Miranda watched as the clock in her room flicked forward another minute and sighed at the thought of another fruitless sixty seconds spent staring at the screen of her terminal with no end in sight. She had worked at her desk all day, writing out report after report about her last mission and how her foolish young partner had managed to get himself killed.

In truth, she had almost been relieved when the bullet hit him squarely in the head with no shield to protect him. He had been ogling her arse the entire mission, making endlessly crude comments in some no doubt poorly misguided attempt to seduce her.

It hadn't worked.

Instead, he had allowed himself to be distracted and ended up dying for it. Cerberus was better off without someone like that in their ranks. It was why she preferred to work alone. Most were unable to keep to her pace and either she had to slow and silently fume about it the whole time, or they had to follow and try not to get themselves dead.

Occasionally, she was put on a team with someone at least half competent, but it was a rare occurrence at that. She wasn't asking for perfection – she already knew how hard that was to live up to – she just wanted the best; the best for her; the best for Cerberus. So far, she had been somewhat underwhelmed in the new recruits.

Especially the latest one.

She shuddered involuntarily thinking about the slimy way in which he had patted her on the back - a little too low to be considered colleague friendly – and grinned at her in the most arrogant and disgusting way imaginable. She consoled herself with the thought of him being shot again but it did nothing to stop her wishing it had been a little less sudden.

She wasn't thinking torture per se, but a little horror on his face would have been nice.

Still, it seemed he had gotten the last laugh regardless, as it was Miranda who had ended up having to write about the event in significant detail for the better part of her day. It was for that reason, with her work finally done and the weight of her labour removed from her shoulders for the time being, that she decided to trawl through the Citadel located MatchSpace candidates for a single night of letting off some steam.

She needed to relax a little. Even she could admit that. But so far, her potential partners were among the exceedingly romantic or unacceptably unhealthy variety.

20:21 [MrSmooth has entered chat]

20:21 MrSmooth: Hey thr bby, wantin sum fun?

20:21 Lawbringer: [DISCONNECT]

Or even worse: the illiterate.

She heaved another sigh, wondering whether it was time to give up. The feeling was only amplified by the fact that the next contender was someone going by the name of BigPeen217. She really needed to try another site for things like this. She'd heard that iPartners was good.

As she was hovering over the exit, a tuneful bleep alerted her to a new chat partner.

20:30 [NotSoStealthyN7 has entered chat]

Miranda raised a brow, debating whether to give it one last try. The account looked relatively new, with no picture and barely any information listed on its profile. Not that that would be a problem of course. Miranda was very good at digging.

20:30 NotSoStealthyN7: 'Lawbringer'? Does that make you a cop? Or something even more horrifying… like a lawyer?

Miranda smirked. Well, at least this one seems to have writing skills above the level possessed by a 5 year old. Making her decision, she settled back into her chair.

20:32 Lawbringer: You find officers of the law horrifying? So, does that make you a criminal? Or something even worse… like a rowdy Alliance Officer on shore leave?

20:32 NotSoSteathyN7: Damn. She gets it in one. What could possibly have given me away?

20:33 Lawbringer: Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit you know.

20:34 NotSoStealthyN7: And here I thought it was penis jokes.

20:34 Lawbringer: It reflects quite poorly on the Alliance that someone so flippant achieved the N7 standard, and consequently bragged about in on internet forums.

20:35 NotSoStealthyN7: Discretion isn't really my strong suit. Besides, how do you know I really did? Maybe I'm just trying to impress you. Or hell, maybe just hearing it in the bedroom gets me off. Call it a kink if you will.

Miranda rolled her eyes with a small smile.

20:35 Lawbringer: Flippant and narcissistic. What a catch.

20:36 NotSoStealthyN7: Now who's being sarcastic?

The Cerberus Operative tutted, wondering how she'd managed to be dragged into such a juvenile exchange. She barked a short laugh all the same however, brows raised in both offense and no small amount of interest.

I think it's time to get things back on track.

20:36 Lawbringer: Send me your required medical results.

20:37 NotSoStealthyN7: Excuse me? A little personal don't you think? I haven't even given you my name.

