A groggy and quite unpleasant voice answered. "Hello?"

"Mum, it's me, Daphne. I'm calling you from the States."

"Who?"

Niles put his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing.

"Oh bloody hell Mum; the connection's not that bad! It's me! Daphne!"

"I'm sorry; who did you say was calling?"

Mrs. Moon must have been exhausted. Perhaps it would have been better that they wait and call Manchester when it was later in the day. It was obviously that Mrs. Moon did not appreciate being awakened much earlier than she was used to. Niles tried to calculate the time difference in his head between Washington State and Manchester, but before he could do so, he heard Daphne screaming.

"It's Daphne, Mum! Your daughter! Remember? You have eight children; seven boys and one girl and that girl is ME! Daphne!"

"Who?"

"Mum, have you gone completely daft? Daphne Moon! The one who lives in Seattle!"

"Daphne, is that you?"

"YES!"

"Well for heaven's sake, why didn't you just come out and say so instead of dilly dallying around?"

Niles suppressed a smile. This phone call was much more difficult than he (and most likely Daphne) had ever imagined. And she hadn't yet gotten to the reason for the phone call. He saw Daphne clinch her fists and as always he was there with a gentle touch of his hand.

"Daphne, are you daft? What do you think you're doing, calling at this hour? I was in the middle of a beautiful dream! You see-."

"Mum, I don't have time nor do I want to hear about your bloody dream, okay? This is important!"

"Well, it had better be important since you called me at such an ungodly hour, waking me up-."

Daphne sighed deeply as Niles rose to his feet and stood behind her, gently massaging her shoulders.

"Mum, please! This is… Look, I need to tell you something, okay? It won't take long and then you can go back and finish your dream."

"You can't finish a dream! I've tried it It's quite impossible to continue a dream once it's been broken!"

"Well, I'm sorry Mum, but I really need to say this!"

"Then go ahead and say it! What are you waiting for?"
Daphne fell silent and turned to Niles, smiling as he brushed a lock of hair from her face.

"Hello? Are you still there? Daphne? Daphne!"

"Yes, of course I'm still here, Mum! I've been here the whole time!"

"Well, why don't you say something instead of making me yell into the phone like I'm a complete loon?"

"Mum, for God's sake, stop thinking about yourself, all right? I need to tell you something important!"

"All right, just tell me!"

"It's about Donny."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Is that all? Well I don't know why you couldn't have called at a decent hour to-."

"Mum, please! Let me finish!"

"If this is about me interfering with your wedding-."

"Actually Mum, that's why I'm calling. You see, there isn't going to be a wedding."

The line fell silent for a second time. But the silence lasted for so long that Niles began to worry. And Daphne's expression once again mirrored his own.

"Mum, did you hear me? Look, I'm sorry I was cross with you, but-."

"Daphne, what are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that there isn't going to be a wedding."

"Well, why not?"

"Because… Donny and I broke up."

More silence. And then…. "What?"

"Donny and I broke up." Daphne repeated.

There was a deep sigh on the other end of the line. "Daphne, I have told you and told you, if you don't at least pretend to share your man's likes and dislikes, he's going to get fed up and leave you and now look what's happened! Oh, I should have known this would happen! And I went out and bought a new dress and every-"

Niles was completely appalled and he wouldn't have been surprised if Daphne had chosen to end the phone call and proceed by smashing his phone into pieces. But he was so proud of the way she was handling the situation. He wasn't sure that were he in the same position, if he could handle it with such class.

"Mum, I'm sorry to disappoint you but Donny didn't break up with me. I broke up with him."

"You what?"

Daphne swallowed hard. "I broke up with Donny."

"What would make you do such a stupid thing? What were you thinking?"

To Niles' horror, Daphne's body began to sway and he held out his arms to steady her. He could see that she was on the verge of tears, but she continued to stay strong.

"Mum, if I had known that you were going to react like this, I never would have called! And I'm not stupid, all right? I broke up with Donny, all right? End of story."

"Well I hope that you have a very good reason for-."

"I don't love Donny."

She turned to face him, and the look she gave him made him crazy with want for her.

"You what?"

"I'm in love with someone else."

"I see. So you just left Donny and rushed out and supposedly fell in love with the first-."

"No, mum. Will you just listen to me, please? I-."

Niles knew that it was time to step in. "Um, hello Mrs. Moon. This is Niles Crane, speaking."

"All, right, what do you want?" Gertrude snapped.

N0iles rubbed his eyes, suddenly aware of how tired he really was, and exhaled deeply. "Mrs. Moon, we're sorry to be calling so late but Daphne and I thought it best that we tell you the news together."

"Together? What in the bloody hell are you talking about? What's so important that it couldn't wait until-."

"Niles and I are in love."

Niles couldn't stop smiling. Hearing Daphne say the words… well, there was absolutely no way to describe it.

"You what?"

Niles pulled Daphne into his arms and held her close. She sighed, resting her head on his chest.

"Daphne and I-"

There was a click; as though someone had picked up another extension and was listening. And the mystery person made no secret of their identity.

"Waaaiiit a minute, I recognize your voice!"

Daphne groaned and looked at Niles, rolling her eyes. "Simon…"

"Simon, what do you think you're doing, interfering with me conversation with me daughter? Get off the phone this instant!" Mrs. Moon ordered. But not surprisingly the demand fell on deaf ears.

"I have a God-given right to talk to me sister, don't I? This is England, isn't it?" Simon asked.

"Well of course it's England, love! What bloody country do you think we're in?" her mother snapped. "Now get off of this phone!"

"All right fine! Have it your way, Mum!"

"Now, where were we, Daphne?" Her mum asked.

