Shepard laughed, "You want to take me to a what?"

Kaidan flushed slightly but prevailed, "I told you there's a party tonight in the Rio Grande section of the station tonight."

"…isn't the Rio Grande section the arboretum area of Arcturus?"

"Yes, and?"

"So you want to take me to a Garden Party?"

"Well I thought you'd want to get out and do something tonight. And I know you like dancing; why else would you have bought such nice dancing shoes the other night?"

Shepard smiled, "I haven't been dancing since I was stationed on Arcturus while the SR-1 was being built."

"Well I haven't done ballroom dancing since my cousin got married, which would have actually been about the same time, come to think of it. So we're even."

Shepard smiled, "Well alright, then," and jumped up to hug him before she dashed inside to get ready.

Kaidan was ready in about fifteen minutes. To his great astonishment Shepard was ready in forty five minutes. He'd been under the impression that women took hours to get ready to go out. When she stepped out of the bathroom he sucked in breath. Kaidan still wasn't used to seeing Shepard in a dress. It took Kaidan a moment to remember what he'd been thinking about.

While she'd been taking a nap that afternoon Kaidan had gone out looking for a present for her. He'd considered what to get her carefully before going out and had decided upon a necklace; one with a very durable chain so she wouldn't have to take it off or worry about losing it. At least he hoped she would want to wear it.

Shepard cleared her throat, and Kaidan looked up at her face, "Well?" she asked before spinning in place.

Kaidan said the first thing that came to his mind, "…You look like a goddess…" and when he realized what he'd actually said, he blushed and cleared his throat.

Shepard giggled and bounced forward to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him briefly, "So can we go?" she asked a little breathless. Which Kaidan took as a good sign; it meant he had the same effect on her that she had on him.

"Not yet, Wildcat, I have something for you," Kaidan handed her the small white box with the necklace inside.

Shepard took the box and opened it. Her eyes widened; inside the box lay a small platinum pendent with, "A Pegasus? I love it, but why a Pegasus?"

"You love horses and you love mythology," he took the necklace out of the box and held it up; she obligingly turned her back to him and held her hair out of the way. He fastened the thick platinum chain around her neck. That done she turned and hugged him; hugging her back, Kaidan said, "And since you're the greatest hero of our age I thought that you should have your own Pegasus."

Shepard's face turned bright red and she tried to pull away, looking down. Kaidan didn't let her go instead he moved one of his hands from her lower back to lift her chin so she would look at him, "Shepard, you are the greatest hero; not just of humanity but of the galaxy."

"No; the Reapers are still out there, all I've done is delay them. And piss them off."

"You will stop them, Shepard."

"I'm just one person; one half-broken woman."

"You're a lot more than that; you should've realized by now that's why we follow you. Look at the crew of the Normandy, a lot of them left the Alliance to follow you. And your last squad, do you really think Jack or Grunt would have followed anyone else? And what about Zaeed?"

"I…I never asked for this."

"What sane person would? You know no one else could have stopped Saren and kill Sovereign. Who else could have brought every person on their crew back from something that was rightfully referred to as a suicide mission?"

"I…" she swallowed, "why are you doing this, Kaidan?"

"Because you of all people cannot afford doubt; especially not in yourself."

"…I don't know what's wrong with me lately. I never used to doubt myself."

Kaidan shook his head, "I haven't known you very long, all things considered. Perhaps Councilor Anderson could help you answer that question."

She nodded, "Probably, he's known me longer than anyone else." she pulled away from him and this time he let her escape, "but anyways, can we go now, Kay?"

"Of course," he said, and taking her hand he led her out of the room. They stepped into the elevator to the lobby. After a few moments thought he asked, "are you going to keep calling me 'Kay'?"

She grinned, "Of course. That's my pet name for you."

Kaidan sighed, "Well…I suppose it's alright," he eyed her for a moment, "considering it's you, I guess I got off easy."

"Hey!" she moved to punch his arm but he grabbed it and pulled her against his chest again eliciting a giggle from her. After a moment he released her.

It took them twenty five minute, to get to the Rio Grande Arboretum 23rd Annual Gala; then another twenty minutes of standing in line and then five minutes of arguing with the security guards about keeping their weapons on them. Shepard finally had to pull Spectre rank on them to make the guards let them in with their weapons.

They stepped through the last archway leading to the arboretum and Kaidan heard Shepard catch her breath and smile in satisfaction. He'd heard that the Gala was a spectacle to behold, but he'd never imagined this. There was an old style Earth gazebo-style bandstand with little white lights strung up all around it surrounded by a temporary fake wood dancing floor in the main clearing of the park. To the left of the bandstand was a buffet table with twinkle-lights adorning it. Around the buffet, dozens of small white wrought iron tables were set up, with four chairs around each one and a small lantern in the center of each. Behind the bandstand were several paths leading off into the distance, each one, was marked by yet more tiny twinkle-lights and lanterns hung from small decorative white iron posts.

Kaidan and Shepard were walking arm in arm along one of the garden paths when from the other direction Tali and Joker came strolling around the next bend in the path. Curiously, Joker paled when he saw them, and Tali began toying with her fingers in obvious discomfort. Kaidan grinned; one glance at Shepard, face revealed that she was highly amused as well. After a brief pause to make sure he wouldn't burst out laughing if he opened his mouth, Kaidan asked, "Enjoying the party?"

"Um…" was Tali's response.

"…yes… " Joker for once was devoid of smart comments.

Shepard apparently took pity on their genuine embarrassment, so after taking her arm from Kaidan's she linked her arm through Tali's and asked, "I love twinkle-lights, don't you?"

