A blast from the past

“You sure you okay?” She asked, chewing the edge of her lip with her eyes fixed on his face.
Zoe gave him the dead face, meaning she didn’t want to talk about how she was feeling and she wasn’t going to open up on it anytime soon. She was as good as clammed up unless Sam managed to convince her otherwise.

Her eyes lowered to the jagged tear showing a patch of muscled skin. Hesitantly, she poked it and made a face.

“Since when do you wear tank tops?” She hadn’t noticed it earlier as her brain had been distracted. It was strangely satisfying to poke him but Zoe resisted the temptation to do so again. First the hair and now the tank tops, hng...

Suddenly she was aware that he was still touching her causing Zoe to unwrap his arms from around her, backed up a few steps and shoved her hands in the jacket pockets. Sometimes there was an emotional wall with Zoe and sometimes not, at this particular moment it had showed back up.

Zoe deflected the question back at him, it was obvious she didn't want to go into details just yet, perhaps if they became better friends she would be willing to tell him, but for now it looked like she would keep it bottled up. Sam noticed her eyes dart to the hole that was left in his tank top, Zoe then proceeded to poke through the whole and onto his chest. Ever since Sam had been going to the gym, he had been wearing looser and more revealing clothes, the Los Angeles weather also called for this kind of clothing to be worn to save himself from getting too hot. "Since I have been going to the gym and earned a body that I'm not afraid to show off" he said half laughing, they had just killed a demon that attempted to kill and eat both of them and she was questioning his fashion sense, she certainly had a strange mind.

"Are you not a fan of change?" he asked, Sam used to dislike change, he still does the same routing every morning, but since he had moved to a new country, the opportunity for a better change had risen and this time he was not afraid to take it.

Zoe’s eyebrows shot up at his showing off statement, “Like you don’t do that well enough on your own. I thought wearing skimpy outfits was just a girl’s thing.”

True, Sam did have somewhat of a vain streak and Zoe had picked on it a few times. It seemed to be a reoccurring situation with these two. She sighed and relaxed her stance before looking over the edge of the roof. Spotting her sword she jumped down and landed on the balls of her feet, rolling to the side so she didn’t hurt herself.
Sliding the katana back into its sheath she tucked it away.

“I don’t think a person should have to change themselves to fit in,” Zoe stated dryly. “I don’t mind to much change… it’s just the massive amounts of the stuff that alarm me.”

She looked back up at the roof, looking for Sam with her blue eyes… not sure what to do next. To be honest she wanted to go curl up in a hole and sleep for a millennia. But unfortunately she was not capable of that. Zoe’s red hair was loose and wild as usual, but unlike the other times she had run into Sam she was wearing her battle suit. “I would imagine that you have some questions, since you have found out what I actually am.”

A demon… something most humans hated and tried to ward off. At maximum strength and power they were extremely dangerous to deal with. Zoe however was not at the top of her game anymore. Her accent had also faded a little and it was being replaced with a new accent.

Skimpy? He could understand where she was coming from, but it was still a cheap shot, and what is the point in living your life moping around because you think you are unattractive, it's all about the attitude you have about yourself, and if Sam had a positive attitude about himself then so be it it.

Sam watched as Zoe leaped over the railing and fell into the alley below to retrieve her weapon, Sam walked over to the railing and leaned over it to watch her slide her katana back into place. Sam proceeded to hop the railing onto the other side, he then swiftly climbed down the wall, using the same jagged bricks and poles to reach the ground quickly and safely. He dropped onto a closed dumpster and sat down on it after hearing her give him permission to ask her about her demonic form. He slumped down to a seated position before looking around "Nah, I don't need to ask anything. Over the past few months I've seen a lot of strange things, sure I have seen what you truly are, but it won't make me treat you any differently, it can be our little secret" he said offering a smile after vowing never to tell a soul about her real form.

"And just so you know, I didn't do this to fit in, in fact it probably does quite the opposite" he said as he waved his arm up and down his body so Zoe could understand what he was talking about, "I prefer this to the old me, this town is really starting to rub off on me, and not in a bad way." he said as he looked down the alleyway to see two women wearing questionable outfits walk by, he swung his head around to Zoe with his eyebrows raised, he then jolted his head towards the women to show her an example "Case and point right there."

