An Uncertain Step with a Leap of Faith (Roselyn)

[Vincent Romanov]

It had been a long time since Vincent Romanov had been out on a date......a really really long time. He felt awkward as he stood in his bedroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, covering his more....manly parts. He stood in front of his bed, looking at the clothes he had laid out earlier. A pair of dark blue jeans with a white tee shirt and a light brown button up shirt. He had told Rose the dinner was going to be casual, but with women, it was hard to really figure out what their interpretation of comfortable was. More than likely, Rose's casual wear would be far fancier than Vincent's best dressed, a thought which made him smile and shake his head. He had already wrestled with himself over what to wear more than once today and he wasn't about to start that again. He had made his mind up and casual was the way he was going to dress.

Removing the towel which covered his lower area, Vincent tossed it to the side into the hamper by the bedroom door. Picking up the white pair of boxers at the foot of the bed, he stepped into them one leg at a time, stumbling a bit in the process before sitting down on the bed and putting on his white cotton socks. His mind thought about Rose for a minute and he ran his hand through his still semi-wet hair. With a sigh, Vincent stood up and moved over to his dresser, picking up a can of deodorant and spraying himself down, followed by a quick spray of some body spray (which he also sprayed over his clothes on the bed). Setting those things aside, Vincent continued to get dressed, doing so quickly as usual and then sitting back down on the bed. He grabbed a pair of black steel toed work boots and laced them up tightly, as he been taught to do in the military.

Giving himself one last look over as he stood to leave the room, Vincent grabbed his keys, wallet, phone and watch off the dresser, putting them all in the appropriate places on himself. He flipped the switch for the bedroom lights off and proceeded through the house, making sure he hadn't left anything on or had anything else out of place. His laptop was locked away in the hidden floor safe in the living room, a bit of paranoid precaution, but one he saw as valid. Vincent had some very private files on his computer, heavily encrypted of course, which could make life difficult for a lot of people back at Hammel should that information be made public. His job wasn't exactly a dream job, after all, it demanded almost all of his time and attention, not to mention it made him a very large target for any sort of anti meta groups out there looking to bring harm to Hammel.

In a short amount of time, Vincent was already on the road, heading back toward the hospital to pick up Rose. She had sent him a text earlier letting him know it would be best to pick her up there. He knew the hospital had showers and a lounge where Rose could get ready for their date, so it didn't seem so odd of a request. Vincent was just glad Rose was so eager to go out to dinner with him to worry about anything else at the moment. Hopefully nothing back at Hammel would explode tonight and demand his attention. Vincent always had his cell or blue tooth on him at all times and his security team knew when and if they needed to contact him about something. To be on the safe side, Vincent said a quick prayer to make sure things went just right tonight.

He pulled up to the hospital, slowly driving through the parking lot and parking off next to a side entrance Rose had texted him to meet her at. Vincent wasn't one to drive some fancy sports car, although he did have a taste for the old style of muscle cars. Instead he drove a dark black jeep wrangler, four wheel drive of course, with chrome trim. Much to his military teaching, the inside of Vincent's jeep was as clean as it could possibly get. As he sat there waiting, Vincent began to rub his thumb back and forth across his bottom lip in thought. He was very anxious to get this date going so that he and Rose could get to one another much better. He really liked her and wanted Rose to be comfortable on this date so she would go on another one with him. It was nice to find someone you could see yourself being around all the time and who understood what it meant to have a job which demanded so much of your time. As he looked up, Vincent saw Rose emerge from the hospital. He flashed his lights twice and then emerged from the jeep as he moved across to the passenger side of the car to open the door for her.

[Roselyn Veeder]

Rose had already curled her hair, standing in front of her closet pushing clothes back and forth and she tried to find just the right outfit to wear. What do people normally wear to steak houses? She had already picked out a black and white dress but decided against it first thing this morning. After scanning through her things one more time she pulled out a cream colored tunic dress. She took a wide band brown belt and put it on around her waist to dress it up a bit. She glanced in the mirror, the dress came to her knees but for safe measure she also put on a short pair of khaki shorts. She wore a necklace that was made up of layers of hammered bronze coins with a bracelet and earrings to match. She scanned her shoes a few times before picking out a natural looking wedge pair that laced just a bit up her ankles. She tried to tie the bows neatly but Coal Chute kept rubbing up against her, he knew something had to be up. And she found herself laughing at the thought of him imagining her not coming back.

She picked the furry cat up, pulling him up close to her face until they touched noses and stroking under his chin. "It's okay.", she reassured him softly. He purred and it seemed to be almost as if in agreement. She gave him a slight hug before sitting him down on the bed, then checking for any hair he might have left on her. She finished making neat laces before she went into the bathroom, taking another glance at her make up in the mirror. She had a causal, almost 'island' look, or at least that's what it reminded Rose of. With that thought she smiled and quickly dug down into her cosmetic case, pulling out a small round compact and brush. She dusted a warm bronzer on her cheeks, barely dusting the rest of the key points - forehead, nose, chin, and chest. She laid them back down with her other assortment of odds and ends before turning her attention to perfume. She had at least a dozen types, what she wore depended on her mood, all were musky and had different floral scents.

She picked a tall bottle with a long silver cap on it, perhaps her favorite one so far, and sprayed it towards her body holding it out at a safe length. After recapping it and giving one more glance up and putting her tan feather clip in her hair she turned the light off. She picked up her small handbag and headed downstairs towards the kitchen. Her keys laid there on the bar, an easy way for her to keep up with them. And beside it was her phone, which she checked quickly to make sure Vincent had not called or texted her yet. She had told him she would meet him at the hospital for different reasons, he already knew how to get there and even though she felt she could trust him you just didn't tell someone where you lived until you had a chance to get to know them a bit better. What if tonight was a disaster? That would just be another loose end that would need tying. Once you showed someone where you live it's like a constant open invitation.

