Only once before in her entire life had she felt like this... So alone, alienated, and fearful. It had been the day she left home, hopped aboard the first boat that would take her, and sailed all the way to the US. There is nothing quite like leaving everything you know behind, while facing an unknown future. Andrea surely wasn't a fan of it, but at least the first time had been spurred on by hope. This time, as she shuffled quietly away from the terminal, she couldn't find a glimpse of hope anywhere.

For five days she'd been locked away in a little cell, waiting to appear before a judge and hear her sentencing. After she'd been picked up from the hospital and brought in, she had been caught in a whirlwind of confusing paperwork and dour officers. The man working on her case had been rather straight forward in telling her that there was no hope; she was going to be leaving the country one way or another. She'd been scared into signing papers she didn't understand, even though she admitted her illegal status the second time she'd been sat down and spoken too. Her trial had lasted twenty minutes, an in and out case, apparently... and a few days later she found herself whisked off in the middle of the afternoon with a number of other people.

One long flight later, she stepped foot on Greek soil again for the first time in nearly four years. The Gorgon had dreamed of such a day for a long time, as home sickness was often an ailment never far from her mind. It was soured by circumstance, though.. and therefore brought her no joy. She was far from home, in a different part of Greece entirely, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do now. Nearly everything she'd owned had been left behind at the School as well. The only belongings she had on her were a few documents from the proceedings, a change of clothes that had been given to her, and her clothes from the night she'd been taken in.

It was certainly hard for her to find a bright side of this, especially since she still didn't know what had happened to Saph. That was probably what bothered her the most... No one had given her any information, and she hadn't been able to call him, or anyone else.

What was she going to do?

"So, eh... Why so blue panda bear?" The voice came from off to the side, it's exact source, a man quickly moving to catch up to her, and keep pace. Several things stuck out about this man; among those, a wide grin on his face, a twinkle in his eye, and a cast and sling on his arm. There was also the fact that he would be very easy to recognize, even with half of his face still littered with still healing scratches.

The sentence was a bit odd, coming from him, but he'd seen a commercial on the plane five times on the way here... Something about a candy bar that turned into a woman. It was funny, but he'd honestly been way too busy looking out the wide first class window... He'd gotten an upgrade because the person at the terminal was apparently an X-men fanatic, and had recognized him. He had to say, he didn't mind the comfortable seating, as well as the quick scheduling, though it was soured a bit; he knew Andrea wasn't likely getting the same treatment. Still, his flight had gotten here hours before hers, and it meant he could surprise her at the gateway... like he was doing now.

Also, he probably wouldn't have found her if he'd gotten here later. He couldn't have that... It wasn't like the was visiting Greece for S&G... He was here for her. He'd forced them to let him out of the hospital early so they he could get on an early flight just so that she wouldn't be alone... And so that he could find a way to bring her back. The grin on his face slowly turned into a warm smile he looked into the lenses of her sunglasses, finding her muted eyes behind them.

"You didn't think I'd let you run away so easily, did ya?"

"So, eh... Why so blue panda bear?"

She barely even heard the words at first, as she was focused rather intently at a sign above her head. Then, once she realized something had been said to her, she was a little afraid to turn and see who it was. She had no idea how getting deported worked, and an assortment of horrible outcomes were floating around in her brain. A moment later, when she finally gathered the courage to glance over and spotted who it was, her jaw literally dropped.

Without a word, she flung herself at him. The bag she had been holding fell neglected to the floor, and her arms were around him in an instant, heedless of his cast-clad arm. For the next five minutes, she proceeded to wail into his chest, then she swore at him a few times in her native tongue (which caused a few people to pause and look at the two of them curiously in passing), then she finally calmed down a little.

"...what... what are you doing here?" After wiping away the tears that had soaked her cheeks with her palms, she looked back up at him and finally noticed his injury. "....Your arm!?"

This new discovery prompted a whole new river of tears, more Greek mutterings he'd never understand, and another clingy hug.

A look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face as he was practically tackled, though it quickly turned into a wince. She was glad to see him... That made him feel very happy; it was enough to make his heart flutter. To be honest, he wasn't sure how this was going to go... He kinda felt like he'd screwed up. After all, he was the one who chose to drive drunk, and she was getting punished for that action... Even if she'd opted to switch places with him...

