Rory

Anastasia sat on her bed, staring at the tablet in her hand. She didn't even know why she was looking at these names. She had just been relaxing; trying to recover from the wounds she’d received during the fight to defend Earth. The UNSC’s shrinks hadn't cleared her for active duty yet, so she had nothing better to do. To fill the time something had caused her to look up the casualty reports.

She hadn't expected to find anything significant, just a list of names that she'd look over to pass the time. She hadn't expected to see his name on the list, hadn't even been looking for it. She just sat and stared at the four letters that were all that was left of the man she'd known.

She'd only encountered him three times, but it had been more than enough for him to make an impact on her life. There was just something about him that she liked, something that made her feel comfortable. If asked why she couldn't have explained what it was about him that made her feel at ease, he just did. She'd always been surprised at how happy she was to see him and how welcome she was for his company.

"Oh, Rory…" she muttered.

The third time she'd seen him hadn't been that long ago, right before all Hell had broken out across Reach. Anastasia had only recently been given the team of Wolves that would end up being her last, the ones that she'd watch be torn apart by the Flood. They hadn't seemed anything special when she'd met them, and she'd kept a bit of distance, as she did with all new members of the Wolves. No reason to get attached to new soldiers, as they were the most likely to die.

Anastasia had been sitting on a crate in the hangar, watching her new team from a distance. They all seemed to be getting along fine, which didn't surprise her. No veterans around to give the rookies a hard time, just a ton of hot pockets getting to know each other, giving the one survivor space. She hated them at that moment, not only because they were getting along, but because of how they avoided her. She'd been sitting alone for a while when they'd all gathered about twenty feet from her.

It was then that he appeared and sat down beside her. At first she was annoyed that anyone dared to approach her when she was in her current mood, but then she looked over at him. His gray-blue eyes were watching her passively, waiting to see if she'd recognize him. Anastasia was surprised to see him here, or ever again. Each time she'd spoken to him it seemed like it would be the last time, and when he appeared again it was always a surprise. She smiled at him and relaxed in his presence. "Hey, Rory."

The younger man smiled a charming, but genuine, lop sided smile. Anastasia felt heat on her cheeks flare up at the attraction she felt toward him. It was a feeling that caught her off guard, as she hadn't felt it in so long, and she'd always guarded herself as much as she could from the feeling. "Well hello, Fire." He smirked as he noticed her blush. "I see that you're happy to see me."

Anastasia frowned at his teasing - feeling embarrassed, she was a bit defensive. "No, your hair color just reminded me of this new, cute guy on my team." Anastasia looked toward the Wolves and in the direction of a young man with brown hair.

"If he's so cute, why are you sitting with me instead of him?" Rory asked, leaning a bit toward her. He looked over to the group and frowned. "I don't recognize any of them." He looked to Anastasia, watching her carefully.

"Yeah, the last mission wiped the last ones out," Anastasia explained casually. "They gave me all new blood. I'm betting one or two make it through this next mission, and maybe only one will get a proper name." Anastasia frowned at the group of ODST, trying to figure which ones would die first. "And I'm not sitting with you by the way; I was sitting minding my own business and you sat with me."

"True enough, but that still doesn't explain why you're not sitting with them." Rory motioned toward the Wolves who were smiling and chatting.

"I was here first. They came in after me and decided not to sit with me. If they don't want me around then why should I bother with them?" Anastasia crossed her arms and slouched a bit.

"You were here before them, in more ways than one," Rory observed. "They're probably just intimidated by you. But then again, who wouldn't be? I can assure you I'm intimidated by a beautiful, strong woman like you."

Anastasia smiled slightly at the man beside her, not even minding the arm that had slipped around her shoulders. "Do you use that pick up line on all the girls?"

"Never used it on a girl, and I've only used it on one woman. But she was very special and absolutely worth breaking out my best moves." Rory grinned and Anastasia couldn't help but smile and laugh lightly. "Seems that my moves are working." Anastasia leaned on the arm around her shoulder. "You seem to be really used to getting new teammates, is it that common for ODST teams to have people die?"

Anastasia furrowed her brown and tilted her head, not understanding the sudden question. "Why do you care about what a team is like?" Rory shrugged in response and Anastasia didn't know what to make of it. "Most teams aren't like mine; we're sort of a suicide squad. Most teams don't have such a high level of casualties because their jobs aren't as dangerous."

"And you've survived them all," Rory muttered quietly. "You're either extremely lucky, or incredibly unlucky." Anastasia didn't respond to that, she didn't know how to. "Do you really hate being on a team so much? I would think that if you were all alone you'd get lonely."

"And having a team is better? Having to watch them die, always being surrounded by new faces that pretend to know you but they have no idea who you are. How is that any different than being alone? You work on your own, and you don't get lonely." Anastasia turned her gaze to the floor.

