A/N- Reviews and comments are welcome :)
01/22/2010-made an edit to the dialogue during the destruction of the Normandy
Chapter One-Skies Are Breaking
The familiar pain in his temple woke him up. Again. He screwed his eyes shut against it, but it didn't help. It never helped. He turned to his side and opened one eye to look at the clock on the nightstand. 0200 hours.
Perfect, he thought to himself as he pushed himself upright to sit on the edge of the bed.
He looked behind him to see the sleeping form next to him and, despite the pain, smiled to himself. He stood and walked over to the desk where his jacket was strewn across it with no real care. His deeply satisfied muscles made him remember how it got there in the first place and he smiled again.
But the pain in his head was persistent, Damn L2s, he thought bitterly. He fumbled around the jacket pockets looking for the pen that he always kept for moments like these. He found the smooth, white instrument in one of the inside pockets.
He pulled the desk chair out quietly and sat down. He braced the pen against his neck and pushed the button down, releasing the medication into his body. He didn't move for several long moments while he waited for it to move through his blood stream.
Finally, he thought as the pain started to slowly ebb away and he tried relaxed, thanks, Dr. Chakwas.
Kaidan rolled his neck and shoulders to help him unwind. As he did, he drank in the sight of the woman still asleep in the bed. The blue lights of the clock glinted off of her fair skin and the blanket on the bed did nothing to hide the curve of her hip.
He sighed softly and thought briefly about crawling back into bed, but his mind was awake now and he didn't believe he could go back to sleep if he tried. Instead, he decided on a shower to clear his mind.
The steam was helping him to numb his thoughts; as was the chaotic rhythm of the water dancing across his tanned skin. He braced one hand against the bulkhead while he ran the other through his dark hair and just let the water pour down his face. His migraine had completely faded away by the time he stepped onto the cool tile floor.
Kaidan breathed deeply as the steam dissipated and he toweled off his hair. He barely heard the whisper of footsteps behind him, but when he felt her finger tips slide across his wet skin, it sent electric shivers down his spine.
"What's the matter, Lieutenant?" she whispered into his ear, "Can't sleep?"
The word "lieutenant" sent another shiver rippling through his body. She often called him by his rank, but in this setting it felt more intimate, sensual. He turned to face her and placed one hand on her bare waist while the other hand still gripped his towel. He lowered his forehead to hers and pulled her closer until he could wrap his arm around her strong, yet lithe, body.
"I didn't wake you did I, Commander?"
She smiled up at him, "It's okay, Kaidan." She reached up to place her hand on the side of his face; he closed his eyes at her touch, "Another migraine?"
He threw the towel onto the sink and brushed her blonde bangs out of her face and looked deeply into her green eyes, "I'm fine. I just needed to relax."
A smirk played at the corner of her mouth, "I think I can help with that."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his mouth to hers. The kiss started soft, but it was incredibly inviting and soon it turned into something more feverish. The air around them seemed to tingle with the electricity of it. He tangled his fingers into her hair as she arched into him, pulling their bodies even closer together.
When he finally broke away, he was breathless. He loved this woman. Her bright green eyes flashed a fire deep within him, sparking his desire. "You're going to wear me out, Shepard," he said as he swept her off her feet and carried her back into the bedroom. "I might have to start considering this 'abuse of power'."
Kaidan smirked as he lay her softly back on the bed, she returned with a smirk of her own, "Oh? Shall I take that as a formal complaint, Lieutenant?" She pulled him down into the bed and he settled over her, kissing her pale pink lips again and again. He kissed a trail down her neck onto her clavicle and smiled at the gasp that escaped from her.
"I think I'll keep my complaints to myself for now," he chuckled as he kissed her neck again. Her body glowed with biotic energy as she seized him by the shoulders and slammed him into the mattress with little effort, reversing their positions. "Although, you should use your biotics for good, and not for evil."
Her eyes smoldered, "Evil? I can show you evil." Her body started to glow again.
"Oh no, you don't," he pulled her to him and threw a barrier around the both of them. She giggled and pretended to struggle. He loved it when she did that, it was such a switch from the strong, confidant Commander Shepard that ruled the CIC. And even though that was the Shepard he fell for, he still was happy to see her unrestrained and relaxed.
After laughing with her for a few long moments he let the barrier down and just admired the sight in front of him. His eyes traced every inch of her face, as if he was committing to memory. They paused over a faded scar on her cheek. It was a mark of the Skyllian Blitz. He was always amazed that it was the only lasting physical wound that she walked away with. She told him once that Dr. Chakwas offered to smooth it out, but she refused, she wanted the reminder. It only made him love and admire her more.
