'Right, you take that end… I'll take this one… and we throw…' Pop directed Galileo. The tarpaulin snaked through the air, slapping down on the makeshift corrugated iron roof, before slithering to the ground, slumping in a heap. 'Damn. Cursed rain.' Pop swore, making Sally, who was no stranger to obscenities raise an eyebrow. She ignored his comment and continued attempting to wring the water out of her baggy sleeves.

After several more failed attempts, mingled with cursing from Galileo and Pop Sally had had enough. 'Right. Gazza, give that to me, you go and get a brick, piece of rope and something sharp, like a nail.' If Galileo or Pop found her instructions unusual, they gave no sign of it, thoroughly dejected with their numerous failed attempts to fix the roof.

Galileo soon returned, armed with brick, rope and nail. 'Here. What're you planning to do with them anyway?'

Sally grinned, taking the materials from him, 'Get us out of the rain.' She examined the nail before pushing it through the tarpaulin a couple of inches up from the edge of one of the longer sides.

'Hey! Um. What are you doing with my tarpaulin?'

Sally looked at Pop, giving him a withering glare, 'Like I said, getting us out of the rain. Since you two seem to be incompetent.' She ignored his protests and continued making a hole in the tarpaulin. 'Rope Gaz.' Galileo handed it to her, realising it was best to let her get on with whatever she was doing. Sally took it from him, and shoved one end through the hole, yanking the end clear of the hole, and tying it firmly back on itself, securing it firmly. 'Should hold.' She muttered to herself. She handed Pop the brick and the other end of the rope, 'Tie them together. And make sure it's secure.' Pop acquiesced, 'Right,' Sally continued, 'Gaz, go round the back and be prepared to catch this.' She gestured to the brick in Pop's hands, then, seeing the look on Galileo's face, 'Okay, Pop, go round there and catch this. Gaz you throw it to him, over the roof. I will hold this.' She picked up the opposite edge of the tarpaulin, glaring at Pop to get him to go to the back of the hut.

Seeing the look on her face that clearly said don't-mess-with-me-or-else Pop hurried around the back of the hut, 'Okay. I'm ready.' He called back.

With a nervous look Galileo took the brick and threw it over the roof, 'OW! Kid, you idiot, learn to aim damnit!' Pop yelled from the other side. 'Right, crazy lady, have we fixed the roof to your satisfaction?'

Sally walked round to the back of the hut, inspecting the tarpaulin from every angle, Yes… I suppose that'd be okay. Just put a couple of nails through it there and there to stop it slipping off the back.' With an audible sigh of relief Galileo did as he was told, thankful that she hadn't found anything else to criticise.

Pop had joined them, 'Right, shall we get out of the rain? It really is rather dismal isn't it?' He glanced up to the grey sky, 'I've never really been one for singing in the rain.'

Pop ducked under the tarpaulin, leading them into a spacious but bare hut. A small flight of stone steps led downwards, pausing to flick a switch set in the concrete wall, Pop led them down into the now lit tunnel. 'You live underground?' Sally asked interestedly, and rhetorically.

'Of course. You think it's safe for me to live on the surface?' Pop replied, missing the rhetorical nature of the question. He shook his head gently, 'I thought you were meant to be the clever one young lady.' He turned to Galileo, 'A wise bird, but blonde. Interesting combination, kid. Good luck with that.'

'Excuse me. Did you call me blonde?!' Sally snarled, glaring furiously at Pop.

Much to her annoyance Galileo laughed, 'He did, but I love you for it.'

Sally's glare rapidly turned its attention from Pop to Galileo, making him wish he hadn't said anything, 'It was a RHETORICAL question!'

