July 28, 2557, 0324

Hours UNSC Infinity, Hangar Hay 13

No one bothered him for hours. He just sat, hollow and broken, atop an ammo crate. He stayed that way for an imperceivable amount of time. Minutes turned to hours, hours turned to days. He still sat, unmoving, as if he were carved from alloyed marble. Her last words still ringing in his ears.

"Goodbye, Chief."

He hated himself. He hated her for leaving him alone. He hated that he wasn't able to save her. He hated practically everything at this point.

July 30, 2557, 0936 Hours

UNSC Infinity, Hangar Bay 13

Finally, he felt someone sit down next to him. He turned his head to look at the unknown party, seeing it to be Thomas Lasky, Captain of the UNSC Infinity. The bones in his neck popped from days of staring at his own boots. "Chief…" Tom started, trailing off. "I don't know exactly what happened down there on the Mantle's Approach. I'm not going to debrief you, because of how shaken you are." Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 didn't particularly like how the Captain was purposefully using smaller words and showing such sympathy, but kept it to himself. No one knew how broken he was. He didn't want anyone to go through this pain, not even his worst enemies.

But he'd done it. They'd done it. Earth was no longer in danger, although New Phoenix was gone. Tom was still talking, "...so I put in for some therapy." John stiffened a nearly imperceivable amount. "Respectfully sir, it's kind of hard for me to talk to other people." Tom nodded. He figured he would say this. "I know, Chief. I'm not really asking though. It's the best way for you to learn to cope with your...loss. I'm sorry." John looked at him, annoyed. He stood up, both the armor and his joints creaking from days of inactivity. He towered a good foot over Tom's head, and the smaller man couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. John reached up and undid the seals on his helmet, before removing it and setting it down on the crate. Tom noted the ghostly pale skin, the slight smattering of freckles on the bridge of his nose, his short brown hair streaked with the slightest gray accents, and the tear tracks running down his cheeks. Jesus, the most powerful man in the universe was crying. That scared Tom more than the Covenant ever had, even the stories of the Flood paled in comparison to the melancholy he saw in the broken man before him.

He and John stood there for a few minutes longer, their eyes locked in a silent battle of wills, Tom's brown against John's blue. John finally gave in, something that Tom hadn't been expecting. "Fine. When do I start?" Tom thought for a moment. "Tomorrow. Now, go get yourself cleaned up." John nodded, not even saying 'sir' as he departed the hangar bay, all his fight gone. Tom sat on the crates for a few moments longer, looking after his departing form. He glanced back at the man's discarded helmet, seeing the gold visor glittering faintly in the hangar's light. Suddenly, there was the sound of whirring machinery behind him, and he turned to see a deckhand in a Cyclops exoskeleton. "Pardon me sir," The man began politely, "but would you mind moving? I need to put those away, and I didn't want to bother the big guy. He looked pretty shaken up." Tom jumped. "Of course, marine. Carry on." He grabbed the Chief's helmet, and the deckhand began moving the crates.

Looking into the visor, he saw his own worried face looking back at him. He wouldn't just leave this, would he? He looked around. Chief was nowhere to be seen. I guess I'll just hang onto it for him. He thought as he made for his quarters. He placed the helmet on top of the dresser, where it sat gazing into nothingness. Tom sat down on the bed, looking at it. That gold visor had saved his life more than once. He only hoped he could return the favor.

July 30, 2557, 1013 Hours

UNSC Infinity, MCPO Sierra-117's Quarters

John lay on his rack, staring at the ceiling. It was a cold gray, just like all his emotions right now. There came a knock at the door, and then another. He didn't care if they came in, the door was unlocked. Hell, it could have been a Covenant hit squad for all he cared. The door slid open. He heard someone pad into the room, clearly barefoot. He didn't sit up. He couldn't bring himself to. Then the person leaned over him, a concerned expression on her face. She was a Spartan-III, he could tell by the vicious scars on her exposed arms. She wore a white tank top and black exercise shorts, and her long auburn hair was tied back in a ponytail. In her hand was a pair of black running shoes. He assumed by the sheen of sweat glinting off her body, as well as her attire, that she had just gotten done at the gym. "I heard we were getting a new person at therapy, but I wasn't expecting you at all. The fabled Master Chief." Her voice had a

slight goading edge, but her expression was soft and concerned. She looked at him for a second more, before saying, a little kinder this time, "You don't talk much, do you?" He remained silent. "Anyways, I'm Lily. You might want to get out of your armor before you lay on the bed, just saying. It's not super-great for the bed." John looked directly at her for the first time. He saw she had a long, yet pretty face with full lips and a large scar running across her left eye and terminating at her jawline. Her left eye was a pretty cyan, while her right was a subdued green. He supposed her left eye was flash-cloned. He sat up, not really feeling the burning in his muscles. He stood tall, towering over her.

