Author's Notes: I'd like to give thanks to the few people who have enjoyed this story. I know the subject matter isn't exactly every Metroid fan's cup of tea...So thank you for at least keeping an open mind and giving it a chance. And be sure to stay turned for the next installment!

This chapter will contain sexual content. Proceed at your own discretion.

Epilogue: New Beginnings

In the week following Samus Aran's mission with the 07 Squadron aboard the Bottle Ship, Federation officials had made the unanimous decision to destroy the vessel, plus any and all specimens and research data in an effort to prevent it from possibly coming into the wrong hands and being used against the Federation. As the sole survivor and Director of Operations aboard the Bottle Ship, Madeline Bergman was stripped of her position and sentenced to five cycles in prison for violating Federation Code LV-426. The bodies of Lyle Smithsonian, Maurice Favreau, Anthony Higgs, and James Pierce had all been secured by military officials and laid to rest – save for James, who had been posthumously convicted of murder, treason, and espionage - with full military honors. As the unit's Commanding Officer, Adam had delivered the eulogy on behalf of the men and their families. Though it had been difficult for Samus to come to grips with the fact that Anthony Higgs, who felt very much like a brother to her, was dead, she nonetheless appeared at the ceremony incognito to show those she'd briefly served with the proper respect.

At present, General Adam Malkovich stood outside of the Army Commandant's office inside Federation Headquarters, his thoughts turning toward the future as he moved across the wide hall toward a nearby window. Traffic whirred past on the crowded streets below him and around him, transports of all shapes and sizes going every which way as civilians made their way home from work. Twilight was falling upon the sprawling city in a flush of pastel pinks, purples, blues and weak sunlight. The prospect of a new beginning filled him with warm promise like the gentle rays of sun shinning on his face.

His work, however, was just beginning; he'd just come from a two hour meeting with General Westbrook regarding a position at the nearby Galactic Federation Army Academy as an instructor at the behest of the decorated officer (or was it pleading? Adam wasn't quite sure.) While it was far less exciting than commanding troops on the frontline, it did give him to a chance to continue his career by passing on his knowledge to the next generation of soldiers. General Westbrook, however, made it clear his fellow General that he was still expected to perform his duty should his services become necessary in the future. It was a commitment, Adam had told Westbrook, that he did not take lightly. While Adam had told Samus the Federation had had their time with him, he'd also known all along that retirement from the only life he'd ever known was out of the question. It was a simple fact he couldn't deny, and one he knew Samus understood as well – his career would forever be apart of who he was. He would be receiving further details on his new job in the coming weeks and months ahead.

As he turned to begin walking down the hall, he was suddenly struck by the appearance of a familiar figure at the end of the hall, fresh off the elevator. Long, flowing blond hair tied back into a ponytail. Jade, military-style jacket with fasteners on the collar and breast area. Black leggings. Tan-colored, knee-high suede boots with a considerable heel. In spite of the slight chill in the air, the General felt that long repressed fire warm his heart at the mere sight of the tall woman approaching. She looked absolutely beautiful.

He watched her approach him slowly, her walk one of grace and subtle sensuality. Of unwavering inner strength despite the sad look in her jeweled cerulean eyes. Though she had made a full recovery from her injuries since the Bottle Ship, the bounty hunter was still grief-stricken over the loss of Anthony Higgs even though she did not outwardly express it. Adam knew. He knew all too well. She'd kept to herself ever since the funeral, alone, inside her temporary quarters – sometimes for hours at a time – with her eyes closed and teeth clenched together, her entire body tensing as if to restrain the raw emotions threatening to burst violently from within her. The flashbacks had been threatening her ever since she and Adam's men had first stepped onto that god-forsaken station, her psyche still raw and fragile from Zebes. But she merely pushed on, knowing it was all she could do to keep what little remained of her sanity intact.

Then the casualty numbers began to rise, and with it, the hunter's feelings of anxiety, that she would surely lose control. Things had come to a head during the battle with Ridley, when Samus found herself no longer able to keep her flashbacks at bay. Not even Adam's presence had done much to calm her, her nerves having been completely shot by the mere sight of the fiendish space dragon. Somehow, she had regained herself, if only for a moment, and did battle with the beast despite her paralyzing fear.

And now Anthony was dead. Dead because of her moment of weakness. Dead because of her.

