Chapter 4 – A Labour of Love
"No, no… You don't need to touch that," griped Joker. "I can do that from here."
With a quiet sigh of frustration, Altair pulled her hand back from the console in front of the co-pilot's seat, only to watch Moreau perform the function himself. "Shouldn't I be piloting? The Admiral did say-"
"Shepard said I had to train you, so I'm training. Watch and learn."
Clasping her idle hands together, Altair tried another approach. "Look, Commander, you really don't need to worry. I can handle her." She sat forward, desperate to do something.
"I don't want you to handle her. She's mine."
Altair paused in her irritation at this stubborn man as his possessive words sunk in. "Are we still talking about the ship?"
"Yes!" Joker frowned at her.
Raising her hands in appeasement, Altair couldn't help the small smile forming. "Just checking. Because…I understand your AI, Edi, is an integrated part of the Normandy… and she's a very…feminine-looking synthetic."
Joker gave her a withering gaze. "This has nothing to do with Edi. I didn't share the first Normandy, either."
Taking that in, Altair finally said, "I understand."
A little surprised, Joker peered over at her, suspiciously. "You do?"
"Absolutely," Altair nodded, genuinely. "I think the Admiral was closer to the truth than she realised. I do threaten you."
Joker could have rivalled the Leviathans in his disdain. "You have got to kidding me. You?"
"You've been the pilot for the Normandy since she was first created. And re-created. Yet here I am, encroaching on your territory; a younger, fresher pilot. Like you, I came top in my class, and in addition, I was given the unique privilege of running through simulations with all the top warships during my training, including the Normandy."
"Simulations?" snorted Joker. "Please. Simulations can't compare to the real thing."
"No offence," she said, with a trace of condescension, "but simulation programs have improved immensely since your time."
"My time?" Joker gaped at her. "My-?"
"Everything going okay in here?" Shepard's voice interrupted his splutter.
Joker swung to face Shepard full-on in his indignation. "No! According to Altair here, I'm old and out of touch!"
"I didn't say it like that, Admiral," Altair swiftly pointed out.
"But that's what you meant!" argued Joker.
"Time out, Joker," Shepard headed it off, certain he was being over-sensitive with someone he didn't want there. "Would you care to explain why Altair is still not flying this ship?" Receiving only a sullen look, Shepard started to make good on her threat. "Edi. Could you request Lieutenant Cortez's presence in the coc-"
"Okay!" Joker said quickly, giving her a look as though she was the most evil thing in the galaxy. "I get it."
Joker glared at Altair for good measure, then reluctantly stood and moved aside. As soon as Altair went to sit in his seat he stopped her, hands held-up in a 'careful' gesture. "Whoa! Just…" His outstretched hands turned into fists as he accepted the inevitable. "Ease into it. Carefully. I got it just how I want it, so…"
Altair's face was one of poorly concealed amusement, which she shared with Shepard before responding to Joker with forced sincerity. "I'll respect the chair, Sir."
"Oh, now I get a 'Sir'?" he grumbled as he huffily sat in the co-pilot's seat that felt all wrong. He threw a miffed glance back at Shepard. "There. Happy now? I feel like you've sold my soul."
"You'll get it back," Shepard assured him, squeezing his shoulder in recognition of his sacrifice.
Finally ensconced in the coveted seat, Altair waited until Shepard had breezed back out. "So, I'm really the first trainee you've had?"
"I've been a little busy, Usurper. You know, pulling Shepard's ass out of a falling Reaper and such?" Joker fidgeted in the seat as he watched her fingers running over his console.
"A falling Reaper? Wow! That sounds like an interesting tale."
"'Tale' suggests it's made up. Trust me, with Shepard there's no need to embellish."
Despite the Commander's irritated tone, Altair went with the fact he was even talking to her at all. "And you've been with her since the first Normandy? Even when she wasn't Alliance?"
"Hey, let's make it clear from the outset that Shepard has always been Alliance, even when she couldn't wear the uniform. And yeah. Absolutely since the first. Give it a few days and you'll see why."
