Grissom Academy

Ear to ear, Shepard's grin took on a life of its own, stretching wide enough to claim all new real estate on her face. Grundan Krul handed her the hot mug with thick, white tendrils of aromatic steam drifting in lazy swirls from the surface. His trademarked, stoic expression failed to hide the smile in his eyes as he ushered them inside with a wave of his recently-freed hand. Garrus chuckled and stepped past Shepard, stopping to grip his friend's shoulder while she stayed rooted in place.

She brought the cup up to her face, savoring the warmth of the ceramic against her palms as she inhaled deeply. The rich, delicious scent reached all the way to the very bottoms of her lungs, molecules penetrating every cell in her body and teasing a moan from her throat. She blew across the dark, rippling surface before taking a sip. It scalded the tip of her tongue but cooled enough to not scorch her throat by the time it spread through her mouth, washing over her taste buds in the most exquisite way.

"I love you," she muttered to the coffee and took another sip.

"You enjoy that way too much," Jane said, a smirk on her imprisoned face.

She sighed and glanced up, finding both men watching her with a mixture of amusement and affection on their faces. Grinning, she winked at them before settling her gaze on Grundan Krul. "What've you got for me?"

His lips twitched in an almost-smile, and he tipped his head back toward the consoles. "Come see."

Tucking her elbows against her sides, she cradled the mug against her chest and followed as he led the way. She glanced around the open space, taking note of Feron working at a console off in a corner of the room. She'd make sure to check in on him before taking off again—Pelathya, too, if she was around.

"Spectre Protalus reached out," said Grundan Krul, "for information on Taterus' primarch, Idus Valen."

The name didn't ring any bells for Shepard, but tidbits of news reports began to piece themselves together within the amalgamation. "He became primarch after that explosion last year, right?"

"Right." Garrus nodded in her direction, gaze remaining focused on the new Shadow Broker. "Why is she looking for information on him?"

Seeing the subject piqued his interest, she figured she didn't really need to say anything. Instead, she contented herself with the role of silent observer, letting Garrus lead the debriefing, and sipped her coffee. Truthfully, she didn't mind playing second fiddle to him from time to time. She trusted him—completely—and between his laser focus and impressive IQ, she knew he wouldn't miss anything important. She wished she'd found it in her to lean on him a little more a little sooner, maybe then ….

"Don't," Jane said, stopping Dawn's downward spiral right in its self-loathing tracks. "Don't do that to yourself; to us. You don't know it would've changed a damn thing, and if it did, you don't know if the changes would've been for better or worse. I … I put too much blame on you before, for everything. I didn't …. I'm sorry. You didn't deserve any of it, and I especially regret how it's impacted your confidence."

"Is he a part of The Dissension?" Garrus asked, mandibles flaring.

Shepard stopped, the cup halfway to her lips, and lifted an eyebrow as she thought, "Woah. That was, uh …. Thank you, Jane. I appreciate the apology and the fact you're willing to take some responsibility for your part in things, but I hardly think you can take all the credit for my shitshow."

"No," Grundan Krul said, tugging at Shepard's attention, "but she was having trouble confirming whether or not his succession was a part of the plan when Facinus attacked Vallum." He activated the console set into his workstation across from the entrance. "Facinus is starting to recruit members of The Dissension. Their belief systems are fairly similar, but whereas The Dissension primarily targets humans and human organizations, the other group turned their hatred inward. Their attacks are primarily against the Hierarchy, Council interests, and pretty much anyone they view as being pro-human."

Jane groaned, studying Grundal Krul through Shepard's eyes. "Fuck. That definitely can't be a good thing."

"More like anyone who isn't anti-human or who supports any sort of law, trade agreement, or advancement which benefits humanity directly even if it isn't the primary purpose." Garrus hummed and scratched one of his mandibles. "Why are they recruiting from The Dissension?"

Shepard wished she'd taken more time to learn about all of the various affiliations, goals, and general attitudes in alien politics. Not that Facinus or The Dissension were officially 'political' groups; they were separatist groups with political agendas and no qualms against engaging in terroristic activities if they thought it'd help further their cause. Human history was riddled with the same sort of bullshit. History, hell. Until Miranda took over, Cerberus was actively doing the same crap. There were probably a hundred more groups who shared the same stupid, xenophobic ideas out there, too.

"Let's hope it's only a hundred." The weight of the sudden weariness in Jane's voice could only come from the literal hell she'd lived through over, and over, and over, and over again. "Oh, who the fuck am I kidding? It's not like we have the time to deal with the ones right in front of us; it's not even really our job, but of course the galaxy keeps finding ways to make it our job, whether or not the reapers are knocking on our front door."

"It's not 'not' our job," Shepard said, taking another sip of her coffee before continuing her point silently, "Remember, when being a spectre was about spec ops without red tape and not about saving the galaxy from insane death machines?"

Garrus glanced her way, brow plates quirked with his unvoiced question, but she only gave him a dismissive nod and small smile.

Jane chuckled, the ominous sound like storm clouds rolling in on the horizon. "Right. Guess we just missed that part because we didn't get in on the ground floor."

