Lee had agreed to stay in New York, had agreed to help Tarin out because he needed her to deal with everything that had happened with the merge. But She hadn't agreed to get back together with him, had told him flat out, that very night after she had had dinner with Sam, that she didn't know if things would ever go back to the way they were.

She hadn't once mentioned Sam to Tarin. Not in the two weeks that had passed since their impromptu date.

Tarin had gone back to working at the shop, which left Lee with very little to do during the days. She hadn't bothered to find herself a job, she wasn't really planning on staying in New York. She wasn't really sure what she'd do, but at least for the time being, she was there; Tarin's nightmares hadn't exactly abated yet.

Two weeks. There had been no real progress between her and Tarin, despite his attempts. She honestly couldn't see herself dating, not Tarin, not anyone. Yet, there was no denying the fact that with the exception of the fight, she had enjoyed her dinner with Sam.

But two weeks...It had only been one, short, dinner. Would he even remember her, remember that he had given her his number? There was only one way to know for sure.

So she had called.

He had seemed happy to hear from her, excited about the idea of going out with her again. Lee wasn't so sure, and she told him as much, said she still wasn't sure if she was ready for that whole dating thing yet, but that she did want to see him again. So they arranged to meet in the park that afternoon, and what better place than one of Lee's favourite coffee vendors there?

So Lee had gotten ready. She still hadn't found a suitable replacement for her boots that were lost in the camps, so she had to settle on a pair of black sneakers to go with her outfit: a black and grey checked skirt that came to mid thigh and a black tshirt. A far cry from the too big basketball shorts and shirt she had been wearing to the restaurant they had first met at.

And a couple hours later, just before the time they had agreed upon to meet, Lee was standing in line to get coffee. It was a necessity again since she wasn't touching Tarin all the time any more, wasn't touching anyone.

Sam was a bit nervous, more than he has ever been in, well life. Lee called for a second date, wait was it a date hadn’t she clearly said she wasn’t ready to date. Well she was calling for a reason she needed company? Some one to talk to? Or did she honestly like Sam enough to go out again? These questions were racing threw his head as he approved the coffee vendor in the park where he enthusiastically agreed to meet Lee.

Sam approached her and was about to tap her on the shoulder, but then he remembered what she could do. So he just said, “miss me?” he smiled and waited for her to respond hoping that she wouldn’t turn around and punch him thinking he was a mugger or a rapist. She looked just as good as Sam remembered, giving off a classy vibe. Sam was wearing his usual tight t-shirt showing off his defended muscles and some semi baggy pants. Despite the weather, which never seemed to bother him, he wore clothing that would make people sweat by just looking at him.

Lee didn't know if Sam was running late, or if she was still early, since she never wore a watch, so had no way to actually tell. It was probably just her nervousness that was making it feel later than it was, feel like Sam should have already shown up by then.

She was just about at the front of the coffee line when she felt someone come up behind her and stop. Someone else joining the line. Well, coffee was damn important. She didn't think more than that about the new addition to the line until she heard a voice coming from behind her, asking her if she had missed him.

Turing, Lee's slightly confused and curious look was replaced by a smile as she saw Sam standing there, grinning at her. "Of course I did," she said, as if such a thing should be completely obvious. Wasn't it? She wouldn't have called if she hadn't wanted to see him again, hadn't missed him, at least a bit.

"Did you want anything?" Lee asked, inclining her head toward the vendor as they reached the front of the line. "Large black," she then ordered, turning her attention, at least briefly, toward the man behind the cart.

Sam felt really happy when she said she missed him. He missed her to, she was really good company to be around. Sam laughed and said “No thanks I am wide awake, didn’t take you for a coffee drinker, what happened to that energy.” Sam laughed a bit at his own lame joke and waited then waited for Lee. “So we just going to go for a walk or are you planning on going somewhere special?” Sam was a bit curious, he had an inkling what he wanted to do but all of them would be better at night, where not to many people were around. Mainly star gazing, that was by far one of Sam’s favorite things to do in a park, despite all the lights in NYC you could still see them.

Lee nodded and paid for her coffee when Sam said he was wide awake and didn't need the coffee. It was late enough in the day that a lot of people wouldn't be interested in coffee, having already gotten their morning buzz. But that wasn't the case for Lee, not when she didn't have her almost endless supply of energy. No, not that she didn't have it, she was technically staying in Tarin's apartment, weird though that was, now that Rachael had had to go back to Toronto, but that she wasn't willing to use that energy supply. Coffee, caffeine, was a necessity throughout the day.

