"I still do, Daphne. I loved you then, and I always will."
He didn't say the words out loud, but they were in his heart, just as Daphne was in his heart. He wanted to kiss her; to take her into his arms and kiss her the way she deserved to be kissed. But he was so stunned by her words that it was impossible to say anything at all. If there was anything in the world that he might have imagined that she'd say, this was the furthest thing from his mind.
He stared at her, unable to come up with the right words. What could he possibly say?
She knew.
But how? And for how long?
Someone must have told her. But no one knew except Frasier and Dad. Roz, despite their less than friendly relationship would never do such a thing; not without making a point to tell Niles what she had done afterward. Dad had made it clear to both Niles and Frasier that if either of them ever did anything to make Daphne want to quit, he would never forgive them. Not that Niles would ever dream of doing such a thing.
That only left his brother.
No. Not in a million years. Not on purpose. And even if Frasier had told Daphne by accident, he would have told Niles about what he had done. Frasier may have thought Niles' infatuation with Daphne ridiculous, but his ethics would not have allowed Niles to remain in the dark about Daphne.
That left only one possible explanation. Daphne must have found out some other way. He tried to process this idea, but when their eyes met, Daphne quickly looked away, pushing tears back with her fingertips.
"I wish… I-I'm so sorry."
"Please don't be sorry, Daphne. I-I don't know how you could have possibly known, but that's beside the point. There's something about love that makes us better people. You've given that to me and for that I will always be grateful."
She smiled but inside he could tell that she was shattered. He'd do anything to be able to put her back together again.
Sometime later he noticed that her expression changed to one of horror, and for a moment he wasn't sure what was happening. Was she feeling pain? Was she sick? He had to help her but he was at a loss of how to do so.
He opened his mouth to speak but no words came. And it was then that he noticed that he was the one in trouble. He was struggling to breathe yet again. He felt dizzy. Without warning, he sank onto the sofa.
"Dr. Crane!" She shouted. She sat beside him and put her hand on his back, moving in small circles. He struggled with everything he had, determined to be successful, if not for himself then for Daphne. He felt her breathing change to match his.
"Dr. Crane…" she whispered brokenly. And then to his surprise (and utter delight) she rested her head against his shoulder. Almost instantly he began to relax.
Breathing became easier and he had the angel beside him to thank for it. Cautiously he put an arm around her shoulders and drew her close. He sank further into the sofa, letting her know that he wasn't going to pull away. He wouldn't dream of leaving her. But suddenly she began to cry.
She put her arms around him and held him even closer. They sat in silence, their arms around each other. Time had no meaning. But this…. This meant everything. He stroked her shoulder, soaking in the moment.
And then the moment happened.
"I love you, Dr. Crane."
He felt his heart rate increase. Even though the words were not meant in the romantic sense, they warmed his heart. But the truth was that everything about Daphne warmed his heart. And he didn't hesitate in his reply.
"I love you too, Daphne."
This was so much better than the first time they'd said "I love you". At the bar… Granville's… The night when they had been ceremoniously dumped by their respective dates; he by Adelle and she by Rodney. Back then he knew that the words were meant as a way of reassurance. But now….
She was sobbing against his chest, pressing her face against his sweater. He kissed her hair, letting his lips linger in the softness as he whispered the words once more.
"I love you."
He knew that she could not possibly have heard him, but he meant them just the same.
God, how he loved her.
She cried relentlessly, encouraging him to hold her even closer. The silence seemed to go on forever, but when he finally spoke, he spoke softly, doing his best not to startle her.
"Let me make you some tea and I'll get you some tissues. I'll be right-."
But when he tried to move, she whimpered, clutching him even tighter. The tea and tissues, he decided, were not what she needed. She needed to be held and he needed to hold her. He'd never needed anything more.
They spent the night in each other's arms, drifting in and out of sleep. He could tell that Daphne was exhausted from crying. During the moments when her sobs escaped, he stroked her hair, humming Heart and Soul; a song that held a special place in his heart.
He never imagined that he would be able to fall asleep, but he had done just that. He was grateful that because of the way she was seated on the cough, she didn't notice the tears that blurred his vision. He was happier than he'd ever been.
Like a black cloud, reality set over him then. He may be blissfully happy now, but the truth was that she was not his.
Pain shot through his chest and he gasped for air, causing Daphne to sit up suddenly. She looked as though she'd been awake for a while. She grimaced and then straightened; most likely aching from their night on the sofa. But then she smiled at him, confirming what he'd always suspected. Seeing Daphne's smile first thing in the morning was the best thing ever.
Her smile brought him fully awake and this time he was the one who winced in pain. But Daphne, as usual, was his priority.
"Turn around." he said with mock authority.
Her eyebrows rose. "Excuse me?"
"I'm going to return the favor."
"What favor?"
"A favor I should have returned long before now."
A worried look crossed her brow. "I-I don't-."
"Just turn around."
She did as he asked and he put his hands on her shoulders, moving repeatedly.
"You know, I'm not as good at giving massages as you are but I'll do my best."
He squeezed her tight shoulders and kneaded her upper back, lower back and her arms with his hands. Her body language told him that he was doing a fairly good job and he smiled in spite of himself. He could feel her starting to relax, even through her soft sweater. He returned to familiar spots, massaging her lower back, her upper back and her arms as his hands moved across the bare skin at the back of her neck. He kept on working for if he were to stop, she might notice how his touching her like this was affecting him.
When he finally finished, he slowed his motions, but left his hand on her back. She turned to him with warm, flushed cheeks and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Dr. Crane that was wonderful."
He held her closer. Her words were indeed an understatement. Massaging her, touching her the way that he had was more than wonderful. It was so much more.