You Never Know
BioWare owns the Mass Effect universe…unfortunately.
This is my first Fan Fic in about a year. Comments and advice are quite loved. I am not used to creating romantic fics, so this is a bit out of my niche. I would love to make this much better, so any comments will be appreciated.
Set after the events of Mass Effect 2, therefore there will be a significant amount of spoilers. It is my "in between" of ME 2 and what may/may not happen in ME3. Does NOT include much DLC events.
Line breaks or asterisks separate scenes, lets hope they don't disappear.
Dawn Shepard awoke in her quarters dripping with sweat and tears. "Another damn nightmare! I can't even get away from him in my sleep!" She screamed as she punched her thin wall, her entire body trembling from o many emotions coursing through her small frame.
"Commander, if I may, your emotional outbreaks are getting worse, and perhaps more unstable. Should I inform the doctor?" A blue hologram appeared near her.
"No thank you, EDI. I just need to vent some frustration." The Commander replied, exhaling deeply as she stood to feed her hamster near the wall that housed her bathroom. Shepard had not even known the hidden room existed until she happened to move too close her second time on the new Normandy.
"Commander, I have received a signal. A ship has been attempting to track our sensors. It does not appear to be a Cerberus vessel." EDI said as Dawn jumped to her closet and removed a black uniform shirt bearing only an "N7" emblem. She had made a point to burn all of her Cerberus uniforms as soon as she told the Illusive Man to fuck off.
"EDI, instruct Joker to prepare for evasive maneuvers. I want Garrus and Samara to meet me in the CIC five minutes ago." She said rushing out the door, hesitating only to grab her smallest pistol. She then secured it to her theigh, and proceeded to her elevator.
As she stepped out the elevator, she was relieved to see both the turian and asari standing near her galaxy map. "We have an unknown ship tracking us. I want to know who they are if they're not Cerberus. Now!" She commanded as they parted. "Kelly, get the intercom running, I need to address the ship." She said to the young woman to her right.
"Yes ma'am, already done." The yeoman said as she moved her hand so that the commander had access to the com button. Kelly rarely spoke to anyone aboard the Normandy other than Shepard, a fact that constantly annoyed the commander. The yeoman was very flamboyant and that fact alone seemed to teeter on Shepard's last nerve.
"This is Commander Shepard. After recent events, we were prepared for Cerberus to come after us. However, this is not the case this time. We have an unnamed vessel coming after us, and we need to be ready for anything. Perhaps this is nothing more than a mistaken lost ship, but I am not prepared to be caught with my pants down. Be battle ready until further notice! Shepard out." She said as she made her way to the pilot wing. "Talk to me Joker." She said, looking at her longtime friend, a look of concern on her usually fair face.
"Commander, we're being hailed." Joker looked up at her waiting for instruction, a quizzical look on his rough face.
"Patch them trough, Joker" She said sternly, remaining completely composed, despite her internal worry. Who in the hell would be tracking them this far out? And why was the more pertinent question.
"Aye, Aye, ma'am." The pilot said simply. A comment that straightforward and without snark was so unlike Joker, Shepard knew he must feel a slight sense of worry as well.
"This is Commander Shepard of the Normandy. Identify yourself promptly." She said sternly into the com link, her uneasy hands gripping the pilot seat.
"Commander Dawn Marie Shepard," A smooth, soft, familiar voice came through on the com link. Shepard's stomach tightened and her throat instantly become dry. "Shepard, do you read me?" The voice asked. Shepard cleared her throat. "Yes." Shepard whispered. She quickly cleared her throat, her strong voice once again becoming clear. " What are you doing tracking the Normandy, Alenko?" She asked, anger ceding into her voice. "Looking for you Commander." Was the faint reply.
