The shrill chime of my alarm pulls me out of the warm, comforting embrace of sleep, but I hold back on moving. Maybe it'll shut off and I can go back to snoozing?

…Except that I set it for seven o'clock so I would be awake by the time I need to meet Zaira. Shit.

Elizabeth shifts in my arms, reaching across my torso to shut the alarm off. As silence fills the room, I run my fingers through her hair and feel her smooth hand stroke my chest.

Eventually, I heave a long sigh. "I should go…"

Her hand stops and I feel a brief puff of air. "…Yeah…"

I've said the words but I'm still not moving. I sigh again and reach down, pushing her chin up so I can see her face, then lean down to press a soft kiss to her lips. "Anytime, anyplace." I say, to remind her of my promise from last night.

Elizabeth flashes a brief smile at me and kisses me back. "You should go." She says, gently pushing on my side.

I slide out of bed and she rolls into my spot to take the remaining warmth. "I'll see you later, alright?"

She nods, eyes closing again as I pick up my clothes and step into the bathroom for a quick shower. When I come out, she's snoring softly, deep asleep.

I press my lips to her cheek, tuck the blankets in around her and take my leave.

The ride to C-Sec is short, as the room I spent the night in is one of the expensive Presidium Apartments, though how Elizabeth has it, I can't really say.

C-Sec isn't busy this morning, which is good. A few officers here and there talking to people or tapping away at terminals, but no real hustle and/or bustle.

As I step off the elevator, a hand on my shoulder makes me turn my attention to the owner of that hand. Zaira stands from her lean against the elevator and greets me with a simple, "Good morning."

I quirk an eyebrow. "Really? Is it a good morning for you or for me? Or is it a good morning regardless of what I want this morning to be like?"

She crosses her arms with a small smirk. "It's a good morning because we're going to look at guns and armor."

I perk up and smile. "Oh yeah. Sweet."

Zaira chuckles a little and we set off into C-Sec, drawing a few odd looks from the weapons on our persons, though they look away when they recognize Shepard.

The Gear Master looks up from his terminal. "Ah, Spectre Shepard, I'd been wondering when you would be showing up. I'll give you access to our stocks." He knows what we're here for.

Flicking through the lists, we quickly settle into banter, pointing out interesting armor and weapons.

"Ooh, look at this! Colossus Armor! Aw, but I don't have another N7 badge."

"Couldn't you just detach the one you have?"

"You're right!" Shepard chirps happily before her face falls again as the price comes up. "That would wipe out more than half of the credits I have."

250,000 credits for a suit of heavy armor? Jesus, don't they know a Spectre might need it?

It may drain Shepard's wallet, but I have a lot of funds. My worms are still alive and burrowing, after all. I shrug and tap my terminal, purchasing the suit.

Zaira frowns at me worriedly. "Can you really afford that? It's really expensive."

I smile at her and show her my omni-tool with my credit balance on it. She gasps in shock and I press a finger to my lips. "Let's just say I've made some really good investments over the years."

Her eyes flick to the number, back to the suit and then up to my eyes. A small, shy smile curls her lips and a bit of color enters her cheeks. "Thanks." She murmurs quietly.

"It's not charity, Zaira." I say, nudging her shoulder. "Think of it as…an investment. In keeping you alive. I mean, I can't exactly take you on a date if you die because of shitty armor."

She smiles and starts rifling through the sniper rifle list. "I owe you more than one date, that's for sure."

"Let's wait and see how the first one works out before deciding that," I reply, "I'd rather want to have a second date because we had fun on the first one, not out of some sense of obligation."

"Me too. Ooh! Look at the range on this!"

"Don't all Sniper Rifles have the same range?"

"Well, yeah, but this model shaves the metal into a fine point for a lower drop over a farther distance."

"Nice. And look, there's an Explosive Rounds mod on the market, too."

Zaira's eyes glaze over slightly as she imagines using the two in conjunction. "It'd be like using a long-range grenade launcher."

"What if you have to use it during a hostage situation? It would hurt the hostage as well." I point out.

