And here it is, ladies and gentlemen; the final sensational chapter of my 'On the Beach' fanfic. Like I said, this was meant to be one longer chapter combined with the previous one, but I decided to split them up at the last second. And due to laziness on my part, I took my sweet time in writing and posting this one. My apologies for that, but better late than never, right?
At the Sunset
A gentle nudging roused Cortana from her light doze. Cracking open her bright blue eyes, she smiled up at her husband as he stood there with a wine glass in each hand, both of which were filled with a sparkling transparent liquid, slightly off-white in colour.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I must have dozed off."
John chuckled slightly. "Must have been the swimming that wore you out," he quipped, "along with that little lovemaking session afterwards." Cortana laughed at this, then pushed herself up off the seat. She was stretched out across a long, cushioned lounge wide enough to up to seat two or three people. This was located on the front porch of the beach house where they were spending their honeymoon. It allowed a person to relax outdoors with the sound of the waves crashing and the smell of the salty air waft around.
Cortana pushed herself up enough for John to sit down next to her. He leaned up against the edge of the lounge, and she in turn leaned against his muscular frame. As she did so, the former Artificial Intelligence graciously accepted the wine glass offered to her by her husband. They gently clinked their glasses together, then each took a sip.
Looking out at the waves, Cortana noticed that the sun was starting to set. It had only been mid-afternoon when she had lain down on the lounge, but obviously she had been sleeping for at least a couple of hours, as dusk had now set in. Their beach house was facing to the east, so the sun had set behind them, creating shadows that slowly stretched across the sands. There was still a small amount of sunlight, but John had taken the liberty of lighting a few candles and lamps, allowing the flickering of the open flames to provide further illumination. This seemed to make the scene even more romantic.
Sipping her wine again, Cortana snuggled further against John's chest. The Spartan was wearing only a simple pair of board shorts and white T-shirt that stretched over his muscular frame. Leaning her head down on his chest, the former AI felt and heard the dull thudding of his heart. It was a very soothing noise for her.
Cortana herself was wearing another bikini set, consisting of top and bottom parts, and over this, she wore a loose shirt of light blue material. It was a look often seen on so-called beach babes; a look that Cortana obviously had no trouble in pulling off.
Of course, it had been a chance encounter on a beach when the former AI was wearing much less than this – nothing at all, in fact – that had started the relationship between her and John. She liked to think that they might have ended up here anyway, but the exact method in which it did happen suited her just fine, and she knew that John felt the same. There was no reason for either of them to complain whatsoever.
"It's so peaceful here," John said quietly.
"I know," Cortana agreed, taking another sip of her white wine.
"It's a far cry from the battlefield, that's for sure," John added. "No guns and bombs going off, no aliens trying to take my head off. No, it's just the two of us; me and my special girl."
His wife looked back up at him. "You always make me feel like a special girl."
He looked down at her and shot back a playful response. "Oh, but I don't need to try hard, because you are a special girl."
Their banter continued back and forth a few more times before they finally brought it to an end by bringing their lips together in a passionate kiss. They both managed to hold their glasses away from them, upright, so that they did not spill any of the liquid while their lips and tongues made a little dance around each other. After a while, they broke their lip lock and settled back into their previous comfortable position, continuing to drink their wine.
For a couple of minutes, they simply sat there, in a tender embrace, merely taking enjoyment from their closeness with each other, and watching as the low tide waves crashed softly against the shore in the ever-increasing darkness. Neither of them said a word, not wanting to break the moment.
Cortana let out a gentle sigh and leaned her head against John's chest once again, feeling and hearing the sound of his heartbeat. To her, it was one of the most wondrous sounds in existence. Sometimes, when she was having trouble sleeping, John would hold her close, and she would place her head against his chest, just like she was doing now. The dull thudding of his heart beating always soothed her, and served to lull her to sleep. Right now, however, she willed herself to stay awake, so that she could enjoy this moment with her husband.
She remembered the first time she experienced her own heart beating. Having previously been an Artificial Intelligence whose physical appearance amounted to little more than a hologram – and a transparent one without mass, at that – she had never actually felt anything in the manner that so many people were accustomed to, and the very experience was absolutely amazing to her.
Shortly after awakening in her new body for the first time, Cortana had experienced many new sensations that she never felt before. She felt her eyes, which she had never used before, adjusting to the brightness and recognising the shapes before them for the first time. She experienced the rough dry feeling in her throat, realising it was thirst, and graciously drinking water; the first time she tasted anything. The feelings produced by the nerves in her hands and fingers as they touched things for the first time ever, experiencing pleasure and a little bit of pain, hot and cold, and so much more.
But what stood out for Cortana more than anything was the moment when she became aware of a dull thudding sensation in her chest, just to the left of her sternum. At first she was puzzled as to what it was, until she realised that it was her heart beating. The simple sensation that she felt from this was one that many people tended to take for granted, as it was nothing new to them, but for Cortana, who had never felt it before in her existence, it was positively amazing. It was a reaffirmation that she was alive.
That muscle within her chest had beaten steadily ever since she opened her electric blue eyes for the very first time. And – Cortana grinned as she thought this – it did tend to beat much quicker whenever she and John made love!
"What's so funny?"
Cortana looked up at John as he asked this question. Apparently, the grin on her face had not gone unnoticed by him, and he figured that something was amusing her. It came as no surprise that he picked up on this. Spartans were well known for their highly intuitive nature and keen observational skills. More than once, Cortana had even remarked that he would make a great detective, should he ever choose to retire from the UNSC military. Of course, she also knew that was highly unlikely; Spartans were pretty much soldiers for life.