"Everyone gets lonely," Rory contradicted, hugging her a bit tighter to his side. "Even I get lonely. And when we're hurt we seek out the company of those we have bonds with, people that understand us, for the people that we care about." Rory moved his hand over and let it rest on her knee. "We look for a companion that can understand us so we don't feel so alone."

Anastasia was struck by the statement, realizing what he meant. There was something about having Rory’s arm around her and his hand on her knee that felt intimate, but at the same time it was just warm, comforting. "So I keep meeting you because you want a companion?"

"Only this time," Rory answered, his hand moving from her knee to gently take her hand in his. "I got some news and I wanted to find someone I trust to be with. I guess I got lucky when I spotted you here, sitting all alone. You're the only person I'd want to be sitting with right now."

"Wow, you must be really desperate to come to me, Rory." Anastasia smiled slightly and shook her head. "So, what's the news that's so bad you've come to me for company?"

Rory didn't speak right away and Anastasia didn't dare say anything. "I'm going to be assigned to a team," he finally said. Anastasia turned toward him, surprised. As long as she'd known him he'd only worked on his own, so the thought of him being on a team was impossible. "I have to say, I was a bit disappointed when I saw the name of the team wasn't Wolf." He smiled slightly before he continued. "I would love to be a member of your pack."

"You'd die if you were," Anastasia retorted. "So what is the name of the team that you're going to be on?" She looked to his hand that was still holding hers.

"Sorry, can't tell you that," Rory answered. "Another bit of my life hidden in black ink, that sort of thing. I don't really know much about them, but they're soldiers like me."

"You are a hard man to get information on, or contact, particularly with no last name to search." Anastasia had always found him impossible to track, and it seemed that was what the UNSC was aiming for.

"A man has to keep some secrets. Besides, I like Novara way more. Rory Novara, it has a certain ring to it." Rory smiled but she could see that he was hiding something. She'd seen all kinds of expressions over the years, both outbursts and suppressed emotions.

"Why are you talking to me about this?" Anastasia asked.

"A couple reasons," Rory began. "You're the only person I have, anywhere. I don't usually meet people twice, and I don't feel as comfortable with them as I do with you. The second is because we're in similar situations. You may be the old hardened wolf of the pack but you'll go into combat with a group of people you don't know, that don't know you, but are still your team. How do you do it, just walk into a team and deal with it?"

Anastasia shifted a bit, not sure how to answer at first. She never really thought about it, she always just became a part of a new team, without effort. "There isn't a trick to it," she finally began. "A new team comes in and I just fall into line behind whoever leads. Someone takes command and all I have to do is follow orders, and survive. When you meet this new team there will be someone that gives orders, just do what they say and keep your head low until you get a feel for where you fit in. I mean, usually I just ignore people until they prove they'll be able to survive. But you probably won't lose any teammates for some time."

Rory nodded his head and looked down to their clasped hands. "Thanks for the advice; I'll take it to heart. I guess I'm really lucky to have you and all your experience. Maybe I'll find a way to contact you once I've settled into my team. I’ll tell you what it's like to have teammates that don't die," he joked.

"I think I'd like that," Anastasia said, smiling slightly at the idea of him contacting her. His hand gripped hers just a bit tighter for a moment and she looked to their hands.  "Why am I letting you hold my hand?" She hadn't even paid attention to the action, or the arm around her, until now.

"Like I said, we all feel lonely sometimes, and want the company of those that understand us." Rory leaned in a bit toward her. "Lonely souls can find comfort in each other."

"How do you know I'm lonely? I'm fine on my own," Anastasia asserted.

"Because I recognize loneliness in your eyes. I see the same thing when I look at my reflection." Rory looked away for a second. "It seems your team is leaving. If following is what you're going to do, then you should probably follow."

Anastasia sighed; disappointed that she was already leaving his company so soon. She'd hoped that this time she'd get to know him more, but life had never been so kind to her. "I guess you're right." She slipped her hand from his and his arm fell from her shoulder.

They stood and Rory gave her a warm smile. "As always, seeing you again has been more than a pleasure." He pursed his lips for a moment and then shrugged. "What the hell, I wanted to do this last time anyway." He leaned forward and his lips touched Anastasia's. She was caught off guard by the sudden affection and barely any chance to return the kiss before Rory pulled away. "See you again soon, Fire. I promise to try to look you up." He smiled widely before he turned around and moved away, toward an exit of the hangar. Anastasia watched him go for a moment before she turned and walked toward the rookies that made up her new team.

When she'd first met him she'd never have expected she'd ever sit intimately with him or welcome a kiss from him. They'd been on a ship heading to some of the outer colonies and had been patrolling a system. Anastasia had been sitting on her own in the gym, her team having finished their training. The more veteran soldiers had been tossing around the rookies to toughen them up, or at least that was what they told the rookies. Really they were just bored and it was something to do. Anastasia hadn't taken part, she didn't care enough to join in and she waited for them to leave before she started her own workout in silence. She'd finished her weight training for the day and was taking a short break to decide what to do next.

