Book 2, Chapter 22 - Favour

Miranda Lawson would admit that she didn't like asking for help at the best of times. She preferred to solve problems her own way. And if the problem was personal, she definitely did not want to involve others. But the problem she now faced necessitated asking Shepard to take her somewhere, and knowing who might be involved in the problem she now faced, she knew asking for help would be the best course of action. It still didn't sit easily, though. She thought Shepard and herself now had a friendship, at least. They'd only been intimate once or twice at most, but she appreciated how things had changed between them since that first meeting. She'd warmed to him completely and had helped her form relationships with other members of the crew.

She finally put a finger to her console. "Shepard, it's Miranda. Do you have a minute to talk?"

"I'll be down in a second, Miranda."

Thanking him, she walked out to the mess, grabbed two mugs of coffee, sitting down just in time for him to come strolling through the door. She gestured to the seat opposite, and his face lit up when he noticed a hot mug of brown waiting for him. She watched him sit down and relax, taking a sip and making an appreciative noise, before he met her eyes. "What's up?"

"I need your help, Shepard."

Get it done quickly, like taking off a band aid. "My help? What with?"

She wasn't surprised by his. She never asked for help, even from Shepard. While she was more open about what she did daily, as there was little point keeping secrets from each other, she still just went about her role as she saw fit, and he never really interfered. Sure, he'd give suggestions or tips on what to do, but it was always offered, never asked. But in addition to surprise, there was definitely curiosity. And she knew he'd want to help once she'd explained.

She sipped her own drink before leaning forward, crossing her arms on the desk. No cleavage on show for something so important, and his eyes never left hers, so he could sense this was a serious matter. "I'm about to tell you something very few know, Shepard. Only… the Illusive Man, and the few people who were involved at the time." She took a deep breath. "I have a sister, Shepard."

The grin was immediate. "That's your secret? The fact you have a sister?"

"No, it's not just that." When she started to fidget unconsciously, he noticed the immediate change, the smile disappearing as he leaned forward as well, waiting for her to continue. "When I escaped my father, I took someone with me, Shepard. She's my twin sister."

"Wow, okay. That might change things a bit. But why take her?"

"She's like me. Created in a lab by my father. And I didn't want her to suffer at the hands of him like I did."

He nodded, no doubt remembering everything she had told him about life under her father. She remembered the videos of what happened to Jack. She was left thinking at the end the only difference between the pair was that she wasn't fucked and sodomised by her father. But the regime she had lived under was just as brutal. Constant tests, physical and mental. And the punishment for failure was severe. It explained her strength of character. If she could withstand that, and also escape, then she could take on anything the galaxy would throw at her.

"Okay, what's gone wrong?"

"My father stopped looking for me not long after I escaped, no doubt put off the scent by the Illusive Man, or he warned my father off. Perhaps the latter, considering my father cut links with Cerberus soon after I joined. Whoever, whatever I was created for, my sister was to be my replacement. I think she was meant to be… perfect." She didn't miss the slight smirk on his face. She knew the subtle jokes about her 'perfection'. She also never missed when he checked her out. "I've done everything I can think of to keep her very existence a secret. But I think something has gone wrong. I think my father knows where she is."

"Who does your sister live with?"

"An ordinary family. That is all I ever wanted for her. To grow up as normally as possible, without the ridiculous expectations I had heaped on me for years. My father didn't want children. He wanted a legacy."

"Okay, what do you need me to do?"

"I have a contact on Illium. We'll just have to go from there."

"And the plan?"

"Relocate my sister. Only I will know her location going forward." He raised an eyebrow in obvious surprise at that. "My father had links with Cerberus prior to me joining the organisation. He must have found that information from someone within."

"Okay. We'll head straight for Illium. I take it this is urgent?"

"I only recently received the message regarding the issue. If we could solve it quickly, I would be forever thankful, Shepard."

"What's her name?"

"Who?"

"Your sister?"

"Oh, her name is Oriana, Shepard."

He disappeared out the door, and must have headed straight to the galaxy map, as he reported that the Normandy would make it to Illium by the next day. She messaged her contact, letting her know that she would be on Illium the next day, and to expect herself and companions to ensure a smooth operation. Her contact replied quickly, stating she would meet her in the Eternity Lounge, a bar that was close to the docks.

Shepard appeared a few hours later, obviously going over in his mind the operation that might be required. Asking if she thought they would need assistance, she would have been stupid to knock back help. But it was a case of who she could trust. Getting Oriana safe was all that mattered, and in the end, no-one but her would know the final destination. "I'm really not sure if we'll end up in a fight or not. I'm hoping it'll be easy but…"

"It never is, Miranda. You should know that enough by now."

"Okay, small team, and encompassing all the skills we might need. Kasumi, Thane… Samara… Garrus…"

"Really?"

"Come on, Shepard, is there anyone else you'd want watching your back?"

"I know, I'm just surprised. That's six of us then. Anyone else?"

