Today we have the conclusion to this arc and the beginning of the next, now definitely THE final arc of the story (still a lot to see, though, a lot of goodness to come). Discretion is advised, anyone under 18 years old should GTFO because today we STILL HAVE STEAM TO BLOW OFF and in what ways, my lovelies. If you're cleared, then enjoy your stay *evil smirk
TAKE ME WHEN YOU NEED ME
PART XXIV
She was holding her heart in her fist.
Counting her own heartbeats, which resonated faster than ever inside her ears.
"Well, John? Will you marry me?" she asked again, stuttering a little this time.
He still hovered above her. The expression on his face was unreadable.
"Doctor Halsey. ONI. They will try to stop it." he muttered. It was the first thing that came to his head, honestly.
She blinked fast, a little surprised. Well, he didn't say no.
"Not if we get married first. We just need Cutter's blessing, it would be official."
Cortana had left the building after getting her fill; she was all Elizabeth Halsey now. Bare, insecure, worried but decided to see this through. And Elizabeth saw John wince and retreat, pulling away from the depths of her body and the warm embrace of her arms. She felt cold and abandoned. She'd just proposed to him and he backed away without a word.
Naked and exposed, she closed her legs and bit her lower lip, terrified of his silence.
John pulled the briefs back on and returned to the bed, to rest his leg. Pain constricted his muscles, although there was no blood on the bandages this time. He let out a long sigh and looked at her, when he got finally settled.
Something like a Greek God lying propped on his elbow, judging her, measuring her…
No, he wasn't judging her. John had never judged her.
He was the only man she'd ever been with that had seen her for who she was, for what she was. He'd seen more of her intellect, her wicked thoughts and her lonely, romantic soul than anyone else, despite her efforts to keep away. Cortana swallowed hard, still waiting.
"Please, John. Say something, I'm…"
"We… we hardly know each other and I'm old enough to be your father. You said that yourself." he uttered, out of the blue. "This is crazy."
She drew a broken smile.
"Unfortunately for us both, I like crazy. If you haven't noticed." Cortana whispered.
Their evident difference of age never had bothered him before, so why now?
Maybe she was asking too much of him, all things considered. It came to her mind that perhaps he didn't know what to do because he had no idea of how to proceed, or maybe he didn't feel about her the way she wanted him to feel. No, it couldn't be. The man that had whispered words of claim over her and their baby certainly understood the meaning of what he was saying, he had worked those things out by himself in an innate way. John was aware of their bond. But did he really know what it meant?
"John." she called, forcing him to make eye contact again. "I don't want to be rude, but do you understand what I'm asking? Do you know what marriage is?"
The Master Chief curled up his lip slightly, showing annoyance. Of course he knew. Spartans weren't complete ignorants of social conventionalisms as the crowd believed, they just didn't need most of said conventionalisms to do their job right. That didn't mean that they were oblivious or that it didn't affect them somehow. John had seen countless Marines and ODSTs breathing for the last time, clutching photographs tight between their bloodied fingers; spouses, parents, children, friends… loved ones. John saw the pain in their eyes, firsthand. He never forgot.
It must be nice to belong to someone, right?
"I understand." he answered, a little stiff. "But why?"
"Why?" Cortana repeated, shrugging a little. "Well, because… marriage comes with its benefits. We will get rights. As your wife, I can be privy to information about your location unless it's strictly classified. We could communicate, I could let you know how Little Bean is doing. You would be rotated instead of deployed for years on end without leave. We… we could see each other again. And I mean regularly." pushing on her elbows, she sat with her legs bent to the side, like a Venus. There was an unconscious innocence glowing on her face. "I meant it, when I said that I wanted you to hold your child. This is how we can make that happen. And nothing else will have this kind of pull on the ranks, they can't just ignore the legality of it."
John frowned, he seemed really lost.
"I don't think Spartans are supposed to get married." he muttered.
She understood that, when he said 'Spartans' he meant his own generation, excluding all others. The IIs held themselves in a very special corner, not because they were better or worse, but because they were few, they had been raised differently.
"Doesn't say anywhere that you can't, either." she smiled a little.
"I'm a Spartan." he repeated, his voice louder now but still flat, lifeless, as if he were repeating an old mantra. "I swore to defend Earth and her Colonies. That's what I know. That's my purpose, it's what I was trained to do."
"Purpose." She scoffed, hurt. "Orders. What about what you want, John?
"What I want is irrelevant, I have a duty."
She detected a hint of sorrow in those words. Like dignified resignation.
It made her angry, but not at John.
"You've lived under other people's wishes and commands most of your life; breathing, bleeding and killing for them. Because they made you believe they own you. I'm talking about something bigger here, the chance to outlive that lie forced into your head."
He looked away. "Protecting Humanity isn't a lie."
"It's not, but it wasn't your choice either. None of this was your choice, it was what my mother and father decided for you." she pushed on, frowning. "They made you believe you don't have the right to choose, John."
"Nobody forced me to accept your request. You inspired me." John rebutted; his words surprised her deeply, but she was getting ahead of herself: "I did what was best for myself and Humanity. The best thing I can do for you now is to keep protecting you, even if I don't get to see any of you ever again. To fulfill my duty."
Cortana closed her eyes, distressed. She made her hands into fists and shook her head.
