Follow You.

I was recently hit by a freight train of feels when someone reminded me why I love them. So, a quick, musically themed recap of one of the longest running couples in Database history.

Mostly because John's wife doesn't die half as often as HE does.

Air gently blew in the small, square, white room, as the children of Whiskey Company chattered amongst themselves. Zimm was shouting in pain and anger as Maura wrapped an arm around his neck. "LET GO!!! UNCLE!!!" Penny and Creed rallied to Zimm's defense in a desperate attempt to pry off a six year old Maura.

John and Billy leaned against the wall on the far side of the room, watching the fight from a safe distance. Billy glanced around, ever alert. He spotted someone he hadn't paid much attention to. Lucy stared down, but it was clear what she was looking at.

"The weird girl's lookin' at you again, John." Billy chortled, and gave John a hard elbow. "Look up. Wave or something. It's weird."

From her safe distance, sitting in her chair, she looked up at John as the young boy looked away, avoiding her gaze.

A light in the room
It was you who was standing there
Tried it was true
As your glance met my stare

John aimed his magnum downrange, as Mendez stood over his shoulder like an angry wraith. He squeezed the trigger, shutting his eyes.

"EYES OPEN, MAGGOT. Don't fucking flinch." Mendez smacked the back of his head, knocking his hat off. John knelt to pick it up, but Mendez's boot pressed down on it. "You want to give up, you little fucker? Look down range, point your gun, and hit the fucking target."

Lucy watched, her face lined with agony at John's misfortune. His aim was the WORST in the whole class, in four years of training hadn't changed that. His reflexes were fastest, and he fared the best when faced with stress, but he simply couldn't handle the kick of the gun.

John jerked his gun back up, but Mendez put a hand on it. "Maybe I should just send you back to the orphanage? Maybe that'd straighten your brothers out."

The girl, hidden behind one of the firing range's booths, felt John's desperation, as he held the gun. "SIR, I can do this, I can do this!!!"

He lifted the gun and fired again. Another clean miss.

Mendez shook his head. "Pathetic. Just pathetic. Sit here, and keep firing until you hit center mass ten times."

Mendez tromped out, and Lucy poked her head from her hiding place. John made a slight hiccuping noise, wiping his face. She summoned her courage. He was probably crying, and needed a moment.

So Lucy waited. She bit her lip, remaining quiet. "...STUPID STUPID STUPID I'M NEVER GONNA FUCKING HIT IT" John raged, his young voice cracking, gun still in hand. He sank back against the wall, putting the gun down and clutching his face.

Oh, no. Don't give up... Lucy wanted to go to him with a hug, but that would only injure his pride further. To her surprise, he stood up, picked up the gun, and aimed again, having recovered from his episode.

"...Need some help?" Lucy offered. John jumped as if she were a ghost.

John sighed, and shook his head yes. Lucy stepped behind him, and guided his hands and feet into a proper firing stance.

"What kind of asshole leaves a ten year old alone with a GUN anyway," John huffed. Lucy giggled, forcing a smile back onto John's face for a moment.

"Thanks, Lucy. You're pretty cool, you know that?"

But your heart drifted off
Like the land split by sea
I tried to go, to follow
To kneel down at your feet

John's shots hit center mass. A single bullet even struck the target's head. He was preforming on par with his teammates in pistol firing.

"Well good job." Mendez spewed cigar smoke down on the young soldier. "You shaped your shit up to on par. Now we can start you on rifle training. Go get something to eat." Mendez gave John a harsh shove towards his friends. "Little shits."

As Mendez left, Maura wrapped an arm around John's shoulder in celebration. "How'd you learn so quick, John? You were a total fuckup at guns two days ago."

John pointed to Lucy. "She showed me that it helps to open your eyes when shooting guns."

Lucy blushed, and smiled. Mark gave John a sidelong stare. "...How the heck did you not already know that, man...?"

I'll run
I'll run

John sprinted down the track, racing with Lucy. He moved to pass her, and she slowed down for a moment. He tore past her, sticking his tongue out. The fifteen year old John gave Lucy a brief "Nyah nyah" as he zoomed past.

She let him speed up so she could chase him. She gave him her meanest stare, and as he looked back, he panicked and kept running. "Jesus are you going to hit me or something?! Calm down!!! It's just a race!!!"

Lucy leered at John and chased him. John ran off the track, and Lucy gave chase.

"FUCK!!! What did I do?! SOMEONE HELP!!!"

