Book 2, Chapter 13 - Cold Case

A/N – I'm going to put up a warning about this chapter. It gets really fucking dark later and explores some very uncomfortable themes which some readers might not enjoy. So I can only suggest that you read with caution. I'm not a psychoanalyst or anything. Whether it makes sense, I'm not sure but an attempt was made.

*****

Kelly and I were enjoying lunch in the cabin. I'd escorted her up there as I needed to talk to her in privacy about something. She was no doubt already aware, but I needed to be upfront and honest. She'd been honest with me about everything, as I had with her. But I needed to continue that honesty to feel right about everything in my life. Once I finished my food, I turned towards her, took a deep breath, and…

"Miranda," she said.

"What?"

"Miranda has finally admitted that she likes you. And that she definitely wants to sleep with you."

"Huh?"

She giggled. "I'm not blind, Shepard. I see how she looks at you. She definitely likes you. I mean, I certainly understand why. And you find her attractive."

"Yeah, I do."

"And obviously that now includes sexual attraction, correct?"

"Yeah, I guess."

She gave me a gentle push. "Not 'yeah you guess', yeah there is. So now you're concerned and feel you need to ask my permission." She took both my hands. "Shepard, you don't need it. You sleep with who you want. Did you ask Liara or Ashley when you were on the old Normandy?"

"Well… no, I guess not. But this feels… different."

"It's different because you actually admitted that you love me, Shepard. That's why. If Gianna was here, would you be acting the same?"

"Probably, to be honest."

"But does she accept you?"

"Yeah, she knows."

"As do I. So the point remains. Shepard, you really need to stop doubting yourself here. I've made it perfectly clear that I don't expect you to change for me. Hell, I even hope to be invited once or twice when you meet up with some of your other lovers, as I've said." She paused a moment. "Can I ask only one favour?"

"Sure."

"Can this cabin be 'our' place?"

"Of course. I won't even spend the…"

She put a finger on my lips. "No, you will at least spend the first night with her, Shepard. You're not just going to fuck, cum and leave. She deserves better than that." I definitely raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Look, I don't always see eye to eye with Miranda regarding certain matters. But her attitude has certainly improved recently, and that is largely thanks to you. She's now… friendly. Certainly more approachable. Talks to me like I'm a human rather than someone she just orders around. Where are we headed now?"

"Zaeed finally twisted my arm into heading to Omega. He's going to take Grunt out to get laid."

"Will you be wanting to visit someone too?"

"Ah, I'll admit, I hadn't even thought of Tara."

"Want a threesome with her and me?"

"You're serious?"

"Of course. You clearly liked the girl, Shepard. I would like to meet her, and I know you'd like to fuck her again. And I'd like to be involved if possible. I like eating pussy." I kissed her for that one, which made her giggle. "Just being honest, Shepard. I much prefer sucking someone's cock though. One particular man anyway."

"Joker, how long until we're near Omega?"

"Another two days, Shepard. We'll arrive quite early, just after breakfast."

"What are you thinking?" she asked.

"Well, I'm thinking I'll escort you downstairs after lunch then… chat with Miranda."

"I would say good luck, but it's a sure thing, Shepard. Just let me know if you'll be away tonight or tomorrow night. I'll keep myself occupied up here, masturbating as I think about all the things we've done."

"Film it for me."

"Done." She kissed me before adding, "And you still haven't taken my arse yet. I know it's not really your thing, but I do enjoy it, Shepard. Jack certainly let everyone know you fucked her there."

"Yeah, but that was… different."

"I know, but I can assure you, Shepard, I do want it. Not all the time, but I do want to feel that thick cock of yours in my tight little butt." I couldn't help chuckle at the tone she used. "Something to think about anyway. Oh, and besides Miranda, if you do ever feel like having some fun with Jack again…"

"I'm going to wear myself out from sex, the way you're organising my love life."

"You have a voracious sexual appetite, Shepard, and you know I'm not the jealous type. I certainly understand why other women desire you. I mean, do you check yourself in the mirror every day? You look even better now those scars healed."

I rubbed my face, happy they were gone as well. "At least I look like me again."

Escorting Kelly downstairs to the CIC, I gave her butt a gentle slap before walking to my terminal, flicking it on to check for messages. Nothing from the Illusive Man regarding any recruits, and no information about the Collectors. It was all a bit frustrating, really. And just flying around space seemed pointless, so a stop in Omega made some sense, at least. It would also let the crew off the ship again, something I was certain they'd enjoy again.

Letting Kelly know I was heading downstairs, I headed to the kitchen first to pour two mugs of coffee before heading into Miranda's office. She wasn't surprised to see me strolling in, her face lighting up as I offered her a steaming mug of black. She immediately took a sip, sitting back and relaxing as I sat across from her. "Glad you stopped by, Shepard."

"Oh, for what reason?"

"Because I wanted to talk, and I'm sure you're here to talk as well."

"Okay, sure. What do you want to talk about?"

"I think you need to know more about me as I know nearly everything about you. Why don't we sit on the couch, get more comfortable?" That sounded like a fine idea, so we sat side by side, turning to each other, my left arm stretched out on the back of the couch, but I could touch her if I wanted to, or if she wanted me to. She took another sip of coffee, a deep breath, then she said, "I'm a science experiment, Shepard. I'm not sure if I'm even really human on a certain level."

"What?"

"I was genetically engineered, Shepard. I wasn't born, that's why I don't have a mother. I know you don't understand scientific babble, so I won't go into too much detail. But it's to do with my father's genome and his quest for perfection. What I learned to my horror is that I wasn't the first he designed, I was just the first one he kept. I guess I was suitable enough for him to achieve what he wanted with me. Everything about me, my looks, my abilities, my physical attributes, were designed before I was conceived in a tube, much like Grunt was in his tank. I didn't have to work for any of my abilities, but I wouldn't call them natural either. I was designed this way."

She sipped again, another deep breath. "My father was a perfectionist. He was and is a cruel man. I never received affection, rarely his approval, yet criticism rained down upon me. He was incredibly strict, constantly demanding. I had few to no friends, social life was non-existent outside school activities. From dawn to late at night, I was expected to study, to work, to improve, to be… perfect, at least in his eyes. Any little failing was leapt upon, accused that I wasn't trying hard enough, trying my best. I guess the bastard rubbed off on me in the end. The thing is, Shepard, Cerberus saved me. When I ran away, I didn't know where to go. But my father was wealthy, he was influential, and I had met people he knew. Many were attracted to me, so I used that to my advantage when I left. And that's how I ended up at Cerberus. Unlike my father, the Illusive Man saw my gifts, and while he would use them to his advantage, I would at least have his support. He had given me everything I wanted and let me do the job my way." She sipped at her coffee again before she looked at me. "So what do you think of me now?"

