The following morning, Sarah was in her room getting ready for school. She was still sitting, humming contentedly as she brushed her hair while she smiled, thinking about the previous night.

A lot had happened, both for the city and for the team. Not only had they been attacked unexpectedly midweek, breaking pretty much any of the rules that Cosmo had set for them until now, but in the process of the battle they had found out that Principal Hastings, at least the one that they were seeing most days at the school, had in fact been Madame Odious in disguise.

It was a little bit of a shock, particularly to Levi, who had disappeared shortly after they had found out. She still wondered why he was being weird about it all, but since he had gotten his job from Principal Hastings, who may not have even been the real Principal Hastings at the time, it meant that it was possible his hiring may just come under some kind of scrutiny. Of course, Mick had the same issue, they really weren't sure how long Odious had been replacing Principal Hastings, and it seemed fortunate at least that the real Principal Hastings had been found to still be alive. It seemed either out of some kind of sadism or some other thing Odious needed from her that the team wasn't yet aware of, she had kept her around rather than just killing her to prevent any danger of her showing up and blowing her ruse.

She hardly noticed as the screen on her computer opened up a video chat. Kendall was on the other end.

"Hey Sarah, sorry I took so long to get back to you." Kendall greeted her. "Things here have been kind of hectic."

"It looks like it." Sarah replied, seeing a lot of hustle and bustle going on behind Kendall. She was in a tent of some description and it looked a lot like she had been sent on some kind of dig. "Um…where exactly ARE you?"

"Kenya." Kendall told her. "Dr Runga found some stuff on his latest dig and he called us in for an urgent second opinion. It's about five in the evening here."

"Oh, right." Sarah replied. "How's it going out there?"

"It's not so bad. We're making a lot of good discoveries out here." Kendall informed her. "Shelby's absolutely loving it, she's happier than a pig in muck right now!"

"I heard that!" Shelby responded as she came into view. She looked into the laptop. "Hey, hi there Sarah! How are things in Summer Cove?"

"Well, we just found out our Principal was really one of our Big Bads." Sarah began.

"So, your Big Bad was around you all the time?" Shelby said, casting a sly look at Kendall. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"Don't you have some remains to catalogue?" Kendall asked her. Shelby just shrugged and turned to the computer.

"Hey, it was great talking." She stated. "I'll e-mail you my pictures from out here, you won't believe how amazing this trip has been!"

"I'll look forward to it!" Sarah answered as Shelby went back to work. "Wow, she really is loving it isn't she?"

"Yeah, she really is. She's actually about to publish some field work." Kendall told her. "Anyway, I wanted to message you back about that project you were working on. I took a quick look over the schematics, it all looks really great."

"Thanks Ms Morgan." Sarah answered. "I wasn't too sure about…"

"Sarah, it's great, it'll be more than good enough for a High School project." Kendall said with a smile. "You just have to let me know how those cookies turn out."

"If I have any left over I promise to mail them over." Sarah told her. "I'll make sure to address them to you so that Koda doesn't get to them first."

"Sarah…are you wearing make-up?" Kendall asked her. Sarah just looked to her.

"Um…maybe?" She asked.

"You're wearing make-up to go to school?" Kendall asked her with a sly smile.

"Is that a crime?" Sarah asked her.

"So…this wouldn't have anything to do with Preston would it?" Kendall needled her former employee. Sarah just smiled.

"He…he asked me out." Sarah told her. Kendall just leaned back in her chair.

"Well, I'd never have seen that coming." Kendall responded sarcastically, tenting her fingers.

"Wait, I thought you wanted to talk about my project…"

"Oh, we can talk about your project." Kendall told her. "Right after you tell me all about it."

"I do have to get ready for school you know." Sarah reminded her.

"It's a little after seven AM there, and on your hoverboard it takes you about twenty minutes to get to school." Kendall reminded her. "So, tell me, how did it all go down?"

Over at the school, Levi arrived early, as most of the teachers did, but he didn't really have much in the way to prepare. Being a music teacher, most of the equipment for his lessons was already on the premises, so he really didn't need to be in too early, but the staff normally got together to discuss matters relating to the school before the shift began, and while normally this could be dealt with in about fifteen minutes, given the fact that the ship was currently without a captain he was sure that there would be a lot more than normal to sort out.

As he got to the school, he found Mrs Finch struggling to get some boxes out of her car. He came across as she was struggling to get a cardboard box into her hands. She saw him approaching and rolled her eyes.

"Well, if it isn't the furry." She greeted him coldly. "You know most people stop at just costumes right?"

