The explosion was huge. Even for him. The fact that he had personally caused the destruction of not one but two Scarabs in almost five minutes of each other was defiantly a first for him in his long career in the Navy.
"Even now, I'm doing more impossible things even for a Spartan." He mused as he sprinted up the huge ramp in front of him.
Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan 117 was a being of legend and renown to his fellow service members and a 'Demon' to his enemies and he had earned his reputation as a hyper lethal vector over the last three decades. He slowed himself as he came to the summit of the ramp and stopped just before the Arbiter. The huge alien warrior griped the energy blade in his hand tightly, his calm demeanor permeating the area. But John could sense the anxiety in him. He too felt it. The Flood had landed and Truth was attempting to fire the Halos in a misguided attempt at salvation for himself and the others, not knowing the true purpose behind the rings. John glanced over at the citadel, the large structure several thousand yards away and a bad feeling started to well up inside of him. He almost missed the Arbiter's next statement while he was lost in thought.
"We must hurry. The Flood scale the far wall of the citadel."
John reached out quickly and grabbed him by the arm. The Elite looked at him in confusion.
"Wait. I think I know of a quicker way." He told him.
John turned his gaze up to the Pelican Dropship hovering over head and activated his com unit.
"Commander. Care to give us a lift?" He asked.
Commander Miranda Keyes tapped the response button on her console and began to lower her ship, the troop bay facing the Arbiter and the Chief.
"Get in Master Chief. And hold on." She advised as she felt the slight drop from the weight of the two warriors.
John wisely grabbed hold of the overhead handholds as the Arbiter made his way to the cockpit to watch their approach. Miranda slammed the throttle forward and the engines of the gunmetal green craft surged with power before accelerating away from the final defensive line of the Covenant forces. John felt the acceleration pull at his armored body and mentally checked his gear over. His MAC5 had fifteen rounds in the current magizine and he had two full thirty round mags ready in his onboard ammo storage. His M6C had three rounds left with only one magazine. One frag grenade, one spike grenade and two of the incendiary grenades. Not much of a combat load, but it would be enough to deal with Truth and a few brutes. John subconsciously fingered his combat knife he had secured to his chest plate of his armor as the Pelican swung around, giving John a spectacular view of the abyss that seemed to stretch the entire center of the Ark. He briefly wondered what the Forerunners would need with such a huge expanse, but squashed those thoughts as his mission took priority.
"Hang on!" Miranda called as she throttled the Pelican to maximum power.
John gripped the handgrip tightly, the ever foreboding feeling increasing as they hurtled toward the glass curtain of the Citadel. The Pelican smashed clean through the glass and the thrusters whined in protest as the Commander throttled the bird to full reverse, attempting to land on the platform that was just barely big enough to hold the ungainly looking human creation. John felt the dropship lurch forward and guessed that the forward landing gear hadn't stayed on the platform. He spun around quickly and spotted Miranda holding an M90 CAWS, looking determined. John's mind pulled up the battle on the Cairo, the only other time he'd seen her armed in person.
"Thanks Chief. I owe you one."
John nodded at her and she lead them out of the ship before he could even turn around. The sound of the shotgun discharging it's Soellkraft 8 Gauge Magnum shell and the sound of a death scream of an unlucky Brute reached his ears. John quickly rolled out of the back of the Dropship and leveled his rifle at the nearest Brute. The being froze momentarily upon seeing him appear, but John had no such pause and squeezed the trigger of his MA5C ICWS, sending a stream of M118 7.62x51mm armor piercing, full metal jacket rounds into it's chest plate. The rounds peppered the Brute, who roared in defiance as it's shield dropped. Another M90 blast silenced the ape like alien, curtsey of Commander Keyes, who smirked at the Chief lightly.
"That makes us even." She told him firmly.
She was cut short when John quickly pulled his combat knife and in one fluid motion, sent the deadly seven inch blade sailing past her head. She heard the thunk from it imbedding itself into an organic target and heard the accompanying thud of a large body hitting the deck. She looked behind her and spotted a brute laying face down in a steadily increasing pool of it's own blood. She looked back at the Chief and swore she could sense a smirk on his face.
"You still owe me one." He responded as he turned to search for more targets.
Miranda shook her head and pumped the shotgun before looking around for her missing Marine.
"Johnson. Sound off." She barked in an authoritative voice.
"Here." A pain laced voice called out.
