Slightly shorter chapter this time around. Wrapping up the Citadel DLC and heading into the final leg of the fight. I'm really excited to get to the post-canon chapters. I love the game-centric stuff, however, I've got some seriously awesome ideas planned for the aftermath. It will be slow going for a few more chapters as build-up to the next big event, but I hope you'll stick around for the action later on. :) Thank you for reading and as always, have a lovely day!
Chapter 29 - Afterburn
Shepard woke up in a foggy haze, but surprisingly, there wasn't the barest hint of the headache she'd been anticipating. She vaguely recalled being handed some aspirin the night before and she sent out a silent prayer of thanks to whomever may be listening. The commander had never been a very religious person, but she swore to whatever great deity might be out there that she wouldn't be repeating the events of the night before — not the over-imbibing part, anyway. She was curled around James' sleeping form, one leg thrown over both of his, her head laying heavily on his hardened bicep, and when she stirred a bit so did he, turning to face her and squinting through tired eyes.
"Buenos días, mi amor," she whispered, nuzzling her nose to his neck.
"Glad to see you made it through the night," the lieutenant kissed her hair, smoothing it down with his palm, "How you feelin'?"
"Better than expected," Zoe scooted closer, wrapping herself tightly to his side, "I had a tall, strapping hispanic angel visit me with gifts of aspirin and ice water last night, else I may have succumbed to the evils of the devil's drink."
He let out a tired chuckle, "Shit, I wish we could just lay here all day."
"Me too," she placed a sweet peck on his cheek, "But duty calls…"
"You're lips are what's calling me, hermosa," James brought a hand to her face and pulled her towards him, giving her a sleepy, lingering, kiss.
Shepard broke away suddenly, and searched his face with an apologetic expression, "I'm really sorry about last night. About, you know… shutting you down. Please, don't think I didn't want it —"
He stopped her short, "Zoe, I know. It's okay. There's nothing to be sorry about. It was the right thing to do, and we'll get there. We ain't dead yet."
"I know," her face clouded with distress at the words he used, "But we could be any day now. What if that was our last chance?"
"It won't be, I promise you," he grazed her jaw tenderly with his thumb, "Speaking of promises…"
She smiled warmly at the hint, "Oh yeah… I think it's time for you to get your ass out of bed and make me some eggs."
The lieutenant kissed his commander once more and rolled out of the covers, pulling on his pants and dog tags. He cast a glance over his shoulder to see her push herself up to stand. Zoe stretched her arms wide and her tank top rode up with the motion just enough to show the sleek N7 tattoo underneath. The tips of her wings peeked out from the Y in the top of her shirt, the ink curling just barely over the tops of her toned shoulders, and a random thought occurred to Vega; she'd never worn tank tops back on Earth, most likely in an attempt to hide the artwork from her superiors. Perhaps that was why all her tattoos were in such discrete locations. She seriously thought of everything. He wondered if dying her hair purple had been the commander's first real breaking point — the moment she'd decided to throw caution to the wind and become a little more carefree about how her personal decisions affected others.
Shepard crossed to the door and bent to pick her clothes up from where they'd been discarded the day before, tossing them carelessly to the closet to be dealt with later. He clenched his jaw at the sight of her shapely backside, displayed in all its glory, then sucked in a breath as she shimmied a pair of pajama shorts up her legs. As if that wasn't enough to throw him into overdrive, she did the unexpected. Evidently, it wasn't as easy to put a bra on with clothes as it was to take it off. Zoe pulled her shirt up over her head, and threw it away with the rest, passing to the closet without a care as to whether or not James was watching. A heady groan escaped his lips and he was experiencing the strongest urge yet to take her, as soon as humanly possible.
"Mierda, Lola, you're killin' me here," he threw his head back and rubbed at his face hard with both hands.
"Oh shit, sorry," Shepard dashed behind the closet doors, her whole body flushing with abashed warmth, "I guess I'm still kind of in a daze."
"Hey, don't be sorry," the lieutenant stood up finally, reaching for his shirt and pulling it on, "No point in hiding now either, I already got a decent look at the goods."
Zoe pulled her bra and a clean t-shirt on quickly, stepping out of the closet with embarrassment marking her features, "So much for leaving something to the imagination."
"Damn, not even one more little peek?" he stepped towards her and circled her waist with his arms.
"Maybe later, Lieutenant," she leaned into him and he bent to touch his forehead to hers, "Right now, I'm starving."
"Me too… but, uh… maybe not for food…" Vega winked, pulling away and taking her hand to lead her downstairs.
A chirping noise pierced the air, as they crossed out of the room, and Shepard paused mid-step, opening her omni-tool to read the urgent message that had chimed in. James turned to her with an inquisitive expression that deepened when he saw her eyes go wide.
