Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.
"Shepard, we don't have time to go back to the Citadel," Miranda scowled at her, clearly unwilling to cooperate with Shepard's request to head back one last time before they headed through the Omega-4 relay.
"Oh no? Did I not help you make sure your sister was safe on Illium, at the expense of considerable time and resources?" Shepard raised an eyebrow at her XO. She was determined to have her way, and it would be a shame to through Miranda out of the airlock if she didn't cooperate.
"Yes, but…" Miranda sighed.
"Did I not help Jacob find his father, again, at the expense of considerable time and effort? Have I not similarly helped Mordin, Jack, Grunt, Garrus, Legion, Tali, Thane, Kasumi, and Zaeed?" Shepard ran a hand through her hair in agitation, pacing the mess as she confronted Miranda.
"Every one of the ground crew has needed something from me, needed my help for some unfinished business, to take care of some distraction, and you dare to tell me we don't have time when I demand the chance to take care of my own ghosts?" Shepard whirled on the other woman, her biotics flaring as she snapped, dimly aware that they were attracting an audience. "Need I remind you, again, that you are not in charge on this ship.
Miranda scoffed, "No, the Illusive Man is and-"
Shepard cut her off, her voice dangerously low, "Is he?" she growled low in her throat. "Are you still so certain about that?" she added with an arrogant jerk of her chin.
Miranda blinked at Shepard in surprise.
"Miranda, let me be clear. The Illusive Man is no more in charge of this ship than you are. Since day one, I've had Garrus here working on ways to take this ship back from Cerberus if that is what it came down to. I've been using Cerberus for their resources since day one because it was convenient to do so." She jerked her head towards Garrus and Tali, who were looking on with amused expressions on their faces; well, Garrus was, anyway. "Now, Tali and Garrus tell me if I did take the ship as my own, it would be at the cost of losing EDI, and that would be a shame, but if it helps me prove my balls are bigger than the Illusive Man's, well, so be it."
Miranda frowned, "There's no need to be crude, Shepard."
Shepard gave the other woman a wolfish grin, her blue eyes sparkling in delight; she knew she'd won this round. "Oh, I'm sorry, Miranda, I would hate to offend your delicate sensibilities," she said with glee, just barely stifling a laugh.
Miranda ran her own hand through her hair, "Fine, the ground squad can have 24 hours shore leave on the Citadel. I'm sorry, but everyone else needs to remain here as EDI is tasked to capacity while running the diagnostic on the Reaper IFF."
There were some groans of protest, but mostly they were good-natured about it, and Shepard headed down to the shuttle bay, cheerfully tapping out a message on her omni-tool.
Hey, I managed to "persuade" the warden that I needed 24 on the Citadel to take care of some things. I hope you aren't on duty tomorrow.
She sent the message, and grinned when she received a reply almost immediately.
When you say persuade, do you mean you had to threaten to throw her out of the airlock if you didn't get your way? Or did you threaten to steal the ship? Either way, I'm clear for tomorrow.
She worried her bottom lip as she read his reply, no one knew her like he did, and she tapped out another message as her crew boarded the shuttle.
We're loading up the shuttle now, so we'll be there in a few hours. Meet me in front of Darkstar at 1500?
She could picture his grin in her minds eye as she quickly received one last message before they were out of range.
Hurry.
'Oh yes, Commander, that was certainly the plan,' she thought to herself as she strapped in for the ride. Unfortunately, the shuttle wasn't as fast as the Normandy, and she passed the time playing Skyllian Five with Jacob. She was terrible and she knew it, but she had one hell of a poker face, and despite how bad her cards always seemed to be, she managed to win more than she lost.
"I don't know how to manage it, Shepard," Jacob complained, and he glanced up at the pilot announced they were five minutes out from Citadel.
"Just lucky, I guess," she replied.
Garrus scoffed, "No, you're mean as hell when you play cards, that's how you do it."
