Author's Notes:
Wow, I'm in a roll with these Joker/Shepard stories. I hereby officially declare that Joker is my new muse!!! I love you, Jeff 3 ! *cries*
Disclaimer:
I do not own any of the characters or places that appear here. All rights reserved. You know the drill...
The Gift
She faintly recalled the first time they met. No, actually she recalled the first time proper introductions were made. He was hunched over the navigation panels, but as he heard her walk in, he straightened himself up in the pilot's chair. She had no idea how he did that, really: understand who had just stepped in behind him, without even looking.
As she came to stand beside, he turned to face her.
Green Eyes she had thought.
A wry smile was carved on his lips.
"Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau at your service, Commander!" he had blurted out in exuberance. Or something along those lines, anyway. She barely even heard him.
"Just call me Joker. Everyone else does"
And the reason for her absent-mindedness was simple:
A revelation had been made to her and that wasn't his name.
Green Eyes
Who would have thought that underneath that lousy hat, a treasure like this lay hidden? Or was it perhaps that this was the exact purpose of the hat: to shield such treasure from the prying eye? No matter. They had been revealed to her and that was enough.
Why, every time she scoured the surface of an uncharted planet looking for valuable minerals, she half expected them to look like his eyes: two brilliant, sparkling emeralds; but she never did find anything similar in all her travels.
Imagine her surprise when she walked in the navigation room one day, to find those eyes had turned dark. That wasn't the only disturbing thing, however. Today he didn't even notice her entering and she had to call out to him, to finally get his attention.
- Commander? he said in a flat, unemotional tone. The smile from his face was gone.
- Something wrong, Joker? As much as she tried to show her interest, her voice came out bleak.
- No, it's just that...
He turned to face her. Those eyes of his searched for her intentions. Was she worried that he wouldn't do his job right?
- Come on. Out with it! she urged him, crossing her arms above her chest. She was always somewhat hard on him. No reason, really.
- Today is my birthday, he said simply. He didn't have to continue his sentence. It was obvious that no-one else knew. They weren't exactly planning a party on the Normandy.
She was sure of it.
- Well, carry on then, she gave him another monotone.
That was nowhere close to "Happy Birthday", he thought.
But he didn't realise then that her mind was working frantically.
- Alright. See ya, he said, returning to his work.
There was a light-hearted and totally uncaring flavor in the way he said those words. It was as if it made absolutely no difference to him if she came or went. She always felt a hurtful pinch every time she heard him take that tone with her. He could be so cruel some times. He was about the only crew member she couldn't read. It was as if the Joker was a mask; a mask with a smiling face stitched on it and behind hid the real thing. A man named Jeff. Whatever could Jeff be thinking about her? Did he think she was a decent enough person? Or just a heartless bitch? She didn't have the slightest idea and for some reason, it bothered her.
And it was getting even worse now that she was thinking of getting him a gift.
Whatever could appeal to him? It shouldn't be something too blatant. Her crew mates might notice and "misunderstand" her kind gesture.
Did she really want to get him a keepsake, either? Something small and unnoticeable that could easily fit in the pocket of his jumpsuit? Something that he would carry around all the time and cradle between his fingers all those long hours he sat idly on the pilot's chair?
No. Absolutely not. She wasn't that kind of girl, anyway. Not that it would be so bad if she ever intruded in his thoughts...occasionally...
No. It had to be something consumable. Something that would greatly please him for a little while and then be forgotten.
And with such thoughts in mind, she walked towards the Wards' lower markets.
It was getting a little late in the evening, when she returned to the navigation room, a package wrapped with a red ribbon hiding behind her back. She sneaked up next to the pilot's chair and held the small, rectangular thing out to him. He turned to look first at her, then at the package before him, with obvious surprise.
- What is that? I mean...
- Happy Birthday, Jeff...Joker.
He took the package from her as cautiously as he would take a golden coin from the devil's open palm.
He weighed it a bit inside his hands.
- What is it? he asked hesitantly.
- Go on, unwrap it. Quickly, she said, looking suspiciously out the door should anyone came.
There was the agonising sound of torn paper and then...
- Chocolate! he shouted, joy miraculously returning to his voice. Where did you get that? I mean...
He calmed down a bit. A satisfied smile spread across his merry face.
- Thank you, Commander. I really love chocolate!
Thanks for reading!