She pushed these thoughts out of her head as she climbed into her dark gold PT Cruiser, turning the key to start it and pulling out of her driveway. She drove without really having to think of anything, after all this was her most traveled route. She would listen to a song or two on one cd before hastily taking it out and putting another in. She had reached the hospital first it seemed, being fifteen minutes early. She decided she would poke her head in and ask about a couple of kids she had been taking care of. One was scheduled to be released today and hopefully the other the day after tomorrow.

She got a few looks as she walked around the hospital. She really didn't want to go up to the children's ward, just in case she felt pulled to stay. She merely asked and checked the computers before telling her friends good bye and making her way to the side entrance. She glanced at her watch, just a few minutes until six. She could see a couple of people in their vehicles but she couldn't make out their features enough to recognize any of them. Then as if clockwork Vincent blinked his lights twice, stopping her search. She made her way quickly to him, her heart pounding a bit. He stepped out of the Jeep before she made it there and had the door opened up for her. Inside she was squealing with excitement, but she didn't dare vocalize it.

She smiled at him brightly, letting her hand rest gently on his just before she sat in the passenger seat. She noticed immediately that his car was immaculate. She let her eyes just float to the front of the car, a bit interested in what it could say about him. She wondered what station he kept his radio on or what he listened to. She waited for him to get back around in his seat before she asked, sure it wasn't a very important question but an ice breaker none the less. "What kind of music do you listen to?" She felt that human instinct of flipping down his visors or pushing buttons on his radio tug at her but she was a bit to shy for that and she respected Vincent. Maybe this is why teenagers act so dumb she thought to herself. She felt spontaneous impulses and she felt like giggling. Well part of that could be her general personality plus her job.

She let her eyes glance over his attire. Brown suited him well, and truth be known she couldn't think of one color she could think of that wouldn't. He seemed to pick neutrals a lot, and that was fine with her. Neutrals usual meant a calm personality, a sense of safety. She smiled as she realized they pretty much matched. "I'm glad I wore this outfit now." She adjusted herself in her seat before clicking her seat belt around her.

[Vincent Romanov]

Stepping out of the jeep, Vincent watched Rose for a moment, smiling like some dumb founded schoolboy. Vincent seemed the odd look to anyone who really didn't know the man. When on the clock or tending to matters which really meant something to him, he was a very serious and quite determined individual. However, the kids here at the hospital, along with some of the staff, knew him to be a gentle giant. None of them here really knew what he did or anything about his past and that was the way he preferred to keep things. Rose was the first person in a very long time to actually catch Vincent unguarded and vulnerable. He had allowed this fair maiden to see him without his armor and to actually step in close enough to find out more about him. This was dangerous territory for Vincent as he was used to just stepping in and getting a job done. Being out on a date and actually pursuing a private life was rather strange for him.

"Wow," was all Vincent said as Rose approached, stepping in rather closely to him as she moved to take her seat inside the jeep. She smelled of a familiar floral scent and Vincent breathed the scent in deeply, his body becoming sort of light and numb for a second. For some men, scent was what attracted them the most, and it appeared Vincent was no different. Rose had managed to ensnare Vincent's utmost attention for the rest of the evening. He smiled nervously as Rose seated herself and then once satisfied she was comfortable, he closed her door and proceeded around the front of the jeep toward his side of the car. He stopped outside his door for a moment, looking his reflection over in the side window for anything out of the way. Vincent tried not to linger too long for fear of looking like some idiot and then proceeded to open his door, taking his seat.

Vincent never bothered to buckle up, the thought never crossed his mind as in doing so was really pointless in his case. Physical injury was almost impossible. Rose seemed to be taking a moment to give the inside of Vincent's jeep the once over, no doubt looking for anything incriminating. She, like he, was watching every move of their partner this evening for anything to give away something about the other. The temptation to have some of the technopaths at Hammel dig up what information on Rose they could had tugged at him more than once through the week, but Vincent remained strong and resisted. He wanted this to be as close to a real date as possible, no matter how foolish he might look at the end. The jeep started with no trouble and Vincent took another deep breath as Rose's floral scented perfume filled the jeep.

He smiled a moment as she questioned his taste in music, and as he pulled the car into gear. "Well, I listen to different things, depending on the mood or moment I guess," he said, looking about to make sure the way to go was clear. "At the house, when I'm just moving about, I like some older music, something like Sinatra or Martin," he went on, pulling out onto the highway now, "Working out, I like something a bit more heavy handed, something to push the adrenaline. When I'm working on a problem or trying to figure out reports for work, I prefer something soft with a bit of taste, the blues for example," he replied, driving casually with one hand on the wheel and the other sitting comfortably in his lap. "What about you Rose? I take you for a....classical sort," he said, glancing over to give her a mocking once over as if really studying her.

[Roselyn Veeder]

Rose sat in her seat, her eyes watching Vincent as he talked about what he liked to listen to. She smiled, letting her eyes drift down to her lap where she rubbed the back of her left hand with her right as he pulled out. "I love Martin... and Sinatra." Sinatra was probably better known, and he had the looks but there was something about Dean Martin's voice that really appealed to her. She felt a warmth creeping up her chest, usually guys that listen to things like that, like 'lounge' music, were romantic - to one degree or another. At least that was the fantasy she liked to hold on the matter. Vincent did seem to be some kind of noble knight, she let this thought fill her head as she glanced back up at him. Sure he looked a bit worn around the edges, not really rough, he looked like he might have learned some things the hard way but it only made him stronger, right? He had a little more age on him that Rose did, that seemed apparent but considering they were both metas meant you couldn't always take things at face value.

She didn't ask, it really didn't matter, but he appeared about thirty-five to her. She smiled, as she watched him knowing just how minute that even mattered to her. She realized she had been gazing at him for a good length of time so she turned her attention to the traffic. "Not really." she answered as he asked her if she liked classical music. She touched her fingertips on left hand with her right thumb. "Not that I haven't heard some and liked it. I guess if I had really wanted to play the piano longer, if I had stayed with it then I probably would." She gave a soft sigh, letting her hands rest in her lap and giving her head a slight shake. "Just wasn't really for me... That was my mom's dream." Rose could still remember her mother and that red hymn book that had almost fell to pieces sitting her down and moving her hands along the keys. Amber seemed to be the one that really liked playing. She did very well, for her age and had even played in church on certain occasions. Rose didn't learn any masterpieces from Bach or Beethoven, those songs etched in those old books... Songs they sang every morning and it seemed everyone knew by heart....

