Mass Effect: Reaper Dreams

April 11th

"On your birthday you should throw me a party. This is my advice for everybody, especially my clones."

Jarod Kintz

April 11th, 2188

Ashley Williams

Susan Rizzi

Samantha Traynor

Subject Zero

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"Ow, ow, ow, would you watch it!" said Ashley.

Emma snorted. "Sorry, baby, but I can't seem to find anywhere where you don't hurt."

Ashley nodded. "Yea, maybe this wasn't the best idea."

"We could just sit in the hot tub instead," said Emma. "Drink some champagne?"

Ashley groaned. "Hot tub, yea, champagne, well, probably best not to mix alcohol with pain meds. Help me up?"

Emma pulled Ashley out of bed, then guided her to the garden room. Each step was misery, but it was good to move. She'd been through this before in worse circumstances. Rehab would take about a month, and then she'd be back on Nicholas's trail. Meanwhile, she had Emma to take care of her. Ashley winced as Emma helped her into the hot water, but soon relief flooded over her. She settled in with a satisfied sigh.

Emma vanished for a few minutes, then returned with water for Ashley and a bottle of champagne for herself. Ashley watched Emma's every movement. The way she slipped into the water, removed the seal on the bottle, poured her champagne, and drank it, all the while making sure she put on a show for her lover. She appeared, submerged and reappeared from the water constantly, and always with a little wiggle. She was like some perverse mermaid trying to lure someone to their watery grave.

It was enticing, but also a little bit disturbing. Ashley began to worry about Emma's authenticity. She was so good at this that it was almost unreal, and that was the problem. What if it wasn't real? She was a clone. What if she had programming? What if this was all a setup, and Ashley was her mark?

She scolded herself. 'Don't think that way.'

She couldn't help it.

Ashely also couldn't help but wonder. "Emma, thank you for getting me out of the hospital, but how in the hell did you afford this hotel? Things aren't cheap here on Benning. This room would have cost me three months' salary for one night."

"It was free for me," said Emma. "I signed a contract with a company and this was just one of the side bennies. I do have to make one small appearance tonight. It's a birthday thing for Shepard, but I'll only be gone for about an hour or so."

"Birthday?" Ashley glanced around the room for a calendar.

"Yea, April 11th," said Emma. "Technically, her birthday, not mine, but I don't even remember when I came out of the tank, so I'm just going to go with it."

Ashley was embarrassed. "I didn't even get you anything."

Emma smiled. "You're alive, that's the best gift you could have given me, and maybe tonight, if you're feeling just a little better?"

Ashley laughed. "You're insatiable, you know that? I'll see what I can manage, it'll just have to be very gentle."

Emma took another drink of champagne. "Soft and sweet, I can do."