Ashley

Ashley was having a hard time not fidgeting. The ship containing her family would be docking any minute, and she was both excited and nervous to see them.

Why am I nervous? This is stupid. Maybe it's because none of us have lived under the same roof in years, and now I wanna shove all four of them into a studio apartment with me and Tim.

Ashley sighed. That was precisely the reason. Chewing her lip, she resolved to get better and back on the Normandy as soon as humanly possible. Both because she wanted to be where Samantha was, and because there would be exactly zero privacy starting in about five minutes.

I'm gonna have to masturbate in the shower.

Shaking her head of these thoughts, Ashley let her eyes run over the list of ships getting ready to dock. As her eyes found the proper ship, the status changed from "In Queue" to "Docked". Her heartbeat jumping into overdrive, Ashley left the screen, rushing and elbowing her way to the roped-off area. She didn't feel bad about pushing people out of her way, as they were just milling around, not needing to be in that spot anymore than they needed to be in any other spot. They were refugees and Ashley felt for them, but if you didn't move when asked, then Ashley Williams was not above shouldering you out of her way.

It took a while, but finally people began streaming out. Most carried no luggage – they were here to gawk, and would then return to their transport after the captain supplied it. But Ashley knew her family was here to stay, so they'd likely be off last, whatever luggage they managed to scrounge up in hand.

A few minutes later, a familiar face rounded the corner.

"Sarah!"

Her baby sister looked rather more put together than she had when they'd spoken a week earlier. Her face brightened when she saw Ashley, and she broke into a run. Ashley was forced to wait, could not cross the electric "ribbon" in front of her, but thankfully it was moments only. Then Sarah was flinging herself into her arms, and Ashley had her baby sister in a bear hug, literally lifting the shorter girl up off the ground.

"Ashley!"

Looking over Sarah's shoulder, Ashley grinned. The Girly Horde was there, running, and then Ashley was almost knocked on her ass by two other bodies hitting her: Lynn and Abby.

"All right, all right, you've had enough of her." The voice was a little gruffer than Ashley remembered, but it was unmistakably the voice of Beth Williams, Ashley's mother. The sisters parted, releasing Ashley, as their mother continued. "Let me in on some of this."

"Hey, Mom."

Beth Williams stood proud, not quite as tall as Ashley, but nearly so. If there were ever a contest for complete platinum-haired beauties, she could give Doctor Chakwas a run for her money. Her dark skin was still smooth, though the crow's feet around her eyes and the laugh lines around her mouth attested to the fact that Ashley and her sisters had at least been a source of joy, in addition to being four royal pains in her ass. The technology existed to get rid of the small imperfections, but Ashley's mother never considered the idea for herself, something Ashley was grateful for. Her mother's face was cherished by the marine, and perfect just how it was, thank you very much.

Her mother's arms came up in a wordless request. Ashley grinned and pushed forward, letting herself be engulfed in the warm, familiar touch and scent of her dear mother.

"I am so glad all my girls are safe," Beth murmured.

"Me, too, Mom. Me, too." More arms wrapped around them, and then the Williams girls stood together in a giant pile of love that blocked the way of anyone hoping to get by them for several minutes.

"You wanna cram all of us in here?" Lynn was incredulous.

"Hush, Lynn. We're lucky to get any room on the Citadel at all," Beth chided, shaking her head. All four of them stood in the middle of Ashley's living room, making the apartment, which had felt large at first, feel very small. "We had less room on the ship."

"The ship had bunks for us, at least," Lynn snorted.

Ashley smirked, leaping for her sister and putting her immediately into a headlock and a noogie. "Awww, Lynn, you're making me feel like you don't wanna spend any time with me!"

"Ah! Get her off! Not fair! You're a fucking marine!"

"Who was recently taken off-duty! You telling me you can't shake off someone who recently broke their neck?"

The room immediately became silent. Lynn even stopped struggling. Ashley released her, shoulders slumping. She'd fucked it up. It had been happy and light. Then she'd opened her fat mouth and screwed the pooch. Fucking. Hell.

"Okay, that's enough. Let's get to work," Beth said, sympathetic eyes on Ashley. "Make your calls, girls. Let's get some bunks installed on that wall, the kind that will fold up when we're not using them, and let's get some food in the kitchen. And make sure you include Timothy with those beds. He'll be living here, too. No more couch for him."

As the girls dispersed, Ashley sighed, turning and wandering toward the giant windows. Her mother sidled up alongside her. "Sorry, Mom. I didn't mean…"

"I learned long ago that soldiers take the dangers they throw themselves at lightly, Ashley. There's no other choice when it's the reality in which you live. Your father often joked and made light of his close calls."

Ashley looked over, but her mother's gaze was locked in the middle distance. "He did?"