20:37 Lawbringer: Names don't matter.

20:38 NotSoStealthyN7: Well now you've gone and hurt my feelings.

20:39 Lawbringer: Fine. Tell me your name. Then send the exam results.

20:40 NotSoStealthyN7: Why don't you guess it.

Miranda pinched the bridge of her nose exasperatedly. It was like the galaxy had conspired against her to prevent her from finding any kind of relief.

20:40 Lawbringer: I don't have time for this.

20:41 NotSoStealthyN7: I'll give you three chances. Then I'll send it. Honest.

Something told Miranda that a devilish smirk had been behind the last word.

20:41 Lawbringer: Great, I'm talking to Rumplestiltskin.

20:42 NotSoStealthyN7: Ooh, so close. But he gives three days, not three guesses.

Miranda sighed, rubbing circles at her temples as she decided that three guesses out of her time wouldn't be too horrible.

20:42 Lawbringer: Oh fine. John.

20:42 NotSoStealthyN7: Wow, how generic and unoriginal.

She narrowed her eyes, unsure whether she should be infuriated or charmed by the stranger's wit and clear enthusiasm for being incredibly vexatious. Somehow she ended up settling on a strange combination of them both.

20:43 Lawbringer: David.

20:44 NotSoStealthyN7: …Because that's better?

20:45 Lawbringer: Jason.

20:46 NotSoStealthyN7: You really have little to no imagination, don't you?

20:47 Lawbringer: And you really have little to no skill in wooing women, don't you?

20:48 NotSoStealthyN7: I resent that. You're still here aren't you?

The brunette pursed her lips to avoid smirking. Though he couldn't see her, she still felt like doing so would be letting him win. And there was nothing Miranda hated more than losing.

20:48 Lawbringer: Not for long if you don't send the medical results.

20:49 NotSoStealthyN7: What if I told you my name was slightly more feminine than the ones you suggested.

Miranda let her head fall back against her chair with a sigh, frustrated at how her requests continued to be sidestepped, when the meaning of the question hit her.

She furrowed her brows.

20:50 Lawbringer: How feminine?

20:50 NotSoStealthyN7: Like, Victoria kind of feminine.

A woman? Miranda thought. An annoying yet admittedly witty and charming woman she would admit, but frustrating in equal amounts.

20:51 Lawbringer: You're aware I checked the box that specifically said 'men'?

20:52 NotSoStealthyN7: What can I say? I like a challenge.

An incredulous laugh erupted from the Cerberus Operative's chest and escaped from her lips before she could do anything to stop it. Immediately, she felt as if the other woman had won some kind of victory over her, which made her quickly replace the small smile on her face with a scowl that didn't quite meet her eyes.

Biting her lip thoughtfully, it occurred to her that she was actually still considering going ahead and meeting the woman. In a strange way, some part of her was slightly impressed by the stranger's audacity. It wouldn't be the first time she'd slept with a woman either. Though it was some time ago, and admittedly in the course of her duty to Cerberus, perusing certain undercover work, she did remember the few occasions she had done so to be quite… enjoyable.

Still, if there was anything Miranda valued, it was efficiency. Men were easier, quicker, less work. For the most part, she always knew what they wanted and so did they, and often, at least in her experience, they were selfish in taking it as far as one night stands were concerned. Yet they did their job in taking the edge off a stressful week. She had no room for anything else. With a woman - to have someone so utterly devoted to worshiping every inch of skin, eliciting every gasp and moan they could - it was dangerous. Too time consuming. Too intense. Too everything. Dangerous.

Regardless, she had to admit that her interest was piqued.

20:56 NotSoStealthyN7: You die of shock or something? I swear I'm not that horrifying.

Miranda released her lip. The cards were down. Her choice was clear.

What the hell, she thought, unable to quite remember the last time that kind of impulse had entered her head. Spontaneity was not one of her strong suits. But one night couldn't hurt, she reasoned.

20:57 Lawbringer: Well are you going to send me the medical results or not?