"I think you're wonderful, Miranda."

She placed the coffee down on the windowsill before leaning forward, her kiss soft as her lips met mine. I placed my coffee next to hers as I leaned forward to pull her closer, her mouth parting to accept my tongue, a slight moan escaping her as a hand railed down her back to grab that fantastic arse of hers. Breaking the kiss, she caressed my cheek and asked, "So none of that scares you off?"

"Why would it? You had a domineering father who you escaped, and found salvation with an organisation who have used your talents perfectly. I might not like them, Miranda, but it's obvious to me that you're brilliant."

That made her eyes well up as she kissed me again, a brief one but by the time she pulled back, there were small tears dripping down her cheeks. "He never said anything like that to me," she whispered.

"Well, the man was blind then. And I might not like the Illusive Man, but it's clear he sees what I see in you as well. I'll give him credit for that."

Her hand left my cheek to rest on my chest. "Can you stay with me tonight?"

"Yes. Absolutely."

Her face lit up, as if she finally got what she wanted. She kissed me again, wrapping her arms around me, my hands giving her arse another squeeze, which made her laugh. "Do you like it, Shepard?"

"Fantastic."

"We're going to have a lot of fun tonight. I guarantee it."

I could have stayed here all day, just talking to her, and while we did discuss a few other things related to the mission, we agreed to part ways until later that evening. Still, before I left, she practically wrapped her body around me and gave me one hell of a parting kiss, that left me wanting more. She did that on purpose, of course.

There was a couple of hours until dinner, so I did what I called 'the rounds'. Dropping in on most of my recruits just to make sure all was okay. Garrus was happy working on the cannons. Samara was meditating with Thane, simply relaxing and finding their peace. Kasumi was reading a book, happy in her own company. Tali was busy down below in engineering, chatting away with Gabby and Ken. Zaeed, Grunt and Jack were all in Zaeed's room, playing cards, drinking liquor. They offered me a spot but I said I was okay for now.

"Want to stay, Shepard? Maybe I can get all three of you to fuck me."

"Damn it, girl, I said that ain't happenin'," Zaeed muttered, "And I know for a fact you couldn't handle Grunt."

"I'll try if he's keen."

Grunt just looked at me, a little confused. "I did not know that human women would breed with krogan men."

"Well, you won't get her pregnant, but I know of a couple of women who have had sex with krogan. There's a niche porn market as well. No, you need either a krogan female if you want little krogan, or an asari if you don't mind little blue children."

"Is there any point in sex otherwise?"

Even Zaeed laughed at that, clapping the krogan on the shoulder. "Sex can be for fun, kid. You have a lot to learn. But enough of that. I still want my credits back."

I left the three of them to it as I headed up to my cabin to carry on working without distractions. I managed to get a few things done before I occupied myself for an hour with one of my ship models, concentrating so much I didn't hear Kelly walk in until her arms looped around me and she kissed my cheeks. "Now this is just adorable," she whispered.

I shushed her gently. "Concentrating," I whispered back.

She kissed my cheek again. "Dinner will be served soon. Will you be coming back up here?" That made me stop immediately, and of course, Kelly knew why as I turned to her. "Okay, I'll head to the lounge, have a night with some of the girls. I'm sure they'll figure out why but it's none of their business anyway."

"I could always…"

She leaned forward to kiss me, and also shut me up. "I get you tomorrow night before we arrive in Omega. That's fair."

Heading downstairs, we joined everyone else for dinner, conversation flowing as the crew discussed what they were going to get up to on Omega. Most were interested in heading to Afterlife, as it was probably the best place to hang out on Omega. There were other bars you could visit, but there was a good chance of being robbed, shot or stabbed. At least in Afterlife, the only thing you'll get is robbed by the exorbitant drinks prices. But they were keen to arrive, at least.

The lounges were now a popular spot for after dinner gatherings, people slowly but surely filtering out until there was only myself and Kelly, with Miranda sitting nearby. She got up and walked towards her room, glancing back once before disappearing. Kelly kissed my cheek, told me to have fun, before walking away. I watched her leave before I stood up and walked straight into Miranda's room. I locked the door behind me before I walked forward and came to a stop.

She knew what we both wanted, lying back on her bed in just her underwear, a lacey bra and panty selection that hid very little. She made a gesture that I followed, immediately undressing myself, though I just took everything off. Her eyes immediately went to my crotch and there was an involuntary lick of the lips as she moved forward on her hands and knees before sitting up so I could kiss her. I immediately undid the hook of her bra to take that off, but she broke the kiss and smiled before kissing down my chest, all the way to my groin.

"Glad we gave you the same sized cock, Shepard," she whispered, running her tongue up my shaft, "I'll admit, I masturbated more than once, imagining you were fucking me with it."

I ran my hands through her raven hair as she looked up with those gorgeous blue eyes. "Well, you won't have to imagine much longer."

"I know, but I wanted to blow you, at least for a little while."

"I certainly won't complain."

Grabbing its base, she ran her tongue all over it, teasing the head, covering it in her saliva before she slowly started to swallow it. Inch by inch she took until she was satisfied, her head soon bobbing up and down. Gods, she was really good at it too. I just ran my hands through her hair or caressed her face, earning smiles of appreciation that I could see in her eyes. "You are beautiful," I whispered.

"Bet you say that to all your girls," she retorted gently.

"Of course, because all the girls I'm with are. I have good taste."

That made her laugh as she swallowed me again, trying to take my whole length this time. She didn't quite manage, but what she took was more than enough for me, eventually rocking my hips slightly, and I was certainly getting close. When I let her know, she stopped for a moment, looked up, then continued. So I guess I was going to cum.

"Where?" I asked. When she didn't reply, but kept on bobbing her head up and down, that was the reply. I moaned and gasped at her talented mouth and tongue until I warned her I was about to cum. She squealed when the first shot fired into her mouth, feeling her swallow more of my cock as I fired over and again, at least six or seven good shots until I relaxed, Miranda slowly moving back before my cock fell free of her mouth. Miranda simply looked up at me and grinned, and there was no doubt she swallowed what I gave her. "Wow," I whispered.

