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mtreebeardiles · 6 months

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Ceremony

Happy N7 Day! I managed to write a thing! I did not edit it! Have it anyway!

Also on AO3!

It wasn't his first awards ceremony, and he doubted it'd be his last.

Not for lack of humility, either -- there was just so much left to do, so many broken pieces to fit back together, and James Vega had never been one to sit on his ass and let life happen around him. Project after project, assignment after assignment, going where he was needed and bolstering their efforts at home and abroad. Fighting, sure, combat was inevitable in the aftermath of Reaper devastation, the brief unity culminated at the end of the war fracturing and maybe those previous allegiances had changed as a result but people were still people and pirates…

Well, pirates were still pirates.

But other bonds held strong, and James liked to think he'd been helping keep them that way.

Relief efforts to Tuchanka. Establishing trading routes to Rannoch. Creating havens for those whose planets were too damaged to salvage, space stations retrofitted to provide safe harbor for the displaced. Not your typical fare for a marine, maybe, but 'typical' wasn't often on the menu when you were part of the Normandy.

Even if Commander Shepard was no longer at the helm.

James blew out a breath, checking himself in the mirror one last time. He'd never felt at home in his dress blues; even tailored to a man of his size and bulk the clothing just felt too restricting, limiting, when he was used to armor or BDUs that granted a greater range of motion and protection. And sure, maybe a part of him felt like he was playing dress-up, still, even after all his years in the Alliance. Like a kid pretending, a rookie slipping on the mantle of his betters, caught up in the light of the legends that had come before him.

James shook his head, sending thoughts scattering, and smiled ruefully at himself. Legends. Yeah, Everett Shepard and Kaidan Alenko were legends, but they were also men. Flesh and bone and blood, and he'd seen enough of them to know they bled and wept and despaired same as any other soldier.

The difference was they'd never let any of that stop them.

And you won't, either.

He smoothed a hand over his chest, fingertips brushing against the medals already pinned to his breast, eyes catching on the history they held. Acknowledgements of his valor, his bravery, his grit; things he'd earned on his own, and things he'd earned with his team.

Things he'd earned with the original Normandy crew, so many of them scattered to different corners of the galaxy now.

But not all of them.

"Lookin' good, Commander," a voice intoned from behind him, and he was already smiling as he turned to face the woman leaning in the doorway. A smile Ashley Williams met with her own, brown eyes alight with amusement, and that smile widened as she strode over to him.

"Lookin' pretty good yourself, Commander," he retorted, resting his hands on her hips as hers came to rest on his shoulders. Like him, she was in her dress blues, several matching medals pinned to her own uniform along with a few she'd earned separately. Her smile softened and she cocked her head.

"Nervous?"

"…eh, maybe a little."

"He's proud of you, you know," Ash whispered, and James didn't have to ask who she meant.

It wasn't so much that James had aspired to follow in Everett Shepard's footsteps, but there was no denying he'd taken a lot of inspiration from his old friend's efforts. His tenacity, his ethics.

His stubbornness.

And maybe it wasn't so much hero-worship, not like it had been before he'd even met the guy, but his bond with Shepard was one that would always mean a lot to James, even if Shepard had been determined to fall away from the limelight after the war.

He wanted to do him proud. Wanted to thank him for taking a chance on James, for not giving up even when they'd clashed in the beginning, for believing in him when his own belief had faltered.

"I hope so," he murmured, and relaxed under the reassurance of Ash's kiss.

"C'mon, Vega," she said. "They're ready for you."

James took a deep breath, nodded, and the two commanders fell into step as they headed to the reception hall for the ceremony.

It was a more intimate space than the hall where they'd received their post-war medals, and James was surprised to see it was teeming with people. Most were in dress blues, all ran the gamut across age and experience, faces he recognized from throughout his military career. Admirals and captains and fellow marines, some of whom had been in the N program with him. His eyes darted to the cluster of those in civilian wear and he smiled as he met Piper's gaze, his other partner grinning and giving a little wave.

He felt the last lines of tension ease from his shoulders, and Ash gave his hand a squeeze.

"We'll catch up with you after," she murmured in his ear, resting a hand on his elbow before stepping away, and James watched as she made her way over to their partner, Piper's fingers sliding into Ash's as they gave him encouraging nods. He took another steadying breath, reminding himself that against all odds he did have family here -- Ashley and Piper and a few cousins, too many gaps in the family tree after the war but those who remained had still shown up.

Had still connected, made an effort to be in each other's lives, no matter how hard those lives could be sometimes.

He made his way through the milling crowd, nodding and saluting as decorum dictated until he reached the side of the small stage set up on the far side of the room. Admiral Halliday nodded to him with a small smile. As director of the revamped N program, they'd be giving their speech first before introducing the newest recipients of the N7 rank. There were four of them from James's class: all marines, one biotic, and each of them looking the way James felt -- in quiet awe that this moment had come at last.

He exchanged quiet hellos as he took his place with them, standing at parade rest to keep his restless fingers from fidgeting as Admiral Halliday stepped up to the podium. Their voice carried easily through the room, a pleasant rumble James knew from personal experience could cut through the clamor of a battlefield with ease even when comms went dead. It was a soothing voice in this space, warm and calm, exuding a quiet, easy confidence James hoped he'd achieve in his later years. It reminded him a little of Shepard, really, the measured cadence of their speech, less clipped and polished and more…honest.

"Years and years of media training taught me how to talk to the cameras." Evvy's grin was wry. "But like hell am I gonna talk like that to my team."

And while Admiral Halliday was addressing the crowd amassed before them, there was no doubt that their words were meant for the marines lined up beside them.

"…a lot of work went into revitalizing and refreshing our N program. The Reaper War cut us deep, exposing weaknesses we had never considered, but also showing us that our soldiers, our people on the ground and in the air, had considerable grit. That there was no shortage of ways our people could rally, could extend their hands to those that needed them, to think quickly and react even faster to the ever changing nightmare our enemies spun around us.

"It's not enough to be a lone wolf, and while not all who are invited into the program are necessarily on command tracks, they nevertheless must show that same mettle. You never know where conflict might bring you -- to a group of fellow soldiers, or to a ragtag bunch of miners more familiar with a mining kit than a weapon. The war taught us that you work with the tools you are given -- and we in turn emphasize that the greatest of us know how best to utilize those tools. To save and protect, to fight back, to restore order in the most chaotic pockets of space. To ensure that the weak are not preyed upon by the strong. To act with dignity, to afford respect, to remember -- always, always, to remember how easily it all could have been lost."

The room was dead silent, and James hid a smile at the shifting in the crowd that hinted to an undercurrent of discomfort. There were some in the broader Alliance government that needed the reminder Halliday was giving them; James doubted they thought they'd encounter it here of all places.

That's for being shitty to Shepard, he thought, straightening as Halliday announced the first of the new N7's. You sons of bitches.

Halliday pinned the N7 emblem to the first recipient, easing into another quick speech to commend their efforts, and he was replaced by a captain for the next one. It wasn't unusual -- if a soldier had worked alongside another for a good chunk of their career, and considered that superior officer a mentor, that mentor could step in to award them their emblems in this ceremony.

He didn't mean to tune out, but he was last, and his attention inevitably moved back to the crowd before them. Sought out where Ash and Piper were standing, getting smiles in return when he met their gazes, and he was just frowning at the flash of a --

"--And now, Commander James Vega--"

--was that a hat? Someone wore a hat here?

A strange thrill ran through him, a jolt of familiarity that he knew was a bit silly. A lot of people had those hats; they were part and parcel for many crew member's uniforms, if they wanted. And the only person he could think of who would defy formal dress code like that wasn't even in the Alliance anymore.

He shook his head, moving towards the stage, and froze with his hand on the railing as the crowd suddenly murmured around him and someone whispered, "holy shit."

Admiral Halliday had left the stage.

Everett Shepard was taking their place.

Everett's dress uniform was notably different: black, not blue, with the signature red stripe and emblem signifying his own N7 status. He wasn't wearing all of his medals, either; just the ones from the last few years of his service, and the collar tab indicating his current status as a retiree. But James only gave this a cursory lookover, far more preoccupied with how…

How good the other man looked.

More color in his cheeks, his hair grown out enough to show a natural wave, and that smile seemed genuinely happy in the way it hadn't quite managed during the bulk of the war and the immediate mess after. Some loss of muscle mass, but he was standing straight, posture easy and comfortable, so different from the way he'd held himself in pain during his prolonged recovery.

"Sunshine," James murmured, still caught up in his surprise, and Evvy flashed him a wink before waving him up onto the stage.

James came to stand beside him, stunned to the point that he missed Everett's opener. He blinked and shook his head, refocusing his attention -- that is Joker in that fucking hat, I knew it! -- to what his former commander was saying.

To what his friend was saying.

"…James is a rarity among soldiers," Everett went on. Calm, cool, measured. "Not just one hell of a fighter, not just one hell of a leader, but he's also a man with one hell of a heart." He glanced sidelong at James as he continued. "We met under…unusual circumstances. But in spite of that, James had always acted with integrity. He took his job seriously, yes, but it was more than a simple following of orders. It was going above and beyond, even when doing so might ruffle some feathers. Even when those feathers being ruffled were mine."

A ripple of chuckles, and James spotted the rest of the Normandy crew arrayed behind Ash and Piper. He caught Ashley's eye, fighting back a smile as she winked at him.

"We butted heads a fair few times, and we didn't always agree, but when it came down to it James thought about those disagreements. Considered the alternate perspectives, considered his own biases as well as mine, and demonstrated a rare capacity to lead -- a great potential, hidden under a confidence that had taken its fair share of hits. It was an honor to serve as his CO, to watch him grow into that potential in real time, to see all that James Vega was capable of doing, of accomplishing.

"It was an honor to be challenged by him, to know those challenges were making me a better person -- not just a better soldier, better commander, better leader. A better person."

James's throat went tight, and he swallowed hard as Evvy turned to him. Met those grey eyes as the other man pinned the N7 emblem into place, and when he offered his hand to shake --

--tugged him into a firm hug.

Fuck regs.

He could feel Everett's laughter through his chest, the other man squeezing back just as hard.

"I'm so fucking proud of you, James," Evvy murmured, his bearded cheek catching against James's as he pressed a quick kiss to it. "So fucking proud."

James's eyes were stinging and he blinked rapidly, holding on to him for another long moment to give himself some cover to regain his composure.

"I can't believe they let Joker wear that fucking hat," he said at last, and if his voice was a bit wobbly Evvy didn't comment. He just shook with quiet laughter before finally pulling back, resting his hands on James's shoulders.

"Let's go give him shit about it," Everett said, eyes alight with that familiar mischief, and it was like a sucker punch to the gut to finally see it again. "Commander Vega."

#my writing #James Vega #showing James some love today #mass effect #N7 day

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tealenko · 1 year

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WIP whenever...

@sillyliterature thanks for the tag 🥰🥰🥰

This came just in time ehehehe Haven't written anything in a month (with the injury and all that) and just yesterday I decided to do a couple sprints with @ficbrish ehehehe so yaaaay~~ I have something to share XD

So, of course, I'm tagging @ficbrish and also @halesshepardn7 @that-wildwolf and @laelior (and whoever else that wants to join)

This is for ch. 7 of Didn't Have the Heart (In the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time)

--------------------------

“You should stop teasing the major, James…” Traynor says, worried Vega is crossing a line he shouldn’t, completely unaware that he has already crossed it a thousand times, to the point where making fun of Kaidan’s love life is one of the few sources of amusement left for him. //redo

“Ah… He’s used to even worse, right Jefe?”

He laughs as his poor friend shakes his head, wondering for a second how his life has come to this.

“What about you, Samantha?” Kaidan asks, trying his best to change the topic of the conversation. “Anything eating you up?”

“Yeah, _ (whatever nickname James uses for Traynor, I can’t remember)... Feel free to share your worries.”

“Sure… Like the whole ship isn’t gonna find out about my personal stuff in record time if I tell it to you.”

“Oh, I thought I was trustworthy…” Kaidan replies in a mocking tone, faking to be offended.

“No, sir… Not you!” Samantha panics for a second and tries her best to explain herself, not understanding that he was joking. “Vega is the one I’m worried about.”

The two men break into laughter as she stares at them deeply confused.

