A/N: He-hey, my first one-shot! Please tell me what you think of it! X|
Helping Hands
"Hey, Shepard, you turning in? We still got a crate full of booze left!" Garrus called out from his place in the conga line that span around the entire main cafeteria of the Crew's Quarters and the elevator entrance.
"Yeah, you guys go ahead. I'm not really in the mood." Shepard answered from inside the elevator, and pushed on the button that would lead her to her cabin.
Tali, who was currently riding on top of Garrus's shoulder tipped the light purple bottle in her hand down at the brunette and slurred, "Aww, you're so boring, Shepard! Sooo boring. You want a straw?"
"Umm..." With a raised brow Shepard took the slice of cheese the disoriented quarian handed her. "Thanks, Tali."
"Good night Shepard." Tali giggled and she and Garrus were soon moved along the line of people, and out of the Commander's sight.
The elevator door slide shut with a sigh, and, peace and quiet at last, Jane Shepard reciprocated by doing the same.
She still couldn't believe it.
They did it.
They stopped the Collectors. Blew them all up, along with that freakish Human-Reaper thing they had been cooking up. It was over. And to add that little cherry on top of the sundae, she finally gave the proverbial middle-finger to the Illusive Man and took his best ship and its crew away with her. God, the rush she felt when she stopped him mid-sentence to tell him 'I'm running the show now.' She just wished she could have seen the pompous creeper's expression when she cut the connection on him.
Not bothering to muffle her gleeful chuckle, Shepard looked down at her lightly bandaged arm. A small burn she had received from Harbinger's weird flame-based biotic attack. It was nothing too serious, just like all the other injuries she received during the suicide mission. It was miraculous how not only her, but the entire crew of the Normandy got away from the Collectors with only the most minor flesh wounds. If anyone else saw their state, they would probably say that they went into the Omega-4 relay and pulverized the Collectors, or they might accuse them of bluffing about the whole thing. But the truth was, it did happen, and no matter what they say, it was definitely not easy to accomplish.
The crew was taking their rest now. They were all either down by the Crew's Deck celebrating or in their beds sleeping while EDI maintained the Normandy for the day. The AI had volunteered and was happy to do so. They all had been through a lot, and deserved every single moment of their rest.
Shepard, of the two categories, was in the latter and was on her way up to her Cabin, exhausted from all that has happened. She was so tense still. It would be so good to simply lie down, and just... let go. God knows it's been awhile.
The elevator doors parted, revealing the small corridor leading to her room, and Shepard did not waste a second getting off. Moving towards the door, her hands were already starting up towards the zipper of her jacket, ready to throw the garment off the moment she walked in to her room. As the door slid open with a hushed slide, Shepard gleefully stepped in, turned the lights on with a tab of a button, and then choked on her own spit when she saw Kelly Chambers sitting on her bed, wearing something very inappropriate for work hour.
Shepard's jaw dropped even after she recovered from her coughing fit.
"Hey, Shepard," Kelly purred, her low voice enticing a deep flush out of the Commander, but not as much as the skimpy outfit she was donned in. "I've been waiting for you. I wanted to show you something."
"Wha-What are you-What's going on? What are you wearing?" Shepard stammered.
The redhead bounced off her seat and began stepping towards her with sultry sways of her hips.
"It's an old outfit I used to own. Do you like it?" Shepard tried not to stare. Tried so very hard not to stare. "I guess that means yes."
"What are you trying to-?"
Before the brunette knew it Kelly had her arms wrapped around her as she drawled breathily right in her ear, "You just saved the entire human race Commander, but you only had a handful of people give their thanks." The Yeoman's soft, delicate hands roamed low. Very, very low. "So I thought I could give you something... 'special,' to compensate for them."
For a moment Shepard seemed as though she would give in, and happily so. The Yeoman's warm breathe spread like fire against her ears. It traveled up into her scalp and down her exposed neck. It all felt so heavenly, Shepard would have loved to simply accept and have a special night with the young redhead. They flirted around every second they were together anyhow, and both sides were getting bolder each day, why not take that one last step over the boundary?
But then a dark frown over took her features as she was reminded of something, and she shook her head. "No, stop, KelliiAHH!" She yelped, love and hating the pair of hands that now slithered around under her jacket.
"It's okay, Shepard." Kelly reassured, almost moaning the words. "You deserve this, and so much more. So just come sit down on the couch, and I'll help you relax. You're so tense. It's just oozing out of you."
Shepard wanted to deny the offer, but the way the redhead was softly caressing her body with her own, the way they rubbed against each other as they tugged and pulled, it was making her head fuzzy, hard think.
She blinked in surprise when she suddenly found herself sitting on the couch, the scantily clad Yeoman prancing about by the opposite wall. Her lush movements were in rhythm with the dark beats booming out the Cabin's music bank.
