Parallax

A/n: This went somewhere strange that I didn’t want it to go. Oh well! I love you, you hopefully love me. :D Also, I titled my chapters for added flair.

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“Come onnnnnn…”

Shepard’s voice drifted out of the bathroom in her quarters as she changed into civilian clothes.

“What?! No!” Kaidan was aghast.

“Come on!” she shouted. “I’ll trade you.”

“Trade what?” the Lieutenant narrowed his eyes at the door.

“I’ll show you my boobs,” Shepard replied.

“That’s not an even trade at all!” Kaidan’s jaw dropped. Was she really that curious?

“Then just show me part of it. Like the tip or something.” the Commander laughed as she entered her quarters.

The Lieutenant arched a brow. He should have been used to Shepard’s crudeness by now, but every day brought something hilariously disturbing and new for him to hear. Kaidan’s eyes widened as soon as he saw Shepard. She wore a tight button-down shirt that was unbuttoned enough on the top and bottom to reveal her stomach and ample cleavage. Far below her exposed stomach, something that resembled a skirt rested. To complete the ensemble, the Commander wore a pair of shiny, black stilettos.

“Would you care to wear a skirt with that belt?” Kaidan asked.

“What’s wrong with this?” Shepard countered and turned in a small circle.

“Oh my God…” the Lieutenant murmured. The skirt was so short that he could see part of her ass when she turned. He tried to not admire the fleshy jiggle as she stepped in a small circle. Did Shepard know that he secretly loved the ‘naughty school girl’ thing?

“Can you even sit in that?” he asked, fascinated by what he saw.

Shepard nodded and sat down in a nearby chair. The buttons on her shirt strained with the movement, creating a large gap that revealed her lacy bra. The observing Lieutenant sucked in a short breath; her black, lacy panties were showing. It was sexy.

“Shepard,” Kaidan snapped out of his stupor and looked away out of respect, “you should change.”

“Why? Does this make me look fat?” she huffed.

Kaidan blinked. Apparently even the most fit and powerful women in the galaxy suffered from the ‘fat’ syndrome. He looked over at the Commander again and concluded definitively that she looked far from fat. The outfit was completely oversexed.

“Not at all,” he replied, “you’re just showing too much skin.”

“Fat skin?” Shepard looked up at him with large, fearful eyes.

Kaidan sighed and wondered why Shepard thought the outfit was fine to wear in public.

“No,” the Lieutenant tried to rephrase, “it’s indecent. You look like you could work at Chora’s Den in that outfit. Please change.”

“So it’s sexy then?” she asked as she stood, a seductive look on her face.

“Yeah,” Kaidan replied, unwilling to tell her that the outfit was more slutty than anything else. It was the kind of thing a woman would wear to surprise her boyfriend or husband. He liked it, but not on her in public.

The Commander turned and walked back to her bathroom to change, her ass disappearing through the doorframe with a jiggle. Kaidan sighed, realizing that there would inevitably be many cold showers in his future.

“I’ll just put my uniform on,” Shepard’s voice drifted out from the bathroom, “screw it.”

Kaidan nodded, his eyes glued to the last place the scantily clad Commander was. Hadn’t her mother taught her what clothes were and weren’t appropriate?

Oh.

Shepard didn’t have a mother. Maybe that was part of the issue, but the Lieutenant suspected that the outfit she had selected stemmed from her persistent need to be outrageous and loud. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Maybe she hadn’t even planned on wearing that outfit in public. Maybe she wanted to know if he thought she was sexy.

That couldn’t be it, could it? Why would she want to know what he thought of her looks?

“So you’re sure you won’t show me?” the Commander’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“You show me yours and I’ll show you mine,” Kaidan said as he rolled his eyes.

Shepard stepped out of the bathroom in her uniform.

“You can’t see Miss Puss-puss!” she declared, her eyes huge.

“Why not? It’s a fair trade,” the Lieutenant replied. The whole situation made him feel like a highschooler again. It was kind of cute.

“Because she’s occupied,” Shepard retorted, her nose in the air.

Kaidan cringed. She was on her period. The idea effectively turned him off and for a moment, he was grateful. Perhaps there wouldn’t be as many cold showers in his future as he had previously thought.

