Alright Ladies and Gentleman. Many of you will notice this chapter is the shortest so far. You will see why in a few scant moments. I've decided to try and spin a new series of stories, abridging from this one. It will be an alternate series of events, branching from this Chapter, so that I can try a concept i have been pondering since chapter 2. This is a huge chapter. There fore it's length does not really matter so much, as long as it gets you to thinking about the possibilities. As Always, I love my girl, Please read and review all, favy, etc.
Yours without reservation,
~The Shadowed Gunslinger~
The Following weeks went by in a haze of doctors offices, scans, and checks to ensure Cassandra had not been changed or turned toward the Earth forces. After ensuring she was clean she was temporarily discharged with John by her side, on orders for some much needed R&R.
The nights were the hardest. Hours of making love between them, became hours of sleep filled with her nightmares at the tortures the covenant had visited on her in the years past. He held her close as her screams filled the night and curdled blood at the mere sound, he vowed to kill a thousand Covenant for every scar they had put on her body, so as far as he was concerned their entire army was fucked.
They spent their days together on Earth, Mombasa was a beautiful city by the sea, and they took advantage of every opportunity to swim, both knowing that the people would look on in disgust at the deep scars that zigzagged their bodies. They made love everyday, each trying their damnedest to make up for the time they had lost. All day Together, all night together.
For the most part the going was easy. They talked of leaving the military if they could, no Spartan had ever lived long enough to make such a decision, so they weren't sure. They decided to speak to UNSC Commander of Operation in Mombasa, but were told that it was unprecedented and there fore could not make a decision on that matter personally. He Informed them that he would Contact SecNav, or Someone else with stars to make a decision, until they were granted indefinite leave pending what was passed down.
Weeks filtered down, and they had finally decided that it wasn't going to happen, when they were summoned to do a Mission. Pending it's success, and their survival, they would be formally Discharged. They were ordered to destroy a Covenant Battle Cruiser called Repentant Faith. It had come much too close to the Solar System that Earth called home, and needed to be destroyed lest the Covenant discover the Home planet, and cripple the entirety of Humanity against the Covenant onslaught.
They both knew this mission would be dangerous. The night before they left Earth in search of the "faith" they came together one last time, and as John fell asleep, but could not hear, she whispered in his ear..."this child will know a life without war"....."his father will see to it"......