She was unintimidated, still looking at him with the fire in her eyes. He matched her stare, and she saw how deeply scarred he was. She had no clue what happened to him, just that he had saved all of humanity for what was hopefully the last time. He pushed past her and began making his way towards the armor bay. She frowned. She wanted to know his story, they all did. She sighed and headed towards her own quarters for a much-needed shower. He'd tell her when he was ready.

July 30, 2557, 1047 Hours

UNSC Infinity, Spartan Armor Bay

As John moved along the corridors of the Infinity, he noticed that everyone was staring at him, ceasing whatever task or conversation they'd been having to look at him. He didn't know if he liked the attention, or the whispers. He was trained to ignore them, and he did, but he couldn't help but feel alienated. As he was getting his armor removed, the technicians looked at him silently. Finally, he was in just his biosuit, and he left, back to his quarters. He reached it uneventfully, wanting to do nothing more than lay down and never get back up. However, the dresser door was slightly ajar, drawing his attention. He thought back. He had no possessions that he knew of, at least none that he had brought on board. He looked inside. Inside were workout clothes and a freshly pressed dress uniform. He sighed. Why did people think he always deserved things? He wasn't a hero. He was just doing his job.

Still, he appreciated the clothes. The captain must have ordered them before he got back. He peeled off the biosuit, relishing the feeling of the cool air on his bare skin. He removed the PT clothes from the drawer, putting them on the bed. He decided to take a shower first. Moving into the small bathroom, he turned on the hot water. He was amazed at how good it felt, and spent a whole five minutes there, cleaning himself up. How long had it been since he had taken a shower? He thought hard. At least four years. When he got out, he wrapped the towel around himself and moved into the actual room. He changed into his new clothes, laying down as he finished. He closed his eyes, letting the darkness take him away.

July 30, 2557, 2016 Hours

UNSC Infinity, CPT Thomas Lasky's Quarters

Tom sat on the edge of his bed, looking into Chief's visor, not really seeing. He kept flashing back to the first time he'd seen it, all those years ago at Corbulo Academy, the night that Chief had saved him. He was so engrossed in his own mind that he didn't hear Commander Sarah Palmer come in. It wasn't until she put her hand on his shoulder that he snapped out of it. "Tom? Are you okay?" He jumped. "Huh? Oh, yeah, Sarah. I was just thinking, that's all." She followed his eyes and saw the helmet. Her frown deepened. "You're worried about him, aren't you?" He nodded. "He saved my life more times than I like to think about. I just hope I can repay the favor." She nodded. "I understand. I don't know him too well personally, and I'm afraid when we met I gave off the wrong image." Tom silently agreed. He knew for a fact that Sarah tended to be rude and offensive when meeting new people. He knew it was simply a facade built up to make her seem distant and unlikable, but he had learned to deal with it and had found she had a very sweet, caring disposition. Well, at least around him. "Now" She began anew, "it's dinnertime. It's also Pizza Friday. And I know you won't let a girl down on Pizza Friday." He smiled for the first time that evening. She always knew exactly what to say. It didn't help that it was true, Pizza Friday was one of the few times he and Sarah could enjoy each other's company in public. She got up and made for the door, Tom following close behind.

July 30, 2557, 2034 Hours

UNSC Infinity, Mess Hall

John stared at the mess on his plate. According to everyone he overheard, this was the greatest day of the week on board the Infinity, due to this strange food. He looked up when he felt someone sit down across from him, and saw Lily grinning back at him. "You ever had this stuff, big guy? Best thing in the entire damned galaxy." She said around a mouthful. He looked at it again. It was some sort of bread, covered in cheese and sauce. Small round disks of meat sat on top of the cheese. He'd never seen anything like it in any of his MREs or ration kits, and it kind of unnerved him. RIght now, he didn't want anything new. He just wanted things to go back to the way they were before. He knew it was childish and immature, but he couldn't help it. He was in a crowded mess hall where people were chattering and laughing, but he felt lonelier than ever. "Hey" He was brought back to earth by Lily, her voice soft. "You're looking kind of out there, big guy. If you don't want it, I understand. There's always going to be another Friday." He nodded silently, not trusting his voice. She smiled kindly. "Okay." Then, faster than he could have expected from a Spartan of her class, her arm shot out and grabbed his pizza off his plate. "Don't worry, I'll make it up to you." She said, winking. John found the wink to be rather strange and inappropriate, but just nodded again.

