To the Edge of the Universe


Rebecca sat back, relishing the quiet of her cabin. Another calm before the shitstorm that was the Collectors' Base. A side trip on the way pushed back the Omega-4 Relay trip by two days. The stopover on Aite was brief, but a colossal pain in the ass.

"Send a message to C Station, from APShep to SM."

Connecting to C Station…C Station Acknowledged…Encrypting…

Connecting APShep to SM...Connection established…Ready to transmit…

APShep: Hey, Jack. You busy? Been a shitty few days.

SM: No doubt. You haven't slept much lately either.

APShep: Please stop spying on me.

SM: Not spying. Observing. Occasionally.

APShep: Pervert.

SM: You like it.

She smiled for a moment, staring at the screen.

APShep: That entire mission on Aite was a clusterfuck, you know. I almost died like 20 times.

SM: Two times actually. But you're right, and I apologize. I thought it would be a quick stop. I wasn't aware of how far Archer had gone.

APShep: His own fucking brother! How could he do that?

SM: Agreed. He was out of control.

APShep: Asshole never appreciated what he had. If I still had my

"Shit. I have to delete that. Not gonna go there."

APShep: Fuck it. Just don't ask me for any more favors.

SM: Noted. Let's focus on the Collectors' Base. Are you ready? Who are you taking?

APShep: Ready? Ridiculous question. I'm taking The Drell and the Turian. You approve?

SM: I don't have to approve. Keep your eye on the prize.

APShep: Yeah, yeah.

"Commander, everyone's waiting for you. We're twenty minutes from the Omega-4 Relay."

"Be there in a few, Joker."

APShep: I have to go. Almost at the relay and the team's waiting.

SM: Good luck then. Keep me in the loop as much as possible.

APShep: Is that all?

SM: No. Tell me what AP stands for, but more importantly, what SM stands for.

APShep: No.

SM: Solar modulator? Sado masochist? Sex machine?

APShep: Very funny, but no. And I'm not saying right now either.

SM: Fine.

APShep: Don't drink and smoke too much while I'm out saving your ass from extinction.

SM: No promises there, All Purpose. No. Armor Piercing?

APShep: Nope.

SM: Always Perfect?

APShep: Close. And that would fit too. But it's All Powerful.

SM: Ah. In some ways, yes. All right, I'll see you soon, AP. Be careful.

APShep: Yup.

Disappointment flooded her veins, plain and simple. I won't ask him to say it, but why can't he just fucking say it? Could be his last chance. And then she waited for a response. Say it once, Jack. Just once.

SM: We need you, Rebecca, every human in the galaxy. Please come back in one piece.

"That same old line?" she yelled at the screen.

SM: If not for them, then for me.

Her heart skipped a beat, the same way it always had when he said something surprisingly sweet. "You're killing me here. Well, that's progress anyway. I think."

APShep: Don't worry, I'll be fine. And I have my knife, the one you gave me. A little extra protection.

SM: It was meant as a gift and a reminder of that night. Don't rely on it.

APShep: Really? Picture my eyes rolling now. Ha!

SM: Have I mentioned how much I hate messaging with you?

APShep: I've lost count of the times. Seriously though, knowing I'll see you in a few days will make this mission a snap. I'm really looking forward to some R&R.

SM: Good to know. We'll make the most of it. I promise.

APShep: See you soon. Bye, Jack.

SM: I'm not going to say goodbye, Rebecca. But I will leave you with something I've thought about recently.

"Oh, here it comes, some kind of practical instruction … but hopefully not." She settled in her chair, with a little shiver of anticipation.

SM: I generally forget people after I meet them, and maybe they forget me too. Though most of them don't know who I really am. Sometimes I meet a person who leaves their mark for a bit longer than others, but not too often. One time though, and one time only, I met a woman I will never forget. No matter how hard I try. Stay safe.

Communication ended…

The lump in her throat threatened to choke her. She slumped in her chair, balling her fists to keep her emotions in check. "You make me crazy, Jack. Utterly crazy," she said, shaking her head. With a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes and thought of him, pictured him, saw the smile reserved for her and no one else in the galaxy. That's just his way. I know that, damn it. A few more days. A mere seventy-two hours until they were together again.

