HELLO, MARINES! Here we are again, today we have some interesting information to share and a big thing coming too! Dear user CombinationLockdown, if you unlock your PMs and allow me to communicate privately with you, I'll comment on the subject of your concern. Pretty please. Just let me know. Alright, with this out of the way, let's get to the chapter. See me at the end for more nonsense, as always!

TAKE ME WHEN YOU NEED ME

PART XXXI

ALEXANDRIA 2 ORBITAL SPACEPORT - Planet REACH

FEBRUARY, 2563

The problem with media dynamite is that, well, it explodes.

When it does, there's no certainty about the amount of shit that will rain over innocent bystanders, collateral damage can spread like wildfire and even the crowd's reaction could be unpredictable. Petra Janecek knew this very well. She had a gift for strategy and a career in how to deliver information in convenient ways. She had advised Cortana to go slow, in secret, to pretend that she had moved on and lawyer up to the best of her ability. At first, Cortana had opposed. Every day spent without making a move meant another day that her promises were left unfulfilled. Petra was adamant. It would be hard, but it if was done the right way, it would pay off dearly.

Petra's plan had basically two warpaths: play it nice or play it nasty. First, they would try to negotiate a decent solution to Cortana's problems, and if it didn't work… they would light the match. Kidnapped and illegally replaced six-year-olds were just the tip of a very sharp spear. What they had could make a big hole in the UNSC's credibility and public image. It was the riskier choice, of course; there was a lot to lose.

In any case, the result had to be the same: to get John back.

Shockingly so, when they finally faced Serin Osman with their demands, it turned out that the very head of the Office of Naval Intelligence had a wish to play it nice. On a major condition, of course...

x.x.x.x.x

While he waited to board the shuttle that would take them planet-side, the Master Chief couldn't take his eyes away from the floating holo-screen. There was a crowd, looking up as well; sound was loud enough for everyone to hear.

It looked like a scene from one of those popular talk-shows. A woman was sitting on a fancy livingroom. A beautiful, young woman. When he noticed that it was Elizabeth Halsey dominating the screen, John was a little disoriented. She was spectacular in her black pencil skirt and white button-up shirt, with her long dark hair styled in a loose braid down her shoulder. When he read the headline at the bottom of the screen, he frowned. And when he heard what she was saying…

"… you wouldn't believe it. I mean, I couldn't believe it myself when I was there, and it was happening to me." her voice was a tad husky and her smile, dreamy. She was lounging against the backrest of the couch. "I was looking up at the face of the one and only Master Chief, Spartan-One-One-Seven, and he was asking me to have coffee with him."

The crowd at the spaceport murmured loudly, almost above the interview.

The four Spartans of Cortana's guard and Doctor Anders were a little behind. Sarah had become tired of waiting and decided to nap on the safest place of the whole universe: her Papa's shoulder; so, she was none the wiser. John couldn't see who Cortana was talking to, in the screen, but it didn't seem a recent event. Her hair looked a bit shorter.

"So, yeah, that happened." she laughed a little. "We were both in transit and our eyes just met for a moment… I didn't hesitate to say yes, you just don't reject someone like him. So, we had coffee and later that day, we had dinner. It was nice, he was a total gentleman. I think I was already halfway in-love with him by then."

More murmuring from the crowd.

A voice off-camera spoke: "This didn't have anything to do with the fact that your mother is the original creator of the SPARTAN program?"

"We had never met in person before, no. But we did present each other and, of course, there was recognition." she shrugged elegantly, dismissing the subject. "That was just the beginning, though. He was transferred to my base a few months later, to be a test subject for my branch of the MJOLNIR project. You can say that's when it all started, we hit it off quite well from there, the chemistry was… explosive, sort of speaking." her smile grew sly, with maddening sensuality. It was a smile that spoke about so many things she couldn't say with words in a public broadcast. John felt a surge of heat inside his stomach, also a pinch of annoyance. "We got close really fast, after a few weeks it was inevitable. I discovered a man that I couldn't have ever imagined, not even in my wildest dreams. Kind, selfless, protective. Gentle. Passionate. Smart. Astonishing sense of duty, but that one is a given. Falling in love was the easier part, for sure. The difficult part was knowing that we would have to part ways as soon as his involvement with the project was concluded."

This time the murmurs of the crowd were of approval.

The Spartan cocked an eyebrow, hearing Cortana describe him with such words was… strange. But why was she talking about him, in the first place? More people had gathered around the floating screen above their heads, watching.

"Then, I found out I was pregnant."

"That must've been a shock." the interviewer said. "Rumor has it that all the Spartans from the Master Chief's generation are sterile. Because of their unrefined augmentations?"

"Well, not all of them are." the Elizabeth from the screen winked. After that, the look on her face turned grim. "But yes, it was a shock. I discovered that I was pregnant right in the middle of a very tragic time. You must've heard about the Flood outbreak."

"A sad chapter for all of us."

"It was, yes." she nodded, crossing her hands together in her lap now. "We made it out barely with a handful of survivors. He didn't give up, Petra. He saved my life and that of many others, the Master Chief was a hero. He almost died in there, to get me out of that inferno safe and sound, and our baby." her lips trembled, but she forced herself to go on: "It was inside a Pelican, being transported into a rescue vessel so he would get the medical attention he so desperately needed, that he took my hand and asked me to marry him."

