Spectre Bk. 02 Ch. 15

A/N - Regarding this chapter, if you've been reading this, you'll notice that I've added Amelie Lacroix as one of Shepard's crew. I've never played Overwatch though find the characters and lore rather interesting and have read a lot of it in detail. The lore of Overwatch doesn't mesh with the Mass Effect universe so I've had to adapt Amelie's backstory to fit this universe.

Australian / British standard English. There is a good chance of reading the following: lots of profanity, characters drinking, typos, and bad grammar at times.

Proofreading and editing suggestions provided by OhDave1. Any mistakes are still mine.

Comments are appreciated as always.

Feedback by email is always welcome. Enjoy chatting with anyone who likes my work.

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Shepard helps Amelie with a personal problem.

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No one asked me why we were making a quick stop at Omega as I waited by the airlock. I think most of them had already noticed that I'd come aboard with Samara and Morinth though not with Aela. It was only when I was waiting for the airlock to open that I heard the click of heels, not looking at Miranda as she approached me.

"You were distracted by the crazy bitch, and I don't mean Jack," she said once she was standing next to me.

"Don't let her hear you call her that."

"She'd probably agree with me though then either want to fight or fuck me." That made my eyes widen as I glanced at her in surprise. She met my eyes and smiled. "I don't think either of us are actually attracted to women, Shepard, so don't go thinking things." Then her smile broadened as she added, "Though I'm sure you'd be delighted with a threesome including me and Jack."

"What's brought this on?"

"I'm simply amused that we left Omega without the recruit because you were distracted by a real crazy bitch. Was the sex that good?"

"I'm sure you know that I fucked her on the ship too."

"I wish we could have watched it on video. I think the entire ship would have enjoyed the show."

The airlock opened and I was relieved that I could escape before Miranda started to suggest other things. Afterlife was calling as I was hopeful that Aela hadn't disappeared while I'd been away. Taking Morinth to Lesuss and then returning to Omega had taken a few days. Not seeing any sign of Aela or at least someone of her description, I made my way towards Aria in her usual place. She took one look at me and laughed.

"I heard you left with a couple of asari. I can only assume one of them was who you were after. Distracted were you, Shepard?"

"Is Aela still here?"

"She is though I know she's working right now." She opened her omni-tool and I received information rather quickly. "She's here. Nothing major. I think she'd dealing with a couple of batarian... I think the human term that you'd use is fuckwits. Generally making human lives miserable here."

"I'll track her down."

Given that I never entered Omega without my armour and weapons, I called Garrus, Grunt, Jack and Miranda, wanting a little firepower, and I knew Jack and Miranda disliked batarians as much as I did. Jack had gone into detail about her time spent as one of their slaves. I wasn't surprised that she escaped nor that she'd dealt with them brutally.

Once the four had joined me, I explained the story. I didn't think we'd need to go in all guns blazing, but without knowing what to actually expect, I wanted to make sure that I had enough support in case things went south. The section of the station we were heading towards had no human presence whatsoever. And given that the three mercenary companies that we'd wiped out had yet to restore a foothold, other gangs were starting to throw their weight around.

"Have your weapons ready but we don't want to shoot unless necessary," I instructed my team before we entered the area, "She's apparently in a tavern up ahead. No humans. Mostly full of batarians and vorcha. Look around. No asari either. Very few turians. A few krogan at most."

I felt the eyes of every batarian on us as we approached the small establishment. None of them were stupid enough to approach us given we were either armoured or quite obviously shielded. Add to the weapons that were on display, and while there might have been more than one comment in our direction, none of us reacted. I didn't particularly want a bloodbath.

It felt like one of those old westerns when we entered the tavern, and the place seemed to fall silent almost immediately. The clientele was a mixture of batarian, vorcha and krogan with a sprinkling of other species. Not a human in sight except for one near the back of the tavern, at a table by herself. She removed the leather hood from her head, and I recognised her immediately from the photo that I had.

The place remained silent as we moved through the crowd. More than one batarian glared in our direction. Any vorcha that met my eyes looked ready to start a fight. I would smile at them and walk past. I knew the others were watching my back when I took a seat opposite Aela. She had incredibly long red hair, the leather coat she wore clung to her ample bosom, and I noticed the pair of pistols on the table.

"I know who you are," she said without introducing herself, "And you know who I am."

"Sorry for the delay but..."

"I was aware of your previous visit here and why. If you hadn't taken care of her, I would have given it a go. Aria would probably have liked the situation resolved. Killing visitors who enjoy her establishment isn't good for business. Can't have that sort of reputation."

"I take it that you've received information from Cerberus about the mission?"

"Sure have and quite a lump sum of credits."

"And I understand you have a personal matter..."

"Not exactly personal. I have a contract that needs to be completed. Not the one I'm here for now. This is a minor thing. You'll like the bigger contract, Shepard. It'll probably have us fighting a lot of batarians."

"Guess you know my reputation."

"Frankly, my opinion is that the Alliance didn't go far enough. I'm not going to suggest that we should have wiped the batarians out, but ensuring they learned their place would have been helpful."

"What are you doing here now?"

"Waiting for a pair of batarians who I've been tracking for a few days now. If you had recruited me earlier, I would have missed my chance. Might want to tell your friends to scamper as they'll likely scare them off. You can stay though."

"Hang around outside," I ordered them, "Try not to look too conspicuous. How are we dealing with these batarians?"

"If they have the data I want, they'll live. If they don't, the contract is explicit about what will happen."

I didn't order anything from the bar as I wouldn't have trusted the batarian bartender not to slip something into my drink to either drug me or worse. Aela wasn't particularly talkative as she concentrated on the door. I knew that her targets had arrived as she met my eyes and made a subtle gesture with her head. She rose to her feet and walked around the table. I stood up and positioned myself where I could provide cover if necessary.

It went about as well as I thought it would. The conversation lasted barely a minute before Aela had a pistol in hand, firing two shots. The first shot went into the head of the first batarian, the second shot went into the gut of the second batarian as he was doing his best to move. I had my weapon out though I didn't fire a shot as Aela stepped onto the crotch of the batarian that still lived.

