Disclaimer: The Mass Effect Universe and everything in it belongs to BioWare. I only lay claim to London and Teagan.

This is the longest chapter I've ever done, hitting almost 50 pages. It's also unbeta'd so forgive my mistakes if I've made any.

[Chapter Twenty-Eight: June]

All of her weight was pressed on top of London's body as Miranda laid on her, resting her head on the brunette's chest. She listened intently, allowing her eyelids to close so she could immerse herself in its steady beat. London ran her calve along the smoothness of Miranda's right thigh as she curled her leg around the Australian's hip. "How's my heart doing? Am I fit for work, doctor?"

"The theory of entrainment in physics states that some specific sounds increase the rate of your heartbeat. Apparently yours increases with the sound of my voice."

The sniper lifted a well groomed eyebrow, observing the self-satisfied expression on her girlfriends face. "Have I ever told you how sexy that big, beautiful brain of yours was? And how incredibly …smug it's currently making you?"

Miranda chuckled and wrapped herself even tighter around the woman beneath her. "Are you denying what your heart is so clearly stating, Specialist O'Conner?"

London watched as Miranda's cheeks flushed to her own question. Perhaps she should have worded it differently. Either way the brunette smiled and shook her head, "I'm not denying anything. It's a known fact that my heart speeds up when you just look in my general direction. I can only imagine what it must sound like when you actually speak to me."

Gentle lips pressed down onto the sniper's sternum, lingering there for several small moments before blue eyes fixated on the younger woman's face. "It sounds beautiful."

London caressed the operative's cheek lightly, a cheeky grin on her face. "It's that accent, I'm telling you. It's going to be the death of me one day."

Perfect brows furrowed when Miranda decided to get off the other woman and stand from the bed. She looked around for her bra and uniform as she spoke, "Don't joke like that. Now move it and get dressed. Shepard should be calling us within the next half hour."

London rolled her eyes at Miranda's sudden shift. It was only a joke and the operative should have known better than to get so upset. But in a strange way she was only trying to show London how much she cared. Joke or not, Miranda didn't want her to get hurt. Still, London couldn't help herself when grabbing her dangling bra from the nightstand and putting it on quickly before saluting the XO. "Yes, Operative Lawson."

xxxxxxx

[5pm/ Omega/ Afterlife/4 hours till infiltration]

The club had been closed for the day in preparation for The Velvet Vault's party, an eerie silence replacing what was typically booming music and the ramblings of drunken clientele. There was a slight echo as Shepard walked down the entrance hall; a man yelling and a small assembly of human and asari dancers panting in exhaustion.

"No, no, no! You're doing it all wrong, damn it! It's one, two, three, step, kick, twirl, step, step, kick, arms, arms, arms, step, twirl, and pose. You're doing step, step, arms, kick, arms, arms, step, twirl, and pose. Do it RIGHT. I will not have this club shamed because you eight ninnies can't dance worth a shit! If you want to get paid big credits then you better damn well put in the effort needed or I'll replace you right here and now!

"You think it's just my name on the line? Fuck no! Its Aria's too! Do you really want to piss her off? No? Well then GET. IT. TOGETHER! Lianna, what the hell have you be rehearsing," Flex called out angrily, twisting around to try and find his assistant. "LIANNA—shit."

His face turned a ghostly shade of white when instead of his assistant he took in the sight of the always fully armored Commander Shepard.

John had his head tilted in amusement at the manager wearing tight purple ballet pants and a white, loose, long-sleeved shirt. "Nice outfit, twinkle-toes. It's a great color on you."

"There were out of black in the men's section." Flex clenched his jaw, a line forming between his eyes as his brows tightly narrowed. He soon corrected his gesture, however, upon remembering exactly whom he was dealing with. "Shepard, how nice it is to see you yet again. I don't know how you got passed my bouncers but we'll not go into that little tidbit. What are you doing here," he asked flatly, "today is an important day and I don't have the time to fritter away."

"Fritter? Aw Flex," Shepard said with a toothy grin, a strong arm wrapping around the small man's shoulder as John forced him into taking a stroll. "Walk with me a second, will ya? I have a favor I need to ask you."

The manager's body was rigid as the Commander held him close to his armor, "The last time I did you a favor I ended up with a gun pointing at my balls by that she-demon of a woman. I don't think I owe you nothin', Shepard."

John clicked his tongue as he tightened his hands squeeze on the smaller man's shoulder, rewarding himself when a tiny whimper left Flex's lips. "Then let's not think of it as a favor then, alright? Let's think of it as a business proposal."

Flex's eyebrow quirked, voice coming out quaky and nervous, "You, erm, wanna do business?"

"Sure, Flex. I would like to do business with you."

"W-What did you have in mind? What's the proposal?"

Shepard shook the man in what was suppose to be an encouraging gesture, "Help me and I don't kill you?"

Flex pushed himself away from the Commander, wiggling his finger towards the man. "Aha! You're funny, Shepard. We're not going down this road again. You had me going, I admit." When Shepard's serious expression didn't change Flex swallowed a heavy lump, "Come on, I mean you're Commander Shepard! You're one of the good guys, right?" he asked with a smile, playfully leaning in to give John's shoulder a baby tap. "R-Right? You wouldn't do that to me…again."

John crossed his arms. "You know what I'll do to ensure that the job gets done."

Flex threw his head back and released an elongated exhale. "Fine! Shit, why do you always gotta bust my balls? What the hell do you need?"

Shepard led the manager towards the office to where both men could take a seat and speak privately. "Word is you'll be sending in a few girls to The Velvet Vault tonight. Three of which are reserved especially for two mercenaries named J. Sanders and S. Riley."

"Yeah? It ain't illegal. Riley likes the girls from here and I like his credits. It's a win, win situation. So what's that got to do with you?"

"So," John continued, "I need to get in there."

Flex stood up from his seat, "Whoa, Shepard. You ain't exactly their cup of tea if you get my drift. And you ain't exactly the prettiest girl on the block either. They'd never believe that you worked here even if we did add all the hair and makeup! Can you even fit in a thong?"

"Flex," John sighed, pinching the area between his eyes. "Shut up and sit down."

He gulped and did as instructed. "I ain't following where this is going then."

"I need you to replace three of your girls with three of mine."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Flex stood up again. "Shepard, it's not that easy! This is a business! If we don't make the credits Aria gets pissed. Do you want to live in a place where the asari who owns it hates your damn guts? NO. You don't! I can't just replace her girls! She'd fucking kill me!"

Shepard placed his elbows onto his knees as he sat, leaning into the manager with a severe expression. "I'll pay you for each girl you replace. Aria stays happy, you don't get killed, and I get what I need. Everyone wins."

Flex scoffed, "Commander, with all due respect the women who work here are perfectly defined specimens of desire. They don't get shoved a couple of creds and go on their merry way. At a party like this each girl can bring in anywhere from three to six thousand creds a pop."

John pulled out a chit card from his pouch, holding the small object out between his index and middle finger. "This has fifteen thousand credits on it, five for each girl. I even brought a little extra to give to the girls themselves as compensation. It's yours if you replace them."

Flex could feel his mouth water but was quick to rid himself of the temptation with a swift shake of the head, "I don't know about this, Shepard. You get your girls in there, rough a few guys up, you walk away, and then those guys come looking for me afterwards wondering how the hell it all happened. Either way I don't see a bright side for me. I end up dead or dead."

"Answer me this, Flex: Would you rather be dead now or dead later?"

The manager slumped down onto the seat behind his desk and slammed his head into the metal surface.

John wiggled the small chit card in his fingers. "Well?"

Flex lifted his face, a large red bump already forming on his forehead as he reached out to snag the credits. "Can I at least see the girls? I need to know how much we're going to have to fix them up. We got a reputation to maintain here."

"They already have everything they need but sure let's introduce you. Alright guys," Shepard said into his comms link, "come say hello to Flex."

It was a few minutes that passed in uncomfortable silence before Flex's office door slid open and the three women stepped through, the manager's eyes bulging out of his head upon noticing the first one who walked in. "You have got to be shitting me. She's still with you!"

London crossed her arms and leaned back against a wall, an uninterested gaze wandering over the man's face. "So articulate, I'm impressed."

Jack wasn't able to keep the same poise as she got an eyeful of Flex's current outfit, her loud cackles echoing throughout the office as she leaned over to hold her stomach and slap her knee, "Have you seen—" Inhale. "that fuckin' outfit—" Wheeze. "aw crap— it's fuckin' hilarious! Tiny p-purple leggings!"

Miranda felt a little grin spread across her lips when Flex adjusted his shirt to try and cover his leggings self-consciously as he looked over the three women. "Yeah laugh it up, baldy."

Jack's eyes immediately went into searing slits as she instantaneously walked up towards his desk and slammed a biotic fist into its surface, "What'd you say, short shit?" He was actually taller than Jack, but at this moment she couldn't have made him feel smaller.

Flex sank into his seat, his eyes frantically seeking out the Commander. "What a lovely…bunch of ladies you have here, Shepard."

John grinned, "That's Jack, you already know London, and that—" he pointed towards his XO, "is Lawson, my second in command."

Flex nodded, being sure to keep his tone polite what with so many psycho women in the room. He released a nervous laugh, "At least they're all lookers. You m-might be able to pull it off after all."

Shepard raised a brow, "When I'm looking for your approval I'll ask for it."

The manger nodded quickly, "Got it. Can you two dance?"

Jack was picking something out of her teeth as she answered disinterestedly, "We can shake our asses well enough. That's all you gotta know," she said, flicking the residue on her nail towards the guy.

"I see you're classy too," Flex said as she stood from his seat. "Well if you'll excuse me I have to finish practicing with my girls for their big number at The Vault tonight. You all better be ready to go by seven thirty. The three girls you wanna replace are out in the practice room on the polls or some shit. I ain't got the time to tell them that they're out so just do it yourselves. London should know who most of them are."

Shepard nodded his head as he stood up from his seat, watching the manager exit the office before turning towards his squad. "The first step is already in motion. Get out there and mingle with the girls you'll be replacing, and then when 7:30 hits, Flex will pack you all up and ship you to The Vault. Kasumi will be cloaked at the entrance. Miranda you walk through the doors first. Jack I want you to stay four steps behind Lawson to give Kasumi the second she needs to pass security unnoticed. Afterwards you guys just work a little magic until June shows up. Get him into his room, Kasumi will knock him out with the drugs, and then Garrus and I will pick you all up. You're in charge in there, Lawson. Get the job done."

Miranda nodded her head, "Will do, Commander."

"I'll see you in a few hours then."

As both the XO and London exited the office Jack reached out to grab Shepard's arm. He smiled down at her as he brought a hand to gently rest on the nape of her neck. "You ready?"

The biotic nodded, "I guess, yeah."

Shepard drew her close, enveloping his arms around her body and holding tightly. "Remember: if you think anything is wrong in the slightest you let me know, alright? I'll be there faster than you can bat an eyelash."

She slithered her hands around his abdomen and nodded, "Gotcha."

