Scene Three: (Caption on black: "WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?" Several hours later, at about five in the morning, the Winnebago is parked [badly] at the side of the road. Inside it Daphne is still asleep and Niles is sitting on the opposite bunk watching her silently and regretfully. The soundtrack to "Evita" is playing quietly in the background... the song is "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" . [If only because the above caption is from "Evita" and I didn't realise.] He notices the jacket he laid over her has slipped and as he adjusts it, she wakes up and opens her eyes slowly, as the phrase "I love you and hope you love me" pours ouf of the stereo. She looks at him curiously. He's supposed to be driving.)
NILES: It's all right. Go back to sleep.
DAPHNE: Who's driving?
NILES: We've stopped.
DAPHNE: What time is it?
NILES: Five.
DAPHNE: (Slowly coming to grips with the world of the living.) Were you watching me?
NILES: For the past half an hour. I thought I'd give it a try - the last time I did that you hit me.
DAPHNE: I don't mind. (A pause.) How far are we from the hotel?
NILES: We should be there in a matter of hours. The last sign said forty miles.
DAPHNE: You look like you could do with some sleep yourself.
NILES: No. No. I was just taking a breather, indulging in a little voyeurism. (She smiles and stretches, then slowly forces herself up. The jacket falls and she picks it up, then notices something in the pocket. Niles starts to panic.)
DAPHNE: What's this? (She pulls out a folded piece of note paper.)
NILES: Nothing.
DAPHNE: Why does it have my name on it?
NILES: Well… uh… I wrote that last night and I was going to put it under your door. Then I chickened out and kept it. I thought I'd thrown it away, actually.
DAPHNE: Can I read it?
NILES: I'd rather you didn't. Not now, at least. When we're far away from each other, maybe, but not now. (She respects his wishes and ignores her curiosity, placing the paper into her own pocket. She knows what they ve got to do. She gets up and moves to the front of the vehicle, taking him by the hand to the driver's seat.)
DAPHNE: Come on, I suppose we'd best be off. (She tries to keep the disappointment out of her voice and is only partially successful.)
NILES: Should I call Frasier and tell him we're coming? He already knows, after all.
DAPHNE: I'd rather you didn't, actually. I want to keep on pretending that we're not doing this. I was hoping we could just sneak inside and not meet him or anybody, but if we do, just say that you were driving back and found me at the side of the road, and brought me back.
NILES: It just might work on everyone else, but not on Frasier, although to be honest, I really don't care any more. (He's clearly drained. They look at each other, fasten their seatbelts simultaneously and grasp each other's hands for support.)
DAPHNE: Good luck.
NILES: And you. (Still looking at her, as the final strains of the song play: "And all you have to do is look at me to know that every word is true...", he starts the engine and they drive off into the still rising sun. It's an ironically romantic image… )

(We see Frasier pacing in his room, idly checking his watch, then the clock, then his watch again, periodically. It's seven o'clock and there's still no sign of Daphne or Niles. He holds his hands to his temples - the beginning of a headache - then opens the minibar to obtain something alcoholic. He takes a swig, winces, and goes to the window, where he sees the Winnebago pull up and Niles get out, followed by Daphne. He knew it. Rather than go down there to reprimand them, as were his first thoughts, he instead notices that they're holding hands, and that they do actually look rather sweet together, as well as very much in love, almost painfully so. He decides against it and sits down to wait for the consequences. He wants to help them out, but knows that he can't. He looks almost as stressed as Niles.)

