Shepard noticed Deca getting nervous and tense, he told her to calm down but she just shrugged and said that she would be fine if she wasn't cpncentrating on her own family and how they would react to the fact she was dating another SPARTAN trainee. They changed from uniform to casuals Deca with her hair down more bluer than ever, wearing a stylish black leather jacket blue shit and matching black jeans and Shepard a plain white T-shirt with black pants

Deca walked hand in hand with Shepard as she held her duffle bag in the other as he did the same with the suitcase in his hand. Deca sighed looking around the landing field in the city while looking for his family, the different sutdents rushing to greet their familes for the people who wished they were in now in the academy sneering at the students with jelousy.

Deca always hated crowds, they made her feel like there were too many people for someone to find her. She felt her knees go weak as she nearly collaspsed and went pale. Shepard noticed grabbing her shoulder and sitting her down on a side bench.

"Deca..." He soothed her down.

"I just...it's too croueded. Sorry I'm fine" She tried to shrug him off. He sat down kissing her head.

"Listen blue, yes that's a new nickname. We'll sit for a while and my family can come find us until the crowd's die out. Okay just relax" He said humming against her hair and looking at the blue in it with less brown that he originally thought.

"Okay" she nodded breathing in and out. "I can't stand large crowds they remind me of funerals too much" Deca calmed her breathing.

Shepard looked around holding Deca close so she would calm down as she slowly felt her legs come back. A young girl shouted out what sounded like his name enough for Deca to hear.

"Thommy! Where are you!?". Deca looked up.

"Shepard who's Thommy?" She questioned as a young girl of eleven or twelve approached the bench with jumping glee.

"Thom!" She shouted running to Shepard who finally turned to see the girl.

"Emily! He noticed as she hugged him but he stayed on the bench next to Deca who smiled a little, she had some color return to her skin as she kept breathing deeply.

Shepard then grabbed Deca as they both got up, Emily made her eyes go so wide when she saw them hold hands.

"Thom who is she?! What's her name now!?" The girl demanded.

"Emily you ask her because I am lucky I know her and can call her my girlfriend. And by the way she can hear you!" He whispered the last part.

Deca smirked remembering how to play with kids but only a little came to her. "Hi Emily I am Deca your brother told me about you" She said in a trusting voice.

"Deca? What kind of name is that? Are you a holographic robot?" Emily asked.

Deca froze a little enough for Shepard to notice but not Emily.

"No it's short for December, my real name is Cortana but I go by Deca because at the Academy we get to rename ourselves" Deca explained.

Emily jumped up and down. "So your a Spartan! I thought only boys could be Spartans!" Emily yapped taking an instant liking to Deca.

"Most Spartans were men, only a few were girls because back in the war you had to have a certain gene pool to be allowed to become one otherwise the armor wouldn't work on you. So very few girls could do it because the gene mostly occured in men. But those who were girls kicked the boy's butts!" Deca shot a smirk to Shepard.

"And that's why you don't argue with Mum, okay? She's a woman" Shepard added poking Emily.

Shepard told Emily to wait a while until the crowds died down so Deca didn't freak put again and have a panic attack. Emily told Deca all about her school and what she did in her spare time while Deca just listened to it, Shepard smiled seeing them get along, and Deca said she didn't do families well when she was clearly becoming friends with his little sister while the landing field got less crowded they stood up.

Deca smiled and rolled her head onto Shepard's shoulder as they walked again, Deca smiled at Shepard when he asked if she was really okay after having the almost faint. She just kissed his cheek and told him she would be fine if it wasn't as busy as before, he kept her close while Emily kept talking to her as if they were old friends. Shepard however gulped as they reached outside where a woman in her forties leaning against a car with a not so impressed look.

"Thomas James Troy! Where have you been?" She demanded.

Deca felt him grip her arm tighter a little scared. "Mum I can explain, you see when we first landed-" His mother finally saw Deca standing there holding hands with Shepard while Emily laughed and jumped around.

"Oh! You must be December, I'm Rebecca Thom's mother"