A/N: This immediately follows the previous chapter (part 2 of 2, if you will). The tone was different, which is why I decided to separate them. I hope you all enjoy!


"So, how was Earth? It looks like you spent a little time in the sun." Jeff spoke casually as he pressed a finger onto Shepard's nose, eliciting a sharp cry as the skin blanched momentarily before returning to an angry flush.

A teacher poked his head out of a nearby classroom door to investigate the yelp, only withdrawing again after Shepard assured him she was fine. Most of the staff was on edge after Hannah Shepard's visit. Shepard told him she heard her mother ranting about how unacceptable it was that no adults noticed the events earlier in the day. She had a point. A large group of kids in a circle is usually a bad sign, and the Dingo wasn't exactly quiet. Shepard was sent to class before her mother really got going, but one of the classes closer to the office heard everything. Rumor had it she had threatened to bring admirals in to investigate whether the school was able to ensure the safety of their students.

"You still haven't answered me." Jeff pushed his thumb onto the inflamed skin of Shepard's cheek, enthralled by the way her normally light smattering of freckles on her nose and cheeks stood out, darkened by the sun. She swatted his hand away like it was a bothersome fly.

"Ouch. Don't touch me, it hurts!" She pulled back and delicately applied a small layer of gel over the tender skin on her face before continuing. "Earth was ok... well, until the funeral at least. That was hard." A deep, shuttering sigh escaped her full, burnt lips. She ran her tongue over them, avoiding his gaze as she fought back her emotions. Several moments passed in complete silence.

Side-by-side, they leaned against the wall in the nearly empty school waiting for her mother to pick them up. Jeff was thankful to not be headed to the Community Center for the afternoon, but it bothered him that her other was late. Ms. Shepard was always punctual.

"It was a lot hotter and brighter than I was expecting." Shepard's relaxed tone sounded forced. Jeff had to rack his brain to pick up the strands of the conversation, to remember what she was talking about. She seemed really interested in the dirt under her fingernails as he watched her, trying to gauge how she was feeling. Her face was a mask. He would take any reaction over this cold façade, so he decided to pick a bit.

"Clearly. You have managed to find a shade of red I didn't know existed. Doesn't your mom know about sunscreen?" He meant it as a light jab at Shepard, but regretted his words instantly as he watched her flinch slightly.

"This happened on our last full day there. My guys took me for the day to give my mom a break, and I guess they didn't think of it. They wanted to let me have a bit of fun, so we went to the beach. She really let them have it when we got back."

"You have guys?" He couldn't keep the light smirk off his face.

"You know... like Uncle Dave - I mean Lieutenant Anderson."

"You got to see him? Lucky." Jeff really was jealous. Lt. Anderson was one of the coolest people he ever met. He was so excited he almost forgot how evasive she was being. Almost. "Wait a second... that is only one guy. You said your guys." Jeff knew he was pressing the issue, but she looked like she was going to crack.

"Yeah, he wasn't alone. My..." Her mouth snapped shut as her eyes found her approaching mother. "Never mind. Just drop it, ok?" She shut down as her mother reached them, and he knew better than push it. The trip back to her house was silent.

The normally pristine apartment that was the Shepard household was uncharacteristically messy, as even the ingrained structure of the Alliance was no match for the chaos that accompanies a return home after vacation. Bags sat on every flat surface; the contents spilled out and left a small dusting of sand on the counters and floor. Usually, Ms. Shepard would be on each grain of sand before it could hit the ground, not allowing anything to blemish the immaculate environment. Now she wandered the small flat, starting various projects then abandoning them as soon as something else caught her attention, her eyes never quite focusing. The two children watched her in silence before she disappeared into her room and didn't emerge.

"Is your mom going to be alright?" Jeff's eyes never left the closed door.

"I hope so. She's been like this ever since the funeral." A silence settled over the room for several minutes. Soft sobbing came from behind the closed door at the end of the flat, and Shepard began to blink furiously, her jaw clenched. "I miss my grandma." The whisper was so quiet Jeff almost thought he imagined it. He couldn't stand to see the strongest, most confident girl he ever met struggle, so he sprung into action.

"I forgot to show you this: there is a new vid I found that reminded me of you. Gimme a sec to pull it up." He furiously typed on a small console as he spoke. Shepard looked relieved to have something to focus on, so she gathered a few snacks as Jeff handled the entertainment.

Turunculus: the Turian Avenger danced across the screen in bright graphics. An animated miniature turian leapt from the shadowy recesses of the screen and hung from the 'g' in Avenger. His color was an unnatural red and his talons glinted dangerously. Shepard turned to Jeff, one eyebrow raised skeptically.

"A cartoon? You are this excited over a cartoon?"

"Just trust me on this." Jeff tried to persuade Shepard to just go with it, but he could tell he was losing her interest. He had to convince her to watch. "It's about a turian statue that comes to life to avenge his sculptor's murder. It is awesome! And his talons are made of some unbreakable metal alloy, and he can glue himself back together... really. Just watch."

Just then the little turian darted out from under a chair, wrapped himself around the leg of an unsuspecting human male and started biting his kneecap. Jeff howled with laughter. "See, this is why it reminded me of you!"

"Is this appropriate?" Shepard was still skeptical, her eyes large at the cartoonish amount of blood covering the room. It was disturbing, even though it was animated... or perhaps because it was animated.

"Seriously? This is turian children's programming." He couldn't help but laugh at her shock. This was the same girl who didn't think twice about slamming a boy's head into the wall for picking on her friend. He never pegged her as the squeamish type.

They sat in silence, watching the outrageous program for several minutes. Shepard slowly started leaning forward, getting absorbed in the program despite her misgivings. Her bright eyes sparkled as they followed the kinetic action on the screen, almost as if she was taking notes. Jeff suddenly found himself worried about any bright ideas she may be picking up, and for good reason. As soon as the first episode finished, she hopped up and ran into the other room, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Jeff sat alone in the silent room, his gut swirling with dread. Nothing good could come of this, and it was his fault.

"I am Turunculus. Eat my wrath!" Shepard sprung into the room, sparkling throwing knives held between the bony fingers of her fist, giving the impression of blades sprouting from her knuckles.

"Are those real knives?" His voice shook slightly, because he already knew the answer.

"Yeah, they were my grandma's. She gave them to me before she died. Just don't tell my mom. She doesn't know, and she will have varren puppies if she finds out." Shepard did her best to keep her voice quiet, her eyes on the closed door.

A muffled thump came from behind the closed door, drawing Jeff's attention. It really concerned him that Ms. Shepard hadn't left her room, but at least Shepard was back to normal. Well, normal for her. He turned back to see her reaction to the noise only to find an empty room.

"Um... Shepard?" Jeff stood, slowly making his way through the messy room as he searched. "Where'd you go?" A small noise behind him drew his attention. He spun in place, only to find emptiness. "C'mon. This isn't funny."

A quick blur of color flashed just out of his line of sight, drawing his attention. He turned his head a second too late, only a giggle affirming she had been there at all.

The game continued for several minutes. Shepard chuckled maniacally as she darted from hiding spot to hiding spot, keeping just out of Jeff's line of sight and freaking him out in the process. He really should've thought of the consequences before he showed her the vid. Hearing her giggle, he knew he would make the same decision anyway.