Kaidan found Garrus on the crew deck. He'd waited only a few minutes before he'd started to make his way back to the Normandy, leaving Joker and Ashley at Flux, wondering what the hell had just happened.

"Garrus where's Shepard?"

"She went to her cabin. What was all that about Alenko?" Garrus still wasn't sure what had happened at Flux. Shepard was clearly intoxicated, but nowhere near making a fool of herself or anything that excused the Lieutenant's behavior.

Kaidan ignored the question and asked his own. "Did something happen before you got to the club? Had Shepard been upset?"

"No, actually she was perfectly fine, until you started in on her. She'd finally started to relax and enjoy herself. If you hadn't noticed, the Commander has been a bit stressed lately, she has a lot to deal with, and I think she had a right to have a little fun."

"You're right, Garrus, she does. It's just that…Shepard isn't comfortable with the crew seeing her like that. I was just trying to help."

"She didn't seem to have a problem it from where I was standing. And neither did the crew. If Joker and Williams were any indication, the crew was happy to see her having fun." Garrus didn't buy Alenko's excuse. He'd heard some of the crew talk about something going on between Shepard and her Lieutenant, and he was starting to believe it.

"You're right, I just… I thought she might not…" Kaidan didn't want to betray Shepard's confidence and he knew it was making him look foolish. "You know, never mind, I was being foolish. Good night, Garrus."

"Good night. And Alenko, be ready, she wasn't too happy with you." Garrus left him alone on the crew deck. Kaidan just stood there for a few minutes and finally walked over to Shepard's cabin, finding the door locked. (Probably better to wait for tomorrow to have her chew me out.) He headed to his cabin, knowing full well he wouldn't be getting any sleep.

Lex woke up groaning. Apparently she'd managed to put her head in the path of a speeding cab, or a sledge hammer, either way it was killing her. Something had been let loose in her stomach, and it was doing cartwheels. And finally her mouth felt like she'd been eating sand. The good thing was she didn't have to wonder or think back to what she'd done the night before, there was no mistaking the fact that she had a hangover. She looked over at her clock. She had less than an hour before she was supposed to meet Anderson at Udina's office. "Fuck."

She got out of bed and had to stop for a moment when she was hit by a wave of nausea. This was going to be a long day. She headed into the shower and did her best not to look like death warmed over for her meeting. When she was finished getting ready she walked over to the mirror. She had dark circles under her eyes, which were puffy and bloodshot, and she was pretty sure she wasn't imagining the green tint to her skin. She cursed herself and who ever had invented that drink from last night. Anderson would know the moment he saw her, he'd seen her like this enough times before she finally quit drinking.

She straightened her shoulders and took one last look. "Okay Jackass, time to pay the piper."

As she made her way to the embassies she tried not to think about what Anderson would say. Unfortunately, that just left last night's other problem to think about. Kaidan. She'd been livid when she left Flux. He'd made a fool out of her by trying to practically drag her out of the club. He might as well have called her a drunk in front of the crew, the way he was treating her. She'd barely kept herself from hitting him when he'd placed his hand on hers to stop her from taking that final shot. It was the first time she remembered his touch not acting as a calming force. She was a grown woman for fuck's sake, where did he get off? She took a deep breath as she neared Udina's office, not wanting to go in angry. (Actually, I rather not go in at all.) She walked into the office and saw Anderson standing by the balcony overlooking the Presidium. She looked around and was relieved to see they were alone, the last thing she needed was to deal with Udina on top of everything else.

"Captain." She said, as she stood at attention and saluted. Overkill, she knew it, but it couldn't hurt.

Anderson couldn't help but smile when he saw her, assuming she was being a smart ass by giving him a rarely seen formal greeting. "At ease, Shepard, I think that one covers you for another few years."

Lex smiled, of course he didn't take her salute seriously. She went to join him by the balcony. She stood next to him and looked out over the Presidium. Not to enjoy the view, which was made impossible by the artificial sunlight burning into her sensitive eyes, but to avoid looking at Anderson. "So, how's the desk job treating you? Ready to kill Udina yet? You know I'd help."

