Winterbirth

A Halo Reach Fan Fiction by Marianne Bennet

A/N: Another very fun chapter to write. I'm beginning to hear the characters' (in particular now Emile's) voices distinctly which is sometimes a relief and sometimes a distraction. But mostly the former. :) Thank you to my readers and my beta-reader, EternalEntity. Enjoy!

Nine: Bird in Hand

July 30th, 2552

"It's quiet."

"Too quiet," said Emile in response to her observation and Six thought he was joking. "Don't get too comfortable, newbie."

"I don't think I'm ever 'comfortable,'" she replied, scanning the northern horizon as she spoke.

"You and me both, newbie. Radar checks out clean this side."

"Same here. When are you going to stop calling me that?"

"When you stop acting like one." He paused, maybe considering this, maybe falling asleep, Six couldn't say. "Or whenever the next one shows up." She heard him sigh over the comm. "I'm bored."

She traced the mountains to the east with her gaze, imagining the dawn rolling in like thunder no one could hear. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"Entertain me. Surely you have a story."

"Why would you think I have any stories worth telling?"

"Everybody has a story." He paused. "Jorge always has stories."

"I'm not Jorge; haven't you noticed?"

"Maybe if you bothered to take that helmet off more often, I would bother noticing."

"You're one to talk."

"Sure I am."

"Don't be a hypocrite."

"Make me."

Something caught her eye down along the rocky beach. It was really too far away to be anything worth looking at but Six squinted through her scope anyway. "Is this your idea of entertainment?" she asked as she adjusted the magnification with a flick of her thumb. "Bullying stories out of people?"

"Are you calling me a bully?"

"Yes, I think I am." She lined up the reticle with what looked like a smooth rock half-drowned by the tide and watched as it was repeatedly swallowed by each incoming wave.

"You better watch it, newbie, or I might have to come over there and show you how much of a bully I can be."

"That's alright. I don't want to trouble you," she replied contentedly and then sat down at the edge of the sandy cliff and watched the waves break on the shore. If she were a child or some naiad of another nature, she might run out into them. More likely, she would be another Hecuba, running out to drown herself among the waves rather than suffer another, more personal defeat. But Reach wasn't Troy, the Covenant wasn't about to come up to the gates in a wooden horse, and there were no beautiful women to fight over.

"You picking up anything over there?"

She sighed. "I almost wish. Now I'm bored. How about you tell me a story?"

"You wouldn't like my stories."

"Why do you say that?"

"You're a girl. My stories are all about dead… cats and other… cute things."

"Oh, so now you notice?"

He chuckled. "I don't know why you cared so much about my noticing. Seems to me the big man noticed a long time ago."

"You think cats are cute?" she asked, determinedly ignoring the latter part of his sentence, sure that he was teasing her and resolute that she would not rise to the bait.

"Uh, I guess. Maybe. Don't you?"

Shaking her head even though he couldn't see the gesture, she disagreed: "Cats are evil. And I know that I'm not the only girl who thinks that, so why would you assume I wouldn't appreciate your story?"

"Well, Kat never does."

"The name, Emile."

"Right," she could hear his grin. "Gotcha."

She sighed and lifted her scope to her gaze again, idly wondering if she was still sharp enough to take the measure of the tide. She looked to her previous mark, that tall, smooth stone and then let her gun fall back down toward her lap, blinking twice before lifting her magnum up again. How could she have missed for a moment…?

Heart racing but never taking her eyes off of the "rock," she called out over her shoulder, "Emile."

"What is it now, newbie?"

"There's something… ah shit." Capsules were descending onto the beach from above, a Phantom flickered to life in the air above the shoreline. She quickly got to her feet. "We're in trouble."

"Ah, shit," he echoed her previous sentiment as he bounded forward at a sprint into the vicinity. "Shit, shit, shit, shit," she heard him count out a beat as he took off into the temporary compound Noble Team was operating out of.

Six took stock of the enemy: Elites, skirmishers, jackals here and there. It was a large unit built for speed; they'd make short work of coming up the cliffs. Emile was rousing the rest of the team; it was only a few moments before all of the lights in the complex went dark. She had only just turned on her night vision when Jun emerged into the open, fully suited though still tightening a strap on one of his shoulders.

"Are they coming up the cliff yet?" he asked intently, studying the enemy party as they congregated on the shore.

"They didn't come for us; they're only a scouting party, I think," she replied. "I don't think they've seen us yet."

"They will," Jun responded with grim certainty. "And, when they do, they'll come. Let's get back inside. We need to take care of a few things before we set out."

