Cecelia:

Everything around Cecelia was black. No color, no ground, no ground. It was the strangest dream she had in a while.

A shadow passed over her and she looked up and saw a mass of colors walking in the distance. It seemed impossible but as she watched it and willed herself toward the object or being she moved. It didn't even take minutes before she was upon the person and saw that it was Ty.

He appeared to be looking for something inside a chest and speaking to himself. "od, can't believe I am doing this. *Hick* damn Asari giving me that black cauldron of a drink. How was that the nightly special?"

Cecelia shook her head. "Figures that the only thing in this dream is you."

Ty shot up immediately and stared at her wide eyed. He opened his mouth to say something but all that came was another hiccup.

She chuckled. "Well, too bad nobody else is here. They might like this silent version of Ty."

His gaze flattened. "Wow, I don't talk that much."

"Though they wouldn't like the overly serious bit as much."

"So, you just going to float there or are you going to land on the ground? Cause from where I stand, you ain't no angel."

"...yeah, definately like the real Ty better than Dream Ty."

Ty just facepalmed and said something that was barely audible.

She looked around. "Weird dream."

"This isn't a dream, we are in your subconscious. This is what is in the back of your brain." Ty put his hand out to her. "Now, take my hand and imagine that I am standing on ground."

After a moment, she shrugged. Might as well go with the dream while it's a good one. She took Ty's hand in her own and closed her eyes. She suddenly felt ground beneath her feet.

With her eyes closed she heard Ty laugh. "You look like you are dazed by a camera flash."

Her eyes snapped open in a glare. "I wonder how hard I can punch in a dream."

He pulled his hand away and held them up in front of him. "I don't know, how hard do you believe you can punch?"

"I think I'm starting to prefer the more usual types of dreams. Least nightmares are honest about what they're telling me most of the time."

He turned away from her and crouched back down and began going through the box that had suddenly appeared. "Fine, you can exit just by closing your eyes and thinking exit."

"Sheesh, what is Dream Ty's problem?"

"Problem is that I got you from another reality making me wish I could slice her open… Wow, that sounded like something I would never say."

"Me from another reality?...does that make you a Ty that acts like Bourne, or a Bourne that looks like Ty?"

""Will you drop the idea that this is a dream? It's getting annoying."

She felt her own irritation growing as well. "Oh, so what, this is a nightmare? Because that's what it's turning into with the joking immature User I have a crush on being...whatever this is."

Ty turned around and leaned against the box. "You're right, I'm sorry. There is just… something that I had to check out. That's why I entered your mind."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, this I can't wait to hear."

Ty's usual smiled came to his face. "I might need some convincing before I tell you anything."

She smiled. "Well, then, 'Mr. Not a Dream-'" She pulled off her jacket, leaving her in just the tanktop. "What did you have in mind?" She put a hand on her hip, putting on her most flirtatious smile as she posed.

"A back rub might be nice."

"Good idea." She said, taking off the tank top and turning around, laying down on the couch that appeared. "Feel free to undo the back of the bra if you need to. I know that can get in the way of a massage."

She felt her bra fall off. "Fine, but don't expect this from me in real life around people."

"Around people? Hmm, not on a first date, but if things get boring I might be interested."

Ty began working on her shoulders. "So, what were you dreaming about before you came here?"

He stopped as she tensed up. "Torfan." She fought back the images that went through her head, especially as some of them started appearing around her- and as her armor started to materialize around her.

Ty kept his voice soft but also the most prominent thing that she was hearing. "Let it go back into your mind. Don't let it control you or else it will pull us both in."

She tried to relax, but the images kept coming. It was far easier to put them aside in her waking hours than in the grip of sleep.

"Cecelia, think of something else. A good memory."

After a moment, she chuckled as she remembered Ty shoving the apple onto the end of a gun. Followed by a few shots of Hannah and Bourne beating the tar out of each other. And then the time she sprayed Hannah with the coca-cola.

The scene changed and Ty was sitting next to the box and holding an apple. "Well, I think I know what you thought of."

"What do you think I just thought of then?" She asked, sitting up and then instantly being relieved that the jacket and tanktop were back on.

Ty put the apple out and it stuck on the end of a gun that was just floating by. "Gee, I wonder. What do you regularly dream about if not the last thing."

"Normally...no. Dream or not, I am not telling you about that."

Ty pointed down toward the box. "I can always go searching for it."

"Don't you have a back to massage?" She said, laying back down on the couch.

Ty walked back up and sat beside her and began rubbing her back. "Why won't you tell me?"

"Maybe I'm tempted to see if you really can find it."

Ty stood up from her and walked over to the chest. "Okay, then." He kicked the chest and it shot open. "Let's see what I can find because I can guarantee you that I will find more than just that."

"You know, I'm not exactly the most...stable individual. You sure you want to risk stumbling across something that's better left in the dark?"

He kicked the chest again and a small box jumped out of it. After examining it for a second and then peaking inside he began laughing.

"Oh, god, that's something I wouldn't want anyone to see."

