Next day, since Jo was feeling much better, they went to work and just made it in time before a swarm of reporter's cars blocked the customs port they always used. Joker turned on the news. Of course, his and Jo's faces were on all the screens again and everyone was speculating about the City Security's report that mentioned Jo's pregnancy. The cat was out of the bag.
Joker observed his wife closely when they arrived at work. He was curious about how she would be carrying herself now, after the entire student body had seen her vulnerable and shaken the last time they were aboard. This morning she donned a long sleeved, high-collared, body-fitting dress and small, flat shoes. Nothing about her reminded the onlookers of the military woman she used to be only months ago. Even when she greeted other officers, she only nodded in passing, as if all the military protocol had left her consciousness.
In fact, it seemed to Joker that Jo was somehow less aware of her surroundings than usual, as if her gaze was turned inside instead of looking out for possible dangers. He could understand that. Not only was she fresh from her second resurrection and about to become a mother for the first time, she also had to adjust to the fact that her oldest, scariest demons had been slayed – and not by her own hand, either.
After her first resurrection she had turned all her attention inward, too, but it had been a very different kind of quietness. It had been a box of dynamite trying not to shake itself too much, to avoid explosion. This time she seemed… softer. No, not softer. She seemed simply soft. Small and feminine in a way that had nothing to do with the Amazon warrior he'd always known.
His wife's new aura, for the lack of a better word, would give him a lot to think about in the future, Joker knew that. Right now, though, he realized that the old, original Commander Shepard was gone and that was a good thing – she had been a highly efficient killing machine with her heart untouched by love. The fatalistic hero of the Reaper War was gone, too – she had paid the price for their victory and died the true hero's death of noble self-sacrifice. But who was this new woman at his side? She could be fierce, as proven by her mad dash with guns blazing to save Grunt from the small British village. She was as stubborn as always, stepping over his warnings and bringing Justine back to life. What else, though? What was she now? And, more importantly, what was she not? He was excited and very scared at the same time to find out. But find out he would, living and working with her every day for the rest of his life.
Tali greeted them at the cafeteria with a report:
"Your secret is out now, it seems. Dex is fighting off an attack of vid calls from everyone and their uncle, and all the inboxes are full of messages and requests for exclusive interviews. How do you want to handle that?"
"Preferably not at all," Jo muttered, taking her place next to Joker. "But we should probably have some sort of a press conference..." She leaned into Joker, seeking his support. A civilian and pregnant Jo seemed to need a lot of his support and constant physical proof of his presence. He was more than happy to give it to her, putting his arm around her shoulders.
Her omnitool pinged. The small screen showed Wrex's confused face.
"Jo, I was just about to call and tell you guys that my and Bakara's second son is born, when all the vids started talking about you being pregnant. Why would you release such a statement on his birthday?"
"Your second son?!" Jo hiccupped. "How did I miss your first one being born? And how were we to know it would be his birthday? We would never steal your thunder on purpose."
"You were still meat and tubes in a lab when Mordin was born," Wrex suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Vakarian and I were hunting the Leviathans, so even I didn't know until I came back to Tuchanka. Bakara decided not to tell me until then."
"You named him Mordin," Jo sobbed and Joker felt her whole body tense. Hormonal and emotional, got it.
"Technically, Bakara did. But I'm fine with that. The stubborn needle-prodder deserved it."
"Yes, he did," Jo sniffed again. "What's the name of your second son?"
"Shep."
"Oh." Now she couldn't keep her composure, no matter how much she wanted to. Tears ran down her cheeks and she turned to hide her face in Joker's chest. Everyone else at the table was solemnly quiet. From Wrex's end came sounds of shuffling, stumbling and shushing.
"Look at them, Jo," the giant krogan rumbled gently. "Just look at them. Aren't they the most amazing things you've ever seen?"
Joker took his wife's wrist to look at the omnitool's screen. Wrex was pointing his device at a large crib, which easily had space for five infants. Currently only two lay inside. A small bundle of a newborn baby and a larger shape of a slightly older sleeping krogan boy. That one let out the cutest little snore.
Jo was weeping uncontrollably. Most of the recruits at the surrounding tables either started to leave quietly or busied themselves with something to give their Commander a hint of privacy. Joker held his wife against him tightly and kept staring at the screen. He hadn't known about little Mordin, either. Apparently nobody had, if Garrus' and Karin's faces were anything to go by. The two krogan boys slept so peacefully in Wrex's dwelling. These little brothers would know both their mother and their father. That was a different world compared to the way it used to be only two years ago, when the females would raise the young within their own clan, only occasionally letting the males speculate if any of the children were theirs.
