Disclaimer: The usual rules apply. I don't own any of them, I have no rights or money that pertain to the people mentioned forthwith.

Author's notes: As I was typing this, I was really going to subvert the whole idea of who 'she' was going to be. I'll leave it up to you to read who 'she' is, and who she could have been.

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Chance Meetings.

by Elaine (solitudeperfection@yahoo.com)

I nearly walked out of Cafe Nervosa when I saw her. I had half turned towards the door, when she called my name.

"Niles."

I turned back, and waved awkwardly. She stood up and walked over to me.

"Are we so uncivil that we can't even say 'hello' now?" she asked, a hint of humour underlying her serious tone.

"No," I said, half apologetically. "How are you?" I asked.

"Fine." she smiled. "And you?"

"I'm good." I replied, smiling.

"Were you going to stay or go?" she asked.

I blinked at the non-sequitur. "Sorry?"

"Coffee." she said, pointing at the cup in my hand. "Stay or go?"

"Umm. Stay. But there aren't many free tables." I said, looking around at the lunchtime rush.

"There's a free seat next to me." she said easily.

I didn't say anything for a second and she laughed at my expression.

"Niles, its just coffee. That's all." she laughed.

I nodded my head, smiling at the absurdity of my own thoughts.

"Ok, thanks."

We sat: one of us awkward, the other in trepidation. We drank our coffee and said nothing. The silence stretched on, unbearable.

"So, how have you been?"  I asked, wincing at the lame question.

She smiled. "Fine. Didn't we already have this conversation?" she asked.

"Yeah. But I wanted to break the silence."

"You're a psychiatrist. I thought you liked long, drawn out silences." she grinned.

I smiled back, unable to stop myself. "Not this one." I admitted. "You look really good." I said, shocking her and even myself with that statement.
"You mean despite all the years that have passed." She said laughing.

"No, I mean yes." I amended.

She inclined her head in acknowledgment. "Thanks. "Although..."she started, and then trailed off.

I took a sip of my coffee. "Although what...?"

She tugged at her hair gently. "Dyed." she admitted quietly. "Looks good, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." I replied. "Suffice to say, I don't." I pointed to my head, the faint streaks of grey running through it, and shrugged my shoulders self-deprecatingly.

"I thought not." She smiled and both of us started to relax. "It could have been worse. You could have lost your hair like Frasier."

I laughed. "Yeah, that would have been worse."

"I didn't know you had left." I said, breaking the banter and shifting it towards another path.

She shrugged, her smile gone. "I didn't have anything to stay here for." she replied simply.

I blinked, my mind going back to another time. "No," I said softly. "I guess you didn't." I paused, then said. "Where did you go?"

"Rochester."

"Rochester?!" I replied, half shocked.

She smiled. "I know, it doesn't sound like me, does it?

I shook my head, disbelief on my face.
She drank her coffee. "There is a story, but you have to promise not to laugh."

I raised my right hand. "Scout's honour." I replied seriously.
"Niles, you were never a boy scout."

"Ok," I acquiesced, then grinned. "Chess club." I said, mock seriously.

"Well, I took a sabbatical after.."

"Yeah." I said quietly.

"I wanted to travel, but Europe stopped being appealing. So, I got in my car and just started driving with no real destination in mind. I got all the way to Rochester before the engine started to make funny noises and then ground to a halt. I managed to get it to a garage before it completely stopped working. The mechanic told me it would cost more to fix than buy a new car. So I sold it for scrap and used the money to book myself into a hotel."

I choked on my coffee at the last sentence. "You sold your Mercedes E class for scrap?!" I said incredulously.

"Yeah. It was a long time ago, and I got a good price for it." She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"I haven't finished yet." She said.

'"Sorry." I placed my coffee cup down, "pray continue."

"I ended up meeting people in the hotel and once they realised what I did for a living, word started to spread. Next thing I know, there are two people standing at my door asking me if I want to work in their practice. I said yes, but under the stipulation that it was going to be a short term contract."

"What happened?" I asked.

She smiled, lovingly. "I met my husband."

"Oh." I said quietly. "What does he do?"

She bit her lip, a grin spreading over her face. "You have to promise not to laugh."

I nodded. "Yes."

"You know the mechanic..." she replied coyly.

My jaw dropped to the ground. I couldn't have been more shocked if she announced she was gay. "The mechanic?! I said, surprised. "You...." I trailed off, unable to articulate.

She laughed at my expression. The second time in ten minutes. "I know, but things happen." she said, her tone conveying what her words could, and did not.

My jaw realigned itself. "Does he make you happy?" I asked, softly, wanting to know the answer. It came back in an instant, her face transformed into the girlish smile I knew she had.
"Yes." She replied tenderly, lovingly. "He does."

