A/N: Sorry this took forever! I've been busy getting back into school(which I was accepted to, yay!) and I've been juggling two stories. Hope you enjoy! Also check out my other story, We're Going to Disneyland! I'll try and update both simultaneously :) Happy reading!
It's been several hours since Shepard has checked in with the Normandy, which was unusual. Alyssa fell asleep in the pilot chair, softly snoring as the console blinked in front of her. Joker walked through the bridge and into the cockpit, and set his bowl of cereal down next to his chair. He looked on the console, careful not to wake Alyssa. It appears they have been idle for a while, with no incoming transmissions from Shepard. Joker sent a message to the Commander, hoping that she would respond. He turned around to see Alyssa munching away at his cereal bowl.
"Well, you're welcome, I guess," Joker said, a little sad that he couldn't enjoy his cereal. Alyssa smiled.
"Sorry. I woke up super hungry and I saw the bowl. Has the Commander said anything?"
"No, I'm trying to get a hold of her right now. It's not like her to go dark like this for a long time."
"Joker? Alyssa?" Shepard's voice came over the console.
"Didn't your parents ever teach you to check in with them if you're going to be out late?" Joker said, shaking his head.
"I had to stay quiet or I would've gotten slaughtered by those batarians. Anyways I'm with Dr. Kenson. I'm sending you the coordinates of our destination-"
"Got it, Commander. We'll be right behind you."
"That's my pilot. Shepard out."
"This cereal is delicious!"
"Don't remind me. I'm crying inside," Joker said, holding his hands up to his heart.
"I'll get you another bowl," Alyssa said, slowly getting up and walking away towards the elevator. Joker sat down and double checked the systems, making sure the Normandy was following Dr. Kenson's shuttle.
Everything seemed to be going as planned. Joker took this time to think about his future, and how it would be.
He never thought he would actually find someone to settle down with. He always thought he'd be the guy that can sway ships but could never sway women. He honestly thought she would just be another girl he would go on a few dates with, and then she'd think it was awkward for her to be dating a fellow crewmate.
Instead, it was the total opposite.
That girl is now going to be the mother of his first child. She was only a few months into the pregnancy, but he was already thinking about what space ships he would show them.
'Definitely the Normandy,' he thought, smiling to himself. He already knew which stories he'd tell them, like the story of how he rallied the Arcturus fleet to defeat Sovereign.
He pictured himself holding a baby wrapped in a blanket, rocking slowly as Alyssa made the crib. He pictured taking off his infamous SR-2 cap, and laying it in the crib while the baby was fast asleep, and how he'd put it on their head when they get older.
He pictured playing rocket ships with his child, running around the room with toy ships, picking them up and tossing them in the air.
All these images brought a big smile to his face, along with a little chuckle. He looked up at the windows and stared at the stars, and a realization just as dark as the void in front of him manifested in his head.
These pictures he made in his head will never come true if the Reapers really come exterminate all life in the galaxy.
'Thank god we have Shepard,' he thought, re-focusing himself to the current mission. The shuttle Shepard was on has docked on what appears to be an asteroid of some sort. He wasn't going to question anything, so he stayed nearby, waiting on Shepard's orders.
Joker and Alyssa were sleeping in the cockpit, when they heard the clicking of heels coming towards them. Alyssa stirred, yawning and stretching her arms out. Joker was out cold.
"Joker! Where is Shepard?"
Joker snored in response.
"Joker! Wake up!" Miranda said, slightly shaking the pilot. He jumped a little, which sent his cap flying off his head.
"What happened?"
"Have you talked to Shepard? She has been gone for quite some time," Miranda said, crossing her arms over her chest. Alyssa got up, walking towards the two.
"We've been up here all night. No messages, no signs of distress," Alyssa said, standing next to Miranda.
"Where did my hat go?" Joker asked, frantically looking around for it. Miranda turned around and picked up the hat off of the floor and handed it to him. Alyssa stepped in front of Miranda and pressed a button on the console.
"Normandy to shore party! Shepard, are you alright?"
Silence. Joker pressed a few more buttons, then shook his head.
Looks like communication is blocked. She can't hear us and we can't hear her. We'll just have to wait."
Miranda dropped her arms and stormed out of the cockpit.
"You'll be lucky if Thane doesn't kill you for this!" Miranda said. Alyssa laughed.
"I think you should be more worried about Garrus. Him and Shepard are like twins."
"I'll be fine," Joker said, waving the thought off.
"I've worked long enough with Shepard that if she really was in trouble, she would find some way to tell me to get her. She would never leave me hanging."
"It's been a whole day since we've heard from her. That doesn't bother you?" Joker shook his head.
"I am worried because she's never been gone for this long before, but I trust her that she won't be stupid, and she knows that I'm here waiting for her orders." Alyssa shook her head as she walked back to the co-pilot's seat and started doing scans of the asteroid-looking place, just for safety precautions.
