Prompt was from my good friend Dreamer In Silico. She asked for, "Two companion characters of your choice get into some mischief under Shepard's nose. ^_^"

This is what my brain produced.

ooOO00OOoo

There were muffled grunts and cursing echoing through the mess hall, hushed sounds of extreme effort as the noisemakers strove to be silent and keep from waking others.

"She better like this."

"She will!"

"I bet it isn't even her birthday."

"Even if it isn't, who's to know? Shep won't talk about her personal stuff."

A soft ding and the sound of an oven opening stilled the conversation for a moment.

"Uh, Jack? Are you sure these will work? They don't look right."

"Shut up the fuck up, Donnelly. There's no icing on them yet. Of course they don't look right. Don't you know anything about cupcakes?"

A pause, then an even softer answer: "Never seen one before. It's one of those old foods they don't make anymore."

"God dammit. I thought you knew how to cook! Weren't you the one bitching like a pussy about Gardner not knowing about good haggis? I thought that meant you could make some yourself."

"I can eat haggis, not cook it."

"Then what the fuck good are you? Get out of my way. I'll finish them."

Shuffled feet and soft sounds were the only thing to be heard for a time, before running water slight clinking noises signaled the clean up.

"Now what?"

"Now what? God. Now you pick the fucking plate of cupcakes up off the counter, take it to the fucking elevator, and leave it outsider her damn door like you planned. What the hell was I thinking, getting involved in this?"

"You were thinking that you didn't want me poisoning Shepard with the sour milk." Donnelly leaned over and gave Jack a one-armed hug, secure in the knowledge that he was free from reprisal so long as the cupcakes she had worked so hard on remained balanced on his other hand.

"Bitch. Get off me. I'm going to sleep. Don't mention this to anyone, or I will slit your fucking throat." The words were cruel, but the tone was one of soft embarrassment.

"Yes, ma'am."

Five minutes later, a plate of cupcakes sat outside Shepard's door, decorated with bright yellow chicks, the letters on their wings arranged to spell "Happy Birthday".