Sorry this story has slowed down a bit, it's been a hectic few days. And sorry this is one of those exposition type chapters. I'll try writing more tomorrow.

Sasha stepped out of Place, took a deep breath, and allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. Manipulating people into believing that her argument was what they actually wanted was much easier than she'd imagined.

She'd walked in to Doug Rocket's office an hour ago to explain to him that she was very grateful that he had agreed to see her first thing on a Saturday morning, and that his decision to boycott SugaRape was the best decision of his career. He'd barely been aware of the fact that he was boycotting but Sasha had assured him that he was taking a stand and that everyone was behind him and had he considered making a public statement so that other individuals and brands who spent money on advertising in the magazine knew that they too should join his truly, forward thinking and necessary cause.

Rocket had liked that, he liked to think of himself as a pioneer. His assistant had just been pleased that they were saving money on advertising. He hadn't looked too thrilled when Sasha expressed an interest in joining Rocket's staff but Rocket certainly had, and she'd won them both over in the end.

"It's all about moving forward," she explained as Doug nodded sagely along with her. "You could be at the forefront of the digital age - you deserve to be at the forefront of the digital age - and you could do it with half the people."

The assistant had perked up at that, his pale face darting up to look at her like a hopeful little otter, and she'd given him a wink before focusing back on Rocket.

"You see, Mr Rocket, 'Place' doesn't need to be a physical place."

"It doesn't?"

"Oh, no. The future is the internet, you know that of course."

"Yes, well," Rocket gushed, "obviously I do!"

"And you know that the world of internet videos is where you're inevitably heading."

"I do?"

"Of course," Sasha nodded. "Your music was an inspiration to a generation, your video clips, especially. But you've spread yourself too thin with too many projects."

Now his weedy assistant was nodding too and Doug was smiling in what he no doubt thought was a bashful way, as if he knew all of this already.

"Well," he enthused, "I have always said that film is the future."

"And magazines like SugaRape are the past," Sasha agreed emphatically. "They've trampled on the good name of Dan Ashcroft - one of your greatest supporters - and I think you already know what needs to be done."

"I do?" Doug blinked. He'd been carried away in the thoughts of Ashcroft as one of his admirers, which he knew was true of course, but Sasha and his assistant were nodding at him, and of course he did. "I do! Yes! But of course, you will organise the details."

"Of course," Sasha grinned. "Release a video detailing your support for Dan and asking others to turn away from homophobic, sexist, narrow-minded publications like SugaRape."

Rocket nodded emphatically at that and Sasha kept smiling. People like Rocket wouldn't raise their voices against the other vices of SugaRape, but they were all for liberty and human fluidity, and the idea that they might be labelled homophobic, made them sweat.

"I will of course need to be on your payroll," she segued smoothly and saw the pleased look drop from the otter-man's face, but Rocket didn't notice.

"Oh, it goes without saying!"

"But I have several strategies for saving you thousands of pounds already, with only a few staff cuts."

It had all been very amicable after that. Sasha had shaken Rocket's hand, who insisted she call him Doug, and had organised to come in later that day to begin work on the video that Doug was already calling 'his big come back.'

Sasha's smile widened. The assistant, Robin, had filed the paperwork and quietly thanked her for being able to convince Rocket to cut costs and had pointed out several people who didn't actually do any work at Place.

There had been one man, working the front desk, who she'd thought could probably be let go, until he introduced himself as the person who had sent the original email requesting a cancellation of Place's advertising with SugaRape. He was a bit thick but he seemed to know the ins and outs of the company and he'd been complimentary and had asked Sasha if she'd like to go out for a drink that evening. He'd even given her his phone number, shyly, on a business card and Sasha was tempted to take him up on his offer.

'Toby - from the front desk' he'd written above his number. He'd seemed keen to bring down Jonatton and help out Dan, and he'd complimented her shoes.

Sasha typed him a quick text. She'd be back at midday and would appreciate his help in learning more about her new place of work, and would love to join him for a drink when they were done.

Sasha didn't need a strong man, or one who thought he should be in control, but a man who knew to compliment her shoes, well, he was worth at least a first date.

She walked down the street, mentally ticking things of her 'To do' list when she spotted a familiar shape up ahead at an intersection. She'd know those sloping shoulders and wild hair anywhere, but she was surprised to see Dan out and about. She smiled genuinely when she realised that the person standing next to him, looking nervous and a little concerned, was Jones.

Dan was leaning on a metal, hospital issue, cane with his good hand and his other was being held awkwardly in Jones', their fingers entwined despite the bulky plaster. They looked sweet together. Jones in all his trinkets, ripped t-shirt and multi-coloured hair and Dan in his faded jeans, loose enough to accommodate the cast on his leg, and a worn, grey and brown, checked shirt.

She could see that there were other people staring at them, a group of trendies just ahead of her were actually pointing, but Dan and Jones were doing their best to act like they hadn't noticed. It made Sasha's indignation rise, that the whole sorry incident had happened. She'd gotten caught up in the last twenty-four hours, with how she was going to ruin Jonatton Yeah? and she hadn't even thought to call Dan to let him know that not everyone was mocking him. Everything she had set in motion - the emails to the members of the Press Complaints Commission, to every other magazine being published locally, and to as many of their other sponsors as she could think of - had been in aid of Dan, yet she really hadn't thought of him much.

She sped up her steps until she was keeping pace with the idiots who were talking about Dan "The Preacher Man" and "Choir Boy" Jones too loudly to be considered polite, and waited for an opening in their conversation.

"Did you see it coming?"

"No way. Who would have thought a bloke like him liked cock, you know what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, like, I was just, like, blown, yeah?"

"And why'd he keep it a secret 'til now? 'Less there was something, like, well underhanded going down?"

"Oh," Sasha looked at the group in confusion. "Did you not know?"

They all turned to her with looks of dense confusion it is was hard work to keep her face blank.

"Wha?"

"I thought everyone knew about Dan Ashcroft and DJ Jones," she shrugged and watched their eyes almost bug out of their heads. "They've certainly never hidden it."

She tried to look gormless as she watched the face of one of the woman transforming in disbelief, not that Dan Ashcroft was in truth in a relationship with a man, but that she hadn't been in the know.

"Are you serious?"

"Oh, yes," Sasha said, even though being serious was increasingly difficult. "The real gossip is that Jonatton Yeah? didn't know. What the rest of us did. D'you know what I'm saying?"

She watches as they all nodded in unison, their eyes flicking over to where Dan and Jones were still standing at the pedestrian crossing. She watched the barely-used cogs of their brains slowly come to terms with what they needed to do in order to be cool. It wasn't hard, they had nothing against gay people, it was the naughties after all, and Dan Ashcroft was still cool...

"So," asked one of the men from behind his slatted sunglasses. "All that stuff about him being..." He looked to embarrassed to finish so Sasha gave him an understanding nod.

"All made up by SugaRape to make Dan look bad," Sasha confided. "I mean, look at him, he's a teddy bear."

And they did look. The two men were walking across the road and Jones was looking up with both worry and admiration at Dan, who's brow was creased with the strain of walking with his broken leg.

Sasha smiled back at the group of standard issue idiots. Perhaps she should be a politician because as much as she only wanted justice restored to her tiny corner of London, getting people to think whatever she wanted them to was rather fun.

"SugaRape's lost it's edge," she told them in a stage whisper. "Dan left. Everyone who's anyone is boycotting it. SugaRape's just not... cool... anymore. Bye now."

She walked away before she could start laughing and crossed the street to the cafe Dan and Jones had just entered. Today was turning out to be one of the best Saturdays she'd had in a long time.