Jack, SR-2 Normandy
After rereading the twelfth datapad, for the sixth time, Jack groaned and tossed it onto the desk with the others. Her hands went to rub at her tired eyes as she leaned back onto her cot. Her so, so comfortable cot…. And she wasn't even being sarcastic.
On Purgatory she had, literally, been in an empty room. Well, that or frozen. But that part was later.
Before Purgatory she hadn't really had a whole lot of choices. Though, to be fair, in her time she had slept in beds that had been made for straight out royalty, all gaudy and soft with ruffles and shit. But then she had also slept in sewers with people that didn't always make it to the next morning.
But this cot? Perfect. Firm, small, fits in a dark corner that she can control so nobody could sneak up on her. Nice little pillow. Felt like a luxury, but it was one she was willing to take. Even the rough military issue blanket Shepard had given her was nice.
Shepard...Thinking about the man made her lip lift in a sneer. Whether anger, lust, or pity, she wasn't really sure. He seemed...perfect. Too perfect. She just couldn't see the dark side. Where was the flip? There always was one. The harder it was to find, the darker it usually was.
But fuck me...he's got that ass… Jack's sneer turned into a wicked smile as her hand slide over her breasts. It had been...awhile. And thinking about Shepard...Her hand slid down her smooth stomach to the edge of her pants. Her fingers slide back and forth across her lower belly for a moment as Jack caught her bottom lip in her teeth. Then, they slowly started to slip under the band…
*clank* *clank*
"Fuck!" Jack spat. Boots. Above her but moving to the stairs. The owner was coming down and they were making it obvious. Smart, really. Probably didn't want to get splattered on the walls by surprising her. Well, at least whoever it is will either be getting the ride of their life, or, fuck it, they are getting a ride if they want it or not!
"Jack?" Shepard called down.
"Fuck me!" Jack kicked her legs up and down for a moment like a petulant child. What the sound of his voice did to her really didn't help her mood. "What do you want, Shepard?"
Coming the rest of the way down, Shepard stood, backlit. His hands came up and grabbed a pipe that was running above him, and leaned a slightly forward on it. The pose, combined with the lighting effect highlighted the dramatic cut of his chest. The width of his shoulders. His arms were thick in just the right way, without being too bulky.
But, she could also see his face. The strong jaw, close cut hair. Scars...she really liked scars… And that fucking innocent expression. I need to fuck something into the goddamn ground….
Okay, Jack. Play this one cool. He's a bit of a rube, but he is a soldier. And a man. All men want one thing. "Slumming it down here with the criminals, Shepard?" God Dammit, Jack!
Shepard leaned back slightly, his eyebrows raised. And the leaning back raised the bottom of his shirt, just a tiny bit...she could almost see skin…
"No, just wanted to see how you were settling in," Shepard gave her that stupid smile as he stepped in and sat on one of the cargo containers across from her. "I didn't want you to think I had forgotten you or anything. I figured you wouldn't want to be involved in a mission that involved Cerberus."
A frown darkened Jack's face for a moment as she sat up and leaned forward. "Oh, yeah? And what exactly, did you go and do?"
"Hmm…" Shepard frowned for a moment as he looked at the floor then chuckled, looking back up at her. "Actually, thinking about it now, I probably should have taken you. It would have been right up your ally."
Now Jack rolled her eyes. "Fucking seriously Shepard? You are starting to piss me off. More."
Shepard held ups his hands in surrender while giving that fucking smile. "We blew up four Cerberus bases and rescued a young man that had been tortured horribly in the name of 'advancing humanity'" Shepard even made those stupid fucking air quotes.
"Okay, now I am pissed," Jack half smiled at that. "I would have loved to have seen the cheerleader's face."
With a small sound, Shepard's smile vanished as he sat back up. "Yeah...she is not...pleased. I think the things she has seen on this trip are making her question a lot of what she thought was true."
"Pff," Jack shook her head. "Couldn't happen to a nicer bitch."
