Chapter 20: Home at Last

Sol System: 1746 hours, UNSC military time

As we exited the slipspace jump, the Starfox team, Baker, and I all stood at the front viewport of the Frigate ship, Epsilon and watched as earth got closer and closer to us.

"Well guys, that's it…Earth."

As they all looked upon it, Krystal took the others silence as her opportunity to speak.

"Wow…it, it's beautiful, it looks much like Corneria from space."

"Thanks, the last alien race to see earth…imagined it as a soon to be lifeless fireball."

"Oh."

We just stood there and looked on at the planet as our ship slowly edged closer and closer to it, how I couldn't wait to get back home for a change.

As our ship neared the planet, it turned and began moving sideways so as to slide into one of the many docking stations orbiting the planet.

We docked and were escorted off the ship onto a surface bound shuttle. Upon boarding it, the Starfox team received strange looks from those on board, but those looks quickly faded as I returned a look of my own on them, that implied, "If you stare any longer, I'll punch your face in so hard that you'll be staring at the back of your own head."

The shuttle gently shook as we descended into the atmosphere, other shuttles surrounding us as they descended to the surface of the planet as well. Seeing all the other shuttles surrounding ours as we descended caused me to think back to a battle I was part of, the same view, except everyone wouldn't make it to the ground safely.

My thoughts

"Spartan 205 and combat detail seven niner alpha, this is the Marksus IV, we cannot repel the enemy dropships, expect enemy vessels in atmosphere soon, proceed with caution."

"Shit, I thought to myself as I stood at the back of my pelican dropship, watching tiny specks of orange flame appear as multitudes of covenant dropships entered the atmosphere behind us out of the sealed cargo doors blast window.

As I watched them come in behind us, I could see bolts of plasma leave their structures, nearly impact and hit other pelicans, melting into them and causing them to spin and fall through the atmosphere, only to later impact the ground after a several thousand kilometer fall.

"John, John are you okay man?" I was brought out of my flashback as Benjamin made his inquiry.

"Yeah…just thinkin' a bit."

"Well, don't do it so much, you get like, that crazy look in your eyes."

I nodded just as the shuttle pilots voice came over the intercom, informing us that we would be landing in thirty seconds.

A short while later, we landed at a military base, the twenty first century marine base, titled Camp Lejune.

We exited the shuttle and were greeted by the view of a long column of marines, presumably on security detail due to the large crowd of civilians that had gathered to see the Cornerians.

As we walked down the ramp, a remote control Hover Cam flew over head of us and sent live feed video back to a news van in the vicinity.

By now, the other shuttles had landed and their occupants were exiting them.

We walked in between the row of marines acting as our defense line from the crowd of onlooking civilians to a large armored diplomat vehicle. As we climbed in, an ODST stood guard beside the door, eyes scanning and ready to take down anything that seemed remotely like a threat.

After we all were situated within the vehicle, he entered and sat beside the heavy, bulletproof glass door, still keeping guard, again, ready for anything.

As our vehicle moved along, a radio transmission could be heard in the drivers section of the vehicle and shortly after, I was called up to the cockpit to answer it as it was for me.

I got into the cockpit area and pick up the radio transceiver, and verified that I was on the line.

"Carter here, nature of transmission?"

"Captain Carter, this is lord Hood, I wanted to brief you on the current situation."

"Yes sir, proceed."

"Very well then, seeing how you have lived the longest with this new race, the Cornerians and the rest of Lylat, you are responsible for them and their introduction to earth along with the human race; therefore they will stay with you at your home. Do you have any objections to this?"

"No sir, I wouldn't have it any other way as a matter of fact, is that all?"

"Yes, I believe that is, Hood out."

The radio transmission ended and I made my way back to the passenger section of the vehicle and took my seat beside Fox. I then turned to the group and stated, "Good news, you'll all be staying with me during your time on earth, sound good?"

They all nodded and I nodded back in return, listening to the sound of the vehicle as it rolled along the road. For a while it was silent inside the transport, but Falco decided to break the silence with a question directed at me.

"So John, what's your place like?"

I did not get a chance to answer; instead Ben cut in and answered for me.