“You know what?” Shepard sighed, “Let’s just drop it for now. There’s other stuff we should be doing.”

She walked over to the intercom button and pushed it; the speakers beeped as they turned on.

“Murray to the principal’s office,” she said, her voice devoid of any emotion. The Commander looked over at her Lieutenant and furrowed her brow in thought. “So, we’re in agreement then?”

He nodded in reply and looked toward the door. Within a minute, the chime sounded, announcing Corporal Murray’s presence. Shepard pushed the button to open the door; immediately the Corporal saluted. The Commander nodded and invited him in.

“We’ve had some time to think about this,” Shepard frowned, “and while we’re not happy, we are willing to give you a chance to redeem yourself. You will be under probation. Don’t mess up again. Now, do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“Ma’am, no excuses, ma’am,” Murray replied, relief etched into his features.

“Good,” she said, showing the barest hint of a smile, “we’ll be watching you. Dismissed.” Shepard was very pleased with Murray’s response. He didn’t offer an excuse or an apology; she didn’t want to hear either. All she wanted was compliance. The Commander knew that she would get it this time.

Shepard smiled at her Lieutenant, glad that things had worked out well with Murray. She could only hope that the meeting with Anderson and Udina would go as smoothly. But they had a bit of time before then, so Shepard decided they would wander the Presidium.

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Large, green eyes looked around the brightly colored store in wonder. There were so many kinds of candy to choose from. Shepard’s hand clutched a plastic bag in anticipation.

The asari behind the counter giggled as the Commander wandered around the store, randomly scooping large quantities of candy into her bag. She glanced over at the man that accompanied the Spectre and slowly blinked in recognition. The tall, muscular man was her partner, if she recalled correctly. The asari watched the way he looked at Shepard; it confirmed her suspicions. There was nothing short of complete adoration in his gaze.

“Want anything?” the Commander asked as she shuffled up to her Lieutenant and tilted her head to the side.

“No, I’m fine,” he chuckled, “thanks.”

“Well, in case you want any later,” she beamed, “I’ll share.”

Kaidan merely nodded in reply, suspicious of the woman that offered to share her candy stash with him. What had he done right for her to share with him? Most women didn’t share their candy.

“And I don’t just share with anyone!” Shepard declared, confirming the Lieutenant’s suspicions. Her index finger repeatedly poked him in the chest.

He didn’t respond as the Commander whirled around, transfixed by another large display of candy. Quickly, she opened the door and grabbed the scoop.

“Thresher maws!” she exclaimed, heaping a generous helping of gummy worms into her bag.

Shepard grabbed a hapless worm and bit into it, its other half hanging out the side of her mouth. Kaidan slowly approached her and leaned down. He captured the other half of the hapless candy in his mouth and bit down, effectively severing it. Free of the candy, his lips gently captured hers then disappeared as quickly as the kiss began.

Wide eyed, the Lieutenant glanced around then turned his back on the blushing Shepard and giggling asari clerk. He mentally berated himself as he tried to figure out what possessed him to do something so bold. Whatever made him kiss his Commander terrified the hell out of him.

Shepard collected herself as the asari weighed her purchase and charged her account. Kaidan confused her. One minute he was calling her ma’am or Commander, and the next he was flirting with her. Or he was kissing the hell out of her in a hotel bed. Or… something. She would have chalked it up to just lust, but he was always so kind with her. He seemed to care about her.

Shepard didn’t know how to deal with a guy that seemed to care about her.

The Commander mentally shook the thought off and drew her dagger, methodically poking holes around the bag’s opening. She glanced up at the suddenly frightened clerk and sheathed the dagger with an ‘oh’.

“Do you have any string?” Shepard asked, beaming at the asari behind the counter.

Quickly, the clerk offered a spool of ribbon and a pair of scissors. Shepard mumbled her thanks, ignored the scissors and drew her dagger once again. She measured a long piece of ribbon and methodically chopped it, leaving a dent in the counter, much to the chagrin of the observing asari and embarrassed Lieutenant. Threading the ribbon through the holes, Shepard tied the bag on her hip through a loop in her armor, much like a coin pouch of medieval times. She turned to meet her Lieutenant’s baffled gaze.