"You can still do it while married to me, so I can protect you too. We could…"
She stopped before saying the wrong thing.
But… was it wrong to give him hope?
'He isn't saying no, he's just beating around the bush.' Cortana thought.
'He's scared shitless, can't you see?'
'No, it's not fear. He's stressed, doesn't know what to do. I'm laying out probably the most bizarre situation he can see himself into, and it strains his sense of control.'
'Well, give him back control, then. You know how.'
It was evident that the Spartan in him wouldn't bend the knee as easily as she had expected. Maybe she was appealing to the wrong aspect of him; the Master Chief was a hard man, a soldier in every right, he believed with heart and soul in his vow and aimed to do the right thing, to complete the mission successfully and keep his team safe. Perhaps, to his understanding, this higher commitment she was asking of him existed in direct conflict with his vow to serve, like, he couldn't do both at the same time. That was the problem.
Cortana pulled herself to her hands and knees and crawled closer to him, close enough for John to catch the scent of his own sweat on her skin, a musk like a flag on conquered land. Their eyes met again, enticing sapphire against wary steel-blue.
"Did you forget the story already, John? Are you not going to fight and win?"
He pursed his lips, his pupils dilated again turning his intense stare almost black.
He needed motivation, and she knew exactly how to keep him on the edge. It was their game. Since John didn't back away, Cortana leaned closer and grazed softly the tip of her nose all along his jaw, all the way up to his ear; her hand wandered down his ample chest towards his lap, running her fingers across the rippling muscle on his abdomen. He flinched a little, ticklish, but didn't push her away.
He wanted to fuck her more than he wanted to live; when her hand reached his briefs again, it was more than evident.
"We could have more children." she tempted him, murmuring in his ear.
That seemed to poke his interest. His brow twitched.
"More children." he whispered, low under his breath.
She pulled from that cord. "As many as you want. You can have your own little unit."
Cortana gasped when she felt the sudden grasp of his big hands on one of her arms and the back of one of her knees. John pulled her closer and again she was sitting onto his lap, straddling his hips and rubbing her core soaked in their combined fluids against that rough fabric. The hardness underneath twitched, arrogantly. Sometimes Cortana couldn't believe how fast his body reacted to her…
With their noses almost touching, they stared tensely at each other.
"What else?" John demanded now, eagerly.
"If I'm your wife, I'll be completely yours." Cortana slid her hands across his strong shoulders to lock them at the back of his neck and pushed her breasts onto his chest. John growled under his breath, running his rough hands down her sides until he reached her hips. "You would be the only man allowed to touch me, the last man I'll ever fuck. There won't be anyone else for me. Only you."
John hummed, distractedly, drawing a trail across her slender neck with his nose up to her ear, almost like she had done with him before. He was smelling her again, enjoying her, the animal in him breaking free little by little.
"Mine to do as I please?" he asked, as he pushed her hips down.
Cortana gasped; the grind of her sensitive labia against his briefs sent a jolt of pleasure across her body. Those words had power over him, which ultimately resonated in her: her blood was warming up to the savage need to feel him everywhere.
"Yes. You're the only real man I've ever been with." she whispered, swallowing hard.
She shifted her weight on his lap in a way that elicited a throaty groan out of him. The pressure of his fingers on her hipbones hurt. With thoughtful laziness, Cortana kissed the corner of his mouth and bit his lower lip enticingly, encouraging him.
"God, I swear I never wanted a man to tell me what to do until I met you."
Her words were pure fire, and they burned him.
She felt him swell in every possible way, any self-control John had left snapped right there. He buried his fingers on the supple flesh of her ass and pulled her up roughly, with a frantic snarl. Cortana pulled away his briefs to pop his cock out again, hard and ready, and guide him between her legs into her aching depths. He pushed her down and sank deep with one swift, harsh motion that made them both moan at the same time.
It didn't matter that they had finished having sex ten minutes ago, he was a Spartan and he never had enough. His need of her was imperious. Cortana writhed and ground her hips, held tight in the embrace of his strong arms wrapped around her body. She scratched the back of his head, careful enough to avoid the neural port, desperately pressing her forehead onto his. The kiss that followed was glorious, wild and exhilarating. They bit and suckled on each other's lips roughly, it wasn't elegant or romantic.
It was a battle for dominance fought in two flanks: his mouth trying to claim hers, and her pussy hell-bent on convincing him. Cortana broke the kiss without remorse and threw her head back, setting up the slow, maddening pace of their lovemaking, bouncing on his lap to the rhythm of her soft words:
"I want you to be the father of all of my children, John." she moaned. "And I expect to have many children, I've always dreamed of making a big family."
Family. That word pushed a very special button.
Wincing in pain, he shifted their position enough for him to accommodate his wounded leg. The thought and promise of future offspring made him even harder, if such a thing was physiologically possible.
She was so hot and slick inside, so beautiful…
He only had to say yes and if she kept fucking him like that, slowly, close and tight, he would do whatever she wanted. John was spiraling down into madness again, he was smart enough to know that this wasn't the way to make proper decisions, but…
She kept talking, saying all the right things.
"Don't you think it's perfect, Chief?" she purred, grinding leisurely on him. They were looking into each other's eyes now, gasping together, moving together, working to reach maximum pleasure together. "We can have our own team, with you leading. I can be your second in command, the best you've ever had. We can run the unit together, I'll take care of it while you're away and you will be in charge whenever you're back…"
"I'll never let you go." the growl resonated deep within her core, making her shiver.