July 30, 2557, 2036 Hours

UNSC Infinity, Mess Hall

Over at the next table, Sarah and Tom watched the awkward exchange between John and Lily. Sarah found it humorous to watch the Master Chief look around and appear flustered by the friendly advances of the younger woman. Tom, however, was slightly less entertained by the scene. "Lighten up. It's good to see someone at least trying." She said, noting his somber expression. He nodded. "I suppose you're right. I'm just worried about him, that's all." She shrugged. "Trust me, Lily's more than capable of taking care of him. We've had our differences…" She trailed off, remembering a certain instance that had left both of them with black eyes and some bruises. "...but I trust her with my life, she's saved it a few times too." She finished, looking rather pensive. Tom sighed. "I guess if you trust her, so do I." Sarah smiled. She liked how protective and caring Tom was. He was no Spartan, but he tried to defend everyone on board his ship. He was so just so likable, she often thought, as well as nerdy and goofy in his own little way. A little sexy, too. She pushed that thought away, except for the nights she didn't have duty the next day and could get a little tipsy. She'd always go back to her room and have quiet conversations with a pillow she pretended was him. These little 'chats' ranged from casual to insane to sexual, and room in between. The entire time she would giggle like a schoolgirl, pretending the Infinity's handsome captain was in her room with her. In the mornings, she wondered why the hell she had these little fantasies, it wasn't like anything was ever going to come of them. It was a very un-Spartan way to act, she chastised herself. Yet she kept doing it, each time getting a little better at figuring out what she would say if he ever was there with her.

She snapped out of her daydream when she noticed him looking at her with a funny expression. "You okay? You've been staring at me like that for the past five minutes." he said. "Like what?" she responded, getting a little defensive. He made a silly face that couldn't possibly have been her, and she laughed, punching him in the arm lightly. He laughed back, and grabbed their trays to return to the galley. She looked after him, still smiling. She wondered if he felt anything for her. Probably not. They were best friends and Infinity's two most senior officers, that was all. She could be a bit of a bitch too, sometimes. She'd had plenty of one-night-stands, but she seriously doubted anyone could really love her for who she was. There just wasn't anything really intimate about having sex in a foxhole because you could die at any moment, that was just spur-of-the-moment lust. She definitely wanted something between the Infinity's nerdy captain and herself, but she just never saw it ever happening.

He approached the table, flashing a smile at her. "You ready? I'll walk you to your quarters." She blushed a slight tinge of pink, and he wondered what was happening with her tonight. She was being very odd, but Tom simply dismissed it as slight delirium and giddiness from the war finally being over. She stood up, still slightly flustered. As they left, he looked back to see the Chief. He was still sitting at the table with Lily, and as he watched, he began talking to her and grabbed their trays. She was surprised for maybe a second, before laughing at whatever he said, and replying. Tom smiled. He'll be okay, he thought to himself.

July 30, 2557, 2050 Hours

UNSC Infinity, Mess Hall

John was surprised by Lily and her impressive stories of the war. For someone born to die, she had lived through quite a lot. She explained to him that she was part of Gamma Company, training on Onyx before the planet had come alive. She had barely survived the Covenant's assault, as well as the powerful Onyx Sentinels. She had escaped into the shield world within the planet, similar to to Requiem, to be trapped there for some time. After she escaped, she was stationed on board the UNSC Jade Rabbit to complete her training alongside the first S-IV recruits. It was there she was part of Shadow team, an exclusive fireteam made for espionage and assassinations.

After several missions, Shadow team was destroyed, Lily being the only survivor. "That," She said proudly. "Was where I got this." She pointed to her scar and cloned eye. "Wrestling with a hinge-head general with nothing but a combat knife." She went on to state how she had become a lone wolf after that, preferring to stay by herself. She got into a drunken fistfight with Commander Palmer, then one of her fellow S-IVs, over the matter. John found this highly amusing, although he didn't say it aloud. Palmer was later promoted to an officer, and then oversaw all Spartan activity in the battlegroup. She and the other S-IVs were assigned to field test the newly unveiled OCEANIC armor, largely considered to be a flop. She stated that she saved Palmer's life three times on that mission, and several Spartans died during. After they returned from the mission, Palmer received an advancement and was asked to oversee all Spartan operations on the UNSC Infinity, which she readily accepted on the condition that she could take Lily with her. That led up to the present day, where Lily didn't see too much of Sarah anymore, except for the rare occasion that they were at the bar at the same time.

