"Niles, everything looks so wonderful. We really did a nice job decorating the other day."

"We did, didn't we?"

"It almost makes me wish we were spending Christmas here tomorrow."

"It'll all be worth it when we bring everything to Dad tomorrow morning." Niles kissed the top of her head.

"You're right."

They were silent for a little while. Christmas Eve night had become a quiet solace for the couple, drinking champagne and sitting together quietly. Daphne was in close to Niles, her head resting on his shoulder, and he had his arm around her.

"Do you remember last Christmas Eve?" asked Niles.

"Yes. I was at Frasier's. Why do you ask? Nothing really happened that evening."

"Exactly. Now, you're here. Now I get to have you all the time." He wrapped her smooth hair around his fingers and tickled her neck. She laughed, trying to push his hand away.

"Niles!"

He continued to move his fingers around her, down to her ribcage now. Daphne couldn't help but laugh like crazy and attempt to push him away, but he held tight to her.

"I think that champagne's gotten to you!" She said with a smile.

"Perhaps," he said, his arms wrapped around her, now motionless. He kissed her wet lips and then unexpectedly pulled his arms out from under her and she fell back onto the cushioned fainting couch.

"Oh, Niles!" She said again. He stood up and smiled at her with teeth.

"Are you all right, Daphne?" He had to make sure, just in case.

"Yes, I'm fine." She rolled her eyes, still grinning.

"Then come on, let's go open a gift."

"But it's not Christmas yet!"

"It's the night before, and some homes find it tradition to open one gift before going to sleep. So, my love, I want you to go upstairs and change into your pajamas and I will bring you your gift."

"All right. Sounds fun, I suppose." She walked to the stairs and wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind, planting a quick kiss on his neck and then going upstairs like her husband asked.

Niles rubbed the spot where her lips had been and twisted his lips to keep from awkwardly smiling to himself. Remembering his purpose, he crouched under the tree and picked up the small, shiny red box with a white ribbon tied around it. Oh, he had been dreaming of giving her such a gift for months now, and as he looked at it just one more time before giving it to her, he knew he had found it. Daphne's perfect gift for their first Christmas as husband and wife.

He picked a present of about the same size that was for him and took them upstairs to their bedroom. "My, that was fast," said Daphne. "I just finished changing." She was wearing loose fleece pants with poinsettias on them and a long sleeve pajama shirt with the red Christmas flower on it as well.

Niles smiled at her yet again. "Those pajamas are perfect, Daphne. Adorable. You must keep them for next year."

"Oh, um, well thank you. Niles, I really think you drank too much champagne!" said Daphne, a tiny grin on her face.

"No, no," he said. "I'm just…I'll explain when I give you my gift. Come here, Daphne, sit with me." He sat down on the edge of the bed and patted next to him. Once she had sat down, he looked at her and smiled. "Oh, Daphne, I don't know if I can…"

"What is it, Niles? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. Everything is absolutely perfect." He reached out for her hand and took it, gently placing her gift inside of it. "Daphne, you've made me…so happy." Tears formed inside of his eyes. "I cannot imagine how I ever lived…without you." He choked through the last few words and took a deep breath. "By being my wife, you will not ever know what you've done to me, you won't know how every day is so much sweeter than the one before…" Daphne began to cry now; so deeply touched she couldn't feel it. "You deserve all the best in the world, you deserve…much more than I could ever give you. I love you…so much. I will always love you. Thank you for being with me for this Christmas, thank you for being here with your…heavenly face, and thank you, my perfect Daphne, for loving me."

"Niles…" It was a whisper this time. She fell into his arms, tears spouting from the eyes of both of them. He carefully moved away from her. "Off you go, my love. Open it."

She looked down into her hand, and in the warm and tranquil light of their lamps, she pulled at the white ribbon carefully, a tear slipping down her cheek and falling on the box as the ribbon fell onto her lap. Slowly, she peeled back the lid and saw something beautiful. It was a pure gold chain with a ruby heart pendant no bigger than the size of a penny.

"I know it isn't much."

"Please don't say that, Niles, it's beautiful."

"That heart, my angel, is my love for you. Now, you can have it with you wherever you go, just to remind you that my love will always travel with you."

"I will. I don't think I've ever gotten a better gift."

"Would you like me to put it on you?"

"I would love that."

He took the necklace from her hand and went behind her. She held up her hair and he fastened it around her neck, kissing the back of her neck when he was done and smelling her deeply. He then returned to sit next to her and looked at the gift he had brought up for him to open.

"Oh Niles, you can't open that one. Not now."

"Why not?"

"Because there's no way it comes close to what you just gave me."

"Nonsense. Whatever it is, the only thing that matters is that it came from you."

"All right then."

Niles picked it up and opened the paper around it, then looked and saw that it was shoelaces, a kind that he had been asking for.

"I feel so embarrassed. Here you are, giving me something wonderful, and I get you shoelaces."

Niles laughed. "If it makes you feel any better, I was the one who picked which gift I would open. And as I said earlier, the only thing that matters is that they came from you."

He hugged her yet again. "And I like the shoelaces."

"I'm glad." Daphne's face lit up.

Niles changed and they got into bed, Daphne taking off her necklace and setting it very carefully in her jewelry box. In the darkness, she got close to him and put her head on his chest. "Goodnight Niles, and Merry Christmas."

"Goodnight Daphne. Merry Christmas." He pressed his lips to her forehead and closed his eyes, bringing them to a steadfast rest.