"Oh, I'm just reminiscing," she replied casually. "You know, about when I first became human, when we first got together…"
"Yeah, about that," John cut in, his tone offset by the grin on his face, "I was just thinking, actually. You do realise that most couples usually go through a process: they go on dates, start a relationship, and usually wait before they start having sex. I think we may have done things a little bit out of order…" he let the sentence hang, instead taking pleasure from the sound of Cortana's laughing.
It took a few seconds before his wife managed to calm herself down enough to talk, but her eyes still flashed with uncontained mirth. "Yes, we did do things a bit differently, John," she practically chuffed, then paused again to continue laughing. Her husband could not help getting drawn into it. Not wanting to spill the remainder of his wife, he set it down on the table next to him. Cortana, on the other hand, continued to hold hers close to her chest while she kept guffawing with laughter.
Finally, the former AI calmed down enough and smiled broadly at the Spartan, who returned it. She took a deep breath and then let it out before saying anything. "We've had a very good run together, haven't we, John?"
"Indeed, we have," he replied, gently pulling her close to his frame once more. Cortana let herself be pulled into his embrace again, allowing him to take her wine glass and set it on the table next to his own. "We've been through so much, and I cannot think of anyone else with whom I would much rather share my adventures and experiences. You've been with me through the Halos, the Ark, Requiem, and so much more. I thought I lost you forever on the Composer, and when that happened I felt like I had lost a vital part of myself." The Spartan's eyes became distant and troubled for an instant, but they reverted back to their more positive state almost right away.
"But I found you again," he continued, "and I am not letting you go so easily. Sure, I will admit that I was kind of dragging my feet with you after you became human, but what matters to me – to us – is that we're here together now."
Cortana beamed up at him. "And to think that our relationship finally got started thanks to one day on the beach. A day when I decided to go sunbathing, and you went for a run." She giggled. "You wonder what might have happened had our paths not crossed that day?"
John thought for a moment. "A little," he admitted, "but not too much. To be honest, I suspect that we would have gotten together eventually. If anything, we might have taken things a bit slower."
At this, Cortana let out another guffaw. "Probably," she snorted. "But at least we found out early on that we were… sexually compatible." John rolled his eyes at this blatant comment, but Cortana still caught a trace of amusement in them.
"Anyway," John continued, attempting to steer the topic back on track, "I cannot imagine a better person for me to be with." He looked back down at his new wife and fixed her with a look that was both firm, yet conveyed a lifetime of love and devotion to her. When he spoke again, his tone of voice was lower, much softer. It was not unlike the tone he used when he found her on the devastated High Charity, where he had waded through swarms of Flood to rescue her.
"You complete me, Cortana. I know many people would consider it kind of cheesy and lame, but that's how I feel whenever it comes to you. And I don't care how they might think. Some philosophers and religions claim that two people who are truly meant to be together – soul mates – are not even two complete entities. They are, in fact, two halves of one singular soul, and they are destined to journey back towards each other."
John looked at his wife with a firm and loving gaze. "It may have taken me years before I realised it, but I can remember the exact date that I found my other half. It was the 29th of August, 2552."
Cortana remembered that date with perfect clarity. It had been on Reach, shortly before the planet had been glassed by the Covenant. John had been called upon to test some new technology that he and his fellow Spartans had stolen from the enemy. This had been the shields utilised by the Kig-Yar – Jackals – in combat. Doctor Halsey, in all her scientific brilliance, had adapted the tech and then improved it, allowing for a more advanced variant of it to encompass the MJOLNIR armour, enabling the Spartans to be better protected and more efficient in battle.
John had been the one selected to test this new ability. To assist him with the task, he had also been given another upgrade; an integrated computer slot implanted in the back of his neck, whereupon a chip inhabited by an Artificial Intelligence could be inserted, and the sentient program would be given the opportunity to interface with the systems of the MJOLNIR armour at will.
That AI had, of course, been Cortana. Her attitude, which managed to be both stubborn and carefree at the same time, had won him over almost immediately, and they had proven to be a highly effective team even on that very first day. They had been put through a training exercise, with their objectives being to simply ring a bell. Placed in their way had been a squad of UNSC Marines, but one of the people behind the whole thing – an unlikeable bastard by the name of Colonel Ackerson, who seemed to hold a serious grudge against Doctor Halsey and the Spartans – had upped the stakes by throwing in Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, heavy calibre machine guns, and even a damned airstrike! By all odds, John and Cortana were not meant to have survived that!
But they did. They had worked together efficiently, and in the end, they managed to pass the test on Ackerson's terms, letting him know that even his best was not good enough to topple them. And as payback, Cortana had even hacked into the Colonel's accounts and tampered with it, making it look as though he had spent large amounts of money at a brothel; an act sure to set his wife's temper through the roof.
Nowadays, it was easy enough to laugh at such memories, seeing as the danger had long since passed. But Cortana had made a promise to herself that nothing would harm John as long as she had something to do about it.
"Oh, yes," Cortana said. "I remember that date very well. Although it could be said that I found my soul mate a few days earlier – the 25th, I believe – because that was the day that Mum asked me to choose my Spartan." Here, she was referring to Doctor Catherine Halsey, the brilliant and influential scientist who had given her life; first as an AI, then as a human being whose body was cloned from her DNA.
"I know the story," John replied. "She asked you to choose, and out of all the Spartans you could have worked with, you picked me, because you thought that I was lucky. But, for the record, you still didn't actually meet me until the 29th, so I think it should be said that that was the official day of our meeting."
Cortana rolled her eyes. "Fair enough. But yes, I remember that date all too well. That bastard Ackerson practically threw half a division at you, and seemed like he was not the slightest bit bothered by the possibility of killing you, all in order to settle a grudge he had with my mother." She sighed. "And to think that our objective was simply to ring a lousy bell!"
