Disclaimer: Bioware owns all but my Shepard.

A/N: This was originally intended as a silly one-shot, but it grew into something a little larger. Any thoughts/constructive feedback is appreciated and keeps me motivated.

The Gamble

The commander looked across at her opponent. That the woman was determined and brilliant she had no doubt, but could she bluff? Shepard looked down and took stock of her resources. She had been successful in controlling her opposition, employing tactics that would have been questionable at best, but was it going to be enough? Clearly, the woman in front of her wondered that as well.

"I'm all in." Shepard felt confident that she held a winning hand. After all, she had bullied and bluffed everyone but Garrus and Miranda out of the game. Now, with just the three of them left, and Garrus almost out of chips, Shepard knew the end was near.

Garrus snorted and threw his cards down on the table in resignation. "Too rich for my blood."

Miranda took a more measured pace, and looked pointedly at Shepard. "You think you can fool me like you did Tali?"

"Hey, I've never played before," Tali intoned, her voice slightly modified by her enviro-suit. "How was I supposed to know I could lie?"

"The technical term is bluffing," Dr. Chakwas chimed in, sipping liberally from her glass of brandy.

"Yeah," Garrus added, "and with that mask on, you don't even have to worry about keeping a poker face for hours on end."

Tali appeared irritated as she sat back in her chair, arms crossed. "If I didn't know better, Miss Tali, I'd say you are frowning," Dr. Chakwas joked as she emptied the rest of her brandy into her glass.

Shepard smiled inwardly at her crew's banter and returned Miranda's look with the best poker face she could muster. "Are you in or out?"

"Miranda looked down at her dwindling pile of chips. "I don't have enough to match you." She tapped her finger against her lips in thought. "What about a side bet to really make it interesting?"

Shepard contemplated the idea for a moment. Miranda must really be desperate to risk losing as competitive as she was known to be. "What are your thoughts?"

"I recently gained access to experimental Alliance military technology just before we hit the Collector base, specifically, a sniper rifle upgrade that would suit your Widow with a bit of modification. It increases damage only slightly, but decreases the recoil so you won't be running around with a bruised shoulder after every use."

Shepard found herself secretly marveling at Miranda's ability to get impossible information and technology. Her contacts would indeed come in handy in the near future. Shepard found herself seriously considering Miranda's offer, but decided against it. "No deal. If you have access to tech that could increase our chances of survival, you'll give it to me anyway."

"Hey!" Garrus sat forward. "I want my rifle upgraded too. Do you have access to anything that might increase my ammo capacity?"

Miranda shrugged slender shoulders. "I think we may be able to arrange that, although it might be more difficulty since Shepard here pissed off the Illusive Man."

Garrus sat back again, relieved that his importance as a sniper had not been forgotten, even though his ego had been damaged slightly during game play. He looked over to Shepard. "What do you want her to bet?"

Shepard looked thoughtful for a moment, as if she contemplated the safety of the galaxy yet again. What she really wanted was for someone to feed her fish, but the commander was nothing if not paranoid regarding the privacy of her cabin. A smile spread across her tanned face as she recognized a sort of compromise of her desires. "Can you develop a program for EDI to feed my fish daily and clean the tank?"

Miranda laughed out loud at the simplicity of Shepard's request. It would be easy enough to meet her demands. "Oh yes. Is that all you want?"

The commander started to regret her sudden request, thinking that she should have come up with something more complicated. Her needs and wants, however, were simple. "No," she responded simply. "Not that I can think of."

Miranda nodded in understanding. "Okay, but if I win, you're going out with us on our next shore leave."

"I was planning on it anyway," Shepard stated, only mildly surprised at this request.

Miranda held up her hand to forestall anything further from the commander. "I'm not done. You're going out with us to a destination that I pick, in an outfit of my choosing."

Shepard leaned back and took a deep breath, dampening her sudden sense of alarm. She saw the three other players lean forward as the turn in conversation had piqued their interest. Miranda's normally serious face held a glint of mirth on it. "Oh no, not with your sense of fashion. You'll have me in some revealing get-up that leaves me bouncing in wind at the slightest breeze. You've got to do better than that."

