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Blackwork	By : PestoMonkey Category: +M through R > Mass Effect Views: 11594 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Author's Note: This is where my story really strays from ME3 events. The events of this chapter reference ME1 but are otherwise completely fabricated for the sake of my ideal ending (and hopefully will open more doors for interesting, um, intimate encounters). Hopefully I'm not making it too weird, but just a warning, it does get a little weird (i.e. xeno-ish). There were sooo many places I could have gone with this chapter, but chose to keep it relatively simple and not weird(er). I deliberately kept it light on expository details because I think the events that occur are more important than explaining what they mean, but I fear I may have still strayed a bit into meta territory here and there. I will try to answer the questions in a more gradual fashion over the next couple chapters once I figure out wtf I was thinking ;).

Halfway back from the Perseus Veil, she heard Traynor's voice over the comm as she sat at the desk in her quarters. "Commander. EDI's picking up a distress signal coming from the Theseus system. Would you like me to look into it?"

Theseus system. Feros. Shepard remembered the last time she'd been there.

"There shouldn't be anyone there, Traynor. All the colonists were evacuated and all the ExoGeni scientists that I know of have already left the system and are busy working on the Crucible project."

Something nagged at her, however. This might be worth investigating, she thought.

"Let's check it out," she said, rising from her desk and heading to the CIC.

ooOoo

"The atmosphere might be fine, but I want everyone - except EDI - in fully filtered breathing apparatus while we're down there," she commanded from her seat in the shuttle. She wasn't taking any unnecessary risks if her suspicions were correct.

James sensed her apprehensive mood and wondered what the hell she was expecting.

"Lola, I think you have more to share with us before we land down there."

EDI took the liberty of filling in the blanks. "Shepard is likely concerned that the Thorian that previously controlled Zhu's Hope is not, in fact, dead. If that is the case, there may be organic spores in the air that the creature could use to control us. That is why she chose me to accompany the team on the planet, since I don't actually breathe and would be immune to the effects of the spores if they exist."

"The Thorian?" he asked, incredulous. "You're not actually thinking of recruiting it, are you?"

She gazed at him impassively. She wasn't surprised that he'd perceived her intentions.

"It's complicated, James. It's an ancient sentient creature that somehow managed to survive the Reapers in the previous cycle. Saren wanted it dead for some reason the last time I was here. If the creature is still alive, I have to believe it remembers me and can be reasoned with. It had the Prothean Cipher, so I have to take the chance that it has other answers as well."

He laughed to himself. If she could convince the Rachni to join their cause, she could probably convince a sentient plant to do it, too.

He shook his head at her and asked, "But didn't you already try to kill it? I don't know if I'd reason with you under those circumstances. Anyway, how the hell is a plant going to help us beat the Reapers?"

"If I'd told you a Thresher Maw could take one down single-handedly two months ago would you have believed me?" she asked in response.

"Well, it was the mother of all thresher maws," he retorted.

"And the Thorian is the mother of all... sentient plants. It has knowledge going back fifty-thousand years. Likely longer than that. It might be the only living creature in the galaxy as old as the Reapers. If it's still alive, I can't pass up the opportunity to find out if it can help us. You know that."

He clenched his jaw, his stomach roiling at the possibilities of all the things that could go wrong. Yes, he knew she was right and he wasn't about to argue with her, but that didn't mean he had to like the risk she was taking. Fuck, he knew there would be a price to becoming as close as they had, but he hadn't expected the conflicting emotions to affect him so much.

"James," she said sternly, breaking through his thoughts. "If you have a problem with my decision you can sit this mission out."

Fuck that, he thought. "No. I've got your back, Lola."

One corner of her mouth quirked up into that special sideways smile that she always seemed to reserve just for him, and he had to resist the urge to lean in and kiss her. Instead, he just returned the smile and put on his helmet.

ooOoo

When the shuttle landed at the top of the abandoned tower of the ancient Prothean city, Shepard expected to have to navigate ruins as she had on her previous visit. She was surprised to find that the landing bays of the previous Zhu's Hope colony were pristinely restored, as was the receiving area.

"This is just a little weird, don't you think?" James asked, stating the obvious.

