Once they awoke hours later, they were glad to find that the clouds had dispersed, leaving the city very wet and very bright. Jasmine woke minutes before her lover, and helped herself to the view. America had always been a country of industry, with its bland architecture reflecting the fact. Still, the towering height of its buildings and the span of the city was very impressive. The flair of Paris was gone, replaced with American frankness; Jasmine smiled, happy to be in a new place with such an ardent guide.

Niles was her oldest lover to date; not that there had been many, but none had been as experienced or as considerate. She enjoyed the man greatly, and had hopes that their liason would continue once they returned to France. That would depend on how well she performed for him while they were in his city, of course, and Jasmine knew this. To keep him, she knew she had to present herself correctly.

Turning back to the bed, she watched as Niles stretched and then sat up with a small yawn. He swung his feet to the floor and shook his head slightly, trying to awaken himself fully. She moved to stand just before him. Niles put his hands on her hips, drawing her even closer until she stood between his legs. He tilted his head back to look her in the eyes. "Are you ready to see Seattle up close?"

"Oh yes!"

"It'll cost you tonight," Niles said, his hands moving around to cup her backside. He kissed her stomach and then stood from the bed.

Jasmine smiled hopefully. "Is that a promise?"

They had not been together for days, what with all the planning and packing. The absence had been grating to them both, and neither of them had forgotten Jasmine's tease about never having made love in an American hotel.

The man gave her a hungry look. "Oh, yes."

Niles took her through the city, first out for a light lunch at a cafe he'd visited when he'd still lived in Seattle. It was near his former practice. There was a vague worry in the back of his mind that he might be recognized by a former society friend, that he might be seen as pathetic, cavorting around with a young girl, flashing a mid-life crisis in public. Niles didn't see himself that way, but all the same he didn't want to be approached by the snobs from his past.

He was already obligated to revisit the people that had driven him from his country, no need to twist the knife on his first day back.

They strolled through the Seattle fish market, taking a perverse pleasure in the dead yellow eyes and fetid smells left over from the morning's catch. He took her to the enormous city library, where she surprised him with her knowledge of poetry from the mid-Romantic era. Niles then surprised her with a beaded necklace he'd picked up as they'd gone through the street market district. A silly thing, faux jade pearls, but Jasmine's smile made his day.

Too soon, the sun began its hazy descent, and they went back to the hotel to change and ready themselves to see his family.

"I think they will like you very much, you must not be nervous. Frasier speaks French, we'll both help you with your English." Niles said, trying to reassure her.

Jasmine was not worried about her language skills. She might be a touch rusty but she was more concerned for him. To see his family again after so long a time away, and that woman might be there. "I'm worried for you, Niles." She said this in flawless English, her accent thick but not insurmountable.

"Worried for me? Why?"

"I want you to be happy to see your family, not as gloomy as you've been." She confessed. To her it was unnatural to feel so hesitant to see one's family again, though she had to admit that their cultures had little in common when it came to relations.

Niles paused in taking off his shirt. He didn't know how much he should tell her; that she had crossed the world with him and shared his bed did not entitle her to know his deepest feelings, but he knew he had to say something. She deserved the truth, or as much as he could afford to tell her. "I do want to see them again, Jas. It's just been a very long time. Things will be different between us and I am the cause of it all."

Jasmine nodded her understanding and then leaned forward to kiss him then, hoping to raise his spirits. Niles reached to her, bringing her closer and then down onto the bed.

Niles paused outside of the Elliot Bay Towers, staring up at the height of the building and feeling new dread grip his chest. It had been over a year since he'd last come to this building, seeking his brother's comfort and advice. So long ago now...

He remembered that they had argued, and Niles had retreated supposedly to lick his wounds in the isolation of his own apartment, but instead he'd awoken to the decision to simply pick up and leave the country. Start a new life, become a new man.

He hoped that Frasier wouldn't bring up the past, but how could he not?

"You're looking pensive again, Niles. Do you need another 'cheering up?' " Jasmine asked from beside him on the sidewalk. Her hand was in his, her face still somewhat flushed in the afterglow of their passion and the steam from the shower they had taken together afterward.

He grinned slightly, happy that she was with him. "I'm always up for more, but we should wait until it's time to head back to the hotel. Frasier might not appreciate finding us in that compromising position in the elevator. Shall we?" He asked, offering his arm. Jasmine looped her arm through his, relieved that Niles was joking again, acting more like himself, the man she adored.

Without any explanation or reason, perhaps he simply felt he had the right, Niles brought her close and gave her a deep, charged kiss.

He greeted the doorman, who did a double-take before welcoming him and his "lovely young lady" inside. As they moved through the lobby, he began to get excited, almost giddy. He'd missed his family, the familiar comfort of knowing that he would be greeted with a bit of Sherry and conversation, the brotherly banter, the fatherly advice. He lead Jasmine into the elevator and punched the floor button.

The elevator doors slid closed and the chamber began its slow, steady climb upward. The doors acted as a mirror to them, and Niles assessed his appearance carefully; he wondered if he had changed much since leaving Seattle. He was the same man, but he'd gained a new outlook on life. He was the same height, the same weight though he thought he might have gained just a little in muscle, considering the amount of exercise he'd been enjoying lately. His skin was perhaps a shade or two darker from the time his job required be spent outdoors, but the change was negligible.

Yes, he looked about the same, but time away from home had certainly had an effect. Most notably in the form of the young woman standing beside him in the reflection. She had changed out of her gypsy skirt and donned a pair of dark denim jeans, spiked stilettos and a red blouse. It made him smile to see that she was still wearing the bead necklace he'd given to her earlier.

The elevator doors slid open. Niles took a deep breath and stepped out.