Miranda turned and spotted the man trying to walk over to them, gripping his right side. She hurried over to him and almost lost her life. She heard a strangled cry and turned to see Truth aiming a Brute Spiker at her. The evil being pulled the trigger and sent a hail of red hot spikes at her. She stood, rooted to the spot as time seemed to slow for her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of green, before the immovable figure of the Master Chief stepped in front of her. John knew his shields wouldn't be able to deflect all of the spikes and prepared himself for the pain that was sure to come. And his preparation paid off as his shield flared brightly before failing and two spikes seared through the mesh and crystal underlay of his suit. John grunted as he pulled his sidearm and the pistol retort was drowned out by the pain filled shriek from Truth, who cradled his mangled hand. Miranda moved around to the front of the Chief, who had dropped to a kneeling position. She made a grab for the spike, but John quickly intervened.
"Don't. It'll burn your hand." He advised.
She could see the heat still coming off the projectile. Johnson grunted and moved over to them, gently moving her away.
"I'll handle it Commander." He quickly looked back at the Chief and grinned. "Just try not to dent my armor. It's new you know." He told him as he gripped the spike firmly.
John inhaled sharply as he felt the spike slid slowly out of the wound. Johnson grunted as he tried to pulled the object out.
"Give me a hand Chief."
John quickly shot his hands out, impacting into his chest plate and Johnson fell backwards onto the ground, spike in hand. The Marine looked from the spike to the Chief, and grinned even wider.
"Wanna keep it as a souvenir?" He asked the Spartan.
John shook his head and rose back to his feet and looked over to the Arbiter, who had Truth by the throat. He could hear the strangled breaths the being took, defiant to the end. His speech on being the voice of the Covenant which was quickly cut off as the huge Elite speared the creature on his energy blade. John gave him a brief nod and turned to Keyes, who looked ready to speak before the sounds of combat reached their ears. John turned and moved around the center dais and saw something that made him swear softly. Flood forms of every shape and size were desperately trying to sweep the Brutes and grunts under a tidal wave of their forms…and were just barely winning. John moved quickly, grabbing the Commander, much to the amusement of Johnson, and the four quickly boarded the Pelican. Miranda, blushing slightly, moved to the cockpit, followed by the Arbiter, leaving the Chief and the Sergeant Major in the bay.
"So, I'm the one who was captured and tortured, but the good Commander gets carried into the dropship by the legendary Master Chief." He smirked at the Spartan. "Should I be worried I'm being replaced?"
John glared at him, but it lost it's effect since his face was covered by a mirrored visor. But Johnson knew what he was doing and grinned at him.
"She…I…We have a mission to accomplish." The Chief stated bluntly and turned to the overhead compartment..
What he heard next, made him freeze in place.
"You don't have to lie to me, John. I know you care for her." Johnson spoke softly, glancing toward the cockpit as they hurtled away from the flood infested citadel, as with the rest of the Humans and Elites. "In all honesty, I doubt her father would have approved of anyone but you."
John slowly turned to Johnson as the man fixed him a hard stare.
"I know how you look at her Chief. Even with that visor. It may have started out as simply looking out for a superior officer, but it's gone past that. Hasn't it?" He asked him.
"You're reading an awful lot into this, Avery." John retorted.
Johnson hardened his knowing gaze and smirked slightly at John.
"I may be reading too much into it, but the last time I checked, you deserved some happiness old friend." His expression softened as he looked toward the cockpit, seeing the bay of the Dawn approaching. "After all you've both been through, you both need each other." His eyes flashed back to the Chief. "You to find the humanity you never knew you had. I know what they did during your training Chief. Even us old SPARTAN-Is were in the know. And she needs someone to be her rock. She lost her father and most of everyone she has ever known or cared for." He turned and walked toward the cockpit before pausing and looking back at him. "You let the moment pass you up and you'll regret it."
John stood completely still as Avery entered the cockpit. Normally, this would seem natural, but to anyone who knew him, they'd know he was shocked by what had just happened. John slowly lowered himself into the crash seat and removed his helmet, letting it fall to the deck with a dull clang. He rubbed his forehead before letting his hands fall to his sides, his head leaning back against the wall. Avery was right. And John knew it. Sure, he may have his sex drive suppressed, but even he could feel physically attracted to someone. John just never followed through with those impulses. But know…who knew. He pushed the thoughts aside as he quickly inserted the biofoam into his wound, feeling the numbing of the medical agent. The hole in his armor was a different story. He'd need to get to the reserve bay and swap out his armor entirely until he was able to sit down and repair the damaged section. John didn't even wait for the Commanders permission before he made his way briskly toward his destination, his mind going over the last half hour.
