Chapter 25- Homecoming

Jack slightly stretched his body as he sat in the pelican. He was wearing his formal military uniform, seeing as there was no need for wearing armor on the way home. He looked to see Veil, wearing her armor, shifting her feet where she stood, obviously nervous. She had no reason not to be.

It had been a little over a week since the mission, and luckily Jack's legs felt a lot better. Of course he wasn't taking the doctor's advice. It was a bit painful to walk, but Jack didn't want to be stuck in a wheelchair any longer than necessary.

Jack huffed as he sat his duffel bag on the seat next to him. He sighed and said, "I can't really believe they let me keep this stuff, honestly. Thought they would take this stuff when you retire."

Veil turned to him and asked, "Why wouldn't they? Your armor is a part of your history. An important piece of memorabilia to keep."

Jack shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know, maybe not wanting civilians to have military grade armor. Either way, I'm glad I get to keep it."

Vei tilted her head and said, "I assume most human's don't get to keep their armor and weapons, or at least don't choose to, since you aren't warrior based like my people are. Combat is seen as something to keep out of everyday life, right?"

Jack nodded and said, "Yes, but that doesn't there aren't people who go looking for fights. The best option with those people is to just ignore them. They'll get bored and leave eventually."

Veil lightly chuckled and asked, "So if an intolerable human were to lash out at me with hurtful and terrible words, you wouldn't defend my honor in combat?"

Jack chuckled and said, "I mean, I'd probably want to knock em out cold, but if they don't get physical, we don't get physical. It may be strange to you, but on Earth you can't really defend your honor, you can only defend your well being."

Veil lifted her energy sword and said, "Oh but I would love to brandish this in front of anyone who decides to cross us."

Jack motioned for her to lower the sword and said, "That's something only to brandish at home. And trust me, you'll love the land. Plenty of space to swing that thing around."

Veil placed the hilt on her thigh piece, then said, "You know I'm kidding, plus it's a thrusting weapon. Anyway, I don't even plan on going out to anywhere with many humans, and at least not often. But, you will take me to the city at some point."

Jack nodded and said, "Of course. It's something you have to see yourself."

As the two fell into silence, the pelican shook a little from it's landing. The backdoor then slowly opened, revealing a small military base. Soldiers were walking and jogging about, mostly ignoring the newly landed pelican.

Jack grunted as he stood up with his duffel bag, feeling the pain in his legs again. As he stood up, he felt Veil's hand shoot under one of his arms. He grinned as he looked up at her and said, "Thanks, but I don't need help anymore."

Veil shook her head and said, "I would rather you hurt as little as possible, so don't try and stop me from supporting you."

Jack chuckled a little, then moved his arm and asked, "How about we cross arms properly then?"

Veil looked curiously at his arm, then hooked her arm around his, using her strength to give him support. Jack let out a small sigh of relief as he felt a portion of the pain go away. Seeing her so casually lift so much weight off his legs was strange, he always forgot how much stronger Sangheili were.

The two stepped out of the pelican into the base, now catching the eyes of men passing by. Jack wasn't concerned at all anymore. He didn't care what other people thought, he was just happy to be with Veil.

Soon, an officer approached the two. Jack naturally tried to salute, only to realize his saluting arm was hooked with Veil's arm. The officer nodded at the two, then outstretched his hand to Jack and asked, "I assume you're Jack Sterling?"

Jack nodded as he shook the officer's hand and said, "Yeah, got news for us?"

The officer nodded and said, "Yes I do. Someone had a car sent here for you, it's parked right outside the base. I'll lead you two to the entrance."

Before the officer could turn around, Veil shot her hand out and said, "Nice to meet you, I'm Veil, thanks for asking."

Jack chuckled as he watched the officer stare at Veil's hand with a confused face. After a few seconds, the officer shook her hand weakly and said, "Nice to meet you, too. Uh… follow me, please."

As the officer turned and starte walking, Veil turned to Jack, quietly snickering. Jack chuckled at her amusement, then the two turned back and followed the officer. At this point, most of the men out in the base were looking at them. Jack could understand, there's probably never been a single alien here before, ever. Looking at these soldiers, they looked fresh. Most of these guys have probably never even seen an alien in person.

Once they reached a gate that led outside the base, the officer turned around and said, "Let me tell you, trooper, humanity was lucky to have you in it's time of need. Your work in the UNSC was exemplary, I'm glad I was a part of putting you together."

Jack stared at the officer, confused, then it clicked. A smile widened on his face and he said, "Wait, Sergeant Rodriguez! Why the fuck didn't you say that was you?"

The Sergeant slightly smiled and said, "Ah, I didn't think you'd remember, is all."

Rodriguez eyed Veil for a second, then asked, "So, what is the exact situation with this elite friend of yours? Why are they on Earth?"

Jack shrugged and said, "She's my partner, Sergeant. What can I say?"

Rodriguez smirked and said, "Partner huh? So you're saying the quiet and curt Sterling did end up being an alien fucker?"

