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CH: 29: 'Never Alone.'
Normandy SR2 (The Citadel).
Miranda's frustration was peeking, she'd been systematically through every file, every report, every note she had on Shepard…nothing. That phrase, 'A man's walking down the street one day', appeared nowhere. It wasn't an operational name, its wasn't a code, it wasn't a reference to something that had happened to him.
"What the hell is it" she snapped in anger, sitting back and massaging the bridge of her nose.
She rose and paced to and fro, what the hell could it be.
She decided two things, first of all she needed to try and clear her head and think this through from a different point of view.
Secondly she needed to talk to someone.
"Hey Miri" said Kasumi with a winning smile as Miranda walked into the Port observation lounge.
"Don't call me that" replied Miranda with a glare.
"Uh huh" replied Kasumi her grin never fading, "What's up?"
"I need to clear my head" replied Miranda.
"That I can't do but I can cloud your mind with alcohol" replied Kasumi with a grin.
Miranda glared and sighed, "Fine what are we drinking?"
"Mojito" suggested Kasumi.
"Make sure it's cold" replied Miranda with a nod as Kasumi started mixing drinks.
"So what's up" asked Kasumi after a moment.
"There's something I've been trying to track down and haven't been able to find. A phrase Garrus and Shepard and some of the original Normandy's crew keep using" replied Miranda.
"Why is it important?" asked Kasumi.
"I don't know" replied Miranda, "Which is why it's getting on my nerves, its clearly important to them and I want to know why."
"Ah so this is entirely professional?" asked Kasumi with a grin handing her the glass.
"Of course" replied Miranda clinking glasses with her and taking a sip, it was good if a little strong.
"Uh huh" replied Kasumi, "You know your obsessive right?"
"Of course" replied Miranda in the same mild tone, "I'm aware of my weaknesses, it's one of my strengths."
"Just checking" replied Kasumi, "Although you focus on them too much."
"Yes that because I also have insecurity issues" replied Miranda with a smirk.
"Okay you need to snap out of this Miri" Kasumi said, "There's only room for one amateur psychologist in here and that's me."
"Who's an amateur?" asked Miranda, "I'm licensed and certified."
"Geek" replied Kasumi.
"Kleptomaniac" countered Miranda with a smirk taking another sip.
"Did you just trash talk me Miri?" asked Kasumi, "You've been spending too much time with Shepard."
"Yes I have and I still can't figure out this phrase" growled Miranda.
"I got to say I'm surprised" replied Kasumi, "You two have been getting close. I would have thought there's not much you don't know about him by now."
"You assume I know the contents of his mind" asked Miranda with a snort.
"Yes….his mind" replied Kasumi taking another sip of her drink with a smirk, "Say Miri did you catch the sun or something only your cheeks are a little red."
Miranda looked away, "I don't know what you mean" she replied her voice level.
"Uh huh" replied Kasumi, "So has he made a move on you yet?"
"We are not having this conversation" Miranda said firmly.
"Uh huh, yeah we are" replied Kasumi with a grin.
"No we are not" said Miranda firmly looking away, "I am not talking about it."
"Is he that bad" asked Kasumi.
"Not….talking….about…..it" said Miranda firmly sipping her drink and refusing to make eye contact.
"Maybe you're scared" suggested Kasumi mischievously.
Miranda turned and just gave her a flat look.
Kasumi held her cool as long as possible, then broke down in giggles, "Okay Miri, I give in. Just tell me this, why is this thing, this phrase, with Shepard bugging you so much?"
Miranda sighed, "I don't like not know something about…well anything."
"Miranda Lawson, repository of all knowledge" teased Kasumi.
"Yes. What's your point?" asked Miranda raising an eyebrow.
Kasumi giggled and topped off her drink, "No point. But if it's bothering you so much, why don't you just ask him?"
"I don't give up that easily" replied Miranda with a glare.