Even though he'd been less than pleased with Shepard, Altair noticed his immediate defence of her. "I think I've already got a good idea. She's more personable than I was expecting; the first officer I've felt at ease with."
"Believe me, by the time you leave, she'll be like family."
"God, I hope not," Altair murmured under her breath.
Joker briefly wondered about that, but was distracted by the Citadel coming into view. It was a welcome sight; docking required precision and he'd have an excuse to take his girl back. Before he could hit the comm to inform Shepard, Altair beat him to it.
"Admiral, we're on approach to the Citadel."
"Excellent, Altair. Bring us in to dock."
"Aye, Aye, Ma'am," grinned Altair.
Joker seethed quietly beside her, certain she'd done it on purpose. He decided he made a bad co-pilot, which was fine with him. Subconsciously, his fingers performed their defunct task of their own accord, racing over his thighs in lieu of a console as Altair got their docking bay assignment from Citadel Control and began to bring the Normandy into its berth. "You need to-"
"I know. I got this, Sir," she cut him off.
It was all he could do to bite his tongue. He missed Edi. On edge the whole way into the berth, Joker had to admit that Altair performed an amazingly neat, controlled entry and stop, the docking clamps locking them into place just before she switched off the engines.
"See?" Altair looked over at him with glee. "The sims were spot on. Easy."
Joker took offence to that, and this time it was about more than his pride. "Hey, flying this, or any other ship, is not easy. Complacency like that is what gets people killed."
Her face clouded over at that. "Is that what happened on the SR1?" she snapped back, defiant and accusing, and instantly regretting it.
Joker recoiled, his face hardening as old guilt resurfaced.
"Good job, Serviceman," came Shepard's voice as she re-entered. "That was as smooth a docking as if Joker had done it himself. You should be proud. Right, Joker?"
Joker was staring back at Altair, his jaw clenched, and hands now very still and fisted. "Get. Off. My. Bridge," he gritted out.
Altair's already weak smile at Shepard's praise, vanished, and she looked at Shepard guiltily.
"Joker?" queried Shepard.
"I want her out of my space. I want her away from me. Bust me to shuttles, I don't care, but I am not working with her again." Then he shoved himself out of the seat and past Shepard without meeting her eye.
"I- I'm sorry, Admiral," said a pale Altair. "It was all my fault. What I said…I didn't mean it," she stammered out.
"Why did you say it?" Shepard asked simply.
Altair was expecting a question as to what she'd said, not why. Her eyes lowered to her lap in shame. To explain why... She couldn't go there.
"It's okay, Altair," Shepard rescued her. "For now it's enough that you acknowledged it. But whatever that reason is, you need to find a way to deal with it so it doesn't happen again."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"If you need to talk, Altair, I'm never too busy to listen."
"Thank you, Admiral." Even as she exited the cockpit, Altair knew she wouldn't be able to talk about it. She'd lived with it all of her life, and she was doing okay. She was.
oOo
Oriana Lawson looked around the facility. It was finally finished, having taken an inordinate amount of credits to get it completed, but as the sole heiress of her father's considerable assets, she was one of the richest people in the galaxy. Not that it made her happy. While most people were moving on, she was stuck in limbo until she had achieved the one thing she'd been working to since she'd found her father and sister.
Over four years ago, she had received a message informing her of Henry Lawson's death, along with a location, automatically generated by her father's omnitool when it detected that his heart had stopped beating. It was an upgrade her father had insisted on installing, adamant as he was that should the worst happen, his body would not be left to rot. Oriana understood; he just wanted dignity.
Sitting in the plush room she'd designated as her private dwelling, Oriana remembered…
Despite the Reaper threat, she used the extensive funds that had been instantly transferred into her account, and had immediately arranged for a vessel, crew and experienced medical staff to accompany her to where her father lay. Though she was in no doubt there was nothing to be done for her father, Miranda had been with him, and her sister wasn't answering her omnitool.