Miranda adjusted the neckline of her top as she came to a stop at the fountain she'd been told to wait at. She had no idea why they couldn't have just met at the apartment, but the woman had been especially insistent. Usually the problem would have been rectified by them meeting at an apartment Miranda herself had specified, but most were already being rented out, one in particular to an N7 operative on shore leave.

That only meant that the Cerberus woman had been extra careful in checking Alliance channels to make sure she wasn't walking into any kind of trap. Thankfully, both her prospective partner and the organisation she worked for seemed completely oblivious.

Intently, her eyes scanned the thin crowd that milled around the presidium, attempting to pick out the vibrant red hair that had seemed to be the most obvious, distinctive feature in the image she'd managed to dig up on Victoria Shepard, the woman behind the ridiculous user name.

It wasn't however, until a long fifteen minutes, twenty three seconds later that she caught sight of her target. No, not target. Miranda frowned, reminding herself that there was no mission to be concerned with. She racked her head for the correct word, but came up rather empty. Date? Frowning, she quickly shook her head. No, definitely not that either.

Refocusing herself on the task at hand, the Cerberus Operative observed the woman from a distance. She was wearing a cropped leather jacket with an N7 stripe decorating one sleeve and an Alliance logo on the other. Miranda would have rolled her eyes if it hadn't looked so good on her. It did after all complete a look that in many ways, showed her to be every bit the hardened marine Miranda had learned she was from her files. Her stance was commanding, exuding confidence and authority, her form both lean and athletic.

There were more unusual things however, that betrayed her poised appearance. Her long hair for instance, which had been pulled back into a braid in her files, was free and from what it looked like making quite the nuisance of itself. Miranda smirked slightly, watching as she tucked and untucked it from behind one ear for the fourth time in as many minutes, making it quite clear that it was rarely let loose from its military confines.

"Lieutenant," Miranda watched as the woman swung round at the sound of her rank - hand twitching for a moment as if she was restraining a salute – and was instantly aware that up close, red hair was far from being the marine's most distinctive feature. Striking green eyes stared back at her, still momentarily confused until they lit up in realization, a wide smile forming on her full lips. The picture Miranda had found didn't quite do the woman justice.

"Lawbringer?"

"It's Laura." Miranda supplied the pseudonym smoothly.

"Shepard," the redhead returned, "though I'm sure you already knew that. You seem like the kind of woman that does her research."

A smirk accompanied her words that made it difficult for Miranda to be sure whether that was intended as an insult or not. Narrowing her eyes, she ignored the comment, resting a hand on her hip. "You're late."

Shepard's smirk only grew. "You ever heard that patience is a virtue? I had something I needed to do."

Miranda didn't care to hear any elaboration. "Which way to the apartment?"

"Follow me, milady." She tipped her head with the same obnoxious grin on her face before beckoning Miranda to go after her. Miranda trailed behind with a roll of her eyes, only hoping that the woman's arrogance befitted her skill in the bedroom.

They walked in an amiable silence, the smirk on Shepard's face never really having disappeared. Something about it set Miranda on edge, as if the woman knew something she didn't. Suffice to say, it was a feeling the Cerberus Operative despised. The reason for her smile however, quickly became apparent.

"Here we are." The redhead said as she came to a stop, waving an arm at the classy looking building behind her.

"This doesn't look like an apartment." Miranda eyed her accusingly, suitably annoyed already.

"That's because it is in fact… a restaurant. They provide food in exchange for financial compensation." Shepard's smirk was hidden only barely by the false innocence she was playing at, clearly all too amused by her companion's irritation.

Miranda sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose to compose herself. "I'd gathered that. Why are we here?"

"Funnily enough, to purchase said food. I'm starved."

"It's the middle of the night."

"Exactly. I've barely eaten all day." The woman answered, as if that answered everything.

I was right. The universe is conspiring against me. "Look, I didn't come down here for some kind of," Miranda paused, the word feeling foreign on her tongue, "…date." She shook her head incredulously as the woman simply smiled and began backing towards the restaurant.

"I'd gathered that."

