Author's Note:Thanks to Andrea (iloveromance), whose story "Touchdowns and Tenderness" inspired this (in a very roundabout way!). Enjoy!

Daphne awoke with a start, her heart pounding. The dream had been so real. She didn't usually have nightmares, not with Niles sleeping beside her. He always made her feel safe. She knew he would do anything to protect her. But despite all that, she couldn't shake the images from her head.

Niles awoke, too, when he heard Daphne gasping for breath. "My love, what's wrong?" he asked, immediately taking her in his arms. He could feel her trembling as she leaned into him. He kissed her hair. "It's OK, I'm right here," he said, hoping his voice would soothe her.

Daphne could feel tears on her cheeks now. But as Niles held her, she felt her breathing return to normal. As he continued to stroke her back, she began to feel calmer.

When Niles noticed his wife seemed to be feeling a bit better, he asked, "What is it?" He once again kissed her head. His heart broke seeing Daphne in such a state.

"I had a nightmare," Daphne said. "Oh, Niles it was awful!"

"My love, I'm so sorry. But whatever it was, you're safe now. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere." Niles gently rocked her back and forth like a child. He knew that nightmares were not uncommon for new mothers. Many of his patients reported having dreams about their children being injured, and sometimes worse. He hadn't told Daphne any of this, not wanting to worry her further.

Daphne looked into his eyes, remembering once again how much she loved him. That one thought comforted her more than anything else. "It...it was about David," she finally said. "He was a teenager, I guess. We were having an argument. I can't remember what we were fighting about, but I can remember how it ended. He stormed right out of here, slamming the door like he was mad at the world! He said...he hated me."

"David doesn't hate you, Daphne. He smiles every single time you pick him up! No one could take better care of him than you do."

Daphne smiled, touched by her husband's words. "Thank you. I know he loves me now. But what will happen when he's older? What if this wasn't just a dream? What if it's one of me visions? I don't want to be a bad mother!"

Niles understood how deeply Daphne believed in her psychic powers. Gently he lifted her chin, looking into her beautiful eyes. "You could never be a bad mother. You're the most caring person I've ever met." He kissed her on the lips.

"You didn't know me when I was a teenager. I said the most rotten things to me mum! And now that I've got a child of me own, I can see how heartbreaking that must've been for her! Oh, Niles, what if David turns out to be like that?"

"Well, I can't promise that you and David will get along perfectly all the time. But it does get better. Look at Frasier and me. When we were growing up, we tried to spend as little time as possible with Dad. We liked to read and listen to opera. He liked to drink beer and watch sports."

Daphne laughed at that. She could easily imagine it. But then she felt a twinge of sadness, because she knew all three of them regretted the years they'd missed out on.

"But all that's changed now. Dad, Frasier, and I are closer than ever. And it's all thanks to you." He kissed her once more, deeper this time.

Daphne sighed, feeling herself melt from his kiss. "Thank you for the compliment, but I'm not really sure what I did."

"When you first started working for Frasier, Dad and I were strangers. And even Frasier and I barely knew each other. All those years he was in Boston, we hardly spoke. But, once I met Dad's new therapist, I found a reason to keep coming over day after day." He smiled, remembering when he first saw her. He knew right then she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

Daphne kissed Niles, overwhelmed with love for him. "I still don't know what you could've seen in me back then."

"I saw enough to know you were the only person I'd ever want to have children with. Every time I look at David, I can't believe he's really mine. I can't thank you enough for giving me a son."

"Well, it was only fair," Daphne said. "You've already given me so much more than I deserve."

The End