The crowd moaned and cheered, everyone seemed excited.

John's eyebrow arched even more, then his entire brow furrowed. What the fuck?

The Elizabeth on the interview used the back of her hand to wipe a stray tear that fell down her cheek. He didn't know how to react to this, he had no idea why she was lying like that or what was the purpose of this show.

"But you didn't make it to get married."

"Obviously not." she replied. Her voice sounded strangled, as if she were about to cry. "We never could. We were separated a couple of days later, I didn't even get to see him get out of medical."

Now the cheers of the audience had receded, they seemed sad. Cortana's words had hit them deep, the way she cried in silence, holding back her tears, left a deep mark in several hearts. It even gave John an intense feeling of distress.

"How long has it been since you last saw him?" the interviewer asked, a moment later.

Elizabeth took her right hand to her neck and toyed with a silver ball-chain, pensive.

"Well, my life carried on, as you know. I married someone else." she said, the look in her eyes was brighter now. "It will be four and a half years, soon. The Master Chief hasn't met his daughter yet, but we both know that, wherever he is, he's doing his best to keep us all safe. And there's nothing that could make me any prouder."

The interview continued, but the rest of what was being said wasn't truly relevant.

John was staring at the screen and listening, shaken by a mixture of confusion, horror, angst and excitement. This violent clash of emotions was taking place inside his gut and he had no idea where to go from there, but some of Cortana's words left perennial burns in his memory. The things she said were…

"That's not how it happened." he complained, out loud, shaking his head.

Standing beside him, Cortana smiled from ear to ear, pleased.

"ONI wanted a good show. I gave them one." she quipped, arrogant. "This must be the fifth time they broadcast it. It had great ratings."

"This is your way of fixing things?"

"No, this is Propaganda's way to fix it. Which is nicer than my way."

"They are making us public, then? You and me, and Sarah?"

"More or less. There's a great deal of things I haven't told you yet, Chief, but… you have an appointment with Admiral Osman this afternoon, she will be a lot more thorough." Cortana tilted her head. "I'll give you the full script later, you're going to have to memorize it. That's our truth now, unfortunately. I got to make you look good for the crowd."

He let out a long, growling sigh.

"Am I getting interviewed?"

"It's very likely. The people want to know the opinion of the Master Chief."

He growled again.

She cleared her throat: "And there will be pictures, of course."

"No pictures." he tried to fight back.

"Pictures in armor. With your face covered, if it makes you feel better."

He dropped his shoulders a little.

"… but you will have to take the helmet off so Sarah can kiss your cheek." she added, sheepishly. "She has to be there, for the shock value."

"No."

"John, it's your daughter. They have to see you being affectionate to her."

"Why?"

"Because it plays in our favor. You, finally reunited with your child."

"… I still remember when you told me that this wasn't going to endanger my career."

She smirked and tilted her head to the side.

"Oh, John. This will make you into a legend even more than any bombs you can throw back to a Covenant carrier. You save the world and get the girl… the pretty, rich girl. Men and women all over the galaxy will want to be you, the power of recruitment this will have for the UNSC is unbelievable. You're the Hero of Humanity, and soon… also my husband. Father of a beautiful girl. You have a family, just like them."

Although her words warmed him up inside, the Master Chief didn't ease the frown.

"I still don't get why we have to lie so much." he objected.

Cortana feigned hurt: "Are you implying I'm not attractive?"

"You're beautiful, but that's not what I meant."

"I'm just teasing you." she blushed, and continued: "This is more about perception, not reality. It's about what the UNSC wants them to believe, versus the horrible truth. There's a horrible truth behind our story, John." her smile diminished, she rubbed his arm with the palm of her hand, soothingly. "Plan B was to tell the truth, so everyone would side with us. Petra said it would be the last resort. This way, the UNSC doesn't have many other choices but to say it was their idea; they can't afford to lose their Master Chief."

"Or they could just make the three of us disappear." he growled. "Make someone else wear my armor. Problem solved."

She glanced at him from above her sunglasses.

"It's a possibility, yes." she admitted. "Which is why I've taken contingencies."

"You wouldn't see it coming, Cortana."

"John." she interrupted him. "Trust me. I will take care of you, no matter the cost."

"It's not me I'm worried about." he snarled.

John took a deep breath, again, only to sigh even deeper.

If she believed this was the way to go, then he would trust her. Cortana was brilliant on her own merit, he would comply with anything she needed him to do to support her plan. Up to a point, of course. He figured that, since the Admiral and Cortana had reached some agreement, both women had to compromise. He wasn't that naïve. Cortana had mentioned something about ulterior motives, so he just assumed that a price had been paid.

Osman had allowed him to get married and to have regular leaves.

But what had Cortana given up, to achieve all of this? A part of him was scared to ask.

Intelligence didn't play games; they'd been adamant about keeping both of them away for nearly five years. Whichever 'contingencies' Cortana had in her sleeve, they had to be formidable if she was so confident.