"That they are," Joker agreed, his throat tight with emotion. "After the ultrasound picture of our own baby, that is."
"Pah," Wrex huffed and was instantly shushed by a voice off-screen. "Bakara says hi, by the way."
"Say hi to her as well, and congratulations."
"You too, Walking Disaster. Are you sure you should even reproduce?" The krogan sniggered. Joker rolled his eyes:
"I could still drop a Kodiak on top of you, you know."
"Yeah, yeah," Wrex was shushed by Bakara again and moved away from his sleeping children. "You're all right, Joker. Always had a big mouth on you. I like that."
"Love you, too, Wrex," Joker snorted and disconnected the call. He had a woman to comfort.
After the emotional scene in the cafeteria Jo needed some time to make herself presentable again, but then the business at the Academy went on as usual. However, the storm of calls only got worse with each passing hour. Joker was working his way through his new job contract, which Jo had dropped in his inbox once she was in her office, when Matt contacted him:
"Dex and I can't keep the reporters and all the official inquiries at bay forever, Joker. Alice is completely overwhelmed by now. Did you know that the Primarch called personally? And Prime Minister Akiyama? What are we supposed to do?"
"And why are you asking me that?"
"Because Jo has enough on her plate already, and it's your baby. Time to step up and be a man."
"Fuck you, Cyco," Joker snapped without real bite to it. "All right... I don't want to deal with a horde of reporters, though. Can we pick just one and answer their questions? An exclusive, somewhere in private?"
"I can set it up. Do you have a specific reporter in mind?"
"NOT Khalisah al-Jilani!"
"Got it. Maybe Melora Ri'An, the reporter you met on Earth when Jo came back to life and talked to the Council in Spain? Her request for an interview has been in the inbox for hours now."
"I remember her, she's all right. Book a private room at the docks, ok?"
"Will do."
Jo didn't protest when Joker picked her up and told her where they were going. At the moment she was happy enough to simply let him run her life.
They were glad to see that the dock managers sent in several security teams to keep the raging reporters at bay. Melora Ri'An and her camera were waiting for them in a private conference room. The young asari was bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"Commander, Instructor," she greeted them and measured Jo up and down with a speculative glance. "I don't have to ask if the rumours are true, then. You quite obviously are pregnant."
"Brilliantly observed," Joker rolled his eyes. He had liked the asari just fine when he'd first seen her: she'd elbowed Khalisah in the gut, after all. But he'd be damned if he stopped being a sarcastic asshole for anyone. Melora gestured them to be seated.
"Shall we get started?"
They sat in the pre-arranged setting: Joker and Jo next to each other, but in separate chairs. Because of that their joined hands on top of the armrests were put on display. Melora sat opposite of them. Her camera moved around, taking them in from all possible angles. After the usual generic phrases for the viewers to start the interview off, Melora quickly moved on to the real questions:
"Commander, you claimed a few months ago that after the Reapers and your second resurrection you only wished to live a normal civilian life," Melora began. "How is it working out for you?"
"No one is guilting me into risking my life anymore, which is a plus. Old enemies can now easily find me. That's a minus."
"Are you talking about the investigation of the incident at The Seashell?"
"Something like that," Jo said mildly, but the reporter got the clue: there would be no comment on that investigation.
"Well," the asari smiled quite genuinely. "You two are expecting your first baby. Was it an accident or a conscious decision?"
"Women in the military don't have that kind of accidents, they take precautions," Joker took over. "Especially someone as dedicated to combat as Commander Shepard used to be back in the day. No, we discussed it first."
"Now, please, don't punch me," Melora held up her hands with a chuckle. "But the viewers genuinely want to know. How did the two of you meet and become a couple?"
"We both reported for duty on the Normandy SR1, and that's how we met," Jo smiled gently, almost dreamily. "I entered the ship and there he was, running diagnostics at the helm."
"I wasn't running diagnostics, exactly," Joker squeezed her hand in his. "I was looking for pictures of you on the extranet."
"Oh, of course," Jo rolled her eyes with a pleased grin. Melora watched them with fascination.
"And how did your relationship begin?"
