Last formal update, Marines. I consider the story properly finished in the previous entry, so today is just a reminder of what originally inspired me to take this challenge and I decided to give you some good 'ole NSFW to say goodbye. It's my pleasure to present…
TAKE ME WHEN YOU NEED ME
EXTRA or EPILOGUE
ALEXANDRIA 2, PLANET REACH – Epsilon Eridani System
JUNE, 2568
The narrow catwalk ran high above a hundred workstations populated by technicians and engineers. SWORD Base Fabrications Complex worked on a tight schedule to send all the required components into high orbit for the final assembly. John looked down over the rails, to the sterile environments and the robotic arms that moved items in and out of zero-grav conveyor systems, welding with unparalleled precision chips and microstructures to flexible circuit boards.
The rebuilt SWORD Base was divided in four internal 'districts', Fabrications was by far the largest, followed by the laboratory buildings in the Research and Development area, and the two main military complexes sitting in the same grounds: the Greenhouse -home of the new recruits to enter the SPARTAN-V program and their training facilities-, and the Fortress -base of operations of the RPSG or Reach Permanent Spartan Garrison-.
And his wife ruled over all that.
She was Director of half the Base, running operations for R&D and Fabrications for nearly five years now. Such was the nature of her contract with ONI. But her skills and her commitment to the MJOLNIR project were above any obligation she had with the higher-ups. She was tenacious, intelligent and had the ability to make things work, no matter how big or difficult. She was a powerful woman in her field of expertise.
The powerful woman in question walked in front of him, leading the way.
"We have to take the tram." she turned over her shoulder, to inform.
He knew that. But he liked to see her smile, anyway.
Her sapphire-blue eyes behind the silver rim of those pad-glasses -such was the name she had given to the artifact- only made her look more beautiful.
The Spartan followed her through the catwalk, as Cortana requested. After a short ride, they left the tram at the Greenhouse's management building.
x.x.x.x.x
She moved like she owned the place, leading him through a maze of offices.
The staff, all military and mostly men, didn't miss her.
Heads always turned wherever Elizabeth Halsey went, this wasn't the exception… up until they noticed who walked a few steps behind her. It was almost hilarious how everyone pretended to be busy, especially when they caught the ice-cold glare in the Master Chief's eyes. Cortana just smiled and greeted the officers she knew and worked with, with absolute nonchalance. She enjoyed the attention.
She liked to be desired, knowing that nobody would make a move in her direction.
Knowing that they were overly aware to whom she belonged.
John suspected that she was doing it on purpose. It wouldn't be the first time.
Maybe her outfit was a test, again? He hadn't seen other staff members dressed in tight dark-blue pencil skirts to the knee that made every curve from the waist down stand out, dark stockings and low heels, or a white button-up shirt with such a tight fit. The only piece that looked standard issue was the white lab coat that, thankfully, kept her backside hidden from prying eyes.
Of course John would follow her wherever she went, under these circumstances.
It wasn't something silly like jealousy, but the instinctive resolve to keep the hierarchy in place. Most lesser males caught the hint just fine.
More catwalks, this time running over the mess hall. The new recruits were taking their breakfast, getting ready for their first assignment of the day. A high percentage of them were ODSTs just fresh and healed of the augmentation procedures, still getting used to their new strength and speed. John didn't look down on them, unlike Doctor Halsey did. These were all brave soldiers that volunteered to go through extensive medical procedures to become more than what they were; the Master Chief would make sure that they reached all their potential in the months to come.
The catwalks ended in a floor littered with offices. They took an elevator inside a tall structure built in the rough shape of a six-arm star; exiting the elevator, Cortana guided him towards the end of one of the structures' 'arms'.
"Here's our stop." she said, still smiling.
She stood by a glass door that read MCPO S-117 spelled in big, boxy characters.
John read the inscription and nodded.