His good arm patted her, though it absorbed the force so it was like a feathery half-pat, as she balled all over him... It almost made him chuckle, how hysterical she was. She must have been so scared. It was okay, though... "Hey, hey... Why you cryin so much, huh? Yer gonna make me cry, too, and we don't want that. Can't be off in a country I don't know with no man card, you know?"

She let go and backed away for a moment, asking what he was doing there, and noticing his arm. "I-uh... I was in a car crash. I made a stupid decision, and someone I love very much got hurt because of it. I came here to ask if she'll forgive me... I gue-" She was at him again, and this time he did chuckle. "C'mon... Only so much water in you, and you'll need some of it to show me around..." Not that she knew her way around; apparently she lived on an island a good ride away from Athens, where they were. "Sides, I'm starving... All they had left on the plane was... well, the fish, but I've seen Airplane and I know that never ends well..."

Sniffling, Andrea looked up at him and frowned. Half of what he was saying made no sense... mostly because she didn't understand the references he was making. She was used to that though, seeing as most of what she heard on a daily basis confused her. She still couldn't fathom what a "bro" was, or a "brony" for that matter.

"O-of course I will forgive you... it was as much my fault as it was your own..." If she had just been paying more attention throughout the night, rather than throwing caution to the wind, she was sure that they would have avoided running into such misfortune.

"S-show you around?" Wiping at her cheeks again, she realized what a scene she was surely causing and attempted to calm herself down before more people started staring. Besides, it was hard to talk through panic induced hiccups. "Saph... I have never been in this part of the country before... I would not even know where to start..."

Dread washed over her, and she bent to pick up her bag. He'd flown all the way out to find her, which did untold wonders for her mood, but it didn't change the fact that she was just as new to Greece as he was. She reached for his hand, already in the process of glancing around nervously, and breathed out shakily. It was just like the day she'd stepped into New York... surrounded on all sides by strangers, with very little knowledge of how to get around, or where to go.

But... unlike that day, she had someone to lean on this time. Saphirus was here, right by her side... She gripped his hand a little tighter, turned, and hugged his arm. "... I love you."

Something changed in Andrea as she watched her... It was a little hard to gauge emotion without looking into someone's eyes, but he knew he well enough by now that he could work around it; she was scared. She was lost. her words echoed the look on her face, and he looked around for a moment as well...

Heh... well, if they were lost, they were lost together. She echoed his sentiment, and he winked. "I love you too... Why don't we start by getting outa here... Hey, maybe we can check this place out, right? There's gotta be some tourist attractions and stuff here, right? Some of that ancient myth kinda stuff?" He didn't know a lot about Greece, to be honest, but they did cover some of the legends and stuff in elementary school... A long time ago. Wasn't there a dude with wing shoes?

"Isn't there a dude with wing shoes?" He couldn't help but ask. He was a little nervous, after all. "Ahem.... Anyways, lets go!" He started walking, and since she was attached to him, she didn't have much of a choice. "You know... I noticed people here don't look at you the same way... It's odd... I can't quite put my... finger... on it..." He paused in front of an advert with a very obvious mutant on it, displaying an MP3 player. "Woah... Don't see stuff like that back home..." He took a closer look... The mutant, a woman with orange skin, and flames for hair, was posed in model fashion, and below her it stated in exuberant font. "Be what's hot." Along with the product name. Heh... It was actually kinda clever. A passing couple stopped and took a picture at them without explaining, hurrying off to catch their flight.

"The... hell..."

Hm... Tourist in her own country. As sad as it was, it was also kind of funny. "Hermes... the messenger of the gods." She babbled, while he dragged her along behind him.

"You know... I noticed people here don't look at you the same way... It's odd... I can't quite put my... finger... on it..."

The advertisement didn't quite catch her by surprise, as it did Saph... mainly because she was focusing on the people around them too intently to notice. There was an awful lot of pointing going on... and the dropping of the word mutant, with barely any effort put into hiding it. She was starting to feel the prickle of discomfort at the back of her neck, and squeezed Saph's hand. "Maybe we should lea-- ah!"

The sudden flash of a camera, as a pair waltzed quickly up and snapped a photo, caught her off guard. The Greek jumped and managed to hide herself partially behind Saph as they two sped off quickly without explanation. "...What is this?... I do not understand what is going on."

