Baby Baby pt 1

The street lights flew past as Niles and Daphne drove back from the hospital ;

"Don't worry Daphne" Niles reassured "It's only minor surgery , they remove warts from embarrassing places all the time , Dad will be fine and he'll be home tomorrow shouting the odds so enjoy the break !"

"Oh I suppose you're right , I'm worrying over nothing and you're right about needing a break , I don't suppose you'd like to get something to eat?"

"Now?" Niles said with surprise

"Yeah , but you're probably too busy it doesn't matter"

"No , No of course I'd love to , do you know anywhere near by , I don't know this area at all?"

"Well I know one place , it's not the sort of place you normally go to but I like it and It's close"

"Ok , lead the way" Niles said as his heart began beating out of his chest

They rounded the corner of some street he'd never been on and she said "Just there on the left" When he looked it was a cosy looking little diner , he pulled into the parking lot and they got out , when they got inside it was like nothing he'd ever seen before . There were lots of booths around a dance floor of sorts and there was country music playing in the background . A man in a pair of casual chinos and an open necked shirt approached them .

"Table for two is it ?" he asked

"Yes please" Niles and Daphne said simultaneously

They laughed as he lead them to a booth in the very corner , as they slipped into it their hands touched and Niles felt his heart do cart wheels , she could still make him weak at the knees with one word even after seven years . "Oh" He thought "Someday , Someday" The waiter brought them menus and asked if they wanted a drink , once again they seemed to be on the same wave length ;

"Iced tea" They said together

"Well" the waiter laughed "you to must be very much in love to think so much alike , It's good to see , I'll be right back"

Daphne blushed and Niles tried to hide his discomfort behind a laugh

"Imagine" She said

"Indeed" He agreed

The meal passed off uneventfully enough and daphne was in the middle of a particularly entertaining story about her transvestite uncle Jackie when she stopped mid sentence

"Oh Dr Crane" She said "Just listen to this song , it's one of my Favourites"

Niles began listening :

When the rains blowing in you face

And the whole world is on your case

I would offer you a warm embrace

To make you feel my love

When even shadows on the stars appear

and there is no one to dry your tear

I would hold you for a million years

To make you feel my love

I know you haven't made your mind up yet

But I would never do you wrong

I've known it from the moment that we met

There's no doubt in my mind where you belong

I'd go hungry I'd go black and blue

I'd go crawling down the avenue

There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do

To make you feel my love

Storms are raging on a roving sea

And down the highway of regret

The winds of change are blowing wild and free

but you ain't seen nothing like me

There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do

Go to the ends of this earth for you

Make you happy make your dreams come true

To make you feel my love

Niles could feel himself welling up , he so rarely cried but somehow Daphne always made him feel vulnerable his thoughts were interrupted by her talking .

"It's so sad, can you imagine someone loving you that much and not knowing about it , it must be terrible .....I don't think it's possible . Do you?

"Oh yes Daphne I think it is very possible . Sometimes the hardest thing to see is what's right before your eyes"

"Hum , maybe you're right I don't know"

They paid the bill and as they drove home Niles made a decision

"Daphne" he asked "If someone loved you like in the song and never told you would you be upset , I mean would you rather he told you ?"

"Of course , I mean if he felt that way what would stop him?"

"Well maybe he didn't want to loose your friendship or maybe you were like family and he didn't want to spoil that or ...or ...well there could be any number of reasons"

"Dr Crane?" Daphne asked with a questioning glance Niles saw the space needle parking lot and pulled in he stoped the car and without looking at her began to speak

"Daphne I love you" He said "I've loved you for seven years and I just couldn't bring myself to tell you , I've tried and tried but something always stoped me"

Daphne was staring at the wind shield "I know" she said

"What" Niles said feeling a little sick

"I've known for a long time but I didn't want to make the first move incase I was wrong , for the last 7 months since I broke up with Donny I've been praying you'd say something but I was beginning to think I was fooling myself"

"Well" Niles said with a broad grin "Now that we both know how the other feels what's next?"

"Well we could go home and pretend this didn't happen and wait another seven years or ..."

"Or" Niles said eagerly

"Or you could kiss me then we could start dating and see what happens"

Niles leant over and kissed her on the cheek and then the lips with a passion he'd never felt before in his life .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was almost six months to the day when Daphne found herself knocking on Roz's apartment door , she was drying tears and when Roz answered they flowed freely again

"My god Daphne what's happened?" Roz asked with concern

"Oh Roz it's awful I don't know what to do I didn't know who to talk to"

"Come in Come in is it Niles ? That little weasel hasn't dumped you has he , typical gets his fun and then off he goes"

"No, no Roz it's worse than that"

"My god who's dead?"

This made a faint smile appear on Daphne's face , "The only thing you can think of worse than Niles dumping me is death?"

"Well look I've been here for the last six months , you two are the most sickeningly in love couple I have ever seen. If you broke up I think we might have to hold a funeral to mark the passing of all hope for all relationships!"

"Well don't cancel those flowers just yet , I haven't told you what's happened"

"Well go on spill , what has you so upset?"

"I'm Pregnant"

"Oh" Roz said with a note of been there cried that in her voice

"I don't understand , we were so careful, I just don't know what Niles is going to say"

"Look careful has nothing to do with it , I thought I was careful and well ..." Roz looked across the room at Alice playing in the corner "What do you want , do you want to have Niles baby?"

"Oh yes Roz , more than anything, but what if he doesn't want it what will I do"

"Well firstly I can't see that happening , you remember the bag of flour he carried around for days and when he proposed to you at the party because he thought it was you who was pregnant not me ? And secondly you should be talking to him about this not me"

She handed Daphne the phone "Now call him and tell him you're on your way over"

Twenty minutes later Daphne and Niles were sitting on the fainting couch in his apartment

"Tell me what's wrong !" Niles was pleading

"I'm pregnant, there I've said it , I'm going to have a baby , your baby"

Niles stared at her and Daphne's heart sank , he didn't want it she knew it my god what was she going to do , she was so wrapped up in her own panic she did realise that he'd started talking

"That's wonderful , I mean if you want it , you , me , a baby , Oh there's so much to do , you'll have to move in here and ..." Niles turned to see Daphne crying "What's wrong" He asked "don't you want it ?"

"Oh yes more than anything" Daphne sniffed "but I thought that you'd not want to be tied to me forever , I'm so relieved I thought that ... I mean you had everything a society wife , a mansion in the hills , money, prestige and now you have me , I guess I just always thought when you got fed up with the "help" you'd go back to the high life!"

Niles stood up angrily and in spite of himself he lost his temper

"I can't believe that you just said that , have you any idea how hurtful that is . Firstly I have never thought of you as the "help" and you know it , and secondly have you forgotten what my marriage was like , you were there I was miserable and let me tell you money and high society are no substitute for happiness ," Niles felt 7 years of frustration pouring out of him "And another thing why do you think I never told you how I felt ? All I could think was why would someone as beautiful and confident and exciting as you be interested in a stuffy repressed psychiatrist with one failed marriage who's shown himself to be nothing but spineless since the day you met him. I love you , I have always loved you and I always will love you ! And I will love our baby , why is that so hard for you to believe?"

Daphne stood up beside him

"It's not I'm sorry I just panicked . I love you too "Daddy"

Niles heart melted as he looked into he eyes "so" he asked "do we know when ?"

"Mid December , just before Christmas!"

"Oh that's nice" He put his hand on her tummy "We'll be a family by Christmas"

"How shall we tell your father and Dr Crane ?"

"Easy!" He took her by the hand "Lets do it right now"