Spectre

A/N - 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.

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*****

Shepard must pay the price for a decision made.

*****

I ordered Joker to take his time getting us back to Illium as I wanted to enjoy as much time with Shiala and Gianna as possible. Both took advantage of this by spending time with me together before they each had me alone for a few hours. During our journey, agreements were made. Not just with Shiala and Gianna but with others as well.

Shiala would pack and return to Liara. She wanted to remain close to her good friend and knew that she would provide invaluable assistance. Liara could do the job alone, but it would be rather isolating with only her and Feron back on the ship. Gianna would remain on Illium to continue her usual role though Liara would send her work from time to time. I would fly Shiala back to Hagalaz before making my way either to Illium or the Citadel.

There would be another departure from my ship. Wrex had been in touch and with the Collectors now defeated, he requested that Grunt return to Tuchanka as he would undergo specialist training before taking charge of his own unit. I had no problem agreeing to the request. The mission was over, we'd been successful, and the agreement had always been that Grunt would return home upon completion of the mission.

We were a couple of hours from Illium. I was lying back with Shiala snuggled into my side. I didn't miss how her eyes gazed at me nowadays. They reminded me of Liara. Complete devotion and unconditional love. We'd made love for a couple of hours, Shiala proving insatiable as I ended up on my back because she wanted to ride me again. She knew we would be heading back to Hagalaz quickly, but that wasn't going to stop her.

Leaving Gianna behind was sad in many ways as I didn't know when I would be back on Illium and we had grown closer during the few short days that we'd been together. And when we were departing the next day, I didn't miss how long Shiala and Gianna hugged each other. I was left in no doubt that Liara, Shiala and Gianna had grown incredibly close while I was gone. Gianna hugged me last and the kiss we shared...

"You know how I feel about you, don't you, Shepard?" she asked lightly as her head rested against my chest.

"I think it's pretty easy to figure out. And we don't have to meld to figure it out."

"I'm going to stay here for the time being, but if I end up feeling rather lonely, I might just go and join Liara and Shiala. I don't think she'd mind."

"Keep in touch with me. And if you discover anything really big, let me know and I'll come help."

Only I rode with Shiala on the shuttle towards Liara's ship on Hagalaz. I wasn't surprised that Liara had been busy at work during our absence, making me laugh when after greeting me with one hell of a kiss, she had a large pile of datapads to hand over.

"Shepard... He knew about everything. He knew about the Reapers. He knew the Council is covering it up. He knew the Protheans had been defeated and then changed into the Collectors. He's quite obviously got contacts in Cerberus as he seems to know all about their operations. There's also a dossier in that pile about the Illusive Man. I've reviewed it more than once and I believe it's all true."

"Anything about me?"

That made her smile. "Shepard, you're one of the most famous humans in the galaxy. And given that you don't hide anything during previous interviews, he had information but it's nothing no one already knows."

I remained for a night cycle so I could have one more night with Liara. I wasn't surprised that Shiala did end up joining us, both whispering that they'd probably have a little fun while I was away. I assured them that was fine as I knew they'd been doing that anyway. Leaving wasn't as difficult as previous departures as Liara was now confident that she would be able to find as much information as possible regarding the Reapers. She would get in touch with certain people who knew about the threat, or at least believed in it, and send them information.

Our next stop was Tuchanka. It's fair to say that although there was a lot of respect for Grunt as a warrior, he didn't have many friends on the ship. But everyone still gathered to wish him good luck and farewell before I stepped onto the shuttle with him, and we headed down to the planet. Wrex was delighted to see me as always, and he insisted that I stay long enough to enjoy a couple of drinks with him.

Given that I didn't do that very often, a couple of drinks with Wrex and his warriors turned into me waking up the next morning with the hangover to end all hangovers. He had a good laugh at me when I managed to stagger out of the small room that I'd been placed in, my head thumping and left thinking that I was going to spend most of the day feeling sick.

"What are your plans now?" he asked once we were sitting down after breakfast.

