So sorry that it's been SO long since an update. The story stopped with Marcus' odd words to Baird, Baird having no knowledge of what he meant. Just like any kind of foreboding circumstance, Baird wonders just what Marcus was implying...

~*~*~*~Chapter 3: Labyrinth of Emotions~*~*~*~

New Jacinto Hospital, New Jacinto, Anvil Gate

A week and half later...

As much as Baird relished silence, he couldn't dwell in it if he was extremely bothered. Unfortunately, he was and had been for awhile.

Waking up the day after the fight, Baird decided that it was best for him to explain what he was feeling to Marcus. It didn't really make sense to hide from the man when he would know the answers to why Marcus had stopped sending him letters.

Making up would also allow them to get back to business. "The business"was a large part of the reason why Baird wanted to let go of his anger, he selfishly admitted to himself. The fact that he had Marcus in such a close proximity and couldn't fuck him was driving his libido crazy.

Yet, as he went in search of his hairy pri-mate, he couldn't find hide nor tail of Marcus that day. And since that day. It seemed as if the man had simply vanished. Baird had inquired about his whereabouts with little to no information received. And as much as Baird would have liked to have done a more active search for him, he wasn't able to without bringing suspicion upon himself.

A week had since passed from his last search and he had learned that Doctor Isabel Hayman had asked for him to visit. This, he thought, was highly unusual since the old crone never visited with anyone. When he had arrived to her cramped office in the hospital that morning (a building that had seen better days but was slowly coming around), his eyes widened as she thrust a small cup and something that he hadn't seen in ages-pornographic magazines-in his face, telling him in a curt voice "Hurry up and fill the cup! The other areas of the hospital are full, so you'll have to do it in here." Her expression wasn't too pleased.

"Fill this with what? My piss?" The words were out of his mouth before he could reel them in. She had just stared at him as if he was a pitiful dumb child.

"If I have to tell you what to do in this instance, I'm surprised you've survived the war."

He faintly wondered how someone hadn't squeezed a bullet between her eyes due to her lack of bedside manner.

"Why do you need a sample of my...mine?" He inquired as she began to search in a drawer for something. The small office was stashed full of papers, folders, and other things. There was barely any room for him to move.

"You have your orders and what to do. Now do it!" she snapped.

Baird froze, clenching the magazine in his fist. "I told Hoffman that I wanted nothing to do with this." In all of his searching for Marcus, he had completely forgotten about Hoffman's decree to him.

"Look." she turned to him, beady eyes staring at him coolly. "It's either you do it this way or you do it the old-fashioned way. Hoffman said that you bitched about doing it the other way, so this way is safe." She shook her head in annoyance. "Do you think I want to do this? I don't. I have other people to care for instead of your semen. I should be tending to them. But I'm being forced to do this."

She moved to another drawer, grumbling. "I mean...I understand Marcus doing it this way since he's with that girl-"

Those words made him sharpen his focus on her. "What do you mean?" He tried to sound disinterested. "I didn't think Anya would be accepting of Marcus doing it."

Hayman snapped at him. "He wasn't asked. But even you should know that if Marcus was asked to help better Sera in any way possible, he would do it. So why are you bitching?"

Baird gritted his teeth. No one had ever spoken to him so harshly before besides his mother. And he was ready to strangle the hag. Lack of sex made Baird's rational and somewhat adept social skills sink closer to a rabid animal than a civilized human.

She shuffled over so that she could stand in front of him, her official white coat seeming to swallow her small frame.

"Look." She said, in a tone that was almost civil. "The recipient has promised to raise your child away from you. You won't have any ties with it and it will have a loving home. So there is no need to worry. Your daily life will not be affected. But it is necessary that your genetic material be used to pass on your intelligence. Let's just hope the child doesn't have your arrogance as well."

"But I'm not the type of man to abandon a kid that I've birthed."

"You can't abandon a child truly if you're dead before they're born."

He looked at her skeptically, a small sneer on his face. "But I'm not...and I won't be. Unless if you or someone else tries to slip me something."

"I haven't got the time." She shook her head fiercely. "Let someone else do my job for me. What I meant, though, is that she will tell the child you died bravely in the war. With the lack of resources, there's no way to prove that, now is there? Unless if you go blabbing." She added as an after-thought before leaving the room.

Baird sighed. He was racking his brain for any way out, something that he could do to ensure that he wouldn't have to do this against his will. But short of catching a disease, he could think of nothing.

