Chapter 1: The Normandy Nightclub

A/N: The alien characters are human and there are no biotics. This is a modern AU, so even if you don't know anything about the video game series, you'll understand this fanfic just fine. I've simply used the characters in an understandable setting.

My first AU in any fandom ever. Hope you like it!

A fresh start. That's all there was. A way to escape and start anew.

That's exactly what Kaidan Alenko had in mind when he boarded a plane to New York after living in Vancouver his whole life. His friends and family were convinced he did so because he needed something new. A new experience away from the comforts of home. There was some truth in it. Nevertheless, he let them believe whatever they wanted to prevent the headache, and the repercussions that would follow.

The flawed truth was far more complicated than that.

It was 02:32 am on a Tuesday. Kaidan was currently in the most popular local in the busy town. 'The Normandy Nightclub.' It was a quaint place. Simple. Decent-sized. Full of life. So different from the conflicts just outside the upright, stony walls.

At the time around 10 pm to 2 am, it was way more lively, colored lights at the dance floor, strippers on the podiums and the usual bands they occasionally picked up. The place closed earlier on the weekdays. It was one of the few friendly places he'd visited in the early hours of his self-reliant transfer. He'd managed to get in cahoots with the owner and workers quickly, which gave him a good starting point.

"We've been testing out a new drink," Samantha Traynor, one of the baristas, said. "Does the wine expert care to be our human guinea pig?"

He wasn't really an expert, but his parents did own a vineyard, so there's that.

Kaidan blinked. "I, uh... I mean, sure," he said, watching a shot glass being filled and pushed his way. He hesitated. Grasping it between his fingers, he lifted it to his nose, giving it a whiff. Rich. It looked and smelled harmless enough. He tipped his head back and drowned the liquid, noticing the bitter burn on his tongue, then the aftertaste. "Ugh, that... Oh, god! What even is that?"

Nevertheless, Sam was simply thrown into a giggle fit.

With a wince, Kaidan pushed the glass away. "You know what? Don't tell me. I really don't want to know," he murmured, hearing the booming laughter from the bouncer - Wrex - echoing the local, with his big arms folded as he leant up against the wall.

Wrex sure as hell was an intimidating one with his facial scars and strong build, but once you got to know him, he was really just a big old teddy bear with a heart of gold. He kept the place out of conflict and chaos. There were the occasional troublemakers that passed through, but thanks to their skilled bouncers, the stir was kept to a minimum.

Sam was lovely, quirky, and smart as all hell, her thick British accent reflecting her enthusiasm. Kind of awkward just like Kaidan at times. A natural when it came to mixing drinks.

Then again, she loved to mess with him, a gesture that was always welcomed.

The occasional barista, Garrus Vakarian, was one of a kind. A head taller than him with sharp features. He was a regular at the shooting range nearby and a deadeye shot. A rather suave individual. His beloved rifle, quaintly decorating the wall behind the bar disk, was his one true love. He did a lot of work with the bar, buying ingredients, taking care of the economy, calibrating the technical stuff, et cetra. Kaidan had learned that he was a police officer himself but dropped out.

Garrus wasn't a guy that loiter as he'd rather take down the criminals, by any means necessary, than be tied to a rulebook. In other words, the profession didn't suit him, so he applied for a job in this very club in a part of town that made its own rules.

Still, he was loyal, and he valued his friends highly.

"Just give him the usual. Damn lightweight, he is," Ashley Williams - his accomplice - mused as she smirked, patting his back gingerly.

Sam smiled back, shaking her head. "Canadian lager, coming right up."

"Lager? Man, Blue. You've gotta start living, amigo," came a voice from the backroom, moving towards the bar with a strut in his steps as he threw a worn jacket onto a nearby chair.

Noting the way Ashley's jaw had dropped, Kaidan grinned.

"I'll think about it!" Kaidan called back, before lowering his voice and leaning in to Ashley's ear. "He's one of their strippers. James Vega. Don't say I never do anything nice for you."

Still slack-mouthed, Ashley turned to him, her full lips drawing upwards. He had brought her there for that exact reason. His grin got bigger when Ash playfully nudged his arm with an accusatory look in her eye.