"I'm going to the Citadel. Some of my crew will probably depart once we're there. Then it's a case of what to do next. Part of me does want to return to the Alliance, but I'm not sure how things will go there. I have my supporters, but the fact that I've spent months with Cerberus, even doing what I've done, won't matter to a lot of people."

"You could just work as a Spectre. But I guess that would mean restrictions."

"Kyla, the human councillor, supports me completely. But although she's one of the most powerful humans in the galaxy, even her word means little to certain groups within the Alliance. There's a hardcore group that Admiral Hackett has warned me about who want to throw the book at me. They think I disappeared when the ship was blown up to go and work with Cerberus."

"And the Reapers?"

I shrugged. "I don't know when they're coming. They are coming and we're not ready for them. I know that much. But when will they get here? No idea. I can only hope we're somewhat ready when they do. But the problem is that we're still separated. We might have the Council, but there's no real unity regarding how we would all work together. And we know how they hit the Protheans. Hit them hard and fast, separated them, then picked them off. If they do that to us, it's over."

"You know the krogan would stand with you, Shepard... But the genophage... I know it would be a war of attrition. Even if we won, the amount of blood that will no doubt be spilled, I'm not sure the krogan would survive in the end."

"I do wonder that if we're in a war of annihilation if the Council would change their mind about the genophage."

That made Wrex snort. "I won't hold my breath about it."

Grunt was sad to see me go as he had enjoyed his time fighting by my side. We agreed to keep in contact, and I knew Wrex had plans for Grunt and his new unit. If he wasn't fighting on Tuchanka, he was tempted to try and get Grunt off-world and fighting elsewhere as a mercenary group. I knew Wrex wanted to expand krogan interests and get off Tuchanka. What he wanted most of all was a cure for the genophage, but he had no idea if or when it would ever be cured.

Within a couple of hours of leaving Tuchanka, Miranda dragged me upstairs to my cabin and tried to fuck me into a coma. It was wonderful, and by the time she was finished with me, her skin glistened and the look on her face was one of utter satisfaction. She cuddled into my side, feeling her breath on my neck, as I had an arm wrapped around her in return.

"Just staking my claim again," she murmured, "We couldn't interfere when Liara and Shiala were here. We all know about your relationship with them."

"Any jealousy from the others?"

"A little but that's only natural."

"And you?"

"Shepard, I would have come here and just watched you with them. But I knew you needed time alone with each of them. And Liara has nothing to worry about from any of us regarding her new role. We know she's doing it for good reasons."

"How long do you want to stay with me?"

She lifted her eyes towards mine and they reflected the same feelings as Liara and others. Her devotion was now absolute. She didn't have to reply as the soft kiss on my lips was my answer before she cuddled into my side again. I think it's fair to say that Miranda did monopolise my time over the next couple of days. I wasn't complaining and no one seemed too unhappy about that. The only surprise to me was when Miranda arrived with Kelly on the second night of our journey.

An even larger surprise was that Miranda laid back and watched me and Kelly make love first. Only after Kelly was well and truly satisfied did Miranda join in, and having proven rather open-minded about having at least a little bit of fun with a woman when enjoying a threesome, Kelly proved to Miranda how talented she was. I fucked Kelly from behind while she was busy going down on Miranda. The noises Kelly had Miranda making made me grin.

Docking on the Citadel the next day, I told the entire crew that I would go to visit the Council first before any further decisions were taken. There was general agreement that everyone would remain on board for the time being.

My meeting with the Council didn't take place in complete secrecy given that the Collectors had been defeated and my departure from Cerberus was already news. Kyla congratulated me on protecting humanity. Kira didn't say much, the smile on her face one of utter relief that I had simply returned alive. I was surprised that Sparatus and Valern didn't complain about the destruction of the base. One of them would usually bitch and moan about my destruction of something or other. But the consensus was that they were happy that humanity was now safe and happier that my time with Cerberus was now at an end.

