a/n: Hope defeats Paperwork, the Unending.

All the good things belong to Monolithsoft.

The story may never end, but paperwork did eventually run its course. Hope sent a reassuring note to Nicole and a firm request to Lara Mara NOT to arrest Quincy if anyone might ask. She snapped the comm device closed and shepherded Quincy out of the building. Neither of them said a word of farewell to their erstwhile guard.

The fresh air revived her far more than when they had left the Mim Center. They walked quietly away from the entrance. At some point in the process, they had more or less stopped talking. Something about BLADE tower, from its officious corridors to the simply claustrophobic elevator, suppressed the desire to chat. You did your job, your duty, your business, and you left.

Hope waited for the right moment to speak. It took a while for the spell the tower had cast to fade. Quincy also stayed silent as they went down the front steps. Hope twisted to check the clock on the jumbotron display at the top of the building. Quincy wouldn't realize the significance, but the sight of the glowing green lights, high over the city, always managed to comfort Hope. She should have drawn his attention to it, because her sudden hesitation made Quincy stumble in surprise. "Must of missed a step," he mumbled.

"We're on flat ground now," she noted.

"Then expecting a step that wasn't there?" He shook one leg, then the other, examining his feet carefully.

"It really was my fault," Hope assured him. "Now. We should get something to eat," she considered. She touched him lightly on the elbow and noticed how chilly his skin felt. BLADE tower was industrially air conditioned and took getting used to by some people. At least he wasn't shivering.

"After the view, right?" Quincy's reminder encouraged her.

His words were better than the fresh air. Her mind was made up. Quincy wasn't a patient or a client. He was a man to be trusted, not coddled. She should put aside her worries, for the good of both of them. Besides, she had just spent almost two hours being her most professional Mediator self, fighting a tyrant, Paperwork, the Unending. She deserved a little relaxation with a friend. "The overlook has the best view. Come on."

Conversation was still awkward as Hope urged Quincy to the tip of the overlook. He plodded along beside her, listening to her gentle attempts. It wasn't just nervous chatter; she thought a verbal overview first might help him enjoy the real view of NLA. She understood that a grand reveal brought more emotion, but Quincy had already been through so much today. She didn't want him to get numb.

They reached the edge of the platform, although that might have been an overstatement. Hope didn't insist he line up, toes against the edge of the pavement, or anything like that. She couldn't remember how well Quincy dealt with heights. She should have asked before they started, but it was too late. They were there and would he remember anyway? She had missed her chance a long time ago and hadn't realized it.

"Welcome to NLA. Again," she said, meaning it. She started to direct his attention. Of course there was the cathedral, bell tower and stained glass and skirt of bright flower beds; it was the grandest building in the lower half of the city. Next to it, flat and almost as broad, was the water plant, probably much less interesting but she wasn't going to ignore it. Really, it was all an introduction to what she wanted to point out the most. Past them, after the rows of mansions, was a strip of green. That was the park where she worked. She stretched her arm to point, no longer trying to be casual about her feelings about her work. Quincy leaned forward to see better. Hope felt a thrill of pleasure that he got how important it was for her.

He leaned forward.
He leaned.
He wasn't leaning. He was falling.

a/n: I may try switching to one chapter a week, at least until the end of April, because of Life and All It Entails. It will probably be as long as two chapters anyway, since the Thursday chapters tend to be short.

Next up: I promised gratuitous Nagi and you're getting gratuitous Nagi.