-Miranda-

When the volus had walked into the upstairs bathroom and come across her there: chained to the shower wall, hands behind her head, her breasts bare and exposed, Miranda had braced for the worst. Her legs crossed, her hips turning aside, doing there best to shield her crotch. She grimaced and took a breath as the little, suited, alien waddled towards her, staring.

"I've been bound like this for a long time..." Miranda said, uncomfortable in the silent presence of the volus. She licked her lips and watched as he approached still. Her heel slipped in a pool of water at her feet. "Look, what are you doing? Where's Shepard? She wouldn't want anyone else-"

"Silence, Earth-clan," his voice came raspy from his breathing apparatus. "The Commander does not know I'm here."

Miranda swallowed and backed up further to the wall. She eyed the alien up, standing at the entrance of the shower, and frowned. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Release you."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"Not all of us volus support the Commander's... habits. We owe her our allegiance, this is true, but her unorthodox sexual practices are frowned upon in our community. We do not believe in holding other living beings against their will."

Miranda's heart quickened in her chest. "Is this a game? Is Shepard listening to this to see what I'll say?"

"No," the volus answered. "I come alone and of my own accord. Not even my clan-mates know of my actions. I intend to release you, but then your escape is in your own hands, Earth-clan. You never saw me. This conversation never took place. You used your advanced training to free yourself."

Miranda nodded, her heart now pounding. It seemed too good to be true, but... the volus spoke earnestly, and at this point she'd taken any opportunity she could get. "Yes. Yes, I understand. If you release me, I won't speak a word of your aid if I'm caught. I understand."

The volus stared at her a moment, seeming to consider her words, and then nodded and stepped forward. She had to stoop down so his gloved hands could reach around behind her head, unhook her leash, and free her bound wrists. And then-just like that-she was free. It felt good to bring her hands around to her chest and rub her fingers into her wrists. "Thank you," she whispered to the volus.

He nodded and stepped from the shower. "Perhaps there are some clothes in that cabinet," he spoke, gesturing towards a white pair of doors set into the far wall. "Escape won't be easy. Most of the doors and windows are locked tight. The only easy door to pass through... is the front door. Where my clan-members are gathered. Goodbye, Earth-clan."

"The women I was brought here with..." Miranda halted him. "The one with tattoos all over her body..."

"In the dungeon."

"And the asari?"

"Locked up in the Commander's personal chambers. No one gets in or out of there without the Commander's say-so."

Miranda nodded. "And Shepard herself?"

"She retreated to deepest level of the mansion twenty minutes ago with her new guest."

"New guest?" Miranda questioned.

"Another Earth-clan female," the volus answered. He tilted his head and clasped his hands together at his chest. "But I've already said too much and the hour grows late. Goodbye."

"Thanks," Miranda said once more, and then he was out the door and she was alone.

She stepped out of the shower, hurrying her footsteps across the cool, tiled, floor and threw open the cabinet doors on the far wall. Inside she found a towels, soaps, shampoos, and-more importantly-a pair of khaki shorts and a white, polo-styled t-shirt. Working quickly, she slipped her bare legs into the khakis and tugged them up around her hips. They were a bit too snug, but she couldn't complain: anything was better than walking around with her crotch exposed. The polo was even more snug, a size too small, and her breasts were practically busting out the top of it, even with the three collar buttons undone. As she adjusted her bust trying to get comfortable, she spotted a pair of white tennis shoes. They wound up a better fit than the clothing, and then she was dressed and ready. She killed the lights.

The bathroom door creaked once as it split apart from the wall. Miranda let her head drift into the hallway just enough to get an eye on things. The halls were dark, chilly, and empty. She prodded the carpeted floor with the toe of the tennis sneaker, testing for a trap or a creak in the floor. Neither greeted her, and she began to move. Her crouched footsteps fell gently on the floor as she stalked her way down the hall, keeping a trained ear alert for any approach. She reached the stairs, grabbed the bannister, and glanced down to the first floor. Again: dark, chilly, empty. That was good. She began taking the stairs two at a time, keeping to the sides of the boards, where the least wear-and-tear would be. It made for a quick and silent trip.

At ground-level, she began to hear the chatter of volus a few rooms away. She closed her eyes and recalled the mental map of the place she'd made when she first arrived. She could see the front door, the main halls leading to it, the kitchen off to the side, the barred door leading to the dungeon. Leading to Jack.

Two volus rounded the corner and walked right into her.

At least they would have if she hadn't ducked into a shadowy alcove beneath the stairs at the last moment. Her breath was caught in her chest, her heart thundering in her ears, and then they were gone. She let the breath out and stepped back into the hall before continuing onwards. She rounded the pillared corner of an art room, stepped stealthily through the shadowy section of the dining hall, and found herself peering into the main lobby from behind the main set of stairs. The volus were moving about, carrying plates and boxes and going about their tasks unaware. Miranda stared at the front door. She could make a run for it. She knew she could. She could get out, find a way off the planet, send help for the others. They'd see her, but by then it would be too late.