"Are we taking the Falcon?" she asked as they stepped back inside the complex and made their way into the main room. "It would be faster by a lot."

"And get shot down by that Phantom?" said Kat from where she stood at the control panel, pulling up a set of coordinates.

"We might be able to slip out unnoticed."

"I prefer the bird in hand," said Carter, following Kat's thinking. "There's no time to airlift anything out of here, not the base and not us either. Kat, get me through to Holland and then fry the database. Noble Team's not about to be a security leak any time soon. Jun, go back outside and keep us posted. Six, start packing up the essentials. Jorge, Emile, you guys take care of the Falcon and then help Six load up the Hogs. We'll head into the mountains and request airlift once our position's secure."

Noble Team seemed to move like a hurricane around Six as they moved like clockwork in their various tasks. She had no idea what "the essentials" meant; she supposed that in the heat of the moment, Carter had forgotten she was a relative newcomer to Noble's style. That was alright, she guessed; better that than think Six to be incompetent altogether.

Suddenly grateful that Noble was to head out to a new location in the morning anyway and so consequently everyone had already packed up their duffels, Six swooped down on each cell-like room and swiped a bag from each bunk before backtracking through the compound to the modest garage. The comm. chatter buzzed in her ear as she ran:

"Commander, they've started up the cliffs."

"Is it because they've spotted us or because that's what they were going to do anyway?"

Jun took a moment to evaluate this. "I'm not sure, commander. They aren't pointing any fingers in our direction. Do you need more time? Do you want me to see if I can divert them?"

"Four, Five, how much damage have you done to that Falcon?"

"Not enough," was Emile's response. "We took care of the controls but it isn't anything that Kat couldn't fix in a hurry. But there's still that Phantom."

"I didn't forget it. Six, where are you?"

"In the garage, commander," she answered as she dumped her load into the Warthogs, shoving the bags underneath seats, "like you told me to be."

"I remember what I did five minutes ago, thanks." She rolled her eyes at his response. "Are we loaded up?"

"Negative, commander; I've still got to go back for weapons."

"Don't mind the weapons, Six. Kat and I will grab them on our way up." He paused and Six heard Kat tell him something in a muted voice. "Listen up, team: Holland's gonna set us up a rendezvous point a few miles up into the mountains but we've gotta get there first. Kat, Jun, Emile, you guys take the fist Hog. Six, Jorge, and I got the second."

"Commander…"

"Kat's driving, Four." She heard Emile sigh. "Everyone in the garage. Now."

"They're coming up the hill now."

"Leave them be, Jun. Alright, team, let's load up."

The first to enter the garage were Jorge and Emile, both fully suited and both emanating anticipation. Six couldn't blame them; there was no better high than the thrill of chase, of time running out. Jorge announced his arrival by unbolted the gun from the leftmost Warthog and replacing it with his own. Dusting off his gloved hands, he nodded to Six. "The commander and the rest are on their way?"

She shrugged and moved to slap the controls to open the garage door. "They'd better be. I'm exhausted and I'm not really in any shape to drive."

"I thought Spartans were supposed to be ready for anything," Emile snorted.

"Oh, I'll drive," Six replied dismissively. "It's only that your chances of surviving the night would plummet."

"Carter…"

"What is it now, Jun?" Carter's voice took her by surprise as he hurried into the garage, helmet in one hand and two fresh DMRs in the other. He tossed one to Six who immediately holstered her magnum.

"Enemy's coming up the hill now. Acknowledge?"

"I thought I told you to get inside but thanks for the head's up. Get over here now, Three. Kat?" He looked around the room as though expecting her to enter at any moment.

She did, arms full of grenades and an assault rifle. Jun was quick to follow, running past her, breathless. "We need to go now," he said, gaze intent on his commander.

"Right," Carter took a deep breath. The impending attack seemed to have the opposite effect on him rather than the constant rush in Six's heart. He looked pale rather than excited but alert all the same. "Kat, get behind the wheel now. Emile, Jun, you're with her. The coordinates are in your suit. Go now. We're right behind you."

Emile leapt up, bracing the soles of his boots against the built in turret. Jun and Kat jumped in and then the latter powered up the engine. Carter came around the hood of the Hog, moving close to where Kat sat behind the wheel. She looked up at him and Six imagined with an unexpected pang that she was smiling. "Stay close, commander," was what she told him before she pressed her foot to the gas and half of Noble Team disappeared into the darkness.

