Ike was sitting with a few men at the table at lunchtime, laughing and joking. He felt good and it was reflected in his laughter which no one there had heard in awhile. Snake sat with them, looking battle-ready as always. His eyes were on Ike, who was beginning to get unnerved under the watchful eye. "Alright," Ike turned to him with a grin, "what's up Snake?"

"You're gonna be out of here soon," it was a statement not a question and Ike just shrugged.

"I hope so."

"You still have time on your enlistment?"

"Yeah," Ike scowled slightly, confused why that mattered. "Why?"

"They probably won't let you be infantry anymore... How's your hand-to-hand?"

"Snake what's going on in that smoked out brain of yours?" Ike asked, remarking on Snake's one weakness, the edges of the pack poking out from his pocket.

"Just scheming... You thinking about re-enlisting?" Ike stared at him, the thought had crossed his mind, he figured it was better than getting stuck at a minimum wage job as a tax write-off. Zelda complicated that plan though. He didn't want to lose her like he lost Samus.

"I've been thinking on all that," Ike admitted and Snake just nodded once, pulling his pack of aforementioned cigarettes out and putting one between his lips. He held the pack out to Ike, who took one and the offered lighter. They sat there for a long quiet while, neither one speaking as they took drag after drag. Finally Ike dropped the smoked to the filter cigarette into the ashtray and stood up. If he wanted to see Zelda before she left for the day he should probably hurry. Snake followed him standing up and they shook hands.

"When your pretty doctor lets you out, let me know," he said as he clapped a hand on Ike's arm. Ike nodded and moved off, trying to be smooth as he walked to the elevators and up to her office door.

XxXx

"Yes?" Zelda called from her desk, not looking up from her files as her door opened. She had a tough case, one that she knew would never recover. Right now she was trying to find his medical records, he was having a reaction to the anti-psychotics and that was not good. She felt eyes on her and looked up, annoyance at being interrupted fading fast as she saw Ike sitting on her chair by the couch.

"You're beautiful when you're focused," he said and kicked his feet up on the coffee table. She rolled her eyes at the compliment and kept on with her papers, finding the right one with a satisfied noise. "I think Snake was trying to offer me a job at lunch," Ike said carefully and Zelda's head whipped up quickly. "He was asking about how long I have left, whether I'm going to re-enlist or not, that kinda stuff."

"And what are your thoughts on that?" her creased brow gave away her emotions her face hid, but Ike could read her like a book.

"I dunno," he said honestly. "If I did I'd have to go back over there and-"

"Ike! Ike!" a wild-eyed soldier barged in the room, red hair pointing in every direction. "There you are!"

"Roy what's up?" Ike leapt to his feet and Roy ran right up to him.

"Marth... he woke up and I..." he was gasping for breath to finish his sentence, but Ike was already out the door, sprinting as fast as he could as soon as the prince's name passed the red-head's lips.

XxX

Author's note: cliffhanger! Bum bum bum! Thanks for reading! Update soon!

Love, Leigh