Nothing But Tension
Chapter One
Miranda sat at a small table, countless datapads on Cerberus spread before her. Her hands were pressing into her temples, rubbing the tension away the best she could, a bottle of water resting just within arm's reach of the woman. "Dammit." Muttered Miranda as she got up to take a quick break, nothing useful turning up to try to use against Cerberus in the Reaper War. Certainly it was nice to be a fighter pilot with other ex-Cerberus operatives taking out Cerberus convoys and small bases, but she still had other things to take care of. Oriana was about as safe as a person could be at the moment, but of course that worry was pounding down on her mind. To make matters worse she'd gotten a lead on Cerberus trailing back to the Citadel after the failed coup, only for it to turn up excruciatingly dry.
The black haired woman crossed over to the small living room set up in the hotel room she was renting, a rather rundown establishment certainly but it was rather short notice and refugees were crowding the space structure quicker then anyone could handle. Lawson nearly had had to pull some strings to even get this place to rest her head in. Dropping onto the couch and flicking on the vidscreen hanging on the wall across from her, Miranda tried to zone out if only for a little bit before she returned to trying to pool through countless data.
Nearly everything playing was related to the war, and with a disgruntled huff Miranda flicked it off and leaned her head back on the hard couch and stared at the metal ceiling. A singular light flooded the room with a yellowish hue, Miranda slowly finding herself slipping into sleep as she stared at it. Suddenly her omni-tool lit up and chirruped as she received a message.
Truth be told, the exhausted woman didn't even want to look at it, until it kept on chiming like a furious bird on her wrist. Instantly she jolted up, recognizing that ringtone as the one she'd set for rather important contacts, and opened up the flashing icon on the holographic device.
Party at my new place, trying to get everyone back together before it all totally goes to hell. Address and details attached, hope to see you there. -Shepard
Miranda blinked, and then gave a disbelieving laugh. The reapers were invading and harvesting advanced organic life, and Shepard was throwing a party? Lawson shook her head, and shut the device down, closing her blue eyes and leaning back to catch a quick nap. Sure she'd met up with Shepard the other day at the Silver Coast Casino, but that was nothing compared to a full-fledged party with a bunch of people, some of which she probably didn't honestly know other then by name and reputation.
Blue eyes shot open as realization dawned on the woman, Miranda nearly jumping off the couch in one fell swoop as she frantically reopened the message, pooling over each word. The thought of 'everyone back together' had her tingling with excitement as a singular person filled her mind. Miranda did her best to contain the bubbling feelings as she opened the attached info, finding herself with a decent amount of hours to get prepared for this silly party. She dashed straight to the bathroom, quickly moving through it trying to get herself presentable.
"You're getting excited for all the wrong reasons." Miranda said to herself as she stood in the bathroom, having gotten out an assortment of makeup supplies for her to use and placing them on the metal counter. The white light in the small bathroom in the citadel hotel was doing little to bolster her confidence, if not just give her a headache. She peered at the selection before her before settling on a lipstick and began to apply it. A dark red color now upon her lips, she stepped back and gave a defeated sigh.
"Oh no, they're totally the wrong reasons." She muttered, shaking her head and wiping her face clean once again and tossing the cloth in the trashbin to the side of the toilet. "She probably won't be there." Miranda scolded herself for having gotten so excited over something so impulsive. Shepard was throwing a party, and she could probably still use some sort of relaxation and could she really pass it up? Deciding that she would attend no matter what, Miranda pulled a brush out and began to run it through her black hair.
"Even if she does show up what are you expecting?" She asked aloud, staring at her half dressed self in the mirror, remembering that night on the Normandy before jumping through the Omega Four Relay. "What am I going to say?" Her brushing stilled for a minute, and then Lawson shook herself back to her senses. "Get a grip Miranda." She muttered to herself and then continued preparing herself for the party.
Putting on about the same amount of make-up as she always did, some eye shadow and eyeliner, a bit of lip gloss, Miranda gave a pleased smile. Considering her tailoring, she didn't need to put much effort into enhancing her appearance, which she had to admit saved her a lot of prep time. Playing around with a few options for her hair, Miranda quickly settled on the way it normally was falling freely around her. It wouldn't look very good if she got fancied up and no one else did, and considering it was Selene hosting it, there was no doubt that there would be an unforgiving amount of alcohol and fun involved.