It was only when I walked into Alliance HQ that I realised that news had well and truly filtered through as I was greeted by everyone standing up and there was warm applause. I genuinely found myself blushing as I had my hand shaken constantly. Anderson walked out of his office, face absolutely beaming, and he took my hand in both of his.

"Well done, son. Well fucking done," he stated.

Jane was the last to greet me and the kiss she laid on me had the audience chuckling as she dragged me towards her office, slammed the door shut, and led me over to her desk. She sat up on it as we enjoyed a rather long make-out session. When we finally broke apart to take a couple of breaths, the smile on her face had me grinning like an idiot in return.

I immediately called theNormandyand told them that I would be out of contact for the rest of the day. I did sit down for a meeting with Anderson before Jane had the opportunity to take me away to her apartment. We discussed the Collectors briefly, but now that the threat was over, the Alliance could relax and focus on the real threat. What he wanted to know was my future plans.

"Until I'm sure that I won't be arrested, I won't be returning," I finally admitted, "I know who I was working with, but I've already been warned by Admiral Hackett about the voices demanding my arrest and incarceration. The Council has no such doubts about my loyalty. Until I'm otherwise convinced, I'll continue doing Spectre work though Hackett has been in touch from time to time about other jobs."

"If it was my decision, the only thing you'd be getting would be another medal, Shepard," Anderson replied.

"I'd rather that than prison time. What have you been hearing?"

"The rank and file aren't privy to the secrecy, but they knowyou, Shepard. They would know that you were working with Cerberus only to defeat the Collectors. Admiral Hackett made sure that news of your defection was released immediately. However, I do agree that sticking with Spectre work until we can confirm that you won't be charged will probably be the best thing for all concerned."

We chatted for a few more minutes as he told me a few things that the Alliance were doing before I bid him farewell and wandered into Jane's office. She was ready to go, taking my hand and leading me outside. When I asked what her plan for me was, she said that we would go back to her apartment for a little fun, then go out for dinner and a drink or two, before we returned to her apartment.

"And when we get back, I am going to swallow everything you give me before we make love... Then you're fucking my arse nice and hard."

Making love a few minutes later in her apartment, any doubt that I might have had about our relationship ended with a simple look in her eyes. We both knew how our relationship would work now and in the future. We might never be together permanently, but there was no doubt in my mind that it would endure regardless of where we were in the galaxy.

Dinner was fantastic as Jane knew all the best places to visit, telling me stories of her life on the Citadel. She admitted it was probably boring in comparison to mine, and that she was considering a transfer away from a desk job as she admitted that she was bored from time to time. But she had plenty of friends and she had me chuckling when a few of those friends were asari.

"I don't sleep with all of them," she added with a smirk, "Though I want to."

"Why don't you?" I wondered, taking one of her hands in mine, "Jane, you know what my life is like on the ship. Hell, I tell you about it because I know it arouses you."

"I have a little fun, but it's nothing like being with you, Shepard," she replied, giving me a smile that told me exactly how she was feeling.

We finished dinner and visited a nearby bar for a couple of drinks. She knew that I didn't partake very often, and she admitted to only letting her hair down around once a month or so. Returning to her apartment a couple of hours later, we were both naked rather quickly and she followed through on what she said earlier. On her knees before me, green eyes sparkling as they gazed into mine, her lips wrapped around my cock as her head slowly bobbed up and down.

She drew the blowjob out for as long as possible, bringing me to the brink more than once before backing off. When I gripped her hair and started to move my hips, her eyes lit up and she moved her head faster in time with my hip movements. I didn't miss the fact that she was fondling herself at the same time.

"I love you, Jane," I whispered. When her eyes immediately started to glisten, I knew that she loved me intensely in return, "Feelings never changed, did they?" She shook her head. "Close," I grunted.

Swallowing everything like she'd promised, I helped her to her feet and pulled her into my chest. She hugged me ever so tightly in return, feeling her fingers caressing my back before she shared quite the kiss.