That was when he'd entered the gym, seeming to have been waiting for the more solitary environment as well. His hair was a light brown, his eyes were a gray-blue, and his nose seemed a bit big for his face. Still, he was pretty cute, so Anastasia watched him for a bit. He moved to the sparring mat and stopped at the edge. "You want to spar or are you going to just stare?" He turned toward her when he finished speaking.  

Anastasia scowled, annoyed with having been caught. She stood up and moved to join him beside the mat. "You sure that's a good idea? I'm tougher than I look." Anastasia was not the most muscular of soldiers, but she'd learned enough from both training and combat that she could hold her own in a match.

"Give me your best shot," he said as he stepped onto the mat. He was grinning happily and she wanted to smack that look off of his face.  She stepped onto the mat and both took fighting postures. They stood, waiting for the other to make the first move. "If neither of us attacks then this is going to be the longest staring match of all time."

"Then why don't you grow a pair and attack?" Anastasia snapped.

"Because your outward appearance would indicate that you probably use your opponents first strike against them to make up for your lack of brute strength, so attacking you first would be stupid of me." The man smiled slightly, like he was laughing inside at some silent joke.

"Well usually with bigger stronger enemies I would wait. But with you, I don't think I need to." Anastasia moved forward and threw a punch from the left. The man raised and arm to block it with ease. She pulled away her left arm and struck with her right. The man blocked it the same way, with an amused smirk on his face. Anastasia smirked as well as she spotted and opening and her leg collided with his side. The man backed away but he seems to be thrilled by the strike. "Your form sucks," Anastasia taunted.

"And your form is beautiful," the man replied, preparing to fight again. "Maybe the most beautiful I've ever seen." Anastasia frowned, having an odd feeling he wasn't talking about her fighting form. "I'm guessing that you're an ODST."

"What makes you say that?" Anastasia made a few strikes toward him but he blocked each of them.

"Only an ODST would risk being on one foot while attacking just to get the hit in. I could have knocked that foot out from under you easily but you risked it. I hand to admire the willingness to take a risk." The man turned to attacking but Anastasia dodged his strikes. "I find sometimes the marines I see tend to cower when faced with Covenant, or odds they think they can't beat."

"Freezing up gets you killed. A real marine doesn't freeze; they fight whatever gets in their way to complete their mission." They were now trading strikes and blocks. "I'd have died a long time ago if I seized up every time I came face-to-face with Covenant."

"I'm honestly surprised how many seem eager to run away from danger, good thing I don't have to work with them." The man stepped back as Anastasia got close to hitting him in the face. "Hey, watch the nose."

"I'd try not to hit it, but it’s hard not to strike such a large target," Anastasia teased. She ducked down as his fist passed over her head. "So if you don't work with marines who do you work with? ODST?"

"Nope," he said casually as he blocked a left hook. "I don't have a team; it's just me, myself, and I."

Anastasia took a few steps back and looked at him, surprised. She was a bit jealous that he got to work all on his own. "Wait, you don't have a team? You can actually go out into the field on your own?"

The man relaxed and dropped his fighting stance. "Yeah, I'm a singularly deployed soldier. I only fight on my own. Why, looking to ditch your own team?"

"It's more like my team is dying to get away from me." Anastasia dropped her own stance and scowled, annoyed at him because he had the job she wanted. She liked the wolves she’d gotten to know, but death was always around her, and it hurt more when they were teammates you cared about. "How does someone get a solo assignment?"

"Well you don't really get to choose it," he said as he moved off the mat and over to a bench where a water bottle was sitting. "I was just sort of given it, not really something that I went looking for. I don't know why they gave it to me."

"Shit," Anastasia muttered, disappointed that he had no more information. She liked being a Wolf, but at times she thought of how nice it would be to be alone, without a team and without the emotional weight of knowing people. Anastasia sat down on the bench to rest. She hadn't realized that she was breathing heavier and it irritated her that the man wasn't breathing too hard.

The man took a swig of the water as he sat down beside her. "My name's Rory by the way." He held out the bottle to Anastasia and she took it. "Not often I meet someone that can get a hit in on me. What's your name?"

"Lance Corporal Novara," Anastasia answered, handing the bottle back. "You left a spot wide open, knowing I would try to hit it. You kept yourself too well guarded for the rest of that sparring match. You had to have left it open on purpose."

"A fighter and perceptive, you've got it all." Rory smiled at her as he set his water bottle to the side. "I did leave it open, but not everyone would take advantage of it because of the risk. So tell me, Novara, where did you get such a scar?" He motioned to her shoulder where the scar from a Jackal was visible, hidden only by the strap of her tank top.

