Author's Note: Damn it. I'm supposed to be studying. And yet, here I am, writing another chapter. This really will be the last chapter for a while… even if I'm writing bits and pieces of chapter 13 while reading. _
As always, don't forget to review!
Disclaimer: Miranda Lawson, Oriana, Commander Shepard and the ME series are owned by BioWare.
Bonds
Miranda Lawson was lying on the bed, reading progress reports from a datapad. Beside her, Commander John Shepard was soundly asleep, lightly snoring. Miranda smiled at the sight; It was usually the commander who woke up before her. However, because of their… intense "workout session," the commander was still out like a light this late in the morning. Their "activities" had clearly taken a lot out of him. Her smile turned into a proud smirk when she recalled the memory.
It seems I have finally beaten the commander at something. Hah!, Miranda thought salaciously with a pleased smile.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the console at the captain's desk beeped, indicating the receipt of a new message. Curious, she slowly got up from the bed and walked towards the console, picking up her discarded clothes along the way. Slipping on the shirt and pants she had worn last night, she noticed that the message was addressed to her. She couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face when she noted the sender of the message.
Miranda, the usually reserved ex-Cerberus operative, had to resist the urge to jump for joy. She was ecstatic, for a lack of a better term.
Miranda had just received a message from her sister Oriana, asking her to come see her on Elysium. Miranda, who dearly loved her sister and almost never got the chance to enjoy her company, was excited at the prospect of spending some time with her. She was even more elated when Oriana had asked that she bring Commander Shepard with her. Miranda wanted to introduce the commander to the only real family she had ever had. She knew her little sister didn't really know much about Shepard, save for what the news reports said about him. It would mean a lot to her if her sister approved of him.
Plus, I want to show off my man. A hint of possessiveness was present in her thought.
She almost jumped in surprise when she felt a pair of arms encircle her waist and a pair of lips kissing her neck. Instead of berating him for managing yet again to catch her off-guard, she turned around, placed a hand on the back of his head and gave him a wet, sloppy kiss. She moaned in delight when Shepard responded with enthusiasm to the kiss. The broke the kiss after a few minutes gasping for air.
"Looks like somebody's in a good mood today." Shepard teased, brushing some stray locks away from her face. "You usually get angry at me when I catch you by surprise." Miranda rolled her eyes, but she couldn't suppress the smile etched on her face.
"I got a message from Oriana today." Miranda replied, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice. She failed. "She wants to me to come see her in Elysium in a few days." Then she grinned deviously. "And… she told me to bring you along." Shepard laughed.
"Oh, of course. Who else are you going to bring along with you?" Shepard asked cheekily. Miranda rolled her eyes and laughed.
"I think you should be taught a lesson for that smart mouth of yours." Miranda began, feigning seriousness. "That mouth of yours has certainly been causing… trouble. However," She smiled seductively. "I prefer that you use your mouth in much – more – productive – ways." She punctuated the last four words with a kiss. She could clearly see that the commander was struggling to maintain at least a modicum of control.
"Well, commander? Do I have to teach you a lesson, or," Miranda brought her lips to his ear. "will you promise to … cooperate?" She blew softly into his ear for good measure. She got her desired effect when Shepard began to kiss her hungrily before carrying her back to the bed. She smiled into the kiss. She knew just how to drive Shepard crazy with desire.
Looks like I haven't lost my touch, that was the last thought that crossed Miranda's mind before their passions overwhelmed them.
Little did Miranda know that Oriana's "sudden" invitation was actually Shepard's doing.
Shepard was well aware of how Miranda loved her sister; he had seen that love first-hand on Ilium. The fact that Miranda was willing to make Oriana unaware that she had a sister at the cost of her own happiness had left a deep impression on Shepard. It was that very act of personal self-sacrifice, even before they had a relationship, which cemented his belief that Miranda Lawson was capable of loving another without reservation, contrary to how cold or unfeeling she may appear to people.
Pulling some strings, Shepard was able to get Oriana's new address and sent a message to her, asking if she wanted to spend some time with her. He was pleasantly surprised when he immediately got a reply from her, saying that she was very interested. They had spent the past few days going over the plan, especially the aspect of security; Shepard knew all too well that Miranda and Oriana's father was still looking for her—the last thing he wanted was to endanger the life of the sister that Miranda loved so much.
Shepard and Oriana both agreed that Elysium was the perfect choice for the meeting—not only was there an increased Alliance presence after the Skyllian Blitz, it was far away enough from Oriana's present address. The N7 marines that served as Oriana's covert security detail had agreed with the choice as well—they would secure the area of any possible threats to Oriana's security and would give Shepard the all clear once they deem that the location was safe enough.