They had reached the bottom of the steps, and found themselves in a large room, dimly lit by the glow of light from the stairs. Pop flicked a second switch and they were plunged into darkness, 'Sorry! Wrong switch order!' Pop's voice called from somewhere in the darkness. A moment later the darkness vanished as Pop flicked a third switch, bathing the room in a bright white light. 'Took me ages to sort the electrics in here.' As their eyes grew accustomed to the brightness the room began to exhibit signs of habitation. What could be deemed a makeshift camp bed stood to one side of the room, a spare pile of blankets at its foot, and a crudely fashioned table and chairs stood on the other side of the room. What could only be termed as junk lay scattered in piles around the edges of the room. Pop turned to them with a smile, gesturing to the room in general, 'Welcome to my world.'

The two ignored him and gazed around the room appreciatively, absorbing the unusual nature of their surroundings. Pop watched them with evident amusement, almost laughing at the simultaneous looks of admiration, appreciation and shock on their faces. Having decided they had had enough time to get used to the room he coughed slightly, clearing his throat and reminding them of his presence. Almost reacting as one they jumped at the sound of someone else in the room and turned to face him, a slight glare of annoyance spreading across Sally's face. He raised an eyebrow, 'Well, does it meet with your approval?' he asked.

Sally opened her mouth, intending to reply sarcastically, but stopped, preferring to let Galileo answer for both of them. 'A-a-approval? It's f-fantastic!' he stuttered, a glint of excitement brightening his eyes, 'I-I-I mean, j-just look at it!'

Pop laughed, 'Glad you like it, kids,' realising that Sally's silence was the best answer he'd get out of her that wasn't tinged with sarcasm. He glanced at her, and nodded unobtrusively, letting her know that her silence had been taken as it was intended, and that she was grateful for that. She smiled softly back, her smile and silence expressing more gratitude than she could with words. Their by-play bypassed Galileo who interrupted their silent exchange by entwining his fingers with Sally's, breaking the eye-contact between the two.

'So, kids, sit yourselves down, and tell me about you,' Pop said, gesturing to the chairs at the rough wooden table, slouching in a chair and waiting for them to do the same. While Galileo went to a chair without hesitation Sally hung back reluctantly, wondering if Pop had any ulterior motive for his apparent friendliness. Pop noticed her reluctance and smiled encouragingly at her, trying to put her at ease, 'Sit down,' he said softly, 'I promise not to bite.'

Galileo turned in his chair, 'S-scara? Come and sit down.' She acquiesced and slid into the chair next to his, sliding her hand through his for reassurance. Galileo squeezed her hand and turned to Pop, 'W-w-well, t-there's n-not much to it r-really. What d-do you w-want to k-know?'

'Anything and everything,' Pop replied, 'But let's start with the basics, who are you, where have you come from, why are you here? Or more specifically, why are you running away?'

Sally cut him off, 'If we tell you, will you tell us?' she asked.

'If you want me to,' Pop replied with a grin.

Sally looked at him suspiciously for a moment, then relaxed, 'I'm Sally, he's Gaz, we've come from the city, and we're here because you told us to follow you,' she stared at him challengingly, daring him to retaliate. 'Same questions to you.'

Pop smiled slightly at her audacity, 'I've already told you, I'm Pop. I'm here because it's safest. I'm an ex- everything possible, librarian, GaGa, rebel, well, ish anyway. I'm still a rebel in that I don't live within the confines of Globalsoft. I decided to go my own sweet way.' Sally opened her mouth to interrupt with more questions, but he stopped her and turned to Galileo, 'Are you gonna let her do all the talking?'

'N-no!' Galileo said, 'But she p-p-pretty much said e-everything. I'm G-g-galileo, but she calls me G-gaz., or G-gazza. And we r-ran a-away.'

'Yeah, because of my parents. Stupid evil twats that they are. I hate them…' She trailed off, muttering incoherently, to the amusement of Pop and shock of Galileo.

'Scara! Y-you can't t-talk about them l-like t-that!'

She raised an eyebrow, 'Can't I? I thought I just did. It's true anyway, I do hate them. Loathe them.' She turned back to Pop, dismissing Galileo's protestations, 'Any more questions?'

'Yes,' Pop replied instantly, 'Why did he call you 'Scara' when you introduced yourself as Sally? And where did you get the name 'Galileo' from?'

