Kelly met us as we exited the shuttle, and I passed Thane off to her with instructions to get him settled in. She flashed me a dazzling smile, said something cute and flirtatious, then led the stoic Drell away. The extra sway in her hips as she walked might have been intentional, or it might have been a trick of my overly tired mind. Between setting up for the mission, "meeting" with Liara for "last-minute intel", and actually assaulting Dantius tower, I'd been up for over twenty four hours. It was entirely possible I was just seeing things I wanted to see. Part of me thought it would be a really good idea to have somebody else show Thane around, and instead invite Kelly up to my cabin to help me relax. Unfortunately, that part of me didn't care about things like patience, long term planning, or loyalty. It was much more concerned with things like the sway of her hips as she walked and the other things she could do with them. Pleasant as those possibilities were, I needed to take things one at a time. I already needed to talk to Jack, adding the Yeoman to the mix now would just complicate things. Kelly's time would come, but it wasn't here yet. So, with a mental sigh, I pulled my eyes off the redhead's retreating rear, and refocused on the tasks at hand.

Samara nodded to me as she stepped out of the shuttle, then started off after Kelly. Garrus gave me a look that might have been sympathy, or might have been worry, muttered something about getting Tali off the ship, then hurried after the others. I rolled my eyes. Jack wasn't going to take it badly. She knew the score, we'd even talked about it. I made sure that all my lovers knew what the situation was before I allowed things to progress too far. He was worrying for nothing. There wouldn't be any problem. No problem at all… but maybe I should save that particular task for last. The conversation would probably end in sex after all, and it would be best if everything else I needed to do was taken care of before that.

Towards that noble end, I reached up and tapped my earbud. "EDI, please connect me with Miranda." As I waited for the AI to patch me through I started walking towards the elevator. I could handle most of what I needed to do from my cabin, and it would be simpler to call Jack up there then to go find her in her bunk. Besides, my bed was bigger.

I hadn't gotten three paces before Miranda's voice interrupted my musings. "Good morning, Commander. Should I take it your mission was a success?"

Something about the way she said commander sent a shiver through me, and my lips curled into a slow smile. "It was. Mr. Krios has agreed to join our merry little band."

"I'm glad to hear it. Now that we have everybody, would you like me to go ahead and set up that briefing?"

I checked the time display on my omni-tool, winced at how early it was, and shook my head. "Let me get a few hours of sleep first. Why don't you set the meeting up for 1400 hours local."

"Understood, Commander." Her voice turned just the slightest bit suggestive. "Would you like some company?"

"I'd love some, Miranda. Unfortunately I'm pretty sure I will be-" I cut myself off before my tried brain finished saying "be a bit busy screwing Jack", but it was a near thing. I shook my head again and continued. "A bit too tired to be very good company. Even I have limits. After the briefing however…" I trailed off suggestively.

"We'll see." She teased. "Was there anything else?"

I stepped into the elevator, pressing the indicator for my cabin. "That will be all for now. Thank you, Miranda."

"Of course, Shepard." She disconnected, and I started to relax. It didn't sound like she'd noticed the slip. It wasn't that I didn't want Miranda to know I was speaking with Jack, or even that I would be sleeping with her, but we hadn't reached the point yet where I could casually tell her I was going to be busy with one of my other lovers. If I'd managed to arrange for the two of them to be together with me the way I had Ashley and Liara, that would a different story, but I doubted either of them was ready for that yet. We'd get there I was sure, but I'd take my time, ease them into it. The possibilities sharing a bed with two such powerful woman at once would offer kept my imagination busy all the way up to my cabin. I took twenty minutes to take a shower and change into fresh clothes, using the time to figure out just what I was going to say. I prepared several scripts and options during the shower. I refined those ideas in the galley where I stopped for a mug off coffee and a casual chat with Mess Sergeant Gardner. It was only when I started taking a grocery list down for the Sergeant that I realized I was actively delaying the confrontation. I don't care how tired I was, that wasn't me. I thanked Gardner for the coffee and excused myself, I needed to get this over with.

