Adoption

The woman at the sperm bank told Niles it would be difficult for he and Daphne to conceive thanks to his slow sperm, and he just felt so… disheartened. He loved Daphne with all his heart, and he never wanted to start a family with anyone else more than with her. To think he might not be able to give her a child; it killed him.

He knew he could try some methods to keep his sperm count up, but really at his age, would it do any good? Perhaps all he could do was tell Daphne, and try to keep themselves hopeful. After all, the woman didn't tell him they would never be able to conceive, just that it would be difficult. Niles hoped with his entire being that he and Daphne would be able to beat those odds.

He was tempted to go to Frasier's, unburden himself to his father or his brother, but he knew that Daphne had to know first. She was his wife, and this would affect her the most. It was affecting him, sure, but her happiness meant more to him than anything else.

But how would he ever begin to tell her? These past few days, they had been exhilarated at the thought of having a child together, and every time they saw each other, they would grin and giggle and relish in the idea. He knew that when he saw his wife, she would be grinning and giggling, no doubt thinking of their child, and he didn't want to give her the news. But, there was nothing he could do. His sperm was substandard, and he couldn't do much to change that.

"Daphne?" he asked as he opened the door to the Montana. The room was slightly dimmed. He shut the door behind him.

"Hello," he heard her saw from the top of the stairs. His eyes traveled up the stairs to her, and there she was, wearing a black teddy with a pout on her full lips. Niles dropped the dvd he was holding in his hands. It was a dvd of one of her favorite movies, Mrs. Doubtfire, and he got it to help lighten the mood.

"Daphne…"

She flipped her hair and strode down the stairs. Niles could swear she was shrouded in a heavenly light. Even though coming to terms that Daphne was far different from his fantasies, she was still a goddess.

"You seem surprised. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though. With all the equipment you got, you wouldn't have expected me to be wearing this." Daphne smiled. "I thought about what your father said. Why make things complicated? Let's just let it happen."

Niles heart sank. He wanted Daphne right now, just as he always did, but the fact that she hoped they would conceive was maddening. "Daphne… you know I love you."

"Yeah?" her smile fell, obviously confused.

"And you know I always want you, but… I can't keep this secret."

"You better not tell me you're seeing someone else." He could tell by her tone she was teasing, but it didn't make him feel any better. "Niles, are you alright?"

"I went to the sperm bank today. And they told me my sample wasn't used. So, no little Niles Cranes running around." He sighed heavily. "But… they told me it was discarded because… of low mobility. We might not be able to have children." He couldn't look in her the eye, he didn't dare. But when he looked up, he saw what he expected: a disappointed wife. "I'm so sorry. I wish it wasn't like this, but…"

"Shh." Daphne silenced him with a kiss. "Don't apologize. I don't think any less of you."

"You're not angry?"

"Of course not. I'm sad, yes, but not angry… we might not be able to have children, but that doesn't mean we can't." The full lip pout appeared on her face again. "I'm still in this little number, and we could always try the old fashioned way."

A smile graced Niles's lips as Daphne took his hand and led him upstairs.

They had been trying for months, but every pregnancy test Daphne took told her that she was not pregnant. Niles was so afraid that this was his fault, but Daphne assured him it wasn't. They just needed a little more time.

"Daphne?" Niles asked.

"I'm in the bathroom."

"Are you taking another test?" He dreaded the answer. He didn't want her to be disappointed again.

"Yes. I have to keep taking them, you know."

"Yes, I know."

He waited outside the door for the five minutes to past. It felt more like five hours to him. When the door finally opened, he turned around to see Daphne. Her face was unreadable, and that only made him more nervous. Then, she smiled.

"You're pregnant?" he asked.

"I'm pregnant," she confirmed.

"Oh, Daphne!" He threw his arms around her, and she buried her head into his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head. "This is amazing."

"I know! Oh, I'm so excited! We're going to be parents…"

"Parents… I'm going to be a father." He had dreamed of this moment for the longest time. Years ago, he had wanted a baby, but then he realized he didn't just want a baby; he wanted to have a baby with Daphne. And now, he was getting that wish. "Do you want to break the news to Dad and Frasier tonight?"

"I think that would be just the ticket." She kissed him, and his hands went to her stomach, imagining their child growing within her.

Author's Note: I've had this in my documents for a while. It's not finished yet, and I hope to keep it going. I feel bad for not updating other stories, but oh well, I'll get to them eventually haha.