Heart's Note: Back in September of 2007, I posted another story in this category. "Of a Constuct and a Hero" was a series of drabbles based upon Master Chief/John-117 and Cortana, his AI Partner. One of the Drabbles I wrote, titled "Emotion" got a lot of attention. I was even emailed about it, a month after I completed the series and closed the story. Now, with my major fanfiction completed, I've decided to do a full story on "Emotion". Excuse any creative liberties I may/may not take, I've never read the books/played the games, and have only read the story thanks to my best friend and Halopedia. Let's see if this baby turns out as well as I hope. (smiles)

Disclaimer: Halo and all it characters/locations are copyrighted to Bungie Incorporated. Any and all OC's and locations not related too or haven taken place within the Halo universe are copyrighted to Heart-of-Memories(me).

September 15th, 2557. UNSC Frigate, Forward unto Dawn.

There it was again. That small blip responding to the distress beacon. It was tiny, and rather far away from thier current location, but it was something. Cortana frowned, pursing her lips as the blip got a little bigger. It was definitely larger than a floating space probe, but she couldn't tell how much larger with her sensors like this. That was the problem, after going four years without a decent tuneup. Cortana shook her head, turning to look at her still sleeping companion.

"John..." A sad smile graced the AI's profile. He had said to wake him if she needed him, but she wasn't even sure this was a real beacon. She'd let him rest a little more, before waking the man. Just as she'd finished that thought process, her beacon responded to the blip. Had she been human, Cortana was sure that she would have fallen over in shock as a radio signal pierced through the four year silence. To her weary sensors, not even the Gospel Choirs would have sounded better.

"This is UNSC Cargo Vessal Valkryie. If anyone is still alive, please respond. I repeat, this is UNSC Cargo Vessal Valkryie. If anyone onboard this ship is still alive, please respond." Almost sobbing in joy, Cortana sent out a response. The happy "handshake" she recieved told her these were friendlies, and she turned to John's pod, telling it to start thawing him out. It opened with a hiss, and it took a moment for the once super-soldier to fully awaken. When he did, he immediatly turned to his partner.

"...Cortana?" The AI nodded, smiling widely.

"Yes, Chief. We've been found." The loud hiss of an airlock pressure seal made both AI and Spartan turn, but the green light flashing from that direction relaxed Cortana a little. Still, she made no protest when John yanked her matrix and slipped her back into his helmet, grabbing his battle rifle and floating down the hall towards the open section of the ship. When gravity kicked in and John's legs stood beneath him again, he brought his rifle to bear. On the other side of the pressure seal was another ship, and a man was standing there. Flashing the green light again, he waited until the "okay" sign was given from the Dawn's only living occupant to open the seal, allowing John-117 back into safety's arms.

10:34 PM Earth Central Standard Time, September 15th, 2557. UNSC Cargo Vessal,Valkyrie.

The Valkryie wasn't a large vessal by any means, but it was rather roomy for a supposed Cargo Ship. It wasn't very old either. At just 10 years old, Valkryie had a long service life in front of her before she was scrapped, or retired to a shipyard for some odd purpose. Equipped with an Pressure-Sealer, she was often used for recovery missions. On those, however, she was accompanied by one or two Frigates for safety, but since this rescue had been so impromptu...that question answered itself in Cortana's mind. Thier rescue hadn't been planned, but it was certainly appreciated. As Chief stepped through the pressure seal and onto the Valkryie, the man at the control console snapped a salute and stepped away from his post.

"Welcome aboard the Valkyrie, sir!" Chief saluted him back, and the man relaxed. Gesturing for the warrior to follow, he led the way through the ships winding corridors towards the bridge. Giving a salute of dismissal, the man returned to the hall they'd come through, as a tall, thin woman stood from the captains chair. Dusky blonde hair hid her face from view as she spoke.

"When my ship and I were sent out here to recover debris from the Ark, we never thought we'd recover a war hero." The woman turned, revealing dark brown eyes and a welcoming smile. She stepped down, extending her hand to Master Chief.

"Welcome to the Valkyrie, Master Chief." Chief took her hand, giving it a firm shake.