John grunted. "Tell me about it. Still, that bastard's dead now, so we don't have to worry about him anymore. We survived that test, and everything else that came our way afterwards." His voice softened again. "Soul mates who are meant to be together manage to do so no matter what obstacles get placed before them. And I think it is fair to say that our obstacles were probably bigger than those dealt with by most other people; alien warriors, deadly parasites, ancient warlords driven by revenge, and the like. Even some of our own species have not always been on the same page as us."
"Like ONI," Cortana commented.
"Especially those guys," John agreed. The Office of Naval Intelligence had a mandate of protecting and advancing the UNSC at all cost, no matter the cost. Though they had a large part in the creation of the Spartan program, they also seemed to hold a large degree of prejudice against many associated with it, including against John and Cortana. At one point, they even issued an assassination order against Doctor Halsey herself! John and Cortana had found themselves at odds with the unscrupulous organisation on more than one occasion, enough so that, even though this was no longer the case, the Spartan and former AI had decided that they would never fully trust ONI again.
John continued with what he was saying. "Anyway, even with all that has been thrown our way, you are still with me, Cortana. You have taken many forms over the years; Artificial Intelligence, human being, my partner, and now my wife, but you have never once abandoned me willingly. Just like I will never abandon you." He pulled her closer into his embrace. "When I think of all that we have been through over the years, what we have faced together, all the enemies we fought against, and how close we came to losing it all on more than one occasion… I look and see that you are still here with me; as if you truly are the other half of my soul, just like those philosophers would claim. When I think of that, it makes me believe that you were right all those years ago; that I truly am lucky."
Cortana did not say anything. She simply lay there, pressed up against his muscled chest, his arms wrapped around her frame, looking up with her bright blue eyes at his face, and listening to every word he said. These were words that many people would have not associated with a Spartan, or any other fearsome soldier, come to that, but Cortana had been privileged to hear them; she was the only person who ever would, and it was one of the reasons as to why he made her feel special.
Attempting to say something, the former AI felt the words being blocked in her throat; what her husband was saying had caused a welling up of emotion inside her, and this had left a slight choking sensation in her throat. She clearly her throat quietly before attempting to speak again.
"You have always been lucky," she said, her voice quivering with the emotion she was feeling. "It's a vital part of what makes you who you are. It's how you managed to survive when many people around you did not, and your strength allowed you to carry on even when you could have given up. It's one of the reasons why I chose you all those years ago. And it's one of the reasons why I started to develop feelings for you, even when I was still an AI.
"When I was on my own, mostly on High Charity or after the Composer, I started to believe that the reason why I managed to survive when I should not have was because of luck; that in some way, your own luck had rubbed off on me. The time after we parted on the Composer, when I told you that I wouldn't be coming with you, I was ready to accept my death. But somehow, I managed to hold on. Even though I was greatly damaged, I survived, and started my journey back home. Back to you, John. I have no way of proving for certain, but I believe that the reason why I managed to come through it all was because of your luck. It had become mine, and it eventually lead me back to you.
"Who knows? Maybe it was even luck that brought our paths together that day on the beach where we made love for the first time. I guess we'll never truly know. But one thing I do know for certain is this: being with you makes me feel lucky, John, and I cannot imagine any other life for me that does not have you in it. That philosophical stuff about soul mates being two halves of the same soul? Well, I'm with my other half right now, and that's what matters to me."
John kept quiet while Cortana said her piece, and when she was finished, he was silent for a few seconds, then a smile slowly broke out on his face. "I could not have said it any better, Cortana." He pulled her close, and gently touched his lips to hers again.
The kiss was soft at first, but slowly became more passionate. Cortana had her hands resting on John's chest, and as the passion increased, they began roaming around a little, and even slipping in slightly under the fabric of his T-shirt. Similarly, John's own hands, calloused from years of warfare, started to gently travel across Cortana's back, reaching down to cup her ass cheeks.
During a break in their making out, the couple simply looked into each other's eyes. Over the years, they had developed such a close bond with each other, the roots of which lay in the fact that Cortana originally occupied an AI chip inserted into the back of John's helmet. Now, the two of them needed to only look at each other to know exactly what thoughts were passing through the other's mind. At the moment, they mirrored sheer desires of need and wanting; the kind which came from intimacy between two people, the feelings of which being much more intense if they shared a special bond like the Spartan and the former Artificial Intelligence possessed.
Without a word, the loving couple practically jumped out of their seats, and rushed inside. The wine glasses, still mostly full of the alcoholic beverage, forgotten as husband and wife headed straight for the bedroom.
Acting almost as if on autopilot, John and Cortana made their way through the rooms and hallways of the beach house, heading for the bedroom, kissing, holding, stroking each other in the process, never once completely breaking contact. It was as if their very movements were in perfect synchronisation, allowing them to move as one entity; a bond that had been birthed the moment when the AI had first been inserted into the Spartan's helmet and had only gotten stronger with each passing day. Though they were now two different physical forms, they still moved and acted as one; a bond many would have considered themselves lucky to have.
Upon arrival in the bedroom, still locked in a passionate kiss, John and Cortana began removing each other's clothing; an act they did with obviously practised ease. Her soft and gentle hands divested him of his board shorts and T-shirt, followed by his briefs, leaving his muscled and scarred form bare. At the same time, his calloused and firm hands managed to gently strip off her flowing shirt, followed by the top piece of her light blue bikini, and lastly, the bottom half, revealing her curvaceous and feminine body. They paused briefly in their lip lock when they needed to remove a piece of garment, but resumed immediately after wards. Within a minute, both were completely nude.