Miranda stared after her for a moment before walking towards the woman. "Yet here you are, still walking into the restaurant," she said as she caught up to the marine, a disbelieving tone in her voice. The woman had the audacity to laugh.

"And here you are, still following me."

Miranda paused instantly, as if only just realising that that was in fact exactly what she was doing. Apparently, Shepard had anticipated it, as she stopped the exact moment the brunette did.

"If it makes you feel any better we can call it a 'not date'. Think of it as more of a pre-sex snack." The mischievous wriggle of the redhead's brows evoked a reluctant chuckle from the Cerberus woman, who shook her head as if trying to fight back the amusement on her face. "Charming." She sighed. Perhaps a quick meal wouldn't hurt, she reasoned, feeling a little hungry herself as she began walking once more.

"My middle name." She winked as they entered the restaurant, finding them seats in a more private corner of the establishment.

"Liar."

"And how would you know?"

"Because your middle names are Eris, after the Greek war goddess of strife and discord, and Nemain an Irish spirit of war and aspect of the Morrigan, Goddess of battle. Following a similar line, I presume Victoria is also a reference to mythology, namely the Roman goddess of victory who shared the same name." Miranda barely looked up as she spoke, casually arranging her cutlery into precise and orderly lines beside her plate.

When she did finally raise her head, a small, knowing smile gracing her lips, she was met with a rather impressed expression from her dining companion.

"You did do your research."

Miranda gave a wry smile. "Naturally." She paused as they were interrupted by a waiter coming to take their order, only continuing once he was out of sight. "So how did you end up with so many names? They're hardly common."

"It was my sister. She was really big into mythology. Apparently my mom didn't really care that she'd had another kid, let alone being bothered enough to name it, so my sister had the honour." Shepard laughed, her eyes distant as if recalling a fond memory. "Just like her to choose something so fierce. Whole time we were kids, she couldn't wait to join up with the Alliance and get as far away from Earth as possible."

Miranda had to force herself not to roll her eyes at the family loyalty to the military, but she could certainly empathise with running from a problematic home environment and finding solace wherever one could. She wasn't sure if it was this understanding that allowed her to relax, or if it was the pure charisma and magnetism that the other woman exuded, but the conversation seemed to flow quite easily. It was a fact no less surprising to Miranda than the speed of the restaurant's service – they had barely been talking for ten minutes when their food reached the table – surprising even despite Victoria having been quite vocal about the quality of the restaurant, assuring her 'not date' that she would never bring someone with such clearly refined tastes to anywhere less than stellar.

A brief laugh spilled from the Cerberus operative's lips. "Good, because I settle for nothing but the best."

"I don't doubt it," the redhead replied with an already familiar curl to her lips and Miranda couldn't help but return the smile.

She shook her head. She probably shouldn't be quite so content with her situation, she knew that. It was supposed to be nothing short of a one-night arrangement, business-like but enjoyable, and above all: straight to the point. Yet there she was, enjoying a gorgeous meal with a gorgeous woman and smiling more than she would ever usually allow. A voice in the back of her mind kept telling her that the whole thing could result in disaster, but the charming grin she was faced with seemed to pull her in regardless, the mischievous twinkle in the woman's green eyes far too easy to become lost in.

"I love this place." Shepard remarked wistfully, almost staring through her half emptied plate as she spoke. "It kind of reminds me of my childhood. I mean, I don't get to eat here often on my salary, but it's good for special occasions."

Miranda chose to ignore that their own little 'not date' had been deemed a special occasion and instead eyed the woman teasingly. "Oh? You don't really seem the type to have had the money to frequent places like this as a child either."

It was true enough. The rich rarely entered the Alliance with anything less than a college education at the least, and they were even less likely to have tattoos adorning anywhere quite so visible as Victoria Shepard had, the gloriously intricate, feathered tips of dark wings just coming to curl around the sides of her neck, disappearing, Miranda presumed, down her back. More than once that night, Miranda thought about following the curve of those wings with the tips of her fingers, tracing the ink with her lips and finding out what more of it lay beneath the clinging blue material of her shirt.

