Author's Note: The next chapter is going to be short, so here's a bonus ;-) As always, hope you enjoy and please review! Thanks.

Chapter Nineteen: Crisis Averted

"Since you're doing a vow of silence at the moment, I guess I'll start."

We were sitting at a café outside the Galaxy Stars hotel, sharing coffee and pastries, and generally enjoying the late evening breeze.

But not so much each other's company.

Willis was trying hard to change that, though, and I was equally determined to get him to realize the huge mistake he'd made. He'd proven that when it came to my word against a stranger's, the stranger usually won. The fact that he didn't trust me? Yeah, that didn't sit too well with me.

"I'm sorry, Coop, I really am," Willis said when I remained silent. "It was horrible of me to think you weren't mentioning Heath because you'd cheated on me, when in reality it was simply too painful. And I'm sorry that I added to that pain."

I finally stopped focusing on a point in the sidewalk and turned my gaze on him. "You know, I thought that after seven years together and having a kid, maybe you'd know me well enough to not worry about other men. But I see I was sadly mistaken."

"You're right, Natalie. I don't really know what else to say."

"Try, 'I think I'll trust you, seeing as you love me a lot more than anyone else ever could.' See if that helps."

A faint grin appeared on his lips. "I messed up big time, huh?"

I looked into the contents of my coffee cup, mostly empty by now, and thought of his timely rescue at the pub. I guess I had to give him some credit, at least for that. If it weren't for him, I would probably be waking up on the floor of the bar during peak hours…and my reputation would be shot to hell.

He'd also given me the aspirin that had now dulled the pain of a throbbing headache. I could've sworn Smythe had cracked my skull wide open with that hit…

"Still with me, Coop?" Willis asked suddenly.

"Yeah, just thinking," I said. He'd also paid for these tasty snacks we were now enjoying…

"Reach a verdict yet?"

"Hold on. Jury's deliberating."

"I've learned it's always best not to disturb you when you're referring to yourself as more than one person."

"Table's not that big, Will. I can reach your leg with my own, you know."

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "Footsy?"

"I was actually thinking of kicking you for that multiple personality comment."

"Oh."

I sighed, then replied more seriously, "I've said what needs to be said, Will. I just don't appreciate the lack of confidence, especially when you know me better than that."

"I know. I was wrong and I made a mistake. I should have listened to you and not what that idiot was spewing from his mouth," Willis said, staring down at his coffee. Then he suddenly looked up at me. "But I do trust you, Natalie, and I don't want you to believe otherwise. It was just a bad combination of the situation and what you wouldn't tell me, and I jumped to the wrong conclusion. I'm sorry."

"That's a little better."

We sat in silence for a few moments, glancing around the street and people, mostly soldiers, walking by. Finally, Willis drained the last of his drink and rested his gaze on me.

"Natalie?"

I turned to look at him.

"No pressure, but…if you want to talk about Heath, I'm listening." He reached out across the table with his hand.

I stared at his hand and thought about whether or not his answer had been satisfying. Then I remembered what Graham had told me about finding a way to deal with Beesner's death, and maybe this was it. If anyone could help, it was Willis.

I took his hand and began, "Well, it started in a forest…"

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"Wow," Willis said when I finally finished my tale sometime later. He had been quiet the whole time, listening intently, and hadn't interrupted me at all.

He also never let go of my hand, even when I gave it a strong squeeze to keep from bawling in public. That part came towards the end, when I told him about what had happened to Beesner.

Presently, my husband ran his free hand through his amber hair.

"I feel awful, Coop. I must have seemed like such a dick…" he muttered.

"Pretty much," I said with a slight grin. "But you didn't know the story yet. I guess it's ok to forgive you."

"Natalie…" he started, his hazel eyes pained.

"Will, what's done is done. Besides, you made up for it pretty well afterward." Already I felt more at peace with the young private's death, simply by talking about it openly with Willis. As I'd learned long ago, my husband always had a knack for being a good listener and making me feel better.

Willis shrugged. "It's the least I could do, considering." Despite his words, he seemed a little more at ease.

I looked at him, and I could sense his discomfort return under my penetrating gaze.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Something else is bothering you," I said matter-of-factly.

