he dressed warmly for his trip.

isn't, he didn't think he'd be gone that long and is now freezing cold.

that wasn't a very smart thing to do.

agrees with her. He wondered why he was so dumb sometimes.

just happens to be walking home from the store too after picking up some kitten food for Stanislav. Spots the shivering Austria and_

what he's doing in this neighborhood.

rubs his arm trying to find something he recognized. He shivered breathing into his hands.

walks up to him and clears her throat. "Excuse me, Austria?" looks at him frowning a bit.

turns and looks at her. "A-ahh.. M-miss B-Belarus.. H-How a-are y-you?" His teeth chattered making him stutter.

shifts the grocery sack of kitten food in her arm. "Why are you out here dressed like that?"

frowns trying to keep his hands warm. "I-I-I got l-l-lost.."

"Do you even live around here?" hasn't seen him on this street before.

shakes his head. "N-No I d-don't.."

digs her cell phone out of her purse. " Is there someone at home you can call?"

and shakes his head. I live alone."

"

"Oh. Well ... My house is very close. Come with me and you can warm up." turns and heads to her house, starting to get chilled too.

nods and follows her eagerly. "Alright, thank you very much."

walks the short distance to her house. Opens the front door and lets Austria inside. "Have a seat." Stanislav runs into the room and _

meows at them, then runs under the couch when he sees Austria.

steps in and stares at the cat before it ran. "U-Um..?" He started to take off his shoes to be polite.

"Stanislav is shy with strangers, don't worry." takes off her coat and shoes and walks over to her laptop, carries it to the coffee table_

and sits on the couch, opening it up. "What is your address?" looks at him.

stares slightly he named off his address, of course he knew that just not how to get there.

puts that info in, then puts her address in and requests directions.

watches her quietly wondering what she was doing, rarely did he use a computer.

prints out the directions to his house. walks over to the printer. "There, now I can drive you home."

looks at her and smiles a bit. "You will? Thank you very much miss Belarus."

"You're welcome." closes the computer and looks at him. "Would you like to leave now, or would you like a cup of tea to help you warm up?"

for a second. "Tea would be lovely.."

"I think a cup of tea would be good before we head back out. Be right back. " Rises and heads to the kitchen. Stanislav comes out from _

under the couch and follows her, hoping it's supper time.

nods to her. "Alright." He smiled and stared down at the cat. "Oh. He emerges."

looks behind her and watches the kitten trot after her. "Tak, it's time for me to feed him too." takes the kitten food out of the grocery _

bag and does that before starting the tea.

stands and walks to the kitchen. "Is there anything you need help with?"

"Hmm?" measuring tea into the tea pot. "You may pour the water into the tea pot when it's ready." goes over to the cupboard and takes out_

two cups, lemon, cream and sugar and brings those things to the table.

nods to her waiting for the water to boil. "Alright." He watched her quietly. "Thank you again."

"You're welcome." puts some gingersnaps on a plate and sets them on the table.

takes the kettle off the burner after the water boiled turning off the stove and pouring the water into the pot.

sits and waits for him to finish. "You make tea like this often. I can tell, you know what you're doing."

smiles a bit. "Ah, yes. I make tea very often." He brought the tea pot to the table.

"It's becoming a lost artform, I think. Not many people enjoy tea like this." waits for him to sit before pouring the tea.

nods to her as he sat. "I agree, and it is a shame that people are just buying it pre-made, everyone rushes much too much now."

pours tea into his cup, then into hers. "Nice to find someone who agrees and also who enjoys relaxing in the afternoon like this."

smiles and thanks her quietly, he waited for her to begin with preparing her tea.

added a bit of cream, then stirred it with her spoon. "I made the ginger snaps yesterday." puts a cookie on her saucer.

takes one teaspoon of sugar before pouring in a bit of cream and stirring his before taking a ginger snap and placing it on his plate.

sips her tea. "Just thing for a cold day." looks at him. "When we take you home, I have a blanket you can wrap up in to keep out the cold._

Not the most dignified, but it's just until we get to your house."

*just the thing

frowns slightly but nods. "That would be perfect, thank you very much, Miss. Belarus." He didn't want to wear it but he would.

"I don't have any men's coats here for you to borrow, and I don't want you to get cold."

shakes his head. "That is quite fine, I wouldn't expect you to have mens clothing, I will make do with the blanket."

sips her tea, then nibbles on the ginger snap. "I will get the car warmed up before we leave too."

lifts his tea to his lip and smiles slightly nodding. "Alright." He took a drink of tea setting the cup back down, and picking up the ginger

snap taking a bite, after swallowing he looked at her. "These are very good. Would it be terrible if I asked for the recipe?"