His eyes perused the glossy print of a buxom tan brunette, legs spread to reveal her tender spot between her thighs. It embarrassed him to realize that he hadn't seen a woman's vagina in ages...and that his member hadn't shifted—not even slightly-at the sight of it. Usually a woman in such a vulnerable position would have made him instantly rock hard.

Focusing on the perky nipples and round succulent breasts didn't help either. He found himself flipping through the pages slowly, criticizing each woman on a certain feature that he found to be unattractive—the "placed" position of her body, the "pouty" lips, too much make-up—until he threw the magazine down in disgust.

What was he going to do? What could he do? He realized Hoffman had backed him into a corner. At least Baird didn't have to explore unknown territory unprotected, but he was still giving himself to another woman.

Yet...it's not like anyone will really know. He thought. Only Hoffman and Hayman. I won't ever see the kid... And what did Hayman say? That if Marcus was in a similar position, he certainly wouldn't hesitate?

That thought opened up a flood-gate of emotions within Baird, and he instantly felt a wave of anger wash over him.

Marcus lived for the COG and he would die by it. If anything was needed for him to do, he would certainly find a way to do it. Just like how he hid his relationship about Anya even though everyone knew and the times Marcus hadn't ever responded negatively when people asked for favors instead of going to fuck out Baird's brains.

Baird could guess that Marcus wouldn't have been struggling with his decision if he had been in Baird's place. If his seed was needed and Marcus wasn't with Anya (as everyone thought), he would have happily filled up a thousand cups due to his sense of honor and duty.

He wouldn't even think of Baird.

He stared at the small cup. Would it be okay for him to do this since Marcus would undoubtedly do the same?

In a field 10 miles from New Jacinto...

"Marcus, you don't have to do this if you don't want to..." she whispered as the wind blew about them. Both Anya and Marcus were shaded by a giant oak that stood alone proudly in a wheat field. It gave them time to rest, although that was all they had been doing.

The large man was silent, not responding to her words.

She tried to catch his eyes, but he avoided hers as he seemed to stare into space. His back was against the strong oak, both hands rested upon a raised knee. But she could see by the slight twitch of his hard-set jaw that he was struggling with something he rarely spoke about: his feelings.

"But Baird..." she goaded softly, trying to get him to speak. "What about him? Surely you've thought about this..."

He said nothing for a long while before speaking in such a hushed tone that Anya had to strain to hear him. "It seems like that's what he wants now..."

"I'm sure there's an explanation for his actions." Anya said, her voice filled with emotion. "I'm sure Baird is only doing what he thinks is right which is why he may be avoiding you. Whatever the reason."

Marcus gave her a long look before replying. "So am I." Anya said nothing else, but she sneaked glances at Marcus as the sun began to set. She couldn't believe what he was going to do...and she didn't want to imagine what the news would do to Baird.

"So, that's it then?" She finally spoke, shaking her head as she received an incoming transmission over a private line of the communications network, slowly standing. "Sorry, Marcus. Someone's on the line." The words sounded stupid as she said them aloud. It was obvious that he wasn't going to answer her.

"...Yes, Chairman. This is Lieutenant Stroud." Listening for a few moments, she glanced at Marcus quickly then said, "It's...still unsure, sir...Of course. We're only sixteen klicks out. We'll recover the material." She pursed her lips.

Marcus gave her a tired look, but listened to the snippets of her conversation as he got up. Anya grabbed their Lancers that were leaning against the tree and gave him a weak smile. She handed Marcus his as they both headed back to the Packhorse that was resting a few feet away.

"What does he want us to do?" Marcus muttered, eyes warily surveying the terrain with the light from the sun draining fast. Even though Anya knew that the Maelstrom had completed destroyed any Lambent and Locust, they were still threatened by other humans. She also knew that Marcus' guard would never be let down. It was second nature to him.

"We have to go and recover precious material from the lab." She whispered, still listening.

He stared at her climbing into the driver's seat, his eyes showing that he was a little puzzled. "What kind of precious material? Is it hazardous?"

She began to shake her head, to declare that she was unsure, before she froze. "What is right. As well as who." She said softly. Marcus threw the Packhorse into gear, watching her, heading back to New Jacinto. "And hazardous? You decide...Uh...Chairman, sir? Did you say Corporal Baird?"

Her eyes were wide as she turned to Marcus, taking her hand off of the comm button so that Hoffman wouldn't hear her. "Oh god, Marcus. The sample? It's Baird's."