"Yeah. Just stay sharp."

"Do you have some instinct or insight here?" James blurted out in a challenging tone. "Because now would be the time to tell us, youknow."

Shepard tensed at his confrontational tone. "James, if there was anything for you to know I'd have told you already. Be quiet for a bit, okay?"

She felt guilty for the condescending tone she'd used, but she knew he'd take it out of her hide later. If there was one perk to their relationship she could count on that was it. She knew he was keeping score, too, from the little twitch of his left eyebrow as he glared back at her. It was his usual tell and it made her smile that she could so easily recognize it now.

"Shepard, the distress signal seems to originate from the ground floor of this structure," EDI said.

As they explored the top of the tower and reached the elevator down to the lower floors she began to feel an almost imperceptible pull at her mind. She checked the seals of her helmet, but they were sealed tight.

"What the hell?" James said in bewilderment. "Can you feel that? It's like a weird pressure inside my head."

"EDI, are you getting any unusual readings that could explain this?"

EDI's optics flickered briefly before she answered. "There seems to be a massive heat signature at the bottom of this tower and it has a very subtle gravitational field associated with it. It is only speculation but it is possible that a sentient organic creature as large as the Thorian may exert a kind of psychic pull on other sentient organics, regardless of whether it has access to their respiratory systems."

The Thorian was still alive. And they could sense it.

ooOoo

They descended through multiple levels of the ancient Prothean tower, most of which seemed to have been completely restored, which puzzled them until they caught a glimpse of the large, insect-like creatures that were skittering about in a workmanlike fashion on one floor.

"Were those Keepers?" James asked, gazing through the glass of the lift they were in.

"They did appear to be the same creatures that maintain the Citadel," EDI said.

"But there were dozens of them," James said. "I've never seen that many of them in one place. And why the hell are they here?"

"I don't know," Shepard said softly. James turned to look at her and their eyes met briefly. She knew - or at least suspected - something. Clearly it wasn't something she was willing to share, however.

The lift continued to descend for an interminable amount of time, the strange pull becoming stronger the lower they went. Finally they came to a stop and the door opened.

They exited into what appeared to be a huge atrium at the ground floor of one of the colossal Prothean-built towers of what used to be a thriving city on the planet of Feros. There were massive flowering vines climbing all the walls, and planters and flowerbeds filled with intricately twisted trees reaching up to the light that streamed in the large windows that surrounded them. Motes of pollen from the large blooms floated lazily in the sunbeams and they could hear the soothing sound of falling water from somewhere ahead of them.

It was beautiful and strangely peaceful, but there was still an urgent tension that psychically pulled at both James and Shepard. Shepard shook her head to try to clear it of the odd sensation.

The slender figure of an Asari dressed in nondescript armor approached them.

"Shiala?" Shepard asked, incredulous when she recognized the figure. She paused for a split second then abruptly raised her gun, leveling it at the woman's head.

"You're not Shiala, are you," she demanded.

The other woman stood very still several yards from their group. She gazed intently at both Shepard and James, but seemed to ignore EDI entirely.

"You are perceptive for one that scurries," she said, her voice resonating oddly. Her words seemed to be simultaneously hitting their ears as well as reverberating inside their thoughts. "I am not a threat to you," she continued, her eyes resting idly on their raised weapons.

Shepard kept her gun trained steadily on the woman's head. "So tell me, why are we here? I didn't think the Old Growth was willing to associate with us 'flesh creatures' after what Saren did. What changed?"

"The Old Growth has come to understand that lack of involvement in current circumstances could be detrimental to it. It wishes to discuss a potential alliance between itself and the flesh creatures."

"Why now? Why not before we tried to kill you?" Shepard asked.

The Shiala-clone spoke again with the strange intonation, "The Old Growth understands that the flesh creature called Saren who first assaulted it was under the influence of the Cold Ones. It has watched events unfold since you attempted to exterminate it and understands that the infestation of the Cold Ones has grown and now threatens to upset the balance of life irreversibly. It will forgive your insult if you will help it."

"So you actually care about what happens to the rest of the galaxy now?" Shepard challenged.