Sanctuary. Her father had been so certain the place would provide him his legacy, but instead it had been his downfall.
She still vividly recalled finding his body…
His skull smashed open on the concrete floor. She looked up to see the broken window from which he'd fallen; his distance from it indicating that he'd been thrown with force - most likely biotics. She raced up to the office, hoping to find Miranda...and she did. It was shocking to see her older twin laying there with a bullet wound in her forehead, and she screamed through the shattered window for the medics to stop in their retrieval of her father and to come help her sister.
The medics entered the room, assessing the situation and looking at each other in silent question as to what she expected them to do but still hurried to the body with omnitools raised. Unable to look any longer, Oriana turned away, spotting the room's camera. She retrieved the footage, badly damaged but something might be salvageable – because she needed answers.
Oriana's fingers fiddled with the data-disc which held a copy of that footage. She'd recovered the last few minutes; watched the atrocity that had befallen her sister. Neither Miranda nor her father had deserved their fates. Her father was a successful businessman, just trying to do something to help save lives. And Miranda, although detached and far from sisterly, had simply tried to make the galaxy a better place for humanity. Cerberus was a means to do it, though she knew the organisation had received a bad reputation. Oriana often suspected this was part of the reason her sister wasn't affectionate - she'd needed to harden herself to get the job done and to do what was necessary. So too would Oriana.
Now, she listened to the silence of the facility with one thing on her mind: justice.
oOo
Shepard was sitting in the pilot's chair, closing down Edi's recording of the conversation leading up to Joker's outburst, when Kaidan and Rorie came in to find her.
"Uh, don't tell me - you've had enough and decided to go pirate," joked Kaidan.
"Ooh aar!" Rorie sounded up at her dad, doing her best pirate impression.
Kaidan did his own parody. "Aar! You be making a fine pirate, Captain Rorie."
She giggled and jumped into the co-pilot's seat. "Sail, mommy pirate!"
"We might have a fight on our hands with Commander Moreau, though," Kaidan warned.
"Uncle Joker walk the pank!"
"Walk the plank!? Whoa there, Captain Rorie!" exclaimed Terra, smiling back at them. "I never had you pegged for being such a meanie pirate!"
Kaidan grinned back at Rorie. "Mutiny!"
"Mommy walk the pank, too!" she said, gleefully.
"What!?" Terra pretended to be horrified, and they laughed together.
Sobering, Kaidan brought them back to reality. "But I'm guessing from that look on Joker's face when we passed him, that you've got a crew issue. Things didn't go well in here?"
"Not exactly. Look, you two should go ahead."
"Not a chance. We can wait. Right, Rorie?"
"Firmtive," she saluted.
With a weary smile, Shepard ran her hand over that beautiful little head. "Alright. I'll be back as soon as." She couldn't leave without kissing her husband.
oOo
The Ofir Mining facility was a family-run turian company, small in scale but with big ambitions. They'd claimed rights to the asteroid they were now situated on, twenty years ago, with the expectation of reaping huge profits offered by the Turian Hierarchy from the extensive resources embedded in the rock. However, the company had been plagued by machinery problems – at least as far as their government knew – and had soon been forgotten.
In reality, the miners extracted inordinate amounts from the ground, which were quietly shipped off elsewhere.
For the first time in two decades, the miners and their families downed tools, closed down terminals, and switched off machinery. Without a word to each other, they boarded their ship, taking with them what they needed, and prepared to leave.
oOo
Shepard found Joker at the small bar in Normandy's lounge, staring into the contents of the glass he held, and she sat on the stool beside him.
"I don't want to talk about it, Shepard." His eyes didn't lift. "Go speak to her."
"From your reaction, it seems she struck a nerve which shouldn't have been exposed." She rested her hand on his forearm. "What Altair said wasn't true. You did a phenomenal job on the SR-1 – from beginning to end."
Joker blinked, his gaze moving from the glass to her hand. "I guess I know that. It was just hard to hear someone question it. Brought it all back."
