Well, hello there, everyone! Here we are, the chapter before last! WOOO! Everything is perfectly innocent and wholesome in this one, I promise. Seriously, the most exciting is a bit of awkward married-parents flirting. More comments at the bottom, enjoy!

TAKE ME WHEN YOU NEED ME

PART XXXV

PLANET SANGHELIOS – Urs System

SEPTEMBER, 2567

This was it. He was going home.

Home, at last.

John finished packing the last of his meager belongings into a simple, dusty travel bag and took a deep breath. Last time he'd be seeing these barracks. After four years in and out of deployment, this was his last tour -unless something went horribly wrong somewhere in the Universe, again, and it was decided that he was the only man that could fix it-. He had made the choice, filed the paperwork and his request had been approved. He would return to Reach, appointed to SWORD Base as senior leading instructor for the next generation of Humanity's finest: the SPARTAN-V program.

Back to Reach, to work side by side with her. To raise their children together.

In four years, the Master Chief had been home with his family only three times, maybe nine months in total. He couldn't complain, he spent so long in cryo traveling from one location to the next, that the real time he'd been on active duty amounted to a bit more than sixteen months, and his latest assignment had been a relatively quiet one.

Well, the platoon medics would beg to differ. But to him, it had been quiet; Sanghelios wasn't boiling with civil war anymore, not as much since Thel 'Vadam had been appointed as Kaidon of Kaidons. This event signaled the end of internal disputes and the unification of the free Sangheili people under one banner. Sanghelios was now in full allegiance to the UNSC and was a fierce defender of Humanity.

With the support of the Sangheili, Forerunner technology at their disposal, an improved public image and several victories under their belt, Humanity was strong like never before.

They had a bright future ahead.

Spartans were still needed, they just… wouldn't need him as much as before.

Cortana had no idea, or at least, he though she had no idea. She only knew he would be going back soon, but she assumed it was just a regular leave of a few months just like the previous two. He didn't mention anything about the paperwork or his decision in the hopes that he could surprise her with the news; picturing her flabbergasted face in his imagination always made him smirk.

She would be happy. She'd been the one to ask him, once, if he wished to retire.

And, to be honest, John didn't want to. Fighting was everything he ever knew up until she came crashing on him with her proposal. What else was a man raised from childhood to be a war machine supposed to do with his life? He couldn't stand being idle as it was. Not having a schedule, even when he was comfortable in the presence of his family, sometimes put him on edge. It kicked a strange anxiety. He needed this. John-117 had been born in the military and part of him was certain that he would also die in the military. However, he was sure that a man with a record a mile long such as him could opt for other ways to continue serving. Even if he had to live at base like any other recruit or soldier.

So, yes. He had made the choice, and it had been a hard choice to make.

Fred would know about that. Only a couple of months after marrying Veta Lopis and retrieving their son, he was the first to ease off from active combat. As another SPARTAN-II with an impressive record, it wasn't difficult to push for a promotion, which landed him a post as Commander of the Reach Permanent Spartan Garrison (RPSG). Kelly and Linda, although they expressed a bit of discomfort, didn't hesitate to become leaders of Blue Team and take the Gammas under their wing, with a new ONI handler. With the final addition of Lucy B-091 and Tom B-292, Blue was now seven Spartans strong and continued to harvest success wherever they were sent.

John took a moment to gather his thoughts, everything was said and done. Sarah would be turning nine years old in two weeks, he didn't forget. He wouldn't be there, true, but it wouldn't be the first time and it didn't sting as much as it used to, he had left something set up for the special day. Cortana always said that birthdays were important. After the birth of the twins -Jacob and Benjamin-, he'd been paying even more attention to small details such as these. More confident now, John was ready to spend a few months in cryo, parked in the cargo bay of a military transport.

To his brain it would be but a second, wouldn't it?

Just a blink, and he'd be back home, for good.

x.x.x.x.x

"Step in, Spartan." the Arbiter commented, amused. "You seem excited."

The Kaidon was sitting on a chair akin to a throne, in his flagship's bridge.

The Master Chief, clad in armor but carrying his helmet safely under the arm, entered the bridge and greeted back with a sharp salute. Several Sangheili of the ship's crew bowed slightly to him as it was customary, then hurried to man their stations and clear the staging area. He couldn't refuse the honor of being delivered to the rendezvous point by the leader of the Sangheili people himself, Propaganda was quite categorical about how important it was hitching this ride.

"You have waited enough for this." the alien added. "And with the news, I suppose you are even more eager."

John nodded slightly, stepping at a respectful distance.

Yes, there was something big waiting for him back home; he couldn't say he wasn't anxious. The Spartan sighed, pleased; Thel 'Vadam's response was a contemplative nod.

"You step down with honor."

"I'm not stepping down."

The Arbiter grunted, displeased with himself: "It's an idiom, probably doesn't translate very well to your language… it should mean that you take your rest now, with all the glory you deserve. Undefeated champion, sort of speaking."

"Well, there's still one more battle."

