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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.

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The darkness was descending again, threatening with its cold, lonely isolation. The Cold Ones sank their talons in deeper and in greater numbers than ever before. It would be a long hibernation; too long if things were allowed to continue as they were. There weren't enough suns to sustain it if it allowed the cycles to continue past this one. It was time to end them; time to end the incessant destructive rampage that was tearing at the very roots of the galaxy.

It could withstand much in the way of insult. Indeed it had at the hands of the scurrying creatures that subsisted on it. They were so very careless and often were oblivious to the kind of haphazard, pointless destruction they wrought upon themselves and their caretaker. But the injuries the scurrying creatures caused were naught but scratches at its bark; mild wounds that more often than not proved to germinate into new growth that only made it stronger and provided new perspectives. And new perspectives were always welcome.

It had not considered these new "human" creatures worthy of notice until the one had attempted to kill it. It had been injured greatly, so it took note. As a result, it had shifted its attention to focus upon this germ of a species in particular, and had found them perplexingly uninteresting, except for the one. It saw potential in the one called Shepard. Shepard was indeed worthy of symbiosis, and perhaps there were others as well. They were far younger than any other germ it had considered cultivating for symbiosis, but they were clearly a proliferous species and might otherwise provide it with infinite new perspectives.

It was not accustomed to the quickness with which the scurrying creatures accomplished tasks, but it knew the current situation was dire and it was capable of commanding an infinite number of symbiotes throughout the galaxy. It decided it should begin with the place called Feros, and produced a small army of clones of the ones called Keepers that it knew would heed its wishes quickly and efficiently while it continued to recover from the injuries inflicted upon it by the Cold Ones.

When Shepard responded to its call she brought another with her and they both submitted to the communion. It learned how desperate they were to end the Cold Ones' cycle of destruction. It knew the Cold Ones were on the verge of annihilating multiple species it had established symbiosis with, and it shared a strong desire with this Shepard to prevent further destruction. The only way to do that would be to exterminate the infestation.

It had bestowed upon Shepard its own seed that it knew would grow over time and would provide it with an inexorable connection to her, giving it access to a perspective of her experiences and allowing it to understand the current conflict with the Cold Ones through the eyes of the creatures that were most acutely affected by them. It had learned almost instantly that the home world of these "humans" was under siege by the Cold Ones and was in danger of being utterly destroyed. It had nodes on their world but they were new and had not yet spanned enough of the world for it to gain a full perspective of their existence. Gaining symbiosis with Shepard would be an advantage in understanding their species as well as affecting a change in the conflict at hand.

It had been prepared to establish a similar link with her companion but had sensed that this other human's mind was not strong enough to withstand the union and would lose its autonomy if it did so, which it had promised Shepard would not happen. Instead it had made only the smallest link necessary to gain the companion's perspective and had been pleased with the result.

This new perspective had been an unexpected reward when the pair had awoken after their communion with it. It felt their desire for each other as keenly as it felt a new sprout's desire for sunlight. They seemed to subsist on each other in some strange way it could not fathom, but it was affected nonetheless. Their communion with each other after they had awoken had consumed its attention briefly. When they merged it had felt like an entire galaxy of seeds germinating and growing within the span of a moment, finally bursting forth from the earth to revel in the sunlight for the first time.

Indeed, during its experience of their communion with each other it had encouraged millions of new growths to accelerate their reach for sunlight and had urged them upwards, seeking to enhance the experience it was sharing with the two creatures who communed beneath it.

It could feel the seed it had planted within Shepard beginning to grow even now. It felt that part of itself beginning to form the familiar links within her mind that would allow it to share its knowledge with her, providing her with access to its infinite awareness of the galaxy and the creatures that resided within it. It knew this link with Shepard would be critical in ending the cycle of destruction and exterminating the infestation of Cold Ones for good

ooOoo

Shepard was trapped in a cool, comforting darkness. Gradually, tendrils of bright, golden light began to thread their way through her mind. With each new thread came knowledge of things she could barely even conceive of, let alone understand, and she struggled to focus knowing that this was what she had risked her life to attain. She began to follow the threads, curious where they would lead.