"I kind of figured that from what you said." he responded as Anya concluded her conversation with Hoffman. "But what kind of sample? What makes anything of Baird's so damn precious?"

"His..." Her voice trailed off as she tried to avoid his eyes. She knew that he had the right to know so she inhaled deeply before turning to him. "It's his sperm." She said, watching Marcus' face closely for any sign of a reaction. The only thing that she could see was a slight widening of his eyes.

"His sperm?" Marcus sounded almost confused, though it was apparent that he was more than a little uncomfortable. "Why would they need his sperm?"

She gritted her teeth, wanting to spare him any pain but knew that telling him was the right thing to do. "Baird's enlisted in the Breeding Program, Marcus. By this time next year, he may be a father."

She didn't expect the Packhorse to suddenly jerk to a stop, throwing her forward so that her chest hit the dashboard. Nor did she expect to see the type of emotion in Marcus' eyes as he stared back at her.

She began to fumble out an apology to tell him, asking him to excuse the poor timing of the revelation of such sensitive information when Marcus sighed. He said nothing as he continued to drive, Anya tentatively watching him, until the settlement was in view. She had to draw the words out of him.

"Are you...okay, Marcus?" she whispered, turning her soulful eyes upon him.

Marcus blinked rapidly a few times. He seemed to be chewing over his words, picking them carefully. "Baird..." He said softly, no emotion in his voice. "Baird was doing his duty, what he was told. And I'm doing the same."

The last word held an air of finality for the conversation and no more words were spoken as the Packhorse sped to New Jacinto.

Within the tavern at New Jacinto...

Baird shook his head as he finished his third beer. The usual bad tasting liquor was beginning to taste bearable, which was a good thing. He didn't want to be drunk off his ass, but he wanted to dull the traitorous feeling that filled his chest. He felt like he'd just cheated on Marcus without even doing anything.

Looking around the busy pub, Baird noticed the drunken people were galore, laughing and cavorting about like fools. He tried to tune them out as he searched for the gray-braided Cat Lady. Baird had asked her to see if she could maneuver any news about his lover from the Chairman, since he usually told Bernie everything. He had yet to see her come in. Or Cole for that matter.

"Think of the devil..." Baird muttered aloud as he watched Cole enter.

A loud yell in greeting rose to him and Cole bellowed one back, raising both hands like he used to in his Thrashball days. Cole then began to make his rounds of personal acknowledgments to every person he knew as well as a few he didn't. By the time he had made his way to Baird, he had two beers in his hand. Sitting down across from Baird, he pushed one over to him.

"Hey." Cole sounded a little worn out, although no one would know due to his usual demeanor. Baird nodded in greeting, happily bringing the mug to his lips. "What's going on? I haven't really seen you around."

"Doing business for Hoffman and helping out the engineers with side projects while they drag their ass." He took a swig, and welcomed the homemade brew down his throat. The feeling of despair was slowly being overtaken by a warm calming feeling. Why did it take three beers for him to get drunk? "Also..." He dropped his voice an octave, keeping the tip of the mug to his lips, "wondering where the hell everyone's been."

Cole knew what Baird meant by everyone although he nodded. If he seemed a bit abashed by Baird talking about his lover subtly, he didn't seem to show it. Baird thought it was because Cole knew that Baird was more likely to open up with a few drinks sloshing around in his gut and if he was sober, he'd never have even broached the subject with him. "That's...actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

Baird's eyes slightly widened as he set down his mug, peering at Cole from across the table. He stated nothing, leaning forward to hear over the din of the noise. "What about it? You know where they are?"

Cole shook his head. "It's about Anya though." Baird sighed, not wanting to talk about one of the banes of his existence. "You notice how close Anya seems to be getting to Marcus?"

He nodded, taking another drink. "Yeah. But they're close friends. She knows how to comfort him. She touches him a bit too fucking much, but what can I do?"

His tone was exasperated. "I can't tell her to stop touching him since it'll get back to Marcus. I can't make a public scene because we'll be outed. I can't ask Marcus to stop allowing it and think about me for a change..." He snorted, the words forcing him to remember how Marcus and he weren't even on speaking terms currently. Throwing up his hands in a defeatist pose and sitting back in his chair, he hissed "Fuck it, Cole. I'm screwed!"

He didn't need to be reminded how much he loathed some double standards. As much as he wanted to stroke his lover's arm, kiss his hard lips, or simply give him a prolonged hug in public, they would be judged. They were both men and there was no leniency for them.