"Building their ranks." Grundan Krul tapped a few keys on his console and pulled up a report showing the numbers of Facinus and The Dissension side by side. "With The Dissension in the spotlight, taking so much heat, it looks like a lot of unidentified members are abandoning the group."

"And Facinus is opening their doors, giving ex-Dissension members a safe place to land." Shepard sighed and took a sip of her coffee. "Which means it'll be a lot more difficult to ferret them out and hold them accountable."

"You're right," she thought, "this shit really shouldn't be on us. It almost makes me feel bad for putting James' name forward as a spectre candidate."

"It's placing Facinus in Protalus' crosshairs, now, too." Grundan Krul nodded, glancing between Shepard and Garrus.

"He deserves the title." Jane hummed, a warm, almost motherly feeling spreading through their bond. "He's not the brightest, but he has that je ne sais quoi, that moxy, that helps him figure his way out of tight spots and take it all in stride. And honestly, he's a lot smarter than what he even realizes, he just doesn't have the specialized training and experience to make it obvious. He can get that, though. Hell, someone out there wants him in the N7 program. You just did him one better."

Shepard gave her a mental grunt of agreement and then refocused on the conversation at hand.

Garrus hummed, flicking his mandibles. "They'll be gunning for her, too."

"They already are." Grundan Krul scratched his jaw. "She's trying to determine whose side the primarch is really on."

"Sounds like things are getting pretty hot for her. Offer to extract her," Shepard said, taking a sip and letting it take its time, sliding over her tongue before swallowing. "We can get her somewhere safer to continue her work. Get her some backup, too."

Movement caught her attention, and she turned to watch Feron approaching, a grin plastered on his face. She arched an eyebrow, curious to see what made the drell so happy. Humming, Garrus slid an arm around her waist, settling a palm on her hip as he shifted to watch, too.

"Hello, Shepard," Feron said as he came to a stop and handed Grundan Krul a datapad. "Garrus." He dipped his head to both of them, smile widening. "It's good to see you again. I hope your friend, Lieutenant Vega, is recovering smoothly. Thane and Avalina, too, of course. I pray there's been no … complications with either of them."

Swallowing against the sudden knot in their throat, the amalgamation forced the smile to stay on their face and gave the agent a nod. "Vega will pull through, he's tough as …. It'd take a hell of a lot more to keep that marine down. We haven't noted any indications of indoctrination from either Thane or Avalina." A dry chuckle slipped through their lips. "Then again, odds are, you already knew that and far more about all of them than we do, given your job."

Feron's teeth disappeared behind his lips as his grin morphed into a sly smirk. "I'm glad everyone is doing as well as can be expected," he said, artfully sidestepping their statement as easily as any drell or hanar they'd ever met.

They chuckled and turned their gaze to Grundan Krul, watching as the batarian read from the datapad without even the slightest twitch of change in his expression. They should really take him to the casinos, the man had one hell of a poker face. With the shit he'd been through, though, it really wasn't so surprising.

Grundan Krul handed the datapad back to Feron and nodded. "Good work." He searched Feron's face for a second before adding, "go head, you can tell them."

"Thank you." Feron dipped his head to Grundan Krul before flashing a grin their way, white teeth standing out against multi-hued skin as he turned his attention back to them. "I've located the Illusive Man."

"Hey, sexy," Shepard said the moment Jack answered the call. It was a bit of a gamble, but she figured Jack was smart enough to not answer a call from Shepard in front of children. Or, well, anyone else, really. The resulting snort of laughter and slow shake of the other woman's—not so bald anymore—head was well worth the risk. "Get your shit together, we're coming to get you."

Watching the swift flurry of emotions wash over Jack's face as her eyebrows hiked up and that—oh, so, so deadly—spark flared to life in her eyes was really a rather beautiful thing. Maybe not so much the deadly spark … well, yeah, that, too. Either way, Jack not only allowed herself to feel those emotions, but she let Shepard see them, too. That was the truly beautiful thing.

"The amalgamation has you all over the place today, doesn't it?" Amusement filled Jane's voice, but it wasn't enough to conceal the trickle of concern passing through their connection. "I hope all of you can keep it together long enough to make sure the sonofabitch doesn't slip through our fingers again."

Shepard kept the smile on her face and her response to Jane just between them, "That bastard is ours, no matter which of us, or how many of us, are behind the wheel when we get there."

"Fuck. Yeah." Jack's expression settled into a smirk. "Where's Garrus? Does he know, yet?"

"Where do you think?" Shepard snorted and cocked an eyebrow.

"Dicking around on deck three 'calibrating' some shit." Jack shook her head, sharing in Shepard's amusement, before repeating, "Does he know, yet?"

Shepard nodded, studying the hope on her friend's face, backlit by an amazing, inner glow that contrasted so sharply against the burning, little ball of unfettered fury that was Jack when they'd first met. Fuck. She loved Jack. Not just as a friend, and not just the others. No, what Shepard felt just then, seeing that look in Jack's eyes … it was all Dawn.

Jane snorted.

Swallowing, Shepard pushed the realization aside and said, "He was with me when Feron gave me the news. Otherwise, you would've been the first to know. I really wanted to be the one to tell you, though. Alone. This thing—Cerberus and The Illusive Man—it's a me and you thing. You know? My promise to keep."

