Chapter 2

Breakfast

I would like to thank you all for your lovely reviews. Made me soooo happy. Also sorry about the length of time it took me to put this chapter up, i have no excuse other than i was spending lost of quality time with my boyfriend. Anyways i hope you guys enjoy this one =]

BioWare owns all, just incase we didn't know already haha.

Kaidan had slept restlessly that night. He could feel the soft hum of her biotics from her sleeper pod across the room. It wasn't as strong as it was when she was awake but it was enough to keep him awake and more than enough to make him think of what happened earlier in the cockpit.

Giving up on sleeping Kaidan got up and dressed and headed to the crew deck to grab breakfast. Only a few of the crew were at the tables and were grouped together, chatting amongst themselves, allowing Kaidan some time to be alone and relax.

"Ah she's totally hot! " Kaidan overheard from the other table. He didn't need to ask as to who they were talking about.

"She can pick a fight with me any day."

"Dude, she'd kick your ass!"

"It'd be worth it, just to have her all over me."

"I wonder if she's as feisty in the bedroom?"

Kaidan choked on his breakfast. God, I really didn't need to overhear that. He gave up on finishing his breakfast and decided to head to the cockpit to start his shift.

He was glad that the pilot wasn't his usual self today. Kaidan didn't need more teasing from him about his 'crush' on the commander. Nihlus, a Council Spectre, was behind them in the cockpit. The Council was keeping a close eye on this shakedown cruise. Kaidan could see the method behind this though wasn't entirely sure of the Council's motives. The Captain kept the crew on a need to know basis and though some complained about this, Kaidan trusted the Captain. He was a good man.

Kaidan shuddered slightly as a tingle went up his spine. He didn't need to turn around this time to know the source. He could feel the energy bouncing off her all the way from the CIC. He could hear the soft thud of her boots as she made her way gracefully towards the cockpit. The closer she got, the more intense the sensations got.

Will I ever get used to this, Kaidan found himself wondering. But damn it feels good. Hmmm well I guess I could get used to this, I wonder if it's this incredible when...

Okay stop, stop. What the hell. Spectre on the left...Spectre...Professional...Time to be professional...

Kaidan shook himself mentally. What on Earth was with him lately. He never let himself get distracted like this. Sure he'd worked with beautiful women before but never did it affect him like this nor make him think things like that about them.

Kaidan knew it wasn't his fault that she made him feel this way, it just rather annoyed him that he couldn't maintain his control when she was nearby.

Had it been any other job, it wouldn't have mattered. He could have chatted her up, asked her on a date maybe but he was her subordinate and there were Regs.

Hang on...Date...Really...Oh come on, like she would ever if she really knew you...But maybe she'd understand...No...No...That door was locked tight and the key was thrown away...Far, far away. Oh god she's closer and that tingling feels so good...Argh please, please let this be a temporary thing. Yes i'm sure it will wear off the longer we're on the ship together. Until then I guess i'll just have to suffer...

Kaidan stiffened slightly as he felt and heard Shepard come to a stop behind him. He glanced up to see her standing next to Nihlus. They shared a brief greeting before her eyes locked intently on the mass relay that would take them to their first stop, the human colonized planet of Eden Prime.

Personally Kaidan loved the feeling of going through a mass relay. His biotics enabled him to feel every pull, twist, bend of a ship as it entered a relay and was shot through space. It did some weird and wonderful things to your nerves too.

The pilot began the countdown to their approach.

"3...2...1"

Whooshhh!

Blue, white light surrounded them. Kaidan's nerves set alight and kept burning even as the ship was starting to slow to it's usual speed.

Kaidan looked up at her, to see her reaction.

He was surprised to see a faint blue shimmer across her skin. Self consciously he looked at his hand but was even more surprised to see that it was it's usual tan colour.

Weird that, that would only happen to her. She must be a very powerful biotic, more powerful than him to have such a sensitive reaction to the relay. That or have very little control.

Kaidan shook away that thought as quickly as it had come to him. He found it very hard to believe someone as successful as the commander would have so little control of her biotics.

Kaidan made a mental note to ask her sometime what implant she uses and where she got her training. He looked back up at her to find her watching him intently. He could feel a blush creeping over his skin but just as he was about to turn away and busy himself, he was caught in that dazzling smile of hers. Kaidan couldn't help but smile back at her.

Kaidan was snapped back to attention by Nihlus' voice.

"1500 is good. Your Captain will be pleased." With that Nihlus turned and left the cockpit.

"I hate that guy" the pilot said in an annoyed tone.

Wait...What...

"The guy gave you a compliment so you hate him?" Kaidan responded, slightly confused.

"You remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way outta the bathroom...That's good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pin head, so that's incredible. Besides, Spectres are trouble, I don't like having him on board...Call me paranoid."

"You're paranoid," Kaidan retorted. "The Council helped fund this project, they have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment."

"Yeah," the pilot sighed, "that is the official story but only an idiot believes the official story."

Great, now he thinks i'm an idiot...

"I agree Lieutenant Moreau, they don't send Spectres on shakedown runs."

Even better now Shepard thinks i'm an idiot.

"Please Commander, call me Joker." If Kaidan didn't know that Joker hated being called Lieutenant, he would have thought the pilot was saying that to get on his nerves. "So there's more going on here than the Captain's letting on..."

As if he heard his name mentioned, Captain Anderson's voice filled the cockpit.

"Joker! Status report!" Captain Anderson demanded over the comm system.