“Don’t mind him, Traynor… He's messing up with you.” James pats Kaidan on the shoulder and turns a little to talk to him. “Oh my, Lola really is a bad influence on you… You need to make more friends, Jefe.”

“You guys complain when I’m serious… Complain when I joke… There’s no way to keep you happy.” Alenko smiles as he says this, looking how Traynor starts to calm down after understanding everything.

“I see…” She starts saying. “Well then…”

“Now seriously, you can tell us anything you wish to, right leftenant?”

“Ohhh, yeah… Trust me, I am amazing at keeping secrets, right major?”

Kaidan nearly chokes after hearing this last comment, and Vega nearly chokes after seeing his reaction to it. Nevertheless, and luckily for both of them, whatever is worrying Samantha, is strong enough to keep her attention from this idiotic picture.

She is in fact so deep into her own mind that, by the time the two friends are able to compose themselves, she’s still sinking deep into her worries.

“Ey, Traynor, sure you’re okay?” Kaidan inquiries, starting to realize the (gravedad del asunto).

“Yeah…” She forces an awkward smile that doesn’t succeed in convincing anyone that she isn’t preoccupied.

“Yo, (add nickname).” James tells her, getting a little closer. “I know we joke a lot, and we, or at least I, cannot promise to be completely serious if you decide to tell us anything… But one thing we can assure you, that I’m sure the boss here will agree with me, it’s that whatever it is you want to get off your chest will keep it to ourselves.”

“I…” She hesitates, tempted by the offer. “Well… It’s not the kind of thing one discusses out loud… And even less with superior officers.”

“Come on, Traynor.” Kaidan smiles at her, which she softly replies. “If you follow that you won’t be able to talk to more than half of the ship about anything… And I see you talking to Shepard all the time… So don’t use rank as an excuse.”

“I guess you’re right…”

“Of course I’m right.” He adds, winning a bigger smile from her this time around. “Come on, Vega, back me up.”

“Erm?” He shakes his head a couple of times before rejoining the conversation. “Ah, yeah… Sorry. My rank has never been intimidating for anyone, so I was enjoying the moment while it lasted.”

He laughs at his own comment while Kaidan pushes him away a little.

“God you’re an idiot.”

“And you need to stop spending so much time with the commander, her phrases are starting to stick on you.”

This time around all of them laugh for a few seconds, lightening the mood enough for Traynor to feel comfortable with, at least, considering the idea of opening up to them.

“Well… The thing is…”

She struggles to talk and, while Kaidan does his best to be patient to give her all the time she needs until she’s ready, like he’s used to with Shepard, James, on the other hand, decides to intervene with a decisive strike.

“This is about your love life, isn’t it?”

#wip #mass effect #commander shepard #kaidan alenko #shenko #shepard x kaidan #fshenko #mass effect 3 #femshep x kaidan

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theoriginalladya · 2 years

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The Extra Mile

Summary:

Norman has it's fair share of tourists every year, but rarely do people move to the town to stay.

And yet, this year, there's a new tall, dark, handsome stranger every month.

Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard, Coats & Male Shepard, Coats/Abby Williams

Characters: Male Shepard, Kaidan Alenko, Tadhg Shepard (O'Connell - OC), Niamh Shepard (O'Connell - OC), Caleb Shepard (O'Connell - OC), Jacob Taylor, Illusive Man | Jack Harper, Kelly Chambers, Rahna, Harbinger, Samantha Traynor, Urdnot Bakara | Eve, Barla Von, EDI, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, Conrad Verner, Sarah Williams, Ashley Williams, Abby Williams, Coats, Alec O'Connell (OC), Iain O'Connell (OC), James Vega

Tags: Mass Effect, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Hallmark AU, Established Relationship, Pre-Relationship, Comedy of Errors, New In Town, Meddling Kids, Milkshakes, Sibling Bonding

Excerpt:

Pursing her lips, Ash speared a noodle and held it out to her sister. A peace offering, even if there hadn’t been a fight. “Hey, chin up, buttercup.” As hoped, Abby frowned at the old nickname. “You never know - maybe…things are starting to change. Maybe this new friend of Caleb’s will be tall, dark, and handsome, too.”

“He’s got a heck of a track record. The pair of men who followed him to town are smartass redheads,” Abby reminded her.

“True,” Ash conceded, “but this is our fantasy.” Watching Abby stick to her rule about carbs at lunch, Ash popped the noodle into her own mouth. “So, what do we think Caleb’s friend looks like?”

Abby considered the question, the lines in her forehead smoothing out. “You know…I don’t need him to be tall. Taller than me, but who wants to stand on a box to kiss their man? Wouldn’t mind broad, though.” She grinned at the image. “I like a man with shoulders.”

Ash chuckled, but said nothing.

“And…short hair, I think.” Propping her chin on one fist, Abby shifted her gaze to the maybe-real flowers as she sketched out her maybe-real man. “That military style is pretty sexy.” She flicked a glance at Ash. “I’m going with decent moral standing and base intelligence as a given.”

“You don’t want to date Kevin?” Ash asked, reaching for her own iced tea.

“Service to your country is attractive,” Abby replied. “Community service because you’re a dumbass is not.” A pause. “Dark hair, to go with his eyes. ‘Eyes like the sea after a storm.’”

Ash’s lips twitched. “And does your Dread Pirate Roberts have a scar? A long-faded cut across his cheek, that he refuses to tell you where he got it from?”

“Yes, and don’t forget a nice voice.” Abby grinned so Ash knew it was coming. “Proper British, if you please. And kinda gravelly, like he’s growling when he talks.”

The next installment of The Town of Norman series!

#The Town of Norman #collaborative fanfic #Mass Effect AU #Hallmark AU #happychica #ladyamesindy #Kaidan Alenko #John Shepard #Caleb O'Connell #Ryan Coats #and more!

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tinmunky · 2 years

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About Last Night

Found on AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1086437/chapters/2185605

No Galaxy for Old Men Series - Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four

Characters & Pairings: Zaeed Massani/Fem!Shep, James Vega (if you squint), Aria T’Loak, Grizz

Summary: Shepard has some unhealthy coping mechanisms and the next morning leaves some surprising results.

Rating: Mature for violence, language and innuendo - 4,183 words

Tags: Sexual tension, drinking problems, friendship, banter, canon typical violence

Audio Parings: The Black Keys - Howlin’ For You

Commander Shepard needed a fucking drink and every bill comes due.

Chapter One - One Night on Omega

It had been three weeks since Horizon and Shepard’s mood had steadily darkened only to reach a crescendo of absolute rage when Kaidan had the nerve to write that joke of a non-apology letter. She had fucking died for god’s sake. A Letter! Everyone else seemed to be able to find her vid com if they wanted something, yet he couldn’t even apologize properly. God. Damned. Asshole.

Shepard was pretty sure this was some sort of galactic joke. How many plot twists could a girl take before cracking. Apparently three. Death, Cerberus and one betrayal. On a purely rational level, she got it. It had been two years for him, and two months for her. Everything was still pretty raw for her and he had calloused over.

Garrus was on eggshells, Chakwas hadn’t left the infirmary since Horizon and Joker was using his high pitched “everything’s fine” voice. He was probably terrified that the massive rage brewing in Shepard’s biotics were going to short the inertial dampeners or some equally ridiculous sciencey bit. The only person who seemed unfazed was Massani.

It was shortly after Horizon Joker started hounding Shepard to put in at the maintenance dock on Omega for “routine maintenance,” Shepard had heard “unstoppable paranoia”, narrowed her eyes and decided to forge on. Joker wasn’t exactly good at subterfuge. Though, after Joker’s 50th request and that piece of shit Alenko’s letter, she had relented. Omega might be exactly what she needed after the whole Alenko debacle.

So, here she was, waiting for the airlock of the Normandy to release her onto Omega so she could do some nice, healthy damage to her liver. Work out some of that aggression and get back on track to saving a galaxy that didn’t give a shit that it was in danger.

This was probably the only place in known space that could handle her mood right now. The deep thrum of the ship eased as the last dock clamp clanged into place and the main engines powered down to reserve levels. The airlock eased upwards and the atmospheres met in a hiss of vapor as Shepard took her first step out the door and towards a big ass drink.

_____

“Commander Shepard.” A voice as sweet as a babbling brook and about as deep slashed into her little storm cloud. Shepard took a breath, her eyes fluttering closed in exasperation, and counted to ten before turning.

“Yeoman Chambers.” She hoped she put enough disdain into the title to head any friendliness off at the pass. Joker may not trust EDI, and Miranda and Jacob seemed like the obvious loyalists, but the real spy threat came from Chambers as far as Shepard was concerned. A Cerberus lackey through and through, she had drunk the Kool-Aid to the last drop. Chambers had dossiers on all crew members, knew their dirty little psych profile secrets and Shepard would bet dollars to donuts, reported everything down to the last deuce to The Illusive Man. She was not a fan.

“Commander Shepard, are you going ashore?” Chambers tapped at her data pad. Shepard looked at her dumbfounded. Looked at her armored feet on the dock. Looked back at Chambers still in the lock.

“Well Chambers. It appears that I am outside of the ship. And I am on shore. So suffice to say, yes. Yes, I am going ashore.”

“Cerberus regulations state that any shore party must consist of a commanding officer and two squad members! This really is against policy.” Chambers huffed.

If Shep wasn’t already at the homicidal rage point of her day, she probably would have laughed.

“Chambers” She spoke slowly “Do I look like I give a shit about Cerberus regulations and/or policy?” Folding her arms across her armored chest. The polycarbonate clicking against each other as a satisfying bookend to her crisp tone.

Chambers looked Shepard up and down. At 6ft tall, face scarred and armed to the teeth, she didn’t look like she gave a shit about much, other than her own objectives.

“Well, no. No I suppose you don’t.” Chambers’ brow furrowed and then quickly cleared. “Shall I inform XO Lawson of your absence?”

“You can inform Ms. Lawson of any goddamn thing you please Chambers. I am going to the bar.”

_____

Shepard climbed the stairs to Afterlife a woman on a mission. She strode straight through the door, passing the Elcor bodyguard without stopping. An outraged snarl made it above the ambient din.

“What the fuck! She wasn’t even in line!”

“With barely contained disdain, she is on the list. You are not.”

Shepard never slowed her pace until she pulled up to the bar and hailed a passing Salarian bartender.

“Commander Shepard! Shall I make Ms. T’Loak aware of your arrival.” Solicitous as only Salarians can be.

“No need to bother her majesty, I’m here for a drink only.”

Afterlife had the charm of that special circle of hell that religion threatened you with if you had too much fun in life. The pulsing music, the beautiful creatures that moved across the dance floor, the high potential for bloodshed. All pleasant distractions for her simmering anger. She had been here many times on business. Most of the upper management knew her on sight. The rest, by reputation. Shepard had paid homage early on with Aria T’Loak. Trading information, doing favors, taking Massani off her base. With a bit of tit for tat, Aria forged a grudging respect for Shepard, offering her an open door, but not an open tab.

“Oh uh, well then. What will you be having?” he folded his hands happily.

“Do you happen to have anything from Earth?” Shepard sat down for the long haul.

“As a matter of fact... ah yes! I have a lovely bottle of, what I am told, is a human delicacy.” The Salarian placed a square edged green bottle in front of Shepard.

“Ugh, licorice schnapps? Really? It tastes horrible.”

“The Krogan seem to like it.” The Salarian shrugged.

“Whiskey. I’ll just take whiskey. If you have it.”

“Thessian or Sol distilleries? I have a Canadian brand…” The Salarian chortled happily as he bustled under the bar for a glass.

“No, no! No Canadian.” Shepard waved her hands frantically.

________

Aria commanded quite the view from her loft. Nothing of interest passed unnoticed from the comfort of her couch. She knew she would see Shepard in her dominion the second she had heard that the Normandy had entered Omega space. Her network had informed her that Shepard had some Alliance trouble on Horizon and had expected her to slink in sooner this being one of the few places Shepard would be safe from Alliance and Council reach. The Commander was becoming quite the regular and Aria found each visit more intriguing than the last. She ventured she actually was beginning to like the human. Shepard had cured the plague in the lower levels and relieved Aria of a particularly irritating vigilante and another rather expensive mercenary. Shepard was a heavy hitter, and a wild card. Too noble by far, but her gray area was unpredictable. One minute a paragon of virtue and the next leaving a trail of bodies. She was never boring.

