First of all, thankyou to all you wonderful reviewers with your lovely ravings about my little ficlet, you truly make my day/night/out of body experiences. I had planned to put this up earlier, however writer's block and those damned Uni assignments have kept me busy. Do while this is short it is the set up for the future of my story.

Much love to all and on with the Graverobber!

Chapter 2 The Hangman's Shop

Graverobber led Shilo down a number of streets she didn't recognise, ignoring the pleading cries of desperate junkies and wolf whistles at Shilo's short dress.

"Where are we going again?" Shilo asked, clunking along beside him carrying his harvest satchel.

"I told you kid, we're going to see a Bug about a needle." Graverobber replied, suddenly halting before a small dingy shop painted entirely black. Even the windows were blacked out, not that much natural light got this far down into the depths of humanity anyway. A rusted sign hung over the door, creaking in the late night mist, blurred characters only just spelled out Hangman's Boots in flaking paint.

"Tada!" Graverobber flung his arms out wide. "Welcome! Welcome! Come inside!"

He fiddled with the door knob for a few moments before pulling it open and ushering Shilo inside. A tarnished bell jangled as Shilo stepped through the door.

"The sign says closed!" a woman's voice snapped from somewhere in the room. Shilo started, then stared around the room in awe as Graverobber pulled the door closed. Piles of fabric, entire bolts of silks and velvets in all colours were scattered across the room, racks of garments which Shilo shuddered at hung all around the ceiling and walls, organised by colour, style and size. Three full size mannequins stood beside a counter that was piled so high with used garments that it even towered over Graverobber, who had immediately started wandering around the room, picking up this and that, holding it against himself and then tossing it down again as someone else's remains caught his eye.

"Hey kid, want to play dress up?" he tossed a fuschia pink ball gown over her head and elegantly placed a top hat upon his own.

"Eep!" Shilo jumped back from the dress and backed herself against a pile of velvet.

"Closed means closed!" the voice rang out again, this time sounding impatient.

"Aww…" Graverober took off the hat and held it against his heart, "Not even for a couple of strays in need of some tender loving stitches?"

The voice laughed, "I bet you say that to all the Genterns."

A full figured woman walked out from around the counter and raised an eyebrow, "Well now look what the cat dragged in," she strolled up to Graverobber and flung her arms around his neck, briefly smacking her lips against his. "Hello Grave, long time no see."

"Hello to you too Bug," Graverobber groped her arse familiarly, "Haven't seen you on a collection run in quite a while, I was hoping you weren't quite dead yet."

She laughed in reply, "Oh darling boy do you really think I'm dim enough to get myself caught, you've been blinded by your blue glow methinks." She released him and looked down at Shilo, "I heard you'd been keeping company, though I would've thought Amber had turned you off the celebrity type." The thin black streak of Graverobber's lipstick danced over the woman's otherwise red lips as she spoke, Shilo stared in envy.

"Bug, may I represent the one and only Shilo Wallace!" Graverobber bowed to Shilo with a flourish, "We are in need of your assistance, as it were." Bug looked at him sharply.

"Oh no you don't Grave! I've warned you about hiding here!"

"Ah but!" Graverobber held up one slender finger, "We are not here for a game of hide and seek," he shrugged off his coat and held it out to the other woman, "We came here for other reasons."

Bug took the coat and shook it out, "Oh honestly Grave," she sighed, "I can handle the corpses and the junkies and the drugs but I do wish you'd take more care of what I make for you." She peered closely at the rip and scowled, then recoiled in horror as her nostrils flared. "And when was the last time you washed this?"

Graverobber shrugged, "We got rained on last week, does that count?"

To Shilo's everlasting shock the blonde woman actually reached up and smacked Graverobber over the back of the head. "Into the back room the both of you." She ordered, as Graverobber winced and massaged the back of his skull, "Let me see what I can do."