Normandy-Deck 3
"Llalalala lallalalala…lalalala"
"Stop it!" Cynthia Jackson yelled out next to her boyfriend.
"Hmm?" Paul Leighy responded turning to her with his eyebrow arching.
"You are singing….that!" She spluttered as they walked into the elevator.
"And what am I singing?" He replied with an amused lilt to his voice trying to keep from laughing uproariously.
"That…song!" She sighed. "It's so cute…stop looking at me like that."
The Infiltrator was positively grinning down at the former mercenary sentinel, who happened to be his girlfriend.
She sighed even deeper… "You know… the wedding march." She said crossing her arms over her chest.
Only to instantly uncross them as the door opened allowing them to step out into the CIC, with the galaxy map twirling in its alcove.
She clearly thinks she is getting away with this. "Oh that song."
She sighed walking up to the Galaxy map and leaning over the railing, Paul admired the view from the rear…and tried to read her body language. Just what is going on in that head of yours?
"Well, it would seem to be the day for that kind of thing." Paul volunteered tentively.
"Oh don't I know it." She scoffed. "It's all so…cutesy…with the two of them and everyone getting in on the act…hell even EDI is making predictions and holding a lottery…and now here we are… the happy occasion of the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Vega."
"I believe it's actually going to be 'Mr. Shepard.'" Paul piped in.
Cynthia sighed and by the slumping of her shoulders Paul just imagined her rolling her eyes.
"What has gotten into you this is not like you?"
"Oh really?" Cynthia remarked turning back to him smirking. "What I'm not an all-powerful sarcastic meanspirited chip on my shoulder…sexy wench?"
He smirked and inclined your head, "yeah but this wedding thing seems to have you really messed up."
The smirk dissolved on her face and she turned around to face the galaxy map again, turning away from him. He sighed and moved to join her, putting an arm around her shoulder and dragging her in close. She responded by placing her head on his chest.
"Seriously, what has gotten into you?" He asked nuzzling her.
"I've always been a loner Paul. Except with a brief stint in the Blue Suns and a brief stint being shown a few tricks by Kai Leng I really have not had that much to look forward to. A rebel, a stickler for doing things on one's own. Not really getting anything done in the process. Poo pooing on all sorts of modern 'traditions'. Especially marriage, vowing to myself that I never would get married…"
"But?" He prodded gently.
"But now I have you, now I am part of a squad. And I just don't know what the future holds for me anymore…I suppose my biological clock is just ticking is all." She turned to look up into his eyes, and smirked, "And it's pissing me off."
She settled back down and they were quiet for a long moment resting in the nook of his arm. He let her stay like that for a long moment.
But finally couldn't bare it. "Well do you think that we'll ever get married?"
She smirked at him, "That wasn't an invitation Leighy."
"I wasn't asking." He grinned.
She was quiet, and then shrugged, "Who knows? So much of my life has been ass backward since Shepard recruited me for this merry jaunt. So…who knows?"
"Fair enough." Leighy murmured, as they both watched the turn of the universe.
Shepard's Cabin
"Ow!" Abby grunted as Chakwas stuck a needle just slightly east of where the sun don't shine.
"Sorry." Chakwas murmured, sounding not the sorriest in the least.
"It's ok." Abby grunted. "I know where the armory is kept."
Chakwas looked up from her posterior to give Abby a worried look. Abby responded by flashing a brilliant smile.
She spun around to watch her door open, and just in time to see Traynor spring to the door obviously hoping to defend her honor from the sudden appearance of the obvious attacker.
"Hey can I speak to her?"
"Come on James you know that you aren't supposed to see her on her wedding day. It's bad luck!" Traynor's voice shrilled.
"Says who?" James responded challengingly, and then a rustle of clothes as Traynor had to repel a charge.
"Its tradition James!" Traynor placed her hands on her hips, cocking her head off to one side as if to glare at the young Lieutenant.
"Oh come on, since when have you been a traditional woman Samantha?" James sneered.
Traynor and Abby sighed simultaneously.
"Its fine Traynor, let him in." Abby waved her down.
Traynor nodded gesturing to let James see the bride to be, his bride to be if you really wanted to be technical about it.
"Hey Lola." He started but then got caught up short when he saw her.
Mainly what I'm wearing. She smirked.
It was a red dress, deep and rich, flowing around her ankles bunching up around her stomach and chest, holding her form tightly. Straps went around her shoulders, but they could be barely seen, and only if you were looking at her in the right light and at shotgun range.
James gawked for a second, but turned to smirk at Traynor. "So much for tradition eh?" He turned back to Abby. "Where is the white dress or the dress blues?"
"Well my wedding my rules…I checked with Admiral Jameson and…"
"And?" Vega asked curiously.
"She kinda made a grunting groaning noise but nodded slightly so I took it as she was giving me permission."
"But seriously Lola….Red?"
She shrugged her bare shoulders and James's eyes followed the gesture. Her smirk turned into a grin. "What? It matches my fiery personality."
"Personally," Traynor cut in, "I think you'd look very good in white. Just like a little princess."
Abby arched an eyebrow at the com specialist. "Uh huh."
"So Shepard…you ready for this?"
"Almost," She allowed biting her lip, "personally I am more worried about getting all the guests here…and fitting them in."
"It's not too late you know…"
James's voice drifted off as Abby shook her head from left to right, "No, it just feels right to have it here on Normandy rather than on some planet. We'll get to the honey moon soon enough, but the wedding should be here. I want to spend as much time on this ship as I can before…" her voice cut itself off from the lump that was suddenly there.
"You really think that Jameson is going to replace you?" James asked.
She nodded slowly, "Captains really aren't supposed to be in command of Frigates, not much of a berth for it…especially someone with my expertise." She arched an eyebrow ironically.
"So…Ashley?" James asked.
"Probably." Abby scratched the back of her neck. "Nothing has been decided but she is my choice…damn it James I didn't want to talk about this now. There will be plenty of time for new beginnings and to talk about the future."
"You don't want to go do you?"
She sighed, "Mixed feelings James. The Normandy has become my life. Ever since Anderson offered me the XO position those years ago to now, it's been something to look forward to. But now at the beginning I suppoe its time for an ending, to do my duty but to try and settle down a little. And she will be in good hands, I just almost hate to go."
"Well I'm sure Ashley will let you visit from time to time." James remarked with a smile.
Abby snorted, "She'd better or I'll kick her ass."
The two of them shared a moment just enjoying each other's company for a few remaining minutes. Standing watching each other across the cabin divide.
"And what about you James? Looking forward to becoming the first Mr. Shepard?"
He groaned. "I know that if you were to be called anything other than Commander Shepard the universe might collapse into a black hole but that doesn't mean I especially when to take your name either."
"Fair enough." She smirked.
He had to laugh, "Still I don't know what either of us is going to do, being domesticated, getting a house in the suburbs somewhere, raising a bunch of little children. Could you imagine it?"
"Let's just get through the wedding first." Abby chuckled.
"Sounds good Shepard…hey Shepard."
"Hmmm?" She ased turning back to him.
"It's been real."
"That it has…Mr. Shepard."
He rolled his eyes and began to head out of the cabin towards the elevator, "Well I should get out of your hair, and get into my dress blues, one of us has to look respectable. And since the show is about to begin."
"Right James, see ya later." She said as the door closed behind him.
Traynor came out of her corner shaking her head bemusedly.
"What?" Shepard asked.