Hi Guys Chapter two woop woop!

Disclaimer: Same as chapter 1.

Enjoy!


The Citadel. The heart of Galactic civilisation, home to the Council and to millions of people of different species. Joker docked the Normandy flawlessly, shutting down systems only keeping necessary ones on. The one thing the crew always looked forward to was shore leave, the only time they could forget about the annihilation of countless worlds at the hands of the Reapers.

Breakfast was the same as always, military rations: grey nutrient paste, and fruit bar which tasted like cardboard. But the company wasn't, usually Kaidan sat with him along with Garrus, Tali and Liara. This morning only Garrus and Liara sat with him getting their sorry excuse for food. Neither one spoke during the meal, Shepard could feel Garrus's eyes watching him intently as though trying to get inside your head.

"So Shepard. I bumped into Kaidan this morning while he was coming out of the elevator." stated the Turian watching the commander closely.

"Oh." was his only reply. His mandibles twitched showing his temper was getting the better of him.

"Yeah. Was there a reason as to why he'd been crying?" the sniper couldn't help but feel smug as he knew he got somewhere. When Shepard heard that he stopped what he was doing for a split second before continuing eating the grey paste.

"No. I have no idea where he was crying."

"Don't bullshit me Shepard, I know you did something to him." snapped Garrus angrily, his anger finally boiling over. Having enough of the conversation, John dropped his spoon, ignoring the spatter of grey matter on his uniform. Pointing his finger at the sniper, his eyes hardened.

"I didn't do anything to him Vakarian, so I suggest you stick your short, flat nose into someone else's business, and out of mine." spat the biotic angrily getting up from the table abruptly. Garrus doing the same, neither one was backing down.

"Well obviously you've done something, you hairless space monkey, otherwise you wouldn't of got so defensive about it!" retaliated Vakarian, his eyes narrowing, his hand balling into a tight fist. Liara was watching it all unfold mentally sighing;

'They're both block heads. If they end up having a fight and my new suit gets ruined, the mess hall is going to be newly painted.' her eyes travelling to the floor and to the curved ceiling, then to the two arguing. 'Yes I think a nice shade of Shepard for the ceiling and a nice blue of Vakarian for the floor.'

Unknown to their teammates more disturbing thoughts, both Garrus and John were near enough at each other throats. In a matter of a second Garrus was punched hard in the face sending him onto the floor, Shepard vaulted over the table rounded on the Turian. Getting up off the floor the sniper meets the commander half way, giving the human a right hook. Liara just sighed while the two punched the shit out of each other. Standing up, she rubbed down her suit getting the creases out of the white jacket. A crowd formed around the brawling pair, egging them on, some even taking bets on who would win and lose.

"Right." the Asari cracked her fingers, relishing in the feeling. With a mere thought her body pulsed blue, as if by magic the crowd parted, leaving a clear path to the fight. "Right, I'm giving you one chance, either you stop fighting or the mess hall will have a fresh coat of 'paint'. Your choice." the threat falling on deaf ears.

"Fine." in an intense two mass effect fields enveloped the brawlers tearing them apart. Before either could react, Shepard was launched towards the ceiling and Garrus being squished into the floor. Both were cursing up a storm but shut up pretty quickly when they were pushed closer to their respected surfaces.

"Now, you are going to stop this fighting." her sapphire eyes moving back and forth. "Then you are going to apologies to each other."

"I'm not apologising to that stuck up, pointed teeth arsehole!" shouted down John, after managing to turn his face to the side instead of faced down.

"I would rather kiss a Krogan than to apologies to that arrogant, over confident, hairless monkey!" growled out Garrus trying to get out of the field.

"Well then a new coat of 'paint' for the mess hall then." emphasising by pushing them against their surfaces hard until they gave in.

"OK, OK I give just stop before I have no ribcage left." breathed out John, finally conceding to defeat. However a muffled chucked came from the floor.

"Something you find amusing Garrus?" asked a sickly sweet voice, a shiver rippled down his spine. Ignoring the tone of the maiden's voice, he continued to laugh;

"Hahaha, I can't believe that the Great Commander Shepard conceding defeat to a Turian!" it was short lived when Liara pushed him further into the floor. "I give! I give!" smiling to herself she extinguishing the mass effect fields. The moment they went, Shepard plummeted to the floor, landing on something soft.

The mess hall was quiet, a pin drop could be heard over the deafening silence. All eyes were on the bundle of legs and arms.

"Oww." groaned out the commander, trying to get his bearings. All he could do was listening to the steady beat coming from the floor. Breathing in deeply, a rich scent of soap and aftershave assaulted his nostrils.

'Hmm, where do I know that smell.' he thought as he buried his face closer to the warmth below him. 'This reminds me of how Kaidan always smells after a shower...'

Dark Sapphire eyes snapped open, realising his face was resting in the crook of the major's neck. Slow he moved as not to startle the younger man, until their noses were a few millimetres apart. Conflicted ecru eyes gazed into unreadable azure ones, everything seemed to dissolve as they looked into each other's eyes.

"Kaidan..." every fibre in his body was telling him to kiss the man underneath him, but his head was telling him no.

"Commander..could you get off me please." asked the biotic looking everywhere except the object of his desires. Hiding the disappointment effortlessly, Shepard got off the Major. Once up he extended out a hand, which the Major took.