John lowered his chin so he could kiss the top of head, her very short hair tickling the tip of his nose. "Good. Now get out there," he said, walking a short distance to the door.

"Hey, Shepard?" the ex-convict interrupted.

"What's up?"

"Did you…you know…find anything on what we talked about at the Citadel?"

The commander shook his head, "A lot of the files went missing but I'll be sure to ask Miranda when the time is appropriate. But don't worry, we'll find something eventually."

xxxxxxx

[6PM/ The Afterlife Practice Studio]

Their studio was a medium sized room, three of the four walls covered in ceiling high mirrors. The main space had a wide open floor with three practice polls near the furthest wall from the entry way. To the right was another door leading into a small dressing area. When the whole team entered the room, London led them through the dressing room doors.

The three dancers meant for Riley and June were sitting in front of a large vanity mirror chatting and preparing themselves for tonight. One was an asari named Maliana. Her skin was a beautiful shade of purple; her body was lean and slender. She had the most expressive eyes and full, pouty lips. The other two were human. London didn't recognize the youngest one, but the other's name was Ayo, a stunning African American woman. Her head was shaved which only accentuated her gorgeous, chiseled facial features. She was taller than most other women standing at a proud six foot one with legs that went on for miles. Most men couldn't keep their hands off her, her skin was always smooth and warm, begging to be touched.

"Ladies," London said with a grin as she leaned into the door's frame.

Ayo's eyes widened when she turned her head, getting up from her seat immediately to take the woman into warm hug. "What are you doing here! We all thought you quit!"

The brunette laughed as she returned the hug happily before bringing the woman back to look up into her face. "You're still beautiful as ever, Ayo." She turned her hands towards the operative and the convict. "This is Miranda and that's Jack."

Ayo nodded her head politely, "My hellos to you."

Maliana rolled her eyes as she adjusted her eye shadow in the mirror, "Well if it isn't the prized White Rose of Omega. Halle-fuckin-lujah."

London narrowed her gaze towards the asari, "Still a bitch, Mali?"

"Still cheap, London?"

Ayo whipped her body around, "Maliana!"

She sighed, turning back to face the two new women. "I apologize on behalf of Maliana. She's simply on edge about tonight. As you have heard, I am Ayo and this lovely woman is Bella," she said motioning towards the nervous young woman sitting in front of the mirrors. Bella offered a shy smile and wave towards the small group of newcomers.

London looked up onto Ayo and took the woman's hands in her own, "That gig tonight is actually why I'm here."

Ayo tilted her head, "You're joining us? They ordered another?"

The sniper led the other dancer to take a seat, sitting next to her and crossing her legs. "Ayo, how much do you know about these men that you're going to be sent to?"

The woman shook her head, "As much as they usually tell us, you know that. They did a credit check, made sure they were clean, and told us the time and place. I know that Riley is a normal client and that his girls come back a little bruised but fine none-the-less."

London clenched her jaw, forcing the memories of the terrible man from her mind. "What's the time and place?"

"Ayo, don't tell her that," Maliana growled. "Flex didn't say there was a fourth girl. She'll just show up and ruin it. We get paid more in tips if it's just us three."

London glanced over towards the asari before leaning into Ayo, "I need to talk to you three about something. Before you say anything let me finish what I have to say, okay? Flex is going to replace you three with us three—"

Maliana slammed her fist down onto the vanity, "See! What did I just say? She walks in, ruins everything, and then leaves with the credits."

Ayo took a step back and shook her head. "London? You can't do that, you know we all need the tips."

London raised both hands to calm the two down, "Let me finish. These guys are mixed up in something pretty bad. We need to take your place to get a few answers to some questions we have. Really, it's the best thing for all parties."

"How is that the best for us and who the hell are you? Are you a damn cop now?" Maliana glowered, "You know we have a quota to meet if we want to stay on Flex's elite list. Plus Bella was expecting a large pay out today—six thousand creds minimum. Tell her, Bells."

The young woman shook her head shyly, "I-it's okay."

The asari rolled her eyes, "She's Pristine, Lond."

Jack and Miranda exchanged glances as the brunette kneeled in front of the young woman who couldn't have been past eighteen. "Listen to me very closely. You haven't started a list of cliental yet. Hey look at me, kid," London said, taking the girls chin and forcing eye contact. "Back out now. It's not worth it, trust me. You're just setting yourself up to grow up bitter and angry." The brunette then stood and looked over to Ayo then Maliana, "Flex was paid fifteen thousand credits for the replacement. You don't owe him anything. As for your tips…"

Miranda placed three separate chit cards down onto the vanity. "Each has three thousand credits. They're yours."

Ayo's eyes widened, "That's double what we would have made."

"Take them," London said with an honest smile.

Bella looked up at the pretty sniper with worry, "Will you guys be o-okay if we don't go?"

"We'll be fine. Now tell us what we need to know as their private escorts."

Ayo observed the honesty in London eyes before feeling comfortable enough to speak, "The party is on the conference deck located at the very top of the Vault. Since our clients were more important guests, their rooms were near the event on floor eighty two. We were told that their rooms are connecting for convenience."

Miranda looked at the woman, "So they're on floor eighty two. What are their room numbers?"

"836 is where Mr. Riley is staying and 837 where Mr. Sanders is staying. They'll be expecting you by 10 P.M."

Maliana stuffed her chip into her purse as she listened to the other women talk. "I get paid for doing nothing then? Maybe you should come around more often after all," she said with delight.

London turned towards the asari, "Just take the chip and go."

Maliana rolled her eyes, "I could use the day off anyways. Let's go, girls."

Ayo gave London a quick hug and sigh of relief, "Thank you. Will you need me to do your design?"

London nodded, "Some of the men there might notice me and ask for my company if I wear it. So yes please, if you don't mind."

"It's the least I can do. I'll go get the ink."

Jack yawned as she took a seat, "Hey what was that Malaysia girl talking about? What's a Pristine? And what Design?"

London looked over towards the biotic. "One question at a time please," she chuckled. "And to answer the first question… and to put it bluntly, a Pristine is a virgin."

Jack shook her head, "Flex was going to sell her virginity? No shit?"

The brunette nodded, "It's not as uncommon on Omega as you might think. Hell, even Illium will sell it if a proper contract is prepared. But Omega is a terrible place to live regardless. If you're not a merc, own a taxi service, or own a store it's hard to come by work. People rarely higher and it's not cheap to live in the more decent (not as many rats) places. That's why majority of the population here live in the slums."

"…did you sell—" Miranda stopped, unable to ask the question. She wasn't entirely sure that she even wanted to know the answer. But London looked over towards her anyways, making brief eye contact then looking to the ground.

"And to your second question, Jack, Ayo has an inking pen that was handed down for generations in her family. Placing designs on her skin is part of her culture. We were the only two girls that worked six days a week so we spent a lot of time back here talking. She has two kids, I had one and we needed the creds. I used to braid her hair (when she had it) before performances and as a gift in return she would draw a vine along my rib cage with the single, most beautiful white rose you've ever seen adorning it. She's quite gifted in art. Locals seemed to take to it when I performed and I got dubbed the 'White Rose of Omega'. As a favor she kept doing it."

Jack raised a brow, "She must have had a shit load of patience. She did that every day?"

"No," London waved off, "It stays on for about two weeks."

"Hmm," the biotic mumbled in thought. "Hey, can I fuck around on those polls outside?"

London chuckled and shrugged at the biotics curiosity, "Do what you'd like. After Ayo is done with me I'll help you with your corset."

"Sweet."

As Jack left, Ayo had made her way back with a small wooden box in her hands. "The time is drawing closer, London. We need to begin immediately if I am to finish the design before seven thirty. Undress and sit please."

London nodded, raising her tank top over her head before turning her back towards the other women and removing her bra. She crossed her arms over her chest and cupped her breasts as she turned to sit into a chair. Ayo took a seat beside the brunette and detached the pen from its case, pushing London to lean over in order to work. The brunette hissed softly from both the cold liquid being applied to her skin, and the slightly sharp point of the pen. Miranda was quick to sit down on the other side of the brunette and examine her face for distress. London bit her lip as she looked onto the operative, a slight blush coming to her cheeks. "I'm a pansy, I know."

Miranda gave a tender smile, placing a hand on London's thigh and shaking her head. "You are not."

Ayo watched the two women with a curiosity. To her it was obvious. She was wise for a woman in her mere mid thirties, years of living in Omega adding experience to her life and weight to her shoulders. In her job she stared into the eyes of countless individuals. It was only natural to learn more about people and their habits: the feelings in their eyes, what their body language suggested. "So tell me Miranda, how long have you been in love with London?"

London closed her eyes and grinned when she felt Miranda squeeze her thigh, the operative's eyes snapping towards Ayo. "Excuse me?"

"Don't be modest," Ayo said with a pleasant, soothing chuckle, "It's in your eyes and in the attentiveness of your touch."

"Ayo," London said calmly yet with a hint of enjoyment, "leave her be."

Miranda clenched her jaw, mumbling incoherently as she looked away from both women.

The woman shrugged innocently, "I'm a sap for lovers and romance, what can I say? But if I see things correctly, and I always do, you two are together… yes?"

London looked over to Miranda with a proud smile. "…well I don't know," she feigned.

The operative was quick to bring her eyes back towards the brunette with a questioning look. Ayo could only chuckle as she watched the flash of confusion and worry cross the XO's face, "That's as good a yes as I've ever heard."

Lawson glared daggers at her girlfriend who had leaned in to snatch a quick kiss, but Miranda turned her cheek and shifted uncomfortably before the contact.

"Ah-ah," Ayo chastised. "Do not move."

London froze and eased her way back into a slight lean, arms still firmly folded across her chest. "Sorry."

Lawson got up from her seat. "I'm going to dress."

Ayo examined as the operative left rigidly before turning her gaze back towards the other dancer with a questioning look over, "You've not told her have you?"

"Told her what?"

"That you love her?"

London looked at her own reflection in the mirror. "Love? I have not said anything. How did this subject even come about?"

"That is a lie then. It is an undeserving lie to both yourself and her," Ayo said simply and knowingly. "You fell in love a long time ago."

A tender smile formed on London's lips as she tilted her head. It was almost as if she were recalling every single thing Miranda had done for her. When had she fallen in love? When the operative calmed and untied Teagan's bonds on Almos? When she saved London's life? When she washed the blood and scent of Cavan off her body? When she bought Teagan her backpack and terminal for school? When they talked in the privacy of each other's bed rooms on multiple occasions? It was beginning to become impossible to know for sure, but somewhere a long the lines in these past few months she had fallen hard and knew it. It was just eerie that Ayo figured it out in a matter of minutes.

"Oh have I now? You think I've fallen in love?" The tone in London's voice was more amused (and maybe a little creeped out) than anything else.

"Oh you have," Ayo said matter-of-factly. "And why not tell her? Matters of the heart are important. I have not seen you with anyone since you first arrived at this club. It is not healthy for one's heart as big as yours to be withdrawn for so long."

