Lapin: Hello! Quick note here, this is Shakarian taking place in ME2. It probably won't be more than two or three chapters.

Shepard was a mess after Horizon.

The things Kaidan had said made sense... sort of. Still though, she found herself locked in her quarters, pondering her very existence.

She was on her bed, surrounded by blankets and pillows. A cold sweat. She winced. Everything she had done. Her progress. Shattered from the force of his words. She knew she was right to fight the Collectors. She knew she was right about the Reapers. Her uncertainty was centered around herself. Physically. Mentally. All of it.

Was she even real?

That thought was all it took to call Joker and request he take them to Omega. She needed to feel alive. What better way than to go to a dangerous place, get extremely wasted and forget she had ever died in the first place?

Joker's voice echoed in her room. "ETA one hour, Commander."

She sighed and dragged herself to her closet. She had wanted to punch Kaidan, back on the old Normandy, when he'd bought her a birthday present. She didn't tell any of the crew it was her day, so he must've went through her files.

His gift had been an elegantly long, backless, black dress with shoes to match. She was pretty sure Ashley or Liara had helped him choose it.

Shepard sighed. Ashley.

Shaking away the guilt, she pulled the dress out of it's protective bag and eyed it. Never been worn. Shepard wasn't girly. She didn't ever go anywhere fancy enough to wear it. Omega wasn't fancy at all.

She'd have to... make some adjustments, and was royally pissed at Kaidan, so she didn't give a shit if she ruined the garment.

She pulled the dress on. It was a little tight, but it fit.

She walked over to her bathroom and turned in front of the mirror. The neckline was pretty low already so she left it alone. Turning her attention to how little leg was showing, she used her omni-blade to carefully cut the length shorter, to about mid-thigh. Satisfied, she turned again, trying to decide what else to do. She pulled at the left sleeve and cut it off completely. She glanced at the other, then made a few slits in it along her outer arm.

She turned once more and nodded. She took it off only to hem it and seal any frayed edges before throwing it back on. She opened her small makeup bag. All she had was black eyeliner and red lipstick. Perfect.

She used the eye liner on her lids, smudging it so it looked like eyeshadow, using it on her waterline as well. She painted her lips next. What was left?

Hair.

She pulled it out of it's ponytail, her blonde locks flowing just below her shoulders. She shook the kinks out. Done.

She sat down on her couch and sent a message to Jack.

Jack,

Feel like screwing around in Afterlife? I'm all dressed up, ready to get my drink on.

You in?

- C. Shepard

After a few minutes, her omni-tool blinked. She checked her inbox. A reply from Jack.

Hell yeah!

Invite Garrus, he's fucking ridiculous.

She frowned, then received another message, also from Jack.

Ps: I know he's your secret lover or some shit. Don't get all jealous and crap.

Shepard laughed, and shook her hair some more. She sent a message to Garrus.

Garrus,

Get your ass up to my quarters, we need to talk.

- Ren

After eleven minutes of no reply, she heard codes being punched into her door. It opened and Garrus came in, looking a little stressed.

"Ren, your message was stupidly vague. We need to talk? What he hell does that even mea-"

He stopped and froze as she stood up. She folded her arms and smirked. He gawked at her.

"It means, I fucking hate Kaidan so let's all go on shore leave to Omega and party." she replied. Garrus blinked. "I... love it when you hate Kaidan." he said, dryly.

She laughed and walked over to him. "Think this is racy enough for Afterlife?" she asked, turning her back to him. She heard him gasp slightly at her exposed shoulder blades. She looked back at him over her shoulder and smirked.

Then his hands were on her. He grabbed her waist and turned her to face him. "Too racy, actually. You're going to put the damn strippers to shame, looking like that." He made to lick her but she pulled away.

"Good. I intend to have fun tonight." she stated, winking at him.

Garrus growled. "You can't just... invite a guy up here, look like that, and not expect he'll make a move." He moved closer to her again.

She laughed and batted his hand away, "Wait until we get back." He rubbed his hand, his brow plates lowered into a frown.

She grabbed the shoes by their straps and carried them out with her. If she was going to wear heels, it was going to be for a limited time only. Fuckers hurt.

Garrus was staring at her feet in the elevator. "Are you going to put your shoes on?" he asked after several seconds. She just laughed it off. The elevator opened and she walked confidently across the CIC, to the cockpit. The crew's jaws were on the floor. Garrus shook his head as he followed behind her.

"We almost there?" Shepard asked, hovering over Joker's chair. He glanced up at her as he took a drink of water and spat it all over himself. Garrus laughed. Joker coughed, trying to soak up the water with his hat. "Commander- What the hell?" he asked, as he regained some composure.

"Omega, dumbass. We're going to Afterlife." she said flatly.

Joker smirked. "Trying to get laid, Commander?"

Shepard shook her head, smiling. "I don't have to go to Afterlife for that, Joker." Garrus hummed in agreement.

Joker cleared his throat, "We're about five minutes out."

Shepard nodded and turned to leave, "Just enough time to go grab Jack."

Garrus flinched. "Jack's coming? I thought it'd be just the two of us." he mumbled.

"It'll be just the two of us later." she winked again.