There was a short pause as Shepard looked at her. His eyes seemed to slide over her. She could almost feel them. Or, more likely, she was just really fucking horny.
"See something you like?" Jack smiled as she tilted her head. She arched her back slightly. She wasn't particularly gifted, like the Cheerleader, but she had something to play with.
Shepard smiled and dropped his head for a moment. "Jack...you are exactly the kind of person my parents warned me about."
For a moment Jack sat there and blinked. The she sat back up fully and shook her head. "Fucking, what?" She was confused, but also...that was pretty fucking funny!
"Well, got a laugh out of you," Shepard winked. "Good to see you could still do that."
That shut Jack up, and she looked away with a dirty look.
"Meant what I said though," Shepard continued, catching her attention again. "The tattooed, angry pretty girls. My step-father is asari, and he always said 'crazy is the best fuck, but it can also come back to fuck you in the end'."
"Ha ha!" Jack shook her head, now with a full grin. "Seriously? Your step dad said that shit? Amazing. But, right. I'm the psychotic biotic, but I can fuck like no tomorrow. And I really, really want to fuck. It's been longer than I would like."
A wide grin split Shepard's face, and for a moment, she thought she might have him. But then he shook his head. "Tempting, Jack. Tempting. But I want you to know I don't want anything from you. You don't need to use sex as a bargaining chip, or a weapon."
With a roll of her eyes, Jack stood up suddenly and walked up to Shepard. Her knee came down on the crate, between his legs as she leaned in close to his face, their noses almost touching. "Maybe I don't give a shit about your white-knight bullshit. Maybe, just maybe, I think you are a hot piece of ass, and I want to fuck the shit out of you and leaving you a sopping wet crying mess on my fucking floor."
She saw...something, in his eyes. Not lust. Or fear. Maybe, surprise? A flash of anger? Whatever it was, it was...disturbing. And arousing.
"Jack," his voice was low, quiet. Almost a growl.
"Yeah," she purred.
"Your breath smells like peanut butter."
"THE FUCK?!" Jack jerked back like she had been slapped. The comment had caught her so by surprise that she slipped and started to fall back.
But then he caught her.
Shepard stood, his right arm wrapped around her lower back as if they were doing some weird ass ballroom dance. It was so ridiculous, that Jack started to laugh as she let herself go limp in his arms. Her head dropped back and her arms flopped at her sides.
"Alright, fuck, you win round one," Jack sighed. "Now put me down before I shove my biotic fist so far up your ass your throat will have an accretion disc."
With a quiet chuckle, Shepard pulled her upright and let her go.
As she stepped back, Jack glanced down at her self. Leather straps were not the most modest of clothing, as her current state of the attested. She chuckled to herself for a moment as she ran her hands over her breasts and looked back at Shepard. Yeah...he was watching.
"Got a question for you," Shepard looked up from her breasts to her eyes. And, annoyingly, stayed there.
"What is that, Captain Celibate?"
He rolled his eyes as he pointed to her chest. "Didn't those hurt?"
"Shepard…" Jack put a hand to her forehead. She was pretty sure this asshole was giving her a headache. "I am covered in scars and tattoos. Everything has hurt at one point or another. A lot of them at the same time."
"Ah, right," Shepard dropped his fist onto his knee. "The nipples, specifically. I would think tattooing those would have sucked. Like. A lot."
"Oh!" Jack blinked for a moment and looked down at the black band that curved over her breasts and edged just around the nipples themselves. "Yeah, fuck. That was a terrible idea. Drunk out of my goddamn mind though, so not as bad as it could have been. Waiting for them to heal was a bitch though."
A wide, sly grin spread across Jack's face as she grabbed the hem of her pants and pulled them out a bit. "Wanna see the others? They really sucked, but I got pretty creative."
Shepard's eyes widened slightly in that way that was really not good for her hormones, then tilted his head. "Actually...I do. Wait!" He held up a hand as she grabbed her pants and prepared to drop them. "I am curious, yes. But that is all. I am always interested in tattoos."
