The more things change, the more they stay the same. That was Ashley's thought when she stepped out of the cab that brought her to the presidium level of the Citadel. When she was last on the Citadel, the presidium looked like a war zone due to the damage caused by the geth attack. Now the place looked as clean and peaceful as it did before the attack. More than that, it looked exactly like it did before the attack. It disgusted Ashley. It was as if the cleanup crews were under orders to make it appear as if the attack had never happened. True some things are better left forgotten but Ashley knew that attack was a sign that there was something powerful and dangerous coming and the galaxy needed to prepare for it. If they let that fact get brushed away with the ruble, the galaxy was doomed. There was no doubt in her mind that it was all part of the Council's continued attempts to write off the Reapers as merely a myth. To everyone else on the Citadel, things were back to normal but Ashley knew better.

Ashley shook off her frustration with the Council's inaction and focused on what was in front of her, the embassy quarters. After the events of Horizon, she called Alliance Command to give her report. To her surprise, her call was forwarded to Councilor Anderson. Before Ashley could get a word in, Anderson told her that she needed to come see him on the Citadel as their conversation was going to involve sensitive material that couldn't be discussed over comms. Ashley knew it was going to be a long trip from the Shadow Sea cluster to the Serpent Nebula but Anderson insisted that they meet in person. Fortunately for Ashley, Anderson had already made travel arrangements for her. The only thing Ashley needed to do was meet each transport and get to the human embassy.

Signs in the embassy quarters pointed towards the human embassy but Ashley didn't need to read them. She knew where Anderson's office was because her previous visit to the Citadel included a visit with Anderson as well. When she arrived at the human embassy, she was surprised to find the door was locked. She knocked on the door but no answer came from the other side. Anderson wouldn't make her come all the way to the Citadel and not be there to greet her when she arrived. She was about to knock on the door again when she noticed an asari coming up behind her.

"May I help you?" the asari asked.

"I'm Operations Chief Ashley Williams," Ashley replied introducing herself, "I'm supposed to report to Councilor Anderson."

The asari smiled, "yes, the councilor told me that you were coming. He was held up at a meeting and asked me to come and let you into his office so that you can wait for him.

The asari proceeded to unlock the door and showed Ashley into the office, "make yourself comfortable. The councilor will be here shortly."

When the asari left, Ashley took a quick look around the office. It hadn't changed much since her last visit. One difference that immediately caught her eye was there was an additional picture frame on Anderson's desk. She picked it up and turned it to see the picture on the other side but there was nothing there…at least initially there wasn't. Before Ashley could put the frame down, the picture lit up and Ashley almost dropped the frame when she saw who it was.

"Kaiden," she whispered as tears started to form in her eyes.

The picture was of Ashley's friend and former squadmate Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko. He served with Ashley on the Normandy during the hunt for Saren until….Virmire. Instantly Ashley's thoughts were brought back to that tragic mission. The Normandy was sent to provide reinforcements to a salarian team that had been looking for leads on Saren. The team had mysteriously dropped out of contact shortly after sending the Council an indecipherable message. Upon finding the team on Virmire, they learned the salarians had found that Saren was running a facility that was breeding an army of krogan. Knowing the damage an army of krogan could cause if Saren released them on the galaxy, it was determined the base and it's research needed to be destroyed. To do that, Ashley was assigned to help led one of the three salarain teams that would distract the geth forces guarding the facility. Meanwhile Kaiden would go with the Normandy team to plant the nuclear bomb that would be used to destroy the facility. Everything was going according to plan until after the bomb had been placed. The geth had pinned down Ashley's team near the defense tower they had to take out to allow the Normandy to safely plant the bomb. Unless Ashley's team received reinforcements, there was no way they would be able to reach the rendezvous point before the bomb went off. Kaiden volunteered to stay behind to arm the bomb while the rest of the Normandy team left to help Ashley's team. When the Normandy team got about halfway there, Kaiden's position was swarmed by geth forces as well. Knowing the bomb had to go off no matter what, Kaiden activated the timer. Unfortunately the countdown to detonation didn't allow the Normandy team enough time to rescue both Ashley and Kaiden. With both Ashley and Kaiden insisting they rescue the other person, it fell onto Normandy team's leader to decide who to save. Shepard chose to save Ashley.

The brief thought of Shepard took Ashley's mind off of Kaiden and back to what happened on Horizon. She witnessed a lot of things there but the one thing she didn't expect to see was Shepard. For two years she had mourned his death. Two years she prayed for him and thought of him every time she read her favorite Alfred Tennyson poems. Then Shepard showed up on Horizon alive and well….and with a Cerberus crew. When the rumors started going around that Shepard was alive and working for Cerberus, Ashley was one of the loudest defenders for him. Most people assumed it was because she was just sticking up for her former commander but it was more than that. They weren't just fellow soldiers. They weren't even just friends. Ashley was Shepard's girlfriend. If Shepard was alive, she would know about it. There was no way Shepard would put her through the pain she had been going through the last two years by pretending to be dead. Plus they both fought together against Cerberus in the past so there was no way Shepard would go work for them. Now Ashley's was forced to face the fact that the rumors seemed to be true.