The thought – now horrifying reality – of having to go on without him shook the mercenary to her very core. But she would move on, somehow. It would take time, but she would learn to go on without him. After all, what choice did she have? Protecting the galaxy, that was her life. It's what she'd been trained since childhood to do, and nothing more. She would go on somehow, despite her pain, knowing it's what Anthony would have wanted, knowing it was all she could do.

To keep fighting despite the overwhelming odds against her, knowing it was who she was, had always been, and would forever be regardless of the circumstances.

Soon she was standing before Adam, dressed in his Army blue general's trench coat, uniform and white gloves. How he wanted to reach out and hold her, lest he never get another chance to after they went their separate ways. And knowing Samus, Adam was nearly certain she would go back to living her life among the stars, roaming the cosmos until she was needed. She'd told him that she wanted to start a new life with him, but he wasn't so sure she could just throw that part of her life away and move on as if she'd never been a bounty hunter to begin with. Like him, it would be forever with her, in one form or another. They would, however, give being together a shot.

They merely looked into each other a good long while before Samus finally broke the silence with a simple greeting. "Adam."

"Lady." the General acknowledged, hoping the conversation would get his mind off of things. But as he looked at her, she just shy of his six-foot-three inch height, with those eyes he loved, he was finding it harder and harder to concentrate on anything but Samus. "Everything check out at the infirmary?"

"For the most part. Not too thrilled about the cocktail they put me on, though." Samus replied before patting one of the pockets of her jacket where she kept the medication she'd been prescribed for her anxiety, depression, and PTSD by Army psychiatrists.

"I know. But it's important you take them, Samus. They'll help you get back on track."

Samus sighed as she shook her head, her face twisting into frustration. "I know. Damn it, I know! I know I'm fucked up, I know I'm a failure!" she replied before moving to look out the window, her hand and forehead pressed up against the glass. She choked back her tears, her voice becoming nothing more than strangled whisper. "He's dead because of me... My parents are dead because of me. Because I wasn't strong enough to help..." Maybe Gray was right about me all along. I am too weak to wear the legacy of the Chozo...

Adam approached her, but remained mindful of her space, knowing how volatile she could be when in psychological distress. Eventually, he was able to place one of his hands against her back without so much as a protest from the bounty hunter and help to at least bring her some comfort. He kept his voice low as random personnel walked past. "Samus. Is there somewhere private we can talk?"

Samus drew a shaky breath. "...My Gunship. Platform 078." she replied monotonously.

Adam's hand remained against her back. "All right. Let's go, Samus." he replied softly.

Inside the dim sleeping quarters of her Gunship, Samus and Adam sat on the bed in silence. They were truly alone now, away from prying eyes and suspicion. Samus could let go now, having found comfort in Adam's presence, his strong arms wrapped around her. Samus cried in his arms in silence, tears dripping down her face and onto the shoulder epaulets of his coat; Adam didn't say a word over her tears, offering his support in the form of gentle caresses upon her back and occasional kiss to her head until she eventually calmed down and looked upon him once more.

"Thanks," she began, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands while Adam held her. "But I'm sorry you had to see me like this. It's not a side of my myself I'm particularly proud of."

Adam kept a straight face, his hands coming to rest against the small of her back. "Don't apologize for being human. Lady." he replied, his look suddenly turning remorseful. "...I miss him, too. All of them. But all any of us can do is keep going, in honor of those who fought alongside us."

Samus averted her eyes for a moment before looking upon Adam once more. "I know... I just... Well, let's just say I was overdue for an episode, and attending Anthony's funeral was the last straw. These past couple of years have been particularly rough on me, what with the war and Phazon crisis – it was just one mission after another that finally concluded with the fall of Zebes. I was still trying to come down from what occurred there when I got the call to help you and your team investigate the Bottle Ship. I probably shouldn't have accepted the mission but, you know me. If I'm not out risking my ass for the safety of the universe, I'm not doing my job."

"Yes, Lady. I know." Adam replied, half-grinning before his face turned serious once more. "But the war is over now, due in part to your efforts. You owe it to yourself to take leave from your obligations to the universe so you can focus on yourself for once. Have you ever thought about that?"

Samus chuckled wryly at the General's suggestion. "I don't believe that was one of the conditions in my taking of the Power Suit, Adam. So no, that thought has never once crossed my mind. I'm bound to my duty as Protector of the Galaxy until the day I die, no questions asked."

"I can respect that, really." Adam replied, his eyes and face dark underneath the glow of the light fixture against the back wall. "But you can still do your duty and be mindful of yourself. It doesn't have to be one or the other."

