A/N: Hey, guys, here it is, the sequel/continuation to Medical Red Tape. I recommend reading that first but I guess I can't make you. Anyway, while this story will mainly focus on the Citadel DLC, things are going to be kind of different as I am going to start taking my own AU-ish twist to it. There will also be a story after this revolving around the game's ending and my own version of how it could happen because I thought of something the other night which kind of makes sense, I think ;) Hope, anyway. The next story will probably be called Slow Spinning Redemption, but for now I am working on this story, which is tentatively being called Vindicated.

I wanted to thank you all for reading/reviewing the previous story, Medical Red Tape. It really meant a lot to me!

A special thanks to Jules Hawk for being a sounding board ;) I appreciate it!

I had a really hard time starting this story because I wasn't sure how to jump into it. At the moment it's taking place like 2 weeks after the events of Medical Red Tape.

Oh and for those that didn't read the first story, my Shepard is named Ryan, he's a vanguard, sole survivor and colonist background, default appearance. Mostly paragon as well.

OH! Also, since James gives everyone nicknames, I had him give Kaidan the nickname of 'Indigo'. Why? Dunno. Anyway, if he does actually give Kaidan a nickname in the game, I don't think I've heard it, or I've forgotten it. Sorry!

DISCLAIMER: Don't own Mass Effect, sorry. If I did Kaidan and Shepard would have a million more scenes :P

This is getting long, sorry ;)

Let us begin!

Vindicated

Sequel to Medical Red Tape

Warnings: Story contains foul language, combat situations, and involves the slash pairing of Shepard and Kaidan. Rated T for now but that could change.

Chapter One

This was supposed to be a simple mission. Find missing artifact, retrieve it, get the hell out of there. In and out, no more than thirty minutes tops. That was what they'd been told, anyway.

But as always they were left in the dark and it was anything but simple. Cerberus was there before them and seemed to know they were coming. Kaidan didn't realize how unprepared they were until Garrus tripped a an invisible wire. If it hadn't been for Shepard's biotic charge tackling the turian to the ground, Garrus would be dead from the fiery lasers that cut through where he once stood.

Things just went downhill from there.

Somewhere along the way, exhaustion set in. Using biotics so frequently often did that. It was like having a super-charged metabolism and burned calories like they were nothing. It honestly took all they had for the biotics to not be skin and bones. Each time they used their biotics, more calories were burned. If more calories were taken away than put into the body, exhaustion was the result, and if this continued, further health issues.

Without those calories to eat and use for energy, the biotics would use whatever they could. Muscle tissue, stomach acid, whatever it had to use to get that burst of energy, that adrenaline to work. Kaidan was careful to never let it go too far – when he started feeling the heavy tug of his limbs, the onset of exhaustion, he stopped using them and switched to his guns.

At the moment, though, they were outnumbered and out of ammo. The only ammo was across the battle field next to the fallen Cerberus soldiers and there was no way to get the ammo without getting shot in the face. Their armor might have been able to take a few shots but they didn't have helmets. While helmets offered head protection, it also limited their head movement, and that could cause them to miss vital things nearby, like an enemy preparing for a sneak assault off to the side. They needed the full range of motion so whenever possible, they didn't wear their helmets. They usually had their shields and barriers up anyway, which would take the first hit unless it was well placed and powerful enough to do instant damage. Headshots were usually always fatal unless done by a fairly weak weapon.

The point was, they couldn't get ammo. That left them using biotics. Kaidan himself was getting exhausted and Garrus just sat there glaring at his guns because he wasn't a biotic. Shepard had yet to charge across the battle field much to Kaidan's relief, but the exhaustion was weighing on him, too, probably more so than Kaidan because he was still under orders to not use his biotics unless strictly necessary, and only very little.

If he had to use a biotic charge to save a teammate, that was fine.

But hours upon hours of fighting using his biotics…

That's not.

He'd already had a problem with his cybernetics once. Kaidan was still confused as to how using his biotics could irritate the cybernetics, but that wasn't his area of expertise and while he told himself he would learn more about it, there hadn't been time to do so yet.

It had only been two weeks since the ordeal with Bryson and the Leviathan, since Shepard was released from med bay and the two of them entered into this relationship.

Two weeks of hurried happiness. There was very little downtime but when they did have free time, they spent it together, usually in Shepard's cabin. Kaidan rarely returned to the Observation Room anymore, and never slept there. Instead he'd come to start thinking of Shepard's cabin as his cabin as well.

