Chapter 10

My Comments :

Hiya everyone! Again! I need a better greeting ^.^'' So... Yeah... Without me knowing, my story went a little off of my plan. And now I can't get it back on without messing everything up. From now on, the ideas bouncing out of my head and into my laptop will be completely new and unknown to even me. Hopefully that will make my stories even more interesting. On a side note, I apologize to everyone for my silly grammatical errors. Truth be told, I haven't been able to major in writing yet. My brother is a published author and he is giving me hints all of the time. So, yeah. And stuff... Enjoy! I'm thinking about going through and rewriting/editing some of the previous chapters since they aren't as good as my latter ones. What do you guys think?

And I apologize. This one is a little fluffy. Can't have the storyline all the time, right? Besides, depressed, PTSD Shepard just won't do!

Oh and here are my own thoughts while I was rereading my last chapter:

"Aw. Look at the cute oblivious Shepard! So adorable!"

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect series. That honor belongs to Bioware and EA. I do, however, own this plot.

Here are/is my response(s) to the review(s):

~ Austybear : Not all of Cerberus was infected. There were other branches that managed to avoid being indoctrinated. Plus, once the Reapers were taken over, any and all indoctrinated slaves immediately died. Shepard didn't want slaves.

~ The Invisible Pretender : After a little while, I figured that connecting with someone on that level might come with some repercussions. Not entirely good in Javik's mind ^.^ Or Garrus' for that matter.

The Story :

Shepard shivered as she stepped out of the shower. After her little episode, she had returned to the Normandy for a little – thought much needed – R&R. No matter how long she spent standing in the shower, the feeling that this could happen again haunted her. Shepard shivered again. How could she be this superhero everyone imagined her as if she just keeps causing problems? And now Cerberus is after her again. What happened to retiring on a nice, warm planet? Most of her crew would probably be leaving again. Her gaze switched to the mirror. During those three years, her hair had grown out quite a bit. No one had really noticed since she kept it up in a bun, but now she thought about going to get it cut.

Kaidan was a Council Spectre. He wouldn't be able to just drop his duties and help her. He has a real job to do. Finishing off Cerberus can hardly be considered the most important thing in the galaxy right now. Especially with repairs on many of planets' surfaces still in progress.

Speaking of repairs, she would have to give Wrex a ride back to Tuchanka. Apparently Jack too. 'I guess I wasn't the only one to impress the Krogan with a well-timed headbutt.' Jack had been staying with Wrex and helping rebuild. Grunt will probably want to go back too.

Liara and Javik would probably stay. She hadn't managed to get a good-enough ship for herself yet, so the XO room on the Crew Deck was her best bet. Plus, Javik tended to follow Liara around everywhere. If Liara stayed, Javik was bound to as well.

Then there was Garrus. Shepard wrapped herself in a towel, heading out of the bathroom. She laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Garrus. He had been rebuilding on Palaven, staying with his father and sister. Shepard could only imagine what the three of them had been through, especially since Garrus had thought she'd died for the second time. Knowing him, he'd want to return home. Make sure the planet wasn't collapsing in on itself and all that.

She sighed audibly. 'Oh gods, Shepard. What are you going to do? Everyone got lives. You may have just started yours again, but theirs had been going on for a while now!' She stood up, walking over to her closet. 'Let's just pick something to wear and get the discussions over with.'

"Commander Shepard?"

Sighing, she looked up. "Yes, EDI?"

The familiar voice was slightly calming. "Liara is coming up. She said something about 'planning something special. Do not tell Shepard what'."

The Commander chuckled. "Alright. Thanks EDI." She sat back down on the bed. Something special, huh? No way that could spell good news.

~ Break ~

Wrex practically snarled at the group. "What the hell are those women thinking?" He glared at the strange suit he was wearing. "What is this thing anyway?"

Kaidan glanced at angry Krogan; not that he wasn't usually angry for some reason or another. "It's called a tuxedo, Wrex. And I don't know what they're planning. All I know is that Jack shoved the box at me and said 'If you let anything happen to these, you're dead, pretty boy'."

Javik scoffed at them. "What is the point? We have no reason to wear these. They provide no protection from bullets." He tried to reach out to the Commander, seeing if he could figure out what was going on.

Garrus chuckled. "They aren't supposed to Javik. Tuxedos are supposed to look nice. Imagine that if we're wearing these, what will everyone else be wearing."

Joker sighed, looking around. He preferred to be in the cockpit, not an empty mess hall. The elevator had been turned off on this floor, so none of them knew what was going on.

"The elevator has arrived to bring all of you to the engineering deck."

'What perfect timing,' Joker thought with a sigh.

"EDI!" Kaidan stood up from the wall. "What's going on?"

"I am under orders of Liara to not tell any of the males aboard the ship or Commander Shepard what is going on."

James glanced around the group. "Okay. If Lola doesn't even know what's going on, this is big."

~ Break ~

"Where the hell are they? We've been down here for twenty minutes!" Kaidan took a sip of fruit punch, starting to get extremely bored of waiting.