Her eyes fell to the dungeon door. If she ran, though... who knew what kind of repercussions would befall the others. She didn't intend to let them find out.

The volus moved past once, twice, and there was the break in the stream she'd been waiting for. Without a moment's hesitation she darted from behind the stairwell, hugging the near wall, and stalked through the main lobby, twisted her body around the corner of the pillar, and slipped inside the dungeon door.

The steps wound down in a half circle, narrowing, and then finally spit her out into a wide, uncarpeted, room with a low ceiling and a pair of antique lanterns glowing at the far corners. In the center of the room at the very back, Jack was on her knees, head down, the collar around her slender neck leashed to the wall. Miranda took one quick survey of the surrounding halls that spilled into the room. She heard and saw nothing, so she crouched again and went to Jack.

Jack lifted her head at the sound of approaching footsteps. Her eyes fell on Miranda and widened in confusion. A strip of white tape was plastered over her mouth. "Mmmph!"

"Shhhh," Miranda hissed, putting a finger to her lips. She reached Jack and knelt beside her, looking her over. Her T-Shirt was a little dirty, the panties around her hips had a little tear in them at the side, but otherwise she looked as lively and spirited as ever. That was good: it meant Shepard hadn't done anything too bad to her down here. "Are you alright?"

"Mmm," Jack mumbled with a nod.

Miranda reached for the tape over her lips and peeled it away.

"I don't know how you got out," Jack began snapping immediately. "And I don't fucking care. Let's go grab Shepard and make that cunt pay. I'm going to fucking put my-" Miranda shoved the tape back over her mouth. "Mmmmmmmph! MMF!"

Miranda sighed. "Let me just work on getting you free before you bring the whole mansion down on us, alright?" She said, patting Jack's taped mouth, and moving to her side.

Jack grumbled her protest but moved sideways so Miranda could release her.

The collar was only tethered with a simple hooking mechanism. She unlatched it and Jack was freed from the wall. Her ankles were unbound, but her wrists were pulled tightly together at the small of her back and locked into a pair of handcuffs. "You're cuffed," Miranda said.

"Mmf," Jack grunted with a nod.

"...shit," Miranda muttered. She got a hand under Jack's arm and helped her to her feet, led her to a chair near the side wall, and sat her down. "I'm assuming Shepard has they key..." She leaned down and got her fingers under Jack's gag. "Keep quiet, alright?" She peeled it away once more.

"I don't need my hands," Jack said when she could. "Just get me out of here, Miranda. That fucking Shepard, man... she's god damned psychotic. She tortured me with an ice cube..."

Miranda nodded. "There's definitely something off about the commander. I've never seen her behave like this. Where is she right now?"

Jack nodded to a dark hall leading deeper into the mansion. "Her and her fucking slave-girl brought an unconscious woman down there a half hour ago. They haven't come out since."

"Who?"

Jack shrugged. "Fuck should I know? Who cares. Let's get the hell out of here!"

"If only it were that easy," Miranda explained. "The doors and windows are all locked down. The only easy way out is the front door... and the volus are all up there right now. If you weren't cuffed, maybe we could have made a break for it and fought them off if they got in our way, but with you bound like that..."

"I can still fight," Jack said. "I'll bite and kick and headbutt if I have to. Let's go. Let's do it."

"Calm down," Miranda said. "There's too many. We'd be overwhelmed and this opportunity lost."

"Argh!" Jack growled between her teeth. "Well what the hell can we do? I don't know how long we got until psycho-bitch and slave-girl come back. If I see Shepard... I won't be able to stop myself from attacking her. ...god damn cunt kidnapped us and locked us up like this!" Jack snapped and yanked at her cuffed wrists. "I can't fucking believe it!"

"Would you keep your voice down?" Miranda whispered. "Let me just think..."

Jack pressed her lips together and glared forwards, brooding. "Can't believe this shit... and nice outfit, cheerleader. You finally look the part."

Miranda glanced down at her khakis and tennis shoes and polo and... had an idea. "Wait..." She said, thinking, and then rushed to a glass table at the opposite side of the room.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked.

Miranda stared down at her reflection in the glass. She fixed her hair up, smoothed it out, ran her hands across the polo, tucked it into the shorts, retied the shoelaces of her sneakers.

"Are you serious?" Jack snapped. "What are you going to do? Flirt your way out of here?"

"No," Miranda said, licking her fingers and rubbing out a dirt spot on her chin. "I'm going to walk right out that front door. And I'm taking you as my prisoner."

Jack frowned. "What?"