Jack chuckled and said, "I mean, I guess not. Fuck, you're right. All those dickwads were right."

Veil lowered her head next to Jack's and asked, "Who is this to you?"

Jack gestured to Rodriguez and said, "He was my old drill sergeant, back in boot camp. Damn, you're still a drill sergeant?"

Rodriguez shook his head and said, "No, not anymore. I'm getting out of here soon enough myself, actually. How about we go for a drink when I do, you were always my favorite."

Jack nodded and said, "That would be nice. Veil, you guys drink alcohol?"

Veil shrugged her shoulders and said, "I can, but I don't touch it very often. Actually, it has been a while, and I've never had control problems."

Rodriguez laughed and said, "Then it's a plan! Remember you got a friend in the city, Jack. Hope you two enjoy that beautiful house out on that land!"

Jack tilted his head and asked, "You've been there?"

Rodriguez nodded and said, "I was on leave when your father came into contact with me. He wanted me to tell him everything, so he can get an idea about how well you're coming along. The man was proud, let me say."

The gate started opening in front of them, and Jack could already see the car parked on the side of a long road leading away from the military base. He gestured to it as he turned to Veil and asked, "You think you can fit in that?"

Veil peered at the car, then lightly grumbled and said, "Uncomfortably. How long will the ride be?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders and said, "Oh not too long. I don't think, anyway."

He then turned back to Rodriguez and said, "Well, I'll see you someday then, sergeant."

Rodriguez nodded and said, "I hope you two have a nice time. Will be a jarring change, going from fighting wars across the stars to living a normal life in a peaceful house in a lush forest. I'll give you a call when I have the time."

Jack nodded, then he gently pulled himself from Veil's arm and started walking towards the car. She followed behind him as he approached the driver side of the vehicle. He opened the door and quickly inspected the car. He knew it was right outside a military base, so it wasn't exactly in a prime stealing position, but Jack still thought his old man was dumb for leaving it unlocked with the keys still in the fucking ignition.

Jack grabbed the keys and said, "Why the fuck would he just drop it off?"

He walked around to the passenger door, then opened and asked, "Will you need to remove your armor to fit? I'll push the seat back…"

He leaned forward and moved the seat, trying to create as much space as possible. He took a step back, then let Veil look. She peered into the seat, then turned to him and said, "It will be a tight squeeze."

Jack watched as Veil slowly moved herself into the seat. He could hear her armor rubbing against the inside of the car, but soon enough she was able to get into a proper sitting position.

She turned to him with a grunt and said, "I hope every ride will be this uncomfortable."

Jack chuckled and said, "Don't worry, I'll be sure to buy the roomiest car when I get the chance. Right now, we just have to deal with this."

He closed her door, then walked around and climbed into the driver's seat. He was immediately taken aback by just how much more comfortable the seat was than any warthogs' seat. He started the car and rubbed his hands, then said, "Alright, time to show you my home."

He grabbed the wheel and stared ahead, thinking for a solid few seconds. Veil tilted her head as she watched him, confused. She was about to ask him what was wrong, but he spoke before her and said, "Alright, where the fuck are we."

According to what Jack said, they 're going to have to drive through the city to get to his home. While Jack obviously didn't like that idea, Veil was excited. She'd be able to see what a human city looked like without having to interact with people, avoiding any unwanted attention. Jack said he knew people, and he had no doubt people would see her through the window and freak one way or another.

It didn't take long for the city to come into view, and it looked very different from what she thought. The buildings were extremely tall, going far higher than she expected. As they approached the city, she could tell the streets they were driving on were getting busier and busier.

Jack let out a nervous sigh and said, "Since we have the time, how about I show you what human music sounds like."

Veil whipped her head to him and asked, "Can you?

Jack nodded, the sat thinking for a second. After a few seconds of silence, he whispered, "You old son of a bitch."

He then pointed to a small hatch under the dashboard near her knees and said, "You mind popping that open for me? I think the right music should be in there."

Veil tilted her head, then turned to the hatch. She fiddled with what looked like a handle, until she pulled it. The hatch opened and swung downward, revealing a compartment. Inside were a few papers, as well as small square cases.

She turned to Jack and asked, "What's the music?"

Jack stared at the road for a few seconds, then turned to look. A grin widened on his lip, then he reached over and grabbed one of the cases. He turned his attention back to the road and easily popped open the case, revealing a reflective disc.

Jack began chuckling, then set the disc between them and said, "Fucking hell, I don't know where he gets this shit. Um, there should be a small slit in the dashboard. If this is my dad's car, I know there's a CD player here. Just put the disc in that."

Veil nodded as she picked up the disc. As she peered at the dashboard, she asked, "I'm guessing this is an old format."

Jack nodded with a chuckle and said, "Oh fuck yeah it is. When it comes to this music, it's weird to talk about. I say I listen to old music, so people assume I mean music from the 2400's, but no, I mean music from more than 500 years ago."

