Nate POV
"Liara" I urged
"No" she answered
"Come on you have to say it" I teased
She dug her mouth into her shoulders and sucked on her own lips. We were all really bored in Form time so we started playing a game that I was taught in primary school.
I moved my face into her view and gave her a teasing smile. "What are you waiting for T'Soni?" she turned her head swiftly and faced dead a head. I stood straight and looked her dead in the eye. I then started to make my eyebrows dance up and down and she let out a snort before covering her mouth with her hand.
"I love you too but I can not smile T'Soni. Eight simple words and then it's Javik's turn" I stated
She then started taking deep breaths and attempting to steel herself. "Nate I love you too but…. hahahah" she broke into laughter when I placed my finger on my tongue in what could be considered a seductive manner. "No fair that's cheating"
"No it's not. Did you see me touch Liara?" I asked the group. It was me Miranda, James, Liara, Javik, Garrus, Rylee and Thane. It was down to Miranda, Thane, me and Javik.
They all shook their head. It was fucking hilarious when Garrus got onto one knee and said he loves Rylee and wants to marry her. She looked shocked and was dumbstruck. She couldn't say the phrase back to him without laughing. When he turned to James he didn't even need to say anything to make Vega laugh. Miranda didn't even crack a smile when Garrus said it to her breaking the big man's streak.
"Give up blue, you're out fair and square" James advised
"You're just mad that Garrus got to you without even trying" I accused
He looked at me as though he were offended "OF COURSE" he stated, causing Garrus and myself to break into a fit of laughter.
I turned to Javik and opened my mouth "Say anything human and you're out of the airlock" the Prothean mentioned. I wanted to tempt fate and say I love you but I had a feeling that he would throw me out of an actual airlock. I then took a massive sidestep and I faced Miranda.
She stared me in the eye daring me to say something. There was also a wanting in her eyes, she wanted me to say it, but at the same time it's the last thing I want to say to her right now.
To my relief the bell rang and everyone got up from their seats. I walked with Liara, Javik and Jack to advanced biotics. It would be our first lesson in almost 2 months. Anderson announced yesterday that EDI was back online and practical assignments would be resuming. I imagine that Samara must have been bored with very little to do. I noticed that guys like Wrex, Aleena, Zaeed and even Legion in the combat sims to relieve some stress and frustration.
When I walked in I saw that Samara was still meditating whilst Leng and Morinth stood in opposite corners. Following us were Miranda, Kaidan and Aria.
"It is good to see you children" Samara greeted "I hope that your skills are still sharp, they will need to be." She warned "Today we will pick up from where we left off. Your stamina and power output is impressive. However you still have much to learn."
"Yes mother we get it now can you move on" Morinth urged.
Samara gave Morinth a look so icy that she literally froze in her place. "Let me speed this up then. Today you will fight in a series of one on one battles. This is to prepare you if you are ever to encounter a biotic of similar strength. Of course there are some of you that are more advanced than others but the gaps between the best and least of you aren't unbridgeable"
"The matches are to be decided through random lottery. EDI?" she called and the VI put up a holographic screen with all of our names on it.
"Wait a minute Samara there are 9 of us there'll be one left over" Liara pointed out
"That is why we have been given another student. Another has been moved into our class" she announced. The doors hissed open and our new classmate strolled into the room.
"What's up" Jacob greeted
I chuckled "What took you so long" I joked
"You would not believe how many asses I had to kick to get in here"
"Good to have you here Jacob I thought that you might have been lying" Miranda said
"That's enough talk. EDI begin the lottery"
"Very well Samara"
NATE VS ARIA
JAVIK VS LENG
JACK VS LIARA
KAIDAN VS MORINTH
MIRANDA VS JACOB
"Omega's gonna need a new queen."
"Alliance is going to need a new poster boy".
"Guess we can finish what we started before Miranda interrupted us" I sounded excited allowing my biotics to flare. Aria then stepped up to me and gazed into my eyes with a mixture of lust and conviction. It was a look that I tried to return but found my passion lacking. I know that Aria is hot and if she didn't have this on and off thing going with Nyreen I wouldn't have minded fucking her but for some reason I just don't feel that way.
For some reason I haven't been noticing the girls around me anymore. I haven't looked at them with the same lust as I normally do. Even Miranda doesn't seem as beautiful to me anymore. This hasn't happened since Ashley.
I snapped out of my zone and stepped into the combat sim. I picked my Blood Dragon Armour, M-22 Eviscerator, M-12 Kassa Locust and my Phalanx, just finished modifying it with Jacob in weapons. I needed to keep things light and I didn't really need it so I didn't bring my Viper or Mantis.
What materialised before me was something that sort of made me panic. I was surrounded by a fragmented ship. There was debris and wreckage. Excited sparks jumped from the disembowelled wiring and the metal spikes that used to be the floor stood proud. I looked to the ceiling and saw that there was a big ass hole, more like a tear which allowed me to peak out into the great void. Oh shit I'm on a crashing ship.
