Disclaimer: Mass Effect doesn't belong to me, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.

"Shepard, really?" Kaidan stared in disbelief at the flames licking the front end of the Mako, the result of yet another tumble down a mountainside. Garrus snorted at him as he manned the fire suppression canister, slowly bringing the flames back under control.

She had the good grace to at least look sheepish as she shrugged her shoulders, "It looked like fun."

Garrus shook his head as the last of the flames went out, and Kaidan rubbed his temples. As much as he loved being part of her ground crew, it was incredibly stressful, and not because of combat situations. It was because when she was behind the wheel of the Mako, she was like a sixteen year old that was learning how to drive. An incredibly reckless sixteen year old.

"So, which one of us is going to wait here with the Commander this time?" Kaidan asked, already on his omni-tool to request a pick up from Joker. Alliance regs stated that unless there was an emergency, and the squad was in imminent danger, they were not to abandon equipment in the field. Leaving the Mako, even for the amount of time it would require to get the materials needed to make repairs would earn them significantly more than a slap on the wrist. His file was clean, he wanted to make sure it stayed that way.

Garrus eyed Shepard as she poked around the nearby scenery, studying her handiwork. "Yeah, it's your turn to wait. Last time she wandered off and discovered a geth encampment and that was hell to take care of. No, you stand a better chance of keeping her in line."

Kaidan sighed, last time it had been his turn to wait, she'd found a sinkhole, and he'd had to pull her out with his biotics. It had been taxing enough on his implant that a migraine had set in almost immediately. "Fine."

Shepard grinned at him as the pick up for Garrus came, and she saw the exchange of glances, one that said don't leave me alone, and the other that said, I pity you. She snorted at the unlikely friendship that had sprung up between the two, and knew it probably had a lot to do with the antics she seemed incapable of avoiding.

She sidled over to Kaidan, "I'm bored."

He pressed his lips together in a thin line as he stared at her, and she wondered wear the thin scars around his mouth had come from. "Shepard, you got us into this mess with your reckless driving. And I use the term driving very loosely." He narrowed his eyes at her when he caught the bemused expression on her face, "Can't you just wait patiently for a couple of hours? Please?"

She shrugged, and said, "I can try. I guess."

Kaidan raised an eyebrow when her hands went to the seals of her gear, and she stripped out of the heavy layers. It was hot, out in the open with the sun bearing down on them relentlessly. Her pale skin was already turning red, and he sighed, "Shepard, you're getting burned." He pulled her into the shade offered by the truck, and they sat side by side, leaning against a tire. He sat next to her, and removed his own armor, whimpering slightly at the instant relief he felt being out of his sweaty gear.

She smiled and leaned into him, "I know, it's the curse of growing up in space." she turned her head towards him, and her finger traced the slim scars around his lips. "Where did these come from?" she asked softly.

"Oh," he grimaced at the unpleasant memory, "Those are courtesy of Vyrnus." He rubbed his lips self-consciously, "He tried to carve me up, a biotic kick to the face was my response."

She smiled at him, "I like them," she murmured, and leaned into him pressing her lips to each slim line. He closed his eyes in response, and brought his hand up to twine through her hair, cupping the back of her head. "I think they say something about the man you became. The past you rose above."

"Shepard," he whispered softly, "What are you doing?" She shifted, and straddled his lap. His hand slid up her side to cup her breast, and he could feel her heart pounding against the wall of her chest.

"I'm not sure yet, Alenko," she whispered back, and moaned softly as his arm wrapped around her back, pulling her so she rubbed against his stiff erection. He held her just there for a long moment, his mouth fused to hers, his hands finding her hot center, rubbing her through her pants.

She panted against his cheek, and felt heat licking up the back of her neck. "W-w-we can't," she stuttered, and squeezed her eyes shut as an orgasm shuddered through her with a soft gasp. "But, oh God, I want to."

He nodded, and leaned his forehead to hers, grimacing in frustration. He thought about that clean record of his, and suddenly it didn't seem so important. "I would transfer, but I don't want to leave you," he murmured.

She slid out of his lap, and took his hand in hers, "I wouldn't let you go," she replied softly. He pulled her in close, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they waited for Garrus to return.