Chapter IV: Early Rise of The Moon

Niles spent his night tossing and turning. A few times, he managed to fall asleep for a short moment. Each time he awoke again as soon as his hands reached over and touched the empty pillow where a small piece of paper had taken the place of the woman who had written it. Logically, Niles knew how silly he was to keep the note close by. All it said was how Daphne had to go home, because of her thyroid pills. But her words, while written hastily, sparked hope in him. For a while, he just stared at it. Tried to find a deeper meaning behind the simple message. She hadn't mentioned what had happened, or if she was sorry at all. Niles figured it could be a good sign – or a bad. The inconclusiveness of the situation caused him a sleepless night nonetheless. He had found the note by accident at the door after he'd gone and looked for her everywhere. The only thing that told him she had really been there with him.

The hours ticked on endlessly. All Niles wanted was to see Daphne again. Talk to her. He wanted to touch her, too, but even the thought seemed way too daring for him. So he tried to concentrate on talking to her. They had to talk about what had happened – and what would happen next. Had she been any other woman, Niles would have filed it under nothing serious, just a one-time thing. But it had been Daphne. They were friends after all, so he knew they couldn't just ignore what had occurred in his bedroom. His heart beat quickly just thinking about it. Niles knew how he felt; last night had been a dream come true, but apparently only for him. He had no idea what Daphne was feeling. If it hadn't meant anything to her, then... Niles needed to see her.

When Frasier opened the door, he looked angry. Obviously, Niles had interrupted his breakfast. After all, it was still very early. But he couldn't wait any longer to see Daphne.

"Niles, what are you doing here?"

"Uhm, I came to ask something." Niles fidgeted; not only was he not a good liar, he was terrible. As always, Frasier was almost intimidating. He needed to know everything, but Niles couldn't tell him why he was there and why he needed to speak to Daphne so urgently.

"Not you. Umh, Daphne. I came here to ask Daphne something."

"At 7am in the morning?" Frasier asked him distrustingly.

"Well, it's an early morning question."

"She's in her room." Niles felt Frasier watch him as he walked into the direction of Daphne's room. Passing the kitchen, he heard his father and Sherry talking and laughing loudly. Immediately, he sped up.

At the door, he hesitated for a short moment to gather confidence. He knocked once, but then decided two knocks were more sufficient. Nothing happened. Daphne couldn't know it was him, so he figured there had to be another reason she wasn't opening the door. Niles felt as if something was wrong. A part of him wished he could tear down the door and look like a hero; even if it was a silly thought. But then, didn't Daphne always make him feel funny things?

"Are you sure she's in there?" Niles asked Frasier, who, unsurprisingly, had followed him. His brother looked as unknowing as himself though.

"I haven't seen her all morning, I figured she was in her room. Let's ask dad." The two brothers went back to the living room where Sherry and their father had sat down at the table to have breakfast. They looked disgustingly happy together.

"Dad... Sherry, have you seen Daphne this morning?" Niles asked them. His father considered the question.

"No, actually I haven't. Isn't she in her room?"

"She isn't, no." Frasier answered. He was scratching his chin as if thinking about something and it drove Niles nuts.

"Sherry, have you seen her?" Martin asked his girlfriend who was just about to take a bite from her disgustingly large roll.

"No, I haven't." She answered simply.

"Come to think of it, she was kinda weird last night when she came home." Martin said, contemplative.

"She was?" Niles was nervous. Good weird, or bad weird? Then again if his father used such a word, he probably didn't mean it in a positive way.

"Yeah. Broke down crying and everything. Poor thing." Crying? Niles felt his need to see Daphne increase. He just had to see if she was ok.

"I tell you where she is," Sherry intervened. All eyes landed on her. Niles' were so huge they seemed ready to pop out. "I bet she took my advice. Got herself a man. Why she thinks she has to meet him secretively I don't know. She'll be back once she's sated." Sherry giggled. Niles despised the sound. Judging from his look, Frasier did as well. Their father just looked surprised.

"But she wouldn't have sneaked out now... would she?" He turned to his sons as if they knew. Niles thought how close his father was to the truth. Only that there was a major flaw in Sherry's idea that only he knew about. Daphne had come home after she'd left his apartment. Something must have happened afterwards and she hadn't come back to him. For a moment he considered telling Frasier, but he wasn't sure if he should. Usually, he talked about these things with him, but it was Daphne and he hadn't talked to her yet. First he had to find out where she was.

"Niles? You look sick." Frasier commented on his brother's obvious discomfort.

"I'm just worried about Daphne! Aren't you?"

"I'm sure she's fine." Sherry said and continued to eat. Niles' eyes narrowed, but she didn't see it of course. He wished she would just leave them all alone.

"We don't know!" Niles exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. He was breathless, because of all the anger bursting inside of him, "She might have been kidnapped for all we know! I'm going to..." He didn't finish the sentence, but simply left the apartment.

"Well, it seems like the heat wave has caused some serious damage. First Daphne is all weird, and now Niles, too." Martin shook his head in disbelief and distracted himself with breakfast. Frasier looked first at his father, then at the closed door where Niles had just left. Something was definitely going on.

In front of the elevator, Niles was clueless. Where could Daphne have gone? And why? Why had she been crying last night? His heart felt heavy in his chest. He had to find her, and quickly.

TBC