He couldn't resist when she wrapped both hands around his arm, leaning into him.

"You still haven't said it back, you know?" Cortana murmured, looking at the screen.

John frowned a little. Yes, he knew what she meant.

I love you too.

He shifted his weight, a bit uncomfortable. Sarah sighed against his neck, still asleep.

"Cortana…" he started again, hesitant.

"I know how you feel, and it's okay." she nuzzled his arm with her nose, content. "The time will come. You don't have to say anything yet, Chief."

Cortana slid a hand beneath his and intertwined their fingers, reassuringly.

She knew he was more at ease when the Spartan squeezed her fingers back.

x.x.x.x.x

Cortana had business to attend, so she would be out of the city for two weeks. It meant that they wouldn't get married as soon as she had insinuated, and that he wouldn't get to see her or Sarah for the time being, but they messaged and talked often. Which was also a little weird, since John wasn't used to this kind of attention. He had his own meetings to see to: interviews had been suspended under allegations of schedule conflicts, but the first and most important of his appointments occurred even before he could get settled at SWORD Base.

There was a case and three pads on the table before him, the pads had open documents on their screens. John was supposed to stamp his finger and signature on all three of them. All of his life he'd signed notifications with his thumbprint, as it was standard procedure, so he realized he didn't have a formal signature.

Was it wise to admit this in the face of Serin Osman?

Earlier, when he had entered the room, the Admiral stood up. She moved around the desk and went to his encounter, there was a hint of a smile on her face. They had saluted as it was customary and shook their hands.

They had never been proper friends but they had been comrades.

And John wasn't that kid who used to tease her for hoarding leftover food anymore.

Now, he was supposed to sign the paperwork that would give him a proper identity, a paygrade and a whole lot more freedom than he ever had in his life. He didn't really care about the money. The identity card would come in handy, he figured.

The freedom, however…

He had never considered himself limited, within his narrow view of life he had always been able to do whatever he wanted as long as he respected the rules, which he mostly did. That was, of course, until he started to want things he couldn't have. The limits of his own existence and position became rather evident the more he thought about it, the moment he knew he would be a father. Now, the possibility to choose was at his grasp.

He didn't know exactly what to do with it, but he knew where to begin. So, the Master Chief lifted the closest pad from the desk and read.

Serin Osman clasped her hands behind her back.

"A copy of the documents will be forwarded to you." she said, seeing that he actually intended to read the one hundred and fifty-three pages. "I trust you will find everything to be in proper order. The lawyers of Elizabeth Halsey redacted it, after all."

"I wouldn't know, ma'am." he answered. "I just came out of fourteen weeks in cryo."

Osman made a faint grimace.

"Alright, then." she let out a sigh. "Want some tea, while we wait?"

"Thank you, Admiral."

She didn't try to goad John into addressing her by her first name. Osman was Admiral and she made sure that nobody forgot about it. She did invite her fellow ex-comrade to sit and requested tea to her office, which arrived shortly. John continued to read the files as he dropped a black tea capsule into the hot water of his mug. With an elegant porcelain cup of rose tea, Osman observed him intensely, wondering what was going through his mind.

After some forty minutes and an empty mug, the Master Chief put the pad down.

"It doesn't say that I can get married."

Osman blinked. One hundred and fifty-three pages and that was all he cared about.

"Oh, you will get married and we will use that in our favor." she said, after leaving her cup on the little white plate. "Miss Halsey presented some nice arguments, but we brought the stakes a little higher. An eye for an eye, John."

"So, this is not all the documentation."

"The minutiae of the deal are highly classified." Osman cut him off quickly. "All I can tell you, is that from the moment you sign those papers you will be working very closely with Propaganda. You will become their pet, sort of speaking."

He didn't like the sound of that. Not one bit.

"You want to make me into a publicity stunt."

"You already are, haven't you noticed? This means that now you will have to pose for the cameras. We have licensed rights to your image to half of the galaxy, your little One-One-Seven painted in bright blocky characters is making us more money than any other kind of investment. We fund thirty-percent of our operations with the sales of Spartan-themed merchandise." Osman's smirk made the Master Chief a little nervous, he shifted in his seat. The woman, however, intertwined her fingers above the desk, casually. "Look at the bright-side: you have your little family to go back to. All you must do in return, is play nice. Be the hero they all believe you are, get us the trust of the public and a whole new batch of recruits."

John was speechless.

It took him some time to grasp the entire meaning of what she was implying. Now it all made sense, starting with Elizabeth's interview, the one he'd watched at the spaceport. It was yet another way to exploit the SPARTAN-II's image, to make their myth greater, not much more than crowd control.

He didn't know if he had to be angry about it, or relieved.

"This is over the top, even for ONI." the Spartan said, serious.

Osman shrugged a little.

"I figured it would be a lot less of a pain in the ass than trying to make you and your makeshift family disappear. Miss Halsey and your daughter wouldn't be a problem at all, but you…" the Admiral tilted her head to the side. "Well, you have a reputation, John. And I respect that. You haven't done anything to me directly or to the UNSC, so far. You're a good boy in your heart, aren't you? It's not illegal to have babies. Unheard of a SPARTAN-II, maybe, but not illegal. I believe this is an opportunity as good as any for everyone."