The operative pulled on her white catsuit, zipping it up swiftly before turning towards the door. She paused, and shook her head. It had been nearly a year since she had seen Jack, and the past five or so months had been swamped with evading Cerberus and Reapers to the point that Miranda had given up on seeing the woman again. But perhaps Shepard had just given her that opportunity. For once she didn't know honestly what she intended on doing, the rather unfamiliar feeling making her nervous throughout. But then again, if everything really was going to hell then what did she have to lose if Jack brushed her off and pretended that night on the Normandy didn't mean anything? Walking out with determination, Miranda was smiling on her way to Shepard's apartment.
"Miranda!" Smiled the great commander as she walked up to her arriving guest. "You're early." Selene took hold of Lawson's hand and gave it a firm shake, stepping back and tilting her head to the side. "Punctual as always?" Joked Shepard.
"You could certainly say that." Replied Miranda with a small laugh.
"Well you're actually not the first." Shepard said, motioning over her shoulder to a balcony overlooking the lower area of the apartment, a rather well furnished one in fact. "Jack beat you by a half hour."
Instantly Miranda tensed, hardly able to contain herself from simply scurrying up the stairs right to the tattooed convict. "Is she now?" Asked Lawson tightly.
Her reaction had Shepard frowning. "Woah now, I don't want any fights here. If you want you can wait downstairs with me for everyone else. She's just up there talking with Liara right now, probably doesn't even know you're here." Offered the blue eyed commander.
Shaking her head, Miranda walked further into the apartment. "No, it's nothing like that Selene." Assured the ex-Cerberus operative. "Just..." She trailed off, looking around the finely decorated loft. "How did you afford this place?" Balked Miranda suddenly. "I know you were a commander in the Alliance but surely officer pay isn't this good."
Laughing as she followed Lawson to the first of the two sofas, both of them taking a seat and reclining back, Shepard gave an elaborate shake of her head. "Hell no, this place was Anderson's." She explained.
"And he just gave it to you?" Quizzically asked Miranda, gaining a nod of Shepard's head. "And here I was thinking I had friends in high places. No one has ever just given me such a lovely place." She laughed, peering around appreciatively.
"Well you know, save the galaxy a few times from annihilation and people tend to give you things." Shrugged Selene.
"Think you can do it again?" Miranda asked rather seriously.
Dipping her head slightly, Selene chewed on the inside of her cheek. She ran a hand through her tightly knit curls, somehow finding a way to part them for her fingers. "Honestly?" She asked, pale blue eyes looking up at Miranda.
She nodded her head. "Of course."
"Maybe." Said Selene, hands clasped. "I think we've got a good shot but I mean... if Cerberus wasn't fucking us over so royally every time I turn I would be far more confident in our chances." Grumbled Shepard, straightening up. "Hey, we're not here to talk about the bad stuff, we're here to party right?" Smiled Shepard as she tried not to dwell on it. Miranda nodded her head, though she could have sworn she'd seen bags beneath Shepard's face like she'd been covering up on the SR2 before they'd defeated the collectors when she'd had trouble sleeping. But if Shepard wasn't sleeping that could mean a few bad things at least, though she couldn't blame Selene if she was having trouble.
Giant robots were killing everyone after all, and she was expected to save them somehow.
"Right." Said Miranda, and then she tilted her head to the side as she noticed a flashing light besides the door to the apartment. "Looks like someone else has arrived." She informed Shepard who quickly got to her feet and crossed back over to the door, a scarred turian on the other side.
As Shepard greeted Garrus, quickly followed by Tali, Miranda got to her feet and decided it would be a good idea to head upstairs and see about Jack. She gave the two aliens a warm wave of her hand as she started up the stairs, and then found herself on the balcony, several pieces of art on display there. She snorted, it certainly wasn't Shepard's place to start with. Voices came from a hallway to the side, and Miranda swallowed her nerves and followed them.
She turned to a small seating area where black sofas and a coffee table awaited. Jack occupied one seat, Liara across from her with a small smile on her face. Music started flowing through speakers set up throughout the apartment, a rhythmic beat Miranda recognized from her visits to Afterlife on Omega with Shepard and Jack. Shepard hadn't been kidding when she said she liked it it would seem, the thought making Miranda smile slightly.
"Oh, Miranda." Liara spoke up as she spotted the woman standing there. "It's nice you were able to come, I'm sure Selene is overjoyed you could make it." The asari said politely.
Taking a seat besides Jack, who scooted over wordlessly, Miranda nodded her head. "It's lovely seeing her and everyone else again." She replied. "I see you're doing well."
"As well as one can right now I suppose." Liara shrugged, looking to the side for a moment before she returned Miranda's gaze. "Well..." She trailed off slightly awkwardly, not knowing what to say to the ex-Cerberus operative. "Jack here was just telling me about how her students are doing." Suddenly said Liara, straightening up and diverting the attention of the slow-moving conversation to the woman besides Miranda.