Her thoughts drifted to her mother and she seemed to focus on the traffic for a moment. She hadn't talked to her mother in such a long time. She remembered when she told her father she was getting a divorce, how things went then. It was probably two Sundays later when he had a heart attack right in the middle of church. She felt her mother blamed her for that and it was just hard to go back with those feelings. She knew her parents shunned divorce but she just couldn't keep herself locked up in an unhealthy relationship while she seemed to decay more and more. She remembered how unhappy she had become, the way her mind seemed to grow dark.

She gave a half-hearted laugh to herself as she wondered what her mother would think of her now. She didn't grow up as her mother wanted, becoming the wife of a preacher and playing in church every time the doors were opened. By the time she had grown up and made those mistakes she was tired of her families preaching once and for all. She was certain her father did recover and is doing fine now. Still it seemed everything that went wrong seemed to gravitate around her. She had so much love from her family but guilt, guilt seemed to take the lead after James and Rose couldn't really handle it. She was busy enough as it was getting herself back together. She remembered telling her mother about how they couldn't have children and her mother said... of all things that this was probably God's plan for her. She kept reassuring Rose that God didn't give her a child because she felt that he was pushing her to go into the medical field to help others. A baby would take away from that was her explanation. She thought Rose would give up school, and perhaps she was right.

She pushed all those thoughts out of her mind. "So..." she said with a playful grin and letting her body relax a bit, "what's your curfew?" She knew that he mentioned the steakhouse had beer, something she didn't really have a taste for.. And on top of that she needed to be on her A game. Vincent moved her alot, that was for sure and she didn't need her judgment all clouded by alcohol.

[Vincent Romanov]

Vincent was a bit surprised that Rose admitted to liking Martin and Sinatra, he took her to be an entirely different sort of girl. Sure, he knew better than to take anyone at face value, he was a perfect example of that. How many had fallen in battle against Vincent because they mistook his power to be something else? How many trouble makers had Vincent caught up with at Hammel only to find out they were honor students with a perfectly clean record? Taking anyone or anything at face value in the world would only get you suckered, especially when you had metas in the mix. Vincent still hadn't figured out what Rose's ability was, but he could hazard a guess. She worked in the medical field, so he was assuming some sort of biological manipulation (yeah, I know, two big words for Vincent in a row). Then again, he could be entirely wrong and the medical field could just be what she was good at. Not all meta-abilities coincided with the line of work a meta may or may not choose. Vincent was just one of those that everything kind of worked out for the good.

Putting on his right turn signal, Vincent took the upcoming exit onto a busier more commercial road. Several independent stores and lined the streets with a gas station thrown in here and there for good measure. "I know, it isn't starting to look like we're heading anywhere special, but trust me on this, the food is fantastic," he said with a smile as he pulled up to a stop sign. A good number of cars was coming their way, so Vincent took a moment to look at his date, still smiling and very much in a good mood. He couldn't help but laugh at Rose's question. "Well," he said sort of hesitantly, pulling his cell phone from his pocket, "I'm not entirely free tonight. I'm on call twenty-four seven I'm afraid," he said with a bit of worry, "Like I said before, not many women can deal with my line of work. I hope it doesn't bother you Rose," he said, taking a chance to address her so casually. This was a date after all and addressing her as doctor just seemed silly.

Vincent slipped his phone back into his pocket, and looked back to the road, seeing it was clear to go. He pulled out slowly and started down the road toward the steakhouse. Vincent began to rub his bottom lip with the thumb on his free hand. It was something he did when thinking or when bothered. He hoped hadn't just shot himself in the foot so to speak. Better get this out there at the beginning of this date than halfway through it. "Most of those kids come from good homes for the most part, but there are those that don't and those are the ones who deserve the best Hammel can give to them, and its my job to make sure Hammel doesn't have to worry about outside interference or worry about harm coming to her and her kids," he said, his voice very sincere and genuine. It just wasn't some line he was spouting to look good in front of Rose. Vincent felt he and his team was the front lines of getting those kids a good education and a hold on their abilities.

Finally, Vincent pulled off the road into a dirt parking lot. The building there was rather long and narrow, not to mention old looking. It was made of wood, worn and weathered, with a coat of fading red paint which looked like it hadn't seen a new coat in decades. On one end of the building, the more larger and wider section, loud country music could be heard. "Unless your really into rednecks and banjos, I would stay far away from that end," he said with a laugh as he pointed toward the more lively end of the steakhouse. Turning the car off, Vincent sighed and then smiled to Rose as he opened his door, stepping out, and moving behind the car to get Rose's door for her. "I know, not a place most guys would take a girl on their first date," he said, stepping aside and offering his hand to help out of the jeep, "but I'm not most guys Rose. I'm simple and to the point," he added hoping she would not find offense in the place he had chosen to take her.

[Roselyn Veeder]

Vincent spoke a little on Hammel and how he felt committed to it.. or as he referred to as 'her'. She wasn't really the kind of person to name things like that, much less give them a gender but she knew that men were more apt for that. Her car was her car, no she or name or anything fancy like that. Perhaps because Rose had learned a life lesson on being materialistic. She had nice things, sure but she didn't really over indulge in them. People, well small ones, were what brought her real joy. Vincent seemed to really care for kids of all ages, and she admired that. To her a teenager was kind of an in between stage and maybe not what she would have the most patience for. No she loved the innocent hearts, genuine smiles, all the messes and free laughter.. At that awkward stage it seemed to be a lot of eye rolling, thinking you knew the world better because it 'has changed' since your parents were young, experimenting oh all kinds of experimenting, total lack of respect, and ungrateful. Now mind you not all teenagers were like that but she preferred to work with younger ones, ones that you didn't have to guess on too much or test your whits with.