"Where is it?" she asked.

"I'm not tell you a damned thing. Fuck you, human."

Aela didn't say anything. She simply fired again. The place was then silent. I lifted my assault rifle and moved it in a careful arc. "We'd better move," I suggested.

"Cover me," she stated. I watched her back then she watched mine as I eventually moved backwards towards the entrance. I noticed weapons were being readied. I put a couple of shots over the head of anyone stupid enough to move their hand. Once I was back out the door, the rest of my group converged around us and we moved carefully out of the area. A small crowd of batarians followed us. Garrus, Grunt and I both fired short bursts into the air over their heads. The batarians were smart enough not to fire at us in return. If they had, I'd have authorised my entire team to fire at them.

Once I felt we were in safety, I sent the other four back to the ship for immediate departure as Aela led me towards a building where she explained that she kept an apartment. "Work on Omega often?"

"My work generally has me away from Council Space. And it's fair to say that the Alliance don't appreciate people of my talents. Bounty hunters. Mercenaries. Others who skirt on the right or wrong side of the law."

The apartment was sparse with furniture. Only an unmade bed and a footlocker at the end of it. There was a lounge that looked as old as I was. The bathroom was at least clean. Aela opened a small wardrobe and threw her few belongings into a rucksack. She glanced my way and smiled.

"I'm not big on personal possessions," she said, I guess explaining her lack of decoration, "I'm not here very often anyway."

"You own the place?"

"No, it's rented. But I've had a good deal with the landlady. I always pay on time, and she likes that I'm quiet when I am here."

"Visitors?" I teased.

"No one worth fucking on this shithole. Well, maybe Aria though I wouldn't trust that asari at all."

"Well, she hasn't done me wrong so far."

"I won't say Aria is scared of anyone, but you do have a reputation, Shepard. I think even the Pirate Queen of Omega would hesitate in pissing off the Butcher."

"Guess my reputation does follow me around."

Aela zipped up her rucksack and took a look around. Satisfied, she lifted it up and joined me at the door. "Frankly, Shepard, I'm someone who can say honestly that you didn't kill enough of the fuckers. Torfan should have been a start. We should have pushed them all the way back to Khar'shan and then forced them to the negotiating table. No more slavery. No more warmongering. They play nice or we fuck them up even worse."

"Trying to win my heart, Aela?"

She snorted as we walked out into the hallway before she locked the door behind her. "I know your reputation as well, Shepard. You like to have some fun. Good thing for you is that I'm usually too busy to want anything long-term. Depending on how long all this lasts, I might want a roll in the hay from time to time."

"I like a woman who is upfront."

"I've got no time for anyone's bullshit and their games. I'm a woman who knows what she wants. I enjoy what I do for a living. I make plenty of credits. I deal with scumbags. I like living alone most of the time. And when the opportunity presents itself, I definitely love to fuck. Shame is that, as I said, Omega is a shithole, and the majority of men here absolutely suck."

Boarding the Normandy, Kelly approached us and was friendly as always. To my surprise, Miranda was hanging around nearby and offered to show Aela around at the same time. I gave Miranda a look though all it earned in reply was a smile. Shrugging to myself, I thought that I should speak to some of my crew as I'd been distracted the past few days by Morinth and then Samara.

Leliana was delighted to speak to me and I'm sure that I made her giggle as I found her accent as mesmerising as Amelie's. We stuck to discussing her love of music as although she admitted to being a trained killer, her passion had always been singing. Asking what she'd do once we defeated the Collectors, she suggested that although she'd already developed friendships with some of my crew, she would likely return to her true love of music.

I found Triss sitting by herself gazing out of the lounge window. Sitting on the floor next to her, she smiled at me before shuffling closer and leaning against me. I tried to make time for all the women on the ship though I think they all knew it was difficult to give all of them equal attention. To be honest, I had talked to Kelly and wondered if I wasn't being a bit foolish about finding so many women attractive and wanting to sleep with them. She suggested that as long as no one was being hurt, I should enjoy myself.

Triss simply joked at my expense that I seemed to have particular tastes. Red hair. Slightly pale. Blue or green eyes. An ample bosom. Pert bottom. Great legs. When I retorted by suggesting that she fit that description, she kissed my cheek and chuckled, stating that she hoped I found her attractive. I assured her that I did.

"I've been getting to know Samara," she added, "Well, her and Jack. Being biotics, I've enjoyed discussing everything we've learned. I will tell you one thing, Shepard. Samara... She's besotted with you now."

"You've learned that in the past few days?"

"Helping her with Morinth confirmed her feelings. As soon as she's released from her code, she is going to jump your bones and ride you until you both pass out."

"And you, Triss?"

"I think there are a few of us on this ship who think the same though we're left feeling a little unsure. Not that we're after anything more than a bit of fun, but you're only one man and there are a lot of beautiful women. Add to that the women who are not on the ship. I've had a conversation with Tali, who is adorable, by the way, and she's told us about Liara, Ashley, Gianna, Kira, Naira, Shiala..."

"Most of them are not here, Triss."

"Do you have a thing for asari?"

"I do. Humanity has come a long way, but we are still prudes compared to the asari. I've met asari and had them in my bed within a couple of hours." I paused before chuckling to myself. "Okay, when I think about it, Jane had me in her bed rather quickly. And I arranged a deal with Helena that involved a lot of sex."

Kasumi, Tali, Leliana and Karin all walked in to join us, and it was a fun couple of hours as we talked about anything on our minds except the Collectors. I was worried about the lack of news from the Illusive Man though I knew we'd given the Collectors a bloody nose after Horizon. But if that gave people time to sort out issues before we were on an apparent suicide mission, all the better.