"I'm glad." I replied, seriously. And I really was. She could tell, because she looked across at me and nodded.

"Thank you."

She sipped her coffee and continued. "After spending so much time away, I thought I should come back." She paused. "Did you marry her?"

I didn't need to ask who 'her' was. "Yes. About 2 years after..." My voice trailed off.

She smiled, and repeated my earlier question. "Does she make you happy?"

I stared over at her, my eyes flashing cobalt as I said with tenderness and conviction: "She makes my soul rejoice"

"I thought so." she replied easily, without a hint of malice in her tone. "You've changed." She said, as though realising it for the first time.

"So have you." I replied.

She smiled and expanded her thoughts. "No I mean, you're more relaxed, happier."

"Less snobbish?" I asked, good humouredly.

"Yes, but in a good way. The insecurities have gone. Along with the Armani suits, I might add." she said, pointing to the jeans I wore.
I smiled. "I still have the suits, I just don't wear them as much anymore. I never thought I would look at a pair of jeans, let alone own a pair."

"No, I wouldn't have thought so either. Next thing you'll be telling me that you don't go to the opera anymore!" she laughed, and her head jerked up as I didn't reply.

"Niles?"

My grin finally broke through. "No, I still go. Although it is less about the people and more about the music and the show itself now. My membership to all the exclusive clubs were strangely not reissued after I got married." My eyes glazed over: lost in a memory of being lost and yet knowing that I was home. I blinked back into the present. "Now it doesn't matter."

"It's not like you've been reduced to the Shangri-la again" She commented. "I've seen the signs around town. 'Crane and Crane.'

I smiled. "Yeah, it works well, surprisingly. Most of the surplus income we make goes to charity. In a sense, we rob the rich to give to the poor."

"Very Robin Hood." she replied, smiling. "I assume you are still at the Montana?"

"Yes. I couldn't leave. We tried, once. But it wasn't the same. We have a summer house on the coast as well." "What about you?" I asked.

"Nothing like the Montana."

I grinned. "It's bigger?"

She smiled at that, "No. Smaller. We have a three bedroom town house. It's old colonial style, built in the eighteen hundreds."

"You always did like period buildings." I commented, a hint of nostalgia coming through.

"Yeah, and now I own one," she smiled happily.

I looked down at my watch, and then up: apologetically. She knew.

"You have to go." she said simply.

"Yeah. I have a session in half an hour." I got up from my chair, and pulled my coat over myself.

"Ok." She stood up with me. "It was really good seeing you again." she said.

I nodded. "Yeah. Same here."

We stood, as awkward as we had been 15 minutes previously. Then I moved towards her and hugged her, impulsively.

"Take care, Niles." she said, as I let her go.

"Thanks. You too." I replied softly and walked out of Cafe Nervosa.

It took me ten minutes to walk to the office. As I passed the sign on the way in, I smiled to myself and ran my fingers along it absentmindedly.

A voice came from within the office. "Niles?"

"Yes." I called back. "It's me" I added, unnecessarily.

"You're late." Daphne commented as she walked from her office. One half of  'Crane and Crane.'

"Sorry. I met someone."

"Oh. Who?"

"Mel." I said simply.

Daphne carried on walking, then the word and the name registered. She turned back.

"Mel? As in Mel Karnosfky. Your ex-wife?" she said, shock on her face.

"Yes." I replied.

Daphne looked down at the floor, an expression on her face that I had not seen in years. I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her, not caring if anyone walked in.

"Hey," I said, tilting her head up to mine.

She met my gaze head on. "Is she ok?" she asked.

I nodded and smiled slightly, thinking about the woman I had met today. "Yeah, she's really happy."

"Good." Daphne replied, and meant it.

When she spoke again, her voice was quieter, less self-assured.

"Did it make you realise what you could have had all these years?"

"No." I replied, forcefully, automatically.  "I never would have had this," I said, expanding my arms to encompass the office.  I reached up and ran my hand across her cheek, along her jawline. "I never would have had you." I said, my voice husky. "Everything I am is because of you. My heart and my soul are yours." I said, repeating my marriage vows to her.

Daphne smiled and leaned forward to kiss me. "I love you," she said tenderly, afterwards.

"I love you too."

She smiled, happy. "You have a patient." she said.

I smiled back. "I know."

"Ok. I'll be in my office if you need me." and Daphne dropped her files on the receptionist desk and walked back.

I stood looking around, inhaling the unmistakable scent of cherry bark and almonds. Daphne still remained, equally in the atmosphere as in my heart. I took a deep breath and walked towards the door.

"Mr. Schuman?" I asked, opening it. "I'm ready for you now."