Gaze searching Shepard's, the lines of Jack's features took on a sharper edge, and her smile slowly slipped away. Seriousness weighed heavily in her voice when she nodded and said, "Yeah. I know." As if she couldn't handle whatever thoughts it brought to the forefront of her mind, Jack scoffed and shook her head, an almost defensive smile slipping into place. "Fuck, Alliance. Knowing you has been one hell of a ride. Let me know if you still want to do that whole pirate thing one of these days."

~69696969~

Traces of Jack's scent greeted him at the door, and just that small whiff warmed the blood in his veins. He'd missed her more than he'd realized. Oh, he knew he missed her, but life kept his mind busy and his body exhausted. Between having Dawn back in his arms, the thrum of a warship's engine beneath his feet as it carried him from one end of the galaxy to the next, and his rifle in his hands again—even if the attack on The Pearson Sisters' Sanctuary was the last action it saw—Garrus didn't have the time or energy to really 'explore' his emotions. Not that he'd want to, anyway.

When he did finally set aside the ever-growing mountain of concerns and checked off the last of the day's 'to-do' list, all he wanted was to crawl into bed next to Dawn and sink into oblivion. Ever since getting Dawn back, he'd fallen asleep faster, slipped deeper into the abyss, and stayed there far longer than he ever had at any other point in his life. He'd like to say it was just because he'd spent so much time worrying himself sick about Dawn and the fate of the galaxy that having the Commander back aboard the Normandy where she belonged meant he could finally relax and catch up on missed sleep. The truth of the matter, however, the down time spent on the Citadel softened him more than he wanted to admit. Well, that and the major kick to the spurs he took fighting the old Shadow Broker.

He hoped he still had the stamina to keep up with both Dawn and Jack.

Chuffing, he cleared the cornucopia of scents from his nostrils and followed Dawn over to the reception desk. She'd talked to him about the other Shepards' experiences at Grissom Academy a few times, so he knew walking into the building would make her tense. Even if she didn't give him the heads up, though, with the way she constantly scanned the room only to stop and stare at empty space, right away he would've known phantom battles unfolded before her eyes. He couldn't get a solid read on her scent as they moved through the crowd, and her armor hid the roll of adrenaline-primed muscles beneath her skin, but no turian—good, bad, or otherwise—could possibly miss the deadly, graceful movements of a stalking predator prepared to pounce.

Only Cerberus wasn't at Grissom Academy, tearing the place apart with mechs, kidnapping kids, shooting up the place. They were surrounded by civilians and a mere handful of armed guards. If her control slipped ….

Falling back a couple of steps, he flipped over to the Normandy's channel. "EDI?" he said softly, feeling like an ass for what he was about to do, but he knew it was in everyone's best interest.

"Yes, Garrus?" A hint of curiosity colored the AI's voice as she responded over his personal channel.

Mandibles fluttering, he inwardly cursed before charging forward, "Do me a favor and keep an eye on Shepard's vitals. This place has her on edge, and if the others get worked up …."

"Jane is no longer able to take control by force, if that is your concern," EDI said.

"No—I know she can't—but that's not what I mean. Hmmm." He chuffed softly, catching a whiff of the growing tension rolling off of Dawn even as he spoke. Ironically, he realized Jane would likely be a safer bet at the moment. "Back on the Citadel, when she … when they got too emotional, they lashed out violently and indiscriminately." He let out a soft growl, frustrated and ashamed, but resolute. He felt like shit, but he knew if things went sideways, with so many civilians around … she'd never forgive him if he let her hurt someone. "Like … damn it, like a child throwing a tantrum."

"I see. I'm detecting a mild increase in heart rate, brain activity, and adrenal output, but everything appears to be within normal range for Shepard," EDI paused for a moment. "Without more specific criteria or readings from a prior incident, I may not be of much help."

"Just let me know if things start getting intense. Especially if there doesn't seem to be any reason for it," he spoke the last words even softer as Dawn came to a stop. He closed the few steps between them and stood just behind her shoulder.

"Hello, welcome to Grissom—oh!" Pupils dilating when his gaze landed on Dawn, the human man behind the desk studied her with rapt attention, pheromones growing musky as they filled the air, signaling his attraction. "Commander Shepard. Wow." He pushed back his chair, rising to his feet swiftly enough to draw a warning growl from Garrus, but the man didn't flinch. Instead, he kept his gaze locked on Dawn and brought his hand to his brow in salute.

"Serviceman," Dawn said with a nod. "We're here to pick up Jack Nought."

Garrus' mandibles fluttered. He knew Jack didn't like for people to know her whole name, even if it was a name she'd chosen for herself after her escape from Cerberus. When she stayed on at Grissom Academy, though, they didn't give her a choice. She was technically employed by the Alliance, and that meant a formalization and legalization of the name 'Jacqueline Nought'.

She'd spent a solid hour on vid call expressing her annoyance in the most colorful of terms before he'd managed to calm her down by helping her put together a list of potential aliases. He wasn't ashamed to admit he even shared a few C-Sec secrets with her on identity tracking and spotting false identifications, just in case she ever decided to split ways with all things on the 'right side of the law' again. As an afterthought, he'd suggested they ask Grundan Krul to find out her birth name—Dawn indicated it was possible—but Jack just shut down at the mention and changed the subject.

