TW: attempted assault
Things were different now, but he really didn't mind.
Actually, he loved his new normal.
Cortana had taken her gardening a step further. She purchased some chickens, and she began farming eggs. They had built the coupe together, and she routinely went outside to care for her flock.
She wasn't the nurturing type. Maybe in another life, she would've been compassionate, caring, and openly affectionate. She was all those things, but not in the way that she could be. Cortana was always exuberant and ambitious in everything that she did. However, whenever it came to relationships and emotions, she was cautious and closed off.
He supposed he couldn't judge. He was far from an open book himself, and sometimes he found himself slipping into negative thoughts. Reading was a double-edged sword for him. While it opened his mind to new things, it also served as a stiff reminder of what he lost out on.
John was not a remorseful or regretful man. He took pride in his achievements and would always be a Spartan. But, deep down – he knew he'd never be like any other man on the street. He never had a childhood crush, a neighborhood full of friends to play mindless games with, yearbooks, or even parents.
During his long treks around the surrounding trails and hills with Loaf, he'd often become engrossed in thought as to what his life truly is. Sometimes he would become so deep in thought, he'd forget about what is directly in front of him. Becoming lost in thought and not acknowledging his surroundings was so unlike him, but he didn't even chastise himself. He didn't even realize he did it most of the time.
Except this time.
Loaf took off in a sprint off the trail. Seeing his chubby companion move with such quickness and urgency instantly ripped him out of his thoughts.
Then he heard the screaming.
Despite Loaf's initial head start, John overtook him in a matter of seconds. Normally he may have worried about ditching Loaf, but he was sure that his side kick wouldn't mind under the perilous circumstances.
John ran across a shallow creek, and then into a clearing. The screaming – which he now identified as a child's – was becoming more frantic. He ran south through the trees, completely bypassing the nearby trail. He was making a beeline for the danger.
He hurdled over the brush and fallen trees. Despite not being in service for years, it still felt easy. Not as easy as it used to be, but it wasn't even close to being a challenge.
Within thirty seconds of Load's takeoff, John pinpointed the screaming. A little brown-haired girl was clawing at her waist like a captured animal, and she had a bloody wound in her neck. Her attacker had his large arms hooked around her midsection, attempting to drag her further into concealment. An ordinary person may not have been able to see what John was seeing. They were easily over a quarter mile away in the trees, and it was nearing sunset. Visibility was not high, but John was no ordinary man.
The predator was not a small man by any means. He was well over six foot, and he was grossly overweight in John's opinion. His emotions were largely contained, as usual, but he couldn't stifle the disgust that he felt.
The ex-Spartan (if there is such a thing) broke into a dead sprint toward the sludge ball of a man. He really wanted to body slam him as hard as possible into the nearest tree and crack his skull on impact, but he didn't want to hurt the girl. He also had to remind himself that he is technically a civilian now, and he can't just go around murdering people.
Even if they did deserve it.
He reached them in a matter of seconds. The girl's expression did not change, she still seemed as frantic as ever. But the assaulter's face was priceless.
John did not hesitate. With a fury that he hadn't felt in years, he grabbed the man by his enlarged neck. Despite his overweight stature, John was still easily able to lift him in the air with one arm. He looked him in the eyes for a moment and studied them. His face was contorted into a shocked snarl, but the perversion practically oozed from him. John had been sickened by many things in his life, but this scenario was so much different.
He squeezed him in the neck for a few extra moments, just to be sure that an identifiable bruise was left. Then he unceremoniously, but harshly, threw him into the nearest tree. He was careful to not use enough force to kill him. But he definitely made sure to hurt him.
John turned back around to help the girl, but she was gone. His eyes scanned the nearby area, and it didn't take him long to find her. She was sitting on a fallen tree nearby, covered in blood, with Loaf at her side.
With heaving sobs raging her body, she grasped Loaf like a life raft. Loaf sat rigidly, clearly worried, but he refused to leave her.
