Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Mass Effect series. I do not own anything from the Naruto series.

Warnings: AU, Dimension Travel, Graphic Violence, Strong Language

Chapter Three: Hit the Ground Running

They managed to get back to the ship somehow. By that point, Garrus was exhausted to the point of collapse. He'd been awake for well over 36 hours, and under a cornered siege for a solid portion of that. Jane had to keep grabbing his hand to stop him from patting his previously shredded face the entire way back to the ship. He almost put his own eye out several times with those talons of his.

When they made it back, Shepard proceeded to dump Naruto in the Starboard Observation room, telling him that he was welcome to claim it as his own. She then immediately fell back, heading for her cabin. The amused look he shot her as she retreated made her flush with embarrassment.

Jane had been very adamant throughout the mission that she'd get answers out of the blonde once they got back. In the end, it didn't work out that way. That desire had been swiftly dashed at the very end of their mission. She could accept a lot of things, and even shrug off impossible events that boggled the average mind.

Jane drew a line at healing dying people by touching them.

She really needed to go and think about that one for a little while. She needed to give that idea some time to really marinate, or else who knew what she'd start shouting at him. Once she was sufficiently calm, and could maintain that calm, she'd go ask her questions.

She'd paced around her cabin for about half an hour, with her thoughts running in circles, and she still hadn't felt completely calm.

In the end, Miranda came knocking on her door. Jane had immediately assumed that the operative was there to drill her with questions. That turned out to not be the case. The dark-haired woman had simply asked to pour them some drinks and then sat down. She didn't speak again. She simply sat there with her small drink, almost commiserating in a silent way. Her eyes were distant, probably seeing something from the very recent past.

Shepard sipped from her own glass for a few moments, before she quite abruptly started speaking. Miranda hadn't asked a single thing, and yet Jane couldn't help the words that started pouring from her mouth. She didn't know what The Illusive Man had done with the security footage from Firebase White, but she was fairly certain that he'd kept it to himself. That was his way after all. She didn't have a copy even though he'd trusted her enough to show her.

She didn't really care about any of his secrecy. She just wanted to talk about it with someone. She needed to get it out there and have at least one other person understand. Garrus was fast asleep, so Miranda would work as a temporary substitute. She really didn't want to put any of this on Garrus right now either. He'd just lost his entire squad, and she didn't want to dump her burdens on his shoulders.

Jane told Miranda everything she'd seen when The Illusive Man had last called her. From start to finish, she recounted Naruto's actions on Noveria up until his departure to Omega. The Cerberus Operative stayed silent the entire time. Once she finished telling Miranda every detail she could remember, she started listing the abilities she'd seen him display.

"I've seen him survive atmospheric re-entry while completely nude. He's shredded through steel. He-" She paused here to reach up and tiredly rub her forehead before finishing, "He ripped a soul out of someone. He can teleport. He can take down more targets with his bare fists than we can with our rifles. He can blow ships out of the sky with explosive biotics. He can somehow create copies of himself…I have no idea how that could possibly work. That one really doesn't make any sense."

Shepard stopped her slow pacing in front of her still empty fish tank. She turned to look at her current second-in-command. A pair of empty glasses now sat on the table between them. She hadn't ever expected to end up sharing a drink with Miranda, especially since they barely knew each other, and the other woman was Cerberus to the core.

However, witnessing bizarre shit together tends to form a bond.

"And on top of all that, he healed Garrus. One moment the man had half his jaw missing, and the next he was fine. I didn't even see it happen. He…" she trailed off here for a moment and looked down at the skin of her own palms. Her gaze went right through them however, seeing something else entirely. "He just told me not to worry, and then touched him. That was all it took."

The dark-haired woman had long since stopped reclining back into the sofa. She was now leaning forward against her knees, with her hands hanging loosely between them. Her head was slightly bowed, and she was gazing down at the metal floor of the cabin. She shook her head after a few moments, and then turned her eyes toward Jane. She looked genuinely baffled, with her brow scrunched together in consternation. Her mouth worked silently as she tried to think of something to say. Eventually, she did speak, and her voice came out both indignant and bewildered.

"He sounds like some fucking superhero from a cheap action vid. None of those things are possible with modern technology. They can't be done."

The operative looked back at the floor, and she sounded mostly indignant when she continued a few moments later, "No amount of genetic modification could account for even a fraction of that. Hard-light tech isn't nearly advanced enough to produce those clones either, and personal teleportation is a pipedream for the next millennia."

Those statements hung in the air, damning with their implications.

Shepard watched her second-in-command think, and she got to see the moment a sudden light began shining in her dark eyes. Miranda abruptly rose from the couch and began rapidly pacing between the desk and armor locker. The heels of her boots clacked against the metal. She rested her chin on one hand with the other arm crossed, looking deep in thought.

Miranda finally came to a stop standing before the armor locker with her arms still crossed. She stared at the glowing holographic interface, and the rapid-fire connections of ideas and thoughts shone clearly in her eyes. Her genius was scrambling to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing. She suddenly opened her mouth to speak, and she made a vague gesture with the hand that had been beneath her chin. She faltered half-way however, looking suddenly uncertain. She heaved a gutsy exhale instead and reached up to wearily rub her eyes with that hand. With her face hidden, she posed her sudden idea.

"I can't believe I'm actually suggesting this…but could he be a time traveler?"

Shepard blinked, somewhat caught off guard by the sudden hypothesis. She had a moment's time to consider the idea before Miranda began trying to explain herself. She sounded almost embarrassed to be considering the idea in the first place. Her eyes told a different story however. She looked desperate for a logical answer, even if it only existed within a hypothetical theory.

"A single person from the modern era could never hope to create all of that exotic tech, let alone keep their development hidden from the public. He does possess them however, all of them at the same time, and he also appears Human."