"Warning there is one escape pod remaining on the ship. 6:23 seconds until we are pulled into Jupiter's gravitational pull" the VI announced
Aria then made her appearance from the wreckage. She was wearing medium Mantis armour which had been moulded to shape her body.
"So we have 5 minutes to settle this and 1 minute to find the escape pod"
"Otherwise we're dead. Exciting isn't it" I said excitedly before I could react she already had her shotgun out and aimed straight at me.
I dove behind the cover provided by one of the heavy crates. And the shotguns blast took out the pillar. I knew that hiding here wouldn't work for more than a second. I charged my fist and concentrated my energy into it.
When Aria turned the corner I punched her in the stomach before she could pull the trigger. The impact sent her into lifts door. She stood up enraged by my action and a whip like biotic energy grabbed my wrist and yanked me to the ground before her on my back. I could see her smile as she took pleasure in my pain. She had also concentrated her powers into a fist and prepared to destroy whatever remained of my skull. On reflex I pushed my arms into the air and hit her with a shockwave that knocked her into the ceiling.
She took control of her body mid-air, kicked the wall and flew towards the pillar which she grabbed and turned herself towards me. Un-holstering her pistol she fired shots in my direction. Luckily my barriers were up and the bullets didn't break through.
I spread my arms and brought them back together with a resounding clap. It sent out a loud, dull bang and destroyed everything in its path. I called it the Thunder Clap. The pillar that Aria was clinging to was blown away but the thunder clap also had the unintended side effect of making the tear in the ceiling bigger.
"NOW YOU'RE PISSING ME OFF" she screamed throwing a biotic flare at me. I rolled out of the way but the energy and shockwave knocked me forward. The hole was growing in size and scale.
"DAMMIT ARIA" I reached for the Eviscerator behind my back and let it rip. I unloaded the entire clip and unfortunately the Biotic Boss was quick enough to evade my bullets. "WHY WON'T YOU DIE" I roared reaching onto my back to get the shotgun mod I needed.
"2 Minutes remaining" EDI announced.
"Fuck this" I hit the overload button which I installed on the shotgun. It increases the number of clips in the magazine and the power output but after firing 5 shots the Eviscerator is about as useful as tits on a Hanar. Man I hope that this is going to work
"NOWHERE TO HIDE" I called out launching a shockwave through what looked like the Navigation centre of the ship. It destroyed most of the equipment and launching the computer monitors into the vast empty void.
To my shock Omega's queen wasn't amongst the debris that I sent hurtling into nothingness. There was nothing remaining from where she hid and she couldn't have just disappeared. I ran over to that spot and saw nothing. There was this faint, vibrating hum in the air which was irritating me. I assumed it was white noise being picked up by my suits audiometry.
Kasumi's image flashed into my head that instant and I remembered the sound of her cloak whenever it was switched on. I jumped into the air and crashed my fist into the ground sending out a biotic shockwave through the metal gratings. Aria's cloak gave out just in time for me to see her about to connect a punch to my face. The knock had made her stumble back but she regained her balance quickly enough to throw a biotic whip in my direction.
"It's been fun but I have an escape pod to find" She announced
Aria threw her arm in the direction of the crack in the roof. I was about to get air-locked. I know that Javik is out there laughing his Prothean ass off right now. Luckily my movement was slowed down by the airlessness of the room. This provided me with the time necessary to stretch my foot to a mangled piece of the torn ship. I really hope that this is going to work.
I focused my vision on the Pirate queen and tapped into the primal parts of my brain. I used my fear of death use my biotic charge. Luckily I made enough contact with the debris to launch myself towards Aria. When we collided I pushed her into the wall with great force. Good thing that she wasn't prepared and had her guard down. I took my Carnifex and unloaded one bullet into the back of her head.
"47 seconds until entering planetary atmosphere" EDI announced
I opened up my omni-tool and looked at the map. The escape pod was in the Cargo Bay and that was two decks below. Shit I need to get moving. I ran down the stairs that led to what looked like the mess. I ran around over to the elevator. To my luck it was already waiting for me.
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! This ride is taking forever. Did who ever build this ever consider an emergency when they thought 'hey why don't I make a lift that goes and shit all miles per hour'.
"13 seconds remaining" EDI declared. I found the escape pod. Shit that weapons bench is blocking my path to the escape pod. There's no way I can run 60 meters, open the pod and choose a destination in under 10 seconds. My head may be throbbing right now but I have no choice. I used my biotic charge and crashed into the escape pod leaving a dent in the door. I landed on my feet and quickly opened the pod.
I didn't even bother strapping myself in before running over to the navigation terminal. A holographic pale, blue orb appeared before me. I assumed it was a VI.
