Lucas looked up and saw Helena walk into the dojo, and couldn't help but marvel at the sight of her. He'd seen her before...lots of times..but this was a first.

He stood up with a smile on his face.

"You do some very good work yourself, MI...Helena."

He walked up next to her and offered his arm.

"Shall we?" he asked invitingly.

Mirage...Helena took Lucas' arm, sliding up beside him.  "I wanted to make sure that I looked absolutely stunning for you." she said.  "I'm guessing that you approve."

Lucas smiled at Helena as she slid next to him.

"I will say that it was time well spent. You look beautiful."

He then opened the door for her as they were about to exit the dojo.

"Thank you.  Handsome and well mannered.  Where have you been hiding, Lucas?"

Helena smiled as she walked through the door to the street once more.  She waited for Lucas to lock the dojo up before she slipped her arm through his once more.

"It's funny but I've never asked you if you had a car.  I guess I'm just so used to seeing you flying over the rooftops that it never occured to me to ask."

Lucas replied, "Actually I don't...I use the Weston Transit authority mostl...or walk...or fly. Sorry if I disappointed you Helena..."

"You haven't disappointed me, Lucas.  Put that out of your mind right now." Helena said.  "I was just curious about it.  For all that we've worked together, I don't know all that much about you personally.  Maybe that's something that we need to change, Hmm?"

Lucas smiled.

"Yes...you're absolutely right. And that changes right now. Here and now...I declare Lucas Martinez to be an open book before you Helena....what would you like to know?"

Helena laughed softly, amused with his grandiose gesture.  It was a little over the top but she didn't mind.

"I'm going to take advantage of that, Lucas.  Just to give you fair warning." she said, her laugh still echoing in her voice.  "Now let me think, what do I want to know?  Aside from prowling the rooftops at night, what other hobbies do you have?"

Lucas smiled that he was able to amuse Helena. It seemed like this occassion would be fun and memorable.

"Well...as you know, I've got my martial arts thing going on as well. I go to tournaments for that every now and then. I just recently patched things up with my family, so I'm doing what I can to visit them more often. I like to workout, I like to meditate. Does that answer your question?"

"A little.  Do you mean to tell me that you don't read, or go to movies, or go dancing?  What was the last non-family or martial arts related thing that you did?"

Lucas walked along with Helena.

"I do enjoy reading...I've read several books....one of my favorites was The Journey West...I usually prefer historical dramas and maybe some fantasy books...I'm a fan of R.A. Salvatore. I go to the movies occassionally, I am somewhat of an action movie junkie. Friday and I doubledated with Psyche and Aaron Tanaka that one night."

"There we go.  We're discovering that there's more to you than a nice set of abs." Helena said playfully.  "It sounds like we have a lot in common already, as if there was any doubt.  Now what about music?  What is your preferred genre?"

Lucas chuckled at Helena's assessment.

"I like a pretty good variety of music...I like a lot of the meditation instrumentals, but I also like some classical and old school rock and roll...Bob Seager and the Silver Bullet band..and some of the salsa music too.."

He shrugged and smiled. "Like I said..a very healthy variety.."

"Hmm?  Salsa?  Really?  Do you dance?"

Lucas slightly blushed.

"Well...I'm not the best dancer...but I like to incorporate some of my katas into any dance routine that I might do."

He then looked at Mirage and smiled. "What about you? Do you have any fun facts to share about yourself, Helena?"

"I know how to separate my fighting skills from my dancing." Helena said playfully.  "I can see that I'm going to have my hands full with you, Lucas.  You really have an obsession with Martial Arts.  It's not necessarily a bad thing but when you talk of incorporating Kata's into your dancing, I really have to wonder."

She feigned a big sigh.

"I'm just going to have to teach you to dance properly.  Don't bother to argue with me, you've set my mind to a task.  I hope that you're prepared."

Lucas smiled at Helena.

"So...the Master has become the Student, eh? Very well...you will find your student eager to learn...."

  The sensation of being watched was creeping in on the edges of their awareness.  Someone, or something, was watching them.

"Silly boy.  You act as though you had a choice." Helena laughed and patted Lucas on the cheek.  "What else can I ask.  What's your favourite food?"

This message was deleted by a game moderator at 05:27, Tue 22 June 2010.

Lucas smiled. "I have a lot of favorite foods.....I enjoy Spanish cuisine very much...flautas, tostadas....homemade is the best of course. My Mom could whip up a feast like you wouldn't believe. I also enjoy Asian...and of course Italian..."

Lucas had a nagging sensation. But who was watching them?

Who...or WHAT?

"Well now that's interesting.  I wouldn't have pictured you as an asian gourmet, but I suppose that's all the rage at the moment." Helena said.  She'd felt that tickling of her awareness, that indescribable sense that told her they were being observed.  She wasn't going to show it.  Not just yet.

"Do you feel that?" she said softly, and then masked it by rattling off some series of 'good' asian restaurant names.

Lucas was about to reply yes, until Helena started spouting off Asian gourmet names. There was something tingling against his awareness as well. But what was it?

"I have to say that this has been an enjoyable little walk Helena. Did you want to walk the rest of the way? The restaurant is not too far off now..."

"Actually, there's something I want to do before we go to the restaurant." Helena said.  She reached and gently took hold of Lucas' collar and, grinning like a child about to do something bad, pulled him into an alleyway and then into her arms.

"Let's see if a little sexy action can't entice whomevers following us.  Pretend to makeout with me."

Lucas was slightly surprised when Helena took him into the alley, and into her arms.

"All right..." he said softly. After all, this was an attempt to draw out whoever was watching them....

...well it was...

Wasn't it?

Had Lucas looked forward to this moment as well? He remembered what Friday said before she left...about finding comfort...and she told him that he could? Could Mirage be that comfort?

Pretend to make out with me, she said...

"All right Helena..."

Holding her close to him, Lucas looked her in the eyes, and then brought his lips closer to hers...