She gives me a dry look. "Well, I could just, y'know, remove the mod."

That should've occurred to me. "True," I say with a nod. "Imagine using that on someone in low-gravity."

The image of a Geth bouncing into space, flailing and shrieking fills my head and I sink my teeth into my hand to stop myself from giggling. Glancing over at Zaira, she's biting her lip, attempting to stifle her own humor. Our eyes meet and what follows is a brief moment in time when a former PI and the newest Spectre broke down into a fit of muffled, schadenfreude-laden giggles.

After she recovers, Zaira buys a pair of Snipers along with the Explosive Rounds mod along with four Spectre-Advanced Gear VI Assault Rifles for herself, Tara and Ashley, along with one a level lower and a pistol of the same level for Kaidan.

I bought a shotgun for Ashley, along with another and a pistol for Tali, and a similar rifle for Garrus. He has his own sniper and a heavy pistol, and I'm pretty sure Nihlus is kitted out just fine, not to mention Wrex.

Having spent most of her free cash on guns and mods, Zaira turns to me. "I hate to ask, but can you help my buy some armor? I kinda…went overboard on the guns."

I had planned for this, thus the credits in my account. "Sure."

A set of Explorer Heavy Armor for Garrus, followed by a pair of Support Medium armors for Kaidan and Tali, a set of Liberator Medium armor for Tara and a set of Titan Heavy Armor for Ashley, our squad has thus been adequately armed and armored. And my account balance has been drastically lowered. Oh, whatever shall I do except steal more money from rich people? Oh wait…

The Gear Master looks up from his terminal with his eyebrows(?) raised and mandibles spread in surprise. "Well, that's…quite a lot of gear. Where should I send it?"

"Have it sent to Bay 55," Zaira replies easily.

The Gear Master nods and taps in the order. "It will arrive within the hour. Is that all you require today, Spectre Shepard?"

"Yup."

"Have a good day, then."

Bay 55…that's where the Normandy is. "Why are you having all the stuff sent to the Normandy?" I ask as we ascend a few steps.

Zaira shrugs and smiles sheepishly. "Well, there's really nowhere else I can have it dropped off. Plus, Anderson wants to meet us there in a couple of hours."

Probably to give the ship over to her. I think she's thought of that already…clever lady. "Well, since we have time…Do you want to get breakfast?" I ask as we come into C-Sec proper. "I know a good place nearby."

She stops and checks her chrono. "Sure." She flashes a small mischievous smile at me. "This doesn't count as our date, just so you know."

"Pfft, of course not." I wave it off with a pompous tone. "Nothing less than the most fancy, expensive restaurant on the Citadel will do for you, my lady!"

Zaira chuckles and quips back, "I dare say, it better be The Most Fancy Restaurant on The Citadel, or I will be most put-out!"

"Of course," I reply, reaching a new level of pompous-ity. "Why stop there? I'll buy the entire Concert hall in the Bachjret Ward for our date. Even the Citadel Orchestra!"

She turns her nose up, attempting to hold back a smile. "I expect nothing less than the entire Citadel itself as a gift."

Our quiet laughter, and the entire back-and-forth seems to have been disturbing for people around us, who are shooting Zaira strange looks. Can't deal with good humor, it seems.

Zaira pulls ahead, skipping quickly up the steps, which gives me the perfect opportunity to check her out.

She's wearing a light blue hoodie with a white stripe going up the arms, and a pair of tight, dark blue jeans with her pistol attached to her hip and a pair of black shoes. The magnetic holster must be attached directly to her skin.

Which is only a secondary observation to the fact that damn, Zaira has a nice ass. Not to say that the rest of her isn't nice, but it's what I have my eyes on right now. Well-rounded hips that aren't too round and strong legs lead to one good-looking butt.

Zaira looks back at me over her shoulder, face amused at having caught me admiring her rear. "Enjoying the view?" She asks sarcastically.

I nod easily. "Why yes, I am." I answer, stepping through the door leading to the Presidium.

"I knew it," She says dryly. "You're only in this for my body."

