The next morning Jess awakened feeling like struck by a lightning, her spirit and brain crushed leaving only wisps of her previous self. Wanting to talk to someone she went to Port Observation only to find Kasumi absorbed in Keiji's grey box.

Hearing her enter, the thief put aside the precious device, wiping a solitary tear from her cheek.

"I'm sorry Kasumi, I should've knocked" Jess apologized

"No, Shep, it's ok. I'm fine" she said giving her a warm smile, her eyes bright under her hood.

"How does it feel to know he loved you to the point of make you the trustee of all his memories, of his soul?" Shepard asked sitting on the couch.

Kasumi's lips curved slightly upwards, facing the vacuum of space.

"It's a powerful thing, Shep. Love is." She stated simply. Letting out a sigh she spun, sitting in front of Jess, "You don't have to tell me what happened. I can see it in your face. Things are not going as planned huh?"

"No" Shepard said burying her face in her hands.

"You know what? I was wrong. You deserve better" Kasumi told her adamantly and without saying more she started typing on her omnitool.

"What are you doing?" Shepard asked barely lifting her head

"You are going on a date missy" Kasumi said "Today."

"What?" Shepard laughed at the top of her lungs and then her expression changed to a terrified one "Please, tell me is not Joker you are writing to"

"Of course not! He had his chance. I'm talking with Garrus" she stated calmly

"Kasumi stop!" Shepard yelled "What are you saying to him?!"

"A moment Jess please" she replied while typing "Ok. Afterlife. Today at 20:00 at the Mess"

"What?! Kasumi!" Jess shouted exasperated

"Honey, there is no better way to wash away the sorrows of the heart than to replace one with another" the thief noted as an expert "And, I have the perfect dress for you, my dear. You can't say no, Garrus already accepted"

"But, Garrus is my friend…" Jess said timidly "I can'-"

"You can and you will, and stop this, you know you can't win" Kasumi said grinning, placing her hand on her hip, and giving her an appreciative look.

/

Joker sat at the cockpit taking little sips from his water bottle. He had awakened half hour late, having spent a restless night. Vivid images of Shepard's sweaty slick naked body writhing and moaning under him hadn't left his mind after their last night encounter. He could still hear her cries and gasps, calling his name in ecstasy, filling uncomfortably his breeches.

He wasn't still quite sure how he had been able to resist and reject her feverish advances. When he had pulled her to face her, there had been only one thing resonating in his mind. Unbridled desire. But once that he had delved into her crystalline blue orbs, he had realized the truth and there was one thing he knew for sure: there was no way in hell he could take advantage of her, of his Commander, his friend, the woman he loved.

The little attentions she had shown to him over the past weeks, flattered him. But he wasn't a fool, he had been there for her since the beginning and he knew she considered him a friend. It cost him a thumping amount of volition carry himself properly around her, always self-conscious of the unstoppable babble he spitted when she was close. It was the only way to keep himself in check.

That damned Blasto movie had demanded the utmost resistance of every fiber of his being. He had slogged from the moment he entered her cabin. Her luscious almond curls cascading over her shoulders and her long, toned, smooth legs had him enthralled; and when they had sat next to each other on her bed, Joker had to furiously command himself to pay attention to the vid-screen.

Later, it had been excruciatingly hard to give her that massage without indulging in the pleasantness of her soft body, and she almost carried him at the edge of sanity when she decided to watch the Azure vid with him. He couldn't stop gibbering throughout the entire movie, decided to not let his brain focus on her bewitching presence. The memories of her honeysuckle fragrance befuddled him still, triggering the haunting sensations of her touch on his skin.

Get ahold of yourself, it can't never be!

Shepard, wouldn't look at him like that; he didn't even had a ghost of a chance. In that moment a knock on the cabin's door broke the spell.

"Joker, can we talk?" Kasumi said poking her head through the entrance.