"It got burned off," Lee said, taking her coffee and turning back to the path. "Like I said, it's all very variable."

Then Sam asked what she had planned, and Lee shrugged her shoulders. "I hadn't really thought about it," Lee admitted with a slight blush, her eyes darting to Sam and away quickly. "How about we start with a walk and go from there?"

“That sounds good to me.” Said Sam while working his way to get a little closer to Lee. I his opinion it was a date and on his dates he didn’t want to be across the sidewalk from his date, Lee. There was what Sam felt to be a small awkward moment somewhere in that time where he was walking closer. To kill that moment he decided to ask her “So what have you been up two these past few weeks?” A lot had been going on with Sam so he wondered if a lot has been happening to her as well.

They were walking down the path in the park, not slowly, but not quickly, either. Just at a nice, comfortable pace. And as they walked, Lee could tell Sam was moving closer; she could both see him out of the corner of her eye and feel him, or rather his energy. Too close. Lee couldn't help it, she moved away as they walked. Not much, barely an inch of extra space between them, but it made Lee feel better that Sam wasn't that close to her any more.

Lee was just taking a sip of her coffee, mmm coffee, when Sam asked what she had been up to. How did you explain that you had been trying to help your ex deal with the aftermath of having been merged with a murderous spirit? Lee took another sip to buy her a couple seconds of thinking time.

"I've been helping my...friend out," Lee said, changing the word she was going to use at the last moment. She was looking straight ahead at the path as she spoke. "He's starting to get better, back at work at least, so I've been quite bored during the day this week."

As Sam got closer she got farther, was she that scared of her powers? Sam was all but afraid he was actually interested in it, it added to the other mysteries that made Lee who she was. Another mystery was talk of her friend, whenever she talked about it she tensed up, and he got the vibe that she was a little bitter towards the friend that she helps out.

“That’s nice of you taking care of your friend, don’t think I have to many friends like that.” Sam wanted to see her reaction to see if she smiled or frowned, if she did one or the other she could get a general feel if this guy is just a friend, or more than. Sam said this with a smile hoping she would open a bit more to him.

"The closer you are, the more energy I'm taking," Lee said, whispered. "I can't help it." But she didn't shy away when Sam moved closer again.

"Nice..." Lee whispered, her eyes still on the path, not looking over at Sam. But that's how it looked, wasn't it? That's how normal people thought of such a thing. But then again, normal people didn't have to deal with things that people like her, people like Tarin and Sam, had to deal with.

"I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing, for either of us," Lee admitted, a slight frown on her face. "But a couldn't just leave him to deal with all that on his own."

Lee took a breath, then another, deeper breath, before looking over at Sam with a smile. "What about you?" She asked. "What have you been up to?"

Sam smiled at the fact that she still worried about her taking his energy, “Lee you can’t scare me off, and you can have all my energy, not afraid.” Sam really wasn’t he has seen and done things that most people would be afraid of, skydiving with out a parachute, scuba diving with out a tank, that was the old life Sam lived, it was a lonely one. He was tired of being lonely he wanted to start a new life a happy one, and as of right now Lee was in that life and she was making it all the better.

Sam didn’t know how to respond to comment she stated about not knowing what to do. So he did the best he could, “You know Lee, you are a kind person and if you are helping him out, somewhere deep down you know what your doing. It always gets worse before it gets better.” Sam was really hoping he chose his words carefully if this friend of hers was more than a friend he didn’t want her to go back to him. Not just yet he was having too much fun with her, even if this was the second date.

Lee changed the subject, which was fine with Sam it was making her feel uncomfortable which was the exact opposite he was going for on this date. He smiled, which he has been doing a lot lately ever since he met Lee. “A lot has happened to me, moved into this super cool house, lots of roommates, most of them know what I can do and are cool with it. Still haven’t found a job yet which is cool because room and bored at this place is free.” He was trying to slow down because he was talking way to fast getting more and more excited with each word. “They also got this humongous library, a music room and this sweet gym where they let me practice using my powers in.” he was talking about the danger room in the x-mansion. Blushing a little he stopped and said, “Sorry didn’t mean to ramble.” He again said this with a smile and blushed a little while trying to not to look Lee in the face directly.

