Content Warning: Asari lovings and meldings going on in this chapter! You have been warned!
Chapter 15
One year, more interviews, and several revisions, later:
'Fractured but Functional: The Nora Shepard Biography by Khalisah al-Jilani' was one of the first stories that debuted when the extra net was reestablished throughout the galaxy.
When more and more books, stories, and publications began to circulate, it seemed, to Khalisah's dismay, that the book would ultimately be buried under the wave of auto-biographies as to how decidedly non-soldiers were able to survive the war as they hid in their bunkers with their foods stores and horrible literature to pass the time.
Even the oft ridiculed farce 'Sixty Hues of Beige' was selling more than her book was.
However, after two months of next to nothing, and an interview with Asari pundit and cocktail enthusiast, Racha T'mado, her book suddenly shot up the charts and hit the number one spot, knocking several other books of dubious quality not only off their position, but off the charts in a few cases.
"With unrestrained joy: Thank you very much, Khalisah. It will be wonderful to see you again," Orfra, the Elcor Talk Show Host, said on the other end of the line. When sales started to increase, so did the requests for interviews of herself from newly established news organizations, since Citadal News was no more, due to the fact that the Citadel was, in fact, no more.
Khalisah smiled in return and answered, "be sure and say hello to the boys for me."
"Delighted: I will, dear. I will," she said before the call ended.
The Rannoch Reporter, a recently established news service, requested that she meet with Anter'zun vas Kuu'Per to help promote her book. There was also the request that Varicia accompany her, since she was so familiar with Quarian culture before the Morning War. There were many, many questions they wanted to ask.
"Khalisah!" Varicia said as she entered the room excitedly, "I just got the report; your book's still on top. The sales are still going up. They love it!" Happy enough for the both of them, she wrapped her arms around Khalisah and spun around with her in joy and kissed her. And this news was after she had been hired by Galactic Commons News, the largest news organization outside of Citadel News that had survived the war for a daily column.
"You did it, Khalisah. I'm so proud of you!" she said as she placed her forehead against hers.
"I couldn't have done it alone, you know. I had Emily's and your help," she answered back.
"Yes, but you did all the heavy typing. I just helped you get around the galaxy to find people that knew about Shepard," she said with a humored smile.
A beep caught both of their attention as they parted and Khalisah turned on her omni-tool to find a message had been sent to their apartment.
To: KBSAJ at BekensteinFreelance . ext
From: [REDACTED]
Subj: Fractured but Functional
Message:
I have been told by sources close to Shepard that she enjoyed the book and was grateful for your considerations for her privacy.
Thank you;
[REDACTED]
Both of them looked over the source of the message, curious as to who would have sent such a thing.
"I can understand there are people who prefer not to leave any trails in their messages, but why?" Varicia asked.
"I haven't the faintest idea," Khalisah answered.
True, there had been a few other non-sources messages, calling her a fraud and a liar, among other things, because of her shock jock days. The worst of them was a hyper-conservative Batarian conspiracy theorist by the name of G'Lenn Bhak. However, considering how people actually took him seriously, especially with the gargantuan whiteboard that looked more like a graffiti wall than anything to connect everything, not many paid attention.
She was also supposed to meet with Lim'bagh from Clan Ruzh from Tuchaunka, but when he insisted to do it live, he got overcome with Blood Rage and destroyed his own makeshift set.
A knock at the door caused them both to pause as Khalisah made her way to the entrance. She opened the door and was greeted with the unbearable stench of cigarette smoke. Unfortunately, there was only one person she knew that dared smoke that cancerous bile.
Ronald McCabe. Still in a well pressed suit. Still with the smug smile. Still the Tower of Oil. Though, if you looked closely, you'd notice the dye attempting to cover his graying hair.
"Khalisah. How you been?" he asked as if she still worked for him. Apparently, his finances had survived the war. Frankly, she didn't want to think about it.
"I'm fine," she said tactfully. "We were actually about to go out and celebrate." She inclined her head back to Varicia, who smiled just as formally as she did to hold back the disgust of the smoke.
"Ah. Well, that's nice," he said with little concern for her noticing the condescending tone in his voice when he saw Varicia. "Anyway, I came all the way here to let you know that Westerlund's back and better than ever. And who better to spearhead our way into the top of galactic news than our golden child; Khalisah al-Jilani?"
Both Khalisah and Varcia paused. While the news of her recent job acquisitions were no secret, they were public enough so that anyone could find out if they were so inclined. In fact, Khalisah had altered her resume, also available on the extranet, that she was working for Galactic Commons now. How McCabe had missed it, she'd never know.
"I'm flattered Mr. McCabe, I really am. However, I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline," she said with one of her well practiced 'I secretly hate you' smiles she reserved for him and any of the Westerlund investors that would pester her from time to time.
