A/N: *looks at last update* Yikes, has it really been that long? Oof. I didn't have any intention of letting it get that long without a proper update; I kinda got distracted by MCC XD. But here's the chapter for you.

*Chapter 66*

Reach was stripping his rifle in the back of the Pelican dropship, having let Carolina and Maine fly it so he could get his team ready. With him on the mission down to the facility below were Washington, Tucker, and Sarge along with the two piloting the dropship and he felt confident in his choices on the team. Sarge and Maine were the main muscle along with himself in case things down there got out of hand. He didn't suspect any real trouble, but it never hurt to be prepared.

"So, what's down there?" Tucker asked. "Apart from it being a power facility used by the asshole that put us as cannon fodder of course."

"We don't know," Reach admitted. "All we know is that it's one of Project Freelancer's off-site storage facilities, similar to ones we've run across before. The facility we raided to rescue Epsilon is an example of one."

"Great. So we're going in blind and don't know what kind of people he has stationed as security. Beautiful recon work," Tucker muttered dryly. "Just perfect."

"It isn't that bad," Wash interjected. "The security forces typically employed by Freelancer to safeguard these facilities were standard ODSTs or Marines when the project was active. Seeing as it is dead now, it's a safe bet to assume that the facility we're going to is abandoned. Or worst case scenario we end up running into a full battalion of people still loyal to the Director."

"Or another highly trained special operative," Sarge added. "I hope we do; I could use a good ass kicking to start the day."

"You are one trigger happy senile old fucker." Tucker shook his head.

"I also outrank you."

"Seriously? We're going that route?"

"I outrank all of you." Reach rolled his eyes. "Both of you, can it. Focus on the objective at hand. We go in, sweep the area for anything important, and get the hell out. The less time we waste bickering with each other chasing dead ends, the better. Carolina, what's the ETA for our arrival?"

"ETA approximately ten minutes," Carolina reported from the cockpit. "Should give us plenty of time to discuss our method of approach. How do you want to do this?"

"We'll split into two teams. I'll lead a small team to recon the area," Reach answered. "With me are Wash and Tucker. Once we confirm there are no hostiles in the area, Team B will move in. Team B will be led by you, Carolina. Maine and Sarge are with you. If we run into trouble, you'll be the first to know. Sound good?"

"Why the hell am I on the scout team?" Tucker complained.

"Because you have good eyesight from years of never being able to use a sniper rifle," Reach replied, bringing a snort of laughter out of Washington. "You can see things that most others can't."

"…dude, then why the fuck are you bringing someone who is literally fucking blind in one eye? The hell is that logic!?" Tucker exclaimed with a dramatic flair of his arms. For fuck's sake, he was such a child at times.

"Agent Washington has trained around his weakness. I can assure you that he is still a deadly soldier in the field despite his blindness," Eta quipped, answering for Reach to spare the Spartan the headache. "His accuracy with the BR85 battle rifle remains nearly unmatched."

"Nearly?"

"He has yet to beat Beta-312's record in the range. Though that doesn't seem to stop him from trying at the most ridiculous hours of the day."

"Thank you for that, Eta. You just saved me a hell of a headache," Reach muttered with an exasperated sigh. "There's your answer Tucker. Are there any other questions?"

"Just one," Tucker answered. "What the hell are we supposed to do if there is a security team or another Freelancer guarding the place?"

Reach drew his katana and ran a hand down its red blade. "We subdue them by any means. Our primary objective is to find information, not have a firefight. If they surrender peacefully then we take them into custody. If they put up a fight, you have all permission to preserve the lives of yourself and your teammates at all costs. Kill only if necessary."

"So don't shoot on sight? Dammit, that sort of takes the fun out of it," Sarge said with a growl. "Can I shoot Grif to make up for it?"

"No." Reach rolled his eyes. Even after all this time, Sarge still really despised Grif. He couldn't blame him entirely; Grif was a lazy slob who did nothing but cause problems at times. But still, he couldn't permit anyone to shoot their own teammates. Not that it stopped Caboose from trying to teamkill Alpha every other five minutes. He had begun to think that Caboose's rifle was just auto-locked onto the AI at this point. It was more believable than anything else Reach could come up with.