The Arbiter suddenly bristled, alert, and the plates of his golden armor shifted rippling through his thick saurian neck and back. Hitting the armrest of his chair with a heavy hand curled into a fist, the shipmaster barked:

"How is that so?"

"I promised Sarah that I would take her to see the wild horses." John smirked slightly.

Tilting his head, the alien blinked: "Wild horses?"

Knowing that he wouldn't have any other way to explain it properly, John plucked the scarred tac-pad from his forearm and searched for a couple of pictures, the first he got was of a majestic white horse rearing on its hind legs. The Arbiter observed and moved the little mandibles that protected his mouth, humming in deep concentration. With his index finger, the Spartan swiped to show him more images, animals of different races, sizes and colors in different poses. Ultimately, the Kaidon's golden eyes shone with genuine wonder.

"I see. So… elegant. How big are these horses?"

"Usually, big enough to carry a human on their back. They're farm animals."

"And why is Sarah so interested in them?"

"She thinks they're beautiful." John let out a sigh, uneasy. "She wants to ride one, too."

"Ah. Makes sense. Perhaps I could arrange it, so she could have her own horse."

The Master Chief frowned a little, instead of wincing like he really wanted to do.

"That won't be necessary, Arbiter."

"Nonsense." Thel swayed one of his big, clawed hands in the air, dismissively. "The House of 'Vadam doesn't leave depts unpaid."

The Arbiter exposed his left wrist. He was very fond of showing it to everyone, either they were interested in seeing it or not: the thin bracelet of colorful strings woven together that contrasted against his dark scaled skin. A gift from Sarah when she was little, her way to say thank-you for the plasma sword -which Cortana kept inside the house's safe, and that would remain there until their daughter was old enough to handle the weapon-. The bracelet had a silver charm shaped loosely like an iguana.

Ever since he had been adamant about repaying Sarah for her kindness.

John knew better than to try and make the Kaidon forget about it, even after he showed Thel his own bracelet. The biggest relief was the fact that horses were rare and difficult to come by in the aftermath of the Human-Covenant War; John still wasn't sure if the animals existed on Reach since the glassing.

It wouldn't stop him from fulfilling his promise, anyway.

"Oh, don't forget the tributes, please."

"You're overly generous with us."

"Perhaps." the Arbiter shifted in his seat, minding the activity of his crew. "You know, Spartan, I have been thinking…"

The Master Chief's expression turned serious.

After a short deliberation, the deep voice of the alien resonated again:

"Maybe the time has come to lay offspring of my own." the Arbiter stated, scratching the scaled skin of his throat right under the mouth. Since he didn't have a chin per-se, this seemed to be the Sangheili variant of a thoughtful gesture. "Taking a wife and companion to build my dynasty and ensure peace. The House of 'Vadam rises again. Seems like a good thing to do, to leave something behind."

"The best you could do for yourself and your people." John added, nodding.

The alien's golden eyes narrowed, in amusement.

"If I find a proper mate, I'll make sure that you and your kin are present for our union."

"Thank you, sir."

Thel 'Vadam chuckled, flicking his mandibles.

"This many years later and you still call me 'sir'? I thought we were akin to brothers."

"And we are. I respect you."

With a bit of ceremony, the Arbiter stepped off his throne-chair and stood up, towering over the Master Chief but not intimidating him at all. Long gone were now the times when the species mistrusted one another, and the Swords of Sanghelios had proved over and over again that they were true allies. John probably wouldn't be alive himself if it wasn't for the support and guidance of this Sangheili in particular.

"Farewell for now, Spartan. May our paths cross again, soon."

"They will, sir. I'm sure."

They shook their hands by grabbing each other's wrist, just like tradition demanded.

ALEXANDRIA 2, PLANET REACH – Epsilon Eridani System

DECEMBER, 2567

It was long past midnight when the land transport dropped him. John flashed his ID in front of the main gate's sensor. The security AI acknowledged him as admin and allowed him entrance with a short text for a greeting.

No alarms or notifications of any kind were set off, all according to plan.

Travel bag loaded onto his shoulder, the Spartan made his way through the shadows of the long gallery to the house, that lay dormant in the center of the fortress Cortana had built for them. The faint blue hue of emergency lighting showed him the path and the soft roar of the waves in the distance accompanied his steps. It was a cool spring night and the sky was littered with stars. Within the property, not even a soul could be heard. Good.

Considering the time, it was very likely that everyone was asleep. In absolute silence, the Master Chief entered through the front door and put away both his boots and bag in the nearest closet.

John made his way quietly through the darkened interior of the lobby, across the living room and the dining area towards the kitchen. He expertly identified and avoided the toys littered on the floor. After taking a bottle of water from the fridge, he popped the bottlecap with his thumb and in the plain darkness analyzed the drawings pinned to the door, using his sharp enhanced sight. The blurs of color and misshapen humans with blue hair had to be the work of the twins, the rest was evidently Sarah's. There was also that old Propaganda pamphlet with signatures and good wishes, from the children of SHIELD Base, a thing that Cortana had insisted to keep.