She sighed, delighted. "That's just perfect, John. It's exactly what I want."
"No more bossing me around?"
"Boss me around, if you please." Cortana moaned, smiling. "I like it".
Her insides were tightening, he could feel it. She kept moving insanely slow, twisting her hips, directing him, shoving him closer and closer to the edge. So far, she was about to be crowned queen, John was ready to surrender.
But then came another push:
"Jameson said that I couldn't make a father out of you. I'd very much like to prove him wrong." she said, dropping her voice to a husky whisper.
The mention of that lesser male made the Master Chief furious. He shoved both hands under her ass and took the lead, her warning was a low roar that rumbled in his chest. She yelped when he handled her roughly, lifting her easily and dropping her fast, fucking her harder and deeper, devoid of mercy or care. Just the way she liked it. She clung to his neck, pressing every inch of her soft curves onto his hard muscle, panting and moaning faster and faster, skin against skin and breaking sweat. Every nerve of her body suddenly connected with her sex, increasing the sensations of the electric rush of heat running through her flesh.
She began to drown in the pleasure of his assault, the tables had turned violently.
But it was so good. It felt so right.
Cortana's soft moans turned quickly into ragged cries for mercy, which he didn't grant her. She had to be taught not to mention that man again in his presence; John didn't want her thinking of Jameson Locke ever again, not even if it was to curse him.
She had one last plea to make, before losing her mind…
"If we marry, we don't have to say goodbye." Cortana whimpered, half dazed, hiding her face on the crook of his neck. She was right about to detonate, her body hardened, her skin prickled in response. "John, please…! Please, marry me! Don't leave me!"
It struck them together, hitting them hard and deep.
She cried out against his skin clutching to him with everything she had, and he ground his teeth pushing his cock roughly into her. The final release traveled through their bodies, turning the strain into bliss and wiping their minds clean. John emptied himself in her once more, Cortana received him gladly, hungrily.
They were both left trembling and twitching...
Who wouldn't want to feel like this, every day of their lives, forever?
John held her in that close embrace for a few more minutes, reveling in the wonderful aftermath. Cortana lay now limp in his arms. He let himself fall back onto the bed, carrying her, running his coarse hands up and down her spine to soothe the goosebumps on her skin. His augmented senses captured the sharp scent of recent sex, her arousal mixed with her sweet essence, the traces of chemicals in the air, his own sweat. An explosive combination. His thoughts were coming back into focus, slow but steady, along with the pulses of pain from his leg.
John became more aware than ever of the little hard bump on her belly tightly pressed against his own. He put a heavy hand on the small of her back, pressing down to enjoy the feeling better. Pride came sneaking under his skin, again.
After what seemed to be an eternity, Cortana moved.
He pressed a kiss on her forehead, waiting for her to get fully comfortable.
"Elizabeth."
She hummed something, giddy against his sweaty skin. So warm.
"Elizabeth." he called her, louder this time.
"I'm here." she kissed his chest, then looked up at his face.
She found the clear steel-blue of his eyes, almost glowing in the dim light. This had to be the most peaceful she'd ever seen him, relaxed, composed. Decided.
"Yes."
"Yes?" she repeated, a little confused.
"I'll marry you, Elizabeth."
Her breath faltered, completely astonished. Her name -her real name- whispered by his gruff voice kickstarted her heart like nothing else ever did before. It had to be the first time he ever addressed her by her real name. It made her feel… special? She was more than the sum of her skills, more than the cold bitch that had pulled him into this mess, much more than just a fancy callsign with a lot of prizes and a silly little wish for the future.
And he had just accepted her proposal.
"Thank you, John." she whispered, pushing on her elbows to lean closer and kiss him. "I'll talk to Cutter first thing in morning-cycle. Thank you, thank you, thank you..."
The kiss was short but sweet, her happiness made him feel excited.
Cortana broke slowly the union between their bodies and rolled off him, settling herself by his side, to rest. Now that their breaths were even again, the silence of the room engulfed them and she relaxed completely, enjoying the little prickles of lingering pleasure under her skin. It was more intense between her legs, it felt amazingly good; pregnancy had its little perks, indeed.
After a few minutes, Cortana gasped loudly; she slipped off the bed, startling John. He followed her with his gaze as she skidded to the pile of clothes left behind, on the floor. She pulled her jacket out of the mess and snuck her fingers inside the breast pocket, capturing a pair of tingling dog tags held by a beaded chain.
Then, she returned to the bed. He sat down again.
"Before I forget, these are yours." Cortana presented her cupped hands. "Anders gave them to me for safekeeping after they put you in cold storage."
"… my tags."
John received the tags from her. Cortana hopped back onto the bed and, again, sat on his lap to be face to face with him, so close and snug. The Master Chief looked at the plates lying on his palm and then at her.
"I had them all the time, they weren't lost." she smiled.
He didn't say anything, just stared at the engraved metal.
And without hesitation, John spread the chain to lay it around Cortana's neck.
His hand slid down slowly onto her skin, from the back of her neck across the length of the chain reaching at last the lowest point in which the tags hung, right between her breasts. Above her heart, pounding hard beneath his fingertips.