"Get me out of here"
"Please specify a destination"
"Anywhere that's not here" I panicked
"That is not a proper"
"EARTH, TAKE ME TO EARTH" I urged before being jerked around the escape pod. The vessel was ejected from the crashing ship and into outer space before the thrusters activated just out of the reach of Jupiter's pull.
"Exercise complete. WINNER- NATHAN SHEPARD"
I let out an audible sigh of relief as I was pulled out of the combat simulator. I still felt the pain of being sent into the wall and taking a couple of heavy hits. I saw that Aria was holding the back of her head, her face contorting with pain and agony. I fell to the floor breathing heavily and the rest of my body had finally caught up with the pain. God I love adrenaline but when it wears off it's a real bitch. And since I haven't been in this kind of situation in months the pain is way worse than it should be.
Standing on the other side was the rest of our class. We would each be observing the individual matches. I wonder what they thought of the show. Samara didn't seem impressed, hell she looked pissed off.
"Nathan you did well to survive you're encounter with Aria" she congratulated, her facial expression unchanged "However you both did something that you shouldn't have"
"Aria, Nathan I didn't think I'd ever need to say this to an intelligent being. In a burning ship that's falling apart. Don't use techniques that causes more collateral damage" she reprimanded
"But we survived" I argued
"These simulations were designed to more often than not work to the advantage of the user. Reality is changed to give you an advantage to compensate for your mistakes" the strict Asari explained. "In reality the two of you would have died in the crash" she asserted
"Next battle- JAVIK VS LENG"
There is one thing that pisses me off more than anything else in the galaxy about human physiology. Whenever you go through rigorous exercise and you stop, after a few minutes your limbs start getting stiff and then you can no longer move and that hurts like a bitch. I lifted myself by my elbows and got a better look at Javik and Kaidan entering the simulator. It was painful to lay on my elbows for that long so I collapsed back onto the ground.
"Nice job taking Aria down. Bitch needed to be brought down a peg" she lauded
"I got lucky and if Aria wasn't so sadistic I would be dead"
"Yeah I saw when she spaced you. Didn't even think that was possible using charge from that position"
"I figured out that all you need is for your foot to have solid contact on something" I shrugged in an attempt to boast but my shoulders were still stiff.
"Too bad I had to kill her. Aria has a great ass and tits." I let my mouth run off. I then felt Jack press her boot on to my shoulder and the pressure on it increased.
"Um.. Jack. Ow…. You're…aaaarrgghhhh, stepping on my arm" I cried
"Am I, I didn't notice. Sorry" she apologised
"Thanks… you're still standing on my shoulder"
"I know"
"CAN YOU PLEASE GET OFF ME" I groaned. She finally decided to remove her foot from my shoulder "I will get you for this" I warned. She raised her middle finger at me
I looked at the screen to see the action. It's so easy to criticise someone's action from up here. You're not experiencing it so you can think clearly and plan out what you're going to do. I get it, I fucked up with the ship and I need to start taking my environment into factor. But at least I beat Aria in the sim.
Jacob had his arms folded and had a 'keep talking, this should be good' expression on his face as he talked to Kaidan. So of course I had to ignore the pain and eavesdrop on the conversation.
"I didn't really…. I never…. dammit" Alenko cursed. He looked flustered and Miranda couldn't help but giggle. In spite of Kaidan's sensitive and empathetic attitude, he was still socially awkward and was fairly easily thrown off.
"I'm just messin' with you Kaidan" Jacob assured
"So…. What where you talking about" I asked being my usual nosy self
"Just having some fun with these two"
"Sounds like it's at Kaidan's expense. I'm in!" I japed enthusiastically
"Nate I know things about you that even you don't know that I know" he threatened. Shit I forgot he still has the video of me dancing
"OK I'll drop it"
Miranda didn't talk to me but still laughed. I haven't had an actual conversation with her in a while and to be honest I miss her company. I hope that she's over what happened and at least now she can show some emotion around me. She offered me a small smile and looked to Kaidan. I should talk to her alone. Sooner rather than later.
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Rylee POV
These combat sims are going to be the Bane of my existence. Taking a long break from using them and then jumping back into a full scale work out can tire you out. Something that Legion doesn't seem to understand. We had to survive by ourselves during an onslaught of enemies.
The one who lasted the longest would gain the most points. To Saren's chagrin Garrus won the whole thing. He outlasted everyone and not just by a little but he managed to outlast all of the hostiles too. Saren finished second whilst I finished third and Thane fourth. The snipers were the ones who performed the best mainly because there was this corridor of death which funnelled the witless idiots into scope.
I staggered out of the room and saw Thane, Kasumi and Garrus waiting for me. I limped into Thane's embrace and planted a quick kiss on his lips and smiled into it. We walked over to the tree so we could have lunch.
