A/N: A gift of thanks to those of you who have been so supportive of my writing (you know who you are!) and especially for those who were kind enough to review my "100 Moments" story. This is an expansion of Ch. 97 from that story. Happy Thanksgiving!

The night was supposed to be festive; a gathering of family and friends. It was, after all, Thanksgiving Day, a holiday that Daphne wasn't quite yet accustomed to. But the idea of a holiday to give thanks was nothing short of wonderful and she was thankful for so many things; her health, her family and her job-a position that landed her in the midst of a wonderful family. She loved her own family of course and as much as they drove her crazy, she missed them terribly. But because England was so far away, she took comfort in knowing that she had people to love right here in Seattle, Washington. The condo on the nineteenth floor (1901 to be exact), was filled with those people, and despite their dislike of her cooking, the Crane men (as well as Roz and baby Alice) seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Well, most of them, anyway.

She glanced worriedly at Niles, who looked like a scared little boy, clutching the bottle of wine in his arms.

The poor man.

He had gone through so much and Daphne was certain that he felt he had little to be thankful for that year. Until she'd overheard him telling his brother of his troubles, she had no idea things had gotten so bad. His marriage had ended, crumbling to his feet, and yet his ex-wife was still making his life miserable. He had no money available to him and the heat in his apartment (a place that he absolutely hated) had been turned off. It was wrong on so many levels that the thought made her want to cry.

She certainly didn't want to pity him, for she knew that he would never accept it anyway. But when he finished off his third consecutive glass of sherry and then stood up, she felt a tinge of worry.

"Dr. Crane, are you all right?"

He teetered a bit before finally regaining his balance, worrying her even further. "Yes, Daphne. I'm fine. I… I should go."

"So soon, Niles?"

Niles glared at Frasier, obviously catching (as Daphne had) the obvious sarcasm in the Frasier's voice. "Um, yes Frasier. I'm afraid so."

"Well, we'll certainly miss your pleasant company!" Frasier yelled.

"Dr. Crane, please!" Daphne shouted, no longer caring that, by putting her nose where it didn't belong, she was also putting her job at risk. But she could no longer bear to hear him speak to Niles so harshly; especially knowing all that he'd been through.

She turned to Niles and sighed. "Dr. Crane, I know this is none of my business but do you think it's wise to be driving? If you don't mind my saying so, you look a bit wobbly."

"I'm fine."

Daphne shot a worried look at Martin, who seemed to be the only sane person in the room. "Niles, don't be an idiot, all right? You're drunk! Just stay here with us! You can sleep on the sofa!"

"Dad, I'm not…um… drunk." Niles replied, quickly grabbing the sofa arm to keep from falling. "I'm just… look, I have to go, all right?"

"What's so important that you can't stay here? It's still Thanksgiving."

Niles' eyes rolled back into his head and he swayed once more. He was definitely not all right. "My point exactly, Dad. And I have things…. To do."

Martin scoffed. "Fine, drive home, then! See if I care. It's your funeral."

Daphne gasped, her hand covering her mouth at the abruptness of Martin's words. But she didn't dare say anything. Instead she looked at Niles who was heading for the coat rack to retrieve his coat. Daphne got there first, hesitantly removing his coat (It was the softest material she'd ever felt; most likely a very expensive cashmere) and handed it to him. "Here's your coat, Dr. Crane."

He smiled, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Thank you Daphne. And thank you for inviting me to dinner. It was wonderful, but you didn't have to go to so much trouble."

His words tore at her heart and she reached for his hand. "It was no trouble at all, Dr. Crane. You're family and you deserve…" She paused, ignoring the unsettling feeling that crept into her chest and the tears that formed in her throat. "Y-you're family." She said again. "You're always welcome here. But it's so cold tonight. Are you sure you can't stay? I'd be happy to make up the sofa for you."

Niles glared at Frasier, no doubt angry that his older brother had ruined his holiday, and then back at Daphne, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I can't stay. I… I have some things I need to do."

"Well, all right. But please be careful."

He smiled and squeezed her hand once more. "I will. Thank you, Daphne. Happy Thanksgiving. Dad? Happy Thanksgiving."

Martin merely nodded. "You too, Niles…"

She tried to hide her worry but she knew that Niles could see it in her eyes. And then she hugged him, letting a few tears fall onto his coat. "Goodbye, Dr. Crane."

"Goodbye, Daphne."

She watched helplessly as he entered the elevator and the doors closed. And then he was gone.