*emerges from behind the desk* No one is throwing anything? Ok, good. Sorry for the delay! Real life gets in the way sometimes. You can blame my job for making me work overtime the last couple of weeks. But here we are! A new chapter. And, to thank you for your patience, there may be a bit of shmexy times here :) They are heading to Ilos after all.

All copyright belongs to Bioware; I'm just taking a spin through their universe.

Chapter 37

Shepard stood a few doors down from Ambassador Udina's office, her slightly reddened eyes watching his doorway. "Anderson, are you in position?" she asked quietly into her comm.

"We're ready, Shepard. Eyes on the guards by the Normandy," he responded from the hangar. "When we get the signal from you, Chief Williams and Tali'Zorah will board the small ship they got us passage on. Vakarian and Dr. T'Soni will be waiting for you on the Normandy."

"Thank you, sir," she said, trying to suppress the feeling in her voice, knowing she needed to remain unnoticed for a few moments longer.

"You're doing a lot for humanity, Commander," Anderson said. "The least I can do is make sure your son is safe."

Suddenly there was movement from the doorway. "See you on the other side," said Shepard wryly, stepping out from the shadows and heading for the emerging ambassador. "Ambassador Udina!" she called, raising a hand. "I need to speak with you."

Udina barely glanced at her, heading down the hallway with a datapad in hand and two flunkies following him. "I've spent enough time on your antics, Commander. I have a Citadel to protect."

Shepard struggled to ignore the flare of fury, but sought to make her voice as conciliatory as possible. "I know you don't believe me when it comes to the Reapers, but you must know I have humanity's interests first. I thought you would be the one I should come to, but maybe…"

Udina had paused, turning to eye her sharply. "Don't toy with me, Shepard," he said, his voice thin. "I always have humanity's best interests at heart."

"We may disagree on a lot of things, Ambassador, but this is something I would never joke about. My family is Alliance through and through. I lost my father to the turians. Trust me, this is important." It was hard to doubt the sincerity in those bright blue eyes.

Udina watched her for a moment, then nodded. "Tell Minister Whait that I will be there momentarily." The flunkies rushed off to do his bidding and Udina beckoned Shepard into his office. "What have you heard, Commander?"

"After the Council meeting, I stayed close to the chambers, trying to figure out how to change the Council's mind. It's a good thing I did, because I overheard them speaking as they left." She let her biotics flicker, trying to give the impression of irritation. "They were speaking about the Normandy. They want to remove her from the Alliance, make her their own Council ship and strip any Alliance personnel from being onboard!"

"They wouldn't dare!" bristled Udina, rushing to his computer. "We built that ship with the turians, but she is Alliance property!

"They know the Normandy is on lockdown. It would be easy for them to remove her from our custody since I no longer have access. I can't check on her status, so I thought I should come to you, make sure she is still on lockdown. I'd rather she sit in a hangar than get taken out of Alliance custody."

"I knew we made you a Spectre for a reason," muttered Udina, rushing to enter his credentials to the computer, logging into the Normandy's systems. "Everything looks good…" He froze, feeling the cold metal against his head.

"Thank you for the assistance," she said coldly. "Now step away from the console. I have to go save my son and stop that son of a bitch Saren while I'm at it."

"How dare you…" Shepard struck out suddenly, her gun slamming him across the head and sending him spinning to the ground.

"You made me a Spectre for a reason, remember?" she said, leaning over his console to set the board green and release her ship. "So I'm going to save your sorry ass, whether you like it or not."

"The board is green, starting the Normandy's engines," said Joker over the comm, a maniacal grin on his face.

"We're good, go!" ordered Anderson. It was very quick. From above, Garrus fired two stunning shots, hitting the guards by the Normandy's dock. Liara pulled them aside, hiding their unconscious bodies from other guards in the area.

"The Little Rock is set to launch, sir," said Ashley over the radio. "Tali and I are onboard, we're just waiting for you."

"I'll be right there, Chief," replied Anderson. He nodded at Garrus. "Good work, Vakarian. Take care of the Commander. We'll get word to you as soon as we can." The two men shook hands.

