"What is it?" Frasier said, the tone serious again as he stood by her while she opened the envelope. "It's the papers, from Rick, suing for full custody of Alice." Roz could barely speak as her face crumbled and the tears started to threaten.
"Oh honey, I'm sorry, ssshhh..." Frasier took her in his arms consolingly, letting her break down as reality hit her.
"Surely the gifts weren't that awful?" Niles said as he and Daphne appeared at the still open door. One glance from Frasier was enough to let him know this was serious, and not a time for jokes.
"Roz, what is it?" Daphne said, concerned for her friend. Roz wordlessly handed them the letter, not budging from the comfort of Frasier's embrace.
Niles and Daphne read wordlessly for a minute until they realized what the paper was. "Oh Roz no!" Daphne's eyes started to mist as she wrapped her arms around Roz as well making for a sandwich hug with Roz squeezed tightly between them.
"I'm not really sure what to say, this was so unexpected, I've been talking to Rick almost daily and he never even hinted.... How dare he?" Niles became angry, much to everyone's surprise. "No wonder he's been pumping me for information about you two."
"He's been what?" Roz's head jerked up. "What have you told him?"
"Not much." Niles was suddenly nervous at the 3 pairs of tearful eyes focused on him.
"That's OK Niles, he fooled us all, no one expected this." Frasier spoke up, feeling a stab of guilt at lying to his brother since in truth he and Roz had been expecting it, even if hoping it wouldn't happen.
"So what are you going to do?" Daphne turned back to Roz.
"What can I do, I'm going to fight this. He's not taking my little girl away from me." Roz said emotionally.
"And we'll all be standing behind you." Frasier agreed.
"We sure will, Rick won't know what hit him and that little bimbo wife of his." Daphne started getting angry.
"I know we haven't exactly been close Roz, but count me in to." Niles shook his head in agreement.
"Count you in on what?" Martin spoke up as he to entered the room.
"Keeping that slimy sod Rick from ripping Alice out of her mother's arms?" Daphne announced loudly.
"Well that's one way to put it." Frasiers tone was dry, as Niles handed the papers to Martin.
"Thanks guys, you're all the greatest." Roz sniffled as she took the handkerchief that Frasier offered her.
"Hey, us Cranes may have our differences but we stick together. I'll help as much as I can also." Martin said, looking sadly at the little girl playing in the distance, who was completely oblivious to the havoc that was about to hit.
Frasier released Roz to the embrace and care of Daphne and the rest of the family as he went to the phone to call Laura and let her know that Rick had made his move.
The next few days were a blur of activity as Laura prepared herself, and tried to prepare her clients for the upcoming hearing.
"I can't believe this court mess starts next week" a slightly frazzled Roz moaned while sitting on the sofa with Frasier's arm around her. Seemed they were in that position a lot as he was frequently trying to soothe her nerves. "This isn't like me Frasier, I'm usually able to bounce back from these things but look at me now, I'm a nervous wreck."
"I don't think so, I think you're doing remarkably well." He disagreed, "I think it's remarkable how you're able to keep an air of normalcy for Alice's sake. She's just as happy as she was last week, and her happpiness is what's important right?"
"But should I be preparing her for the possibility of her going to live with her father and never see me again?" Roz was worried.
"No. That's not gong to happen! It can't." Frasier's tone was forceful.
"You really make me want to believe you." Roz grinned slightly. They sat holding each other and watching Alice play with the lego's on the floor near the piano, jumping when the doorbell rang. Frasier got up to answer the door,.
"Hello, may I help you?"
"Yes, Dr. Frasier Crane I presume?" Frasier nodded to the affirmative and the lady continued. "My name is Brenda Skylar and I'm a court appointed social worker assigned to this case to investigate the living environment of Alice Doyle. May I come in?"
"Oh, uh certainly, we didn't know you were coming." Frasier ushered her into the living room, Roz having heard the exchange had wiped her eyes and tried to look ready for company.
"Hi Ms. Skylar, I'm the child's mother." Roz said nervously as she extended her hand, trying to keep it from shaking.
"I know my visit is a surprise, we try to keep them that way. I surprised the Garrets as well. Some people would try to stage a display for me and my job is to see the child in a more normal setting." She smiled reassuringly. "But don't worry, it won't take long, I'm just going to look around and ask a few questions. Would that be Alice?" She questioned looking over in the direction of the piano.
"Yes, of course, Alice come here honey." Roz called her daughter over, exchanging a nervous glance with Frasier about the social workers presence.
"Alice, this is Ms. Skylar and she came to visit us." Roz introduced the two.
"Hi," Alice said shyly as she waved slighly, pulling close to her mother.
"She's absolutely precious isn't she? I bet you adore her." the visitor said sweetly, putting everyone slightly more at ease.
"Oh she's my life, I don't know what I would do without her." Roz spoke, the words obviously coming from her heart.
They all moved to the sofa to sit down, Alice crawling up on her mothers lap as the social worker pulled out a few papers and prepared to ask her questions. She spent almost half an hour running through the standard questions about the living arrangements, Alice's routines, and security, and some general questions about the backgrounds of Roz and Frasier. She then took a tour of the house, smiling at the bright cheerful room set up for Alice. She even looked into the refrigerator and cabinets, seeing what kind of food was available. "The beer on the top shelf is my Father's" Frasier spoke up when he saw her looking at it. "We're sure to keep it on the top shelf though."
"That's fine, I was just wondering, you didn't seem like the beer type Dr. Crane." She smiled as she closed the refrigerator. And now if I could speak to Alice for a few minutes I'll be through here she said as they sat back down on the sofa.
"Oh do you want us to leave?" Roz started to stand up.
"That won't be necessary, the questions are relatively simple, and children this age are often pretty honest unless previously told to lie, or trying to keep themselves from getting in trouble." She said as she turned to face Alice.
"Alice, can I ask you a few questions."
Still obviously shy, Alice shook her head yes but still hung onto her Mother.
"I was just wondering how you liked living here."
"I like it here, like my room lot." Alice gave a toothy grin.
"I'll bet you do, it's a very pretty room." She continued asking a string of questions about how Alice liked her daycare, about her friends and her favorite toys and soon the 3 year old was a regular chatterbox. Roz and Frasier just watched her, smiling and occasionally laughing at her antics as she got dramatic describing a story she had heard in daycare.
"I can tell you're a very happy little girl and you love your Mommy very much." She finally got a word in edgewise through the storytelling.
"Yeah, I love mommy lots and lots." Alice jumped back up into Roz's lap to give her a big hug.
"Well how do you feel about your daddy." The question seemed to come out of nowhere, taking Frasier and Roz by surprise as they momentarily tensed wondering what Alice would say.
"I love my daddy a lot too." Alice kept grinning and moved from Roz's lap to Frasier's giving him a big hug as well.
Frasier returned the hug, trying not to show that this was a bit of a surprise to him. Roz was also a little shocked, but apparently this all went unnoticed by the social worker as she was writing down what she had observed.
"Does she not know about her father?" She questioned when she looked up again.
"She doesn't know him very well but she does know who he is, right Alice? You know about your father?"
At this question Alice sat up and seemed to concentrate a moment before answering the question.
"He not here, only seen him one time, seems nice, but not as fun as daddy." She said honestly.
Frasier blushed once again, he hadn't realized Alice had made the distinction between father and daddy.
"I appreciate your time Dr. and Mrs. Crane, I have everything I need." The social worker rose to go as Frasier escorted her to the door.
"I think that went well." Frasier commented as soon as the door was closed.
"Yes, I was a nervous wreck though." Roz admitted while sighing
in relief.