"Well, it's not a mansion and it sure as hell aint a normal old house…hmm, just picture something sort of in between."

Falco nodded and I chuckled at Bakers answer.

After about twenty more minutes with the occasional question here and there, we arrived at my house and I attributed the lack of questions to the newcomers taking in all the sights from behind the bulletproof windows. As we pulled up to the front of my house, the transport stopped and The ODST got out, kneeling down to the ground and scanning back and forth with his rifle. After making sure the area was clear, he signaled for us to exit and we did so, each of us carrying our own duffel bag.

As we exited, he still stood at guard, still ready. As the rest of the group walked up towards the front of my home, I gave the spec ops soldier a quick, friendly nod. He returned it and re-embarked the vehicle and it rolled away. As we walked along the path to my two story, tan vinyl sided house with alternating colors of dark and light stone accenting the left side from the ground to the roofline and continuing around the bottom of the structure about two feet up from the ground all along the front until it was met by stucco and vinyl on the sides. The setting sun, reflecting gold off of the windows in the two gables on the roof along with the other windows on the first floor section.

Upon arriving at the front door, I opened it up and we entered the house, me making a straight beeline for my room so I could get out of my uniform and into something a little more comfortable.

As I was making my way to my room, Falco piped up and asked, "Yo john, what do you want us to do with our bags?"

I thought for a moment and answered, "You all go ahead and pick out your rooms, there are six more in all…not counting mine."

"Alright then."

It was quiet for a few moments more and all I heard was Ben quietly telling them where the various guest rooms in my house were and the light footsteps of the group as they padded off to claim theirs first.

It was then quiet for a few more moments, but suddenly the silence was broken by a shrill shriek…emitted by none other than Slippy Toad.

Hearing the cry, I dropped what I was doing, which happened to be putting on a shirt, the article of clothing falling to the floor, but at least I had pants on.

I ran out of my room and found a terrified Slippy on the kitchen counter and a large Siberian tiger sitting on the floor, looking up at him.

I chuckled a bit at the sight and the rest of the group came running up behind me and stood in awe at the situation. The only one not surprised was Ben, who had been in a similar situation himself.

"Uhh, John…why was this strange looking tiger thing chasing me?" A befuddled Slippy inquired.

"Max, he's just curious is all. Come here Max." The tiger transferred his attention from Slippy to me and the rest of the group and walked over to me and sat down beside me, looking over the rest of the group.

I turned around to face the group and announced, "Everyone, meet Max."

They all looked at Max as he looked back at them.

"Can he talk?" Krystal wondered.

"No, he is an Earth animal, not as, what would be the word…evolved as Lylatians are." Was my response.

"So, what does he do?" Falco asked of me.

"That." I said as I hooked a thumb over my shoulder at Slippy.

"He keeps away a lot of paparazzi that way."

The group nodded and as I stood there, a sudden thought just came to me…I didn't have a shirt on. I excused myself and began walking back towards my room.

As I was walking down the hallway, Krystal decided to ask another question of me.

"Hey John, what is that on your left shoulder blade?"

I looked over my left shoulder and realized what she was talking about. I turned back around and walked back so that she could see it more clearly.

As I pointed to it the best I could, I explained what it was.

"This is my families crest. This is called a Phoenix and these are crossed swords in the background."

"What does the writing below it mean?"

"Semper Fidelis…that means Always Faithful, it is the motto for our marines."

She and the rest of the group nodded and I went back to my room to put my shirt on.

I emerged a few moments later from my doorway and began walking back towards the kitchen, visibly showing that I was in somewhat deep thought.

Upon arriving back in the kitchen, I surveyed the room and found that the only remaining individuals in the kitchen were Fox and Katt. I simply stood there in the kitchen entrance and stared, unknowingly, at Fox's muzzle.

"Uhh John, what're you doing?"

"Huh, I was just wondering if something that works on canines here would work on Fox."

Katt looked confused by this and Fox looked a mix of confusion and fear.

"Don't worry Fox, it wont hurt a bit…though it may be a bit aggravating." That last part I said partially under my breath.

"What is it then?"

"I suppose you could consider it a bit of a taste test, but that'll be up to you to decide and I can tell by the look on your face that you need reassurance. No will not have to do anything gross or homo."