Jane couldn't help but see where she was going with her idea. It was a leap, but it did make a bizarre kind of sense - if you squinted. She also noted Miranda's apparent belief that Naruto's feats were the results of advanced technology. Jane herself wasn't so sure. She'd seen the soul torn from another, and she'd never forget it. Miranda hadn't seen the footage, and likely never would.

"Humanity can't do any of those things now, and they certainly couldn't do them half a millennia ago," the operative continued, and yet she still sounded uncertain in her own words. She likely didn't want to accept her own theory. She simply couldn't stomach the outlandish idea her mind had conjured.

"The Illusive Man would have known," she continued, sounding certain in that at least, "I can't think of a reasonable explanation for any of this. There's no-"

The operative paused in the middle of her sentence, a sentence that had been about to dissolve into slight hysterics. Her eyes shifted to look at something past Jane's shoulder. Shepard turned to spy the silent interruption and saw the blue glow of EDI's avatar lighting up her little alcove. Jane opened her mouth to speak, but the AI beat her to it.

"I apologize for interrupting your meeting with Operative Lawson, Commander," The AI began in her crisp female voice, "But I must report that my onboard sensors are currently malfunctioning."

The AI spoke in a tone that neither of the women had ever heard her speak in before. She sounded subtly distressed. Both women swiftly spun to fully face the AI, and Shepard immediately shifted from a bewildered theorist into a straight-backed Commander.

"What seems to be the problem EDI?" She questioned quickly, voice slightly edged with trepidation, "Give me a status report on the failed systems."

A moment of time passed as the AI didn't answer. That moment stretched for a very uncharacteristic amount of time for a super computer. An artificial intelligence of EDI's caliber shouldn't struggle over a status report, but even still, she didn't answer for a span of time.

"There are no currently failing systems," The AI eventually replied, and if she'd sounded subtly distressed before, she was openly distressed now. If it was even possible for an AI to experience anxiety, then EDI was somehow feeling it.

Jane shared a deeply confused look with Miranda. The operative looked just as lost as she felt at that answer. They both stepped a few feet closer to the suspended blue orb.

"What is wrong EDI?" Shepard tried again, enunciating slowly. Worry leaked into her tone as she did.

EDI once again failed to answer promptly. Both women felt their shared worry begin to mount. Whatever the malfunction was, it was apparently very bad.

"My onboard sensors are currently malfunctioning."

Shepard floundered at that repeated line. Miranda stepped up to the plate, and her expression was fixed with rising apprehension.

"Where is the malfunction located EDI? What type of malfunction is it?"

EDI answered promptly this time, "I am receiving false readings from my sensors as well as my cameras within the Starboard Observation room."

Shepard stood silent in the wake of that, before slowly reaching up to tiredly rub her face. She heaved an exhausted sigh, "What is Naruto doing EDI?"

"The subject, now designated 'Naruto,' is currently walking across the Starboard Observation room."

Shepard sighed again, "Then what's wrong with your sensors?"

EDI paused here once more, and Shepard silently braced herself.

"There have been twenty-three instances-" the AI stopped for brief a moment before continuing, "-twenty-four instances, of random objects materializing within the Starboard Observation room. I am unable to track their arrival aboard the Normandy."

Jane grimaced before rubbing her face again. She cast a slightly annoyed look in Miranda's direction. She sounded irritated when she spoke, but her ire was not directed at anyone in the room.

"By the way, I forgot to mention. He can apparently create and manipulate matter."

A heavy quiet passed between the trio at that. Miranda stood there at her side, appearing to almost not understand the words that had just passed her lips. She opened her mouth to speak, but then froze. She didn't make a single sound. She just stood there in complete silence, and her wide eyes stared at Shepard's disgruntled face.

EDI remained quiet in her little alcove for a short time as well. However, the AI was the one to finally break the silence.

"Commander, I-…I don't understand."

Jane took a moment to silently marvel that a super computer was actually able to falter. She couldn't help but empathize with the poor AI at that. She also couldn't help but think that EDI was going to be seeing a lot of stuff that exceeded her ability to process.

Shepard nodded sympathetically in the projected avatar's direction.

"Welcome to the club EDI."

The metal door parted before her once she came to a stop outside of Naruto's room. When her eyes landed on the person seated in the center, she immediately slapped a hand to her face in tired exasperation.

Naruto was seated cross-legged before the massive window, settled in a picture perfect lotus position. His back was turned to her, once again covered by his white cloak with the strange black symbols, and his staff lay across his waist. His pose wasn't the problem however.

The problem was that he was floating a meter off the ground.

Because of course he was.

Shepard grimaced at the sight before her for a few moments. Then she did her best to momentarily ignore it. She cast her eyes around the changed room. She spied all of the new additions that EDI had been struggling over.

The entire room had been practically transformed, save for the walls and ceiling.

The floor, from corner to corner, was now completely covered with tatami mats. A number of strange black symbols now adorned the walls at even intervals. They appeared to be made of ink, and a muted light shone out from within those symbols. It was a soft glow rather than a beaming light, and it bathed the four corners of the room with new warmth.

The long metal couches that had once existed were no longer present. Their removal gave the room a much more open feeling. A full-size bed, low to the ground and resting on a light wooden frame, had its headboard against the left wall. It was covered in a pale orange comforter. The orange was faint, almost pastel, and the light made its color soften. A series of potted plants had also appeared, and they sat atop one of the bookcases. The light from a symbol shone down upon them. Shepard couldn't recognize their species. A quaint little watering can sat at their side.

A set of soft white curtains rested on either side of the window into space, despite the button that existed to close the blast shield. The metal recliners had also been replaced by woodworked recliners, and all of the other metal furniture save for the reading lamps had been replaced with their wooden counterparts. A table made of rich dark wood, one with an incredibly low height, rested a small distance from the door, and a number of cushions were spread out on the floor around it for seats.