She snatched it out of his hands with a quick motion. "Don't you have to go annoy Bourne's dreams or something?"

"Hey, you're the one sleeping next to me and apparently you had trouble with training bras."

"...yes. That is the embarrassing thing I was trying to keep you from finding out."

His smile deepened even more. "Worst lie ever." He might as well have dove into the box as he began shuffling around it frantically pulling boxes up and then tossing them back to one side.

She shrugged and sat down on the couch. "Even if you find it, not like the non dream Ty will know about it."

He stood up and walked over to her and kneeled down by her face. "I am the real Ty."

"Prove it."

He reached over and pinched her arm and it hurt. "Pain can only transfer when one conscious mind touches another."

She looked at him for a moment, before socking him in the jaw. "What the hell are you doing in my head?"

He shrugged. "I was wondering what it was like in here. Plus, I was wondering if you have had any dreams lately. Dreams that might have you from someone else's point of view."

"...and what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"This is the only place that you can really remember all the dreams you have had. I just need an answer that is truthful. Yes or no?"

"First, tell me why you'd ask a question like that." She said to stall him, unable to stop herself from going over her more recent dreams in her head.

His smile was warm and made her relax. "Imagine that you are a being of power that you yourself can't fully comprehend and then ask yourself if you could live and believe that you didn't directly change someone's life just by willing it."

She stared at him blankly. "So, you're saying...what, you think you did that to me somehow?"

He kept his smile but closed his mouth and nodded.

"And that if I'd had dreams like that, it'd be proof?"

"Yes. Well, yes and no. I'd need you to relive the dream so I could inspect it."

She groaned. "Well, that's just perfect."

She closed her eyes for a moment and felt a kiss on the cheek.

She leaned back as her eyes popped open. "You know, a lot of my dreams aren't exactly pretty." She smiled devilishly. "But I can think of a few we could...reenact instead."

His fingers weaved into hers. "I can stand by you through anything but we only have about five minutes in the real world before you wake up and that's about five hours in here."

"Whew. For a second I thought it would be in real time. I'd hope you could last longer than five minutes."

His look fell flat. "I meant to go through any dream but not the wet ones."

She pretended to pout, bottom lip stuck out. "Oh sure, get the lady's hopes up and then dash them apart."

"So, you would rather spend five hours having imaginary sex rather than finding out what it is that might make you tick?"

"Well, I suppose we could take a break at some point to imaginary cuddle." She teased. "Alright, so where do we start with the weird freud shit? With the shrinks it's always that stupid rorschach test. No matter how many times I see it, that one's always going to look like a goddamn bat."

"Don't worry, just focus on your dreams and make it become real. Don't worry about me, I can fend for myself but put yourself in it."

"Right, like I'd be worried about anyone with abilities like yours...this isn't some Nightmare on Elm Street thing where if I did in the dream, I die in real life, right?"

"You, no. Me, yes."

"So why in the hell…?"

He stood up and suddenly he was in his armor but it had a shine to it reminding her of a fairytale knight. "Because I have to know. After all, curiosity enlightened the cat."

"You know, that saying was always kinda stupid to me, with the whole "catlike reflexes" thing. Most cats would be smart enough to avoid getting killed by it."

"That's why I didn't say killed the cat. Now think, begin to imagine it and let it be real."

She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, she was looking at herself from an outsiders view- and she recognized the scene, though before her eyes had been those of the woman glaring at her from behind the desk.

"Uh, where the hell are we?" She looked over and saw that Ty was standing next to her.

"Like I said, most of these things aren't pretty." She said as the women stood up.

The other her looked up at the women dispassionately. "So, what are we starting with this time? Rorschach Test? The cognitive tests? I tell you about my dreams and you do the usual BS?"

"Not this time."

Ty leaned against the desk and began laughing at the woman. "She looks like a fucking bird. Kaw kaw."

"You're being relieved of duty effective immediately, and are to be taken into custody pending your trial."

That got through to the dream Cecelia. "What?"

"Your previous actions have been ignored due to your effectiveness, and the excuse of following orders."

"Excuse? I did it because I was following those orders!"

"Not according to these." She slid a datapad across the desk. "You previous tests have shown clear signs of sociopathy, a disregard for life, and an enjoyment of killing. These will no longer be allowed to let slide."

The real Cecelia suddenly realized how heavily she was breathing, but she couldn't get managed to calm herself. A pair of arms laced around her and she realized that Ty was holding her in a hug.

"Calm down and imagine what you would have done now."

She followed Ty's advice and soon she was sitting where her younger self had been. "I've said a hundred times-"

"Yes, you have. But we both know you were lying. Deep down, you did enjoy killing all of those batarians." She leaned back in her chair. "Ellis Newbury, petty officer. You ordered him to hack the door that was rigged to explode. You never did get along very well with him. Gene Harrison, master chief petty officer- as I recall, you told him to hold off a wave while the rest of you pushed deeper to take out the civilians. How many bullets were found in his body? Thirty something? It's an odd coincidence that the week before he'd reported you for conduct unbecoming...not that the entire extranet hasn't seen it by now." She added distastefully, pushing a datapad towards her.

