Chapter 173

After spending the night in Reno, their next run was to make it to Medford. Shyann drove that route and they were on the road all day so the small hotel they found once they arrived was a welcomed site. They spent the night in Medford then the next morning bright and early, Evalynn took over the driving and made the last of their trip all the way back to Forks. They left at 8:00 in the morning and didn't make it back to the tribe until nearly 10 that evening, but Shyann only had a short time before she was expected to be back at work and they needed to haul ass. Shyann was asleep in the passenger's seat when they finally returned and she parked the car outside the dormitories. Not wanting to disrupt her, Evalynn got out hers and Shyann's suitcase from the trunk and carried Shyann's bag into the dorm to her room. Shyann was still asleep when she got back to the car so she locked both doors, lifted Shyann into her arms and made sure both car doors were closed and then carried her inside to her room planting her atop her bed and getting her under the covers. Evalynn wrote her a note saying she was at her parents' house and that she'd talk to her again tomorrow then finally walked out, got her suitcase and walked back to her parents' house. Evalina was home but Kyle was working the night shift so when Evalynn arrived it was just her and her mother.

"There you are," Evalina said once Evalynn walked in. "How was the trip?"

"It was a lot of fun actually," Evalynn said. "We had a bit of a rough start in Las Vegas but after that things went great."

"Why did you have a rough start?"

"I was determined to stay somewhere cheap because I didn't want to bother Ivory's mom but the motel I found was shady to put it lightly and the owner tried selling us to some customers of his."

"Hold on, what?!" Evalina screeched.

"It's okay, mama. We got away unscathed and stayed with Tamara after all."

"That's not exactly the point, Evalynn," Evalina said. "Did you call the police?"

"I was tempted, but I slammed the owner in the nuts so I figure he's suffered enough," Evalynn said.

"Mio Dio," Evalina mumbled irritably, "you promise the two of you are alright?"

"Yes, mama, we're fine," Evalynn said.

"I think it goes without saying you won't be going on a road trip like this ever again," Evalina said.

"Hey, it's not on my list of things to repeat any time soon," Evalynn said. "I think Shyann got this whole road trip thing out of her system so I think it'll be alright."

"I sure hope so," Evalina said. "Your father said you imprinted on Shyann?"

"I did," Evalynn said. "Don't worry, mama. It's platonic. I don't feel romantically towards her. Right now, I'm just happy we're friends."

"That's good I suppose," Evalina said. "So….when it does change, what are you going to do? You two can't exactly get married. Not outside the tribe anyway. And if people find out, it could cause you a lot of problems."

"I'll just deal with it was we go," Evalynn said. "That's all I can do. I'll just have to work that much harder to prove being gay is irrelevant to my work ethic or my capabilities. Uncle Kevin and daddy had to do as much when people discriminated against them for being Native American."

"You realize your father was nearly tarred and feathered by his classmates?"

"That wasn't for being Native American, mama; that was for confronting a classmate for lying about masturbating," Evalynn said. "It'll be alright, mom. What goes on in my home behind closed doors is no one's business and if I don't advertise that I'm a lesbian I'll be fine."

"Just promise to be cautious," Evalina said.

"I will mama," Evalynn said.

Evalynn had to leave not long after that but was able to see Shyann beforehand. The two of them spent time together in Shyann's dorm room and did each other's hair, nails and makeup just the two of them with the radio on and a big bag of candy that Shyann had gotten for them to nibble on. It was the most relaxed the two of them had ever been together and Evalynn felt closer to Shyann than ever. Before saying goodbye to her, she asked if the two of them could start talking over the phone from time to time and Shyann agreed she'd like that. So Evalynn gave Shyann the number to her apartment and let her know to call whenever she just wanted to talk and that if Evalynn was out, she would call back right away. Once she returned east, she got back into focusing on school but with the added bonus of speaking to Shyann on occasion whether it was to check on her or just a desire to talk.

After summer was over, Levi was on a plane but not out east. He'd packed just about everything he could possibly need while leaving some things with Amber and Kevin for safe keeping including his car and was on a plane to London. When he arrived overseas, the first thing he did was buy every newspaper he could get a hold of that might have jobs to advertise and looked through for anything that he felt confident he could apply for. He had his references, he had dozens of copies of resumes and his typewriter in case he needed to make more, a list of previous jobs, his education and the hard copy degrees to prove it. Levi had time to kill since Nadja was at the theatre. He'd told her the day he would be flying in and she'd said she would be gone until closer to midnight but the landlord was made aware that he would be moving in and that he'd need to speak with the man about moving in, getting a key and so on.

Levi circled everything that looked promising and finally left the airport once he had a plan in place for job hunting. He hailed a taxi and was brought to Nadja's apartment complex. Once he had all his things at the front of the office where the landlord would be, Levi brought all his luggage inside and requested to speak with the landlord. He'd hoped it would be relatively straightforward but the landlord had Levi in the office for nearly an hour making sure Levi had a Worker's Visa with which he could obtain a job, his credentials for further reassurance he would be obtaining employment including demanding to see his resume, reviewing previous living situations and anything else the landlord wanted to talk about. Only after the landlord was satisfied did he give Levi a copy of the apartment key. Levi was able to get the landlord to help him move all his luggage to Nadja's apartment but he went back to the office as soon as everything was at the front door.

The apartment was exactly as he remembered it from his last visit. There was a note on the bed from Nadja with notes of where he could put his clothes to start and promised she would help him with any additional unpacking once she returned home. Levi put his clothes away as Nadja's note directed, he put his toiletries in the bathroom arranging them so they weren't in her way but were also easy to access and did his best to figure out where to put other things but made sure to keep anything he wasn't sure of in the suitcase to wait for Nadja. Since he had a key and there was one place in walking distance of Nadja's apartment, Levi grabbed one of his resumes that he'd made sure had Nadja's apartment number as the contact and walked to one location from the newspaper so he could drop off his first resume. By the time he dropped that off, it was nearing five in the afternoon and anywhere else would be closing very soon so he returned to the apartment to try to relax.

He stopped by a shop to get something to each using the pounds he'd converted at the airport and was finished with his food by the time he'd walked back to the apartment. His empty suitcases he had stacked atop one another and out of the way while the others he had beside the couch and out of the way then sat down to see what was on TV. He wanted so badly to be awake when Nadja got home but he ended up falling asleep despite his efforts. He fell asleep on the couch with the TV on but woke up when he felt warm, soft lips kiss his cheek. The TV was turned off and when he opened his eyes, Nadja was already coming around to straddle his lap on the couch and hugged him. Levi hugged her back and kissed her cheek right back.

"I missed you," Levi said.

"I missed you too," Nadja said. "How was your flight?"

"Exhausting," Levi said. "I've got several copies of my resume to hand out, I've already dropped one off at a place near here that was hiring and I'll make sure I'm working as soon as possible so I'm not bumming off you."

"Take all the time you need," Nadja said. "I'm sorry I didn't get the week off; I wanted to but one of the girls at the café just had her baby and if I leave we'll be short staffed."

"It's nothing to worry about; we'll make time to be together. Once this season is done, you'll have a little more free time right?" Levi said.

"Yeah, I will," Nadja said. "I've got another two weeks of this show left. After that, I'm all yours at night until try-outs begin again."

"I can't wait," Levi said. "So how was your day?"

"Long," Nadja said. "I was excited to see you and it felt like the day just dragged along. I just wanted to come home and welcome you properly."

"You've already made me feel a lot more welcome than the landlord had," Levi joked.

"Well, I would certainly hope he didn't welcome you the way I plan to," Nadja said as her hands began to trail between them.

"No, he didn't," Levi said between kisses he was starting to plant to her neck. "I'm not too happy with his customer service thus far. I was planning to file a complaint."

"Don't do that," Nadja played along as her hand rubbed over his crotch sensually. "I'll make up for the rude treatment you've received thus far."

"In that case, I suppose I can let it go," Levi replied. He trailed his hands down to grip the firm cheeks of her ass through the jeans she was wearing.

Levi made sure he had a secure hold of her before standing up from the couch and walking over to the bed. Sadly, he tripped though over what he wasn't sure. He lost his balance but managed to land in such a way that Nadja fell onto the bed with him on top of her though they were hanging off the bed more than anything. Nadja started laughing as Levi got themselves further onto the bed so they could be comfortable.

"Don't hurt yourself, Levi," Nadja teased.

"I'm alright. I landed on something soft," Levi replied.

Since they were comfortable, Levi and Nadja impatiently removed their clothes and when Nadja was bare underneath him, Levi started to kiss a trail down her body stopping at her breasts giving each nipple tender affection for several minutes then started kissing down her midriff. Levi trailed his tongue lightly over her skin to make her shiver and kissed her right hip once he'd gotten to that spot. Nadja gripped onto the comforter especially when Levi began to kiss his way over her hip and between her legs. He parted her legs and dipped his head down pressing his tongue against her clitoris causing her to moan. She squirmed under him with each movement of his tongue and when Levi brought his hand around to slip two fingers inside her adding to the intense pleasure, Nadja grabbed her pillow pressing it against her mouth to mute her moaning.

Levi wished she didn't have to quiet herself, but after getting upset neighbors more than once on Levi's visits she needed to start quieting herself so they weren't disrupted. Even if they were muffled by her pillow, he loved hearing her moans of pleasure and appreciation. Levi became impatient wanting desperately to finally be inside her, so he lifted his head away, went to the nightstand drawer where he knew the condoms would be, got their protection into place and then slipped inside her causing his mind to go completely blank for a moment. He lowered down to hold her in his arms tossing the pillow aside so they could share a kiss before Levi started to move. Nadja whimpered into their kiss and clutched onto Levi like a lifeline. There were always such long stretches of time when they were separate and couldn't be together so each time they made love it had felt like the first time all over again. However, now there would be no interruptions. From this day forward, whether it was in London or Seattle, they would be living together and there would no longer be an ocean between them at all times.

Levi continued to move faster and harder then would slow down to a gentle stroke only to pick up speed all over again. Nadja kept holding onto Levi with her lips against his shoulder to keep her cries at bay and held onto him tightly not wanting to lose the feel of his weight on top of her. The pleasure continued to build in her core like a tightening spring until she felt as though that spring had snapped as her orgasm overtook her. She moaned into his shoulder holding tight and Levi quickly followed with his own climax gripping the comforter tightly with another arm wrapped around her waist and his lips against her neck sucking on her skin. They laid in bed together for several minutes trying to regain their senses before Levi got off her and went to get rid of the condom. Once they were dressed for bed and under the covers, Levi pressed another kiss to her lips that lasted several passionate seconds.

"I love you, Levi," Nadja said after their kiss.

"I love you too," he answered.

They snuggled in bed together as they fell asleep in each other's arms. Nadja was sadly gone from the apartment but she left him a Full English breakfast on a plate in the kitchen with a note saying she would miss him, she would see him once she returned home that night and wished him luck with job hunting. She even had a kiss pressed into the note by her name imprinted on the page with red lipstick. Levi eat his breakfast, showered and got into fresh clothes making sure they were nicer but not the suit he'd be wearing at interviews. Once he was put together the way he wanted to be and had the addresses of the businesses he'd be applying to as well as his resumes, he got himself acquainted with the public transit that he'd likely need to start using once he finally got a job and dropped off his resume with each place in the newspaper.

He dropped off his resume at about fifteen different businesses before the end of the day. Nadja wasn't back when he returned to the apartment so Levi left once again to get some food at a local deli. He bought dinner for himself but also bought slices of roast beef and rye bread so he could make sandwiches at home until he could do some proper grocery shopping.