"Really?" Shepard gasped, open mouthed in mock hurt. "Well, you can take your snooty, pre-conceptions and screw 'em 'Lawbringer', because I happened to spend most of my time in places like this as a kid." She paused for a moment, looking so sincere Miranda almost thought she genuinely had misread the woman. "It's where you'd find the richest marks." Her sly grin returned full force. "So what about you? I bet you spent a lot of time in even nicer joints than this."

"You think so?" Miranda humoured her.

"Yeah. You've got the poise and grace of a posh girl. Plus, you didn't need to ask which way the cutlery goes."

"As a matter of fact I didn't go out much at all when I was younger. I suppose my father thought I had better things to be doing." Even the thought of him forced the smile to fall.

"Ah, the controlling rich father." Shepard nodded sagely, sensing the sombre mood that had descended upon her companion and attempting to lighten the mood.

Miranda smiled slightly in response, shaking herself back to reality. Sometimes it was so easy to forget that she wasn't under his thumb anymore, when even the thought of him could take her back so quickly to the feeling of permanent disappointment that permeated through her childhood until it seemed that was all there was to it.

"You have no idea. Sometimes I think he wanted me to be perfect." For a reason she couldn't quite explain, the words were coming without thought. This wasn't a date. She didn't know this woman. Yet she felt inexplicably comfortable talking about her past in such an easy atmosphere as the redhead had created.

"Funny, I kind of had the opposite problem. I don't think my dad ever gave a single damn where I was or what I was doing."

A moment of silence passed between them, an unspoken understanding of a childhood left rotten by absentee fathers, emotionally or otherwise.

Shepard shifted, scratching at the small scar on one cheek with an uncomfortable laugh. "Damn, listen to us whining. I swear I'm usually less depressing than this. I guess it's just a bad time of the year for me."

Miranda frowned. "Why?"

The marine almost looked shocked, a disbelieving brow raised as she regarded the woman opposite her. "Seriously, all that research and you even didn't look at my service record?"

It was Miranda's turn to shift uncomfortably, suddenly feeling as if her work was under review. "Well, it didn't seem pertinent to our… arrangement."

Shepard grinned, clearly amused by the raven haired woman's discomposure. "What? You didn't even want to know it I was good at my job? If my… fitness was up to standard?" Her smirk was devilish, to such a degree even Miranda felt compelled to blush. She didn't, of course, but the feeling was there all the same.

"Ass." Miranda rolled her eyes when the insult only seemed to make the woman's grin wider. "So are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?"

"Well, you know how much I love guessing games…"

"Don't make me stab you. That would make the sex part of the evening incredibly awkward," Miranda returned, earning a chuckle from the redhead.

"If you really must know, it's an anniversary today, of a mission that went… not so great."

The Cerberus woman frowned once again, wracking her brain for that particular date's significance within the Alliance, but could only come up with one thing.

Suddenly, it was like a light flickered on inside her mind, and instantly she felt like a fool. She had seen this woman before. Upon finding a picture on her file she had known there was a hint of recognition, but couldn't quite place it. Even her name had set off an alarm in her brain. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.

"You're 1st Lieutenant Shepard, the sole survivor of Akuze." Miranda gaped, mortified that such a vital piece of information had passed her by.

"That's Staff Lieutenant I'll have you know. Funny, all your friends die and you end up getting a promotion," The marine muttered, quickly wincing at the bitter tone in her voice instantly, looking apologetic. "Sorry," she gave a humourless laugh, "not really first date material is it? I usually save that story for at least the third."

Miranda stared for a moment, unsure of how to react. Victoria Shepard had been shortlisted by Cerberus once. Her obvious skill and abundant potential had been exactly what they were looking for. Combined with her history on Earth, which no doubt had softened her to a pro-human outlook, she would have made a perfect candidate.

Then Akuze happened. A rogue cell, the Illusive Man assured her, had been responsible for the massacre, but their ties to Cerberus were undoubtable. The risk of her finding out was seen as too great, and any attempts at head hunting the woman were abandoned.

Yet there Miranda was, a Cerberus agent, doing her own kind of courting.