“Shepard, you are by far the most quirky person I’ve ever met,” he shook his head. “What are you going to do next, tie a blanket around your neck as a cape?” His sentence ended with a dry chuckle.

“That’s a pretty sweet idea,” Shepard replied. “Should I find an elcor so I can ride on its back up to the Ambassador’s office?”

The Lieutenant laughed as Shepard linked arms with him. It was time to meet Anderson for a moment over the findings on Noveria.

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Admiral Hackett was a walrus.

At least, that was Shepard’s initial impression of the once disembodied voice that called her ship often. Now there was a face to go with the voice; Hackett was a stout man with a thick, silvering reddish-blonde handlebar mustache. He was the kind of man that Shepard pictured sitting at his desk with his feet propped up and crossed at the ankles, a cigar in one hand and a scotch on the rocks in the other. Hearing Hackett speak was always interesting, but watching him speak was a whole new experience.

Shepard watched the Admiral’s mustache come alive with each raspy syllable he uttered. Her head cocked to the side as she pondered the mustache. How long had the mustache been part of Hackett? And what about eating? Did he have a comb for his moustache? If he shaved it, would the skin underneath be lighter from not seeing the light of day?

Kaidan saw the Commander tilt her head slightly to the side like a curious kitten. He knew that look; something had her undivided attention. Her mouth drew into a confused pout and the Lieutenant felt himself grinning like a fool. He couldn’t help it; Shepard was an adorable little hellcat.

Hackett stopped speaking and narrowed his eyes at Shepard. She was giving him a look that oddly resembled the same look his two year old granddaughter would give him before tugging on his mustache. The similarity was slightly disturbing. He glanced over at Lieutenant Alenko and caught another familiar face. It was the same look he had when he saw Mrs. Mary Hackett when they were dating and it was the same face he still made when he saw her thirty-six years later. The Admiral chuckled; he felt old.

“Shepard,” Hackett sighed, “I get the feeling that you’re not listening.”

The Commander blinked as she tried to recall what the Admiral had said. Little pieces came to the forefront of her mind.

“Ontarom, scientists. Eletania, muh- module,” she recited, mentally wincing when she almost said mustache instead of module.

“Good,” Hackett nodded, “I’ll upload the details to your ship. I look forward to your reports.”He fully trusted that the Commander would get the job done. It was the reason she’d been assigned to Torfan and it was the reason that she was the first human Spectre.

“Is there any particular order you wanted me to complete these in?” Shepard asked.

“I’d prefer you go to Eletania first,” he replied, “that data is extremely important.”

Shepard nodded in reply. She agreed wholeheartedly with the Admiral’s assessment; the scientist could die, but if that data got into the wrong hands, something catastrophic could happen. She looked over at Anderson and Udina; Hackett’s briefing was taking up their time. Anderson didn’t seem to mind, but Udina was predictably upset.

“Thank you for allowing me to take a moment of your time,” the Admiral nodded at the Councilor and Ambassador, “the Alliance appreciates it.”

“It’s not a problem,” Anderson waved his arm dismissively, “the Alliance’s business is the Council’s business as well.”

“So you found nothing on Noveria,” Udina interjected and looked pointedly at Shepard, “are you absolutely sure that you looked at those files carefully? Should we have sent someone more qualified to see to the decryption?” He glanced distastefully at the Lieutenant. Shepard should have brought the quarian along instead of her pet plaything.

Shepard narrowed her eyes at Udina. The little shit thought he knew everything. Anderson got his revenge after the lockdown order was issued and now it was her turn. She’d be damned if she let Udina get away with insulting her Lieutenant.

“You should have come to help,” she smiled, “you know, since you’ve become a certified master in electronics and decryption. Not that Kaidan hasn’t. But, you know, having an extra set of hands would have been totally appropriate to help with the absolutely useless files.”

“I’m simply concerned with you picking favorites when someone else may have been able to do a more thorough job, Commander,” Udina snorted, “settle down.”

