A/N: Warning for mature scenes of the sexy sort towards the end of the chapter. Aria and Tevos insisted on putting on a little show for you, my dear readers. ;)
Chapter 26 – Bonding Perks
Year 2196 CE
New Arc, Arcturus Stream
"Will you calm down, Jonathan?" Katherine Hock, the Head of the Financial Department on New Arc spoke impatiently, leaning back in the soft leather chair in her spacious office.
"Easy for you to say, Kat," her brother replied on the secure comm line, still sounding very nervous. "You're not the one poking Spectre Shepard with a sharp and pointy stick, tempting her to come after you."
"Just relax, little brother. She's never going to track you down," Katherine said, summoning all of her willpower not to snap at her brother. "Of course, if you give in to your panic and start making mistakes, the Spectres will find you. But you keep insisting that you are competent enough to serve as the Shadow Broker... or are you?"
"Jeez, Kat... give me a break here..." Jonathan sighed deeply. "Have you seen the footage from the Citadel? Don't tell me that seeing that carnage didn't leave you a little disturbed."
"I've seen the pictures. I can't say I was all that impressed," Kat shrugged, convincingly managing to appear unaffected, though in truth she had felt a little worried having seen the footage with scores of brutally murdered thugs on the Citadel, handiwork of the woman that they were trying to provoke. If Shepard ever discovered what she and Jonathan were up to, the Spectre immunity would allow her to simply murder them without requiring any justification for her actions. It was a sobering thought, but it did not instill her with fear, rather with motivation to work even harder to avoid getting caught.
"Of course, they are covering everything up," Jonathan swore angrily. "That's why I hate Spectres. One of my agents lost three of his informants amongst all those murders."
To Katherine, the retaliation by Shepard had seemed very impulsive and almost uncharacteristic from what she had learned about the savior of the galaxy. The belated and confused reaction of both the C-Sec and Council suggested that they had been kept out of the loop by Shepard, at first both making contradictory statements regarding the events, but then C-Sec had quickly amended their release to the press, adopting the Council's stance that Shepard had simply eradicated a criminal cartel that had taken deep roots on the Citadel. And recalling who had accompanied Shepard on this mission of destruction, also reminded Katherine of something else that she needed to speak to her brother about.
"One thing I do not understand, Jonathan," she said slowly and dangerously. "At first, I could not understand why Aria T'Loak would be partnering up with someone like Shepard. How could you not have known that Aria was bonded to Councilor Tevos, you blithering idiot? You are supposed to know these things, you complete and utter buffoon!"
"Hey... uh, sorry?" Jonathan was clearly taken by surprise from the sudden hostility in his sister's tone. "I did tell you that there was a lot of heavily encrypted information that I hadn't cracked yet, right? It was probably amongst all that..."
"That is not an excuse of a competent information broker, that's a pathetic argument of a soon to be dead one!" Katherine screamed angrily into the comms. "Who knows what sort of other crucial intel we are missing out on because of your sloppy work! I'm not going to get myself compromised because of your incompetence. Now, get this information decrypted, or I swear I will replace you with someone else!"
"C'mon, Kat, don't be like that, I'm honestly doing my best here," Jonathan sounded pleading and almost frightened by now. "Give me two months, and I'll have everything here decrypted, I promise."
"Very well, you will have two months, but if I don't have access to the entire database by then, I swear-"
"You will have the files, I will not sleep nor eat if needed, but you will have them," her brother promised hastily and Kat grinned, approving of the frightened urgency in his voice. "Oh, and just to make up for my earlier blunder... I have something that you will find very interesting."
"Well? Don't drag this out, you know I hate dramatic pauses!" Katherine fumed.
"I think I know the identity of the individual who helped Shepard kill our father," Jonathan explained smugly. "We knew that Shepard went to Bekenstein while she was still employed by Cerberus on their mission to defeat the Collectors. I had a feeling that she would have been accompanied by someone who was aboard of the Normandy at that time, so I pulled some old feeds from the Broker archives and went through them again and again, trying to spot something I might have missed."