If the Illusive Man found out…

If Shepard found out…

The woman in question was watching the brunette inquisitively and Miranda realised she was waiting for some kind of response.

A coy smile played on her lips, hiding the tumult of thoughts that were sweeping through her overworked brain. "I thought we weren't calling this a date."

Shepard laughed, looking relieved to have moved away from such an obviously touchy topic. "Of course," she conceded easily, briefly glancing at their emptied plates, "what do you say we take this 'not date' elsewhere?"

"You read my mind."

"This is definitely not what I had in mind." Miranda blinked, watching the doors of the nightclub with obvious dissatisfaction. She raised a brow at Shepard, giving her a withering if only half serious look.

"What?" The redhead replied innocently. "This is the customary pre-sex dancing part of the 'not date'."

Miranda frowned. "I don't think-"

"Hey, it'll be fun. Besides, you've got to give me a chance to wow you with my moves."

Uncertainty washed through the Cerberus woman, instantly torn. The whole night was already becoming far too complicated. As much as the other woman protested, what they were doing definitely constituted a date and in the face of that infuriating yet charming smirk Miranda almost didn't mind. That of course, posed a problem in itself. Becoming attached was not an option.

She heaved an internal sigh. This,she thought, is why I use men! She was almost positive no man trawling the extranet for sex would have put it off for a date. Of course, it may just have been that this woman in particular was a special brand of insane.

She groaned. "Fun?"

The redhead laughed. "You're not even real are you? Yes, fun. People have it sometimes." Her grin was mocking, but affectionate and Miranda couldn't help but be charmed. "Look, I'm guessing you came down here to ease off the stress and you're never going to do that if you take things so seriously all the time. Just relax and let me woo the pants off you. I promise, you will thoroughly enjoy it." She held a hand out in confident expectation, though looking hard enough, there was a quiet desperation in her eyes that said 'please, I need this'.

That was the moment it finally struck Miranda, what the whole night had been about.

Akuze.

Shepard's face seemed completely composed, her roguish smile as wide as ever, but it was clear to Miranda in that moment that all of it was a distraction, a ruse to escape the despair that no doubt followed her on that very day every single year. She was arrogant, impetuous and frustrating in equal amounts, but how much of it the Cerberus woman wondered, was there simply to disguise a genuine sorrow that resonated through to her very bones.

Miranda wasn't exactly sure what it was that made her take the hand that was offered. She had been listing a million reasons why she shouldn't in her head even as she felt the brush of the other woman's palm on her skin. She couldn't be sure if it had been the sadness in the redhead's eyes, or the charming tone she'd used, or the captivating smile that tugged at her lips. It may have been all of the above. Regardless of the cause, the logical reasons she had thought up went completely ignored as she was led into the thriving club before them.

Heading straight for the bar, Shepard called for the attention of the barman before turning back, mouthing something indistinguishable beneath the roar of the music. Miranda raised a brow quizzically, forcing the redhead to lean in close enough that the warmth of her breath could be felt on the brunette's ear. It took Miranda a second to register the fact that she was being asked what drink she wanted, their sudden proximity surprising her, if only for a moment.

She found she missed it however, once Shepard turned to order. As far as she was concerned, the final act of their little escapade could not come soon enough.

Taking a sip of the drink her 'date' offered her, she decided she could at least work to hurry things along towards that end. "So, how often do you do this?" She brushed against the other woman, as close as they had been seconds before, delighting in watching her tense at the sultry tone in her voice.

"Do what?"

"Search dating sites for straight women to seduce under false pretences and then drag them off on an impromptu tour of the citadel."

The Lieutenant laughed and Miranda was surprised to find that she actually quite enjoyed the sound. "Okay one, you are so not straight or you never would have come down here."

Miranda conceded that point with a smirk. She still felt validated in her question however; Shepard couldn't have known that at the time.

"And two…" Shepard continued, rubbing at the back of her neck awkwardly. "Uh… Honestly, I'm new to the whole internet dating thing. I didn't really know how the site worked. Guess I must have missed something when I signed up. And once I realised I just kind of had to go with it. It would have been too embarrassing not to."

