Summer 1999 is at its peak and Daphne is now virtually shacking up with Niles at the Montana. Only her less used belongings remain still at Frasier's condo, and she's perfectly comfortable with the current situation. Cohabiting with Niles is much easier than one might have believed, given his persnickety nature. She's realized that he's changed a few of his former habits quite noticeably, and she suspects, touched, that he's done it for her partly, but mostly because experiencing true love has freed him from a few of his fears and fixations. The fastidiously fussy man she remembered especially when she'd just landed the job at Frasier's, the man trapped in a toxic marriage but still blind to realize that painful truth, is now quite a different person. Of course, his essence is the same as always; the core of him that has called to hers little by little, inadvertently at first, like a siren's call. More than six years later, he's grown as a person, gained self-confidence and, at present, happiness, respect and equality are permanent fixtures in his life.
On her part, she's also changed a lot from the rough edged, uneducated and impulsive thirty-two year old woman she was when she got off the plane that brought her to the States, leaving behind her own toxic life in Manchester. She'd been as trapped as Niles in a cage of nonfulfillment and unhappiness. One morning she woke up in bed next to Clive, by then her fiancé, with a frightening certainty: if she didn't break free, she'd die slowly of suffocation. She'd had a vision that same night in which she actually died due to a total lack of air that stifled her minute by minute.
So she fled England without saying goodbye, as far as she could go, and ended up in Seattle.
Only when she was safely in the States, did she call her mother to tell her the news. Needless to say, Gertrude Moon has never forgiven her only daughter for doing what she herself never dared to. If the relationship between the both of them had always been stilted and conflictive before, after Daphne's escape it became more openly hostile than ever. Each phone call to or from her mother invariably leaves Daphne in a turmoil of turbulent emotions, most of them comprising guilt, self-deprecation and failure. Gertrude knows extremely well how to emotionally blackmail and manipulate, Daphne has to concede her that. Niles never fails to offer his comforting and quiet presence every time a call disrupts Daphne's peace of mind, and she is infinitely grateful for his support.
The only other four members of her family she talks to from time to time are his father, her brothers Stephen and Billy and Stephen's wife. Unlike Gertrude, they never resort to making her feel bad for her choices, and even if their lives are anything but easy, they haven't ever reproached her that she's making do much better than any of them has managed. Or ever asked her for money, like her brother Simon shamelessly does. He seems to believe that she has a dollar factory that produces bucks magically, and she's had to tell him in no uncertain terms that it's more than due time that he learns how to make a living on his own instead of spending his life mooching.
It's her luck that one summer day Simon, the one and only, she thinks in fury and exasperation, makes an impromptu appearance at the Montana with a backpack and a suitcase.
Niles is the one to open the door when one of the banes of her existence knocks. Daphne is still at Frasier's, tidying up the kitchen, when she receives a tense call from Niles. She's recently acquired her first cell phone so she doesn't have to depend constantly on Frasier's or Niles's landline, and she hasn't had time yet (or desire) to give her private number to more than just her closest acquaintances in the States, that is: Niles, Frasier, Martin, Roz and her other friends. The reason why she hasn't given it yet to her mother is because Daphne needs to brace herself for the fact that Gertrude would call her anytime and anywhere, believing that her daughter owning a cell phone would give the mother the go-ahead to disrupt her daughter's routine with no restrictions of time, place or occupation. And as for her father, Stephen, her sister-in-law and Billy, it's not for a lack of willingness; it's because her mother would wheedle her number out of any of them in less than ten seconds, so it's once more back to her rooted issues with Gertrude Moon.
"Daphne, excuse me for calling you in your working hours, but your brother Simon is here," Niles informs, and by his tone of voice, Daphne senses that he's just this short of hyperventilating.
She rubs her face with her other hand in anger and frustration. "Oh, Niles, I'm so sorry. I had no idea that the jerk was coming. He always does these kinds of things. Can I speak to him, please?"
"Of course, love. Just a moment." After some seconds, Daphne hears him saying your sister's on the phone.
"Stilts! So glad to hear your voice at last! It's been a long time." Wow, he's beaten his own record. He's lasted two whole seconds before starting to get in my face. He normally achieves that in less than one.