Jane could practically picture what EDI had seen. Naruto, pacing in circles, making things appear out of thin air to liven up his room. It did look very nice, in a humble way. It was like some minimalist suite aboard a luxury space-yacht had been cut out and dropped into a state-of-the art warship.

If Shepard were to try to use a single word to describe the room, with its floor mats, wooden furniture, soft lighting, and potted plants…it would definitely be zen.

Jane tentatively stepped forward, and the door abruptly closed behind her with a hiss. As soon as it fully closed she abruptly found herself disoriented. All at once, soundwaves seemed to flee the room. She glanced around again with wide eyes. The Normandy ran quieter than any ship she'd ever seen, but stepping into this room was like stepping out into the void. So long as she didn't so much as twitch, then there wasn't a single sound to be heard. The Starboard Observation room had somehow become an anechoic chamber.

"Can I help ya, Shepard-san?" Naruto broke the blaring silence by softly questioning. His body didn't shift. Only his mouth moved. His eyes did not open, and his face remained in that impassive position. His low drawl filled the four corners of the room. Jane, who'd still been busy trying to adjust to the incredible change in acoustics, swiftly twisted to face him. She swallowed the trepidation that instantly started to crawl up her throat at what would most assuredly be a moment of truth. She nodded hesitantly.

"Yes, I-" she instantly flinched, and her mouth snapped shut as soon as the words left it. Her voice, which had been at her regular speaking tone, had sounded like the roar of a Claymore shotgun in that encroaching silence.

Naruto didn't turn to her, but he did snort a small laugh, "Nice."

Jane felt a scarlet blush creep up her neck at that, and then did her best to copy his soft tone.

"I was hoping to ask you a few questions?"

She almost grimaced at how her voice had sounded then. She never sounded like that, so unsure, so cautious. She wasn't used to it, and even someone with a deaf set of ears could tell.

Naruto didn't comment on her anxiety however. He tilted his head ever so slightly to the side, and his voice was amused, "Just a few questions?"

She could hear the smile in his voice. If it wasn't for her natural fear of the complete unknown, she probably would have slapped the back of his head. The bastard knew exactly what he was doing. He was perfectly aware of just how bizarre his abilities seemed, and he was having a good laugh at their expense, regardless of any of their encroaching mental breakdowns.

"It might be more than a few," she quietly admitted.

Naruto smiled slyly before setting his feet back on the ground. He grabbed his staff from the air to lean it up against a wall, and he shrugged off his coat to toss it over the back of a nearby chair. His fingers came together into some type of hand-sign, and all of the regular sounds of the Normandy abruptly came racing back into the room.

Shepard released a tiny sigh at that, and silently added the manipulation of soundwaves to the ever-growing list.

He faced her fully with an easy smile, "Ask away then Shepard-san. I'll try not to lie, but don't be disappointed if I decide not to answer."

She could accept that. She didn't really have many options if he did decide to ignore her. She certainly couldn't put him in a closed room with Jacob and Miranda for an interrogation. She'd probably end up spaced again, with a second ship torn to shreds.

Shepard crossed her arms over her chest before leaning back on one heel. She gave Naruto a long, speculative look. Her mouth was pressed into a serious line as she watched him.

"Be honest with me, at least this once," she slowly began, voice low and apprehensive, "Are you even Human…or are you something else?"

Naruto's easy smile softened a little, and he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his loose black pants, "I was born just as Human as you Shepard-san."

She nodded, silently noting that he wasn't talking about whatever he was now. She immediately followed that up with another question.

"Are you a time traveler?"

He blurted a laughed at that, and his smile shifted into a smirk, "Nope, but if you meet somebody claiming to be one, please tell me."

She couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow at that, "Ah…Why?"

Naruto's smirk never shifted, but his eyes did harden slightly, "So I can stop them. No one should mess with time. It's a very bad idea."

He turned away from her to walk over to the expansive window into space. Jane swiftly stepped up to join him.

Naruto chuffed another short laugh at the thought before speaking again, switching topics with ease, "I'm definitely no time-traveler. I'm uh… a bit of a free agent I guess you would say, been one for a while now." He cast her a sly smile as he said this, "A rogue ninja is what they call me back home. I've grown used to drifting where the winds blow me. I think this grand mission of yours is going to be a nice change of pace."

Shepard cast him a bemused glance, "Ninja? Really?"

She knew that her omni-tool's translator detected his language as Japanese, but she'd never been one to assume. Human colonists came from all walks of life after all. He might have blonde hair and blue eyes, with strong features and an equally strong stature, but you never knew with Humans in the modern century. Furthermore, she didn't really know much about the individual countries of her home planet. She grew up in space, far away from the troubles on Mother Earth. However, she did know her people's popular history. The fantastical concept of ninja had enough staying power to be present in modern Human culture even with the passage of centuries.

She was pretty sure that all of the depictions of ninja that she'd ever seen had been very different from Naruto. He was more like an absolutely busted comic-book character.

"That's right," he confirmed with a cheesy smile, and he thrust a thumbs-up her way, "I'm the strongest ninja you'll ever meet."

Shepard's mouth opened a fraction before she closed it again. She silently decided not to question it.

"Are you Japanese then?" She asked instead. Naruto quirked a confused eyebrow at her.

"Ah-…No. Japan is…a country on Earth, right?" he asked slowly, and his face bore a thoughtful expression, as though trying to recall a buried memory.

She nodded just as slowly, confused now rather than bemused.

"I'm definitely not Japanese then," he stated with certainty, and that ever present smile reappeared on his face.

"Uh-huh…" Shepard slowly agreed, sounding incredibly dubious, "Then where are you from?"

His smile widened imperceptibly, as though enjoying some joke only he understood.

"I'm from Earth silly."