Despite the differences in height, they hardly stopped with their passionate kissing. Cortana tilted her head up and wrapped her slender yet strong arms around his neck, pulling him down to her slightly, and John bending down to lavish kisses upon her lips, face and neck. Some people might have had mild complaints about this – particularly a man in John's position, as he had to bend down rather low to kiss Cortana – but the Spartan and the former Artificial Intelligence would never have thought even for a second about complaining; the bond that the two of them shared ran far too deep for that, and they had been through so much simply to be together at this moment.
Holding his wife at her waist, John pulled her upward, lifting her off her feet with ease, as if she weighed practically nothing. Cortana loved it when he did this. In a way it reminded her of how the hero of a fairy tale would sweep the princess off her feet and carrying her away into the sunset. She pulled him in even closer, deepening the kiss and even allowing her tongue to push past his chapped lips, beginning a sensual dance with his own tongue.
Still holding her off the ground in an almost upright position, John carried Cortana over to the bed that they shared, laying her gently down on it. He did so with such care and gentleness that it seemed almost at odds with the ferocity of the various physical blows he had given his enemies on the battlefield. As he placed her down on the soft mattress and pillows, he never stopped bestowing kisses upon her lips and face.
As she felt the scintillating experiences given her by her husband, Cortana could not help letting out the occasional breathy moan. Quite often, it was her that would assume the 'dominant' position during their lovemaking; something that John was more than happy to let her do. It was a private joke between the two of them that, since she had originally been a holographic AI, Cortana had thus been deprived of the pleasures which came with the sensation of touch, and so when she had finally achieved a corporeal form, she wanted to indulge in it as often as possible, sometimes to the point of excess! Clearly, this included the fact how she effectively dominated John in many of their sexual encounters.
Of course, every now and then, the tables were turned, and Cortana felt herself being subjected to the whims of the Spartan as he took control during their intimacy, allowing him to inflict amazing sensations upon her body; sensations that more often than not left her writhing in pure ecstasy.
Perhaps, in the psychological sense, Cortana loved it so much when he did this because the very feelings that she experienced were a constant reminder that she was alive! No longer just an AI with a holographic avatar, but a flesh and blood human being with nerve endings that allowed her to revel in the euphoric sensations given to her. But also, the very fact that it was John giving these feelings to her – her John, her Spartan, the one known as the Master Chief – somehow managed to make these experiences all the more special.
Cortana leaned her head back, practically inviting John to lavish attention upon her neck. He did so with vigour, laying down a trace of kisses, licks and the occasional nibble on the tender and sensitive flesh. This provoked the intended response from his wife; she gave a quick gasp of pleasure, which gave way to a low moan, and she instinctively brought one of her hands up to the back of John's head, massaging the hair-covered flesh of his scalp and practically pulling him in even deeper, encouraging him in his actions.
Spurred on, the Spartan persisted, moving downwards along the tender flesh of his wife's neck towards her chest, coming to Cortana's ever-impressive D-sized breasts. Continuing with his ministrations, he started at the base of her right breast, showering kisses, licks and nibbles upon the sensitive flesh of the mounds. While he did this, he used his free hand to gently grasp the left breast, rubbing and squeezing it. All of these actions elicited moans and groans from the former AI which increased in both volume and intensity. As John's mouth finally reached the nipple, Cortana's moans peaked and she gasped his name in a breathy tone. Within her being, she felt a spike of excitement, and felt the now-familiar rush of her orgasm approaching, but it subsided before she could reach the climax. Any disappointment she felt was short-lived, however, as her husband switched over to her left breast and started to give it the same attention he had bestowed upon the right one.
Like before, John licked and kissed his way along the sensitive flesh of Cortana's D-sized mound, starting at the base and gradually moving up to the top, never once breaking the intimate contact between his chapped lips and the smooth flesh of her breasts. Cortana's breathy moans inspired the Spartan and increased his own desires, urging him along with his actions. He reached her pert nipple, gently taking it into his mouth and massaging it with his lips, tongue and teeth. As he did this to her left breast, his free hand softly but firmly grasped and squeezing her right one, pinching the nipple and subjecting her to the same pleasure as before.
The familiar sensations that Cortana experienced only a minute or so previously returned, pushing her closer to her peak. She had been deprived her climax before, but the residual sensations had remained, so when John had started to administer his attention to her left breast in the same way as he had to her right, she was already well and truly aroused. Now, she felt herself being pushed closer and closer to her peak.
As the Spartan continued with his actions, the way that his wife's body reacted beneath him indicated she was reaching her peak. Thoroughly spurred on, he persisted with his actions; kissing and sucking her left nipple with his mouth, and kneading and pinching the right with his fingers, John listened as Cortana's breathing once more grew frantic and her moans became louder with each passing second. He sped up his pace with his actions.
Within seconds, Cortana's moans reached a crescendo, her breathing hitched, and her body gave a sudden jerk. Letting out a cry that sounded like something born out of pure ecstasy and bliss, the former AI began twitching and writhing as her orgasm washed over her body. John stopped what he was doing, and simply watched as his wife undulated in absolute pleasure; finding the sheer sight of it to be one of the most breathtakingly beautiful things he had ever seen.
Revelling in the euphoric sensations of her orgasm, Cortana felt her head spin and, for a brief moment, she thought she was going to pass out from the intense pleasure. It was something that had happened to her before – rarely, but still on more than one occasion. Whenever this occurred, she was only out for a few minutes at most, and was able to recover quickly. Still, she considered this to be one of the best things about being alive – if not the best altogether – and only John would ever be able to do this to her.
This time around, Cortana managed to stay conscious, but her vision nonetheless became clouded with black spots, which slowly disappeared after a few seconds. Looking up at John leaning over her, his features were at first a blur, then became more defined as her vision cleared. He had stopped in his activities while she experienced her orgasm, and now waited for her to come back down off the peak of her ecstasy before doing anything else.