Carter watched as the outline of the Warthog disappeared and then still stood there some, still watching. She watched him watching the mist, the mysterious pang still growing until it seemed to nearly swallow her like the curve of a wave closing in. But, as soon as the swell threatened to crash overhead, Six caught herself. "What are you doing?" she asked him, calling out into the minute hum of the silence. "They're still coming up that hill and they're not about to wait for us to get away."

Jorge clambered onto the back of the vehicle and Six leapt into the passenger seat as Carter slammed shut the driver's door. His eyes had still not quite lost that look like glass frosted over as he pulled his helmet over his head. "Let's get out of here," said Jorge and then Carter turned on the engine, pressed his foot down, and Six felt darkness tangible envelop them all.

When she felt her eyelids grow heavy, she leaned forward and studied the decal on the DMR in her lap. When she deemed that there was too much blood swishing around her skull, she tipped her head back and gazed at the sky. She went through this process several times before Carter commented on it.

"Are you alright over there, Six?" he asked, glancing up from the path that Kat's Warthog had cut through the underbrush.

Her vision was getting kind of blurry as she turned to look at him. "Falling asleep over here, commander, but it's nothing I can't handle. I think Jorge gave up though," she added, jerking her head in the direction of where Jorge sat in the back of the Hog, leaning up against the front seats with his back to his commander and Six.

"Who can blame him?" grumbled Emile over the comm. "The two of us get on the guns and suddenly there's nothing to shoot at."

"Already itching for some action, Emile, Six?" inquired Jun, sounding amused. "I would have thought that yesterday's raid would have tided you over for the time being."

"They only tide me over until the next one," was Emile's sardonic reply.

Six slid forward in her seat until her neck lulled against the headrest. "I'm not itching for a fight," she said irritably. "I just want to do something that'll keep me awake."

The brush that surrounded them was low lying, shrub-like, bristly, the ground sandy. The terrain wouldn't provide much cover in a fight but the sight of it made her wonder if the air around them was warm. Experimenting, she tipped her head forward and let her helmet slid into her hands.

Emile said something and then something else but his voice was muffled by the sound of the wind; there was nothing else but the rush in her ears. She relished the oblivion until Carter looked to her, said, "She's taken off her helmet; that's the reason," and then said to her, "What do you think you're doing."

"Breathing," she answered.

"Can't you breathe through the helmet? So I don't have to worry about you getting shot by something?"

"So you do care."

"Yes, I–" he shot her a look through his helmet's visor. "I thought I made that clear."

"We're hearing, like, half a conversation over here, commander," said Emile in a loud but equally dry voice.

"We're miles away from where we left the Covenant on the beach," said Six, ignoring Emile's interjection. "We've been driving for what, two hours? By the way, are we going to run out of fuel any time soon?"

"Unlikely," answered Carter, momentarily diverted. "Holland was very clear that fuel would not be an issue in getting to the rendezvous point. Besides, judging on the distance we've already gone, we should be coming up on it soon. Now, is there an actual problem with your helmet or are you doing this just to annoy me?"

"Oh, I should think a little bit of both," she replied carelessly. "But why are you asking? You might not like the answer."

"I like to be sure of things."

"So I've seen."

"Have you been watching?"

She didn't respond at first but then Six said, "I watch you as much as you watch me."

He didn't seem to have anything to say to that, seemed to have been put on the spot as much by her response as she had by his question. Finally, he looked straight ahead, not sidelong at her as he had before, and asked, "Kat, how close are we anyway?"

"I'm pulling up to the coordinates the colonel sent us right now but there's no one here. We might be early; we made better time than I'd expected. Or they might be late."

"Can't discount that," input Jun.

Carter pulled up at the edge of a copse of trees, pulling up alongside their doppelganger as Kat leapt out of the vehicle, careful to keep her back to the arriving party. Idly as she exited the passenger seat, Six realized that Noble Two had not spoken at all during the entire ride until Carter specifically asked her a question; given the experience of the past few days, she was able to identify this as atypical Kat behavior. But there was little time to muse over that as Jorge dropped down beside her and Carter started for the trees.

"Looks like it might rain," Noble's leader noted as he scanned the area with both his gaze and radar. "Trees should provide some shelter."

"How long will we be out here?" asked Jun, passing by Kat to stand beside Carter and squint through his sniper rifle through the trees.

Kat moved with a silent step through the grove, patrolling the perimeter. Responding to Jun's question, she said, "Hopefully not too long. I hate sleeping out in the open."

Privately, Six disagreed. There was a security in sleeping in a place where one's back could not easily be pressed back against a wall, where there was always somewhere to run to, where, if one was alone, one could be sure of just whose step it was that crinkled the undergrowth.