I found Jack where I expected to: sitting on her bunk, reading through yet another of the Cerberus files I'd given her. Even though we'd found and destroyed the lab on Pragia, where she'd been turned into the biotic killing machine she was today, she hadn't given up her quest to find the names of each and every single person responsible. I'd talked with her on the shuttle back, and I'd convinced her to hold off on her mission until after we'd taken out the Collector threat, promising my support in return for her restraint. Jack hadn't liked it, but she'd agreed; and now she spent most of her time building up her hit list. A list that was starting to include some rather interesting names.

Jack looked up as I descended the last couple of steps and sneered. "Get tired of fucking the cheerleader?"

That caught me completely off guard, causing me to miss a step, both figuratively and literally. My arms and mind flailed, trying to recover my balance and train of thought respectively. Jack just watched me as I fumbled about, that self satisfied little smile mocking me. My bushwhacked brain coughed up a reply just about the same time I regained my footing. It was not a very good one. "You, uh, know then?"

That earned me a scornful little laugh. "Yeah, I know. Wasn't very hard to find out. You aren't exactly subtle, Shepard."

I didn't know how to reply to that. Between her and Garrus, I was beginning to think they might have a point. I put aside questions on what I'd done wrong for the moment and focused on Jack. Her tone wasn't angry, no more so than usual anyway, but there was a definite edge it. She was trying to put me on the defensive, make me justify myself to her. If I did that, then I would be conceding that I'd done anything that required justification. I hadn't. I'd operated well within the expectations I'd put down for both of us. The relationship between us had always been about power, and this was just another example of it. She was testing me, to see if I felt embarrassed or defensive about what I'd done. If I did, it would be a sign that I'd done something wrong. That wasn't going to happen. If she wanted to be blunt, then I'd be blunt right back.

I adopted a relaxed, confident expression. "Is it a problem?" My shift from defense to offense apparently took her off guard and her sneer slipped just a bit. She hadn't seen that coming, and I took full advantage of the opportunity. "Because if it is, and you want out, that's your call." I continued. "You've known from day one that I didn't do exclusivity. I told you that flat out. Fuck, we've even talked about Miranda specifically. So, I ask you again, is it a problem?"

As I'd spoken, I'd walked right up to her, until I was standing just outside of reach. She hadn't bothered getting off her cot yet and so was forced to look up at me. As power moves went it wasn't very original, but that didn't mean it wasn't an effective one. I stood over her, arms crossed, and waited for my aggressive words and looming presence to do their work. Any second now that sneer of hers would crack, and she'd back peddle. When her lips did move though, it wasn't the way I expected them to. Her sneer spread into a full smile, and a new light kindled to life in her eyes.

"No," she drawled, "it isn't a problem."

The quip I'd held ready against her counter attack faltered, and I couldn't keep a note of confusion out of my voice. "Oh. Good. Are you sure?"

Jack looked at me pityingly. "You're a good lay, Shepard, but don't go thinking it's more than that." She actually scoffed at my expression. "What? Did you think I'd fallen in love with you? That you were so amazing that I'd only want to be with you from now on? Fuck that. And fuck you. Like I said, you're fun. And if I want to get off on anything besides my own fingers, it might as well be you. It's not like there are a ton of other options on this boat anyway. Joker would snap. Jacob's so fucking by the book he'd probably pass out if I gave him a blow job. Tali would try to kill me if I touched Vakarian, and she's one of the only people I like on this ship. Grunt's a krogan; I'm not making that mistake again. Samara scares even me, and I'm pretty sure Zaeed only fucks his guns. I'd fuck Kasumi, but I'd have to find her first. I'd hate fuck that Cerberus bitch into the ground, but since you're already doing that it kinda takes the novelty out of it. That just leaves the crew, and they're all Cerberus pussies."

She finished counting on her fingers and gave me a very direct look. "As long as you don't make it a problem, I don't care who you fuck."

I digested that. Her list was… impressive? It certainly seemed like she'd spent a fair bit of time thinking about it. There were a couple of points in it that I picked up on, and that I'd need to investigate further, but one question burned brighter than any other and I asked that first. "And just to be clear, what would make it a problem?"

She shrugged. "You can fuck her, but," her eyes flashed, "that doesn't mean you can side with the bitch over me. Do that, and I'm out of here, and I'm taking this ship with me." Power crackled around her, and indigo light flickered in her open hands. "Is that a problem?"