So when Shepard turned up on Omega’s doorstep in the wake of, if the gossip could be trusted, a lover’s quarrel, Aria expected at least some cheap entertainment. What she got was a mopey Cerberus agent dead set on getting shit faced. If the Commander yacked on the bar, it would cost her. Aria had sighed in disappointment and went back to regular business.

________

The Patriach had already come and lumbered off, polishing off that nasty piece of work in a green square bottle. Old Krogan couldn’t hold his liquor.

“Hey Teddy!” Shepard half climbed over the bar flagging down the passing bartender.

“I’m out of scotch, please don’t kill me.” The Salarian weaseled up to his side of her bar with a wince and a groan.

“I only killed that last guy ‘cause he tried to poison me.” Shepard scoffed, offended “Now Teddy,”

“Tedelonis…”

“Yeah, yeah, Teddy.” Shepard leaned against the bar and peered into her empty glass. “I need something a bit stronger. These implants make it a bear to get a buzz nowadays.”

“That so,” he tapped his nonexistent lips in contemplation, “You ever have alcohol from Kahje ma’am?”

Her ears perked up. She had come to Omega to see the sights, smell the horrible Omega smells, and drink the good stuff.

“Now you’re talking my language Teddy.” Barked out a laugh as she felt someone take the seat at the bar next to her. She spins her empty glass, sliding half a look to her left. Tall, human, dark hair and honeyed skin. He’s out of place here. She pointedly ignores him.

“‘Evening ma’am. What brings an Alliance officer like you to a shit hole like Omega?” He asks with a confidence left only to the stupid and young.

Shepard slides the rest of her look his way as she shifts in her chair. Taking in the whole picture of the man so lacking in self preservation that he’d take the empty seat next to her. Handsome and practically a baby for all his bulking muscles and crisp ink. He was at least 10 years her junior, dark hair shorn tight to his head. Alliance jarhead right out of the mold. Too green to be sent here hunting her. Maybe a chance encounter? She smiles all teeth and bad intentions.

“Lemme buy you a drink kid, and don’t ever call me ma’am again. Two Kahje specials Teddy.”

The Salarian groaned again. Handing over the verdant liquid. A evil glint in his massive eyes. “Good luck, Commander.”

The jarhead next her snorted into his glass. Clearly picking up what the turd behind the counter was putting down. She shot Tedelonis a withering glare. He was getting a bit big for his Salarian britches.

“Remember what I did to the last guy that poisoned me Teddy.”

The Alliance kid didn’t seem to notice her thinly veiled threat and plowed forward.

“We tend to know our own don’t we.” He sipped and winced. “We get that ‘been out a space a while’ look and no matter where you are or what you do, you’re Alliance ‘till you die.” He smiled like he shared her secret.

Maybe it was the alcohol, but she felt like her heart finished breaking. She did NOT want to be seen right now, but he knew. Maybe not her, or her circumstance, but he knew what it was like to be cast adrift. To be dropped.

“Huh.” She huffs into her glass “ Annoyingly astute. I’m just going to have to work on my covert abilities then. You got a name marine?” She poked.

James picked up his glass with a slow spreading smile.

“James. You got a name Commander?” He poked back apparently. At least he wasn’t a chickenshit like others she could name.

“Nice to meet you Jimmy.” Shepard sipped her drink, eyeing him across the lip of the glass and licked her lips. Jesus, they were already going numb. Apparently she had just hit the drinking big leagues. For the first time since her resurrection she might actually be able to dull the edge of whatever the fuck this was.

“Logan.” What possessed her to give her given name she would never know.

“Pretty name.” He smiled.

“Bad pickup line.” She frowned.

“Am I that obvious?”

“I’m that good at reading people.” She set her drink down with a click and looked him up and down. “Listen Jimmy, physique like that shouldn’t have too much of a problem finding a date in a place like this. You may be rusty on your one liners, but I’m definitely not the girl you should be talking to here. ”

“How you figure that?” He asked.

”Because, I figure you know who I am, and what I can do, and what I’m about.” Shepard stood, omni tool at the ready to shoot Teddy her tab and beat feet to an even seedier bar if she could find one. This one was too friendly.

“How about this,” James sighed. “I’ll pretend I don’t know who you are, and you pretend that you’re a normal person having a normal conversation keeping me out of trouble while I wait for the private transport I hitched a ride on to make repairs. Humor me, and if I can make you laugh, you’ll let me buy the savior of the Citadel a drink.”

“You’re asking a lot here kid.” Shepard warned. “I was in a right fucking mood when you came up.”

”Challenge accepted.

_______

After a couple of hours of her sad sack drinking, Aria ceased to check on Shepard herself. She had delegated Grizz to update her of any change in Shepard’s activities and went about her usual business.

“Hey boss. Uh, your pet human is talking to another human. Thought that would qualify as a change.” Grizz leaned in to whisper.

“What are they doing Grizz?” Aria sifted through entries on her data pad.

“Uh, well it looks like talking. And Shepard’s laughing,” Aria laser focused on Grizz. “A lot.”

“Laughing?” Aria was incredulous. She must have drank more than Aria thought.

“Laughing boss. “

“Well now. Maybe she’s not actually the ice princess I thought. Let me know if something really interesting happens.” Aria dismissed him with a wave. Grizz remained in place, his subvocals clearing uncomfortably.

Aria huffed and looked up.

”You’re still here Grizz.” Annoyance seeping into her tone.

“On an unrelated front, the front door would like to inform you that a certain Batarian that shall not be named, has resurfaced. “

“Gorzic?” Aria looked up. “That varren fucker. He’s got quads on him to show his face.”

“One and the same boss, and it appears he’s approaching Commander Shepard.”

“You have got to be shitting me.” Aria leaned out over her loft to see for herself. Gorzic was approaching the Commander. She’d clearly caught his eye as his lackeys slapped each other in their excitement. Shepard was no companion or dancer, but she definitely would catch anyone’s eye. This halfwit had no idea what he was getting into.

“Do you want us to detain him?” Grizz asked, his omni glowing, ready to send the order.

Shepard and her companion clinking glasses in that strange human custom before tossing back the drinks in hand. Shepard stood with her back to the sauntering warlord and leaned across the bar to grab Tedelonis in passing. Her hips pressed against the bar edge as she reached. Aria could hear her booming laughter over the din of the music. Well, this should be interesting.

“No, not yet. I want to see how this plays out. Inform Bray he may have to order up a cleaning crew.”

Shepard is in animated discussion with Teddy and her human companion only to be cut off mid sentence as Gorzic’s meaty hand lands flat and hard against the armor weave of the Commander’s left ass cheek.

Aria’s hands fly to her mouth in shocked glee.

Chapter Two - Every Bill Comes Due

Unnnnnngh. God.” Shepard rolled onto her side and cracked a gummy eyelid with an audible click, looking for the bedside clock. Oh ow. What the hell?

0400 ship’s time. She had left for Afterlife at 0100. So either she’d had a really rough three hours or almost twenty four had passed. Gingerly she rolled to her back slowly taking stock of the situation. Okay, fact one, she was in her cabin on the Normandy. The ceiling observation window exposing the gnarly twists and turns of Omega’s infrastructure. Shepard threw her arm over her eyes to block the glare. Fact two, she seemed to have all of her appendages intact, if a little worse for wear. Somehow she’d stripped down to her black Cerberus issue skivvies, hopefully she came home with her armor.

Shepard let out a groan, followed by a gravelly snore. Wait, what?

In a move that would have done any scream queen proud, she turned her head ever so slowly to the opposite bedside, terror building as her mind raced with what she might find.

“AIEEEEE!” she squealed shrilly. Placing both hands and feet into the back of Zaeed Massani, Shepard shoved him clean across the bed and off the other side.

“Christ woman!” His sleep rasped roar followed his resounding thud.

“What the fuck are you doing in my bed?!” Shepard’s words high with panic as she leapt to the other side. She put a healthy distance of one queen sized bed between them.

“What the fuck are you doing shoving me out of it? I was comfortable.” Zaeed slowly rose from the floor. Naked to the waist and clothed only in tattoos, black sleep pants and a bad attitude.

Shepard swallowed thickly and pulled herself together as the adrenaline spike wore off and the hangover rolled back in.

“I asked first.” Her voice dropping an octave.

Zaeed casually fluffed the pillows and laid back into them without so much as a by your leave. Arms folded behind his head, feet crossed at the ankles and a smirk upon his dichotomous face.

“Well about last night…would you believe keeping you from drowning in your own vomit?”

“I hardly believe you’d be so selfless.” Shepard retorted. The acid back in her tone, or was that just bile, ugh she hadn’t felt this vile since waking up dead.

“How bout I had the opportunity for a good night’s sleep in a soft, sweet smellin’ bed, and I would be protecting my paycheck from drowning in her own vomit.”

Shepard looked at him pointedly for a heartbeat longer than the average person would deem comfortable. He obviously had no intention of moving and her internal struggle to stomp the nausea down overrode her social awkwardness from waking next to one of her more tense working relationships. She gingerly settled back into her spot and resumed to nurse the mother of all hangovers. She’d be damned if she would be the one to leave her own bed.

“So then, care to explain our current situation?” Shepard casually waved her hand in an all-encompassing gesture.

“Well lessee.” His tongue darted out to wet his lips “What do you remember last?

Afterlife. Yeah, that sounds about right.

“Last thing I remember is drinking some kind of Hanar juice at Afterlife and…” She was cut off as Zaeed laughed. He laughed much harder than warranted.

“Is it really necessary to laugh so.. loudly?”

“Hanar juice… Honestly, Shepard, for the savior of the galaxy you’re pretty goddam thick. Ever hear the phrase, drinks like a fish? That should be, drinks like a jellyfish. The Hanar distill venom for Christ’s sake. I’m amazed you can string two words together right now.” He turned to look her. Blue eyes narrowed to mismatched ones.

“Do you want to hear the fucking story or not?” Shepard snapped.

“No, no sweetheart, don’t mind me.” Zaeed raised his hands in submission.

Shepard paused… and paused some more.

“And I don’t remember much more than that.”

“Well sweetheart, let me fill some gaps for you. Zaeed purred with amusement.

“Ugh, spare me.”

“Do you want to hear the fucking story or not?” Zaeed threw her words back at her, his smirk playing at the ruined side of his face.

“By all means…” Shepard sunk deeper into the pillows throwing her arm across her face.

“So last night you left the Normandy in a fine fit of rage and looking for trouble. Naturally all proper young ladies looking for a bar fight end up at Afterlife, drunk as a skunk I might add, and apparently you found trouble… does any of this ring a bell?”

“Aside from this being pretty characteristic of an alcoholic, no, it’s not exactly,” Shepard air quoted “Ringing Any Bells.” Before dropping her arm back over her eyes.

“Well you were gone for about ten hours, and in that time you drank 1,000 chits worth of booze," Shepard groaned, "and did 20,000 chits worth of damage to Aria’s bar.” She cringed. “I know this because Aria delivered a bill with your laughing, drunk ass.” He cast her a sideways glance.

“Laughing you say?” she peeked at him from under her arm.

“Still conscious I say! Girl you drank the Patriarch under the table, got your ass slapped by a Batarian warlord and then proceeded to rip his arm off and beat him to death with it. What I wouldn’t have given to see his face! Fucking Batarians!” Approval laced his voice as he ran his hand across the stubble of his check. The hair rasped attractively under his callused palm.

“Yeah, me too.” Shepard let a ghost of a smile cross her face “Though, I don’t particularly like owing Aria money.”

“Oh and you shouldn’t!” Zaeed’s raspy chuckle rolled across her frayed senses, “That’d come outta your ass 110% mark my words! But no worries sweetheart. That Batarian you beat to death was under breach of contract with Ms. T’loak. She had a hit on him for 50k. She wrote on your bill “Paid in Full.” Ha! You’re gonna run good honest bounty hunters like myself outta business if you keep your rates to reimbursement for property damage.” Shepard snorted.

“So the slate is clean?”

“As anything on Omega is.” His lopsided grimace the closest approximation to a smile he could manage.

