A/N- Hello everyone! So, this is just a short story that popped into my head while writing Two Roads One Path. I know that the story lines don't exactly match up, but this kind of the prequel to Two Roads One Path. Anyways, enough of my babbling! Please R&R and I hope you enjoy!

~ The Beginning Of A Different World~

Shelby stormed up to her apartment. Why would Kaidan do that? In all of the years she's known him, he'd never have betrayed her in such a way. They were like brother and sister. They were best friends ever since Shelby got into the military. Sure, Kaidan had a couple more years of experience on her, but they always laughed and had fun when Shelby beat Kaidan by a landslide at sparing most of the time.

Up until now, nothing had changed. Shelby had met an amazing turian named Garrus Vakarian and they became fast friends. In fact, they were all an inseparable trio. Shelby, Kaidan, and Garrus. Everyone was best friends with everyone. Or, so Shelby thought. She and Garrus had gotten closer, but so what? All three of them still did everything together. When it was just two of them together, it was because the other had to do something that took priority.

Shelby opened her door and closed it with a thud. She stormed over to her couch, grabbed a pillow and curled up with it clung to her chest. She doesn't really know why that calms her down, but hey, whatever works right? Shelby laid there on her side balled up around the pillow trying to understand why, how, Kaidan, her best friend, could just metaphorically stab her and then dig it in deeper. What inside him snapped? What caused him to snap?

Shelby was overwhelmed by questions that she just couldn't answer. Finally, all of her confusion, anger, frustration, and sadness came out at once and she started to cry. On a normal day, Shelby could ping Kaidan and he would be at her door the very next second to take her sparing get or make her feel better somehow. But, that's kind of out of the question at the moment.

Shelby heard a knock on the door and buried her face in the pillow. She just wanted to shut out the world and be alone for a while.

"Shel? Are you alright?"

Only on a rare occasion would Kaidan call her Shel. Garrus came up with the nickname and it just stuck.

"Come on Shel, I know your in there."

Shelby cleaned herself up as best she could. 'Not like Garrus will care that you look like a mess Shelby.' She thought and said "It's open. Come on in." She didn't move from her couch or let go of the pillow. Instead, as Garrus walked through the door, she sat up and continued to hide half of her face in the pillow. Garrus made his way over to the living room and paused in the doorway.

"Oh Shel." He said and walked over to sit next to her.

Shelby leaned against him when he sat down. It caught Garrus off guard a little because, for as long as he's known Shelby, she'd never really cuddled up to anyone. Not even him or Kaidan. Garrus put his arm around her shoulder. Mainly, because he didn't really know where else to put it.

"I don't understand. What did I do to him? Why did he act like that? What's his problem!?" Shelby said getting angrier with each question.

"Woah, woah, why who did what Shelby? What happened?"

How did you know I was here if you don't know what happened?" Shelby looked up at Garrus confused.

"You stormed right past me on your way up here. I figured something was wrong so I made my way up here. Now, I think you've got some explaining to do."

"Yah. I guess so." Shelby said as she laid the pillow in her lap and sighed. "Where do you want me to start?"