"Well?" Kat demanded.
"I noticed that there was someone aboard the ship, someone who made a great effort to appear as little as possible on the security cameras, someone who always remained hooded and made sure not to reveal their face... but they still matched perfectly with the few blurry pictures we had from Bekenstein," Jonathan continued. "I've been trying to match these images with someone amongst Shepard's contacts... boy, are you going to love this..."
"Jonathan, I'm warning you-"
"Okay, okay, no more dramatic pauses," her insufferable brother laughed. "She is a Spectre as well now, just like Shepard. Her name is Kasumi Goto."
"Kasumi Goto... yes, I have heard of her," Katherine mused thoughtfully. "She was promoted to the Spectres five years ago. This is going to... complicate things a little."
"So, do we put out a hit on her or something?" Jonathan asked. "She can't be as tough as Shepard."
"Are you insane?" Kat hissed. "She's a Spectre! You can't just kill her as easy as that! She is a Spectre for a reason and there is a great chance that whoever we send after her will fail, and it would only alert them and make our task all the more harder. No, we need to play this smart. We need to throw her a bait, something... lure her or Shepard in and then close the trap. To simply murder her... no, that would not be appropriate. I also want her to know exactly why she will die."
"Hmm, I might need some time to plan that, Kat," Jonathan mused. "I'm thinking we should go after Goto first, perhaps then use her as bait to lure in Shepard. But it will probably take me a lot of time to set things in motion. I'll assign a few extra agents to monitor Goto's activities."
"No, absolutely not!" Katherine snapped, shaking her head angrily. "Jonathan, I will repeat one more time, she is a Spectre. Someone like her would always expect herself to be watched, but if you put extra attention on her, she will notice. You need to play this very carefully, Jonathan. This will be the ultimate test of your competence, do I make myself clear?"
"Err... yeah, sure thing, sis," Jonathan muttered uncomfortably.
"Then get to work, Jonathan," she said sternly, about to disconnect the call. "That is all for now."
So, we're gunning for not one, but two Spectres, Katherine Hock thought, feeling a little frustrated as she tried to relax, leaning back in the leather chair. I wish I had more confidence that Jonathan is up to this task, but somehow I doubt it. Something tells me that I will have to take care of things myself...
Her eyes fell on one of the documents lying on her table, some directive signed by Councilor Steven Hackett, her face scrunching a little from envy. Damn it, he gets to order both Shepard and Goto as he pleases... well, maybe he doesn't, but he certainly has the power to do so... if I could do that... hmm, wait a moment, she froze, mind starting to spin an intriguing web of possibilities. Perhaps it is time to hasten my advancement through the corridors of power... yes, I believe it is. And perhaps the honorable Councilor Hackett has spent enough time in his privileged position...
Armali, Thessia
"...goddess..." Liara breathed heavily as Morgan rolled off from her body, much to the asari's relief remaining pressed against her side, sharing body heat as they both sighed contently in the aftermath of their Joining. "...I certainly feel as if... you have missed me..." her breathing ragged from exhaustion and elevated heart rate, Liara was still unable to speak properly. "...maybe I should... send you away with Aria... more often."
"Maybe not too often, though," Morgan replied tiredly, her slightly superior physical fitness allowing her to recover a little bit faster than Liara. The asari was still in excellent physical shape, but with Lita taking so much of her attention, she was not exercising as regularly as Morgan did. "Aria is like a walking aphrodisiac at times."
"Oh?" Liara gave her a curious stare. "I did not sense any... desperate attempts to hide something from me, there were no conflicting emotions seeping through our bond, but still… is there something you wish to share with me?"
"Well... that first night on the Citadel, I've been watching and helping Aria kill all those thugs in droves, and after that we both just needed to drink ourselves silly and switch our brains off... and later when we got to her apartment, well..." Morgan hesitated, not sure how to best explain the events of that night. "Actually... just let me show you what happened. Meld with me, please."