“Lovely. So if I was such a disaster,” Zaeed chuckled low and rolled on his side facing her. She swallowed. “how’d I make it back here?”

Heat radiated off of his body, soothing her wretched consciousness. His eyes looking her over. God woman, play it cool. Cool. You’re just jacked up on whatever those stupid jellyfish drink. She closed her eyes in a supreme effort of serenity.

“Eh? Some punk with face scars and neck tattoos shows up at the airlock with you slung over his shoulder, armor and all, giggling like a drunken idiot.” Shepard cracked a lid to look him in the opaque eye. The irony not lost on her. He pointedly ignored her pointed look.

“Giggling, Shepard. Like you were some kinda girl. Honestly, I think it scarred me emotionally.” He leered.

“Jealous Massani?”

“Me? Of some fluffed up Omega brat? No, darling. I’m not worried about some young buck. Skills and talent will take you only so far without the refinement of time.”

Shepard shifted uncomfortably. Her clammy skin had warmed from his proximity. Zaeed was definitely one smug piece of shit.

“So. What did I do next?”

“Well, EDI wouldn’t let him on, so she had him leave you in the airlock. Which he was none too pleased about. The Cheerleader woke me out of a lovely sleep, dreaming about the good ole days with my Jessie, on my hard, narrow cot I might add, and had me hoist your ass into your cabin shower. And let me say, you weigh more than some slip of a girl should.”

“I’m 6ft tall Zaeed.”

“And dense as fuck. Anyway, you were still laughing up a storm when Lawson started to hose the Batarian off of you, armor and all. I think it’s still in there, may want to look to that. We put you to bed, don’t worry I looked the other way when she dressed you. Now her you might owe.” Zaeed’s sly smile curled the corner of one lip. He looked away EDI’s shiny metal ass.

“So how did you end up here?” So nonchalant Shepard she thought. Zaeed smiled. Shepard sat up in the bed much more casually than she felt. Making her next question even blander than Kelly Chambers.

“So. Um. Did we…?”

Zaeed barked a laugh, but shifted uncomfortably. Shepard released a breath she hadn’t realize she was holding. It wasn’t like Zaeed wasn’t attractive, especially considering his current arrangement, but Shepard had more post death, my Alliance boyfriend broke up with me because I was resurrected by the space devil, oh and I’m all that stands between everyone and galactic annihilation baggage than a one night stand with a surly merc she had to work with on a professional level could handle.

“No. I’m not going to ruin the one friendship I’ve managed in 20 years by sleeping with you. I prefer my women only slightly more cognizant” Shepard smiled “…and unlike to vomit on me.” And the moment was gone.

“Besides, and no offense Shepard, but I’ve seen you dance.”

Ah, his acerbic wit. Like a cold shower dousing any innuendo he had left to smolder. She wasn’t quite sure if she appreciated the gesture or not.

“Wow, thanks for kicking me when I’m down Massani.”

Zaeed tipped his imaginary hat.

“Not a problem sweetheart. Do you still need your puke bucket? I’m sure Gardner would like his pot back.”

#mass effect #mass effect 2 #Zaeed Massani x Fem!Shep #Fem!Shep #Zaeed Massani #James Vega #Aria T’loak #fanfic #fanfiction #tinmunky writes #She’s got Canadian problems #And a drinking one too #Spotify

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n7inky-fanfics · 3 years

Text

She Did What?

Kaidan stares out the window into space, leaning against the wall. His mind wanders back to Rannoch. He thought he was going to lose her... again. The pain and fear he felt then is something he never wants to feel again, but he knows he will before this is over.

He can still hear her voice in his head. "Pull over," she ordered in her classic Commander Shepard voice. Oh, how he wanted to say something, to argue with her, but she was the Commanding Officer for this mission. She stared down a Reaper, vulnerable and endangered on a large rocky ledge. It worked out in the end, and Kaidan supposes he should be thankful for that. God, the dangerous stunts she pulls drive him crazy. Her drive and bravery are part of why he fell so hard for her, but sometimes he wishes she would just sit one out and let someone else take the risks.

When the door opens, his heart leaps and he hopes to see her walking in. He's briefly disappointed when Tali enters instead, but he smiles and greats his friend. She has a lot to celebrate tonight. "Hey, Tali." He heads towards the couch and gestures for her to sit with him. She takes a seat beside him and turns to face him. She radiates excitement.

"I thanked Shepard already, but now I want to thank you. You helped me to reach the homeworld. I have a home. Thank you, Kaidan."

Kaidan smiles and places a hand on her shoulder. "I'm so happy for you, Tali. And I am so glad Shepard managed to broker peace between your people and the Geth."

"It's more than I could have ever hoped for. After all this ends, you'll have to visit. You and Shepard. I'll build a nice guest room for the both of you."

"Sounds great, Tali."

She stands and pats his shoulder. "Now, I need to go check on the engine. Who knows what the Alliance did while I was away." She pats his shoulder and heads out. As she leaves, James comes in with two beers in each hand.

He grins a lopsided grin and sticks one arm out towards Kaidan. "Beer?"

"Thank you." Kaidan says as he grabs one. James places the extras on the side table and cracks his open.

"So, big day."

"You could say that again." Kaidan takes a sip. His eyes widen in surprise and he glances at the label. "This is real Canadian Lager. How did you get this?"

"Lola got me a secret stash from the Citadel before Tuchanka. Said she found it deep in the wards. When you got on the ship, she casually mentioned that you'd love to have one when we both get the time. I figured now was pretty good."

"Leave it to Shepard to find good alcohol." Kaidan chuckles.

"The lady's got good taste."

"I'll drink to that." Kaidan says, bringing his bottle towards James. He returns the gesture, clinking their bottles together before taking another sip.

"So I've only been on the Normandy for a little while, but I get the feeling Shepard is known for pulling off the impossible."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, in the time I've served under her, she took down a Reaper with the Mother of All Thresher Maws, cured the Genophage, and stared down another Reaper with an aiming module."

"I heard about Tuchanka. You've got to tell me what that battle was like!"

James sits up straighter and turns to face Kaidan as he gives a blow by blow description of the race to the bells and the eventual destruction of the Reaper on Tuchanka. Kaidan listens intently the whole time. Damn, they had been close to that Maw. Shepard must have been scared shitless. He swallows hard at the thought of having not been there for her during that. It's just one more way he has failed her.

James interrupts his train of thought. "So, was she like this when you first met?"

Kaidan laughs. "Well, I mean, yeah. When I met her, she saved Eden Prime from a Geth attack, survived accidentally linking with a Prothean beacon and witnessing their extinction, became the first human Spectre, tracked Saren to a Prothean lab, drove a Mako through a miniature mass effect relay, talked Saren into realizing he was indoctrinated, took down his corpse in battle, and led the combined effort of many races in destroying Sovereign."

"Wait, you're shitting me! She drove a Mako through a relay?"

"Yeah," Kaidan laughs. "I guess it does sound crazy, but she did it. I was there with her. Although, it's important to remember that it was a miniature one built by the Protheans."

"¡Ay, Díos! Shepard's lived quite the life!"

"That she has." Kaidan finishes his beer and reaches for a second. "Glad you made it on to the Normandy?"

"Hell yeah! Serving with Shepard has been the most important thing I've done in my life! She's the best CO I've ever had, but don't tell her I said that. It'll go to her head." He winks.

Kaidan nods and replies "Alright, LT."

The door slides open and Shepard walks in, grinning. "What are you two gossiping about?"

"Ah, Alenko here was just telling me about your adventures on the SR-1. Didn't know you were such a badass back in the day, Lola."

"The hell are you talking about, Vega? I'm still a bad ass." She winks. "Now, pass me a beer."

"Ah, c'mon, it's my last one!"

"Well, at least give me a sip, then. It's been a long day." She sits down between the two men and grabs the fresh beer out of James' hand, taking a single sip before returning it to him.

"Done with the paperwork and vid calls?" Kaidan asks.

"For tonight. Seems like everyone with a fancy title wants to talk right now."

"You're a popular person, Lola."

"That I am. Now, if you'd give us the room please, Vega?"

"G'night, lovebirds." James smiles as he stands and exits the room.

"EDI, lock the door please."

"Of course, Commander."

Hazel pulls her legs onto the couch and leans her head against Kaidan's shoulder. He kisses the top of her head.

"You scared me today." He says. "You're constantly throwing yourself into danger, and I don't want to lose you again."

"I know, K. I promise, I'll do everything I can to make sure you don't."

He puts down his empty bottle and plays with her hair as they sit together. "I love you, Hazel."

"I love you, too."

"You really did the impossible today, you know that?"

She laughs, a small sound that makes his heart leap. "All in a day's work."

#fanfic #mass effect #commander shepard #female shepard #kaidan alenko #shepard x kaidan #f!shenko #shenko #shepard #fshenko

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ginbiscuit · 2 years

Text

N7 Drabble 4/7

Not only is it N7 day (yay), it’s also my birthday! Which, to me, proves that Mass Effect and I were just made for each other. 😉 To celebrate this joyous day, I wrote seven little Mass Effect drabbles.

Here’s the fourth one:

Pairing: m!Shep / Kaidan Alenko / James Vega

Rating: PG-13

Word count: 100

Three

Shepard tasted like cotton candy and kissed like a man possessed – raw and needy. Kaidan was all coffee and slow kisses, sweetness in his touch. They both loved differently, too. But James liked it best when all of them were together, crashing against each other and becoming one.

James was the one who said „I love you“ first, blurting it out over breakfast, sleepy smiles meeting his confession. Later, it was Shepard who asked them to move in together, both men lying in his arms at night. A year later, Kaidan got down on his knees in front of them.

#Mass Effect #N7 Day #james vega x commander shepard x kaidan alenko #James Vega #Kaidan Alenko #james x shepard x kaidan #Commander Shepard #m!shepard #m!shep #my wriring #my birthday #drabble

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hawkeykirsah · 3 years

Text

Under the Stars

Fandom: Mass Effect Polycule: female Shepard x Kaidan Alenko x James Vega Wordcount: ~625 Prompt: Written for @polyamships August Polyam Shipping Day prompt “Under the Stars”

The water lapped softly against the shore, stars twinkling brightly overhead in the moonless sky as the sun sank entirely behind the horizon. The lingering heat of the day made way for a chill that crept slowly through Allegra’s bones and she pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

“You cold, Lola?” James asked from her left, gaze focused on the horizon, watching the warm orange diminish, growing steadily darker, from red to violet, to the deep blue of the night sky.

Allegra shook her head, “No, it’s not too bad. Thanks to Kaidan insisting we pack extra blankets.”

There was a snort of suppressed laughter from her other side. “Glad I could be of service.”

“Mmmh,” Allegra hummed, rubbing her arms as the wind picked up. “Though, I wouldn’t mind if you two scooted a bit closer.”

The men shifted, both moving closer until they pressed against her sides.

“When is the shower supposed to start?” James asked, turning his head to look past her at Kaidan.

“Another half hour, tops,” came the reply.

They fell silent, watching one star after the other light up the dark sky. Wind blew up sand biting at her bare calves and rustled through the leaves of the trees at the edge of the little cove.

Allegra laughed softly. “Isn’t it strange that we spend so much time traveling among the stars and still we have nothing better to do in our spare time than lay under the stars waiting for a meteor shower?” She reached for Kaidan’s hand, lacing their fingers together and leaned against James.

Kaidan lifted her fingers to his lips, brushing a kiss over her knuckles. “It’s because it’s beautiful under the stars. And I get to share this beautiful scenery with beautiful company, what’s not to love?”

“You’re a hopeless sap, Alenko.”

“You know you love it.”

She hummed again, tugging him closer until his face was mere inches from hers. “Yeah, I do. Hey there, handsome.”

“Hello, beautiful,” he replied, eyes crinkling. His gaze darted past her at James. “That goes for you, too, big guy.”

“Lola’s right, you’re a sap.”

“As if you weren’t well aware of that,” Kaidan pointed out, bumping his shoulder against James’. “And it’s not like I’m the only one, Mr. Let’s-have-a-candlelight-dinner-when-we-go-stargazing.”

“My other suggestion would have been sex?”