"…it's complicated and best left at that."

Ayo nodded wisely, eyes focused as she worked on London's side. She pushed. "Love is never complicated. Relationships take work, yes—hard work even. But love? Loving someone is simple. Love is effortless."

"She's not ready."

Ayo considered the brunette's words and pushed the subject ever more, "People are afraid of themselves, my darling. They're afraid of their reality and their feelings most of all. I believe your Miranda is the same. They grow up knowing love in one way or another and then somewhere along the line, and no matter the age, someone breaks their heart. Perhaps it was a friend who broke it, or a lover, or a family member. But no matter, they learn that love and trust hurt. They are taught that love is dangerous and serves no purpose other than pain. They will not love if they are afraid to feel. Yet they do not understand that the pain is meant to wake us up. You find your strength in the experience because it's all in how you carry through it that matters. Tell your Miranda that you love her. Show her not to be afraid. I would not be surprised to find that those three simple words are all she needs to hear from you."

Thirty minutes passed by without another word said from either woman. London was silent, biting her lower lip as she focused on the light sting of Ayo's pen and the honesty of her words. It was only until Miranda reentered in her babydoll lingerie that London's mood brightened. She offered a playful wolf-whistle towards her love, wiggling her eyebrows in good humor.

The XO rolled her eyes as she took her seat once more by London's side, crossing her legs and leaning over to observe Ayo's work. London looked in her direction, closing her lids and inhaling softly. She was so close that the brunette could smell the operative's lightly scented skin. When she had opened her eyes London found Miranda looking at her with a bemused expression. The sniper shrugged sheepishly, "So what was Jack doing on the poll?"

"She's swiveling around that thing like a buttered turkey crazy on red dust."

London laughed loudly, wincing when she felt the pen at her ribs deliberately push a little too hardly. "Sorry, sorry. I won't move."

Miranda grinned, "She's enjoying herself though. And if it keeps her busy and out of trouble then that's fine with me. However, I came to gather you. It's almost time to be dropped off and you two still need to dress."

Ayo nodded her head, "Almost finished."

"I'll have Jack begin dressing then. Thank you for your help, Ayo."

"Think nothing of it."

London inhaled slowly, "I guess it's time then."

Miranda nodded. "It is. Let's go meet June."

xxxxxxx

The Velvet Vault

8 P.M

So far everything had gone relatively smoothly. Jack, Miranda, London, and Kasumi managed to enter the resort with no hassle. Lianna, Flex's assistant, had lined them up like cattle, filing all twelve of her girls in through the doors one by one. Luckily she wasn't pushy with Jack and let her walk at her own pace, giving the thief the few seconds needed to squeeze by the bouncers and through the door unnoticed.

Everything was so loud inside it was a wonder people were trying to chit chat at all. The music filled the air with deep, dark rhythms that any exotic dancer wouldn't have trouble moving to. It was a moderately paced but sensual beat. Lights had been turned down to a dim on the main floor. The center of the room was vast, several gambling tables placed strategically around to fit as many men and women as physically possible per table. The farthest end of the room held a stage with one poll at either end. The polls were lit up with pink neon lights that cast an alluring shade over those who used it. Two asari danced seductively on each poll as a small gathering of men sat at a nearby table and watched, enjoying their beverages and conversation.

None of the Normandy women had ever seen so many mercenary in one room before. Maybe they'd seen this many scattered throughout an entire facility, but never one room. They were everywhere. No matter which direction you turned your head in there would be a group of them. Escorts and dancers were not a rare sight either: they floated gracefully amongst the mass, male and female dancers alike that hailed from other clubs in hopes of getting paid a large sum of credits before the night was out.

Miranda observed as a woman tugged a mercenary into a little room by his belt. London leaned in closely to her so she could be heard over the loud music, "That entrance leads to the private rooms. On one side of the hallway will be red doors, on the other there should be black."

Lawson nodded her head as she recalled the layout of the resort in her mind. London continued, "The red rooms are for sex. The black rooms are for dances." The brunette turned around to make sure Jack heard. She smiled when the biotic nodded.

"Let's get to work then," the XO said sternly. "We're expected up in Riley's bedroom in two hours. Of course he won't be here so we'll go into June's instead. Kasumi should already be up there and poking around. Mingle with any Blue Sun that's here. Try to find out anything you can, but stay on this floor, is that understood? I don't want either one of us to go too far without the other two knowing."

Jack nodded her head, "Got it."

Gray eyes searched the room, "Blue suns tend to stay gathered up. Try to work around the bar or near the—" London was interrupted when a rough hand grabbed her by the bicep and swiveled her around. "Hey thurr," the mercenary burped, "beautiful, I recognized that tattoo on yer ribsh from Afterlife, am I right? Aren't you the White Rose?"

When Miranda saw London being man handled it was her first instinct to punch the guy in the nose. But when she noticed a flirtatious grin instantaneously spread across London's lips she halted her movements. She watched as the brunette pressed her body into his, a slender finger rising to trace the stubble along his jaw as she cooed sensual proclamations into his reddening ears. Miranda's stomach churned. London let her hands slide down his chest then Miranda watched as she moved them back up, slid them across to his shoulders, and then slithered them down his arms to take his hands into hers. The brunette dragged him to an empty table and sat the man down, soon placing herself into his lap and leaning in. Miranda watched as London smiled and laughed as they talked, watching as she leaned in frequently to whisper into his ear, giving the man a generous view of her cleavage.

It was time to get to work.

"Hey, sexy." Lawson turned around to what she presumed was a man speaking to her, but was taken back when the tall, light haired mercenary was speaking to Jack instead. The biotic rolled her eyes and roughly took the merc by the collar of his shirt, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shut the fuck up and go sit somewhere so I can jiggle for you."

"Whoa," the mercenary laughed, lifting his hands up as he was dragged away. "I like em' rough!"

Miranda stood there dumbfounded. "I was picked last? Really?"

xxxxxxx

Room 837

Kasumi was shuffling through June's belongings quickly and efficiently, making sure to place every single little thing back in the order she had found it in. "Shepard come in, this is Kasumi."

"I'm listening, Goto. What do you got for me?"

She unzipped another bag and began going through its contents. "Nothing so far. June is clean. It's all clothes and…wait a minute…"

"What is it?"

"Shepard, I got a data pad here." She linked her omni-tool up to it. "Hacking into the link and sending you the contents."

[[ - We require your services once again in the transport of our equipment. I have dispatched our representatives to meet with you regarding the details of the transaction. Given the sensitive nature of our cargo, we expect discretion on the matter. We understand it is your boss's intent to study the rare substance. We only ask that upon completion of the transaction that the recipient(s) destroy all hard and soft copies of receipts.

R. Farin

Chief Researcher

Exo Geni Corporations -]]

Garrus shook his head, confusion clear across his face. "Shepard, that's an Alliance corporation. They're the same one that founded Zhu's Hope on Feros. They dig for artifacts and provide funding for new colonies. What do they have to do with biotics?"

John wrinkled his brow, "I don't know. Just because they're Alliance doesn't mean what they're doing is sanctioned by the Alliance. Kasumi is there anything else?"

"That's everything, Shepard. His other bag is empty. There's no receipt. I imagine that's where Sanders is currently. He must be making the transaction as we speak. I'm sure by the end of the night he'll have secured the cargo and the receipt. I'll wait until the girls get here and he returns. When we knock him out I'll gather everything he brings in."

"Good work in there, Goto. Are the other three doing alright?"

Kasumi placed the data pad back into the bag and zipped it up carefully. "Everything is going fine down here, Shepard. Don't worry."

"Understood. Stay silent until radio communications is needed."

"Aye, Commander."

xxxxxxx

9 P.M

London walked quickly up to her second commander the moment that both of them were free, "Have you gotten anything on June?"

Miranda shook her head, "It's bloody useless. I knew they would be drinking, but most of these idiots can't put two sentences together without forgetting what it was they were speaking about to begin with. Every Blue Sun I come across is either too wasted or doesn't know a damn thing about him. What about you?"

"I hadn't had all that much luck either until someone that works under June mentioned a little tidbit offhandedly in a drunken stupor. I managed to find out that the man over there," she pointed towards a handsome Blue Sun with blond hair at the bar, "is expected to travel with him and Riley tomorrow morning. He must know the Buyer's drop off location. I mean if Sanders was expecting my father's PT and the chip in hand then they were going to deliver them someplace important, right?"

Miranda nodded, "Fantastic work, London. We need to get that man some place pri—"

"—Dance for me, baby. Dance for me over on that poll." A tipsy Turian had stumbled to both women and hovered over Miranda, interrupting her conversation. He laughed as he took her by the hips and forced them into an awkward side stepping dance. "I'll make it worth your while, I swear. I got credits practically falling out of my pockets."

Lawson clenched her jaw, resisting every bone in her body that ached to break this man's face, arms, and legs.

"Aw come on," he continued, lifting Miranda's wrists and wiggling her arms out like a flailing doll, "dance for me, sweetie! Loosen up! What are you? Are you a dancer that doesn't need the credits? Fuckin' please," he scoffed, "I don't like it when the girls play hard to get. Do your job and just entertain me, alright?"

When Miranda resisted yet again eyes began to turn onto the little scene. The Turian was becoming louder by the second, drawing the attention of fellow mercenaries around him. Miranda swallowed the lump in her throat as she became aware of the circumstance, eying the poll that she was asked to dance on.

This wasn't like the movies where every single sexy woman on the planet somehow always managed to know how to dance seductively. Poll dancing is hard. She had no idea how to poll dance and if she tried, she knew they would get caught and her cover would be blown. The situation was becoming more uncomfortable by the second until London smoothly slithered her way in between Miranda and the mercenary's body. "I'm sorry about the new girl, handsome. I'll dance for you. Why want a girl when you can get a woman anyways," London said in a low, sultry tone.

It seemed to have worked. His brow arched happily as both his mandibles twitched. "Now this is how a dancer should always act…"

The brunette caressed the length of his arms, "Why don't you go wait over there by that poll you want while I give this little girl a few tips, hmm? We don't want this little scene happening again now do we?"

He shook his head quickly, "No we do not! Just make it quick, gorgeous. I'll be waitin' over there."

When the tipsy Turian stumbled away towards the poll London leaned into the other woman quickly, "Get Jack and go snag that merc, Miranda. Bouncers won't give you much privacy in a black room, so make him an offer and take him into the red room for a reduced price. Tell him that he could get both you and Jack for some low amount of credits. He'll be stupid to pass that up." She was about to turn away before the operative grabbed her wrist. London turned around with a curious gaze, "Miranda?"

Lawson intertwined there fingers briefly on one hand. "Be careful."

London smiled, offering her hand a little squeeze. "It's just a dance. I've done it hundreds of times. You be careful, alright? Don't go into that room alone. Oh and here," London took off one of her rings and gave it to the operative. "Take this and put it on the nightstand, but be careful with it. It records video and audio. You might catch something useful if he starts spilling his guts to you and it becomes too much to remember. Flex gave it to me and Ayo a long time ago as a safe guard. If the client ever said something shifty we gave that ring to flex, he watched, passed it to Aria, and Aria took care of it. Hit the center when you want it to start recording, hit it again to stop. Replay is on the back. Twist the base to listen."