John really wished Cortana was here right now. Despite his vast experiences in crisis response, none ever played out quite like this. For a moment he stood there, completely frozen. The sight made him really sad, and he didn't know what to do about it.
He slowly walked over to her, trying his best to be non-threatening. He had seen children during his time in the UNSC, but he had never actually talked to one before. He tried to gauge her age, but he honestly had nothing to compare it to. Based on her childlike face and cries, he assumed she couldn't be much older than an elementary schooler.
"Are you okay?" he asked calmly.
She picked her head up, but she didn't lessen her grip on Loaf. He had the sneaking suspicion that they had met before.
"You're bleeding," he stated a little too matter-of-factly.
She gently touched her neck, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
Way to go, John. He thought to himself.
She surprised him though. With tears in her eyes and blood on her clothes, she stood up and faced him.
Despite the brave act, she still seemed petrified. After her recent experience, he didn't blame her. Her eyes instantly went to her attacker.
He was laying at the base of the tree in a bloody heap. John realized that while the mission was a success, this little girl didn't need to see the aftermath of the violence.
"My name is John. This is my dog Loaf. We were out walking when we heard…"
"My name is Sam," she said somewhat sheepishly.
He had a brother named Sam. He'd been dead for over half of John's life now, but it still stung. He could imagine Sam laughing at his absurd awkwardness right now, which made him feel a little somber.
A moment passed, and she stuck out her hand for him to shake. He gently took it and shook. She must've had someone in her life who cared about her enough to teach her basic manners.
"Are you out here alone?" he questioned. He needed to act, not let his mind wander.
"I came out here with…him," she said while gesturing at the incapacitated man.
"I see. We need to do something about your neck. I have a first aid kit back at my warthog, and then we'll need to get you to a doctor," John said, mentally formulating a plan.
"You want me to go with you?" she asked with an unreadable tone.
He paused slightly. He didn't want to scare her, but he couldn't just leave her out here bleeding. He hoped that his display of violence and his imposing figure didn't give her the wrong idea about him.
She sensed his hesitation. Sam knew about stranger danger, but John seemed… safe. Children are naïve, but they have a unique ability to see through people.
"Can I ride with Loaf?" she asked.
Her question surprised him. She had been distraught only minutes ago, and now she seemed mostly fine. He'd seen grown men crumble under pressure countless times. Yet this child, who had just experienced a traumatic event, was more concerned about hanging out with his dog than her neck wound. Kids are crazy.
"Of course," he said without thinking. She smiled slightly at his remark.
The walk back to the warthog was uneventful. She didn't talk much, and he was silently grateful. Loaf kept pace without much struggle. John wondered if he exaggerated his exhaustion when he wanted to be carried.
Sam, on the other hand, was rapidly slowing down. Her neck wound was superficial, so he didn't think she was having any symptoms of major blood loss. But the walk back was at least three miles, and she probably hadn't covered that much distance at her age.
At the beginning of their walk back, he sent Cortana a message about what had happened. He kept it somewhat brief, but he instructed her to have the proper authorities and medical care waiting for them at their house.
John guessed that she would have a lot of bruising and soreness over the next week or so, and possibly a scar from her neck wound. He assumed that the man threw her down at some point based on her injuries. She must've been tough if she managed to get back on her feet before John intervened.
She was undoubtedly resilient, but she was wearing down. He worried that she might not be able to make it back. She must have sensed his concern. Even Loaf seemed to become protective of her.
"Can I have a piggy-back ride?" she asked John.
"A what?" he questioned a little absurdly.
"Oh yeah, I guess you're kinda old. I don't know what they called them when you were a kid."
John was actually speechless.
She gestured for him to take a knee. Despite the shock of her comment, he did so. She walked behind him and reached for his neck, and he understood what she was getting at. The size difference was comical. She probably looked like a miniature backpack strapped to him.
He carried her the rest of the way back, with Loaf loyally following. When they got to his warthog, he carefully set her in the front seat and pulled out the aid kit. He wiped off the dirt and blood on her neck with a sanitary wipe, and he instantly grimaced at what he saw.