She nodded. "Yes. With his friends. Never in front of you. He knew not to scare you girls. He always forgot with me, and while it was always frightening… I didn't stop him. He needed to be able to treat me like an adult. I needed him to treat me like an adult." A sigh. "I suppose I just need to get used to being a military wife again."

"But you don't need me to treat you like a wife, Mom," Ashley argued, knitting her brows. "I'm your kid, not your husband. I could stand to be a little more careful than that." Behind them, her sisters were a flurry of quiet activity, connecting their omnitools to the network and making orders. They had the money to take care of what they needed, now that they had a place to stay.

"You are my baby, but you're also an adult, and so am I, Ashley." Beth turned. There were no tears in her eyes, but they did show a certain strain that was familiar to Ashley. It was the same look that had always been there when her father had been deployed. "I'm not deluded. This is a war the likes of which we've never seen. It's a miracle that we're all here, alive and together. I will enjoy it while it lasts, and I will cheer you on when you're back to fighting shape again. I can't keep you from this life, this war. And I would never try."

Ashley surged into her mother's arms once more, hugging the woman to her fiercely, overcome with emotion. The only way this could be more perfect was if Samantha were here to share her joy.

"Now," Beth said, pushing Ashley away only far enough to be able to meet her eyes. "Show me this ring Samantha gave you."

Ashley grinned, holding her left hand up to show off the proof of her engagement.

"Not fair!"

"Let us see!"

"Yeah, private moment over!"

Ashley laughed as her hand was literally passed from person to person.

"It suits you," Sarah said, the last to admire it. Her smile was a little tense, but her eyes held only genuine happiness for her sister. Ashley gave her a knowing look, but Sarah just shook her head. "Not right now. Later. Let's keep it happy right now."

Ashley nodded. "Yeah. Okay. Happy. How about pizza? And a vid?"

"Oh, and wine!" Abby exclaimed.

"Jesus, Roo-Roo!" Sarah said, laughing. "We just got off the ship, and you wanna get toasted?"

"What? Wine is good. Wine is life. Besides, getting toasted means weed. And if you have any of that, then you better stop holding out."

Ashley grinned, shaking her head. Tim had one hell of a welcome waiting for him when he was done for the day at C-Sec. And Ashley wouldn't be around for it. She was due to be at Huerta Memorial for physical therapy when he would be getting home.

Home…

Ashley looked around as her sisters burst into action once more, this time for pizza and a movie.

Funny how, when it comes right down to it, it's the people, not the place, that make it home.

"Ashley."

The LC grinned, wiping her forehead down with a towel. "Thane! How are you doing?" She reached a hand out as she approached, and he took it, shaking it firmly just once before releasing it.

"I am doing well," the drell said. He gently maneuvered them to be out of the way of traffic so they could talk. "You seem to be doing very well."

She grinned. "My family arrived a few hours ago."

"All of them?" he asked, blinking his strange blink.

"Yep! All four of them: Mom, Abbey, Lynn, and Sarah."

"It is kind of you to share your small space with so many people. Timothy is also staying with you, is he not?"

"Yeah, he is," Ashley said with a nod. "The girls will find a way to make it homey, though. When I left, they were talking to a salesperson about some beds that'll fold down from the wall, so we can fold them back up when we're not sleeping."

"That would take care of the space concern," Thane agreed. "But what about privacy?"

Ashley just shrugged. "We'll manage. I can leave the house, take advantage of parks to exercise and cafes to read or browse the news. Honestly… I miss having so many people around."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I mean, I went from my mom's house with three little sisters right into the military, where the only place you're ever on your own is the john. And even then, not every time. Being in the hospital has been…"

"Lonely?" Thane supplied. Ashley nodded her confirmation. "I suppose I can see that. Mine is not a particularly social people, and I even less so. But I can see that if you are accustomed to having people around you, it would be comforting to have that returned to you. Especially familiar people."

"Comforting, and a pain in the ass," Ashley said with a snort. "But I love them. And it'll be good for my sister," she finished, sobering as she thought of that look in Sarah's eyes, always present in the shadows, even when she smiled.

"That is right. Her husband was killed in battle, was he not?"

"Yeah. We're gonna do something for him. I don't know what, yet, but some kind of memorial or something."

"Excuse me." A short, redheaded woman got their attention. "I couldn't help but overhear that you- Thane!"

The next moment, the small woman was in Thane's arm, hugging him fiercely. Ashley just stood and watched with her head tilted in curiosity, a smirk on her face. The girl was cute, her hair around her chin and her pants hugging a tight little butt. She raised an eyebrow at Thane, hoping he would understand what she was suggesting. You dog, she hoped the look said.

He smiled, but shook his head. So he understood, but made it clear that's not what this was. Ah well. The man can use a little teasing, Ashley thought to herself, grinning now.