"I got it. I'll see you soon."

As London went to meet the mercenary at the designated poll, Miranda turned around to observe the room for Jack. When she couldn't spot her she began to explore. She passed several gambling tables and the buffet until she heard a small gathering of men and women cheering loudly, all huddling in a small circle and focused on something. Slowly making her way over, she started to circle around the group until a hand reached out to roughly grab her forearm. From the feel of it, it was a woman.

"Jack," she hissed upon coming face to face with the ex-convict, "where the hell were you! And…a-and why are you slimy!" Miranda's face knotted in revulsion, quickly wiping her arm off on her thigh.

Jack grinned smugly, "Its massaging oil. They have a tub of it right over there. Some dumbfuck gave me three hundred creds to wrestle some chick and said that if I won he'd put in another two hundred. Easiest. Win. Ever."

"Are you bloody serious?"

"Yeah," Jack replied pulling out the credit chit from her boobs, "can you believe it? I got five hundred creds for beating up a girl that looks like you. I could do this shit all day!"

Miranda tightened her jaw, "No you git! We're flirting with these drunken buffoons, trying to find out information, and you're wrestling for credits?"

"Relax, Vagisil. Might as well have a little fun while we're here, yeah? But before you get your panties all twisted and stuck up your ass, know that I got some information on our dude from some drunken guy with pink boxers that had a smiley face over his wiener."

"What the hell were you doing with a man in pink boxers?"

"Eh, I made him give me a lap dance."

"You made him give you a lap dance?"

Jack snorted, "Crazy shit, huh?"

Miranda groaned, "I'm not even going to ask how you've managed that. What did you find out?"

"That apparently tomorrow he's traveling with Sanders to drop off some important crap. He wouldn't say what. He only said that he was pissed because he would have to wake up early."

Lawson's blue eyes rounded as she grabbed Jack by the still slightly slimy hand and dragged her all the way back to the bar.

"What the fuck, Cheerleader!"

"Is that the guy?"

Jack looked over to where she was pointing and nodded. "Ayup, that would be him."

"Jack, we need to get him into a red room and make him blurt out where he's going. We need that location. So just follow my lead while I seduce him in—"

"Hey fucker!" the biotic called out loudly towards the target, screaming over several people, "Jackson! Yeah—yeah you, dumb shit! Wanna' go have sex?"

The blond man's intoxicated eyes widened with joy and he smiled, nodding his head passionately as he barged through several mercenaries to get to both women. "I don't hafta' give you another lap dance do I? My thighs hurt."

Miranda covered her face with the palm of her hand and sighed deeply, "Oh for God's sake…"

The merc wiggled his eyebrows at Miranda and point his thumb at her, "Hey Jack, is this woman joining us to?"

"Yep. Gotta' problem?"

"Hell no! What's it going to cost me?"

"It's free out of the kindness of our perverted little hearts. Now shut up and stop asking questions."

"Sa-weet," Jackson pumped his arm enthusiastically. "What's your name?"

Jack now pointed her thumb towards the XO, "I present to you: Brunhilda the Kinky, known throughout the stars for her banshee screams and terrible personality. She likes being called Bruni. Or witch. Or bitch. It's all good because she likes it rough, thus the kinky! Ain't that right?"

Jackson eyed the raven haired women, red, drunken eyeballs blinking blankly. "I…uh, it's nice to be able to have sex with you, Brunhilda. Tell whoever your club manager is that he's done good."

Miranda tried to smile and giggle charmingly, but it came out more as a snarl that startled the poor man. "Pleasure is all mine," she managed to say through clenched teeth. "Shall we?" She didn't even wait for a response as she snagged the man by the arm and dragged him over into the hallway and through red doors.

Jack grabbed the mercenary and pushed him down onto the bed, "Alright listen up. Remember how you told me that you're going off somewhere tomorrow mornin' to drop some shit off? We wanna know where."

Miranda's eyes widened when Jack just cut straight to the point. She was going to ruin everything!

"Why do you want to know that?"

"Because, dumbass…" She crawled slowly up his body, biting roughly on the tip of his pectoral muscle before hovering over his face. "…I wanna know how long I need to pack for. Or do you not want a fuck buddy on the trip there?"

Miranda eyeballed Jack as she set London's ring down onto the nightstand and tapped its center.

His face flushed at the bite, blood running south and the effects of all the alcohol making his mind swirl. "You w-wanna go with me? Just to have sex?"

"I wanna' get out of this hell hole. You're my ride out, big boy—literally. I screw you till we get there, then I go my own way. Think of it as sex with no strings attached. So tell me where you're going so I can know how much I need to pack."

Jackson's eyes flashed between Jack and Miranda. "Can she come too?"

The biotic scoffed, "Now you're just being fuckin' greedy."

"Nono," Miranda interrupted, sitting down on the edge of bed and leaning into him with a sizzling whisper. She made sure that the mercenary got a nice view of her full cleavage. "If you want me to go…I'll go too."

Jackson swallowed, a large smile forming on his lips. "So you two…work together…a lot?"

Miranda shot a glance to Jack before returning her gaze back towards the blond merc and grazing her lower lip seductively along his earlobe, "Yes, we work together all the time."

"Then do it," Jackson said quickly, his face beaming even more brightly. "W-work together now! I want to see you two first! If I like what I see I'll take you all with me!"

"What?" Both women deadpanned uniformly.

Jack wiggled a finger back and forth between herself and Miranda. "You want us to…"

Jackson nodded, rolling away and off the bed to give them room as he looked on excitedly. "Oh yeah. Oh hell yeah!"

Miranda could feel the muscles in her cheeks flexing as her jaw switched between tightening and slacking. "I…um…Jackson, sweetie? Will you step outside a moment? I know you're awfully excited right now, but if we're going to do this right…I need to," the operative suppressed the need to vomit, "I need …to get her ready for our little sexual misadventure. Get the juices flowing, you know?"

His eyes seemed to glisten with happy tears, "You're going to fluff her? That's so fuckin' hot and I can totally respect that. I'll wait outside. Call me in as SOON as you're ready? A-and hurry up."

As soon as the mercenary left Jack reached out to choke her second in command, "What the fuck did you just get us into!"

Miranda put both her hands out in defense, "I didn't bloody think he was going to make us do anything to each other!"

"THE FUCKING RED ROOMS ARE FOR SEX. WHAT ELSE WOULD HE WANT US TO DO?"

"Shhh!" Miranda had to reach out and cover Jack's mouth. "Not so damn loud Jack you're going to get us—OWWWW! You fucking bit me!"

The biotic snarled, "Cheerleader, I ain't screwing you to get information!"

Miranda shook her bitten hand out into the air as she scowled in discomfort, "Don't flatter yourself; like I would ever let you do that to me! We just need to get him excited enough to where he spills the information. He's wasted! This is best time to do it!"

"Do I still have to touch you?"

"Probably."

Jack was quick to get off the bed. "Then fuck that!"

"Are you serious right now? You're going to let your personal issues with me interfere with the reason why we're here?"

"You bet your granny's bra I'm serious."

Miranda reached her hands out and strangled the air as she stood up. "We don't have time for this! He's waiting! We need that information, Jack! If we don't get the location who knows how many more biotics will be taken? Ten? Twenty? A hundred? A thousand? We don't know what the Buyer's plans are but we're the only ones in the position to stop them."

The ex-convict paced back and forth several times before she yelled loudly out into the room. Jackson was heard cooing in excitement at her noise, figuring that both women must really be enjoying themselves. Jack huffed, "Fucking fine! Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK."

There was another cry of excitement.

"Let's hurry this shit up!"

"That's fine by me," Miranda said, grabbing the biotic and tossing her onto the bed. The moment Jack landed on the mattress she put the flat of her foot on Lawson's stomach and pushed the woman away before hopping right back onto her feet. "Hell no."

Miranda groaned, "What now?"

"If we're doing this shit I go on top. You get on the bed first!"

"Bloody fine!" Lawson plopped herself onto the bed and released a tight exhale as she laid back on the mattress. She was reluctant but soon opened her legs to accommodate the biotic. Jack stared in horror as she pointed an accusing finger at Miranda's crotch. "That thing hasn't been used in forever. If I get close will a bat fly out and claw at my face?"

"Oh for God's sake, Jack! Just get on me!"

The biotic whimpered miserably as she obeyed, taking her place between the operative's legs and withholding the need to gag, her body heaving slightly.

"Stop acting like a child! If we don't pull this off a room full of heavily armed mercs will shoot us in the face after Jackson runs yelling!"

"This is the worst fuckin' position I've ever been in, in my entire life. I think I'd rather be back on Pragia—after it exploded."

"Shh," Miranda hissed. "He's coming in! Act like you at least like me, Jack!"

"God, I'm gonna' vomit."

The door flew open and Miranda growled, reaching up to smash Jack's lips forcefully against her own just as Jackson walked through the door.

"Now that's what I'm talking about! Fuck yes, Brunhilda!"

Jack scowled into the kiss, biting down on Miranda's lip hard enough for the operative to cry out. Miranda retaliated by clenching her thighs way to tightly around the biotic and hurting her ribs. The mercenary nodded approvingly and with a disgustingly happy smile when tattooed fingers ran through black locks of silken hair only to roughly yank at it and successfully remove several strands. Miranda's body jerked and her eyes watered. She quickly bent her leg and shoved a harsh knee into Jack's crotch. The biotic specialist's eyes widened and stared into cerulean orbs, "Did you just fucking poon-punt me?" That was it. Both women seemed to roll around the mattress hurting each other more so than attempting to be sexy. Jackson watched closely, completely enthralled by the rough behavior. Between the lingerie and Jack's still slightly oiled skin it was safe to say that it was quite the spectacle to watch.

"Yes," the mercenary nodded eagerly as he took another large swig from a bottle then proceeded to take off his pants, "yes I can certainly do this for a couple of days!" He started hurriedly undressing himself, fumbling from his poor, drunken coordination. "You guys can come with me! We're heading out stay on a ship at the abyss so pack for a week!"

Miranda instantly halted. Her chest heaved from both attacking Jack and defending herself from Jack. "….the Nemean Abyss?"

"Yeah…you've been there? That's kind of strange for a stripper…"

The ex-convict threw the unsuspecting Miranda off of the bed to land with a hard thump. "Oh look at the time, we gotta go! Shit my bad Jackson, I forgot we had an arrangement made with another merc at ten. But at least you got a free show, right?"

Miranda groaned as she lifted herself from the floor, icy orbs peering into the biotic's face while she spoke through clenched teeth. "Let's… go…now."

"B-but…Brunhilda, what about…so are you—"

Jack slapped Jackson's cheek a few times encouragingly, "Don't worry! There are plenty of strippers to bang here. See ya!"