That was a cute touch. I thought over her words for several seconds before giving her my reply. "I can't promise that, Jack." I put my hands up to stall her before she could express her discontentment with that answer. "I can't promise I will always side with you over Miranda, or anybody else for that matter. I can promise though, that I won't do it for them. My decisions are my own. I will make the call I that I think is best at the time. Sometimes that means I'll agree with you, other times Miranda." She didn't look convinced, and I let some of the confrontation slip from my voice. "Another thing I can promise you, Jack, is that I will never betray you, for anybody. I've told you before: you're one of my people now. No matter who I'm sleeping with, you're part of my squad. I'll do everything in my power to protect you. I -"

I stopped talking as Jack started spluttering. For a moment I thought she was so angry she'd been rendered speechless, but then I realized she was suppressing laughter. My confused expression only made her laugh harder. "God, Shepard, you're such a pussy." She got a handle on her laughter. "You try to act like this big, hardcore badass, but you're a fucking pansy." Her voice became a mocking impression of mine. "Oh, Jack, I'll protect you. I'll never hurt you. Fuck, spare me." She smirked at me. "I don't need your reassurances, asshole. I didn't tell you the rules so you could comment. I told you so if you fucked up, you'd know why I was throwing you through the wall. You helped me get some closure when we blew up Pragia, and you've been straight with me about the cheerleader. So, I'm returning the favor. You can have your fun, but I'm watching you, and I will protect myself."

Honestly, that was probably the best I could expect from Jack. In time she'd learn that I meant what I said, the least I could do was give her that time. So I squared my shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Fair enough. I can respect that."

"Good," her smirk spread into a hungry smile, "cuz I'm tired of my fingers."

That was all the warning I got before she reached up, wrapped her fingers in my shirt, and pulled me towards her. The sudden motion caught me flat footed and I was yanked from my feet. She pivoted as she pulled, guiding me onto the bed and using the momentum of my fall to pull herself on top of me. I helped a little, and we ended up with me on my back and her straddling me. She must not have been kidding, because she didn't waste anytime. The next few moments were a frenzy of kissing and stripping, ending with our clothes mixed together in a pile on the floor. I thought she might slow down there for a minute, but she didn't. The entirety of our foreplay consisted of ten seconds of grinding and a kiss; then she reached between her legs, lined me up, and stopped.

She broke the kiss, and gave me a devilish smile. "Oh, one more thing. I'm in charge this time." One eyebrow quirked challengingly. "Is that a problem?"

The clever bitch. Even if there was a way I could deny her without looking like an ass, I couldn't do it with her like that, squatting over me brushing the lips of her pussy against the head of my cock. The consequences of saying no were clear, and there was no way I was passing up sex at this point. I'd have to bide my time, and find an opportunity to change the tables midway through. I didn't let my dismay at being outplayed so easily show, instead offering her a confident smile. "Not at all."

"Good" She slammed on to me, taking my entire cock in a single go. "Because you've ignored me for too long, and I'm getting what I need."

She was true to her word. There was nothing refined or controlled about how she rode me, bouncing on my shaft so hard and fast that for a few seconds I couldn't think straight. When I eventually refocused, her hands were on my chest, nails digging into my skin. Two could play at that game, so I ran my own hands along her legs, and up her chest. I fondled her breasts and played with one nipple, pinching and flicking it, but she barely reacted. She was a woman on a mission, and it was almost like I was an afterthought. In the back of my mind I knew she was making a point, using my cock to get herself off, and pretending she didn't need me. Damn if it didn't still feel amazing though. The flood of pleasure through my tired body was like a drug, washing away the aches and pains of the day. There was nothing like sex to relax the body after a fight, and if she wanted to do all the work, I was willing to let her. After a minute she pulled her arms off my chest, leaned back and placed her hands on my legs to support herself. It pulled her breasts out of my hands, but I didn't really mind because position almost arrogantly displayed her body. She smirked when she caught me looking. "Bet the Cheerleader doesn't fuck you like this. Bet she's all proper and restrained, and only does missionary."

