Ginny was pleasantly surprised when Mike showed her the flat that occupied
most of the floor above the bar. Having grown up in a house that was always
full to overflowing with other Weasleys, she was enthralled by the idea of
having an entire flat to herself. It consisted of a bedroom, a kitchen, a
bathroom and a surprisingly large living room.
"Oh, but this is wonderful. It's far too generous; I couldn't possibly stay here," Ginny exclaimed.
"Of course you can. At the moment it's standing empty. I have the flat upstairs and I can't find anyone to let this place. It gets a little noisy what with the bar being downstairs and everything, but if you came to work for me then it wouldn't be likely to bother you; and you'd be working hard enough to deserve the flat as well as a decent wage." Mike turned to her and smiled, "Well, what do you say?"
"It sounds perfect. Thank you so much, it's like the answer to a prayer," she said fervently.
Mike laughed. "You know, you're good for my ego. Look, drop your stuff and I'll show you the ropes downstairs. Tonight we'll talk to a guy I know about changing your identity and tomorrow we'll go shopping and get you some more things."
"More things?" Ginny asked.
"I've never met a woman who can live out of a bag as small as that for more than a couple of days. You're probably going to want some more clothes and if you're going to be working in the bar I guess you'll probably want some make-up and stuff."
That evening Mike and his regular barman, Paul, were showing Ginny how everything worked so that she'd be able to start as soon as she had her new papers sorted out. She was clearing and wiping tables when Mike called her over.
"Virginia, this is an associate of mine, Tony Stark. Tony, this is my niece Virginia," he winked at Ginny as he said this. "She needs to change her name in a hurry. Can you sort something out for us?"
The man in question was short and somewhat overweight with a red face, which seemed to sport an almost permanent grin. "Sure, sure, let's go into your office and discuss it."
Mike led them both into the small room behind the bar.
"So tell me luv, what kind of trouble you in? 'Cos I really don't need any hassle from the fuzz if I can help it," Tony asked.
"Oh, um," she glanced at Mike before coming out with the cover story they had devised that afternoon. "I'm hiding from my boyfriend. He threatened to come after me if I ever left him so my mother sent me over here to stay with Uncle Mike, but I'm afraid to use any of my bank cards or anything in case he traces me and I was scared to try and get a work permit in case he found me. Without that or a national insurance number I can't work or anything. I don't want Uncle Mike to have to keep looking after me." She smiled at the older man who was looking at her kindly now.
"Oh you poor kid. Still, time to make a new start hey." He pulled out a notepad and started making some notes in it. "So you're from Ireland originally, then?"
She nodded and he continued, "OK. I'm going to need your birth date and the name you're going to use. Best stick to your real birth date, that way you can't get tripped up. Always hide a lie inside the truth, that's my motto. Also I'll need some passport photos, but you can drop them in some time tomorrow. What are we looking at here, Mike? Passport, NI number and a birth certificate?"
"Sounds good. I can get her on the books here once I have some details for the employment record and we can sort out the bank account ourselves with what you're giving us," Mike looked over at Ginny. "We decided she'd stick with Virginia since she's a little old to start answering to anything else. Mary Virginia O'Brien, birth date 7th June 1981. All right, hon?"
Ginny nodded again, "Thanks."
"Oh, but this is wonderful. It's far too generous; I couldn't possibly stay here," Ginny exclaimed.
"Of course you can. At the moment it's standing empty. I have the flat upstairs and I can't find anyone to let this place. It gets a little noisy what with the bar being downstairs and everything, but if you came to work for me then it wouldn't be likely to bother you; and you'd be working hard enough to deserve the flat as well as a decent wage." Mike turned to her and smiled, "Well, what do you say?"
"It sounds perfect. Thank you so much, it's like the answer to a prayer," she said fervently.
Mike laughed. "You know, you're good for my ego. Look, drop your stuff and I'll show you the ropes downstairs. Tonight we'll talk to a guy I know about changing your identity and tomorrow we'll go shopping and get you some more things."
"More things?" Ginny asked.
"I've never met a woman who can live out of a bag as small as that for more than a couple of days. You're probably going to want some more clothes and if you're going to be working in the bar I guess you'll probably want some make-up and stuff."
That evening Mike and his regular barman, Paul, were showing Ginny how everything worked so that she'd be able to start as soon as she had her new papers sorted out. She was clearing and wiping tables when Mike called her over.
"Virginia, this is an associate of mine, Tony Stark. Tony, this is my niece Virginia," he winked at Ginny as he said this. "She needs to change her name in a hurry. Can you sort something out for us?"
The man in question was short and somewhat overweight with a red face, which seemed to sport an almost permanent grin. "Sure, sure, let's go into your office and discuss it."
Mike led them both into the small room behind the bar.
"So tell me luv, what kind of trouble you in? 'Cos I really don't need any hassle from the fuzz if I can help it," Tony asked.
"Oh, um," she glanced at Mike before coming out with the cover story they had devised that afternoon. "I'm hiding from my boyfriend. He threatened to come after me if I ever left him so my mother sent me over here to stay with Uncle Mike, but I'm afraid to use any of my bank cards or anything in case he traces me and I was scared to try and get a work permit in case he found me. Without that or a national insurance number I can't work or anything. I don't want Uncle Mike to have to keep looking after me." She smiled at the older man who was looking at her kindly now.
"Oh you poor kid. Still, time to make a new start hey." He pulled out a notepad and started making some notes in it. "So you're from Ireland originally, then?"
She nodded and he continued, "OK. I'm going to need your birth date and the name you're going to use. Best stick to your real birth date, that way you can't get tripped up. Always hide a lie inside the truth, that's my motto. Also I'll need some passport photos, but you can drop them in some time tomorrow. What are we looking at here, Mike? Passport, NI number and a birth certificate?"
"Sounds good. I can get her on the books here once I have some details for the employment record and we can sort out the bank account ourselves with what you're giving us," Mike looked over at Ginny. "We decided she'd stick with Virginia since she's a little old to start answering to anything else. Mary Virginia O'Brien, birth date 7th June 1981. All right, hon?"
Ginny nodded again, "Thanks."