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Blackwork	By : PestoMonkey Category: +M through R > Mass Effect Views: 11593 -:- 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
- 10
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EDI spoke insistently, "Shepard, we should evacuate immediately."
Shepard's back was pressed solidly against the woody trunk by James' naked body, his hard flesh still planted deep inside her. She was half delirious from the intense series of orgasms she'd just had and her mind was struggling to make sense of things. What the hell had come over them?
Her mind swam as she watched the luminous spores drift around in the air above them. She had a surreal flashback to the day Mordin had released the Genophage cure into the air over Tuchanka and was irrationally overcome by emotion at the sight. She watched in bewildered fascination as the glowing motes drifted to the ground.
James' hips shifted against her and she felt her body begin to spasm involuntarily yet again in response. Her eyes locked onto his and she cried out in pleasure when all the sensations surrounding and infusing her suddenly converged upon one another causing yet another orgasm to blossom from her core. She saw his eyes flutter closed and he let out a low groan, evidently having a similar reaction.
It was too much. Reason struggled to reassert itself in her mind. She wanted this to go on forever, but she knew it had to stop or they would never leave this place.
"I think we need to leave, Lola." James echoed her thoughts in a desperate tone, meeting her eyes again.
"You stop touching me and maybe we can pull this off," she said with an unconvincing half-smile.
He grunted softly. "Easier said than done," he said, but reluctantly released his hold on her and extracted himself at the same time she lowered her legs.
Above them, the enormous bloom seemed to sag slightly on its stem. They watched in fascination as the petals twisted in on themselves and the huge leaves wrapped around them, closing itself up into the bud-like shape again.
Shepard began wading through the water back to the edge of the pool, towards EDI and their discarded belongings.
They were still dazed and unsteady as they hurriedly dressed. They didn't bother fully donning their armor, only slipping enough of it on for decency's sake and carrying the rest. They rode the elevator up the tower in silence, EDI managing the necessary communication to the shuttle and the Normandy for them without having to vocalize.
"How long were we out for, EDI?" Shepard asked halfway through the long ride up the tower.
"Approximately four hours, Shepard. You were unconscious slightly longer than James was. I attempted to communicate with the Asari clone who watched over you, but she seemed not to register my presence for some reason. I was at least able to monitor your vital signs to assure myself that you both were not in distress during the ordeal. I contacted Dr. Chakwas shortly after the process began to prepare her. She will want to examine you as soon as we return to the Normandy."
"Of course. Thank you, EDI."
"You are welcome."
She cut a quick glance to James. "How do you feel?" she asked quietly.
He turned to look at her and gave her a slow, sleepy smile. "Still kindof looped. Horny as fuck. Thirsty. That's about it."
"Do you remember anything from when you were unconscious?"
"Not a damn thing, but at least we're still alive."
She supposed he had a point, but if they'd just exposed themselves to mind-controlling spores with no payoff... well... what? It was done. She just had to hope it wouldn't interfere with their ability to fight. She didn't feel mind controlled, but she had no idea how long it would have taken to happen. She didn't feel anything new, besides looped, horny, and thirsty. She also didn't see any point in retribution against a creature like the Thorian. She didn't believe it could be killed, for one thing, and she also didn't believe it was deliberately malicious. Not to mention she still had a very strong feeling the creature was going to provide the answers somehow.
Steve was leaning casually against the exterior of the shuttle when they reached the landing bay. His expression turned to one of surprise when they came within sight of him.
"What the hell happened to you two?" He eyed them both up and down, taking in their dazed expressions and flushed complexions, and the bits of mud still caked on them here and there, particularly in Shepard's hair that was still hanging in tangled wet strands down her back.
"Forgive the expression, but you both look like you've been rode hard and put away wet... literally," Steve said before he climbed into the shuttle and began starting it up.
"That pretty much sums it up, Esteban," James said as he settled himself into the shuttle seat and strapped in.
"Well was it worth it at least?" the pilot asked.
