Author's Note: I'm extremely sorry for my lack of updates. I have no excuses for not updating, and I hope to be updating more regularly from now on. Forgive any typos or grammatical errors, I do not have a Beta.

Thanks for all of the Favs and Alerts.

R&R Please?

Someone was shaking her, "Shepard wake up!" She opened her eyes and blearily looked up at Ash. She blinked a couple of times before her face came into focus. Sitting up, she rubbed at her eyes just as the Batarian's voice came through a small speaker overhead.

"Good to see you're finally awake; I was getting tired of waiting. In front of the door of this room are two black Talon knives, as promised. Fully-armed guards are spread throughout the complex with orders to take you and Chief Williams down. I look forward to staining the ground with your blood."

The Commander shook her head with a chuckle, "Makes you wish you had taken that vacation time, huh Chief?"

Ash scoffed and pulled Shepard to her feet, stretching her sore muscles, "And miss all of this fun? Never. He seems pretty confident of himself though. I don't think he has any idea who he's messing with, does he Shepard?"

Shepard didn't answer right away. She had picked up one of the Talons and was examining the gleaming black blade. Same kind that he used on Mindoir, she thought to herself. Hardened determination flashed in her eyes as she handed the other knife to Ash, "Let's show him how big of a mistake he made."

Ash nodded, "Got your back Commander."

They crept down a white hallway, indistinguishable from any other they had already gone through. Shepard was leading, with Ash right behind, as the hall they were following dead ended on another. A glance down the right end showed a door and a dead end. She leaned around the corner to the left, and jerked back quickly. Barely ten feet away from the intersection stood a Turian. He leaned back against the wall, looking down yet another hallway in front of him.

Shepard barely leaned out for another look. There was no way they could sneak up on him without being spotted. She looked down and tightened her grip on the Talon; they would have to take him down from a distance. His armour was black and looked well made, no chance there. She smirked, he wasn't wearing a helmet.

Bingo.

She signaled for Ash to be ready and took one last glance around the corner, gauging the distance and height of her target. She flipped the Talon so that she had it by the blade and took a deep breath, visualizing what she was about to do, praying that he didn't have shields activated. She smiled slightly as she heard her father's voice in her ear, telling her how to throw a ball when she was seven.

"Pull the ball back to your ear and then when you throw it point your hand where you want it to go."

A younger Shepard smiled and nodded enthusiastically. She did as her father had instructed and threw the ball as hard as she could. It didn't go very far, but she looked up at her father with a big smile.

"Like that Daddy?"

He smiled and gave her a high five, "Just like that, my girl, just like that."

Gunshots, smoke, her dad yelling.

Shepard shook her head slightly, ignoring Ash's questioning look. She sighed, every memory led to reliving the attack. She took a steadying breath and focused on the task at hand.

She pulled the knife back and stepped around the corner. The guard turned right as she let the knife fly. It spun end over end before it embedded in the Turian's eye, killing him instantly. He fell to the ground with a dull thud, the rifle still clutched in his hands.

They waited a moment to make sure he was dead before they walked over to the body. Shepard pried the assault rifle loose and handed it to Ash, taking the pistol holstered at its side for herself. Ashley leaned over the Turian and pulled the knife free with a sickening squelch and wiped it as best as she could on its armour.

She handed the knife back to crouching Shepard, "Where did you learn to do that Skipper?"

Taking the offered blade, the Commander shrugged, not looking at Ash, "My dad taught me to throw a ball the right way when I was younger, same basic rules apply to throwing other things."

The Chief crouched down, a hand on Shepard's shoulder, "You really miss them."

It wasn't a question, but she nodded anyway, "Everyday. It's not something you can just get over; it will always hurt." Looking into Ash's understanding eyes she offered a weak smile, "We have a Batarian to kill."

Ashley pulled the Commander up with her and into a brief, tight hug. Just for a few moments to show that she was there for her. Then she pulled back and was all business again, tucking her Talon into the waistband of her shorts and checking her newly acquired rifle.

Shepard was peering down the next hall when Ash spoke, "Uhh Skipper? You're not going to believe this."

"What is it Chief?" She asked without turning.

"The ammo block is made of rubber."

The Commander turned and, sure enough, the block Ash was holding up was solid black rubber, checking her pistol she found the same thing. Their eyes locked, the same thought going through their minds, He wants us alive.

Both blocks slammed back home with conviction, the meaning clear. They would win the game, or die trying.

Bullets whizzed by as Shepard ducked back around the corner. They had been traveling through the never-ending maze of hall for over an hour when they suddenly reached an intersection just as a patrol of four Batarians did. Ash shoved her out of the line of fire and leaped back the way they came to take cover. They had managed to knock out two of them; which left them in their present situation.

Glancing across she saw Ash letting her rifle cool down. Waving to get her attention she held up one finger.

Ash nodded.

Two.

They both gripped their guns firmly.

Three.

Popping around the corner they opened fire, surprised to find that their enemies had crept closer. One went down within a few seconds; then Ashley got hit.

The round hit on the inside of her right knee, jerking her leg from under her and pitching her out, head first, into the remaining Batarian's sight. The Chief used her rifle as a shield while Shepard fired until her pistol overheated. When he still hadn't gone down she threw the gun at him, knocking him onto his back. Not wasting a second the Commander jumped to her feet and, crossing the distance in three big steps, kicked the gun from his hands, planting her knife in his throat.

"Son of a bitch!"

Shepard turned back to see Ash laid out on the floor, head thrown back in pain, and her hands, clenched into fists, being pounded on the floor. She hurried over and stilled her hands, using them to pull Ash into a sitting position. She breathed heavily as Shepard examined her knee.

The entire inside of the knee was turning a dark purple and starting to swell, but what worried her most was the kneecap was dislocated to one side.

"Do it Commander."

Looking up, her eyes locked on Ash's chocolate brown. Nodding, she shifted to get a better grip on the knee. Ashley gripped one shoulder tightly, the other hand gripping her other leg, and took deep breaths. On her second inhale Shepard jerked her knee, the joint going back with a loud Pop! A muffled scream was the only sound from Ash's mouth, followed by ragged breathing as she leaned heavily into Shepard.

She leaned back a few minutes later, her breathing back under control. A tired smirk crossed her face, "Skipper?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'll take that vacation time now."

Shepard couldn't help the laugh that fell from her mouth, Ash soon joining in. When they had calmed again, Shepard threw the Chief's arm over her shoulder and pulled her up onto her good leg. They hobbled down the hallway, picking up Shepard's discarded pistol and pulling another off of one of the Batarian's body for Ash. The Commander could feel that they were getting close; she didn't know how, but she could tell. Picking up the pace slightly, she half-carried her Gunnery Chief down the hall.

A few seconds later, "Skipper, I was serious."

She just shook her head, "I'll see what I can do."

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