Her excitement was tempered though, knowing that first, the Normandy had to survive the trip through the Omega-4 Relay. Once through, she and her crew had to defeat the Collectors, and on their own territory. It wouldn't be a simple "kill the bad guys and steal their intel" type of mission either. It would be complicated, requiring swift yet methodical decisions. The danger they faced was far more than she, with any crew, had suffered through in the past. Even stopping Saren seemed straightforward compared to this.

Her stomach constricted with a sharp stab of dread as she headed for the briefing room.


"Shit! Krios, kill that insect before-"

A blast echoed through the comm. If Jack's eyes had been closed, he would have sworn he was right beside Rebecca inside the Collectors' base.

"Shepard? What's going on?"

Nothing but a slight hum now. All along he'd heard the sounds of gunfire and explosions, the pounding of her booted feet moving, sprinting, and then her reassuring voice would tell him what had happened. This was different. Unnatural. The commlink crackled with the sound of heavy breathing again.

"Shepard, are you there?"

"I can't-" Another hiss rattled his ear drum. "…are down. Get that one, Krios! Damn it, Garrus, watch his six!"

He heard more shots and some shouting, the Drell yelling something that sounded desperate, his voice much more uneasy than usual. Shepard shrieked, garbled swears coming over the comm.

"Need medi-gel… shit… can't…."

The vulnerability in her voice wrenched his gut. He'd always dismissed her theatrics when retelling a firefight as irrelevant, dire moments blown out of proportion for a reassuring touch or gesture of affection. But now he heard a real edge in her voice, a desperate edge, and it bothered him more than it should have. Despite his unease, he wouldn't allow himself to seem overly concerned. "Shepard, what's your status? Is someone hurt?" He cursed the involuntary emphasis of that last word. Damn it.

"Hell of a shot, Krios!" she said, and rather triumphantly.

As relief washed over him, he heard it, that evil laugh she rarely had the opportunity to use against him.

"Aw, so you do care, Jack."

"Rebecca." He said her name so softly, it was almost reverent. "That was bitchy, even for you." He rose from his chair and secretly smiled.

"Nice thing to say to me of all the people in your life."

Sounding like a teenaged girl on her first date, he cringed at her excitable tone. "Damn it, Shepard," he said, his demeanor calm and collected as he went back to his chair, "your focus should be on the base and not on trying to get a rise out of me."

"Oh, lighten up, Jack."

Though he knew this kind of flippancy was merely an attempt to cover up the tension building inside her, he wanted to read her the riot act for being so glib.

"I'm fine, by the way," she said. "Just a minor hiccup."

"Minor, hm?" So this was how it was going to be then. Every near-death experience to be followed by a testing of his… what? Fondness for her? How ridiculous. Yet oddly appealing. "Where are you now?"

"In the bowels of the base. This whole place… I have never laid eyes on anything more sickening. Did you know about this thing? This human Reaper?" Her voice held some accusation but astonishingly little anger.

"No. Of course not."

"I hope you're not lying, Jack."

The question of her trust in him was a loaded one, and he knew it. Best to let that lie until they were done with the mission. "I'm not, Shepard. You have to trust me."

"Okay. In any case, EDI told us how to take it down." The uncertainty in her voice was unsettling, but the slight waver as she spoke was even more disturbing. It had to be from exhaustion.

"Good, good." Christ. Put a sentence together, Jack. When he heard a heavy sigh and several exhausted, deep breaths, a faint tinge of guilt spiked in his veins. "Although EDI is helpful," he said calmly, "you should rely on your instincts as well."

"Wow. Could you be any less enthusiastic? We're ready to kick some more ass and that's all you can say?"

Though her voice held renewed energy, he wasn't sure the optimism was real. "Shepard, don't be so cocky."

"Don't worry about us."

"I am not worried at all. I know you'll succeed. After all, you were built for victory." Of course she didn't respond to that, not even a wise crack. His lighter flared as he brought it up to a cigarette. "Meaning that I have every confidence that the woman, the Commander I know, will do everything in her power to achieve the goal. Our goal."

"Backpedal all you want, asshole. I know what you meant."

She did know him well, which was her way with everyone, but he was feeling far too much like an open book at that moment. He shook off the sentiment with a brusque wave of his hand. It was the final push, the last battle to be rid the Collectors and their base. Then every resource Cerberus had would study the base and gather enough intel to use the Reapers' weapons against their own kind.