Gently pushing her back, I immediately grabbed her panties and took those off, exposing her bald and very wet pussy. But I was on a mission to now tease her relentlessly until she was begging for me to make her cum. And that's what I did, as my tongue and lips covered nearly her entire body, earning plenty of laughter and giggles, and I was obviously being silly as well, but her breasts received copious amounts of attention, as I definitely trailed my fingers along other areas, causing her to shudder slightly, goosebumps rising as she became sensitive to all I was doing.

When I dipped my tongue to finally taste her, my cock sprang to life immediately. Damn, it was good. Wrapping a hand around each thigh, the only thing I wanted now was to make her cum hard, numerous times, until she begged me to stop. She sat back on her elbows watching me, and I looked up and met her eyes as my tongue teased her, sliding inside her, moving around to tickle and tease, avoiding her clit for now. That would be for later. She gasped and moaned at everything I did, not deigning to use my fingers. I would only make her cum with my tongue.

"Shepard," she breathed. I wasn't going to stop to talk. I was going to make her cum. I enjoyed it when she moaned and her head rolled back. Eventually she had to lie flat, arching her back as she grew more excited, feeling her want to squeeze her thighs though I was now pushing her legs back, spreading them as wide as possible, completely exposing her pussy for me.

"Oh god," she cried quietly, no doubt trying to keep the noise to a minimum. I didn't really care if the others heard. Kelly wouldn't say anything, but they all knew my reputation by now. The fact I was with Miranda might surprise a few of them, but in the end, it was my business to worry about.

I made Miranda Lawson cum a few minutes later, and she covered her mouth to quiet her cries. I looked up as she looked down, her nod suggesting I should keep going. So I did, doubling down by now just focusing on her now sensitive clit. For some women, that would be too much. For Miranda, that just made her cum again very quickly. I looked up, and she nodded again. I relented on her clit, but even then, she was far too turned on to hold it back for long, and her third took slightly longer than her second, but when it arrived, she uncovered her mouth and cried out loudly. "Oh god, Shepard!"

I'll admit, I felt like a king at that moment. Again, I looked up. Another nod. "Are you sure?"

"You're wonderful, Shepard," she whispered, "One more. Just one more."

She received one more within five minutes. No attempt to hide her cries then. As I kissed up her body once she'd calmed down, she met my eyes and I noticed her lip tremble, her eyes starting to well up. "What?" I asked quietly.

"I'm over thirty years old, Shepard. No-one has ever done that for me… ever."

"Well, those men were obviously fools." I kissed her but Miranda wanted more. Much more. Her hand trailed down my back to my butt, urging me down and forward, my cock easily sliding into her. I stopped once I was partly inside her. "Easy, Miranda. We have all night," I whispered.

"I just want you," she replied quietly.

"You've got me," I said, kissing her softly, "You've got me now."

That very first time, we made love, because I knew that was what she needed. She needed to feel loved, adored, cherished, wanted, needed. And I was willing to give that to her. I think the armour, the shell she wrapped herself in also masked a lot of pain and loneliness. She clearly loved her job, but there's no doubt that's all there was to her life, particularly as she rebuilt me. For two years, there was only me. No wonder she ended up liking at least the idea of me.

I had to roll over, taking her with me, so I could watch her ride me. Whether her father created her or not, she had a body only the gods themselves could give a woman. Her breasts were perfect. Her body was perfect. Her pussy was perfect. And she definitely loved riding me at the same time, her compliments even making me blush at one stage. I was compared to other lovers and it was safe to say I came out on top in more ways than one.

She came once while riding me before bending forward, asking me to fuck her long enough to make me cum inside her. She got what she wanted, one hand on her arse, the other caressing her face, as I pumped into her long enough to groan, kissing her as I emptied myself deep inside her. When I stilled, she relaxed on top of me, feeling her breasts press into my chest as she rested her head under my chin, my hand trailing up and down the smooth skin of her back.

"Waited over two years for this moment," she admitted.

"And?"

"Worth the wait."

We made love and fucked the rest of the night, getting our desires for each other out of our systems. I learned that she particularly loved being fucked while on all fours. We had fun fucking on her couch. She definitely found it amusing when I bent her over her desk and really gave it to her. We enjoyed it when I pressed her against the window so we could watch the stars in the distance.

And when we were done, she expected me to just leave, almost resigned to the fact she'd go to sleep alone. So when I lifted her up and carried her to bed, sliding under the covers with her, that's when the emotions really took hold of her, so I held her until she calmed down. "Sorry, you must think I'm being a real drama queen."

"Not at all."

"It's why they call me the 'Ice Queen', Shepard. I bury down everything. Then you come along, we make an awful start, but then we make an effort, then we were friends, now we're… this… and I feel I can be me around you now."

"I like this you."

"So do I. In private, like this, I can do things like laugh and cry, and not feel foolish."

"It isn't foolish, Miranda, but I understand why."

"You'll still be here in the morning?"

"We're walking out of here together for breakfast, Miranda."

"Oh…"

I lifted her chin with a finger, kissing her softly. "No-one will say a word. Trust me."

She settled down as I pulled her tight to my body. She fell asleep quickly, murmuring to herself as I lay there awake, contemplating my life. I don't think I'd made it complicated, but… I knew I'd receive comments from some people. But after that night, it would be worth it. All I knew is that the feelings I'd originally felt for her had long disappeared. I'd grown to like her, now I really liked and adored her. I hadn't lied. I thought she was a wonderful and gifted human being, and I was lucky to have her by my side on the ship.

The next morning, I felt her run fingers down my face, pressing my cheek, as I opened my eyes. "You're really here," she whispered.

"I said I'd still be here in the morning."

The smile took my breath away as she immediately cuddled into me again. I definitely liked this Miranda. Fun. Showing emotion. Affectionate. Full of the joys of life. Stomachs rumbling, we eventually rose and dressed before we headed out into the mess together. Dead silence as I walked out first, Miranda just behind me. I was still wearing the same clothes from the night before, and it was obvious what we'd been up to. All we did was head to the breakfast bar to get food before we sat down. I sat next to Kelly, but Miranda sat to my other side. Conversation did resume though Garrus just looked at me with a million questions on his face.

"So… Miranda…"

"Yes, Garrus?" I asked.

"You were with Miranda last night?"

"I was."

He looked away from me. "And you don't mind?"

