Frasier Returns: The Boss and Her Friend

Summary:

A dejected Frasier Crane returns to Seattle five years after the episode "Goodnight, Seattle" and reunites with his best friend, Roz Doyle. His return stirs both familiar and new feelings in both of them.

Author's notes:

I do not own the TV show Frasier. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes only. I get no compensation from it.

I've been a fan of Frasier for many years, and I enjoyed the episode "Goodnight, Seattle." The ending was great, but it didn't tie up all the loose ends. This story is a "what-if" that takes a different direction from what the last few episodes of the series implied. The setting is five years after the end of the series. Roz Doyle tell us the story.

*****I could write a book *****

"Roz, this line about a new age of radio does nothing."

"Yeah, it does. It fills space."

"Not very well."

I grabbed at my hair. The frustration was boiling over in me.

"According to you, I can't string together two sentences, let alone talk for a half hour."

"Roz, have you ever given a speech to a group of five hundred before?"

"Five hundred?"

"Yes, it says so right here in the guidelines."

Now I added gut-wrenching fear to my frustration.

"Why did you have to tell me that?" Frasier ignored that remark and returned to his critique.

"You've got to delete that last phrase, Roz."

I looked good and hard at Frasier. He had that defiant look on his face, and yet he had nothing to be defiant about. It was me who was watching her professional career go up in smoke.

"You're worse than no help, Frasier. Instead of sitting in my office getting this speech done, I'm miles away arguing with you whether something is a cliche or not."

"Don't argue, it is."

"What's on the computer screen is not my speech. It's the one Frasier Crane would give if he were me."

"And your point is?"

With that I got up and stormed out of the room. As soon as I hit the pavement outside the hotel, I made straight for the beach. It was criminal walking out on Frasier like that, but he'd gotten on my nerves. I used to be able to tune out his bombast, but now seemed different. The situation just got under my skin.

Except for birds calling out, the beach was quiet for late afternoon. Strolling across the wet clumps of cold sand began to relax me. I almost forgot about what had just happened. Almost.

Off in the distance, a little girl was picking up sticks under the watchful eye of her parents. Other than that, no one was around. Good. I didn't want to see anyone, especially one Dr. Frasier Crane.

Too bad. I'd only walked a half mile when I heard a wheezing, puffing sound behind me. Running through the sand had tired him out quickly.

"Roz! Roz!"

I refused to turn back to him.

"Please. Please stop. Roz?"

I speeded up my pace.

"I'm sorry, Roz."

I took an extra second to climb over a tree limb in my path.

"You were right, Roz. Instead of helping you I took over."

I hesitated a moment but kept moving.

"You didn't need any extra stress, but there I was piling it on."

I slowed down a little bit but kept walking.

"Roz, you know what a jerk I've always been."

I started just taking baby steps.

"Roz, the thing of it is you used to know how to handle me. Somehow you could put me in my place and still have a smile on your face. I'd give anything to see that smile again."

My feet stopped dead in the sand. Frasier circled around to the front of me. Despite myself I broke into that smile.

Frasier's wheezing took a few seconds to get under control. Sweat had soaked his shirt, and he bent over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.

"Roz, I didn't bring you here to fight over some trifling grammar. I could have stayed in Seattle and done that with Niles. While that has its own charms, it hardly compares with making my best friend happy."

I started laughing.

"I've missed that laugh these last few years, Roz."

"Don't take over again. It's my speech, not yours." I said.

"Indeed it is. I leave it to you."

"No, I need you. Just not to take over."

"Done."

You couldn't beat Frasier in his apologetic mode. When he was wrong, he knew it and you could tell he was genuinely sorry. I could, anyway.

"Help me finish, Frasier."

"I will, but only after we complete our walk and have a nice dinner at that Italian restaurant along the shoreline."

Who could resist that? I knew I couldn't.

After we ate we finished my speech in an hour. Just an hour! Frasier had to catch himself three times when he started to pontificate, but my stern look was enough to let him know when he started taking over again.

*****Isn't it romantic?*****

Frasier suggested one last walk along the beach before we took the boat back to the mainland. We walked along the edge of the water as it rolled in to shore. The moment seemed right so I twined my arm around his. Frasier leaned over and stroked my hair with his free hand.

"I haven't felt this relaxed in years." I said.

"Good. You're like me. You needed to take a break."

"I hate going back."

