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(AN: This chapter is for Anastacia (i hope i spelled that right) because she's been reviewing alot and i appreciate it immensely! You've made my day, lol. Thank you so much, i hope you enjoy)

They traveled down the sidewalk of New York, not speaking, while Howie watched Serena out of the corner of his eyes.

'She really is something else. She really seems like a loner though, like me. I'm glad that there's someone else in this world that's at least a little bit like me. But she seems more humble than I am.' he thought to himself.

"You know, it's very impolite to ogle people." Serena said to him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was staring,” he said apologetically, as he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"It's ok. So... have you always been a philanthropist, or is it just in your spare time?" she said, trying to break the odd silence that had fallen between them.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you randomly walking a stranger home."

"Well if we get to know each other, then we won't be strangers anymore now will we?"

"No I guess not,” she said with a smile. "I guess not. So how do you plan on getting to know me if your traveling all around the world?"

"Well I have the next couple of weeks off, and then we go back for the second leg of the tour."

"How long are a couple of weeks?"

"We don't have to report back here for practice until January."

"Wow that is a break! I wish I could have a vacation like that. Mine are short,” she said with a sigh.

"Why don't you just ask your boss for more time off?" he questioned.

"Have you met Julie?" she answered him back.

"Oh." he said now catching her point.

"Yeah, now ya get it."

She stopped walking and turned to him.

"Well here's our building. Thank you very much, maybe I'll see you around sometime." she said quickly.

"If I didn't know any better, I’d swear that you were trying to get rid of me,” he said half jokingly and half serious.

Serena felt bad for trying to dismiss him.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to be so rude. Would you like to come up, so we can get to know each other better?" she said with a smile.

"Sure, I would love to."

As they began their ascent up the stairs, he noticed that it wasn't exactly a poor place, but it could have been better.... a whole lot better. Serena stopped the stroller in front a door marked 'D-17.

'Here we go.' he thought to himself.

She opened the door, and hit the light switch on the wall.

"Welcome to our humble abode. Do you want something to drink?"

"Sure, uh, what do you have?" he asked as he looked around. 'Cute. Not very big, kind of small actually, but it has a homey style to it.'

"I don't know, you can go check in the fridge and get whatever you want to. The kitchen is right through there. Make yourself at home, I'll be back in a minute I have to lay her down, so we can talk without disturbing her." Serena said as she took a sleeping Gwendolyn down the hall.

As she stepped into the kitchen she stood there staring as Howie.

"What? It's not nice to stare ya know." he said when he noticed her in the doorway.

"Yeah yeah yeah, I know it's just that... uh, where did you get that milk from?"

"I took some out of that container why? He asked taking another drink from his tall glass of opaque liquid.

"Oh no reason, if you enjoy breast milk that is." Serena said. She laughed as he spit out the liquid. He looked at her as she tried to contain the urge to laugh again.

"Uh, since your not thirsty anymore, why don't we go in the living room and have a seat to talk." she said as she cleared her throat.

"What a great idea." he said sarcastically. "So how long have you lived here?" he said as they sat down on the dark blue sofa.

"Not long, I’ve been nomadic for most of my life. But now that I have her," she said gesturing towards the room where Gwendolyn was, "I can't move around as much. We've been here for about 5 months."

"So how long have you worked at the hotel?"

"As long as I’ve been here I’ve worked there. Of course I took a week off after Gwen was born, other then that, I’ve worked there almost everyday. Speaking of Gwen, I’ve already fed her, would you like something to eat?"

"It's not baby food is it?" he asked with a smirk.

"No," she said with a laugh, "it's not baby food. Come on, you can help me get the stuff ready." she said as she dragged him into the kitchen behind her.

The two spent the next hour making spaghetti and meat sauce, while talking about their lives.

"How does this taste?" Howie asked her as he picked up a small bit of spaghetti sauce for her to taste on a spoon. She opened her mouth and tasted the sauce, while she did this, she became aware that he was watching her, and looked up at him, as she slowly slid the spoon out of her mouth and between her lips.

"It tastes wonderful, very good,” she said quietly, never breaking eye contact with him.

They stood there silently staring at each other, slowly inching towards one another. Howie's heart was beating so loudly he was sure that she could hear it. Just as they were about to connect, a cry was heard from the bedroom. Serena snapped out of her gaze and excused herself hurriedly to check on the baby.

"Dammit! Just when I think I get passed her walls, something has to happen. This is going to be difficult." Howie said to himself.