>>Not much to tell. I'm from Lexington, Kentucky and I've been here in New York for about three years now. I work here at the mansion for Sam as his assistant. I work out every day and tend to get into trouble whether I'm lookin' for it or not. What about you, Kate?

Kate watch Andrew lighten up at her silly idea and couldn’t but help smile more. This would seem ridiculous if you were watching it from the outside but for now this seemed to be exactly what they needed and Kate was happy she had thought of it.

“Well I was born in England. Obviously,” Kate gestured to herself as to indicate her accent, “I moved to New York last fall and it was like shell shock because I had been so sheltered all my life. I went through some bad things and then ended up in Rome, which was fantastic. As Hanna would say all my aura is bright and I am giving off good vibes.” Kate laughed again, “I have no idea what that means but it’s what she says.”

He managed to keep a straight face right up until the bit about a bright aura and giving off good vibes. The moment that left Kate's lips Drew dissolved into laughter. What on earth did that mean anyway? Kate didn't have any clue either which only made him laugh more. When he finally got himself back under control he grinned at Kate.

"Rome huh? Kevin would kill to go to Rome." he smirked, "There's a reason my middle name is Julius. Kevin's obsessed with Rome."

Drew didn't even think twice about calling his father by his first name instead of dad or father. It didn't really occur to him that he might confuse Kate speaking like that.

"Anyway, sounds like you had fun in Rome."

Kate watched as Andrew dissolved into the most laughter she had ever seen come out of the boy and because of that she joined them. The two laughed at the ridiculousness of the moment for a bit not even trying to gain control in a timely manner.

>>Rome huh? Kevin would kill to go to Rome. There's a reason my middle name is Julius. Kevin's obsessed with Rome.

“Kevin?” Kate gave Andrew a confused look, “What’s a Kevin?”

>>Anyway, sounds like you had fun in Rome.

“I can’t even begin to describe how much.” Kate’s face changed into a look of serene happiness, “To think, I could have died in a sad pitiful pile in a luxury hotel room if I hadn’t met Hanna when I did. She picked me up and forced me to have fun and somewhere along the way I started actually having it.”

Laughing that much felt good. Despite everything that had happened he could still laugh and Drew was happy for that. Of course Kate's confusion at his mention of Kevin punctured that bubble of happiness and his smile gave way to a blank face.

"My father. His name is Kevin."

That was all he was going to say on the matter because he wasn't about to let Kevin ruin a perfectly good laugh. Drew listened to her describe her trip to Rome and how Hanna helped her and he smiled again. He'd need to thank this Hanna if he ever met her.

"And she got you to wear pants! Don't forget that!"

He grinned and winked at Kate. That change in fashion wasn't going to escape his notice. Before she left he'd never seen the girl in anything but dresses.

>>My father. His name is Kevin.

Kate watched Andrew’s expression almost immediately change and knew that was not something to press even for a moment. So, she didn’t. Instead she told him about Rome watching his face to see if things would go back to the good and was happy when she saw a smile cross his face once more.

>>And she got you to wear pants! Don't forget that!

“It’s absolutely true. I mean I wear them more then dresses now. It really is a rather nice transformation.” Kate would have stood if she had been wearing jeans at the time but she was instead wearing sweats which did nothing for her, “I discovered I have an ass that I didn’t even know was there before. And the possibilities that come with it.”

Thankfully they didn't spend any more time on his parent after that. Kate very quickly picked up on the fact that he didn't want to talk about him and moved on. In fact inside a minute he was blushing due to her return comment. It wasn't right up to the ears blushing but it was still fairly noticeable.

"Uh..yeah. I noticed when you were wearing that bikini."

After all, even angry as he had been it was hard not to notice Kate laying out in a bikini. Drew wasn't even thinking about any other possible meanings of what Kate had said. Not at all. Nope, he was too busy dealing with the most blatant portions of it. For as far as he had come from shutting out the world, Drew still had a long way to go.

Kate couldn’t’ help but laugh again at the blush that came over the boy’s face.

>>Uh..yeah. I noticed when you were wearing that bikini.

“Wow.” Kate got a look of fake shock, “With everything that happened I wouldn’t’ have even thought that you knew I was wearing one.” She chucked to herself at her amusing comment, “But in all seriousness it is nice to have a change on that kind of scale. It is nice to not dress like a little girl all the time. I mean I still like the dresses sometimes but I’ve gotten this new kind of confidence from the way that I look now that I really enjoy. It’s nice to feel secure for once.”

She laughed. He blushed. It was one big parade of awkwardness for him. After Tasean Drew would have thought that he'd be more used to such commentary. And yet here he was still blushing like a kid. It was embarrassing. Once she moved on from the color in his cheeks died down and he listened appreciatively. Secure huh?

"Yeah, I get that."

Feeling secure wasn't something Drew was all that familiar with to be truthful. He wanted to be but his life was so hectic and frankly dangerous that such a feeling was not likely to happen any time soon. Of course they were talking about two different senses of the word. Not that it made much different since that sort of confidence was something he lacked as well.

>>Yeah, I get that.

Kate smiled glad that he actually understood her for once and she wasn’t just making things worse by simply talking. It was nice to not feel like she was being judged for past mistakes but instead seen for who she was now. A person that she liked greatly and was more than happy so share.

The pair simply sat and talked for what didn’t only seems like but was hours. They spent the night laughing and joking and simply getting to know each other again. They had gone in in tatters but come out as friends once more; all they had to do was start over. They were both so different that it was like meeting whole new people. People that each liked far better than the original.