The expression on the serviceman's face switched from awe to horror in less than a heartbeat. Both Dawn and Garrus let out a bark of laughter, followed moments later by that odd, soft chuckle of Grunt's. Even while on her best behavior and playing nice with the Alliance, Jack scared the shit out of everyone. Spirits, he loved her.

"I'll let her know right away, ma'am." Retaking his seat, the man pushed a button on his console and spoke into the mic. "Commander Shepard has arrived for Ms. Nought."

"Thank you," Dawn said, nodding before pushing away from the counter. She walked off a few steps, putting some distance between herself and the reception desk, before stopping and pivoting to face Garrus and Grunt. She smiled and crossed her arms loosely over her chest, dropping her weight onto one hip.

Garrus knew her well enough to realize she hadn't positioned herself facing them for the sake of casual conversation while they waited. No, she'd faced them to watch their six, trusting them to watch hers in return. Despite her cool demeanor, Dawn stood vigilant, waiting for an enemy—who wasn't there—to attack. Her gaze drifted in and out of focus as she watched the movements of people around them, and her head tilted just a little to the side as if she'd picked up on the sounds of radio chatter and strained to zero in on the location of Cerberus troops.

It filled him with dread.

All of his concern vanished a few moments later when her gaze locked onto something beyond Garrus, and the most beautiful smile spread across her face. His heart thudded against his keel, and he twisted to glance behind him, taking only a second to spot Jack's approaching form. Mandibles flaring as his moutplates quirked into a smile of his own, he turned completely around and relaxed his stance, taking on the casual, confident image of a bad-boy vigilante just as comfortable making a pass at a woman as he was lining up a shot through the scope of his sniper rifle. It was an image he never really felt he owned, but he'd nearly perfected the role during his time on Omega. Nearly.

Jack looked good. Not just physically, but like the time away from it all had really cleared her mind and helped her get her head on straight. Good. She deserved it, and with everything still to come, she'd need it. Her gaze shifted between Garrus, Shepard, and Grunt, a grin spreading her lips wider. Spirits, he wished she'd hurry up, but her slow, hip-swaying, swagger of approach didn't quicken in the slightest. She was driving him crazy already, and she damn well knew it.

When she finally got close enough, he shifted his weight and reached toward her, ready to pull her into his embrace. She slipped right past him. Surprised—and if he were being entirely honest, more than a little hurt—he spun around to see where the hell she was going. Jack stopped in front of Dawn, palmed her cheek, leaned in, and stole Dawn's lips in a kiss that should've been his own. Garrus chuffed, the sight before him instantly soothing the sting from her slight. He crossed his arms and shook his head, a bemused grin flaring his mandibles. Voices fell silent, conversations tapering off all around them, and Garrus didn't have to look to know all eyes were on the two women.

After several, excruciatingly long seconds, Jack let go, leaving Dawn flushed and—if the rich, tangy scent coating his nostrils and tongue with every breath was any indication—her under armor drenched. Interestingly enough, the unique scent of Jack's arousal mingled with Dawn's, not as strong, more reserved certainly, but it created the best damn smelling bouquet he'd ever crossed paths with. Garrus suddenly found himself very, very glad he'd worn full armor.

Grunt remained unfazed; the only person around completely indifferent to the display.

Turning back around to face Garrus, fire filled Jack's eyes, and she flashed him a cocky smirk before reaching up and grabbing the yoke of his armor. Resisting the demanding jerk she gave the ceramic would've been easy, even in his weakened state, but her little public dominance games actually amused him. Spirits, he really was an awful turian. He let her drag him down to her level, and her lips covered his mouth plates. The lingering taste of Dawn's kiss on her tongue dissipated quickly, leaving only Jack to overwhelm his senses. He slipped an arm around her tiny little waist and dragged her a little closer. Even through his armor, her warmth was heady and drew a rumble from his chest.

Spirits.

Just when he thought his plates were going to spread completely and he was going to unsheath whether he wanted to or not, she broke the kiss and pressed her forehead against his.

"Hey," she whispered, her breath warm and soft against his face. "I missed you."

Someone cleared their throat, and both Garrus and Jack turned to look. A yellow-haired woman in Alliance dress stood with her hands behind her back. She pressed her lips together into a tight, thin line, conveying every ounce of her disapproval as she stared at Jack and shook her head before turning her attention to Dawn.

"Commander Shepard? Do you have a moment?" she said, her expression softening.

~69696969~

Reeling from the utterly unexpected but completely welcomed kiss—if what just happened could be referred to as something so simple and innocent sounding as a 'kiss'—Shepard struggled to draw breath, drowning in the amalgamation. They weren't trying to drag her under the surface, it wasn't like when Jane fought for control in the past, they were all just … well, just as surprised as Shepard. It was one thing for the biotic to return a kiss initiated by the amalgamation, but she'd definitely made the move herself, and she'd definitely added in a little something extra to fuel the fire.

It was incredibly sexy and incredibly confusing.

And one-hundred percent something Shepard needed to approach with caution. Shit, it was Jack, everything needed to be approached with caution. Honestly, she probably just found it amusing, especially after the way the amalgamation greeted her back on the Citadel. Projecting her own emotions onto Jack's actions wasn't going to do anyone any good, especially Shepard.