Cecelia didn't need to look down to know it was the video of her stripping on stage during shore leave- it had been the other times she'd had this dream. And so far, she was reacting the exact same way, despite Ty's advice. She almost felt like a puppet in a stage show, someone else pulling on her strings and telling her what to say.

"Put me in it." Ty said softly.

She swallowed nervously. Normally this is the part where the guards would come in and take her away- throw her in with those even worse than her. That same knock came from the door, and she felt sweat dripping down her back. It was always the same.

Commander Anderson walked in and pushed past the woman. "That will be enough Lieutenant. I'll take it from here."

She looked over at Ty, and he was holding his hand out with his eyes closed as he manipulated her dream into her actual memory.

She let herself relax a little. "Thank you Commander. I swear, every goddamn time with this bitch…"

"You mean the 'bitch' that outranks you?" She responded coldly.

"Leave." Anderson had the same confidence to his voice that would have even made Admiral Grissom to listen to him. "Now, what is your side of the story with those men?"

"Newbery was the best hacker there besides myself, and my omni-tool had been shut down by one of the batarian's attacks. I told him to get the door open while I got my own omni-tool working. Harrison was a danger to the mission, a batarian sympathizer. Having him down there would have been begging for trouble."

Anderson pulled up some coffee and took a long drink. "Ah, you drink coffee?"

"If it's decaf."

"Lieutenant, bring her a cup of decaf." The woman that had been questioning her glowered at Anderson as she left the room. "Now, we have proof that Harrison had put something in your drink that night and the club owner admitted to smelling alcohol on your breath and that you seemed to be experiencing some sort of high. He wouldn't have let you go on but he said a woman that resembled Harrison's description threatened him. As for the Engineer, we do have it on record that your omni-tool was fully shut down at the time of his death."

"Then what's with her?" She thumbed over her shoulder at the door.

"She is Lieutenant Harrison." He looked at her and then activated his omni-tool to lock the door.

"Figures. Only someone related to her could be that fucked up in the head."

"Language. You are in the presence of a superior."

"Only someone related to her could be that messed up in the head. Sir."

Ty stepped into her view behind Anderson and grabbed his coffee cup. "Not a fan of black coffee but then again he might have loaded it with sugar." He took a drink and a smile of ecstasy crossed his face. "Ah, caffeine."

She looked at Anderson, but he didn't seem to notice Ty.

Ty sat the coffee cup down and then looked around. "Yeah, this all seems pretty solid. So, what do you want to live through next? You said once you dropped a building on a guy, who was he?"

The scene faded until they were back in that black void. "I've never dreamed about that from someone else's view. It's the reason I started with that one- normally when I have that dream, I'm the one behind the desk."

He sat down on the chest that had reappeared.. "Okay, how about we take this to the streets? Kind of wondered how it is to walk around Boston in the twenty-second century."

"You said you wanted to look at dreams that were of me from someone's point of view." She crossed her arms. "Or are you just trying to figure out what makes me tick and using that as an excuse?"

"No, I wanted to see if there was something wrong with your dreams. Let's take it to Boston. Just pick a dream that you had there."

She shook her head. "Fine, exploding the jerk ex it is."

He was instantly holding popcorn. "Roll the film then."

"You want to see him die, or me deciding to kill him?"

"Let's go with the latter since it happens second."

They were instantly in the old building, and she leaned against the wall to wait. The younger her was against the far wall, arms crossed and mirroring her.

"You sure you want to watch this?" Cecelia commented to Ty. "It's a lot like how I beat the crap out of you. I don't want you getting PTSD on me all of a sudden."

"Yeah, that was Bourne." Ty shrugged and laughed. "We had our bodies switched at the time. Didn't you think I was talking weirdly?"

"I'd just slammed you into the ground about a dozen times- I'd have been more surprised if you still sounded like yourself…that actually explains a lot though." She frowned. "But when you two were closer together you did a better job of acting like each other. Radios with external speakers off?"

"Eh, somethings I still got to keep secret. But, get enough drinks in me and I might tell you." He leaned against the wall next to her younger self. "Damn, she's cute."

"...Gross. I just realized that means that Bourne was flirting with me."

"Yeah, he told me that he might have gotten me a ticket to quote unquote 'bonetown.''

"...Can I borrow that giant bladed grenade launcher thing when we wake up? I feel obligated to kick his ass for saying that."

"Eh, no. He's still enough of a friend that I can't allow you to do that."

"What about the giant hammer then?...also, when exactly did you get switched back to your actual bodies?"

"After you left and Iron exploded and we were back in our own bodies."

"Oh thank god. For a second I was worried I'd shown him the tattoo instead of you...can I use the blade grenade thing to kick his ass for getting me to admit to having that?"

"Again, no. Also, I've heard of women getting butterfly tattoos but an Eagle with an N7 in the middle?"

"Yeah, I know. The idiot tattoo artist couldn't make a falcon to save his life."