There were so many paths to follow she felt herself quickly becoming overwhelmed, until she discovered that if she just focused on a particular idea the necessary path would reveal itself to her. She tested it first by thinking of James and was instantly granted a vision of ... herself? Yes, she saw herself lying still as death in a bed in the Normandy's med bay, and could feel James' torment over the state she was in. She longed to reach out to him to ease his worry, but knew she still had more to learn. She would return to him soon enough.

She retreated from his perspective and decided to risk finding the answer she'd been seeking all along. She followed the threads as they illuminated before her and was granted a converging and perplexing set of perspectives. Many of the images were familiar to her, and she recognized almost all of them as different views of the Citadel. She observed in wonder as the images eventually pieced themselves together into a revelation.

She could barely restrain herself from rejoicing at the discovery.

ooOoo

James' head cranked around from where he sat on the stool next to Shepard's bed when he heard the lift open outside the med bay. He stared apprehensively as Liara and Kaidan's forms came into view. The doors to the med bay wooshed open a second later and he stood, looking at them both expectantly.

"We found a few samples," Liara said. "I'll start testing immediately."

"Did you talk to it?" James asked.

"Talk to what, exactly?" Kaidan asked. "There were nothing but giant plants down there. And Keepers, of all things. I saw the Thorian but it seemed dormant, which was a small blessing, if you ask me."

"The Asari... what did she call it... Shiala? That's how Shepard talked to it before. Did you see her?"

Kaidan just shook his head.

James' shoulders slumped and he turned back to Shepard, sitting down and resting his elbows on the edge of her bed. He gripped her hand gently in his again.

"I'm sorry," he heard Kaidan's strained voice from behind him.

James shrugged slightly. He heard footsteps moving closer and the Major's armored figure moved around the bed into his field of vision.

"I'm sorry for earlier, Vega. I was out of line. I was worried about her and you were the easiest target to blame."

"I have no idea what you're referring to, man," James said almost bitterly, keeping his eyes on Shepard's face.

Kaidan sighed. "You know as well as I do."

"You let her go, you said. But did you? Really?" James said with a hint of accusation in his voice as he rested his eyes on Kaidan's face.

Kaidan hesitated then let out a small sigh before saying, "Yes, I did. But that doesn't mean I don't still care about her. I don't think there's a single member of this crew that wouldn't take a bullet for her, but they all know she'd take a bullet for them first." He gazed at Shepard's still form intently for a second before returning his eyes to James. "She already has, clearly."

James caught a hint of blame in the other man's voice and bristled.

"I would give anything right now to take her place, man," he said emphatically, meeting Kaidan's eyes with a furious glare. His jaw clenched in an effort to contain his anger. He really wanted to stand up and punch the Major squarely in the face and knock that fucking expression off it, but knew that wouldn't solve anything.

"He really wants to punch you right now, Kaidan, you'd better step back," a ragged voice spoke up.

The two men turned stunned expressions down to the prone figure who had just spoken those beautiful words.

"Lola? Babe?" James said with quiet amazement. He moved one hand up to her face and caressed her cheekbone with his thumb. His eyes locked onto those beautiful pale blue orbs he was worried he'd never see looking back at him again.

The smile she gave him caused tears to well up in his eyes and he buried his head in her hair, clutching her in his arms.

She felt his tears hot against the skin of her bare shoulder and wrapped her arms around him, threading her fingers through the short-cropped hair at the back of his neck and stroking to comfort him. She could feel his body shaking slightly as he quietly cried against her.

"James," she said softly. "I'm okay."

She met Kaidan's eyes and her expression spoke volumes in a second. He nodded slightly and walked out of the med bay. Liara followed closely behind after meeting Shepard's eyes with a look of deep relief and a small, understanding smile.