Veil finally found the slit, then gently pushed the disc in and asked, "A lot of the music on Sanghelios is quite old. Does human music change often?"

Jack nodded and said, "Oh yeah. Probably because human music is more… free spirited is what I'm thinking. That's just coming from the idea that the Sangheili were following the Covenant for so long that most of the culture there revolves around that religion."

Veil watched as the disc seemed to be pulled from her gentle grip and disappeared into the dashboard. She then turned to Jack and said, "I would be wrong to disagree, though it pains me to think how deeply rooted our culture was to a fake religion. Though now things are changing."

After a few seconds, Jack moved his hand to a button on the dashboard. As he pressed it, the sound of strange music slowly rising in volume. She didn't know exactly what she was expecting, but Jack's description was the best way she could describe it herself. The instruments used and the vocals were unusual, but she was enjoying it none-the-less.

She turned to Jack and asked, "Does this have a name?"

Jack shrugged and said, "I wouldn't know. I only got into the old stuff because of Katherine, way after I left home. My dad, on the other hand, would probably know everything."

Veil hummed curiously with the music, then said, "So, that is something he will enjoy learning about. Your new found fondness of his music taste."

Jack nodded and said, "Oh yeah, something else the guy can talk on and on about. How wrong I was to reject his music as a youngster, how much better things were before, the works. And… oh shit I see eyes."

Veil perked up at his last comment, swiveling her head around to look around. At first she didn't know what he meant. They were entering the large city at this point, other cars driving around them and people walking on the sidewalks. After a few seconds, she realized what he meant. She could see eyes from passenger seats in cars driving next to them staring directly at her.

Though the feeling was uncomfortable, Veil tried her best to ignore it and simply take in the scenery. The further into the city they went, the streets and sidewalks became more and more crowded. Jack's description of Earth being busy was becoming far more clear to her now.

Every once in a while, Jack would slow the car down in front of a red light. All the other cars would stop as well, then they would continue once the light turned green. Veil could tell these were the moments that made Jack the most nervous.

She sighed and said, "Don't stress too much, Jack. It's not like they can just storm this vehicle."

Jack nervously laughed and said, "I mean, why wouldn't they? To them, there's an armored alien warrior riding in a car down a major city. Nobody knows what we have, so they might take your very existence as a threat."

Veil chuckled at his comments, then said, "I feel like you're being overly paranoid. Just relax. Even if they were to attack us, they are attacking a Sangheili warrior and a highly skilled ODST. Did I get it right?"

Jack nodded with a smile and said, "Yup, you got it right. Trust me, ODST sticks in your mind after a while. Here, if they do, I'll just reach into this back seat, put on my helmet, and headbutt the shit out of them."

The two lightly laughed together as Jack continued down the road. Veil noticed she was able to clear his mind of some of his paranoia. The music changed every few minutes, so she assumed it was playing multiple songs. They all seemed to have some kind of similarity to them, which led her to believe all the square cases held different kinds of music.

Out of curiosity, she opened the hatch again and took a hold of the cases. They were all tinted in different colors, and had words on them. She lifted a blue case up, which had the words "Smooth Jazz" written on it. She wondered what that meant, then she heard something strike the window. She turned her head to see they were stopped again at another light, though this time people on the sidewalks were staring directly at her.

The sight was nerve racking, then she watched one human pick something up from the ground and lob it at them. It whacked against the window, not even fazing Veil as she continued to simply look at the people.

She heard what she could only describe as a growl come from Jack, then he leaned over her and said, "Give me a sec, gotta give this guy a traditional human greeting."

Veil watched as Jack balled his fist and lifted his middle finger, presenting it through the window to their onlookers. Right after that, the light turned green, and Veil could feel Jack pull off at a fast rate. She watched him fully return to his seat, grumbling something.

Veil sighed and said, "We both knew it would be a challenge."

Jack nodded and said, "Yeah, just was hopin' for a little, maybe we wouldn't have to deal with that. Fuck, I hope nobody is tailing us."

Veil quizzically tilted her head and asked, "Why would someone do that?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders and said, "To figure out where we're going, make some noise, do something stupid."

Veil lightly chuckled and said, "Whoever has the time to do that must have a very empty life."

Though he didn't laugh, she watched a grin form on his lips as he nodded and said, "Yeah, you're right about that. Eh, either way, if they follow us I'll just grab the old shotty and tear his ass a new one. I remember where my dad hid it in the house."

He then lifted one hand from the wheel, pointed downward, and said, "The squeak under the doormat isn't a loose floorboard. There's a little cubby there, with an old shotgun loaded and ready."

He then softly chuckled and said, "I remember when I learned it was there. The doorbell rang one night, when I was twelve. It was a bit late, and we weren't expecting anyone. I was behind the old guy as he walked up to the door. He swung it open, but instead of a person, it was a fucking bear trying to get a good backscratch! The old man yelped like a grunt, kicked the cubby open with his foot, grabbed that shotgun, then started yelling and blasting at the bear! The bear ran off with some lead stuck in his pelt, but he lived. As a kid I found it terrifying, but now I can only laugh at how ridiculous it was."