Speaking of personal issues, I was up in my cabin later that evening when Kasumi walked in after EDI announced her. She told me about something that needed to be taken care of. Not immediately as it would take some organising, but she knew that it wasn't a job that she could do alone. She was still putting things together, getting in touch with contacts to make sure the plan was organised, and that she'd get in touch with me when she knew it was ready to go. I just asked her to keep me in the loop,

I already knew Aela had a contract that needed completing though she'd already told me that it was urgent. Kira was messaging me every couple of days about her life back on the Citadel. Benezia must have been given my contact details by Liara as I was now receiving messages from her. She admitted to missing me terribly, happy at the news of my return though saddened to hear that I wouldn't be able to visit given my current situation.

Jane just sent me nudes and videos of her being naughty with her selection of sex toys. When I asked her about possibly showing others, she assured me that she didn't care. Kelly thought she was hot, and I knew the two were now swapping messages.

I kept in touch with the Illusive Man about going on the front foot about the Collectors. I knew Miranda was also growing frustrated about our apparent lack of progress. At least if I had the Alliance, it would be possible to move fleets about. If not fleets, at least a squadron or two of ships. I knew Admiral Hackett was a firm believer and would send me occasional updates about what the Alliance was doing. Anderson did the same thing from his position on the Citadel. I knew he'd formed a working relationship with Kyla.

Sitting at my terminal later that evening as most of the crew probably relaxed in the lounge, I was going to just settle back and watch something on the vidscreen when EDI told me that Amelie was on her way up to see me. She appeared in the doorway and for the first time that I could remember, she was looking a little unsure.

"Want a drink?" I asked.

"I'd love one."

I kept all manner of different varieties of alcohol in my cabin. I wasn't exactly teetotal though didn't drink all that often. I kept booze available for entertaining. Finding a bottle of red wine, I poured her a large glass and gestured towards the lounge. She sat down and crossed her legs as I sat down next to her. She sipped at the wine quietly for a few minutes, not filling the air with mindless chatter. I knew she was in my cabin because she had something on her mind.

"I was tortured, Shepard. That's why I'm blue."

"I'll admit that I'm not the only one curious about the fact you are human yet blue. I was thinking some sort of science experiment, perhaps a merging of asari and human DNA."

"If only. It would make what I'm going to tell you less painful."

"Take your time, Amelie."

She sipped at her drink again before taking a deep breath. "I've not always been a merciless killer. That's what I am. I know what I am now. But I wasn't always like this. I was typically French. I loved life. And I had two main passions. I was a ballet dancer, which helps explain my figure, and I was happily married. His name was Gerard." She sipped at her wine glass and that's when I noticed the tremor. I didn't move to touch her. I knew there was a lot more to come. "He was a government agent."

"A ballet dancer and a government agent. An interesting partnership."

"I only knew in vague details what he did for a living. He never told me in detail as a way to keep me safe. And for close to a decade, he did that. I was happy to keep dancing while he was off doing whatever he did. Then one day, everything changed..."

I topped up her wine glass which earned a soft smile of thanks.

"He was away on business while I was performing in Paris. I'd just finished one of my finest evenings as a dancer when I was kidnapped just as I leaving the theatre. The torture began almost immediately. It was a completely physical and psychological breakdown of who I was as a person. They broke me completely, Shepard. Turned me into who I am now."

"And I'm guessing with the torture...?"

"I only turned blue after I did what I did. When my husband rescued me, I spent weeks being assessed. Even after the breakdown, I must have appeared normal to them. I wasn't, I knew that I wasn't, but I was so thankful to be rescued that I didn't consider the dangers. Shepard... I... I killed my husband. They fucked with my mind so badly that I received a call one evening while we were in bed. There was a trigger word. Before I even knew what I was doing, I had a gun in my hand and put two bullets into his head..."

"Did you even realise what you did?"

"Only when I blinked and saw what I'd done. And that's when I knew that I'd been conditioned. I'd murdered him in cold blood. My fingerprints were everywhere. Then I received a call. It was them, telling me to get out and go to a specific address. There, I was taken halfway across the galaxy and conditioned further. That's when I turned blue. The organisation spent all their time turning me into a cold-hearted killer.

The thing is, I was playing them. I wasn't stupid. I knew they were responsible. I made sure that I got from them all the skills I would need to survive before I made my escape. The agency that my husband worked for has been searching for me ever since. I know the organisation that kidnapped me would either like me to work for them or they'd kill me to end any danger to them."

"What do we need to do, Amelie?"

"The organisation that is responsible for who I am. They operate with an inner council of five members. I don't need to take out all five. There is only one person I want to take care of. The doctor responsible for turning me into this. I don't just mean blue. I mean the one who..."

When I took her hand, I felt that her hand was cooler than usual. She glanced at me and smiled, squeezing my hand in return. "Well, I don't think you're that emotionless. I've heard enough in your voice when telling me this," I said.

"Her name is Moira O'Deorain. She fucked with my mind completely, Shepard. Everything she did before I killed my husband is why I eventually returned to the organisation and was willing to undergo everything that I went through. There are others who need to be taken care of, but with her, it's personal. I know using a sniper rifle appears to be my favourite way of dealing with the enemy. With her, I want to look into her eyes, make sure she feels my breath on her face before I end her life."

"Where is she?"

"Earth. Specifically, the city of Oasis in Iraq."

"We'll head to the Citadel and find transport to Arcturus and then back to Earth."

Amelie turned her head and there was a slight smile. "Just like that?"

"I can sense this is incredibly important to you. And if it's that important, it's going to be a distraction. And we can't have that going through the relay. If we do this, will it only be the two of us or will you want a team?"

"Moira is egotistical, overconfident, and believes that she's safe where she is. I doubt she'll have much security around her. We should be capable of infiltrating, killing any security she has, and then we handle her. I'm not going to be barbaric. I just want to make sure she's looking into my eyes before I kill her."

I opened a channel to the lounge and asked Miranda to head up. She must have realised that it was urgent as she was upstairs within a couple of minutes, looking rather sexy in just a sleeveless shirt and booty shorts, showing off her legs and wearing nothing on her feet either. Amelie chuckled at my reaction as even she thought Miranda looked stunning in such a simple outfit.

