A/N: Characters belong to Bioware, I'm just borrowing their toys for fun.

A while back, metaladdict suggested they'd like to see a scene with Traynor flirting, Shepard being oblivious, and Liara being possessive. I couldn't quite manage totally oblivious for Shepard, but I hope this otherwise fits the bill. Fits the Better Angels canon, but is pretty much a standalone and not intended to be terribly serious. Enjoy, you guys!

The Traynor Opening

"Is this seat taken?"

Sam blinks, torn rudely from her daydream by... oh bugger it... the very woman she's daydreaming about. "Oh, Commander, um, sure... I mean no, no, it's not taken, so please, yes, I..."

"I got it, Traynor, relax," Shepard cuts her off, laughing as she slides easily into the seat opposite the comm specialist's. "I promise not to bite."

Oh no, don't do that, I wouldn't mind if you were to... Sam presses a fist to her mouth, trying to get her rebellious thoughts under control before something mortifying slips out. She has to focus in order to not be a tongue-tied idiot. She has to focus to ignore the sudden flare of arousal deep within her body. "How did the mission go?" she asks, a good, safe topic to buy time to get herself together. Shepard's deep red hair is still damp from her shower, and Sam can smell the faint trace of oranges. Oh God, she smells so good... no, Sam. Bad girl.

"Fine," Shepard replies, taking a mouthful of pasta salad, oblivious to Sam's inner torment. "Ugh, God, that's terrible. We picked up the turians, as many of them as survived the crash at least. Garrus notched up a Harvester, with a little help from yours truly, and Liara..." Shepard grins almost proudly as she takes another forkful of her lunch, "Liara took out two Brutes in one warp detonation. It was quite the display of biotic mastery." The Commander pulls a wry face. "Course, that was when the third one smacked her into a concrete pillar." A deprecating shrug. "I had to get that one."

"Oh my God, is Liara all right?"

"Yeah, she's OK, just a bit bruised, I think. She didn't hit her head too hard, but she did crack open her shoulder plate. Chakwas is checking her out, but she's walking and talking." Shepard's gaze keeps flicking across to the shuttered medbay windows as she speaks. "I wouldn't be joking about it yet otherwise."

"Of course, right. Good," Sam approves, relieved. Liara's been very kind to her since she came aboard, taking the time to chat, making sure that Sam has every opportunity to come across as an idiot. The asari's grace, elegance and confidence make Sam feel like a clumsy, clod-hopping peasant, and her competence in everything she sets her hand to is somewhat daunting . Sam can't fathom for a moment being able to take out two brutes in pitched combat; she can't fathom even one husk. Like Shepard, the asari seems to operate on some sort of higher state of being than Sam, and the reminder that she's mortal and vulnerable is rather unsettling. "I'm glad Liara wasn't seriously hurt."

Shepard looks at her intently for a moment, as though she's assessing something, then shovels another forkful of pasta into her mouth, chews, swallows, and breaks into a grin. "Yeah, me too, Traynor, me too. So, anything interesting happen up here while we were tangling with the heavy mob groundside?"

"Not much. Reaper activity in the system seems to be confined to the surface of Tuchanka. Admiral Hackett has sent troops to secure the anti-orbital battery, but there's been no chatter on any known Cerberus communications channels." Sam takes a bite of her sandwich. "The turians are pretty excited about something, though," she mumbles through her mouthful of bread and cheese. "Even before the mission there was a hell of a lot of traffic, and if anything, it's intensified." She swallows. "Mmm, and the encryption was through the roof."

Shepard frowns thoughtfully as she eats her lunch. "You think they're not telling us everything?"

"I think that's a safe bet," Sam admits. "I'll see what else I can dig up without messing with their encryptions. Also, we got some data from Hackett on new Cerberus activity out in the Horsehead Nebula."

"Right, we'll need to sort that out, but only when we're done here. Securing this alliance with the krogan is our top priority right now." She glances at the medbay again, a faint frown creasing her forehead. Clearly she's worried about Liara, despite her jokes. "Stick it on the galaxy map and I'll take a look later."

"Yes, ma'am." Sam allows herself a moment of geek. "God, I love that map, it's beautiful. Do you know how many strategy games are based on that interface?"

This piques Shepard's interest; she nods, eyes lighting up with curiosity. "Yeah, I've seen quite a few. You play strategy games?"

"A few," Sam minimizes her biggest hobby casually; she has lost months of her life to gaming. "A lot of them are too flashy; I prefer chess. I have this set made from rose quartz and hematite back home. I like the feel of something solid in my hands." Shepard raises one eyebrow, and Sam blushes as she realises that her latter remark could be taken any number of ways. And then, she decides that she doesn't really care; if Shepard has taken it as a move, it's what Sam wants anyway, and maybe being careful isn't going to work. Maybe it's time to be brave. Nerves instantly damp her hands with sweat, and a new string of nervous tension begins to vibrate deep in her belly, in harmony with her already pulsing desire.

"Well, now that I know your weakness, we might have to try a game." There's laughter in Shepard's eyes as she makes the offer, and Sam grins back.

"I'd like that. It'll be more fun than playing EDI; EDI doesn't sweat."

Shepard raises her eyebrows. "You sweat playing chess?"

Sam tries to keep her blush under control as she takes the opportunity to blatantly flirt, meeting Shepard's curious gaze with lidded eyes. "Depends on how much fun we're having."

Shepard looks faintly perplexed at this. "Sorry, Traynor, clearly we have very different views on what constitutes fun."