Vega's shift had just been over and he'd changed to more presentable attire. Guy was as confident as they come. Kind of a must in his profession. Kaidan figured he'd be just the guy for Ash. She had been dealing with family problems lately where one of her sisters recently escaped a somewhat toxic and abusive relationship. Ashley cared deeply for her sisters, so the whole ordeal had taken a lot out of her, and he wanted her to feel better. Ash herself was beautiful and headstrong. She worked with him in the police department and was like a sister to him.

"Well, hell-o beautiful..." Vega murmured, sliding up next to her. "I'll sure as hell give you a private show... No charge."

Ashley giggled.

Oh my god, did Ash just giggle? he thought, in awe.

He tried to suppress the idle conversation that followed Ash's question when she poked Vega's bicep, asking, "Are those real?" They hit it off nicely.

Kaidan would've lied if he said he didn't wish such happiness for himself, but after what happened at the police training academy that made him into the man he was today, he'd nearly given up love entirely. Rahna was one of the few people that had caught his eye in his lifespan of twenty-five years. She was gorgeous. Long, black hair to the shoulders, warm eyes that he could get lost in. A heart of gold. He didn't know if she even felt the same. Then again, it didn't matter, as things went to hell fast. They lost contact shortly after and parted ways.

He flagged it off.

Thirty minutes passed, and Sam had returned home, having an early shift the next day. At her departure, Garrus had arrived from getting more ice and fermenting fruit for their specials in the nearby 24/7 store, doing the job for the bar owner Jeff Moreau - whom everyone just called Joker because he was rarely serious - because of his bone disease that made it difficult to move.

Kaidan was torn from his thoughts when he heard Ashley stifle a yawn with her palm. "Man... I think I'm gonna crash," she murmured, voice sleep-deprived. "Don't stay up too late LT, yeah?"

"I won't. Sleep tight, Ash. I'll see you at work," he replied.

"You bet."

"Want me to walk you home, cariña?" Vega piped in.

She smiled coyly. "I don't know, Vega. Do I? Buy me a drink on Friday, and I'll might let you."

"Yeah? You drive a hard bargain... but I can figure something out."

With a roll of his eyes, Kaidan smirked, watching the pair approaching the exit. When Vega's back was turned, Ashley mouthed, "I love you" to him over his shoulder. He registered the knowing wink from the Spanish Casanova right after.

Kaidan gingerly waved them out.

"Hell, I better get back home to get enough hours for my shift as well," he said. "Need my help closing up?"

Garrus pulled out a rag to clean the bar disk. "Nah, don't worry. I'll finish up here. It's probably just one or two bloodstains here and there... and, if I'm lucky, no one has passed out by the toilet bowl again."

With a grin, Kaidan shook his head.

"I appreciate the offer, but you should honestly get some sleep," Garrus added. "If you hoped for a lazy posting, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Downtown New York isn't exactly the friendliest place on earth. Get my meaning?"

"Yeah, I got you. Still, better than my original post," he muttered, offering a careful smile.

Garrus was one of the few people who knew why he left in the first place. A conversation brought up after a couple drinks and shared experiences. He was determined to keep it that way.

Drowning the remaining liquid, Kaidan rose from the barstool.

He gave a wave. "Night, Garrus. Thanks for the drinks."

Kaidan stepped out of the club only to hear a clattering sound coming from his peripheral vision. He turned his head. The silhouette of a man in the dim streetlights appeared to have hit his foot in a trashcan only to prop a hand to the wall besides. Regaining his balance. It was dark, so he couldn't make out a face, but he didn't look in the best of shapes in his hunched state. He was probably drunk. Probably came from the less crowded bar down the streets. Kaidan had seen a lot of those guys ever since he arrived from Vancouver. It wasn't new.

Better intervene before the man hurt himself.

Kaidan cleared his throat. "Excuse me, sir. Are you all ri -? Oh, god."

Only then did he see the thick, red liquid emerging from his hand-clasped abdomen.

Before he could react, the man collapsed right there before him.

Quick on his feet, Kaidan launched to his aid, barging his hip into the railing in which a pain swept up his body only to be ignored. The now unconscious man was losing blood fast. Kaidan cursed under his breath, knowing he had to get him patched up before it was too late. There was no sign of spinal injury, so he took a firm grip of his body, throwing him over his shoulders before pushing up the door.

With a startled look, Garrus' eyes ascended, turning twice their size as he saw the baggage he was carrying.

"Med-kit. Fast," Kaidan said, strangled under the weight.

