This chapter was totally difficult to write for the longest time, but I hope I got it right and kept Saren enough in character. I was planning on doing a scene between Shep and Thane before the final scene, but decided against it and cut it out. Instead, I think a very short confrontation, later on, regarding the end of this chapter might be suitable enough. I really like the way this chapter turned out and hope everyone enjoys it as well!
John Grissom Academy was crawling with Cerberus operatives. The only students Shepard's squad managed to find, had been dead, but even those were few. What were they doing with the rest of the students? The possibilities caused a chill to run up the commander's spine. Many of the enemies they had encountered from Cerberus had been altered to be more powerful and significantly less human. But to think that those people could have possibly been abducted mutated against their will… It was disturbing. It wasn't much different from what the Reapers had done.
Carefully, they approached another entrance that led further into the facility. The shouts and gunfire that had been radiating from the other side became much more clear when the door slid open to reveal the fight that was taking place beyond. She immediately noticed a group of students confronted by a Atlas mech preparing to take fire. Her first instinct was to leap in to their rescue, however she stopped in her tracks when she noticed someone who stood out significantly, standing between the offending mech and the kids.
"Jack?" Shepard questioned herself, unsure if she was seeing correctly. But it was her alright. She'd recognize those tattoos anywhere.
"I will destroy you!" the woman shouted in rage. The woman's hands flared up with a surge of powerful biotics before launching it at the mech, tearing the machine apart and crushing the operator inside. There was no denying it now. That was Jack. Two remaining Cerberus troopers flanked her and the students, but before they could act, Shepard and her squad beat them to it.
A smile graced Jack's features as she watched the commander step over the bodies. "Shepard! About time you got your ass here!" Jack shouted.
This was certainly one of the last places she'd expect to find her old friend. Though, she was clearly still the tattooed, crazy bitch she fondly remembered, there did seem to be something different about her... The way she had stood in harm's way to protect the students was very much like a mother would to defend her children. And the way her gaze had softened when she looked at them… well that was very uncharacteristic of the Jack she remembered.
She turned to the students briefly. "You guys head upstairs. I gotta go talk to the queen of the girl scouts."
When she approached the commander, she did so with a purpose, her expression hard and filled with her usual discontent. Shepard didn't even see her fist coming until it glanced off her left cheek. Saren growled and made a move to lash back at the bold biotic, but Jacob blocked his way with an outstretched arm.
"They do this all the time," he muttered lowly.
Jack's head quickly turned towards the man's voice and her eyes narrowed in a menacing glare. "And I see you brought your Cerberus buddy." Jacob chose to remain silent, taking his usual stance of not wanting to further fuel the biotic's rage.
"Nice to see you too, Jack," Shepard spat, rubbing at her sore cheek.
"Fu—Screw you, Shepard." Jack quickly cut herself off, glancing briefly over her shoulder before returning her dark eyes to the commander. "Took you long enough to get here," she snarled.
"We just got communication from Kahlee, not even an hour ago," Shepard said in her defense.
"Whatever, Shep." Jack's deep red lips curled upwards in a spiteful sneer.
"Not sure what you want me to say, Jack."
"You don't have to say anything," she bit out. "I know you always have to play the good little soldier. Who gives a shit about your friends, anyway."
"I had to turn myself in. You know that," Shepard said, her voice softening.
"Right, well, you can forget about me being your first mate when you go pirate," she sneered in reply. A touch of hurt stained her eyes when she turned away from the woman she called friend. During their time battling against the Collectors, the pair had grown quite close. The events of Jack's life had crushed any hopes of ever being able to give anyone the level of trust she'd somehow instilled in the commander. She was like the sister she never had – someone she could admire. And, she was the only one who ever gave a damn. But Shepard was too much of a soldier for her own good and her leaving struck a bad cord. Sure, Jack wasn't stupid enough to think that the Shep was going to stick around her for forever, but that wasn't the point… The bitch just didn't know how much she'd begun to rely on her. Jack's brooding thoughts were suddenly captured by the bickering and teasing among the students. Now she had these kids… They gave her a purpose.