"She's my superior. It can't happen." He muttered, passing several crewmen who hurried to their stations.
It only took a few minutes to get to the reserve bay, and John immediately began stripping off his armor. He was happy that the new armor system allowed different parts to be swapped out as his MK VI chest plate had no spare. So he did the next best thing, and grabbed the close quarters style, complete with kbar, and swapped out the mesh underlay he had on for the spare one in the same isoton. It took him thirty minutes to swap out his components and don his armor. The Chief hefted his helmet into his hands just as the doors hissed open, revealing the Commander looking at him, arms crossed. John lowered his helmet back to the table and sent her a stern look. Her questioning look only infuriated him more. Keeping his calm demeanor John slowly leaned against the sturdy table and crossed his own arms.
"You have got to be the most insane person I know." He spoke bluntly.
Miranda blinked in confusion before she hardened her own gaze.
"Excuse me? This is rich coming from you." She retorted.
John snorted in a very uncharacteristic manner and shook his head.
"My insanity isn't in question here. Last I checked, I'm wearing full body armor with regenerative shields. You," He pointed at her. "Are in not. Running out into a hostile area packed with enemies had to have been your stupidest stunt yet."
Miranda placed her hands on her hips as she took a step forward. Other men would have noticed the impending signs of a blow up and would have diffused the situation as tactfully as possible. But John either didn't notice or didn't care.
"Understand this, Master Chief. I am a Commander in the UNSC Navy. I know what I am doing. I do not need my methods question by those under my command."
John moved forward and leaned down to eye level, his hard steel blue eyes locking onto her own brown orbs.
"Listen here, Commander. It is my job to keep you safe and to defeat our enemies. And you're making it harder then it needs to be."
Miranda didn't back down and leaned forward herself, anger clearly visible.
"You're not my father or my babysitter. I can take care of myself!" She screamed at him.
"Not from what I saw back there!" He yelled right back.
Miranda raised her hand and brought it towards the Chief's but with his quick reflexes, he stopped her hand. Years later, John wouldn't know just what made him react the way he did, but that he never regretted it. He pulled her toward him, capturing her lips with his in a heated kiss. Miranda stiffened briefly before relaxing, her free hand cupping the back of his head while her fingers intertwined with his gauntleted hand. They held the kiss for several seconds until a throat clearing caught their attention. They broke apart quickly and put a foot between them as they looked over to see the grinning form of Johnson and the confused stare of the Arbiter.
"Oh…don't let us stop you two." Johnson told them, grinning like a deranged monkey.
"We…we were just…I'm going to the bridge." Miranda quickly made her exit, face bright red as the two others looked at the Chief.
"I am confused. To what does that mean?" The Arbiter asked, referring to the kiss.
He may know a lot about Humans, but the intimate stuff, he wasn't so knowledgeable about. Avery smirked even wider.
"He's claiming his woman." He told the huge alien.
John looked ready to argue, but the Arbiter seemed to figure out what the kiss meant.
"Ah. I see. It is some sort of mating ritual. And the Spartan has chosen the female Commander." The Arbiter looked back to John and nodded his head. "Very wise chose. The Commander is a strong warrior and will bare strong offspring."
John turned around and quickly pulled on his helmet before he returned his gaze to the two of them.
"Was there something you needed?" He asked them.
"The Oracle wishes to speak with you about your intentions with the replacement Ring."
John felt a small spark of shock pass through him before he came up with a plan.
"We light it."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Then we are agreed! A tactical pulse will completely eradicate the local infestation!" Spark told him joyously.
"How long until it's ready?" John asked.
Spark seemed to stare off for several moments before responding.
"Based on it's current completion level, it could technically fire at this moment. However, the stress that would be generated by the firing of the weapon would destroy the installation and cause considerable damage to the Ark." Spark explained. "However, it will also take three days to fabricate a new index, and at which time, the installation should be complete enough to fire with out undue damage." He finished.
"We don't have a three more days!" Avery shot at the AI.
John raised his hand, silencing Johnson and turned back to Spark.
"Spark. I know what this ring means to you. I understand that. But your creators built them to destroy the Flood. If I was a forerunner, I'd be damned proud to know that my last resort weapon had been destroyed wiping out the last of the Flood."
Spark cocked sideways and John could have sworn the AI was slightly amused.
