Disclaimer: i don't own Gears of War or any of it's character's. But Angel, Meryl, Estelle, Shalott, Toby and Jonesey are my characters

Sexy Back

I run as fast as my legs will allow. We have to help him. Estelle, Meryl, and then Mataki follow behind me. I'm the first to get into the action. It's raining bullets. It would make Antonio Montana proud.

As far as I know, this is only the first defense. There are three lines of defense. There's the initial attack, first line. Then there's back up, that's the second. Usually they're not too far away. And there's reinforcements, the last line of defense. Usually reinforcements are heavily armed and the hardest level to penetrate.

So it's no wonder why we breeze through the initial attack. The girls look towards me for new orders. So I turn towards Mataki.

I'm not the leader anymore, Mataki is. I'm just another soldier.

Yeah... and Estelle isn't black with a 'fine' ass.

Hell yeah! Bitches!

Meryl smiles and I giggle a little at that. Mataki just looks up at the heavens and shakes her head. With a "why me?" look. She then returns her look to us.

"Reinforcement will be here soon, reload and advance. Once you see one of those white, ugly, bastards you take cover. Do you understand?" Mataki ordered.

I know dis is random, but... Bernadette could be called Berny!

Estelle, once again you prove your intelligence...

Meryl!

What... it's true!

Hahahah, Meryl just hatin' 'cause I am fine and fine!

I mentally chuckle at that. There's just no way to waver Estelle's happiness.

There is one way... not that anyone should do it that way. Way too cruel of punishment.

I don't likes those sorta thoughts, Meryl.

Guys, we need to respond.

"Sir, Yes, Sir!" Estelle and I shouted.

"Yes, Ma'am," Meryl said.

Ooooouuccch, dat hurt from here.

That was a not-so-smart reply, Meryl.

She's your team captain, not mine.

Still, show some respect.

Mataki, or Bernie, growls softly at that. She really can't do anything about that remark, can she?

Nope.

She can sit back and bitch. Other than that, nothing.

I catch something out of the corner of my eye.

"Locust!" I shouted.

Immediately we all take cover. Meryl and I get behind one old tree and Mataki and Estelle behind two separate trees. Mataki is getting hammered over there.

Estelle, you think you could get over to Mataki and help her?

Hell yeah! I gots to go like flow-Joe.

Despite the danger that we are in, despite the severity of a mistake, I laugh. It wasn't because of Estelle's poor grammar, this time. It was because the choice of words were so... Estelle. Even after all the danger, the sadness and pain we had gone through, Estelle was still able to be her happy, usual, self.

It gave me hope. Hope for the future. Hope for others. Even hope to myself. That mankind can pull through this despairing war. That the gear we're saving has a chance at life. That I won't lose myself in this war.

And with that hope, I will the strength needed to save the gear. In a moment, I was killing locust left to right. With the second line of defense down, I run off to find the gear. I find that the others are off, too, to go and find the gear.

I find a trail of blood on the forest floor. It looks as though it were human. I quicken my pace and follow it. I find the gear, bleeding and leaning on the tree for support.

I see that there's locust coming in to kill him. I clench my teeth, tighten the grip on my lancer and prepare for what's to come. I go towards the gear. I lift my lancer and fire off a round into the nearest locust heads'. I turn towards the next one and put two rounds into his.

Then I bring out my retro lancer and fire on my three o'clock and nine o'clock. I take out four locust with that. I kill one more with my lancer. After I'm certain the killing spree is done, I look at the dying gear.

I'm instantly shocked and surprised. I know the golden blond with lime green eyes. It's Toby! I go down onto one knee and look him straight in the eye. I smile.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

He looks at me for a moment before he responds. For the instance, I felt peaceful. I also felt as though he was searching. Desperately. But for what, I don't know.

"Yeah, fine," he said. "Aren't you-"

I turn around and fire off my lancer. The gray, bloody, locust falls backwards and hits the floor. It makes the ground shake as though there were a small earthquake. He dies before he hits the floor. I turn around.