Levi was alone the rest of that day and Nadja wasn't home when he went to bed, but he woke up when she came into the apartment. She showered then got into bed with him and Levi wrapped an arm around her to cuddle up with her as they went to sleep together. The following day began a waiting game. Levi stayed at the apartment waiting to hear back from any of the places he'd applied to. He decided he'd allow three days and if he didn't hear back, he'd get more newspapers and check for more jobs he could apply to and maybe go to an employment agency if it was necessary. Levi just hoped being a foreigner wouldn't hurt his chances of employment too much.

The first three days were quiet, so on day four, Levi collected as many newspapers as he could and found some more places to apply in his field and dropped off more resumes that same day. It wasn't until the following Monday that he finally started getting calls from the places he'd applied to. It started with phone interviews and if that went well, he would be scheduled for some in person interviews. He had each one spaced out as much as possible and spent a good week and a half going to interview after interview. He always made sure to have a copy of his resume with him as well as his worker's visa to prove he could legally work in the UK.

With each interview, Levi made sure to tactfully obtain the salary for the position so he could compare later should he receive an offer. He'd not gotten an in-person interview with every place he'd applied, but he did get plenty of choices and even some 2nd in-person interviews. When he finally started getting offers, it was a huge relief. Staying at the apartment for nearly three weeks with no income or any way to contribute was driving him insane and with Nadja performing for most of that time, it was really lonely as well. However by the time the play closed and Nadja was back home at night, Levi was getting offers and weighing his options.

The best offer he received was for a shipping company that would have him working in their Billing department, so he called, accepted the position and was told to be in on Monday morning at 8 where he'd be introduced to the supervisor and would officially start. Now that he officially had a job, Levi felt a huge sense of relief and went to the store to by a bottle of sparkling wine to share with Nadja once she returned home from the café. Levi made sure all the suits he had were clean and wrinkle free for when he started and he could adjust according to the office dress code once he was settled. The sparkling wine remained in the fridge until it was about time when Nadja would be home. Levi was pouring a glass for himself and for Nadja when the front door to the apartment opened.

"Is that Champagne?" Nadja asked as she was pulling off her shoes overhearing the sound of bubbles.

"Yeah; I've got good news," Levi answered. Nadja walked around to the kitchen and came up beside Levi.

"You got a job?"

"At Dawson Trade in their Billing and Financing Department," Levi said, "I start Monday."

"That's wonderful!" Nadja cheered and hugged him around his neck. Levi caught her and hugged her back sharing a kiss with her. "So where is this place?"

"It's in Westminster off Victoria Street," Levi answered.

"That's quite a trip," Nadja said, "but you know the best public transit methods?"

"I'll use tomorrow to get familiar with it but I think I know where to go," Levi said and kissed her again. "I can finally start contributing to the household."

"Good news. I'll let you know when rent's due and you can give me your half," Nadja said, "but this month is on the house." She pressed another kiss to his lips then released him to grab her glass. Levi grabbed his own and they touched glasses. "Cheers to a new job in jolly old London town."

"Cheers," Levi smiled and they both took a sip. Nadja gulped down her whole glass then wrapped her arms around Levi's waist. He put his glass down so he could hold her back.

"Now that we've had some champagne, how about we celebrate?" Nadja asked.

Levi was about to question her but she started pulling him with her to the bed and, realizing what she meant, he followed her with a smile and made love to her to truly celebrate the new job and start off his year in London on a bright note. The next day, Levi made the trip to the office to make sure he knew how to get there and how long it would take so he was prepared. Nadja worked Saturday but she had Sunday off and they used the day together to go visit her parents. They'd known Levi was going to be moving to London but this would be the first time they'd seen Levi in a very long time. They lived in a different, smaller apartment now that Nadja was no longer living with them but they were still in the same part of town.

He was really nervous to meet them formally at first. He'd dressed nice despite Nadja insisting he didn't need to and made sure to bring a present. He'd thought to bring bread or cake then realized that wasn't exactly an appropriate gift to bring vampires so instead he bought flowers that he gave to Maritza. He handed her the flowers thanking both Mr. and Mrs. Rimsa for having him and Maritza accepted the flowers with a light laugh and put them in a vase. It took time for Levi to finally relax, but once he had, the evening went great. They asked Levi about his schooling, how the move was for him so far, what he would be doing at his new job and so on. When they left their apartment, Levi heard Mykolas say something to Nadja but it was in Lithuanian which made him really nervous until Nadja started giggling.

"What did he say?" Levi asked after they'd started walking away from the apartment.

"He just said, 'You can marry this one'," Nadja translated. "I explained we aren't engaged."

"I mean….not yet," Levi said nervously. His statement didn't come out nearly as confidently as he'd hoped it would. He was blushing a little and Nadja was even blushing but she smiled far more confidently.

"I'll be waiting for my ring, then," Nadja said but he could tell by her tone she was joking with him. Regardless, he was beet red. "Let's get back home. You've got work in the morning," she said, winked and grabbed his hand as they continued to walk down the street together. When they made it back to their apartment and walked in, Levi pulled Nadja towards him against his chest until their noses nearly touched.

"I love you," Levi whispered to her.

"I love you," Nadja replied and brought her arms around his neck as he lowered his lips to hers then carried her to their bed to make love to her. He couldn't ask her to marry him yet. He didn't have a bracelet or a ring to offer her, but knowing her father approved of him and that she would say yes if he asked made the night that much better.

The following morning, Nadja woke first and got ready for work. Levi was making himself some coffee by the time Nadja came out of the bathroom and got into her café uniform but before leaving, she walked to the kitchen, hugged Levi and wished him luck on his first day. Levi showered, shaved so he was completely clean and dressed in his favorite suit then made the trip to Westminster via public transit and arrived 15 minutes early just as Kevin had always told him to do when starting a new job, going to an interview or anything that required a good first impression. He walked into the building and went straight to the front desk where there was a young woman in big, round glasses, beach waves in her hair and a pant suit with a very loud, brightly colored pattern.

"Can I help you, sir?" the young woman asked with a thick accent that actually sounded like faded cockney.

"Yeah, my name is Levi Black. I'm supposed to start today in Billing and Financing?"

"One moment," she said and started looking through her tiny phone book, "You were told Mr. Conway is your immediate supervisor, correct?"

"Correct," Levi said and the young woman picked up her phone and dialed a quick extension. There was a pause until the other end answered.

"Mr. Conway? This is Matilda at the front desk. I have a Mr. Levi Black here; he's supposed to be starting today?" Another pause passed. "Absolutely, Mr. Conway." She ended the call and looked up at Levi with a pleasant smile. "Mr. Conway will be right over."

"Thank you," Levi smiled back and offered his hand, "Matilda you said?"

"Yes: Matilda Hanes. I'm the Front Desk Manager. Welcome to Dawson Trade."

"It's a pleasure," Levi said and their hands released. "So how long have you worked here?"

"Four years," she said. "I take it from your accent, you're from across the pond?"

"Yeah," Levi said, "I was born and raised in Washington State, went to college in New Jersey and moved here to be with my girlfriend."

"That's so sweet," Matilda said. "Where did you go to school?"

"Princeton," Levi answered.

"Impressive," Matilda said.

"Mr. Black?" Levi turned his head to look at Mr. Conway – a man in his forties with graying brown hair and a very 'proper' accent as Nadja had referred to it. It was the accent used by all TV newscasters and anyone that had a higher level education, at least according to Nadja. He offered Levi his hand and the two shook. "It's a pleasure to see you again. Come this way and I'll show you where you'll be sitting."

"Yes, sir," Levi said and followed after Mr. Conway to the other end of the building.

The building was filled with chatting and the loud tapping of typewriters typing away. Mr. Conway made some small talk about the company itself, what they ship and to whom, how long the company has been in business etc. Once they made it to the back of the building, Mr. Conway led Levi through a few cubicles until they located an empty one.

"You'll be sitting right here. David Mann will be training you and he should be in the office in the next few minutes. He sits right there," Mr. Conway pointed at a cubicle on the other side of the walkway. "You'll be observing him for today and tomorrow we'll start giving you accounts we'll want you to take over. Based on your background, you should pick this up without issue. You'll need a badge and that should be ready for you before the end of the day. You'll need that to get free access into the building. Matilda will check you for that badge every morning. The lunch room is over that way," he pointed at an entryway that was well lit further from the cubicles. "We're actually the closest to it which is nice. We do ask that you keep all food and drink in there and only in there. Do not eat at your desk."

"Yes, sir," Levi answered.

"Morning, Ed," they heard and both turned to see a man approaching with brown hair and that looked closer to his thirties. He wore dress pants and a dress shirt and was carrying his suit jacket in his arm while holding a cup of coffee and a little paper holder that smelled like pastry and sausage.

"Morning David," Mr. Conway said. "Please finish your breakfast in the lunch room."

"Don't worry about it, Ed – Let me finish me Pasty and I'll be right at work," David answered and put down his coffee and started tossing back his sausage roll.

"Do as I say, not as he does," Mr. Conway whispered to Levi. "David, this is Levi Black. He's the young man that will be taking a few accounts off your plate for you."

"About damn time; you had me ready to quit there, Ed," David said in a humored tone. Then David offered the hand that wasn't holding a sausage roll. "Name's David Mann."

"Levi Black," Levi said and shook his hand.

"You not from 'round here?" he asked.

"I'm from the US," Levi said. "Are you originally from Scotland by chance?"

"No," David chuckled, "I'm from Carlisle up north. We're awfully close to Scotland, but it's England."

"Ah," Levi said. "When did you move to London?"

"Oh, about secondary school; it was before I graduated," David said.

"I'll leave you in David's capable hands," Mr. Conway said. "Come grab me if you don't get your badge before you leave. I'm here until five."

"Thank you, Mr. Conway," Levi said and Mr. Conway walked away to a private office. "So where do we start?"

"We start by waitin' for the clock to turn 8:00," David said. "Come pull up a chair." Levi grabbed the chair from his cubicle over to David's. "So while we wait, tell me a little about yourself. Where in the US are you from?"

"I was born in Washington State," Levi answered. "I went to school at Princeton in New Jersey and earned my degree in Accounting and Statistics."

"Statistics?"

"Yeah," Levi said.

"That ain't half bad," David smiled.

Levi shrugged with a smile, "It's not Yale but you know."

"Pardon?" David asked, a little confused.

"My dad went to Yale," Levi said. "When I got accepted to Princeton, he teased me for not applying to Yale. He's joking but the man can never resist."

"What does your dad do?"

"He's a Lawyer," Levi said. "He owns his own Law Firm in Seattle, WA and in New York City."

"That's pretty impressive," David said. "So what made you decide to move to London?"

"My girlfriend lives here," Levi said.

"Ah," David chuckled, "How long have you been together?"

"We've known each other and been writing for over ten years, but we started dating officially about two years back," Levi said. "I went to a wedding in Iran, stopped in London on my way back to visit her and one thing led to another and we've been together ever since. We've had to have a long distance relationship until I graduated college and I moved here about three weeks ago."

"Well good for you," David said. "So you went to a wedding in Iran of all places? Who got married?"

"My cousin Jaedynn," Levi said. "Her husband is originally from Iran and he wanted to get married in Isfahan. They had a Muslim ceremony that was just us family then a Persian ceremony where I swear the man invited the whole country. It felt like I was at a Presidential Inauguration or something."

"This guy a politician or something?" David joked.

"No, he's a spice vendor. He owns a bunch of Saffron fields, he sells cinnamon and a bunch of other spices out of India: things like that."

"What's his name?" David asked with an arched brow.

"Roshad Javadi," Levi said.

"You're shitting me," David said.

"No," Levi said. "Why? You know him?"

"No, but we handle shipping for his company," David said.

