Author's Note: I'm so sorry about how long it's taken me to update this. Never think this story is dead just because I haven't posted anything. The truth is I have a total of over 10k words written for this, but the pieces are spread out into the different arcs. Curse you inspiration for never staying in chronological order.
Chapter Four: Observations [Garrus POV]
"Well since I don't have to worry about getting reprimanded now..." I look up, just as Audrea removes the clip in her hair, letting it fall. Her hair rests just a few inches above her waist, much longer than I thought it to originally be. She glances at me a moment, meeting my eyes. I think of something I saw in a vid and wink at her. To my surprise she looks away quickly, hiding her face a bit. Did I do something wrong? Before I can get up to go over to her, Alenko enters.
"Hey Commander.." He trails off on the last syllable. "I see you're getting casual."
"Yeah I suppose you could say that, Lieutenant." I notice how she's tensed since he's entered and it makes me wonder why. From what I've seen, the biotic has an interest in her, perhaps she knows of it and it's something she doesn't want. Who am I though to try to read them? They're humans, who knows what they're thinking.
"There's some messages you need to attend to, I thought you'd like to know."
"Thanks. I'll get on those." She moves to go to the elevator, pausing before opening the door. She turns to me.
"Think we'll have some time to talk later?"
"Oh, sure. Whenever you want."
"Good." She enters the elevator then and after the elevator has shut, Alenko turns to look at me.
"I saw that look you gave her."
"What do you mean?"
"The wink? I was just around the corner."
"Sorry I couldn't help but appreciate the view."
"Yeah just.. keep it that way." He turns and leaves. That little incident just helps to confirm my suspicions that he has an interest in her. Maybe it's better if I back off. For all I know they could be lovers of some sort that had a spat, and that's the reason she's not wanting to talk to him.
An hour or so later, I report up to where the Commander is waiting, her desk littered with various datapads and maps. She motions for me to sit on her bed, which is partially made, the covers scrunched up here and there.
"What did you want to talk about?"
"About our mission plan." She pushes away from her desk, picking up a datapad. She places it in my lap. 'Therum' is written at the top.
"This is the mission I'll be needing you and Kaidan for. However. I'm going to Feros first. Wrex and Tali will be escorting me there. I thought you'd like to be prepared for our mission. It'll involve the use of the Mako so... yeah." She goes back over to her desk, shifting through the chaos.
"Looks good. I heard Joker say we'll be at Feros soon." She sighs.
"I'd better get my stuff together then. At least I got a few hours to relax." She quickly coils her hair back up into a bun, snatching the clip off her desk to hold it in place. She shakes her head roughly. She looks at me, a grin on her face.
"Testing to see if it'll hold in intense combat situations. As cool as a woman warrior's hair being down in the vids and stuff while engaging tough enemies, it stops feeling that way the first time your hair gets stuck in something or gets yanked on." I laugh a bit.
"I can only imagine. It's a strange thought, hair."
"I suppose it is a weird concept to you turians... actually to just about every alien species I know of."
"I don't understand how it can withstand all it does. The strands are so thin."
"It just goes to show that sometimes the tiniest and fragilest things can be so much more stronger than they appear." I nod a little, thinking of how I'm looking at something that is fragile. She has a small frame, easily standing at least a foot shorter than me. Human skin as well... so easily cut, paper can even deal damage to it. Her waist is small, but not as skinny as some of the human models I've seen that look like they starve themselves most of the time. She has this healthy and happy glow to her. When she smiles, you feel like you just have to as well. The fresh scars on the right side of her face don't seem to effect her beauty too much either. A varen had attacked her on a small mission she had done just before Eden Prime. She's lucky she didn't lose her vision in that eye.
"Hey, you still with me, Vakarian?"
"Huh? Oh. Sorry. Got lost in thought." She bites her lip a moment before turning back to her rifle, preparing it for the mission.
"You're trained with these right?"
"Yeah. One of my favorite things to use. Nothing like looking through a scope."
"You and I should have a match sometime for practice. God knows I could be better."
"Commander, we're just about ready to drop you off." Joker's voice comes over comm.
"I'll be ready ASAP." She looks at me. "See you after the mission, Vakarian." With that she grabs her weapons to head below deck to finish preparations.