I wrote this chapter over a year ago alongside the next chapter. I've been busy working on my career and haven't had enough creative time to give to the both of them. I desperately want to share this story as I have some cool ideas I want to share. If you're still reading, thank you for sticking with it. If you just joined I intend to be more diligent in my postings and get this story finished. Hope you keep reading

Chapter 14 : An Old Face

Shepard slid down the wall and wrapped his arms around his knees. The frustrated sigh that followed wasn't enough to express all that he felt at that moment. His face hurt from the anger, his head from the disastrous morning and his stomach from the hunger. Usually he had a silver tongue, but lately he has been acting out before thinking.

The muffled conversations in the communications room didn't help him clear his thoughts. He looked down the empty hall that linked the three rooms around him. He knew listening to Mordin chat away would help him pass the time, but he was required to wait in the hallway for the time being. The armory was just another empty room. He flicked on his omni-tool and concentrated on the file he had.

He heard the door to the lab open and a pair of footsteps come his way. John was aware of the person, but instead decided to continue with his research and paid no attention to them. In his peripheral he saw the person stop at the communications room door and mentally look inside. "Tsk", he heard from three feet away and a small squeak from pivoting on their boots. His eyes still deep into the file he remained focused on the omni-tool as the other person stood beside him then slid down and sat on the floor next to him. "So, you're the one chosen to watch after me?" John asked as his finger tips flicked the hologram.

"Yeah," Jacob said and sighed in a familiar frustrated fashion. "Miranda said it would be better than having the krogan 'Reassign one his is critical staff members'", he air-quoted.

John still peered at his display, "And Torbus went along with it? Good for her," he commented.

"Well, she had no choice. She argued that you shouldn't have a chaperone," he said, "but he said Talid insisted. And what Talid wants he gets."

John put down his omni-tool and shook his head. "But hey," Jacob continued, "he went with her idea of assigning one of the Normandy crew. I think he likes her."

Shepard turned his head to acknowledge the ex-Cerberus operative. "How is she doing?" he warmly inquired. Jacob shook his head and ran his fingers over his scalp. "She's taking it real cool. If anyone can juggle all that turian requires AND all their regular duties, it's Miranda." He pushed his palms against his knees and stood up. "She had already taken on extra workloads before the mission officially started," he informed Shepard before offering him his hand. John looked up at it and accepted the offering.

"She's taken on more duties?" John firmly gripped Jacob's extended hand as the operative pulled him up. He was confused, "Usually she's the one assigning the workloads and responsibilities of the ship. Why would she give herself more work?"

Jacob shrugged his shoulders, "No idea. It all started right before we got to the Citadel. I guess some of the crew wanted reassignments and transfers and we left before she could fill their spots."

John traced his finger along the panel of the back wall. "Transfers? Who left? Why wasn't I informed?" He was a little let down.

"Tilly and Kamazuki from the CIC. Others are thinking about leaving as well." Jacob looked down and rubbed his arm, then put his hand on Shepard's shoulder. "You know she's in charge of personnel. I'm guessing she thought you had bigger things to worry about and would have informed you about them later."

John leaned against the bulkhead and tried to get his mind back on his research. The muffled talking in the next room had become more frantic. "What's the situation?" John asked as he nodded his head toward the communications room. "Talid woke me up to ask about Ka'hairal, but I don't know anything else."

Jacob folded his arms and walked up to Shepard, "Trying to arrange a meeting with the batarians. We should be coming up to what's left of their fleet soon." He turned his head to his commander in a puzzled look. "I thought the name of their planet was Khar'shan?"

"It was. Ka'hairal is not a planet, it's a person," John sighed. He flicked open his omni-tool and paced the room.

"Looks like this person has you worried," Jacob correctly assumed and stepped up close to the commander. "Who is he?"

John bit his lip and tapped an image on his display, "Very worried indeed. I have no idea what part he plays in all of this." He tapped the image and enlarged it.

Jacob stepped over and leaned in to take a closer look at the picture, "From the incident at Asteroid X57," he murmured to himself as he read the description and shot a look at Shepard. "Asteroid X57? That's where you saved those hostages. Shepard who is Ka'hairal?" he demanded.

John lowered his wrist and met Jacob's eyes, "It's Balak."

