin blend, she knew she had to have them. At the time she wasn't sure why, but now she knew... the material was the same color as his eyes.

The salesman generously offered to monogram the handkerchiefs at no extra charge (right in the store!) and even offered to wrap her gifts, but she politely declined the gift-wrapping, preferring to do it herself. Her efforts wouldn't have the same results as if she had let the man wrap them, but it made her heart flutter when she thought of doing putting in a bit of extra love into his gifts.

When she returned home that day, she was relieved to find the condo empty. Cautiously she headed for Frasier's closet for a roll of his ridiculously expensive wrapping paper. It was nearly three times the amount that she would pay for herself, but there was no denying that the metallic blue suited Niles perfectly.

Now she stood, staring at the gifts that she'd placed lovingly under the tree, hoping for the right moment to present them. But she couldn't do it tonight, not with Mel around. It was better to wait until Christmas Day, when Mel would most likely be celebrating with her son, and Niles would be joining Daphne, Martin and Frasier at the Elliott Bay Towers. However, the more Daphne stared at the carefully chosen gifts, the harder it was to wait.

She found herself wondering what his reaction might be. Would he be angry that she'd gone to such extravagant lengths? It was unlikely, but a very real scenario just the same. Would he be embarrassed? Grateful? Would he take her into his arms for a hug unlike any she'd ever known?

And would he, she wondered, ask where her sudden infatuation with the color blue came from? How could she possibly answer? Perhaps she would laugh nervously and tell a white lie, saying that she had taken a chance in the hopes that he liked the color. But she couldn't tell him the real reason. That the blue handkerchiefs, the tie and the metallic blue paper, reminded her of his eyes, and that although she cared for him deeply, they wre also reminders that he was a gift that she simply couldn't have.