A specific sheet of yellow paper caught his attention above all the others.

With a sharp tug, the Spartan plucked it off and read:

Things to do with Papa

-see the horsies

-go to the beach

-play ball

-naps

-watch movies

-breakfast

-kill a shark

-drive

-nap on the carpet

-lunch in bed

-play tag

-build castle

-draw

-play chess

-hide and seek

The Master Chief snorted quietly. Sarah's handwriting. He understood the points about the horses, the breakfasts and playing chess, but what was that nonsense about sharks? It had to be the twins' idea, for sure.

He left the note back on its place and headed upstairs, quietly.

The corridor was lit from below by night-lights. All doors were open, waiting.

John came to a halt at the threshold of Sarah's door. Steel-blue eyes sweeping inside, taking in the well-closed windows and the small bulk of her sleeping shape tucked under the covers. Her space was minimalistic, maybe even a little too empty -well, she hated to clean, so she kept her room equipped with the bare minimum beyond a bed, a closet and a desk with a chair-. He didn't step in, part of him feared that she would wake up.

Next came the twins. Just like with his firstborn daughter, John watched from the door. Everything seemed in order and the boys, almost five years old, slept in their respective beds facing each other, curled up with their hands posed the same way. It looked like their mother had been busy remodeling; half the room was now styled in a soft blue color and the other half, in a soft mint green, thus drawing clear limits on what belonged to whom. It was a relief to see that their zone was tidy, since they were the total opposite to their sister in terms of cleanliness.

The Spartan turned to continue down the corridor, there was another door. He took a deep breath before entering.

Stepping beside the crib set in the middle of a cream-colored room, he leaned in to see.

And there she was. Four-months-old Miranda.

So small, so perfect. The wish to hold her almost overwhelmed his common sense, but in the end the better judgement won: he couldn't wake up the baby at this ungodly hour just because he was curious to feel her weight in his hands and smell her soft baby perfume up close, or hear her coo and laugh. Hell, he would love to hear her cry, even knowing that the sound would render him helpless. John never had the chance, before, to see one of his kids as a baby, not in person at least. Now he could effectively find out if she fit whole in one of his big hands. It was a huge thing for him.

A huge thing that would have to wait, undoubtedly.

The Spartan headed then to the master bedroom, only to find it empty. The curtains of the massive window-wall that looked onto the darkness of the beach and the sea were open, the bed was neatly made.

The room held her perfume, but Cortana wasn't sleeping.

He frowned a little, then tilted his head to the side. Of course.

Heading back downstairs without making a single noise, the Master Chief located with ease the secret door and went further down into the basement. Her private office was in the bottom level, so he continued descending until his bare feet met cold stone floors and his enhanced senses caught the scent of sterile chemicals.

There it was, as well, her scent; delicate and maddening. John groaned.

Every single instinct riled up in a riot, adrenaline ran through his veins without control.

Honoring his training, the Spartan sneaked quickly through the corridor until he got a clear view of the asset: Cortana, in front of a massive screen, going back and forth in deep contemplation, analyzing a detailed blueprint. Holding a pad that she wasn't even looking at, she seemed to be very focused. Her white coat was a little wrinkled, there were paper cups of half-drank beverages littered everywhere.

… and she was wearing glasses. John stopped, in silence. He noticed the faint traces of characters flowing through the transparent surfaces while she read at that inhuman speed of hers, paying little to no attention to her surroundings. With her short black hair curling at her chin, her pastel-blue scrubs and that ageless face now framed by those delicate glasses, John didn't think she could get any more beautiful, and yet…

With a shameless smirk, John scurried behind her, stalking the unaware prey.

x.x.x.x.x

She was tired and busy, very busy. Just fresh out of maternity leave, a little cranky and knowing that Miranda would wake up any time soon for her nightly meal. She'd been up to date with the development of the project and still, somehow, felt like she was behind in a lot of aspects. No regrets, being a mother for the third time was her idea and her desire, this had nothing to do with her beloved children; she just wished she could be more productive during leaves. These new models had to be ready to begin trial in a few months.

Cortana never saw him coming, never heard him stand behind her.

Until she took a step back and bumped into a solid wall of muscle:

She jumped in her skin, of course: "SON OF A BITCH!"

"I told you that security AI is subpar." the man said, breaking the silence. "You could be dead now."

She whirled around, trembling in fury, fear and happiness. A huge man in sand-colored BDUs. His steel-blue eyes staring at her from beneath the bill of his uniform's cap and that crooked smile on his lips, it all made her defenses drop. His voice was unmistakable:

"John!" she cried, throwing the pad onto the console. "Oh, John! You're back!"

Cortana leaped and hugged him tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck, laughing. Her Spartan was even faster and hugged her back, lifting her meager weight off the floor with ease. For countless minutes they stood in the middle of her office, just close and tight, breathing in one another's scent. She forgot everything -the stress, her concerns with the project and her personal frustrations- just by letting his warmth seep under her clothes, into her heart. Tears burned in her eyes, rolled down her cheeks; comfort like no other washed over them both, being back in the arms of the one they loved the most.

