I apologize in advance for these next two chapters: they're kinda long. Also, they are the reason this fic is rated M. If you are under 18 I recommend skipping these two. Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo: Combat Evolved or from any of the books.

Chapter Thirty-Two: Miracle

April 4, 2553 1121 hours

Blade's Bunkhouse

UNSC Reserve Base Camp Hayes

North America

Laura was back in her quarters, now fully recovered from her stint as a POW. Well, almost. True, she had more allies now than she'd ever had before, all stemming from the fact of her surviving Covenant torture and not saying a word. She recalled with unusual clarity an incident a few days ago.

She was walking toward her quarters when a group of Helljumpers came after her. They weren't taking chances this time; keeping their distance, they shot her with tranquilizer darts, effectively paralyzing her. As they got ready to try and kill her, a voice stopped them and they turned to deal with it. While the Helljumpers backs were turned, Laura dimly noticed she was being surrounded by Marines, and two were helping her to her feet, helping her stand. By the time the Helljumpers turned around, Laura was surrounded by all the Marines she'd saved on the Covenant ship, and they were glaring at the Helljumpers.

"What do you think you're doing? This is a fellow soldier you were preparing to kick the shit out of!"

"Blade is a traitor, she sold us out to the Covenant! Why are you protecting her?"

"Blade is no traitor," a soft voice behind the Helljumpers said. They turned around to find a young Captain staring at them, a naval officer that had also been imprisoned with Laura and the other Marines. "She endured enough Covenant torture to kill one of their Hunters, and never told them anything. They threw everything they had at her, but she never broke, never said a word about Earth. By the time she helped us all escape, she had to be hospitalized for three or four weeks from what they did. If she were a traitor, would they have tortured her as long as they did? Would they have even taken her prisoner like they did? No. They would have left her on Earth to continue their spying. Maybe next time you decide to take action, try thinking a little first."

The Helljumpers were shocked enough to disperse. Her newfound allies helped her to the hospital for treatment for those tranqs, then to the CO's office to file a formal complaint; ONI was shocked by the number of witnesses in the case, and promised to look into it. She had checked independently and found they were actually checking the specifics of the case.

Life was finally beginning to look up for her, but not everything was all right. There was a gaping hole in her heart where her love had dwelt. He'd never come to see her in the hospital, never once asked about her. Not once did he even stop to see her during her recovery period, when she was working with the Covenant prisoners. She'd tried to rationalize it away saying that he was on a mission, but hacking into ONI's files had proven her wrong: no missions had been launched since she returned.

"Damn you, John. How could you do this to me?" She heard the pain in her own voice and broke down; lately, it didn't take much to hurt her, and it bothered her that she wasn't stronger. Soft footfalls behind her alerted her to a newcomer, but she didn't care enough to turn around and see who was there.

"What did he do, Laura?"

Linda's soft voice caused her to turn; she was the last person Laura would have expected to see (although in retrospect it made sense, since Linda had already broken into her bunk once before). She was standing there with a puzzled look on her face, which Laura supposed was because of her tears; she never showed her own pain if she could help it, and very few people on the base had ever seen her cry. Linda was one of the few people she could relate to, and the only one of the Spartans who seemed to genuinely appreciate her presence, so Laura decided to tell her everything: how she'd watched them land on the return from Reach, how she'd begun to admire the Master Chief at first for his abilities, how she'd finally grown to love him. Linda had guessed a lot of it, but waited until Laura was finished.

"Why didn't you tell him?"

"If ONI ever found out, they could have tried to use him as bait to kill me. I've seen what they can do, especially when they tried to use my own family as blackmail. I just couldn't put him through all of that, even if he did feel something for me. As far as he's concerned, I'm just SPARTAN-000, the deadly Blade. I certainly didn't try to fall in love with him, but it was easy for him to steal my heart without even trying."

"What makes you think he doesn't care for you? He came after you when you were taken captive."

"He was ordered to do that. Otherwise he probably would have left me to rot there."

