Unable to sleep any longer, she rose from her bed and glanced out of her window at the stars. The view wasn't nearly as impressive as the one from Niles' balcony, but it was a reminder of where she was; of what she could have, if she'd only accept it. She closed her eyes, making one last attempt to return to slumber, but seconds later she opened them again. And minutes later, like a sign, it came to her…..

The apartment was dark, even darker than before as she pulled on the grey silk robe that Niles had hung on the door (he was always thinking of her) and crept into the hallway. The light from Niles' bedroom was off, indicating that he had given into slumber. If only she could be so lucky.
But now she knew that she needed to see him, badly. She hated to disturb him, but if she didn't say what she needed to say, she'd regret it for the rest of her life, adding to her already long list of regrets.

The door to his bedroom was ajar and she slowly pushed it open, feeling a bit guilty as she crept inside.

"Niles?" She made sure to keep her voice as low as possible. But when she reached his bed, and held out her hand to touch him, she was surprised to find that it was empty.

Curious, she closed the door and walked into the living room. It too was empty, and he was nowhere in sight. But she'd barely had time to panic when she saw his darkened silhouette. When she moved closer she could see him clearly, standing on the balcony with a glass of wine in hand. He was wearing his blue silk robe and he looked so handsome… and so sad.

She walked to the door and she could feel her hand trembling as she reached for the doorknob and turned it slowly. When the door was open, she stepped outside onto the balcony. He turned at once, watching her in surprise.

"Daphne?"

Slowly and carefully she went to him, her heart thundering in her chest. He must absolutely hate her, but if she didn't do this now…

It was time to tell him what she needed to tell him; that she'd finally made the biggest decision of her life, and even if he was angry with her, at least she'd know…

"Niles?"

"Yes?"

"Th-there's something I need to tell you."

He wasn't smiling, but amazingly he didn't pull back when she moved closer and reached out to touch his cheek. It was so soft…

Instead he swallowed hard. "A-all right."

"You asked me a question earlier."

"I did."

"Yes, you did. And after all we've been through… after what I've put you through, you deserve an answer."

He nodded. "I see."

His sad expression made her reach for his hands; first one and then the other. She brought them to her lips and kissed them, letting her tears fall onto his skin. And then her eyes met his.

"Niles?"

"Yes?"

It was nearly impossible to hide her smile as she gave him her answer. "Yes."

He gasped, his eyes filling with tears as he scooped her into his arms. "Y-you mean…"

She nodded. "Yes."

Their tears melded as they kissed repeatedly, sharing their joy of the life that they had created for themselves; the one that spanned from the West Coast to the East.
Never in her life had she been so happy. But she knew that her happiness was just beginning.

THE END