The delighted surprise Niles felt when Daphne had appeared at his office quickly turned to anger and disappointment when she revealed the reason for her visit. This was no spontaneous visit just to see him. This was a confession that shattered him. Daphne had just told him that not only had she read Heather Murphy's files, but had tracked down Heather herself. He stared in disbelief, barely processing what she had done. Even after he'd explained that his patient's private information was, well...private, she had crossed a boundary he'd never imagined her crossing, whatever her feelings about Heather.

"Niles, I know you're angry, but please say something," Daphne pleaded, almost in tears.

"Anger doesn't begin to describe it," Niles said coldly. "You violated this person's privacy. If she found out, I could have my license suspended! And you don't trust me. How could you ever think there could be someone else?"

"I was someone else," Daphne said quietly.

"What?"

"You were married to two other women when you claimed you were in love with me. How can you be sure that there won't be another 'someone else'?"

Niles fell silent for a moment, conflicted. He could see where she was coming from, but...

"You knew this when we got together," he said, struggling with what to say. "If you were worried, why didn't you talk to me? Why this?"

Daphne tried and failed to meet his eyes as she took a deep breath and forged on.

"I was just so worried! I didn't know how to explain it or bring it up. I thought if I just knew more about her..." she said emotionally. "Niles, please. I know I was out of line. I know I was wrong. I should have trusted you, but I didn't listen to sense. But I know our love can get us through this. I'll do anything to get your trust back, and-,"

"Stop," Niles said curtly, shaking his head. "Daphne, I can't do this."

Daphne withdrew into herself, but managed an apologetic smile.

"I know you need to process this. Take all the time you need."

"That's not what I meant. It's over, Daphne. This is a dealbreaker."

Daphne reeled back as if she'd been struck, staring at Niles with mingled shock and disbelief.

"You don't mean that," she said desperately. "Niles, I know you love me, and I'll do anything to fix this."

The hurt in her eyes and the desperation in her voice struck Niles to the core, but his anger and disappointment was overwhelming and he gave into his emotions.

"I loved the woman I thought you were," he said, the harsh words spilling out even as he realized how foolish and hurtful they were. Just...go. I don't want to see you again."

Panic swelled in Daphne's chest as she tried to comprehend what Niles was saying. He couldn't be breaking up with her. Not now. Not after they'd finally found each other. Of course, he had every right to be angry, but he couldn't really want this to be over with. She paused, thinking that at any moment he would take her into his arms and tell her he hadn't meant those words. That he wanted to try again.

But Niles turned away from her and pointedly busied himself with a stack of papers on his desk. Daphne left, heart heavy as she closed the office door behind her.

"Going home, dear?"

A kindly voice startled Daphne. Mrs. Woodson was smiling at her from behind her desk. Daphne forced a smile, trying to act as if everything was normal. She couldn't drag the kindly secretary into this mess.

"Not yet. I thought I'd do some errands first," Daphne invented, truthfully not knowing what her next move was after this.

"Be sure to drop in again," Mrs. Woodson said cheerfully. "Dr. Crane talks about you all the time. I've never seen him so happy."

Except that now I've ruined everything, Daphne thought, her heart constricting. I did this because I was afraid of losing him...and look what happened because of it.

With another insincere smile in farewell, she finally escaped to the mercifully empty elevator, sagging against the wall as it carried her to the lobby floor of the office building.

Alone in his office again, Niles stared down at a stack of his new patients' medical history forms without really reading the words. His anger had faded away, and all that was left was disappointment, which was even worse. He knew from personal experience as well as from his career that there would be times when partners would disappoint each other. But he hadn't expected it to come this soon...or be this bad.

Frustrated, Niles gathered up the patient forms to move them to the other side of his desk; he couldn't concentrate on anything now. As he pushed the papers aside, his hand brushed against a framed photograph, knocking it over. Instinctively fastidious, he set it upright again. His eyes lingered on the photo for a moment, and then he jerked his gaze away.

It showed him and Daphne at the resort in Belize just weeks ago. She was so incredibly beautiful in a pink sundress with a print of yellow plumeria. Her arm was around his waist and she was giving him that affectionate smile that always made him melt.

How could they have gone from that passionate, intimate week in a tropical paradise to...this?

Mrs. Woodson's voice over the intercom snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Dr. Crane? Your brother is on the line. He needs to speak to you."

"Tell him I'll call him back," Niles said, not wanting to talk to Frasier, or anyone for that matter, at the moment.

"He says it's urgent," Mrs. Woodson persisted.

"All right, put him through," Niles sighed, picking up the telephone. "What do you want, Frasier? You know I don't like being interrupted at work!"

"Niles, this is urgent," Frasier said, and he sounded on the verge of tears. "You need to get to Van Riper Memorial. Now."

Icy dread shot through Niles' veins.

"Oh my God. Is-is it Dad?" he asked fearfully.

There was a painful pause, as if Frasier was struggling with what he had to say.

"No. It's not Dad. It's Daphne."

A/N: I decided to step out of my comfort zone of writing humorous/light Frasier stories and explore something more serious and dramatic. This will be a multi chapter story that will probably take several months to complete, please be patient if you follow.

Van Riper Memorial is a fictitious hospital I "created" for the purposes of the story and is named in honor of someone special who was like a grandpa to me.