"You need a hand with that?" Levi asked her. She just shoved one of the boxes into his hands. "I tried calling…"

"I know, my phone does have call register." She informed him. "I got all four of your calls and all ten of your text messages, what does that tell you?"

"It tells me you're pissed at me." Levi answered.

"Well congratulations, I guess you managed to figure that out all by yourself." She stated. Levi took a deep breath.

"You know what happened with Principal Hastings…I mean Madame Odious…I mean…"

"If you insist in talking about this I'm going to have to ask you to walk and talk." Mrs Finch told him, putting another couple of boxes on top of the one he was holding. "I have a lot to do."

"So, I see…what is all of this?" Levi asked her.

"This would be called 'battlefield promotion'." She informed him. "As of last night, when the education authority called me, for the time being at least, I not only have my own job to do, I also have to be the Acting Principal."

"Wait…what?" He asked her as he followed her towards the Principal's Office.

"In case you haven't noticed this town has become kind of toxic, it's a real life Bludhaven!" She told him. "There aren't exactly people lining up for jobs here, there are four positions that we've never been able to fill. For Christ's sake we can't even get someone to take the vacant janitor's position, and you think someone wants to come here to become Principal? Trust me, there is no pay scale on Earth that'll get anyone to take that job!"

"So, they gave it to you?" Levi asked her. He instantly regretted it, seeing the way she glared at him. "I…I didn't mean…"

"I'm the most senior staff member left that would accept the job!" She told him. "Everyone else has either quit or wants to quit. If I didn't take the job the school would have had to close. I didn't take the job it was dumped on me!"

"So…should I worry about my job?" Levi asked her.

"What a surprise, it's yourself you're worried about!" She grumbled as she kicked the office door open, making her way to the desk. She dumped her papers on there. "I have to pick my way through everything that Principal Hastings has signed off on since the beginning of the year to make sure it's legit, but right now I don't really have much in the way of choice about staffing. Even if your teaching credentials are printed on toilet paper I have to keep you around. Like I said, coming here for anyone who's got a choice is about as appealing as moving to Bludhaven."

"I'm…kind of impressed you know what Bludhaven is to be honest." Levi tried to joke. Mrs Finch just glared at him.

"I've confirmed your job is safe." She told him. "If I had options, maybe it would be different, but right now…"

"Look, I know you're pissed about what Hastings…Odious said." Levi told her.

"Really Levi? You think I'm that petty?" She asked him. "You could go out and bang half the Western Hemisphere for all I care…"

"Then why are you so angry then?" He asked her. "If you really don't care…?"

"Because I thought you were different!" She blurted out. "Levi, I didn't know who you were from Adam when you came here. All I knew was what you did for a living, and while people have all these ideas all these stories about what people like you do I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."

"What?" He asked her.

"I'm an adult Levi, I know what people say about musicians, how it's all a life of hot and cold running one-night stands." She told him. "I've heard the kind of lyrics, how everything's all about hooking up and being a player and…"

"You…really haven't listened to Country Music, have you?" Levi chuckled. "Put it this way, if the protagonist gets divorced and their house burns down that's considered a GOOD ending." Mrs Finch didn't look at all amused by his joke.

"The thing is, I thought you were different than that." She told him. "But…I guess maybe that was just wishful thinking."

"Look, all of that stuff we talked about, that really is the real me." Levi told her as he started to stroke his neck awkwardly. "I will admit that I'm not proud of…"

"Of banging a woman to get what you want?" Mrs Finch asked him.

"Yeah, I can see why you think that's what happened." Levi sighed. "The thing is, I won't deny it, there was some contact, and some making out and then…"

"I really don't need the details!" She told him. "Unless…was it on this desk? If so I really need to wipe it down…"

"Um…we…we sang a duet." He told her.

"Well, I've never heard it referred to as that before!" Mrs Finch snorted.

"No, I mean…we really sang a duet!" He informed her. "She wanted to sing 'I'll be there' with me. God knows why! I just thought Principal Hastings was a crazy fan, but now that I know…"

"Wait, you really expect me to believe that?" Mrs Finch asked him. He just looked defeated.

"I can't expect you to believe anything, but I really want you to." Levi told her. "Look, you might have heard all sorts of stories about what 'people like me' get up to but I've had to put up with that bullshit most of my life."

"Yeah, I'm really sure…"

"Did you know I've never actually HAD a serious partner?" Levi asked her. "I've had some dates sure, but the half that weren't just looking to be able to brag on Facebook that they spent the night with Levi Weston and stuck around more than a couple of nights were quickly turned off when every tabloid in the country spreads stories of men and women I've never even heard of claiming I've spent the night with them."