Without saying a word, John continued with his loving assault on Cortana's body. This time, he started just below her breasts, giving the flesh beneath them gentle kisses and licks that felt like soft tickles to the former AI. On many women, this was considered to be a rather sensitive bit of skin, and Cortana was clearly no exception; she gave off more gasps, followed by the occasional soft giggle, and her body began to squirm slightly in pleasure, acting almost independently from her mind.
Continuing with what he was doing, John moved down his wife's body. Hers was a physique that many women would have envied; slender and feminine, with hardly any fat and a definite undertone of muscle beneath the soft flesh of her abdomen. Right now, he was subjecting almost every inch of this to his whims, and the results had her squirming and gasping in absolute delight.
Proceeding further down Cortana's body, John paused briefly in order to gently dip the tip of his tongue into her belly button; an act that made her once more buck suddenly in unexpected pleasure. Smiling slightly at this, the Spartan continued further down, planting gentle kisses along the way, until he reached the tender folds of her womanhood. Stopping there, he started to tease the gentle and delicate flesh.
If John's previous ministrations had caused Cortana to writhe in ecstasy, what he was doing now made those earlier actions seem small by comparison. She felt as though she was in the most wondrous possible heaven imaginable, carried there by sensations inflicted upon her being by John. In battle, he took the fight to the enemy with a ferocious intensity, and now he subjected his wife to a level of absolute euphoria with much the same dedication and intent.
It was not long at all before Cortana felt the welling up of sensations inside her being once again, and her breathy moans quickened to the same frenetic pace that they had taken on only a minute earlier. Spurred on by her reactions, John sped up his movements; his licking and the actions of his hands and fingers within the sensitive folds of her flesh.
Her head starting to spin, Cortana simply let herself go; allowing her whole body to go limp, and her reactions continue in much the same manner as before, seemingly beyond any form of control on her part. Had her mind still been sharp enough to form coherent thoughts, Cortana may have felt there was a certain irony in that logic; when she was an Artificial Intelligence, control had been pretty much everything to her, and even after she became human, she still liked to maintain control in certain situations. Now, when John subjected her body to these whims, she more often than not felt like she was losing control, particularly in relation as to what reactions her body was feeling… and she did not care in the slightest. All that mattered was her and John being together at that very moment.
Finally reaching her peak, Cortana felt herself being pushed over the top and her second orgasm swept over her body, just as intense as the first. She bucked and undulated like she did before, almost as if her physical form was acting on its own accord completely independent from her mind. Even through her intense euphoria, she could tell that John had pulled back momentarily in order to allow his wife a few moments to experience these wondrous sensations.
As Cortana came down from this, she felt her breath gradually slow until it reached its normal pace. Her head still spinning, she looked down at John, still positioned between her legs, now looking up at her with a small but knowing smile on his handsome face. Her strength largely sapped from her intense orgasms, Cortana managed a smile back at him, while her body started to quiver ever so slightly from the residual euphoria.
Looking down at her husband, Cortana gave him a look; one that John had no trouble at all interpreting. Many couples, particularly those who were deeply in love with each other, had a tendency to develop a bond strong enough that verbal communication was not always necessary; the two could always seem to read what the other was feeling, usually by the look on their face. John and Cortana were definitely not an exception to this rule. In fact, they often joked that their bond ran much deeper than most, if for no other reason than the fact that she once spent so much time – more or less literally – in his head, due to her occupying his helmet's neural lace when she was an AI. Whether or not that was the case, the two of them always seemed to know what the other was feeling.
And right now, Cortana's meaning was very obvious for John: she had thoroughly enjoyed their foreplay, but she could not wait any longer; she wanted – needed – him inside her now! And he was only too happy to comply.
Spreading his wife's legs further apart, John repositioned himself so that his waist was level with hers, the hardened nine inches of his organ in line with her moistened – almost inviting – opening. Gently rubbing the tip of his manhood against her slit, allowing it to part the folds, he slowly eased the shaft inside her all the way to the hilt, allowing every inch of him to be enclosed within her warmth.
Cortana let out another moan, this time longer and slightly louder than before, as she felt her husband's manhood slide all the way inside her, where it rested for a couple of seconds before John began thrusting in and out, slowly and gently at first, then gradually becoming faster and more intense. As the pace quickened, her moans also increased in pitch and frequency, urging her husband on with his thrusts.
Revelling in the sensations, Cortana simply let her body go limp and react to what she was feeling. Placing her arms above her head, she felt her hands clenching and unclenching almost of their own accord as she felt the highs and lows of pleasure ripple through her form. Tossing her head from side to side, she began uttering John's name in breathy tones, and this only spurred the Spartan on and encouraged him to increase his pace. Instinctively, the former AI wrapped her slender legs around his waist, almost as if to urge him to drive deeper and harder with his actions.
Simply laying back, Cortana was more than willing to let John assume the dominant role for this particular encounter; something that did not bother her one bit. Still, she was pleasantly surprised when John suddenly changed things. Pausing briefly in his thrusting, the Spartan gently pulled her upwards so that the two of them were in a sitting position, but still intimately joined together. The end result was that John was sitting on the bed, with Cortana sitting in his lap, facing him, his hardened manhood still inside her, and the two of them had their arms wrapped around each other.
The Spartan and the former AI smiled at each other. This was a position that they had not used much before – only a couple of times, truth be told – but they could see why many couples liked it; it certainly allowed them to gaze deeply into each other's eyes while they made love, and that brought a new level to their intimacy.
Sharing a brief, but very passionate, kiss, they persisted with their lovemaking; John gently thrusting upward and Cortana beginning to bounce in his lap, with the combined action allowing her to slide up and down his shaft with ease and ardour. Their lips still locked, Cortana's first few moans were swallowed by John, but after a few seconds, she pulled her lips away from his, leaning her head back and gasping in pleasure as the sensations which began to wrack her body once more. Leaning forward, her husband lowered her lips to her neck and began planting more kisses upon it, which served only to add to her already considerable pleasure.