Moving from her face down to her neck and chest, his eye caught a fresher scar. It started just above her breast and wrapped over her left shoulder. He was there for this wound. After defeating Saren and the destruction of Sovereign, part of the Reaper came crashing into the Council Chambers and it brought a large portion of the structure down on top of them. It separated him from Shepard and he thought he lost her forever. She called it her "scratch". He called it lucky.
The fingertips dancing across his lips broke him from his reverie, "A penny for your thoughts?"
"I love you, Alice."
She planted a soft kiss on forehead and then on his lips, "And I love you."
oOo
1430 hours. Kaidan yawned and stretched his arms overhead.
"Didn't get much sleep, Alenko?" asked the turian hunched over an electronics board in the Mako.
"Erm, no Garrus. Not really."
"Hmm, you know, I saw the Commander yawning on my way down here. I wonder if she's been having trouble, too." Garrus threw a sideways glance in Kaidan's direction.
His relationship with the Commander wasn't exactly a secret. But no one seemed to mind, and they never flaunted it in front of the crew. Even though he did get the occasional smirk or comment from Joker.
"Not sure. Can you hand me that screwdriver?"
Garrus gave a small laugh and handed the tool over to him. He had just taken apart the panel in front of him and peered inside when Shepard voice came over the Mako's comm.
"Any luck with the Nav, guys?"
Kaidan responded, "Not yet, still checking. We haven't figured out where the power shortage is coming from yet."
"Check the C-582 capacitors. They have an issue with overheating. There should be a cluster of them to the left of the drive control circuits."
Kaidan felt around and found the board that housed the components that Shepard was referring to. He unscrewed the housing and, sure enough, every capacitor was burned out.
"We've got it, Shepard."
Garrus chuckled, "She sure knows her tech."
He smiled in agreement. She really did know her tech, but it was to be expected of someone with her training. She was a sentinel, just like he was, she just happened to be better at it. "I'll go ahead and get the new components, and then we can be done with this damn thing."
Garrus nodded, "Yeah, I'll start putting these boards back in."
Kaidan made his way out of the Mako and over to section of the deck where they stored the electronic supplies. He glanced over to the armory. Wrex was polishing up assault rifles, prepping them for their new mods. Next to Wrex, on the bulkhead, was a memorial to Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, as well as the Salarians that fought alongside them on Virmire. He closed his eyes for a moment to pay his respects before rummaging through the drawer of components, looking for the ones he needed.
"Ah! There you are…"
The deck seemed to shift underneath him and he swayed to try and keep his balance. He looked back at the armory and saw Wrex brace himself against a table.
"What the hell was that?"
"I'm not sure, Wrex. Lemme check with—"
Joker's voice came over the intercom, "PREPARE FOR EVASIVE MANUEVERS!"
The ship rocked hard and Shepard's voice rang through the deck's intercom, "All hands to the escape pods!"
The entire deck rocked again, knocking Kaidan down. He immediately scrambled to his feet as Garrus stumbled over. He shouted at the turian, "Garrus! You and Wrex clear this deck! Get everyone to the escape pods!"
Garrus barely had time to respond before Kaidan made a mad dash to the stairs leading up to the next deck. He only made it up 10 steps before the ship rocked violently to port, slamming him against the bulkhead. He groaned as he straightened himself and threw a barrier around himself.
He hit his comm, "Joker! What the hell is going on up there?"
"We're under attack! I don't know by what, but they're fucking shooting at us!"
"Where's the Commander? " He reached the top of the stairs and turned to his locker, fumbling for his body armor.
"She's clearing out the crew deck! Hang on, we're banking starboard!"
Kaidan was closing the fastenings on his chest plate as whole ship seemed to turn on its side, throwing him against the locker. Fortunately, his barrier held and it only knocked the breath out of him. He stood up and closed the last fastenings securing his armor in place and grabbed his helmet.
"Banking port!"
The bulkhead shuddered around him and the electrical panels began to spark. An explosion went off in the staircase as the bulkheads began to come apart, knocking him off of his feet.
He groaned as he tried to stand, "Joker! The Normandy's shields are not going to hold! Shepard gave the order to evacuate! Get yourself to the pods!"
"I can do it, Alenko! I can save her!"
I can save her, Joker's words pounded in his head over and over again, Alice! I have to find Alice! He ran as fast as he could to the crew deck
He turned the corner into the crew deck as several of the Normandy's crew were running the opposite direction to the escape pods.
"Shepard!"
"I'm over here, Kaidan!"
Shepard, already suited in her body armor was trying to put out fires that were sparking out of the bulkheads. But every time one went out, another came exploding in her face.
Kaidan grabbed her arm, "Are you alright? What do you need me to do?"
"I'm fine, Kaidan, I sent the distress signal out."
