I don't own Mass Effect. Bioware does.
Jane never thought she'd live to turn 24, and yet she made it to this particular year.
With her fifth year edging closer to its end, she had been studying intently for her finals. Joker even started going through with filling out applications for enlisting in the Alliance for both himself and Kelly.
To top it all off, Jane also had an evaluation essay to write and turn it in a day before the end of her last semester. Luckily, they provided a list of options in terms of what kind of essay she can write, so while she read through the options, she decided to pick the autobiography option for her essay.
Meanwhile, Saren had been making the necessary preparations for overseeing Jane's training as a Spectre candidate. He'd already put her name forward months before, and had been keeping his eyes out for a number of increasingly dangerous missions to test her with. All the while, Jane started researching issues related to the subject of her essay.
Saren walked into the living room and noticed Jane working away on his way to the door.
"So what do you have left for the year?" he hastily asked.
Pausing in her tracks, Jane scooted only a few inches backward, allowing Saren to catch a glimpse of her rough draft of her essay and her notes for her final exams. Giving her an encouraging nod and smile, Saren left for the Spectre armaments supply. If Jane would be training under him, he would need the best weapons provided and possibly the best attachments, upgrades, and modifications for both their weapons and armor. He took the time he needed to examine the equipment on the display.
Not sure as to which Jane would prefer, he opened up his omni-tool and sent out a quick message.
{Would you prefer something for fighting at a range, or up close?}
Saren waited a minute or so before Jane sent her response:
{I'm ok with doing both if that's possible.}
Saren quickly purchased a shotgun and an assault rifle and began to fill out the paperwork.
"Preparing for something, Spectre Arterius?" the Spectre arms manager asked.
"A crazy idea, but I wanted to see how well this would work," Saren acknowledged before sharply turning and walking out with both cases in either hand.
It didn't take long for Saren to return home, and Jane was halfway through with her rough draft.
"I assume it's going well?" Saren inquired, setting down the cases in the kitchen.
"I'm still working on it," Jane replied before she began reviewing what she wrote so far.
Saren opened up the cases to examine their contents.
"Well, when you have time, come have a look at your new weapons."
It was only half an hour before Jane finished reviewing what she had completed of her rough draft before she stood to her feet and made her way to the kitchen. She took notice of the cases and examined the weapons inside. The first one was an assault rifle of turian design while the other was an automatic shotgun from a manufacturer she didn't recognize.
"What do you think?" Saren asked.
"I like them," Jane nodded at Saren.
"Good. Once you're done with finals and have graduated, we'll start practicing with them. Handling an automatic rifle or shotgun isn't exactly like handling pistol," he hummed happily.
Jane gave Saren a soft smile, which told him how much she understood him. She stepped out to the back balcony and started tending to her small garden. Thanks to her efforts, flowers sprouted gracefully from the pots. He continued to watch her as she went outside onto the balcony and tended to the garden she so routinely cared for, taking a moment to admire Jane's tenacity. He could admit these little things Jane enjoyed doing helped her cope with the hardships she endured most of her life.
One more week passed, and it was the day of the final exam for Jane. She was up before Saren was that morning and was practically at the door by the time he had finished with his breakfast.
"All right, Saren," Jane called over, "wish me luck!"
"Show them what you're made of!" Saren sat down at his couch and turned on the TV.
Fifteen minutes hadn't passed when he heard the doorbell ring. Getting back up, Saren walked to his front door and opened it to find Nihlus and his shit-eating grin.
"I heard someone's taking up a new apprentice," Nihlus greeted.
Saren simply stared as he gestured his former protege to come in.
"I take it you've learned to be jealous."
"Jealous? I can't believe you think so low of me, my old friend," Nihlus sarcastically mocked, "genuinely surprised? Considering how much of a stubborn rock formation you are, I can't believe that not only is Jane still living in your household, but that you were the one who put her name forward to the Spectres."
Saren folded his arm as his expression hid his annoyed reaction.
"I genuinely feel she has the qualifications required," Saren remarked.
Nihlus' face didn't change.
"Huh. And here, I was thinking that the likes of you and the old breed from Relay 314 couldn't change. However, apprenticeship aside, I'm still waiting for a proper answer as to why you decided to let her live here. Has she given some insight to the 'good traits' humans have?"
"She is worthy of companionship, in my opinion," Saren answered.
Nihlus struggled to keep a straight face, but still let through a suppressed, wheezing laugh.
"Is that so?"
Saren didn't bother answering the recent question.
"For what the Saren I knew would've described as 'human trash', you're sure taking a liking to Jane. Are you're sure you're not—?" Nihlus continued.
"No, I don't know what you're talking about," the older Spectre interrupted sharply.
He wanted to deny the allegations of any sort of 'emotional' connection, but he realized the signs the more he thought back upon the last two combined years. He hadn't thought of whether Jane felt the same way for him, yet he brushed it off for now.
"Guys, relax. It can only get easier from here," Joker said, attempting to calm his two friends.
