Comments & Criticisms?
-----------------------------
Chapter 3: Guilt by Gunpoint
(takes place on board the Normandy’s Observation Deck after the Cerberus Citadel Coup)
Shepard felt awful about the confrontation with Ashley and the Council. It wasn’t something he expected and his mind raced a mile a minute during it.
“What is she doing?”
Shepard had successfully convinced Ashley to step aside and that Udina couldn’t be trusted and was in the wrong. Shepard was distracted with the other Council members, not noticing Udina had pulled a gun on the Asari Councilor. Ash had screamed “GUN!” and had shot Udina herself before Shepard could even take notice. He couldn’t help but look at Ashley after the shot was fired, he had seen her reaction.
“Son of a ****…” she muttered.
Shepard recognized this look for he had experienced it himself before. The feeling of “What have I done?”
Shepard hated himself for it. If he could go back and shoot Udina himself, he would. It would have spared her any guilt she now may be feeling over the whole ordeal. He wanted to atone for that, deciding to go see her down in her room…
------------------------
*door opens*
“Ash… you in here?”
Shepard looked to his right, seeing Ash sitting on the lounge chair by the lamp light.
“I just thought we could talk for a bit. You and me.”
Ashley closed her book and looked up at Shepard, he had gained her attention.
Shepard began talking…
“I’m sorry about what happened back there with Udina. It was my fault, I should have known better. Restrained him myself maybe, I..”
Ash interrupted him.
“I’m ok, Skipper. Never did like the bastard myself. Just the whole him being responsible for promoting me to Spectre status and all made it seem more dramatic than it really was.”
“Yeah” replied Shepard, not knowing what to even say. He expected her to be a little bit more broken up about it. Why wasn’t she?
Ashley began again, placing the book on the table next to the chair.
“Besides, I was the one who held a gun on you in the first place. So before you go off on your guilt trip about me, let’s just make sure we both know that I’m the only one who has any right to feel guilty here.”
Shepard let out a small chuckle. She always seemed to turn to humor when things got a bit too serious between them. He liked that.
Ashley stood up and walked over to Shepard who was leaning against the wall with this right shoulder. As she grew closer, he leaned off of the wall and held out his arms.
They hugged.
It was the first of such kind since they first saw each other on Horizon. This one was different however.
Ashley pulled back. She let out a sigh of relief type breath.
“Just exactly how I remember them too. Damn Skipper…. you don’t miss a beat.”
She walked on over to the window, looking out at the black space. Shepard followed her over a few seconds later.
“It’s not hard to remember how to hug you when I’m replaying all the previous ones in my head constantly.” Shepard said.
Ashley laughed.
“And it’s not hard to remember your lines are as corny as ever when you come up with doozies like that one.”
Shepard smiled again at the humor she invoked.
Ashley turned towards him. Grabbing and petting his right arm sleeve with both of her hands, growing a little closer to him.
“So tell me, are the hugs the only thing that you replay in your head? Or are there other things too?”
Shepard tensed up slightly for he knew where this was going, but he didn’t know for sure. Best to play it safe maybe?
“Not exactly. There…may or may not be other things about you up here.” Shepard lifting his left arm up a bit pointing to the side of his head. A not-so-subtle flirt.
Ashley grew even closer to him. Their bodies were merely centimeters apart now.
“If you don’t mind Sir, I could use a little refresher on this one.”
She draped her arms around his neck. Bringing his lips to hers. Shepard moved his hands to her hips and slightly towards her ass.
It was a tender moment for the both of them. One that was years in the making. All of the tension and uneasiness between them was now gone. It was back to normal for them.
-------------------------------
Damn I wasn't expecting to write that much but I got on a roll and kept going... LOL