"Drat." Sarge was probably glaring down at the floor imagining Grif's face on it and he stomped hard. "Can we just say it was an accident? I doubt anyone would protest."

"What part of 'no' did you not get?" Reach glowered. "Now please stop. I don't need any more headaches this month."

"Your lady giving you a hard time?"

"Define 'a hard time'."

"Trying to force you onto the bed every chance she gets," Sarge said with a laugh. "She does have a nice fire to her. You certainly know a lot of women with short tempers. You have a fetish or something?"

"…apparently. And no Tucker, I am not trying to build a harem like the kind you read in your shitty manga." Reach cut Tucker off before he could say some smartass remark. "And speaking of that, how did you even get your hands on that?"

"Um…" Tucker let out a nervous chuckle, looking around. "Are you going to tell anyone? Because it isn't mine, per say…I um, sort of borrowed it without permission?"

"Oh goddammit." Washington facepalmed. "Why am I not surprised? Whose is it?"

"South's," Reach answered dryly. "Maine, don't give me that look. She's not as subtle as she thinks. I've spotted her reading that crap more than once." Maine let out a soft hiss.

"Then why didn't you say anything?" Tucker asked weakly.

"Because I don't give a fuck. There's not exactly a rule against it and it's not harming anyone. Besides, we all have guilty pleasures." Reach shrugged. "So South likes to read terribly written harem manga. It's better than what you do in your spare time, Lavernius."

"…what do you mean?" Tucker looked at him aghast. "I don't do anything!"

"That's a fucking lie." Washington let out an unimpressed snort. "Maine told me you spent a lot of time by a certain rock back in Blood Gulch masturbating."

"…that is information I did not want to hear." Carolina groaned in mock nausea from the front. "By the way, we're here."

"You heard her." Reach stood up from his seat and sheathed his sword. "Gear up. Carolina, what's the situation look like?"

"Facility looks abandoned," the redhead Freelancer replied. "No signs of activity anywhere in the vicinity."

"Can never be too careful. Team A, you're out here," Reach ordered as the Pelican landed a safe distance away on the sandy beach. The rear of the dropship opened and Reach jumped out first, Tucker and Washington behind him. He performed a quick sweep of the area with his BR85 and went on Team A's comms.

"Alright, move in," he ordered. "I'll take point. Tucker, in the middle. Wash, you bring up the rear."

"Bow chicka bow wow." Tucker snickered. "Come on, dude. You had to see that one coming."

Reach was already regretting his decision to bring Tucker with him. Then again, Carolina would've likely killed him by now. Or had Maine do it. The big man still despised him with every fiber of his being. Reach hated to admit it, but Tucker's bullshit was starting to grow on him a little.

Just a little though. He wouldn't forgive him for throwing dirt in his eyes.

"Are you still hung up on that? You are the one who told him to fight dirty," Eta reminded.

'Shut up Eta.' Reach hissed.

Reach moved in past the first wall and glanced around. No signs of movement apart from the giant windmill in the center and he motioned for Washington and Tucker to follow him inside. "We're all clear. Move in. Wash, you and Tucker take the left. I'll take the high ground to the left. Sync?"

"Sync."

"Sure man."

Reach slowly ascended the crumbling old steps, his boots sending bits of dust and rock down with each step. When he reached the top he swapped his battle rifle for his sniper rifle, peering through the scope. Washington and Tucker were on the other side patrolling and he made a hand gesture. They were all clear. No one in sight.

"Thermals say we're alone here," Washington reported. "Call Team B in for support?"

"Affirmative," Reach answered, keying Carolina's team. "Team B, you're clear for insertion. Scans indicate we're the only ones in the facility. Repeat, you are clear for insertion."

"Roger that, Team A. We're moving in," Carolina answered.

