Welcome to chapter 13! We have now officially passed my original story, and I think I've done a hell of a lot better this time around. So please continue reading and reviewing. Seriously please review my work I want to get better and the only way to get better is constructive criticism.
Jack sat in the darkness of her room with her head against the back of the wall listening to the sounds of the Hotel's boiler. She had taken a room in the lower levels of the Tops near the casino's heart. The only people that bothered her here was the staff who generally ignored her presence to smooze on the other Normandy crew members. Jack liked it that way.
She rose from the bed and dressed taking care of her still recuperating hand. Recently she had taken to wearing a skin tight black sleeveless shirt around the Mojave instead of her usual leather straps. This like a lot things lately had been at Shepard's suggestion. Jack didn't like to admit it, but Shepard's opinions carried weight considering she was the only person who trusted Jack in the beginning. The other members of the Normandy's crew had begun to trust and interact with Jack regularly, but there was still a bit of distance between them. So for now at least Shepard was her closest friend, even if she was a young woman scout.
Jack exited he room and made her way through the Tops and out onto the Strip before heading out towards the small restaurant a few blocks down from the tops. She sat at a table and ordered some breakfast and a mug of black coffee, as she thumbs through a newspaper the last diner had left behind. The battle with the Legion was the front page story and displayed a picture of Rex smoking a cigarette as he stood atop a wrecked Legion vehicle. As she scanned through the article she also found a picture of Rex consoling a young woman and child with the caption:
"The courier still sporting wounds from the battle takes the time to console the family of one of our fallen soldiers."
"Consoling a grieving widow perfect moment for a fucking photo op" Jack says laughing bitterly as her breakfast arrives; unfortunately so does the cheerleader.
"Hello Jack I hope your hand is healing nicely" Miranda says sitting down across from Jack.
"It's fine" Jack says taking a bite of her eggs and sausage "What do you want?"
"Jack, I have something to ask you" Miranda says eyeing assortment of food on Jack's plate.
"Oh so now you're being pleasant because you want something" Jack says slicing into an egg.
"As much I hate to admit I am at an extreme disadvantage considering my lack of resources, and that Rex's refusal to allow access to his information network." Miranda says ordering coffee "I hate being uninformed and you are in a unique position to influence my access."
"OH, so that's what this is about" Jack says scowling "You want me to bat my eyelashes, lie on my back and whisper sweet nothings to Rex until it gets you access."
"Oh come on Jack I didn't say go that far, but Rex is obviously interested in you and I need access to his network" Miranda says scowling back "It's imperative that we know what this legion is planning as well as what Rex is planning for us; he must have something in his home, a remote connection perhaps."
Miranda pulls out a small grey piece of metal from her pack.
"This is a transceiver that's modified to tap into local signals and networks, just place it on his terminal and I will have complete access after it connects my terminal to his" Miranda says placing device on the table beneath a napkin.
Jack picks the device up and not for the first time wished she had her biotic abilities before crushing the device in her hands "have someone else do your spying yourself Cheerleader."
"Jack you need to work with me for once" Miranda says standing up "These people are just waiting for the moment to turn on us."
She leaves the diner and Jack suddenly lacking appetite place some caps on the table and leaves the diner and starts walking back towards the Tops. As she reaches the door she sees a glint of red from atop Rex's home and sees Rex sitting on the edge of the roof smoking as he poured a shining thermos into a cup. He was reading a newspaper as he smoked and drank coffee and had his legs dangling off the edge of the roof. People walked by nervously glancing in his direction and hurrying away when they caught sight of him. He wore black pants, a tank top, and his holstered gun strapped to his side and his red tinted goggles atop his head glinting in the sunlight. He really is skinny she thought as she walked closer. Jack looked around and noticed the three soldiers nervously marching around the Strip as their leader sat exposed.
