Tarin had finally fallen back to sleep. It had taken a while, he had been argumentative, trying to convince her to go against her decision to leave New York, but finally his exhaustion, caused by her, had won. He was out, sleeping in the pile of blankets and pillows she had formed for him in the living room of his apartment, and Lee was certain that he would be out for quite a while.

But Lee wasn't overly worried anymore, at least not about any damage a spirit could do through Tarin. Even if Tarin was wrong, and the spirit was still there, Lee didn't think that Tarin's body had enough energy to be able to actually do anything for a while. Plus, she was feeling antsy, needed to work off some energy, and there was absolutely no food left in the fridge. At least nothing Lee would consider to be even remotely edible.

So out the apartment and down the stairs Lee went, still wearing Tarin's basketball shorts and tshirt she had changed into, glad that she hadn't actually gotten rid of her old key to the apartment so she hadn't needed to go searching for Tarin's.

And then Lee was walking. She walked and walked, it had to have been at least a couple hours, the whole time with a thousand thoughts tumbling over each other in her mind.

Finally, Lee found herself outside the little Chinese restaurant that wasn't too far from Tarin's shop, and she came to a dead stop on the sidewalk, ignoring the annoyed people moving around her as she stared at the door with a slight frown on her face. Lee couldn't remember the last time she had eaten Chinese food, not since before she had been captured and thrown in the camp, but Lee knew that Tarin liked it. Plus, it was right there and she should be getting back to the apartment so she'd be there when Tarin woke up, just in case. But could she handle the memories, especially after everything else over the last couple days? Lee wasn't sure. Regardless, she stepped toward the door slowly, not paying any attention to the people who were continuing to walk down street.

Unfortunately for Sam he didn’t feel like interrupting them, they both seemed to be catching up with some old friends and well, they deserved it. Not everyone made it back from the camps, and for the ones that did it must have been hell. Sam felt he had no right to interrupt those who needed help that he couldn’t give.

Sam felt like a coward while the camps were going on he was hiding from his past. He didn’t deserve this power…
Sam wondered around a bit hoping for someone to call out “hey guy” or “hey how bout a little help”.

Just his luck, Sam finally figured out where most of the things were. But the second he stepped into New York he became lost again. Millions of dollars spent on his training and he couldn’t even find where he was going to go. Hell he couldn’t even remember where he wanted to go.

He was defiantly lost and didn’t know where he was going worse he was getting hungry. Sam walked around a bit looking at store after store restaurant after restaurant. Sam got bored of looking at the same signs and decided to catch a cab. Sam stuck out his thumb and waited for a taxi to pull over. Finally a taxi streaked to the side and Sam got in.

“Where to guy?”

Sam responded with know any good restaurants? Kind of thinking Chinese.”

“Yea I know a few, be about a few minute drive.”

“Sounds good.” Sam put his head back and watched the lights pass through the cabby window. New York is so cool, was the only thought besides hunger in Sam’s mind.
The car pulled to a stop and the guy said “that’ll be 18 dollars.”

“For a five minute cab ride?” Sam almost yelled.

“Hey man gas ain’t cheap and I got kids and bills to pay.”

“Keep the change.” said Sam tossing a twenty at the cabby.

Man, this is the place? Thought Sam a little disappointed thought it would smell better. Sam started to head to the door when a guy next to him pushed him, well it felt more like a shove. The next thing Sam knew, he was looking into a pair of beautiful grey eyes. turned out he knocked the woman down. Sam practically jumped up and extended a hand to the woman hoping she would take it so he help her up, “are you ok?” From this angle Sam got a good look she was gorgeous, she was wearing a baggy shirt and some basketball shorts. Sam smiled he felt like an idiot but all he could do was smile.