"So... you killed... whatever that was who killed... you know... what do you plan on doing next?"

He wasn’t going to tell. Good…

“Thanks,” Zoe said. “I like being in a human body anyway, I feel like I have more freedom and less animalistic. The emotional spectrum is broader too. Love and hate happens to be the few emotions my kind generally doesn’t get to experience. I wasn’t born in the underworld so I’m not an emotionless robot like the rest of them.”

She walked over to Sam and sat next to him, leaning her head against the wall. The stone dug into her back but she didn’t mind. They remained silent for several moments; Zoe was giving Sam time to mull over this new bit of information.

“Hng…” Was all Zoe had to say about Sam’s new muscular form. Many males were muscular and most muscle didn’t have a brain. Even though, ironically the brain was a muscle. Then Sam pointed out the girls in very short shorts and bikini tops… Zoe snorted, “You my friend do not understand the joke. I was raised in a time where I was expected to wear a corset and curtsy; baths were out of the question. Heck, Mom would be furious about the fact I am wearing pants… so when I say skimpy I don’t really mean it.”

Zoe turned her head to the side to look at Sam properly. What was she going to do next? Most likely vanish into the depths of the underworld

“Next? … I have no idea. Were you hoping Id stick around or something?” She teased him.

Sam was always happy he was allowed emotions, its what made him human and some of the greatest feelings in the world and the people that were unable to feel them were missing out.

"Oh that's right, I have to keep remembering you are far, far older than you look" he said, whenever he saw Zoe's face he would assume she was around the same age as him, but she was actually extremely older, and that is something that Sam kept on forgetting. She was still right though, he used to wear regular shirts and jeans wherever he went, but recently he has changed some of his wardrobe to more tank tops than anything, he would never throw away the hoodie he currently had on though, he loved the hoodie and he wouldn't like it if it ever got damaged.

Sam could sense she was teasing him, a few minutes ago he was asking her to leave and not ruin his day and now it sounded like he wanted to spend more time with her around, "Of course not, I can't wait for you to go" he said, teasing her in the same fashion. Sam hopped off of the bin and walked towards the street with his eyes still on Zoe "I'm going to finish my walk, you're welcome to join me"

Zoe flashed him a rare, but bright smile.

“Yup, I could be your great great something grandmother for all you know.”

She jokingly poked him again before agreeing to come with him. Zoe dashed around a back corner and returned looking like a little kid again. But this little girl had soft brown curls and wide blue eyes versus the blonde hair and the green eyes. She was defiantly younger than the other form too at about four years old. But, she was far more coordinated than a four years old.

“Now, let’s see. “ Zoe mused. “How do I look?”

She spun around, displaying the little girl sundress with white sandals. Then Zoe looked quite delighted with herself as an idea hit her; altering her face shape just a little bit so it slightly resembled Sam’s.

“Heaven forbid they mistake you for my father,” She said quietly, taking his hand like a small child would. So that’s what she was playing at, revenge for his behavior earlier.

Sam watched as Zoe dissapeared around a corner, several seconds later she had returned back in her child form, this time looking slightly different to the other child. This little girl was younger than the other one, the hair and eyes were also different. Zoe gave a twirl in her sundress as Sam looked around the street, wondering why she couldn't just go as herself and make it less awkward for him, he turned back around to see Zoe's face change to what his child's face could look like, it gave Sam a shiver when he looked, the pair looked fairly similar now.

Zoe grasped his hand like she had done the other time and the two exited the alleyway and joined with everyone else on the sidewalk, Sam was just waiting for Zoe to start acting up again like last time, but he couldn't help but look at her and wonder if that is what his kid would look like if he ever had one, it was quite scary to say the least.

The sun continued beaming down on the faces, Sam had zipped up his hoodie slightly to hide the large scratch mark on his shirt and he had stopped the small scratch on his face from bleeding. They indeed looked like father and daughter and they were treated that way by the passers by, some aww-ing at the pair as they walked by and others waving at little Zoe in a hope for a response, which she did most of the time, Zoe probably didn't have the opportunity to walk around as a child again, and she looked like she was enjoying herself.

