Hello Good Readers. I hope that all goes well for you. Managed to get another chapter up, now that I've got everybody in one place. (May have more people than I can easily handle; but you do what you have to.) Thank you, as always, to everyone that has faved, follows, reviews or comments on my writing. You make my day. I'm also now writing another ME piece. Just Another Saturday Night. Private Shepard on one of her first leaves. Comments and critiques welcome. You take care and thank you again.

Changes

Shepard

She swam, spun through a maelstrom of sparks..no not sparks…they were memories...her memories. Like fireworks, they randomly began to burst into her mind – images of people, human and otherwise, things that moved in the darkness beyond her awareness, and places. Verdant planets that frightened her, dusty rocky wastelands that didn't.

But with the good came bad – people she knew were dead, humans that made her ashamed of her species, decisions that left her shaken, and over all the groaning of husks and the shriek of Reapers.

With a hoarse gasp she bolted upright in bed – sure she was surrounded by malignant beings. The dimness around her didn't help.

She groaned as her head tried to fall off her neck, or, at least, it felt that way. She cradled it in her hands; afraid if she didn't it would come loose from its moorings.

"Easy Shepard." She recognized the voice as the older woman turned on a small light by her bedside and put a hand on her shoulder. Shepard dimly realized that she wasn't in her room, but she didn't know where she was.

"Chakwas?" Despite her best effort her voice was decidedly shaky.

"Yes. You okay?" She heard the sound of an omni-scan going on as the Doc checked her out.

"No, got a headache the size of the Normandy." She admitted as Chakwas helped her slowly lay back down.

"Yes, well getting hit in the head will do that to you."

"Hit in the head?" She was puzzled as Chakwas turned off her omni-tool and gave her a shot. After a moment it took the edge off of her headache.

"Yeah, I'll have a double." She murmured as the headache began to die down to manageable levels.

"What do you remember, Shepard?"

"I..I remember things, people, places, sounds, smells...even tastes." She shook her head. "It's mixed up and confused and when I try to focus on any one thing they fade away like mist."

Chakwas gave her a brilliant smile. "Sounds like your memory is coming back."

"Not sure I want it to, Doc. I've glimpsed some ugly things." Shepard said quietly and Chakwas nodded her head in agreement.

"What do you remember about things in your more recent past?"

"Recent?" Shepard probed her full to bursting memory.

Night, bright lights, a gate, humans, Turians.." At that she was suddenly hit by memories of a tall, blue armored, silver plated…Garrus. It was Garrus. In the middle of battle, working on a MAKO, getting drunk with the rest of the crew. She gasped as the images of him lying in an ever-growing pool of his own blood flooded back. Then there were the other more intimate memories, far more than she was expecting.

Shepard was fairly sure she must be blushing.

Chakwas smiled as if reading her mind.

"Enjoying yourself, Jess?"

Jess rubbed her neck in embarrassment and nodded.

Chakwas laughed, "Chaffing aside".

At that phrase she was suddenly hit with the memory of an older Salarian, one horn missing, solemnly talking to her about chaffing and…(she didn't think she could go any redder, but she tried.).

"Ingesting?" She mumbled and Chakwas laughed.

"Let me guess – Mordin? He was always concerned about – chaffing, and ingesting."

"Damn, it's like my own private porn show, doc." She admitted.

"You've got a lot to catch up on, Commander." Chakwas told her.

"You think I'll remember everything?" Shepard asked to distract herself from being distracted by…things...or rather someone.

"Hard to tell, but this is a good sign." Chakwas paused. "We were worried about you."

"Me? Why?"

"You took a blow to the head, Shepard; and with amnesia that can lead to some serious problems." Chakwas smiled. "Fortunately it seems that it shook loose some things."

Just then Shepard remembered what had last occurred.

"Alenko, the Primarch, Corso…what happened?" She exclaimed. "Is everyone okay."

"Yes, they're all fine."

Shepard exhaled. "I wasn't sure Victus would recognize my warning." At Chakwas quizzical look. "I was trying to make the Turian sign for danger with five fingers."

"Well, one way or the other he knew something was wrong and was prepared." She paused "Then there was Garrus."

"Garrus?"

"He'd hacked your armor's audio and we were listening, when Corso threatened you he reacted." Chakwas sighed. "Then Corso admitted to being Cerberus."

