Disclaimer: I own nothing.

In all honesty, I didn't expect this story to pick up steam so fast. Thank you all for your support!

Chapter 2: Convict, Pt. 1

The area under Engineering was known as "The Forbidden Zone" by the Cerberus personnel, and for good reason. Down there lived the most powerful human biotic in the galaxy, as well as the most violent and volatile.

At first glance, Jack didn't look like much. A petite woman with a shaved head and tattoos covering about ninety percent of her body didn't make for a real intimidating appearance. However, when she lit up her biotics and stared at her victims with those dark, haunted eyes, they knew that they had unleashed a monster.

Currently, the psychotic biotic was pacing down in her hold, her thoughts wild and confused. She felt a mixture of emotions that she had never experienced before; fury and elation, relief and annoyance, confusion and... something else.

And it was that little jacket-wearing twerp's fault.

Jack had been surprised by Ben Tennyson from the start, having first seen him in his Feedback form on Horizon. When he had turned back to normal and revealed his human form, she admitted to herself that he was relatively good-looking and completely fuckable.

Then she had gotten to know him better.

While incredibly powerful and dangerous, Ben was more of a boy scout than Shepard could ever hope to be. He never killed sapient beings (though geth, Collectors, and husks were free game, apparently), he was always friendly to the crew and ground team (hell, even Zaeed goddamn Massani couldn't find anything bad to say about him), and he was a lifesaver in battle.

But more than that, he actually listened.

He had asked Jack about what Cerberus had done to her, and she had told him in explicit detail. The fights, the torture, the despair, the killing, all of it. He had listened to her patiently, never judging or condemning her actions.

In the end, her throat had been dry from all of the talking, and he grew deep in thought.

She had grown slightly impatient.

"What's wrong? Afraid that fucking whore girlfriend of yours might have actually done something terrible?"

He had looked confused, but caught on quickly.

"Miranda's not my girlfriend. We're teammates, and sorta-friends. But yeah, what Cerberus did to you is disgusting."

Then he had said something that stuck with her, even now.

"Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, just ask."

Why the fuck would he offer that? She knew he wasn't spying for Cerberus; he was too goody-goody and honest for that. And considering the fact that his left eye twitched when he lied, she could tell he wasn't trying to trick or pull a fast one on her.

So she had come right out and said it.

"Why the fuck do you care so much?"

Calmly, graciously, he had explained.

"I knew a guy once, back when I was ten. He had a tough childhood, so he ran away from home and stole to survive. He was a street punk, and when he met me, he became psychotic and kept trying to kill me and my family. I beat him down, locked him away, and moved on with my life."

"And?"

"Now he's my best friend, and dating my cousin."

That had floored her.

"What I'm saying, Jack, is that your past actions don't have to define you. We've all made mistakes; me, you, Shepard, and Kevin. It's what you do from here on out that really matters."

After that, he had left her alone with her thoughts. And whenever she wasn't fighting or harassing the Cerberus crew, she would think over the words of the eighteen-year-old shapeshifter.

Eventually, she felt comfortable enough to start calling him her friend. They could actually talk for a decent time without her getting mad and yelling for him to leave. At times, they swapped stories. She enjoyed the one where he blew up Mount Rushmore, and he liked it when she crashed a space station onto a hanar moon.

But then she had learned about the Teltin facility on Pragia. She had gone to Ben's room, knocked on the door, and actually asked him what she should do.

She felt so goddamn weak.

But the boy had been honest and up front with her, saying that she should follow her heart and do what she thought was right.

"I wanna go there and bomb that place all to hell."

To her eternal surprise, he didn't even flinch.

"Okay. I'll use Grey Matter to build the bomb for you."

That was it. He didn't argue, attempt to talk her out of it, or tell her to move on with her life like a grown-up (which the cheerleader would no doubt say, the bitch). He actually offered to build a weapon of mass destruction just so she could have a little peace.

Why? What did he want from her?

Everyone wanted something, right? That was what she had grown up believing.

But he never asked for anything in return. He had shown up an hour later holding a metal container the size of a lunchbox, telling her it was as powerful as the Hiroshima bomb, just without the radiation. Ben also told her that he had convinced Shepard to turn the ship in that direction.

"If you want, you can go down there by yourself, or Shepard or I can go with you. Your choice."

God damn that fucking kid! What was he playing at?! Why did he care so much about someone like her?!

It made no sense!

But she had taken Ben with her to the facility nonetheless. Together, they had wandered through Teltin, with her pointing out everything she remembered, all the while he looked like he wanted to tear the place apart with Humongousaur.

Eventually, they battled their way through a small group of Blood Pack, and came across a man named Aresh, who turned out to be a survivor of the facility, driven mad by the horrors done to him.

