Thank you for the reviews people. I'm glad you like my writing. It makes me happy to know the people who read my writing are happy. Thanks again people. I don't own Halo, nor am I getting paid for this.

Key: talking, thinking, author's note.

At Red Base:

"Good work Simmons. I knew you are smart enough to get a blue. As a reward, I'm gonna let you shoot Griff." Sarge said.

"Thank you sir. I'm thankful for your kind gift sir." Simmons replied. Simmons pointed his gun at Griff, ready to fire.

"Aw, crap." Griff said. Griff sprinted out the door in a flash, Simmons at his tail. After twenty minutes of chasing Griff, Simmons had his fun and went to keep an eye on Taylor. Simmons entered the room to see Taylor sitting on the floor against the wall, hugging her knees. Simmons leaned against the wall, just starring at Taylor. Taylor caught him starring at her and said, "What are you looking at?"

"Oh, nothing worth looking at." He replied. Taylor's cheeks flushed a bright red and she turned away from him. Simmons kept starring at her back, wondering what a young girl is doing in a boxed up canyon during war.

"So……. you got a family?" Simmons asked, breaking the silence.

"What's it to you if I have one?" Taylor asked in a thick voice.

"Nothin, just curious. It's better to talk than to sit in silence all damn day, right?" he asked. Taylor just looked at the ground in silence, wondering if she should talk.

"What's there to lose? Either I'm going to die, or I'm in a hospital dreaming this." Taylor thought.

"I've got a dad and a step mom." She said.

"What about your real mom?" he asked.

"That's……complicated." Taylor said.

"I'm sure I can keep up." Simmons replied.

"Well, I better go back a few years than." She said.

*Flash Back*

Taylor's POV Age 5

I'd just come home from kindergarten to show my mommy what I thought, is the best looking painting ever painted by me. I ran through the door and saw mommy sitting on the couch. She looked different. More scared I guess. I ran up to her, grabbing her hand.

"Mommy, mommy, look at the picture I painted today. My teacher said it was the best in the class. Here, look mommy." I said, handing mommy my painting of my family. Me, mommy, daddy, and Christian, my big brother. Mommy looked at it for three seconds and gave me a smile.

"It's beautiful honey. I'm so proud of you sweetie." Mommy said, and gave me a big hug. For some reason, I don't know why, but mommy gave me a hug like it was going to be the last hug she will give me. Suddenly, two big men came in through the door. They looked scary and mad.

"Mommy, who are those big men?" I asked. Mommy looked at the ground. She looks like she is going to cry.

"Sweetie, mommy is going on a little vacation." Mommy said.

"Aren't we coming with you?" I asked.

"No sweetie. It's going to just be me going. And I may not come home for awhile." Mommy replied.

"I don't understand. No body goes on a vacation without their family. Why won't you come back mommy?" I questioned. Mommy raised her arms and gave me a big hug.

"Oh, my sweet daughter. I'll miss you so much. Just promise me something Taylor." She said.

"Yes mommy?"

"Take care of your father and brother for me. They'll need a strong young lady around the house while I'm gone honey. Just promise me that you'll be strong, okay honey? And no matter how what happens to you, everything will surly be all right. Promise me you'll be strong Taylor." Mommy said, tears falling down her face.

"I promise mommy." I answered. Mommy gave me a broken smile and kissed my forehead. I gave mommy my picture so she could remember us on her trip. I saw daddy on the stairs watching us. Then mommy stood up, and the big men took her out side to a big black van. I watched mommy get in the van and drive away. I could no longer hold back my tears. I hid my face in daddy's jacket and cried in it. When will mommy come home?

*End of Flash Back*

Normal POV

"And when I was seven, my dad told me why my mom had to leave." Taylor continued, on the brim of tears. "It turned out my mom wasn't right in the head. She had done some bad things, and instead of sending her to jail, they locked her up in an insane asylum. I haven't seen her since then. I haven't told many people about that, not even my mates. It's an event I prefer not to repeat."

Simmons didn't know that a girl that looked so happy and looked like everything was all right had such a broken past.

"W-what about the rest of your family?" Simmons asked next, nervous if he asked any more questions that she would cry.

"Well, my dad got remarried when I was seven to a snob called Maria. She's not the nicest person, and I think she only married my dad for money. My family is quite wealthy. As for my brother, well…he…that's a long story too. Do you want to hear it?" Taylor asked.

"If it's okay with you." Simmons replied.

"Well then, I better start from the top then."

*Flash Back* Age 9

Taylor's POV

My brother has been acting a bit odd lately. He doesn't smile as often, he is less focused in class, he is distracted, and he seems to be not hungry at all. His teachers at Red Wood Junior High (A school that doesn't exist I think) keep sending phone calls that he has gotten three detentions for tardiness, is not turning in his homework, and is slacking in schoolwork. It's not like him at all to slack off in school. One night, Christian was about to go to bed when he suddenly fainted. We took him to a doctor for precautions.

"Well, what is wrong with him?" My dad asked.

"I'm sorry but your son has collected a rare disease that hasn't shown up in over thirty years. The last person who got it, well… her life was expired." The doctor explained. I looked at my dad, he looked like he was going to have a heart attack.

"Isn't there anything you can do?" I asked. The doctor shook his head.

"Scientist have yet to create a cure for this disease. I'm sorry." He said.

"Sorry my ass." I yelled.

"Taylor, don't say that." My dad said to me. I barley paid any attention to him.

