It felt odd being on a warship out in the water. All the other vessels she'd served on had been in either space or low orbit. It wasn't as smooth a ride and their quarters were cramped as hell but the people were friendly, or as friendly as they could be given their circumstances. Once the initial shock of "Oh hey, space super soldier from another dimension" wore off, Auri was, for the most part, treated like just another trooper. Colonel Victor Hoffman had some reservations with her joining the COG's ranks but, given that it was a temporary assignment and he needed every able bodied man and woman with him, he kept whatever complaints to himself.

Chairman Richard Prescott, on the other hand, needed some convincing and she learned quickly to avoid the man. He briefly reminded her of Captain Del Rio, or former Captain she should say. The day Del Rio had been relieved of duty had been one to celebrate. Meanwhile, Auri had been asked to assist Delta team and help them retrieve whatever vital supplies they needed to bring aboard the CNV Sovereign, along with rooting out pockets of Locust and the Lambent, which were steadily becoming more of a problem for both humans and Queen Myrrah's horde.

On her trips out into the desolate cities with Fenix's team, she began to get a better grasp on the Delta Gears. Cole was a major sweetheart and a pleasure to be around. An absolute mountain of man, he easily towered over the commander by a full head. Dom seemed like the kind of guy anyone could get along with. He also had a pretty good green thumb, something that was sorely on the ship. He and Fenix were practically inseparable. Then there was Baird. She'd dealt with soldiers just like him previously but, damn, was he smart. There were times, clearly, when he just couldn't keep his mouth shut and it was all she could do to keep from laughing at one sarcastic remark or another. The mute button on her helmet had proven rather effective out in the field.

Now Fenix was someone Auri couldn't get a good read on. There was obviously a lot of unspoken history in the man's eyes, something that an outsider like herself would never be privy to, unless she was here for the long term. Even then, it was no guarantee and she respected that. He gave a damn about his teammates and the people around them. Especially the blonde woman named Anya. Now, if only their war could draw to a close. She had no doubt in her mind that Fenix would haul off into the mountains somewhere and get away from everyone. Frankly, she couldn't blame him.

The Spartan was suddenly jolted in her seat, her armor repair toolkit almost sent flying onto the floor. The waters around the Sovereign were being churned up like mad. Seemed like the storm front had finally hit them. Metal creaked loudly as the high speed winds assaulted the hull and it wasn't the first nor last time Auri sorely wished she was back in space where it was relatively quiet.

Her AI, Noesis, was silently hovering above her data chip placed next to the Four's helmet on the desk. A series of holographic screens floated in front of the AI's avatar as she perused the contents with a thoughtful expression on her face. Once it had been confirmed that Noesis would not pose a threat to the remains of the COG network, she had been allowed some access in an attempt to see what a UNSC construct could to help bolster the security and link up with the satellites in orbit. Maybe even reconnect with pockets of COG troopers around the world. Or, more importantly, get an accurate bead on the Locust population.

The avatar's head looked up at the soldier as Auri set her toolkit back in its original location and resumed working on the left elbow joint of her Mjolnir. She wasn't as tech savvy as most others but every Spartan knew the ins and outs as far as their suits went and how to fix up to intermediate and some advanced level issues. This right here in front of her was something minor and would keep her hands occupied; she'd already cleaned both rifles at least twice within the last day or so.

"That's the tenth time you've sighed in the last hour," Noesis remarked, her tone teasing.

Auri's eyes flicked over to the construct once then returned to the piece of armor in hand. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"If you're suggesting what I think you're wanting to suggest…"

"It's clearly eating away at you. You have that distant look on your face." Noesis waved away the screens in front of her, dismissing whatever she'd been working on.

"Couldn't be because I'm trying to work on getting this crap out of the joint here?" Auri waggled the offending piece back and forth in her hand. She raked a hand, the one not holding the elbow joint, through her hair before setting both the tool and joint down on the desk to pull her hair back from her face. It was already getting in the way and before too long she was going to have to do something about it.

"No, it's something else," the AI continued, her avatar turning to face the Spartan who pulled her hair back into a low ponytail. "And don't think I haven't noticed the looks he's given you."