Miranda paused for a moment, watching the sheepish expression on the marine's face with disbelief before crumbling into the most sincere fit of laughter she could remember falling victim to in a long time. It wasn't long before Shepard joined her, not minding being the butt of a joke when it meant she got to see a woman so usually reserved with her emotions look so genuinely joyful. It was a beautiful thing to witness, even at her own expense.

Once laughter had died down, Miranda finally found herself able to resume normal conversation, though was unable to keep the amused smile from her face. "So, I thought you wanted to dance. What happened to 'wowing me' with your 'moves'?"

"Yeah about that…I might have lied a little to get you in here. I'm actually a terrible dancer."

"I find that hard to believe." It was true. The woman moved with all the presence and authority of a soldier, but the careful swagger and sway of her hips as she walked hinted at a type of hypnotising rhythm that could only be put to good use in dance. And sex Miranda's mind hastily added. Sex too.

"No really, it's looks like kind of a mix between someone having a heart attack and some kind of seizure. Otherwise, I sort of just… shuffle," she admitted, uncharacteristically bashful.

"This I have to see." Miranda took her hand with a devilish wink, leading her onto the dance floor.

"I don't think you're actually prepared to be wowed by these particular moves." Any of the usual confidence that seemed to define the other woman had dissipated, leaving an endearing awkwardness and uncertainty in its wake as she casually began what she had most rightfully described as a shuffle. Miranda fought hard to supress the grin that was fighting so terribly hard to make itself known.

Shepard obviously noticed her inner battle. "Yeah I know right? Just bask in the sexual energy."

"You're too stiff." Turning her back to Shepard, Miranda took the other woman's hands and placed them on her hips. "Here," she whispered, turning her head slightly so their eyes could meet.

They were close, almost unbearably so as Shepard attempted to follow her partner's movements, finding it hard to think over the lustful haze that had clouded her brain. Their bodies were almost moulded together as they danced, Shepard finally finding the rhythm that Miranda had set, their movements in unison.

"Am I getting it?" Her head was turned into Miranda's neck, skin brushing skin in a way that made the brunette shiver.

"There's a definite improvement."

Miranda's breath hitched as she felt Shepard's lips graze her neck, the friction between them causing a well of heat to build in her chest and gravitate quickly to somewhere decidedly further south. The sensation only grew as those lips pressed more firmly against her skin once more, and then again, higher and higher until teeth gently closed over the lobe of her ear and tugged, accompanied by a swipe of tongue that forced an unintelligible sound from her mouth.

Miranda wasn't exactly sure how long after those kisses had turned into teasing nips along her jaw that they had exited the club, but it certainly had been longer than she was capable of waiting, as once she found herself with her back roughly pressed against an apartment door, lips still desperately seeking Shepard's as the other woman struggled to open the door, she was already fixing to explode with anticipation.

Suddenly, the pressure on her back was gone, and both of them were left stumbling carelessly through the open doorway, still firmly attached to each other by frantic mouths and grasping hands. The door was promptly kicked shut behind them as Shepard shrugged out of her jacket, leaving it abandoned on the floor. Each blind step was punctuated by the lustful collision of tongues and a strangled moan that passed back and forth between them like an ill kept secret.

Only when the back of Miranda's legs hit the bed did they separate, for the briefest of moments, as the raven haired woman hooked a finger under Shepard's shirt, pulling her down onto the mattress with her. She couldn't stop the gasp that slipped from her lips as the redhead's body came flush with her own, a strong leg pressed deliciously tight between her thighs.

For a moment, they were stilled, eyes meeting properly for the first time since their lips had first touched and the pressure of those emerald eyes bearing down on her caused Miranda to falter. The emotion in them was too real, lust and desire residing in their depths no doubt, but coupled with a deep fear that only intensified as they flickered to the stretch of skin laid bare by Miranda's searching hand.

