Chapter 14

Kaidan bolted upright in bed with a jolt. A datapad clattering to the floor off his chest. Kaidan snatched his Omni-Tool from the nightstand. A second datapad clapped to the floor as he swung his feet off the bed checking the time. Three o'clock. His face scrunched. He grabbed a pair of pants off the floor and hoped his way to the front door pulling them on. Hallway light burst through the door blinding him as it slid open. He squinted to find what he was looking for - the damn person waking him up at 3 A.M. The damn person was … Shepard.

Her eyes lit up. A smile lifted and strained into her cheeks as she looked him over. He glanced down the hall - empty and quiet – and turned back to her. He frowned.

"Is this payback?"

Shepard shrugged still grinning. "Maybe. Can I come in?"

Kaidan stepped back and put out an open palm. She brushed past him with a grin and squinted into the dark. The doors slid shut cutting the room into darkness as he moved around her. The table lamp clicked on illuminating the small sitting area. He turned back to her.

"What's going on, Shepard? You okay?" He studied her.

Her eyes moved around the room as she came in further. He followed her roving gaze before facing her with a frown. Her eyes finally met his and a small smile curling up the corners of his lips.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I found something."

"Found something? At three in the morning?"

"Come here," she said.

Kaidan's heels stuck to the floor, but he forced himself forward. She brought up a vid on her Omni-Tool and scrolled through the opening. He stood stiffly beside her. The clean scent of vanilla tinted the air in each breath, and he shuffled back a step.

"Can you see?" She twisted to look at him and raised her Omni-Tool higher.

He gave her a sharp nod, and she turned back to the holoscreen. She pressed 'play.' The background looked like a pub.

"This is the Lunar Eclipse," Shepard said.

"Where the turiens were—"

"Listen." Shepard held up a finger.

An empty bar table filled the screen as the footage rolled. Nothing was happening. A distant voice muttered something about having nowhere to clip her microphone.

"Is that Allers?"

"Kaidan." Shepard frowned.

She turned up the volume and cocked her head listening. Kaidan edged closer concentrating to hear. Two male voices talked. They were far off, probably down the bar.

"They're back there. Left after," one voice said.

"Back then? No one followed?"

"Yeah, back in the gray. Once it's clear, we'll head over too. Meet 'um on the ground floor of the gray hospital."

Shepard paused it and turned to him. She seemed expectant, eyes eagerly searching his face.

"Gray hospital?" Kaidan asked. "I don't know …"

"Back to the gray," Shepard repeated and pulled up another screen on her Omni-Tool.

It was an article this time. It was from a year ago. Kaidan looked away from her and peered at it skimming over the contents. A Terra Firma cell uncovered in Vancouver. It was back when they sabotaged spacecrafts. A high-sting operation routed them out of their base of operations. Kaidan only vaguely remembered hearing about it. He still hadn't gotten back to Earth yet. Terra Firma and terrorism had been the last thing on his mind. Shepard held her arm closer for him, but he'd finished reading it. He stepped back.

"Well … the gray?" Shepard smiled at him. "The cell they found called themselves the Gray Sect. Found in that renovation zone right next to the rebuilt part of Vancouver. That's the gray – the bright, rebuilt part of Vancouver mixing with the black, destroyed part. That's where they're hiding."

Kaidan folded his arms and drew his eyebrows together in thought. Shepard snapped off her Omni-Tool.

"Rebuilding is happening all the time," Shepard said. "That strip has shifted, but there was a hospital in the in-between area at the time of the Lunar murders." Shepard walked around one of the cushioned sitting chairs and ran a hand along the top. "There's a big theater in the zone now. Used to have symphonies and plays."

"I remember."

"It's not exactly a stadium or an arena, but that's the closest I could pin point. Maybe I heard auditorium."

Kaidan nodded slowly and a smile spread across his face. "You found something."

"Let's go check it out."

"What?" Kaidan's eyebrows rose. "Right now?"

"Put on a shirt. Let's go."

Kaidan stared back at her. She put her hands on her hips and stared back.

"Well …" He gave a soft snort then smiled. "Fine."

