Third chapter is up, sorry about the slight delay everybody. Finals of summer school and all that. Got straight As or Bs! Yay me lol. Got a few weeks to relax and then its off to school again. Anyways, enjoy everyone! I'm sorry about the shortness of the chapters. Its gonna pick up in the next few chapters, so they will be longer.

Joker was uncomfortable. Make that very uncomfortable. No, EXTREMELY uncomfortable. Two pairs of eyes, well three, but he could not see Tali's, were looking at him. Three pairs of eyes that belonged to women he had once told himself he never wanted to get into a quarrel with. And yet the decision he made today could very well create enemies out of two of them.

Joker let out a very long sigh and closed his eyes. He could still hear Garrus and Grunt laughing behind him.

Miranda, who was practically shaking with impatience, exploded at Joker. "Have you made up your mind Mister Moreau? I - er, we, are all waiting."

Joker opened his eyes and looked at Miranda. Ah yes, the one who he least wanted to make mad. Her wrath spanned the entire galaxy. "Um... I'm still thinking."

"Well hurry up," pouted Miranda.

"Give him time Miranda," said Shepard, "we obviously don't want him to make a rash decision do we?" Miranda shook her head. "Well then let him be."

Miranda stayed silent after that, and Joker once again went into thought. Tali, Miranda, or Kelly. Which of their offers should he take?

Miranda's offer was perhaps the most logical choice, and certainly very tempting. With the resources Cerberus had, he could potentially walk at last with zero pain. He could commission a fleet of Normandys if he wanted too, maybe become the commander of a fleet, and the captain of his own ship. But still...

Tali's offer however was very enticing too. He loved technology, and even though Cerberus could get the best technology money could buy, they could not buy the Flotilla's collective knowledge. He had no doubt in his mind that he could walk again using their help as well. Who knew what else they could do for him. They had afterall created the Geth. And maybe, just maybe, he would finally see what a Quarian looked like under their mask. But still...

Kelly's offer however was the most intriguing of the three. True, if he had Cerberus's resources there would be no shortage of women, but a woman that loved him for him? Kelly was one of the best counselors in the galaxy. Thats why Cerberus hired her. He had met her not long after he had joined Cerberus. Sure the Alliance military had shrinks, but none of them had been able to help him cope with the loss of Shepard.

Shepard had saved him, only to be cast away into space himself. Joker had kept a smile on his face for his friends and the crew, but inside he was torn apart. It should have been him who had been cast out, not Shepard. Joker had started drinking heavily, his work suffered, and the Alliance, finally getting fed up with him, gave him an ultimatum. Shape up or leave. That had been when Cerberus offered him a position as a pilot of a new Normandy they planned to build. He took the job gladly.

It was not long after he joined that he had met Kelly. The Illusive man had insited that he go see her. He had been reluctant at first, but it took only a single session for Joker to trust her. It was Kelly who had finally helped Joker heal the emotional wounds he had kept inside him about losing Shepard. She had helped him realize that it had not been his fault, and that the mysterious attacker was to blame for Shepard's death. She had finally helped him move on with his life.

Then they had recieved news that Shepard had been found, and that they were reviving him. He had actually be in a session with Kelly when the two were offered positions in the Lazarus cell by none other then Miranda. They had both agreed at once.

Kelly knew him well. It was true that he felt lonely. None of his past girlfriends had worked out due to his disease, and once he had joined the Normandy, he had been too focused on his job and the threat of the Geth and Saren to worry about relationships. Crewmembers joked about him and EDI, and perhaps they were right. She was a female presence that he could get along with. He had grown to respect and trust her, but she wasn't real. Well, real as in flesh and blood. He often wondered what EDI would look like if she were human. Maybe tall, beautiful, blonde...

Yes. Joker smiled. "I have chosen an answer everyone," he whispered.

Shepard motioned for everyone to quiet down. The mess hall became silent. All eyes were again on him.

Joker looked up at the three ladies, slowly gazing at each one until his eyes rested upon Kelly. With effort, Joker stood up and limped to her.

"I have chosen love."