"Admiral?" Garrus asked as he moved to turn away. He paused for a second, his mandibles barely fluttering. "She doesn't want him to know she's his mother. Keep him safe, in every way she needs."

Anderson nodded, his tired brown eyes understanding what Garrus could not say. "Will do. Stop Saren and the Reapers, or all of this will be a secondary concern anyway." With that, he jogged back down the corridor to catch his own ship. With a deep breath, Garrus and Liara boarded the Normandy.

Shepard raced down the hallways of C-Sec, pushing people aside as she ran. Cries of outrage followed her, but by now her face was familiar enough. They knew to stay out of the way of a Spectre, especially one who was prone to spouting off ancient myths as if they were truth.

A few guards tried to stop her as they realized her destination, but her biotics swept them aside as if they were not even there. She jumped down the stairs, barely pausing to catch her balance as she ran. Her pistol thunked gently against her hip, her chest moved steadily as she took in deep breaths. Movement was good. It helped her think, kept her calm. Anderson and her team would take care of her son. She had to have faith in that. Destiny had made sure she would always be needed elsewhere, would never be able to be near her son. It was for the best. The Reapers were her enemy because they threatened the peaceful world he lived in. The Shadow Broker, whatever he was, was just a man. Anderson would not let them hurt him. Please God, don't let him hurt Nate. Or Katie…or Cleon.

The sight of her ship at the dock, the engines thrumming, her hull vibrating with suppressed motion, made her heart swell. This was what she had been born for.

She raced down the gangway, gripping the back of Joker's chair with her hands. They were already in motion, Joker's hands racing as he coordinated their next destination and turned on their stealth systems. As soon as they left the Citadel orbit, they needed to be untraceable. Shepard grinned as they raced past Council ships, disappearing into the great black space that had become her home. Approaching the relay, that gigantic structure spinning so peacefully and steadily, Shepard felt the structure capture them, propelling them deeper into space and toward the Mu Relay…and a planet they prayed held some answers.

It was a somber meal in the Normandy's mess, each crew member thinking about what they had just done. Stolen a ship, raced off into the unknown, the loss of other crew members still stinging. Shepard ate mechanically, her mind half on what they would find at Ilos and half on what Nate and his family could be going through right now.

Garrus sat down across from her, his head slightly tilted. "You can't think about them right now," he finally said bluntly.

Shepard almost gasped as her head shot up, fury so close to the surface. "Don't you tell me…" she started.

"I know you're scared," he said more quietly. "But Anderson and Ashley and Tali will take care of him and his family. You have to be focused. You have another family to take care of." He pointedly looked around him and Shepard followed his gaze.

Her crew stood or sat all around them, grouped tightly together, their faces tense and words hushed. A few glanced quickly at her and then away. She did not see anger or distrust, just a quiet resignation. But resignation would not be enough to get them through what was ahead. She half-smiled at Garrus. "Are you sure you don't want to command? You'd be damn good at it," she said wryly.

Garrus chuckled deeply. "Maybe someday. But this is your ship, your crew. They trust you. And so do I."

Shaking her head slightly, Shepard stood, coughing awkwardly to get people's attention. "Joker, broadcast this shipwide," she requested through the comm.

"You're on, Commander. Make it good," he replied with some of his familiar snark.

Shepard looked around at everyone, making sure she had their attention. "It's been an eventful few days, to say the least," she began, swallowing tightly for a moment. "Virmire was hell. We lost Wrex and Kaidan. I want you all to know that I—I understand why Chief Williams did what she did. She was protecting me, in the same way I would protect any one of you who was threatened. That's what I'm doing now. It may be unconventional: stealing an Alliance warship, sending off part of my ground team for another mission…though knocking Ambassador Udina out was more enjoyable than it should have been." That got a quiet chuckle from the room.

"I know we've had our issues." Her sharp blue eyes found Navigator Pressley, who had the decency to turn red. "Your concerns have not gone unnoticed. But I implicitly trust every man and woman, every human and alien, aboard this ship, or they would not be here.