Kasumi grinned, "Alright but first we need a new drink."
"What were you thinking?" asked Miranda.
"How about sex on the beach" replied Kasumi with a wicked grin.
James glanced at the email from Bailey on his omni tool, it looked like he might have another ally. It never hurt to have someone else on your side, especially someone who could get you out of jail.
He was long overdue a talk with Thane, his crew was full of riddles but Thane was a real enigma, every time James thought he'd got him sussed something new came along. He needed some straight answers.
He found Thane in life support, sitting in his chair, apparently lost in thought. James entered quietly, not wanting to break the silence which felt hallowed, he stood to one side and wondered how to begin.
"Do you need something" asked Thane without turning around, so much for a covert operator thought James.
"How about five minutes?" he asked.
"Certainly" replied Thane.
James lent on the wall, "I'm at a bit of a loss Thane. I'm normally pretty good at placing people Thane, you…I'm struggling. I've dealt with assassins before but you're different."
"You've fought thugs who think custom painted armour makes them professionals" replied Thane, "The hanar trained my body for this role since I was six years old."
"That's…..disturbing" replied James with a grimace, "I have issues with anyone agreeing to put children in the firing line."
"The arrangement was made under the Compact. It was an honour for our family" explained Thane.
"This is what I don't understand" replied James, "You're so calm, so accepting of this but we just fought damn hard to stop your son going down the same path you did. How can you be okay with what was done to you?"
"Nothing was done to me Shepard" replied Thane, "Any drell can refuse to serve, few do. It is an honour to be called on."
"You really think you were in a position to make an informed decision at aged six" asked James.
"Even as children the drell are aware of the nature of the Compact" replied Thane.
"What is the compact?" asked James.
"We live on the hanar home world because they rescued us…..some of us…..from extinction. We owe them our lives. That is the Compact."
"But you don't kill for the hanar any more" pointed out James, "You're freelance. What changed?"
"I was asleep for a long time yes. I paid no attention to what my body was asked to do. But then….Laser dot trembles on his skull. One finer twitch, he dies. Then the smell of spice on the spring wind. Sunset coloured eyes defiant in the scope. The laser dances away."
Thane exhaled and gathered himself, "My apologies. Dress slip into memories so easily."
"Who was the target" asked James softly.
"Ah…Perhaps we can discuss it later. I've wasted too much of your time", replied Thane.
James frowned but nodded, "Alright then Thane I'll see you later…just do me a favor and don't keep it all to yourself. That never helps anyone."
Almost inevitably the conversation and given him more questions than answers…James wondered if life had always been this complicated….yes probably. Still in his heart of hearts he liked complicated, it was so much more fun and yes it could be dangerous but you did not join the marines for a quiet life.
James made his way to the mess and intercepted a cup of Gardener's coffee…that was thick enough to eat through the cup.
Still all things considered life could be worse. He was worried about Garrus though, he hadn't seen his friend this wound up in a while. Garrus rarely flew off the handle but when he did…..people died.
Given the circumstances James wasn't sure what he could do. He would have to wait and see, his friend wouldn't lie to him, he'd call, James just wasn't sure he'd like what he heard.
Right now though he should probably check in with Miranda, after all he needed to make sure the ship was running efficiently and…
He was making excuses to himself…again….he didn't have to do that anymore did he. It was okay to go and see Miranda because he wanted to, that's what you could do with a woman who was you're….girlfriend?
He was other thinking this and decided to just go and talk to her.
He reached the door to her office and opened it…and stopped dead.
The office desk, spare chairs and a good portion of the floor was covered in data pads, files, boxes and papers.
Miranda was at her desk, looking focused, her brow creased in a frown of concentration and she was biting her lip in irritation.
James took all this in in the second it took for Miranda to register that he was there…which was highly unusual. Normally she seemed to know he was on his way long before he arrived.