"Of course not," Kelly replied, "Look at her face, Garrus. I haven't seen a smile like that on her face… ever."

"You're serious?"

"Garrus, you don't remember the old Normandy?" Tali asked, "Shepard had Ashley, Liara, Shiala, Benezia and me. Why is Miranda and Kelly such a surprise?"

"Because it's different. Because she's…"

Miranda's hand stopped halfway to her mouth, but her head noticeably dropped. "Because I'm Cerberus," she whispered.

Garrus cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable. "Shit, I didn't mean for it to sound so bad. It's just… when he woke up, and your…" He sighed. "I'm just going to shut up."

"Miranda is special, Garrus," I finally said, "She's an incredibly intelligent and driven woman, who had shown courage many times in her life, and I'm not the only one who owes her a debt of gratitude for bringing me back. I looked past the badge to see what matters most, Garrus. What's inside. Her heart, her soul, her mind, her character. Those mean more than a symbol. She might wear it but she isn't them. Not the Cerberus we know."

I glanced at Miranda, no surprise she'd stopped eating, needing to dry her cheeks, not embarrassed anymore. I glanced at Kelly, who was doing the same, though the smile on her face suggested she appreciated every word. I raised my mug. "Crew of the Normandy, I would like to make a quick toast. Everyone here knows what happened to me over two years ago now. I believe we should all show our appreciation to Miranda Lawson for what she achieved. If it wasn't for her efforts, I wouldn't be here today, nor would any of you. If it wasn't her for dedication, none of this would have been possible. And I want to say thank you to her, in front of all of you, for all that she has done."

"Hear, hear!" echoed the mess.

Miranda simply turned to me and kissed me in front of everyone. It was quick but it meant everything to her. "Thank you," she whispered, before she glanced past me, "And you are one very lucky woman, Kelly Chambers. Keep hold of him, and never let him go."

*****

After weeks of searching every datapad Shepard sent her way, she finally had the answer she'd been craving. The place where she had been made, moulded into the person she was now. Since the day she'd managed to escape, she'd been fuelled by a vengeance that she knew would one day lead to the destruction of the place that had once been her home. It had not been a home full of love and joy. It had been one of fear, and pain, but it was also where she had learned how to fight, use her power and had left its mark on body, mind and soul.

She was sitting back on her cot, resting her head against the wall, feeling the thrum of the engines above, when she heard footsteps approached on the metallic floor. "Wanted to see me, Jack?"

She opened her eyes and looked at him. His face was blank, as usual. He showed emotion occasionally, but their relationship was weird, at best. They'd fucked a couple of times. Jack would readily admit he was the best she'd had by far. Knew his way around her body like they'd fucked for years. And his cock. Nothing came close. Sure, he fucked her hard and gave an air of not giving a shit about her, but she knew he wanted her to enjoy it. Plus, she had him figured as just this boy scout figure not wearing Alliance uniform. She'd seen enough to suggest he had a hard edge to him that many may underestimate.

"If I dropped my pants now and got onto the floor, wiggling my arse in your direction, would you fuck me?"

She laughed as he sighed, almost defeated. "I thought I was brought down her for a serious reason, Jack."

She picked up the datapad and leaned over. As he read it, she said, "I found it, Shepard. The place I was made. It was called Teltin, a Cerberus facility on the planet of Pragia." He nodded, understanding already why he was there. "I want to go there, Shepard. I want to walk through it one more time. Then I want to blow it up."

"Are we talking small bomb or something bigger?"

"Suppose a nuke is out of the question?"

"Yes."

"Then just a bomb big enough to leave it nothing more than a crater."

"I can get some supplies and I'm sure Mordin has the know how to build one capable enough of doing it."

"Do this for me, Shepard, and…" She trailed off, as what she would want was easy to figure out. Then he met his eyes. "So you fucked the cheerleader?"

"I did. What of it?"

"Surprised you did, that's all. Considering who she's with."

"I can look past the symbol to see the woman underneath all that." She scoffed as he added, "I look past all the shit you fling my way, Jack."

"Shepard, I just want your dick inside me. I don't give a fuck about anything else."

He shrugged though asked, "Are you going to visit Omega while we're here?"

"Might do. I'll see how I feel."

"You should head out. Do you some good to get off the ship. I'll speak to Mordin about building a bomb, then I'll see how far Pragia is from here. Once that's all figured out, we'll leave."

"Okay. Cool." Shepard turned and walked away before she called, "Shepard, sure I can't interest you in a hard fuck?"

"You are relentless at times, Jack."

"I just know what I want, Shepard."

"Tell you what, we'll head to Pragia, sort all this out, see if it helps you find closure. See if you feel the same afterwards."

"Shepard, do this for me, and I'll be your fucking sex slave."

"That won't be necessary but I appreciate the sentiment."

She let him disappear, as no doubt he'd want more fun time with Kelly. She watched how the two were around each other and it made her want to vomit at times. She thought Kelly was surprisingly open-minded. And she still couldn't believe he'd slept with the cheerleader. She'd done some research on Shepard, learned his history, and certainly his list of apparent conquests. The man had run up an impressive number if it was to be believed.

Eventually heading off the ship, she wandered into Afterlife, hoping for a few drinks and watch the dancers. She's fooled around with women before, certainly more than one asari, but she preferred men. She'd enjoyed being fucked since… well, most people would shudder at the age she'd lost her virginity. Another reason why she was so fucked up.

Zaeed and Grunt were sat together in a booth, so she joined them, as out of everyone on the ship, she got along with them best. They didn't ask questions and, in some ways, shared similar traits to her own. Zaeed was a nutcase, and desired vengeance of his own. Grunt being krogan was just insane, his thirst for battle exceeding anyone else on the ship. She didn't get along with many if any of the women. Far too girly. But she knew most of the men found her intimidating. Thane had tried to get to understand her, but she wasn't interested in listening to all his body and soul crap. At least he did try, though. More than most people.

Pickings were slim that night, though she did enjoy a couple of private dancers from rather cute asari. They allowed hands to wander but anything sexual was off-limits. That ended up being even more frustrating, so she ended up back in her quiet place under engineering. Horny as she was, she eventually found a pair of toys she'd brought, placing both on the ground. Lubing both up, she slid one in her cunt, one in her arse, and rode herself to a series of orgasms. She knew, more than once, she moaned Shepard's name as she came, and eventually passed out on the floor.