Her discomfort was swiftly channeling itself into plain old fear, with a pile of confusion heaped on top. Her serpents were roused from the slumber they had fallen into on the long flight over, and though they were bound rather securely behind her, they still managed to wriggle and struggle as tension rose within her.

He was just as confused as she was. Why would random strangers want to take pictures of them? Did... Did they recognize him as the Masochist? Did they even know about the X-men here? He tugged her hand, and lead her off down the terminal. "Hey, don't worry... It's prolly jus nuthin. Even if something's up... I'm here. I'll keep you safe." He didn't mention his suspicions about them being fans of the X-men... After all, he was only a trainee at the moment, and people in New York didn't even recognize him very often... It had been a nice thought, though.

"Eh... So, I've actually never flown before... Did you have any baggage? I just brought my papers and stuff... Wasn't really thinking about clothes or all that when I bought the ticket." He looked around nervously... weren't they supposed to go to... like... some sorta baggage area? He let go of her hand for a second to scratch the back of his head. Man, having a cast on your arm really made everything more difficult... He wasn't a fan. To think.. after years of vigilante work and the dangers of being an X-man... A car crash gave him his first broken bone. He almost chuckled a little at the thought. When he reached out to grab her gloved hand again, another hand was already reaching for it.

A blonde woman with sun glasses and pointy ears came out of nowhere, and grabbed at Andrea's hand, meaning to shake it. "Wow... Just... Wow... You are perfect... Snakes and everything... Wow. It's a pleasure, it really is... Oh, how rude of me; my name is Cassandra." The woman, smiled expectantly, waiting for a name.

Saphirus just stared for a moment, looking to Andrea, and then back to the woman. She had a clip board in her hand, and was dressed in business attire; very professional. She was also a visible mutant... Though her mutation was not so extreme. Suffice to say, she looked a bit like an elf... A... business elf.

While still nervous, she knew he was right. With him around, she really didn't have much to fear... save red lights, maybe. Dragging her attention reluctantly away from the growing spectacle around them, she instead focused on Saphirus and his current question.

"Um... well, not much, actually... I was not really allowed time with which to gather most of my belongings from the School."

A share change of clothes that she'd been brought by a friend, seeing as her "date" attire hadn't exactly been jail cell friendly. Or court friendly, for that matter. "Most of what I have on my is from... um.. that night." Her shaded gaze dipped to his cast, and she frowned slightly. He'd turned away, letting go of her hand in the process, to find the area where luggage was sent. In the short span of time between then and when he turned back around, Andrea found herself turned to face a stranger, with her hand firmly gripped and in the process of being shaken gently. The... things... that tumbled out of that strange woman's mouth left the poor Greek deeply confused (and more than a little anxious).

"...I... um... what?" Startled, Andrea attempted a poor recovery from the shock of the whole situation, and shook the woman's hand back pathetically. "Erm... I mean, the pleasure is all mine? I am Andrea..."

The twitchy gorgon shot a baffled look Saph's way, over the woman's shoulder, before a few more shadows fell over her. The Greek was allowed a timid yelp and a half turn, before she found a small crowd gathered around, with many phones and cameras poised. Dozens of eager eyes froze her on the spot, while she tried desperately to pick out words from the hushed mumblings in many languages all around her. Before she could so much as squeak out a question as to what was going on, doe-eyed teenager staggered forward and pushed a pen and pad of paper her way, while bumbling through an avalanche of praise admiration.

... for what, Andrea honestly did not know.

"I... um... sure... Patrick?... yes...okay." As she hastily scrawled her name on the pad, for some reason she could not fathom, he fluttered his eyelashes, sighed, and mumbled "I love you." her way in thick Greek.

Andrea's face darkened instantly, as the teenager plucked the pad and pen from her frozen hands and floated off back into the crowd. Cassandra stepped back into her line of sight, shielding her from even more pens and papers, much to the Greek's relief.

What on earth was going on...?

He pinched himself on the cheek.

Nope. He wasn't having any sort of odd dream. People were really fanclubbing over his girlfriend. He recognized it immediately, because at the convention, the same thing had happened to him. His jaw slowly slacked until it was open as a kid asked for her autograph.

His cheek kinda hurt.