As he chuckled, Veil tried to process everything he said. Once his chuckling stopped, she leaned towards him and asked, "What's a bear?"

Jack seemed to pause for a moment, then he started chuckling again. He turned and said, "There big furry predators that could make any man shit himself if they get too close. But, I mean, I'd bet money you could wrestle one, so I don't think I'll have to be worrying about bears anytime soon."

Veil grinned with her mandibles and said, "So you assume I will simply fist fight one of these bears for you?"

Jack chuckled and said, "Those fuckers got claws, but I think you have a good chance. If you are somewhat equal in strength to a Spartan, I bet you can suplex a bear. I'll show you some pictures when we get there."

They drove for some time, and luckily they didn't encounter any more people willing to throw rocks at the car. At this point, the tall buildings and filled streets had slowly disappeared, in their place were smaller and more spaced apart buildings. It wasn't much longer after that until the buildings disappeared entirely, and they were simply driving on a road in a forest.

Veil turned her head to look at the forest, taking in the new environment she'd have to get used to. The tall and straight trees were very beautiful, surrounded by bushes and grass. The more they drove, the thicker the forest became. After about ten minutes of peaceful driving, the car slowed and turned off the road onto a dirt one.

Veil was about to ask where they were going, then Jack said, "Won't be long until we're on my dad's property. This road leads right down the edge of the property, all the way up to the house."

Veil turned her head to look out into the forest they were slowly driving through, then asked, "So there is wildlife on this property?"

Jack nodded his head and said, "Oh yeah. 40 acres is a lot of land. We'll get the chance to see a lot of things, trust me. And, remember that big pond I said we had? Great for swimming, and fishing. Have you ever fished?"

Veil shook her head and said, "No, I didn't do many activities on Sanghelios as a child. I was quite busy with all the training I was doing."

Jack turned to her and asked, "What did you do for fun?"

Veil thought back for a second, then began lightly chuckling. She turned to Jack and said, "One thing I did was very stupid, but I found it very amusing. When I was young, there was always this group of young males who'd pass me on the way to training. They'd say all sorts of things to me I didn't like, and I decided to start messing with them. So I started hiding in a far away bush from that road, waiting for them to pass. When they did, I would throw a small rock into their midst. Never once did they assume it was someone from the outside, and they would always start fighting each other, accusing one another. No one ever found out it was me, and every time they would pass that same place, I'd watch them all immediately separate and start eyeing each other. They weren't the brightest bunch."

The two began laughing at the story. Jack let out a sigh as he stopped laughing, then he said, "Oh I wish I had the balls to do something like that back when I was young. So many assholes made fun of me for being quiet, and every time they did I wanted to use all the training my father gave me to kick their ass, but I never wanted to get into trouble."

Veil turned to him and asked, "So these children made fun of you simply for being quiet?"

Jack faced her and said, "Kids can be fucking assholes, trust me. It didn't matter anyway. I achieved my dream, I did my part. They're probably off working some menial job someplace. Speaking of jobs, that's something I'm gonna have to get."

Veil tilted her head and asked, "Did you not make much serving?"

Jack shook his head and said, "I made money, which is a bit. Nothing we can live off of, at least for very long. Let's leave this for some other time. Right now, we're here."

Veil felt the car stop, then looked forward. In front of them was quite a big building. It was two stories tall, and looked like it was made of the same trees that surrounded them. There was a large porch at the front door, along with a garage off to the building's side. Veil turned to see Jack get out of the car, then he sped around the car and opened her door. She squeezed herself out of the seat, almost flying out of the car.

Veil looked back up at the house, taking it in, then turned to the forest around it. There was a large patch of cleared land in front of the porch, as well as around the house. The entire house was concealed by the trees, with only one visible road leading away.

She listened to Jack as he let out a loud sigh and stared at the house. She walked next to him and said, "You seem very happy to be here."

He nodded with a smile on his face and said, "I haven't been home in five years. It's… a very relieving sight. With the amount of near death scenarios I've been through, I didn't think I'd ever see this place again."

His head turned curiously to the clear patch in front of the garage, then he said, "Weird, if dad was here, his truck would usually be right outside the garage."

Jack then walked up the porch and said, "Come on, Veil. It's time I show you around the house we'll be living in."

Veil nodded with excitement and followed him up onto the porch. She watched him fiddle with the front door, finding it locked. He immediately bent over and grabbed one of the floorboards under his feet. He lifted it up, revealing a small hole with a key sitting in it. He grabbed the key and unlocked the door, then said, "This place has got a couple of secrets like that. I'll get around to showing you all of them. Let's see what this old man did to the place."