He felt the thick substance traversing down his neck. His hands were soaked in dark red. Carrying the body to a nearby couch, he saw Garrus quickly drop the cloth he used to wash the bar disk, rushing to get the essentials.

Shifty eyes searched the wound as he crouched down before him. Hell, he was no medic. Everything he knew was that he needed to get that bullet out before the man suffered from blood poisoning. He couldn't see the culprit. That made things one hell of a lot more difficult, and neither did he want to make a mistake, so he could do nothing but pray that Garrus had encountered a situation like this in the past.

Gently tilting the man's head back, he made sure he was breathing, soothing him when a steady rhythm was presented.

"My apologies, but do any of you happen to know where I can find -? Oh, my..." came a feminine voice from the entrance, causing his attention to snap up. He hadn't noticed the door swinging up.

The woman wore a doctor's garb. Now that's exactly what they needed right now.

A professional.

Garrus' head poked out from the backroom as he with fast-paced steps approached them.

She rushed over. "Please, I am a doctor. Allow me to help," she said, delicate fingers beginning to fumble through the purse latched around her shoulder before fishing out an ID. She gave it to Garrus. His expression as he searched the words told him it was legit.

Without hesitation, Kaidan nodded.

"You, uh... you need me to do anything -?" he asked, as she couched down next to him.

"Yes, please. Do you have gauze?" she replied, her hands busy with the wound.

Garrus rummaged through the med-kit, looking far more on-edge than he'd ever seen him before somewhat stiffly holding out a bottle.

"Uh... it's this, right?"

"Thank you. Give it to your friend, here," she said, gesturing over to Kaidan. The woman pressed two fingers to the man's wrist to find a pulse while Kaidan soaked the clean cloth Garrus had brought with him in gauze. "Put pressure here. I need to prevent any more blood from pouring out. We need to stop the bleeding before doing anything else. It does not look like he has any punctured lungs or damaged organs."

Ten stressful minutes went far faster than expected, and the wound had stopped bleeding, so the woman didn't waste a moment to start looking for the bullet. It had gone straight through. Thankfully.

"We appreciate the help, Miss -?" Kaidan tried.

Her cheeks flushed red. "Oh. My name is Liara. Liara T'Soni. I... only recently transferred to the local hospital," she replied, as a small, sheepish smile breached the surface of her lips. "I was to ask for directions, although I came eye-to-eye with this situation we find ourselves in. I would shake your hand, but..." She held them up, the thin red layer coating them.

"There's a sink in the backroom," he said, smiling back. Her own grew, and she nodded before rising. Garrus cleared his throat, moving out of her way as she took to her feet.

With a sigh, Kaidan's eyes fluttered shut.

Only when he opened them again did he get a good look at the stranger.

It was a young man, probably in his early twenties, with spiked dark brown hair about two and a half inches. A worn leather jacket with red marks cradled his broad shoulders. There were oil stains all over the fabric and torn holes in his grey jeans, the rim ragged, realization dawning that this man wasn't of the wealthier families that spread across downtown New York. His cheekbones were prominent, his features unlined, a youthful appearance ushering over his relaxed state. A breathing light enough to allow comfort. Peace.

Kaidan shook his head, brushing his thoughts away from the current observations, knowing this man had just been on the verge of becoming vulture snacks for no less than five minutes ago.

"I need to get him to the station so he can explain what exactly happened."

Garrus hesitated. "Kaidan, that's... not a good idea. I know him. He's not on the best terms with the police."

"Wait, what?" he asked, brows furrowing. "Garrus, if you know something -"

"He's not a bad guy."

"I don't -Hell, who is he? You know I can have you taken in for hearing."

"His name is Sh -John. A regular. He's like a brother to me. Admiral Anderson took him in after he was orphaned on the streets. I really don't want to make things more difficult than it already is, but Anderson can fill you in when he gets back," he replied, with a noticeably soft edge to his voice. "Let's just say you're both running from something."

Kaidan swallowed hard.

"He can't stay here, can he?" he tried. Garrus' clenched jaw was answer enough. "Guess I'll have to keep him at my place until then."

He owed Garrus that much. He owed him more than he ever would be able to repay.

Still... housing a damn criminal for the vicinity of three weeks?

He didn't even know his birthed last name.

Things just got a lot more complicated.