A/N - Hold onto your hats! The first half of this chapter is just pure smut!
Australian / British standard English. There is a good chance of reading the following: lots of profanity, characters drinking, typos, and bad grammar at times.
Proofreading and editing suggestions provided by OhDave1. Any mistakes are still mine.
Comments are appreciated as always.
Feedback by email is always welcome. Enjoy chatting with anyone who likes my work.
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Shepard helps a skilled thief with a personal vendetta.
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Kira was quiet as she reviewed the evidence that I'd taken from the Collector ship. Her eyes darted from her screen to my eyes every few seconds. I was doing my best to keep my face blank, but I remembered everything that we'd seen. The piles of human bodies. The obvious experimentation. The fact that the Collectors had designs on Earth. And I knew that humanity was only their first objective.
"I'm sorry, Shepard," she finally whispered, "You know that I want to help. So do many asari."
"Kira, I'm aware. You don't have to apologise. But it's also why I've only brought this to you. Sparatus and Valern both made their opinions very clear. And I don't see this changing even with this evidence."
"Have you taken this to the Alliance yet?"
"They were my next stop. I can't go to Arcturus as I'd hand all this evidence directly to Admiral Hackett. But Anderson will be happy to see me, and I know that will help move this information up the chain quickly."
"How long are you on the Citadel?"
"I don't know, to be honest. I'm waiting for information from he who shall not be named." She laughed at that term for the Illusive Man. "We're looking for the best way to get through the Omega Four relay."
"And your chances of coming back?"
I rose to my feet and walked around the table. Kira took my offered hand and rose to her feet, pulling her tight to my body and we shared a soft, sensuous kiss. I loved feeling her melt against me whenever we were close. When I moved a hand down to her arse, that earned a smile before she snuggled against me, her head underneath my chin.
"I'm coming back this time. You know I don't like to make promises, but I haven't been brought back to life just to go off and die again. And I really don't want to upset billions of asari for a second time."
"Can you spend one night with me while you're here? I know that we didn't spend a lot of time together before, but that doesn't mean I didn't miss you constantly."
"Let me go see Anderson. I'll see if Jane is there. If she grabs me..."
"We have lunch quite often. She's something else, Shepard. And she is totally in love with you. You know that, right?"
"I know. Same feelings as you though?"
"Exactly. That's why we get on. We're not competing with each other for your affection. We know where we stand, and it makes it easier."
I'd arrived early enough that I could enjoy lunch with Kira. Lunch in her apartment turned into sitting together on her couch, making out and doing our best not to tear each other's clothes off while doing so. She finally pressed both hands on my chest and gave me that smile that told me she wanted to move into the bedroom and spend the rest of the day there. But she had far too much work to be distracted for that long.
"If Jane doesn't nab me tonight..."
"Promise me one thing, Shepard. Please go and see Naira. You cannot visit the Citadel and not see her."
"I remember that you met her at least once before."
"I'm good friends with Sha'ira as well. She keeps me up to date."
"She doesn't know I'm here because I do like to surprise her."
"Then I won't let her know. But don't visit here without spending time with her."
Although I was recognisable, I couldn't just waltz into the Alliance offices and see Anderson. Thankfully, the two receptionists behind the front desk recognised me and I was announced rather quickly. They both smiled and told me to walk on through. It still felt weird walking through as what could be described as a civilian. It was a technicality, but I'd already been told more than once that bringing me back to life wasn't as easy as it might sound.
Jane looked up from her desk when I knocked on the doorframe to her office. I think she was about to leap over her desk though made sure to walk around it as she leapt into my arms. That first kiss was a scorcher. My hands ended up underneath her skirt, making her giggle as I couldn't help myself when it came to feeling up that pert backside.
"I know you're not here just to see me, but thanks for stopping here first," she said once I had her feet back on the floor.
I backed her up and sat her on the desk, Jane biting her bottom lip as her green eyes gazed up at me. I kissed her again and earned a whimper, pulling her tight to my body and I'm sure she could have felt the lump in my trousers. The only thing that stopped things progressing far enough that I would have shut the door and locked it was a tap on the doorframe before there was a hearty chuckle.
"Guess you two have missed each other," Anderson stated.
"I was here to see you, but as you can see, I've been rather delightfully distracted." I turned back to Jane and smiled. "I need to speak to him, but I'll come back and..."
"Dinner tonight," she whispered, "I know Kira and Naira, but I want you first. Dinner then we can make love." That term had me raising my eyes. "Oh, you'll be fucking me all night. But I've missed you like crazy and..."
I kissed her again, earning another whimper as Anderson said that he'd be waiting in his office. We both smiled before she pulled back enough that I could caress her cheek. "I do miss you too, Jane," I assured her, "Part of me wishes that you were with me although I'd be constantly distracted."
"When you're done... What will you do?"
"Hopefully get back into the Alliance though it'll depend on the bosses."
"If it means that you might end up staying on the Citadel for a while... I have space in my bed..."
"That you'd never leave because you'd be distracted."
"Nope. I'd just come to work making sure that I always wore underwear because I wouldn't leave the apartment with you fucking me senseless and ensuring that there's a chance that I end up pregnant." That had me raising my eyebrows in surprise. "Accidents happen, Shepard. Even today. And given how much you would fuck me..." She grabbed my shirt and pulled me closer to her face. "And trust me on this, Shepard, you would spend a lot of time fucking me," she growled.
"I love you," I whispered.
The smile on her face... I knew just how much those three words meant to her. "Totally fucking love you in return. Now you'd better go otherwise I am going to bend over this desk and expect the best dick in the galaxy to slide inside me."
I let her go though not without looking back to see Jane lift her skirt and flash me her bare, glistening pussy. I almost turned around before she gestured for me to shoo with a giggle. I was still smiling like an idiot when I walked into Anderson's office. I shook the hand on offer before we sat opposite each other, drinks arriving quickly before the door was shut to give us some privacy.
We spent the next couple of hours going over everything that I'd discovered, focusing on the Collector ship and the evidence that they definitely had plans that expanded far beyond what we thought they would focus on. I told him that I had already spoken to Kira though I knew the Council likely wasn't going to lift a finger, even with humanity now being the fourth member of the Council. But I knew the Alliance could provide some help now that it was clear the Collectors were not just randomly attacking human colonies. They had far bigger plans.
"I'll pass this up the chain, Shepard," Anderson told me, "We both know the Reaper threat is real. And I believe this is now concrete proof that the Collectors are not only their agents, but they intend on bringing war against humanity. How did Kira react?"
"She wanted to do more. I know she'll speak to Kyla later. I couldn't get in to speak to her as she was meeting other representatives."
"And I know the relationship you have with Kira. Everyone knows, I guess."
"That hasn't caused any problems before or after, has it?"
Anderson laughed. "Hell no. I think there were many jealous women back on Earth, thinking Kira was a bitch for stealing one of the most eligible bachelors. But given the, well, line of your lovers who spoke at your funeral..."
"Honest opinion, sir. What do you think the Alliance will do with this evidence?"
He tapped the desk with his fingers, glancing away, deep in thought. He finally sighed. "Hackett will want to go on the front foot with this. But there were those in the Alliance that obviously don't know about the Reaper threat. It's a shame that we have no time frame to know how long it will now take for them to arrive."
"Nothing in my head is sounding an alarm. I don't think it really works like that."
"Right now, all that matters is stopping the Collectors. Word has obviously spread that you're working with Cerberus to help end the threat. Most of the media don't know what to think about that. Some are thinking that Cerberus is trying to be more legitimate. Other outlets are suggesting that you might be a traitor."