Maybe everything works out for a reason, Jack thought to herself, a little smile crossing over her softened features.
"Rodriguez!" she shouted to a dark-haired girl. "You drink your juice?"
"Yes mam!" Rodriguez shouted.
"Good, cause Prangley's going to need your barrier when he falls on his ass."
"Hey!" the young man objected as he received a playful shove from one of the girls. "If I fall on my ass it's only because I was trying to protect you, mam," he teased in return.
"Sure, Prangley. Whatever you say," Jack responded with amusement. "Okay you little turds! Let's get ready to move out."
"Yes mam!" the group shouted in unison.
Turning toward Shepard, Jack gave her a softened look that bordered on affectionate. "You'd better help me get these kids out alive," she warned. "You owe me that much."
"You know me, Jack. Those kids will make it out of here alive," she said with certainty.
Shepard was good to her word. Nearly a hundred Cerberus troopers and five Atlas mechs later, the shuttle was in their sights and not one of the students had been lost.
"Hull ass to that shuttle!" Shepard ordered, herding the students to the grated metal bridge that led to a clear escape. One student, who had suffered a minor injury to his ankle, was lagging behind. Unmindful of his injury and more for his prolonged life, she hurriedly grabbed him and shoved him on ahead. Barely two blinks later she was grabbing the back of his shirt in an attempt to keep him on the platform while an explosion erupted, rattling her teeth in her skull as well as the structure beneath their feet. The explosion came from behind them, tripped by their movement across the bridge. The screech and whine of breaking and bending metal set her on edge, and with only seconds to react, she tossed the kid forward with just enough force to land him on the more secure sections of the bridge ahead. Through the disorienting ringing in her ears, she could barely feel the sensation of falling as the metal grating under her boots gave out. She grappled wildly for anything to hold onto when her gloved fingers managed to maneuver in between the grated metal. She didn't have to look down to know that there was nothing to catch her if she fell, so she simply looked up to survey her immediate chances of survival. Those chances weren't so good either, but still better than the latter. Two sections of bridge were hanging by a mere bolt which was already beginning to give away. There was approximately three meters of hanging platform before she would be able to reach the secure one above. She likely wouldn't make it that far before the bolt finally worked its way out.
"Hang on, Shepard," Saren's voice echoed over the edge of the platform overhead. Shifting onto his stomach, he crawled forward over the side of the still-intact slab of metal. He stretched his arm down toward her, but she was unsurprisingly too far down to reach.
Deciding to give it a go, she pulled herself up, working her fingers into another section above her head. She reached up a second time. This time, the moment she pulled herself up, the metal jolted twice under her hands as the bolt's threads began popping out of place. The whine of strained metal filled her ears in warning. This thing was nothing but a fucking death trap. Though she wasn't particularly afraid of death, the thought of it happening now, before her work was done, terrified her. There was still so much to do, and with her gone it would likely be up to Saren or Garrus to finish the job in her stead. And as Saren continued to crawl ever further over the edge of the grated platform she could feel that fear extenuate. He was hanging much too far over the rim. Soon it would be impossible to pull himself back up without extending additional weight to the section that was already about to give. At this rate, neither one of them would make it out of here alive. She considered the possibility of releasing her hold and letting herself fall. In the least, he would at least be able to pull his own weight back up. Glancing down, she could see some metal structuring that may break her fall if lucky enough. Making a snap decision and drawing in a deep breath, she was about to let her fingers slip from the grates when she felt his hands encircle her wrists. Grey eyes shot up to meet burning blue orbs.
"Don't you dare," he hissed, fully aware of what she was about to do.
"Let go, Saren. You'll kill us both!" she snarled up at him.
"Then so be it." The look in his eyes was of unflinching determination. Was he really willing to risk his own death to save her?
"The galaxy needs someone to finish what I started," she told him. "If I don't make it out of here, it has to be you."
He shook his head. "I'm not leaving here without you!" His mandibles drew in tightly against his face as he considered his next words. "You once said that you couldn't do this alone… Well neither can I. I need you, Shepard. More than you know."