"What did you get from Elizabeth?" he asked, his tone was cold, dangerous.

She tilted her head the other way, now, the expression on her face turned dark.

"You might have a paygrade now, but access to that information is way above it."

So, he didn't have the slightest right to ask. John didn't like politics. He didn't like lies or games. He certainly didn't like being used like a pawn in someone else's power play, either. It looked like he and his family would be used. He would have to trust Cortana, then; she said she had it under control.

It didn't make him any less worried about the whole situation, but…

Something cold was clutching his heart, the uncertainty about what could she possibly have promised ONI in exchange of this freedom. He had to ask her. He had to know. John grabbed the pads one by one, stoically, and put his thumb in the highlighted checkbox. At last, he drew a rudimentary signature in the adjacent empty space, the only thing he could come up with was to trace down S-117 on every surface. It would have to do.

When he finished, the Admiral stood up. The Master Chief did the same, and he picked up the case that was allegedly his.

They saluted, signaling the end of the meeting and of their business.

Osman shook his hand once more, there was amusement in her eyes now:

"Welcome home, John." she said, with a little dry smile. "Enjoy your wedding."

The Spartan was escorted out of the building, carrying the case that contained all the documentation he would ever need to certify his identity in the civilian world, but he didn't look at any of the papers until he got back to SWORD Base. Even then, the case was left untouched in the tight space under his bunk.

x.x.x.x.x

Catherine Halsey lifted her eyes from the pad when she heard a sweet voice calling:

"Nana Catherine!"

She didn't like it one bit, but she couldn't get angry with Sarah about it, or correct her. The good Doctor prepared her complacent smile, but her eyes found something unexpected at the door.

Standing proud six feet, ten inches in height and dressed in the brand-new sand-colored BDUs issued to SWORD Base's permanent Spartan garrison, there was John. Perched on his right arm and smiling from ear to ear, was little Sarah; all nice-looking with her pigtails and her navy-blue dress and white leggings.

That child was way too clever and cute for her own good, with that little gap between her front teeth. Sometimes she reminded Halsey a lot to her father, to the image of him that day in Eridanus II when she first observed him on that playground. It was burnt in the back of her mind: Sarah had the same shameless grin he once had. The similarity was uncanny. John's own tooth-gap was corrected at the age of ten to prevent future denture distortions and he wasn't exactly smiling, but standing so close to one another it was evident that they shared blood.

Seeing them together at last was almost too much for Halsey.

"Hello, Sarah." the grandmother widened her smile a little.

The Spartan looked regal and confident. It made her so proud to see him like that.

He let the girl back on the floor and Sarah pranced all the way to Halsey's desk, to give her a big, warm hug. Another thing the elder woman couldn't get completely used to, even after years. Still, she was grateful that Elizabeth had taught her daughter to be loving and kind, to smile with her whole soul like that.

It was one of her own many regrets as a mother or even as a lover: her inability to express her feelings the way most people wanted her to.

"Nana Catherine, look! That's my Papa John!"

"Oh, I know him, alright." she said, now standing back up and sneaking her hands into the pockets of her white coat. "Took you long enough, John."

"Ma'am."

He didn't salute, only nodded his greetings. Halsey felt a pinch of angst.

"Did you see how tall he is?"

"Yes, dear, he is quite tall indeed." Halsey frowned, feigning astonishment.

"We played chess. I won."

The grandmother cocked an eyebrow. "Did you, now?"

Sarah nodded with pride, still smiling wide. Halsey looked at him.

"And how did that sit with you, John?"

"I'm expecting a rematch." he answered, with a little amused smirk.

Fortunately for John's sanity, Ellen Anders had offered to bring the child whenever she was available, so he could see her even if Cortana was busy. It was quite evident that he had a deep need of being in contact with Sarah. The good Doctor noticed how the Spartan followed the little girl with eagle-like eyes while she ran through the offices, greeting her grandmother's assistants.

"It's good to see you, ma'am." he said, at last.

Was it, really, after all things considered? Halsey pursed her lips.

She knew in her heart that he didn't hate her. Robert's carefully crafted indoctrination didn't exercise hate, in any form. The SPARTAN-II would always hold their makers in a very special place, one way or another.

"It's good to see you too, John." she nodded. "Long time. I trust you kept yourself well maintained. Do you have anything to report, to have looked at?"

"No, ma'am, everything is working in perfect order."

They both were talking about his implants, of course. She nodded again, in acceptance.

"Thank you for bringing her." the elder woman sighed. "And for coming yourself, too. I was wondering if you would drop by at some point."

"I wanted to ask you something."

Halsey looked at him, a little disheartened. Of course, he had a motive.

"Speak freely. This is my lab, nobody listens in here."

He nodded, thankfully: "What kind of deal has Elizabeth brokered with ONI?"

The question didn't take her by surprise. She'd been wondering about it, too.

"I don't know for sure, John." she replied, shaking her head. "But Elizabeth abandoned all of her private sector projects, and she's back in ONI's payroll since mid-July."

