Shepard almost didn't answer her omni-tool. She thought about avoiding it altogether and crawling into her bed to hide until they came and took her away. Flashbacks to her time spent under arrest before the Reapers attacked raced through her mind. It wasn't torture by any means, but she knew if she faced a trial again, it could mean a grimmer outcome.

She gulped in a deep breath of air, steeling herself as she accepted the call. "Admiral Hackett."

"Shepard. I'm assuming you know why I called," Hackett drawled.

She could deny it and possibly get away scot-free, but she wasn't one for lying to cover her ass. She told the truth no matter the consequences, no matter how unpleasant it was. "I have an idea."

"The BRM cell. Damn it, Shepard, are you asking for every batarian in the universe to put a bullseye on your head?"

"Didn't I already have a bullseye on my head?"

"Don't be glib. What would Captain Anderson say?"

Ouch. Bringing up Anderson was a blow to the gut. He might be disappointed and worried over her well-being, but Shepard's mentor always told her to trust her instincts. "I'm not sure, sir. It's hard to predict what the dead would do."

Shepard expected him to be even angrier, but to her surprise, his voice softened. "I know you two were close." He sighed. "That was certainly your handiwork, but I don't think you went in solo. Who assisted you?"

"You know I can't tell you that." Shepard wasn't going to let Colby take any heat. If anyone's career was going down in flames, it'd be hers.

"We can probably find clearer images from local video surveillance. Things would go smoother if you told me now."

"I doubt you're going to identify anyone. I know how to avoid being caught on cameras, as I'm sure you're aware."

"We'll see. In the meantime, going to have a hell of a time trying to sweep this under the rug."

"A cover-up?" Shepard's jaw dropped.

"If this went completely public, it'd be the start of a civil war, which is not what we need at the moment."

"I don't know what to say…"

"Nothing. You'll say nothing. I know you hate cover-ups as much as I do, but I don't see another way. Now, if you hadn't already retired-"

"You made me retire," Shepard interjected.

"I'd make you resign. Now, if anything comes up like this again, I'm not certain how much protection I could offer."

Shepard's stomach dropped at Hackett's suddenly serious tone. "What do you mean? I don't need protection."

"If you pull another stunt like this, I'm going to be obligated to report it to the Council. They'd revoke your Spectre status."

"I-I won't get into trouble again, sir. Or I'll try not to."

"Good. We'll see how long that lasts," Hackett chuckled to himself. "Did you find out anything during your raid?"

"It wasn't the BRM behind the bombing or Joker's murder. Other than that, I know nothing. What do you know?"

"I'm afraid I can't disclose that."

"Fine," Shepard grumbled, rubbing her forehead. Chastisement and no new information.

"I promise we will find out who is behind this."

"Good luck with your hands tied behind your back."

Hackett made a dismissive noise. "Have faith. Where are you staying?"

The change in subject left her with a bit of whiplash. "Umm… my room at rehab."

"You're staying there?" Shepard could hear the disbelief. "You can't. I'll have someone get you a room at a hotel, send some bodyguards-''

"No bodyguards!" Shepard slowed down after realizing she nearly bit his head off. "Sorry. I can stay at a friend's place."

"Shepard." Hackett sounded exasperated.

"I can take care of myself, Hackett. I promise. I'm sorry for everything."

"Even when you're not in the service, you're a pain in my ass. Stay out of trouble."

Hackett hung up before she could say goodbye. She stood there with her mouth still open. They weren't arresting her or taking anything away. She should feel relieved, but she was left feeling uneasy. More blood on her hands, though she wouldn't atone for it in court – not yet, at least.

Shepard glanced around her room, making a mental list of things she'd need to pack for her stay somewhere else. After briefly considering crashing at Liara's place, she changed her mind. Opening a backpack, she began stuffing in some clothes, toiletries, and her favorite weapons and ammunition. She zipped it up and took off to call a cab.

Fortunately, Kaidan's parents' house was dark when he went inside because the windows were boarded up. He had visited before heading out to the orchard, but he hadn't had time to take down the wartime reinforcements. His headache was so intense he had a hard time seeing straight on his walk from the driveway to the front door.

His eyes tearing, he used his memory to lead his feet to his bedroom, where he promptly flopped on the bed. The pain might be nearly unbearable, but it was actually a welcome relief of sorts. All he could think about was his blinding migraine, not his emotionally charged conversation with Shepard. He went scrambling in the nightstand drawer, hoping that there would be some leftover meds in there. Tossing aside the pill bottles – that weak stuff would be of no use to him now – Kaidan breathed a sigh of relief when he found a small vial of what Dr. Chakwas typically administered. He ripped a clean syringe out of its packaging, carefully but quickly injecting himself with the pain meds with practiced ease. He withdrew the needle cleanly and pressed a tissue to the site to blot at it. It wasn't instantaneous, but he soon felt the pain ebb away little by little. There was still a throb that reverberated throughout his skull, but he was able to drift asleep.