"Still, why a bird? Why a trampstamp?"

"...I don't want to talk about it, alright? It was one of my less well thought out decisions. Next day was probably the second worst hangover I've ever had."

"Geez, you take three drinks and you pass out. On my second worse hangover the worst thing that ever happened to me was that I got a mustache and monocle drawn on my face."

"Yeah, let's just say that the falcon wasn't the only tattoo I got that night...it was just the only one I kept."

"What else did you get?"

"I was drunk, remember? Black out drunk. I just took a look in the mirror, saw my skin was the wrong color over a lot of my body, made an appointment to have it lasered off."

He picked up the hair on Cecilia's younger self's head. "So, what's with the whole long on top and shaved on the sides look. Did that really come back into style?"

"It's another reason I wanted to kill him. It was his 'suggestion'."

"So, I guess it's true that you are a natural red head. Oh my god, that is one hell of a bruise."

Her lip curled up unconsciously. "The main reason."

"Well, if he was still around I could make him die in the worst way possible."

"I think I came pretty close. Broke every limb, gouged out his eyes, stomped on his crotch so hard I made them explode...and that's the simple stuff."

He crossed his arms and just kept looking at the younger her. "Man, I feel like I should just hug you. How old are you when this happened?"

"Sixteen."

Ty perked up and looked toward the actual her. "Well, I'm not going to say anything else I was thinking about younger you."

"Why would you want that, when you could have this?" She said, putting on her most seductive smile as she waved a hand over herself.

He looked at her and then his face got really red as he looked away and mumbled something.

"You know, we still do have several hours after this...hint hint."

His face got even redder and he activated his helmet to hide it. "Why do you all have to push me into sex."

She laughed. "Oh calm down. If I was really that desperate for some action I'd have broken the handcuffs out."

"... Uh, I think this will be the last time I allow you to stay in my room."

"Hmm, maybe I should wake up first and do that." She teased. "I don't have any with me, but I could always fabricate a set with my omni-tool."

"You know, you aren't making this easy for me. I've had a lot of ex troubles myself."

She chuckled. "Wonder if all relationships are this complicated, or if it's only us."

"I could see a regular guy having commitment issues if the woman he was going to marry disappeared one day."

"...yeah, point taken."

Ty's head cocked to the side. "I just realized that I never told anyone but Bourne that. Now, you… Feels good to get it off my chest."

She glanced over at her younger self as she started pacing. "Well, we still have some time. Was that Layla or…?"

"Yeah, I saved up for about six months and had a ring picked out. Then, I came home from work one day and there was just a note on the fridge. It said, 'goodbye' and that was it."

"And then you got sucked into your...X-box as nanites?"

"No, I got digitized and then I was uploaded into the nanites."

She forced a smile. "You know, I've always wondered what it'd be like to date an older man."

"Mentally twenty-four, to your… twenty-five?"

"Mentally twenty-four? Don't flatter yourself. You maybe have the mind of an eightteen year old."

"Pft, no way. I was twenty four for longer than you have been alive."

"Yeah, and it's obvious how much you've matured in that time." She said with a smile.

"That's it, I was stuck in a digital world for about one-hundred and fifty years. I think it's because I didn't mature that I didn't go bat-shit-motherfucking insane."

"So, still mentally eightteen."

"I don't know." His helmet dropped and rose like he looked her over. "You still have the body of an eighteen year old."

"Duh, I had that nine years ago." She nodded her head at her younger self.

He looked away again. "Yeah, but you were jailbait then."

"Like I said. Same body, but legal...and with a better haircut."

"Still not gonna do anything." He made a motion with his hand. "Shall we continue?"

"I thought you had the remote."

"Haha, now get this train moving."

The door opened, and Cecelia almost spat at the sight.

His teeth were tinted pink as he smiled- he'd obviously dusted up not long before coming. "Hey baby. Bit out of the way for a hook up, ain't it?"

Even now her skin crawled, though her younger self hid it much better as she put on a smile. "Yeah, well, I thought we would try something new." She pulled some chains out of her coat. "If you are up for it."

"Ooo, feeling spicy tonight are we?" He said with a lewd grin.

The older Cecelia shook her head. "I honestly have no idea what I ever saw in him."

Ty was walking around the guy curiously. "You know, I've never thought that I was good looking, decent maybe but compared to this guy I am the hottest thing since the sun was created."

"And clearly the most modest too."

"Who else do you know that can manipulate the very fabric of your reality?" He just circled her soon to be dead ex. "I think that alone gives me the right to be as cocky as I want."

" Saren, and your ex...possibly Bourne or Iron, depending on how full of it he was being earlier."

"Wow, you really know how to knock a guy down."

"Just saying." She said with a half apologetic shrug.

She looked over at her younger self as she finished placing on the cuffs and then kicked him into the wall. She then began ruthlessly stomping on him, kicking him, and doing all manner of physical violence.

"Geez, temper much?" She could feel the sarcasm dripping from the sentence.

"You did hear me say I dropped a building on him, right?...I mean, Bourne was in your body when I said it, but you must've heard it at some point."

