4

Dark

Jack liked it dark in her room, Shepard soon learned. Really, really, dark and apparently down in the bowels of the ship was where Jack would be found. Before Jack was a crew member Jane often went down there to draw, because it was so secluded Shepard often went down there to draw the shadows of the pipes and stark red light the perhaps signaled to others that they weren't allowed to be down this far into the ship's gut. Shepard liked it because if she drew down there almost nobody knew where she was or what she was doing.

The complication came when Jack joined the crew and she occupied this part of the ship and Jack liked it down and dark. Jane found herself frustrated by the fact that now this convict would know that Jane liked to draw. Jane found the idea of someone being in her space unacceptable, so she gently tried to move Jack elsewhere.

There ended up being a dent in the wall where Shepard usually stood as a result.

Jane devised a plan. She would go down there when dinner was served and draw for a few minutes. Jack had to go eat at some point, Jane figured, so the plan was made and as soon as Jane saw Jack leave for the elevator Jane made her way to the underneath of the shp and started to draw.

Jane quickly started on the dark shadows, he strokes with her charcoal quick and precise and time passed quickly. She was making hoof progress on the drawing until a biotic blast knocked Jane back and was forced to hold tight to her charcoal so as to not drop and break it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing down here, Shepard?" a voice growled from the stairs behind Jane.

There were several options here. Jane chose the stupid one. "Not... stealing anything of yours. Just... admiring the decorations you have down here. These are some nice... weapons."

"You should have just come while I was here, then," Jack said through gritted teeth.

"You tend to be very volatile. I was merely making sure your weapons were up to snuff. For the mission, of course. Can't have your weapons breaking down as we fight... vor...cha..." Jane's soldier image crumbled the second Jack grabbed the notepad from where it had fallen earlier.

"Are you taking notes on my weapons? Using actual paper?"

"No!" Jane said as Jack picked it up and began to open the notebook to see inside. "That's... my... weapon... notebook. I write down information in it and then I-"

"Goddamn, you're the worst liar I've ever met, and I've met some pretty damn bad liars before." Jack laughed before she flipped the notebook open, and a rough sketch of the belly of the ship was revealed. "What the fuck...?"

"Uh I-"

"You did all of these? You? Jeez, I had you pegged as a straightlaced soldier without time for art or that sort of shit."

"I am," Jane said sternly trying to regain control, "and I'll court martial you if you breathe a word about this to any other crewmate."

"I'm not Alliance."

"I'll find a way."

"Heh, I'm not afraid of you, soldier girl."

"Need I remind you that the Collectors killed me once and have only since then pissed me off even more? If you're not afraid of me, then you lack fear altogether."

Jack only glared in response. Jane didn't like to pull the death card, but it made for a good scare when she needed someone to be kept in line. Although, this was the first time she'd actually used it.

"So why do you go drawing down here, soldier girl? Is because you knew that someone would stow away down here, or was it because you couldn't take the weight of being an ex-alliance officer anymore?" Jack asked, tossing the notebook back to Jane. "Come down here to cry often, or is this a new thing?"

"No, I like the contrast of the shadows and the light down here. It'd make for nice pictures as well, but those aren't going on the extranet anytime soon, now if you don't mind I'm going to go eat, since the trip down here was a waste."

"I don't mind you coming down here to draw, Shepard, I mind you trying to be goddamn secretive about it."

"Whisper a word about this to anyone and I'll feed you you own teeth," Shepard threatened again.

"Girl scout promise," Jack said with a smile that was meant to conceal her laughter, "girl scout."

A/N: The hardest part about writing is the not knowing. I know you guys leave likes and kudos, but as I was working on posting this I was stopped by doubt and uncertainty. I want to keep going, but it's just hard some days. I might scrap my other work and try again. Don't worry, I like doing the challenge, so I won't stop doing this. Please remember to be kind to the author, no matter the work.