Sorry for my tardiness with this one. Middle-of-the-road chapters vex me so. Enjoy!


Fragile


Bootis Medical Center, Arcturus Station, Arcturus System
December 23, 2183


Kelly concealed a grin, controlling her features, feigning concern. She made no move, watched as events fell perfectly into place. The Admiral's timing couldn't have been more perfect. Absently she wondered if the timing was planned it was so right.

A pain squeezed her heart as she looked at the dismay written clearly over Jeff's face. He looked like a man who had just lost his only friend. Kelly supposed that was true. She watched him struggle as the Admiral began to speak again.

"Wait, sir," Jeff said, holding up a hand, confusion clearly written on his face. He met Kelly's concerned gaze momentarily as though trying to draw strength from her and all pleasure from the Admiral's words left her. She felt nothing but heart-ache for him.

He really cared for the woman I look like, she realized with a pang.

When he turned back, his glare was ice-cold, and his voice was venomous. It was all directed at Williams. "You didn't say anything about being assigned my goddamn babysitter. What was all that talk about having no other place to stay while everything blew over?" He crossed his arms over his chest, pinning her with his stare. "I trusted you, Williams."

Admiral Hackett lifted a brow to Williams.

"I felt it was in his best interest to be kept on a Need to Know," she stated calmly, and Jeff looked like she'd winded up and punched him.

Apparently her answer pleased the Admiral, and he gave her a nod and turned back to the man in bed. "Operations Chief Williams' current mission is to oversee your protection." It was a rephrase of his statement from moments before. "This is a need to know operation."

Jeff indicated Kelly with his thumb, and she tensed, not knowing why he was bringing her into it. Her lips thinned in irritation. This was not the way it was supposed to be happening. Just because Williams formed mistrust, didn't mean that he couldn't trust Kelly too. She'd been nothing but nice to him and Kelly thought she had been making ground with him.

"She checks out," the Admiral said, and it was all Kelly could do to keep from sagging in relief. Thank God for Cerberus and its connections. "Ms. Chambers will be accompanying you, Operations Chief Williams and Dr. Chakwas to a safe house on Bekenstein, where you will complete your physical therapy. Dr. Boaz should already be there making sure all the equipment is working." He handed an OSD to Williams. "Do not activate this disc until you get there. Do not give it to anyone, let anyone scan it or transmit the codes to anyone."

"Yes, sir," Williams said and pocketed the OSD. Kelly narrowed her eyes. Whatever was on that disc, Cerberus needed; she was sure of it.

"What's that?" Kelly asked, relaxing her features again.

"Need to Know," the Admiral told her, his mouth setting in a thin line.

Kelly cocked her head to the side, feigning confusion. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "but I thought I checked out." She shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at this military stuff. I didn't mean to do anything wrong."

The Admiral nodded, but didn't answer her initial question. Damn it.

"What do I do at the safe house, sir?" Jeff asked suddenly.

The Admiral turned his gaze onto the helmsman. "Lay low and recover."

"You're grounding me." It was a few beats later that he added, "Sir."

"No, but you aren't in any condition to pilot a craft."

"With respect, sir, I don't fly with my feet."

"I've already given you your orders, Lieutenant." Hackett dismissed him with a look and Jeff wedged himself against the pillows at his back. Turning to Williams, Hackett said, "Your flight to Bekenstein leaves in four hours. You'll be taking a civilian vessel."

Williams blinked at that. Kelly listened intently. She'd never been in on top-secret Alliance missions before – well, not any that they would approve of anyway.

"MSV Texas Rose," the Admiral said. "Docking Bay 117-A. The captain is a man by the name of Alexander Sheridan. His first mate is his son, John. Go stow your gear and come back in three hours. Internal Affairs should be done questioning Lieutenant Moreau by then."

Kelly watched as Jeff shrank back a little at the mention of Internal Affairs. Williams didn't appear to notice, but she had been covertly watching him. She saluted her superior, grabbed her bag and left, blatantly ignoring Jeff's look of cold fury.

The Admiral turned to Kelly. "Ms. Chambers, you'll need to pack so you can be ready," he said. She got the message: Leave now.

She gave him a bright, million-credit smile. "Of course!" She turned to Jeff, who looked like a lost little puppy who had recently been kicked. She wanted to pick him up and hug him and squeeze him until his smile returned – she'd been privy to his smile and had enjoyed it immensely.

"I'll see you on the ship, Jeff," she cooed to him, running her fingers through his hair, trailing a practiced finger down his face and into his beard. She gave him a kiss on the forehead, noticing when he inhaled her scent. Kelly smiled against his face.

"Everything will be alright," she told him quietly, brushing her fingers through his hair again, and then she straightened and sauntered out of the room.

