Mal felt a pinprick of hope when he heard Nanoha talking about what Stacy had said. But the more he thought about it, the more unbelievable it seemed. "Hate to be a cynic, but until I see my crew members show up here, I ain't gonna be able to believe her." His expression softened into a smile as he added, "Glad you've found someone you know, though."

Then, scanning the area, he decided he'd seen enough people for awhile. "I think I'm about ready to go, if you are."