"This place looks like a freaking Prom. Why are we even bothering?"

Hanging from the ceiling were a good amount of sparkling blue star and moon shapes. The room itself had a large music player, a dance floor, and a very large selection of food and drinks suited to all of the species on board the ship.

Garrus had been thinking about it for a while. He glanced at James. "Shepard was on Mindoir when the planet was attacked. I'd be willing to bet that Liara put this together to cheer her up."

Kaidan nodded, finally realizing it. "Shepard never really got the chance to attend school like a normal kid."

Wrex muttered something about 'Krogans never doing this shit' as he punched a wall.

The sound of the elevator door opening cut all thoughts and conversations short. A large collection of blue streamers blocked the initial entryway. The men could only hear whispers as the women prepared their entrance.

EDI was the first to walk in, seeming a little skeptical. "I do not see the purpose in wearing this outfit." She was wearing a white dress that fell just above the knees. A single strap connected to both sides of the front and went around her neck.

Joker started choking on his fruit punch.

Liara came next. "Come on, EDI. You have to join in the fun." The happy Asari was wearing a skin-tight, strapless, purple dress that complimented her figure. Matching heels and nails added to the effect.

Tali followed Liara, her hands clenched nervously in front of her. "I don't know about this." Her dress rested above her quarantine suit. The dress was a light purple and bounced around her feet. When Liara forced her to twirl, the dress twirled with her beautifully.

Miranda and Jack came next. Neither looked entirely thrilled to be there, but both were wearing dresses anyway. The dresses themselves were matching; both pure black, strapless, and reaching in the middle of their shins.

Jack sighed audibly. "I oughta beat you for making me wear this, Liara!"

Liara chuckled. "After the dance, alright?" She checked her Omni Tool for some sort of checklist. "Shepard! Come on!"

Garrus perked up a little, actually looking up to watch her come through. Kaidan removed his gaze from the silent music player, trying to hide his own eagerness at seeing the Commander in a dress. Even Javik looked up, having been completely uninterested until this point.

"No. I'm going back to my cabin." They heard a sigh of exasperation. "EDI! Turn the elevator back on!" Liara and Tali ran back behind the streamers. "No! Let go of me. I don't want to go! You already dragged me out of my cabin and put me in this ridiculous thing!"

A gasp arose from Cortez, Joker, James, Garrus, Kaidan, and even Javik as Shepard was forced through the streamers.

Her hands rested on her hips in annoyance. Long red hair cascaded down her back, perfectly brushed and shining. Her golden eyes were bright, almost as if she were happy. The dress she wore was blue, complimenting her red hair and light complexion. From her elbow to wrist, the sleeve widened a little, lace adorning the very end. There were no straps accompanied with a sweetheart neckline. White silk covered the very top of the dress. A white silk sash was tied lightly around her waist. Below the sash, the dress was in four layers. The first at the top was slightly darker than the rest of the dress, matching the bodice. Below that layer, three more lighter blue layers rested easily. White silk and lace ended each layer.

Five of the before mentioned men felt their mouths gape a little. Javik decided on simply tilting his head.

"I'm leaving now." The woman turned, her dress twirling around her.

Jack grabbed the Commander's arm. "Listen here, princess. If I have to wear this stupid dress and stay down here in this forsaken hell-hole, then so do you."

Shepard turned to protest, but felt all of her resolve fade at Jack's glare. "Fine."

Liara smiled, glad that her plan was working so far. "And look at all of you. I never thought you two would actually wear the outfits." She gestured towards Grunt and Wrex.

Wrex grunted. "Don't expect it often, Liara." He sat down with a 'thunk' at one of the tables.

The Asari shook her head, chuckling. "I don't think any of us will, Wrex." She checked her Omni Tool again. After pressing a few buttons, the music player starts up. "How about we get to the actual dancing?" Liara smiled, her eyes simply saying 'you screw this up, I will kill you' as she glanced at the men across the room.

Shepard went straight to the closest table, sitting down. In simplest words, she looked pissed. However, her eyes were far way, her mind completely out of it.

~ Break ~

Knock knock. "Coming!"

A beautiful young woman opened the door for the young man. She brushed a piece of her short blonde hair behind her ear. "Ah. Hello, Leo. She should be down in just a moment. You can come inside."

The, evidently much younger, boy stepped in. He nervously played with a leaf on the rose in his hands. "Has she been feeling better, Mrs. Shepard?"

Mrs. Shepard smiled. "Yes. Luckily, it wasn't a really bad case."

An older man stepped out of the kitchen. "Ah. Hello, Leo. Honey? Do you want the wine with dinner?"

"Sure, sweetie. Do you need any help?"

Mr. Shepard shook his head. "I promised to treat you to dinner tonight." He was about to head back into the kitchen when his gaze rested on the staircase. "There you are, sweetie. Leonardo is waiting for you."

Leo cringed. "Leo, please, Mr. Shepard." He was about to say he didn't go by 'Leonardo' when he spotted the girl who had gotten Mr. Shepard's attention. "Oh. Wow."

