****This started out as humor but something happen and it got all angsty, now I'm not even sure where it's going. Oh well that's what happens when the voices in my head take over. Guess we'll all just have to see where it goes.****
"Dad, why don't you just go to bed, you're tired and you can see Eddie in the morning." Niles said hastily.
"Nonsense, now where is that mutt, Eddie, eddie... come here, daddy's home. Did you miss me boy?"
"Dad, there's something we have to tell you," Frasier began hesitantly. "Eddie well Eddie's umm..." He faltered.
"What, did you guys put him in a kennel again?" .
"No not exactly Dad we uhh.. hypnotized him." Frasier blurted out, hoping it didn't sound as stupid to Martin as it just had to him.
"You what?" Martin was incredulous.
"Hypnotized him" Niles picked up the story trying to make it sound more believable. "It was an experiment and well it didn't go well."
"Where's Eddie?" Martin demanded, interrupting his younger son.
Frasier and Niles braced themselves as they pointed to a corner where they had sat the stuffed dog.
"Eddie... eddie..." Martin practically fell while running towards his beloved pet. "What did you boys do to him?" He begged as he held the dog up, looking for signs of life.
"I told you Dad, we hypnotized him and he wouldn't come out of it." Frasier restated while Martin was turning the dog over and studying him.
"So then you had him stuffed?" Martin bellowed as he pulled off a small tag from Dexter's taxidermy.
"We uhhh we uhh...." Frasier stammered.
"I'm sorry Dad, we lied, he was hit by a car and it was an accident and we..." Niles began to crumble.
"OUT!!!!" Martin bellowed, "Both of you!"
"But Dad" Frasier tried to protest.
"I said leave." Martin said in a voice so cold that they stopped dead in their tracks before turning to go with no further argument.
"I hope Daphne will let me back in." Niles groaned.
"At least you have a home to go to." Frasier muttered as he began grabbing things out of his closet.
"Going to a hotel?" Niles said as he started helping his brother pack.
"Oh yes, with the Postal Workers convention in town, everyplace is packed. I'm going to go see if Roz will let me crash at her place for a day or two." Frasier picked up the last suitcase and he and Niles exited the building.
LATER
The Montana
"I've never seen him so upset Daphne." Niles sighed while lying on the fainting couch. "Do you think he'll ever forgive us?"
"I'm sure he will, it will just take time. Not only did you let that happen to Eddie but then you tried to lie about it. Really bad move."
"I know I know." Niles groaned and turned over. Daphne sat down to scratch his back. She knew the waters ahead would be rough for the Crane family.
Roz's apartment
"I could have told you this would happen you know." Roz said as she brought a cold cloth for Frasier to put on his head as he lay on her sofa wallowing in misery.
"Spare me the guilt please Roz, Dad's already given me enough. I can't get over that look in his eyes, he'll never speak to me again." Frasier said sadly as he slapped the cloth carelessly over his forehead.
"You're his son Frasier, just give him some time." Roz neatly rearranged the cloth and put it back on his head.
"If you could have seen him Roz, and now he's in that empty apartment with his dead dog, sitting all alone. Niles and I really screwed this one up."
"It'll seem better in the morning." Roz said as she sat down taking his head in her lap and began absentmindedly stroking his hair, almost the same way she comforted Alice when she was distressed. "You'll see, it's just going to take some time for him to grieve for Eddie and to get over both his children trying to lie to him."
"He has always told us both that the worst thing we could do to him was lie. He was always big on honesty. So here we've done the 2 worse things possible, kill his dog and lie about it." Frasier said glumly.
"Remember his death was an accident." Roz said, continuing to stroke his neck and scratch his upper back. Though still upset he was beginning to relax a little bit due to her soothing touch.
It wasn't long before he fell asleep like that, not even noticing when she gently replaced her lap with a pillow, gently kissing him on the cheek before going to her room to catch some much needed sleep also.
NEXT DAY
"No Niles, I haven't heard a word from Dad." Frasier told his brother on the last commercial break before the ending of the show. "Yes of course I'll let you know the minute I do. Yes, we should meet later to talk about it. Must go now commercials almost over." Frasier closed as Roz gave him the 10 second sign.
"Alright Seattle, we have time for one more caller in today's show, Roz who do we have?"
"We have Bill on line 2 dealing with grief issues." Roz said as she patched the call through to Frasier.
"Go ahead Bill I'm listening."
"Hello Dr. Crane" Frasier almost jumped as he realized that the voice was his father's. Roz was obviously surprised to as she shrugged, obviously Martin had tried pretty hard to disguise himself when calling in.
"Ahhh.... Hi Bill, what can I do for you today?" Frasier gulped while waiting for his father to talk.
"Well Dr. Crane my problem is this. I've recently lost someone very dear to me and it hurt deeply. *pause*"
"I'm very sorry for your loss." Frasier sympathized waiting for Martin to continue.
"Yes I'm sure you are, but there's something that bothers me even more." Martin's voice almost became shaky as if he were holding back tears. "Two of the people I love the most lied to me about this death, tried to hide it from me and completely evade any responsibility. I don't know what to do I just don't feel that I can ever look them in the face again."
"I see, so the deception involved is preventing you from grieving properly." Frasier stared at the table in front of him trying to come up with the words that might help his father. "They say forgiveness is the key..."
"Forgiveness? I haven't even heard anyone ask for an apology." Martin interrupted bitterly.
"Well perhaps if you would let them talk to you instead of not answering your phone or the door...." Frasier began getting upset not even noticing as Roz gave him the wrap up signal.
"If they had wanted forgiveness they shouldn't have lied about the accident to begin with." Martin said sharply and then hung up the phone, leaving Frasier starting at Roz helplessly. "Well Bill I certainly hope you and those you love can find a way past this. I'm sure they love you just as much as you love them, I urge you to try talking to them when you are ready. *pause* And that's all the time we have for today. Have a good weekend Seattle." Frasier signed off wearily and slumped in his chair.
"Niles on line 3" Roz's voice came over the speakers.
"Hey Niles"
"No I didn't know it was him before on the air."
"Yes he slipped by Roz"
"No I don't know what to do"
"I think that's a good idea, yes we've got to get together and talk about this."
"No not in public, how about I'll come over for supper?"
"Not a good time? Daphne's spring cleaning."
"OK well..." Frasier looked up to see Roz tapping on the glass holding up a sign that simply said "My Place"
"Roz said you both could come over to her place tonight, yes... ok... see you at 7:30" Frasier hung up the phone as Roz came through the door.
.