"You've been nervous about exams before," Kelly retorted as she took a moment to rest, "and now you're confident all of a sudden?!"
"Oh come on, we've done the grinding, we've attended all the study sessions, and we've done everything else that was asked of us. We've got this, trust me," Jeff repeated.
"Right," Jane nodded as she placed her hand on Kelly's shoulder.
"What I'm trying to say is that we're prepared and we've done everything we've can to study. If we mess this up somehow, at least we can go home with the thought we tried," Jeff corrected.
Having rested for a few minutes, Jane stood to her feet.
"Well, no time like the present. Let's go, guys," she said, beckoning to the others as the students within their unit filed into the room.
The students scrambled for their seats with the time for the exam inching closer by the minute. The next few hours were a pure endurance test, straining both the students' knowledge and stamina as every last one raced to complete as many answers correctly within the time given. The three would occasionally look up from their work to give a hopeful glance to one of their friends before looking right back down at their work. Throughout the test, Jane examined each question and answered them as accurate as she could. Math, comprehension and writing, human history, the sciences, and politics flew before her eyes like flames from a bonfire. She knew what she was doing as she filled in the answers. Or, at least she felt like she knew what she was doing. And the end of the third hour, Jane, Kelly and Joker managed to finish their exams.
"Well, I hope we did well," Kelly mumbled nervously.
Jeff, on the other hand was as calm as he was when he entered the academy.
"Kelly, for the last time: relax," he whispered, "worrying will only make the results worse."
And with the exam hour over, students lined up to turn in their work to the front desk, with Joker, Jane and Kelly among them. The three felt a silent ease pass between them as they saw the results. When they did finally exit, they could barely hear each other over the bustling noise of the other students.
"I know one thing: I'm being a pilot. What about you guys?" Joker asked.
Jane gave a soft smile as she straightened her spine.
"I've accepted Saren's offer to undergo Spectre training," Jane answered calmly.
"What?" Kelly started with disbelief, "really? You're going to be a Spectre?"
Jane nodded.
"So what's it going to be like? Isn't being a Spectre the equivalent of being a spy from one of those ancient vids?" Jeff was over the moon about the possibility.
"I'm sure it's more than that," Jane replied.
Jane peered into her portfolio containing her final draft of her essay.
"Now, I think I have an essay to turn in," Jane continued, "I'll catch you guys later."
Jane headed over to her classroom to turn in her assignment and put the borrowed OSD on her teacher's desk. Turning around, she found herself being approached by two men in blue naval uniforms entering the room, causing her to raise her eyebrows.
"Excuse us, are you Jane Shepard?"
Jane felt a chill sent down her spine. How did she end up attracting attention from Alliance officials? Did they receive word about her from the Council?
"Y-Yes," Jane nodded.
"No need to feel worried, ma'am, we just had to ask a few questions. You've had our interest for some time now," the officer reiterated.
Jane couldn't help but raise her eyebrows.
"How so?" she asked.
"We're aware that it has been an invasion of privacy, but we had to pull a few favors, and the topics you've discussed within your essay say plenty about your personality," the other officer started, "furthermore, with what seems to be minimal training, you have impressive capabilities on the field, seeing the few times you've worked with Spectre Arterius."
At that point, Jane couldn't help but suspect that someone told them about her involvement with Saren.
"So, do you have any questions?" Jane asked.
"We're confident that you are not interested in Alliance pursuits by this point. However, we still wanted to inquire if you would want Alliance backing in your rise through the Spectres," the first officer answered.
Jane placed her finger on her chin while she thought over her question.
"We understand if you need time to think over our offer. Here is the contact info for the fleet stationed on the Citadel. We understand if you say no."
The two left without another word after they handed off a small list to Jane. After examining the list, Jane stepped out of the classroom and headed out of the campus, making her way through the Presidium to Saren's apartment. She entered her apartment to find Saren on the couch watching the news.
"Afternoon, Jane," Saren greeted, "I assume the finals went well?"
Jane sat down next to him.
"I'm guess you could say I passed," Jane nodded, "and while I was turning in my essay, I…you might want to have a look at this."
Jane handed the list of contacts to the Alliance fleet to Saren, giving him a chance to read it with an intensive gaze.
"The Systems Alliance approached you?" Saren clarified.
"Yes," Jane nodded.
"I see. Look, I just had to ask if you felt uncomfortable in my household?" Saren replied.
Jane leaned closer to Saren, placing her hand around his back.
"It's the opposite," Jane corrected, "I feel comfortable with you."
"That's…good to hear," Saren muttered.
By now, his heart was rattling around in his rib cage uncontrollably. Saren had many questions swimming in his head by now. Did that mean she cared for him back? He did have a minimal understanding of human emotions after Relay 314, but didn't know of the signs for the likes of mutual attraction. He would have to research on interspecies relationships later as for now, he figured he should consider discussing with officials from the Systems Alliance, which was something he wasn't thrilled for.
