Chapter 20 Baby! (21 since the Valentine's chapter, but 20 in my actual canon. In other news, I have a midterm tomorrow. Don't worry I studied, a little, better than nothing.

Without my author's notes, this story is at about 127k words, which is a lot, double to my usual stories. Yet, I'm not done. We just getting to the good part. Do I know how long this will be? Nope. When will it end? I dunno, when we get there. the journey there is the fun part.

Fun fact: I mentioned this story idea to a friend of mine, he said go for it. Let's just say I'm glad I did. As for the reviews recently left on last chapter, (I'll be responding to them here from now on.)

OnePunchPlayer:

Their intimate interactions will continue, maybe even hit third base, but don't expect me to write about it. (Tbh, I couldn't do it anyway, but I have great dialogue ideas for it.) As for the shard, we'll see.

Dustiniz117: Thank you! Most likely not in the near future. Have I thought about adding Destiny characters? Yes, absolutely. Will it happen now? No. It would have to make sense plot-wise.

Silentxmaniac: It could happen, but there would be things that have to be accounted for. When I write and read back, I notice my own plot holes, so I'd probably screw it up somehow. Then again, this is a 'draft' that you receive with some editing and grammar mistakes, even after reading through it three times.

...

Once the Guardian's hand touched the shard, he was brought to a place where nothing, but everything existed. Sebastian opened his eyes to see someone in front of him, a silhouette. Due to the light projected from the figure, Sebastian covered his eyes, and he found that he looked ethereal, almost transparent. He searched for Dove and felt nothing. Where am I?

Something didn't sit right with him and he wanted to know why. If he touched the shard, then what happened? His pulse accelerated when the figure stepped closer but soon found out that they were radiating the epitome of calm. He lowered his hand once his eye adjusted properly.

The figure spoke, almost like an echo, its voice neither male nor female, 'Guardian. You have arrived. As for where we are, I cannot answer that.'

Sebastian recoiled, "What?!" Can they hear my thoughts?

'We can, amongst other things.' they replied directly in his mind, the slight echo made him clutch his head. 'Do you know why you are here?'

"Because I touched the shard," Sebastian replied confused. I mean, how else did I get here? Surely, this isn't a trap, because, I would be dead otherwise.

'That is not what we mean; do you know why you are here?' They spoke in a gentle tone, almost like they were speaking to Sebastian as if he was a child and they were the adult trying to get him to pay attention to the lesson.

The figure stepped closer to him, wait, wasn't it farther back? Sebastian wanted to step back but his body remained rooted in place. He had no visible restraints on him, so why couldn't he move? The figure's hand reached out and slowly clasped his shoulder, 'Guardian Sebastian Rutherford, do you know why we brought you here?' the question repeated.

Sebastian's mind slowly turned its gears before he understood what 'here' meant, "Here as in… this universe?"

The figure lightly squeezed his shoulder in confirmation, 'Correct.'

The Hunter often wondered why he was here in all honesty, but never pursued it. He just went with the flow and that's how he's operated. Sebastian glanced at the figure who awfully looked like the "Speaker?" The figure was taller than the Speaker, but the face mask was a dead giveaway.

A hint of amusement seeped into the figure's words, 'Yes and no, Guardian.'

Sebastian's eyes widened under his helmet, "Traveler?!" He was speaking with the Traveler, well of course dummy, you touched the shard of the Traveler. Snapping out of his thoughts, he regarded the figure, now that they, er it, was much closer. The hooded and robed figure had the Speaker's mask, but between the slits, light poured out of it. "I-I never wondered why I was here."

'You have, but you never put much more thought into it,' the figure of the Traveler replied, probably having read his mind. Sebastian idly wondered why the Traveler chose to speak with him now, out of all times.

Sebastian continued to ponder why before he answered, "I originally thought it was because I went through a Vex portal and ended up here. Maybe I ended up in a Vex simulation. Dove never found out anything on it either. She had a theory, but it didn't seem fully sound." Should Sebastian know something else?