"Very well," Liara nodded, closing her eyes as she pulled even closer to Shepard, wrapping her leg around Morgan's as her mind quickly formed the by now comfortable, soothing connection with her bondmate, beginning to search for a particular memory. Having grown very adept with the joining process, Morgan helped the asari greatly by pushing the relevant memory at the forefront of her mind.
"Oh... my," was all that Liara said, blushing a little as her mind disentangled from Morgan's, having perused the memory, still feeling the strong embarrassment of her bondmate, associated with this particular experience.
"Umm... sorry, we probably shouldn't have done that," Morgan muttered a little guiltily.
"I'm just a little surprised, but I'm not angry," Liara said softly, pressing a quick kiss on Morgan's cheek. "Also... I feel like digging that Afterlife dancer's outfit from the wardrobe and make you put on a show for my benefit now..."
"Aww, babe, you just want to embarrass me further..." Morgan protested.
"What, you can put on a show for Aria, but you won't do it for me?" Liara glared a little at her. "The fact that you did it does not make jealous, but that you refuse to do the same for my pleasure, that does make me a little upset."
"Oops, no, I don't want to do that, definitely not... never," Shepard quickly recovered. "Very well, the 'Undercover Spectre posing as Afterlife dancer' act is coming up a little bit later, after I've rested a little more. Will that grant me forgiveness?"
"Hmm, possibly," Liara grinned cheekily. "Depends on how good the performance is," she added, laughing as Shepard drew her closer and claimed her lips in an increasingly heated kiss, the desire and hunger starting to swiftly rise again. "No, wait..." she pushed Morgan away a little, chuckling at the resentful, surprised look on her bondmate's face at being denied. "This would just lead to another Joining, and to you getting more exhausted, and I would never get my dance. You wanted to rest and regain your strength, well, then rest."
"Aw, spoilsport," Morgan chuckled, knowing that she had no right to complain. After the shuttle carrying her and Aria had landed on Armali and Morgan had gotten back to the T'Soni Estate, she and Liara hadn't done much else other than making out these past few hours. "So, what's new here? How's Tevos doing?"
"You heard about her stepping down, yes?" Liara asked, Morgan quickly nodding. "They say it is only temporary, but it will depend on so many things, one can never know how it will all pan out. But she seems at ease with the decision, knowing that it is the right one for the moment."
"I guess it is, considering everything that happened," Morgan nodded. "And what about Lita and the others? How are they doing?"
"Oh, Falere and Rila have taken great care of our daughter while I have been working with Tevos, Lita truly enjoys playing with them. And she will love all the gifts that you have brought for her when she finds them in the morning." Morgan and Aria had arrived in the middle of the night, and Liara had decided against waking their daughter, even if it would earn her a few glares from Lita later in the morning. The selfish need to have Morgan all to herself as soon as possible might have also played a part in that decision as well, not that she was going to admit it to anyone.
"Took me and Aria a few hours to track down the Limited Edition Spectre Blasto Investigation Kit," Morgan chuckled. "I guess she's growing out of those plush toys, isn't she?"
"She certainly is," Liara smiled softly. "Morgan... you do not plan to leave again for some time, do you?"
"I was thinking of spending the next couple of weeks home... well, but you can never know with these emergencies of late," Morgan's brow furrowed in annoyance. "At some point I need to make another trip to the Citadel and have a chat with the replacement of Tevos... Irissa, was it?" Liara nodded at that. "Anyway, any particular reason why you asked?"
"No, I simply would like you to spend more time with Lita," Liara spoke up thoughtfully. "She really missed you while you were gone, you know. And… with the amount of time I spend with her, and because of our melds... I would not want her to grow up having a... favorite parent."
"Oh... you think that is happening?" Morgan asked, feeling a little worried.
"No, not yet," Liara shook her head, trying to reassure her bondmate a little. "Perhaps I worry about it needlessly, because of how Benezia excluded my father from taking part in my upbringing, but... why wait for a problem to even develop? Lita adores you, and I'm sure we will never do anything to change that."
"I was actually planning to take her for a day in the mountains tomorrow," Morgan smiled. "I've missed her as much as I have missed you."
