(Niles POV)

Niles turned over in bed once more, trying desperately to fall asleep. He was, after all exhausted and he definitely needed his rest. But something was determined to keep him awake. He just wished he knew what it was. Across the hall, his wife was in her own room, asleep in her bed. He knew this because he could hear her snoring loudly, even from the confines of his own room. It made him glad, at least for the moment that they decided years ago to sleep in separate bedrooms. The mansion was certainly big enough and it was quite possible that they could have entire quarters to themselves. But that would be ridiculous. They were married after all.

He shut his eyes, willing himself to sleep but after he opened them again, he finally gave up. There was no use in sleeping now. Perturbed, he flung the comforter back and placed his feet flat on the floor. He definitely wasn't getting any sleep tonight and pacing the floor of the mansion wasn't going to help matters. And so he decided that the best cure for his insomnia was a nice drive, to get away from it all, if only for a little while.

It was easy to creep out of the house. Maris and the servants were all asleep, having no idea that he was about to leave. And the security was warned not to ask him questions when he left the house, for they knew that his job depended on being ready at a moment's notice should a patient need him.

As he drove through the streets, he was aware of how quiet it seemed. And then he passed a familiar building. He peered into the window, flooded with memories of the night before. Daphne had been here, on a date. That in itself was harrowing enough, but when he'd learned that she was going out with an ex-con, his blood pressure skyrocketed. There was no telling what a man like that would do. Fortunately Frasier had the same reaction which brought them to the somewhat seedy establishment with that horrible Jimmy, who turned out to be an ex-con!

As quickly as possible, Niles and Frasier had rushed to the pool hall, only to find Daphne playing pool among a gang of hoodlums. And the brothers Crane were extremely out of place in their designer suits and ties. But no more so than Daphne who wore a beautiful dress that made her look like a floral garden. Her long flowing chestnut hair and her accent was even more foreign in the midst of black leather jackets and worn out blue jeans. Compared to them she was even more of an angelic soul.

When he and Frasier had confronted Jimmy, they encountered even more trouble. A slight faux paus on Frasier's part angered a man who was busy playing a game of pool. "You just cost me $200!" He'd shouted, adding that he was going to get the money or hurt them badly. To Niles utter amazement, Daphne boldly challenged the man to a game of pool in order to win the money back. And even more incredible, she won the game, handing the man two-hundred dollars in cash. Seconds later they dashed out of the pool hall, eager to get home to safety.

Perhaps it was just a friendly gesture on her part, but Niles was touched beyond words. Never had anyone done something so selfless before. And his list of intentions for thanking her was growing longer by the minute. Since they had met she had helped him in so many ways; comforting him about his mother's affair, tending to his injured hand when he'd broken the glass in Frasier's living room, reassuring him that his father still loved him when he and Frasier had acted like jackasses while out to dinner. Buying him a new plant out of the kindness of her heart, to the way she cared about his family. She had no idea how much her kindness meant to him. Even at this late hour, he knew he had to find away, even a small one, to thank her. And he found it as he looked across the street in the form of an all-night grocery store. It was seedy looking, that's for sure, but he had no other choice.

Praying for his safety, he parked the car in front of the entrance and quickly walked inside. Within minutes, he'd purchased a bouquet of flowers. Daphne wasn't worthy of such cheap flowers, but he hoped that the small gesture would suffice for now. He vowed to make it up to her on a much larger scale in the future. He had an entire lifetime to do so.

But now he couldn't wait.

He returned to his car and said a silent prayer of thanks before starting his car. Eagerly he headed to the Elliott Bay Towers and rushed to the 19th floor. It was terribly late and he prayed that she wouldn't be upset with him. He already knew what Frasier's reaction would be and frankly he didn't care. This wasn't about Frasier. This was about the woman he loved… or had come to love in the short time that he'd known her. He knew it was crazy, for he was married after all. But he couldn't help what he was feeling.

His fingers trembling, he rang the doorbell. And when there was no immediate answer he rang it again… and again…. And again… The door opened abruptly revealing Frasier who stood wearing a look of anger.

"Niles, what in the hell are you doing here?" He shouted. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Niles looked at his watch, forcing a smile. "It's… 3:37am. And actually Frasier-."

"What's the meaning of this?" Martin asked, wearing his own perturbed look.