But any woman like Anya? They could do it as much as they wanted to since society damn nearly praised them for it. It hurt like hell, and he no longer wanted to be reminded of it. Especially since Marcus seemed to have left to fuck knows where.

Baird was about to continue speaking, bringing his mug of alcohol to his lips, when a drunk fell backwards into him.

He growled as the mug flew out of his hands, half of his alcohol spilling onto the table before he could stand it up. Baird himself nearly toppled to the floor due to the impact. Cole tried hard not to laugh as both Baird and he stood, then headed to the bar to find something to clean up the mess while Baird turned his lethal eyes to the drunk.

The blue-eyed blonde angrily shoved the drunk away, pushing him into someone standing at the table next to him. His mood was already foul without some drunken slop getting in his way and was hoping for the drunk to turn around to try to begin a confrontation so he could throw a frustrated punch.

If he exercised out his pent up feelings, he'd feel better.

His eyes were slits as he loured at a drunken Lennard Parry, a goofy toothy grin replacing the irritated look that he had shot behind him to see who had shoved him."Sorry, Baird." Parry slurred, grabbing a beer from the table where he stood and, trying hard not to stumble, made his way towards him. He slammed the beer down in front of Baird. "Hope this can make up for what I spilled."

"Do you like being a drunken ass, Parry, or are you just hiding a genetic disposition to alcohol?" Baird sneered. "That was only your first drink, if I remember correctly."

"I don't drink much ass." Parry said in a hard tone, but it held no malice. "Besides, we're all celebrating."

Baird gave him a skeptical look, his fury not dissipating. "What's there to celebrate? We're in the post-apocalyptic period due to our own idiocy, or, rather, the idiocy of a few. The civilization that we've known will take thousands of years to rebuild which I won't live to see. And I have an annoying drunk bothering me. So I ask again, what is there to celebrate?"

A small laugh escaped Parry. Baird's nose scrunched up in disgust and his eyes looked disfavorably upon Parry who had put his arm around him as if they were close. Parry shook his head. "A marriage. There's...going to be a marriage. I don't know who...but we're celebrating the fact that people can find love now. Isn't that reason enough to celebrate, Pess...Pess...Pessimism?"

Baird ignored the alcohol-induced dig, moving away from Parry's faux brotherly embrace. "Well, go celebrate with the other drunks. How am I supposed to enjoy my drink if a nuisance bothers me?"

Parry just laughed and moved back to his table. Baird gritted his teeth to keep calm, doing another once-over for Bernie. He caught Cole chatting up the same barmaid that Baird wanted to sleep with as he looked at the clock over the bar. It was 8:30 but he saw no sign of the old lady. What was keeping her?

"I can't believe you're not joining us, especially since the people getting married are people you know, Princess." Baird didn't hide his groan of disgust as Alexandria Brand came into his view from behind him.

"I just got rid of a bothersome idiot and another comes. Is there no end to you, cockroaches?"

Alex gave a smile that clearly told him that she was enjoying riling him up. "I live to annoy you, Baird. Now, are you going to answer the question or are you going to continue being the same careless dick that you are?" She motioned over at Cole without looking. "I mean, what kind of friend calls his friend a "cockroach"?"

"I wasn't referring to Cole." Baird nearly snapped at her, his temper almost flaring. He then sighed and responded, "I don't know anyone getting married."

Alex shook her head as she eyed the beer that was spilled on the table now dripping over the side. "Wow. What kind of comrade you are." She shook her head. "They're in your Squad."

He raised a single eyebrow, his interest peaked, eyes returning to Cole. "Well, I wouldn't know a damn thing about what my Squad has done since I'm not usually around them much anymore." He purposely said them to show her that he didn't consider her part of Delta truly. She picked up on it, her eyes looking dangerous.

So what if she had saved his life from Annalisa? She was still an annoying bitch to him. Even if she did have her tolerable moments like Samantha Byrne.

He racked his brain to think of anything commemorative that had been done in the past two weeks. "And I know it can't be you." he jeered. "Who'd want to be miserable like that?"

Alex laughed nonchalantly. "And you call yourself a genius." She shook her head. "Marcus and Anya. It's their marriage."

A bomb seemed to drop into Baird's stomach, a feeling of dread overtaking him. As much as he wanted to come up with a snarky remark to overcome the rush of confusing sensations that he was feeling throughout his body, but he was speechless.

Without realizing, he took a physical step back as if the blow of the news had knocked him. His skin slowly drained of any color. He felt as if the wind had been vacuumed out of him and he couldn't breathe. He stared ahead of him at nothing in particular, fumbling for the chair ahead of him in order to sit down.