The Four snorted loudly and rolled her eyes before stretching her arms over her head. She let out a sound of relief as her shoulders popped back into place, releasing a bit of tension. Plus, her lower back had been killing her for the past hour. "Please. The man's an egg head in combat armor. He's more interested in my suit than me." Auri rolled her shoulders out once more and began to pace her small quarters.

"If that's what you want to keep telling yourself."

"Besides, it's not like we could even keep it going. Noesis, you and I both know we've got to get back home. There has to be some sort of device, something, we can use to reconfigure into a teleporter and get the hell out of here. I like working with these guys, I do, but… it can't be a permanent thing."

"What if it does become permanent?"

Now, there was the all consuming question finally out in the open.

What if there was really no way back home?

Baird and the others seemed pretty eager to help out, once the immediate crisis was taken care of.

"I've run the simulations and, unless the COG here have more powerful technology than they're letting on or if the Locust have something hidden up their sleeve, I don't know what else we can do."

"So, what?" The Four threw her arms wide. "I should go hook up with this guy because our odds are shit and I should go out with a bang?"

Noesis crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her chin with one long finger in thought. "Ah… Not in so many words but yes."

The commander closed her eyes, turning her face toward the ceiling for a moment as her shoulders dropped, then turned her gaze back to her companion. -You've got to be fucking kidding me…- rolled through the woman's mind.

"Yeah, and if I were to say anything close to that, it'll backfire and I'm pretty sure thing's'll get awkward as hell between us. Not to mention, the others."

"Yes-"

"Gee, thanks."

"- There's a chance that that may happen but is it worth the risk?" Noesis tilted her head, a couple white strands falling over one shoulder with the motion. Auri pursed her lips, closed her eyes again and let out a breath.

"You're not going to give this up, are you?"

"All I'm saying is to put yourself out there. He -is- interested but he may just be giving you space or doesn't, like you said, want to make any of this awkward. That or lead you on."

"I hate you. I hope you know that," Auri replied. There was no real heat in the statement and, begrudgingly, she knew her friend was right. What's the worst that could happen? They were going to try to get her back to her own universe. Why shouldn't she try to make the most of it while she was here?

"Fine. Fine! I'll go talk to him. Hopefully… I won't completely fuck it up."

Noesis offered the Spartan a reassuring smile. In response, Auri glowered at the avatar while she looked around for a jacket to throw on. Earlier in the day, she'd taken off her bio-layer to shower and revel in being able to feel regular fabric against her skin. Finally she located an old sweatshirt with the COG logo printed on the front. The red had since faded over time and was cracked in several places. After smoothing down her hair as best she could, Auri opened her door to find Delta's tech standing right outside with his fist raised to knock.

His look of surprise clearly mirrored her own. To his credit, Baird recovered quickly and took a step back, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Well, uh, hey." He grinned a little at her, his blonde hair blown up into small spikes on his head. Whether that was due to the wind or him running a hand repeatedly through it remained to be seen. And, Auri noted, for once he didn't have his goggles wrapped around his head.

"Hey," the Spartan replied in a somewhat wary tone. She glanced up and down the hall but couldn't spot anyone else in their corridor. They were alone.

"Well. So. I wanted to come by and see how the ship was treating ya and make sure you hadn't been washed out. Obviously you're still here so I should get going."

Before the man could turn and take his leave, Auri reached out and gently grasped his forearm, turning him back to face her slightly. He could've easily broken free from her grip but didn't just yet. "Baird. Wait." Once the tech finally stood back in front of her, she realized she was still holding onto his arm and let go quickly, loosely crossing her arms.

"You seemed like you had something you wanted to say and…" She exhaled heavily. "And… I was actually just about to go find you."

His brows rose up slightly in response, asking a silent question. Auri mulled over the words in her mind as she tried to find the right thing to say. Was what she was wanting to try even legal? Could they both get in trouble for it? She lowered her head briefly as she tried to summon the courage to speak.

"If you were looking for me, I'm right here," Baird finally said, breaking the silence. He gave her another questioning look before Auri shook her head once. She leaned outside her door frame once more. Seeing that it was still deserted, she grabbed a handful of the COG's shirt and yanked him inside. Baird's yell of surprise was quickly drowned out by the storm and the sound of the Spartan's door clanging shut behind them.