"I'm dressed nicely," Miranda said. "And more importantly, I'm free. None of those volus know how or why. If I was to march you right out the front door, confidently and with purpose, who's to say it isn't because Shepard wanted me to?"

Jack considered the plan. "If they stop us..."

"I'll tell them the truth: that the Commander freed me an hour ago and is having me transport you."

"Transport me where?"

Miranda shrugged. "I don't know anywhere else on the island so I won't say. If they question me, I'll say something about not questioning the Commander's orders, or... Shepard's business is her own or something."

Jack began slowly nodding. "Yeah... alright, this could work."

"You'll have to sell it too," Miranda explained, heading back her way. "I'll take you out cuffed, gagged, and blindfolded, but you have to fight me every step of the way."

Jack groaned. "Is that necessary?"

"You have to look uncomfortable, so yes," Miranda explained. She lifted the roll of tape from the table and ripped off a fresh piece. "Just... be you and they should buy it."

Jack watched as Miranda brought the tape towards her mouth. "Why did you tell me to kiss you..."

Miranda froze. "What?"

"In the shower..." Jack said, avoiding looking up and making eye contact. "When Shepard was making me wash you. You told me to kiss you. Why?"

Miranda swallowed. "Oh, um... well, I just... I don't know, Jack. It was... I was just trying to appease Shepard, that's all."

"I don't believe that," Jack said, looking up. She frowned. "Don't bullshit me, cheerleader."

Miranda felt an uncomfortable knot take hold in her stomach. "What do you want me to say here, Jack?"

Jack stood so they were at eye level. "Say you still want me to kiss you."

Miranda stared at Jack. The bald woman's eyes were on hers. Her lips looked moist, warm, eager. Miranda's heart fluttered, but she only shook her head. "What I want right now..." She said, bringing her hands up. "Is to get out of here." She pressed the tape over Jack's mouth, hiding those eager lips, and spun her around.

"Mmmmph," Jack protested.

"Save it for upstairs," Miranda said, grabbed a black cloth from the table, and looped it over Jack's head, tying it tight behind her, blindfolding her. "Let's go."

She took a firm hold on Jack's upper arm, getting into character, and dragged her carefully beside her to the stairs. She marched her up them in front of them, took a deep breath, and opened the door at the top.

The volus were all there, gathered, watching.

"MMMMMPH!" Jack began shouting into the gag and thrashing about.

"Shut up," Miranda commanded and yanked her closer. "The Commander had you gagged for a reason."

"What is this?" One of the volus asked, setting down his box and stepping forward. "Where are you taking that Earth-clan female?"

"Commander wants this one moved," Miranda explained, not stopping as she marched determinedly for the front door. "She's being punished for disobedience."

"Mmmf-mmmph!" Jack mumbled a few curse words her way and tried jerking free again.

"Where are you taking her?"

"Where the Commander wants her taken," Miranda said. "And she wants it down now." They reached the front doors and Miranda pulled at the handle. For one, horrific, moment she thought they'd be locked, but then the door was creaking open and the fresh air of the afternoon was rushing towards them. It smelled like freedom.

A little gloved hand pressed against the door, halting it from opening any further. Miranda swallowed and looked down. The volus was staring up at her. "I'll clear this with the Commander first. Have a seat."

"No need," another volus said, and when Miranda looked back she saw it was the one who'd freed her in the first place speaking. "The Earth-clan woman has clearly been freed by the Commander. Look at her clothing even. Let her on her way with the noisy one."

The two volus met each other's gaze and locked onto one another. An unspoken conversation seemed to pass between them, and then the little gloved hand moved away. "As you wish."

"Don't delay me again," Miranda said and stepped through the door.

Jack roared once more.

"Keep quiet," Miranda said.

Then they were out.

-Shepard-

She sat in the chair, backwards, her chin resting lazily between her knuckles as she watched her prisoner rest. Shepard smiled and looked her sleeping beauty up and down. Ashley Williams was tied to a chair across from her. Her booted ankles tied tightly to the legs, her knees the same, her arms were pulled around behind the back of the chair and bound, leaving her chest held forward. The zipper of her suit was up to her neckline, but Shepard was smiling at the thought of one little tug taking it down... setting those perky little tits inside free.

"Aaaaaashely," she cooed with a giggle. "Wakey waaaakey..."

"Commander," Sam's voice came over her shoulder.

Shepard didn't stir. "Yes, Sam?"

"There's a problem."

"Oh?"

"Miranda Lawson has escaped."

"I know."

"What!?" Sam questioned, and Shepard smirked again: she could just see the face of her slave twisting into utter perplexity.

"That's right, Sam. I know she's free, because I freed her."

"Wha- I don't..."

"Miss Lawson was a well-guarded book of secrets," Shepard explained. "And I wanted to read that book. I had one of the volus feed her some bullshit story about moral high grounds and let her go."