"No. Small team, hopefully none of us will be required. In and out, nice and easy. But plan for the best, expect the worst, that kind of thing."

She found sleeping difficult that night, her mind going over a million and one permutations of what this was all about. She hoped against hope that her contact was simply over-reacting, but she knew her father would never have given up the search for Oriana. Herself? She could understand giving up eventually, particularly if warned off by the Illusive Man. But Oriana had always been the prize he had craved, the years of researched, the legacy he had always wanted.

Still pre-occupied the next morning, the Normandy was getting ready to dock when she finally dragged herself out of the office, heading straight upstairs to the armoury. She attached the shield pack to her hips, confident as always that her shields and biotic barriers would keep her safe. Only rarely did both fail. A pistol and an SMG were all she would carry. Shotguns were too bulky, assault and sniper rifles were too heavy. Those she had requested walked in as she was getting ready, Shepard in his armour, tooling up as if ready to go to war, Thane selecting a pistol and sniper rifle, Garrus his usual weapons of war, Samara the same outload as herself, but she usually relied on her biotics. Kasumi also carried the same as her, but relied on her cloaking and other tech abilities.

Heading out onto Illium, Shepard had issues noticed that this was not a relaxation stop. The ship would be stopping only for the mission and the evening. She knew during the evening he would be visiting Gianna, or he might even bring her to the Normandy, though wasn't how sure that would work with Kelly.

The lounge where she was meeting the contact was only a short walk away from the docks. The place was full of asari, as she expected, but her contact was already sat at the bar, nursing a drink, though she immediately rose as they walked in. "Lanteia!"

"Miss Lawson," she replied, immediately business like.

"What's going on? Your message sounded urgent so I came as quickly as possible."

The asari looked around before gesturing with her head. "Follow me into the other room. I don't want anyone eavesdropping." That didn't exactly calm her nerves but she followed the asari, taking a seat at a small table across from her, the others forming around Miranda. "Firstly, before asking anything else, Oriana is fine."

She would have sighed with relief, but that still didn't explain the message. "So what's going on then?"

"Your external source, Niket, has sent warning that your father has recruited Eclipse mercenaries to track down your sister. Figuring that these mercenaries would no doubt be waiting for you to arrive, he's suggested escorting Oriana and her family to the terminal instead."

"As in off-world?" Lanteia nodded. "And where would they go?"

"That would be your choice, Miss Lawson."

She had already considered the possibility of having to move Oriana and her family, but it appeared that would now be the best option. If her father had managed to track her to Illium, then she wouldn't be safe much longer. "We'll discuss and decide that once these mercenaries are dealt with."

"Who's Niket?" Shepard asked.

"A friend. An old friend. I don't have many of those left from… that time. He was the one who helped me "

"Time is short, Miranda. What's your plan?" Lanteia asked, "Do you want anyone else brought in to help?"

She shook her head. "No, Shepard and I can handle anything from here. Since these mercs are no doubt waiting for us, we'll go and draw their attention. That will give Niket and Oriana time to get away."

"Anything else?" Lanteia asked.

"That's it for now. Just get the message to Niket to keep Oriana and her family safe. That's all I ask."

"Understood," the asari replied, before nodding and disappearing out the door.

Rising to her feet, she felt all five pairs of eyes fall on her, even Shepard, let assuming that this was her mission, so she would at least be offering her own ideas. If he liked the sound of them, he would no doubt agree. "Eclipse can be a pain in the arse, Shepard."

"Indeed. Think we have the right team here?"

"Yes. But one more. I'll message Jacob, ask him to come too. He'll be in the armoury, no doubt, so it shouldn't take him long to get ready."

He turned up ready for a fight fifteen minutes later, so the seven of them headed out into Illium. Securing transportation, two skycars due to their number, they were soon approaching the area provided by Lanteia where they could approach Eclipse. Unfortunately, their approach was noticed, and once they were under fire, the two skycars quickly descended and landed. To her surprise, the mercenaries didn't converge on them and open fire. They hung back, allowing them to get out and walk towards them in return.

Striding forward, she sensed Shepard to her side, though her eyes didn't move from the mercenaries ahead. One or two rather well armed, many with tech armour. A mixture of different species, and definitely different abilities. Coming to a halt around a dozen paces away, she counted them all. She had seven in total. They had more. But they'd faced far worse odds than that before.

"You know who I am?" she shouted.

The mercenary leader held up his hand, his five colleagues lining up behind him, though no weapons were on display. Yet. "Yeah, I know who you are. You're the bitch that kidnapped my boss's little girl."

"Oriana wasn't kidnapped. And this has nothing to do with any of you. Now I suggest you take your men and leave."

"How about I put this in terms I'm sure you'll understand. Fuck off. Now," Shepard added in a tone that really should have brooked no argument. She almost smirked, knowing he was itching for a good fight.

"And who are you?" the mercenary asked.

