They sat side by side on the sofa, gazing at each other. She looked into his crystal blue eyes and her hand rested gently on his cheek while he, in turn, brushed a tear from hers. He was so handsome and the sweetest, most wonderful man she'd ever met.

"Daphne, please don't cry."

She blinked, sending more tears onto her cheeks and then smiled at him. "I'm sorry Niles. I just-."

"I know..." His lips moved toward hers and as the kisses began, they both knew that there was nothing more to say. The kisses were heavenly and she wrapped her arms around him, wanting to be as close to him as possible.

She couldn't quite believe it. Just a few months earlier she had no idea who he was. That is, until, by a chance of fate, they'd met. They soon discovered, to their astonishment, that they had an amazing connection; one that brought them even closer together.

When she accepted the job in Seattle as a home health care worker, she had no idea that the man who hired her (Dr. Frasier Crane) was the older brother of the man who was holding her at that very moment; the man with whom she'd fallen deeply in love. Her charge, Martin Crane, was a stubborn old man who rarely seemed to be in a good mood. But as the months passed, she began to see his softer side and had come to love him. When the old man appeared to be getting better, she realized that the job she love so much was coming to an end. Martin was able to walk without the use of his cane and could even run (albeit in a slow, hobbling sort of way) when needed, after his beloved Jack Russell Terrier, Eddie. It was a sight that both pained her and filled her with a wonderful sense of accomplishment and happiness.

She didn't want to leave, for Mr. Crane had become like family. He was the father she'd always wanted, since her own father was rarely around. And how she wished that she had told Mr. Crane how she felt. But it was too late for sentiment. She knew that she couldn't stay. She had to go where she was needed. Her work at the lovely condo in the Elliott Bay Towers was done. She often wondered, however what might have happened had she told Mr. Crane and his son how much she cared for them. Would they have asked her to stay? She had no idea. Even now, the memory of it brought tears to her eyes.

"Daphne-."

Brought back to reality, her trembling fingertips touched Niles' soft lips. "Shh…" She whispered. "Don't talk, all right? Just hold me."

"With pleasure."

She was in his arms, her cheek resting against his. Her tears fell onto the back of his soft green sweater. He'd told her that he'd rarely worn sweaters in what he'd called his "old life". But in Vermont, things were very different. The weather, for one, was far less favorable than the weather in Seattle. Not that she really minded, however.

Vermont was a beautiful state; that much was certain. But it was worlds away from Seattle and the Pacific Northwest where a brief snowstorm could shut down an entire city for days. Vermontonians (as they were called) simply took the snowfall (and the more than occasional blizzards) in stride.

Daphne didn't really belong in Vermont and frankly neither did Niles. They were worlds apart in their personalities; she was from the city Manchester and he was from Seattle. It wasn't just geography that made them so different. Where Niles was sophisticated and wealthy, Daphne was easy going and not wealthy at all. So it was incredibly ironic that she'd managed to acquire a huge farmhouse in Vermont that was vastly different from Niles' small cottage. Her farmhouse was enormous with more room than she could possibly need.

At first she tried to refuse the offer to buy the house, but the real estate agent had talked her into it, saying that it was a bargain to find such a large house for so little money. And when it was put that way, Daphne smiled and happily accepted. However, when Niles offered to make her dinner at his home, she was charmed by the small cottage. It was the perfect size and, despite how vastly different it was from her own home, it didn't feel claustrophobic at all.

Slowly she drew out of his arms and gazed into his eyes, suddenly unable to resist kissing him again and again. His lips were so soft, his skin was like silk and he smelled absolutely wonderful; a mixture of crisp, musky cologne and pine-scented soap. It was as though Niles' scent was tailor made for Vermont.
When she was finally able to stop kissing him (for a little while anyway), she drew back once again and softly caressed his cheek. He reached out and brushed away a tear that she was completely unaware of.

"Daphne, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Because… I… I've dreamed about this for so long. And I can't believe…."

"I know…"

"How is it possible that I stayed with your brother and father for so long without ever knowing that you existed?"

He nodded and then lowered his head. "I know, and I'm sorry. I should have come around at least some of the time. Because had I known that you were living at my brother's place, I would have made a point to visit every day, just to see you, my love."

More tears filled her eyes and she cradled his face in her hands as she brought her lips to his. "Oh Niles…" She whispered. "I wish that, too."

"I'm sorry Daphne. It's just that, well I'm sorry to say that Frasier and I don't really see eye to eye, and-."

She stopped him with a kiss. "You don't have to explain. I understand. I'm glad it happened this way. Meeting each other so far from our homes, in such a beautiful state, just two people who weren't looking for love but found it anyway. It means that we were meant to be together, don't you think so?"

"Yes I do. In fact, there's something-."

"Don't talk, Niles. Just kiss me again."

He said no more and brought his lips to hers. This time the kisses were different. Passionate; full of desire. But as always, they ended much too soon.

"I'll be right back." He whispered, kissing her cheek.

As he rose from the sofa, the cushion shifted and she immediately felt the loss of the warmth of his body. And then he was gone.

Her chest began to ache. It was a strange feeling; one that she'd never felt before. Was this what deep love felt like? Missing someone so much that it physically hurt, even though they'd just seen each other minutes earlier?

But before she could analyze it (the way Frasier analyzed pretty much everything), Niles returned, holding something in his palm.

"What's that?"

He stood beside her, smiling, making her feel warm inside. She hadn't known him very long, but he was definitely up to something.

"Niles, what's going on?"

He ran his thumb across the object in his hands. And then Daphne gasped as Niles lowered himself to one knee.

"Niles…"

He held out the small black box and slowly opened the lid. Inside was the most beautiful ring that Daphne had ever seen.

"Daphne Moon, would you make me the happiest man alive and agree to marry me?"

Her mouth trembled and tears spilled onto her cheeks. She didn't answer him. She didn't have to. Her passionate kisses on his soft, beautiful lips told him everything he needed to know. She knew at that moment, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with course she would marry him. She loved Niles Crane more than she thought it was possible to love anyone.

It didn't matter that they hadn't known each other very long. When it was love, nothing else mattered.