I was a big Frasier fan back in the day and I've recently been re-watching the later seasons. I began to notice that the dragon figurine Roz gave Niles in season 6's 'Visions of Daphne' is often seen on display in the background of Niles' apartment. I first noticed it during season 9's 'The Proposal'; it can be seen on a table next to the fainting couch. The dragon is then seen in various places, like by the fireplace in season 10's 'Father and Sons'. I began musing on that figurine and came up with this little fic-let. I hope you all enjoy reading it. Thank you. - Mrs P.

True Love and the Dragon

Gertrude Moon was bored. There was only so much daytime television she could tolerate. It was no fun watching without anyone to keep her company and listen to her constant griping. In search of a diversion, she started to poke around in the drawers and cupboards of Niles' apartment. The good Doctor was at work and wouldn't be home for hours. Gertrude took her time snooping in the hopes of finding something that would help liven up a dull afternoon. But she soon grew weary of her host's meticulous filing and neat storage.

"Niles Crane, you really are a bloody milksop!" Gertrude exclaimed with an exasperated sigh.

Ready to give it up as a bad job, she disinterestedly flung open one last cupboard. She was idly rummaging around when the doorbell rang. Hastily returning the scattered contents to their original dwelling place, Gertrude went to answer the door. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?" She rudely greeted a flustered looking Roz.

"Nice to see you too, Mrs Moon," the younger woman rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm a busy woman; I can't be stood here lollygagging with you all afternoon," Gertrude complained as she went to sit down on the fainting couch.

Roz stepped into the apartment and glanced around for a friendlier face. "I was hoping Daphne would be here, I really need a favour." There was a hint of desperation in her voice.

"She went out to get groceries." The older woman explained with a dismissive wave of her hand. "She's making something special for Niles' dinner, or so she said. Knowing my daughter's cooking, he'll have more luck chewing on the crockery."

The younger woman wasn't really listening and she took a seat, uninvited. "Oh, I was really hoping she would babysit Alice for me. Roger won two tickets to see Bruce Springsteen tonight, with backstage passes too, and my regular babysitter's let me down," she explained.

Gertrude gave a disinterested shrug, but she could see that Roz was working up to something. "Mrs Moon, I don't suppose you would..." The younger woman was brusquely cut off before she could pose the question.

"Let me stop you right there, I've done my time looking after snotty nosed brats."

"Of course, I'd pay you for your trouble," Roz resorted to bribery.

Gertrude gave the impression she was thinking it over. "No!" she snapped with firm resolve.

The younger woman was about to raise the stakes by offering a bottle of her favourite brandy as a sweetener when the door of the cupboard that Mrs Moon had been snooping in, flew open. The hastily put away contents began to spill onto the floor and Roz gasped in shock as a black and white gift bag tumbled out. It sent the dragon figurine inside sliding to the ground with a heavy thud. "I don't believe this," she angrily exclaimed.

Niles unexpectedly arrived home at that very moment; happening upon the scene in time to find the two women glaring daggers at him. "What's going on?" He nervously questioned as he spied the objectionable objet d'art.

Roz held the dragon figurine aloft with a hurt look on her face. "I bought you this as a thank you gift, and you never even took it out of the bag?" She wailed. "You just shoved it to the back of some dusty old cupboard and forgot all about it?"

Niles stood agape and tried to think of something he could say that would spare her feelings. "I, um, didn't have anywhere to display it. I mean somewhere that would do it justice. I was waiting until we had the mantle remodelled," he lied.

"You've had years to find a suitable spot for it." Roz wasn't to be placated. "Well, that's the last time I buy you anything fancy," she huffed.

"Promise?" He nervously quipped. "How did you even find it, anyway?" Niles was sure he'd tucked it safely away where no one would ever be subjected to it again.

"It just fell out onto the floor." Gertrude innocently explained as if she'd had nothing whatsoever to do with it.

"What does it even matter how I found it? The point is, I did." Roz was about to lay into him again when Daphne arrived home laden with grocery bags.

