The second day of the lockdown found Shepard pacing up and down the storage hold. Williams was trying to get some work done, but found herself distracted by all the muttered obscenities behind her. "Damn, Shepard. You kiss your momma with that mouth?"
Shepard pulled up short, giving Ashley a sly half smile. "I'm pretty sure you know exactly what I do with this mouth." Hearing Garrus clear his throat rather loudly sent them into a fit of laughter. Shepard was glad for a break in the tension she was feeling. She still hadn't figured out a way to regain control of the Normandy, and she was feeling more irritated by the hour. Resuming her pacing (and her cursing), Shepard began considering less savory methods to convince the Council to release the Normandy and allow her to pursue Saren on Ilos. She barely registered that Wrex and Garrus had left the hold to find some lunch.
"Shepard, relax. I can't get a damn thing done with you growling back there."
"Sorry, Ash. Tell me - if one were to be good with a sniper rifle, how difficult would it be for one to take out say, a turian Councilor without anybody identifying the location or identity of the sniper?"
"Shepard!"
"What? Just asking a question!"
Ashley moved over to Shepard, circling her arms around her waist. "Seems like you could use a distraction, Commander." Shepard locked her own arms around Ashley's shoulders, holding her close. Not for the first time, she noted how well their bodies fit together. Mine. This thought seemed to come more frequently of late. More intensely. Shepard ghosted her lips near Ashley's ear, "So, distract me then." Needing no further encouragement, Ashley began placing kisses along Shepard's neck, eliciting whimpers from her lover.
"Sorry to interrupt, Commander. Got a message from Captain Anderson."
"Goddammit, Joker. What did I tell you about your timing?" Shepard barked. "And how the hell did you know you might be interrupting anything?"
"Um, no reason. Anyway, he said to meet him at Flux this evening. No uniforms."
Shepard sighed. "Thanks, Joker. Seriously though, we're going to have a talk about your suspicious timing."
"Yes ma'am. Joker out."
Shepard turned her attention back to the woman in her arms. "So, Chief. You busy tonight? Thought I might take you out clubbing."
"Ma'am, yes ma'am!"
OoOoO
The meeting with Anderson at Flux was interesting. They quickly hammered out a plan for Anderson to release the lockdown on the Normandy, allowing Shepard to head to the Mu Relay and onward to Ilos. It was risky, and could have serious repercussions for Anderson's career if things went sideways, but despite Williams' initial misgivings they all understood that there was no other choice. Anderson would do his part the next morning, advising Shepard to be on the Normandy and at the ready.
Once the plan was in place, Anderson said his goodbyes and left to make preparations, leaving Shepard and Ashley behind in the club. Shepard was glad for the chance to have even a short time alone off-ship with her marine, and planned to take full advantage of it. With a quick kiss, she excused herself to get them something to drink.
As she waited at the bar, Shepard found she couldn't take her eyes off of Ashley. The chief was sitting back in her chair, the ankle of one long leg resting on the knee of the other. Her hair was loose, just slightly hanging over one eye. Ashley's breasts were accented by the snug black tee she wore. Even just sitting there, Ashley exuded a casual confidence, an underlying strength. Shepard loved that about her. Even more, she loved that Ashley seemed so unaware of it. She loved. . . Damn, I've been using that word a lot lately when I think about her. A ball of emotions began churning anew in Shepard's chest. Only this time, she didn't fight it. She allowed herself to just feel.
Her heart pounding, Shepard tried to let go and see where that ball of emotions would go. Her gaze never strayed from Ashley. And as Ashley turned her face to Shepard, offering her a dazzling smile from across the room, Shepard felt a sudden warmth flooding her from head to toe. She is mine, and I am hers. Because I love her. Full stop. That's what this was, wasn't it. I love her.
"Commander?" Shepard realized that the bartender had been trying to get her attention. Tearing her eyes away from Ashley for just a moment, she grabbed their drinks and returned to their table.
Ashley's eyes focused on Shepard as she made her way back, enjoying the way her heart still skipped a beat whenever she was near. Shepard sat close to her, placing a hand on her thigh. Holding her glass towards Ashley, she said, "Cheers! Here's to getting our freedom tomorrow, if it all goes right."
