Chapter 41: Experimental Control
Shepard stepped out of the shower, breathing easier as the residual heat from the water continued to soak into her muscles, chasing the last of the aches away. She wrapped a thick terrycloth robe around her before drying off her hair and picking up her hairbrush.
"Shepard?" EDI's disembodied voice came through the speakers in the bathroom.
"Yeah, EDI?" Shepard started running the brush through her hair, hitting a tangle and remembering why she preferred short hair, but still determined to see just how long she could let it grow.
"Is this an appropriate time to speak to Jane?" EDI almost sounded hesitant.
Shepard smiled at her foggy reflection in the mirror. "EDI, did you wait until I'd be alone to ask?"
"Yes, Shepard. Is that a problem?" EDI asked.
"Not at all, EDI." Shepard's grin widened, pleased with the progress the AI was making with social cues. "Most people prefer privacy for this sort of conversation. Go ahead, EDI, Jane can hear you."
"This ought to be interesting," Jane said.
"Be nice, she's trying to apologize," Shepard thought.
"Oh," Jane said, surprise seeping through their connection. "I didn't expect this."
"Jane, I have come to realize that I behaved in a manner that was hurtful to you, and I would like to apologize." EDI was quiet for a moment. "I allowed the behaviors of Jeff and some of the other crew to influence my behavior instead of forming my own opinions. After an analysis of your behavior while Shepard was comatose to that of your past behavior, I believe that you were making a genuine effort to repair your relationship with the crew. It would have been more appropriate for me to respond to you in the same nature in which you approached me. I apologize."
"That's alright, EDI. I forgive you. I know I wasn't doing much to earn anyone's trust before," Jane said.
"She says, 'That's alright, EDI. I forgive you. I know I wasn't doing much to earn anyone's trust before.'" Shepard moved the brush over her hair again, making sure the last of the tangles were removed.
"Thank you, Jane. Dr. Chakwas has recommended that we speak with you directly as much as is possible. I have made note of this and altered my algorithms." EDI's voice sounded pleased.
"You're welcome, EDI, and thank you." Jane felt light and happy in the back of Shepard's mind. "It really means a lot to me."
"She says you're welcome and thank you. It means a lot to her." Shepard put down the brush. "I'm starving. You two good with chatting more later? Because between Jane and I, we've only got one mouth and I'm about to stuff it full of food."
"Yes, Shepard," EDI said.
"Yep," Jane said.
Shepard nodded her head and left the bathroom, the smells of roasted vegetables and seared mystery meat wafting up from down the stairs led her to the couch. Thane sat, waiting for her with two plates and glasses situated on the coffee table. She stopped, standing at the edge of the couch, her hands tucked into the pockets of her robe.
He smiled up at her, holding a hand out. "Join me, siha."
Shepard glanced over the neatly ordered plate, with food that actually looked like something she might want to put in her mouth, and raised an eyebrow. Slipping her hand into Thane's she let him lead her to the cushion next to him. "Gardner didn't make this."
"No, he did not." Thane smirked. "I thought you might enjoy something a little more …."
"Edible?" She picked up the plate in front of her, breathing in the aromas. "Appetizing?"
He chuckled. "Indeed."
She settled the plate back down to the coffee table and raised an eyebrow. "Thane, did you make this?"
"I did." Thane handed her a fork.
"He's never cooked for us before," Jane said, her amusement lifting the corners of Shepard's mouth in a smile.
"Jane's just reminded me that you've never cooked for us before."
"How terribly neglectful of me. I must apologize for the inconsiderate behavior of all other … versions of myself." Thane chuckled. "I hope you—all of you—find it enjoyable."
Shepard caught his gaze and held it, leaning in to kiss him. "I'm sure it'll be wonderful. Thank you."
He surprised her, slipping a hand into her hair to cup her head, urging her back to him as his lips found hers again. His tongue warm and inviting as it slipped into her mouth; Shepard returned the kiss, thoughts of food swiftly disappearing. Jane wordlessly retreated; pulling back into the recesses of Shepard's mind as she haphazardly tossed her fork to her plate.
She shifted on the couch, pulling a leg up and tucking it beneath her so she could lean in closer to him, more than happy to indulge him in the impromptu make out session. Lifting her hands to his neck, she caressed the soft ridges of his frills, savoring the way it made him tighten his grip on her. She trailed her hand down his neck and chest before tugging his jacket free of his shoulders, tossing it aside.