It took her even a longer moment to pull her head back and look at him. She laughed again, staring into his clear eyes full of amusement.

John put her back on her feet, Cortana's hands running down his shoulders and arms until their fingers intertwined and she squeezed his, immensely thankful. She had missed him, so much. She didn't find any new scars on his face, but… her smile crooked; soon, she would check him more closely to see if there were any other traces of wounds, the mere idea excited her.

The way his gaze darkened told her that John could somehow read her thoughts.

The biggest issue, however, became evident quickly:

"You're back early, too early! I was expecting you in four months!" she reprimanded.

John shrugged. "I pulled some strings."

"And how did you get in without…? Oh, John, did you rig the AI to sneak in, again?" scoffing, Cortana looked back at her pad; then she slapped his arm playfully, smiling. "Of course you did, there's no notifications. I've taught this old dog a few tricks, haven't I?

He narrowed his eyes, in that way that made her gasp in excitement.

"I'll show you an old dog." the Spartan growled, cornering her against the console.

John pulled the glasses off her face and set them aside, calm. Composed.

She tilted her head back, one delicate eyebrow arched in defiance.

Any time, now…

She lunged for the kiss at the same instant he did, clutching the flaps of his BDUs shirt and pulling him closer. The console flashed red and deactivated when she landed on it, on her butt. Cortana knocked his cap off to run her fingers freely through his hair, grazing the back of his head carefully as she fell back with him, entangled in the kiss. She moaned and giggled, content to feel him close again; her instincts were in high alert, reveling in the joy of her companion's return. She never felt more female or free than when they were close and together, whispering nonsense into each other's ear.

"I'm glad you're here. I missed you." she whispered, with a long sigh.

He growled something back, on his way to kiss her neck and throat.

"No, really, you have no idea how much I missed you…"

"I can smell it on you." he breathed, lips pressed against her soft skin.

Cortana mewled, with the corner of her eye she noticed a small flickering alert on the massive screen of her computer. No matter how much she would've loved to get rid of their clothes and give John a warm welcome, she was needed somewhere else. She broke apart, turning the untamed lust into silent contemplation and gratitude with soft brushes of her fingers all over his face.

With one last kiss, she gently pushed him back.

"There's something I have to do, first." her smile opened like sunrise.

Cortana guided him back upstairs after switching her equipment into sleep-mode and they headed to the bedrooms.

Strange, sharp cries became audible when they were stepping onto the ground floor of the house. John stopped, startled. She eased him off by taking his hand, pulling, asking him to follow with a gentle nod. The Spartan didn't move, but their gazes met in the half-dark. A hint of unease was written in his face, in the battle-ready tension that made him squeeze her fingers tightly.

The look in his eyes was self-explanatory, she felt stupid for not noticing sooner. She realized, then, that he'd never heard one of his children cry before. Not live, not like this. Cortana swallowed hard, holding back a knot deep in her throat:

"It's okay, John." she said. "She's just hungry, happens every three hours or so."

He didn't move. Miranda was still crying.

To make things easier on him Cortana just smiled again, motherly.

"Why don't you wait for me in our bedroom? It will take ten minutes."

They nodded at the same time, John let go of her hand.

Their fingers slipped away from each other, not without hesitation.

She had a duty, so Cortana moved swiftly ahead, closing doors. Sarah and her brothers were used to hearing Miranda cry by now and didn't wake up right away, but they would if the baby went on for too long. She entered the nursery whispering a song; her voice eased off the screams almost immediately, she kept speaking low and tender until the child began to coo and complain with soft whines.

The Spartan stood on the corridor for a long moment, just hearing.

Now that it was quiet, John felt more confident and moved to the nursery. He observed from the door, didn't dare to step any closer. Cortana looked at him from her couch next to the window, cuddling a small bulk of blankets in her arms.

It had been so easy to see the baby sleep, before.

He was overly aware of his environment, how strange. What had changed?

Nothing. John understood that everything was the same except for one little detail:

Miranda's cries had set him on edge, a sound raw and basic that had triggered him like nothing else ever had. It wasn't rejection or fear, it was… alertness. Hearing his daughter cry had activated his instincts to protect. His duty was to make sure that his mate would be safe while she fed their offspring, and that realization was stronger than any other human impulse he could account for.

So, John stood guarding the room's door, like a good Spartan would.

x.x.x.x.x

Even when they barely slept an hour and a half, John got up before the crack of dawn. His wife lay sprawled on the bed, face down and with only a sheet covering her naked butt. Before getting out of bed, he tugged the sheets up to cover her properly. He picked up all the discarded clothes from the floor and shoved them into the laundry duct in the bathroom, then proceeded to have a quick shower, shave, dress and head downstairs.

Cortana was still asleep. He drew a small, satisfied smile.

John took it just like any other day in service; he started by going out for a run through the beach. Then, he continued by checking the messages and news, setting up appliances to begin with breakfast. He put the coffee-maker to work and checked the cabinets in search for ingredients to start cooking; Cortana had encouraged him to learn about food beyond thawing or hydrating ration packs and he had taken it to heart.