"I suppose you're one of those hiking, biking, climbing types, aren't you," Sam sighs mournfully. "I had a girlfriend like that once. Even listening to her talk about her hobbies was exhausting." Sam screws up her courage and tries again. "Not that I'm really complaining; her being so athletic was a big bonus in other aspects of our relationship." Come on, Shepard, give me a hint, at least.

Shepard chuckles. "I get that. I could say the same about the couple of jarheads I've dated. But it turned out that was the only good thing either of them had going for them. Anyway, I haven't done a lot of recreational climbing, but hiking and biking, yeah, when I get the chance. I grew up aboard ships, so getting groundside to do something other than shoot things is always fun. You appreciate the opportunity more when it's scarce."

"So there's nowhere you can call home?" Sam asks, saddened by the notion, the melancholy eclipsing her frustration at the fact that somehow, Shepard has expressed an intimate confidence without giving away any clues about her sexuality. How does she manage to play so hard to get without coming off as a complete tease?

"Home is my ship," Shepard answers Sam's question with a smile, a deep, genuine expression of happiness rather than a brave front, and good God, it makes her breathtaking. Sam's transfixed, hanging on every word as Shepard elaborates. "Home travels with me everywhere I go. It's much more the people I'm with than the actual place, and I get a chance to expand my home every time we take on someone new." She looks directly into Sam's eyes as she says this, and Sam realises with an electric jolt that she has already been added to Commander Shepard's concept of home, and a pleasurable warmth spreads through Sam's body at the understanding. Now, if I could just narrow that down her concept of the bedroom...

"That's really beautiful, Commander. I never thought of it that way before." Would it be too much to reach for her hand?

"Yeah, well, spacers have a different view of the galaxy than dirtkissers," Shepard chuckles. "We're generally much more aware of the temporary nature of things. People who grow up planetside tend to have this notion of permanence, and... oh, hey, Liara!" Shepard breaks into a grin as the asari walks up to them. The commander pushes a chair out with her foot, and takes the asari's elbow solicitously to guide her into the seat. "How're you feeling?"

Liara manages a small, wan smile. "Like I was thrown into a wall by a two-ton juggernaut," she quips weakly. Shepard looks down to hide a grin, shaking her head in amusement, but it's clear from Liara's pale, drawn appearance and the riot of dark purple bruising across the left side of her face that she's still in some degree of discomfort.

"It's good to see you up and around, Liara," Sam offers, concerned even though the asari's arrival has derailed Sam's plan of attack somewhat. It's one thing to try your moves in a one-on-one conversation, quite another to have enough front to do it in a group chat. Discretion is the better part of valour. She who fights and runs away, and all that.

"Thank you, Samantha," Liara replies with a smile.

"So what did Chakwas say? Lay it on me," Shepard says with an exaggerated air of someone bracing themselves for bad news. Liara punches her lightly on the arm in rebuke.

"I have a sprained shoulder, a depressed cheekbone, and a mild concussion. I'm restricted from shore party duty for five days." Liara sighs. "I have to report to the medbay every morning for a week for cerebral scans. Oh, and I have a checklist of questions that someone is supposed to ask me every few hours, to make sure I'm not suffering any memory loss." The asari sounds affronted by the idea, and Shepard chuckles softly.

"I'll do that, if you like."

"Chakwas is worrying over nothing, there's no need."

"Oh no you don't, you're always the first in line to scold me when I try to ignore the Doc."

"Shepard, really, I feel perfectly fine and I can remember everything. I don't need a babysitter."

Shepard looks over at Traynor and winks conspiratorially, then transfers her attention back to the recalcitrant asari. "If that's how this is going to be." She gets up, picking up her plate and shoving it into the recycle before tugging her light grey SA Navy hoodie straight. "You sit here with Traynor for a second while I go talk to Chakwas."

Liara blanches. "You wouldn't!"

"Watch me," Shepard retorts with a grin. "After all the times you've dropped me in it for dodging my meds? Payback's a bitch, ain't it?" She takes three quick steps towards the medbay before Liara sighs.

"All right, Commander," she caves with a roll of her eyes, "you win."

Shepard turns back with a satisfied expression. "Send me the questions," she orders, and Liara shoots her a sidelong glance of exasperation before nodding acceptance.

"If it will make you happy, fine," she concedes ungraciously as she activates her omni-tool. "Now, if you're done badgering me about my health, there's some data on that bomb that I think you should see."

"I'm not done badgering you, but I can wait to get my kicks - if you have more info on that bomb, I want to see it." Shepard offers Liara a hand to help her up, but the asari ignores it, getting to her feet and arching an expectant eyebrow marking at the commander. Shepard shrugs, and turns back to Traynor. "Thanks for the chat, Traynor. See what else you can ferret out of those turian communications, and keep me posted on the krogan chatter coming out of the Hollows and the Kelphic valley. If some gung-ho idiot spots that bomb, this will get real ugly, real fast."

"Aye aye, Commander," Sam acknowledges, and she watches in disappointment as Shepard walks away with her asari friend in tow, heading to the executive officer's quarters opposite the medbay. Another opportunity gone begging. Ah well, I'll get another chance - it's not like she can hide from me on a ship this small. Sam finishes her lunch and clears her place, and just as she turns to leave the mess hall she's almost sure she hears a metallic thump emanate from the XO's office. She waits for a moment, but the noise doesn't reoccur. Shrugging it off, she heads to the elevator to get back to CIC. She has work to do.