Disclaimer: Bioware owns Mass Effect.

Note: I am looking for prompts, so please leave some!

He Makes Me Feel Human

"Oh, come on, Dobby!" Shepard exclaimed as she searched the tiny tunnels she had installed for her hampster. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find REAL celery this far from Earth?"

Shepard kept searching the tunnels and blocks, determined to watch her little rodent accept her gift. She loved the way he would shove food, bit by bit, into his tiny cheeks until they puffed out and he literally could not take anymore. Then he'd run off to stash it, like it was some sort of pirate's booty that needed to be buried. Shepard smiled just thinking about it. There was a sense of happiness in watching him gorge. Food was happiness for him, and in turn, she gained a small bit of happiness from watching his happiness. She silently wished her life was as simple as his. Eat, sleep, stash food, poop, eat stashed food, sleep again. Yeah, that sounded like a vacation right now.

"Fine," Shepard finally huffed, giving up, as she tossed the untouched celery in to her mini-fridge. "I see how it is." She flopped down on her bed, one arm over her eyes. "Like you even appreciate it."

"Talking to yourself again, Dawn?"

Shepard jumped at Jacob's voice, though she should have expected it by now. He always had something to say after every mission, but she didn't mind. In fact, he had become her closest friend next to Garrus in the whack-job crew she had picked up, and despite the crew being mostly human, Jacob was the only one who really SEEMED human. The rest treated her as if she were some sort of legend come to life...

Okay, so, maybe she was... but still.

She sighed.

"I was talking to Dobby," Shepard said, not moving from her spot on the bed. "I think he hates me."

She heard Jacob's soft laughter and felt the bed shift as he laid down next to her, like he had so many times before. His hand found her free hand easily, giving her fingers a reassuring squeeze. "He loves you, Dawn. Everyone does. They don't have a choice."

Shepard barked out a laugh, pulling her arm from her eyes to look at Jacob with an eyebrow raised. "Am I a witch now?" she joked. "I wasn't aware I was casting spells."

Jacob smiled. "Not a witch," he said quietly as he brushed her hair from her eyes. "Just a very attractive person. People want to know you."

He paused for a moment, studying her eyes seriously, before adding, "and it's more then your looks. Everyone just wants to know you... to believe in you."

Jacob reminding her of the pressure that was upon her had Shepard blinking back tears. She turned away from him, ashamed of the doubt she felt in herself at that moment.

Sure, she wanted to be a good leader. And yes, she wanted to be someone people wanted to follow... but even though people kept telling her she did, she didn't feel like she deserved it. Why should people follow her? Sure, she had survived Akuze, but it was at the cost of her entire squad. And yes, she survived Horizon, but she had left Ashley, a friend, there to burn. And when the Normandy had been hit by the collectors... she choked back a sob as she thought of Pressly, laying there with blank eyes and no pulse as she pulled Joker from the cockpit. She had failed so many... How could she be sure it wouldn't happen again?

Jacob pulled her from her guilt, the same way he had so many times...

"Favourite tree."

Shepard couldn't help but laugh. It was a game they had come up with months ago. "Favorites." They'd just ask what the other's favorite... whatever... was.

"Pine trees," Shepard said, a smile still lingering on her lips.

She felt the bed move again as Jacob moved to his side. She could feel his eyes on her, his fingers tightening around hers. "Why?" he asked, his voice holding genuine curiosity.

"They're always green," Shepard said, pulling her arm from her eyes to look at Jacob. Steady brown eyes met her, calming her. "Even in winter," she continued. "You just have to brush off the snow."

Jacob smirked. "You Earth girls," he joked. "So sentimental."

"Hey, you lived there for a while," Shepard countered. "It's beautiful and you know it. Favourite coffee."

Jacob laughed, laying back to look at the ceiling. "What kind of question is that? Columbian, obviously."

Shepard gave Jacob a light smack on the arm. "Don't be a smart ass," she laughed. "All coffee comes from Columbia. The good stuff anyway."

Jacob sighed and looked at Shepard, a serious look on his normally care-free face.

"Pumpkin spice," he said slowly.

Shepard lit up like a firework. "Me too!" she exclaimed.

Jacob laughed at her enthusiasm. "I know what to get you for Christmas, then."

"Please," Shepard laughed. "Like we'll even survive to see it."

"We will," Jacob said as he pulled his hand from hers and got up from the bed. "No one can kill Shepard, and you know what that means."

Shepard rolled her eyes, sitting up to study Jacob as he examined the hamster tubes around her room. "I'll bite," she said with a shrug. "What does it mean?"

He glanced toward her, his eyes shining as he smiled. "Jacob Taylor will definitely survive."

Shepard laughed. She was so thankful to have Jacob, to have someone who was so full of life and determination and had a general carefree attitude. She wondered how she could have ever survived working for Cerberus if he hadn't been there.

"Aha!" Jacob exclaimed suddenly, pulling her from her thoughts. "There he is!" Jacob was pointing at a small box in the left corner of the room, one of the many boxes attached to the hamster tubes.

Shepard jumped up. "Don't lose him!" she commanded as she ran to her fridge to grab the celery. She hurried to Jacob, pulling out a piece of celery as she did, and smiled at him as he opened the little door in the box. She passed the celery to Dobby, who sniffed for a few moments before going berserk and tearing into it with gusto. Her and Jacob watched silently as the small rodent packed his cheeks and took off to find somewhere to stash his prize.

"Thanks, Jacob," Shepard said quietly.

Jacob smiled. "It's just determination, Shepard. You just weren't looking hard enough."

Shepard laughed. "Not that," she said. "Thank you for being here, for being my friend."

Jacob turned to look at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, unsure what to say. He gave her a small smile, and when she smiled back, he knew that was all the thanks that she needed.