Shepard smiled over her glass at James. They'd had vid marathons before, but tonight was her birthday, and he'd smuggled in some drinks for them. She'd been incarcerated for 4 months, and they'd developed a comfortable friendship. Although he was her guard, James was a little flirty, the Latin in him, she supposed, and they enjoyed each other's company and Shepard tried to make the most of her time in prison.

He was telling her about one of his missions when he was first in the Alliance, how another soldier had freaked out on a mission yelling, "Holy guacamole!"

"The next night his entire cot was covered in layer of green avocado. We called him 'Guac' after that."

They laughed. "So, what was your nickname, James?" she leaned forward.

"Didn't have one."

She scoffed, "I don't believe it. You probably had one, just didn't know about it."

"Yeah, if that's the case, I don't want to know about it."

"You don't know, it could be something good like 'Big J'," she laughed.

James blushed and took another swig of Tequila.

Shepard continued, "Well, you've given me the first nickname I've had – Lola. Still won't tell me what it means?" she smiled at him sweetly.

James was a bit flustered, she was never this flirty with him, returning his banter. Maybe it was the rum talking. "I'll tell you someday."

She sighed, "I guess I'll just have to wait." She finished off her drink, "Do you think you could get this old lady some more?" she handed him her empty glass.

James stood up and took the glass from her outstretched hand, "You're only 6 years older than me, that's not old." He walked back towards his adjoining room to refill rum in her glass.

Shepard peered around the corner, seeing James was out of sight. She seized her opportunity and reached over and poured the ground-up powder wrapped in paper hidden in her hand into his drink. She stirred it with her finger quickly a few seconds as it disappeared. She sat back down on the couch as James rounded the corner.

"Here you go, there's not much left." He said.

"That's okay. I tend to get tipsy pretty quick," she giggled. Truth was, she could drink a Krogan under the table, but James didn't know that. She drank and watched as he sipped at his Tequila. She studied his expression for any questioning to a change in taste – there was none. She asked him to tell her about how he was recruited by Anderson, a story she knew he loved to tell. He smiled, took another drink and started telling her about the Batarian fight at the bar. When he finished, she proposed a toast, "To the Alliance," and watched as he finished his drink. She could see he was starting to get a little sleepy, a little slurred.

She stood up, "It's late, James. We should call it a night. We've got the combat sims reserved in the morning." She reached down and guided him up.

"Yea, yea, you're right. Hope you had a good birthday, Shepard."

She grinned, "Oh, definitely." She walked him to his quarters and guided him to his bed as he sat down. The drugs took over and he fell back on his cot.

"Shit, not yet!" she huffed in frustration as she pulled him back up, "You've got to get your boots off."

James robotically attempted to untie his laces as she worked them off, then his pants, leaving him in his boxers. He tried to lay down, but she held him up, "You've got to get your shirt off too." He held his arms up like a child while she took his shirt off and over his head. He plopped back in bed, asleep already. She looked down at him, she'd only seen him a few times with his shirt off. Damn, he's really ripped. She paused for only a second, then picked his legs up and over in bed. She pulled the sheet up over him and turned quickly to his computer. Using her omni-tool she hacked into the door security getting the code. She'd been able to get most of it by watching him input it over the past months, but wasn't able to figure out all the numbers. After a few minutes on his computer, she got it. She froze the vid-feed to her quarters so she could go in undetected. She went across their connected living room to her quarters and got out the outfit she had put together the previous day. Cargo pants, top, sweater and hat. She stuffed her hair into the hat so it was completely hidden. She went to her bathroom and pulled out her makeup, darkening her eyeliner, smudging it. She wanted to look as little as Commander Shepard as she could so she wouldn't be recognized out on the streets. She left her usual red lipstick and used light lipgloss instead. She grabbed a red t-shirt and ripped it into strips, wrapping them around the top of her boots to cover the military look. She grabbed a hooded jacket and took one last look in the mirror. As best as I can do, she thought. She took a hidden credit chit out of her dresser, one Garrus had given her on a visit, "Just in case," he'd said.

