ATTENTION: This story most definitely isn't appropriate for underage readers. If are not 18 yet, you better GTFO now. I could say this is my contribution to the SINNER Smut Challenge, although I promised to participate with another piece… this one is more appealing to me, it just slipped off my fingers like water. I'm Jortana supporter to the bone. The first chapter might be sort of slow, but things will get hot in a matter of seconds, trust me. Critics, suggestions, comments or just lust, to be dumped in the comment section. Give me some love and enjoy your stay.

TAKE ME WHEN YOU NEED ME

PART I

This woman made him slightly nervous for two reasons.

Number one, she was looking at him in the eye with fearless determination; her bright blue stare was powerful enough to pin him to his chair without effort, he noticed. Number two, she was Dr. Catherine Halsey's youngest daughter, someone he'd never been formally introduced to and never cared to meet anyway. Unlike her deceased older sister Miranda, this petite brunette woman was a praised UNSC computer scientist and she worked in some ONI base thousands of miles away.

The fact that they never met before made perfect sense.

This meeting, however, didn't.

Perhaps that explained why this woman's eyes made him feel cornered. He could sense Dr. Halsey's strength inside those pupils, along with a hint of hidden mischief. That's what made him nervous. He'd heard about her before, sure. The good Doctor mentioned her daughter rarely, when something technical came up. He didn't know her real name because people used her codename to refer to her; in SPARTAN-Town she was known as Cortana, probably due to her cunning intelligence. The only hard evidence of such smarts that he had were the frequent firmware updates to his MJOLNIR's inner systems. Her work was flawless.

She looked flawless too, even disguised as a civilian.

Taller -and fuller of figure- than her mother, Cortana stood a good five feet eight-or-so inches, her short black hair and the simple clothes she wore made her look like any other city girl stopping by for a cup of coffee with a friend. Except that he was on his BDUs and most certainly didn't look like someone who could be friends with her.

He'd never been in that café before. People were trying hard not to stare, but his height and immensely strong build always called for unwanted attention.

"So, Master Chief?" she started, after a few minutes of sitting across the narrow table, right in front of him. "Thank you for coming."

He straightened his pose a little, deadly hands relaxed over his own thighs. Her silky, deep voice touched a very sensitive fiber inside of him. Staring at her in such a professional stance was his only reply.

"I know you're a busy man, so I'll cut the chit-chat down to business." Her eyes met his again, her breath slightly uneven for some reason. She looked at her coffee and continued: "I'm twenty-six years old. I graduated summa cum laude from four Universities in three different solar systems over ten years. I have more awards and achievements than I can consciously count. And the truth is that I've been stuck… no, rotting, inside a classified ONI facility without real sunlight for over four years. I'm sick of it. Do not misunderstand me, I am deeply passionate about my research and my work, but I hadn't had a relationship since… well, I can't remember, honestly. It doesn't matter, anyway. The thing is that I find myself in a tight spot right now, with a huge need that I can't fulfill."

The Master Chief waited in silence for her to explain her point. So far, the meeting still didn't make any sense.

"I'm not looking for a long commitment partner. I don't need that." Her cheeks flushed a little. Just a little. "But I do want to have a family."

"I suppose that's understandable." He commented, when her follow-up silence became too long.

His words seemed to fuel up her determination. It was a little scary.

"My mother thinks I'm crazy, that I'm going to waste my career because I can't control myself. You know? Sometimes I think she regrets having me or Miranda… maybe because she never really understood how to be a good mother or because we got in the way and delayed her research over a decade. Well, we didn't ask to be conceived, but I know exactly what was going on inside her mind when she got pregnant with us." Her voice had a hint of pride stained with guilt. But he could almost smell something else, rising up inside of her gut straight to her eyes like a thunderstorm. "And she can't say it was a mistake, because a woman can't make that same mistake twice. I know, because I've been feeling the same for a while now."

"Miss…"

"John," she cut him off right away, this time her voice sounded fiercer. He squinted a little. Few people knew his given name, the fact that she said it out loud so carelessly set off an alarm. "I want a child. And after weeks of research, I have concluded that you are the perfect mate to breed with."

x.x.x.x.x

John shoved the discarded exo-suit inside the proper airlock and shut the thick lid with a loud thud. The noise startled Fred, who turned immediately to look at him, while the other man pushed roughly the button that read 'disposal' on it, staining it with a reddish print of fresh blood.

The Master Chief had a fame of being a man of few words, mostly serious and not a fan of pranks or even smiles, but this was beyond his usual self. Blue Team had perceived their team leader grumpier and although he performed all of his duties with the same precision as ever, he was sort of distracted. He spent a lot of time alone, either training or just going out of the barracks for long hours.

John wasn't a loner by nature. He might not practice it very often, but he was fond of leaning on his team mates for support. This was odd.

