Author's Note: Turns out I got this chapter done a little early, so here goes. I'm going to be doing some time/date jumping, as I'm sure you're used to by now. Just check out the headings so you won't get lost. Thanks a million times for all your reviews; I wasn't sure about writing a sequel, but you have inspired me to undertake this project. ;-) Hope you enjoy, please leave some comments when you've finished reading, and peace!
P.S. Almost done with Ch. 4, too, so that should be coming soon!
Chapter Three: Ignorance Is Bliss
Three Weeks Earlier. 1041 Hours, July 8, 2552. Cooper Residence, St. Louis, MO. "The Lazy Days," Planet Earth. Prologue to the Invasion of Earth
When I woke up to the smell of pancakes that morning, it didn't take me long to figure out I wasn't on Sigma Octanus IV any more. A quick glance to my right confirmed my suspicions: sleeping soundly beside me was Willis, head buried in his pillow. I smiled at the scene that met my half-open eyes before I finally remembered the events leading up to this moment.
The Battle of Sigma Octanus IV had ended three months ago, and my company and I had been helping with the reconstruction efforts ever since. Trying to keep over one hundred young Marines focused and busy after the fight of their lives, however, had proven a difficult task for me; I'd wanted to be done with it all just as much as they did. Finally, Major Benjamin Phillips, our battalion commander, had realized how much more effective Bravo Company would become if he'd just give the Marines a bit of R&R. So, for everything we'd done to keep Cote D'Azur clear of Covenant during the battle and rubble-free once the fighting was over, the members of Bravo were allowed several days of shore leave.
And late yesterday, after a day and a half of travel, I'd finally made it to Earth.
I tried to lie there quietly in bed while I waited for my husband to wake up, but I grew bored after only a few seconds. Besides, I was too excited about being home to stay inside all day; I decided to wake him up myself.
Sometime before he'd fallen asleep the night before, Willis had put on his boxers and a white T-shirt. Presently, I slipped my hand under his immaculate shirt and ran it gently along his back. "Will, honey, wake up," I said in his ear.
Inhaling rather loudly as he finally awoke, Willis turned sideways and opened his hazel eyes a crack. With his short light brown hair disheveled, he gave me a sleepy grin when he saw me. "Hey, Cooper."
"Hey, Will," I replied, grinning back. I quickly kissed him before he could say anything else; he just looked far too good right now to let the opportunity pass.
"This is shaping up to be a really good morning," Willis said, his grin widening as he kissed me back. Then his expression suddenly changed to one of curiosity. "Is your mom cooking---" He paused to sniff the air. "---pancakes?"
"That's sure what it smells like."
"Natalie? I think I love it here."
"Yeah, you're not the only one. Come on, Will, let's go. Real, honest-to-God food awaits. You know as well as I do what it's like to live off MREs for months on end." I sat up, glancing down briefly at what little I was wearing: one of my husband's many-times-too-big T-shirts and underwear. "Hurry, we'll have to change first."
"Not so fast, Coop," Willis said, pulling me back with a wicked grin. "Did I mention last night was probably the best night ever?"
I laughed. "You might've said something to that effect, yes. And I definitely can't argue that point."
Now that I was lying back down, Willis leaned over and let his face hover dangerously close to mine. "If it weren't for this stupid war, Natalie, I---"
He never got to finish what he was going to say. Before things could get interesting, our son Gabriel came bursting through the bedroom door.
"Mommy! Daddy!" he cried with a huge smile on his face. Our son jumped on the bed and situated himself between us, looking for all the world like the happiest kid on the planet.
"Hi, sweetheart," I said, giving my son a kiss on his forehead. "Did you sleep ok yesterday?"
Gabriel grinned at me, nodding vigorously but remaining silent.
"You were pretty happy to have Mommy here to put you to bed last night, weren't you?" Willis asked.
"Yeah, and Daddy, too."
Willis and I exchanged glances, smiling at what our little boy had said.
That's when I first felt it, some indescribable mix of complete happiness and a sense of finally being in the place you belonged. I was off the frontlines, home with the two people I loved most, in a real bed, and I had good food and a shower just a few steps away. It was everything a war weary Marine could ever ask for.
Unfortunately, none of us could imagine the ugly events that were to take place in just a few months' time. Though we didn't yet know it, our lives were about to be turned upside down---and not only because of the Covenant.
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My mother left for work a short time later, saying she'd only barely managed to get the morning off to spend at least some time with us---now it was back to business. I was slightly disappointed, but with Willis and Gabe at home, there wasn't much I could complain about.
Today was a beautiful summer day in St. Louis, and so Willis and I decided to take our son to one of the parks in the city. Gabriel had been full of energy ever since my arrival, and the more time Willis and I spent together with him, the more excited he got. Nothing made me happier than seeing my son in such high spirits, and I had a feeling he'd especially enjoy our mini excursion.
After a few hours of running around and playing at the park with us, little Gabe was finally worn out. The mid-afternoon sun was really beating down by now, and Willis suggested we find a spot to stretch out on the grass. There were others who had had the same idea, but eventually we managed to find some shade beneath one of the trees. Sprawled on a carpet of green and lying next to Willis and I, Gabe fell asleep in record time.
My husband put his arm around our son's little shoulders, moving closer so that Gabe was resting against his ribs. Once I scooted just as close on the opposite side, we had sleeping Gabriel sandwiched between us. Smiling, Willis turned his head in my direction and reached for my hand with his own. I smiled back as I took it, and I wondered briefly if this was a taste of what life would be like after the war. I knew that right now I would continue to fight a million battles, if only that would allow me to live like this afterward.
Not an instant later, I felt that same feeling again that I'd had this morning: the one of happiness and belonging. Only this time, I recognized it for what it truly was. Looking over at my husband and son and knowing how content the three of us were together, I had a sudden epiphany. That thing I'd felt---both earlier and at the moment---wasn't truly a feeling, but more a fact.
I suddenly realized that I wanted to have another baby.
The thought caught me off guard, and I had to work in order to suppress it. Come on, Cooper, be realistic, I quickly rebuked myself. That's not going to happen any time soon, and there's a million good reasons why it shouldn't. I had Covies to fight and defeat at present, not to mention a company that was counting on my leadership; I couldn't afford to get pregnant now, not with everything that was happening in the war. Bravo Company had only recently lost its entire command structure during the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV, and it would be a huge blow to morale if their new commander was out of the fight so soon after taking charge. Still, those weren't the only considerations I had to take into account: what would Willis think about the idea? How would Gabriel react? And how could I have another child when I was frequently separated from the one I already had?
Fucking Covenant, I thought to myself. As usual, the bastards were deciding things that should have been mine---and Willis's---to decide.