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah; England has a giant Indian population and we have Middle Easterners here too. We got that account about ten years ago as I recall. I started seven years ago and by the time I got here, the Javadi Spice account was the favorite Cash Cow. About five years ago, a rep from Javadi Spice came to our facility and you could eat your lunch off the floors for how clean the CEO insisted this place be. Saturday and Sunday there was a cleaning crew in there that cleaned the facility top to bottom. We have a whole department dedicated entirely to Javadi Spice. It's so weird walking by that department because the lot of them speak almost entirely Arabic."

"I think you mean Farsi," Levi smiled.

"Whatever; point is it's like stepping into a different country when you walk over there," David said. "We just handle the billing end of that account, but if I have a question, I have to go over there to talk to them. It's a pain in the ass too because their hours are all weird. Iran's about five hours ahead of us so they have to be in the office at four in the morning so they're open at 8 Tehran time and they're here until 1 in the afternoon."

"Points for going the extra mile to accommodate the customer," Levi said.

"Believe me, the CEO goes out of his way," David said. "Going through the billing, though, I can't say I blame him."

"Yeah, Roshad's extremely generous in that sense," Levi said knowingly. "I guess if anyone ever needs to talk to Roshad directly, I've got his number."

"Oh no. No, no, no, no, no," David said. "If there's a problem, you have one contact and one contact only at this building: Esfar Lashgari. He's been the head of the Javadi Spice account from day one and he knows who to call and when if there's a problem. To my knowledge, there has only been one time when Esfar had to call the owner of Javadi Spice and it was because a shipment of cinnamon arrived and got damaged by the dock post arrival. Our CEO – Henry Kissinger? – was fucking livid. It was about ₤5,000 worth of cinnamon completely destroyed and contaminated and no one was certain what happened. A few people were suspended over that incident and everything. Esfar was on the phone for nearly two hours until he got to the owner of Javadi Spice and they worked something out to have a new shipment of cinnamon sent to the UK at no charge. Nearly lost the account because of that. That's when the rep from Javadi Spice came here to visit: Mr. Kissinger was trying to make sure we didn't lose the account."

"It was just one incident at the very least, right?"

"Thankfully," David said. "Granted there have been shipments that arrived with some damage, but that's just the nature of shipping. However, the damage is always superficial most of the time. The way they package everything, you'd think we were shipping hazardous materials, but no: just really expensive spices."

"Sounds about right," Levi said. "Has a rep visited since then?"

"Once last year but that was just a facility visit. I guess Javadi Spice was sending its rep to all their shipping companies as an overview and everything went well on our end, so I'm not complaining. He's an intimidating guy, I tell you."

"Did he happen to be bald?"

"Yes," David said. "I can't remember the name otherwise I'd tell you."

"Bastet Soliman if I had to guess."

"That was it!" David said.

"Yeah, he's Roshad's uncle," Levi said. "They're business partners and I think he's been the one in charge since Roshad moved to Washington. Roshad works from home and he makes trips to Iran all the time though."

"Sounds like your cousin landed herself a sugar daddy."

Levi laughed, "If you asked her, she'd say her Prince Charming, but it's definitely not a bad match. Roshad's a great guy, no question."

"Glad to hear it," David said and glanced at the clock. "Well, we better get started. Ed said you'd be shadowing me for today?"

"Yeah," Levi answered.

"Alright, good. Let's start with the morning expense report," David said.

David led Levi to the mailbox near the department where bills and invoices were generally put by other parts of the company and walked Levi through that process of booking. Thankfully it was simple enough, just really time consuming. During lunch, David took Levi over to the other departments to get him familiar with everyone finishing off with the Javadi Spice department they'd talked about that morning. It was a tiny department of five people and Levi could overhear them speaking in Farsi. Esfar was on the phone when they came over but Levi got a chance to say hello to the other four representatives. Then they got back to their cubicles and Levi watched David work on more daily tasks. By the end of the day, David decided Levi would take over the morning expense report and they'd give him more work as he got comfortable. About an hour before the end of the day, Levi went to HR to check on his badge and was finally provided with one so that when he came into the building, he could present it and get to work without issue. After work, Levi stopped by a deli on his way back and Nadja was home sitting in bed reading when he returned.

"How was your first day?" Nadja asked when Levi came into the apartment.

"It was great," Levi said. "I'll be taking over an expense report starting tomorrow and they'll give me more and more responsibilities as we go."

"That's great," Nadja answered and patted a spot on the bed beside her. Levi kicked off his shoes and went to the bed with his dinner and laid beside her pressing a kiss to her lips before getting comfortable. "I missed seeing you when I got home. I'd gotten so used to you being here when I returned from the café."

"I'm sorry," Levi said with an affectionate smile, "I'm home now at least. So guess who Dawson Trade ships for."

"Who?"

"Roshad," Levi said.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Levi said. "About ten years ago Dawson Trade started shipping spices for Roshad and he's been a valued customer ever since. They've got a whole department devoted entirely to Javadi Spice."

"Oh wow," Nadja said. "Maybe you should ask to work in that department."

"Nah," Levi said, "I'm pretty sure knowing fluent Farsi is a pre-requisite to working in that department. David joked letting me handle the billing for that account, but I don't think they will. It might be seen as a conflict of interest."

"Why?"

"My cousin's married to the CEO," Levi said.

"Oh, right," Nadja said, "I guess they don't want you discounting Roshad behind their backs."

"Exactly," Levi said. "So how was your day?"

"Dull," Nadja said. "No crazy customers; just a cozy day all around."

"That's good news," Levi said and took out his sandwich from the paper bag. "I'll do some grocery shopping once I get my first paycheck. I can't keep eating out like this."

"No, I'll do that," Nadja said. "I get paid this week so we'll go to the shop together and buy you some food. You can get groceries next time."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Nadja said. "Just remember we have limited space in that fridge."

"So canned food's the way to go; got it," Levi chuckled. "When we live in Seattle, we'll have a bigger apartment than this. It'll have a full fridge with a pantry and everything."

"How exciting," Nadja smiled. "Haven't even been here a month and already you're talking about moving back to Washington."

"Home is where the heart is," Levi smiled. "I promise, I'll give London an honest chance. You have my word."

"Good," Nadja said, "and when we live in Seattle, I promise to give it an honest chance."

"Agreed," Levi said and offered his hand to shake. She smiled and accepted it, but Levi pulled on her so she'd come forward and they could kiss.

For the remainder of the week, Levi took over the morning report as was assigned and by day three, he was working on that without disrupting David and the afternoon was spent shadowing him to review some account specific billing details including tariffs and taxations that needed to be taken into consideration. There was a cheat sheet Levi was provided with but David warned that cheat sheet was prone to change depending on political climate and the economy so he needed to make sure to check with Mr. Conway regularly to stay up to date. By the end of his first week, Levi had two accounts that he was officially made responsible for with a goal of taking over four accounts total.

"How'd you like your first week?" David asked after they were done for the day.

"I liked it," Levi said.

"Was it better than working at a grocery store?"

"It was definitely quieter," Levi smiled, "and the absence of couponers helped."

"What is a couponer?"

"It's someone that collects coupons out of the newspaper and use them to get discounts on their groceries and necessities. It's fine to use one or two, but sometimes you get those people that use a coupon on literally everything and get as much money off as they possibly can. It's a huge annoyance for everyone in line behind them, but I'll give them credit for dedication," Levi said.

"I wish I had that much determination," David said. "So what do you say we go to the pub and get a drink to celebrate a good first week?"

"Do you mind if we meet at 7?"

"Yeah, that'll be fine; gives me a chance to get comfortable," David said. "What parts do you live in?"

"My apartment's in Croydon," Levi said.

"I live down in Bexley. Let's meet in the middle? There's a pub in Bromley that's really good: St. Martin's Pub. They serve food so we can get dinner while we're there."

"Absolutely," Levi said. "What's the address?"

"It's on the corner of Sherman Rd. and South St. down the road from the Bromley Little Theatre."

"Okay, I know where that is," Levi said. "My girlfriend has done some shows there."

"Oh has she? So you're dating an actress are you?"

"Waitress by day, actress by night," Levi said, "but she's off season at the moment. She'll try out for another show later in the year once I'm more settled."

"Brava," David said. "I'll meet you in front of the bar at 7:00."

"I'll see you then," Levi answered. Levi left and took his usual public transit back to the apartment. Nadja was home and on the couch watching a movie that was playing. "Hey," Levi called once he'd entered.

"Hey you," Nadja said. "How was your day?"

"Great," Levi said, "David invited me to go out drinking tonight so we're meeting at St. Martin's Pub."

"I've been there before; it's a really nice place," Nadja said.

"Did you want to join us?"

"No, you go out and have fun," Nadja smiled. "I'm working tomorrow, but I'll be home by 2 so we can go grocery shopping after I get back."

"Okay," Levi said and got changed into more casual clothes. Once changed, he walked over to Nadja and gave her a kiss. "I promise not to be back too late."

"Hey, don't worry; you have a good time," Nadja said and kissed him back. "I love you."

"I love you too. If you're asleep when I get back, I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay," Nadja replied.

He gave her one more kiss before leaving the apartment and taking a taxi to the bar where David was already waiting outside. The two of them found a spot right at the bar and ordered themselves some beer and dinner. The two of them went into more detail about their personal lives talking about school, their home towns and, in David's case, past relationships. He didn't have kids but he was divorced as of 2 years ago but it was an amicable divorce and he even still called and checked on her every now and then. After several hours of drinking later, the two of them stumbled out of the pub, said goodbye getting into separate taxis and promised to see each other on Monday. By the time Levi got home, it was the middle of the night and Nadja was already in bed sound asleep. Levi did his best to stay quiet as he got ready for bed, but his drunken state sadly made him less discerning and he plopped into bed rather than got in slowly.

"Levi?" Nadja said in a groggy voice. She turned over and wrapped her arm over his chest.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you," Levi said.

"It's okay," Nadja said. "How was the pub?"

"We had a great time," Levi slurred.

"I can tell," she said with a smile and kissed his chin. "Go to sleep, Levi. Good night."

"Night," Levi said. "I love you."

"I love you too," Nadja replied.

In Washington, with just over a year before their Mitzvahs, Tristan and Lilliana were spending three days a week after school at the Synagogue getting prepared. Of course, the twins were far, far more interested in deciding where they wanted to go as their Mitzvah present. Sadly, trying to get the twins to agree on a place to go was a lot more challenging. Tristan wanted to go to Germany and while Anatoli was happy to offer to take him and Lee for that trip, Lilliana wanted to go somewhere completely different that the family had not gone before. She asked to go to Lithuania but, for obvious reasons, was met with a resounding 'no'. She suggested Italy but Tristan didn't want to go to Italy. Roshad threw out a few suggestions in the hopes of being helpful, but all his suggestions were vetoed predominantly by Tristan who was rather adamant he wanted to go to Germany. 'Levi got to go to Germany, why can't I?' being the rationale. Lilliana tried suggesting that they take separate trips but, again, the suggestion was shot down though not by Tristan.

"Lilli, come on; we have to agree on a place," Tristan said to his sister as they were taking the bus home before they would walk to the Synagogue.

"Tristan, I already said I don't want to go to Germany and everything I've suggested you've said no to," Lilliana said.

"What's wrong with Germany?"

"Levi already went to Germany."

"Good for him! We haven't!" Tristan said. "I think everyone but us have been to Germany at this point."

"Not everyone, Tristan," Lilliana said. "I wanted to go to Lithuania but I was turned down so neither of us is getting the place we wanted."

"Lilli, Lithuania's part of the Soviet Union! We literally can't go! Otherwise I'd agree to that," Tristan said.

"Stop yelling, Tristan; it's not necessary," Lilliana said. "What about Spain?"