Allegra rolled her head so it leaned against the shoulders of both men touching behind her. “Sex is a great idea but let’s keep that in mind for when we’re back home. I think it’s a bit too chilly for sex outside today. Not to mention having sex would absolutely defeat the purpose of going stargazing because there certainly wouldn’t be any stargazing happening. And anyway, this is nice, too.” She snuggled closer and was met with hums of agreement.

Above them a meteor streaked across the sky.

“It’s starting,” Allegra breathed, watching more and more streaks of white paint the sky between sparkling stars, a silent firework. Long forgotten memories of a different meteor shower rose in her mind. “I’ve been to so many different planets and moons and I don’t think I’ve seen a meteor shower like this since leaving Mindoir. I wonder,” she added softly, “what it looks like there now.”

“We could go there on our next leave,” James murmured just as quietly. “If that’s what you want.”

Allegra squeezed his hand. “I don’t know. Maybe someday.”

A kiss dropped to her shoulder and silence fell around them again. She focused on the warmth of the bodies behind her, their steadying presence and the comfort they brought. The bittersweet tug of her memories passed as she watched the last meteor blink out and all she was left with was contentment, there, under the stars.

#PolyamShippingDay #shenga #kaidan alenko #james vega #commander shepard #femshep x kaidan x james #mass effect #ficlet #my writing #hawk writes #fluff #under the stars

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commander-krios · 4 years

Note

“No, I don’t want to say goodbye. Not now.”

Last prompt of the old ones you sent me! Whew! Took me a while, but I guess today I’m on fire. This is #2 I finished. It’s a bit dreary and sad, but I’m hoping the cute ending makes up for it. Some Vega/Cortez love for my Mass Effect friends.

The shuttle broke the atmosphere, giving those on board their first view of Earth in months. The sight was worse than even the most dire predictions. James Vega released the breath he was holding, feeling as if someone had punched him in the gut. Clutching the handrail above him for balance, James leaned against the side of the shuttle, his eyes refusing to turn away from the horror. He didn’t want to imagine what his home looked like. If it was anything like this, it would break him.

The sound of movement from behind indicated that he was no longer viewing the sight alone. James stood in silence, unable to find words to comfort either him or his companion. Perhaps there weren’t any.

“This is what we are fighting for, Vega.” Charley Shepard’s voice reached him easily despite the loud turbulence. “We are fighting to stop the destruction and death. To make sure the Reapers don’t win. Then we can pick up the pieces.”

He nodded, his throat constricting with overwhelming emotions he couldn’t name. Fear, sadness, perhaps even anger… nothing was discernible among the turmoil. Everything was too loud, too bright. With a shuddering breath, he tore his eyes from the demolished buildings and burning streets to those that rode with him.

Charley Shepard still stood beside him, her eyes on the war torn world beneath. She was his Commander and his friend. She was the reason they had made it this far. She was the reason they even knew about the Reapers. She’d been fighting them since day one and no matter how much she was beaten, she refused to back down. She was willing to give up everything to stop them. The wedding ring on her finger was proof that she’d given up so much already.

James was positive losing the only person you loved more than life itself was a torment worse than anything the Reapers. He knew how it felt to lose someone, they all did, but Charley and Thane had been entwined in ways that James almost envied. The only thing she had left to drive her was the war and once it was over, she would have nothing left. Perhaps that’s why she threw herself so readily at them. Maybe in the end, she really wanted to join Thane.

James noticed Kaidan Alenko watching Shepard from the opposite side of the cabin. His eyes were wary, but the biotic had always been able to pick up on her moods before they hit. They were the best of friends, together since the early days of the Normandy. When Kaidan realized James had looked in his direction, he met the younger soldier’s gaze, nodding solemnly at him, sharing in the mourning of their homeworld.

“We’re landing.” Steve Cortez called from the pilot’s seat. “Brace yourselves.”

James turned away from Kaidan, putting both hands on the bar above him, bracing his legs for the eventual jolt that came with landing the small shuttle. Within a few minutes, they were safely on the ground, the shuttle doors opening to reveal the battered landscape. Buildings crumbled around them, fires belching poisonous smoke into the air, choking the oxygen from lungs.

Bodies covered the ground, tarps haphazardly covering them to keep the stench from overwhelming those still alive. James could imagine how many soldiers died in the initial assault, but then, how many of the dead were civilians? Men, women, and children who couldn’t fight. How many had been killed when the Reapers first arrived?

A shiver shook his body that had nothing to do with the temperature. Everything felt too close, too claustrophobic. It was almost too much to bear.

Shepard took one look at the makeshift base, at the bodies, at the destroyed terrain before turning to address him and Kaidan. “Do what you need to and meet me inside in fifteen.”

She didn’t wait for a response, only strode further into the camp on her mission, emotions cut off from what she saw. Kaidan sighed wearily as she took her leave. Then he clapped James on the shoulder briefly before following her. He watched them go in silence, unable to do the same. He had some unfinished business before he would be able to go headlong into the fight. He didn’t know if he would come out of the war unscathed, or hell even alive, but he didn’t want to leave anything to chance.

James found Steve Cortez by the shuttle, refueling for the trip back to the Normandy. There were others on board that needed to be on the ground. Steve would make sure they all got to where they needed to be. It was a dangerous job, especially with the Reapers and their lasers in the vicinity. James hated seeing the pilot put himself in danger, but then they all were. War was dangerous and ugly. It was life and death as the destruction around them proved. Although this was what James had trained for, he still hated it. He hated the death of innocents and the sacrifice of good soldiers. It seemed endless.

“Vega- come to see me off?” Steve asked as soon as he caught sight of his friend. “It won’t be long until I’m back.”

“I know. That’s not why I’m here. By the time you get back, I’ll probably be in the field and I just-” James paused, rubbing his neck as he tried to figure out his next words. “I wanted to say goodbye just in case.”

Steve frowned at the implication. “Don’t talk like that.”

“It’s true, Esteban. I’m not stupid. I know how these things end.” James glanced away from Steve’s blue eyes, knowing they saw too much at times. He didn’t want him to see how scared he really was. “Just- be safe. For me.”

Steve shook his head. “No. I don’t want to say goodbye.”

James returned his gaze to the pilot. “Please-”

“Not now. Not like this.” Closing the gap between them, Steve put his hands on James’s shoulders, making sure the soldier knew how serious he was. “I’ve already lost someone I loved once, James. I’m not going to lose you too.”

James tried to swallow despite the tightness in his throat. “How can you be sure?”

“Because I’ll be waiting for you.” Steve told him with a smile. “You better not keep me waiting for long.”

A small laugh left his mouth despite the bleakness of their surroundings. With a determined nod, James pulled Steve into a tight hug, relishing the feel of the man’s warmth against him. “I’ll see you on the other side, Esteban.”

#highexarchs #my writing #mass effect #mass effect fanfiction #death mention #angst #priority earth #james vega #charley shepard #femshep #steve cortez #kaidan alenko #cortega #implied cortega #james vega x steve cortez #vega x cortez #shrios mention

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starsandskies · 4 years

Note

OTPs from Mass Effect and Dragon Age :)

Thank you for asking! ♥♥♥

Dragon Age answered here!

Apparently, I don’t know how to read anymore and I answered all the thing instead of only my OTPs. I’m sorry!

OTP

Joker Moreau/FemShep.

James Vega/FemShep.

Kaidan Alenko/Shepard.

Reyes Vidal/Ryder.

Favorite canon pairing

Kaidan Alenko/Shepard - I can help it; I love this man with all my heart.

Thane Krios/Shepard - I never romanced Thane in-game, though. Shame on me. I think I keep romancing Kaidan over and over again because I’m not ready for all the angst. I always say that I won’t choose destruction the day I decide to romance Thane at last.

Reyes Vidal/Ryder.

Worst pairing ever

I answered this one here, but I’d like to add Joker/EDI. And not because I love “shoker”… it’s mostly because of how EDI -and their relationship- is written and portrayed.

I’d probably also include here the fling -or whatever this is supposed to be- between FemShep and James in the Citadel DLC. Jesus, it’s one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen.

Guilty pleasure pairing

Zaeed Massani/FemShep.

I didn’t list them as OTP because I knew I’d put them here… but anyway, they’re my OTP too, my “guilty pleasure” OTP. And that line of him telling Shepard he always thought she was beautiful. Oh Zaeed, Zaeed…

Harry Carlyle/SisRyder. That’s me lusting for older men. Nothing new under the sun.

A pairing you want to see more

Miranda/FemShep. I’m still salty about not being able to romance her. C’mon, I want my space diva!

Ryder/Evfra and Ryder/Kandros - I know and I’ve read amazing fanfics featuring these pairings, but anyway, I’d like to see more content about them.

That pairing everyone likes but you’re like “lol no”

DON’T KILL ME! Garrus/FemShep. I mean, I love him and I LOVE their romance. I love their relationship and how much they mean to each other even when they’re just friends. There’s no Shepard without Vakarian and he’s one of my favorite characters for sure, but Shakarian itself it’s not for me. I still think they’ve got some of the most beautiful, sweet and funny romance scenes of the trilogy (the tango!) and I love doing his romance, but I never got with them the same feeling that with Kaidan for example. A matter of taste, I guess.

Favorite non-romantic pair

Shepard/Grunt - Shepard/Wrex. I’m thinking about their scenes during the Citadel DLC. That moment of the three of them sitting on the couch like “Shepard?” “Commander Shepard” “Shepard, Shepard, Shepard” and Shepard raising an eyebrow at them like “WTF!?”. I also love all the interactions with Grunt during the DLC.

And Zaeed/Garrus, James/Garrus, Mordin/Shepard, Tali/FemShep… God, I love them all.

#forlornmelody

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juleshawke · 5 years

Link

Chapters: 95/? Fandom: Mass Effect Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Female Shepard/James Vega Characters: Female Shepard (Mass Effect), James Vega, Jeff "Joker" Moreau, Kaidan Alenko, Garrus Vakarian, David Anderson, Steven Hackett Additional Tags: Romance, Sexual Tension, Science Fiction, War Summary:

He'd worshiped her from afar, always wanted the chance to say hello, maybe to serve under her. Then his mission had gone horribly wrong and he blamed her, resented her for it. Or did he. James Vega finds himself in a position he never expected and has to come to terms with his own pain and doubt. Bioware owns all thing Mass Effect, I'm just playing in their sandbox.

Reblogging because the link worked and because I can

Have a snippet -

‘She’s still alive, that’s the main thing.’ Bailey stood up and made them both a coffee from the machine on the bench behind him.

‘Yeah, just wish I could talk to her, you know, so she could tell me we’re doing all this right.’

‘We are doing this right. Getting people off the station is the safest option while we figure out what’s going on.’ He passed the coffee across his desk and sat down. ‘She trusted you, I trust you.’

‘Thanks,’ he sipped the drink grimacing at the bitter taste.

‘Sorry, ran out of sugar. Anderson?’

‘Getting better, I suggested he might be better off returning to Earth now he can get around a bit, but he wants to be here when Shepard wakes up. Wouldn’t be surprised if he starts barking orders at us, he’s getting a little testy.’

‘Can’t say I blame him and he’s more than welcome to help out.’

‘I’ll tell him, but I think he’s enjoying not having to give orders, he’s earned a rest. Plus I think he just likes having Kahlee looking after him.’ He said with a laugh. ‘So,’ he sat up straight and focussed on the job, ‘supplies, we can have water brought up from Earth if we need it. Food too if we have to.’

‘Water might be an issue, we still have some in storage tanks and we’re rationing. It’s a little better with less people but it will still run out. Would help if the lakes hadn’t emptied when the Crucible fired, we could use them about now.’ He rubbed his hands across his face, exhaustion carving deep lines in his forehead. ‘We’ll be good for a while with food, we found another cache tucked away in an abandoned building last night. Funny how they seem to pop up when we need them most.’

‘You think the keepers are still working for us?’

‘Hard to say. If we go near the line holding the orbs they get defensive, the fuckers shocked one of my men just to prove their point. They don’t want us going beyond that barrier they’re holding up.’

James nodded, ‘yeah, one of my recon teams had the same thing happen. If Leviathan has something planned I wish they’d damn well hurry up and show their hand. Waiting is driving me nuts.’

‘Damn right,’ Bailey snorted a laugh, ‘but we should be careful what we wish for, who knows how this is going to end up.

