Well well. This chapter was originally gonna be a long one (ooer, obviously) but I've been having trouble writing the latter part and I've been busy with college work and revision and stuff, and I knew I'd be ages so I decided to split the chapter, posting what I'd already one (luckily I'd stopped at a rather opportune moment) and writing more when I could. So I'm afraid this chapter's rather something-and-nothing, but.. at least the nothing has a something. One hopes.

Thanks as always for reviews and to Helen for betaing.

A little over an hour later, Tara stepped out of the interview room with Nick close behind her.

'Ohh my god oh my god oh my god.' She grinned, leaning against the wall.

Nick smiled at her. 'Told you it'd be a breeze.'

She turned her head to look at him. 'Oh man….'

Nick was right, it had been a breeze. Nervous as she was outside, when Tara had stepped into the room she'd put on an air of friendly confidence, and had made a great impression. Her interviewers had been friendly, and open to the idea of her working from local radio stations and transmitting it in, when she'd mentioned that she liked to spend time out of London. They'd been positive when she left, and…. It had all gone really well.

'I'm not really supposed to tell you this but..' he leaned a little closer to her. 'That job's yours. They've got to interview other people to be fair but, I've never seen them as impressed as they were with you.' He winked.

'Really?' Tara squealed, then felt ashamed of herself for acting quite so typically girly. 'Ahem. You mean it?'

'Have I ever lied to you?'

'Many times. And I've got the scar on my ankle to prove it.'

Nick, for his part, looked a little sheepish. 'But not about something like this!'

'True.' She grinned.

'Come on, I'll give you the tour of the place if you like.'

'Love to, but I've got to ring Naboo first.'

'How are things going with him? And when can I meet him again, you said you'd get him to tell me how he made those balloon animals roar and bleat and stuff.'

'I told you Nick, you were smoking petunias, it made you go all funny.' God knows why I'm covering up for him, if Naboo doesn't want everyone to know he's a shaman he should stop bloody showing off! 'And.. things are going really well, thank you.'

She tried to stop herself grinning to a ridiculously large degree, but failed somewhat.

'Look at you! I don't think I've seen you blush as much since you made that sex noise when we-'

'That was a sneeze!' she cried insistently.

'Oh, how many other people moan like that when they sneeze?'

'Shut up alright, it was embarrassing enough as it was.'

Nick laughed and patted her consolingly on the head. Tara took it to be slightly patronising, not least because of his and her respective heights, and mock-glared at him.

'Don't give me that, you love it.' He laughed.

'I really don't.'

He smirked, and looked at his watch. 'Hey, I've got a bit of time until I have to be back at work, you want the grand tour?'

'Love it,' she replied. 'But I'll give Naboo a ring first, he'll want to know how it went.'

'Cool, but you won't get any sort of signal in here. Come on, I'll take you up to the roof.'

'Ooh, I like roofs!'

'I know you do.' He opened the door for her. 'After you.'

'Since when have you been so chivalrous?'

'Since always.'

'Ha, like hell.'

Emerging on the roof, Tara glanced around at the skyline and concluded it not to be as attractive as Paris. Nick hovered nearby, but not so near as to be intrusive, as Tara dialled.

Ring ring.

Ring ring.

Ri- 'Hello?'

'Hey, it's me.'

'Tara, alright? The interview's over then?'

'…No Naboo, they're asking me questions as we speak.'

She heard him laugh a little. 'Alright. How'd it go?'

'It went really well,' she said, knowing that he'd be smiling as he heard her own smile in her voice. 'They were really nice, and they seemed impressed and… Nick said the job's pretty much mine.'

Naboo let out an uncharacteristic whoop, then composed himself a little. 'That's fantastic Tara, I knew you'd get it! When d'you start?'

She laughed. 'Steady on, I haven't even officially got it yet! You trying to get me out of the house or something?'

'Course not!'

'You want me to stay locked in then, is that it?'

He paused for a moment. 'Yeah, I do. But only with me.'

'Sounds good, when do we start?'

'How about as soon as you get home?'

'Mmm. What then?'

'Then,' he said, and she heard the bedroom door click closed behind him. She was suddenly aware that Nick was standing only a few feet away and although she'd love to continue (and as much as Nick would probably enjoy it, the perv), she should probably stop Naboo there. 'I'll ki-'

'Wait, Naboo, um.. much as it pains me to say this I don't think now's really the time, I'm on the roof with Nick and he's gonna show me around..'

'Oh.' He said, disappointed.

'Well, would you rather he was privy to our little.. discussion?'

'I guess not. I'll se-'

'What d'you mean you 'guess'?' Tara half-muttered, laughing.

'Well y'know, Nick's an attractive bloke.'

'I'm sure he'll be pleased to hear you say that.'

'I'm sure he'd be more pleased to hear you say it.'

She tutted, even though she knew Naboo was mostly joking. 'How many times, friends, friends.'

'I know Tara.' He said, in that way that if they were together, she knew he'd have kissed her cheek. '…Another time, maybe?'

'Definitely.' She smiled.

'Have fun looking around, say hi to Nick, and I'll see you when you get back. And well done on the job, I'm so proud of you.'

She smiled. 'Thank you. And will do, and I'll see you later on. Love you!'

'I love you too. Bye.'

She hung up, and turned to Nick. 'Naboo says hi. And also that you're 'an attractive bloke'.'

Nick looked impressed. 'Does he now? Think I'm in with a chance with him?'

She laughed as they made their way back to the staircase. 'You get away, you whore.'

Again, apologies for not much happening. There'll be more, I promise! In the meantime, I need my writer-food, so please review!