"Shhh... Shut up! They'll be here any minute!" Martin said.

"All right, does everyone know the plan?" Frasier asked. "As soon as we hear the doorbell, we assume our places and when I give the signal-."

"Yeah, yeah Frasier, we know! We all jump out and yell 'Welcome Home'! We've been over this a hundred times already!" Roz said.

Frasier sighed. "I just want everything to be perfect for when Daphne comes home. She's been through so much lately."

Noticing the sad expression on his face, Roz put her hand on his shoulder.

"Frasier, you helped her so much by sending her to that spa. She called me a couple of times and told me how grateful she is."

Frasier smiled and took her hand. "Thank you, Roz."

"Okay, enough of this mushy stuff." Martin said.

Seconds later they heard the doorbell ring and they scrambled to their positions.

"Is everyone ready?" Frasier asked, rising to answer the door.

"Niles how nice to see you both!" He said, turning to grin at Martin and Roz who were hiding in the living room.

"Well actually, Frasier there's something I need to talk to you about. You see, Daphne-."

"SURPRISE!" everyone yelled, emerging from their hiding places. Even Eddie had gotten into the act by barking loudly.

Shaken by the outburst, Niles clutched his chest and slowly walked into Frasier's apartment.

"Well, where is she?" Martin asked.

"I thought you were bringing Daphne home!" Roz said.

Niles swallowed hard. "Well, I was... but you see..."

"What's going on?" Martin asked. "Aw geez, we went to all this trouble and-."

"Frasier can I talk to you in the kitchen?" Niles asked.

"Of course, Niles but what about-."

"It's a matter of great importance." Niles said.

Exasperated, Frasier frowned. "Well, all right. But I still don't-."
Just then the phone rang.

"I'll get it!"

"Thanks, Roz." Frasier said, ushering Niles into the kitchen.

When they were alone, Frasier glared at his little brother. "All right Niles! What in the hell is so important? And where is Daphne?"

Niles looked sadly at his brother. "Well, I went to pick her up at the spa, and-."

"Frasier!"

"Excuse me, Niles."

Frasier walked into the living room where Roz held out the phone to him.

"Yes, Roz?"

"Daphne wants to talk to you."

Frasier and Martin exchanged a look before glancing at Niles.

When Frasier took the phone from Roz, Niles quietly excused himself and hurried out of the apartment.

"Hey, Daphne." Frasier said, trying to maintain a cheerful tone.

"H-hello Dr. Crane."

"We thought you'd be coming home with Niles. What's happened?"

"Well, I-."

Suddenly he heard sobbing.

"Daphne?"

"I-I'm sorry, Dr. Crane. I just-."

"Is something wrong?"

The sobbing continued.

"Oh, Daphne... Dear God..."

"Could you come and pick me up, Dr. Crane? Please?"

"Why didn't you come home with Niles?"

When Daphne cried even harder, Frasier's heart went out to her.

Something was definitely wrong.

"All right, Daphne, just try to relax. I'll leave right now and be there as fast as

I can."

"Thank you, Dr. Crane."

Frasier sighed and hung up the phone.

"What's going on?" Martin asked.

Roz looked uneasily at Frasier. "She's okay, isn't she?"

Frasier paced the living room. "Well, I'm not sure. She wants me to come pick her up and she was crying pretty badly."

"Crying?" Martin asked in disbelief.

"I asked her why she didn't come home with Niles and that seemed to upset her even more." Frasier said. "Where is Niles anyway?"

"He was just here two minutes ago." Martin said. "HEY NILES!"

But there was no answer.

"Well I don't have time to look for him. I'd better leave now if I want to get to Cascade Falls as soon as possible." Frasier said.

Roz grabbed her purse. "I'm coming with you."

"No Roz, just go home. I'm sure everything will be fine." Frasier said, not really believing his own words.

"But Frasier-."

"I should go alone. She sounded pretty upset."

Roz scoffed when she reached the door. "All right, but you'd better have her call me and tell me what's going on. Or better yet, tell me yourself."

"Of course I will, Roz. Don't worry about a thing." Frasier said as he gently pushed her out the door.

She whirled around to face him and pointed at him. "I mean it, Frasier!"

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry Roz. I'm sure everything will be fine."

But when he went to grab his car keys, he couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.