Fixed Chapter 7
July 20, 2183
The Citadel, Docking Bay
"Talitha, I was on Mindoir. My parents died in the raid," Shepard said.
The girl aimed her gun at Shepard; the barrel hovering between the commander's eyes. "Liar! You get hit for lying! Get the buzz or the burning! Can't be there!"
Kaidan held his breathe, he thought for a moment Talitha was going to shoot Shepard. The gun was close enough it might bypass her shields. However, Shepard stayed cool and did not even flinch as the girl screamed and waved the gun in her face.
"Why are you alive? Why are you…? Why aren't you like her? Broken…only fit to dig and carry!" Talitha demanded.
For a moment Shepard did not answer. With her eyes down case, Kaidan saw a side of Shepard he had never seen before. He recalled what the consort had said about Shepard's eyes telling a story that made her want to weep. There were horrors reflected in those blue eyes that a young girl should never have witnessed.
Shepard finally met Talitha's eyes, "For a while I was broken. I lost my whole family, Talitha, my friends and my childhood. I had to pull myself up and keep going."
"You lose your mommy and daddy too? But you don't dig. You don't carry. You stand up," Talitha stared at Shepard, eyes wide in amazement. Kaidan had never heard a truer statement said about Shepard.
Shepard held out the sedative, "Talitha, this will make you sleep. If you fall asleep, they'll take you to a place where you can get better."
Hesitantly Taliha reached out for the pill as if she was sure she might get hit for taking something not hers. Glancing up at Shepard she waited for Shepard to nodded before plucked the pill from her palm and obediently stuffed the pill into her mouth, swallowing it, "Will she have bad dreams?"
Shepard gently reached out and hugged the skinny young girl, "You'll dream of a warm place. And when you wake up, you'll be in it. I swear."
Talitha reluctantly pulled out of the embrace, "She'd like that. It hurts when she... when I remember me. But she wants to remember…"
Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, had it not been for Shepard she would have hit the cold hard metal of the docking bay floor. Shepard guided her to the ground making sure she was in a comfortable position. Before standing she touched Talitha's hand; she seemed lost in her thoughts. Then almost mechanically she walked back to Lieutenant Girard.
"She took the sedative. She wants to get better, Lieutenant," Shepard told him.
"Thanks, Commander. That means a lot. I didn't want to hurt her. It's just when I see her curled into a ball shivering… She was only six when they took her. Why the hell are we out here if we can't even keep one little girl safe?" He asked the strain in his voice clear.
"Bad things happen to good people, Lieutenant. That's why you and I are here. Don't wring your hands over her…help her," Shepard said, her voice carried an unfamiliar hard edge.
The lieutenant nodded, "Yes ma'am. Thank you."
Shepard nodded stoically and stepped into a ramp, out of sight. Sensing something was wrong, Kaidan followed her. He found her leaning against the dock ramp wall, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. She had always insisted that she had moved past the tragedy of her late teens, but seeing her like that, he wondered how much of that had been wishful thinking. Shepard had a hard life; there was no doubt about that. First her family then her unit, she had lost far too many people for how young she was.
He desperately wanted to step up to her, to put his arm around her and let her know he was there for her. But not matter how much he ached for her, he could not, he would not. Resisting every urge in his body he stepped back and away to give her some privacy.
August 2, 2183
Intai'sei
"I don't think this is a good idea, ma'am," Kaidan said shifting in his seat next to Shepard.
"Lighten up, LT," Ashley said leaning forward from the back seat of the Mako, "Don't you want to see the Skipper's new abode? We were there with her in the sim; I think it makes it ours just as much as it is hers."
Shepard nodded with a smile, "Damn straight."
A small speck appeared at the edge of the red rocky terrain, it was Admiral Ahern pre-fab retirement house. That is, it was his until he had lost it in a bet with Shepard.
Parking the Mako in front of the house, the three of them jumped out. The heat took her breath away, though it was not any worse than what she would have expected from the desert of Earth. It was a beautiful harsh planet.
Inside was split into two main rooms. First was the foyer that greeted them. The next room was a bedroom, a kitchen, a living room, and a study all combined into one.
Ashley rushed over to plop down on the long sectional couch. Hitting a few buttons caused a large screen TV to pop in front of her.
"Nice," She exclaimed, punching a few more buttons causing music to fill the living space.
Hanging back at the door Kaidan examined the room, "Kind of small."
"It was meant to be a retirement home for one old man. I don't think he had it built thinking he would lose it to a hot young commander and her two favorite marines," Shepard shrugged and Kaidan rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
Ashley turned around on the couch to face Shepard. "Since we're your favorite marines can we spend the night here?"
Shepard glanced over at the single bed, "I don't think the brass would frown if we all dog piled up on the bed."
She did not catch the reddish stain that colored Kaidan's face for a moment. She was looking at Ashley who bounced a couple times on the couch's cushions.