Reach let out a soft hum as he continued to scout out the area with his rifle, frowning under his helmet. Something seemed a little off and he didn't like it. Why was this facility seemingly abandoned? It was a vital asset to Project Freelancer, being a power plant. 'I don't like this. Even if the thermals are clean, it still feels like we're being watched.'

"Wash, have you got anything?" he asked.

"Negative. I don't like it. I feel like something's staring at me and I can't see it," Washington answered.

"You two are so fucking paranoid, I swear," Tucker said with a sigh. "Face it; there's nothing here. I don't know why we're bothering with the whole cloak and dagger bullshit."

"Do you want to walk right into an ambush and get yourself killed?" Washington asked dryly. Silence answered him and he sighed. "Thought so."

"Team B is in position," Carolina announced. "Rendezvousing with you now."

"Roger that." Reach winked off the comms as Carolina and her team approached, their weapons at the ready. Once reunited, Washington and Tucker jumped from their position to regroup and the Spartan looked around.

"Alright, look closely for anything that might give us clues," he said. "Wash, Carolina, you two try and find the main terminal. I doubt its databanks have been purged, so look closely once you find it. Sarge, you and Maine sweep the area for anything else. Tucker, you and I are on guard duty. You take left wall, I take right. Sync?"

"Sync!"

Washington was sweating inside of his armor and it wasn't because he was in a power facility built on the damn beach. No, it was because of the person who was assigned as his partner. He didn't think he was that obvious with it, but Reach was one perceptive son of a bitch and knew what he was doing. 'Dammit Reach. You did this on purpose.'

Washington glanced uneasily at Carolina, the aqua Freelancer silent. "So, uh, how are you feeling?"

"Say what you want to say, Wash. You never held back speaking your mind before and I don't see any reason for you to stop now," Carolina answered bluntly. He winced. Damn, even she picked up on it? Fuck.

The blue/yellow Freelancer hung his head with a sigh. "It's just…fuck, I don't know how to say this…" 'Smooth start.' He was never good at this kind of emotional mushy bullshit and it was showing. How the hell Reach managed to do it as a Spartan was something he didn't know. Maybe he was more in touch with that part of his humanity despite everything that had been done to him. Or maybe Wash was just shit at this. He was betting on the latter.

'Calm down. You've fought against insurrectionists and the Meta. You can do this,' he told himself. Washington took a deep breath and faced Carolina, steeling himself for the worst outcome. He didn't know what the hell he was so worked up about. The worst that could happen was she said she didn't feel the same way. 'So much for confidence.'

"Well…fuck. Alright, here it is." He swallowed an uncomfortable lump in his throat. "I…I like you, a lot." Total silence.

He looked away, unable to meet her piercing gaze. "Look, I know you've got a lot of shit going through your mind, especially with what happened to York and all that, but I guess I'm just being honest. Sorry, I'll just shut up now." 'Smooth.'

Washington was about to go off on his own when Carolina stopped him. "Wash. Stop."

He froze in his tracks and turned around to face her again, still sweating nervously. Carolina rubbed her helmet and shook her head. "I appreciate your honesty. I actually admire it a little, even if you messed up a little at the end." There was a hint of laughter in there. Gods knows she needed to laugh a few times if just to help cope.

"And here I was thinking I sounded like a dumbass kid in that manga South reads." Washington rolled his eyes, his initial unease fading away. Okay maybe it went a little bit better than he thought it would. He really didn't give himself as much credit as he ought to.

"No, you didn't." Carolina laughed. "Wash, thank you. It's nice to know someone does care."

"Thank Reach, not me." Washington shrugged.

"Reach?"

"Why do you think he put us as a team together in the first place? He is rather perceptive, even if he didn't say anything about it."

"…that sneaky son of a bitch." Carolina let out a grumble. "Next thing you'll tell me there was a betting pool on this."

"There was," Washington said dryly. "Between him, Jun, and Tex, to be precise."

"Are you kidding me!?" Carolina exclaimed. "That's ridiculous!"

"No shit." Washington rolled his eyes. "I'll bet Alpha was in on it, too. Fucking asshole." 'Reach, you sneaky son of a bitch. You did all of this on purpose because you wanted to win a bet. You asshole. A good friend and a hell of a soldier, but an asshole nonetheless.'

