This is how it all began. Last year, while I was visiting my sister and
brand new niece in the US, I found myself alone one evening and turned on
the TV. Not really interested in much that was on, I settled on 'Frasier,'
vaguely remembering that I had liked the show when I'd last watched it,
nearly six years earlier. It was the season finale, 'Moons over Seattle,"
and I was in shock; when had Niles and Daphne gotten together. My sister,
who is wise in the ways of television, found me a channel that showed
reruns every day at six o'clock. By super coincidence, the very next day
the episode was "Something Borrowed, Someone Blue." And I was hooked.
I was only there five more days (I left after "The Bad Son") but although I
had retreated back to a Frasier-less country, I could not get those
episodes out of my mind. The Drive Back just had to get written.
This story takes place at the beginning of "And the dish ran away with the
spoon," when both Daphne and Niles realise they must return to the wedding
to confront Donny and Mel.
Insert standard disclaimers here. Writers, cast and crew of Frasier are
gods and I am a mere but devout mortal who worships their genius.
Dedicated with love to Jenny and Sarah.
The Drive Back
By Amy ([email protected])
The Drive Back
"This is gonna be friggin' awful!" Daphne said.
"Well, maybe," Niles said. "And maybe not. Sometimes you build these things up in your mind, and they turn out not half as bad as you thought."
He didn't know whom he was fooling. It was going to be friggin' awful, for both of them and worse for two people who had done nothing but love and trust them. Still, he had promised he would be strong for Daphne and he intended to keep that promise.
He glanced over at her, sitting there, gazing at him. He still couldn't believe it. How could he? Last night, in the space of ten minutes, he had finally confessed his love and learned that Daphne loved him back. They had shared a passionate kiss, then a tender one and then, as suddenly as she had come to him, she had disappeared. Despite his love for her, and hers for him, she would not leave Donny.
Unable to face Mel, he had made up a feeble story about having to attend an impromptu stag party. He spent the rest of the night roaming the grounds, staring up at the sky and feeling more hopelessly sad and alone than ever before in his hopelessly sad and lonely life.
It was not just the thought of losing Daphne forever that was tearing him apart; Niles was haunted by the anguished look on her face as she had pulled away, the tremor in her voice as she had told him her mind was made up. If only, he had thought insanely, if only she did not love him. If only she truly did love Donny this would be easier. If only he could believe she would be happy.
And that was why he could not be there at the wedding. As hard as it would have been for him, he could have withstood it. But he could not bear the thought of making this any more difficult for Daphne.
To think that minutes ago he had been sitting here, trying to numb himself to the thought that at any moment the woman he loved would be vowing to remain forever by someone else's side. And now, here she was. Sitting next to him and calling him Niles. He smiled. Friggin' awful was relative. Everything would be fine as long as she was here, sitting next to him and calling him Niles.
They were back at the starting point. He parked the Winnebego and switched off the engine.
"Well, here we are."
Daphne's happy glow had died down somewhat. She looked worried, no doubt thinking about the task ahead. Unhooking his seatbelt, Niles turned in his seat.
"I wish there was something I could do to make this easier for you," he said gently.
"No, you're right. It may not be too bad, or at least not as bad as I think. Or even if it is, it could not possibly be as bad as not doing it. It's for the best."
"That's my Daphne," Niles said encouragingly.
Like dawn across snow, a slow blush lit up her face.
"Your Daphne," she repeated, gazing at him with such happiness that it left him breathless. He knelt down and carefully unfastened her seatbelt.
"Your Niles," he added.
"My Niles," she whispered, reaching out to touch his hair.
Still terrified that any moment he would wake up, Niles took both her hands in his and they both rose to their feet. This had to be a dream. He had had it before: Daphne, in a wedding dress, meeting him halfway as he leaned forward to kiss her. But neither his dreams nor his active imagination had ever come close to the reality of this kiss. As he raised his hands to her face, as she caressed his shoulders and the sides of his neck, as she moved closer into him, as he breathed her in, filling his lungs and heart with fragrant air. he had never, ever imagined he could feel like this.
Their arms were around each other now and still they kissed, touching, feeling and tasting as if to convince themselves that this was really happening. They were in love, Niles thought giddily. They were in love.
It was Daphne who pushed away first. Gently, but still it was a push and a sudden wave of panic hit Niles as he remembered the night before. She had pushed him away then too. Good god, what was he doing, bringing her back to Donny like this? What if she changed her mind again? She was dressed for the wedding and her fiancé and guests were waiting for her. Going through with the wedding would be much easier for Daphne than having to back down now. He should have just driven onwards to Canada. What if it was wedding jitters and one look at Donny made Daphne realize she wanted to marry him after all? Wonderful Donny, whom even Niles could not help but like.
"Niles!" Daphne said as if she'd been trying to get his attention a few times already. He just stared at her. Why had she pushed him away?
"I have to go now," she said. "The longer I stay the harder it is to leave and the more difficult it will be for me to do what I have to do."
So hard that she might not go through with it? Niles opened the Winnebago door and stepped out before helping her down the stairs.
As Daphne started to walk away, his hand tightened on hers, holding her back. Her startled look softened at whatever she saw in his face.
"Oh, Niles," she said. With her free hand she caressed the side of his face. "Niles. I am coming back to you."
He tried to smile at her but he was still fighting the threat of an anxiety attack that he did not want her to see. He had promised he would be strong and did not think that a bout of hyperventilation would raise her confidence level. He reluctantly loosened his grip. She did not pull away.
