Chapter 10

Ashley

Strangely, the moment Timothy and Richard had Ashley horizontal, her body collapsed. She was still utterly powerless, but instead of seized muscles that wouldn't move, her body was completely relaxed. She kept her eyes open, watching and listening as she was placed on one of the sofas, as Sam explained what had happened so far, and as Sam's parents crated the dog and double-checked the few security measures they had for the prefab.

Ashley wished the windows weren't just glass, but had kinetic barriers. But it was too much to hope for in a low-cost form of housing on a peaceful colony. The glass kept those little bug things out, but when Sam screamed and everyone ducked, Ashley desperately wished she could do something, and that in place of that glass they had some damn kinetic barriers !

She strained to see what had caused everyone to drop out of sight, but her low vantage coupled with the fact that she couldn't turn her head meant that nothing was visible but the partially-cloudy sky through those windows. Sam crouched near Ash, holding the pistol she'd said she was more familiar with steady despite the clear terror of her posture. Ashley was impressed. Most desk jockeys and tech-types didn't really keep up on their weapons training. It was seen as a hoop they had to jump through in order to keep their jobs, much like the physical fitness tests. Most people who liked guns and explosions enlisted as a soldier. Occasionally, though, you got a spritely little girl who surprised you and delighted in the feeling of a wielding big powerful gun, and who would visit the shooting range just for fun.

Samantha was clearly that kind. And despite her situation, some part of Ashley – the part attached firmly to her libido – thought it was incredibly hot and planned to pounce that woman at the next opportunity presented.

That didn't mean that Sam had ever shot someone before. Killing for the first time was always a harrowing experience. Marines usually had other soldiers around to clap them on the back and get them drunk. Marines also usually were of a certain type, the type to not get overly emotional with other marines. Samantha was not a marine, nor was she around other marines. Ashley's heart broke at what might happen to her sweet, emotionally-open little girlfriend – because, let's face it, as fast as this has happened, that's what we are – if she had to kill. The guilt might just tear the poor woman apart . Ashley had seen it happen – Liara killing for the first time had nearly broken the asari. Shepard had been the one to put her back together again. In all honesty, Ashley was surprised it hadn't happened to her when her entire unit had been torn apart by the geth. Well, it had happened… but Shepard had been there to clap her on the back, get her mad-drunk, and then throw her out there to take her vengeance on the geth.

Sam had no such recourse available to her. Not if Ashley remained incapacitated.

But at least the woman could hold her gun steady, even if everything else about Sam's posture told of her trepidation. She glanced back to Ashley, her expression mirroring her stance – tight terror barely held in check. Ashley had watched as the battle-calm had overtaken her lover, as the necessity of waking her family and assessing her weapons, of getting what few defense systems they had online, took over her lack of experience in all this. And she had known that as soon as Sam no longer had anything to do, as soon as all there was to do was to sit and wait for the threat to be over or to shoot it in the face, that the calm would leave her. Adrenaline and the incessant waiting would take their toll , and Sam would be a nervous wreck.

But at least she could hold the damn gun steady.

Sam looked back toward the door, the windows, her frightened parents, her brothers with their eyes wide and their nostrils flared. They all looked at Sam like she was a completely different person; Ashley could see it in their eyes. They'd known she'd be bullied by a drill sergeant and given weapons training, but they'd had no idea their sweet, playful baby girl who played the ukulele and couldn't hold hard liquor could protect them and order them around when a threat approached. They obviously had no idea what to do with this new version of their Sammy .

Despite whatever new threat appeared out the window, it didn't show its face right away. Ash finally began to relax , praying in the back of her mind that their luck would hold. It only needed to hold long enough for Sam's shuttle to touch down, for the Alliance to realize this was happening. Barring that, if it could just hold long enough for Ashley to be able to move again, she'd take it.

Her nose itched. Reaching up, Ashley relieved the itch… then realized what the hell she did. She lifted her head, watching with wide eyes as she began to be able to move. It traveled down to her feet quickly, just like the paralysis had, likely starting at the sting on her neck. Swinging her feet over the couch, she looked up when the door's interface suddenly changed from red to green, Sam and her mother letting out a brief scream while the boys gasped in surprise. The door opened on one ugly motherfucker with four eyes, its insect-like wings making scraping noises against its body.

Grabbing the assault rifle off Sam's back and shoving her to the floor for safety, Ash fell to one knee as the gun powered up and fired.

