If there was one thing Commander Emilia Shepard hated, it was slavery in all its forms. And if there was something the Alliance as an institution hated, it was traitors helping slavers capture its citizens.

Shepard felt both she and her employer would be very pleased by the outcome of the upcoming mission.

"Ryan Thies. Former Alliance Navy, now a traitorous, slaving scumbag, in cahoots with the Athak cartel," she brought up an image of the target in question, "he runs a ring that operates in the Traverse, but he's so far had the sense to stay in the Terminus. That's about to change. Intel has him at a resort on the sunny planet of Illidan after getting married. We'll infiltrate, locate Thies, then call in the strike when suitable. I don't want any civilian casualties on this one. We'll do it quiet and clean."

Pressly coughed, cheeks faintly pink. "There's just one problem, ma'am."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Well...ma'am...it's a resort for newlyweds. Ma'am."

"God fucking damn it," said Commander Shepard.

The skycar hummed and Shepard knotted her fingers around the wheel, jaw taut.

"Let's run through this one more time," said Ashley Williams and there, right there, was Shepard's biggest problem.

"You've never done this before, have you?"

"Nope. But you'll see us through. You're an excellent bullshitter, skipper."

"Thanks, I think," she said dryly.

Ashley smiled, and it was a very nice smile. And that was the problem, wasn't it? That Shepard thought her smile was very nice, and wanted to listen to her laugh and confide in her and all the sorts of things a commanding officer definitely couldn't want with one of her subordinates. Especially the thing where her fingertips itched to touch the hard plane of her stomach or the curve of her waist.

No, no and no.

It was bad enough that she had to pretend to be a newlywed to get close to the pirate, but why this woman?

It was a simple fact that if you were attracted to forthright, fit women and worked in the Alliance, you would at some point come across a co-worker you found attractive. But Shepard had come to the gut-sinking realisation when she'd had to look away from the other woman flirting with someone on shore leave, that her initial attraction had morphed into something softer and aching.

And now they would be masquerading as a married couple, because Williams was trained as a scout-sniper and 'no offence ma'am, but you're very clearly a raging lesbian.' Thanks Wulandri.

Fuck her life.

"You've done this before."

Shepard nodded, "My entire career hasn't just been rescuing cats from trees, you know."

An N7's duties were various, and included High Value Target missions. Assassinations, from a certain point of view. She'd done the infiltration, then kill/capture routine before.

"Well...you need to relax, ma'am. We're supposed to be married, after all."

Hating herself and the Navy, just a little, Shepard said, "If we're going to be married, Marie, you'll need to drop the ma'am thing."

"Whatever you say, Gabriela," Ashley smirked.

Shepard looked away, fixing her gaze firmly out the windscreen. She was so screwed, and not in a good way.

The resort was beautiful, all clean, sweeping architecture in the midst of vibrant green. Alien songbirds flitted above, in strange purple trees, filling the air with melody.

"Nice." Ashley whistled.

They even had someone to take their bags. Shepard's omnitool chimed. Have a good trip! Code from Alenko that the team was in position. They'd take it in shifts making sure a team was ready to go, if they got a chance at Thies or if they ran into trouble and needed back up.

They were using one of Shepard's aliases from her work in the Traverse, one with still intact cover. Gabriela Martinez, Traverse gunrunner, with enough groundwork laid to avoid suspicion from a man like Thies. Ashley's cover was a little thinner, but she was Marie Martinez, business partner turned partner. What she lacked in HUMINT training, she made up in training as a scout-sniper and close quarters combat skill.

Ashley jumped when she put an arm around her shoulder. She nudged her, "I'm the one who needs to relax, huh?"'

Ash rolled her eyes.

They'd barely entered the foyer when they were stopped by a cheerful purple asari. Shit, did they pick up our weapons? "Welcome, Mrs and Mrs Martinez! You know what time of year it is for humans?"

She winked at them. Shepard blinked. Great. Everyone was going to be annoyingly cheerful here, weren't they? Her honeymoon with Rita hadn't included other people.

Ash laughed, then elbowed her, "It's Christmas time, honeybunch-"

No, no ridiculous pet names.

