A/N: Finally got this chapter up. Yay! I'm not too sure what to think of this chapter, I don't know if i've pulled it off to be honest. Any reviews that agree or tell me otherwise are welcome =] As long as they are not too mean.

I sadly do not own Bioware nor do I own Kill Bill. Enjoy (Y)

Everytime Shepard took a step forward it was like she had to jump a mass relay back.

To say that things were not going to plan would have been an understatment. Aria yet again pulled the strings even though Jack had damaged her power. Figures.

"I did not come here to discuss Jack, I came here for your help." Shepard eyed the asari fiercely.

"Oh? And what could I possibly help with with?" Aria dramatised, a deviant smirk playing on her scar ridden lips.

With a sigh Shepard replied, "I need to find Zaeed Massani, I know he's on Omega. You of all people should know his whereabouts."

Aria grunted before leaning out of her chair to pour herself a drink. She kept quiet as if pondering her options, not that she had many.

"And how would this benefit me?" she asked in a serious tone.

"You help me find Massani and you have my word that I will kill Jack."

Shepard could feel Kasumi cringe behind her, though she refused to look. This was not what Kasumi had signed up for. Shepard knew she owed the confused thief an explanation after all this and would entirely understand Kasumi's reasons if she upped and left. This wasn't really her fight. She just wanted the Normandy back.

Aria shot an approving grin towards Shepard.

As her eyes trained on nothing in particular she muttered, "You have four days."

"What?" yelled Shepard unable to contain the shock in her voice.

"You heard," retorted Aria mischievously. "You'll find Massani in the Bahmel district down on the lower levels. His place is down the first alleyway on your left, look for apartment number three."

"You seem to know an awful lot about him," Shepard murmured in aggravation with a raise of her eyebrows.

Aria didn't flinch nor did she turned around. She was amused at Shepard's attempts to get a reaction out of her. Aria raised her hand as she held back a laugh, "I know a lot about anyone who's worth knowing Shepard. Now might be a good time go see Massani, before I change my mind on our deal."

Shepard nodded despite Aria being unable to observe the action. As she got up Shepard noticed that Kasumi was already shooting death glares in her direction. This was going to be painful.

"Remember Shepard, four days," Aria spoke suddenly as Shepard and Kasumi reached the stairs.

Halting her steps Shepard quickly gave Kasumi an apologetic look before turning her attention back to Aria.

"And if I don't do it in that time?" Shepard said in a barely audible whisper.

Aria remained silent and focused on the dance-floor. The music began to die down slightly adding to the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"That's not an option," she hissed.

And on that note Shepards heart sank. The situation was incomprehensible , how did she ever get herself into this mess?

She put one foot in front of the other in defeat and headed down the stairs with Kasumi on her tail.

"Well Shep, this moment, this is me at my most masochistic." Bang!

Shepard gasped quickly grabbing her skull. She felt a singe of pain every time she thought about it.

"Shepard?" a faint voice called out to her.

Her head was pounding beyond reason and made it hard to focus on what exactly was going on.

"Shepard!" Kasumi voiced. "Have you not been listening to a word I have said?"

Shepard's vision was a bit hazy, in fact where the fuck was she? One minute she was talking to Aria next minute she's behind some some garbage disposals on the floor. Shepard could still hear the pulse of Afterlife. She was still on Omega.

"Hey Kasumi let the girl recover, your shouting isn't going to help," Jacob soothed draping an arm over Kasumi's shoulders.

His arms were quickly tangled off by the thief as she paced up and down the street.

"Jacob do you have any idea what she's got us into? She lied to me, you and Joker, If I had known…"

"Actually…"Joker butted in, while he sat on the floor with Shepard in his arms. "I knew," he groaned knowing that Kasumi's reaction would not be good. But he couldn't let Shepard take all the blame.

"You knew? Joker I trusted you!" Kasumi gritted through her teeth as she towered over him. Jacob stood there in shock like he didn't know what to do, the most Joker got out of him was a sympathetic look.

"Sue she lost her kid to that asshole, she was shot in the head by that asshole. She had a hard time explaining this to me, and my outburst at the time didn't help matters. How can you blame her for this? She is helping me, us to get the Normandy back. We owe her!" Joker explained putting tightening his hold around a limp Shepard.

Kasumi grabbed her hair in frustration. "This is all new to me," she choked teary eyed. "Joker this isn't what I signed up for. I don't have to murder Jack, I don't have to steal the Normandy in four days...I can just go," Kasumi explained in a low tone. "This isn't my fight."

Joker stared at Kasumi in disbelief. "When Shepard helped you attack Hock's place for one measly grey box..."

"That grey box is not-" Joker held up his free hand to cut her off.

He kept his voice low and predatory like a lion protecting his cubs. "…Did she say that wasn't her fight? Did she say she didn't have to do it?"

Kasumi bored into Joker with tears visibly streaming down her face The thief looked so fragile and weak. All you had to do was mention something about Keiji and she fell apart.

Jacob sidestepped from foot to foot in the background like it was his mission to ware the ground out. He felt ridiculous for feeling so out of place and for not knowing what to do in such an emotional situation. You couldn't tackle these kind of mishaps with a full blown kick to the ribs.

He concluded that the best he could do was to stay out of it. Where he lacked the brains to say some words of wisdom and make everything seem okay he compensated for it with his instinct to remain silent.

"It's not the same thing," Kasumi murmured calming down slightly.

"Of course it's the same thing!" Joker fumed.

He kept his gaze trained on the thief. He rarely lost his cool with anyone except for that one time when he lost the entire crew back on the Normandy. He remembered heat boiling from his core as he had a small outburst in front of Shepard of all people. She didn't even reprimand him for it. It was like she understood his anger. Shepard was unique in every way, she was more than his commander, she was his friend.