John looked once more into her eyes, finding them shocked and wide open.
"They look good on you." he drew for her that little smirk that drove her crazy.
Cortana fought back the urge to cry, inhaling deep and sharp with her lips tightly shut.
His plates. His identity, everything that he was, written on that cold surface.
"So, this is how you assert your claim?" Cortana joked later, with a trembling smile.
"You're mine. This is proof."
He had laid his mark on her. Not only with his baby, but with his very soul.
"Well, we don't have rings to exchange." she sighed. "I think this will do."
The hungry pit in her stomach was burning again, a need like no other exploded in the back of her mind. Now she didn't have to lie anymore, the tags were legitimately hers and by his choice. Oh, she had to give him everything.
He had to truly own her. She wanted him to be the only one with the right.
Blushing violently, Cortana cleared her throat.
"Since you're establishing your claim…" she began.
He observed, hesitantly, as she turned around on his lap, still straddling him but this time presenting her back. She laid her weight heavily on his groin again, resting onto his chest; his instinctive reaction was to wrap his arms around her, cupping her breasts until she whimpered, rubbing his coarse palm on her lower belly as he held her close. Cortana's heart fluttered happily when John kissed her shoulder and neck, waiting for her to clarify her intentions.
But this also felt really good, there was no place safer than between his arms.
"There's one last part of me that you have to conquer to make me completely yours. If you want to." she added, pushing her ass on his awakening groin.
It took him maybe a moment too long to respond, but…
Behind her, John exhaled hard like an enraged bull, a revolution rose inside him.
He sneaked a hand between her legs, from the front, and his rough fingers brushed past her sensitive sweet spot diving into what lied beyond, the other entrance that he hadn't tried yet. She moaned involuntarily when his fingertips tested the soft flesh in the right place.
John growled, nose tightly pressed on the nape of her neck.
"You mean this?" he asked.
"I feel crazy enough to want it, you know?" Cortana purred on his ear, leaning her head back onto his shoulder. "Take me, John. Take everything…"
He accepted the challenge eagerly. All she felt from then on was his scorching, strained breath on the back of her head, the tingling of the dog tags on her neck, the mixture of pain and eventual pleasure that came with her complete surrender, the hoarse sound of his voice growling 'mine', ever so low and enticing…
x.x.x.x.x
Elizabeth Halsey had discovered more about herself in the past hour than in her entire life. She'd said out loud shocking things. It shocked her now, and it was all true: she never knew exactly what she wanted until she met this particular Spartan. A lover that could fuck the arrogance out of her, without mercy. A partner she could trust entirely, that would care for her and that wouldn't judge her or her desires. A family to call her own. A husband. In her world and line of work she had no time for such things and yet… there was a part of her that longed for that comfort, for the steadiness of a home.
Without realizing it, they had become each other's home.
So unreal. Elizabeth could be an entirely different person when they were together, and it felt so liberating. To the rest of the galaxy, she was a cold woman of power, wealth and command, she was the boss. With him, she could be on her knees and enjoy it, become his prized possession and innocent prey. It wasn't silly to admit that she wanted him in control when they were alone.
Maybe it wasn't so crazy to allow herself to be just a female surrendering to a male.
John-117 had proven himself worthy, after all.
She wanted a baby, so she picked herself a Spartan…
Now Elizabeth Halsey lay bare and snug between her soon-to-be-husband's arms, head on his shoulder, holding him with one leg crossed above his hips. The sheets were thin -and an uncomfortable, sticky mess by now, but none of them cared- and the room was cold, but she felt calm in his protective grasp, encased in the quiet of his stoic, meaningful presence. Drawing lazy circles on John's chest with her finger, Elizabeth nuzzled his strong shoulder with her nose and laid a kiss on his skin.
"Are you okay?" he asked, before she could say anything.
Elizabeth knew exactly why he was asking. She could feel the incredible heat of one of his hands spread on the small of her back and the gentle knuckles of his other hand rubbing softly her abdomen, right below the bellybutton.
"I'm fine. Better than ever." she answered, with a little smile. "Exercise won't hurt me or Little Bean."
She saw a little smirk pull the corner of his lips.
"Are you hungry?"
"I'm fine, Chief, perfectly fine. I feel good." she snorted. Maybe a distraction would help him drop the subject: "I was wondering… you never said what you dreamed about, while you were under."
Her voice was barely a whisper, but he heard her perfectly. John let out a deep sigh.
"Most of it is blurry now." he started, calm. The change of subject threw him a little off his rhythm. "But one thing was steady, and it repeated: there was a beach. An extension of sand and ocean running far into the horizon no matter in which direction you looked. No trees, no rocks, just sand and the ocean beyond. I dreamed about that beach many times, it's like everything always circled back to that place."
"What's so special about it? Is it a place you like?"
"I've never been there, never even seen it." he grimaced. "I'm always in proximity of a house, there's a path made of flat stones that leads you there. The house has a balcony or a deck up front, facing the sea. There's tracks on the sand, of a child and a dog. I never saw the child or the dog, but I could hear them, they were nearby. What I did see was a woman, she was standing close to the sea."
Elizabeth frowned, propping herself on her elbow to get a better look at his face.
John was looking at the machinery hanging from the ceiling of the room, quietly.
