Author's note: Thank you for reaching this far of this journey. I hope you have enjoyed it. Please leave me feedback and suggestions as I am considering expanding the story. Not change the overall plot but rather, add more depth to it. Let me know, and thanks again. Merry Christmas to all. Enjoy the end.
Chapter 16 "A Quiet Life"
"Why did you save me?" Snake asks Quiet, tapping her shoulder.
"Because I saw something special in you, your silence reflected mine…"
Snake wakes up in the bed again, his face full of sweat. He opens his eye and finds himself in the cabin again; still feeling a bit disoriented
"Is this heaven?"
"Not quite yet…" Quiet walks through the front door holding a glass of water,
"Quiet? How… agh!" Snake feels a very strong headache and begins to feel dizzy, pressing his hand against his forehead.
"Snake, you are still not well, take this glass of water and few pills then rest." He complies, swallows the pills, and drinks the water.
"What are these?"
"A little something for the headache and make you sleep a while more." "Thanks…" He closes his eye and falls asleep again.
The next day…
"How do you feel?"
Quiet asks as she straightens the bed sheet and Snake wakes up.
"Feeling much better though I could use some water."
"Here…"
She gives him the glass of water. After finishing drinking it Snake drops the glass of water falling to the bed, grabs Quiet's arm pulling her to him and gives her a hug.
"Quiet I…" She feels his embrace completely as never before
"I know…." Their hugs loosen a bit and they look at each other's eyes, sharing a smile.
Few hours later…
The couple are sitting on the table, Snake smoking cigar and Quiet cleaning the handgun. It was midday, and now that Snake's head has cleared completely he addresses the elephant in the room
"How are we here again, alive?"
She proceeds to tell him…
There was no explosion, after Code Talker ate the fruit he actually disintegrated, turning into dust. In his wheelchair, he left a letter that began to float around after the whole body disappeared. Quiet still hugging Snake notices the paper and the disappeared body, "Snake I think we…" she turns around to him and sees he is unconscious, passed out from exhaustion. She leaves him there and goes to pick the letter.
"Eve… there was no Skull Face, nor Skull Soldiers. It was all an illusion created by the parasites by my will. I did not want revenge, I just sought release. When I was in Adam's care, I told him about my funeral arrangements but I noticed that I did not die, and it was because the parasites had been so ingrained to me that my organs would not stop functioning. Killing me would not be possible because the parasite would harden the skin to fend off incoming attacks. Burning myself would have been an alternative but I did not want to die under the excruciating pain.
After I realized this, I asked Adam to discharge me and leave me in my home. Skull Face never burned my village, but I could not die there either. So after I lived long enough there I sought you out so you could help me with my death. I waited patiently for the chance you could be reunited with him. The parasite you two created would overtake all of mine after I consumed it and kill them, then all the built up aging that my body has hold up all these long years would hit all at once and then I could really die.
Eve… there was never revenge, it was never about that, sorry I lied to you, but I wanted to make you see what revenge does to people. I hope this has helped you let go of yours and move on. Take care my dear…."
"After reading the letter, I breathe in relief, and then I picked you up and brought you here and tended your wounds."
"Hmm…"
"Snake…" Quiet picks his chair and puts it closer to him, she places her hand on his, gently caressing his fingers and looks at him.
"I no longer feel the need for revenge, I'm free now."
"What do you want to do now?"
"Be with you…"
"I would like that too…" The couple kiss, holding their hands.
"Can you carry me, like before, one last time?"
"Always…" Snake gets up and picks up Quiet, they walk to the bed. Snake could accomplish this now thanks to a wooden leg she managed to get for him and now he could walk with ease. He walks slowly towards the bed while Quiet looks at him and hums her favorite song. He looks at her eyes and they share a passionate kiss as they reach the bed.
Epilogue
"Snake, look here!"
"Hmm?" The couple are at the ruins working with the animals and plants; Snake is now doing chore work thanks to a wooden leg Quiet managed to get for him few days ago. As Snake drops a tool, he picks up his crutch and goes to Quiet whose crouching down holding something. He touches Quiet shoulder peeking over her,
"What is it?"
"Here look, the mother wolf has gifted us a puppy. She left with her other pups and left him behind."
She stands up and shows Snake the grey pup.
"Haha a grey pup, he looks familiar, what shall we call him?"
"You can choose the name Snake."
"Let's call him DD, I always liked that name."
"Like the wolf you used to have back then? All right, DD, welcome as a new member of the family." Snake smiles and looks at Quiet, she gives him a smile back, happily laughing and settling the pup down. They continue to work, lasting until dusk.
When going to the vehicle, Quiet is carrying DD while Snake carries the bag of food and wood, getting on the vehicle at the same time.
"Here"
She hands down DD to him. He puts the pup in his lap and caresses him. Quiet turns on the vehicle and the couple drive off to the cabin, sharing a short road trip in silence. When arriving the cabin, Snake opens the door and DD exits out happily, playing around.
In the night, Snake goes to bed while Quiet finishes settling down DD; she takes off her clothes and stands in front of him.
"Snake, what are you thinking about?"
"Hmm, I would like to do that dance again..."
"Dance? What dance?"
"The one we did in the rain that day…"
The rain dance Snake mentions is one day both him and Quiet arrived from doing missions together and at mother base it was raining. Quiet peeks out from the chopper and jumps out to dance with joy taking off her boots and pantyhose, feeling all the water and refreshing breeze. Snake arrives and holds her boots, she starts to playfully dance with him, while her favorite song plays in her head. Quiet had a cassette tape with she singing her favorite song, Snake eventually lost the cassette to the flow of time.
Snake gets up and grabs Quiet's hand, "Please… sing me that song" Quiet smiles and complies, and she starts to dance and sing….
"Birds… in the sky… carry… these words… for me….
The couple begin to dance, expressing their love for each other…
Life... tasted sweet… it let me live, it let me breathe….
Snake and Quiet are at the ruins playing with DD…
Love… hurts so bad… but still saved my soul….
The couple continue dancing outside the cabin under the rain…
Flowers of a brighter past… they bloomed so free…
Time pass by, DD has gotten big now, and their garden has grown even more beautiful…
Memories… I want to give them to you…so you can see…
They continue dancing at night, Quiet smiling, feeling the happiness of a lifetime….
What we left there, when all hope bleeds out, what remains is doubt….
Snake and Quiet make love on their matrimonial bed …
Should have left it all for you…
One night… Quiet dances while pouring something on her
For tomorrow, as the time draws near….
DD howls outside in the moonlight
Will you live in fear…
Snake lays on the bed with his eye closed and Quiet continues dancing…
Could have left it all for you…
Quiet closes her eyes, and turns a match on….
But we let go…
An old wolf climbs to the tallest peak in the ruins….
He lets out his last howl under the full moon….
Close to the ruins, smoke is emerging…
As the wolf settles down on his last sleep…
Two blue butterflies pass by him and do a familiar dance…
The end