"That sounds lovely," Liara nodded, then disentangling from her bondmate and nimbly getting out of the bed, approaching the large wardrobe, opening it and starting to dig through a large box at the bottom of the wardrobe. "Now, where did we put that lovely outfit of yours?"
"Meh, the conversation didn't distract you from that idea?" Morgan gave her bondmate a mildly amused stare.
"Distract me? Never," Liara exclaimed, standing up sprightly while holding the skimpy garment in her hands, making Morgan sigh despondently while eyeing the lacy contraption. "Now stop moaning and put it on," the asari ordered, throwing the garment to land on Shepard's stomach, assuming that imperious air about her that always drove Morgan wild, propelling her off the bed as she began to slowly put the outfit on.
"You're just lucky I love you too much to deny you anything, babe," Morgan chuckled as Liara made her way past her on the way back to the bed. Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets from surprise, when Liara startled her with a heavy slap against her naked backside.
"Less talking, more dancing," her bondmate growled, getting back into the bed and settling in the pillows, giving her a demanding, insatiable stare, filled with raw hunger and anticipation.
Well, now... Spectre Morgan Shepard thought, feeling her bondmate's stare literally drinking in every movement she made, giving her body to the slow, alluring dance, trying to mimic the smooth, languid motions of the superbly skilled Afterlife dancers. This... is shaping up to be another one of those nights to remember...
"Everything alright, love?" Aria asked, her voice unusually tender, even for their private moments with Tevos. Her bondmate was still a little overwhelmed from the intensity of their Joining, her hands beginning to only slightly loosen the iron grip on Aria's back, legs still wrapped around Aria's waist, Tevos slowly lowering them back on the bed as the aftershocks started to fade. There had been nothing but happiness and desire radiating through the bond, so Aria wasn't sure why she was even asking the question because she knew that for the moment Tevos was perfectly content, briefly wondering just when she had developed the habit to make such instinctual reaffirmations purely for the benefit of her bondmate.
"Yes, Aria... that was beautiful," Tevos sighed contently, kissing her in a way that made Aria long to immediately slip back into the meld again, but she willed herself to reign in her desires, at least for a little bit longer, knowing that the night was still young and would hold plenty of opportunities for lovemaking later. "I missed you... badly. And I am delighted that you are in better spirits as well."
"Yes... I am sure that you have heard about the exact ways in which I managed to work off my anger," Aria said, a little uncomfortably, unwilling to touch upon anything that would remind Tevos about the Citadel attack and sour the mood of her bondmate. "All that needs to be said is that I did what I had to do, and that chapter is closed for me. I have cleared my mind of these distractions, and I can focus on what I have always strived to do. To make you feel safe and protected, you and the girls."
"I felt these feelings through our bond, Aria... and I felt safe and protected like never before," Tevos whispered, gently tracing Aria's cheek with her fingertips, running them across the Pirate Queen's bottom lip. "To know you feel that way towards me... I cannot think of anything more arousing..."
Aria almost whimpered aloud from the painful need of claiming her bondmate's lips, to throw themselves spiraling into another deep meld, to seek completion as their bodies clashed sensually, seeking that sweet release. She closed her eyes, swallowing heavily. "I... noticed how clear your thoughts were from... the ugliness of what happened on the Citadel," she managed, struggling to stop herself from ensnaring Tevos' wandering fingers between her teeth.
"Liara has been a great help with that... though I believe I have helped her almost as much in turn," Tevos said, mercifully pulling her fingers away, though it helped little when her delightfully naked body was still tightly pressed against Aria's frame.
"I hope you have not gotten too used to letting T'Soni roam around your mind," Aria growled, a little playfully. "I would hate to do something... drastic to remind her that you are mine, Tevos."
"Oh, please, Aria, you know better than that," Tevos smiled, her eyes glistening mirthfully. "Though I appreciate this little display of possessiveness. It is very... endearing..."
"Endearing, is it now?" Aria tried to appear stern, but did not entirely succeed. "Or perhaps it is you who needs the reminder..."