"The Old Growth only seeks to maintain life, but it has grown attached to those who scurry. It has nurtured many flesh creatures on many worlds and does not enjoy seeing them harmed. It was confused when flesh creatures tried to harm it before, but understands now that it was the Cold Ones who offered the insult. It is time for the Cold Ones that infest this galaxy to be reaped in turn. They have become too arrogant and must be put in their place. They must learn to understand that there is order in chaos, and the Old Growth exists to maintain life."

"What exactly can the Old Growth offer us in this alliance?" Shepard asked.

"The Old Growth offers its knowledge. It knows you are missing a piece of the puzzle to defeat the Cold Ones. It can give you the answers that will allow you to assist it in preserving life."

Shepard knew it was never that easy.

"So tell me. Where's the Catalyst. How do we use it?"

"The Old Growth wishes for something in return before it gives the answers. It will commune with you to give you the knowledge in exchange for a new perspective."

Just as she thought, there was a price. "A new perspective? What does that mean?" she asked.

"The Old Growth wishes for your knowledge in return. It wishes to see the events of this undertaking unfold through your eyes."

"It wants into my head, you're saying."

"Fuck that," James interjected from behind her. "Don't do it. Just tell it no and let's get the fuck out of here. What a fucking waste of time."

"James," Shepard cautioned, growing impatient with him.

"Can the Old Growth guarantee that its knowledge will give us an effective way to defeat the Reapers once and for all?"

"Yes. Its knowledge holds the truth of their weaknesses."

"I'll do it," she said without hesitation, finally holstering her weapon.

She could practically feel James vibrating with suppressed agitation. Finally he was no longer able to contain himself.

"Wait. Shepard. If you're dead set on doing it, let me do it with you. It wants perspective, right? Let it have two. Let it have us both."

She turned and met his gaze. His eyes searched hers, hoping for acceptance. He wasn't about to let her step off that particular cliff alone if he could help it. She never needed to go alone again as far as he was concerned.

"The Old Growth finds the offer acceptable," the Shiala-clone said.

Shepard was struck by the look of stubborn determination on his face. That in itself wasn't unusual, but the desperate look in his eyes twisted at her heart strings. He was afraid he'd lose her if she went down this path, and was determined to lose himself with her if it came down to it. Forever would suck without you, his voice echoed in her mind. This was either the stupidest or most endearing thing James had ever done, and she had to rule out stupid because it was something she was about to do herself, whether he joined her or not. Fuck, it probably was pretty stupid, but if they got any closer to the answers they needed it was worth it. And having two brains with the answers couldn't hurt.

Shepard's gaze softened as she began to understand. She nodded to him and turned back to face the Shiala-clone. "Just how much influence will it have over us afterwards? I need to know I'll be able to do my job after this. If I'm mind controlled by it, all bets are off on whether I can influence any events the way I have so far."

"It will merely be an observer. You may be able to sense its presence, but only marginally. However, there may be moments when you have a closer link to it, when you are close to one of the nodes of the Old Growth that exist throughout the galaxy."

"It has nodes?" James asked.

The Shiala-clone fixed an intense gaze on him and said in the same detached, resonant voice, "Yes, it has tendrils and sprouts on every planet in the galaxy that can support organic life. It acquires its knowledge of the galaxy through these nodes and through creatures it has developed symbiosis with."

"Like the Keepers?" Shepard asked.

"Yes, they were the first. They are the sentinels that monitor the legacy of the Cold Ones for the Old Growth."

"I'm guessing what we're about to do is acquire a sort of symbiosis with it?"

"You are intuitive for one who scurries."

Shepard hesitated for a moment and turned to face James again.

"James, are you sure about this?"

"Hell no, I'm not sure about it," he said, and she could hear an almost imperceptible quaver in his voice. "But Shepard... I'm not letting you do this alone." His gaze was intense and unflinching.

She muttered, "I should probably order you not to do it, but I don't think you'd listen."

"You know me well, Lola," he said, and his wry smirk somehow managed to alleviate some of her own anxiety.

The Shiala-clone led them through a maze of flowerbeds exploding with greenery. When they reached the center of the tower they found a huge, round pool that surrounded a monstrous, viny growth.