Shepard's wrist vibrated, he pulled it up to check the message. Are you alone? the message from Tali read. John scoped the hallway and approached the armory door. "Anyone in armory?" he asked Jacob.

"Nope," was the operative's only response.

John opened the door, "I got to take this from Tali. It'll be a moment."

"Go ahead," Jacob acknowledged and rubbed his chin in deep thought as the commander entered the armory.

"EDI?" Shepard asked as he closed and locked the door.

"Yes, Shepard." She responded.

John walked up to the second door, "I have to talk to Tali, can you mute the armory for a minute or two?" He locked the second door.

"Yes. Armory will be muted for two minutes. Would you also like me to deactivate the cameras?" she inquired.

Shepard nodded, "Yes, that'll do. Thank you, EDI."

"Of course, Shepard." She responded. "Cutting camera feed and muting for 120 seconds starting now," she said and then the armory was filled with silence.

John quickly brought up his wrist and activated the video on his omni-tool, "Hey, I'm here. I'm alone."

The video feed turned on and a bunch of wavy hair filled the screen. Then a grey hand pulled the tangles from her face to reveal a smile. "No one's around you?" she asked.

"Nope, it's just the two of us."

She looked around the cabin and then moved in closer to her omni-tool. "I didn't get to tell you this morning," then inched closer, as if it she were really next to him. "Saera, I love you," she said with as much heart as she could.

John smiled and felt his worries disappear. "I love you, Saera," he told her back and saw the smile it put on her face.

"You don't know what medicine that is to me," she admitted to him. "About this morning…"

"Listen," John interrupted. "I know it's going to be a little rough for us. We'll get through this."

"Yeah, but," she was trying to say something, but didn't know how to explain it. "It's not just that, um…"

"What is it? Is it the doll? I can't wait to have you show me how to finish it," John said with intended concern.

"Oh, I can't wait either." She smiled. "But, no. I just don't want to…I want to make sure that you…" John couldn't make out what she said as a violent knocking came from the armory door.

"Wait a sec, sweetie. What?" he asked as his attention was pulled between her and the door.

"This morning and last night, about how I…" she tried to say, but the knocking became pounding and muffled arguments behind the door.

John walked up to the door and continued with his wife, "Sorry, there's something happening. I'm going to have to let you go." He tapped on the door and forced the omni-tool off, "Bye sweetheart." The door slid open and the back of a big red krogan shot into John's view. "…in the armory with communications shut off?" The krogan screamed in Jacob's face.

"He's just talking to his wife, he wanted some privacy," the operative shot back. The hallway was filled with people from the communications room. "What's going on here?" Shepard inquired.

The krogan turned around and rushed into the commander's face, "What were you doing inside of the armory with the doors locked?" John had to take a step back to view the krogan's entire face, "I needed to talk to…"

"Craw, what's the matter here?" the gruff sound of Torbus' voice sounded behind the krogan. The large leader stepped into view and the smaller interrogating krogan turned to address him. "It's the commander," Craw said to Torbus then turned to address Miranda as she stepped inside along with his leader. "He was alone, locked in the armory with the communications turned off!" he shot at her.

Shepard put up his hands to help diffuse the situation, "Listen, it was just a call. My wife…"

"All weapons are accounted for," a third krogan called to Torbus as he finished inspecting the weapons locker. Torbus Gril nodded and took a step to the side to take in the view of the entire armory. "Your actions look suspicious, I'm sure you realize," he said to the room, not particularly addressing the commander.

"I need privacy when I talk to me wife," John sternly stated. Torbus turned to look at Shepard's face, to see his expression.

"It is well known that quarians take extreme measures concerning their privacy," Miranda added, "he is just doing his duty as a good lifemate. Something that should be none of our business." John looked at Miranda, he appreciated her sanding up for him, but he didn't need her to.

"I know how this appears, but I have no intention of deceiving you or harming Talid," John flatly stated.

Torbus walked around the weapons bench and up to the commander, "I assigned you a chaperone. You should stick to him before I assign you another one." He then proceeded to the second locked door, "Craw, you're with me."

"Talid has nothing to fear from me," John called to Torbus. The large krogan unlocked the main armory door and turned back around, "It's not Talid you need to ensure." He walked past Shepard and into the hallway to the communications room, "It's the batarians." He turned around and looked at all three of the Normandy officers, "I'm making the armory off limits to bridge officers as well."