"Sleeping on the floor is a million times better than those damn sleeping pods; besides, the couch seems comfy."
Shepard shook her head and laughed, "We're not staying the night here. We have more important things to do then have a slumber party at my new pad."
Shepard pondered for a moment then nodded to herself, "But you know what is a good idea? Giving you guys a key to the place."
Kaidan shook his head, "I don't think that is a good idea, if the brass finds out..."
Ignoring him she punched a few keys on her omni-tool she reprogrammed the door to open to the three of them, "Too late, it's no big deal. You guys helped me win it. You deserve to use it just as much as I do. If we were get resigned to different ships just know you will be always welcomed to stop in and use this place went ever you need to."
Ashley beamed, "Awesome, Skipper."
Shepard shook her finger at Ashley, "Just not wild parties with your sisters, Chief."
She pouted, "C'mon Skipper, you got to give LT some rules to."
Turning to Kaidan who still stood silently at the door, she smiled at him, "Alenko no banging cheap sluts on my bed."
She laughed out loud when his face turned a dozen shades of red.
November 11, 2183
SSV Normandy, Crew Deck
"So, who is he?" Ashley setting her ration tray on the opposite side of Shepard.
Shepard's fork halted in front of her gaped mouth as one eye brow rose curiously, "Huh?"
Ashley settled into her sit and lean forward like a school girl about to share some kind of juicy gossip, "Your lover boy, does he have a name? What does he look like? C'mon, I want details."
Setting her fork down, Shepard smirked, "What makes you think I have anyone?"
"Cause you're grinning like a Cheshire cat," Ashley's eye flashed knowingly.
Shepard gave a short nervous laugh, "I guess you could say there is someone, we're not in a relationship yet."
"Why not?" Ashley blinked at her.
"It's too early to tell and being on this mission has not let me have time to commit," Shepard explained absently stirring her food with her folk.
"Is he cute?" Ashley repeated wiggling her eye brows.
Shepard looked down and smiled, "Yeah, he is."
Ashley mouth gaped open into a board smile, "Skipper, you're in love, aren't you?"
Laughing, she shook her head. It was silly; she could not be in love. She did not have time for love.
"You are! You're passively glowing," Ashley exclaimed, "Oh, this is not fair. You got yourself a beau and scuttlebutt says even stiff ass Kaidan has somehow got himself a sweetheart. I'm feeling a bit left out."
Shepard tried her best to hide her concern. Kaidan already had someone? The rumors could not possibly be referring to her, could they? They had done their fair share of flirting, but still. Shepard wondered what kind of woman would interest him? He had already told her women like Liara did not interest him. He said he liked adventurous women; she was an adventurous woman, right?
"Why don't you go bug him about his girl?" Shepard said shooing her with her hand, trying to get the gunnery chief off the subject of her love life.
"No fair, skipper," Ashley pouted playfully and then she shrugged, "Besides, you know me, I already tried. Though he wouldn't admit it, but I could tell. Never seen a grown man blush that hard, but at least you'll tell me your man's name, right?"
Shepard shook her head as her grin returned, "Oh no, you're not going to get it out of me."
"Why not?" Ashley exclaimed exasperated.
"For one, I'm not one hundred percent sure he feels the same. And second, I don't want to jinx it," Shepard said shoving a forkful of food in her mouth to signal she was done talking.
"Oh, I'll find out, even if I have to go through your vid-mails," Ashley teased.
"Why are you going through the commander's mail?" Kaidan asked causing both women to jump. Neither had seen him come up behind them.
Ashley turned to him as he sat down next to her, placing his food tray in front of him. "Just trying to find out whose Skipper's lover boy is."
"Chief, don't you think that is a little inappropriate to pry into your Commander's personal life," Kaidan scolded, Shepard appreciated Kaidan's attempt to end Ashley's questions but she truly did not mind her asking. Shepard found more and more she was enjoying the company of both marines, it had been years since she had anyone she could call friends. She just wished her lover boy, as Ashley put it, was not a subordinate.
Shepard waved her hand, "It's fine, Alenko. I did catch her earlier with some embarrassing home mail."
Ashley sighed trying to cover her face with her hand, "I'll say. I could kill my sister."
"Do I even want to ask?" Kaidan said picking up his fork.
"No," Ashley said.
"Yes," Shepard said.
Kaidan glanced at both women, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, "Now I have to know."
Shepard beamed, happy that the table had turned back into her favor, "It seems you have a giggling teenage admirer."
Kaidan's smiled dropped, "Me?"
Ashley cheeks began to redden under her hand, "My little sister thinks you're cute."
Shepard started laughing out loud, clear and high, Ashley nervous giggle followed, then finally Kaidan's deep chuckle.
One last good laugh together, before they reached Virmire.