"Goddamnit," Jack snarled as she dropped back onto her cot. "You are giving me a lot of fucking mixed signels here shit head."
"You are a confusing person, Jack," Shepard admitted. "You are strong, and aggressive. Overly so. I've looked over the dossier that I had, and peaked at some records I could get because I'm a Spectre. You have been dealt more shit than anybody every should get. And, from me, that's saying something."
Jack frowned darkly for a moment. "I'm not a fucking pity case."
"No, no you are not," Shepard shook his head. But now, now he had a sharp look in his eye. The eye of somebody that killed. That got her going just as hard. "You have done some horrible things."
"Yeah well," Jack shrugged. "Fuck 'em. People are just going to fuck you over when they have the chance."
"You could try to have friends. Give us a chance."
"Fuck, friends," Jack spat. She brought her leg up in front of herself and wrapped an arm around it. "Friends are just people that smile while they fuck you over. Don't think that because I want to bang your dick off means I trust you. You will get what you want out of me, then be on your merry-fucking-way. I'd rather you were just upfront about it."
"You have also done things to help people," Shepard continued, as if she hadn't spoken. "You saved twenty children from an orphanage fire. Seriously, that is some made for vid movie stuff right there."
"Yeah well," Jack looked away. "Kids shouldn't have to...ah, fuck you Shepard!" She growl at the man as she threw her pillow at him. "Seriously, fuck you in the ass!"
Shepard laughed as he caught the pillow and tossed it back onto her cot.
After a moment, Jack went fully serious and sat up. "I have a question Shepard. And I want a fucking straight answer, right?"
Shepard's smile died as he nodded.
"What happened to Purgatory?" Jack asked, looking the man straight in the eye.
The man was silent for a long moment. But he didn't shy away from her. His eyes didn't weaken, or turn away. Until, finally," How much do you want to know?"
Jack's mouth tightened. "Shepard…"
He shook his head as she sighed. "No, Jack, I'm serious. It's the difference between an hours worth of talking or five. Do you want dirty details?"
"I…" Jack caught herself. She wasn't actually sure what she had expected, but his answer was not it. "That was a ship full of the worst pieces of shit that have ever walked, crawled or swam. All of them. There were no political prisoners bullshit. No falsely accused assholes. That fucking ship had to have had some kind of emergency beacon. Can you imagine what would happen if they got their hands on some poor shit that answered that beacon?"
Shepard leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Before we left I disabled the transponder. Then I called in somebody I trusted to clean up the mess."
"That's awfully vague Shepard," Jack's eyes narrowed.
"There isn't really much more to it, Jack," Shepard snorted. "I got you, and left. And gave the mess to somebody else. It's going to haunt me for a good while. I didn't ask for details, but I am assured they were all eliminated."
"And the guards?" Jack raised an eyebrow. Let's see if the white-knight thought about that shit.
"Eliminated," Shepard said shortly. "They were all eliminated. There was no way to tell if a prisoner might pretend to be a guard or not. So no chances were taken."
"You're sure?" Jack raised an eyebrow.
"The person I called is very thorough."
"Fine," Jack finally looked down. "Two options right now Shepard. Well...maybe three."
"Oh?" Shepard raised an eyebrow. It was kinda cute.
Jack held up her fist, the extended her middle finger. "One: You fuck me until I can't walk." She then extended her index finger. "Two: You get the fuck out of here so I can jerk off. A lot." She then held out her thumb and pointed her fingers, like a gun at her crotch. "Or three: you hang out and watch me jerk off."
"Welp," Shepard slapped his thighs as he stood up. "Going to go get something to eat. Have a good...have fun, Jack."
As the Lord Paladin quickly went of the stairs, Jack let out a loud, throaty laugh.
Then she got down to 'business'.
John
Poking his food around his tray, John stared at the table, without seeing it. Talking with Jack had brought up the conversation he had been trying to forget. Bitch.
