(This is shaping up to be a longer story than originally intended, wrote a ton more to it and I like where it's going so I'm going to roll with it. Back to Shepard/Liara next chapter my friends)

And It All Seemed Harmless: Chapter 9

The elevator ride to the Crew Quarters is uncomfortable at best, both women trying to make as little acknowledgement of the other as possible in the thirty second ride. The moment the doors slide open, Jack leaps out like a caged animal, taking only one step before pausing to let Miranda's even steps overtake her as she conceded to being led to the operative's office. The level is quiet for the most part, the only noise coming from the turian now sitting at the mess table, his talons tapping the table as he scrolls through his datapad.

"Hello Miranda and….Jack?" Garrus says evenly, though his slight surprise at seeing the two women together doesn't escape either of them. With a slight smirk, Garrus sets down his datapad, turning in his chair to get a good view of the both of them as they walked briskly towards Miranda's quarters.

"Now ladies, play nice in there alright? I don't want to have to call Shepard and ask her to replace our mess hall. Or, either of our best biotics."

Miranda doesn't respond to the turian's comment, keeping her attention only on reaching the safety of her quarters. As the silver door opened with a hiss, Miranda quickly passed into the room, not bothering to pay a look behind her shoulder to see if Jack had followed her pace. The operative took her place at the desk in the center of the room, sliding into the seat while the tattooed woman took a cautious step into the room.

"It's not a trap Jack. Don't look so frightened to be in here." Miranda remarked as she began to tap her fingers against the bright orange displays before her.

Jack chuckled and crossed her arms, standing inside the room but intentionally close to the door.

"I'm not frightened cheerleader. I just don't want to get too close to the cushy bed. Not sure if being a spoiled brat is contagious or not."

Miranda rolled her eyes but did not give Jack the satisfaction of a reaction. With a few commands, a newly colored page filled her displays, Miranda's personal link to EDI's information.

"EDI, I need you to link to Shepard's omni-tool and give me her location and a vitals report." Miranda commanded, raising her own omni-tool to the display.

"Right away Ms. Lawson, searching now." EDI's electronic voice answered almost instantly to Miranda's relief.

"Now my my what is this?" Jack teased, taking a few steps forward to place herself beside the operative's desk, facing the small mess Miranda had created in her fit of frustration previously. With one fluid movement Miranda could not stop, Jack had lifted the broken glass across the room to where she stood, the broken fragments levitating before her face though the blue liquid oozing from the shards dripped to the floor freely.

"This smells like Ryncol, do you drink Ryncol Miranda?" Jack said, the pure glee in her voice infuriating Miranda.

"I would never partake in Ryncol, Jack. I, unlike others in this crew, have daily work to do. I wouldn't jeopardize my effectiveness with such a poison. This is a dextro-species gin." Miranda growls, hoping her face didn't reveal her embarrassment at Jack finding her moment of weakness.

"Well excuse the fuck out of me." Jack chuckles, spinning the glass again. "You must be an angry drunk huh Cheerleader? Throwing glasses against the wall like a regular on Omega."

"Do NOT overstep Jack. You have no idea what I go through, and yes, maybe sometimes I need a dosing of alcohol to relax at the end of my day. And today was a rough day in case you forgot what we witnessed."

In an instant, Jack had slammed the remnants of the glass into the wall and was standing behind Miranda's desk, her hands gripping the operative's uniform at the collar as she lifted Miranda to her feet.

"Are you fucking kidding me…"

"Jack. Put me down."

"NO." Jack practically screamed into the officer's face, her nostrils flaring with rage as she looked into the eyes of the slightly frightened operative.

"Explain to me."

"Explain what…."

"Explain to me how today was such a FUCKING rough day for you cheerleader." Jack spat in Miranda's face, her chest heaving as the criminal took quick, menacing breaths.

"TELL ME."

Miranda was speechless for a moment, the sudden rage in the other woman taking her by surprise. Her mind raced as she quickly tried to come up with any explanation that Jack could possibly understand about her past and how much she needed Cerberus, but having Jack this close was an intoxicant, her thoughts slowing at the biotic's touch.

"You're not the only one who has had a challenging life Jack." Miranda spat, her anger returning as she watched Jack scoff at the suggestion. "No. Do not fucking discount what I have been through criminal." Miranda states menacingly, finally earning a shocked look from the other woman. Using the moment of lowered guard to her advantage, Miranda ripped Jack's hands from her body and pushed her forward, taking a step into Jack's space with a sudden confidence both of them were clearly not expecting.