"How-" he asked.

I go to him, wrap his arm around my neck, grab onto his arm and wrap my arm around his back. I get us up and help him move back to the group. I look at him and smile sincerely.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi," he replied, unsure.

"So, how did you get here, big guy?" I asked.

"Well, now, ain't that an interesting story. Well, my squad and I were makin' our way back to the hollows. Then came the locust. So we fell back into the tree line. Where they somehow managed to kick our asses. But we managed. Or, at least, so I thought. Someone shouted, they needed my help.

"I ran after them, trying to help them. I tried to help, I really did. The next thing I know, I'm all alone, fending for myself against a horde of locust. I thought I was a goner... until I heard your gunfire," he said.

He looks me in the eye. A moment passes, a tender, shining, gentle moment. One that I won't soon forget. Then I'm interrupted by my friends.

Angel! There you are. Mataki is pissed!

"Dawn! Where in hell-" she said.

She stopped sort. She saw I was carrying a fellow gear. She looks at him with scrutiny. I feel angry at the gesture. Like she didn't like what she saw. And she was looking at Toby.

"Where's the rest of ya squad?" she asked.

He stood up on his own to feet with that. Any happiness and playfulness that once was there is now gone. He reaches down into his pockets and takes out something that clinks as it moves. It's COG tags.

"Here's the rest of my squad," he said, mad and upset.

A little while afterwards, back at the rigg:

"Yeah, so that's what happened," Toby said.

"Yeah, alright, thanks Hoffman, bye," Bernie said.

"That can't be good," I whispered.

Mataki turns around and looks at the group. She knows she has our complete and utter attention.

"Looks like you'll be travelin' with Delta. Until we can find you a new squad," Mataki said.

"Alright," Toby said.

She nods at that. Everyone goes back to asking questions. I give him a desperate, fleeting, glance. Then I return to looking at my thumbs. I sigh mentally. Why do I feel this way?

Because you like the ass whole!

Meryl!

Well, ya do!

Estelle... you guys.

I mentally sigh, again.

I just want to talk to him. I remember the night I first meet him.

I relieve the memory. The heartbreak, the scream, the run away, the death on the floor, the meet with Tobias... and.

Damn.

I stop re-living the memory. I focus on the now. And now, I'm alone. Without the possibility of talking to Tobias. It saddens me to acknowledge that.

It's your fault to begin with.

Meryl!

Estelle and I thought that at the same time.

It's the truth. Listen, you had your chance to talk to him privately in the forest. Hell, Tobias himself even tried to reach you. But you wouldn't stop.

I let her words phase me. She's right. It is my fault. He tried to talk to me, tried to see who I am. But no, I wouldn't have it. I had to hurry him out of there. I had to get him back to safety.

It's al-ite! Ya was doin' what ya suppose to be doin'!

I smile meekly at Estelle.

Thank you, I know that. But it still doesn't make me feel any better.

How in hell could you feel alone? You have two other people swimming in your head!

It's not loneliness. It's something else. I can't explain it. I change when he's around me. I feel soft and girly. I feel myself blushing.

Ahh, ain't dat sweet.

Are lil' angel has a crush on a demon. Ironic, but sweet.

We both look at Meryl as though she were crazy. And we're thinking the same exact thing. Meryl mentally rolls her eyes.

Tobias Astaroth means demon, sand demon in it's native tongue. Angela, as we all know, means Angel. Angel and Toby equals...

Angel and Demon!

Correct!

Not... helping.

Alright, we'll leave you alone for awhile. See you later.

See-ya!

Unlikely. There isn't enough space between us so that can happen. I remember the time we attempted to disconnect our minds. Or, at least, shut them up for awhile. It was in the second month after the injection. We just barely realized that our minds are connected. We weren't the smartest thinkers back then.

So we brainstormed. Sort of. We came up with a simple, but stupid, plan. In the end, it failed and we learned an awful truth. In short, don't leave Estelle alone.