No. He thought. It CAN'T be. He wouldn't do that, would he? It just CAN'T be...

But as much as he didn't want to believe it...he knew it was true. Alex didn't know about Marcus' relationship with him. There was no way that she'd be lying of something major. He also knew that this was true...because everything about the past few months fit into a neat slot.

Marcus' abrupt end of written letters to him.

The fact that both Cole and he noticed how Anya was freely touching Marcus.

And his words...the last words that Marcus had told him. They hit him as if a train had barreled down on him at full speed.

"...Won't feel so bad about what's going to happen..."

Marcus knew. The bastard knew. He knew all of this time and never thought to tell Baird. Not in a letter or even to his face. Just how long was that asshole keeping the fact that he was getting married?!

It had to be two months since that was when the letters stopped coming. That twisted Baird's heart so painfully that he nearly doubled over.

Was that why Marcus was in his room that night? To tell him the secret that he'd hidden from him since he couldn't take the guilt anymore? A rush of evil joy went through Baird. He was now glad that he kicked the dipshit out of his room. And now he didn't feel bad about donating his sperm.

Alex had perked up at his sudden change of demeanor and sat down in the chair next to him. Cole had come back to the table with a dry cloth and immediately caught his buddy's face. "What's wrong?" he asked in a serious tone, wiping the table.

Baird took the towel from him to wipe his side of the table, not hearing Cole's question. "...It's...It's against the rules. No fraternizing with other Gears especially those who are Officers."

She shrugged her shoulders, drinking her beer, seeming to be satisfied that she was the reason why Baird was stricken speechless. "I didn't think you'd be one to care for rules, Princess." she said, as Cole returned to his seat. "But Hoffman pardoned them. He told them that they couldn't resume duties until they agreed to be married. Only Delta knows who though." She added, staring at him to let him know that this confirmed her place in Delta Squad.

Hoffman pardoned them? Hoffman? He shook his head, his stomach feeling sick. That couldn't be right. Hoffman was one to always abide by the strict rules of the COG. He knew what the rules were...

Then again, Marcus was a close friend of Hoffman's and Hoffman knew that Anya and Marcus were close. He had also urged, if Baird remembered correctly, Sam Byrne, Samantha's father, to stay with his pregnant girlfriend instead of head out to war. If Hoffman would do that for a soldier...

Baird's white skin immediately rushed with an angry red, fury overtaking the feelings in his gut, chest, and head. "Did you know about this, Cole?" He said, his tone slightly accusatory, clenching the towel in his fist. He was glad that Alex hadn't picked up on it since she had leaned back in her chair to speak to someone at the table next to them. Baird would feel hurt and betrayed if Cole knew about engagement. Why wouldn't he tell him? They were fucking buddies.

"Know about what?" Cole seemed genuinely surprised as he took a drink, his eyes fleeting from Baird to Alex then back.

He whispered through gritted teeth, barely able to control his breathing. "Anya and Marcus. Getting hitched."

Cole nearly spit out the liqour. "What?!" He said a bit loudly. Alex looked back at them, but continued her conversation as Cole whispered. "Are you sure?"

"Quiet down, Cole!" Baird seethed, nostrils flaring. He was seeing red. He couldn't think straight...so many thoughts were going through his head... "That's what Alex said! It all makes sense. Don't you see, Cole? Everything makes sense."

"What makes sense, baby?" Cole tried hard to whisper. "To me, nothing makes sense. Not about this! Are you sure?"

No. He wasn't. He wasn't absolutely sure. But Alex wouldn't blatantly lie about something like that. She had nothing to gain from it. And Parry had even said that people were celebrating a marriage...Wasn't that proof enough?

Baird related his thoughts to Cole who shook his head when his "evidence" was presented. "I see what you mean, Baird, but something's not right. I mean, you say Marcus never wrote you but I've seen him writing letters."

"Maybe he couldn't send them because he wanted to tell me in person that this was what he was going to do." Baird's head was pounding with fury and he was becoming more erratic by the second. "I mean, Hoffman pardoned them to have a fucking wedding, Cole! And we both know that Marcus is Hoffman's pet and how fucking strict the man is on rules. For fuck's sake, he nearly demoted me for a slight insubordination! Remember?!"

Baird watched Cole nod, his chest feeling heavy and his throat feeling as if there was something in it. He began to wheeze and had to force himself to take deep breaths. His blood was boiling and there was no way to stop it.