"What did he do?" Shepard knew he wouldn't have been able to get down to the gate. Hell, he'd have been lucky to get down the hallway.

"He's a sniper, Jess. What do you think he did?"

"Damn. That's one hell of a shot." Jess was impressed though she knew she shouldn't have been, Garrus was a damn legend for his abilities.

"Try three." Chakwas told her. "He took out the man who hit you, one other, and wounded Corso only because the man moved at the last minute. Then Hackett showed up."

"Hackett's here?"

Chakwas nodded. "Somehow Victus got a message to him."

Shepard breathed a sigh of relief, with Hackett around maybe things would go back to normal, or as normal as they could be.

"Unfortunately Renfield is also."

"Damn, I do not want to talk to him."

"There are guards on the door so no one gets in unless I or Jakan say so." Chakwas told her.

"Jakan?"

"Garrus had a relapse and Jakan has him in here in the med-suite being monitored."

"Is he gonna be okay?" Even without her memories, Shepard worried about the Turian. Someone who honestly seemed to have her best interests at heart..

"He should be." Chakwas paused. "Don't know what you remember but Garrus's dad and sister are here too."

"What the hell. Is it a convention?" Shepard exclaimed as she remembered someone saying.. "No offense Commander but he wouldn't like you." Then she realized that somebody was Garrus himself and they'd been talking about his father.

"Roads are rained out so everybody that's here is stuck for awhile."

"What fun." Shepard said sarcastically, then had a thought. "That means Alenko is here also isn't he?"

"Yes." Chakwas sighed. "He's already been by and I told him no."

"So he's pouting?"

"That's not very nice, Jess." Chakwas chastised her.

"No, but you know it's accurate." Shepard shot back and Chakwas had to nod. "Well, I don't want to see him right now. Don't want to see anybody."

"Might not have a choice with Hackett."

"Him I'll see, Victus too." Shepard told her then yawned, settling deeper into the pillows.

"What about the Vakarians?" Chakwas pulled the blanket up around her shoulders.

She looked up at the Doctor. "I don't know Chakwas. I'm all mixed up right now. They start asking me questions and I don't know what I'm going to say."

"All you can do is answer to the best of your ability, Commander. Now get some rest." Chakwas turned out the light by the bed. Leaving Shepard in the warm darkness. "It's late and nobody's going to be asking anybody anything for a few hours."

In moments Shepard was asleep, a dreamless one this time.

Next Morning

Shepard

She awoke to the sound of rain outside, an overcast morning, and the slightly distant sounds of a discussion? Disagreement? One voice was deep and accented and sounded familiar. The other was the flanging voice of a Turian but somewhat higher than she was used to. A female? Whoever it was sounded irritated.

"Easy Chica, I'm going." The deep voice was laughing as it got closer.

"As far away as possible." Came the retort from the Turian.

"James." That was Chakwas. "Stop annoying people."

There was a pause and Shepard heard Chakwas give a little squeak. "Doc, good to see you."

"Good to see you too, James. Now put me down." Chakwas sounded a bit flustered.

"Anything for my favorite saw bones." James was laughing.

"Now that's an ancient term." It sounded like Chakwas was dusting herself off. "I let you in to see Shepard, what happened?"

"Walked in on the wrong person." He told her. "Wanted to see Scars anyway till that little Turian spitfire chased me out."

"That little Turian spitfire is Solana, Garrus's sister."

"Oh ho, thought I recognized the colony paint. So Scars has a sister?" There was a pause and a hum from James. "Kinda cute when she's all riled up."

Chakwas gave a little groan. "Do not go there James. You do not want to make a pass at Garrus's little sister?"

"Why not?"

"You really want to deal with Garrus as an over protective big brother?"

"Scars is cool about women, cept for Lola, then only the suicidal would get between them." Shepard wondered who Lola was as she felt a sharp pang of jealousy that surprised her.

"Turians are extremely protective of their families, James." Chakwas told him and the man made a dismissive noise. "And she isn't the only family member. His dad is here also."

James let out a low whistle. "His Pops?"

"Yes and if you think Garrus would be protective, think how bad Castis will be."

"Yeah, don't want the Turian version of 'the talk'."

"The talk?"

"Yes. What are your intentions towards my daughter? How serious are you? Do you have a job? Is you mother still alive? And my favorite - I have a shotgun and I'm not afraid to use it. That talk."