"Oh, really? And why might that be?," Daphne asks, her worst snarkiness already kicking in full mode.
"Because you're a cold witch?," Simon accuses in the same tone, and she hears Niles saying in the background I won't allow you to insult Daphne. Apologize to her or I'll ask you to get out of my house ASAP, understood?
A surge of pride and love for her boyfriend runs through her and she smiles briefly. Simon, a chicken at heart, backpedals. Okay, okay, sorry mate, no need to set the dogs on me. "Daph? Sorry sis, that was uncalled for. I need a place to stay for a couple days. May I sleep on your sofa? I promise you and Nilsey won't even notice I'm here."
"I doubt that. And don't call him that. He hates nicknames," Daphne warns. What have I done in another life to deserve this shit brother?
"Sorry, sorry. No nicknames for your guy. So what do you say?"
"I won't talk about this on the phone. I'm going there right now. But I don't want you bothering Niles, you understand? It's his house and he's in his right to kick you out, so you'd better behave and do as he says," Daphne admonishes, already rushing for the elevator. Frasier and Martin aren't home, and it's for the best, because that way she doesn't have to lose time giving explanations. "I want to talk to Niles," she adds, and she waits for Simon to hand the phone back to Niles. "Honey, I'm going there. I'm very sorry for all this trouble." The doors of the elevator open and she steps in.
"Don't worry, love. It's not your fault," he assures softly. "Be careful on your way back."
"I'll be. Love you."
"Love you too," he echoes, and she hangs up.
She drives to the Montana with a feeling of doom hovering on the horizon. This can't be happening. Please tell me that this is a nightmare and I'm going to wake up next to Niles and laugh at all this.
No such luck.
She unlocks the entrance door and there's Simon, sitting on the fainting couch with a beer in hand and a cigarette in the other. The beer undoubtedly comes from the supply Niles keeps in the fridge for when his father drops by, and he's put the ashtray he offers to smoking visitors on the coffee table. Niles himself is on the other end of the sofa, looking as tense as guitar strings, and as lost as a fish out of water.
If he doesn't run for the hills after having a sample of the cream of my family, then nothing will make him do it, she thinks, resorting to sarcasm as a coping mechanism.
"Simon," she says curtly as greeting while she walks into the living room.
"Hey, Stilts! Where's my favourite sis?" He stands up and hugs her, but then he ruins the moment by messing up her hair. Daphne's always hated when he does that. She fixes her tresses as best she can with a huff.
"Hello, love," Niles greets her and gets close to kiss her lips. She returns the caress and immediately feels better. "Stilts?"
Daphne blushes. "It's how everybody at my neighbourhood calls me. As a child I was taller than most the other children," she clarifies in slight embarrassment. And this is one of the reasons why I escaped my lovely childhood neighbourhood. She shares a knowing look with Niles. Please, let it be. I'm used to the damn nickname. He seems appeased for the time being, though barely.
"Okay, Daph, what do you say? I'd just crash here for a couple days. I have some friends in California anyway, I'll go there after visiting my little sis. Or should I ask Nils... eh, Niles? Some shack you've wangled for yourself, haven't you, mate?," Simon comments cheekily.
"Now it's Daphne's too," Niles replies without missing a beat, wrapping an arm around her waist, and she gladly would have kissed him senseless, and to hell with her idiot brother.
"Wow, you've wound up with a big score, sis! Well, whoever this belongs to, will you do me this charity?"
Daphne and Niles exchange a glance, and he gives a subtle shrug, indicating that the decision is hers.
I'm going to regret this, I know.
"Okay, Simon. But just for two or three days max. And better start calling those friends of yours as soon as you can," Daphne commands, shooting him a warning glare. "Don't you dare cross the line, Simon Moon, or I'll kick your ass as hard that I'll send you back to Manchester faster than a plane."
Simon raises his hands, yielding. "Okay, okay Stilts, no need to be so grumpy pants. You'll hardly notice I'm here."
"That'll happen when pigs fly," Daphne murmurs between her teeth, trying to hide her worry and anxiety.
Goodbye to tranquility.