[b]Jesus Mary chalupa I'm so sorry guys. I've had a crappy writers block and more crap. I'm so sorry please forgive me. Omali and XxHolyHaloxX's characters are in this chapter Chapter 65: Familiar Faces[/b] With dreams not plaguing her mind as she slept, Vala woke up feeling sluggish. Squinting, she gently removed Bolt's hands from her and sat up. Rubbing her eyes, she stretched with a yawn that roused her son from his sleep. "Mom?" She had to suppress a laugh at the sleepy voice, her hand gently combing through his hair which made him settle back down. Humming, Vala watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest, her heart filling with warmth the longer she watched. Her hands kept brushing through his course hair even though he had long since fallen back asleep. Her eyes strayed to the mouth of the cave, watching the sky slowly light up as the daytime came. She idly wondered if at any moment, the owner of this place would come crashing in. She imagined their face as they found two wanted people sleeping in their cave. She laughed which in turn woke Bolt up again. "Hush hush, sweetie. Why don't you hold onto me. I'll take it from here." Vala gently said. Bolt only nodded, sleepily latching onto her back in a semi strong grip. Long accustomed to the weight, Vala rearranged him until his head rested on her shoulder. Clasping her cloak on, she had to suppress another laugh because it easily covered them both but left a big lump in the back where Bolt was. She would not say but climbing back up the way they came was not the easiest thing to do. But she only grit her teeth, carefully balancing them both so death seemed a little bit more farther away. Her muscles strained a bit yet she refused to give up, pulling them closer to the top. With one last heave, she cleared the final ledge. The Hunter crawled up with a small 'oof' and a snort from Bolt. Her Ghost had appeared during her ascent, watching her progress with a watchful eye. Sitting on her behind, she panted and wondered how much did her son exactly weigh a this point. "Omali and Fervor are near, Vala. A few other Ghost signals are also near them." Still trying to regain her breath, the Hunter stared incredulously at the machine. She grumbled at how it seemed okay to drop a bombshell right after waking up and working her ass off to get to safety. But before she could swat it, it disappeared with a bright flash just as Omali stumbled a ways away out of the jungle. Vala watched, not feeling threatened in the least as the Exo stumbled as he tried to right himself. Fervor came out next, having more grace than the other Titan. For a few seconds, Fervor laughed at him then stopped and began to survey the area. Was he looking for something? Oh. Waving her hand so that the two could see her, Vala closed her eyes as she heard the telltale tromping of boots. "Hey boys. Come to help me?" The Hunter greeted once they were about a few feet in front of her. Opening her eyes, she looked between the two with curiosity. Omali grunted, pulling out a few ether seeds and handing it to her. Had the Titan kept that just for Bolt? Pocketing the item with a smile, she rose an eyebrow, still waiting for an answer. "Oh. Um we just kind of got your Ghost's signal around here." Omali said after a few awkward moments. "We sent the others away to search somewhere else. Figured it could give you time to get farther out." Vala really liked Omali that second. To lead away a group after her just so she could get a better chance of escape? She thanked whatever deity that was up there that an Exo existed. "Not likely though." Fervor chirped, earning a steely glare from Omali. "We can still track your Ghost's signal, Vala. If we can shield it then you're good." "Oh." Of course it was impossible to completely hide now. She had missed that fact by a long shot and running seemed useless by now. Why hadn't she thought of that? Shade could have helped her if she had thought of that. "Then what am I to do?" The question hung in the air between the three, excluding Bolt who still slumbered peacefully. Omali began to wring his hands, her eyes catching the small quirk that he had. "I think it's best to just give yourself in, Vala." Her heart dropped as she stared at Fervor as if he had grown another head. The Exo stared back passively in return. For a few minutes she let that sentence stew in her mind as she began to rock back and forth. Give up? That's it? Let all her hard work to keep her son safe go all the drain? Was she ever going to be free? Her heart sped up, her mind whirring with possibilities of what would happen. "Why..?" This was the only sentence she could mutter, her vision blurry and she brought her hand up to wipe away the tears. Her throat felt tight, her breath coming out in short gasps. Omali glared openly at Fervor as if telling him that he was an idiot to think of such a thing. "No, listen to me. Vala, we have a plan. We've been making one since Zavala called us in and everyone is involved, not Omali though he can't keep secrets to save his life. Just please listen." Shaking her head, Vala rose to turn away but Fervor held her in place with his hands on her shoulders. [i]"Please."[/i] No. She didn't want to hear this. Didn't want to acknowledge his so called [i]plan.[/i] But even trying to rip his hands from her body seemed impossible, his grip iron and unrelenting. Instead she forced back a sob, closing her eyes as emotions overtook her. "We have a plan, Vala." Fervor's robotic voice continued, a tiny hint of worry able to come out of his Exo throat. "Ghost and Shade came up with it. We helped, well mostly Drokantoro but that's besides the point. We just need you to accept and even then Bolt will be safe. He won't get hurt. Vala, he'll [i]be safe.[/i]" How long had this been going on under her nose? Did Bolt know? Betrayal stung her nerves like tiny knives but she refused to give in. Yet Fervor's words never felt so honest, a stark contrast to his playful and tactful side. Was he telling the truth? Or was it all just a lie? "Vala you're our friend. I don't want to lose such a special being. Please." Fervor's voice dropped as she sniffled, sounding as if he was begging by this point. For a few minutes, his hands rested on her shoulders, rubbing small circles to try and coax her to calm down. Omali neared next, his hand taking hers and removed his helmet to show he was sincere and honest as well. "I will personally kick this Exo's ass if he ever lies to you, Vala. What you did, what you made yourself do, is far more courageous than any other Guardian that I have ever known." With Omali backing Fervor up, she only sobbed harder. Still, the two waited, their eyes watching the painful sight. Her Ghost even appeared, worried about the rising stress and emotional levels it's Guardian was going through. Finally, what felt like forever, Vala nodded her head a tiny fraction. Fervor let out a breath, an act so human like it made her frown twitch. "Call the unit, Omali. Thank the damn Traveler, wait no, thank the stars our team found you first." Fervor said out loud, staring up at the sky like he was giving it his total respect. Omali directed his Ghost to do as the Exo said and then squeezed her hand before letting go. They both stepped back, watching the Huntress stand alone amongst the grass and a Fallen Vandal attached to her back. A refusing soul to back down and do what was expected of her. A friend hurting but unable to do anything to console them. "Thank you." Vala whispered, Omali and Fervor catching it. There was the sounds of other people nearby, their voices nearing. "You've been great friends. I'm thankful that my son and I had met you." The leaves rustled behind the two Titans but their eyes stayed on her face, her warm expression that looked so serene yet haunting. "Thank you for being there for me." Wiping her eyes to get rid of the rest of her tears, she smiled. Four more Titans appeared out of the underbrush, immediately seeing her and rushing forward with guns drawn. They passed Omali and Fervor who stood still like statues. "Thank you for being our friend." The tiny whispers of the two were unheard, the shouts to surrender by the Titan team drowning out that heart aching sentence. Omali turned away, deciding it was best to contact Zavala and not watch what would happen. Fervor forced himself to watch, the Titans surrounding Vala like a pack of hounds. A pain bloomed somewhere in his body but he couldn't place it, couldn't figure it out. He couldn't know what this felt because it was new. "Commander Zavala, Omali here. We found the Hunter."