The figure-Traveler- took its hand off his shoulder and one finger touched his chest where his heart was. 'Many have suffered, but you suffered the most in terms of… affection.' Sebastian barely contained his wince as he thought about that statement.

Over the long course of his life, he has never sustained a long term relationship, not for a lack of trying nor them leaving him either. He knows that Guardians are prone to dying, as was he, but it didn't stop him. His eyes shot up to the figure as the realization slapped him like a Fist of Havoc. Her theory was right. "You…"

'We did. Everyone deserves a chance, even if it means breaking some rules. We can feel your mind swirling about your Ghost's other theories. Some of them were correct, others need adjustments.'

Sebastian's jaw went slack as he gaped at the Traveler. It pulled him out of his world and put him here to... make me happy? To feel something? Any rational person should be mad and demand to be brought back to their own universe, and anyone pulled would have rather been upset in their own world than in a world where nothing is the same. However, Sebastian wasn't an all-around rational person at times. He thought that the gesture was personal, and touching. He was thankful. Most people wouldn't see it that way. "W-What did this cost you? To bring me here, the shard, all of it? Most importantly, why?" Why help him? He would have lived his life to the fullest that he could until he died.

The Traveler lightly chuckled, 'It was minuscule compared to the work on your world.' The tone turned serious, 'As for why… everyone else was content except for you. We know you have other questions, but you must go. A matter requires your attention.' Sebastian immediately snapped out of his stupor at the tone, but glad that he at least got one answer.

Sebastian gazed at the faceless mask of the Traveler and he saw that they stepped back but were holding out their hands. In them, there was a spark, almost like a dimmed out star. 'One day, you will need this. You will know when to use it.' Before he grabbed it, he felt a rush of power. 'A 'boost' to help you. It will wear out as soon as you are safe.'

They pushed the 'star' to him, and he observed as it floated in the air, with a lot more grace that it shouldn't have. More questions began to stir, but he didn't have time to ask his questions. As the little spark landed in his hand, he felt its unfamiliar power before everything turned into a blinding light. Everything around Sebastian began to fade from sight as the Traveler was there in one second, Sebastian blinked, and they were gone. Now I'm just left with more questions than answers.

Soon enough, there was just darkness as his mind went back to his body, but not in the way he thought it would.


Thel 'Vadamee gazed at the unconscious Demon before him, to see her blood slowly leak out on the ground. The Sangheili rumbled in approval at the females for their job well done. He didn't have to say any words to show that he was pleased. The body language was apparent to anyone around them. Thel had taken notice of this one because this particular Demon was the one that was around Sebastian all the time, at least according to Shoya's reports. Was this one his mate? Thel's jaw clicked with an idea. To get what he wants, he'll use her. Get her up and display her Execution style, if he does not give us what we are after… Kill her right in front of him.

Zesa and Khaso nodded and with little to no effort, Faye's unconscious body was picked up and then strung in the style as directed by their Commander. They would enjoy this. When they asked on how, Thel gave them free rein, which pleased them, Khaso more than Zesa. Faye's body was placed on her knees, her head hung down, her arms bound above her head, with restraints meant for a Demon.

What distracted them was the pulsing from the shard. Its beat was high, almost ground shaking. Right now it was only a small vibration; that soon changed as the crater became a source of bright light that split the night sky. The barrier still held and the one in the middle was Sebastian.

Sebastian currently wasn't himself. This 'boost' is something that will instinctually guide him to get himself and Faye safe, no matter the cost. From the outside, he physically didn't look any different, but on the inside, he was filled to the brim with unstable Light. His eyes, under the helmet, were pure white and not a trace of blue remained. If anything, it probably looked like that those were his original eye color. The ground around him glowed as well as if he had this aura surrounding him. With Sangheili enhanced eyesight, they could see the faint wisps of this aura. Sebastian's body slowed ascended from the crater of the Traveler and once he locked eyes on Faye, all sense of reason was out the door.