"That's how I feel about Chicago. It's not really my home. Boston comes closer than Chicago, but neither compare to Seattle."

It dawned on me just then that Frasier hadn't said much about his career in Chicago.

"How's your practice getting along without you?"

"Friday morning I talked with Elizabeth, that's Dr. Elizabeth Robinson. She had agreed to see my patients while I was away. No problems, at least none she couldn't handle even better than I could."

"There you go again, Frasier, getting down on yourself. You've been giving me pep talks since you stepped off the plane."

"You've made a success of things."

"You have too."

"It doesn't feel that way."

"I won't have you talking like that. I don't know everything that happened in Chicago, but I know what's happened here these last few days. Do I need to go over the list?"

"I know you're trying to help, Roz, but..."

"If nothing else, you've helped me."

"You've made your own success. My only contribution has been to help you focus on..."

I couldn't stand it anymore. I stopped our forward motion along the beach and turned Frasier toward me. Putting one arm around his neck to pull his face closer to me, I brought my lips to his.

After a moment Frasier's shock gave way to something else. He brought both arms around my back and deepened the kiss. We stayed like that for what seemed like forever. Finally we broke apart.

Shock set in on me. What had I done? Frasier and I had travelled down this path once before and it jeopardized our friendship. Now I was even more scared of anything that would hurt the relationship we had.

"We'd better get on back. The boat's leaving in ten minutes."

"You're right, Roz. Let's go."

On our way to the pier, we didn't hold hands, but our shoulders stayed as close as possible without touching. On the boat we kept silent until Frasier decided to make some small talk.

"Look at that family over there, Roz."

Frasier pointed to a group of four standing along the railing looking out on the water. The mother and father were pointing out places along the shoreline to a little boy and little girl.

"They're cute."

Frasier began concentrating on the parents.

"Young and free with all the cares of the world on their shoulders, and yet none at all either."

"How old do you think they are?"

"Neither could be over thirty."

"Do you remember thirty?"

"Remember? I'd like to forget it. Well except for the friends I made in Boston, especially that bar called Cheers. How about you?"

"Thirty was good. But not as good as now."

"I'm glad to hear you say that."

I took a chance and rested my head on Frasier's shoulder. He didn't flinch so I left it there the rest of the way to shore.

I drove back to Seattle by way of the suburb where Martin and Ronee lived. The closer we got to the Crane house the more an awkward feeling came over me. How was our little adventure going to end? As we turned into the driveway, Frasier's cell phone rang.

"Hello, this is Frasier Crane. Oh, Elizabeth. Yes, I remember Mr. Cook. He what? Oh, dear. I agree. Why don't you give me the number of the hospital and I'll call him there."

Frasier motioned to me for a pen and paper and then scribbled down a phone number.

"Thank you, Elizabeth. When I asked you to fill in for me, please believe me, I never thought something like this would happen. It sounds like you've got everything under control. Yes, I'll call you back after I've talked to Mr. Cook. Goodbye."

As soon as he hung up the call, Frasier let out a deep sigh.

"What happened?" I asked.

"That, as you may have guessed, was Dr. Robinson. My multiple personality patient developed a new personality this weekend to add to the seven he already had."

"So the eighth one caused a new problem?"

"Number eight fancies himself a sumo wrestler who'll eat anything and did. They're pumping his stomach in the emergency room even as we speak."

"I'm so sorry."

"These things happen all the time. Since I'm still officially his psychiatrist, I need to contact him then get back in touch with Elizabeth. Seems like one of us still can't escape his work."

"I don't mind." Really I kind of did though.

"Thank you for a most enjoyable weekend." Frasier said as he lifted his bags out of the trunk. Martin and Ronee appeared on the porch and waved to us.

"I should be thanking you..."

Frasier didn't let me finish. He pulled me to him and planted a big wet kiss across my lips. Before I could respond he released me and picked up his bags.

"See you tomorrow, Roz."

He turned and headed to the front door, cell phone glued to his ear. He brushed past Martin and Ronee. They didn't look at him pass by. Instead they kept their eyes focused on me and let their mouths form a matching set of circles. I hardly knew what to say or do but finally some words spilled out of my mouth.

"Well, gotta get back into town. See you guys later."

Ronee and Martin stayed frozen on the porch except for one thing - Ronee discretely lifted her hand and made a thumbs-up gesture.

I smiled and headed to the city.