After Purgatory
"John," Hestalia raised an eyebrow as she looked at him threw the vidcom. "You look like shit, boy. What did I tell you about ducking?"
"I know dad, I know," John smirked slightly, but only for a moment. "I...I need to know how deep you are back in with Eclipse."
Hestalia's eyes narrowed for a moment before she sighed. "Fair question, I suppose, considering," The asari leaned back in her chair. "You are all grown up and a Spectre now. Again? Not sure how that applies."
"Dad."
"Fine," Hestalia rolled her eyes. "You were more fun as boy. And to think, I changed your diapers!"
"No, you didn't."
"You are a heartless son, you know that?"
"Hessie."
"I'm not," Hestalia shrugged. "Sort of. It's complicated."
"How complicated?" John drummed his fingers.
"Well, you died. We were left to try to put things back together when they tried to wipe it all away," Hestalia scowled as the desk. "You're mom, me and Jane. We got together with Anderson, Hackett and, interestingly, the quarians."
"I assume that is why Jane is with them?" John asked. "I didn't get the chance to ask her."
"Yes," Hestalia nodded. "My part was doing what I know." She indicated the Eclipse symbol on the tank top she was wearing. "I contacted Sedaris. We had a bit of a talk. I didn't want in. I just wanted assets. She owed me. She still owes me. But I got the team you met on the Citadel, plus some more. I'm building up my own company. Eclipse works like a franchise anyway, so it's convenient."
"What kind of work are you doing?" John sat forward and placed his hands on the table in front of him.
"Ah, shit," Hestalia rubbed a hand over her face. "I know that look. That's the look your mother gets when things go sideways...Dark, John. Things I do, they are dark. The kinds of things you and Jane probably do."
"I need a favor."
Hestalia looked at her son for a moment then closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. When she looked at him again, she was a person he didn't know. A person that scared him. "Tell me."
"Prison ship named Purgatory."
"I know of it."
"I hit it, took an asset. I need what's left cleaned up before it….spills."
"Measures?"
"It's dead in the water. I also disabled the emergency beacon on my way out."
"How much?"
"All of it. Inmates are running the asylum."
"Alright. Send the quardenants."
"Sending via encrypted channel."
The stranger that looked like Hestalia nodded. Then, she changed. And she was a loving step father again. "Sorry you had to meet the real me, John."
"No," John said, strongly. "No. I know the real you. I'm sorry I'm making you be somebody else for a while."
John's dad Looked away and dabbed at her eyes for a moment. John pretended he didn't notice.
"When we get a chance to breath, I have a couple years of father's day presents due," Hestalia smirked. "I intend to collect."
With a laugh John shook his head. "I'll make sure to swing by the tackiest shop I can find on the Citadel then. The'll probably give a discount to humanities first Spectre."
"Oh you had better fucking not, boy!"
John
"Jo- er..Shepard?" a modulated voice brought him out of his reverie. "Are you okay?"
Looking up, John couldn't help but smile at his favorite quarian. And he knew a few now, so he could say that.
"Just thinking about some bitter-sweet things," John gestured to the seat across from him. "Sit, you have food of your own there, we can share a meal. Kind of."
Tali's glowing eyes quirked slightly, almost like she cocked an eyebrow. Which, if she was, that wasn't cool. That was his thing. "Bitter-sweet? What does that mean?"
John chuckled as Tali sat down and clipped her food tube under her helmet. "I'm not sure how to describe an emotional response," John frowned. "I've always been crap at that, but… Do you have something where it is painful, but also a good memory at the same time?"
Tali's head tilted as she seemed to think. "I...think I know what you mean. I have many great memories of my mother. But some of them still hurt when I think about them. But...I still think about them because the good is better than the bad. Like that?"
"Exactly like that!" John grinned as he reached out and tapped her indicator light. The, as Tali's eyes widened, he coughed into his hand. "Sorry, not sure why I did that."