"Subtly, I would say. We discovered very quickly that we make a great team when we work together. Joker's always in my ear, you know. He's running my tactical. It wasn't supposed to be his job, but he's so good at it that I never wished for anyone else after he took over. And there we were, mission after mission, holding each other's lives in our hands. Great ordeal connects people. We became the best of friends."
"And then?"
"And then I died along with my ship." A moment of solemn silence fell, but Jo dispelled it quickly: "When I came back from the dead, for a while there Joker was my best connection to the world. He helped me through a hellish experience. When I finally became more or less normal again, I had time to reflect on my new life, and realized that I don't want to spend it without the man I love. Honestly, the world without Jeff in it wouldn't have been worth saving from the Reapers. He did me the honour of returning my feelings, and from then on we remained completely inseparable."
"Are you one of those couples that live side by side a whole lifetime without ever exchanging a cross word?" Melora teased.
"God, no," Jo laughed. "We fight. Like varren in a pit. Joker literally had me by the throat against a wall on several occasions."
"Oh?" Melora's eyebrows reached her tentacle-like scalp.
"True," Joker nodded. "But every time that happened we were fighting about something incredibly important."
"And did physical confrontation help you to get your point across?" Melora asked him.
"Please, when you say 'physical confrontation' it sounds like we're beating each other. Nothing could be further from the truth. Anyway... I got my point across all right. But she still did what she wanted to do every time. Once she makes up her mind about something... "
"I did what I wanted to do, but only because you haven't put your foot down," Jo shrugged. They forgot about Melora's presence for a moment.
"Put my foot down?" Joker snorted. "I specifically remember telling you not to do something, which you did anyway."
"But you never said that you couldn't possibly be with a person who did that, and that our relationship would be over if I insisted on that course of action." When Joker's eyebrows disappeared under the brim of his hat, Jo shrugged innocently: "Well, you never did!"
"So you're saying that such a threat could get you to change your mind?" He narrowed his eyes speculatively.
"Of course," Jo nodded.
"You're such a bitch."
"Asshole."
They chuckled together and returned their attention to Melora. The reporter was watching their exchange with an open mouth, not breathing. No one – NO ONE – had ever seen Commander Shepard acting like this in public. Melora was quickly realizing that she was no longer talking to the fabled Commander of the past. Mrs Moreau was a whole new kind of a gal. The young reporter collected her wits very quickly, jumping at the opportunity to get real answers to questions Commander Shepard would have skillfully dodged:
"Commander, the viewers everywhere would like to know one thing above all: How did you do it?"
"Do what, exactly? I call many accomplishments my own. I even have a bucketful of medals from my times in the Systems Alliance."
"Specifically, how did you save the galaxy?"
"I didn't save it on my own," Jo sighed, as if the notion of being the sole saviour made her tired. "Many, many people saved the galaxy. During the final battle alone there were millions of people involved. How did we do it? We fought the Reapers. Any being who fought in the battle that day can tell you how we did it."
"But before the joint galactic fleet jumped to the Sol system that day, Commander, you spent several years creating that unity. Before you, such cooperation was simply impossible. How did you accomplish that? What did you do differently from others before you? What was it about Commander Shepard that made it all possible?"
"Those are three entirely different questions," Jo said. "Which one do you want me to answer first?"
"The last one," Melora said after a small consideration. "What was so special about Commander Shepard that made all your accomplishments possible?"
Jo humpf-ed and sank deeper into her seat, visibly weighed down by the hard question. Joker's hand tightened around hers, but he looked at her in silence.
"Probably... I don't know exactly. But it was probably the fact that I'm a walking, talking set of horribly conflicting contradictions. I have several core beliefs that sound mutually exclusive and completely illogical to most people out there. That makes me unpredictable even to myself sometimes. I think I threw people for a loop and they had no other choice but to pause and pay attention to what I had to say."
"Can you give us an example of such contradicting beliefs?"
"I spent years training very hard to become the most effective killing machine in the galaxy, and I used that skill many times in many battles. At the same time I'm a very outspoken pacifist."
"Indeed, there are many instances from your biography that confirm that, Commander. You brokered peace between the quarians and the geth, and between the krogan and the turians, all the while personally taking part in those conflicts very shortly before the peace declarations." Melora nodded. "We've already seen how that worked out for you and for the galaxy. What people would like to know is how you came to have those opposing beliefs - mutually exclusive beliefs, as you put it earlier?"
