Broken Past

She winced slightly at her omni-tool. A soft curse escaping her lips as she read the Council's response to her decision concerning the Rachni Queen. The mess hall was thankfully empty, everyone had either gone to bed or started their shifts. Curling her arms on the table she rested her forehead against the cool metal table.

"Can't make everyone happy." She mumbled quietly and reached for her cup of coffee.

"You know, lurking in the shadows doesn't work for you Kaidan, when I can always tell when you're near me." She turned her attention to the man leaning against the wall deep in the shadows.

He emerged from the shadows, his normally perfect hair mussed into curls giving him a boyish appearance.

"Nice hair." She snickered as he smiled ruefully at her.

"So how do you always know when I'm around huh?" He said while taking the seat next to her.

"That's classified information." She responded candidly while taking a sip of her coffee.

He reached for her hand and lightly ran his thumb over her knuckles.

"Emily...I'm glad you're here. It's nice to have someone to talk too that isn't scared of me." He confessed quietly.

She raised her eyebrow and looked at him.

"I'm pretty sure I can easily take you in a fight. With and without Biotics" She teased him while lightly squeezing his fingers with hers.

"I'D PAY TO SEE THAT!" Joker's voice caused them both to move away from each other.

"Spying Joker?" Emily said as she looked around the room.

"Not the least Ma'am. It's boring sitting here in the cockpit all by my lonesome." Joker's voice full of laughter.

She smiled and shook her head, turning her attention to Kaidan and held out her hand.

"Tell you what, you can walk me to my room and head off to bed yourself. We have a early shift tomorrow." She smiled as his hand enveloped hers.
"And I'll be here. Just flying the ship. Alone." Joker said to the empty mess hall.

She banged her head gently against the door repeatedly. She knew that she had to talk to Joker and make sure he doesn't spread around what he heard. This was something she really didn't want to deal with.

Her omni-tool pinged, alerting to her a message. With her head still pressed against the wall she opened the message and let out a soft curse. Her fist balled with biotic energy, she slammed it into the wall.

I know your dirty little secret. Meet me outside Chora's Den. Citadel.

-Finch

She slammed her fist into the wall again and let the biotic energy course down her body and into the walls.

"Whoever is doing that, please knock it off. You're going to fry my systems." Joker's voice boomed through the speakers throughout the ship.

"Sorry Joker. Set a course for the Citadel and make it fast. I have some business I have to take care of." Emily said as she slid her body to the floor, arms wrapped tightly around her legs.

"Look girlie, you ain't got a choice. You want to be in the Reds, you kill your mark. Remember we took you in when you were a kid. You owe us for your life." Markus whispered while handing her the pistol.

"You're a kid, no one is gonna suspect you of killing the fucking alien." The gun felt warm in her hands.

"Please no! Let me go! I didn't do anything, I didn't know this was gang territory!" The Batarian begged, tears streaming from all four of its eyes.

"You filthy aliens coming to our planet and fucking things up even more." Markus' voice snarled as he threw a punch at the Batarian's face.

"Shoot him already, you stupid bitch. Remember we took care of you when your whore of a mother died." The voice sneered as she felt a blow to the back of her head. Causing her eyes to fill up with tears.

She closed her eyes, biting her lip hard and tasting blood she squeezed the trigger.

"BOOOM"

Tears coursed down her cheeks as the memory surfaced with brutal clarity. She choked on the phantom smell of the Batarian's blood as the cold dead look of his eyes haunted her. She was only ten years old when she first killed someone. Her mother had died during the winter of a drug overdose, leaving her to fend for herself. She eventually started following a group of teens around as they talked about making a lot of credits and being able to eat regularly. Only to find out too late that they were in a gang.

After her first kill, she restricted herself to only stealing and selling drugs, weapons and mods. She didn't move up in ranks in the gang and she was fine with that till the day her crew were tasked of stealing a cache of element zero and her biotic powers kicked in.

She shuddered as more memories poured into her mind, causing her biotic energy to flicker alarmingly.

Her door whooshed open as both Kaidan and Garrus rushed in to check up on her. She quickly wiped the tears on her face and gave them a blank look.