"Wait…who won the bet?"

Texas smirked triumphantly as she put the call from Reach on the ship's loudspeaker, letting everyone involved in the bet of how long it would take Wash to confess to Carolina hear it. "Got confirmation from Eta. Wash did it. Tex wins."

"…Adam, you're an asshole." Jun groaned in despair as he fished for credits to slap into Texas's hand. "You purposely rigged it so she could win, didn't you?"

"Can neither confirm nor deny that, my friend." Reach was practically smirking in triumph. "Pay up."

Texas laughed as the sharpshooter grudgingly slapped a fifty credit chip into her hand, muttering curses in what sounded like Sangheili. She wouldn't be surprised if that was the case; he could have very easily picked it up in the years spent fighting the Covenant.

"Thank you." She flashed him a smug smile and flipped it into her pockets. "Anything else to report, dear?"

"Yeah. Tell South that Tucker stole her manga. I think she might want it back when we return. Or beat him to death for stealing it in the first place."

…

What?

"When did…how…? I don't…" Texas sighed and rubbed her head, wishing she was still capable of getting drunk for once. "You know what, don't bother. I'm sure it's all complicated and I don't have any headache medicine on the ready. I'll just raid the mess hall again."

By raid, she meant cooking up the weirdest concoction known to humankind. She could still feel the temptation to make fried calamari, even though they didn't have the proper ingredients on hand and she absolutely despised seafood. Everyone had one thing they hated more than everything else in existence and for the blonde, it was seafood. It stunk, was a pain in the ass to cook properly, and had a really bad aftertaste. 'Why do I suddenly want it? This being pregnant shit is actually frustrating as all hell sometimes. Can't drink, have the weirdest food cravings, and my back hurts. Why the hell do people go through with this?'

"Adam, I feel fat," she complained to her husband.

"I'm pretty sure the medical term is 'pregnant'." Reach snickered. "Not feeling that great?"

"No. My fucking back and feet hurt and my tits feel like they'll spurt out milk if I accidentally touch them the wrong way. Why the fuck do we do this shit again?" The blonde let out a groan as she practically waddled across the bridge like a drunken duck to find a chair.

"Something about extending the human race, I think. I could find you a book on it if you want," he offered helpfully.

"Haha." Texas rolled her eyes. "Seriously, this sucks. Is there any way we can find a nice place to stop at to eat on the way to finding the Director? And preferably Italian?"

"Random cravings again?"

"…yes…have I ever mentioned how much I hate seafood?"

"You did once. I don't think Lopez is still pleased about that, by the way." Reach snorted in laughter. "I don't even want to question how you managed to set a Warthog on fire in the middle of that rant. There's not enough liquor in the world for that headache."

"Hey!" Texas protested. "It wasn't even that bad! You make it sound like I dropped a fucking bomb on it!"

"You mean you didn't?"

"Shut the fuck up Jun."

"Don't worry. We'll be done here soon," Reach promised. "I'll give you a nice back rub when I get back, okay?"

Back rubs? From her husband?

Okay, now that was definitely something she could look forward to. "…hurry up please?"

"I'll do my best." Fuck it, that'll work.

"Someone's getting laid tonight." Jun smirked once the call dropped and sipped a cup of coffee. "Just keep it down a notch, will you? My hearing sadly picks up every word you two say at night."

Jun didn't even look surprised when Texas glowered at him and his coffee mug caught on fire. Like mother, like daughter. Reach needed to hurry up down there before she went insane. Stupid pregnancy. There was one nice upside about it, though.

The Director would be pissed off about it. That made it a little more bearable.

"Now…where the hell is the frying pan? SOUTH! Stop reading your fucking manga and help me cook!"

A/N: So…the cat's out of the bag. Been thinking about how the confrontation with the Director would go and while I'm sure I could maybe get away with having Tex kill him herself, it just doesn't seem like it would fit. Fuck it, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. See you!

A Lovestruck A2#5371