Shepard could hear Sam collecting herself. "But, Commander, she's taken the other prisoner. Jack."

Shepard nodded. "I figured as much. And now I know who she is. My suspicions about her interest in her bald friend were correct. Also, her intentions to escape. She's clever, determined, and a woman of action. That gets me off."

Sam finally stepped around the chair to stand in front of her. Shepard could see the wounded-puppy expression on her face before she shook it away. "What would you have the volus and I do? None of us knew about this."

"Let 'em go for now," Shepard said. "I didn't tell any of you because I wanted it to seem as real as possible. I want her to think she's eluded me. Beaten me. Then I will come down upon her and tame her. Oh, shit, I'm going to fuck that girl silly, Sam. Ha!"

Sam shifted uncomfortably. "So just... let them go?"

"Yes, Sam," Shepard said, swatting her hand in the air. "Their collars have trackers. There's no way off the island, let alone the planet. Let them see hope... before I snatch it away and make those little bitches mine."

"Yes, Commander," Sam said meekly and began shuffling away.

"Sam."

The girl stopped.

"Stay here with me. And try to wake our guest up. I'm growing tired of watching her breasts move up and down."

"Yes, Commander," Sam agreed and went to the back of Ashley's chair. She put her hands on the chief's shoulders and gently shook. "Miss Williams. Wake up. Miss Williams?"

Ashley began to stir. Her lips parted, her brow scrunched up, and her eyelids flickered. She moaned and slumped forward in the chair.

"Aaaaashleeeey," Shepard teased again with a laugh.

"Mm?" Ashley groaned and shook her head. Her eyes flicked open once, twice, and then stayed open. "What? Hello?"

Shepard smiled. "God damn chloroform... I don't like that stuff, Sam. Remind me not to use it again. Makes the guests too..."

"Dozy," Sam finished.

"Yeah," Shepard agreed, pointing her way.

"Sh-Shepard?" Ashley whispered. She shook her head again and began looking around the room. "What's going on? Are we captured?"

"No, Ash. Well, I'm not captured. You are. By me."

"What?" Ashley said and looked down at her body. She tried moving her legs, her arms, her torso, and found none of them under her control. "I'm tied up..."

"I can see that," Shepard said, shooting Sam a grin, who gave a girlish smile back and looked away. "In fact, I'm responsible for that."

"Shepard you're not making any sense. We have to get out of here!"

"Oh, God, earth-to-Ashley Williams, I'm the one who's tied you up! I'm your captor! Hello?"

"You?" Ashley said, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. "Shepard, what's going on? Why have you tied me up? Is it... Saren?"

"Saren!?" Shepard echoed incredulously. "Geeze, never again with that chloroform shit. Ash, you came here under Alliance command to visit me, Commander Shepard, about the disappearance of three women. Miranda Lawson, Jack, and Dr. Liara T'Soni."

Ashley's face suddenly hardened. "Yes! I remember! What..." She stared at the ground for a moment, and when she looked back up at Shepard, her face was filled with anger and betrayal. "You have them! You had Liara tied up... you chloroformed me."

"Good, we're all caught up," Shepard said, clasping her hands together. "Now I could have just lied to you, Ash, but I didn't. Keep that in mind. Here's the deal: Yes, it was me who kidnapped Miranda, Jack, and Liara. And yes I am holding them all here on this planet against there will. It's mostly sexual reasons I'm doing this, but also boredom. You stumbled into all this. Now we have a predicament because an Alliance cruiser is hovering just outside my planet's atmosphere awaiting a call from you." Shepard glanced at her watch. "And you're about ten minute late already. Another ten minutes and I'll have an alliance squadron busting down my front doors and I don't want that. And Sam doesn't want that, either."

Sam shook her head.

Ashley looked back over her shoulder, noticing the girl in the latex suit for the first time. "Shit! She's the one who was wearing that... that thing and molesting Liara!"

"Yes, but she's also cute as hell," Shepard explained and winked at Sam. Sam blushed and held back a smile. "Now, I'm going to need you to make that call, Ash. You're going to tell your Alliance pals that nothing out of the ordinary is happening here and, in fact, you've decided to stay the week as a little vacation to yourself. You'll inform them your Commander Shepard, me, will take you home and you are not to be bothered for a good long while. Do you understand?"

Ashley was staring at Shepard in disbelief. "This is crazy..."

"It's really not, it's just... well, strange, I suppose."

Ashley began slowly shaking her head. "Shepard, you... you can't just kidnap whoever you want and keep them here like... like play things! Have you lost your mind?"

"I actually can do that, and I have. And I intend on continuing to do that. If you won't make the call, I will move us all to another one of my locations. The Alliance will lose track of new up-and-comer Ashley Williams and then one day forget about her. People will say 'Hey, that Ashley Williams had potential. Whatever happened to her?'. Do you know what happened to her, Ash? She didn't do what I told her to and I took her away, stashed her in a dark corner of the galaxy, and did sexually deviant things to her body."

