You As Well Must Die, Beloved 4
anonymous
August 20 2014, 02:57:34 UTC
There were a million reporters and rubber-neckers a million of the and the goddamn white flowers they had chosen as symbol were there as well. They were tucked into hair and button holes, woven around gates, and posts, and signs. The air was pungent with their perfume. Vega's driving was slowed by the people. He laid on the horn for few minutes, before resigning himself to simply idling down the road towards the security checkpoint.
“What's with the flowers?” Shepard asked.
Vega waved a hand dismissively, “They don't understand the real threat. They thin you just gunned down a few thousand batarians for fun. The flowers are their symbol.” He spoke for the first time. Shepard glanced at him with interest.
“Hundred thousand.” Shepard corrected.
The marine shook his head, “You really don't know how to do yourself any favors, do you?”
“Hey Anderson, did you know the brick wall you brought with you can talk?”
It was an avoidance tactic, but Anderson smiled and shook his head. “According t his file he's s pretty good shot, and rumor has it he's a short order breakfast cook two.”
Vega shrugged, “I do make pretty good juevos rancheros.”
They finally passed the throng of people kept in check by the perimeter guard. Vega rolled down the window and showed his ID. Shepard rolled down her window and looked back at the crowd. They must have caught sight of her because the roar of the crowd intensified.
She sat back after a moment. “It's been so long since I've been on earth I forgot what flowers smelled like.”
“You were never one to take time off.”
“I could never stand the hot food and soft beds.” She half smiled, “Guess I don't have a choice right now.”
When she saw the tiny apartment, Shepard looked less content.. It was no more than ta few hundred square feet. “So I'm just here until the trial begins?” She said, “Right?”
Anderson took a deep breath. “We'll see.” He knew that in all likelihood she'd be spending most of time locked inside this tiny prison.
Shepard picked up on his thoughts and glanced up at the ceiling. “I'm fucked, aren't I?” Her eyes roved from side to side as if she was searching for some escape.
Vega snorted. “You can say that again.”
Shepard shot him a look and Anderson waved a hand, “Dismissed for now, Vega. I'll call you when I need you.”
As the marine left, Shepard let out a sigh and sank into a chair. “God, I'm tired.” She looked old sitting there with her elbows on her knees. He wondered if it was the pregnancy, or the past two months as she had made a mad dash suicide mission, with no other ally than her worst enemies that had put so many lines on her face.
You As Well Must Die, Beloved 5
anonymous
August 20 2014, 02:58:02 UTC
“Have you thought about this? There's more to do. We've destroyed the collector base but-”
“But the reapers are still coming.” She looked up at him and nodded. “They're coming and I have to stop them. And the only hope of the galaxy is knocked up and under arrest. I understand.”
'So why?” He asked, “Explain it to me so I understand.”
“Because there has to be something after all of this, right?” She looked out the window, “I never thought about it much when I was fighting to stay alive, or when I was on a suicide mission. But there has to be something after. And maybe I cold be alive to see it.” She hung her head, “I never had a family Anderson. And I need something to fight for.” She blinked hard all of a sudden and cursed. Anderson pretended not to notice. “I used to fight for the alliance,” She said after a moment, “I guess I still do, but I need something more.”
Anderson sighed. “I can understand that.” His life had moved in the opposite direction as hers if he really thought about it. He had divorced his wife after too much time spent away, planet hopping. He regretted losing contact with his son. There were days, especially when he was ashore, that he wondered if he had made the right decision. But after years of living as a wanderer he had to admit, he was satisfied with what his life. He had spent his life in service of his country. He had had adventures beyond compare. That was all he had really wanted.
Shepard, on the other hand, was no patriot. There wasn't a romantic bone in her body. She had joined the alliance to escape a grim future spent between jail and the streets.
He realized that, in some ways he had barely considered her humanity. He had, of course, but not in the way that he did about other people. He had seen her tired, or in pain. He had seen her emotionally at her end. He was one of the few people to be able to claim that he knew her tells. He could see her nervousness, or anger, when she prided herself on being stoic. But she had fooled even him. He hadn't thought about what she might want. It wasn't that he saw her as a hero, it was that he saw her as a tool. He hadn't thought about the cost that might have for her.
“Shepard...” he found himself looking for the words to apologize.
“Anderson, should I do it? I mean I don't know anything.” She stood and paced. It was upsetting to see her upset. Shepard was a rock. She continued to pace. “I was just a kid on the streets. I don't know anything about being a parent, and I'm alone.”
She stopped, arms wrapped around her body. Then she took a deep breath. “I'm sorry Anderson. I...Chakwas says it's the hormones. I'm ok.” She took a long deep breathe and placed a hand on her stomach. She was still flat, but he recognized the maternal-ness of the action. For the first time she looked like a mother.
He stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Shepard, you won't be alone. Not for the trial, not for any of it. I won't leave you to deal with the council on your own.” And because she was a soldier he removed his hand and faced her squarely.
“The Shepard I know doesn't doubt her decisions. Pull your self together, Commander.”
Shepard nodded and straightened. In a moment she looked like the soldier he knew. The hero.
“Thank you,” She nodded to herself, “Thank you.”
“I'll make sure we provide whatever medical care you need.”
“Ok,” Shepard said, “But it needs to be discreet. I don't want a press leak.”
Anderson nodded, “We'll do everything we can.” For now, he didn't ask her what would happen when her condition became noticeable.
The facade slipped only a moment as her fingers tapped out a rhythm on her pants. “Thank you.” She said finally. “I'm really tired. I'm going to get some shut eye. There's nothing else to do.”
