"EDI, you're going to get me busted one day, and then Shepard is going to break my fingers and toes so I can't navigate the ship…and then I will disconnect you." Joker threatened EDI as he glowered at the glowing sphere to his left.

"That would be against protocol, Jeff. I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

"Watch me…" He grumbled and then jumped when he heard voices behind him.

"Where's Shepard?" Grunt's growling voice made Joker almost cower in his seat. The krogan was the only one to come out of the suicide mission without any noticeable injuries.

The creature was a tank.

"She is not on board. She is currently in Councilor Anderson's office." EDI informed Grunt.

"With Kaidan…" Joker added.

"The runt?" Grunt asked and Joker nodded his head. "I hope she crushes his head. He is weak." Of course, everyone saw what had happened on Horizon, or heard about it. "I was supposed to go with her…"

"Yeah, but she pulled a Shepard and left without you." Joker teased and turned his chair around to face Grunt. "I suppose you could go find her if you'd like to."

"I would not advice that, Jeff. The Commander said she wanted to go alone."

"Do I ever listen to you, EDI?"

"You don't listen to anyone, Jeff."

"Ooh. Burn." Joker rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Come on Grunt, let's see what kind of trouble Shep got herself into."

"Can I crush the runt?"

"No." Joker shook his head and carefully lifted himself from his seat. "Well, I don't know. That will depend on what kind of mood Shepard will be in when we get to her."

"I still say she should have killed him on Horizon."

"Yeah, I think a bunch of us came to that conclusion." Joker wasn't exactly pleased with what transpired on Horizon. He knew Shepard didn't deserve that, and she had been a wreck ever since. Even if she never said anything to anyone, he'd known her longer than most. That, and he spied on her.

"Well, I see that you are busy, so I'll just come back some other time." Evie shifted her weight on her good leg and looked between the two of them. All she needed to make this perfect was Udina barging in. The man still hated her.

It would have made this visit perfect, really.

Evie turned and went to leave the room.

"No, no. I actually need you both in here. I was briefing Kaidan on your status of being a Spectre. And his, as well."

It took a moment, but Evie stopped and turned around to look at Anderson. "Wait, what?" Her eyes narrowed just a bit. "Did you say what I think you just said?"

"You are correct, Commander." Udina took that moment to slither out of his office like the snake he is. "Since you died and then deflected to Cerberus, we had to replace you as a Spectre. Commander Alenko has proven himself worthy."

"Udina, you know as well as I do that the Council agreed to reinstate Shepard's Spectre status. "

"Yes, with your persuasion, Anderson."

"Go back to your office, Udina."

All the while, Evie just kept that perfectly blank mask across her features; she also was trying hard not to make eye contact with Kaidan.

"I actually came out to talk to you, Anderson. In my office, please."

With a sigh and a nod, Anderson followed Udina into his office and that left Evie and Kaidan alone with the huge elephant in the room. The tension between the two of them was enough to choke on.

Shifting on her one good leg, she kept her gaze on the ground. There was so much she wanted to say, but she couldn't find the courage to do it – or the words. How could she tell him that she still loved him? Was it because she hated him? It was all very confusing for her. Duty always came first, she never gave in to her wants and desires with anyone.

Until Kaidan came along, that is.

She wanted to hit him, to scream at him…Evie wanted to do so much, but she was frozen in place, she couldn't do anything at all. She was afraid if she looked at him, she would lose all of her steely resolve. That he would be able to see just how defenseless she really was around him.

"So are you trying to copy me or something? I mean, I remember you never wanted to be in the kind of position a Spectre is in." That tone entered her voice. She knew that she was on the verge of reverting into the snide bitch everyone knew she could be at times. If she hurt him enough, it would mask any sort of pain she might be feeling. He would run away, and she'd be done with it. It wasn't like he was coming with her or anything.

"Not at all. I mean, I remember when being a Spectre meant something to you. You defended your position with everything you had." Kaidan stated coolly. "Someone needed to pick up the pieces and start over after you decided to work for the enemy."

