A/N: Honestly, I have no idea what I'm writing but I'm just using it to get away from everything so read if you want, I honestly don't care what happens. I'll see you guys on the flip side. Also disclaimer, I don't own anything but my OC's and whatever doesn't seem familiar. Oh and BTW, this is a period before the third game where there was a brief period of time before separation where half went to Anvegad and the others aboard Sovereign.


Chapter 1

The light poured in through the cracks of the boarded up windows. Dust would jump into the air with any slight movement. There was a paranoid feeling in the pit of her stomach as Rowena slowly scoped out the premises. Her squad mates followed right behind her.

"Is it really necessary to patrol every area we pass through?" Damon whispered into the TAC/COM link. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Okay, boy genius, you wanna lead and get us killed, be my guest. When you get scoped out by another sniper, don't come crying to me, 'cus you'll be dead before you can even begin to pronounce my name." She snapped.

He put his hands up to the level of his chest, "Okay princess, don't get your panties in a bunch. I'm just sayin', we haven't seen any grubs for the past few miles." Rowena raised her hand to stop him.

"Are you suggesting we let down our guards, Corporal?"

"No, your majesty," He quickly responded, "There's just no need to be overly thorough."

"Baird, just keep your voice down. I don't wanna hear it." She continued to press on through the empty buildings. "Okay, we're almost home...,"

"Yes ma'am," Damon mumbled under his breath.

She glared at him for a second, "Area's clear, we're clear for pickup." Rowena touched a finger to her ear piece, "KR-7-0, this is Alpha requesting a pickup. We hit a goldmine here. L.Z. is crystal clear."

"It's crystal clear," Damon mocked her in a feminine manner.

"This is KR-7-0, we're picking up some locust activity, keep your eyes peeled."

"Wilco, Alpha out." Her first reaction was to smack Baird upside the head, "Will you act like a grown man for once? Like someone who is capable of completing the simple task of shutting the fuck up?"

"Maybe...maybe not, we'll see." He gave her a devious smirk as she felt her blood pressure shoot through the roof.

"Okay, it's time to calm down boss lady. We all know Damon's a bit rough around the edges-" Cole began.

"Hey!" Baird interjected.

"BUT?" She implied as Clayton reached for her hand sweetly.

"He's needed, so let's just all get along, okay?" Cole finished. She jerked her hand away swiftly as Carmine barely touched her.

"Later," She whispered to him while Gus and Damon searched the area for any signs of grubs. Nothing but the sound of blades whirring in the air played in their ears; the groceries were airlifted and so were they. Another long trip back to the base.


"You'll never change Marcus. I can't make you change either. maybe it's better for both of us if we just go our separate ways. Good bye, I love you." With those being her last words, she placed her hand on his scarred cheek, kissed him and walked away into the dimly lit hallway. He stood there in awe; frozen, desolate and most of all, broken-hearted. Marcus was left there to ponder with those words. Boots thudded on the ground as Corporal Santiago came up from behind to assist as much as he possibly could, but it was too late. She left him. Not a word, but pain lingered from within. He knew Marcus well enough to know that he truly needed him.

"Listen," Dom started, "I'm always here for you man." Marcus continued to look on, his heart sank into his stomach as a lump formed in the meaty structure he called a throat.

"Thanks." He finally replied dryly. There were hidden feelings he didn't know he would ever feel again. This agony in which he wallowed wouldn't leave his mind as he continued to play those words over and over again in his head. 'You'll never change.' her voice echoed in his mind, 'good bye. I love you.' Her ghostly touch was left behind. It all happened too fast as he managed to process what little he could. It was as if she stood there with her hand on his face and her lips pressed against his. "I just don't know why she left," he paused between his sentences, "I love her...always will. Just why?"

Santiago thought it over a bit, "If I knew, you wouldn't." He patted his shoulder and pulled the burly man towards the debriefing room. Anya took note of the solemn as he walked through the doorway. She always had a chance to be with Marcus, especially after she was transferred to Jacinto. He always had knowledge of Anya's feelings for him, but he fell for another because she wasn't normal, or sane sometimes, or afraid to love him or express freely. When he was around her, he felt like himself, like he wasn't the snobby rich kid from the outskirts of the city. She made him complete.

He noted one perfect quality Anya though, the ability of being able to handle all the shit in the world and still being able to function properly, like a civilized human being. It used to drive him crazy but eventually, he gave it up.

She gave him a quick glance before returning to her paperwork. The petite blonde barely opened her mouth to give them their next task and the alarms blared in their ears. The ground rumbled underneath as emergence holes sprung up in the courtyard.

"Shit! They're digging right under us!" The burly Latino attempted to yell over the blaring alarms.

"Come on! They need us outside!" Marcus attempted in the same tone. His balls dropped one at a time as he sprayed bullets from the windows.

"All armed personnel report to the main courtyard." Bernadette Mataki's voice echoed in the P. A. system. Anya dismissed them both as they ran outside and took cover behind one of many mounds of sandbags. She knew she would only have seconds to find cover. Bullets came and went in a disarray as they flew rights past their ears. One of them grazed the corporal's beefy arm right across his wife's name.

