Although if from the space the Citadel looked exactly as Shepard remembered, the general layouts were different. Of course Shepard had never had a chance to visit everywhere, because of how big the Citadel was, he still could see the difference from the first glance. Now the alliance docking bay was way bigger than it used to, even if in general there were less alliance ships docked. It was way less any ships docked around the station.

Shepard had several reasons to come to the Citadel. First of all Liara needed to transport some of her belongings to the ship, so she could continue her work at the same time as helping the commander. But Liara didn't need Shepard's help with that, she could do it herself.

Doctor Chakwas had also sent him the lead on the medic she advised to ask for his team. The hospital she worked at was bigger than Huerta, but slightly further from the presidiums. It really wasn't a problem, considering Shepard could simply hire a taxi cab.

Shepard had also planned on visiting the Council. His SPECTER status was still withheld from him due to the medical conditions, but as soon as the Council found out that the Normandy was arriving they sent a request to Shepard to come to the Tower as soon as he would have a chance. The council members, even after everything Shepard had done for them, even considering they had somehow managed to spear time to visit Shepard's wedding, were never in the list of Shepard's close friends. He had never had anything in particular against them either, but their relationship had never moved from the frame of professional. That is why the commander highly doubted that their wish to see him was anything but a matter of business either. But it was understandable considering their occupation.

Shepard checked the time on his omni-tool. The travel to the Citadel did only take six earthen hours, which was approximately little bit over than four hours in the galactic standard time. It was a little bit over than five hundred minutes right now, a morning not quite so early, but still with most of the day ahead. Plus the commander knew that at this time the Council was the busiest, so he decided to get to the hospital first.

The place Doctor Sonars worked at carried a proud name of Jon Grissom even if Grissom himself hadn't had any affiliations with medical facilities. But from another side he also hadn't had any affiliations with human biotics either and Shepard suspected that it was just one of the things people were doing to not to forget about their heroes. The commander also heard some rumors about someone giving his name to a new-found star system just on the edge of the Milky-Way, but he honestly couldn't say that it was something he was proud of. He always thought that anyone from his squad-members deserved it as much as he did.

Shepard stepped into the facility eyeing the insides of a white glassy interior, which at the same time looked more practical than fancy. It was clean and neat and at the same time it was difficult to even tell that the place was a hospital, as it looked more like a research center which opened with funds of a small business company.

The personnel of the facility were mostly consistent of humans, but there were also several salarian and turian staff members, passing in the main hall dressed in white coats.

"Ugh, hello," Shepard walked to the reception desk greeting a salarian receptionist. "I sent a request earlier today about talking to Doctor Amelia Sonars."

The salarian looked up from his terminal. "Ah, Commander Shepard, I assume. It's a big honor to meet you!" He smiled. "And yes, Doctor Sonars is expecting you in her office. Further down the hallway, door number 24E."

Shepard thanked the salarian proceeding to the office he was directed to.

Doctor Sonars was a young woman, no older than thirty years old. She was wearing one of the medical lab coats on top of a pair of jeans and a thin polo-neck shirt with a small bronze colored pendant hanging from her neck. Her shoulder length chestnut hair was nearly gathered in a ponytail and in general she was having an air of a person who was taking a good care about appearance even while preferring very simple style in clothing.

She turned her head looking at the commander in a way that Shepard started to feel she was appraising him. Then she simply turned back to her terminal starting to read something.

"Excuse me, doctor Sonars." Shepard started. "My name is Shepard, am a commander of…"

"I know who you are," she interrupted drily, "I received your mail."

"So, you know why I am here, then?" Shepard asked even if the question was mostly rhetorical.

"I know." She replied.

Shepard waited several moments for her to say anything else, but the doctor was silent, concentrated on the terminal screen. "So?" He tried tentatively.

"No." She answered.

"No? Just like that?" the commander surprised.

"Just like that." She nodded.

Shepard waited another moment. The stretching silence between them was cold and unpleasant. "Listen, Doctor Sonars. You just pushed me in a terrible situation." Shepard sighed. "I refused the help of several great doctors who wanted to join the Normandy, only because a friend of my advised me to talk to you…"

"And who, I wonder, was this friend of yours?!" She interrupted yet again. A sarcastic smile appeared on her face.

"Ugh, Doctor Chakwas..." Shepard replied raising his eyebrow.

The cold sarcastic smile disappeared from the woman's face, turning into surprise and something Shepard could read as shame. "Oh…" She exhaled. "I thought… never mind." She shook her head looking at Shepard appraisingly again, "I… I'm sorry to turn you down, commander, but I really can't go with you." She sighed finally.

"Can't?" Shepard surprised. "There must be a good reason for it."

"Oh, there is." The doctor smirked. "But it doesn't really matter. So please, leave me be and find someone else."

Shepard reached for the back of his head to scratch it. He was utterly confused by the doctor's words and it didn't look like she was going to give it up. The weirdest in the situation was the fact that the Doctor Sonar's cold attitude was aimed on him, like she had something against him personally. And Shepard was pretty sure that he had never met her before for this situation to happen.

"Doctor Sonars," he started again, "I would like to ask you to reconsider. I really trust Doctor Chakwas' opinion and if you at least as half as good as she described, I want you to be a part of my crew. I need you to be a part of my crew."

"Huh, next you will tell that humanity needs me?" She laughed.

"Well, that was the plan." Shepard smiled.

