Halo: Let It Die (Book 4, Arbiter x Female human series)

Chapter 26: The plan

Bria was in a brief meeting with her sister and Buck about the mission to the moon. But her mind was everywhere else but the mission. She feared that Kyle would somehow try to hurt her baby, he didn't have a uterus, but he could probably still find a way. Though she was very pleased that he hadn't bugged her with his messages the previous night. Maybe he was dead somehow. That would be nice.

     "Bria-" Beth said loudly and made Bria jump. She looked at her and Buck. "Are you alright, sis?"

     "Y-yeah." Bria said a little less than enthusiastic.

     "You didn't hear a word that we said, huh?" She said.

      Bria's lips drew a flat line. "No..."

     Bethany shared a look with Buck. "Okay, what's wrong?"

     "Trouble in paradise?" Buck asked.

      "You could say that." Bria replied quietly.

      "I know I've only known you for a little time... again..." Bethany said. "But I'm still your sister, you can talk to me about anything."

      Bria remembered taking her up on that offer in the hospital. But it was just Bethany's clone.

     Also was she just about to tell two people who weren't that father of her baby, that she was pregnant?

      "I'm pregnant." She confidently said.

      I guess so...

     Both of their eyes grew. "Oh wow..."

     Buck almost squealed like a teenage girl. "I'm going to be a grandpa." He hugged her.

     Bria chuckled.

     "With... Arbiter?..." Bethany said hesitantly.

     Bria nodded. "Trust me, you're just as surprised as I am."

     "So what does the big guy think?" Buck asked. "Is that why he went on that long unnecessary mission?"

     Bria was quiet for a minute. "I didn't tell him yet."

     "What?" They both said in unison.

     "I didn't get the chance, I just found out yesterday and he's going on his mission." Bria said.

     "Why am I offended that we found out first?" He looked at Bethany.

     Bethany looked at Bria. "You are going to tell him, right?"

     Bria thought about it. She doesn't know how long his mission will last. She could literally have the child and go put it up for adoption like nothing ever happened.

      "You are going to tell him, right?" Buck repeated.

     "If I get the chance." Bria shrugged. "He's busy. I don't want to be a burden."

Bria saw Bethany roll her eyes.

"L-let's just focus on this mission. I promise I am all ears now." Bria said.

"Okay." Bethany said. "The UNSC has an outpost on the moon. Now from what Kyle said, he didn't explain where exactly these things were. Considering that the moon is about 27 percent of the size of Earth, it shouldn't take too long to find... hopefully."

"So play the infamous 'if I were a d-bag where would I hide my stuff'?"

"No offense but you know him best out of all three of us." She said.

Bria sighed. "Unfortunately true. So are we ready for this?"

"I literally have no idea what I'm doing..." Buck said. "But team prego with an alien-o on three..." Buck put his hand on the table and the girls just stared at him.

"No? Okay fine then." Buck frowned and took his hand back. Then they went on their way.

On their way to the moon:

Bria sat and cradled her stomach almost the whole way, even though she didn't have a baby bump yet, she will protect this child with her life from the day it's the size of a pea to when it is fully grown.

"Can I just mention how annoying Kyle is?" Buck spoke up.

"Cause I totally haven't heard that one before..." Bria said sarcastically.

"But for real! I thought we got rid of him that one time you had to babysit him." Buck said.

"A good story always somehow revives the dead villain." Beth said.

Buck sighed in frustration. "Listen, I just want you and good old Arby happy. Is that too much to ask for?"

"Apparently." Bria faked a smile.

     "I just hope for the sake of your child that he offs himself." Buck said.

     Bethany approached Bria and handed her a small earpiece. "Just in case we get separated somehow."

Arriving on the moon:

     Once they all arrived on the moon, they put Bria in a spacesuit to walk around. Obviously, Bethany and Buck had their Spartan armor. Bria secretly wanted some... they also have her a magnum.

     "Do we split up?" Buck asked.

     "Who knows if Kyle could be here." Bria said.

     "There's no records of someone landing here anytime today. Especially unknown or hostile." Bethany said.

Bria nodded. "We have earpieces. Let's split up, we can call each other if we run into anything."

She walked around the outpost, even some buildings but she was having no luck. She was very surprised at how much gravity the moon did have, at least near the outpost. She could technically take off her helmet but decided not to for safety. She didn't even really know what these ingredients looked like, much less if she should look underground or anywhere that wouldn't be obvious.

But a hidden hole in the ground caught her attention. She pulled out her magnum.

"Hey this is Bria, do you copy?" She spoke to the earpiece.

"Yup," Buck replied.

"Copy." Bethany said.

"There's a hole in the ground that looks intentional. I'm going to go into it." Bria said.

"Be careful, give us your location in case anything happens." Bethany said.

Bria looked at the outpost. "I'm like a mile west from the outpost."

Bria cautiously entered the hole in the ground. It quickly became dark so she flicked on the flashlight on her magnum.

She was shocked to see it as a little living space. Complete with a table, bed, and a foldable chair. There were some things on the table.

She looked at the table and saw a journal that looked similar to her mother's, but instead, it had Kyle's name on it.

"Guys this is Kyles." She said into the earpiece.

"What do you see?" Bethany asked.

Bria's eyes scanned the table. "There's a journal and a box and-" she tried to continue but the box caught her off guard. She gently opened it and gasped. "Guys I think I found our stuff."

"Grab it quickly, let's go!" Buck said.

Bria put the box into a shoulder bag and the journal too. But something else caught her off guard.

A half-lit cigarette.

Her heart almost stopped. She turned to leave. "Guys I'm not alo-" and quickly bumped into something.

"Kyle."