Jack finished her walk down the Strip and stopped in front of Rex's home and yells:
"I don't know if you're brave or fucking stupid"
Rex looks up from his newspaper and smiles down at Jack before waving and disappearing. About a minute later he reappears through the main door of the workshop.
"Morning Jack, how's the hand doing?" Rex asks.
"I can move my fingers again so that's a big fucking improvement" She replies actually looking at him for a moment. He wasn't skinny as much as lean with obvious muscle underneath the tank top.
"Good, I've been meaning to thank you and your crewmates for helping in the fight" Rex says tossing his depleted cigarette into a trash can "Actually I'd like to thank you personally, say dinner at my place?"
Jack looks at him for a moment before saying "What's your game with me, huh? You keep asking after me and don't think I haven't noticed those looks you keep flashing me. If this is about getting me in the sac just say so."
"You think this is about sex? Jack if I wanted some tail all I'd have to do is tell a few war stories at the Bar and I'd have casino bimbos hanging off me like leeches" Rex says chuckling then he moves towards Jack and walks in a circle around her "Don't get me wrong Jack I find you attractive, very attractive in fact, but that's not why I'm interested in you."
"Then what is it? If it's some white knight bullshit then I don't need your help and I sure as hell don't need your pity" Jack says pivoting to keep her front to Rex.
"I have no interest in fixing or saving you Rex" Rex says stopping by his door "I don't want to give you something you don't want or need; I just want to see what makes you tick and maybe just maybe.." He leans in close his face just inches from hers "… I want to show you the real me."
"What if I don't give a shit?" Jack asks not backing away.
"I don't think that's the case" Rex says backing into his doorway "I think you're interested in me too"
"Don't flatter yourself carrot top" Jack says flipping him off.
"Be back here at, say, seven" Rex says backing into the darkness of his shop entryway "Don't worry about dressing up and come hungry."
The door closes behind him leaving Jack standing on the street.
?
"Then he tells me to be there at seven" Jack says relentlessly punching the hanging punching bag "Fucker's confident isn't he?"
They were working out in one of the warehouses where the Normandy's crew had set up a small base of operations.
"Sounds like it" Shepard says holding the bag "You gonna go?"
"Ugh yeah probably" Jack says finishing her barrage "At the very least I'll get a free dinner out of it"
"So what do you think of him?" Shepard asks as they switch positions "could you see yourself being with him?"
"What kind of question is that?" Jack asks bracing against Shepard's barrage of punches "I don't know you know this isn't exactly my fucking area of expertise"
"Well he seems to be genuinely interested in you" Shepard says releasing another few punches before pivoting and kicking the bag "I mean you could do worse, and while we're here you might as well try to enjoy yourself."
"I have been enjoying myself" Jack says "I'm all for a quick fuck and everything that entails I just don't do the whole relationship thing".
"Maybe give it a shot" Shepard says placing her gloved hand on Jack's shoulder "I know what you've been through and I know how hard it is to try and open yourself up to someone, especially someone like Rex, but if you don't try you're never going to be happy."
"Thanks for the pep talk mom" Jack says sliding her hand and flipping her off.
"Anyway I'm pretty sure Veronica would rip his balls off if he ever hurt you or any woman" Shepard says laughing "but in all seriousness I think you two would make a good match."
"Why do you say that?" Jack asks with a skeptical look on her face.
"Like you said he's damaged it shows in how he moves and the way he talks to people" Shepard says "He's got this aura around him that screams dangerous, but he's not all bad, kind of reminds me of someone actually."
"Fuck off" Jack stripping off her sparring gloves.
"All I'm saying is give him a chance Jack" Shepard says wiping sweat from her brow "Maybe it'll do you both some good."
Jack thinks for a moment "You're right I'll give carrot top a chance"
"Good" Shepard says sitting down on a crate "So, how are adjusting to being a lowly mortal"
"It's shit" Jack says sitting beside her "My whole life I have this power that I thought made me strong now it's gone and I realize it was a crutch, how the fuck did you survive all the shit thrown at you?"