She smiled, watching him rub his thumb back and forth across his lip. She took a deep breath and pulled the bottom of her tunic dress up, it might have appeared that she was going to give him a peep show and that would have been at least nice seeing as how she wore her pretty matching lace undergarments, but she wore her short khaki shorts and on her left pocket set into place was a small pager. "I don't ever take it off. Not that there's not several good doctors at the hospital or anything, but I really think of my patients as family and sometimes, in certain situations, I am a wild card they like to play." She offered him a smile, letting him know that she didn't expect him to give up any part of his service to spend time with her.

She pushed her dress back down, wiggling a bit as she situated it back underneath her. "I hope that you wouldn't like leave me sitting... But I can always call a taxi, or something." Rose didn't know if something did come up if she could at least ride with him in the car or what. If she received a page, well she would at least have him drive her back to the hospital tonight. She looked back over at him as he merged back into traffic. She could see how that would make it hard to have a relationship. And given her circumstances even, it was hard to have someone put ... not exactly someone else above you but having a greater priority given any critical situations. It was a responsibility that you had at all times and others relied on you.

They pulled up to the old building and Rose didn't give one indication that she disapproved at all. She actually smiled a soft smile, as she heard the banjos playing. Vincent made a small remark about it, one that sort of merited an ironic laugh. As he got out she started to follow suit. It took her just a moment to unhook her seat belt, but before she opened the door Vincent already had it. He offered her his hand and she gladly took it, pulling herself up using him as slight leverage. She didn't let go as she stood right in front of him. She gave him a mischievous smile. "If I go down there... " she motioned to the end of the porch, "are you going with me?" She bit her lip a bit teasingly, she gave a small pause, letting her head bob down in half thought half defeat, she wasn't ashamed of her upbringing at all but right now was a good time to get a bit of that out. "I uhh.. " she started off as she glanced back up at him, "I grew up in Virginia so I am sort of used to it. Kinda like it actually, reminds me a bit of home." She have a laugh at it all, he was afraid of scaring her off but when he finds out she was born in the country and poor, well, perhaps he would be the one taking a step backward at this time.

Vincent seemed unsure of his choice of restaurant and Rose smiled genuinely, she squeezed his hand slightly, stepping in to put her hand on his chest, a bold move but she was keeping the rest of her body at a safe distance so not to seem to be making a move on him. "I've been down that road before," she said shaking her head a bit, just giving light to her having another relationship but not to the point of being married, "I like you, I like you are different." She had leaned in slightly, catching the scent of his cologne but backed away as her words faded. She let go of his hand, but let it linger close to his. Rose would have to warn him that she was a very touchy person, or perhaps he would pick up on his own over time. Not every hug meant you wanted to hop in bed with someone and holding hands didn't necessarily mean you were romantically involved.. though she hoped things would keep heading that way, at a slow pace. She held many children's hands at the hospital and when it came to being with children she knew outside of work kisses were just a simple statement of love, something everyone needed.

[Vincent Romanov]

Rose took Vincent's hand, her smaller frame and body weight no where near enough to move....as if she physically could to begin with. There were several differing things to them when one looked at them physically. Vincent was large, gruff looking with a much more life experience about him while Rose was small and very youthful looking, like she just stepped into the world. The difference in age hadn't even crossed Vincent's mind, as a matter of fact, he hadn't given age a thought at all. There were other things to worry about in this world, especially this world.

Vincent smiled as Rose admitted her country roots and while it was certainly different from his youthful upbringing, he didn't think less of her. Growing up, Vincent's family hadn't been rich by any means. His father had worked like a borrowed mule to bring home paycheck after paycheck and his mother took in all sorts of laundry to help pad the family wallet. Having two children didn't make anything any easier as far as money went, but they managed to get by somehow. This was one of the reasons why Vincent worked so hard now to make sure his mother and sister were taken care of financially. His sister Natalie earned quite a nice living as a ballet dancer and had traveled the world performing on many famous stages. However, Vincent still sent home what he could from his paychecks (yes that was plural as he received a pension check from Uncle Sam as well.)

When Rose put her hand to his chest, Vincent became still, his breathing increased some as did his heartbeat. Rose would certainly notice this and it sort of embarrassed him some. There wasn't anything to do about it now, but let nature take its course with them. Rose had taken the momentum out of Vincent with a touch, a very impressive feat considering the sort of man he was. Her words, her acceptance of his simplicity eased the tension some. Vincent wasn't very smart academically, blurring the line between average and above average. He was your common man so to speak. College was never really an option and that fact never seemed to bother Vincent. He wasn't a schoolboy, not by far. Vincent had found his place in life and his acceptance is one of the things which made him so good at what he did. He sort of smiled like some goofy twit, and dropped his gaze momentarily. Vincent really had nothing to say in response, Rose had the moment and there was nothing Vincent could do about that right now.

As Rose moved away, Vincent sort of felt cold, as if he was feeling the cool air for the first time. He stood there, hypnotized in the moment before coming to his senses once again. He closed the door to the jeep with a smile. "Well then," he said as he played with his keys some, "I hope you brought your appetite," he said, offering Rose his arm to escort her inside.

The inside of the steakhouse matched the outside pretty much. Old road signs decorated the walls along with some various pictures of what appeared to be athletes from varying sports. The floor was simple concrete and not very clean looking but if that came as a surprise, then you weren't paying attention when you pulled up outside. Several of the regular customers at the bar threw up a hand and a shout to Vincent as he entered, smiling at him as well when they saw Rose on his arm. Vincent smiled back and waved, not wanting to be rude. It was evident he was known here which meant there really wasn't too much in Vincent's life outside of Hammel and his volunteer work.

Pointing to a booth by the back of the steakhouse, where it was a bit quieter, Vincent escorted Rose to her seat. Before he sat down, Vincent made a motion to the one of the girls working the tables, "Beer," he said and then looked to Rose while still holding his hand up, "You?," he said very casually, as if this wasn't a first date at all.

