Kelly Chambers, Fugitive

"Here, drink this. You'll feel better." Kelly squats by the pale, wide-eyed woman sitting with her back to the container and offers the canteen of water she's carrying. The woman accepts the drink with a shaking hand, watching Kelly warily, as though she might turn into a Reaper at any second. Not surprising, given she arrived on an asari troop transport from Tiptree less than two hours ago with a bare half-dozen other survivors. Kelly spoke to the captain of the transport when it docked, and her sitrep from the planet was grim. "This is the only group we managed to get offworld; we were too late. The commando team we deployed were wiped out, and most of the colonists were already indoctrinated. It was a goddess-damned mess; we grabbed who we could and cut and run."

Kelly does what she can to make the woman comfortable, leaving her the canteen and going to fetch a blanket from the rapidly dwindling supply in the container she's set up as her bunk room and clinic. The docks are crowded and sorely lacking in creature comforts, but at least they're warm, dry, and safe. At least for the moment.

Safe. Kelly suppresses a shudder. She knows too well how illusory safety can be. She'd been safe, that day on the Normandy. Sure, they'd been in deep space, on a mission widely touted as being suicidal, but the ship was home, secure, well-defended in terms of both tech and crew. And it was ripped away in the blink of an eye. Joker limps past her, making for the science lab, and she turns to follow, but the cold, dead hands reaching for her haul her back, touch her, surround her... No!

Flustered, she turns to look around, remind herself of reality, and she sees a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye, and turns to see an asari has entered their little container courtyard, looking around intently. Kelly doesn't really have time to take in the blue-trimmed white custom armour suit before her gaze meets the alien's, but an electric jolt of recognition runs through her as she stares into the familiar face of Dr. Liara T'Soni. Involuntarily, she sucks in a deep breath and takes a step back into the shadows of her cabin, but it's far too late for that. The Shadow Broker has seen her, and worse, knows exactly who she is.

Dr. T'Soni doesn't noticeably react, continuing her slow circuit of the bay, speaking to both the asari doctor and the turian one, short, animated conversations that leave both overworked medics looking happier. Then, inevitably, she crosses the final stretch of decking to stand at Kelly's door. "Good afternoon," she offers neutrally. "Dr. Elenya tells me you're a psychologist working with trauma cases that get brought in?"

"That's right," Kelly replies warily. "Why d'you ask?"

T'Soni smiles, spreads her hands in a gesture of placation. "I'm an information broker, and I've been asked by a client to use my contacts in the black market to procure supplies for the refugees, but I'm no medical expert. If I'm to offer any help to these people, I need to know what to ask for."

Kelly nods. "Sure. Come on in and I can tell you what I need."

The asari steps across the threshold of the container, following Kelly into the area that's screened off. Her smile does not fade; if anything, it becomes wider, more genuine. "Kelly Chambers. I thought that was you. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Dr. T'Soni," Kelly replies, still cautious. She doesn't know what the asari's really doing here.

"Liara," T'Soni corrects quietly, smile fading. "Please. To anyone from Shepard's crew, I'm just Liara. And I'm not here to cause you any trouble."

"Why are you here then?"

"I am looking for leads to shortfalls in supplies for the refugees. I want to use my network to assist." Her smile returns, wryly. "I wasn't looking for you. I had no idea you were here. You dropped off the radar very thoroughly when you quit Cerberus - even Miranda didn't do as clean a disappearing act."

"You know about that?" Kelly winces as she remembers who she's talking to. "Of course you do. Does... does Shepard know? That I quit Cerberus, I mean."

Liara shakes her head. "No. There hasn't been time to fill her in on everything that happened while she was in Alliance custody, and to be honest, with everything else going on, it slipped my mind. I meant to try and trace you; I know Shepard would want to know you were doing OK." The asari regards Kelly intently. "Are you? Doing OK?"

Kelly nods as vigorously as she can. "Yeah. I'm doing fine." She meets the asari's seemingly sceptical gaze defiantly. "Really."

"That's good." Liara looks around the container. "And you're happy here? Because if you're not, I know Shepard would love to have you back on the Normandy."

"I can't," Kelly whispers, shivering as the cold hand of a Collector paws at her from memory. No matter how hard she tries, the thought of setting foot on the ship from which she was abducted fills her with dark, unreasoning terror. Her heartbeat begins to pound in her ears, in her chest, throbbing in her wrists and fingers. Her skin prickles all over, hot and cold at the memory... the touch, the chill, chitinous fingers grasping at her neck, forcing her head down, forcing her compliance. The obscene chittering in her ear as the Prothean zombie hoisted her into the casket she was convinced would be her tomb. Her screams, deadened by the slick brown walls that closed in around her, the suffocating closeness. Hard to breathe, sucking in gasps in panic as others are processed before her, bodies melting away...

"Kelly? Kelly can you hear me?"

Hammering against the semi-opaque lid of the cask, a muted voice. The wrenching crack as the lid was forced back, cold, clammy air seeping into the pod. Strong, armoured hands sliding around her waist, a chest plate bruising her cheek as she was dragged out, knees buckling, gasping great gulps of air between paroxysms of coughing.