Lee still wasn't sure how well she was going to be able to handle going into the restaurant, what with all the countless times that she had gone there with Tarin. Their first "date", if it could be called that, after Tarin had practically chased her down the street to get her to talk to him, and then they had agreed (with a handshake and everything) to be friends. Then there was their one month anniversary when she had come to grab takeout while Tarin had been sleeping...in the middle of the afternoon because their...celebrating had worn him out.

Lee was shaking her head as she moved toward the door, trying to rid herself of those memories, when things started happening very quickly. Yes, Lee knew that there were people around her, knew but really wasn't paying much attention because they were keeping their distance as far as New Yorkers were concerned.

But suddenly someone was very, very close to her, the drastic increase in what she was siphoning noticeable even though she wasn't paying attention. Before she was able to do anything, even simply turn her head to look at the approaching person, Lee felt contact, hard, and found herself on the ground before she was able to even try to keep her balance.

By the time Lee was over her shock and had managed to lock her eyes on her 'attacker', he was already climbing to his feet, an apologetic smile on his face, as blue eyes looked down at her. And then he was extending a hand down to her, asking if she was alright.

Of course Lee didn't accept the hand up, she simply climbed to her feet on her own. Touching was bad, at least for her. Touching meant that she siphoned more than normal, and she didn't like doing that normally, never mind with how much energy she currently had. This guy was tall, though. At first, Lee had thought he appeared so tall because she had been sitting on the ground, but now that she was back on her feet, he still towered over her. What was it with everyone in this bloody country being so tall? Lee hadn't noticed this same problem back in Canada. At least not to this extent.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lee responded to the guy's question. Her palms stung a bit, she must have scraped them slightly when she hit the sidewalk, but at least she had fallen backward so her knees hadn't been scraped too. And really, she was ok from the fall; really, scraped hands paled in comparison to a psychopath holding you by the hair as he groped for a knife.

Lee's scalp was still smarting from that.

But this guy, younger than her, she thought, but Lee wasn't sure, was still looking at her, staring, still smiling. She waited a moment, then another, but he kept his eyes trained on her. "Was there anything else?" Lee asked, one eye brow raising as she spoke.

“Was there anything else?” the women asked.

Dumbfounded was the word to describe it. His knees felt weak, what was this feeling he felt, love or has the lack of hunger gotten to him? Sam decided it was the ladder. Sam shook his head coming to and said, “sorry didn’t mean to stare, and I probably got up to fast felt a little light headed.” Looking to where he bumped into her at Sam felt like it was fate, he was hungry standing next to a beautiful woman right in front of a restaurant.

“Are you going in this restaurant?” Sam asked in curiosity “the cabby who dropped me off highly recommended it.” Waiting for a second Sam took a breath a did something he rarely does, “hey listen I feel really bad about knocking you over, let me express how sorry I am by buying you dinner.” Sam felt extremely vulnerable, then he added “or are you supposed to meet some one here?” hoping she would take him up on his offer Sam shifted little leaning on his right side a bit, and then shifted his eyes bit, looking at people in the crowed hoping that none of them were with her on a date.

The man kept staring at her for a few moments even after she asked if there was anything else. What was his deal, anyway?

Finally, he seemed to remember himself, or at least how to speak, and asked if she was heading into the restaurant they were standing outside of. Lee nodded. "It's a lot better than it looks from the outside," she told him. "I think most people aren't willing to give it a shot because of how it looks, though, cause I've never seen it busy. Actually, I haven't eaten Chinese anywhere else since I tried this place." Well, it was true; when she had been with Tarin, getting Chinese had meant this place, whether it had been for takeout or to actually sit down in the restaurant, and she had refused to eat Chinese since then.

And then the guy asked a question that floored Lee. It was so normal, well maybe not for her, but in general, that after what she had been through recently, she was not expecting it. He asked if he could buy her dinner.

Lee glanced down the street as she thought. This is exactly what Rachael had been pushing her to do, to get out and do something, meet people, actually interact with someone. Plus, Tarin was going to be out for a while yet, and Lee was not looking forward to the time she was already going to be locked in the apartment. The restaurant was bound to be empty enough, or at least not full, that it wouldn't be too much of an issue, energy-wise.