Her eyes softening, Tali's head tilted in that amused way. "It's fine. You can touch me whenever you want. Wow. That was probably just as weird."
John shook his head slightly with a grin.
"Tali…."
"Yes, Shepard?"
"I...Love you."
Tali'Zorah vas Neema
She was dying. She must be. Or more likely, she was already dead. Well...maybe not. The Ancestors weren't supposed to be cruel. Maybe it was some kind of infection. Yes, that was probably it.
And now the inside of her helmet was covered in food paste. And she was choking.
Her body dropped onto the tabletop as she coughed. Her eyes kept darting to Shepard as he half stood, a minor look of panic starting on his face. As he began to circle the table she threw up a hand and waved him off.
She took a moment to flex out her ribs as far as she could and squeezed it all back in a single hard cough that succeeded in clearing her air passage. And made even more of a mess inside her helmet.
"Ooohhh… Keelah…" She groaned. "That is going to be such a si'ratte to clean."
"Tali!" John stood next to her, dancing back and forth from one foot to the other. His hands were twining together the way her's sometimes did. Almost like he was...No...Not possible.
"John…" Tali weakly looked up at him. When their eyes met, she could feel it again. Like that time before the Overlord mission. She felt him. But it was impossible. Wasn't it?
John knelt down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. It was electric. She could feel the burning heat even through her suit. She could feel his concern. Her soul yearned for more.
"Tali, I..I'm sorry," John spoke quietly. "I don't know why I...no…" He looked down, his expression a war of emotions.
"Stop," Tali said firmly. John jerked back like he had been burned, and the pain almost cut her heart in two. Standing quickly, Tali looked around, but saw nobody else on the deck. Then, with a small nod to herself she grabbed John's wrist and drug him to the elevator, shoving him into it, then hitting the 'Deck 1' button. "I'd rather not have this conversation where anybody could just walk in on us. It's too important. I should have had it earlier but I was...I am scared."
"Tali, I'm sorry," John sounded so lost that Tali almost couldn't bare it. "I didn't mean...I shouldn't have…"
"Stop, John," Tali placed her fingers over his lips. "Just stop. I was just surprised. Shocked. Not in a bad way!" Tali insisted. "But...you don't know how quarians...How I work. I don't want….Keelah, now I'm doing it. And my face is covered in paste…."
*snrk*
"John, really?" Tali's voice went dry.
"Well….it's kinda funny," he insisted as he fought to keep down a smile.
"Okay yeah," she admitted with a small laugh. "A bit."
The elevator door opened and Tali grabbed John's hand and pulled him out. "Edi, open please."
"Yes, Miss Zorah," the cool voice sounded almost amused as the door to John's cabin opened.
With a satisfied nod, Tali jerked John inside before finally letting his hand go. Almost on sheer mental momentum she had gotten then both up here, and now she paused in the middle of his quarters, staring at the bed, and bathed in the glow of the ridiculous fish tank. Even if they were pretty. Okay. She liked them.
Now, however, she had no idea what to do.
"Miss Zorah," Edi spoke into her private comm. The Commander's lavatory can sterilize. It is a small room that can seal. If you would like, I can run the sequence so that you can clean yourself."
Slowly, Tali turned to regard John. He was standing just inside his door, staring at her with large eyes, like a lost baby varren.
"Yes, Edi, please," Tali said quietly. "If nothing else, it will give me a chance to think."
"Commencing now."
"John…" Tali's hands rolled together. "Don't make me yell across the room. I'm...having a hard enough time as it is."
"Oh!" John snapped alive as he rushed down the steps and moved quickly to her. Very close to her.
For a moment, Tali just looked at him. She started at his feet and slowly worked her way up his legs. Not as powerful as a quarians, but still, strong. His hips were wider than a male's. Not quite as wide as a female's. The abdomen gave way to a massive chest. A quarian male's waist V-ed out to a wider chest, but John's was almost half again as broad. The muscles were larger, and his back, deeper. His arms were, just as big. Strong. Everything about John said that he would make strong young. He would protect the den. What the fuck was she thinking?!