"Oh no," I reply in a dead-pan tone. "What ever will I do now that I've been found out?"

I take us to a small café in the Presidium, away from all the Embassies and politicians. We're seated quickly with the menu set out, and it only takes a few minutes to decide on what to get.

Zaira gets a plate of steak and eggs and a stack of pancakes. I get much the same, though with a side of bacon, and both of us get a cup of coffee, black.

"You know," I say, setting aside my mug, "I have a lot of fun, and it's really easy to be around you…but we've know each other for a couple of days at most. Do you think that's strange?"

She sits back in her chair, sipping her coffee. "I was actually thinking about that last night," She admits. I wasn't. "And I don't think you understand what you've done for me."

A questioning look comes over my face. "What I've done for you?"

Zaira chuckles a bit and sets her coffee down, folding her hands over her stomach. "Yeah. I wasn't a very open person after my dad died. I was fifteen and tired of hopping between ships all my life when the message first came. My dad was equally tired of the lifestyle but he had taken the position at mom's insistence, and I had always been closer to him than her."

She leans forward, laying her arms on the table in front of her, slumping slightly. "When the message came, I remember this feeling of emptiness, like I had lost everything. I cut ties with my mom and signed up with the Alliance the next day and went through the pre-enlistment school until I was eighteen. I threw myself into everything, dedicated to being the best soldier I could be so I could hunt down my dad's killers and get revenge."

The waiter comes back and sets our plates down, refilling our coffees before leaving. After a couple bites of her steak, Zaira resumes her story. "I wasn't a very nice person," She admits ruefully, a shallow smile on her face. "If I wasn't studying or working out, I was stewing in my anger and resentment. I've worked with Tara and Kaidan for nearly four years and I'm ashamed to say I don't really know all that much about them. We work well together, sure, but I was so focused on getting revenge that there isn't anything between us."

Zaira shrugs. "Well, there wasn't at least. After I completed my N7 training, Anderson picked me for his crew and after dealing with my angry crap for a couple of months, he took me aside and made me talk to him. The lambasting he gave me…" She shudders with barely repressed trauma. "…It wasn't fun, but it gave me a stark realization: What was there to do after I got my revenge? I had no friends, I didn't even have a mother anymore. There was no one I could rely on."

Silently, I reach across the table and grasp her wrist, trying to show my support quietly. She looks up at me through her cobalt bangs and smiles, shifting her arm to grab my hand in hers. "I opened up to Anderson a little, and I kind of view him like the cool uncle I always wanted, someone not afraid to call me out. But it took meeting you, and fighting you, to really hit me. You, someone I had just met and insulted, humiliated me in front of my team and most of the other people onboard, using my anger against me."

"Zaira-"

Zaira holds up a hand. "Not yet." She admonishes. "After you beat me down, you listened to me, you understood what I was saying. And then, when you were yelling at me, I saw something in your eyes. You believed I could be a better person, you believed in me when only one other person did. I still remember what you said. 'You deserve to move past this. I know you can.'"

The way she's remembering it seems somewhat more…romanticized than I remember it.

"It was…humbling, knowing that someone believes in you even when you don't believe in yourself." Zaira says quietly. "And then you saved me and my team from being captured by pirates. You slaughtered nearly six hundred people in our defense. I mean, I know you did it to protect us and your partner and there wasn't any sort of meaning behind it but that, but can you blame me if I didn't see it differently?" She asks.

"Some who cares for you nearly killing themselves to save you? How could I not? Is it any real surprise that I trust you more than almost anyone else? You get me. It's easy to talk to you, to be near you. I've never felt that before. It's scary, but at the same time, I don't want it to go away." She finishes, squeezing my hand tightly. "So, last night, I came to the conclusion that I don't care if it seems strange. I like you. I like spending time with you. And I want to know you better."

…Wow. Did I…did I really do that much for her? "Have you talked to your mom at all?" Yes, something simple to distract her while I compute all this.

"We reconciled a couple of months of ago. She was blaming herself more than I ever did." Zaira starts talking about her mother and I lose track. The only thing I'm really aware of is the calloused yet soft hand holding mine.