"Easier said than done." Samus chuckled. "An entire species isn't counting on you to uphold their legacy."

But Adam was less than amused. "I mean it, Samus. If you focus your entire worth into a single cause, you'll burn yourself out, or worse, end up dead. And if that happened, who would uphold the Chozo's legacy then? Do you see what I'm saying?"

Samus shot him a knowing glance. "I suppose I do..." She grinned then, before cupping his chiseled face into her palms. "And it starts now...with you." she said before engulfing his lips.

Adam leaned in to the warmth of their mouths joined, the slippery smooth sensation of their tongues dancing and exploring one another, the strong touch of the hunter's hands against his chest, her fingers moving with urgent dexterity down the buttons of his trench coat until it was free from his form. Eventually, he had to pull himself from her lips, his body starved for oxygen. She looked at him, waiting for him to catch his breath, with a subtle smile on her face and slight blush on her cheeks. "What I meant to say was...I'd like to find out if you and I are...destined for something more, whether or not both parts of me really can co-exist... I'm sorry. Expressing any other feeling than anger has never been my strong suit."

But Adam understood perfectly what she'd been trying to say. He felt a smile curve his mouth. "I understand, my Lady. And it would be an honor."

"Then you won't mind me doing this." she replied. With reflexes he could only attribute to Aran's Chozo DNA, Adam found his lips being claimed once more by Samus in a languid kiss. Her arms found their way around his strong neck and encircled him, her body pushing against his ever so slightly with eager anticipation. His strong, calloused hands moved to the small of her back, fingers tracing over the restrictive fabric of her jacket. Their bodies, still fully clothed, welded together with warm anticipation as their lips continued to play across each other and their tongues joined once more in cautious exploration. In her yearning to feel him against her, Samus guided him to rest against the restricting fabric of her jacket, which had long since grown stuffy and a hindrance; Samus fumbled with the off-metallic clasps of her jacket and threw it across steel-paneled room into a forgotten pile in the corner.

Adam gazed into her eyes, those eyes he loved and now lived for, before hoisting her atop his lap, moving to kiss and trace the tip of his tongue along her jugular. Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling his entire weight down down with her to the bed surface, effectively pinning her and allowing him unrestricted use of his hands; she could feel them run up, down and around her body, cup the sides of her breasts, her hips, her thighs. Samus found his touches upon her to be surprisingly gentle, almost as if he viewed her like that of a delicate flower, but no less exciting to her.

However, there was one thing still holding him back from exploring her fully, her simple purple athletic top; with eager and skilled hands, he slipped her remaining top over her head and dropped it haphazardly to the floor. Malkovich took a moment to simply gaze upon his lover's body. Soft, fragrant skin; full and supple breasts, her nipples showing subtle signs of arousal from behind the support of her sports bra. Scars, plenty of them, tattooed into her skin, serving as a painful reminder of her obligations to the universe. Adam felt himself becoming painfully aware of himself, an almost feral growl pushing from his throat as he lapped hungrily at her collar bone.

Samus inhaled his cool scent as her fingers moved down the buttoned coat of his uniform. It, too, eventually joined her jacket in the corner.

Adam ceased. His gray eyes, smoldering, caught hers. She watched with hungry eyes as Adam removed his tie, only to slowly unbutton his gray dress shirt in an almost teasing manner. Her eyes remained fixed on him, warmth tugging at her most carnal of flesh. A grin curved one corner of her mouth, only to aggressively tackle him to the bed once more and pin his body between her athletic thighs.

"You want to tease, do you?" she said, now on top of him.

Samus looked over his exposed torso with keen interest. Broad, powerful shoulders; toned – but not excessively - pectorals, biceps and abdominals despite his forty years of age; various scarring on his upper and lower obliques and deltoids from various combat injuries; a faint trail of dark body hair descending downwards from his navel and a light dusting on his chest area. She slowly brought one of her hands to his rolling chest, and watched as he briefly tensed beneath her as the feel of her cold hand registered in his brain. A seductive smile played across her lips, seeing her touch upon him continuing to drive him mad with agony.

His hands moved to caress her toned upper arms and the roundness of her shoulders. His hips grew warm from the strength of her inner thighs. His hands moved behind her back, the digits moving skillfully across the clasps of her bra; Samus allowed the undergarment to fall loosely to the slight bend of her elbow before shrugging it off, then felt a soft moan escape her throat as Adam's hands began to gently knead the supple tenderness of her breasts, his thumbs orbiting against the dark areola that encircled her painfully sensitive nipples.

