A/N: Here we are, back for another chapter! Sorry it took me so long to update, I had no idea this story was getting so popular until people started sending me messages!

Disclaimer: I do not own Halo or any of its characters. I just screw them up to entertain fans.

Forty Thousand Reasons

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Chapter Four

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The window had become her only joy. Blue eyes stared through the clear glass as leaves began to fall from the trees. The colors were brilliant, and she could imagine somehow what the air tasted like as she watched the reds and oranges flash in the sunlight as they brushed down into the green grass.

"Focus," the voice spoke to her, sharp and authoritative through the monitor that sat across the table, its glow illuminating the area around it in cold light. She had been alone in that house for more days than she had cared to keep track of, locked in with AI's that took care of the day to day tasks but were hardly decent company beyond basic functions, like the ability to play chess.

"I am focused." Her voice held an edge, that of a rebellious teen, thirteen years young and full of defiance that Halsey couldn't understand. Learning was everything, information, knowledge was power, why couldn't this silly girl comprehend it?

"Activate shields." It was punishment for her tone, she knew, even without it being said as the daylight winked away behind cold grey metal.

"…" Stubborn silence, insolence was in her blue gaze as she held the stylus tighter in her fingers.

"Now, where were we?" The blue-eyed girl stared at the monitor as it spoke then stood straight from her chair, the sound of it scraping along the floor echoing loudly in the large dining area she had been instructed to do all of her studying in.

"I'm hungry." Reaching out she grabbed the thin screen under a look of angry outrage and pressed in a button, turning it off with a quick high pitched tone. "And I'm done taking orders from a vidscreen." The young girl muttered as she flipped the thin screen over and cracked open the back of the shiny silver case to expose the chips inside. "Do you want to see what I've learned, mother?"

…

The wail of the baby sent pain through her head that started behind her eyes and ended at her poor throbbing temples. She breathed raggedly, throat burning for the need for something to drink, lungs pained from the deep breaths she had been taking. How did this happen again?

"Congratulations Doctor Halsey, it's a girl!" The nurse set the baby down against her exposed chest, tiny arms and legs flailing as it let out another wail and bitterness rose up toward that man.

"I don't wish to see her." No, she didn't want to so much as glance down towards that squirming pile of uselessness, the thing that would drag her down. "I'm sure Keyes is waiting to see his child," Catherine spoke dismissively, coldly and felt a silent relief as the baby was pulled away from her.

Human distractions, things she didn't have time for, mistakes she shouldn't have made, always seemed to come back to haunt her.

"When can I return to work?" She demanded of the doctor the moment he walked into the door.

One had been more than enough for her.

…

"So…what do you think?" He watched the blue, translucent figure as she turned slowly on the console, arms out as if she were displaying a dress. "I did the upgrade myself, I think it gives me more of a human quality, don't you Chief?" He inclined his head as if in thought, watching her through the reflection on his visor.

"Is that what you're going for?" His voice rumbled out and she moved her hands to her hips, stopping the turn to gaze up at him. A giant from the view of Thumbelina.

"It makes me more relatable." She had her own ideas about what humans liked, and about what they didn't. "No one likes being told what to do by a machine." Cortana's expression was amused, eyebrows raised as if challenging him to respond to such an accusation and he took the bait readily enough.

"I guess they don't, but only a fool would ignore your information." He gave her a nod, standing up straight and turned to leave the deck, only pausing as her voice rang out behind him.

"So all of those times you did?" She watched his back and wondered if this is what happiness really felt like. These small moments.

"I outrank you." He answered back over his shoulder without missing a beat and her laughter echoed behind him as heavy footfalls carried him out.

Slowly his eyes opened as a soft beeping in his heads up display woke him. It had been a dream, one of her, a memory like so many others coming to the surface after the end. The feeling he had, he couldn't place it as he shifted, standing up inside of the dark cargo container and pressed his hand forward. A screen lit, lighting the dark space as he activated a door and stepped out on the metal grating.

It was dark still, but the engines of the transport he had stowed away on were no longer running—they had docked.

