I just realized how much of a hole I dug myself into concerning Kalgarro's location and the time necessary to get there. X.x Sorry about that. Just roll with it.

Chapter 12: Going on Vacation

Linda landed the Pelican gently and unbuckled from the pilot's seat. She stepped into the cargo bay where John was already unlatching the suitcase, Kelly was gathering their duffles, and Fred was hitting the hatch release. They trooped out into the spacestation's interior landing field.

The yacht, code-named White Dove, dominated the area. Unlike the grey steel around them, the yacht was painted a bright white with silver highlights hinting at wings along its length, hence the code name. It was smaller than the ships John usually traveled on, but then again, it didn't need three-meter-thick armor. Its defenses were minimal; it relied on speed and avoidance of enemies.

Though the station could – and had, in the past – house a dozen warships, its interior airfield was a new experimental feature, designed for easier loading and unloading of civilian and supply ships. As a result, the yacht, its nose sporting a fresh coat of paint to cover its true name, looked very out of place.

"John!" Jonathan shrieked in greeting, running over to the Spartans. John caught the child in one arm. "You're right on time. The ship's getting stocked now. Mom says your stuff can go over there." The child pointed to a group of crewmen moving heavy crates. "And Dad says to come see him when you're set."

"Thank you, Jonathan," John chuckled. He and Kelly took the luggage over to the crewmen, who accepted it readily. Meanwhile, Lucy had followed her brother and jumped onto Linda with a laugh.

"Hi, Linda!" Lucy crowed, snuggling into the Spartan's arms.

"Hello, Lucy. How are you?" Linda replied, ruffling the child's hair after adjusting her grip on the girl into a more comfortable position.

"Excited! Let's go!" Lucy pointed towards the yacht's nose, where Linda could see Terry and Wendy speaking to someone in the uniform of a pilot outside of the UNSC.

Fred followed Linda and Lucy. Terry greeted them with a wide grin; Wendy embraced Fred and then Linda in greeting. Kade, his eyes sparkling despite his usual somber expression, shook both Spartan's hands and held onto Fred's hand as Terry introduced them to the pilot.

"Linda, Fred, this is Mr. Gin Wasaski. He'll be our pilot on this voyage. One of the best, so I'm told. Mr. Wasaski, these two fine soldiers are Linda and Fred – they'll be serving double-duty as bodyguards and my personal guests."

"It is very nice to meet you," Mr. Wasaski said in slightly accented English, offering his hand. The two Spartans shook his hand with friendly nods. "I do not know what you will need from me, but simply ask and it is yours."

"Thank you," Linda replied, smiling. "Our gear should be stowed already. Our needs are few – two rooms will suffice."

Terry blinked. "Two?" he asked, curious. "No trouble, but I thought you four slept in a single room."

Fred hummed in agreement. "We've got a new arrangement," he explained, smiling slightly. Terry's eyes sharpened as he looked between Linda and Fred; Linda winked and Terry grinned widely. Wendy gasped softly and smiled, almost grabbing Linda's hand before recalling that the Spartan was holding Lucy.

"Then we will make the arrangements," Mr. Wasaski promised. "If I may, sir, we should get ready for liftoff."

"Of course, Mr. Wasaski. We'll load ourselves." Terry smiled and turned to greet Kelly and John. They walked up with Jonathan hanging between them, each holding onto one of his ankles, as the toddler squirmed and giggled. "Good morning, LT," he said, offering his hand.

"Good morning, sir," John replied, shaking the man's hand. Jonathan whined when the Spartans gently put him down. "We've stowed our gear."

"Excellent. Then I'll show you to your rooms." Terry beckoned for them to follow him, while Wendy took charge of the three children and took them to their assigned room as well.

John looked around in interest once they were inside. Instead of the dull grey walls and grated floor of a warship, the yacht had walls painted in a cheerful off-white color. Each hallway intersection had a service terminal displaying a map of the ship and a "You Are Here" symbol.

