John paused in his sprint to look back the way he had left Cortana's chip; his battle rifle hanging loosely in his right. She had told him to leave but he wanted her back.

Cortana, he growled, struggling with himself even as the timer in his HUD flashed at him urgently.

A sharp groan of pain jolted him to where he was and he spun. Thoughts of Cortana fled his mind thoroughly when he saw the owner of the gasp.

"Kay."

The woman stared at him with glazed eyes, blood spilling steadily from a wound on her head.

"John?" There was tone of drowsy doubt that kicked him into action.

She was losing blood too fast.

"Steady, Love," John murmured calmly, his heart raced with the fear he wasn't showing, "I'm going to stop the bleeding."

Kay smiled, "I'm dreaming again aren't I?" her voice almost had a childish, drunk, sound to it that made John's skin crawl with terror. That couldn't be good.

"No, I'm real, I need you to keep talking to me," John said, spraying bio-foam generously on the wound.

"I'm dreaming," she repeated.

John lifted her into his arms, "Okay, you are dreaming, just keep talking. How is Dustan?"

Kay's eyes glazed further as she murmured non-sensible sentences that would have made John laugh if he wasn't so scared. Bolting he ran for the place the navpoint in his HUD showed him when he got there he saw Cortana and paused, "I'll come back for you," he promised grimly before being caught up in the tract beam of the forerunner ship.

Cortana sighed softly, "Making promises you can't keep."

John wished Cortana had more confidence in him but he couldn't dwell on that. Kay had stopped talking.

When he found a life support machine he fumbled around with it; panic making his hands shake.

He had no real idea what he was doing but he whatever he did seemed to work. He could see her breathing and her heart beat on the monitor. He hoped that would hold her until he could get her to the BHI.

For the longest time he sat there, staring at his wife. She had gained new lines on her face but she was as beautiful as ever.

Memories of their short time together rolled through his mind afresh as he held her hand or stroked her dirty hair.

He had been so alone without her.

"Rest, Kay," John murmured softly when he forced himself to stand and check their course, "I'll be back soon."

The door to the room she was in hissed shut, separating them with a barrier more easily crossed than space.

Five years later….

Jace watched his father wipe a saddle down solemnly; successfully hiding his amusement; the older man looked at ease but Jace knew better since the man's eyes darted to a nearby door every five minutes.

Scattered around the lounging area were Jace's three Uncles, who chatted easily. One Uncle bounced a five month old in his arms.

Jace studied his little cousin with a faint smile. The boy had the look of his mother. Wide happy curious blue eyes sat evenly in his healthy face, with bronze colored curls in disarray on top. Uncle Jake was a happy man, Adin (the boy in his arms) was his fourth son; he also had two daughters.

Uncle Austan had four boys with another child on the way. He and his wife hoped it was a girl.

Uncle Dustan had Hazel and Rachelle, Razma had a genetic inability to produce more children but they were joyful and content with their daughters.

No one was complaining though, Jake and Austan had enough children to share with their older sibling.

Jace smiled when he heard his father mutter under his breath. This would be his parents' second child since being reunited.

"Dad, I think the saddle is clean."

John smirked at his twelve year old son, who mirrored him nearly to every physical fault, "Maybe, but it keeps me from going to your Mom."

Jace chuckled as he came up to his father and jabbed him in the shoulder, "You know Razma would take a 2X4 to your head before you could fully get through the door."

John smirked, trying to imagine that. Razma was too slow for him.

"It's Leana and Keiree that I fear more than, Raz."

Jace nodded sagely, "Ah, yes, my Spartan Aunts."

John glanced at the door that hid his wife, wiping a dull knife on a cloth; he could Kay bantering with the other women between contractions. When she was talking he was relaxed but when her breathing became heavy and strained he had to focus all his energy into searching for some piece of build up in the crevasses of leather.

The sound of her in pain drove him crazy.

Jace patted his dad's back, "I'll go get another saddle."

John watched his son leave with a faint frown; he didn't think he was handling the stress badly. He had seen Jake and Austan when their wives gave birth and they usually worked their bodies to the ground or paced like caged beasts.

Shrugging he took a cloth and wiped the leather down; recalling the end of the war three years earlier.