"That's why I said it doesn't make any sense. Hoffman letting them do this? It goes against one of the rules in the COG."

"So does giving Sam's father the option to stay behind and not have to face a court martial for his knock-up."

"Baird, that was an extreme case-"

"-Yet one that still defies the rules. Why are you defending him, Cole?!" Baird stared at him, not a little hurt that his friend seemed to be siding with the Hero once more. The same man who was notorious for pulling wool over people's eyes and getting whatever he wanted. The same man that Baird hated before.

"I'm not!" Their conversation was no longer strained due to Alex moving to the bar with Parry. "Something seems off about this to me. Doesn't it seem that way to you?"

"No." He responded, deadpanned, his head pounding with anger. "After all the fucking letters I sent..." His voice nearly broke and he had to clench his jaw. His heart was breaking and he didn't know how to stop it. He hadn't ever felt this way and it was one of the reasons why he never wanted to get into a relationship with Marcus in the first place: he never wanted to feel what he knew, deep in his heart, would happen: a string-along rejection, a horrid man using him for his body and affection, and a shattered dream.

Cole shook his head once more. "Letters you sent?" he said confused.

"Yes, Cole!" Baird responded hoarsely. "I sent letter after letter after fucking letter and didn't get a response from Marcus!" He placed a hand over his heart, clutching his chest. The pain was almost too unbearable...

His best friend shook his head fervently, saying once more. "Baird baby, something's not right—"

"—You're damn right it's not." He said standing abruptly, hitting the table which made the drinks slosh onto the surface of it once more.

He needed to leave. Everything was fucking with him at that moment. It was too hot in the tavern. Everyone was speaking too loud. The stench of alcohol that surrounded his nose made him want to vomit, something that he was close to doing. He wanted to punch the wall and destroy something, but in order to stop himself from doing it, he had to leave.

His eye caught the clock above the bar again and read 8:50. He only came to the tavern to wait for Bernie and speak to her, but it was obvious that she wasn't going to show up. She may have known... That thought just made him even more angry. Alex did say that Delta knew about it. And it was obvious why Cole didn't know—he would have told Baird which would have turned into nasty business.

"I need...I need to go." he whispered, too low for Cole to hear as he slammed the towel on the table. It was hard to restrain himself from making a furious exit, but he casually walked out of the bar and headed towards the helicopter pad in the middle of New Jacinto. He knew that a Raven was due to come inbound and he was leaving back to Azura, whether Hoffman granted it or not.

He couldn't be around his former comrades. He felt that they were liars, keeping secrets from him, destroying his relationship with a man that he was in love with, celebrating a relationship he hated.

It should have been him! Baird should have been with the man that he loved. He should have been in the relationship. Why, after five years, did Marcus decide to do this to him? Why did Marcus just prove what Baird had believed all those years ago—the man was only using him for his selfish purposes!

The sharb jabs in Baird's chest grew as he heard heavy footsteps behind him. He briskly walked with no intention of turning around as a Packhorse zipped past him in a rush, drowning out the voice that was calling out to him

"Baird!" Cole called once more, his voice flitting into Baird's ear.

"Go the fuck away, Cole!" Baird yelled, turning his head back to him. "I'm done! It's done! We're done! Just go. The fuck. Away!"

Baird heard a Raven in the distance and sped up his walk to a light jog. Heavy breaths could be heard behind him. Cole was trying to keep up with him.

He finally caught up with Baird and stood in front of him as the Raven came into Baird's view.

"Listen!" Cole yelled, stopping Baird in his tracks by placing a firm hand on each of his shoulders and shaking him. "Something's not adding up! I have no idea why Marcus would do this now, but Baird...a few weeks ago he was angry with you! Don't you remember?!"

"He wasn't angry, Cole." Baird huffed out, defeat, hurt and anger evident in his voice. He removed Cole's hands from him. "He felt guilty about what he was going to put me through. And all the time I wasted for him is what really pisses me off."

He ran both hands through his blonde locks, sighing heavily. "I always knew that this would happen...sort of. But I allowed myself a piece of happiness. I believed that it wouldn't.." He shook his head, his hands on his thighs. "It's not like I could compete with a fifteen year relationship. And they've been spending so much time together that it should have been obvious..."

Cole shook his head once more as Baird, trying to keep the tears from springing to his eyes, nodded. "No."

"Yes." Baird retorted, nearly choking up.

"No."

"Yes..."

"No!"

