Authors Note:

Since this story is primarily about Carolina I've decided on doing this from her first person point of view. First person isn't really my realm of expertise, but I'll give it my best.

It had been a year and a half since I was last here at the Mother of Invention. The ship was almost entirely covered in ice and snow, it took me forever to find a way inside until a find an empty escape pod dock. Using the butt of my rifle, I smashed the ice covering the hatch to get inside. The ice finally shattered and collapsed to the ground, sliding down the slope and plummeting off the cliff and I entered the abandoned ship. Without power and light, the hallway was dark, and being nearly buried in snow and ice for over a year made the room almost black. With the click of a button my helmet flash light brightened the room. I tried convincing myself but I knew the chill I felt when coming in wasn't just from the cold. I didn't want to come back, but I had no other choice. My hunt for the Director ran cold three months ago, last lead was a dead end. So here I was, back home looking for information.

After almost getting lost in the hanger, I finally found my way to the armory. Luckily there was still some extra ammo still in good condition which I managed to snag, and then from there I found the training room, and then from there was the Directors command center. The second I stepped toward the central terminal I could've swore I heard the Directors voice yelling behind me. I whipped around raising my gun to the empty doorway. Of course there was no one there it was just my mind playing tricks on me. I was starting to understand what Mitch felt on a daily bases, constantly seeing and hearing things. After that initial shock I turned back to get to work.

The console blinked a few times until it finally lit up. Thank God power was still on in this part of the ship. As power slowly began to restore in the Command Center the central terminals display lit up and its standard protocols started playing through. 82% of the ship was still without power, Artificial gravity was offline, Weapon Systems was offline, Life Support was offline, many sectors of the ship suffered minor to critical damage from the crash, the list went on and on. I just kept mashing the space bar until I made to the menu and then I started my search. Any and all bases, locations, factories, facilities, safe houses, anything that was used during Project Freelancers time with the UNSC was a possible location or link to the Director. I searched through the list crossing off any location I had already visited or that was taken by the UNSC, and downloaded the intel unto my drive.

I had to be on my way I really needed to get moving, but after searching for months and months looking for leads and breaking into secure facilities for intel and almost getting myself killed, I was just so tired. Staying for the night wasn't going to hurt one bit, and I felt I more then deserved a good rest. First stop was the Mess Hall.

After diverting power to the kitchen I was in the mood for a nice cooked meal. I was never religious, but that didn't stop me from praying to the big man upstairs that there was still something good in the fridge left. My prayer was answered when I found some of Mitch's (moms) famous Carne Asada and some hotdogs frozen in a block of ice. After firing up the stove it was only a matter of waiting for the frozen meat to melt on the iron skillet. The sizzling of the meat and the tasty smell made my mouth water, I had never been so excited to eat.

I finally sat down with my food down and started eating. I couldn't help but snicker at remembering what Mitch used to call them. Weiners. It was immature of course but every time he call them weiners we'd all start snickering to ourselves like school children. He said thats just how they called them. Even Abby agreed that thats what they called them. Latinos. There weird I guess. When I came back to reality my meal became less great. Just sitting here in the mess hall all by myself. I miss them both. I miss all of them.

Second stop was the showers. After stripping off my armor and leaving it in my room I was ready for a nice hot shower. Since I was gonna draw this break for as long as possible, I was in a just f**k it mood and I stripped completely naked and headed my way to the shower. I turned the water and stepped in when it was hot enough. The hot water spraying me felt amazing. The water running down my body just melted away all the aching stress I had been feeling for the past few months. I had never felt more relax.

Right about now would be the time I'd hear the door slid open and one of two things would happen. Alaska would walk in, see my armor and then ask me if I would like some company. Sure she was an attractive woman but I just didn't swing that way. Either that or I'd here South and Connie walk in bringing in some ridiculous argument with them. Usually it was something along the lines of he said she said, or just something about what someone else did.

I can still remember one conversation. They walked in bickering about how they were supposed to be dress for an undercover mission.

"I'm just saying. This is supposed to be a formal event, you need something else then that." Connie said.

"I don't give a sh*t!" South retorted. "Its not my fault I've got great tits and a great ass."

"Your dressed like a f**king prostitute."

Usually by now I would've stepped, now finished with my shower. They went silent the second they spotted me. I didn't really care, but when I saw what South was wearing, I just had to chime in. "I want my money by midnight South." And walked out of the Locker room.

"I'm not a f**king whore!" She shouted.

"Then why do you dress like one!" Connie would shout back.

I was sitting on the floor when I woke up from daydreaming. Sitting on the floor hugging my knees, feeling more lonely then ever. I miss my friends.

After I finished my shower I headed back to my room. I just jumped into bed with the several blankets and pillows I snatched from the other rooms. And then I started to hear the voices. Now I really understood how Mitch felt. I started hearing the voices of the other Freelancers. I grabbed pillows and shoved them to my ears to try to block them out, but they just kept growing louder and louder. I wanted them to stop, but the ghosts just kept talking.

"SHUT UP!" I cried out and slammed a pillow over my face. I slowly turned over to my side squeezing the pillow over my head tighter trying to drain the voices out. They just couldn't leave me alone.

"Hey whats wrong." I heard from behind me. The voice was too close to someone. "Are you okay?"

The voice was Wash. He sounded so close, like he was right behind me. "I can't handle it anymore."

"Handle what?" He asked.

"Everything." I answered him. "I just don't want to do it anymore. I just want to be with you." I felt my shut eyes start to tear, I was sobbing. "But I know we can't."

"Well why not?"

"Because your not here. Your gone."

I removed the pillow from my face and then I turned to face the wall of the empty room. Of course it was just my imagination. Or maybe it was my last shred of hope of finding him again finally dying off. Either way I cried. I opened the nightstand drawer to see if I could find any asprine or something to stronger to calm my nerves and help me sleep. I instead found an sealed envelope. I grabbed it and opened it, it was a letter. The hand writing was from Wash.

I know this is too soon, but think of it as keeping a promise. A promise that we'll be together when this is over. I love you.

Signed David

In the drawer was another gift. A small little box. My hands started to shake when I reached in to grab it. I opened the box and inside was small ring. My eyes wailed u and I started to cry. I clutched the ring tightly against my chest and cried even more. This was his last gift from him. I just cried out loud "I LOVE YOU!" to the empty space where his voice came from.

My final will to continue and my heart shattering as I turned over an cried myself into a heartbroken slumber.