John actually found himself listening intently to her as she finished. She glanced at her watch. "Jeez, it's getting pretty late." She stretched animatedly, and let out a fake yawn. "I'm going to have to hear your story later, big guy. Right now, all I want is a good old snooze." She moved to grab their trays, but John beat her to it. "You go rest. I'll take care of this." She chuckled. "Well, a gentleman. Sure thing, big guy." They got up together, and John stopped her. "It's John." He said quietly, blushing a little. Lily stopped, looking at him. Then she smiled kindly. "Goodnight, John." She said, trying out the name. It suited him. He looked like a John. She turned and left, leaving a hollow pit at the bottom of John's stomach. Even though she had dominated the conversation, he still felt like she had enjoyed his company and learned something about him. He knew he had. There was something about her, maybe her attitude, maybe her voice, maybe even her looks that appealed to him.

He returned the mess hall trays, still feeling confused and odd. As he entered his room, there was still something strange. He took another shower, this time cold, and just stood in the water for three minutes. He shut it off, drying himself with the towel, and decided to forgo a shirt, just changing into his PT shorts for bed. He fell asleep after ten minutes of thinking about Lily and her story. John didn't have much experience around women, but knew that she was incredibly pretty by most people's standards. He didn't much care about that as much as her disposition. She could be surly and sarcastic at times, but she was very still very nice to him. He drifted off to sleep still thinking of Lily, Cortana not crossing his mind once.

July 30, 2557, 2103 Hours

UNSC Infinity, Outside CDR Sarah Palmer's Quarters

Tom stopped outside Sarah's cabin. She was being rather clumsy, still. He actually had to grab her to prevent her from tripping over her own feet at one point. Something was off with her, and he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. He was also too shy to ask what was wrong outright, it would be rude and he didn't want to offend her. He had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with him, and that thought made him nervous. Did she know about his secret crush on her? How could she? He'd never told anyone, not even Roland, the Infinity's AI. He normally told Roland everything, but this was one secret he didn't trust him with. She looked at him, a slight smile playing across her features. Thoroughly creeped out by her behavior, he bid her goodnight, but she said nothing back. He waited a moment, before turning to walk away. Her arm lanced out, grabbing his wrist and spinning him back to face her. Before he could react, her lips touched his. Stunned, he wasn't sure how to react. After a long moment, she broke away from him, looking embarrassed. "I've been waiting for that, Tom." She said quietly. He couldn't stop gaping at her, shocked and amazed. Reading his face, he saw her face register hurt. "I'm sorry, Tom." Her face was almost purple, she was blushing so hard. She ducked into her room before he could stop her, leaving him flustered and confused as how to react to the situation. Was she upset? Obviously she liked him too. Did she think he didn't? He sighed, digging the heels of his palms into his closed eyes. He needed some sleep. He'd think about this in the morning.

July 30, 2557, 2105 Hours

UNSC Infinity, CDR Sarah Palmer's Quarters

Palmer resisted the urge to punch something. What the hell was she thinking?

She sat down on the bed, tired and frustrated with herself. In what world was that okay? She didn't even know how he felt about her. He probably just thought she was a good soldier, that was it. He didn't care about her like she did him. She felt like screaming. She fell back, shutting her eyes. Before she knew what happened, she was waking up to the shrill buzzing of her alarm clock. She growled an explicative, slapping around the top of the clock until finally finding the button. She stood up, stretching. She was still in her civilian clothes, and she showered and dressed in her uniform quickly. She left her quarters and moved to her office, taking her time. There was a pile of papers on her desk. She sighed. She hated being an officer sometimes.

July 31, 2557, 0936 Hours UNSC Infinity, MCPO Sierra-117's Quarters

John woke up to someone touching his arm. He looked up and saw Lily, smiling down at him. "Come on, we can't be late for the session." John got up, Moving towards the dresser. She stopped him. "Don't bother. Everyone wears civvies." He raised his eyebrows an almost imperceptible amount. After putting his shirt on, he followed her down the winding corridors of the Infinity. To his surprise, they headed away from the S-Deck, where the medical wing was located. Instead, they moved towards the recreational facility. "What are we doing here?" John asked Lily as they paused for her to type in the code for the door. "Hm? Oh, I really don't know. I think it has something to do with being at ease in our environment, or something like that." The door noiselessly slid open, and the two walked in.

Sitting down was a small woman that looked maybe in her early forties. She looked up from her datapad, smiling as she saw the two of them. "Hello Lily, John." She nodded at him, and he returned the gesture. Doctors made him uneasy, and this woman was no exception. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Baker, but please call me Jane." John stiffened, a habit around officers. She noticed his change in bearing and chuckled. "At ease, John. Inside this room, I'm not an officer, and I'm not a doctor. I'm your friend." John didn't know what to make of it. He'd never received orders like that. "Please, sit down." The psychiatrist gestured towards a large sofa. "Where are the others?" Lily questioned, sitting obediently. John followed suit after a moment's hesitation. "Well, seeing as we now have two Spartans, I figured it prudent to separate you from the others, due to your radically different experiences." Jane said, smiling at the two huge figures before her.