After explaining what Amelie wanted, we had to agree on where to park the Normandy while I was gone. I suggested that perhaps I could arrange something with Kira though she'd want to know what I was up to. Miranda thought that was a good idea as the crew could stretch their legs, most choosing not to leave the safety and comfort of the ship whenever we were parked on Omega.

I would send Kira a message in the morning. Amelie thanked me with a kiss on the cheek before leaving me with Miranda. As soon as the door closed, she took off what little clothing she wore and walked over to straddle my lap. I immediately ran my hands over her body as she was ever so eager to kiss me. She was as aroused as I'd ever seen her and eventually had to ask why.

"I watched some of the footage of you with Morinth. You're not stupid, Shepard. You knew there were still cameras down there."

"Yeah, but I don't care about those down there."

"I know she was a crazy bitch, but fuck... You two looked so hot together. And she really loved it when you were fucking her arse. The look on her face was of an asari in complete bliss. Can I ask a personal question about that?"

"Sure."

"Who else have you fucked in the arse?"

"Why do..." Miranda immediately blushed. "Miranda, we haven't even... I mean... I know we both want to do it, but you want that too?"

"I've never done it... And I really want to try it. With you. I trust you completely, Shepard. You know how I feel about you now. I know it's still weird for both of us considering my allegiance, but I find myself... We're so close now."

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"God yes. Please tell me."

"Okay, so Morinth is obvious." I leaned closer to Miranda's ear before adding, "And I pounded her sweet little arse each time I fucked her. I made sure it hurt her." Miranda wrapped her arms around me and I felt her press down into my crotch. "I wanted to hurt her because of what she was. Stone cold killer. Me in another life."

"And she loved it."

"I know she loved it. It's why I did it, because she's now at the monastery, daydreaming about three full days of fucking her stupid. And she'll never get it again."

"Who else?" she asked quietly.

"Jane loves it when I fuck her arse. Absolutely loves it. She gave her arse up only the second time we fucked. Anal is now a regular thing whenever we meet up. She'll suck my cock for hours before I finally get her pussy. Then we fuck each other silly until she's begging for it up her arse." Miranda moaned and shuddered as she still pressed against the tent in my trousers. "Ashley loved it up the arse though our first time was after Virmire. She begged me to fuck her arse. Liara was with us, and she loved watching us."

"I find myself a little jealous of those two. Well, I was jealous. Having you to themselves for all that time, and the sex..."

"We definitely had a lot of sex. Who else? I think Kelly would be obvious. Georgia as well."

"She was always going to do anything you wanted. And I mean both of them, Shepard. They just wanted to fuck you."

"Naira on the Citadel. One of Sha'ira's acolytes. She was so eager to give up her arse before I left for a couple of years. She pretty much gave it up immediately upon my return. Such a sweet little arse too."

"You haven't said Liara. You haven't done it with her?"

"We've done a lot of things but not that. She wants to though. I guess we were just too busy fucking each other to worry about sticking things up her arse."

Miranda chuckled as she thought that was amusing though I hadn't been shy in talking about my previous sex life. She'd asked questions before and I'd always been honest in my responses. She eventually slid off my lap and I stood up to undress before we moved towards my bed. Her arousal was evident and I didn't waste time in having my hands and mouth all over her body, eventually spreading her legs and simply gazing at her pussy for a moment before I lowered my mouth and started to pleasure her.

I loved hearing her whimper and moan. They were delightful sounds, and there was always this part of me that wanted to make her happy. I think it was still a way of thanking her for bringing me back. She pulled her legs back, hands under her knees, and begged me not to stop. What really made her moan was moving my tongue lower and teasing her rosebud. She lifted her eyes up and I could see the desire in them.

Moving back to her pussy simply earned another couple of orgasms before I relented and kissed up her body. She snuggled into me and asked if I wanted anything. I assured her that I was happy to please her. That earned a tighter cuddle as I gently stroked the soft skin of her back.

Joker was doing his best to get the Normandy to the Citadel in double quick time. Kira knew we were coming and was helping alongside Anderson in getting transport organised for me and Amelie to get back to Earth. I hadn't been there in a few years by now. It wasn't a place that I particularly wanted to visit. Not due to any real bad memories, I just didn't really consider it home.

Miranda was in a happy mood that day and into the next. It was enough that Jack came to me the next evening and had to ask why she was so happy. "Get naked and on the bed. I'll show you exactly why," I suggested.

She must have figured it out rather quickly as when she spread her legs for me, her pussy glistened with excitement, and the way she bit her bottom lip before I leaned up to kiss her, all I had to do was lightly touch her pussy to make her almost jolt off the bed. Kissing down her body, her nipples were always sensitive, and she loved the attention I gave her breasts. But when she begged me to eat her out, I always relented for Jack.

Tasting her always made me happy. Jack lifted her head up on a couple of pillows to watch me. She loved seeing my face between her legs, my eyes gazing up into hers as my tongue worked wonders. Her hips moved in time to what I was doing, and when I teased her rosebud with my fingers, it only heightened her arousal even further.

Jack did her best to hold back her climax though it was impossible once my tongue started to play with her clit. She whimpered more than once before I had her pushing down into my mouth, her back arching as she cried out.

"Fuck, Shepard... Oh fuck..."

I got her off a couple more times before I rolled her over and lifted her arse up. She knew what was coming as my tongue got to work at her rosebud.

"You're obsessed," she moaned.

"Miranda was asking about anal last night. I just wanted to give your cute butt some attention."

Jack loved it and she fondled her pussy as I ate her arse, and when she came hard, I think she was ready to ask me to fuck her where my tongue was. But she rolled over and the look on her face told me exactly what she wanted, and as I slowly slid my cock inside her, the look on her face was one of complete delight. Given that I hadn't had sex the night before, I warned her that my balls were full and I probably wouldn't last long. All Jack did was wrap her legs around my hips, pull me down to kiss her, and demand that I fuck her.

A couple of hours later, Jack was cuddled into my side with a satisfied smile on her face, whispering that her pussy was feeling very tender. I'd left three loads inside her and I could feel that both of our bodies were damp with sweat. But when I gazed into her eyes, she looked as happy as I'd ever seen her.

