Zaeed was not easily intimidated, and the small, skinny girl before him with her over-thick lips and her big brown eyes should not seem so intimidating. But this particular girl was covered in tattoos, her hairstyle gave the impression that she did not care about what anyone thought, and he knew her biotics could crush him like a grape. She was intimidating despite the fact that she had to look up at the older man.
She had contacted him, demanded that they meet up, and hung up on him abruptly. When she made it to the bar and stormed up to him, he had braced himself to be hit, though he was unsure why. But she just stared at him instead. For a long moment nothing was said, she eventually ordered them both a drink.
He had never noticed before that they enjoyed the same alcohol.
When the drinks arrived, she sat down, knocked back a swallow. Grimacing, she looked over at him with her usual scowl. Finally she spoke, and her words threw Zaeed off. "So, what have you been up to?"
He looked over at the young woman. "The hell? You come all this way just to catch up?"
Jack took another drink, quickly, like she was attacking it. Zaeed slowly sipped his drink. Jack stared at him intently, as if looking for something she did not expect to find. "No," she finally told him. She opened her mouth, then closed it. She glared at Zaeed, trying again to say something that seemed to not want to come out. She eventually settled on, "Hell.
"Zaeed finished his drink slowly. He watched Jack. She reminded him of a girl he had known. True, that particular girl had had a full head of hair and no tattoos, but the eyes...Jack had this girl's eyes. Zaeed wondered how he had never noticed before. She looked so much like her."Okay, listen," Jack started. "Shepard's little asari buddy, Liara?"
"I know her," Zaeed said. "Reminds me of another asari I knew. Quiet lil' thing. But when she gets-"
"Hey!" Jack interrupted. "I'm am not here to listen to you reminisce about all the women you used and left."
"I don't use and leave women," Zaeed protested.
"Oh?" Jack challenged. She hopped up from her chair, toppling her drink over. "Do you know if you have any kids?"
Zaeed stared at Jack. She really did have her eyes, and her nose. Zaeed imagine dark curls of wispy brown hair around Jack's face. "Well I'll be godammed. Marla." He swallowed, his throat seeming suddenly dry, then took a gulp of his drink. "Jennifer?"