Jane floundered at that. She wasn't silly. He'd just been struggling to name Japan, a major nation of their home planet, only to turn around and claim to be from their home planet. Besides, Humans had colonies too! He could be from anywhere! It was a valid question!

He wasn't telling her something, that was as obvious as the grin on his face. For all she knew, he could be leading her around with completely inane answers.

She scrubbed a hand across her brow, and gave up on that avenue of questioning, "Fine, forget it."

She stepped away with crossed arms, and Naruto stayed at the window. He didn't turn to watch her when she began to pace back and forth for a few moments. She almost walked away then, sort of resigned to getting nothing but odd responses at this point, but she decided to hold her ground for at least a little while longer. She couldn't leave without some answers.

She stopped her pacing, and gestured tiredly in his direction, "These…things…you can do. Are they done with technology? Or is it something…else?"

Naruto briefly shot her a sharp smile, and his narrowed gaze shone with suppressed mirth. There was a sudden cunning there, a deviousness in his eyes that unsettled her. "Oh no, Shepard-san…I don't use technology. It's power."

Jane couldn't help the leaden weight that settled in her gut at those words. It was a sinking feeling of dread. That was not the answer that she'd wanted.

"Power?" Shepard heard herself quietly ask, and she couldn't have stopped the question if she'd tried. A statement like that demanded questions.

"Yep," he answered easily, sounding almost cheerful. The sudden disappearance of that deviousness threw her, "My power. My abilities. Strength that I can decide to use as I see fit."

Another chill of apprehension traveled up her spine. To use as he saw fit were more words she desperately hadn't wanted to hear. If he was an angel come forth to cut down the wicked, at least she'd be able to predict a little of what he'd do. Likewise, if he was some kind of unholy demon.

If he was just some loose cannon with heavy ordinance packed into his shells, some kind of bullshit chaotic-neutral, then there was no telling what he'd do. A small part of her actually hoped that he really was lying through his teeth.

Her gut told her that he wasn't though. That feeling was damning. He was telling the truth, vague though it might be. It was still the truth nonetheless.

"And I've decided to use my power to help ya," he abruptly continued, sounding completely assured. He steadily ignored her mounting apprehension, "It'll be fine. You just keep doing what you're doing, and I'll back you up. We'll beat the Reapers together, Shepard-san. Trust me on that."

He nodded at her with a soft smile. It was so earnest, so heartfelt, that she couldn't help but believe him.

He really did plan on helping her.

Even with that undeniable assurance, her mind was still deeply incredulous.

Sure. She'd definitely heard him declare his loyalty several hours prior, but they'd also just met several hours prior. She barely got to say a few sentences before he slid into her squad's formation as if he'd planned their meeting from the very start. The notion that this Naruto was actually in her corner, even without knowing anything about him, was baffling.

A new question burned in her heart at that. She couldn't help it. She was so used to having her warnings spurned, of being belittled and mocked, that being faced with such complete support was mind-blowing. It was almost unnatural. No one had ever just believed her warnings about the Reapers. Not without some kind of solid proof. Even her own crew on the first Normandy had been dubious at the start. She didn't like to admit it, but she was fairly certain that they'd all had doubts, right up until they met Sovereign on Virmire. Then that nightmarish hologram had spoken, prophesying their doom, and there hadn't been any more time for doubts.

"Why help me?" she questioned, the words tumbling from her lips. She gestured imploringly in his direction, looking so utterly lost, "Why would you just drop everything to join me?"

He laughed lightly, and waved a hand in dismissal, "Ha-you act as if I had anything to drop. I'm a free man Shepard-san. No more paper-work to tie me down, no wars to fight, no kids to raise-" Shepard's jaw almost went slack at that last one, "The truth is, I haven't done anything worthwhile in a long time." His grin sharpened again, brimming with anticipation, "And if these Reapers are as dangerous as you believe, then this crusade of yours is definitely worthwhile."

Jane searched Naruto's expression for the slightest trace of falsehood, silently hoping she'd actually be able to tell. All she saw was complete sincerity.

"That can't be all of it," she still denied with a harsh wave of her hand, "I've got nothing to show you. No proof that the Reapers even exist. Only a madman would take it all on faith."

She was certain of that at least. No matter how desperately she wanted people to listen, how dearly she hoped that her warnings would be heeded, she still knew in the depths of her heart that no one would ever simply take her at her word. She'd only ever met one person who outright believed her, no questions asked, and he was standing right in front of her. Out of everyone she knew, he was also the one most likely to be a certified madman, if only for the things he was capable of.

"Oi," he deadpanned, sounding mildly irked, "I'm not crazy, I just knew you were telling the truth. I can sense that kind of stuff."

Those two sentences took a moment to settle in her mind, and whatever she'd planned on saying fled. She couldn't stop herself from freezing once her brain fully processed what she'd just heard. He could…sense…when people were lying, and he knew when they told him the truth.

He could sense a person's misdeeds too.

Those two outlandish concepts bounced around in her head for a short moment, before she quite abruptly found herself jumping to a terrifying conclusion. It came out of left field, but the more she thought about it, the more horrified she became.

He couldn't…he wasn't….

Naruto smiled weakly in the face of her rapidly shifting expression, "Ah-don't worry. I'm not reading people's minds."

Shepard's eyes instantly grew to the size of dinner plates, and a cacophony of screeched curses erupted in her head. That mounting horror she'd been feeling swiftly changed into pounding adrenaline.

He was reading her fucking mind.

She didn't even have the chance to think about it for more than a moment. Her body, so drenched in combat, so used to the rigors of constant warfare, and so completely high-strung, reacted entirely of its own volition. The pulsing adrenaline in her ears demanded nothing less. Within the span of a second, she took a half step back to plant her stance, and launched a brutal haymaker directly toward his weakly smiling face.

