A/N: A fic thats been writing itself in my head for a while now and going through another playthrough of ME2 I couldn't resist but start to write it. Will be reasonably short in the number of chapters and competely gratuitous, enjoy XD

"C'mon Shepard, who knows when the next time we'll get this kinda stretch of shore leave. You know its all going to kick off again soon; you need to kick back, do something for yourself and stop being the big goddamned hero all the time." Jack ribbed Shepard yet again as she knocked back another glass of the shimmering blue liquid and gestured to the turian barman for two more.

"What exactly do you think I'm doing here Jack, the Dark Star Lounge wouldn't normally be my choice of nightspots; if it weren't the only decent place on the Citadel to get a drink I'd be somewhere else." Shepard said with an exasperated sigh as she starred into her glass debating whether getting shitfaced was a good idea or not. She'd been feeling a little melancholy since they'd returned through the Omega 4 relay, they'd successfully taken out the Collectors, human colonies should be safe until the Reapers launched their next plan of attack on the galaxy so why wasn't she feeling elated and ready to enjoy herself?

Well for one she was debating whether she'd made the right decision or not, handing all of that data they found on the Collectors homeworld over to Cerberus. Sure learning everything they could about the Reapers was vital to finally beating them but she didn't trust the Illusive Man as far as she could throw him, and considering she never actually met him physically that wasn't far at all. Even Miranda had doubts about her choice and she was the biggest Cerberus supporter on her crew, that more than anything scared Shepard. If she'd made the wrong decision and he managed to screw the rest of the galaxy over she'd never forgive herself, she'd get revenge sure but that wouldn't bring back the people that died or races that were destroyed or any other horrific things he managed to exact on them all.

To top that off she'd lost a couple of good crew members back in the galactic core and coming back with only their bodies had been rough. They'd all gone in prepared that it could well be a one way trip but Shepard was very much of the mind that if a few could survive then she should have been able to keep them all alive. Zaeed had been through a hell of a lot worse than that and come out still fighting, Shepard still couldn't understand why he hadn't made it, and Samara? Well she never deserved to go like that, it had been horrible to see her taken by the Seeker swarms, powerless to stop it. Shepard had seen a done a hell of a lot of things in her lifetime, or two lifetimes if you liked, but nothing not even Torfan played on her mind like their last mission did.

"Oh come on Shepard you know that's not what I mean." Jack replied, physically elbowing the Commander causing her to slop some of her drink over the bar. "Getting wasted is one thing, but I've seen the way you've been moping around ever since we got back from killing that big assed reaper thing," Jack leaned in close so Shepard could smell the alcohol on her breath and hissed into her ear. "You need to get laid Shepard, would ease out all that tension you're carrying around. It ain't good for the crew you know, I mean I couldn't give a shit about your personal issues but the others seeing their commander moping around doesn't exactly evoke confidence."

"This is shore leave Jack, no mission to speak of yet, what exactly do I need to 'evoke confidence' in them for." Shepard asked, necking what was left in her glass and reaching for the next that was sitting waiting for her.

"Ah well lets see, that you made a good decision by handing over all that data to the fucking Illusive Man. They all think it was kinda dicey but to see you doubting it too, well if I were you I'd start questioning loyalties."

Shepard frowned, she knew all this already it had been running through her mind a hell of a lot but there was not need to let Jack know that she was right. "So how exactly is getting laid supposed to make this all magically better?"

"Well, because it just will trust me. At the very least it'll make you feel better, I mean come on how long has it actually been since you had a man between your thighs?"

Shepard coughed, choking on her drink as Jack asked that question. "That's…what's that got to do with anything?" she spluttered.

"Ahh, been that long huh?"

For a moment the usually smart-assed Commander with an answer for everything sat speechless, mouthing silent words of protest but if truth be told it HAD been a while but…"Yeah well I was technically dead for two years of that time Jack."

"Doesn't matter its still been…years? Damn maybe you need it even more than I thought." Jack shook her head downing her drink and ordering up another round for herself and the protesting Commander.

"So is this why you dragged me out here tonight? To try and pair me off with some pathetic lush because you think all my problems can be solved by one good night in bed." Shepard asked scathingly as she grabbed her next drink a little too roughly. The world was starting to appear rather hazy around the edges, not quite into dream sequence territory but a few more drinks and she'd get there sure enough.

"Fuck no, you can find your own damn bed partners I'm here looking for me. Girls gotta get her kicks some way, if were not out killing well then this is the next best thing. Just giving you my advice Shepard." Jack grinned, hopping off of the barstool and downing one final drink. "And speaking of which I'm off to find my sport for the night, you should do the same. If all else fails you could always see if you can convince Krios to crawl between your sheets, he needs it almost as much as you do."

Shepard had no reply to give, either she was feeling the alcohol far more than she realised or the impossible had just happened and Jack had left her without a witty retort to make. She mouthed wordlessly at the crazed biotic convict that had proved to be an invaluable member of her team as she stalked away like a cat hunting her prey and actually felt a little sorry for whoever the poor sap was that Jack got her claws into that night.

Still Shepard couldn't help but admit that maybe Jack was onto a good idea. It had been a while since the night before Ilos but she wasn't like Jack in that respect, she just couldn't see herself just jumping into bed with anybody. Thane was nice and everything but Shepard couldn't think of any tactful way of asking him to bed her, he didn't strike her as that sort either. Besides it all still felt rather complicated to Shepard, two years had passed for everyone else but not for her as she lay dead on an operating table. She knew there was only one man she really wanted back in her bed, but after what was said on Horizon and the way he'd looked at her; Shepard wasn't sure he'd even want to see her again.

"Well I do like making life difficult for myself." She muttered with a sigh, sinking her drink and ordering another. Time to revert back to her original plan to drink herself into a stupor; perhaps the resulting pain of hangover would help put things into perspective. Probably not but it seemed worth a shot.