John lay down on his bed and let out a relieved sigh. For the first time in years he was out of his armor. John let his mind wander over the events of the past few years from the battles with the covenant to fighting the flood, then joining with the arbiter to take down both the flood and the covenant. His mind finally drifted to the last three years which he had spent in cryosleep with Cortana watching over him until the UNSC Spartan Valor had found them floating in deep space. As his thoughts drifted they continued to drift back to the A.I. that had been his constant companion. He worried as he knew she was nearing the point where she would start to go rampant. John didn't know if he could deal with losing her on top of everyone else. John sat up surprised that he had become so attached to the A.I..

"John…" He looked up staring straight into Cortana's electric blue eyes except there was one major difference, she was human.

"Cortana…how?" He asked bewildered as she moved closer before cupping his cheek.

"I found a way to add a few more years to my operational life but I had to take on a physical form." She said as John reached out and pulled her down onto his lap.

"I thought I was going to lose you along with everyone else." He said closing his eyes and leaning his head against her cheek. Cortana just smiled and wrapped her arms around her Spartan knowing that this was his way of grieving. While there weren't tears or screaming it was grieving all the same.

"I won't leave you John for as long as I can avoid it." She whispered into his ear. John opened eyes and stared into hers. "I fell for you John a long time ago." She said before laying a gentle kiss on lips.

"Cortana stay with me." She smiled again.

"Always." She said before he pulled her down into a ravenous kiss.

John awoke the next morning to a strange feeling. It wasn't unpleasant just strange. He opened his eyes and looked down to see Cortana lying on his chest. John ran a hand down her bare back as last night's activities replayed in his mind before noticing the clothes that had been strewn about the room. John just smiled as he looked back to Cortana who was still sleeping peacefully. He moved the piece of blue black hair that had fallen across her face. John let a small smile cross his face as he looked down at her. The one woman I thought I could never have. The only one to truly understand what I've been through . He thought as her eyes fluttered open.

"Hey." She just smiled at the look on John's face.

"Hey yourself." John just smiled as she sat up. John lifted himself up to rest on his elbows as he let his eyes wander over Cortana's naked form. As Cortana noticed John's gaze she blushed lightly the markings of her A.I. construct becoming visible over her pale skin. She leant down and gave him quick kiss before leaning over the edge of the bed and grabbing the light shift she had been wearing the night before. "We should get up." She said as she pulled the shift over her head. John just smiled as she threw his boxers and pants at him before she finished dressing herself. He quickly dressed and they made their way down to the mess hall.

John stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes fell on a small group of people.

"Chief what's wrong?" She asked as she followed his gaze. Cortana nearly fell over when she who sat at the table. Kelly, Linda and Fred were sitting and talking with Miranda Keyes and Dr. Halsey.

"I can't believe they're alive." He whispered before shaking his head and making his way over to the table. Kelly looked up and was up and running towards him in instant. John let out a grunt as Kelly barreled into him. "I thought you guys were dead." He said wrapping his arms around one of his oldest comrades.

"Obviously not Chief." She said returning the embrace before looking at Cortana. "Who is she?"

"She was my A.I." John said with a shrug as he wrapped and arm around Cortana and they made their way over to the table and sat next to Linda. Halsey was surprised as she looked at Cortana.

"Cortana?" She simply nodded as she moved as close to John as she could without sitting in his lap. She was feeling incredibly vulnerable now that she was human. Well not completely She thought as John wrapped his arm tighter around her shoulders. Cortana just smiled as she began to feel more secure.

"Yes Dr. Halsey?" She asked as she looked at her creator.

"How? Why?" John just smiled as the creator of the Spartans sat speechless for the first time in many years.

"For many reasons Dr. Halsey." She said with a small smile before kissing John's cheek. John just smiled before he looked at Halsey. At that moment he noticed a look of jealousy flit across her eyes before she looked away.

"So wait a second she was an A.I. and she's human now?" Fred asked scratching his head.

"Yeah Fred she was and now is. This is Cortana."

"I'm glad to see you again Cortana but as Dr. Halsey asked why did you do it?" Miranda asked looking at the familiar A.I. noticing that markings she had as a computer construct had transferred on to her skin.

"The first reason was to circumvent going Rampant. I was pushed nearly to the edge by the Gravemind. I knew after three years floating in space I didn't have much time left when were picked up and brought back to earth. I found a way to download myself into a humanoid body." She said with a shrug. "I knew John while he was a Spartan he had lost the rest of his team and those that he cared for. He may not have shown it but he was having a hard time dealing with the loss after everything." John just shrugged at her comment. Just as John was about to speak he saw another person he never thought he would see again. Sgt. Avery J. Johnson walked into the room smirk planted on his face as he walked towards John.

"Sergant." Johnson just nodded.

"Good to see you again Chief." Cortana smiled as he recognized her. "You too Cortana even though it's gonna take some getting used to seeing you like this." With that he joined the small group at the table as they shared stories of what had happened over the past few years.