Under the tree Nate, Javik, Jack and Liara were all lying under the tree, backs to the ground. I wanted to laugh but my chest hurt too much. We reached the spot and sat beside them.
"Rylee if you touch me, kick me, punch me or even think about it. Then I will make sure you regret your actions for the rest of your life" he threatened
I broke into a fit of laughter since I was certain that, that was what each and every one of them was thinking. I guess that everyone was forced to run the gauntlet today not just the infiltrator class. I wonder what they had to do. From what Nate has told me about the class I know Samara is a taskmaster.
"What did they do to you? Run you through a meat grinder" Kasumi joked
"We fought in 4 one on one matches" Liara explained "I fought Miranda, Jack, Kai Leng and Aria" she held her kidney in discomfort "I won against Leng and Jack but was less fortunate against Aria. Miranda and I fought to a no contest"
"I had to take on Aria, Kaidan, Morinth and Javik. I beat Aria, Morinth and Javik."
"He was lucky" the Prothean soldier accused
"What!?"
"You're shotgun overheated, I charged at you and it exploded from underneath me"
"Yes, strategy. I thing or two that I could teach the great Prothean Javik"
"I know a sound strategy. Throw you out of the airlock"
"Anyway, I was on the hot streak like you wouldn't believe. 3 in a row and then I get the last guy I ever want to face."
"Kaidan whooped his ass" Jack laughed
"He didn't whoop my ass. Kaidan knew me so fucking well that he was always one step ahead" he groaned holding his head
"It was embarrassing" Liara added
"I think I can tell the story without help T'Soni"
"Yes but you seem to be missing the fact that he beat you with your own Shotgun" she teased. Nate huffed and folded his arms.
"What a bitch" Jack mumbled "Like blue said she fucked me up but I fucked Kaidan and Jacob up. That Leng fucker is a slippery bastard, I never saw him coming" she cursed.
"Speaking of Kaidan where is he?" Garrus asked
"He's eating with Miranda" Nate replied "Now if you'd excuse me I am going to pass out. Wake me up and you will all suffer" he threatened pointing at each of us and making extra emphasis on Garrus "I'm looking at you Vakarian"
"Why do you think I would ever… hahaha dammit almost kept a straight face" he chuckled
I turned to Thane who was lying on the ground looking at the artificial clouds. I positioned myself beside him and joined him in looking to the sky.
"I wish that we were on earth so we could see a real sky and clouds. Even feel rain on my face"
"I understand the feeling but not the rain"
"Why not"
"My people evolved in a hot, dry, arid planet not a planet with lots of moisture. Because of that if Drell are exposed to too much moisture they can contract Keprals Syndrome"
"What's that?"
"It's an unkind disease. The oxygen transfer proteins don't form and function properly. The human equivalent would be haemoglobin" he explained "After a while the blood loses its ability to carry oxygen and the victim suffocates"
"That sounds horrible"
"It only happens in watery climates"
"So you can't go somewhere like the Amazon rainforest or the Arctic on earth?"
"I was born on Kahje Siha. If my people couldn't survive in the rain we would be extinct"
I know that it rains everyday on Kahje so he's right but. "If most drell leave on Kahje doesn't that mean that they are highly susceptible to Keprals Syndrome?" I inquired, furrowing my eyebrows out of worry
"Yes… unfortunately that's how we discovered the disease. When large numbers of us began exhibiting the symptoms, a Salarian science team was sent by the council to investigate"
"The council got involved?"
"The Hanar rescue ships only saved 375,000 Drell Rylee. When thousands of us die it is the equivalent of billions of humans dying. We are still dangerously close to extinction and cannot afford many losses. The galactic census shows that there are only 920,000 Drell remaining"
"I'll make sure that we never go anywhere with too much moisture"
"I don't need that kind of protection Shepard. If a bit of water could kill me then I could never survive anywhere"
"But I don't want you to die"
"Rylee. I know that prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause skin cancer. But I won't ever stop you going to the beach" he pointed out in his normal, cool demeanour
"I know… but I like you and I don't want you to go" I pouted, burying my face in his chest
"I'm not going anywhere" he reassured, wrapping his arms around me.
"GET A ROOM" Jack interrupted
"Eat a dick Jack" I hollered
"Damn Rylee, always pegged you as a goody fucking two-shoes. Never heard you so much as curse"
"What can I say? You're rubbing off on me" I joked.
Jack and I had gotten closer since she started living with us. One day we just started staring at each other trying to figure out where we'd seen each other. Before Nate and Kaidan's cheers snapped us out of the trance. They were playing against Garrus and James at some wrestling game. Oriana asked me to play her at shattered Eezo, a game which she was surprisingly good at. She kicked my ass more than once and laughed the whole way through. If I was playing Sam or Kelly or Jacob or anyone else and they were gloating the way that she was, I would have had to tackle them to the ground. But the fact that she was so young and that bright smile she donned, I couldn't even get pissed off. Jack was fiddling with her omni-tool, occasionally looking up at us, looking annoyed. She was jealous that I had become Oriana's new favourite.