It just didn't make any sense to her. Why would Shepard ever work for Cerberus? They both saw the sick experiments Cerberus was conducting at the facilities they investigated. Cerberus had to have done something to him after the Normandy was destroyed. But then why wouldn't Garrus have done something to help. Instead it seemed that he was working with Cerberus too. The only reason Garrus would do that was if Shepard was working with Cerberus willingly. As much as it pained Ashley to think that, it was the only conclusion that made sense. The man she loved abandoned her and everything he stood for to join a terrorist group.

That thought then brought up the biggest question she kept asking herself since leaving Horizon: should she have at least tried to bring Shepard back with her? She wondered if maybe she acted too harshly with Shepard. If she had stuck around a little longer and listened to Shepard more, maybe she could have helped him see that what he was doing was wrong and convince him to come back to the Alliance.

"No," Ashley thought, "it wouldn't have made a difference. Shepard knows what Cerberus is like. If that didn't stop him from joining them, nothing I could have said would either. He went so far as to fake his death to do it. He left the Alliance…he left me."

The last thought caused a tear to appear in Ashley's eye. She thought that she and Shepard had something special the whole time they were together. Leaving the Alliance aside, could Shepard really ignore that connection they had and leave her too? Unfortunately between the fact that he faked his death and the fact that Shepard was with a woman that could only be described as beyond attractive, Ashley couldn't doubt that it was possible. Ashley had been heartbroken in the past and had even broken some hearts herself but none of them compared to what she was feeling at that moment. Suddenly the door opened and Councilor David Anderson entered the office. Ashley quickly wiped the tear from her eye and saluted.

"At ease Williams," said Anderson after he saluted back, "I see you noticed my picture of Lieutenant Alenko."

It was then Ashley noticed she still had Kaiden's picture in her hand, "yeah, it's a really nice picture of him. You didn't have this the last time I was here."

"Well if I remember right, the last time you were here was after Shepard's funeral. You weren't in good shape back then and I didn't want to make you feel worse by reminding you of what happened to Alenko. So I had it in a drawer in my desk that day. It's been sitting on my desk from that day on though. He was one of the best soldiers under my command. Sometimes I think about where he would have been in his career if he was still here."

"The galaxy is lesser for his loss, sir."

"Yes it is. Well, enough about the past. Have a seat and let's talk about Horizon.

Once the two were seated, Ashley went into full detail recounting what happened on Horizon. She started with the troubles the colony had trying to get the new defense towers working. Then, shortly after the comm. system stopped working, the colony came under attack by the Collectors. Ashley tried to get the colonists to safety but she was paralyzed when one of the Collectors' drones stung her. Unable to move, all Ashley could do was watch as the Collectors loaded the colonists into pods and onto their ship. She was on the verge of being loaded into a pod herself when the Collectors' operation was interrupted by the arrival of a third party. The third party managed to get the defense towers working and used them to drive the Collectors off world. It was around that time that Ashley regained mobility and ran to the defense towers' controls to investigate.

Now came the part of the story that Ashley was afraid to tell Anderson. As Shepard's former commanding officer and mentor, it was really going to shock him when she revealed that he was alive…and working for Cerberus. Still, he had to know. So she told him about finding Shepard and Garrus in the company of a Cerberus operative. She was about to tell him about the conversation they had when they met but stopped. Something wasn't right. Despite telling Anderson that Shepard was alive, Ashley didn't get any kind of surprise reaction from him. Instead he had been sitting through her entire story with a look of contemplation. Even before she mentioned Shepard, Ashley thought that Anderson would have been surprised by the mention of the Collectors. Anderson picked up on Ashley's confusion and spoke.

"So Shepard was right about the Collectors."

Anderson's statement hit Ashley like a slap to the face. So many questions raced through her head.

"How did Anderson already know about the Collectors? Wait…did he say Shepard told him? When did he talk to Shepard? Why didn't he tell me that he knew about Shepard being alive earlier?"

Despite the many questions Ashley had, she couldn't get any of them out. All she could say was, "I'm sorry, sir?"

Anderson didn't reply right away. Instead he rose from his desk and walked towards the window and looked out at the Presidium below. Ashley got up from her seat and joined him. The view was as spectacular as Ashley remembered from her last visit. Looking out at the people going about their daily business would make anyone forget the danger that loomed throughout the rest of the galaxy. Ashley shook that feeling away. As a soldier, she couldn't forget that fact as she was one of the many people tasked with allowing the Citadel to have this peaceful environment. Fortunately Anderson helped by speaking again.

