Location: Celestina's room, Camp Commandant's residence, Camp Currahee
March 28th, 2549
April 16th, 2549
10:02am

I wonder how Jun is. It's been 2 weeks since we all were sent to our respective locations. I know he's in Noble Team now but... I can't help but think how he's coping with all of it. At least he won't have to stuck in therapy as much as I have to be. At least Emile's in there.

But I already miss him. I wish I could contact him somehow. He doesn't know where I am and I don't know where he is.

"Celestina?"

The Spartan finally glanced up to the doctor, teary-eyed.

"You spaced out, Celestina. What was on your mind?"

Can't say anything about my relationship with him. "Jun. Remember him?"

The blue-eyed 32-year old smiled warmly at her. "Of course I do. You always speak so fondly of him. About how he's been taking care of you since you two meet, how he tends to be a little bit overprotective. Why was he on your mind?"

"I was wondering how he was doing. He knew the twins longer than I did, but even when I joined Shadow, we instantly became a family of our own."

"I see..." Sonia entered that into her data pad. "Let's talk about Rhonda."

"I tried... I swear I really did try."

"Try what?"

"To save her. I really did. Should've tried harder. That Elite was right there, right next to me. Rhonda was right next to me," Sonia could easily hear the regret in her soft voice. "I know that I couldn't control her fate but I know I could've saved her. I know I could have. I can still hear her trying to breathe..."

"You bitch. You were right there! You caused this! You have absolutely no idea of the pain involved!"

Oh no... Not now. Why now?!

She was standing right behind the doctor, in the same outfit she had died in. Her light brown hair was disheveled, the blood trail on the corner of her mouth was still here... and so were the two stab wounds on her chest and abdomen respectively.

Celestina locked her eyes on the doctor instead. "What do you do to silence the voices in your head?"

"What voices, Celestina?"

She swallowed hard - Celestina hadn't told any of her psychiatrists about her hallucinations, so it was never reflected in her psychiatric evaluations. "I never told this to anyone before, expect for Jun. I…" She found it difficult to say the words. What if the good doctor would think that she was nuts? "When I feel really really bad about someone dying, I… have hallucinations."

Well Sonia was not expecting that. "Hallucinations?"

"Rhonda is standing right behind you."

Sonia almost didn't believe that, but she did, in fact, very slowly turned her head to the back.

"Whenever I lose someone and my heart can't take it, I have… hallucinations of that person. It's been happening for years. It all started with my siblings, Christine and Caden. Then it moved on to my fellow Spartans whom I've lost over the course of my career. If I couldn't save them or I regret not being about to see them one last time, they appear. Most of the time spiting hatred towards me for not saving them and sometimes they tell me to try to move on."

Sonia quickly listed all of that down, her facial expression telling Celestina that she was a little disappointed. "Why didn't you say anything the first time, Celestina?"

The Spartan shut her eyes tightly. "Because I was handling it," She then opened them. "I really was. Sure, I'd lose my temper with the hallucination, but it would be anger well released. I'd also ignore it. Pretend that it wasn't there, bury myself in work... or I'd just talk to Jun. He was always so patient with me when it came to the hallucinations. He'd reminisce about the old days, make me laugh, pretty much anything to distract me." She then saddened a little, now reminded of the fact that she was far away from him. "I know that he isn't here to help me anymore, so I'll have to help myself."

Sonia gave her a little smile. "Don't forget about me, Celestina. I'm here to help you too."

That certainly put a small smile on the Spartan's lips.

"I want you to continue what you've been doing to fight these hallucinations, Celestina. Ignore them. Vent your anger at them. After all, it's all a part of your imagination. I'll be sure to prescribe you some medication as well."

"Doc, there is... one more thing that might help."

"And what's that?"

"... I want out."

"Out of...?"

"The program," Celestina said, leaning forward, now pleading with her hazel eyes. "I need to leave the Spartan program. I shouldn't have joined the first place. Ambrose shouldn't have thought that my skills were exceptional and pulled me out of Alpha. He should've let me die with the rest of the company. I may be good at what I do, but it's causing me my sanity! I-I can't do this anymore! I don't want to be a burden to anyone. I don't want anything worse to happen to me. T-The best thing for me is to leave."