"Jimmy! I've got some good news for you!" she sprang towards him, never breaking her gaze from the device as she brought it up closer so he could read it as well, "It's your uncle. He's alive!"
James gripped her wrist, pulling the omni-tool close to his face, finding it hard to believe what he was seeing, "You found him? How?"
"I called in a few favors," Zoe smirked, obviously pleased by his reaction, "When you told me about him, and how much he means to you, well… you couldn't have expected me not to try, at least. He's in the refugee camp they set up on Mars after the Illusive Man swept the Archives."
"This is… I can't…" the lieutenant spun around and swept her up in a tight hug, "Thank you. I don't know how I'm ever gonna get you back for this."
She planted a big, loud kiss on the side of his cheek and let out a musical giggle as she replied, "You're welcome, Jimmy. And breakfast, you can pay me back with breakfast."
There were half-awake bodies scattered all about the apartment, as they made their way hand-in-hand toward the living room, and Shepard felt compelled to check on the wellbeing of her crew.
"You go cook, I'm gonna make the rounds and take a headcount of the casualties."
"Not gonna help me?" James inquired, a little disappointed that she was breaking off from him so soon.
"Oh, you do not want to get me around anything that involves preparing food. Cooking is not my strong point," Zoe gave a lighthearted chuckle, "Besides, war is hell and I'm afraid we lost a few good men last night."
"Tequila Warfare, it's a brutal thing," he sorted a laugh as she started off in the opposite direction, giving her rear a swift pat, "I hate to see you go, Lola, but I love to watch you leave."
The commander rolled her eyes at the cheesy line, a wide grin spreading across her face, as she trotted away. James darted towards the kitchen, excitement filling him at finally having a decent time and place to show off his cooking skills. It was something his abuela had taught him to be proud of.
'Cook a woman a hot, hearty meal one time, she will return to you every night for supper,' she used to tell him, practically every time he helped her prepare a meal.
Thinking back on it, Vega could almost smell the memories of the scents that constantly wafted through the old woman's house when he was a child. His abuela, his mother, his uncle — hell, even his son of a bitch father — every one of them would have loved Shepard for their own reasons. He hoped one day his uncle, at least, would be graced with her larger than life presence.
Ashley, Grunt, and Miranda had already gathered in the kitchen and someone had been cooking — and burning — bacon. The LC was hovering uneasily over the coffee maker, breathing in the warm aroma of the brewing liquid.
"I'm going to drink all the coffee today… all of it," she groaned, rubbing hard at her temples with the tips of her fingers, "Hey, Lieutenant. You look like you feel better than most of us."
"He's got a lot of padding to soak up the alcohol," Miranda mused, looking rather fresh faced herself.
"That was one wild night," Grunt… grunted from his post behind the island.
"Even wilder for you, I bet," Ashley side-eyed Vega with a mischievous grin, "You're the only one that didn't go to sleep alone… Joker and EDI not withstanding… I mean, how does that even work anyway?"
"I'd rather not think about it before breakfast, thank you," Miranda sneered, the thought to her both confusing and a bit unsettling.
"Why the hell is everyone so interested in our sex life? Which doesn't exist yet, by the way, since you're so damn curious," he busied himself preparing the meal he'd promised Shepard, trying hard to ignore the flustered heat creeping up his neck.
"I never thought I'd actually see you blush, Vega," Ash wasn't letting up, and it was starting to get under his skin, "Anyway, you're a good guy. Most men would have taken advantage of the situation last night."
"She's right," Miranda chimed in, "Shepard's lucky to be in such strong, capable, respectful hands."
"You got a brother?" the LC quipped, "Or maybe a long lost twin?"
That one actually made him chuckle, "You're full of shit, Ash."
"Perhaps you're a triplet and you're just not aware?" Miranda added.
"You're both loca as they come, anyone ever told you that?" he shook his head, flipping the eggs into the air and catching them skillfully in the pan.
"I've been called worse," Ash shrugged, taking a long gulp of fresh, black coffee.
"Hey, what am I, chopped varren liver?" Grunt growled, flexing his arms in some kind of desperate attempt to draw the females' attention.
"Sorry, Wrex, you're not exactly my type," the LC took no pains to hide her grimace.
"I'm Grunt, you air-headed twit," he shot her a nasty look, "I wasn't talking to you anyway."
Miranda's eye shot wide when he turned what was probably supposed to be the krogan equivalent of a seductive gaze in her direction. James' laughter echoed through the kitchen, and he almost dropped the tortillas to the floor as he doubled over in hysterics.
"What the hell's so funny?" poor Grunt looked utterly confused, "Shut up and finish the damn food, idiot. I'm starving!"