Shepard said, "Depends. We didn't get any answers... yet... but it was a mostly gratifying experience overall." She gave James a lazy smile. He held her gaze for an intense moment. Definitely still horny.
She tore her gaze away from his and sighed, "But it looks like we might be stuck here for a couple days until we know more."
She just hoped that in two days if there were no developments the Shiala-clone would show herself again to answer their questions.
ooOoo
Dr. Chakwas was waiting patiently for them in the med bay when they returned to the Normandy. She gave Shepard a level stare when she walked in.
Shepard met the woman's eyes and spoke in an appeasing tone, "I know, Karin, you don't need to say it. It was stupid and reckless but I have a feeling it'll pay off."
The doctor replied, her voice free from reproach, "I'm more concerned with what it might have done to you. I could only get partial readings from your suits once you put them back on, but it was enough to cause concern. Sit down, both of you. You're not leaving until I've given you both thorough exams."
Shepard was surprised at the report of her suit's readings. She felt fine in general. Better than fine now that the drug finally seemed to be wearing off.
"What kinds of readings?" Shepard asked.
Dr. Chakwas had already begun examining her closely, recording vitals and testing blood samples. "Elevated heart rate and body temperature, but not accompanied by the same level of adrenaline that I would expect if you were engaged in battle. On the contrary, the readings I could get showed evidence of quite a high level of endorphins in your system." She gave both Shepard and James direct looks in turn. James blushed and shifted uncomfortably on the exam table, turning his gaze away from the doctor's candid stare. She shot only a cursory glance at his hands, which were casually draped across his groin.
"Ah... about that..." Shepard said, and the doctor gave her an attentive look. "We got a little distracted for a bit, after we regained consciousness. And it seems like that particular side effect hasn't quite worn off yet."
"I see. That would explain the readings," the doctor said, reading between the lines, and pursed her lips as she moved to examine James. Shepard thought she saw a small, amused smirk on the older woman's face.
"Well, you both seem fine," the doctor said finally. "I understand we're staying here for a couple days. That might be best, if there's a chance of any latent effects of your exposure to the spores. I'm going to let you go, but please report to me if you start having any unusual symptoms."
"You have my word," Shepard said and James nodded his thanks to the doctor as they exited the med bay and headed for the elevator.
When they were alone together in the enclosed space, she leaned back against the wall with a sigh and James followed suit, propping his hands beside his hips on the steel rail that was mounted around the edges of the elevator.
"Do you think it did something to us?" James asked.
"I'm pretty sure it did, but I don't know what. Right now I just want a shower. A nice long shower."
She gave him a sidelong glance, admiring how the muscles of his arms bunched up from his hands gripping the rail they leaned on. She noticed his head slightly bowed and cocked towards her. His lips were parted and his eyes intently studied the curve of her breast under her sheer tanktop and the bare swath of toned belly and navel visible where her shirt had ridden up slightly. She felt her nipples prickle and grow erect under his gaze. She shifted her hand to the side along the steel bar between them until her pinky finger bumped against his. As if by reflex, his little finger twined with hers and his eyes drifted back up to her face, the heat in them almost palpable.
"Goddamn, if there weren't cameras in here..." he said in a husky voice.
A second later the lift opened and they wasted no time stripping off the remains of their armor the moment they had entered her quarters. Once their clothes were off he had her against the wall almost instantly. Their tongues tangled and his strong hands urgently pulled her legs up around him while he thrust himself into her. They climaxed after several intense, desperate seconds, then he slid one arm beneath her bottom to hold her up and carried her into the bathroom.
He turned the shower on and stood holding her under the hot stream for several seconds before she gripped his shoulders and her legs tightened around his hips and she started riding him where they stood. She tilted her head back in ecstasy and drank down the water that streamed into her open mouth from the showerhead. She felt his tongue at her breast and moaned in pleasure as he lapped at her wet skin and trailed his tongue up her chest to her throat, finally covering her eager mouth with his own while the water streamed down between them.
