GUYS, I cannot promise that I will be updating with any regularity, I'm honestly not even sure how much inspiration I have. I am sorry that its ben over a year since my last update! life happens and when you get in way over your head with a new house and two new puppies some things just fall by the way side. Sorry if the update sucks, like I said, not sure if I have the inspiration any more.

I walked out of my new employer's office with a real smile on my face. Even with all the problems I had coming my life still felt like things were finally falling in to place.

I leaned up against the body of an old Ford truck and just allowed myself a minute of reflection and happiness. I could work with everything I was just given and I just knew I could make something good come out of it. Now all I had to do was plot…maybe get a partner or two to help…maybe even get a Ghoulie or two. this could, after all, be beneficial to everyone involved.

As I was off in my own little world I clocked Damien walking up to me in my peripherals. Turning my face in his direction I loosed the mega-watt smile on him and watched him stop in his tracks. He looked as though he didn't know whether to smile back or be extra suspicious of my solicitous behaviour. I decided to take the choice out of his hands.

"Hey there brand new, and may I say exceedingly dashing, co-worker. Maybe I should put my number in your phone so you can call me to bail you out of any engine trouble."

I could see a smile try to twitch its way onto his face.

"Oh, little dove, you don't want to know what I would do with that phone number," he said, stalking closer, "I will, however, take your number anyway, before you change your mind. Seems like we'll be seeing an awful lot of each other…you never know when the need will arise."

The smirk playing across his lips was really sexy, in a dangerous predator sort of way. Maybe flirting with a potential ally wasn't my best bet, but damn was I having fun.

I laughed, a geniune laugh, my head tilted back, eyes sparkling coquettishly. This boy had no idea what I was capable of. Hell, I had no idea what I was capable of, but if these last few days were any indication, I had barely dipped a toe into that pool.

"I think this is the start of something beautiful, don't you agree? A Serpent Princess and the Ghoulie Prince, working side by side," I purred, running my finger lightly down the seem in his coveralls. Watching his pupils dilate indicated I wasn't barking up the wrong tree, but the energy that radiated from his body told me I should tread carefully. "Or maybe," I continued, turning away from him and striding over to the next car in the bay, "this is nothing more than two young people in the same industry. It would be a pity to let something so interesting go unexplored."

"Little girl, you rush into things you don't know anything about," he growled, stepping into my personal space, pressing right up against my left side. "You think because we have a truce here that the outside world will be all sunshine and rainbows? Do some research, get in good with your little club and then come talk to me because sweetheart," he said, breathing down my neck, "You don't know how this gang war started and you're biting off more than you can chew if you think a little flirtation will make it go away."

I turned my head to look at him, my body following shortly after and leaned into his personal space.

"You may be right, but honey," I said, biting my lip and looking into his eyes, "You don't know me either. I could be the best thing that ever happens to you, or the worst." Smirking I turned away and tossed casually over my shoulder, "Maybe it's up to you to decide which way the chips will fall when I come to you again."

xXx

I left auto shop after my small confrontation with Damien. I was shaken up and didn't want him to see how he'd effected me. I was berating myself as I jogged down the hall. Of course I'd pushed too far too fast, what was I thinking intimating that there was a problem I intended to solve without any background knowledge or a real plan?! I could have blown any chance I had of getting this war I knew literally nothing about, over.

It surprised me that I hadn't run into anyone in the halls, but I was still grateful for small miracles. I hadn't even removed my coveralls and as soon as I got to my locker I rectified that situation, pulling my hair out of its messy bun as I did so. Shaking out my hair I continued to think through what I'd done and decided that I really did need to plan this out better and go back to Damien after I was well versed on the topic. Coming to him before then, hell coming to him any time in the next month would probably put an end to any ill-conceived plan I had. He had to have time to forget I'd been so careless. I'd spent my whole life being careful, playing the dutiful daughter while secretly planning my escape. I had to do the same thing here. Ease the enemy into a false sense of security and then spring a trap…so to speak. I had to be Slytherin about how I interacted with the Ghoulies. And I absolutely needed help.

I had left auto shop with at least ten minutes to the bell and between berating myself and getting presentable I'd left myself with no more than three minutes to get to the serpent section of the parking lot before the last bell. I wanted to look at ease by the time my new friends showed up. No reason to get them into a tizzy over my own lack of forethought.

Once I had my own face under control I casually leaned up against Sweet Pea's bike to wait for the core Crew. I needed a lift home before the meeting tonight and I'd hoped to be able to pick someone's brain about the tension with the Ghoulies, but it didn't look like that was going to happen any time soon.

The second Toni got to the parking lot she pulled me aside.

"We need a game plan with how we're going to deal with Jug at the meeting tonight. I don't know about you but I don't want to throw him to FP until we absolutely have to," she started, shaking her head at the thought of ratting out the king's kid, "I vote we just let him deal with the shit he does know about and hope Jughead pulls his head out of his ass sooner rather than later."

I was going to object, but my more rational side won out. Who was I to dump all of mine and Jug's problems on the gang? For all I knew he would just need some time and convincing. I'd rather have dirt on Jug for later if I needed it rather than whine like some bitch who can't fix her own problems.

"Alright, we need to have at least two plans, one that hinges on FP knowing everything already and one for if he only knows this morning's basics. I don't want to be on the boss' bad side before I've even really had a chance to prove myself."

Toni nodded along as I laid out the rough plan, making arm motions at the rest of the crew to gather round. We would need everyone's support in this if we didn't want FP hearing about everything before it was necessary.

"Fangs, I need you to send a copy of that video to Me, Toni and Sweet but no one else. I want back ups just in case. Sweet, I need you to keep your temper in check tonight when it comes to Jones, don't lay all our cards out just in case we need them for later. Everyone else, I know I'm new, I don't mean to be taking this over or telling you what to do, but I'd like solidarity in this matter. We don't know if Jughead just needs time to adjust and I'd rather not ostracize him over an ex's quarrel, yeah?"

After getting nods from everyone around the circle I asked Sweet for a lift home, bribing him with a piece of apple pie that Sunny had left on my porch this morning. I waved my goodbyes before mounting the bike, hoping that after the meeting tonight we could put some of this drama behind us.