Zoe found her other comrades well, if still a little off their game from the night's festivities. When she finally made her way to the kitchen, the delicious aroma of James' lovingly prepared feast drifted into her nose. She closed her eyes, breathing it in deeply, and when she opened them again he was standing in front of her with a plate already filled for her. He leaned down to give the commander a quick kiss before handing it over, flashing a sweet smile before he turned to grab a plate of his own.
"Holy crap, this is amazing," Ashley mumbled through a mouth full of food, "Exactly what I needed after last night."
Zoe took a seat at the kitchen's bar and took a large bite, "Damn, Jimmy, this is delicious. Why the hell'd you wait so long to do this?"
James just shrugged, looking appreciably humble considering the amount he'd boasted about his skills beforehand, "It's not as good as my abuela's, but it's pretty close."
"It's spectacular," Miranda assured him, "Considerate, loyal, and a good cook? Now I really do wish you had a brother."
"Hey, Zoe… you ever thought about polyamory? Because, I mean, I'd be more than willing to do some girl on girl stuff if you'd be willing to share the wealth, here," Ash eyed Vega up and down suggestively.
"I could get into that," Zoe quirked a flirty eyebrow at the LC, visibly throwing her off and almost causing James to choke on a mouthful of eggs.
"Awkwaaard," Miranda singsonged, rolling her eyes at the incorrigible triplet of miscreants, and standing to take her leave, "On that note, if you all will excuse me, I have to be going. My team is getting close to narrowing down Kai Leng's location. We should have the coordinates to you by this evening. Thank you so much for inviting me, Shepard. I had a wonderful time."
"Thanks for coming," the commander stood and gave her old friend a tight hug, "I'm glad we all got one last chance to spend some time together."
"Hey, don't talk like that," Miranda's face clouded with concern.
"I… I don't know know why I said that," Zoe looked confused for a second, "But, it's still true, I guess."
"You'll be fine, Shepard," she gave the commander's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before turning and heading towards the exit, "Good luck! See you soon!"
"I guess we should all be heading out soon," Shepard looked down into her almost empty plate and sighed deeply, "Time to rally the troops and pass out the aspirin."
Zoe stood solemnly on the edge of the balcony outside docking bay, ruminating over the course of events that had led her this far. The rest of the team would be along soon, and after the roaring party the night before, she found peace in this rare moment of self-reflection. However, in the back of her mind, an unwelcome voice reminded her that this was simply the calm before the storm. Three days wasted, in a way, that could have been used to wrap up a few tasks that might have given them an even greater advantage in the days to come. As she was slowly drifting away from her calm state, into mounting disquiet, she heard a set of familiar footstep approach behind her.
"Hey, Lola," James stepped up beside Shepard, leaning on hand against the railing, and slipping the other around her to pull her closer, "Time to get back out there, huh?"
"At least we threw one hell of a party," the commander rested her head against the lieutenant's chest, encircling his waist with her arms, "Probably the last one."
"Nah, you always find a way to beat the bad guys," he leaned down to place a soft kiss to the top of her head, "This time's not gonna be any different."
The remainder of the squad trailed in, grouping around them, giving Shepard that sense completion that she so desperately needed at that moment.
"The lieutenant's right," Ashley chimed in, "You've got this, Shepard. And we've got your back."
"Every last one of us," Garrus added as he passed, following the rest of the crew as they filed towards the airlock.
Joker stepped up to her, clapping a hand on her shoulder with an expression of solemn gratitude, "It's been a good ride, Commander."
She nodded resolutely, scanning her eyes over the hull of the ship she so adored, "The best…"
After everyone had made their way into the ship, James turned to Zoe, bringing a hand up to caress her cheek, "And it ain't over yet, hermosa. And I'm with you, all the way through the end."
"Promesa?" she smiled up at him, bringing her own hands to his face in a similar gesture.
He dipped down to touch his forehead to hers, running his thumbs lightly across her jaw, his eyes shining with deep, sincere affection, "Promesa."
Shepard searched his face with a desperate gaze, trying hard to find the way to say what she wanted to express, "No matter what happens from here, I'll always love you. I need you to know that."
She didn't wait for him to respond; instead, she sprang up onto her tiptoes and brought her lips to his, silencing whatever his reply might have been. The kiss was soft, yet passionate but, to James, something about it felt final.
He pulled back from her abruptly, "I'll always love you too, Zoe. Don't ever doubt it. Not for one second."
"Yes sir," she chuckled, dropping her arms and taking his hand to lead him towards the ship, "Come on, mi amor. Lets go home."
"She's doin' it again, man," James paced back and forth along the shuttle bay, "Just a few hours back on board and she's already like a different person. I should've known this was gonna happen."