He found her the next day in the same place. All he did was raise his eyebrows at the pair of toys laying near where she'd slept and the fact she was stark naked. "I've got two holes, Shepard, so I'll use them," she muttered, wrapping them up to wash in the shower later, "What do you want?" She noticed his eyes did sweep over her body, so she purposely laid back on her cot, spreading her legs provocatively.

"We're departing Omega in around an hour. Mordin and Jacob will construct the bomb. I told Miranda…"

"You fucking what?" she shouted, sitting up and knowingly glaring his way.

He held up a hand. "Calm down. I had to tell her because she's going to cop flack for doing this. But she knows why so while she did argue, there is little she can really do about it. She has offered one thing though."

"What?"

"She says she will come down with us when we get there."

"She doesn't believe me, does she?"

"I'm not sure it's that. I think she just needs to see it for herself. She believes Cerberus works for the benefit of humanity. Can she really say what was done to you was for all our benefit or just for the Illusive Man?"

She gave it thought before muttering, "Fine, she can come down."

"Good. So it'll be a couple of days until we're there. I'll lead the way down there but it's also your show. It's your story to tell."

"Sure." He turned and walked away and she could only ask, "Seriously?"

He turned back. "What, Jack?"

"Come on, I'm laying here like this, the invitation is obvious, yet you're going to walk away again?"

"I'm rather tired, Jack. I had a good afternoon and night."

"Who with?"

"Kelly and Tara." She didn't know what to say to that as he walked back towards her. When he crouched down next to her, she suddenly felt embarrassed. "Jack, I think you're gorgeous." She couldn't remember the last time… She didn't know if anyone told her that before. "But the relationship we share? Not good. Don't get me wrong, I get very excited when we get physical and then we just fuck, but is it healthy?"

She met his eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. "I like it," she said quietly.

"I know. Maybe because you've been conditioned that way. I guess we'll find out soon. I have one suggestion for you though. Find someone who appreciates you for you. I know you dismiss emotions like love rather easily, but once you find that person, whether it be man, woman, asari, then you'll know what a lot of us are talking about when we express those sorts of feelings."

"And if I just want to fuck and not worry about that shit?"

"Then so be it. But I think under all that ink is a scared young woman, afraid to open herself up, afraid to let anyone close, unable to trust anyone."

"I trust you," she blurted out. Then she felt her cheeks grow warm very quickly. When Shepard leaned forward and simply kissed her forehead, she felt a surge of emotion she didn't feel often at all.

"Well, I'm glad you do, Jack," he said softly, "But I think what you should do is get dressed and just relax. You don't need to keep throwing yourself at me for whatever reason you think. Yeah, you're clearly fucking nuts at times, but I don't think it's all your fault. You've been through some serious shit in your life. I'm not here to coddle you, but even I can accept I have been harsh at times. But maybe, just maybe, once you blow up Pragia, you might feel capable of moving on."

She didn't really know what to say so watched as he simply got up and walked away. Now she just felt… confused. But she did as he said, throwing on a thin shirt and trousers, grabbing her towel and heading up to the bathroom to have a wash. She cleaned her toys and couldn't help giggle as she'd thought about him nearly the entire time. She… liked him. She'd always thought she'd never like someone again after… Ugh, even after all this time, his death still hurt. The only way she'd even considered letting some close to her, and then he just upped and died.

Her mind was all over the place the next couple of days. She still burned hot for revenge. She had dark thoughts about dealing with some of the Cerberus personnel, particularly the cheerleader, maybe getting medieval on her with a few kitchen implements. But she knew Shepard wouldn't appreciate that. And she saw how the cheerleader looked at him. Jacob was just a stooge, he was barely a threat. The rest were just idiots, though she intimidated them, so that made her happy.

But she gave what Shepard said some serious thought, for the first time in her life. He seemed to actually give a shit. If it had been anyone else the night before, when she'd just laid there completely exposed, they'd have just fucked her and left. Instead, he treated her like a human being, was kind, even gentle with her. She could see in his eyes that he wanted her. Deny it all he wants, but she knew. But still, he controlled himself, gave her advice, and then left her alone.

Three days later, as Shepard explained they needed an extra day to complete the bomb, the Normandy was in orbit over Pragia, and she was stepping onto the shuttle with Shepard. In addition, there was Miranda, while she had asked Zaeed to join them. She wasn't blind to the affection he showed her, though it was more of an older brother rather than wanting to sleep with her. Garrus joined them as usual, as though the facility was apparently abandoned, such places were usually taken over by bandits and mercenaries. Finally, Mordin and Jacob joined as they would set up the bomb while the rest would 'tour' the facility with her.

She hated the feeling of nerves she felt as the shuttle touched down. Standing up, her legs felt like jelly. Shepard seemed to realise, a comforting hand on her shoulder, which she appreciated though would never vocalise. Opening the shuttle door, the weather was horrendous, driving rain and what looked like lightning in the distance. The weather fit the mood.

Walking down the steel staircase, it was immediately obvious that the facility had been long abandoned, perhaps since the day she had escaped. No-one knew the truth of everything that happened that day, nor the shit she'd been through in the years since.

The first room appeared to be some sort of reception area. Abandoned containers lay around, and she told the others they likely would have contained kids kidnapped from around the galaxy to be sent to Teltin for testing. Moving on as a small group, there was little sound apart from the driving rain, the distant thunder, and her own heartbeat in her ears. Back within the walls, she felt like the frightened little girl who had grown into a young woman full of hate.

Surprisingly, there was still power and some terminals were working. The first working one was full of information and most of it she didn't believe for an instant. "Bullshit. The Illusive Man would have known about everything that went on here," she exclaimed.

"We have had trouble with cells going rogue before, Jack. This wouldn't be the first place," Miranda countered.

"What the fuck would you know?" she hissed.

"From what I've learned in regards to Shepard's run-in's with us before, yes, we have black marks against our name. I can admit that and have spoken to the Illusive Man about that. Even he will admit that there are elements within the organisation that veer off the right path."

She couldn't help turn and stride towards her, making sure her hands glowed glue. "How far is your head stuck up his arse? He knew about this! Of course he would have known!"

"What benefit would torturing kids bring to Cerberus, Jack?"

"Employ enough sadistic fucks, put them in one place, then watch the action. Maybe he jerked off watching it?"

Shepard chuckled, which caused her to stop and glare at him. "Not laughing at you, Jack. Just the thought of… never mind. Sorry, inappropriate timing." Still, it had defused her temper long enough that she simply waved a dismissive hand at the cheerleader and moved on.