Thel gave the order to kill her now, foregoing his plan, because even the common man, or alien, could see there was no reasoning with him. Thel could feel the anger and protectiveness radiating from him. Khaso was more than willing to carry out her Commander's orders as swiftly as possible. Right as she raised her physical blade, she was knocked back, by seemingly nothing. The same could be said for her sisters. Soon enough, they were all on the floor, with minor injuries, not dead.

Sebastian's body had eyes on all of them in the immediate area. At first, they tried to gun him down, and while their plasma and needles did indeed find their mark, and they did hit him but did not damage him. It looked like he brushed them off, his eyes were focused on Faye, even if he wasn't actually looking at her. His only priority was getting her out.

As for Dove, she was nowhere to be seen. She was told, off to the side, by the Traveler to not come out of her dimension. It would risk her very life if she came out now. All she could do was watch and it made her worried for her Guardian. Would he remember this? Or would it be a blackout in his memory? She just wanted to help him, so she took the liberty to record this, to show him once he asked about it. The Traveler never said to keep it a secret. She had heard everything Sebastian did, except for one thing, so that had her somewhat occupied.

Sebastian's body had pushed everything back and he stopped in front of Faye's still bleeding body. Sebastian's body lowered to one knee to inspect her, and the protectiveness in him intensified. His fists clenched, Sebastian's body hated seeing her like this. He hated to see her like this. She was the strong one out of the two and while he had more years of life on her, she had the most experience all things considered. One of the faint wisps of Light brushed over her wound and, like magic, closed it like it was never there, even repairing the undersuit. The only evidence that remained was the blood staining her armor. Within seconds, Sebastian's body used the aura to cut through the restraints like a hot knife through butter. Faye was released and she unceremoniously fell into his arms. Now, her armor weighs a lot, and Dove knew exactly how much it weighed. He threw her arm around his shoulders, it sagged behind him, but he cared not. Sebastian's body began carrying her like a small child, arm and hand under her back and arm and hand under her knees. His movements were fluid, with no visible strain on his muscles. He continued to walk back the way they entered, without a care in the world. All of this was happening while he was still under fire. The foolish ones that tried to rush him were thrown back by the invisible force that was Sebastian.

Thel had watched in absolute awe. Without a care in the world, he ignored everything but her. Curious. As soon as the shooting started, he was being escorted, with a high persistence from his Honor Guard. To be fair, they take the position deadly serious, a great quality to have. Sangheili are bound by honor. While he wanted to see what was going on, they ushered him back to his Phantom and departed to the Seeker of Truth. They would meet another day.

Sebastian's body walked with Faye in his arms all the way back to base. It was a silent trip, save for the crunch of Sebastian's footsteps. He knew where he was going. Well, the Traveler knew where he was going. Dove recalled them saying it wouldn't dissipate until they were safe and considering that he was still carrying her with ease, they weren't going to be safe for quite a while.


Back at the base, everyone was scrambling to find out where they went and then their senors were going haywire. They thought the Covenant had found a new scrambler but one of the crewmen noticed it wasn't their normal pattern. They have seen what the scrambler does, but it didn't match it from previous times.

Once he brought it to the attention of Noble One, understanding seemed to have dawned on the Spartan. Carter then ordered the rest of Noble Tema to get prepped to head outside. "Be alert, and do not let your guard down. Considered both Six and Seven are absent, be on the lookout."

Emile had to make the comment under his breath, "They probably snuck out so they could make Eight in peace."

Kat smacked his shoulder with a little bit more force than necessary, but even she was grinning under her helmet. It wouldn't surprise Kat if she was doing that, but they were missing. Kat was ultimately worried about the woman she calls her sister, not by blood, but blood doesn't define family.