His eyes were following the little girl, again. He seemed strained, suspicious.

"She gave them something." the Master Chief stated. "Osman was blunt about it."

"Serin has a tendency to be blunt, yes. I'm afraid it can't be helped, she was raised by a snake." Halsey grimaced, but she didn't let the comment steer her away from the point of John's concerns. "I haven't talked to my daughter in person since before she left for Sol System. But what I fear, is that she might have traded a slave for another."

John's brow furrowed intensely. "What do you mean?"

"You don't see it, do you?" the good Doctor shook her head slowly, staring all the way up to his steel-blue eyes. "Your freedom comes with a high price. You can't just believe that ONI would let you go with a pat on your back and their blessing to marry my daughter, someone who takes after me in intelligence."

Did it bother her to see him surrender to a woman, like any other man?

To a point, it still did. After all, she had crafted them to be more than men and women, to be the closest thing Humanity had to Gods. But trying to keep him away from Elizabeth had only proven to be major cause for disaster. The woman had the time to do a lot of soul searching in the past few years, observing her granddaughter grow from that perfect little baby into a perfect little girl. A brilliant little girl, even at her short age. She had come to understand that, if anything, giving John a life outside the military -and outside a Spartan's ultimate duty- was the only way she would ever have to repay him for the pain and sorrow she had caused during his childhood.

Contrary to what anyone would want to believe, Catherine Halsey wasn't a total cold-hearted bitch. She and Robert Ford did run the SPARTAN-II program with an iron fist for most of their time, that was true; but she had been the one with the most regrets.

Halsey noticed John's uneasiness. Elizabeth hadn't said a word about her plans, in fact, it was a shock to the mother when she started to deploy them. And although she was quite aware of her daughter's feelings, after the marriage to Captain Lasky Halsey had started to believe that maybe she was finally moving on from John.

Now the curtain was falling, and she was about to marry him.

The irony of it all was sort of amusing.

Halsey let out a deep sigh and rubbed her face with the heel of her hand, tired. She was getting old, seventy didn't seem like such an old age but it was getting heavy on her bones. Keeping those roaches from ONI at bay, planning ten steps ahead of them, was a hard task. Even with Parangosky out of the picture.

"She knows what she's doing." John said, after a moment of silence.

The good Doctor looked at his face again. He was still staring at his daughter.

"I want to believe the same, John. But it wouldn't be wise to let your guard down."

"Of course, ma'am."

He could never let his guard down, no matter what.

Halsey clapped her hands once, shifting her attitude entirely:

"Now, why don't you bring my granddaughter to my office, and we sit down to have a little chat? I have something for her."

x.x.x.x.x

The trial to the Master Chief's patience started after he ran out of things to do, knowing that he would have to keep waiting a few more days to see Cortana again. To make it easy on him, she downloaded into his pad a compressed file with over two thousand pictures and videos, the complete account of Sarah's first four years of life. It should keep the Spartan occupied for a long while.

But, of course, it only lasted him about a day.

The second thing John did was share these pictures with his siblings.

As a fundamental part of her mysterious deal, Fred, Kelly and Linda had been returned to Reach to receive their paperwork and settle down for their six-month assignment as test subjects, much like years before. The team was reunited again under the same roof with apparently no schedule until the formal beginning of operations; it was so strange to get up at 0430 and have nothing to do except shower and eat breakfast. The closest thing they ever had to a leave, in a way.

So, they took the idle time left from daily training and minor base chores to catch up. Lots of things had happened in those years apart, life went on even for a Spartan.

That was how John got to know that Linda was in a sort of long-distance relationship with another woman, that she'd been in it for years. Even more, she had managed to keep it a secret from everyone including her siblings; with a crafty smile the red-headed Spartan just reassured them that soon, all questions would be answered. In a similar order of things, it was confirmed that Fred did have a son; but what surprised John was that his brother hadn't seen the child or the mother in over a year.

Just as once suspected, the other end of the equation was none other than Veta Lopis.

It had happened during Blue Team's fifteen months of station on Gao.

The team had been engrossed with the incorporation of the SPARTAN-III Ferrets and their handler, agent Lopis, during some specific events of their long stay. They never got to share activities for more than a few days or a few weeks at a time, but it had been enough to make things way more complicated. Fred wasn't afraid to admit that he'd been chasing after the ex-Inspector far before they were reunited on Gao. However, nothing is ever easy for a Spartan. At some point, the Ferrets showed up with a brand-new handler and informed the Lieutenant that agent Lopis had taken a special dispensation, for reasons unknown.

It wasn't until much later that he found out, by accident, that he'd been a father.

It was a boy. She had named him Gabriel.

The boy was, by now, sixteen months old and Fred had seen him once, from afar. By mere coincidence, when he tracked down one of Lopis' cousins, the child's ward.

When finally confronted about it, the Inspector only said that she was given a choice, and she chose. It looked like she didn't get to see her son much, either; her lips were tightly sealed as per ONI command… but it was also evident that she was dying to spill the beans. According to Kelly and Linda's intel, the situation had strained the non-relationship Lopis and Fred had, mostly on her side. She continued as the handler of the Ferrets, although both teams weren't assigned together again after those events.