Terry showed them how to access the terminal's other functions – like calling the bridge or making a PA through the ship's loudspeakers – and they went deeper into the ship.

"We've got a gym down that way," Terry said, pointing down a hall, "as well as a small pool for lap-swimming or just relaxing. The children will love to play there. There's a hot tub for the adults as well. Did you bring swimming suits?"

"No," Fred answered, grinning ruefully. "Never occurred to us."

"I thought not. We brought some that should fit you. I should have sent you a packing list."

Fred chuckled in agreement. "I think we'll manage. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Next to the gym is a small library – I emphasize small – as well as an entertainment room with a projector and several game consoles, though I don't know if you'll be interested in using them."

"Actually, we brought one of our own, along with a game that caught my eye," Kelly replied happily. "So we just might."

Terry hummed in acknowledgement. "This hallways leads to the kitchen and dining area. There's no mess hall here – you want to eat, you make your own food. We decided not to hire a cook for the trip out, though a chef is aboard for our stay on Kalgarro and is happy to cook once in a while if you don't feel up to the task."

"A full ship kitchen?" Linda laughed. "I think I'm in heaven. I'll happily make every meal."

"We thought you might say that." Terry strode forward. "The crewmembers have cabins at the front of the ship; the back is reserved for us." He palmed an entry pad into a luxurious room, filled with a king-sized bed against one wall, two dressers, and two doors leading off. John opened one curiously and found the bathroom; Fred stepped into the closet through the other door. "This is one of the rooms we'll give you. It's up to you to choose who sleeps where." He winked saucily. "The other is just across the hall."

"Fred, Linda, like this one?" John asked, closing the bathroom door.

"Sure, we'll stay here," Fred replied, tossing his duffle onto the nearest dresser.

"Then we'll take the one across the hall," Kelly replied, going to the room Terry pointed out. She flung her duffle inside, landing it on the bed, and John tossed her his bag to do the same. "This is great, Terry. Thank you."

"You're welcome. We're going to be just down the hall." Terry pointed to another door. "That's ours; the kids will sleep across the hall." He nodded to the door in question.

"And our gear?" John asked, poking his head into the bathroom in his and Kelly's room.

"You'll be able to unpack it once we're underway," Terry replied. "Until then, join me on the bridge to watch our launch?"

"Sure," Fred replied, grinning. "I'd love to see how civvies do it."

"Most of our crew is retired UNSC," Terry replied, leading the way to the bridge. He pointed out a few spaces they ought to be aware of, including senior crew members' cabins, the crew mess, and crew gym.

"Why is the crew so separate from the guests onboard?" Linda asked quietly.

Terry nodded in understanding. "Most yachts are owned by rich people who would rather not 'mingle with the commoners' – and, to be honest, it keeps the crew happy, too, not to have to deal with idiots who might try to bully them. You'll probably be back and forth quite a bit, but remember that this is supposed to be their space."

Fred hummed quietly in agreement; Linda nodded thoughtfully, glancing into a room with an open door. The inside was more familiar to the Spartans; four bunks lined the walls with trunks at the foot of each one. The bunks looked more comfortable than warship barracks, though.

Terry announced them at the bridge and Mr. Wasaski invited them in with a genial smile. "We are nearly ready to leave, Mr. Hood," the captain said, waving to the viewscreens. The Spartans looked around in interest. Though they had been on ships most of their life, they had rarely been aboard civilian ships. The layout was much the same, though John noticed that there was a wider observation deck – possibly for guests on the yacht to observe, if they were so inclined.

"We're just waiting for confirmation of our papers," Mr. Wasaski said. "Then we shall leave the station and enter Slipspace at a safe distance."

"Perfect," Terry replied. "I'm going to return to my family, but you four can do as you please."

"I'd like to watch," John answered, glancing at his siblings, who nodded in agreement. Mr. Wasaski nodded permission and the former admiral headed back out with a wave. "We don't need a tour, Mr. Wasaski – we'll just stand over here quietly and listen." The pilot nodded, faint relief in his features as he turned back to his duties.

