A/N: I wrote this a couple of weeks ago during school and finally typed it up today. xD After playing the game through about four times (and now I am waiting anxiously for the Extended Edition) I began to think about Joker's sister's death. I figured Shepard would be the one to break it to him b/c of their wonderful friendship. I think that Gunny's death is one of the most tragic events of the game-even though you don't exactly see it...Joker is too awesome to have this awful event happen to him.
Disclaimer: Bioware owns all.
Adalia Shepard: Paragade, Spacer, War Hero, Adept, romanced Kaidan throughout the trilogy.
Hope you enjoy! R&R
She found him in the commons, sitting on one of the numerous benches overlooking an exceptionally beautiful area of the Presidium. The water below was so pristine that the artificial clouds and sky above were clearly reflected. A large fountain dominated the center of the lake, spewing water up and allowing it to fall once again, disturbing the immediate surface of the water around the fountain. Shepard found the tranquil aura of the Presidium unnerving given the fact that the galaxy was being steadily ripped asunder by the Reapers. The Citadel was an illusion-one that she didn't have the time or willpower to submit herself to.
She was surprised to see he was alone. EDI, or his 'Mobility Assistance Mech'-as she had been dubbed while on the Citadel with him, usually accompanied him wherever he went. Seeing the strange relationship between the AI and her pilot blossom was an amusing pastime for Shepard. Despite the distinct chance that the relationship would be doomed to failure, Shepard knew how much it meant to have someone to fight for. The feeling went past duty to the Alliance or revenge against the Reapers for seizing Earth; it was deeper, and could be the difference between maintaining or losing one's resolve to fight.
She wondered what was troubling him. Joker looked too serious-his eyes dark and his expression hardened; the opposite of his usual jovial, smart-ass self. Shepard knew it was dangerous to approach people who displayed such expressions, but Joker was different. She counted him as one of her closest friends; they had grown closer over the years he had served as her pilot. His presence is one she was beginning to take for granted on her ship-there simply was no Normandy without Joker. After she had come back from the dead, Joker had felt extremely guilty-believing her death and the consequences of her revival to be his fault. She had talked to him, convinced him that he was in no way responsible for what happened to her, and the bond between the two of the strengthened because of it.
If she hadn't needed to talk to him, she would have left him to his thoughts. However, she had news-awful news that affected him.
Soon after leaving Earth, she had been visiting Kaidan in Huerta Memorial when she had overheard the story of an asari with PTSD stranded on the colony of Tiptree. The story she told was awful-but most stories about Reaper invasions of the colonies were. Shepard couldn't help but admire the bravery of the fifteen-year-old girl who had assisted the asari. The fact that the asari had killed the girl for whimpering over her broken leg angered Shepard-it was an action she would never make herself. The girl named Hilary was brave, and her dream was to be a pilot. Hearing about her confirmed the thought in Shepard's mind that the girl would have made a great contribution to the Alliance. The story was tragic, but Shepard had not thought anything of it at the time. The girl was mentally added the Shepard's list of those she was going to avenge.
It was only after the fall of Thessia and her confrontation with Joker she began to see the connection. When he had first mentioned his family on Tiptree, her mind had been too clouded with frustration and sadness over her shortcoming on Thessia to have any coherent thought. Joker was only trying to help her-the great friend he is. Only yesterday, after overhearing Liara talking to Joker about the refugee ships, Joker had said his sister's name was Hilary-though he called her Gunny-and that she was fifteen years old.
Her heart had suddenly felt cold.
Earlier this morning the Normandy had docked at the Citadel. The fall of Thessia had created turmoil throughout the council races. The asari were the most advanced race in the galaxy, and their home world was now overtaken by Reapers. The Council was starting to take the Reaper threat seriously-finally opening their deluded ears to hear the words Shepard had been screaming at them for the past three years. The Cerberus coup opened their eyes to the threat of the rogue terrorist organization, and Thessia's defeat made them realize that something was terribly wrong in the galaxy. While Shepard welcomed their change of heart, she hated the feeling that Thessia's defeat was her fault. She shouldn't have let her guard down; she shouldn't have made promises to the asari she couldn't keep. The dying screams of the asari in her earpiece still haunted her.
Joker looked up as her steps closed the gap between them. A smile covered his melancholy demeanor as if it had never existed. Shepard briefly wondered how many times before he had laughed off his problems.
"Hey, Commander!" His normal cheery personality making the corners of her mouth twitch in a smile.
"Hey, Joker." Shepard sat down next to him.
Joker must have noticed the severity of her mood-she didn't want to break the news of Hilary Moreau's death to her older brother. He interpreted her look as something else, "You still upest over Thessia?" With the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders, many things could have been causing her less-than-cheery mood. Shepard welcomed the option to delay telling Joker the news of his sister.
She shifted in her seat, "I can't afford to get upset."
"But you were."
When Shepard didn't respond, Joker turned to face her more, "Come on, Shepard; I know you better than you think. It's not your fault. The asari were selfish to resist alliances with the other races, and they paid the price for it."
"Maybe, but Cerberus has the data that will complete the Crucible. I could have stopped them." She would never have voiced such defeated-sounding thoughts to someone she wasn't close to. Those who she trusted the most: Garrus, Tali, Liara, Kaidan, and Joker, she allowed to see the human behind the image of Commander Shepard. While Joker might love to gossip, he was a great friend.