"Shepard. Maybe you've heard of me? Trust me, you don't want to fuck with us, you certainly don't want to get in her way, and you definitely don't want to fuck with someone like me. So, either fuck off now, I'll even be polite and add please, or… well, I'm sure I don't have to mention the outcome."

The mercenary ignored the threat and looked back at her. "I bet you think you're really smart. Everything under control. That's where you're wrong. Captain Enyala is currently moving in on the kid. And Niket won't be helping you. "If you don't do anything stupid, we'll all get out of this alive," the mercenary stated, folding his arms across his chest, a slight smirk appearing, "Walk away now, the kid goes back to her father, and everyone wins."

"Miranda, how old is your sister? You said you were a twin?" Shepard asked, clearly confused.

The mercenary leader laughed. "That's what this bitch told you?! No, that isn't what happened. She kidnapped a baby. He's been looking for her for over a decade."

She felt his eyes land on her. She didn't look away, now glaring daggers at the mercenary. She had wanted to explain, but after, once the dust had settled down. "Shepard, I've been nothing but honest with you about all of this. Oriana is my sister. Biologically, she is an almost identical twin."

She finally chanced a glance in his direction. Their eyes met. He nodded once, and shotgun from his back. "Look, I've already asked politely, now I'm demanding. Fuck off now."

The mercenary leader stepped forward until still standing eyeball to eyeball with Shepard. He was confident. Too confident. "We've given you one chance to walk away. Shame you didn't take it. Now…"

His first and last mistake. Shepard launched a ferocious headbutt into the face of the mercenary before putting the shotgun to his throat and pulling the trigger. As that happened, gunfire erupted, Miranda aiming for a nearby barrel, which exploded upon the second impact. After that, it was nothing but chaos, mercenaries flooded forward as Shepard yelled for them to fire at will, no prisoners.

So standard operating procedure.

Being a warehouse area, crates and boxes towered over them, necessitating caution as they moved forward. Garrus found elevation as usual, as did Thane, the sound of two cracks soon echoing around as they found easy pickings in the distance. Shepard led at the front as always, and whenever they made contact, he disappeared a ball of blue light, the sound of his shotgun firing a second or two later. The rest followed at a distance, gunfire, biotics and tech attacks raining down on the enemy. Kasumi would disappear, reappearing in the distance behind a mercenary, a quick, clean kill, before she disappeared again. Miranda simply smirked, thinking she really should invest in something similar.

As they moved on, she heard a radio cackle from a nearby dead mercenary. Picking it up, she attached it and could now listen into Eclipse orders. Shepard noticed and gave a thumbs up. Boarding an elevator, knowing they would need to head up to make it to the terminal in time, it was the first moment of peace they had so she could explain as much as she could.

"She's my twin, Shepard, as I said. Blood. DNA. Genetically, we are identical. But… My father 'grew' her when I was already a teenager."

"Why not just say that originally?"

"It sounds easy now, but it's a rather complicated matter. She's the only family I have, Shepard. And I am very protective of her. And I will protect her from anyone who dares threaten her."

"So all this to take her from your father?" Jacob asked.

"I wasn't the first one my father made, Jacob. I was just the first one he kept. Oriana was my replacement. You can guess what my fate was going to be."

"No shit?"

"It wasn't the only reason I ran away, but once I figured out what he had planned, it gave my escape a sense of urgency. I wasn't going to be another one of his sacrifices."

Mercenaries were waiting for them, Shepard charging as soon as the doors opened, a perfect distraction as the rest of the team filtered out and opened fire. She found herself working in tandem with Samara more often than not, the biotic power of the asari outmatching anything she could do, but they could pull of some rather spectacular combinations. Thane showed he had a grasp of biotics as well, though he was superior with a weapon in hand.

It was chaos, and perhaps everyone was glad they were not in a civilian area. There were plenty of explosions as crates being carried overhead were dropped to the ground, more than one mercenary squashed into paste. Other barrels contained enough explosives to cause piles of crates to topple over, lucky that Garrus didn't call one of them home when perching himself up high.

"Keep the bitch back! Niket is nearing the transport terminal."

That brought her to a halt. She immediately thought she'd heard wrong, but couldn't very well ask a question. Shepard noticed and asked what was wrong. "They just said Niket…" She shook her head. "No, I must have heard wrong. He wouldn't sell me out."

"Sure about that?"

She heard the tone. Who could she really trust from that life? Meeting his eyes, she nodded. "The only way to find out is getting up there."

They moved on, mowing down mercenaries, and when they were met with mechs, nearly all of them laughed at the desperation at sending such fodder in their direction. Sure, it slowed them down, but even someone with minimum training shouldn't really be shot and killed by a mech of all things. The last few mercenaries provided minimal assistance before they made it to what she hoped was the final elevator. Boarding it, EDI quickly reported that Eclipse had tried sabotaging it, but she'd managed to prevent it. Then she heard something that made her stomach drop.

"Niket has reached the terminal. He'll switch the family over to our transport."