"John was never ordered to rescue you," Linda replied quietly; she had a lot of things she needed to say to this woman, and she was going to say them one way or the other. Laura's head snapped around.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean ONI refused to let him come after you, and I can't remember ever seeing him so angry when they said to leave you in the hands of the Covenant. He came on his own for you, put himself at risk of a court-martial to save your life. And while you were out cold in the hospital for a week, he refused to leave your room until the doctors were sure you would be okay. Once you started coming around, he left because he was afraid." Linda shook her head, amazement in her green eyes. "A man that could withstand a whole squad of Covenant Elites was afraid of a woman's feelings for him. He didn't even say anything, but I could tell. He'd always clam up whenever you were around, and if he needed to say anything his voice got harsher than usual. I finally forced the truth out of him a few days ago."

"Where is he?"

"At the moment, in a stockade or in the middle of a court-martial probably. I really don't know; he disappeared after you were fully recovered. All I know is that he cares for you, and has probably since you stood up to Ackerson the first time we were all in briefing together. It caught all of us off guard, but showed us what you were made of."

Laura didn't know what to do. This news was almost too much to absorb, but one thing was clear. She went to her computer and began to start it up.

"Thanks, Linda, but I'm going to have to cut our chat short. There are some things I need to find in ONI's database." She shot a meaningful glance at the other woman, who smiled slyly.

"I know nothing about it." With that, she left.

Lorienna came online immediately after startup. "Hello, Laura. What're we looking for today?"

"Information on the whereabouts of the Master Chief for the past three days. I want to know where he is and what he's doing."

"Looking now. Would this have anything to do with the conversation I overheard earlier?" The AI's tone was smug. She watched as Laura shook her head with suppressed laughter; the two were almost exactly alike, for good reason--Laura used her personality to create the AI.

"Lorienna! I hope nobody else heard that."

"Of course not." After a brief moment, Lorienna spoke again. "I can't find anything in ONI's files, but I did notice something in General West's logs. Surprisingly, he left this one untitled and without his usual encryptions." She played back a voice recording:

"Laura, no doubt you're going to find this, in fact I'd imagine you're probably listening to it right now. By now you're probably wondering where your friend John is. Don't ask me how I know or what this is about, that's not important right now. I promise I'll explain it all later, if you're ever interested in hearing it. He came to me yesterday asking for advice on what to do. I knew it was complicated, but never could have guessed the entirety of it. I sent him off on some R&R to help him get things straightened out; he took my recommendation on camping at Silver Pond." Laura started: Silver Pond was where she and Nicole had gone for that fatal picnic, and it was also one of her favorite places to just sit and think. "I hope everything works out, he's a fine man. Good luck, Lieutenant Morisson. West out."

Silver Pond 1413 hours

North America

A few hours later, Laura entered the glade where Silver Pond was at; the place was deserted except for a concealed memory-plastic cubicle, which was little more than a high-tech tent. There was no one inside it. Probably out on a hike, she thought with disappointment. The pond looked inviting, though. I can't believe I didn't bring my bathing suit! And on such a beautiful day, no less. I guess there's nothing for it. Making sure no one else was around, Laura stripped to her bare skin and dove into the pond. The water was the perfect temperature for a swim, and Laura made the most of it, splashing and frolicking like a four-year-old; it was rare that she was able to enjoy herself like this, which made the brief 'play-time' even more enjoyable. When she finally came out of the pond, the day was at its hottest. I'll dry in no time at all, she mused as she lay on the grass. Sure enough, she was dry in about ten minutes; gathering up her clothes, she put them on and retreated to the shade of a nearby willow tree. Her dark hair was pulled back into its usual basic braid, which had kept it mostly dry while she swam; Laura undid it and let it fall free down her back to dry the rest of the way.

