Xander, Jessy, and Cordy come back from picking up their books for the next semester, sorting out what they'd got at the office supply store between them. They smile at Mr. Murdock, Cordy grinning and heading off as he takes first Xander, then Jessy into the office to go over their finances.

"Huh, I knew I was getting up there but. . ." Jessy looks over her her records.

"Yes, with all the new construction around the country you've hit the hundred billion dollar mark."

"No wonder the little fool was so horrified on the cruise, I knew I was well over eighty billion." Jessy sniggers.

"Oh yes, and it's just going to go up from there. Now, that construction on the way out here?" Jessy, Rupert, and Xander tell the entire story and he shakes his head. "That's the government for you. Waste money on their pet projects then wail when they don't amount to anything."

The last trip to the mall in Miami is packed and Jessy shows the latest video of the area to the comic book store manager as they wander the shelves. "I'm surprised, I wouldn't have thought you'd be getting this much business."

"As opposed to the moron in the government who was expecting everybody to descend on them. Because he built the mall. Because he's all that." Jessy drawls. Andrew laughs as they get ready to check out.

Jessy slumps in a seat in the main building when they return from Miami long long long hours later. "Mall a madhouse?"

"Yes, full of screaming kids and parents who want to scream too." Jessy says sourly. Joyce sniggers. "Andrew?"

"Yes?" Andrew looks over from checking his mail.

"Mr. Stark plans on opening a location in the area. He wonders if you'd like to work for him." He looks at Rupert who grins. "You'd still be living and working here, it's going up on the other side of Marley with construction starting next spring." He puts up a map on the wall, pointing the area where it's going to be located. "We've brought land between Marley and Stanley for condos and want to put up more in the area."

Jessy stretches, yawns, and traces an area with the cap of a pen. "I've been looking at this area with the thought of condos. You'll want to talk to the mayor though."

"I'd planned on letting him know in a couple days." Rupert says.

"Well, I guess we don't have to worry about the mall anymore." Xander snorts as he walks past. Everybody chuckles. "Xander, you'll have an order for some furniture probably year after next when they're close to opening." Xander nods as Jessy sorts through her mail. She reads a letter and then hands it over to Joyce. "A letter from the captain of the cruise ship, apologizing for listening to the abject stupidity of that moron and not giving me all the attention a passenger of my standing deserved. Which includes inviting me to dine at the captain's table at least once during the trip. He'd like to offer all those if I choose to take another cruise on his ship." Jenny rolls her eyes and Jessy nods. "Your name isn't Merril Stubing and that ain't the Love Boat."

"Next year we're going to disney world and then on a disney cruise." Rupert says. Jessy roundly cusses him out, the others laughing.

The cooks smile as the truck that had gone to the kitchen store in Miami pulls up to the cafeteria, Scott opening the back of the truck as one of the cooks gets out of the passenger seat and starts listing off items as they take it out of the truck. They'd needed a lot of non-food supplies and rather than ordering online they'd made a special trip into Miami to go to a high-end kitchen supply store.

"I got five different knife sets so we can test them all out before we decide which ones we want to buy." The head cook for the day shift nods in satisfaction.

Jessy yawns as she sits down to breakfast the next morning, it's raining like they'd been predicting and it makes her sleepy. But since she doesn't have to do anything she'll just yawn and if she wants a nap in the afternoon. . .meh. Who's going to tell her she can't?

"Isn't your order for the seamstress shops due today?"

Rupert, that's who.

She cusses him again and everybody sniggers. "You can have a nap after the fabric is inside."

Jesse and Faith pull the awning out over the back of the truck with a snap as the truck backs into position, fabric and other supplies being moved bucket brigade style into the back of the seamstress shop. Nearly two hours later the truck pulls off and Jessy waves the other one off with thanks, hand waving a few things before she shuts the building up. Putting up the umbrella she heads off to the library to find something to read for a couple hours.

In his office Rupert looks over the receipts for supplies. "Larry?" He asks in a calm voice.

Larry sniggers in the outer office so maybe he wasn't so calm after all. "If it's the body paint, beads, and other jewelry Madison is due back in the states after the first of the year."