"Yeah, I was sitting a floor under you so tempted to stop you from destroying my body but another part of me said that you would just turn it around on Bourne's body to which that would have meant you would have lost both of your heavy hitters."

She rolled her eyes. "I hardly think Bourne's biotics come close to what you can do."

"'Flattery won't get you anywhere with me.'" Ty's tone was mocking and she realized that was one of the first things she ever said to him.

"Just saying. I don't get why you two seem so...close. You're nothing alike, he threw you out of an elevator, and regularly threatens you with violence...yet you've also saved each other's asses a dozen times. Hell, even back on Eden Prime I could tell you had something in common despite knowing you for about a half hour and knowing almost nothing about you."

Ty shrugged and then watched her kick the crap out of the other guy. "I guess we are forced to be. We have a similar background and it forces us to lean on each other even if we absolutely hate the others guts. Honestly, I would have prefered anyone else but at the same time. I think I can find the fun guy in him."

Cecelia stared at him for a moment. "Fun guy? In Bourne?"

"Everyone has a fun side. Just not everyone cares to show it."

"...Are we still both talking about the same person?"

His head finally dropped. "I don't know, honestly he's the first person I might give up on."

"I don't think I've ever seen you give up at anything."

He began rubbing his arms like he was cold. "Yeah, I haven't until now."

"Well, when he was in your body he seemed a little more normal, so there's hope for him at least."

Her ex was pleading for mercy and her younger self was standing over him looking as intimidating as fuck. He even looked like he was pleading with her and she knew what she was going to say next and as if by muscle memory she said it too.

"Well, that was fun. I think I am going to go grab a bite to eat now. You can join me if you can get out of here in time. This building is scheduled for destruction in… thirty minutes?"

He looked up in her direction- or rather tried to, since his eyes were on the other side of the room now, but whatever he said was unintelligible without his tongue and with most of his teeth broken apart or ripped out.

"Wow, dark. But… it scares the shit out of me."

"Why do you think I wanted you out of my head?" She said dryly.

"Honestly, not the scariest shit I have seen. I think the scariest thing was falling from near orbit." Ty looked up at the ceiling and smiled. "Now, all that's left on the bucket list is to use a Mass Relay to launch myself across the galaxy."

"What, nothing about getting the girl?"

His head tilted to the side. "Why would that be my goal? Not like getting the girl is something to brag about."

"You have an odd view of life sometimes...and I don't know, I might brag about landing a some fun with Shiara."

"Eh, I've seen her a few times already."

"Did she do that thing with her tongue and the biotics on you too?"

"She unlocked my ability to catch biotics. So no, she didn't." He seemed perfectly content with where he was as the room shifted and went to black again.

"So, see anything unusual with that last dream?"

Ty's armor fell away from him and he shook his head. "Nope, did you?"

"How the hell would I know what counts as unusual here?"

"I guess you are right. Well, my time is up. I'll see you when you wake up I guess."

"Okay, so how the hell do I get out of here and do that?"

"I just have to leave and you will fully wake up."

She smiled. "In that case, I'll see you soon."

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm still sleeping. Long night last night."

"Hmm…I can think of a few ways to wake you up you might enjoy."

"Well, if you think you can." Ty disappeared after that and a bright light invaded the dark space. Soon after that she woke up and saw that Ty was half hanging off the bed in his clothes from the last night. He was even sleeping so heavily and drooling on the bed.

She shook her head, and got up, then paused, hearing what sounded like distant explosions coming from down the hall. She noticed Ty stirred a bit with the explosion and moved himself onto the bed and cuddled up close to a pillow.

She threw on her clothes and went to investigate, though the source was obvious as she saw the door to the range open.

"Three points you dirty whore!" Bourne said with a grin as another explosion went off. "God I love these things!"

"What are you doing in here?"

"...It's a shooting range. What does it look like I'm doing?"

She stepped across the hall and into the open door to see Bourne holding a glowing grenade in his hand and chuck it down range.

It stuck to the head of its target, and exploded a moment later. "That is literally the hundredth time I've done that, and I'm still not bored."

"Well, I don't know if that is the most pathetic thing I've heard or the most interesting." She looked down range at the destroyed target. "Has Ty ever come into your dreams before?"

"If I had a credit for every time I've dreamed about throwing him out of the elevator again-" he threw another grenade and then looked at the wall of weapons. "What do you think, Brute shot or Spiker?"

"I don't care. Has Ty personally ever invaded your dreams before?""

He grabbed the larger weapon, hefting it and aiming it down range. "I don't exactly have a lot of people to dream about you know. Amnesia tends to cut down on the number of people a person knows."

She laughed at Bourne's comment. "I guess you're right there. Here's a question, why are you and Ty so close?"

"Because we're both from the distant past but are also psychic and know the future." He deadpanned as he opened fire with the grenade launcher. "I ask myself that question just about every five minutes."

"Do you even trust him?"

He seemed to consider it a moment. "More than I used to, though not as much as he deserves. Still probably trust him more than anyone besides Hannah though."