"Why Spain?" Tristan asked.

"It's somewhere none of us have gone," Lilliana said.

"Can we even go to Spain? It's a dictatorship," Tristan said.

"Just because a country is a dictatorship doesn't mean we can't visit," Lilliana said. "What about the Bahamas?"

"That's boring," Tristan said.

"Only you could consider sandy beaches boring." Lilliana glanced out the window of the bus and then had a thought. "Okay – let's try to compromise. You want to go to Germany?"

"Yeah."

"And I really like the idea of going to France or Italy. What if we did one of those tours of Europe? We can start somewhere in France, we'll go to Germany and Italy and everyone can be happy," Lilliana suggested. Tristan thought about it for a moment.

"Sure," he finally said, "I can live with that."

"Good," Lilliana said. "Lee's coming with us right?"

"Well yeah," Tristan said, "why?"

"I just wanted to check," Lilliana said, looking out the window so Tristan wouldn't notice her blushing. "I want to possibly invite some friends of my own."

"Make sure you tell them now, then," Tristan said.

Later the twins relayed their suggestion of going on a tour of Europe. Finally having something the twins were agreeing on, Kevin promised he'd look into it but if it involved going to Germany, it wouldn't be a trip Amber would want to go on but Anatoli, again, promised he'd happily go with them. This time, though, Anatoli decided he wanted to bring Ivory along with them. The party going on this trip was considerably smaller than what had gone for Heather's Mitzvah so making the arrangements was considerably easier at the very least. Heather and Embry weren't planning to go especially since Embry had received an offer to build a home in California that winter. The plan was for him to fly out beginning of October. It sadly meant he'd be gone through to February, but he promised he'd fly back for Christmas and Hanukkah.

"Embry?" Heather said when the two were sitting down for dinner one night. It was September and Embry would be leaving for California in the next week.

"Yeah?"

"What if I told you I wanted to start trying?" Heather said as she was poking her fork at her food.

"Trying? For a baby you mean?" Embry said.

"Yeah," Heather said with a distant smile. "Obviously not until you get back for good from California, but I'd like to start trying. I think it might be nice to have a baby."

"Sure," Embry said, smiling back at her. "I guess we should discuss something since you bring up kids."

"What?"

"We never actually talked about what we'd name our kid," Embry pointed out. "As much as I'd love to name them after my little brother, I'm afraid too many people beat me to the punch on that one."

"No kidding," Heather said. "I actually thought we could name them after my grandparents. My great grandparents I mean."

"I don't know how well Kayechiwetchwe would go for our son," Embry chuckled a little, "unless you mean his 'white' name: William."

"That's what I was thinking," Heather said. "It's daddy's middle name too. I think William or Sara Call have a nice ring to them."

"Yeah, I think so," Embry said. "What about middle names? Since we're naming them after your grandparents, I think it's fair to make their middle names after my parents."

"William Embry or Sara Caevia?"

"Yeah," Embry said.

"So it's official? Once you get back from California we'll start trying?"

"Of course," Embry answered and leaned forward to give her a kiss.

Heather and Embry didn't advertise their decision by any means, but of course the tribe knew meaning Kevin knew, but he made sure not to tell Amber. Heather wanted to surprise her and only once she and Embry had conceived. It would be a long drive for him, but Kevin gave Embry the key to the beach house in Los Angeles so Embry had a place to stay and wouldn't have to rent an apartment. Around that time, Roshad had to go to Iran for business and would need to be gone for a few months, so Jaedynn decided she would join him with the children. They'd spend the majority of their time in Tehran and as soon as they had a chance to, they'd spend a week in Chalus. Bastet made contact with Morvarid and thankfully she was available and happy to act as their nanny again for the duration of their time in Iran.

"I spoke with Bastet. Morvarid arrived at the palace this morning," Roshad said once they'd made it to the limo. "He tells me she's very excited to meet our newest additions."

"I'm glad to hear it," Jaedynn said. "Kamron, are you excited to see Morvarid again?"

"Yeah," Kamron said but he was sitting on his knees staring out the window as the car pulled away from the airport. Ashti was sitting beside Kamron and was already holding onto him to make sure he stayed stable just in case the car came to a stop suddenly. The babies were all in carriers put close together for stability and Roshad sat closest to them while Jaedynn held onto Iman.

"When do you need to go into the office?" Jaedynn asked.

"I'll go in tomorrow," Roshad said. "I would like to have today to relax after that plane ride." He looked right at the boys and Sherry. The five of them had cried near the entirety of the time they were on the plane. He was just relieved they were finally calm for the first time in 13 hours. Regardless, he was happy to have them with him and he looked at Jaedynn lovingly. "Thank you for coming with me. If I had to spend six months away from all of your, it would drive me to insanity."

"Likewise," Jaedynn smiled. "Why do you need to be in Iran for so long?"

"It's going to be a busy winter," Roshad said. "We're moving to a larger warehouse and office facility and I need to be there to finalize the sale of the old warehouse, there'll be an inspection of the new facility, we'll be hosting a party for the employees to celebrate the opening of the new warehouse and we'll be throwing another party for investors and the Shah was invited of course. Bastet tells me it's rather certain he'll be attending so it of course looks best to have my wife and children attend, our partners in India are coming to Tehran and we'll be in and out of meetings with them the whole time they're here: it's a big to do."

"By the sounds of it, it feels like you'll hardly be home," Jaedynn said.

"Rest assured I will be home," Roshad smiled, "just be prepared to go on several business dinners with me. Roksana will be there so on the bright side, you won't have to be left out."

"Good," Jaedynn said with a relieved smile. "I can handle you and Ashti speaking Farsi to one another, but I don't know if I could handle a whole group with people I don't know."

"Oh no, they won't be speaking Farsi, we'll be speaking Punjabi," Roshad chuckled.

"All the more reason for Roksana to be there," Jaedynn giggled. She looked at Kamron and he was still focused on looking out the window onto the city as they drove by.

When they finally made it to the palace, people came out to retrieve all their luggage and bring it to their rooms while Bastet and Rashida waited inside to greet them. Kamron ran over to Bastet and Rashida to give them an enthusiastic hug and while it took him a moment to remember Morvarid, he gave her a tight hug too once he remembered her. Iman was a little more shy at first but did give Morvarid a hug as well. Knowing Roshad and Jaedynn almost certainly were desperate to get some rest, Morvarid took care of the children while Jaedynn and Roshad went up to the master bedroom together. Their luggage was already upstairs and Jaedynn went right to the enormous bed and plopped down. Roshad laid down beside her.

"Did you miss Tehran?"

"I missed this bed more," Jaedynn sighed. "It's like sleeping on a cloud." Roshad smiled and planted a kiss to her forehead. She tilted her head up and gave Roshad a kiss on the lips. It was chaste and only lasted a moment. "Maybe I should come to the new warehouse with the kids some time."

"I would love that," Roshad smiled. "Tomorrow I won't be at the new facility, but I will be on Wednesday. The inspection will be that day so if you want to bring the children on Friday I would love the company."

"I will," Jaedynn said and then yawned a little. Roshad gently brought her further onto the bed so her head would be atop her pillow. She cuddled up to Roshad and quickly fell asleep in his warm embrace.

After sleeping off the jetlag, Roshad made dinner for everyone. Morvarid, Jaedynn and Ashti spent most of dinner helping the babies eat their dinner making sure everything was cut really small for them. Kamron and Iman tried running around the kitchen rather than eat their dinner but Rashida managed to catch them and make them sit down. After dinner, they went outside in the gardens so all the children could play together and run around without fear, though they were kept far away from Fatimeh's statue. Jaedynn, Roshad and Morvarid were chasing the children around through the flowers and shrubbery until they'd finally gotten them drained of energy and ready for bed.

The next two days, Roshad and Bastet were away all day finalizing the sale of the old warehouse and being present for the new warehouse's final inspection. That day, Roshad called the palace and let Jaedynn know he and Bastet would be returning extremely late. Jaedynn, Morvarid, Ashti and Rashida had already put the children down for bed by the time Roshad and Bastet returned home. Wanting to surprise Roshad, Jaedynn asked Rashida to take Ashti and Bastet out for the night. They needed to hunt anyway and Morvarid had a room right beside the children's rooms in case she was needed. Kamron and Iman had their own little room while the babies had another room to themselves. Jaedynn waited in the bathroom for Roshad sitting on the lip of the porcelain tub surrounded in tan and dark mosaic tiles that matched the floor. As soon as she heard Roshad walk into the bedroom, she turned on the water and waited for it to get hot before securing the metal stopper so the tub could fill up with water. She put some lavender and rose oil into the water along with some argon oil and the room filled with the oils' scent. She walked out of the bathroom into the master bedroom wearing only a black silk robe as Roshad was tugging off his tie. His suit jacket was already lying on the bed having been tossed off.

"How was your day?" Jaedynn asked, making Roshad look up at her with a gentle smile.

"Long," Roshad said. "I'm sorry to be home so late."

"You took your associates to dinner right?"

"Yes," Roshad said, "but they wanted to go to a hookah bar afterwards so we did that too."

"Relaxing end to a long day?"

"Yes," Roshad smiled, "I do not mind smoking myself from time to time."

"Is it healthier than smoking cigarettes or something?"

"No," Roshad said with a small laugh. "The inspection went very well, so our employees can return to work on Monday."

"No one was working?"

"They were, but it was at a temporary office," Roshad said. "Tomorrow we'll be moving everything into the new office and employees can use Monday to set up their workspaces the way they want."

"That's good news," Jaedynn said. "So I was about to take a bath. Would you like to join me?"

"Very much so," Roshad answered as his smile broadened while he started unbuttoning his dress shirt. "You get yourself comfy. I'll join you in a moment."

"Okay," Jaedynn said and walked back into the bathroom.

She removed the robe tossing it onto the counter then stepped into the tub that was only a third of the way filled with water. It took her a moment to adjust to the heat of the water but she moaned once she was submerged. Roshad came into the bathroom a moment later already naked and stepped into the tub across from Jaedynn. He groaned as his head fell back against the lip of the tall porcelain tub. Jaedynn smiled and lifted her foot and poked Roshad's shoulder with her toe. He caught her by surprise when he brought his hand up in a swift motion grabbing her foot with his right hand and started to tickle her. Jaedynn screeched first then started laughing trying to get her foot away. Roshad released her foot but then moved forward and silenced her laughter with a kiss. Roshad took a hold of Jaedynn's arms guiding them to wrap around his neck then lifted her up so he could carry her back to the other end of the tub with him so she was straddling his lap.

"I missed you today," Roshad whispered against her lips.

"I missed you too," Jaedynn said. "Kamron's really excited to go to the warehouse tomorrow."

"Is he?" Roshad asked with s gentle smile.

"Yeah," Jaedynn said. "I told him he'll be responsible for making sure his little brothers and sisters are on their best behavior while we're there."

"Giving the boy authority already are we?" Roshad asked as he chuckled.

"I know I can trust him to take his responsibility seriously," Jaedynn smiled and kissed Roshad again. "You said some business associates from India are coming in?"

"Yes, but not for another two weeks," Roshad said. "Next Friday, we'll be hosting a party for our employees and then we'll have a week of normalcy before Aadiv and Jash arrive."

"You said we'll be hosting another party for them right?"

"Yes," Roshad said, "and the Shah will be attending that party. I believe he said his wife and son will be joining him as well."

"You spoke with him?"

"His assistant more appropriately, but yes," Roshad said.

"Should the children be with us or should we have Morvarid and Ashti looking after them in their room?"