"You know that I'd love anal with you eventually," she whispered, "And a threesome or more. Group sex with some of your girls."

"My girls?"

She playfully swatted me on the chest. "You have girls, Shepard. Don't play dumb with me."

Waking up in the morning, I waited in bed until she woke up herself. I enjoyed watching her sleep as she looked so peaceful. She still carried anger though was getting better at handling it. I think talking to Chakwas and Kelly was helping her. When she woke up, Jack had to ride me again and I loved watching her enjoying herself, her hands ending up on my chest as she slammed her pussy down on my cock. After we enjoyed an orgasm, we showered quickly and headed downstairs for breakfast.

"You fucked!" Kasumi exclaimed as soon as we'd sat down.

I didn't say anything and kept my face blank as I chewed on some bacon. Jack couldn't help blushing as she managed to eat without blurting out something rude. "Did you get some anal?" Miranda asked. I think she was trying to whisper though failed.

"Not yet, but I totally want it soon," Jack replied softly.

Thankfully, although there were a few quiet comments, and more than one woman was giving me a look that suggested they wanted what Jack had the previous night, I left the mess earlier than everyone to be told that Joker had got the ship near the Citadel and that we'd dock by noon, ship-time.

Kira was waiting for me at the dock, Amelie by my side. We each carried a bag with what we would need. Although Amelie was hoping for an infiltration that would be silent and deadly, I was going prepared for the usual case of shit hitting the fan and needing to fight off an army to make an escape. Kira greeted Amelie with a shake of the hand before she wasn't shy about kissing me.

Following Kira, she eventually led us towards a private dock. I'd briefly explained why we were going to Earth for a mission. She explained that Anderson had told her that my presence on Arcturus would likely lead to my arrest even though I had backing from the Council and Admiral Hackett. There were numerous voices unhappy with my continued employment with Cerberus. The shuttle would take us straight to Earth, wherever we needed to go. I thanked Kira with the sort of kiss that left her blushing afterwards.

The shuttle ride back towards Earth was quiet. Amelie had lived happily on the planet until things had taken a turn for the worse. She hadn't been back in quite some time. I'd rarely been back since joining the Alliance. I don't think either of us was feeling particularly emotional upon our return. I was only there to help Amelie. She just wanted this chapter of her life closed. She suggested that killing this person would help her deal with her past.

Oasis was one of these new megacities that had been built in the last hundred or so years. Baghdad was still the capital and was now a modern city like many others across the planet, but Oasis was something else entirely. Humanity had pulled together since 'first contact', many of the old reasons for bitterness and hatred disappearing. Some cynics say that all humans just have other people to hate nowadays. To be honest, they were not entirely incorrect.

We landed on the edge of Oasis. Amelie had already received information from the myriad of contacts she still had across the planet and the galaxy in general. After the shuttle departed, the pilot agreeing to pick us up from wherever we needed to be extracted, Amelie and I moved to a safehouse and started to make our plans. It was a standard operation. Hit the place the next morning when guards would be looking forward to the end of their shift and new guards would still be waking up and not as alert as normal.

"How safe are we here?" I had to ask.

"Best that only one of us sleep and the other keeps a lookout. I'll take first watch."

We checked the time on our omni-tools. We'd each get three hours sleep before we moved. When Amelie shook me awake, I was alert immediately as the first thing I was listening out for was anyone approaching. She assured me that everything was quiet. As I kept watch, I gazed over her every so often. She was a truly beautiful woman. I knew she wouldn't want sympathy, but after hearing her story, I did feel sorry for her. She'd lost nearly everything in what happened to her, including herself in a way. She had said that the Amelie she once was had disappeared long ago. But she was also hoping that a new Amelie could be born with this mission.

When I woke her up later, she had a knife at my neck before I could move. "Pardon," she whispered, "Old habits die hard."

I pulled a knife from its sheath at my ankle. I think her eyes sparkled at the blade I had to offer. "Trust me, we learned how to kill with a blade if necessary," I whispered back, "I have no problem choking a bastard to death if that's what needs to be done."

"You have brought modifications for your weapons?"

"We'll be as silent as we can be."

We spent the next few minutes getting ready. Armour. Tactical gear. Face paint. We cleaned the safehouse so there was no sign that we were ever there. We moved out under the cover of darkness. No moon to provide light. No moon to give us away. Even in the darkness, we knew the way. We had reviewed everything. We knew this would be difficult with only the pair of us, but as long as we made it to our objective and it was dealt with, I would be satisfied.

The compound did have large walls. A gate to the rear and at the front. Sentries every couple of hundred metres. But we knew that inside, we would not be facing an army. Our target was confident in her safety. From the little that I'd been able to figure out, she did have contacts in the Alliance, and when I mentioned her name to Miranda, she eventually confirmed that she had provided her services from time to time though she worked independently most of the time.

"No alarms," Amelie whispered as we looked over the compound, "If any sound, that's it. She will make an escape. She will not stay and fight. She's a coward."

"Will she assume that it's you?"

"No. She'll assume that I am still loyal to her and the organisation, even after my disappearance."

"But are you still under their control?"

"No. I've had people... asari... They were able to reverse the conditioning. They just couldn't help me feel completely human again." When I took her hand again, she met my eyes and managed a slight grin. "I won't say doing this will do that. I will only gain satisfaction from this, killing the woman who is responsible for everything from the moment that I was kidnapped. This is vengeance, Shepard."

"Let's go kill some fuckwits then."

We went in with blades to start. I'd never had a problem slicing a neck or slamming a blade into the gut of the enemy. I'd finished plenty of missions with my hands covered in blood. Hell, not just my hands. Arms. Chest. Legs. Even my face. Blood can spurt in numerous directions if you slice a major artery. Infiltrating the compound wasn't easy. We were wary of patrol. Of making a noise. Of making sure that no one would find bodies until we were long gone.