"Even with how crazy she has been?"

He didn't answer, though he way he started aiming the grenades at the target's heads seemed to be a no.

"I just got done talking to Ty about you by the way, he says he is about to give up."

"Didn't think he'd be up this early." He muttered, putting the weapon back on the wall and glancing at the rest, deciding what to take next. "Give up on what?"

"On you", She didn't want to tell Bourne but he needed to hear this. She couldn't have him falling out of sync with Ty.

"Meaning what?"

"He's about to give up. That's all he said. I didn't ask for details and he isn't really giving information."

He turned around to look at her, expression slightly troubled. "I don't think I've ever seen him give up at anything."

"That's what I said."

He slumped against the wall, hard enough to knock a few weapons off the wall. "Perfect. Just fanfuckingtastic."

She sat down across from him. "Hurt?"

He gave her an annoyed look. "By now, I'd have thought you'd figured out how little I care about how other people think of me. It's more that I'm worried about him. And Hero, like you said. They were ready to kill each other yesterday. Ty said so in cold blood. Hero wasn't much better. And for either of them to be that angry...it's like fire being cold."

"Ty didn't seem angry, more of exasperated." She was finally getting to talk to both Ty and Bourne away from each other.

"The exact thing he said to me was 'you might want to tell her to stay away from me… forever. Seriously, if she comes near me, I'll kill her. I'm not joking by the way.'... and I could tell he meant every word."

"He just told me that he is about ready to give up on you. Something about you not wanting to be fun."

His eyes blazed crimson. "Not wanting to be?"

"Yep, that's what he said."

He grunted. "You'd think by now he'd know me better than that."

"Jason, I don't think he is giving up because he is low or trying to spite you. I think he is giving up because you haven't tried."

He took a step towards her, and for a moment she thought he was going to try using the biotics despite the limiter. "You know what? I- screw it, I've had this conversation enough times already. I'm sick of repeating myself."

"Speak Jason, if not to your commander then to me. Talk to me, person to person. After all, I'm just as flawed as you if not more."

"Really? You've had an AI implanted in your head that made you attack your teammates, while all the while you had to fight it with every ounce of will you could possess, yet still were helpless to watch as your own hand took a knife out of your arm and threw it into the gut of one of them?" His hand went up to wrap around the scar on his right arm. "And that's just one time it managed to take over."

"No, but I have betrayed trust, lied, cheated, and stolen. Bourne, I am flawed and I admit it. Just trust me, I have the responsibility to keep you sane and us all together as a unit."

"It's not my own sanity I'm worried about." He looked her straight in the eye. "Think about it. If he went Awol, there wouldn't be anything anyone could do to stop him from tearing the universe apart."

"He wasn't going crazy with me. It was him, literally giving up on you and what seemed like everyone. Bourne, you broke Ty's spirit. Maybe not his fighting spirit but his ability to believe in people." She looked down at her hands and folded them together. "You might have ruined the best part about him."

He crossed his arms. "Right, because either of us really think that seeing the best in people is really practical."

"No, but it gives everyone hope. Have you ever wondered why the cliche' of the funny guy is so popular? It's because he gives the team hope that they will be what he sees."

"Hope is just a type of lie. Honestly, what the hell do you think he sees when he looks at me? I'm mildly sociopathic at best-"

"Someone who might have been his friend in another life."

"Too bad we met in this one then."

Leaning her head back she let out a long breath. "This one, the next, the one after that. The only difference between the three is if we choose to make friends or go it alone. Now, trust me, it is better to have someone hold your burdens with you than hold them himself. There is a reason the statues of Atlas show him in pain holding the sky alone."

He shook his head. "With some burdens, it's kinder to bear them alone than force them onto others."

"But if said others have offered to hold them with you then it is rude to not accept their help."

"It's cute how you still think I care." His face darkened.

"I still stand by what I said when we talked on the Normandy. I like you and Ty, enough that I want to have both of you make it through this together and not lose one of you along the way."

He closed his eyes. "You know something? There's been fights I wasn't sure I wanted to get out of- that I almost wanted to give up and let them end the suffering, the pain, the memories. The only thing that kept me going was… I don't even know what it was. But it's gone now."

"God, you are such a pussy. You have acted like this since you met Ty it seems like."

He actually nodded after a minute. "I went from being the deadliest biotic there was, someone who'd never met anyone I couldn't kill at least ten different ways...to an ant looking at a boot and hoping it wouldn't come down on my head."

`"Well, that boot just happens to belong to a bug lover that wants to see you succeed. Besides, you are the most powerful biotic in the universe. Is it really worth your time to mope like you do? Shouldn't you better yourself in any way possible. Ty may be powerful but he can't do this without you."

"If I thought he could, I wouldn't still be here." He said flatly.

"Then why all the moping? Who the fuck are you, Bourne?"

His eyes were crimson as they opened, but he was silent as they took on a thousand yard stare.

"Well, I would call you Eeyore with all your moping but even he was useful every now and then. Who are you?" She stood up and looked down at him waiting for him to man up.