And, Lee was hungry. It would be nice to be able to eat rather than having to wait till she got back to the apartment. "That sounds good, actually," Lee replied, glancing back at the taller man with a slight smile curling one corner of her mouth.

Sam was ready to jump, she said yes! It’s been way to long since he went on a date. “So” Said Sam as he opened the door and waited for the woman to walk in, “what’s your name?” Sam waited for a second and then said “Name’s Sam.” Sam’s inner monologue went wild, congratulating him on being so cool and opening the door let alone scoring a date out of it. The only proof of how happy he was from his smile. He kept his eyes on hers the entire few moments he met her. Even though there were some 'distractions that walked behind her and then passing them, those girls had nothing on her, she had class. Her gray eyes were almost entrancing. They made Sam’s knee shake a bit.

Lee was about to reach her hand out to open the door into the restaurant when the man beside and behind reached out and pulled it open for her. Lee glanced back at him for a moment as he asked for her name, and introduced himself.

It had been so long since Lee had had this, though, someone opening a door for her, waiting for her to walk through. Not since the last time she had been out with Tarin, since she had pretty much avoided anyone and everyone since then.

"My name's Lee," she answered as stepped into the restaurant and looked around. Thankfully, for once, Lee didn't see the old Chinese woman who always seemed to be around. At least that way, there wasn't going to be a lot of uncomfortable questions about her being here with a guy that wasn't Tarin, a fact Lee hadn't thought about until she stepped inside.

But the old woman wasn't in site, and Lee didn't recognize the girl at the podium who took them back to a table, which suited her quite well. She didn't want to have to answer any of those questions.

"You're in for a treat," Lee said with a small smile as she started turning from the table toward the buffet. "The lo-mien here is incredible."

“Lee…that’s a pretty name.” thought Sam of course he didn’t verbalize this, but he wanted to. Sam was watching Lee glance around the restaurant, as if she was looking for some one, she seemed a little tense for some reason.

Sam watched as Lee smiled back to him and said, “You’re in for a treat the lo-mien is incredible.”

Sam smiled back at her scratching the back of his head and said; “embarrassingly enough I never had lo-mien, when ever I had Chinese, I would always get the same two things.” Sam smiled at her as his stomach let out bellow of a roar, as he held it he was almost certain Lee could hear it, Sam said “sorry, haven’t eaten anything in a while.” as he blushed and rubbed his stomach.

Just then the woman at the podium said, “right this way” as she was indicating to their seats, Sam put his hand on Lee’s lower back and said “after you” then he immediately removed his hand hopeing she wouldn’t take offense to it.

Lee smiled when she heard Sam apologize for being so hungry. Other than the little bit of leftovers she had managed to find in Tarin's fridge, which really wasn't all that much, she really hadn't eaten anything the entire time she had been there. Hadn't eaten in far too long. "Don't worry, me either," she replied.

As they started walking, she felt Sam getting closer to her. Too close. So even as she quickened her pace ever so slightly to try and keep that bit of distance between them, Lee glanced back at him in question at the same time as his hand finally closed that last bit of space and landed lightly on the small of her back.

Even though she had felt it coming, well, at least felt him getting closer, Lee still jumped slightly when she felt the touch. It had been so long since she had had anyone touch her, even longer since anyone had touched her in this way. It felt odd and wrong in so many ways, yet before she was able to do anything about his hand on her back other than jump, it was gone.

"So, would you have actually tried this place if I didn't come in with you?" Lee asked after a while, once they were up at the buffet finally and she had a plate in her hand. A plate she proceeded to load up with food. It really wasn't that great a looking place from the outside; Lee was sure that despite the reputation because of the food, a lot of people ended up passing it by because of its appearance.

