Title: In Each Other
Author: Lucky Gun
Description: Exactly why Jenkins had to stand up, saying, "That was awesome!" Why Alenko sent him flying, and what Shepard did about it. Or, why you shouldn't touch an L2's implant without asking. Ever. Pre-FemShep/Alenko, ends with fluffy Shenko, Language
A/N: Because Jenkins didn't get enough screen time for the number of times he was referenced throughout the series, I thought it would be nice for him to have a little bit more meaning in his short life.
She heard the shout echo through the ship, bouncing off the metal walls, and found herself smiling a bit. Even though she was a deck below across from engineering, and the drive core – theoretically – should have dimmed any noises from the mess to nothing, it still came through the duct work near her head clearly.
"That was awesome!"
There was more hollering, similar to the din that had previously cut through her concentration, and she sighed. She leaned back in her chair and stared at the decking above her before shaking her head and standing. She tossed her datapad onto the table as she stretched the kinks out of her back, her most recent report sliding over the pile of pads spread across the surface. She sighed deeply and glanced at her omni tool as she started towards the elevator. They were still a week out from their next stop, a quick side trip before continuing to Eden Prime. The concern that had been knotting the muscles below her implant had doubled when Anderson had told her they were picking up a Spectre.
"Nothing's ever simple," she murmured to herself as she rolled her shoulders, bringing both hands up to massage the base of her neck.
The elevator came to a slow stop and she stepped out towards the kitchen, aiming for some chow before getting some kip. However, the second she turned the corner, her hands fell and she got the steel in her spine that had earned her her N7 ranking.
"What the hell is going on here?" she snapped, and the mess, full of soldiers, abruptly quieted and everyone came to quick attention.
Everyone except Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, Doctor Karin Chakwas, and Corporal Richard Jenkins. They were at one of the tables, Jenkins sitting while the doctor shined a penlight in his eyes, and Alenko was pressing a gauze bandage to the corporal's arm. The rest of the group, fifteen strong, were wrapped in a semicircle around the table, techs, Marines, and others, and they all had the reddened faces of those who had been caught doing something that really ought not be done.
"It's my fault, commander," Alenko said immediately, giving her a sideways look as he held Jenkins' wrist and kept pressure on the man's wound. "Jenkins hasn't worked with biotics before and...it's my fault."
Shepard glanced at Jenkins who seemed keen on saying something, but a warning look from the doctor kept his mouth shut. Exhaling and crossing her arms, Shepard recognized the moment for what it was. Sometimes, she was lucky, and she was able to see it as it approached, the single event that would dictate the style of her current command and change the way her crew perceived her. She looked around at the assembled crewmen and took a few seconds to decide how she wanted to handle this particular run.
"Doctor, report," she ordered as she walked up to the table, giving the corporal a once over. He didn't seem particularly injured, but she still wanted an expert opinion. Karin replaced her penlight in her pocket and straightened before turning to Shepard. "He's fit, commander, and ready for duty."
Cocking her head, Shepard decided she'd had enough. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she raised her voice and turned as she spoke. "Everyone at ease, for Christ's sake."
There were a few uneasy looks between friends as everyone obeyed, but she ignored them and turned back to the doctor and repeated, "Doctor, report. Please."
Karin definitely had a smile on her face as she shook her head. "Jenkins has a minor laceration on his arm and he'll have a bit of a headache. Nothing to be concerned with, I believe."
Nodding once, Shepard looked at Alenko and pinned him with a look as she asked, "You said it was your fault?"
He swallowed once and turned to face her more fully even as his medic training kept the padding on the other man's arm. "Yes ma'am, I did."
This time, Jenkins couldn't keep himself from scoffing and shaking his head, so Shepard immediately turned her attention to him and asked, "Speak freely, corporal. What happened here?"
For his part, he was young, enthusiastic, but refused to let someone else take the blame for his mistakes. It was admirable, if not a little stupid.