"I love you too," she whispered back, "I'm not sure what's going to happen, Shepard. I know you'll never be monogamous. The good thing for you is that I like to fool around with asari and women, so if you do settle down in the sense of sticking to one place, I'll be there with you."

Lying back on the bed, her face was a picture of delight as I returned the favour and spent at least half an hour between her legs. And I returned the favour by teasing her. I knew all the right buttons to push when it came to Jane Shepard. When I finally helped her crest the wave and enjoy quite the orgasm, she could barely beg me to keep going it was so intense.

I got her off a few more times before she asked me to give her a moment, leaving a trail of soft kisses up her body towards her breasts before I was level with her eyes.

"Jesus, Shepard..."

"You know I love going down on you, Jane."

She didn't need long to recover before her hand was guiding me inside her. As we made love, it was gentle and loving, one of her legs around me, the other bent at the knee and resting against my torso. I felt her fingers dig into my back as I started to thrust a little faster, our mouths rarely parting as we constantly made out. I loved all the noises she made while making love. She was always a vocal lover.

"You love fucking your little sister?" she teased. That made me growl and fuck her a little harder. "Want to put a baby in your little sister?"

"You are such a fucking tease, Jane... Maybe my little sister really wants her arse fucked hard later."

"Shepard... There's this little part of me..." I slowed down and left a soft kiss on her lips. "I always think that I'm weird, even a little sick, but there's still that little part that... Maybe not your sister, but maybe a cousin... Just something that would make this even more unique and special."

"You love having your big brother inside you?"

"More than anything," she replied, "Best big brother dick in the galaxy!"

It amused me that we still roleplayed after all this time, but I'll be honest, it was fucking hot to roleplay. When I came inside her, both her legs were wrapped around me, begging me not to pull out. I knew she was on birth control and was fanatical about it. Like nearly all of my lovers, she knew that children were not on the agenda right now.

She was riding me a few minutes later, really bouncing and grinding away when she enjoyed one hell of a climax. The sort that had her collapsing onto my chest as I wrapped my arms around her, and that's when she allowed herself a little emotion. And I knew it was because I had survived and returned to her. She didn't say anything for a couple of minutes before she lifted her head to kiss me before I caressed her cheek, earning a soft smile.

After another orgasm for me, we lay on our sides facing each other, my fingers running down her side as she gazed at me with that same soft smile. She shuffled closer so I could cuddle her, and I wasn't surprised that she eventually asked about my other lovers. I couldn't tell her about Liara being the Shadow Broker, but I told her that we'd spent time together recently.

"And you've been with Kira?"

"Not during this visit."

That made her smile even more. Our night together ended with my cock buried in her arse, Jane with her arse raised just enough as I mounted her. I had my mouth near her ear as I grunted and groaned, the whimpers and moans of her in reply being music to my ears. I loved hearing her beg me to fuck her arse even harder, and when I was really nailing her, she turned her head further so that I could kiss her.

She made breakfast for me the next morning after we made love upon waking up and fooled around a little bit in the shower. The smile on her face had barely faded since waking up, and we walked hand in hand towards the Alliance offices. We shared one last kiss before she disappeared.

Returning to theNormandy, I knew that some of the crew would soon be leaving now that the mission was complete. Miranda, Georgia and the former Cerberus crew members would be staying with me. Garrus had no real plans and remained loyal. Any conflict Tali might have had ended after her trial. She might have been found innocent, but it's safe to say that she felt that she owed me in return. I was left thinking that Doctor Chakwas would leave now that the mission was over, but she sat me down and assured me of her loyalty. She'd spoken to contacts in the Alliance, and she had been assured that there would be no disciplinary action against her when she eventually returned. I had a feeling that Admiral Hackett had been her contact.

Mordin chose to leave the ship as he planned on returning home. I wasn't exactly sure as to his future plans as he kept his cards close to his chest, but there is no doubt in my mind that his viewpoints about certain things had changed. I knew that what happened with Maelon still lingered, and talking about the genophage had clearly opened old wounds.