This wasn't his first time dealing with extensive paperwork and the private office came with the rank and the responsibilities, he couldn't wiggle away from that. Cortana tapped the door controls and as it slid over to the side, the lights inside turned on and she entered, the Spartan followed. Three of the four walls of the office were bulletproof glass and the fourth at the back plus the roof, were built in EMP resistant alloys just like every other corner of the Base itself. He noticed the people moving down below in different areas of the facility. The floor was carpeted, the air smelled clean and nice.
It was way too big, and it had way too much furniture for his taste.
"Do you like it?" she asked, spreading her arms with pride. "I made sure it's equipped with everything you can possibly need. Smart desk, a comfy chair, a nice couch and coffee-maker for meetings. It's sound-proof and free of recording devices, I checked it. That over there is your comms array, over here there's a cutting-edge holo-table for tactical revisions, hardlight projectors, and the best of all…" Cortana moved to the left side. "This office has two-hundred-and-seventy-degree visibility spanning from the barracks to the main training floor, to the mess hall."
"Seems like an overkill." he winced, hands clasped behind his back.
"It's a small command center. To an extent, you are commander."
Cortana pulled the coat off her shoulders and laid it on the couch.
She headed to the desk, turning her back on him. John's eyes followed the sway of her hips, it was inevitable; a familiar heat rose slowly under the collar of his uniform.
He minded the glass walls and the door's panel.
He knew damn well that he shouldn't. That they shouldn't, it wasn't appropriate…
The Master Chief stepped outside the office and looked one way and the other.
Nobody around. Good. He entered again and tapped the controls, the door closed and locked behind him. With a crooked little smile, he dropped his finger on the 'night-mode' protocol: the three glass walls suddenly turned from transparent to a dull gray, then faded to black. All view was blocked, both from inside and outside. Cortana didn't notice, she was very busy looking at the desk's screen projection, mumbling something…
x.x.x.x.x
Cortana was in the process of creating a shortcut on his desk, so he would have a direct link to communicate with her office, when she felt his hands on her hips. She gasped under her breath, a little startled, and when her eyes peeled off the holographic screen, she noticed that all glass walls of the office were dark. Her cheeks flushed.
Even more so when she felt the hot caress of his breath on her ear:
"The office is nice. I like this desk, especially." John commented, softly.
Cortana melted a little, heart pounding hard.
She gave in and rested her back on his chest, all hot and bothered.
"Would you like me to be your private secretary for the day?" she snickered.
"Sounds like fun."
Throwing her head back, she met his demon eyes under the bill of the uniform's cap, so dark and hungry. His stare was so intense that she blushed even more. How could he be thinking about fucking at a time like this?
Because she could feel his erection against her ass, come on.
"Maybe I should make YOU my secretary." Cortana teased, after licking her lips.
No, she wasn't in her right mind either.
She saw his lip curl upwards in a devilish smirk. Lightning fast, John sneaked an arm around her torso, cupping her chin and throat with one of those big hands, to pull her face up and pin her further to his body. Their eyes were connected by a line of fire, she breathed out a soft moan.
"I thought you liked me being in charge."
She whimpered. "What's gotten into you, today?"
"You said you wanted another baby."
Cortana blinked a few times, a little disoriented.
"Well, yes..."
"Then we make another baby." he arched an eyebrow. "You said you wanted twelve."
"Well, obviously I wasn't serious. Besides, it hasn't been a year yet since Miranda was born, and..." she cringed. "Oh my God, YOU are serious!"
"You want to see me buried in our children. I heard it." the Spartan's glare was full of determination. "The new mission is: we're going to have as many babies as we can."
Her body grew hot, out of control. Her blood started to burn.
"Do you promise?" the words just blurted out.
"That's an order." he whispered in her ear, roughly.
Cortana gulped, feeling again that familiar tingle between her legs.
"You never gave me a direct order before..." she sighed back, playfully. "I don't like that, Master Chief. I don't like it at all."