"What I'm about to tell you Chief is highly classified. The only people privy to this information are the Council, Ambassador Udina, Admiral Hackett and myself. That's why I asked you to meet me in person. We couldn't risk an outside party intercepting this over communication channels. Before I continue, I must have your word that nothing I tell you leaves this room."

Ashley nodded, "I promise, sir."

"Good. When I first heard the rumors that Shepard was alive and that he was supposedly working for Cerberus, I wasn't sure how to feel. I've known Shepard for most of his career and I just couldn't believe he would defect to Cerberus. I decided to send him a message asking him to come and meet with me and the other councilors and explain where he had been the last two years. True I didn't know for sure if he was still alive and it was likely he wasn't going to respond but it was worth a try. The other councilors weren't as convinced as I was that the rumors were false, but they agreed to listen only because they owed Shepard for saving their lives during the geth attack. To our surprise, Shepard did show up and he didn't look any worse for wearer. I was a little concerned at first when I saw that the woman he came with was a Cerberus operative."

That woman again. So not only was Shepard taking her side regarding the Alliance but he also seemed to be taking her almost everywhere he went. Shepard did the same with Ashley during their hunt for Saren by picking her to join him for several of their assignments. Ashley had to do her best to hide the jealously she was feeling. What did Shepard see in that woman that would make him leave Ashley….besides her looks.

Anderson continued, "but then I saw that Shepard was also with your old squadmate Garrus Vakarian as well. Given Cerberus' pro-human reputation, I knew Garrus couldn't have been with them and I began to suspect that I was right about there being more going on than what the rumors were suggesting. Shepard went on to tell us about how he had found out that it was the Collectors who were responsible for the colony abductions and that they were working with the Reapers. He asked for any help that we could give him. Unfortunately the Council refused his request for two reasons. First, the colonies were in the Terminus Systems which is outside their jurisdiction and they couldn't risk a war by getting involved. Mostly though, they didn't want to help because they firmly believe the Reapers don't exist and that Shepard's continued insistence that they do showed how fragile his mental state was. They even went so far as to say that by working for Cerberus, he was committing treason."

Ashley felt like she was listening to her conversation with Shepard on Horizon all over again. It almost scared her that she and the Council actually agreed on something. They even used similar phrases to what she said to Shepard. Regardless, what mattered was what Anderson thought. He was the one who knew Shepard the best so it was his opinion that counted.

"What did you think?" asked Ashley.

"The minute Shepard brought up the Reapers," Anderson continued, "I knew that he was not a traitor and I let the Council know that by telling them they were going too far calling him that. You and I both know that the Reapers are out there. When you throw them into the equation, it makes more sense to believe that they are the ones working with the Collectors than the Alliance's theory about Cerberus. Now even though the Council still doesn't believe in the Reapers, my defense of Shepard convinced them that they should give him some kind of support. It wasn't much but they offered to reinstate Shepard's Spectre status. Shepard accepted their offer and we ended the meeting with the Council wishing Shepard luck on his mission and for a speedy end to his alliance with Cerberus."

Ashley couldn't believe what she was hearing. More so she was horrified by what she was hearing. Based on what Anderson told her, not only had he known that Shepard was alive but he and the Council had approved of what Shepard was doing with Cerberus. As the words she had said to Shepard came back to her, it made her feel terrible. She had accused Shepard of betraying Anderson and yet Anderson was telling her that wasn't the case. There was no telling how much she had hurt Shepard for making such a huge false accusation.

Unfortunately the first thing Ashley did was try to shift the blame. She thought back to when she had earlier asked Anderson about the rumors of Shepard return. He didn't say anything then but there was no doubt that Anderson knew about Shepard at that time. If he had told her about Shepard earlier, maybe Horizon could have turned out differently.

"With all due respect sir," she said, "why didn't you tell me you knew about Shepard when I asked you before? Shepard was my former commanding officer. Don't you think I deserved to know that he was alive?"

Ashley expected Anderson to scold her for challenging him like that. Instead he just looked at her with a disbelieving stare.

"Is that the only reason you feel you deserved to know the truth?" he asked.

The question took Ashley by surprise. Was Anderson implying that he knew about her relationship with Shepard? She and Shepard had tried hard to keep their relationship a secret to avoid conflicts with the Alliance's fraternization regulations. Shepard might have been a Spectre but he was still an Alliance soldier so the regs still applied to him. It was possible that some of their closest friends from the Normandy knew about their relationship but Anderson hadn't been on the Normandy since he was forced to step down from command. How could he possibly know?

