Niles put his arm around Daphne, sighing as she leaned into his chest. He caught a whiff of the heavenly scent of her perfume. This moment could not be more perfect. He looked up at the beautiful night sky and found that even the stars above paled in comparison to Daphne's eyes. When she smiled up at him, Niles thought he was the happiest man alive.
Niles awoke with a start. The blissful moment from his dream did not last. Instead, he found himself feeling a strange sense of fear. Perhaps, like Daphne, he had a sixth sense. All of a sudden, he felt the need to get over to Frasier's as quickly as possible. Without really knowing why, he began to put his suit back on. He raced down the stairs and to his car. He drove through the streets of Seattle at a speed he would never attempt during the day.
Because it was the middle of the night, and most of Elliot Bay Towers' residents were asleep, Niles had little trouble riding up nineteen floors in the elevator. Heart pounding, he took out his emergency key to his brother's apartment. He had no idea how he would ever explain his presence at this ungodly hour, but that was the least of his worries right now.
When the door opened, Niles was astonished to find his brother sitting on the couch, holding hands with Daphne, who seemed to be in tears.
"Niles, what the hell are you doing here?!" Frasier asked, his eyes blinded by the light from the hallway.
"I-I woke up, and I had a strange feeling that I needed to come over here right away. What are you doing up?"
"I got up to go to the bathroom, and I found Daphne sitting here all alone in the dark, crying. I've been trying to get her to tell me what's wrong, but she won't stop sobbing," Frasier answered.
Niles nodded at his brother. "Go back to bed. I'll take care of this."
Frasier eyed his younger brother warily, then sighed. He did need to be at the station early tomorrow morning. "Goodnight, Daphne. Night, Niles." Without another word, Frasier walked back to his room.
No sooner had Frasier left than Niles took his place next to Daphne. He immediately put his arms around her, handing her a handkerchief to wipe her eyes. "Oh, Daphne, what's upsetting you?" he asked softly. "I'll help you if I can, but you need to tell me what's wrong."
Daphne took a few deep breaths in hopes of calming herself. After a few moments, she began to feel a bit more in control. "I had a nightmare. A horrible man was chasing after me. I ran as fast as I could, but he still caught up to me. I woke up just as he was about to grab me!"
Without even thinking of it, Niles reached over and gently kissed Daphne's hair. No wonder she'd been so frightened! "It's all right, Daphne. You're safe now." He hoped his voice would help calm her. The idea of her ever being afraid or in danger broke Niles' heart.
"I came out here, thinking I could watch television to take me mind of the nightmare. But what do I see when I turn on the TV? A bloody horror movie! That's when your brother came out here and found me."
Niles pulled her even closer. He wanted nothing more than to allow Daphne to feel safe and protected. After all, this was her home. She had a right to feel secure here.
"Oh, Dr. Crane, I want to go back to sleep, but what if I have that dream again?"
"You can sleep right where you are. Then, if you get frightened, at least you won't be alone. I promise you, no one's going to hurt you tonight."
Daphne sighed. She did feel much calmer now that Dr. Crane was here. And she was awfully tired. She rested her head on his chest, where she could hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Soon, she'd drifted off. She slipped into a happy, dreamless sleep for the rest of the night.