That was when it became apparent to me that Jack was human. She had regrets and could get jealous of something like that. I invited her to play with us, to which she 'reluctantly' agreed. After a few minutes we were having a lot of fun. Ori and Jade played with the toys that Nate had bought them which allowed Jack and I the opportunity to talk. We talked about Thane, Kolyat, Oriana, school, guns, and the alliance. Before we knew it we were talking for 4 hours.
"Nah, I think you've always been like that. Just needed me to bring it out of ya"
Javik and Garrus were having an argument over who was the better marksman. Javiks entire argument hinged on the fact that he had four eyes. Liara was sleeping beside Nate contentedly and Kasumi was reading a novel. She said that she prefers the feeling of paper in her hands than a data pad any day. I don't blame her.
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Citadel, Silversun Strip, Tiberius Tower
Shepard's Apartment
Thane and I swung by the nursery to pick Kolyat up. It still wasn't common knowledge that Thane had a son but he never bothered hiding it. No one ever asked to be honest. Most people just assumed that he was picking up his little brother with his girlfriend. We met up with Samantha entering the building and invited her into my apartment. As for Thane being my boyfriend, everyone in the school knew about it. My main worry was that Nate would try and kick Thane's ass but he was surprisingly cool with it.
When we walked in we went straight into the kitchen. I had brought some groceries so that I could cook tonight. My mother made sure that Nate and I both knew how to cook for ourselves. After I turned 14 she said that we could cook for ourselves and ever since I've cooked for myself, sometimes Nate and vice versa.
"Get back here Shepard" Jack yelled. I heard rapid footsteps running on the stares above
"You have to catch me Jennifer" he giggled. Who the hell is Jennifer, I thought he was running from Jack. To my shock, Jack was giggling like a teenage, girly girl.
"Give me back my shoes"
"I never knew that you wore shoes like this" he teased. I could hear shuffling on the stairs above. Was he jockeying her.
"Give it or your dead" she threatened, however she sounded more like she was trying to supress her laughter than kill him
"Catch me if you can." He jumped off of the balcony and in front of Samantha. "Hey guys". Whilst he was distracted Jack had jumped on top of him and was now pounding him with her fists.
"Give it back". I looked to his hand and I saw a pair of black, white and pink Nike classics in his hand. Since when does she like shoes like that?
"Ahhem" Thane cleared his throat. Jack's back stiffened and she slowly turned around and saw the 4 of us in the kitchen. Sam, Thane and I each waved at her awkwardly. She offered us a shaky, awkward grin. The entire time Nate never took his eyes off of her, almost as if there was no one else in the world but the two of them.
"Um, are we interrupting something?" Sam asked
"No… I was just"
"Don't bother Jack, you're a horrible liar" I warned
"OK if we forget everything that just went down, you can all leave with your lives"
"Fine we'll drop it. I'll just tease about it later" I joked to which she groaned.
The two of them took a seat around the table and they spoke as I cooked. Jade and Oriana arrived and Thane let them take Kolyat to their room. Luckily Drell and humans can eat the same kind of food so I cooked spaghetti Bolognese. I'd finished everything and I was just waiting for the food to cool down. I sat back down at the table and joined the conversation.
"What are you talking about?" Sam asked
"I've just never heard anything like it before I met you guys" Jack stated
"What about Miranda and Oriana?"
"They talk fucked up but not like the three of you"
"What's going on here?" I inserted myself into the conversation
"Why do the three of you talk funny?" Jack inquire looking at Nate, Sam and me.
"You don't talk like the rest of us. You have some kind of accent" the biotic described
"Oh our accents" I realised "My mum was raised on Marcadia. A colony that is mostly inhabited by people from England. And my dad was raised in London"
"Same applies for Horizon, most of the colonists were from England"
"Still sounds weird" Jack complained
"Oh you love it" Nate challenged
"COME GET YOUR FOOD"
They lined up, collecting plates and cutlery before stuffing their plates with food. Samantha took the least out of all of us. Her omni-tool pinged suddenly and she read her message.
"Bugger all. I have to go, Kelly is stuck in the closet and needs me to get her out… again" we all laughed at the news "Rylee can I take mine to go and take some for Kelly as well?"
"Sure thing just pack it in the lunch box" I instructed "Bye Sam"
"Bye everyone"
I held my breath a little in anticipation. I began hoping and praying that it tastes really good. Nate, Thane and Jack appeared to be enjoying themselves. I was thankful that my effort wasn't wasted and that my food was good.
"God Rylee this is the best thing I've ever tasted" Nate complimented "Thane you should come around more often. If she tries this hard every time you visit then I will die a happy man" she said with great satisfaction.