"Umm," Saren advised, "for now, get something to eat. I need to get something."
He hastily walked to his office, slammed the door behind him, and got to work looking up human anatomy. It took him a while before he found some credible resources on human anatomy and how relationships worked.
Jane knocked on his door a few minutes later.
"Is everything alright in there?" Jane called over.
Quickly bookmarking the page and saving it on his omni-tool, Saren got up and walked to the door to answer.
"Yes," Saren offered, "would you rather save the celebration for before or after the graduation ceremony?"
Jane clasped her arms behind her body and leaned forward, her eyes locking onto Saren's.
"Maybe after graduation?" Jane suggested.
"Sounds good," Saren slowly replied with a nervous grin.
Once Saren stepped out of his room, he led Jane over to the living room.
"Now, do you have any plans for the rest of the day?" Saren asked.
Jane took a moment to scroll through her omni-tool and found the coordinates to an aquarium in the Citadel.
"Unless you have something taking your day. I was thinking of going somewhere to relax, like the aquarium," Jane proposed.
Smiling, Saren placed his hand on her shoulder.
"I accept the offer," he nodded.
Quickly dressing in casuals, the two took a walk to the nearby aquarium in the nearby wards. On display was a wide variety of fish and sea-life of which Jane hadn't seen before. The two would listen to the VI guide and how it described each species in full detail. Saren would occasionally comment on the few species he had encountered. More often than not, it was the more dangerous and endangered types. All the while, Jane peered at the exotic fish species swimming in the tanks, mesmerized by their unique details as she placed her hand on her chest.
"It's incredible," Jane said softly.
"Yeah. It is," Saren agreed, looking at a tank containing a squid-like creature.
The two sat down at a bench near the center. Ahead, they watched as various marine creatures continued on with their lives in their respective tanks.
"I've arranged for us to start your training a couple of weeks from now," Saren informed, "I'm not sure how the Council or the Alliance will see this, but I at least hope you won't see anything wrong with you working under me."
Jane gave Saren a soft expression.
"I'd like that," Jane nodded.
With that, Jane rested her hand near Saren's and leaned her head on his arm.
"Come to think of it," Jane mentioned, "maybe since I was too focused on surviving on Earth, I wasn't worried that none of the residents in the city saw me as girlfriend material."
"Girlfriend material?" Saren was fighting to keep his tone, breathing, and heart rate under control, "what exactly do you mean?"
Jane also blushed at the same time.
"You know," Jane blurted, "dating, relationships, even the smallest things that make love memorable."
"I get that, I just didn't think…well, you mean to say you have feelings towards me?" Saren asked cautiously.
He didn't want to ruin his own chances towards her. Damn Nihlus for ever forcing him to confront this possible connection.
"Yeah," Jane nodded softly, "you could say that."
Saren started to feel some relief.
"It's good to know you have similar feelings," he sighed.
Saren placed his arm around Jane's shoulder, allowing her to scoot closer to him.
"People won't look highly upon us for this relationship, but that's not stopping me and I hope it won't stop you either," Saren whispered into her ear.
Jane nodded as she leaned into Saren's embrace. He felt calm and secure with her in his grasp, especially with the staring glances the two received from civilians passing by at the aquarium.
"So you want to take this back to the apartment?" Saren whispered.
Jane nodded before she and Saren stood to their feet.
"You don't mind taking this slow, right?" Jane asked quietly.
Saren nodded in agreement.
Returning to the Presidium, Saren decided to take the two of them to a restaurant to end the evening with. It was a grill with an open patio, sliding windows, and lighting that helped the place stand out as the dark of night began to fade into place. With Saren and Jane seated at a table in the patio, Jane took her time to read through the menu.
"I don't mean to intrude, but I didn't think you'd see me as such," Saren started nervously.
He tried thinking this outing as similar to the one time he had dated an asari Spectre when he first graduated as a Spectre, but there was something subtle that just made it feel too weird. Jane placed her hand on his in an attempt to reassure him.
"Look, I don't want to force you to do anything. If 'no' is the answer, that's fine," Jane reassured.
Saren enclosed his talons around her hand in response.
"But I do want this. I didn't realize this, but I do."
With some confidence boosting within both of them, it was a short while before Saren and Jane made their orders after they read through the menu. The two continued to talk until they received their entrees, causing a dawning thought to come to the Spectre's mind.
"Ugh, I knew I forgot something. Do you have dextro allergies?"
"I…really don't know," Jane admitted.
He frowned as he picked up his utensils.
"I hope not. Even then, there's some way we can make this work, right?"
Jane nodded just as she started eating.
"I thought you'd have wanted to find something closer to your own species," Saren admitted, beginning to eat his own meal.
"Why find someone closer to home when I could have someone I can trust?" Jane proclaimed.
"I…I don't know what to say," he stumbled in response, "I hadn't expected to hear something like that. But…I trust you too, Jane."
Throughout the course of the meal, Saren and Jane also took this chance to gaze at the mesmerizing nighttime scenery.