The air was cold as it whooshed into the living room, bringing a chill to Niles' shoulders. Daphne seemed oblivious to the weather, but Niles shivered just the same.

"Great, Fras… Now you've upset her even more!" Martin scolded. "Damn it, she just said that Donny broke her heart and now she has to hear about Niles and Mel? I can't believe Donny would do that to her! I've never seen her happier and now look at her!"

Niles' gaze turned toward the window, where his angel was alone and cold and he had a sudden intense urge to give her warmth and love. He did love her, deeply in fact. Even when she'd fallen for Donny and had no idea of Niles' feelings for her… he'd never stopped loving her. And he never would.

"You're right, Dad. I shouldn't have brought up Niles' engagement." Frasier said.

"You're damn right, you shouldn't have!" Martin retorted. "We don't even know that there will be an engagement!"

"Actually Dad, Frasier… there won't be." Niles admitted.

"What? But you said earlier-."

"Yes, I know what I said, Frasier and at the time it was true. I really thought I finally came to terms with my feelings for Mel. I can't believe I was about to ask her to marry me. I mean, I do care about her deeply, or I did… but…"

"You're in love with Daphne." Martin finished.

Niles bowed his head, ready for a lecture from his father and brother. "Yes."

"Then go to her, son."

Niles eyes rose to meet his father's. "What?"

"She needs you, Niles. I could see that a long time ago. I just wish I would have said something but it wasn't my place."

"But what if she rejects me? What if…"

Frasier smiled and touched Niles' shoulder. "Go to her, Niles. Tell her how you feel. From the way she was holding your hand, I'm pretty sure she feels the same way."

Niles smiled, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Thanks Dad… Frasier." And with a renewed heart, he headed for the balcony.

When he got there, he found Daphne staring at the Space Needle, which was illuminated by a rare winter full moon. She looked so beautiful that his breath was taken away. But it was her tear streaked face that broke his heart.

"Daphne…"

She turned and quickly brushed away her tears. "Dr. Crane, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get so upset. I'm happy for you, I am. And I meant what I said. Mel is a very lucky woman."

He moved toward her and draped his jacket around her shoulders. And then he took her hand, bringing it to his lips. "Daphne, Mel isn't the woman I love. You are. You've always been the woman I love. I was a coward. I missed so many chances to tell you how I felt, and then I almost lost you to Donny. And that's when I found Mel. Frasier and Dad were right. She is like Maris, in more ways than one. When you called, I… Well this might sound ridiculous but when Frasier and I were at Café Nervosa, I found myself daydreaming about you. You were… cold and shivering on the streets and you called me, begging for my help."

"And you came."

"Yes."

"Thank you, Dr. Crane."

"But Daphne, I'm so sorry that Donny treated you the way he did. You don't deserve that. No one does."

And then she smiled. "You want to hear something silly?"

"Nothing you say could possibly be-."

Her lips touched his in a feather-light kiss, silencing him instantly.

"I think I was more upset hearing about you and Mel than I was about losing Donny."

The revelation startled him and he gasped in surprise. "You were? But-."

Her lips touched his once more, but this time the kiss deepened into something of a dream. But it wasn't a dream, this was real. Daphne Moon, the woman he'd loved for so long, was kissing him. And when the kiss ended, he could only stare into her eyes, amazed at how beautiful she was.

"I love you, Niles." She whispered, before kissing him again.

When the passionate kisses ended, they held each other close. But she drew back and looked at him in concern. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

He looked at her with tears in his eyes. "Nothing's wrong, Daphne. For a moment I thought that my dream had finally come true. But this is so much better."

THE END