#mclone shenko

Rules: post the first sentence of your last ten fics. If you haven't written ten fics, share as many first-sentences as you have. 

I was tagged by @dandenbo and @mtreebeardiles (yes, I have waaaaay more than 10! lol) - thank you, my friend! As for tagging, I'm going to leave it open to anyone who wants to share because you tagged my usual suspects! LOL *high fives*

All right, let's see what we have..

If London Falls (M, Mass Effect, Abby Williams/Major Coats (aka: Abboats) - set in London during the early days of the Reaper War)

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…

2. Brain Freeze (G, Mass Effect, mClone Shep/Kaidan Alenko - a oneshot for Kaidan and Aubrey in which Aubrey discovers freezy pops)

The heat was a problem.

3. Tales From The Inquisition (T, Dragon Age Inquisition, William Trevelyan & Cullen Rutherford - small moments in the friendship of the Inquisitor and the Commander)

There weren’t many things William could say he enjoyed while growing up more than looking through stacks of books.

4. Under Covers (T, Mass Effect, Gianna Parasini/Kaidan Alenko - little moments from a pairing for whom I have a story but have yet to get it written)

“You know, when they said we would be going under cover together, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind.”

5. Bait & Switch (T, Mass Effect/Mass Effect Andromeda, AU/crossover, Kaidan Alenko/Reyes Vidal - The Alliance comes asking for Reyes Vidal's help. Part of The Golden Boy & The Shady Bastard series)(my SpecRecs 2022 piece written for @mallaidhsomo)

Of all the places in the galaxy to end up in a back-room meeting with an Alliance representative, the lower level of Afterlife on Omega wasn’t his first choice. 

6. Run Away With Me (M, Mass Effect, male Shepard & female OC - background story of how Earthborn Michael Shepard and his best friend leave the Reds and join the Alliance - part of the Biotic Pinball Wizard series)

Dimly lit, overly shadowed halls, even those that are supposed to offer safety, hold risks for those who enter unprepared.

7. Gaia's Chosen (M, Mass Effect/Werewolf: The Apocalypse crossover, set in Mass Effect world, Caleb Shepard/Kaidan Alenko - this story is set at the beginning of ME2)

The first rule of law for any soldier is that life becomes a constant assessment of risk from the moment they don the uniform.

8. May The Road Rise To Meet You (M, Mass Effect, Caleb Shepard - this is Caleb's story of Akuze)

Shannon’s grey skies weep readily across the city, a steady, calming rhythm during otherwise precarious times.

9. Nerf Gun Wars (T, Mass Effect, male Shepard - this is what happens late at night when my brain goes off the wall. Mass Effect + Nerf Guns + Assassination Game from back in the '80s when I was in high school)

It’s all fun and games … until the helmsman ends up in the medbay with a fractured toe.

10. As Cold As Ice (T, Mass Effect, Kaidan Alenko/Major Coats (aka: Alenkoats) - Kaidan and Coats face off with a Thresher Maw on Xawin)

Work: Rescue Me

Chapter 2: Tree Climbing

Exerpt:

A gentle autumn breeze rustled the branches of early October trees, fresh and invigorating.  The sound was so different from anything Aubrey had ever heard before, so…soft and delicate, yet firm and sturdy all at once.  Tilting his head and shading his eyes with his hand, he watched the movement, captivated.  The play of light and shadow.  The whispering whistle of wind.  The light flutter of leaves.

A vague notion, seemingly from nowhere, formed in his mind without warning.  Though it startled him – he wasn’t a fanciful person by any stretch of the imagination – it wasn’t frightening, yet he dismissed it immediately, a hint of a scowl slipping across his lips.  Absurd…absolutely absurd…

The weight of a hand at his shoulder – kind and careful in gaining his attention – wasn’t unexpected and it succeeded in pulling him back to the present.  Twisting his head, he met honey-brown eyes that had come to mean so much to him over these past few months.  Paired with a smile that shone with the same intensity as the dark energy they both wielded in battle, it was impossible not to return it. 

“You’ve never climbed a tree before, have you?” Kaidan asked.

~~~~~

Read Full Chapter || Read From Beginning || Read Series

"Rescue Me" is a work in the Part of Me series. It is a collection of prompts and drabbles pertaining to Aubrey Shepard's story.

from this list

On AO3 here

Okay, so this got way out of control almost from the moment I first saw it. Just dropping a snippet here, the rest is over on AO3. Hope you like it! :)

~~~

Brain Freeze

The heat was a problem.