The authorization came through a moment later and John watched as the bridge's crew quickly locked down the ship and expertly steered it through the station's door, opened for them by the station crew. They drifted into space and then ignited the engines, speeding away from Earth. The viewscreens turned a beautiful black.

While John disliked being in space because of the lack of control he had over events that happened to the ship or his team, he had missed the liquid blackness and the grip of artificial gravity. He and his siblings watched as the crew, working seamlessly with the effortless communication of good friends, took their ship out to a safe distance from Earth and other ships and then initiated the Slipspace transition. The ship transferred smoothly into the bubble.

"Will you request your gear today?" Mr. Wasaski asked, turning to the Spartans.

John shook his head slightly. "Not until tomorrow, sir. We'll be fine until then."

The captain nodded and the Spartans, sensing that the crew was looking for some crew-only time, excused themselves. They walked quickly back to the civilian portion of the ship.

"Where to first?" Kelly asked as they passed back into civilian territory.

"Unpack," Linda replied. "Then I want to check out the kitchen."

"I'm up for that."

"We'll check out the gym, then," Kelly replied. John followed her into their room while Linda and Fred disappeared into theirs.

"Liking it so far?" John asked Kelly, unzipping his bag.

Kelly hummed thoughtfully. "It's… I feel less stressed. I don't know why, but something about this ship just… calms me." She grinned and pulled out her toiletries, taking them into the bathroom. "I like this ship," she called from inside. "Real toilets, running hot water with no thirty-second limit… I'm in heaven."

"You and Linda both," John chuckled, setting his own toiletries aside to put away after his clothing. He carefully refolded the shirts, pants, and boxers into the appropriate drawers in his dresser.

"I wonder where Terry plans on holding his holiday party," Kelly mused, coming out of the bathroom. John stepped inside to arrange his own toiletries; he put his toothbrush and toothpaste on the counter next to Kelly's, set his razor in a small drawer with his comb, and then folded his towel over the rack next to Kelly's.

"A civilian yacht probably has a function room. Probably one that can be converted between a community center and an office. I just hope he doesn't go overboard. He promised it would be a quiet affair," John replied.

"Not up for a big party?" Kelly teased.

"Neither are you." John eyed her, grinning teasingly.

"Well, yes, but you're the stick in the mud."

"Am not."

"Are to."

"You sound like a child."

"You started it."

John just rolled his eyes playfully at Kelly, who growled back at him. Unpacked, John sat on the bed, running his hand over the down comforter. He hummed in thought.

"What?" Kelly asked, pulling off her boots and wiggling her toes in the room's luxurious carpet.

"Just thinking," John replied, distracted.

"About what?" She tentatively sat down next to him, wiggling on the soft bed.

"It'll be different," John replied, "sleeping together like this. With the cots, we had a certain separation – available, even if we didn't use it. But a single bed… And it's really soft. I'm not sure I'll sleep well on it."

"I can always banish you to the floor. Or the bathtub." Kelly smacked him on the shoulder gently. "Quit overthinking things, John. If it's really an issue, you can always get a separate room." She couldn't quite hide the hurt in her voice at the thought, though.

"It's not that," John assured her, smiling. "I won't leave. Unless you start kicking again."

"One nightmare does not mean I'm going to be a restless sleeper the rest of my life," Kelly huffed.

"You still haven't told me what it was about."

Kelly looked away, shaking her head. "I don't want to talk about it," she said softly, rising. "Now, come on, I want to see the gym – and the pool."

John followed her, her bare feet slapping on the metal floor while his shoes clicked quietly. They didn't see any of the Hoods but could hear Wendy chastising one of her children in the kids' room. Kelly led the way first to the gym. They surveyed it with a pair of simultaneous sighs. The gym equipment was built for regular, non-augmented humans. Over in a corner, however, John discovered a rack of extra-heavy weights, which would fit the machines and give him and his siblings a real workout.

