Epilogue: The Greatest Feeling

What a ride for this story and what a great trip it was huh? Just seeing that so many people have read this since it began and followed it throughout has just been a phenomenal feeling. Now I know why so many authors stay for years on here lol.

Well it's time for the final hoo-rah on this story and I intend to send us all out with a great ending. Here's to all the comments and begging for this chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, all characters belong to 343 and Bungie. See all end all question: Female Sangheili or female Spartan, which you would you want to date? Leave answers in the review section and yes you may have both if you desire to get your pelvis obliterated.

-10 Years Later-

Dava 'Vadamee has held any titles in his life: he was a leader in the Human-Covenant War, an elder to his Keep, a father to the Arbiter, a former husband to a very respected and feared wife, a mentor to his peers and a Master of the Keep. He controlled one of the most successful Keeps on Sangheilios and his word carried more weight than more than the other Keeps combined.

But all of that paled in comparison to one title that always brought joy to his old heart and made him feel years younger. That title you ask?

"GRANDPA!"

That one word was his only warning before he was ran into by three children. "Omphf...not so hard little ones, Grandpa can't take much on these old bones." Dava said as the three children laughed as they helped him up. "Have you three finished your training for the day?"

"Yes, Grandpa." The three replied as Dava gave a Sangehilian smile.

"Very good little ones, you three will be the shining example of cooperation in the near future." Dava said proudly. "Who's ready for some fresh baked Panaka Bread?" he asked as they all quickly grabbed his hands and led him away as he laughed.

As Dava was led through the halls of his Keep by the three children he couldn't help but remember the days leading up to the moment when two of them first graced his Keep's halls.

-Flashback-

"You...you are serious?" Dava asked slowly as the Chief nodded. "You wish to adopt human children and bring them here?"

"There's shortages of supplies everywhere on Earth right now and too many orphans from the war. It might take a bit of convincing but in the end the agency's will have to give in." The Chief replied calmly. "Your daughter has been anxious to have a child and since we aren't able to, I figured she wouldn't mind a human one."

"That she wouldn't. We don't do these "adoptions" like you humans do but where a child comes from isn't a concern for us either. All children are sacred to the Sangheili and to have one is to tie yourself to another forever." Dava said as a thought crossed his mind. "My daughter has her date of birth coming soon, perhaps we could find a way to make it happen by then?"

"It shouldn't take longer than a week to get things finalized but you know they will have a long list of demands." The Chief replied as Dava nodded.

"And we will accept any demands they have." Dava acknowledged as the Chief nodded.

-Flashback end-

"You're spacing out again Grandpa." Jackie complained as they reached the kitchen.

"Ah I apologize little one. My memory keeps jumping at me sometimes." Dava replied as he sat across from the three children.

Jackie was a human child about 7 years old with short brown hair and matching brown eyes and light colored skin. He was the most out going of the three and was always making sure that everyone had a happy day with his antics.

Lexi was a human girl about 6 years old with short black hair and green eyes and dark skin. She was the studious one who loved books and reading. She was already giving the Master Recorder a serious challenge in the intellect category. She preferred quiet but she wouldn't say no to helping Jackie run wild on the Keep Guards.

The Keep Guards in return made a game out of their antics and often challenged the two to come up with new ways and tricks and the children gave it to them. Luka himself often became the target of many of the tricks but the old veteran didn't mind in the least.

When they were brought to the Keep on the Arbiter's birth day, Thela almost had a heart attack before breaking down.

-Flashback-

"What are you up to husband?" The Arbiter asked suspiciously as the Chief looked at her. "You have been tense this entire day."

"I'm just ready for another incident." The Chief said as the Arbiter gave a soft sigh.

"One of these days we will have to ban those two from our alcohol." she replied as the Chief gave a small chuckle. "That is not the whole reason though, we have been married for three years now husband and I can tell when you are hiding something."

"It's a surprise wife." The Chief said as the Arbiter grimaced before turning away with a huff.