"You should get that stitched." Fred commented, rather casually.

"I'm fine."

Fred meant the seven-inch-long open gash over John's left side, between the hipbone and the ribs. It was dripping a red stream down his thigh. The Chief patched it up quickly with organic glue and a few adhesive bands and kept to himself, just as usual. Well, not as usual. His furrowed brow was more furrowed than the regular base to recognize him, and it wasn't just because he got an enemy combat knife slashing through his gut.

The Lieutenant decided that it was time to poke around a little.

"Something in your mind, Chief?"

"No." the alluded man answered quickly.

Fred stared at him while John grabbed another suit from his locker and put a foot in it.

"I call bullshit."

"Language." John growled. The other foot went in, the lower part of the suit went up his thighs and hips, collecting the blood. He didn't even care to clean himself up.

"We're not on duty right now. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

John slid his arms inside the sleeves of the suit and pulled up, covering himself with a layer of bullet-resistant leathery material and built-in circuitry. Reaching behind the small of his back, he started closing the seals. The intelligent suit did the rest as long as his hands worked their way up, pressing. Fred just kept staring at him, the top half of his own exo-suit hanging low from his bare hips. The girls liked when he did that and he knew it, now it was a habit for Fred.

"You look too stressed for it to be nothing." The Lieutenant muttered, in the end.

The Master Chief sighed, slightly annoyed. Fine, fine.

"I have a decision to make and it's been bugging me, that's all."

"Want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Figured as much." Fred thought, but he wasn't mad. This part, at least, was the usual.

"Alright. Just keep in mind that I have two ears and good brains."

"I know."

"Good."

Awkward silence followed. Only the distant whine of the ship's engines disrupted it.

"Is as simple as that. I need viable seed." Her voice rang in his skull again.

John adjusted the rest of the exo-suit's seals as Fred went back to dig inside his locker, each to his own business now. The Chief would've liked better if his friend just kept asking questions that he wasn't willing to answer… because the unnerving memories came back oh so suddenly after the heat of a small battle managed to make them go away. The café outside base, the petite brunette, her bright blue eyes, her blood ties with the good Doctor Halsey, her misbegotten idea, his own peril after hearing her out.

"I am aware that very soon you will be deployed off-world for an estimate of six weeks. Please, take that time to think carefully of my proposition. I know how delicate are the steps in which both of us stand and believe me, I do not wish to compromise your career. I don't require anything else from you, but your cooperation over the course of a few days. That's all. Nobody will ever know. Not even my mother, if that worries you somehow."

Little by little, as the seconds went by and she spoke her reasons, her silky voice became stronger and her stance, bolder. It was as if his silence was encouraging her.

He knew why he made him nervous now. She was bat-shit crazy.

She'd been locked in a lab for so long that she had lost her mind. Choose a SPARTAN to breed a child with? What female human on her five senses would consider that? She, of all people, should know what was the deal with SPARTANS to the smallest detail. She said she had done her research, right?

She was crazy, there was no other answer. And Marines had a saying: don't stick your dick in crazy. He wasn't a fan of sticking his dick anywhere, for that matter…

Then, why?

Just...

"Why me?" he had asked, a bit uncomfortable.

"Well, I could've chosen whichever SPARTAN I wanted, since all of you are magnificent specimens. But there's something about you. I couldn't go past your file. My gut told me… I guess you got lucky." She smiled at him briefly and her face lit up, the Master Chief knew hope when he saw it. "It was either you or Frederic-104 anyway."

John quickly looked at Fred, sideways. He felt a pinch of heat inside his stomach when he recalled her confident voice saying that his combat brother was her second choice. He didn't have any kind of problem with that, girls smiled at Fred all the time and he always smiled back, but somehow it still made him feel...

It wasn't like he couldn't refuse her offer, right?

He'd been doing the math, trying to figure Cortana out. She must've known where Blue Team was going after this allegedly classified six-week engagement: return to Earth. Then, six months of intense training duty alongside Red Team. They were commissioned to make sure that a company of fresh SPARTAN-IV assets were to grow a pair, and that they would grow it well. So, they would be on the same planet, right?

The mechanics of what she was asking for weren't a mystery to him -it was the dullest, most underwhelming thing he could think of, almost effortless-, but everything else nearly was. Perhaps he'd have to file a request for a reasonable shore leave, or…

SPARTANS didn't get leaves, only weeks in cryo and medals as reward. Nothing else.

Since he was a child, John had been unconsciously indulging the belief that Dr. Halsey was some sort of god-like creature: she always knew everything, it was impossible to fool her. Then, what if she found out that her daughter wanted one of her SPARTANS to father a baby for her? He bet that the good Doctor wouldn't be happy.

He should just say no and be done with it.

