Jack glanced out the window and saw light flurries of snow rain down, it had been some time since she and Miranda sat down to do this and Jack was shocked at how fast the time had gone by. She shifted her attention back to Lawson just as Miranda slammed her now empty fifth shot on the table.
"I believe we're even, Jack." Miranda said boastfully.
Jack chuckled. "That was just warm up, cheerleader."
Wait did I just laugh? Jack thought before an even more disturbing question invading her mind. Am I enjoying this?
Miranda returned her chuckle. "Do your worst."
Jack smirked. "You couldn't handle it."
"I can handle anything. I thought you would have learned that by now."
"Maybe you're not as pathetic as I remember." Jack admitted.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Take it however the hell you want." Jack mumbled as she sipped on her drink.
"So why the Alliance?"
"Huh?" Jack grunted.
"I never would have imagine you'd enlist after the Normandy."
"Look who's talking, Cerberus."
"I had my reasons. I'm more interested in yours at the moment."
Jack shrugged. "They asked me if I wanted to join after I helped Shepard. I figured why the hell not."
Miranda didn't look satisfied. "What do you want me to say?" Jack asked.
"I think there was more to it than that."
The convict sighed. "Maybe some of Shepard's goodie two shoes crap wore off on me."
"You wanted to do some good for once. I can relate. It's partially why I joined myself."
"And the other parts?" Jack asked.
"The Alliance is the only organization I feel my skills are being utilized at the moment."
"Skills? What skills?"
"Technical expertise, biological theory and cellular engineering...anything really."
"Jesus, do you ever stop being smug?" Jack asked.
Miranda's shoulder sunk. "Modesty still doesn't come easily to me I'm afraid. I apologize, I've been meaning to get better."
Jack felt bad for some reason. "Don't sweat it. You're still obnoxiously perfect. The Reapers didn't take your ass did they?"
"Are you flirting with me Jack?" Miranda said in a joking tone that Jack couldn't decide if she heard sincerity behind.
Shit, am I?
"Keep your pants on, Princess."
Another quick chuckle came from Miranda. "That's not a no."
"Shut up." Jack said before brushing a rouge strand of hair from her face. "Let me ask you a question."
"Go ahead." Miranda said sounding like she anticipated another crude insult.
"Why'd you want to do this? I mean if I was you i'd just ask for a transfer."
"Why don't you transfer?"
"Maybe I like it here. And you didn't answer my fucking question. Why'd you ask me out?" Jack asked again before bringing her sixth shot to her lips.
Miranda sighed. "In the spirit of new beginnings I'll be honest with you Jack. I feel like I might owe you an apology."
Jack almost choked on her drink in surprise. "No shit!"
"I'm sorry, Jack."
"Oh yeah? For what? Calling me a mistake? Acting like an asshole? Or maybe for..." Miranda interrupted her.
"I'm sorry." She repeated. "I spent my entire life either with my bastard father or with Cerberus. Being on the outside now, working with the Alliance. It's made me realize what..."
"A total bitch you were?"
Miranda smirked. "Yes I suppose. I didn't treat you fairly, I was cruel, I was wrong. About Cerberus, about The Illusive Man, most of all I was wrong about you."
"Gee you fucking think so?"
"The way you were able to turn yourself around. How you were able to look after those students at Grissom Academy and now your work with the Alliance. You've proven to me that I wasn't just wrong about you but I was wrong about myself. You're right I was a pure cold hearted bitch, but I want to fix that. So I figured I could start with making things right with you."
Jack stared at her for a few moments in silence. She kept trying to figure out her angle on this before she gave up.
"Alright fine. Let's say I believe you're being straight up with me. Why the hell should I forgive you?"
"Because I've been in this city for a month and the only people I've said more than two words to are you and Kaidan. Because I could do with a friend...for a change."
"You think we can be friends?!" Jack said stifling back a laugh. "What the fuck makes you think that?"
"Well we've been here for about 45 minutes and you haven't left."
"Yeah well that's only cause you've been buying me shots."
Miranda arched an eyebrow. "Is it?"
Dammit.
"Fine, lets pretend that the last 45 minutes were not the most agonizing time i've spent with another person. How exactly do we go about being friends? Am I supposed to just forget all the shit that went down between us because you say you're sorry?" Jack said.
"No. But I don't see any reason why we can't continue getting drunk and talking. Without your childish insults for once."
Jack thought over the idea. She had to admit she had enjoyed her time with the woman thus far. But was she really ready to try and be friends with Miranda?
"And what would we talk about?"
"Why don't you tell me more about yourself, Jack."
Jack glared at Miranda. "And why would you want to hear about me?"
"Because you fascinate me." Jack expected her response to be sarcastic but Miranda appeared to be sincere.
I fascinate her?
What the fuck does that mean?
Suddenly Jack realized how Lawson was looking at her. Miranda was leaning in close and had made a point to stare into her eyes. Lawson had her chest pressing up against the edge of the table and Jack found that not staring at her breasts was becoming much harder than it had been 45 minutes ago.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Yesterday I didn't give two shits about her and now I can't stop staring at her tits.
Lawson wasn't acting like herself, at least not how she had ever acted in front of Jack. Miranda seemed to actually want to talk about her.
Jack licked her lips and forced herself to pry her eyes away from Miranda's chest before she noticed."Not sure there's much to discuss. Unless you wanna hear about piracy, drugs and murder."
"And who says I don't?"
"I can't figure you out."
"I didn't know you were trying." Miranda said before taking her sixth shot and matching Jack.
"Yeah well, you got me thinking."
Miranda chuckled. "Uh oh." but her insult wasn't like usual. It wasn't venomous but instead it sounded almost playful.
"Maybe I was wrong about you too."
Miranda wiped her mouth dry from the shot and placed the glass upside down on the table top. "Oh?"
"Maybe we could work something out."
"Sounds interesting. What did you have in mind?" Miranda asked in almost a whisper as she leaned in even closer to Jack.
"I still really hate you, but maybe we could call a truce. At work at least."
Instantly Miranda pulled back and sat up straight. "Oh." Jack almost winced when she saw the woman frown in obvious disappointment. "Um, yeah that sounds fine." Jack wanted to protest when Miranda got up from her seat. "You know it's late. I didn't mean to keep you out so long. Thanks for coming." then Lawson payed the bill with her omni-tool and headed towards the door. "Good night, Jack."
Fuck.
Why the hell did I say that?
It was because Jack had spent the last hour trying to suppress a growing attraction to the woman she had assumed was her enemy. It was because no matter how much she thought she hated Miranda, she couldn't hid it from herself any longer that she actually liked her. That being friends with her wasn't as terrible as she'd like to believe. And that terrified her.
She thought over just letting Miranda walk away and forgetting that this whole night ever happened. But as she watched Lawson step outside a voice in the back of her head screamed "Go after her goddammit!". So Jack rose to her feet and sprinted towards the exit.