Lucy chased John across the grass. It was the most fun she'd had in days.

I'll run
RUN!
To you

John was strapped in for his augmentations. Lucy was in the room, refusing to wait outside.

He bit a mouthpiece. The anesthesia wouldn't numb ALL of the pain. He needed to be ready.

Doctor Bailey nodded to the physicians, and they began the procedure. Needles lowered towards John's skin.

I'll run
I'll run
I'll RUN
RUN!
To you

"NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGH..." Lucy had no idea what to do. His teeth grid, and his body tensed and arched against the needles, as his body seemed to bubble and grow.

"No no no no no" doubling back, she put her hands to her mouth, watching the horror take place. His eyes darted beneath their lids.

"...Water...IT HURTS..." The nurses put a straw to his mouth, but John sputtered. Bailey soothed his hand, but he couldn't feel it over the searing, noisy pain echoing through his body.

I will break down the gates of heaven
A thousand angels waiting for me

Lucy wrapped her arms around him, and he seemed to calm. The heat died down a tiny bit, and his breathing evened.

TAKE MY HEART
I LAY DOWN MY WEAPONS

"John, I'm here. It'll be alright..." Lucy whispered.

John stared up at his childhood friend. "...Is it over?" He joked, knowing fully well the worst hadn't even begun. "That wasn't so ba-"

The fluids began coursing through him, and he felt his bones hardening as the drugs settled over his bones, and the reactions began.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" His body shook like a boat in a storm. Lucy didn't move, holding tighter. She intended to stay through all of it.

Break my shackles
And set me FREE

And stay she did.

I'll run.

Lucy awoke from her procedures in bed. She barely remembered them, emotionally drained from watching over John. They had to pry her away. She awoke, tilting her head to the side.

He was there. Bandaged and dazed, he knelt beside the bed. He turned. "...You alright...?"

Lucy, unable to rise from her bed, nodded.

"...You didn't make a sound through your procedures. I thought you'd died." John smiled. "Jesus Fucking CHRIST you're tough."

Lucy turned towards him, as John tried to sit up. "...You stayed with me?"

"Yeah. Hurts to move around, but you watched me during my procedures, so I figured you might want company. Unless you want me to fuck off."

Lucy couldn't even shake her head. She just turned her head, looking at him, begging him to stay. "...Do whatever you want, John."

"Then I'll stay." John grinned. "Partially because I think you want me to, and partially because moving hurts a lot."

I'll run

John lifted a weight nearly his size with one arm, curling it and pressing it over his head. "Holy shit." He stared up at it. "...They weren't kidding. We're fucking SUPERHUMAN."

Lucy didn't want to seem impressed. She kept reading her magazine as John went around the weight room, lifting anything he could find.

I'll run

The soldiers rolled their arms, testing their armor. Lucy picked up her rifle, as it smart linked to her HUD.

She watched as her brown armored teammate snatched a pair of SMGs from the weapon rack. "Think I can fire two of these at the same time...?"

I'll run

Lucy's lips pressed against John's. He was taken aback, but he immediately took to the embrace, his hands wrapping around her waist and pulling her close, deepening the kiss.

The soldiers broke it off quietly, as John stared at Lucy in total astonishment. "...Woah. What was that about?"

"John, are you retarded?!" Lucy hissed at him, her eyes burning holes in his.

"Do you, like, like me or something?"

"YES!!!" Lucy grabbed the front of his shirt, and bit his lip. The second kiss drew blood, as Lucy added a tinge of her natural Spartan strength and toughness.

RUN!
To you

John held his baby daughter with pride. Iola squirmed in his grasp, seizing his nose and giving it a light twist. "Aw. I think she likes me."

Lucy smiled. It had been a long time coming, and a strange journey. She suddenly remembered how oblivious her husband used to be. How exciting it was to follow him. "...Give me our daughter, dipshit."

"Well you don't have to be a jerk about it." John held Iola away from Lucy. "I think I'll keep her. File for divorce. We both know I'll get custody."

"Don't make me call Maura." Lucy raised a dominant eyebrow, and John shuddered and handed the baby over.

I'll run
I'll run
I'll run
RUN!

John, laid in bed, out cold after a long week of security detail on the Infinity. Lucy curled up next to him, Iola in her arms. John instinctively rolled over, draping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer.

"Mmpf...Love you." John mumbled, and went back to sleep.

"...Goodnight, John."

To you.