Jo fell silent for a long while.
"Hard to say," she finally confessed. "The wish for peace is probably the inborn tendency, or at least it was put in me very early on. I still remember the Shanxi incident, what humans call the First Contact War. I was a very young child then, three years old, when the vids ran on all stations back on Earth. I remember how deeply it touched me. I was watching the conflict like everyone else and I thought: this is all wrong. They shouldn't be fighting. As I grew older, I kept thinking: A first contact should happen in a completely different way from the very start. I'm not blaming anyone for what happened at Shanxi, because I believe that everyone involved had acted to the very best of their abilities in an incredibly complicated and mostly unprecedented situation. They had no idea what to do. They were ill-prepared. And that was the problem. I thought: if I ever ended up in such a situation, I want to do better. I would do anything and everything to keep it peaceful. I want to learn as much as I can to be the one to know what to do, to keep Shanxi from ever happening again. That idea stuck with me for the rest of my life. Well, until now I haven't had the honour to be in a first contact event with a new species, but I have many times been in a situation when new wars and conflicts could have erupted, and I kept the peace. I even got the participants to cooperate with each other while they were about to kill each other hours before. I think I did well, if I say so myself." She smiled charmingly.
"Yes, you did," Joker said. He remembered many peace talks on the Normandy that his wife had negotiated, and his pride in her abilities was genuine.
"At the same time life keeps throwing violence and battles at me," Jo continued with the question. "I don't like bullies. And I very much like my freedom to self-determinate. That means that I'll not be dominated, ever, by anyone. I don't want to rule others, I abhor that kind of power hunger. But if someone tries to rule me, I will instantly fight back. I will fight back with all I have, even my life. That's probably what makes me different from many other people. I'll never give up, I'll fight until I die, maybe even out of sheer spite, rather than let someone overpower me. Still, I don't want to die, obviously. That's why I trained to be able to fight better. At some point there weren't many people who could physically subdue me in a fight. So, I gained the power not only to protect myself, but also to protect others. And the older I got, the more others I could protect. My punch - the literal one as well as the metaphorical one - gained so much weight that I was able to give people a choice: I offer you my two hands. One is a fist, and if you choose to fight me, I'll use all I have to beat you. The other hand is open for a peaceful handshake. If you choose to be my friend, I'll be your friend, too. Of course, I don't think I've ever put it in those exact words for anyone, but I gave that choice to many people during the preparation for the final Reaper battle. And I strongly encouraged them to choose the correct hand. I did what needed to be done to get them to choose right. Yell, punch, threaten, whatever it took. To put it shortly: I don't want to fight, I'd rather play nicely, but if you punch me, I will punch back as hard as I possibly can. Did it work? Well, you tell me."
Melora smiled at Jo very smugly toward the end. She had the right to congratulate herself: no reporter before her had ever gotten such a long and detailed answer to such a personal question out of Jo. No one had ever gotten her to open up like this, to show the thoughts and feelings behind her actions in front of a camera.
"Still, Commander," she prodded deeper. "There are many situations reported from all across the galaxy, when you seemingly killed or injured people who, shall we say, didn't deserve such harsh punishment. For example, when you went to Zhu's Hope colony on Feros, you killed a civilian named Ethan Jeong, who worked as a representative for ExoGeni on the planet. According to witness reports you shot him in the forehead without provocation. Can you comment on that?"
"I shot him in the face, that's true. It was not without provocation. He was mentally unstable and was waving a hot and loaded gun around a group of civilians. I eliminated the threat. Besides, ExoGeni used that colony for an experiment to study the effects of an indigenous species on human brains. They experimented on people without their knowledge and consent. Mr Jeong was the company's representative on site, he was the one who put their orders into reality, he was the one to actually make it all happen. That makes him a terrorist in my book, albeit less trained in combat than I am. To put it shortly: he was responsible for the organisation and the execution of that horrific experiment on humans. Also, he was an immediate danger to civilians around us at that moment. I focused my energy on saving the ones who were truly innocent. The colony survived, by the way. They don't have it easy, but they live and work and are content. Besides, once Jeong took up a weapon, he put himself into a whole different category, and I dealt with him accordingly."
"It is true that the colony survived and that the colonists later contributed to the war against the Reapers. Whether Mr Jeong's death was beneficial to their cause is still unclear, however. Commander, you spoke of categories just now. Could you elaborate, please? What are those categories?"