She felt James' stubbly cheek rough against her skin and his spicy scent strong in her nostrils. In spite of the mood she became instantly aroused at the sensations, but knew it was the Thorian that was provoking the reaction. It seemed to have some strange fascination with the two of them that wasn't unpleasant but did tend to make her examine her reactions more closely. She pushed those feelings aside and concentrated on comforting the man who embraced her so desperately at the moment.

"James," she said again, and he finally sat up, rubbing reddened eyes briskly, trying to hide the evidence of his tears. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, his hands moving once again to touch her, trailing a soft caress up one of her bare arms.

"Lola, thank god you're okay," he whispered and looked into her eyes again as if searching for something.

She had the strangest sense of reunion, as if they'd been apart from each other for eons and were finally together again, even though she knew no more than a day could have passed since their mission. Her gaze intensified and a look of recognition came into his eyes in response. She reached up a hand and gripped the collar of his t-shirt, pulling his face down to hers wordlessly.

When their lips met it was like they were back in the shadow of the Thorian, the intensity of her desire almost overwhelming. But his mouth was gentle, his lips moved softly and slowly against hers, his tongue barely venturing forth to trail against her lips. She felt one of his hands resting warm against her hip and the other still gently gripped one bare shoulder. She realized she was still naked beneath the sheet and suddenly urgently needed his hands on her. There was a burning tingle on her skin and she inhaled sharply as his hand slid up her shoulder and gently cupped her jaw, but he pulled back from her, a look of uncertainty in his eyes.

"James," she breathed in a coarse whisper. Her hand slid up his chest to grip him behind the neck and pull him to her again but she felt him resist.

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking deep into her eyes. "Shit, Lola, you were just comatose for the last twenty-four hours. Are you sure it isn't mind controlling you and making you do this?"

It was a valid question, she knew. She was still in control; the Thorian's interest in them had only intensified her reaction to James' closeness. But she also knew she would have wanted him now regardless.

"I don't need to be mind controlled to want you," she said huskily. To the room she said, "EDI, turn off the cameras in the server room. And please make sure we aren't disturbed."

"Yes, Shepard," EDI's disembodied voice replied.

She glanced at the door to the server room, then gave James a meaningful look. A smile began to twitch at the corner of her mouth as she said, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

A slow smile spread across his face and the hungry look she was hoping for entered his eyes finally. He gingerly removed the IV attached to her arm, then stood and lifted her up in his arms, sheets and all. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed against his lips when he bent his head to hers again. He carried her into the dimly lit room at the back of the med bay, the doors sliding closed behind him.

She was still gloriously naked under the sheet and he groaned softly at the sight of her when the swath of fabric fell away as he set her on the bench at the back of the room. His hands slid over every bare inch of her he could reach. She arched her back with a soft moan as he cupped both her breasts and bent his head to tease at their tips with his tongue.

Her long legs slid up the backs of his thighs and locked around his hips, pulling his cloth-covered erection against her naked core. She slid her hands up under his shirt, enjoying the feel of his muscles flexing beneath her touch as his hands moved over her skin. The shirt came off and hands continued roaming freely over muscled flesh, creamy white and tanned alike; tongues trailed wetly over salty skin; hungry mouths sought each other out and connected in languid desire.

She pushed his pants down over his hips and they fell to the floor in a puddle of black fabric, leaving him as bare as she was. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up, their kiss breaking as they gazed into each other's eyes. He could feel the tip of his cock nudging at her entrance, her petal-soft flesh hot and slick and ready. He turned them both so that his backside was resting on the workbench and let her lower herself onto his shaft. He held her gaze steadily and enjoyed the subtle transformation of her features as the pleasure hit her when she slid inch-by-inch onto him.

"Fuck, you feel incredible," he whispered when he was fully sheathed inside her, but she just stared at him in mute wonder, her heart pounding and her breathing quick and shallow.

Her closeness to him when he'd entered her had caused her to reflexively follow once more that bright strand the Thorian had given her that linked to his mind. She shuddered with unexpected pleasure when she found herself experiencing a mind-shatteringly erotic duality of sensations. She gripped his shoulders and began moving atop him, keeping her eyes locked with his. She felt herself begin to plummet into the depths of his gaze, seeing herself looking back at him, his feelings reflected in her own eyes, his experience of her body moving atop him as clear to her as her own experience of his body beneath and inside her.