"And if I could only suggest to you a way in which to remind me to whom I belong..." Tevos purred in a way that made Aria's temples positively thudding with the maddening desire, but she still refused to give in to the passions, even if she knew that Tevos wanted it ever so badly as well.
"Perhaps in a little while... if you behave," Aria eventually managed a response. "But first, I would have you satisfy my... curiosity. Tell me just how T'Soni has been helping you, exactly."
"Well... like myself, she has made certain decisions in the past that... make her experience crippling flashes of guilt," Tevos explained softly. "By sharing our memories of these events, we both have been able to make strides towards accepting what we have done, and towards easing each other's burdens."
"Then I suppose I owe some gratitude to Liara," Aria finally conceded upon hearing the explanation.
"I believe that the fact that the whole galaxy has now heard about us being bondmates is also helping me in a way," Tevos continued. "The truth is now out there and we no longer need to live in hiding. I feel so liberated by the revelation that I do not even care whether the galaxy around us accepts our bond or not. Or whether the matriarchs eventually allow me to return to my post of a councilor."
"That's the right way to feel about these things, love," Aria chuckled. "Not giving a damn about what anyone else says."
"I knew you were going to say something like that, and I love you for it," Tevos smiled. "And with everything else that has been happening, the news about our scandalous relationship are not even amongst the most important news headlines... and when it is discussed, the reaction is not as negative as I feared it would be."
"Well... you do know that I own a small media empire by now. They will not say anything negative about us," Aria grinned smugly. "Besides, a third of the matriarchs have invested into my projects. And another third are desperately trying to make various overtures to me, hoping to curry a favor or two. Give me a little more time to work all the angles, love, and I'll make sure that the matriarchs will have no other options but to give you that cushy Council seat back again, if that is truly what you wish."
"I do wish it, once I am ready to resume my duties… and may I just say that the way you have planned everything... it is so impressive," Tevos purred throatily. "Almost intimidating... and arousing..."
"I have decided that you deserve only the best," Aria said in her imperious voice that she knew drove Tevos completely wild. "And that includes me, naturally."
"Naturally..." Tevos whispered back to her. "By the way... Irissa mentioned that she will need to speak with you later when you have the time..."
"Oh, I just bet she wants to talk," Aria chuckled. "I'm going to schedule our meeting on Omega in a few months, I think... that visit should make the bitch properly humble. She needs to learn early on that she will be dancing to my tune..."
"But you will remember that you are not allowed to seduce any other asari councilors, yes?" Tevos teased playfully.
"Such impertinence," Aria shook her head warningly. "You were the one who needed the reminder that you belong to me."
"Then perhaps you need to stop talking and get on with the... reminding?" Tevos asked in her best sultry voice, shifting her body in a tantalizing way under the weight of Aria's form draped over her.
"And do you have any ideas on what would be the most effective reminder?" Aria asked, her lips barely an inch from Tevos' mouth, fighting hard with herself to resist clamping her mouth over that of her bondmate's.
"I might have a few..." Tevos whispered, her leg rubbing against Aria's in a way that drove them both mad. "But I require a little... stimulation to recall these ideas..."
That was all the invitation Aria wanted to hear, pressing her lips against Tevos' mouth in a deep kiss, immediately slipping her tongue past her bondmate's lips as if to stake a claim to that part of Tevos' body, finding her tongue immediately ensnared by the gently biting teeth of her bondmate.
When Tevos was quick to initiate a meld, Aria did not resist, knowing it to be only a shallow one that her bondmate often enjoyed when they were simply kissing. Neither she nor Tevos, were even close to the point of breaking, still far from seeking a release through their Joining, though kissing as deeply as this, feeling their minds linked and warm bodies intertwined, it all served to quickly stoke their urgently growing need.
'Mine,' Aria sent through the meld, breaking away from Tevos' lips, pressing one final kiss on her mouth as if to seal her claim. She began trailing kisses down her bondmate's neck, collarbone, all the way down to her breasts, descending a little lower Tevos' body to gain better access to her new object of conquest.
