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Author's Chapter Notes:
Setting things up now for the upcomming badness.
Outings pt. 2

"And this one I had done four years ago." Faith pointed to the tattoo on her arm.

The man with bright green hair stood behind the counter smiling past the lip ring in his lower lip. The nameplate on his shirt said Zeek, and he looked about 25. His big brown eyes flashed with interest in her.

Faith knew the look, but also knew this one was harmless. Just taking a gander. "Oh, and I had my nose done, but it was a. a problem with my other… hobbies." Remembering a fight pre-Sunnydale when a vampire punched her squarely in the nose. The piercing tore, but not completely through. She was healed in a day, but soon lost the nose ring after deciding she didn't want to see how long it would take for her to heal if it got completely torn out.

"Yeah, what other hobbies?" The man leaned across the counter, his muscled biceps tight and easily appreciated due to the black wife-beater he sported.

Oh yeah, this was an interview. Should be paying attention, not scoping out the possible future boss. Man, she shoulda taken a class or something. Hobbies, that was one of those things they asked on the application. What the heck did she write? Boxing? Yeah, that was it.

"Boxing?" He looked down at the paper she'd filled out. "I've seen a few of those female matches on ESPN," He lied. He'd heard about them on short reports between shows. But he thought she might be the one for the job and feigning a little interest never hurt with a pretty girl.

"Oh yeah? Well, it's just for fun. I need something steady, and this place is perfect for me," she said, her arms wide looking around the store.

The walls were lined with overlapping wood planks painted black. The ceiling was covered with black tiles, mirrors thrown in intermittently. She figured cameras were behind them.

There were three lines of shelves with sunglasses, logo tee shirts, notebooks with wildly designed covers, purses and hats. At the far end of the store were racks full of clothing.

Some were more unusual, some erotic, some just plain punk. Along the walls, spokes jutted out holding even more clothing, purses and backpacks. At the front of the store beside the door were cases of jewelry for ears and other areas of the body.

The counter itself was a blacktop case with a glass front, allowing more merchandise to be seen. Inside were lighters and faux-tattoos.

Zeek smiled and jotted a few things down on her application, then looked up. "Well, when can you start, Faith?"

She grinned from ear to ear. "Seriously?"

"Sure. You've never been in trouble, you know about most of the stuff here, no experience, but you look like you can handle yourself."

"Well great." Faith's smile quirked. She hadn't really expected to find anything, especially something she really might like to do. "I can start whenever. Today if you want."

He chuckled. "I think we'll start you up tomorrow. I need someone from open to 4:00. The kid who used to work that shift starts back at school."

"Sure. Sounds great." She looked at him more seriously. "When do we open?"

"Ten. You'd need to be here by nine-thirty. I'll open with you the first few weeks. Then we'll get you approved for a key and you can go it alone."

"Alone?" Faith was confused.

Zeek pushed the pen behind his hear. "Yeah. Second key. You did know this was for a management position didn't you?"

Faith shook her head slowly.

"Well look. You can try it out. If you hate it, no hard feelings. But I really need someone to help out." He looked at her seriously. Maybe waiting until the last minute to put the ad in was a bad idea.

Faith looked around the store again. Big Brother watched from behind the mirrors. Maybe that was a sign. She really needed some help keeping her in place. After all, she would have ripped this place off three years ago, just for the fun. She looked back at Zeek. "Ok. I'll give it a shot."

"Great." He smiled. "OK. Just wait one second, and I'll get you your uniform." He stood up and walked to the back door.

"Uniform?" She asked. He wasn't wearing a uniform. She paled. "Oh god.".

Zeek came back out with a temporary nameplate with "Faith" written in. He handed it to her. "I love that joke."

She gave him a not-so-happy smile. "Yeah. That was fun. Let's not do it again." She took the nameplate.

"You'll get an official one after thirty days. Company policy." He shrugged.

She looked at it and ran her fingers over the letters. "Cool." She looked up at him. "Thanks. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"9:30."

"Right," she agreed and walked out, still mesmerized by her 'uniform.' She walked into the last part of her day. "I really did it." She smiled and headed back down the street to the Summers house, her head held high. Maybe she could do this.

~~`~~

Buffy walked in the front door. "Dawn? Spike? Anyone home?"

No one answered her, so she headed up the stairs. She went into the study and to her shelves of books, now filled with not only her minor collection, but Spike's as well.

She passed her fingers over titles until she came upon her books for today's class, then dropped them into her satchel. Next she picked out some pens and pencils along with a notebook.

She sighed. "Back to school, Buffy." It'd been awhile since she'd sat through a lecture, and she was excited about it, but scared. What if all her brain cells were broken? It could happen.

No. She could do it. It wouldn't be like the day Willow and Tara tried taking her to class.