So much for not caring about Miranda then. But hey, if Jack was channeling that energy into competitiveness instead of anger, so much the better for me. Her words brought to mind the first time I'd fucked Miranda: The way she'd mounted me on that chair, how she commanded my compliance, and several other things we'd done that night. No, Miranda didn't just do missionary. Thinking of that made me think of something else though, and my eyes widened. Jack saw it, misinterpreted it, and increased her pace. "God, are you going to cum already? Cerberus has ruined you"

"No," I got out between grunts, "just realized Miranda's probably watching us."

That made Jack pause mid stroke. "What the fuck do you mean she might be watching us?"

I kept my voice as light as I could. "Cerberus has bugs all over the ship, so she's probably watching us right now."


"Damn right I am." Miranda muttered to herself. She sat back against her office chair, and tried to decide if what she was doing was more or less appropriate now that she was sleeping with Shepard. She'd been wondering how long it would take him to tell Jack, and she'd almost convinced herself he wasn't going to. Once he'd slipped up after declining her invitation to join him though, she'd been sure he was heading to see Jack. So she'd followed his progress over her cameras. It had surprised her how long it took for him to make his way down below decks, but not nearly as much as what she'd heard once he got there.

She'd been prepared for the psychotic little bitch to rip into Shepard, verbally at least. What she hadn't been prepared for was Jack casually admitting to knowing about Miranda and Shepard. Miranda had taken pains not to let her in public interactions with Shepard change at all. There was no need for the whole ship to know after all, and if Jack had figured it out despite her best efforts, that suggested some worrying possibilities. She hadn't told the Illusive Man yet, mostly because it was none of his bloody business, but if she didn't tell him and he heard it from somebody else on the crew, that might cause a problem. She made a note to move up her next status report.

Jack's admission that she wanted to: "hate fuck her into the ground" wasn't exactly a surprise, but it was nice to have at least one of her theories born out. The last thing that had stood out to her was Jack's comment about watching Shepard. She might be able to use that suspicion to turn Jack against the Commander. If she could maneuver the younger woman into thinking she was edging her out, it might give her a wedge she could use.

Even as her analytical brain was chasing down that train of thought, other parts of her mind were fixed on more… primal... aspects of the encounter. The position Jack had paused in painted a pretty picture. She was leaning back away from Shepard, arms on his legs, and chest and hips thrust forward as if intentionally displaying herself for Miranda's pleasure. She'd paused with Shepard still half inside her, and even through the display his cock was clearly slick with her pussy juices. Miranda's own pussy was almost equally as wet. As soon as she'd confirmed that Shepard was headed to see Jack she'd taken... precautions. Her bra and panties were folded neatly on her desk, and her suit was open as far as it would go. She'd taken advantage of the fact that they were on Illium and swung by the flagship Neyxia store. Her purchase buzzed and hummed from between her legs as she waited for the younger woman's response to Shepard revelation.

For a few seconds she thought Jack might revert back to her murderous instincts, but then her frown slowly spread into an evil grin. Miranda's cameras were so good she could even see the glint in the other woman's eye. She started moving again, sliding all the way down Shepard's cock. "Let her watch," the smile grew cocky, "she might learn something."


Jack apparently took the revelation that we might have an audience as a challenge, because after her confident declaration, she went back to work with a will. Each thrust was harder, each moan louder; and when she came, she milked it for everything it was worth. She bucked her hips theatrically, screamed her pleasure at the room, and generally made a spectacle of herself. I loved every second of it, and even though I knew she was playing it up, it still pushed me into an orgasm of my own. The rush of my cum met a flood of her own, and together we completely filled her pussy. Wet warmness slid out around my shaft, pooling on my balls, and liberally coating my inner thighs.

It drained me, and for a moment all I could do was lay there and look up at Jack. I'd had lovers fight over me before, not that I encouraged it, but I had to admit it was certainly making this encounter more fun. I wasn't totally sure how I felt about the possibility of Miranda watching us, but if was making Jack this horny, I could roll with it. That had been one of the strongest orgasms I'd ever felt from her. I honestly wasn't sure if I was the cause of that, or if it was her badly concealed boner for Miranda, either way, it was hot as hell.