Most of the day passed smoothly, even with Dubbo sneaking a few drinks the celebration was straightforward and the games held during were even better as they allowed humanity to show off their own strength for once. The Human embassy on Sangheilios had been up and running for a year now and so far no incidents have been reported.

When it was time for the surprise, suffice to say the Arbiter wasn't ready for it at all.

"Remember how I said I have a surprise?" The Chief asked as he quietly led her away from the main area into a side room the only ones in their were the two and her father who looked a little tense.

"What's going on?" The Arbiter asked slowly. The air was heavy in the room and she felt like suffocating under the tense atmosphere. She didn't like unknown situations but this seemed to be something big and unexpected.

"Daughter, I know that I haven't been close to being the best father in your life. After speaking with your husband and confirming a couple of items, we have given you something you have been asking for." Her father said as she got an odd twist in her stomach.

"What...what are..." The tense atmosphere was making it hard for her to breathe but when her father brought out two small bundles of cloth and carried them to her she stopped breathing all together as she gazed at the sleeping faces of two young human babies. Very slowly with shaking hands she took them and held them close to her as if they were fragile pieces of glass that would shatter at the slightest flinch. "How..."

"You've been wanting children and after some deliberations, I felt that the best gift I could give is what you want." The Chief replied as the Arbiter continued to look at the human babies.

One had short brown hair with light skin and the other had short jet black hair and darker skin. Both were sleeping peacefully and both gave short gurgles in their sleep when the Arbiter nuzzled them. Human they were but the Arbiter didn't care in the least.

"Are these...do you mean..." she trailed off as she looked straight at the Chief's brown eyes.

"Signed, documented and notarized by the UNSC and Earthen Government." The Chief replied as he held out a data pad. "We are their legal parents from now on."

If the Arbiter could've hugged the Chief right then and there she would've but the two children in her arms prevented that but she did grace him with a nice kiss when he moved closer.

Dava chose this moment to leave the two new parents with a Sangheili smile on his face.

-Flashback end-

"Hello! Earth to Grandpa Dav!" Lexi said as Dava nodded his head.

"Sorry again young one, us old timers love trips down memory lane." Dava replied as he took a bite of his bread. It was the Sangheilian version of the human pound cake he learned, sweet and sugary but with some fruit baked in. They ate quietly before Dava turned his eyes to the third child and the complete shock to both human and Sangheili.

The child was a Sangheili with dark brown eyes and a fiery temper that matched exactly who her mother was along with the strength and endurance of the human who had helped birth her. Vele 'Vadam was her birth name and though she was only 4 years old, she had already been hailed as the future Arbiter with her quick temper and matching intellect and instincts.

The entire biology text on both species had to be re-written when it was found out just who had been the biological parents.

-Flashback-

"Wha-What did you say?" The Arbiter asked in shock. This situation was just too impossible to even think about.

"You are currently carrying a child Arbiter. Of that there is no doubt." The doctor repeated but he was just as confused and shocked as she was.

"But...how?" she asked slowly as the doctor shook his head.

"I am not sure, did you..."

"NO! Never in my entire life will I ever do anything like that with anyone but my life mate!" The Arbiter yelled as she cut that train of thought off completely.

"Then I can only surmise that the other parent is indeed the human." The doctor said as the Arbiter shook. "I can run some tests but it might be a good idea to have the humans test this themselves as well. They will want to know about it."

The Arbiter had to think it over for a moment. "Do it but be careful or else I will kill you." she warned as the doctor nodded before he took blood and DNA samples from her and through careful procedures took a small bit from the growing child in her.

-Flashback end-

Each race ran almost a thousand tests on the samples they received and all the tests came back with the same result. The two biological parents of the child she carried was the product of a Human and a Sangheili or more specifically the Arbiter and the Spartan. The results had completely perplexed both races until they ran simulations with various samples of DNA.

In 1000 simulations, only a total of 5 samples managed to match up enough genes to produce a viable offspring, with the mother determining the race and the primary traits and the father providing the gender and the supporting traits.