For one, no geeks to contend with. She'd just have to find her groove. Her niche in the classes. No problem. She sighed again.

"I'm doomed." She walked back down the stairs and towards the bus stop on the route to the college.

~~`~~

The bell in the magic store rang as Dawn walked in. "Hi, Anya." She came down the step and to the counter, placing her purse on its top. "What should I start with today? Dusting? Sweeping… spell casting?"

Anya walked from the shelves that separated the main store from the research table. "Very funny, Dawn. You know Buffy would kill me, then you, if I let you do spells. I believe your first idea was a more appropriate one. Sweeping." Anya whisked through the store placing items on shelves so that more merchandise could be displayed.

"Ugh." Dawn made a grimace than walked behind the counter to stow her purse. She shuffled to the closet and retrieved the broom.

~~`~~

Faith walked up Revello just as Spike rode by. He stopped and took off his helmet. "Hey there. Any luck today?" He turned off the motor and pushed the bike the last few feet to the curb in front of his home.

"Yeah, actually. I got a job at a store. . 'Body Shop.' Do you know it?"

"Know it? It's brilliant!" he exclaimed to her and parked the bike. They walked up the drive and Spike took out his key then unlocked the door. "Always get my shirts there."

"Oh yeah?" Faith walked in behind him.

He nodded and closed the door.

"So what did you and Dawn find?" She looked around the room. "And where is the kid anyway?"

"Workin' at Anya's store. Bit of restitution. As for finding, nothing."

He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge to grab a cola. Faith sat on the armchair she'd all but claimed as her regular seat and called to him. "Can I have one, too?"

Spike grabbed a second can and went back into the living room. He sat on the couch and handed her the drink. She looked at it curiously. "Cola?"

Spike shrugged. "S'not as bad as I thought it was."

"Oh." She looked at the can again, then opened it and drank.

He smiled and took a drink as well. "So, ahh, how long will you be gone tomorrow?"

"Why?"

Spike knew she'd appreciate the reason and told her his plan.

~~`~~

Xander packed away his tools and closed the large toolbox.

"Xander," A large man with black hair said from the other side of the gutted store.

Xander took off his hard hat and wiped his brow. "Yeah?"

The large man walked up. He had sweat profusely and his clothes were drenched. His coveralls were coated in dust and dirt, but he smiled with white teeth. "I just wanted to thank you. We really needed the extra money this month."

Xander waved him off. "Don't worry about it, Dave. With this time between jobs, we all can use the money." Xander bent down and picked up the toolbox. "Besides, today was the last day. Tomorrow we start on that mall."

"I know, but for some of us, well, two or three days without pay can mean a lot." He wiped at his face. "Just wanted to thank you."

"No problem." Xander locked the store's door. He walked out to the truck the company let him use when they weren't on site and hefted his toolbox into the bed.

Another man came up to him. "So we're done here?"

Xander turned and saw the shaggy headed blonde. "Yeah. Tomorrow it's back to the regular grind."

"Oh well. Was good while it lasted," The man said, then looked up at Xander. "You ought to think of starting your own company. I know we'd all rather work for you than the Sunnydale Construction Company."

"Nah. I think I'll leave the business stuff to the old 'ball and chain'."

The man shrugged. "Didn't hurt asking." He walked away.

Xander climbed into the truck. He really could start his own business. The guys he let in on the side projects were good, and he knew they'd work as hard as he did.

He turned over the engine and decided to mull the idea around for awhile. See if it seemed good in a week or so.

~~`~~

Willow sat under a tree reading as she waited for Tara to come out of her second class. The sun was beginning to set, but it was still very light as the sun headed down to the horizon. The sound of students milling around in different areas of the courtyard buzzed around her, giving the already familiar scene a fun and soothing air at the same time.

Willow had gone to the library after this morning's class and easily found what she wanted. Then she'd decided it was so pretty outside that she'd just wait for Tara to get done with her Art History class. Tara had taken a similar class before, but this one was supposed to cover another period, and Buffy had signed up as well.

The redhead turned yet another page in "Irving's Book of Demon Traits and Aspects, Vol. 35.", still looking for an answer to Buffy's and Spike's new symptom, also known as 'getting all golden eyed.'

Willow read silently, letting the time pass over her and took in the information freely given by the pages. She twisted her hair between her fingers slowly, absentmindedly, then her mouth opened. "OOH!" She looked around her, wishing Tara were there. Or Buffy. Then she read on.

"In some species this is dormant, and can only be reached during a ritual or during dimensional shifts. These shifts are often created to contact or transport one or more individuals. In such cases, it has been known in observation that fighting against the shift is impossible, only resulting in death." Willow frowned. "In cases studied, the demons that have gone have yet to be seen again. The accounts of where they have gone, or why they have not come back are unknown." Her forehead knotted. "The species most commonly affected by this are: Ermsted, K'shtol, Remdof, and often Zoktormille. Demons immune to such things are: Chaos, D'stol, Glarghk Guhl Kashma'nik, Bazoer, Vampire and Multor."