Shepard heard it too. And his eyes suggested that he believed her worse fears. She shook her head in disbelief. "No, they must know we're listening, feeding us false information…"

"You still sure about him?" he asked. He was no longer convinced. But he didn't know him. Surely Niket wouldn't sell her out too?

Looking up, watching the numbers, she steeled herself for what was to come. As long as Oriana lived, that was all that mattered. Lived and escaped her father's clutches. "Shepard, if this goes wrong, and I…"

"Don't even finish that fucking sentence, Miranda," he growled, his eyes watching the numbers, "We're all walking out of this together."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Spirits, you two are going to fuck again, aren't you?" Garrus muttered.

"Haven't actually given it a thought, Garrus," Shepard stated with amusement, "Mention it again, and I will be distracted."

The doors opened and she strode forward, feeling the rest spread out to either side, everyone with weapon in hand. But what she could see ahead broke her heart. It was really true. Her oldest, dearest friend had sold her out. When his eyes met hers, there was no surprise that she was there. There was guilt, but also… defiance. Almost accusation. He probably knew the absolute truth.

"You sold me out," she spat bitterly, "Why? You helped me get away from him. Why are you handing her back to him?"

"Asari with shotgun," Shepard murmured. She took the information in but her eyes were only for Niket.

Niket tried lowering his hands, five weapons raised and pointed at him forcing them back up immediately. "Yes! Of course I helped you because you wanted to leave. But if I'd known that you had kidnapped a baby…"

"I didn't kidnap her! I rescued her!" she replied indignantly.

"You weren't rescuing her, Miri. You were getting back at your father!"

"How did he manage to turn you? How did he manage to turn my only friend?"

"He told me they kidnapped your baby sister when you escaped. They said I could help get her back peacefully. I didn't believe them. Not until you told me that you had actually done it."

"Yet you never even asked me why? I could have explained it all. Why it was all necessary. Why she is better off where she is. She is with a family who love and protect her, rather than with… him."

"You call me your friend, Miri. Yet you kept the fact you took your sister a secret from me for years. Then I find out from your father, of all people, that you work for Cerberus. Yet you still stand there and call me your friend, Miri? Really?"

"How much has her father paid you?" Jack asked.

"Enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life."

"I trusted you," Miranda stated quietly.

"That's why he bought me," Niket stated.

"Miranda?" Shepard asked, glancing his way for the briefest moment, "We need a new plan. Too many people may know about all of this."

"Who knows about Oriana?" Miranda asked Niket.

"Only me."

"Then you're the only loose end." She raised her gun, finger on the trigger, and pulled without hesitation. The betrayal was too much. He would not be allowed to live for it.

As she pulled the trigger, Shepard charged straight at the asari, knocking her backwards, sending her arse over head as gunfire erupted again. But there were few people around, so they could fire almost indiscriminately, and the few Eclipse that were left posed no challenge. Shepard seemed to relish in eliminating another mercenary commander.

When the bodies of the enemy lay dead, she approached that of Niket, taking note of the single hole in his forehead. Vacant eyes looked back at her. There was surprise on his face, the same surprise at her appearance. No doubt he had thought he'd get away with it, or that she'd never shoot him for it. But betrayal of that kind would always be paid for in blood.

Shepard found a datapad, stating where the family were. Heading up another couple of levels, she was surprised the firefight didn't attract more attention, and through the crowd, she saw Oriana and her family waiting to depart. She watched from a distance and couldn't help sigh, knowing she was safe once again.

"Go talk to her," Shepard suggested, "Let her know she has a big sister out there who is looking after her."

"No. It's best she doesn't know I exist. I'll just complicate things. She's safe, Shepard. That's all that matters."

"Look, she might be safe now, Miranda, but do you know how excited she's going to be to know that she has a sister working alongside the 'great Commander Shepard'."

"Does that mean you want to meet her?"

"How old is she?"

She looked at him then gave him a gentle shove. "Behave, Shepard."

"Are you going to talk to her? Otherwise I will get cruder."

She sighed. "Fine. I'll go talk to her."

She leaned over, kissed his cheek and whispered a thank you, before she strode towards her confidently, though inside, she felt nothing but butterflies. She'd watched her grow up from a distance, but they'd never made contact before. She was perhaps old enough to understand at least the basics. Regarding their father, that would have to come later.

Mother, father, and Oriana looked her way as she came to a stop. "Are you our contact?" the mother asked.

"Sort of. I'm the one who has helped your next move."

"Who are you?" Oriana asked.

Miranda looked at her sister and could see the resemblance. No doubt Oriana saw it in return, and was immediately putting two and two together. Oriana was smart. Far smarter than herself. "My name is Miranda. And…" She paused to take a deep breath, "I'm your sister."

Oriana took all of three seconds to process the new information before hugging her tightly. Surprised at first, she closed the embrace straight away, immediately feeling the moisture in her eyes, so she closed them, though that didn't stop the tears sliding down her cheek.