Ashley's eye widened, her mouth fell agape, but she said nothing.

"Now I'm going to do sexually deviant things to your body one way or the other. You'll like it, trust me, but for how long... and how... gentle I can be is up to you." Shepard got off the chair she was seated in, scooted it aside, and stepped in front of her prisoner. "Make that call, Ash," she said and her long legs went to either side of Ashley's hips and gripped her abdomen as the commander took a seat on her lap, straddling her.

"Shepard..." Ashley protested.

Shepard grabbed that little zipper she'd been eyeing up and yanked. Ashley's milky white breasts came tumbling out, guarded only by a thin, red, bra. Shepard took them in her hands and massaged her thumbs into them.

"Shepard!?" Ashley pleaded. "Stop it!"

"Make the call," Shepard demanded and began thrusting her hips forward, letting Ash's stomach press into her crotch repeatedly. "Make the call and them I'm going to fuck you."

"If you stop, I'll do it! Just stop!" Ashley pleaded.

Shepard stopped immediately. "Give her the comm-link," she instructed Sam. "If I hear one funny word in there, Ash... just one that I think might be a code for danger... things will go very poorly for you."

"Alright!" Ashley snapped.

Shepard gave Sam a nod, and the dark-skinned girl held the comm to Ash's ear and switched it on.

"Alliance Control, this is Chief Ashley Williams reporting in," Ash began, and as she spoke she stared Shepard down the entire time. Shepard listened with delight as Ashley gave her report in a very clean, dignified, fashion. She recounted her entire journey up to the point where she'd stumbled upon Liara T'Soni bound to Shepard's bed, at which point she began lying, and lying well. She ended the report by asking for permissions to stay with 'the Commander' for additional time, and that she wouldn't need to be picked up.

"Very good girl, Ash," Shepard said when the comm-link was cut. "You've really come a long way in the Alliance from that wet-behind-the-ears rookie I met on Eden Prime."

Ashley didn't respond. Her head was down, her eyes flicking across Shepard's thighs. "What are you going to do to me, Shepard..."

"Right now?" Shepard said, hooking her index finger under Ash's chin and lifting her head til their eyes met. "I'm going to let you shower up... then I'm going to feed you the best meal you've ever had. Then we're going to drink wine together and listen to music. Then I'm going to have sex with you. You've been very obedient. I'm going to treat you nice."

Ashley pulled her head away from Shepard's hand. "When will you let me go..."

"Eventually..." Shepard said, her eyes falling to Ash's breast. "...maybe."

-Jack-

The sand was warm against the soles of her feet as Jack was led forwards down the beach. They'd been out of the mansion for nearly fifteen minutes, and Miranda kept whispering that the volus were watching them go, so the blindfold and gag had remained. Sand was a tricky thing to walk on when you couldn't see where you were going, but Miranda kept a hand firmly tightened around Jack's upper arm, and kept her on her feet most of the time. Twice she stumbled and fell to her knees, and twice Miranda had carefully helped her back up and marched her on again. Jack could feel the planet's sun going down, feel the chill growing in the air, the tide beginning to creep up the shore line and soak her feet. She had no clue how long the night's lasted on this planet, and she didn't particularly want to find out. They had to find something, somewhere, and fast. "Mmmm," Jack groaned into the tape.

Miranda halted their progress and a moment of silence passed as Jack imagined Miranda was checking behind them for any curious parties still watching. "Alright... I think we're okay."

The blindfold was tugged down from her eyes and Jack had to squint as the bright beach rushed her all at once. The tape was ripped from her lips, stinging her cheeks as it came off. She frowned at Miranda, and looked up and down the shoreline. "Alright... now what?"

Miranda looked with her and sighed. "I don't know. There was no vehicle at the forest clearing, and I didn't want to go marching you through the woods in your bare feet. I figured the beach would be easy to follow, easy to lead you over, but now... it doesn't look like it ever ends."

The tide swept in and pooled around her ankles. Jack watched it come and go and looked to the sun. "Night soon..."

"Yeah," Miranda agreed. "And it won't take Shepard long to find out we're gone. We either need a miracle... or a hiding spot."

"Shit..." Jack muttered, looking all around them. "I don't know what the fuck to do... and it's pissing me off."

"All we can do right now is just keep walking. Put more distance between that mansion," Miranda explained. "Come on," she said and absent mindedly took Jack by the elbow to lead her on.

"I can handle it now, cheerleader," Jack said, pulling free.

"Oh, right," Miranda said, shaking her head.

And so they walked.

The sun sunk even closer to the water as they went on in silence for awhile, the only sound was the tide sweeping in and out and the wind breezing across the beach. The temperature was dropping again, too.

