As disparate flowers, she gathered those who cared. They numbered far more than he'd anticipated: the two Cerberus engineers, Daniels and Donnelly, Dr. Chakwas, Tali'Zorah, Garrus, and to his dismay, Operative Lawson. Taylor, much to his relief, wasn't among them, though she seemed a little too annoyed that he wasn't.

"You were Alliance, Jacob."

"Not at heart, Commander."

"Miranda's coming."

"She just wants to make sure you don't run off with the shuttle."

"Right."

"Commander."

The doctor shot him endless glances when they finally made it aboard the shuttle that he could read far too well. Every meeting since he'd joined the crew gone the same, and only Ellen's presence had kept her silent this time.

Mr. Krios. Have you spoken to the Commander yet?

I have spoken to my Siha many times, and I hope to many more before we seek the Collectors.

You know damn well what I'm talking about. When are you going to tell her that you shouldn't be fighting?

Never. I gave my pledge to her and to my gods that I will watch over her until my body no longer allows me…

And if you're injured, that might be a lot sooner than you think. Don't you think the Commander would prefer you to live than to shoot beside you until you get yourself killed or incapacitated?

The gods willed my body's early departure, and my Siha knows that well.

Stubborn as always.

He kept his arm around her on the shuttle, and mused over her earlier exchange with the turian while she simultaneously engaged in three separate conversations with the rest of the crew. He'd never achieve the same sort of familiarity with even her closest friends that she had for even the least on her crew.

"You think you could check your facts a bit before you go flinging bullshit around, Garrus. Kaidan and I weren't even close to marriage, let alone retiring from the Alliance military so we wouldn't be court-martialed."

"You should check your facts, Shepard. Someone named 'Alen60387' forgot to clear his history when I went to use the extranet terminal after him."

"What?"

"Let's see… 'Honeymoons on Thessia,' 'Galaxy's Best Bridal Suites,' and, 'Dear Dinah, How Do I Propose to My Girlfriend?'"

"What? Seriously?" He'd never before heard her voice climb into the high registers.

The turian burst into a deep, vibrating laugh. "Gotcha, Shepard!"

He heard her elbow smack somewhere into the turian before he saw that she had, in fact, chosen Garrus' gut. You chose the wrong spot, Siha. Beneath the jaw is much more effective. She winced, but kept what should have been a deafening scream down to a low groan.

"Ow… Damn. You're made of rock, aren't you?"

"Hey, I didn't ask you to try to maul me," Garrus said.

"Are you all right, Siha?" He rushed to her, slid his arms around her and pressed his lips to her cheek. No, she had not been wounded in the slightest, nothing like the bleeding he'd seen when she'd taken a few too many slugs before her suit could repair the damage, but she had not yet given him the freedom to hold her and coddle her.

She grinned. "Much better now. Son of a bitch, I wasn't expecting that." She put her helmet down on Chakwas' desk and rubbed her elbow almost sheepishly, not that one could reach flesh or bone through ceramic plate.

"No one's asking how I am after Shepard assaulted me."

"That's because you're an idiot," Tali'Zorah said. "You deserved it and more."

"And you're made out of something harder than stone, my armor, and, hell, the Normandy's new plating. Damn, Garrus!"

"Who would have thought the great Commander Shepard was so fragile?"

"Yeah, yeah… laugh it up." Except she'd joined the turian as he took her up on her offer while Tali'Zorah's helmet seemed to exude disapproval and Dr. Chakwas stared at them with a crooked half-smile.

Now she bantered around with Engineer Donnelly about something called "haggis." A controversial foodstuff, it seemed from Engineer Daniels' snickering and Operative Lawson's own moue of disgust.

"Yer Dad ate haggis for breakfast, Commander?"

"Even when Mom told him that if she ever smelled it again she'd get a divorce."

"And what did ye think of it?"

"It tastes like dirty ass," Engineer Daniels said as Donnelly shot a glare at her.

"Not that again, woman!"

"And smells ten times worse. You know what made me believe in God? Satan lived in Dad's breakfast, and only prayer could ever vanquish it. Prayer, and airing the house out for the rest of the day."

"Makes me glad I'm dextro," Garrus said.

Tali'Zorah nodded, perhaps the first time he'd seen the quarian agree with Garrus.

"Yer Dad was a true Scottsman, Commander."

The banter kept her eyes from spilling over, though they seemed more than liquid enough.

"We're not going to steal the shuttle, Miranda."

"I'm sorry, Shepard?"

"Just checking. As always, Jacob's full of shit."

"Commander, I'm here because…." He hadn't thought the mechanical woman capable of being injured.

"I know." She smiled at the woman. "Shame that some people can't see that. Thanks."

You trust Operative Lawson? She's cold, Siha, colder than the winter rains on Kahje.

She's been hurt. A lot. I understand a little of it—I used to be just like her, but without the looks and biotics…

Your people would consider her attractive?

What, you don't?

She's rather… round.

The shuttle pilot's landing seemed rougher than usual and Dr. Chakwas rubbed her shoulder.

"Commander, I knew getting solid ground beneath me would kill me. This suit's already bad enough."

"And the breather's going to maim you first before you kick the bucket."

"Oh, for some brandy!"