He found a small pack of blueberries in the fridge. An idea popped in his mind.

The Spartan rummaged around in the cabinets looking for pancake mix, jam, syrup and other treats. Pancakes were easy and tasty. He set the items on the counter along with a box of eggs and cooking oil.

With the rising of the sun, the admin AI's status screen lit up with the text WAKEY-WAKEY DRILL in bright cyan letters. All the curtains around the house opened to let the warm morning light in. A moment later, a peaceful music at low volume accompanied the first sleepy feet that could be heard tapping on the upper floor.

Cortana was talking to the twins. Someone was coming down the stairs.

Little Miranda cried again, making him snap to attention involuntarily…

A bit of anxiety set in John's chest. He retreated silently into the darkness of the corner between the canned goods' cabinet and the fridge, at the far corner of the kitchen, to wait. For such a big guy, he knew how to make himself invisible.

x.x.x.x.x

The first to come down the stairs was Sarah, yawning, in her pajamas and with her long chestnut hair in a tangled mess. She headed straight into the kitchen without noticing her father's presence at all. He followed her with his gaze all the way.

She was taller. Thinner, too. John pressed his lips in a small smile and waited.

She was beautiful and perfect, just like her mother.

Sarah stopped dead on her tracks, however, when she saw the griddle out of its usual hanging spot and the ingredients lying on the counter. Her brow furrowed slowly, trying to make sense out of it. John's smirk grew even more. Right at that moment, she looked so much like him.

Without making a single noise, the Spartan crouched slightly and sneaked up behind the girl, trying to move as fast as possible before she somehow sensed him. She had a sixth sense for that. He approached to the mark and, fast as lightning, wrapped one of his arms around her waist and covered her mouth with the other hand, clutching her against his chest in a paralyzing embrace.

"You're dead, cadet." John whispered in her ear.

Sarah gasped, surprised, but she didn't try to scream or fight back.

It wasn't the first time he caught her unprepared, Sarah recognized him instantly. John loosened the hold, she spun around to throw her arms around his neck. The girl hugged him tight, so tight, her cheek slammed against his. He crouched to sit on his heels and hug her back, deeply moved, inhaling her sweet scent of honey and lemon.

"Papa!" she exclaimed, muffled, her mouth was pressed against his shoulder.

She was trembling, almost about to cry. John eased off her emotions running his large palms up and down her back, soothingly. He continued to hold her a moment longer, until she stopped shivering.

She was nine and yet, so small. So warm. John pressed his lips on her temple, relieved.

A few minutes later, Sarah took a step apart rubbing her eyes to disappear any trace of tears. She didn't like to be seen crying, she was a tough girl. They looked at each other's faces for another long while, the girl poignantly taking notice of how different her father seemed in cargo pants and a plain t-shirt instead of his uniform or exo-suit. They heard the twins cackle upstairs and Cortana demanding them to stop running around naked.

John made a hand signal, pointing with his head to the counter.

"I think you and your brothers are going to be sick today." he whispered, very low.

Sarah recognized the gesture, she had learned the basics of the Spartan field language. Be quiet. The girl smiled wider, showing a little gap between her front teeth, and nodded with eagerness. Her father didn't encourage breaking rules, so it was inherently funny to her that he would propose to skip a day of school in such a casual tone.

She made an acknowledging hand sign. "Are we making breakfast for everyone?"

John nodded. Sarah's eyes were so bright and full of adoration.

"When did you get here?"

"Last night."

"Did you see baby Miranda yet?"

The Spartan nodded once over, smiling a little.

Sarah hugged him again, thrilled, and left a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

John began to work with the ingredients. Sarah searched the cabinets and collected a tablecloth and napkins, plates, mugs, cutlery and such, taking the utensils to the table in the next room over. For another while the twins continued running but apparently, they weren't naked anymore, just excited. Sarah came into the kitchen when she was done with her task, the stove was already hot and the griddle set in place, the bowl with the mix ready. It was Cortana's voice, however, what made John change his mind: she was talking to the boys, maybe too cryptic but implying there was something for them downstairs.

John made another hand signal when he heard two sets of restless feet coming down the stairs, Sarah nodded and took over the making of the pancakes. She could handle it. The Master Chief went to stand right by the door, barely on the cover of the cabinet next to the end of the stairs.

The pancakes began to sizzle on the griddle.

The twins got to the ground floor, talking too fast and too loud, laughing.

John came out of hiding and stood in their way, feet spread and arms crossed, like a solid concrete wall. The boys were too distracted and, of course, collided with him only to fall back on their asses, scared and surprised. Ben was the first to raise his head and find his father's smirking face, looking down on them; Jake came second, and his eyes opened as wide as his mouth. They came back to life after a short while: screaming in joy, the kids stood up quickly and clutched to their father's legs.

"PAPA!" Ben shrieked. "MAMA! PAPA IS HERE!"