In the next room, nothing was recognisable, the place having fallen into disrepair during the intervening years. It appeared Teltin had been built in the middle of a forest, and the forest was quickly reclaiming its own. She looked around, hoping to see something she knew, but so far, no luck. "What do you really know about this place?" Miranda asked.

She glared at her again. "You think this is all bullshit?"

"No, I just wonder how much you remember and how much is… maybe… I don't know, bad dreams?"

"You really want to know?" Miranda nodded. She noticed everyone else was at least listening. "I remember I killed the last guard in this facility that stood between me and freedom. I still remember his voice as he begged for his life before I killed him."

"You sound pleased?"

"Wouldn't you be, having your revenge on the very people who tortured you?"

Before Miranda could think of a reply to her question, there was a cry of 'Varren!' and they were suddenly in the middle of a gunfight. There were quite a few of them, but they were of no danger to them, Jack simply using her biotics to fling them around the room, leaving them as easy pickings for Shepard and Zaeed. As they moved on, Shepard quietly warned that it was likely that mercenaries were about. Varren would not be native to a planet such as Pragia.

Wandering outside, she now came to an area that was very familiar. Concrete blocks form an octagon. If one looked hard enough, you could still see the blood stains soaked into the ground. She could close her eyes and remember the carnage that she had caused in the arena. Some would have found it horrific. She just remembered the elation of victory, of surviving another day. The drugs they had pumped her with certainly helped as well. There were other reasons too. She found that with power came sex. It's something Shepard had learned about her early on, and perhaps something she'd need to explain later.

"So, you fought the others?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah. The guard and doctors would stage fights. Me against someone else. Usually some poor bastard. At first, I wouldn't do it, of course. They then tried threats, but that didn't work. So then they tried rewarding me. That definitely worked, and I killed whoever they wanted. Got really good at it too."

"You sound proud of it," Miranda stated.

"I survived. They let me get high, sent me into fight, then they'd reward me afterwards."

"Reward you how?" Shepard asked.

"I'll probably show you later. But let's just say some of the warm feelings I still feel today relate."

Moving down more empty corridors, there were things she recognised but it was becoming apparent that the facility had been picked clean by scavengers. No doubt the destruction caused when she had fled resulted in it being abandoned, and a facility like Teltin would have made rich pickings to some people.

They eventually ran into mercenaries, Blood Pack. She knew them well and the group worked well as a team. The massive krogan was taken care of by Shepard, who used his biotic charge to great effect, slamming into the krogan before unloading blast after blast of his shotgun. She helped out with some warps, before grabbing hold another mercenary, slamming him up into the roof, down into the ground, before flinging his dead body away. She did that to two others before pulling one more close enough that she could take out her pistol and put a bullet into his head.

"Well, I'm wet now," she joked to herself. Fighting like this always turned her on. One of the things that happened during her time there.

The group moved on, and all was becoming familiar. They walked by a mirror which she figured out was only one-way, remembering being stuck in her room, shouting at kids on the other side, who never heard her. They also passed by more dorms, and even a morgue. They didn't even ask why that was there. It was obvious she had put many of the other kids there. She still felt no sympathy for them. It was kill or be killed.

Finding another working terminal, this one had information she didn't really understand, but spoke of her importance, at least.

"Entry 1054, Teltin facility. The latest iteration of PergNim were poorly. Subjects One, Four and Six died. No biotic change among the survivors. We lowered core temperatures of the surviving subjects, but no biotically beneficial reactions occurred. As a side effect, all subjects died. So we're not going to be trying this on Zero."

"I won't say they cared about you, but it seems they didn't want you to die, at least," Miranda stated.

"Yeah, how wonderful. Just all the other kids had to die instead. 'For progress'," she mocked.

More Blood Pack were waiting. Six krogan would always be a concern, but with Shepard charging, and her shockwave, it was a tough battle but, apart from a deep scratch on her arm, which did require medi-gel, she killed two krogan alone and helped wipe out the others. Once again, Shepard was charging and blasting like a lunatic. She knew he hadn't been a vanguard before but seemed to relish his new abilities.

Apart from a few vorcha as well, the mercenaries all died where they stood. She had no idea why Blood Pack would be interested in a place like Teltin. She didn't think krogan would be scavenging for scientific equipment. Leading the group to her old room, she could close her eyes and remember nearly every day there. She'd never truly felt safe in the facility, but when in her own little quarters, she could plan for her eventual escape. They never managed to dig into her mind and figure her out there.

"I want to put the bomb in here," she told Shepard.

Shepard radioed Jacob and Mordin, who would somehow drag it through the facility to here. While they were doing that, they wandered a little further, and ran into someone even worse off than herself because of Teltin. But the fact he seemed to be waiting for them, for her, was unnerving. She strode forward, placing the barrel of the gun to his chest. "Who the fuck are you?" she asked, restraining herself.

"My name is Aresh and this is my home," he replied, his voice almost empty of any emotion. He then stared straight into her eyes. Almost into her soul. "And I know all about you, Subject Zero."

"You know this man, Jack?"

"Fuck no, Shepard. I told you. I had no friends in this place." She took a step back, though never took her eyes from Aresh. "How the fuck do you ever know me, arsehole?"

"For so many years, I thought I was the only survivor." She thought he acted more like someone high on drugs. Perhaps he self-medicated if he truly did survive Teltin. "Don't you see? We all knew who you were. They inflicted all those horrors on us so their experiments wouldn't kill you."

"Bullshit!"

"You were the question. They were looking for the answer. I still am. I tried to forget… everything that was done here. A place like this. It doesn't forget. It doesn't let you. It's always in here," he finished, tapping at his head.

"Why the hell are you even here?" Shepard asked.

"I hired those mercenaries. We were going to rebuild this place, piece by piece. And I was going to find the answer. I was going to find the secrets to unlocking the biotic potential in all humans. I was going to restart the Teltin facility."

She strode forward and pistol whipped him, watching his legs collapse as he fell to the ground, the barrel of her pistol pressed into his head. "Restart this place? Are you fucking insane?"

"They must have had their reasons to put us through all that torture!" Aresh cried.