She checked on James to find him peacefully snoring. She carefully examined the exterior vid-feed. No one around. She knew the next shift would be arriving in 30 minutes, she needed to leave now. She punched in the code and quickly left her prison quarters. Outside the prison door, she finally let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. The cold night air hit her face and she walked down towards the downtown area, hoping to mix in with the crowd. Hood around her face, she looked down and watched the snow crunch under her feet. She smiled, she'd done it. Happy Birthday to me! She thought.

She was outside nearly every day on prison grounds, on the track, hiking in the woods, but always with James as her guard and always with prison cameras watching. This taste of freedom was exhilarating. She'd always taken this for granted before. She continued in the dark on the sidewalks, reveling in the sights and sounds of different people, different aliens, watching the news vidfeed on a street monitor. She found a club and walked inside. It was pretty dark, which is what she wanted. She went to the bar and started to order some Turian ale, then thought better of it, Don't want to attract attention, and ordered a human house drink. She went to a secluded corner and sat back in a booth and sipped her drink, watching the dance floor. She took off her jacket, keeping her knit cap in place. An Asari waitress took her order for some food and pretty soon she was snacking and drinking and generally enjoying herself. She kept a close eye on her omni-tool for the time. She needed to be back in her quarters by 3 am to be safe. She was approached by a human asking her to dance, which she politely declined. After a while a Turian sat next to her, making conversation. This she allowed, as she knew he was less likely to recognize her than a human would. They made small talk for a while, and he convinced her to dance with him once, near closing time. It was entrancing, getting out, being alone, being just Jane. It reminded her of when she was a teenager on Mindoir, she would go out dancing with her friends sometimes before, well. He started to put his arms around her and she smiled and shook her head. He kept it friendly after that, and they returned to her table, talking mostly about his job.

"What about you? You doing anything tomorrow night?" he asked her.

For a second she contemplated a repeat of that evening, then reality set in of who she really was and what was at stake.

"No, I'm only in town for one night. But, I've enjoyed talking with you. Good luck with that promotion." She got up and shook his hand.

He returned the shake, and reluctantly told her goodbye. She put on her jacket and walked out of the club. It had started snowing again. She looked up at the sky as she walked; looking at the stars, wondering what else was going on in the galaxy, where her crew was. She checked her omni-tool and walked faster with more determination to make it back safely in the prison before being detected. The sleeping pills she had given James would be wearing off sometime in the morning, she wasn't sure when. She walked up to the side entrance and stopped when she saw two guards outside. Shit, shit, shit! She smirked a little to herself hearing Joker's curse from her lips. She hung back on the street, contemplating her options. To her relief, the guards left and walked past her. She quickly brought up her omni-tool, hacking the outside cameras and the door. She had only two hallways to go and be back in her quarters. She made it there without incident, chiding herself for thinking for a minute at the club that she would take a chance and repeat another outside escape the next night. She made in her quarters and breathed a sigh of relief. She could hear James snoring and went to her quarters, taking off her outfit, cleaning the makeup off her face. She went to his quarters and re-started the vid-feed in her room. She put the clothes she had been wearing earlier that night on his floor and got into bed beside him, just her panties on. She grinned, It couldn't have been more smooth. She sighed and went to sleep.

James' stirring woke her up, "What, what- Shepard?"

She turned sleepily and looked at James, "Oh, hi, good morning." She pulled the sheet up around her and gave him a smile. Time to finish the plan.

He rubbed his eyes and looked down at her, "Did we-"

She looked away shyly and said, "We did. I was kinda drunk, but I remember some of it."

"Oh, shit," James leaned back down on the pillow, "My head is pounding. I don't remember anything."

Shepard turned away from him and sat up in bed, "It's okay James, we just got carried away. Let's just pretend it never happened." She started to get up when James grabbed her arm, pulling her back down next to him.