"You're beautiful, Samus. Has anyone ever told you that?" he asked beneath the pale light.

Samus turned her head to the side, her gazed wandering off to a random part of the small room. "...No. Not that it really matters." she said simply with slight melancholy.

Adam looked up at her, assertive. "Well, I'm telling you now, Lady. I think you're beautiful."

She wasn't sure if she should feel enamored, indifferent, or angry at his flattery. After all, if her past glances with quick to rise, quick to die nights of passion had told her anything, it was that every man, woman, or humanoid had said that to her, in one way or another. She knew they never meant it. It was just an excuse to make her feel like she'd mattered for one night. But she knew. She wasn't stupid or gullible by any means. After all was said and done, they would be gloating to friends, acquaintances, even perhaps enemies, about their conquest of Samus Aran, most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy. What made this man below her any different?

She was close to him, for one thing. Samus was probably the only person within his vast network who could actually say she knew Adam Malkovich. Really, truly, knew him. Not only on a personal level, but an emotional one. She knew the man beneath the rank, the medals, the prestige. And the way he'd just uttered those words with so much sincerity, so much purpose, the way he was being so gentle, the look in his eyes – a look Samus had never seen before - so loving and absolute, all of it was more than enough to confirm what she had, more or less, knew all along.

He wasn't justsaying she was beautiful. He meant it. Every word of it.

She turned to face him again, his eyes still patiently focused on her, and cupped the right side of his face in her hand, her fingers tracing along his strong jaw. "...I love you, Adam."

He merely smiled. It was wide and bright even in the dimness of the room. "I love you too, Lady."

Samus lowered herself onto Adam's body, her arms drawing around his neck, then began to push herself against his manhood. A request fell softly from her lips and against his ear, "Touch me."

Adam gazed deeply into her eyes, searching them for any sign of hesitance. "Are you sure, Samus? I don't want to hurt you, or do anything you really don't want."

She looked at him with gentle amusement. "I appreciate that… but if I didn't really want this, I wouldn't have asked in the first place. Besides...I trust you. More than I've ever trusted anyone."

To demonstrate her readiness, Samus wriggled her way, at least partially, out of her leggings and allowed Adam the pleasure of removing them from her lower body. Then he carefully removed her of her panties, which to his surprise were slightly moist. As she sat on top of him, naked and uncharacteristically vulnerable, Adam grinned and brought his arms around her, only to flip their bodies in such a way so that he was now on top of her.

She looked at him intently as her hands laced into his and guided them to rest against her breasts once more. His limber digits roamed her breasts, which felt full and voluptuous to his fingertips. Adam involuntarily felt himself strain against the fabric of his undergarments as he gently kneaded her nipples with his thumbs. Samus watched as Adam lowered himself against her body, hands still on her breasts and felt his mouth, lips and tongue suckling - lapping - at her neck; her collar bone; in-between her breasts; her breasts themselves; the sounds, the sensations, swelling her interior walls. The breath hitched in her throat. Finally, he moved down her taut belly in a trail of butterfly kisses. Her hands coursed through his hair to rest against his upper back, the anticipation building within her.

Adam rested his hand against Samus's hips, his finger tips trailing along the indentations as he gazed at her. There was a readiness, a gentleness, behind her eyes. His lips planted kisses against her left thigh and moved slowly inward, his auditory senses listening keenly for her likes and dislikes. He felt so connected to her at this very moment, knowing her in her most vulnerable state. He stared at her entry and felt as though he would lose control. It appeared moist, dark and swollen, but still beautiful. Her unique scent tickled his nostrils; a sharp breath escaped him as he felt himself become painfully erect.

He glanced up at Samus, her eyes half closed and filled with warm anticipation. No longer was she closed off, but an open book in which he knew everything about. He didn't have to ask if she wanted this. Her swollen, dark labia and scent were indicative enough that she clearly wanted this, yearned for this. And he, too, wanted this; without so much as another word, Adam buried his mouth into her womanhood and began to kiss her most tender of areas.