"Altair knows she was out of line. There's an underlying issue there, but I don't think she wants to address it. That's where I was hoping you could help rout it out."
He finally looked straight at Shepard. "Me? Why the hell would I want anything to do with her?"
"Because if I can't get to the bottom of this, Hackett will have to assign her to shuttling dignitaries around."
Joker frowned. "Well, that doesn't make sense! You acknowledged how she handled that docking. As much as I dislike her very presence, even I have to admit it was damned impressive for her first time with this ship. Why would she have to be ground-sided?"
"It's the reason she's here and hasn't been given an assignment directly onto one of Hackett's ships. She aced every academic class that was thrown her way, and clearly has a natural aptitude for flying, but the problem was identified in the sims. When placed into intense combat scenarios, she freezes."
"Oh, really!?" he said, with obvious glee. "That would have been good to know earlier."
"So you could throw it in her face?"
"No!"
Shepard gave him a knowing look.
"Okay, yes! Come on! She was sassing me, and she can't even handle the heavy stuff?"
"That's not what she needs, Joker."
His shoulders sagged, and he made a sound in his throat of his conscience winning over. "That 'underlying issue'?"
"I was hoping that time you'd spend together would give you a chance to see if you could work out what it was."
"You do know this is me you're talking to, right? Sarcastic, arrogant me?"
"It's pride not arrogance, and it's well-earned."
"True."
"Hh! And that sarcasm keeps away anyone not prepared to look past your disability."
"True again. Walls built from razor-sharp wit."
"So, yes. I know exactly who I'm talking to. The man whose favourite companion is the AI he used to gripe about every time I came to the cockpit."
"Damn. Got me on that one. Have you considered that maybe the Usurper-"
"Joker," Shepard warned.
"Altair… just isn't cut out for a warship?"
"Possible, sure. Not everyone can cope in tense situations. But… if it's just something holding her back, something we can work through, then that talent isn't wasted ground-side because we weren't prepared to try."
"And you had to say it like that, didn't you? Now I'll feel like an asshole if I don't do it."
"All I'm saying is that maybe that response she hit you with was her defence mechanism."
"Okay! Geez! I get it - she could be like me, only her disability isn't a visual thing," he quickly rattled off, in a bored tone. It was followed by a put-upon sigh. "Fine, I'll work with her. But don't go expecting much. I perform miracles with ships, not people. She probably needs a psychiatrist. Or a bartender."
"A Joker will do, for now. And thanks."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Either way, I'm not talking to her until we're ordered back to the ship. Let her stew in her guilt for a while."
"Oh, the compassion," Shepard said wryly, pulling Joker to his feet.
"Hey, what's this meeting with the Council all about, anyway?" His nonchalant tone belied his interest. "Nobody seems to know anything." Joker's heart dropped into his stomach with the haunted look that befell Shepard's face. "Oh no. They're back, aren't they?"
She only nodded. "I'd appreciate it if you could keep it to yourself. I'll give the crew the rundown once we're all back on board, hopefully with a plan of action. They didn't get a chance to relax on Earth, and they deserve the opportunity to enjoy a carefree evening."
"What about you?"
"Tonight, I'm determined to," she said, standing straighter.
"Aaah, Kaidan..." Joker smirked, nudging her. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder? More like, makes the reunion all the more earth-shattering, am I right?"
Shepard rolled her eyes, but didn't deny it. "Come on. Shore-leave, Mister.
"Edi, where are you?"
"Right outside, Jeff."
"Gotta love that efficiency." They moved to the door but Joker stopped just before it opened. "I'm sorry. With…you know what on your plate, the last thing you needed was me fighting with Altair."
"Truth be told, I welcome the distraction," she said, honestly.
Joker studied her for a moment. "We'll get through this, Shepard. We always do. You know I'm with you, whatever, right?"
"I do." Appreciating that, Shepard laid her hand on his arm. "You are one of the few absolutes in my life. It's why I treasure you."