McCabe was shocked. "Khalisah, really. You're the best thing that's ever happened to Westerlund. It wouldn't be the same without you."
Khalisah shrugged. "I appreciate that, but again, I'm perfectly happy with where I am."
McCabe began to frown as he took another drag. "Jilani, you are Westerlund. That contract you signed all those years ago? War or no, that contract's still binding."
"Actually," Varicia interjected, "according to Galactic Standards of Work Ethics reinstituted by the Council after the war, all contracts in the juristicition of Council space and their member states were terminated due to the loss of the Citadel database, unless both parties agreed to continue collaboration. And since that's where you needed permits to report outside of Alliance space, Khalisah is no longer beholden to you, Mr. MCabe. I'm sorry."
"Stay out of this, blueberry," McCabe said as he pointed the ash end of his cigarette at her to both Khalisah's and Varicia's disgust.
"Mr. McCabe," Khalisah said with a frown, "I appreciate you coming all the way out here to try and recruit me, but the answer is still no. And I would appreciate it if you took your leave."
Both of them could tell veins were starting to appear on McCabe's forehead as he growled, "you can't walk out on me, Jilani. If you don't start putting out for Westerlund, you're finished. You hear me? Finished!"
Khalisah's eyes widened at his pronouncement and she turned to Varicia and asked, "did he just threaten me?"
Varicia, now with a frown of her own, nodded. "Yes. That does appear to be the case."
"And you got it recorded?" she asked calmly.
Varicia nodded. "Of course."
"Good," she said before she quickly turned back and without warning, her fist flew and connected into McCabe's face. She could have sworn she heard something splash when her fist connected. He tumbled down the steps of hers and Varicia's home and into the gate. He was about to stand up and get his revenge on Khalisah when he saw her with her omni-tool on and speaking into it, saying,
"Hello. Security? Yes, this is al-Jilani. My bondmate and I are being harassed by an unwelcomed person and he was threatening us. Yes."
Aware that if he didn't get out of there, he was done for, he picked himself up and dove back into his rented car. When he drove away, Varicia turned to Khalisah and asked, "you weren't really calling security, were you?"
"Of course not. McCabe's never been the kind to face any sort of legal action unless he had his lawyers on hand. The man had harassment cases stacked a mile high," Khalisah said with a frown.
"Besides, I don't think he was being entirely forthcoming about Westerlund," she said as she led Khalisah back inside.
"What?"
"Well, since there was nothing left of Westerlund, McCabe was most like barely holding on as it was. I would imagine he wanted you back to start over, because I recall hearing on Galactic Commons Radio that he'd been caught in a few scandals involving his 'investors'."
"Again, what?"
"The people who were funding Westerlund were also Cerberus investors. Since Cerberus' backers all died in the war, Westerlund's gone with them."
"Good!"
"One last thing, though," Varicia asked as she drew close to Khalisah, "you called me your bondmate. That's usually a term most non-asari spouses refer to their asari mates."
Khaisah's hands slowly crawled up Varicia's sides. "I guess I did, didn't I?"
"Does that mean that we can finally Bond? We can start a family of our own?" she asked, trying to keep her quickly beating heart in check.
Khalisah's hands slowly, and gently, cupped Varicia's head. She then leaned in and kissed her with all the passion and affection that had developed over the past several years. Their lips glided over each other, both failing to keep the passion inside in check as Varicia's arm slowly wrapped around Khalisah's shoulders. When they parted, Varicia was panting, her face was flush, and her eyes were fighting against the instinct to induce the melding state.
"Oh, Goddess…" Varicia moaned.
"Does that answer your question?"Khalisah asked with a sultry grin as she led Varicia to her bedroom.
Varicia felt like a Maiden again. Except instead of constant study and boring lectures about laws from the various galactic cultures, it was serious melding with the woman she loved. The human woman whose child she'd gladly bear.
Feeling bold, Varicia led her to the bed and gently eased her down with her back on the silk sheets. She crawled over her human love and kissed her once more, gently moving the few strands of hair out of the way.
"May I show you pleasure, Khalisah?" she whispered as their hands interlinked with each other.
Waiting for this moment for so long, she nodded. "Show me, Varicia S'Tonu."
The asari took one of her hands and traced it across Khalisah's face, then around her jaw before it slowly went down her neck to open the dress she had been wearing. Each inch of tantalizing flesh that appeared pleased Varicia as she leaned down and kissed down her neck and to her collarbone.
With her torso exposed, the asari's kisses went further down to caress and gently mold the warm and soft skin of Khalisah's bosom. The human gasped at Varicia's touch as she went further down to nuzzle the enticing skin around her belly button. Her heart began to beat faster and her breath followed suit as the asari's affection made her arch her back happily.
Finally, with soft and deliberate strokes, Varicia began to stroke the most sensitive part of Khalisah's nether regions. She gasped at the attention and clamped her eyes shut the more agonizingly wonderful Varicia's touch was.