"I have a big sister," Oriana whispered.

Kissing the top of her head, she leaned back slightly, Oriana slightly blurred, though she didn't feel silly because of it. "You do. But, please, don't ask any questions. Now isn't the time. What matters is that you're safe." She let her go, taking a moment to dry her eyes, before looking between the three of them. "Everything is organised. New house. New jobs. New school. New everything. I apologise if this has caused you problems, but your safety is paramount in all of this."

"We understand, of course. Thank you," the father stated.

She hugged Oriana again. "Just know that you have a big sister out there who will do anything to keep you safe. Okay?"

"Okay," Oriana whispered.

"You should go. Your transport is ready. There are things I need to do."

"What are you doing?"

She let her go and stood next to her, gesturing in the distance. "See the man over there, in the black armour?"

"Yeah." She paused before adding, "Wow. He's hot! Who is it?"

"Commander Shepard."

"Oh my god! You're working with Commander Shepard?! I'd heard stories…"

"Don't believe everything you read, but yes, I'm working with him now. But really, I can't say anything more."

She walked them to the nearby transport that would take them off to their new home. She shared a handshake with the father, a short hug with the mother, and then a longer embrace with Oriana. "Will you stay in contact?"

"Yes. From now on, I will, but we'll have to play it safe."

"Okay." She let her go and turned just before stepping onto the ship. "Bye, Miranda. Nice to finally meet you. Guess I have a guardian angel after all."

Miranda simply waved as the door to the ship closed and it took off now more than a couple of minutes later. Turning around, she began the walk towards Shepard and the others but, halfway there, she took a deep shuddering breath and couldn't help the sobs that took over her body. They were sobs of happiness, soon feeling the arms of someone else almost have to pick her off the ground, feeling those arms wrap around her as she buried her head into his chest, feeling his hand gently caress the back of her head.

She'd never felt such emotions before, always keep them buried deep inside. Now she had a sister who knew she existed. She had a family. And she would now do anything to ensure that family was kept safe.

*****

I didn't like the idea of leaving Illium without seeing Shiala and Gianna, but it was only ever meant to be a short stop. Two reasons. Once, I hadn't planned on visiting Illium again, so dealing with Miranda's issue was only ever going to take a couple of hours. Two, I'd recently had a meeting with the Illusive Man. He didn't have any details on the Reaper IFF yet, but did task me with another job, to which the Normandy was heading now.

Events on Illium played out as I thought, though it was nice seeing a softer side to Miranda. I'd never seen her cry before, but it seemed the outpouring of emotion had done her some good. Returning to the ship, I ordered its immediate departure, heading straight to our next destination. A planet by the name of Aite.

But that was for later. After returning to the ship, Miranda thanked everyone for their help before most returned to their headquarters. I first dumped armour and weapons in the armoury before checking for any new messages, pleased to see the Illusive Man had at least provided some detail of Aite and what we might find. It was sparse at best but I was sure we'd learn more on the ground.

After dinner, I headed into the bar, grabbed a bottle, and headed towards Miranda's room. Walking in, she was comfortable on the lounge, watching us travel through space, though she glanced my way and smiled when seeing me walk in with a bottle and two glasses. "What have you brought me?"

"A toast to a job well done, so I was thinking some good scotch."

"Ah, a man after my own heart, Shepard." I took a seat next to her, pouring us a good snifter each, before we clinked glasses. "Always nice when a mission ends on a positive note."

She took a sip of her drink, then leaned over and kissed me, quite unexpectedly I might add. I certainly hadn't planned anything. She leaned back a moment before leaning forward to kiss me again. At least I expected it that time, so I could react in a better way. When she leaned back again, I asked, "So I'm guessing we're not drinking?"

"No, we're not."

"You know, I didn't help because…"

"Shepard, I'm in a really good mood, no, I'm in a fantastic mood right now. And what I really want to do is fuck the guy who helped me save my sister. You're not seriously…" I kissed her hard to assure her I wasn't going to say no. Pulling back, she did say, "Are you interested in something else though?"

"Oh, what?"

"Well, there was someone else who helped me who…"

I sat back for a moment and couldn't help chuckle. "You're serious?"

"That weird you out?"

"No, of course not. It's just unexpected. But if you're serious…"

"I think we've agreed this is all just for fun, Shepard, so why not add a little more?"

"By all means."

Miranda smiled, kissed me again, then made her request to EDI. I'm sure there was a short conversation, as ten minutes later, Jacob walked into the room to find Miranda already down to her bra and panties as we made out. Miranda stopped for long enough to lock the door and beckon him over. Jacob looked a little confused before he grinned. "Ah, I see what's going on here. Miss Lawson has ideas. Is that the case, Shepard?"

"I'm guessing she does, Jacob. You fine with it?"

"Sure. You?"

"This isn't my first rodeo. Shit, some of the stories I could tell you."