(The two of them quietly enter the room we saw the previous night, that lies between Donny's and Mel's rooms, a very apt setting. After closing the door so that no-one will hear them, they stand in the middle of the room, looking nervously at their respective doors and then at each other.)
DAPHNE: Well, I suppose this is it.
NILES: Yes, I guess it is.
DAPHNE: This is the most difficult thing I've ever had to do.
NILES: Same goes for me. (It's getting awkward, which can only mean that Niles has been THINKING again, and very soon he's going to explode with another outburst of feelings.)
DAPHNE: You know, we can never see each other again after today. There's a liklihood that the wedding will be going ahead as planned. I'd still like you to give me away.
NILES: Daphne -
DAPHNE: I know it'll be painful, but I'd really like you to be there. It'll give a sense of closure and God knows, something has to.
NILES: You've got my promise.
DAPHNE: Thank you. (He tries to put on a brave face.)
NILES: Now go on - go get Donny.
DAPHNE: Go get Mel. (They move towards their doors. Just before either of them enter, Niles has a thought.)
NILES: Daphne?
DAPHNE: Yes? (She wills him to say "Let s not bother." There is the longest of pauses, and then:)
NILES: You're going to be very happy, I know, but any time you're not, or just if you re feeling miserable or if you have an argument - not that I'm saying you will - but if you do, please remember one thing. (It's coming any time soon… ) That I love you, and I always will. Please promise me that you'll remember that.
DAPHNE: I promise. And although I haven't felt for you as long as you've been waiting for me, I want you to know that I do love you. It's taken me so long to realise and now it can't be, but a few hours of happiness is better than a lifetime of regret. Yesterday was wonderful.
NILES: (What did I tell you… He's too upset to cope any more, so blurts out what he needs to say. He meanders towards her, stopping halfway across the room and gesturing frantically in the process.) Daphne, I could be here all day, all week, God, for years, just telling you how I feel, how I've always felt. I need you more than the air that I breathe and without you that air may as well be water for all the good it does me. (I'm SO good at this!!!! He doesn't approach her further and tries to keep his voice down. Nothing's going to stop him now and everything comes blurting out.) I adore you and with every second that passes I adore you twice as much - it feels like I'm falling down a bottomless pit. Before yesterday every time I saw you it was as though my heart had been sliced in two and when I found out how you felt it was fixed together again. I've had so many chances to tell you and NOW I decide to do it - it's ruined. I ruined it. I'm losing you forever and it's all my own fault. I'm such a coward. You probably hate me. (He's sure he's ruined it completely now, and she's bound to run screaming into Donny's waiting arms. He's exhausted and lets his head drop and his arms slump by his side. He thinks and hopes she hasn't noticed his tears. He doesn't see her approach him until she lifts his chin and kisses him [but it's still awkward] and when it's over, it's all he can do to stand up. Somehow he finds the energy to throw his arms around her, in relief more than anything. [Yes, I'm REALLY good at this!! *brag, brag*] He's completely defeated but is regaining some of his energy and composure.)
DAPHNE: I don't hate you. Stop thinking that. Nothing you could do could ever make me hate you. And you're certainly not a coward. After what you did the other night you should know that. It takes a brave man to do what you did, and to admit that he's wrong, but it takes an even braver man to pour out all of his innermost feelings and cry in front of a lady. And don't pretend you weren't because I could see you.
NILES: (Trying to joke lightly:) Darn.
DAPHNE: You've brought us this far under your own admission, don't be backing out now. I couldn't see why at first, but now I do. (He interrupts her so that he doesn't have to hear her say it - that would finish him off.)
NILES: When you can love someone enough to lose them. (I think I m gonna cry.) DAPHNE: Precisely. Always remember our joyride together and never ever regret it. 'Don't regret, always remember.' Something mum used to say.
NILES: A wise woman. (At the same instant they both realise what they've got to do and separate to enter their respective doors. They stand at arms length, hand in hand.) Goodbye Daphne.
DAPHNE: Goodbye… (Deciding… ) Niles. (He smiles and kisses her hand. The last time he's going to hear her voice spoken directly to him, and it's to say his name. He couldn't be happier with it, but still… They open the doors… ) (Now you see, I could be incredibly evil and leave it hanging, but since it's only for my own benefit, there doesn't seem to be much point, so I guess I'll continue. The next scene is divided between Daphne and Niles telling their respective partners the Truth and as yet I don't know how to approach this, so I'll just see how far I get.)

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