A few hours of rest gave him the energy- his headache now a distant pain- to take a cab to the local electronics repair shop, the one he worked at after he came back from Jump Zero. He was disappointed and a bit relieved to see that it was owned by someone else now. When he worked there in his late teens and early twenties before joining the Alliance, he had enjoyed repairing stuff and figuring out how things worked. The owner back then, Sal, had encouraged him to go to college and be an engineer. Instead, he would wallow away all of his free time stoned out of his mind, trying to forgot what had happened and what he was. Not on red sand, of course – Kaidan repressed his biotics as much as he possibly could back then. That shop had been a refuge, and when he was working there with his hands and mind not kept idle, he didn't feel the pull to use and to forget as much. Kaidan quit before taking off for basic training. Before that, he had quit the drugs. There had been a pregnancy scare with one of the girls he slept around with. Even though it didn't amount to anything, it opened his eyes and made him want to get his shit together. Kaidan told his parents, and they sent him to counseling. He moved back home and stayed sober, and then his dad helped him enlist.

It was crazy to think how much his life had changed over the years. His past was nothing like Shepard's; she had been a "golden girl," even keeping it together after her father died. She went to the military college at 18 and got her degree. Always top of her class, no blemishes on her record – until Torfan, of course.

Even though Sal wasn't around at the shop anymore, they repaired his omni-tool right there and at no charge, recognizing him as being part of the Normandy crew and a hometown hero. He attempted to pay them, but they wouldn't have it. Now that he had his 'tool working again, he went back home to give his dad a call and check in.

Determining that his father might appreciate the view from the balcony, he decided to take a spot against the railing when he started the vid call.

Kaidan hasn't expected him to actually answer so fast, so he smiled reflexively as the living room of the orchard house materialized. "Dad?"

"I'm here, Kaidan." His father fidgeted with something off-screen, no doubt tinkering with the controls. He was a mess when it came to technology. Just another of the many differences separating father and son. "God, I miss the bay."

"Yeah, it's beautiful. How are you doing?"

"Fine, same as when you saw me yesterday," he grumbled.

Was it really yesterday that he'd been home? It felt like so much longer. "Right, right. Glad to see you haven't burned the place down."

That earned another noise of annoyance. Kaidan was about to speak again when his father jumped in. "I saw the news about your old pilot. I assume that's why you went back."

"That's right."

"Hmm." His dad stared at him. "Are you okay, son?"

The look of genuine concern on his father's face, a definite break from his recent stony behavior, made Kaidan question whether he was wearing his stormy thoughts on his sleeve. It didn't help that on the forefront of his mind were his mother, Joker, and Shepard."Yes."

"That didn't sound so reassuring. You get those headaches again?"

"Dad, I always have those headaches," Kaidan sighed.

"They hurting you bad? You using again?" His dad suddenly became stern.

"No! I haven't touched that since- "

"Since your commanding officer died."

"That wasn't a relapse, that was- was… anyway, I didn't use for years before that, and I'm not about to now."

"Good. Stay strong."

"Thanks. You too." He was getting ready to say goodbye and hang up when Michaela walked in the frame.

"Hey," she greeted him. "Commander Shepard called here yesterday after you left."

"She did?" If he had been there when Shepard had called, perhaps he could have convinced her to not go through with her plan to raid the cell. It was too late for what-ifs though.

"Yeah, she wanted to talk to you. I told her you were out. She seemed kind of upset."

Kaidan groaned. "Did you tell her that I was going to go see her?"

"You left in a rush. All you said is that you had to go back to the city." Michaela frowned.

"Great," he muttered. "I'm sorry. It's just been a long day."

"Don't worry about it," Michaela accepted his apology. "I'm assuming you met up with her? How did it go?"

Kaidan's dad grunted and shook his head, getting up from the couch and walking away. He was still irked that his son had engaged in a reg-breaking relationship with his commanding officer. Plus, he wasn't one for what he called "girl talk."

"Not well." Kaidan ran his fingers through his hair, absentmindedly smoothing it back. "She's… the same person. I don't think she knows what she wants still. And… never mind."

Michaela nodded. "Well-''

The doorbell chimed faintly, causing her to pause. Kaidan realized that it was coming from his house, not on the other side. "Hey, I gotta answer that. Talk to you later."

Kaidan closed out of the vid chat and entered the house, making his way to the front door. He observed the vid screen to the left that showed the camera feed of the patio. Staring back at the camera was Shepard, a large backpack slung over her shoulder, giving a slight wave to the camera.

Kaidan leaned his forehead against the cool wall. He contemplated not answering, but she probably knew he was in the house. With reluctance, he opened the door. "Shep."

She gave him a smile, straightening up and adjusting the pack on her back. "Long time, no see."

Kaidan kept his face and his tone blank, though he had to admit he was curious. "Why are you here?"

"Right, about that. It seems I need a new place to stay at, and I hoped you might accommodate me…"

Author's note: Thanks to BananaphoneBob, LeanoraPascault, Vorcha Girl, and Bint-Lilith for your reviews, and a shout-out to all of my silent readers out there.

So… I didn't really want to bring this up here, but there's been an influx of guest reviews on this site during the last few chapters, and since they are anonymous, there's no other space to address them.

I've read all of your reviews. Some were positive; others were negative to varying degrees. While I can't agree with everything, I do see some of your points.

That being said, I'm going to keep on the path I was already following. The ending is in sight, and the plot's been set for a while. You'll just have to see how it turns out – only if you want to, of course.

I do appreciate you taking the time to think critically about my writing and providing comments.

Have a good week everybody, see you next Sunday!