"Kelly? Kelly!"

Hands on her shoulders slide up to cup her face. "Kelly!" A different voice to that from her memory, softer, gentler, but no less concerned, no less confident. "Look at me!" Kelly focuses, her gaze locking to two deep blue eyes. Liara T'Soni's face slowly resolves around them, brow creased with worry. "Just breathe. Focus on your breathing. In and out, through your mouth."

Kelly obeys, sucks in deep, slow breaths through her mouth, forcing herself to regulate, forcing herself back to reality and the present. On the Citadel, safe for the moment. Liara drops her hands back to Kelly's shoulders, peering anxiously at her. "OK?"

Kelly nods shakily. "Thanks. I'm sorry."

"There's no need for you to apologise, Kelly. I should be apologising to you, I didn't mean to open old wounds."

Kelly sighs, rubbing a hand across her face. "No, it's OK. It'll take time to get over, and I have to get through these episodes when they occur. But you can see why I can't rejoin the crew, much as I would love to. Thinking of the ship is enough to trigger an attack."

Liara nods sadly. "I understand."

Kelly can't bear the look of pity in the asari's eyes, and eagerly changes the topic. "How is she? Shepard, I mean."

Liara's expression relaxes into a smile. "She's fine. As well as can be expected, given what's going on."

"She's strong," Kelly notes wistfully, remembering Shepard's resolve, her determination, the warming confidence of the Commander's presence and trust. "When Cerberus brought her back, she was cut off from everything she knew, and she just squared her shoulders and got to work. I admired her so much for that. And she was so nice, much nicer than most of the other Cerberus officers I knew. Kind and thoughtful. I had a terrible crush on her," she confesses guiltily. It was more than a crush, but she can't admit that to Shepard's lover. Liara T'Soni is not someone she wishes to be enemies with.

Liara chuckles. "I knew that. It bothered me for a little while, but that was my insecurity rather than your actions or any lack of trust in Rach...Shepard. You're far from being the first to develop that particular infatuation. In point of fact, our new communications specialist seems to be following in your footsteps almost exactly."

Kelly smiles inwardly at the asari's slip. "I won't pretend your reunion didn't ruin my plans. I was on the brink of asking her out on a date when we hit Nos Astra." She smiles wryly. "I guess it's for the best - at least this way I never had to listen to her tell me she was sorry, but no. And I never had to confess that I was sending reports on her activities to the Illusive Man."

"She knew about that," Liara tells her. "She didn't hold it against you, she knew it was part of your job. And besides, it would have looked suspicious if you'd stopped."

"I'm still sorry I did it. I wish I could have had the chance to tell her that in person."

"I can pass on a message if you'd like. Or ask her to come and see you?"

Kelly considers this for a moment. Part of her wants to see Shepard again, to have the chance to say what she needs to say, but another part of her wonders if it isn't best for all concerned to let bygones be bygones. She'd let herself fall in love, and accepting the reality that her affections would never be returned, accepting that the strong, confident hands that had plucked her to safety on the Collector base would never touch her in the way she wanted, had been a slow, painful process. To open the door again, even a little... Could she? Should she? No... better to let it lie. Smiling sadly, she shakes her head. "That's kind of you, Liara, but I think it's best if you just forget you ever saw me."

Liara gives her a disapproving look. "I can't do that, Kelly. Shepard cares about you, even if it's not the way you would wish. She worries about you. Knowing you're safe and well will ease her mind, and I want her to have all the relief from her cares that I can manage to provide."

"All right, fine," Kelly concedes, "but don't tell her I'm here. Tell her you located me through your network, anything, but, please, Liara, I can't..." Tears sting her eyes and she spins away, hating the fact that all she wants at this moment is a hug from Commander Shepard.

"All right," Liara agrees, voice vibrant with sympathy. As Kelly turns back, the asari activates her omni-tool and begins tapping in commands. "There's one thing I can do for you, though."

"What's that?" Kelly asks.

"Give you a new identity," Liara replies. "How much have you heard about Cerberus recently?"

"Not much," Kelly admits. "I've been trying to stay off the grid."

"That was smart, but Cerberus have undergone something of a transformation recently, attacking Alliance outposts and developing some serious capacities in personnel, materiel, and intelligence. They have come out into the open to fight a war, and all those who they deem traitors to their cause have been targeted." Liara's gaze clouds with momentary sadness. "Rupert Gardner was murdered in his apartment last month. If they find you, they will kill you. You need to disappear more permanently. Will you let me help you?"

Kelly nods silently, stunned by the news. Rupert had been such a nice old guy, easy going, just looking to do some good, and Cerberus had murdered him just for quitting? "What about Gabby? And Ken?"

"Alliance custody has its uses," Liara replies reassuringly. "Since they were both arrested for going absent without leave, Daniels and Donnelly are safe from Cerberus, although that is the best that can be said for their situation. Shepard is working on that, though." She makes a few more entries on her omni-tool. "There, done. All I need is a name."