Jack swung open the door, revealing a large living room. He walked in, Veil having to slightly duck under the door as she followed. The room looked a lot like then outside, having a wooden look to it. Though it was definitely strange, it seemed quite cozy. Along the edge of the wall, there were a pair of chairs tilted slightly towards a window, facing each other. In the center of the room there was a massive couch facing the wall, which had a table carrying a large screen.

As she gazed, Jack chuckled and said, "That man didn't do a thing to this place. It looks just like how I left it."

She heard a sudden gasp come from Jack, then he gave her a tap and said, "I got something to show you. It's upstairs, follow me."

Veil nodded, then watched him almost shoot off, his duffel bag flying behind his back. She slowly followed him, turning her head and looking at every inch of the house. This was the place he grew up in. It seemed nice, though very different from anything she saw during her childhood. She carefully made her way up the stairs, at first worried that they wouldn't carry her weight.

When she made it to the top, Jack opened a door and motioned her in. She carefully walked past him and into the room. On one wall, there was a large bookcase, full of different kinds of other wall was the one that caught her attention. On a small rise, there were three armor stand, two of which had human armor on them.

She walked in front of them and peered at the two dressed stands. One looked like more ODST armor, but this one was a bit different from Jack's. This one had yellow colorations on it, as well as a taller left shoulder pad, and a gold tinted visor. She turned to Jack, who lightly laughed and said, "Yeah, my old man knew how to make himself stand out."

She gestured to it and asked, "So this is your father's armor? Was he as capable of a warrior as you?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders as he stepped next to her and said, "Depends. He was a marksman, and used a sniper rifle. He was a fucking fantastic shot, but he was far less capable in extremely close quarters."

She nodded, then turned her gaze to the second pair of armor. It was different, and she could recognize it as a regular human soldier's armor, similar to the ones she'd watch mill about on Jack's old ship. Though, it was damaged. There was a large cut on the chest plate, cutting all the way through to the back armor.

After she thought about it, Veil realized who's armor it might be. She turned to Jack, who nodded with a sigh and said, "I'm surprised we were able to get this piece, but I'm glad we have it. My brother deserved better, but at least he died fighting."

Veil slightly dipped her head and said, "I am truly sorry about your brother's death. He would be proud of what you've become, and what you've done."

Jack chuckled as he set down his duffel bag and said, "I didn't know him very long, he was only around until I was four, then he got shipped off and became a marine, but he was my hero back then. He honestly probably wanted me to stay out of the war as much as my father did."

Veil watched him step forward and place his hand o nhis brother's armor. Veil rested her hands on his shoulders, then felt him let out a heavy breath. He then spun around and said, "I didn't come here to get emotional about my brother's death. I came here because…"

He then grabbed a box from the side of the stand. Veil tilted her head and watched as he opened it. Inside were tools, which he happily took out and said, "My first project, making an armor stand for your armor. It'll have to be custom, to fit Sangheili armor. Wanna help?"

Veil nodded and said, "Of course. Wood carving is a very enjoyable pastime."

Jack tilted his head and said, "You wood carved? I thought you didn't have much pastime."

Veil nodded and said, "I had little pastime when my training began. I learned to carve when I was very young, before I decided I wanted to be a warrior, before I could really comprehend the idea of killing for a living."

Jack shut the box and asked, "Any other skills you have that I don't know about yet?"

Veil raised her finger and proudly said, "I can skip a rock on water twenty times."

Jack's mouth gaped wide open, then he turned and said, "Jesus, you're a beast."

He then pointed onto the floor and said, "First, how about we get your armor off. Get comfy, and I can get proper measurements to work off of."

Veil nodded, then started taking her armor off. Jack raced around her and quickly started helping. It only took a few minutes for her to get the armor off, then she carefully placed them against the wall next to the stands. She stretched her body, glad to finally be out of that armor. Now that she thought about it, she might not have to put that armor back on, at least not for a while.

Suddenly, a bell rang in the house. Veil and Jack both spun around to look at the door leading out of the room, then Jack grumbled and said, "I swear to God if someone actually followed us…"

She followed closely behind as he ran out of the room and down the stairs. She reached the bottom of the stairs and followed him to the doorway. She stood off to the side, then watched as he kicked away the doormat and placed his foot at the floorboard, ready to kick it open. She was about to peek out the side window when Jack swung the door open.

Veil swung her head from the window to look out the door, only to see a man over Jack's shoulder. A warm smile was on the man's mouth as he looked at Jack, then he simply outstretched his arms and said, "Alrighty, bring it in Jack-a-boy!"

Veil watched as Jack and the man both embraced each other in a tight hug, their eyes squeezed shut. The man gave Jack a few pats on the back, then opened his eyes and saw Veil standing behind them.

The man seemed to freeze for a second, pulling back from Jack. Jack looked at him, then looked back at Veil. The man pointed at her and said, "Is that… why is… wait."

The man stared intently at Veil. She was expecting the worst from him for a second, then something she didn't expect happened. A wide grin spread on the man's lips, then he turned to Jack and said, "Well look at that, my son finally went and lost his virginity!"

