Author's Note: Thanks to Leigh Ann (leighann415), whose story "Dreaming of You" sort of inspired this. :) It was planned as a one-shot, but I don't think anyone will mind that I chose to split it!
Daphne hated nights like this. She lay there, staring at her ceiling. She'd tried re-reading scenes from her favorite romance novels. Usually, picturing the handsome men in those books could lull her to sleep. But tonight, nothing was working. She sighed. Without warning, the image of the younger Dr. Crane's face popped into her head. He'd looked so sad when he mentioned that his wife had recently decided to extend her visit to Europe by another month. It was so unfair. Dr. Crane was always so kind and thoughtful. But his wife didn't seem to realize that, or else she didn't care. Now feeling somewhat angry, Daphne decided to get up. Maybe a snack or a late-night movie would help her get over this.
As she walked out into the living room, Daphne stopped to listen to the quiet in the apartment. Normally, she loved when she was by herself here. It was a welcome break from her job. But right now, she wished she wasn't alone. It made her feel lonely somehow. For a moment, she considered going into the kitchen. Ice cream would probably get rid of this feeling. But she would certainly regret that in the morning. A movie was a possibility, but there probably wasn't much on at this hour. Not knowing what to do, Daphne merely sat on the couch for a minute. Once again, her thoughts returned to Dr. Crane. He was always so sweet. She had a feeling he would sympathize with her inability to sleep. She wondered what he was doing now, before rolling her eyes at her own thought. He was sleeping, of course. Still, she wanted to talk to someone, and he would probably be more understanding than any of her girlfriends. As quietly as she could, Daphne reached for the phone and began to dial.
The phone was answered on the first ring. Daphne heard a very groggy, "Hello?"
"Dr. Crane? It's Daphne."
Niles was much more awake now. "Daphne! Is something wrong? Is Dad all right? I can be there in ten -"
Daphne cut him off. "Everything's fine. I'm sorry I scared you. I just...couldn't sleep."
Though he was thrilled to hear from her, Niles was also partly annoyed. After all, this was well past the hour when it would be acceptable to call someone just to chat. But he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry to hear that. Is something troubling you?"
A deep sigh escaped from Daphne. "Not really. I mean, other than the usual. I just was a bit worried about you."
"About me?" Niles asked. "Why?" He could hardly believe this. Daphne, his angel, was worried about him?!
"Well, you were saying today that your wife decided to stay in Europe. You seemed awfully sad. Sometimes when a friend is having a problem, me powers work overtime, and I can't get them off me mind."
Until this moment, Niles had forgotten about Maris' trip. "I'm not exactly jumping for joy about that," he admitted. "But I'm used to it by now."
Daphne wished with all her heart that she could hug him now. Even if he was used to it, it didn't make what Mrs. Crane was doing right. Not by any means. "Well, I must say you're handling this much better than I would be. I'd probably lock meself in me room and never come out."
Niles felt his heart warm at her words. Maris had certainly wounded his pride, but Daphne was what kept him going. Maybe it was time she knew that. "Of course I'm hurting, Daphne. But it helps to know I have people around me."
"Oh, I know what you mean. Your father and brother are far from perfect, but they've always been there for me whenever I really need them."
For a moment, Niles was frustrated. Daphne didn't seem to understand. "Yes, I'm grateful for Dad and Frasier. But, Daphne, they aren't the only ones."
Now Daphne was confused. "Well, what exactly do you mean? No offense, but you don't have that many friends."
"That's true, but...well...I was talking about you. You're the reason I'm able to carry on without Maris."
Daphne doubted there was anything he could've said that would shock her more. "I haven't really done all that much. I mean, you're me friend and you're hurting. Of course I care about you."
"Daphne, I don't think anyone outside my family has ever cared about me the way you do. That's why I love you. I know I should be telling you this in person rather than by phone, but I just wanted you to know how special you are to me."
His words warmed Daphne's heart as nothing else could have. All of her frustration over not being able to sleep seemed to have vanished. "I had no idea."
"I know I've been a coward all this time. I've wanted to tell you, believe me. But every time I tried, something got in the way. I wish I had a better excuse, but all I can do is hope that somehow, you might return my feelings."
"Well, this is a bit of a shock. But I do care about you, and I know that you're always so sweet to me. So, yes, of course I love you. Or at least I think I do."
Niles sighed. He wished he could hold Daphne in his arms right now. "I think I'm the happiest man in Seattle. In the world, actually!"
Daphne laughed. "It's certainly made me feel better!" She smiled, on a bit of a high from Niles' revelation. But she wasn't able to stop a yawn from escaping. She prayed Niles hadn't heard.
"Oh, Daphne, you must be exhausted. You work so hard, and you need your rest."
"No, I'm all right. Really." Daphne did her best to sound energetic, but she didn't think it was working. She had to admit she was tired, but suddenly, she didn't want to hang up. If she did, she would have to go back to being lonely. This connection to Dr. Crane was wonderful, even if it was just over the phone.
"I would love to talk to you all night, too, but I know Frasier wouldn't like it if you were too tired to do your chores later. And besides, I've got patients who need me. I promise, I'll stop by first thing in the morning to see you. Until then, you'll be in my dreams."
Once again, Daphne found herself sighing. "What a sweet thing to say!"
"Well, you've been in my dreams since the first moment I saw you, so..." Niles trailed off, glad she wasn't able to see him blushing.
"I suppose you're right. But I feel like I've just found you, and now I've got to say goodbye."
"It isn't goodbye. I'll see you in a few hours. I can promise that, until then, I'll be with you in my dreams. I love you, so you have no reason to feel sad."
"You're right. I'm being daft. I love you, too. Niles." She grinned, liking the way it felt to say his name.
"For years, I've dreamed of hearing you call me that. Thank you, Daphne. You've already made several of my dreams come true. And I know I'll return the favor, no matter what it takes."
"You're welcome, Dr. Crane." Before she could say another word, she let out an even bigger yawn than before. "Goodnight."
"Sleep well, my angel."
His sweet words rang in her ear as she hung up the phone. She wondered how a simple phone call could change so much. She knew she should get back to bed, but couldn't seem to work up the energy. This couch was incredibly comfortable.