His eyes widened like hers at the sight of her flying strike. He squawked loudly in surprise before flowing around her fist like water. He threw up his hands nonthreateningly, waving them around with earnest. She stood there woodenly with her arm outstretched, and she watched as the one person she knew who could completely destroy her appeared to scuttle away.

"Oi Oi! What's that for?! I told you I'm not reading people's minds!"

Shepard didn't immediately answer his aggrieved cry. Her mind was wrapped up in the horror of what she'd just done. She'd actually thrown a punch at Naruto. She hadn't meant to do it. She really, truly hadn't. She would need to be completely suicidal to attack him. The moment her brain had registered the muscles in her arms contracting, and she'd felt her body instinctively fall into a stance, her heart had almost shot out of her ass in fear.

For the barest split second, she'd honestly expected to die.

When that inevitably didn't happen, and her heart, mind, and body simultaneously realized they were still alive, she immediately started apologizing. She waved her hands emphatically before her while she scrambled to speak.

"Fuck I-..I'm so sorry Naruto! I-I can't…I didn't mean to do that! I -…"

Her blurted apologies abruptly died on her tongue when her mind finally registered the sentence he'd cried before hers. She hadn't processed it then, what with her brain blaring warnings of imminent death, but she did process it now.

As soon as she did, she abruptly remembered exactly WHY her self-preservation instincts had decided to wildly throw a punch.

Shepard surged forward with her hands outstretched. Naruto didn't lower his own hands, nor did he try to evade her a second time. Her fists found his collar, and she yanked the blonde man down into the path of her intense, deadly gaze.

"Stay the FUCK out of my mind," Jane positively hissed, her face twisting into a rictus of rage, all of her fumbling apologies completely forgotten.

She could deal with a lot of things. She could handle death. She could handle having her body broken, and then pieced back together. A higher percentage of her body mass had either been outright regrown or rebuilt to save her original. The sanctity of her body was a thing of the past.

But she would never give up the sanctity of her mind. The Reapers, or anyone else, would have to put her back into the grave long before she surrendered that.

"Damn it Shepard-san!" Naruto indignantly declared, even as he made no move to escape her steel grip. The tiny part of her mind that wasn't drowned in fury knew that he could shake her off with absolute ease, but for some reason refrained from doing so, "For the third time! I don't read people's minds!"

Jane gripped his collar harder, and pulled him even closer. They were almost nose to nose, and she growled her next question.

"Can you read minds?!"

He leaned away from her a little even as she held on tight to his shirt. One of his raised hands came back behind his head to scratch it sheepishly. His eyes danced away from hers, and he awkwardly smiled at the wall, "Eh-heh…not really?"

NOT REALLY?!

She rapidly shook him by the collar, and barely kept herself from outright screeching, "That's not a fucking answer!"

It seemed that in the end, no matter how much time she'd spent pacing in her cabin trying to steel her calm, she still ended up yelling at him.

She nearly started yelling again when he began openly laughing while she shook him back and forth, "Al-ri-ght! Al-ri-ght She-pard-san! I'll te-ll you, ju-st stop thro-ttl-ing me!"

Jane stopped shaking him, but she didn't release the death grip she had near his throat.

He huffed a breath before brushing some of the hair out of his eyes. He made no comment on the fact that she'd still failed to release him. If anything, he looked equal parts entertained and exasperated.

"I can touch another's heart. I can sense it from a distance too. It's very different from reading someone's mind," he stated simply, as if he thought that was enough. It definitely wasn't.

"How?" she demanded, her face uncompromising.

"Ehh?" was his somewhat confused reply, "You want to know how I do it?"

She instantly shook her head. She would definitely like to know that at some point, but that took the back seat to what was currently on her mind.

"How is it different? How are you not reading my mind?"

"Well ah…" he began, and he scratched the side of his head again in thought. He still seemed completely uncaring to her continued manhandling. "It's like I said earlier I guess. I can sense people's hearts, whether they're evil or good. I can't actually hear their thoughts or anything. I can tell how they're feeling, like if they're angry or sad, and I can definitely tell if someone is telling me a lie." He suddenly shrugged, feeling nonchalant under her hands, "Those are things anyone can tell by reading body language though. Besides, hearts and minds are hardly ever on the same wavelength. It takes a special type of person to reach that level of harmony you know?"

Her steel grip slowly slackened as he spoke. She sort of understood, but at the same time, she really didn't. How could she? Reading a mind was already far enough beyond her imagination, and reading a heart took that in a whole new direction.

"And if I can tell if someone is lying to me?" he continued, as if the conclusion was readily apparent, "Well then that obviously means…?"

He trailed off at that while giving her an expectant look, as if she should fill in that blank. She did after a moment, since the conclusion, no matter how bizarre, was still a little obvious.

"Then you can tell when someone is telling the truth," she quietly finished, all of her earlier fury drained away. Her hands fell from his collar to hang limply at her sides.

He nodded reassuringly, and that kind smile of his was back, "Yes. I knew you were telling me the truth Shepard-san. I didn't go through any of your memories, and I didn't read any of your thoughts. I didn't need to. Your heart was resolute. You did not flinch, and you did not lie."

He stopped speaking for a moment to look at her. She nearly took a step away from him, not because she felt intimidated, but because she didn't know how to react.

It was the way he was looking at her at that moment, in a way that she had never experienced before. His eyes were intense yet distant, seeing something in her that she could not see, something that no one else could ever possibly see. He tilted his head ever so slightly to the left while stuffing his hands back into his pockets. That carefree smile of his slowly shifted into something truly captivating. It was incredibly genuine, with a warmth she'd never felt before. His blue eyes crinkled at the corners, and when he spoke again, his voice came out very soft.

"You have a good heart, you know?"

Jane was struck completely speechless by that one simple compliment.