Also... what was that in his gut... For just a second, did he feel a twinge of... jealousy? He beat it back fervently... He refused to allow himself such feelings; he knew why he fought crime, and it wasn't for the damned fans. It was nice to be recognized, though. Still, Andrea looked afraid more than anything else. He was about to step in when the woman did instead.

"People! People, we cannot crowd the poor girl! Off you go! I'm sure you will get a chance to talk to her late1... for a small sum!" The woman grinned widely and shoo'd the crowd off... Saph stepped up to Andrea again, placing himself just a bit in the way.

"A... small sum? What exactly is going on, here?" The woman turned to him, as if noting his presence for the first time; she then looked to Andrea again. "How would you like to be famous?" She stated, still displaying that Cheshire grin. "Because I tell you... you're made of gold."

Some time later, one mightily confused Greek stood outside a small office, staring unblinkingly up at a billboard. A billboard that had her face plastered on it, and, much to her displeasure, had the words "Stronger than stone."

The woman, Cassandra, had captured her attention in at the airport, ushered herself and Saph into a taxi... which had taken them to her office. As it turned out, Cassandra saw a lot of "raw potential" in Andrea's "beautiful deviation from the norm". She was (unfortunately) separated from Saph at one point, and talked into signing a paper... and, well... the end result took a story above her, staring across a busy airport access highway for all to see.

Looking at a giant-sized print of herself that was decked out in a silky, drape-y dress, with her serpents and hair set loose all about her shoulders and her glasses removed. She'd been instructed to stand beside a bucket of construction cement, and had been posed purposefully to look "alluringly innocent, yet jealous and calmly temperamental".

... She thought the end result looked like a mix of trying to weep and cross her eyes at the same time.

Andrea, with the hood up and firmly in place to keep her snakes from view, chewed on a nail nervously and grumbled to herself. "... how terribly cliche... and embarrassing for that matter!" With a sigh, sine she knew grumping about it wasn't going to change anything, she turned to tug on Saph's hand.

"I do not like this strange, backwards place... Everybody uses big fancy words, and I cannot tell if they are mocking me or just genuinely ill... can we move on?"

"Wow... They get those up Quick, huh?" He stared up at the billboard, at a loss for words over the whole situation. "Cement, huh? Wow... Er... well, at least you look pretty up there... That's good, right?" He was trying to make the best of an obviously... odd situation. "So... What did they pay you?" Yup... Honestly, he wasn't rich. When he'd bought the ticket, he'd only really been thinking about how he needed to see her... How alone she must feel, taking the fall for him, and getting sent away from her new home...

Sure, he might be able to manage a while in Greece, but not without totally destroying his bank account.

"Oh, and... erm... did you tell them I was sorry for punching that guy? I didn't know they had to measure you... Guess I wasn't thinking... Long day, y'know?" He tried to chuckle after that sentance, but meekly failed. Oops.

So... now they were stranded, out on the sidewalk in the middle of a city neither of them knew... To make it worse, he hadn't even been outside of new york before, and she'd spent 90 percent of her life in a house... "Maybe... we should get a taxi?" He looked around a moment, and then reached out to hail a cab... none were driving by... "Maybe... we should use a payphone?"

She cringed at Saph's comment, and decided to avoid expressing her own opinion on the picture. Instead, she moved along to his question about payment... "A lifetime supply of cement, and five hundred euro."

Five hundred bucks that was currently burning a hole in her back pocket... a feeling she was honestly not used too.

"I did indeed apologize on your behalf... the man was not all that injured after everything was said and done. I explained it away that you were suffering from that airplane illness... um... flight... lag.. jet-something."
Whether anyone believed her fumbling explanation, she didn't know... but the victim in this case had simply mumbled something about Americans and gone back to his job.

Shaking those thoughts from her mind, she glanced at him from behind her glasses. "Did you not bring your cellphone? I think I have mine... somewhere..." Digging swiftly through her back for the item in question, she tried to think of what to do.

"We most assuredly will not make it to my home before dark... it is quite a journey from here if I am remembering my maps correctly. But... there should be some sort of lodging somewhere around here... we need only to locate it."

Her gloved fingers bumped into the phone Saph had purchased for her, and she drew it out from it's hiding places in her folded clothes and held it out for him to take.

"There is a map-thingy on here... do you know how it works?"