Nearby, the Master Chief was concealed in the undergrowth of bushes, watching the woman as she rested in the glade. Having gone out on a hike in the woods, he'd seen Laura enter and followed her as she headed to his campsite. He'd been watching Laura swim easily in the pond, then seen her come out and dry off in the sun. When she let down her long hair, which reached nearly to her waist, a shaft of sunlight caught part of it and turned the dark brown waves into a glistening curtain of copper silk. As he watched the transformed hair shimmer in the sun, he thought he'd never seen anything so beautiful in his life. Part of him wanted to go to her and hold her tightly and tell her everything he felt and how he couldn't stop thinking of her, but he was still afraid. Does she really feel anything for me? She probably hates me for leaving. As he watched, Laura stretched out on her stomach and fell asleep in the shade of the willow tree.

It began to get dark as the Master Chief continued to watch the woman who'd stolen his heart. He felt the temperature grow cooler, and debated going back into his cubicle for a blanket, when he noticed Laura begin to shiver. She's cold by now, and she's fast asleep still, he marveled. Rising from his concealment, he crossed the glade and lay down beside her; putting his arms around her, John was surprised when she pressed closer to him, still sleeping. He held her gently in his arms, wishing that he could stay like this forever. One strand of her hair curled down over her face, which had a look of peacefulness and bliss he'd never seen before; he gently brushed it away and returned his arm to her waist.

It was late when Laura woke up. She never meant to fall asleep, or stay asleep for this long. Feeling the chill of the night air, she realized that the cold hadn't been what woke her, but rather the sense of a presence by her side. When she tried to get up, she felt a pair of strong arms gently but firmly tighten around her body, and heard a familiar voice whisper something she couldn't make out, even with her enhanced hearing. Her heart began to pound, a rush of heat flooded through her body. The night was cool, but she felt nothing except the heat of the man beside her. John, how did you know I'd come here? How long will you keep toying with my heart? She tried again to escape his embrace, still afraid of what she felt. John wasn't having any of it; realizing she was trying to escape, he turned her roughly around so she could see his face.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came for a swim. What are you doing here, trying to ambush me at one of my favorite places?" She still couldn't tell him the truth. What the hell was I thinking? I can't even talk to him without lying. She tried again to struggle away, but his grip tightened.

"That was never my intent. As cool as it is right now, you needed the warmth: you were shivering when I lay down beside you, almost three hours ago."

"I've been in colder weather with no trouble before, and I don't need anything from you." She was beginning to get angry with him for making this harder for her. I can't believe I'm still afraid to tell him the truth. How much longer can I keep this up? Then another thought struck her. I was asleep beside him for three hours, and he didn't try anything! Why? "Let me go."

"You're not even trying to escape. I've seen what you're capable of, remember; if you really wanted to be free, you would be by now."

Laura stopped struggling. Damn him for guessing so easily! It's almost as if he knew… She decided to try another tactic.

"Why are you even here, anyway?"

"I came to clear my head. It seems that lately all I think about is a woman who apparently can't stand me." He got up and ran his hand through his short dark hair. "I can't stop thinking about you, Laura, but if you think it's because I want you dead, you're wrong."

Laura waited breathlessly to hear more. Unfortunately, her waiting was cut short when John turned and headed into the woods. Now he'll leave me, and I'll never see him again! She blundered in tears after him, afraid to lose him but too afraid to tell him the truth. After a while, having found nothing to show where he'd gone, Laura realized she had lost him after all. What have I done? Ho could I have let him get away? Now I've lost him forever! Heartbroken and hurt, she headed back to Silver Pond.

John cursed himself for leaving, but knew he'd made the right choice; he needed time to think. When he heard Laura blundering after him, he hid and watched her trying to find him. Assuming she'd find him easily, since these were her stomping grounds and she knew them well, he was shocked when she stumbled right past him, dark hair flying around her as she turned her head frantically in every direction; the pain she obviously felt, as well as her tears, was blinding her to his trail. She came after me, he realized. She's feeling the same thing, and she's obviously just as confused about it. Resolve hardened in him with surprising speed, and he turned back to the pond, planning on having a few words with Laura when he found her again.

