Frasier Crane's Junger Brother

Lack of Common Ground

Frasier led Daphne back to the living room where Martin was in his chair waiting. Frasier set the large photo albums down on the coffee table in front of them.

"Can I get you something to drink or eat before we start?" Frasier offered.

"If you have some tea…"

Martin started to prop himself up from his chair.

"I'm on it."

"No, Dad. Sit. I'll get it. Why don't you two start without me."

Daphne leaned back on the couch and started flipping through one of the photo albums.

"I should warn you Daphne, Niles is a lot more like Frase and their late mother than me. As you know, I'm just a regular Joe, blue-collar kind of guy, who loves his Hawks, Mariners and beer. They love their operas, sherry and wine club."

She let out a soft giggle.

"Was this his game face?" she inquired and pointed to a picture of a young Niles in a little league uniform and with a slightly swollen eye and bloodied nose.

"Oh that. No. Niles was just struck in the face with an errant pitch."

"The poor sod. I bet the chap who threw the ball must have felt horrible."

It was now Martin's turn to chuckle.

"What?"

"Niles was the pitcher."

They shared the laugh.

"My boys weren't very good at sports. Hester had them master more indoor type things, like piano lessons."

Daphne flashed back to earlier in the day when she was listening to the "mysterious piano player".

She got lost in the memory and smiled.

"Daph? You okay?"

"I must confess. Earlier in the day I heard him play and was blown away by how talented he was. I was upset when he was done, thinking I'd never have the chance to hear him play again."

"Be forewarned, they're both highly competitive and are constantly trying to out do the other. Don't get me wrong, as little as we all have in common, I love both my sons."

"Daphne, Dad." Frasier came back in the room, carrying a tray.

"For you Dad, nice and cold." He set the beer down on the table by Martin's chair.

"Did you get my pork rinds?"

"No dad, I did not."

"What? You know I can't have my beer without my pork rinds." Martin got up and limped off to the kitchen.

"Here you are Daphne." He set the tea and a small plate of cookies down in front of Daphne and began.

Frasier Crane's Junger Brother

"My brother was born on April 3rd, and I'm not giving you year, cause then you'll know how old I am. Suffice to say he is 5 years younger than I am. Like his older brother with a 129 IQ Niles is almost as smart as I am…" Frasier boasted.

"129. Whoa. That's a very impressive noggin you got there, Dr. Crane."

"Frasier..." Martin grumbled as he returned from the kitchen with a bag of pork rinds in his hand.

"All right." Frasier lowered his head and confessed, Niles is slightly smarter than I am. His IQ is…is…"

"156," Martin finished as he sat down.

"Slightly? Why, that's a…" she started doing the mental math.

Having heard this argument between the Crane siblings for years (even though Niles was not present for his half this time), the difference was still an involuntarily reflex out of Martin's mouth.

"27 points."

"Dad!" Frasier pouted. "Do you mind? Moving on.

"Niles attended Yale and Cambridge. Following in our mother's footsteps, he too, is a psychiatrist. Unlike myself, my brother is Jungian."

"And what are you Dr. Crane?"

"Jealous," Martin chimed in again.

"Ha-Ha, Dad. We have moved on, remember? I am a Freudian.

"Niles has his own private practice and conducts various support groups. My brother also has some health problems of his own. He has numerous allergies and a congenital heart condition."

For the next couple hours, Daphne looked through the photo albums and at some of Martin's home movies, while Frasier and Martin accompanied with the tale behind the pictures.

"Oh, look at the silly sod." She pointed to yet another picture of Niles. "Why on earth did someone take a picture of him hugging a floor lamp?"

"Look again," Frasier instructed.

"Oh my God. It's a woman." A woman wearing a wedding ring, Daphne mentally added.

"That would be Maris," Frasier informed.

Both Daphne's laughter and her smile quickly faded. Her worst fear was coming true. Her knight, the man she told herself not to fall for but did, was married.

"Daph? Are you okay?" Martin asked, noting Daphne's change in demeanor.

Maris

"Daphne?" Frasier asked.

"I'm sorry," She started, still in shock and disappointment. "I had no idea he was married."

