A/N: A belated birthday story for the wonderful Aria (crazysockmonkeys)! Sorry for being late this year. I hope this fluffy pieces makes up for it :) I know there are plenty of stories like this already; the idea wouldn't leave me alone and so I decided to write it anyway.

He's not been sleeping much, lately. The little, unborn creature inside Daphne's stomach is the reason. The still nameless baby, Niles has decided, is pure perfection. How could it not be with Daphne as the mother? There are many things he worries about; he's doubtful about being a father in general, and he is scared of not giving his child enough. Now that he's older (almost too old, it seems) he finally really understand his own father. Niles knows what he wants his child to be; and he knows from his own experience that it might not be at all what this tiny human really is. So he is worried. So many things he doesn't know and so many things that could go wrong.

'It'll be fine', Daphne continuously tells him. Easy for her to say; the angel that she is, he knows she'll be perfect as a mother. To him it seems like everything she's done so far has only prepared her for their little baby. He, on the other hand, what does he have?

Knowledge.

It comes to him one evening when Daphne can't sleep. She decides to try her hand at a crossword puzzle hoping it might make her sleepy. In the end it's Niles who gives her most of the answers.

"How do you know so much?" She whispers into his ear. Her hot breath makes him shiver and he wonders if he really knows anything. Daphne makes him forget everything; may it be the capital of Cambodia or his own name.

"I don't know." He stammers and she giggles. She kisses his ear, his hair and finally his mouth. He is unable to move for a while after she leaves him there in his solitude. When he finally makes his way to the bedroom, Daphne is fast asleep. The shadow of her round belly where their child sleeps is as clear to him as a mountain in bright sunshine. Daphne would hit him if she knew he was considering any part of her as big as a mountain. In the safety of his own thoughts, though, he will call her whatever he wants to call her. She isn't too keen on being called a goddess or angel either. Niles will never understand why and secretly enjoys when she smiles shyly, with a soft red touch in her cheek, whenever he throws caution to the wind and calls her precisely that.

He undresses quietly and Daphne sleeps on. When he's next to her he's hesitant for just a moment; his hand reaches out and he puts it on her stomach. He waits for a kick (the baby kicks often and it's the strangest thing he has ever experienced), but the baby is fast asleep. Niles on the other hand is wide awake.

"Hello there," he says quietly, afraid he might wake Daphne. His wife, however, doesn't even stir. "You're now about 29 weeks old, which means you can hear me – and your mom of course." Niles waits, looks at Daphne. She sleeps peacefully and he is thankful for this moment he gets to share with his child.

"I know you're spending a lot of time with your grandpa. He will probably teach you how to throw and catch all kinds of balls – no matter if you're a boy or girl. I know nothing about these things." Niles admits as he gently strokes Daphne's swollen stomach.

"I will teach you everything there is to know about classical music. No, not just about Mozart, Beethoven and Vivaldi. There's so much to know and I'll tell you all about it," he swallows, remembering how this child might not care for classical music. At all.

"I'll teach you about history too. Oh, oh and geography. We can travel the world right from this apartment. You'll see." Niles smiles, picturing this child; he sees a tiny human being so similar to Daphne and so very curious about the workings of the world.

"There's something else I want you to know," Niles looks at Daphne again. He loses himself in her radiating beauty. The baby kicks gently against his hand and again he marvels at the wonder of it all.

"I was just looking at your mother," Niles apologizes, "she's the most beautiful, most generous… oh, but you'll learn that yourself." Daphne turns and Niles holds his breath. He only lets it out when she doesn't wake up.

"I don't know where to begin. I could tell you so many things. Let's start with biology. That's how you came to be, you know." And while Daphne sleeps, Niles tells their child about genetic material, cells and the wonder that is life.

In the mornings, Niles wakes up with a tired smile. Daphne doesn't question his exhaustion, because these days she is tired herself. She falls asleep while reading pregnancy books. Her head rolls onto Niles' shoulder when they're watching TV. One time she falls asleep while they're having dinner with Frasier and Martin. And Niles doesn't mind. Those moments before he falls asleep (and the baby, too, he hopes) are his most precious memories. Niles always waits until Daphne is fast asleep. He's grateful for her deep slumber. Every once in a while he gets impatient; her breathing has this very particular pattern and he knows precisely when he can start talking to his little baby.

"Well, just as I promised you, tonight I'm going to tell you about the time we landed on the moon. Oh, what a day that was."

"Niles?" He startles; Niles is certain that Daphne was asleep. As always, he counted her breaths and waited for the tell-tale huffs in between.

"Did I wake you?" He stutters.

"Yes," she takes his hand and puts it back on her stomach. "But that's fine. I love hearing you tell stories."

"Is this – this is not the first time you've heard me?" Daphne giggles.

"No. I think I might have missed one or two, though."

"Oh."

"Please don't be angry, Niles." She tries to get up to get a better look at him. She can detect the disappointment in his voice; hurting him was the last thing on her mind.

"I thought I could – you know." He says, but he doesn't even know what he wants to say so he doesn't expect her to understand.

"Niles, I know you're worried and I feel the same."

"You're going to be a wonderful mother."

"And you're going to be a wonderful father."

"What if I'm not?" He gently strokes her belly. The baby is quiet tonight; maybe he or she has decided to just listen to them talk. Right now Niles hopes the baby doesn't understand the meaning. This is not something he wants his child to know.

"Oh Niles," Daphne leans over and kisses the side of his head, "You trust me, don't you?"

"Implicitly."

"Good. Then believe me that you're going to be a wonderful father." He wants to protest, but Daphne's stern look stops him. Instead he smiles sheepishly.

"Do you and junior want to hear about the landing on the moon?"

"I think you've been telling us too much about science."

"That's all I know."

"It's not." Daphne says and nuzzles his ear.

"It's- it's not?"

"No. You know at least one very romantic love story. This child might not care for science, you know." Niles nods solemnly. No science, no classical music – but he loves this tiny creature so much already that he couldn't care less.

"Well, all right then…" Niles shifts so that his head is on Daphne's stomach. Her hand lazily runs through his hair as he begins to tell the greatest story he knows.

"Once upon a time there was a beautiful maiden from Manchester, England…"

THE END