A/N: Well, I think the Author's Notes in the Prologue pretty much sum it up, so I'm not going to say anything else.
Chapter 1:
I sat on my bed, holding the picture of Diane and I as we'd shared that first kiss as husband and wife. I could feel the tears coming, and I knew that it wouldn't be much longer until I would be sobbing.
"Frasier? Do you need any help packing?" She'd come in, and she'd seen me crying. God, I hated that. She wasn't supposed to know how much I loved her, how much she'd hurt me. I knew that knowing would only hurt her, and no matter how much she deserved it, I could never do that to her.
"No, I'm just about finished. I'll be leaving in a few hours. But, I think I'm going to take a break and go for a walk." I couldn't be in the same place as her, so I'd go to the one place I knew she wouldn't show up.
Cheers. She may work there, but since our marriage (since she started working there for that matter) she didn't show up much. It was always her day off. God, it annoyed Sam.
No. Not Sam. Sam had betrayed me as well. It had been as much his decision as hers. I still couldn't believe that Same of all people would do that to me, but he had and I could never forgive him. Why was I even going to that bar in the first place? Hadn't I been through enough hell there to prevent me from going back.
"What can I get ya Dr. Crane?"
"Beer Woody." Ah Woody. So, young and innocent. Kelly would never-
"Here ya are Dr. Crane."
"Thank you Woody."
"So when are you leaving? And, where are you going?"
"I was hoping to finish packing today, and leave tonight, but I don't know. Packing seems to be taking longer then I thought it would. I'm not sure where I'm going. But I hope to stay at a hotel for tonight at least. I can't stand one more night with Diane."
"Oh, okay. Let me know if I can help Dr. Crane." He left, leaving me wondering if he'd been listening to me at all. Oh well. It didn't really matter-
"Oh! I'm sorry! Here, I'll pay for that!" A middle-aged man had accidently knocked over my beer. And I hadn't even noticed. Luckily, it had all spilled onto the counter, and none on either of us.
"That's okay, I'll just-"
"No, I insist. Um. Do you happen to know the bartender's name?"
"Woody. I assume you don't come here often?"
"No, I'm from Seattle. I own a radio station there, KACL. Maybe you've heard of it? Woody? Two beers please." Woody came shortly back with our order.
"I can't say that I have, but I haven't been there in years. Not since I moved here anyway."
"Ah. Well, what do you do?"
"I'm a psychiatrist-"
"Oh really? Would you be interested in-oh no you wouldn't be. Well, would you be interested in taking a job in Seattle. We need a replacement. Our other personality just died."
"You mean, I would take calls from strangers, listen to a summary of there problem, and give them the best solution I can. All under about five minutes per call?"
"Yeah, that's about it. So, I'm guessing you're not interested-"
"I'll do it."
***
I have no idea what came over me, just that I needed somewhere to go. But Seattle. Of all the places in the world that man had to be from. Seattle. Dear God. I'd have deal with Dad and Niles. I didn't think that I could handle it.
I'd spent another couple hours at the bar, saying good-bye to all my friends, because I had to leave that night. I only had a week once I got to Seattle to find a place to live and get settled before my job started.
I didn't know how ready I really was to leave though. I'd anticipated being able to spend at least a few weeks in Boston before I went to-well, I don't know where I would have gone. That was my biggest relief. Having somewhere to actually go.
When I walked into our-no Diane's-house, she was the first thing I saw.
"Frasier-"
"Diane. I don't really want to talk. I have to finish talking if I'm leaving tonight."
"You're..." There was a long pause. "Leaving tonight? Where?"
"I'm going to Seattle. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go finish packing." I went into my room, and she followed.
"But, that's so far away-"
"Yes. And isn't that just as well? You obviously don't love me. Or at least not enough to.." My voice had trailed off.
"Oh I do Frasier." She spoke softly. "Just not in that way."
"Well then you never should have said 'I do' now should you?"
"Now Frasier. Would you really rather we'd never gotten married at all?" I was completely silent. "Well do you?" Still I said nothing. She turned around and left the room.