"Terry's so thoughtful," Kelly murmured, hefting one of the large rings. "These aren't standard-issue. They're custom-made." She pointed to the stamped identification mark.

"Yet another way Terry looks out for us."

Kelly hummed in agreement and the pair went next door to the pool. The room smelled strongly of chlorine and cleaning chemicals, but John liked the look of the two-lane pool. It was nearly four meters deep at one end, a diving section, while the other end was less than a meter deep. The floor sloped gradually between the two ends with a sharp drop-off about two-thirds of the way between.

"I've never tried swimming laps to stay in shape," Kelly mused, crouching to swirl a hand through the water.

John smirked and silently took a single step back. Kelly tensed just as his shoe caught her in the middle of her back, propelling her forward and into the pool. She landed, without any semblance of grace, in a splash of water and a barked curse.

"You asshole!" Kelly surfaced, sputtering, and wiped water out of her eyes, giving John the stink eye.

"I thought you wanted to swim," John replied innocently.

"I'm going to rip you a new one." She swam back to the edge of the pool and heaved herself out with a flood of water and a grunt. John stepped back quickly to avoid the water from the movement as Kelly stood.

"Come here," she growled, lunging for him. John anticipated her, though, and jumped backwards, avoiding her strike. With a wordless howl of anger, Kelly ran at him; John retreated again, through the door and into the main hallway. There was just enough space between him and Kelly that he could close the door between them; he did so and, knowing that wouldn't slow her for long, sprinted away.

Linda and Fred were in the hallway and flattened themselves against the wall as John hurtled past, followed quickly by a sopping-wet Kelly. Linda laughed and stuck out a foot, tripping John; the man barked in surprise as he rolled instinctively, but the motion had slowed him sufficiently.

"My work here is done," Linda sang as Kelly pounced on John. Fred grinned widely.

"You're an evil person," the large man chuckled, slinging an arm over Linda's shoulders as they walked away from the tussling Spartans.

"You'd've done the same. Are you hungry?"

"A little. Are you offering to cook?"

"We can get a snack, at least. I don't want to ruin your appetite if Terry wants lunch in an hour."

"I can always eat more."

Linda grinned and led the way into the kitchen. Behind them, John grunted unhappily as Kelly seized his hair, yanking his head back painfully, and wrapped her other arm around his neck. Her legs had his arms pinned to his chest already.

John gasped as he tried to pull a breath into his lungs and slammed backwards, trying to knock Kelly's grip loose. She hung on, however, and growled at him. "Say you're sorry," she demanded, tightening her grip around his throat.

"Sorry," John wheezed, surrendering.

"And that you'll never do it again." Kelly's grip loosened just enough so the larger Spartan could breathe a little easier.

"I'll never do it again." John grinned at Kelly. "Unless it's funny."

"I hate your new comedy streak," Kelly grumbled, releasing him and standing. "Now I have to change. And shower. Because I stink."

John rolled to his feet and smirked in reply. "I think Linda mentioned something about lunch."

Kelly snorted and walked back towards their room. John opted to follow Linda to the kitchen.

Kelly stepped into the bedroom with a quiet sigh. She quickly stripped off her soaked clothing and hung it in the bathroom to dry. She turned on the shower and stepped into the warm water. The smell of chlorine hung over her and in her hair; she scrunched up her nose unhappily and washed her hair thoroughly, scrubbing at her scalp to get the stink out.

Then she washed the rest of her body, rinsed off, and stepped out into the cooler air of the bathroom. The room had started heating up the moment she turned on the shower, so it wasn't too chilly, but goosebumps still rose along her arms and legs as she grabbed her towel from the rack and wound it around her torso. She stood, looking into the mirror, for a moment.

"You," she told her reflection sternly, "are a coward."

Her reflection sighed in agreement. Kelly turned away and headed into the main room, where she quickly got dressed and wrung her hair out. Clean and presentable, she headed quickly for the kitchen.