"That's not necessary," Shepard protested as he stepped forward.

"Shepard," Miranda called and stepped next to him and quietly continued, "just let it be. We need to prepare to receive the batarians." He looked to Torbus as he left the armory with the krogan in tow. "Mordin has an update for us. We have a long enough day ahead of us as it is," she said.

"I agree with Miranda," Jacob chimed in and rubbed his scalp. "No matter how much I hate it, we can't seem to stop these little bursts from happening, though. Wish it wasn't the case. The fact that the batarians are even agreeing to come on this ship is a sign that they're desperate enough. They don't want us to look like we're hiding or planning something." Miranda motioned her head toward the door, "Desperate, yes. But I think the batarians have the fight burnt out of them." Shepard sighed and shook his head. He and Jacob followed her as she stepped through the doorway into the hallway. "They're on the brink of extinction and looking to have someplace to call home. Right now is a very vulnerable time for them."

"Vulnerable enough that they could be taken advantage of?" the commander asked. "You mean someone could see this as an opportunity to completely wipe them out?" Jacob added, surprised. "Wipe them out," Miranda answered, "or use them." All three stood on the opposite end of the hallway and stared at each other in silence.

The quiet was broken a moment latter when the lab door opened, which caused Miranda to jump. "Ah, there you are," the salarian doctor announced to the hallway. "Miranda said you have an update?" Shepard asked as he stepped inside the hot lab. "Yes, but first. Tali and child, how are they?" the doctor inquired.

"Damn, what's with the heat in here?" Jacob called as he followed his commander in. John surveyed the room for a quick second and leaned on his favorite spot in the lab. "They're doing alright, I guess," he answered, but quickly added more as he was unpleased with his short answer. "Both have a fever. Baby is screaming and crying. Got her to sleep for a little bit this morning."

Mordin was busily tapping away at his interface as Shepard spoke. Were it anyone else John would have thought they weren't listening, but multitasking being second nature to the salarian was assurance that he had his full attention. "And Tali, is she getting her proper rest?" Mordin asked without taking his eyes off the interface. John looked around the lab to search for the right answer. He saw how into the conversation Jacob was, though he couldn't help but notice that Miranda seemed to be hiding her interest. "Not as much as she's supposed to," was John's only answer.

"Proper rest," the salarian dictated to the commander as he stopped his typing, "Utmost importance in mother child bonding time." Mordin had turned to Shepard and started to motion with his hands, "stressful time for child. As parent, must alleviate. Proper rest, nutrition and medication," he punctuated. John nodded his head in agreement. "Not just for mother and child, but for father too," the doctor added.

"Heh," the commander laughed to himself, "stress seems to be something I've been attracting the most lately." Jacob nodded his head in agreement. "That's something that never leaves a parent," the operative added, "just ask Thane or Samara."

The thought of having a problem child was something John wanted to shake. No way was he going to raise a kid that ran around the galaxy causing mayhem. He leaned forward and sighed as he inspected the floor. "Also," Mordin added, "importance of father child bonding. Face time," the doctor emphasized, "important in quarian children upbringing."

John shook his head, "she's not going to remember any of that. For all I know she just sees a mask." He had heavy thoughts about what he just said and almost felt guilty. Mordin looked up at Shepard, "Mother will remember efforts. Will remember face time mate has with child." John recalled the ongoing recovery Tali still faced with her father. Shepard closed his eyes and thought about the next time he'll be able to get up to the cabin.

The room was brought back to the present when Miranda cleared her throat. "Ah, yes." Mordin chimed in, "the update." He picked up the stack of PDAs next to his interface and handed each of the officers one. Shepard's PDA slipped as he flipped it and quickly bent over to snatch it before it hit the ground. I need to get some more sleep, he thought. As he looked back up he saw Miranda slip something behind her back that Mordin slipped to her on the counter. It looked like a second PDA, but both Mordin and Miranda were extremely casual about it. Just another report, he thought, something she'll talk to me about later. He flipped the PDA over and scanned the contents. "Here are the standard batarian greeting procedures, military ceremonies and caste status' of the Hegemony," Mordin started to lecture, "and how you should address Ka'hairal."

Saera- from Calinstel's 'To Survive' series.