Since coming to the orchard, Aubrey had settled in surprisingly well, if Kaidan and his mother were to be believed.  Never having been around nature before, let alone so much all at once, it was a bit of a shock.  Tree branches drifting gently in the breeze were not Aria’s troops closing in, nor was the subtle shift from daylight to dusk a sign someone was messing with the power grid.  It had taken time to get used to it all – and truthfully, he would admit he wasn’t quite there yet – but Kaidan’s reassurances that they had the time now to be together and that was the most important thing, made the process of adjusting here so much easier.

And then there was Kaidan’s mother.

Anna-Marie Alenko was not what Aubrey had expected.  Perhaps that wasn’t quite fair, since the only woman with any major influence in his life before now was Brooks and that had been the absolute worst sort of relationship.  However, Kaidan’s mother was well beyond the opposite end of the spectrum from Brooks.  Kind, patient, understanding; so many of the same qualities Aubrey had come to find in Kaidan.  Anna-Marie had sensed Aubrey’s initial discomfort immediately upon his arrival and gone out of her way to welcome him; not with open-armed hugs or excited words, but with a warm smile that reached her eyes and a knowing look.  Most importantly, he’d discovered, she was willing to share.

Aubrey’s lack of knowledge – of nature or anything else, really – didn’t seem to be a concern to her.  As she told him in those first days, it was an opportunity to learn and grow.  A blessing, plain and simple.  Now, all these weeks later and even though he still couldn’t tell an apple tree from a peach unless the fruit was present, she never showed concern but instead patiently explained it yet again.  Small successes were still successes, and who was he to argue with her?  And the very fact he could new tell the difference between those trees that produced fruit and those that were merely decorative was one such success.    

How could he not fall in love with this place?

So, this is what happens when I try to read a prompt left in my Inbox when I'm barely awake and I catch most of the prompt and one of the pairings and my brain just ZOOOOOOMS! off with it.

@mtreebeardiles left me several options over night and all my brain latched onto was: head in lap, Aubrey and Kaidan. By the time I was out of my shower (without rereading the prompt in my Inbox), I had the whole thing written in my head. Sooooo... you get a bonus prompt, my friend! (the actual prompt is: Falling asleep with their head in the other's lap) I'll do that one with Caleb and Kaidan instead! lol

I should add, this is the first published piece for them (I thought I'd written something else, but maybe they're only here on tumblr? I'll have to double check), so they ARE OFFICIALLY A THING! Thank you so much for the encouragement!

Also: yes, this is something that WILL happen to them down the road in their story, so please don't hate me too much...

Prompt: Lying with their head in the other's lap

Full Prompt on AO3 here

Consciousness found him slowly, a persistent ache in his shoulder and the back of his head.  Even his eyelids and eyelashes hurt as they fluttered open…to darkness. 

Panic rose quickly and without permission, choking him.  The voice – her voice – hoary whispers in the back of his mind, grasped for a more solid hold.

You are Commander John A. Shepard…

…until a different voice, deeper and calmer, cut it off.  “It’s okay, Aubrey.  You’re okay.”

A voice that reminded him of warmth and melted chocolate, of decadence and comfort.

It was also enough to chase away the sharpest edges of panic.  The choking sensation gone, he took a couple of deep breaths, slow and steady.

I’m about to head to bed but I remembered this in here and thought of something, so here we go! I hope it makes sense!