"How did you get out?" Jack asked, watching her feet as they kicked through sand.

Miranda gave a curt laugh. "Shepard left me bound loosely in that shower. She must have forgot I was trained by Cerberus. I got myself free."

"Cerberus... yeah," Jack said, tugging at her cuffed wrists.

Miranda glanced over at her, but said nothing. They walked on quietly again for awhile.

"Why did you come back for me?" Jack asked.

Miranda shrugged. "I would have gotten Liara, too, but I'm pretty sure she's locked up in Shepard's room. We'll have to send help when we get out of here."

Jack considered that. "You could have went yourself... it would have been easier."

"Well I didn't, Jack," Miranda said. "What do you want me to say here?"

Jack said nothing, and again they walked on in silence.

The sun had almost disappeared, leaving a trail of shimmering orange streaks across the water, when Miranda halted them and pointed up along the beach where the sand met the rocks. "Hey, over there. That looks like a cave, or... an indentation in the rocks or something. The sun's going down... we should probably take up shelter. Unless you want to go on a bit further... see if we could find anything."

Jack stood on tippy-toes and craned her neck to see as far as she could down the shoreline. "There's nothing for a long while."

"Then come on," Miranda said with a nod and led the two away from the water and towards the rocks.

She was right when she'd guessed it was an indentation instead of a cave. The rocks jutted out in a semi-circle, sectioning off a small sliver of the beach. The sand crept in beneath a low ceiling of rocks and moss, creating a little hidden alcove along the beach. Miranda dropped to her knees and peered inside. She nodded. "Perfect. A search party would have to actually stop and dig around in here to find us."

"Our footprints..." Jack began.

"Will be swept away with the tide. That's why I had us walking close to the water."

Jack raised an eyebrow. She hadn't even considered that. "Oh..."

Miranda looked her up and down. "Do you need help?"

Jack shook her head. "No. I can manage."

She dropped to her knees, let herself fall onto her side, and rolled beneath the entrance. Miranda followed beside her, dropping to her belly, and crawling forward. Within, the rocks towered above them in a semi-circle, the last light of the setting sun oozing in through the entrance and casting their shadows on the walls in big, black, silhouettes.

"Perfect..." Miranda said, looking around them. "We can head out first thing in the morning."

"Whenever that is," Jack added.

"It won't be long," Miranda said, untying the laces of her shoes. "I've made note of this planet's cycle. It appears to be shorter than an Earth-cycle."

"How did you do that?"

"I made note of its position when we set down here in the forest clearing. The next time I saw it was through a window and I judged its position relative to how much time I felt had passed." She removed a shoe and shook sand out of it. "And so... I know." Jack watched her with curiosity. For a Cerberus cheerleader, Miranda was turning out to be a useful ally. She took off the other shoe, shook the sand out, and set them beside her next to the rock wall. She dug her toes into the sand and leaned forward to peer out at the ocean. Jack looked at the woman's legs. They were bare beneath the khaki shorts... long... tanned... toned... and they led up into the curve of her ass, which the shorts were hugging and showing off nicely. Miranda's breasts were pressed tightly against the polo shirt, and the faint form of her nipple could be traced beneath the white fabric. Jack pulled at her cuffed wrists, realizing that if they weren't restraining her, she probably would have taken a hold of those breasts... or at least that ass.

The sun disappeared; its last bit of light was only a ghostly purple glow above the ocean. The alcove darkened and the wind picked up. "It's going to get cold," Jack said, her eyes dancing across Miranda's features.

"Yeah..." Miranda agreed.

Jack licked her lips. "So... about that kiss..."

"Don't, Jack," Miranda said, not turning back to her. "I don't want to hear anymore about it."

"You're the one who asked for it, cheerleader," Jack snapped. "I don't see what the big deal is... what are you worried about being gay?"

"What?" Miranda said, frowning. "No. I don't care about that... It's just... it's the wrong time to think about things like that. We're in trouble here, Jack."

"So let's ease the tension," Jack said, digging her heels into the sand and scooting forward, closer to Miranda.

Miranda glanced back and pointed a finger her way. "Don't. Stop. Just sit there and be quiet."

Jack balled her fists behind her back. "Look, what are you so afraid of, cheerleader? My fucking hands are cuffed up behind me. I can't do shit. You don't have to be afraid of me."

"Afraid of you? Jack..." Miranda put a hand to her forehead. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Jack had scooted all the way up beside her. Her eyes landed on Miranda's bare thigh again, and once more her hands wanted desperately to be able to come apart so she could feel it. Miranda glanced over and rolled her eyes. "Would you stop looking at me like that?"

"Why?"

"Because it's making me uncomfortable, that's why," Miranda said.

"But why?"

"Oh, God, I don't know!" Miranda snapped. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Just fuck me, cheerleader," Jack said. "Stop being such a prude, stuck-up, cunt and loosen up. It will do you some good. Shit, if you weren't such a tight ass, you'd be pretty alright."