What we used to our advantage was the fact the compound provided plenty of cover. There were no large areas of open ground. We moved in the shadows, silent and deadly. We only used bullets when we came across those wearing heavier armour, the sort where using a blade was tricky. But we moved quickly, catching most of the enemy by surprise. I didn't usually rely on headshot, but Amelie was such a great shot that it was almost a duel between us of who could get the most.

Infiltrating the main building was when we did pause. Amelie had schematics, but we simply didn't know the numbers inside. Our target would be asleep. We knew that much. We'd made it this far without raising an alarm. We'd left a trail of dead bodies behind us. But we knew that time was of the essence.

"Fuck it. We go in and see what happens," I finally suggested.

Amelie agreed and we entered without any further hesitation. It was dark though we knew there would be at least one or two patrols. No firearms, the blades were back out. If there was a cry of surprise, it was barely enough to register. We made sure to clear the building of the enemy before we made our way to the main bedroom. That is where we would find Moira O'Deorain.

And we did find her. Up and gazing out over a window. She was gazing out over the stars. A tumbler in one hand. Cigarette in the fingers of her other hand. She didn't turn around to greet us though she did speak.

"I knew you'd come back one day, Amelie. But who is your friend?"

"Commander Shepard."

I think she nearly dropped the tumbler. If it had been Amelie and someone else, she was probably confident enough to talk Amelie around, perhaps into rejoining her organisation. I might be working alongside Cerberus, but that was a special circumstance. I'd read up on the organisation she worked for. They were not good people. Hell, they made Cerberus look legitimate regarding certain aspects of their ideology.

"It appears that you've made some interesting friends in the past few years, Widowmaker."

"My. Name. Is. Amelie. Lacroix. You made me..."

That's when Moira turned around. She tried to hide the fear, but the hand holding the cigarette had a tremor, and I could read her eyes. This was a woman who knew that she was going to die. No matter what she said. No matter what she did. Her life expectancy could be counted in seconds or minutes. It would only depend on what Amelie would do.

"I didn't make you do anything, Widowmaker. I simply helped mould you into what you always were."

"Yeah, I'm calling bullshit on that," I stated, "What you did was take a happily married woman, a woman who loved to dance, and with those legs, I certainly understand, and for whatever warped reason in that mind of yours, turned her into what she is now. I could ask why, but I hate hearing the justifications of fucking lunatics."

Amelie walked forward, Moira sticking out her jaw in defiance though the crack of Amelie's pistol still caught even me by surprise. It was one hell of a hit and Moira hit the floor hard. Moira struggled as Amelie sat astride her chest, but the fight went out of Moira rather quickly. She was without a weapon and Amelie was stronger. I covered Amelie with my weapon though it wasn't necessary. They'd turned Amelie into a killing machine. It was now biting Moira in the arse.

"I remember," Amelie finally said softly, "I remember my life before. I remember that I was happily married. I remember that I loved my husband. I remember that I loved to dance. I remember that my life was good. You stole all of that from me. You killed my husband. I may have pulled the trigger, but you conditioned me. You changed who I was. You tried to take my humanity, and for a time, you did. But Shepard and his team... They've made me feel again. My humanity was always there, hidden away. Now I'm doing some good in the galaxy. I won't get my old life back and that's okay. I've dealt with that. But none of you will control me any longer."

That's when Moira turned her head towards me for some reason. "She's crazy..."

That's all she got out before Amelie left an almighty crack across her jaw. I kept watch, weapon aimed and concentrating on Moira, as Amelie made her choice. Amelie had a weapon in her right hand. A pistol. But for a few minutes, Amelie was almost on autopilot. It was almost as if she wasn't there. It was only when I put a hand on her shoulder and gave her more than one gentle shake that she decided to wake up.

I was standing next to Amelie when Moira looked up at us. I appreciated the defiant look in her eyes. I preferred that to someone begging for their life. At least I could kill someone who was almost willing to die for whatever they believed in.

Amelie pulled the trigger of her weapon more than once. When she slumped forward, breathing deeply, I put a hand on her shoulder, simply in the hope that she was okay. But I knew Amelie was made of stern stuff. She took a minute to deal with whatever was going on in her mind before she stood up.

"Thank you," she stated.

"Amelie..."

"Shepard... She was my enemy, but Cerberus... I have done you a favour. Your boss..."

"The Illusive Man?'

"Yes. I can only imagine that those we killed are no longer important to him."

"They're linked?"

"I'm not entirely sure. The organisation Moira worked for, and who I used to do jobs for... Black ops, that sort of thing. Though the organisation was confined to Earth. Didn't interfere as Cerberus takes care of the galactic viewpoint."

Getting out of there was easy as we'd taken care of business. If any of Moira's associates turned up in the next couple of hours, they were going to find the place as quiet as a tomb. We remained careful as we moved quickly towards the edge of the city and called in the shuttle to collect us. Once we were in the air and leaving Earth, I put in a call to the Normandy and informed them that we were making our way back.

Amelie was quiet at the start, sitting next to me as I knew that she was thinking about more than just the mission we'd completed.

"Tell me about him," I finally said.

That made her smile. She didn't smile very often, but what I had figured out was that she wasn't the emotionless woman that the dossier had suggested. I think that was merely a character she portrayed to those she didn't trust. And to be honest, she didn't trust a lot of people. People on the ship though? I think she had been making friends.

I could sense her happiness in talking about her life. She explained that she had long dealt with the grief and the guilt that she had experienced after what happened. Even though it was dangerous, she visited his grave twice a year, for their wedding anniversary and his birthday.

"It sounds like you've moved on but have you... I don't mean to get too personal, Amelie..."

"I mourned for a year, Shepard. I prefer to be alone most of the time though I'm a woman and have needs."

"I just know that some widows choose to never be with someone else. Well, both widows and widowers. They believe that they've met their soul mate and that anyone coming into their life cannot possibly compete."

I didn't miss how she shuffled closer and gently took my hand in hers. Her skin was cool though she wasn't exactly cold. She admitted that one of the changes to her body, in addition to the blue skin, was the fact that she could survive in the coldest of conditions. Resting her head against my upper arm, she started to chuckle.