Two weeks of happiness, of healing, and now this.

"Cortez, we need that shuttle now," Shepard all but growled into the comm link, lifting a gloved hand to wipe sweat from his brow. Kaidan peeked over the cover and growled under his breath as he saw an atlas heading toward them.

"Shepard," he said in warning, and Shepard looked up and cursed under his breath.

"I'm trying, Commander," Cortez replied, voice just as urgent as Shepard's, "but they've got troops everywhere!"

"We can see that!" Garrus said.

"If you don't want to bring us back to the Normandy in body bags, I suggest you get here now!" Shepard growled before peeking over the cover again, blue energy gathering around his hand as he flicked it, sending a pull toward the enemy. Kaidan watched, almost detachedly, as one of the soldiers was lifted into the air. Shepard used another pull, hitting him again and this time he went flying into the wall and slid to the ground, unconscious.

We can't keep this up.

The severity of the situation was quickly setting in, leaving a knot in his stomach. Steel bands encircled his lungs as he looked at Shepard, watched the determined set of his features, the stiffening of his shoulders as he used another pull. The biotic barrier blazed blue around him as a bullet whizzed past his shoulder and the commander ducked back down behind cover.

We might actually die here.

He'd never thought that before, he realized. He always thought Shepard would get them out of there, that he always had a plan. A plan B. He always seemed so confidant but now, as he got to know the man better, he realized he didn't have all the answers just like Kaidan himself didn't have all the answers.

The atlas was getting closer. He didn't have to look over his cover to see that. The mech was heavy and loud and its footsteps vibrated the ground beneath them, each thud of its heavy footfalls making that knot in Kaidan's stomach that much bigger.

He watched as Shepard made his decision. Watched those shoulders droop, however marginally, knew he hated that droop more than anything because that meant defeat. Shepard just gave into something and he didn't know what, couldn't ask around that lump in his throat and the sound of the mech getting closer.

Shepard's blue eyes were suddenly on him, sharp and captivating. "Cortez, where are you?"

Yes. Where are you.

If he didn't get here soon…

Kaidan didn't want to find out what that droop meant.

You're not doing anything reckless.

He would make sure of that, as he vowed to himself before.

"ETA 5 minutes," Cortez said, and Kaidan felt that knot loosen somewhat. Five minutes. They could hold out for five minutes, right?

He looked down at his rifle, useless and forgotten on the ground next to him. Bullets slammed into his cover, causing bits of the rock to break off and topple onto his head, the dust of it nearly blinding him, stinging his eyes but he didn't care about that. No, what he cared about was the fact that Shepard was standing up.

He grabbed Shepard by the wrist and yanked hard, causing the commander to kneel or risk falling over, but either way he was behind cover again.

"Are you crazy?" Kaidan hissed, glaring at him, at the dull hue of those eyes which should have been bright.

Exhaustion, he told himself. It's exhaustion. We're all tired.

But somehow that didn't seem quite right.

Sweat dripped down Shepard's face. He was half leaning, favoring his left side and now Kaidan reached out, saw the awareness dawn in Shepard's eyes and watched his commander pull away just as quickly.

"Doc said no more biotics."

Shepard smiled but it was thin and frail, just like this moment of peace because that mech was getting closer and Kaidan knew it would break soon. "Kind of late for that, K."

The use of his nickname, used only in private in Shepard's cabin when the two were completely alone, had his body stiffening in dread. A chill crawled through him, unwanted and intrusive and his grip on Shepard's wrist tightened.

"What are you thinking?" he asked quietly, even as Garrus began using the last of his pistol ammo in a futile attempt to hold the atlas off.

"Thinking about how mad Doc's gonna be."

Kaidan wanted to laugh, wanted to at least try to appreciate Shepard's attempt at humor, but he couldn't. That lump in his throat stopped the sound from escaping, however forced it would have been, and Shepard's shoulders drooped that much more. Kaidan pulled at the wrist he held captive, urging the brunette closer, until finally Shepard acquiesced and sat heavily next to him, back against the cold stone of their cover.

And it was because of where he now sat, with his left side facing Kaidan as Kaidan now sat on his left, that he noticed the crack in the armor.

Crack?

There wasn't supposed to be a crack there. Unconsciously his hand sought out the same place in his arm and found only the smooth bits that should have been present on Shepard's but instead there was a jagged hole, a crack.

Beyond that he could see something dark.