She managed to move her hands to grope the front of his fatigues, finding the zipper. It only took a quick action to pull it down and slip inside, rubbing her fingertips on that hard length wrapped in the cloth of his briefs. In response, John pushed forward, bending her over the desk to emphasize the difference in their size and strength.
"You're the most arrogant person I've ever met. You need discipline."
'Oh, you have him now.' the voice snickered, in her mind.
She dared to repeat that snicker loud, teasingly: "Would you have it any other way?"
The defiant look in her eyes was the biggest provocation, so estranged and yet, searing through his bare soul. Those weren't Elizabeth's eyes, for sure.
John's pulse raced upon the realization.
He hadn't been dealing with his sweet Elizabeth the whole morning…
Elizabeth, the haughty and a little timid scientist that preferred plain cotton underwear and couldn't make up her mind about what she wanted. The woman he had married, the woman he loved. But Elizabeth had been honest; to succeed in a world that was adamant on keeping them apart, she had to become more than just the daughter of Catherine Halsey. She took Petra Janecek's advice to heart. She became Cortana, appealing to her darkest, most puzzling and whimsical side: the twice-as-arrogant and inherently sexual creature, the unstoppable alter-ego that didn't take a no for an answer. Cortana always got everything she wanted. She was irresistible and charming. Confident. Strong. Intimidating. A fierce lioness that fought for her family and the man she loved.
She was his undoing, maybe even more so than his precious Elizabeth.
Now it made sense. The blatant challenge excited John even more.
Cortana only existed for him, she had been Elizabeth's failed attempt to be bolder and keep a distance between them, back when they met. She existed to tease him and intrigue him, to drive him insane with needs he never knew he could experiment. The Master Chief pressed further, immobilizing the hand she kept in his pants against her butt. She felt small in his hold, the strong fingers that gripped her chin were impossible to defeat. But she loved it, it was just like old times.
He had to act accordingly, establish his dominance.
Right now, she was at his mercy. Her body squirmed, thinking of the possibilities.
"You sure have some nerve…"
"Oh, what did I do?" she asked, feigning innocence.
The glasses made her look even more innocent, something dark and hungry twisted and turned in John's gut. Maybe he surprised her first, but now she was playing her cards right. Slowly tangling him in her spiderweb. She wanted to see if it was hot air and intimidation or if he really would break protocol and engage in risky activities in the middle of the base, in plain daylight. John made a mental note to be careful and not keep falling further.
Both him and his instinct knew that it would be a difficult promise to keep.
"I'm a Spartan." oh, God; his voice in her ear, again. "Live, fight, die in combat. Exist only to serve Humanity. Do the right thing. Protect our colonies. I was okay with that. Until you showed up and ruined me."
His free hand was now venturing under her skirt, rolling it up her thighs.
She tilted her head to the side, defiant, trying to slip her fingers under his briefs to no avail. He was pushing hard against her ass, pinning her to the desk. She couldn't move, she almost couldn't breathe right.
"Are you sure about that, John? Did I ruin you, or did I make you better?"
"Yo ruined me." he decided, firm. There was a long pause. Something in those fleeting seconds had enough power to shift the tone of the conversation. "I'm distracted, thinking of you and the children. That's not efficient."
She frowned, a little upset with those words.
"You're the best man I know and you will always be, always exceeding at everything. Even at being a father and a husband. You're better than anyone I know." Cortana stretched her neck to leave a little kiss on the corner of his mouth, teasingly. "Or do I have to remind you again why you're the best I've ever had?"
"Everything that makes me a good husband and father makes me a bad Spartan. You don't understand, but what your mother did had a reason." John turned his head just enough to meet her gaze. He shrugged, after a short pause. "And yet, I don't care. I'd do it all over again, the same way."
He was confessing something that had been in his mind for years.