The anger built up, she could feel it boiling in her veins. "I did not choose to work for them. I was dead. I was floating off into oblivion and then nothing. I woke up in a lab and was told to run. I was shoved into a situation I could not control with people I didn't know nor did I trust them. I didn't even understand how it was that I was even alive." Her vision swam and she closed her eyes. "I did not choose this. I would much rather have stayed dead. I am so fucking sorry I disappointed you!" She was trying not to scream, but her voice rose and suddenly there was a pain in her chest that just got worse and worse every time she drew in a breath. Being that she had broken ribs, it wasn't in her best interest to get upset and yell, but she was never one to follow instructions.

Her balance faltered and before she knew it, she was collapsing to her knees and her breath was coming in shallow gasps. Evie's Omni-tool was going off like the Fourth of July.

"Commander? Commander are you there?" EDI's voice sounded so far away as Evie squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the pain that was swallowing her whole.

Evie felt hands on her, and she didn't even need to look up to see who it was. "Get your fucking hands off of me, Kaidan!" With what strength she could muster, she shoved him away. "I don't want you near me. Don't touch me." Her body shook with the effort of fighting off the wave of rage. Evie thought all of this had passed.

"Joker! Grunt! Get your asses to Shepard, NOW!" Tali's voice replaced EDI's over the comm.

"We're having a bit of trouble getting through C-Sec, but we'll be there ASAP." Joker responded. "Shit…shit."

"No!" Evie hit her Omni-tool and she fairly growled. "I don't need any fucking help!"

"Like hell you do, Commander. EDI, what are her vitals?"

"Well above the recommended numbers, Jeff. I would advise that you get her out of there before her heart explodes."

"Gee, thanks for that EDI." Evie's voice rang out.

"What's going on here?" Councilor Anderson came out of Udina's office when he heard the commotion.

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"Then, why are you on the floor?"

Evie shrugged her shoulders and tried to push herself to her feet, but with her broken leg, she just ended up on the ground again. "Fucking…" her string of curses was mumbled beneath her breath.

There was arguing coming from the front desk; Lenora was speaking sternly to someone. "Sir… SIR! You can't just barge in there!"

"We're here for Commander Shepard." Grunt spoke, and his voice filled the small room.

Joker came into the office first, hobbling and Grunt wasn't far behind him. "Sorry it took us so long, Shep. Seems that they don't like Krogans having so much firepower without knowing why." He looked behind him at Grunt. "Can you lift her up? I would…but I would break something."

Grunt nodded his head and approached Evie. "Don't you dare, Grunt." Came her growled warning. And as usual, Grunt ignored her and tossed Joker the crutches before lifting Evie completely off the ground. She looked so small in the Krogan's arms, but she didn't have the strength to fight him, even though her pride was now as wounded as her body.

"Take her back to the Normandy, Chakwas will be waiting for her. She won't be able to argue with the doc anymore. EDI, make sure that Chakwas clears a bed for her."

"Affirmative, Jeff."

Evie had passed out before they even left the office, and just as Joker was about to leave Councilor Anderson stopped him.

"Joker, I know that this isn't the best time for this… But Commander Alenko is to return to the Normandy with you. As you know, the events that have unfolded recently did not go without notice."

Joker would be lying if he said he wasn't floored by this news. "What? I guess… we saved the galaxy. Again."

"That may be so, but the Council wants an in-depth investigation of Shepard's involvement with Cerberus. They want to know just how deep she is in."

"Did you not get the memo? We're not on good terms with Cerberus anymore."

"I understand that, but before we can grant you Alliance protection, we need to know where her loyalties lie."

"You all are a bunch of fucking…I don't even have a good name for it! So in order for us to get help from you, we have to prove that we're not still with them?" Joker was pissed, he waved his hands and almost smacked Kaidan with the crutches. "Your new Commander nearly killed Shepard. Did you not realize that?"

"I'm a Spectre now, Joker." Kaidan finally spoke.