He went to his dressed and tugged out a shirt. Shepard came up beside him.

"Shoes too."

"I know how to dress myself, Shepard. It's not a new skill."

Shepard smiled and leaned an elbow against the dresser. He snatched out some socks as she surveyed the room again.

"Kind of spartan isn't it, Kaidan?"

Kaidan glanced around the room before pulling the shirt over his head. "If I'd know you were coming, I would have pulled out the area rugs and decorative vases."

"Actually, you need an area rug, Kaidan. Don't your feet get cold walking around like that?"

"What?" Kaidan glanced down at his bare feet then grabbed his boots. "Not too many area rugs on a space ship. I'm used to it."

"Hmm." Shepard shrugged. "I guess that can be my housewarming gift for you then."

"Still waiting on the coasters?" Kaidan crossed over to one of the sitting room chairs.

"Haven't been able to set down a cold drink since you pointed it out." Shepard strolled over. "Every package in the mail, I think, 'Surely these are my coasters from Kaidan.' Never is. Just some bootlaces or an Omni-Tool hardware upgrade I'd forgotten I ordered."

Kaidan pulled on a sock. "I don't know. If I got an Omni-Tool upgrade I forgot I ordered, I'd be pretty happy."

"But imagine all those months holding cold drinks in your hand, staring at your table wistfully. If only you could … but you can't." Shepard flopped down in a heap in the chair next to him.

"You're, uh … pretty chipper for three o'clock in the morning, Shepard. You even sleep?"

"Too excited about my Allers footage."

"It's a good find."

"Worth a three o'clock wakeup call?" Shepard rested her chin on her fist and watched him.

He pulled on the other sock. "Uh, sure."

"Of note," Shepard said. "Your visiting hours aren't posted either."

"I actually went with a 'NO TRESSPASSING' sign. Must have fallen down."

"Didn't know that was one of the options."

"Never limit yourself when it comes to signage, Shepard."

"Think a 'BEWARE OF HAMSTER' sign would run people off?"

"Probably draw crowd."

Shepard pressed her lips together as if in thought. "Could be an opportunity to earn some credits."

Shepard's teeth showed through her lips as they drew back, and she rested her chin on a fist. He should probably just stick to the reason she was here. He still felt raw from their talk in the garden, but that glint in her eye and smile … He grinned back at her and picked up a boot.

"To do it right, you'll need a big tent and a top hat," he said.

"Couldn't sell me on the dictation gig, so now it's the circus?"

"I'd even help you pick out the font for your business cards."

"Uh huh," Shepard said. "Ringmaster Shepard?"

"Does have a ring to it."

Shepard rolled her eyes with a snort and shook her head. "Lame, Kaidan."

"What? It's three in the morning, what do you expect?" he asked. "And just so you know, my refrigerator doesn't have any produce."

"Hope your steaks aren't boned then."

"Threatening to throw steak at me? You do belong in the circus."

Shepard chuckled and sat back in her chair. Kaidan put on his second boot. He glanced up, and she was watching him with a soft grin. She nodded down at his boot.

"Kind of slow at this for not being a new skill," Shepard said.

"Too distracted talking."

"A good host, Kaidan, multitasks."

"This really is payback, isn't it? For the record, I'm a great host. I turned on the lamp for you, didn't I? We could be talking in the dark right now."

Shepard tipped her head back and looked at the slit window overhead

"Guess I'll agree," Shepard said. "Window like that? With the lights out, wouldn't even have the night sky to look at."

"Oh?" Kaidan laced up his last boot. "This 'Big Window' elitisms again, Shepard?"

"From the guy who spent all his time on the Normandy's observation deck staring out a big window."

"That's not where I spent all my time." He met her eye with a smile, tied the last loop, and stood up. "Let's go, Commander."

Shepard stood. "Everything in order, Major?"

"Shirt, shoes … ready for service, ma'am."

Shepard grinned and moved around him to the door. Kaidan followed on her heels. She paused at the door. He opened the door and popped his head out looking both directions.

"All clear."

She rushed past him into the hall. "Let's move out."