"Yes, Cole! How can you stand there and deny it?!" Some of the anger had left Baird as he slowly came to a realization, the anger being replaced by severe emptiness. "He projected whatever feelings he had for Anya onto me for some reason. He was confused, thinking he wanted me. And now he realizes that his heart will always belong to Anya. Besides that..the only thing I can think of is that some men are afraid of long-term commitment."

"He's been with her fifteen years so I doubt he's afraid of commitment." Cole reasoned. "And Marcus isn't the kind of guy to misinterpret his feelings."

"The man doesn't talk about them, so how wouldn't he misinterpret? And I mean a commitment to a man, Cole." He sighed again once more, sidestepping his best friend and staring deeply into his eyes. "Afraid to truly commit to me. If he loved me, he wouldn't be doing this, now would he? No matter if Hoffman okay'ed it. He wouldn't be marrying that bitch. He would have sent me letters back. And we'd be together right now."

He closed his eyes due to the fact that his voice nearly gave away his deep-seated sadness. "I'm trying...I'm trying to keep my respect for him." The words came out almost breathlessly as Baird began walking, Cole right next to him. "Maybe he wasn't being malicious. Maybe he was trying to let me down easy but didn't know how. It would fit with his awkward mannerisms: he isn't socially adept to emotional situations. I don't know why, but I don't want to think anything horrible about him...as if he did this on purpose. Maybe..because..I love him...

But if he was trying to hurt me... Oh fuck, Cole if he was stringing me along—" The murderous look that he gave Cole forced the bigger man to slow down. "I won't forgive him, Cole."

The incoming Raven had set down by the time that both of them made it to the helipad. Anger was simmering beneath Baird's surface as he clenched and unclenched his fists, but he forced himself to dwell in a mindset that he rarely did: Optimism. The opposite would lead to disastrous consequences...and Baird didn't want that.

"I need to leave." Baird repeated to his buddy, waving his hand around to indicate New Jacinto. "I can't stay here and...and face this Cole. I did Hoffman's bidding and there's no reason for me to stay here." He looked away from his friend's hurt face. "I don't even know...if I'll come back."

"—Baird—" Cole began as his friend got into the Raven.

"What are you doing in here, Baird?" Gettner's annoying voice called from the cockpit.

"I'm done." Baird said flatly, revealing no emotion although there was a wave of them underneath. He buckled himself in. "No point in me staying."

"I didn't hear anything about taking anyone back."

"Well, it's one extra passenger." His voice was tight. "What's the big deal? I'll deal with it."

"It's a big deal since my ass is on the line. I don't care about yours." she shot back. "Did Hoffman say you can-"

"Yes, Gill!" Baird bellowed, fuming. His eyes were cold and hard as he stared at her eyes as they grew large in the cockpit rear-mirror. "Anything else?! You want to fucking check in with my mom to see if it's okay that I go back to my fucking home?! Huh?! Because she's in fucking Tyrus buried beneath rubble. You want to go dig her up?!" She averted her eyes from him, clearly shaken by his unusual outburst. "Then please fucking take me back."

Baird then shut his mouth tightly, gritting his teeth so hard that his jaw began to hurt. He waited to see if she was going to say anything else, then turned around to look at Cole who was shaking his head.

"I'm tired of ferrying you around." She grumbled beneath her breath after a few moments. She said nothing else when she realized that Baird wasn't responding.

"More than likely the last time you'll have to." he finally said.

Cole cursed heavily as the Raven rose into the air and took off. His brain was rapidly thinking, a heavy sinking feeling filling his chest. He wanted nothing to be true. None of it made sense. Marcus wasn't the kind of person to do what he was accused of doing.

Why was Hoffman suddenly allowing Anya and Marcus to marry though? Why hadn't he done it before? And when did he pardon them?

He made a fist and punched it into the palm of his other hand, frustrated.

"Cole?"

A surprised look flooding his eyes, Cole turned to his right to see Marcus and Anya approaching him, Anya holding a brown manila envelope. "Oh shit, I'm so glad to see you guys." He shook his head. "I need to get this out now and know—are you two getting married?"

Anya gasped as Marcus gritted his teeth. "Ah shit, Cole! Does everyone know?!"

"Only Delta knows—" He responded, reeling from shock at the fact that what was being said was true. He could see in Marcus' eyes that he didn't have to connect the dots for him.

"How—How is he?" Anya whispered.

Cole stared at Anya, anger filling him up from nowhere. His buddy was hurting and he wanted to find out why. This woman had caused him a lot of pain...