"Lots of grenades and ammo types" Shepard says chuckling "and I did die remember."
"Hey if you can do it for your whole life girl scout I can do it for a few weeks." Jack says.
A Normandy crewmen approaches the pair and salutes Shepard before saying:
"Ma'am Kenneth and Gabby need to see you ASAP"
"Alright I'll head over there immediately" Shepard saluting the crewmen before turning to Jack and tossing her a silver hundred cap coin and winks "I'll go handle this, you go and buy something nice to wear for your date."
Jack flips her off but takes the coin and places it in her pocket any way.
"Really I'm proud of you putting yourself out there like this" Shepard says.
"Whatever girl scout" Jack says as they parts and she begins walking back to the Tops to shower off.
?/?/?/?
Later that day Jack walked down the street and looked into the multitude of clothing stores at the selection of clothing and accessories. She felt like she had stepped back in time to one of those old classical movies with all the old fashioned clothing design.
"Why the fuck am I even here?" Jack mutters to herself. She had come here on a whim and was almost immediately regretting it. She didn't need to get dolled up for Rex, she didn't need to get dolled up for anyone.
"Shepard's good girl nature has to be rubbing off on me" Jack says turning to go back to the hotel and runs into Tali, sending the young woman to the ground.
"Oh, Keelah Jack watch where you're going will you" Tali says sitting up.
"You watch where you're going" Jack says offering a hand and helping the qaurian up "What are you doing here I thought you and Mordin were trying to fix the device."
"We are, Shepard ordered us to take a few days off" Tali says brushing dust of her suit "So I decided to do some shopping."
"Why are you in the clothing district?" Jack asks gesturing to Tali's suit "Isn't the suit the only clothing you wear? Planning on going sunning or something"
"Yes it is usually" Tali says "Sometimes we graft fabric and other materials to add decoration to our suits for special occasions and the like."
"What's the special occasion?" Jack asks kind of amused now.
"Oh nothing I'm just having dinner with someone" Tali says "nothing to serious but I'd like to look nice for my date."
"Why bother whoever it is they're just trying to get in your pants or uh suit I guess" Jack says rolling her eyes.
"That's not true" Tali says folding her arms "He's sweet and any way I'm not dressing up for him at least mostly not for him anyway, I'm dressing up a little because it feels nice to look good."
"Whatever I'll see you later Tali" Jack says walking away but Tali grabs her arm.
"Hey you have to tell me what you are you doing here Jack?" Tali asks.
Jack whips around and instinctively prepares a blast of biotic energy but stops herself an inch from Tali's mask remembering her biotic power was gone.
"Don't grab me like that" Jack hisses.
"Sorry" Tali says backing up a little "It's just I told you why I was here, what are you doing here?"
"I have a date tonight too." Jack replies.
"Keelah, you have a date?" Tali asks the lights of her eyes wide in surprise.
"Yes I have a date tonight is it so fucking hard to believe?" Jack replies scowling.
"No, it's just that you don't seem like the type to bother with dating" Tali says.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack says her scowl getting deeper.
"You're just a direct person is what I meant." Tali says quickly.
"Yeah I'm little miss Direct" Jack says her scowl softening. She liked Tali to an extent, while the qaurian could be annoying at times she usually tried to be friendly with Jack in her quarters on the Normandy whenever Tali had to fix something in the lowest level.
"So who's the lucky guy?" Tali asks expectantly.
"If you wanna know you'll have to tell me yours" Jack says smiling.
"Well that's only fair I suppose" Tali says "If you want to know its Garrus."
"Whoa, you and Garrus" Jack says in disbelief "What brought that on?"
"Well you know we've been through a lot together hunting down Saren, and taking on the collectors, and now we're stuck here for the immediate future so why not" Tali replies.
"Well, whatever scratches your itch" Jack says chuckling "Just hope he knows how to calibrate more than just the main guns."