"Ahhhh, so we can expect him to come and ask everybody to put on body paint again, either for his sessions or for another book." Rupert puts the receipt down and looks at the copy of the books on the shelf in his office. He's not the only author who uses the House for his inspiration, just the only one who is also a photographer.

Even Jessy has laid out for one of the photography sessions.

Jessy comes into the cafeteria a few hours later.

"Get your nap?" Andrew chuckles.

"No." she grumbles. "Meany bully." she pouts at Rupert who smirks at her.

Rupert looks at the containers of fruit that had been harvested from the trees on their property, he knows that the kids will have taken what they want while they were harvesting.

"Rupert, the mayor's on the phone. Line one." Larry says over the intercom. Walking to the phone, Rupert gives him the news. . .holding the phone away from his ear at the yell.

He's at the House twenty minutes later, looking over the planned construction sites. "Yes, there's no problems rezoning those areas and you have a good reason for wanting it changed instead of people who think they're all that. Like that fool continually calling my office and wailing that I can't be doing enough to get the mall full. I hang up on the fool, the third time I called his boss and he blistered the twerp's ass."

Jessy snickers as she walks through, a knitting bag on her arm as she checks her mail. Rupert looks at her. "Projects for one of the new degrees the school in New York want me to make. They sent out boxes of stuff for me to work on." he nods in satisfaction as the mayor snickers. Even in the middle of winter in Florida it's still in the eighties. When they don't have a cold rain making it feel colder.

Christmas comes and goes and the others begin arriving back at the House. Cordy grumbles the first day of the new semester, glaring at Xander. "You two are looking at the end of your classes, I got two more years after this."

"Buffalo crap, you really think Rupert's not going to start dropping hints about us going for doctorates?" Jessy snorts. "Oz is already looking at other degrees. . .with Rupert's help." Cordy sniggers. Then sighs. "He's making sure we have other options as we grow older. . ."

"He'd never allow you to become like those poor people that have to sell themselves until they die." Jessy says calmly. Both of them nod. Jessy sighs as she turns on her computer, one more semester. The door opens and Amanda struts into the room, grabbing Jessy by the collar and pulling her from the chair.

"Come on, I gotta start these damn classes. Bad enough I'm going to be missing classes this afternoon cause I got a doctor's appointment."

"You're sitting in the library bitching about those damn classes and you'll be back in plenty of time. Rupert says your appointment is here at the house, not in Miami." She pulls her away and touches her sword, her ship appearing and pulling the younger woman inside.

"No Dr. Phil. . .I have no intention of ever seeing my mother again. I do not care if she claims she was an abused woman in fear of her life, she chose to listen to my father's bigoted rants. She has made no effort to contact me since I left home, not even after he wrote me wailing that they were going to lose their home because my brother was in prison from selling drugs and my sister was an unwed mother. He didn't want me, he just wanted my money. I tossed his letters in the garbage where they belonged. It was only after he was arrested for trying to hire somebody to kill me because I wouldn't give him money did she leave him. . .because her good name was ruined now. . .she couldn't hold her head up around town anymore."

In his office Dr. Phil winces, this is a far cry from the begging letter his mother had wrote his people.

"Your siblings?"

"My brother's in prison for selling drugs. . .not that either of my parents would believe he'd be involved in that. My sister was part of a shoplifting ring while her daughter is in daycare. So no Dr. Phil, this is nothing more than another attempt to get money out of me."

"Your mother might have changed."

"She would have tried to contact me first if she was really interested in getting back in my life. This is nothing but a bid for attention. As was her drinking while I was growing up, her spending sprees, her crying jags that would last for days, and her so-called suicide attempts. If you want to know the truth about my parents, contact my Aunt Angie Mendez. . .her number is . . ."

In her office Angie Mendez leans back in her chair and laughs nastily when Dr. Phil calls her. "So, she's back to her poor poor pitiful me crying? Doesn't surprise me at all. Little bitch got away with everything doing that growing up. Mommy and Daddy would make it allllll better for her. Now she's got you trying to wipe her nose and kiss her ass."

"You don't think she really wants to reconnect with her son?"

"Hell no, she's just expecting you to take care of her like everybody else does. You'll have to make her miserable son take care of her after you give her an all expenses paid vacation at one of your spa. . .errr treatment centers. Because she's tired of having to be a human being who has a job and pays her own bills and not some pampered princess."

