A/N:

I've been couting down the days until it happened
It's the wrong way to approach this kind of action

This means war, We are Scientists

002.

When Anderson told Vega to get Shepard he knew something bad was about to happen. Partially it was because everyone was running around frenetically, but also due Anderson's tone or better said, the urgency in Anderson's tone.

Even if Shepard was taken by surprise when Vega went to get him, he still acted composed. Vega knew he was distressed, he had picked up on a few of Shepard's tell signs over the time he had guarded him. The man had his tone even and wasn't running around shouting, or anything similar, but there was a hint of frustration on his tone. Even though he was aware of that, he didn't exactly knew what was causing said frustration. Was it the fact that nobody had listened to him? Was it because he was tired of war? Did it had to do with his sister?

Anderson didn't shed much light into the subject, to Vega's displeasure. He was itching to know what the hell was wrong. He simply stated that Hackett was mobilizing the fleet because "something big" was heading in their direction. Every singly muscle in Shepard's body tensed and he uttered only a word: Reapers? The enemy that Shepard claimed that was going to destroy Earth if they sat idly and the enemy most people categorized as the bogyman – unreal.

Before speaking with the Defence Committee they had a run in with the Lieutenant Commander Ashley Williams. There was definitely something between those two, they're postures changed when they saw each other and even though Ashley had called Shepard, he wasn't sure if it meant that they were on good terms.

Soon none of it mattered, he was ordered to get to the Normandy with her and soon, he discovered why had Shepard had insisted so much on the Reapers and he even began understanding why he joined up with Cerberus to defeat the Collectors. It wasn't like he had condemned Shepard's actions – it had never been his place to do so, or even to approve –but seeing the massive synthetic's hovering over Earth made him realise that he'd done the same in the Commander's shoes. He hadn't considered it possible, but his respect for Shepard increased.

"Lieutenant Commander Williams, someone's heading your way. She was transferred to the Normandy for the time being," one of the operatives told her over the radio.

Ashley furrows her eyebrows. "Who?"

"Lieutenant Commander Alexandra Shepard." The operative makes a pause. "We assume she's heading your way."

Ashley's tone changes from confused to angry. "We assume?"

"It wasn't clear if she was following the order, there was also an attack and we haven't been able to establish communication."

She takes her hand to her forehead. "Great."

"Don't get along with LT Commander Shepard?"

Ashley raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms over her chest. "You're a curious little thing."

"Not that little," he mumbles making her laugh.

"True enough." She turns her back to him and walks further inside of the Normandy. "You'll see soon enough Lieutenant Vega." She briefly stops and looks over her shoulder to him. "If she graces us with her presence."

Vega didn't know which outcome Ashley preferred and for a while it seemed that the younger Shepard wouldn't set her feet on the ship. Vega watched as Ashley's ill-temper began to rise towards the other woman, it got to a point that Ashley was muttering under her breath – getting especially bad when Shepard was patched in and Anderson asked if the package had gotten to the Normandy yet. It was clear that Shepard wasn't aware.

"What a great start," Ashley mutters to no one in particular. "I lost your sister…" She groans loudly and clenches her hands. "God damn it."

Once again she tries to establish contact having no luck. Later on it became clear with Alexandra hadn't been able to establish contact. When she reached the Normandy – to Ashley's relief and annoyance – that whatever had attacked her had made quite a mess of her. She was clutching to her right side, her uniform was bloodied and her right hand was a mess. It seemed that it had been mashed up. Without removing her eyes from the other woman, Ashley orders Vega to help her up.

"I'm fine," Lexi mutters narrowing her eyes. "Perfectly capable of walking." She then shakes her head and her expression sobers. "I've ran out of medi-gel, I'm going to fix myself in some far corner."

Ashley's tone was strained when she spoke again. "What happened?"

"Ran into to a couple of cannibals," she says as her expression becomes graver. "Tried to assist a squad but one of them decided to play hero… He… I… I tried to save him but he was badly injured."

Ashley sighs. "Are you-"

"I'm going to do something with my hand," she states interrupting Ashley not wanting to respond the question. "I'll be ready for round two in twenty."

"I think you need a doctor," Ashley points out.

As if she had said something funny, Lexi chuckles. "I need a lot of things Lieutenant Commander Williams but a doctor isn't very high on my priority list right now."

"Of course," the other woman mocks her. "I forgot that the Shepards always come back from everything."

"We're like a plague." Lexi smiles slyly. "You'd be wise to remember that."

"Do you have something to tell me Lieutenant Commander Shepard?"

Lexi simply looks to the other woman. For a few tense seconds she didn't say a thing. "I have plenty to say." She makes a pause and then shakes her head. "This isn't the time for this shit. I'm going to fix my hand and go back… We need to start turning this around," she mumbles. "The Alliance is suffering heavy causalities and I'm not going to sit back and argue with you while that happens." Without waiting for a reply, and nobody really telling her where she should go, she walks away.