She could see it in his eyes. A little disoriented, Cortana frowned harder. But then…
"I don't think of it that way." she squirmed again, trying to move, grazing his chin with her lips. "But I guess you don't mind if I continue ruining you some more, do you?"
"So, you have been teasing me all day."
"About time you noticed." she giggled. "Weren't you going to lecture me, old man?"
She shouldn't have said that. 'Oh, your pussy is done for, now.'
Without a word, the Master Chief pulled her to stand between his body and the desk, loosened the grip on her chin so he could unbutton her shirt, painfully slow, not allowing her to move or to kiss him. Cortana got her trapped hand back but instead of using it on him again, she planted them both on the desk, to steady herself and enjoy the torture better. She liked the way he just did as he pleased, as it was the nature of their game after all. The Spartan growled in that way that made her wet and so willing.
She bit her lip, trembling. Her cheeks were so hot, mostly because of the heat building up. He finished with the buttons and cupped both of her breasts, contained by the black lace brassier.
The silver ball-chain with the tags tucked between her breasts pleased him. But the lace certainly had a greater effect.
"You wear lingerie to work?"
"It makes me feel confident." Cortana mewled, as she stretched back to kiss his neck. "And you never know when a handsome Spartan is going to sneak around."
He chuckled. Pushed her against the desk and showed her how much he desired to fuck her, pressing his crotch on her ass. Gasping in surprise was an understatement at this point, the message had been clear from the start.
"Do you wear skirts like these all the time, too?" he insisted, rubbing his thumbs on her nipples above the lace. Again, John whispered in her ear: "I saw heads turn. Until they saw me, at least."
She giggled. She'd been using the same uniform to work for years now…
Okay, fine! Technically she was wearing clothes that matched SWORD Base's civilian uniform, only these weren't standard issue. This outfit was from her personal wardrobe, a kind of heavy artillery that she kept in the reserves.
"There's a dress code here, you know? This is a military installation." she gasped. "And I can tell you like it."
The Master Chief pushed his thick fingers under the rims of the brassier, right in the middle between her breasts. With minimal effort he broke the brooch and tore the garment in half, allowing her breasts and the tags trapped between them to bounce free.
Cortana gasped again, both horrified and excited at the same time.
"It doesn't have to be this tight." John rumbled.
"Well, it's not my fault that I fit the size this well." she gave him a sheepish smile.
"You're lying." he breathed out, menacingly. "You like the attention."
"I like your attention." she bit back a husky whisper, pushing her ass wrapped in dark-blue gabardine against his raging erection. "And I like your friend's attention."
John smiled, happy to continue with his work.
His rough hands slid down her abdomen. With a hand firmly spread over her empty womb, he snuck the other hand under the waistband of the skirt, past down her bellybutton and between her legs, to find more lace and her hot, sticky core. She moaned and bit her lip, shivering under his touch.
"Oh, sir, you're quite adventurous today."
"Seems like you've been waiting for quite some time, ma'am."
"Guilty as charged. I can't resist you in uniform, John. I never could."
He pulled his hand back, left her wanting more. But right away the Spartan was pulling the skirt up her thighs again, owning every inch of her silken skin, admiring the lace band of her stockings. Once the skirt was all the way up her waist, he made sure to give her ass a nice and deep feel with his palm, kissing her exposed neck. The panties she wore were just scandalous, the most beautiful and impractical thing he'd seen so far.
"This underwear is unacceptable, Cortana. I don't want you wearing this for work."
"Not even for you?" she pouted.
"You will be naked for me. Never wear this again for work."
Cortana sighed and resorted to play with her breasts, pinching her nipples.
"Is that an order too, sir?" she teased, once more.
"You know it is."
She moaned again, softly, felt her insides burn with desire. So much raw power. It had taken its sweet, sweet time to make John loosen up enough to forget the boundaries of rank and strict military discipline, so he could tap into that savage, possessive side of his freely. He had no idea how hot this game made her, it was unbelievable. Where Elizabeth would blush like a schoolgirl and stutter endlessly, Cortana was having the time of her life, getting ready for some intense action. His voice of command didn't fail to make her squirm and shudder. It was dark magic.