Acting almost as one with their thrusting and bouncing, the Spartan and former Artificial Intelligence, now husband and wife, continued with their incredibly intimate embrace, feeling only each other and the wondrous sensations they were feeling. John's arms, strong enough to bench press a car, were now wrapped around Cortana's back and holding her to him with a grip that was strong and firm as well as careful and gentle. It was a feeling that she had experienced so many times; one that showed how delicately he treated her, yet was strong enough that she stood little chance of ever breaking free of it. Of course, she would never even think of doing that! There was nowhere she felt more comfortable and safe than in the arms of her beloved.
Holding each other closely, John and Cortana's hearts practically beat as one; a feeling made more intense by their close proximity with each other as her sizeable mounds were now pressed up against his muscular chest. Sitting atop his crossed legs with her own ones wrapped tightly around his waist, her arms around his muscled neck and his holding her slim waist, the couple moved practically as one entity in their lovemaking. The whole world could have been collapsing around them at that moment, and they would not have noticed, nor would they have probably cared. All that mattered to the two of them was each other.
Bringing her head back down, Cortana locked her gaze with John. Looking deeply into his deep, dark eyes, she saw a wild maelstrom of emotions and sensations; pure love for her, amazement at what the two of them had been through together, and the fact that they were here now, joined in a way that could not be broken, and a certain animal instinct that told her that her husband was slowly but surely approaching his own orgasm. Cortana was feeling the same sensation deep within her being, and she was certain that John would have also been able to tell by looking into her bright blue eyes.
Acting almost on pure animalistic instinct, John and Cortana sped up their joined movements, thrusting and bouncing faster and more intensely than before, determined to bring themselves to the peak at the same time. Many couples had an unfortunate problem where one would climax early, leaving the other one unsatisfied. The Spartan and former AI never had this problem though; the bond they possessed with each other ran far too deep for anything like that to happen. They always seemed to reach the absolute zenith of their ecstasy at the same time, even if it took more than one climax to do so.
Moving at an almost frantic pace now, one which seemed to match the intense feelings of pure desire and wanting that the couple felt within them, John and Cortana edged ever closer to their peak, each one sensing not just their own pleasure, but that of their soul mate; a connection that seemed about as intimate as it could have gotten. Never once did they break eye contact. It was as if by holding this look, they could gaze into each other's very souls and witness the turmoil of emotions and ecstasy within; the very animal instinct that gave way to a desire for absolute intimacy, which they shared with each other and nobody else.
As John and Cortana reached the peak of their combined climax, they instinctively locked lips in a passionate kiss that was as intense as the welling physical sensations within their beings. As they finally orgasmed – separately, but also nearly as one – their cries of joy mingled together in their kiss, effectively fusing together into one long expression of absolute ecstasy, bliss and euphoria.
It was as if at that moment, John and Cortana had ceased – at least temporarily – to be two separate forms, and were now one that was joined together in a bond as intimate as it could have possibly been; one that they reserved for each other alone. The Spartan and the former Artificial Intelligence, now husband and wife. Partners in war, now partners in life. Partners in every possible respect.
John and Cortana lay together, simply basking in the afterglow of their intense lovemaking. Sometimes, the two would engage in a little pillow talk, and other times, they simply lay with their arms around each other, merely enjoying each other's presence in silence. This particular occasion fell into the latter category.
Resting her head against John's well-toned chest, Cortana listened to the dull thudding of his heartbeat once more. Usually after making love, she would lie like this and let the sound lull her into a gentle sleep. She sometimes found it kind of odd how an organ that was vital to people staying alive could also put her at ease in such a way, but it did not matter to her in the slightest. It was just one more way that reminded her exactly how much John meant to her.
To the rest of humanity – or at least most of them; the ones affiliated with the UNSC, anyway – the man called the Master Chief represented the very image of the heroic Spartans; the legendary warriors who saved the human race and were larger than life in almost every regard. To the small percentage of humans who rejected the UNSC and were likely connected to the Insurrectionists, the Master Chief personified the oppression that they always seemed to be getting away from. The Covenant saw him as a demon, a terrifying creature seemingly spawned from their version of hell, given flesh to wreak havoc upon them. And to the Didact and his Promethean watchdogs, the Spartan was a manifestation of the upstart human race that he despised so much, even after one hundred millennia. Fortunately, that particular bastard was dead, so they didn't have to worry about him anymore.
But to Cortana, he was simply John. He was the man who had been her partner for years, and had stayed with her through thick and thin. The one who raised hell against their enemies, but was willing to drop everything to help her out. The man who saved her, not once, but twice; first on High Charity and then after he thought she died on the Composer. He would have gone to the very edge of the galaxy and even beyond in order to save her, and would have rather died than leave her in the hands of some nefarious foe the likes of Gravemind or the Didact.
He was her soul mate, in every sense of the word. And although John was not the kind of person to shout such a proclamation from the rooftops, she knew that he felt the exact same way about her. And that meant more to her than anything else.
"Penny for your thoughts?" John said. Cortana looked up at him with a smile. It was no surprise that he picked up on the fact that her mind was constantly on the move; not that it was particularly hard to do so, as her mind always seemed to be.
"Just thinking about us," Cortana answered. "We've had a pretty good run together, haven't we?"
"No argument here," John added with a small laugh. "Reach, Halo, New Mombasa, the other Halo, High Charity, the Ark, Requiem… the list goes on. And you've been with me every step of the way. No, I cannot think of someone better for me to have a future with."
"Oh really?" Cortana asked challengingly, although her tone clearly indicated she was being more playful than serious. "What about Kelly or Linda? They're fellow Spartans, and have been with you much longer than I have."