"Honey, look at this," Alyssa said, her face looking more concerned.
"It seems like the base is the only thing on this rock, and they have some weird readings coming from the base itself."
Alyssa showed some fluctuating readings of Dark Energy. Joker has seen something like this before, when he was fighting with Sovereign.
"They must have one huge reaper artifact in there. Keep an eye on those readings. If those go off the charts, that will be our signal to start looking for Shepard."
Hours passed, and still no sign of Shepard. The readings have stayed steady, and the Normandy stayed dormant near the Project Base. Periodically, Garrus, Miranda, and Thane would come up, asking for status reports, but they would answer the same every time.
"There's nothing from her! I told you communications have been blocked," Joker said, getting frustrated at the three.
"Jeff!" Alyssa yelled, grabbing Joker's attention immediately. Joker looked at her console, and saw the energy readings frantically dancing across her screen. He looked up through the window. The asteroid seemed to be getting smaller and smaller.
"I think it's moving," Alyssa said, staring at it, too.
"That's our sign." Joker brought the Normandy back to her normal humming state and chased after the asteroid.
With no sign and no radio calls from Shepard, Alyssa has been keeping track of the energy readings coming from the artifact. As the Normandy stayed close, the readings were still off the charts. Joker tried to get as close as possible, trying to see if maybe they could get a heat signature that could be their commander.
The Normandy and the asteroid were inching closer and closer to the mass relay.
"Shepard better get a hold of us soon before-"
"Shepard to Normandy! Joker, do you read me!" Joker slammed his hand on the console.
"Shepard! We're here ready for-"
*click*
"DAMN IT!" Joker said, punching his console. His fist swelled a bit, but he dismissed the pain, trying to reconnect with Shepard. His hands danced around his console, but to no avail.
"Communications have been shut off again, but I do have the coordinates from where she was calling from," Alyssa said, showing Joker what she found.
"I guess we're heading there."
The journey to Shepard's position seemed forever, but they finally made it, with the mass relay also closing in on their position. Joker and Alyssa knew they had to do this extraction fast, and they had to jump through that relay before the hunk of rock hits it first.
"Prepare yourselves for the Arrival," a hauntingly familiar voice rang over Joker's console. The voice sent chills down both their spines.
"What was that?"
"I don't know, but let's get out of here!"
Alyssa pressed a button on her console.
"Commander Shepard! Normandy inbound for pickup!" she said as she opened the airlock. Once inside, she closed it, and Joker took off for the mass relay.
"Joker! Get us out of here!" Shepard yelled, running into the cockpit. Joker silently pressed buttons on his console, and got the Normandy to jump through the relay. Shepard ran out towards the galaxy map, just in time to watch the system clear itself from her map.
The ship finally came to a stop. All was quiet again.
Alyssa walked into her cabin. Joker was already laying on their bed, looking at the ceiling. She sat on the side of the bed, looking at Joker.
"What's wrong? You seemed bothered by something." Joker sighed, looking at her with a weary smile.
"Ever since I met you, I can't hide my feelings anymore."
"Isn't that a good thing? I wouldn't want you lying to me." Joker laughed.
"Not like that. I mean, when you got taken by the collectors, I actually cried." Alyssa looked at him, her eyes glossed over with tears that were ready to fall.
"Usually I'm the one that jokes around at serious situations. But, lately, I can't be like that anymore. I'm always worrying about you. I'm always worrying about the baby." Joker sat up and stared into her eyes.
"I don't want anything bad happening to you, or the baby. I already almost lost you once to the Collectors. I don't want the same thing happening again with the Reapers. I can't go through that shit again."
Tears rolled down his face as he tried to hide in Alyssa's neck. She hugged him, rubbing his back as he silently wept. She kissed his forehead, and cupped his face with her hands.
"Nothing is going to happen to you, or me, or the baby. We're going to get through this together, and we're going to come out of it together as a family." She took his hands into hers.
"We have the best damn team there could be, and we have a pretty good ship, with the best – and sexiest – pilot in the galaxy. There's no way we could fail this." Joker laughed. He put his hand over her stomach, which was now getting fairly large. He bent down to kiss her stomach, when her stomach protruded and hit his lips.
"Ow!" Alyssa gasped, looking at Joker, then looking at her stomach, then looking at Joker again.
"What the hell was that? Your stomach just attacked me!"
"The baby kicked!" Alyssa put her hand on her stomach, and she could feel her child kick a few more times.
"It's only been like four months! How is that thing kicking already?"
"Dr. Chakwas said it's in my genes or something. So instead of the nine months like normal women, she said I'll be ready by six or seven months," Alyssa said, nonchalantly. Joker felt like he was just hit in the face with a ton of bricks.
"I guess you'll be a father faster than you expected!"
"I guess I'll have to kick the Reapers' ass faster than I expected," Joker said, walking out to the mess hall.