"You think you were tortured? You have absolutely no idea what I had to go through half the time. Forced to kill kids, filled with drugs so I'd find a thrill in it. Then I get so addicted to the drugs, I beg for it before I fight. Then that leads to going through puberty at the same time, and finding…" She paused, pressing the gun into his head. "The simple fact you would even think about returning here without the express intention of blowing it up…" She glanced back at one person only. Surprisingly, he left the choice to her with a simple shrug of the shoulders. He was leaving the responsibility to her.

So she shot him. Point blank in the head. "Fucker," she muttered.

"Probably put him out of his misery. Out of his fuckin' mind," Zaeed stated.

"Shepard?" she asked quietly.

"I've done worse, Jack. How do you feel?"

"About him? Nothing. Deserved the bullet for even thinking about that. But I still want to blow this place up. But first, I should show you something and tell you a little more. It will explain why I am the way I am with you at least." As the rest were going to follow, she added, "Just Shepard. I can tell you all later."

She led him back into the bedroom, and she pointed up into the corner, where a camera was. "It watched me all the time. There were other hidden cameras in the walls. Constantly monitored, Shepard. I thought it was just to make sure I didn't do anything stupid like suicide, but I learned more than one of the guards and doctors were voyeurs."

"It doesn't particularly surprise me."

She sat on the bed, Shepard sitting next to her. "I lost my virginity in this room, Shepard. I was old enough to know what was going on, old enough to understand, but it would have been considered illegal anywhere. They thought I just gave in, but I learned that with sex came power. I used it to my advantage. Know how I said I'd get rewards earlier?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Well, I'd get rewarded for fighting, and I'd get rewarded for fucking. I used my sexuality to my advantage, Shepard. Oh, I knew it was wrong on their part, but by the time I hit puberty, I could look in a mirror and knew I was cute. And some of the men had… interests, we'll call them."

"You don't have to…"

She grabbed his hand. "I need to, Shepard. I need you to understand all this. It will explain everything."

"Okay."

"I did what they wanted without fighting back, just waiting for the right moment. So I fought and killed. And I fucked. My god, did I fuck. I hated it at first, but then, well, your body goes through changes, and when I started to get all funny feelings fighting, I'd actually coax them into the room because I simply wanted to orgasm. Fighting and fucking eventually went hand in hand. I'd fight knowing I'd fuck later, and I'd fuck knowing I'd fight, and I'd be rewarded for it." She grabbed his hand and gestured him to move. Heading outside, they found a working terminal. "I know they used to record what happened. They sold the videos on the extranet, the parts which are illegal, of course. Found a few videos of myself."

"Jesus Christ," Shepard muttered.

She shrugged. "It happened, Shepard. You just… get used to it." She keyed a few commands and found the data storage. The longer she was there, and the more she gave herself, the kinkier things got. She eventually found an entire list of videos. Shepard whistled. Probably an involuntary reaction, but nearly everything was recorded. She searched through some of them before finding one she remembered in particular. Opening it up, she simply took a step back and the sound turned on. Her language was filthy, of course. But the sex was absolutely pornographic.

"So… um… are you actually enjoying that, Jack? How old are you there?"

"Not considered old enough to consent in most countries back on Earth."

"And three at once? Is that where your love of certain acts comes in?"

"I do this with them, I'd get treats, I mean proper treats the other kids didn't get. The guards fucking me there would treat me nicely for doing it for them. They'd protect me from other guards who would be cruel. The occasional doctor would come in and want a turn. If I did what he wanted, he'd make sure I'd feel less pain or none at all. The only condition was that I had to fight. I had to endure the needles. I must do what they say. I must be a good girl."

"But you were conditioned, Jack. This explains it all."

"Of course it does. I knew what they were doing was wrong. I might have been kidnapped at a young age, but even girls of my age then shouldn't be abused in such a manner. But part of me… enjoyed it, because I thought, in some way, I held the power. I knew I was cute and desirable to them. I made them want me, and then they would do what I want. That's what I thought was happening, anyway. They would never have tried to help me escape. Not a hope in hell of that. But I'd at least get treated better for it. But even that wasn't enough in the end."

"Did this happen often? Three of them with you?"

"This was the first time. It happened a few times afterwards. I had… regulars. I spent a lot of time fighting. A lot of time doing nothing. Or I'd be doing this. Getting fucked. Know how I really like anal? They'd give me drugs, get me high, then fuck my arse. That word again. Conditioned."

"How old, Jack?"

She shook her head. He didn't need to know that. "When it happened the very first time, the first guard to come into my room, I was young enough that each and every single one, from that first guard to the last, would have seen a jail cell for a very long time, Shepard."

He switched it off and shuddered. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm sorry for being so hard on you. I'm sorry for… god, I treated you like they did."

That pissed her off. He was nothing like them. And the very thought nearly made her cry. She turned to him, vision blurring for a moment as she poked his chest. "You are nothing like them. Nothing! I wanted to fight you, Shepard, then I wanted to fuck. Like I've always done. You weren't to know that." She took a deep breath. "I've only told you about what happened on Pragia, Shepard. That's only the beginning of it all. But I'll explain on the ship. Let's set off the bomb and get the fuck out of here."

They walked back together to see Mordin putting the finishing touches to the bomb. She glanced at Shepard and could see he was uncomfortable. In fact, it was the first time she'd seen him upset rather than angry. She was left thinking maybe he cared more than she realised. Once Mordin said the bomb was ready, he handed her the detonator and they beat feet back to the shuttle. Shepard was last on as always as the shuttle quickly ascended. She flipped the lid of the detonator back and forth, looking at Shepard. He simply nodded.

She pressed the button without hesitation. Within seconds, the shuttle was rocked by a sonic boom. The bomb must have been enormous. She flipped the detonator towards Mordin and sat back with grin on her face. Mission accomplished for now.

Back on the Normandy, she headed straight to her cubby hole, sitting down and feeling elated in many ways, but discussing with Shepard everything that happened caused a mix of emotions. She'd always known what happened to her was wrong, but the fact she'd even grown to like it just a tiny bit disgusted her. It's why she felt such loathing and hatred for herself, let alone anyone in the galaxy. She'd grown so used to life there, how it all worked, that she'd never been able to change. She knew things like that took therapy, probably years of it, and she simply didn't have the time or patience, nor credits, for that.

After dinner, she was relaxing back on her cot when Shepard appeared later that night. She checked the time on her omni-tool and she had to ask, slightly joking, "Shouldn't you be with Kelly right now?"

"I'm not really in the mood," he said quietly.

She swung around so her legs dangled off the side, patting the cot so he could sit next to her. "Why are you down here then?"