Ashley tapped her own glass against Shepard's. "I'll drink to that!" Ashley took her first sip, expecting the commander's usual bourbon, but was pleasantly surprised to find that Shepard had instead brought them two glasses of Ashley's favorite scotch. Eyebrows quirked, Ashley asked, "Did they run out of bourbon?"
Shepard laughed, "I'd never come back here if they did! I just thought you might enjoy this tonight."
"Mmmmm. I do. But I hope that's not all I enjoy tonight, Skipper." Ashley's throaty flirting caused Shepard's hand to involuntarily squeeze Ashley's thigh. Damn, I love how she can do that to me. And there was that word again. Ashley laughed softly, leaning over to kiss Shepard softly. Shepard responded in kind at first. I love you, she thought, deepening the kiss as she opened her mouth, pushing her tongue between Ashley's lips, tasting bourbon and desire, unconcerned with whoever might be watching. I am yours echoed in her head as she poured everything she could into this one kiss. Ashley groaned into her mouth.
When they broke for air, Ashley pulled back, surprised at the intensity of the kiss. There was a fire in Shepard's green eyes that she hadn't seen before. She wasn't sure what was behind either, but she was sure that she liked it. She offered Shepard a coy half smile as she lifted her glass to her lips. "Well, that's definitely a good start."
They didn't stay at Flux for long.
OoOoO
Back on the Normandy, duty called so Shepard first went to the bridge to fill Joker in on the plan she'd worked out with Anderson. At 0800 the next morning, the crew would be ready to depart at a moment's notice. If Anderson was successful, they would probably have only minutes to get away before the Council could reassert control.
Satisfied that all appropriate orders were given and everything was ready for the morning, Shepard made her way to her cabin, mind already moving on to her next puzzle.
Entering her quarters, Shepard was pleased to see that Ashley and a glass of bourbon were waiting for her. Shepeard settled into the chair next to Ashley, taking a deep drink and savoring the heat of the bourbon in her throat. "Thanks. You always seem to know what I need."
"Worried about tomorrow, Skipper?"
"I'd be an idiot if I weren't. But I trust Captain Anderson. He'll do his part. Then it will be up to us to do ours."
Ashley stretched her legs out in front of her, settling back in her chair, glass in hand. "You've made sure we'll be ready. Now relax. There's nothing to be done until morning."
Shepard sat back and admired Ashley as she tilted back her glass and took another drink. I love her. She raised a single eyebrow. "Nothing? I seem to remember we started something in Flux. I hate to leave anything unfinished."
Shepard stood, taking Ashley's hand and drawing her up next to her. She wrapped her arms around the chief's waist, holding her tight against her, hip to hip and chest to chest. Ashley sighed into the embrace, placing her arms around Shepard's shoulders, hands clasped behind her neck. Shepard kissed Ashley, gently at first, then with more hunger and need, her body feeling as if it were on fire. She moved her mouth to place a kiss a sensitive spot she'd found just behind Ashley's ear, earning a mewl from the marine. I love you, she thought.
"I love you, too, Sloane," Ashley replied, her voice low and thick.
Shepard pulled back to look at Ashley, realizing that she must have said the words out loud. I meant it, though. Every word. "I love you, Ash," Shepard said again, this time purposefully and deliberately, pouring all she could of herself into those simple words.
"Show me," was the growled reply as Ashley pulled Shepard into a deep kiss, their hands grabbing and groping and rubbing and squeezing. When they both finally came up gasping for air, Shepard scooped Ashley up in her arms and carried her to the bed and laid her down gently.
Shepard started with Ashley's boots, removing first one, and then the other. She turned her attention to Ashley's shirt, pushing it slowly up her torso, kissing each newly exposed inch of skin. Ashley squirmed involuntarily under her touch. As she lifted the shirt over Ashley's head, she stopped and kissed Ashley tenderly on the lips, tracing one finger along her jaw. The deceptively simple touch was surprisingly intimate, causing Ashley to moan quietly against Shepard's lips. Tossing the shirt aside, Shepard turned her attention back to Ashley's bra. Using just a finger on each hand, she lightly brushed each strap down the chief's strong shoulders. Sliding both hands along Ashley's ribs around to her back, Shepard lifted her with one hand, undoing the clasp of the garment with the other, but not yet removing it.