"I'll kill you!" He yelled. It sent him in a blood-thirsty frenzy. To attack in one's home is one thing, to disrespect its defender's is another. He wanted painfully heated, bloody revenge for the "indiscretion"- the title it was filed under- with his wife and kids.

The grubs-once again-took the COG by surprise with their heavy artillery and massive numbers. They were competent enough to hold a gun and follow orders from a human look-a-like who spoke posher than the Queen of England, but not competent enough to avoid a few explosives.

"Dom!" The sergeant yelled. "Flank 'em!" He followed orders while maneuvering in between the rain of fire.

He was almost invincible at the moment as his memories flooded back and brought very little tears to his eyes. He took cover, balled up his hand and choked back as much as he could. Peering over the mound of debris in which he was taking cover, Dom glanced to Marcus. He signaled the Latino to continue to flank left while he would, of course, cover him.

No more words, what was signaled was done. Clayton Carmine came from the barracks and straight into the battle. His huge beefy arms reached into the magnetic holster on his back and reaching for his torque bow.

"Sorry I'm late to the party guys. Had a little reunion with the missus." He chuckled as Damon sneered at him. The battle for Rowena's heart was still going on, which was a stupid idea from Damon's point of view, but he wanted her like no other.

The battle continued as more emergence holes spewed from the gravel. Locust would dig their long,thick, filthy nails onto the ground for leverage as their Hammerburst bounced lightly from their hips. Each grub more disgusting than the last as the imulsion vapors clashed with their body odor.

"It smells like pure shit!" Cole hollered through the TAC/COM.

Rowena managed to pick herself up from the pounding she took. Her things and back more sore than usual and a huge hickie screamed "Clayton was here". The battle outside continued to motivate her to move, knowing her fellow comrades could die at any second as she found the strength to keep going.

"Martinez! Where the hell are you?!" Marcus barked at her.

"I'm comin'! Christ! I have a plan!" She lied to him as her legs slowly regained their power.

"That's not the first time she's come today." Clayton remarked loud enough for Damon's ears to pick it up.

"Fuckin asshole," The blonde muttered under his breath. It was like they were in high school all over again with the same stupid shit. It has been months since he has had any conversation with a female that wasn't about work. Let alone have sex with any female who wasn't driven away by his constant sarcastic drone. Now Carmine(of all people) was gonna flaunt in front of him?

The battle ensued as grubs hit the same ground they had emerged from seconds ago. Small pools of blood drained formed around the cold, lifeless corpses. Soon after, the locust began to retreat; leaving their comrades behind, not giving a shit about who was alive and who was near death. Slowly. The base was gradually becoming COG territory once more. Shells and casings were kicked around as Marcus threw one last frag sending them in a disarray.

"Nice!" Dom complimented the Sergeant. He just nodded as 'Thank you' and put a finger up to his ear piece.

"Area is cleared, we need backup to dispose of the bodies," Marcus informed Bernie. She dispatched for a few soldiers to assist the cleanup. Rowena went up to Marcus and began discussing the separation process; how many could be aboard, who would be in charge of what section, who was able to earn their sea legs within a few days, etc..

Clayton signaled Rowena he was heading back to his room to clean up before heading to the bar. She nodded and continued discussing with Marcus and few others. Damon glared but ignored it as much as possible; he was never one to express much anyways.

The flickering from the fluorescent lights mixed with the small chatter of gears cooling down after the big fire fight. Male privates trying to impress female corporals and lieutenants in hopes of getting lucky for killing one grub. All he thought about was his beer and his girlfriend side by side, letting everything just slowly drift away.

The plaque above the door read 'Carmine'. With several other metal spring beds aligned along the wall, he unlatched his armor, took off his helmet, picked up a rag and began wiping down the fresh blood. From time to time he'd glance over to the few pictures he had with Rowena up on the wall, smiling like an idiot. His huge, beefy arm would sway as he sprayed the isopropanol based cleaner and wiped 'til the rag was drenched in blood. It took him about five minutes to clean his helmet and air it out so he wouldn't suffocate. The chest plate took about ten minutes, she walked in as soon as he finished wiping away the last trace of blood.

"You ready?" She asked dropped down next to him.

"Yeah, don't you wanna clean up though?" He asked her with some concern.

"Afraid I'll get some disease I see...fine," Rowena unlatched her armor and began her process. Some silence was settling and it soon became unpleasant for her, "I can barely feel my legs you know." He smirked and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Good, that means you owe me," Clayton joked leaning back on the wall with both hands behind his head.

"Right, right, right. What's that weird thing you call alcohol again? A mimosa? What're you a girl?" She returned his banter finishing her armor before he socked her playfully in the bicep.

"I prefer my cold beer any day, besides that mark on your neck says otherwise," He picked her up and placed his hands on her hips.

"Don't start, I need a drink and time to think over these crazy arrangements. You need to stop being a horny bastard," She kissed him and began walking towards the bar.

Damon stopped her, "I need to talk to you now...it's important."