Chapter 10: Dancing with Lola

"Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl…" Vega sang while working on weapon modifications. "…with a dress cut down to there." He was completely oblivious to his surroundings as he danced the meringue and ensured his gun was reassembled correctly.

"What the hell is James doing?" Shepard asked Cortez

"Commander, he's been dancing since he started his shift, I figured he's still drunk or had a really good time last night."

She methodically snuck up on James, biting her fist to prevent herself from laughing. She watched as his back muscles flexed and hips swayed seductively with each step. Damn, I've never seen a man with moves like that. No wonder he's so agile in the field. Shepard's lips curled into a seductive smile as she twirled a piece of her hair. She had totally forgotten why she had come down to the armory.

"At the Copa…they fell in…" James turned with his muscular left arm in the air and his right hand on his six pack abs. "Oh shit, Commander…uh…is it noon already?" He could feel is temperature rise and his cheeks flush. He shot Cortez a death stare. Cortez just smiled and lifted his hands in surrender. Stupid fucker, I am NEVER going to live this down.

"Lieutenant Vega, please don't stop on my account." Shepard laughed softly. "You're an excellent dancer; you'll have to give me lessons sometime."

"Uh, sure…" James looked down sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. He looked like a little boy trying to talk to a crush. If I don't die of embarrassment or the ribbing I'm going to get from Cortez and Joker—I just know EDI will tell him.

"So can you talk and dance at the same time Vega?"

"You want lessons now? "

"No, let's dance a dance I know well; a little hand to hand practice." She cocked her left eyebrow as she issued the challenge.

"I can handle that, don't hold anything back, I don't you can hurt me, Lola." James rolled his massive shoulders as he cracked his knuckles.

The pair moved out to the center of the shuttle bay, each shifting their weight feet back and forth, arms in sparing position, circling, waiting, watching to see who was willing to make the first move. Shepard threw a left punch, which Vega easily blocked. He returned with an upper cut, Shepard pulled her head back and bobbed to avoid the jab coming from the other direction.

"This is what I like about you Vega, you can switch to fight mode like a light switch. You're always ready, but at the same time you're reckless."

"You sound just like my old CO, Captain Toni. He was a hard on all of us, but a damn good leader."

Shepard swung at Vega's head with a stiff right hook, "Was?"

Vega side stepped and jabbed her in the side. He became visibly angry, his powerful body stiffened and his brows furrowed. "He died—just like the rest of my squad—protecting a colony from a Collector attack."

Shepard winced in pain, Fuck I need to chamber better or else he's going to break my ribs. "What happened to the colony?" She quickly took a cheap shot, landing her rigid fist squarely across the bridge of his broad nose. She felt the bone crack as crimson red blood surged from his flaring nostrils. He didn't even flinch, the fury in his eyes intensified, he clinched his teeth as he forced a smile.

"Nice. It was either the colonist or the intel we had on the Collectors… intel we could've used to destroy them." He jabbed at her twice with his massive left hand; she blocked both, her senses heightened after the blow to her side. "I chose the intel." Vega bluntly replied. He launched another hard right towards her; she sprung back looking at him with compassion.

"Sorry you had to make such a tough call." She jockeyed for a better position, they eyed each other fixedly as they circled each other. She saw how much this choice affected him; he wasn't as seasoned a solider as she was. She'd made some many life altering decisions, losing soldiers still hurt but she didn't let wear her emotions on her sleeve. When you lead a team, they can't see you falter. It's a lot easier to win a fight with scared men; terrified ones fall to pieces.

"Heh, the funny thing is we didn't even need the intel in the end…" He paused staring her down like a lion eyeing his prey, "because you were out saving the galaxy and taking down the entire Collector home world."

"You didn't know. You can't blame yourself, Vega."

"Who says I'm blaming myself?" He lobbed a left, then a right; each attempt skillfully deflected. Shepard aimed for his left side missing as he bounded out of the way; she lunged forward connecting to the left side of his face.