[Roselyn Veeder]

It was sweet the way Vincent reacted to her touch but she couldn't really say anything because as she moved away from him she felt her own heart flutter and her stomach twist up a bit. It wasn't love, she could be naive when it came to emotions and care for someone easily but it was that stage of trust, the feeling you have when you feel just safe around someone. Maybe it was just Vincent's guardian nature that pulled her in or fate... or chemistry. She didn't know enough about him to say she was falling in love but she knew that just from the way she felt attracted to him if he never talked again she would still feel pulled to his side. It was sort of that too good to be real stage and if, if this happened to work out, well it would be the first good thing God had dealt to her in a long time.

He offered her his arm and she took it, actually wrapping up around it as they walked. She wasn't the most elegant person when it came to being all proper and prim but she was sweet, she had good intentions. She was loving, clingy without being sleazy. Perhaps she wasn't an outwardly sexual person because with her it became a double edged sword, she felt it had a purpose, one that seemed to always fail when put into her care. If you thought of it as just a means to make a child, one you always lost... well it made the taste bitter in your mouth. And perhaps now she could see why James had had an affair with a woman from his office. Their intimate relationship was nothing but disappointment and it even got to the point that she didn't want to be touched at all by him, or any other man. Still as she went through her roller coaster of depression and disappointment he had not been supportive at all. He withdrew from her, perhaps feeling some at fault for not being able to hold their family together. But going from feeling betrayed by her own body to her husband, well it was a disaster. There was no fixing their relationship when she got done with it.

She realized that now she might have to change, a lot, if they were going to become a couple. And given the fact this wasn't the picture perfect marriage, etc., etc. that she felt pressured to have her first go around, well perhaps it would all come naturally to her with trust. She was able to better cope now with disappointments and failures of having a large family. She had always set her heart on three, if things had worked out but after losing that many she didn't want to even try again. It seemed like she was just conceiving to have her baby die. Now that she analyzed herself in her head she did sound dysfunctional. She shook it off, not letting any of those feelings or thoughts cross her mind cause she really felt it was neither here nor there. In fact right now in this moment she felt like this was her new life, not continuing a damaged one.

She pulled closer to him as she walked into the building, letting her eyes drift around as they adjusted to the dim lighting. She looked over to the bar as his friends hollered at him and she smiled brightly at them as they seemed to really take notice of her. It was nice, not necessarily the attention on herself but as an extension of Vincent. She never was one for the lime light, cept when she was drunk and around friends, she liked to build others up. Perhaps it was were she was raised in a humble house she didn't feel like boasting. She didn't have a lot to brag about growing up and after losing all she had before, well, self accomplishment and love were worth more than anything money could give you.

She walked with Vincent to the back, smiling and nodding at a few people they passed as they looked at her. Sure she was friendly and would aggressively acknowledge people but just thinking of striking up a conversation with a stranger usually made her nervous, sick to her stomach. She was very focused on her company but she usually wasn't around more than one or two people at a time, save work.

She sat down in her seat, scooting away from the edge and placing her purse next to her in her seat. Vincent ordered a beer and she only looked up at him after he addressed her. "Water." she stated simply. Sure she wasn't a very sexually aggressive person but she was very attracted to Vincent and she didn't need anything to haze her judgment or act out of line tonight. She didn't want this to be a one night thing... she wanted it to be permanent or at least semi, from what she was feeling so far.

She smiled at him, clasping her hands together and looking at him after he sat down. She glanced down at the silverware that was on the table to the side of her and that brought something back to mind. "I never told you.... well why I feel comfortable around metas." She glanced about to make sure that there were no eyes on them. She unclasped her hands and neatly unrolled the silverware before taking the serrated knife and cutting not deeply but just across the meaty part of her thumb. It didn't bleed, but the red line popped up making itself known. She placed the knife to the side, not going to use it though she had nothing wrong with her... and given her ability she probably couldn't contract anything like that. Cutting and knives were second nature to her and instead of just saying it a lot of people want to ask questions. She liked to be moving, doing something with her hands rather than running her mouth. She simply placed her right hand over her left and closed her eyes as if in thought or prayer, this helped her concentrate, and in about thirty seconds she removed her hand and placed it in her lap, the other had not even the slightly mark on it. "You might have guessed, given my line of work." She gave a slight shrug and smiled.

[Vincent Romanov]

"Water," he said making another motion to the waitress who only smiled back and nodded in return to Vincent as he sat down across from Rose. Rose was playing it smart in her date with Vincent thus far. He had caught on to all her moves, even if it didn't appear. Having him pick her up from work instead of home to keep her residence private from him and now ordering just water instead of something intoxicating to keep her head calm and level. Both very smart moves and moves which merited respect and a nod of the head from Vincent. Rose had some street smarts to go with that academic head, a rarity in those gifted with book smarts.

Sitting down, Vincent made himself a bit more comfortable, his hands resting on the table, one clasping the other lazily as he watched Rose with a smile. Rose was very interesting and she kept Vincent's attention, something which some of his past teachers would refer to as a miracle. Truth be known, Vincent was observant of things and those around him, but in a different way than most. He could read people, but more accurately he could read their body movements. Emotions were the easiest to read, something all good soldiers learned how to do. In a fight, one had to know their opponent or they would lose. This was always the key factor to Vincent's past victories, misinformation. Never take what seems the easiest to pick up on, because most often than not, that was a lie. Rose looked calm, but he figured she was as nervous as he was, after all, she just like him, lead a very complicated professional lifestyle. So, in other words, she probably didn't go on many dates either.

What happened next caught Vincent a bit off guard. Rose seemed ready to spill the beans on her meta secret, but instead she picked up a knife. Vincent's mind moved quickly as did his eyes, watching each and every movement of the blade and Rose at the same time. His face became more serious for a moment. Hopefully she wouldn't do something which garnered a lot of attention. There were too many drunk people in here with a grudge against metas and a bar fight was the last thing needed on a first date. He sort of furrowed his brow a bit, narrowing his eyes slightly as Rose put the blade to her thumb, cutting the flesh there, but just slightly. She had skill with a knife, no doubt seeing how she was a doctor and used to handling sharp instruments. A large red line was left in the blades wake, leaving just enough damage to scratch Rose's thumb with very little blood. At this point Vincent was assuming a healing ability, an ability which was nice to have but one he had seen a time or two in his life. With a little bit of show, Rose healed the small wound to her thumb, showing Vincent the unmarred flesh. He smiled and sat back in his booth, showing his appreciation of her skill. "I might have guessed that seeing your profession," he admitted at her statement.

