"Well, Dr. Cwane, We've got Windy on wine One. She's in wove with her boss."
"Hello, Lindy, I'm listening." Frasier stifled his laugh and took the call.
"Its Windy."
"Oh, do forgive me. My call screener has a minor speech impediment, and I can never tell if he means L or W. So you are in-love with your boss?"
"Yes, and I KNOW he loves me. But I don't know if dating my boss is appropriate or not. He is such a dear and honest man. What should I do?"
"Well, Windy, let me tell you a story. I have a very nice young woman as my father's physical therapist. They both live with me for nearly 8 years now. My brother, who was also her employer was hopelessly involve with her for seven years. He, at the time we hired Daphne, was married to someone very cruel and uncaring. Daphne gave my brother the courage to leave his wife. Now for seven year, he still hadn't told Daphne how he felt until the day before her wedding."
"What happened?"
"They ran away together and now Niles is stuck in the middle of a divorce from Mel, his second wife. Anyway, my point is that if you love him, don't wait to tell him. Just tell him you love him." Frasier thought about Roz. "And on that note, this is Dr. Frasier Crane, signing off, wishing all of you good mental health."
"Gweat show, Dr. Cwane. Woz will be back tomowwow."
"Thank you." Niles entered Frasier's booth and sat in his chair. "Hello Niles."
"I heard you tell my story on the show today....Dr. Cwane!" Niles giggles. "Mel and I are totally through. No alimony, no splitting anything, nothing. Daphne and I are getting married....eventually."
"Eventually?" Frasier led Niles out of the booth as the next show was preparing to start.
"She doesn't want to rush into anything yet."
"Sound to me like a fear of commitment." Niles scowled at his brother.
"She just left one man at the alter, and I have been divorced for two hours. How is that a fear of commitment?"
"How long have you been in-love with her, seven years? Eight year?"
"And your point would be what? I love her, and if she wants to wait a few months, then I'll wait a few months. What about Roz? I've seen the way that you look at her. Explain THAT one."
"Oh, Niles, I don't know if I love her or if its just convenient."
"Usually, with Roz, I would say convenience, but this time, I don't think so. Talk to her." The two made there way through the building to the elevator. "Look, I know you are crazy about her, so stop being me, and 'fess up,' as Dad would say."
"Why are you being so great about this? After I tortured you for seven years, held you back for seven years, from telling Daphne you loved her, how can you be so good as to help me 'get the girl'?"
"You may have tortured me, and you may have held me back, but in the end you pushed me forward. Go get her."
~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~
Niles smelled Daphne's hair as she snuggled closer to him on the couch at Frasier's apartment. They were relaxing calmly listening to music when Marty came home from walking Eddie.
"Hi Kids."
"Hi Dad."
"Hullo Mr. Crane. How was your walk?" Daphne asked, not moving her head from her comfortable spot on Niles' chest.
"Oh, C'mon Daph, you're practically married to my son. Call me Dad."
"I couldn't do that."
"Then try Marty." Eddie barked at the phone. Only a few seconds later, it rang. "Its like he's psychic!" Marty exclaimed, patted the dog's head.
"Hello?" Niles said answering the phone. "Hi Frasier." Niles paused. "You did?" Another pause. "That is terrific. I won't breathe a word, I swear. Good bye." Niles hung up the phone.
"What is it, love?"
"Frasier is engaged."
"Really?"
"To Roz. He said not to tell you and Dad, but I can't hold anything from you, my love." They kissed passionately.
"Oh, get a room." Marty grumbled and hobbled off to the kitchen. Niles and Daphne started to giggle.
"So what happened...with your brother, I mean."
"He wanted to ask Roz out and they got so comfortable with the idea of being together, Frasier said 'How about we skip the awkward dating thing and just get married?' and Roz said yes." Niles held Daphne tightly. "Daphne, why don't we get married?"
"I'm not ready to yet. We will one day, in a few months, but I.....just can't right now." She pulled away from him and started off to the kitchen. "What would you like for lunch?"
"I've eaten already. Daphne, why are you so afraid of marriage?"
"I don't want to talk about it Niles! Why do you want to rush it so much? I feel like you're forcing me into it. If you've got a problem with me not ready to get married, than you can sod off!" With her last words ringing in Niles' ears, she went to her room and slammed the door."
"What the hell'd you do, son?"
"Dad, can we drop it?" Niles slumped down on the couch. "I love her so much and I want to marry her and she doesn't want to. That's fine with me, but I just want to know why. Will you talk to her, Dad?"
"Maybe you should, now. Your mother and I would argue like that once in a while, go in there and tell her what you just told me, and don't sound like a jackass. Daph loves ya. Just do tell her you're sorry."
~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~
"Daphne, may I come in?" Daphne nodded. She was laying on her bed facing the bathroom. Niles could tell she was crying. He moved over to her bed and sat down and gently rubbed her arm and shoulder. "Would it help if I said that I am very sorry, and that I am wrong? Because I am wrong for trying to force you into anything you don't want to do."
"I don't want to get married. I'm so sorry, Niles, but I don't." She still wouldn't face him.
"Then we won't get married. I just want you to know that I love you and will be with you in anything you decide, my love. Can you forgive me?" Daphne sat up to face him. Her face was tearstained and red. "Oh, Daphne, I didn't mean to hurt you." Niles took her in his arms and held her close. "Please don't cry."
"I'm sorry that I'm not what you wanted me to be."
"Daphne, I want you to be you. I fell in love with YOU not with who you want to be. If you ever change a thing about you, change it for you, not for me." Daphne smiled and sniffled lightly. "If I could tell you how much I love you,, I would, but the words don't exsist yet."