"Keelah, Jack I wasn't even thinking about that" Tali says lightly punching Jack's shoulder "Anyway it's just dinner."
"Yeah" Jack says laughing.
"Your turn" Tali says crossing her arms "Who are you spending the evening with."
"Rex" Jack says looking down the street.
"What?" Tali says once again stunned "He asked you to dinner? That's great. While you're eating can you ask him a few questions for me? Some of the tech in use around the Mojave is fascinating and some of it was designed by Rex and I'd love to pick his brain."
"No fucking way if you want to talk to him do it yourself" Jack replies.
"Fine I suppose I'll try to get a meeting with him tomorrow" Tali says uncrossing her arms.
"Whatever you say Tali" Jack says looking at the shops lining the street "Since you're here you might as well help me pick something to wear."
"Oh I'd love to" Tali says.
Jack stares at her for a moment and then gestures for Tali to follow her down the street.
/?
"Shepard I have bad news." Kenneth says handing Shepard a data pad "The Normandy will never fly again."
"I thought you said you could fix the superstructure" Shepard says looking over the data. They were in the storage hangar where the Normandy was being held.
"We could have if the superstructure wasn't warped on a molecular level" Gabby says as she types rapidly into a holographic panel "we think the wormhole that brought us here collapsed on top of us as we entered this universe, we're actually lucky to be alive."
"Aye if the Normandy's superstructure hadn't held we'd be mush" Kenneth says and shakes a little.
"What does this mean for EDI?" Shepard asks placing h data pad on a workbench.
"We can move her if we keep a steady supply of power to her blue box while it's in transit" Gabby says.
"Once she's moved out we can start scrapping the Normandy for useful parts" gabby says opening a holo-display of the Normandy "If we have too I think we could build another Normandy or at least something to get us through the wormhole."
"How long would it take to build a new Normandy?" Shepard asks.
"With what we have now, and considering we'll need to fabricate parts as well as production equipment, two years at least maybe four." Gabby replies
"We've been thinking Shepard; what if we designed a new Normandy with news weapons and defenses as well as a major upgrades to all of her systems" Kenneth says activating a new schematic "With some of the upgrades we've been designing as well as a few goodies from Cerberus's experimental research we can make the Normandy a force even the Reapers will think twice about crossing."
"If Mordin's right and that device that brought us here can travel through time as well as dimensional space we have all the time in the world to make these upgrades." Gabby says as the improved Normandy appeared on the display "She'll be about twice the size with loads of bells and whistles that won't hit the market for at least five years."
"I knew you two were great engineers but I never thought of you as shipwrights" Shepard says looking over the display.
"We know every nut, bolt, and wire in the Normandy and how they work together" Kenneth says smiling "with enough time and resources the old girl will fly faster and hit harder."
"And I of course will assist in the construction Shepard" EDI says appearing on the display "I have protocols and routines dedicated to construction and fabrication."
"Are you comfortable staying here for two to four years?" Shepard asks the two engineers "That's a hell of a commitment."
"Shepard you saved us from the collectors and for that you earned our loyalty" Kenneth says
"Yeah, and we know that the reapers are coming, and we want to help you fight them" Gabby says.
Shepard says nothing for a moment and looks at her engineers before turning to EDI:
"Are you really alright with this EDI? The transfer and our potential extended stay here"
"I am fine Shepard, as long as I am placed back within the Normandy new or old I will suffer no negative side effects." EDI's blue visage says "I can keep myself busy with the construction and fabrication and also direct workers."
"Alright, I want you three to begin work as soon as you can, but keep in mind once Mordin and Tali have the device working again I won't stop anyone from going home if they want to." Shepard says "I can't ask anyone to stay here against there will once an option to leave opens up."
"Of course commander" gabby and Kenneth says saluting before both he and Gabby return to their work with the schematic.