"That happens to everyone…"

"And it means I find it hard to know who among the people I'm with is a real friend and who's just in it for what they can get." Levi told her. "The only thing that stops it driving me completely insane is I learned long ago not to care about what anyone that only knows about me from what they read in the National Enquirer thinks about me."

"So…why are you telling me this if you don't care?" She asked him.

"Because I don't care what they think about me." He told her. "I care what YOU think about me."

"I…I want to believe what you're telling me." Mrs Finch told him nervously. "But you've got to admit it really doesn't sound the most believable story."

Just then, she noticed something in the corner of the room. She hadn't spent much time in Principal Hastings' office, and so she hadn't noticed a small, black dome in one of the corners coming out of the ceiling.

"Wait a minute, is that…?" She asked, looking to it. She and Levi turned to look into it. "That…that looks kind of like a camera."

"Principal Hastings has a camera in her office?" Levi asked. "Why?"

"A lot of schools put in cameras places where teachers interact with students." Mrs Finch told him. "It makes things a lot easier when lawsuits come up."

"Lawsuits?" Levi asked her. She just looked at him.

"You really haven't been a teacher, long have you?" She asked him. She went to the desk and turned on the computer, starting to look through it. "The computer is linked up…the hard drive must be connected to this computer. It looks like the recordings go back over a year."

"So…what happened in this office that day is on there?" Levi asked her. She just looked to him and smiled.

"It looks that way." She told him. "So how about we play it?"

"Sure thing." Levi told her. "I've got nothing to hide."

With that, Mrs Finch just turned off the computer.

"You know, on second thoughts…we have a staff meeting to get to." She reminded him, gesturing him to follow her. Levi just shook his head.

"Whatever you say." He answered.

Sarah arrived at the school, finding Preston, Brody, Calvin and Hayley waiting outside, talking while they waited on her to arrive. As she got there, she kicked up her hoverboard into her hands. As she approached, she could see Preston smiling brightly and waving, before he realised their friends were around and stopping himself.

"Hey there guys." She greeted them. "Has anyone heard from Mick?"

"He got back late last night." Brody told them. "He talked with her for a while, he says she's doing well."

"That's good to hear." Hayley said with a shudder. "I can't imagine what it must have been like, being made a prisoner in your own home. God only knows what she did to her."

"Madame Odious is one sick puppy that's for sure." Calvin agreed.

"Anyway, Mick's called a team meeting after school." Brody told them. "He said that he's got a lot to discuss with us."

"What…what kind of stuff?" Preston asked, looking to Sarah.

"I don't know, he said he wants to brief the whole team at once." Brody said with a shrug. "He wouldn't even tell me last night."

"Um…it's just…we kind of already have plans." Sarah answered, gesturing between herself and Preston.

"Plans? What kind of plans?" Brody asked her.

"Well, we um…"

"…need to work on our business project!" Sarah completed the sentence. She and Preston exchanged a wordless glance as they mentally communicated much the same thought. They didn't really want to tell their friends about the date yet. They didn't want the others to start getting weird around them in the meantime. "Yeah, we're building it in my garage."

"Well, I'm sure a few minutes won't make a huge difference." Brody answered. "Ranger business has to be the priority."

"I guess you're right." Sarah sighed as the bell rang. "Um…I just need to stop by my locker for a moment…"

"I'll go with you." Preston answered as they left to go to her locker. Brody headed for his first class, but as he was about to go, Hayley held Calvin back for a moment.

"Hey, did you notice that?" She asked him.

"Notice what?" He replied.

"All the weird non-verbal communication between those two." Hayley answered, gesturing towards where Sarah and Preston were talking by her locker. Calvin just looked to her.

"You think those 'plans' they were talking about…"

"I think that maybe they're not being terribly forthright with us." Hayley said with a smile. "I think maybe we should keep an eye on them…ninja style."

"Spying on our own team?" Calvin asked her. "Isn't that a little…you know...?"

"We're just making sure our friends are safe and well, it's being caring and…"

"It's being kind of a busy-body." Calvin corrected her. She just sighed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She answered. "So…we shouldn't…"

"Hey, did I say we wouldn't do it?" Calvin asked her. "I just wanted to make sure we weren't deluding ourselves."

"So, we're still doing it?" Hayley asked.

"After the meeting, we suit up." Calvin told her. With that, they fist-bumped and headed for their first class.