"Go ahead!" Rhonda spat. "Leave! Quit! But wherever you go, Celest, we're all coming for you! You can't erase us!"

Celestina turned her head to Rhonda's direction with determination in her eyes. "Yes, I can. And I will."

En route to Starwave Base
December 31st, 2552
7:37am

"Do you have any memories of when Rhonda was killed?"

"I can only recall you comforting Lady Celestina. She was going through such a tramatic time."

The two of them were sitting at the back of a Transport Warthog, on their way to Starwave Base in Chicago, to meet their second potential recruit, as well as Celestina who was stationed there as the head trainer. The weather was simply perfect for a relaxing drive. Jun tried to enjoy it as much as he could but he was too busy staring at the dog tags in his right hand.

"Celest couldn't sleep or eat properly for a while. Broke my heart to see her like that. Never could stand to see her cry."

Death was currently activating his ability to appear life-sized and he was sitting opposite his carrier. "And because of your love and care, she bounced back, Jun."

"But a little piece of her always dies," Jun clutched the dog tags tightly and leaned against the seat, turning his head to the road. "And that's the part that sucks." Taking a deep breath, he then said, "Does she know about Noble Team? If so, how is she coping with it all? Especially about Emile. She loved him like a big brother. And he loved her like a little sister. But if she doesn't know... how the hell am I going to tell her? She'll be absolutely crushed."

"You are just going to have to say it, my little Spartan. There is no other way. Tell her and then... Well..." Death glanced up. "Comfort her as you always have."

Location: Celestina's dorms, Vulture Base
Beaumontia, Epsilon Eridani system
January 10th, 2549
8:41pm

"Ryan still refuses to come out of his room. I don't know what to do, Celest."

Celestina was lying on her right side on her bed, staring into the distance. "We should just leave him be, then. It's a difficult time for him."

Jun felt his heart tighten when he heard the pain in her voice. He walked in and took Celestina's hands. "Come on," She sat up, although slightly confused. He sat next to her and motioned for her to lay her head on his lap.

Suddenly, she felt more safe and secure than she had ever felt in her life. She always felt like that each time she was close to him. Her hand was entwined with one of his. Jun used his free hand to gently stroke her hair. "You haven't eaten properly in days, Celest. Once again, you skipped lunch and dinner. Don't do this to yourself. Let me get you something."

Celestina shook her head slightly. "I'm not hungry."

"Even Spartans need their food, princess."

"I don't have the appetite, sweetie. It's okay."

"No, it's not," He said strongly. "I know you, Celest. You always do this. And if you think I'm letting you off the hook, you're wrong."

"What, you're gonna threaten to starve yourself unless I eat? Like you always do?"

"Hell yes."

She made herself a little more comfortable on his lap. "Liar."

"I'll do it."

"No, you won't."

"Try me."

"Ugh," She sighed irritatingly. "Don't do this to me, you little devil."

"Go take a bite out of something and I won't."

"I hate you."

She couldn't see the smirk on his face. "Love you too, princess."

That certainly put a smile on her face. "You always know what to do and say to me. I don't deserve you at all."

"Don't say that, princess," He hushed her amiably. "I don't think I deserve someone has loving as you, but here you are."

"Oh, that's not the point, Jun," She pushed herself off his lap and faced him. "You put up with every single thing about me. I'm such a huge burden to you, yet you still carry me every step of the way."

"Whoa, now," One large hand cupped her cheek. "I have and will never consider you a burden. We've been friends since we first met. It's only natural that I take care of you."

"And you've been doing that close to 20 years now. Aren't you tired?"

He shrugged his shoulders at that. "What can I say? You're my greatest weakness." He earned a genuine giggle from her for that. Then he leaned in to place a kiss on her forehead.

"Anything to shut me up, eh?"

"Well, that wasn't meant to shut you up. It was meant to prove my point."

"Oh?" She raised one eye brow at that. "And what was that point?"

"That I love you."

If that sentence didn't make her heart sing, nothing else will. She touched foreheads with him, silently thanking him for simply just being here. "Stay with me tonight."

"I thought you'd never ask."