It was weird to say the least, she quickened her pace almost making it seem that she was trying to run away. Sam was lucky he caught the hint before he would have had his hand stay on her. “Maybe she doesn’t like to be touched?” Sam thought. Continuing to talk in his head Sam said to himself, “that felt a bit weird, my hand felt odd for a second, probably nervous.” Sam was a lot of things but sleazy was not one of them, she obviously didn’t want to be touched so Sam respected her wishes and pretended like it never happened.

"So, would you have actually tried this place if I didn't come in with you?" Lee asked.

Sam grabbed a plate and loaded it up with food as h thought the question over. “Well to be honest, I was a little hesitant at first, just for the outside look of the place…” Sam paused for dramatic affect. “But I always heard never judge a book by its cover, plus it smelled really good from outside the building.” He paused again feeling blood rush to his face if only for a second then turning his head and smiling at her he said, “ I would have, but I can tell the night is going to be so much better enjoyable with your company.” Sam played the moment over in his head and realized that it sounded a little corny, but oh well that was whom he was.

Sam finished his plate which looked like it was overflowing with food, then looked up to lee and asked “so who you hiding from? You’ve seemed a bit tense since you came in here.” Hoping that she wasn’t hiding because she had a boy friend was probably the biggest concern he had on his mind. Sam went on a date before with a girl, which was using him to make her boyfriend jealous. It worked and it was awkward as hell. Sam didn’t want this night to be a repeat of that night. Sam looked at lee waiting for a response hoping she wasn’t that kind of girl.

Lee glanced up from the food she was loading onto her plate, ensuring to get all her favourites on there, every so often to look at Sam at the buffet. So he would have tried it, though had been extremely hesitant about it. "You're braver than me," Lee told him softly with another quick glance up at him. "I almost didn't come in here the first time, and the person with me assured me it was incredible."

Lee stopped there, her eyes dropping back to the food, looking to see if she missed anything as an excuse to stop looking at him. That was getting into dangerous territory, talking about her first time here with Tarin. Not that simply being in the restaurant wasn't dangerous territory for her, but actually talking about being here with Tarin was worse, and other than the occasional times she just came to grab take out on her own, like the plan had been for that day, every time she had been here had been with Tarin.

Not that she was really able to keep from thinking about Tarin a moment later when Sam asked who she was hiding from. Well, she wasn't exactly hiding from anyone, but she knew it would certainly be easier to not be seen by the old woman who worked there, whether she saw her with Sam or not.

Taking a breath, Lee started making her way back to the table they had been shown. Empty as the restaurant was, she didn't want to talk about this at the buffet.

"I'm not exactly hiding," Lee explained as she sat down, her plate of food on the table in front of her. Picking up her chopsticks, Lee poked around at her plate for a moment while she tried to pick her words. "I used to come here a lot with someone," she ended up explaining. "I'd just rather not have to explain to them here, so I'm trying to avoid the people here who know me."

That explained it without going into too much detail, right? Lee hoped so.

Used to come her a lot here a lot? Sam thought, well let’s hope this isn’t gonna be the awkward date I endured with the girl with the jealous boyfriend. Sam thought for a moment then said, “ enough said, you don’t have to talk anymore about it. I am just glad I have company tonight.” He smiled at her now sitting and a little over eye level. “I am new in the city and haven’t really met anyone yet, so kinda glad I bumped into you” he said laughing now, “I am sorry I knocked you over though.” He started to struggle with the chopsticks and then remembered how to use it, and then started to eat.

Sam wanted to be polite as possible so he waited till he was done with the mouth full of food he had in his mouth and then cracked a little grin at her almost teasing and said, “So Lee, this is our first date, why don’t you tell me a little bout yourself? You know hobbies, jobs, things you enjoy in life.” Sam didn’t want the dinner to be silent so he decided to spice it up with that comment, because he could tell that Lee seemed a little tense after mentioning that someone she used to come here with.

