Author's Note: Warning for language.

Chapter Seven: Of Bullets and Dodging

I was in a daze after leaving the courtroom. I felt like things had been spiraling out of control for me ever since I got back from Puget - separating from Willis, living by myself, being placed on leave, trading off the kids, and now this. As bad as things had been in the Outer Colonies - and they'd been awful - I couldn't have ever imagined flat-out hating being home.

Everything was different now. Everything had changed; nothing was as I remembered it before I'd left on deployment. And in a few days' time, it was about to get even worse.

I would've given anything to go back in time and change what happened. I would've told myself not to be so damn stupid, getting that close to Ethan. I'd have told myself to stay away.

But Caleb had been right the other day at the firing range. Life didn't work like that. I'd done what I'd done, and now this was my punishment.

After a brief post-hearing meeting with Commander Roth to discuss our next steps, I stepped back outside the JAG building. The sun felt too bright. Marines and Navy personnel went about their business around me, some pausing to salute as they walked by. I wondered how much longer that would last.

Suddenly I felt too warm in my uniform. It was too constrictive. I pulled at my collar and felt like I couldn't breathe.

"Hey! Natalie!" a voice called out, alarmed, but it sounded far away.

It was the last thing I remembered before I dropped.

I groaned when I finally came to. Without thinking about it, I tried to push myself up on an elbow, but a hand pressed against my shoulder, pushing me back down.

"Easy there, Colonel. You took a bit of a fall when you passed out, so we're keeping you for a couple hours for observation. Just sit tight, okay?"

"W-what...happened?" I asked, still feeling a little out of it.

"From the sounds of it, you dropped like a rock outside the courthouse. Rough day, huh?"

My eyes finally focused and I could see him now. It was an orderly.

"Before you ask, you're in the infirmary on base, ma'am. We've notified your husband and he's on his way." The orderly gestured behind him. "In the meantime, you should be thanking the commander here. He's the one who brought you to us."

The orderly moved to the other side of me then and I saw him, standing quietly in the corner. Ethan.

"You've got a small bump on your head, but the doctor came in earlier to check it out and says it's fine. We'll come peek in on you in a few minutes." He glanced at us both. "I'll leave you guys to it."

As soon as he left, I blew out a breath.

"Shit," was all I could manage at the moment. I glanced down at myself for the first time, seeing that I was still in my dress uniform slacks, but only had my T-shirt on on top. My jacket sat on the back of the lone chair in the room, with my dress shoes underneath it.

My ex started to move closer, but I stopped him with a barely-raised hand.

"Don't, Ethan." I paused to take in a breath. "Thanks for bringing me here, but you should leave before Willis arrives. And beyond that, it probably doesn't look good for us to be seen together right now."

"I know. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine."

Ethan quirked an eyebrow at me. "Passing out in front of the JAG building does not constitute fine to me, Nat."

I snorted. "Well, what am I supposed to be, exactly? We're being fucking court-martialed for a damn kiss, and because Laraza's daughter has an overactive imagination. After all these years, after everything, that's what's going to end my fucking career."

He stepped closer again, walking up to the side of my bed. "Nobody's career is over yet, Natalie. They can't have any evidence against us because nothing happened. We're going to walk away from this. You'll see."

I huffed. "Excuse me if I'm not in an optimistic mood. Even without the court-martial, this has already caused more than enough damage."

"You mean at home?"

I didn't answer, but I supposed that was answer enough. My ex sighed.

"I'm sorry, Cooper. I really am."

"Don't. I'm the married one; I should've known better."

Both of us went quiet after that. There wasn't much else to say on the subject.

Ethan still didn't move, though, so I finally broke the silence.

"I saw you in the courtroom earlier, with your appointed counsel. You don't waste time, do you?"

He shrugged. "I told you I'm in love with you back on Puget, and you made it very clear you don't feel the same. Guy's gotta move on."

"With anything that moves?"

He took in a controlled breath. "That's not fair. Being hung up on you for three years is quite enough for me."

"I'm not upset about it. I normally wouldn't even care, but given the context of what's happening here, I don't want you jeopardizing this trial by being all over your lawyer."

True to his nature, Ethan smirked. "What the lovely young captain and I do on our off-time is our business."

"Gross." I gave him a look. "Just don't fuck it up, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am."

He went silent again, and I became increasingly aware of the time. It wouldn't be good for anyone if Willis showed up while he was still here.

"Listen, Ethan, thanks again for getting me here, but if there's nothing else - "

He held up a finger. "But there is. And this is purely work-related."

I put an arm behind my head and raised an eyebrow at him, waiting.

"I've been hearing things through my ONI channels. About what's been going on on Puget since we left." He released a sigh. "I know you're on leave and don't have access to any intel right now. But it's not good."

"Why? What's going on?" I'd been left out of the loop for so long, I had to admit I was dying to know.

"Well, how do I put this? Our replacements out there weren't you."