James grinned, how many times now had he been told that and he ignored it every time. Wishing for Shepard to wake up, wishing for a proper end to this war, wishing for just five minutes of time alone with her. He wasn’t asking for much.

#mass effect #myfanfic #shega #Careful What You Wish For #Vega

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masseffecthoe · 5 years

Text

Soul Glitches

Chapter 1

A/N: So I’ve been playing Mass Effect and I guess you’ve seen James Vega and his muscles since you’re here... yeah, so this is the result :))

Writing this for fun, maybe a little rough around the edges and lightly unedited :)) Just so we’re clear, it’s a James x non Shepard OC.

Warnings: none i think... yet

I like making collages, sue me!

Jun sat in a dark corner of the hallway, right leg bouncing rapidly for the past half hour. Shepard's hearing was being delayed and it couldn't mean anything good. Officers were rushing in and out of the main chamber, each wearing a perfect mask of calmness on their faces, but the hurried steps and careful whispers were a clear indication something was up. But there was no way in hell they were going to actually charge the commander with anything, right? After all, they were saved, once more, because of her.

She thought back on the last mission, the one that all thought was going to be a one way trip through the Omega 4 relay and cold shiver ran through her spine. Maybe they were pushing their luck a little, but facts were facts and all of them painted Shepard as a god dammed hero. She was bought out of her momentary trance when a ruckus came down the hall. Soon enough she spotted the commander, her confident stride making the lower ranked officers part out of her way. Getting up from her spot in the shadows she joined the other woman in her march towards the hearing, completely ignoring the marine in her tow.

"Something's up, Shepard."

"Any idea what?"

"No. Whatever it is, they're keeping it tight." They paused and shared a look. Something was brewing in Shepard's mind; you could almost see the cogs running in overtime. Jun was about to ask what was the plain if things went south when the heavy doors slid open revealing none other than Kaidan Alenko. Now, she didn't have anything against the lieutenant per se, but he could be such an ass. She knew for a fact the commander was head over heels for the guy and she just couldn't see why… First human specter, war hero and the best damn leader she served under and the woman chose that chump…

She sighed, spacing out their entire conversation, pondering on love and its apparent unique ability to make even the greatest people dumb. When Anderson came and escorted the commander, she gave Jun one last look and she nodded: she'd be waiting right there, ready to bust them out if needed. If the Alliance refused to see the reapers as a real and imminent threat they'd find help somewhere else.

"You know the commander?

"I used to." Jun scoffed a little too loudly, making the two men turned towards her with questioning looks.

"You're such a moron, I swear…"

"Good to see you again, Jun."

"If only it were mutual."

"Look, I'm so-"

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, you dimwit." Kaidan gaze fell to the ground, shaking his head.

"I get it you two know each other."

"Unfortunately." She eyed the recently promoted major with all the disgust she could muster until Kaidan let out a defeated sigh and went on his merry way. She told herself again that she did not truly hate the guy, but it was getting harder and harder not to. As strong as Shepard was, his mistrust in her had left a mark no matter how hard she denied it. Shaking her head to get Alenko out of her mind, she turned towards the marine and extended her hand towards him.

"I'm sorry for that, he just really gets on my nerves. I'm Jun Saros." He shook her hand with a steady grip and she couldn't help notice the veins along his forearm. Damn he was bulky.

"Lieutenant James Vega. You two got history?"

"God no! He's just the biggest drama queen when you least expect it." He eyed her up and down, a smirk forming in the corner of his lips. Damn that scar was sexy.

"His loss." Jun was taken aback by the comment, but found herself smiling nevertheless. With all that had transpired in the past years, her accident, Cerberus, the Collectors, she found his little quip refreshing. A dip in normality. When was the last time she just chatted with someone without looming threats over their shoulder?

She raised an eyebrow, lips parted to give him a comeback, but her words were drowned down by an explosion. The ground shook violently, windows clattering and breaking. Outside, massive shadows were landing in the distance, red lasers shooting in every direction. Jun turned to reach the hearing room, but was interrupted when an entire section of the wall collapsed, blocking the door. She was grabbed by her shoulder non too gently by James and pulled along further down the corridor as alarms started going off and people dashed towards safety. She tried the com link as she barely kept up with the marine's pace.

"Shepard?"

"Jun, Anderson and I are cut off the main exit. Head towards the landing zone and meet us at the Normandy."

"Understood." She looked one more at the reaper just outside the city lines and cursed under her breath. They were nowhere near prepared for this! "Vega, we need to get to the Normandy."

The man nodded and took a sharp left making Jun almost loose her balance when she spun at the last second. If the building wasn't collapsing behind them she would have laughed at the silliness of it. James led them towards the exit, or better said to what was once the exit. A metal plaque cut through the doorway, wires spiking with electricity dangling from the sides. She took her omni-tool and cast a shield around them, giving the marine a curt nod before heading outside.

To say the city was in shambles would have been the understatement of the century. Barely any buildings stood unscathed, shuttles were evacuating civilians as military airships were going headfirst towards the reaper forces. She didn't have much time to register everything as James took off, jumping on a railing and turning towards her, hand outstretched.

"Come on!" Purposefully avoiding to look closer at the unstable looking path he'd chosen, Jun took his hand reluctantly. They were sitting ducks there, but the open space and the reaper in the distance made her stomach turn.

"How much further?"

"Are you scared of heights, princess?"

"Less of heights, more of giant lasers and being burned alive, you know?" He might have chuckled, but it was hard for her to tell between the explosions, alarms and people screaming. She turned towards a group of officers trying to pry off a metal chunk of a colleague's leg. The decision was made in a split second.

"We're almost ther- what are you doing?" She jumped down on the level below, preparing her onmi-tool and kneeling down besides the man.

"This should stop the bleeding, but you should still get him checked…" The words died in her throat. In all this madness there was little hope they would manage to get him a doctor anytime soon. The soldiers seemed to acknowledge this as well.

"Thank you ma'am. This will give him some more time." They hauled the poor unconscious guy over their shoulders and ducked for cover as a laser was shot towards them. It felt like she was hit by a train when James rolled them behind a sturdy looking column, the air leaving her lungs. She grasped his arms for support as she desperately tried to get some oxygen back in.

"Sorry…" James took in her form once more. She was lean, but nowhere near in military shape, her hands delicate on his rough skin. He felt bad for manhandling her, yet couldn't help wonder how she got mixed in on the Normandy's crew. He remembered her name in the reports, but couldn't recall if there was any mentions of her training.

"No, n-"The words stuck in her throat and she coughed a bit more before regaining a steady breathing, her grip loosening. "Thank you. Beats being burned alive."

"Right, let's get moving." He could have gotten to the ship already if he were on his own, he wanted to get to the action and blast those sons of bitches off their planet as quickly as possible. But he couldn't leave Shepard's little friend behind. The commander and Anderson seemed to trust her.

The Normandy came into view and they made a run for it. He jumped on the air lock and turned to help the woman, but she was already midair, a little drone pushing at her back. She dusted off when she landed besides him and raised an eyebrow at the look she was giving him.

"What? I'm more capable than I look." She put out her tongue in a child like protest and he wondered again how she survived that suicide mission. Dumb luck was all he could think of. They headed further inside the ship, in hopes Shepard and Anderson would have already gotten there, when a voice sounded through the ship's coms.

"Jun! Good to have you back on the Normandy."

"Joker, I already feel safer." James followed her to the elevator, unsure of the ship's layout. "Are Shepard and Anderson here?"

"We're picking them up now. You should get to the war room, the commander will be there soon."

It didn't take long between the moment they arrived in the room, the ship turning away from Earth, the commander entering, no Anderson in sight, and admiral Hackett's message. He didn't like the situation one bit. Leaving Earth was a coward move, even if the admiral had ordered them to Mars, James was not a part of Shepard's crew, he should have stayed with Anderson and fought for his planet! He was not stupid, he knew they most likely stood no chance without help from the aliens, but his fight was not in the politics of the Citadel, it was on the ground, were his people were being slaughtered. The heavy silence after the admiral's message was finally intercepted by Jun as she got up with a sigh.

"Starboard Observation Deck is MINE this time!"

Chapter 2 >

#soulglitches #james vega #James Vega x reader #james vega x oc #mass effect #mass effect 3

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bagog · 5 years

Text

N7 Month 2017 - Day 9: Family

This one is schmmmmmaaaaltzy

“No, you can’t play that piece there!”

“I thought it moved like this?”

“No! The seelik moves like that.”

“…This isn’t a seelik?”

“Garrus, it’s a vas’a. We’ve been over this.”

Garrus looked despairingly at the multi-level, absurdly geometric keeta’an board. It was Tali’s turn to pick the game for Shepard’s board game night, and after Traynor’s decisive victory in last week’s Kapesh Yakshi, everyone was a little raw about learning a new game.

“Why do I have to be on a team with Vega?” Garrus jerked his head in Vega’s direction.

“Well I don’t have enough pieces for 8, so we have to do teams.”

“Why can’t I be on a team with you?”

“Hey!” James set down the ornate kipell’a from the top of a precarious looking platform.

“Joker called me as his partner last week—“

“—I was sick of always losing at these things—“

“—so you can just deal with it.” Tali teased.

EDI and Liara made up the third team, with Shepard and Kaidan playing as the fourth team. Edi and Liara were oddly quiet, only occasionally trading a secretive smile between them whenever one of the men made a move.

“Hey EDI,” Kaidan took a sip of his drink, “No downloading strategies from the extranet! Already unfair to play a game of strategy against an AI!”

“Major Alenko,” EDI demurred, “Are you insinuating that I might cheat?”

“You’re literally programmed to make 10,000 strategic considerations per second in battle situations.”

“…perhaps,” the AI replied, giving Liara another secretive smile.

“Yeah, yeah,” Joker scooted forward in his chair. “’Resistance is futile,’ we get it. Everybody all set?”

“Okay, we’ll start over,” Tali sighed. “This game is over 4,000 year olds and I’ll bet nobody’s had to explain the rules this many times…”

“I don’t need the whole rule set again,” Kaidan interjected. “But you said that the game is over when you get all seven pieces back to their family.”

“—But then you said there was another way to win,” Garrus interrupted.

“If you get all seven people onto the ship,” Shepard finally spoke. It was really the first time all evening he’d said anything, preferring to watch his friends the way he always had: part of their conversations, but also not a part. “The rules changed 300 years ago. Because the ship can be home, too.”

Everyone was quiet for a moment, and Tali clutched her hands together at her chest.

“And as long as you’ve got each other and a ship,” she said, “You’ve got family.”

#mass effect #fanfic #n7 month #n7 month 2017

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tealenko · 3 years

Text

Somebody that I Used to Know (Chapter 3)

Chapter 3: Port Observation

Wow... chapter 3 already. This one is more funny than the previous one. I thought this chapter would be difficult to write at the begining but in the end it was one of the easiest.

Summary: James wants to know if the rummors about Shepard are true, so he ends up getting Steve and Garrus drunk to find out. Things get a little unconfortable when Shepard enters the room and overhears part of the conversation.

Words: 2757 Rating: Teens and Up Warnings: Alcohol

Previous chapter -> [link] All chapters -> [link] Read in AO3 -> [link]

-------------------------------------------------------

“So you don’t know” James asks Steve while he is dealing the cards.

“Why should I? You know her longer than I do.” Steve takes a look at his cards, deciding how many he should discard. “Why do you ask? Curiosity? Or do you have ulterior motives?”

“Are you crazy? Well, if she wasn’t my C.O, maybe, but I mean… I’m wise enough to don’t get involved in that kind of mess.” James throws away two of his cards. “Maybe I’m trying to distract you with gossip. Well, how many do you want?”

“Just one.” Steve says. “I didn’t think you were smart enough to make that kind of decision Vega, you seem more of an accion guy, rather than a thoughtful one.”

“Looks can be deceiving, I mean, look at Mr. Major specter.”

“Wait, Alenko? No… He looks too, mmm...”

“Serious, right?”

“But it cannot be, I’ve never seen a more ‘by the book’ type of guy. No, it must be… well, It would make sense...”

“What?”

“No, no. This isn’t right James. We shouldn’t be talking about this stuff. Just… just place a bet.”