The two parents had a 0.5% chance of ever being able to produce a child and yet they both apparently had the best luck in the entire galaxy. The fact that the two only saw each other for only half the year in person only made that all the more apparent. Vele felt Dava's eyes on her and she looked up from her bread. "Is there something on my face grandfather?"

"No little one, just remembering the day you were born. Your mother was still in shock about it even then you know. You were a miracle in terms of statistics between all the simulations ran on account of your conceiving." Dava said as Vele grimaced. "It's nothing to be sad about, on the contrary it was truly a blessing from the gods. It only provided more proof that your parents made the correct choice to be wed 10 years ago."

"Where were we when this happened?" Jackie asked as Dava reached into his robes and pulled out a small holo-picture and handed it to them.

"You both were still so young and in addition you were sleeping all the time but you weren't any less important." Dava said as they looked at the picture of themselves being hugged tight to the Arbiter's body with their newest sibling in between them. Their mother looked completely happy and at peace.

"Mom really enjoys having kids now doesn't she?" Lexi asked as the other two nodded.

"She does, she almost lost her mind when your father took you three to Earth." Dava said as the kids grinned or nodded in Vele's case.

"Seeing Aunt Kelly shove Uncle Fred's head into a wall was worth it." Jackie said with a big grin as Vele shook her head.

"Stupid big brother." Vele said as Jackie gave her and Lexi a big hug.

The incident in question was a year after Vele was born and the Spartan decided that taking the kids to see their other relatives was a good idea and the Arbiter went wild when she found out and sent Rtas, Uncle R to the kids, to keep tabs on them with the threat that his manhood would no longer be attached if he failed.

-Flashback-

As the Chief strode through the halls of the Cairo many UNSC personnel stopped and openly gawked at the sight of the Spartan, humanity's ultimately killer, walking with one child in his arm while two more walked beside him. It was almost impossible to even comprehend but there they were, walking like the didn't have a care in the world except for the Chief who still remained tense as his eyes occasionally darted back and forth in search of any potential troublemakers that might cause harm to his children, more importantly his Sangheili child.

Thankfully he reached his destination without incident but he still had to steel himself as the people on the other side of the door weren't normal UNSC personnel. Giving a soft sigh, the door opened and he stepped through it and into a small training room.

"Chief!" he heard a shocked voice say from the corner of it. Turning towards the source he saw one of his old teammates from Blue Team. Fred-104 hurried over to the Chief with a large grin on his face. "Hey everyone! The Chief is back, with visitors!"

"Out of my way!" Another voice, female this time, said as she roughly shoved Fred out of the way. Kelly-087 always liked the little things in life and kids were no different. "Aw look how cute it's a mini-Chief." she gushed as Jackie tried to hide from her.

"Your scaring them." Linda-058 said as she approached them with a slight smile on her face. "You also ran over Fred, though he probably deserved it." she finished as Fred gave a squawk of indignation.

The Chief shook his head but did smile as his team joked around him. This was the team he missed for a long time and to be back around them was calming to him. "It's great to see you all again." The Chief said as Fred picked himself up off the ground.

"Same to you Chief, are these little ones yours?" Kelly asked as the Chief nodded before ushering Jackie in front of him.

"This is Jackie, this is Lexi," he motioned to the dark-skinned girl hiding behind him. "And this is Vele, the miracle child." he finished as Vele snuggled closer to her father.

"Miracle child seems appropriate." An older voice said from behind the Chief as he turned and saw Halsey with a smile on her face. "It has been some time hasn't it John."

"That it has ma'am." The Chief replied as Halsey stepped closer and motioned for Vele. The Chief handed her over carefully as Halsey cradled her in her arms.

"She has your eyes John and I bet she has your abilities from your injections." Halsey remarked as she went to sit down with Vele. "Come here children and I'll tell you a story about your father." she remarked with a sly smile as the Chief face-palmed and his children cautiously went to her.

"Does your wife know you brought them here Chief?" Fred asked suddenly as Linda gave a slight flinch that went unnoticed.

"Not particularly." The Chief replied as Kelly gave a snort.