"How could you? The thugs who attacked you, also stole his wedding band," Martin informed.

"Not that it matters."

"What do you mean Dr. Crane?"

"On the night Niles ran into you, he was just leaving his lawyer's office and was signing the papers that finalized his divorce from Maris."

"Really?" Her grin slowly inched back.

"Daphne, it's not that simple."

Frasier took a deep breath before continuing.

"My brother has survived more, and not just in the past three months, in his life…" Frasier's voice trailed off. In a whisper he added, "I just want to make sure he doesn't get hurt again."

"Dr. Crane, you have got to believe me when I say to you that I promise never to hurt your brother again," she vowed.

Frasier's protective eyes met with her eyes that brimmed with sincerity.

"I believe you Daphne."

"I think I'm in love with him." She whispered her confession.

"I'm not going to lie to you. Physically, mentally and emotionally, Niles has an extremely long road ahead of him. His amnesia and blindness aside, he also has several emotional wounds he needs to heal. If you decide that you want to take that journey with him, please know it's not going to be an easy one. He's going to need enormous amounts of love, support and patience. There will be setbacks and times you will feel frustrated with him. There will be times he just wants to give up.

"If you really care for Niles and really think you want to have a future with him, these are things you should know. These are highly personal things, but they will help you understand him and love him better.

"There will no doubt be times when subconsciously, he may react irrationally to something you say or do because of how he was treated by Maris. And while Niles does not remember all of his time with Maris, the emotional damage and abuse she inflicted on Niles runs deep and has left him with wounds and scars that are still fresh."

Just One Spark, That's all it Took

Since Frasier was in Boston at the time, he let Martin tell the story.

"Niles was an intern at the time and his supervisor at the mental hospital he was interning at, had invited him to a dinner party at his home up in the hills. I never saw Niles more nervous. You know, come to think of it, I think I actually have a home movie of that night."

Martin returned a few minutes later with a movie reel in his hand.

A few minutes later, Niles took center stage as Niles shared that evening's events with his parents when he came home later that night.

-------

"Once I got into the hills, I was awestruck by the great size and breathtaking beauty of the homes, or I should say, mansions. The owners of these mansions were ones that came from "old money". All the mansions had old, wrought iron gates guarding their entrance. These were homes that had maidservants and butlers. They had gardeners who carefully manicured the acres of land and gardens all these estates had.

"Someday, I vowed to myself right then and there, I would live in one of these estates and drive to and from my own private practice in a silver Mercedes-Benz."

They all laughed.

"Who I was kidding? I thought to myself. I could never afford to live here. Stop dreaming and look for Roosevelt.

"Now that I knew where I was going, I was going to come again, but this time in the daylight, to fully appreciate the beauty of these homes.

"The rain had eased up by the time I found Roosevelt, and as I tuned onto it, I was taken aback at the sight in front of me.

"A woman, probably in her mid twenties, was helplessly banging on the gates to one of the mansions with her tiny fists with what looked to be a tire iron.

"I pulled over and got out of my car and ran over to lend my assistance.

"Approaching the young woman, I could see through the gates and up the long driveway that twisted and turned, and that was at least hundred yards. I could scarcely make out what looked to be both gargoyles and a fountain guarding the front entrance.

"'Excuse me.' I called out to her. 'Can I help you?'

"She stood up and looked up at me. Water, from the late afternoon and early evening rain showers, dripped down her freshly exfoliated face. Even though she had on a very bulky wool sweater, she was still shivering from the damp, chilly air.

"I took off my coat and placed it around her trembling shoulders. Her hair was held in place by a tightly packed bun with what looked liked chopsticks sticking out of it. Without speaking she handed me the tire iron.

"Before kneeling down, I pulled out one of my spare handkerchiefs. I laid and smoothed it out on the wet pavement below and then knelt down.

"'Do you live here?' I attempted conversation as I tried to open the gate, and thought I better make sure before we both got arrested for breaking and entering.

"'Yes. It's been in my family for four generations,' she replied. 'I was at the antique mart at Gasworks Park when I got caught in the rain. Usually Commodore doesn't lock the gates this early.'

"'Commodore?' I questioned.

"'That's what I call my Father.'