"PAPA IS BACK!" that was Jake, he literally vibrated with happiness.

"Mama had a baby, Papa! We have a sister!"

"Another sister! But we already had one of those!"

"Let's go see her!"

"Her name is Miranda, she's kinda cute."

"Ugh, she's a girl! She smells of poo."

John closed his eyes for a second and took a deep, deep breath.

Oh, they were noisy as fuck, but he loved them both so much.

Sarah might've been the one that took after him the most, but his boys were special in their own way. Restless little butts with a thin streak of troublemakers. Always wanting to rough house. John felt uncomfortable when considering that Cortana had to handle them alone while she was pregnant and even now, while taking care of a baby.

Well, not anymore. He wasn't going anywhere else, any time soon.

"Come here, you little Grunts." the father growled.

He crouched and picked the boys up at the same time, carrying a child under each arm. More like, Ben was hanging upside-down, and Jake was kicking the air wildly, but one way or another John strode to the big corner couch on the livingroom area. He kissed each boy on the head before launching them onto the couch, they landed on their backs, laughing like maniacs. Before he could even sit, they were crawling all over his shoulders.

"Did you boys behave?" he asked, play-fighting them off him.

The answer to his question was a pair of mischievous laughs. The little monkeys just climbed back onto him, it was useless. Not satisfied with the response, John pulled Ben by his clothes and Jake by his leg, shedding them both off him, and sat the boys on the couch. They were very similar to one another but not identical: black hair and sapphire-blue eyes just like their mother, a splatter of freckles across their cheeks.

The father crouched in front of them in full Master Chief attitude. The searing look he gave them was enough for the twins to sit tight. For five seconds.

"Did you boys give your Mama and sister a bad time?" he asked.

The twins shook their heads in unison.

"Are you doing well at school?"

This time, the boys nodded together.

John made a pause, intimidating. Then, he added: "Do you like blueberry pancakes?"

The kids' faces lit up with excitement, as if they couldn't already smell the sweet scent coming from the kitchen. They stood on the couch and leaped around like a pair of rabbits. They weren't screaming this time, thankfully.

That's when Sarah showed up, carrying a plate full of hot pancakes and furious.

"Tell Papa about the time you were grounded!" she demanded. "They've been nothing but trouble lately!"

"No, we haven't!" Ben shouted, fists turned into balls. "Sarah is just bossy!"

"You don't let us have fun!" was Jake's reply, he crossed his arms impetuously.

Angry as the boys were, John couldn't help but notice how much they resembled their mother. It almost made him smirk again, but he pulled himself back into Spartan mode to remain the authority figure. Dealing with humans this small was unbelievably stressful and sometimes beyond difficult for him, but it was his duty as a father to learn and try again and again because Cortana did it every single day, while he was away.

And he wasn't going to let her down.

"Yeah!" that was Ben again. "All you did was stop us!"

"We were just killing the shark, you know?" was Jake's snarky comeback.

John tilted his head, shocked. What the fuck?

At the table, Sarah was handing out pancakes, dropping two into every personal plate. Her face was red, her eyebrows so wrinkled that she looked about to explode.

"You guys took a knife from the kitchen and tried to walk into the ocean!"

"We saw a huge shark." Ben explained, whispering.

Jake held his hands apart as far as his arms allowed, indicating size.

"They were out on the beach when Spartan Mason caught them." Sarah added.

Mason was one of his former trainees, security detail to Cortana.

John shook his head. "A shark?"

"They've been in Waypoint too much. Don't worry. Mama blocked the entertainment feeds." the girl continued, then she stuck her tongue out at the kids. "And I'm glad!"

"It sucks!" Ben complained again, rolling his eyes. "I want to watch it!"

Jacob was climbing to the backrest of the couch, angrily. "We almost had it!"

John would've been horrified and extremely angry, if only he wasn't chuckling inside. Now the note on the fridge made sense, killing a shark... he wasn't sure if there were sharks on Reach, or what kind of dangerous creatures could be expected to lurk by the coastline. The sea was already a major danger by itself. The look in the Master Chief's eyes remained serious; he grabbed both kids by the shoulder and spun them around, so they were facing him again.

Ben looked upset, Jake seemed scared.

"So, theft and insubordination, now?" the Spartan snarled.

Ben seemed like he wanted to say something. He was always the first one to talk.

But he bit back whatever was in his little mind, now frowning. His brother was quiet.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you don't go to the beach without Mama or me? Or one of your Aunts, or your Uncle?"

The children looked at each other, sheepishly. The smell of the pancakes in the air was overwhelming, and the debate ended right there because the kids' tummies rumbled loudly, ruining the atmosphere. Ben and Jake snickered, they couldn't help themselves.

John sighed, heavily.

"We will discuss this later." he decided, and let them go.

He would have to ask Cortana about that incident, for sure.

The boys jumped off the couch and ran to the table, as the father stood up and took in the sight before his eyes. Sarah was now serving orange juice, there was also a big glass jug with milk and the coffee pot set on a portable warmer. Everything was ready, Cortana and the baby were the only ones missing.