Sitting up slightly, she asked for silent permission to see better the source of the other woman's anxiety, lifting the shirt over Shepard's head. The marine's fear seemed only to heighten as she turned, swallowing nervously as she gave Miranda a better view of the scarring that marred her perfect cream skin. Lines of burned and broken flesh made abstract patterns along her ribs, traversing one side of her back in a discoloured haze that made the woman tense as Miranda's fingertips brushed her tarnished shoulder.

"Thresher Maw," she explained. It was barely a whisper between them. "Acid stings like a bitch." She choked out an awkward laugh, uncomfortable in the silence, wary of the disgust she was sure to see in the brunette's eyes. It never came. Instead, Miranda leaned forward, desperately trying supress the sudden well of intensity that had been building within her, replacing it for lust as she pressed her lips against the other woman's back, covering the intricately inked Valkyrie whose wings she had noticed earlier kiss by kiss.

Then for a second, those lips were gone, and Shepard nearly groaned at the loss of contact, but the sound never escaped. Instead, her mouth was quite quickly preoccupied as Miranda climbed onto her lap, pulling her tight against her body. The sound that did escape her was more akin to a strangled whimper, and as she was pushed to the bed, left to watch as the impossibly beautiful woman atop her slowly peeled off her shirt. It was in such a daze, eyes traversing the near unbearable beauty before her that she began to wonder why she had ever been stalling to begin with. Now that the moment had arrived however, she was adamant she would spend every second of the next few hours making up for it.

As a result, the night was long; longer than Miranda had anticipated and certainly longer than she should have allowed, but apparently Shepard did not know the definition of a quick affair. At least, certainly not where sex was involved. Every brief moment of respite taken to catch their breath was the brief moment in which Miranda was adamant that this time, she definitely had to leave. Apparently however, those same moments to Shepard were simply recovery in preparation for the next go round, and Miranda could never quite will herself to stop her.

It was due to such a predicament, that Miranda found herself waking as the first artificial light began to filter through the apartment windows, curled up against the incorrigible woman in question. It took her but a moment to process the information, realising her mistake in an instant.

"Shit," she whispered, carefully disentangling herself from the naked marine. She was going to be behind on her reports she just knew it, and Miranda Lawson was never behind on her reports.

She pulled her clothes on hurriedly, cursing at herself all the while. "That bloody woman!" Her tone was vicious but near silent, for fear of waking her 'date'- and yes, she would concede, that it had in fact been a date. What was worse, she had let it become one.

Eyeing the sleeping woman furiously, she was shocked to find that the only anger she had was directed at herself. She should have known better after all. Too time consuming, too intense, too everything.

Shepard stirred slightly, turning slightly in her slumber so an unruly lock of hair fell across her face, the cover slipping ever so slightly down her back. She looked innocent – serene - as if she hadn't just spent an entire night making Miranda cry out in pleasure to a God that she didn't believe in. Miranda shook her head, suddenly having to suppress the unfathomable urge to brush the hair from the beautiful marine's face. Dangerous, she thought, once again battling an indescribable intensity bubbling in her chest.

Turning on her heel, she didn't spare the woman another glance. The time for foolishness was over, and Miranda Lawson never made the same mistake twice. She had work to do, important work. There was no time or place in her life for emotional entanglement, it was something she neither wanted nor needed. Though, as she closed the apartment door behind her, she paused for a moment, resting against it with an uncharacteristic uncertainty flooding her mind, before shaking her head of it a final time.

It was all nonsense, she decided. She would put Victoria Shepard from her mind. Or at the very least, she thought, she could be thankful that she would never have to see the infuriating woman ever again.

AN: So some of you may have noticed that this is the date that is referenced in This City Is Far From Here, which is a fic that actually spawned out of this little idea here. I'd appreciate it if you could let me know what you think. And for those of you that have never read This City then you should go check it out (I command you!)... (Okay just kidding. But I would be much obliged *tips hat*). Anywho, believe it or not I haven't abandoned it, it will get finished, even if it's in ten years when no-one gives a damn anymore, I will! Promise.

Oh and happy holidays everybody! And if you could leave a review and let me know what you think, it would be a pretty awesome Christmas present ;)