A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up. I've been busy and trying to get another story finished. Thanks to those who have reviewed this story and to those who have faved/followed and are just reading it. I hope you enjoy it! Starting to tie this into some of the other stories, and I promise more Kaidan in the near future. Again, if you have any comments, concerns or whatever, please let me know!

Numbers

Shepared sat waiting while Hackett argued with the head engineer on the relay repair project. She could hear the strain in the voices of both parties and was not looking forward to requesting yet more things for her friends—things she knew Hackett would likely think could not be spared. The voices droned on and she felt her mind drift. She scanned through reports on her omni-tool.

Since when did I start thinking of this piece of crap as mine? She thought. She was drawn in by the reports on refugee numbers and estimated populations.

300,000

That was the ultra conservative estimate of remaining humans on Earth. With interstellar communication being shoddy at best and non-existent at times, there had been very little information coming form the major population centers of the other races, and much less from the smaller colonies. The other estimates ranged from 500,000 to 1.5 million humans left on Earth. But even though those numbers seemed far more hopeful, they were still a far cry from the nearly fifteen billion humans that had spread through the galaxy.

She, more than most, knew what the Reapers were capable of, but seeing the numbers shook her to the core. She could feel an oppressive wave of guilt crash over her and found herself near tears, wishing Kaidan was there to hold her and tell her it would all be alright. She felt herself sob once before she bottled the grief—and the guilt for another time. She flipped over to her message function on the tool.

'Kaidan?' she entered, recalling the ease with which she had interacted with the Geth node and wondering why she didn't even have a voice command on this piece of crap.

Something to rectify soon. She thought.

She didn't expect him to answer. He had only been gone a few days, and with the 'net down and only the old comm relays available to transmit messages, she didn't expect a response for a while. Still, she had to try. She needed his reassuring voice—or at least a few words form him to ease the tightening in her chest. She sighed, sinking back into the chair, willing it to be comfortable, futilely, but wishing nonetheless.

The meeting with Hackett had gone surprisingly well. She had been able to convince him that sending Liara on the Normandy to meet with Kaidan and visit the Alliance archives would likely be a huge step to getting the relays up and running. She had a pepe in her step for the first time since, well, in a long, long time. She smiled in spite of herself and felt the uncharasteristic urge to whistle when she notieced someone had fallen in step beside her.

"Hey Mom." she said, the feeling of triumph evident in her voice.

"I saw what youdid back there." Hannah nodded back toward the old church as the two women crossed the square. "You really have a way with people."

"Thanks."

"Your father always thought you were a natural born leader."

Shepard the younger beamed at her mother who couldn't hide her pride. Afterall, it wasn't every day that one was able to stand their ground against Admiral Steven Hackett and not only win the argument but also change his mind so completely. The two woman scurried out of the way of a passing transport when Shepard noticed her mother carrying something—a thin rectangular box that was tucked under her arm.

"What'cha got there, Mom?" She asked breathing heavily, as they stepped up to the big old house that was pretty much housing the command staff—though she honestly thought that Hackett may very well be sleeping in his office.

"Oh. It's a present for you. Doctor Chakwas mentioned that you need to rebuild muscle mass the last time I saw her. Says you'll never get back to your old self otherwise." Hannah handed the box to her daughter. Shepard could feel the exhaustion weighing on her rail-thin limbs and just wanted to lay down after the short walk across the square.

"She said your muscles had atrophied a great deal and you could use some exercise to rebuild them." Her mother said.

Shepard opened the box and found a pair of ballet slippers. They weren't the pointe shoes she had purchased a few months ago, well perhaps a year by now, but simple plain ballet slippers. She didn't think she would have the strength to get up on pointe anyway right now.

"I figured that perhaps some basic routines would help. Perhaps in more ways than one." Her mother touched the shoes gingerly and with nostalgia and remembrance.

"Thanks, Mom. I'll put them to good use. But, where did you find them?"

Hannah smiled sadly.

"I didn't find them, child. These are yours, from before... from when you..."

"I can't believe you kept them." She touched the pale pink slippers with new found respect for the simple gift. Hannah sniffed and blinked tears away.

"Just don't push yourself too hard to start." the elder warned as her omni-tool beeped. "Oh, looks like they need me in distribution." She hugged her daughter quidkly. "I'll see you soon."

Shepard watched her mom trot off to another building as her own omni-tool pinged. She noted that she had a new message... from Kaidan. She felt her grin return as she read the short note.

'Comms sketchy. Fixing NY tower now. Will talk more later. Miss you. Love, Kaidan.' it said. She smiled more broadly, if that was possible, as she pushed the door open with her shoulder as she responded.

'Miss you too. Love you, Shep.'

She couldn't help the goofy grin plastered on her face as she continued up the stairs, ignoring the other occupants of the house as she typed out the good news from Hackett to Liara and Joker. It had been a good day.