Veil couldn't stop herself from letting out a laugh from the comment. Jack turned beat red, then said, "Dad, what the hell!? That's not… that didn't happen!"

Jack's father lightly pushed past him and said, "Not yet then, you lucky man."

He then turned to Veil with an outstretched hand and said, "I'm Jack's father, Scott. He didn't mention you in his letter."

Veil happily shook his hand and said, "My name's Veil 'Harom, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Scott turned to Jack and asked, "How the hell did you find this catch? And how is she here?"

Jack shut the front door and said, "I met her when I shot her, then she grabbed me by the throat and threw me onto the ground."

Scott laughed and said, "Huh, kinky. Anyway, you like the place? I hired a person to keep the place tidy, since I don't live here anymore."

Jack tilted his head and asked, "You don't live here? Why?"

Scott laughed and said, "Hey, trust me, I'm as fit as I was back in my prime. I aged real good, but I'm still getting up there. I'm worried, because of my age, something might happen with my heart or what not, and I'd rather the ambulance arrive at my house within ten minutes instead of an hour. So I'm living close to the city now, which means you two get the house all to yourselves."

Veil turned to Scott and asked, "I will be honest, why aren't you as weirded out by me as you should be? Everyone else we simply passed seemed... very put off by me."

Scott shrugged and said, "I don't have an issue with Sangheili. Those fucking birds, though, fuck those. They are the scary fuckers."

Jack tilted his head with a chuckle and asked, "You mean you're more scared of Jackals than Sangheili."

Scott shook his head and said, "Not guys look like burnt chicken corpses, who would be afraid of that? It's those feathery bastards, what are they called?"

Veil spoke up and said, "You mean T'vaoans?"

Scott looked at her with a confused face, then Jack said, "Skirmishers, dad."

Scott snapped as he sat down on a chair against the wall and said, "Yeah, those fuckers. Literally dinosaurs with guns, fucking terrifying. I mean, I wouldn't run scared shitless at the sight of one, but in general, I find the general feel of them so much scarier than Sangheilis."

Veil tilted her head and asked, "What's a dinosaur?"

Jack was about to explain, then Scott reached behind him into a desk without looking, pulling out a book. He flipped to a random page on the book and held it out to them. Right on the page, there was a picture of a feathery creature named a velociraptor. It did look very similar to T'vaoans, weirdly similar.

Jack shot up at Scott and asked, "How the fuck did you do that?"

Scott threw the book behind him and said, "My skills will go unexplained. Goodness I'm thirsty. Hey Jack, is there any whiskey in the cupboards?"

Jack slowly started backing away and said, "I'll get you coffee instead, if there is any."

Scott nodded and said, "There will be, I kept this place freshly stocked! Please, spike it for me!"

Jack shook his head as he continued backing up to a kitchen that was out of sight and said, "Regular coffee, got it. Want water, Veil?"

She turned and said, "Whiskey will do."

Jack grunted, but didn't say anything else. He then turned around and disappeared around the corner. Veil then leaned to Scott and asked, "What's whiskey?"

Scott chuckled and said, "Alcohol. Very nice alcohol, you'd love it."

She slowly nodded her head. Veil took the moment of peace to fully observe Jack's father. She could see the similarity, though Jack was a bit taller, and Scott seemed a little lankier. Perhaps that's from his age. His hair seemed to be slightly graying, and he constantly had some kind of grin across his face.

Veil realized that if he was Jack's father, perhaps he had some answers to questions she wanted to ask. Jack's lack of care over his mother's death kept her curious, and he didn't like to talk about those things too didn't want to elaborate one what happened, but maybe Scott would.

She leaned towards him and asked, "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

Scott turned with a wide smile and said, "Ask away, I'll answer as best I can!"

Veil sat back and asked, "You know what happened to Jack's mother, right?"

Scott paused for a second, then asked, "Did he not tell you?"

Veil shook her head and said, "When he talked about it, he didn't say much of anything."

Scott folded his arms and said, "If he doesn't want to talk about what happened to his mother, I don't feel like I should share that."

Veil grunted at his reply thinking for a second. She only knew Scott for a few minutes, but she already had a good idea of what kind of person he was. She then asked, "What happened to your wife, then?"

A small grin formed on his lips, then he said, "Oh I like you. Alright, I'll say."

He sat back on his chair, folded his legs, then said, "It was two years after Jack's birth. We were on a walk as a family in the city. Sasha wanted to walk instead of drive since it was a nice day. We were making our way home in the city, Jack in the stroller, Jacob, my eldest, walking behind me. Sasha was up ahead, approaching a crosswalk. Jacob decided to stop at a group of girls and try to flirt, so I put my father pants on and stopped to embarrass him in front of the girls."

