xp_logs | A final deal: Hope and Warren

xp_trance posting in

Hope puts the final touches on the plan she and Warren made.

"So, how do you think the plan is going? What kind of responses have you noticed?" Hope tapped her pen, ready to take notes. Of course she had done her own research as far as possible, but she was curious at Warren's perception.

Warren was half-paying attention to Hope, half-paying attention to his laptop. It wasn't as easy as he thought it would be, moving to Switzerland. There were visas, and tax stuff and house stuff (although Bobbi was the one picking out their home. He didn't care, he just wanted her there) and the last thing he really had in mind was Hope's plan.

Which was really the only reason things were going well.

"I mean, my dad has re-inherited me, so that's a big one. Everyone has accepted my apologies. Bobbi wants to marry me." He looked up and raised an eyebrow. "I guess your fool-proof plan worked. Congratulations. Do you need before and after pictures?"

Rolling her eyes at him, Hope put the pen aside. "No. And we are not done yet. You have built some of your reputation back up, but it is still rather fragile. And now that you are moving to Switzerland we want to portray it a way that helps you, not that it hinders. Because there will be those who will say you are running away or something like that."

"I am running away," he pointed out. "And going towards bigger and better things. Why does it matter anymore anyways? No one in Europe cares."

"They can read there, you know." She pinned him with a 'don't be an idiot' look. "Or you might want to come back someday. So running away will become 'making a fresh start and rebuilding a new life away from old temptations'." Hope quickly wrote it down. "Are you going to be doing anything for your father's company there?"

"Same thing I did here -- implement an iron-clad non-discriminatory policy... only this time, I hope it can be more specific to mutant rights as well." Warren peered over at Hope. "I'll be fine. And safe. Switzerland is a new leaf for me. It's what I need and I'm really happy to have it. Can't you be happy for me?"

"Implement an iron-clad non-discriminatory policy." Hope wrote it down, then looked up as the second sentence registered. "It is because I am really happy for you and that I want this to be a success for you that I am doing this. The less this haunts you in your new life, the better."

This was very true. "It'll be good. All I have to hang over my head now is your impending bill. I'm sure it's for my first-born, but the joke's on you: we're aiming to have triplets, and do you really want three mini mes?"

"No, thank you. One of you is more than enough. And anyway... my work is not quite done yet. I need to draw up a nice press release first, selling your future fairy tale life."

"Remember that there are two p's in happily," he added smiling. "For real though, Hope -- I am glad you helped me. These last six months have flown by, and I feel like a different person. I mean, not just because I no longer have a demon in my mind, but because I'm really not drinking or drugging or anything. I know Bobbi appreciates it and I appreciate it."

"Thank you." Hope inclined her head gracefully. "Just remember, you had to do the hard work yourself. You are the one who made the choice to change. If you had not done that, I would have had nothing to work with. This would be good to keep in mind when temptations show up in your new life."

Warren brushed a hand in the air. "Yes, well, I'm hoping that the only temptations will be all the chocolate in the country. That's how I convinced Bobbi to go," he said, laughing a little. "Chocolate." It was a good enough reason to move, really. "Will you come visit?"

"I would love to. I remember visiting Basel with my parents, but that is many years ago. We were planning on visiting Lake Geneva as well, but then we had to hurry back home because my grandfather passed away." Hope reminisced. "Where in Switzerland are you planning on settling down?"

Another shrug. "I'm letting Bobbi pick. I can travel anywhere really, and the country is so small, it wouldn't matter where I stay. Geneva, Zurich, Bern -- it's what makes Bobbi happy at this point." He smiled. "Just know that there will be a place for you. And there will always be chocolate."

"I will definitely take you up on that then." Hope nodded. "And yes, what remains then is my remuneration. Things did go a little different then we had planned in the beginning, so I was wondering what your thoughts were on what we had previously agreed upon."

"It's always money with you." Warren tilted his head in amusement. He knew this was coming though. You couldn't get away without paying the piper. "What's it going to cost me? I warn you, if it's my first born, you'll have to get Bobbi's approval." A pause. " And you can't take Miles. I'm not giving him up anytime soon."

"And again, why would I even want your first born." Hope rolled her eyes at him. "If the results are satisfactory, then the sum we previously agreed upon works. Perhaps with a small extra fee for the sudden changes in the situation?" She blinked innocently at him. "Otherwise we will have to renegotiate."

Warren shook his head. "No, I think that works fine for me." Taking some notes, he wrote it out on a piece of paper. "So with the money you want directly," he scribbled, "and the business fund you wanted set up in high interest ventures so that it matures while you're in collage," some more scribbling, " I think this ...is probably the amount." He looked at the number and nodded. Pricey, but worth every penny. Turning the page over so she could see it, he cocked an eyebrow. "Or is that too low?"

Hope studied the numbers for a long moment, then pulled over the paper and added a calculation of her own. "Yes, this would be satisfactory. It should give me a sufficient start for when I start building my business."

He almost asked her what business that would be. Almost.

And then he realized he didn't know and didn't want to know. Hope had always confused him, from day one. Her motivations were questionable, her morals even more so. Warren was fully aware that if he reneged on this, she would find a way to make his life miserable, and in the weirdest ways possible. Sometimes, he wondered if she snuck into his apartment and stole the odd spoon, or moved his furniture slightly to the left, just to keep him unsettled.

It was probably why he liked her so much...but damn if she didn't confuse him.

Looking at the new number, he gave a huff and a shake of her head. "10% more? Really? Let's go with 5% increase and call it a deal."