"'I was thinking of going myself tomorrow afternoon. Did you find anything?'

"'I purchased this rare bell jar, it was once owned by Sylvia Plath. I'm sure a young man, such as yourself, has no idea to whom I am referring to. I'm sure you're into your sports and frat parties.'

"I was slightly offended by her stereotyping and was determined to set the record straight.

"'On the contrary, I am a psychiatric intern at Bayside Memorial. I graduated from Yale, did some of my graduate work aboard in England at Cambridge. I work over 60 hours a week, in between which I am taking 24 hours of classes, all while studying to take my licensure exam in a little over a month. And by the way, Plath was a poet who killed herself. She wrote depressing poems, one of which was about a bell jar. She was married to Poet Laureate Ted Hughes.'

"It was at that moment she knelt down beside me and laid her ice-cold hands atop of my own.

"As our hands touched, there was a sudden spark of electricity, and then, as if by magic, the gates parted before us.

"I quickly drew back my lower hand that was actually touching the gate when the sparks flew.

"'Are you alright?' she questioned.

"I had the palm of my left hand cradled in my right one. With some medical training, I was able to quickly self-diagnosis.

"'My h-hand…' I stammered. 'I burned it on the gate.'

"She then took my left hand into her own. 'Are you in pain? It looks pretty bad.' She then laid it back down on my lap and got to her feet.

"'Stay here. I'm going to get Pierre to look at it.'

"She started to run up the driveway with her glass jar.

"She stopped halfway and turned around.

"'By the way, my name is Maris.'

"'I'm Niles Crane,' I responded in kind.

"'I'll be right back. Niles.'"

"They were married three years later," Martin concluded.

Two of Hearts: One Loving, One Cold

"Excuse me." Frasier stood up and started toward the guest bedroom. "I'm going to go check on Niles. I'll be right back."

"You should be quite proud, your son is quite the Good Samaritan," Daphne complimented.

"You bet I am. I just hope that this time, things turn out better for him." Martin smiled over at her.

Daphne returned the smile. "I'll do my best," she promised.

Martin sighed and turned contemplative.

"I only wished he had listened to us. Despite all our misgivings and reservations we had about her, Niles fell hard and head over heels in love with her. Niles has a big heart and is a hopeless romantic. He loves truly, deeply and unconditionally.

"For all their one-upmanship they did, and still do, Niles and Frasier share a close, brotherly bond. After Frasier moved to Boston and especially after his mother died, Niles just cut himself off from all of us.

"As a cop, I had been called to homes where domestic violence and spousal abuse occurred. The damage inflicted was clearly seen on the faces of the victims and by the amount of self-deprecation adjectives and excuses contained in their statements."

"You were never called to their house were you?"

"Never was," Martin lamented. "Wish I was though."

"Why? Wouldn't it have been hard to see your son…"

"The abuse Maris inflicted on Niles was the worse kind. It was emotional and mental. The severity of the abuse she delivered onto Niles did more damage to his psyche than if she had ever slapped him, which a few times, she actually did," Martin interrupted.

"Since he had cut himself off from us, we had no idea how sad of a shape he was really in until Frase moved back from Boston. Frasier's return to Seattle was a godsend, and the best thing that ever happened, and it probably saved Niles' life. It often took Frasier much prodding and cajoling to get Niles out of the house and out from under her foot, but his determination won out in the end.

"We would learn that Niles was constantly at the beck and call of her mood swings, sexual toying and her ceaseless clamoring that he re-mold himself over and over, to whatever she demanded he be at that moment. Eventually, this robbed Niles of his backbone."

Martin got real quiet and even more reflective.

"I don't know how many times I had wished that I had gotten the call to their house after some fight, just so I could have seen Niles. Perhaps that way I could have saved him from her and from her wicked spell she had on him. Even now, when I see him beat himself up over something trivial, I see what I never prevented," he sadly confessed.

"Mr. Crane, what happened to Niles was not your fault. Nor was it his."

"I know. But he's still my son and you always want to protect your kids."

Brotherly Love

"Sorry that took so long."

"How's he doing?" Martin asked.

"He was in the middle of a nightmare when I came in. So, I'm glad I was there."