Anastasia's hand moved to her shoulder, trying to block the scar from his sight. "It was just a Jackal," she answered, turning her gaze to the ground. Even so many years later she could still feel the fangs in her skin, the Jackal's grip on her that she thought would never let go.

"I would think your armor would protect from a wound like that. How'd a Jackal do that to a woman like you?" Anastasia wasn't sure what to make of Rory's question. What was a woman like her?

"I wasn't in armor. It was nineteen years ago, and they don't really pass out armor to kids." Anastasia closed her eyes, trying to will away those memories. Like always thinking about that time brought up feelings of anger and helplessness - and she hated that. Most people felt fear or sadness when thinking about an event like the day her planet burned, but that wasn’t Anastasia. Anastasia responded to those painful memories and emotions with violence.

"You were on your planet when it was glassed?" There was an edge of surprise to Rory's voice that was unfamiliar to Anastasia. Usually people had a sort of sad or pitying tone when they learned that information, but Rory seemed excited. "The people I was trained with all had seen their planets glassed too, but I haven't met anyone that wasn't trained with me that was on their planet when they were attacked. I haven't been in the field that long, but a lot of the soldiers I’ve encountered seem to have only heard about planets being glassed."

"Well now you have," Anastasia stated, a bit confused by how excited he was. "I met plenty of people who watched their planet be invaded while I was living on Reach with the other refugees. I've only been in the field for about a year, but most people I've met usually think they're protecting their planet from the Covenant or were already in the military before they got the news about their planet."

Rory leaned a bit closer to her and he got a serious look on his face. "What planet were you from? Was the Jackal the first Covenant you had contact with?"

"Why do you care about any of that?" Anastasia snapped. "You lived through it, why would you ever want to talk about any of that? You know what it was like." Anastasia clenched her firsts and leaned toward him, furious. "Why are you asking me this?"

Rory backed up a bit and frowned. "I'm sorry, I didn't think of it that way. You don't have to answer any of those questions if you don't want to; I guess I just thought you became a soldier for the same reason as me." Rory wrung his hands, obviously a bit awkward in the situation. "I mean, that you became a soldier for revenge…didn't you?"

"No," Anastasia answered, scowling at the idea. It had never crossed her mind to become a soldier to get back at the Covenant for the destruction of her planet. "I was only three when it happened, so it’s not like the planet meant much to me. I became a soldier because the UNSC was the only thing I believed in."

Rory leaned back in a bit closer to her, tilting his head to the side just a bit. "You were only three? Even I wasn't that young when my planet was glassed. How did you make it out of that alive?"

Anastasia's hand moved up to her shoulder and the UNSC logo that was tattooed there. "An ODST saved me at the last minute. They got me off the planet and to safety." She could still remember the face of the man as he smiled at her in the medical bed.

"I'm surprised you have a UNSC eagle, not like a flaming skull or something." Rory leaned back to get a good look at the tattoo. "Why did you get a UNSC logo? Seems sort of bland."

"I don't know you well enough to tell you the story behind it. I don't know you well enough to tell you the reason behind any of my tattoos." Anastasia shifted a bit, trying to get away from his gaze as it made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"You have other tattoos?" Rory raised an eyebrow and smirked at her. "Where else do you have tattoos? Can I see any of them?" His eyes dropped, looking over her exposed skin for any hint of a tattoo.

"You wish," Anastasia smiled slightly, happier with teasing than with asking about her history. And a part of her actually enjoyed his apparent interest in her, as each of her new scars made her more self-conscious.

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Novara," Rory smiled as he stood up, grabbing his water bottle. "Unfortunately I have to get cleaned up so I can keep an appointment. I do hope to see you again."

Anastasia knew that he really meant it, and she couldn't help but smile. "It's Anastasia."

Rory's smile widened at her words. "Well then, I hope to see you again, Anastasia." He saluted her quickly and then turned and moved to the showers.

Anastasia had never expected to see him after that, so when she met him again three years later it was a surprise. It was even more of a surprise that their second meeting would have such an impact on her, and would set the groundwork that would make her welcome his affection.

As with most of their missions, the planet they'd been deployed to had gone to hell. Their drop had been fine, but nothing good had happened from there on out. One of her teammates had been taken out by a Jackal sniper, a second had been obliterated by a hunter pair, and a third had been seriously injured. The fourth member of her squad had decided to stay behind with the third, but not long after they were lost after a Phantom had come crashing down on top of their position and collapsed the building they had been in. The last had been taken out by a fuel rod wielding Grunt, and even years later Anastasia would wonder how she didn't get killed in the blast as well. She was burned slightly by the heat, but somehow she survived.