“Good.” He walked towards the door, but turned at the last moment, “Shepard, rest for now. I will take care of whatever needs done. We're going to be ready.”
Shepard nodded. He could see her through the window when he looked back once. She was sitting on the couch, a hand on her abdomen, her lips moved as though she was praying.
“What's with the flowers?” Shepard asked.
Vega waved a hand dismissively, “They don't understand the real threat. They thin you just gunned down a few thousand batarians for fun. The flowers are their symbol.” He spoke for the first time. Shepard glanced at him with interest.
“Hundred thousand.” Shepard corrected.
The marine shook his head, “You really don't know how to do yourself any favors, do you?”
“Hey Anderson, did you know the brick wall you brought with you can talk?”
It was an avoidance tactic, but Anderson smiled and shook his head. “According t his file he's s pretty good shot, and rumor has it he's a short order breakfast cook two.”
Vega shrugged, “I do make pretty good juevos rancheros.”
They finally passed the throng of people kept in check by the perimeter guard. Vega rolled down the window and showed his ID. Shepard rolled down her window and looked back at the crowd. They must have caught sight of her because the roar of the crowd intensified.
She sat back after a moment. “It's been so long since I've been on earth I forgot what flowers smelled like.”
“You were never one to take time off.”
“I could never stand the hot food and soft beds.” She half smiled, “Guess I don't have a choice right now.”
When she saw the tiny apartment, Shepard looked less content.. It was no more than ta few hundred square feet. “So I'm just here until the trial begins?” She said, “Right?”
Anderson took a deep breath. “We'll see.” He knew that in all likelihood she'd be spending most of time locked inside this tiny prison.
Shepard picked up on his thoughts and glanced up at the ceiling. “I'm fucked, aren't I?” Her eyes roved from side to side as if she was searching for some escape.
Vega snorted. “You can say that again.”
Shepard shot him a look and Anderson waved a hand, “Dismissed for now, Vega. I'll call you when I need you.”
As the marine left, Shepard let out a sigh and sank into a chair. “God, I'm tired.” She looked old sitting there with her elbows on her knees. He wondered if it was the pregnancy, or the past two months as she had made a mad dash suicide mission, with no other ally than her worst enemies that had put so many lines on her face.
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“Have you thought about this? There's more to do. We've destroyed the collector base but-”
“But the reapers are still coming.” She looked up at him and nodded. “They're coming and I have to stop them. And the only hope of the galaxy is knocked up and under arrest. I understand.”
'So why?” He asked, “Explain it to me so I understand.”
“Because there has to be something after all of this, right?” She looked out the window, “I never thought about it much when I was fighting to stay alive, or when I was on a suicide mission. But there has to be something after. And maybe I cold be alive to see it.” She hung her head, “I never had a family Anderson. And I need something to fight for.” She blinked hard all of a sudden and cursed. Anderson pretended not to notice. “I used to fight for the alliance,” She said after a moment, “I guess I still do, but I need something more.”
Anderson sighed. “I can understand that.” His life had moved in the opposite direction as hers if he really thought about it. He had divorced his wife after too much time spent away, planet hopping. He regretted losing contact with his son. There were days, especially when he was ashore, that he wondered if he had made the right decision. But after years of living as a wanderer he had to admit, he was satisfied with what his life. He had spent his life in service of his country. He had had adventures beyond compare. That was all he had really wanted.
Shepard, on the other hand, was no patriot. There wasn't a romantic bone in her body. She had joined the alliance to escape a grim future spent between jail and the streets.
He realized that, in some ways he had barely considered her humanity. He had, of course, but not in the way that he did about other people. He had seen her tired, or in pain. He had seen her emotionally at her end. He was one of the few people to be able to claim that he knew her tells. He could see her nervousness, or anger, when she prided herself on being stoic. But she had fooled even him. He hadn't thought about what she might want. It wasn't that he saw her as a hero, it was that he saw her as a tool. He hadn't thought about the cost that might have for her.
“Shepard...” he found himself looking for the words to apologize.
“Anderson, should I do it? I mean I don't know anything.” She stood and paced. It was upsetting to see her upset. Shepard was a rock. She continued to pace. “I was just a kid on the streets. I don't know anything about being a parent, and I'm alone.”
She stopped, arms wrapped around her body. Then she took a deep breath. “I'm sorry Anderson. I...Chakwas says it's the hormones. I'm ok.” She took a long deep breathe and placed a hand on her stomach. She was still flat, but he recognized the maternal-ness of the action. For the first time she looked like a mother.
He stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Shepard, you won't be alone. Not for the trial, not for any of it. I won't leave you to deal with the council on your own.” And because she was a soldier he removed his hand and faced her squarely.
“The Shepard I know doesn't doubt her decisions. Pull your self together, Commander.”
Shepard nodded and straightened. In a moment she looked like the soldier he knew. The hero.
“Thank you,” She nodded to herself, “Thank you.”
“I'll make sure we provide whatever medical care you need.”
“Ok,” Shepard said, “But it needs to be discreet. I don't want a press leak.”
Anderson nodded, “We'll do everything we can.” For now, he didn't ask her what would happen when her condition became noticeable.
The facade slipped only a moment as her fingers tapped out a rhythm on her pants. “Thank you.” She said finally. “I'm really tired. I'm going to get some shut eye. There's nothing else to do.”
“Good.” He walked towards the door, but turned at the last moment, “Shepard, rest for now. I will take care of whatever needs done. We're going to be ready.”
Shepard nodded. He could see her through the window when he looked back once. She was sitting on the couch, a hand on her abdomen, her lips moved as though she was praying.
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Truly Shepard is between a rock and a hard place with the decision and I can't and couldn't argue with either decision.
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