"O-kay. What's with the secrecy here? You spillin' the beans finally on your suit or something?" he asked, hooking a thumb over at her armor where it lay disassembled on the bed.

Auri still had a hand on the door lever when she finally turned around, her fingers quietly sliding off the metal. "What? No. All that's goin' to the grave with me. Besides, even if I wanted to, you clearly don't have access," she replied, keeping her tone as light and joking as she could.

"Okay. So then why yank me inside all covert like?"

It was hard not to roll her eyes at him at this point so she didn't resist. "You've got the biggest damned mouth I've ever seen. Do you ever stop talking?"

"What can I say? I've perfected it at this point."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me."

"So, spill, Commander. You're dancing around the question. Clearly you didn't pull me in here to offer me tea and cookies." He crossed his arms over his chest with an expectant look on his face.

"I'm not-" Auri began to say before Baird raised his eyebrows at her. Alright, no excuses this time. She dropped her arms to her sides for a moment before resting them on her hips.

"Okay. I am. I'm just… trying to find the right words." She chewed the inside of her lip, knowing she was merely stalling for time. "Okay. How the hell do I even say this right?" She threw her gaze skyward before glancing about her room, avoiding looking at the tech. "I don't know how much of any of this is true or… if you're not still… feeling the same way but… The reason I haven't said anything- Okay, fuck. I'm shit with words." Auri finally looked Baird full in the face. He looked rugged and worn as hell but that didn't make him any less attractive.

"I think… I know what you're talking about," Baird said. "And if I've made you uncomfortable or whatever the hell, or you're trying to do the thing where you let me down easy-"

"What? No! No," the Spartan balked, shaking her head quickly. "No, that's not what I'm getting at at all."

"Okay? Then what are you getting at?"

"I'm trying to get you to understand why I didn't say anything initially," Auri began, choosing her words slowly and carefully. "Given our situation and everything going on with me…" She let out a soft sigh. "I did something similar with another soldier in my squad. We'd- Ever since we met at the same military academy, we danced around each other. As if we were waiting for the right moment. We danced in circles around each other countless times. I don't know why. Maybe we were afraid to mess things up? Or… I don't fucking know. It wasn't like we didn't give a damn about each other. We did. Hell, maybe it was because he was a non-com and I was fireteam leader. I'll never know.

"We… After this last big mission almost ten months back, we figured we'd try it out but we needed to get our heads in the game. We needed to focus because the mission came first. And…" Her throat tightened a little and she swallowed hard. "He died. Because I couldn't get him out of danger fast enough. That's why I… I didn't want to lead you on or do something stupid but-" she let out a mirthless laugh "-I'm doing it again. Dancing around the subject. With somebody else. I guess I was just afraid of committing? Or maybe I just didn't want to lose someone I cared about again? Whatever the reason…" She took a breath before saying the next few words slowly. "I am attracted to you. I don't know if you feel the same way. And if you don't, I won't ever talk about this again. I'll remain professional here and out in the field."

-But if you do feel the same…-

Her heart was thudding against her chest as she waited a few moments while Baird processed it all. Had the situation been a little less tense, she probably would've laughed at the expression on his face. For once, he looked like he didn't have a plan to fall back on. Maybe he didn't expect that he'd get this far? That she'd turn him down right from the get go?

"Huh. Well. Shit." Baird started laughing softly to himself. "I guess I owe Dom and Cole twenty bucks." At the confused look on the Spartan's face, Baird began to elaborate. "Those two idiots kept telling me that you were interested. In me." He gestured at himself before walking back and forth as he talked.

"I kept waving them off because why the hell would some badass looking chick from God's knows where be thinking about some guy like me? But nooo." There was a rather wide, if disbelieving, grin plain on his face. "They were both so adamant. Now, I'm going to have to listen to Cole saying, 'I told you so, baby!' for the next fucking week. And that's -if- I'm lucky. Whoopie." He waved his hands in mock joy as if to emphasize the point.