It wasn't the words themselves, she'd heard them before. Captain Anderson had told her that once upon a time, back when she was still his Executive Officer, and her mother had as well so very long ago. Friends like Garrus always encouraged her, reassuring her every step of the way that she was doing the right thing.

So no, it wasn't the words. It was the meaning. The fact that, when he said those words, he meant them in a way that no one else ever could. She could see it in his eyes, the way he looked at her, and somehow really saw her for who she was. The fact that he was capable of smiling like that while seeing her heart, even with all of the blood on her hands, struck her with silence.

"You don't believe me, do you?" he suddenly stated more than asked, and his eyebrows scrunched together slightly, "I'm not lying Shepard-san. You are a good person, I knew it the moment we met. I would not be here if you weren't."

He suddenly took a step forward, and a touch of sympathy joined that captivating smile, "Do you want to know what else I see? The other reason why I decided to join you?"

Jane didn't speak, still at a loss for words, but she did nod her head slowly.

"Your heart thinks it's alone," he stated with confidence, and his words had a certain weight to them, "That no one will stand beside you to face the end of the world. You feel like no one truly understands what is coming, and that you'll have to watch, powerless, as the galaxy crumbles. Granted, that has changed a little since we found that Turian friend of yours, but you still feel like it's not enough. That it will never be enough. You're getting desperate, constantly putting one foot in front of the other, hoping that maybe tomorrow the rest of the world will finally listen."

Every word was a punch in the gut. As much as she didn't want to admit it, everything he said was the truth.

It hadn't always been that way though.

Her heart hadn't felt this way when she'd clashed with Saren atop the Citadel, at a time when she knew full well what nightmares lurked beyond the galaxy's rim. She'd had her crew with her then, her dearest friends, and she'd known without a shadow of a doubt that she was doing the right thing. She was saving the Citadel, saving the Council, and stopping the Reaper's invasion before it could even begin. Her path had been clear before her, obvious with its need, and everything had made sense in her heart. They'd won, cut down Sovereign and defeated Saren, and she'd truly hoped that the next step would have been obvious to everyone.

But then no one had believed her.

The Reapers were swept under the rug first, and then she was swept under the rug.

And then, as if having her doomsday warnings laughed at and ignored wasn't enough, she'd then died a gruesome death.

Finally, after two years, she rose from the dead, only to find that she'd lost everything. Her life, her ship, and her best friends…and she found that even after two years, no one was doing anything about the Reapers. Now, she had to rely on Cerberus, and her heart couldn't see that clear cut path anymore. A great shadow loomed before her instead, yawning open and intent on devouring her.

A hand abruptly came down to rest on her shoulder, and she stirred to gaze at Naruto. He stood before her, reassurance radiating off his frame. His eyes held a solemn promise.

"I am listening, Shepard-san. Your fight is a worthy one. You want to save the world, and no one can do that alone," his smile turned just the slightest bit wry, "Not even me."

He patted her shoulder once, and then slowly steered her toward the door. She still hadn't said a word, her tongue still tied in several knots, but she did start slightly when the door to the 3rd deck snapped open.

"As long as you have good friends watching your back…," he suddenly continued, and she looked over her shoulder to find his eyes again. His blue eyes were gazing down the small hallway, seeing people she could not, and his voice was soft with distant, happy reminiscence, "So long as you have good people worth protecting, you can face anything the world throws at you."

He looked down at her again, and his eyes crinkled as he smiled brightly. He patted her shoulder for the second time, and gave her a little nudge out the door, "Go get some sleep Shepard-san, I can tell you need it. We'll talk more later yeah?"

Jane did not immediately leave however. She twisted where she stood, and her hand rose in a silent request. Naruto did not turn away. Her voice abruptly returned, and she finally spoke. Her next words came out incredibly soft.

"Thank you."

There was nothing more she could say. She could only thank him. For saving Garrus, for joining her team, for just outright believing her…

That last one meant more to her than she could ever express.

He shrugged easily, as if he hadn't done anything of note, as if he hadn't completely wrecked all of her preconceptions, and his farewell smile was stunning, "You're very welcome Commander Shepard."

She nodded slowly, still a little numb, before taking a step away. She turned back a second later however, having made a sudden decision, and her voice was still very soft.

"And please…call me Shepard. Just Shepard."

It honestly felt a little strange having someone like him call her Commander. It didn't feel right at all. Titles and accolades meant nothing in the face of his status, whatever the hell that happened to be.

He nodded agreeably, "I can do that. I've never really cared about that stuff either." He abruptly rose a hand to make a small shooing motion, and his easy smile gained a touch of exasperation, "Now please, go get some rest Shepard, you're gonna crash any second now. You can tell me all about your next plans in the morning."

He spoke the truth. As soon as she'd numbly walked away, and the elevator doors had closed behind her, she'd almost fallen asleep right there on the floor.

An overwhelming amount of weight fell from her shoulders as she swayed there. So much sheer relief had flooded her heart, and all of the anxiety there had simply fled. It left her light headed, and her skin buzzed along with her skewed senses. She practically stumbled out of the elevator into her cabin, her vision losing focus a little as she tried to find her bed.

She collapsed onto its surface with a quiet whoomph, and she completely neglected to take off her clothes. She curled up a little, twisting into her bedsheets, and between one second and the next, fell into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness.

Jane slept like a rock, and her mind was completely devoid of nightmares. Hope, solid and sure, had finally taken their place.

Shepard stood behind the shoulder of Joker's chair with her arms crossed, and she watched as he pulled the Normandy down into a sweeping dive that brought them within the Citadel's outstretched arms. The breathless quality of the view had long ago lost its luster. She'd seen extraordinary things in her relatively short career, and while she did remember being awed by the view on her first few visits, she didn't feel quite so star struck now.