Panting a little herself, Jack looked at me. "Bet the cheerleader doesn't do that." Her gaze shifted to the ceiling. "Do you slut? Bet you fuck like an old housewife." She was really having fun with this. "Watch Cheerleader, I'm gonna make Shepard eat his own cum out of my pussy!"

Wait.. what?

Before I could react, Jack pulled off me, crawled up the bed, and shoved her sopping pussy in my face. Instinctively I tried to pull away, but her hands wrapped around the back of my head, holding me there. I couldn't see her smug grin, but I could imagine it as she ground herself against me. Oh, well, fuck it. I'd said she was in charge. I set to my task. Keeping my tongue flat I started to lap at the mess. Every time her grinding let me, I'd kiss and suck on her clit. It was dirty, sloppy work, in moments my entire lower face was coated in mixed cum and pussy juices. The combination of both of our cum was intoxicatingly erotic and it drove me to greater heights. I shifted my hands to her ass, shoving her a little further up my face so I could bury my tongue deep inside her pussy. That did the trick, and she came again, bucking hard against my face. I kept working through her orgasm, and in a few seconds her hands released my head and she slumped back, momentarily exhausted.

I could have pressed my advantage there, pushed out from under her, maybe forced her to suck my cock in exchange; but another idea had occurred to me. If she wanted to make this a show, I'd indulge her. I pulled a little on one of her legs, and she got the message, sliding back down onto my lap. When she cleared my chest, I pushed myself into a sitting position and kissed her. My face was still a complete mess, and her lipstick just added to it, but that didn't matter. Breaking the kiss, I leaned into whisper my plan in her ear, hoping she'd go along with it. Her excited kiss was all the answer I needed.

She slid off me, letting me shift into a new position with my back to the wall. When I was ready I reached out and pulled her back onto my lap, but this facing away from me, towards where I guessed one of the cameras had to be. I slid my arms around her legs, taking her weight and letting her back rest against my chest. She reached down and guided me into position. I lowered her slowly until my cock was resting just against her asshole, and then we paused.

"Miranda," Jack drawled, "you might have a fantastic ass, but I let Shepard fuck mine."

I plunged in.


Miranda hadn't been expecting that. She watched in depraved fascination as Shepard interlaced his fingers behind Jack's head, and proceeded to hammer the smaller woman's ass. They'd picked an almost perfect angle, and she had a completely unobstructed view of the spectacle. Jack's entire body shuddered with each thrust, modest breasts bouncing and skin gleaming with sweat. Muscles stood out in Shepard's arms and legs, and his balls bounced mesmerizingly. It was as pure a display of sheer sexual power and stamina as Miranda had ever seen, and it was hitting all the the marks.

She slid a hand between her legs, grinding the toy snugged against her palm hard into her clit. It wasn't enough, and she slipped two fingers inside, unconsciously matching their rhythm to the furious pace Shepard was using on Jack. Her other hand was on one of her breasts, fondling it as she fucked herself to the private porn show on her display. And that's what it was. Shepard and Jack had clearly decided to prove a point, and they were putting on a display just for her. Jack was grunting out insults and boasts between cries and moans, every single one of them aimed at Miranda and her sexual prowess. It should have made her furious, it was clearly meant to, but instead, it just made her wet. Miranda was a competitive woman, proud of her skills, and maybe just a touch vain. Jack pushing all of those buttons. Each thrust of her fingers, every vibration the toy sent shivering through her, each wave of pleasure, and every pathetic insult washed away her restraint like the ocean eroding a cliff. She no longer desired to supplant Jack as Shepard's primary lover for information reasons. No, now she was going to do it to put that arrogant little bitch in her place.

On her screen an orgasm ripped its way through Jack. The younger woman's eyes rolled up in her head, and her insults were drowned out by a protracted cry. She shuddered in Shepard's arms, pussy leaking visably. Shepard hilted her on his cock, and let her orgasm take her fully. He let go of her head and legs to grope at one breast and slide the other hand down and into her pussy. The sight made Miranda want to cum, the fire between her legs roaring up to an inferno that threatened to consume her if she didn't give it what it wanted. She made herself wait a full ten seconds after Jack came, proving to herself if nobody else that she could take more than the ex con. Only after she saw the other woman stop stuttering and start to come down did she let herself cum; and it was so intense that for a few moments her vision blurred.