"Look!" She pointed first at the tinsel above the reception desk and then at the mistletoe decorating the top of the doorway they'd just walked in through.

God hates me, Shepard decided.

"Don't call me honeybunch," she muttered.

Ashley was grinning with something that was tempting to mistake for genuine fondness, "Have I ever told you you're a bit like a cat? A grumpy one."

"Gee, thanks-"

Ash stepped closer, one hand sliding up her arm, leaving goosebumps behind, to grab her collar. Her eyes were glittering with that something and Shepard let her pull her in, almost entranced. Her mouth was warm and soft and as firmly direct as she'd thought she would be, in the late nights when she couldn't stop her mind from wandering. Now though, her thoughts ground to a halt.

Her hands were on Ashley's shoulders when they finally parted, Ashley's hands tight around her waist. She smelt like gun oil and clean soap and Shepard's eyes were stuck on her lips. Was it strange to think someone had a beautiful mouth?

The asari giggled in delight, clapping her hands, "I love this human tradition."

The moment snapped, and Shepard stepped back, shoving her hands into her pockets.

"I'll show you up to your room!"

"Good," said Ashley, with a wicked grin, "I need to distract her more."

Shepard glared at her, irritated by the heat that rose to her cheeks.

Thankfully for Shepard's sanity (her lips were still burning with the memory of the staged kiss), once they got to their room and shooed off the asari employee, Ashley switched to familiar work mode. She took the window, scoping the layout of the resort and its strategic features with the help of a tactical visor.

Shepard took out her laptop and ran a spyware program. She herself wasn't much of a hacker, but luckily the Alliance had people for that. All she had to do was run it and gain discreet access to the resort's systems.

"Found him," she called.

"Good. Man, the pool here is pretty impressive. Might make infil hard for our guys though."

Shepard sent Alenko a message blabbering about random shit, but including code telling him both their room number and that of the target.

Then it was time to put up their surveillance equipment.

"No, no, no, don't point it that way!"

"What?"

"This is a resort full of newlyweds, Williams, I can't make Baumer listen to that."

Shepard woke up and decided immediately that sharing the bed had been a mistake. In theory, there was nothing wrong with it. Both of them had likely shared body warmth or a bed with another Alliance Marine - Marine Corps life left little room for hang ups about privacy.

But that didn't account for waking up pressed to Ashley's back, hair soft against her cheek and arm around her waist, palm pressed into defined muscle. Her whole body hummed. She wanted to tighten her grip, press even closer.

She quickly pulled her arm back and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. Should've taken the floor.

"You're good at cuddling, skipper," Ash said, voice brimming with mirth. And that was another problem Commander Shepard had with Sergeant Williams. She liked to joke and prod at her, like very few had the courage to, and Shepard enjoyed it. She looked forward to working with her. It was like a sparring match in which no one got bruises, physical or otherwise.

She grinned, despite herself, "I'm good at a lot of things."

Shepard got out of bed to the sound of Ashley's laughter.

They were sipping drinks beside the pool, stretched out under the warm sun - and this felt nothing like working - when Ryan Thies approached. He was older than both of them, with a beard going silver.

Shepard smiled pleasantly at him, while all the while imagining leaping up and tightening her hands around his throat.

"Nasty scar," he said, nodding to her shoulder.

"Incident with a flamethrower," she shrugged, "The other guy came off worse."

He chuckled, then tilted his head, "I feel like I've seen your face before."

She felt Ash tense, just a bit, beside her.

"Gabriela Martinez," she smiled charmingly, extending a hand, "InterArms. This is my wife, Marie."

"Ah!" he snapped his fingers, "My name is Ryan Thies. We run in some of the same circles, no? We should talk shop sometime."

"But not now, pudding," a younger woman hung onto his arm, pouting slightly, "You promised no work on our honeymoon."

He smiled sheepishly.

Shepard waved a hand, "I know how it is, Mr Thies." She cut her eyes towards Ash.

Ash rolled her eyes, sipping her drink, "If I wasn't around you'd be entirely too serious and work obsessed."

Shepard woke that night with Ashley pressed against her side, one arm flung across her torso. Everytime she breathed, she could feel the warmth of Ashley's hand, dangerously close to the underside of her breast, like a brand.