She began asking questions, first to Lily, then John. John was exceedingly nervous at first, he had never been asked questions like this before. She asked him what his favorite color was first. He blanked. Colors had always been just that. They designated friend from foe, the med-bay from the armory. He'd never had a favorite, so he just said, rather plainly, "I don't know." She smiled and continued, not missing a beat. "Alright, it's okay. I'm glad you answered truthfully. Now, can you tell me your full name?" He answered immediately. "Master Chief Petty Officer John-117." Jane paused. "Okay, you didn't have to tell me your rank, but it's fine. Now, what is your fondest childhood memory?" John paused. He didn't have a whole lot of memories from then. The youngest he could remember was his Spartan-II indoctrination, and that was most assuredly not his favorite. "I'd have to think about it." He said quietly. He was suddenly aware of Lily's hand on his shoulder. "Okay, that's fine. Take as long as you want." Jane smiled kindly and began asking Lily questions.

John reflected on his pseudo-childhood. The happiest he had ever been was winning an exercise for the tenth time in a row against Bravo company. Bravo had had poor leadership, and John was a natural-born. He had also had the gift-although lately he had been feeling it was a curse-of luck in all of his endeavors. It was only luck that had kept him from dying like he should have by Cortana's side. He hated it. It was unfair that she died and he have to keep going like nothing ever happened. This was an immature and un-Spartan way of thinking, but he didn't care anymore. He hated this feeling of loneliness. Except he wasn't. He looked over at Lily, talking animatedly with the psychiatrist. He had her. He dived down into his own mind again. For all the time he and Cortana had been together, he had begun to figure out how her mind worked. He knew she would want him to move on. It hurt so badly, not in the sense that a plasma burn or bullet hurt, but a deeper, resonating pain that couldn't be relieved by any means. Regardless of how much pain it caused him, he had to move on. He sighed quietly. He wouldn't forget her, he doubted if he even could, but he could accept that she was gone, and never coming back. So he did just that.

The rest of the session was peaceful, John answering a few more questions as best as he could. Afterwards, the two walked away feeling better about themselves and life in general. As they walked, Lily dared to ask, "Hey, you want to hang out in my room for a little bit? It won't hurt, I promise." John thought for a moment, before shrugging. "Sure, why not?" She walked him to her quarters, opening the door.

July 31, 2557, 1208 Hours

UNSC Infinity, Spartan CW3 Lilith-G245's Quarters

She sat down on the bed, patting the spot beside her. John sat down, and Lily grabbed her datapad. She leaned against him, opening up a contraband game. It was a simple reflex game, tapping the corners of the screen to destroy enemies. He looked at her, surprised at her. She looked up at him innocently, smiling. To his even bigger surprise, he smiled back at her. He felt his arm slip around her waist, and her head rest on his shoulder. She smiled at him, and he felt something flutter inside his chest. She was excelling at the game, her heightened reflexes crushing the enemies. Touching her felt odd, yet natural. It was nerve-wracking, and he broke away suddenly. John got up. "I should go." He said. Lily looked dejected. "Okay, if you think that's best, go ahead." He left quickly, not wanting to see that hurt expression anymore. July 31, 2557, 1224 Hours

UNSC Infinity, Outside Spartan CW3 Lilith-G245's Quarters

In the hallway, he put his back to the wall and slid down slowly until he was sitting. He didn't know how to feel. Part of him wanted to be angry at Lily. She had led him to her cabin deliberately, knowing this would happen. He dismissed these feelings. He could have said no, he reasoned. He saw how disappointed she'd been when he'd left. No, he couldn't be mad at Lily. He felt sad that he'd left her. She needed him just as much as he needed her, although neither of them would admit it. This was why he hated being out of the suit. He had interactions, he made friends. It bothered him, he hated feeling close to someone that could be taken from him in an instant. Then, he remembered something Cortana had said to him in their last days together. "Promise me…before this is all over, you'll figure out which of us is the machine." The memory brought stinging tears to his eyes. He understood what she meant now. He felt awful that it had taken him this long to realize. In many ways, she was more human than he was. She was sweet, compassionate, and kind. He was just the opposite. A brutal war machine built for the sole purpose of killing and not feeling. He stood up. He knew what he had to do.