Veil chuckled, then Scott continued and said, "Yeah, so I was able to get him back on track and we continued following far behind my wife. She was halfway down the crosswalk, and it all happened way too fast. A van sped right into her, sending her off and down the street. The van skid and crashed into another car from the impact, followed by military vehicles. Me, being the stupid guy I was, gave my sixteen year old son the stroller, then sprinted past a group of armed men approaching the van. They almost shot me, though luckily they were quick to realize where I was going. I knelt next to her and grabbed a hold of her body. It was pointless, she died on impact. I don't cry, but I broke down right there, in the middle of the street, holding her body. What was worse was when I turned from her dead eyes and looked at Jacob and Jack. I'll never forget the look in Jacob's eyes. Then, I turned to the van. Guess who I saw getting their asses dragged out of the van? A bunch of Innies. A bunch of brainless bastards who decided to keep terrorizing their fellow people, despite the fact that humanity was fighting a war for survival."

As he talked, his grin had fully disappeared, and his eyes appeared almost glassy. Veil lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry, Scott. I shouldn't have asked."

Scott looked up, a soft smile appearing on his face, and said, "Ah, don't worry. That happened so long ago, I'm over it, trust me. It's just, she was it for me. Funny, she said if she ever died before me, that she wouldn't care if I fell in love again, or fucked around like a rabbit. All she cared about was that I stayed hers and only hers while she was alive."

Veil then asked, "Despite that, you haven't, have you?"

Scott shook his head and said, "No woman has what she had. She had the mouth, her backtalk and wit was unparalleled. Unlike me, though, she wasn't hotheaded. She wasn't quick to anger. She was so soft and understanding when it came to it. Though, to be honest, I could never really bring myself to try and date again. God, I haven't used my dick in decades."

The two chuckled, then Jack walked into the room, two glasses in his hand. He sat one down in front of Scott and said, "You have to drive home, so I passed on spiking your coffee."

Scott snapped his fingers and said, "Still the responsible one out of the two of us, huh? Glad you didn't become another me."

Jack then looked at Veil and asked, "Do you even know what whiskey is?"

Veil nodded as she took the glass from Jack and said, "An alcoholic drink. One I would like to pass on now."

Jack nodded with a smirk and said, "That's why I got you water instead. So, what were you two talking about? You were laughing a bit."

Before Veil could answer, Scott swallowed a gulp of coffee and said, "We were talking about what a catch she was. Her eyes are something else. Your mother must've been quite the looker with those eyes as well, huh?"

Veil shook her head and said, "Actually, I get my eyes from my father."

Jack whipped his head to her and asked, "I thought you never met your father?"

Veil nodded with a soft chuckle and said, "Indeed, but when my mother doesn't have purple eyes herself, one can asume where I got them."

Jack turned slightly red from his obvious miss of judgement, then Scott leaned to the side as if looking around her, then said, "Did you get that ass from your father as well?"

Her cheeks lit up a shade of purple, then Jack aggressively pointed at Scott and said, "Hey, watch your mouth, dad! Only I get to talk about her ass!"

Veil looked at him and said, "You've never talked about my ass."

Jack looked up at her and said, "Yeah, but I'm just saying, if anyone will, it'll be me!"

She couldn't help but laugh at how aggressively he stated that, then turned to see Scott stand up and say, "So protective. You make a better boyfriend than I thought you would."

Scott downed the entire cup, then sat it down and said, "Alright. I think I'll take my leave then. You two need to…"

Jack quickly stepped up to him and said, "No, nuh uh. I got questions old man. Remember?"

The two stared at each other, then Scott lowered himself back onto the chair and said, "Oh yeah. Ok, shoot."

Jack crossed his arms and said, "First, why didn't you come pick me up? Your son came back after being in service for five years!"

Scott sighed with a grin and said, "Honestly, I had a poker game with a buddy. They contacted me very last minute, only a few hours until your arrival. I just got my buddy to follow me up to the base, left the car, and had him drive me back to his place so we could finish the game."

Jack let out an exaggerated gasp and said, "You thought a poker game was more important than your son?!"

Scott smacked the table with a smile and said, "It was for a lot of money! And I won! It was worth it, don't tell me differently."

Jack chuckled and said, "Alright, I get it. It wasn't a real issue. The actual real issue is what I said in the letter."

Scott's expression immediately changed. He was still grinning, but a more serious look plastered his face.

He sighed, then moved his hand under the jacket he was wearing. He then pulled out an old looking book. He held it out, and Jack carefully grabbed it from him and held it out for both him and Veil to look at.

Scott gestured to it and said, "I know you want to know about the knife stuff. Seeing as you caught yourself a Sangheili babe, I can understand why now. Well, let's just say, I wasn't exactly the most loyal soldier, in technical terms."

Both Jack and Veil looked up at him, equally confused on what he meant. Jack then opened the book and the two started looking at the pages. It wasn't a normal book. There were no words, but it looked like a training guide. On the left page, there were multiple pictures of a Sangheili with an energy sword, showing step by step how to go through with an attack, defense, redirect, or dodge. Then, on the right page, was the same thing, except now it was what looked like a dark armored human with a knife instead of a sword.

