The car slowed to a stop in front of the large circular loading zone at Sea-Tac International Airport and Daphne's heart grew heavy. No one said a word as they climbed out of the car and stood on the curb, Daphne's bags at their feet. Frasier and Martin exchanged glances and then looked at Daphne who was holding back tears. Frasier looked up at the white and grey cloud-covered sky and at that moment the wind began to pick up. Flakes were falling even more rapidly than before, quickly turning the pavement into a winter wonderland.

"Wow... The snow's really coming down, but hopefully your plane will be in the air before the weather gets really... Daphne, are you sure that you want to do this?"

She swallowed hard, determined not to let Frasier or Martin deter her plans. "Me mind's made up. Mum and Dad are expecting me. Simon said he'd meet me at the airport in Manchester, but we'll have to wait and see if that happens."

"Daphne-."

"Now, Frasier, don't try to stop me! I-I know it's wrong to run away from me problems, but I can't help it! I-."She burst into tears, prompting Martin and Frasier to hold her as she cried against their thick wool coats. "I'm sorry..."

"Stop being sorry,Daphne!" Martin chided lightly ."You did nothing wrong! This was all Niles' fault! He's the one who-."

"Dad-."

Martin glared at his eldest son and sighed, reaching into his coat pocket. "Niles wanted me to give you this."

Daphne looked at the light blue envelope and then back at Martin. "What's that?"

"I think you know what it is." Martin replied. "Most likely an apology or-."

"I don't want to hear it! O-or read it!" Daphne cried.

"Daphne, just take it, okay?" Frasier pleaded. "At least read his explanation."

Annoyed, she snatched the envelope from Martin's hand. "Fine..., I..."

"Look, just... stay safe, all right?" Martin finally said after a long silence. "We'll miss you."

Tears streamed down her cheeks at the old man's sentiment and she hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek. "I love you, Martin."

Frasier smiled sadly. "Take care, Daphne." She squeezed him tightly, pressing her cheek against his coat. "Well..." he said after a long moment. "You'd better get going. Security is probably a nightmare."

"Goodbye Frasier, Martin. I love you both."

"We love you too, Daphne." Frasier said. "Have a safe trip."

After a few more hugs, Daphne tearfully took her luggage and headed into the terminal, never daring to look back.

As Frasier had predicted, the security line seemed a mile long and moved at a snail's pace. Bloody hell... She didn't want to be standing in line behind people who were happy, going to see loved ones. She loved her family, but she dreaded facing them, especially under these circumstances. There was no doubt in her mind that her mum would spend the duration of Daphne's time in Manchester telling Daphne what a huge mistake it had been to leave Donny at the alter and run off with Niles. The woman was completely... Right.

For the hundredth time Daphne had a flash, a memory, a vision, causing a sharp pain in her forehead. Niles and Mel were locked in a heated and passionate kiss that seemed to replay itself over and over. Tears burned her eyes, falling onto her cheeks and she quickly brushed them away, embarrassed to be crying like this in front of so many people, even if none of them were paying any attention to her.

"Miss?"

She looked up, startled to see a strict-looking police officer glaring at her.

"Yes?"

"Passport? Boarding pass?"

"What?"

"Your passport! You are leaving the country are you not? If the answer is no, then you're in the wrong line! "

Suddenly she realized that the man was a customs officer and that she'd been so deep in thought that she hadn't noticed that the security line had moved drastically. Flustered, she dug frantically in her purse for her passport, sending the light blue envelope fluttering to the floor. She stared at it for a moment, wondering if she should just leave it where it was. She didn't want to read Niles' pathetic excuse for kissing his ex-wife. She'd seen all that she needed to see. But suddenly the envelope was in front her, accompanied by an outstretched hand belonging to a friendly looking man who wore a smile.

"I think you dropped this, ma'am."

"Oh, thank you." She took the envelope from him and ran her fingers lightly over Niles' neat handwriting.

"I'm guessing you're Daphne." the man said. "From the handwriting it looks important, so..."

"Thank you."

"Ma'am, either give me your passport and your ticket or you'll have to go to the end of the line! I got people here that need to get places!" the customs officer snapped.

She became flustered at the shouts of disapproval from the passengers behind her:

Come on, lady, hurry up! My kid has to go to the bathroom, can you get your head out of the clouds and get moving? If I miss my plane, so help me God...

She whispered several apologies as her trembling hand gave the customs officer her passport and she was able to move to the security line. She could barely think straight as she put her bags on the conveyor belt and watched as her belongings moved through the X-ray scanner. She removed her coat, shoes and jewelry and put them in the appropriate bins, painfully aware of the comments and snickers from the passengers behind her, discussing the fact that foreigners shouldn't even be allowed in American airports if they have an accent and if they can't even pay attention in line. The words cut her like a knife, proving how vulnerable she'd become in just the last few hours.

When she was finally cleared from security, she carried the bins to a nearby bench and began putting on her shoes and her jewelry. Her coat slung over her arm and the blue envelope clutched in her hand, she headed for the huge overhead monitor to find her gate. As bad luck would have it, the gate was several numbers away. At this rate she'd be lucky to get there by the time her plane took off. But at least she was far away from Niles. And within a few hours she'd be even further away... half a world away.

But she was barely halfway to her gate when she ducked into the ladies room, surprised to find it almost empty. And it was there, in front of the row of mirrors, that she broke down and cried.