She expected him to resist when she nudged him back against the couch—giving him control during their intimate encounters had been a part of their arrangement, then again so had keeping things from going that far outside of their designated time or place. Surely he'd stop her when she moved to straddle his lap, but instead, he trailed his lips over her jaw, kissing and nipping at her throat. Shepard moaned, the warm glow inside of her ratcheting up to a roaring fire. Running her fingers along the scales of his arms and shoulders, kneading the solid muscles beneath, she slipped her hands between the edges of his vest and his back to touch just a little more of him.
He kissed his way up to her ear and whispered, "Your food is getting cold, siha."
"Mhmm." She moved a hand to his jaw, pulling his face back and reclaiming his mouth with her own.
His hands moved to her knees, slipping up over her thighs and pushing the robe aside until his fingers wrapped around her bare hips. Thane moaned into her mouth, gripping her hips and pulling her closer before breaking the kiss to return to nuzzling against her neck. "I thought you were hungry."
"Was I?" Shepard gasped when he ran his tongue over her skin, leaving a cooling wet trail in his wake.
Her heart slammed against her ribs when he tugged at the knot of her belt before pushing the robe open and exposing her nakedness. Shepard flushed, suddenly conscious of the faint scars that still crossed her body … a body that would already appear every bit as alien to him as she was. In all their time together—all of their practice sessions as she'd come to think of them—her clothes stayed on. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, gnawing on the corner.
Thane leaned back, his gaze roaming over her inch by inch with a level of concentration she'd never seen matched by anyone else. She swallowed, holding her breath as his hands ghosted over her skin, moving up her thighs, over her hips and waist before sliding around to her back. He met her gaze, the green of his irises nothing but a thin ring around fully dilated pupils. Lifting a hand to her face, he tugged her lip free of her teeth with his thumb and guided her closer to him with his other hand, pressed against her back, until their lips met.
"You're beautiful, siha," he whispered, his breath warm on her lips.
A lopsided grin spread across her face and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you. So are you."
He chuckled, a soft chuff of breath against her cheek before returning his lips to hers, his tongue delving into her mouth. Shepard's breath caught in her throat when his hand found her breast, brushing his thumb over her nipple. Rolling her hips forward, she moaned finding a nice, firm bulge waiting there for her to rub against, and his fingers spasmed against her back; the only encouragement she needed to do it again.
Thane hummed, pulling away from her, resting his forehead against her collarbone. He dropped his hand from her breast, using it instead to grip her waist. His voice sounded raw, cracking when he spoke, "Perhaps we should eat now."
Shepard let out a deflated sigh, rubbing her thumb beneath his jaw. "You are a cruel, cruel man, Sere Krios, but I love you anyway." Smiling, she kissed the top of his head and put a foot down on the floor behind her, ready to climb off of him.
She gasped as his hands tightened on her waist, stopping her from moving, and arched her eyebrow in question. He pulled her in closer until the bare skin of her chest pressed against the leather of his vest. Wordlessly, he turned her, keeping her cradled against him as he laid her back, stretching out over her. Pushing up on the couch, he hovered over her, and she stared up at him wide-eyed before slowly blinking.
Opening her mouth to ask him what he was doing, to tell him it was fine and they could just eat, the words vanished when his mouth covered hers. His tongue moved against hers, slow and measured, as he lifted her hand to his neck and held it there for a moment, silently asking her to leave it before running his hand down the length of her arm. A moment later he brought her other hand to join the first, using his knee to part her legs as their tongues continued to dance.
Reaching down between them, he slid a hand up her thigh spreading her legs wider. She felt him brush across the coarse hairs of her mound and then deft fingers spread her slick folds to send waves of need crashing over her. Shepard squirmed beneath his touch as he dragged his fingers up, soaking them in her fluids before circling her clit, avoiding contact with the bundle of nerves. She clung to his neck, whimpering against his lips as he broke the kiss and pulled back, looking into her eyes as he pressed against her clit.
"I love you, too, siha," he said, choosing that moment to return her sentiment.
Shepard's breath caught in her throat, her muscles already tightening as the pressure built inside of her. He lowered his head kissing along her jaw, grazing his tongue over her pulse. Working slow circles between her legs, he kissed along her collarbone before tracing his tongue over the curve of her breast, pulling her nipple into his mouth. She moaned, losing herself to the feel of his mouth and hands on her flesh—no barriers between them; just the euphoric feel of him there, in the moment with her.
"Thane," she whispered, her hands clutching at his neck in need.
His answer came in the form of teeth gently scraping over her nipple, tearing another ragged gasp from her throat.
"Thane … I don't think I …" She whimpered again, unable to make herself tell him it was too much. Unable to tell him he needed to stop, because it felt too good for her to control herself if he intended to test her limits.
He moved, his teeth finding her earlobe, nipping gently. "Let go, siha." Sliding his hand down, he dipped fused fingers inside of her.