She shook her head, and began the agonizing wait as they fought the traffic jockeying for a spot to dock on the Citadel. She grinned as she used the Spectre card to ensure they got a prime spot, and after they parked, she instructed her squad to meet back here in 24 hours.
"Where will you be, Commander?" Miranda asked, "I need to know for-"
"Miranda, rest assured, you'll be able to reach me if it is an emergency. Otherwise, if you contact me and it isn't an emergency, I'm throwing you out the airlock when we get back to the ship," she warned cheerfully, already heading out into Zakera Ward, "That goes for every last one of you!" she called over her shoulder, positive that none of them would follow her after that warning. She glanced at her 'tool, she was already running late.
She jogged through the civilians, darting in and out amongst them as she headed towards her meet. She skidded to a stop when she saw him sitting on a bench, a ball cap pulled low over his eyes as he stretched out, taking a rare moment to relax. He was still in his ACU's and she took a second to appreciate how well they fit him, and how much he'd filled out in the last two and a half years.
She slid onto the bench next to him, and tugged the cap up, and pressed her lips to his. "Sorry I'm late," she murmured quietly.
He licked his lips as she pulled away slightly, "It's okay, I needed a little downtime."
Her jaw worked as a smile tugged at her lips; "Well, consider your downtime over until tomorrow. I have plans for you, Kaidan."
He chuckled under his breath as she pulled him to his feet, and they fell in step with each other with practiced ease. He still wasn't trusting of Cerberus, but he was convinced this woman at his side was the woman he'd fallen in love with three years earlier. She flashed a smile at him as they walked along, and he felt his heart skip a beat, "So, what do these plans entail, Shepard," he murmured in her ear, and his palm ghosted over her backside, sliding along the curve of her spine to rest at the small of her back.
She shivered against his touch, and leaned into him, not caring if anyone saw them together. She could be dead, again, tomorrow; there was no time to waste on propriety. "You, me, naked and engaged in strenuous activities, order some take out, and then more strenuous activity. You game?"
He laughed, "Always so blunt," he murmured, and pulled her into a doorway, and smiled down at the question she posed in the confused look on her face, "My place."
"Oh," she replied, and her fingers got to work as he uncoded the door. He swept her up in his arms as soon as the door slid open, pressing open-mouthed kisses along her jaw and throat as he carried her back to the bedroom. He set her back on her feet and she tugged his shirt over his head, and pressed her palms to his chest, licking her lips, "You've been busy," she murmured appreciatively.
"I had some time on my hands," he replied, and snuck his own hands under her shirt.
She moaned softly as his hands cupped her breasts, and his mouth skimmed over her shoulder, "You, ah, made good use of it," she breathed, and lifted her arms as he pulled her shirt off.
"Mmhmm," he replied, and made short work of her bra. He bent his head to take one puckered nipple between his lips, gently laving it with his tongue. He heard her sigh as her hands fisted in his hair, urging him closer. He repeated the attention on the other breast, his hands sneaking down to the clasp of her belt, quickly ridding her of her pants as she toed off her boots.
He smiled against her skin as she was standing before him, naked save for a pair of socks, a spacer to her core. A sensual smile curved her lips, and she reached for him, pulling him closer. Her hands drifted down to the waist of his pants, and she gently tugged them open, and he groaned as her hand wrapped around him.
He toed off his own boots, and his pants fell around his ankles as he stepped forward, his hands at her hips, walking her back towards the bed. She shifted suddenly, and pushed him back on the bed, and crawled after him, pressing a line of kisses starting at his knee, trailing up his inner thigh, her hot tongue swirling over his sensitive skin. "Shepard," he groaned as her mouth closed over his smooth head, her lips gliding up and down his length.
He swallowed a groan as she licked him from base to tip, and he buried a hand in her soft hair, tugging gently. She pressed a hot kiss to the silky head, and continued her way up his torso, leaving a trail of hot, wet kisses in her wake. "Now?" she murmured softly, her hips positioned just above his, and he closed his eyes as he slid between her wet lips.