Her breathing became a deep and steady rhythm as Adam continued to kiss her, then quickly turned more frenzied and shallow with the insertion of his tongue into her lubricated orifice. The breath caught in her throat as she arched her head back deep into the pillow and pinched her eyes tight, her clitoris becoming engorged and prominent. Her pleasure came as breathless acknowledgment as she licked her lips, "That's it. Just like that. God, Adam…"

Adam continued against his own urges, the sensual moment captivating him in ways he never thought possible. His lips and tongue moved along her, within her, with a hunger he'd never felt before. He wanted to devour her, all of her, his appetite insatiable. He lapped at her most delicate of erogenous zones with his tongue and carefully made circles around the bulbous tip of her clitoris. Above him, he could feel Samus grow tightly coiled like a spring ready to release.

As she fought for control over her urge to burst, Samus attempted to speak behind a tight whisper, "Now, Adam. Right now."

Adam collected a few drops of her secretion on his tongue before exiting her. His eyes caught hers. They were smoldering blue-green pools of passion. Samus bit her lip gently, a hand resting on her breast, the other resting on his shoulder. Adam promptly freed himself of his pressed uniform slacks and undergarments, then returned to rest his body against hers. His erection was achingly rigid. His arms rested beneath her armpits, locking around them. She could feel his manhood pressing against her entry. There was to be no coming back from what was about to happen.

Adam was cautious in his reply. "Are you sure, Samus?"

Samus cupped his face in her hands. A deep, languid kiss followed. She could taste herself on his lips. "I trust you, Adam. More than I've ever trusted anyone. I'm ready. And no need to worry about that, I'm sterile."

"Okay..." Adam nuzzled her nose before preparing himself; he carefully guided himself so that he was just shy of being able to freely enter her. He watched her for any sign of discomfort even though he hadn't begun to actively penetrate yet. Her lips gently spreading, Adam slowly glided himself deeper into her. His eyes remained fixed on her as the slippery walls of her interior contracted against his head and shaft; her face contorted into slight discomfort as her brain registered the sensation. "Are you okay?" he asked gently, still halfway inside her.

Her chest heaved as air quickly filled her lungs. Her voice was trembling from the momentary pain, "Y-yes. Don't worry, it'll pass. Please, keep going…"

Adam slowly buried himself deeper. Feeling him at his deepest point within herself, Samus pinched her eyes shut as the sudden sensation reached its most intense point, her nails digging into his scarred back. To soothe her, Adam kissed and nuzzled her nose, apologetic. "I'm sorry, Samus. Do you want me to stop?"

"I know." Samus whispered, "No, please. Keep going."

Shortly afterward, the ripping sensation gradually faded and Samus was able to lose herself within the deeply personal moment between her and Adam. What started as gentle probing and awkward movement soon turned into rhythmic thrusting and a fluid movement betwixt bodies as they moved in time with the gyrations of one another. She could feel Adam pumping against her barrier, his manhood eagerly seeking her void. To allow him greater leverage within her, Samus drew her legs up and around his waist. A cry of pleasure tore from her throat as her body began to tense as if sensing - and preparing for - the inevitable.

To move things further along, Samus took the liberty of stroking her engorged clitoris. Contrary to what she first thought, Adam didn't seem bothered by her hands-on approach to lovemaking and actually seemed to enjoy the sight of her stroking herself. Suddenly, he found himself quickening his pace within her. The orgasmic sounds of Samus Aran - his Samus Aran - were quickly driving him to the brink.

Before long, Adam found himself involuntarily stop within her as his hips buckled and his every muscle tensed with such intensity it felt like they would all tear at once. A guttural moan tore raw from the depths of his soul as he came within his lover's fertile womb and a warm, almost sleepy feeling, washed over him as he fell into her embrace.

Heavy breathing. Gasping. Their bodies, despite the chill outside, sticky and warm with a shine of perspiration. Intertwined. A mess of rough bed sheets tangled around their legs. There was a certain peace in the air and warm feelings of the bright future ahead. Exhausted, Adam gazed deeply into Samus' eyes, half closed with heavy lids. "You're… welcome to stay at my place for as long as you want, Samus. After all, it's about time the damn place had people in it again."

Samus combed her fingers through his disheveled hair. Equally exhausted, it was all she could do to reply with a slight smile, "Are you suggesting what I think you are, Adam Malkovich?"

He was. The grin on his face told her everything.

A wider smile curved her mouth. "Well, why not? Beats the hell out of my Gunship. Maybe I'll even stick around for a while. Focus on myself for once." She snuggled against him, her eyes closing. "And us."

"...I'd like that, Lady. Truly." Adam kissed her passionately before falling into a deep sleep against her chest.

The bounty hunter joined the General in sleep moments later, lulled to sleep by the beating of their hearts.

Their hearts that now beat only for each other.

-FIN