A/N: If I'm being vague on the missions then I'm doing my job. Honestly, if you really want to nitty gritty details on missions, play Mass Effect 2. Trust me, it's well worth your time. I may do more action later on, but I really....REALLY suck at that. This one ended up being a long longer than I intended, but oh well. I had fun writing it.
Once again, Mass Effect and all it's parts belong to Bioware.
A part of Joker missed the days where he could drop the Mako on planets so Commander Shepard could drive it through the terrain, albeit badly. The Mako drops and pickups always gave him something to look forward to between missions. But now, the new Normandy was just too big for such drops. The pilot resigned himself to just monitoring the ground team through his console. Joker brought up the monitors for Shepard, Garrus, and Miranda. Each one gave reports on vital signs, thermal clip usage, as well as an onboard camera. Where the hell Miranda had hers attached was beyond Joker nor did he care to find out.
The pilot forced out a sigh and leaned against his hand as he propped his arm up on the chair. The day's earlier embarrassment was still fresh in his mind. He'd been caught sleeping at the helm before, no one bothered him about that since moving about the ship was difficult for him. It was the whole getting caught mumbling in his sleep part that annoyed him. Especially when Shepard was involved.
Awesome, now she thinks your a nut.
She's always thought you were a nut. But now she's going to be suspicious of you every time she catches you looking in her direction.
...It's not like she doesn't make her presence known. For an Infiltrator, she's rather loud.
Shepard only does that because the last time she scared the shit out of you, you popped your ankle kicking the footwell. Which was brilliant, by the way.
Shut up, jackass.
Joker blinked a moment and then ran his hand down his face. Great, I'm berating myself. I might as well diagnose myself with schizophrenia I keep this up...
"Normandy, Okeer's a no-go." Shepard's voice cut into Joker's self-induced argument, grabbing his attention.
"So, no Krogan for this run? That's a damn shame, Shepard. I know you were looking forward to having me knocked out again!"
"Keep it up, wise ass, and I'll knock you out myself. We don't have Okeer, but we have a package that needs retrieval. And he's a big one..."
Shepard wasn't kidding when she said the package was big. It took five of the crew to make sure it made it to the port cargo hold intact. After releasing the tank-bred krogan, Shepard was greeted to being slammed against the wall, forcefully gave her newest crew member who was now called Grunt a reason to serve under her, and proved she was willing to do what it took to get his cooperation by placing a pistol at his unarmored belly. Just another typical day on the Normandy. She was rubbing her bruised collarbone as she approached the cockpit, and in his usual fashion, Joker swiveled the chair to greet her.
He raised a questioning eyebrow before giving her the once over. "You collect stray cats as a kid, because we really needed a mega krogan...so thanks for bringing him home!"
Shepard glared at him and continued to rub the ever forming bruise in an attempt to make it magically disappear. "Oh shut up." She gave up working the bruise and stepped up close to the helm and looked out the viewport. Joker turned back to his station and started to tap keys and holographic buttons. "You know, when I was a kid, I always thought that someday I'd get off that rock I called home. Never thought I'd see the day I'd miss it," she sighed.
Joker looked over at her. Well that was random. He chuckled and nudged her with his elbow. "Homesick, Commander?"
"Hmm-wha?"
"You, talking about missing Earth. I was wondering if you were homesick? Because I can take you back home if you want."
The Commander gave a light laugh and put a gentle hand on Joker's shoulder. "Thanks for the offer Joker, but I think I'm already home."
It was moments like these that he missed the most. At first she was so distant from anyone, giving her an almost cold demeanor. Everyone blamed it on her upbringing, or lack there of considering she grew up with no parents, and Akuze. Even Joker thought all he would get out of her was the occasional order on what to do or where to go, but she surprised him. Over time she started to open up to the crew and got to know them. But what surprised him the most was she opened up to him the most. She said she was drawn to his wit and his sarcasm matched her own. Scuttlebutt on the ship went so far to say that they were pushing the bounds of fraternization, but Shepard was always there to shoot it down. She made sure everyone knew she was bound to her duty. That didn't stop her from enjoying her pilot's company though.
Joker gave an involuntary sigh that brought Shepard back to reality and she noticed her hand was lingering on his shoulder. A slight tinge of pink gathered on her cheeks as she jerked her hand back. "Set a course for the Citadel, Joker."
"Going to visit some old friends?"
Jenna ran a hand through her shoulder length black hair and sighed. "Sort of. I got a message from Cap..er...Councilor Anderson. I've got a feeling Cerberus leaked that I'm alive."
Big surprise there, Joker thought.
"That and Gardner gave me a list of things we could use in the Mess. Lord knows I could use a decent meal before I throw my life on the line." She paused for a moment. "Again. Besides, we've all been cramped on this ship for nearly three weeks. I think some shore leave is in order."
Joker didn't let his happy little cheer out when she mentioned shore leave, but he let his massive grin show at the mention of getting high quality ingredients on the ship. There was only so much one could take with military grade rations. "Have I mentioned that I love you?"
Shepard rolled her eyes at him. "Eyup. Just about every time I let you get away with something stupid. Just get us to the Citadel, flyboy."
Judging by how quickly Commander Shepard stomped past the cockpit and to the elevator, Joker assumed her meeting with Anderson didn't go well at all. Garrus shook his head as he passed the pilot. "That bad?"