His response was a sharp thrust of his hips, and his hands pulling her so he was seated within her. She gasped at the sensation of his sudden invasion, and her back arched of it's own accord as he smirked at her, and pumped his hips up to meet hers again. She licked her lips, and gave him a knowing smile as she rocked her hips against him, and they both moaned as she moved, meeting his everything thrust, her slick sheathe tightening around him as she rode him.
She gasped out his name as her orgasm burst through her, felt his grip tighten on her waist as he uttered a harsh shout and followed after her.
She slumped forward to sprawl across his chest, her lips skimming along his jaw. "I love you, Kaidan Alenko," she murmured softly, and felt his arms squeeze her in a gentle embrace.
"I love you, too," he breathed, and caught her lips in a gentle kiss.
She sighed, and studied him as she pulled away from him, taking in his dark brown eyes, olive skin, salt and pepper curls, his sensuous smile, and willed her brain to imprint him as he was in this moment for the rest of her life, how ever long it may be. "We're going through the relay soon," she mumbled softly, and turned her head away from him.
"Does it make me a horrible person that as much as I wish you were coming with me, that I'm thankful you're staying here, safe?" she muttered, and scrubbed her hands over her face.
"Hey," he murmured, and pulled her back, tucked in close to his side where she belonged, "I'm just glad you're here, right now. With me."
She nodded and curled into his side, his calloused palm gently stroking her back. They dozed together, each content with just being together, neither willing to break the spell that had fallen over them. She grimaced when her stomach growled loudly, and she felt his side shake as he suppressed a laugh. "On to ordering take out, then?" he teased gently, and she scowled at him. He just laughed, and sat up, his omni-tool flickering to life as he punched in his usual order for take out, and grimaced as he doubled it to feed two hungry biotics. He grumbled to himself at the cost, and gauged the time before he rolled her over onto her back.
He sank into her again with a low groan, and felt her neediness in the clutch of her hands on his shoulders as he thrust into her; their lips crushed together, tongues dancing as they satisfied their need for each other. Sooner than he would have liked, they reached their climax, their moans of pleasure mingling in the air.
"Just in time," she snickered as the tone of the doorbell sounded. "I'd go get it, but I can't seem to find my clothes."
"Just…stay here," he muttered, and snatched a pair of gym shorts off the floor, pulling them on as he headed towards the door. He belatedly realized the delivery kid knew exactly what they had been up to as he stood gaping at him, and he quickly tipped the kid as Shepard's delighted laughter met his ears. He headed back down the hall, and handed her a take out box and a pair of chopstick.
"Why do I put up with you," he muttered to himself, shaking his head as she shoveled food into her mouth, and muttered nonsense with her full mouth. She shrugged and grinned at him.
"I keep you on your toes," she decided, and he just shook his head, lapsing into companionable silence as they shared their meal.
She heaved a contented sigh, and set the empty container aside when she had finished. She frowned in annoyance as she heard the beeping of her 'tool. "Goddammit, I told them to contact me only if it was an emergency," she grumbled unhappily, and activated her 'tool.
He watched as the color drained from her face, and he leaned over to read her message. It was from Joker. Collectors had attacked her ship and kidnapped the entire crew.
She burst into action, sending messages to the rest of her squad, demanding they be ready to go in 30 minutes or be left behind. She dressed with the practiced precision of a career soldier, and grabbed him in a searing kiss. "I love you, but I have a job to do."
He nodded in understanding, "I know." He walked her to the door, and wrapped her in a tight hug, trying to imprint her scent once more in his mind. "Be careful out there, Commander."
She nodded, and he saw the moisture gathering in her eyes, "And Shepard? Thanks. For everything."
She shot him a smile and pressed her lips to his cheek before turning to sprint back the way they had come, with a single backward glance before she disappeared from view. He prayed she'd find her way back to him again, and soon.