"Oh gods." Her insides clenched around him, her back arching.
His thumb took up where his fingers left off by pressing into her clit, sliding up and down before turning in circles. Rocking his hand, he slid his fingers slowly out before easing them back inside.
"Oh." Shepard tugged at Thane needing to taste him desperately. "Oh gods."
He seemed to understand, bringing his mouth back to hers. His fingers curled inside of her, exploring her depths and bringing her closer and to the brink. Rolling her hips, she stayed with his rhythm, letting the pressure build inside of her. Her breaths came fast and shallow until she felt like she might suffocate, forcing her to pull her lips from his to suck in deep mouthfuls of cool air in between bliss-filled whimpers.
He buried his face in her neck, each kiss and nip of his teeth feeling like a live wire against her delicate skin. Shifting his weight to his elbow, he freed his other hand to palm her breast, trapping her nipple to roll it between thumb and finger sending her over the edge. Her back arched, her body shuddering as wave after wave of ecstasy crashed over her. Her head thrown back, the breath ripped from her in a high-pitched squeak as her throat spasmed, her fingers digging into the muscles of his neck and shoulders. Where others might have stopped, he kept at it, carrying her through the waves until her body started to relax once more; slowing to a loving caress as she collapsed back down to the cushion beneath her.
When the small, gentle shudders ceased and her breathing evened out, Thane removed his fingers from her, balling a fistful of her robe in his hand instead. His forehead pressed into her collarbone, his breathing deep, slow, and purposeful. He didn't move or speak, and after a long stretch of silence, Shepard began to feel uneasy.
She rubbed her thumb over the arch where his shoulder curved into his neck. "What's wrong?" she asked, keeping her voice low and unobtrusive.
He took another couple of measured breaths before moving his lips over her skin so gently she almost thought she'd imagined it. Rubbing her thumb back and forth over his scales once more, he shuddered under her touch, his kisses picking up fervor. Thane pushed himself up, watching her through heavily-lidded eyes. He scraped his teeth across his lip—something she couldn't remember him ever doing—before kissing her, his tongue seeking hers out hungry and demanding.
She swore she felt the moment his resolve cracked, crumbling to pieces before falling away completely. His lips left hers, and he sat up, taking her hands and pulling her up with him as he left the couch. Shepard stood before him, watching him with hopeful anticipation as he pushed the robe from her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor. Running his hands down her arms, he took her hands in his again, leading her around the coffee table and to the bed.
He pulled her to him, stopping next to the bed, and threaded his fingers through her hair. He kissed her again before resting his forehead against hers and took a deep breath. "I …" The words caught in his throat and he closed his eyes, licking his lips before trying again. "I don't want to wait anymore."
She took his face in her hands, unable to ignore the hint of uncertainty hanging in the air between them. "Are you sure? I know I've given you a hard time over waiting, but really … I'm perfectly happy just to have you near me."
The corners of his mouth lifted in a slow smile. Tugging at her hips, he pressed himself against her, letting her feel just how sure he was. Shepard's eyebrows twitched, sliding her hands down his neck and over his chest she tugged at the buckles of his vest, taking it slow to give him time to change his mind. His gaze swept over her as she worked, moving from her face to graze over her shoulders and chest. She opened the vest, pushing it out of her way to run her hands over his chiseled chest and stomach, savoring the feel of him beneath her fingers.
He shrugged his shoulders, letting the leather fall away from his body, and pulled her in close. Feeling her breasts press against his bare chest—for the first time, no matter how vivid the memories that didn't belong to her—his heart beating against her, calmed her, filling her with a sense of warmth and safety. She closed her eyes, imagining she could feel the thread connecting them, anchored in their hearts, that she knew must be there.
Taking him by the waist, she turned, guiding him down to the bed before pulling off his boots and tossing them aside. Climbing up on the bed next to him, she nudged him back until he laid flat. The light shining through the dark pools of his eyes illuminated every ounce of emotion, showing her the years of loneliness and pain, but something else, too: hope and desire; a passion that burned so brightly it took her breath away and threatened to bring tears to her eyes.
Blinking, she sucked in a slow breath and tore her gaze from his before what she saw there overwhelmed her completely. Lowering her face to his chest—as much to hide her eyes from him than anything, afraid if he saw her tears welling up, he'd change his mind—she began kissing, licking, and nipping her way down over his chest as she worked at unbuttoning his pants. Putting her feet back on the floor, she hooked her fingers in his waistband, and he lifted his hips for her, letting her ease his pants down.