Abort mission, the sensible part of her said. The yearning in her wanted, wanted, wanted.

She tried to disentangle herself, mouth dry and heart thumping, but Ashley's grip tightened. Her voice was a soft, sighed ribbon that wound around Shepard in the darkness.

"Stay."

Shepard swallowed, staring at her shadowed face in the silver light trickling in the window. "That's a bad idea."

"I know," Ash said, but neither of them moved away, still for a long, taut moment before Ash propped herself up on one elbow, looking down at her with shadowed, whiskey brown eyes. Shepard raised a hand and traced along her soft cheek, the sharp line of her jaw. Brushed a full bottom lip.

She'd noticed Ashley's mouth the first time they'd spoken after Eden Prime, in the medbay. She'd been mildly perturbed by the sudden, unprofessional thought then, blamed it on her brain being still scrambled. Now she knows she should have been much more concerned.

Ashley tugged her touch away, then framed Shepard's face between her hands, skin burning hot and calluses against her cheeks. Then, very slowly, she bent her head. The first touch of her mouth was a shock, but Shepard found herself responding, as if her lips had a mind of their own.

It wasn't the first time they'd kissed, thanks to the damned mistletoe, but there wasn't anyone here to act for, and the thought sent an almost painful lance of heat through her.

Now certain Shepard wasn't going to pull away, Ashley kissed her firmly, directly, with all the fire she brought to every aspect of her life, until Shepard couldn't breathe, couldn't think, except to sink a hand into her long, soft dark hair, winding it around her fingers.

"Skipper," Ashley murmured and rolled on top of her, pressed hot kisses to her jaw.

Shepard needed to stop this. This will be the ruin of both of you. You are her commander, her captain.

But it felt as if her thoughts and good sense were dissolving, burning away. Instead of pulling away, she tugged Ash by her hair back to her mouth and her fingers were pushing underneath the t shirt she wore to sleep, feeling hard muscle and soft curves.

She felt Ash smile against her mouth and then she didn't think very much at all.

"So, this is how we're doing this?" Ashley's voice was hard.

Shepard paused halfway through dressing in silence, morning sunshine blinding through the window, and swallowed, turning to look at her. Just look at her face.

God, she wasn't going to be able to get those memories out her head.

"This was a mistake," her chest clenched but she forced the words out.

Ashley glared at her, "Do you really want to just pretend that didn't happen?"

"So what?" she tugged her shirt on angrily, "you want to sneak around with your commanding officer and risk both of our careers for sex?"

Ash flinched, then her gaze grew darker with anger and a hint of hurt – and that felt like Shepard had been punched in the gut. "Is that how you see it? Just sex?"

Shepard took a step back. "I - no. That's not what I -"

She swallowed again and took a breath, starting over, "You're - funny, smart, hot. I'd be crazy not to -"

"Not to what, Shepard?" Ash's eyes were still stony, unyielding. Shepard was usually better at this. At talking to people. But it was harder, with Ash, to keep her foot out of her mouth.

Because I care far too much than is appropriate.

Shepard turned away, adjusting her belt, suddenly glad the listening devices had been moved, carefully, to spy more directly on Thies. The only thing more embarrassing than her sudden bumbling idiot act was the thought of her crew listening. That, and if they'd still been on, she'd be well and truly on the road to court martial town.

"You know what. But it doesn't matter. I am your commanding officer. What happened last night was unprofessional of me, and an abuse of my position."

"Stop quoting the regs for five seconds and -"

"You know damned well those regs exist for a reason," Shepard snapped.

"I know," Ash snarled, throwing the sheet aside and Shepard couldn't breathe for a second, "But you can't tell me this," she gestured between them, "Means nothing to you. I know you."

She did, didn't she? Shepard had told her things she hadn't told anyone but her mother, about Akuze and Elysium and the breakdown of her marriage. Shepard opened her mouth but Ash barrelled on.

"I won't be under your command forever. I've - put in a packet for after our tour ends. For the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Program."

Shepard just looked at her. Then said, hoarsely, "It won't be easy, you know. We would have to be careful. And people will still talk."

