o thanks to Cardboredbox and her little pic "Raspberry" for this one. Probably not my greatest work, but I'm gonna have some fun.! I don't know where a line towards the end of this came from. *Sighs* actually it's from real life experience.
Zrrbit.
Her fists collided with the bag in front of her, the recoil sending jolts through her arms as it absorbed her biotics. It felt good, really good, and with the day they'd been having a little extra violence was what she needed to calm down. They'd lost Thane to some Cerberus bastard and she had just visited him. He was gone and instead of old habits she opted for a new one.
A gym located in the Presidium and a room full of scared onlookers. She didn't care, her blood was pumping, her sweat was trickling down the back of her neck, goose bumps rising thanks to the A.C. and Randy Rhodes blaring in her ear along with Ozzy. It was just the outlet she was looking for.
There was something primal to it all as she continued to abuse the already torn sack of leather and sand. The loss of a friend, the fading adrenaline after a day of fighting, and the possibility of finally getting the major back into her cabin. That was the silver lining to all of this, but for right now, her body craved the release of violence more than anything, and with a final punch, her biotics shredded the punching bag like a blender made margaritas.
Her chest heaved against her sweater, her tank top gripping her skin like a wet rag and amidst the blare of her music she didn't even hear the gym manager yelling at her. Turning on her heel she began to unwrap the tape from her fists and felt a tap on her shoulder. She rolled her shoulders and chewed on her lower gum. She didn't know anyone in this gym, and she wasn't a fan of people she didn't know touching her.
Turning off the music she turned on her heels and saw a large turian staring her down and a human co-worker.
"You do that?"
His talon pointed at the sand a keeper had begun cleaning up. Uncapping her water bottle she took a deep drink. The ice hadn't melted and the coolness of soothed her parched throat. Letting out a sigh of satisfaction she smiled at him. "So what if I did?"
"That bag cost six hundred." She arched her eyebrow at the human. He was smaller than the turian, but larger muscles. She spat on the ground and flexed her hands.
"That piece of shit bag was used more than your mom and you could earn more from her than selling that bag." She felt like a kid again. Was her retort juvenile? Absolutely, but she needed an outlet and the two gym assholes in front of her were just what she was looking for. And they took the bait.
The turian puffed himself up as she took a drink of water and when he went to swing she spat it in his face and sent him flying with a biotic push. He sailed into a weight rack, while the human tried to throw her with the same move.
"So a fellow chucker, eh?" The reference was lost on the human but she blocked his next attack with a barrier and ran forward. She didn't even bother gathering any energy, his stance was sloppy and she caught him in the kidneys. Her nose immediately picked up the smell of asparagus and he dropped to the ground coughing loudly as a pool of yellow spread around him.
Bobbing and weaving above him she began boxing an imaginary opponent as if threatening the other patrons to take a shot at her. Nobody did except for some members of C-sec that had conveniently been walking by but upon processing her identification they let her go, much to her dismay but couldn't help but give the human an extra kick in the stomach, though she could have done without the smell he let out this time.
As she made her way through the crowds, her legs felt a little wobbly. The adrenaline was wearing off and she knew this was a bad thing. She would want to rest, and with rest came thinking, and with thinking came things she would be better off thinking about.
She decided instead to head back to the Normandy. At least there she could spend her time playing with Kei-9 in the hold and have a decent conversation with someone.
Catching a rapid transit, she arrived at the docking bay and headed toward the Normandy when she was brought to a sudden stop, Kaidan was there looking out the window at the passing ships.
The conversation happened so quickly that she could barely remember it, but if there was one good thing that came from it she had regained a family member despite the loss of one. But she still felt the need to vent and there was only one person she could do that with.
Ignoring everyone, including Traynor who mentioned something about messages as usual she headed to the shuttle bay. It was quiet save for the quiet hum of the engine core. It was one of the few places on the ship she could find solace in. As she stepped out of the lift, the robotic dog of the ship came bounding up. She gave it a gentle push with her biotics. The mechanical mutt let out a sound akin to a growl and came tried to rush her again. The game continued as she wandered the shuttle bay not finding her quarry. This was not helping, but she heard a familiar snore and her lips parted and a chuckle escaped her lips sending two of the crewmen running for the lift as she approached the port side.
There he was, relaxed, flippant, with one hand down the front of his pants and his mouth opened and snoring heavily. Slowly she gathered a field and beneath the bed and began to raise it. Kei-9 tried to let out a warning but silenced her with a kick as she raised the cot slowly. When it was about eight feet in the air she softly said, "EDI?"
"Yes, Shepard?"
"Isolate an emergency alarm to the shuttle bay."
"Is there a particular reason, Shepard?"
"Mr. Vega is sleeping on duty and I'm going to remind him of the consequences."
She could have sworn she hear EDI laugh, but the sound of the alarm stopped her and immediately James was rolling off the cot. And onto the hard floor beneath him. Shepard's laughter ringing over the alarm. Raising her hand, the alarm stopped and she lowered the cot while James picked himself up off the floor.
"Damn it, Lola! What the fuck's the matter with you? I could have broken my arm!"
She gave him a small push with her biotics. "Then you shouldn't have been, sleeping Paco! You're on duty for another seven hours!"
"You gave us furlough for the day thanks to that shit with Kai Lang! Remember!"
She stopped for a moment and then shrugged. "So sue me that I have a bad memory sometimes. You want to make something of it?"