"Yeah, I think you've been hanging around with Vega too long with all that smooth-talking. Working though." He grinned as she laughed and they joined Edi. "Hey, need baby-sitters for Rorie in the morning? You'd be up for that, right, Edi?"
"It would be a pleasure."
"Pleasure?" Joker questioned, dubiously as they entered the elevator. "Do you not see what that kid gets up to?"
"I see everything, Jeff. I like her curiosity; to watch her learn. We share that. After all, I am only eight years into my own existence."
"Okay, that's…weird. Never refer to yourself in terms of age again."
"Acknowledged."
"We could be a while in that meeting," Terra warned.
"I think I could stand to spend the day in a luxury apartment, complete with large screen and hot tub," smirked Joker.
"Then that would be great," she said. The elevator opened on the CIC and she led the way out. "Rorie would only be bored with us and create havoc in the Council room." She didn't have to wait long for what she knew was coming.
"On second thought, take her - I'll get popcorn and come watch!"
Terra laughed again. "Joker, don't ever change."
oOo
Garrus was waiting for them as they stepped through the airlock. "There you are! Thought I was going to have to come in there, and you know I'd only end up hijacking the Battery."
"Uncle Gus!"
As Rorie ran towards him, he crouched down ready to receive her embrace, grinning at the name she'd used since she was able to attempt it. As always, she nearly bowled him over, arms encircling his neck as she hugged him. "Spirits! I know it's been a while but you've gotten huge! You're nearly taller than me!"
Rorie giggled back at him. "You're silly."
Garrus chuckled. "I've been called worse." He stood up, taking Rorie with him. "Shepard. You never call, you never write," he teased. They either talked or messaged every day. He acknowledged it was his need to know she was still out there; a need Shepard humoured. That time when he'd settled back on the Citadel after serving with her, she'd died in the Collector attack. No Shepard without Vakarian, he'd once said. Though it might have been true while she was trapped under Cerberus, it was very much the other way around. She was still his moral compass, keeping him on the straight and narrow, instilling that need for patience which he so often struggled with, and helping him walk that fine line between right and wrong. She was his closest friend and he was a better person because of it.
"Ah, Garrus. If only I had the chance to miss that dry wit," she joked back. Terra's day just wasn't the same without some small correspondence with her favourite turian. Sometimes a long vid-call, other times just a single-line message. If she didn't get something, she worried.
Garrus shook Kaidan's hand. "Good to see you three together again. And back on the Citadel. This place isn't the same when I don't have my workload doubled by whatever trouble Shepard brings with her."
"I resent that," pouted Terra.
"Think I'm exaggerating? Last time I had a mini riot because 'The Saviour of the Galaxy' bought an outfit for her daughter. The other shoppers started to fight over what turned out to be the last identical outfit in the store."
"It had pretty flowers on," Rorie informed Garrus, then proceeded to balance her soft toy on his head.
"I'm glad you liked it. Am I going to like my new hat?"
Rorie chuckled heartily. "It's not a hat! It's Puppy!"
Laughing with her, Garrus returned to his conversation. "Forget Reapers, nothing is scarier than rival mothers."
"That's hardly my fault. I was just shopping," defended Terra.
Garrus carried on. "Before that, I had to send twenty officers to corner your 'house-guest' after he'd run into a restaurant naked shouting 'I am the perfect krogan'."
Kaidan and Terra began laughing.
"I love Grunt," stated Terra, grinning with that memory.
"You have to admit that was pretty funny," Kaidan said to Garrus.
"Extremely. Unfortunately, Councillor Tevos was dining at the very table he chose to use as a platform for his declaration. She got a closer look at the 'perfect krogan' than she'd have liked. Got a personal call from her to get it dealt with."
"Still not my fault," Shepard said, weakly.
Garrus fixed her with his sharp gaze. One forehead plate raised. "Really? You're going to maintain innocence over that one?"
Terra squinted back at him. "Why...? What have you heard?"