"Let 'em," Ash said dismissively, "I know myself and I know you, and what we're capable of."

Shepard knew that her answer should be no. But instead she nodded slowly and Ashley grinned at her, before she crossed the room and pulled them together, capturing her lips.

Shepard decided she could get used to this very quickly. It'd been so long since she'd felt such a strong connection to a woman. She still wasn't entirely sure how Ash had done it - cracked her walls wide open, crossed her emotional distance. But they were both here now.

They were headed down to the pool when they encountered Ryan Thies with four men they hadn't seen before. Her eyes flickered to the guns in their hands.

Ah. Cover must be blown. She felt Ashley go still, a predator winding up to strike.

He smiled, cold as a steel knife. "I'm sorry about all this, Mrs Martinez, but I'm afraid a friend of mine found some vid footage of you associating with the Navy. That just won't do - not for me, nor for your other customers."

Dumbass doesn't realise who I am.

"That's unfortunate, Mr Thies," she said evenly, sliding her thumb down the side of her omnitool and pressing a small button that would, without bringing up the omnitool, alert Kaidan that they needed back up pronto.

"Yes it is, for both you and your wife," his voice dripped with menace. Unfortunately for him, Commander Shepard had met much scarier individuals - and killed them.

She smiled faintly at him, "Oh, I don't think so."

She thrust her hands out, a biotic barrier flickering in between the two of them and the pirates. The first bullets dashed blue sparks out of the barrier and buried themselves in the wall or the ceiling. In the time it took them to reel back and realise she was a biotic, Ash had drawn the pistol she'd been hiding under her pant leg and shot the man closest to her twice. He slid to the ground unceremoniously.

Shepard flung out a hand and a Shockwave thudded down the hallway, knocking over the remaining men like skittles. One struck the wall at an odd angle and didn't get up. Beside her, Ashley's pistol barked, blood splattering the wall. Whoever these men were, they weren't soldiers. Likely gangsters Thies had picked up somewhere, expecting an easy kidnapping - not Marines, and they panicked as the two of them advanced.

She raised a hand and a Pull field, propelling the last man into the ceiling with a bone-breaking crunch.

And then it was over, Ryan Thies staring down the barrel of Ashley's pistol. Shepard stepped to her side, still glowing gently with ripples of blue, face cool and blank. He gaped at them, as if he couldn't comprehend having lost the upper hand so quickly.

Shepard had always found how scared people were of biotics more saddening than anything. Sometimes irritating, when it manifested in bigotry. Right now though? She could almost enjoy the terror in his eyes. It was disturbingly easy to enjoy it, when men like Ryan Thies who thought they were the big fish found out they weren't - usually when N7s came knocking.

There was a rush of footsteps and she turned, to see Kaidan and Garrus rushing in.

"You started without us," Alenko said, disappointed.

"Bag and tag those ones, and let's get this bastard up top." It'd be rude to leave corpses lying around their hotel.

She seized Thies' arm in an iron grip and pushed him ahead of her. Up top the Mako had crashed through a perimeter wall - she winced - and most of the resort guests were standing around, staring in shock.

The asari from when they'd checked in gasped as she forced Thies forward, towards the IFV, pausing only to say, "Uh...we'll pay for the wall. And the blood stains."

The asari looked faint.

"Just send me an invoice for it."

"Are you going to kill me?" asked Thies bluntly.

She frowned at him, "That would be against the UCMJ. You're under arrest, for murder, kidnapping, slavery, smuggling, assault, numerous weapons violations and treason. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you can say can be used against you in a court of law…"

She handed him over to two Marines and watched as they manhandled him into the vehicles. Garrus was looking at her strangely.

"What?"

"You know you're a Spectre, right? You don't have the follow the UCMJ."

She stared at him, "Garrus Vakarian, that is the cruelest thing you have ever said to me."

He blinked at her a few times and then followed the Marines. Shepard turned to look at Ashley, who was tucking her silvery pistol back into her jacket, and she felt a stab of affection deep in her chest.

"Ready to blow this popsicle stand?"

Ash's smile was slow and warm, "You're a fucking dork. Ma'am."

And maybe the gentle rebuilding of military hierarchy should have concerned her, but all she could do was smile back.