"No, they will be with us," Roshad said. "Except for the Shah and his family, just about everyone attending was at our wedding so they'll want to see Kamron and Iman I'm sure. They may be surprised to see five toddlers of the same age, but we don't have to go into detail about that with anyone. Of course, Morvarid and maman will need to be with us to keep the children close."

"Of course," Jaedynn said. "In that case, I think we should enjoy the peace and quiet while we still can."

"Indeed we should," Roshad agreed and brought his lips to hers again.

Their tongues dueled in a passionate kiss for several minutes. Roshad soon realized the water was rising too close to the top of the tub and reached over to turn the knob and stop the water. Jaedynn hadn't been paying attention to the water and was only focused on Roshad. She could still smell his cologne even several hours after he'd initially applied it that morning and kissed her lovingly before leaving for work. The strong, masculine scent was intoxicating to her even now mixed with the smell the rose and lavender wafting up with the steam of the hot water in the tub. Their skin was slippery to the other's touch from the argon oil absorbing into their flesh.

Roshad trailed his hands up and down her body and pressed her against him. Jaedynn moaned into their kiss as she rubbed her hips against his feeling his erection rub against her intimately. She adored their children; she'd not give them up for the world. But with so many young children in the house and the attention they required, it was rare that she and Roshad could just be together like this. It was a rare treat for the two of them to enjoy intimacy to this extent. She was so desperate for him while also wanting this to last as long as possible. Jaedynn ran her wet hands through Roshad's thick black hair down his short stubble that had grown and needed a trim down his neck and then over his chest receiving great delight out of feeling his coarse chest hair under her fingers.

Roshad's hands traveled down her back until he gripped her ass pressing her against his erection. Jaedynn moaned and trailed her hands back up into his hair. That's how they remained for several minutes kissing one another in the hot water of the tub. Their fevered kisses and the rise of steam was enough to make Jaedynn feel light headed. Roshad took his lips away from hers and started kissed up and down her neck both tickling and pleasuring her all at once. As he planted his kisses, Roshad lifted Jaedynn up by her thighs and placed her down on the edge of the tub. The tile of the wall was so cold compared to the water in the tub and Jaedynn shivered when she felt it against her back, but it soon passed.

Once she was situated on the edge of the tub, Roshad's hand went between her legs to check her readiness. He rubbed two fingers tenderly over her entrance before slipping two fingers inside her. Jaedynn sighed and trailed her nails over Roshad's back while she was kissing his shoulder. When she was ready, Roshad adjusted so he was kneeling upright until he was positioned right between her legs and could slip inside her. Jaedynn moaned at the feel of him and lifted her head so they could kiss one another again. For a moment Roshad didn't move at all and when he did, it was very slow and gentle. He wanted this to last as much as she did and for a time, all they did was kiss one another. He did eventually start to speed up, but the narrow lip of the tub made it awkward and slightly uncomfortable. So Roshad pulled away from her and guided Jaedynn to turn so she was on her knees in the tub with her hands against the wall. The pace was slow to start once again but soon Roshad started to move faster and the only thing keeping Jaedynn stationary against his thrusts were her hands against the tile wall. The closer Jaedynn came to her release, she brought one hand around so it could rest atop Roshad's that was gripping her hip like a vice.

"Roshad," Jaedynn whimpered and moaned all at once.

As if reading her mind, Roshad stopped his movements, brought his arms around her so he could bring her back flush against his chest and brought one hand to her breast while the other trailed down between her legs to touch her clitoris and encourage her along. Jaedynn covered Roshad's hand between her legs with her own while her other hand reached behind to his head grabbing a fistful of his hair as he was sucking the skin at her neck. He increased his movements more and more until Jaedynn's whole body shook against him and she cried out in a passionate moan of pleasure when her orgasm finally hit. Roshad soon followed and had to bring a hand forward to rest against the wall so he didn't fall over from the intensity of his release. Soon, he fell back so he was sitting on the balls of his feet then went further back still holding onto Jaedynn and taking her with him as he sat back into the tub so his back was against another corner of the tub so they were cozy.

"I really needed that," Roshad whispered and started kissing along her neck up to her ear.

"Me too," Jaedynn said. He'd slipped out of her by now but she still sat in his lap and laid her head back against his shoulder. "I missed having you home all day. Kamron and Iman kept asking about you and I had to tell them baba's at work."

"I'm sorry," Roshad said. "I'll make sure they have as good a time as is possible tomorrow, though I can't guarantee they won't be bored when I have to actually sit down and work on something."

"Honestly, I think they'll just be happy to be around you even if you're working," Jaedynn said.

"For a time," Roshad smiled and kissed her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," Jaedynn moaned.

They soaked in the tub together for a while longer and made sure to actually wash up before getting out and dried off to go to bed. Roshad was awake before Jaedynn and knew he should get out of bed and ready to go to work, but he didn't want to leave her side and stayed in bed. He'd happily deal with being in a rush. Roshad held Jaedynn close and breathed in the smell of her hair. It took all his willpower not to give into the arousal he felt. He heard a scream coming from down the hall, but it wasn't of distress. It sounded like Iman squealing excitedly about something and then he heard tiny footsteps running towards their bedroom. He heard those footsteps stop in front of their bedroom door and he started chuckling a little when he heard tiny hands start slapping on the door.

"Baba!" Kamron called from the other side of the door. Jaedynn groaned and started to wake up and lifted her head staring at the door a moment.

"I'll go get him," Roshad whispered into Jaedynn's ear, kissed her cheek and then got out of bed walking towards the door. He put on a robe just in case Morvarid had chased after Kamron and was on the other side. He opened the door just as Morvarid caught up to Kamron who was standing outside waiting patiently then went straight to Roshad's leg as soon as the door was open. "You bellowed, Kamron?"

"We have to go to work!" Kamron said eagerly and started jumping up and down.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Javadi; I tried to tell him to be patient," Morvarid said.

"It's alright," Roshad said. "Is maman home?"

"Yes, she's already dressing the babies," Morvarid said.

"Thank you," Roshad said and got down to Kamron's level. The little boy was still in his night clothes. "You do not plan to go to work in that I hope."

Kamron glanced down at his clothes and then back up at Roshad, "No."

"Thank goodness; this isn't within our company's dress code," Roshad said. "We can't leave for work until you get dressed. Why don't you go back to your room and we'll leave as soon as you're ready."

"Okay!" Kamron turned and went to Morvarid but stopped seeming to realize something. "What about breakfast?"

"Your Aunty Rashida is already preparing breakfast, Azizam," Morvarid said and patted Kamron's shoulder, "now come along or you'll be late. It's not proper to be late for work." Kamron started running back to his room and Morvarid chased after him. Roshad smiled as he closed the door and looked at the bed to see Jaedynn sitting up on the edge rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning," Roshad said and walked over to the bed and leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Morning," Jaedynn said. "I told you Kamron was excited."

"I never doubted it," Roshad smiled.

They got dressed to go to the office and Morvarid and Ashti made sure all the children were dressed nice. They all had breakfast together then finally left together. The warehouse was much further from the palace than the previous place had been but when they arrived and Jaedynn could see it, it was clearly much larger than the previous warehouse. When they got out of the car and stepped into the office building entrance, there was no one at the front desk but there were boxes atop the desk with Farsi script. Kamron chased after Roshad making sure he was walking close beside him. The building was empty but each cubical had boxes atop them that were labeled with, Jaedynn assumed, the name of the employee. Some were overflowing with personal knickknacks, but all the desks had their own phone set up as well as a typewriter.

"It's so empty compared to the other place," Jaedynn said.

"It'll take time for this place to get cozy," Roshad agreed. "It'll feel more lively once everyone's adjusted to the new environment."

"Is everyone excited about the move?" Jaedynn asked.

"No one's complained to Bastet or me, so I assume so," Roshad said. "There are some employees that will have a longer commute because of the move. I've told all the managers they need to make accommodations for those so they can adjust their schedules as needed."

They walked through the building together until they made it to an office closer to the actual warehouse of the building. The door was wide open and when they all stepped inside and Roshad turned on the lights, everything looked in order as it had in the old place. The enormous mahogany desk was at one side of the room with a large window that overlooked the warehouse's boxing area. It was much larger than the previous one with more equipment and there were a few people working on the machinery to make sure it would be ready for operation come Monday. Kamron and Iman went to the glass to stare out the window at the warehouse with Morvarid close behind them carrying Don in her arms. All Roshad's decorative pieces that she remembered from the other place were there. There were pictures of Roshad with diplomats, with the Shah, enormous group photos from previous soccer games that Roshad had hosted along with some new pictures. Jaedynn wandered slowly over to Roshad's desk with Leo and Mikie in her arms while Ashti held Navid and Sherry. Roshad's desk had pictures on it that were closer to heart. She saw a picture of the two of them sitting at their Sofreh Aghd, a picture of the two of them together holding Kamron and Iman as they were cutting their cake together and finally, on the other end of the desk, was their most recent family photo they'd all taken together right after they'd returned to Washington with the boys officially making them part of the family.

Taking that picture had been a huge challenge. She remembered that day like it was yesterday. They'd arrived at the photographer all dressed nice and the photographer had a hell of a time getting them positioned in such a way that they were all in view and in a way that made the picture look appealing. Jaedynn was sitting on a loveseat with the twins in her lap, Don and Mikie on either side of her on the loveseat sitting up in their teeny tiny suits, Roshad standing behind the chair with Leo and Iman in his arms and Kamron standing by Roshad atop a large box that had been kept out of site thanks to the chair. It took forever to make sure all the boys were sitting upright instead of slumping or squirming around and make sure everyone was looking at the camera. The photographer had managed by some miracle to catch the perfect picture with everyone looking into the camera. Kamron, Jaedynn, Roshad and Iman were smiling while the babies weren't. They were just staring towards the camera wide eyed and adorable.

"I love that picture," Jaedynn smiled.

"Let's wait to take another picture until they're older and will cooperate more readily," Roshad said and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

They continued walking around the building for a tour and finished by going out onto the warehouse, but only after Kamron and Iman were expressly told not to touch anything since the equipment could potentially hurt them if they were fooling around with it. When they walked in, Kamron and Iman ran forward to look at everything and Morvarid was close behind yelling at them to remain close by. Bastet was on the dock overseeing all the tweaks being made to the machinery but he looked up from one of the machines to see Kamron and Iman running for him. He kneeled down and hugged the two kids and lifted them up with him as he stood and started showing them what everyone was doing.

Roshad eventually had to return to his office to get some work done so Jaedynn and the others left to return to the palace. The next week was a little calmer for Roshad and Bastet. They were returning home at a normal time without issue. Jaedynn helped Rashida plan for the large dinner party Roshad was hosting for the employees that Friday. They all went shopping together early that week to pick something nice to wear for that evening bringing the children along with them so they could get the children clothes for that evening as well. The ballroom was set up with tables that were decorated with glass crocus flowers, bowls of cinnamon, anise and other spices and glass pomegranates – all surrounding the hotpots that would be holding the food once served. Otherwise, the ballroom was spectacular all on its own and didn't need too much fuss. Late Friday morning, the kitchen that was normally only used by Roshad had two chefs in it prepping all the food that would be served that evening.

Rashida got herself ready first and early so she could monitor everything going on downstairs while Ashti helped Jaedynn get ready. Morvarid spent most of the day playing with the children in their room despite Kamron wanting to play outside. However, with more set up being done outside in the garden, the children needed to remain upstairs and out of the way. Roshad and Bastet returned early that day and Bastet assisted Rashida with any last minute arrangements while Roshad went upstairs to the master bedroom. Ashti had already gotten Jaedynn's hair done into a sophisticated bun and her makeup was already applied and Ashti was laying out Jaedynn's dress on the bed. Jaedynn was in the bathroom and out of site when Roshad stepped in and he had a brief exchange with Ashti before she walked out and left Roshad and Jaedynn alone. Roshad walked to the bathroom and Jaedynn was standing in front of the mirror making sure her bright red lipstick was not smudged. Jaedynn smelled his cologne before he'd made it to the doorway and she smiled at him through the mirror.