"Good to be here, Ma'am." Lisa Morrison gave a nod, and turned towards her crew.

"Full speed for home. Contact Lord Hood at first light and tell him we've recoved Sierra-117." A salute and a "yes, Ma'am!" came from the communicators console, and a tiny green female form appeared in the arm of the captains chair. Chief nodded a hello to Charity, and she returned the gesture as she turned to her captain.

"At current speed, we'll arrive back at Earth in 13 days. We've enough supplies for double that time." Thanking her AI, Lisa turned towards the tired man in front of her.

"I'll take it you'd like a rest? This way." Most captains didn't leave their control rooms often, but Lisa wasn't an ordinary captain. Sensing that Cortana had questions as well, John extended a hand to let her appear in the Holo-Emmiter. She appeared, arms crossed on her chest. Lisa gave her a nod as she led the way, and Cortana returned the gesture.

"Ma'am, if I may ask...how long has it been since the war ended?"

"Four years. It's now September 15th, 2557." Both Cortana and John stared at the woman for a moment in disbelief. It had been four years? Cortana vanished, and John could literally feel her pacing in his nueral lace as she processed the data. When Captain Morrison stopped in front of a door and pushed it open, Cortana reappeared in Chief's hand.

"Did the Arbiter make it back to Earth alive?" Lisa nodded, and Cortana vanished again. Lisa turned to Chief.

"I'll send someone down with a meal in a moment. Feel free to offload Cortana into the system if you'd like. Rest well." Saluting Master Chief, she disappeared down the hall. Still processing what had happened in the last hour, it took John a moment to enter his new quarters. He shut the door behind him, slipping the lock closed. The room was pretty much bare boned, with a simple nightstand and bed in one corner, a Holo-Emitter for AI's close to the foot of the bed, and a desk and chair closer to the door. Popping the pressure seal on his helmet, John gently removed Cortana's chip and placed it in the Emitter, watching as she appeared in her full height. It was a companionable silence as he removed his armor, and the meal that Lisa said she'd been sending down arrived just as he managed to somehow slip out of the damaged chest plate. A saluting man held a tray of what looked to be steak, and he ran down the hall after John had taken his meal from his hands. Cortana laughed behind him.

"Seems you intimidate people, even out of armor." John gave her a blank stare as he ate, and she laughed all the more. She sobered as he finished, taking a look around thier barebones room. Finally out of the rest of his armor, John took a seat on the bed, head in his hands. Four years...it felt like barely a day. With a sigh, the tired man flopped over on the bed. Cortana stared at him for a moment, then gave a relieved smile as her hero fell asleep. They had been rescued by a friendly, familiar face, John was alive and well fed, and she still had at least a year left in her lifespan.

Somehow, it was going to be all right.

Heart's Character File

Lisa Morrison: Originally a 15 year old girl, Lisa underwent a change to a 19 year old Police Intern, and then to the 27 year old Captain of the Valkyrie. She first met Master Chief during a failed RECON mission, in which her team was all but decimated, leaving her the only survior. Her AI, Charity, was carrying classified information, and Chief was sent in to bring them back, or destroy Charity. They all made it out alive. Becuase of her sisterly bond with Charity, Lisa is adamantly against the destruction of any AI, and becuase of that, ONI had sentenced her to the farthest route from Earth, near the edge of the Milky Way. Head of the Rebel Group: Silmeria, Lisa smuggles AI's in and out of Earth's territory, often taking thier handlers with them. Finding Cortana's distress beacon by complete chance, Lisa's ship would become home to Master Chief for the next leg of his journey. Of course, how long the peace lasts is yet to be seen.

UNSC AI CTY - 297, AKA, Charity: An AI with the ability to pilot any class of ship, Charity was assigned to Lisa when the human was 20 years old. They went through the failed RECON Mission of Landis 7 together, and only escaped with thier lives thanks to Master Chief. Since then, Lisa has been Charity's handler and sister figure. But when the ONI called for the destruction of all AI's smart enough to qaulify for semi-sentience, Charity was at risk. Lisa fought tooth and claw to avoid it, and was sentenced to the Valkyrie because of it. Charity feels guilt about this, and does not hesitate to defend Lisa's honor should the need arise.