"Oh come on, Commander," Garrus bared his teeth in a huge grin as Tali giggled beside him. "I've heard quite a few comments from the crew on how much they like Miranda's uniform." Shepard rolled her eyes while Miranda cuffed him playfully on the shoulder. Garrus winced in an exaggerated fashion, and then reached for the red nuts in Tali's bowl. "I think you could easily pull that off."

"Really, Commander. You have to know that I would never knowingly put you in a position, or outfit, that would undermine your authority." Miranda's attempt to hide a smile was slowly failing.

Shepard took another deep breath. "Okay, but I want more than just an automated fish tank cleaner, feeder, babysitter." She threw up her hands in mild annoyance. "Whatever you want to call that program."

Dr. Chakwas sat forward with interest, a drunken grin plastered across her face while Garrus and Tali devoured the red nuts. Miranda nodded. "Agreed. What else do you want?"

In truth, Shepard had no idea what she wanted. Everything she needed she readily had at her disposal, and anything else, she simply ordered to crew to get. Never had the commander desired anything personal that didn't correspond with the demands of the mission. Now, as it stood, their mission was on hold since their return from the galactic core; a sort of limbo as they waited for their contacts in the Alliance and on the Citadel to respond to their inquiries.

"I want some new casual outfits – loose and functional casual outfits that don't have the Cerberus logo on them. I'll be the one to pick those out so you won't have to. Also, I want a new holster for my cannon that I can wear while I'm off duty, and sits just below my right hip. The one Cerberus gave me sits too high and I have to keep adjusting it when we go planet-side."

Miranda nodded slowly, taking stock of Shepard's requests. Again, they seemed simple and easily achieved. "You sure are an easy woman to pl-"

Shepard held up her hand to silence the brunette just as Miranda had done to her earlier. "I'm not done. She cleared her throat and checked off her requests counting on her fingers, mumbling something intelligible under her breath. "I also want a pair of leather boots. Real leather, not that fake synthesized crap that they try pawn off on imbeciles, but real honest to god leather."

Miranda started to protest, but the commander held up her hand once more. "I'm still not done. You will also find me the means to acquire a steak – a real steak cut from a real cow. Not some colonial inbred alien offshoot, but actual, earth-born, tasty cow."

"Maybe you could eat the cow and use the leftovers for the boots," the doctor said louder than she meant to. Garrus snorted, failing to stifle a laugh while Tali looked between Miranda and Shepard, a look of confusion on her face if anyone were able to see under her mask.

Miranda thought for a moment, and then slowly nodded her head in acquiescence. This was something she could do, surprised only slightly by Shepard's additional requests. "Is that all?"

"Yes." The commander paused for a moment considering her options. "I also want real mashed potatoes with my steak dinner, not fake powdered substitute. With real butter."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "You sure don't count your calories, do you." It was more of a statement than a question.

Shepard ignored the verbal jab. "Is it a deal then? I agree to the destination of your choice once we're in orbit, and an outfit of your choosing, and I get my real food and decent outfits? Oh, and that new program so my fish live longer?"

Miranda nodded once more, counting her chips. "Yes." Miranda looked at the three other players, their rapt attention on the negotiation in their midst. "You all are witness to these terms. Any objections?" All three shook their heads, Dr. Chakwas wobbling slightly in her seat. "Then we have an accord."

"Very well." Shepard took a deep breath of satisfaction and firmly placed her cards down on the table. "Full house, Aces over Queens," she stated triumphantly.

Miranda stared blankly at Shepard's cards, a brief look of disappointment flitted over her face. Almost reluctantly Miranda set her cards face up on the table. A sly smile spread ever so slowly across her face, as she watched realization spread across Shepard's.

The thick silence was interrupted by Garrus' bark of laughter as he slapped his leg in glee. Dr. Chakwas smiled in humor as she downed the last of her brandy, and Tali continued to look back and forth from Shepard to Miranda in confusion.

"Ah, shit," the commander cursed loudly as her inner voice silently berated her.

"A straight flush."