Lee nodded as she popped a piece of pork into her mouth. It was nice that he was simply letting her little issue about the restaurant go. She wouldn't have to go into more detail, wouldn't have to explain about it. That was good.

He seemed to be having more problems than she had been with the chopsticks as he continued speaking, and Lee couldn't help the small laugh as he apologized for knocking her over, though he was glad he'd run into her. "Don't worry about it," Lee said, waving her chopsticks slightly to wave off his concern. "I don't seem to meet anyone without something like that happening, so it's alright."

Lee had put another mouthful in as Sam started speaking again, a smile on his face. And Lee coughed, almost choking on her food, as Sam mentioned the idea that this was a date.

Was that normal, Lee wondered as she took a sip of water to try and rid herself of the choking spell. Just because he was buying her dinner, did that mean that this was a date? Is that what she had agreed to when she said dinner would be nice?

But really, what was the problem? Lee wondered, asking herself. It's not like she couldn't go on a date, after all, right? What did she have to really stop her from going on a date with someone else?

"About myself?" Lee asked, then took another sip. It still felt like she had something stuck in her throat from her recent choking and coughing fit. "Uh, well, I'm a waitress, or at least that's what my job is right now. I love music, and I read a lot to pass time.

"What about you?" Wasn't that the sort of thing you did on a date, ask questions in return?

Sam laughed at Lee’s response about a date, he couldn’t help it he did feel a little bad though kinda messed with his ego a bit. But then Lee did seem to loosen up a bit, so he didn’t press the matters any further.

Sam listened intently to what Lee had saw about herself, and truth be told Sam loved ever moment of it, with each moment she was seemed cooler and cooler. Then she asked about what Sam does or did. Sam shifted a bit really uneasy and choosing his words carefully. “Hmmm, let’s see now I worked for a private company…” which he did “ and we specialized in business and trades” this was a lie hands down, the only business that was conducted in the company was assassinations for what was supposed to be terrorists, and all around dangerous humans and mutants. He face turned from uneasy to a semi-upset look “I didn’t like the direction it was taking me, so I decided to resign from my post.” Now he turned back into a smile, “a lot of perks, got to travel all around the world, which was cool, learned a lot to, I was one of the top salesmen.” He lied again he did like the traveling but the cost was to great after some point he had to take lives for it and he frankly got tired of it.

“Let’s see my hobbies, I like music as well I can play a few instruments which I enjoy a lot, and love being in the water, and sports, not so much watching but playing.” Sam smiled again at her after he got some food in his mouth. He was having a good time, she was really nice person to be around.

Afraid for her to respond back with the question, Sam asked lee about her family. “So Lee tell me about your family, where you from? Brothers, sisters?”

Lee listened carefully as Sam explained about what he did. Or what he had done, rather. What he was saying about it was all rather vague, not really actually explaining anything. Not that she had really been all that descriptive in her answer, but saying 'waitress' was a lot more clearly understandable than what he was telling her.

Lee was not about to push, though. He was being vague, that was fine. There were more than enough things that if asked, she would be vague about herself, if she even answered the question. So Lee simply nodded as she slowly chewed her food.

So he liked music too? Not that that was really a surprise, music was just awesome, and as far as Lee was concerned, something was wrong if you didn't like music. Or something major had happened to make you stop liking it. And he played some instruments.

But before Lee was able to get the question out of her mouth, to ask which instruments he knew how to play, Sam continued, asking about her family.

Lee took a breath, her eyes now on her plate as she set her chopsticks down. "My family," she said slowly, trying to figure out how to explain this without actually saying too much. "I wish I could say they weren't around, but they keep butting in to my life. We don't get along. Well, things are getting better between me and my youngest sister, but otherwise..."

Lee looked back up at Sam at this point, a small smile on her lips once more. "You said you played?" She asked. Lee was not about to ask about his family; she didn't want to talk about hers, so was it right to ask about his? "What instruments?"