She stopped, kneeling between his knees as she tossed his pants aside. Taking a moment to appreciate his vulnerability; the trust and the love he offered her, filling her with a different kind of warmth. She pushed herself up, running her hands along his thighs. Glancing up, she caught and held his gaze as she dragged her tongue along his length, grinning at the croak of breath escaping him.
As much as she wanted to crawl on top and have her way with him, she thought it might be easier for him if she gave him control. She kissed her way back up his body taking his hand in hers before pushing off the bed. He stood with her, taking her in his arms, hands and lips brushing across every inch of her they could reach. She pulled down the covers, lying back against the pillows, holding his gaze as he pressed a knee to the mattress to lean down over her. He ran a hand along her thigh, and she opened her legs to him, wrapping an arm around his waist to pull him to her.
Thane moved up onto the bed, kneeling between her legs. She watched him as he took his time, his gaze roaming over her body, lips slightly parted. Tracing his fingers over each of her scars, his mouth moved but no sound came out. Still, she recognized the name of the goddess Arashu on his lips. Smiling, she reached out to him again, and he lowered himself to her, hesitating once again.
She caressed the back of his head, her fingers running along the edges of his crest. "You're over thinking this." She kissed his brow. "EDI's monitoring me; she'll let you know if things start to go wrong. But I really don't think they will; Jane's giving us space."
He slid his arms under her shoulder's resting some of his weight on her, his erection, warm and teasing just barely resting along her slit. "I—it's not …."
Shepard cleared her throat, watching him until he met her gaze. "Are you … feeling self-conscious?"
"Perhaps."
Shepard chuckled lightly. "Oh, any other time I would tease the hell out of you. The big scary assassin who can kill me … what, twenty different ways from here …?"
Thane huffed, nipping at her shoulder hard enough to make her squeal and jump. "Twenty-five at least."
Shepard laughed wrapping her arms further around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. She rolled her hips back, sliding herself against his length. His eyelids fluttered, a hoarse moan escaping his throat.
"You have absolutely nothing to worry about, and after what just happened over there," she whispered, nodding her head toward the couch while wiggling her hips until she had him lined up for entrance, "you've already more than impressed me. You want me to beg? Because right now I have no shame, and I will totally beg."
"That's an intriguing idea." He grinned.
Shepard pouted, sticking out her lower lip, and he chuckled. Taking her lip gently between his teeth, he shifted his hips, easing himself just into her opening. Shepard sucked in a shuddering breath, lifting her ass off the mattress to work him in further, and he moaned a soft growl of approval as he pushed himself flush. Wrapping her legs around him and locking her ankles behind his knees, she pressed her lips to his and just savored the new sensations as their bodies adjusted.
He pulled out slowly, testing the waters while he held her gaze, flooding her with his love and tenderness until it took her breath away. He moved again, agonizingly slow, and she whimpered. It seemed to be the only encouragement he needed as he built up to a speed that pushed him deeper with each thrust.
Swiftly being carried back to that place of euphoria, she clung to him, her gasps and moans growing louder as she lost all restraint. The feel of his muscles tensing beneath her fingers along with the sounds of his ragged breathing and moans of pleasure, tipped her over the edge, and her body curled around his as her inner walls spasmed against his length. She gasped convulsively before the air caught in her lungs, her throat closing down on her, and Thane let out a loud cry. She forced her eyes open through the waves in time to see him throw his head back, grunting as he slammed into her one last time; throbbing as he emptied himself inside of her.
Her hands urged him down to her lips and they kissed, breathing in one another's shuddering breaths until the final waves of their orgasms subsided. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she refused to let him leave her just yet, not ready to give up the feel of him surrounding her. Thane shifted just enough to slip his hand up to cradle the back of her head, kissing her one last time before resting the side of his face against hers.
"I love you, siha," he spoke softly, his thumb rubbing back and forth just behind her ear. "I don't want to lose you. When they brought you back to the Normandy …" His voice broke, and he swallowed. "I was afraid."
She squeezed him tight, running her hands over his neck and back. "I love you, too. And I'm sorry I frightened you … but it seems to have worked in my favor."
He chuckled, pulling back to look into her eyes. "You are as devious as you are beautiful."
Shepard grinned. "I'm also starving."
He shook his head. "I tried to convince you to eat."
"Mmmm, this was better." She ran her thumb over his lower lip.
He smiled, leaning down to kiss her. "Was it?"
"Gods yes." She licked his lip before nipping at it.
He chuckled again, giving her a quick kiss before pushing himself off of her, rolling over to lie on his back next to her. "You should go eat something, siha."
"Mhmm, in a minute." She rolled to her side, nudging his arm out of the way to snuggle in next to him, resting her head on his chest.