"Did he say what it was about?"

"He claimed he couldn't remember."

"What? Are you saying you don't believe him? Did his nose bleed when told you?"

"No Dad."

"Okay then. Just ease up on your brother."

"Excuse me. What was that about nosebleeds and lying?" Daphne asked as she reentered the room from the bathroom.

"Niles. Whenever he lies, his nose bleeds."

"He gets hives whenever he gets angry," Martin added.

"So, is he asleep now?

"Not yet."

Martin got up. "I think I'm going to go sit with him for awhile."

Frasier and Daphne watched the older man limp off to be with his youngest son.

"Before Niles came back home to us, I never saw dad more worried. Of course, if we knew he was with you…" Frasier smiled.

"Thank you Dr. Crane." She returned his smile.

Picking up on his story…

"Niles and Maris. Despite my openly expressed concerns to Niles that Maris seemed to enjoy using her and her family's money and place in high society as a way to emasculate him, Niles claimed he didn't see it and that he was in love with her. But despite all that, I still held out hope for their marriage and wanted it to succeed. For I loved my little brother and wanted things to work out for him.

"Once they were married, Niles' downfall and shortcoming, and I hate to even call it that, was that he took his wedding vows to heart. He vowed to love and obey, to be true to her and to stand by her side. And he did just that, no matter how much abuse she heaped upon him.

"Whenever I talked to Dad, he said he never saw or heard from Niles and always begged for me to try and talk to him, especially after mom died since I was closer to him than Dad was. But putting my own selfish needs before my little brother's, I dismissed both my little brother in his most desperate hour and Dad's pleas to reach out to Niles."

"Like I told your father, what happened to Niles was nobody's fault."

"I know. But when it hits, no pun intended, home and happens in your own family, to your own little brother, its hard to be objective."

"I understand."

"So, let's see. They had been married for close to four years, and mom had been gone for about two, when I moved back to Seattle.

"To say Niles was in sad shape, would be a compliment."

"By the time Maris had the papers drawn up for their divorce, she had already kicked Niles out of the house at least a dozen times. Each time and despite both Dad's and my attempts to convince him to do otherwise, he would teeter back to her, groveling for her forgiveness. She would usually 'forgive' him, if he admitted fault, which he did, even though it was rarely, if ever, his fault. Once back 'home' she continued to play her favorite games with him, which always included manipulating his love and trust of her. When she wasn't playing that game, she just flat out ignored him for weeks on end, refusing to say a single word to him."

"How bloody awful that must have been for him, especially in their bedroom."

"Oh, Niles and Maris never shared a bedroom. Depending on her mood, his bedroom was either next to hers, across the hall from hers, or all the way down the hall from hers.

"Reluctant, due to his belief that love is forever, Niles fought to keep his marriage together. Surprisingly agreeing to Niles' suggestion that they try marriage counseling, Maris' final act of manipulation of Niles' love and trust came when he found her in bed with their marriage counselor. Heartbroken, humiliated, and defeated, he finally agreed to sign the papers, bringing to a conclusion nine painful years of punishment and torment for him.

"Even though it was for the best, Niles still loved her and she betrayed his love. Invariably, he has become much more cynical and much more guarded with his emotions as a result. Another outcome, he also has become the warier of rejection."

"Who could blame him."

"Sometimes, I know this is awful, but Dad and I almost wish he would never remember everything Maris did to him. Between what the two of you have told us of your time together, when he had no memory at all, he was less guarded and more willing to take a risk. More willing to profess his love."

Frasier looked longingly toward the guestroom.

"But that being said, Dad and I have both also discussed, with everything Niles has been through, and with his amnesia, how will it change him."

"Thank you Dr. Crane for sharing this with me. I know it wasn't easy for you or Mr. Crane. I know you were skeptical and had your doubts on whether you should tell me anything. But, please let me reassure you, you did the right thing by telling me."

Let My Love Open the Door…To Your Heart

She carefully opened the door to the guestroom and peeked in.

He was sleeping.

She quietly went over to him and kissed him on his cheek and smiled.

She stroked his hair and confessed, "I love you Dr. Niles Crane."

To be continued…