She'd fought in its back-alleys, and shot up its bars. She'd trekked along its arms in zero-g, fighting through waves of geth to save its people. It was here that she'd argued with the leaders of the known galaxy, and it was here that she'd been called a delusional fool, even if they'd been kind enough not to use those exact words.

Suffice it to say, it didn't feel quite so awe-inspiring to gaze upon the Citadel anymore. All she saw was a death-trap that could have been, and the place that all of her troubles always seemed to circle back to.

"I wonder what the Council is gonna say when they see your face Commander," Jeff suddenly stated, sounding amused at the idea.

She grimaced, not wanting to think about the impending meeting, "Oh I think I have an idea. Showing up in a Cerberus ship isn't going to do me any favors either."

"Yeah, about that," Joker continued, sounding amused but also exasperated, "Does Cerberus actually know that they're a black-ops organization? They're supposed to know what being covert is right?"

He shrugged, "Because painting their insignia, bold as day, on the side of our ship really helps with staying under the radar. They did a great job with that one."

Jane couldn't help smiling a little at her pilot, "I'll be sure to pass the word on to Miranda about getting a new paintjob."

"Ah…" Jeff hesitated, suddenly sounding cautious, "No-no, it's fine. Please don't tell her I'm talking bad about the ship. Even if it did come installed with a back-seat driver."

EDI, who had recently started sniping back at Joker for his many insults, remained strangely silent for once.

A moment passed as Jane watched the Normandy SR2 gently soar through the void as it approached its temporarily assigned docking bay. It wasn't until a dash of gold entered her peripheral vision, making her jump slightly, that she noticed exactly why EDI had gone silent.

Naruto had suddenly materialized behind the other shoulder of Joker's chair. She steeled her nerves, resisting the urge to scold him for startling her so badly. She silently hoped that over time she'd get used to him randomly appearing out of thin air...along with everything else. She also valiantly resisted the creeping flush of embarrassment that crawled up her neck at the sight of him. She'd been both incredibly tired, and incredibly high-strung when she'd gone to talk to him the night before. Jane had desperately needed sleep at the time, but she wouldn't have been able to sleep if she'd tried to put off talking to him until morning. Remembering not only the way she'd acted, but also reacted, left her more than a little mortified.

"That's quite the view!" Naruto suddenly stated with some elation, and his eye were riveted on the arms of the massive station looming above them, "That's definitely the biggest station I've ever seen!"

It was a moment too late when Shepard realized what was going to happen, and her embarrassment fled from her. She watched, a wince on her face, as Joker was startled so badly that he nearly flew out of his seat. She heard him curse loudly in surprise, his neck twisting to spy the very loud person suddenly standing right behind his ear.

The wince on her face twitched with phantom pain as Joker's elbow came crashing back down again on his armrest.

The crack was loud enough to be heard around the cockpit, and Joker's choked gasp was just as loud. Shepard immediately surged forward, intent on aiding him however she could, but as if he'd sensed her Joker waved her off. He was so used to cracking his own bones that all he did was close his eyes and clench his teeth. He seethed there silently as he got the pain under control. Once he could speak again without growling, he glanced in EDI's direction,

"EDI," he began through his still clenched teeth, "Take over." He then swiveled his chair around to glare at Naruto while clutching his elbow. The blonde for his part looked almost as startled as Joker had been.

"Alright blondie," Joker snapped, visibly trying to keep calm, "Do me a favor, and never come up to the cockpit again."

Naruto, who'd been standing there in silent surprise until Joker had turned his irritation on him, began to emphatically wave his hands in front of his face.

"Ah-no!" he cried, looking overwhelmingly apologetic, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you like that! Here, let me fix it!"

As soon as those words left his mouth, Jane's felt like she'd been struck by a lightning bolt.

She watched, dumbstruck, as Naruto's right hand plopped down on Jeff's SR2 hat. Her jaw practically hit the floor, and her expression shifted, making her look remarkably like someone who'd just been slapped on the cheek with a dead fish. Her mind had instantly ground to a halt, and it could only articulate three select words.

Oh my God…

Joker suddenly looked murderous. He was still clutching his injured elbow so he couldn't bat at Naruto's hand. However, he did try and dip away from the palm now resting on his head…key word being try, "Hey! I wasn't scared! And back off! Get your hands off me dude! You've already-"

Joker abruptly froze solid where he sat. All of his indignant protests suddenly died on his tongue. He appeared as still as a marble statue with his mouth still open, looking as though someone had taken that same dead fish and then beat him over the head with it. Not a single sound escaped his throat. His eyes, which had been glaring at Naruto hard enough to set him on fire, suddenly glazed over, and he stared out into the middle distance completely unseeing.

Naruto for his part looked briefly perplexed, "Huh," he stated after a long moment, breaking the choking silence that had suddenly fallen over the cock-pit, "Never seen that one before."

His right hand finally fell away from Joker's motionless head, and it reached up to sheepishly scratch the back of his own, "I'm really sorry about that, I just got a little excited I guess." He leaned forward a little with an awkward smile, "Now, how are you feeling?"

Joker didn't answer him. He just kept blankly staring ahead. Eventually, as his brain slowly came back online, he craned his neck back to look up at the standing blonde. Kind cerulean eyes stared right back. Shepard stood paralyzed off to the side, and her own eyes were absolutely rivetted on Jeff's still face.

She got to watch as that motionless face silently started to cry.

His visage didn't twist with sadness or pain. It remained utterly blank. He didn't wail or sob. He remained perfectly silent. However, speechless tears still left track marks down his cheeks. He steadily began to quiver in his seat, seemingly unable to control his own body's reactions anymore as it finally began to realize what had just happened.

Jeff's eyes slowly looked back down again, and he stared down at the palms of his shaking hands. He clenched them into a pair of fists, causing them to still. There was a creak of leather as the Normandy's pilot slowly rose from his chair.