When they exited the base, all they saw was a glowing light, nothing else. An anomaly was what one would call it, but it moved methodically, with purpose. When the anomaly moved closer to Noble Team, their weapons were raised. The anomaly stopped, and within seconds, their weapons were on the ground and then it opened up to reveal Sebastian carrying Faye. Kat's eyebrows shot up, as did the rest of Noble Team. They knew how much the armor weighed, so to see him carrying her with ease brought out some questions.

"Where have you been?" Carter's voice was skeptical, as he should be.

Auntie Dot answered, "This is currently not G7. His consciousness is currently inside of his mind, under the first surface layer. His body is under the influence of an entity called 'The Traveler', and will remain until he is deemed safe."

Carter asked aloud, "Where have you gotten this information?" They picked up their weapons and put them in their respective holsters, which made Sebastian's body ease just a tad, but was fully prepared to protect Faye's body.

Dot's answer was simple, "From Dove. She cannot come out to speak to you herself because if she did, then she would be putting herself at risk. Under directive from this 'Traveler', she is not permitted to appear, but she has been relaying me information to speak to you all. She wants you all to look at his eyes."

Emile was going to point out the obvious but quickly noticed the gleam from the inside of his helmet. A low whistle escaped the knife expert, "She's right. His eyes are noticeable."

Kat saw the same thing and came into the conversation, "What happened?" There was a huge chunk of time that was unaccounted for. Jun was being the silent observer, electing not to speak until more facts are brought to light.

"Dove will be willing to answer when this passes, which she calculates will be as soon as he can put Noble Six down to rest. She had suffered a stab wound on her midsection with markings on her throat." A few seconds passed, "Strange, I am not detecting any visible stab wounds on her, they seemed to have been healed. According to Dove's in-action report, a 'tendril of Light', emphasized with a capital, was used to close her wound and repaired her undersuit. Normally, it would have required a technician to repair."

"Is there anything else on this 'Traveler'?" Carter spoke, directing the attention on him.

"Not at this time. Dove is protective of this particular query. What she told us is the extent she will say for now. No doubt her 'Guardian' will be protective of it as well," Dot's voice was factual, meaning that it won't be easy to ask, but answers are needed since questions have been raised.

During this time, Sebastian was slowly breaking through his mind. He couldn't see nor feel the outside world. The only thing he could feel was Faye, the woman he loves. I do love her, but those words mean much more. More than I could ever show. He tried reaching out to Dove, but whatever this boost was, it was blocking his connection to her. Sebastian kept his eyes open, looking for any visible cracks in this invisible barrier. The fact that he was still here meant wherever he was wasn't safe.

His body deemed where he was unsafe and hid in the shroud that it arrived in. Noble Team looked on in surprise as he passed them and then phased through a wall. Jun finally spoke, "I've seen some things in my time, but if I die, that will probably be on the forefront of my mind."

Noble Team quickly re-entered the base as they attempted to find him. They searched for the signal that it gave off. The only way they could figure out where he was because if their comms become scrambled, then they are closer. Even the cameras on the premises were fluctuating when nothing was showing up.

Sebastian's body went to her quarters almost instantly and set her down before the wisps of Light took off her armor with the utmost ease. Sebastian's body or its eyes lingered on her form and her face. Its hand reached out and stroked her cheek before his body spoke. It spoke with an echo, but it wasn't the Void's echo, where it felt dark and sinister at times. It was calm, peaceful, When he wakes, please fill him in on what happened, and tell him we apologize for taking control, Ghost Dove.

They spoke to me?! Dove was appalled, what is the Traveler doing? She knows he's not in control, but Dove looked on in earnest. She watched on as each piece of her armor was engulfed in Light for only a second and then came out brand new and upgraded. The armor finish was actually the same but the physical armor was changed. She noticed that once each piece was done, it was assembled back together on an armor stand close by. Then, Sebastian's body positioned itself in a chair across from her and without warning, slacked.