At this point the waitress appeared with a bottle of unopened beer for Vincent and a water for Rose. Vincent thanked the woman and told her to give them a few minutes. The woman nodded and left to attend the other customers of the steakhouse. Vincent twisted the cap off his beer, taking a long drink before setting the bottle back down on the table. He held the bottle with his hand, eying Rose with a smile. "Alright," he said with a rather sly smirk as he laid his other hand on the table palm side up. "Let's see that again," he said, tempting Rose to cut him as she had herself. He wanted to see her face when she would fail to do so. It never ceased to amuse him whenever someone realized that they couldn't hurt him. No doubt, she would still get his power wrong, after all, his ability wasn't exactly common. He had never met another like himself, but some similar. He once knew a kid who could alter kinetic energy, stop it or alter its movement altogether, but none who could outright absorb it and then convert it into raw strength.

[Roselyn Veeder]

Rose was comforted by the fact that Vincent seemed to approve of her ability. He had watched her seriously as she held the knife in her hand, and that much was understandable. But Rose, no she wasn't really the type to want to hurt others, at least not without a great movement of passion. Sure she could do it to save someone or herself but she was calm here, she wouldn't do anything rash or aggressive. And just as she had planned they were the only two to this small act.

Vincent admitted a bit that her profession lead one to believe in an ability like this, and it did seem to fall in place. She smiled, a bit sadly. "It comes with a price though. I mean I can't work absolute miracles in seconds. No, my ability is a bit more slow paced than some others I have seem." The waitress left their drinks and she turned her attention back to Vincent. "Some of the kids that I have seen, I have been able to control their condition but not cure it." She paused for a minute, letting her hands rest on the sides of her drink, watching the slight condensation gather around her fingers. "I don't have an endless supply, it uses up a lot of my energy if I really push it. It's hard to try to select which child deserves it more than another." She gave a slight sigh before pushing her drink lightly to the side. "Certain types of aggressive cancer, I really just slow down the inevitable. Perhaps if I focused on one person my whole life I could preserve them until something happened to myself." She gave a slight shrug at this thought, showing it was something casual for her to address, perhaps not spoken aloud but to herself.

Vincent held his beer but laid the other hand up on the table palm up. Her eyes slipped up to his and she saw the sly smirk on his face. When he told her he wanted to see that again she grew pale. It wasn't Rose's nature at all to want to bring harm to someone who had committed no crime against her or to her knowledge. "No," she said at almost a stammer as she shook her head at him, feeling her hands getting clammy. Why was she bothered so much by this? She knew that she could heal him especially using these steak knives. She tried to use humor to make her feel comfortable in the moment, "I don't stab on the first date." She offered a smile but Vincent's confidence showed her that he too was opening something up to her. She wanted to know more about him and perhaps this was her best chance.

She took in a deep breath, hesitating before taking hold of his hand with her left. At first it was almost as if examining him, letting her fingers move over his to separate them a little as her other hand reached up to the knife. She glanced around, her hand resting palm down on the utensil. No one seemed to be around them at all though she heard laughing coming from the bar area. She picked it up, moving with uncertainty as she barely lifted it put to him. She hesitating, wondering if he would move his hand but he didn't. She took another breath and held it in as she moved the blade against his skin, a bit lighter than she did her own. As she saw no results she repeated again with a bit more pressure and still nothing. She looked at his hand a bit in disbelief and thought. Not that she hadn't seem others that had hard or in penetrable skin. But Vincent, she seen him carrying around her and at least six other kids without even the slightest sign of strain. Could he have power mimicry? Weren't there limits on that type of power?

The blade rested on the table her hand half closed a bit in front of her as her mind raced through possibilities. He had to get strength like that from something. Could he convert energy of different types for his own use? She realized that her hand was still clasped around Vincent's and she slowly let her grip go, her hand sliding next to her other where she interlocked fingers. "I'm sort of a hands on person...." she said in half explanation of why she might touch more quickly and freely than others usually do.

She sat back in her seat and used her hand to motion towards him. "Alright, I told you my dirty little secret. You tell me yours." She said this with a smile, knowing that indeed it wasn't respected by some no matter what good could be done with a metas abilities.

[Vincent Romanov]

What most non meta-humans didn't know was that each meta ability had its consequences and limits. Meta-humans weren't gods or superheroes, they were humans with extraordinary gifts. Rose went on to explain the limits and effects of her ability and Vincent nodded in understanding. It must have been frustrating to have the ability to heal others, but not to the fullest extent of curing them of their afflictions completely. Maybe if she devoted almost all her life, night and day, to focusing her ability, then one day she might be able to fully cure people, but how many would suffer in the mean time? Even though she was limited, Vincent admired the way Rose at least tried to bring as much comfort to those under her care that she could.

Vincent knew Rose wouldn't be so eager to hurt him, to cut him with a knife. He was on the comfortable side of the fence in this knowing safety was on his side. No matter how much strength Rose put into her effort of cutting nor how long she might sit there and saw at his hand, she would never be able to even cause a red mark. How many bar bets had been with this nifty little ability? Then again, how many bar brawls had been started in this same manner? In Vincent's younger days, he was always more than eager to jump into a fight headfirst and while some of that eagerness remained inside him, he was a bit older and some wiser. He still jumped in headfirst, but he had reservations now. He considered the outcomes and repercussions now, something the military had taught him.