Laying his gun to rest beside an elder tree, Jorge said, "Do you want me to activate the beacon or do you think we're still too close?"

"We covered a lot of ground," was Carter's answer. "If those hostiles are going to find us tonight, the beacon won't have been the deciding factor. They'd have had to have followed us out here and I don't think they did."

"Highly unlikely," Kat was quick to agree. "Who has first watch?"

"Let's be realistic," said Emile in condescending tones. "Is anyone actually going to try and sleep out here?"

"Do all of you have issues with sleeping outside?" asked Six.

"It's not an issue," said Emile, offended. "It's an aversion. I grew up in a city, okay?"

"No one is going to sleep," Carter laid down the rule. "We have to be ready to go as soon as they arrive. No questions; we're all staying awake."

Six set her helmet down beside her on a felled tree trunk and perched her left foot upon her right knee, stretching out her hamstring. Around her, the other members of Noble Team settled into similar positions, leaning against trees and the like. She told herself that she was pleased to see that they maintained a distance from her; she liked the solitude and the silence. And then Noble Leader had show up and ruin everything:

"You need to put your helmet back on," he said as he crossed the copse to stand before her. "This isn't the rec room. We're still in the field."

"Field looks pretty clear to me."

"Why do you do this?" he suddenly wanted to know. "If everyone else is taking off their helmets, you insist on wearing yours. When everyone is all suited up –as they should be at a time like this, –you persist on doing the opposite."

"If you're going to give me a lecture," she told him, planting both feet on the ground again and leaning forward, doing her best to look him in the eye, "you might want to take off your own helmet; give the more obedient members of your team a break."

"I can't do that. I'm the commander; unlike you, I am aware of my responsibilities."

"And how's that doing for you?" He did not answer at first; she smiled and gave it time to sink in. "Why not take a break, give something else a chance to work?"

"There are times and places for breaks and this is neither, Six."

"Are you going to order me to put my helmet on now, Carter? Why can't we just… see eye to eye and… agree to disagree?"

"That isn't seeing 'eye to eye,' Jennifer."

That stopped her dead in her tracks as she felt something between her throat and lungs tighten. "That's going too far."

He folded his arms. "Your commander calling you by your name is not 'going too far'… Jennifer."

Rubbing her palms against the plating on her knees, she looked away through the trees and then back to him. "If we're going to have this discussion, can you at least take off the damn helmet with the damn comm. so we at least have the illusion of privacy?"

For a moment, she thought he was going to let it go, walk away, pretend nothing had happened, pretend that he didn't have to level with her, that he was above that, above all of it. But then she felt like their eyes finally met through his visor and then he sat down beside her on the fallen log and pulled off the helmet.

They sat in silence for a few moments; she felt the weight of him beside her, and then she said, "You didn't have to do that."

"Looks like I did."

"No, you didn't."

"Well, I did anyway so stop arguing."

She let her gaze drift along the ground, lingering on how his boots fell beside hers on the forest floor, and then she looked up, "The… moon sure is pretty."

"Yeah," he hesitated. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Letting her feet sway slightly to hit the trunk in quiet rhythm, she couldn't resist mentioning, "I bet you couldn't see that with the helmet on."

"Drop it."

"Alright," she said because there suddenly seemed to be no other word in her vocabulary. She didn't know where to go from this; this eventuality hadn't played into Six's plans. So she waited rather than instigate anything else.

Finally, Carter said, "I guess what I've been trying to get at is that… I feel sometimes like I –that we all have been bending over backwards trying to understand you since Day One but you won't give me –us –the time of day."

"If you'd been trying to understand me, you'd have taken off that helmet a while back."

"But that's me coming all of the way to you. I can't do that; no one can do that. I'm asking you to meet me in the middle."

"You can't wear a helmet half on half off, Carter."

"Yeah, well maybe you can if you're smart enough about it," he said.

Again, Six didn't seem to have anything to say to that until: "Look, I didn't–"

"Didn't what? Didn't realize that you had that effect on people?"

It nearly killed Six to say this but: "I didn't realize that I had any effect on you."

"Yeah, well," he said again and then hesitated. "Well, maybe you do."

He was smiling at her, tentatively, but she was already getting up and saying that she had to go. Her helmet was already in her hand when her feet touched the ground and she immediately started walking as soon as she'd found her legs again but every step seemed to make the distance behind her seem shorter. So she walked faster. She had already figured out that lightning can only strike you twice when you're stupid enough to stick around for the encore.