"How was work?" she asked.

"Productive," Roshad answered and walked the rest of the way to her and wrapped his arms around her waist then started kissing her neck. At the moment, she was only wearing her nightshirt and some jeans but she was breathtaking all the same.

"What time will people start coming?" Jaedynn asked as she tilted her head to one side.

"Everyone was told six, so probably closer to eight," Roshad answered with humor. Then he continued to kiss up and down her neck. He's stop in a moment he promised himself. But soon his hands were trailing over her body sensually and Jaedynn was gripping the side of the sink content to not stop him, forgetting for a moment that with vampires in the palace, the walls truly did have ears.

"Maman!" they heard Iman cry and both of them jumped when they finally realized there were tiny little footsteps stomping towards their room. By the time Roshad released Jaedynn and they'd both turned around, Iman was already approaching and looked like she'd been crying and went straight for Jaedynn.

"Iman, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Kamron pulled my hair!" Iman cried.

"No I didn't!" Kamron was already yelling from the hallway as he too was approaching. They could hear Ashti following after him and all romance that had been in the air was sucked out in favor of comforting Iman and scolding Kamron for being too rough when playing with his little sister.

Later that evening when people finally started to arrive, the children were dressed up and everyone was in the ballroom welcoming guests as they came. Jaedynn greeted as many people as she was able to but for those that did not speak English, she would politely bow to them and wait for them to approach her for kisses on the cheek after they'd spoken to Roshad. All their guests gushed over the children but after nearly an hour of just welcoming people, Kamron and Iman were clearly very bored. The babies were all content to stay in the arms of whomever was holding them and each guest commented about having five toddlers to contend with. When Roksana and Hashem arrived even having brought their son Darius, Jaedynn welcomed her eagerly and was relieved to have an old friend to talk to. After all the guests arrived, Kamron and Iman were mercifully given permission to go to the garden and play but were expressly told they're to remain near Morvarid and Ashti.

About that time in Korea, Jae Sun was still publishing his comics. He'd finally written Akihiko telling him all about it having not written him since his initial move to Korea. When he found out Jae Sun was publishing his work, Akihiko was extremely proud and asked that Jae Sun send him copies of the newspaper. Jae Sun would do just that but would make sure he added little translations in Japanese for his comic so Akihiko could fully appreciate it. It was few and far between when anyone would know him as the author and artist behind Popo and Koro Koro, but he couldn't help a smile crossing his face when he would see little kids or even adults reading it and appreciating it. However, the farm of course took priority. His days were filled with making sure the animals were fed and tended to, their enclosures cleaned, the crops tended to and harvested when appropriate and when the time was right, he and a few others would go into the city together to sell rice and homemade makgeolli. It was a quiet life to be sure. Sometimes it would feel far too quiet and he'd go into Seoul for some excitement especially now that he knew a few people from the publishing house and could go out with them.

At the end of harvesting season for the rice and after three days in Seoul, Jae Sun returned to the little cottage ready to just go straight to bed. He went to his old bedroom he used to share with all his brothers and little sisters and was ready to go right to sleep. He managed to get a cat nap at best, but was woken by the smell of food cooking. Specifically chicken. Jae Sun woke up and went to the kitchen finding Yon braising a whole chicken cut into segments in a large wok. The smell of soju, soy sauce and anchovy stock filled the house. The ingredients for the side dishes were already laid out and Yon was cleaning the soybean sprouts when he walked in.

"Good, you're awake," Yon smiled. "I hear the rice and Makgeolli sold well."

"It did," Jae Sun said. "Do you need me to help?"

"I confess that would be very nice," Yon said and put the bowl of soybean sprouts down. "I tell you, Jae Sun, I'm getting too old. My feet are killing me like no other."

"Just let me know what is left to prep and I'll take care of it," Jae Sun said as he rushed to Yon and helped her to a seat near the door. Poki, ever the beggar, was weaving around their feet meowing for a share of food. "I'll feed you in a moment, Poki."

"The way that cat begs, you'd think he was starving," Yon smiled as she took a seat. "I trimmed some fat and skin from the chicken. The organs are cooking in that broth, so if you're so inclined you can give some to Poki. Not the neck though."

"I know," Jae Sun chuckled, "I'll leave the neck for you."

Jae Sun went through the broth looking for any organs that had already cooked in the braising liquid and got that chopped up and in a bowl to give to Poki. Once Poki was properly distracted with his dinner, Jae Sun took over cleaning the soybeans picking out any dead beans then rinsing them again and getting them into a pot of boiling salted water. About forty minutes later after the chicken was done cooking and the rice was ready, they sat down together at the little table to eat. Poki sat beside Jae Sun gently patting his arm for attention. Whenever Jae Sun was chewing, he'd bring his hand to Poki's head and scratch behind the little cat's ear and the room would fill with the loud vibration of a cat's purr. That night after Jae Sun had walked Yon back home, he worked on his next comic strip and finally went to bed once he had a storyline planned out. The next day was more of the same but with the rice harvested, they all got to have some time to cool down a little before they would be planting a new rice crop.

He went to the post office to get his and Yon's mail and noticed he had a letter from Akihiko. He smiled, happy to see the letter, and brought the mail to Yon's place first then back to his house. He got through his mail saving Akihiko's letter for last. Thankfully, Jae Sun's Japanese was as good as ever and writing to one another in Japanese definitely helped. However this letter was different. There was a business card that fell out and it was to a manga publisher in Tokyo. He went on to read Akihiko's letter and found out he'd collected all of Jae Sun's comics and submitted them to a Manga publisher. They loved the comics and wanted to offer for Jae Sun to start publishing with them.

"Oh my God," Jae Sun said to himself.

He couldn't believe it. Japan was a hub for cartoonists that had the talent and the determination to go with it, so to receive an offer was like a dream come true. He got up from his bed with a jolt of excitement and Poki mewed having been disrupted from his nap at the end of Jae Sun's futon. Jae Sun started pacing, the possibility of actually publishing felt overwhelming. He smiled from ear to ear reading and rereading Akihiko's letter. He realized he had to tell Yon, but then his excitement dwindled. Yon. He couldn't just leave her. He'd taken over the farm and if he left, she'd need to either do everything herself which was a non-option or she'd have to find someone else. Said person would charge her and she couldn't afford that. Jae Sun sat back down on his futon as he felt himself deflate. He looked at the clock. It was still 8:00 and the time would be the same in Japan if not maybe a few minutes ahead. Jae Sun went out to the kitchen area and grabbed the phone so he could call Akihiko's apartment. He waited two rings before there was an answer.

"Hello," Yue answered, "this is the Adachihara residence."

"Yue, it's Jae Sun."

"Oh! Jae Sun! One moment, I'll get Akihiko." He heard Yue call for Akihiko and then heard the phone change hands.

"Jae Sun? Did you get my letter?"

"I did," Jae Sun answered. "You have no idea how excited I was to see it."

"You don't sound excited," Akihiko said.

"Do you suppose they would allow me to work from Korea?" Jae Sun asked, getting straight to the point. "I can mail them my work and it can publish from there."

"You would want to ask them," Akihiko said, now seeing the problem. "I'm so sorry; the question of whether or not you could move to Japan didn't even cross my mind when I submitted those comics."

"It didn't even cross my mind until I thought about telling grandma," Jae Sun said. "I can't just leave her."

"I know," Akihiko said, "but don't give up just yet. Talk to them; let them know your circumstances. Maybe they'll be willing to work with you. It's not like a newspaper where they need an installment once a week."

"You're right," Jae Sun said, "I'll call them tomorrow. Thank you so much for getting me this opportunity, Akihiko. Even if it doesn't work out, I really appreciate this."

"It'll work out," Akihiko said, "I promise you it will."

The two said goodbye and ended their call. Jae Sun decided to wait to tell Yon until he had a chance to speak with the company. The next day he was up bright and early tending to the animals. Once they were all fed, Jae Sun went back to the house and grabbed the business card and called the publisher. He got a receptionist who put him on hold for several minutes before he was finally put through to the man on the business card.

"Good morning, this is Kaito Yukimura. Is this Jae Sun Dauer?"

"Yes, this is Jae Sun Dauer," Jae Sun answered. "My uncle told me you liked my Poki and Koro Koro comics?"

"Indeed I did," Mr. Yukimura said. "It's a pleasure to speak with you Mr. Dauer."

"The pleasure's all mine, Mr. Yukimura," Jae Sun answered respectfully.

"Now, there is something I noticed that I suspect we should get to right away. All the comics your uncle sent to my office were in Korean. I assume you're currently residing in Korea then?"

"Yes, I am," Jae Sun answered. "It was my hope that perhaps I could remain in Korea and still be able to publish for you. I read and write Japanese fluently, so to translate everything would be no trouble."

"Yes, I can tell; you speak Japanese very well," Mr. Yukimura praised. "I do not foresee a problem with you publishing from Korea, however I would like very much if you could come to Tokyo so we could speak in person. Would that be something we could arrange?"

"Yes, absolutely," Jae Sun answered eagerly. "Are you free to meet on Monday?"

"Yes, I can meet on Monday. Be in my office at 8:00 am sharp with some samples and we'll discuss the details further."

"Yes, Mr. Yukimura. Thank you," Jae Sun bowed out of pure compulsion even if the man on the other end of the phone couldn't see him do it.

"I look forward to meeting you in person. Thank you for calling, Mr. Dauer."

"Thank you for speaking with me," Jae Sun replied and they ended their call. A renewed sense of excitement now that there was a possibility this really could work, Jae Sun ran to Yon's home and let himself in. She was at her table reading and drinking some tea when he stepped into the house.

"Jae Sun? Is everything alright?" Yon asked.

"I got an offer to publish for a Manga company in Japan!" Jae Sun blurted out.

"What?" Jae Sun came to the table and sat down beside Yon.

"I got an opportunity to publish Manga in Japan! Uncle Akihiko submitted some of my comics I'd been publishing and I just spoke with the Art Director of the company and he wants to meet with me on Monday!"

"My goodness, Jae Sun, that's fantastic!" Yon said and gave Jae Sun a big hug, then she became slightly nervous. "Will they let you publish while you're living here?"

"I asked the director about it and he said we'd work something out," Jae Sun smiled. "Don't worry, grandma – I'll be able to stay here and help you. I'll make sure of it. If I have to turn it down, I will but-"

"No," Yon said, "absolutely no talk of turning it down."

"I hope not," Jae Sun said. "I'll make it clear I need to be here to help you. I'll make it work, grandma; I promise."

Yon smiled and patted Jae Sun's back. She whipped out some soju she had in the fridge and they had a big dinner together to celebrate. Even if they it was only an offer at this point, there was still reason to celebrate. Jae Sun went into the city the following day and made all the necessary arrangements to go to Japan. The plane ride there wasn't terribly expensive, so Jae Sun got himself a ticket for a plane that left Sunday and called Yue to let her know that he'd be coming to Japan and asked if she would mind terribly if he stayed with them while he was there. Yue agreed that would be fine and they were excited to welcome him.