"It's not the lieutenant's fault, it's mine. I haven't ever worked with a biotic before and I'd heard about their headjacks...er, ports," he stumbled here, using the slightly colorful word first that was usually limited to usage only by biotics. "So I snuck up behind him and sort of...touched it."
Herself an L3, Shepard felt her eyebrows disappear into her hairline as a dark look crossed her face. Where she'd been standing with her arms crossed and hip cocked, the openness in her posture abruptly turned fierce.
So much for cutting these guys some slack.
"You snuck up behind a superior officer and touched his fucking implant?" she snapped, whatever flexibility she had given her stance immediately evaporating. She took another step closer to Jenkins and fisted her hand in his collar as she hauled him to standing, ignoring the way Alenko wisely backed up.
"I'm a biotic, Jenkins. You gonna come up behind me and fuck with my port too?" she growled, shoving her face into his. Swallowing hard, the corporal tried to stand at attention in her grip and adopted the usual thousand yard stare over her shoulder.
"No ma'am!" he shouted, and were she not prepared for it, it may have startled her. She dropped his shirt and shoved a finger into his chest, hard. "You'd better not. I assume Alenko threw you into a wall after that?"
Clearing his throat, the lieutenant offered carefully, "Accidentally, ma'am. Yes, I did. I reacted without thinking. I could've broken his neck. I just...I didn't think, ma'am."
Shepard looked over at him and dismissed his apology with an unladylike snort before she turned her attention back to the corporal. "You'd better be damn glad you tried this on him instead of me. Broken neck? Hell, I'd have put you through the fucking hull."
Stepping around the corner of the table to where Alenko had retreated, she gave him a look and held up a hand, twisting a finger in the air. He didn't sigh so much as swallow, and he turned obediently. She knew her fingers were cold from working in the cargo bay, but he still didn't jump as she brought her hands to his neck. His hair was short, regulation length, and it just barely reached his headjack. She kept her touch clinical as she gently brushed it out of the way and peered at the metal implant with a critical eye.
"Any numbness?" she asked softly, words meant for his ears only, and as he hummed a negative, Shepard traced the edges of the port, biting her lip when he shuddered. "Sorry, almost done," she whispered, searching for any pocks or cuts, any burn marks or thermal damage. She found none, though she did see a partial fingerprint near the top, right next to the notch that clearly proved him an L2. She tapped his shoulder and held a hand out beside him, noticing, for the first time, that he was rigid as stone. His movements were focused as he placed a new gauze pad in her palm, and she ripped it open with her teeth, wondering.
As an L3, she'd had the luxury of everyday training with other biotics. An L2...well, the opportunities for them to be treated as equals, even in the military, were few and far between.
Lips in a thin line, Shepard carefully wiped out his port, cleaning the oils, and stepped back, looking away pointedly while he replaced his dust cover. She often did the same and kept the cover off while on ship, as it gave a sense of freedom and wind over raw nerves. Now, she doubted he ever would again. She was seriously considering replacing her own cover, as well.
The lieutenant turned around and rubbed his neck once before dropping his arm and falling into an at ease position. He nodded once at her, a slight tinge to his cheeks, and she pocketed the gauze mindlessly. Biotics had to stick together, and she wasn't about to let one of her own get segregated just because of his implant.
Spinning on her heel, Shepard raised her voice to address everyone, her eyes fixing on each corpsman individually as she spoke.
"Lieutenant Alenko here is an L2, strongest in the Alliance. If I hear a single whisper of bigotry or bias because he's a 2, I will personally keelhaul the offender the next time we hit a relay. The only reason our dear Corporal Jenkins isn't paste on the wall is because the lieutenant has trained hard and has exceptional control over his biotics."
She paused here, glancing at Alenko, and saw his face flush lightly even as he forced his eyes to stay up. Shepard turned and began walking the opposite direction as she spoke, her voice getting harder.