Anastasia lay on the ground, her right arm was partially burned and her head hurt from hitting the ground when she’d fallen. Her helmet had protected her well enough, but it was still a shock to the system. She lifted her head and saw the Grunts waddle away, having thought she was dead. Before they could ready their fuel rods again, both of the short alien's heads suddenly burst into bits of skull and brain.

Anastasia rolled onto her side and quickly moved behind a section of broken building for cover. Her head was clearing but she didn't know who had killed the Grunts. She set her head against the rubble and gave herself a moment to breathe. She cursed as she realized that she'd dropped her weapon when she'd been knocked down, which meant that she was unarmed. Anastasia moved to the edge of the wall she was behind and peeked out to see if there were any enemies that would prevent her from getting her gun back.

What she saw wasn't something she was expecting, and for a moment she wondered if she was seeing a new Covenant that she hadn't been told about. Upon closer examination of the shape and the way it moved however, she had to conclude that it was indeed a human. The individual was gathering up ammunition from the Grunts, and was wearing armor that was absolutely foreign to her. It was bulky and rough looking, like someone had taken parts of a ship and strapped them to a person. The figure looked around and then turned toward Anastasia. She moved back behind the stone barrier and hoped that whatever it was hadn't seen her. Human or not, she still had no idea if this stranger was a friend or a foe. She heard steps and knew that the thing was coming toward her.

Anastasia made a quick decision and hoped that she'd at least have a chance to get away if she couldn't damage it. Anastasia crouched down and looked around, spotting her assault rifle lying on the ground. She sprinted toward it and picked it up as she dove, rolling to her feet. Anastasia lifted the rifle but stopped as she saw that the figure was holding up its hands. Anastasia lowered the weapon and the strange armored person approached her.

"Are you injured, trooper?" a man’s voice asked, as the figure held out his hand to help her up. Anastasia frowned at his hand and stood up on her own. The oddly-armored man retracted his hand and nodded, accepting that she was all right. "Where's your team, soldier?"

"Most are dead, I believe there are two of them still alive in the homes around the business district." Anastasia looked toward the field where the Covenant had been. There had been a couple Elites and a few Grunts, but they were all dead now. She looked over to the dead body of her teammate, deciding that there was nothing to be done. She moved over to the body and yanked off the woman's dog tags. Anastasia tucked them away in her armor and checked her weapon.

"What's your next action?" the strange soldier asked. He was scanning the street for any sign of Covenant. "What's your objective?"

"I don't have an objective. My radio isn't working and we were looking for a ride off-planet, or to a major troop location at least." Anastasia took some assault rifle ammunition that seemed usable from her fallen teammate as well.

The man watched her, as though he didn't believe her. "Have you not checked in with command for new orders?"

Anastasia looked up at the soldier and stood up. "Why don't you just go on with our own mission? I can take care of myself." Anastasia moved into a vacant building nearby, moving up to the second floor to get a bit of safety so she could check out her armor. She was aggravated to hear the strange soldier was following her up the stairs. Anastasia took a seat on a broken desk.

The other soldier looked around and seemed to decide that there was nowhere that could handle the obvious weight of his armor so he just leaned against a wall. Anastasia ignored him and just focused on her own armor. She checked her COMM system but she got nothing. She smacked her hand to the side of her helmet but it still didn't work. She finally pulled her helmet off and whacked it against the desk she was sitting on.

The armored man stood from where he was leaning and took a step toward Anastasia. "I thought it was you," he said quietly.

Anastasia frowned and narrowed her gaze at him, not understanding what he meant. "You must have me confused with someone else. Everyone I've ever known is dead, and those that aren't should stay far away from me."

"I know it's been a few years, Anastasia, but I didn't think it would make you hostile toward me." The soldier reached up and removed his helmet. Anastasia didn't know what she had expected, but the blue eyed, big-nosed man she'd met three years ago wasn't on her list of who she would have guessed. "Unless you're still annoyed that I asked about the glassing of your planet, that is."

Anastasia turned her helmet over in her hand, staring down at the visor and her reflection. "I never said it was because I hated them. Though for most of them it is because I hate them." She rubbed her thumb over a blood stain on the reflective surface, trying to clean it a bit. "I don't care about the glassing of my planet. You know it doesn't matter to me, Rory."

"You said it wasn't why you became a soldier," Rory corrected.  "That doesn't mean it isn't important to you." He took another step forward and Anastasia reflexively looked up at him. He stopped in his tracks and she saw a sort of sad look on his face. "The years have changed you." It was a clear statement and Anastasia wasn't about to fight it.

"Combat, war, and death changed me," she corrected. "It could have all happened in one year and the results would still be the same." She met his gaze and stared him down as though it were a test of strength. "At least I'm not the one who's wearing old warthog parts on me as armor."