"Well, actually I came to see Daphne, if that's all right."

"No, Niles, it's not all right! Dear God what has gotten into you?"

Niles swallowed hard. "Well, I just wanted to-."

And suddenly her angelic face appeared.

"Dr. Crane, what are you doing here?"

The question wasn't spoken harshly like that of his brother or father, but softly with gentle concern. But it caught him off-guard just the same.

"I-I…"

"Come on, Niles! Out with it!" Martin bellowed. "Eddie and I need our rest!"

"He says he came here for Daphne." Frasier said.

Daphne gasped in surprise. "Me? But what could you possibly want with me?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" Frasier yelled. "Niles this is by far the most insane thing you've ever done!"

But Martin shook his head. "Not even close, Son. Not even close. Come on Frasier, he's not hurting anyone! I'm going back to bed. Goodnight kids."

"Goodnight, Dad." Niles said.

"Dr. Crane, I'd like to hear what your brother has to say, if you don't mind." Daphne said. "It must be important if he came all this way, so late at night. He is me friend, after all and I care about him… a lot."

Frasier was silent for a long moment before he shook his head.

"Fine. Enjoy your visit. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Frasier." Niles said.

When they were alone, Niles looked at Daphne, feeling more awkward than before. "Daphne, I'm so sorry I woke you. I was just… driving around, unable to sleep and I ended up by that pool hall where you went on your… um… date with, um..."

"Jimmy..." She finished, shuddering as she rubbed her arms. "Don't remind me."

"Right… Jimmy."

"Oh, I'm so glad you and your brother showed up. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't." Her words caught him off guard and he looked up in surprise.

"We were worried about you."

She didn't immediately respond but instead wore a far-away look. "Thank you, Dr. Crane. You're such a good friend."

"I cherish your friendship too, Daphne." Niles replied.

"When I found out that Jimmy was an ex-con, I didn't know what to do. I know I should have canceled our date right then and there but I was afraid. What if he'd become angry?"

Niles smiled. "Well it looked like you could take care of yourself. And you took pretty good care of Frasier and I, too."

Once again she surprised him when her cheeks flushed. "Well, I couldn't just let that man hurt you. There's no telling what he would have…. Done." There was a tiny catch in her voice that she probably didn't know was there. But he certainly did.

Boldly he moved his arm and handed her the flowers, smiling at her stunned expression. "Dr. Crane…"

"These are for you, Daphne."

She looked up at him in astonishment. "B-but why? It's not me birthday"

He smiled and took her hand. "I wanted to thank you, Daphne, for what you did for Frasier and I. Standing up to that horrible man. We should have been the ones protecting you, but instead you protected us. I can't tell you how much that means to me."

"They're beautiful." she said. "Thank you, Dr. Crane... Thank you so much."

"You're welcome Da-."

Her arms went around him and he sighed contently as she held him close. The intoxicating scent of her hair wafted around him and her soft lips fell onto his cheek, making him feel as though he could fly. In response, he hugged her tighter, but then reluctantly let go of her.

"It's late and I should really be going. If I can't sleep when I get home, I'll just catch up on my reading. Goodnight, Daphne."

"Wait."

He paused at the door and turned to face her. "What?"

"You're right. It is late and I don't like the idea of you driving around at night. It's dangerous. Why don't you stay here?"

"Oh no, Daphne, I couldn't." He said quickly. "I'll just-."

Her fingers covered his mouth, causing him to shiver. "Please… I insist. Now just wait here and I'll be right back. Make yourself comfortable."

He sank onto the sofa and took off his shoes, sitting them under the coffee table. Within moments, he'd loosened his tie and removed his jacket, content to sit and enjoy the peaceful silence. True to her word, Daphne returned moments later with a pillow and a blanket. "Here you are."

Her thoughtfulness touched him deeply once more. "Thank you, Daphne. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. And if I'm a burden in any way…"

"You couldn't be. You're family and we care about you. This is your home too, no matter what your brother and father say."

"Thank you, Daphne." He said again.

She smiled and touched his cheek. "Sweet dreams, Dr. Crane. Help yourself to anything you need."

When she was gone he made himself comfortable on the sofa and turned out the light. He was asleep at once, dreaming of the angel who was but a few feet away.