He didn't respond, still staring.

"Who the hell are you!?" She screamed it this time trying to get him to find his balls.

"I heard you the first time you know."

"Then answer my god-damn question! Who the hell are you!?"

"I don't fucking know anymore, alright? First I thought I was one person, then light was shed on what really happened to me, then more crap happened, then the earlier stuff turned out to be a lot of lies...and then I met Him." He was on his feet faster than she would have believed. "We went through the same series of events...but he's still pretty much the same. He's practically a god. And you know something else? I wish I'd never fucking met anyone on this ship. Him especially."

She swung fasted and knocked him in the jaw and made him stumble backwards. His eyes blazed red, which was the only warning she had before his left hand swung up and she was blasted back by his stupid gauntlet."Too fucking bad. You are here and so is he. With the power you possess, there is a fucking obligation you have to use it to help people. You say Ty is immature but you're the one that I see still acting like a child."

He suddenly held a knife in each hand. "I'm well aware of that responsibility. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Well, start Bourne. Because the rest of us have it and we are holding it as best we can." Her fist was clenched and she was ready to take a swing if Bourne made a single move.

"Yeah? Well good for you." His knives disappeared up the sleeves of his jacket. "I'm an outsider here Shepard. I always have been. Before it just hasn't been so obvious."

She opened her mouth to yell again but she closed it when Ty walked in holding his head. "Bourne, you really feel like an outsider?"

He wheeled on Ty, biotics surrounding him as much as was possible. "You're just now picking up on this? Was it not obvious? Before, Ty, I at least had friends around. People who at least respected me if they didn't like me. Even then I never really fit in, but I could at least fake it. You not only got some respect, people wanted to be your friends. Hell, here everyone has told me to my face that they like you better than me, that they think I'm an idiot, immature, brash, violent, trust knives more than people, and generally just am nuts." He pointed a finger at him. "You're practically a motherfucking god, and you fit in with people better than I do. You came out of all this still sane. You still can have fun without looking over your shoulder and expecting a knife in the back."

Ty was squinting at Bourne and then smiled. "I would rather than hang around you then me. Do you know how annoying I am? God, I would probably throw me out of an elevator if I got the chance."

"You know what? When you blundered and mentioned the beacon back on Eden Prime- I wish I'd let her shoot you in the head." Bourne said coldly. "You would probably have somehow survived it, but at least I'd have been rid of you for a few minutes."

Ty just stared at him with an sad look. "... Okay."

"...I overdid the first part, didn't I?" He shook his head. "Seriously, I can't even make a goddamn joke anymore unless it's about sex or violence."

Ty just turned around and walked out the door with his head hung low. "Do you guys want breakfast? I can make waffles, pancakes, or maybe some camp scramble."

Bourne's lips curled into a sneer. "I'm done with both of you. You want me for a mission, fine. Otherwise, fuck off."

He shouldered his way past Ty and towards the front door.

"So, you don't want any breakfast?"

Bourne's response was to turn and blast Ty in the face with his gauntlet, knocking him to the ground. He slammed the door behind him without another word.

"I'm thinking that's a no." Cecelia commented as she walked over to where Ty was and offered him a hand.

He just laid there and stared at the ceiling. "I think I just gave up… it feels terrible."

She shook her head. "Sometimes you just can't help a person. Because they don't want help"

"I didn't want to help him."

"Then what were you trying to do?"

"I was trying to get him to just try…"

"I think he has. And he failed."

Ty closed his eyes and took a breath in. "You do not fail when trying. You just discover another way to not do it correctly. Shepard… Cecelia, when you try then you put effort forth. You don't just go through the motions like he is."

"So he was just humoring you." She glared at the door he'd gone though. "He and I are a lot alike in some ways. The difference is he's still trying to be a hero, even if he doesn't admit it."

"Who the hell cares about heroes or villains? I just want to sit back and have some fun."

"And he just wants to get the job done. Nothing more, nothing less. I'd almost pity him if he actually deserved it."

Ty put his hands back by his head and leaned back and then thrusted himself into the air and landed on his feet and stood up. "That's not good enough. A half-assed job is still a half-assed job."

She shrugged. "True. But it's sometimes better than not doing it at all."

"A half-assed job just leaves it in a place where it is halfway between complete and done. that means it is in a very malleable state. Something is more likely to go wrong with a half-assed job instead of leaving it alone." Ty walked over and opened up the door. "You know, why does everyone think that I am immortal?"

She didn't have an answer for that.

"Yeah, didn't think any of you knew. You just assume that I am."

"Bourne had one thing right. As far as any of us know, you're basically a god."

"Hahaha, no I'm not. God can create. I can only use what is put before me and change it. To compare me to god is like comparing apples to oranges. No, I am not god. Compare me more to a season, like Autumn and how it changes the green colors of summer to harsh oranges and browns and kills all the life that cannot protect itself."

"...Ty...what life could protect itself from you if you tried to kill it?" She asked gently.

"Everything that is real." He was gone and rounded the corner after that.