Before the embrace had gone on an indecent amount of time, the girl pulled back. "Sorry! I know we weren't really 'hug' friends, I just… it's very good to see a familiar face."

"It is all right, Kelly. I understand."

Ashley furrowed her brows. The name and the face together were ringing a bell.

"How are you doing? It has been many months since we left the Normandy."

Ashley's heart sank into her stomach as the woman glanced behind her at the LC. This was the girl! This was the girl Miriam was in love with! Shit. Shepard's been wanting to know how to get a hold of this girl. What do I do? Do I say something?

Meanwhile, Kelly and Thane had finished their small talk and Thane was now getting Ashley's attention. "Ashley, this is Kelly Chambers. We served on the Normandy together. Kelly, this is Ashley Williams. She served on the Normandy SR-1."

The woman's green eyes were kind as she smiled and held out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ashley."

"Pleasure," Ashley mimicked, still too shocked to do much more than stare as she shook the woman's hand.

Kelly noticed – Ashley could tell by the way the woman eyed her – but said nothing of her behavior, instead turning back to Thane. "I had no idea you were receiving care for your Keprel's Syndrome here, or I would have stopped by to visit you."

Thane graced her with a smile. "Everyone scattered like leaves in the wind. I, too, had no idea you were on the Citadel. What is filling your time?"

"I'm putting my psychology degree to good use," Kelly answered. "The hospital can't afford anymore therapists on staff, but they've got a stipend for independent contractors with the proper degrees and experience, so that's what I'm doing. It's nice, because it allows me more flexibility. I can go help people on the Wards, like the refugees on the docks. A lot of them need bereavement counseling, and there's just no way for the staff psychologists here to go to them and provide that. I'm… really happy to be doing something so meaningful, as trite as I know that sounds."

"It may sound trite, but I understand the sentiment," Thane said. "It is why I accepted Shepard's request that I join her team."

Ashley was starting to feel like a third wheel. "Hey, it sounds like you guys wanna catch up, why don't I-"

"Oh, no! Please! I'm so sorry, that was very rude of me. I interrupted, and at an… unfortunate moment." Kelly took a deep breath and plunged on. "I wanted to let you know that the refugees on the docks have made a memorial space intended for anyone who's lost someone."

Ashley didn't know what to say, but she was grateful for the information. "I… thank you. My sister might just like that. She's a sociologist. She's all about community spaces like that."

Kelly smiled. "I hope it can be a comfort to you. I'm sorry for butting in. I just want to make sure everyone knows, but that doesn't excuse my eavesdropping."

"It's pretty hard not to in this place. Privacy isn't really something anyone in this hospital can claim to have at the moment." Ashley took the woman in for a second. Should she say something?

"Well, if we're all through, I'll take my leave. I should go down to the docks."

Ashley spoke before she could think better of it. "I'll walk with you," she offered. "I'm heading out, myself."

Kelly smiled again. "Company would be nice," she agreed. Ashley could see what made her such a good therapist. Hard to believe she'd worked for Cerberus. The thought made her need to fight a scowl.

After saying their goodbyes to Thane, they left the hospital amidst a crowd. But, a moment later, they turned away from the bustle, leaving them in a semi-awkward silence. Ashley wasn't sure what to say, but Kelly saved her from a stilted conversation starter.

"So, you served with Shepard," the redhead ventured.

"Yeah. So did you," Ashley said.

"Have… have you seen her recently? I take it you're not serving with her now, if you're here…"

Ashley once again fought a frown. "I was, but… I was injured as we left Sol. Got brought here for care."

Kelly turned her head to Ashley, her green eyes flashing up and down. "You seem to be doing well. I wouldn't have guessed that you're injured."

"I'm almost up to fighting speed again, actually. Another week or two of therapy and I think I can resume active duty again."

Kelly's voice was tight as she said, "Will you rejoin Shepard's crew?"

Ashley furrowed her brows before she stopped walking. Grabbing Kelly's wrist, she ducked into a public terminal alcove, covering Kelly from view of the street, pressing herself close so it might look like they shared a private moment. You never knew who might be looking and listening, and she didn't want to look like she was threatening Kelly. Even if that was precisely what she was doing.

"Ow! Hey! What gives-"

Ashley pressed a hand over her mouth briefly, just long enough to silence the woman, before dropping her hand to her shoulder. "Listen carefully." Her voice was a harsh whisper. "I know everything, okay? I know you and Miriam are a thing, I know it's complicated, and I know you used to work for Cerberus. Fucking Cerberus."

She watched Kelly's brows furrow briefly before sorrow swirled into the green pools. Her shoulders drooped.