He pressed her against the wall again and reached behind him to angle the showerhead over them while he continued to bury himself inside her with deep, urgent thrusts. He felt the muscles of her core clench around him as she orgasmed again, her cry reverberating off the metal walls of the small room. A mere second later he felt his own release overtake him.
She disengaged from him and dropped her legs to the floor. She stood and turned to present her back to him. She pulled her wet length of hair over her shoulder and he was almost blinded by the rhythmic pulse of her tattoo. He growled deeply and gripped her hips in both large hands, spreading her wide and slipping deep within her again, enjoying the soft gasp she made as his hips slammed against her ass.
He groaned at the sight of her tattoo pulsing before him and reached up a large hand to trail fingertips over her inked skin, tracing down the contour of her arched spine, down to the cleft of her bottom. He gazed at her in mute wonder. Every inch of her was beautiful to him, every angle he saw presented some new revelation that just intensified his desire for her. He slid his hand down and gripped one creamy cheek while he continued his rhythmic thrusting. His thick thumb grazed down her cleft against sensitive puckered skin and he heard her gasp in pleasure, the muscles currently holding his cock captive flexed noticeably. He teased his thumb over the tight flesh again, gauging her response.
"Yes!" he heard her gasp out, and with that word as encouragement he slipped his thick digit past the tight, slick barrier. She came almost instantly, bucking back against him and crying out harshly. He was too surprised by her sudden reaction to think about his own pleasure, but the cry of ecstasy at his touch provoked an equally intense reaction in him and he sank deep into her with a final quick stroke. The explosion of pleasure was a blinding light behind his eyes as bright as the pulsing patterns on her back.
She slowly stood upright with him still deep inside her and he wrapped his thick arms around her torso, bending his knees just enough to maintain their deep connection. She was nearly as tall as he was and he enjoyed how perfectly they seemed to fit together this way. And in almost every other way, too.
The hot water continued to stream over their naked bodies.
"I don't want to stop," she said softly.
"Then we won't, until we're spent," he murmured into her ear, then trailed his lips down over her shoulder, tasting her wet skin.
"You never cease to amaze me, James," she said.
"I love you, too," he said with a smile and kissed the side of her jaw softly as he began moving in her again.
The urgency they'd felt when they'd entered her quarters was finally subsiding when EDI's serene voice spoke over the comm. "Shepard, I must warn you that continued use of the shower will deprive the crew of sufficient resources for their own use. It takes 24 hours for the treatment system to sufficiently process the water for consumption and you have already depleted half of our reserve supply."
"Shit," Shepard said. "Thanks for the reminder, EDI."
She sighed and extracted herself from James' embrace, turning to look at him. "Shower time is over, I guess," she said with an exaggeratedly mournful look.
He laughed and said, "There will be other nights for showers. But we might want to take the chance to actually bathe while we're in here, I think." He gestured to her hair which still had bits of dark mud clinging to it, even after standing in her shower for... how long? She'd lost track.
They hurriedly soaped up and rinsed off then turned off the water.
She felt surprisingly sated when they crawled into bed. Maybe the aphrodisiac effects of the drug had finally worn off. She wondered idly if it was all the sex that had burned it out, or if it would have just burned out on its own after a time. Either way, she felt an odd peace she didn't think she'd ever felt before once James settled his warm, naked body next to hers and pulled the blankets over them. When his arm curled around her waist she fell asleep almost instantly.
ooOoo
EDI's voice was insistent. "Shepard, Lieutenant Vega, wake up."
James awoke to an intense pounding inside his skull that grew stronger when EDI repeated her words.
"Ugh, not so loud, EDI. What's up?" He sat up slowly and clutched at his temples. He felt like he had the hangover from hell and struggled to remember why. He didn't remember drinking.
"Lieutenant Vega, is Commander Shepard awake? It's been nearly twelve hours since you went to sleep. Dr. Chakwas is growing concerned."