"Well..." Jo frowned, thinking that she probably shouldn't have mentioned the "categories". Melora, like a bloodhound, zeroed in on the one part of her reply that could pull more revelations out of Jo. More revelations meant better rating for the reporter. "The first distinction I make when I deal with other people is: civilian or a person with a weapon. Or course, terrorists or soldiers on leave, who just happen not to have weapons on them at that specific moment, still fall into the second category."
"And what does that distinction mean to your interactions with those people?"
"Civilians - true civilians who don't harm anyone in any way, are sacred. No matter how many people believe that I'm a maniac who goes around shooting people for no reason, I don't kill civilians."
"What about people from the second category?"
"It's my personal rule that I live by, sort of. There are many, many distinctions to that rule, and many exceptions, too, but generally... Everyone from the second category is fair game. Everyone who harms others can expect harm to come back to them. Everyone who takes up a weapon accepts that a weapon's purpose is to kill, and therefore they have to accept the consequences of their readiness to kill. That's the gist of it, simplified down to black and white, which the reality never really is. So don't start a witch hunt because of what I just said. I always make the choice according to the situation."
"What if, for example, a person's family member was kidnapped, and the kidnappers demanded from that person to commit a crime to have their loved one released? Would you kill that person?"
"You go straight for the throat, don't you?" Jo and Joker both chuckled. "My first and strongest advice to anyone who ended up in such situation would be to come to me directly and ask for my help and protection. Even if the crime in question has nothing to do with me, even if the whole situation has nothing to do with me, I still encourage the victims to contact me, or rather my Academy. Hostage situations and kidnappings happen to be one of my specialties, you know. If someone asks for my help and even cooperates with me fully, how could I harm them? But even if a person in that situation didn't contact me and chose to meet the demands, I would strongly deliberate on the crime they were forced into. I would hardly kill someone for corporate espionage."
"So you're saying that every situation is different, but you would definitely consider the facts behind a person's actions instead of making a snap decision based on the first appearance? Could you comment on the confusing situation on the Citadel right before the final Reaper battle, when you cut off a woman's head and displayed it on a pole at the docks for the public to see? The witness reports from that day are unclear, to put it mildly."
"Hm, that one... Well, see, I don't hate people on principle. Whenever I encounter a conflict, I try to hear out both sides. But when someone attacks me personally, I end up being one of the sides. When my opponent goes after the things and people I cherish, I'm entitled to some personal feelings about the situation. The woman I beheaded that day went for the things I cherish most. My identity, my family, and my ship. Plus, in doing so she killed and endangered many civilians. In a way she's caused pain to me and mine that can never be undone. I allowed myself some personal feelings that day."
Joker listened quietly. Jo's skill to talk around difficult subjects was admirable. Only he knew that the pain she was talking about was mostly caused to Justine, not to Jo or anyone from the Normandy team. Brooks had used her and betrayed her at the most crucial point, which caused his sister in law to give up on life and to commit suicide. That kind of betrayal could never be truly undone. That was what Brooks had been punished for.
"In other words, you didn't kill her to eliminate the threat of what she would yet do. You punished her for what she'd already done. That is what the legal system and prisons are for, as capital punishment is forbidden in the Council space. Your actions clearly overstepped the rights and authorisations of a Spectre. However, no official criminal charges have been brought up against you, which speaks a lot about the Council's trust in your ability to judge a situation correctly. That trust is, after all, the reason they made you a Spectre to begin with. Moving on to other topics. Instructor Moreau, you have been on the Commander's team from the moment she was assigned as Captain Anderson's XO on the Normandy SR1. Please share with the viewers: what was it like, working with her so closely every day? What was it like, dealing with the stress and watching the history in the making?"
"It certainly made me realise a few things about myself. For example, I realised that even a cripple like me..."
"You're not a cripple." Jo stated that with finality of true conviction, just as she always had.
"Even a person with far-reaching physical limitations such as my own," Joker readily corrected himself. "Could have the respect of the toughest and mightiest of this galaxy, if he proves his skill and goes above and beyond to contribute."
"Tell us more about your contributions."
Jo suddenly snorted:
"Oh, he only saved this galaxy!"
Melora Ri'An turned to her questioningly.
"How so?"