"No." I whispered behind her. "I wouldn't trade these years for anything. I just wish.."
Chapter 1:
I sat on my bed, holding the picture of Diane and I as we'd shared that first kiss as husband and wife. I could feel the tears coming, and I knew that it wouldn't be much longer until I would be sobbing.
"Frasier? Do you need any help packing?" She'd come in, and she'd seen me crying. God, I hated that. She wasn't supposed to know how much I loved her, how much she'd hurt me. I knew that knowing would only hurt her, and no matter how much she deserved it, I could never do that to her.
"No, I'm just about finished. I'll be leaving in a few hours. But, I think I'm going to take a break and go for a walk." I couldn't be in the same place as her, so I'd go to the one place I knew she wouldn't show up.
Cheers. She may work there, but since our marriage (since she started working there for that matter) she didn't show up much. It was always her day off. God, it annoyed Sam.
No. Not Sam. Sam had betrayed me as well. It had been as much his decision as hers. I still couldn't believe that Same of all people would do that to me, but he had and I could never forgive him. Why was I even going to that bar in the first place? Hadn't I been through enough hell there to prevent me from going back.
"What can I get ya Dr. Crane?"
"Beer Woody." Ah Woody. So, young and innocent. Kelly would never-
"Here ya are Dr. Crane."
"Thank you Woody."
"So when are you leaving? And, where are you going?"
"I was hoping to finish packing today, and leave tonight, but I don't know. Packing seems to be taking longer then I thought it would. I'm not sure where I'm going. But I hope to stay at a hotel for tonight at least. I can't stand one more night with Diane."
"Oh, okay. Let me know if I can help Dr. Crane." He left, leaving me wondering if he'd been listening to me at all. Oh well. It didn't really matter-
"Oh! I'm sorry! Here, I'll pay for that!" A middle-aged man had accidently knocked over my beer. And I hadn't even noticed. Luckily, it had all spilled onto the counter, and none on either of us.
"That's okay, I'll just-"
"No, I insist. Um. Do you happen to know the bartender's name?"
"Woody. I assume you don't come here often?"
"No, I'm from Seattle. I own a radio station there, KACL. Maybe you've heard of it? Woody? Two beers please." Woody came shortly back with our order.
"I can't say that I have, but I haven't been there in years. Not since I moved here anyway."
"Ah. Well, what do you do?"
"I'm a psychiatrist-"
"Oh really? Would you be interested in-oh no you wouldn't be. Well, would you be interested in taking a job in Seattle. We need a replacement. Our other personality just died."
"You mean, I would take calls from strangers, listen to a summary of there problem, and give them the best solution I can. All under about five minutes per call?"
"Yeah, that's about it. So, I'm guessing you're not interested-"
"I'll do it."
***
I have no idea what came over me, just that I needed somewhere to go. But Seattle. Of all the places in the world that man had to be from. Seattle. Dear God. I'd have deal with Dad and Niles. I didn't think that I could handle it.
I'd spent another couple hours at the bar, saying good-bye to all my friends, because I had to leave that night. I only had a week once I got to Seattle to find a place to live and get settled before my job started.
I didn't know how ready I really was to leave though. I'd anticipated being able to spend at least a few weeks in Boston before I went to-well, I don't know where I would have gone. That was my biggest relief. Having somewhere to actually go.
When I walked into our-no Diane's-house, she was the first thing I saw.
"Frasier-"
"Diane. I don't really want to talk. I have to finish talking if I'm leaving tonight."
"You're..." There was a long pause. "Leaving tonight? Where?"
"I'm going to Seattle. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go finish packing." I went into my room, and she followed.
"But, that's so far away-"
"Yes. And isn't that just as well? You obviously don't love me. Or at least not enough to.." My voice had trailed off.
"Oh I do Frasier." She spoke softly. "Just not in that way."
"Well then you never should have said 'I do' now should you?"
"Now Frasier. Would you really rather we'd never gotten married at all?" I was completely silent. "Well do you?" Still I said nothing. She turned around and left the room.
"No." I whispered behind her. "I wouldn't trade these years for anything. I just wish.."