"Come here" Thane commanded. I raised an eyebrow out of curiosity and complied. He picked the fork from my plate and took a bit of pasta. "Open up". I realised what he was doing and happily opened wide. As the food entered my mouth, the taste set my tongue alight. Shit this tastes great. Jack is right; she is rubbing off on me
"Mmmmm that's nice" I appreciated. I noticed that Jack was looking really uncomfortable, with a hint of envy. She looked like she wanted to be me that second.
Thane and I traded duties, between him feeding me and me feeding him. Nate made a gagging noise and I flipped him off. I was enjoying every second I had with Thane. He makes me feel safe in a way I haven't felt since my father was alive. He's like a safety net for me. I can tell him just about anything.
"I'll do the dishes" Nate offered "As a thank you for cooking an edible meal for once" he added
"Ass"
"I'll help" Thane insisted and the two of them went over to the kitchen sink and began cleaning up my mess. I could get used to this.
"Bye the way Nate mum told me that if you and Jack don't keep the noise down. Nate you're going to be looking for another place to live"
"Is she in?"
"She worked from home today remember. She said she needed some rest… she was tired… ringing any bells" I tried to jog his memory
"What have the two of you been doing?" Thane wondered
"You know stuff like Nate stealing Jacks shoes, Jack downloading enough porn onto Nate's computer to crash it." I teased. I leaned into Thanes ear and whispered "You know. Ways of flirting and relieving sexual tension". The drell let out a stifled chuckle and I returned to my seat.
"What did you just say?" my brother interrogated
"Nothing brother dear"
"Better have been."
I rolled my eyes and started searching for funny videos on the extranet with Jack. One of the funniest ones we watched was the one of a Salarian knocking out a Krogan with one punch. No biotics or tech, just pure power. There was also one of this Volus who was high as a kite, talking shit about how he was a Biotic God.
"It's getting late, I'm going to take Kolyat home now" Thane announced. He strolled upstairs and gathered his and Kolyat's possessions. Before he was out of the door I planted a quick kiss on his lips and said my goodbyes. I could hear the gags and wretches from in my apartment when I kissed him.
When I turned Nate and Jack gave each other a glance and nodded before turning to me. "Bye mmmwwaaah" they made fun of me by making kissy faces
"Shut up"
"We're just teasing you"
My mother made her decent down the stairs into the living room and began watching TV. She was watching Friends. The episode where Rachel gives birth to her and Ross's baby. During the intro song I read the cast roster and one name stuck out in particular Jennifer Aniston. It reminded me of something I heard earlier.
"Nate why did you call Jack Jennifer?" I asked
The two of them and my mother all turned to face me with a mixture of shock and awe
"What did you say Rylee?" my mother asked
"Nate you called her Jennifer" I repeated
Nate immediately turned to Jack "I am so sorry, I didn't know that they were here. I let it slip out and…" he searched for the perfect words to say.
"Relax Nate it's no big deal. I don't really mind these guys knowing" she assured. My brother's eyes bulged out of shock. Had Jack actually forgiven him without kicking his ass first? She really had changed ever since she met him.
My mother just stared at Jack with a nostalgic smile gracing her lips. She slowly walked over to her and circled the biotic, taking in her features before resting dead in front of her face.
"Your name is Jennifer right?" mum asked and Jack "Do you know your last name" Jack shook her head. My mother grasped her heart and a ghost of a smile threatened to break through "I think I do". Jack's eyes bulged out from shock
How does my mother know Jack? I'm fairly sure that they only met when Jack moved in. She most probably knows something about her past that even Jack doesn't know.
"I think your name is Jennifer Leigh" my mother revealed
Jack gulped "How do you know that" she whispered
"I think I've known you from the day that you were born"
"There's no way. It's impossible, if you knew me that means your part of Cerberus and you didn't stop it" the psychotic biotic accused
"No Jennifer I never knew about Cerberus' involvement until a month ago"
"Stop calling me that" Jack screamed running towards the stairs.
"I knew your parents" Jack froze on the first step and turned viciously towards mum. Her biotics flared and she stomped over to her. Nate stood in her way and spread his arms in order to protect mum stopping Jack cold.
She put her hand on his shoulder and ushered him out of the way. He reluctantly agreed to move aside but his biotics still flared in case everything went to hell "I knew your parents Jennifer and I knew you as well"
"NO"
"Mum are you sure about this?" Nate asked obviously concerned about her wellbeing
"I wouldn't say it if I wasn't certain"
"Prove it" Jack challenged
"You have a birthmark shaped like the UK on your belly and a scar on your forehead from when you fell off your bike"
I envisioned what Jack must have looked like when she was younger and it was surprisingly easy. I imagined her falling off of her bike and landing on her head, but not from dead ahead but from behind. Why is the image so clear?