Auri let out a short laugh at his impression of the former smashball player and felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

"Y'know, if we do this, it'll get even worse." She gave him a rueful grin.

"Ohh, I'm expecting it to."

Silence fell between them for a moment as neither party really expected to get to this point. All planning went out the window.

"So… you want to?" Auri asked a little hesitantly. "To try this out and see where it goes, I mean."

Baird barked out a laugh and shrugged. "Sure. Why the hell not? I was honestly expecting the worst here and figured I'd get rejected. Probably go get shit faced for the night."

Despite the bravado, Baird actually did seem rather relieved. The smiles came more frequently now and he seemed… happier. Or as happy as someone like Baird could get. She snapped back to the present as Baird shifted in place, tapping the fingers of his left hand on his right forearm.

"Okay. One question for you though."

"Shoot."

"If this is too forward of me, you're welcome to kick me out. I'm giving you permission right now, 'kay?"

The Spartan furrowed her brows but she played along, studying the Gear curiously. "O-kay?"

Baird drew in a breath before letting it out slowly as if he was psyching himself up.

"Can I… kiss you?"

Auri's expression seemed frozen in place for a second.

Yep. Definitely didn't expect to get this far.

It was long enough that now Baird seemed to be regretting even saying anything. For once. He held up his hands, palms out, in a placating gesture as he began to move for the door.

"Okay. Okay. Got it. Message received," he said before adding quietly to himself, "Maybe I should've saved that for later down the line." The Gear gave her an apologetic smile before heading for the exit and a way out from this mess. Save him from all this shame and embarrassment.

"Um. Wait. No. I, um, sorry. You just caught me off guard is all," the Four quickly stammered out as she went to stop him from leaving. "That and… I'm a little rusty with this is all." She hadn't realized that she'd taken hold of his arm again. When she went to pull back, Baird took a hold of her hand with both of his. He hadn't even noticed he was doing so until he could feel her hand within his. Her palm was rough with little knicks and calluses.

Baird snorted. "You think I'm any better with all this mushy crap? Fuck no. But," he paused for a moment and gave her a crooked half smile. "I think I'll get better with a little practice."

The Spartan felt a blush begin to slowly creep in as she returned his smile and nodded. "Me too," she replied softly before standing up on her toes, using her free hand to wrap around the back of his neck to pull the tech in closer. Just as their lips met, she caught a strong whiff of sea brine and wondered, for a moment, how a draft had gotten inside when she'd closed the do-

"Whoo hoo! Yeah, baby! Dom, pay up. That's what? Thirty bucks plus a beer now?"

Auri jerked back as if she'd been electrocuted and both she and Baird were looking toward her door. Guess she hadn't closed it like she thought she had as they now had an audience comprised of one Augustus Cole and one Dom Santiago standing just outside.

"No, man. It was twenty five plus beer. Your math's wrong," Dom replied, laughing.

"Uh uh. Cole train know's what he's about. Plus, Baird owes us twenty each." The big man was clearly amused at their situation no matter how embarrassing it was.

"Jesus, guys. You couldn't have waited, like, five more minutes?" Baird asked, sounding rather exasperated, as he threw the door wide open. The wind dashed inside, tugging at the Four's hair but not as intensely. The storm must've died down at last.

"Please. If we waited any longer, you two probably would've been going at it," Dom joked before giving Auri a grin and a quick wink. She just hoped like hell those two couldn't see just how red her face was turning. A quick glance over to Baird revealed his ears were turning a light shade of pink. It was more than likely due to being caught than with the weather.

"Seriously?" Baird asked before shooting her an "I am so sorry" look.

"Look. You are more than welcome to back out now. I wouldn't take it personally, believe me, because these two are going to be insufferable from here on out."

"You know it, baby," came Cole as he clapped Baird hard on the shoulder. Baird took half a step back as the other man shook him.

"Gee, I don't know. It sounds pretty tempting," Auri said as she ambled slowly over to the trio with her arms crossed.

"What? You're seriously considering it?" Baird asked under his voice when she came to a stop just beside him.

"Hm… What do you think, Damon?" Before she could talk herself out of it, Auri placed hands on either side of his face and pulled the man down so she could properly kiss him. Baird froze momentarily before she felt his arms wrap around her torso as he picked her up.