"My brother is dying in there, and you're just standing around not trying to help him. What kind of hospital is this?! I'm not going to stand by and watch my brother die. Dad, we have to try another hospital." I said. My dad agreed with me. In the last week, we took my brother to ten different doctors, and they all had the same replies. They couldn't save him. As for my step mom, she was in Europe on a private vacation. It didn't matter to me if she wasn't here. She didn't give a damn with what would happen to Christian. After the fifteenth doctor, my dad took my brother to a hospital and stayed there to at least keep him alive for a bit. Two days later, the doctor said that his life would end within an hour. I spent his last hour holding his hand. The sweetest, beautifulness, kindest soul was about to disappear from the world, and all I can do is hold his hand.

"Hey Taylor." Christian said in a horsed voice.

"Hey Chris. How you doing?" I asked.

"I feel like shit right now." He chuckled. Even on his deathbed, he had his great sense of humor. "I know I'm not going to make it so I want to tell you a few things Taylor."

"Tell me anything." I said.

"It was me who broke your CD player." He admitted. Tears were falling down my face finally.

"Heh, you basterd. Heh." I chuckled.

"And Tay, remember to stay strong and happy. Also, brush your teeth in the morning and night. And get a good night sleep from now on, cause I won't wake you up. Don't watch to much TV cause it'll turn you brain into cottage cheese and aliens with eat it. And Tay, remember that I'll always love you. I'm not leaving Taylor, I'm just going on a vacation. We'll see each other next time. And I'm sure you'll be the happiest girl ever." I looked at his lifeline; it was beeping slower and slower by the second. I watched his eyes slowly open and close. And without warning, close one more time, and he didn't open them. His hand grew limp in mine. His lifeline on the machine went on this loud beeping noise. I figured that it was over, his life expired. I hid my face in the palm of his hand and cried in it. I felt a hand placed on my shoulder, obviously it was my dad. I removed my face from his had but still held onto it, and cried into my dad's jacket. Why was everybody leaving me? First mom, now Christian. I can't take any more leaves. It would be to hard for me to take anymore.

*End of Flash Back*

Normal POV

Simmons stared at the now crying girl. She acted so strong and happy, but that was just an outer character. For real inside her, she was broken, and was just a weak, small, defenseless girl that wanted to cry more than anything. As for Taylor, she couldn't believe that she poured her to red, espeially to Simmons, the biggest kiss ass ever.

"I… I…. I'm sorry that happened to you." Simmons said.

"Don't be. I don't want anyone's pity on me. People on earth have had it a lot worse than me. So no apologies." Taylor replied, wiping tears from her face. Simmons didn't know why, but he felt like he was growing a soft spot for Taylor.

"I don't have any idea of how you feel right now." He said.

"I figured so. You know the hardest part of it was? Letting them go. The first few months after my mom left, I took her favorite sweater and put it on so I could smell like her. I put on her perfume too. After Christian, I slept in his bed every night, I ditched school to visit his grave. One day, it was raining in the cemetery, and I forgot a coat. I spent four hours at his grave talking to him. I nearly didn't make it home because it was so cold. I had a high fever the next day, so my dad told me not to go to the cemetery as often. Of course, I didn't listen to him. I visited him all the time. I was in denial for a long time. After a while, going on with life got a bit easier. Even though I know I'll never see them again." She told him.

"Why don't you visit your mom? Do they not allow you to?" He asked.

"Oh, they allow me to visit. I just prefer not to." She stated. He looked at her in wonder. She wanted to see her mom, but she didn't.

"Why not? You want to see her right?"

"More than anything. It's just that… I'm scared to. When I was eight, I had a nightmare about seeing her. You see, I went to go see my mom in the dream, and I found this dark room only light by a tiny light bulb. There was a woman sitting on a chair in the middle of the room, wearing a stray jacket. I was curious to see who it was. From behind, I could tell it was my mom. I ran in front of her to look in her eyes. And I saw my self sitting in the chair. I had that dream for a month. That's why I'm afraid to see her. I'm afraid that when I look into her eyes, I'll see myself in her place." She explained.

"But aren't you afraid that you'll never get a chance to look in her eyes again?" he asked. Taylor thought about this for a while. And she realized he was right. If she waited to long, she'll never see her mom again. She wouldn't be around forever. Suddenly the door opened, Donut walked in. Taylor noticed he kind of looked like a girl. He didn't look buff like the blues, he had natural blonde hair, and had a baby face. Put him in a pink dress, high heels, make up, and braid his hair, he could pull off a girl.

"Hey, Simmons, Sarge wanted to tell you that were having free shots at Griff again. You wanna join?" Donut asked, excited. Simmons looked at Taylor and back at Donut.

"No, cause if I leave, who will watch the prisoner?" Simmons questioned.

"Okay, your loss. See ya Simmons, prisoner." Donut said. With that, he left. Taylor looked at him with curious eyes.

"Odd, it's not like you to turn off an offer of shooting Griff." Taylor said.

"Heh, we shoot him every day. It's not much of a loss. Plus, I like talking to you." Simmons replied.

"Even though everything coming out of my mouth was either an insult or sad?" she countered.

"I still like talking to you." Simmons said. Taylor gave him a small smile. She was starting to like Simmons. Even though he was an annoying kiss ass.

Out side

"Okay, let's get started." Sarge said. Donut and him pointed their guns at Griff and started to fire. Griff tried to dodge all the bullets as best as he could.

"Hey, Griff. Act like those ducks at the carnivals by moving back and forth." Sarge ordered. He shot again and Griff ducked.

"No, don't duck, act like a duck." Sarge repeated. For two hours, Donut and Sarge shot Griff.

I hope you liked this one. It's not as funny as the others and is kinda' sad, but I still hope you like it. Give me review and see what happens next time. Review A.S.A.H.P. (as soon as humanly possible)