Chakwas laughed. "Got that one a few times did you James?"

The man groaned. "More than I like to remember till I joined the Alliance."

"Poor man." Chakwas sounded anything but sorry. "Let me go see if the Commander is up."

"Yeah, if not I'll go back…" From the tone of his voice Shepard knew he intended to go bother Solana.

"James, behave."

Shepard heard Chakwas footsteps and in a moment the doctor was stepping through the curtains.

"Commander, how are you this morning?" Chakwas smiled at her.

Shepard experimentally rocked her head back and forth. Only a little ache and stiffness, though it hurt more when she pulled against her right side.

"Much better. My head doesn't quite feel like it's going to fall off, anymore."

"Good." Chakwas had her omni-tool cued up and she scanned Shepard. "Well, you're doing better but you're going to be in this bed for a couple of days."

"Doc?" Shepard protested.

"Do you have anywhere pressing to be, Commander?"

"Er.." Now that she thought about it. "No."

"Then stay put and heal." There was a pause. "For once." Chakwas wasn't quite glaring at her.

"All right, mom." Shepard shot back. As she realized what she'd said, from Chakwas smile it was obvious something that she'd said in the past.

"Very good, Shepard. Now, James Vega, one of your crew from your last mission wants to say hi." Chakwas pointed behind her.

At the name, Shepard suddenly remembered a big soldier, Hispanic, with a boisterous personality. A good man, a good fighter, and a good friend. A guard? Her guard? But how?

"Anyone else want to see me?" Shepard sat up with Chakwas help.

"Alenko was by again." Chakwas told her. "I told him no."

"Now he really will be pouting." Shepard grumbled.

"You'll have to see him sooner or later." The older woman pointed out.

"Later, much later."

"I suspect Victus and/or Hackett will be by later."

"Them I'll see." Shepard paused. "What about Renfield?"

"I think he's hiding in his room." Chakwas told her. "I doubt he's happy about being stuck here."

"What about.." She pointed across the room where Garrus's bed was.

"Nothing yet; but you know they'll want to see you."

"Still not sure what I'm gonna say to them." Shepard admitted.

"I'm not even sure what Castis will ask you." Chakwas was honest.

"I can think of a few things." Shepard sighed.

"Breakfast will be up in awhile." Chakwas told her as she went to the curtain. "Take it easy." She opened the curtain. "Okay, James you can come in. No bear hugs, no wrestling matches and if you tire her out I'm going to tell Victus that you want to do some sparring."

"I'm not afraid of the Primarch." James said confidently as he strode into the narrow area around Shepard's bed.

"Victus beat Garrus and you never could beat Garrus, so you might want to rethink that." With that Chakwas stepped out leaving Shepard with the big man.

Dressed in a set of N7 fatigues, Vega was a broad man with a wide grin.

"Lola, how's my favorite crazy." He bent down and gave her a hug. Even restrained, it about drove the breathe from her lungs. Now she understood what Chakwas had been talking about.

"Damn Vega, don't crush the Commander." She told him breathlessly.

"Aw, getting soft there Lola." He stepped back and smiled at her. Despite everything she couldn't get upset at him, his good nature was just so infectious.

"You wish." She retorted and he laughed as he plopped down in the chair by her bed, making it groan in protest.

"You doing okay, Commander." Vega got serious.

"Yeah, got a headache from getting hit in the head; but otherwise I'm good."

"Well, you always did say you had a hard head. Proved it a few times too." Vega grinned and she had to laugh.

Victus

Victus was quietly enjoying his breakfast and a cup of Khaal when his aide stuck his head in the door.

"Yes?" Victus hoped it wasn't anything serious. After last night he just wanted things to be calm for a few hours.

"Er Sir, we just got a communication from our outpost in Australia." His aide looked like he wasn't sure how to feel about what he had to say.

"And?"

"Apparently someone left four bodies out front of the main doors of the outpost."

"Four bodies?" Victus was suddenly fully alert.

"Oh, not Turian sir." His aide assured him quickly. "There were two humans, a Salarian, and a Batarian."

Batarian? What was it Vakarian had mentioned about some old merc dealing with the Commander's enemies.

"Was there a note or something?"

"Just a short note that said – 'You owe me.'" His aide paused. A pause that Victus was very familiar with.

"What else, Kahok?"

"It was tied to the Batarian with a red bow?"