And she was enjoying this shift in authority far too much to give up now.
"Are you going to fuck me in your office, John?" she asked him, straight up.
She didn't see him, she felt him draw a small, wicked grin against the skin of her neck.
His words were so rough and hot: "You know I will."
"You truly are a demon." she sighed, melodramatically. "Anyone could come in."
"Let them."
Cortana heard him fumble behind her and exhale a pleased groan when his cock sprang free at last. Having an erection under two layers of clothing was almost as painful as being trapped in an exo-suit. But she didn't turn around, she waited patiently.
The defenseless prey stalked by the hungry predator. Their favorite scenario.
His hand groped her ass again.
"Bend over."
Another shiver dripped down her spine, her womb clenched involuntarily. She obeyed, pressing her breasts against the desk and presenting her rear still enfolded in lace.
"I bet I don't look like a woman that had four children." she quipped.
"I wouldn't know. But I like you."
Cortana's heart fluttered, happily.
John let out another of those long, growling sighs that made her quiver. She tensed up the mere instant she felt his fingers exploring the crotch of her black lace panties, rubbing two fingers up and down the wettest spot just above the silken embroidery. She choked on a moan, grabbing the edges of the desk, shaking slightly.
"We had sex this morning, right before breakfast." she complained, enjoying the rough caress. "How can you make me this hot, not even four hours later?"
"You do unbelievable things to me too, love."
She moaned again when he called her that. Not every day that the Master Chief showed his affection in such definitive words and it almost made her eyes water. But she was busier feeling the itch of a slow-building orgasm to give in to emotional outbursts. He continued, stroking his cock with the other hand, right where she could see him but not reach him.
"OH. Oh, God." she whispered, pressing her face to the table. "God, yes…"
Then he pulled the crotch of the panties out of the way to slide a thick finger inside her, and quickly a second one, pumping slow and steady. Cortana bit her lips hard, trying with all of her strength to fight back. Nobody would hear them; the room was soundproofed as it was required for a leader of his rank. And yet, she was scared that someone would interrupt them; she would swear that the unnerving clink of the tags could transcend walls.
She couldn't bear a ruined orgasm, no…
"Moan for me, Cortana. I want to hear you."
"I want to hear you too. Roar and growl like a beast." she pleaded, panting. "Fuck me, John. Fuck me like I'm the most beautiful woman in the galaxy."
She looked back at him, her short hair messy and all over her face.
Her eyes were full of hubris and lust, and a strain of malice like he'd never seen on her.
"I'm all yours." she pushed back, performing small circles with her hips, enjoying the depth of his fingers in her. "Claim your mate."
She bit her lip, hoping he would take the initiative.
John arched an eyebrow, picking up the hint, but there was also a shine of mischief. He rubbed his thumb slowly on the other entrance, a little above, as he kept pumping those long fingers inside her warm and flooded pussy. Oh, there would be plenty of time for that. Right now, he had to make a statement. The Spartan chuckled, then pulled out his fingers and replaced them with his hard member, ramming into her until their flesh connected with a loud clap. She held back a yelp, covering her mouth with both hands, pressing her face on the table. Her silence only riled him up. John mounted her hard, the pace clearly marked by the rhythmic jingle of the dog-tags tapping the glass surface of the desk's table. He picked up gradually in speed until she felt dizzy, drowning in pleasure.
His breath was rough, it invigorated her when John's first subtle moans became distinct from the usual growls and groans. Cortana smiled, vicious. She pressed her legs together, tightening her grip around him.
John spat strangled howl and almost faltered, but resumed his assault mercilessly.
"You're misbehaving." he accused, slamming a hand on the desk, before her eyes.
"Enough to bring the Hero of Humanity to his knees?"
