A/N: So a thing about me is that I get tons of "what if" ideas for my stories. In this case, "What if Celest was the one who found Jun?"

So obviously, this is not part of the actual fan-fic. Instead, it's an extra unofficial chapter, but enjoy nonetheless. :) I have another one in the works as well! :)

"He still won't talk?"

"Not even after the doctors unhooked him from the machines. I must say, he is recovering fast. Physically."

"Yeah, Spartans tend to do that. What I'm concerned about is his mental health."

"He refuses to open up to me, Celestina. All he does is stare into space with a disheartened look and acts as if I'm not even there."

"I guess that's what happens when you get kidnapped and tortured by the Covenant. He's... not been in that position before, doc. We're snipers; we're not supposed to get caught, you know? Hey, you mind if I give it a try?"

"Well, since you've known him for so long, go ahead. But I can't guarantee that he'll react pleasantly."

"Trust me, doc. It's not going to be a big deal. He's put up with my bullshit since we were 7."

Location: Lionsong Medical Facility
October 1st, 2552
1:45pm

When Celestina stopped at the doorway private ward, she found him on the bed, his head resting comfortably on the pillow as he gazed at the ceiling. "Jun?" She called out.

Jun very causally turned his head to the direction of that voice, only to find Celestina in a maroon long-sleeved shirt, jeans and black boots. She held onto a clutch purse, as well as a smile. "Hey, sweetie! I bet you're surprised to see me after all these years! I know that I'm super happy to see you!" She walked in completely now, placing her purse onto the sofa provided and rolling up her sleeves. "How are you?" She questioned with her pleasant tone, one hand on his arm. She wanted so badly to ignore the plasma cuts and burns on his arms; just the mention of them tugged at her heart.

All he did was study her with his once-bright baby blue eyes. There were dark circles starting to form around them too. How long had it been since he had a good night's sleep?

When she did not get a response, she tried again. "Jun, it's me. Celestina. I've... been coming back here whenever I can, ever since I was informed of your rescue."

Releasing an epic sigh, he simply returned his gaze to the ceiling. "I know who you really are. You don't have to pretend."

Those words created some confusion in the former Spartan-III. "I'm sorry?"

"I know you're not real and I accept that," He looked at her again. "But give a guy a break, won't you?"

"Jun, I don't-" She narrowed her hazel eyes at him, trying to make sense of this. "I don't understand what you're saying..."

"How is it that you're inside my head but I can't make you go away?" Jun sat up, crossing his legs. "You don't have to make me feel better anymore. I'm no longer in that holding cell or that other room they'd take me to. I'm trying to get better but I can't if you're here. I'm sorry, Celest. You have to go."

A hallucination. That was what he thought she was. She never thought that this would happen to him, of all people. She had always known him to be so strong, strong enough to carry them both. So how did this come about? What the hell did the Covenant do to him? "No, no," She spoke in her ever-so pleasant voice. "You've got it all wrong, sweetie. I'm not an hallucination. I am real and I'm here with you."

"I know you're with me. Where else would you be?" He turned his body to her, swinging his legs over the bed. "You were always there when I needed you and now you're here, even in my head. Because that's what you're good for, princess. Making me feel better with your grace even when you never knew the full story of what I was going through. That would be my fault though, because I'd never tell you anything. I'd always push you away. I don't mean to, honest. I didn't want you to have to worry about me," He then got to his feet, attempting to ignore the pain in his right leg. "But who am I kidding? The more I don't share what's going on with me, the more you worry for my well-being. I knew that. I knew that for a fact but did I say anything to you? Nooooooo, because you know why? In my world, you come first. Not me, not Ambrose, no one. And you've always wondered why, haven't you? Father always said that we all lend a hand to someone at some point in our lives and... and when we help them, it'll make us feel better about ourselves. So when I saw you in that pelican, too traumatized to paradrop, I knew you were that someone."

This is what you'd call a breakdown. "Now you're just babbling,"

"No, this is the truth! And I'm tired of keeping it all to myself!" His expression seemed like a pained one, and it had nothing to do with the hell his body went through. Fatigue then hit him hard so he quickly sat back down on the side of the bed. "Damn it..." He muttered under his breath.

Celestina wanted to reach for him but she immediately halted her action, unsure of what his reaction to her touch would be. Her inability to convince him that she was real was bringing tears to her eyes.

