The next morning, Joker woke up to Alyssa talking to someone else. He rubbed his eyes, and walked over to the office, seeing Shepard's face on the screen.
"Good morning, Joker!"
"Hey Shepard. What's up?"
"I was just asking a favor from you two. A.. very serious one." Alyssa looked at Joker with eyes that made him concerned about the matters at hand.
"Shepard got called in for the trial. The Normandy got grounded at the Citadel, and we need to get her out and ready to pick up Shepard if the trial goes stupid," Alyssa said, looking at Shepard. Her holographic image nodded, looking towards Joker.
"Can I count on you two to get our ship out of there?"
"The last time we did this Anderson sucker punched Udina. I don't think we'll have the luxury of doing that again."
"Don't worry. I pulled a few strings, and a few of our friends from C-Sec will make sure any traces of you getting that ship out disappear." Joker sighed.
"You know, Commander, I can't keep pulling your ass out when you can't do it on your own." The two women laughed at his sarcastic comment.
"I'll see you in a day or two. I'm leaving tonight for Earth, and I've arranged a shuttle for you to get back to the Citadel." The computer bleeped as her image blurred away.
Joker looked at Alyssa with concerned eyes.
"I'll be fine. If anything, Chakwas is there to help me through," she replied, as if she knew what Joker was about to say. Joker kissed her on the forehead.
"I'm just scared that something will happen to you or the baby."
"I think it would be worse if you left me here while you fly around the galaxy kicking ass. I don't want another Collector shenanigan to happen." Alyssa got up and walked back towards their bedroom.
"I'm going to start packing some things. Did you want to make breakfast?"
"You trust me with food? I usually just make cereal."
"That's fine with me."
"Normandy to Bailey, we are ready when you are."
There was quiet over the comm. Alyssa and Joker stared at their consoles, blanked out because they were locked out of the system. After a few tense minutes, both their consoles beeped, and the controls came running back to life.
"That should do it. Kick some ass out there, Normandy," Bailey said, his respect heard through the tone of his voice. With that, the comm permanently shut down, so no one could trace their communication between each other.
Joker smoothly reversed the huge ship, turned her around, and sped into space and back towards Earth, standing by for Shepard's call.
Joker and Alyssa were accompanied by Dr. Chakwas, Garrus, and Thane. They were the closest crew members to them, so Shepard decided they would join them as well. The other crew members were alerted of her summons, and were asked to stand by for pick up once Shepard was done with her trial. The ship had a very tense atmosphere everywhere you would go. No one knew what was going on with their Commander. She couldn't keep in contact, even if she found a way. All they could do was sit and wait for some kind of sign from her.
"Has there been anything, Joker?" Garrus asked, walking into the cockpit.
"There's nothing. I've tried everything, it's like she doesn't even exist." Garrus rubbed his mandibles with his talon.
"Something doesn't feel right. She would always find some way to show us where she is."
"She is with the Alliance, Garrus," Alyssa said, swiveling in her chair.
"Their superior court is notorious for-"
Alyssa's thought was interrupted by a lightning bolt of pain in her lower abdomen. She screamed in pain, falling onto her side. Garrus ran to her and sat her up, leaning her body against his armor. Joker was already calling for Chakwas. There was liquid coming from between her legs, that horrified Garrus and excited Joker.
"Jeff, the baby is here," Alyssa said through controlled breaths. Garrus just stared at what was unfolding before him.
"Jeff, I want you to bring Alyssa down here immediately. I'll be getting the room ready for her," Chakwas said, calmly.
"Yes ma'am. Garrus, can you carry her to the medical bay?"
"Uh, uh, yeah," Garrus said, snapping back into reality. He got up and hoisted the laboring woman into his arms, and started the walk to the elevator. Joker was close behind, simultaneously linking his omni tool to the console.
Garrus stood with his back against the wall as Alyssa kept up with her controlled breathing. Joker stood in front of him to wipe the sweat off of her face and to try and keep her calm.
He felt like this was longest ride to the Crew Deck.
Once the doors finally swished open, him and Joker rushed into the medical bay. There was a bed towards the back that was covered by a sheet that went around the bed to give privacy. Chakwas pointed to that section while she put on some gloves and her glasses.
"Alright Alyssa, it's time. Are you ready?"
"I guess I have to be," she said through gritted teeth. Garrus left the medical bay, still a little dumbfounded by what he just experienced.
Dr. Chakwas sat on a stool on the edge of the bed. She positioned Alyssa's legs in an open and bent position, giving the baby optimal room to birth safely. She looked up at Alyssa, then looked at Joker.
"Are you ready, Mr. Moreau?" Joker looked at Alyssa, who was dripping in sweat.
"Hell yeah!" Chakwas laughed.
"Ready, and breathe in, and push! One.. two.. three.." Chakwas counted all the way up to ten, then Alyssa let out her breath. The pain was excruciating, but she know she had to push through it. Joker stood there a bit awkwardly, and continuously wiped her face with a cold towel.
"Ready, breathe in, and push!" she said again, the baby's head barely peeking out of the opening.
"I can see the baby's head!" Chakwas proclaimed, looking up at Joker.
"Time to push again. Ready, deep breath, and push! One.. two.. three.."
The top of the baby's head finally crowned , and Chakwas motioned for Joker to come and look.
"That," she said, pointing at the baby's head. "Is your child. Are you ready?" Joker nodded, and kissed Alyssa on the cheek.
"We're almost there baby," Joker said, holding her hand. He vowed to himself this will be the greatest time in his life, despite the bone fractures in his hand.
"Just a few more pushes, and the baby will be here." Chakwas positioned herself better to be ready to hold the baby once it's completely out.
She had Alyssa push three more times before the baby finally was free.
"It's a boy!" Chakwas was waiting to say that since the moment she found out she was pregnant. There were tears in her eyes as she looked at Joker. She laid the baby on Alyssa's chest, so she could hold her. She cradled the little boy, who was crying like there was no tomorrow. She gave him a kiss on the forehead, and stroked his little cheek and held his little hands.
"Jeff, my dear, would you like to cut the cord?" Dr. Chakwas asked, handing the scissors to him. He took the scissors, and cut the cord where she told him to.
Shortly thereafter, Chakwas took the baby to get rinsed, weighed, and wrapped in a blanket.
"I can't believe it! I'm a dad!" Joker said, looking around, excited.
"What do you want to name him?" he asked, looking at his girlfriend, drenched in sweat.
"I don't know. I haven't really thought of a name," Alyssa said, deep in thought.
"Let's call him Gavin," Joker said, thinking back to a fond memory.
"I had an Uncle Gavin, who was the best uncle in the world. He passed away just before I enlisted into the Alliance."
"Gavin is a wonderful name," Alyssa said, touched that Joker wanted to name their son after his uncle.
"Does he have a name?" Dr. Chakwas asked, walking in with the newborn wrapped in a blanket. She handed the baby over to Joker as he nodded.
"Gavin Ray Moreau."
"That is a beautiful name. There is another matter I need to discuss with you." The couple looked at the doctor.
"What do you want me to do with all these people?"
She turned the tint off from the windows, which showed the mess hall filled with the Normandy crew, Garrus and Thane in front of the window and waving at the baby.