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Obsession – Chapter 2
It was cold in Vancouver this time of year. Today the sky was overcast, and a light drizzle fell down upon the city. The Clone didn't mind. The weather afforded him more shadows. And because his transport left tonight, the Clone dared to move closer than he ever had before.
He sat under an awning, the sole occupant of a restaurant's outdoor eating area today. His hat and his coat were pulled close over his face, lest someone mistake him for the race traitor he would eventually usurp. After blowing up the Batarian colony, Shepard surrendered himself to the Alliance. He and his ship were brought here to Vancouver, the former being put under house arrest and the latter being overhauled by Alliance techs.
But there was one good thing to come out of this: Ashley Williams. She'd been brought in as something of a character witness for Shepard. The Clone has yet to figure out where her Alliance provided apartment is located, but he has come to learn her routines.
She likes the park across the street from where he sits now. Almost every day for the last two months, she has come out here for her midday jog. The Clone has stolen away from Hope and her overbearing mercs whenever he could, choosing to watch Ashley from afar as she runs.
For now, he is content to watch. He spots her in the distance and pretends to busy himself with a data pad, but his eyes watch her intently as she moves closer to him. To hell with Hope. Ashley is perfect in every way.
Her luscious dark brown hair, tied up in a ponytail today, is shiny with dew. Her warm brown eyes are alight with her focus as she perfects her running gate. The Clone's eyes trail further down, to her slender neck and powerful shoulders. Her arms are coiled with muscle but are still gracefully thin. Ashley wears only a black tank top that defines her ample chest even more, and a pair of dark blue work out shorts. Her olive skin glistens with rain and her perspiration, making her shine for him like a goddess. Her stomach is taut and the Clone can see her abs rippled with movement as she runs. He looks further down still, to her slim waist and her enticing hips. Her legs are long and powerful, and the Clone yearns to feel how velvety soft they are under his touch.
He knows he can't actually approach her. Not yet. She wouldn't understand, and he and Hope don't need the extra attention right now.
He's been gradually moving closer, drawing nearer and nearer to Ashley on her runs. First darkened windows from a dozen stories up, then peeking out from sheltered alleyways, and then biding his time inside of cafes or restaurants. Now there may be an entire street standing in between him and his love, but it is still the closest they have ever been.
His continues to watch her as she runs down the sidewalk across the street, his eyes the only part of his body actually following her so as not to draw her attention. When's she out of his sight he looks back to the data pad and activates its mirror function, watching Ashley's miniaturized form run away from him on the device.
He watched her toned calves moved up and down, and the muscles in her back ripple with effort. His gaze lingered on her backside, watching her hips sashay from side to side and her luscious rear bob up and down. Ashley had a figure most women would kill for.
The Clone felt a familiar stirring in his loins, such as he usually does when he watches Ashley like this. He wants nothing more than to feel how strong and soft her arms around him are, to taste her succulent flesh, to hear her moaning his name as he propelled her to ecstasy.
The sound of his communicator buzzing angrily jarred him from his musings, and The Clone sighed, already knowing who was calling him. Activating the call to go to his earpiece, he answered, "Hello?"
"Where the hell are you?" came Hope's biting reply. "We are set to leave in less than two hours and you are nowhere to be found!"
Nonchalantly, he answered, "Oh, well today's the last time we'll see Vancouver in who knows how long. I simply figured one last stroll through the streets would do me good." He hailed a waitress, motioning for a bill so he could leave. Unfortunately because of Hope's distraction, he'd lost sight of Ashley, so there was nothing left for him here.
"Oh don't give me that shit. I know you're out watching her again."
The Clone internally sighed as he paid his bill and exited the café. Hope couldn't understand. Wouldn't understand. She tried so hard to steer his attention away from the Alliance marine, going so far as to hire out prostitutes that looked eerily similar to Ashley for him. But he'd had none of it. He didn't care if Hope couldn't see that Ashley was the perfect woman for him.
"What I do on my free time is my own business," he deflected, making sure his voice came out deeper so no one walking by him might mistake him for the actual Shepard.
"Quite frankly I really don't give a damn what exactly it is you do. But it is not your time to waste. It's our time, and the more you dilly dally fawning over some stupid girl, the more I effort I have to make toward the men convincing them you're not completely off your rocker."
"Ashley is not stupid. She has an I.Q. of –"
"I don't give a shit about her bloody I.Q.! We have to leave, so the sooner you forget about her, the sooner we all can get on with our plans."
The Clone ground his teeth and clenched his hands. Were it not for the fact his life did technically belong to Hope, he would have done away with her a long time ago. He hated the way she would insult Ashley, trying to demean her in front of him. Sometimes he thinks Hope is jealous he loves a woman who isn't her. She can't stand the fact she doesn't have absolute control over him.
But The Clone bit his tongue to stop the pointless argument. He needed Hope. She was the one with the plan. If he ever wanted to meet Ashley and convince her of how much he loved her, he would first have to do away with Shepard. And in order to do that, he needed Hope's help. So he would suffer through the woman's ire and attitude so that he may eventually claim his true prize.
When he didn't answer right away, Hope asked none too kindly, "Am I clear?"
Glowering at the ground he walked on, he answered, "Yes."
"Good. Now get back here. We have to deal with final preparations before we can take off."
"Of course. I'm on my way." He cut off the connection before she could say anything else. Hope Lillium had a bad case of superiority complex, but he could stomach her bossy nature. For now.
Soon, Ashley, he silently promised as he gazed up at the grey sky, small rivulets of water raining down his face like tears. Soon we will be together. Maybe not today, maybe not this week, and maybe not this month. But soon, my love.