The greatest disjunctive came from his grounds as a soldier, he was used to do as he was told since a very young age. Cortana had given him a choice, but to his brain it sounded like she hadn't. He'd been thinking it the wrong way all along, only because she used the right combination of words:

"I know how it sounds to you, Master Chief. But I think of it as the least I could do for myself and Humanity." she said back then, still looking at him straight in the eyes with relentless resolve. "Since it's up to me anyway, I might as well get the best DNA that I can find. The idea that I'd be gone one day and maybe there won't be any descendant worthy of carrying on with my legacy terrifies me. Not to mention that I don't want to be old, bitter and alone like my mother."

It sounded so rational. The least one could do for oneself and Humanity…

"SPARTANS, are you decent?" Commander Palmer's voice called from the hallway.

"Yes, ma'am." they both said in unison, and stood straight.

John hadn't registered the event -unforgivable-, but Fred was fully dressed and ready to go and get armored again, just like him. The Commander entered the room and handed the Master Chief a battle-scarred tac-pad, then she moved towards the Lieutenant and gave him another, along with a more complacent look that lately she reserved for him. The innuendo flew over John's head without further concerns.

"Messages for you, gentlemen. Be brief, we're leaving for Infinity in ten minutes. I want you both sitting tight and strapped on in five."

"Thank you, ma'am." Said Fred, a small smile reached his eyes as he looked at Palmer.

Still oblivious, John looked at the screen and tapped on it until the device asked for his clearance password. SPARTANS didn't get a lot of traceable messages, much less emails from weird senders like Shield&Sword-32, the one he opened without hesitation. Nothing dangerous passed through Black Box's filters anyway, truth be told, so he was sure that this message, although heavily encrypted and apparently nonsensical, was from her:

A FORTNIGHT IS ALL THAT REMAINS, SUMMER IS GETTING HOT

She was becoming more aggressive. Not to call her annoying, of course, but…

He made up his mind in a blink, sensing that the sooner he got rid of this situation, the better it would be for his overall focus on the work to come. His reply was brief, sharp and blunt as a gravity hammer:

I'LL BRING YOU SOME ICED WATER SOON

x.x.x.x.x

Cortana read the short reply over and over, and realized it meant yes.

"He accepted." She muttered.

Iced water, perhaps to soothe the heat of summer? Yeah, it pretty much sounded like he was willing to give a hand with her urges. Urges. She chuckled. Well, she had no proper designation for what had possessed her lately. She was aware of how problematic this was. Unlike her fellow colleagues, she decided not to be sterilized when given the option upon entering the UNSC… and now she was paying the price? Her work was far too critical to be put aside, those were times of war and ONI prioritized her program over her mother's. The next generation of MJOLNIR and SPI armors would keep her locked in yet another underground facility only God knew where for maybe ten more years. She was the leading scientist for all R&D units; she pleaded with ONI for her civilian crew to be moved in with their families, both for protection and as an act of mercy towards them and the long years of isolation to come. Her personnel loved her for it.

And since she had no attachments, her life wouldn't belong to her anymore.

Cortana sometimes wanted to believe that she made a mistake in pursuing a career after her mother's steps, but that wasn't the problem and deep down she knew it. She was proud of who she had become, of her achievements and her position amongst the ranks. This had deeper roots, a call that obviously not all women were able -or wanted- to hear… a call that had been keeping her awake, tense and unsatisfied for several months now.

117. One look at his fiery light-blue eyes and she knew she had chosen right; the DNA screening matched someone equally impressive on the outside.

He could give her what she wanted.

A child of her own, someone she could nurture, protect and love.

Maybe that way, she'd have a stronger reason to keep Humanity safe beyond ethics.

x.x.x.x.x

Despite the fact that he'd been expecting to get a more concrete message from Cortana soon after his return to Earth, it didn't happen right away. It somewhat relieved him. Maybe his reply scared her and she decided to call off the whole thing. Either way, Blue Team was well set to begin the training of the S-IV company within a week now, so although John didn't forget easily about the so-called 'engagement', it lost importance. It wasn't up to him anyway.

More often than not, however, the memory of her voice and her petite frame invaded his thoughts. And what she had said about Fred, too. Was it that Cortana chose to discard him and proceed to breed that child she wanted so bad with his combat brother? No, no. Fred would've said something, for sure. The thought now didn't only make his stomach twitch, it also made him slightly annoyed.

Cortana. For some reason, he didn't feel curious about knowing her real identity.

No, Cortana suited her just fine. He'd seen her in person only once, but he couldn't think of a better name for her.

x.x.x.x.x

Schedules suddenly shifted when Commander Palmer announced that Blue Team would not be joining Red Team, for they had another assignment. A change of plans from upstairs. There were explicit orders from SECTION-III command that several specific SPARTANS and all of their respective equipment and belongings were to be temporarily transferred to a research facility, designation and location redacted. How long were they expected to remain on site was also redacted.