Miranda stared at her incredulously. "I... think that was a compliment, but either way I'm going to choose to ignore it. Now roll yourself over to that corner, keep quiet, and go to sleep. If you want to talk about this, I'll talk about it once we're off this planet."

"We'll talk about it now," Jack said. "Take your shirt off and then take mine off so we can talk... comfortably."

Miranda shook her head. "Jack, if you say one more word, just one more word, I'm going to take that blindfold hanging around your neck and gag you with it. I'm serious. Do not open your mouth again until morning. I'm tired and I'm going to sleep."

"You can shut me up, but you won't be able to shut off that voice in your head," Jack snapped. "Remember it? It was the one that made you tell me to kiss you in that shower. It's the one you're ignoring right now because you've got a stick up your ass."

"Alright, that's it," Miranda said getting to her knees and approaching Jack. "You brought this on yourself."

"Don't you fucking gag me, Miranda," Jack warned. "I'm not spending the night with a rag in my mouth."

"I'll take it out when you've been quiet for an hour. If you start talking about this again after that? I'll put it in for another hour," Miranda informed her, taking hold of the cloth around Jack's neck.

"Don't you fucking do this to me! Not you!" Jack protested, but then the gag was being wedged between her teeth. "MMMRRRMMPH!" She wailed. Miranda leaned in and knotted it behind her head, and Jack saw her opportunity. She leaned forward herself and, despite the rag pulled taught between her teeth, kissed Miranda - their mouths meeting and Jack doing her best with the gag to suck on Miranda's bottom lip.

Miranda pulled away, staring at her with a blank expression.

Jack chewed on the rag and stared back.

"I'm not doing this..." Miranda said, scooting back to the corner of the alcove and taking a deep breath before laying down. "Just go to sleep, Jack." She turned to her side, facing the rock wall, and nestled into the sand.

"Grmf!" Jack grunted. She couldn't believe it: the cheerleader really wasn't going for it. She wasn't giving up that easily. She got her knees beneath her, lifted, and crawled closer. The curves of Miranda's ass caught her eye. Her breathing heavied. She mumbled into the rag, demanding attention.

Miranda lifted her head and looked back. "Get away from me, Jack, I'm warning you."

Jack ignored her and scooted a bit closer. She twisted her abdomen so her hand could fall on Miranda's hip and squeeze.

"Alright," Miranda said, turning from her side and sitting up.

Jack leaned in to kiss her again, but Miranda grabbed her by the shoulders and held her at bay. "Mmmf!" Jack grumbled, wanting the gag out of her mouth.

"Be quiet already," Miranda said, reached down for the edges of the polo shirt and pulled it up over the top of her head.

Jack's eye widened. Miranda's breasts, smooth and large and sexy as hell, came spilling out from beneath the shirt as it lifted away. Her nipples were small and pink and beautiful. "Mmmm..." Jack moaned, sizing them up. She looked up at Miranda and bit down on the rag, wishing it was her breasts in her mouth instead.

"Come here," Miranda said, but when Jack moved in, Miranda grabbed her forcefully by the shoulders, pushed her to the ground face-first, and held her there.

"MMMRRRG!" Jack protested.

Miranda twirled the polo shirt into a thin line and wrapped it around Jack's ankles, binding them together tightly. She used the slack to attach her hands to her feet, leaving her hogtied in the sand. Jack screamed into her gag, but Miranda only shook her head. "You did this to yourself. Now there's nothing you can do except sleep, so, please - for the last time - just sleep, Jack. Alright?"

Jack mumbled and grunted and thrashed her hips and kicked her bound feet, but Miranda only returned to her corner, laid down, and closed her eyes. This only enraged her further, but for all her thrashing about, the hogtie held. After a few minutes, Jack realized the terrible truth: she couldn't move, couldn't speak, and couldn't do a damn thing about it. She glared across the rocky alcove at the cheerleader with hatred swirling in the pit of her stomach and the center of her chest. She couldn't believe Miranda would do this to her. All because she was a prude, stuck-up, cheerleading, Cerberus bitch."GRMF!" Jack cried into the gag one last time before letting her head fall to the sand and closing her eyes.

Some time passed. Jack had no idea how much, because she dozed off at some point. But when she next opened her eyes, it was full on dark - only the moonlight shimmering off the water outside made the little rocky alcove glow.

Miranda was laying next to her on her side, her elbow dug into the sand and propping up her head. Her fingers were in Jack's hair-what little there was-and her eyes were on her. "I guess I just wanted a normal life... you know?" Miranda said quietly. "After all that stuff with my father and Cerberus... I started picturing a normal existence for myself and for my sister. That if we were just normal, none of that stuff in the past mattered."