"Shepard, I've never been blind to what's happening on the ship, the fact that there are numerous women who either share your bed or want to share your bed. It's a different lifestyle to one that I was used to."

"I wasn't suggesting... I was merely curious, Amelie."

"I'm interested, Shepard," she stated with a chuckle, "I mean, how could I not be now? You dropped everything to help me with this. And what meant the most is that you didn't interfere. You let me handle it how I wanted."

We were both feeling tired by the time we arrived back on the Citadel as it had been a long couple of days with only a couple of hours sleep. The Normandy hadn't moved from its dock during our absence, heading straight to my cabin as I knew some of the crew would still be on the Citadel. After checking messages and figuring out what to do next, I had a shower as I hadn't had the opportunity to wash myself since we'd left for Earth.

Later that evening, I was sitting back on the lounge in my room, reading over a few datapads, when EDI announced that Amelie was heading upstairs. I was waiting for her by the door when it opened, Amelie dressed casually like she always was. She had armour that highlighted her curves and definitely showed off her long legs, but she always dressed comfortably when relaxing on the ship. I offered her a glass of wine as she settled on the lounge. After pouring myself a drink, I joined her as she turned to face me.

"I returned to my quarters and thought I was being foolish," she said, "I admitted to my attraction, but I wasn't sure if I should just follow you up here. It actually took more than one woman on this ship to tell me that I was being an idiot..."

"Amelie, I never expected anything for helping you. It was the right thing to do."

"Shepard, you helping me simply confirmed in my mind that I want to be here right now. I'm just after one night at the moment because I want to feel... I want to feel like a woman again. I didn't lie about having been with others since I stopped mourning, but none of them left me particularly satisfied. The women on this ship, Shepard... Let's just say that they love to gossip about you."

I knew that Amelie needed to feel in control though I think she liked it when all I did to start was gently pull her closer and hug her. I felt her hug me back tightly and while the first kiss was a little tentative from her, the next time our lips met, I knew immediately that I was going to be in for a wonderful night with a passionate woman. She slowly moved until she was straddled across my lap, and when she pressed herself onto my erection, she couldn't hold back her smile.

Her top ended up on the floor rather quickly to reveal an incredibly perky pair of breasts. Her skin was light blue compared to dark blue nipples. She quickly mentioned that her entire body changed due to what happened to her, gesturing downwards with her eyes.

"I'm used to having blue lovers," I stated lightly and it made her giggle.

By the time we'd moved over to my bed, we were both naked and I enjoyed the feeling of her cool hand grasping my cock. Not cold, I don't think I would have enjoyed it, but Chakwas had long confirmed that Amelie simply ran a lot cooler than 'normal' humans. What Amelie learned is that what she was told by the others wasn't just idle gossip. She loved feeling my lips moving down her body. Her blue nipples were rock hard with excitement. The whimpers she made as I pleasured her breasts only aroused me further.

Amelie kept herself fit and her body was toned as hell. She would often join me for a workout as did many other women on the ship. Kissing down her body earned soft moans as I could feel her excitement building, spreading her long legs even wider to be greeted by a flawless and smooth pussy, already glistening and almost dripping with her excitement.

"Part of me wants to turn you over so I can kiss that sweet arse of yours too," I stated.

She laughed out loud at the comment. "You can kiss my derriere whenever you want, Shepard," she replied softly.

Amelie might have run cool, but she was hot to trot in the moment, and as I tasted her for the first time, she moaned a little louder and I couldn't stop the groan that escaped me as I would not raise a complaint about how she tasted. Her chest started to rise and fall rather quickly as her eyes gazed down at me while my tongue worked her pussy. This was always the best part when enjoying a new lover for the first time. Figuring out what they liked. It was always trial and error as no two women were the same.

What I figured out very quickly is that she enjoyed me teasing her arse. If the women of the ship gossiped about my sex life with them as much as Amelie suggested, then I'm sure she knew that I enjoyed anal sex with quite a few of my lovers. Samara had watched me fuck her daughter in the arse on the way to Lesuss and I knew that she had been left far more aroused than she would have ever admitted.

That's when I did roll her over and gave her arse more attention than I normally would during a first time. But when I had Amelie moaning loudly, I knew that I'd made the right decision.

"He didn't really like it," Amelie whispered, "But I loved him, so I didn't mind. But I've always loved attention there."

"When you masturbate..."

"Toys."

"Hot."

She giggled. "Not this first time. I want to make love normally tonight. But next time? You get my arse too, Shepard."

"Awesome."

When she was lying on her back again a few minutes later, she smiled at me as I pressed my cock against her and slowly slid inside her pussy. She definitely wasn't cold as we joined together. Her eyes lit up and the smile on her face only accentuated her beauty as my entire length finally disappeared. I felt her squeezing me as she giggled, admitting that she nearly had an orgasm straight away.

Her fingers ended up digging lightly into my back as our bodies found their rhythm together rather quickly. She made some delightful moans and I was never a quiet lover. I grunted and groaned as her pussy was incredibly tight. But she complimented me on my size, so it was probably six of one, half a dozen of the other.

I felt her legs move and eventually lock around my hips, her hips moving in time to mine, and I felt my cock slide even deeper. That provoked a louder moan from Amelie, leaning down to kiss her softly as her eyes continued to gaze into mine. She was aroused as hell, but there was a happiness that lurked behind the arousal that suggested she didn't want to be anywhere else in that moment.

"Tu te sens tellement bien, Shepard," Amelie moaned.

French was a sexy language when shared by a woman who was on the verge of orgasm. And when I felt her starting to squeeze my cock with her pussy, and her legs starting to tighten around my hips, I knew that it was imminent. Then she cried out even louder as her fingers dug into my back.

"Mon dieu," she moaned softly, "N'arrête pas!"

I kissed her softly as one of her hands moved to my cheek and caressed it as I started to move a little faster. That earned more moans before she started to whisper for me to cum inside her. Let's be honest, there are few things sexier than a woman begging for you to fill her up, and when she switched to French again, we smiled at each other as she'd figured me out rather quickly. She knew I adored her accent as it was.