Rory looked down at the green plating of his armor. "I guess it does sort of look like that," he admitted. "It's actually pretty advanced armor. It increases my physical abilities, so I'm more than happy to look like a warthog." He smiled slightly and moved to lean against the desk she was on. "Do you think if I put some flashlights on the sides of my head that maybe Grunts will mistake me for one and dive out of the way when I charge them?" Anastasia sighed at the joke and Rory's smile fell. "Come on, not even a little smile?"

"What exactly do I have to smile about?" Anastasia asked. "I've got a busted radio, an injured comrade, a mostly dead team, and the only other useful member of my team is keeping the injured one alive. What exactly about all of that should I be smiling about?"

Rory watched her with a worried gaze as she glared at him. "I'm sorry, Anastasia, I didn't realize it was that bad." He crossed his arms a bit uncomfortably across his chest. The bulk of the armor kept him from really having a normal posture or position. It all just looked awkward and Anastasia couldn't understand why he'd want armor like that. "You know there's a police station a few blocks north that might have a pelican you can take to evac your team."

"Where do you think we were heading when those Covenant ambushed us?" Anastasia snapped. "I was just making a trip down to the grocery store to buy some milk."

Rory frowned, visually displeased. "The years have made you a rather harsh person," he commented and he leaned in a bit closer. "They’ve also made you a sadder one."

"I'm not sad," Anastasia denied. "I'm pissed that you won't just get on with your own mission and leave me alone. I can get a pelican on my own."

"You are sad," Rory insisted. "You said that only two members of your team were alive and that most of them were dead. A squad like yours has about six people. Half your squad is dead, so sad is a reasonable emotion."

"Losing half my team is called ‘a Tuesday’, Rory." Anastasia turned her gaze to the ground. It wasn't completely true; she had lost one named wolf, and now Sky was the only remaining Wolf that had a proper name.

Rory didn't respond to the question, just shifted his helmet in his hands for a few seconds. "I could help you get that pelican," he offered. "Your teammate's dead, so I can back you up."

"I don't need back up," Anastasia snapped. "Don't you have some mission you need to complete?"

"I'm supposed to help the troops that are already on the ground. You're a trooper on the ground. Helping you is a part of my mission." Anastasia scowled at him, insulted by the idea that she'd need help. Rory must have picked up on her displeasure. "Well, really I'm helping your teammates. If one of them is injured, then every minute counts. I should at least be able to help you shave off a minute or two from your retrieval time."

Anastasia sighed and decided that it was pointless to fight him, that he wasn't going to let her go on her own. "Fine, tag along if you want." Anastasia slipped on her helmet and checked the systems were fine. "Though I hope that stupid-ass armor can do stealth, ‘cause you can find someone else to help if Grunts are going to hear your footsteps a mile away."

"I assure you that though this armor may be big, I can still do stealth," Rory answered. "It's more useful than it looks. Besides, we can't all look as good as you do in our armor." Anastasia looked away from him, trying to show that she was disregarding his comment. "You look better in your armor then I expected."

"Can you not flirt with me and instead get moving so that my teammates don't die before I get a pelican?" Anastasia stood up and moved toward the stairs.

"I'm not flirting," Rory corrected as he followed her out of the building. "I'm just saying that it looks good on you."

"How exactly is that not flirting? Complementing a woman's appearance is classic flirting." Anastasia moved out the front door of the building and looked around the street. "We need a ride."

"I'm not flirting," Rory defended. "I just think that the armor looks like you, you know, like it suits you." He audibly sighed and moved to stand beside her. "I think I saw one that was operational a few blocks away that we could get to easily." Anastasia motioned for him to lead the way and Rory started walking.

They walked in silence for some time, which Anastasia was grateful for as she didn't want him to pry more. The warthog that they found was in fairly good shape and once Rory pushed a chunk of metal off the hood it was good to move. She wouldn't admit it but his strength was impressive, and she envied how easily he moved the heavy, chunky-looking armor. Anastasia took the gunner’s spot while Rory moved into the driver's seat.

They didn't find many enemies on the road, which was lucky as Anastasia didn't know how good of a driver Rory was and she didn't want to find out with her life on the line. She was just happy as long as Rory didn't start asking her any more questions.

"So how have you been over the years?" he asked as he took a turn and maneuvered between the crashed cars on the road.

Anastasia let out an exasperated sigh, but for whatever reason she decided to answer. "I've been fighting a war, how do you think I've been," Anastasia grumbled. "You still living the sweet life where you get to work alone?"

"Yeah, still on my own," Rory answered. "Do you really still hate being a part of a team? I would think it would be helpful to have others for your enemies to shoot at, at the very least."

Anastasia looked down a side alley as they passed, checking to see if she saw any enemies in the distance. There was nothing so she relaxed a bit. "If anything I want to be solo now more than ever before."

Rory didn't say anything to that, just continued to drive down the streets. Anastasia was fine with the silence, but there was something in the air that made her uneasy. She looked down to him and something seemed to have changed about his posture. He seemed tense and more focused when he spoke and it startled Anastasia a bit. "Do you really lose that many teammates?"

