The doors to Commander Shepard's captain's cabin slid smoothly open. In response to this, the once darkened room was suddenly illuminated by the ceiling lights, casting two thick black shadows of two people in love out into the hall.
The two of them stood on the threshold of Shepard's cabin. It was the first time that Shepard had actually come up her with anyone else; he motioned with his arm for Tali to go first.
"Ladies first," he said smoothly. Tali gave a small giggle at being called a 'lady' as she stepped forwards. The two of them crossed the small area in front of them, and into Shepard's private quarters. Shepard again motioned to Tali towards the black-and-white striped couch. She nodded and collapsed rather unceremoniously onto it. A second later, she felt her Commander sit down beside her. He sighed heavily. He thought he heard a faint clunking sound; but it must have been nothing. He turned to Tali.
"So," he said, light-heartedly. "We made it."
"Yes," Tali agreed, smiling behind her visor as realisation hit. "We did…"
"…and that means that I've got you all to myself," Shepard winked. Tali took a stance of mock aggressiveness.
"Just so you know, I'm running a fever, and there's this stuff blocking my sinuses that I can't even describe." She noticed Shepard's concerned expression. "Oh, don't worry," she said, instantly dropping the act. "It's not that bad, really, compared to what it could have been like."
Shepard's concerned face transformed into a grin. "In your sinuses, huh?" he said slowly. "Does that mean I put it in the wrong hole?" This earned him a sharp smack on the shoulder.
"Shepard, you bosh'tet," she said playfully. Shepard raised his hands in surrender.
"Kidding!" he said.
An awkward silence.
"So…" said Shepard again. "Whadayya wanna do?"
"Well…" He could have sworn she was grinning right now. "I had a few things in mind…" she said as she moved so that she was sitting on his lap. Shepard smiled stupidly.
"I'm listening…"
Suddenly, they both heard the distinctive sound of a toilet being flushed, and a door opening. A voice rang out.
"What the hell?"
Meanwhile…
The doors to Commander Shepard's captain's cabin slid smoothly open. In response to this, the once darkened room was suddenly illuminated by the ceiling lights, casting a single thick black shadow out into the hall. Commander Jane Shepard sighed heavily as she stepped in through the door.
Shepard walked over to her desk. She clicked on the mouse of her computer terminal: she had no mail. She again sighed, and spoke out loud to no-one in particular.
"I madeit…"
Suddenly, she felt the urge to visit the little commander's room. She stood up and turned towards the bathroom door. Just then, she heard a heavy clunk come from somewhere; it didn't seem to have a general source, just… everywhere. Jane looked up and around the ceiling: nothing. Shrugging it off, she stepped into the bathroom.
Several minutes later…
Jane stared at her reflection in the mirror as she washed her hands. Commander Jane Shepard, she thought triumphantly. Hero of Elysium, Saviour of the Citadel. I wonder what title they'll think up next…
Shepard took her hands out from under the steady stream of lukewarm water, and in doing so made it stop altogether. She turned around, and waved her hand over the flush sensor. The toilet made its distinctive noise as water filled its bowl. Shepard paid it no attention as she turned towards the door. It slid silently open, and, in stepping out of the bathroom, she saw somebody that should usually not be physically possible for her to see.
Shepard struggled to comprehend what she saw. It would appear that Tali was in her quarters uninvited. Usually given a situation like this she would have assumed that Tali wanted to speak to her about something; it didn't matter that she hadn't asked to visit. Jane had grown to like the quarian, caring for her as if she would a little sister. But Tali was with somebody, in a rather suggestive position. Jane didn't know the man she was with. In fact, this man was human, not quarian, so the fact that Tali was sitting on his lap made little sense to Jane. All she knew was that her quarian 'little sister' was with a human man she didn't know, and presumed the worst. She finally managed to get some words out, after what seemed like a lifetime of staring at the two.
"What the hell?"
John and Tali both looked around sharply at the intruder. There had been someone in here the whole time? Both of them went rigid with shock that someone had actually had the nerve to break into the Commanding Officer's Quarters onboard a starship. John looked more closely, hoping to identify this person. It was a woman; somebody who he didn't know. He was still in shock as this unknown woman came striding right around the models of ships, right up to him, and punched him right in the face.
Tali gasped in horror as her Commander's head recoiled from the impact, slamming into the headrest of the couch. She thought she saw a tooth fly out of his mouth, but she wasn't focused on that. All she knew was that someone had had the guts to break into the cabin, and assault her Captain. This would have been unheard of on the Migrant Fleet. She jumped up and grabbed John's assailant around the neck, pulling her back away from him. The woman looked around in shock at Tali's defence. She immediately stopped under the younger woman's attempt.
John jumped up, clutching his bloody nose. "What the hell is going on here?" he yelled. "Stop this at once!"
Jane stopped at once, surprised by this man's outburst. Ordering me around on my own ship, after breaking into my own cabin? She thought. Her thoughts were interrupted by Tali's comment.
"Who are you?"
Jane looked around at Tali in surprise. Was this a joke?
"Tali, it's me," said Jane firmly.
"Who is this guy?" Jane demanded. The answer almost knocked her down.
"Don't you know… who he is?" asked Tali.
"I am Commander Shepard of the Normandy," said the man. "and who the hell are you?"
A/N: Ooo! They meet at last! what's gonna happen? Stay tuned, oh, and please review!
This is TDA792, we're done here (For now...)