I've been on her squad for a day, and already this one of the most confusing adventures I've ever been a part of. And all of it is due to woman sitting across from me.

The woman with cobalt hair. With the shy, cute smile and expressive yellow eyes. With a gentle grip.

I can't say I like this confusion I'm feeling…but with her, I don't think I mind all that much.

An hour passes, and we spend it eating and chatting about nothing, still holding hands. With the meal eaten and coffee consumed, Zaira's omni-tool begins to chime quietly. "Ah, that's the alarm." She announces, letting go of my hand to turn the sound off. "Time to meet Anderson."

We stand and Zaira pays the bill, and as we're walking back to C-Sec, she slips her arm into mine. She looks at me when I glance at her, a small, mischievous smile on her face. And there may have been a slight slowing down of my pace to spend just a little more time with her. Possibly. Maybe.

As the elevator descends, something occurs to me. This is the start of an adventure, one that will take us to the darkest parts of the galaxy. And with this woman at my side, ready to lead us into it, it's the first time I feel confident. Confident that we'll succeed.

It's a nice feeling.

The door slides up and Zaira slides her arm out, standing up a little straighter and approaching the two Ambassadors and Captain Anderson. I know they're giving the Normandy over to Zaira. While they talk, I can see a few of the crew loading crates onto the ship. That must be the gear we bought, plus a few extra things from me.

"We've managed to locate Matriarch Benezia's daughter on Therum, a planet in the system Knossos which is located in the Artemis Tau cluster." Anderson reports, "From what I understand, she's an archaeologist who studies Prothean ruins. She might be able to to point you in the direction of her mother."

"I understand, sir." Shepard nods stiffly.

The older gentleman holds out his hand. "Good luck, Commander. We're all counting on you."

She shakes his hand and determinedly replies, "I won't let you down."

He gives her a half smile. "I know you won't."

The trio leaves, and as the elevator rises, Zaira sighs quietly and slumps just a little. "So?" I ask, sidling up. "How'd it go?"

"Anderson turned the Normandy over to me," She says, turning to look at the ship. "And we have our first destination."

I nod. "Well, Commander Shepard, are you ready to embark on this epic quest for galactic justice?"

A brief smile flits across her face. "Definitely."

"Then let's go kick some fuckin' ass."

I'm down in the cargo hold, tinkering with Invictus. There's one mod slot in the gun and I can't decide on what to put in there. It's a bad-ass gun, but if I make it even more bad-ass, it might create a singularity that makes the universe collapse into one giant worm-hole of pure bad-assery and while that would solve the whole 'Reaper' problem, I'd rather not. I like living.

"Hey." Glancing to the side, I see Ashley as she sidles up to the bench holding her brand-new assault rifle. I obligingly move my stuff into a smaller area to give her room to tinker and she nods in thanks, setting her rifle down and pulling it apart.

Which reminds me, I should check Medusa. She was a little sticky in the trigger and I meant to do something about that earlier, except that I blew up.

I reassemble Invictus and set it aside before pulling Medusa out of my now-permanent locker and bring it to the workbench, swiftly opening it up and scanning the insides.

Ah, there's the problem. The trigger circuit is worn. Easy enough to replace. And the barrel's sort of dusty. I should clean that.

As I set about my work, whistling the Star Wars theme, I notice that Ashley keeps glancing at me. After the fourth time in a minute, I set the circuit aside and look to her. "Yeees? Can I help you?"

"I'm just wondering about you," she says easily. "I can't say I really know you."

"Most people don't." I reply with a small grin. "I like it. It makes me mysterious."

Ash gives me a dry look. "I don't like mysteries."

I snort. "Yeah, and you probably wear white underwear."

"W-what?" She sputters, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, the only people who wear white underwear are kids…and boring adults." I say factually.

Ashley splutters some more, weapon forgotten. "I am not boring!" She finally says loudly.

I give her a knowing glance and a wink. "Uh-huh."

"I'm not!"

"I 'know'."

"I'm not boring!"