Dove was alarmed and phased into reality to notice the Light from his eyes, the boost, was gone, but that didn't relieve her just yet. She took multiple scans of him, checking his vitals, brain activity, and everything in between. She wanted to make sure that she had her Sebastian back. Then, she checked Faye's armor and noticed it was just upgraded versions, even noticing lingering traces of their world's technology, making it the most advanced suit of all the Spartans, just by that sheer fact. Dove continued to scour over her armor, looking for any other minor or unseen upgrades. She would either be happy or upset.

A loud groan from behind the Ghost snapped her to attention. She turned her shell around to see Sebastian clutching his head, leaning backward, "Why does my mind feel like someone put it in a blender, fed it to a dog, threw it up, and ate it again?"

"That's oddly specific, Guardian. Do you know what happened?" Dove was asking standard questions to see if he could recount what happened.

"I remember… touching the shard but after that… wait, where are we?!" he was alert now. He stood up, and almost immediately sat back down clutching his head again. "Ow, okay, no standing for a few."

"We are back at the base. We, and by we I mean you, saw Noble team. You were carrying her with ease. Do you not remember that? You walked fifteen kilometers with her in your arms like she weighed nothing. To add on to that, you phased through a wall," Dove said, getting slowly closer to him.

Sebastian wasn't stupid, she was afraid of him, but why? "Have you done your scans?"

Dove warbled, she didn't think she was that obvious, "I did."

"And?"

"You've returned to normal, and they apologize for taking over, at least, that's what they wanted me to say to you," Dove inched even closer, within arm's reach. "Do you remember what you talked about?"

Sebastian thought about it and it felt like a recent memory, something he just knew without having known it before. It was equivalent to just getting the answer after making a bunch of random thoughts that somehow got to the correct answer. "We talked about why I'm here, and how. What the Traveler did for me, and what it cost. Most would think I would be mad that they moved me from my universe to a different one." Sebastian seemed to finally notice Faye laying on her bed. His eyes flared in his Light. "But I can't be mad with the outcome, especially not after the moments we shared."

Dove was intrigued. Is this some side effect of the boost? Dove took another scan while Sebastian watched Faye for any movement she might make. He was staring intently at her face, how he looked only at her face, and not her entire body. His fingers twitched like he remembered something. "What was it like inside your mind?"

Sebastian's gaze never faltered, "Blank. It was just like I was surrounded by an invisible cage. I looked for cracks to see if I could break out because being separated from my body is something I never to experience again. I felt empty."

Dove's Light readings came back as he has some excess Light still lingering in his system from the boost. Maybe he needs to burn it off, after all, it was unstable Light, similar to Mayhem. He should be down for the count. "I heard most of what was said except for one thing. What was that spark that the Traveler handed you?" For Dove, her vision faded out and then faded back in once the Traveler was gone. During that time, she was given those orders to stay out of sight.

Sebastian took his gaze off of Faye, then took off his helmet. His gaze was determined, yet guarded. "It was a…" he trailed off. His face turned to confusion. "It's a…" his words failed him again. Dove noticed Sebastian seemed frustrated.

"Guardian?" Dove wanted to know, she was patient, but she could see his will to tell her.

"I know what it is, but it feels like I'm not supposed to tell you, not by my own choice. You know I don't and can't keep things from you. So the fact that I can't tell you concerns me," Sebastian winced and attempted to stand up slowly. "The only thing I believe I can tell you is that I'll know when to use it."

Sebastian looked to Faye, then her armor, then back to her. He did a double-take, her armor was upgraded, and Sebastian noticed technology that was from his world. "Did the Traveler…"

"Yes, I have a small recording if you wish to view it. All of the pieces of her armor were engulfed in Light and I watched as they looked the same, but they have some of our technology embedded in it. Some of the armor has upgraded strength, technology that Titans have been developing for a while now. There isn't an official name for it, but it seemed like the Traveler has some plans," Dove explained.