"Tali?" John asked hesitantly. "I think we should talk."
"Commander," Edi appeared on her holo pad. "I have setilized your lavatory so that Miss Zorah will be able to clean herself. It might make your conversation more comfortable for her."
"Thank you, Edi," Tali breathed a sigh of relief. "John, if you'll excuse me?"
"Oh, yes, of course!" John nodded. "This will probably take a while."
"Yes...thank you," Tali turned quickly and slipped into the lavatory, the door resealing behind her. A hum accompanied a greenish light as the sterilization protocol ran again. "And thank you for this, Edi."
"Of course, Miss Zorah. I am pleased that I could help you. I want things to go well for you and the Commander, and will assist you in any way that I can."
As the sterilization ended, Tali did a quick scan with her tool. And was impressed. "Ninety seven point six percent. I'm impressed."
"I am sorry I was not able to get it to one hundred," Edi actually sounded a little frustrated.
"Heh, thanks Edi. It's good. Better than a lot of places. Quarians aren't quite so vulnerable as that, or we would have died out a long time ago," Tali chuckled as she reached up to her visor, then hesitated. "Edi...are you...recording this? Do you have to report what you see to Cerberus?"
Edi's orb appeared on a shelf and flashed a red color. "I am sorry. But as long as you don't take advantage of me, and cover the lens to the upper right of the mirror and the on right below the showerhead, then yes, I will have to transmit what I see, and would not be able to stop it."
"Oh really?" Tali laughed this time as she 'didn't take advantage' of Edi.
Taking a deep breath, Tali closed her eyes and released her visior. As she lowered it, she slowly opened her eyes, to see herself for the first time in a good while.
"Pff, HA! HA!" She laughed at her self. "Keelah...I am a mess!"
Quickly, she set about cleaning herself, as well as her helmet. Technically, she could have waited for her suit to break it all down with micro mass effect fields, but this conversation was too important. And it was something she should have done a long time ago.
"Okay, Bosh'tet," Tali told herself. "Tell him the truth. The worst thing he can do is laugh at you. But as long as you are near him, that's fine. He just needs to understand."
Taking another deep breath of air, Tali reseated her visor. But just as she reached to open the door, he omnitool beeped. Another urgent message from the Fleet. This was really not the time too….
Her eyes shot wide as she read the words. She read them again. But they said the same thing. "Keelah…"
John
"Okay, dumbass," John groaned. "You confessed and almost killed her. Goddess forbid you try to kiss her. Her head might explode…."
For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why he had said what he did. He hadn't planned it. It just...happened. Maybe it had something to do with Jack's provocations. It made his mind think about what he really wanted.
"Alright…. When she comes out, you'll sit down. You'll have a conversation, like adults. You'll tell her how you feel. You'll listen to what she has to say, then you will go from there," John nodded. "I think I'm going to vomit…."
When he heard the door to the lavatory open, he spun with a smile on his face. A smile that quickly vanished. "Tali? What's wrong?"
"John…" Tali gasped as she stumbled out of the small room. "I...I'm being recalled to the Fleet. They...they are charging me with treason."
Quarian Lexicon
Si'ratte: Slang term for a quarian's rear. Used the like humans use butt.
Bosh'tet: Animal, native to Rannoch. With no insect life, other species of life had to fill the niche's that on earth fell to the insect. One such niche was the dung beetle. A bosh'tet falls into the category of roller on earth as it moves the dung found to a central location. Though differing in colors, from the green/yellow of the cooler climates to the blue/white in the more tropical areas, they are the same species. Known for apparent inability to distinguish between dung and small rocks, it is considered extremely stupid. Many have been found dead, surrounded by small rocks, as it tried to feed on them.
AN: I am clearly doing things a bit out of order. I also feel like I'm rushing the Tali thing right now, but I'm getting tired of dancing around it, lol