The fucker had bit her.
He could see the teeth marks clear as day. He hadn't even known this little girl for an hour, but he instantly felt enraged on her behalf. John had been forced to bear witness to countless acts of violence throughout his years, but he would never understand why an adult would feel the desire to hurt a child.
He did his best to contain his brewing rage, but it took effort. After he cleaned her up, he gently set Loaf in the seat with her. He had never been affectionate with Loaf beyond belly scratches, and he was surprised at how close they had already become. Loaf was curled up next to her with his head on her lap, and she affectionately stroked his back. John was once again grateful for his new four-legged friend.
The drive back to John's home was short, but he felt tense the whole way. Sam had her head hung low, and he could tell that she was crying softly. He had no idea how to comfort her, but it seemed that Loaf claimed that responsibility for him. He subconsciously worried about how she would handle leaving Loaf. He sincerely hoped that she had someone out there who cared.
An ambulance and a county sheriff awaited their return. John eased the vehicle into the driveway next to the ambulance. A young female EMT opened the passenger side door to greet Sam.
"Sam?" the EMT asked.
Sam slowly nodded, seemingly shrinking into herself.
The EMT warmly touched her shoulder and guided her to the back of the ambulance to get checked out. Loaf followed her, even jumping in the back of the ambulance. Surprisingly, the EMT did not object to the dog's presence in the vehicle. Sam seemed incredibly anxious, but her body language relaxed immensely when Loaf leaned against her. John was almost positive that they had history.
While Sam was being examined, the sheriff approached John to get his story. John told him everything, including the mark he left on his neck.
"If you'd like, you can take pictures of my hands to match the markings on his neck that I left," said John
"Oh, that won't be necessary. The UNSC sent us your information and informed us that you'd be living here. Cortana too. They essentially wanted us to keep tabs on you both, but I told them to shove it. You both have done enough for the galaxy, you deserve privacy and respect," Sheriff Kerr said with pride.
John wasn't the least bit surprised about the UNSC, but the Sheriff's response did. He'd found that a lot of people in this town treated him like a sideshow. His legendary status seemed to elude people, but the existence of Spartans was starting to become more mainstream. The sheriff's reaction made John like him instantly.
John didn't respond to his comment, he simply gave a respectful nod. Cortana walked over to the pair, looking very concerned.
"What is going to happen to Sam?" Cortana questioned with worry in her voice.
"Well, I can't go into much detail about her family due to privacy reasons. But I will say this: they are no good. Her parents are no strangers to us - I believe her father is in the county jail as we speak, and her mother leaves for months at a time. I'll call her grandmother, but she's not much of an improvement. Poor girl doesn't have anyone else," Sheriff Kerr finished sadly.
John could tell that Cortana was on the verge of tears. He put his arm around her without even thinking. Giving such acts of affection and reassurance were becoming more natural to him, but he often had trouble receiving affection. Much to Cortana's dismay, who was a very affectionate person by nature.
"Once she's done getting checked out, I am going to take her back to the station. One of my deputies is on his way to the scene as we speak to retrieve the scum that hurt her. Speaking off, I need to make a few calls. Excuse me," the sheriff walked back to his patrol car.
About twenty minutes later, Sam was saying a tearful goodbye Loaf on the porch of their small house. She then crawled into the front seat of the sheriff's car, and they left.
John couldn't sleep that night.
He laid on his back, staring at the ceiling. His mind playing the day's events on repeat.
After they left, John and Cortana ate a silent dinner at the table. Cortana asked if he wanted to talk about it, and he said no. Their communication had improved drastically since becoming romantically involved. They still had lots of hurdles to overcome, but it was night and day now.
Unbeknownst to John, Cortana laid awake, facing away from him. She had cried in the shower, and John wrapped her in his arms as soon as she got out. She was naked and vulnerable, but she trusted him so much.
They both had the same thought, but neither of them had the courage to say it.
They wanted to take Sam in.