I paused stood outside Java Jones' - CV in one hand and my other hand on the door handle - debating whether I should go in or not. The owner of the coffee shop was always really nice to me even after I left; if I asked him for some shifts I knew I could get employed fairly quickly. That was exactly what I needed...

Wasn't it?

My parents were going to throw a fit when they found out I'd gone back to serving hot drinks for a living. It wasn't education; in fact it was completely dead-end. Serving coffee would lead me nowhere at all. I could just picture my Father lecturing me about wasting my life away.

Just because it was manual didn't mean I had to hate it, though. I kind of enjoyed working there before... Then again, I didn't know who was employed there nowadays. It wouldn't be like it was back when me and Izzy always worked shifts together.

So now I was stood there trying to tell myself that none of these potential problems mattered. Money was money. A job was a job, at the end of the day.

Of course, that was assuming there even was a job awaiting me inside. Students snap up work like starving piranhas; I'd probably have to wait for a vacancy. JJ's was a fast option but it wasn't necessarily an instant option.

A customer cleared his throat at me because I was blocking the entrance. I apologised and moved out of his way.

I hadn't left all that much time for looking around or waiting for one of the places I'd sent a CV to contact me. I didn't want to start work at Java Jones then abruptly leave again. I wasn't completely flaky by nature.

I took some time to think more, walking down the street. Stores were always opening and closing around there, so there were new things to look at.

When I reached the corner I would have turned right around if something interesting hadn't caught my eye. Across the street there was an antiques shop which must have recently opened. Naturally it caught my eye. I quickly checked to make sure I wouldn't get hit by oncoming traffic and darted across the road to take a look.

The shop smelled a little sweet, I remembered that they used to sell overpriced cupcakes there. Not a good business plan in a location with cheaper options in walking distance. No wonder it had gone under.

Almost overpowering the sweet smell was a scent I could only really describe as age. Antiques didn't only look old; there was history for all the senses to find if you looked for it.

For a few moments I had a little bit of concern for the owners of the new establishment. I didn't know of many people around those parts who would bother to look. You wouldn't find many with money to splash there.

There were a couple people browsing, but I'd given enough Museum tours to know real interest when I saw it. It wasn't looking good. The one woman who did look like she might make a purchase was talking to a brunette girl who kept pushing her hair behind her ears.

I moved a little closer, looking over some of the stock as I went. It was an impressive haul, actually. Which just made the shop's prospects seem all the more bleak. The woman talking looked like a complete snob, and she clearly didn't think much of the girl running the place.

"My, my..." She said. "That seems a little steep, Theresa. I happen to know for a fact that this is a replica."

"I had no idea!" Gasped the brunette, 'Theresa', looking the object they were discussing over. She looked completely dismayed to have an illegitimate item in her shop.

It looked perfectly genuine to me.

"Mind if I take a look?" I asked, surprising myself. The shop seemed to contain a lot of Victorian items - a period of time which Dr Zachariah had had a particular interest in after reading Branwell's journal. I knew a thing or two about the relics of the time.

The woman looked ticked off that I'd interrupted but Theresa was good about handing the box over. I put my CV down and took it. I turned the box over in my hands, checking it.

"I'm pretty sure you've made a mistake." I told the woman. It hadn't taken long at all to see the box was the real deal.

The shopkeeper seemed to brighten up with her credibility somewhat restored.

"You think so?" She smiled, taking the box and setting it down carefully. Her confidence seemed to increase a great deal with somebody there who believed in her. "I may be able to find a buyer who doesn't doubt me, Mrs Black."

"I doubt it." The woman snorted. An especially unattractive sound coming from such a small, rounded person. "I know more than my fair share about antiques, boy."

"Well, either you made a mistake or you're lying through your teeth." I said confidently, trying very hard not to be put off for her clear disdain. How dare somebody young actually know anything, right?

'Mrs Black' didn't take too kindly to being argued with. After a few choice words about my being apparently insolent, she blew out of the place in a huff. Beside me, the girl named Theresa sighed.

"Sorry." I told her guiltily. "I think I lost you a sale."

"You saved me from a rip off." She replied, sounding nothing but relived.

Theresa looked around my age - much younger than you might expect an antiques dealer to be. I could only assume that she hadn't been doing it for very long, what with the shaky knowledge of her own trade and everything.

"It's no problem." I said, and proceeded to show her the evidence that the object in question had not been counterfeit. I would have hated to see her fall for any more tricks. I could have spent all week in there valuing the stock. "Hope it helps."

"You know a lot about this stuff?" Theresa asked, staring forlornly at everything around us. Another customer seemed to be taking genuine interest in an old table.

"Well I'm no expert." I said honestly. I wasn't going to pretend that; my time at the Museum had been short and we'd spent a lot of it focused on very particular subjects. "But what I do know, I know pretty well."

Theresa suddenly honed in on the paper I'd left on the table in front of us. She snatched up my CV and began to skim read it before I could stop her.

"You're unemployed?" She asked, apparently astonished. Her grey eyes were wide. She seemed quite excited. "Do you want to work here?"

"Work... Here?" I repeated, sounding like a complete idiot. I wasn't reluctant, just taken by surprise. I'd work just about anywhere at that point.

"Well I could really use the help and you seem to know what you're talking about-"

"Yes." I interrupted. I didn't need any convincing to accept any kind of job, much less one with such appeal. I just couldn't really register what was happening as true. I mean, what were the chances I'd walk in at that particular moment? If I'd gone into Java Jones' first, I might never have even spoken to the girl now throwing an employment opportunity at me. "I'd love to."

"I can't believe my luck!" Theresa smiled. She folded and pocketed my CV, not that I minded as it seemed I didn't need it now.

"You took the words right out of my mouth." I smiled back, absolutely astonished.

A post up at last! I had planned to put a chapter up days ago, but then I realized I didn't like the way it took the story at all, so I had to re-write it (and consequently now have to re-write everything I had right up to the end).

Thank you for reading, I hope to get back to my speedy-posting ways soon. The next chapter will be 'Normality'.