In the silence of Niles' living room they sat on the fainting couch holding one another and Daphne felt as though she was in heaven. Her head against his chest, she listened to his steady heart beat and the soft rhythm of his breathing. But it was his lips on her cheeks and her mouth that caused her own heart to fill with more love for him than she thought possible.

"I love you so much." She whispered her own voice quivering as she began to cry. When her tears reached his shirt, he held her closer, stroking her back.

"Don't cry, sweetheart. I'm here... I'm so sorry that I didn't contact you. I wanted to so badly. You don't know how many times I almost tossed everything aside and got on a plane..."

She silenced him with kisses. "Niles..." She whispered against his mouth. "I need you."

In response, he kissed her as though he'd read her mind. Silently they rose from the fainting couch and as she glanced at him, she blushed, feeling a bit like a schoolgirl. But then her boldness took over again and she thought about everything that had happened. About how she'd been away from the man she loved for six long months, and suddenly she could hardly breathe for wanting him.

"Come on..." She whispered, lacing her fingers through his. They stared longingly at one another and started up the stairs but when they reached the landing, Niles stopped.

"What's wrong?"

He smiled, taking a moment to kiss her hand. "Daphne, I want so much to be with you. But first there's something I need to do. Wait here and I'll be right back." He grinned at her confused expression and quickly kissed her lips before disappearing around the corner. True to his word, he was back in less than a minute holding a small object in his hand. And it only took mere seconds to realize what he had done.

Her hand went to her trembling mouth and the tears streamed down her cheeks. It was as though she was in a wonderful dream from which she never wanted to wake up.

At the foot of the stairs, he lowered himself to one knee, his handsome face blurred by her tears.

"Daphne, my love... will you..."

Within seconds she was in his arms showering him with kisses. "Yes, yes of course I will, Niles!"

"But I haven't even-."

She kissed his sweet lips again and again, finding it hard to stop. "I love you." She whispered, still kissing him. "I love you so much. Yes... I'll marry you."

When he drew back slightly, she looked at him in confusion. "That is what you were going to ask me, right?"

He chuckled and slowly removed the ring from the box slipping it onto her finger. It was the most stunning ring she'd ever seen.

"Oh Niles..."

"Daphne you have no idea how happy you've made me." He whispered as she cradled his face in her hands. His eyes filled with tears and his voice faultered. "And I promise you that I'll be the best husband... I'll love you unconditionally and never take you for granted."

Her heart went out to him, for she knew how painful his divorce must have been. Behind his happiness she could still see the hint of sadness hat lingered in his eyes from his recent ordeal involving his ex-wife.

"I'm so sorry that your marriage didn't work out." She said. "I can't bear the thought of you hurting and I promise to love and care for you always."

They kissed once more, making their way to the fainting couch. She sat down as he slowly eased her back onto the plush fabric, never taking her mouth off of his.

"Let's go upstairs." He whispered hoarsely.

She laced her fingers through his and as they made their way upstairs, she was no longer Marla, the woman whom Jerry Seinfeld had humiliated and almost taken advantage of in New York City. She was Daphne Moon... soon to be Mrs. Niles Crane... the woman whose dreams had suddenly come true.

She paused to kiss her fiancé before ascending up the stairs, and she knew that although they were once far away from one another, love in its deepest form knew no distance. They were together forever in their hearts and always would be.

THE END.