The turian sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "It went as well as could be expected. The council still has their heads so far up their asses, I'm surprised anything gets done at all. Anderson is basically useless regarding anything." Joker scoffed and rolled his eyes. "They did reinstate her Spectre status as a show of good faith, but it that was about it. The council doesn't trust her because of her ties with Cerberus and even went so far as to accuse her of treason. Anderson was able to sideline the accusation, but it really pissed her off."
"Well no shit. It's not exactly a secret to anyone that she hates her ties to Cerberus considering what they've done to her in the past," Joker retorted.
Garrus nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last time we come to the Citadel after this. Not that I mind." He tilted his slightly forward as goodbye to the pilot before leaving Joker alone in the cockpit. Joker gave his usual sarcastic goodbye before turning back to his console. He gave a quick glance behind him trying to decide if he should bother finding Shepard then thought better of it. She would just shrug him off like everyone else that tried to console her. He figured it be better to just let her work off her frustrations on her own.
After a few hours, a pang of hunger crawled its way into Joker's stomach forcing him to abandon his station and hobble down to the mess. With everyone taking advantage of the shore leave, the Normandy was quiet leaving Joker to believe he was on his own for finding food. Much to his surprise, a tantalizing aroma drifted into the elevator as he reached the third deck. As he rounded to the mess hall, Joker was surprised to see Shepard sitting at a table staring at data pads with a bowl in front of her and...
Chopsticks hanging from her mouth? Now if that isn't the cutest damned thing I've seen her do. Joker mentally slapped himself for thinking of the Commander and cute in the same sentence. He quickly fell back into his sarcastic grin and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Not only can she save the galaxy from the greatest threat known to all sapient life, but she can cook to boot! Next you'll be telling me you can belt out old show tunes like this was Old Broadway!"
Jenna glanced up at him with a none too amused look on her face and cocked an eyebrow. "Just for that comment you can get your own, smartass." Joker chuckled at her response and dug out a bowl for himself then stopped as he looked at what she made. He looked back at her with a question on his face and she just responded with a look of 'what?', chopsticks still hanging from her mouth. Shepard rolled her eyes and grumbled. "Oh for crying out loud, Joker, it's not going to kill you. It's just ramen, good god."
"Just making sure," he said, dishing out his own helping. "Last time you mentioned cooking, I faintly remember you saying it involving a toaster and a fire extiguisher." The pilot laughed as she grumbled a shut up and her cheeks turned pink. He took a seat across from her and propped his head on his hands. "So, want to talk about it?"
"No."
"You sure?" Shepard growled at him. Joker raised his hands in defense. "Okay, okay. Dropping it." The two sat in silence for a moment before a question floated to his mind. "What was that about you missing Earth earlier?"
Shepard looked up at him this time without the glare, but with an almost sad look in her emerald green eyes. Joker almost regretted asking until she spoke up. "It's Ray's birthday..." she trailed off.
Joker tilted his head to the side slightly in confusion. "Who?"
For some reason this was hard for Jenna. Joker was always there for her to talk to about anything, but talking about her past was difficult. She bit her lower lip for a second and looked away. "My sister, Rayna."
"...I didn't know you had a sister."
"No one did. Rayna died when I was a kid." Shepard sighed and pushed her bowl away. "She was the only family I had left when my parents..."
Joker shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He understood this was a difficult subject for her, but he also felt comforted by the fact that she confided in him. Her trust in him left him with a warm feeling he couldn't explain. But seeing her in a state of near despair about tore him apart, so he tried to turn the subject into a more welcoming memory. "So, this sister of yours. She took care of you?"
Jenna nodded her head, a slight smile creeping on her lips. "She was four years older than me. Even though we both ended up in the 10th street Reds, Ray still made sure I stayed out of trouble. Well, trouble that was too much for me to handle. And she made it damn clear that even though I was in the Reds, that I wasn't going to waste my life with them."
"Wait a minute, you both joined a gang with the intention of leaving?"
"Yeah, so? We were on our own with no parents and no place to really go. The streets of Beijing weren't exactly kid friendly. We found shelter with what we could. The Reds took us in." Now Joker was interested in her story. He lazily rested his head on one hand and let her continue on. There was a spark that seemed to light up Shepard's eyes as she recalled her sister and all the trouble they got into from minor hacking to the return of the toaster on fire story. He still had a hard time believing someone could set a toaster on fire with a pastry, but Shepard insisted she did it. As she continued on, though, her tone started to become more serious.
"Rayna enlisted in the Alliance when I was 14. She made me promise that I would do the same when I was old enough. It was the only thing really that would save either of us from the life we led." Jenna dropped her gaze to the table. "I was ready to make good on my promise until I got a letter from the Alliance two years later." She clenched her hands as she recalled that memory. "Rayna had been sent to Mindoir. She..."
Almost instinctively, Joker reached out for her hand. It wasn't a show of pity or to coddle her, but a gesture to let her know he was there. Shepard look up at their hands for a moment and then at him. She gave him a warm smile before slipping her hands out of his and getting up.
"I should probably get some sleep." He watched her slowly start to walk away before she stopped and turned back slightly. Her eyes shifted from side to side for a moment. "I haven't talked about Rayna in a long time. Thanks for listening." Jenna gave him a quick smile. "Of all the people who I've considered friends in my life, you're the best, Joker."
"Anytime, Commander." With that she left him alone in the mess hall. Joker sighed and hung his head. She still considers me her best friend. Even though it's my fault she... He looked up and forced out a breath. ...Just a friend.
