Summary: Shepard finds a stowaway aboard the Normandy, and is forced to deal with his accomplice
a/n: Written as a 2014 Holiday Harbinger gift for captacula.
Stowaway
Leah barely entered the loft when the soft ping rang off the smooth surfaces. Can't I even get my armor off? With a gentle if exasperated sigh, she replied. "Yes, EDI."
"Shepard," EDI called in that even tone her voice always carried, "there seems to be an issue on the engineering level."
Leah dropped her helmet and gauntlets on the corner of the sofa. "Can you be more specific?"
"It seems that when we took on cargo on Tuchanka, we might also have taken on a stowaway."
The hand pushing through her matted hair stopped and fell to her side. "What?"
"How did this get by you?"
"The shielding on the boxes disguised the creature's signature."
"How the hell do you hide a krogan in a crate?" she mused as she stood near the lift, tapping her foot as she waited.
EDI's voice echoed in the lobby area of the loft. "It could not have been a krogan. The crates were not large enough."
Shepard's brow furrowed as she stepped onto the elevator. "Then what snuck onto my ship."
"Something small enough to have gone unnoticed for the last few days."
"Thank you Captain Obvious," Leah mumbled, crossed arms tightening over her chest. "Then how'd you find it?"
"There are reports of missing stores, sensors have been tripped in the cargo bay, and according to the engineers they've heard growling coming from the port cargo area. There have also been some interesting … findings by the maintenance staff."
"Grunt spends all this time in there. Of course, they've heard growling," the commander surmised as she stepped onto the engineering deck. "I'll look into it."
When the door didn't open immediately, Shepard was a bit taken aback until the hatch slid open. Grunt stood quickly, a sharpness in his movement as he stepped to his right suddenly. His eyes moved from Shepard to the corner across from her quickly then back again. The action prompted Leah to punch the button and seal the hatch before moving farther into the room.
The scrape against the floor pulled her attention to the krogan's feet and what looked like a dark gray and white paw. Leah's head tilted slightly. "Grunt, whatcha got there?"
"Uhh," he crooned looking down. His foot shifted to push the uncovered bit backward but earned a yelp when he accidentally stepped on whatever was under the sheet.
Leah sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "What is it?"
She walked toward him, making a sweeping gesture with her hand as she shook her head. When she tugged the blanket off the beast jumped and hit her square in the chest. From the floo,r Shepard fended off playful licks as she tried to get a good look at the varren. "Urz?"
It yipped and went right back to trying to get to her face for a big congratulatory lick.
"Is he wearing Miranda's shirt?"
"Jack said it would keep him warm on the ship," Grunt revealed.
Leah laughed. "All right. All right," she conceded, letting her hands drop. After a Urz felt he'd gotten enough kisses, he plopped down on her chest, knocking the wind out of Shepard with his pointy varren elbows. "Ugh. Urz. You're killing me, animal."
Sitting up, she patted the beast on the shoulder. A hollow sound echoed through the room, just before the sweep of the hatch.
"Kasumi," Leah called without even looking at the door.
"Aw, Shep. How'd you know it was me?" the thief asked, dropping the cloak and leaning in the doorway.
The team leader shot an incredulous look over her shoulder. "No one else could have gotten this overgrown lap dog onto my ship."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Oh, believe me. It's not. But you can go," Shepard replied before turning her gaze back on Grunt. She waited for the thief to leave before her gaze softened. "So, you wanted to bring Urz back with us, huh?"
"He didn't like it there. Always fighting, only fighting," Grunt said. "He's strong, but tired. He liked it when we played with him. And you liked it, too," he added quickly, trying to strengthen his argument.
She felt the corner of her mouth tick upward when she looked from grunt to the varren. "You know a ship is no place for a varren. There's nothing for him to hunt, and there's not enough room for him to run. Plus, he's leaving some frightening messes for the maintenance guys."
Grunt chuckled. "I guess I missed some."
Leah nodded.
"But he really likes it here."
"I can see that."
Grunt joined her on the floor with a loud thunk. "You're going to take him back, aren't you?"
Scratching the underside of the varren's neck, she looked at krogan, whose whole face seemed to fall with the idea. "Unless we can think of a better place. I think we should."
"He could get hurt. In the fights or in the camp."
Shepard grinned; Grunt really didn't want to take him back. "I know. But this really isn't the place for him."
"What about your friend? The one at the outpost."
Leah froze for a moment before recalling that Grunt had not been with her at Horizon. He didn't mean Ashley; he couldn't. "You mean Sergeant Roark?" she asked, hoping she was correct.
Grunt smirked. "The one with the arsenal. There was lots of room to run on Anhur."
"You're right," she agreed scratching the ridge at the back of Urz's head. "You're going to have to keep a better eye on Urz here until I talk to him. And if he can't take the big guy then he goes back to the Urdnot compound."
Grunt huffed at her, which made the varren shift into the krogan's lap.
"Between now and then, no more hiding him in here. Exercise in the bay and I'll ask Rupert to put together something especially for him."
"Hear that?" she said, leaning over toward Urz. "You're part of the crew."
Leah laughed lightly. "Yeah, until we find him a better place for him to hang out, he can stay. Plus, he seems to like it back here."
His rumbling laugh resounded through the room. "I think he does. Even if he has to wear Miranda's shirt."
As she stood Shepard, stopped and looked down at the pair. "Which reminds me. Urz is going to have to give up his shirt. We'll get you some extra blankets for him."