Kelly thinks for a minute, but all she can call to mind is the swooning heroine of a trashy romance novel that was a favourite as a teenager. It'll have to do. "Felicia Hannigan."

Liara looks up and blinks at her. "And how do you spell that?"

Kelly chuckles, then carefully spells out the name. Liara taps in the final info, then nods. "And that's it. Kelly Chambers is a memory." She looks at Kelly sadly. "I've been here too long. I don't want to draw suspicion to you."

"I understand, Liara," Kelly replies. "Go. You've done more than enough for me, more than I can repay."

Liara activates her omni-tool one more time, and Kelly's pings with the tone of an incoming message. "That's a dead drop address for me. Should you ever need anything, leave a message there. Someone will come to your assistance. And let me know what supplies you need, and I'll see what I can do."

Overcome by the asari's patient kindness, Kelly pulls her into a fierce hug. "Thank you, Liara. Thank you so much. I'm so glad Shepard has someone like you to care for her. Take care of her, and yourself."

Liara returns the hug, squeezing Kelly gently. "I will, thank you. Be careful, and be safe." Then, with a final smile, she steps from the container. By the time Kelly reaches the door, she's lost to view in the throng of refugees.

"Hey, human, we could do with a hand here," the grumpy turian hails her, and she shakes herself. Back to work... Felicia.

Six weeks later...

Felicia blinks back tears as she smooths closed the eyelids of Carla, the pale woman from Tiptree. It's so unfair; she survived the horror of the Reapers only to die at the hands of Cerberus, here in a refuge where she should have been safe. The poor woman had meant nothing to the callous thugs who had stormed the refugee bay, intent on clearing out those they deemed to be security risks. Carla had died trying to protect an injured asari mechanic, the shot to her stomach intended as an obscene object lesson to the rest of the humans as the asari was dragged out screaming. Felicia had sent message after message to the address Liara had left her, desperate to raise the alarm, but the help had come too late for Carla. The Cerberus troops were gone now, flushed from the refugee camp by C-Sec and a squad of operatives from the Normandy; a forbiddingly large human marine, an alien with four yellow eyes whose species Felicia can't place, and a slender silver mech. But Felicia remembers the cold terror in her gut as they lined all the humans in the camp up and started asking for Kelly Chambers by name. Liara had been right; changing her identity and doing what she could with her appearance had undoubtedly saved her life. Shivering, she pushes to her feet and leaves Carla to the mortuary crew; there's nothing more she can do for her. Crossing the bay to check in with Elenya, her heart clenches in her chest as she sees the familiar figure of Commander Rachel Shepard walking down the concourse to intercept her team. Liara is with her, and the asari nods to Felicia discreetly as she makes eye contact. Shepard looks exactly as Kelly remembers, vital, energetic, and poised, and her ready grin is much in evidence as she conducts a quick debrief with her team. Kelly watches eagerly, snatching this one last chance to see Shepard, working her way to within earshot as she offers water to the new arrivals coming into the bay.

"... job, you three, but we're not done quite yet. Javik, Vega, get down to C-Sec HQ and rendezvous with Garrus - he'll brief you in on what he needs. Edi, I want you to get over to Bryson's lab and check it out - if Cerberus were poking around in there, I want to know. I don't much care for their particular brand of surprise parties, especially when there are Reapers on the trail."

"Got it, Lola," the big marine replies, already moving. "C'mon, Prothy, let's go see Scars."

"Understood, Shepard," the mech replies, and Felicia gasps as she recognizes the voice - they've got EDI on a mobile platform? Shepard glances over, and Felicia looks away quickly, not wanting to be recognized. When she looks back, Shepard's attention is on Liara. The asari nods in response to whatever Shepard has said to her, leans in and pecks the Commander on the cheek and turns away, walking purposefully. Shepard watches after her for a second, then turns and steps into the bay. Caught off guard, Felicia is frozen in place as Shepard walks over to her. "Excuse me, you help run this clinic, right?"

Kelly nods, heart in her mouth. "Uh, yeah. Felicia Hannigan."

"My associate Dr. T'Soni told me about it. Looks like you and your colleagues are doing a great job here. We've cleaned out the last of the Cerberus presence, so they shouldn't bother you again." Shepard gestures to the bay with a sweep of her hand. "Is there anything you need?"

Kelly meets Shepard's gaze for a long moment, then shakes her head with a smile. "No, thank you, Commander. I believe we're going to manage just fine."

Shepard smiles back, and winks conspiratorially. "OK, then. It was good to meet you, Miss Hannigan. Thanks for everything you're doing for these people. I'm proud that there are humans out here reminding the galaxy not to judge all of us by Cerberus' actions. If you do need anything in future, Dr. T'Soni will be pleased to assist in any way she can. Good luck." She offers her hand, and Felicia takes it, the warm, strong grip triggering a surge of wistful pleasure.

"Thank you, Commander, and good luck to you. I've every faith in your ability to lead us to victory. Take care."

"I will. Goodbye, Miss Hannigan."

"Goodbye, Commander."

A/N: Shout out to Gabrielle Henson for the request for this one - thanks for pushing half an idea into a full one-shot!