Taking one bite opened the floodgates of Noel's hunger. She'd neglected to take care of herself today in favor of trying to fix her communication issues. It'd been just that important to her. Now that it was squared away there was nothing left but to inhale to food and listen.

Mama J. She liked Mama J probably because Max did. She had all kinds of warm fuzzies for the woman and even got a few of her more colorful axioms since she'd taught Max some words that his proper education had been lacking.

It was sad, perhaps, that it'd taken a nanny to give out the real-world advice, but at least he'd had somebody. Somebody was a definite improvement over nobody.

He asked about her and Noel nearly choked on her 4th piece of bread.

What about her?

After a long swig of water she was able to piece together something like an answer. "I don't know. I mean, forgetting is a big part of my active mutation." That was an excellent deflection that was not in any way untrue. Noel mentally high fived herself for that one.

"I know I've been in New York for awhile, but not always. A couple- No. A LOT of job changes. I know I've been here long enough that some people recognize me even if I don't regularly recognize them. I would like to sit one of those people down and see if I can't track things back to who I maybe used to be, but—" She shrugged, "I'm not sure it matters exactly. I think I'd rather choose who I am now."

Maybe that was silly. She wracked her brain for a topic change.

"Tell me about tv. Pop culture. Help me out, man. I'm woefully behind."

Noel dug into her food with a feverish intensity that made Max question how well the woman was taking care of herself. She tore into bread and slurped down pasta and Max stopped mid bite for a moment just to watch. It was like watching a tigress tear into an elk corpse.

She seemed tense when he asked about her and it was followed with an explanation of her lack of knowledge of where she came from or who she was. Max could only assume how unsettling that had to be. Sure he'd ran into people who knew him whom he couldn't remember, but having no idea about his own life? He gave a little shudder as he scooped up another fork full of pasta.

"I agree. The past doesn't define you. Choose who Noel is now and run with it.

She asked about pop culture and Max gave a little laugh. He filled her in on celebrity deaths, new shows she needed to take the time to watch ("No spoilers from me.") And music, tons and tons of new music. Singles and albums he had fallen in love with and the like. He touched on Internet viral videos and memes only slightly, those were best discovered by ones self.

"It's funny really. I was gone for about a year and had to pick up a bunch of this stuff myself. We should totally have a movie night and watch some of the flicks I've missed." He said with a laugh.

> "I agree."

Well of course he agreed, Max was an agreeable sort of fellow. Noel wanted to believe that the past didn't matter and she could leave it dead and buried, but deep down it felt like a bit of a cop-out. She was glad he picked up the baton of the conversation.

Eventually she moved from breathing her food to picking at it. She did her best to participate and practice her verbal skills, but the food coma was setting in. Oof. She hadn't even considered the possibility of a vegetable until it was far, far too late.

"We should totally catch up on movies. Where'd you go that you couldn't see movies? China? They have pretty strict media laws, I hear."

Noel finally threw in the towel two full servings after she should have. She took a deep breath and went to start dumping things in the sink. "Uuuugh. It's gonna suck when I go back to practice." And she was itching to. Literally itching. Stitches sucked.

Max finished the last fork full of pasta, literally scrapping some sauce up with his fork to finish it as Noel also started slowing down on her consumption. He was glad his room was only down the hall as his eyes felt heavy, his body content now that he had stuffed it as full as possible.

They have pretty strict media laws, I hear."

Max gathered the pots, now basically empty and placed his plate on top as Noel rose to go to the sink. He felt a moment of hesitation, unsure if he wanted to talk about it, but I'm the end decided there was no harm given how much he had already shared with the girl.

"Actually, I died." He said, and for the first time his voice stayed solid as he said it.

It still felt surreal, but talking about it in sessions with Devon he had started to learn to accept it as a reality. As just another part of his life no matter how ironic that might seem.

"Got hit by a car, now I'm back. No idea how. All I know is I'm back now. So fresh starts make sense to me." He said.

He rose and followed her to the sink. He scraped the negligible amount of leftovers into the trash before passing the plates and pots.

"Uuuugh. It's gonna suck when I go back

He gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean? You seem to be nailing the whole English thing now. What do you have to practice?" He asked.

> “Actually, I died."

Mic drop. Noel hesitated at the sink with sprayer in hand.

'Guess there's no movies in heaven.’

”Huh.”

He obviously believed it. It tasted true. There had been stranger mutant powers, she supposed. Hit by a car. That sounded like it should have left some trauma, physically.