"We're about to do something dangerous, that we only half understand. Saren and I have learned enough with the Cipher and the beacons that the Conduit is on Ilos. What the Conduit is, I don't pretend to understand. But Saren is convinced that this will bring the Reapers down upon our heads. And that is something that endangers every sentient being in this galaxy. We will not let that happen." There was a chorus of agreement at that, people's faces changing from resignation to resolve.

"Garrus, Liara and I will get planet side when we arrive at Ilos, and we will go after Saren. The Normandy will be on high alert; his Reaper will likely be in orbit. But we don't have the most advanced warship in the galaxy for nothing." There was a cheer at that, bringing out Shepard's predatory grin. "So eat up and get some rest. We have work to do."

They started clapping, patting each other on the back, a renewed light in every person's eyes. Liara looked positively fierce as she clapped, another crewmember pulling her into their circle. Garrus just smiled across the table and bowed his head.

Shepard lay in her bunk, staring up at the metal ceiling. They would be at Ilos in five hours. But she could not get sleep to come. Anderson must have reached Earth by now. Saren must be walking across Ilos, searching for the Conduit. Nate must be so scared. The Reapers were waiting.

Growling, she pulled the pillow out from under her head and tossed it on the floor. As she did, something thunked to the ground beside her. The holo of baby Nate lay there. Her hand reached out to pick it up gently. She stared hungrily at the image. He was so peaceful. She wanted his whole life to be that way, free from the terror and the stress of war. She would do whatever she had to to achieve that.

Her thoughts circled around in a loop for another hour, drifting to more recent desires. Her kiss with Garrus bubbled up: his arms around her body, his mouth cool and smooth against her own, the fire in his blue eyes. She squirmed in bed, grinding her teeth with indecision.

"Screw it. We could all be dead tomorrow," she muttered darkly to herself, throwing the covers off. She stood in her black tank and shorts, her sleep attire. The door opened and she came to a sudden halt, her heart crashing in her chest. Garrus stood there, one hand still raised to knock, the shadows hiding the expression on his face. He looked less bulky without his armor on: a long tunic over long black pants with slits for his spurs.

He put down his hand slowly and coughed, shifting from foot to foot. "Commander…Shepard…I was just…"

"Standing outside my door, apparently," she said, more casually than she felt.

He swallowed. "You look—different," he finished, taking in the pink tinged skin exposed by the low scoop of her tank, that long expanse of leg. Her black hair curled around her shoulders, slightly mussed by her attempt at sleep.

"So do you," she said, her voice suddenly a bit huskier at his scrutiny. She took a deep breath. "Do you want to come in?"

His head bobbed. "Well, it would probably be less awkward than standing out here in the hallway," he said dryly, moving past her into her quarters.

"It might help," she agreed, the door sliding shut behind her. She leaned against it, watching him look around, look at anything but at her. "What, are you nervous, Garrus?" she teased.

He looked up at that with a laugh. "And you aren't?" he questioned.

She shrugged, crossing her arms. "I just stole a warship, betrayed my orders, assaulted an Alliance ambassador. Feeling nervous doesn't cover it. Guilty is probably more accurate."

"Don't feel guilty," Garrus said fiercely. "You are a Spectre. You had to do this. Or Saren would on our doorstep, the Reapers in tow. This galaxy owes you a debt it can never repay."

"Then we better survive so we can set the record straight."

"That's what I intend on doing," said Garrus, moving a little closer. "But I want to do more than survive."

"Oh really?" Shepard arched an eyebrow as he approached. "And what, exactly, is that?"

He bent down so that his mouth was right by her ear. She shivered as he whispered, "I want to live." Their mouths met, gently at first, then with more force. Garrus pressed her against the cool metal of the door and Shepard groaned softly as his hands moved up her body.

"I don't know what we're doing," she whispered quietly against his lips.

"Neither do I. A cross species relationship had not crossed my mind," he admitted with a laugh.