Miranda gently pushed me back as she stood up, looking like the goddess she was in just her black bra, black panties, and heels. "Strip, both of you."

Jacob and I shared a glance, shrugged, and proceeded to get undressed. If she thought the idea of me being nude in front of another guy was going to put me off, she was underestimating me. One of the things you get used to first in the service is seeing men and women naked and, most of the time, it simply isn't sexy. It's just… nudity. Jacob has no qualms either, and soon we were both standing in front of Miranda. I was already rock hard, considering we'd been making out with a little hand action, while Jacob would no doubt rise to the occasion in time.

What surprised me is Miranda stood between us, then got down onto her knees, moving her head in my direction, so I moved my cock for her and she soon started to blow me, while stroking Jacob, and he was hard rather quickly. Jacob and I shared another glance and chuckled. "Honestly, I didn't come in here expecting this. I brought a bottle of scotch…"

Miranda stopped for a moment. "Are you seriously complaining?"

I looked down. "No, I'm not. Now keep blowing me."

She smiled. "Oh, I like it when you give me orders like that, Shepard."

Jacob chuckled again as Miranda was soon trying to swallow my entire length, though she was soon giving Jacob some attention at the same time. If you want to know about Jacob, he was what you would expect from someone who'd served in the military. Muscular. Quite a few scars. Tattoos that reflected regiments he may have served in. No chest hair to speak of. And an impressive member between his legs.

I wasn't sure if Miranda wanted to get us both off or not, but I didn't leave the decision to her, as after she'd spent some time pleasing us both, I picked her up and carried her to bed, putting her on all fours, Jacob getting on his knees in front of her, as I got behind her and pleasured her with my mouth in return. Within a few minutes, Jacob was joking that she could barely concentrate on blowing him, so I relented enough and he was soon making noises I recognised, praising Miranda for her talents, before he finally came in her mouth.

When she was satisfied, I continued eating her out, and it didn't take long to bring her to orgasm, giving that arse of hers a good squeeze or a gentle slap along the way. Once she'd calmed down, all she did was spin around and resume blowing me. Jacob was going to return the favour until Miranda turned back and simply said, "Top drawer."

As Miranda blew me, Jacob opened the drawer and pulled out a bottle of lube. His eyes did widen slightly as he said, "So I'm guessing we're doing that then."

"Later. First, just get me good and ready."

So as I was blown, Jacob seemed to rather enjoy pouring lube on her arse, covering each cheek in it, really giving them a good squeeze, before she started to slide a finger into her arse first, though he quickly realised she could take a couple more rather quickly. When he had three in her, that made her stop and moan, and he quickly realised she wouldn't be able to concentrate much, so relented for long enough that she could blow me to completion as well.

After she'd swallowed my load, she looked up and smiled as I simply ran my fingers though her hair, glancing to see Jacob was now reapplying three fingers. "Well, consider me impressed, Miss Lawson," I said.

"Soon as Jacob agreed to a possible liaison, I figured why not both of you at the same time."

"Who gets the pleasure of your arse?"

"Oh, both of you as I've prepared for this, but I want you last, Shepard."

I needed a few minutes to recover from her blowjob, so Miranda moved as Jacob and I kneeled behind her, his fingers in her arse, mine in her pussy. We laughed and joked as Miranda squealed and moaned at what we were doing. We were certainly not rough or anything, trying to keep her as excited as possible. Too much, in fact, as she eventually had another orgasm, causing Jacob and I to share a glance. "Well, I think we might be wearing her out tonight," I said.

"She'll wear us out too, Shepard."

"Probably, but it'll be good fun."

Getting rock hard again wasn't a problem, and I was soon on my back, Miranda straddling my body, rubbing her pussy along my shaft to tease me, before she finally lifted herself up and pretty much slid down my cock rather quickly, burying it inside her. Leaning forward, she kissed me before enjoying just me for a couple of minutes. Really enjoying me, in all honesty, before she finally glanced back. "Okay, Jacob, just take it easy to begin with."

I couldn't exactly see, but I watched her face as Jacob slid his cock into her arse. There was definite discomfort to begin with, perhaps a slight crease of pain, but once she was used to it, her face lit up with enjoyment. Then it was simply establishing a rhythm that worked for the three of us. With Jacob in the way, I couldn't bend my legs in the usual way, though he seemed to sense that, positioning himself in a way that he was really driving his cock into her arse, which she loved. That allowed me to really start fucking her at the same time, which she also loved.

"Fuck me, both of you," she cried.

We made her cum again rather quickly, collapsing onto my chest though demanding neither of us stop until we cum inside her. Jacob and I could at least share a glance, shrug, and kept on fucking her. I'm sure we made her cum at least twice more before Jacob couldn't hold back any longer, really burying himself again and again as he came. She squealed out, not from pain, actually laughing as he fell forward, holding himself up just enough to stop squashing us. She leaned back and kissed his cheek. "Your cock feels great in my arse, Jacob. It's been a long time," she whispered.