The dancing seemed to go on for hours when in fact it had gone on only for few minutes. Shepard watched, becoming drunk from the smooth, lustful movements as every second they got fiercer, more savage, wild. Only when the dancing had stopped and the Yeoman pounced on her did the Commander gain enough mental ability to speak.
"Kelly, please wait." The brunette groaned as the redhead grinded her hips against her pelvis.
"Why?" Kelly asked throatily, her eyes closed and lips parted as she rubbed sensually against the Commander. The redhead placed a gentle, but hungry kiss on Shepard's neck, drawing out a long moan. "See? You love it. You love this."
Shepard shook her head lazily. "No. Please you have to stop this. You don't want this."
Kelly giggled at that. "Of course I do, silly. I've wanted this for a long time."
"I know but -Oh God. That's so...Mmmhh! – but I can't do this."
"Sure you can. You don't have to hold back for me, you know? I'm yours, Shepard, all yours to do as you please."
"No." Shepard protested meekly, but was quickly hushed by the hot, wet tongue invading her mouth. She almost lost it then. The flavors dancing in her mouth was nothing like anything she'd tasted before. Her senses were jumbled. She didn't even know what she was feeling anymore. It was no secret: She had wanted this. She needed relief. There was so much tension built up in her. She needed comfort.
But she didn't want it. Not right now. Not from Kelly.
"You taste so good, Shepard." The Yeoman rasped breaking off to catch a breath. The act gave just the ample amount of time for Shepard to regain her senses enough to do what she was about to do next.
"So do you." She concurred, and forced all she had within her to throw the redhead off her lap. The Yeoman landed on the cold ground with a loud thud.
"Ow!" She yelped.
Shepard stepped off the couch, trying to walk off her arousal. The image of the Yeoman rubbing her sore ass with her hands was certainly not helping. "That's enough, Kelly." She spoke out in breathy huffs.
"What the hell, Shepard?" Kelly glared at the Commander, obviously not appreciating being manhandled as she did. "Stop playing hard to get! You know you want to!"
"I'm not playing hard to get, Kelly, and no, I don't want to."
Kelly scoffed. "Could've fooled me. You weren't exactly looking away when I spread my legs for you during my dance. I thought you would burn my clothes off the way you had been staring."
Shepard winced, the heat returning to her as she remembered how poorly she had acted. The brunette quickly shook the thought away. "It's not about whether I liked it or not. It's about me not wanting it."
"Why don't you want it, Shepard? God knows you need some relief and I'm willing to give it to you."
"I don't want it, Kelly, because you don't know what you are doing."
Kelly appeared offended by the statement. "Excuse me?" She gasped and stood up angrily. "Look, just because everyone thinks I'm all innocent and naïve doesn't mean I am. I assure you, Commander, I know exactly what I'm doing."
"That's not what I meant." Shepard said, then let out a loud relieved huff as she felt the last of her libido evaporate from her system. She continued, her tone leveled, "What I meant was: you are not thinking straight."
"Are you seriously going with that?" Kelly ridiculed, her anger visibly rising. "I haven't touched a single drink tonight, Shepard. I know what I'm doing. This isn't some drunken affair I'm having with you. Don't insult me by thinking I'm an idiot who would."
"Again, not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?" The redhead almost shouted through her grit teeth.
"Look at yourself, Kelly. Look at what you're doing. This isn't you."
"What, is me dressed as a stripper that much to take in?" Kelly scoffed again cynically. "This is all me, Shepard. The little Miss goodie-two-shoes you saw everyday was just a front. Behind all that sweetness is what you see now: A dirty stripper whore who goes around selling herself just because she wants to."
"You don't mean that." Shepard's expression deflated into a sad frown.
"Of course I mean it. It's the truth. I know it is. Now you know it too." Kelly spat with venom.
"You're just scared."
Kelly stared at her as though she'd just been slapped. "Scared? What's there to be scared of?" She laughed humorlessly, a dull, empty sound. "You just saved us all. Don't you see? You saved me! It's all thanks to YOU that I'm safe now, and I want to repay you, but YOU won't let me!"
"Kelly." Shepard placed her hands on the now frantic woman's shoulders. But the Yeoman would have none of it.
"Don't." She snapped, slapping the hands away. "You don't want me? Fine. I guess I'm just not good enough for the Great Commander Shepard."
"You know that's not true."
"Yeah, cause I so believe that." Kelly muttered bitterly, and then quickly turned towards the Cabin's door only to be stopped by a thin, calloused hand grabbing her wrist.
"Look," Shepard spoke sternly. "I know what you're going through. I know how it feels. I've been there myself, a long time ago."
"'I know how you feel'? Who died and made you the psychologist, Shepard? Last time I checked I was the only one on the Normandy with the credentials." She remarked snidely. The Commander ignored her though, and continued on evenly.
