Author's Note: Thanks to Andrea (iloveromance) for planting the seed for this and helping me with some details! *Hugs*
Niles didn't want to believe it when he read the Seattle Times. Every year on May 1, protesters filled the streets of the Emerald City. Of course, that was to be expected by someone who'd lived in the city his entire life. But the newspaper report said this year's would be larger than the last. And he well remembered that day, because Maris had complained incessantly about how long it took her chauffeur just to get home from her daily shopping trip!
This year, Maris was off in Europe, doing God-knows-what. So at least Niles would be spared her comments about the traffic. It was someone much closer to him who concerned Niles now. Ever since he was a boy, he had worried about his father's safety. Though he knew he should feel proud every time he watched his father put on his badge and uniform, he'd always felt nothing but fear. And the images in the paper, showing both police and protesters fighting and being injured, brought all of that back. In a way, Martin's forced retirement had been a blessing for Niles. He would no longer have to worry about his father being in danger on the job.
He felt himself begin to hyperventilate as he sat there in Café Nervosa. But he regained control by reminding himself that there was no way his father would be anywhere near that protest. He'd have the good sense to stay indoors with Daphne.
Daphne...just thinking of her warmed his heart. He didn't know how she did it. She put up with his father's stubbornness, and his ridiculous obsession with sports, and actually had a pleasant attitude! How could she stand to sit with him, day after day, watching the Mariners try to score a touchdown? Niles shook his head in disbelief, and once again focused on the paper. He read comments from the protesters, objecting to the police's involvement. Though they nearly caused the city to shut down, they claimed it was a "peaceful demonstration." But the images the paper had captured looked anything but peaceful! He stared at them, unable to shake his irrational sense of dread. He knew there was only one thing that could calm his fears. He would need to go to Elliot Bay Towers. Once he saw his father safely in his chair, watching his beloved Seahawks, he could relax. First thing tomorrow morning, he would make sure his father had no intentions of attending this ridiculous protest!
Niles did not sleep well that night. His dreams were plagued with memories from when he was a child. Nights when he'd kept Frasier awake worrying about his father. Frasier had of course always been sympathetic, but he'd never truly shared Niles' fears. No one had. Whenever he'd mentioned them to Maris, she'd always insisted that it was Martin's own fault. As if a cop hurt on duty deserved it! Then, of course, there was the awful day when Niles had gotten a call from his father's partner. Those four words had made his heart stop: "Your father's been shot."
When he awoke, he found himself sweating. Immediately, he knew what he needed to do. He dressed quickly and got in his car. He parked in the familiar parking garage at Elliot Bay Towers. The elevator ride up nineteen floors seemed absurdly long. Finally, he found himself right outside his brother's door. He knocked repeatedly.
Daphne couldn't imagine who would be at the door this early. Whoever it was, the must be awfully impatient. She went to answer it, and was surprised to find Dr. Crane's brother standing there. "Hello, Dr. Crane. I didn't know it was you, because you never knock like that!"
"I'm terribly sorry if I disturbed you, Daphne. But I'm rather upset."
She took hold of his hand at once. "Oh, Dr. Crane. What is it? Mrs. Crane?" She remembered how heartbroken he'd been when his wife had announced she was taking another trip to Europe. She'd wanted so much to help him in some way, but she really didn't know what she could do.
Niles shook his head. "If only it were that. No, I read in the paper yesterday about the protest downtown. They were predicting it to be larger than last year's. Where's Dad? I need to see him!"
"I'm afraid your father isn't here, Dr. Crane. One of his friends from the police department called. They wanted some backup security for the protest, so he volunteered to lend a hand. He left about an hour ago."
Now Niles couldn't breathe. Hyperventilation began in seconds.
"Dr. Crane, what's the matter?" Daphne led him by the hand to the sofa.
The touch of her hand nearly made Niles dizzy. Desperately, he tried to collect himself. "He-he went to the protest?"
Daphne nodded. "Yes." She once again took his hand. "I'd like to help you if I can, but I'm afraid I still don't understand what's upsetting you!"
"Daphne, when I was a little boy, I used to watch Dad go off to work at night, and I would wonder if he'd be able to come home. I mean, you see stories on the news every night about police officers who are..." He broke off, unable to finish the thought.
"Oh, Dr. Crane! I know how frightened you must've been. I've seen me mum sit up many a night, wondering if me brothers would make it home or not! But your father is a very smart man. I'm sure he won't do anything too dangerous!"
"But there's no guarantee, Daphne. One day, he went into a convenience store to buy a slushie, and he was shot!"
Daphne put her arm around him. He seemed to be near tears. "Sh, it's all right, Dr. Crane." When her words did not soothe him, she took him in her arms. She held him close, doing her best to calm him.
Niles liked the gentle way she rocked him back and forth. He wasn't even ashamed to be crying on her shoulder. The whole time, she kept murmuring, "There, there. I'm sure your father's just fine." But still his emotions could not be controlled. He wasn't crying solely due to his present fears, but also all those years when he'd worried as a child, and the helplessness he'd felt after Martin had been shot. It was as if a dam had burst within him, and it all came rushing out at once.
Suddenly, the quiet in the apartment was broken by the sound of the door flying open. "I never should've agreed to go down to that stupid protest!" Martin announced.
Both Niles and Daphne stopped what they'd been doing, looking at him in complete surprise.
Martin's rant was stopped cold by the sight before him. Niles and Daphne were embracing tightly. For a moment, he forgot all about the protest.
"What are you doing here?" Niles finally asked.
"Well, my buddies told me they'd come here to pick me up. But then they decided they'd never make it here with all this traffic. So I figured I'd take a bus down there. We didn't get more than ten feet before we were stopped dead. I was a cop for thirty years, and believe me, being on a bus full of frustrated passengers is still one of the scariest things I've seen! I tried to get the driver to let me off right there, but it wasn't a scheduled stop. When we finally got to the stop, I got the hell off that bus and turned right around. I'm an old man. Why did I even think I could go down there in the first place? I don't have a badge or a gun any more!"
"I'm so glad you're back!" Niles said, feeling a rush of relief.
Martin looked at his son questioningly. He had the feeling he'd interrupted something, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what.
Daphne gave Niles' hand one last comforting squeeze before getting up. "Can I get you anything, Mr. Crane?"
"Yeah, a beer. I know it's early, but I definitely need it!"
Ignoring the urge to scold him, Daphne turned back towards the kitchen. "Coming right up."
After a moment, Martin turned his attention back to Niles. "What were you doing here?"
"Oh, um, I dropped by to see if Frasier was free for a squash game this afternoon!" He quickly took out his handkerchief to stop the nosebleed which followed.
A look of disbelief came on Martin's face. "Uh-huh. Well, I don't want to be rude, Niles, but all I really want to do now is turn on ESPN and see if they're showing highlights from last night's baseball game!"
Niles nodded, and his father plopped down in his chair, immediately picking up the remote. By then, Daphne had returned with Martin's Ballantine.
As she placed the can on the small table beside Mr. Crane's chair, Daphne smiled warmly at the younger Dr. Crane. "Since your brother left for work early, would you like to stay and have breakfast with us?"
"Yes, I believe I would," Niles said feeling himself smile for the first time today. He watched as Daphne once more went into the kitchen. Her work with his father was remarkable in itself, but the way she had reached out to comfort him today was more than he could have expected. He looked at his father again and remembered the day he'd been shot. If only he'd known then that that tragedy would end up bringing an angel into his life.
The End