"Sure has. Last time, it was only us two though. No offence, Shepard."

"Well, you get my pussy next. Missed it?"

"I won't lie and say I don't regret it ending, Miranda."

"Geez, if you two need some space," I joked.

Both looked at me and smiled. Jacob pulled out, leaving me alone with Miranda. Leaning forward on her forearms, she gave me a hard kiss, then demanded I fuck her hard. What the lady wants, the lady got. There was a reason, of course, as I lasted all of five minutes before leaving a load inside her as well. That pleased her as she gave me another kiss before rolling off, arms and legs splayed as she giggled to herself. Jacob flopped onto the bed beside her.

"Well, quite the night so far," I said.

"Can you take much more, Miranda?" Jacob wondered.

"Jacob, Shepard is fucking my arse. Neither of you are leaving until that is done. And I know you want this pussy too, Jacob."

"Well, you're not wrong there, I guess."

She scoffed. "You guess…"

Miranda suggested I look in the other chest of drawers next to the bed, taking out some cloths and bacterial wipes. If you think sex isn't messy, think again. Thankfully, she must have prepared herself beforehand, so the act of anal itself was clean, but if Jacob wasn't going to fuck her next, he needed to ensure he was clean, plus Miranda needed a bit of a clean-up too, as she was leaking cum from both holes.

Grabbing the bottle of scotch, I poured us all a glass as we sat back, sipping, and chatting about nothing in particular before I had to ask, "So when were you two fucking?"

"When you were a meat bag, Shepard," Jacob replied, "Miranda needed stress relief. So did I. She's obviously attractive. I was someone without baggage and had a dick. We satisfied the needs of the other."

"Wow, you make it sound so… clinical."

"It wasn't romance, Shepard," Miranda stated with a chuckle, "You should know that you can have sex just for the enjoyment of sex."

"True. Why did you end it though?"

"Cerberus are not exactly keen on their operatives being physically intimate. Dedication to the cause above all. And, we both knew there was a chance of us being distracted. And if the Illusive Man found out…"

"Which he probably did, Miranda," Jacob stated, "Nothing went on without his knowledge."

"Explain Wilson," Miranda retorted.

"Shit, I wouldn't be surprised if he left Wilson there as a first test for Shepard."

Miranda met my eyes and I shrugged before stating, "Sounds plausible, knowing the man as I do now. He seems confident I'm not going to just up and die on him."

Finishing our drinks, Miranda immediately kissed me, quickly moving down my body to take my cock in her mouth once again. This was simply to get the mood back, and though I was half-erect, it didn't take long to get me up again. She rolled over, returning the favour to Jacob, as I ran my hands down her back and over her butt, Miranda spreading her legs so I could begin to fondle her pussy again. She was soon moaning as she sucked on Jacob, and he handed me the bottle of lube so I could get her and myself ready. No delaying this time, straight into it.

Once she was happy, Jacob positioned himself and Miranda slid down his cock, letting them fuck for a couple of minutes before I joined in. Once I had my cock nice and lubed up, Miranda stopped moving so I could slide into her arse. She was rather accommodating, no doubt helped by the fact Jacob had been there earlier, though she still gasped when the head of my cock slid in, and I took my time giving her my entire length. But once I was buried, she simply asked we both fuck her.

Jacob and I needed to establish a working rhythm again, and once we did, we had Miranda moaning and squealing once again. I was trying not to pound her arse too hard, but I was enjoying the sounds being made whenever my skin slapped against hers, giving each cheek a hearty slap every so often as well. Leaning forward, I changed the angle which made her moan loudly.

"Fuck me, Shepard."

"Time to bring it home, Jacob."

Miranda Lawson was fucked hard for the next few minutes. Her orgasm, when it arrived, must have been mind-blowing. We actually had to stop as I fear she'd actually passed out. She hadn't, she just needed a few moments to recover. Resting low, just off Jacob, she insisted we continue until we both came again, and to keep doing what we'd been doing. I could meet Jacob's eyes. All I did was shrug, as did he, and we continued to pound her.

It lasted another ten minutes at most before he need to cum. Asking if he could move, Miranda lifted herself up enough that he could slide out, before she lowered her head, raised her arse, looking back. "My arse is yours to own now, Shepard," she murmured.

I gave it another good slap before leaning forward, grabbing a handful of hair, gently pulling back as she moved up onto her hands. "God yes, Shepard. Just like this."

"Your arse is mine, Lawson. I might get a tattoo on here. Property of Shepard. Co-owned by Jacob Taylor, of course."

"Thanks, Shepard."

I kept pounding her as my orgasm was still in the distance, and I did wonder how much Miranda could take before asking me to stop. I eventually lifted her up so she rested against me, moving my arm down her body so I could fondle her clit as I kissed her neck, or she moved her head to kiss me. "Keep going," she moaned.