"I'm always far from her. Sometimes she waves at me, sometimes she just stands there holding a big hat made of straw over her head." he said, and made a pause. After a few long seconds, he continued: "I think the woman is you."
Elizabeth blinked slowly, a little confused and a little flattered.
A house by the beach, with a woman in a dress and a straw hat. Why was that image so familiar to her, where had she seen it before?
Her memory kicked in, quickly: for the third and final test of the evaluation, her father had shown John different pictures and the Spartan had to speak the first words that came to his mind upon seeing them. A woman on a beach with a house on the background was one of the pictures that Doctor Ford had used for his examination.
Elizabeth remembered clearly what John's answer had been, too.
'Real. I mean, it looks natural. Home. Future. Possibilities. Protect.'
She felt her eyes brimming with tears, for some reason.
Coming back from one of his last nightmares after the major surgery, John had said to her that 'the beach had been glassed' and back in that moment, she didn't understand what he meant with it. Now it made a lot more sense, even if it had involved the deceased Parisa at some point. The nightmare had been about losing his hope.
He had lost so much, already.
"Elizabeth?" he whispered, snapping her back from her thoughts.
She closed her eyes tight to avoid the tears that wanted to escape and hid her face on his shoulder, so he wouldn't see. But John felt her distress, she couldn't hide anything from him… not for long, at least.
"Are you okay, Elizabeth?" her name on his lips sounded so good.
"I'm fine." she lied, trying to sound normal. "I'm just sleepy, that's all."
He didn't push any further, thankfully. John just moved his massive arm around her to hold her body better and brushed hair off her face, the touch of his calloused fingers on her cheek drove away all pain and fear. The memory of the picture remained in the back of her mind for a long time. Elizabeth hugged him closer, pressing her chest to his side and waited until sleep finally took her away, huddled in his shielding embrace.
x.x.x.x.x
He came around in the gleam of the emergency lights to the sound of tingling metal, a hot weight on top of him and even hotter lips traveling his jaw, towards his mouth…
A low, feminine chuckle made his spine tingle. Her hands were all over his chest.
Her sweet scent flooded his lungs and another kind of warmth -deeper, softer, tighter- enveloped him, comforting the ache of that involuntary morning erection. Were it had been someone else, someone he didn't recognize, his hands would've acted by sheer instinct and the assaulter would lay with its neck broken, even before touching him.
John groaned under his breath, sleepy. Her sapphire stare hovered above his face.
"Good morning, Chief." Elizabeth purred, mischievously.
John closed his eyes for a second, she moved her hips and he sank swiftly into her.
"Morning." he managed to gasp.
If anything, the dimly lit room indicated that it wasn't morning-cycle proper yet.
"Do you mind?" she left a brief kiss on his lips, reveling on the thrilling connection of their bodies. "It's a waste not to take care of it properly."
"Be my guest." John sneered.
Despite the invitation, his imposing hands went to her waist to steady and guide her. She let her body rest onto him, skin to skin, pressing her forehead onto his, her warm breath caressing his face. Elizabeth was covered in goosebumps -fair enough, the room was chilly- but soon he would share his heat with her. Not long after, her soft moans broke the silence as she rode him slow, lazily, enjoying every second of it, every sensation and touch. Falling into rhythm with ease, she kissed and nuzzled his neck and shoulders until he couldn't take it anymore and decided to claim the lead, picking up the pace until the incomparable bliss swept over them and made them burn together.
As she lay resting on his chest, smiling weakly, John ran his rough hands up and down the curve of her spine, enjoying the twitching muscles tight around his cock until the only feelings left were peace and satisfaction. Elizabeth wasn't cold anymore.
The lighting inside the room changed suddenly, morning-cycle had started.
Elizabeth pushed herself back to a sit on his groin, keeping him snuggly nested in her.
Her tousled hair was starting to curl on the ends. Her smile was alluring. He could've fucked her all day long if it wasn't for the terrible location and the timing of the big plans she had. And that damn leg.
"You're a bad influence, you know?" Elizabeth smiled, shaking her head.
"I didn't put you there." John shrugged, half a smirk curved the corner of his mouth.
"Guilty as charged, I confess I climbed on your morning wood because I just couldn't help myself. But that's also your fault."
He frowned slightly. "It's not."
She scoffed and just to prove him wrong, slipped away from his scorching heat and the bed altogether, strutting away to pick up her stuff. That morning-cycle, scheduled to be his last one aboard the Spirit of Fire, John did things just as he performed them every morning. Since he wasn't allowed to leave the room, the Spartan cleaned his body with the elements of the kit left to his disposal and proceeded to suit up with the garments also delivered the previous day. Fully clad in a brand-new model of exo-suit, dark-gray fatigues' pants and boots, John waited as the suit ran the power-up sequence and adjusted to his body, while practicing stretch exercises to release the stiffness of his muscles. The leg didn't hurt much but he couldn't help to walk with a slight limp.
Lying in bed for more than two weeks had taken its toll.
Well, the whole event was highly unusual for someone like him. John couldn't recall the last time he'd been hospitalized for more than a couple of days, it had to be a record. A reasonable one, considering these had been his worst injuries since he could remember, too. But he would be discharged from medical any moment now.
It had been worth the risk, the flood outbreak was obliterated.
His team was in one piece. Lives -even if they were few- had been saved.