Rolling his shoulder he stumbled to his feet and glared down at her small five-foot-eight frame. She glared back a welcoming grin on her face, daring him to make the first move. But instead after a few intense moments, the staring contest ended with him looking away and heading to his work bench.
"That's what I thought." She chuckled as he picked up a newly acquired Paladin. "Where's Esteban?"
Picking up his tools he shrugged. "The hell if I know? Probably out trying to score us some decent tequila since all he ever does is bitch about the alcohol."
Walking past him she gave him a quick kick on the ass. "Thanks, Lieutenant." Before heading back to the C.I.C where she was immediately assaulted by Traynor.
"Well it's about time I got you to listen to me. I've been trying to reach you on the comm all afternoon."
Dakota felt lost in a sea of whimsy whenever the communications officer spoke and only the sharp shrill of her voice brought her back to reality. And with that, came the commanding officer voice.
"Raise your voice at me again, Traynor."
The specialist shrunk back and coughed gently. "I apologize, Commander but you have several messages at your terminal."
"And, are any of them important?"
"Some were from Admiral Hackett a few were more personal. I believe Lieutenant Cortez sent you one."
Her ears perked and she rubbed her hands together maliciously. The gesture was not lost on Traynor who slowly backed away and to her console.
Entering her password, she found an invitation to Purgatory and left without another word. Turning back on the music, she began to sing loudly as she walked through the halls of the Citadel. Civilians, soldiers, and anyone who saw her looked in awe. She paid them no mind as she jogged to a rapid transit kiosk. The trip took only a few minutes and she continued to slap her hands against her thighs until the moment she landed.
For some reason she began skipping toward the club. Which got her even more curious stares especially from Aria who in turn ended up falling on the floor laughing. As Shepard made her way to the bar where she found Esteban.
His back was turned and she couldn't help but jump and grab onto his neck. He let out a small scream of surprise as she planted her lips on his cheek and blew a giant raspberry onto it. She could feel him smiling as she held him. To her, he was like a best friend and a big brother all wrapped into one and save for Kaidan he was the only person she didn't feel the need to slap on a continuous basis.
When she separated, she ordered two drinks for herself and downed one quickly, relishing the slight burn it gave to her throat and the warmth that spread through her body. Esteban pounded another shot as well and they began chatting for a few moments about his finally being able to move on. After the third drink she noticed his eyes glaze over a little bit as he looked out to the dance floor.
Wiggling her eyebrows she asked, "So I take it you're gonna need an extension?" There was a slight elongation to the last word in the question. The booze was one cause, but the sexual innuendo was not lost on the pilot.
When he looked down and saw what was there he let out a groan of embarrassment.
"I think your extension needs a little bit of shortening, Lieutenant."
Shifting the front of his pants a little he gave her a punch in the arm. "We have a war to win first."
"A-fucking-men. And these next drinks are good luck drinks for you to fucking a man when we're done!"
Ordering another round they clinked glasses and drained them. She felt her fingers tingling and with the bass guitar pounding in her ears she couldn't help but begin dancing in her seat. Grabbing him by the arm she pulled him onto the dance floor.
For the next few hours they danced, drank, and even got up on the bar and began singing along with a few older Earth songs that drew the attention of the crowd. From the corner of her eye she could see Moreau and EDI shaking their heads but she didn't care. She was alive, she wasn't thinking, and the booze and sweat were at that moment the greatest things in the world to her.
But all good things must come to an end. They were asked to leave the bar by the security guards when Shepard spotted the turian and human from the gym.
She heard them talking about how they'd pushed her out of the gym, but when she appeared her knuckles popping loudly, their screams brought an end to their night at Purgatory.
They were heading back to the Normandy, Dakota slung over Steve's shoulder an almost empty bottle of alcohol leaving her lips once more while Moreau cracked jokes.
" 'ey. Pfufk ew More! Jjose bashtards 'ad it…." She belched loudly making EDI groan in disgust while Moreau laughed.
"I'm pretty sure you could have taken them, Commander."
" ER DAMN AIGHT! I cudda 'icked 'eir asses if it wasn't for flame boy here."
Steve gently pat her butt and laughed. "You did win, Commander. You mounted one of them like a horse and were using your sweater as a bridle."
She lifted half her body up and asked, "I did?" Her hair was now in her mouth and she spat it out muttering about it tasting like mustard.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Vell 'uckin hell. I hope…onna u gees got 'ideo."
"I'm certain half the Citadel has seen it by now, Shepard."
"Aww shut up, Mom."
Inside the Kodiak, also known to them as the "Clubhouse", she and Esteban drained the rest of the bottle before collapsing on opposite benches staring up at the ceiling and laughing at Shepard's latest drunken realization.
" Dun aff, 'eve! I serious. They taste like hot dogs."
Steve was doubled over laughing. "Where do you come up with these thoughts!
She giggled and pointed at his crotch. " They 'ook alike. And they taste salty."
Falling back into the hard surface she laughed as her hands rested on her stomach. They sat their in quiet reflection, the occasional laugh breaking the silence. Their drunken happiness slowly leaving them.
Esteban was beginning to feel sleep overtake him when the commander pulled back.
"What is it, Dakota?"
"I'm going to need you to put a few requisitions in the morning."
He was prepared to ask, until the smell of asparagus hit his nose.