A small smile came to his lips. Jesus, he was almost dizzy with anticipation. But Rebecca needed a boost, a pep talk to keep her mind from straying toward heroic antics and future celebrations, or some other places her mind had often traveled to, places he couldn't think about just then.

Jack took another long drag from his cigarette. "We're almost there, Rebecca. One more offensive and the Collectors will be annihilated. Except for the loss of Kasumi, you've come this far relatively unscathed, but it is not over yet. Stay focused and strong. In control. Keep your team on point and push yourself to finish this swiftly. Take that damned thing down with everything you've got. The galaxy is counting on you, Rebecca. I'm counting on you."

"I don't need a pep talk, Jack, and you can stop worrying too. And pontificating at me, or for me, or whatever the hell it is you're doing."

"What I do, I do for you, Rebecca, on your behalf, given your penchant for repression."

"Take your analyses and shove it. And then get yourself a drink." Her tone was equally defiant and sarcastic. He heard some labored breathing, and a muffled curse made to sound good-humored. "Listen, Jack. I need you to do me a favor and cut your comm while we do this. As soon as we destroy it, I'll get back to you."

"I can't do that, Commander."

"Yes, you can, Illusive Man." He heard her take another deep breath and blow it out. He swore he heard a nervous sort of groan too. "Please, Jack. I don't ask much of you."

True enough. Put that way, how could he say no? How could he refuse her anything right then, given what she was about to accomplish? "All right, I'll stop our communications. Good luck." Without another word, he cut the connection.

Jack tapped at the console and paged his assistant. "Jana, please have Nikki bring me your operative assignments for the week. And a drink."

"Right away, Sir."

Waiting came easy enough to Jack, but not this time. This time, he was concerned. He stood up and rolled his head to one side, cursing how the unease stung his eyes, while his neck cracked like a dry branch. He checked on Shepard's crew mates who had been rescued, making it back to the Normandy, thanks to Jacob's escort. Jack had balked when Rebecca ordered Jacob to get them back safely, telling her every man was needed on the base, but she'd ignored him. He didn't scold her, having given her free rein all along. Pulling rank would clearly be an enormous mistake.

As he rubbed his temples, Nikki flounced into the room and handed him a bourbon, neat, and a datapad.

"Do you need anything else, Sir?" She danced around him, careful not to scuff his shoes, and began kneading his shoulders, her fingers knowing exactly where to go. "You're very tense, you know. I can feel all kinds of knots," she whispered. "Maybe I can help you relax, like last time."

He arched a brow, instantly regretting his encounters with her. "Another time, Nikki."

"You said that last week, too. Did I do something wrong?"

The sweet innocence in her voice almost made him laugh. What could this beautiful young woman lavishing attention on him possibly do wrong? The things she did with her tongue alone… but she wasn't too bright, barely knowledgeable about politics or "those creepy aliens" he talked about so much. Cosmetics and lingerie were more her speed. Why was he keeping her on his staff anyway?

"Don't take it personally, Nikki," he said. "Now if you wouldn't mind…?" Jack motioned toward the door, shooing her away as she pouted.

He shifted in his chair, again. Damn it, when will it be over? He was itching to know what was happening, if the base was secure. And where they were, if any of them were injured or dead — if she was…. Damn it. No, he wouldn't voice his concerns about her. He wouldn't think about her at all, not even in the abstract. He busied himself with the funding of new projects as best he could.

Countless minutes went by, almost an hour in all probability. His fingers tapped the edge of his console, just light enough to keep any signal from transmitting. With a sleight of his hand, the connection could be made. But he wouldn't be the one to make that move. He'd wait and sip his drink, like a man watching the sun set on his porch.

When she finally called in, her voice was like a caress, soothing away the tension. But the pressure on his chest didn't lighten quickly. It was still far too heavy for him to breathe a word.

~TBC~

A/N: Apologies for the long delay in posting. The next chapter is nearly done. Posting it shouldn't take too long. Thanks for sticking with me and all my slow updates. Also, I very much appreciate the faves, follows and reviews. Thank you to all the anon reviewers as well. I always respond to reviews, so please sign in if you'd like to leave comments of any kind and I'll be sure to get back to you.

Countless hugs and kisses to my beta, Biff McLaughlin, a wonderful and supportive friend who whips my muse into shape and keeps me entertained on G+. Hugs to Zute, friend, critic, and comedienne, for her constant support. You guys keep me on my toes!