"You're not the only one who grew up an experiment Jack. It killed me to see David treated like that, like another goddamn experiment." Jack narrowed her eyes at the statement, and straightened her back to square up to the biotic standing in her face.

"If it kills you so much to see people treated like fucking experiments then why the fuck are you so loyal to the goddamn man FUCKING DOING THAT TO PEOPLE." Jack screams, and Miranda winces, the slight letting the criminal know she had hit a soft spot, and she intended to drive her point into it.

"I got your number on fucking Pragia Cheerleader. You didn't give a shit about what I went through, you spent the entire time trying to convince Shep and me that I was wrong about the fucking psychopaths who abused me. What if I stood here and told you it wasn't your father, not really, and that you should fucking GET OVER people supporting him? Huh Cheerleader? What the fuck would you do then? Hell, I fucking saw you today. You didn't say anything, not a damn word about your precious Cerberus on that disgusting station. The Illusive man himself was the reason they took what they took that research so far as to ruin a person Miranda. And you're so busy trying to suck his dick you'll ignore every goddamn person that piece of shit breaks."

A silence fell on the two, the only sound to be heard their labored breathing as adrenaline surged through both women.

"You don't understand Jack." Miranda says softly and Jack shakes her head in disbelief, her eyes menacing as she took in the operative's continued resolve.

"Are you kidding…"

"Listen. Jack." Miranda states, her voice dangerously level. "Cerberus may have been your torture, but it was my rescuer from mine. And yes, some days, I can't face the reality that the organization that has given me protection and a new life is capable of such horrors, but I cannot allow myself to believe there is more good in my employer than evil."

"Yeah...fat chance…"

"JACK FUCKING LISTEN." Miranda screamed, pushing Jack to the back of her room with a blue flash. The back of the biotic's knees collided with the operative's bed and Jack fell back onto it, her entire body shaking with fury even though she was unharmed. Miranda didn't let Jack take the moment to interrupt and stepped forward to grab the criminal by the collar attached to the top of the thin straps preserving what modesty the criminal had. The officer held herself over Jack, swallowing the fear her rational mind told her to heed as she clutched the dangerous woman.

"I know. I fucking know Cerberus was responsible for what happened today Jack. I know. But I don't know what to do with that yet. Pragia wasn't fucking Cerberus, and I have to tell myself that because I think I would need more than a glass of gin to sleep at night if the truth was that I am giving my everything to an organization who caused what happened to you. I know you want to think I don't care just because I don't see Pragia as a Cerberus operation, but if I could have blown that place to hell before it fucking touched you, I would in a second. But I can't. I can't do anything to help you Jack, but I can tell you I know what it fucking feels like to be an experiment too, and you'd be pretty goddamn loyal to anyone who would've brought you out of that place too."

Miranda half-expected the tattooed woman to snap her neck after her outburst. To envelop her body in a biotic field and violently throw her like a ragdoll into the wall of her own quarters. Yet, moments passed, and Miranda did not leave her place above the biotic. Jack still held on her forearms, keeping her back from touching the bed as if she would really would catch something from laying back. Miranda still held above her, with her knees on either side of the small woman planted on the bed for a good hold of the criminal.

In the silence, Miranda became uncomfortably aware of their position, and how if she had managed to find herself in this position with anyone else, it would likely end in a much more pleasurable way than this discussion with Jack was going to end. Jack seemed equally as affected, her mouth hanging open slightly as she looked up at Miranda, deep in a thought process the operative could not hope to decipher. Miranda could feel her cheeks heating, yet she found herself frozen, dangerously still as she tried to find her next move in her thoughts, her mind refusing her pleas for an escape.

"Ms. Lawson, I have located Commander Shepard. However, there is an abnormality in the Commander's pulse rate, suggesting a lack of consciousness at the moment. It is unclear if this state is from natural causes."

As EDI finished her message, Miranda released Jack, taking slow steps backward and straightening her uniform before turning and answering her terminal.

"Thank you EDI." Miranda said softly, listening to the faint creak of the mattress as Jack stood behind her.

"Ms. Lawson, I have detected an abnormality in your heart rate. Shall I send Dr. Chakwas to review your status as well?"

Miranda's hand shot to mute her console, refusing to turn around and face any reaction Jack would have.

"No EDI, I am fine. That will be all, please forward Shepard's position to my omni-tool, and EDI?"

"Yes Ms. Lawson?"

"Please do not alert the other crew of this. Any of this."