Jonathan, Kade, Lucy, and Wendy were seated at a large table with John and Fred, talking animatedly, while Linda hovered over a pair of pots on the stove. "Hey, Kelly," she greeted with a grin.

"Hey," Kelly replied, sitting down next to Kade and Lucy. "Having fun?" she asked them as they contemplated a board game, Kade seriously and Lucy with a giggle as she took Kade's piece.

"Yeah," Lucy replied. "We get today off; school starts tomorrow."

Kelly hummed thoughtfully. She glanced over at her brothers; Jonathan and John were playing a game that seemed to involve lots of moving of pieces that didn't necessarily belong to their owner. Mostly, Johnathan was moving John's pieces, and it looked like the Spartan was losing.

Wendy and Fred were talking about a recent report released by a think-tank about the latest bio-tech advancements.

Terry walked in as Kelly turned back to the two older childrens' game and greeted them all with a cheerful call. "Everything is going smoothly," he said, smiling. "Is that lunch?"

Linda nodded. "Aye, sir," she replied, shooing him gently away from the pots when he tried to sneak a peek. "You can join the table for games and talk if you like, but no peeking at lunch!"

Terry chuckled and sat down next to his wife. They clasped hands automatically, though Wendy didn't pause in her conversation with Fred. Terry listened for a moment and began chiming in.

"Want to play next?" Lucy asked Kelly, giggling as Kade slouched in his chair, clearly defeated.

"Alright, Lucy," Kelly agreed. Lucy quickly explained the rules and they set to playing. Kelly made sure to put effort into playing, just enough that Lucy had to fight hard to win, though she did so eventually. Kade challenged Kelly next and they had a good game as well.

"Alright, guys, clear the table. Lunch is almost ready," Linda said from the stove. Kelly and John stood, taking plates and silverware from the cupboards and setting them out on the table.

"You can almost forget this is a ship," Fred mused thoughtfully, gathering the glasses. "Water for everyone?"

They agreed and Kelly helped Linda put the food on the table as everyone else sat down with a bustle and Fred stacked the games back in a lower cupboard. Once everyone was seated, they started passing the food around. Linda had made spaghetti with meat and vegetarian sauces, warm rolls with garlic butter, a hearty celery-and-three-bean salad, and piping-hot steamed cabbage. John helped Jonathan choose what food he wanted, while Lucy and Kade served themselves. Once everyone had had the chance at everything on the table, the Hood parents led a short prayer of thanks.

Then they dug in. Jonathan enjoyed his spaghetti extra-messy and liked slurping it so that the Spartan next to him was soon speckled with red spaghetti sauce. John chuckled good-humoredly. The rest of the table ate quietly. Wendy complimented Linda on the food, which prompted everyone to agree.

"Did you try something special with the bread?" Fred asked Linda, nibbling on his third piece blissfully.

"I did, actually." She grinned. "I stuffed them with full garlic cloves, baked them together, and then extracted the gloves and ground them into the butter."

"I like it," Kelly murmured, grinning slightly. "But it sounds like a lot of work."

Linda nodded. "I probably won't do it for every meal," she admitted. "But it was worth it."

"Can we make cookies after lunch?" Lucy asked, bouncing in her seat.

Linda glanced at Terry and Wendy; they nodded permission. "Alright, Lucy," she said, smiling gently. "What kind of cookies do you want to make?"

"Chocolate chip!" she screeched predictably.

"Alright," Linda agreed, grinning.

Everyone finished eating quickly. While John and Fred cleaned up the dishes, Linda and Lucy used Linda's tablet to find a chocolate chip cookie recipe. When the two men were done, the two females claimed the kitchen and shooed everyone out.

"Kade, what would you like to do?" Terry asked his son.

"I have some homework," Kade answered, heading towards the office. "I don't want to fall behind."

Wendy smiled proudly at her son and then turned to Jonathan. "And how about you, sweetie?" she asked, picking the five-year-old up with a huff of exertion.