Anger welled up in his throat. It pushed back the rising desperation and instantly he was in front of Shepard, having leveraged himself away from cover enough that he would not get shot and that he could block Shepard's escape. One hand pressed firmly against Shepard's right shoulder, lightly forcing him back against the stone as his other hand reached for that crack in the armor.

"Kaidan-" Shepard tried.

Kaidan's hand came away red. It stood out in stark contrast to the blue of his own armor, and his gaze snapped toward Shepard's face. Noticed the pallor for the first time, that dull light in the eyes suddenly making sense, as did all the sweat drops dotting his brow.

"You've been shot."

The words felt foreign as they tumbled out of his mouth. Shepard swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing.

"He's been shot," Kaidan said a little louder, so Garrus could hear. He was a little further down the rock wall, able to stand up completely there while Kaidan and Shepard were at the break in it, where they had to kneel if they didn't want to get shot.

Shot.

Shepard had been shot.

And Kaidan hadn't noticed.

You failed. Again.

That knot in his stomach was back. This time when he heard the heavy thuds he wasn't sure if it was the footfalls of the atlas or the beating of his own heart, pummeling against his chest. Either way it felt like he was wasting time, losing time, and he couldn't afford to let that happen.

His medical training kicked in, allowing him a moment to focus. He reached for Shepard again but this time, instead of pushing him against the stone cover, he carefully urged the vanguard toward the ground. Shepard fought him because why would he possibly make this easy?

You idiot! Kaidan wanted to shout. You've been shot!

And Kaidan couldn't tell how much it was bleeding, how bad it was, because of the armor. All he could see was the blood through the crack, and Shepard's breaths sounded a lot shakier than they had before.

"I'm okay," Shepard all but wheezed, struggling to get back up.

Kaidan growled and put a hand on his chest, keeping him seated. "You're not okay," he snapped, glaring at the man. "Are you crazy?"

He has to be.

"Kaidan."

Shepard's voice was soft, quiet – sincere. And despite himself, Kaidan felt himself relax, felt those steel bands loosen and he could breathe again, if only for a moment.

"It's okay."

The laugh that escaped him was more bitter than anything. "How is anything about this okay?" he demanded. "And where the hell is Cortez?"

The pilot said it would be five minutes. How long had it been? It had to have been an eternity.

There was the telltale beep of the atlas firing its rockets. The cover they were hiding behind nearly exploded. The edges did but somehow the middle remained intact, where they were hiding. Even so the realization that soon this cover would be gone slammed through Kaidan. It would be gone, they'd have to run. Except Shepard was shot and he didn't want him moving, didn't want him getting up. He wanted him to sit there and act like he'd been injured, because why did he have to play the hero all the time?

Because that's what we expect of him.

Guilt gnawed at him but he didn't have time to think about it right now. Shepard's eyelids were drooping, blinks becoming longer and slower. Kaidan would be lying if he said he didn't look paler than a few minutes ago.

He could be bleeding out for all I know.

That was very true and he had no way of knowing without taking off his armor, but he couldn't take it off just yet, not in the middle of a battlefield. It was too dangerous.

But it's dangerous to not do anything, too.

That was true and panic clawed at his chest because he didn't know what to do…

Didn't know how to help Shepard. Didn't know if he should drag him away or keep him still, didn't know if he should stay or go, draw the attention off the commander or make sure nothing else happened to him…

He just didn't know.

He wasn't aware his hands were shaking until gloved hands came around his own, capturing them. His gaze darted down to Shepard's face again, at the barely parted blue eyes, the blue-tinged lips and the sweat dotted brow.

"Help me up," Shepard said, and despite everything else his voice was still steady. It chased away some of that darkness eating away at Kaidan's mind, but he still shook his head.

"No. You're not doing anything."

I won't let you, not this time.

He wasn't going to take any chances. He was forced to sit back and watch as Shepard disappeared beneath the waves while hunting Leviathan. He didn't stop it from happening then but he was damned if he was going to let Shepard slip away now, let him get up at all.

"Kaidan," Shepard's voice was calm, placating. "I'm getting really tired."

The panic was back and his gripped Shepard's hands in return, staring at him. "You can't-"

"Help me up."

"No!"

"Kaidan…" this time there was a definite waver in Shepard's voice, the way he stopped and drew in a shaky breath. "If you don't help me up… I'm gonna sleep."

"Don't sleep," he said instantly.

"Then help me up."

