A/N just a bit of fluff to thank everyone on this board for being so nice and friendly to me over the years. I can't thank you enough.
As Niles looked over the long list of corrections that Roz had offered concerning his much-thought over proposal to Daphne, he decided that, against his better judgment, he would ask Frasier for advice after all.
He was sure he was going to regret it. Involving Frasier, that was, not proposing to Daphne. No, there was no doubt in his mind that if she would be as gracious and loving and giving enough to even consider his words, the least he could do was try to make it as special a day for her as she could. A girl only got married once, and he wanted to give her something she could remember for the rest of her life.
"Niles, you wouldn't believe what they did to my jacket at the cleaners! I asked for-Good Lord, have you been crying?" Frasier exclaimed, rather loudly, as he took his seat at the table at the cafe.
"No," Niles sniffed, bringing his finger up to underneath his nose in case a nose bleed hit him.
"Niles, I'm your brother, and I love you, and I only want what's best for you. Is this.." Frasier offered Niles his handkerchief. "Is this about Daphne?"
"Oh, Frasier," Niles began to sob, not even caring about the spectacle he was causing. "I love her so much! I don't know what to do..."
"What...you can tell me. Are you two having troubles?"
Niles shook his head. "I love her, Frasier! I love her so much that I just..."
Frasier smiled, waved the crowds away, then returned his attentions to his brother. "It's okay, Niles. I know- I know!- without a doubt that she feels the same way for you."
"I don't...I don't deserve her! She's an angel, a goddess, my soul mate. I just..."
"What is it, Niles?"
Niles looked up at his brother. "I want to marry Daphne!"
Frasier smiled, never more happy for his brother than he was at that moment. "Oh, Niles- that's wonderful! Have you told anyone yet?"
"Just Roz. Which means I just told all of Seattle, and part of Canada as well," Niles sighed.
Frasier smiled. "I'll talk to Roz. In the meantime, this is great news! Why...what seems to be troubling you?"
"I just...I love her and I want to make her happy. I could never possibly repay her for all that she's brought into my life for a thousand lifetimes, even if I wanted to!"
"If Daphne were here, and you were to ask her, what would you say to her?" Frasier asked kindly.
"I would tell her...I would tell her how I've never met anyone in my life like her. I never knew someone like her imagined, even from the thousands of novels I've read in my life! She's so...she's beautiful, yes, but she's so much more." Once Niles found himself speaking about the love of his life, he couldn't stop now. "She's generous and kind and she takes such good care of Dad...she is witty and charming and so elegant, even in her...what's the word? I believe they are called 'sweats;?" Niles looked at Frasier to make sure that was the right word.
After Frasier nodded, Niles went on. "I would...I would tell her that ever since she entered my life- literally the moment I laid eyes upon her- that I knew my life would never be the same again. She has been my friend, my only friend, most of the time. She doesn't give up on me even when the world has. She's so kind, so caring, so sweet. I knew the minute I saw her that there was no one I'd rather be the mother of my children than her," Niles sighed.
"You want to know the best part?" Niles looked up at Frasier. "She makes me laugh. There. That may be the most beautiful gift she, or anyone, has ever given me before. After Maris, and the divorce, I felt like my life was truly over. I felt like the world had given up on me, so why shouldn't I give up on myself? For the first time I could understand why you went on that ledge in Boston," Niles sighed. "But I knew I couldn't. I had to keep going. I knew and I hoped and I prayed, that if I just loved her long enough, hard enough, somehow...maybe, just maybe, she would possibly start to return that love."
"Niles," Frasier took a deep breath. "You're sure...you're sure what you're feeling?"
"Oh, Frasier, I've never been more sure of anything in my life."
"If she were here, what would you say to her?"
Niles looked down. "I would say...I would say...Daphne Moon, I love you, and I would give you the world if you just gave me the chance. I would spend the rest of my life thanking you for being so incredible as to love me. I could never want for anything the rest of my life. As long as I have you...then I would say, Daphne, my love, would you marry me?"
Startling everyone, a woman ran up and threw herself into Niles' arms. But this was no ordinary woman. This was Daphne, the woman Niles just proclaimed his love to quite publicly.
"Daphne...but how? What...?"
"Roz and Frasier told me you'd be here, and that I should come right away. I'm so glad I did..."
"Frasier- you knew?" Niles stared at his brother.
"You're right about Roz. She does tend to be a busybody. But that's neither here nor there," Frasier smiled.
Daphne took Niles by the hand. "Those things...did you really mean all those beautiful things you've just said about me?"
"More than anything in this world."
The whole cafe grew quiet. "Niles, I would love to marry you," Daphne grinned.
While the crowd applauded wildly, Niles stared at Daphne in disbelief. "You mean...I don't even have a ring," he laughed.
"There'll be time for that. Right now all I know is that I love you, Niles Crane. I would be a fool to walk out of this cafe without you knowing that I love you and I will adore you forever," she smiled.
An exhilarated Niles looked at Frasier, who smiled and nodded.
Niles knew what he had to do.
He stood up and pulled Daphne close to him, and kissed her like there was no tomorrow.
The best part- from that day on, every single tomorrow, every today, every holiday- he had just vowed to love Daphne forever, and because she said yes, he knew he would be a happy man for the rest of his life.
The end