'Yours,' Tevos conceded happily, as Aria's hand cupped her breast, pushing it a little upwards to where the Pirate Queen's lips eagerly awaited to claim the stone hard nipple, flicking her tongue against the sensitive nub, grazing it lightly with her teeth in all those ways that she had learned to drive Tevos completely mad with desire.
'Mine too,' Aria brought her other hand up as well to seize the yet unattended breast of her bondmate, rubbing her thumb against Tevos' nipple, feeling it stiffening even harder. She continued to sweetly torture her lover this way, until a loud gasp escaped from Tevos' lips and she desperately tried to arch her hips off the bed, finding herself hopelessly pinned down by Aria.
'Goddess...' nothing stroked Aria's ego quite as much as the clear evidence of how much her ministrations were arousing her bondmate, and Tevos' reaction was always so wildly unrestrained and immensely flattering.
'Yes, that is correct,' Aria sent back, feeling both pleased and amused. 'I am your goddess. And you will never forget that.'
With extreme reluctance, Aria's mouth eventually released Tevos' breasts and began to move downwards, trailing her lips and tongue across the soft planes of her bondmate's stomach, keeping her hands on Tevos' breasts and teasing her nipples, savoring the sounds that Tevos was making when she struggled desperately not to cry out aloud, making those barely audible infinitesimal whimpers.
'Oh, Aria... I love what you are doing to me... please don't stop... never stop...' she could sense her lover's need growing in strength through the bond as she slid lower to guide her mouth against Tevos' entrance, her bondmate wordlessly spreading her legs wider to give her better access, already embarrassingly wet from Aria's attentions.
'Why would I ever want to stop...' Aria thought, unable to resist the strong urge to push down and taste her bondmate, the first tentative lick again making Tevos' hips arch off the bed, and now her bondmate did finally cry out loud, no longer able to contain her pleasure. 'The taste of you... I can never have enough,' Aria truly bent to her task now, her lips and tongue sending Tevos squirming on the bed, moving wildly under her, but Aria easily held her in place.
'Aria, please...' she was surprised to find Tevos so close to begging already, but Aria did not complain, it always turned her on so madly, and this time was no exception. 'Don't... push me over... not yet...'
'I had no intention to let you off this easily, my pet,' Aria responded with a particularly deep and teasing lick that sent Tevos shivering and crying out.
'I need... want to... feel you...' Tevos whimpered through the bond. Her hands had been holding on to Aria's wrists until now, but suddenly the Pirate Queen felt one of her hands released as Tevos leaned a little away to desperately search for something on the nearby nightstand, sending a stack of datapads crashing on the floor in the process, not that anybody cared. 'Could you, please...' she sensed Tevos' thoughts again, her bondmate gently removing Aria's hand from her breast and pressing a very familiar object in her hands. 'I need to feel you...'
Aria forced herself to peel away from Tevos' heated center, looking up at what her bondmate had pressed into her hand. 'Oh fuck,' she could not help but to think when she noticed the familiar shape of their favorite toy, the mere thought of using it on Tevos capable of pushing Aria over the edge. 'This is going to be one hell of a night to remember,' she thought desperately, feeling a spike of fiery heat blossoming in her center from the mere mental images of what was about to come.
'I was counting on it, love...' Tevos responded within the meld, smiling broadly as she sensed the rapid increase in Aria's arousal through the bond. Watching Aria fix the toy in place was an incredibly sensual image as well, and Tevos could not resist quickly slipping her fingers down into her wetness, then quickly withdrawing them again as Aria now settled back on top her, ready and eager to resume her task of bringing them both to the edge of the greatest pleasure imaginable.
'I love you,' Tevos felt Aria's thoughts filling her, at the very same time as the Pirate Queen drove her body slightly forward, gently pushing into her, the sheer delight filling them both at that moment something beyond description.
'I love you too,' Tevos replied, feeling as safe, protected and loved as never before, tears of happiness flowing down her cheeks as Aria gradually picked up the pace, thrusting through her silky, pliant warmth... and soon enough, the radiating brilliance of their shared pleasure pushed all other thoughts and feelings from their bond, as the two of them inescapably moved towards the tortuously sweet point of completion.