Okay just a short little scene, but I needed it. Thanks everyone for reading, and have fun.
So That's What Friends Are For
Shepard was still sitting in the Mess awhile later glancing through reports. She found that she had more contact with the crew if she read the reports in the Mess. Before serving on the Normandy she would spend hours on end in her office. Ashley Williams came up from the lower level. Shepard actually liked to talk to Ashley and made an effort to check with her at least once a day.
Ashley had a bit of a problem with the non human crew at first, but they were able to talk about it and it seemed they were growing on her. They would chat about guns, the crew and the missions. They have been developing a nice little friendship. Shepard liked having someone to sound off ideas to, and Ashley had some good ideas. They had started to get into some personal stuff, but mostly on Ashley's side, as Shepard still had trouble talking about personal things. She had not really had a close friend since she joined the Alliance finding it easier to keep command separate from her personal life. Not that she had a personal life. That had seemed to change since she came aboard the Normandy. This crew seemed to make her want to know them better. She suspected the Lieutenant had the most to do with her change in habit.
"Hey Skipper, how's it going?" Ashley plopped down in the chair next to Shepard.
"Not bad, let's see… one death, two injuries gunshot to the leg and a concussion courtesy of Alenkos biotics and the depot secured. All in a day's work I'd say."
"And a little flirting there with the LT right?"
"No, where do you get these things, Ash?" Shepard looked around to make sure no one else could hear their conversation. Thankfully, there was no one else around.
"Hey, come on Skipper, we're both girls, I see how you watch him when you think no one else is looking. I see how you go out of your way to make him blush. When you heard my sister say he was cute, you asked me if I had any intentions. As if he had eyes for anyone else. It is kind of obvious if you pay attention really."
"How obvious is it?" Shepard asked her with a stiff back and a nervous look in her eyes.
"Well to be fair I was looking for it, so maybe not so obvious." Ashley reassured her and watched as Shepard visibly relaxed.
"Okay so I like to look at nice things, doesn't mean there are any intentions there. Besides you know the regs as well as I do. Even if there were intentions, I can't act on them and you know it. 'Breach of Protocol" and all that"
"Oh Skipper, nobody cares about those stupid regs anyway, they're outdated." Ashely said.
"I care." She said quietly "And there in is where the problem lies."
"Oh, I am sorry Skipper, I didn't realize."
Shepard felt the need to talk this out with someone. "I have never had anyone get under my skin the way that Lieutenant Alenko does. He brings out feelings in me I didn't even know I had. Feelings that I thought had long ago stagnated. At first I thought it was just a schoolgirl crush kind of thing, you know, intense feelings but the reality is disappointing. So far no I can't find anything to disappoint. I try to tell myself that it's just a phase, but it's more than that, much more. Yet all I can do is take my feelings, hopes and dreams and shove them back down inside myself."
"You know that isn't really healthy, right Skipper." Ashley asked.
"Yes I know. I have been going over and over things in my head, but it all comes out the same. My being his superior officer creates an additional problem; I could be brought up on harassment charges. No good can come of this. I have got to stop it."
"You're wrong Skipper! Love can come out of this, and love is the greatest thing in the world. Very healthy too, a great stress reliever"
"Love, who said anything about love. This is just childish attraction, not love"
"Give it a chance, Skipper. You'll see that I was right. It will all turn out fine in the end." Ashley gave Shepard a hug and Shepard hugged her back realizing that she needed it.
Then Ashley stood up to leave "If you want to talk some more Skipper, I am here for you."
"Thanks Chief, I may just take you up on that, if you mean that and will keep it to yourself."
"Commander, you secrets are safe with me."