Zoe played the shy kid for most of the part when anyone approached her she let go of Sam’s hand and grabbed onto his leg, hiding herself from the person. This only drew chuckles, Sam and Zoe were soon on their way again. Occasionally she would smile shyly before waving with one hand. On more than one occasion she caught Sam looking down at her, a little crinkle in his brow.

“What?” She would inquire when people weren’t around.

Apart from that Zoe wouldn’t say much at all, only drag him to a window if she saw anything interesting. On one occasion she would have issues seeing over the edge and she had to hop a little to see what it was. The item in question was a puppy in the pet shop window. It wagged its stubby little tail as hard as it could causing it’s body to shake and Zoe to let out peals of laughter, falling back against Sam’s legs.

“It wiggled,” She said in her little kid voice, looking delighted. Zoe was behaving like a proper four year old.

Sam kind of enjoyed playing the fake father, he found Zoe rather cute in some situations, how she would hide behind his leg when she was shy and her childish laugh as she fell back onto him after seeing the dog. Sam put his arms around her waist and lifted her up slightly so she did not have to hop to see the dog, the dog ran to window with its tail still wagging and its mouth wide open, Zoe placed her hand on the glass and the dog began to lick the window on the other side, causing them both to laugh.

After playing with the dog on the other side of the window for a while, Sam lifted Zoe even higher and placed her on his shoulders, he rested his hands on her legs to make sure she was stable and would not fall off and hurt herself, she marveled at the height she was at, she was not even this tall in her regular form. Sam could feel Zoe tapping away at his head, possibly trying to annoy him, perhaps she just really didn't like his new hairstyle.

Sam walked past a large, well known toy store. After realizing what was in it, Zoe immediately patted Sam on the head and demanded she goes into that toy store right now, Sam on the other hand could think of better ways of wasting his time and would have walked by the shop if Zoe didn't start tugging on the strands of his hair due to a hissy fit, reluctantly Sam turned around and took Zoe off of his shoulders and onto the ground, entering the store with her and allowing her to explore this magical place.

Zoe made a small noise as she was being picked up, startled but then she realized Sam was picking her up and placing her on his shoulders. From up here she could see everything and Zoe grabbed onto Sam’s ears gently to keep herself balanced.

“Mush!” She commanded, pointing with one hand before returning it to the top of his head. While walking she would occasionally pull on strands of Sam’s hair, the color was bothering her. Then she saw the toy store, immediately she began to tap on Sam head before pointing at it.
“Pwease?” She asked, showing a small lisp.

As soon as they were in there Sam put Zoe down and she took off down the isle. Much faster than a regular four year old, but nobody seemed to notice.

Then Zoe found the foam swords, she picked one up and proceeded to turn around and march back up to Sam. She smiled at him innocently before whacking him with it. It wasn’t a very hard hit but it was a hit nonetheless. Then she darted away from Sam, trying to avoid the repercussions on four year old legs.

Sam slowly walked behind Zoe as she darted around the store, he yawned as she turned a corner and returned not soon after with a foam sword. "Don't you dare...." he thought in his mind, he was just waiting for the sudden thud of the sword hitting his head, and it did not take long until that is what he felt. Zoe darted back off around several corners as Sam found a foam sword of his own to use.

Sam stalked his way through the aisles, trying to pick up on the sound of quick footsteps or giggling, Zoe was doing good job at hiding, Zoe jumped out from behind a shelf and the pair started to clash with their foam swords, they were furiously whipped around, although the sound wasn't quite as epic as the battle, all that could be heard was their feet skidding along the floor.

The war waged for a minute or so until Zoe managed to get another hit on his head, she then retreated back around a corner and Sam followed suit. He ground to a halt when he saw Zoe standing still and looking up, she was staring into the eyes of a large security guard who wasn't pleased with their shenanigans, his gaze turned to Sam as he slowly hid the sword behind his back with a nervous smile, "Please take control of your daughter sir..." he spoke with a deep voice, Sam put his hand on Zoe's shoulder and started to pull her back, it looked like she wanted to fight this rather large man, but she eventually backed away with Sam, they placed their swords back where they belonged and exited the store. Both of them burst out with laughter when they exited, but sped up when the security guard looked to be exiting the store after them.