Thane wrapped his arm around her, trailing his fingers along her back and shoulder. Shepard hummed contentedly and snuggled in closer. They stayed like that, lying together in the afterglow for a few more minutes without saying a word.
Finally, she pushed herself up on her elbows. "Thank you."
"For what?" Thane turned his head a little so he could better meet her gaze.
Shepard scrunched her shoulders up until they brushed against her ears. "For being one of the kindest, most patient people I've ever met. For being nice to Jane when I wasn't around, even though I know she did her best to get under everyone's skin at first. For taking a chance on me despite … well despite how insane everything about me must've sounded. For being willing to share." She grinned. "For cooking for me."
"Ah. You don't get to thank me for cooking until you've eaten, and it's cold now so it probably won't taste nearly as good." Thane cupped her cheek in his hand, caressing her face with his thumb. "Everything else has been my pleasure, siha."
She leaned down and kissed him. "I'm going to go eat every crumb on that plate right now, and I bet everything I own that even if it's frozen solid, it's still far better than anything on this ship."
He laughed, pushing the blankets off of him when she sat up. She let her gaze linger on him a moment as he gathered his clothes before she made her way to the bathroom, grabbing her robe along the way. Once she'd cleaned up and tied her robe back around her, she went back to her room, finding him sitting on the couch in just his pants. It brought a smile to her face as she picked up her plate, settling in next to him.
Shepard dug in to the still just barely warm plate, grunting her approval in between bites. Truthfully, she ate too fast to really taste it—her hunger pangs boiling over the second the first bite hit her tongue—but what her taste buds did pick up on was fantastic. She caught Thane watching her shovel it in, and he chuckled, taking his time with his own plate.
She finished, putting the plate on the table before picking up the glass of tea, guzzling half of it even though the ice had mostly melted, watering it down. She leaned over, kissing Thane on the cheek before standing up and stripping off her robe. Feeling his gaze on her as she dressed, Shepard glanced over and grinned. He smiled at her, returning his attention to his plate. She sat down on the edge of the bed, slipping on her boots before heading to the bathroom to retrieve her hairbrush.
When she returned, she sat down next to him, running the brush through her hair before pulling it back in a low ponytail. Finishing off her tea, she kissed Thane on the cheek again. "Thank you for cooking for me. It was fantastic, and now I won't starve to death."
He laughed, setting his plate aside. "Are you going down to talk to the Illusive Man?"
Shepard groaned, dropping her chin down to her chest. "Yeah. Suppose I should."
"You could just have Kelly tell him to fuck off instead," Jane offered.
Shepard snorted softly. "There's an idea," she thought, "but I doubt she'd be that easy to convince."
"And then to see Anderson, yes?" Thane raised a brow ridge.
She nodded once. "Mhmm. You want to come with me?"
"I do." He smiled. "If that's alright with you."
Jane scoffed. "As if you'd tell him no about anything after that."
"Shush," Shepard thought, resisting the urge to smile.
"You do know that even if I'm not forefront in your thoughts, we can all still hear everything you do; feel everything you feel." Jane huffed. "It's more than a little disturbing … especially for most of the men. John won't shut up about it."
"Uh … I'm sorry?" Shepard turned her head a little to the side, arching her eyebrow. "It is my body though, and I'm not going to just stop having sex because it's disturbing for you."
Jane sighed noisily. "I don't expect you to … I wouldn't in your shoes either; if the roles were reversed and Kaidan was still alive." A soft wave of sadness swept through their connection before Jane shut it down. "Sorry. I know you tried. This time it was on him."
"Yeah," she thought, her shoulder's collapsing, shoving her hands between her knees.
Memories from the others—the Shepards she supposed were now somehow more a part of her than even Jane was—began to surface, filling her mind with images of Kaidan's smiling face, the sound of his laughter, and simple conversations they shared.
"Siha?" Thane shifted, angling himself more toward her, and rested his hand on her back. "Is everything alright?"
She blinked, looking up to meet his gaze and forced a weak smile. "Yeah." She furrowed her brow, giving a slight shake of her head. "Yeah everything's fine." She cleared her throat. "Sorry, I was just talking with Jane … got distracted."
"Ah. Jane, are you well?" Thane slid his hand down her back before pulling it back to his lap.
Shepard chuckled and shook her head. "… so weird."
"Don't … don't tell him I said it was disturbing." Jane hesitated a moment. "Just tell him I was thinking about the people we've lost."
"She's just thinking about the people we've lost." Shepard lifted her shoulders a little bit and smiled. "She'll be alright."
"I see. My deepest apologies." Thane turned his focus toward the photographs Shepard kept of her old crew.