Instantly she straightened, her poise and detachment returned and she was the cool pro again. "Tell me Shepard" she asked acidly, "Do you open the door to my quarter's on the off chance that one day you'll catch me changing."
"Give me some credit Miranda" replied James, "I may be sex obsessed but I'm not suicidal. Anyway what happened here? It looks like a missile hit on a library."
"You zip it" replied Miranda with a cold glare.
"What are you doing" asked James moving forward and leaning on the back of the chair…..and managed to send a stack of data pads crashing onto the floor, "Oh….sorry about that."
Miranda gave him a death stare, "Must you destroy everything you touch. This is all your fault anyway."
"I'm sure your right but how exactly?" replied Shepard stooping down to pick up the fallen data pads.
"You and your stupid phrase" snapped back Miranda.
"What phrase?" asked James.
"A man's walking down the street one day" replied Miranda.
"What about it" he asked.
"What the hell does it mean?" snapped Miranda.
"What you don't know…..That's what this is about" asked James sounding confused.
"Yes" replied Miranda.
"And you did just ask because….." James said confusion and amusement warring inside him.
"Okay Shepard you may not have realised this but I don't like to lose" replied Miranda sarcastically.
"How is asking something means losing?" asked James.
"Seriously have we met?" asked Miranda with another glare.
"Do you want me to tell you what it means or not" he asked with a smile.
"If you don't I shall do what I did to you with Lazarus in reverse" replied Miranda.
"Okay, okay" replied James standing up and gestured towards her couch "I'll tell you as long as you chill out and take a moment to relax."
Miranda sighed, "Fine but this better be good."
Shepard let the way over to the couch and sat down, Miranda sat down opposite him and looked at him. "Well" she asked with a gesture of impatience.
"It goes back to the first Normandy and the old team" explained Shepard.
"That much I guessed" replied Miranda tersely.
Shepard ignored her tone and carried on, "When we started out we were a mess, a group off miss fits thrown together by circumstances. There were a lot of clashes, Garrus and Tali, Liara and Ashley, Wrex and…..well everyone. But as we worked together we got tighter and tighter as a group. We became friends and then…..well you've seen it. We were as close to a family as I've ever come. Anyway one night we were in this dive bar and we were drunk and we decided we needed a thing."
"A thing?" asked Miranda.
"Yeah a thing" replied Shepard, "You know like the three musketeers had 'All for one and one for all', we needed our thing."
"It's called a moto Shepard" replied Miranda sarcastically, "And it's a word in common usage."
"Okay smart Alec" he replied with a grin, "Anyway it was three in the morning and we were wracking our brains trying to think of something which hadn't been done and didn't sound like something from a corny Blasto rip off….an hour later we were still thinking."
"You were thinking?" asked Miranda sceptically, "Did it hurt?"
"That's very hurtful" replied Shepard pouting, "…..and yes it did a little."
Miranda glared, "Its less fun to insult me when I play along isn't it" added Shepard with a grin.
"Get on with it" replied Miranda with a growl.
"Alright, alright" replied Shepard, "It was…..actually ironically enough it was Ashely who came up with the answer. This little parable she'd been told as a kid and since we couldn't think of anything better we went with it."
He sat back and looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
"Well" she snapped exasperated.
"Well what" he asked innocently.
"Don't be coy Shepard" she replied with a glare.
"Some people say it's cute" he replied with a grin.
"They're idiots" she snapped back her frustration rising.
"Okay I'll talk but only because you're scaring me now" replied Shepard with a wink.
"A man's walking down the street one day when suddenly he falls into a hole, the walls are so steep he can't get out. Then a doctor walks by and the guy shouts up 'Hey you can you help me out.' The doctor writes out a prescription, throws it down into the hole and moves on. Then a priest walks by, 'Father I'm down here in this hole can you help me.' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down into the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by, 'Hey Jon I'm down here in this hole, can you help me.' The friend jumps down into the hole, our guy says 'Are you stupid, now we're both stuck down here.' The friend just smiles and says, 'Yeah but I've been down here before, and I know the way out.'"