Before they had a human councilmember, Shepard would have relented and settled for a glare. But, she was encouraged by Hackett and Anderson’s narrowed eyes, both directed at the Ambassador. It was empowering. The Commander walked up to Udina and stared him down.

“Respectfully,” she spat, “you can’t tell me what to do. You certainly can’t tell me how to do my job.” Shepard leaned in closer, forcing the Ambassador to back up. “Eat my shorts,” she hissed.

“Shepard,” Anderson interjected, “stand down.”

The Commander nodded and backed up, still glaring at Udina. Her hand shot out to point at the newly appointed Councilor.

“I answer to him,” she mouthed as she stared Udina down.

“Commander, you’re dismissed,” Anderson sighed, “if anything else comes up, we will be sure to let you know. My apologies for the Ambassador’s ignorance.” He glanced at the pair of marines and nodded.

Shepard returned the nod and began to leave, a red faced Kaidan following close behind. Anderson didn’t wait for them to finish leaving before he addressed Udina.

“I hand picked him myself for the crew because of his expertise in electronics, decryption, medicine, first aid and biotics,” the Councilor said, his tone very matter-of-fact.

“Lieutenant Alenko is one of the Alliance’s top Sentinels,” Hackett added.

The Commander and Lieutenant stepped across the threshold, the door s slowly sliding shut. Shepard turned quickly to face the Ambassador before the doors finished closing.

“Your mom!” she exclaimed, the passageway sealing before Anderson could tell her to be quiet again.

Shepard turned to look at her Lieutenant; his face was bright red. Pouting, she shuffled up to him and wrapped her arms around his midsection. Squeezing him tightly, Shepard looked up into Kaidan’s eyes.

“Nobody talks about my Koko like that and gets away with it,” she murmured, “are you okay? Your face was getting really red.” The Lieutenant often kept a blank expression, so it was hard to tell what he was thinking. Shepard always looked for the telltale redness that would spread across his cheeks to tell if he was having a change of emotion.

“I…” he started, “you didn’t have to say anything. It was fine.”

“No,” she shook her head, “it wasn’t fine. I know you don’t like being fussed over, but I’m not going to let anyone get away with saying that kind of stuff about you.”

“Shepard,” he mumbled and leaned down to gently capture her lips with his. No, he didn’t care about what Udina had to say. It was Shepard that made him turn so red. Shepard that acted so cute and crude. Shepard that embarrassed the hell out of him and Shepard that turned him on so much and made him feel human for the first time in a long time. He wasn’t sure what felt for her, but it was something.

As her hands reached up to bury themselves in his hair, Kaidan wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss. He felt; it was something.

“See! This is what I was talking about!” Udina’s voice made the Commander and Lieutenant jump away from each other.

“Leave the kids alone, Udina,” Hackett sighed, “geez.” The Admiral rolled his eyes. Did the Ambassador not understand young love? Sure, the Commander and Lieutenant were both around thirty years old, but to the aged Hackett, they were kids in love.

“Look, I know you two are crazy about each other but,” Anderson offered the Commander a small smile, “please, don’t do things like that in public. We don’t need more attention drawn to your relationship.” He crossed his arms and nodded once, putting on his Captain face.

Shepard glanced around, her eyes wide. In her shock, the Commander couldn’t form a proper rebuttal to Anderson’s claim. She watched as the trio passed them by.

“I think it’s time for a cigar and a scotch,” Hackett grumbled. Anderson grunted an affirmative and walked with the Admiral. Udina huffed and reluctantly followed close behind.

Soon Shepard and Kaidan were alone once again. The Commander stared in the direction the trio had disappeared and cocked her head to the side.

“Huh,” she murmured and narrowed her eyes, “I was right.”

“About what?” the Lieutenant asked, worried that Shepard was going to say something possibly hurtful.

“Hackett likes cigars and scotch,” she nodded and grinned.

Kaidan let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Shaking his head, he wondered why her opinion mattered so much. What was he so scared of?

He didn’t know. And as Shepard linked her arm with his, he found himself hoping that this would never end. But what was ‘this’ exactly? What was this feeling?

He didn’t know.

All Kaidan knew was that he couldn’t ignore it much longer.