Ashley wouldn't be swayed so easily. "I've got some concerns," she said, her voice hard. "Why did you seduce Miriam? Why get in the way of her and Liara?"

"Liara rejected her at their reunion," Kelly whispered. Ashley would have expected her to be on the defensive, but she was merely… resigned.

"What the hell does that mean?"

Kelly shrugged. "They weren't together."

Ashley took hold of her chin, turning her face up so they locked gazes. "Tell me."

Kelly's eyes flashed in fear, and she swallowed. "I… we were on Omega, and Mir- Shepard was drinking herself into a stupor after Dr. T'Soni turned her away on Illium. She was going to wander off with a… dancer."

"A hooker?" Ashley asked.

Kelly nodded. "Essentially, yeah; in that club, that's precisely what they are. I intercepted her and… took the asari dancer's place. She… she didn't need to be with an asari right then. She didn't need to meld, share her mind, with anyone but Dr. T'Soni."

Ashley frowned. "You're not telling the whole story. The Illusive Man ordered you, didn't he?"

Kelly's eyes widened in fear. "I… yes."

"Dammit!" Ashley nearly yelled, but managed to bite it off, hitting the wall behind Kelly's head. Her harsh whisper returned as she continued. "Fucking hell! So you got Cerberus in her head. And in her pants." She narrowed her eyes. "Miriam loves you, and you're Cerberus' little whore."

"No!" Tears began to gather in Kelly's eyes as she shook her head. "No, please! It's not like that! I love Miriam!"

Ashley pulled her lip back in a snarl at the use of Shepard's name. Kelly flinched in fear, but kept going. "The Illusive Man wanted me to make sure that the commander didn't do anything self-destructive! He made it clear that I was to do anything required. Anything! If she failed because her head wasn't in the game, then my punishment would be severe. I… I never expected that Miriam would be so easy to fall in love with. She's so wonderful and good. And she's been through so much. I think I was in love with her before that night, but the way she treated me, even when drunk out of her mind… and then the next morning…"

"What about the next morning?"

"She thanked me," Kelly whispered. "She thanked me for saving her from the mistake she almost made, and she thanked me for taking care of her. She apologized for taking advantage of me." She blinked, and a tear fell down her cheek. "How can you not fall for someone like that? I felt so… tainted for following the Illusive Man's orders. I told her immediately."

"Wait." Ashley frowned. "She knew?"

Kelly nodded, swallowing again. "Yes," she murmured. "I told her in the shower, so the microphones wouldn't pick it up. She just… nodded. Said that made sense that the Illusive Man would want to keep her focused on someone on the Normandy. I thought that was it, but later she invited me to her cabin for dinner. I couldn't say no. I'd been honest, and she and Dr. T'Soni weren't together. I told myself I wasn't playing with anyone else's toys, and while the Illusive Man thought I was playing his game, in reality we were playing our own game, by our own rules. She kept courting me, and I… courted her right back. I learned about her. I told her about me. I was praised by the Illusive Man. It… God, it's all so fucked up."

Kelly heaved a sigh, meeting Ashley's eyes more defiantly than before. "But the feelings were real. I love that woman, Ashley Williams. I love her with all my heart."

Ashley scowled. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to feel. She had so many things to think about. She had so many doubts. She doubted herself. She doubted Udina. She doubted Miriam, and the safety of her fiancée on the Normandy. She doubted Cerberus. For fuck's sake, she doubted the Alliance occasionally and definitely doubted the Council all the time. How was she supposed to navigate this? Why couldn't she just find the boogieman and shoot him in the face a couple thousand times?

She released Kelly, leaving the alcove and continuing their walk. To her surprise, Kelly rejoined her. It took her a few minutes to speak again.

"Sorry I pushed you," she mumbled, shoving her hands in her pockets.

"You're a marine. You protect the people you love. I understand."

Ashley frowned over at Kelly, but left the statement as it was. Maybe this girl did understand. "So where is everything now? Miriam's been looking for you, Kelly. She's worried sick, and not willing to ask Liara to look for you for her. They're together now, but they both know Shepard loves you both."

"You can't tell her," Kelly said, shaking her head adamantly. "Don't tell her you saw me. I have to stay in hiding, and she'll just want to protect me, bring me on the ship. She… she has Dr. T'Soni. She has her great love. My feelings don't matter. Just let me fade away." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Let me disappear."

Ashley took a deep breath.

Fuck. What the hell do I do?

A/N: Gave Ashley's mom a name because I couldn't find one for her on the wiki.

The beginning of this was like pulling teeth because I realized I had to write Ashley and her mom and that's still a bit painful for me. ~sigh~ So I avoided it. Ended up not being painful to actually write. Just the anticipation was. Go figure.

And Kelly! What a thing to happen! What's Ashley gonna dooooooooo?