A/N: This twenty-six chapter set is only going to be part 1, and cover their relationship throughout Mass Effect. Two more twenty-six chapter sets will be published, one for their relationship throughout Mass Effect 2 and on for their relationship throughout Mass Effect 3.

Disclaimer: Bioware owns the ME 'verse.


Citadel


Shepard was livid when she returned to the Normandy. She'd only been on the Citadel for an hour, tops. Obviously it hadn't gone well. Not that Joker was surprised; the council was a bunch of scared aliens, filled with selfish desires, with their heads shoved up their...well, you get the idea.

She didn't get much father than the airlock though. He wondered if she knew he was there. After all, most of the crew, besides himself, had gone aboard the Citadel as Captain Anderson had instructed. Joker wanted to avoid talking about his condition with Shepard, at least for a little awhile. It was only a matter of time and she would look at him differently once she knew about it. They always did.

Should he say something? She still hadn't moved from where she stood, fuming. Her fists were clenched tight, as if she wanted to hit something. And hard. Hopefully it wouldn't be him. He didn't doubt that she could break any normal person's bones and the last thing he wanted was another broken bone. For him, that was an all too common thing.

"Uh, Commander?" He turned enough to see her and for her to see him. She showed no outwardly signs of surprise, eyes lifting quickly from the spot on the floor she'd been burning a hole into with her glare. "Council didn't take you accusing one of their agents too well, I take it?"

"You could say that," she mumbled.

"Oh I'm sure they would have loved to take a human's word over a turian's – waiting for it, in fact."

"Joker..."

"Yeah, yeah." He waved his hand dismissively. "So where's Alenko and the new girl, Williams?"

"Shooting the shit, taking a walk," she said with a shrug. "We're going to do our own investigation into Saren, to find the evidence we need to disbar him from the spectres. I told them I would meet them shortly at that bar, in the wards – what's it called? Ah! Chora's Den." She snapped her fingers when she got it. "I needed a few moments to myself." She looked at him curiously then, crossing her arms as she relaxed. "Speaking of which – why are you here? I thought Anderson ordered everyone to take a breather for a couple of hours while we spoke to the Council."

"He did," Joker admitted haltingly with a shrug.

"So – ?"

"So...what are you asking, Commander?" He decided to play ignorant.

Shepard narrowed her eyes, obviously not buying it – the 'avoid the question and play ignorant' technique. "If it weren't for you, we probably wouldn't have made it off Eden Prime in one piece. Well, mostly." She frowned and cleared her throat. "You know you deserve a break too."

"The Normandy is my home," he replied cheekily.

She wasn't buying it still but all she said was, "uh-huh."

Well, at least she wasn't pressing him for an answer. An honest one, anyway. He could be thankful for that. She would find out eventually though. She did have access to personnel files.

"Thanks," he muttered. Then he grinned. "Feeling better?"

She grinned right along with him. "Surprisingly I am."

"I'm talented that way," he said with a waggle of his eyebrows. She smiled, big, obviously amused.

"Uh-huh."

"What?" He cocked one eyebrow, trying to appear genuinely confused.

"Nothing." Shepard planted her hands on her hips and leaned slight back. "Well, now that I don't have the urge to murder said Council, I should probably go meet Alenko and Williams."

"You better. Nothing worse than a drunk biotic," he deadpanned.

She laughed softly. "Alenko seems to have pretty good self control. Well, mostly. Keep the Normandy safe for the Captain, got it?"

"Aye-aye, ma'am."

Shepard turned and left the Normandy then, decidedly in a better mood than when she'd boarded a short time ago. Funny how that happened.


Well, damn.

Guess he should expected this to happen. Why wouldn't it? Shepard was the best. She had proof to discredit Saren and had succeeded in getting the turian booted from the spectres. And now? Shepard had been promoted in his place.

Commander Shepard was now the very first human in the galaxy to become a spectre.

Shit.

His opinions of spectres...well, they wouldn't change right away but he wouldn't hold them over Shepard. She was different from anyone he'd ever met.

Sure was taking them a long time though.

The investigation was finished and they'd been docked for over two days. Six hours ago, Shepard's induction into the spectres had been broadcast live throughout the entire galaxy – every news channel, every comm feed, every single site on the extranet. Joker had expected them to return once it had concluded, for a party to celebrate if nothing else.

"Captain on deck," the ship's VI announced, as if on cue. Speak of the devil.

When he turned to greet Anderson he was surprised to see Shepard standing there with Alenko, Williams, a turian, a krogan, and a quarian. Anderson was nowhere in sight though. Was the VI malfunctioning, off the rocks again, or something?

"Where's Anderson?" He asked as the others wandered off toward the CIC, not concerned with greeting him just yet even though the quarian gave him a half wave as she passed. Joker decided he liked her, even though she might as well be a walking suit. He had to wonder again, for like the thousandth time, what they really looked like. "I see you've brought the whole station back with you."

"Maybe half, but not all." She chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "What can I say? I'm the friendly type. Except when it comes to Udina." She pursed her lips almost comically. "He pretty much twisted Anderson's arm, made him turn the Normandy over to me. We're going after Saren."

"No shit! Really? And Anderson just stood there and took it?"

"He kind of had to, but he trusts us to take care of the old girl."

Joker shook his head; he never liked Udina. Guy rubbed him the wrong way, gave him the heebie jeebies, the creeps, bad vibes, and whatever else bad guys gave people. "Where we off to then Captain?"

"Oh come on Joker, don't go all formal on me now. Shepard is fine." She smirked as she crossed her arms. "We're after Liara T'soni. Turns out an asari matriarch is working with Saren. T'soni is her daughter and – "

"You think she'll have some information," he finished for her. She nodded once and unfolded her arms. "Whenever you're ready then, Shepard. Punch in coordinates at the galaxy map and I'll get you there in no time. You know, since I'm the best and all."

"I don't doubt it, Joker." She laughed as she came to stand behind him. "It's time to address the crew."

"Yes, ma'am," he acknowledged, hitting the key to turn on the ship wide comm link. Chasing down a rogue spectre with Commander Shepard? Hell yeah.

Apparently, the crew was in agreement.