Jae Sun got as much work done as possible so that the person that would be helping Yon while Jae Sun was gone would only have to worry about feeding and cleaning after the animals. Thankfully, it was a neighbor's son and would be assisting Yon for free since it would only be a few days. On Sunday, Jae Sun brought Poki to Yon's house so she could look after him while he was gone and then drove into the city to make his plane. He was in Tokyo within three hours of getting to the airport and it was still early afternoon when he landed. He couldn't even remember how long it had been since he'd been to Japan. It felt like an eternity since everything looked so different than he remembered. He got a taxi to bring him to Shibuya where Akihiko and Yue were living. The publishing company he'd be interviewing with was in Shinjuku so the train ride there wouldn't be an issue at all which couldn't be any more perfect. He paid the driver and waited at the entrance of the apartment building having buzzed Akihiko's and Yue's apartment number. Once they allowed him entry, Jae Sun went up the elevator several flights until finally making it to their floor and to their apartment. He knocked twice and seconds later, Yue answered the door.

"Jae Sun-chan!" she smiled, "it's so good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too," Jae Sun smiled and gave Yue a hug.

"You're as giant as ever," she teased. "Bow your head," she continued as they went inside. Jae Sun indeed bowed his head as he entered the apartment so he wouldn't hit his head on the doorway and took off his shoes at the front replacing them with slippers that were ready above the landing for guests. Akihiko walked over and gave Jae Sun a hug too.

"It's so good to see you, Jae Sun. It's been too long."

"I know; it really has," Jae Sun said. "Thank you so much for letting me stay here."

"It's no trouble at all," Yue said, "We're delighted to have you. Are you hungry? We have some grilled fish and rice still warm for you."

"I'd like that; thank you," Jae Sun said. Yue went to the tiny kitchen to make Jae Sun a plate and bowl of rice while Akihiko showed Jae Sun where to rest his overnight bag. The guest room was set up with a little futon that was currently folded and against the wall allowing for plenty of space in the otherwise tiny room. They returned to the kitchen and Jae Sun took a seat at the small table that now had a plate of grilled fish, some white rice and a Fuji apple already cut up and cored. It made him feel like a kid and he couldn't help laughing a little.

"Is everything alright?" Yue asked.

"Everything's great," Jae Sun said and sat at the table. "This smells great, Yue. Thank you so much."

"Make sure to save room for dinner," Yue said. "I decided I'm making curry tonight. Have you ever had that?"

"No, I can't say I have, but I've seen those roux blocks for sale in Seoul," Jae Sun said.

"I hope it's alright if it's spicy," Yue said.

"Yue, aunty, come on. Think of who you're talking to," Jae Sun teased with a smile then got started eating his fish and rice.

"He's Korean, Yue; he's used to eating lava for dinner," Akihiko joked.

"For dessert it's fire," Jae Sun played along. "This is delicious by the way."

"Thank you, Jae Sun-chan," Yue smiled. "So how was your flight?"

"It's the first time a flight to Japan only took an hour," Jae Sun smiled. "This may sound stupid, but I already miss Poki. I'm used to having him sitting next to me bugging me when I'm trying to eat."

"I'm afraid this apartment doesn't allow pets," Yue said.

"Well, on paper it doesn't," Akihiko said, "but we all know the young woman down the hall has two. We all just keep quiet about it. She's a really nice young woman. Her father works at the hospital as a lab tech and she's a nurse. She's about your age actually. To my knowledge, she's not seeing anyone."

"Thank you, Akihiko, but I don't know about meeting someone when I'm only here for three days," Jae Sun said but he was chuckling a little.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Yue asked. "I'm sure the young ladies in Seoul adore you."

"I'm afraid they don't," Jae Sun said. "Most of them think I'm too tall. If I remember correctly, when I'd gone to this single's mixer there was a girl I overheard tell her friends that if she wanted to climb a tree, she'd just go outside."

"Well, shame on her; it's her lose," Yue said.

"Yue, don't embarrass the poor boy," Akihiko said. "A man Jae Sun's height can be very intimidating. It's understandable."

"Sure it's intimidating, but they should at least get to know you," Yue continued. "If they did, they'd know you're just a gentle giant."

"Thank you for saying, Yue," Jae Sun said appreciatively.

After Jae Sun finished eating, Yue insisted that they take Jae Sun out to see the city even if all they did was go to see Tokyo Tower. Akihiko agreed and the three of them traveled together by train to the Tokyo Tower. Thankfully it was extremely close and didn't take long for them to get there. They stopped by a few shops together for fun and so Yue could buy a cake for them to share after dinner that night. When they returned, Jae Sun helped Yue make dinner and watched her make curry using a pre-made roux block, chicken broth and loads of vegetables. They enjoyed the rest of the evening together having dinner and cake and getting caught up with what was going on in their lives. They all went to bed early that night and Jae Sun got up bright and early and made sure his shower was extremely quick so he wasn't disrupting Akihiko or Yue. Of course, by the time Jae Sun was out of the shower, he could already smell eggs and rice cooking. He dried off and dressed in a very nice suit and gathered his portfolio and the samples he'd been asked to bring and met Yue and Akihiko outside at the table. Akihiko was also dressed in a very nice suit ready to leave for work.

"When do you plan to retire?" Jae Sun asked Akihiko jokingly as he took a seat at the table beside the man.

"When I'm dead, dear Jae Sun. When I'm dead," Akihiko smiled.

Yue came to the table, the image of the perfect Japanese housewife in white Capri pants, a little floral top and an apron, and put the food on the table so they could all have breakfast together. It reminded him so much of home and it was comforting to see. After breakfast, Akihiko and Jae Sun left the apartment and went down to the train station. They had to take separate trains and promised to see one another later. Jae Sun made it to the publisher early and entered the massive office building along with seemingly hundreds of other people. The whole way from the apartment, to the train, the streets and in the office building, everyone that noticed him and stared. He just ignored it, though. He was used to being gawked at and kept his head held high as he walked past everyone to the elevators. He went to the back of the elevator as he entered and stared forward but he caught people in the elevator glancing at him hoping Jae Sun didn't notice. Once he'd made it to the right floor, he politely made his way through the group to exit the elevator and walked down the hall until he made it to the office for the publisher. He walked in through the glass doors and the receptionist looked up politely with a smile, then started staring.

"Good morning," Jae Sun said politely with a smile and bowed. She quickly bowed when she apparently realized her staring was causing her to be impolite. "My name is Jae Sun Dauer. I'm here to see Mr. Yukimura. We have an 8 o'clock appointment."

"Yes, of course," the young woman answered and checked her appointment book, then dialed the number for Mr. Yukimura's office. She kept glancing at Jae Sun but would immediately look away with a blush of embarrassment on her cheeks that she'd been caught staring. Once she finished the call, she looked at Jae Sun again. "Mr. Yukimura will see you now, Mr. Dauer. I'll walk you to his office."

"Thank you," Jae Sun answered and followed after the woman through two different hallways until they made it to an office at the end. She knocked and waited for Mr. Yukimura to give permission to enter and she opened the door.

"Mr. Dauer here for you, Mr. Yukimura," the young woman said as she bowed. Mr. Yukimura stood from his desk and bowed first to the young woman then to Jae Sun who reciprocated making sure to bow lower than Mr. Yukimura.

"Welcome, Mr. Dauer. Please, have a seat," he said and Jae Sun came forward to sit across from Mr. Yukimura. The young woman closed the door to the office before returning to her own desk, leaving Jae Sun and Mr. Yukimura alone. "It's very good to finally meet you in person, Mr. Dauer."

"It's a pleasure," Jae Sun said, "and thank you for not staring."

"Akihiko warned me that you're of great height," Mr. Yukimura chuckled.

"So how do you and Akihiko know each other?"

"I'm married to his niece," Mr. Yukimura answered.

"Are you? I didn't know Helen had gotten married. Congratulations. How long have you both been married?"

"We celebrated our one year anniversary this past February," Mr. Yukimura answered.

"That's great," Jae Sun smiled, "tell Helen I said hello."

"I absolutely will," Mr. Yukimura said. "May I see those samples you brought?"

"Of course," Jae Sun answered and handed over the samples and his portfolio.

His samples were in Japanese but all his other work was either in English or in Korean. All the same, Mr. Yukimura looked through everything and Jae Sun waited anxiously for him to speak. He looked so focused on Jae Sun's work seeming to go through it all with a fine tooth comb. Jae Sun glanced around the office trying to relax and saw some diplomas on the wall, there was a large bookcase filled top to bottom with manga, there was a picture of Mr. Yukimura in a suit standing beside a young woman in a wedding dress and another picture of the two of them with who Jae Sun assumed were Mr. Yukimura's parents along with Yoshiko and Lt. Holloway. They looked so different than he remembered from when he was a boy. Helen looked completely different than what he remembered too. After taking in the whole office, he looked at Mr. Yukimura again and saw he was still evaluating Jae Sun's work.

"This particular story," Mr. Yukimura spoke up suddenly and pulled out a few pages that he put down on his desk: the story of how his parents met. "This is a war story?"

"It's the story of how my parents met," Jae Sun answered.

"Is it?" Mr. Yukimura asked. "Forgive me, I can't read Korean. How does the story go?"

"My dad was shot and captured by the North Koreans and was brought to a POW camp outside Pyongyang. He was questioned along with his comrades and tortured for information. My mom was brought in the help – she was a trusted member of the military and even worked closely with Kim Il Sung. I don't know if mom ever actually met the man, though. When she and my dad met, it was like love at first sight. One of the men that had been captured, Jun, was not imprisoned and was seen as a rescued comrade so he helped my dad and the others convince my mom to help them escape. My mom was caught helping them, got shot and dad carried her with him away from the camp, through North Korea and over the DMZ into South Korea. They got married about a year later and I was born December of '53."

"That's quite remarkable," Mr. Yukimura said. "It breaks my heart we can't publish this. The artwork is quite beautiful. I know this would sell very well as a Shonen genre manga, but…"

"I know," Jae Sun said, nodding his head knowingly. "Trust me, I know. I keep saying I'm going to go to the DMZ to visit it but mom's so paranoid I might somehow be recognized. I don't know what makes her think I would be."

"I say listen to your mother," Mr. Yukimura said and took back the pages putting them in their original place in the portfolio. "So I'm told this comic you've been writing is inspired by true events?"

"'Inspired' is definitely the best word for it," Jae Sun answered. "We lived in Japan for a year when my dad was still serving in the army after the war. There was this crow that was making noise outside the window and dad opened the window and threw his boot at the bird. That bird became my dad's nemesis." Mr. Yukimura smiled with a tiny laugh. "We nicknamed the crow Koro Koro and Uncle Akihiko made a little comic for me about Koro Koro tormenting my dad. From there, I took that concept and added a cat. Popo was our cat that my mom rescued when we were living in Korea. She saved him from a weasel when he was a kitten and he became a part of our family."

"And Blu? How did this character come into the story?"

"There's this little blue bird that's always hanging around my grandma's house. We like to believe he's the spirit of my late grandpa. My Grandpa Jae fought in the 2nd World War and died in Paris. It was a really hard loss for everyone and not long after he died, a little blue bird starting coming to my grandma's house and he's been there ever since."

"Really?" Mr. Yukimura asked.

"Really," Jae Sun said. "Blu the bird has been hanging around as far back as I can remember. Hence The Adventures of Popo the Cat. All the events are based in Washington where I'm from."

"Out of all these strips, which would you say is your favorite?"

"The one where Popo is trying to get into the chicken coup," Jae Sun said with a big smile. "That comic is barely an exaggeration. Popo was determined to get into my mom's chicken coup and was getting increasingly frustrated that he couldn't get in. Sometimes he'd sit on the rails of our porch staring at it and he'd be chattering the whole time."

"So the Popo of the comics is an honest reflection of your cat?"

"As honest as it gets," Jae Sun said and made Mr. Yukimura laugh.

"Well, all things considered, I'd say you've got a well worth while story here and I would love nothing more than to see these published," Mr. Yukimura said. "Now, you said that you wish to publish while remaining in Korea, correct?"