"Fuck," I finally grunted as I wanted to savour her pussy as long as I could, "Amelie..."

"Should have done this when I boarded," she stated with humour, "I was jealous of the others."

"Better late than never?"

"Shuttle. Should have had fun in the shuttle on the way back."

When I finally buried my cock and came, I felt her legs wrap around me tighter as her fingers gently caressed my back, her lips near my ear as some of her suggestions were pure filth though kept my cock rock solid as many of the suggestions did involve doing very naughty things to her bottom. We shared another passionate kiss as I remained rather hard, and she didn't want me pulling out just yet.

Lying back a few minutes later as I needed to take at least a couple of minutes to relax, Amelie snuggled into my side, and she sighed. "I am content," she whispered, "I am happy."

"Glad I could be of service," I whispered back.

"Accepting the contract... I was hopeful that perhaps it was what I was looking for. Working alone is very isolating. Of course, it was for my own protection most of the time. It was difficult to trust. But when the contract said that I would be joining you and a team, I could not turn down such an opportunity."

Watching Amelie straddled on my lap with my cock buried inside her would be a vision that I would remember for the rest of my days. My hands caressed her body before she held my wrists and made sure that I was cupping her breasts, fingers brushing over her nipples, her whimpers and moans echoing around my cabin as she enjoyed more than one orgasm.

"Mon dieu, Shepard. Je n'ai pas eu de bite comme la tienne depuis si longtemps."

She couldn't keep going and climaxing without at least a little emotion hitting her. After enjoying one hell of an orgasm, she immediately lowered herself to rest on my chest, holding her lightly in my arms as I heard her holding it in. I kissed her forehead and caressed her back, feeling her relax. When I moved a hand down to gently squeeze her arse, that provoked one of those delightful giggles, raising her lips to mine and she ended up on her back rather quickly.

I woke up long before her as I did every morning. I stayed with her until she realised that I was awake and happy to watch her. "I'll come downstairs later," she whispered, "Do you still mess around with Miranda?"

"Not as often because I think she's ready to make love."

"Good," she replied, giving me a smile, "Everyone can see how much she loves you, Shepard."

"And I'm surprised no one is jealous of that."

Amelie smiled at me as if I was a bit of an idiot. "She put two years of her life into bringing you back. And we've all talked to her. Even Jack. We all know. Then again, Miranda isn't the only one... Tali... My god, Shepard, you're not only her hero, I don't think another male in the galaxy stands a chance. Jack thinks you're just the best though she'd never tell you to your face."

"And you, Amelie? How do you feel?"

"I'm glad we had last night, Shepard. And I would definitely like to experience it again."

"I sometimes feel that I'm pulled in a thousand different ways, but I do my best to make sure that you all get my attention."

"And that's all we want because we know that you're only one man. And it's not just about sex, is it?"

"No. I spent hours with Kelly each day. I think she just loves being near me."

"Exactly. So don't worry about it too much."

Heading downstairs by myself, Miranda joined me within a couple of minutes, wearing another sexy negligee that showed off her fantastic figure. The colour red looked spectacular against her pale skin. She poured herself a hot drink before joining me at the table, sitting next to me and cuddling into my side. She knew that I'd been with Amelie the night before. She'd never shown jealousy. In fact, I think it aroused her.

"Any word from the boss?" I asked.

"Nothing yet. Are you growing concerned?"

"A little bit. Feels like we're treading water. I'm glad that I'm able to help people, but I would like to go on the front foot against the Collectors. We need a way through the Omega Four."

"He'll come through. I know you don't trust him, but he wants success. He wants to win."

"I know Aela has a personal thing that we might be able to do quickly. Some sort of contract to deal with batarians. Woman after my own heart. Kasumi has something that she wants sorted though I think she's still waiting for information about that. I'm also tempted to visit Feros and see Zhu's Hope for myself."

"And Shiala?"

"Yeah, though I don't think Liara would be happy if I visited without taking her with me."

"Shepard... Are you disappointed that we never approached her to join us?"

"To be honest, I was a little disappointed as I had a lot dumped on me very quickly, and having someone like Liara with me would have made things not feel as awkward. What helped was that you, Kelly and Georgia are fantastic. Getting Joker and Karin on board certainly helped."

"We knew that making you comfortable was incredibly important. Old friends. Beautiful women..."

"Guess I'm not that difficult to figure out."

Miranda didn't leave to go and change when others joined us for breakfast as many were used to seeing her in such clothing when sat with me in the morning. I enjoyed glancing around the table and seeing a large team that seemed to be getting on. I wasn't expecting everyone to be the best of friends by the end of this mission, but as long as we could work as a team on the ground, I would be content.

Then we finally got news after lunchtime. EDI told me the Illusive Man wanted to make contact with me. Once I was in position, he told me about a Collector ship that had been disabled. Now I smelled a rat immediately. I knew a trap when I heard one. But if we could actually get onto a Collector ship and gather information, then the one thing I would do is be the first one onto the ship and the last one off, with every single member of my team safely away.

"We'll head there immediately and find out what we need."

I met with Miranda and Georgia in the former's quarters and expressed my reservations that I would not share with anyone else. I knew it was bullshit. The Collectors clearly had technology far more advanced than our own. How could a turian ship have managed to disable it?

"We're expendable," Miranda muttered, slumping back in her chair, "He doesn't care. God... What about when we go through? What is he going to expect from us?"

"Guess it depends on what we find," Georgia stated, leaning against a nearby wall, "Miranda... What the hell are we going to do when this is done?"

"I don't know..." Miranda met my eyes and I'd never seen her so uncertain. "Let's see what happens with this ship and go from there."

I had Joker take the Normandy towards the supposedly disabled Collector ship. I let everyone know what was going on and that they would all be on the ship with me. It would be the perfect time to work as a large group.

It was a trap. I knew it was. Even an idiot would see that it was. But I was probably an idiot for taking the bait and heading there. My only hope was that no one would pay the price for it.