The awkwardness passed as Tali gave a relieved sounding laugh and said, "Yes, they make everything so cheerful," the two woman walked down the path heading back towards the bandstand. They were talking and laughing.

Kaidan and Joker perforce following behind but not close enough to overhear what was said. When they were nearly back to the buffet, Joker cleared his throat, Kaidan turned to look at him waiting. When Joker didn't say anything, Kaidan said, "I should tease you for this as mercilessly as you teased me about Shepard, but I think I'll restrain myself."

Joker regarded Kaidan for a moment before asking, "Does that mean I have to lay off you about Shepard now? Because where's the fun in that?"

Kaidan snorted in amusement, "Keep in mind I'll give as good as I get, and I've got ammunition now."

Joker smirked at him, "Bring it on!"

Kaidan grinned back at him in response and the two of them joined Tali and Shepard at one of the tables. The two women sat talking about Shepard's new necklace. Shepard was explaining human mythology to Tali, specifically the various myths about the birth of Pegasus. Stretching, Kaidan stood, "I'm going to get something to drink. Do you want anything, Wildcat?" Shepard shook her head and continued her conversation.

Kaidan shrugged and went to go get a drink returning shortly with some sort of beer. Kaidan was drawn into Shepard and Tali's discussion about mythology. Tali was describing several old quarian creation myths. Even Joker was drawn into their talk when the discussion eventually turned to the beginning of the Olympics and how the tradition still existed in modern human culture.

Kaidan began to say less and less as his face grew paler and paler. Shepard eyed him a moment before leaning over to whisper, "Kaidan are you alright? You look sick."

"Migraine," he grunted.

"Perhaps we should go…"

"No, stay and have fun, Wildcat. I'll be alright."

Shepard looked worried as she asked, "Are you sure?" Kaidan nodded, blanched then groaned and shut his eyes, "Kay, you should go lie down; message me if you need anything."

Kaidan, whiter than a sheet now, stood and walked away. Tali and Joker looked up watching Kaidan go. Joker seemed to figure it out what was wrong because he asked, "Migraine?"

Shepard nodded, she looked slightly forlorn for a moment before shaking her head slightly she turned back to Tali and Joker saying, "I think I want to take a walk through the garden," and stood up.

"Do you want company, Shepard?" Tali asked, half-rising from her chair before Shepard answered.

"No, I'll be back in a bit," she strode off down one of the lit paths.

Shepard's mind was a very confusing place, even for her. There was an ever more compelling part of her that was leaning towards the sort of devil may care ruthlessness that she'd been forced to use on a couple of occasions during The Suicide Mission. She'd been a hair's breadth away from ordering the Normandy to follow the fleeing batarian ships and slaughter them all. That was not how she did things; that was not how she wanted to do things. Perhaps her time with Cerberus had affected her more than she thought; part of Shepard was beginning to think that maybe sometimes the ends did justify the means. That was definitely not the sort of soldiering her mentor had taught her. David Anderson had showed her that sometimes a soldier needed to be ruthless, but it should not be their primary mode of operation.

"Shepard?"

Shepard spun, palming one of her knives, to face who had spoken and froze in surprise, "Miranda?"

"Hello, Shepard," Miranda stepped forward her hands held up to show they empty.

Shepard sheathed her knife and stood where she was, "What are you doing on Arcturus?"

"I came to talk to you."

"The answer is no."

"I haven't asked you anything."

Shepard snorted in amusement, "Yet," Shepard looked Miranda over for a moment, "but somehow I get the feeling you didn't travel all this way for a friendly chat."

"You're angry at me for staying with Cerberus."

"Actually, no I'm not. You told me at the very beginning that you believed in what Cerberus stood for. And putting aside everything else, Cerberus still holds your sister and therefore you." Shepard looked her over again, "Miranda, what do you want?"

"Shepard, I came to talk to you," at Shepard's darkening complexion, Miranda added, "how do you like working with the Alliance again?"

Shepard's eyes narrowed, "Miranda, one thing you may have noticed about me on the Mission; I don't like mind games."

"No games, Shepard. The Illusive Man-"

"Had me stabbed; with a dagger; with Hemlock on it."

"He was angry-"

"He had me stabbed. Miranda this conversation is going nowhere. "

"He wouldn't have done that he you hadn't made him so angry."

"And you want me to voluntarily return to this man's service?"

Miranda looked troubled. She reached for Shepard, and just as Miranda's hand brushed Shepard's sleeve

The smash and tinkling of breaking glass reverberated through the restaurant as four armed mercenaries charged their way through the windows that had served as the front wall of the restaurant. Shepard leapt to her feet and called on her dark energy at the same moment that Kaidan did. It had been so long since they fought side by side, that Shepard had forgotten how in sync they were in battle. There was a flash of movement to Shepard's right as someone stepped through the doorway from the kitchens. Shepard spun to face the new comer, about to release a full biotic kick, but stopped in surprise; it was Miranda. Shepard had barely a moment to wonder what exactly Miranda was doing there when Miranda placed her hand on Shepard's arm and slid a blade between her ribs.

Shepard gasped, stumbling back a step her eyes widening and her left hand going to the scar between the last two ribs on the right side of her body. Shepard recovered instantly, and snarled, "Traitorous bitch!" before bioticly throwing Miranda against one of the trees to the side of the path.

Author's Notes: First off sorry for the late update this week! Real Life intervened.

There's a STAR TREK reference in this chapter did you catch it?

Kaidan's gift to Shepard was inspired by Lorelei Jane's Knight of the Old Republic FanFiction A Match for the Mandalore.

Many thanks to my wonderful beta reader Wyl!

AletaLune: I love the fluffy moments too. Did you guess right?

Jenna53: On a wild ride!

thesolarrock: Thanks!