"Dr. Crane…. Mr. Crane…"

"Oh so you do remember us!" Martin snapped. "I was thinking that you'd forgotten, since you've been gone so long!"

"Dad-."

"Don't defend her, Fras, because you know damn well-."

"I'm sorry if I worried you." Daphne stammered, feeling more nervous than ever before; like a child faced with the wrath of her father. "I-I just…"

"Where in the hell have you been?" Frasier shouted his eyes wide with rage.

"I-I'm sorry…"

"You're damn right you should be sorry!" Martin yelled. The tone of his voice made her flinch. "Do you have any idea how worried we were?"

At this point, her lower lip trembled and she was dangerously close to tears, but she willed them away with all of her might. "I-I…"

"How could you do this, Daphne?" Frasier continued. "Just storm out of here without bothering to say anything, making us worry?"

She could barely look Frasier in the eye.

"Well?" He prompted.

"L-look, I'm sorry." She stammered. "I-." God, she sounded like a broken record and she knew that it went without saying that the Crane men were tired of her excuses. But as always, they never failed to surprise her.

"You sure have a funny way of showing it!" Martin yelled. "Where in the hell were you, anyway?"

"I-."

"If you're not going to tell us why you left, you can at least give us the courtesy of telling us where you were!"

The lump in her throat made it difficult to swallow and it was even more difficult to look either man in the eye; a sign that she knew all too well would imply that she was lying.

"I-didn't you read my note?"

Frasier and Martin exchanged glances and then returned their gazes to her.

"No, we didn't!" Frasier yelled. "And do you want to know why, Daphne? BECAUSE THERE WAS NO NOTE!"

Again, she flinched at his booming voice; his words were so loud that she actually closed her eyes. He'd never laid a hand on her and she knew that he never would, but at that moment she felt as though she'd been struck in the face. But ironically, she no longer felt small and insecure, and the need to defend herself was great.

"What are you talking about?" she snapped. "Of course there was a note! I-I left it right over-." Her hand pointed to the dining room table, but then she froze, realizing, to her horror, that it was not Frasier and Martin to whom she had written a note explaining her sudden absence, but Niles.

Oh God…

Frasier stood with his hands on his hips. "I must be blind, Daphne because neither Dad nor I saw-."

"Oh bloody hell!" She yelled, fully aware that her composure was about to shatter, despite her unwavering efforts to contain it. "Why are you treating me like a child?"

"Well, when you stop acting like one, then Frasier and I will start treating you like the adult that you claim to be!" Martin yelled.

She gasped in disbelief. Martin had never spoken to her in such a manner before and she had a good mind to gather the rest of her belongings and storm out of the condo, vowing never to return. They could keep their bloody job. But she couldn't do it. She literally had no place else to go, and she needed her job, desperately. Still, she knew that she had to defend herself.

"I don't have to stand here and take this!" She shouted. "Look I've already apologized twice so I don't understand-."

"But you won't tell us where you were or why you were gone all night, so-."

Her eyes moved from Martin to Frasier and when she blinked, hot tears began making their way down her cheeks. It was truly a sign of defeat, and she'd succumbed to their demands. But as far as where she'd been all night, she wasn't about to relent. She had to stand her ground, for her sake… and for Niles. However, they were staring at her, demanding an answer. And so she gave them one.

"All right, if you must know, I was staying at a friend's house!" It wasn't a lie and in fact was more truthful than anything she could have said. But as she suspected, Frasier and Martin weren't satisfied.

"So you ran away." Martin's statement was firm, yet accusing.

The accusation hurt, but there was no refusing the truth of it.

"Yes, but I'm here now."

She hadn't expected to feel resentment, but at that moment it felt stronger than she thought possible.

"Fine, don't tell us where you were!" Martin snapped. "I don't give a damn anyway! The point is that you're back and you're safe and… Well I guess that's all that matters."

Her anger toward the old man began to melt away and she took a step forward to hug him. But he remained where he was; his arms crossed in front of him and the steeled look in his eyes. This was not the time for sentiment.

"Thank you. And I am truly sorry for worrying you."

The moment she saw him relax, she carried out her original plan and stepped forward, engulfing the old man in a hug, kissing him on the cheek. "I know I should have called or written you a note, but-."

She paused, drawing back as she took a look around the living room. Something was different but she couldn't quite tell what it was. And then she knew. "Where is Sherry?"

Martin sighed. "Sherry's gone."

Relief should have melted over her, but instead she was concerned. She'd seen more of Sherry in the past several weeks than she'd seen of Frasier. "Oh, I see… well, when she gets back, I suppose-."

"She won't be back."

At Martin's harsh tone she looked up. "What do you mean?"

"We broke up. We're through."