"I'm telling you, Mack, these runs to the outer solar system are nothing like those deep space ones. Cryostasis is a thing of beauty. It sure beats the hell out of having to deal with the UNSC jarheads that run this place. If I hear the word "classified" one more time I'm going to—" The checklist dropped to the floor, screen cracking. "Aw shit." Shaking his head as he stepped up to the empty container, door opened, he let out a sigh, calling over his shoulder. "Mack! Get the lights, will you? We've got another malfunctioning box." You'd think that if things were so classified they'd do a better job of securing their cargo, but no. He was stuck running for a bunch of stuck up military people who didn't even know how to say thank you.

"I could just forget to deliver your toilet paper one of these days." He muttered under his breath then stepped back, bending down to scoop up his screen then let out a yell as he stumbled away.

"What? What is it!?" Mack ran in, battle rifle in hand that he had won off a poker game on their last run, one magazine loaded up and ready to fire. It was pulled into position, aimed as the lights flickered on and then lowered as his mouth went slack. "H-holy shit, is that a Spartan?"

Chief looked between the two men before giving a singular nod. "I need your assistance."

…

"I hope that your little stunt was worth it." Halsey paced back and forth as two humanoid AI's flanked either side of the teenage girl who sat on a singular chair. "I had to leave the summit, a meeting of the board that would have meant so much more funding for my research, do you understand?" Silvering hair swayed as she came to a stop, a hand coming up as she pointed at the young girl.

"No, I don't understand." Blue eyes were still set in defiance as she stared forward, back stiff, rigid as she sat up as high as she possibly could. Her brown hair had leaves poking out of it, dirt smudged on her cheek and her clothes were rumpled, torn in some places.

"Of course you don't." Halsey heaved a sigh and brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose. "A simpleton like you couldn't possibly understand. That this new research project, it could mean the age of a new era and you have no idea how important it is to me."

"More important than I am to you, I understand that much." She understood a lot, actually. Quantum mechanics, physics, math, probability. She knew how to hack into every state of the art system, how to read out codes from a computer like she could speak the language, she knew how to reroute communications, and she knew that she was very much alone in this cold world.

There was a pause as Halsey took in a breath and then she moved over, crouching down and took the young girl's hands in her own. "You have to understand, there are things in this universe that are bigger than you and I. There are things more important than going outside to play, and you must know that you are important to me. You're so very important to me." Moving up a bit she wrapped her arms around the dirty child, bringing her in close to her chest, her cold blue eyes staring at the back of the couch as she gently stroked the child's dirty hair. "Without you, nothing would come together."

…

Slowly the world was coming into focus, the soft blue light that lit everything around her seemed so normal, but the pain, the pain didn't feel normal, it didn't feel like anything she had ever experienced before. Blue eyes squeezed shut as her arms reached up, fingers touching the cold surface of the white plastic above her as they shook with weakness.

She parted her lips to speak, but no words came out and it was only then that she felt it. The plastic that was obstructing her mouth, the feel of the tube that was run down her throat, the feel of the needles under her skin, of the prickles of pain that burned down her heavy limbs.

Where was she? What was this?

"I want this lab sealed off, and jettisoned. And all records of it destroyed." The voice buzzed in her head, muffled and she tried to take in a few breaths as her heartbeat started pounding in her chest and soon the darkness took back over.

"Doctor Halsey." The AI spoke over the main speaker and she moved away from the windowless tube, pushing a hand through her silver hair.

"Is everything prepared?" She moved to the door, hand pressing against the plate to open the door and stepped through it, sealing it behind her.

"I'm afraid not yet ma'am. The resupply ship has just docked and they are preparing to transport the load onto the station. We'll have to wait until they clear the sector before jettisoning the lab branch." Annoyance flicked in her blue eyes but she gave a nod, turning and wrapping her clothes tighter around her body.

"Very well, I'll be returning to my quarters."

"There is one other thing, a visitor here to see you."

Halsey froze in her movements, as she turned her gaze upwards towards the camera she knew was watching her every move, just how she programmed it to do. "Who?" How was anyone here? Was it one of the generals? Surely they would have informed her of their arrival.

"He is designated as Spartan-117, Master Chief." The AI stated the name and her heart thundered to a stop in her chest, eyes widening.

"John?"

…

A/N: Short, short chapter, I know. But I wanted to get more out there, I'm sorry it's so long in between updates, I'll try to do better. Let me know what you think!

…Nuclotei