Lee smiled, sadly. What was it with these American mutants? Did they have no sense of self-preservation, or were they just stupid, like the stereotypes said?

No, Lee didn't believe that. Stubborn, yes, but not stupid. Lee wouldn't have had even half as good a time at dinner with Sam if she had thought he was stupid. Still, there was something he said that went beyond simply sadness.

"Don't worry," Lee whispered, her voice even softer than it had previously been. "I'll never take all your energy. Never come close, no matter what."

Lee simply nodded as Sam continued to speak. Things certainly felt...well, Lee honestly wasn't sure how things felt between her and Tarin, but they certainly weren't better. They were weird, and uncomfortable, and awkward, and Tarin still hadn't dealt with everything yet. They weren't better.

But Sam seemed excited to tell her about what he had been up to in the last couple weeks, and that helped Lee push the thoughts about Tarin, and her powers out of her mind. Or, at least into a corner of her mind so she didn't have to deal with them right then.

Lee couldn't stop her smile from growing as she listened to Sam go on about this house he had moved into. And the roommates being ok with his powers.

"Wow, Sam," Lee said, her voice back up above a whisper again. "That sounds really amazing! And don't be sorry, it sounds really interesting there."

Sam added to Lee’s comment “Maybe you heard of it, I call it mutant manor, but the other name is the X-Mansion.” Sam waited to see if Lee had a positive response to it. “You know if you want I can show you around there some time. I think you would enjoy it.” Sam was more than happy o show Lee his new home, it felt weird saying home. He has never had a place to call come before but this place was almost everything he could ever want, minus the family that he has always been looking for.

Sam was quiet for a second, Lee finally seemed a little more interested in him and he was satisfied with that. Sam’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped pointing at the sign he felt he seemed like a 5-year-old kid to Lee. “Lee is it cool if we go there I have never been anywhere like that in my life.” Sam said very excited, he was pointing at the sign that says Zoo, he had never been to a zoo in his life, or a carnival, or anywhere remotely fun. He was locked in a cell almost his whole life the only fun he had was when he was on a mission.

Lee listened as Sam told her about the place he lived, asking if she had ever heard of it. Yeah, she had heard of it. At least she thought she had, if it was the same place, though that wasn't the name she had heard it called, she didn't think. If it was the same place, Lee knew Tarin wanted to get there, to see if anyone there could help him with his merging. He was going to freak if she found her way there before him, without even trying.

But, how much time had passed since Tarin had first started to figure out how to get to the mansion and he hadn't managed it? At least if Lee went, found out where it was and what it was like, she could tell him.

"You know, I think I'd really like that," Lee said, the sincerity ringing in her voice.

And then Sam was pointing toward the zoo, as excited as a child, asking if they could go. Lee wasn't sure. To be honest, she had never set foot in that zoo without Tarin beside her. But glancing over at Sam, seeing the excitement on his face, a smile came back to Lee's face. He was almost bouncing as he stood there.

The zoo was big, after all.

"Sure, let's go see the polar bears," She agreed.

Sam had never been so happy in his life, Lee was up for two things that Sam thought of, the first was her going to the mansion with him, and the most important one as of now was going to the zoo. Lee and Sam walked into the zoo she wanted to see the polar bears Sam wanted to see everything. He walked with Lee to the first exhibit he saw it was that of the Bengal tigers.

Sam’s look at the tigers was that of disappointment. “that’s a little disappointing” he said as he looked at the tigers just laying there. “They seem completely different in the wild.”

Lee walked into the zoo, and apparently they were going to go straight to the tigers. This was weird, Lee couldn't help but think. First time she had been in this zoo with Tarin, well, the first time she had been in this zoo, she and Tarin had come to see the tigers first, too. Not that it was very surprising, what with how close they were to the gates, but it still felt weird.

At least the cubs had grown, they were larger, and rather than being playfully frisky, all the tigers were simply laying there, relaxing.

Sam didn't seem all that impressed by the tigers, either. Not very surprising. It really wasn't very fun watching someone sleep. Lee knew that from experience. Then something else that Sam had said clicked in and she turned to look at him. Did he mean that he had actually seen tigers in the wild?

"You know, they do put the most interesting parts on TV," she told him with a grin. "Ready to go find those polar bears?"