"What do you mean 'if' reclaimer? You are the child of my makers. Inheritor of all they left behind. You ARE forerunner." He told them.
For some reason, this didn't surprise John as much as the others. Avery's eyebrows shot up and his cigar fell from his mouth as Miranda blinked several times. But no one was more shocked than the Arbiter.
"You…you are the descendants of the Forerunners?"
John simply shrugged his shoulders.
"I had a feeling we were somehow connected to them. The fact that it takes a human to operate any of their higher end technology was a clue to me."
The Arbiter hung his head in shame, a clear sign to all present.
"Then the Prophets treachery runs even deeper than I had thought. Had this information gotten to the masses, there would have been an immediate cease fire and a demand for their heads."
Avery placed a hand on the Arbiter's shoulder.
"And that's why they covered it up. You're just a soldier following orders."
The Arbiter nodded and rose back to his full height.
"I will reclaim the honor my race has lost because of what these…fools have cost us. I am with you Spartan."
John nodded and turned back to Spark.
"I can get you the Index. But you have to understand that we will fire it as soon as we can. I wish there was another way, but there isn't."
Spark seemed to be slightly depressed before he suddenly perked up.
"I believe it is possible for the installation to be fired and survive. I will need a few hours, however." His unasked question seemed to be aimed at John.
"You got it."
Spark hurried away quickly, muttering about integrity and bleed off as John turned to the other three.
"Cortana should still have a copy of the index from when we were on Alpha Halo. I need to get to High Charity and retrieve her." He explained to them.
Johnson nodded his head in understanding.
"A sound plan, Chief. Except for one thing. You will not be going anywhere. The Arbiter and I will go and get her."
"No. I'll go. I know the layout better than you." Which was partly correct.
Avery shook his head. Most people would have backed down, but Johnson wasn't scared of John like others.
"No. We just fished a spike out of your gut. The last thing we need is you bleeding out from reopening your wound. Sit this one out Chief."
John's retort never left his mouth as Miranda spoke up.
"He's right Master Chief. Both the Arbiter and Johnson can handle it. You're staying here. That's an order."
John had never wanted to disobey an order more in his life, but even in he had to admit that they were right. John sighed and relaxed his stance before responding.
"You're right. But I gave her my word I'd come get her. I promised her."
All three looked upon the Spartan and looked at him with understanding. Avery was the first to speak.
"In a sense, you are John. By allowing us to get to her and get her back keeps your promise. You can't always expect to do things by yourself. We'll get Cortana back John. Trust us."
John nodded and slowly reached up to the slot in the back of his helmet. A slight click was heard as John pulled the data chip out of the housing in his helmet. He stared at the chip for several moments before handing it to Avery. The Marine took the chip and slipped it into his pouch, clipping it shut. The Arbiter and Avery said their good bye and headed to the Pelican bay, leaving John and Miranda alone on the Bridge. The silence was awkward, and both had questions they wanted to ask, but neither knew how to ask them. It was after several seconds of complete silence that Miranda let out a frustrated sigh and turned to John.
"Why'd you kiss me?" She asked him bluntly.
John regarded her with a calculating look. She placed her hands on her hips and looked at him expectantly. After a few moments, John answered.
"I…I don't know. It seemed right at the moment." He responded with a sense of confusion.
"So you just kissed me on the spot because it felt right?" She clarified.
John nodded and was surprised to see a smile on her face.
"Good. That means we are getting somewhere." She turned and walked to her seat and lowered herself into it before pulling a pad out and going over it's contents.
John hadn't felt this confused about anything, but then again, he had never needed to worry about the opposite gender before. He decided he needed to know just what she had meant.
"Ma'am? I don't understand."
The mischievous smile on her face made him feel uneasy…but he didn't mind it. It seemed like a challenge of some kind.
"Maybe I'll explain when we get back to Earth. And besides," Her smile became a playful smirk. "Women love to keep a man guessing and clueless. It gives us the power."
John had no idea what she meant and made a mental note to ask Cortana the first chance he got. He simply saluted the Commander and headed to the armory to take stock of what they had and hoped that Avery and the Arbiter could handle the task at hand.
-x-x-x-x-x-
"I am never doing that again." Avery breathed as he plopped himself into the open seat on the bridge.
The Arbiter looked the same as Avery and he both sported a few news cuts and bruises than when they had left. John, meanwhile was standing patiently by the holotank as Miranda inserted the chip. The hummer filled the air and John wondered just how bad of shape she might be in. But his thoughts were brushed aside as she appeared in a swirl of light. He leaned down until his visor was level with her. Cortana sent him a tired smile.