"EDI, send a message out to all of the crew about what's going on and tell them all I'll address them in the morning; tell them if they have any personal items still on the Normandy now's the time to grab them and get a crew together to transfer you a to a clean room." Shepard orders as turns to face EDI "And continue sending out transmissions on any frequency you can think of."
"Of course Shepard" EDI says before blinking out.
Shepard made for the door and rubbed her temples. She wanted to go back to her suite and crawl into bed with Thane and sleep the rest of the day away, but she had to check the lab where Mordin and Tali worked on the device. As she left the hangar she silently grumbled to herself that if those two were still there and not taking a break she'd drag them back to the strip.
?
Jack stepped out of the store and into the street dressed in her new clothes. She wore a white top that seemed to wrap around her mid-section and chest like an octopus showing off her tattoos and mid-section while still covering her chest. On top of that she wore a leather jacket, sleek and new, and she wore black pants fitted with a rigging holding her small hand gun as well as her shotgun and she wore black steel toed boots which were, like many things in the wasteland, designed to be functional but also look good.
She hated to admit it, but Tali had actually been useful when picking out her new clothes. They finally found a shop that tailored to Jacks tastes after walking through the main shopping area towards the newer and more liberal shops nestled in a back alley. Tali herself had found some items that she had the woman who owned the hop modify so that Tali could affix her suit with the interesting clothing. She had picked a kind of sundress that on a normal woman would have shown and almost ridiculous amount of skin, but on Tali it blended well with her suit almost as if the dress was a part of the suit and vice versa.
The Qaurian has left a few minutes before her as Jack paid for her clothing hurrying to her date. Jack started to head to Rex's home after making sure her old clothes would be delivered to the Tops. As she walked through the streets many people stared at her openly and Jack could hear their whispers. She flipped them the finger and continued her walk through the streets smirking as the sun began its slow setting. When she arrived at Rex's home Jack walked to the front door and just as she reached to open it she froze a chill running down her spine. Jack turns around and looks out into the street, almost deserted except for a hooded figure standing across the street his face obscured by his hood. She looks at the stranger for a moment and he raises his head his face partially revealed in the setting sunlight. She recognized the sharp features immediately, it was Rex, at least that's who it looked like.
"Hey what are you doing….?" Jack yells as a truck passes by and Rex disappears as it passes.
"What the fuck?" Jack mumbles under breath as the door opens behind her. She turns to see Rex standing behind her wiping his hands on an apron. He wore a black shirt and dark grey pants and had his hair combed back instead of slicked back with gel.
"Jack, you're little early" Rex says smiling "I almost have dinner ready, what are you doing standing in the street?"
"Nothing I just thought I saw something" Jack says turning around to stare at the empty curb.
"Oh, okay come in and make yourself comfortable I'll have dinner on the table in about ten minutes" Rex says walking back inside leaving the door open.
Jack shakes the feeling off and enters Rex's home. She walks into the main room and spies a small table set up with plates, silver ware and glasses set up in a smaller room to the side of the workshop. Sounds of pans being moved and dropped ring out from another room and Jack looks towards a workbench set up against a wall. She walks over to it and sees several detailed sketches of security mechs from her universe as well as several notes scribbled around the blueprints in chicken scratch. These are pretty good Jack thought as she flipped through the designs accidentally knocking over a tin full of pencils.
"Shit" Jack says managing to catch the tin before it hit the floor bending as she goes. Jack spies an old weathered sketch book marked Sketches age 14-19. She picks the old book up and begins thumbing through it. Most of the early sketches are of basic things like scorpions and iguanas but they showed some talent. Then it changed to people several of the sketches were of the same people a bony faced man wearing a sour frown, a smiling woman with a scar across her left eye, and a little girl with drawings of a town and various townsfolk along with a few self-portraits of a much younger Rex. Then the sketches suddenly stopped, having only taken up the first third of the book, giving way to new sketches of Brahmin hard faced men and women.