"You were asking me what was so important that it couldn't wait until-."

"Simon, bloody hell! What are you doing in me bedroom?"

"I want to find out who this bloke is!" Simon replied.

"You can't just come bouncing in here like this!"

"Well I heard the bloody phone sound off and I came in here to rescue you!"

"Mum, Simon, can we please just focus on our conversation here?" Daphne pleaded.

"You're Dr. Crane, aren't you?" The voice was closer now, as though Simon had moved toward the phone.

"Um, yes." Niles replied. "I believe we met a while back when-."

"You've got some nerve!"

Niles was dumbfounded. He looked at Daphne who seemed just as surprised. "I-I'm afraid that I don't understand. I don't know what you mean."

"Shacking up with my sister and now she's knocked up with your baby, all while she's engaged to another man!"

Daphne was completely horrified. "SIMON, BLOODY HELL!"

"What?" Simon asked, as though he had no clue as to why Daphne was yelling at him.

"What do you mean what? How can you possibly think-."

"You said you're in love with him, right?"

Daphne turned to Niles and touched his hair.

"Are you there, Stilts?"

Niles' eyebrows rose. Stilts? What was Simon talking about?

"Stilts?"

Daphne cringed. "Yes?"

Niles was aghast. Daphne's brother called her Stilts?

"Ah, there you are! I thought maybe you'd gone off to get the baby's room ready!"

Her cheeks reddened and she covered her face with her hands. "Oh God… Simon…"

"What? With the baby coming and all-."

"There's no baby, Simon!" Daphne yelled.

"Well, I know not yet, but soon… in nine months-."

"SIMON, BLOODY HELL!" Daphne screamed. "There's no baby, all right?"

"Have you picked out a name? How about Little Simon?"

"I'M NOT PREGNANT! Just-put Mum on the phone, all right?"

"Call us when the baby arrives, okay? Here's Mum."

They heard rustling and then Mrs. Moon's soft breathing on the line. "Daphne Moon, I'm ashamed of you, speaking to your brother in that tone of voice!" She scolded.

Niles couldn't believe her ears. "Mum, you can't be serious! He thinks I'm bloody pregnant!"

"Well, are you?"

"NO!" She yelled. "How could you even suggest-."

"Well if you ask me, you're doing a huge disservice to Donny.""

Daphne's eyes widened and even Niles was surprised at Mrs. Moon's comment.

Daphne's eyes widened. "What are you saying?"

"Leaving him just because he hasn't fulfilled his obligations!"

"What obligations?"

"Why, pregnancy, of course. I only knew your father for-."

"Mum, please don't tell that story again! I've heard it a hundred times over; from you, Grammy Moon, Dad-."

"You most certainly have not!"

"Oh yes, I have! I've heard it from you, from Grammy Moon and even from Dad. In fact I've heard it so many times I could practically tell it myself!"

"All right, fine. But Niles should hear it if he's really in love with you."

"Mum, I told you, Niles is-."

"You never can tell these days. Men only want one thing from a woman and-."

"Niles already got it, Mum!" Simon yelled from the background. "He got her pregnant, didn't he?"

"Simon, please! For the love of God…"

Niles cleared his throat. "Mrs. Moon, there's something I'd like to say." His heart warmed when Daphne smiled at him.

"Well, don't dilly dally!" Mrs. Moon yelled. "Just say it!"

Niles almost laughed. Mrs. Moon certainly was fond of the term dilly dally.

"Mrs. Moon, I love your daughter. I love her very much and I'm only sorry that I didn't tell her sooner. But I can promise you this. I will love her for the rest of my life."

He smiled at Daphne who blinked back tears and kissed his cheek.

"I love you." She mouthed.

"You'd better! Or you're going to have to deal with me!" Mrs. Moon snapped. "Now put my daughter back on the phone!"

"I'm here, Mum." Daphne replied.

"Now, Daphne… Remember what I said-."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "I remember Mum. In fact, it will be a very long time before I forget this phone call, but I'm certainly going to try. And another thing-." She paused and looked around the living room.

"What is it?" Niles mouthed.

"I-I have to go now, Mum." Daphne said. "Dr. Crane is here and he looks pretty angry."

"Niles? Why?"

"No, not him. His brother."

Niles was completely baffled but he decided to go along with whatever Daphne had planned. He couldn't resist her beautiful grin.

"Daphne-."

"Oh, I knew I shouldn't have called you! It was a horrible idea!"

A gasp could be heard on the other end of the line. "How dare you speak to me that way? I'm your mother!" Mrs. Moon shouted.

"Well, Manchester is so far away and it costs a lot of money to call and-."

Niles ran into the kitchen and cleared his throat loudly. "Daphne!" He yelled his voice low and bold, hoping that he sounded like Frasier. He glanced at Daphne who was trying very hard to keep from laughing.

"Yes, Dr. Crane?"

"Is that a long distance call?"

"I-um…"

"Yes or no, Daphne?" Niles yelled.

"Well, if you consider Manchester long-distance, than-."

"I need a word with you, now!" Niles yelled in his Frasier-like voice.

"Oh… I-all right. Mum, I have to go now. Dr. Crane needs to speak to me."

"But Daphne-."

"Gotta go Mum! Love to everyone! Cheery bye!"

Niles went to her side and as soon as she pushed the button to hang up the phone he took her into his arms. "Daphne Moon, that was brilliant!"
"I could say the same to you, Dr. Crane." Daphne replied..

Seconds later, they burst into a fit of hysterical laughter and fell onto the sofa. And as they laughed, they kissed until they were breathless. It was the most wonderful moment in Niles' life. Well one of them anyway. Never before had he laughed like this, and it was all because of Daphne.