The blond watched as both women scuffled out of the room hurriedly, leaving him with his pants pooled around his feet, a terrible ache, and mind boggling confusion.

Miranda wiped her lips repeatedly as she paced quickly back to the main room with Jack at her side. "If they're meeting a ship out in the Nemean Abyss the pick up zone will most likely be a dock on the Cartagena Station."

"You sure?"

"Not completely, but it's a good shot. It'll either be there or Tortuga."

"Fuckin' A! Shepard will be happy to hear that. O'Conner should already be up in June's room. We're a few minutes late so let's hurry up and snag Sanders. I've had enough with this damn mission."

"You and me both. Oh and Jack?"

"Don't even say it. I swear to God don't even repeat it. If you tell anyone about what happened in that room I will slaughter you."

"My sentiments exactly."

"You kiss like shit by the way. Poor London."

"I—you…ugh, it's not even worth it. Let's just go."

xxxxxxx

Room 837

10: 05 P.M

June's room was a large and well decorated suit. London was sitting on the edge of the bed, fiddling with her fingers quietly and waiting for the others to arrive as Kasumi remained cloaked and silent in the corner of the room. It was already five past ten and there was still no sign of Miranda and Jack. The sniper was beginning to grow nervous.

It wasn't until five minutes later that the bedroom door creaked open. "Oh God there you are," she exhaled happily as she saw Jack poke her head into the bedroom. "I was starting to worry. Did you get anything out of him?"

Jack nodded her head, "Yeah, they're going to the Nemean Abyss for the drop off. Cheerleader says they'll most likely rendezvous at the Cartagena Station."

"Where is Miranda?"

The operative made her presence known by squeezing through the door after Jack. "I'm right here. Where's Sanders?"

"He hasn't shown up yet but it's only ten passed the hour. I'm sure he'll be around soon."

"And Kasumi?"

London pointed towards a corner of the room.

Miranda nodded. "I suppose we play the waiting game then."

"You won't have to play to long, ladies. Excuse my lateness." The older mercenary was fit for his age and surprisingly still rather muscular as he walked into his suit's bedroom. His brown hair had started to grey along side his beard. He was still fully armored, a M5 at his hip and some sort of assault rifle on his back. "I didn't really order you for myself so much as I did for a friend of mine. But he seems to be unable to make it this fine evening. Please, if you would be so kind as to step out of my bedroom and take a seat over in the living area. The couch should be comfortable while I make us some drinks."

London eyed the second murderer of her family closely. It surprised her when she found out that she no longer wanted blood. She just wanted answers. Her experience with Cavan changed her, scared her even. Ever since she had been caked in his blood, the reminder of the smell and feel of it was enough to keep her mind focused on what she was really fighting for. It wasn't vengeance. It was peace and closure. It was the same thing Shepard was fighting for: getting answers, protecting the innocents, and ending the experiments. She was tired of the violence. But she knew that Shepard needed answers before she could put up her rifle for good, and she was willing to wait another few weeks till she could find her peace of mind.

Three small drinks balanced easily in his large hands as he walked over towards the women. "So tell me ladies, how are you enjoying your night tonight?"

Miranda crossed one bare leg over the other, "The night has been good to us thus far."

June ran his eyes over their three faces as he gave each one a drink, "That is good to hear. Please, have a drink before we begin with our night. You'll find that I'm not a man who enjoys intimacy in groups. Since I've been given the pleasure of having so many of you in my company, I think I'll enjoy a small sample of each individually. You," he pointed towards London, "go back into my bedroom and wait for me there. Leave the door open for me."

Miranda shot a glance at the overly calm sniper before turning back to June. "I'm sure you'd rather start with someone who knows that they're doing, Mr. Sanders. I'd be happy to go first."

The mercenary's eyes narrowed at the raven haired woman. "Hold your tongue. I wish to have her. I will alert you when your time has come. Now go," he shouted at London, pointing a thick finger towards his bedroom door.

London nodded her head without so much as a word and walked over towards the bedroom. She touched the green light at the door's center and let herself in, being sure to leave it wide open for Sanders to follow in pursuit. The mercenary looked over Miranda with distaste. "I will report back to your manager about your bedroom etiquette. I suggest you learn to not speak out of turn."

It took all the strength she had in her body to not snap at the older mercenary, "I…apologize, sir."

"That's more I like it. Now wait here until you are called."

Jack leaned over to whisper into the second in command's ear, "Kasumi went in with her."

June walked to his bedroom quickly, allowing himself to pass through the sliding door before locking it behind him, making sure the button at the center of its width glowed bright red. London was sitting on a lounge chair, legs crossed tastefully at the ankles as she watched his every movement. The mercenary observed her. Her face didn't seem to hold any emotions yet her eyes burned with intensity. "What do you want me to do," she asked.

"I want you to sit there. I have something for you."

"We are not allowed to accept gifts."

"I think you'll want this."

London watched as June reached into one of his armors' various pouches and pulled out what looked like a small holograph. He tossed it casually out into the air towards the brunette's open hands. When upon inspecting it her eyes widened. It was her family holo, the one she had left in the Afterlife's dressing room when she was forced to leave Omega in pursuit of her little sister. "But—"

"Cover yourself up, girl." His voice was rough and oddly disappointed. June knew exactly who she was. "You look the fool."

A large lump seemed to have caught itself in her throat as she forced down a hard swallow to wash herself of the prickles that seemed to take residence there. London folded her arms across her chest self consciously as she looked onto the older man with bewildered eyes. "H-how did you know?"

"Did you honestly think that none of the other Suns would alert me that three odd dancers were walking around and inquiring about whom I was and what I was doing? I asked one to take a holograph with their omni-tool. You weren't hard to recognize. Your body has changed since you were a girl…but I'd know those eyes anywhere. They're your mother's eyes."

London stood up then, said eyes narrowing as they glared onto him. "Do you know why I'm here?"

"I don't' know what the other two hope to gain from this little…excursion, but I can guess why you are here, yes."

"Then talk."

June pinched the small area between his eyes and inhaled. "Watch your tone with me. The incident with your father and mother was…unfortunate. The demands were simple yet Sheadon would not relinquish the child."

"That's all you have to say?" London shook her head in disbelief, "After almost six years that's all you have to say? You called yourself my father's friend yet you murder him and his wife, ransacked our home, and still have the audacity a-and sheer gall to deem it an unfortunate incident?"

"Your father knew the risks that he was taking the moment he stole that baby. He knew the way this business worked, London. Take what does not belong to you—what you have not paid for, and face the consequences. His actions could not be fixed. There was nothing I could do."

"There is always something that can be done!"

June face twisted into anger, "Some acts cannot be avoided when void of choice, child! Stop being a damned idealist. Do you think I took joy in watching events unfold as they did? Because if you do… than you would be sorely mistaken."

"You could have let them go!"

"I have family too!" June spat, his face turning red as he yelled at the young brunette. "I will not make them suffer nor condemn them to the same fortune because of another man's bad decision!"

"Bad decision? He saved a baby…a-a good man does not stand by and watch horrible things unfold onto another!"

Contemptuous laugher echoed throughout the hotel room, "Then let it be known to the world that your father was indeed a virtuous man! But I, girl, was the wiser one."

"You were a coward."

June laughed once more, lowering his head to rub his eyes tiredly. "How inexperienced you truly are in the ways of the world. My conscious is clear. Your father paved his own path. I did what I could."

"And what was that? Kill him then walk away?"

"Yes," June said flatly. "It was exactly that."

"Excuse me?"

June sneered, amazed at the twenty five year old child. "Everything is so simple to you isn't it? That man kills other men he must be terrible, that man is a priest he must be a saint. Wake up, girl. And when you do? Come back so we can have an adult conversation. Get out of my room and go. Take your friends with you. Go before I change my mind."

The nostrils nearly flared on London's nose as she walked up towards the mercenary and roughly pulled at his shoulder, forcing the man to face her. "You owe me an explanation!"

June sneered, roughly lifting his hand and violently taking the girl by her jaw. His old brown eyes smoldered through her entire being and suddenly it was like the sniper was twenty years old again and stuck under the boards of her father's bedroom, horror stricken and unable to move a finger. "I owe you nothing," he hissed through clenched teeth. "You owe me, girl. Why do you think Cerberus called off the search for you and the biotic prodigy? I told them in my report that you and the baby had been finished. They simply deemed the child as an unnecessary loss, but they had no regard for you, Sheadon's only daughter! I did. I cared what happened to you," June snarled and pushed the brunette away from his face harshly.

She stumbled back, twisting and falling to the floor. Gray eyes widened as she realized what it was June had just said. "You…you cared? You killed them…you killed them both…"

"Life is not so simple, London. It's hard. It's not just black and white." The mercenary exhaled and calmed his voice. "There are shades of gray…many, many shades of gray. Your father was like a brother to me. I did what I could think of and not only managed to get paid so that I could feed my family, but save Cerberus's name from implication AND spare both of your lives in the process. But you had to poke your head out again, didn't you? And in Omega of all places! Of course someone would take notice of the girl! And if someone noticed the girl they would know the data still existed somewhere!"

London's eyes reddened as she looked up towards his towering figure, a delicate hand rising up to massage her jaw. "Where was I supposed to go? I fled in terror because I still had a child to care for! I had just turned TWENTY! I took what little credits we had and took the first shuttle out! I didn't know what else to do!" She had to take a breath to gather her nerve lest tears begin to fall down her cheek. "You forced that decision upon me! You forced my life into changing!"

June's jaw tightened. Though he hated appearing soft the inflection in his tone lowered to a more tolerate one. Despite what London thought of him, he really didn't want the young woman to hurt. He turned around and leaned into a window's sill. "Listen, girl. There are many things given to us for the wrong reasons. There are many a dark path that we are sometimes forced to walk. It is what we choose to do with these unconventional gifts, it is the steps that we choose to take on our journey that define the kind of person we are. You father gave the chance at life to a child that was not his own. He made his own decisions and kept the courage to stay steadfast by his ideals the moment it mattered most. Perhaps he was a better man than I… but my duty is to my family and no other. I could never put anyone before them and that is where your father and I truly differed. He chose what he was willing to sacrifice to save that one life, for the so called greater good."

London's eyes narrowed, already red and starting to show signs of puffing. "How…dare you. You're saying all of this was his fault? My father loved his family!"

"Think what you will on the statement but answer me this: if the moment ever comes where you must choose between those you love and what is right…what and who would you decide upon? What are you willing to sacrifice for the greater good? I know my answer. You need to find yours before you deem me unfit for breathing. Now go."

Quaky legs gathered their strength as London pulled herself up to stand once more. "I can't. I'm …I still need information."

"Child, you are wearing my patience thin. It is twice now that I have given you the opportunity to leave, yet here you still stand. I suggest I not have to tell you a third time."

London remained defiant, her voice coming out way calmer than what she felt. "Who is the Buyer?"

June smiled tiredly, hanging his head with an irked exhale as he pressed his palms deeper down into the sill's wood grain. "Just like your father: Pig headed till the very end."