”How did that--?” No. He said he didn't know how that worked. She puzzled it over. ”Maybe… I guess you're not done.” That was her best guess, anyway. What more could they do?

”If it bothers you, I do okay at following a lead.” It was the least she could offer after what he had done for her...

She stretched carefully considering her stitches once the dishes were rinsed.

> “What do you have to practice?" He asked.

”I work- uh, well, I used to work in personal security. Hadden pulled me out of the fire and now I'm supposed to figure out what I’m good for.” What happened now? Tea or coffee following dinner seemed a bit too caffeinated considering the hour. ”I guess I don't have to go practice shooting or fighting, but once you notice the wolves it's hard to go back to being a sheep.”

She didn't have to, so the question was... did she want to? ”What makes you go practice dance?” She motioned to his shirt. Her shirt? Hadden’s shirt loaned to her and then to him.

Max watched her process what he had said as the hot water rinsed sauce down the drain. She began to ask him a question but halted herself, he gave an appreciative little smile as instead she shifted into a simple statement.

Maybe… I guess you're not done"

"I suppose." He said in response.


She offered to help him and Max's heart did a strange sort of flip. He had always had trouble accepting help, preferring to offer it instead. He didn't even know Noel all that well, but she knew him. The offer seemed on the level.

"Actually, I'm working with someone now planning a trip back to Virginia to try to run down what happened to me. It's a long drive and I'd hate to be a bother." He began.

But he could use the help. He knew it, hell she probably knew it too. No point in being proud after you've made out with a girl and she had your memory's rolling around in her head.

"But if your interested I could use the help." He said.

She told Max she had worked personal security. He almost laughed finding it a strange idea but his mind gave him a flash of her when she had been in her pajamas. Her back had been injured but when her shirt had lifted Max had seen thin muscle around the girl. She was like him, thin but solid.

”What makes you go practice dance?”

"I don't know much about shooting really, ironic coming from a southern boy I know. I've learned a thing or two about fighting though, mostly how to get out of them," He supplied,

"I dance because I love it. It's a part of me ya know. Been doing it ever since I was in middle school, lessons, show choir. I wanna be a professional, and that takes hard work and practice. Plus, it's Hella good exercise." He said with a laugh.

He leaned against the counter, unsure how to proceed now that the meal was done. It was Noel's home after all, he didn't want to impose. He waited to follow her lead.

> "It's a long drive and I'd hate to be a bother."

She couldn't help but laugh.

"You're in luck 'cause I'm unemployed. Remember? Just a few hours ago I was useless at speaking English. It's not like I'll run out of sick days." Really. He didn't have to feel bad.

Why was it weird that she worked security? She saw him holding it in.

"Hey. I kick butt. With swords." Well, less and less every day. She should stretch, at least, but oof. So. Much. Pasta.

> "I dance because I love it."

"Well, I--" Did she love fighting? Hurting people? Noel shut her mouth before she blurted it out. She was trying to examine her assumptions lately. How much was her? How much was the people she had memories from?

"I just don't want to be helpless. I can run to train myself faster. I can lift to be stronger. I can't always find the right memories. This is something I can do." Mortifying to admit, but true.

"Should I walk you home?" She was teasing, but it was late. They could iron out details later. It wasn't like she was going anywhere. Was she even allowed to go anywhere? She should ask, now that she could.

It's not like I'll run out of sick days.

Max gave a little laugh. She had a valid point. He didn't know all that she could do, hell he barely knew her. It wasn't as if his back was exactly breaking from all the offers of help however. Quin and him were going to look into his death, and somewhere deep down Max was worried about finding trouble. An extra set of eyes watching his back was always a good thing.

"Touche. I'll get you the details once I have the trip planned." He agreed.

His apparent surprise at hearing she worked personal security apparently hadn't gone unnoticed and her rebuttle had a tone of indignant pride. Max raised his arms in mock surrender.

"Alright Samurai Noel. I believe you." He said.

He gave a nod as she expressed her desire to not be helpless. He knew the feeling, hell since joining Haven he'd found himself training almost constantly, pushing to be better to be able to defend himself.

"If you ever need a workout buddy give me a call." He said.

He laughed at her joke and offered his hand.

"I think I can find my way. Just want to say it's been a pleasure meeting you Noel. I'll get you the details and if you need any help.." He coughed, "studying just let me know. Don't want you going into a post it note frenzy again."