"Anyone could know that especially if you were Cerberus"
"I am NOT NOR HAVE I EVER BEEN CERBERUS!" my mother yelled which made Jack jump a little, she could be scary whenever she wanted to
"Why should I trust you!" Jack spat
Mum sighed "What would it take to convince you that I'm genuine"
Jack traced the faded red scar on her forehead and used her other hand to cover her stomach. "Wait a minute" Jack jumped up to the top floor and ran into her room. When she returned she had a black book in her hand with the initials JR on it.
"This book is the one thing I have from before Cerberus. There is an entire section that's restricted even to me. What is it then, if you're really who you claim to be" she handed the book to my mum. She ran her fingers over it with a smile before handing it to me.
"What are you doing?"
"Put your thumb on that imprint" she instructed pointing to a small DNA scanner that locked a big chunk of the book off.
At my touch it opened up. I opened it to the back and found that there was a cavity that contained some pictures. Jack hurried over to me and picked the pictures up. I saw a little girl with short, deep brown hair that ran down her back. She also donned a brilliant, beautiful grin that could infect everything around her. It was Jack. She had one eye closed because she was cheek to cheek with another toddler. It was me. I was in the picture with Jack and I had the same grin on my face. We were also hugging as though we'd known each other for years.
Jack lifted the picture so that she could look at it closely and that revealed the one beneath. It was a picture of my father, Jack, my mother, Nate, me and another woman. The other woman was lithe, fairly tall, about 5'11 compared to my father who was 6'2. She had the same brown eyes as Jack as well as the cheekbones however her hair was jet black. The mystery woman was holding Jack in her arms whilst my mother held me and my father had Nate sitting on his shoulders. Jack's mother and mine looked to each other proudly beaming about their children.
"I-Is that… is that…. me ….and you" Jack breathed staring deep into my eyes. All I could do was nod. I remember her now. I only remember flashes of hanging out with her. If I remember correctly we just stopped hanging out when I was 4.
"You two were the best of friends. Totally inseparable in your necessary and at home" my mum smiled
"What? That's impossible, I think I'd remember that!" Jack argued
"You were only a toddler Jack, it's not a surprise that you don't remember much" Nate reasoned
"No! NO! Cerberus raised me. Tortured me, raped me, used me, abused me, fucked with me..." the words were caught in her throat. "I can't have lost a mother along with everything else"
Jack couldn't hold back much more and I don't really blame her. I couldn't imagine what it must be like. Never knowing your past because you were robbed of it, and finally discovering that it's been hiding under your nose. Nate had brought her in for a hug and her eyeliner ran onto Nate's white shirt. Jack let go of Nate and got out of his embrace before wiping her eyes and adding more ink to her forearms.
"So you knew my mother. What's she like?" she asked. I bet that's a question that she's wanted to ask for a very long time
"Let's start with her name. Her name is Rylee Leigh."
"What?" did she just say Jack's mother is called Rylee?
"Yes Rylee it's exactly what you're thinking right now. I named you after her. And you were given my middle name." Me and Jack shared a look of great emotion before looking to my mother so she could continue
"We met when I was 23 and she was 21. She was really funny, she never took crap from anyone and she had Eric running scared whenever she got pissed off" she laughed "She also had this warmth about her, always ready to talk, ready to help, always there for her friends. Hell she's the one that set a fire under our father's ass so he could ask me out"
She looked at Jack "And you… you were her world. Her boyfriend Wade got her pregnant before he was KIA. When you were born she retired from active duty at age 30 to take care of you and that was… god 16 years ago. I'm not sure if you know this but your birthday is June 20th, you were born Jennifer Hannah Leigh, I remember I had just given birth to Rylee a few weeks earlier. She said that she didn't want you to grow up with a nanny and that she wanted to be your mother not your part-time mother."
"Wait, I think I remember her... Dad was... getting yelled at by a woman about... insensitivity" Nate struggled to recall
"You're father made a smart ass remark about Rylee needing to lose weight if she wanted to catch a man" she chuckled "She almost kicked his ass"
"Rylee was so passionate about anything she cared about. Especially you, she always put you ahead of everything else in her life"
"Then where is she?" Jack sobbed, the emotion growing as she hears about the mother she doesn't remember
My mother rolled up her sleeve to reveal a tattooed text written along her wrist "September 21st 2177 she was murdered. To this day I don't know why, I remember visiting her home on Eden Prime to check up on her and found her body. I searched for you everywhere but you weren't in the house" she sobbed and her breath was becoming more hitched
"I made a vow to find you or die trying. That's why I still work in the Embassy. I get cutting edge technology and I could follow any leads whilst under the guise of an Alliance representative. When you moved in I started digging through your files to see if there were any discrepancies. To give Henry credit he knew how to build an alias. You're file was airtight"
I gave the book to Jack whilst she stood there in shock. She gripped onto that book with the Jaws of Life and stared off into empty space.