"You can let go off my hand now Shepard."

"Ohh, sorry." letting the brunette's hand slid out of his. A small frown formed on his brow, as he realised just how much he was missing the warm feeling.

"Alenko." the biotic waited for the Major to turn around, which he did. "I was wondering..if you haven't made any plans or anything. Would you like to accompany me to the Nazera ward, as I hear there's several new shops, including a model shop." he asked with a flicker of hope in his chest.

"I'm sorry Commander, but I've already made plans today." looking at the digital clock above the tables. "Which I'm currently running late for." not saying another word the brunette left, leaving a rejected commander.

"Commander. A shuttle is waiting to take you to the Nazera Ward." announced Joker over the com.

"Understood Joker. I'll be there in five minutes."

"Yeah, you might want to hurry up before they get really arsy." commented the pilot. John looked over at Garrus and Liara, thinking of asking them, but the question died on his lips.

"I'll see you guys at Flux as normal. Nineteen hundred hours." with a mock salute, he left his friends. When he was out of sight and out of earshot, Garrus turned to Liara;

"He really needs to come clean with what's really bothering him, otherwise he's going to lose Kaidan for good." Liara simply nodded her head in agreement, the gears in her head twirling.

"I think, I have an idea. It's a long shot but if we could get them into a room together, then maybe just maybe they will talk to each other."

"A good idea in theory, but you know them as well as I do. And there is no way in hell they'll talk, they're more likely to beat the shit out of each other."

"Why do they have to be soo, damn, stubborn! Men!" shouted Liara, as she stormed to her room. The Turian laughed at his teammate unable to keep the smile from his face.

'She's such a mother-hen.'

Kaidan walked along the Presidium Commons were he was meeting up with Tali. The world around him seemed to move past him like smoke.

'I thought we cleared everything up when I was in the hospital. I laid there and asked him all those questions which were eating away at me. Not once did he lie to me..'

His current train of thought was cut short when he collided with a small person.

"Sor...oh hi Tali." greeted the Major as he regained his balance.

"Is that how you greet people? 'Oh hi Tali'?" teased the young Quarian. "It seemed you were lost in your own little world." Kaidan gave his friend a small smile. "Alight out with it Alenko. Why are you so down for? The only time your like this is when it involves John."

"Why does everyone keep saying that! My life doesn't revolve around him!" snapped the brunette, all the tightly held emotions, began to slip from his grasp. Tali involuntary took a step back at the sudden outburst.

"Sorry, I didn't know it really bothered you that much?" stated the Quarian, held up her hands in a surrendering gesture. Hearing that, the sudden burst of emotion evaporated leaving regret at snapping at her.

"There's no need for Tali, I'm the one who should apologise." hazel eyes locked with the shielded ones. "Can we go somewhere more quiet and secluded." quietly pleaded Kaidan, ecru eyes barely holding back the regret he felt.

"I know the best place. No one knows about this place." softly stated Tali, as she took Kaidan's within hers. A small smile graced the Biotic's chapped lips.

'I'm really lucky to have you Tali.'

Twenty minutes passed by as the pair weaved in and out of the hustle and bustle of the crowded wards.

"Tali, where are you taking me?"

"You'll see." she replied in a playful tone. Even with the mask on, Kaidan could practically hear the smile on her face. Five more minutes passed, the corridors becoming less populated until they were standing outside a wall. Letting go of the Major's hand, the engineer walked up to the wall. The brunette stood there watching with curiosity as to what she was going to do next. With a simple wave of her hand, a small section of the panel retracted before sliding up, revealing a set of circular crystals.

"Right, let's see if the code is same as last time..." muttered Tali as she began to press the crystals in a particular order. Each one she pressed made a beeping noise, finally pressing the last crystal in the sequence it made a confirmation sound.

"There." turning she walked up to the confused major. "I want you to close your eyes, and keep them close. I mean it Alenko." doing as he was told he closed his eyes. Once Tali was satisfied, she slowly guided the major towards the wall.

It was the weirdest thing the brunette has ever done in his career, or his life for that matter. Being guided towards a solid wall was on top of that list. As he drew closer, muscles began to tense in anticipation on colliding with the wall. But it never came, every hair stood on end as he passed through it as if it was smoke.

"OK, open your eyes." came the command from infront of him. Doing as he was told, hazel eyes opened taking in the dark room. Lights blinking into excistance, covering every inch in a soft glow.

The room itself was massive; the walls were draped with banners of dark reds and blues, with a white symbol in the centre of each of them. Decorative, but unusual pieces of art littered throughout

"What is this place?" asked the major in awe, hazel eyes drinking in very last detail of the room.

"This belonged to a race of human like beings, who were wiped out hundred-fifty thousand years ago. Three cycles before ours." answered the young admiral striding towards the other end of the room.

"Why did you bring me here, Tali?"

"For this." what seemed like another wall, in fact it turned out to be a window spanning from one end to another.

"Oh..my.." before him, spires upon spires, stretching as far as the eye could see. Traffic flowed steadily between the buildings as if the life force of the Citadel. "It's beautiful." stated Alenko, awe struck at the simple beauty of the place.

"It is, isn't it. We get so caught up in the world around us, that we never really notice the simple things in life." quietly observed Tali.

A comfortable silence settled between the two, as they watched the world go by.


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