I See You Again

Chapter 7: Already Over


Fandom: Mass Effect

Chapter Rating: T

Rating: M

Chapter Summary: [Priority: Horizon]

Characters: Kaidan, Shepard, Garrus, Zenees, Joker

Pairing: Garrus/FemShep


"Half the colony is in there!" Delan ran out from where he was hiding, watching as the Collector ship took off, "They took Egan and Sam and—and Lilith! Do something!"

"I—I can't—there isn't anything else I can—" Shepard ran a hand through her hair, frowning at the now empty sky.

"There wasn't anything else you could do, Shepard." Zenees walked up next to Shepard, looking up at the sky. Garrus' mandibles pressed together as he watched the smoke recede around the colony.

"Shepard? Wait...I know that name." Delan's eyes narrowed as he looked at the group, "Sure, I remember you. You're some type of big Alliance hero."

"Commander Shepard." Kaidan walked into the clearing, his lips thinning as he saw Shepard turn to him, "Captain of the Normandy. The first human Spectre. Savior of the Citadel."

Kaidan stood a ways from Shepard and her crew, a few feet next to Delan, "You're in the presence of a legend, Delan. And a ghost."

Delan crossed his arms and shook his head, "All the good people we lost, and you get left behind. Figures. Screw this. I'm done with you Alliance types." Delan waved his arm at them before leaving, mumbling about finding a new colony to live on. Shepard turned her attention to Kaidan when he, hesitantly, took a step forward. He forced himself to walk up to her, bringing his hand up to rest against her cheek.

"Shepard..." He sadly smiled, pulling her into a hug. Shepard hid her frown, wrapping her arms around Kaidan. A part of her was happy to see him, happy to see he was alive and well. Another part wanted to push him away, not lead him on into thinking—

"I thought you were dead, Shepard." Kaidan pulled away, his arms falling to his side as he shrugged, "We all did."

"I am—was..." Shepard shook her head, quickly bit the inside of her cheek to knock her out of her own awkwardness, "But, you don't sound happy to see me, Kaidan. What's wrong?"

"Yeah, something's bothering me." His body tensed as he spoke quickly, taking another step back to glare at Shepard, "I spent the last two years believing you were dead!"

"A lot of people did." Shepard furrowed her brows, "Both the people you see behind believed I was dead. So did, Anderson, Joker, the Council—"

"I thought we had something, Shepard." He shook his head, closing his eyes, "Something...real. I—I love you." Shepard looked down when Kaidan took another step towards her.

"Thinking you were dead tore me apart. How could you put me through that?"

"Pardon me? Put you through? Kaidan, can you even imagine what I went through! I was spaced—I fell into a planet!" Shepard poked his chest, glaring up at him, "Honestly, worrying about you and what me dying put you through was the last thing on my mind since waking up—and you could have messaged me, Kaidan! Anderson let me know that you knew I was alive—"

"You're working for Cerberus!" Kaidan raised his voice, "How could I be sure it was even you?"

"Now you know!" Shepard waved a hand in front of his face, "I'm not a ghost, I'm not a Cerberus puppet—"

"You could have fooled me." Kaidan glared, crossing his arms, "Before you showed up I thought the Alliance was right, that Cerberus was behind the missing colonies. The only reason I agreed to come here was because it was rumored Cerberus was targeting this colony next...and it was."

"But it's not by Cerberus." Shepard crossed her own arms, glaring back.

"Cerberus is still the enemy." He replied back.

"Cerberus is right for once—we just want our colonies to be safe! Both the Alliance and the damn Council are ignoring the threat!" Shepard uncrossed her arms, shaking her head, "I don't know why I'm trying to defend myself. You'll never see reason...Commander Alenko."

"If you really believe that, than I feel sorry for you." Kaidan uncrossed his arms too, looking back at Garrus, "You working for Cerberus too, Garrus?"

"I'm working for Shepard." Garrus took a step forward, "You're so blind, Kaidan. You just saw the Collectors and you still believe Cerberus is the enemy."

"Cerberus is the enemy." Kaidan repeated himself and took a step towards Shepard, looking back at her, "You've turned your back on everything we believe in. You betrayed the Alliance...worst of all, you betrayed me."

Shepard straightened up, "You wanna know what's funny, Alenko? You're the only Alliance soldier I've come across that doesn't agree with what I'm doing. Hackett has given me his support, Chakwas gave me hers, Anderson gave me his—hell, even Udina is proud that someone is doing something! I've received message after message from a mother, husband, wife, daughter, father, son, sister, brother asking—begging for me to bring back their loved ones! Because the damn Alliance is the one that has turned their back on their own people!" By the time Shepard finished, she was standing on her toes, inches from Kaidan's face. Kaidan frowned, but didn't move, scanning Shepard's eyes.

"You can say whatever you want about me, Kaidan. I don't care anymore...I'm done with you." Shepard sighed, moving away from him. She pressed her index finger to her earpiece, staring blankly at Kaidan, "Joker. Send the shuttle to pick us up...I've had enough of this place."

"Aye, aye, Commander." Shepard watched Kaidan leave. She could see he was forcing himself to not look back and, in a weird way, it was oddly satisfying.

"I don't like him." Zenees frowned and leaned her elbow on Shepard's shoulder, leaning on her, "I can't believe you slept with him, Shepard."

Shepard looked past Zenees as Garrus stepped up next to the asari, a hidden smirk on her face, "Where'd you hear that, Zenees?"

Zenees smirked and looked with Shepard at Garrus, "Oh, you know...around."

"I think I hear the shuttle—do you hear it? I hear it." Garrus walked toward the small opening in the field as Shepard and Zenees laughed behind him.