"I'm agreeing with you."

She huffs and turns back to her gun. "You're an ass."

"Which means I get the girl in the end." I announce triumphantly. "The asses always do, for some reason."

Whatever Ashley is preparing to say is lost when the PA crackles to life. "This is Commander Shepard speaking." Zaira's smooth voice flows through the ship, "We have our orders: find Saren before he finds the Conduit. I won't lie, crew, this mission won't be easy. For too long, we've stood apart from the other species. It's time to do our part for the rest of the Galaxy! Time to show them what we're made of, what we are all capable of doing together. Our enemy knows we're coming, and they won't go down without a fight. We need to do this. Not just for humanity, but for every species in Citadel Space. We must stop him…and I promise you all, we will succeed!"

Fucking inspiring, man. I have to wipe a manly tear of pride for the bad-ass speech away from my eye.

"So…" Ashley starts, fiddling with a bit of wiring. "Do you really think we can do this?"

"We can do this. We will do this. We've got the team, we've got the ship, and we've got the leader. Saren doesn't stand a chance." I reply with confidence.

The Gunny looks at me searchingly before nodding in agreement.

I cleaned and repaired Medusa for a bit before hopping in the elevator and taking it up two floors to the rec area. There's someone I need to introduce Zaira to.

After five freaking minutes in the elevator, I step out and turn to go to the Captain's Cabin when I spot a few crewmen hooking up the new, much bigger, roomier and less full of shit fridge, which has enough food stocked to last us for a good couple of months. Stocked with real, edible, food.

Glancing through the glass partition, I can also see Chakwas talking with Chloe, comparing notes or whatever. Garrus and Nihlus are at the table, discussing something while eating off of trays full of Turian food. Wrex has a corner all to his crimson-armored self with what appears to be a full loaf of bread cut in half and stuffed with meat. And maybe half a leaf of lettuce. And there's Kaidan, fiddling with his locker for some reason. And I saw Tara talking with Tali in Engineering.

Stopping at the door, I knock three times and wait. It slides open, allowing me inside. Zaira's at her terminal, typing something up, and looks up at me. "Do you need something?"

I step inside, closing and locking the door behind me. "I do, actually. There's someone I want you to meet, but first…you have to promise to not freak out, okay?"

She blinks quickly before her eyes narrow on me. "…Alright. Who?"

I extend my arm, palm up. My omni-tool flares, lighting the room with a bright orange glow, which is over-taken by jade green. Streams of data flow out of my palm, coalescing to form into a slim, attractive body.

"Hi." Jade greets shyly.

A/N: Well, that didn't take too long, surprisingly, even though I did start my original story. Maybe I'm just that damn good?

Pfft, more like ADD.

Anyways, notes:

It's been my intention, since the start of the story to pair Saul and Zaira together, even when I didn't have a fully-formed Shepard like I do now. It's not going to be an immediate thing, I want to make it fully realized romance. They already like and trust each other, it's just now getting Saul (who has secrets of galactic importance) and Zaira, who has to get acclimated to being open and the Commander Shepard everyone likes. Well, most everyone. A mix of Paragon and Renegade, but then again, real life doesn't have arbitrary Karma Meters. And they won't admit it right out. Love is confusing, man.

Plus, Saul and Zaira are similar, but not the same. It'll be apparent later, I swear, though a good one right now is disassociation. When she's in her armor with her gun in her hand, she's Commander Shepard, first human Spectre and N7 Soldier. Outside of her armor, she's Zaira, a lady who likes her guns, gadgets and action.

Inside and outside of his armor, Saul is still Saul.

This Disassociation thing will be really important later on.

But for now, that's all from me today.

Read, Review, and Enjoy.

Stay Awesome.

~Soleneus

P.S.: Much like I imagine Jade sounding like Angel from Borderlands, I don't really imagine Zaira sounding like Jennifer Hale. Not that I don't love her voice! It sounds like vocal smoke and sex, and I like it. Maybe a younger Jennifer Hale? Without an English accent. I don't know.

Stay Awesome Some More.

~still Soleneus