"Is there anything else on her armor that I should be aware of?" Sebastian asked as he hobbled over to Faye's bedside. He was staring and noticed the blood on her. His fists clenched and the Void blade extended at his side.

"Not that I can tell; we'll have to wait and see," Dove regarded his tense stance. "Talk to me."

"How was she injured?" His voice was on the verge of breaking, and he forced the blade away.

"Stab wound to the abdomen, while you were under, the Traveler healed her with a simple swipe of the aura that dripped off you, erm, them. The blood, however, was not easily removed, she was choked out by the Sangheili as four of them jumped her. She'll live, not to worry." She omitted the detail of how she looked before Sebastian touched the shard. That would set him off.

"Anything else I should know?" Sebastian said, sitting at the edge of her bed. Had he not see her chest rising and falling, he would be out the door in a fit of rage going after those responsible. While he was sitting, he pondered what that spark actually was. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that he would have to use it one day. He just hopes that the day he has to is far away from now.


Faye's mind was in a blur. She knew she was out, but not awake enough to wake up. She swears she saw something in the far reaches of her mind. They tried to enter her mind, but her natural defenses were high. She could almost feel the hurt radiating from it. What was it? Why does it feel hurt? Why do I feel hurt?

Then her mind played back what happened, fighting the Elites, getting stabbed, knocked out, and she wasn't dead, yet. She wanted to wake up, but something was holding her back. Was this her body's response to rest, to force her out of commission? She needed to get back into the fight, back to him. It seemed that everything was working against her, and eventually her struggle ended in vain as she blacked out to rest.


Sebastian hadn't left her side yet, even when he relented in calling the medics, as they had no clue on what was going on at the time. They only knew what Noble Team supplied them. So, when they knocked on Noble Six's quarters, they were surprised that G7 answered the door. The team looked over to see her out of armor, then looking at G7 with suspicious stares.

The Guardian eventually let them in without another word and they carried her off to access her injuries or lack thereof. Sebastian followed them, wondering if leaving her armor here was a good idea. A look to Dove conveyed his request. She made a sperate Transmat file and carefully transmatted piece after piece into it, just in case. Dove also took the liberty to make digital copies of her armor for further study. There were no rules against it.

Sebastian followed quickly and Dove floated quickly behind his shoulder. "Noble Team is going to want to speak with me, and I want you to be there," Dove said catching her Guardian's attention.

"They can wait, I don't have time to sit around and explain things that I don't have the memory of, nor am I leaving you in the same room as them. The only one I'll do that with is her," Sebastian said, not looking over his shoulder. The medics directed him to Observation and he just stood there, motionless.

The Hunter heard the door open and the hesitating of steps before he craned his head over his shoulder. He saw visible relief in their postures, "I'm not that bad, am I?"

He received no response. Sebastian could feel the eyes of multiple people on him, and even then, his eyes never left Faye. They had her in this zero-gravity chamber and her hair was pulled from her bun and Sebastian held his tongue from expressing how much he liked it down. Dove could easily tell, she noticed these signs, and that strengthened her resolve to make sure that they work out. If the Traveler brought him here to make him happy, then she will support him.

That doesn't mean he forgot about her, the lingering question that came up again was 'What about Dove? What about other Ghosts?' He knew she was lonely, and while he can alleviate some of it, he can't alleviate all of it. It shouldn't have to be this hard.

Sebastian ignored all the eyes on him, and he turned, finally to see Noble Team, some were staring past him, others looking directly at him. A flash of trepidation swept across Sebastian. "Are you fans of one-sided conversations? I'm not, so speak or leave."

That prompted the question, "What happened?" It came from Jun, much to Sebastian's surprise.

"I remember waking up in Faye's quarters, before that, I touched the shard and I finally have an answer as to why I'm here," he turned back to see Faye resting on the table once more.

The silence was his cue to continue, but he let it hang there. The answer was personal, and he didn't feel the need to share. Kat jolted ahead and made him turn around. "Well?"