Turning to look at her, Miranda saw the face of the woman that had filled her dreams for months for the first time since they'd split ways after defeating the collectors. She'd at last stopped shaving her head bald, though there was only one long streak of brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Her outfit had matured compared to what it used to be, a studded black jacket left unzipped and a bandage looking material working like a sports bra almost and wrapping around her from her neck down with plenty of exposed tattoos. Her prison jumpsuit at last discarded and a fresher pair of pants with gaping holes on her hips and the side of her thighs, massive boots that could probably crush any man's hand.
Lawson took in her entire new look in a single look, but could already tell that Jack had changed since they'd spent the night together. Worry began to trickle at the back of her mind that perhaps the change wasn't in a direction she wanted, because she was fairly certain with the feeling that formed in her gut of what she wanted. "You're teaching?" Miranda asked with surprise.
"Yeah, I did take a job with the Alliance." Jack admitted slowly, as if bored, not looking over at Miranda.
"And you do what exactly that has you teaching?" Miranda pressed when nothing further came from Jack.
"Grissom Academy needed a teacher for their biotic students, and you know, I'm kinda the most powerful human biotic around so fuck yeah I was doing it." Jack boasted. "My kids are doing great, making warp ammo and shit like that for our soldiers on the front." Miranda smiled lightly as she listened, so focused on the woman besides her that she didn't realize Liara had left them there not long after her diversion.
To the ex-Cerberus operative, she was almost in awe of the change in the woman before her. The change she'd seen over the course of their journey together with Shepard had been enough then for her to give in to her desires and sleep with the woman when they were headed to death's door. Now, far more responsible and mature than before, Miranda found herself feeling the same way then now. "That's great Jack, I'm sure they're doing so well in large part to you." She praised.
However, Jack scowled and at last looked at her. "Don't say that kinda shit unless you mean it Cheerleader." She snarled.
Miranda's eyes widened with shock and she scooted back from Jack to the other end of the couch. "I'm sorry I thought we-"
"Hell no." Miranda's words were cut short, Jack frowning deeper. "We fucked on the Normandy before and after the collectors, I know." She admitted, shaking her head. "It was nice then but I'm not here for you. I'm here because of Shep." The tattooed woman got to her feet. "What happened on the Normandy, stays there."
"Who says I came here for you?" Retorted Miranda, getting to her feet and effectively blocking Jack's escape. "Maybe I came here for Shepard too?" Anger surged up her body, disbelief that she had even thought for a moment that Jack had truly matured. "And I have no shame in what we did, but if you seem to have to lock it up in the past then obviously it was a mistake, just like you were."
The convict tensed as those words were spoken, her fist clenching besides her as she tried terribly hard not to lash out at Miranda. "I will tear you the fuck apart Cheerleader." She threatened, leaning menacingly towards the slightly taller woman.
Miranda rolled her eyes. "You'd never even land a single blow on me." She scoffed.
Biotics rippled up Jack's body. "Wanna find out?"
"Such a child, always have to prove yourself right?" Mocked Miranda, stepping back and shaking her head. "I think you even once said I wasn't worth it. Well it would seem that the Jack I slept with then, very much so isn't the Jack you are today."
"And you, ice queen, haven't changed one little bit." Retorted Jack, brushing past her towards the stairs and as far away from Miranda as she could get without leaving the party.
Miranda stood there, her mind racing with countless thoughts, and let out a sigh. No, she certainly wasn't going to get what she wanted that way. Frustration was making her shake, the woman wanting to blast something with biotics. Shaking her head and muttering under her breath, Miranda headed downstairs for a drink. As she stepped down to the ground floor, she was met with nearly every face from her time on the Normandy and then some, Liara and Ashley the only ones she truly recognized, and that was in part because of all the time she'd spent researching just who Shepard had been during the Lazarus project.
Some hispanic looking human with tattoos was chatting up what she could have sworn was a prothean. A lady and another man she didn't recognize talking together besides the fireplace. Groups had formed with people talking together easily, chatting and laughing as they drank. It made a small sorrow form in her chest as she realized that even among those she'd fought along side with, she probably wasn't that well liked.
Normally she didn't care, but seeing everyone else enjoying themselves, even the justicar seemed to be having a more cut-loose bit of fun, made her suddenly feel regret. The only person she'd connected with on the Normandy besides Shepard was perhaps Jack, and she'd just shut that door in her face. As Miranda took a cold beer from an open cooler filled with ice, she quickly decided she wasn't going to take it sitting down. If Jack was going to refuse to even explain why she didn't want to pick up where they had left off, then she was going to find out herself.
One way or another.
AN: Jackanda is back!
