This is it, the last Chapter. R&R I don't own it.

Chapter 8

0830-02/December/2546/ Halo Universe

UNSC medical faculty, trauma ward.

Planet: Reach

After wrapping up the fight, the two Spartans were placed into cryo tubes for the return ride to Reach. These Spartans may have only been eighteen at this point, but the UNSC wanted everyday out of them that they could. So that meant they got to sleep for the ride back.

Roland was kept unconscious through his procedures and didn't regain consciousness until the day after everything was repaired. Most of the smaller damage had been fixed easily, however Roland had received a small concussion from the explosion and in his time between cryo tube and medical table, liquid had pooled inside of his skull. The doctors hadn't had much of an issue throughout the procedures, but Jonah was going stir crazy.

"When is he gonna be coming through doc?" Jonah sat by Roland's bedside talking to the doctor. He wore nothing but USNC fatigues.

The doctor injected something into Roland's IV. "That was the 'wake-up' serum. He should be coming through any moment."

Jonah stood up and gripped the rail that ran along the length of Roland's bed.

"Jay…. What happen?" Roland moaned, his head rolling about on the pillow.

Jonah smiled, happy to see his buddy conscious once more. "Well, ya had a concussion and some of yer brain juice dripped out." Jonah had a grin plastered on his face now. "Doc's gotcha fixed up just fine though. Maybe even better then before."

Roland simple laid there as his eyes adjusted. "Never again…"

"What's that?" Jonah leaned down and the doctor left the room.

"I froze….. Well, not really froze, I showed mercy."

Jonah figured this was a dream or something Roland was coming out of. "Eh, you'll be fine buddy."

"No." Roland looked Jonah in the eye. "Jonah, I froze and didn't kill a hostile because she looked at me." Roland looked away. "I nearly blew it all. Never again."

"Well, do you worry none. Sounds like when your back up, we'll be going after the covies again."

"Works for me, it definitely works for me." Roland sat up and popped his back. He swung his bare feet out from under the sheets and pulled the IV from his arm. "Well then, let's g to work."

2250-21/December/2546/ Halo Universe

Covenant facility.

Planet: Unknown

Pain. There is nothing right now but pain. My shoulder is throbbing, I can't feel my arm or hand and breathing is nearly impossible.

"This place is dead anyway." That is the last thing I remember hearing. Then the smell of burning flesh and blood on the inside of my visor. It doesn't belong there. That is my blood. Blood is supposed to go on the outside from my slain foes.

Did I freeze again? Did Jonah survive? I have to open my eyes….

Roland fought his eyes opened. His throat felt like it was on fire with the rest of his body. He saw Jonah crouch slightly and heard something over the shared comms. "Let's start this party. I'm late for a hot date, and I don't want to keep your sister waiting." Roland tried to grin. Tried to say anything to Jonah, even if it was just his final parting shout to his only friend and brother in arms.

I'm not saying you're a bad guy Jay, I just wouldn't trust you with my kids.

Roland regretted each of those words. Oh how he wished he could take them back. He wished this was all just a retarded exercise and the armor lockup was slowly wearing off, but it wasn't. He was dying and he knew it.

Roland saw the Elites who had been his death. They stalked forward, ready to kill Jonah. Jonah said some other stuff but the pain was too great for Roland to notice. Roland saw Jonah look directly at him, then back at the Elites. "….got a deal?" A detonator flew through the air, landing next to the stationary Elites. Jonah dodged one of the ones who closed on him, but the other grabbed him by the wrist. Roland heard Jonah scream in pain.

A sword flashed red across Jonah's visor. Another scream. Roland looked, willing his body to move. He had to help in some way, but his body wouldn't, couldn't move. The second sword wielding Elite stepped up and held Jonah by the neck, about to run him through with the sword.

Rolle, light 'em up.

Apes or Gators?

You softened him up.

Yeah, well, this disease ain't goin nowhere.

It was a rhetorical question.

As Roland lay, crumpled next to the Covenant facility, he swore he could hear Jonah mutter 'blow stuff up' one last time as the world around them began to explode. He saw the fire over take Jonah and the two Elites and roll over the other four. He felt the heat through the breaches in his armor and felt another explosion behind him. A flash, pain that felt as if his guts were being ripped apart, and then nothing but a small light.

And there it is. 33 pages of Halo fanfic written all by me. I am pretty happy with how it turned out. You can decide if I do a sequel or not. I am actually thinking of a cross over. If you read the short story out of Halo Evolutions, the last part of the chapter will make a lot more sense.