That was one of the reasons why Khalisah loved Varicia so. She was always considerate, which often left Khalisah flustered, because she would sometimes wonder if she was being a poor lover by being so easily stimulated.
"Khalisah..." Varicia murmured happily.
"Var... please..." she moaned, feeling the perspiration on her forehead gather more as she felt the peak grow closer. However, as if she knew, Varicia made the ascent slower and more deliberate.
Between gasps, she looked down and smirked, "you're terrible, you know that?" she then reached down and pulled Varicia up to kiss her full on the lips.
"I'm sorry. I only wished that you enjoy this," Varicia tried to apologize. Yet, even with Khalisah's moving her face to face, she still held Khalisah's pleasure in her hands as she continued to caress the human's body in ways that made her lover mewl.
"Then, stop letting me take it all. It's not right that it's just me," she panted with a frustrated smirk. "You can come in, I promise I won't bite."
"Very well, my heart," she whispered as she once again straddled Khalisah and then whispered, "Embrace Eternity."
Immediately, their connection created a mental symphony. Every aspect of their minds slowly swirled together to create a beautiful radiance that caused both of them to gasp in delight that few outside of the asari truly knew.
As their two essences became one, their united nervous systems lit up as the climax of emotion and feeling left them both deprived of strength.
Khalisah fought for air as Varicia tumbled to her side, just as exhausted as she was. It had been early afternoon when they had began and judging by the dusk in the window, the amount of time it had taken was greater than they thought.
Between breaths, Khalisah noted, "that was... wow…"
Varicia continued to nuzzle her neck and adorn it with kisses as she whispered, "I know, right?"
With what little reserves left, Khalisah draw the sheets above them both and as Varicia fell to sleep, Khalisah pecked her on the smooth skin of her forehead.
She looked up to the ceiling, struggling to stay away as she silently thanked Emily, Shepard, her father, her brother, all those who helped make this possible. She fought back a chuckle, since 'Fractured, but Functional' had yet to win any awards.
Oh well. Wasn't the end of the world, besides, all things considered, the one she lived in now wasn't so bad at all.
The End.
Post-Script:
I'd like to thank the Academy for... oh, wait, wrong script.
All joking aside, I want to thank all the people who had given me ideas while writing this. Several characters in this story would not have had as big an impact as they did had I had not the repeated exposure to how awesome characters like Tevos and Aethyta are.
The idea of writing a story about Khalisah had been stewing in the back of my head for the longest time and it wasn't until Khalisah socked my Shepard in ME3 did I realize that there was more to this character than the punching bag the fandom very cruelly reduces her to.
A friend that I regularly correspond with told me once that she believed that she truly felt herself working in humanity's best interests, even though she was doing it in a manner that, in retrospect, kind of makes sense. Though, I'd have taken out the whole aspect of her getting beaten on a regular basis, out, because, ideally, I don't think we should be hitting each other at all, let alone over differing opinions, but I digress.
Varicia also came from the single clip of seeing Khalisah make out with a random asari in the Shadow Broker's files and that surprised me and gave me ideas that she was more than just a Glenn Beck/Bill O'Reily/Rush Limbaugh caricature. She's also not a soldier, so, naturally, wouldn't make much sense to have her fighting as much as the main cast of Mass Effect has.
I'd like to thank my BFF, Loethlin for her constant, and helpful, feedback to make sure I wasn't going off on the rails. In fact, most of these stories about/with Nora Shepard were spurred on by her influence from when we met from the Mass Effect Kink meme so long ago. :)
I'd like to also extend my thanks to ChristineFury, my partner in the Big Bang for providing the wonderful artwork for this project and I hope that she continues to enjoy what she does and improve.
Then, there's Sachehund, Spicyshimmy, rl-james, and Dr. Jekyl from Tumblr, whose ideas and conversations gave me many ideas. Especially Spicyshimmy, because of her News Show/Mass Effect Crossover ideas. There aside from the ones I listed already in the story, there was also J'on Stewart and Stevan Kolber, a turian and salarian, respectively. It was an awesome idea and I want to make sure that Shimmy gets proper credit for coming up with it in the first place!
I also want to thank the heads of the Big Bang for being so lenient and patient with me, because I was almost tempted to drop out of this one because the ideas just weren't coming at first. And look where we are now?!
As a separate note; I wanted to include interviews with Aria, Councilor (or in this case, Chairwoman of the Oversight Committee) Iressa, and Kolyat, however, couldn't fit them in. The former because Nora's experience with gang activity would have at least painted them as somewhat kindred spirits and the latter because I envisioned Nora looking up to both Samara and Thane as exmaplars for the kind of self-control she felt she lacked after her resurrection. I may come back to this story and add more, but right now, I think I've earned a nice break.
Thank you for reading and have a nice day. :)