Martin threw the DVD cables in the air in disgust. "That's it! I quit! We'll never get this damn DVD player hooked up!"
"So now what are we going to do?" Daphne sighed, finding it hard to hide her disappointment. "I really wanted to watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit!"
Niles rubbed her back. "We will, my love. As soon as we can."
"Hey, I know!" Roz exclaimed a bit too enthusiastically. "I went to a party once where we each went around the room and confessed our most shameful secret. But it had to be something that we'd never told another living soul before."
Niles cringed. "Oh, I don't think that's something we really want to get into."
"Actually that sounds like fun." Daphne confessed.
"Okay, I'll go first." Niles said. "Oh, let's see... All right. Well, Daphne you might as well make your acquaintance with my dark side. In fifth grade, there was a bully named Jack Winfield, who was bothering a lot of the girls. So one day after school I waited for him outside and gave him a sound thumping!"
"Wasn't that the kid with the rickets?" Martin asked.
"Rickets and a smart mouth!" Niles replied. Ashamed, he lowered his head.
Daphne smiled and kissed his cheek. "Aren't you sweet, defending those poor girls?"
Niles blushed. "Thank you, Daphne."
"Daphne, you go next." Roz instructed. "And think of something juicer than that!"
Daphne swallowed hard, suddenly wishing that she'd never agreed to this game.
"Um, well... mine's also a youthful indiscretion. I stole a teddy bear from the shops."
"Then what?" Roz prodded.
"Well, I felt guilty, so I told my parents and we brought it back. Then as a penance, I volunteered to work at the orphanage after school."
Niles took her hand in his and gave her a knowing smile.
However, Roz was not impressed. "What in the hell was that?" She scoffed. "I'd put that on my resume! Come on, Daphne! Give me something really embarrassing!"
Daphne swallowed hard. "That was really embarrassing, Roz! And it hurt!" Her voice became increasingly unsteady until finally it broke. "But I guess you wouldn't understand! E-excuse me. I'll be right back."
When she disappeared into the hallway, Frasier glared at his producer. "Very nice, Roz! What have you to say for yourself?"
"Look, I like Daphne! She's my friend and all, but how lame can you get? Even my childhood wasn't' that bad and I lived in boring Wisconsin!"
"Well I think you owe her an apology." Niles said quietly.
Roz's eyebrows rose. "An apology for what? Gee, why is she so bent out of shape? It's just a stupid game and it's a lot more fun when you're drunk!"
Giving Roz an annoyed glare, Niles rose from the sofa and wordlessly walked into the hallway. Just as he suspected, Daphne's door was closed. With a sigh, he knocked lightly.
"Daphne?"
When she didn't answer he slowly opened the door and entered her room and his heart breaking when he saw her sitting on her bed, the tears streaming down her cheeks.
He was at her side in an instant, drawing her into his arms.
"Daphne, I'm so sorry that Roz upset you. She had no right-."
"It's not that!" Daphne sobbed as Niles rubbed her back. "It's..."
"What?"
"I just can't believe that I did something so horrible, stealing like that! It was all Simon's idea!"
"Daphne, that was a long time ago."
"I know but I still feel awful about it! Me mum and dad were furious when I told them what I'd done. They didn't punish me, but me mum made me feel so guilty that I told her I'd work at the orphanage anyway!"
"But that's very admirable of you. I'm sure they appreciated the help."
"Maybe, but it was terrible, Niles! Seeing those sweet children and knowing that they didn't have any parents! I never told anyone this but I could never get through even one shift without hiding in the bathroom in tears. It just broke me heart! And I swore after I was through volunteering that when I became a mother, I'd never abandon my child like that."
He held her even closer and kissed her hair. "You're an angel. And you'll be a wonderful mother. You're kind, generous and you have the most selfless heart of anyone I've ever known. I never told you this but the day that we met, when I saw you folding Frasier's laundry, I couldn't believe how beautiful you were. You just... took my breath away. And I knew that I was going to fall in love with you."
Daphne cradled his face in her hands and kissed him again and again. "That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard."
"I love you, Daphne."
"And I love you, Niles."
Their arms wrapped around each other, the tender kisses became sweeter, more passionate and more demanding.
"We should stop." Daphne whispered breathlessly.
"I know..." Niles said against her mouth. He trailed kisses across her chin, her cheeks, and her neck, causing her heart to beat faster, and her love for him to increase in ten-fold.
"Daphne, are you all right?"
The sound of Frasier's voice startled them and they quickly drew back from one another, embarrassed when they realized how long they'd been gone.
Their fingers entwined, they went to the door where Frasier was standing. Wordlessly they followed him into the living room where they found Martin and Roz.
The producer wore a sheepish look that only increased when she noticed Daphne and Niles.
"Daphne, Roz has something to say."
Daphne smiled at her boss. "All right."
Roz rose from the sofa and sighed. "Daphne, I'm sorry. I guess I just got a little carried away. But I'll tell you my shameful secret if you want to hear it."
Daphne smiled and squeezed Niles' hand. "Of course I want to hear it. But I'm afraid I'll have to come up with another secret to share. Because as it turns out, volunteering at the orphanage wasn't so shameful after all. In fact, I'm quite proud of meself for doing it. Not for stealing of course, but working with those children."
Frasier smiled. "You should be proud, Daphne. That's a wonderful gesture."
"It sure is. And if you were my daughter I'd be damn proud of you." Martin said. "Hell, I'm proud of you for even mentioning it."
"Thank you, Dr. Crane... Mr. Crane. I can't tell you how much that means to me. And working at the orphanage made me realize something else."
"What's that, Daphne?"
Daphne smiled at her boss. "It made me realize just how much I want to be a mother someday."
Niles kissed her hand. "And you will, Daphne. I promise."
At that moment, as Daphne looked into Niles beautiful blue eyes, she knew that she couldn't love him more.
THE END