Apologizes for taking so long on this chapter. My life has been very busy including becoming an aunt for the first time. Hope you all enjoy this chapter.


Chapter 6

Normandy SR2

I had not spoken to Shepard since that night. We have both been avoiding each other since that night and just going about our business on ship. However, I know had to deal with him since he called me to the conference room for a mission debrief after finding the convict Jack. I exit the elevator and look around the CIC. Kelly nods and smiles at me and I smile back. My heels of my boots click as I wake across the hard floor. I walk into the room and there he stands his back to me. I can see every muscle through his white N7 shirt. I look across and I see a clearly unexpected sight. A short woman, a little over five feet and a few years younger than I. Her head is shaved and her whole body is covered in tattoos. Only a leather strap covers her petite breasts. She glares at me and suddenly I feel as If I have entered an ice cave.

"Who's the cheerleader?" The woman asks.

"This is Miranda Lawson my XO." Shepard replies finally turning to face me.

His brown eyes look into my blue and I remember them looking at me before like that night. The night he kissed me. I still hadn't been able to shake that feeling even if he was being an ass.

"She Cerberus?" the woman asks.

"Yes I am and you must be Jack." I extend my hand.

"Don't touch me your Cerberus Cheerleader. Now where are those files?" She snarls at me and looks at Shepard.

"What files?" Miranda asks.

"Miranda will let you access them." Shepard states ignoring her question.

"Did you hear that Cheerleader; me, you and every embarrassing secret that Cerberus has tried to hide." Jack grins showing her teeth.

"Hand her the access code." Shepard states his arms crossed.

I hand over the code to Jack who takes it from me and walks right out the door without a word. Shepard begins to follow but I stop him placing my hand on his back. I feel his muscles and he quickly turns to look at me.

"Yes Miss Lawson."

"Are you insane?"

He tilts his head and then chuckles looking at me. He then walks around me still leaving me with no answer as he continues to laugh.

"Why do you ask?"

"You just gave a crazy woman access to Cerberus records." I cross my arms.

"Look it was the only way to get her to join our cause. She didn't want money or anything just access to Cerberus' files."

"You should have consulted me first before just giving access to a raving mad woman." I state my voice is firm.

"I'm in charge here. I don't need your input." He glares at me.

"This is a Cerberus mission and I am the highest ranking Cerberus operative so you better consult with me for future issues."

"Are you always this bitchy?" He asks rolling his eyes as he starts to walk away.

I stop him again and he turns to look at me. He is clearly irritated with me but I am just as irritated with him. He never listens to me, never asks for my opinion on this operation. He just does. He is so arrogant! His brown eyes look into my blue. Sometimes I just want to punch him and take over this mission. I should be the one in charge not him. I finally answer his question.

"I am only bitchy when I see you not following Cerberus regulations."

"Well I'm not Cerberus."

"This is a Cerberus ship and Cerberus rebuilt you."

He looks around the room; I can see fury in his eyes. He bites his lip and looks back at me. His eyes are beginning to water.

"I wish you hadn't rebuilt me."

With that he storms out of the room.

I turn back around and rest my hands on the table. My greatest work, the greatest soldier in the galaxy just told me he would rather be dead than working for Cerberus, rather than saving the galaxy from the Reaper threat. I have to get through to him. I have to get him to help me, to be able to work alongside each other. So this mission can be a success and we can defeat these Collectors and drive them back to the depths of the Omega IV relay. Next shore leave I must spend some time with him. Even if he is a complete ass, I have to work with him and we must get along for the sake of this mission.