"I can handle Udina, Shepard, it's the politics and paperwork that is going to do me in." Anderson watched her as he answered. She wasn't standing as straight as she usually did, her shoulders seemed heavy. He could only see part of her face, but she looked tired. "How are you doing, Lex?"

The sound of her name from him, the only person left who actually called her that, made her feel guilty. She knew she couldn't hide the truth from him for long, and decided to face him sooner rather than later. She turned to look at him before she answered. "I've been better."

He understood what she meant the moment he looked into her eyes. It wasn't the bloodshot, puffy eyes, the dark circles, or her sickly pallor that gave her away, but the guilt in her eyes. He'd seen that look before when she'd first fallen off the wagon shortly after she'd first tried to stop drinking, in fact during that first year after Marks' death there were a lot of times he saw it. "Lex, what happened?" His voice was low, and there was no anger, only concern for a young woman he thought of as a daughter.

"I want to tell you it was an accident and that I didn't know what I was drinking, because at first that was the truth, but I won't lie to you. I didn't stop drinking after I found out what happened. I finished the glass I had in front of me and I had a few more. And it felt great."

The look on her face didn't reflect her last words. She looked heartbroken and disappointed. He knew she would be harder on herself about this than he could ever be. "And how do you feel today?"

"Stupid. Embarrassed. Weak." She lowered her head. "And I want a drink."

"Come sit down Lex, and tell me what happened." He led her to the nearby table and took a seat next to her. When she put her hands on the table, he covered them with his own. He sat and listened as she told him everything that had happened since they'd left the Citadel. He'd read the reports she'd sent in, but she told him the things she hadn't put in the report. When she had finally ended with what had happened the night before she let out a deep breath. "So what are you going to do now?"

Lex knew what he was asking had nothing to do with the mission. "I'm going to start again, David. Don't worry."

He nodded. "And what about the Lieutenant?"

She gave him a confused look. "What about him? He overstepped, it was insubordination. Maybe I shouldn't have been drinking, but I'm not a child. I'm his superior officer for god's sake, he shouldn't have done what he did."

"He was worried about you, Lex. He cares about you."

He eyes widened in shock. "What?"

"Oh please Lex, it's obvious to anyone who stands in the same room as both of you. The way he looks at you." Anderson replied.

"I don't know what you're talking about, David. And anyhow, what does it matter? I'm his commanding officer, he knows it's not a possibility."

"What about you?"

"Me?"

"You look at him the same way. You've started smiling again since he joined the Normandy. Don't try to deny it."

"I don't. We have a sort of history. We met once, about 10 years ago, it was…well memorable." She chuckled at the now. "But still, nothing is happening or will happen between us. And what he may or may not feel about me is no excuse for what he did last night."

"It's my turn to make a confession." Anderson prepared himself for her reaction before he continued. "I asked the Lieutenant to look after you when I noticed how he felt about you."

She pulled her hands away from his and straightened up in her seat. "When?"

"The night before you became a Spectre. I was there when you two returned to the ship, I talked to him after you went inside."

She got up and walked away from the table, turning her back to him. When she spoke, her voice was low and he could hear the anger in it. "David, I don't need to be looked after like some damn child."

Anderson stood up and walked up to her. "Lex you have to face the fact that there are people left in this galaxy that care about you, and we care about what happens to you. We only want to protect you from yourself." The moment he'd said the words he'd regretted it.

She turned to look at him. "So you make plans behind my back to decide what's best for me? Do I get no say at all?" She was angry. "What's next? Will you have Kaidan look after me while we're on the ground too? Make sure I don't…gods, he's already doing it, isn't he? On Feros."

"What are you talking about? Lex I just asked him to be there for you, he respects you far too much to question your ability to command."

"You know what, David? Do you know what I really need? I need both of you to leave me the hell alone." She marched passed him and walked out of the office. Anderson was left staring at the closing door. As bad as that had gone, he didn't envy what the Lieutenant was about to face.

**I can't decide which is best, posting small chapters every couple of days or keeping them longer with more time between them. Any thoughts? **