"Commander Shepard?" The feminine voice sounded familiar, but it was hearing her title that snapped Shepard out of the emotional whirlwind. "Do you have a moment?" the woman asked.

Turning toward the voice, Shepard blinked and smiled, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Kahlee Sanders, right?" She moved closer, holding out a hand in greeting. "Anderson speaks highly of you. What can I do for you?"

Kahlee relaxed her stance, a soft blush spreading over her cheeks as she nodded and shook Shepard's hand. "He speaks highly of you, too. Not that your reputation doesn't say enough all on its own."

Chuckling, Shepard dropped her hand to her side when Kahlee let go. "Fair enough."

"I wanted to discuss David Archer's continued care. With the Council backing your claims and the reapers on their way, we'll soon be evacuating Grissom Academy." Kahlee turned enough to wave a hand toward Jack. "Ms. Nought assured me that contacting Dr. Gavin Archer regarding David would, to put it more politely, upset you greatly and personally."

"I told her it'd piss you the fuck off, and you'd probably clean the floors with her face." Jack popped a shoulder in a shrug, pursing her lips to the side and rolling her eyes. "I think I was pretty fucking polite, but whatever."

Shepard smiled and gave Jack a conspiratorial wink, turning her attention back to Kahlee. "She has such a wonderful way with words. She's not entirely wrong, though. I don't know what you were told about David's situation, but under absolutely no circumstances should Gavin Archer have anything to do with David, and yes, it would find it greatly upsetting, personally and professionally."

"I wasn't provided with any details; I only know that he came to us while still recovering from multiple, serious injuries and dehydration." The look in Kahlee's eyes made it clear she suspected someone did something terrible to David, perhaps even suspected it was his own brother, but the look simply wasn't haunted enough for her to even come close to suspecting just how truly heinous and gruesome things were. "Of course we don't wish to jeopardize David's safety—I presume that is the concern—but he isn't a minor who can simply be placed into a home the way some of the orphaned children in our care will be, not without a drawn out competency hearing, but he isn't exactly prepared to provide for himself without assistance. He has no other known relatives. As a Spectre—the one responsible for his rescue and someone with such a strong opinion on the matter—"

Shepard held up a hand, showing the woman her palm. "With all due respect, Lieutenant, if you're asking me to use my Spectre authority to rob David of what little autonomy he's ever had in his life by making such a decision for him, and without due process, I'm afraid the answer is no."

Jaw dropping enough to part her lips, Kahlee stared at Shepard a moment, blinking rapidly before she recovered, cheeks red, and shook her head. "No! God, no. Of course not, I only meant to suggest we'd value your input and suggestions on the matter." She smoothed her hands over her uniform, collecting herself and returning to parade rest. "I apologize for the awkwardness caused by my poor choice in approach, and I hope I haven't insulted you, Shepard. It certainly wasn't my intention."

Chagrined, Shepard rubbed her forehead before pinching the bridge of her nose. She shook her head and met Kahlee's gaze again. "No, I'm the one who should apologize. I didn't even let you finish before jumping in with a response." She offered the woman an apologetic smile. "I think I'm just getting too accustomed to dealing with the worst in people."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Commander." Kahlee seemed to relax marginally and returned the smile. "You already have the weight of the galaxy on your shoulders. Truthfully, I feel silly even bothering you with this at all."

"No, I'm glad you did." Shepard glanced around, but David was nowhere to be seen. "I may have some ideas that might interest him and solve everyone's problem. Is he around? I'd like to speak with him directly."

"Hey, David," Jack said, helping herself to a seat in David's shared quarters. "Shepard's here with me, and she wants to talk to you."

"Hello, Ms. Nought." Abandoning whatever electronic device he'd been tinkering with, David stood and turned to the door. His gaze swept first over Garrus then Shepard and back again. "I remember you, Normandy crew." Averting his gaze again, his voice softened ever so slightly as he added, "I'm sorry."

Garrus chuffed and shook his head. "It was never your fault."

"Hey," Jack said, drawing David's attention, "we talked about that, remember? You can't blame yourself for any of that shi—crap. What your brother did to you was seriously messed up. You were pushed beyond your limits to cope, and you did whatever you had to do to survive."

Eyebrows creeping further up her brow, Shepard smiled with pride. She didn't say anything, though. Pointing out Jack's personal growth didn't tend to be received with warm fuzzies, and it wasn't really the time or place, anyway.

"Just like the crap I had to do." Jack sat back on the couch, resting an ankle on the opposite knee and throwing an arm over the side rest. "And if you don't want to take my word for it," she said, waving her other hand in Shepard's general direction, "I'm sure Alliance is dying to tell you the same damn thing."

David turned to look at Shepard and gave her a small nod. "Hello, Commander Shepard."

She felt unreasonably saddened to see no recognition in the autistic man's eyes when he looked at her. She wished she'd been able to be there when her team went in to shut down Dr. Archer's experiments and rescue the poor man. She had plenty enough memories of the horror show thanks to the amalgamation, and her absence didn't have any impact on David's ultimate safety, but some part of her grieved the missed opportunity to do good. To use her skills to bring a swift end to something so evil and instantly improve the life of someone so innocent and vulnerable.