The pair of them walked hand in hand together for a few minutes in silence when Sam looked down and said "You realize I would have taken you if that security guard wasn't there right? I knew what I was doing..." he said jokingly.

Zoe busted into giggles and glanced back at the store before fixing Sam with her blue eyes, “Oh, because you could totally take a female who has had several hundred years of sword play. Hmn…”
Zoe was totally mocking him as she tugged him along, “Come on, I need to find a place to shift. This little kid body is driving me crazy. “

After walking a few blocks Zoe let go of his hand and vanished down an alley and around the corner. When she returned she was normal Zoe minus the freckles, hands swinging by her sides.
Her battle suit was gone and replaced by a regular pair of jeans, dark purple v-neck, and her leather jacket.

“How have you been?” She asked him, addressing the time between now and when she had last seen him. Zoe’s hand slid into his as she wasn’t paying attention, Zoe was too busy looking across the street before the two crossed it.

She had a valid point, she was probably a lot better at most things compared to him, she has had years to perfect techniques and weapons that Sam hasn't even touched yet. But yeah... he still could have held his own.....

Sam stood outside of another alleyway as he waited for Zoe to change back into her normal self, somehow no one found it odd that a 4 year old girl walked into an alley by herself and then an adult would return.

She asked him how he had been, a question that you would tend to ask someone when you see them for the first time, but he was happy she even asked him at all. Sam was about to answer when he felt his hand get warmer, Sam looked down to his hand and then looked up to see it was Zoe holding it again, but she was looking away down the road to see if there was any oncoming traffic and clearly didn't realize what she was doing. Sam smiled at the fact she clearly forgot what she was doing, they both crossed over and Sam held in his laughter "Well I have pretty much just been going to the gym every day and working out, still taking care of Amber, still putting my life on the line for everyone around me at night from criminals... and you are still holding my hand..." She looked down and noticed what she was doing and quickly pulled her hand away, Sam couldn't help but laugh at the fact she had forgotten where she was, and who she was, she wasn't the 4 year old child anymore. Zoe seemed to be embarrassed by the whole situation, but Sam did not look too much into it, she made it clear how much she didn't like the "touchy feely" stuff and it was just a lapse of concentration on her part, or at least that is what he thought.

Zoe looked down and felt her ears turn the color of her hair, “Sorry, I didn’t realize.”

Her callused hand let go of his and she abruptly stuffed her hand into her jeans pockets, trying to look everywhere but at Sam… well this was an awkward situation. Zoe shifted from foot to foot while walking, trying to remember what Sam had said originally. Oh right!

“Life on the line as in beating them senseless cause they won’t know what hit them or actually dangerous beings or scaring the pants off of people with your magical poofing ability?”

Zoe gave him a crooked grin before spotting something she was interested in. So once more she grabbed Sam’s hand and dragged him over to a window, looking hard at an electronic store.

“What is that?” Zoe asked, her brow crinkled as she stared at a big screen TV. Zoe had been in the underworld for a long time and the changes to the human realm had been extraordinary.

Sam found the situation amusing, Zoe didn't though, she stared at the ground for a long time and her face was very red. "Life on the line as in the chance of me getting seriously hurt or the even smaller chance of me getting killed... that's what I mean" Sam wanted to explain to her that she did not need to be so embarrassed about the previous situation, but before he could say anything, he was dragged once again, he found that Zoe did that to him a lot, his wrist was starting to hurt from all the dragging.

Sam slammed into a store window he was dragged so hard, it appeared to be a technology store, one specialized in selling televisions. When Zoe asked what she was looking at, she was staring at a 42 inch flat screen television. "It's a Television, I'm surprised you haven't seen one of these before, its a big screen that shows programs and in this case... the news" The television was showing a news story about the New York crisis, the city was still in ruins, but there were rumours of groups sprouting up to help with the rebuilding process. "I have one of these at home, I watch stuff on it all of the time." Sam felt weird answering that question, technology had revolutionized the world and has been a big part of it for some time, he never dreamed he would have to explain what a Television was.