"Please, June. If there is a shred of any respect left in there for my family you will let me know where this 'Buyer' is. I need to finish this. I need to stop the kidnappings. I need to stop the experiments and protect my sister. I need to make sure that my sister stays safe. If not, then everyone that I have lost along the way will have been for nothing."

The older man swiveled around on his heel quickly, eyes narrowed in anger. "Are you antagonizing me purposely? If I have any respect left for you family? Watch what you say to me! It was out of respect for your family that you're even walking today. It was out of respect to your family that I've even been placed in this situation! Count your losses and just walk away. I can't tell you anything. My family's life is on the line. If I talk and they find out then they'll send others to come looking for me and my own. I, unlike your father, am not willing to risk that."

London's eyes looked almost pleading as she watched him with studied caution, "Come with me to meet the man I'm working for. I'm sure he can arrange for you and your family's security. There doesn't have to be anymore violence towards those who are innocent. You were going to retire anyways right? So why not call it quits one job early and just …just go and be happy with your wife and kid? Let me finish this."

"How did you know I was retiring?"

"…because you sent it to Riley's omni-tool," she replied hesitantly.

June closed his eyes for a moment. "You killed him?"

"He deserved it."

There was a soft exhale that came from the mercenary. "That fucking idiot. Where's the chip?"

"I don't know."

"God damn it girl," he snarled. "Where is the fucking chip! This situation is far more complicated than you could ever imagine! I need to recover and return that information! It's not just about cruel experiments. They aren't doing this for fun or for power! It's about survival! They're looking for something specific!"

London wanted to rip her hair out by this point. "I don't know where the damn chip is! I don't know what you're talking about! If you would just tell me what I need to know then I might be able to put one little piece of the puzzle together! If you would just answer a few of my commander's questions, I'm sure he'll be able to help you. He's a good man."

June clenched his jaw, realizing that arguing with this young woman would be no use. "Sorry, kid. But there's no happy ending in this job. Trafficking is illegal and is only one of the things I've had to do working for these blokes. I'm not leaving my wife and kid behind while I rot away in some jailor vessel. Now get out of here," he warned one, final time, taking his M5 from his hip and pointing it at the young woman. The blue laser dot rested steadily in between the sniper's eyes. "Don't make me do what I couldn't five years ago."

London lowered her eyes, "So you won't come with me? You won't try to help me in the slightest?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"…I'm sorry to hear that. I was really hoping you'd go with me peacefully and that she wouldn't have had to do this."

June's bushy eyebrow quirked, clear confusion etched across his face. "She? What are you talking about?"

The brunette shook her head, voice soft as she looked back up to meet his gaze. "…now, Kasumi."

Kasumi uncloaked a second before she struck out with the small tranquilizer to the back of his neck. The mercenary roared, spinning around but instantly wobbling as his vision blurred. He swung out absentmindedly at the area surrounding himself before falling onto his knees and tipping. June was out cold.

The thief eyed London as she unlocked and opened the door, "That was cutting it a little bit to close, Lond. It was way to close for my comfort."

"I'm sorry. I thought I could make him understand something—anything."

"Shepard, come in. This is Kasumi. June is down and we need immediate evacuation."

"Rodger that. Garrus and I are on our way. Sit tight, we'll be there in five minutes."

Miranda hastily walked up towards her girlfriend and had to restrain herself from cupping her cheeks, "Are you alright?"

London naturally leaned a little closer before taking the woman's hands in her own. "I am, don't worry. Do we have everything?"

Miranda looked over towards the thief who nodded quickly and replied, "We do. I've downloaded everything he had on him and sent it straight over to Shepard. He didn't bring back any cargo or new data so now all that needs delivering is Sanders himself."

London turned back to face Miranda then down towards the hands she was holding. "Where's my ring?"

Miranda closed her eyes briefly, "Shit. I didn't pick it back up. It's not important anyways; we didn't get anything particularly useful on it."

"What room were you in?"

"Second door on the left, but it doesn't matter. There was nothing useful on it, London," she said austerely.

The sniper's gray eyes rounded, "I asked you to be careful with it…it can be traced back to Afterlife. If the mercenaries find out and decide to take action Flex will get his ass handed to him. And if Flex gets his ass handed to him he'll take it out severely on the girls. I can't let that happen to Ayo. She can't afford to be hurt or lose the credits or job. She has a family. I have to go get it."

Lawson shook her head, "No, we're already scheduled for pick up. Shepard will be here any minute now. We have to go."

"I can't do that to them. I can't do that to another family, I've already ruined one. I need to go get it."

Miranda leaned in, her jaw tightening. "I am not leaving you here to get a damn ring when we are supposed to be heading back to the Normandy. I refuse. I am in charge while we are in this resort and my answer is no, Specialist O'Conner."

The brunette held onto her love's hands tightly, "You won't leave me. Listen, I can be back up on the party deck in two minutes. I'll snag the ring and go. Get June onto the shuttle and have Shepard pick me up outside of the resort in three minutes. I'll take the elevator down to the first floor and just walk out the exact same way we came in. Okay? I promise I'll be there."

"We can't—"

"Please, Operative Lawson…Miranda. I'm wasting time here when I could already be on the party deck."

Lawson shook her head as she looked onto the woman, her gut fighting with her every step of the way. London pleaded with her eyes and Miranda finally broke. "God damn it," she exhaled. "You get one minute to get up there and two minutes to get that ring and come down for pick up. No longer than that, do you understand? I swear to God, London. Go. Just go!"

London broke professionalism for the briefest of moments and pressed her lips against the operatives quickly before turning to run out of the suit room. Jack stared at the fleeing sniper with a dropped jaw, "Where the fuck is she going! Shepard is right there!"

Miranda turned to look out the balcony window then back to the door, "We'll pick her up in two minutes. Let's finish this job and get June into the shuttle without dropping him eighty three flights. Hurry up."

xxxxxxx

London ran as fast as she could down the hallway, legs pumping as she slammed into the second red door on the left. A familiar blond man was sitting there alone on the bed and rolling the small piece of jewelry in his palm. London exhaled loudly as she noticed it had not been taken. "I'm so glad someone found it," she said casually walking up towards the mercenary. "May I have it back?"

Jackson smirked as he continued to roll it around in his warm hand. "So this is yours, huh?"

London startled when she noticed three other men enter the door behind her, shutting it softly behind the last man. "May I have my ring back please? I need to go."

He ceased moving his hand and clenched his fingers tightly into a fist around the ring. "Do you think I'm an idiot?"

Gray eyes cautiously watched as one of the men positioned himself a foot behind her, the other two spreading out to her sides. "I don't think you're an idiot, no. I think you're a little bit tipsy and need to lie down, sir. So why don't you just give me my ring so you can rest a bit in this lovely room?"

Jackson shook his head, anger beginning to flare up in his eyes. "What was the plan? Record me then bribe me with it at a later date for a few extra credits? Are you just not making enough as a stripper? Were you going to give it to my boss so he could have me killed? Who are you? Are you working for someone? And what the fuck are you doing sending in two women to record my conversation?"

London smiled calmly, shaking her head in gentle protest. "I think you have me mistaken for someone else, sir. I'll just be going now. Excuse me."

"Oh no," Jackson said quickly, reaching out to take her forearm. "You're not going anywhere."

London looked down at the grasp he had on her and tugged in attempt to retrieve her arm back, "Release me, please."

"But I thought you wanted your ring back? So here, take your fucking ring!"

The mercenary slammed the fist containing the ring into London's mouth, sprawling the dancer backwards into another mercenaries arms. A small amount of blood flew onto the sheets in front of her. The taller man held her firmly as she gasped, flailing her legs out to make contact with Jackson's chest. He growled as he regained his balance. "Grab her legs!"

"No!" London screamed, struggling against the giant that was holding her torso and the other two men that halted her kicking. Jackson lifted the little silver piece of jewelry up to the same level as her eyes, holding it no further than two inches from her nose. "Why the fuck were you recording me?" His voice was eerily calm.

London's chest heaved heavily as she tried to remember to breathe and not panic. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Another closed fist came in contact with her face and she cried out as her head jerked to the side. "WHY WERE YOU RECORDING?"

The brunette shook her head, her left eye already beginning to swell shut. "I woke up this morning and felt like a voyeur? Honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about. It's just a ring."

Jackson clenched his jaw tightly. "Tie her down to the damn floor and make sure her omni-tool is off. We'll make her talk."

The smallest merc of the bunch eyed Jackson, "Sir, maybe we should just let her go? I don't think that this will make her talk. She doesn't know anything. It's just a ring to her! Maybe she didn't know anything about what it does. We shouldn't be hitting a woman. Or—"

"Man up, Carter. Shit like this happens in the business all the time. She's a spy and she wants information on my current gig. You know that what I'm doing is not for anyone's ears just yet."

"But sir, what if she doesn't? What if she isn't what you think she is?"

"Only one way to find out if she's telling the truth, isn't there? If by the time we're done and she's still saying the same thing…we'll let her walk and this was all just one big misunderstanding."

London's eyes widened while Carter shut his tightly as the other mercenaries ripped the woman from his grasp and tied her down. Her protests fell ill on their ears as they towered darkly over her.

xxxxxxx

Shepard had landed the shuttle in the nearby twenty minute landing zone right in front of the resort. Jack's eyes were shooting in all direction from her seat as she looked out the window, "It's already been fifteen minutes, Shepard. Where is she? Something ain't right."

Miranda had opened the shuttle door and was pacing frantically about, "I should have gone in to get her thirteen minutes ago. She's never late. Requesting permission to go back in, Commander?"

John strummed his fingers against the driver's wheel, "Denied. Give her a little bit of time. We don't want to get her in any kind of trouble. Even if you did give her two minutes, that's not nearly enough to walk through the place and take the elevator down to floor one. June will be knocked out for about an hour. We got time. Plus she has an omni-tool. If something happened she could call for back…oh shit."

All eyes turned towards the target of his concern. It was London. She had managed to stumble through the front doors and make her way out of the building. Her body was almost entirely bruised. Blacks, blues, and purples painted her tanned skin as she limped her way out in a general direction. Both of her eyes had been nearly pummeled shut, blood dripping from her mouth, nose, and various other parts of her swollen body. Her lingerie had been torn savagely and he had been forced to cover her breasts with her bruised arm while holding her panties up with her free hand, trying desperately to keep her dignity in tact as she moved. Every step seemed to cause pain: a gasp here, a stifled moan there.

Miranda, who was usually the most composed of the group, screamed out the woman's name frantically as she burst towards her in a frenzied sprint. "No, no, no, no, London!"

The brunette tried to smile through her severely busted lip as she extended a shaking hand out towards the operative's voice. She unraveled her fingers to reveal a tiny, silver ring that had its gem torn out of the middle. It was safe to say that it would never record again. "…I g-got it," she managed to say softly, a dribble of blood falling down her chin.