Without even wanting it, John found himself thinking about the dull breakfasts at Base. The soft rumor of group chatter indistinguishable from table to table, the gray and confined environments in which he had grown from a frightened child into a fully-fledged Spartan. Sometimes they got treats like real meat, little blocks of candy, marshmallows or chocolate, but the frame of their everyday life was drawn by gray uniforms, shaved heads, black and blue bruises, scars, classes, barracks, low voices, hushed snickers and tightly knit groups.

Before his eyes was the total opposite of the only life he had ever known until he met Elizabeth. John found that he liked that contrast: he didn't dismiss his past as a dark time, but as a time before finding himself and his proper place in the Universe. Many things had changed. There was a family of his own, with new occupations, duties and hobbies, even a brand of beer he liked…

And there was a lot more to come, for sure. The Spartan pulled a chair right beside his daughter and sat down to have breakfast.

x.x.x.x.x

At least, while they were eating, the twins had their mouths full and they weren't too noisy, but still managed to keep bickering with their elder sister. The conversation shifted from one direction to another. All three children bounced from subject to subject like they blinked, arguing with each other and bombarding their father with questions. Sarah wanted to know how Arby was doing -she specifically called the Kaidon 'Arby'-, the twins asked how many aliens he had killed. The natural flow of the chatter was only broken by the occasional argument between the two sides, Sarah versus the twins.

As per usual they spent most of their time butting heads. It seemed inevitable.

Suddenly, a soft feminine voice echoed from the stairs:

"My, my! Good morning! Who would be this handsome stranger at my table, and how did he get into the house?"

"Good morning, Mama!" the twins sang in unison.

John was on his feet before he could think about it, and locked eyes with Cortana.

She drew a big, warm smile for her spouse, looking comfy in her blue shorts and white button-up blouse. Barefoot, she approached to the table holding little Miranda in a bundle of blankets, between her arms.

Awake, the baby was even more beautiful.

"Good morning, handsome stranger." she purred.

Cortana stretched to kiss his cheek. Sarah watched her parents intently, meanwhile she chewed. The twins snickered, stealing bites of food from each other's plates.

"You look tired." the Spartan observed.

"Well, I didn't sleep much."

John arched an eyebrow. "I wonder why."

"There was this huge nosy bug that kept coming back for more."

"I don't remember any bugs, myself." the Master Chief quipped. "But I remember that someone kept coming back for more."

Cortana snorted, her cheeks flushed quickly.

Sarah narrowed her eyes, behind them. Her face went full red the moment she saw the two adults come closer and greet each other thoroughly with a proper, more intense kiss on the lips, maybe a little shameless. The twins were the first to express their dislike booing at the kiss, slapping the table with their hands in protest. Sarah suddenly had found something a lot more interesting to look at in her empty plate.

Cortana burst out laughing, holding her baby girl close to her heart now.

John smiled, leaning closer to his wife to connect their foreheads in a simple, deeply intimate gesture. Miranda shook her tiny fists in rage, she started to cry.

"I'll feed her, first. If she's back asleep, I can sit down to eat." Cortana decided.

The mother settled on the couch by the lobby, put a towel over her shoulder and pulled open a few buttons of her blouse. The baby fussed, looking for the nipple.

After making sure that Miranda was feeding properly, Cortana raised her head with a sweet smile and noticed John's blank expression. The default face every Spartan adopted when confronted with a situation unexpected and out of their range of comprehension. It had to be a phenomenon for him, sure, must've felt like being blindsided. She pressed her lips in a soft smile, another tilt of her head signaled that he could approach.

He hesitated at first, but obeyed, moving in silence until he dropped to one knee in front of her. At eye level with his wife, anyway, but much closer than before.

"See? It's fine. She was just hungry." Cortana smiled wider.

Seeing her in the natural light of day made a huge difference. Miranda's hair was light brown, dirty blonde. Her eyes seemed gray, but no freckles. After another moment of silent scrutiny filled with the sounds of the child feeding, he sighed:

"So small."

"Well, she gained a lot of weight lately..." the mother commented.

John shook his head slightly. "She's perfect."

Cortana loved the way his rough voice softened whenever he was with the children. He could be firm, commanding, and yet, so kind. She looked back at their daughter, admiring the tenacity with which the baby sucked on her nipple, kneading her swollen breast with her fists. It always intrigued her, how deeply rooted instinct was in all creatures that they knew exactly what to do even at this level so primitive and bare.

It was imprinted in the Spartan too, he had proved it countless times already.

She gasped softly when John moved, shifting his position to cup the baby's head with his palm. Careful, very careful. Massive in comparison, but he rubbed Miranda's forehead with his thumb for a while, watching her feed. The little one frowned a bit but didn't flinch, nothing else existed but her mother's warmth and the food.

He remained quiet, eyes focused on the baby for a long, long time.

There was no apprehension now, although a part of him remained in high alert.