"You can't get up yet, you're way too sexy like this in the morning." He started nuzzling her neck, spooning with her.

She drew in a breath, wide-eyed. Shit, she'd never thought it would go like this. "Um, we really shouldn't, James." Her plan was for him to be embarrassed, contrite, then he wouldn't be investigating into why the vid-feed was frozen, questioning his black-out.

His breath was warm, right next to her ear, "But we already have, and I don't want you to have a memory of a less than great performance."

She started to push away when he hiked her body up next to him, pushing his hard-on against her back. He snaked his hands down inside her panties, eliciting a sharp gasp from her. "Do you like that?"

Suddenly she was speechless, the sudden turn of events catching her by complete surprise. She opened her mouth to say something when she felt hot kisses on her neck, and his warm tongue lightly lick on her cold flesh. Instead of a refusal, she let out a soft moan. She could feel him taking his boxers off.

He said a few things in Spanish she couldn't understand, then he wrapped his leg around her, separating her legs. He moved his finger down her clit, stopping just short of her opening. She leaned her head back into his shoulder, completely overcome by his touch, her sudden want. He slowly dipped his finger into her, "You're wet. Do you want me to?" he asked, rubbing his hard cock between her ass cheeks.

She felt like she was losing her mind, and she heard, "Yes," escape from her lips. He started moving his finger into her as she moved against him. He put another finger in her, "Lola, I want you."

She turned on her back and looked hazily at James, pulling her panties off. . She'd had no idea he felt that way about her, let alone that she would return the feelings. He reached out for her hand and putting it on his cock. It was his turn to moan as she grabbed him, impressed by his girth and length, and gripped him, stroking him up and down. He looked down at her, "Lola, you're so beautiful."

She hadn't heard that in a long time. She looked up at his tattooed, muscular shoulders, his hazel eyes, and reached up, pulling him down towards her. James complied, cupping his hands around her face, kissing her mouth, cheeks, her neck, he moved down, kissing and lightly sucking on a nipple. She bucked up into the glorious sensations James was giving her. She felt him between her legs and spread her legs further apart for him.

He looked up at her and hesitated, his tip teasing the dripping wetness between her legs. "Are you ready?" he asked her.

"God yes, James, please."

He started slowly pistoning inside her, as she gripped his arms on either side of her. She pushed her hips up to meet him, his leg slipping a bit on the small cot. She wrapped her legs around him, drawing him in deeper. "Lola, you're so tight," he groaned.

She dug her nails into his arms, then moved her hands down to his waist, pulling him against her. "Oh James!" she called out, then gasped as she felt white-hot heat wash over her, "I'm cumming!" her voice left her again as she spasmed against him. His movements became more jerky and he climaxed inside her. They moved together, riding their climax until it subsided. Shepard held James' face and peppered him with light kisses as he slowed his breathing, laughing softly.

Shepard grinned, "James, I had no idea-"

He looked down at her with adoration, "I've been trying to keep my feelings for you a secret, Lola. But I just can't anymore."

He started to pull out and Shepard held on tighter with her legs. He gave her a warning look, "Lola, I don't want you to get too worn out."

She reluctantly loosened her grip and he pulled out, laying beside her. She leaned against him, holding his hand. He reached over and tenderly pushed sweaty curls off her face. He looked up at the clock on the computer, "Damn, it's after 8. We'd better get going." She nodded and got up from the bed, putting her clothes back on. She was sore, but didn't care. She turned and looked back at James, marveling at how her birthday had actually turned out. She stood by the door and James got up, holding a sheet around him.

As she walked out of his quarters, he called out to her, "Oh, and hey, Lola?"

She turned back and gave him a beatific smile, "Yes, James?"

He leaned his arm in the doorway of his room, loosely holding the sheet around his waist, "Don't drug me and hack out of our quarters again or I'll have to put you in solitary for a week, okay?"

He smiled at her dumbfounded look and closed his door, chuckling as he headed towards his shower.