"I see you kept your promise."
John nodded.
"I would have came myself, but I wasn't allowed to."
Miranda tried not to laugh at how much he sounded like a child explaining why he couldn't come out and play. Cortana, however, smiled widely at him.
"Yes. Something about taking a Brute Spiker into the stomach, I believe. It's good to see you again Chief." Her words sincere and brining the faintest of smiles to John's face.
"You too Cortana. I assume they brought you up to speed?" He asked her.
She sent him her signature cocky grin and snapped her fingers, and a holographic representation of the Index hovering just above her palm.
"A little souvenir I held onto…just incase."
John nodded and activated his com.
"Spark. You there?"
The cheerful response chirped back almost immediately.
"I am indeed reclaimer. What is our status?"
John turned to Cortana and saw her node her head to his unasked question.
"We're good here. We can't speak too long as this is an unsecured com channel. What is the ETA on our firing window?" John asked.
"I wish I had better news, Reclaimer. To me, hours will seem like minutes." Spark replied.
"Enough Spark. How long until we can fire?" John asked a little more heatedly then he had meant.
"I estimate thirty hours until the integrity field accepts the modifications I have begun. Main weapon will be online and ready to fire in seventy-two hours. I am sorry, Reclaimer. That is the best I can do." His remorseful tone filled the bridge.
All eyes locked on John who let out a defeated sigh.
"Alright Spark. We'll blockade the Ark and move all ships to a safer position. If you don't here from us an five hours prior, continue the preparations. And do not let any Flood escape."
His reply was lost as John clicked the com off and turned to the others, each of who was looking shocked. John smirked at them.
"What? That's good news to me."
"Thirty hours? How the hell is that good news?" Johnson asked.
John glanced at Cortana who simply shook her head, smiling. John turned back to him.
"I take it you've never watched any movie from the twentieth century?" He asked.
Johnson shook his head as a negative while the Arbiter and Miranda watched with interest, neither understanding where John was going with this.
"There was a rather good movie that came out in the 1980s called Star Trek two. In it, an enemy commander had access to their communications. In an attempt to get the repair estimates on the ships repairs, the first officer and the ships co communicated the times by switching hours with days. By stating it would take two days to restore auxiliary power, they meant two hours." John explained.
Johnson frowned as he tried to figure out where John was going with this, but Miranda's slowly widening smirk showed she understood.
"Perfect. So we have thirty minutes until his modifications and we have just under an hour and a half until the Halo is ready. Correct?" She asked John, her arms crossed.
John nodded and turned back to Cortana.
"Would you like some time to relax?" He asked her.
Cortana nodded and turned to face Miranda.
"I would like to use this time to look over what has happened since I've been…away."
Miranda nodded and Cortana vanished in a swirl of blue light. John excused himself to the bridge and made his way to the Armory where Cortana was waiting on him.
"So what do you need Chief?"
John sighed and placed his helmet on the table, before sitting on the only chair that would hold his weight.
"I…I need some help, Cortana."
The AI looked over the human with interest. It wasn't the first time he'd asked her for help, but the lost and confused expression on his face was definitely a first. She sat down on her display, legs crossed.
"Alright Chief. What do you need?"
John looked up at his long time partner in crime and sighed.
"I…I kissed the Commander."
Cortana's eyebrows shot skyward as her shock pulsed through her form.
"You what?!" She almost screamed.
John grimaced and continued on.
"I kissed her just after we stopped truth from firing the rings. I tried to tell her off for charging into hostile territory." He spotted her cocked eyebrow. "With out any body armor. She was completely vulnerable, surrounded by brutes."
Cortana accepted this and nodded for him to go on. She was extremely curious about this along with an emotion she was not very familiar with.
"I pretty much chewed her out and she returned the favor. I…I don't know what happened, but when she tried to slap me, I kissed her." He finished.
Cortana crossed her arms before she responded.
"She tried to slap you and you kissed her? Did she break her knee cap trying to catch you in the groin? Or did she slap you afterwards?"
John didn't catch the slightly hopeful tone of her voice and Cortana didn't notice it either as John shook his head.
"No. She returned it. After Johnson and the Arbiter left to get you, she confronted me about it. She said something about finally getting somewhere when I told her it just seemed right. I asked what she meant and she just smirked, saying a woman held the power as long as the man was confused. I still don't get it." He told her dejectedly.