The feedback was exquisite and powerful. When he began to orgasm she could feel it from inside and out and finally had to force herself to tear her eyes away from his. She clamped her mouth over his, kissing him fervently. She continued to move her hips against his, letting the rising swell of pleasure carry her along. The room began to spin as their combined sensations were amplified, the wave becoming a tsunami of ecstasy she feared she might drown beneath. She rode it for what seemed like an eternity, and when the final deafening crash hit she arched her back and cried out, feeling like she was exploding into a million pieces, like a sudden gust of wind against a dandelion tuft, leaving bits of her floating unfettered in bright sunlight.

"Holy fucking christ, Lola, where did that come from?" she heard James gasp in a breathless whisper once her senses began working again. She was still wrapped around him and he was resting his sweaty forehead against her shoulder. They were both breathing heavily from the exertion.

She started to laugh softly, "One of the perks of communing with a sentient plant the size of the galaxy, I suppose. Could you feel it, too?"

He shook his head. In a husky voice he said, "All I felt was you, but when our eyes were locked together it was like you could see inside me and knew exactly the right way to move to blow my mind. Not that you didn't already do that. The difference was subtle but fucking incredible."

She hesitated for a second before she responded. "I was, actually. In your head I mean." She met his eyes and saw confusion at her statement. As tempting as it would be, she needed to not make a habit of that, no matter how good it had just felt.

She started to pull away from him and he clutched her tighter with a little grunt of protest. "Hold it, Lola. Not so fast. I'm not done enjoying this... enjoying you." He met her gaze again and said, "So, explain to me what just happened and why you're so sure you're not some mind-controlled sex fiend now."

She sighed and settled against him with her arms resting lightly around his shoulders. Her legs were still wrapped around his hips, her ankles crossed on the discarded sheet that covered the bench behind him. He did feel damn good, she thought, especially considering he was still hard and buried to the hilt inside her.

"While I was out, it was building a connection with me. If I try, I can see the pieces of the galaxy it sees, through symbiotic links it has with other beings. Like you. Or like the Keepers. I could see - and feel - what you saw and felt through that link. And I think it likes us, especially when we're together like this. I wouldn't call it mind control, but more of a very subtle nudge whenever I start thinking about making love to you." She gave him a sultry smile and began rocking her hips against his again slowly.

He thought he heard her continue her explanation of her link with the Thorian, but was too distracted by the feel of her current link with him to register her words. He finally pulled her head down and captured her lips with his to silence her as she fucked him. She remained more subdued this time, but it felt no less incredible when they climaxed together for the second time. Afterward he finally relented and released her.

"I figured it out, James. I know how we can win this war," she said as she picked up his discarded t-shirt and pulled it on over her head.

She'd said it so casually that he almost thought he'd misheard her as he pulled on his pants. He was looking at her in his shirt that was about three sizes too large for her, thinking she looked mighty sexy in it when the words finally sunk in.

"Did I just hear you say you know how to beat the Reapers?" he asked, incredulous.

Before she could answer, EDI's voice interrupted them. "Shepard, Dr. Chakwas is growing concerned. The two of you have been in there for some time. I tried to explain that you were fine and did not wish to be disturbed, but if you are - finished - perhaps you could come out and assure her that you are well."

Shepard laughed, "Thank you, EDI. Tell her we're on our way out. Also tell her that we'd like some privacy in the med bay for a bit. She's welcome to stay, of course."

"The privacy screens are now active on the med bay windows, Shepard. Chakwas is waiting for you as well," EDI responded.

"Shepard," the doctor said with obvious relief in her voice when the door to the server room opened and the two of them walked out with matching expressions of sated calm.

The doctor gave them a frustrated glare as she looked them both over. "EDI," she said. "Please have Liara bring some clothes for the Commander."