That was, until now. The Gammas were coming, and Lopis' name was on the roster.

Propaganda's characterization of John had set the Lieutenant on a revolutionary path of his own: there was a chance, and he wanted it. The Master Chief could easily place himself in his brother's boots; there was no way he would disagree with him.

It was decided that they would bring this to Cortana, as soon as possible.

x.x.x.x.x

It was Kelly's turn to play chess with Sarah, now.

With his strong arms crossed and standing behind his daughter's chair, John watched the board from above, silent. Fred and Linda were posted behind Kelly, also with their arms crossed and very focused. As seen from the outside, four Spartans in sand-colored BDUs standing so serious looked like an important war council was taking place at the mess hall, but it was just four grown-ups totally absorbed with a child.

Ellen Anders smirked when she saw them, coming back from her business. After being out of the radar for a couple of hours, it was nice to see the group getting along so well. She leaned against the doorframe, to wait them out.

Sarah's hand hovered about one of her white knights, after careful consideration.

"You sure you want to do that, missy?" asked Fred, amused.

Sarah nodded, defiant. She tapped first the knight and then the board. The piece flashed and reappeared on another square. Sarah neighed under her breath.

"Shut it, Fred." John growled, absolutely serious.

"What? I want to see her frown."

"Unbelievable that she's related to you." Linda quipped, smiling.

The redhead had showed up a little earlier than Anders. Nobody gave it much thought.

"Less talking, more playing." the Master Chief shot them down quickly. "She's beaten you twice already."

"That's easy to say when you're telling her what to do." growled Kelly.

"I'm not telling her what to do. I'm teaching her." John argued, stoic. "Sarah, consider Kelly's rooks and bishops. She might use them."

"Got it, Papa."

"You bastard." Kelly sighed.

It was John's turn to smirk. A couple more moves, a few more black pieces went out of the board. Sarah was killing it, and mostly by her own wit. The child was a machine when she set her mind to something that interested her, and the game was like an obsession: she had to win, no matter what. Cortana had specifically asked him to check that Sarah didn't cheat. The little girl was beginning to learn about that, too.

Ellen Anders looked at the time on her pad's screen, a little concerned.

"How about we get a nice slice of berry pie from the canteen?" she said, coming closer.

Her soft brown eyes met by accident with the green, predatory stare of Linda, maybe for a moment too long. Anders blushed a little.

"I want pie!" Sarah shouted, standing on her knees on the chair.

Kelly frowned, sitting straight: "Hey, kid, we have to finish this game first."

"I'm bored." the girl whined. "I just have to take my knight first and my queen later to tackle down your rooks and your king and I'll win in three moves."

A deep silence fell on the mess hall, so powerful that anyone could hear the Spartans blink in surprise. After a short analysis of what was left of the board, the groans happened. John's crooked smirk widened.

"Show off." Fred hissed, shaking his head. "Just like her father."

"You know, you might have to have her lose at some point." that was Kelly's poignant input on the subject, to John. "Lessons have to be learned, deal with the failure and all that. We don't want her to grow up to be exactly like you."

Sarah frowned hard: "Spartans never lose."

"True." her proud father backed her up.

Linda scoffed. It looked like a friendly discussion was about to ensue.

"Alright, let's go get that pie." Anders sneaked in to pick up the girl in her arms, so the group would make their way to the canteen. "Just don't tell Mama that I let you eat dessert before dinner, okay?"

"Okay!" Sarah laughed, showing off her little tooth-gap.

Later that night, while he was lying in his bunk doing some reading, John reviewed in his mind the events of the day and frowned, when he realized that Linda and Doctor Anders had been unaccounted for roughly during the same amount of time at more or less the same hours. Since almost all his attention had been on introducing Sarah to his siblings, he didn't think much about the matter.

x.x.x.x.x

Magnificent in his elaborated suit of golden armor, the Arbiter stood over eight feet tall and waved in the air an iridescent set of twin blades that had sprouted from an elongated handle. The weapon was amazingly beautiful, it irradiated heat and multicolored glow. The alien showed off a little bit of his prowess with the sword, swinging it about in wide arches and swift sweeps that sounded like whistles. The harmonious clatter of his armor plates was a perfect background noise for the presentation.

Sarah was watching him with wide eyes, perched on Kelly's strong arms.

More like she was following the pretty colors of the blades as the light caught up with the burning plasma, ripping off a rainbow of translucent beauty.

"An energy sword." Kelly commented, careful.

Thel 'Vadam deactivated the weapon and now, rendered to a bare handle, he presented it to the Spartan, holding it with both hands in an act of reverence:

"A tribute, to the Daughter of the Demon." he said, bowing his head slightly. "For you, precious Sarah. May it serve you well in your campaigning, may it bring you a great deal of victories."

Sarah's steel-blue eyes opened even wider, excited. She was so cute in her white dress, with her hair full of tiny little flowers. And like the good Daughter of the Demon that she was, the child wasn't afraid of the big alien creature that had fingers for a mouth; her Papa said he looked scary but was a friend. She believed him wholeheartedly.

"Can I have it?" Sarah demanded.