~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~
Frasier and Roz drove around the city at dawn in the rain. She wanted to just be with him. Frasier thought is was a good idea, and they could go get breakfast. Alice, tucked away in her carseat, slept peacefully.
"Frasier," Roz started. "Do you think Daphne is wrong for not marrying Niles?"
"She's afraid she'll hurt him. Look what happened with all of her other relationships. Look at poor Donny. If a woman did that to me, I'd be a broken man. If you did that to mme, I don't think I could survive." Roz contently smiled at her fiancee.
"It feels so good to be loved. Not loved because of the bedroom, but loved because of real love. You do love me, right?"
"Roz, you know I love you." It dawned on Frasier that she was making a joke. He threw her a mischevious grin. "You'r terrible, Roz." Alice started crying from the back. Frasier pulled onto the sidewalk and got out to check on her. "Maybe we should eat here." Roz looked out the window, not only had the rain cleared, but the car was parked right in front of a nice little resuraunt called Heart and Soul.
"Right this way, sir." The waitress directed the three to a table and brought a high chair for Alice. "Today's special is Heart shaped strawberry pancakes with eggs and ham on the side. Our children's plate is basically that, only the ham iss cut into small hearts."
"I take it this is a couple's diner."
"Yes, my mom and dad started it a few months ago. I'm Leslie. What would you and your husband and daughter like to drink?" Frasier and Roz grinned at eachother.
"Milk for us and chocolate for Alice."
"Ok."
"And we'll all have the special." Leslie smiled at them and went to the back. "Frasier this is such a cute place! Look, the carpet has hearts all over it! Those two must really be in-love!"
"FORGET YOU, ASSHOLE!" a woman yelled from the kitchen.
"Oh, Shut up, Lavern!"
"GUYS! WE HAVE A NICE FAMILY HERE!! YOU'RE SCARIN THEM, DAMMIT!!!!" Leslie hollered.
"On the other hand, we'll eat and run." Frasie said, after hearing the last part of the fight. Leslie returned with the drinks. Frasier and Roz were silent and very quietly thanked her. "Roz, lets leave a $20 and go!"
"Alice is hungery, You are hungery and I am starving. Your place is 40 minutes away, mine is 30 and Niles' is 45 minutes away. Lets eat and we'll go."
"NOW THEY WANT TO LEAVE! YOU ARE GOING TO RUN OUT ALL OF OUR COUSTOMERS!!!!"
"WHAT COUSTOMERS! I STILL HAVE THE BATTER FROM OUR LAST COUSTOMERSS! THIS BATTER IS TWO WEEKS OLD!" Roz dropped a $20 on the table and they left.
~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~
"Roz, is that us in 20 years?" Frasier asked.
"Of course not. We don't have a daughter named Leslie." Roz laughed. "Frasier, maybe we're rushing it. Do we really want to jump into this?"
"What do you mean 'jump into this'? I love you Roz, I want to marry you."
"Yeah, this coming from a twice divorced radio shrink."
"And that coming from a never married mother."
"Oh, you can sit on your little white horse and have your fancy shmancy things, but at the end of the day, you will always be an ass." Roz felt tears burning her eyes. "You love me now, but how about when Alice is 16 and being a regular teenager? Will you still love her? When I'm all old and not ass ppretty, will you still love me?" Roz cried as Frasier held her tight in his arms.
"Roz, you know I will. Do you want to just call this whole damn thing off?"
"No! I just want to push it back a while. Lets get to know eachother on a more intamate level. Hell, lets just get to know eachother." Frasier smiled and kisssed her softly on the cheek.
"Okay. We'll try dating first." Roz smiled and wiped her eyes. "Now, let me make some breakfast for you two ladies."
~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~*^*~
"Daphne," Marty called from the kitchen. "Where's my beer?"
"You drank the last of it this morning. I'll be going to the grocery store in a few minutes." Marty scowled into the refridgerator. "Have some coffee."
"I wanted beer. Its okay. I'll go. I can walk Eddie. So, are you and Niles going to ~"
"Whether or not we are going to get married is our business! I Don't want to get married! Is that ALL RIGHT With you, Marty?"
"I was askinbg if you were going to go out to eat tonight, but now that you mention it, Daphne, no iit is not all right. He would die for you and you brush him aside like he's fish bait!"
"SOD OFF!" Daphne stormed back to her room, punctuating with another slam.
"DAD!" Niles hollered. "Dad, Daphne doesn't want to get married. I'm not going to force her to. Okay?" Daphne listened from the hallway. Niles would stick up for her. She knew he would.
"I just don't want to see you get hurt again , and that is exactly what she is doing. Now I know you love her and she is really crazy about you, but keeping you at arms length its good for either of you." Marty sighed heavily. "Not that I want you two to do what your brother is doing, but don't just let her brush you off like that the rest of your life, Niles. Go sweep the girl off her feet."
"Look, Dad, I love her and she knows it too. I'll be there for her for the rest of my life, but its not my choice to make. She has had very bad ending relationships and she doesn't want that to happen again. I know she loves me, but she's still hurting about the way things ended with Donny. Its perfectly understandable. The man really loved her, almost as much as I do, and he was very broken hearted, as was Mel. When she's ready, we'll get married."
"Just don't let her push you away forever. She's a great girl." Daphne smiled to herself.
"Niles?" she called softly."Marty?"
"Yeah, Daph?"
"Niles, are you free for a date?" Niles took her in his arms.
"Of coarse, my love." He stroked her hair gently.
"How 'bout a life time?" Niles pulled away and looked into her eyes.
"Daphne? Are you proposing?"
"No, I'm answering." Daphne pulled him into a passionate kiss. Marty looked on, smiling. Eddie jumped around barking. Niles felt his heart pounding and his hands shook as he placed the diamond ring of Daphne's finger.