Willow read the last part again. "Damn. Thought I had it."

Had what, sweetie?" Tara appeared with Buffy.

"Oh, hey guys." Willow looked nervous and breathed a little too fast. She was upset.

Tara crouched next to her. "What is it?"

"Yeah, what's up, Wills?" Buffy sat next to her friend.

Willow shook her head and held the book to her chest. "Nothing. I thought I found out why you and Spike are part 'Grrrr.', but vampires are out. I know you guys aren't but, I mean."

"I get it," Buffy said. "With the Pure and T'mure hanging around in us somewhere it doesn't work."

"Yeah, and from what you guys could tell us, that seems to be the case."

Tara gave Willow a soft smile. "Don't worry. We'll figure it out."

"Yeah. Spike and I have some patrol plans. Or at least we might if he found anything today." Buffy looked at the sky. "Speaking of which," Buffy stood, "I better get home."

"Us, too." Willow gathered her things and got up.

"We'll keep looking tonight, but call us if you need some extra help. Ok?" Tara said.

"Ok." Buffy smiled and left.

Willow walked with Tara in the same direction, but their pace was leisurely, unlike Buffy who was now far ahead of them.

For the second time that day, Buffy walked into her home. "Dawn? Spike?"

Faith came out of the kitchen, a smile plastered on her face.

Buffy took a moment to let that fact alone sink in. "Hey, Faith. How'd it go?"

"Great. I'm now of the employed. You?" Faith flopped into her chair.

Buffy set her bag down next to the coat tree by the door. "Class was, well it was strange, but I think I may actually understand it. Or, half of it," She said with a twisted brow, then her face lightened. "Where's everyone else?"

Spike came down the stairs. He smiled at her knowingly. "How was school, luv?" Then he thought about his words. "Suddenly I feel like I'm truly robbin' the cradle."

"And really, how many people can use that phrase and have more than a double meaning?" Faith looked back at him.

Spike pointed at Faith as he walked beside Buffy who was seated on the couch. "I let Harris get away with his ridiculous comments. Don't know if I hate you enough to let you. Might want to watch it." He stared at her, then cracked a smile.

Faith shook her head.

Spike sat next to Buffy. "How was the lecture, luv?"

"Ok. Interesting." She shrugged. "I'm hungry, though. Do we have food, and again, where's Dawn?"

"We have pizza, and Dawn's still working with Anya. Called to ask if she could stay late. Something Anya has planned."

"Oh yeah? What?"

~~`~~

"Ok." Dawn shrugged.

"Ok?!" Anya jumped up from her seat at the research table.

The store was closed, and she'd been excited all day to let Dawn know her debt was finally paid off. Not only that, she'd done very well as an employee, and Anya was offering her something every man, woman, and child should want, an increase in payment for their work. "How can you just say ok?"

"Did you want me to say no?" Dawn asked confused.

"What? No." Anya looked at her as though her hair had suddenly turned orange. "I thought you would be excited. It's gainful employment. A must in this, the U.S of A."

Dawn giggled and put her hand on Anya's shoulder. "I wanted you to realize I wasn't a kid, not put me in the over-30 slot." She shook her head. "I don't need a full time job." She smiled. " "A part time job, after school, like every other day. Cool?"

Anya thought about it. "And Saturday?"

"Yeah. Saturday, too. But I'm off by 4:00."

Anya held her hand out and Dawn took it. "Deal," They said simultaneously.

~~`~~

Dru sat on the edge of the bed now covered in the unicorn blanket. She cradled the crystal, humming to it sweetly.

Harmony laid out her clothes, trying to decide which outfit would suit her best for the night. "I don't know. I think the pink goes with my complexion, but it's hard to tell now. I mean, no mirrors." She held up a pink blouse. "What do you think?"

Dru looked up from the magical item in her grasp. "I see water on your face." Then she looked back at the crystal.

"Is that good or bad?" She watched her sire, then shrugged. "Maybe the black. Then we can match." She held up the gauzy material, then picked up a black tank top. "Yeah. That works."

"Soon you'll have a home. We'll all play with the people and the blood," Dru spoke to the crystal.

Harmony changed and picked up the perfume bottle. Dru clicked her tongue. "Not tonight." She wagged her finger slowly at Harmony. "No trace. We must be silent." She brought her finger to her lips. "Ssshhhh."

Harmony set the perfume down. "Is it time to go yet? The sun set."

Drusilla looked at the crumbled ceiling of rock above her. "I see the stars." She stood up and walked to the tunnels.


Chapter End Notes:
Its about time for Dru and Harm to actually start causing more trouble.



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