Anderson invited Ashley back to his desk and the two sat back in the chairs they were in earlier, "there's no need to deny it Williams. I know about you and Shepard. Like I said, I've known Shepard a long time. It wasn't hard for me to pick up that something was different about him after his hunt for Saren was over. After everything he had learned about the Reapers and the threat of their return, he should have been looking weighed down by the pressure of finding a way to stop them. In some ways he was but it was like there was something that was keeping him from being completely weighed down. Something that was making him the happiest I had ever seen him. It didn't take me long to figure out that it was you. I didn't say anything because I knew why you two were keeping it a secret. I understand the reason for regs against fraternization but you two seemed so happy together and your relationship didn't appear to affect your duties so I decided to let it go on. As for why I didn't tell you about Shepard, I wanted to but I couldn't. Officially the Council still regards Shepard as deceased and Cerberus is still a known enemy of the Council so it can't be known that we approve of what they are doing. The important thing is that you know now. Once Shepard's mission is over, you two will be able to pick up where you left off."

The statement was all Ashley could take. To Anderson's surprise, Ashley shot out of her chair and ran out of the office. She ran down the hallway and passed several confused embassy staff before she found a restroom. She ran inside and locked herself in one of the stalls. As soon as she was seated in the stall, she broke down. It didn't matter if there was anyone else in the restroom who could hear her crying. She couldn't hold the tears back anymore.

"What have I done?" she thought, "how could I have been so stupid. Everything Shepard tried to tell me was true and I threw it back in his face. He was right, I let my feelings about Cerberus keep me from seeing the truth. Now I might have lost him for good. Why would he ever want to come back to me after what I said to him?"

Ashley was so busy beating herself up that she didn't hear the restroom door open and a voice calling out. Nor did she hear the footsteps approach her stall. It was when the person making the footsteps knocked on her door that she realized what was happening.

"GO AWAY!" she shouted hoping to scare whoever it was away.

"It's me Ashley," Anderson's voice replied calling Ashley by her first name, "are you okay?"

"(Gasp) Councilor? What are you doing in here?"

"You ran out of my office so suddenly. I was worried. What's wrong?"

Ashley opened the door slightly so that she could peek through the crack. The look on Anderson's face did show concern and Ashley really wanted to tell him everything. But Anderson was a Citadel Councilor. He had more important things to deal with than helping Ashley with her problems.

"It's my problem sir. Don't worry about it."

"Come on Ashley, you can drop the formalities. I'm not asking as a councilor. You and Shepard are like family to me. If something's wrong, I want to help anyway I can."

Even though Ashley was still crying, she managed to muster a small smile and nodded. Besides Shepard, she had never had a superior who showed this much concern for her personal well-being. Anderson's concern for her made her feel a little better. She stepped out from the stall and followed Anderson back to his office. Along the way, she told him everything about the conversation she had with Shepard on Horizon. They had reached the office and sat back in their chairs when she had finished her story. Anderson didn't say anything right away and it made Ashley nervous. She was worried that he was angry with her for doubting Shepard but she knew she deserved it. Before she could say anything else, Anderson started typing something on his terminal.

"I'm going to suggest to Alliance Command that you be given a leave of absence," he said without looking up from his terminal.

"Sir?" Ashley replied confused.

"Considering everything you've been through, I'd say a rest is called for."

Ashley rose up from her chair to protest when Anderson held up his hand to stop her, "do you remember the reason you came to see me the last time you were here?

The question prompted Ashley to think back to her last Citadel visit. It was the day of Shepard's memorial service. She was a wreck that day too. When the service was over, she went to Anderson to see what he could do about getting her back on active duty as soon as possible. Even though she still had one week left of the leave she was given following the Normandy's destruction, she wanted to get back to work. All she had done during her leave was cry over Shepard's death and she needed something to do to take her mind off of it. Against his better judgement, Anderson pulled strings to get the rest of her leave cancelled.

"Based on what's happened since then," Anderson continued, "I'm well aware that you are capable of putting personal problems aside and be an effective soldier. But I don't think this is something that you should put aside. Take some time off to figure out what you want to do next. Plus, if I recall, your youngest sister is getting married soon. Some time with your family might do you some good."

When Ashley thought about it a second, she realized Anderson was right. Getting back in the field right away was not the best choice for this situation. Maybe she would go see her family. If there was anybody she could seek advice from, it was her mom and sisters. She thanked Anderson for the leave and was about to leave the office when Anderson spoke again.

"Don't give up hope Ashley. I believe that Shepard's feelings for you are as strong as they were two years ago. He's not going to let a misunderstanding get in the way of what you two have. When you're ready, you should talk to him again. Just remember, Shepard is human like the rest of us. Don't make him wait too long."

Ashley nodded, "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you sir."

With that said, Ashley gave Anderson a final salute and walked out of the office.