Niles could hardly believe he was holding her in his arms. It was like a dream come true.
But when he rubbed her back in an effort to calm her, he chided himself for being so selfish. Daphne was hurting and he was relishing in his own fortune. What would she think of him?
"It's okay. I'm here." He whispered as he rubbed her back; trying to mimic the soothing voice that Frasier used on his radio show.
"I-I'm sorry." She said moments later as she pulled out of his arms.
Niles reached into his pocket and handed her his handkerchief. "There's no need to be sorry... But I can't help thinking..."
"Yes, Dr. Crane?"
"Never mind...Let me give you a ride home."
"What were you going to say?"
He sighed, wishing he hadn't said anything at all.
"Well... You're not really upset over Rodney, are you?"
She looked at him in surprise. "Of course I am! I mean he completely-." Her voice broke causing Niles heart to break a little more.
Boldly he reached out and took her hand.
"This is about Joe, isn't it?"
"W-why would you say that?"
"Well, you were so upset earlier and..."
"And what?"
"I'm sorry, Daphne. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just-."
She turned and started to cry again. "You know me so well, Dr. Crane. Even more than I know meself."
"If you don't mind my saying so, I think that your breakup with Joe is affecting you more than you realize."
"It's silly isn't it?" She sniffled. "The first guy who shows an interest in me and I fall completely in love with him. I should have known it wouldn't last. B-but I really wanted it to. Oh, Dr. Crane... why does this hurt so much?"
His heart beat faster at the question, for he wanted so much to take her pain away.
Feeling a rush of love for her that he didn't think was possible he hugged her warmly, sighing when her hair fell against his cheek.
"Well... this is just my opinion but Rodney is the one who should be hurting right now, not you, Daphne. If you were mine... I'd never let you go."
The smile on her tear streaked face warmed his heart, and she hugged him again.
"Thank you, Dr. Crane. I don't know what I'd do without you."
She looked through the window once more, then back at Niles. "Amazing..."
"What's amazing?"
"I just realized how much Rodney reminds me of someone, but I just can't figure out whom. I mean, he's smart, sophisticated and he made me laugh. But I guess there's no sense in dwelling on him any longer. He was just a distraction, really. I mean, Joe's the one who broke me heart, not Rodney. And I guess I was just grateful to have someone as a distraction."
Niles sighed and turned away. He knew this was too good to be true. Who was he kidding? Rodney looked exactly like him. In fact they could be twins.
And it hurt that Daphne would choose someone who was his mirror image instead. If only she knew how much he loved her.
Suddenly he turned to her, determined to ease her pain. And the only way to do that was to tell her the truth; no matter what the outcome.
"Daphne, about what I said earlier... before Rodney and Adelle came in..."
"Yes, Dr. Crane?"
"When you said you wouldn't get involved with a man who was separated, and I said 'Even if he worshiped you from the day he laid eyes on you'?"
To his dismay, she laughed. "Oh yes...Can you imagine a man using a ridiculous line like that?"
"I-it wasn't a line, Daphne. It's the truth." He blurted out.