Prologue of another Shitty Fanfic I'll Never Finish.

The classroom was large. Along with large, it was empty and cold. The chairs were stacked upon rows of desks and the air felt stale. The lighting was dim, but what else would you expect in an anthro class for Fae studies? God, Charlotte was such a joke in the science community they gave her the classroom equivalent of a janitor's closet to teach in. Annoyance and embarrassment churned in her gut. She had two sides of three rows with enough space for maybe four students a row. Two small, high windows leaked in the weak light of a setting sun. She turned to her chalk board; it was old and rather cliché. It will have to do, she thought, it will have to do.

While Charlotte indulged herself with frivolous self-pity, she heard the faint clamor of footsteps coming down the supposed to be empty hall. She turned around, her black and white sneakers clicked on the tile floor. Charlotte's hair fell against her neck and flouted around her face, the frayed and frizzy ends tickled her cheeks. She stood firmly with her back facing the chalkboard and her gaze towards the door. She wasn't cautious by nature, but paranoid by the fact that she was supposed to be alone in the building. No one else should be in here, it was nearly eight in the evening and the other professors had gone to a local bar to celebrate some biochemist's retirement. She had also said goodnight to the janitor an hour ago. Oh, calm yourself, Charlie. There is no reason to be afraid- someone most likely just forgot something. Probably some forgetful student, she thought. She was once too a student of that sorts; forgetful, bouncy, and not precisely studious.

But she had a professor who saw something in her, something no else ever did. Charlotte hoped one day to inspire another student like she was inspired, which is why she volunteered to do this. A firm, echoing knock bounced from the walls. She sighed, aborting her plans to practice her welcoming speech.

"I'm in here," Charlotte shouted and turned back to the chalkboard.

She scanned the greenish board and picked up a grainy, while piece of chalk. She twisted it between her fingers while she planned out what she was going to write. Maybe something like an uplifting quote, she thought.

"Doctor Grace?"

Charlotte turned around, tapping her forehead. "Yes?"

"My name is Thaddeus and I have a proposition for you," the speaker was average height, average weight, and average looking. Nothing too special- in fact he was so ordinary it was unordinary.

She raised her eyebrows in suspicion. She had been indirectly integrated by Fae before; her specialization practically asked for it. "Look, on a normal day, I'd be happy to play cat and mouse with you. 'Why did you specialize in Fae studies?' 'Are you Fae?', but it's just that today I'm kind of busy and I was up early-"

This Thaddeus, or-so he called himself, held up his hand. "Not your first rodeo, I take it."

"You could say that," Charlotte raked a hand through her knotted hair.

"Have you found a place to live while you fill in for Dr. Hinkle?" Thaddeus crossed his arms over his brown suit jacket. He knew she hadn't. How could she? Who would rent to someone who studied Fae culture in this day and age?

She pursed her lips and gave him an expectant look. If he didn't make his point soon, she'd call security. Not that it'd do much good, there wasn't any at this secluded part of the campus and it would take far too long for a guard to get to her. Judging by the way he walked, he knew this as well.

"I thought so. Let me give it to you straight- no one will rent to you, especially not after the warning a… associate… of mine put out," pure boiling rage bubbled in Charlotte. She'd heard of desperate, even overstepping, but this was extraordinary in the worst kind of way. "The Reservation wants to keep an eye on you and you need to live somewhere, right?"

Thaddeus continued despite the look of reprieve on her face, "Well, I have a deal to make with you, if you are interested. Of course, you could always go running back to Reno, just like everyone expected."

Goddamn. She would never do that, even if it meant risking her life.

And she got the feeling that's exactly what it would take.