"You know you should feel safe, but you don't. You can't help but feel it would happen again, that they would come through those doors right now and take you back with them." The redhead's expression turned grim. She shook her head and tried to rip herself away, but Shepard tightened her grip, gentle but firm. "It's irrational but it's there. And that's okay. It's alright-Stop struggling and listen!- It's okay. You know it is, probably better than anyone. It's nothing to be ashamed of. You can get better. You know that."
Kelly continued her struggle, even going far as physically attacking the brunette as she spewed profanities at her, though the best she could do was scratch at the soldier, but as time went by she didn't put her heart into her actions as before.
It took a while for her to calm down, but when she did, she all but collapsed into the Commander, a resigned look on her face.
"God, I'm so stupid..." She muttered, beads of tears flowing down freely her cheeks as she was slowly brought down on to the bedside. "I just... never thought it would happen to me. That I would go through something so... so horrible."
Shepard tugged the smaller woman closer, and rocked her body gently "Shh..." She hushed. "It's okay honey, you're okay."
"I know it is. I know I am. I should be. But... I tried to make it go away, Commander, but every time I close my eyes, I just relive it again. It's just... Ugh." Kelly quivered as the haunting memories flashed before her eyes. "I see Joker running out, then that cold hand pulls me back. They're above me. Around me." She took a shuddering breathe and took a moment to let the gentle rocking sooth her. "They stuff me into that coffin, and I'm relieved that... that they aren't touching me anymore. But then it's so small. You can't breathe. It seems like forever. Oh god, Shepard. I watched them. People. Melting. There were so many. They screamed Shepard. Every one of them, from the beginning to the end. Even when their vocal chords were gone and their voice weren't even their own anymore. They just... kept on screaming. God."
Finally, Kelly burst into tears, no longer able to handle what her mind showed her, and Shepard found herself unable to do anything but to hold the distraught woman and whisper soothing words to her as she cried.
"I'm sorry, Kelly." She lulled her, her voice softer than the flutter of a butterfly. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."
Kelly looked up, angry. "Don't be stupid. It's not your fault." She leaned her head against Shepard's shoulder. "And if anyone should be sorry it's me."
"It's alright sweetie."
"No it's not. I didn't know how to cope. I wanted someone to hold me, to comfort me, and for that I tried to use you... God, I'm such a bitch."
"Hey, don't say that."
"It's true."
"It happens to all of us. I was no different after my first day on the field. It just gets to you, being around all that, no matter how much you try ignoring it. It's like getting a splinter on your back, if you will. It bothers you, ticks you off, sometimes it hurts too, and you can't get rid of it, not without help. You can do your best to try and ignore it and continue on with your life as you did before you got it, but sooner or later, you're going to need someone to pull it out for you. Or else you'll just go mad trying all your might to cope with it." Shepard then placed a light kiss on the Yeoman's scalp. "Psychologists are people too. They get traumatized just like everyone else, and need help just like anyone."
Kelly didn't move or speak, but wept soundlessly, tears seeping into the Commander's jacket, bit by bit. When three full minutes had passed, the Yeoman finally looked up.
"How did you know?" She asked and Shepard smiled warmly.
"Your eyes." She said simply. "I saw them as you uhh... danced." Again, the Commander was painted red at the memory but composed herself quick enough to go on unhindered. "I saw them and I noticed... how they were. It's hard to describe. But I've seen them before, in others. It's not something you forget. It was like a sign, an SOS. A sign that said 'I'm breaking. Someone, please, help me.'
Kelly seemed surprised for a moment, only just realizing how sharp the woman was, then smiled gently and leaned on Shepard's shoulder.
"I did need help, didn't I? I just wanted to get away from it. I'm sorry I forced this on you, Shepard."
"I already told you, it's not your fault."
Kelly pulled back from Shepard, just far enough so that she could look up into the brunette's face. Before Shepard could react, she leaned in and placed a quick peck on her cheek and returned to the embrace.
"Thank you." The happy whisper brought a smile on the brunette.
"Anytime Kelly." She whispered back, pulling the young woman even closer.
The two didn't, or rather couldn't, remain in such position forever, but they certainly did try their best. That night, the two agreed that they would share the bed, not as lovers but as friends to keep each other company. As they lay in Shepard's bed, holding each other firmly as ever, they exchanged only a few words, preferring to instead float in comfortable silence.
When they fell asleep, both women did so with a soft smile grazing their lips, and Kelly, despite her previous fears, slept peacefully without any horrors or screams haunting her dreams.
A/N: I always felt that Kelly didn't get much love from the developers and also thought that the 'special dance' thing came out of nowhere. So I wrote this little thing to show how I felt the scene should have been like. Hopefully I conveyed it well enough.
I should really be writing up the other fanfic that I'm doing but life gets in the way, and I wanted to write a few chapters ahead to keep a regular release schedule. So I'm sorry if people are waiting for that. I'll upload a new chapter ASAP!