He did not look at her as he spoke. "I never the courage to tell you any of that. I couldn't afford to be weak in front of you. I wasn't going to be. I was going to carry you no matter how long it would be."

You fucking idiot! "I shouldn't have tried to talk to you. I've just made things worse!" One single tear then fell. "I'm sorry, Jun. I should go!" She spun around and was about to walk to the sofa for her purse, when her right wrist was taken in a grip.

"Don't go," Jun pleaded, now having tears. "Please? In that holding cell, when they wouldn't do anything to me, you'd be there, telling me that everything was going to be okay. I knew you weren't real but you didn't let me do the unthinkable. You know how many times I wanted to just end it all, to keep myself from giving the Covenant anything and to just..." The mere thought of his experience on board at Covenant ship made his stomach churn. He used his free hand to grip his shirt. "Stop the torture. Years of training couldn't prepare me for that. What was I supposed to do? Then you started appearing and... I felt safe."

Hearing and seeing him talk like that... How am I gonna handle this? "Jun..."

"I don't care that you're not real. I don't care that I'm losing my mind. Just please don't go,"

He seems so genuine. He really thinks I'm an hallucination. Why wouldn't he? He hasn't seen or heard from me in 3 years. I was apparently his source of comfort during his captivity. Even though he's free, the damage had already been done.

Fuck this. I'm snapping him out of it. I'm not letting him end up as crazy as I became. "Jun-" She began, although he cut in when he lifted up her right arm, the one he grasped earlier to keep her from leaving.

"Why do you have that?" He ran two fingers past her current tattoos - the six words - and then stopped at the new one behind them. "A skull wearing a crown - you never had that."

That's right. The last time he saw me, I hadn't gotten it yet. "But before I left, I did tell you I was going to get it done. If I were an hallucination, I wouldn't have it now, would I?"

There was some truth to her words. "N-no...?"

"Feel this?" Immediately, she placed her bare hands on his cheeks. "A hallucination can never replicate the touch of an actual human being. You've felt this hundreds of times from me, right? Isn't there a difference between this and the Celestina from your captivity?"

There certainly was and there was no denying it. The tenderness, the warmth... This was Celestina. Jun took possession of her hands, trying to wrap his mind around it all. "You're not messing with me? Are you really real? But-but I haven't even seen or heard from you in 3 years!"

"It's a long-ass story as to why I'm here. But it's okay," She told him softly, her hands now having a tighter grip on his own. "I mean, I know it's been a while, but I'm here to help you now. I'm gonna do whatever it takes-"

"You're beautiful."

It only took those two words to render her speechless, before she was able to get a laugh out. "Thanks." After which, she pulled his head into her chest for a tight hug.

Later...

"You obviously haven't slept in a while."

"How can I? Every time I close my eyes, I see that Brute trying all sorts of ways to get me to talk. All I could do was lie awake and stare at the ceiling."

Celestina had his head on her lap as she stroked it lovingly, in an attempt to keep him calm. "The psychiatrist told me you refused to speak to her or anyone else."

Her other free hand was intertwined with his. "I honestly didn't want to talk to anyone. If I did, they'd ask me about what went down on board that Covenant ship. It's bad enough I can't sleep because of it. And I need to talk about it?"

"You need to, sweetie. You can't keep it all in; it'll just drive you nuts," She told him gently, knowing full well about his unwillingness to talk about his thoughts. God, he was such a man. "You don't have to talk to them. Talk to me. You know you can trust me."

She felt a small smile coming from him. "Thanks, princess. I don't mean to sound so weak..."

"Shh... Don't say that," She immediately hushed him. "It's totally okay to feel weak, even for Spartans. After all, we're only human. That's what you used to tell me, remember?"

"The tables have certainly turned, haven't they?"

"Well, it's a rare occasion when it does. But when it does happen, I take good care of you, don't I?"

"Yeah, you sure do. The love the hella strong in this room right now..." If not Celestina, then who else can I talk to? He took in a deep breath before continuing. "When I was in captivity, I tried to find some sort of escape from the pain. Then I remembered your song - the one your brother used to sing to you. It was all I had until... until you came along. All you'd do is smile at me, tell me to hang on and not give in, and hold me. I knew at that point that I was losing my mind. But I didn't mind. I'd forget about the pain for a while..."