Dawn's throat caught. She was expecting a battle of words, hurt, and suspicion, as their previous meeting on Horizon had been, or at the very least a heated confrontation. She was a battle-hardened woman in her late twenties. She had lived, and died, and lived again. There was nothing that scared her, nothing she could not face. Nothing, except Kaidan Alenko. She cleared her throat, and mustered up what she could. "Commander Alenko, you have permission to come aboard as soon as we land, and we will discuss a future agreement. We are five minutes to Illium, we will discuss this there. Shepard out." She said as tears brimmed her eyes. She slid against the wall next to Joker and rested her head against the wall.
"Commander, it really isn't my business to say, but he's more of an asshole than I am. Where does he get off looking for you, er, I mean us?" Joker said as he furiously tapped into the holographic screen.
Dawn sighed and looked toward her pilot. "No Joker, you're still more of an ass. You're the finest kind." She said with a smirk on her face. Even with so much uncertainty, so much pain, she was determined to keep moral up, even with her closest friend.
"Thanks, Commander. Really." Joker said flatly as they approached the docking shuttles on Illium. Shepard stood, ready to face her darkest fears.
"Commander Alenko requests to come aboard Commander Shepard. He appears to be alone. Perhaps he thinks he has nothing to fear?" Yeoman Chambers shrugged innocently to her as she tapped away on her terminal. "Should I tell Joker to unlock the airlock?"
"Yes, Kelly. Please tell him to meet me in the debriefing room." Dawn said, hastening her pace toward the room, ignoring the quizzical look of her assistant. She paced the room nervously, sweat dripping from her head. The large room felt especially small to her at the moment. As she heard the doors open, her stomach tightened once again.
"Shepard?" His voice was low and quiet. "I know I am the last person in the galaxy you want to see, and I can understand why after what I said when we met on Horizon." He said, his face showing no signs of anger.
"What do you want, Kaidan?" She said, unable to hide the hurt and anger from her voice. "Frankly, I don't have anything more to say to you, but since you tracked me half way across the galaxy at the risk of my killing you, I suppose I can listen." She said, a bit forcefully as her biotic aura flared slightly.
"Shepard, calm down. I have no intention of making an ass of myself again. I have a couple of things to say to you. I hope you will listen." He said, motioning to one of the seats. "May I?" He asked looking to her hopefully. With her permission, he slowly took a seat, watching her carefully, noting her biotic flare disappeared. She was off her guard. This was a good thing, much more than he had hoped for. "Shepard, I foremost wanted to apologize. I was out of line on Horizon, and Garrus was right. I wasn't thinking, and I was blinded by emotions. When I saw you alive my heart leaped with joy, but I was so angry with you. I was so in love with you Dawn. And I refused to believe you were gone for so long!" He said looking to her, hoping she could understand him as she once could.
"Kaidan, you hurt me! You insulted me, called me a liar, and turned your back on me." She said through angry tears. Her biotics once again flaring. "You tell me you're sorry? Sorry for what? Are you trying to ease your guilty conscience?" She yelled as she lifted a chair and proceeded to throw in into a wall.
"Shepard, please!" Kaidan let his voice raise slightly as he put a hand lightly on her arm, unwavering to her anger. "I know I can't take back what I said, but I need to know everything you said was the truth." He said, looking defeated.
Dawn felt as if a lightning bolt shocked her entire body as he touched her. "Kaidan, I have never, and would never lie to you. Why do you thing I am running? Cerberus is after me because I wouldn't work with them. I couldn't do the horrible things they wanted." She said, her voice becoming quieter despite her rising anger.
Kaidan was in complete shock. She was hurt, and she was still telling him the truth. At this point he felt lies were easier to take. At least then he could still blame her. He felt like the lowest point in the galaxy knowing what he know knew. He walked over to her, not caring if she were to hurt him right now, and kissed her passionately.
Dawn felt her body go completely limp at Kaidan's touch. She knew how much his betrayal hurt her, how angry she was at him, and how much she still loved him. As they parted, she regained composure and her head cleared. "What the hell Kaidan!"
"I…I'm sorry Shepard. I just…I couldn't…" His words faltered, and he stepped back from her. "I'm sorry I wasted your time Commander. I'll be going now. Good luck." He said as he walked out the debriefing door.