"True," John admitted. "But they're more like sisters to me, and I wouldn't want to jeopardise that relationship with them."
"What about Sarah Palmer?" Cortana challenged even further.
John knew full well that his wife was simply being playful, so he decided to indulge her. "Another Spartan and a fine soldier. Sure, we probably might have made a good team on the battlefield, but as for romantically… nah. Our personalities would have clashed too much."
"Your childhood friend, Parisa?"
John was slightly serious in this next answer. "You know that I've reconnected with her and re-established our friendship, but she's moved on and found someone who she loves. I wouldn't want to spoil that, and I also made it clear how much you mean to me. We're good."
Cortana beamed at this before continuing. "I'm glad to hear that. Now… what about Serin Osman?"
"The ONI head bitch who placed a hit on your mother? I'd be more inclined to give her a bullet than flowers!"
"I'm touched. I really am. Okay, what about… the Librarian?"
"Now you're just reaching."
"My mother?"
"Gross. Please stop!"
Unable to hold it in any longer, Cortana gave a laugh; one that John could not help but get drawn into. The couple shared the mirth for a few seconds before relaxing into each other's arms once more.
"No, trust me on this, Cortana," John said, his seriousness offset slightly by the warm smile he gave her, "there could never have been anyone for me other than you, and I mean that with every fibre of my being. I love you completely and entirely, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Cortana smiled warmly. "And I feel the same way about you, John," she said. Leaning up, she planted another loving kiss on her husband's lips, the two of them once more enjoying the simple pleasure they got from being in such close proximity with each other. Afterwards, Cortana leaned against his muscled form once again.
Unbidden, a thought entered the mind of the former Artificial Intelligence. It was something that she had been mulling over for the past few months, initially as little more than a passing thought. But as the wedding drew closer and closer, and the very prospect of spending the rest of her life with John became all the more tangible, she found herself wondering more and more on it. It was something which every couple considered at more than one point in their relationship. Cortana herself had not figured that she was one to think such thoughts, but one the idea took root, it was almost impossible to dislodge. The only problem she faced now was how and when to pose the question to John.
"You're still thinking about something, aren't you?"
At this comment from her husband, Cortana looked up at him. Not surprised that he had picked up on her constantly-active thought patterns – again! – she thought for a moment that she should just dismiss the topic and tell him not to worry about it, but changed her mind almost instantly. Firstly, he would always be able to tell when she was mulling something over, and secondly, she was planning to tell him eventually. Sure, she had opted to pose the question later on, most likely after the honeymoon, but now she figured that there was no time like the present.
"Actually, yes, there is something that I've been meaning to ask you. It's a topic that I've been thinking about on and off for a while now, but I wasn't sure how to ask you about it."
"Cortana," John said pointedly, "you've always been one to simply speak your mind; it's one of the reasons why I love you so much. If you want to ask me something, then just ask it."
Cortana smiled a little bit at his encouragement before continuing. "Okay. I was wondering how you would feel about the prospect of us having children one day."
John's eyebrows shot raised at this. From what Cortana could tell by his reaction, he was surprised, but not that surprised. The Spartan blinked a couple of times and looked around a little bit; a reaction commonly employed by people when they were thinking something over before giving an answer. Rather than push him, Cortana simply let her husband muse before replying.
When John responded, his voice was slow and measured, as if he was thinking every word through before verbalising it. "Well, I have to admit that I have not given it that much of a thought. What made you bring this up?"
"I just wanted to know where you stood on it. I mean, if you haven't thought about it, then…"
John interrupted her, his voice soft, gentle and full of affection. "Hey, I said I haven't thought about it that much; that doesn't mean I haven't thought about it at all, because I have, at times. To be honest, I'm actually surprised that you were contemplating it."
Cortana looked up at him with one of her eyebrows raised. "Me? Why?"
John started to explain. "Well, no offence, but you've never really showed any maternal instincts or predisposition towards having children before; none that I've noticed, at least. If I were to make a guess, I'd say it's because, even though you are now human and our relationship is much different to what it once was, there is still a very small part of me which sees you as how you were when we first met; as an Artificial Intelligence. And let's face it: they're not inclined to think about procreating, if only because they don't have physical bodies."
"True, I guess," Cortana admitted. "But then, I never had to wonder about sexual relationships either, and that all changed when I became human. When you think about it, the whole children issue probably falls into the same category."
"No argument here," John agreed. A moment later, a sneaky grin broke out on his face. "In fact, I'd say they're closely tied together, since one leads to the other!" At this, Cortana burst out laughing, the wondrous sound of it prompting John's grin to widen.
"Too true!" the former AI exclaimed after she had managed to catch back her breath. "In fact, if it weren't for contraceptives, you probably would have knocked me up long ago!"
At this, John could not help chuckling, his deep baritone reverberating through his chest, allowing Cortana to feel the vibrations as she lay against him. In all likelihood, the reason why the two of them found that particular comment so hilarious was because it had a definite kernel of truth to it. Since their first encounter on the other beach – getting close to two years ago at this point – they had made love so many times that both had long since lost count, not that either of them cared. Had it not been for the incredible efforts made in the field of contraceptives, then chances are Cortana would indeed have gotten pregnant a while back.
But now, the former AI had time to take stock of her life and relationship with John. She knew that she loved him completely and unquestioningly, and that he felt the same way about her. Despite any ups and downs that had happened in the past and would almost certainly happen again in the future – no relationship was without them in some form – the two of them knew that they would come through it all together. Their bond was simply too strong for them to fail.
So, in a way, it made perfect sense for Cortana to be wondering if children were in their future. John was her soul mate, and the prospect of having his children was not unappealing at all. She also knew that, despite any doubts he may have, he would be a good father.