Now I was really driving into her, and had to admit I was impressed at her stamina, and probably her pain threshold. Or she was just one of those rare women who loved it in the arse and could take a real pounding. When I felt my orgasm approached, I gently pushed her forward and positioned myself to really drive into her. She recognised it and urged me on. "Faster, Shepard. Harder. Really give it to me until you cum."

I did all that for another couple of minutes at most before I buried my cock completely and it felt like an explosion. I definitely groaned loudly, hearing Jacob actually chuckle next to use, before I needed to relax on top of Miranda, both of our bodies dropping down, making sure I didn't squash her too much. We lay together like that for at least five minutes before I needed to move. Sitting back on my knees, I took a moment to check out my work.

"Miranda, I will admit, you have one well fucked arse right now. How do you feel?"

"Euphoric, Shepard. Thank you. Both of you. And not just for what just happened."

"No sweat, Miranda. We did a good thing today," Jacob said, "Glad your sister is safe."

I poured Miranda a glass of scotch as she stayed on her bed, holding a towel between her legs, leaking again as she was. Jacob and I sat to either side again, now sitting back and relaxing with a glass as well, chatting about nothing in particular, simply letting the mood calm down before we would get dressed and disappear. Jacob was the first to go, Miranda wrapping a dressing gown around her as she walked him to the door, the pair sharing a brief kiss before he walked out, the door closing and locking as Miranda joined me on the bed, taking the gown off.

She leaned over to kiss me again before simply cuddling into me. I'll admit to some relief as I wasn't sure I could go again anytime soon. "Next time, maybe just you and me. Not saying that wasn't a hell of a lot of fun, but Jacob deserves some me time too."

"You're free to choose what you want, Miranda. As you no doubt learned, I'm open minded… to a point."

"So you don't want to fuck Jacob, or have him fuck you, if I was there?"

"I'm not bisexual, Miranda. I thought that would have been obvious by now. And I'm not one of those people that just suddenly changes on a whim. I know what I love."

"Hey, you never know. You might not have found the right guy yet."

She was obviously teasing me so I could at least laugh. I took another sip of scotch as I said, "Look, comfortable to admit Jacob is a good looking dude. Looks after himself. Impressive specimen between the legs. Trust me, after years in the army, you get used to seeing things. Seen more naked men and women than most people. And then there's the 'boys on tour' kind of stuff. It's amazing how gay straight men can sometimes be once let off the leash. Think it comes from having to suppress everything for weeks on end, that when it finally explodes, it leads to some weird and wacky things."

"I almost hesitate to ask."

"Stories for another day, Miranda."

Feeling her snuggle into me, I was left wondering where I was going to be spending the night. I didn't really want to fuck her and just leave, but I was fairly sure she'd also be expecting that. So I had to make a decision. "EDI, can you patch me through to the cabin."

"Of course, Shepard. Patching you through now." I waited a few seconds then heard, "I know where you are, Shepard. It's fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Shepard, I've told you before. You're not just going to fuck someone else then leave them. Spend the night with Miranda. But I get dibs on him tomorrow night, Miss Lawson."

"Thank you, Kelly," Miranda said gently.

"My pleasure. A bit unexpected, but I guess after what happened, I certainly don't blame you for wanting to express thanks and gratitude in a certain way. I'll see you both at breakfast in the morning."

"Goodnight, Kelly," I said, and I heard the line close.

Miranda immediately pulled back the covers so we could snuggle underneath, turning so we could make out for a little bit. Making out led to more hands wandering, but we didn't end up fucking or anything. It was simply a bit of fun, lots of sweet talking, plenty of giggling, but we were both rather tired at the end of a long day. She eventually snuggled into my chest, curling herself up against me, and went to sleep, no doubt finding my fingers gently caressing her back comforting.

Rising the next morning, she was certainly in a great mood, though any ideas of anything sexual ended when both our stomachs rumbled. We laughed before getting up and dressing, heading out into the mess together. It fell silent, of course, though neither of us really cared.

"Pay up, Massani. I told you those two were going to fuck," Garrus exclaimed.

"Really, Garrus?" I asked, grabbing a tray from nearby.

"Oh, please, I had you two figured from the moment you offered to help her."

Miranda sat down at the table next to where I normally sat. "Any bets on Jacob, Garrus?"

"What?"

"Jacob. Did you take bets on him last night?"

I sat down as Garrus looked between me, Miranda, and then down at Jacob. "Hang on, are you saying Shepard and Jacob were with you last night?"

Jack burst into laughter. "I fucking told you, bird brain! Give those sweet, sweet credits! Massani, play your cards right, you can win your money back during our next card game."

"Spirits, what the hell is it with this ship?" Garrus muttered, handing over a small stack of credits to Jack.

Kelly simply leaned into my side as I laid a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly.

"Of course, Shepard. I still have dibs tonight?"

"Definitely. Sorry if I…"

"Not necessary. As long as you had fun."

"Certainly did."

I don't think anyone knew that the good times and feelings were about to come to a crashing halt.