He had wanted to start the facility back up again, and Jack had nearly killed him for it.

But Ben had stopped her, and shown her that she was better than that, better than him.

She ended up sparing Aresh, and showing the teen around her old room. Her bed, desk, the two-way mirror, the blood spatter of her first adult kill...

Then he had placed the bomb in the middle of the room, and the two hopped onboard the shuttle, where Ben placed a small metal tube in her hand. Looking down, she saw it was the detonator. His fingers lingered on her hand, and the two gazed into each others' eyes, a sort of understanding passing between them as he went into the cockpit and set the shuttle to return to the Normandy.

Once they were far enough away, Jack pressed the button, and the shuttle jerked ever-so-slightly from the shockwave. If nothing else, the kid knew how to build a hell of an explosive.

When they got back, he left her alone, letting her gather her thoughts and feelings. She didn't feel different, but she did feel lighter, as if a massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Which is where we find Jack now, pacing in order to control the storm of emotions blasting through her.

Everything seemed a little brighter, the air a little cleaner, the sound of the engine a little more relaxing.

Why did she feel this way? Was it because she had blown her childhood hell to smithereens, or was it because, for the first time in her life, she found someone she could truly call a friend?

Or maybe it was because she didn't want just friendship.

Yes, Jack recognized these emotions. She hadn't felt them since Murtock, which made them even worse. Was she betraying his memory by finding someone else she cared for? Was she spitting on his grave?

Maybe she should tell Ben about him? After all, he was her confidante, friend, and occasional food-bringer (when she didn't want to go up and deal with any Cerberus personnel).

She would, but not yet. First, she had to test something.

Putting on a black tank top and her normal cargo pants, Jack stomped her way up the stairs, exited Engineering, and began walking towards Ben's room, her heart hammering in her chest.

She was crazy, but this was fucking pushing it.

Jack halted at the door to the Starboard Cargo Hold, which was officially recognized by the rest of the ship as Ben's room. Taking a deep breath, she reached up and knocked on the door with her knuckles.

A few seconds passed, and the door opened, revealing her eighteen-year-old friend standing there in his normal jeans and black shirt, minus the jacket. He stood a few inches taller than her (she and Kasumi were the shortest people on the ship), so he glanced down with surprise and a hint of concern.

"Hey Jack," he greeted. "How are you feeling?"

She was quiet, and an inner voice raged at her trepidation.

"Better," she said quietly. "But now I'm just confused."

"Feeling a sense of victory? Vindication?" he asked, and Jack felt herself smile ever so slightly, without the normal malice or fury that such a gesture ever produced. No, this was a true smile.

"Not exactly."

"Well, you wanna talk about it?" he asked, stepping to the side and allowing her entrance to his room. She took a couple of steps in, far enough that the door closed behind her. The teen passed by her and sat down in the chair that sat next to his desk.

Ben gestured toward the bed. "Wanna take a seat?"

That was another thing: he always asked what she wanted to do, never ordered. It was a small but much-appreciated gesture.

"No, I'm just gonna make this quick," she said, walking toward him.

"Make what quick?" he asked, looking curious. After such a long time of getting to know Jack, he wasn't really afraid of her anymore, hence the reason her stalking toward him didn't cause any sort of alarm.

However, when she placed her hands on his shoulders and straddled his lap, he began to feel a sense of confusion, mixed with apprehension.

"Jack?"

She didn't respond, instead cupping his face with her hands and mashing her lips against his.

Ben had always found Jack beautiful, in a dangerous punk girl kind of way. And he had always found her lips to be full and gorgeous. Turns out, she knew how to use them, as she was an excellent kisser. Her lips were soft and delightful, and her hands found their way to his hair, running through his brown locks in a tender way.

The psychotic biotic moaned a little and pressed her lithe body against his chiseled one, taking note of the fact that he was responding. She began breathing heavier, feeling the urge to tear his shirt off and take him right then and there.

But then it wouldn't be real, would it?

The moment was suddenly over, and she pulled back, her hands lowering to his shoulders once again. The two locked eyes, just like they did on Pragia, and there seemed to be something new between them.

Yep, she had feelings for Ben Tennyson.

"Fuck."

Man, today has been productive, no?

Yeah, I always did like Jack, mostly because she reminded me of a girl I crushed on back in high school (don't ask). Plus, she's got a great character evolution, and her in-game romance was truly touching.

Not much romance, but like I said before, these are gonna be multi-chapter. The first part I guess you can call "the Spark", where the girl realizes her feelings for Ben and decides what to do about it. Some may confess, others may bury their feelings. That's what makes it fun, all the varying women of Mass Effect and their different personalities.

Next chapter is probably Kasumi or Tali. Liara is a possibility as well, but more of a long shot.

Reviews make me feel all warm and fuzzy.