She stared back at him, attempting to hold back the wave of emotion that threatened to sweep across her face. His words hit her more powerfully than they should have. Even if she wasn't sure what the extent of his need for her even was, hearing those words from him sparked something within her that had lain dead for years. The idea of letting go was now the furthest thing from her thoughts. Now, she only had to consider her alternatives, which were seemingly very few.
That's when Jacob's voice suddenly filled her ears as he shouted from above. "Hey Arterius, you got her? We're gonna pull you up!" Shepard's spirits suddenly lifted.
"Do it!" Saren shouted back. Tightening his grip on her wrists, he grinned down at her reassuringly as he felt the initial upward tug on his lower half. "We started this, fighting against each other, now we're going to finish it, together," he told her.
Following the escape from the academy, Jack had chosen to remain with the students. It was good to see she finally found something she was willing to fight for, no strings attached. She, and the students, pledged to be there at the final battle to take back Earth. Their exceptional biotic abilities would be an essential asset in fighting off the Reaper armies. Kahlee Sanders even pledged herself to the final fight, making an oath that she would take up arms by Anderson's side once again. Shepard wasn't certain what had gone on between the Admiral and Kahlee, but it was clear the pretty blonde had feelings for the old man. She hoped that it would work out for them in the end. Most of all, she hoped Anderson was still alive. It had been weeks since she last had contact with him.
She groaned, rising up from the soft, welcoming sheets. Her body hurt like crazy from the previous mission and the shower she'd just had didn't help one bit. She rubbed at her left shoulder, the dull ache growing more intense. She had damn near fallen to her death, and if not for Saren, she likely wouldn't have pulled through. Her hand stilled from its rubbing motion as her mind wandered toward thoughts of the turian. His words had replayed in her mind many times. Did he really need her? And what exactly did he mean by that? Did he need her to lead the fight against the Reapers or… something more? Was it possible that the meaning of his words led to something deeper? No matter how many times she turned it over in her head, she had no definitive answer. She could just talk to him. But what if she was wrong? What if he only saw her as a comrade in arms rather than… She cupped her forehead in the palm of her hand, burdened by her own simplistic uncertainties. She should at least thank him for saving her ass. It wasn't just an excuse to see him… Of course not!
When she finally reached her destination, Shepard stood before the door to the Starboard Observatory, hesitating on opening it. Was coming down here too rash a decision? She wasn't sure what she was even going to say. Taking a deep breath she swiftly opened the door and charged inside before her brain could convince her otherwise.
At the sound of the door, Saren jumped up from his solitary place on the couch, hoisting his pants up with him when he rose. As the datapad went clacking to the floor and the volume controls were jolted by the fall, the sounds of the familiar growls and moans from the cross-species vids filled the room. He stood before her, shirtless, pants unzipped, and frozen in shock. His neck turned a vibrant shade of purple as he flushed in embarrassment. Realizing that the datapad was continuing on with its business without a care, he scrambled for it, quickly scooping it up and stopping the vid before it could continue to humiliate him further.
"What were you doing?" she laughed, eyeing him suspiciously.
"N-nothing," he responded, shifting nervously and tossing the datapad onto the couch.
Crossing her arms over her chest she considered him, an amused grin spreading over her lips. Her eyes moved over his naked torso with increasing interest. Both smooth and rigid, lightly-colored plates covered his pale leathery skin. She could vividly remember the feel of them under her hands and it brought back very illicit memories. Perhaps now wasn't the time. "Maybe I'll come back later," she said finally.
"Don't leave." Though he meant it as a request, it came out as an order. When she turned back to face him he could feel his neck prickle with discomfort. The last thing he wanted was for her to think he didn't want her here. Mistakes like that may find her seeking the company of another, particularly the drell. He definitely didn't want that.
He glanced down at his pants briefly. "I won't lie. That mission left me a bit… frustrated."
"Not that I'm complaining…" she said, gesturing towards his current state of undress. "But wouldn't sparring help?" She knew how turians got after difficult missions and fighting was usually the most common remedy among the species. Well, that and sex. But she didn't feel comfortable enough to suggest that… Not yet anyway.
