Work Text:
For Niles and Daphne, the birth of their third child (and second daughter) was just as exciting as their first child’s arrival. Both David and Lu were excited about their little sister, and their eldest was especially disappointed when he came down with the flu and couldn’t go to the hospital to meet her. So when they got back to their place and David did meet the baby, Daphne burst into tears. “Me family is so beautiful,” she sobbed to Martin.
He patted her on the back. “You both did good,” he told his son and daughter-in-law, a grin lighting up his face.
“Juliet Trinity Crane. Such a powerful and pretty name,” Ronee said, looking at her new granddaughter over her husband’s shoulder.
“Thank you. It took us months to come up with it but it fits her.” Niles couldn’t stop watching his three children interact for the first time and it brought tears to his eyes too.
“Any plans for a fourth or are you stopping at three?” questioned a curious Martin.
Niles and Daphne exchanged a happy glance. “Three’s enough for us. Our family’s complete,” Daphne answered.
“And at least Juliet will have cousins close in age,” chimed in Niles. Frasier and Roz would be by with Alice and their six month old twin daughters, Anastasia and Haley, soon.
“True. And the two year age difference seems to be working out well for David and Lu so the same should still apply to Lu and Juliet.” Martin still couldn’t grasp the fact that he had so many grandchildren now when Frederick had been the only one for so long.
“Tallulah Rachel, how do you feel about your little sister?” Niles asked his now middle child.
Lu looked up at him before her gaze returned to Juliet. “Take back?” she asked hopefully.
Niles, Martin, and Ronee all snorted with laughter. “This isn’t funny!” Daphne hissed at them. “Sweetheart, we can’t take Juliet back because she’s here to stay. But you love her, right?”
“No.”
“You can’t say toddlers aren’t blunt and honest.” An amused Ronee could only shrug when Daphne glared at her.
“There’ll be an adjustment period - you remember what David was like when we brought home Lu,” Niles reminded his wife.
“You’re right. We’ll just have to get through this rough patch of no sleeping and fighting children. This rampant jealousy will go away,” Daphne sarcastically replied, turning her glare towards him.
When Juliet started crying and distracted his wife, Niles turned to his father and stepmother. “I’ll be glad when the hormones level off,” he whispered.
“Good luck with that,” Martin whispered back.
“Can you tell us when that’ll be?” Ronee didn’t mind, though. She’d happily come over any time they wanted to spend some time with these three. She and Martin left half an hour later, though, so Niles and Daphne could be alone with their children.
“We actually made three tiny little humans with their own distinct personalities.” Niles never would expected this to be his life all those years ago when he first met Daphne, stuck in an unhappy marriage.
Daphne wanted to stop time because her life was perfect but she also couldn’t wait to see her children grow up. David, Lu, and Juliet’s lives would all be different and the thought was exciting.
Frasier, Roz, Alice, and the twins arrived for a visit about an hour later. “Congratulations again. Still just as awe-inspiring as when David was born?” Frasier asked his brother.
Niles nodded. “Of course. It’s different every time. Did you feel like that with Frederick and then Anastasia and Haley?”
“I did. Each situation and child is unique. It’s fascinating.” Of course, starting all over again when he had a teenager had flustered him when they first found out Roz was pregnant but he had quickly adjusted. And now he was preparing to adopt Alice because he thought of her as a daughter already.
“Kids are exhausting. Deal with it,” a bleary eyed Roz told Niles, yawning. Two babies were exhausting but it was starting to get a little better now that they were older.
“Okay?” Niles didn’t really know how to respond to his sleep-deprived sister-in-law but that was okay because he’d be in her position in a matter of days, if not sooner.
Frasier kissed Roz then turned his attention back to his brother. “Let me hold her,” he pleaded. Niles smiled and handed his newborn over to her uncle. “Hello there, Juliet. You look just like your grandmother.” He wondered if that would still be the case as she got older.
“Really?” Niles didn’t see it but maybe that’s because he and Daphne hadn’t been able to keep their eyes off Juliet.
Frasier nodded. “We need to find a picture but it’s the truth. Dad didn’t mention anything?”
“No but maybe he was distracted.” This was going to bother Niles until he did find a picture of their mother. But he put it in the back of his mind for the time being when Lu started fussing, which set off Juliet. Poor David clapped his hands to his ears and took off towards his bedroom.
“This is your new normal. Get used to it,” Frasier said as he handed his niece over to Daphne.
Roz laughed. “Welcome to hell,” she told him. She did feel bad for them but Niles and Daphne had made fun of them when they first brought twins home from the hospital so it was only fair she returned the favor.
“I don’t want to be near babies anymore. I’m tired of them,” chimed in Alice, glaring at her parents.
“Tough luck, kiddo.” Roz laughed at the look of outrage on her daughter’s face, shrugging when it only angered her even more.
“You’ll be fine,” Frasier assured Alice as he squeezed Roz’s hand and kissed her.
“Okay.” Alice didn’t really believe him but she was going to humor him anyway.
Frasier checked his watch. “We really should go home. It’s getting late, and I’m sure the five of you want to be alone.”
“You didn’t stay that long,” Niles pointed out.
“We’ll drop by tomorrow, maybe with some food.” Frasier figured they’d leave them alone for a few days so they could adjust.
“Food’s always good. Never turn it down,” Roz advised. She grabbed a car seat, as did Frasier, and they left.
When Juliet woke them up crying around midnight, Niles checked in on both David and Lu to see if they had been disturbed. Fortunately, they were fast asleep and fine. Niles returned to their bedroom and sat down to watch Daphne rock their newborn back to sleep in the rocking chair that had gotten them through many rough nights with their babies. “I should take a picture, add it to our collection,” he whispered, trying not to disturb Juliet.
“Sounds like a wonderful idea,” Daphne whispered back with a tearful smile on her face. Her husband listened and grabbed his cell phone to snap a quick picture of the two of them.
Niles and Daphne’s lives had turned out better than expected for both of them and they couldn’t for the next chapter.