Joker gave a short laugh-an action that puzzled her, "Believe me, I talked to Kaidan, and he said you did everything in your power to stop Cerberus down there. Knowing you, you did. You almost died again, Shepard." Her mouth opened to reply, but Joker hurried to cut her off and press his point home, "Besides, the army that you are assembling far outnumbers Cerberus. They may have the data, but we have the Crucible-and it's under heavy guard."
"The fact is I failed the mission. This puts us at a great disadvantage."
Joker rolled his eyes, "Am I talking to a brick wall? You did everything you could. If anyone can find a way to get the data back and defeat the Reapers, it's you. We're going to beat them, Shepard."
Shepard couldn't stop the smile that was threatening to overtake her lips, "When did you become a psychiatrist, Joker?"
Her pilot grinned, "Don't ask me, I just fly the ship."
Shepard glanced away from the man beside her, gathering her courage to apologize to him before looking back at him, "Joker, I'm sorry for how I acted after Thessia. I know you were only trying to help."
"Yeah, thought I owed it to you to try to cheer you up. The admirals basically ordered me to take care of you-don't want to disappoint them. You're human, a lot of people don't realize that." He smirked, "Except, of course, Alenko."
Shepard raised her eyebrows, "Right. I've almost forgotten how much you love to stick your nose in my personal life."
"I only do it to keep you in line." At the incredulous look on her face, he decided to take advantage of her silence to nose deeper into her life, "How are you two?"
"Fine..." Shepard looked pointedly away from Joker. She focused on watching the dealings of the markets spread throughout the commons with great interest. She could almost feel Joker's grin radiating from beside her.
"Fine? Sounds like more than fine. I almost never see the two of you apart while on the Normandy."
"How do you know? You're always on the bridge."
"Yes, but I have access to every security camera on the ship."
"I'm well aware of that fact." She muttered, thinking of a certain locker room experience that had happened three years prior.
Joker continued to look at her, "Every security camera," he repeated for emphasis.
Shepard felt heat rise to her cheeks at the statement. Sure, she and Kaidan weren't trying to hide their relationship anymore, but there were...times she wished a security camera wasn't watching their every move. She mentally kicked herself at the thought of what Joker could have seen.
They sat in silence for a few moments, listening to announcements over the Citadel's intercom directing unprocessed refugees to the docking area.
"Why did you come out here, Joker?" Usually EDI comes with you." Shepard looked back to her pilot.
His face fell-but only just, "I thought I might try to find my sister among the refugees. I couldn't, but Tiptree is pretty far from the Citadel; she could still be on her way." He smiled slightly, "She's always wanted to visit the Citadel-always asks me about it when I come home on shore leave. It's a pity that the first chance she'll see it is during the biggest war in galactic history. I'm...worried about her, Shepard."
Shepard felt a cold weight settle in her stomach as she remembered what she had come to do; she didn't want to ruin his optimism or break the awful news to him.
"What about you, Commander? What brings you to the commons?"
Shepard took a slow, deep breath, "I have news about your sister."
At first Joker's eyes lit up as his quickly turned to face her-apparently forgetting the fragility of his bones. Seeing the dark look on her face, his expression turned to one of horror. She watched close his eyes and swallow, neutralizing his expression before looked at her again-a determined look in his troubled eyes. "Tell me what happened."
She told him everything she had heard from the mental asari-not sparking any details as a favor to him. Shepard had considered making the tale less harsh-to soften the blow of the news but decided against it. Joker deserved to know the whole truth.
He listened quietly, eyes never leaving hers, his expression unreadable. It was only the tensing of his hands that told Shepard he was suppressing strong emotions. When she was finished, he didn't burst into tears of punch a wall; he simply took a deep, shuddering breath and closed his eyes once again, silent. At his continued silence, Shepard attempted to console him.
"She died a hero." She murmured to her friend quietly.
"I know." The pain was evident in Joker's voice, and it shocked her. He had never sounded so broken. "I have no other family, Shepard. I'm the last Moreau in the galaxy." His voice hitched at the last statement.
Shepard placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry, Joker."
His eyes reopened, and the strong fires of passion burned in their depths, "Goddamn Reapers; they're going to pay. I'll make them-for Gunny."
Shepard nodded, sympathizing with her friend.
Joker turned his eyes on Shepard, "Thank you for telling me, Shepard. At least...I know what happened now. I'd like to be alone-if you don't mind."
"Not at all," Shepard stood and was about to leave before remembering a question she had been going to ask her crippled friend, "Joker?" he looked at her, "The asari who...who I heard the story from has put in a requisition for a gun. The doctors are fearing that she wants it to commit suicide. As a Spectre, I can grant or deny it. I wanted to leave the decision up to you, though."
He turned his fierce gaze fully on her, "Deny the request. People like her don't deserve the privilege of dying. If she can't handle what she did to Gunny, then she can finish out the war to make up for her...actions."
Shepard nodded and turned to walk away. When she was nearly in the hallway that contained the elevator, she turned around to look at Joker one last time. He was staring over the Presidium grounds, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs as he mourned the loss of his family. However, she saw a new straightening of his back that he previously lacked. He now had loved ones to avenge, and knowing Joker, he wouldn't stop until every Reaper was lying in a heap of rubble on the ground. His resolve to fight was stronger than ever-but it had come at a terrible price. The Reapers would pay-she would see to it personally-for every life they had taken in the galaxy.
She decided to make her way back to the Normandy and tell EDI were Joker was; he needed her comfort now more than ever. It was the least she could do for her friend.