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

Chapter 40: epilogue

Cassie shook as she watched her best friend being carried away on a stretcher. She was covered in her blood. She was holding her baby. For just a few minutes ago she watched Bria take her last breath. Cassie performed a C-section on her and got "Reyna" out. She was premature, but she was healthy, despite Kyle cutting off her left hand when he stabbed Bria in the abdomen. She was surprised that he missed her. Obviously, she patched her up. But Cassie was traumatized.

"Code for Arbiter?" Cassie's voice was shaking. She couldn't stop crying.

"Cassie?" She heard Thels frantic voice. "Where is Bria? Is she okay?"

"I-I got Rayna out of her." Cassie sniffed. "I don't think Bria is going to make it this time. But your little girl is so healthy and beautiful." Even though she wouldn't stop crying.

"Is Bria-" Thel didn't even want to finish that sentence.

Cassie didn't want to believe it herself. "I'm so sorry." She cried.

"Where is she?" He asked slowly.

"They're taking her back to the frigate to the medical bay." She said shaking.

"I will find you and Rayna." He replied.

"O-okay." She said softly and hung up with him.

She looked at little crying Rayna So tiny yet so big for a human. "Shhh" she bounced her. "I know you want your mama. I don't know if you'll be able to get her though. We all want her to be okay."

Rayna barely peeked with her eyes. Cassie smiled through the tears at the fact that she had Thels eyes. She also wrapped her tiny four fingers around Cassie's index finger. Another Sangheili trait.

Thel slowly approached Cassie and Reyna. She continued to bounce her to try and stop her from crying.

Cassie didn't know what to do. If she could be excited to hand her to him or to be sorry. She didn't know.

"Meet Rayna." Cassie said through the tears. "She's beautiful and she has your eyes."

She showed the baby to him.

"May I?..." he couldn't finish what he was saying. He was distraught as well, but he wanted to at least hold his daughter.

Cassie nodded and laid Rayna into Thels hand. She barely fit in the palm of his hand. She was so tiny.

Rayna instantly stopped crying.

"She's so tiny." Thel couldn't stop staring at her. He had wished he could experience this with Bria. She looked just like Bria but with his eyes. He gently cradled her on his arm just as Cassie was doing.

He just had hoped he wouldn't have to raise her alone.