Miranda paused, considering it for a moment, then shook her head and smiled, "That's….actually surprisingly nuanced, simple but elegant."
"I like to think so" replied Shepard with a smile, "When you have a friend like us your never alone, no matter what your up against. When one of us needs help we're there, it doesn't matter what, or where, or how. We help because we can, no debts owed. That's what it means."
Miranda felt a stab of jealously, this was a part of Shepard's past that she could never be part of.
"You were lucky to have people you could trust like that" she said finally.
"I'm even luckier now" Shepard replied. With a smile he reached over and gave her hand a squeeze.
She looked at him and smiled, "Really…..you're naive Shepard you don't know me that well."
"I think I know what I need to know", replied Shepard.
"I have secretes" replied Miranda.
"Like I don't" said Shepard with a grin.
"Not from me you don't" replied Miranda.
"Really" replied Shepard, "You just had to ask me something."
"Yes" replied Miranda with a sweet smile, "And all I had to do was pout a little and you told me, good to know I can get what I want from you by batting my eye lashes."
"Hey" protested Shepard, "That's not true."
"Oh please" replied Miranda, "I've got you just where I wanted you."
"Yeah right" replied Shepard with a grin, "Use your feminine whiles to wrap me round your finger? That's was the real deal otherwise, I would have rumbled you in a second."
"Trust me Shepard" she replied with a smirk, "If I want to I can crook my little finger and you'd have come floating to me, eyes glazed."
"Oh really?" asked Shepard with a grin.
Miranda turned and looked at him and suddenly her whole posture changed, her expression became wicked and flirty. She glanced him, biting her lip, crossing her arms, a hungry glint in her eyes.
She spoke softly, her accent suddenly thicker and incredibly alluring, "Commander Shepard…you're such a hero, so strong and brave and…so good looking" she added the last in a sensual whisper.
Shepard was frozen, transfixed for a minute, then he blinked, "Oh my god…..that's evil" he managed.
Miranda stood back and laughing, "Absolutely. I win Shepard."
"This isn't fair" complained Shepard, "I think I miss the old Miranda, the cold, emotionless one."
"You should have thought of that before you let Pandora out of the box" replied Miranda with a smirk.
"Okay so not fair" protested Shepard, "You're using you're using your super powers for evil."
"Did you expect anything else" asked Miranda.
"Damn it" replied Shepard, "Teach me to look before I leap head first."
"Having regrets Shepard" asked Miranda.
"Never" replied Shepard, "Life's too short, besides if I'm going to be outmatched by someone then it might as well be a beautiful woman."
"Why thank you commander" she said with a grin.
"Okay this is the part where you say I'm ruggedly handsome" replied Shepard.
Miranda pursed her lips, "Hmmm…..no, sorry, no can do. The best I can do is sort of cute…in low light at least."
Shepard snorted, "I'll take it…..coming from you that's high praise."
Miranda smiled even as she thought through her last words and wondered something.
'Since when did you start thinking of Shepard as cute?'
After a moment she realised something else…
She didn't care when. It didn't matter.
"You know Shepard" she said after a moment, "I think I need a cup of coffee and then I think have some filing to do."
"Do you want some help" he asked.
"You can get the coffee" she replied "The thought of having you messing with my files causes me physical pain."
He pouted but retreated to the mess to get the caffeine hits.
Miranda looked after him and smiled, 'Loyal to a fault, amusing, surprisingly smart…and yes damn it cute...'
Damn him why did he have to complicate everything.
Disclaimer: I don't actually know where the man walking down the street parallel comes from. I first heard it a long time ago but was reminded of it recently when I saw it on an episode of Warner Bros 'The West Wing' delivered by the brilliant and very sadly now deceased John Spencer. I certainly mean no copyright infringement and if there is a precise origin I'll happily add the credit.
