A/N: I'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSORRYYYYYYY!

Halle stared at Near with relief for a second or two. This was the first time in over a week she'd seen him asleep, curled up on the chair like a little white kitten. He even had a little smile on his face. That chair had been a clever decision on her part, and she patted herself on the back for it as she walked over to the desk to put down her bag-

It innocently lay face-down on the table. It lay there small and black and deadly and Halle's heart stopped. She stared at it for a second or two, unable to work out why it wasn't in the safe and for a brief moment the fancy struck her that it could move on it's own. Like one of those cursed objects in the horror movies Gevanni loved to watch... But she knew better than to think that for long. She walked slowly, nearly in a daze, over to where Near lay, unable to process the reality of the situation just yet. Not until she knelt by the chair and put her ear to his lips.

Nothing. No breath.

The next few moments passed in something of a blur as she scrambled to her feet and screamed for help. By the time the all-night security guards were on the stairs she had already phoned the private ambulance in a panic. She was surprised to find tears in her eyes. She never in a million years had thought she would cry for this boy-man, this cold, white robot who treated her like an insect. Still the tears fell as if the world she knew had died. Perhaps it had. Maybe it was only a matter of time, without it's protector, until it came crumbling down. Maybe it was because she'd failed her duty. Maybe she'd grown to love him over these years. What a joke.

In tears, she reached out to touch his face. Near...come back... please, breathe...

Then a miracle happened.

A pulse jolted through her. Right through her; from her hand and out like a ripple, to the corners of the room. And white lashes fluttered open. And air sucked in through white lips.

And then the scream.

It tore through the building, stopping the security guards in their tracks. It echoed around the halls, off the blank screens. It wasn't a human scream. It was something truly primal- something animal. Halle took a step back, an almost religious fear wrapping it's icy hand around her heart. Something unnatural and evil had just happened.

"Near?" she whispered, eyes fixed on the boy in white.

He looked at her then, his eyes wide in blank terror. It was as if he didn't recognise her at first. Slowly though, his expression changed to recognition, and then finally... devastation.

"No." he whispered, so quietly she almost couldn't hear. His gaze roamed the room wildly, taking in it's details with a horror. "I can't be back..."

"Near?" she took a step closer. She'd never seen him express any emotion more violent than irritation. Now he looked as if he might lash out at any moment.

Suddenly he stood up shakily on his feet, turning back to her. Every muscle tensed in her body. He took a step towards her. She pulled her gun.

"What are you doing?" his voice was soft, but his eyes burned into hers.

"You were dead a second ago." she hissed through gritted teeth, hands shaking in fear. He smiled. This was enough to throw her off, and her gun lowered just slightly. It was only a split second of hesitation. Just long enough for him to cross the space between them. Suddenly his hand was on hers, pressing the gun hard against his chest.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked.

"Please."

"You're crazy!"

"Halle." he whispered. She'd never seen those dark eyes so full of desperation. She couldn't imagine what they would have had to have seen, to make them like that. His next words were soft. Soft and devastating, as always. "Let me go home."

The gun dropped to her side, tears welling up in her eyes once again. He padded silently over to the table and flipped open the book. She watched him write his name in it, numb. "Why?" she asked, voice trembling.

"Love." was his soft reply. At one moment it looked like he was finished, but then he leant over it again, quickly adding something. At last he gave a yawn and closed the book, before turning back to his chair where he curled himself up and closed his eyes. She didn't want to go over to him. She didn't want to have to experience that again. Instead she went to the book and, fingers trembling, opened it.

Nate Rivers. It read. Peacefully in his sleep.

A/N: So this was something that happened... on a whim... I'M SORRY!