And Kaidan wanted to argue, wanted to do anything but move him, but there was that fear that Shepard was telling the truth, that he would sleep if he didn't. Sleep could be deadly because he didn't know the extent of his injuries, didn't know if he was bleeding out right in front of him because of that damn armor, that damn armor that didn't do its job and protect him…

Before he knew what he was doing, he'd pulled Shepard toward him, wrapping the commander's arm around the back of his neck, slowly lifting until the two were standing, quickly hobbling toward Garrus and his larger cover.

"How is he?" Garrus asked.

"Still here," Shepard grunted, tossing him a small glare. "Cortez?"

"He's not answering," Garrus said darkly, and Kaidan swallowed thickly.

"Well, we can't stay here," he said.

There was the beep again and the wall around them exploded. Kaidan was struck by concrete and he twisted, slamming into the ground. For a moment he saw only a white haze, a ringing in his ears, head ablaze from the impact.

A second later he was scrambling up because Shepard was a few feet away, and he wasn't moving.

No.

Kaidan went to his knees next to him, rolling him over. He wasn't sure weather to laugh or sob at the look of pained irritation Shepard gave him, eyes blinking open almost as soon as Kaidan's hands touched him.

"I'm getting… really tired of those… damn rockets," Shepard breathed, and then groaned as Kaidan helped him sit up.

"I know, me took."

"Garrus?"

Kaidan swallowed and looked around. He found the turian a few feet away, unconscious. He was torn between running to him and staying with Shepard.

"Go," Shepard said. "Just… help me up first."

He didn't want to. He wanted to make sure the commander laid down like he should have been, but he didn't know what to do and that was a simple order to follow. As long as Shepard was awake and talking, they'd be fine. So he gritted his teeth and wrapped Shepard's arm around his neck again, lifting until the two stood once more, and staggered toward Garrus's prone form.

Be okay.

Shepard pulled away, then, leaning against the wall as he nodded at Kaidan to keep going to Garrus.

"Stay," Kaidan said to him.

Stay there. Stay awake. Just stay.

"Go," Shepard said in response, arm wrapped carefully around his side, over that crack in the armor. "He needs you."

Kaidan swallowed and nodded. Before he moved to follow those orders, though, he couldn't stop his hand from raising, slowly reaching toward Shepard's face. The gloved fingers brushed against a pale cheek, wiped beads of sweat and blood away. Shepard's smile was thin and frail but he finally managed to take a step away.

And then he turned and moved toward Garrus.

As he was rolling the turian over, his heart nearly stopped when he heard the telltale sounds of a biotic charge. A shot from an atlas flew past him, clearly forced off target.

He spun around and Shepard was gone.

No.

Ice. Ice in his veins.

He wouldn't…

But there he was, staggering in front of the atlas, having used a charge to hit it. A part of Kaidan knew why Shepard deemed that necessary – acknowledged the fact that Shepard had probably just saved his life, and Garrus's, by charging the atlas like that, taking its aim off of them. He didn't even want to think of what would have happened at the atlas's shot hit them.

But a much larger part of him wanted to scream and shout and kill that bastard for doing this because no…

He watched as though in slow motion as Shepard staggered, both from exhaustion and his injuries, and the atlas rounded on him and readied its weapons. At that range it wouldn't, couldn't, miss and Shepard wouldn't be able to withstand anything it did to him because he was already tired and hurt and why…

I told you to stay! He wanted to shout until he was blue in the face. I told you to stay!

Right before the atlas could fire, Shepard used a nova blast which not only staggered the atlas back a step, clearing damaging it, but it also left Shepard tripping as the rest of the energy drained from him and he went to his knees.

And then he looked over at Kaidan.

Oh. God. No, don't look at me like that.

To anyone else he would simply exhausted, worn out, tired. He'd look like hell because he was hurt and bloody and everything he shouldn't have been. To anyone else…

But to Kaidan, he saw it.

The drooping shoulders.

The ghost of a smile, apologetic in nature.

Shadows across that pale face, but also relief. He saw goddamn relief on Shepard's face despite the apologetic crease on his brow.

And he saw the atlas step toward him.

And he knew that face. That expression, what it meant, what it all meant and he was running before he could stop himself, even as Shepard's head shook back and forth, demanding that he stay put.

He's saying goodbye.

Shepard was giving up – admitting defeat, saying goodbye to Kaidan with that goddamn expression and this was all so wrong.