The doctor looked at the commander amused. Well, it was somewhat of a start. "You're an interesting person, commander." She chuckled lowering her gaze. "I can see why… I can see why everyone likes you so much. But it is still a 'no'."

"Doctor Sonars. I'm really out of moves here. So I will just leave this data-pad with every bit of unclassified information about the Normandy and the list of medical specialist's duties on the ship." He proposed. "And if you will have a moment to take a look at, just spare a glance, please do so."

With those words Shepard placed a data-pad on the table infront of the doctor and turned to leave the office. On the corner of his eyes he saw her reaching curiously for the device. Maybe it wasn't a lost case in the end.

~ooo~

Shepard was about to head to the Citadel Tower when he was ambushed by two C-Sec officers. They surrounded him from both sides keeping their hands behind their backs. Both of them were turians.

"Commander Sheppard?" inquired one of them.

"Yes, is there a problem, officers?" Shepard raised his eyebrow.

"No, sir, we were sent here to accompany you to the C-Sec academy." The turian shook his head.

"Sent by whom?" Shepard asked.

"We were asked not to inform you, sir."

Shepard eyed the two turians with distrust. He wondered for a moment who could want to see him in the C-Sec. There were several people he knew there, Captain Bailey for example. But the captain would surely simply send Shepard a mail asking to come by, instead of sending two armed guards. Shepard also helped out Executor Pallin a few times, but he highly doubted that Pallin would go to this extremes.

"All right." He finally nodded, knowing that he had nothing to lose as the C-Sec officers wouldn't likely to do any harm to him.

The turians escorted him to the academy offices, but instead of leading him further into the facility, they stopped before a small side street about only two or three hundred feet away from the main office.

"We were asked to inform you that you are waited in there." The officer who talked to Shepard before informed with a sigh. It seemed to Shepard that the turian didn't like the idea either.

Shepard looked at the side street. It was dark and a somewhat creepy, with a faint smell of dump dirty water which was specific for sewers. If Shepard was to walk there and it would turn to be a trap, he would be a goner for sure.

Shepard looked around not seeing anyone else in the sight. It really could turn bad, and the turians could even not be actual security officers, but disguised mercenaries. Still, Shepard didn't have enough evidences to pull a gun on them. Plus he highly suspected that with his current condition he wouldn't be able to fight both of them if they were to attack.

In any way the commander found himself in a situation which could turn really bad. At least if he would be able to lose the two turians, he would have a chance to send a distress call to the Normandy. So Shepard nodded and started to walk forward.

The two turian officers didn't seem to follow. Still it didn't mean he could relax. Shepard reached for his side taking the gun into his hand and activating his omni-tool at the same time, sending a signal with his current location to the ship .

Right now it was very logical to simply stop and wait here, in the middle of the main terrace leading to the C-Sec and the side street with whatever it was waiting for him ahead, until anyone would come to find him, or at least to buy some time. But the curiosity and the fact how uncomfortable it was for Shepard to fully rely on other people decided for him, so he moved forward, holding his pistol ready.

The narrow side street turned into a bigger opening which seemed even darker. There was some steam coming from a pipe attached to the wall, which Shepard not so much saw as felt on his skin. On the corner of his mind Shepard started to think why someone in a right mind would ambush him so close to the facility of the Citadel security, why a place like this would even exist so close to this facility, but from another side no-one would suspect the criminals to be that bold.

The first thing the commander saw was a large humanoid shadow standing in the very corner of the room. He pointed his gun at the shadow, preparing for a fight. The figure moved and the second thing he noticed was a single blue light coming from the direction of this shadow from the place where the figure should have had a face. A single, blue rectangular light source.

"Really?" Shepard huffed lowering his gun.

"And whom else did you expect to see here?" he heard a familiar turian voice.

"Oh, I don't know, the list of people who want to see me dead is just that small," Shepard remarked sarcastically, clipping his pistol back to the side and stepping closer to the figure. "Although, I've never suspected you to be on it, Garrus" He then added with a smile.

"Shepard." The turian chuckled. "I would go for a hug, but you know, a dark lonesome place… I just afraid it would look like something else entirely."

"And I would tell that it's great to see you," Shepard commented looking around the place, "But I can't see a thing."

"I know." Garrus confirmed. "But it was needed. Sorry about this all conspiracy, I really needed to get to you without anyone on the Citadel knowing."

"And that is why you asked the C-Sec guards to bring me here?"

"They are friends. I know them for a very long time and know that I can trust them. It was the only way." The turian explained.

"What is going on, Garrus?" Shepard inquired.

"I can't really tell you anything right now. Someone still might listen. But something bad is going on. Something nasty." The turian sighed. "Shepard… I need you to ask to allow me the access to the Normandy. I can sneak in, you will come and talk to me later and I'll explain everything."

"That is not a problem, Garrus," Shepard nodded. "You're always welcome on my ship."

The commander activated the omni-tool, flashing his friend's face with the soft orange glow. He couldn't really tell that this light was enough to see Garrus fully, but now Shepard could see his expression was more than worried. Shepard forwarded the pass to the ship to Garrus.

"Thank you, Shepard." The turian nodded. "I will be on the ship in at least an hour – will have to take several longer routs. And it would be good if you appear even later. But please, we need to talk before you meet the Council."

Shepard blinked. He had no idea what was going on and wasn't going to find it out until later. But it looked like his simple mission was now on hold by unexpected detours.