Jane watched, her voice still a long distant memory, as one of her dearest friends stood tall with his back completely straight for what was probably the first time in his entire life. He was violently trembling, shaking down to his very boots, but he was still standing tall.

"What…"Joker's quivering voice began, and it came out as a croak of utter disbelief, "The Fuck. Did you just do?"

Naruto hesitated a little while tilting his head to the left, as if the question was a strange one. He then smiled reassuringly, "Well I ah…healed you, ya know? You broke your elbow because of me. I had to do something, right?"

Joker kept staring at the blonde standing in front of him, and the tears on his face did not stop. Jeff stood there, looking like a lost child, and his shoulders steadily started to shake even harder. Eventually, when no other explanation was given, he turned that utterly lost look on his Commander.

Jane almost found herself choking up when she saw the sheer emotion shining in Jeff's eyes.

He looked like he honestly didn't know what to do with himself.

She couldn't even imagine…

Joker didn't say anything for a very long time. Jane didn't say anything either, both unwilling and unable to stir that heavy silence. Naruto just kept standing there with a smile on his face. EDI carried right on with docking the Normandy while no one was watching, and the minutes steadily ticked by.

Finally, Joker stirred again, but it wasn't to speak to either of them.

Instead, he took off running.

Naruto and Jane got a firsthand view of what a formerly handicapped man looks like while sprinting for the first time. His feet fumbled a little, but he did not stop. He careened into people, but he did not stop. His tears blinded him as he ran, but he did not stop. His legs pumped with a strength that he'd never known as he tore down the bridge at a full tilt.

Every single person on the CIC stopped what they were doing to stare, completely dumbstruck, as a man they all knew couldn't run, proceeded to blitz his way through the command center. Their heads twisted in unison to watch the stunningly beautiful trainwreck in motion. They couldn't look away from the honest-to-god miracle taking place in front of them. More than a few found themselves dropping what they'd been holding. A cacophony layered itself over Joker's charge as a lot of coffee cups slipped from numb grasps to shatter on the cold metal floor.

Jane watched him reach the elevator with her feet still glued to the floor. He almost frantically dived into it, heavily slamming into the metal wall with his shoulder, and the last thing she saw was his tearstained face as he slapped the button on the wall. Then he was gone, and Jane was left alone in the cock-pit with the Normandy's resident miracle worker.

"Ah..." Naruto suddenly began, seeming a little uncertain, "I-uh…I hope he's…alright. Maybe you should follow him to make sure he's okay."

His voice seemed to finally break whatever spell had fallen over her. She slowly turned back to stare at him, and she wasn't all that surprised to discover that her hands had started shaking as well. She also didn't immediately take off to follow Jeff as he'd suggested.

"…You just healed all of his bones."

It wasn't a question. The sight of Joker sprinting down the CIC was proof enough of what he'd done. Her mouth just couldn't think of anything else to say.

"I did," Naruto agreed with a little nod, and then he shrugged lightly "I also fixed the fault in his genetics. If I hadn't, his bones would have deteriorated again."

It was like he was talking about the weather.

Jane stood there and watched him for a solid minute. Naruto for his part started to shift self-consciously just a little under her incredibly intense gaze.

It was like what he'd just done didn't even register for him. It was as if to him, he'd truly done nothing at all.

She finally turned away then, simply unable to look at his face. She couldn't stay in his presence any longer. She needed to get away and stop talking to him.

Because if she didn't, she wasn't sure what would come out her mouth next. She'd already made a fool of herself last night. She was determined to not let it happen again the very next morning.

So rather than break down in tears at the monumental thing he'd just done, rather than throw herself at him wailing her gratitude, she turned away to hoarsely address the nearby AI.

"EDI," she quietly began before clearing her throat a little, doing her best to hide the tremble in her voice, "Where's Joker?"

The blue orb appeared at her terminal on the ship's dash, "Flight Lieutenant Moreau is currently in the Medical Bay speaking with Doctor Chakwas."

Jane knew that 'speaking' was not the proper term for what was most definitely happening down there. She was going to walk into a lot of ugly crying.

She nodded weakly in the blue orb's direction before doing an about-face. She trekked down the path Joker had just bulldozed through, and she ignored all of the bridge personnel who had descended into stupefied chaos. Everyone was busy animatedly discussing what they'd just seen, but she did not stop to tell them to get back to work. She silently stepped into the elevator and selected the crew quarters as her destination.

The last thing she saw of the CIC was Naruto standing at the end. He was watching her as well, and he bore a sad smile as he stood there alone.

Then the elevator snapped closed, and she was left just as alone.

Within that tiny steel box, her shoulders started to silently shake…and she realized that she was never going to get used to the things he did.

Author's note: Hello again, good to see you. Thanks for reading another chapter of mine. I really enjoyed the ending on this one, mainly because...well...Jeff. He's my boy. Nobody messes with Jeff. When I found out what happened to his family, and how that Asari in the hospital had done it, I damn near broke down in tears. For real. TOO real.

Anyway, I went back and made some more grammar corrections. I hope you'll bear with me. I want this fic to be polished, even if it may end in a complete train-wreck. Like I said before, I won't be changing any of the story. I'll only be fixing grammar. That said, if you were the one anon who pointed out my mistake on the colors of the symbols on Naruto's hands, then thank you. I somehow managed to write them both as black...my bad. The sun was supposed to be white, so that was unplanned.

I'm not sure when the next update will come. I've got an final exam tomorrow...and I'm still writing this thing anyway. I'm a fool, but I couldn't help it. I'm going to be busy for the next...while. I got a lot of stuff on my plate, but I hope you will understand. Finally, Thank you to everyone for the support. This story has been up for 3 weeks thus far, and were rapidly approaching 700 followers. That's kind of whack. Anyway, thanks again, and I'll see you next time.