"Because I need to know the rest. Because once I do, then maybe I can help. It's what I do. Help people."

"You can't help me, Shepard. I'm a lost cause. Give up now."

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, softly kissing the top of her head. "I don't believe that," he whispered. She wrapped an arm around him and… cuddled into him. She felt… safe with him. She had even when they'd been fighting and fucking. Lifting her head, he turned and kiss her forehead too. A gesture that made her eyes well up. She'd never experienced such affection from anyone.

She took a deep breath and settled into his body. "I escaped on a shuttle. I'd killed nearly everyone inside. Doctors. Guard. Kids. Anyone who got in my way. I didn't care if I died doing it. But I made it to the shuttle and thought I'd finally be free. I was still a kid though. I had no idea what the galaxy was like. I was picked up by pirates a couple of days later.

Oh, they liked me, Shepard. I was tossed from one crew member to the next. Everyone had their turn. But I was so conditioned by Teltin, I accepted it, tried to make the best of it, tried to enjoy it. I thought I'd be able to influence them like the guards, but it didn't work that time. They had their fun with me then sold me off as a slave.

Batarians bought me, of course. But they had no idea of my power. Didn't try and fuck me. I think they wanted to study me. Big mistake. Escaped again, and decided to go pirate myself. Joined one ship for a few months, fought and fucked around the Terminus Systems. Made plenty of credits, and lost them all. The ship was attacked and I ended up in a gang operating out of Omega. It's why I kept my head down while we were there, just in case I was recognised.

But I was still searching for something, a purpose I guess, questioning why everything happened to me. Was there some purpose to why I'm a biotic freak? Eventually heard of a cult, shaved my head, which I liked so I kept it, but they were a bunch of whackjobs, and their leader wanted a harem of lovers. Said fuck that, killed him, and left. Eventually landed with another gang pulling major jobs. Even crash-laded a ship into a hanar moon. Man, did that piss them off. Think they still want me for vandalism. Ran with them for a little while before I made a mistake during a heist and got caught.

That's how I ended up in Purgatory."

"Why the icebox though? Most others were just in cells."

"I'm sure you noticed I was one of very few females there. I'm not the biggest. What, I'm five-two, one hundred pounds soaking wet? To most men in a prison, I'm a target. In a place like Purgatory, I'm a prize. So it ended up like Teltin, but this time fighting off guards and prisoners. I got raped. Tried to fight them off, but when a man is a foot taller and a hundred pound heavier, even biotics won't help every time. It was only after the last time, when a bunch of them had a go and nearly killed me, that I was locked up in the icebox, though that was only because I went looking for revenge. I killed them all, Shepard. The Warden found me in a room, full of bodies and blood. I may have been leaning back against the wall, pants around my ankles… that word again. Conditioned."

He didn't say anything for a while. She looked up and noticed he just stared straight ahead, jaw firm, almost grinding his teeth. Eventually, he just turned and lifted her up easily, sitting her on his lap and just… held her to his chest, feeling his strong hands gently rest on her back, fingers gently pressed into her. She rested her head against his chest and relaxed. "You are far stronger than I gave you credit for," he said quietly.

"I do what I have to in order to survive."

"Once we're done here, I'll help, however I can." She felt a finger under her chin, lifting her face to meet his eyes. "And I expect nothing, Jack. I don't want you throwing yourself at me. I don't need…" He sighed, no doubt trying to find the right words. It was strange to see as he was normally eloquent. "Even after all that, Jack, I don't understand what's going on your head. I simply can't. I don't think anyone can. You're clearly angry at the galaxy. Understandable. You have a lot of hate in your heart. Understandable again. I'm sure psychiatrists would diagnose you with a number of different disorders. No fucking wonder after what you've been through. But the marvel is that you're still here, Jack. Still fighting to survive. Some would call that the miracle of it all. You haven't given up. You haven't let life beat you down. You're still standing tall, ready to face the next challenge."

She kissed him, but it was a genuine kiss, full of what those words meant to her. It was brief, but by the time she pulled back, she could barely see him her vision was so blurred. All he did was hold her tight to his chest as she settled back down, resting her head against him, wrapping her arms around his body, his arms tightening around her. Before she knew it, she felt herself being lifted up in his arm, gently placed down back in her cot, covered in her blankets. Shepard looked down at her and had never seen someone look at her with such care and affection. Crouching down next to her, he leaned forward to kiss her forehead again.

"No more," he said quietly, "No more until we deal with it all. Okay? Because I simply can't do it now. All I want to do now is cuddle you away from the world."

She couldn't help smile at the sentiment. "What if I need it?" she asked quietly.

"You won't because we'll work through it. Do you trust Chakwas?"

"She's not Cerberus?" He shook his head. "Then yes, I'll trust her because you do."

"I'll speak to her, see if she can recommend people to help. I'm out of my depth with all this, Jack. But I want to help you." His hand softly touched her face. "It was never your fault, Jack. And you never wanted it. Any of it. Everything, everything, that happened is their fault. Never blame yourself again, for any of this. It is their fault." He paused and she heard the shudder in his breath. "I will be having words right now with someone in particular. I will be letting him know what I really think of them and their organisation. Then I'll be having words with Miranda. But you, Jack, will never have to be afraid again. Not while I'm still around."

She reached up to take his hand, giving it a squeeze. "Thank you," she whispered, not trusting her voice.

"Get some sleep, Jack. And from now on, I'll take you on missions, otherwise, you do whatever you need to do to keep yourself at peace. Okay?" She nodded. "I should have shot him myself."

"He deserved it, Shepard. He would have restarted what they did."

"Are you sure?"

"I don't regret it."

He nodded, continuing to stroke her cheek. No-one had ever touched her so gently before. He leaned forward, and she lifted her face to kiss him, not just wanting a kiss on her forehead. She caught the sob as she broke away, his hands still on her cheek, before he made sure she was safe and warm under the covers, before he stood up, looking down at her. It made her feel tiny in that moment, but she now saw him differently. He would be her bodyguard, her protector. One lone man against the galaxy. If he was near, she would be safe from the forces the galaxy would throw at her.

She knew, deep down, he was a good man. A just man. An honourable man.

A man she could see herself falling in love with. That thought only came to her after he'd walked away, hearing his footsteps click on the metallic stairs. The thought of love startled her. She'd never been in love before, but maybe, just maybe, he would be worth it to enjoy those feelings for the first time.