"Swimming!" he giggled, wiggling.

"Alright, imp," Terry chuckled, ruffling his youngest son's hair gently. "Will you join us?" he asked, looked at the three Spartans.

"Sure," John answered, grinning. Kelly and Fred nodded as well.

Terry nodded and motioned for the three soldiers to follow him. He entered the suite he and Wendy were occupying and handed each Spartan a plastic bag. "Thanks," John told him.

"You're welcome. Go change and we'll meet you in the pool."

Kelly and John went into their room to change. The swimsuits fit well, and Kelly opted to wear a pair of included shorts over her swimsuit.

"How do I look?" she asked John with a grin, striking a pose.

"Great," John answered truthfully. The swimsuit was a dark blue that complimented her hair with streaks of silver tumbling through it. It was a basic single-piece swimsuit that included a separate pair of matching blue shorts, which ended a quarter of the way down her thigh. She snapped the elastic against her skin and chuckled.

John's shorts were a deep maroon in color, which he liked. He quickly tied the drawstrings at the front and then folded his clothing onto the top of the dresser. They grabbed their towels from the bathroom and went out into the hallway, meeting Fred in the corridor. His shorts were a rich brown color like sun-warmed wood.

Kelly twisted her towel and snapped it at John, who jumped out of the way just in the time. Kelly chased him to the pool; Jonathan and his parents weren't there yet, so she cornered him against the edge of the water and then pushed him in.

He surfaced with a heavy snort to clear his nose. "Alright, we're even," he told her.

"Not quite. You soaked my clothing, too," she replied, setting her towel next to where John had thrown his onto one of the pool chairs. Fred folded his towel next to theirs.

Kelly slid into the water gracefully while Fred jumped in next to John, swamping the other Spartan. John splashed him in retaliation and then dove away.

Kelly was checking the fit of her swimwear in the water when John exploded out of the water behind her, his hands landing on her shoulders and pushing her under. She knew better than to gasp and twisted away from the playful Spartan into deeper water, glaring at him. He grinned at her through the clear water and thumbed his nose.

They played like that for a few minutes while Fred swam laps before Jonathan, Wendy, and Terry arrived.

"John, catch me!" Jonathan cried, jumping at the larger Spartan. John caught the boy easily and tickled him. Kelly wiped water from her eyes and slicked her hair back, looking at the two adults.

Wendy was wearing a stylish one-piece swimsuit, patterned in yellow and green, that helped to slim down her figure. Terry was wearing swimshorts of the same type as the two male Spartans, though his were emerald green in color. They set three towels on the pool chairs and then walked into the water at the shallow end using the steps for just that purpose.

"Mom, lookit me!" Jonathan cried, standing on John's shoulders. The boy leapt off and landed with a splash. He could swim fairly well for his age, so John let him swim over to his parents. "Didja see? Didja see?" he asked excitedly.

"I saw," Wendy assured him.

Johnathan brought out his floaty tube and John pushed him around the pool for a few minutes, much to the five-year-old's delight. Then Kelly and John took turns tossing him gently into the water. They wore the toddler out within an hour and then simply paddled him around while he talked incessantly about whatever came to mind. Terry and Wendy had moved into the hot tub and then relaxed there for some time, talking quietly or simply sitting in comfortable silence.

Jonathan yawned in the middle of his sentence and Wendy looked over with a gentle smile. "What do you say to a nap, kiddo?" she asked her son.

"Noooo," the boy whined, clinging to John who was pushing his floaty tube.

"Come on, you're starting to look like a little raisin," Kelly chuckled. She carried the toddler out of the pool and swaddled him in a thick towel, setting him on a pool chair to dry off while the adults dried off as well.

Kelly carried Jonathan into the kids' room and tucked him under his covers; he had fallen asleep on the way. Wendy smoother his hair back gently, smiling softly, and they turned out the light and left the toddler to sleep.