"More than you know," Anastasia answered. "Most of them don't even live long enough to become ‘Rookies’, let alone get a real name. The newbie that was injured will probably be dead, but at least Sky should be able to survive."

"What do you mean by ‘a real name’? Are their original names not good enough?" Rory asked.

"Combat gives you a name," Anastasia explained, spinning the turret around to watch their back and so she could lean against the frame-bars of the warthog. "It's a real name, not one that's handed to you, but earned. Everyone gets a name, but only Wolves have real names."

How exactly does combat give you a name?" Rory turned the warthog onto the main street and the police station came into view.

"You have to do something to earn it. Sky got her name when she fell onto an Elite and crushed its spine. She came from the sky and saved Luna's life. Of course Luna was dead a few hours later because of a Hunter, but the action still resulted in a name." Anastasia stared at the road behind them as she remembered the mission, the death of the rookie and the hot pocket before the large alien had taken Luna. "It’s a name that's earned…" she muttered.

"What's your real name?" Anastasia ignored the question, just turned the turret around as they neared the station. Rory brought the jeep to a stop and Anastasia jumped off the back. "How do you fight?" Rory asked.

"Fine," Anastasia answered curtly.

"I meant do you prefer being in close, or at a distance? I already know you can hold your own in a fight. Just need to know if I should give you a pistol or if you're fine with your assault rifle." Rory pulled out his pistol and looked to the police station, scanning it for signs of Covenant.

"I'm fine with an assault rifle. A marine can use any weapon in a time of need." Anastasia pulled her rifle from the back of her armor and moved toward the station. The glass of the front door was busted, so she crouched down and just passed through. She'd stepped into the lobby and scanned the area to be sure it was clear. She spun around as there was a creaking sound behind her. She stopped as she saw Rory pushing the door to the station open. "I thought we were going for stealth."

"I can't fit through that opening," Rory argued. "Would you rather I'd broken one of the windows to get in?" He moved in to stand beside her. "The pelican will probably be a few levels up. I'll check the computer to see what I can find."

Anastasia nodded and moved to a side of the lobby, reading the signs that directed people to whatever department they were looking for, but there wasn't one for a pelican. There was a sudden roar, and Anastasia turned around in time to see an Elite slamming Rory's helmet into one of the computers. The alien tried to hold his head down but Rory rotated and his elbow knocked the Elite's arm away. It didn't stop the alien from striking with his other hand which wrapped around Rory's neck. Anastasia drew her knife and moved forward. The enemy was too focused on the male soldier that it didn't even react until it was too late. Anastasia climbed onto the Elite's back and stabbed her knife into its spine. She dropped down to the ground and Rory pushed the body off of him.

"Making a ton of noise and needing to be rescued. Remind me again how it is that you're helping me?" Anastasia taunted.

"I didn't even hear it come up and it wasn't on my motion tracker," Rory complained. "I appreciate you saving my skin, but I could have handled it."

"Sure you could have. And I'm sure you also got us a map." Rory looked away and Anastasia sighed. "Let's just start walking up the stairs and we'll see if they have markers."

"Fine, if you want to do it the simple way, but you seem to be into things being more difficult," Rory muttered.

"What the Hell is that supposed to mean?" Anastasia snapped. "I haven't been difficult at all, you're the one that's being difficult, forcing me to take you on this mission with me."

"You're the one that right away was hostile, that fought me when I just wanted to help, and keeps information from me," Rory argued. "I'm not an enemy, I just care about you."

"I don't need you to care about me, Rory. I'm fine the way I am and you're better off not caring about me at all. I’m part of a suicide squad, so it's kind of pointless to worry."

"I'm not worried about you dying," Rory corrected. "The Anastasia I met only three years ago smiled, and when she was teased it was really playful and she flirted with me. She didn't have such a bleak outlook at life."

"Why don't you just mind your own business and just focus on the mission," Anastasia snapped, stomping up the stairs. Rory groaned and just fell into step behind her.

The two made their way up four flights of stairs before they found a sign that marked the fifth level as the flight station. It was clear of enemies, but Anastasia wasn't really surprised, the Covenant rarely cared about the levels of buildings above the first one. There were two pelicans and Anastasia realized that this is where she would have to split from Rory. Although she wanted him to get away before being around her got him killed, she didn't really want him to go either. It had been nice having him around, and he seemed to actually care about her.

"Well, there goes my plan to lie and say that I'd need your pelican so I'd be able to keep you safe." Rory laughed lightly, but Anastasia was fairly sure he wasn't kidding.

"I don't need to be protected," Anastasia said on reflex. She hated being protected, it got good people killed and it was always her fault.