In his heart he knew he had no hope of stopping it. He couldn't use a charge like Shepard, couldn't get there fast enough to do anything, but that didn't stop him from trying, because no – stop – don't-

"Ryan…"

Please no, don't. Don't, don't, don't.

And like an answer to his prayers, the familiar Kodiak shuttle appeared behind the atlas, firing at it. It staggered and spun, shooting back at the shuttle but Cortez was an excellent pilot and managed to dodge easily enough because while powerful, the atlas's guns were slow.

And Kaidan made it to Shepard's side.

Lifted for all he was worth, drug the commander away from there, from that spot, back toward where he left Garrus. And he felt so horrible about leaving Garrus but he couldn't… how…

Another shuttle was on the ground near Garrus. James stood there, dragging the turian toward it and thank God Garrus was awake, unable to walk on his own but he was awake and alive and-

"Kaidan…"

He looked at Shepard, mostly leaning against him, body sagging in exhaustion. He kept one arm wound tightly around Shepard's waist while his other hand kept that arm around his neck.

Safety was in sight. The shuttle wasn't far and they could leave this place and everything would be fine.

His mind flashed back to that expression and if he held onto Shepard a little tighter, he'd never tell.

"Jesus, Loco," James commented as they approached him.

Kaidan breathed out a shaky laugh. "He's alive. He's alive."

Alive. Alive.

And that was so much better than-

James reached out to grab Shepard's other arm, help him into the Kodiak. On some level Kaidan knew that was what he was trying to do, but at the moment, he couldn't relinquish control, couldn't hand him over. And if he growled at James until the lieutenant back off with a small frown, no one said anything about it.

He got Shepard into the shuttle and James climbed into the front seat.

"Get us out of here," he breathed.

James nodded. "You got it, Indigo."

Kaidan usually felt irritation at that name, given to him by James. James gave everyone nicknames, after all – Scars, Loco, Sparks… He gave him 'Indigo' because his armor was blue and his biotics made him blaze blue, and somehow it stuck. Usually he felt irritation at the name – he was never too fond of nicknames, except 'K' but only Shepard could call him that – but right now, all he felt was relief.

James could call him that all he wanted if he just got them back to the Normandy.

Meanwhile, Kaidan gently lay Shepard on the ground, the commander's head in his lap. He touched a hand to the crack in the armor, applying as much pressure as he could. It would have to be enough until they got to the Normandy and got him out of that useless armor.

Shepard's eyes watched him through barely parted slits, his exhaustion evident. A gloved hand that was not his own shakily reached up and touched his face. Kaidan freed one hand from the side of the armor and caught that hand with his own.

"Hurt?" Shepard asked.

"I'm okay," Kaidan said, swallowing thickly. It was true he hit his head and everything ached, but as long as Shepard wasn't giving him that look, he'd be just fine. "Worry about yourself."

Shepard smiled faintly. It was reminiscent of that look, and Kaidan flinched despite himself. "Tha's wha' you're here for…"

No. Don't slur.

Kaidan's grip on that hand tightened, his only means of staying calm at the moment.

"Stay with me," he said quietly, so quietly he wasn't sure if he even said them aloud until Shepard blinked in acknowledgement.

"Not goin' anywhere."

"Good," Kaidan breathed, finally looking over at Garrus, who was off to the side, sitting on a bench more toward the front with James. "Are you okay?" he asked, raising his voice loud enough for the turian to hear him.

Garrus looked back at him and nodded. "I'll be fine," he said. "Just got knocked out. Not as bad as the rocket, eh, Shepard?"

Shepard breathed out a laugh and then groaned. "Garrus, don' make me laugh."

"Well, since you have nothing for me to calibrate…"

"I have to say, Loco," James said from the front, "you sure know how to get into some crazy situations."

Don't remind me.

He hoped Cortez got away okay, but the man was a great pilot and knew what he was doing. He wasn't bragging when he said he was good, he was just simply one of the best, right alongside Joker, except Joker flew the Normandy while Cortez flew the shuttles into combat situations.

Shepard's eyes blinked once, twice, and then closed. Kaidan took in a slow breath, holding tight to that hand.

"Hurry up, James."

"You got it, Indigo."

Just hurry.

A/N: And there's that chapter. Sorry to throw you right into a battle, but XD Well, had to happen to lead into the rest of the story. I realize I kind of skipped over the option of medi gel but that's because the story takes place a bit into the fight, it's not something they overly too much of, and they probably used a lot earlier in the fight. :) hope that clears it up. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~