The further they ventured from the park, the more annoyed Daphne became and she tugged on the dog's leash. "Come on, Eddie! Bloody hell! What's gotten into you?" But Eddie continued to pull away. And then to Daphne's annoyance, he began barking furiously.

"Eddie, stop that! What's the matter? I took you to the dog park so you should have had plenty of exercise for-."

Her words trailed away and she stared at the door of the all-too familiar church. It was then that she realized where they had gone and she felt a strange pain in her chest.

This was the same church on Chestnut Street that she'd walked past a few Christmases ago when she mistakenly thought that Mr. Crane was dying. She was so angry with him when she'd learned the truth about his role in the Christmas Pageant, but it was only because she loved him so much. And after the way he'd shown such concern for her moments in the kitchen earlier that day, she loved him even more.

But as she glanced at the church, something caught her eye; a figure, walking in the distance, bringing a familiar sense of worry. And it was then that she realized who the figure was...

Niles.

What on Earth was he doing, walking into a church on his own free will? As long as she'd known him, she'd never heard him utter a word of religion and yet here he was walking into a church as though it was something he'd done every day.

That could only mean one thing...

No. She wouldn't let herself think it. Couldn't let herself think it. To lose him would be... She brushed the tears from her cheeks and pulled Eddie to the narrow green street sign that read Chestnut Street, despite his whining protests.

"Come on, Eddie! That's enough! What would Mr. Crane think of you carrying on like this? I'm just going to tie you to this street sign so that you won't run away!"

When his whimpers tore at her heart, she knelt down and stroked his soft fur, kissing the top of his head. "You're such a sweet dog and I know you're worried about Mr. Crane. Well, I'm worried about his son, and I just have to check on him. Something's wrong. I can feel it. I'll only be gone a moment."

To her amazement, Eddie's mood changed and he licked her hand, making her smile.

"That's my sweet boy. I'll be right back."

She rose to her feet and headed for the church, decreasing her pace when she reached the large wooden door. Taking one last glance at Eddie, she slowly opened the door and stepped into the church. As quietly as possible she walked down the aisle, amazed at how beautiful it was. The sanctuary was much larger than it appeared, given the small size of the church, with a huge pipe organ in the middle wall, surrounded by stained glass windows, and she wondered how she could have missed such a beautiful church. But none of that mattered now. She simply had to find her friend.

She walked further into the sanctuary, but after a quick search, the place seemed empty. And the thought caused her even more worry. Perhaps she only imagined him walking into the church.

But then she heard his voice. As slowly and quietly as possible, she walked to a row of pews well away from where he was kneeling on the velvet cushion, his hands folded in prayer. It was a sight she never expected to see, but it was beautiful nonetheless. And then he bowed his head, his voice trembling as he spoke.

"Look, I-I know I haven't done this in ages. And the last time I did, I was so young that I could hardly remember. M-My mother liked it when I prayed and when we... lost her; I prayed all the time, thinking stupidly that somehow it would bring her back. I was a grown man so I have no idea what I was thinking. I guess somehow I hoped..."

Daphne's eyes filled with tears and she knew that she should leave; give him some privacy. But she simply couldn't tear herself away.

"But actually, the reason I'm here isn't because of Mom, although I hope she's being taken care of. It's because of the things I've done... You see... Maris and I haven't been getting along, although you probably know that already. But this time we just can't work it out, and I'm afraid that our marriage is over. I know that if Mom is watching me from Heaven, she's bound to be disappointed, as are Frasier and Dad. I just... I wish I could take back everything thing I've done wrong in my relationships and for things to be the way they used to be; comfortable, happy. Instead I've ruined the lives of people I care about. I-I told Frasier that I hated him. And God, nothing could be further from the truth! I'd be lost without him! And D-Daphne... She... Oh God... I hurt her...and not just emotionally. I physically hurt her! If Dad hadn't tore into me the way he did... What have I done? I would never..."

His voice broke and he began to sob, no longer able to speak.

With hesitation and a bit of guilt, she rose from the pew, refusing to listen to anymore as the tears blurred her eyes. It took all the strength she possessed not to go to him; to take him into her arms and hold him. To tell him that she understood and that she cared about him deeply. But she couldn't let him see her.

And so she walked outside, smiling at Eddie who was lying obediently on the grass, still tied to the street sign. She knelt beside him once more and carefully untied him, smiling when he licked her hand.

"Come on, Eddie. Let's go home."