Chapter 24: Daphne


Daphne woke, and laid in bed for a while. She didn't know what time it was, but she knew it was late morning. She was hoping to wait long enough for Niles to leave before she got up. Seeing him would be too much for her to deal with right now. Daphne had cried herself to sleep last night, the whole thing was quite overwhelming.

Last night, Daphne realised that she did notice Niles' infatuation for her initially. It was there when they first met, and he was anything but subtle. Of course Niles tried to hide it, but she caught him a couple of times; staring at her, wanting to be near her, finding excuses to be alone with her. Daphne remembered being flattered that someone like him would be interested in her. She couldn't help but admit she found him attractive too.

But Daphne stopped noticing his attraction at some point, and even forgot there ever was something there. It seemed like every time her thoughts approached thinking of Niles in that way, her mind actively worked to push it back, refusing to acknowledge it at all. Until last night, when his confession made her aware again.

When did she stop noticing? She determined it was a few months after she started working for Frasier and Martin, around the time she agreed to help Niles with a dinner for Maris at his home.

They were stuck at the mansion together, alone. It was the first time they had spent any length of time alone without the possibility of someone interrupting them. Daphne had just broken up with someone and she was feeling miserable. Niles' interest in her made her feel good. Daphne was vulnerable, and open to his affection. His marriage on the rocks; Niles seemed to be equally vulnerable. Until the clock broke the spell, and they both seemed to regret what may have been building between them.

Daphne had felt horrible – guilty that she even entertained the thought. Especially when Frasier arrived shortly after and seemed to think the worse. Daphne defended herself, and Niles, before telling herself that it would never happen again.

Niles Crane was off limits.

She got up and saw her reflection in the mirror. Daphne looked like she had been crying all night. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she had irritated her nose from blowing it. There was no way she could leave her room looking like that. Daphne made her way to the shower.

As she undressed and hopped into the shower, Daphne's mind wandered back to that first night she and Niles had slept together. How she found that picture from the newspaper from the night of the Snow Ball. Daphne remembered how she was struck by the fact Niles looked like he was so happy, so in love at that moment, just by spending time with her.

And you just dismissed the possibility so easily.

Of course she did. Her mind seemed to struggle with acknowledging that there was anything there at all - any contradicting evidence shoved away and suppressed. But a voice at the back on her mind niggled at her, and slowly became louder after they slept together. Protesting, when they decided they shouldn't sleep together again. Well, she decided - Niles implied he would continue for as long as she would allow. And she had allowed it.

But Daphne also felt hopelessly inferior. Class wise, Niles was several leagues out of her reach - rich, educated, successful, well connected... And she was working class. Always just scraping by, seen only as the help.

Niles never saw you that way. He always treated you as an equal. Her inner voice, knowing it was going to be heard now, was loud.

And it was true. He always wanted to include her in family gatherings, or events that were important to him. He was always happy to lend her a hand, or be a shoulder to lean on when she needed it. A lot of that was why Daphne considered him a close friend, and she went to him first for almost everything.

Did that drive him crazy?

She scrubbed at her face, and finished the shower. Daphne stepped out, and dried off.

Did he only treat me that way only because he's in love with me? She shook her head. Did the reason why matter?

In any case, it sounded like the next few months of his divorce would be extremely hard on him. Niles was going to need support now. But was she able to give it to him? Daphne felt unsure, now more than ever. She needed to work out how she felt first. Daphne dressed, then looked at the time - it was after 10am. She sighed. She couldn't hide in her room all day, and it was likely that Niles had already left. She ventured out.

Martin was sitting in his chair, watching something on the TV. Niles was nowhere to be seen. Martin looked towards her as she came out.

"Mornin' Daph. You're up late."
"Oh, sorry about that. Slept straight through my alarm this morning. Had a bit of a rough night - something from dinner didn't agree with me."

Martin grunted in agreement.

"Yeah, rich food does a number on me too. One of the perks of gettin' old."

Daphne decided to dig a little.

"How was Dr Crane this morning? Did he seem upset?"
"Ah, he made do. You know Frasier, he complained, but it doesn't hurt for him to make his own breakfast sometimes."

Daphne blinked at his reply.

"Actually, I meant your other son. You know; the one getting divorced, spent the night on our couch?"
"Oh, right. Yeah he looked like he had a rough night. I'm a little worried about him, seemed like he wanted to just give up on the world. Course, that could have just been the hangover."

Daphne nodded, worried.

"All right. I'm going to do a load of your clothes shortly. Make sure anything you want washed is in the hamper." She walked into the kitchen, deep in thought.


A couple of days had passed, and Daphne hadn't reached out to Niles yet, still trying to work out her own feelings. She felt completely adrift, and found herself either crying, or staring off into space with little warning. Luckily neither Frasier or Martin had noticed yet, but she felt like it was only a matter of time.

Currently home alone, she was going through one of those moments, when the doorbell rang. Daphne checked herself quickly in the powder room mirror, wiped her eyes and opened the door.

"Hey, Daphne, is Frasier home?" Roz stood in the hall, a folder tucked under one of her arms. "I've got some work stuff I need to get him to sign."
"No, he and his father are out at the moment."

Roz noticed Daphne's face.

"Are you alright? You look like you've been crying." Daphne shook her head, upset. Roz entered, and pulled Daphne into a hug. "What's wrong? You can tell me."

Daphne considered that for a moment, before agreeing.

"It's about Dr Crane's brother. Niles."