"Her son?"

"Healthy, happy, and well rid of the stupid bitch. He's got a good job and good friends thanks to that job."

Jessy walks into the main house at lunch, Rupert shaking his head. He can see by the way she's walking that Amanda gave her some training. Settling down she eats a good meal and takes a golf cart to the medical center.

"Quit smiling, I hate cheerful people." House grumps. Jessy just smiles again and he walks off grumbling.

In her home a few days later Larry's mother wails as she gets a letter saying Dr. Phil was no longer interested in her story. How can they do that to her.. ..? she wails as she slumps to the floor. He .. . he has to make her son take care of her. Don't they know she'll just die if she has to work and pay her own bills anymore?

Jessy and Larry drive into Miami a few days later, their first step is the comic book store.

"No Mr. Wells?"

"He's busy talking with the man he worked a couple summers in New York. He's building a branch outside Marley."

The manager smiles and brings out their regular orders as Jessy looks over the shelves.

"Are you nearly done with your schooling?"

"This is my last semester, thank you gods." Larry and the store manager snigger.

"Anywhere else?"

"Not me, we brought the big truck in for you and what we're buying for the House." Jessy says. "I'm not buying books or fabric for a couple months." Jessy looks out at the rain the wipers are barely keeping up with. "This is supposed to be another bad year." The wind is whipping and cold air is coming around the doorhandle by Jessy's elbow and she pulls her light jacket closer. Larry turns the heat up as he looks over his list. Jessy looks over and makes a couple notes. "It means backtracking a little but it gets the biggest stuff on first." Larry nods and starts the truck going into the street.

"Huh, I didn't know about this place." Jessy gets out of the truck. .. Larry snickering as she walks to a store when they're parked.

Several long hours later they arrive back at the House after having a late dinner in Miami. Jessy grabs hers and Andrew's purchases, dropping his inside his door and handing him the receipts as they walk into the main house.

"I stopped a couple other places I found after we hit the comic book store, there's a couple other receipts. . .if you don't want it I'll pay you for them."

"What?" Jessy lists off items and Andrew just grins. "Bless you for knowing my collection as well as you know yours. Did you get that stuff too?"

"Yup, and a few extras. . .my wallet's going to be a little slim for a few weeks as I replace all that money." Everybody around them guffaws. Larry is going over everything he brought with the head of maintenance and he nods.

"Are we caulking windows?"

"Yes, and the shops are nearly done making heavy curtains for all the windows. When the weather is nicer they can be put up until they're needed again." Rupert says. "Caulking all the windows won't take too long, The shutters are steel, not wood so they shouldn't need replacing."

"No, if they were damaged they'd have been replaced. .. probably along with the window and wall." Rupert chuckles. "Start a list of buildings to work on, the main buildings can be done at night while homes are worked on during the day so they can sleep at night."

Sooner than she would have thought Jessy is taking her midterms. A couple days after that Andrew drives her into Miami with the truck, stopping at the motel and running inside to reserve a couple rooms for the next two nights since they're going to be in Miami at least three days. They visit the comic book and other stores Jessy had found, the clerk chuckling as Andrew walks into the store and drops to his knees in thanks. He's not the only one to have done it. Jessy opens her cart and starts filling it, Andrew bringing over his purchases and they put the bags in the back of the truck.

A couple days later they arrive back at the House, Andrew pulling up behind the seamstress shop and maintenance moving the bolts of fabric and other supplies into the back of the building. The library is the next stop and boxes and bags are moved in there, finally their personal purchases being taken into their homes. . .Andrew had moved into a house of his own out of his apartment after he'd started seriously collecting.

"Larry, how many empty apartments do we have?" Rupert asks in his office.

"Five, with another three that has one person living in it." Larry says automatically from the outer room. "We're looking at two opening up this year, Paige wants to move into her own house since she's got all that stuff her mother sent out before the fire. That would open up an apartment, maybe two since Jay and Sam are looking at their own homes now. Xander wants to be closer to his workbuilding, and Oz is looking at more space too. They haven't decided one way or the other though if they're going to look at land and have houses built.”

"What about the other Houses?"