After their laughter died down, Cortana continued with her explanation. "Anyway, if I had to give a reason, I'd say it's because I hear people talking about their kids, and saying that, even though things are not always prefect, it is still worth it in the end, and they would not trade it for anything. Besides, my mother sees Miranda and I as her legacy, and I kind of like the idea of keeping it going."
John nodded. "That's true, I suppose," he agreed. He had to admit that the idea of allowing a his legacy – his and Cortana's combined legacy, actually – living on through the children that the two of them had together was enough to give him a positive sensation within his being.
Another thought crossed his mind, causing him to pause in his musing. He looked down at his wife. "They're not encouraging you and I to procreate so we can give them grandchildren and nieces and nephews to spoil, are they?" he asked.
"Maybe," Cortana answered whimsically.
"Thought as much," he grunted. Leave it to Doctor Halsey to bring something like that into the equation. Despite the different natures in how Cortana and Miranda had come into existence, the good doctor considered them both to be her daughters, and loved them unconditionally. Sure, there had been some unpleasantness with Miranda, but they had managed to put all of that in that past, where it belonged.
Naturally, it had come as no surprise whatsoever that Doctor Halsey managed to figure out that John and Cortana had engaged in a physical relationship almost immediately after it began; very little got past her, and she knew the two of them better than perhaps anybody else. More than once, she had made a comment to the former AI to be careful with their relationship, as she was 'not quite ready to be a grandmother yet'. Obviously, these blunt comments always shocked and flustered Cortana, which provided her mother no end of amusement. Miranda followed the same pattern, teasing her sister about this. Of course, there was never any malice involved from any of the three women; it was simply them establishing a close bond between a mother and her two daughters, which they had been deprived of for too long.
But in the end, it was plain to see that Catherine Halsey would dote upon any of her grandchildren. To this day, she felt guilt over what she had been forced to do to the Spartans; taking them away from their families, replacing them with clones, then subjecting them to a life of hardship. Sure, the Spartans had been extremely instrumental in defeating the Covenant and saving the human race, but that did little to assuage Halsey's guilt. In a way, being a grandmother, and one who would protect her grandchildren to the very end, was almost a second chance for her. One that she would not ruin. John and Cortana both believed this firmly, just as they believed in the doctor herself.
John continued talking. "Still, I suppose it is a nice thought. People always see me as the Master Chief who saved humanity multiple times, is larger than life, and so on. I guess it would be a nice change of pace to simply be a husband and father."
The Spartan paused for a moment, and when he began talking again, his voice was almost reflective. "I've taken a lot of lives out of this universe. Maybe I can help bring at least one into it. I just hope I can be a good father."
Cortana smiled up at him. "I'm sure you will. If we have a son, he will probably want to be just like you, and also want to ride around on your shoulders, like most kids do. And if we have a daughter, just wait until she's old enough to date, so you can scare off any potential boyfriends." Her voice and smile took on decidedly teasing overtones.
"Very funny," John remarked dryly. "I can just imagine that our kids will be a combination of the two of us: physically strong, unbelievably intelligent, and more than a little bit lucky. Not to mention prone to getting into plenty of trouble that they only just manage to get out of!" At this, Cortana let out another laugh, which John could not help getting drawn into; it was pretty funny, after all.
His features then softened, and when he spoke next, his tone was just as gentle; a position that he frequently took with her, and was an absolute contrast to the actions he undertook on the battlefield. "Still, I think that, whatever our children are, you will be a great mother to them."
It was a very simple comment, but one which conveyed the sheer amount of love and affection that the Spartan felt towards the former Artificial Intelligence. She had heard and felt this love from him so many times in the past, but it always produced the same feeling; a fluttering sensation within the core of her physical being that seemed to reach out and touch all places of her, right down into the entirety of her very soul. When she had been a simple hologram, Cortana could project her avatar so that she seemed to be hovering in the air, but that was little more than programming which allowed her to do that. When John showed her how much he truly loved her, her body may have remained firmly on the ground, but her spirit seemed to soar higher than it could have ever gone.
The science used by the UNSC may have made her flesh and bone, but only John made her feel alive! It was a notion which she had not understood, since it lacked the traditional logic she was used to, but now, she could not imagine her life without it. Without him.
Leaning up, Cortana placed a simple kiss on her husband's lips. "Thank you, John," she said in response to his comment. But deep down, she almost felt as if she was thanking him for everything. There were many who claimed that a perfect relationship did not exist, but she could not help feeling as though theirs came pretty damn close. And she knew he felt the same way.
Relaxing against John's muscular form, she looked up at him with a smile and a playful gleam in her electric blue eyes. "You know what?" she said. "That's for the future. The near future, sure, but the future, nonetheless. At this moment, why don't we enjoy our honeymoon, then see where life takes us?"
John grinned back at her. "That sounds like the best plan I have heard in a long time." With that, he pulled her towards him for another kiss.
Damn, that was long! In fact, I think it was the longest chapter I've ever done in any fic! I don't know what possessed me! I just kept writing and just put everything that came into my head into this chapter! Also, I usually end after the climax (so to speak!) but this time, I devoted the last third or so simply to their pillow talk. And since many of you asked about Cortana getting pregnant, or at least bring up the subject, I figured I'd go with that. Thanks for the inspiration, guys and girls!
And I am SO sorry that it took so long to put this up, but I kept suffering from so much writer's block. Well, okay, not for the last week or so; I was playing Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, which is thoroughly addictive (seriously, how does Ubisoft keep doing it?).
Anyway, I'm just hoping that you all enjoyed this chapter, just as many of you have enjoyed 'On the Beach'. It pains me to say this, but I'm afraid that this will be the last chapter. There will be another posting after this, but it will be just an author's note, not be a chapter.