"No, it wouldn't be terrible." stands and goes to a little writing desk in the living room, takes out a piece of paper and a pen and returns

sits and begins writing out the recipe for him.

smiles to her. "Ah, danke." He was glad to get the recipe, he waited for her to write it out.

finishes writing it, hands him the piece of paper. puts the pen down and has another sip of her tea.

takes the recipe smiling still as he slipped it in his pocket. "When I make these I will be sure to call you to test them out." He brought_

his tea back to his lips taking another sip.

"I look forward to that." nibbles on her gingerbread. "Help yourself to more, if you want it."

nods to her taking another, they were so good.. "Thank you."

finishes her cup of tea, puts the tea cup down. "You're welcome. More tea?" fills her cup again.

nods slightly. "Ah, yes, please." He placed his cup down.

refills his cup. "How were your holidays?" adds milk to her cup.

waits for her to finish with her tea before adding milk and sugar to his tea. "They were very well, and yours?

"Quiet, I spent the holidays on my own this year."

frowns. "You did? What about your brother or sister?

"They were busy this year. It happens." sips her tea. "It's been very quiet at my house lately. I don't mind."

nods slightly. "Oh.. And you didn't have anyone to spend Christmas with..?"

shakes her head. "Seems everyone was busy. It's easy to be very busy during the holidays." puts her cup down.

nods to her and places his cup down. "You're very right, most get too caught up in the season to realize."

frowns. "To realize?"

nods slightly. "They get a bit too caught up sometimes and forget that they need to visit some people."

"Even if you don't see a friend for a while, a true friend will never forget you. Some do forget about you, but if they do that so easily _

you are probably better off not having them in your life." puts her hands in her lap and looks at him.

nods to her. "T-That's true.." He frowned a bit thinking of his past, that upset him slightly.

sips her tea. "As long as we live, living with regret and wishing things had been different, when obviously they can't be seems like a waste

of time."

looks at her wondering if she was a mind reader before realizing that was completely illogical. "Ah yes you're very right."

looks at him. "Dziakuj, that helps me out very much."

looks at her. "Well that's good then."

finishes that cup of tea. "Hmm, I could warm up the car and take you home now, if you like. There is no rush."

nods slightly. "That would probably be best if I was to be heading home.."

"I will get this cleaned up, then we can be on our way. " stands and clears the table.

nods to her. "Should I help?"

"I am going to put the dishes in the sink for now, and take care of them when I get back." goes to the linen closet, takes out one of the_

rushnyks she embroidered and comes back to the table to wrap up the remaining ginger snaps on the plate. "You can take these home."

smiles at her. "Really? Thank you very much, Miss. Belarus."

"Just Belarus is fine." Finishes clearing the table and goes to her hallway closet for a blanket. Sets it on the couch for him. "you can_

wrap up in this for the drive back." goes to the front door and puts on her boots and coat.

smiles a bit. "I will probably continue calling you Miss. Belarus." He chuckled slightly. "And thank you very much again for everything."

"This is better than freezing to death." takes her car keys, buttons her coat and walks out to her car to start it up.

wraps the blanket around himself after he put his shoes on and followed her out.

Gets into the driver's seat and starts her car. Opens the passenger side for Austria and waits for him. "Are you warm enough? I have a _

good heater in my car it should be warm soon."

Steps into the car nodding to her. "I am quite warm, thank you." he reached and put his seatbelt on.

puts on her seatbelt. Takes out the directions she printed on the computer and studies them, then folds up the paper and backs out of her_

driveway, heading in the direction of Austria's house.

just sits quietly, he was glad she didn't ask him to navigate... He couldn't read a map or directions very well..

drives quietly for a few moments, then points at the grocery store. "There's where you must have taken a wrong turn." turns down the street_

he should have taken and drives to his house.

flushes quietly, he was embarrassed now. "O-oh.. That was... Silly of me.."

"Don't feel bad." glances at him as she pulls up to the address he gave her. "You have a nice house."

smiles a bit. "Oh thank you. You can come in if you wish." He was grateful to her for bringing him home so kindly.

"I could do that, if you want me to." puts the car in park and shuts it off.

"I could do that, if you want me to." puts the car in park and shuts it off.

smiles. "I would love for you to." He unlocked his car door and stepped out taking out his house keys quickly before walking to her side_

of the car and opening her door for her.

blinks at him doing that. "thank you." gets out of the car.

smiles at her and shuts the door once she was fully out of the car, he walked to the front door and unlocked the lock once again holding_

the door open for her.

steps inside. "This is a surprise, I wasn't expecting this."

raises an eyebrow. "Hm..? What's the problem?"

looks at him, "There's no problem. I didn't expect to be invited into your home."

nods slightly. "Oh, well you were kind and invited me into your home, it is only fair I invite you into mine, yes?"

"You were lost and cold, but thank you for the kind invitation." looks around the very elegant house.

smiles. "You're very much welcome." He wondered silently if she would like tea here..

takes off her coat and shoes, puts the coat over her arm and waits for him.