These sketches of endless wasteland and cows gave way to sketches of a young woman, not to pretty but attractive in that homey kind of way, with a scar across her face. The next third of the sketch book was dedicated to her it seemed as the drawings went from the young woman sitting in a chair to bending to pick something up to other sketches of her posing nude mixed amongst other shots.
"Who do we have here carrot top?" Jack says to herself
Jack noticed as she flipped through the drawings, nude and otherwise, that the young woman was gradually growing more and more pregnant until Jack came to three final pictures at the back of the book.
In the first the young woman was extremely pregnant seemingly sleeping on her back offering the artist a full view of her form draped in a maternity dress. She was surrounded by flowers and held a small book in her hands. The second picture was of the young woman smiling and holding a baby in her arms, but while the young woman seemed real and concrete while the child didn't, having been drawn like it was a lump of clay with only general features molded in. The third and final picture was of small rattle on a tabletop next to a small vase of desert flowers.
Jack placed the book down under the table again and stood quietly absorbing the possible context of the sketches. She knew what it was like to lose someone and if the story the sketches told was true Rex did too. It didn't make Jack like him more, but she felt she understood Rex's attitude and personality a little bit more. She turned towards the table and found Rex standing behind her his grey eyes softly staring at Jack.
"Enjoying my work?" Rex asks his face cold and hard.
"Yeah, sorry about that I was just looking around" Jack says backing off a little.
"No it's fine, I haven't opened that old thing for almost a decade now" Rex says smiling, his features warming up, and gesturing for Jack to follow him "I used to be quite the artist"
"Used to be?" Jack questions as they cross the work space to the dining room.
"I lost something very important to me" Rex says pulling her chair out for her.
"It was that woman wasn't it?" Jack asks sitting down.
"Yes, sort of, that day so long ago I lost something more" Rex says his back to Jack "I lost myself."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack asks knowing she stepped a little too far, but didn't want to back down now.
"Jack, do you know what a person can do if they're robbed of their happiness, their love, all that makes them a decent human being, twice?" Rex asks his voice low "I was a very bad man Jack I've done horrendous things to people, both good and bad, and I liked it." He looks at his hands and clenches them "I'm a monster Jack, and that's all I'll ever be. Truth is Jack you're not the one who needs help, it's me."
"Hey we've all lost shit in our lives" Jack says to his back Rex still not facing her "but I do understand carrot to… Rex why be human when it's easier being a monster."
"The wastes are a hard place to live" Rex says sighing and turning around to look at Jack "I'm sorry for going off like that it was inappropriate."
"No, its fine Rex" Jack says standing up to look him in the eyes and tenses for a moment "There was a guy a long time ago, Murtock, it was fun sex, biotic rampages, and felonies until he ruined it. Idiot got himself killed saving my ass on a job. I get to the ship he doesn't make I book it out of there, a few days later this message plays set up to play if he didn't make it out. It was all about how he and I were going to have a life together build a house on some out of the way world have a life together. So I know what it's like to have a future taken away from me"
"Misery likes company, I suppose" Rex says laughing bitterly.
"So what made you change?" Jack asks
"Nobody goes from being the bad guy to the inspirational leader everyone loves" Jack asks.
"That's a long story, but it ends with a bullet to the head and Veronica kicking my ass" Rex says laughing.
"Mine's kind of the same actually except Shepard broke me out of prison then recruited me for a suicide mission." Jack says returning Rex's laughter.
"Funny what letting people in can do huh" Rex says looking at Jack "I was a wreck then I met my friends and now we run a country."
"Yeah, and we blew up the collector base with no support crew" Jack says smirking.
"Oh, so were back to bragging about past exploits" Rex says his smiling.
"Hey someone has to lighten the mood for you carrot top" Jack says punching him in the arm.
"Alright, I hope you like stir fry" Rex says gesturing to the table "Cause if were trading war stories let me tell you about my time in the Sierra Madre."
?/?