Kelly chuckled: "Sure, you just grab it like this and…"

"NO!" Anders interrupted, hastily. "She's a kid, she can't have a sword yet!"

The Doctor didn't dare to snatch the weapon away from the Arbiter's clawed hand, but her intense frown was enough to make him apologize with a heartfelt gesture and put the sword away behind his own body. The Arbiter's escort, eight tall Sangheili in silver armor, bowed down contritely upon seeing their leader's reaction. Anders huffed, with her hands on the sharp-cut waist of her light-green gown.

Behind them, Linda was grinning. Kelly tried hard to prevent a burst of laughter while Sarah pouted, frowning like her father did. She really wanted the sword.

Standing nearby and watching the scene unravel, Fred chuckled, arching an eyebrow in amusement. He then shared a quick glance and a nod with John, who was standing before the wide stained-glass windows of the chapel with Captain Cutter.

The ceremony was about to start, they were just waiting for the bride to show up.

An event as important as a marriage was considered at the level of a formal ball, and as such, all Spartans were attired in their dress whites, looking their best. According to Fred's narrow knowledge of such events, a wedding was supposed to gather a big crowd, but there were only a handful of people in the chapel at SWORD Base. Four Spartans, the Arbiter and his eight guards of honor, the child, Doctor Anders, Doctor Halsey and the Captain. A moment later, Commander Palmer arrived as well.

Of course, Palmer didn't go anywhere near Halsey. Anders didn't do it either.

The good Doctor was sitting on a padded chair in front of the small stage, on her own. The expression of her face was somewhat stoic and detached; she'd been quiet for the most part, talking solely to her Spartans and even that was occasionally. Her dark-blue business suit was quite elegant, her hair nicely styled. She wore soft makeup and clutched a small purse between her hands, folded together on her lap. She was taking this wedding very seriously, beyond the coldness of her eyes.

A noise from the entrance alerted everyone. At last, the bride had arrived.

Fred held his breath as if it were him about to be married; he knew this was supposed to be his brother's special time, but he couldn't help to feel the excitement. He literally had no idea of what to expect, neither did his sisters in arms.

Elizabeth Halsey, stunning in a strapless white dress, was standing at the door. Beside her, offering his arm for the delivery, was Captain Lasky.

Fred's eyes went back to the other side. He had to restrain a little amused smile; John was standing very still with his hands clasped behind his back, a perfect pose to be made into a statue. Cutter also looked stunned, holding the little book of ceremonies in his hands.

"Damn, you really are a lucky bastard." the Captain murmured, impressed.

John barely breathed back: "Yes, sir. Indeed."

The silence was overwhelming. There was no music, just the rustling of silk.

The Master Chief didn't even register whose arm his mate was holding, he only had eyes for her. Elizabeth had always been a very attractive woman, but in that occasion, all words fell short; there was no way to describe her perfection. The dress was a work of art that fitted her curvaceous forms nicely, hugging and modeling her breasts, waist, hips and thighs, leaving her shoulders bare. The fabric was dotted with light reflected off a thousand small crystals attached to the embroidered corset and skirt. She wore long silk gloves past her elbows, a short translucent veil thrown back down her head, also dotted with lace and tiny crystals. She held a quintet of white roses on her hand, a beautiful but simple necklace and very small earrings adorned her neck and ears.

The most important detail John noticed was that she had cut her hair.

She wore it short, chin-length and slightly styled inwards, just like old times.

Next thing he knew, Elizabeth was before him and Lasky had saluted. John's instinct responded faster than his conscious mind to answer the greeting, but as the Captain placed a small box in his hand, John squeezed Tom's fingers tightly and when their eyes met, he nodded. The shorter man seemed to understand and drew a small smile, knowing, nodding too. At last, they separated and Lasky stepped aside.

Elizabeth brushed his cheek with fingers wrapped in silk, her smile was tender.

Her perfume was mouth-watering. John blinked, coming back from the haze.

"You look nice." she said, whispering.

Then, she bit her lower lip in a dreamy way and the manner of her stare shifted. John knew exactly what it meant. Elizabeth had been pushed to the back by Cortana, her most sensual personality. Her darkened eyes and sweet scent of female in heat were telling him that she couldn't wait to get him out of that uniform and crawl all over him until he went mad with lust.

Acknowledged, alright.

"Thanks." he coughed back, a little uneasy. "You are… that dress is very pretty."

Her smile turned smug, she nodded towards Cutter:

"Shall we get married then, Master Chief?"

"Yes. Please." John nodded, squeezing the little box in his large fist.

From his position at the closure of the detail, Fred observed the ceremony with a smile. He spared a few glances to the people in his near vicinity; Kelly holding Sarah in her arms, the little girl was very quiet and absorbed in the task of staring at her mother, jaw dangling open. Linda was serious but obviously very interested, on her feet beside Doctor Anders. Palmer and Lasky smiled with genuine joy, they stood closer to one another than two high-ranked officers like them would've wanted to be in public.

On the other side of the chapel, the Arbiter and his Sangheili observed in respectful silence. Halsey seemed to be distracted, or perhaps, thinking deeply.