Did she just mock him? Oh, she was in for a surprise.
John refused to give her the satisfaction of an answer and instead redoubled his efforts, pounding her hard into the desk. Eventually it was too much, Cortana began moaning out loud, the hand that covered her mouth now propped her up, arching her body to improve all the sensations. Brief temptation whispered to the Master Chief that it would be perfect to make Cortana scream at the top of her lungs, so that everyone else would know who she belonged to…
Fortunately, he managed to maintain a sliver of discipline and muffled her screams for her. Cortana's desperate breaths slipped between his fingers, but he refused to go any easier on her. The first time she came, it was brutal and out of the blue, none of them were ready for the monumental strength of her inner muscles or how hard she would bite him. It had to be the hardest she had ever orgasmed with him.
John hissed, pulling his hand back. No blood, it was fine.
Trying to breathe and moan at the same time, Cortana fell on the desk. Her body tensed from head to toe, the warm energy of extreme pleasure rolled down her flesh and exploded deep from her gut.
The Spartan could feel her, convulsing around his cock, trying to milk him dry.
Fuck, it was so good… but it wasn't his time.
"Not yet." he chuckled, rubbing her ass and thighs with both hands.
Once she stopped trembling and eased down from her bliss, she felt him pull out.
"No!" Cortana cried out, disoriented.
"Shh, I'm here…"
She thought she heard something, felt something…
Oh, yes. He had decided to tear up her lace panties, as usual. The brute.
Next thing she knew, John had flipped her over and she was lying flat on her back. She felt the strong grip of his fingers beneath her knees, her weight was pulled close to the edge of the desk and again, this hot, hard thing parted her swollen labia, diving in. She squirmed and clawed at her Spartan's clothes, clutching the flaps of his BDU's shirt to cut that awful distance between them. At the same time, he pulled from the chain around her neck. Their lips met brutally, she fought to wrap her legs around his waist and resist, kissing him in the midst of more moans and ragged breaths.
"Don't let me go!" she begged, leaving soft bites on his chin. "Don't ever let me go!"
Her skin was burning, her hair was a mess, her clothes all shabby and wrinkled…
She was an absolute goddess.
"I don't think I could." John groaned.
Now his rugged hands had moved to grab her ass, taking control. She let go, her head rolled back and at last she felt his scorching breath on her skin, the soft touch of his tongue, all the while he continued the assault without any hint of slowing down or getting tired. If something she knew about this man, was that he could keep going for hours on end. Oh, God. Hours. Just thinking about it made her toes curl inside her shoes, heat building up in her stomach and pussy again.
Oh, she was so close, once more. So fucking close.
She peeked between half-open eyelids, reveling in the sight of this massive man curled up onto her, pushing in and out of her body with absolute abandon. He was so much bigger than her, his eyes burned. She felt so helpless, so turned on.
She couldn't help it. All muscle and all hers.
Half Spartan, half beast. All man, all John, her husband.
"I love you." she mewled. "I love you, John, I love you…"
His only response was a growl and a trail of kisses across her neck up to her ear and temple, unalterable in his pacing or stamina. The second orgasm hit her when he forced the angle of her hips again and bottomed out, hitting secret places of her anatomy. She was free to scream her pleasure wildly and without restraints, this time. Fuck, yes! FUCK, YES! Just the way she wanted it! Her blood burst in flames, her muscles convulsed and everything in her curled up around his cock, trapping him inside her body.
She knew she had him when the Spartan gasped and froze, gritting his teeth.
Now. Now! Cortana roared, her womb was ready.
The Master Chief slammed his hips forward one last time, her pleasure triggered his at last and it all happened fast, the need to drop everything into her just rolled over him with the force of a tsunami. The blissful release clouded all his senses.
He howled, deeply satisfied, pumping rope after rope of his seed into her.
Just like it was intended. Like she demanded.