He blinked his eyes and turned to look at the still sleeping form beside him. This was unlike her. She normally woke long before he did, and usually woke him up feeling frisky. He gripped her shoulder and shook gently.
"Lola. Wake up, babe." He received no reaction and his heart lurched in his chest.
"Shepard!" he said more urgently. "Wake up!"
He shook her harder then rolled her onto her back. She lay limp and all too quiet. He felt a sudden panic begin to rise in him and forgot the pounding in his skull entirely.
"EDI, get the doctor up here now, there's something wrong with her."
He bent his head over her chest and was relieved to hear her slow, steady heartbeat through the sheet beneath his ear. He lifted his hand to smooth her hair away from her forehead and barely registered that his hand was shaking slightly.
"Lola, please wake up," he said in a soft, pleading voice, his lips close to her ear. He rested his forehead against her temple and continued softly begging. One arm was still wrapped around her torso and he shook her gently every so often to no effect.
He felt a pair of strong hands grip him by the shoulders as the slight-framed doctor came into view, activating the scanner of her omni-tool and sweeping it over Shepard's prone, still form.
"We need to get them both to the med bay immediately," she instructed and James noticed the two other figures in the room.
"Come on, man, pull yourself together," Steve's voice spoke from behind him.
Kaidan's face seemed stricken with worry as he glanced between Shepard and Vega, who sat stunned and seemingly oblivious to his own disrobed state. Kaidan stepped forward and bent to lift Shepard from the bed, wrapping the sheet around her and holding her gently against his chest. She was limp in his arms, her joints loose like a rag doll and her tangled waves catching on the snaps on the arm of his uniform. Kaidan started out the door with her and James moved to follow.
"Hold it there, my man," Steve said, pulling him back gently. "Let's get you dressed first."
The pounding returned inside James' skull with a vengeance and he sat down heavily on the end of the bed.
"I'll die without her, man. Hell, we're all probably dead without her," James said with a distinct tinge of despair in his voice.
Steve shoved some clothes at him and he started dressing by reflex.
"Nobody's dying yet," Steve said in a tight voice. "Dr. Chakwas will figure out what's up and fix her. Don't worry."
But Steve had to admit that he was pretty damn worried himself and knew Kaidan was, too. He'd never seen his friend, this mountain of strength and positive energy, so defeated over anything. It honestly hadn't occurred to him until this moment how close his friend and the Commander had become. James was in deep. So deep Steve knew exactly where the man would be if things took a turn for the worse. It would be a hard thing to come back from and he knew then that his friend spoke the truth - he likely wouldn't make it back from this if something happened to her.
James didn't bother with shoes, heading straight for the elevator after throwing on a pair of loose sweats and a t-shirt. Steve followed closely behind and they rode down together in anxious silence.
When they reached the med bay, Dr. Chakwas was busy running more tests with Liara's assistance.
The second James stepped into the room, the doctor asked, "Did anything unusual happen last night after you left here?"
James shook his head in bewilderment. "No, we just showered then went to bed. Tell me what's wrong with her, Doc. Is she going to be okay?"
The doctor took a deep breath and said in a baffled tone, "I don't know. I can't find anything wrong with her. She's slightly dehydrated, but all her vitals are normal, and her brain function is as well. It's as though she's simply in a deep sleep. The only thing we can do now is wait to see if anything changes. Maybe once I give you a more thorough exam we might gain more insight. I want you to explain to me exactly what happened during your experience with the Thorian. Every detail."
James eased up on the exam table at her urging and began describing the events of the previous day with as much detail as he could recall while she examined him again.
Liara interjected when he got to the end, "You said the Thorian bloomed while you were making love?"
He cleared his throat, feeling just a little self conscious with his current audience, which happened to include Shepard's last lover.
"Uh, yeah, that's how I remember it, but we were both pretty drugged at the time. It started acting weird when we - ah - started. And when we... finished... it sortof popped open and that's when it released the spores."
