For the record,
Data made me post it!
Set after ME1. Featuring femShep, 'some guy' and of course, Ashley. Part 1 can be found
here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Normandy, next morning*
Joker: *intercom beep* Commander? Commander, are you awake?
femShep: I am now, thanks to you. What do you want, Joker?
Joker: He's here.
femShep: Who?
Joker: Our new crewman.
femShep: Already? I thought he had to come tomorrow.
Joker: Today's tomorrow.
femShep: Damn it. How long till our departure?
Joker: Two hours.
femShep: Well... good.
Joker: Um, Commander?
femShep: Yeah?
Joker: He's waiting for a permission to come aboard.
femShep: Right. Permission granted. Send him to the com room and tell Ash to meet us there.
Joker: Roger that. And I must say, it'll be so good to have someone able to repair Mako again.
femShep: What? My driving's not that bad.
Joker: Sure. Almost as good as your dancing.
femShep: Joker...
Joker: Yes, Commander?
femShep: Shut up.
...Michael: *salutes* Commander Shepard, Corporal Michael...
femShep: I know, I know, I got your file. And I remember you.
Michael: Wasn't sure about it, ma'am. Glad I made such an impression.
femShep: You did. You survived.
Michael: Oh, that.
femShep: Yeah. What else?
Michael: For a moment there I was thinking...
femShep: Don't flatter yourself too much or you'll get yourself into trouble. Again.
Michael: Nah, I won't.
femShep: Uh-huh. Like in Rio?
Michael: That was... different.
femShep: Right. So, what did they tell you?
Michael: The usual stuff. To pack my things and report to you. I guess you're in need of an engineer?
femShep: Something like that.
Michael: What happened to your last one?
femShep: Gone. Back with the Fleet.
Michael: Well then... but your charming Gunnery Chief is still here, right?
femShep: Why do you ask?
Michael: Because...
Ashley: *comes in* Joker told me to...
this is our new tech guy?
femShep: Yep, that's him. Michael, meet my XO, Lieutenant Ashley Williams.
Michael: Lieutenant Williams. It's an honor to...
Ashley: You have to be kidding me. Mr. Good figure, brown hair, green eyes? What the hell?
Michael: I... what??
femShep: Life's full of surprise, isn't it?
Ashley: How did you... no, don't tell me. I don't want to know.
femShep: Wasn't easy, but there's nothing Commander Shepard can achieve. All I had to do was pull a few strings.
Ashley: One day... I'm gonna kill you, Shepard.
femShep: You are welcomed to try, Ash. But the fact is that he's a skilled engineer with top technical scores and combat experience. Not as good as our Quarian, but well above human average. And the rest is... just a bonus to the package.
Michael: Uh, thanks? I guess.
Ashley: Whatever. But no matter how hard you try, it won't happen. Understood?
femShep: Sure. Give it some time. For now, why don't you show Michael the best girl in whole Alliance Navy? I bet he's dying to see her.
Ashley: Fine. Our first stop, the garage.
Michael: Something... special there?
Ashley: Your chance to prove you're as good as Shepard says.
Michael: Already? That was fast.
Ashley: I'm not used to wasting time. You've got only hours for what would take whole team a week. Are up to the task?
Michael: Sounds like a challenge. But, why in the garage?
Ashley: I don't see Mako parking over here, do you?
Michael: Mako? Yes, of course. I mean, no.
*coughs* What happened to it?
Ashley: Ask Shepard. She was the one... driving.
femShep: It's nothing serious, really. Just a small... accident during our last mission.
Ashley: Right. If by 'accident' you mean riding over a thresher maw. Repeatedly.
femShep: What can I say? It stood in my way.
Michael: I'll... look into it.
Ashley: Good to hear. This way, Corporal.