Dudes! Now the usual: please review… hope you like it… please review… please review. Seriously, constructive criticism, advice, comments, questions, people! Anything is welcome. Also, there have been questions about whether Ridley is SI or not. Numerous questions, actually. But no, she is not. Ridley and I couldn't be more different. I'm more like Tali, if anyone. Though not as badass. Anyways, enjoy Chapter 7!

Ridley POV

Downtime between missions were always a bore. You either worked on whatever or talked with the crew. I usually opted for talking with the crew. While I had been described as reclusive, the Normandy had a diverse crew that came from all over the galaxy and every one of them had a story to tell, so it wasn't a chore to converse with them.2

"Hey Wrex." I say as I pass him by on my way to the elevator.

"Hey Ridley" he almost grumbles, his frown unchanged.

As I enter the elevator I am greeted with the same slow movement as ever. I've seen elcor who can walk faster than this. When I (finally) get to the crew quarters, I'm greeted with boisterous laughter. Coming from the mess.

"And then he decided that it would be much easier to just get over with, so he stripped down and jumped in the pool!" Liara's voice cried out, and she and Ashley exploded into laughter. As her eyes wandered, she caught sight of me, "Ridley!"

"Hey," I say, coming out of the shadows and fully onto the scene, "What's up?"

"Liara was just explaining this dare she witnessed at one of her dig sites," Ashley said with a smirk.

"Yes, it was very funny," Liara said, "Ridley, why don't you sit down, you seem like the sort to have some stories."

"You sure hold your liquor well enough to have some good stories," Ashley said with a wolfish grin.

I smirked, "You would know. Sure, I'll sit down."

When I got myself settled, Ashley and Liara jumped into stories, talking about unpleasant characters and past relationships.

"Okay, okay," Ashley said after howling with laughter, "What about now? Do any of you have beaus?"

"Beaus? What is this, Pride and Prejudice?" I said with a laugh, joking a lot more than I usually do.

"Well…" she said, "It sounds more romantic to me."

"To answer your question, I do not. What about you?" Liara said, inclining her head to Ashley.

"Nah. I thought maybe the commander, but I get the feeling he likes someone else." she replied, looking a little sheepish.

"You were thinking about the commander?" Liara said in a completely disbelieving voice.

"I know, I know. But how could I not… he's so fit. A little hot-headed, but he's knowledgeable and he cares." she said, sighing a little.

"Well, he's definitely not thinking about me." Liara said.

"You sure? I thought you two were close."

"Not that close. We just have a bond since we mind-melded."

"Well if not you, then who?" They turned their faces to where I had been sitting, casually sipping water through the whole conversation.

"Me?" I asked, more than a little scrutinizing.

"Of course you. Tali's too young, and as far as I can tell, the commander likes girls, so it could only be you." Ashley replied, speaking very matter-of-factly.

"No! The commander and I spend more time arguing than anything else. Besides, he's a soldier to the core. He wouldn't fraternize." I said, taking a drink of water to finalize my point.

"I suppose that's true. It may be better if the commander doesn't have a romantic relationship." Liara said, looking contemplative.

I took that moment as a good time to take a leave of absence, since the atmosphere turned to past boyfriends and failed romantic escapades. I walked to the elevator, and got in just as it reached my level. And, to my amazing luck, Shepard looked up and saw me.

"Hey," Shepard said.

"Hey," I said, taking a spot on the opposite side of the elevator. I reached over and almost select the button for the shuttle bay, but I notice he already pressed the button for it.

The elevator engaged and we started going down. Slowly, achingly slowly, going down.

"We haven't really talked since…" Shepard said, his sentence drifting off. I felt his eyes boring holes into me.

"No, we haven't." I said evenly, trying in vain to keep my voice from showing any distaste.

He walked over to the control panel and pressed the button for the elevator to stop. He turned towards me, his eyes filled with anger.

"Do you know how hard it is to have you on this ship?" he said softly to me, but with a hard tone.

"I think I may have some idea." I said, slightly shocked that he had stopped the elevator.

"It's amazingly hard," he said, his eyes growing in intensity, "because you never listen. You almost died on my watch, just because you didn't keep yourself in check during a firefight!" he finished, practically yelling the last syllable.

"Shepard, I can take care of myself-" I tried to argue, but I was cut short.

"No," he spoke firmly, inching closer to me "I won't let you just take stupid risks. I want you on this ship Ridley, but if you won't listen to my orders, you are going to have to get off the Normandy."

I opened and closed my mouth a few times, processing what Shepard had just said to me. Not be on the ship? I had only been on it for a short time, but I felt that this ship had become more of a home to me than anywhere else in my life.

"I'll follow your orders, sir." I said definitively, staring into his eyes.

We stayed like that for an hour or a few minutes, I wasn't sure how long. The tension was palpable to the point of where I forgot about everything but his eyes. And one thought escaped my mind, one thought, and rampaged it's way through my being: He looks sexy.

Before I could even react to my own renegade thought, the moment was shattered.

"Uh, Shepard?" Joker's voice said, abnormally loud.

"Yeah?"

"We're approaching Noveria… and I noticed that you're in the elevator, and it's in between floors."

"Don't worry Joker, I'm fine." Shepard said, and turned away. I let out a breath as quietly as possible. Shepard pressed the button for the shuttle bay again, and we got going again.

Shepard exited without even a glance back at me, while I approached my desk, in a haze. How could I think that? Shepard's my commanding officer, nothing more, nothing less. But I think knew deep down, Shepard had started to mean more to me than I would ever care to admit.