"I do!"

"You a shrink too?"

"No, but like I said, that stunt back on Mars was reckless. You're lucky to be alive."

"So?" He huffed. Here it comes; this is where she'll let me have it, just like my dad.

"So…maybe you don't care if you live or die."

"Or maybe…I'm just willing to do whatever the fuck it takes to end this damn war!"

Shepard moved in for the kill, swiftly side stepping as she hooked her arm under his, she firmly clutching his belt buckle and flipped him on his back. He landed on the dark metal deck with a thud, she placed her knee on his chest and pinned his arms to the deck. "Maybe you are, but if you're half as good as I think you are…we need you alive. "

He fixed his eyes on her face, seething, he struggled against her tight grip. Memories poured in from every direction, visions of his father's face and meat-like fists flying towards his face. You fucked up again mamon. I can't believe what a little panocha you're mother made you. Vega blinked rapidly trying to shake it all away.

Shepard could see the little boy inside the man; she softly released James' wrists then slid her knee off his heaving chest. She placed a nurturing hand atop his head, stroking his dark brown hair. She lowered her face within inches of his left ear trying to pull off her best Dr. Chakwas voice, deep and soothing. "James, I'm here, you're safe." She rubbed his chest in a circular motion and hummed a soothing tune, just like her mother did when she was a little girl.

James gradually came back to reality lowering his eyes in shame, a tear slid silently down his face. His bit down on his lower lip to stop it from trembling—he was not going to cry in front of his commanding officer. This was not the person we wanted to be, he was a man, not the punching bag of a boy he left at the entrance of Camp Pendleton. Please don't let her be there when I open my eyes, please. But she was. Fuck my life! First she sees me dancing like a fool, now I'm on the ground trying not to cry. All I need is for EDI to show Joker a vid of this. He brought his arms to the side of his head and nip tucked into a standing position. "Commander, if you don't mind I'd like to hit the shower."

"James, are you okay?

"Fine, just had some dust in my eye."

"James…"

"I'd like to hit the showers ma'am…I-I don't want to talk about it."

"Dismissed Lieutenant." Shepard watched Vega slink towards his locker and grab his toiletries.

Cortez had watched the entire scene silently from behind the Kodiak; he lingered in the shadows until James departed the shuttle bay. He had gained a friend in James, they had shared many personal stories; Steve knew the blow James' fragile ego had taken. "Commander, just give him some space. He wants to be somebody, just let him get a taste of who he is."

James adjusted the temperature of the shower; it seemed to take an eternity.

"The handles in these showers are crap, the only piece of equipment the Alliance didn't retrofit." Cortez chortled, placing his grooming supplies on a nearby shelf. "Thought I'd grab a quick shower before working on the Kodiak's inertia dampening coils. We're headed for Palavan, going after some primarch for a summit."

"What summit?" James feigned interest… anything to take his mind off his encounter with Shepard.

"The Commander is trying to form an alliance with the Council races; Earth needs all the help it can get." Cortez craned his neck catching a glimpse of Vega's taunt ass. He may be my friend, but he is blessed with a magnificent backside.

"If anyone can pull the universe together, it's the Commander. The Turians have the largest military in the universe and are the biggest bad asses… well next to me." James puffed up like peacock showing off its iridescent plumage. "Yo Esteban, my eyes are up here." Vega raised both of his well defined hands towards his face.

"Just wanted to see what the biggest ass in the universe looked like." Cortez cackled

James spread the fingers on his left hand, narrowing his eyes. "Read between the lines pendejo." He snorted, "I walked right into that one."

"Well you could always walk over here." Cortez raised a coaxing finger towards his friend.

"In your dreams, lover boy; I'm saving this manly bod for a special lady."

"Now who's dreaming?"

"Bite me, Esteban. Wait—just wait."

"For what? You're cojones to drop?"

"Ha, ha. I'm going to let you off easy this time Esteban."