Seeing Miranda so small and fragile, incapable of caring for herself, John realized that this was what he should've always fought for. It wasn't about excellence, the greater good or the sacrifices; about making a difference in a war almost lost. It wasn't about winning no matter the cost or listening to whomever said what was the right thing to do.

It had always been about the future, about keeping Humanity safe. To give every single human the right to build their legacy.

To build his own legacy. Their legacy, now four strong.

"She's absolutely perfect." John whispered, almost too low to be heard.

There was no more doubt in his mind, now. There were no more wars to win. He didn't need another task to complete to feel relevant, another order that would give meaning to his existence. Everything he ever needed was now in front of him, he was relevant to these people, he would do anything to secure a future for them. Anything.

If he had never met this woman…

"How long, this time?" Cortana whispered, a little uneasy.

John snapped out of his daze slowly. He didn't have to ask what she meant.

"I'm staying."

"Yes, for how long?"

John met her gaze, trying not to break a smile that would be quite improper of him.

"For good. I'm going to train the fives." he explained, matter-of-factly.

Even with her intelligence, it took Cortana a long moment to understand the words, to assimilate their true meaning. With her eyes now full of tears, she whined under her breath, completely disarmed, and put her trembling hand on her husband's jaw, chest bursting with happiness.

"Really? You're going back to instruction?" she whispered.

John nodded once.

"Why? I thought you didn't want to retire."

"I'm not retiring, just… switching careers."

It sounded logical and it was such a relief to her, honestly. He would be close, present and active. No more moments lost or half-assed explanations for his absence.

No more missing him or worrying about him.

No more being apart. Cortana's heart swelled with pride.

Little Miranda let go of the nipple once she was fully sated and twisted her little body, shaking her fists. Before she got any fussier, the mother closed back her blouse, undid the nest of blankets and picked up the baby. With a quizzical look, she patted the couch next to her and waited for John to sit, without questions. With the baby kicking and stretching over her thighs, Cortana took the towel and set it on John's shoulder, then she gave him the little one placing both the child and the Spartan's hands in the right position.

The critter was nothing but a tiny speck in the bulk of his father's strong frame. John didn't seem scared, not too much. His steady grip developed in years of marksmanship only quivered but a little, those huge hands engulfed the baby whole.

… he even pressed his cheek softly on Miranda's little shoulder.

With a relieved sigh, Elizabeth Halsey rubbed her daughter's back soothingly.

Her sapphire-blue eyes found the steel-blue gaze of her Spartan.

"Welcome home, John." she said, making it official.

TO BE CONCLUDED

NEXT WEEKEND COMES THE EPILOGUE

I must confess, I cried like a little bitch thinking of John seeing one of his children as a baby, in person, for the first time. Or that he had never heard one of his babies cry, before. Thinking of all the things he missed, trying to make a point on why it's important that he makes the choice to step down by himself. Well, like I said, next weekend is the final upload, the story can be considered finished here but I want to add an extra just for kicks, to remind us all why I started writing this thing in the first place… so, yes, it will be NSFW, if anyone wants to drop out now, it's fine. You can remain forever innocent with this beautiful, wholesome ending.

A few salutations for the non-logged users, perhaps the final goodbye for some:

Dear friend, CHIKAHPOX, I'm quite glad that you enjoy domestic John and hopefully today's chapter was entertaining too, thank you so, so much for stopping by and leave your thoughts!

For the GUEST that cried with Parisa, yes, let's say Ford did something to John, something that made him "not-feel" about what happened with the girl, but couldn't make him forget. He couldn't drug him because Halsey would've known, so he did something else, brainwash sounds about right. Thanks for the input!

B93, my lovely, I'm super happy that you're having fun with this ending, I hope today's update brought you some joy or lightened up your day, you precious soul. Full circle indeed, you said it. Thank you so much for accompanying us in this trip!

My beloved FROG31791, thanks so, so much for your support and good wishes, for the moment I don't have anything else planned other than small oneshots that I might add in the following months, but I think I'll return to Halo eventually. I don't lose hope. Thank you, again!

The new face, SAE, well heck yes, that's our Spartan right there! :) I hope you had fun, dear. Thanks for leaving your thoughts!

The GUEST that comments on the suits and Fall of Reach, I was under the impression that those were different suits, not the ones that go under the MJOLNIR, but alright. Also, this is an AU so I'm bound to make shit up to make things work the way I intend, sometimes LOL and A SEQUEL? ARE YOU NUTS? Absolutely not. I'm considering a spin-off to expand Fred and Veta's story, but that's not going to be soon and if it happens, it will be short for sure. Anyway, thank you for stopping by, my friend!

And for LIZZY OF DUNWICH that has been raiding my other fics this past weekend; well, girl, what did you think? That I can't write the characters in any other setting that's not them fucking each other senseless? I have a sliver of respect for them, still :P thank you for stopping by, even if you did it to suffer. You won't have to suffer anymore, I promise!

Don't forget to leave your thoughts, comment, fav, follow, kudos, whatever you can do to support the story, it always helps! And whomever wants to meet next Sunday, I'll see you there! Thank you for being here, Marines!