The "meeting" had taken a fair bit of planning, but it was well worth it. Nothing mattered more to Shepard than the happiness of the woman he loves.
At last, the day of the meeting came.
Shepard and Miranda were in their quarters, trying on a set of casual clothes. Shepard had on a plain black button-down and pants, while Miranda wore jeans and a jacket over a blue top that Shepard had never seen her use before.
Even after a hundred or so years, human casual attire had remained largely unchanged.
While neither of them expected trouble, years of training had taught them the value of being prepared. Both carried shield generators and their trusty side arms—Shepard with his Carnifex and Miranda with her Predator. He once tried to convince her to switch to the M-6, but Miranda refused, saying she preferred accuracy and rate of fire to pure stopping power.
They had decided to forgo Shepard's N7 armor and Miranda's skintight uniform, agreeing that they would only draw unwanted attention if they wore those.
"Unwanted male attention, more like." Shepard said, rolling his eyes. "The men should keep their eyes to themselves if they know what's good for them." Miranda laughed at his remark and nudged him playfully on the ribs.
Finally satisfied with her appearance, Miranda turned to look at Shepard. Swaying her hips a little, she lifts her eyebrows, silently asking him about her appearance. She saw him run an appreciative glance over her outfit before looking back up at her, a smile on his face.
"I approve." Shepard said teasingly, chuckling. Miranda laughed.
"I'm glad you approve." Miranda said as she came closer to him, eyes dancing with amusement. "If you didn't, I have... ways … of convincing you otherwise." She punctuated her statement with a kiss. Shepard groaned. He tried very hard not to give in to the urge to further delay their departure from the Normandy.
He was successful… for the most part anyway. "My turn?" Shepard asked, feeling compelled to change the subject quickly. He couldn't help but feel a bit nervous as Miranda assessed his appearance.
"You look very dapper, John." Miranda said with a smile. Shepard gave her an appreciative kiss. She would have deepened the kiss if Joker hadn't chosen that moment to interrupt them.
"Commander, Miranda, we're on our final approach to Elysium. ETA in ten minutes." Joker paused. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything." There was amusement in his voice. Miranda resisted the urge to throw something at the voice receptacle. Just as she was about to give the pilot a piece of her mind, Shepard had beaten her to it.
"Thanks for the heads-up Joker. We're on our way." Shepard said, keeping his voice neutral. Miranda could detect a hint of frustration, however. "And no, you didn't interrupt anything."
"I bet. So you're saying you weren't just-"
"Joker!"
"No need to get all flustered commander. With a woman like Miranda-" Miranda's eyebrow twitched as soon as she heard her name.
"I dare you to complete that sentence, Mr. Moreau." Miranda said testily, her voice deadly. Silence.
"Uhh… I think I'd like to keep my body intact, thanks." Both Shepard and Miranda could hear his voice shaking. "Joker out." Shepard turned to look at Miranda, shaking his head.
"You know, I still wonder you manage to shut Joker up with one sentence. It usually takes me a lot more than that to shut him up."
"It's all in the voice, John. " Miranda said, her voice tinged with amusement. "With the right tone of voice, you can get anyone to do anything you want." Her voice gained a breathy quality as she whispered into Shepard's ear.
"Just like how I can get you to do anything I want." Shepard growled at her. Laughing, Miranda appeased him with a kiss before dragging him out of their quarters.
Miranda could feel the excitement and nervousness building in the pit of her stomach.
They were on the shuttle, entering Elysium's atmosphere. The Kodiak continued to descend until they could see Elysium's skyline lined with massive skyscrapers. Miranda tightened her fists, the knuckles turning white. She tried to keep herself calm, taking cleansing breaths. It didn't work. If anything, it made her even more nervous.
I should be happy, damn it! Why am I so nervous? She shook her head.
What if father tracked her down here? What if Oriana doesn't like Shepard? What if-
The stream of panicked thoughts ceased when Miranda felt Shepard take one of her hands in his. He squeezed her hand encouragingly. Miranda looked up at him, giving him an appreciative smile.
"Don't worry. It'll be fine." Shepard said, as if he read her thoughts. Miranda laid her head on his shoulder, tightening her hold on his hand. Looking out of the Kodiak's window, she noticed that they were travelling farther away from the city. She idly noted the strips of undeveloped land at the outskirts of the urban areas.
She was brought back from her musings when the shuttle hovered into place before landing. The doors opened with a hiss, affording the two passengers a complete view of their surroundings. They were in the middle of nowhere—Oriana had "requested" that they meet in a secluded spot with wide-open spaces. Miranda was a bit baffled by the request, but she let it go –wide-open spaces meant that an ambush was harder to set up given the lack of cover.
She didn't know that it was Shepard's idea.