He pointed in the direction that the Raven took off. "He went back to Azura." He was keeping his voice steady as not to yell at the small woman. "Finding out that your friends turned their backs on you hurts a bit."

"Good."

Cole froze as Anya gasped once more, turning his eyes on Marcus who was staring right back at him. His eyes were dead. "You don't mean that—"

"I do." He cut him off cruelly and coldly, all in a soft voice.

"But why!? I mean, what did he do?"

Marcus just watched Cole for a few moments, as if trying to read something off of his face, before reaching into his armor and producing a crumpled envelope. His eyes never left Cole's as he shoved the envelope to his chest. Cole took it, extremely confused.

"You think you know everything about your goddamn, buddy?" He whispered hoarsely. "You fucking don't."

Marcus then slowly turned away from him as Cole brought the white envelope up to read. The letter simply stated Corporal Baird in neat hand-writing.

"It was in my mail." Marcus explained, no anger in his voice, no threat...it was emotionless. "I didn't want to open it, but I hadn't received a letter in a couple of months..." His voice trailed off.

He didn't need to say anything more. Cole could just imagine the types of things going on in Marcus' mind when he didn't receive any letters from Baird. He remembered how Marcus had simply asked him, obviously embarrassed, if he had gotten any mail and looked a little distressed each time Cole had said no. Marcus had nearly asked him everyday. Then one day, he had simply stopped asking Cole. Cole would tell him that he still didn't get any letters and Marcus would simply look away.

Now he seemed as if he didn't care. At all. What had changed?

Sighing, Cole pointed at the manila envelope that Anya was holding. "What's that?" Anya opened her mouth to speak but closed it when her eyes found Marcus.

Marcus snorted. Cole couldn't tell if it was a bemused laugh or in distaste. "Baird's sperm sample. He's consented to the Breeding Program."

The Thrashball player once again was surprised. Baird had definitely failed to mention that to him. "Was that why he was here?" He had heard Baird say that he had finished what Hoffman wanted him to do. Was the sample it? "Hoffman must have—"

"-asked him to give a sample. Baird agreed." The large man slowly turned around, growling from deep in his throat like a dangerous animal. His scar seemed to come alive and pulse like an angry wound as his arms hung by his side. "He fulfilled his...duty."

Cole heard the underlying tone of Marcus' voice, yet couldn't place it. His eyes grew at the information.. The fact that Marcus was showing some emotion proved that he cared for Baird a little. Right? If that display could be considered emotion...

"But...why? I mean, what's the point in him doing this now-"

"Marcus.." Anya whispered, placing a hand on his arm and slowly rubbing it, peering into his face. Marcus closed his eyes and breathed in through his nose. She turned to face Cole once more, hand still on Marcus to soothe him. "It's classified, Cole."

Classified? Huh. Ri-ight. Cole thought, knowing that she told Marcus the reason. His eyes returned to the letter he held in his hand. It had been opened with great care which allowed Cole to slip the letter out and read it.

His mouth slacked open a bit and he had to reread the letter to ensure that what his eyes were seeing were correct. Baird hadn't mentioned anything about this either.

Anya seemed to already know about it since she avoided Cole's eyes. "Marcus. When...when did you get this?"

"It must have come with his last letters." His voice could barely be heard since he had brought a hand to cover it. "The month that the post office was backed up...when Lyle Ollivar was at Azura. I found it last month..."

Around the time that Marcus had stopped inquiring about the letters from Baird.

"Shit." Cole verbally stated his disagreement with the letter in his hands. He had thought about it a dozen times and he'd continue to think it.

Something was definitely wrong.

Baird has went back to Azura, Marcus and Anya are getting married, Cole isn't sure what's going on, but he's hurting for his best friend. Life seems to be crashing down around Baird...

-The Breeding Program really consisted of Birthing Creches/Farms where women would be sent, forcibly impregnated, and then gave birth. Since this is Post-Apocalypse where almost everything is destroyed, they no longer exist.

-Alex Brand is a Delta Squad member who frequently gets into rows with Baird. In truth, I don't believe that they hold as much animosity towards each other as shown here, but when a man is in love, his emotions are haywire. As stated, she saved Baird from death once so he truly owes her his life...but that won't happen. ;D

-Sam's father-Sam Byrne-was given the option of staying with his bride-to-be when Avangad was being attacked. But he decided to be with the Gears which led to his death. This is in Gears of War: Anvil Gate.

-I made an oopsie. Baird is a Corporal, not a Private. So I fixed it. :X