I chuckle at the memory. I just so happen to look to the side. And... I felt something. Like a presence that wasn't there before. Or like a void, in my heart, being filled. Like passover, when Mose let the red sea fall on the Egyptians.

I look up and see Toby. My heart beats a little fast. I silently gasp at that. I feel the corners of my lips come up in a smile.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi," he replied, uncertain.

"So," I said, happy. "How are you?"

"Good, I think," he replied.

I chuckle at that. I turn to him. I smile like the chesire cat. From ear to ear. I feel this warmth in my heart. Even though it's so cold you can see your breath out here. And this feeling of being a girl, a teenage girl, a girl with a crush, fills me.

"So, can I talk to you now?" he asked.

I chuckle as I blush at that. Yes, I was the one keeping him at bay from making conversation. But, I had to get him to safety, right? Oh that's a lame excuse!

Hold on, Angel. You still haven't reply to his question. Answer before you start a war in your head.

"Yes, we can talk now," I said, still blushing.

"So, how are you after I left you that night," he asked.

I remember that night. But it seems so long ago that it happened. It seems as though it were a fond memory. It brings me despair to think of how time passes so fast in this day and age. Especially since time has taken so much from me already. 14 years of my life, gone already.

He sees the sadness in my eyes at his words. He gasps in horror as he realizes that it was his words that had hurt me. I see his body react to this knowledge. Tobias really is a good man. Even though his name means demon.

"No, it's okay. I don't mind talking about it. But it's such a sad subject, and the times aren't so sad at this moment. Are you sure you don't want to talk about something else?" I asked.

"Okay, sure... um?" he said.

I giggle at that. I loop my arm through his and smile. He's kind of cute when he's clueless. His lime green eyes are looking up and his mouth is just a tiny bit open. He stays this way for a few more seconds.

"Angel... ?" he asked, still a little unsure of himself.

"I guess the question is what Bond movie is your favorite," I said. "Astaroth, Tobias Astaroth."

We both laugh at that very lame joke. I'm pretty sure that I just reused Toby's old joke and made it into a new one. But that gets the conversation going and that's just fine by me.

On Tara: just a few minutes before

"So Marcus, what's with the sudden withdraw?" I asked.

"Mm-mn?" he replied.

They were swarming around Tobias like flies to spilled honey. Why they all just left him alone is odd. Especially since Marcus, sergeant and first in command, was the first to leave.

It could be a coincidence. It really could be. Then could have all fallen bored with Toby's talk and decided to leave... one after another. But I don't believe in coincidences. If it seems to good too be true, or too connected, then, most likely, it is.

Marcus planned this, or told them to back off. I wonder why. If he meant to harm, or cause any injury in anyway, to Angel... I'm going to kill him! There is no way I'm letting some ass whole screw with the very few friends that I have.

"Why did everyone just leave Toby alone?" I reworded my previous question.

"Angel looked like she need some alone time with 'em. And I thought," Marcus replied. He sighs before continuing. "That Toby wouldn't mind it so much."

We both looked at Angel and Toby laugh. Such a happy and normal scene from a crappy time line. In that second, I see a vision from the past. A vision from my day and age. When couples meet in the park and sat on benches and talked.

About what, I don't know. I never had that opportunity. No guy ever made a move for me. So I never thought I would get that chance. I still don't today. I mean, what man would want my bagged. It was too much back then and it's only gotten worse with age.

To the point, Meryl.

She looks happy and so does Tobias. And it's all thanks to Marcus.

"Thank you... Marcus" I said. I pause before finishing. "For Angel."

"You're welcome," he replied in an old, almost defeated tone.

A/N: Hi Ducklings! Sorry it's been so long. I'm resigned to the fact that I'm going to take along time to finish chapters. I know, I suck. Thank you all for your comments, it makes me push through my BS and finish the chapter. Please keep on commenting, I need feedback. Happy New Year, this goes out to the one person who made a comment. You know who you are and I thank you. P.s, I'm now on deviant art and this is where you can see the characters. .com/#/d4djs7d