"It's personal, and I don't feel like sharing. So back off," his eyes flashed white for a split second. Dove saw this and intervened.

"Back off all of you," she turned to Sebastian, "You need to cool off, it is lingering in your system still. You need to use some Light to flush it out." His eyes darted to Faye. "She'll be here when you get back," she then turned to Noble Team, "Won't she?" Her tone implied repercussions if she wasn't.

"No promises, but we need to know what went through your mind," Kat said, taking a fleeting glance at Faye, then at Sebastian who was watching her with intent. Kat noticed it was love. There was a small flicker in his eye, not the white flash, but his eyes looked brighter every time Faye was mentioned. "Well, it confirms one thing, Seb." She gave him a pointed glance, and thankfully, she was the only one who noticed his rosy cheeks.

Sebastian made the mistake of looking at Kat when he flushed a lit bit more. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly before saying, "I literally came to about a half-hour ago. How long was I out?"

"Three hours," Carter supplied. "You left, presumably, at twenty-three hundred hours and returned at two hundred hours. It is currently three hundred hours."

Sebastian crossed his arms and leaned back on the wall, glancing at Faye every so often. His glances were not escaping the rest of Noble Team. Emile muttered something under his breath before leaving. The room was silent when he left and for a few minutes, no one said a thing, not even Dove, who was floating idly by over Sebastian's shoulder. Sebastian's fingers were tapping his arm to keep himself occupied, but that changed when he noticed movement in the room.

Faye's body was twitching violently, but her eyes were closed. Sebastian's protective instincts went overboard and rushed out of the room with blinding speed. Kat, Carter, and Jun watched the blur known as Sebastian rush into the room. The medics wanted him out, but he said something that made the medics pause. Without another word from anyone, Sebastian reached out for Faye. Kat saw the look of hope and awe in his eyes. A weird one to be sure, but they seem great together.

Sebastian reached out for Faye's hand and the moment he did, Faye's body stopped twitching. Even Sebastian gave himself pause, he didn't think that would work. With a few words to Dove, he made the medics leave after they checked over her vitals. She was as healthy as she could be.

The moment they left, the observation room was cut off from view. Carter expressed his discontent, Jun snorted, and Kat let out a small chuckle. They must still be going through the honeymoon phase.

Sebastian held her hand with both of his, he was seated right next to her. She seemed so peaceful, but a part of him was stressed that she didn't wake up yet. Sebastian mumbled aloud, "You look so beautiful. Every time I look into your eyes I see that flicker of fear. You're worried about weakness, but this makes you human. Just because you are this badass super-soldier, does not mean you aren't allowed to feel human emotion."

Sebastian was too distracted at holding her hand that he didn't notice her eyelids twitch. Dove pointed it out and his gaze shot up to her face. "Come on, I know you probably can hear me, come back. I don't know what you are going through, but I need you here. Without you…" he let his words hang in the air; he didn't want to finish that thought nor think about it.

The Spartan was battling her mind with multiple scenarios and most of them ended in the same way, she would lose. Only then did she hear a voice, a voice that she thought she lost. Something began pushing her towards the voice, and she gathered her fears and worries and charged head-on towards the voice. Towards him.

She felt like someone ran her over, multiple times. She felt naked, maybe it was because she knew her armor wasn't on, but her undersuit was. Her eyes opened and shut again, her vision blurry, but she could make out a vague color. Blue. The blue color that she has come to memorize. The color that made her feel fuzzy on the inside. Without warning, her free arm wrapped around the person's neck and held them close. He was back with her. She heard a faint 'woah' of surprise and a small struggle, but eventually, he relented.

"Faye?" his voice sent a shiver down her spine. It sounded so vulnerable, worried, and full of relief. He attempted to pull back, but she clung to him, not letting him escape. She didn't know she needed him as much as she did. Sebastian was thankful that he made Dove close off the room.