He seemed to look much more relieved to here that.

"Alright then, I guess I'll do it."

"Great, close your eyes real quick and open up wide."

As he did this, I walked over to the cabinet and opened it, revealing all manner of jars and small boxes, one of which I had my eye set on and pulled out. It was a small plastic jar and had a red lid. I showed it to Katt and she just shrugged, not knowing what it was or what the end result could be.

I unscrewed the lid and pulled a butter knife out of a drawer.

"Well, are you going to do it or not?" Fox asked, eyes still closed tightly.

"Yeah, yeah, just wait a sec."

I scooped out a generous helping of the substance onto the butter knife and walked over to in front of where Fox was standing and asked, "You ready?"

He nodded and I put the butter knife in his mouth and said, "Close."

He closed his mouth and I pulled the butter knife out…he instantly started to try and talk, but couldn't, my thought had proved to work and all Katt and I heard was garbled mumbling with a partially understandable word here and there.

Katt took notice and asked, "What is that stuff?"

"Its peanut butter and…here look for yourself, he's doing the tongue thing."

I turned Fox around so that Katt could see him and she instantly started to crack up at the sight of him trying to get the glob of peanut butter off the roof of his mouth.

Apparently the others heard this and walked in, Falco asking, "What's so funny here?"

Fox turned around and in between trying to lick the peanut butter off of the roof of his mouth and his mumbling, he made out a somewhat understandable statement that went, "mm it's nnnnotmmm fuunnnymm mmm."

Falco looked at him puzzled and Fox simply pointed at me, still holding the jar and butter knife…and bearing a guilty as ever smirk across my face.

By now though, the damage had been done and the group was chortling and nearly about to fall over from the look of their team leader trying to rid his palate of the new found substance.

"Do you think that stuff could work on Falco?" Katt asked.

"I don't know, here you can try." I handed her the jar and knife and she looked over at Falco and said, "Come here little birdie."

He rapidly exited the room with Katt following suit and we listened in on the ensuing conversation after a door slammed.

"C'mon Falco, let me in."

"No."

"Please, it'll only take a sec."

"No."

"You're no fun."

"I am too."

"Then let me in."

"No."

"If you don't let me in, then no more you know what for a while."

"Alright, alright, jeez, ya didn't have to go there did ya?"

We heard the door open and then shut again, though I was the only one able to hear the locking mechanism turn and engage inside the handle.

I then simply turned back to the rest of the group and began engaging in small talk with them all, answering questions and asking a few of my own. Fox, however, sat silently, still trying to get rid of the peanut butter that occupied his muzzle and refused his passage of words.

Meanwhile: Earth, 2021

"So John, how's that story comin' along now?"

"Pretty good, I just finished up the twentieth chapter, but I've got a bit of a case of writers block now, just can't figure out an idea for the next chapter to build off of…or anything."

"Good, cause now you can focus on calls…you did start this thing up, remember?"

"Yeah, you're right…some time off from this story would be relieving probably, but there just aren't any calls lately."

"Just your luck, we got a call just about ten minutes ago about some grouping of metallic type ships…or something passing by the Mars colony and on trajectory for earth. Should impact, whatever it is, in roughly an hour and a half."

"Alright, where at do they think?"

"Near about seventy miles from here, if the guys up top did their calculations right."

"Okay then, alert the others and get your gear ready…this could be a first contact scenario, so stick to OUR set protocol, got it?"

"Yeah, got it…and by the way, did you manage to put me in your story there?"

"Yeah, I did as a matter of fact I did."

He nodded and walked out of the command room. I then turned back to the computer and stared at it for a bit, thinking to myself, "I really need to get a life. Alex Monroe isn't real John, she's not real, Starfox isnt real, Bipedal talking animals arent real, give it up."

He looked back down at the floor in a somewhat, seemingly defeated manner and exited the room to join the other members of his spec ops team.

Authors Note: From this chapter on out, the story will be changed a lot. Please don't give me too much flak on the matter, as it is my first published fanfiction ever. There is good reason for this though, so if you get confused, simply refer back to previous chapters of this story, they may help with the main character "change, but not really change" situation.

You will all eventually understand.