"I'm thinking…" he began, as Cole cheered again. "I'm thinking I'm gonna like this."

As Baird went to kiss his new found lady friend again, another set of footsteps came round the bend just in time for Dom to mutter, "Ah, shit," the same time Baird groaned in annoyance.

As if Auri and Baird couldn't have been more embarrassed. Marcus either must've known something was going down or he just happened to be in the right place and the right time. Baird let go of her and was already rifling around in his pockets. He then pulled out a wad of crumbled papers without bothering to count them and all but threw them into the sergeant's outstretched hand. Marcus nodded to their tech and left without saying another word as he pocketed the extra cash before the wind could snatch it away.

"I can't believe you both seriously roped him into that stupid bet," Baird said once Marcus was out of earshot. He still kept his voice low regardless.

"Us? I thought Cole told you this was his idea," Dom replied, looking a little incredulous, before turning to Cole with a puzzled look.

"Nah, man. I thought you did," the other Gear said, shaking his head.

"Wait. Wait. Wait. So, let me get this straight: we all got into a bet without knowing really who set it up?" Baird asked, enunciating the last few words. He had tried to keep it down but by the end of his sentence, he was all but raising his voice. "Oh, fuck me…" He sighed explosively and pinched the bridge of his nose. The bullshit he had to deal with on a daily basis was unfathomable.

"I'm sure you could find somebody to help you with that," Cole said quickly with a broad grin before Dom lightly knocked the back of his hand into the big man's shoulder.

"Okay. As much as we had fun here, we gotta hit the hay. Hoffman's got us on another salvage mission early in the morning. Don't wear 'im out too much, alright, Commander?" Dom said with a mock salute as he and Cole took their leave.

Baird shook his head and, just as he opened his mouth, just when they thought they were all done here, Dom called back, "We'll get our cut from you in the morning, Baird!"

"Yeah, yeah. Fuck you," Baird said, waving the pair on. He looked back at the Spartan who felt like she was standing there a little out of place and placed both hands on her shoulders. "So. You're still in this with me? You're gonna have to put up with their shit, too, y'know."

"I think I was doing a pretty decent job of that before. I think I can handle it. Besides, it'll be nice to come back to someone when a mission is over."

"Preaching to the choir there."

"So. Question for you." Auri pressed both her palms together, raised so they were level with her chest before turning them horizontal so that they were angled at Baird.

"Shoot."

"My bunk or yours?"

This time she did laugh at his expression before quickly shaking her head. "No, no. I don't mean sex. I don't think either of us is at that point yet. Or at least I'm not. No, I mean just sharing a bunk. Sleeping together. If that's too much, I'll kiss you goodnight and see you in the morning."

"I, well… I'd need to grab a change of clothes but… if you're good with it, I can crash here."

The Spartan flashed him a grin and nodded. "Take your time. It'll give me a chance to tidy the place up. Noesis will be there but she won't bother us."

Baird held up a finger, eyes narrowing a fraction. "Hold on a minute. Your construct was in there the entire time and she could hear everything?"

"Hey, she's the one who said I should go speak with you about all this so…"

Baird seemed to accept defeat there as his shoulders dropped. "Okay. I'm not gonna question it. I think I've reached my limit here with bullshit I want to deal with. I'll be back in a few."

With another quick peck on the cheek, he took off down the hall.

It felt odd having someone else in bed with her. After spending so much time alone or at a desk or in the field this was a very welcome change. It took them both a moment to figure out their sleeping arrangement, given that the beds were small and he was a big guy, but before too long, Baird's body comfortably wrapped around hers. To her surprise, he was very much a cuddler. She hadn't pegged him as someone for touchy feely stuff. Maybe he just didn't do it in front of the other guys.

His breath was warm on the back of her neck and he'd slung one arm around the middle of her torso. Auri had hesitantly laced her fingers with his and, whether he'd been awake or asleep when doing so, Baird tightened his grip on her hand and pulled her closer to his chest. If this turned out to be a dream, neither wanted to wake up from it.

The commander's stay here on Sera got just a might bit better.