First Name Basis

Summary:

What if Daphne Moon tried to prevent Niles from marrying Mel? Story contains psychic visions, a bottle of wine, and the Winnebago!

Author's notes:

I do not own the TV show Frasier. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes only. I get no compensation from it.

*****Rescue Me *****

I returned to the Winnebago and sat in the dark for hours. My state of despair had made me far too much of a risk to drive so I just sat there. Along about 6 am my cell phone rang. It was Martin. I didn't tell him any details about the conversation with his son. All I said was that I had stayed the night in the Winnebago by myself. Martin could tell something had gone badly wrong but he didn't push me. He soon signed off.

I'd never moved from the driver's seat on the Winnebago once I'd plopped down on it. After Martin's call exhaustion at last overtook me. I dozed off in the chair.

Some time later a knock on the door roused me. As soon as I moved a sharp pain ran through my neck. On top of everything else I'd gone to sleep with my head at an odd angle. Just one more thing to go amiss with my life. I let out a yelp of pain.

Before I could rouse myself to walk over to the door the sound of a key scratching around the lock signalled that whoever it was was coming in anyway. When the door swung open two familiar faces peered in.

"Daph, are you OK?"

"Yes I am, Martin. Just a crick in my neck. Come in."

Mr. Crane and his elder son climbed the steps. Once inside, they moved to the front. The father took the passenger seat across from me and the son settled in behind him.

"Martin, huh?" Dr. Crane looked first at me then his father.

"Why not, Son? We're all family."

"Well, then. I suppose it's only fitting that you call me Frasier from now on, Daphne."

"All right...Frasier."

Something good, albeit minor, had happened.

"We came up this morning to see how you were doing."

"Besides, Simon was too much underfoot for my tastes." Dr. Crane said while he wrinkled his nose.

Suddenly I thought of my brother. Where had the lout stayed last night when the Winnebago didn't return?

"Where did he sleep?"

"Oh, before he left for his usual evening of carousing I told him to use your room when he got back. Didn't hear a peep out of him until about 4 am. After the crashing sound I heard a low moan."

"Crashing sound?"

"Nothing a little spackle and paint can't take care of. How important was that unicorn collection to you?"

"Simon!" Something finally got my mind off Dr. Crane.

"Daph, that's not important right now. We came up here to see about you."

I cut to the chase.

"Your son's marrying Mel."

"He is? Did you talk to him?"

"I did but I didn't know the right words to say. It all went horribly wrong. Your son told me he loved me, and I said I loved him. But he wouldn't change his plans."

Martin and Frasier were taken aback.

"Niles did that?"

"I told you things went badly."

"After all these years you'd think my brother would smarten up. He's a fool, Daphne."

"Don't say that, Frasier. He's a good, decent man. That's one of the things that attracted me to him."

Martin brought up a related subject my mind had been avoiding.

"Are you going through with your wedding?"

"No. Donny's a good man too, and I know I made a promise to him. But he doesn't deserve a wife whose heart's not in the marriage."

My tears returned. Martin's exercises had paid off royally because in a flash he jumped up and grabbed me in a hug. Frasier stretched his arm over and rubbed my shoulder.

"Regardless of what happens, you still have a home with us. Right, Fras?"

"Absolutely, Dad."

When I'd dried my eyes Frasier shifted in his seat. I hadn't noticed but he'd been carrying a bag with him. From it Frasier produced Morey's wine bottle, his own prized antique cork screw, and a package of plastic cups.

"You know, Daph, when you gave this to me I said I'd save it for a special occasion. I can't think of a better time than to honor a friend for the courageous thing she did."

"No, Frasier, don't." I tried to keep him from opening the wine.

"Nope. Already opened." he replied as he pulled the cork free. Martin held out three cups and his son poured some in each. Soon enough each of us had a cup in hand. Frasier raised his and we followed suit.

"To better days."

"Better days." Martin and I repeated.

"Did it taste like you'd expected it to, Dr. Cr, er, I mean, Frasier?"

"Even better, Daph, even better."

We took a few more moments to finish downing our portions. Then Frasier and Martin looked at each other.

"We'd better be getting back to the city, Dad."

"What, you aren't going to see your brother and Mel?"

"Naw. We didn't come up here to see them. We came up here to see you."

"Thank you, Martin."

Leave it to Frasier to ask the obvious question.

"Are you going to be staying up here awhile? In the Winnebago?"

The questions reminded me of how bizarre my situation was.

"No, I'll get moving once I check out the loo and the shower on this battleship."

"Daph, do you want to ride back in the car? Dad or I one can drive the Winnebago back down."

"No, I learned quite a bit about steering this thing yesterday. Why, I might even take a spin up to Canada." I said.

Any hint of a smile vanished from both men's faces.

"Relax. I've got my green card now."

All three of us laughed at the memory of a long ago snafu involving a bear, a border, and another Winnebago.

"We'll leave you alone, Daph. See ya back in Seattle."

"See you there ya rotten old sods." They really had become family to me.

The Cranes let themselves out while I cleared away the glasses and put up the wine. Then I settled down in the driver's seat again. The melancholy that Frasier and Martin had driven away was creeping back. I let myself drift off into thinking about what might have been.

Suddenly there was another knock on the door. While cleaning up I had noticed that Frasier had left his antique cork screw on the dashboard. No doubt they'd gotten halfway home before Frasier realized the loss and turned around to retrieve it.

"Come in."

The door swung open with a whoosh of urgency. There stood not Frasier Crane not Martin Crane but the other Crane. Him. Involuntarily I rose from my chair. Dr. Niles Crane stepped up into the Winnebago.

"Ahm, Daphne. How would you like to go on a date?"

His eyes were pleading with me. I had to pick my mouth up off the floor.

"Oh, yes." I ran over to Dr. Crane and we enveloped each other in our arms. After a moment I grasped his face in my hands and kissed him. He returned my kiss with an ardor that took my breath away just like the night before. Too soon though he broke the kiss. For a moment I feared a repeat of last night's conclusion.

"There'll be time for kissing later. Right now there's an irate woman in the parking lot I'm not too keen on seeing. Ever again." My heart leaped at his words.

In the distance I heard Mel screaming.

"Niles, Niles Crane. You get out of that hideous pile of rolling sheet metal this instant! Do you hear me?"

"Well, let's get this battleship moving." I said as I jumped into the driver's seat.

All of a sudden my mind left the Winnebago and I entered a vision. It was the scene of Dr. Crane in a wedding chapel again. This time I saw more of the surroundings. It looked like one of those "get-married-quicks" that you'd never suspect someone like him to come within a hundred miles of. Yet there he was.

And like before he was placing a ring on a woman's finger. After he slid it on, he leaned forward and kissed her. As he pulled back I finally could see the face of the bride. It was me!

Frasier's toast had proved prophetic. Better days indeed were at hand.

As quickly as the vision came it left and I found myself behind the wheel. Dr. Crane had slipped into the passenger seat. After I started the engine, he reached over and squeezed my hand with the most loving look in his eyes. Ever attentive, he noticed something amiss and pulled out my seat belt for me.

"Strap yourself in, Daphne."

"Strap yourself in too, Niles."

*****Author's notes *****

I hope you enjoyed this alternative route to Daphne and Niles getting together! Especially an alternative without that marriage to Mel. Consider submitting a review; they are welcomed.

If you liked this story, you might also check out "Frasier Returns: The Boss and Her Friend" about Roz and Frasier.