"I really don't want to talk about it right now; can you just do whatever it is you were doing? Please?" Jane asked.
Shepard cleared her throat again, pulling Thane's attention back to her before he could bring up the picture of Kaidan. "So, do you want to go with me to talk to the Illusive Man, too?"
"Thank you." Jane pulled back to the recess of Shepard's mind, leaving her in mental silence once more.
Thane looked back at her, and dipped his head. "If you'd like."
"I would." She smiled, taking his hand in her own.
He squeezed her hand. "Very well."
Shepard grinned, waving a finger up and down at Thane. "You should go dressed like that. Maybe he'll be too distracted by your sexiness to give me shit."
Thane laughed. "Distraction for him, or for you?"
She ran a hand over his bare chest, leering at him. "Can't it be both?"
He took her hand, bringing it to his mouth to kiss. "I'll get dressed."
She gathered up their dishes while he finished dressing, and then they left her cabin, taking the elevator down to the mess hall. Shepard passed the dishes over to Gardner, who looked completely unhappy that Shepard ate something he didn't cook. She offered him a sympathetic smile, and reached over the counter to pat him on the arm, earning her a grin.
She looked up when she heard Garrus' voice, seeing him leaving the main battery with Grundan Krul. He stopped at the top of the stairs, his head swiveling in her direction as he scented the air. Grundan Krul glanced up, following Garrus' line of sight until he found Shepard. Garrus looked back and forth between Shepard and Thane, his mandibles fluttering lightly. Thane coughed gently into his fist. She felt Jane return, her curiosity piqued, but she had the courtesy not to say anything.
Shepard took Thane's hand in hers and squeezed reassuringly. Leaning over a little closer she whispered, "It's a part of sharing with a turian. We'll adjust."
He dipped his head, running his thumb along the back of her hand. "Indeed."
She glanced back at Garrus to see he'd turned his attention back to Grundan Krul; the batarian nodding every so often at whatever Garrus said. She waited a moment until it seemed their conversation was dying down before dragging Thane along with her as she crossed the mess hall to stand in front of Garrus.
She smiled at Grundan Krul when they both turned toward her before letting her focus stay on Garrus. "We're going to see what the Illusive Man wants, and then going to see Anderson. Do you want to come with us?"
"That depends." Garrus fluttered his mandibles, amusement creeping into his icy blue eyes. "Are you going to do your best to piss off the Illusive Man again?"
Shepard shrugged. "Probably."
Garrus smirked. "Then I'll be there."
Shepard grinned, turning her attention to Grundan Krul. "Garrus stole my coffee when I woke up. Would you mind making me some more? I could sure use it."
Grundan Krul looked back and forth between Shepard and Garrus. "I've been told the doctor doesn't want you having caffeine right now."
Shepard glanced at Garrus, narrowing her eyes. "He told you not to make me anymore, didn't he?"
Grundan Krul nodded once, confirming her suspicions.
"You know I outrank him." She arched her eyebrow.
He lifted his shoulders in a shrug, holding them there as he said, "He scares me more."
Jane snorted.
Shepard smiled, her lips pulling up to near maniacal levels. "Does he now?"
"You shouldn't have told her that." Garrus chuffed, shaking his head.
Grundan Krul gave her one of his rare smiles. "I've never woken up with you sitting across from me, scowling and muttering to yourself, while you use me as a fixed point to calibrate the scopes still attached to your weapons."
"One time. It happened one time, ages ago on Omega." Garrus stepped down to stand next to Shepard, fluttering his mandibles. "It's easier when I have a face to focus on."
Jane laughed; the sound bright and easy in Shepard's mind. "There has to be more to that story."
"That all it takes?" Shepard scoffed. "Too easy."
"Remind me and we'll ask him about it later," Shepard thought.
Jane's laughter eased to a stop. "He won't tell you if he knows I'm interested."
"You really shouldn't have told her that," Garrus repeated, crossing his arms over his chest.
She winked at the batarian who appeared completely unfazed by Garrus' warnings. "In the morning?"
Grundan Krul nodded his head. "In the morning." He lifted a hand in a half wave before turning and making his way back to the main battery.
"You're going to be in there at oh three hundred for coffee, aren't you?" Garrus jerked his head toward the main battery.
"Don't be ridiculous. That would require me getting up at oh three hundred." She grinned. "EDI?"
"Yes, Shepard?"
Shepard watched Garrus, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Wake Grundan Krul up at oh three hundred, and tell him to have coffee waiting for me at oh five hundred and I won't show him why he should be more scared of me than Garrus."
Jane snickered. "I almost feel bad for him."
"Very well, Shepard."
"Thanks, EDI."
Thane chuckled and Shepard flashed a smile at him.