The giant plant resembled an enormous flower bud roughly the size of an entire Kodiak shuttle. It hung facing downward, suspended from several thick vines that Shepard could see were networked across the high ceiling of the huge room they stood in. The familiar neural nodes she'd encountered previously were visible in multiple locations throughout the room, pulsing with soft, glowing light.

The giant bud had a rigid shell of variegated bright-green concealing the slightest hint of soft red petals beneath. It was surrounded by the trunks of several large trees that stood like sentinels around the center of the pool. When Shepard glanced up she realized they weren't trees, but huge vines that had descended from the ceiling and grown into the bottom of the pool itself. The largest was roughly the diameter of a Krogan. They could see a web of roots and tendrils covering the floor of the pool beneath a couple feet of crystal-clear water.

Standing this close to it, the psychic pull became almost overwhelming, but Shepard couldn't sense anything resembling menace in the sensation. If anything, it was comforting, much like sinking into a soft bed. She hoped that her willingness to cooperate with it this time would ensure it remained sympathetic.

"EDI, please keep an eye on us while we do this. If anything alarming happens, contact Dr. Chakwas and prepare her for the worst. Let Steve know to be on standby for a quick evac if necessary. I know he worries about us. If all goes well, we'll be able to walk out of here no worse for wear."

"Of course, Shepard. If the Thorian becomes hostile, should I attempt a rescue?"

"I don't think it will attack us unless we try to harm it, but if that's the case, your own preservation takes priority."

"Yes, Shepard."

"So, how does this work?" James asked, directing his question at the Shiala-clone.

Shepard could hear the anxiety in his voice. She was nervous, too, but her instincts had never steered her wrong and she had a gut feeling this was finally going to provide them the answers they so desperately needed.

"You must present yourselves to it as seeds," their guide told them. As if in response to the statement, the vines at the edge of the pool began to writhe, forcing the earth to shift and crumble into a pair of oblong shallow depressions, lined by a fine mesh of living vines.

"Looks like we're about to get planted," Shepard said with resignation. "Ready, James?"

"As I'll ever be," he replied, looking down uncertainly at the freshly dug earth.

"You must shed your outer husks first," the Shiala-clone insisted.

"Wait, what?" James turned and stared at her. "It's not enough that we have to get buried alive, but we have to be naked, too?"

Shepard looked at him with mild amusement.

"Are you afraid you might find out your root isn't as big as you thought it was?" she teased, trying to lighten the mood.

He gave her a look of mock offense but was distracted when she removed her helmet and slowly began stripping off her gear piece by piece and setting it aside. She was being deliberately seductive with her movements, holding his gaze and sliding her fingertips over each clasp and buckle before slowly releasing them and letting the rigid plates fall away, then stripping off her flexible layer of body armor. Finally she stood before him utterly naked, the tips of her breasts hard in a subtle breeze that seemed to be constantly flowing through the large space. She kept her eyes fixed on his and reached behind her, pulling the clip from her hair and releasing the wavy tendrils to flow down over her shoulders.

"Fuck, Lola," he finally said to her with a low laugh. "I might need to plant a few seeds myself when we're done. Or at least do a little ploughing." He rubbed idly at the back of his helmet as he spoke.

She responded with a husky laugh of her own and said, "Your turn. Strip, soldier boy. The air is fine. It's nice, actually... not too warm, not too cold. It's like being in the Presidium Commons, just more peaceful. Maybe we can take a skinny-dip afterwards."

He shrugged as he removed his helmet and began unfastening his armor plates. "I don't know if I'd skinny-dip on the Citadel; but here, maybe."

She studied their surroundings as she waited for James to undress. She admired the beauty and the stark contrast to how it had appeared on her previous visit. The Thorian had certainly seemed sinister the first time she'd met it, and she guessed it was because it had been trapped in ruins with little access to sunlight. She supposed if she were as immobile as it was, she might go a little stir crazy being trapped in a pile of rubble, too. She suddenly understood the request it was making. The Thorian seemed to rely on its connection to other creatures and its nodes on other worlds for awareness of what was happening outside its immediate surroundings. Looking at it now and what it had created here for itself she thought it might be one of the most beautiful creatures she'd ever seen, and she felt mild regret at having antagonized it before.