Laura stumbled blindly into the glade, tears streaming down her face, and fell to her knees crying bitterly. She no longer cared who saw her, or even what happened to her. All that mattered was that she'd driven away the only man she'd ever truly loved, all because she was afraid. There's nothing left, he's gone, there's nothing left ran through her mind; had she been calmer she would have recognized the irrational thoughts and stopped them, but her grief was blinding her to any semblance of logic. Sobbing, she lifted her head and cried out to the stars.

"How could this have happened? What more can life take away from me? Would you take my life as well, since there's nothing left for me?" She stood up quickly and groped for her knives, only to remember that she'd left them in her quarters when she'd rushed out to find him. The surface of the pond shimmered silver in the moonlight for which it had been named, seemingly mocking her pain while at the same time offering her an escape from her grief. Recalling a verse she'd read somewhere, Laura spoke softly to herself, unaware that someone heard:

'Water, water, cold and deep,

Hold me fast that I may sleep.

Each new death is nothing more

Than the little deaths before.'

As she prepared to throw herself into the water, a strong hand reached out and grabbed her arm, as John pulled her around and looked in her eyes.

John had arrived in time to hear her quiet words and guess what she was planning: a plunge into the pond to end her pain. Somehow, he knew exactly what to do; before she could act, he caught her arm and spun her to face him. She could barely conceal her shock, but never got the chance to speak it; as she opened her mouth, he covered it with his own. His kiss was passionate, insistent, searching and exploring her mouth. She sighed, relaxing into his strong embrace, not protesting as he pressed her body into his and caught her hair, tugging her head back so he could kiss her even more deeply.

Laura felt afraid at first, but soon the feeling disappeared; it was replaced by an erotic sensation of heat flooding through her body. It's a miracle, she thought dimly. She arched up into his body, pressing herself against him, feeling his muscles straining against her. Their bodies intertwined into a single whole, blending into something both frightening and wonderful. When they finally broke apart, all they could see was each other; neither could speak for a long time. Laura finally broke the silence, shivering with pleasure as John gently wiped away her tears.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid. I thought you hated me…" He couldn't put it into words, so she decided to save him the trouble; wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled his head back down and kissed him hard.

Together they fell to the ground, the long grass softening their landing, still embracing. Neither of them cared that they were out in the open on the banks of Silver Pond. Each was only aware of the other, the one they loved beside them. John had only imagined what this moment would feel like, to hold this woman in his arms; now that it was here, it was even more glorious than he'd dreamed. He kissed her even harder, his lips firm and insistent, his body hot against hers; Laura felt his need, and understood. They both needed to come together, at least for this night. No matter what comes after, we need this night, this passion. We need each other nowShe tugged at the drab military fatigues he was wearing, the need to touch him almost overpowering her. He pulled at her clothes, nearly ripping them off in his haste, wanting to touch her for reasons he only dimly understood. Her body was even more beautiful than he'd ever imagined, soft and smooth and warm, with only a few visible scars where she'd received serious wounds; most of those were pale white against her skin, which (while still pale) was darker than his own. He kissed the fresh, angry red scars from her latest brush with death as a Covenant captive, then moved to the older, paler pink ones from the plasma burns when they'd captured the Covenant cruiser, feeling her shiver at his touch. Moving his mouth to one breast, he caught one delicate tip in his mouth, hearing her gasp in response to his actions. Laura, meanwhile, was caressing his strong body, her fingers delicately lingering over his ribs, his chest, his arms. Abruptly, she leaned in and kissed his chest, tongue trailing across one nipple, the touch surprising him. He rolled her beneath him and kissed her even harder, pushing his body against her as he spread her long legs apart, somehow knowing exactly what he was doing. She arched her body up as he thrust downward, her lips never leaving his. He pulled away and brought his mouth down lower to her breasts, then to her belly, teasing her with his passionate kisses. She responded by touching him lightly across his chest, tickling him with her fingertips. He came back, then, annoyed by her teasing.

"How can you make fun of me like this?"