When Miranda finally positioned herself in front of the sniper London collapsed forward into her arms, blood smearing onto the XO's bare shoulder and chest. "No, no, no." Miranda slid to her knees with London in her arms, turning the woman so she should examine her face. The operative cradled her and hunched over the brunette protectively as she ran shaky finger tips along London's face. "London? Baby, can you look at me?"

London wanted to say something back but found that everything just hurt way too much to speak or move. Yet she could still listen; and when Miranda desperately called out to her, the loving term of endearment slipping from her plush lips and into the younger woman's bleeding ears, London saw colors behind her swollen eyelids. Who could ever imagine that a word so uncomplicated could turn darkness into a radiant spectrum of light?

Baby

When there was no reply Miranda turned her head over her shoulder and screamed towards the already running Shepard and Garrus. "She needs medical attention now!"

John stopped as he turned back around to get the vehicle closer, screaming out orders as he moved, "Garrus, pick O'Conner up and bring her into the shuttle! Get that medi-gel on her! Move it, people!"

Jack grabbed the unconscious June by the collar of his armor and threw his body on the far side of the shuttle with little thought. She needed to make room for the sniper and his old ass was just in the way. "Lay her down here along this seat. Fucking careful!

"Shit…she doesn't look so good."

Miranda kneeled down beside the brunette and took the woman's hand in her own, delicately making sure that all of London's most private parts were concealed from view. "She'll be fine," she said softly, refusing to let tears well up in her eyes. "We just need to get this shuttle moving. Let's go, damn it!"

Jack shook her head, "All of this for a fucking ring? Are you serious?"

Miranda could feel her chest tighten and a sob stuck at the base of her throat. "It's my fault. I left it on the nightstand, she asked me to be careful with it and…I completely forgot about it and—"

"Hey shut up, Cheerleader. You didn't know this shit would happen. There was nothing important recorded. The stupid piece of crap wasn't significant at all. She shouldn't have gone back, you told her not to go back.'

"It was important for her. I shouldn't have forgotten. I should have gone to get it myself."

Jack rolled her eyes, "Are you going to wallow in this self pity shit all day or are you going to actually help her? Put this medi-gel on, hurry. Slather that shit."

Miranda nodded, not being able to come into her own business like mind as she applied the gel carefully to the broken body.

The biotic eyed the sniper carefully, "She'll be alright. She's a tough bitch."

xxxxxxx

The Normandy

12 A.M

Communications/Debriefing Room

"I would have never expected that the girl was working for you, Commander Shepard. That certainly puts me in a very compromising situation."

"June, I'm not here to play games with you. You've been sending me on one hell of a goose chase so this is how this is going to work this time around: I ask a question and you answer it. If you don't answer it, I'll punch a god damned hole in your face with my fist and then turn you over to C-Sec without blinking."

"It's not that simple for me, Shepard. Beat me the hell up all you want, you know how this business works. If I tell you where they are then they target my family and that is simply unacceptable. My family doesn't know about the affairs I deal in. And right now what I'm dealing in is very, very covert."

"I'll get safe passage from the Alliance and have them relocated."

"Don't play stupid, Commander. With enough credits anyone can be found relocated or not. And believe me when I say that the people I work for have more than enough."

John placed the flat of his palms on the large table as he leaned in, "Who is the man you're working for?"

June chuckled darkly, "It's not just one guy, Shepard. The 'Buyer'? Yeah I don't even know how that caught on. There is a guy who goes around doing the purchases but he answers to several people just like I do. There's a ton of them spread throughout the system and supposedly they're all important big wigs. Each hive they created holds a small amount of personnel that's in charge of gathering some sort of information. I couldn't tell you who the boss was even if I wanted to. I get paid through some sort of joint account. I don't ask questions."

"You were charged with the transportation of an item from the ExoGeni Corporation. They specialize in discovering artifacts and Prothean relics as well as founding and funding new colonies. What was it that you transported?"

"I don't know. I don't look inside the package; I just deliver it to the proper person so that they can take it back to their assigned hive."

"What's this hive you keep talking about?"

June sighed, "It's a collection of four specifically chosen people that are assigned to do research and testing on two hand picked subjects on a small, secluded facility away from other hives."

"What are they testing?"

"From what I can tell they're testing some sort of factor in a biotic's genetic make up. I don't know the details. I'm not a scientist. I just know that if they don't get that chip with all of that girl's data on it…we're fucked. All of us."

"What's so damn special about this girl's data?"

"Once again: I don't know. I only hear the scientist rant occasionally. I've heard him say that there's an abnormality in her genetic pool that determines some sort of missing factor. I don't know why she's the only one who has it and don't ask me on what that factor is because… I. Don't. Know… It's my job to transport and protect the cargo and that's it."

"Where is your hive?"

"I can't tell you that."

John grinned, "Of course you can, June. I already know it's in the Nemean Abyss. I just need to know what vessel you're flying around in."

"If you know then you really don't need me do you, Shepard? This is a state of the art ship; I'm sure you can do a few scans and find what you're looking for all by yourself."

"Don't be a smart ass, Sanders. Quite frankly I'm getting tired of hearing you say I don't know. So tell me the one damn thing you do know and let me go get the answers for myself. Let me in on the secret and I'll have your family relocated. Keep playing hard to get and I'll find your family regardless."

June's eyes narrowed, "You wouldn't do it."

John lowered his gaze to meet June at the same level, his expression ruthless when he opened his lips. "Do you intend to really find out?"

"Fuck you, Shepard."

"I was hoping you'd say that." John popped his knuckles as he sat down on a chair next to the mercenary and took out a data pad. "Lilibeth A. Sanders, wife to June Sanders and mother to little Noah J. Sanders. Currently located in New Jericho on plant Joab. Latitude—"

"You motherfucker, you won't touch a hair on their heads!" The mercenary had been tied to a bolted chair, unable to lash out at the calm commander.

"You aren't the only guy with resources, Sanders." He flopped the pad down onto the desk and pushed it towards the older mercenary. "I have friends in ridiculously high places and information of this sort is not hard to come by. Tell me what I want to know and you can shove that pad where the sun doesn't shine. I'll forget all about what I read. Don't tell me what I want to know…and I'll be paying Mrs. Sanders a visit very shortly," he fibbed, "I'm sure she'd love to hear about how her husband is currently rotting away in prison because he was too big of a dumb fuck to talk when given the chance."

The room was silent for a long time. June's ragged breathing was the only thing that echoed softly throughout the four walls. "Fine. Okay, I'll tell you where my hive is. But you promise that you get my family out of there and locate them some place safe. Fuck, you better relocate them every three months until I can watch them myself."

"Consider it done. Tell me where the hive is and I'll make that call before I set a foot off of this ship."

"…it's a small vessel loaded up on element zero out in the Nemean Abyss. It docks on the first of every month on Tortuga for fuel and supplies but never strays to far from the planet itself. If you're planning to hop on that ship, you're only chance of doing it is on the first of next month. That's only a few days from now. It's called the SS Atlantis. It's not affiliated with any known logo or organization that I know of. Four people per hive. On mine was me, Riley, a head scientist named Parker and his assistant…I don't remember his name, he doesn't speak much outside of the testing room."

Satisfied with the response the Commander got onto his feet. "That'll do. I'll have Officer Taylor make a place for you in our holding room until I find out what you're telling me is the truth. You'll be contacted as soon as your family is relocated to safety."

June seemed to exhale, wary eyes looking over the man beside him, "….thank you, Shepard."

"I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for the woman who doesn't know what a poor excuse of a man she married."

xxxxxxx

1 A.M

Medical Bay

Dr. Chakwas strolled over towards the small group of Normandy crew and gave them all an encouraging smile. Much to the good doctor's surprise not only had Jack stayed committed to waiting for the news, but Kasumi, Miranda, Garrus, Kenneth, Gabby, Tali, and Kelly had too. Everyone was genuinely concerned and it had made Helen smile to know how close some of the Normandy's crew mates had really gotten. Commander Shepard and his ship was truly a place where the weary could rest their heads. They didn't all always have time to 'hang out' on a day to day basis; it was a working vessel after all, but the thought was there and even between so many conflicting personalities they had become a strange little family.

"Everyone can rest easy. Specialist O'Conner will be just fine. She was lucky in that there was no internal bleeding. She was unlucky in that I had to wrap her abdomen because she had several fractured ribs. I also had to set several fingers, a shoulder, and leg. Honestly the outside appearance looks much worse that what actually happened. Her skin needs time to mend the bruising and cuts, medi-gel can only do so much at once. I've managed to greatly reduce the swelling on her face and around her eyes, but she needs to rest. I advise that you all send your best regards from out here and allow her to do so. She may be up for speaking to everyone tomorrow, but for now let's just all leave her be."

Several of the crew members passed by the bay window and sent her silent little 'get well soon' wishes while Jack simply nodded her head approvingly. "I told you she was a tough bitch."

"Miranda, may I speak with you a moment, dear?"

The operative nodded her head as she was pulled off into a private corner to speak quietly, "I didn't wish to say this in front of the others but I need to discuss something of importance with you. It's come to my attention that you and London have become an item, correct?"

Miranda's eyes narrowed, "What is this discussion pertaining to, Dr. Chakwas?"

"Ah-ah," Helen lifted her hand to calm the woman, "I am not commenting on the relationship, it is none of my business. However, I may be old but I am not blind. If my observations have been accurately interpreted and if my conclusion is correct, then I would have you do something for me. If I am wrong, however, then please let me know so that I may treat London myself. I would rather spare the woman any embarrassment if at all possible. I know that matters of this nature are delicate enough as it is for her."

Cerulean orbs gazed onto the older woman in confusion, "Helen, I'm afraid you've lost me. Why would I have to treat her? What embarrassment would she undergo? I am not unwilling to help, it's quiet the opposite actually. I'm just confused as to what you're getting at."

Dr. Chakwas sighed sorrowfully, "London is suffering from severe bruising and some bad gashes all over her body. They virtually punched and kicked her everywhere."

Miranda shook her head, her tone soft and concerned. "Okay?"

"Everywhere, Ms. Lawson. She is bruised and I need to have this salve applied to ensure that she heals properly and that any cuts that may have formed in the region heal as they should. An infection would be horrid. I would have you spare her the embarrassment of me doing it when she cannot do it herself. She can't even move her arms without crying out. I have come to know that she trusts you. I do not mean to put you on the spot like this and if you are unwilling or uncomfortable to help then by all means please—"

"Where is the salve so that I may get it and apply it right away? You were correct in saying that matters of this nature are already a delicate subject for her. I will do it."

Helen sighed in relief, "Wonderful. The salve is on the nightstand in her bedroom. The one in the purple container is for her nether regions, and the one in the green container is for the rest of her body. The green has already been applied; she is just missing the purple. She has requested that she be moved to her quarters to rest instead of the medical bay. There is nothing more I can do for her, regardless. She just needs time for her body to restore itself naturally. If you are to do this until she can do it herself, Ms. Lawson, then take note that both salves have to be applied every day for immediate results."

"Understood, Dr. Chakwas."