"At least we agree on that," Ashley mumbles.

Shepard came aboard on the exact instance that Alexandra had tried to get off board. She was pretty pissed that the ship wasn't grounded anymore, because it meant, in her eyes, that soon she'd have a problem trying to get back on ground. That idea pissed her off.

"John?" She mumbles when she heard his voice. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" He counters. They share a look and move their attention to Anderson, Shepard then extends his hand to him. "Come on."

"I'm not going," Anderson announces. "You saw those men back there. There's a million more like them, and they need a leader."

"We're in this fight together," Shepard almost yells

"It's a fight we can't win. Not without help. We need every species and all their ships to even have a chance at defeating the reapers. Talk to the Council. Convince them to help us out."

"What if they won't listen?"

"Then make them listen. Now go! That's an order."

"I don't take orders from you anymore, remember?"

Anderson removes something from his pocket and tosses it to Shepard. "Consider yourself reinstated… Commander." He offers him a small smile. "You know what you have to do."

"I'll be back for you," Shepard promises and by the amount of certainty on his voice, everybody who listen automatically believed him. "And I'll bring every fleet I can. Good luck and thanks," he adds glancing in Lexi's direction.

"You too Shepard."

Lexi that had been trying to control her temper, finally bursts. "You're both insane if you think I'm going," she states, half yelling in rage. She takes a few steps back, as if she was preparing to jump out of the ship. Shepard rushes to her side and grabs her by the waist just when she made mention to jump.

"Calm down."

"I can't leave," she spats narrowing her eyes.

"It's an order as your CO," he says as he drags her inside. She automatically goes limp in his arms and closes her eyes. "Lexi?"

Her eyes snap open and she pushed him. "Can I be excused Commander?"

"Lexi…"

"Can I?" She presses the matter narrowing her eyes a bit.

He sighs. "Go fix that hand."

"Aye aye, sir," she mutters and walks away.

She wasn't the only one that questioned the choice of leaving. The second was Vega and even if Ashley didn't say much about it, he knew she wasn't pleased as well. Shepard didn't had much time to dwell on it because soon enough Hackett contacted him to go to Mars where supposedly he'd find something to help him win the war. If there was something that Shepard had learnt over the years was that nothing was that easy. But, given that their enemy were the Reapers, he found himself hopping that, for once, it was that easy.

Vega walked away from Shepard fuming. When he was far enough he realized he wasn't the only one angry with the decision. Shepard's sister was pacing, muttering under her breath and with her fists glowing blue. For a few seconds he debated if he should speak to her or not, however he didn't have a chance. Soon enough Shepard walked to her with his eyes slightly narrowed.

"Alexandra!"

She raises her eyes from the ground and scoffs. "What Commander?"

"Are you determined to undermine my authority?"

She laughs bitterly. "Yeah, you discovered my plan. I'm planning a mutiny."

"This isn't the time to joke!"

She groans. "Don't you think I know that? I should be fighting. That you have to go, I get it. I do. But." She shakes her head. "Why should I? Things are bad there, I should be helping. Here." She opens her arms gesticulating to the ship. "I'm not."

"Look at your hand." He points to it. "You can't even hold your gun straight, what good could you do?"

She snorts. "You wanna go that way? There are people loosing limps down there, why aren't they here?" She narrows her eyes. "I was put here 'cause I'm your sister. It has nothing to do with my skills or wishes. I hate it."

He nods. "Yeah, you're right. Anderson put you here 'cause you are my sister." She gives him a disbelieved look, thinking that for a second she hadn't heard him straight. "And because you are one hell of a soldier. We don't know what we'll find out there but I'm sure as hell that we'll need the best in order to succeed, in order to have a fighting chance back on Earth. You're not running away Alexandra."

She shakes her head, feeling angry. "Don't give me your speeches John, I know you well enough."

"And I know you well enough to know you're displeased and that you'll do something about it." He sighs and his gaze softens. "It might be selfish of me Lexi, but if this is the end of time I want you here by my side. Not just because you are my sister and I love you, but also because you'll be of great help."

She nods. "Okay, I get it. But… I want to be there in the end."

"I promise we'll come back." He approaches her and gently picks up her wounded hand. "Now, let's take care of this, okay?"

"It's good enough."

He groans as he observes the hand. "You'll go to the hospital in the Citadel."

She rolls her eyes. "It's just a flesh wound."

"I'm pretty sure you broke something… You're just high on medi-hel." She rolls her eyes again. "Look, you have to get used to the fact that I'm your CO and that my word goes." She snorts making him groans. "I'm serious Lexi, I need to know that you won't pull any stunts and respect my orders."

"I am fully aware how the command chain works. Thanks, though," she states with a mocking tone. "If I ever have doubts about the regs or anything else, I'll be sure to take it up to you."

He shakes his head and sighs, tiredly. "I'm starting to regret this."

"I did say that my place was in the battlefield, didn't I Commander?"