Garrus flicked a mandible. "Can I sleep in your room tonight?"
She shook her head from side to side, keeping her gaze locked on his. "Nope. You told him not to make me more coffee."
"Seriously?" Jane asked.
"Yep," Shepard thought.
He chuffed, shrugging. "I'll share Jack's cot, then."
Shepard glanced back at the nearest intercom. "EDI?"
"Yes, Shepard?" A hint of amusement colored EDI's disembodied voice.
"Tell Jack that if she lets Garrus sleep with her tonight, there's a pretty good chance you'll be waking them both up at oh three hundred," she said, glancing back at Garrus as she delivered the final part, "and it'll be Garrus' fault."
Flaring his mandibles, he held his hands out, pleading. "Shepard … no … she'll kill me."
"As you wish, Shepard." EDI paused a moment. "Is there anyone else on the Normandy you would like for me to torture for you? I can sound the alarms. Empty a room of oxygen. Perhaps drop the drive core shielding in engineering?"
"God damn, I forgot how scary she can be." Jane's voice filled with a strange mix of something akin to horror and awe.
"She's wonderful, isn't she?" Shepard thought, smirking.
She tipped her head to the side and hummed in mock contemplation. "No, I don't think so. Thanks, EDI." Shepard pressed up on her tip toes to kiss Garrus' jaw. "You don't come between a woman and her coffee; especially when one of her best friends is an AI who doesn't need to sleep and has a fantastically morbid sense of humor."
Garrus growled, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off of her feet. "You're evil." He pressed his forehead against hers.
"Mhmm." She grinned, nodding her head against his.
His subvocals purred. "I love you."
"I love you, too." She kissed his nose, earning her a chuff of amusement.
He put her back down, draping an arm over her shoulder, turning her toward the elevators. "Hope you saved something for the Illusive Man."
"I'm sure if I lag, you can pick up my slack." She reached back, taking Thane's hand again.
They took the elevator up to the CIC, stopping long enough to ask Kelly to place the call to the Illusive Man before heading into the comm room. The table dropped down into the floor, and Shepard stepped into the QEC, Thane and Garrus at her sides. The grid rose up around them, showing her the Illusive Man sitting in his chair, glass tumbler and cigarette in hand.
"Shepard. I'm glad you found time in your busy schedule to call me back." He took a drag of his cigarette. "And you've brought your boyfriends with you. Any particular reason why?"
"I can't fit the entire crew in the QEC and these two are my favorites." Shepard lifted a shoulder. "I tell them everything you say anyway, figured it would save me some time. What can I do for you?"
He took a drink from his glass, swirling the ice around in the amber liquid. Shepard tucked her hands behind her back, waiting. He took a drag of his cigarette, glowing blue eyes trained on her but he didn't speak. Shepard blinked once, relaxing into her parade rest stance. Garrus shifted beside her, a soft rumble reaching her ears. Thane stood perfectly still in utter silence, undoubtedly taking in every detail he could make out in the low light. The Illusive man took another drag of his cigarette, tapping off the ashes in the ash tray before rolling the burning ember along the edge.
"So … we're going to kill him and replace him with Miranda?" Jane studied the Illusive Man through Shepard's eyes as the silence stretched on.
"That's the plan," Shepard thought.
"When?" Jane asked.
"I don't know yet. Soon," Shepard thought, mulling the idea over. "We need to plan it out carefully. Make sure Miranda's ready. And we can't move until we're certain we don't need her on the Normandy anymore."
"She left Cerberus and the Normandy after the collector base, when I dismissed everyone before turning myself over to the Alliance."
"You think we should wait until after the collector base?" Shepard thought.
Jane fell silent a moment and Shepard could feel her thinking. "No. I think he'd be the most likely to anticipate something then. We need to catch him off guard, or he'll run."
"Mmm. You're probably right." Shepard took a slow, deep breath as she talked with Jane. "I'm tired of standing here, are you tired of standing here?"
"Yep."
"Great talk." Shepard said to the Illusive Man, turning her back on him, putting one foot out of the QEC.
"Shepard," he said, calling her back.
She glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, are you done with your bullshit power plays? Because if you want to continue to sit there mentally jacking off for a while, I can come back later." She turned back, retaking her position in the QEC, waving a hand behind her. "I can even have EDI flood your servers with porn if you want."
"That won't be necessary, Shepard." He took another drag from his cigarette, stubbing it out in the ashtray. "I've been informed that you were recently in Sigurd's Cradle."
"I'm sorry, is there a question in there somewhere?" She raised an eyebrow.