"What on earth?" She questioned, dumping the shopping on the couch as she took in the tableau of discord before her.

"That boyfriend of yours is some piece of work. He can find plenty of room for all his precious art crap. But a thank you gift I gave him that I agonised over for days, by the way, doesn't even merit a place in the guest bathroom," Roz held the dragon figurine out for her friend to take.

"Oh, it's absolutely lovely," Daphne enthused in an effort to smooth things over. "From now on, it'll take pride of place." She vowed and immediately made room for it on one of the display plinths.

"I'm so sorry, Roz. I never meant to hurt your feelings, can you ever forgive me?" Niles was as sincere as he could be, considering his home was about to be blighted by an eyesore.

Scowling in reply, it was at that moment a thought occurred to her and she spied an opportunity to exploit his guilt. "Well, I came over here to beg a favour, actually. I got let down by my babysitter and I need someone to take care of Alice tonight. Roger has tickets for Bruce Springsteen and we'd hate to miss the concert." Roz glared expectantly in his direction.

Niles exchanged a brief glance with his girlfriend, who quickly nodded her approval. "Of course, we'd be delighted to babysit your little angel," he gushed.

"Bloody hell! That's the last time I go rifling through your cupboards, Niles Crane." Mrs Moon flounced off to her room in disgust.

Daphne and Niles arrived back at the Montana to find Gertrude had already retired to bed. Fond of her as they were, it was a relief to have some time to themselves. Although it was late and they were tired, they settled down by the fireplace with a nightcap. Daphne glanced over at the new addition to their decor as they chatted about the day's events. Out of the blue, she was reminded of a vision she'd once had.

"That dragon, when did Roz give it to you?" She inquired with great interest.

"Oh, let me think... Ah, yes, I remember now," Niles said as he recalled the moment with melancholic clarity. "Do you remember that day you came to my office in a panic when you'd found out that Donny was going to propose to you?"

Daphne nodded as her eyes widened at the memory.

"Well, Mrs Woodson dropped off the gift bag Roz had brought over for me just before you came in. I didn't get the chance to open it that afternoon, and I forgot all about it when I went over to Frasier's in the evening," he explained.

"That's right, you were there when Donny asked me to marry him, weren't you? Oh, Niles," she recalled with sadness, realising how heart-breaking it must have been for him.

He still got emotional when he thought about how devastated he'd been that night, even though Daphne was his girlfriend now.

Seeing the pain in his eyes, she got up and went over to wrap her arms around him. There was something she needed to say and she hoped it would cheer him up. "I never told you this before, but after you'd left that night, I had another vision. I saw the man of my dreams standing with a dragon. I thought it was crazy and just an expression of my fears like you'd said the visions were. But now I know, you really are my dream come true, Niles Crane." She leant in to kiss him.

He had been pondering over the right time to propose to Daphne and realised it had arrived. Once he'd made the necessary preparations, he would pop the question. However, as happy as he felt at the prospect, he couldn't stop his thoughts from drifting back to that awful night.

"I remember now, I was just turning off the table lamp before retiring to bed. I was feeling as low as could be, and then I spied Roz's unopened gift. Hoping it would lift my battered spirits; I reached into the bag and plucked out that dragon, well, talk about adding insult to injury." Niles quipped.

Daphne chuckled and then she claimed his lips once more in a slow lingering kiss. Taking his hand, she led him in the direction of the stairs, pausing briefly so they could gaze at the figurine together. "Well, I think it's just wonderful and we're going to keep it on display forever as a reminder that true love really does exist," she smiled.

"You know, when you put it like that, I'm sure I will grow to cherish it. I'll simply think of you whenever I look at it," Niles said with a mischievous grin.

"Aww," she cooed adoringly at her boyfriend. But then, a thought occurred to her. "So, you'll see a dragon and think of me? Nice," she sulked.

"Oh no, my love, you could never be a dragon. Your mother on the other hand..." he jested.

Daphne gave Niles a playful slap on the arm and chased him up to bed.

THE END.