Looking around for a bit, she noticed a girl standing beside a shuttle. She had a smile on her face. Miranda recognized her immediately. Not waiting for Shepard, she began to walk towards her sister, a tear of joy rolling down her cheek. Her sister had begun to walk towards Miranda. They stopped when they stood face to face.
Before her sister could say anything, Miranda had already enveloped her in a crushing embrace.
"Big sister, I can't breathe!" Oriana wheezed. Miranda had the grace to look sheepish when she pulled away. "And it's good to see you too." Oriana teased.
"Sorry, sorry. It's just… it's so good to see you Oriana." Miranda's voice was thick with emotion. Oriana took hold of one of her hands.
"Believe me, I know." Oriana said wryly. They stared at each other before bursting out laughing.
Shepard watched the two sisters, his heart warmed at the sight of them laughing. He knew how much her sister meant to Miranda. He hung back, surveying their surroundings. Satisfied with his assessment, he began walking towards the sisters. He idly noted that the N7 marines had made an excellent job of making themselves scarce. He knew they were here somewhere, keeping an eye on Oriana.
"Commander Shepard. it's an honor to meet you. I don't think we've had the chance to speak yet." Oriana greeted Shepard when he reached the two sisters. He noted she was trying to keep a straight face, a smile tugging at her lips. It was a lie, of course. Shepard and Oriana had been constantly in communication when they planned this meeting.
"The pleasure's all mine, miss-" Oriana cut him off.
"Oriana please, commander. People calling me 'miss' make me feel old." Oriana said, her voice tinged with amusement.
"Alright… Oriana." Shepard played along.
"So… commander, have you been taking care of my sister?" Oriana asked cheekily. Before Miranda could respond to the teasing, Shepard had beaten her to it.
"Actually," Shepard began, his voice becoming thoughtful. "I think it would be more accurate to say that she's the one taking care of me." Shepard turned to look at Miranda, a grin on his face. She laughed and nudged him playfully on the ribs.
Shepard and Oriana smiled knowingly at each other. Miranda, being the astute observer that she is, noticed the exchange immediately.
"What's with the looks? Did I miss something?" Miranda asked, keeping her voice neutral. She turned to look at Oriana. Her younger sister shook her head quickly.
"Nothing, big sis. I swear!" Miranda, knowing that she wouldn't be able to pry anything from her sister, turned to look at Shepard. She resisted the urge to lick her lips as she looked at commander the same way a predator look at its prey. Shepard gulped at the look in her eyes.
"Well?"
"Nothing's going on, Miri. You have my word on that." Shepard said, trying to keep the shake out of his voice. Miranda's eyes narrowed into slits.
"Well, commander." Miranda began, her voice becoming throaty. "I've been told that I'm excellent at prying information out of… anyone." She moved to his ear. "Will you… cooperate, or will I need to torture it out of you?" Miranda whispered seductively yet quietly, hoping Oriana wouldn't hear.
Apparently, it wasn't quiet enough.
"Ewww!" Oriana gasped, comically covering her ears and closing her eyes. Shepard and Miranda quickly separated, embarrassed by their antics. "I don't want to hear about my sister's goings-on!" Shepard and Miranda laughed, their faces still flushed from embarrassment. Oriana joined them in their laughter.
For a while, everything was right in the galaxy.
They were having dinner at the Excelsior, considered by many as one of the finest restaurants in Elysium. It was a nice enough place; it catered to the tastes of different alien species, including humans, batarians and turians. Miranda felt very comfortable at the moment, not to mention that she was spending time with the two most important people in the galaxy—her sister and Shepard.
It was Shepard who chose their table—the one which had a complete view of the restaurant, including all entry and exit points. Miranda glanced appreciatively at him.
Leave it to John to always be on the lookout for our safety, she thought fondly.
While waiting for the food, they had taken the opportunity to catch up. Miranda told her, with the important details left out, what she did with Shepard after they met on Ilium. Oriana seemed to understand without being given the details; it appeared that she understood the magnitude of what they had just accomplished. Miranda noted, rather proudly, that Oriana had been given an intellect that matched hers. She was slightly envious of her younger sister's sense of humor, though.
Oriana, on the other hand, told them about her life for the past ten years, how she got into the violin, how she came to love Carl Nielsen's Fifth Symphony and how she got into colonial development. Miranda knew almost everything about her life already, of course. As a valuable agent of Cerberus, she had been given constant updates about her sister's life. What she didn't know were the little things in Oriana's life.
Hearing them from her younger sister made her regret that she had been only been able to spend a little time with her. She wished things were different-
No. If things had been different, I never would've met John.
She was pulled back to the present when Shepard suddenly had to excuse himself.