"He saved the galaxy time and time again by pulling my ass out of really bad situations groundside, he dropped me in a Mako onto such a tiny landing zone that my survival odds with any other pilot would have been non-existent. He flew the Normandy to the Collector base through such a tough kill zone that it was considered a suicide mission. That's just to name a few of his professional accomplishments. On a more personal note, who do you think picked up the pieces every time I fell apart? He would never claim that as one of his heroic deeds, but it's true: he kept me sane through it all."
The reporter's eye rounded and her lips parted with a gasp:
"Commander, you... fell apart? Emotionally?" Getting such a juicy confession out of the usually stern and composed Commander would make her career.
"I am only human," Jo said. "Tougher than most, but I do have feelings. I invite you and all your viewers to imagine what it's like to have every life in the galaxy depend on you. What it's like knowing that every time you take a coffee break, or sleep, or eat, thousands of people out there die or become Reaper husks. Imagine it and tell me, who could handle such pressure without emotional support? Well, Joker is my support. And therefore he is my hero."
"I think the only reason I succeeded at it," Joker said to her directly, "was because I only had to deal with the fallout on occasion. I freely admit that I wouldn't want to be the one to carry such weight all day, every day, the way you did. I wouldn't want to make the decisions you had to make along the way."
Jo squeesed her husband's hand with all the love and gratitude she felt. When she spoke to Melora again, her eyes were suspiciously wet.
"I am a good leader, but what is a leader without followers? And it takes skill to be a follower."
"And I'm a damn good follower," Joker grinned.
"How so?" Melora smiled back. After a tense moment like that she, too, was glad for a breather.
"He anticipates the leader's needs and wishes before she expresses them," Jo smiled brightly. "If I need a report, it's in my inbox before I ask. If I need the ship to move, the coordinates are punched in before I even speak. If I need evac, it's waiting for me."
"Commander, you said earlier that Instructor Moreau dropped you off in a vehicle onto a non-existent landing zone. Could you tell us the story, please?"
"What's to tell? We needed to catch up with Saren Arterius. He went into a bunker. The only landing zone nearby was about five by eight meters big. My XO and all advisors told me that it's impossible. Joker said: I can do it. So down I went."
"Against the advice of all your crew members? Why?" Melora's eyes rounded.
"Because Joker said he could do it." Jo repeated slowly. When the asari still stared at her disbelievingly, she insisted: "I don't care how impossible something looks. If Joker says he can do it, it's a guarantee for me. He knows what's at stake and he would never endanger my life."
"You really trust each other so much?"
"Completely," Jo nodded. At the same time Joker said: "Absolutely." Melora's lips widened in a grin.
"Now that you're married, how is it working out?"
"Can't imagine a better life," Jo shrugged honestly. "I believe that everything we went through together is a lesson that will last us a lifetime. We're a great team and as long as we're together, we can deal with anything."
"How do you work around Mr Moreau's previously mentioned physical limitations? You are a marine from the Systems Alliance, as a Field Agent with the N7 designation, a Spectre for the Council. Wouldn't someone as physical as that, someone who encounters combat and violence as much as you do, be better off with a life partner of a similar physical condition?" Melora took the risk to ask a question that would have gotten most other reporters punched, but she counted on the good will her interviewees felt toward her.
"Apparently not," Jo smiled smugly. "We all know what you're really trying to ask. I'm physically modified and trained to be more than humanly strong. My husband has brittle bones. Many people wonder: how does it work between them, even up to the point of marriage and children? I find that question offensive, but I will answer it. Once and never again." Jo put some real force into her voice: "Don't assume that my training and my job reflect on my sexual preferences. I don't beat anyone in bed. And Jeff isn't actually made of glass, you know. All that matters is that we cherish each other, the rest comes easily. I've been in the military for over a decade and I've seen all the beefcake you can possibly imagine. With all due respect to my own sex, I'm talking about men because that's where my preferences lie. I've served with the biggest, the strongest, and the toughest men humanity has to offer. Still, none of them was as sexually attractive as my husband. I've travelled across the galaxy and met a lot of interesting people, fascinating people. They were great leaders and true heroes. Still, none of them was ever as strong as Jeff Moreau. None of them was as fascinating, either. The heart wants what the heart wants, no matter what other people's logic suggests. I'm in love with my husband. He's incredible. Every day I thank the stars for bringing him to me, that's the God's honest truth. I will have you know: it works between us. This should be proof enough for anyone." She rubbed her rounded belly.