"...the hell is that supposed to mean?"

(Okay, I want right now a promise that you'll never make me watch that horrible show again.)

)Nope.( *Not happening.*

^I can't do nothing about it.^

~I can't believe that you all are talking about this when we have a detailed if not somewhat jaded story of Cecelia now. Bad move, Tre and Spike.~

(What, complaining about myself over caring about other people is totally in character for me. Samus used that later thing again, just so you know to hunt him/her down and turn him/her into a chicken.)

S7: Oh, well look at that… fucker, stop using my sign off.

^Also, that is my chicken recipe. In other words, no hand outs.^

T117: Kinda glad mine is common enough that people wouldn't want to take it.

S7: What are you talking about? That was JustAFerret's first.

T117:...Meh, I'm not changing it.

S7: Aight, well, I think today is going to be ME3 multiplayer all day.

T117: You still haven't gotten that Juggernaut, have you.

S7: I have… not.

T117: Hehehe.

S7: Nice N7 rating by the way.

(Burned!)

*Iron, yours is zero.*

(...So's yours.)

~Ha, losers. Mine is 18.~

(You're from the real world, so of course you'd be able to play, whereas we've never had the chance.)

^Yeah, you guys suck. We rule. New topic!^

)Uh huh. Uh, let's check the results of that poll again, and...what do you know, we won you sucked.(

So why did you have to check if you have a perfect memory?

)Because shut up.(

^Do you still have perfect memory even though we are in the real world and making this?^

)I don't know, can Layla actually digitize someone into a fowl even though we're in the real world and making this?(

~I don't think we should carry on this conversation any further.~

)Exactly.(

(I'm still pretty much completely insane even though we're in the real world writing this.)

^That is a mental state not a power.^

(Explains why you're still a dumbass even though we're in the real world writing this.)

T117: So, the Friendship thing didn't take long to wear off.

(FRIENDSHIP! Damnit, why'd you have to say that?! FRIENDSHIP!)

S7: Iron, what is the one thing you like more than killing?

(...What.)

S7: Ah, thought you would say friendship.

(FRIENDSHIP! And fuck no, killing people is way more fun.)

^So, anyway, Cecelia as a kid. That was awkward. Friendship.^

(FRIENDSHIP!)

T117: Oh for fuck's sake, CTHI, can you just like, hit that with the spam blocker or something if he spasms like that again?

If I have to suffer by seeing it, so do the rest of you.

S7: I was so surprised when Trebor agreed to this chapter.

T117: Dude, we wrote this thing like four months ago, so I'm not going to remember that at all.

S7: No, just in general. Seemed like the way you wrote Raptor, you would want to write Cecelia with more mystery.

T117: They're completely different characters though, aside from having the same last name.

S7: IDK, mystery is your style.

T117: Not always.

(Ahem. Bourne's got amnesia, Raptor was revealed to have it, it took 50 chapters for an explanation of how Bourne got there, and in ANS you barely touched the subject of how Mark ended up there.)

T117:...Hey Iron, knock knock.

(You're just going to say friendsh FRIENDSHIP FRIENDSHIP!)

T117: I've also never revealed exactly how you became such a complete dumbass.

S7: I like to think his mom smoked and drank a lot.

T117:...Moving on-

He just wrote that down, so it's likely he will steal that idea in the future.

S7: Just another idea he is stealing from me.

)Another idea?(

T117: Hey, to be fair there are a hundred other examples of fiction also using those tropes that the stories would just happen to have in common, and it's not as if they'd be carbon copies. Hell, I'm still working things out in my head so I don't know if they'd be anything alike by the end.

)Wow, overreact much?(

S7: He is really trying to defend that he isn't stealing my ideas and yet he stole [Redacted], [Redacted] and [Redacted]

T117: No, no, no, it's completely different!

*Yeah, and if you write a stand alone about me, that'd be different too I say sarcastically.*

T117: Yeah, like that's going to happen any time soon.

*...*

T117: I mean because...yeah, actually, fuck it, let's go with the original interpretation.

S7: Hey, Layla, how are you enjoying the prequel?

~It's awesome and at least it is something that Trebor can't steal.~

(Yeah, kinda like you can't steal his audience's heart?!)
)...Iron, if you're going to care about our side vs theirs, leave the arguing to the sane people that'd make sense.(

^Layla is still more sympathetic than you. Plus, you tried to date her.^

~Can we not mention that? He thought it was real and kept trying to get my belt off.~

(Meh, I was caught up in the heat of the moment.)

~You said you would only stab me a little during sex.~

(Wait a second...no, that's not written in the chapter, so that's not canon. I wouldn't lie about to a pretty lady's face like that.)

T117:...Okay, that's enough of Iron for a while

S7: She is talking about Rust. Remember when we brought him in for a bit?

(Wait, who?...Oh, I remember now, he's Crazey Metal has been logged off by host.

T117: That's better, much more peaceful.

S7: That means we are scheduled to sign off.

T117: Yeah, guess so.

S7: 1473I2.

T117: Sayonara.