Fred and John, meanwhile, went to check on the cookie progress. They found Linda and Lucy sitting at the table decorating the chocolate chip cookies with piped icing.

"Looks delicious," Fred chuckled, plucking an undecorated cookie from the wire racks on which a batch was cooling.

John leaned over Lucy and ruffled her hair. "That looks beautiful," he told her, trying to figure out what she was drawing on the cookie. It looked like a bulbous lizard.

"That's Mommy!" she said proudly, pointing to the cookie. John grinned, knowing the child couldn't see it.

"Of course it is," he replied, snatching another cookie.

"And that one's you, and Fred, and Linda, and Kelly." She pointed out the cookies in question, which resembled more blob-lizards.

"Jonathan's taking a nap," Fred told Linda as Lucy showed off her collection of cookies to John. "I'm going to check on Kade."

"Take him a cookie," she suggested, handing him a cookie patterned with delicate lacing. Fred nodded, pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, and headed out.

"Ewwwww," Lucy groaned, covering her eyes. "Kissing!"

Linda and John exchanged amused glances. "Kiddo, I thought you liked guys."

"Yeah, but not kissing," the girl said primly, going back to her drawing. "That's gross."

Both Spartans just shook their heads and John snuck another cookie from the decorated pile. He left the pair happily in the kitchen and went to find Kelly.

She was in their room, vigorously toweling her hair. He closed the door and tapped her on the shoulder. She stood upright, smoothing back her damp hair with one hand.

"The cookies are great," John told her, grinning as he handed her a cookie. "And Lucy drew each of us."

"Oh, really?" Kelly raised an eyebrow.

"We look like bloated lizards," John admitted. Kelly laughed.

"Go take a shower," she ordered, shoving him gently towards the bathroom. He quickly stripped off the swim shorts and rinsed them in the shower before wringing them out and hanging them to dry on a towel rack. Then he showered and toweled himself off before rejoining Kelly out in the main room.

"Fred's gone to check on Kade. What would you like to do?" he asked. Kelly hummed thoughtfully as she took the towel back into the bathroom and hung it to dry next to his.

"Since we just showered, it'd be pretty silly to go work out," she mused. "I'd like to get back to my book. Linda will call us for dinner when she's ready. I'm feeling particularly lazy."

"Must be something in the air," he teased, grinning. "You're never lazy."

She eyed him and he had a split second of warning before she tackled him. They fell onto the bed, a softer landing than John had expected.

"We could always wrestle," she suggested, pressing him into the bed with both hands on his chest.

John grunted in agreement and rolled them over, grabbing Kelly's wrists and holding her hands above her head. "We could," he agreed. "But I thought you were feeling lazy."

Kelly wiggled experimentally; John tried to ignore the warmth of her skin pressed against his, but it was a losing battle. He'd have to let go within a few seconds or risk showing just what effect she was having on him. "Earth to John," she said, looking at him.

"Sorry," he muttered, releasing her and standing back up.

Kelly sighed in exasperation. "For what?" she huffed, leaning up on her elbows and looking sternly at him. He didn't answer but brought up a calculus problem to figure out in his head. Kelly grunted angrily and brought one knee up, wiggling further onto the bed.

"Want your book?" he asked, crossing to her dresser.

"Sure," she snapped grumpily, arranging the pillows behind her back.

"Look, Kelly-" he started to say, turning around.

"Don't," Kelly warned, holding up a hand. "I don't want to talk about it."

John hesitated but finally nodded. "Alright." He tossed her the book she was reading and crossed to his own dresser, pulling on a pair of boxers and a light T-shirt. Then he found his own book and sat next to Kelly, their arms not quite touching. She ignored him, apparently engrossed in her book.

He opened his but didn't even bother trying to read. He'd wrestled naked with Kelly before – with many of his siblings, in fact – but the setting, their new-found relationship, her own eagerness… It was all too overwhelming.