Commander Mirranda Keyes and Sergeant Avery Johnson had died days before the final battle. John still mourned their passing.

Human's and sangheili lived in relative peace but it was too soon for all to be at ease with each other. Both species remained in their own territories except for the few who were eager to learn of the other.

John wondered if any human outside of the BHI would ever be comfortable with the sangheili.

"Where's Kelly, John?"

John smiled at Austan, "With Greg, she's rather infatuated with Renok."

Austan grinned, Renok was Greg and Sydney's four year old son. "You think they'll marry?"

John scowled at his brother's teasing, "Don't Aussie."

The three Sage men laughed at him but all three understanding his tone; none of them wanted to think of their little ones growing up.

John tensed when the wailing of a child pierced the air; his child was here.

"If you come in here John Sage, I will beat you into tomorrow next year!"

John paused at Sydney's call a step away from the door and glared at the door.

Medic's were such a pain.

Dustan smiled faintly at his newest brother; Kay had chosen well.

John had earned his respect even before he had met him. The way John had acted with Kay when Dustan had taken her from him had spoken volumes of his character.

Dustan had no qualms about allowing John to replace Kay as his second when the time came.

Jace returned to the room where he had left his father and Uncles and grinned when he saw his Dad standing in front of the door that separated the woman from the men.

Setting the dirty saddle down Jace waited for Sydney or one of his Aunts to open the door. His Dad had acted like this when Kelly was born.

Jace grinned when his Dad and Uncles quickly went into the room where Kay was; all four of them were like impatient kids when it came to their first time laying eyes on their children.

Coming to the room he leaned against the doorjamb with a soft smile as he watched his parents coo over their newest child.

"What is his name?" John asked Kay, softly dragging a finger over his son's soft cheek.

"Justin Thyme," Kay answered questioningly, looking at her husband with a smile.

Jace smile as his father laughed quietly with his wife and siblings.

"Justin Thyme," John murmured leaning over and kissing his son's head, "he certainly is."

Kay watched as her brothers and their wives left with Sydeny and as Jace came over and sat at her feet. She loved her family.

"What do you think of your new brother?" Kay asked holding her hand out to her first born as John slid into the bed beside her.

Jace gazed at the little bundle with a small smile, "He's got the Admiral's hair."

John chuckled, "I won't be surprised if he looks a lot like him."

Kay smiled and closed her eyes as she leaned against her husband. She had been so blessed.

"John, you're as lucky as ever," she murmured and fell asleep with a smile on her lips.

Outside, Dustan stood on a balcony built into the trunk of a large tree over looking his home. To the East were plains that stretched as far as the eye could see until they ended on the cliffs above the Meso sea's; to the South and West beyond the forest of the BHI were mountains to the North the Forest stretched thousands of miles. In all four directions Dustan could feel peace.

In all his thirty-three years of leading the BHI he had never seen peace stretching beyond his sight. It was slightly disconcerting.

Dustan sighed as Razma wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against him, 'Thirty-three years is a long time to be a leader of something.'

'Especially when you've been leading since you were six,' she agreed gazing toward the East where a small heard of dabdough ran freely.

Dustan smiled as gently pulled his wife to stand in front of him, 'All in all it hasn't been too bad.

Razma smiled, loving the way he was eyes turned tender whenever he met her eyes. 'No, and no one is ready for you to step down just yet.'

Dustan lifted both brows, 'Really? I thought Jace was perfectly ready.'

Razma laughed softly at his teasing but looked at him in slight concern, 'Is everything alright?'

Dustan nodded, 'I'm just trying to grasp the fact that there isn't any more reason to be at war.'

Razma shook her head; her husband was so strange. 'Restless already?' she asked dryly.

The Admiral laughed out right at her tone and shook his head, 'No, but I will be if I don't make arrangements for some sort of action.'

Razma nodded in understanding; they were all used to drilling but those drills got boring when they weren't put to actual use.

A small smile curved her lips and followed her husband's gaze over their home.

The BHI was safe, they no longer had to fear for their lives, they no longer had to serve anyone else but they would forever be the ones with Bloodied Hands of Innocence.

FINISHED! I will have you know this is the first story I have ever completed.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me from beginning to end. God bless!

Uncertain