A young girl around Leo's age stood smiling at the top of the staircase. Long red hair cascaded down her back, shining brightly. Her golden eyes shone just as bright. She wore a strapless red sundress.

"Leo!" The girl ran down the steps, tackling her best friend in a bear-hug. "I was getting so bored without you to hang out with!"

Leo squirmed out of the girl's grip. "Well, I would've come to see you sooner if your mom would let me, Princess Shepard."

Shepard giggled. "Oh really? So mom's to blame? And what's with that silly nickname again?"

The boy laughed, holding out the rose. "Oh, um, here. My mom finally got the roses to bloom. So, uh, since we're going to her ball I thought you'd like it, and um-."

Shepard grabbed the rose, hugging her friend. "Thanks, Leo. Should we be going?"

Leo smiled, holding out his hand. "Allow me to escort you, Princess Shepard?"

"Of course." She grabbed his hand without hesitation.

~ Break ~

"Is she okay?"

Miranda shrugged at Tali. "She's remembering something. No idea what. Look at her eyes."

Tali smoothed out her dress for the hundredth time. "We are doing this for her. Should someone talk to her, or something?"

Miranda sighed. "Why don't you ask Garrus? He's been staring at her for the past twenty minutes."

Javik glanced at Miranda and Tali for a moment. He'd been so on edge, due to his lack of armor, that any thoughts of Shepard had left his mind. Worry laced his mind. Why had he stopped paying attention? He should always be paying attention. Reaching out again, he managed to connect himself to Shepard. 'She is happy? No. She is remembering a happy time.'

"You should not bother the Commander."

Tali jumped a little, turning to Javik. "And why not?"

"She is remembering a better time. The Commander is happy."

The Quarian glanced back at the Commander. "I guess she is. She is smiling anyway."

In truth, Shepard was smiling. For the time being, the Commander was happy.

~ Break ~

"Princess! Princess Shepard!" Leo called out to his best friend. Another gun-shot sounded somewhere to his left. 'Oh gods. Please tell me those Batarians don't have my princess.'

"Leo!" Shepard spotted her friend, her heart racing. 'What's going on? Why does Leo have a gun?'

The woman next to Shepard suddenly dropped, blood pouring from her head. A Batarian stood behind her, a pistol in hand. He smiled mischievously at Shepard. "I'm sure we could get a pretty price for you, sweetheart."

Leo heard his name, his eyes shooting around the ballroom. His eyes finally landing on his princess, he felt his heart stop beating. "Oh gods. No!" Shakily, Leo raised the gun, shooting the Batarian in a few times in his head for good measure. "Princess! We need to get out of here!"

Shepard's eyes were wide. "Leo?" She looked around at the numerous dead people. "What about mother and father?"

Leo grabbed the girl's hand. "We need to get out of here. Princess!" He wrapped his arms around her. "Please trust me, Princess." Leo stood back, grabbing her hand again. "We need to get you out of here."

Shepard allowed Leo to pull her along, still unsure what was happening. She watched other men and women being shot, some of her best girlfriends being taken away by the strange aliens. They ran for about an hour before meeting up with a few soldiers.

Leo pushed her towards the soldiers. "I heard some of the older men yelling about what was going on. Batarian slave traders."

The soldiers started to lead her away. "Leo! No! Where are you taking me? Leo!" She watched as Leo ran off to show the soldiers where the Batarians were.

The girl collapsed on a bed in one of the tents, crying. "Oh gods. Leo! Where are you?" She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be alright, miss."

Shepard looked up. A man in a military uniform stood before her. "Who are you?"

The man pulled the girl in for a hug. "My name is David Anderson. And trust me. You're safe here."

~ Break ~

Shepard bit her lip. The last time she had been at an event like this, everyone she knew had died. Many of them before her. She looked around at everyone. Most of the people were smiling, having a good time. A few were even dancing. These people before her were just as happy as her friends on Mindoir.

"Oh gods. I'd almost forgotten."

Shepard stared at the table in front of her, barely registering Garrus as he sat across from her.

"Shepard? Are you alright? You look a little pale."

"The," she paused, not wanting to think about it. "The last time I was at an event like this..." She trailed off, a single tear starting to make its way down her face.

By now, the room had started to quiet down, everyone turning their attention to Shepard, the woman they were all trying to make happy.

"What happened, Shepard?"

"I," she stopped, suddenly standing up. She started heading towards the elevator, the tears falling down her face freely now. "EDI. Unlock the elevator."

"Shepard. I was told not to-."

"That wasn't a suggestion, EDI."

A pause. "The elevator is ready, Commander."

Shepard paused in front of the elevator, everyone staring at her. She walked into the elevator, turning around. Her voice cracked as she spoke.

"The last time I was at an event like this, I watched many of my friends died." The room was filled with silence as Shepard pressed the elevator button. "I was... I was on Mindoir." The elevator door closed, leaving everyone with her last words.