His mate and child were safe.
And he was supposed to be married that morning, after all.
John eyed Elizabeth; she'd been watching him all along, still naked and careless while eating candy she'd picked out from the ammo crate under the chair.
"Shit, it's late!" she complained, checking out her pad. She put on her panties and bra, hastily, irritated. "I should've left an hour ago! I still have to shower and change my clothes before meeting with the Captain!"
"Then go. I'll be here when you return."
A little reticent, Elizabet stretched on the tips of her toes for a kiss that he obliged.
Seeing her so excited put John in a very good mood, the best one he could remember as well. Now properly dressed and hosting a huge smile on her face, she left the room after promising, again, to be back with Cutter as soon as she could. Her resolve was moving. But even if her words transpired an immense confidence, the Spartan was determined to remain in alert until the dust had settled. It was his second nature.
The suit bleeped to let him know that it was a hundred-percent operational and tightly fit, but he was distracted. After he pulled the sheets and rolled them into a bundle, John examined the few remaining drawings attached to the panel near the head of the bed. His eyes lingered on one in particular: a portrait. Unfinished by the looks of it, it was barely her face, eyes, lips, nose and a dark, shapeless shadow representing her hair. It was Elizabeth, alright. It had… a mysterious beauty.
Although it was just a black and white sketch, he felt inevitably drawn to it.
With reverent care, the Master Chief plucked the portrait off the panel, put it together with the yellow pamphlet scribbled with good wishes. Then he folded both pieces twice and hid them into one of the multiple pockets of his pants, for safekeeping. Elizabet had his tags, he figured he could keep a picture of her.
It was against protocol, but still…
Maybe he could allow himself to be reckless, why not?
Just in case getting married without authorization wasn't reckless enough.
A few minutes later, he heard -and recognized- the steps on the hallway and pursed his lips, uneasy. When the door slid revealing the brittle figure of Catherine Halsey, he stood on attention, clasping his hands behind his back.
The injury pulsed sending a shot of pain up his back, but he resisted, his face betrayed no emotion. John wasn't sure of how to respond to his maker's presence, since hate wasn't something he exercised, not even after what had happened between them the day before. He didn't want to hate her. He owed a lot to that woman, including the privilege of having her daughter as the mother of his child, even if it displeased her.
But when he caught the armored shadows behind the good Doctor, escorting her…
The Master Chief knew something was wrong.
x.x.x.x.x
This time, Cortana almost didn't find resistance on her way towards the ship's bridge.
After a good snack, a shower and a change of clothes, she made the long way from the medbay to the Captain's seat in a little less than an hour, feeling extremely good. There was a warm smile on her lips and a slight spring on her step. The crewmembers smiled at her, even if they didn't recognize her. She wondered where Red Team was, since she didn't see the Spartans in their usual post near the bridge.
Everyone she came across seemed to be very busy.
When she entered, Cortana noticed there was a lot going on in there.
The bridge was swarming with activity, the lavender figure of Serina was glowing on the holo-table beside the Captain and they were speaking in hushed tones. The man seemed to be tense. It was the AI who made him notice Cortana's presence; the woman in question smiled when Cutter turned to face her, his eyes under the bill of the cap looked haunted. At the time she didn't think anything of it, she was resolute to not let her happiness be soiled by anything.
"Captain Cutter, good morning." she greeted, her great mood poured out.
"Miss Halsey, this is not the best of times." Cutter warned her, quickly.
Cortana frowned. "What's wrong?"
"In case you can't see, it's a very busy morning. I'll have to ask you to return later."
The man was about to dismiss her completely with a wave of his hand when she moved forward, carrying that cheery smile on her face. There was a fabulous shine in her sapphire eyes that admitted no refusals:
"Oh, I won't take much of your time, I just wanted to request your service to officiate a wedding." she said.
Cutter did a double take. This time, he wasn't holding a mug of coffee, fortunately.
"Excuse me?"
Cortana nodded and drew her beautiful smile again. "Yes, I'd like you to officiate my wedding, John and I have decided to get married today. How much time do you need to get the paperwork ready?"
That's when Cortana noticed Serina's sad expression.
The AI was looking directly at her, her beautiful face reflected an agony that no doubt she could experience in some level; the raging lines of code running through her slender figure were slower than usual. She kept her hands clasped in front of her.
The Captain spoke softly, in a conciliatory tone: "I'm afraid I require a lot more time than what you have right now, Miss Halsey."
"… I don't understand."
"The UNSC Charon just hailed us, a transport is docking in our bays as we speak." He explained. "According to my orders, that's the ship that will be picking up the Master Chief for his transfer. He's scheduled for departure in about… fifty minutes, his paperwork is all cleared."
Cortana felt the blood freeze in her veins.
"What? No, no. There has to be a mistake." she shook her head, heartily. "His schedule says he should be leaving tonight, at twenty-two-hundred. This is…"
"There's no mistake, Miss Halsey. The schedule has changed."
"Who changed it?" Cortana demanded, angrily. Tears were blurring her sight.
"The change in schedule was approved by SECTION-III at twenty-one-thirty yesterday eve." the AI informed, her voice was comforting, her thick accent became even thicker. "It was reported that the original ship in schedule, the UNSC Rio Grande was delayed and the orders were transferred to the Charon, which was on patrol in the near vicinity. Someone is not a big fan of delays, it seems."