The book was translating Sangheili sword techniques into knife techniques. It was using a far more evasive form of energy sword combat, most likely to make up for the translation using a knife.

Jack slowly lowered the book, then said, "This is the same stuff you taught me. What is this?"

Veil too was very curious how the book was made. She recgonized the techniques, she knew them herself, but they were modified in the translation, and were identical to everything she's seen Jack do with his own knife.

Scott fiddled with his fingers, then said, "Ok, fuck it. I kept this a secret since technically I could've gotten in huge trouble for it. But the war is over, so I'll tell you. On some fucking planet, I can't remmeber, I ended up befriending an Elite. It was treason, but it happened, and he ended up teaching me how to use my knife."

Both Veil and Jack both stared at him, completely shocked. After a few seconds of silence, Jack asked, "When?"

Scott started counting with his fingers, then said, "Uh, six years into the war. Right before I got that shrapnel in my ass and got sent home. It was crazy."

Jack sat down in the chair in front of Scott's and said, "You're gonna explain everything about it, now. This is too big to just leave as you illegally made a friend."

Scott stayed silent for a second, then an alarm started going off on him. Scott moved his hands all over his body, then pulled out a phone. He stood up and said, "Ah, that's a story for another day."

Jack stood up and asked, "Where the fuck are you off to now?"

Scott pushed his phone back into his pocket and said, "Doctor's appointment. I'm going to get my heart and shit checked, ya know? Kinda can't miss it."

He then walked past the two towards the door, then Jack spun around holding the book and said, "Wait, you can't just leave us like that! After this! You befriended an Elite! That early into the war! Do you know how crazy that sounds!"

Scott nodded as he opened the door and said, "It was crazy. I'll tell you two about it someday, but I have to go! Be good, have fun! The bed is big enough for you guys to do a lot of shit on, so go nuts!"

Before Jack could bark back at his comments, Scott slammed the door shut behind him. Jack and Veil both stared at the door. Veil was still slightly in shock. She could understand now, but how could an Elite befriend a human all the way back then? It seemed impossible.

Jack slowly turned around, still holding the book, then said, "Ok, guess we're going to have to put a tab on this for now, which feels impossible."

Veil carefully took the book and said, "I thought I recognized the way it was drawn as well. That Sangheili must've made this for Scott. Whatever happened between them, they must've become very close."

Jack nodded, then walked over to the couch and dropped his body onto it. He stared off into the black screen of the TV ahead of him, then watched Veil walk past his view and seat herself next to him. She put a little distance between them, then she laid down on her side, planting her head on his lap.

Jack chuckled, then said, "Oh, you like this that much?"

Veil peeked up at him and said, "I did this on a metal floor, and I was never more comfortable, except maybe in the bed we slept together on. So, now on this couch, it's better than ever."

Jack lightly chuckled as he gently placed his hands on her head and neck like he did back on that Phantom, slowly and softly caressing her. Veil gave off a small and short purr, relaxing herself like never before. There was nothing to stress about now. No next mission, no enemy they had to worry about attacking them. Just Jack's gentle hand caressing her skin. Really, the scariest thing to come will be taking this to the next step. But, for now, this was more than enough. Veil knew Jack would need a little more time before she could even try to insinuate anything sexual, but she was more than glad to wait.

Veil rolled on her back to look up at him and asked, "You remember when you wondered if a sangheili warrior like me would want this life?"

Jack nodded and said, "Oh yeah. Doesn't really fit the description."

Veil chuckled, then said, "Well, to let you know, if it's going to be like this, it's all I want."

She lifted her hand and gently held the sides of his, staring into his bright blue, caring eyes. The two closed the distance and shut their eyes as their lips and mandibles met again. The kiss was a deep one, the two pressing against eachother harder than before, wanting more of each other. The taste was just as alien and satisfying as before, if not more so now. After a few seconds, the both separated. Veil let out a few pants of hot breath, keeping her eyes locked onto Jack's.

Nothing was more valuable to Veil right now than this. The two stared at each other, then Veil moved her body upward and sat straighter up, simply leaned her body against his. She lowered her head and rested it on Jack's shoulder, nuzzling the side of his face affectionately. She could feel a shiver of satisfaction go up his body and let out another small purr.

Jack had a wide grin as Veil rested on him. He had never been warmer or felt better. He was happy, and if this was how life would be from now on, Jack knew he would never get tired of a normal life. Well, as close to normal you can get when dating an Elite.

Hey people, it's me. I'm very glad to have finally made it here. By the way, this isn't the last chapter, to be clear. I still have a little bit planned. It probably won't be very long though, I just think it's necessary. Anyway, I'm thankful for all the people who've read my story, I honestly never expected to get farther than a random guy reviewing and saying I'm shit or something. I think my writing has improved a lot, and I have found out that I really do enjoy writing for fun.

There isn't much to say, except that this is coming out early as well. Hoowah! I'm on a roll! With that all said, I hope you have a good day or night!