John had heard stories, told by Marines, of their own sexual escapades. They had never mentioned how little control they'd had over themselves, over their bodies. John liked control; he liked being able to tell his body to do or not do something and have it listen. The things that sparked inside him when Kelly was around… He couldn't control those feelings. He couldn't control himself. One of the only things constant throughout the years of death and warfare had been control over himself and his emotions. Now that was breaking down, too.

Kelly turned a page, drawing John's attention back to the present. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. She was beautiful, deadly, strong – words kept flowing into his head, but he couldn't find the one that described her. John could describe himself in one word: dedicated. Fred was determined. Linda was dependable. He had a single word for each of his brothers and sisters except Kelly. He even toyed with "perfect" but she wasn't and he wouldn't want her to be. Her flaws, especially her temper, were things he acknowledged in her, things he knew he could count on.

Frustration, he thought to himself. She embodies frustration – but only for me. Kelly brushed a lock of blue hair out of her eyes with one hand.

"Why are you staring at me?" Kelly asked, not moving her eyes away from the text in front of her.

"Just thinking," John replied.

"About what?"

"Words."

Kelly huffed. "Why?"

He explained his concept of their siblings and how he used one word to embody them. "But you… I used to know you; you were fast. But now I know you even more, and as I know you more… I don't know, I feel like I don't know you at all."

Kelly nodded. She seemed to be turning the word over in her head. "I like fast," she admitted.

"But you're not just fast."

"Fred's not just determined. He's caring and kind and strong and all sorts of other things, too."

"But his most defining trait is his determination."

"So what else were you thinking of for me?" Kelly looked at him finally.

"I can't come up with anything. I don't think I could even if I read a thesaurus."

"Hmm. I have one."

"What is it?"

"You'll have to find it yourself."

John groaned softly. "Can you give me a hint?"

"Stop thinking physical." John blinked. He looked at her carefully; she smiled gently. "John, you focus on our strengths and weaknesses as soldiers. Focus on them as human beings. Forget I'm a Spartan for a moment."

"I can't," he admitted.

"Close your eyes." John did as she asked. "Now think only about the last few months, about memories we've made together. Forget the war and our training."

"You're… Stubborn?"

Kelly smacked him gently. "Stop being an ass and think."

John was so engrossed that he almost missed the shift as Kelly pulled his book out of his hands. He let her, however, and he heard the soft sound as she put it down on the night table. The bed dipped as she moved but he kept his eyes closed.

"How about confident?" he asked. The bed dipped again and Kelly was suddenly straddling him, sitting on his thighs. He snapped his eyes open but she anticipated him and held his eyelids down with two fingers.

"Sometimes," she admitted, pressing a hand to his chest. "Think harder. And don't open your eyes."

Goosebumps trailed up John's arms as Kelly ran a light finger over a scar on his left breast. "Evil?" he suggested. She pinched him. John tried to pin down a stray thought but it kept drifting out of grasp. Kelly continued tracing along his chest, interrupted his thoughts just as he thought he had a good word.

"Aroused?" he finally growled, grabbing Kelly's wrist to stop her ministrations.

"Are you?" Kelly asked impishly.

John held her wrist and opened his eyes. "You're playful," he told her.

Kelly nodded. "I prefer spirited."

"Or mischievous." He put his free hand at the small of her back and ran two fingers lightly up her spine.

Kelly arched her back slightly, pupils dilating. "I think that fits you more," she breathed, voice husky.

John was about to respond when someone knocked at the door, startling both Spartans. "John, Kelly," Fred called in, "Linda's wanting to work out. Want to join us?"

"If we say no," Kelly murmured, "they'll be curious."

John nodded in agreement. "We're coming," he called back to Fred. Kelly closed her eyes for a moment, resting her hand on John's chest.

"We're going to continue this discussion tonight," she told him sternly, locking their gazes.

John raised an eyebrow. Kelly slid off of him and quickly dressed in a pair of shorts and sports bra. John pulled on a pair of shorts and they walked silently to the gym together.