Someone like her mother, maybe. Cortana clenched her teeth, taking a deep breath.
Oh, the pain that exploded inside her chest almost made her scream.
Fifty minutes, she had only fifty minutes…
Without even saluting or being dismissed by the Captain, Cortana whirled around and exited the bridge instantly, running the fastest that she could. No. No, no, no, please, NO! It couldn't be. How come John wasn't informed? Any change on his schedule should've been recorded somewhere, he had to be aware, he…
No. Someone wanted them blind. It had been an ambush.
A vile ambush, so neither John nor her would have the time to prepare for it.
'She doesn't trust him, after what happened yesterday.' Cortana thought. 'She's afraid that, since he already talked back to her, he might refuse to leave. What would anyone do with a Spartan that refuses to follow orders?'
'Giving your doll a soul wasn't such a good idea; was it, Elizabeth?'
Pressing her lips in a trembling, hard line, Cortana pulled out the pad from her pocket and tapped into it, requesting the fastest way to the medbay. The screen lit with a tracking marker and a series of directions. The Spirit of Fire was an old vessel, it was outfitted with three elevators for vertical displacement between its numerous decks, but it didn't have an internal tram like other modern, much bigger ships. There were rails on the floor for cargo trolleys, not much else.
There was no faster way to get where one wanted to go other than walking.
She set up a timer, ETA forty-seven minutes to her destination.
Against her better judgement, Cortana ran. She ran with all her strength, she ran until the muscles of her legs ached with cramps and a sharp pain attacked the side of her chest, and even then, she kept running. She would swear that she felt a ghostly taste of copper in her throat, but she didn't care: John was being taken away, ripped off her arms. Desperation seeped under her skin with every minute that passed as she followed the tracker.
She was getting closer and closer, time slipping by like sand through the keyhole faster and faster. The last few hundred meters, it was impossible for her to keep running. Her legs wanted to give out, her lungs were about to explode, but the part of her that burned bright in search for her Spartan forced her to move.
She needed to see him one more time, to say how sorry she was for everything.
He couldn't leave without saying goodbye!
With fifteen minutes remaining on the timer, Cortana came to an abrupt halt when she saw the crowd, upon turning on an intersection inside the medbay proper. She recognized John, marching with his cold eyes up front in the middle of an hexagonal formation of six armored figures, his step was confident but he couldn't hide the limp on his leg. The retinue was closed by all three members of Red Team in full suit of MJOLNIR and weapons ready, right behind them walked her mother with her assistants, the Chief Medical Officer and Ellen Anders.
Paralyzed, Cortana turned her eyes back to the figures escorting John closely.
She recognized the armors. The ID tags painted in faint, white letters across the collar of their armors. NOBLE Team.
One of the most well-known Spartan teams in active duty, heroes of Reach.
The Spartan standing closest to John, just outside of his arm's reach, was NOBLE-Six, the only other asset ever recorded to hold stats that matched the Master Chief's. Six young and highly skilled SPARTAN-III in power armor just to move a SPARTAN-II into another ship. It was an overkill. Was John aware that her mother had pulled the heavy cavalry just to take him away?
Fear had paralyzed Cortana at first; now, it fueled her rage.
"JOHN!" she shouted, atop her lungs.
He stopped immediately and turned towards her, eliciting an immediate response from NOBLE Team to snap into defensive stances, leveling their weapons. Except that, despite the tension that made his jaw tremble, the Master Chief didn't walk back to her.
He just stood in place, tense, looking at her but keeping his escorts in range.
Cortana was the one who ran, racing past her mother, the CMO and Anders, face first to the impenetrable wall of Red Team. She was stopped dead on her tracks by a strong hand that grasped her arm and pulled her back, behind the line: Alice-130. The Spartan held her grip tight enough to assert dominance, shaking her helmeted head slightly. Cortana punched the greaves of her armor, trying to escape, but an average non-augmented woman was no match for a supersoldier.
Cortana turned her head to him, desperate.
"John, I had no idea…" she started, her voice broke with the tears that wanted to flow.
John was looking at her. She could see that he was torn between fury and concern.
"John." Doctor Halsey said, firm. "Please walk. Your transport awaits."
NOBLE-One, standing right behind the Chief, shifted his position slightly:
"Master Chief, move. That's an order."
You only had to look at his face to know that he was considering something.
John was only clad in a new model of exo-suit against six Spartans in full MJOLNIR, but Cortana saw the play in the open as if it were a game of chess. It was a very easy move for someone as experienced as the Master Chief himself. He would punch NOBLE-Six on the head and snatch the combat knife from his collar, whirl around to stick the blade into NOBLE-One's neck and pick up the rifle from his weakened hands, duck and roll to place a bullet in each of NOBLE-Two's legs, avoid the sneaky armlock of NOBLE-Three and the deadly shots of NOBLE-Four, only to fall back and headbutt NOBLE-Five, and then…
John considered it, yes. But he didn't do anything, because he wouldn't hurt one of his fellow Spartans, not unless there was a reasonable motive. NOBLE Team was just doing as they were told.
Cortana didn't know what to do, what to say. He just stood there, looking at her.
She wanted to stop them but didn't know how.
"Master Chief." the harsh voice of NOBLE-One was more assertive this time.