"Why do I care about what you need? It’s what I want to do." Rory reached up and pulled his helmet off. "Can I ask you something first?" Anastasia shrugged but nodded, deciding one last question couldn't hurt...though as usual, she was wrong. "How do you do it? How do you watch people die and get past it?"

Anastasia sighed and looked away from him. "I just shut out people from getting close. The people that get the closest to me are the Wolves with names, but I still keep myself distanced from them. People die, Rory, so you either stay away from them or you deal with the pain that comes with that death." Anastasia stared at the pelican and fell silent for a few seconds. "I choose to stay away."

"But aren't our bonds with other humans what make us human?" It was a stupid question in Anastasia's opinion, but Rory sounded serious. "I see soldiers dying all the time, and I want to help them but there's nothing I can do. All I can do is watch them die and I hate it."

"That's because you're soft," Anastasia huffed, setting her hands on her hips. "If you let the death of random soldiers get under your skin, then it won't be the Covenant that kills you - it’ll be your own damn sentimentality. They're soldiers, dying is just one possible end for us, weren't you taught that?"

"Of course I was, but it's not that simple. I want to protect people, not just leave them to die." Rory ran a hand over his recently buzzed hair. "I'm just tired of all the death."

"Then you're in the wrong line of work. This war isn't over and there's going to be plenty more death before it is." Anastasia removed her own helmet and frowned at Rory. "It's going to hurt either way."

"So you just cut yourself off from having bonds with anyone? No friends, family, or significant other?" Rory took a step closer to Anastasia and flexed the hand that was closest to her.

"The closest things I have to friends are my teammates, and they die too easily so I don't let them get too close. Family isn't something that I'm interested in, and I don't have anyone to love so I'm fine there. I'm not missing out on much," Anastasia concluded.

"You could really live a life with no love in it?" Rory seemed to not be able to comprehend the idea. "How can you be happy that way?"

"I don't need another person to be happy," Anastasia answered. "I have Covenant to kill, and drops to make. I'm happy that way. How could it be better?"

Rory smiled slightly. "You could let someone in. Someone that can handle themselves in combat." Rory's hand moved just a bit and brushed against Anastasia's hand. She looked down to his hand and didn’t know how to respond. She didn't even understand what it was he was offering her. When Anastasia didn't respond Rory seemed to back off a bit. "Well, I guess we should part ways."

Anastasia nodded, agreeing that if she stayed any longer and she might start to over think his words. "I'll tell my team that a guy wearing a junk yard got his head smashed into a terminal to try to help them."

"I didn't do it for them," Rory said with a smile before he bumped his shoulder against hers. "You deserve to keep at least a couple teammates every once in a while."

Anastasia smiled slightly and she put her rifle on her back. "It's a new concept, but I think I'll give it a try." She slammed her fist into his shoulder, even though she was sure he wouldn't really feel it through the think plates. "See you around, Rory."

"You mean you actually wouldn't be against seeing me again?" Anastasia rolled her eyes and Rory laughed. "I think that's my biggest victory of the day."

"Only because you don't have any other victory." Anastasia smirked in triumph as she got in one last jab. Rory smiled back, and for a moment Anastasia thought that he was going to do something, but he just nodded and slipped his helmet on. Anastasia slipped on her own helmet and moved her pelican. She watched out of the front window as Rory's pelican rose and she followed suit. He moved off to the north and Anastasia turned to the south to pick up her team.

Anastasia had been a fool, stupid enough to believe his claims that he could take care of himself in combat. She tossed the tablet onto her bed and cursed under her breath. She cursed Noble Team, which he was listed as being part of. He'd been fine on his own, but the moment he'd been put on a team he'd been killed.

Anastasia moved to the bathroom and looked in the mirror, frustrated by the lonely gaze that stared back at her. She'd been stupid to get attached to him so quickly, and actually expect him to survive. Anastasia's fist slammed into the mirror and it cracked. She knew she would get shit about that later but she didn't care right now. She stared down at the broken shards of glass before she reached down and picked up a piece.

She gripped the shard loosely and held out her right arm. There were lines of scars all along her inner forearm. To the causal glance they would look like just normal scars, but if someone really thought about it they would realize their placement was wrong. Her armor had always protected that part of her body so there was no reason for her to have scars there. Anastasia drug the shard across her skin, watching the blood rise up and slide down her arm. There were a few marks that were still healing, having finally reached a point where they would scar. She dropped the piece of the mirror into the sink and just watched her arm bleed. It would stop on its own; she'd done this enough times that she knew what she was doing. She knew when she could tell if it would scar or not. She knew how deep she had to cut and how deep was too deep. The cut was a bit longer than the others, her own way of honoring Rory.

After the blood had stopped flowing from the wound, Anastasia sat down on her bed and she ran her finger along her arm. "Damn you, Rory," she said quietly, as she allowed tears to slide freely down her face.