"Do you think the Alliance will get here in time?"
Shepard turned to face him. Even through the face plate of her helmet, the worry in her eyes was apparent, "I don't know Kaidan."
"Joker is still up in the CIC," he put his helmet on, "and I'm not leaving either."
Shepard rested her helmet against his for a moment before pulling away. "I'll get Joker. Get to the escape pods."
"Alice—"
Shepard was turning, heading for the stairs, "Kaidan, go. Now."
"Aye, aye." I love you...
oOo
He was almost completely drained from keeping his barrier up, dodging explosions and flying debris, when he made it to the escape pods. Garrus and Wrex were ushering Liara, Tali, and Dr. Chakwas into a pod, when Garrus spotted him.
"Alenko! There you are! We've got all the crew into the pods."
Wrex chimed in, "Well, the live ones at least. Where's Shepard?"
"She's grabbing Joker. There's an auxiliary pod on the CIC deck that they can use. Let's go, get in."
Wrex ducked into the pod, but Garrus didn't move, "Alenko? You alright?"
Kaidan shook his head. "I don't like leaving her, Garrus."
Garrus looked down at the deck, "I know, neither do I. But she gave you an order, right?" Kaidan nodded. "Then get in, we're getting the hell out of here."
Kaidan hesitated long enough for Garrus to grab him by the shoulder, "I said get in, Kaidan."
Garrus shoved him inside the pod and followed behind, securing the hatch.
"I'm hitting the launch," Tali called from the other side.
"Do it," replied Garrus.
Everything shifted hard as the pod ejected away from the ship. Kaidan looked out the porthole and his heart dropped.
The Normandy, the ship that carried them to Ilos, the ship that put the nail in Sovereign's coffin, was breaking apart. The whole top of the ship was nearly ripped off, exposing the CIC. Fear and panic gripped his stomach hard, he felt like he was going to be sick.
He looked past the Normandy, past the horizon of the nearby planet, at the attacking ship. It was something he had never seen before. It was an enormous cylinder.
And it was getting ready to fire.
He heart jumped into his throat as he saw the attacking ship's forward batteries fire directly into the heart of the Normandy.
Garrus was also looking out the porthole, "There! There's the CIC pod!"
Sure enough, there was an escape pod barreling away from the Normandy just as it finally burst at the seams. Kaidan let out a breath in relief. His heart was starting to slow until Garrus spoke again.
"Wait…"
"What?" Garrus didn't answer, he just sat there, staring wide eyed out the porthole. Kaidan looked too, but couldn't see anything. "What, Garrus?"
Garrus turned away from the porthole and hung his head, removing his eyepiece. Kaidan stared at Garrus's hand. One night in the crew deck, Garrus showed him how it worked over drinks. He knew it could magnify far more than any organic could naturally. Garrus could see something he couldn't. Something he didn't want to share with Kaidan. He was hiding something.
All sense left Kaidan as he launched himself at Garrus, taking the eyepiece and throwing a barrier up to pin Garrus against the pod's bulkhead.
"Kaidan, what are you doing?" shouted Liara. He didn't answer her. He just adjusted the eyepiece over his left eye and looked back out the porthole.
His eye flicked around the burning wreckage of the Normandy. He couldn't see anything. He kept searching around, holding Garrus in place. Then something came in from the corner of his eye.
Something was kicking. He tried to focus more and the kicking shape became clear. That armor. That modded pistol. It was her. She was thrashing around, grabbing at her helmet. She was floating out in the void, heading towards the planet.
"Shepard…" he whispered.
He dropped the eyepiece to the deck, letting go of the barrier. Garrus grabbed his equipment, placing it on the seat and grabbing Kaidan by the shoulders.
Kaidan couldn't hear Garrus, or anyone else for that matter. His head hurt and everything was starting to blur. He wanted to scream.
"No! NO! Nononononononononono!" His biotic energy was starting to pour out of him. He faintly heard Garrus yell for Liara.
He felt someone wrapping their arms around him. He tried to focus his eyes, it was the young asari. She was throwing a barrier around the both of them, trying to contain the energy seeping out of every pore of his skin.
"No! Alice! ALLLLLIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCEEEEEE!" Kaidan felt something wet against his neck. Liara placed her face there, holding him to her chest. He could feel her crying and it just squeezed his heart more. He let out a scream of anguish, and a flood of energy filled the barrier.
"Calm him down, Liara!" shouted Garrus.
"Kaidan…"
His head was swimming in biotic energy. He knew if he didn't stop, he was going to hemorrhage. Liara placed her hand on his face, "Calm down, Kaidan. Please…"
He tried to focus his eyes, "She's…she's…"
The whole world went black.