"That you bet he wouldn't do it." Garrus watched her suck her lips between her teeth as she tried not to laugh again. Kaidan, however, did.
"I think you've been busted, beautiful."
Garrus nodded at Kaidan's comment. "Yeah. Thought so. Challenging a krogan, Shepard? What were you thinking?"
"That he was too drunk to stand, let alone…do it! Oh, admit it, you love the extra action," she brushed it off quickly.
"Not the mothers' riot." Garrus shuddered at the thought. "But Grunt… That was the highlight of my career as Executor so far, so I'll give you that one. You should have seen the Councillor's face!"
She sniggered.
"I'm sure Shepard's exhausted all avenues of trouble by now," assured Kaidan, ignoring her glare.
"Hm…" sounded Garrus, dubiously. "Let's just see how this visit goes." Rorie's huge yawn grabbed their attention. "Come on, I've got a cab waiting for you with an escort." He made the toy topple from his head, catching it and passing it back to Rorie, then led the way with the little human clasped tight.
oOo
Shepard closed out the views from the windows, instantly finding comfort in being cocooned. It had been a relief to get through the door of their apartment and close the galaxy out. For tonight at least, it was just her, Kaidan and Rorie.
The flames from the fire were warming far beyond the physical heat. They signalled home, and safety. She wished they could hide away here forever…
The sound of her daughter's sweet laughter from above made her smile, and Terra went up. Walking into Rorie's bedroom, she was immediately lifted by the sight of father and daughter. Kaidan was sitting on the floor allowing Rorie to blow him over with her biotics. He spent as much time as he could teaching her how to control her inner energy - ever more important as she grew stronger. It was a lesson he never wanted her to learn the hard way like he had, and Terra could see Rorie understood.
Noticing Terra, Kaidan stopped the game by using his own biotics to lift Rorie in the air, making her squeal in delight.
"Drop me, daddy!" she laughed, coiled ready for the fall.
Grinning, Kaidan dropped her over her bed where she bounced, still laughing. By the time he was on his feet, so was Rorie.
"Again!"
"Hh! It's bedtime, young lady!"
"Aaww!" she whined, then rubbed her eyes and yawned.
Terra held out her hand which was instantly clutched by Rorie's small one, and they headed into the bathroom.
As Kaidan tidied the mess Rorie's biotics had made of her toys, he listened as Rorie had a rather unintelligible conversation with her mother, who somehow had the ability to pick out the gist from the quick-fired jumble of half-formed words. He loved being here - their haven from the rest of the galaxy.
"What are you thinking about?"
He turned towards Terra's soft voice as Rorie climbed into bed, nestling her soft-toy beside her, and activating her VI, 'Moon' - a mini version of Glyph, gifted to her by Liara – searching for the story she wanted. "That this place is like a welcome barrier between us and everyone else," he answered.
"Rorie can do bah-rar!"
Their daughter instantly sprang to her feet, blazing with that familiar blue aura, encompassing them all in her field. Kaidan always felt immense pride whenever she showed off what he'd taught her. He was determined his little girl would never know shame over her biotics. "That's a great barrier, honey. Nothing would get through this," he smiled, and as always she beamed back at him.
"I think you're going to be even better than daddy someday!" teased Terra.
"Actually, that could well be the case," Kaidan said as Terra began to tuck their daughter back into bed. He moved round to the opposite side to sit beside Rorie. "Her control's phenomenal, and that's before she receives an implant. In fact, I'm wondering if she even needs one."
"But I thought only asari didn't need them."
"Normally, yes, but if she continues the way she has so far…. And no implant? That's fine by me."
Terra, now settled down beside Rorie too, reached across and caressed her fingers along the back of his neck as though to soothe away the effects his own implant had on him. "You're saying she's unique in more than one way?"
"I'd say so. Maybe it has something to do with the spores. Maybe it's just a natural evolution. I don't know. I do know she's extraordinary, but then I'd expect nothing less from a daughter of the legendary Shepard," he said playfully.
