Niles knocked on his brother's door. It was late, but it was New Year's Eve. He'd been sitting in his apartment, brooding about Maris and her latest attempt to hurt him. But then he realized, this was no way to ring in the new year.

The door was answered by Daphne. Niles was startled to see she had her bathrobe and slippers on. "I'm sorry, Daphne, I didn't mean to disturb you."

"It's all right," Daphne replied, smiling. "I wasn't going to bed quite yet."

"Didn't you have plans for tonight?" Niles remembered her saying something about going out with several of her girlfriends.

Daphne sighed. "Yes. But me friends all decided they'd rather spend New Year's with their boyfriends. I don't have a boyfriend, so that left me out."

"Oh. Well, I was going to ask Frasier if he wanted to go out for a bite to eat, if we can find anywhere that's open. You're welcome to join us if you like."

"Well, thank you for the invitation, but your brother isn't here. It seems he met a woman at Nervosa today, and well, you know the rest." She smiled. Her boss was forever going on about how any female he happened to cross paths with was 'the one.'

"Oh, well, that's a shame. I didn't want to sit at home all by myself. Where's Dad?"

"He's at the bar with some of his buddies from the police force. I expect he'll come home sometime tomorrow, irritable and hungover. Just like me brothers."

Niles laughed, but it was forced. He hated the thought of Daphne having to put up with her eight loud, boorish brothers. "Would you mind some company? I understand if you'd rather be alone, but…."

"Sure. Come on in." Daphne said, stepping back to let him enter. "I was just sitting here, waiting for the ball to drop, thinking about how miserable me life is." She sighed.

"But it's almost a new year. You never know what could happen."

"Yeah, I guess, but me luck hasn't been so great lately. I can barely get a man to talk to me these days, much less go out on a date." Daphne sighed as she took a seat on the couch. Niles sat next to her.

"Well, maybe in the new year, you'll find a man who really cares about you." Niles couldn't resist reaching out to hold her hand as he spoke.

Daphne smile gratefully. "Well, I wish I was as optimistic as you. But thank you." She leaned over, kissing his cheek.

Niles couldn't help smiling as he felt her lips on his cheek.

Daphne's heart warmed at the boyish surprise on his face. She glanced over at the TV, noting that it was a commercial. "Can I get you anything?"

The thought of her getting up, even for a moment, was more than Niles could bear. "No, that's all right, Daphne. Just your company is enough."

Daphne blushed at his compliment. She knew he was just being kind. The commercial ended, and a shot of Times Square came on TV. The crowd was huge, and everyone was excited. In New York, the new year had already arrived, but it was airing in Seattle as if it were happening live. "I can't imagine being there with so many people," Daphne said.

Although Niles completely agreed, he didn't want to say so out loud. "Yes, but it would be nice to be part of something so big. It's better than being all alone."

"That's true," Daphne said. "But even having just one person nearby is nice, too." She turned to him. For reasons she couldn't understand, she suddenly didn't feel so hopeless about her future, or what this new year might bring.

Niles glanced at the TV, seeing the crowd's excitement, and a thought began to occur to him. This past year hadn't been the greatest of his life. Maris had done all she could to make him miserable. But there was also regret. Despite having numerous chances to tell Daphne how he felt, he was no closer to a real relationship than the day they'd met. Did he really want to drag that regret into another year?

Daphne studied her friend's expression, seeing a sign of nervousness there. "Dr. Crane, are you all right?"

Jolted from his thoughts, Niles turned to her. He thought about what she'd said earlier, about being all alone. He, too, was alone. Perhaps the solution to both their problems was right in front of them. "Daphne, have you ever wanted to say something, but been scared of what might happen?"

"Well, yes, but what have you got to be afraid of?"

"Everything," Niles answered immediately. "But, as a psychiatrist, I know that overcoming one's fears is one of the keys to changing one's life for the better. So here goes. Daphne, I know what it's like to feel all alone, like things won't ever get better. It's an awful feeling. But I know how to fix that, or at least I think I do."

"Dr. Crane, what are you saying?" Daphne suddenly began to feel nervous, although she wasn't sure why.

"When I said earlier that maybe you'd find someone who cared about you, I was talking about me. I care about you, Daphne. I always have. I know I come here to talk to Frasier a lot, but it's you I always want to see. You're warm and kind like no one I've ever known. When you're not around, I find myself thinking about you. To put it simply, I love you."

"You love me?" Daphne couldn't imagine anything more surprising. "How can this be? You've never said anything. And I'm not like the women you and your brother see all the time, with their fancy dresses, and opera parties and things."

"But don't you see, Daphne? I don't care about those things. At one time, I thought they were important, but meeting you has shown me something more. It's not something I can explain. I just know it in my heart." He put his hand on his chest, hoping she'd see how sincere he was.

Daphne hardly knew what to think. But she knew he was telling the truth. That much was clear. But how did she feel? Well, he always paid attention to her, especially when his brother was impatient or angry with her. And he made her laugh from time to time. If she was honest, she liked it when he visited. Sometimes, she even looked forward to seeing him. Wasn't that love? Or at least the beginnings of it? "I don't know what to say," she said hesitantly. "But I think I love you, too. You're very sweet, even when I know I can be daft at times." She couldn't help laughing.

"Daphne, you shouldn't say things like that. You're different, in a good way. Like a breath of fresh air." He reached out, gently brushing her cheek with his fingers. The gesture made his heart race.

To her own surprise, Daphne found she liked his touch. He was gentle, clearly not rushing her into something she wasn't quite ready for. She felt suddenly bold, leaning over to kiss him on the lips. The kiss wasn't long or overly romantic. But it said everything they were both feeling. When she drew back, Daphne found that she was seeing him in a completely new way.

For a moment, neither said anything. They both realized they'd missed the big moment. It was now 12:01. The new year had started. On TV, the crowd cheered, eager to welcome in the coming year. Just moments ago, Daphne hadn't thought this year would be any different than the last. But now, suddenly, she knew that things had changed, in the best possible way. The next twelce months would surely be some of the best in her life.

The End