Epilogue

There she was, walking down the corridor of the halls of justice, hand coming up to her mouth as she tries to restrain a yawn. Must have just been training again. She seems to wake up a little when she spots me, altering her trajectory so she intercepts my path. "Hay." And there it was, a single simple word plainly said but always with those same tints of wisdom and mirth that made it so Anderson. I nod at her in return, planning on continuing my direction, keeping my steady pace, just walking passed her and finishing my day. "Dredd?" And there it is. I stop, knowing I'm not going to like what she says next by the sheepishness that she'd just said my name with. I sigh but carrying on walking, slowing my pace only by the smallest fraction, but she takes this as a 'I'm listening' and quickly falls into to step next to me. "Can I... can I ask you a favour?"

"Hmmm... I'm not gonna like this am I?" I watch her from the corner of my eyes, watch an nervous apprehension fall across her expression.

"It's nothing bad I swear." There's a thick silence while I consider it, she's a big ball of trouble for such a little judge. I let out another huffed breath.

"Right, so what is it?"

"Well... you know I've been training my psychic abilities, strengthening them. Well my friend's been helping me Lucy? Lucy Grimm? Well she's a cadet and she was meant to have her assessment day a few weeks ago but... judge Lex was meant to be her assessor." That catches my attention, eliciting a slight growl from me despite myself. That bent son-of-a-bitch! "Well obviously after the Peach Trees incident she didn't get assessed. Anyway, she's been playing mental guinea pig for me without complaining once, and I was hoping- "

"You were hoping I'd volunteer to assess her."

"And keep an eye on her, yeah." Now I come to an abrupt stop, making her falter and turn to me. Studying her expression again I see a judge, a good judge, but also a concerned friend. My eyes narrow under my visors as I think.

"You expecting me to just pass her?"

"What!? No! I just want her to have a decent assessor. Do you really think I'd come to you if I wanted to ask something like that?" Her lips purse at me as her face contorts into a 'do I look like an idiot?' expression. Just wants a decent assessor, huh?

"Okay."

"Okay?" She sounds surprised, probably expected me to put up more of a fight or want a better reason. Guess she doesn't realise that I trust her judgement.

"Yeah."

"Dredd?" I don't look at her as I stop walking, can't look, I'm still too angry, I could feel the rage boiling under the surface, choking my well seasoned control. But I can hear the taint of sadness that's edging her voice, she's trying to play it cold and emotionless like she knows is expected of her, of any judge, but she was her friend, her comrade and that's not something you brush aside so easily, not when the first time round anyway.

"I just wanna know..." I hear her slow steady intake of air, trying to lock herself down emotionally. Her mouth opens to finish her sentence, to ask the question but she can't, instead she just swallows hard and curses at herself under her breath. This time my dead drops, drooping down momentarily to look at the floor, at my boots, at the dried blood covering the toes in flakes.

"She was a pass."

But she was a one-in-five.

Well that's it folks!

Hope you liked it. Thank you so much for reading, please let me know what you think. R&R babies!