The bar was less than a bar, more of a club. Andy groaned as she saw the bouncer at the front checking IDs before allowing anyone into the building. Ike was sitting in the passenger seat of her car, Soren in the backseat. Andria could have facepalmed at that moment. She instead settled on parking her car and dropping her head onto her steering wheel.

Ike didn't notice that the driver was currently trying to put her head through the steering wheel. He was still fascinated with the machine they were in. Soren noticed, however, and put a hand on Andy's shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

"I forgot about IDs," she said quietly. At the look Ike shot her, she grinned, realizing he had no idea what had her upset. "They won't let you in the bar unless they know you're of a certain age."

She sat there for a moment longer before an idea sprung upon her. She turned to Soren. "How many languages can you speak?"

"Well...I never stopped to count. I know quite a few, and-"

"That's perfect," she said, cutting him off. She opened her door and grabbed her bag, waiting for the others to join her. Soren managed his door, but Ike was at a loss. Andy stifled a giggle and went to open his door. She looked at the two. "Okay, Soren, just speak whatever language you can think of. Leave this to me."

She walked up to the bouncer and handed him her ID. When he looked back at Ike and Soren, she put her hand on the bouncer's arm. "Sir, could you just let them in. I promise they're twenty-one. They're are foreign and visiting for the week." She hauled Soren forward, who started mumbling in an indistinct language. He was pointing at different things and Andria shrugged. "They don't require IDs back in their home, but they have passports. Only we left them in the hotel." She smiled at the bouncer, who just sighed at her.

"Fine. But if they start any trouble, you'll be responsible."

Andy nodded and ushered the two in. "I promise there will be no trouble at all."

~o0o~

Andria regretted bringing Ike almost immediately. All the girls in her group were flirting with the two men. Soren stuck close to Andria, knowing she wouldn't let him get into too much trouble. Ike was a different story.

He was currently dancing his second dance with the same girl, which for him was girl number four. Andy was sitting at the table with Soren and Heather, watching the fun. She sucked down her drink as quickly as she could, wanting to get drunk as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the alcohol didn't quite have the wanted effect. Instead of making her less aware, she was becoming too aware.

~o0o~

It was getting to one o'clock in the morning when Andy decided to call it a night. The bar's drunk bus was running, and she was getting ready to go. Soren put on the hoodie he had worn, but Ike was still dancing. Andy walked over to Ike and pulled on his arm.

"C'mon. We gotta go."

Ike looked at her. "But this is so much fun."

Heather, who was Ike's current dance partner, looked at Andria. "Don't be such a party pooper. Let him stay. I'll bring him home myself."

'That's what I'm afraid of,' Andria thought to herself. "Okay. But don't stay out too late." She turned to Soren. "Let's go."

Soren nodded and followed Andy to the drunk bus. The driver's wife was driving her car back to the apartments, so Andria sat down on one of the seats. Soren took the window seat. As the bus started moving, Andy's stomach heaved slightly. She groaned and laid down across Soren's lap, her eyes closed, her face an odd shade of green. Soren stiffened, but relaxed enough to look at her.

"You look ill."

"I feel ill," Andy answered, not opening her eyes. She tried to count in her head how many drinks she had consumed in the last five hours, but lost count at twenty. "I think I drank too much."

Soren just sat there, staring ahead until the bus stopped. He helped Andy up the stairs and to her apartment, taking the keys and unlocking the front door. Andria went immediately to the bathroom and threw up, ridding her system of the unwanted toxins. Soren leaned against the wall outside the bathroom, waiting for her.

"Tonight wasn't a complete disaster," he said conversationally as she rinsed out her mouth. "Ike had a good time."

Andy appeared at the door, her hair hanging around her face, the dent in it from being in a ponytail for so long. "But did anyone else?"

"The other females seemed to enjoy it." He glanced at her. "Why didn't you dance with Ike?"

"I don't dance with people I don't want to dance with," Andy said simply. Soren's eyebrows raised, the brand on his forehead, which had earned him many interested questions from the group tonight, crinkled.

"Everyone seemed to want to dance with him tonight."

Andria huffed out air. "Well...I didn't." She passed him to her room and shut the door, twisting the lock for the first time since she moved into the apartment. Stripping off her clothes, she changed into her yoga pants and tank top she usually wore to bed. She threw her robe on and opened the door again, seeing Soren where she had left him, his arms crossed and his eyes closed.

"Are you tired?"

Soren smiled and shrugged. "I suppose I could use some sleep."

Nodding absently, Andy went to one of the bags and pulled out a black pair of pajamas. Pulling the tags off, she tossed them at Soren. "You can sleep in those. I don't know what you usually wear to bed, but those will be more comfortable than what you're wearing."

He nodded and disappeared for a moment into the bathroom, reappearing in the pajamas. She had picked well once again. They looked natural on him. Andy picked up a ponytail holder from her counter and held it out to him. "So your hair doesn't get tangled in the night."

Soren nodded and pulled his hair into a low ponytail. He walked over to the couch and eyed it speculatively. Andy smiled and went to her room to grab the extra bedding. When she got out to the living room, Soren was on the couch, reading again. He looked over at her, then frowned and stood so she could make up his bed.

"If you get hungry, there's food in the fridge," she said, pointing. "And you know how to use the faucet?"

He nodded. "These books have explained a great deal of things. I think I'll manage."

She nodded again and disappeared back into her room. Andria set her alarm for nine, which would give her almost eight hours of sleep. Crawling under her blankets, she fell asleep quickly.

Soren wasn't so lucky. He stayed up reading until three. When he ran out of books, he stood and walked over to Andria's open door, watching her sleep. He didn't predict Ike being back tonight. He knew from the tone of the girl's voice and the look in Ike's eyes that they were going to go somewhere to be alone. But that was Ike's business, not Soren's. Soren was where he wanted to be, with the girl who had more or less created him with her clumsiness.

She slept soundly, not turning once while he watched. He leaned on her door frame for a few minutes more, then went back to the couch, pulling the blankets aside so he could crawl under. His last thought before he fell asleep was that this world was quite interesting, and he wanted to stay here for as long as he could, to learn all he could, and find out more about their less than willing host.