With much reluctance from both parties, both parted from their embrace and Sebastian slowly helped Faye up to a sitting position. The first words out of her mouth were, "My armor… where?"

Dove didn't need Sebastian's permission to make her armor appear, pieces at a time, on an armor stand. Now that it was there, Faye blinked a few times to try and clear her vision. Her throat was on fire, it felt harder to breathe. "Relax Faye, you're safe," he sighed, "it was my fault, I shouldn't have left, this wouldn't have-" she cut him off with a light shove.

Dove was giving him an earful as well since the topic of blame came up. Faye smiles at their bond and wondered what it would be like to have a companion like Dove. She then felt warm, her body liking the thought. "Couldn't you just put a trace of Light in her to make the swelling go down? Something to stir her healing process along?"

"Sebastian, we don't know what it could do, and that's putting it lightly," Dove said with slight fear.

"But you also remember what they said about your theory. That they were here before they came to our world, so it's entirely possible, considering that they tinkered with her armor…" Sebastian trailed off as Faye roughly grabbed his arm. This was the tell me now, or I'm going to hurt you kinda grab.

"Hey hey hey, it wasn't me nor Dove who tinkered with it. It was the God of my world. The Traveler had upgraded your armor, I actually can't explain it as I wasn't in my body at the time," Sebastian reassured her. The grip faded, but she didn't release him.

"Faye, do you want me to attempt to heal your throat? I warn you, I have zero clue what the Light is going to do to you," Dove didn't say her next sentence as Faye nodded firmly. Dove inched closer, "Last chance to back out."

Faye's voice was hoarse and low, "Do it."

Dove had just prepped her beam and was about to begin the process when Sebastian's being lit up and a small beam hit Faye's neck. Sebastian staggered back leaning against the cabinets. "What the fuck was that?!" he groaned as he clutched his chest.

"How the hell should I know?" Faye's voice came next. She halted, stunned by her own voice, it sounded normal compared to thirty seconds ago. "What did you hit me with?"

His voice strained and his physical being feeling weak, "If I knew, I'd tell you. Add it to the list of stockpiling questions I have."

She stood up, feeling perfectly fine, and walked over and embraced him, her arms wrapped around him. She missed him immensely, where no mere words could describe. Out of her armor, she was a few inches shorter than him. Sebastian instantly put his arms around her and he hugged her tighter, resting his chin on her head, not caring that his armor was sorta in the way, unless she decided that it was bothering her then he would worry about it. "I was so worried. I don't know what fully happened over those three hours, but all that matters is that you are safe with me."

Faye squeezed tighter, this was the one time she was fully letting her guard down and just clung to him. Admittedly, Faye was touch starved, as most Spartans are. Sebastian paused for a split second as if he was feeling her emotions. He stayed leaning back with his chin on her head. "Do you want to know why I'm really here?"

Faye pulled back far enough to look into his eyes, the most handsome eyes I've ever looked into, before hugging him again, "Tell me later. Right now, I need this."

Sebastian said nothing more as his armor disappeared and casual clothes appeared. Now that the distance was closer, he slightly swayed with her. He kissed her temple and just enjoyed the moment for what it was worth. Sebastian knew that this would most likely never happen again. I'm a selfish man, I don't ever want it to end.

The coming days were going to be difficult if Sebastian could bet on something. Even in his embrace, Faye could tell he was thinking, but absorbing the moment all the same. She kissed his cheek and that snapped him out of his thoughts before he got a familiar gleam in his eyes. They were going to kiss, but Dove had to be the bearer of bad news, "I know you two have the 'screw me' look, but you two are needed."

Faye went back into her normal self, the moment fading, "Why?"

"There's an ONI agent here, and they are looking for my Guardian," Dove said, looking right at Sebastian.

If this person thinks I'm going to comply, then they are dead wrong, or they might end up dead. Either option works. Sebastian thought to himself, chuckling as he did so.