Well, as per many requests, here's the next chapter for all my readers. I apologize for the shortness, but I'm in a bit of a quandary at the moment. Anyway, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo: Comabt Evolved or from any of the books.
Chapter Thirty-Five: Endgame?
Laura stayed in her holographic disguise until she was sure no one else was nearby, and once she was sure she switched it off. She continued on to her quarters, unlocked the door, and stopped short when she saw Ackerson waiting for her, a look on his face that meant no good.
"Well, well, well, we have caused some trouble, haven't we?"
Groaning inwardly, Laura prepared for the inevitable.
June 28, 2553 1431 hours
ONI Building
UNSC Reserve Base Camp Hayes
North America
It had been several months since John had seen Laura last; he missed her more than he'd thought he would. Several times during brief periods of quiet when he couldn't sleep, or when he'd finished cleaning his gear, he found himself fingering the dogtags she'd given him, which he kept hidden from the other soldiers; since he couldn't wear them under his Mjolnir armor, he kept them in his belt compartment so he'd always have them close by. Finally, he found himself heading back to Earth with a shipload of Marines, and as soon as he landed he was determined to try and see her again. Once he finished his debriefing, about a half-hour after he'd landed, he was approached by two of his fellow Spartans, who had been keeping an eye on Laura. The looks on their faces were grim.
"Good to see you back, Chief," Fred commented, a hint of humor in his voice, but he seemed bothered by something. Actually, both of them were uneasy, which made John wonder what was going on.
"Good to be back. What's happening?"
"Nothing good, Chief," Linda muttered. She'd been spending a lot of time with Laura, and found her company almost as enjoyable as she did sniping, until fairly recently. "She took some of the Elites and went AWOL a few weeks ago to rescue her father."
"What?" John was surprised, although in retrospect he realized this shouldn't have shocked him: Laura was a maverick, she always had been, so going Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL) would have been no big deal for her.
Fred broke in, "She came back yesterday with her father and a squad of captured Marines, and has since shut herself in her quarters. About an hour ago we heard Ackerson yelling at her for irresponsibility, and he basically said that your blood was on her hands, that you wouldn't be coming back because of her. Will's watching her now."
No one needed to say anything more, and the three of them hurried to Laura's quarters. Will was waiting for them in front of Laura's living room window, a dark look on his face.
"She's been staring off into space for the past few minutes," he said, motioning to the window; through it they could see Laura sitting and staring at the wall. As they watched, she went into her bedroom and closed the door. A few minutes later, they saw her climb out of the bedroom window and sprint toward the fence. John just had time to notice she had a pair of combat knives strapped to her waist before she vanished into the shadows.
The four Spartans went after her, and saw a hidden gate in the fence surrounding the base; the chain-link fence had been cleverly cut and hinged to make a door, one that no one could find unless they knew it was there. That's how she was always able to slip in and out undetected, John realized. Laura had left it open as she ran off.
"Will, can you tell where she's going?" Linda asked, green eyes holding an unusually worried look.
"Into those woods, but beyond that I couldn't tell you. She could be going anywhere."
"I know where she's going," John whispered, taking the lead. It makes sense, that's the only place she'd be going in these woods, but why? Remembering the knives, he felt a cold chill at the base of his neck.
"Where?" Fred asked, sprinting just behind him.
"Silver Pond, and I don't think she's going there to sit and think." The meaning of his words worried him once again, and John hoped for once that he was wrong.
The four friends ran through the woods, following her trail and fearing the worst.
Laura hadn't come to her decision lightly; it had taken her a lot of thought, but the answer was clear—there was only one way she could bring John home. Ackerson's lecture hadn't been nearly what she'd anticipated, but his words rang clearly in her mind, as did their meaning: John will only be allowed to come home when I'm dead. She felt that there was only one way to save the man she loved, and she was determined to take that way. Having slipped out of her quarters, she decided to leave the fence gate open for once: it didn't matter now whether anyone knew about it or not. She knew the perfect place for what she intended, and sprinted quietly into the woods.
A while later, Laura stood on the banks of Silver Pond, and allowed the memories to flood over her. It had been here that she and Nicole had spent so many hours together, here that her father had taught her to swim. It had been here that she'd allowed herself to be captured by the Covenant to save Nicole and dear little Skeeter, and it had been here…Laura pressed her fingers to her lips, recalling the night when she'd finally learned the truth: John loved her. Now there was one last thing that she needed to do here, the one thing that would save the man she loved. It was only fitting, since so much that had been good in her life had happened here. As she knelt down beside the pond, a breeze suddenly kicked up: it felt like fingers lightly touching her cheeks. She swore she could hear her grandmother's creaking, kindly voice: Angel, no.
"Nana, I have no choice. They'll keep him in danger unless I do this. I won't let them kill him, I can't."
Angel, no. Don't do this.
"It's the only way I can save him," she whispered, a tear sliding silently down her face. She hated herself for what she was about to do, hated the reason she had to do it, hated life for bringing her to this point. I should never have let this happen, I should have known it would end this way. Fate is cruel. Softly, not really hoping anyone would hear, she began to chant a verse from one of her poems, though the words weren't quite the same:
Shrieking Eagles, here I lie,
Cold and dead beneath the sky.
I loved when I should not have dared,
My final fate has been declared.
She pulled out one of her knives and pointed it at her heart. "For John," she whispered as she stabbed herself, sinking the knife in to the hilt.
The Spartans ran into the glade just in time to hear her speak her own epitaph. John ran forward, but he was too late; Laura plunged the knife deep into her chest, collapsing in a pool of her own blood.
As she hovered in the haze of death, she saw her love bending over her. "Laura, why?"
"To save your life. I had no choice." Her bloody fingers caressed the side of his face, leaving a faint smear of her blood. Ackerson had lied to her, but that didn't matter now: John would be safe, and that was enough. She smiled sadly and whispered one last word of comfort.
"I'll be waiting for you, John, on the other side. I'll wait forever if I must, but promise me you won't hurry the end. Promise me you'll save Earth."
"I promise, alaya," he whispered, a few tears trickling down his face, mingling with her blood. She smiled and closed her eyes, and all was silent.
The other three Spartans stood at the edge of the glade listening to the exchange, knowing now what Ackerson had intended with his words, and realizing how cruel he'd been all along. None of them dared to say anything, just watching as John cradled the sad, silent body of what had once been Laura Morisson, the deadly BLADE, the secret Spartan. They were still standing there when General West, Colonel Ackerson, and several other senior officers and members of the military arrived. Lorienna had alerted West as soon as she realized what Laura was planning, but she had been too late.
"What happened?" Ackerson asked, his glee noticeable even to the rest of the brass. Hearing his voice, John gently lowered the body of the woman he had loved, got up, and punched him in the face. He wanted to drill the bastard as hard as he could, but some inner voice cautioned him not to; as it was, half-strength nearly broke his neck.
"She killed herself to save me, because of you. You knew she'd do anything to save me, and you used her love to kill her. Her blood is on your hands." He scooped her body in his arms and walked away, uncaring about anything else, not realizing that at that very moment Ackerson was being arrested for treason. As he walked away, Laura's words echoed in his mind.
"I'll be waiting for you, John, on the other side. I'll wait forever if I must, but promise me you won't hurry the end. Promise me you'll save Earth." She had left the most important thing unsaid, but he knew it anyway. Laura, I love you. I always will.
A/N: Yes, slightly cheesy I know. But here's where things get tricky: what should I do next? Should Laura live or die? Your input is much appreciated!