"Can I help you?" She asked, her voice cold and dangerous.

Garrus took a step back, recognizing predatory eyes staring up at them.

Kaidan reached for her, only to be slammed into the opposite wall with a biotic punch to the chest, luckily he had set up a barrier before he and Garrus opened Emily's door. He let out a small groan and turned cold eyes on Emily.

"Seems someone needs some exercise." Garrus commented as he quickly plucked Emily up over his shoulder and took her to the cargo bay.

"If you're looking for a fight, don't do it in your personal quarters." He continued as he unceremoniously dropped Emily on the floor.

"Alenko get your ass up and spar with your CO. She needs to be put through her paces. Feel free to use SOME biotics but try not to kill each other." He continued.

Kaidan nodded as he reached down to help Emily up to her feet, and tugged off his shirt tossing it to the floor.

Narrowing her eyes, Emily unzipped her hoodie, revealing a tight black tank top with N7 on the chest. She paced backwards, her hands held loosely to her sides. She watched Kaidan circle her slowly, muscles rippling across his chest and down his taut stomach. She feigned to the left, and followed with a quick punch to the right side of his chest only for him to block and back off a step with a smile on his face.

"That all you got Shepard?" He taunted as he took a few quick jabs to her abdomen, causing her to back up a step or two. She followed his movement with a quick punch to the shoulder, then dropped to the ground swiping her legs under him causing him to slam hard to the ground. He followed suit, side swiping his leg, knocking her to the ground and quickly rolled on top of her, his legs on either side of hers and his elbows preventing her arms from moving. She smirked up at him and arched her hips up causing him to falter in shock. Momentarily distracting him, she quickly rolled on top of him pinning him under her.

They stared at each other, both breathing hard, their faces just inches from each other.

"ETA twenty minutes Commander. And hey Garrus who won?!" Joker's voice interrupted.

"Shepard did." Garrus snickered as he grabbed Kaidan's and Emily's cloths and tossed it to them as the two quickly sat up.

"Sorry...I" Emily said as she looked down at her hands and bit her lip.

"It's okay, you didn't hurt me that much. Although I should probably check with Chakwas that I don't have a bruise or a broken rib." He teased while lightly poking at his bare chest.

A blush stained her cheeks as her eyes roamed the expense of muscle and skin.

He rumbled a laugh, causing her to blush even more and quickly pulled his shirt on much to Emily's disappointment.

She pushed the comm button on her omni-tool, contacting Joker.

"Hey Joker, connect me to the ship system." Hearing an affirmative she made an announcement.

"Shore leave effective when we dock at Citadel for twenty four hours. Do not get in trouble, I will not use my Spectre Status to bail you out of jail. If you're not back on this ship after twenty four hours you will be left behind."

Cheers could be heard from the other parts of the ship. Shore leave was a rare treat and even though it was only for one day, it made the crew happy.

"Shore leave huh? Wanna catch a movie and lunch?" Kaidan asked as Emily tensed up.

"We'll see Kaidan, I have some personal business I need to attend to, when that's done I'll message you." She said as she made her way back to her bunk.

Kaidan stared at her as she walked away, a small flash of pain crossed his features.

"Something must be up. How bout I keep an eye on her?" Garrus interrupted the human's thoughts with a careful nudge to his arm.

Kaidan looked at Garrus, not bothering to hide the feelings he had for Emily show in his eyes.

"Yeah, lets follow her and see what's up, just gotta make sure she doesn't realize we're following her."

"No Kaidan, she can easily sense you with the way her biotics react to yours, I'll go solo. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her for you" Garrus put his claw on Kaidan's shoulder.

Kaidan let out a sigh and nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks" he said as he turned away.

Emily walked out of her room wearing combat boots laced tightly, a pair of black cargo pants and a dark grey shirt. She reached down and grabbed her hoodie from where Garrus had tossed it and quickly shrugged it on hiding the pistol strapped to her side.

She ran her fingers through her short hair and thought about the complicated message she received. Letting out a soft sigh she quickly made her way to Chora's Den, not noticing her turian shadow trailing behind her.