Fuck! His knees got a little wobbly. He could swear his brain ceased functioning for a second or two, he saw stars or even galaxies swirling in the darkness between synapses. It was too hard, too fast. Her body clutched him, dragged him in, demanded more and more. His bare instinct gave her everything, pulling out of nowhere another serving to drop. Holy fuck, the adrenaline of doing it in his office sure had paid off!
The Spartan groaned again, using both hands to keep himself propped up.
It took them a while to recover; sporadically her body contracted, they moaned lightly in unison, still connected in the most primal of levels. It was so much, she could feel the semen trickling out of her body, dripping lazily to the carpeted floor. It didn't bother her much, at this point, she had come to crave the sensation. Cortana's breath was so shaky, John's own chest rose and fell irregularly as well. At some point without noticing, he had lost his cap. It had to be on the floor somewhere, most likely. There was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, her skin was so flushed and lovely…
When their eyes met, at last, they both smiled wryly at the same time.
"You are incorrigible!" she shook her head. "I can't believe I keep falling for this."
"I am the problem? You started it." he bit back, nose wrinkled in defiance.
"Oh, but I didn't really think you'd go for it! You fooled me."
"We fooled each other." he settled it, now looming over Cortana to steal a kiss. After a short moment of relax and soft caresses, the Spartan broke apart with yet another crooked smile. "Are you ready for what's next, ma'am?"
"What's next, Master Chief?"
"Long term…" he tilted his head. "You will call ADMIN and make up an excuse for us to stay in my office all morning. We got work to do."
John pulled out of her body softly, during another kiss.
She closed her legs to prevent further leaks, watching him walk around the desk…
"Short term, we have a couch to christen." he decided.
"Whatever you say, Chief." Cortana nodded, with a crooked smile of her own. "I aim to please."
THE END
OH LORD IT'S OVER TOO! You have no idea of the SIGNIFICANCE of this event. I feel this conclusion is quite in consequence with the "canon" established by this AU. I'm content with how this came out. AND ALSO I can't thank you all enough for all the support and the cheers, my precious Marines. I'm very happy that this story made a lot of people happy -and horny- and now I can sit back and relax waiting for Halo Infinite. Just know that I love every single one of you and I am forever in debt with your kindness, energy, enthusiasm and above all, with your patience.If it entertained you, my job is done! Now, right before saying goodbye, let's go with some cool facts that didn't make it into the story but it's worth mentioning:
John and Cortana have one last daughter, named Sam (you can guess in honor of whom). So, they have five children total. Like I always say, one kid is lonely, two is perfect, three is a handful, four is crazy, five is torture and anything from six and beyond is just suicide; so, they're going to close it at five. Which makes a decent number for a squad. Sarah is the only one that follows on her father's footsteps and becomes a Spartan, the twins are laureate scientists and businessmen just like their mom, taking care of the family's estate. Miranda enlists and makes her way to the top becoming an officer, she works close to her older sister; little Sam, daddy's little girl, well… her interests take a tangent and besides being a talented ballet dancer, she makes a career as a semi-famous Waypoint artist with a few decades acting and singing. Total opposite to her siblings.
Fred and Veta go on to have one more kid after Gabriel, named Diego. Veta wants to be able to keep working, so that's that. Also, her body doesn't take the pregnancies very well, she's a very short and petite person and carrying a Spartan's baby is a big deal, so to avoid complications and health problems, they decide not to have any more children. Both of their sons become Marines, Diego makes it to the rank of Commander and usually shares assignments with Sarah and Miranda. Gabriel turns ODST after a couple of years in the regular infantry.