Galileo flushed as though he were a guilty child, and looked away, avoiding eye contact, 'I heard it in a d-dream,' he muttered. He glanced up briefly at Sally, pleading with her to explain.

'My real name is Sally, as in, my GaGa name. He calls me Scara, or Scaramouche. And before you ask, he got that from a dream too,' Sally explained. 'I don't mind what you call me, but I'd prefer it if it wasn't Sally.'

'That's okay, I'll call you Scaramouche then, if you don't mind?'

She shook her head, 'No, that's okay.'

'And you're Galileo? Gaz? Gazza?'

Galileo nodded, 'I think so,' he muttered softly, still avoiding eye contact with Pop and noting that he ignored the dreams, which was unusual.

Sally noticed it too, 'Aren't you going to ask about the dreams then?' she asked, making Galileo look up with a jerk and make eye contact with Pop for the first time since the dreams had been mentioned.

'I thought it best if I left it to you to volunteer the information. You seemed to gloss over it, and normally someone would explain something like that further. And dude, I don't think anyone knows who they really are,' Pop said. 'So, you're runaways then?' Although it was a question, he phrased it as a statement, changing the conversation. 'You can't run forever, the past – whatever past you're running from will catch up with you. But, at least for now, I can help you postpone it temporarily by offering you a bed for the night,' he gestured to various piles of blankets, 'you'll have to make do with the floor, I'm afraid. I'm somewhat short on furniture, and unaccustomed to guests.'

Sally smiled, 'Should we take that as a hint that you want to sleep?'

'Not at all, merely a practicality. But when you do, don't do anything I wouldn't do,' he winked at Galileo with a grin. 'I know what you youngsters are like. I used to be young once…' his eyes glazed over, lost in distant memories, 'ah, those were the days.' He turned to them pensively with a slight smile, 'Sometimes I just get to thinking, I was back in the old days… when I was young.' He smiled ironically, 'Things seemed so perfect then, you know? The days were endless, we were crazy. We were young. The sun was always shining, and we just lived for fun…' he trailed off, 'But lately, it seems like the rest of my life's just been a show.' He grinned cheekily, 'But, for now at least, I'm content to lay back and enjoy life vicariously through you kids.'

Pop surveyed the two sitting in front of him for a moment, before asking. 'What do you intend to do now? As in, when you leave here?'

Galileo shrugged, 'I d-dunno. Find somewhere s-safe, at least f-for the time b-being. Get m-married.'

Sally smiled at him gently, reached across the table and squeezed his hand reassuringly, 'That is if we can find someone,' she said to Pop.

'Oh, I forgot you two were gonna get hitched. I might be able to help with that, if you want me to.'

'Oh? How?'

Pop grinned, 'One of my many jobs. It's what happens when you're an ex-everything. Ex-rebel, ex-librarian, ex-gaga, ex-vicary person. Just not in the religious sense. I got ordained online for some friends of mine.'

Galileo looked at him blankly, 'S-so?'

Sally rolled her eyes, 'What he's sayin', Gazza, in a roundabout way, is that he's offering to be our non-religious person. You know, to marry us?' She sighed, 'You're useless.'

Pop grinned at her again, 'What she said, kid. If you want me to.'

'O-oh. O-o-okay,' Galileo stuttered.

Sally glared at him and turned back to Pop, exasperated. 'What he means is, thank you very much Pop, that would be very kind of you, and we'd like to take you up on your offer, given that no-one else can know about it, and there isn't really anyone else to do it. Plus, you're suitable, an ex-gaga sounds good to me.'

Pop gave a slight laugh, 'Well, unless you change your minds, meet me in the scrap heap at dawn tomorrow morning. You know, where you met me earlier?'

Sally gave him a confused look, 'You mean you're going out?' Pop nodded. 'Oh, okay. See you tomorrow then, I guess.'

'Tomorrow. Make yourselves at home, etcetera, etcetera.' Pop turned to Galileo, 'And you, look after her,' he said, standing up and walking back up the steps, giving them one final glance over his shoulder as he walked away up the steps.