"I wanted to be there, too," said Jane. "And not just because staying locked up on the Normandy under 'round the clock surveillance, while you took an extended nap, sucked."

"I know," Shepard thought.

The Cerberus mission which led them to David could've been missed without changing the bigger picture. The Crucible would still be built without David or Gavin's assistance, the war wouldn't be won or lost over either of them. David would've gone right on being tortured, though, and eventually killed, one way or another. How could she have ever knowingly left him to that fate? How could any of them? Even as the thought still formed in her mind, she knew there were some of them, some Shepards, who'd walked away and left David to Project Overlord. They reasoned the potential benefits outweighed the cost; the ends justified the means. The damage was already done. Her stomach churned at the thought, saliva souring in her mouth, and Garrus shifted closer, resting a hand on the small of her back. She hated those Shepards, hated that they were somehow within her, sharing her body. Hated that, in some unfathomable way, they were her and she was them. Shepards; different versions of the same person.

"Hello, David." A warm smile lifted her lips as she shifted her attention to the task at hand. "It's nice to get the chance to meet you. I'm sorry I couldn't be there in person to help you before—I'd been injured in an explosion on the Citadel and needed time to recover."

"I watched a news report on the incident." He blinked, and his gaze drifted to Garrus and then Jack before returning to Shepard. "The Normandy's captain and crew fought off an attack by a terrorist group called The Dissension. You saved Councilors Sparatus and Anderson. His name is David, too. David Edward Anderson. He was the first captain of the original Normandy. He's from London, on Earth."

She let out a soft chuckle and nodded. "You're absolutely right, on all counts. He's also a really good friend of mine."

Snorting, Jack drew Shepard's attention and smirked. "He's not your friend, he's your Daddy."

Jane and Garrus both laughed, but neither commented. Shepard just shook her head in dismay.

"Commander Shepard's parents died during a batarian slaver raid on Mindor in 2170," David said, the statement delivered as a matter of fact.

Wound too tightly, the sudden coil of tension in the room stifled, pressing heavily on Shepard's chest and making it impossible to draw a breath. Garrus stilled, and even Jack appeared dumbstruck. They waited, watching as if they both expected Shepard to snap. Her smile faltered, but she cleared her throat and pulled it back into place.

"That's … also correct." And something she refused to leave on the table as a viable topic of discussion. "Anderson's been very supportive of me over the years, and I see him as a father figure. Jack enjoys a little good-natured teasing, both of Anderson and myself, by referring to him as my 'daddy.'"

David probably didn't understand the intricacies of why Jack, or anyone else for that matter, found humor in the situation, but he didn't seem to mind.

"That aside," she said, dismissing the thought with a wave of her hand, "they're both right, David. You're not responsible for anything that happened on Aite, and no one blames you. In fact …" She opened her omni-tool and synced it with her earpiece. "EDI?"

"Yes, Shepard?" The omni-tool's screen warped and changed color, shaping itself into EDI's access node hologram, and Shepard snorted softly over the extra touch. "I see you have routed the call through your omni-tool. Is there something in particular you would like for me to access?"

"The camera, so you have visual." Shepard watched David as she spoke, taking note of the subtle changes in his expression, the increased alertness and curiosity, almost excitement. She turned her wrist so that the omni-tool's camera would focus on David.

"Hello, David," EDI said, the richness of emotions giving her synthetic voice life once more. "You look much healthier."

"The Normandy computer." He looked down for just a second before returning his gaze to the blue, pawn-shaped hologram. "Sorry."

Jack huffed, but Shepard didn't bother to look her way.

"No apology is necessary," EDI said. "I'm glad to see you have recovered so well."

"We were just telling David that none of what happened there was his fault, and no one blames him for any of it." Shepard briefly caught his eye and gave him a soft smile as she continued to speak to EDI. "I wanted him to have the chance to hear it from you, too, but I also might need you to relay some information real time in a moment."

"I certainly don't blame you, David. In fact, your case is one I have reanalyzed since I began experiencing feedback irregularities determined to be the heuristical development of emotion analogs." EDI said. "I now experience what I believe humans call anger on your behalf when I recall what your brother did to you during Project Overlord, and I can imagine that I would likewise attempt to forcibly escape such a situation by whatever route presented itself."

"I'm not angry, EDI," David said, using the AI's actual name.

"David," Garrus said, mandibles flicking. "When we found you … you must've been in so much pain. Physically and mentally. How are you not angry?"

"Pain, yes. A lot of pain, and I wanted it to stop." David's middle fingers began tapping against his palms with steady, measured movements like a metronome keeping beat. "I was selfish. Mother said selfishness is wrong. I agreed to help, so there was no choice. Gavin said the pain would be temporary, and using the interface would save millions of lives." He paused, bringing one hand up to glide his fingers over one of the fading scars on the side of his head. "It was too much, too loud. I couldn't control the noise. I just wanted him to make it quiet, make it stop." His fingers curled inward, and he pressed the padding of his palm against the old wound hard enough to make the muscles of forearm bulge beneath his skin, bringing Shepard's eyes to the row of circular scars there, too. "The square root of 912.04 is 30.2. It all seemed harmless."