"Just cleared the mass relay Captain, stealth systems engaged. Everything looks solid," supplied Joker.

"Good," said the Captain, "find a comm buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance Brass before we reach Eden Prime."

"Aye, Aye Captain. Better brace yourself, sir, I think Nihlus is headed your way."

"He's already here Lieutenant," the Captain said, sounding annoyed.

Trust Joker, Kaidan thought, shaking his head.

Joker hung his head and to both his and Kaidan's surprise, the commander snorted behind them.

Kaidan spun round to face her, only to be greeted by an amused grin and a slight blush on her cheeks. Kaidan found her amusement to be quite contagious as he too started grinning.

"Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing," interrupted Anderson once more, before disconnecting.

"You get that Commander," asked Joker.

"I'm on my way."

Kaidan stole a quick glance at her as she was leaving, thankfully Joker didn't notice this time.

Ah she's so beautiful.

Shepard slept like a baby. There was something soothing about the soft thrum of the engine and the pulsing of the mass effect core.

And maybe the fact that the totally gorgeous lieutenant was sleeping just across the room.

Shepard was quite taken aback by the lieutenant. She'd seen his picture on his Alliance personnel file so she knew he was handsome but it'd didn't quite prepare her for how breath taking he looked in person.

She got out of her sleeper pod and grabbed her clean uniform from her locker and made her way to the bathroom. As she passed the lieutenants sleeper pod she couldn't help but peek in, though it was already open and vacant so her effort was in vain.

Showered and dressed, Shepard double checked her makeup - making sure it was as acceptable as the regulations allowed. It had nothing to do with a certain lieutenant being on shift.

Yeah...right...Shepard snorted.

Shepard's stomach did an almighty grumble.

Well, I guess it's breakfast time.

There weren't many on the crew deck, just a few marines grouped together. They hadn't seen her yet. She heard snippets of their conversation and knew that they were talking about her.

Shepard was in a mischievous mood and felt that a little fun was in order. She made her way to the food dispenser and waited for it to glug out three portions. She'd accidentally missed dinner yesterday with all the meetings and paper work so she was absolutely ravenous. Plus it would only add to the fun.

Balancing her dishes, Shepard carefully made her way to the marine's table. Their conversation had long since ended and they sat in an uncomfortable silence. They watched the commander curiously as she sat down beside them and started wolfing down the first of her dishes.

The first didn't last long and neither did the second. Shepard glanced up at the marines while she was finishing her third dish and was highly amused to see them staring at her with their mouth's hanging open. She stood up and walked over to the utility unit to put her dishes in the washer. She walked back to the dispenser but this time for a coffee. She needed her caffeine fix. She turned around coffee in hand to find the deck entirely empty.

Was it something i said?

Shepard couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Ah biotic appetites...

Downing her coffee, Shepard made her was upstairs to the CIC ready to face the day.

The CIC was bustling with activity. Shepard stopped to speak with Dr Chakwas and Corporal Jenkins. He seemed like a good kid, Eden Prime was his homeland but he was a bit too excited about getting into firefights for Shepard's liking.

Shepard made her way over to the cockpit, knowing that they must be nearing the relay by now. She came to a stop behind Joker and the lieutenant and stood behind Nihlus, the Council Spectre. She was uncertain of his true purpose of being here but she would find out one way or another.

"Nihlus," Shepard greeted.

"Shepard," He nodded.

Joker announced that they were approaching the relay. Shepard loved going through mass relays. The sensation was utterly incredible.

The pilot began his countdown.

"3...2...1..."

Shepard's nerves set alight, and her body tingled from head to toe. She trembled slightly under the feeling and was aware that her body was coated in a blue glow. She never knew why her biotics did that, she'd asked doctors about it but they had just claimed that every biotic has a different reaction and sensitivity to the relays and that the higher the level of the biotic implant the higher the sensitivity.

Shepard felt the Normandy slow down and regain her usual speed. She could see the lieutenant watching her out of the corner of her eye. She watched him as he looked her up and down with a look of intrigue on his face. She had to stiffle a giggle as he self consciously turned his hand over, checking to see if he was glowing blue. It was so adorable that she couldn't help but smile at him. He blushed under her gaze and Shepard couldn't help but smile even more at him.

Nihlus gave the pilot his version of approval of the relay jump before leaving abruptly.

The pilot seemed rather pleased to see the back of him. Shepard was glad she wasn't the only one who was unsettled by Nihlus' presence.

The commander agreed with the pilot, or Joker as he told her to call him, that the real reasons as to why Nihlus was here, were not the ones they were being told.

Shepard didn't like disagreeing with the lieutenant but it was the truth. Shepard knew Anderson well enough to know when he wasn't telling her everything.

Anderson's voice sounding over the comm system interrupted their discussions. He demanded a mission report and gave Joker some tasks to complete. And of course Joker being Joker had to put his foot in his mouth during the process.

"Better brace yourself, sir, I think Nihlus is headed your way."

"He's already here Lieutenant," Anderson retorted.

Shepard couldn't help but snort with laughter as Joker hung his head, and the lieutenant shook his head at him. She caught the lieutenant's gaze and couldn't help but blush at being caught laughing at the pilot. She was surprised when he too started laughing.

Anderson requested Shepard's presence in the comm room. Shepard was almost reluctant to leave the fun of the cockpit but ever diligent she made her way to the comm room.

But not before steeling a glance at her handsome lieutenant.

I promise that there won't be as big a delay in the next chapter =]