"I am not an L2. I am an L3, which means, bad news for anyone on the wrong side of me, I do not have the same control over my biotics. I will, absolutely, blast you into the next system without a second thought. I do not have time to babysit, what I thought were, Marines. This is a shakedown run, nothing more than a test of systems, and I'm already pissed at the lot of you."
The group around her was strung tightly, muscles close to breaking, and she sighed heavily, bringing up her hands to again massage the area below her port as she closed her eyes. Her fingers raised her short blond hair from her implant, giving Jenkins a clear look at it. Her voice was quieter as she spoke this time, a sort of weariness born of familiarity covering her tone.
"If anyone has any questions about biotics, or anything else, I want you to come to me. I've got an open door policy at all times, and, barring the end of the world, I will be available to listen to whatever complaints or concerns you have. But I swear to God, if someone tries shoving a fork into someone's implant, I'll maroon every last one of you."
This time it was Alenko's turn to hide a chuckle, and she gave him a ghost of a smile as she turned to Jenkins, who was still standing at attention.
"You learn your lesson, Corporal?" she asked unnecessarily, and his quick affirmation made her sigh again. She caught Alenko's gaze, and, himself an officer, he knew her question and gave a small shake of his head. "I'm not putting this on your jacket, Jenkins, but you are on KP duty for the next two weeks. Next time you want to know something about biotics, just ask."
He nodded slightly and she gave Chakwas a tip of her head as she turned to leave.
"Uh, Commander?"
She froze, one step away from the group, and cocked her head as the corporal's voice came through her senses. Shepard turned slowly, a questioning look on her face. Yes, she had an open door policy. But this kid was pushing every aspect of his luck.
"Yes, Jenkins, what can I do for you?" she asked incredulously, and she thought she might have seen a smirk on the doctor's face as she wandered back to the medbay. For his part, the Corporal seemed to be trying to get moisture in his mouth again.
"Well, you just...which one of you is stronger, ma'am?"
There was a beat of silence before Shepard asked simply, "Pardon?"
Alenko cocked his head at her response, his eyes dancing, and Jenkins asked again, "You were talking about control versus power, ma'am. So is the L2 or the L3 stronger?"
Refusing to work her mouth like a fish, Shepard shut her jaw tightly. She had to admit, it was an interesting question. Ever since she'd looked over the dossiers of the shore crew and command staff on the Normandy and seen the lieutenant's stats, she'd been curious as well.
"I don't believe that's relevant to anything, corporal, and I think you need to apologize to the lieutenant for assaulting him in the first place," she finally said neutrally, but when she caught Alenko's gaze, she was surprised to find his own question in it.
"...unless the commander wants to find out?"
His words were careful, tactful, and she found herself wondering if he ever forgot to leave himself a way out of a conversation. She tilted her head and shrugged, a little grin pulling at her lips.
"Ah, hell, lieutenant. You have credits riding on this or something?"
He chuckled and gave an answering smile, all teeth, anticipation clear on his face. "I only bet with my life, commander, never my money."
Shepard nodded and stepped forward, shaking out her right hand as she ran through a hasty warm up. She realized he was doing the same. "What's the game, then?"
Alenko cracked his neck and said offhandedly, "Well, I prefer not being spaced. Barrier defense, ma'am?"
She nodded and was extremely aware of everyone around them pressing in, the group completely losing any fear they had of her, her command, or her reputation. She thought that might be a good thing, maybe, depending on how the rest of the milk run went. Even Jenkins was leaned in close, the scrape on his arm forgotten and the excitement of youth in his eyes.
Barrier defense was a normal exercise, one she ran through with fellow biotics often, but still, when she raised her hand to his, there was something different about this time. Maybe it was his whiskey eyes, maybe it was the answering hum of his biotics that felt exceptional against her own wavelength. There was a strength behind his gaze and in his smile that made her wonder if this was a bad idea.