When Melora, a little shaken by the vehemence, looked to Joker, she found him uncomfortable and looking to the side, as if he wanted to disappear. He wasn't going to contradict his wife in any way, but her praise in public was perhaps more than what he could handle. Melora pounced:
"Tell us, Instructor Moreau, what is it like to be married to the woman who used to be Commander Shepard before the wedding?"
"If 'the viewers' want some juicy details, they can bite me in the ass." Joker sounded snippy, but at least he was looking at the reporter again. The camera was catching the green intensity of his eyes.
"I'm sure you are aware of your wife's large fanbase out there. Many people find her intriguing and sexually attractive. How do you feel about that? Do you ever get jealous?"
"I have nothing against people drooling over pictures of my wife. They can look all they want. I only get jealous if someone tries to touch her, and even then only a little. She knows where she belongs and she never allows anything untoward."
"Are you saying that you own the woman who boldly declared only minutes ago that she will never be dominated by anyone?"
"No one but me," Joker's eyes clearly said: fuck you, and his grin was evil. The reporter was pretty close to crossing the line.
"Commander?" Melora turned to Jo for a reaction. She expected some sort of a protest, but found only a serene smile. Even in such a delicate question the couple presented a united front.
"Could you share some details about your daily life with us, Instructor? What is the Commander like in private?" Melora prodded for more, milking the opportunity for all it was worth.
"I have a feeling many people believe that I'm married to the legend. I'm not. But many people also imagine that she wears this tough mask for the outside world, while I get to see 'the woman underneath', some mysterious gentle creature, a soft core under the hard shell. That's not true. She doesn't wear masks. She's a tough hero in private as much as in battle. She's always a murderous bitch, and she's always a caring, gentle housewife. That's what I find so fascinating. She doesn't switch personalities. She's actually always one and the same, a person of many facets. And she shows a different facet of herself according to the given situation. She doesn't pretend. Sure, she can lie and cheat with the best of them, but even in doing so she always remains true to herself. And this incredible woman of great integrity for some reason seems to think I'm the amazing one. I don't know what I've ever done to deserve that."
"You've done enough to deserve much better than me." Jo said. "But I'm selfish like that: I'll keep you to myself by whatever means necessary."
The reporter watched them with deep interest for a few moments before continuing:
"Commander, do you feel that the galaxy is finally safe enough to bring a child into it?"
"I don't see why not. The chance of another threat like the Reapers is negligible. As for other dangers... Between us and all our friends, I think we can keep our kids safe enough. And besides, children are tougher than we think."
"That's right, you lost your parents very early on and grew up on the streets. Do you feel prepared enough for raising your own child?"
"Is anyone ever really prepared for that?" Jo chuckled. "I don't know. But I would do anything for our baby, and it has to be a good enough start."
"What does 'anything' entail?"
"Stop risking my life for the cause, for example. The cause used to be all I had. My sole purpose was to protect. Now things are different," Jo shrugged. "I know first-hand what it's like to grow up without parents, and I will make sure our child doesn't have to go through that, even if it means ignoring the next galaxy-wide threat."
"Are you saying that you would sacrifice our galaxy for your baby?" Melora arched an eyebrow.
"Yes, I would. And I think most mothers out there will understand."
Melora paused before changing the topic:
"Would you want your child to follow in your footsteps? Join the military, aim for the Spectres?"
"Spirits, no," Jo's hand tightened around Joker's. "If he or she has any other option, I would encourage them to take it."
"We both would," Joker agreed.
"But why?"
"The whole risking your life every day thing might have something to do with that."
"Do you plan to raise your child in the spirit of peaceful cooperation?"
"I don't see any other way. Most of our closest family aren't humans. Maybe the next generation will finally have a chance to grow up in a world where it's normal for different species to coexist in friendship, not just a wondrous exception."
"Is that what you're doing now? Starting a new generation, a new era in the history of our galaxy?"
Both Jo and Joker laughed.
"That's a dramatic way to see it. We certainly haven't been thinking about it in those terms."
"To conclude our interview: Is there anything you'd like to state for the record?"
"Actually, yes. I've put a helluva lot of effort into destroying Cerberus for the terrorists that they are, but I'm still grateful to them for resurrecting me the first time around in such a way that I'm still able to carry a child. And I'm grateful just as much to the scientists who brought me back the second time around. I know that I did a lot for the galaxy, but I will never say that the galaxy never did anything for me. The people that I helped save allowed me to have this amazing gift. I'm deeply grateful."
