Thick as Thieves 2: Under Your Command

Epilogue

And guilty, I may be

But don't give up on me

In the wake of the Odyssey

We will still be thick as thieves

You and me, still thick as thieves.

-Thick as Thieves by Shinedown

Michael awoke in his bed feeling refreshed. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he smiled as the warmth of the morning sun greeted him. He put on his uniform and headed out into the kitchen where Wash was trying to give Will his bottle in his highchair. He laughed as the kid seemed more interested in playing with the bottle rather than drinking it. As soon as Will saw him, he threw down the bottle, letting formula leak everywhere.

"Dada!" he beamed.

Wash let out a heavy sigh. "Why can't he ever greet me like that?" she said with mock disappointment.

"He's a daddy's boy," Michael joked, kissing the boy on his head before grabbing a slice of toast from the toaster.

"He's his father's son," she said, clearing up the mess Will had made with a towel. The boy giggled innocently, causing Alicia to smirk.

Glancing at her watch, Alicia stood up and tied her hair back. "I've got to go. I'll meet you later. Do you mind dropping Will off after breakfast?"

"Sure. Show 'em who's boss, Captain Washington."

She smiled warmly. Leaning towards him, she gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "I love you."

Michael smiled and gazed into her eyes. He never got sick of hearing it. "Love you too."

He watched her leave, taking a bite out of his toast before ruffling his son's hair and making him giggle.

"Right," he said, beginning to clear up. "Who's ready for a trip to see their godparents?"

Maddy Reynolds gave them the biggest smile as she opened the door to greet them. Her protruding stomach seemed to get bigger every time he saw her.

"You sure you're going to want Will running around once you've got your own munchkin?" he queried as Maddy took Will in her own arms, balancing him on her large bump.

"Of course! In fact, it's really useful for me to see Will in this stage of his development. I mean, all babies grow at different rates but it's a good indication for me to understand what kind of food he's eating, what vitamins he needs, how much he's crawling or even walking...." She paused, blushing as she watched Michael blankly nodding at her. "Sorry. I do that sometimes."

Mark appeared behind her. "I think it's cute," he said, planting a kiss on her cheek before waving at Will. "I'm all set," he said to Michael.

After bidding Maddy and Will goodbye, the two corporals paid Curran a quick visit in Memorial Field. Michael knew he wasn't really buried here but the Commander had put a tombstone in anyway as a mark of respect, not far from Guzman actually. Some people weren't happy about it at first, but they got used to it. They eventually accepted that Curran had died helping them, that he died a hero and he deserved to be respected. Michael would visit him and Guz often, telling them about the changes that had been happening.

And there had been plenty of changes. Michael passed many of them on his walk through the colony with Mark. For one thing, dozens of new housing units had been built. He and Wash had moved into one a little while ago with the baby and with Baby Reynolds on the way, Maddy and Mark had applied for one as well.