Terra's demure smile was accompanied by one raised brow and a shrug. "I can't take all the credit."
"Are you going to kiss?" Rorie looked up at them cheekily.
"Later," stated Kaidan, flashing Terra a roguish look as Rorie giggled.
As badly as Terra wanted him, she wasn't about to squander this precious time, and neither was Kaidan. They both scooted lower so they were snuggled up against their little girl, and Terra started the story.
oOo
The human colony of Nuapa was a small one. Terraforming the planet was a slow process, and there weren't many who were prepared to remain so isolated for so long, no matter how plentiful the minerals were here. Therefore, only a few scientists and their families resided there, willing to over-look the harder life in order to be able to call colony-rights on any minerals extracted, and get a large cut of profits for it. Their purpose-built habitats and labs were encased within a large protective dome to keep them sheltered from the harsh external environment.
Despite the progressively late evening, no one here was settling down, the dome awash with artificial light. Instead, they made a final trip from a warehouse to the ship hangar. Inside the hangar was the large transporter, an old ship slow in comparison to most, which would carry them all away from the colony.
However, one thing would stand out to any outside observer looking in: there was complete silence. The adults weren't chatting, the children weren't playing. The most precious of their cargo now loaded, they were ready to begin their journey.
oOo
Rorie now asleep, Kaidan and Terra wasted no time, their bedroom door sealing behind them. This was the time they'd both been longing for. Their mouths met hungrily, tasting each other; their hands explored each other, undressing as they went.
"How about we start in the hot-tub?" Kaidan murmured over her lips.
"Sounds wonderful," she managed to reply.
Separating, Kaidan discarded what clothes remained, then entwined his hand with Terra's in order to maintain contact as he led the way to the en-suite. A look over his shoulder rewarded him with the vision of his exquisite wife following him with a look on her beautiful face that could sear the sun itself. He felt that heat ignite his whole body, and damn it felt good to know he was the cause of her desire. "See something you like?" he teased.
"Back here? Oh yes," she practically purred.
Laughing, Kaidan sank into the hot bubbling water, and quickly turned to sit back and watch her. Her eyes were fixed on his, twinkling with mischief as she ever so slowly descended into the water. Grabbing her waist he swiftly pulled her closer. "Tease," he growled into her throat, his teeth grazing her skin as his lips stroked her, his tongue tasting her.
She smiled devilishly back. "I'm sure you'll get your own back." Terra was straddled across his lap, and her hands smoothed over the hard plains of his chest before whispering down his sides causing him to shiver. She loved this man completely and she wanted him to know it absolutely. He was perfection, and his touch… His hands glided over her skin so tenderly as though she were made of little more than spun sugar, and she felt unbelievably loved. This time she shuddered with the thrill, and it pooled at her core. She lost all thought process as his fingers found her centre, and his mouth found her breast. She writhed against him, feeling his length pressed against her, and giving in to her body's demand, she lifted her hips to bid him entry.
Kaidan's arms tightened around her as he controlled her sinking body, deliberately slow and heightening the senses until all they were focused on was that one motion of unity. Only when he was fully sheathed within her did he let her take over the pace, their breathing coming out in quivering gasps as she moved.
As it always was, their release was powerful and overwhelming, and they held onto each other as they rode out the orgasm that left them with stars in their vision, tingling down to their toes, and trembling limbs. But this wouldn't be it for the night. When they'd regained the use of their legs, they would move to the bed and begin again, because life was known to throw them curve-balls and they had learned the hard way to make every second count.
oOo
The ships were on their way, co-ordinated to arrive en masse. The Leviathans skipped from ship to ship, all travelling to one destination. Though there were only a few, it was enough. These tools were likely to be nothing more than fodder, a means to show Shepard and those who followed her that their efforts were meaningless. In the meantime, their greatest weapons remained beneath the notice of those who thought themselves worthy to stand against the Leviathans.
The first lesson would soon be taught.
oOo