It all seemed harmless. Such simple words, but they were the final straw. The memories she'd kept at bay flooded her, a dam breaking in her mind and drowning out the present.

Shepard's heart pounded in her chest as green, digitized blocks formed the semblance of a face and screamed at her with its distorted, synthetic voice. Quiet, please make it stop. It took her a few times hearing it to make out the words, but once he had, he couldn't hear anything else. It pushed him, drove her to move faster into the facility, past locked doors and holographic illusions. Dr. Archer was wrong; David wasn't lost. Not completely. VI didn't plead. Viruses didn't beg for relief. The man, the person, was still in there, somewhere, and he needed help. But it would help her help him a whole lot more if the damn geth heretics would just stay out of his way.

With the VI disabled, Shepard got his first, good look at the device Dr. Archer spoke of … and the man trapped inside. It took her a few seconds to make sense of what he saw, not because it wasn't what he'd expected, but because what was right in front of her face seemed too horrible to be the truth. Without the synthetic filters, David's voice sounded through the room, helpless, pleading. Human. Shepard's blood boiled in her veins, and it took everything he had not to beat Dr. Archer to death with his bare hands the moment the man ran into the room.

Giant, heaping loads of horseshit poured out of Dr. Archer's mouth as he tried to convince Shepard to let Project Overlord continue. The man had the audacity to talk about sacrifice and saving lives as if he actually gave a damn about what happened to anyone but himself. Maybe he was right. One life to save millions. Wasn't it the same kind of choice Shepard made every day? No, it wasn't the same. They were not the same. It wouldn't have been her first choice, but she couldn't undo any of what Archer did to his brother. Still, the data gathered from the experiment … he had to let the sick bastard salvage what he could of Project Overlord and continue on with a safer method.

His own brother, still hung in the center of the room, wired into the torture device and pinned in place—begging for it to stop—and the motherfucker had the balls to say it all seemed harmless? David had been stripped naked, metal spikes and cables shoved through skin, flesh, and bone. Metal claws dug into the thin, fragile skin around his eyes, forcing them open beyond anything remotely natural, unable to even blink. A goddamned metal frame immobilized his head, anchored in place by being grafted into his body. But it all seemed harmless? She could shoot him, and no one would judge her in the slightest. And if they did, fuck them, too.

"Shepard!" The low, worried rasp in the flanging of Garrus' voice pulled at her, but it didn't manage to completely drag her out of the amalgamation's past until it shifted into a nervous whine. "Shepard!" He shook her with a firm grip on her shoulder.

Tears filled her eyes, but she didn't bother trying to fight them back or even blink them away to clear her vision. Garrus moved in closer and pressed his forehead to her temple. He muttered something, but she didn't really hear his words, only the soothing quality overlapping the fear in his voice. Her jaw remained clenched so tightly, she thought she might crack a tooth, but she didn't give a damn. Biotics formed a thin, fiery veil over her skin, but through it all, she'd somehow managed to keep a decent enough handle over herself to prevent a full flare.

"I think …." She fell silent as the deep, seething rage in her voice seemed to convince Garrus he needed to move further in front of her, as if to shield David from Shepard.

His grip tightened on her shoulder, and the coo of his voice shifted to desperation in her ear. "Dawn, please." A keen started in his throat, something felt more than heard, but he cut it off. "Stay with me. Spirits, stay with me."

She sucked in a slow, deep breath through her nostrils and held it a moment. Thane's training took over, working on autopilot to calm her heart and clear her mind. She closed her eyes and put her hand on top of Garrus', prying his grip free before wrapping her fingers around his own. She squeezed gently, using him as an anchor, but hoping to reassure him in the process.

Licking her lips, she checked her voice and tried again, "I'm sorry, David, but I think those were lies Gavin told you and himself in an attempt to rationalize and justify the horrible lengths he was willing to go to in his unattainable quest for omnipotence."

Garrus hummed softly and kissed her temple before standing up straight again. He stayed close to her, though, his body positioned to easily put himself completely between Shepard and David in a fraction of a second if needed. His hand never left hers. Jack had stood up and moved closer at some point, but it didn't concern Shepard; she was in control again.

"I have no doubt that whatever data he might've gathered could've been used for good, but I don't think that really even mattered to him." Shepard reached up with her free hand, having momentarily forgotten about EDI's hologram, and swiped away a tear tickling her cheek as it rolled over her skin. "The only thing he cared about was doing what hadn't been done before. What no one else could ever do. Because he thought it'd prove his greatness, confirm his belief that he was superior to his peers, his intelligence unmatched. He wanted to dominate the laws of nature and science, no matter the cost, and he didn't actually care what happened with the data. He didn't actually care what happened to you. If he did, he'd never have put you in that machine, it never would've even crossed his mind. Hell, he never would've even designed a machine that required so much damage to an actual, living human being in order to work. Any human being, but especially not his own brother."

David didn't say anything, just watched her in silence. Garrus squeezed her hand and hummed. She could almost hear the gears in his head turning as he fought the urge to add his voice to her protests.

"I'm sorry." She turned her gaze to the floor between them, reigning in her thoughts and focusing on her breathing.

"You are sad and angry," David said, the slightest shift in his inflection letting her know he didn't really understand why, but he did understand it wasn't a good thing.