(Writing this on my phone so I’ll put links in later)

~~~

Vague hints of moonlight peeked through billowing curtains, fluttering and rippling across the bed. As tired as he was and after what they’d just been through, Kaidan was beyond exhausted, but lthe movement sharpened his focus and brought it to the man lying in his arms. Aubrey had fallen asleep the minute his head hit the pillows, only curling into Kaidan’s arms once he climbed in beside him.

Minutes later - or had it been hours? - Kaidan had yet to look away. He was entranced; there was an old tale from his mother’s people who cautioned of such things, of ‘magic’ that could capture the heart and not let go, cautioning that the end result - good or bad - was determined by how those involved reacted to the situation. Though he’d fought against his heritage most of his life, just as he had his biotics for such a long time, all these years later, Kaidan now thought he understood.

I was wrong when we first met. So wrong about you. You aren’t him, you’re you; Aubrey Shepard. You never asked to be in this position, never given a chance to decide for yourself if you wanted to be him. You weren’t even trained properly. And I didn’t give you a chance, either, demanding you prove yourself to me.

Aubrey shifted against him, tangling his legs with Kaidan’s and resting his cheek on Kaidan’s bare shoulder. Pale light washed across his cheek, enough that Kaidan could see long, dark lashed fluttering open.

Before Aubrey could speak, Kaidan turned to brush a gentle kiss across the top of his head. “Shh, it’s all right. Go back to sleep.”

More fluttering and the glide of an arm across his belly and Aubrey settled again.

However, the deeper message wasn’t lost on Kaidan. Absolute trust. When was the last time he had done that? And despite their difficult beginning, this man who had far greater reason not to trust him did.

The feel of Aubrey’s lips on his skin pulled Kaidan out of his thoughts. “You’re thinking too loud,” he grumbled sleepily.

Chuckling softly, Kaidan snuggled closer, his arm wrapped loosely around Aubrey’s shoulders. “So I am. Guess we both need some sleep.”

from this list

Ooooooh, my clone boy!!! bounces Let's see what he has to say...

23.  How do they hug? Kiss? Tease? Flirt? Comfort?

Hmmm. I think at first - like at the very, very beginning when he's trying to sort this out in his head and he and Kaidan are starting to realize they have Feelings (tm), Aubrey is a little bit...cringey? How do I explain this? Not scared, so much, but especially with the hugging, getting that close is very much an Invasion of Space he's fought really hard go claim for himself, so it takes some time to understand that it's okay to let someone in as well as WANT to let someone in. Obviously, there is a bit of room for misunderstanding there. But they eventually work through it. Aubrey eventually turns out to be a very touch oriented person - touch starved, you might say - and so hugs are a Thing, just like holding hands, incidental touches, etc.

Now kisses? I think that's part of what helps Aubrey to move past his initial hesitation about letting Kaidan physically close. Just like hugs, kissing becomes A Thing - how did he not know that kissing was like this??? - and after the first time, he definitely opens himself up to figuring it out (and Kaidan is more than willing to help him with that! lol). Difficult to say just yet exactly how that manifests, but suffice to say he's willing to put some effort into experimentation to find out. ;)

Teasing and flirting take some time to figure out as he's not really had much, if any, context for either prior to his existence. The subtlety involved is tricky to understand and, again, there are some misteps along the way. Eventually, he gets to a point where he kind of gets a grasp on it, though he never thinks he's particularly good at it. (Kaidan will tell you all Aubrey has to do is look at him a certain way and it might as well be flirting!)

Comfort. Surprisingly, it takes Aubrey a long time to understand it's okay to need and want comfort. He learns to give it to others first - all that time he spends with Mordin at his clinic helps with that, I think - but he never makes the connection that he can be comforted until the first time Kaidan tries. There are some awkward moments, but in the end, he again goes for the touch-based types. Hugs, holding hands, just leaning into each other or snuggling up on the couch together. It's the being together that helps the most, knowing he isn't alone anymore.

25. How much time do they spend together? Do they share their feelings, or hold things in?

Well, they're kind of thrown together at first, and they spend a lot of time together simply so that Aubrey can keep an eye on Kaidan, make sure he's not sneaking off to turn him (Aubrey) in or anything. But during that time is when things start shifting, every so subtly, and eventually they're together throughout their 'mission' and by the end it's more that they want to have that time together.