John didn't say anything, just complied and turned his back on her, on everyone, and moved along with the escort. He was slipping away from her grasp, just like the solution to their problem. Just like all the hopes they had put together.
Only one thing came to her mind:
"JOHN!" she cried, prisoner on Alice's iron-grip around her biceps. "BE STRONG!"
He looked back over his shoulder, under the attentive vigilance of NOBLE-Six.
Their eyes connected again. The automatic doors of a massive cargo elevator at the end of the hallway opened wide as the group approached. Red Team stayed behind, acting as an efficient barrier.
"REMEMBER THE STORY!" Cortana insisted, still fighting Alice's strength.
"I won't forget." he answered, calmly.
Cortana's heart nearly stopped, the cold and the impulse to scream were overwhelming her. She took her free hand to her stomach, her head fell and her loose dark hair covered her red eyes. A single warm tear rolled down the bridge of her nose, tickling its way through. Cortana trembled, her tired legs felt so weak. Only Alice's hand held her steady on her feet, the golden faceplate was affixed on her as if she were observing a rare phenomenon.
'This is so wrong, so fucking wrong!'
Cortana found John's eyes one last time, when the escort drove him into the elevator.
"Please, John…" she cried, clenching her teeth so she wouldn't shriek.
He mouthed something under his breath, something she couldn't hear or decipher.
Her nimble heart kicked back to life, but it was already too late. The doors closed.
Eye contact, the last link they still had, was severed.
NO.
No, no, no, no…
God, it had been so close! SO. FUCKING. CLOSE.
It was her fault. She should've kept her focus on the plan instead of frolicking around with him. She'd been too late to make her plea to Cutter, she'd been too late to return when she realized something was wrong…
Once again, their instincts had gotten in the way.
'I will protect you, John. I'll figure this shit out.' she swore to herself, more to keep her sanity than anything. 'It can't end like this, I won't accept this!'
Cortana hid her face on Alice-130's arm and fought to control herself.
She knew her mother was watching. And proud Elizabeth didn't want to give Catherine Halsey the satisfaction of seeing her break into a thousand pieces. This was her doing, her vengeance for the argument of the previous day, for John's betrayal towards her. She had rushed John's departure on purpose, it had to be her.
Mother and daughter exchanged looks, briefly.
Both remained stoic; under the surface one was worried and the other, furious. Cortana broke away, pulling her arm free from the Spartan's hold at last, rubbing the bruised flesh with a nervous gesture.
Alice remained by her side, her imponent shadow looming over.
Halsey tried to speak, her daughter cut her off:
"Don't talk to me. I won't forgive you for this, mother." she barked, ominously.
x.x.x.x.x
After vomiting three times, Cortana decided to lie on the bunk of her quarters and wait in the faintness of the emergency lights until she was called. She received a message on her pad, from Serina: the hour she was expected to be at the landing bay. Cortana swallowed her meds and rolled herself into the rough blanket.
In the meantime, she didn't want to think or feel. There was no more strength in her for tears or fury, not anymore. She was a bag of flesh with another life nested deep within, just waiting, hearing the distant sounds of the ship. Hours went by, she couldn't even sleep the wait away. It was torture.
The images kept coming back, eroding her stability.
Whenever she tried to sleep, she saw John considering to attack his fellow Spartans.
She saw his furious eyes, knowing that he was torn apart inside just like her.
He didn't know what to do, so he resorted to play along.
He was far wiser than her, in the end.
At the hour of their departure, most of the Spirit of Fire's officers waited at the landing bay to give the proper greetings. She walked behind her mother all the time, just following her blind like a lost puppy. When it was Cortana's turn to shake hands with the Captain, the man laid a hand on her shoulder and gave her a knowing look. By now, it was more than likely that her cover had been blown and Cutter knew the truth. She couldn't do anything else, except gift him with a tight smile of pressed lips and teary eyes.
Cutter looked away quickly, perhaps too aware of her feelings.
Sporting a dirty backpack loaded with the weight of heavy compact drives and holding in her arms an ammo crate that contained her books, her drawings, a black canvas bag with some sweets, a bottle of beer and a forlorn look in her eyes, Elizabeth Halsey climbed onto the Pelican after her mother.
Her stomach didn't settle, not that night neither in the weeks to come.
TO BE CONTINUED
*cries silently over the keyboard* I KNOW! IT FUCKING HURTS. Oh, God, it hurts. This hurt me as much as writing chapter 41 of RECOMPOSE. It wrecked me, I swear, but it's SO NECESSARY! Trust me, what comes from now on will be epic, you will definitely want to see them come together after what happened here. Alright, some non-logged users deserve an answer! :D
Dear OH DANG, thank you very much for your support! Good to know you're enjoying yourself!
My beloved REXSOKA, I believe the time difference between my country and Texas is of three hours, meaning you're three hours behind me. I update every Sunday at 10 AM my local time. The alert emails seem to be pretty fucked up lately with this site. Thanks for stopping by, as usual!
And another GUEST that's all fired up and wants me to keep it up. I want nothing more than that, sweetie. Thank you!
See you next Sunday for more suffering… I mean, for more plot. You will hate me but you know me: I deliver. Stay safe, Marines! Throw your rage in the comment section, I know you want to murder me right now and I deserve it (please, with respect, okay?). I love you all :3