She heard an odd sound come from EDI's direction and turned her head to see the pretty cyborg staring intently at James' now naked body with her head cocked to one side.

James was anxiously studying the earthy depression that yawned at his feet and seemed to be oblivious to her scrutiny. He seemed equally oblivious to the huge hard-on he currently sported. He was quite an impressive sight, and Shepard thought she'd never get tired of seeing him in that state.

"EDI, take a picture, it'll last longer," Shepard said in a near whisper. EDI's head turned to face Shepard abruptly, the subtle mechanical sound of her neck as it moved was at odds with the very human look of surprise on her face.

"I apologize, Shepard. I was only admiring his physique. He is remarkably different from Jeff, but not unpleasantly so."

"No apology necessary, EDI," Shepard said. "He kindof has the same effect on me." After a pause, she couldn't help but ask, "EDI, haven't you and Joker... been intimate?"

EDI almost seemed to sigh a little bit before she said, "He is still hesitant. He repeatedly says that it needs to occur at the correct moment, but I do not know how to judge what that moment might be. We have discussed it extensively and continue to do so, so I do not understand the source of this hesitance."

"Maybe you two need to stop talking about it and just do it," Shepard said, gently.

"How much talking did you and Lieutenant Vega do beforehand?" EDI asked, curious.

Shepard laughed, "We didn't actually talk about doing it at all, to be honest. We just got to a point where we both wanted it badly enough and it happened. Sometimes words just get in the way."

EDI seemed to ponder that and Shepard took it as her cue to step back towards the depression in the earth that awaited her.

"You two done with your little heart-to-heart?" James asked softly.

Shepard smiled at him and nodded. "They'll figure it out eventually."

"Lola," he said, turning to face her, his voice suddenly thick with emotion. She glanced at him and saw the conflict warring in his eyes.

"James, we'll be fine," she said in a comforting tone. "This will work, I know it."

He believed her, of course. If the power of conviction alone were enough to win a war, he was certain she would have prevailed long before this moment. Even seeing her standing naked in the warm sunlight, strands of hair drifting in the steady breeze, he was struck by her strength. She should have seemed vulnerable to him at that moment, unarmed and unarmored, but the effect she had was exactly the opposite. How had he caught the attention of such an amazing woman? And how had he kept it? He was suddenly overwhelmed by a single thought and there was no way in hell he was going to go another moment without telling her.

He stepped towards her and gripped her gently by the hand, turning her to face him. He spoke with soft urgency. "Shepard... Zoe..." he hesitated. She met his eyes with a concerned look. He never used her given name. She waited for him to continue, her naked body unconsciously responding to the close proximity of his warm, bare skin.

"I love you, Zoe Shepard," he said, earnestly, the look in his eyes resolute. "You need to know that, in case... in case this is it."

She smiled at him tenderly and reached a hand up to caress his scruffy cheek. "I love you, too, James Vega. And we'll make it out of this, I promise you. You owe me a skinny-dip after we get out of the mud. And then we have a horde of Reapers to demolish. And I'll still love you after all of that, too."

He smiled back at her, an unfamiliar serenity seeping into him. Then they both stepped down, reclining into the earth.

She felt the soil grow slightly warmer beneath her, then it shifted around her and began to vibrate softly as dozens of small tendrils drifted against her, gripping gently at her limbs and causing the soil to collapse over her naked body. She held her hands clasped over her stomach, her eyes wide open and fixed upon a single large bloom that swayed hypnotically on a vine above her. The earth never quite covered her face, but the vibrations caused it to cover her body completely and she felt it thick against the sides of her head, muffling the sounds around her almost entirely. She wanted to turn her head to see how James was faring, but forced herself to focus on that one beautiful flower instead.

The soft, warm weight of the earth felt strangely comforting and she breathed deeply, waiting for whatever revelation might occur next. She felt the vines that gripped her limbs shift and spread, writhing over her body softly. The sensations were not unpleasant. They reminded her of James' thick fingers gently caressing her in their most intimate moments.