"There is one thing you can do for me," Daphne said.
"Anything," Niles said at once.
"The way you kissed me just now. would you do that again? Often?"
She actually sounded nervous as she asked and Niles could have wept with how very much he loved her. He brought her hand to his lips and tenderly kissed the inside of her wrist.
"For as long as we both shall live," he told her.
She smiled that beautiful smile of hers and gazed at him through shining eyes. Then, quickly, she turned and hurried back towards the wedding.
The Drive Back
By Amy ([email protected])
The Drive Back
"This is gonna be friggin' awful!" Daphne said.
"Well, maybe," Niles said. "And maybe not. Sometimes you build these things up in your mind, and they turn out not half as bad as you thought."
He didn't know whom he was fooling. It was going to be friggin' awful, for both of them and worse for two people who had done nothing but love and trust them. Still, he had promised he would be strong for Daphne and he intended to keep that promise.
He glanced over at her, sitting there, gazing at him. He still couldn't believe it. How could he? Last night, in the space of ten minutes, he had finally confessed his love and learned that Daphne loved him back. They had shared a passionate kiss, then a tender one and then, as suddenly as she had come to him, she had disappeared. Despite his love for her, and hers for him, she would not leave Donny.
Unable to face Mel, he had made up a feeble story about having to attend an impromptu stag party. He spent the rest of the night roaming the grounds, staring up at the sky and feeling more hopelessly sad and alone than ever before in his hopelessly sad and lonely life.
It was not just the thought of losing Daphne forever that was tearing him apart; Niles was haunted by the anguished look on her face as she had pulled away, the tremor in her voice as she had told him her mind was made up. If only, he had thought insanely, if only she did not love him. If only she truly did love Donny this would be easier. If only he could believe she would be happy.
And that was why he could not be there at the wedding. As hard as it would have been for him, he could have withstood it. But he could not bear the thought of making this any more difficult for Daphne.
To think that minutes ago he had been sitting here, trying to numb himself to the thought that at any moment the woman he loved would be vowing to remain forever by someone else's side. And now, here she was. Sitting next to him and calling him Niles. He smiled. Friggin' awful was relative. Everything would be fine as long as she was here, sitting next to him and calling him Niles.
They were back at the starting point. He parked the Winnebego and switched off the engine.
"Well, here we are."
Daphne's happy glow had died down somewhat. She looked worried, no doubt thinking about the task ahead. Unhooking his seatbelt, Niles turned in his seat.
"I wish there was something I could do to make this easier for you," he said gently.
"No, you're right. It may not be too bad, or at least not as bad as I think. Or even if it is, it could not possibly be as bad as not doing it. It's for the best."
"That's my Daphne," Niles said encouragingly.
Like dawn across snow, a slow blush lit up her face.
"Your Daphne," she repeated, gazing at him with such happiness that it left him breathless. He knelt down and carefully unfastened her seatbelt.
"Your Niles," he added.
"My Niles," she whispered, reaching out to touch his hair.
Still terrified that any moment he would wake up, Niles took both her hands in his and they both rose to their feet. This had to be a dream. He had had it before: Daphne, in a wedding dress, meeting him halfway as he leaned forward to kiss her. But neither his dreams nor his active imagination had ever come close to the reality of this kiss. As he raised his hands to her face, as she caressed his shoulders and the sides of his neck, as she moved closer into him, as he breathed her in, filling his lungs and heart with fragrant air. he had never, ever imagined he could feel like this.
Their arms were around each other now and still they kissed, touching, feeling and tasting as if to convince themselves that this was really happening. They were in love, Niles thought giddily. They were in love.
It was Daphne who pushed away first. Gently, but still it was a push and a sudden wave of panic hit Niles as he remembered the night before. She had pushed him away then too. Good god, what was he doing, bringing her back to Donny like this? What if she changed her mind again? She was dressed for the wedding and her fiancé and guests were waiting for her. Going through with the wedding would be much easier for Daphne than having to back down now. He should have just driven onwards to Canada. What if it was wedding jitters and one look at Donny made Daphne realize she wanted to marry him after all? Wonderful Donny, whom even Niles could not help but like.
"Niles!" Daphne said as if she'd been trying to get his attention a few times already. He just stared at her. Why had she pushed him away?
"I have to go now," she said. "The longer I stay the harder it is to leave and the more difficult it will be for me to do what I have to do."
So hard that she might not go through with it? Niles opened the Winnebago door and stepped out before helping her down the stairs.
As Daphne started to walk away, his hand tightened on hers, holding her back. Her startled look softened at whatever she saw in his face.
"Oh, Niles," she said. With her free hand she caressed the side of his face. "Niles. I am coming back to you."
He tried to smile at her but he was still fighting the threat of an anxiety attack that he did not want her to see. He had promised he would be strong and did not think that a bout of hyperventilation would raise her confidence level. He reluctantly loosened his grip. She did not pull away.
"There is one thing you can do for me," Daphne said.
"Anything," Niles said at once.
"The way you kissed me just now. would you do that again? Often?"
She actually sounded nervous as she asked and Niles could have wept with how very much he loved her. He brought her hand to his lips and tenderly kissed the inside of her wrist.
"For as long as we both shall live," he told her.
She smiled that beautiful smile of hers and gazed at him through shining eyes. Then, quickly, she turned and hurried back towards the wedding.