“You’re gonna leave me like this Esteban? Come on, I’m sure she won’t mind… maybe she’ll tell us if we ask nicely.” James throws a couple of poker chips to the center of the table.

“Yeah sure, I won't be the one who discovers if that's true.” Steve raises the bet. “And why did you think of Alenko to begin with?”

“Ah nah… If you don’t tell what you know you can’t expect me to do so.”

“Do you see the bet or not?”

“I do.”

“And you have good reasons to think if she had something with someone it was with the major?”

“I do.” James matches the bet. “You said it makes sense, before you stopped talking.”

“She is going to kill us.”

“She’ll never find out.” James looks at his cards smiling. “Tell you what, if I win this round you tell me, if you win ask whatever you want.”

“Ok, let me see your cards.”

Both of them place down their cards onto the table.

“Ha! So spill, what did you hear Esteban?”

“God, I should've known better that to bet against you.”

“Spill it out.”

“Well… I met someone who was part of the Normandy crew, the first one, and he told me there were rumors about her having a thing for someone in the ship, he didn’t say who, only that the person in fact was a lower rank… so in theory Alenko fits the pattern, but also do so many others, why do you suspect of the major?”

“Now you wanna know, eh?”

“Come on Vega, why?”

“Why wouldn’t I. Man, you weren’t there on Mars.”

“Mars?”

“Yeah, I’ve never been more uncomfortable in my life, you could cut the tension with a knife.”

“Just because of that?”

“He seemed really pissed off with her.”

“Ay James, what kind of telenovela are you writing in your head?”

“Just saying what I think.” Steve starts laughing.

“I don’t even know if you are serious or if you're messing with me.”

“About what?” Says a third voice entering the conversation. Both of them raise a hand a little to say hello.

“Ey Scars, spying on us?” Says James, standing up to go to the bar.

“Just stopping by for a drink.” Garrus says, sitting in the bar area and turning his head to talk to Steve. “What are you two up to?”

“You don’t wanna know… I think I need a drink too.”

Steve sits next to Garrus, in the meanwhile, James, who moved quickly to tend the bar, starts mixing drinks in front of them.

“This will be my first time making a dextro cocktail, wish me luck Scars.”

“Just… try not to kill me Vega.”

“Relax hermano, I’m a pro. Ask Esteban, he was at one of my famous parties.”

“How was it?”

“I couldn’t say… I don't remember much of that week to be honest.”

“Eh eh eh… I see, the best kind of party.” Garrus taps the bar with his hand. “Okay James, do your best. If you’re able to mix something that makes me forget the reapers by the end of the shift I’ll put you in for a medal once this is all over.”

“Sure… this is going to be fun, I’ve never seen a drunk turian.” James finishes mixing the drink and offers it to Garrus. “Are you even able to get drunk?”

“Well… you’re about to find out.” Garrus takes the drink and downs it in seconds. “Not bad, Jimmy...” He points at his glass to ask for another. “By the way, what were you two talking about before I got in? Steve seemed distressed.”

They all start drinking, and Steve succeeds to avoid the conversation for a while, until the drinks begin to kick in, loosening Vega’s tongue. By the time they’ve explained their whole conversation to Garrus, none of them is sure if they will be able to stand up without difficulties.

“You don’t appreciate your life, eh Vega?” Garrus says, finishing yet another drink.

“Come on Scars, we wanna know!”

“I don't. The commander's business shouldn’t be of our interest.” Steve tries very hard to stand up, letting himself fall onto the couch when the whole room starts spinning.

“I agree. And I’m sorry to disappoint you James, but I have no clue If what you say it’s true or not. Why do you wanna know?”

“Well, I’ll be hella funny to tease her about this when I have the chance. And him. I wanna get my info right before I do so.”

“Oh no, no no no… You really wanna die.” Garrus looks at James with an alarm expression on his face. “Listen to me Vega, do not get into that, never, don’t even think about it. I’m not joking.”

“You said you didn’t know anything.”

“No, don’t go there Vega.” Garrus tries to escape the conversation by leaving the room, but in his state he is only able to take a few steps before he gives up, sitting in front of Steve. “You ehm… should leave it.”

“Look at it this way, if you tell me what you’re sooooo afraid of maybe i’ll understand your reasons and put the subject away, but if you don’t…. well… I’m sure Lola knows if It’s true or not.” James walks towards the coach, grabbing his drink, and sitting next to Steve. ”So?”

“So… this is something that doesn’t concern you, and I don’t even know that much but…“ He takes a second, questioning if he should keep talking. ”There was, in fact, something between them,” he finally says. ”But the only thing you should know It’s that it ended up pretty badly, so you shouldn’t insist on the subject.”

“Well, that doesn’t surprise me. I mean, he ended up pointing a gun at her, what a revelation.”

“Not what I was talking about, and to be fair with Kaidan, she was pointing hers at the council.”

“And he backed her up once she explained herself.” Ads Steve.

“So what were you referring to?”

“You aren’t going to quit, eh?”

“Nope”

Garrus sighs and takes a second to process everything. He shouldn’t tell him this, but he is way too drunk to get to that conclusion and is also starting to think that he will indeed ask Shepard if he doesn’t tell him.

“You see… Shepard and Kaidan only met once when we were on Cerberus and well… How do I put this? Ah yes, have you seen the big dent at the access cargo wall, right at the entrance of the ship?”

“Yes.”

“Shepard’s response to their conversation… She… She broke her hand hitting the wall as soon as we got back on the ship.”

“You’re shitting me!” Says James, half laughing half in awe.

“No, no I'm not. And THAT’s how it ended, so I wouldn’t bring it up anymore or talk about it with anyone, especially with Shepard.”

“What is it that Vega shouldn’t talk about with me, Garrus?” Shepard says, appearing out of nowhere, and sitting next to the turian. “Well?”

The tree of them freeze, and after a few seconds of general panic, James starts talking.

“Let me get this straight… “ Shepard says, looking at James. “We are at war with the reapers, probably facing extinction, and your priority right now is to know whether or not I hooked up with Alenko back in the day?”

“Yes… Well no, Garrus already confirmed that part.” Shepard turns her head towards the turian, who is trying his best to avoid her eyes. “What I really wanna know is where you stand right now.” Says Vega, without even thinking.

“Please Commander, he’s… Well, we’re… a little bit too drunk right now. Don’t listen to him, he doesn’t mean it.” Steve pleads, trying to save his friend from the mess he’s in. “You know Vega, he doesn’t really have a filter, now less than ever.”

Shepard sights and takes a big breath.

“No harm, no foul, eh?” She says, examining the three men one by one. “ And you seem, in fact, pretty drunk. Well… I guess you really needed to blow off some steam, eh?” She starts laughing at the situation, and the mood of the room lightens a little.

“Do you want a drink, Lola?”

“Sure, why not? Pass me a beer if there’s any”

“Don’t you wanna one of my cocktails? Garrus really likes them.” Says James on his way to the bar. “They seem to loosen his tongue.”

“Don’t push your luck, Vega.”

“I had to try, here you go.” James hands the beer to Shepard and sits again next to Steve. “So… you are mad, aren’t you Shepard?”

“No, I’m not… I can see why you would be curious about that kind of subject.”

“Not, with as… With the major.” Steve and Garrus look directly at James, trying to make him stop talking with their gaze. “I mean...”

“Oh please Vega stop talking before she kills you and everyone else in this room.”Garrus pleads, seeing James isn’t going to stop on his own. “Hey Shep, I’m so sorry about all of this, seriously. I thought if I explained the situation a little he would be satisfied and would not bother you… but I think he, we, are way too drunk to function like propper beings, I’m truly sorry.”

“Yes, please James, stop talking.” Steve adds.

“I’m just saying that as members of her crew, we should know this kind of thing. I don’t know… maybe we have to protect the guy if she tries to shoot him again.” All three of them start laughing at James' comment, with Steve almost falling out of the couch and Garrus trying really hard to look away from Shepard’s direction. “I’ll be also nice to know if we have to pad the Normady’s walls.”

Shepard is looking at the whole scene in silence, drinking her beer with a thoughtful expression on her face. They continue like this for a while, with James making endless jokes and the other two trying not to laugh, and failing miserably.

After a few minutes the room gets filled with quietness, and as the effect of the alcohol begins to fade a little, all three of them start to realize what a terrible idea it was to say all that out loud, in front of her.

Shepard smiles a little, as they are desperately trying to find something to say. James is the first one to talk again.

“Lola, I...”

“I am not.”

“What?”

“You ask if I was mad at Kaidan, didn’t you?” All three of them stare at her in awe, not believing what’s happening. “Well I am not, so you shouldn’t worry. Now, I think you should go to sleep this one off.”

Steve and James make a sigh of relief, nod at her, and disappear in a few seconds, thanking whichever god was able to let them off of that situation. Garrus, on the other hand, stays where he is, looking at her while she stands up to throw her empty bottle away.

“Why aren’t you?” Garrus asks, with more concern than curiosity on his face.

“What?” Shepard says, turning to look at him.

“Why aren’t you mad with Kaidan?” He takes a second, trying to analyze what he knows about the situation. “I would be, If I were you.” Shepard moves to sit in front of him but doesn’t say anything. She just nods at him, waiting for him to carry on with his argument. “I mean… I was there in Horizon, Shepard. I saw what you went through, for months, when we were with Cerberus.”

She looks at him, smiling a little. But she doesn’t say anything.

“Don’t get me wrong, I like Kaidan. He’s a good guy, a good soldier but… I just can't wrap my head around the fact that you aren’t mad at him.”

“Why should I?” Shepard takes a moment to think and Garrus smiles, waiting for her to order her thoughts before exposing them. “I won’t deny Horizon was a low blow but, after thinking about it, I can't say I blame him for any decision he made. I mean… When you look at it from the outside... I magically came back from the dead, joined a terrorist organization, destroyed a relay, killed thousands of batarians and ended up arrested on Earth.”

“When you put it that way...”

“Yeah… I’m actually surprised he didn't shoot me at the Citadel.” They both start laughing. “I did give him a lot of reasons.”

“I’m glad he didn’t.”

“Aw, thanks Garrus, I knew down there you cared about me.”

“Funny, Shepard… Very funny. You know what I meant. You’ve lost enough people you care about.”

“Yeah.” Garrus sees how Shepard’s smile fades away, looking at the door for a second before talking again. “Well… I’m also glad… that he didn’t.”

The turian stares at her for a second, trying to read her face, and Shepard doesn’t know how to act. She looks to every corner in the room before looking again in his direction, his expression it’s still the same.

“You’re creeping me out Garrus, what on Earth are you..”

“Do you like him?”

“What?”

“Kaidan… do you like him again?”

Shepard is suprised, to say the least. Garrus has never been the type to talk about feelings, and even less in such a blunt way.

“Why do you ask and what have you done with Garrus?” She says laughing a little.

He laughs in return, knowing how uncharacteristic it is of him to have this kind of conversation.

“I just… Shepard, look, we’ve been friends for years now, so allow me to say this, and then you can do whatever you like with my advice.” She nods at him. “If we all die in a week...”

“Don’t jinx it”

“Again, funny… But, if it happens, what would you do, if you knew it before time?”

Shepard looks at the ground, she can’t deny she has wondered about that type of situation, but in the end reality was always stronger than the ‘what if’s.

“I see what you mean Garrus… but if I don’t die in a week and he doesn’t... well… I still need to be able to work with him, you know? There’s more at stake here than my feelings.”

Garrus nods, knowing he won’t convince her and stands up as she does.

“Thanks for the conversation anyway, I know what you were trying to do and I appreciate it Garrus, I truly do.”

“One day you’re gonna have to put yourself first than the rest of the galaxy Shepard, if anyone has earned the right that’s you.” As they walk out of the room he decides to attempt again. “You haven’t answered my question,” he says when they make it to the door, trying one last time before they part ways. “Do you like him again?”

She looks away for a second, a thousand thoughts going through her mind, before she decides to give in and tell the truth.

“Not again.” She turns to look at Garrus, who’s waiting patiently for her response. The look on his face is a mix between kindness and concern, free of any kind of judgement, and after a few seconds in silence she gives him a melancholic smile, taking a big breath before looking directly at Kaidan's room. “I… I’ve never stopped.”