Master Chief Petty Officer SPARTAN-117 was designated to be team leader.

John just complied. Orders were orders.

But this whole change of plans started to make more sense when he and his team, along with other six SPARTAN-III and IV descended from the Pelican that transported them to their new assignment's grounds, a fortified facility in the middle of a mountain range. John couldn't make out the location, their sensors were all jammed for the moment. A group of people and military personnel were waiting for them at the LZ. He spotted Cortana almost immediately; she presented herself as director of the facility and welcomed them to project MARK IX. They were there to test the new combat gear and armors in development, which was something the Master Chief found intriguing and useful.

He couldn't wait to get answers from Cortana, though.

At that moment, comms were unblocked at last and the facility's AI gave them briefs. After a few more recommendations, all SPARTANS were ordered to head to the area in which they would stay for the time of the evaluations.

Once inside his designated quarters, John pulled off his helmet and turned to look at her, certain that the petite brunette in lab coat had followed him all along. The woman closed the door and tapped a small display on the wall's communications port, deactivating it, then she approached him. Standing seven feet tall before Cortana, he was a mountain that could overpower her using only his little finger… the Master Chief noticed how she shivered slightly as her eyes crept up over his powerful armored frame, until reaching his face. Her chest rose slowly, and then she sighed.

"Welcome to SHIELD base." Cortana greeted him, content.

"What does this mean, ma'am?" he asked sharply, confused.

The woman gave him a guilty frown and smiled wryly.

"I had to make some arrangements." she explained him, trying to soothe a temper that he didn't have. "I'm sorry, I should've warned you, perhaps. We need test subjects for the new MJOLNIR Mark IX program, and that gives us a perfect excuse to be around each other. For the rest… well… I promised you that our agreement wouldn't jeopardize your career or mine. The schedule I organized guarantees that nobody will see us."

John frowned, even more confused.

"See us?" he repeated.

"Yes, you know…" she lowered her voice. "You leaving my quarters, me leaving yours. Or whatever. It will take at least a week, maybe two; I will be in my full peak of fertility in about ten days. We must not waste any chan-."

The Master Chief raised a hand, cutting her off.

"Ma'am, as I understand the terms of this agreement, what I have to provide are samples of reproductive material. What you are going to do with it afterwards is completely up to you and I don't need to know the details."

His words were polite but cold. So cold.

She felt that shudder once more, this time the coldness slid beneath her flesh. So awful, it nearly felt as if he had slapped her across the face. But it wasn't his fault, she realized. Her eyes widened as much as her mouth, as she understood what he had just said:

"Oh." Cortana whispered. "You thought… look, although this facility has a top-of-the-line medical bay, it's not designed for obstetrics of any sort. Neither can I request for such equipment, because I have no need for it with the research we're doing, it would be utterly suspicious. We make armors here." Her voice softened a little, as one of her hands came to rest on his armored forearm. He didn't retreat. "I should have mentioned earlier that I not only need your sperm for this procedure, but I will need you to do your part to guarantee the conception as well. The only way I can pull this off right is to make it look as natural as possible."

The words sunk in for a few seconds…

"In other words, you want me to sleep with you."

Her cheeks flushed a little. Only a little. "Yes, of course."

John stood there in silence, just looking at her eyes as she slowly gave in to uneasiness. The longer he spent quiet, the more she felt drifting at his mercy. And it wasn't something disgusting to feel, Cortana came to understand. She was starting to acknowledge the power this stranger had over her, even though they only met once before.

This man had something that she wanted. Several things, in fact.

On his side, the Master Chief wasn't mad.

No, he wasn't mad at all.

He didn't know why, but he found himself thinking about Fred being scratched off the picture and it felt good. He could figure out the rest later.

TO BE CONTINUED

Well, this was chapter one! I like how it went out ^^

TAKE ME WHEN YOU NEED ME will be a short story (5 to 6 chapters at most), I want to get ideas off my mind and I wanted to write something steamy. Anyway, see you soon, I can't say I will update tomorrow or next week, but it's going and I hope you're interested. As you can see, details about the characters will remain as they are in canon and others have been neglected/altered on purpose. I don't want anyone whining about the SPARTAN sex drive or the lack of it, please. Just go with it and enjoy, you know me and you know I like to write things with purpose.

ABOUT RECOMPOSE: An update will come before the end of the month, worry not. I've been trying to force myself to finish that story and it didn't go well. The thing is that Halo 5 literally made me consider not to write about Halo in general anymore, I'll be honest with you. But it's not fair for everyone who followed that fanfic; being so close to its end, you deserve to get what you've been waiting for (and supporting so enthusiastically). I'm sorry if I caused you any distress or worry.

If you don't want to miss updates on this story, follow and/or fav it, but please… don't forget to write to me and tell me what you think! :D