To Shepard she said, "I trust you're feeling better?" She motioned to the exam table and Shepard obediently hopped up on it to submit yet again to the doctor's tests.

"Much better," she said, giving James a conspiratorial smile.

He sat on the bed across from her and said, "So, are you going to make me guess?"

She shook her head in amazement. She said, "The answer was right under our noses all along, James."

To the doctor she said, "You're not going to find anything, Karin. I'm fine. And I really need to get back to work."

"I'd prefer to keep you under observation for at least the next twelve hours. Liara still needs time to run tests on the spores she and Kaidan recovered. We were hoping it would help explain what happened to you."

"Spores?" Shepard asked, then realized what the doctor referred to. She had been unconscious for a full day without any apparent explanation. They would have gone back down to Feros looking for answers.

She shook her head at the doctor. "The spores won't tell you anything. They didn't actually affect either of us. I was unconscious because the Thorian was establishing a symbiotic connection with me. It took some time to accomplish, but it worked. The Protheans could have learned something from it on the subject of information sharing, if you ask me."

At the doctor's skeptical look, Shepard said, "Don't worry, I'm all me. If you want to run a neural exam you're welcome to."

"Shepard," Dr. Chakwas said more quietly. "I'm also somewhat concerned about your increased libido. It's a little out of character for you to lock yourself in the server room like that."

Shepard barked out a laugh and shook her head. She gestured with her chin to where James stood. "Karin, the only explanation you need for my libido is standing right there. I admit the Thorian probably enhanced it a bit, but trust me, it hasn't changed that much since we've arrived on Feros. I wasn't exactly alone in the server room." Her eyes twinkled when she looked at James.

The doctor turned to look at James, who was still shirtless and appeared completely unassuming in spite of his bare, rippling muscles and the turn the conversation had taken. He seemed amused, if anything, and raised an eyebrow as the doctor looked at him. Shepard thought she saw the older woman blush when she turned her head abruptly and began to study her Omni-tool intently.

"I suppose those particular concerns don't really have much merit when you put it that way," she said finally, shaking her head slowly. "But I must insist on keeping you under observation, at least when you sleep, for the next day or so." Without looking at James, she added, "You, too, Lieutenant." He didn't object.

Shepard nodded and started dressing in the uniform Liara had just brought in. "Fine, I think I can work with that."

She pulled James' shirt off over her head and tossed it to him playfully, her mood boisterous at finally being able to get back to work now that she had a definite plan of action. She finished dressing and finally coiled her long hair at the back of her head and fixed it with a clip, then headed for the door.

"Hang on, Lola," James said, pulling his shirt back on over his head and rushing to follow her. "You didn't answer my question. How are we going to beat the Reapers?"

"All in due time, James. Right now, we need to get moving."

When they stepped onto the elevator James asked, "And how come it didn't do its full on symbiotic link thingie in my head?"

She grew still for a second and he noticed her eyes become strangely distant, then she said, "I think it was afraid it'd turn your brain to mush if it did. It does like using you as a window, though. It's a little bit of a voyeur."

He snorted, "Sounds like it's a lotta bit of a voyeur. So you're saying we're going to have a galactic weed watching us have sex for the rest of our lives?"

She shrugged. "Plants like sex, too. It's a small price to pay for saving the galaxy, wouldn't you say?"

She had a point, he thought. Assuming it really had given her the answers, which he was still dying to find out.

When they exited the elevator at the CIC, Shepard headed straight for the galaxy map and punched in the coordinates for the Citadel.

"Joker, take us outa here, we have work to do," she commanded.

"Aye aye, Commander. By the way, it's great to hear your voice again."

"Commander!" Traynor said from her station. "It's so great to see you're okay."

Other enthusiastic greetings came from the crew around the CIC. James stood in the shadows near the elevator and watched her for several moments, finding himself yet again amazed at her resilience and her abundance of energy and focus. He shook his head to himself and turned to leave, but not before she'd turned her head and caught his eye once more. She gave him a flirty little wink that brought a smile instantly to his lips. He responded with a casual salute before turning to leave her to her work.
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Blackwork