"You are dead you know." Linda said as Kelly nodded.

"Never take your kids without telling your wife Chief, it's bad for your health." Kelly explained as the Chief shrugged.

"They are my children too." The Chief replied but the both females only shook their heads.

"They are always hers Chief and your just a donor." Kelly said as the Chief sighed and Rtas tried his best not to laugh from his position. He knew that they knew he was in the room but they ignored him since he wasn't there to do anything.

"So Uncle Fred stole Aunt Kelly's animal and flushed it down the toilet?" Jackie asked suddenly as Fred went wide-eyed when Kelly rounded on him.

"THAT WAS YOU?!" she shouted as attention went to her and Fred. "YOU BLAMED IT ON SAM!"

"Well..." Fred started but ended up making a break for the door but Kelly was quicker. As soon as he started running she grabbed his shirt and beat the crap out of him before throwing him through a wall.

"Take my stuff again and it's my boot where the sun doesn't shine!" Kelly said as the children shook their heads before turning back to Grandma Halsey.

-Flashback end-

"Sounds like it was a nice time." Dava replied as the three nodded. "Are you visiting them again soon?"

"As soon as mommy and daddy get back." Vele said as she finished her bread. "Mommy said that we can only go when she is with us."

"That is my daughter. She dotes on you three all the time but that's how mothers are." Dava said as he finished his bread and stood up. "Why don't you three show me how good you are? I haven't seen your training since last year and your instructor says you three have grown by leaps and bounds."

The children shrugged but they were already destined for greatness. Vele was the next Arbiter in line but she refused point blank to accept anything unless her siblings went with her and after much debate it was agreed that Jackie and Lexi would be the first of her Honor Guard when the time came for her to take her mother's place.

Until then, there was training to be had and many guards to prank.

-With the Chief and the Arbiter-

"Just once I want to go someplace nice instead of a place crawling with insurgents." The Arbiter complained as she unloaded her Plasma Rifle into a Jackal.

"Such is the life of the military." The Chief countered as he inserted a fresh magazine into his MA5B. "I'll ask for some leave time after this."

"You better or else I'll force you to go AWOL." The Arbiter replied as the rest of their mixed squad snickered. "And no one would find you, not even your team."

"Sorry Chief but you're on your own for this. Marines, we're moving to objective Bravo." One Marine said as he led part of his squad away when the last insurgent fell. "See you at the CC Chief."

"We'll be moving on the Armory to cut off their weapons supply. May the lords guide you to victory." A Major Sangheili said as he led his squad out, leaving the couple alone in the room.

"I guess we're assaulting right through. First to 50?" The Chief offered as the Arbiter shook her head.

"You wouldn't even be able to keep up with me." she remarked as the Chief grinned.

"Wait until our kids heat the Human beat his Sangheilian wife." The Chief said as the Arbiter stepped closer to him.

"Or their Human father will be forced to explain why he keeps being beat by his Sangheilian wife." she replied as the Chief gave another grin before pulling her in close.

-Scene Change-

"Mommy! Daddy!" Three voices yelled out in the courtyard as a human and a Sangheili came into view before they were obscured by three children dive-bombing them.

The happy family was together again and each time they came home, both parents thought that maybe peace would finally be attained and they could simply live out their lives in peace with their kids.

"Were it so easy." Was always the Arbiter's answer.

Phew what a chapter and what a ride huh? I believe I hit all the nails on the head in this one and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I had fun writing it.

It's been a long journey for our happy couple and a sequel might be possible but for right now I'm going to be working on my next story which is my D3 one. Halo 5 comes out in about 6 months so I'm sure we are all looking forward to it especially if the Arbiter is in it. Since H3 we have all been asking for his comeback but so far it has gone ignored by everyone in the game industry but fingers crossed.

Well guys, read and review and I hope you all continue to come back to this story and I hope I inspire more female Arbiter or even more female Sangheili stories in general. There's a severe lack of them (I think only 4 or 5 total) and they can be very great if done right.

Side note: Yes I am a Chief/Linda guy so sue me! XD