A cool wetness began to seep into the depression beneath her, beginning at her feet and working its way up, gradually filling the depression with water that mixed with the soft soil that covered her. She gasped when it nearly covered her face, but felt the sudden support of something rise up beneath her skull, keeping her face above the surface.

"Are you doing alright, James?" she asked, her voice coming out in a husky whisper she was unsure would be audible if he had mud in his ears like she did at the moment.

She heard his muted reply, "So far so good. This is just a little weird though... not sure I'd repeat the experience."

"Mud baths are good for the pores," she joked and heard his low laugh in response.

Then everything started to get a little fuzzy. The last thing she noticed was several viny tendrils sliding over her shoulders and between her breasts, then twining through the hair on her head and wrapping gently around her skull. She felt something thorny pierce her skin just behind both ears and then her vision went black.

ooOoo

She heard a low buzzing sound that grew in volume as she began to regain consciousness.

"Shepard? Shepard!" She opened her eyes and saw James' naked, mud-coated body hovering over her. She was out of the mud, but her head still swam from the connection the Thorian had made with her. And she had no memory of any of it.

"But... " she glanced around the garden, the landscape swirling in her drugged gaze. "Where the fuck is she?" she slurred when she failed to see the Shiala-clone anywhere.

She stood up unsteadily. "We were supposed to get answers," she whispered. "We were supposed to get answers!" she yelled at the top of her lungs and lurched to one side, still off balance. James caught her and steadied her by one mud-covered arm.

"Lola, hold on, settle down."

"Settle down? Where are the fucking answers? I can't remember anything even remotely useful." She suddenly deflated a bit and leaned against him, finding comfort in his solid figure. He snaked one arm around her and held her upright against his side.

"She said it might take some time, before she left," James told her. "Said it would be a day or two before the connection took root. Something about a gestation period. It's a plant thing I guess."

Shepard looked at him with a raised eyebrow and snorted softly, "You are such a big dummy sometimes. It's cute." He glared at her.

She sighed as the tension left her. "A day or two," she said, taking a deep breath. "I can wait a day or two... especially with you," she said looking at him again with a silly grin. He still had one muddy arm wrapped tightly around her and he let out a small grunt at the look he saw in her eyes. He was still almost as loopy as she was from whatever drug the Thorian had pumped them full of and was instantly aroused by her contact, acutely aware of one of her muddy breasts pressed against his chest. They were both still naked and completely caked with semi-dried mud, but she didn't seem to care, and neither did he.

She wrapped both arms around his neck and pressed the entire muddy length of her body against his, and her still pristine lips against his, her tongue thrusting into his mouth insistently. His mouth tasted sweet and her taste buds tingled as their tongues made contact and slid against each other. She moaned softly against his lips. "Mmm... you taste good, James," she murmured.

James' mind was bombarded with input, every sense seeming to come alive and acutely receptive to his surroundings. He felt her lift herself up and her legs were suddenly and deliciously wrapped around his waist and he could feel his arousal brushing against her core. The dull throb in his mind began to intensify along with the sensations and out of the corner of one eye he vaguely noticed the bud of the Thorian begin to quiver.

He released her lips and leaned his head close to her neck. "Fuck, Lola, why do you smell so good?" he said, inhaling deeply and repeatedly. She felt a deep rumble in his chest and he practically growled against her ear, "I wonder if you taste as good as you smell."

He set her down on the wide raised ledge at the side the huge pool, extracting himself from her limbs. She finally lay back with a sigh and trailed her fingers above her head through the clear water of the pool. Small clouds of fine dark earth fell off her fingertips and settled to the bottom of the pool.

Her face was relaxed with pleasure and her eyes gazed up in semi-drugged wonder at the huge plant that hovered over them as he pushed her knees wide apart and settled between them, then bent his head down. When his mouth came into contact with the smooth petals of her sex, she gasped at the sensation, and was peripherally aware that the Thorian had begun to vibrate slightly.