Linda and Anders eventually get married and adopt a war orphan, but not a baby. Their kid is a talented engineer and eventually goes to work under Cortana's wing, as her protégé. Remember when Linda offered Cortana to 'fuck up Locke' and Cortana told her, instead, that she could find a way to make his life 'a little miserable'? Well, as you can guess, our beloved redhead sniper was the cause of their divorce. Kelly takes her role as "top rank aunt" very seriously and is happy with that, she doesn't look for a partner or wants one. She retires from active duty to a teaching post too, serving alongside John for several years, so she can remain close to her nephews and nieces. Red Team and the rest of the surviving S-II and S-III are eventually brought back to Reach to occupy dignified positions of command, becoming legendary veterans of the Human-Covenant War. Some, with a bit of help, find partners and make up families, but not all of them.
Lasky and Palmer never married, but they kept a secret relationship for years. They worked well that way, Tom never really wanted a wife and Sarah likes being a Spartan far too much to give it up. Also, she was sterilized upon entering the Spartan-IV program, so she can't have children and thinks that this would make it difficult for Tom. He gets promoted to Vice Admiral in a couple of years and, since he's mostly on command duty, he takes after Linda and Ellen, adopts a couple of orphan siblings. He turns out to be a great dad, of course.
Catherine Halsey continued working on the SPARTAN program until far into her nineties. Over time, the good Doctor and Elizabeth fix their differences and they can have something like a mother-daughter relationship that isn't toxic, I guess. The biggest shift in her is caused by her grandchildren. The little critters just grow on her, she can't help but love them since they are both children of her own daughter and of John, who is like a son to her as well. Nothing creepy there, don't worry.
Jameson Locke continued leading Fireteam Osiris. Fortunately, he never crossed paths with John again but had to deal with Elizabeth a few times. He re-married twice and divorced also twice. Never had children. He eventually retired from active combat and since he can't be discharged (being a Spartan is for life), he went to work for Internal Affairs, the branch that keeps tabs and dirt on everyone, as an investigator. He was almost assassinated three times. He firmly believes that Elizabeth is wrong about what happened between them and that she misjudged him because she was hurt about their sudden break-up; and with the years Locke discovered how wrong he was about John-117 and his ability to be a good father. Sarah, one of the most prominent candidates of the SPARTAN-X program, is the biggest testimony of it.
Thel 'Vadam got himself several concubines and procreated many strong Sangheili children, thus building a strong dynasty. He spent several years trying to find a white horse that would make a proper gift for the Daughter of the Demon, and at last managed to acquire one in his first honorary visit to Earth. Sarah cherished that horse more than her own life. Her first tour after graduating the SPARTAN-X program with a Lieutenant rank, was to serve on Sanghelios with the UEG Embassy as team leader in the Spartan Taskforce. The Arbiter was more than happy to have her around (he never felt safer than when she was there) and to teach her old Sangheili ways, Sarah always considered the alien as another uncle.
Because the detail was probably lost in time, I want to add that Cortana created and built a trust-fund for thevictims and orphans of the SHIELD Base incident. She watched over the orphans and kept them well-cared for, provided an education and means for living until they were legal adults. None of the beneficiaries ever knew that she did this.
LAST BUT NOT LESS IMPORTANT: I wouldn't have finished this without the efforts and support of my precious Cor Tenebrae, the most creative evil genius that roams this Earth (seriously, go and read his works in the Halo department, you guys are in for a fine treat. Marines, you know I don't recommend fics or authors just because). Thank you for suffering this with me, having your shoulder to lean onto has been the pillar of my resolve to finish this fight, sweetheart. It's also… kind of your fault, now that I realize. This became a huge monster of a story because you were disappointed with my original plan. I SHOULD SHOOT YOU ON THE FOOT, YOU SON OF A…! *takes a few deep breaths* Anyway, thank you so, so much for supporting me and throwing your helping hand, this ultimately became a lot more than what it was intended to be with your input and supervision. ILY.
THANKS, TO ALL OF YOU GUYS THAT FAVED, FOLLOWED, KUDOED AND COMMENTED, BOTH LOGGED AND NOT! Now, don't close the tab without leaving your thoughts and impressions in the box below! Even if it's to say goodbye!