Cortana sighed and took pity on him. But she would have a bit of fun to see how far this went.
"Alright, Chief. Before I give you the answer, I want you to answer a few of my questions. Okay?"
John nodded and Cortana continued.
"How do you feel when she enters the room?" She asked.
John paused before he answered.
"I feel…tongue tied. Apprehensive and hopeful." He answered slowly. "According to my suits health monitors, my vitals rise slightly."
"Alright. Do you think she's attractive?"
John blinked in slight surprise.
"Honestly…yes. I think she is. But what does this have to do with anything? I've served with plenty of women before. Hell, I grew up with quite a few during my training. I've never felt anything like this around them." John stated.
Cortana frowned as she reviewed the augmentation process, particularly the fact that the sex drive of a Spartan would be suppressed. She had a theory that perhaps it just slowed the development of that particular item. But this was a plus as the Spartans wouldn't be engaging in sexual relations at an inopportune moment. After cross checking her information, she explained her theory to John, who looked skeptical at best.
"That can't be, Cortana. We were told they were suppressed. Even if your theory is true and it's a delayed reaction, how come I'm not romping around like some hormone driven teenager?"
"You're more mature than that. Look on the bright side Chief…when you do settle down with someone, it'll be an informed decision and one based on love rather than purely physical reactions. You'll fall for them on an emotional and mental level." She explained.
John let his mind wander briefly, picturing himself walking into a comfortable home with a dog walking behind him, the smell of the country air filling his nose as Miranda walked toward him, a smile on her face and a small girl running at him. John felt a slight smile tug at his lips before he looked back up at Cortana, who was watching him sadly. John cocked his head to the side.
"Cortana? Are you alright?"
She waved him off, a fake smile plastered on for show. Even he knew this.
"I'm fine. Just still a little high strung from my vacation." She turned away from him. "I have a few things to do before we go about out little field trip here. And I know you have a few things to take care of as well. I suggest we get ready."
John rose to his feet.
"Cortana?"
"Go, John. You need to get ready." Her tone was flat and John didn't know what to do besides comply with her wishes.
He grabbed up his helmet and headed to the hatch, and paused before looking back at her. She still refused to face him.
"You know…you're my best friend Cortana. You've been with me through the toughest of fights. You may not be flesh and blood, but you're more human to me than most people I know."
With that, he left. Cortana slowly sank to her knees, holographic tears running down her face as her hand hovered over where her heart would be had she been human.
"But I'm not human. I'm just a collection of lies. Stolen thoughts and memories." She sobbed.
"I guess I came at a good time, huh?"
Cortana slowly looked over to the door and spotted Avery looking at her with a hint of worry. She looked away and wiped her eyes.
"I don't want to talk right now, Sergeant Major."
Avery sighed and shook his head.
"No. You need to talk with someone. Now…tell old Avery what this is all about."
Cortana looked back over at him, her defeated and hurt form speaking volumes to him.
"I…I'm just a hologram. I can't be anything more than his friend. Even though I wish I could be more…to be with him." Her lip quivered. "I don't like this. I don't know why I'm feeling this…It isn't right."
Avery walked over and dropped down into the seat next to her.
"Maybe…just maybe you're more human than you think. Sounds to this old dog that you're going through heartbreak. Now…I know you're just a hologram…but the way I see it, you're human too." He paused and scratched his chin. "Sometimes…we have to let go of the ones we love. It's hurts, but love is knowing that they are happy."
"How do you deal with the pain?" She asked him.
Avery looked thoughtful as he answered.
"You find that time does indeed heal all wounds. It'll be hard at first, but seeing how happy they are, and the happiness that person brings them, you learn to accept it. But the pain never fully goes away. It's always there, in the back of your mind and deep in your heart." He took a puff on his cigar, letting the smoke slowly drift away. "I guess what I'm saying is we all face heartbreak. Sometimes, we aren't fortunate to have them drift from us. Others…we have them stolen from us by death." He finished quietly.
Cortana looked surprised before she became apologetic and feeling more than a little embarrassed.
"I'm sorry Johnson. Here I am whining and…" She trailed off.
Johnson waved her off.
"It's alright. Things like this happen when both are active Marines. Besides, if it's meant to be between you and John, it'll happen."
She chuckled, feeling better after talking with him.
"When did you become so wise, Oh Noble Marine?"
He let out a small laugh.
"Not all us Jarheads are stupid. I'm an educated man!"