He gave me a half-hearted grin. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, for one thing, you haven't let go of my hand yet," I pointed out. As I'd predicted, his hand immediately separated from my own. "C'mon, Will. Out with it."

He shifted in his seat, suddenly self-conscious, and ran a hand through his hair a second time. Finally, he faced me again. "There's something I have to tell you."

"So I gathered."

He swallowed. "And it's kind of big news."

"Hit me with it."

"I'm being transferred to Earth. Again."

I sat up in my seat. "What? Why? You just pulled defense duty a year ago."

"I know, but after…after we had our fight, I found out that the Covenant had just glassed a planet in a system close to Rondurass. And since our ships have not yet been released from prototype, no one wants the Covies finding out about 'em. So the whole project's moving to Earth."

"That's…quite a change."

"For the better though, I think," Willis said, speaking quickly. "I'll be closer to you and much closer to Gabe. I'll probably even be able to see him. It'll be good for him to have at least one of his parents nearby." Willis paused to drink from his second cup of coffee. "Besides, you know Earth is generally equated with light duty, like this place, since the Covies haven't found it."

"Yet," I reminded him.

Willis looked at me. "You're worried about me going to Earth when Gabe's been there this whole time?"

"I'm going to worry about both of you. I'm going to worry about my husband, my son, and my mother being on the same planet. Above all else right now, the Covies are searching like crazy for Earth's location."

"And the UNSC is working just as hard to make sure they don't find it," Willis countered.

"Well, with human-occupied space getting smaller and smaller every day, we'll see how long that lasts."

"I've never known you to be pessimistic, Coop."

"I'm being realistic. We can't hide Earth forever, but that doesn't mean I think we're done for when they find it. It'll just make us fight harder when we're in desperation mode."

"You do work well under pressure." He looked at his watch then, and I realized that it was nearly time for him to leave. I'd completely forgotten that in a few hours, he'd be gone, with no guarantee that I'd ever get to see him again. I tried my best to hide the aching emptiness I suddenly felt.

"'Bout that time, huh?" I asked, my voice revealing nothing.

"Came up quick, didn't it?" he said, giving me a half-smile.

"Leaving from Port Thirty-Nine?"

"Yup."

"Military or civvie?"

"UNSC property, Natalie. You know I don't trust pilots who haven't been in the thick of it."

"And here I thought you trusted no one to fly those things but yourself."

"We're good at avoiding this goodbye thing, aren't we?"

"The best. C'mon, I'll flag us down a cab."

Once on base, Willis came to my office to gather the belongings he'd left there. He changed back into his uniform, and then we finally made our way to Port Thirty-Nine. It was a modern military spaceport with many conveniences all around. Shuttle rides up to the orbital platforms, where the ships were usually docked, came by every fifteen minutes…and right now that short time window was killing me.

"My ride leaves in three hours. I'd better be getting up there, Coop," Willis said. He grinned. "You know those ol' Navy guys don't like to be kept waiting for their jarheads to board."

"So this is it, huh? You're off to Earth then?" I asked, amazed at the control in my voice.

Willis shook his head. "Meeting up with my unit first, on Rondurass. Then in two weeks we'll be rocketing off to the central hub of human space. Once we get settled I'll let you know where I am, if they let me."

I nodded. "Say hi to Gabriel for me, if you see him. Tell him I'll be home soon, and even though I'm not with him, I love him very, very much. And I'm always thinking of him."

"Of course."

He dropped his military-issue duffel bag and wrapped his arms around me. Without saying anything, I hugged him back tightly.

For a while we were both silent, shutting out the sounds of thousands of other uniformed travelers going about their business in the port. Goodbyes were often harder than battles themselves.

"The war will be over eventually, Natalie," Willis whispered. "Like you said, one good push at the end could finish this mess. And then we won't have to spend any time apart at all. Me, you, and Gabe will be a real, close family. And we'll expand our family, too."

I nodded.

"I love you, Natalie. A lot more than anyone else ever could."

"I love you, too, Will. Even though you quoted me."

"Doesn't make it any less true."

We kissed several times, and then, with one last signature grin and a wave, he was gone again.