Jack couldn't say anything, but if she could she wouldn't have.

Miranda's hand moved down the back of her head, across her neck, and to her back where it rubbed in between her shoulder blades. "I am afraid of you, Jack. Because you represent the exact opposite of my perfect little fantasy of 'normal'." Her hand slid off Jack's back and tickled her ribs a bit, causing Jack to squirm. Miranda laughed. "I mean you're loud and obscene and impulsive and immature at times."

"Mmmf," Jack groaned.

"But... you're sexy and smart and fearless too..." Miranda went on. Her hand slid down to Jack's ass and squeezed. "And when your mouth isn't ruining it, I think you could be gentle and warm... and cute, too." Her hand went to Jack's feet and gave her soles a tickle.

Jack squirmed again, glancing up at Miranda and frowning.

"I mean... is this crazy? You and me?" Miranda asked.

"Mmf grmph hm armmg"

"Shhhh," Miranda said. "I can't let you talk, yet. I have to figure this out."

"Grrmm..."

She gave Jack's feet another tickle, causing another jerk in her body. "I'm as bad as Shepard, I think. I think... I think I like having you like this. I mean, maybe it's just because you're not cursing and shouting and grabbing my ass, but... when you're just lying there quiet and waiting... it's... sexy to me." Another tickle, this time running her fingers between Jack's toes.

"MMM!" Jack protested.

Miranda smiled. "If I remove your gag... will you promise not to talk, Jack. Until... until it's over?"

Jack stared up at her. She nodded.

Miranda reached around the back of her head and untied it.

Jack shook her head free of the rag, thankful for its removal. Miranda pulled her up to her knees and sat her down in front of her. The two sat kneeling in the alcove across from one another as the tide went in and out outside. Miranda swallowed, nodded, and leaned forward. Jack tilted her head and pressed her lips against Miranda's, immediately burying her tongue in the woman's mouth. Miranda's breast, warm and full, pressed tightly against her own. She wanted to reach out and squeeze them, but her cuffs denied that privilege. Miranda's hands cupped her cheeks and jawline and the woman kissed her more passionately, moaning as there bodies pressed even tighter together. Jack sent her tongue relentlessly into Miranda's mouth, her lips sucking and biting at Miranda's own lips. Finally, Miranda pulled away, her breath coming in heavy pulls, and grabbed the bottom of Jack's shirt before hoisting it over her head. The shirt pulled back and fell down around her cuffed wrists where it came to a halt. Jack looked down at her exposed breast, much smaller than Miranda's own, and at her erect nipples. Miranda licked her lips, leaned forwards, and took one in her mouth, sucking at the tit. Jack's mouth fell open, her head rolled back, and she moaned into the night. Miranda's hands worked there way up and down her stomach, feeling and squeezing her flesh before cupping beneath her breasts and massaging them. Jack's nipple was worked over and over by Miranda's tongue as the woman moaned and kissed at her breasts.

Jack kissed her shoulder blade, nestling her mouth at the line where Miranda's neck met her chin. Miranda leaned back and shifted her position so Jack could take her breasts in her own mouth. Jack did, amazed at how large the woman's breasts were and how sweet they tasted in her mouth. She sucked at Miranda's nipple and flicked her tongue across the tip of it.

"Oh, God..." Miranda moaned. "Lay down. Lay down and I'll untie your feet."

Jack pulled away from her breast and nodded. She let Miranda lay her on her back before the woman reached down and released her ankles. Miranda crawled on top of her, straddling her chest backwards, and spread Jack's legs apart. Jack lifted her head and saw Miranda's pussy lips were swollen and moist. She craned her neck forward and began kissing and sucking at her cunt; her tongue sliding in and out of the woman's slit. Below, she could feel Miranda doing the same, stopping occasionally to let out a passionate moan or to catch her breath. Jack's legs parted further as the woman ate her, working her clit between her fingers, letting them slide inside of her and working the inner walls of her pussy. Jack's body arched and her blood flushed to her face. She felt her toes curl and her brow scrunch up. Then she went stiff as a board as waves of pleasurable orgasm washed through her body. As she moaned and closed her eyes, she made herself lean forward and continue to eat Miranda, determined to get her off as well.

"Jack..." Miranda whispered once, and then she too was moaning and shaking all over as she lowered her head and took deep, heavy, breaths as orgasm took her.

She crawled off Jack and dropped to the sand beside her, letting her arm drape across Jack's naked chest. The two laid there a while in silence, panting and heaving and coming back down to earth - or whatever planet it was they were on.

"That was incredible..." Miranda whispered. "That was... amazing. It was..."

"Anything but normal..." Jack finished.

Miranda got her elbows beneath her and propped herself up beside Jack, staring down at her.

"...cheerleader." Jack finished and grinned.

Miranda licked her lips, looked Jack over, and crawled back on top of her.