"Shepard's just doing her job, buddy," Cortez had no idea what to say, he wasn't used to the other lieutenant being so open like this, but he was doing his best to talk him down, "Give her some time, she'll soften up again. She probably just feels a little guilty."
"We aren't doing anything wrong anymore, not since the whole Spectre thing," Vega was on the defensive now, eyes wild with worry and frustration.
"Not about you, I mean about the party — shore leave in general, really," Steve explained, "When has Shepard ever been known to take a break like that in the middle of something this big? It's probably weighing on her conscience like crazy. Just… take some deep breaths, calm down, and go be there for her. Don't worry if she doesn't get all doe eyed when she sees you, for a few days at least. She's just back in Commander Mode now, probably a little bit in overdrive to make up for lost time."
James ran his hands through his mohawk and let out an irritated sigh, "Yeah, okay, you're probably right. Still… it seemed like we made so much progress and now we're right back to where we were."
"No, man, you're not," Cortez shook his head for emphasis, "You woke up something in her that probably no one else has seen before, and it's still right there on the surface, it's just buried under data pads and red tape and worrying about the Reapers right now."
What the armory chief said was true, but James' fears weren't entirely without merit either. Zoe had admittedly folded back in on herself in the brief number of hours that they'd been back aboard the Normandy. She did feel guilty about allowing what was, to her, an unnecessary amount of time to pass before going back to work. It hadn't really hit her the whole time they'd been on the Citadel. The days seemed to go by so quickly, until they were over — at which point it felt like a lifetime since they'd been on the job.
But that wasn't the only thing causing her to push away from the lieutenant, once again. It had hit her some time between saying goodbye to Miranda, and actually setting foot on the ship. It was something she'd already thought about several times over, but had just suddenly sank in and became real. She could lose him on this one. No, that wasn't what it was… she wasn't afraid of him dying, because she was going to do everything in her power to keep him out of this.
It was that she knew, somewhere in the deep recesses of her soul, that she wasn't going to make it out of this one. There would be no Cerberus to pull her out of deep space, rebuild her until she was better than new — not this time. This was truly endgame for her. No turning back, no driving straight through; just a dead end road that would leave the person she loved as empty and despondent as she'd once found herself. She couldn't do that. Shepard had said before she didn't want to, but at the same time she thought she was willing to chance it. She'd been wrong, reasoning now that it was better to hurt him and have him hate her when she died than leave him with an aching, defective heart. She knew that feeling entirely too well, and she'd fight as hard to keep him from experiencing that level of pain as she would to keep him alive.
In the mere hours they'd been back to the grind, somehow she'd managed to rally a few more last-minute allies and scout for a few war assets, before turning their focus to Cerberus Headquarters. It would be the next evening before they could reach it safely, so she encouraged the crew to lay low and focus on recovering to their full potential as quickly as possible. This fight wasn't going to be easy, and nursing a two day old hangover was sure to get someone a bullet to the brain if they weren't careful. James had been in good spirits at first, pumped to finally be rejoining the fight. Then, however, he started to notice Zoe talking to him less and less, until she was all but ignoring him completely. She had even waved him away in favor of 'paper work' that was no more than busy work at this point.
Steve was right though. It was getting late, and before they could make it to Cerberus H.Q. the next day, he needed to talk to her. If only to reassure her that no matter what kind of cold, closed off facade she tried to pull around herself, the promise to be there for her would still stand true. She could shove him away, punch him in the face, it didn't matter — he was going to make her understand that she couldn't brush him off that easily, not after everything they had overcome in the past week.
He punched the button on the intercom system that rang into her cabin, where he knew she'd be bent over her piles of data pads and news reports, "Hey, Zoe. I need to talk to you."
"Not now, James," came her ice cold reply.
"Zoe, come on, it's important," Vega shot a helpless look at Cortez, who returned an expression that clearly said to leave him out of it, "I… uh, got a weird email from Anderson… it was, um… I don't know, it was weird, I think you should read it."
She was too damn fast for him, "Just forward it to me, Lieutenant, I'm busy."
"It, uh… it won't let me. Every time I try to forward it, my shit freezes up," if she wanted to be like that, he could be quicker, "I think it's best if I just show it to you myself."
"Fine…" Shepard didn't sound convinced, but finally relented, "Come on up."
"On my way," James breathed a sigh of relief, and from across the bay, Cortez let out a chuckle.
"Slick, Mr. Vega. Not many people can pull one over on the CO like that."
"She knows I'm lying, but thanks for the vote of confidence, Esteban," he started towards the elevator, "Now let's see if she actually lets me in."
"Sure you shouldn't wear your armor up there? Could get messy," Cortez called after him, as he entered the elevator and pressed the button to deliver him to the commander's quarters.