"We're the only one who have most of the people living on the grounds, the others had their own homes before they joined the Houses." Rupert nods. "Their apartments are less than a quarter full, they have room for years."

"So did we in the beginning, when we built the other houses I planned ahead."

Jessy and Andrew walk into the main house, checking their mail. "Jessy, you got a couple packages in the closet." Larry calls out his door.

"Thank you Larry." she calls as she opens the closet and puts it in the cart she'd brought into the main building and puts the packages in the bottom after moving the bags. Grabbing her mail she sorts through it and drops most of it into the recycling bin unopened, Andrew doing the same thing.

"When's your comicon?"

"Next weekend." Andrew says as Jessy walks to the supply closet and gets a few things, writing it down. Jenny looks at her. "They were out at the mall and I didn't feel like either waiting as they ran in back to look, looked through the cart of boxes they were shelving, or making Andrew run other places. Not when I knew we had it here." Jenny nods in satisfaction. "As it is, we stopped at the warehouse store and stocked up on stuff on the way home."

"I wouldn't have thought it but having the store out here is convenient."

"Any word on the mall?"

"We've got a couple more stores firmly on board and more looking over the premises. It's due to open around the fourth of July now so parents can do their back to school shopping."

"Kids trick or treating at the stores, Christmas . ."

"Yep."

"Is the construction nearly done?"

"For the most part, they're holding off on the food court until they have the restaurants so they can put in the kitchens. They've got a list of people interested, they're going to be looking over the mall the next few weeks."

Wednesday the following week Andrew and Jessy are dropped off at the airport, both of them picking up food at the fast food places before settling in at their gates, both of them on their laptops until their flight is announced and Andrew helps Jessy into her seat before taking his own.

Nearly a week later they arrive back at the House, Dexter and Horatio chuckling at the 'haven't eaten a full meal or slept in nearly a week' haze both of them are in. They're led to the cafeteria and devour everything placed in front of them before being led to their homes.

Jessy yawns as she walks into the main building, grabbing her rubber band wrapped mail from the cubby and opening the closet since Joyce is pointing at it. Bringing out her packages she puts them in the cart and heads to the cafeteria.

"How are you on classes?" Joyce asks after Jessy's eaten a tray of food and drank a cup of coffee.

"Ahead of Xander, I got in extras since I knew I'd be gone most of a week and even now there's now way in hell I'd be able to concentrate on them. I'll start again next week." Pulling off the rubber band she starts sorting through the mail, the junk going into the nearest recycling bin.

"Prom dresses?"

"Done and they'll start ordering graduation outfits soon. I'm heading into Miami tomorrow with Jesse. . .yes, he already volunteered. . .he was waiting outside my house when I came out to ask if I was heading into Miami. This way we're not tying up two vehicles." Rupert nods in satisfaction as he walks into the cafeteria.

"When will you be getting your collar for the MBA?"

"If it's anything like the other one in a few weeks."

Jesse pulls up in front of an electronics store the next day after they've stopped a couple places for Jessy. He'd made a couple purchases himself at a few of the places, making mental notes to make another trip in in a couple of weeks.

Back at the house they check through the mail and look through the table of catalogs the House gets, there's a computer by the table they can use for orders.

"Are they clearing land for Stark's new facility?" Larry asks as he walks out of the office.

"Yeah, I saw the vehicles as we were getting on the interstate." Jesse says. "Any idea how long they figure it will take?"

"Supposed to be opening the beginning of next year." Andrew says as he walks in the building. "I'm due to start working as soon as my section is finished. Have they strarted on the condos yet?"

"Yes, and the houses in town are finished. I don't know how many people want to transfer from New York. . ." Jessy looks at Andrew.

"About a dozen according to Mr. Stark, who was very happy to find out we're already putting up housing."

"It's cheaper than in Manhattan, that's for damn sure." Jessy mutters. "Are they having intern housing here too?"

"Yeah."

"I'm done." Jessy breathes a couple months later when she finishes her last final. "I'm actually fucking done."

"Until Rupert gets his way again." Cordelia chuckles softly in deference to Xander.

"Don't even think about that." Both of them mutter nearly in unison as Xander finishes his last question, taking a deep breath and whooping.