Samantha

Sam let out an "oof" as she was shoved hard to the ground. The next moment she heard the extremely loud noise of an assault rifle firing, the bullets tearing apart whatever had come through the door with an odd chewing sound. Sam looked around from the ground to see Ashley knelt on one knee, eyes to her rifle's scope, her breathing remarkably even as her finger stopped squeezing the trigger. Without looking at her, Ashley spoke in hushed tones to Sam.

"Get the door locked again, Sam!" she hissed.

"Right, brilliant, good idea," Sam mumbled, rambling off into nothing but incoherent muttering as she pulled up her omnitool and closed and locked the door.

Ash let out a breath. "Looks like that was just a scout, searching the homes alone. Hopefully no one notices it's missing."

Sam looked up at her rescuer, knowing full well that, had it come to it, she would have shot that monstrosity, but that it would not have been enough. Thank God for that perfect timing. And now Ashley, the trained soldier, could be in charge and Sam could cower in the corner and wet herself like she'd felt she ought to do for the last hour.

Also, now she could burst out in tears, which actually was happening. Ash looked down at her, concern etched in her features as she reached out. Sam took the offered hand, unable to stop the deluge now that it had started, and was pulled directly into Ashley's arms.

"Hey, shhhh, I've got you, it's going to be okay," Ash purred, low and strong and soothing. Sam only cried for a minute, just long enough to get the pent-up energy out, the stress from waiting so long overwhelming her when she could finally release it. But she was able to get control back rather quickly, pulling back and wiping her eyes.

"I'll be okay," she murmured, picking up her pistol from where she'd dropped it and handing back to Ashley.

Ash just shook her head. "No, I think you should keep that for now."

Sam nodded, then looked back toward the door, her eyes settling on the crumpled form lying in a pool of its own viscera. "What was that thing, do you think?"

Ashley shrugged. "Big bug. I dunno. We thought Cerberus was behind these attacks. But if they're sending in those bugs to paralyze everyone and then taking them all alive, then that fits with the attacks on colonies so far. And that thing was not Cerberus…"

Ashley got up, taking her offered weapons pack from Samantha before helping the other woman to her feet. "The other attacks had no one left behind. They're sending those things to paralyze people, and then taking them alive. But why did it wear off? It's barely been an hour…" She walked to the window and crouched under it, taking a peek outside. She saw nothing.

"Well, if we were outside, they could continue to sting you until you were collected," Sam observed, not bothering to look out the window. She also wasn't looking at the dead bug by the door any longer. It turned her stomach, and the thought of seeing more of them out there didn't help any.

"Good point," Ashley replied. "I don't see anything out there. I'm going to- wait. There's someone out there. In hard suits."

"Is it the Alliance?"

Ash shook her head. "Armor's unmarked. Couple of humans, probably, and a turian. And one of them is a fucking krogan… I don't see any more of those bugs, actually. I'm going to head out." Looking Sam dead in the eye, she said, "No following me out. I'll keep in constant contact with my omnitool. Lock the door behind me. Okay, Sam? Keep your family safe."

But… Sam nodded, once. "Yes. I don't like it, but yes."

"Good. Stay here."

Sam opened the door for her. As Ashley made to leave, Sam grabbed her arm. Pushing up on the balls of her feet, she placed a quick kiss on Ashley's cheek. "Come back, soldier," she whispered, pressing the shield generator into the lieutenant's hands. Ash gave her a look that practically smoldered, nodded once, and took off, snapping the generator onto her belt as she jumped from the porch to the ground, forgoing the steps completely. Sam did as she had been instructed, shutting and locking the door behind Ashley before turning and tending to her family. Hopefully they didn't have too long to wait.

A/N: I'm not sure how long until the next chapter, unfortunately. My beta has had one hell of a week, and the last thing I want to do is pressure her to read and edit fanfiction, of all things. On top of that, I'm working this weekend and will be exhausted, and may also have limited internet. The next two chapters are written, though. They're just in their shitty phase still.

Happy May! I am moving to CA in a month. Writing and posting will likely get really erratic as June approaches, as we're moving, my wife is graduating, and her family is coming to NYC for her graduation. Then we'll be living with my in-laws in CA until we find an apartment. It's gonna be crazy. I may write and post, but no promises. My goal is to have this fic finished before that. And it's also to finish Forbidden Magic before I start posting the continuation of this. So. Yeah. Housekeeping is what this author's note was, I guess.