"So?"

"So?" he repeated. "Some of the decisions made by our higher-ups haven't been good ones." He lowered his voice, wary of the orderly or the doctor coming back in. "I read that after we left, they decided not to blow the portal up."

"The one to Sanghelios?"

"Yes."

My eyes went wide. "Why?"

"Who knows. They had a different strategy I guess. But anyway, that decision's cost us. With Laraza and his army still out there, he's got a lot of influence, and his route to taking on the Elites is now still available." He folded his arms across his chest. "And I heard that as of last night, the UNSC lost control of the site again."

"Shit." I used my other arm to pinch the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes tight for a moment. "You're right. That is not good."

"No, it's not. Laraza's got full access now to start his damn war."

"So what do we do?"

He shrugged. "What can we do? Nothing right now. We'll just have to wait until this court-martial business is over. I'm thinking - "

There was a sound at the door to my room then, and Ethan stopped and turned around.

It was Willis. And he was fuming.

"Get out. Now."

Ethan didn't protest or say a word. He didn't even look at me. He just held his hands up in surrender and walked out, right past Willis's hard stare.

A stare he then turned on me.

"What the hell is he doing here?" he demanded, and I flinched at his tone.

"I passed out in front of the JAG building after the hearing today. He's the one who brought me in."

"Oh, fucking perfect."

"I'm okay, Will. Thank you for asking."

He let out a rough sigh, then said in a softer tone, "I'm sorry. I'm glad you're okay. I just...hate seeing that bastard around."

"I know. But you know nothing happened, and nothing ever will."

He finally nodded and came to sit on the side of my bed. Surprising me, he leaned down to kiss my forehead. "So what did the doctor say?"

"Don't know yet. She hasn't come in since I've been awake."

"All right. I'll wait here with you until she does."

Willis was quiet after that, and in the meantime, I was still reeling from the news Ethan had imparted. It seemed things weren't just spiraling out of control for me personally lately. The whole damn universe was. Again.

"You're quiet," Willis noted. "What's wrong?"

"Something Ethan just told me. About Puget."

"What?"

I hesitated, unsure if I should be disclosing this to him, but I knew he wouldn't go spreading it around. "That Promethean portal we were fighting for at the end led to the Elites' homeworld. The rebs were trying to take control of it so they could wage war with them. Obviously, we stopped that from happening while we were there. But our replacements didn't finish the job. The rebels have control of it again now, and they're ready to use it."

Willis's face went white. "Shit."

"That's what I said."

"So what do we - "

"Good morning, Major. Colonel."

It was the doctor. She'd just walked in. Willis stood from my bed then, allowing her room to get by.

"How are you feeling now, ma'am?" she asked me as she began taking my vitals.

"Okay," I replied.

"And what were you feeling just before you went unconscious?"

"I don't know. Lightheaded. I felt like my uniform collar was choking me."

She nodded. "Could be dehydration, or a panic attack. We'll have to rule out other possibilities first, of course."

"Like what?"

"Pregnancy, for one."

I chuckled. "That's...not possible." I glanced over at Willis. "We haven't...there's been no activity for months."

Except for two nights ago, but that would be way too early. There'd also been one time on Puget - okay, twice, but same night - but that was over three months ago. I would've known by now if I was pregnant.

"Anyway, I'm on the shot."

"You'd be surprised, ma'am. No birth control is a hundred percent foolproof. Abstinence will do it, though. But I've still got to test you to be sure. Protocol." She gave me a look. "Unlike patients, a blood test never lies."

She continued with her exam and I exchanged a quick glance with Willis. He just shrugged.

Finally, she checked my pupils with a pen light, then placed it back into her coat pocket. "Okay. Everything looks good. You've got that bump on your head, but there's no sign of any bleeding. It'll probably just be tender for a while. I'll have the nurse draw some blood, and then we can send you on your way."

The nurse came in as soon as the doctor left. In a minute, she was gone again. Willis came back over while we waited.

"She was cheerful," he said dryly.

"She's just doing her job, Will."

He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "I mean, there's no way...right?"

"No."

Still, he seemed a little impatient as he waited, and for some reason it made me smile.

The nurse came back in shortly. "Well, Colonel, you're not pregnant. Dr. Kelling is chalking this up to a mild panic attack brought on by stress." She glanced at Willis. "You're free to take your wife home, sir, and make sure she gets some fluids and some rest. If you have any questions, or start feeling ill again, feel free to come back."

Willis nodded at her. "Will do, thanks."

"Have a great day."

After she left, my husband practically collapsed into the chair by my bed. "Whew, bullet dodged."

I almost laughed. "Yeah, no kidding." Four kids was plenty for me. Nevermind the uncertain status of our marriage at the moment.

"That reminds me, I forgot to ask - how did the hearing go?"

At that I frowned. "Bullet not dodged. I'm getting court-martialed."

"Shit."

"That's what I said."