The Illusive Man sighed, taking a drink from his tumbler before standing. Crossing the room to stand in front of the QEC—close enough she could gouge his cybernetically enhanced eyes out with her thumbs if only he were really there—his lips tugged up in a condescending smile. "I'd like to hear what you were doing in Sigurd's Cradle, and if you can find the time, perhaps you'd care to tell me about the reapers that were witnessed leaving twenty-one eighty-one Despoina."
"Well," she said, tucking her hands back behind her back, "obviously I was plotting to take over the galaxy with the reapers."
Jane groaned. "And you said EDI has a morbid sense of humor."
He pinched the bridge of his nose, and she smirked. Dropping his hand he looked back up at her. "Is this a joke to you, Shepard? I expected more from humanity's greatest legend. Human colonies are being attacked as we speak." He paced back and forth in front of her, waving his hands in obvious agitation. "Our people are being taken, Shepard. Like it or not, we need to work together on this. I've consistently provided you with intelligence and resources, but you've fought me every step of the way. If we're going to be successful here, Shepard, you need to meet me in the middle."
"Can we just kill him now?"
Shepard sighed. "They weren't reapers."
He stopped pacing, turning to look at her from the shadows. "The descriptions were pretty unmistakable."
"They're an ancient race that inadvertently created the reapers then hid from them when the reapers started slaughtering their people." She lifted her shoulder. "Tried to get them to help in the war. They declined."
The Illusive Man held her gaze as he lifted his drink to his mouth. Swallowing, he stared at her in silence for a minute before turning on his heel and returning to his chair. He lit another cigarette and watched Shepard for a moment. "Declined?"
She fought back the urge to cringe, thinking of the excruciating pain the leviathans inflicted on her. "Rather adamantly. Then they left. My guess is they're on their way to a new hiding place."
He swirled the ice around in his glass, crossing one leg over the other. "What do we know of this race?"
"We know that they're even bigger assholes than you are." Shepard deadpanned. "They communicate telepathically, and can use a form of contact similar to an asari's meld. Oh, and they can enthrall people." She crossed her arms over her chest, dropping her weight to one hip. "Why? Think you want to try to capture them? Lock them up in a cage and perform torturous experiments on them?" She arched her eyebrows in challenge. "Or do you save that especially for humans and other well-known sentient species?"
He sighed heavily, taking a swallow from his glass. "I do what needs to be done to assure humanity's place in galactic society, Shepard."
She scoffed, shaking her head. "The ends justify the means? We're still going with that?"
"You don't have to approve of my methods, Shepard. Your opinion means far less to me than you seem to think it does." He took a drag of his cigarette, setting his glass down on the arm of his chair. "The simple fact is that if not for my methods, you wouldn't be here now." Standing again, he took slow strides toward her, stuffing his free hand into his trouser pocket. "In fact … if not for my methods, you never would've made it off of Akuze."
Shepard's blood ran cold in her veins, her jaw clenching, muscles going rigid.
"What?" Confusion washed over Jane, slipping through the cracks to tickle at the back of Shepard's mind. "What's he talking about? He's never said anything about … we never found anything to indicate … what the hell is he talking about?"
"Did you really think your skills saved you? Did you think you survived by luck?" He took a drag of his cigarette, blowing smoke toward her face only for it to swirl around the holographic grid surrounding her, making the blue light scatter and dance on his end. "Haven't you ever heard of an experimental control?" He smiled at her, cold and vicious.
Shepard felt white hot rage wash over her, sweeping through her with the force of every Shepard inside of her who ever lived through the horrors of Akuze. She trembled with the strength of will it took not to lunge forward, not to be taken in by the illusion the QEC presented her with, telling her that the Illusive Man stood inches away from her—easily within striking distance. Some distant part of her knew that if Jane wanted to, she could easily seize control just then. Memories rose up unbidden, both her own and a few of the others, reminding her of just what it felt like to run for her life, her team falling in groups behind her as thresher maws burst out of the ground, screeching and spitting acid … devouring any man or woman unlucky enough to be within the maws' reach.
He smirked, turning his back on her, making his way back to flick his ashes. "Tell me, Shepard. Would you say that surviving Akuze helped to push you to be the solider you are today? Helped to make you the best humanity has to offer?"
"Tell him something for me." Jane seethed, her words coming out in a hiss. "Tell him killing him has been one of my fondest memories. And I can't wait to watch you put a bullet in him."
Shepard sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slow, a crazed smile creeping across her face as she thought about watching the Illusive Man bleed out. "Jane would like you to know that killing you is her fondest memory. I'm sure it'll be mine, too." Shepard spun on her heel, stepping out of the QEC, Garrus and Thane right behind her. "Close the call, EDI."