Shepard lowered one side of the bra, caressing the curve of Ashley's breast with a hand, while taking the already hardened nipple into her mouth. She circled her tongue around the peak, pausing occasionally to suck and nibble. Ashley's back arched as her breath caught in her throat. Once Shepard was satisfied that she was done, she moved to the other side, doing the same there. She sat up, pulling Ashley's bra down her arms, and tossed it over in the general direction of her shirt.
She bent down again to kiss her lover, pulling Ashley's lower lip into her mouth, and Ashley took advantage of her nearness to rub a palm against Shepard's breast through her thin shirt, the nipple responding immediately to her touch. Maintaining the kiss, Ashley reached down to the hem of the shirt and pulled it upward. Shepard broke the kiss to help remove the shirt, throwing it aside. She lowered herself onto Ashley, breast pressed to breast, and looked her lover in the eye. "I love you," she murmured as she kissed her gently on the lips, moving to trail kisses along her jaw and neck, down to the hollow between her breasts, not stopping until she reached Ashley's navel. She unzipped Ashley's jeans and reached a hand in to cup her sex through her underwear, rewarded to find Ashley already slick with desire.
Shepard resumed her trail of kisses as she rubbed Ashley's heated center through the fabric, now and then teasingly slipping a finger near her wetness, only to withdraw it again immediately. Ashley made a frustrated sound, bucking up against Shepard's hand, trying desperately for more contact.
Shepard looked at Ashley and playfully clucked her tongue. "Not yet, marine."
Instead, she grabbed onto the waistband of the Ashley's jeans, one hand on each side, and began to slowly draw them downwards. As before, she kissed each area as it was uncovered - first on one side, then the other, carefully avoiding the heat between Ashley's legs, until the jeans were at Ashley's feet, finally removing them completely. Before she could repeat the process with Ashley's panties, the frustrated chief reached down and pushed them down herself, kicking them rather inelegantly off the bed. Shepard chuckled, and stood up at the end of the bed. Ashley was beautiful, lying there before her, hair spread on the pillow beneath her head, eyes flashing with want, ample chest heaving, her sex glistening with desire. Mine.
Shepard slowly unzipped her pants. She slipped her hands down the front, hooked her thumbs over the waistband then turned around and ever so slowly pushed them downwards, bending over at the waist as she did. She could hear a sharp intake of breath from the bed behind her, followed by a smattering of obscenities..
Turning around, she saw Ashley licking her lips. "Dammit, Sloane. If you don't fucking touch me right now I might die."
With a laugh, Shepard climbed back on the bed, straddling one of Ashley's legs, her thigh barely touching Ashley's wet sex. As Shepard leaned down to kiss her, Ashley began grinding against Shepard's leg, seeking enough friction for some much needed release. In response, Shepard reached down and slid her hand in between Ashley's center and her own leg. Seeing Ashley's obvious need, she thrust two fingers into her, pressing the palm of her hand against Ashley's hard clit, moving her fingers in and out slowly at first, steadily increasing the pace while maintaining pressure on her apex.
Shifting just slightly, Shepard moved her leg away from Ashley's center so that she could add a third finger. Ashley countered by pressing her thigh up between Shepard's legs, painting it with Shepard's own slick desire. Moaning at the contact, Shepard couldn't stop herself from rubbing herself up and down Ashley's leg.
Shepard curled her fingers forward, increasing the intensity of her thrusts. Ashley's breaths came faster and faster until finally she cried out, her inner walls quivering against Shepard's fingers. Still grinding on Ashley's thigh, Shepard was just a moment behind her, growling as she reached her peak. Both spent, Shepard withdrew from Ashley and lowered herself the rest of the way onto her, their bodies slick with sweat and their own juices. Holding herself up on one forearm, she took Ashley's chin and looked steadily into her eyes. "I love you, Ashley."
Ashley held the look, bringing her hands up around Shepard's back. "I love you, Sloane."
And that was just the first way Shepard showed her she loved her that night.