"For the same reason you're only teasing me." Her dark eyes sparkling with excitement and mischief, she rolled him back over, thrusting herself against him, kissing him, again and again until they were both out of breath. She caressed his face, his chest, smiling mischievously, her passion driving her to new levels of boldness. Before he could react, she kissed him even harder than before, her tongue caressing the inside of his mouth, teasing him even as she thrust herself down on top of him, trying to show him exactly what she wanted. Ending the kiss too early for his liking, her dark eyes held John's for a long while. Pulling away briefly, she reached down and touched him, her fingers gently caressing his erection and sending shockwaves throughout his body. Both of them felt as if a fire was consuming them, and the feeling was wonderful. She brought her head slowly back to his, stopping now and then to tease him with passionate kisses on his stomach and his chest, lips finally settling over his own once more.

John couldn't stand it anymore; he wanted her badly enough that he was going mad with desire, a desire only fueled by her teasing. He couldn't think anymore, all he felt was raw, primitive need; both of them kissed harder, their passion becoming a war that neither one could win, and that neither one wanted to win. Abruptly he rolled her beneath him again and thrust even harder; she clung to him, arching into him each time he thrust. They came together, their climax sending waves of bliss through each of them, and when it was over they lay in each other's arms, exhausted. Laura smiled contentedly.

"About time you got the message. I was afraid I'd have to take drastic action."

"Well, maybe if you weren't trying to be so mysterious, I might've figured it out sooner." Both of them smiled at each other's words.

Neither of them needed to speak anymore, letting the silence of love speak for them. They had this one night, alone, and they were going to take full advantage of it. Whatever would happen in the future didn't matter, all that did was the here and now. Their naked bodies dripping with sweat, they clung together desperately, neither of them wanting to let go. Laura rested her dark head against his strong chest, her long hair clinging to her body in damp strands.

"I've been dreaming of this for a long time, just to be in your arms. I never thought it would actually come true."

"Then why are we just laying here?" John felt something stirring again in his groin, and realized he needed this woman, needed her more than anything else. Laura brought out something in him that he had never felt before; she made him complete in a way he would never have thought possible. He looked into her eyes and saw through them into her heart; there was both love and passion there, and the same, almost animalistic need he felt. She came to him again, touching him, caressing his broad chest with fingers that left a tingling sensation in their wake. His breath hissed in through his teeth as she reached down and touched him again, moving her fingers along his length, then reaching around and caressing his back before returning to tease him again by caressing his torso with her delicate touch.

"Indeed, why are we just laying here, when we could be doing so much more?" She lowered her head and pressed a kiss over his heart, a kiss that sent a tingling sensation through his entire body (or was that because of where she'd just put her hand?), then looked at him slyly, dark eyes twinkling with desire. He understood completely, capturing her mouth and holding it with his own. They came together again and again, while the night passed and the morning approached. Laura looked at the paling sky and grimaced suddenly, a worried look marring her features.

"I have to leave, before they notice I'm missing."

"Why?" John noticed a hint of fear in her voice, and felt anger rising in his chest; whatever she feared, he wanted more than anything to protect her from it. He held her closer than ever, stroking her long hair, unwilling to let her return to the base and face ONI alone again. Laura had never felt so safe as she did in his arms then, but knew what she had to do. She brought her hands up to his chest, fingers starting their erotic dance once more.

"If we ever get the chance, I promise I'll tell you everything. Meanwhile, you could try asking Linda." At his sudden start Laura smiled. "She guessed the truth long before either of us did. We actually have her to thank for this night. Just believe me when I say I don't want to go back there."

"When will I see you again, Laura?"

"I'll come back, tonight, if you're still interested." Laura paused to caress his handsome features one more time, and whispered the strongest three words she'd ever said to a man, words she never used with anyone not family. "I love you."

She dressed quickly, retrieving her clothes from various places on the bank. Coming back to him, she pressed her body against his and kissed him one last time, putting all her feelings into it. Then she was gone, sprinting quietly through the glade, making no noise as she slipped away.

Three hours later, Laura climbed through the window of her quarters, only to face a smirking Lorienna.

"Have a nice night?"

"Better than usual. Don't look for me later."

"Ah, I see. Don't worry, no one knows you were gone, and they won't know tonight, either, if I can help it."