He extended his arm, palm up, and she set her hand on his with no hesitation. There was the usual bite as their implants grounded out on each other, one she felt in her teeth, and her biotics wound up. She was vaguely aware of the shimmering hues coming off her skin, matching his, and wondered if the blue swirl in his eyes was similar to hers.
There was a long minute as their biotics rose silently in the hall, waves of blue and teal lighting up the mess and the sleeper pods beyond. Shepard smirked at him, at the static she felt in the dance between their energies, and he grinned as lightning cracked over his face. She felt the childish urge to stick her tongue out at him as her eyes sparked in response.
Then his barrier started to push over hand, thick, like a warm bed and coffee while the rain comes down outside, the smell of aftershave and gun oil and eezo in the air.
She jerked when she felt it touch her skin, faltering for only a second before a panic she hid bone deep pounded against her skull. He was too close, too close, and she shoved her own energy out, breaking it in a wave over his wrist. He jolted and she took the opportunity to wash out his barrier with her own, covering him with her blue light. There was a stunned look in his eyes that he couldn't hide fast enough, and she tried to ignore it. Then her implant wound down and she exhaled slowly, tucking away the sensation of his fields into the back of her memory where she could protect it. Alenko stared at her, his own biotics simmering before receding, and he mindlessly gripped her hand.
Shepard glanced down and then looked back up, clearing her throat. "Guess you didn't have a bet after all," she forced out with a mostly-natural laugh as she pulled on his hand. Whatever had been holding him in place released immediately, and he gave her an easy smile as he stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I would never lie to you, commander," he said simply, and she tried not to look too much into the fact that his voice abruptly put butterflies in her chest. "No, I don't believe you would, lieutenant," she finally answered after a beat.
It was the firmest truth she'd spoken in a long, long time.
The moment passed and, with the jeers and whistles around them, she was more than understanding of the fact that, mental connection or not, they still had an audience. Raising her eyes and turning to the group still around them, she put some strength in her words and said, "All right, show's over. Jenkins, you've got your answer, so go see if the mess sergeant needs any potatoes peeled. The rest of you, get back to work before I find some latrines that desperately need scrubbing."
Everyone scattered, though not nearly as tense as they'd been during the first part of their journey, and Alenko watched them go with a small smile. When it was just the two of them, he stepped closer to her, standing behind her, and said quietly, "I know it doesn't seem like it, ma'am, but I could've done it. I could've broken his neck, commander."
She didn't turn as she considered his words for a moment. "And if you'd been an L3, you probably would have. I wasn't kidding; I'd have killed him, lieutenant. He's luckier than he knows. I don't have the control you do."
There was a long enough silence that Shepard knew Alenko was considering her words and struggling to absolve himself of whatever guilt he still felt. Finally, he began walking away, movement wafting the air around her, bringing a familiar smell. Turning sharply, she stared at him and abruptly asked, "Did you let me win?"
Alenko gave her a glance over his shoulder as he headed towards the stairs. "No, commander. I'm not as strong as you are." The smile he gave her as he disappeared around the corner left her quietly disturbed.
It was almost six months later when she looked up at him, ignored the battle around them, and pulled him in for a kiss as she let her biotics flare. His implant met hers and she let it, refusing to push him away this time. She felt the touch of cherry blossoms and the warmth of the sun on her skin, smelled her shampoo and felt a hand in hers, tight and cherished. He kissed her back, driving his field over hers, shielding her with his own. She smiled and said softly against his lips, "You lied to me."
He looked down at her from his perch on some rubble, one hand on her cheek and the other on his rifle, and he answered just as quietly, "No, you are stronger. Before I'd ever met you, you've always been my weakness."
His field covered her like a lover's embrace, warmed her, and she felt the shadow of her own biotics spark against his, the smell of summer in her head. She pressed a kiss to his lips again, the smell of him and gun oil and eezo dancing in her senses, and she didn't have to say anything else.
~ Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along. ~