"What! Great." Bringing his free hand to his forehead, he pressed his fingers into his flesh a bit. "Do we have a choice?" He all but snorted, and when Anderson shook his head, Joker sighed. "Fine, come with me. But I'm telling you this now, Alenko. If you so much as cause Shepard harm again…I will break your face." There was fierceness in Joker's voice that Kaidan had never heard before. Joker was serious. Turning on his heel, Joker stormed out of the office to wait outside.

This was not going to end well…

When Joker left, Kaidan turned to Anderson and saluted. "What do you need me to do?"

"Just gather as much information as you can. Talk to her crew; get some data off of the ship itself. This sort of thing isn't new to you."

"No, but you know of our history."

"Exactly…that is what we're counting on." Udina chimed in as he came out of his office.

"Regain her trust, and we'll finally see whose side she's really on."

A few hours passed when Evie regained consciousness, she was hooked up to monitors and bags of fluids. She was in her cabin, which surprised her. She guessed someone talked some sense into Chakwas. Her sight was blurry, and she was having trouble taking a full breath. Everything hurt, especially her head. Her wounds had been cleaned and re-bandaged.

Reaching up, she brushed her bangs out of her eyes. Silence enveloped her, all but the routine beeping of the monitors. She took a moment to turn her head and look at the picture she had sitting on the bedside table. His picture. Closing her eyes, she let the tears roll down her cheeks as she sobbed softly, she could feel her heart breaking all over again. The meeting ran through her mind, over and over again. He hated her, and that very thought made her sob harder, no matter how much it hurt her to do it.

For the first time since she had been given life back, she wished she were dead.

"The Commander is awake, Doctor."

"Thank you, EDI. Run a vitals scan, please."

"Yes, Doctor." A moment later, EDI spoke again. "Her blood pressure and heart rate is slightly above optimal levels, and her breathing is erratic. There seems to be a loss of fluids, but it is not affecting her readings at all. I am not able to determine the source."

Joker was listening in, "She's crying, EDI. Leave it be." He wasn't the most sympathetic person on board, but in this instance…he just wanted everyone to leave Shepard alone. It was him that told Chakwas to set up everything in Evie's room. There were very few who knew the extent of what Evie was going through. Shepard was all business when it came to her crew. She trusted everyone; they were family – a clan. They never saw her vulnerable side. Somehow along the way, Joker had been upgraded from pilot to best friend to confidante. And in all actuality, Joker wouldn't have it any other way.

Someone needed to think of Shepard first.

Kaidan kept to himself, he didn't want to be there and they most definitely didn't want to be there either.

"I would tell you that you should sleep in the bathroom, but that would still be too good for you."

Kaidan sighed and folded his arms over his chest. Leaning on the console next to Joker, he jumped slightly when EDI's sphere popped up.

"There is an empty bunk in the crew quarters, Jeff."

"I'm aware of that, EDI. But, I think I'll offer up the floor of my cabin. At least I'll be able to keep an eye on him there."

"You spend most of your nights out here, Jeff."

"Yes, I know that EDI. Thank you. That is all…"

"I'm only offering up my cabin because I have to. And because I don't want you sneaking around, we've done nothing to deserve this. We should be getting medals, not interrogated. Of course, you of all people should know this, but instead of understanding…you nearly kill your fucking girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend anymore."

"Oh? Did her being dead somehow change that?"

"No. Finding out she was working for Cerberus did."

"We were never working for Cerberus, and just so you know… When she found out what The Illusive Man really wanted, she made sure that he knew we weren't on the same side anymore. Even his own people turned against him."

"And that somehow makes the situation better?"

"Honestly, I don't understand why you got so butt-hurt with her. Maybe if you talked to her, you would understand what was going on. She fucking loves you, idiot." Joker shook his head. "I don't fucking know why, but she does. I don't think you deserve her."

"You sound jealous."

Joker smirked and chuckled before standing. "No, I'm not jealous. I actually care about her well-being. I'm her friend, that's more than I can say for you. You don't belong here, Alenko. And Maker help you when she finds out we're stuck with you. I don't envy you." With that, Joker walked away and let Kaidan think about the situation he was in.