She almost held her breath at his words and the way he delivered them. He was obviously still traumatized. "I won't ask you what went down with the Covenant, and you don't have to tell me. But I will do whatever I can to help you get past this. It's my job now."

As soon as she declared that, Jun clasped her hand just a little tighter. "Thanks, princess," Feeling contented, he lifted up his head from her lap and instead sat opposite her. "Look at me - making this whole thing about me. Tell me about you, Celest. How've you been? What have you been up to all this time?"

"Oh! Well, it's sort of explains my presence here," She scratched the back of her head embarrassingly. "I left the program, just like you wanted. Ambrose thought it was probably for the best. I mean, I miss being behind the scope of a sniper rifle, but I'm doing a lot better now. I feel really great!"

Smirking at her, he said, "You look great," Reaching forward, he ran his fingers through her now mid back-length hair. "You grew out your hair!"

She lowered her head bashfully at that. "Yeah... You like it?"

Well, that was kind of hard to say. "Uh..." He dragged.

"I get it. I'll get it cut when I can."

"Come on, Celest, I didn't mean it that way."

"Oh, it's totally fine," She waved it off. "Long hair is such a pain. I tend to get lazy when it's time to wash my hair."

He chuckled at that. "Go on."

"As I was close to recovery, I was assigned to be a personal assistant to a Commander Musa," Biting her lower lip, she added, "096."

"He's a Spartan-II?!"

"Former. Augs forced him in a wheelchair," She quickly summarized. "I've been stuck with him ever since. Then a few months ago, he initiated the Spartan-IV program."

"Great," The emotion was completely drained from his voice. "How old are the kids this time?"

"They're consenting adults."

"NOW we're getting somewhere!"

She smiled at that. "We're also finding all available Spartan-IIIs and give them a chance to be integrated into the program. That's why I'm here."

As soon as she said that, a realization came to the injured Spartan that caused his smile to fade away. "Celest? I need you to tell me everything you know about the rest of Noble. People didn't think I was paying attention just because I refused to talk to anyone. But I was listening. And there are just so many rumors. What happened to them?"

She stared at him for a few seconds, her heart beating slightly faster now. "I knew you'd ask me about that."

"So it's true?" The dejection was easily shown in his eyes. "They're really all gone?"

"But they completed their objective, sweetie." She reached for his hands.

"It's not fair," He lowered his head. "Why was I the only one who made it? A whole team doesn't just get destroyed like that!"

"Let's be honest," She cupped his cheeks and had him look up at her. "They'll be happy to know that someone made it out alive."

She was trying to comfort him to the best of her abilities. He knew that. Even though it would not take the sting out of it, she was right. It was always a good thing if someone survived. "I'm gonna miss them."

"I know, sweetie. I know."

Alright, stop being a buzz kill. You haven't seen Celest in years. Don't make her sad. "So you're finding all available IIIs. You were going to ask me to join?"

She nodded. "If the doctors clear you to return to active duty and if you want to, I can put you in charge of a Fireteam or be the Sniper of one. Or... you can take up an administrative role like mine - be a recruiter and a trainer. You wouldn't be in active duty anymore."

He titled his head at her after processing all of that. "So... if I take up an admin role... we'd be working together?"

"Every so often, yeah."

"I'm in."

She honestly did not expect such a quick reply, to be honest. "Wait, what?"

Understanding her confusion, Jun took her hands in a gentle grip. "I'm done, Celest. I was a pathetic mess while in captivity. The only reasons I can function right now are because I'm back in civilization and you're here with me. Other than that, I can't sleep or eat properly. The nightmares don't stop even as I'm awake."

"You can recover from it all. I mean, look at me." She said.

With a sad smile, he ran one hand past her cheek. "I'm not as strong as I used to be, princess. Not anymore. Not after going through what I went through."

"You're gonna bounce back," She swore. "You will. And I'm gonna do whatever I can to help you."

There was indeed, something she could do for him. "You can stay with me."

For that, he received her glowing smile. "I'll do whatever you want me to."

That was more than enough for the Spartan. "God, I'm just so glad you're here," He sighed, pulling her into a hug. "It's been hell, Celest. All I wanna do is hold you."

With a little giggle, she settled her head comfortably on his shoulder, dumping her own legs over his on the sofa. "Your wish is my command, boss."

A/N: This little idea was floating around in my head for a while, so this was the outcome! Hope you guys liked it. :D