-----------------------------------------------------

I'm in love with the friendship between Garrus and Shepard, one of my favourite moments in ME3 is Garrus cheering you up in a conversation between missions. This gives me the same vibe.

I'm also very glad I was able to get Vega in this history, he's always very funny to write about.

Previous chapter -> [link] Next chapter -> [link] All chapters -> [link]

As always feel free to ask for fics or give me suggestions!!!

#frienship #garrus vakarian #shepard x kaidan #james vega #steve cortez #kaidan alenko #shenko #mass effect #fshenko #commander shepard #shepard #fanfic #me3 #drinking

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theoriginalladya · 3 years

Note

(also. if you ever felt inclined to write a group hug. i'd be first in line to flail all over it)

from this prompt list

On AO3 here

Ask, my dear (and you always ask so nicely!!!) and you shall receive!!!!! Enjoy!

(also, you may have seriously helped me sort out a big part of their story with this prompt!!! THANK YOU!!!) (under cut because it got long)

TW: description of battle, blood mention

Translations at the end.

~~~~~

“Shit!”

The exclamation is the only warning Shepard receives before Vega ducks down behind cover next to him, his large bulk hunching in on itself as much as it can so it provides a minimal target. That the ‘minimal target’ is now positioned right next to Shepard and puts him in danger as well, is completely beside the point. It’s why they pay us the big bucks, right? Out of instinct, he reaches over and pushes Vega’s head down just a little bit lower.

The lieutenant takes it all in stride as the firefight continues around them. “Hehehe, thanks jefe.”

“Not a problem, Vega. I watch out for my team.” Their eyes meet; Shepard sees the glitter of determination of his reflected in the younger man’s. “All of them.” No one left behind, is more than just the four words themselves.

An explosion nearby shakes the walls and results in both men ducking lower for a good thirty seconds. Slowly, Shepard lifts his head, peering over the top edge of cover, so he can he survey the battlefield. A flash of bluish white energy from at least a hundred feet away starts in his direction; he retreats quickly while shouting, “Kaidan!” The ball of energy flies over his head, barely missing the top; a deep grunt of indignation escapes his throat as he lands hard on his ass. Beside him, Vega shifts awkwardly in the cramped space.

“Kind of busy at the moment, commander!”

“Light me up, dammit!” Shepard shouts back. Several moments pass without a response. “I’m not being unreasonable here, Alenko!”

Vega moves to a crouching position and lays a wave of suppressive fire across the space. Shepard pushes to his feet, keeping below the top edge as much as possible, this time peering around the side of cover. Kaidan is off to the left, currently in the middle of what would look like hand-to-hand fighting to the uninitiated, but in reality, is just a bit more complicated, utilizing hand-to-hand techniques but with powerful biotics moves. Flashes and flares of mass energy shoot out from them as their biotics connect, and from this position, it’s impossible to see who has the advantage. It’s like nothing he’s ever seen before; then again, since arriving at this facility, that’s pretty much been the Cerberus approach.

With one last, heaving effort, Kaidan pulls his arm back as if to punch the person, but with a loud, growling roar a wave of energy flies from his hand as he thrusts it forward. The resultant explosion throws his opponent about twenty feet away where they hit a wall, crumple, and fall into an unmoving heap on the floor.

There are still targets on the field that need removal, but many of them are worn down and this is his job. Under normal circumstances, Kandra assists him in the process, lighting up each target for him so when he charges into them, they go down instantly or within seconds of his arrival. It’s not a perfect tactic by any means, but effective in reducing numbers quickly, and it’s certainly an unexpected tactic, most of the time, anyway.

But Kandra has been missing for almost a week now along with three of Kaidan’s biotic spec ops people. It’s taken that long to trace them here; as near as he can figure, being held hostage somewhere within this facility. But that does him little good now, so he has to rely on Kaidan to light up his targets; sadly, a less efficient system when his skills and Alliance training are far better utilized in other ways.

That doesn’t mean Kaidan isn’t helping. Not at all. The major turns, dark eyes connecting with Shepard’s briefly, and Shepard can see the toll it’s taking. Anger in Kaidan is … unusual to see first-hand, and intimidating as all hell if you’re on the receiving end of it, but it’s easy to understand the source. Shepard nods at Kaidan while shifting his balance so he can move the instant the first target lights up.

Barely is the wave of energy released from Kaidan’s fingers when Shepard starts forward. His hand starts tracing the mnemonic even before he moves, and by the time he hits his third step, the world around him speeds up into a blur of motion as he shoots forward at full throttle. The instant he connects, he’s looking for the next target to repeat the process. And again. And again.

At the end of the hall, no fewer than six more Cerberus troops lie on the ground, incapacitated. Kaidan hurries over to join Shepard while Vega brings up the rear, pausing by each target taken down just to make sure. Any hint of a breath and he shoots, just once in the head. It’s enough; these troops won’t ever see the light of day again, nor will they stop their retreat once the mission objective is obtained.

“Which way?” Kaidan asks as they rejoin at the T-intersection.

Shepard nods to their right. “Floor plans say the heart of the facility is this way. That’s my guess.”

Vega snorts softly. “Well, what are we waiting for, Loco? Let’s get moving.”

~~~~~

Hall by hall, they clear their way deeper into the facility. The other teams, including the one with Emilio and Konstantin, are moving in from other directions; all teams have the same goal: reach the heart of the facility, find Kandra and the other spec ops personnel. As they move, however, it’s becoming increasingly clear this place needs to be destroyed at all costs. They might be able to do that on the way out, but the primary objective doesn’t change.

The arrive at a door set back off the hallway in a recessed alcove and secured from the opposite side. Kaidan drops to his knee and pulls up his hacking program. James and Shepard stand off to each side, prepared to give fire support if necessary. The minutes tick by, the air grows thick with tension. Finally, Kaidan rises and steps back, in the process raising his biotic barrier field as he nods at Shepard but says nothing. Shepard uses hand signals to communicate now, and they open the door and slip through.

The doorway leads into a short hallway that quickly opens into a much larger area … that is filled with signs of battle, but not directed at them. No one in here, it seems, is even aware of their arrival.

“What the hell?”

Vega’s whispered exclamation registers fully with Shepard. “Agreed, lieutenant.” He glances over his shoulder at Kaidan whose gaze is focused solely ahead of them … and intently. Shepard frowns. “What is it?”

Kaidan’s shoulders tense and his biotic corona flares around his entire body; this isn’t his barrier field, this is something different, something raw, a reaction to what, Shepard doesn’t know, but he recognizes the difference and follows his lead. As he does, he closes his eyes and focuses…

“А щоб твоя дружинонька з кумом повелася!”**

He doesn’t understand the words, but he’s heard the language and that tone enough at this late date to know it can mean only one thing, and that’s not good. He steps to the side and pushes Kaidan ahead of him and Vega. “You take lead. Now!”

As they near the opening, it’s easier to get a grasp on the scene before them. The room is some sort of … medical amphitheater, set lower in the center of the room with what looks to be an operating table in the middle surrounded by surgical paraphernalia. Three bodies in scrubs lie on the floor, unmoving. Three more currently hurl mass effect fields at one another across the room from various points, changing position in between. One of those figures stands just to their left. Dressed in some sort of hospital gown, her corona flaring so high Michael wonders that she doesn’t overclock her amp in the process despite being L2.

Kandra Alenko, both hands raised, one aimed at either of the two remaining targets, lashes out angrily at her opponents using two separate waves of energy while bellowing a roar that would put any lion to shame. “А бодай тебе чорти вхопили!”**

The three men rush into the space immediately. Kaidan makes a bee-line for his twin, while James drops to a knee and without hesitation, takes aim at the person to their far right, unloading his weapon on them. Shepard, spying the last target directly across the room and conveniently ‘lit up,’ charges over, a feral grin curling at his lips.

It doesn’t take much effort to bring these last two opponents down between Shepard’s biotics and Vega’s bullets. When all is said and done, both reconvene with Kaidan who kneels on the floor with a collapsed Kandra in his arms. “She’s overdone it,” he says in a voice that’s tight with concern as he looks up at Shepard.

“’m fine,” Kandra mutters, curling in toward her brother and tucks her head onto his shoulder.

But not before Shepard notices the blood trickling down from her nose and her ear. Jabbing an arm in the direction of the lower level, he orders, “Vega, get something we can stop the bleeding with!” He turns back to Kandra and reaches out to push some of her dark hair back from the left side of her face. That’s when he notices more blood matted near her implant scar. Carefully, he points it out to Kaidan who pulls off his gauntlet and gently prods at the area. “Kan?”

She winces, biting back a cry of pain unsuccessfully, and curls tighter to him. “Don’t … please!”

He pulls his hand back. “What happened?”

She mutters something unintelligible and slides her arm around his shoulder as he stands up, bringing her with him. “Lean against me if you feel dizzy,” he says softly, holding her in place at his side as he sets her feet on the floor.

She wobbles a moment and doesn’t bother to nod, simply rests her head against his shoulder. Vega runs over with a sheet from the operating table below and hands it to Shepard who takes it and rips off a portion of it, handing that over to Kaidan. Kandra, however, reaches out and snatches it from her twin’s fist, lifting it to her face. Several minutes pass in silence, during which James starts to pace and prowl around the room, eventually retracing their steps to the doorway, presumably to keep an eye on things outside of the room. As quiet as it is inside here now, it’s easy to forget they’re in enemy territory and the battle still rages elsewhere.

Assured Kaidan has the situation with his sister under control, Shepard follows after the lieutenant. His agitated state is obvious. Walking up next to him, Shepard asks, “You okay?”

The lieutenant mutters something in Spanish Shepard doesn’t understand, but if his tone of voice means anything at all, it isn’t complimentary in the least. “Yeah, jefe, I’m good.” Vega looks back at the twins, watches for a moment, then shakes his head and mutters again. “What the hell, man? This shit’s so fucked up!”

Shepard nods his agreement with the assessment. “Not sure yet, but I’ve got an idea. Hopefully, Kandra will be able to tell us something.” A burst of static burns over his comms, but nothing intelligible comes across so he doesn’t try to return it. He looks over at Vega. “She’s not going to be in a good place coming out of this, you know.”

Vega’s eyes meet his and for the first time, Shepard sees something hard, glittering there. It’s startling; it’s also clear it isn’t just because she’s a part of their group, it’s more than that. James’ eyes trail back one more time in the direction of the siblings. “Yeah, I know.”

The soft shuffle of padding footsteps nearing them has him turning toward the twins. Kandra still looks a bit dazed, but if the grim determination and fiery spark in her eyes means anything, and Shepard knows from experience it does, it won’t be there much longer. “We need to get you better clothing than that,” he says, nodding at the hospital style gown she wears with the rest of the sheet Vega had retrieved tied around her.

“It’s not far,” she informs him. “Through those doors and to the right.”

Shepard nods once, watches as she visibly shakes her head as if clearing it, before releasing her hold on her brother. It brings her to her full height, just at Kaidan’s shoulder. All three men straighten as if standing at attention, each recognizing in their own way just how strong and resolute she is. This isn’t the same woman who walked out of Vancouver with them just months ago. Shepard meets her gaze head on and she seems startled for a moment when he opens his arms to her, inviting her in closer. A half-second passes when a small smile finally appears at her lips. As he wraps his arms around her, she murmurs, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For coming to get … me.”

None of them say anything about the crack in her voice. Shepard’s arms tighten around her and Kaidan moves in and wraps his around the both of them. “No one gets left behind,” Shepard insists quietly in her hair, repeating what he’d told Vega just a short while ago. “You’re as much a part of this squad as we are. Understand that?”

Kandra’s head rises and she looks at him, then her twin, and then over at James who stands awkwardly to the side. Her eyes soften just a bit and she reaches a hand out, grasping him by his belt and tugging him into the group hug. “Yeah,” she tells them as she slides her arm around his waist and he wraps his around her shoulders, “I get it.”

~~~~~

**А щоб твоя дружинонька з кумом повелася - Wish your wife had an affair with your kids’ God father.

**А бодай тебе чорти вхопили - May devils grab you.

#Hug Prompts #ladya writes #Michael Shepard #mshenko #Kaidan Alenko #Kandra Alenko #James Vega #Biotic Pinball Wizard #when the muses attack #Nano 2020 #group hug #jedirangerpenguin

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