When Rose balked at cutting him, Vincent lowered his head some, setting his eyes on Rose with a look of determination, letting her know he wasn't going to take "no" for an answer. Finally, Rose took Vincent by the hand, her hand tracing his as if looking him over for some kind of hint or trick. Then, the blade of the knife. Vincent could feel the slick metal of the blade, but that was about it. He didn't feel the pressure Rose put upon the blade, but in some manner he did. When Vincent was inflicted with kinetic energy, he felt it in the sense of how much was being absorbed into him. He had no common term for the units of measure he used to calculate just how much energy he absorbed, he just knew what felt right. The pressure he sensed at first was slight and then more and more as Rose quickly began learning her attempt to cut him was having no foreseeable effect upon him. He couldn't help but chuckle a little as Rose made this cute frown, furrowing her eyebrows some in thought.

When she removed the blade, setting it aside again, Vincent clasped his hands again, leaning forward to give Rose a mocking look of curiosity. "Your cute when your thinking," he said rather bravely, making it clear he was more comfortable now than previously. Rose gave up with a smile, insisting on knowing Vincent's so called 'dirty little secret'. "Kinetic energy...The energy behind any moving object for the most part, but there are other forms as well, like electricity. I can absorb it like a sponge and then store it like battery. Blunt force, stabbing, cutting...All those things are useless against me," he said, smiling, explaining his power as best he could. Vincent lacked the acumen to properly detail what kinetic energy was and explained it the way he understood what it was. "The strength I used at the hospital? Converted kinetic energy. I can augment my strength to superhuman levels if I absorb enough. I can also use it to increase my stamina and endurance, letting me stay up for days at a time without ever getting tired. However, stress still applies and after about three or four days I start hallucinating off and on," he said, shrugging his shoulders now.

The waitress returned about this time of silence. "The usual for me and then whatever Rose wants," he said, not looking at the waitress, but his eyes still watching Rose. Taking the orders, the waitress winked and Rose and then glanced over to Vincent before taking off to turn in the orders. "Now. With all that out there, let's dig a bit deeper," he said with another sly grin. "Did you go to Hammel or one of the other schools?," he asked, trying to pinpoint just where the both of them stood on the time line, after all, it was rude to ask a lady her age.

[Roselyn Veeder]

Rose didn't know that she was furrowing up her face, something that Vincent made obvious with his comment. He told her that she was cute and though this could merit many different reactions from her she blushed, deeply, feeling the heat rising off of her chest. She brushed it off, trying not to show any more reaction than what was visible. She smiled at Vincent and reached for her drink, not really thirsty but filling in that gap to give her a moment to collect herself. She was hoping something witty would come to mind but it didn't have to. Vincent started telling her about his ability. She let this redirect her thoughts and sat back in her seat, her attention fully on him.

Kinetic energy, she had assumed it had to do with force but she didn't even think of things like electricity. He explained how he could stay up for days and just the thought made her head spin. How could a person stay sane? And there you have it, no matter how much his body could handle he had human limits. She was impressed with Vincent's ability and the way she smiled genuinely probably showed it. She couldn't imagine wanting to stay up twenty four seven. If he didn't sleep what did he do at night? Still her mind pondered on the hallucinations. "What kind of hallucinations? Just enough to let your mind know it's reached it's limits?" Not that he was chasing her away but in case Vincent started acting strange at least she would have a better understanding of what she was dealing with. "What happens if you basically use up the energy you have stored? Do you shut down?" Now Rose was rambling a bit, she had seen many different types of metas and considering this altered the way his body worked on a number of levels she wanted to see what limits it had. She gave a soft laugh at the thought of having to wake him up by hitting him in the head with a frying pan, how ironic... and a good sign she's been watching too much Cartoon Network these days.

The waitress came back, and considering he was known at this place Rose didn't have the opportunity of finding out ahead of time what he liked here. She smiled, not really having to look at the menu but picking it up and flipping it over in her hand once. "Sirloin, medium rare..." she clicked her tongue a couple of times and she finally made a decision, "and a side salad, ranch on the side." The woman was really nice, and was quickly gone leaving the two alone again.

Vincent was the first to take this opportunity to speak and right now she didn't really know his hidden intentions. She figured that since they both shared this in common this was how he was making 'safe' conversation. "Yes, I attended Hammel and I graduated from there in 2000. That's when I .." she paused, selectively leaving out a big chunk of her next history, "I started going to college. I decided a couple years in I wanted to go to med school and eventually treat children." She didn't think anything at all about Vincent being curious about her age. It didn't matter to her if he was fifty, he wasn't was he? But either way she just hoped that he wouldn't let this hinder their relationship. "What about you, Vincent?" She had started to call him Mr.Romanov teasingly because it just sounded so.... foreign. Perhaps he did go to another meta school over seas. Again something Rose hadn't pondered on. She really did accept people too early sometimes without testing them or knowing them with any real depth but that was far and few in between.

[Vincent Romanov]

Rose was full of questions after Vincent finished explaining his power and he found it amusing. The questions she asked were all valid and understandable, however, answering truthfully was hard. The hallucinations Vincent usually exhibited were seeing dead squad mates or hearing the screams and explosions of that night raid which ended his career in the military. Vincent didn't think now was the right time to bring up his biggest flaw, nor did he really want to talk about to begin with. He wasn't trying to be rude, Vincent just didn't like talking about that part of his past. He had been so much more in those days and now, he wasn't exactly the force to be reckoned with that he could be.

Clearing his throat, Vincent dropped his eyes from Rose nervously. "Usual things I suppose," he said, clearing his throat again, "Your brain sort of tries to go to sleep on its own and so its like dreaming while your awake, seeing things which aren't there and what not," he said, answering Rose's question without really answering it. Maybe later on, if things went well between them, then he would open up a bit more and share some of his deeper secrets with her, but not right now, it was still way too early.

Rose began to fill in the blanks as she answered Vincent's question. It was nice to have a conversation with someone who wasn't a coworker or some kid trying to sweet talk their way out of having themselves reported for breaking curfew. At this moment, Vincent was actually having a real social life. It had been years since he had even seriously talked to a woman, much less been out on a date. Rose was so casual and despite the nervous movements of her eyes and hands, she seemed so calm. The two were enjoying each other's company and Vincent was very sure he wanted more of this.