Slowly she came back to herself, sliding her drenched fingers out of her pussy and pulling her palm away from her clit. That had been… wow… that had been wow. Shepard had apparently cum too, because he and Jack were now collapsed on the bed. Neither one looked ready to do anything, so she pressed the button to record, then turned the monitor off. She needed a moment to get herself back under control. It took her almost a full minute to get her breathing back to normal, and for her head to mostly clear. Once she was sure she'd recovered enough to watch whatever was happening, she flicked the monitor back on. It ran through an accelerated version of the recorded footage, and for a second she thought she saw something near the foot of the bed where Shepard's clothes had been piled, but when she paused the video there was nothing. Maybe she wasn't as recovered as she though. She shook her head and let the rest of the recording play out. In accelerated motion Shepard pulled Jack to his chest and they started kissing again. The video slowed down to normal speed just as he slid his hand back between her legs.

Miranda leaned forward, studying the display intently. This time though, her focus wasn't on Shepard. People thought crazy things in the middle of sex, but that didn't mean she didn't still want to prove she was better than the younger woman. The image of Jack riding Shepard's face, and several of her more choice insults and boasts hung suspended in her only did she want to replace her as Shepard's primary lover, she wanted Jack to know it. As the couple on her screen started to work back up to another fucking round, she pulled up a note program and started to catalogue each of Jack's comments. Miranda was nothing if not thorough, and she wanted to make sure she addressed every single one them.


Several hours later I was woken up by a priority beeping from my desk. Years of training and experience with the Alliance Navy had gotten me used to random alarms and calls at bizarre hours, but those years hadn't usually included putting on a private sex show after a twenty four hour day of activity and combat. It was surprising just how much that took out of a person. My body and reflexes apparently found some kind of compromise and I levered one eye open to look at the clock built into my desk communicator. Three hours. I'd been asleep for just over three hours. I growled a little to myself. If this was Miranda getting ready to complain about my little show…

I reached out and slapped the acceptance key, doing my best to keep the weariness and frustration from my voice as I answered it. "Shepard. What is it?"

"Well, good morning to you too, Commander. Late night?" Normally I enjoyed Joker's refusal to grow up, normally I'd gotten more than three hours of sleep.

"What do you want, Joker?"

"Well, if you're making a list, there's this new aircar that NeoFusion just announced. It's not on the market yet, but I'm pretty sure a call from the Savior of the Citadel could convince them to make an exception…"

I thought longingly of airlocks and old wet navy planks. "Joker. What. Do. You. Need?"

Either I'd lost my touch at infusing murder into my tone, or the glib little fucker just didn't care. "Oh, if we're talking need, that's a whole different story. I'm actually a little worried about the way my baby would fare up against a bigger threat like that Collector Ship we saw on Horizon, or the one that butchered my last baby for that matter. I've put together a list of recommended…"

I growled, it wasn't intentional, and it wasn't exactly the most dignified thing I could have done, but I couldn't help myself. "Joker…"

"Sorry, sorry, just trying to help wake you up before you have to go deal with our lord and master."

That got my attention. "Our what?"

"Our oh so evasive benefactor, financier, and all around supplier of fun little toys like brand new stealth frigates and second lives for galactic heroes." His voice finally dropped it's perpetual mocking tone. "The Illusive Man is on the comm for you, it sounded important."

That adrenaline spike finished what my old navy reflexes had started, and I finally woke up fully. I disconnected without thanking Joker and reached for where I'd piled my clothes after leaving Jack's hidey hole? Lair? Den? Fuck it! After leaving Jack. Oddly, I wasn't able to find my underwear. I'd been a little distracted at the time though, so I'd probably just left them there. I'd invited Jack to join me in my room, but now was immensely glad she'd declined. She'd have given me no end of shit for going commando to talk to the Illusive Man, but I figured it wasn't worth the time to pull out a fresh pair of briefs. Joker had run out my clock a bit for me to let me wake up, but if the asshole was calling me, there had to be a good reason, so I threw on yesterday's clothes and headed off to see what the universe had in store for me next.