As she got into her car and drove over to Dr. Crane's apartment, she didn't let herself think about what she would say when she got there. All she knew was that she had to say something to Dr. Crane. Otherwise she'd never be able to rest.
Soon she found herself in front of his door. Nervously, she pressed the doorbell. At first, there was no answer. Then Daphne heard footsteps, and the door was opened. Niles stood there in his pajamas. "Daphne. What are you doing here? Is everything all right?"
"Yes. I mean, no. Oh, I don't know. I'm sorry for coming over here so late, but..."
"Where are my manners? Please come in. You're welcome here, no matter what time it is."
"Thank you, Dr. Crane. I was getting ready for bed, and I just found meself thinking more and more about what you said tonight. I know there are still so many questions I have. Your father and your brother may not want me to be involved with you like this. I work for them. This wasn't supposed to happen."
"Daphne, if you're saying what I think you're saying, that you have feelings for me, well...frankly, I don't really care what they think. Over the past few years, I've come to realize that happiness isn't something you find every day. And when you do, you just have to take it. No matter what."
"But this is all so sudden. Why, just a few days ago, I was teaching you to dance, and now look what's happened. I know that you're very sweet, and handsome. But I just don't know what's going to happen if we do get involved. What if this ruins everything?"
Niles came toward her, putting his arms around her. He held her tightly for a moment. "What you've just said makes me happier than I ever thought possible. If you think about it, almost everything we do involves some sort of risk. But if you never take a chance, you don't know if something wonderful could happen."
Daphne heard his words, knowing they were true. She'd taken a risk by even driving here in the middle of the night. But she'd done it because it was her only choice. Now here she was, preparing to take an even bigger risk. "I suppose you're right," she said pulling out of the embrace. "But what do we do now?"
"We can do anything. All that matters to me as that you're here. There's no sense in you going back at this hour. I can make up the guestroom. We can call Frasier in the morning and explain everything."
"Well, all right," Daphne said hesitantly. "But I don't know how we'll ever explain this to your brother. I can barely even make sense of it meself."
"Frasier and Dad will be a bit surprised. I know that. But we're adults, and I think they'll understand. I promise, they won't fire you. I won't let them. You're a part of this family. More than ever before."
Daphne smiled. She liked the idea of belonging somewhere. Of belonging to someone. She still felt scared. She put her arms around Niles. Somehow, this made her feel less afraid. "I didn't know what was going to happen when I came here. Showing up on your doorstep like that...you might've thought I was crazy."
"I would never think that, Daphne. Love makes people do things they wouldn't normally do. After all, my love for you is what made me decide to dance. And that led to one of the most memorable nights of my life."
She hadn't thought of it like that before. They had both done things outside their comfort zones tonight. Now here, they were, together. Exactly where they belonged.
The End