"Uh, someone's calling. I have to take this." Shepard looked apologetically at the sisters. "I'll be right back." Shepard gave Miranda a peck on the lips before he left, walking in the direction of the restroom. The sisters watched his retreating form until he was out of their sight.
"I like him." Miranda turned to Oriana who had a slight smile on her face.
"You do?" Oriana nodded. She gave Miranda's hand a squeeze.
"Mhmm. He's responsible, funny, a complete gentleman…" Oriana paused, her eyes becoming mischievous. "hot too." Miranda laughed and pushed her sister playfully.
"Can't say I don't agree. Not sure about the 'gentleman' bit though." Miranda replied with a straight face. Oriana took the bait.
"Why?"
"Because," Miranda paused thoughtfully. "he's anything but a gentleman when we're alone." Her grin was positively devious. Oriana groaned and made a face.
"Damn it, sis! What did I tell you? I don't want to know what you do in your free time!"
"Language, Oriana." Miranda said sternly, a smile tugging at her lips. Oriana deflated.
"Sorry, sis." They stayed silent for a moment. It was Oriana who broke the silence.
"Don't let him get away." Oriana squeezed her sister's hand again. Miranda turned to look at her, confused.
"I've seen the way he looks at you. He loves you, sis. That man will probably go through hell just for you." Oriana paused. "It's cheesy, I know. But it's true. With the way you look at him, I'm sure you feel the same way."
Everything Oriana said was true. Miranda knew how deeply her feelings ran for the commander and how the commander felt for her, but to hear it from someone else…
"I won't, Oriana. Thank you." Miranda smiled at her sister. Oriana seemed to contemplate something for a moment before a determined look crossed her face.
"I have something to tell you." Oriana paused for a moment. "Promise me you won't tell the commander that I spilled the beans."
"Oriana, what-"
"Just promise me, sis." Miranda sighed, giving in.
"Alright, alright. I promise I won't tell him it was you. What is it?"
"He planned all this." Oriana said in a rush. Miranda's eyes widened.
"He what?"
"He planned everything. I don't think I could've met up with you if it wasn't for him. Heck, it's the only reason my parents allowed me to go alone in the first place." Realization dawned on Miranda's features. The knowing looks, the location of the rendezvous point…
It made perfect sense now.
Just when she thought she couldn't fall any deeper, he pulls out a stunt like this. A tear of happiness rolled down Miranda's cheek. Oriana was instantly concerned.
"What's wrong, sis? I didn't upset you did I?" Oriana asked worriedly. Wiping the lone tear away, Miranda smiled reassuringly at her.
"No, Oriana. Everything's fine. More than fine, actually." She paused. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Miranda's mischief returned. She smiled deviously.
"I think I'll have to reward him when we get back to the Normandy." Oriana shook her head.
"Sis!" She whined petulantly. Miranda laughed at her sister's antics.
Before Miranda could have more fun at Oriana's expense, they saw the commander walking towards the table, a look amusement and disbelief on his face.
"What have you ladies been up to?" Shepard asked teasingly as soon as he had reached the table. The sisters shared knowing smiles before Miranda answered him.
"Girl talk." Miranda said, as if the two words explained everything. "Who was it?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Believe it or not, it was Joker." Shepard shook his head. "Apparently, he wanted to check up on us or something. I think he misses us." Miranda raised an eyebrow.
"Us, John? Only you, probably. I think Joker's scared to death of me now." Shepard laughed.
"You only have yourself to blame for that." Miranda slapped him on the chest playfully.
The day was over too soon.
Shepard watched looked on as the sisters shared a tearful embrace. The waved each other goodbye as Miranda and he boarded the Kodiak. Miranda was still looking down at where her sister was after the Kodiak had cleared the ground. She then turned around and laid her head on Shepard's chest. He stroked her hair, taking the opportunity to inhale its scent. They stayed like that for a few moments, only the humming of the Kodiak's element zero core could be heard.
"Thank you." Miranda mumbled into his chest.
"For what?"
"For… everything." For saving Oriana. For loving me.
"Oh, that's all? You're welcome." Miranda smacked him for his conceit. Shepard laughed. Then he turned serious.
"You know I'd do anything for you, Miri." Shepard kissed the crown of her head. Miranda picked her head up from his chest.
"I do know. Which is why I also know it was you who planned this." Shepard's eyes widened. Before he could respond, Miranda had already planted a passionate kiss on his lips. They stopped themselves before things… escalated.
"John," Miranda began, panting. "If you could get me to our quarters in fifteen minutes, I promise you we'll be naked before sixteen." Shepard resisted the urge to groan at her words.
Good God, I love this woman.
Notes: And there you have it. I tried to imagine how Oriana would interact with Miranda, and this is the result. The game doesn't give me much material to work with, unfortunately.
Don't forget to review! And… keep those ideas coming!