Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Here's part two of the story, hope you enjoy!
Mal shook my hand, frankly relieved that I didn't turn him down. He lead me, arm-in-arm, over to a large, blond man, bent over his open sack as he repacked.
"Chief, this lovely woman is gonna show you around the planet, get you settled in before you look for your friend."
My breath nearly stopped when John stood up, as his eyes realized what it was they were seeing. His mouth seemed to stammer before finding the words.
"My name's John, but a lot of people call me Chief...What's...what's your name, miss?" His rough-looking hands, smooth to the touch, easily swallowed mine as my heart stopped in my throat. These hands...those eyes...
"I think you know who I am..."
John walked a pace or two behind Cortana, studying her figure and matching it to the blue hologram he had grown to care for and trust. He could hear the chatter of the passing people, picking up on various conversations of dinner plans and how a farm should be tended to. Many decades as a Spartan, John developed the skill to follow multiple conversations, going into detail what the subject was, who talked and how many. The only voice his ears cared to hear was Cortana's. She only looked back once or twice, assuming to make sure he was still following. Half an hour has passed already, since his arrival, and aside the brief moment of their eyes and souls knowing who the other truly was, she hadn't made any attempt to talk about their history, or how she could even be alive.
When Dr. Halsey attempted to explain the process of creating AI's, John would swear on his life that she never mentioned AI's were real people, in truth. In all the rumors, on all the planets in all the galaxies, not once did John hear a passing whisper that Cortana was alive in a human sense. He knew she was alive, but he always imagined her forced into another ship or a facility's systems. Never would he believe that his eyes would drink in her beauty, nor his hands would touch her silky smooth skin. Her voice was as familiar as always, the velvet-like, caring tone she spoke with in his armor, and even her looks now, almost perfectly mimics what her AI looked like when she would project herself as a hologram. In all honesty, Cortana could talk about murdering every being in existence, organic or otherwise. Just to be able to be so close to her physically, for once in all those years...
John's train of thought was halted, when he realized that she had slowed her pace, allowing him to be mere inches from her. Her eyes darted over her left shoulder, something about her look, as she quickly glanced at the usual day crowd of the town market he realized they were in, before locking onto his.
"Keep quiet, follow my lead. When we get inside, ask me to help you find your room, make up any excuse. Just get me alone."
Before John had any sort of chance to reply, she had plastered her usual smile before coming underneath a sign. John's eyes floated upwards towards it, but the language isn't quite familiar, almost like a forgotten language that just needs to be dusted from the memories. Cortana shoved the old, wooden doors open, and threw her hands up. John could feel her excitement boiling up, and had barely enough time to recover from her break of character.
"Jimmy! How's my favorite hotel concierge?!" Cortana's face lights up to an old man, hunched over on the stool. His face turns from a book in his hands, and a toothless smile spreads from cheek to cheeck.
"Corty, I'm the only hotel concierge you know," he said with a chuckle, his eyes soon finding John, "I see you brought me another customer! You're too kind to me."
"Corty? I thought your name was Cortana." John asked, masking his tone as confused, looking at her puzzlingly. Her almost purplish eyes sneaking a wink, a silent thanks to keeping the charade. But why she needed him to pretend this was their first meeting, he was unsure of. What had her scared to the point, she felt the need to hide she knew who John was? Was she threatened as she awoke, if she ever met someone in person from her AI days, a terrible tragedy would occur? He had too many questions, and too few answers.
"He calls me Corty, he says it's because Cortana's too difficult," she spoke in a sarcastic tone, throwing air quotes as she spoke before smiling to continue, "But really, he's just a big flirt."
"My heart beats for you Cortana, because you are too kind! Now, let's get a room for your friend. Let's see..." The old man, Jimmy, flipped through a larger book, presumingly the hotel's ledger book, looking for a room. As he began mumbling to himself, little comments of each individual currently staying there, Cortana leaned in close, so only her whisper could be heard between them.
"There are things I can't talk about in the open, and rarely even behind closed doors. This is one of the few places I can openly discuss, but I'm not sure where exactly Jimmy stands on our situation."
"What situation are you talking about? Cortana, what's going on?" John asked. Surely things couldn't be so bad for her here, that she feared greatly to even whisper of her troubles in front of who he assumed was a friend. Could they?
"Not. Here!" She hissed through her teeth, digging her elbow into his side. John pursed his lips together. His instincts began screaming, something must be horribly wrong here for Cortana to be this afraid of speaking in the open. He didn't know what kind of life she might have here, or what the planet and its people are like...Even if she had the perfect life she always dreamed of, before they became separated, nothing was worth the fear she lived with. He knew he had to get her out of here.
Jimmy broke his train of thought, exclaiming of the business being brought to him to have few rooms available. He hands a key to John to room number 117, giving him directions. John thanked the man, picking up the bags and leaving a lightweight bag behind. He took a step before turning his head over his shoulder.
"Damn, I don't have enough arms. Miss Cortana, it's a very light bag, but could you bring it with you to my room?"
"Sure thing." She said, almost hurriedly. They make their way down hallways, turning here, going up the stairs to the other floor and coming to his room. John couldn't get the key to turn any faster, to save his life. The doorknob clicks, the oak door swinging open with a silent creek. As fast as it opened, John and Cortana moved quickly into the room. No sooner had they closed the door, before John fell to his knees, embracing Cortana. His muscular, pale arms engulfing her waist as he felt her arms around his head. Neither moved, nor spoke. John didn't care to count the days that they had been apart, because to him, each day without Cortana was a day too much for him. His eyes began to leak with tears, a wave of emotions washes over them both as they were finally reunited.
What was only a couple of minutes, was a lifetime to them, before John thumbed his tears away, standing tall and easily towering the tiny woman in front of him. They both smiled up at each other, savoring the physical contact as her hand was loosely within his own.
"Now that we're inside, we need to figure out how we're gonna get you out of here. That Firefly captain, Mel or Mal, is coming back in 30 days. You need to be ready to leave by then."
"No, I can't." Cortana said, her voice squeaking as she fought back more tears. John was confused. He judged that her life could've been bad or horrific from her actions. What was so important here that she still wanted to remain.
"Why? What is worth you living in fear here?" He asked, his eyes scanning her for any visual clues.
"There's one person here that we need to include in the escape. If they remain behind, whoever is in charge of this planet will surely have them killed." Her eyes were filled with fear. Not just for her life, but whoever was important to her.
"Who is this person?" He asked.
Cortana drew in a sharp breath before giving an answer she knew would break his heart, "My fiance.."
I really am sorry this had taken me so long, and probably not all that well-done. Between kids, work, and everything else, there was little time, lol. All is well now, no more job so I definitely have more free time to keep writing. As always let me know what you think. Thank you guys for reading!