"We're not angry, we're infuriated. For his sake." Jane sighed. "And here he is trying to wrap his mind around our emotions. This must be confusing as all hell for him."

"Maybe it's not really my place to say any of this." Sniffling, she looked back up at him and drew air deep into her lungs. "Maybe … maybe it's good you're not angry, not letting the past consume you and fill you with rage and hatred. Grudges only hurt the ones holding them," she said with a soft, self-deprecating snort of laughter. "This isn't what I wanted to talk to you about, though."

"What would you like to talk about?" David asked, his voice and expression complacent despite Shepard's emotional display.

She licked her lips. "Grissom Academy will soon be evacuating the school. Students and staff alike will be going home, but I have some alternative options for you that I thought you might be interested in hearing about."

David lowered his gaze. "I like being here. I don't want to leave."

"I know," she said, her voice softening, "and I really wish you could just stay right here for as long as you wanted."

And she did. More than anything, she wished Grissom Academy could remain open, but it just wasn't feasible. She wanted the academy to always be a safe haven for David; a place he could spend the rest of his days learning, inventing, and just living. Far, far, far away from Gavin Archer.

"Unfortunately, staying here won't be an option for anyone before long." She let out a weary sigh. "The reapers are closing in on the Milky Way, David, and when they get here, the whole galaxy will be thrown into war. Every Alliance member here now will be gone; restationed to wherever they're needed most. The whole station will likely be shut down."

"They've already started sending some of the younger students and non-essential staff home," Jack said. "Today is my last day here, too. I'm about to leave with Shepard and Garrus."

David glanced up, looking between Shepard, Garrus, and Jack. Finally he asked, "What are the alternatives you want to discuss?"

"You're incredibly gifted, David." She smiled, knowing the statement was too simplistic, but she'd never considered herself a poet. "If you still feel like you want to direct your efforts into helping people, there are several ways I think your skills could benefit everyone." She gave him a reassuring nod when his gaze settled on her face, even if not quite her eyes. "If none of them interest you, that's perfectly fine; we'll keep thinking about it until we find what works best for you. You don't have to make a decision right now, either."

Shepard took a second to weigh out the options in her mind before laying them out for him. "There's a major, classified project in the works which we believe will be able to defeat the reapers. Its construction is being spearheaded by the Alliance, but it isn't exclusively an Alliance project. The technology involved is incredibly advanced, and I've been sending the best minds I can find to help with the project. I'm certain you'd be able to contribute significantly, so that's the first option."

She gave him a few seconds to process the information before speaking again, "The geth—oh, not the geth you were working with, they were a faction who worked with the reapers vanguards. The rest of the geth refer to them as 'the heretics.'" She waved her hand, brushing aside the tangent for the time being. "Anyway, the geth and the quarians are no longer at war. Peace terms have been established, and the two races are working together to rebuild Rannoch as well as actively researching and creating new tech to fight the reapers. I consider these geth to be allies, and one of them, Legion, even served on the Normandy. I have close friends on Rannoch who I believe would not only be willing to ensure your basic needs were provided for—housing, levo food, whatever—but they'd also be thrilled to have your assistance in whatever way you wanted to contribute, whether it's focused on rebuilding Rannoch or R&D for the war."

"That's an interesting thought," Garrus said to Shepard, his body language completely at ease once again. His mandibles fluttered, and he hummed, seeming to contemplate the implications. "The Admiralty Board did give you a house of your own, I doubt they'd mind if David used it in your absence."

"Good idea. They're designing it with a human in mind, so it'll be the best accommodations for him. No point in it sitting empty." She chuckled and added, "And, I won't have to worry about cutting through layers of dust when I do want to spend time there."

Jack huffed and raised an eyebrow. "They just gave you a house? What, because you're just so damn likable?"

"I am so damn likable." Shepard smirked but then folded her shoulders inward. "It's not that simple, though. They gave me land on their homeworld, and they're building a house on that land so that I'll always have a home. Think about it, about how big of a deal that actually is for the quarians. There's literally no imaginable higher honor or expression of gratitude for them after everything they've been through as a people."

"Well, shit." Jack crossed her arms and rested her hip against the edge of a table.

"Yeah." Shepard said, nodding before turning her attention back to David. "There's also been a change of regime in Cerberus, and it's getting a complete overhaul, top to bottom, to make sure things like what happened to you and to Jack never happen to anyone else. The new leader is someone I know, and I trust her to turn the organization into something good. The Illusive Man is out of the picture, and your brother is no longer a part of Cerberus. I'm sure there's plenty you could help with, projects you could take lead on, if you feel comfortable working with the organization and want to give that a try."

"Wait," Jack said, tucking her chin against her chest to give Shepard a skeptical stare through her lashes. "You really want to send him off to work with Catsuit Barbie?"

"It's not about what I want, Jack." Shepard shook her head, ignoring the nickname for the moment. "It's about figuring out the different options and letting David make an informed decision for himself."

"Alright." Jack shrugged and shook her head. "What else you got?"

Shepard let her breath rush out in a huff. She knew Jack and Garrus would both think she'd managed to become even more insane, but she said it anyway, "He can join us, on the Normandy."