Author's Note:Thanks once again to Melinda (carylfan10) for writing "A Very Lilith Birthday" and allowing me to continue it here. There was barely a mention of N/D in the story, but of course it was enough for me to run with! :) This is what I've come up with, and I hope people like it!
The crowd began to disperse from Seattle's most famous coffee shop. "It's a beautiful evening, Daphne. Why don't we walk back to Frasier's together?" Niles asked.
Daphne stood and smiled at him. "All right. I'm afraid I'm not feeling very well, though. I think it has something to do with her." She glared at the spot where Lilith had entered the cafe.
Niles chuckled. "Yes, I can understand that. Lilith could make a poisonous snake seem friendly. But when we get back home, I'll make you some tea and get you aspirin for your headache."
Daphne smiled once again. Leave it to him to be so sweet and understanding. How did he even know what she was feeling, without her mentioning it? It made her think again of her boss' words from earlier. It was no secret that Frasier Crane enjoyed having an audience. After all, he had one every day on the radio.
She'd certainly noticed the way the younger Crane boy had blushed at his brother's words. It left her wondering – was her employer right? Did Niles really consider her an angel? She wanted so badly to ask, but she feared putting him on the spot. Instead, she merely slipped her hand into his and looked at him. He was smiling shyly. For a few moments, they walked down the street in silence. The streets of Seattle could be considered dangerous. Mr. Crane had a dozen stories of crimes he'd seen during his decades of police work. But walking with Niles, Daphne felt nothing but safe. When the quiet seemed to stretch out for too long, Daphne spoke. "It was a lovely party. Your brother seemed to enjoy it."
Niles nodded. "Of course he did. It was all about him. Just like every day when he does his radio show." He'd tried so hard not to resent his brother's success, but sometimes it wasn't easy. It seemed like everywhere he went in this city, there was a billboard or bus shelter with Frasier Crane's face plastered on it. Niles didn't have to be a shrink to know he had an inferiority complex.
"I know he's a bit full of himself, but he really does mean well," Daphne said. She'd learned years ago not to badmouth her boss, no matter how tempting it might be.
"Sometimes I wonder how you ever put up with him." Leave it to Daphne to find a way to look past Frasier's faults. It made him love her more, if that were possible.
"Well, I won't say that it's an easy job, but there are parts of it like. Me family's so far away, and it's nice to belong somewhere. We don't always get along, but I know in me heart that your father and brother care about me."
Niles felt a slight ache in his chest at her words. They weren't the only ones in this family who loved her. "Daphne, Frasier was right. You've been a blessing to all of us. I hope you realize that."
Daphne smiled. "Thank you. I have to admit, there have been moments when I've been ready to strangle your father when he won't do his exercises, but I love him like me own father." She thought once again of what Frasier had said. Angel was an awfully strong word. Had he really said that about her? The thought warmed her heart, but she also knew that the elder Dr. Crane had a tendency to overstate things. It was all so confusing.
"Is something wrong?" Niles asked. Her mind seemed to be a thousand miles away. "Would you rather not walk? I can easily get us a cab if you'd like to get home quickly."
Daphne smiled at him. "No. Me head only hurts when I think of your brother's ex-wife. It's been that way since the first time she visited. I don't like her at all!"
"Well, I can see why Frasier was attracted to her – she is brilliant. There's no doubting that. And of course I love my nephew. But Lilith isn't exactly on my list of favorite people."
Daphne laughed. Did he actually have a list of favorite people? It seemed so childish. If he did have such a list, it would most likely be very short. He didn't really have very many close friends, at least not that she'd ever seen. He did a good job of hiding his loneliness since his divorce, but Daphne could still see it. "Well, if she isn't one of your favorite people, then who is? I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but...well, I was just sort of curious." She couldn't bring herself to point out his lack of a social life.
Niles took a minute to consider the question. His immediate answer was obvious. But the thought of revealing it scared him to death. So he went with a safer option. "Well, there's Mrs. Woodson, of course. She's a whiz at scheduling patients. I don't know what I'd do without her. Then there's the staff at that specialty wine shop. Thanks to them, I've managed to procure a few bottles that I know Frasier would kill for. I know that's childish, but -"
Daphne couldn't resist laughing. His favorite people were his secretary and the staff of a store?! But then she remembered that he was her friend. The last thing he needed was to be made fun of. "I'm sorry, Dr. Crane. But that's an awfully small list. Isn't there anybody you care about who doesn't work for you?"
Niles hadn't thought of it that way before. It was simply a consequence of the world he lived in. The wealthy simply didn't need friends; they had servants. Money and appearances were far more important than friendship. But who was he kidding? His wealth certainly wasn't keeping him warm at night. "Well, I'll admit that I've never been very good with people. But in the past few years, I have made a friend. Someone that I care very deeply about."
Daphne's powers kicked in at once. She knew who he was talking about: her. His brother had been telling the truth earlier. She gasped as the realization hit. Suddenly she stopped walking. How could she not have seen it before?
"Are you all right?" Niles asked. She was looking at the ground, her eyes open wide with alarm. Uncertain of what to do, he merely put his arm around her, doing his best to comfort her.
Daphne felt tears in her eyes at his kind gesture. But she knew she needed to explain this. She took a few breaths to compose herself. "You're in love with me, aren't you? Your brother said you called me an angel, so I wondered. But just now, I saw it. I just don't know what to say." Her tears began to fall even faster. It was all too confusing.
Niles took her in his arms. "Sh. Yes, Frasier was right. I do love you. I meant to tell you, someday when the time was right. I know that sounds like a coward talking, and I guess that's what I am. I had to wait until my brother revealed my secret in front of everyone. Please believe me when I tell you I had no idea what Frasier was going to say. I never wanted you to find out like that. I think that I can accept it if you don't love me, too. I obviously wasn't enough for Maris, so why should I expect to be enough for you? I -" His words were stopped by the gentle touch of Daphne's lips on his cheek.
"I never said I didn't love you. You've always been so sweet to me. On me hardest days, when I am ready to catch the next plane back to Manchester, you always show up and make me smile. Living with your father and brother would be nearly impossible without you. I've never seen you as anything more than a friend until today. But you've been me best friend. Your brother's always saying on his show that the best relationships start off as friendships. I already know that I can trust you."
Niles' heart began to race so that he wondered if he would need an ambulance soon. "Daphne, I don't know what to say. I know that this is a very big step, but would you like to have dinner with me? I promise to give you all the happiness in the world, because that's what you deserve. I can't tell you where we'll be fifty years from now, but wherever we are, I'm sure that I'll be doing whatever it takes to make you happy. Because I already am happy, just by looking into your eyes right now." He reached over to brush a leftover tear from her cheek.
Daphne smiled at the touch of his hand. In the past, she'd seen her heart broken by men who didn't want the same things that she did. She knew that taking this step with Niles was a risk. But she also knew that if she followed her heart, she would always end up where she was supposed to be. The first step of that journey would begin with one simple word: "Yes."
The End