His expression darkened as he turned the idea over in his mind. "That's probably not a good idea, Shepard," he admitted, finally. In his current condition he would likely be a threat to her. If she was a turian, she would be able to withstand his claws, but as a human it was much too dangerous. He usually held pride in his sense of control… but definitely not now.
Her eyes narrowed challengingly. "You don't think I can handle one bothered turian?"
"You don't get it, Shepard," he growled, stalking toward her cautiously. She didn't know how much her near-death had stressed him, that much was clear.
"Explain," she said, eyeing him questionably.
"I can handle the frustrations of battle. I have killed, without even flinching with the act. I have lost friends, a brother, and every ounce of respect I had earned throughout my years of service to the Council. I had lost it all. But none of it had ever affected me so much as nearly losing you." He bowed his head, avoiding her gaze, afraid of facing her unspoken judgments. Confessions were difficult for him and he'd never had to face one as complicated and uncertain as this.
"Even if something happened to me, by this point, most of our war assets have already been assembled. I'd say our odds are no different with or without me."
She truly didn't understand. Saren cast his eyes to the window, not to gaze out at the one comfort that had sustained him for these past few years, but to avoid the silvery eyes that had provided him with a new sense of comfort. To yearn for another in such a way was alien to him. Sex was typically simple; an act that never really seemed to demand anything more complex. But with her it had been different, and it left him wanting to explore the other possibilities. He had no idea on how to go about expressing such feelings as these. And even if he did, what if she felt nothing for him in return? She was probably right though. At this point they'd likely had enough war assets to claim victory against the Reapers. Another would be able to carry her torch and it probably wouldn't affect the outcome. However, for Saren, that wasn't what mattered anymore.
"Whether we can, or cannot win this war without you is irrelevant." He forced his gaze back to her. A part of him wanted to continue, but the majority - the majority that was Saren Arterius - forced him to stop before he revealed too much.
"Why?" she asked him, confused as to where this was going.
He ground his metal-pated teeth together in embarrassed agitation. It had been easy to say such words on the verge of death, but now, not so much. But he didn't want to risk her walking away. Not now. "When I told you that I need you, I meant it, Shepard. I don't know why, or how. Nor do I know how much it matters, coming from one who was once your most hated enemy. Only know that I do."
She was speechless by his confession. Though, deep down she knew it was what she wanted to hear, she didn't actually expect to hear it. She finally realized how close his body was to hers. Enough that she could feel his heat surrounding her like a thick pheromone-laced cloud. She raised her hand to rest against the warms plates and ridges of his bare chest. The unexpected intimacy caused him to draw in a staggered breath. Placing his hand over hers, he held her touch against him, complacent in the feeling he had missed, but loathed to admit as such.
"You know I can't promise you that I'll live through this," she said, a hint of regret in her voice as she confessed what they already knew.
"I'm not asking you to promise anything," he assured her. Leaning in close, his mandible fluttered lightly against her cheek. "But I do think we should take advantage of what time we do have." His voice was much deeper, raspier now and it sent chills down her back.
"I'm pretty sure I can do that," she murmured playfully, sliding her hand up to caress the underside of his fringe.
The actions from her precise fingers drew a purr from him and he quickly wrapped his arms around her to bring her body flush against his. The sudden close contact with her soft human curves sparked his feral desires. And as her lips honed in on the leathery skin of his neck, he took the opportunity to explore the sensitive areas beneath her clothing. It took a considerable amount of self-control to not slice his way through the fabric and take her feverously, as he was still feeling the effects from his previous frustrations, but the need to savor her ruled over those primal urges. But once the barriers of clothing had finally been fully removed, he found himself ever-so-painfully unable to hold back any longer. And when they lay entangled atop the couch, his thrusts urged on by her cries of pleasure, he finally felt whole. It was as if he'd found his purpose. It was no longer just about self-preservation. The woman who mewled and writhed beneath him; she would be the reason he would continue to fight.