Kaidan's expression started becoming volatile and James saw the man's fists clench slowly. He was afraid they'd have to throw down for a second when Steve touched the other man's elbow and whispered something in his ear. Kaidan looked abashed for a second, then followed the other man out to sit at a table in the mess.
Liara turned to Dr. Chakwas and said, "Doctor, it might be worthwhile to go back and gather samples of the spores. If we can discern their properties, it might help us understand how to help Zoe."
Dr. Chakwas nodded. "Good idea, Liara. Please arrange it with Major Alenko. Take EDI with you, but I don't want any more of the crew than absolutely necessary to be exposed to that creature. I don't care how beneficent its intentions might be."
"I'm going too," James said abruptly.
"The hell you are," both Liara and Chakwas said in unison.
Chakwas glared at him hard enough to give him pause. Liara he could deal with, but the Doc was as intense as his grandmother and she kindof scared him a little bit.
"You're staying here until I tell you otherwise, Lieutenant," the Doc said, brooking no argument and he realized it would be folly to offer any at this point. Shit.
James watched silently as Liara left the med bay and went to talk to Kaidan. He could still see the three figures through the window from where he sat, the two men seated at the table, and the Asari standing. He couldn't be certain, but he thought it looked like she was ripping the Major a new one from the expression on the man's face. It almost made him smile in spite of himself after the ripping he'd just gotten himself.
It occurred to him that with Shepard down for the count, the Major was in charge. He guessed Liara's little speech was reminding him to pull his shit together. He snorted slightly to himself, imagining what she might be saying in her quiet, steady, and perfectly inflected voice.
Then it hit him that Liara had referred to Shepard by her first name. During his conversations with Shepard, James had heard her mention Liara frequently, but it hadn't sunk in how close they might be as friends. That Shepard had friends was an entirely foreign concept to him for some reason. True, she was very charismatic and had an easy rapport with her crew, but was always professional - with a few exceptions he was thankful for. He had to admit that he rarely saw her interacting one-on-one with the others when it wasn't in a professional setting, but in retrospect he knew that pretty much the entire crew loved her. That was part of what made her so good at her job - people wanted to follow her. Hell, he would follow her to hell and back if she asked him to, and he didn't think it was just because of how much he loved her.
"You should eat something."
James was drawn out of his thoughts by the sound of the doctor's almost maternal voice nearby. She had finished her examination and was comparing notes between his results and Shepard's. His stomach suddenly rumbled loudly as if in agreement with the doctor.
She reiterated her command, "You haven't eaten anything since yesterday morning as far as I'm aware, James. It might help. Go eat, and when you're finished I'd like to hook you up to an IV to make sure you stay hydrated. Whatever effects the Thorian had on you, one of them seems to be dehydration and that's something I can at least treat you for until we know more."
He nodded silently and stood, but the still form of Shepard lying there kept him from moving further. He found a stool and settled on it beside her. He just sat looking at her for a moment. She looked vibrant, like she might open her eyes any second and give him one of those smiles that made his heart skip a beat. The same kind of smile she might give him before she charged into a fight. The kind of smile that always seemed to make him hard when he caught a glimpse of it.
She was so beautiful and serene lying there like that. Is this what it looked like when she slept? He'd never actually seen her like this - she was always awake when he was. Always either working, or talking to him, or fucking him. Seeing her like this was wrong somehow, even as beautiful as she looked. Shepard never slept as far as he knew, unless she was in his arms and he was asleep beside her.
"Babe, you need to wake up," he whispered to her. "We need you. I need you."
He felt a soft hand on his shoulder and the Doc's voice in his ear. "James, go take care of yourself. You're no good to her if you lose your strength. I'll be right here if she needs anything." After a short pause, the older woman said softly, "I love her, too, you know. Like the daughter I never had."
He nodded and stood, finally releasing Shepard's hand and laying it gently back on the starched white sheet.
He wandered out of the med bay and made his way to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and stared into it blankly for several minutes.