A blur of movement on his peripheral sight caught the Lieutenant's attention.

His head snapped back to the door immediately, his senses were in alert.

He froze. A sharp, cold claw stuck into his gut and twisted, making him wince inside. There was a petite woman in a tight silver dress standing on the doorway, looking straight at him. Dark eyes, dark hair, sweet caramel skin. Five-foot-nothing and yet, stronger than anyone he'd ever met in his life.

Strong enough to bring him to his knees.

It was her. Veta.

Breathtaking with her hair down and styled in waves, with barely any makeup. She was the most beautiful when in her natural looks. He'd never seen anything like her, for sure, and that still considering Miss Halsey. Fred sensed everything stir awake inside him, from head to toe. Like a doe caught by the headlights, Veta just stood there for a few seconds, stunned. But then, she blinked fast and broke eye contact, heading surreptitiously across the chapel to somewhere near the Arbiter and his people.

The ceremony lost all importance at once.

Fred couldn't stop looking at her, full of turbulent emotions. Linda and Kelly noticed that something wasn't right; it was Linda who nudged Fred's arm with her elbow, giving her brother a curious look when their eyes met. The Lieutenant nodded in Lopis' direction, still a little dumbfounded.

"Go with her." Linda whispered, frowning.

He was about to shake his head, but Kelly added: "This is your chance, Fred. Do it."

Fred swallowed hard, anxious. He had no idea what they wanted him to do.

The memories of the last time he and Veta had seen each other floated to the surface of his awareness and it hurt. He remembered very well Lopis' dark words. He had been angry. He didn't lose control, but the situation had been an extreme one, Fred had tried to handle something he couldn't understand fully. Outlandish emotions clouded his ability to think straight, as it usually happened when he was around her. He didn't manage it in the best of ways, not even his extensive training in negotiation had helped.

Hell, he wasn't sure if this time it would be any different, but…

Kelly and Linda shouldn't be encouraging him to do this, there were rules!

Enough. Fuck the rules!

Rules were supposed to make his life easier, not painful!

He needed to catch Veta somewhere quiet, alone.

"Later." he muttered to his sisters, under his breath. "At the reception."

TO BE CONTINUED

Alright, alright! I never truly intended to go through the wedding itself (it sounded cheesy to me), but it looked like a good opportunity to set the path for that little spin-off on Fred and Veta's story that I want to write someday. Maybe after I'm done with this one (in case anyone is wondering, no, the spin-off is not OF TINY BRUNETTES AND SHOOTING RANGES, that's another thing entirely) Anyway, Sarah is such a little ray of sunshine, isn't she? Cortana did something shady, John is now a married man and we're going to get sexy in the next, so join me next Sunday to see more! *evil laughter*

Now, as per tradition, a few words for our non-logged readers:

Let's start from top to bottom today, with AJ; I'm sending the ambulance right now if you need it LOL thanks for being here!

Dear WHAT ABOUT THEM, well, thank you so very much for your support, I'm really glad that you like this mess. That many children, are you sure? I mean, John won't mind, but poor Cortana? I was under the impression that a unit was comprised of 4-6 soldiers, and that team, squad or unit meant the same thing: a small operational group of soldiers. Now I'm confused. If anyone wants to explain it to me, please?

LIZZY OF DUNWICH, my friend… are you underage? *evil smirk* LOL compared to other things we've seen that chapter was definitely chill. Thanks for being around! :3

To the GUEST with tears in their eyes, I'm glad. People need to cry of happiness sometimes. Believe me, I'm honest: it's only happiness and sexy from now until the end. Sort of. *evil smile*

To our friend B93, well, that's some excitement! I'm so very happy that you're satisfied with the previous chapter! I hope this one makes you happy too. Thanks so much for stopping by!

My dear ELEMENTZERO30, you are also logged but your PMs are deactivated, so I wanted to thank you for supporting the story! I'm glad that you came for the smut and stayed for the plot, like many others have done *snicker* And I'm glad you know Cor's work too, major writer there! In response to your question, some characters remain dead and some others are alive mostly because in 2016 I had an idea about how this was going to go, and when I returned this year I did it with a different focus. So, I just continued working with what had already been built and I'm pretty sure it was already established that some people were dead. Also, Miranda being dead helped to set Cortana's loneliness and make her relationship with Halsey more difficult. So, it's mostly in benefit of the plot or the character's drives. Thank you for stopping by!

ALSO: I want to recommend you guys to read the story titled PER ASPERA, AD ASTRA by Saratogaroad, currently being published in this site as well. It's a wonderful tale, I believe it to be the ULTIMATE Halo 5 fixfic we've been all waiting for, what REALLY should've happened with that hot mess we got. Great writing, great take on the characters and also great plot so far. I don't usually recommend fanfiction because it's easy to get burned, but this one has been entertaining me and driving me insane for over 13 chapters now, so, GO READ IT AND BE NICE AND LEAVE A COMMENT! I assure you it's going to become your new obsession because it's totally worth it, I'm serious.

Only FIVE chapters left! Don't leave the page without dropping your thoughts in the box below, I love reading your reactions :3 Stay safe and tune back in next Sunday!