Nancy ------------------------------------------------------------ A few months later, Nancy Makuhari stood at attention in the messy office, piles of books and artifacts scattered about the room on every available surface. She was dressed in a very scholarly style, looking not at all like the secret agent and spy she had been. Joker sat silently behind the large desk, calmly drinking his cup of tea, looking like a librarian, not a spymaster. As she waited for him to speak, she tried to read the expression on his face, but she found him as difficult to read as ever. “Now that I have regained my memory,” she finally said in crisp, military tones, “I am fully prepared to be tried for my actions.” “There will be no trial, Miss Deep,” Joker said to her quietly, shuffling some papers on his desk. Seeing the surprised expression on her face, he calmly continued “You betrayed your partners, Yomiko Readman, the Paper, and Drake Anderson by providing information to Ikkyu and his Ijin army.” He continued, “As a direct result of that action, you placed the entire world in danger, not to mention putting both of their lives at risk. However, you then placed your life in serious jeopardy to save the Paper, and in the process helped prevent the mass suicide of much of the world’s population.” He shrugged, eloquently. “The two balance out, in Mr. Gentleman’s eyes.” Before he could continue, a young blond hared girl entered, carrying a teapot and a single cup. She put the cup in front of Nancy, then filled it and refreshed Joker’s. She smiled sweetly, leaving the pot behind. However, her tripping over the doorway, “Owe”, marred her smooth exit! “So what will happen to me, then?” Nancy asked him softly after the girl had left. She thought for a moment of Yomiko, the Paper, and tried not to feel too deep a regret for what she had done to her, manipulating her heart. ‘You’re better off without me, Yomiko,’ she thought sadly, bracing herself for the worst. “We’re letting you go,” Joker said calmly, and hid a smile as he waited to see her reaction. He wasn’t disappointed, as she looked at him totally stunned. “What?!” Nancy said, staring at him white faced. It was the last thing she had expected to hear him say. Absolutely and totally unexpected. He continued, ignoring her question. “You will need to sign a nondisclosure agreement with us regarding your period of employment with the Great British Library Special Missions Agency, and we will be keeping an eye on you from now on. If you revert to any kind criminal activity, you will be brought in,” he explained. Nancy blinked rapidly, still mildly stunned. She almost felt like she wanted to cry. ‘A second chance for me?’ she mused. “But, but...” she stammered out. “There is one other thing, Miss Deep” Joker said, and actually looked a bit uncomfortable sitting there in his chair. “From the various agent’s reports, I understand you developed a strong bond with the Paper during that mission.” Nancy looked at him oddly, but nodded slowly in agreement. ‘A bond is an understatement,’ she thought sadly, ‘I think I fell in love with her.’ “I am well aware that she cares very deeply for you, Miss Deep,” Joker continued, actually blushing a little. “She came to see me at the hospital,” Nancy said, blushing a as well. “Even though I didn’t even know who she was at the time, she was so kind to me.” Nancy smiled a little, as she fondly remembered the shy, mousy, pretty girl who had sat down beside her on the bench. They had looked out over the water and talked, and Yomiko had made a paper butterfly fly for her. “She has no family to take on this duty, so I find it falls to me to say this,” Joker said, as he blushed bright red. “If you are serious about her, then you should certainly go to her. But if you are not so serious, please leave her alone and give her a chance to get over you,” he finished. Nancy looked at the blushing man and fought the urge to smile. It was the first time she had received a ‘big brother protecting sister’ speech, and it all seemed very surreal. “I care for her a great deal,” Nancy said gently to him, “and I’ll try my best not to hurt her.” He nodded, still blushing a little. He smiled a bit sadly as he activated the intercom, “Bring the forms in for Miss Deep, please.” A few minutes later, forms signed, sealed and delivered, she left the secret annex of the Tokyo branch of the British Library for what might well be the final time. ‘Now,’ a smiling Nancy thought, ‘where would Yomiko be right about now?’ She grinned suddenly, and laughed aloud. “Of course,” she said aloud, talking to herself, ‘where else?”. It didn’t take her long to find the bookstores, and even less to stumble across the poster. Nancy stopped there a moment, smiling fondly at the slightly befuddled photo of Yomiko staring out of the ‘When you see her, say hello (respectfully)’, poster the shop had put up. She found a slightly out of the way place, sat down, and began to wait.
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