"That book has was my gift to you. I gave it to you at Christmas and you wanted to share it with Rylee. You even had the initials engraved at the front. J for Jennifer, R for Rylee. She was so proud of you that day"
I looked to Jack and I felt really, really sad. Looking into these pictures all I see is what if. What if Cerberus had never gotten their hands on her? What if we'd grown up as best friends, how different would she be? What if she was destined to have a life of love and luxury? Why did that have to happen to her?
I felt a hatred for Cerberus and everything the organisation stood for manifesting in my stomach. I saw Nate's fists clenching and unclenching whilst his biotics built up in his fist. I know that Kelly, Jacob, Miranda and even Jack were sponsored by them I could never again feel easy around any Cerberus personnel.
"I'm sorry I need to be alone" Jack apologised running up the stairs and into her room. I would have thought that Nate would follow suit since he had become her best friend. She said that Nate is the closest friend she's ever had and I don't think she knows how much she means to him. He likes her a lot and often goes out of his way to be around her. I don't know when he'll realise it but even he isn't that dense.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Nate POV
For some reason I've woken up on the kitchen room floor. I look around and there's nothing on the counters. No food, no knives no ornaments nothing. I got up but the gravity was too much for me. What the hell is going on, I feel like my body weighs a ton. What the hell is going on?
The scene shifted to the alley where I saw Jack kill Wilson. I could feel the sharp pain of a knife in my chest as I stared at the barrel end of a shotgun. But assailant wasn't Jack. It was an asari who roared as she pulled the trigger
All of a sudden the setting changes and I'm under the tree where I eat lunch at school. My friends are around me but no one can hear me. I walked up to Garrus but he was too busy talking to Jacob to even notice I was there. When I tried to tap his shoulder my hand went straight through the Turian sniper. Is this a dream?
"LONG TIME NO SEE NATTY BOY" I heard a morbidly familiar voice call out to me
An asari clad in plain, standard issue clothing you'd expect from a doctor at Huerta Memorial
"RANA" I growled getting ready to charge but I was suddenly chained to the ground.
"SHUT IT BOY" she hissed. In every nightmare she was involved in she was always this condescending, hedonistic bitch but she was never angry.
"I haven't been allowed to come out to play lately. All because of some bitch out there I'm not alive in HERE"
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb you Brutish ingrate" she cussed "I will not allow years of hard work to be taken to shit because you have feelings" she rubbed her face in frustration. She went up to slap me in the face and began laughing
"I came so close to breaking you. You fucking coward." She spat kicking me in the knee "She won't save you this time. Not like in the alley or at your school or your living room" she got into my face and started tapping the barrel of the pistol on my head
"I came so close. You were at the edge of the chasm, at the precipice of despair. All you needed was one last push but noooo. You had to see that asari bitch"
"You had to find the will to live….. NO…. NO… NO. You will not have him. I will break him" she grabbed me by the collar and dragged me through some portal and we were on Virmire.
We were in the capital region of Dros. I could see the Virus production facility in the background. I could see the violent ocean waves crash onto the shore in an onslaught of power and chaos. The lighting far in the distance was unsettling to say the least. I realised that I was on Mount Viza. Overlooking the rest of the city and watching the chaos from above. This was Ashley's last view, the last sight she saw in the realm of the living before having her life abruptly ended by the hand of a vindictive Asari.
"Is this meant to break me ASARI. All it does is piss me off. When I find you, I will disembowel you and watch the life drain from your face. And the last image you'll see is that of the LAST PERSON IN THE DAMN VERSE YOU SHOULD HAVE PISSED" I roared.
"Nice speech Nathan. But it's all empty threats. YOU WON'T FIND ME" she declared
"You won't ever find me" with that she pushed me off of the edge
I began my dissent into the abyss and felt as though I had been free falling for hours. Waiting to hit the ground so this could all be over but something had grabbed my hand.
I looked up to see a seething Rana who looked as though she were ready to explode. "You bitch! I was so fucking close to ending it. He was almost mine"
"FUCK OFF" the mystery figure hissed before Rana disappeared. I still couldn't get a good look at the person who had just saved me from Rana. They pulled me by the arm to the cliff edge and to safety. I got a surprise when I realised just who it was.
"Jack"
"Jennifer jackass." She corrected with a beautiful grin
"You saved me. But how"
"I'm your subconscious dickbrains. I'm not the real Jennifer. I'm your salvation"
"Then why do you look so much like her"
"Because she's saved you without you even noticing. She's given you strength and is at this point the main reason you have to live"
"She's my main reason for living. Why her, I have plenty of friends"
"Simple. YOU LOVE HER"
"What!"
Right then I woke up. I sat up in shock and tried to stop the sweat from sticking my clothes to my body. I very quickly scanned
What the hell just happened?