Curious Jealousy- a F!Shenko Fic

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Elysium

Kaidan opened his messages and saw that there was a message from an unknown sender with the subject line simply saying: Elysium Shoreleave- 2176. That was the year that the Batarian's had instigated the Skyllian Blitz…and lost.

The year that Shepard had proven how much of hero she was and would become.

Without hesitating, he opened the message and realized that it was a chapter in a biography about Hope.

He couldn't resist.

She could count on one finger how many times in her four years with the Alliance when she'd been on shore leave for her birthday- and it was for her twenty-second birthday that she had been given that privilege. As it was, the location of the leave wasn't bad.

Elysium.

Shepard had seen the ads for the colony which assured that colonists lived a perfectly normal, happy life in Humanity's oldest colony. People flocked to the world every year.

While she couldn't ever see herself settling down on some colony planet out in the Skyllian Verge (or anywhere, honestly), she could appreciate it's beauty for her three days off.

"Lieutenant Shepard," a sharp voice called out.

Recognizing the voice as the captain, she snapped to attention and threw up a salute. "Sir!"

The man stepped in front of her and chuckled. "At ease, Shepard." After she lowered her salute, he handed her a pistol. At her confused expression, he explained, "Expect the unexpected- never go unarmed."

She took the pistol and examined it.

It was an Edge- manufactured by Elkoss Combine. It was light in her hands and a little more powerful than the standard pistol she kept in her arsenal- what with her preferring assault rifles and sniper rifles.

"Thank you, sir. I'll return it to you as soon as I return from leave," she assured him.

He shook his head. "Keep it- call it an early birthday present."

Shepard felt her jaw drop, but saluted the captain none-the-less and headed down to the shuttle bay with her bag and new pistol.

"What'd the captain want?" Lieutenant Jeremy Black- her boyfriend- asked.

Smirking, she hopped into the shuttle. "Told me to keep you boys under control- said he wouldn't bail any of you out of jail."

Jer chuckled and rested a hand on her hip. "You got everything?" he asked quietly in her ear.

She banged on the door to indicate they were ready to lift off. "Let's hit it! We're wasting time!"

Hope was dressed in a simple white dress that fell down past her ankles and white heels, drinking tea while the others got completely wasted at the best bar in Illyria. Jer had his arm firmly around her waist and she continuously found that his eyes kept drifting down to the cleavage that was peeking out thanks to the design of the dress.

"You wanna to count down?" Jer slurred, leaning in further.

"For what?"

He gestured to the clock and it showed that it was a minute to midnight. She shook her head. "Aw, c'mon, Hope," he murmured, the alcohol practically radiating from his breath. "We're gonna count down."

"Jer-"

"C'mon, ever'body! We're gonna sing to the beau'iful Hope Shepard!" At thirty seconds to midnight, he began. "Happy birthday to you!" he shouted out and the others joined him. It took every ounce of willpower not to blush and to not feel the urge to slink down in her chair. "Happy birthday, dear Ho-ope," the crowd all shouted. At midnight exactly, they all concluded, "Happy birthday to-"