"Well well well...if it ain't the great Commander Shepard. The first human Spectre." A man commented to her right.

"I bet the whole galaxy would be pretty curious about your history in the gang." He continued as he circled Emily slowly, checking her out from the top of her head, pausing to stare at her chest and ass to her toes of her combat boots." He sneered as he finally stood in front of Emily, crowding in her personal space.

"You think I care what you say about me? Just out with it, what do you want? I don't have time for your bull shit Finch." Emily said softly as her fingers tightened on the butt of her pistol.

"Oh we just need a favor from the great Commander Spectre Shepard." He sneered as he leaned closer to her.

Refusing to be cowed, she raised her eyebrow and smirked, placing a hand on her cocked hip.

"Ohh blackmail. How cute. You really think that trying to blackmail me is a good idea? I'm a Spectre now, if I decide to shoot you right now, no one and I repeat no one would question my motives. So I suggest you really think about what you're trying to do." Her voice going cold and dangerous.

Finch held up his hands and took a hasty step back.

"Now now, I just want you to convince that turian guard in Chora's Den to let one of our friends go. And then you won't hear from us ever again." Finch continued as he took another step back.

Quick as lightning, Emily had the pistol shoved under the guys chin.

"Really Finch? You really think threatening me is going to work?" She said her eyes glittered dangerously.

"C'mon Rosie, we took you in. Took care of you, then you just up and vanish to join the Alliance. You owe us." He choked out as the gun dug into his throat.

She slammed him into the wall before releasing him. Anger coursing through her veins, she turned and made her way into Chora's Den while Finch rubbed his neck angrily staring daggers into her back.

"You may not be in the Red's anymore Shepard. But you really don't want us as your enemy." He called out angrily behind her.

She located the turian guard, and lightly tapped him on the shoulder.

"Ah Commander, did not think this was your scene." The guard commented as he gestured to the chair next to him.

"What can I do for you?" He continued as he watched her sit back.

"A human named Finch wanted me to use my authority as a Spectre to free Curt Weisman." She said, tilting her head towards the door.

"The xenophobe? I should have known his had friends." He growled softly.

"Thank you for the information. We'll increase the guards on his cell." He nodded and began to type on his omni-tool.

"I knew you'd rat us out Shepard. Now its payback time." Finch said as he came from behind Shepard.

"When we're through telling our story, the aliens will know what the first human Spectre really is." He continued angrily, his voice increasing in volume.

"If you want humanity to be strong, a smear attack on the first human Spectre is a bad idea." Emily said her eyes staring dangerously at Finch.
"The Spectre is right. This is humanity's chance to prove itself. There is even talk of earning a Council seat." The turian guard said as he turned his attention to Finch.

"Of course you'd side with Shepard! You want someone who's in bed with your kind!" He yelled out as he pointed an accusing finger at her.

She returned his stare, her eyes narrowed as her fingers trailed along the butt of her pistol again.

"You know what, fine, Shepard. You're right. You're not one of the Reds. Maybe you never were." Finch said disgustingly as he walked away.

"You should have killed him Commander." The guard said as he walked away as well.

She sighed as she sat back down on the barstool.

"Garrus, did you enjoy the show?" she asked as the turian slid out of the shadows and took the seat next to her.

He rumbled a sound deep in his chest as he gestured to the bartender.

"You've been following me since I got off the Normandy. Next time, paint your face different, I can recognize your markings from a mile away." She continued while she rested her forehead on his shoulder.

"Sorry Shepard. Kaidan was worried about you and asked me to keep an eye on you." He rumbled as he turned bright blue eyes towards the top of her head. He took a deep breath, inhaling her scent.

She sat up and reached for the beer the bartender placed in front of her.

"Mhm." She mumbled as she took a long pull of beer and nodded.

"After this, I'll go see if he wants to watch that movie." She continued as she stared out blankly.

"It'll be okay." Garrus said as he nudged her shoulder.

She put a credit chit on the table and got up. She smiled at Garrus and nodded her head towards the door.

"See ya later big-guy." She said as she walked out of the bar.

He took a sip of his beer and watched her walk away.