"Not even an asari?" she ribbed him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

She could feel his chuckle through her body. "Well, as a young boy riddled with hormones, I might have thought about it." They both stared at each other, faint smiles on both faces. Then Garrus' faded. "I don't want to hurt you," he said quietly. "Your skin is so soft and mine is…"

"It's you," she said simply, taking one of his hands and pushing up his sleeve. His metallic carapace had a very slight texture to it, reminding Shepard of a worn basketball. At his elbows small spurs protruded and she ran a finger gently over them, making Garrus shiver. She smiled, and looked up at him. "We have a lot to learn about each other, and I plan to take my time. I—I don't want to rush anything tonight. I want to have something to look forward to."

That made Garrus smile. "I like the way you think, Shepard," he said.

"Rin," she said suddenly. She blushed but nodded. "I want you to call me Rin."

"Ok. Rin." They both smiled at that. Suddenly he scooped her up, making her nearly squeal like a young girl. "We have some learning to do before the night is over." He dropped her on the bed and leaned over, kissing her passionately.

Shepard winced and pulled away, giggling. "Lesson one. Turian teeth are sharp," she said, touching a wounded lip. Then she grinned and pulled him down on top of her with an 'oof.'

"Lesson two," said Garrus, his voice resonating. "Some parts of human women are very soft." That got him a punch in the arm and a laugh. Not a bad deal, especially when his hand was allowed to stay where it had landed.

"I'm glad to have your support in this," said Anderson as he shook Hannah Shepard's hand.

"This Broker has threatened the wellbeing of my family. Of course I am here," she replied.

Ashley and Tali watched, wide-eyed. Though Hannah Shepard looked nothing like her famous daughter, there was an irrepressible similarity in the scowl, the way she stood, the authority in her voice. It was more than a little intimidating that Shepard had apparently learned her tricks from the woman in front of them.

"And you must be Chief Williams?" said Hannah, turning to shake the chief's hand. "And Tali'Zorah vas Neema? Marion certainly has found allies in strange places."

Tali shook her hand, a bit unsure but trusting this mother of Shepard's.

"Has Captain Oswalt been able to narrow down Socrates' location?" asked Ashley.

"He has. Socrates is holding Nate and his family in this bunker." Hannah held up her omni-tool, showing a map of a nearby fortification. "There are guards at every entrance and we are reading mech signatures. It's well guarded, but from the messages we've intercepted, he's in there. He's waiting for Shepard."

"Well he's going to get us instead," said Tali, her eyes studying the map through the glass. "What about these vents, here?" She pointed to the western end, where some grates were indicated. "How far into the complex do these go?"

"Far enough to get you to the control room so you can disable the mechs and open the front doors," said Anderson, following Tali's line of thought. "It might be our best option to get in quickly and quietly."

"If I go in through the vent and drop into this control room, it will give you safe passage to get inside once you deal with the guards," said Tali, her foot tapping as she thought. "If someone follows behind me, we could move ahead and pinpoint the family's location."

"And what if he kills Nate while we're searching?" said Hannah grimly, her lips tight.

"He won't," said Anderson declaratively. "He knows if he harms Nate, he will never get Shepard's aid, only her wrath. He needs Nate alive, Cleon and Katie too. If any harm comes to them, Shepard will never cooperate."

"Oswalt will be on stand by, ready to flood the compound with our crew once we've determined the hostages' status," replied Hannah. "I better go with you, Tali'Zorah. No one else is going to lay a hand on my grandson."

"Williams and I will storm the front and move as quickly as we can," said Anderson. He nodded at the small team, their grim but resolved faces at odds with the sunny California cantina they sat in. "We retrieve the hostages, take Socrates into custody and then book it back to the Citadel. Our job is not over yet."

Lots of action next chapter! Rescuing Nate, searching for the Conduit...we're almost there! As always, thoughts, comments, suggestions are appreciated and much loved. I'm interested to hear your thoughts on the romantic development in particular ;)

I am going to try very, very hard to have another chapter posted by late next week. Maybe if I put that down here, I'll actually get to do it!