Rose had went to Hammel, which was suspected seeing how she was from Virginia and since she graduated in 2000, a full year before Vincent was hired on, it explained why he hadn't remembered ever seeing her before. Her graduating in 2000 meant she was younger than him, by more than a few years. This didn't bother Vincent as Rose didn't seem interested in how old he was. "I uh...went to Hammel," he began, getting his thoughts back on track with a bit of a stammer, "Started at fifteen, graduated at twenty-one and then went straight into the military. Came back home in 2000 and then a year later, here I was, working for Hammel," he said, giving a brief and quick explanation of his history. No doubt Rose would put the math together quickly in her head, figuring up his age if she really cared, but then again, Vincent figured she didn't.

[Roselyn Veeder]

Rose took notice of how Vincent answered her, how he left it vague and acted nervous. She herself knew all too well about things you would rather forget so she gave it no more thought or pursuit. Either way his hallucinations must not be anything too bad if he's working at Hammel. She smiled at him, a crooked little grin as she tried to turn the situation over in his favor. "You're cute when you act shy." She figured it probably was more caution than nerves that made him shy away from certain topics. He acted very confident one moment, as if indestructible but at small moments like these his demeanor changed. She didn't think less of him, actually it made her feel safer with him. It was nice knowing that the person you are starting to open yourself up to has ups and downs and they aren't just some programmed piece of machinery.

Vincent seemed to be trying to regain his momentum as he talked about his attendance at Hammel. And although perhaps most people would start picking this situation over, they both went to the same school and not to mention he's been working there for... years. But the fact that he mentioned he joined the military stuck out more in her mind. Had he mentioned this before? No doubt given his ability he would be a brute in any type of close combat. Perhaps, just perhaps his service haunted him a bit on his own. She didn't know many people in this world that didn't suffer post traumatic stress from their time in service.

She took another sip of her water, still wanting to turn this to something a positive pace. She didn't want to knit pick Vincent over, get to know him yes, but trying to find his flaws was not on the list tonight. Sure as people became more intimate they would go to greater depths with one another showing those weaknesses but she was not about to face her own. She doubted Vincent would mind she had been married before but to even admit it tasted like poison in her mouth. "I'm certainly glad you've stuck around here long enough to meet me then." She gave him a playful smile, "I just moved back to Pilot Ridge and was lucky to get on at the hospital given how I am still wet behind the ears." She gave a half chuckle, not wanting to draw attention to the fact she was younger but trying to let him know this was her first full fledged permanent job as a pediatrician.

She wondered if Vincent really did think of poking at her public files. There wasn't anything bad per say in them, she had no record with the law save a speeding ticket when she was eighteen. And part of her thought that perhaps it would be better for him to read the other stuff rather than her having to say it and answering questions that usually came up. After all they had been legally divorced for five years now, not that he didn't try to keep some sort of contact with her, through her mother she eventually put together. That only added to the problems she had with calling her and filling her in on any more of her life. The thought crossed her mind but she pushed that temptation aside. She wanted to be more than a piece of paper he analyzed and if she had to open up more than she was comfortable doing, so be it. That would hopefully only strengthen what she hoped this was to become.

"Do you like movies?" she asked rather out of the blue. Call it boldness, or what have you, but she felt that showing Vincent where she lived wasn't a risk of any sort. If at all perhaps she felt a bit of comfort knowing he would know how to get to her if need be. Strange again but maybe that's the protective aura he had about him. "I mean we could always check out the end of the building and see if they take requests for line dancing or something..." she gave a shrug, trying to keep a half straight face but she was in such a good mood it was hard to not grin brightly. "Anyway, nothing fancy but I do have a pretty nice TV and sound set up. That is seeing how you don't need sleep and if you aren't needed else where later." Her eyes rest on his and they showed just genuine curiosity. She wasn't trying to make a proposition, she didn't plan on him seeing the second level of her home save the bathroom maybe. She just wanted to be around him and a strong drive wanted it to be alone.

[Vincent Romanov]

Rose was very easy to be around and she didn't make Vincent act the same as he did around other people. Vincent was always cautious, looking for flaws and danger spots in everyone he met, but with Rose, he felt it was okay to drop his guard some. Mind you, he wasn't about to go blabbering about his emotional and mental problems due to combat stress, but he felt that maybe one day, he could open up to Rose and seek some refuge in her sincerity. Lucky for Vincent, Sean had been a good enough to help him with his problems over the years and Hammel had always been there to support him anyway they could. In a sense, Hammel was like one large family, always looking after one another. It would be nice to have something like that in his private life as well and Rose was looking to be the one which he could find that with. It was hard to really say that for sure since this was their first real date, but so far it was going really well.

Rose dropped an obvious hint that she was still new to the hospital and Vincent supposed that wasn't really easy. It was always awkward being the new kid on the block, no matter what profession you pursued. Trying to get the feel for the job, the people around you and not to mention the pressure of trying to look like you knew what you were doing when you barely had an idea. There was all sorts of pressure and Vincent surmised that this date was helping Rose as much as it was helping him.

Vincent gave Rose an awkward look for a moment, trying to see if she was really serious about line dancing, and thank goodness she laughed first. Vincent really wasn't the country type, but if it would amuse Rose, he would give line dancing a shot. He had a good sense of humor and could laugh at himself sometimes. Anyone who served with the squads he served with would have to be like that or they wouldn't ever make it through boot camp. Vincent laughed a little before taking another long drink of his beer. He sat the bottle back down and let his hands clasp once again on top of the table. "Believe it or not," he said with a smile, looking around as if he were about to tell a deep sinister secret, "I'm sort of into dramas and musicals," he said with a chuckle, sitting back in the booth now, grabbing his beer and finishing it off with a gulp. "I know it sounds weird, but I've seen enough action in my life so I really don't need it in my movies," he said, setting the empty beer bottle aside, motioning the waitress to bring him another, "and I appreciate the invitation Rose," he added, his smile becoming more genuine this time rather than nervous. "If you don't mind, I'd love to just sit back and watch a movie," he said, hoping Rose wasn't expecting much more than that. Vincent wasn't looking for a one night stand, he was more old fashioned than that.