"Yes, Mr. Yukimura," Jae Sun answered. "You see, my grandmother is elderly and owns a large farming plot and she can't look after it on her own. After my grandpa died, I moved to Korea to help her."

"I completely understand," Mr. Yukimura said. "We can absolutely let you work from Korea, though we may need to have you come to Japan depending on circumstance."

"That's no problem," Jae Sun said.

"Obviously we'd be paying you in Yen," Mr. Yukimura said, "but if that's not a problem, we can discuss what you were hoping to make. Our artists typically earn about ¥10,700 per submission as well as 55% of the revenue made from sales. Now, if you make manga for those large manga collection sets with several different authors and artists, that typically requires you to work here in office and you make a salary because those collection sets are published weekly."

"I see," Jae Sun said. It was definitely more than he made publishing his weekly comic strips once he did all the conversions in his head. "That sounds great. I would love to accept."

"I'm happy to hear it," Mr. Yukimura smiled. "When can you have a manuscript for your first edition ready?"

"I can have that ready for you no more than two weeks," Jae Sun promised.

"So soon?"

"I work really fast," Jae Sun smiled.

"Well, in that case, I'll see you again in two weeks. Same day and time," Mr. Yukimura said and the two of them stood up from their chairs and bowed to one another. "It was a great pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Dauer. I look forward to seeing you again and seeing your first edition."

"Thank you so much for seeing me, Mr. Yukimura," Jae Sun answered.

Mr. Yukimura held the portfolio in both hands and offered it back to Jae Sun. He accepted, also taking hold of it with both hands, then they bowed to one another again before Jae Sun walked out of Mr. Yukimura's office. Jae Sun had a spring in his step as he walked out of the office building. He was actually really sad to leave. Something about being in that building that had him excited and he felt like there was something tugging at his heart. As he stepped out of the elevator, he could feel that tug intensify and he looked to his right, but there was only a group of people walking into an elevator together until the area in front of that elevator was completely clear. He shrugged off the strange sensation and walked out to return back to Akihiko's and Yue's apartment.

Yue let Jae Sun in and once he was upstairs, he told her all about his meeting with Mr. Yukimura and how it went. His excitement was unmistakable and Yue smiled the whole time Jae Sun went on and offered praise that everything had gone so well. Jae Sun told Akihiko everything once he'd returned home. They all enjoyed dinner together and some beer to celebrate and Akihiko promised Jae Sun was welcome to stay with them again when he returned in two weeks to drop off his first edition. The next day, Jae Sun had breakfast with Yue and Akihiko and said goodbye to Yue thanking her for being so kind and letting him stay. Akihiko walked him to the train station and showed him how to get to the airport from where they were before getting on the train to go to work. It was significantly cheaper than a taxi and was much easier than he'd expected it to be, especially when he compared it to the trains in Seoul.

When Jae Sun returned home, he eagerly told Yon about everything and she was delighted for him. While still tending to the farm, Jae Sun went into full swing putting together an appropriate length manuscript to submit for publication while still working on his comic for the newspaper. When he could, Jae Sun shifted so he could talk to the pack while they were out on patrol but stayed inside the house so no one would see him. JJ was roused from bed to come out to talk to Jae Sun and when his dad was there, Jae Sun went in full swing.

Dad! I got offered to publish for a Manga company in Japan! Jae Sun yelled once JJ was among the wolves.

No shit? JJ asked. That's great! You'll be sending us a copy of that when it's available, right?

Absolutely; I'll make sure you and mom are sent a copy.

What happens if they ask you to move to Japan? Mae Sun asked.

They promised I can publish from Korea. If they need me to come to Japan, they'll tell me and I'll make sure it's not for long, Jae Sun answered.

If it's necessary, Mae Sun can move his ass to Korea and help, JJ said.

I didn't agree to this, Mae Sun answered and they all laughed at his expense. When JJ returned home, Eun Mi was still awake in bed waiting for him.

"Is everything okay?" she asked when JJ returned.

"Better than okay," JJ smiled and came to the bed hovering above her as he leaned forward on the bed. "Our son just got offered to work for this comic book company in Japan. He'll be selling little graphic novels about Popo and his misadventures."

"He did?" Eun Mi asked and her eyes sparkled even in the dark, "Oh my God, that's wonderful!" she said. She hugged JJ since he was the one that was there and as though her hug would somehow make its way to Jae Sun. She started to tear up a little and she let go of JJ so she could rub her eyes. "I don't know why I'm crying. This is a good thing."

"That's probably why you're crying," JJ smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed. He took a hold of Eun Mi's hand and squeezed it lovingly. "I'm so proud of him."

"Me too," Eun Mi said through her light cry and rubbing her eyes. "I can't wait to tell everyone."

"Brag about our son and shame all others," JJ poked fun and leaned forward to give her a kiss on the forehead. "I made him promise to send us a copy once it's printed."

"Good," Eun Mi said.

Even though they'd only just found out, Eun Mi simply couldn't help bragging. The whole family quickly found out anyway thanks to the pack, but Eun Mi made sure to tell everyone just in case and when she had her cooking class, she bragged for several minutes before they all started cooking. One of her students lovingly told her to be careful otherwise she'd get a second hand big head. It took a while for news to reach Roshad and Jaedynn, Levi and Evalynn, but they were of course extremely happy for him as well. In two weeks' time, Jae Sun returned to Tokyo staying with Yue and Akihiko once again and went to the publisher Monday on the agreed upon time with a manuscript. He ignored everyone that was starring as he'd done before, got into the elevator going up to the right floor and went straight to the correct office. The same young woman was at the front desk and while she still looked so amazed by Jae Sun, she wasn't staring at the very least. She led him to Mr. Yukimura's office and walked away closing the door behind her once they'd all greeted one another and Jae Sun approached the desk.

"This is my first manuscript. I hope you like it," Jae Sun said, holding the manuscript with both hands and offering it with a boy. Mr. Yukimura took it with both hands also with a bow and they both sat down so Mr. Yukimura could read through the manuscript.

Jae Sun waited for several minutes while Mr. Yukimura was reading the manuscript. His foot was twitching rapidly on the floor with nervous energy. Mr. Yukimura's face conveyed nothing and he was intensely focused. When Mr. Yukimura was finally done reading, he put the manuscript down on his desk so he was looking at Jae Sun.

"It's very good," Mr. Yukimura said and Jae Sun released a breath of relief. "The editors will need to review it for some spelling errors; I found a handful. But that's easy to fix."

"I'm sorry," Jae Sun said.

"Don't apologize. I have fluent readers and writers that still make spelling errors. Trust me," Mr. Yukimura said. "Once this is edited and bound, we'll have this put on the shelves everywhere they sell manga. Don't be discouraged if you don't see huge sales right away. You're a new author and artist and sometimes it just takes time to get off your feet. A story about a cat and a crow is bound to grab the attention of children all over the country, though, so I bet you within a few months we'll be seeing a large surge in sales. So keep at it."

"Absolutely," Jae Sun said.

"You included some cover art?" Mr. Yukimura asked as he was searching through the folder.

"I did," Jae Sun said, "I put it at the end."

"Found it," Mr. Yukimura said and looked at the picture.

The title ポポ猫の冒険 (Popo Neko no Bōken / The Adventures of Popo the Cat) was across the top of the page in a curved format like a rainbow. Under the title was the three main characters – Popo, Blu and Koro Koro – huddled together. Popo was at the forefront with a cutesy cat face showing a bright smile and tiny sharp teeth with his front paws up in a cheer. To the cat's right was a tiny blue bird with its wings up spread in the same show of excitement and to the cat's left was a crow (not a Japanese crow – rather a crow that was native to the US) with its wings down staring at Popo and Blu less impressed with their display and in the background were two human characters. It was his parents with his father looking serious with his arms crossed in jeans and a shirt that he would normally ware to work and beside him clearly much, much shorter than his father was Jae Sun's mother with a sweet smile, her eyes closed and wearing a little short sleeved dress with large buttons running down the front, a little belt at the waist and the skirt reached just below her knee.

"These are your parents?" Mr. Yukimura asked, turning the picture to show Jae Sun having recognized them from the other comic Jae Sun had presented in his portfolio.

"Yeah," Jae Sun answered.

"Is that really their height difference?"

"Yeah," Jae Sun smiled, "believe it or not, I'm actually taller than my dad by 7.6 centimeters."

"I believe it," Mr. Yukimura chuckled and turned the picture around so he was looking at it again. In the bottom right hand corner of the page was Jae Sun's signature written in Katakana. "Are you able to redo this in color?"

"Absolutely," Jae Sun said. "I can have that done tonight and bring it in the morning."

"That would be great," Mr. Yukimura said. "In the meantime, I'll send your manuscript to editing. That will take a few days but we'll have this printing for distribution by the beginning of August."

"Is there any way by chance that I can have a copy sent to the US?"

"It would be at your expense, but we certainly can," Mr. Yukimura said.

"That's not a problem," Jae Sun said. "Is that a cost that can be withheld from my first submission check?"

"Yes, we can do that," Mr. Yukimura said. He put down the folder of Jae Sun's comic and reached into his desk for a spare folder and some clips. He used the clip to seal and secure the folder with Jae Sun's comic and put the cover concept art in the spare folder. Mr. Yukimura stood from his desk and Jae Sun followed, standing from his chair along with him. Mr. Yukimura, holding the folder with both hands, offered it to Jae Sun. "Have this colored in and bring this to my office tomorrow. Leave it with Miss Tanaka at the front desk and she'll make sure I get it."

"Absolutely, Mr. Yukimura," Jae Sun answered, accepting the folder with both hands and the two of them bowed to one another. "I will have this to you by tomorrow."

"I look forward to it," Mr. Yukimura said.

Following their polite exchange, Jae Sun was walked out of the office by Mr. Yukimura and as soon as he was back on the streets, he asked around about an art supply store or where he could purchase said supplies and was eventually pointed in the direction of a little shop in Toshima City. So Jae Sun got on another train to Toshima City and continued asking around until he finally found the shop and bought the supplies he needed. Once he had the colored pencils, black ink and more paper, he got back on the train returning to Shibuya so he could recreate his cover art in color.

Jae Sun spoke with Yue briefly when he returned to the apartment but quickly got right to work on the cover art. He was sitting at the living room table on the floor for hours trying to make sure it looked perfect. When Akihiko returned home, he took a look at the cover art and gave his own suggestions and pointers but warned Jae sun not to worry himself into a fit. He finally stopped when dinner was ready and Yue invited him to the dinner table and they all sat together and talked for hours before they all finally went to bed. The next morning, Jae Sun had breakfast with Yue and Akihiko and then went to the train station taking it to Shinjuku. It was a quick visit. He dropped off the cover art leaving it with Miss Tanaka as he'd been instructed and then left to take the next train back to Shibuya.

Jae Sun remained in Japan for the remainder of the week and was in contact with Mr. Yukimura shortly before returning home. The cover art was well received, the manuscript was in the midst of editing and it would be published soon. They agreed again that the cost to have a copy shipped to America would come out of his first submission pay and Jae Sun provided the address he wanted that copy sent to as well as the name to put on the package. When it was time to go back to Korea, Jae Sun made it to the airport feeling this strange sense of longing to stay. Once he got out of the train, he couldn't help staring out towards the city. The Tokyo Tower was hard to see but was in view, Mt. Fuji was hard to see as well but he could still see it. It was this bizarre combination of an enormous city mixed with stunning countryside with lush trees, blooming pink cherry blossom trees and the sound of the Ocean beating against the beach in the distance. It all tugged at his heart instilling a deep longing to stay. All the same, he went to catch his flight and made the trip back to Korea.