He regretfully lost his composure with Shepard that time. Was Kasumi the next in line? The woman who in a way filled the gaping gap Shepard had left behind when she disappeared?

"I didn't ask Shepard to do the impossible!" Kasumi screeched in a pathetic attempt to defend her argument.

That was the final straw.

"Didn't you? You wanted Shepard to help you take down one of the most power-fullest criminals in the galaxy all to get some grey box! Shepard is asking you to help take down those responsible for killing her kid and herself. I think that would make the two of you just about square." Joker fiddled with Shepard's hair trying to untangle some of it. She had been passed out for some time now, going in and out of consciousness.

The thief went to speak but decided against it. The frown on her face ever so slightly eased away as she sat herself against the wall near Jacob.

Joker was still angry for he had much more he wanted to say. He was hoping that Kasumi wouldn't back down and yet all her yelling stopped. For someone whose entire time on the Normandy was spent in isolation in the cockpit with only an AI for company, Joker was pretty good at persuading. He must have got it from Shepard. The thought made him want to chuckle.

In his arms Shepard managed to flutter her eyes open.

"Hey commander, had a good nap?" Joked teased with a lopsided smile.

"W-what happened?" Shepard asked sleepily. She cradled her head which was throbbing as if someone planted Afterlife's treble and bass in her brain.

"You kind of passed out in Afterlife," Joker winced as he explained.

The thief looked straight into the pairs direction. Her expression was clear to see without her signature hood and yet so unreadable.

"I thought it was my fault at first," spoke Kasumi. "We had just finished speaking with Aria and I may have…yelled at you. Suddenly slumped to the floor. I had to drag you to the exit."

"Kasumi i'm so sorry-"

"Leave it!" Kasumi ordered. "We will discuss the situation once we have the Normandy back, for now there is no point in arguing about it." Kasumi knew what Shepard was apologising for, and it wasn't for fainting in Afterlife.

Shepard nodded weakly in agreement.

"You know it might be good idea to go see a doctor," Jacob offered. "My guess is that episode back there had something to do with you having been in a four year coma and leaving the hospital so abruptly."

Joker instantly stopped playing with Shepard's hair to shoot a penetrating 'fuck you' glare at the former lieutenant.

Shepard felt his body tense and reached up to his face with her hand.

"Joker," Shepard soothed causing the pilot to turn his attention back on his commander. "I heard it all."

Joker instantly went into shock fumbling with his words as he tried to come up with an excuse.

Instead Shepard pressed her finger to his lip gently. "I'm not angry. I just wanted to thank you," she whispered so that Kasumi and Jacob couldn't quite hear.

"Ohhh," Joker laughed nervously. "Your um, welcome? I guess."

Shepard happily sighed as she let Joker help her up onto her feet.

In her mind Shepard was aware that Joker had brittle bone disease, but that didn't stop her trusted pilot from being rather strong.

Regaining her new found balance Shepard observed that she was indeed sitting behind some garbage disposals with some of her former crew. She prayed that it wasn't a sign of things to come.

"Now that's over with I suggest we go see Zaeed. Aria gave me directions," Shepard offered preparing herself for a long walk. Jacob charged towards her instantly.

"Shepard you were unconscious five minutes ago, I strongly suggest you see a doctor," Jacob stated firmly gripping her shoulder suddenly.

Shepard eyed him ferociously. Holding in her heaving breaths Shepard sharply pulled Jacobs arm off of her.

"Noted. In the mean time you do as I say," she hissed.

Reluctantly Shepard began a forced walk down the streets of Omega, with only a trail of muttered curses from her pink lips for company.

Joker and Kasumi eyed Jacob with confusion before following their commander into the baron streets.

Kasumi linked her arm with Jacob's urging him to walk. He still had a cold look in his eye, one of either anger or disappointment.

Joker looked back at the couple and rolled his eyes. "You know Jacob it was your idea that we go and see Massani," he reminded him.

Kasumi turned feral. Her charming personality suddenly becoming aggressive. She hated the bickering between the two men and it was usually Joker who started the arguments.

"At least I was giving ideas, I didn't hear any suggestions from you," Jacob shot back.

Joker itched his stubble and scoffed at Jacob's remark.

"All i'm saying is don't complain about Shepard doing what you suggested," Joker replied not looking back at Jacob as he tried to catch up to Shepard.

Jacob went to retaliate but was stopped in his tracks by Kasumi tightening her grip on his arm.

"Just leave it," she warned.

Jacob sighed as he held her closer. In the distance he could see that Joker had finally caught up to Shepard, they looked like they were content with having some time to themselves.

Personally Jacob wasn't a fan of Joker especially after he crashed the Normandy into the Citadel. Kasumi was so insistent on following Joker when he went to up and leave. It had only just occurred to him that he never asked why. Maybe he already knew the answer but just wanted to cower away from the truth.

However he could see that Joker and Shepard had a past. They seemed to be on the same level, it's as if they were related. Joker had Shepard's back and Shepard had his. So why was Kasumi and him here? Simple: Because the connection Kasumi had with Joker was like the connection Joker had with Shepard.

Wherever Joker went, Kasumi would go. Joker was the only person she would listen to. Jacob remembered having arguments with the thief on numerous occasions, and no matter how valid his point was he could never win. Yet with her and Joker it was different. With Joker she listened to reason.

He continued walking at a slow pace not wanting to be around Joker for the time being. Jacob glanced down at Kasumi who was leaning into his chest as they walked.

He smiled at the thought that at the end of the day, he had the girl. Not Joker.

Looking back up he could see Shepard and Joker standing outside some apartment blocks waiting for Kasumi and him. The place looked like shit to say the least, he expected no less from Massani.