A small smile graced Helen's lips as she turned around to order her patient to be moved accordingly. Miranda reached out to touch her shoulder before quickly withdrawing her hand, "I…thank you, Helen. Not only for speaking to me on this matter in private but…for everything. You saved my life a while ago and I realized I never properly expressed my gratitude. So thank you. Your work does not go unnoticed."

Chakwas nodded her head politely, "You are very welcome, my dear. I'll have London sent to her quarters in a few moments. Please be there within the hour."

xxxxxxx

1:30 A.M

Portside Observation/ London's Quarters

By the time Miranda had arrived London had already been situated into her bedroom. The dancer was still in her medical gown, lying in her bed and on her back, several pillows slightly propping her up for comfort. Her eyes were shut and she didn't look as bad as she did on Omega. Her body was still swollen and large bruises patched her skin in various places, but at least the blood was gone and her wounds were closed. Miranda's heels clicked lightly against the floor as she made her way over towards the bed. She paused momentarily to examine the contents of the purple container and read what it was composed of; double checking to ensure it wouldn't be harmful towards the sensitive genital area. When she was satisfied with the ointment she placed it back onto the stand and ever so gently made her way to lie down next to the brunette.

London stirred and a pair of puffy eyes half opened as her head tilted to look at the only other person besides Teagan who would ever get into her bed without her permission. Her busted lips parted and a puff of air slipped through in the form of a simple 'hi'. Miranda leaned in to press her lips gently against the woman's temple before laying her head right beside the brunette's. "Don't ever do that to me again, do you understand? If I say no then I bloody well mean no. Okay?" London never saw the single tear that fell from Miranda's eye, but she could hear the concern and sadness in her love's tone. The dancer gave a feeble nod as she whispered 'yes ma'am'.

Miranda sniffed and cleared her throat, nodding as she carefully reached over to grab the purple canister. "London, Dr. Chakwas said that this ointment needed to be applied and asked for me to be the one to do it since you're unable to treat yourself currently."

Lawson could see London's cheeks turn a faint pink.

If one were to really, really think about the situation, one would have to acknowledge the incredible amount of trust you would have to place in the other individual who's treating their most private of places. The position leaves you vulnerable, susceptible to both emotional and physical pain.

"She told me," the sniper said weakly. "It's okay…I trust you."

A cool, clear gel was squeezed out into the ring, middle, and index fingers of the operative's right hand. Miranda retook her place beside the dancer and laid her body down. She placed tender kisses on London's neck, cheek, and temple as the hand slipped its way under London's medical gown and hovered just above her pelvis. "It's going to be a little cold and you might feel a tiny sting, okay?"

When given the nod of acceptance Miranda lowered her hand onto the slightly swollen mound. London's body twitched at the touch which in turn caused a wince and unhappily whimper of pain, but the constant stream of calming kisses relaxed the brunette's body once more. Miranda was tender in her touch, making sure to apply the ointment to the entirety of the woman's groin and outer labia. When the gel had warmed in her palm, the operative's hand froze. "We're almost done," she swallowed, "…ready?"

London certainly didn't feel ready; her nether regions stung badly and she realized that there must have been a cut or two. No matter, she still nodded her head as she tried to open her legs a bit further. The recently dislocated leg screamed in protest, still sore from being set by Dr. Chakwas. The XO objected immediately, whispering lovingly to not move and strain herself. London nodded, just bending her other leg slightly to offer more room for the operative's hand.

Miranda needed London to know that she could do this task; that she was able to take care of the dancer and not let her own insecurities get in the way when it mattered most. It was a shame that this had to be the first time her hands were able to explore this part of her girlfriend's body, but life has a way of twisting and turning in the most awful of ways sometimes. Nether regions or not, insecurity or not, Miranda would overcome and was in this for the long haul. And even if she couldn't vocalize that, she would make sure that every action, every expression, every pore oozed dedication for this younger woman. She also prayed that she wouldn't hurt her as she separated the tender folds with her thumb and ring fingers while slowly sliding her middle and index fingers in to apply the gel.

Instantly she could feel a small ridge on the inside of the lips and determined it to be an old scar from when London worked at Afterlife. She could also feel London stiffen beside her and Miranda leaned to place several more kisses along the woman's neck and profile. Velvet cushions glided along the brunette's earlobe and whispered words of support and acceptance as she carefully applied the ointment to the inner labia. When she felt that she had successfully finished, the operative carefully removed her fingers and then her hand from the region entirely. London felt as the body warmth next to her own suddenly left and the dancer sighed at the loss of it.

Miranda had gone over to towards the counter beneath the juice bar and removed her gloves and washed her hands of excess medication, quickly turning back around after drying them off. "Does it feel okay?"

"Better," London breathed out. "Will you stay?"

A fond smile fell on the operative's mouth as she went to lock the portside observation's door. Before she got back into bed, Miranda was sure to take off her boots then, much to the dancer's surprise, removed her uniform and bra much like last night. She also untied the small string that held the medical gown up around London's neck, slowly and ever so carefully sliding it down the sniper's body to remove the flimsy piece of cloth completely. It was only then that Miranda got back into the sheets, allowing the warmth of her body to melt into the others. A graceful hand reached out to grasp the comforter and smoothly tossed it over the both of them.

"That medical gown is useless. I'll be sure that you're wearing proper clothing tomorrow."

When the younger woman didn't reply Miranda pressed a kiss into London's not dislocated shoulder before sliding under that arm and pushing herself lightly into the brunette's side. She was careful to watch for distress but found none on the dancer's face, assuming London simply enjoyed the body heat and found the close proximity soothing. After requesting that the lights in the quarters be turned off, Miranda pressed her nose into the London's neck. "Goodnight, London."

"…I liked it by the way," the tiny, breathy voice said out into the darkness.

"Liked what?"

"…when you called me baby earlier… I liked it." London could feel the long, black eyelashes that fluttered open against her neck. There was pure silence for a moment.

"…Miranda?"

The operative's heart was beating quickly as she swallowed against the dryness of her throat, "Yes?"

London closed her eyes and pictured Ayo in her mind. "I need to tell you something," she said taking a shaky breath and wincing slightly.

Miranda listened carefully, her eyes darting around in the dark and not knowing what to expect.

"I know you've been hurt," the brunette started delicately, being sure to breathe evenly, "and I know it's been hard and I know that it's been lonely. I know that people close to you have broken your trust and abused your love and friendship…"

The operative blinked, not knowing why her girlfriend was bringing up such a tender topic so late at night and out of the blue. "London?"

"I would never—I could never do that to you. I cherish your trust. What you have given me the privilege of seeing and knowing, this beautiful and intimate side of such an amazing individual…I don't take that lightly. You've let me into some of your most private of places and I truly treasure what you've given me. And I want you to know," she inhaled, ignoring the incredible pain in her ribs, "that you never have to be afraid again. When you're hurting, I'll help ease the pain. When times get hard, I'll make the load lighter I swear I will. You'll never be lonely again because I will always be here for as long as you'll have me. You are my best friend and…and you are my heart. I love you, Miranda. I love you and I just needed you to know that."

London's heart was thumping loudly in her chest when she couldn't even hear Miranda breathing in the darkness, but when velvet lips were suddenly crushed against hers, the dancer startled. Miranda didn't know what she had ever done in her life to deserve such a person, but she was in no mood to ponder the question when salt was tasted on her tongue. Their mouths danced with each other and the slow realization that those tears… those salty tears were her tears. When did this happen? When had Miranda begun to cry silently?

London could feel Miranda's urgency and need so she let the kiss continue despite her own swollen and stinging lips. One gave the other her frustrations and sadness, and the other in return offered her passion and madness; madness for her. It was a gratifying albeit insanely intense moment. But when Lawson got carried away and bit down lightly onto the plush piece of flesh, London yelped which in turn caused an uncomfortable ache in her ribs and mouth. "Lip, lip, lip!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Miranda called out rapidly, shouting for the lights to turn on so she could assess the damage she caused. She calmed somewhat upon seeing nothing but the corner of London's swollen lip curled into a gentle smirk.

Is this what it felt like? London had never felt so…alive, loved, or trusted. She only hoped that she gave those feelings to Miranda too as she raised a gentle palm and caressed the side of the operative's cheek. "I've always been a cautious individual, you know that. When I was younger my father used to tell me that I had to be careful with whom I gave my trust and love to. 'The universe is full of so many that would take advantage of your kindness,' he would say. But you…you deserve everything that I have to give and everything I don't have but still want to give."

Lawson's eyes were red and the evidence of tears was apparent on her cheeks. Miranda had wiped them away before they could have been seen of course, but it was enough to show London that Miranda had absorbed and understood her message and the truthfulness behind her words.

"Then again," she added with a smile, "my father is the same man that also used to say 'London, you're never allowed to date anyone who is in a band. Stay away from drummers. Something about having rhythm makes their sperm stronger.'"

Suppressing a chuckle was no use and Miranda laughed, her melodious tone making London's eyes water with its sweetness.

Little moments like these are what made life good. It's rather silly, isn't it? One could go through a lifetime of sadness, loss, and betrayal; but when some mad individual stumbles into your life and offers nothing more than a smile, or hug, or kiss …they make it better. The heaviness of the load will never truly disappear, but the weight always miraculously gets lighter, easier to hold.

After examining each other's well being and smiling like idiots the entire time, Miranda finally called for the lights to shut off again. She found her place against the nook of London's neck and exhaled contently. The warmth that built between them was so comfortable it only took the sniper moments more to fall into a deep sleep. Miranda stayed awake for a little bit longer though, running her fingertips along London's chest and making lazy patterns underneath their comforter.

"Goodnight," she whispered into the brunette's ear, "sleep well and happy dreams…my love."

This is the way my world ended, not with a bang but with a whisper. Everything known to me shattered and then, with nothing more than the dulcet sound of her mere breathing was made whole again, made new.

[End 28: June]

A/N: Whose words were those at the end, I wonder? I'm not even entirely sure that I know.

In some important news: Dragon Age 2 comes out tomorrow so I will be taking a two week hiatus to play the hell out of it. Arc 2 of my story is coming to its end, and the final arc of this entire fan-fiction will begin shortly as well.

I want to thank each and everyone one of you who has subscribed, added to their favorites and reviewed. You guys are just so wonderful and have been the very reason why I continue this little catastrophe of a fanfiction. I know right now it might be confusing, but I can promise you by the very end of it all you'll be like 'OOOOOH'.

I also realized that I can't post anymore chapters to 'A Life in Full' without giving away major spoilers to this story. So even though I already have two chapters ready to go, I won't be posting them until this story is finished (which it's close enough to being finished).

And I'm such a cheeseball for fluff and romance…I know it's terrible. I'm terrible. It's so fluffy in here I can hardly breathe.

*deletes this story*

I also had a question for everyone, and I'd like it very much if you answered. What do you think Jack is in terms of ethnicity? Do you think she's of French, German, Irish, English, Spanish, ect ect ect blood?

Please hit the review button and let me know your answer as well as anything else that needs to be said (if any).