He flicked his tongue down her velvety smooth flesh and moaned at the exquisite flavor of her. It was like nothing he'd ever tasted before; like the sweetest fruit, ripe and juicy and ready to be devoured. She moaned harshly as he slipped his tongue deep inside her and back out, sliding it over her soft folds, then flicking and swirling at the small bud at the top of her sex. Within moments she was bucking and writhing against him, crying out as she climaxed. Her hands gripped the back of his head and pressed him to her core as though her life depended on it.

There was a subtle creaking sound from above them and the giant flowerbud seemed to shift on its vines, its rigid outer leaves beginning to curl at the edges.

The next second he was inside her, thrusting with abandon with her legs wrapped around him. The force of their activity shifted them gradually across the smooth stones closer to the edge of the pool. Shepard's tangled, muddy locks fell over the edge and drifted across the surface. James brushed the now dried earth from her breast with the swipe of one large hand and bent down, taking its tip hungrily into his mouth, teasing and sucking as he continued to thrust into her.

Neither of them were completely aware when the edge of the pool appeared beneath them and they went over it, James still solidly fucking her.

EDI watched with continued fascination as they spluttered to the surface laughing, and a split second later they were wrapped around each other again. EDI heard Shepard's demand, "I need you inside me now, James." James' own incoherent reply was followed by mini tidal-waves flowing to the edges of the pool from their agitation of the water. James had Shepard's back pressed up against one of the large viny trunks and her legs were wrapped around him again. EDI could see the rhythmic undulation of his hips just below the surface of the water. However, a more interesting occurrence was happening above them. The huge flowerbud seemed to pulse and swell with each thrust of James' hips.

The two lovers seemed completely oblivious to their surroundings, which she discounted as being a side effect of the Thorian's drug. It seemed to have only induced mild euphoria and reduced inhibitions, and possibly also had a slightly aphrodisiac effect. She wondered briefly if it were possible to replicate that type of effect for a synthetic being, and stored the thought to research later.

She continued to observe them closely just to be on the safe side.

"Dr. Chakwas," she communicated privately through the Normandy's comm system directly to the Med Bay. "Yes, EDI? Please give me an update," the doctor replied with insistence.

"They are awake. They appear to be intact and unharmed, however there were some side effects. They seem to be somewhat preoccupied with... bathing... at the moment."

"EDI, if you can, please try to get them back to the shuttle. It's important that I begin monitoring their condition as soon as possible."

"I will do my best."

She watched them for a moment longer before calling out to no apparent effect. The two of them were in the throes of ecstasy and seemed to be in no way close to completing the act. Shepard's long legs were still tightly wrapped around James as his hips moved against her. Their mouths seemed almost permanently locked together, but their hands never stopped moving, touching every inch of skin they could reach.

Their movements and noises began to grow louder and faster and the Thorian's bloom shifted again. EDI watched it closely, looking for signs of hostility but saw nothing but shifting greenery.

She finally decided that she would just have to wait until the drug wore off and they came back to their senses. She suspected she couldn't disrupt their activity forcefully without hurting them. She continued to watch the Thorian closely, however. Its sudden activity was an unexpected development and she had no way to predict its behavior.

The harsh cries of the two lovers forced her attention back on them abruptly. Her curiosity was piqued but she knew the profound intimacy of what she was witnessing was a private experience between Shepard and Vega and hesitated. Her AI curiosity won out and she observed them unabashedly, taking note of their flushed skin and the way they maintained contact with every part of their bodies they could, including their mouths, even though it impeded their breathing eventually and they had to pull apart every so often. She especially noted the the way their eyes stayed locked together in a steady, intense gaze in between kisses until they finally reached their peaks and could no longer control their reflexes, throwing their heads back and crying out in release.

After they climaxed she saw Shepard's eyes flutter open to meet his and her lips moved in a near whisper that EDI could just barely pick up with her aural receptors. "I love you, James Vega." She watched as James smiled and said in a similar tone of tenderness, "I love you, Zoe Shepard."

The three of them were roused from their separate distractions when they heard a loud but muted *pop* in the air above them. They looked up in unison to see the bloom of the Thorian, wide open, glowing red and resplendent in the sunlight, and millions of small, luminous spores drifting into the air around them.
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Blackwork