Joker watched Kelly go, her scent and the feel of her soft lips against his brow lingering. He felt sick, confused. Why did Ashley…? Why didn't she…? For a brief instant, a rush of hurt and betrayal choked him. It was all he could do to sit there and breathe. Ashley hadn't stuck around for him. She didn't give two shits about him. Just like everyone else. He was a fucking cripple after all. Why the hell would she care? Shepard and Beck were the only two who really cared about him, and they were dead. Because of me.

He didn't know who he was angrier with: Ashley – Williams – for lying to him, Admiral Hackett for giving her the order, or himself for letting his damn guard down. He'd known something was up, but it never really registered that Williams would lie to him and to his face to boot. A muscle ticked in his jaw as he seethed.

"You want to ask me about the attack," he said, setting aside his pain and fury. It wasn't a question, but the Admiral nodded like it had been.

"I have a man coming from Internal Affairs to take your statement, but you'll tell me first and I'll go over what it is you're to tell him."

Joker swallowed, his heart sinking further. A fucking cover up. He looked his hands, then set his jaw and looked Admiral Hackett in the eye. "I'm not going to cover anything up, sir."


Docking Bay 117-A – MSV Texas Rose, Arcturus Station, Arcturus System
December 23, 2183


The MSV Texas Rose was a Kowloon-class freighter with only four modules in addition to its cargo bay. Compared to some of the other Kowloon-class freighters Ashley had seen, this one was tiny. She shuddered as she remembered the one on Feros and the derelict full of husks they had found in the Maroon Sea.

The Rose's cargo bay was full-to-busting and overflowing into two of the modules.

"Medical equipment, supplies in those crates," Captain Sheridan told her then gestured for her to follow. The remaining modules were used for the crew. The module on the portside was the crew quarters; it held six bunks, six lockers, a small head and a mess table and chairs. The starboard side module had recreational equipment, another head and a small galley. There were more crates stacked on the far side, too.

Captain Sheridan and his son were portly, hardy folk from New Canton. The older Sheridan had a wealth of salt and pepper hair that hung to his wide shoulders with a shiny bald spot on top and jovial brown eyes. The younger Sheridan was a spitting image of his father minus the bald spot and graying hair. At least Ashley would be able to tell them apart.

After the short tour, she chose a locker and stowed her gear, shaking her head as she did so. Shaking her head did nothing to relieve the look of shocked hurt on Joker's face that had implanted itself so forcefully into her brain. Ashley sat heavily on one of the tiny chairs, its seat groaning under her weight.

It was for his own good, she reasoned. The Alliance was trying to protect him and stop any leaks. I had orders. It was Need to Know. The reasons didn't help her to feel any better about the situation.

"I trusted you, Williams."

Those words hurt. This was why there were Regs against fraternization. This was why you didn't fall in love.

She froze, her mind reeling. No. Oh, no. Please, dear God. Anything but that. It was just hormones. Joker was a friend. Friend. Friend, friend, friend. Well, now he hated her guts, so he wasn't really anything at all. Just another mission. She hadn't gotten laid since… well, since the LT had cornered her during a short liberty on the Citadel. She would never think of the men's room – Shepard was guaranteed not to catch them in there – at Flux the same way again. And she'd only agreed because, well, it had been awhile; she'd never actively pursued a higher-ranking – much less a commissioned – officer; and she had recently discovered Joker and Hendricks in the head. Stress relief.

"I don't regret a thing."

That was why there were Regs. Sometimes in order to save the team, someone had to stay behind. She still felt guilty for using the LT the way she had. She still didn't know why Shepard made the call the way she did. But she had been meaning to tell him that she didn't want anythng more than friendship.

Ash ran her hands through her hair, pulling at the tail at the back of her head, letting out a long breath. She wished the Skipper were here. Shepard would know what to do. Ashley put her hand in her pocket, ran her fingers along the OSD labeled bek.90210 – jrpg.33811 – safehouseGPS.

"I trusted you, Williams."

She shook her head again and stood, boots heavy on the deck, and resolved to do her job. Cerberus wanted Joker dead. Not on my watch. He'd get over it. He had to. She had a damn job to do. There was no turning back now.


[Data Corrupted], [Retracted], [Unknown Entry]
[Date Retracted]


16:34: [vsantiagoBlue has logged in]

16:34: [opkech02 has logged in]

16:35: O: Leave the red head alive. Do what you will with the rest. You'll receive payment once she arrives at the pre-arranged co-ordinates on Citadel Station as per our agreement. Councilor Anderson's aide is awaiting her.

16:35: V: Will do.

16:35: O: Tell your men to not expose themselves to her. The virus she carries might possibly be infectious by the time they arrive at the Bekenstein house.

16:36: V: Noted. Do we need to take care of the Alliance surgeon, too?

16:36: O: No. [Name retracted] wished to use another source. Massani has already handled that particular transaction.

16:36: O: [Uploading file: bek.90210 – jrpg.33811 – safehouseGPS]

16:37: V: A pleasure as always. Give your boss our regards.

16:37: [opkech02 has logged out]

16:37: [vsantiagoBlue has logged out]