I think the sharing/holding in thing depends on their ability to read the other. At first, it's obvious that there are feelings - and none of them are pleasant. They come together in a difficult situation from opposite sides of a problem, and it's obvious they don't particularly care for the situation or each other. Once that phase passes, I think it's easier for Kaidan to understand Aubrey as he comes to realize this isn't the Commander Shepard he once knew, but that doesn't mean he always 'gets' him. Aubrey, despite five years around Mordin at that point, is still learning how to read people accurately. He isn't very good at it, to say the least! lol So, I think there's that 'holding things in' going on - especially in Aubrey's case - for quite a while. Kaidan gets past it first, and he'll let them show in small, subtle ways. At some point, however, I think they do sit down and have a long talk about it and get on the same page. After that, I think Aubrey still holds in (old habits, yeah?), but not quite to the extent he used to. And Kaidan will gently remind him it's okay to share along the way.

26. How do their friends feel about their relationship? Their families?

Oh, this is a good one. I haven't really given the 'friends' part much thought just yet, but the family part? Well, Kaidan's mother, Anna-Marie, is used to working with nature - wildlife as much as plants and such, and she sees far more up front in their initial meeting than Kaidan ever does. She welcomes Aubrey to the orchard without any hesitation whatsoever. They spend time outside in her gardens talking about anything and everything, and by the end of Kaidan and Aubrey's initial visit, she tells her sone, "He's found his home." Kaidan isn't quite sure what she means just yet, but he recognizes there's more behind her words than their simple meaning. He also doesn't doubt it's her approval.

As for friends, the only real 'friend' Aubrey has prior to meeting Kaidan is Mordin. Aubrey would be the first to tell you he's never really understood the good doctor - for starters, how do you keep up with him? - but he's always been honest and the fact that Mordin allows Aubrey to head off with Kaidan is, in its own way, a kind of approval.

Outside of that, Kaidan's friends take a little while to come around as most of them, like Kaidan himself, had contact with John A. Shepard and none have very fond memories of the man. Some are more difficult to convince than others - *cough*Jack*cough* - but in the end, they all pretty much approve of Aubrey and his relationship. (though Jack isn't above giving Aubrey a warning of what will happen if he hurts Kaidan in any way).

Okay, my original response to this is taking a LOT longer to sort out because it sort of pushed me off onto a side-trail I wasn't expecting that will play a much larger part in his story than anticipated! So, thank you for that (because it is a good thing!) but it's going to have to wait until I get it sorted out more before I can ramble on about it! lol

ON THE OTHER HAND... Had this song hit me out of the blue recently (Spotify recommendation) and the words just sort of settled in my brain today while driving so... TELL ME THIS DOESN'T SCREAM AUBREY!

Awake and Alive

I'm at war with the world and they Try to pull me into the dark I struggle to find my faith As I'm slippin' from your arms

It's getting harder to stay awake And my strength is fading fast You breathe into me at last

I'm awake I'm alive Now I know what I believe inside Now it's my time I'll do what I want 'cause this is my life Here, right here Right now, right now Stand my ground and never back down I know what I believe inside I'm awake and I'm alive

I'm at war with the world cause I Ain't never gonna sell my soul I've already made up my mind No matter what I can't be bought or sold

When my faith is getting weak And I feel like giving in You breathe into me again

I'm awake I'm alive Now I know what I believe inside Now it's my time I'll do what I want 'cause this is my life Here, right here Right now, right now Stand my ground and never back down I know what I believe inside I'm awake and I'm alive

Waking up waking up Waking up waking up Waking up waking up Waking up waking up

In the dark I can feel you in my sleep In your arms I feel you breathe into me Forever hold this heart that I will give to you Forever I will live for you

I'm awake I'm alive Now I know what I believe inside Now it's my time I'll do what I want 'cause this is my life Here, right here Right now, right now Stand my ground and never back down I know what I believe inside I'm awake and I'm alive

@mtreebeardiles found another Aubrey song

In the end As you fade into the night (Woo-oh-oh-oh) Who will tell the story of your life?

In the end As my soul's laid to rest What is left of my body Or am I just a shell?

And I have fought And with flesh and blood, I commanded an army Through it all I have given my heart for a moment of glory (I gave it all)

In the end As you fade into the night (Woo-oh-oh-oh) Who will tell the story of your life And who will remember your last goodbye (Woo-oh-oh-oh) 'Cause it's the end and I'm not afraid I'm not afraid to die

Born a saint But with every sin, I still wanna be holy I will live again

Who we are Isn't how we live we are more than our bodies If I fall I will rise back up and relive my glory

In the end As you fade into the night (Woo-oh-oh-oh) Who will tell the story of your life And who will remember your last goodbye (Woo-oh-oh-oh) 'Cause it's the end and I'm not afraid I'm not afraid to die

In the end As you fade into the night (Woo-oh-oh-oh) Who will tell the story of your life And who will remember your last goodbye (Woo-oh-oh-oh) 'Cause it's the end and I'm not afraid I'm not afraid to die