"Looking for something?" Steve asked.
"Doc told me to eat, but I have no idea how that works at the moment," he said, giving his friend a lost look.
"I'm here for you, my friend," Steve said and gestured for James to sit. James sat in one of the stools across the counter and watched with detachment as his friend pulled out what seemed like a random collection of ingredients and began throwing them together.
"Dude, I didn't know you could cook," James said with surprise, and realized he recognized what his friend was making.
"Well, once you taste this... you'll know I can't," Steve said with a laugh. "Robert tried to teach me this recipe but I could never get it right. He laughed at me every time I tried to make it because I just kept fucking it up."
"Oh yeah? What's it called?" James asked, suddenly curious.
"He called it 'huevos rancheros'," Steve said after several moments of intense cooking. James noted that his friend's expression softened and grew sad for a second.
James suppressed a laugh and said, "Man, you're a disgrace to your Latin roots if you can't make huevos rancheros."
"Dude, I grew up in fucking Canada, unlike some other pendejos."
"Are you sure? I didn't realize Canadians knew how to curse," James said in retort.
Steve finally shoved a full plate of food in front of him in response and James was actually in good enough spirits after their exchange to acknowledge his hunger and dig in. Whatever his friend had managed to make, it smelled fucking incredible.
"Esteban..." he said reverently after the first bite.
His friend looked at him apprehensively. "It's not even remotely edible is it?" Steve asked.
James just shook his head as he continued eating. It was damn near as good as his abuela's recipe, and the man had just thrown it together like nothing.
"Esteban... dude... I'd say you've mastered this recipe. If I swung that way, I'd marry you."
He thought he saw his friend actually blush in response to his words. Steve rubbed the back of his neck and glanced to one side.
"Ah, thanks, I think," he said.
"Thank you for this. I hate to eat and run, but..." James glanced anxiously back to the med bay.
"Of course, man. Like I said, I'm here for you." Steve hesitated for a second, then said gently, "Hey, man. She means a lot to all of us, you know. If it hadn't been for her, I would still be wallowing in my own grief over Robert. I love her, too. I want her to get better as much as anyone."
James nodded at his friend, unsure what to say, and turned to walk back to the med bay. His mind churned with thoughts he'd been keeping to himself since he'd woken up.
"Why am I still awake, Doc?" he asked abruptly when he walked back through the doors, the volume of his voice rising gradually in spite of his attempts to control his temper. "Why is she fucking comatose right now and I'm still walking around? We went through the same shit as far as I'm aware. We were together every step of the way, so why is she laying there and I'm still walking around?"
He was nearly yelling his final words and struggled to quell his agitation before he started looking scary, but Chakwas didn't seem to be affected by his stature or his mood in the least.
"James," the woman said calmly. "I wish I had answers. It could just be your size... perhaps the creature didn't administer enough of its drug to affect you completely. Or maybe it deliberately targeted Shepard. There's no guarantee that it did the same thing to both of you while you were unconscious. Maybe it only wanted her to have the full effects of whatever it was giving you. There's really nothing we can do but wait at this point. Maybe Liara and Kaidan will be able to find some answers."
His nostrils flared as he looked at her and then as her words sunk in he finally deflated. He moved over to sit on the stool by Shepard's bed and gripped her slender hand in his, drawing it to his lips. "Please wake up, Lola," he whispered.
"James," Chakwas said quietly. "I need you to let me take care of you, too."
He shook his head at first, rejecting her command, then remembered what Shepard had said to him. Forever would suck without you. If he failed her now he would never forgive himself. He studied Shepard's sleeping face and with a resigned nod moved to lay on the bed the doctor had indicated next to the one Shepard still rested serenely upon. He stared blankly at the ceiling while the doctor hooked him up to an IV.
He turned his head to watch her sleep, simultaneously mesmerized and enraged by the sight of her in that state, but mostly he just wished with a vengeance that she would wake up.
- 10
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