Chapter.11
Old Wounds.

Shepard took another sip from the warm coffee he had just retrieved from the machine on his desk. He sat on his couch silently observing Tali's sleeping figure, gazing at her beautiful figure watching every breath she took.

He thought quietly to himself. All the horrible things I've done in my life and yet God still sees a reason to give me someone like her. I'm not going to waste this chance….this one chance I have at a normal life."

There was silence in the room; all Shepard could hear was the pulsing of his heart and the delicate breathing of Tali's figure.

He looked down at his watch and saw that she needed to get back in her suit soon to avoid a possible infection.

He reluctantly stood up and sat his coffee down on the table, he slowly walked to her sleeping figure and sat down beside her.

"Tali." Shepard gently whispered. "Tali…Tali you need to get up."

Tali rolled over and faced Shepard, her eyes fluttered open and reveled the dazzling lights within them. Tali yawned quietly and ended it with a small high pitched squeaking noise.

A wide smile spread across Shepard's face when he heard her cute yawn.

Tali pushed herself up off her back and leaned against the headboard."Already, it seems like only a few moments ago that I took…I mean you took it off." Tali said with a suggestive grin.

Shepard leaned over and kissed her soft, moist lips stroking her beautiful hair as he did. He leaned back away from her face just far enough to speak but still very close. "Next time I see your gorgeous body…..I'll be sure to put another smile on your face…"

Tali giggled after seeing Shepard raise one eyebrow and look at her with a very suggestive look. "I'll be sure to remember those words." Tali said competitively as she grabbed Shepard's shoulder and pulled him into her.

Shepard laughed as he was forcefully pulled. Tali began kissing Shepard as he struggled to talk between assaults from her lips. "Tali" She kissed him again. "Tali, you need to put your…suit back on."

Tali sighed regretfully and pulled her face back from Shepard's. "Your right. But when I find some more anti biotics were resuming this conversation." Tali said with a bit of force in her voice.

Shepard stood up from the bed and walked over to the door, he turned around as the door slid open. Tali was searching for the pieces of her suit that had become projectiles during the confrontation. "After I give Anderson my report from the collector ship I'll be sure to talk to Mordin about some getting some improved anti biotics." Shepard spoke slowly, too focused on Tali's naked figure searching the room to formulate a real sentence.

Tali looked up at Shepard and crossed her arms after seeing him stand there with his mouth half way open and a blank look on his face.

".....You know Shepard the sooner you finish that report the sooner you can find a way for us to get together again .." Tali sounded amused at Shepard's facial expression. At first she was worried about him not being attracted to her, but after last night she decided there was nothing to worry about.

Shepard shook his head and closed his mouth. "Yea of course. I'll see you soon sexy." Shepard sarcastically responded as he turned around to go to CIC.

Tali laughed and resumed her search thinking happily to herself. "This is the best thing that's happened to me, Keelah I hope he was serious about what he said last night. "

Shepard arrived at joker's station and lightly slapped the back of his seat. Joker looked up and after seeing who it was smiled widely.

"Well…..it's nice of you to join us commander….so… Andersons been waiting for you to call him for the past 6 hours, but uhhh…EDI wouldn't let me page you are send someone up to get you….any reason why? Joker was obviously enjoying tormenting Shepard.

Shepard replied in a serious tone. "That's a need to know basis…and you don't….so just patch Anderson through to the comm room already."

Shepard turned around and headed for the briefing room, but not before hearing Joker comment on how nice it must be to get jumped and not have anything break. Shepard spun around and yelled back. "EDI! KEEP HIM AWAY FROM THE DAMN SECURITY MONITORS!"

Shepard resumed his walk to the briefing room, he was embarrassed but he liked having people know he had something normal going on in his otherwise dangerous and depressing world.

Shepard stepped into the hologram and a saw Anderson speaking to a small group of what looked like Alliance officials. As soon as the group saw Shepard they snapped to attention and gave a formal salute. Shepard casual returned the gesture without going to attention.

Anderson quickly went over to his desk and pushed a few buttons before telling the group to leave. Once they were all gone he put his hands behind his back and looked down at Shepard from his nose. "Well, Commander….I hope you have a damn good reason for making me wait so long." He didn't sound upset but tried to appear so.

Shepard quickly replied with a pre formulated response. "Sorry Councilor, I had important business to attend to."

Anderson raised an eyebrow. "…. Well whatever reason it was, we have more pressing matters. I have my research team looking into the Collector ship you took out. There finding a lot of evidence that points to the reapers, I may be able to convince the council there real." Anderson spoke fast and sounded pleased at the news.

Shepard didn't really care what the council thought, they had never helped him before and there was no reason they would start, but he managed to work up a smile for the Councilors sake. "That's good news, found anything I can use?"

Anderson went over to his desk and sat down. "No, not yet. Were bound to find something you can use, but for now were empty handed. There is one thing I would like for you to do though…..PFC Arenando gave me his report on what happened in the ship…..and..it seems your having some problems." Anderson's voice sounded grim.

Shepard became defensive and shouted back at Anderson. "That's none of your damn business!"

Anderson put up his hands and calmly replied. "I didn't mean to upset you….it's just that your all this galaxy has to defend itself from the reapers…And I don't want anything wrong with you.'

Shepard sighed and looked down at the ground. "Yea…well there's not a whole hell of a lot I can do." Shepard replied somberly.

"Well…You could contact your old boss." Anderson spoke quietly without looking at Shepard.

Shepard tensed up after hearing mention of his old tyrant. "I don't like that idea…but they would know what's going on."

Anderson stood up and casually walked closer to the hologram of Shepard. "I'm not telling you to do anything, but we need you at one hundred percent when the reapers arrive. Just do what you think is best and for the love of God…be careful."

Shepard nodded and the hologram closed down leaving him in an empty room. He stood still for a second and contemplated his choices…the few that he had at least.

After a brief period of silence he made up his mind. Shepard pushed the button on the front of EDI's terminal. "EDI get me the illusive man." He spoke with a gritty determination, trying to reassure himself this was the right thing to do.

EDI's voice replied back softly. "It is done. It may take some time to receive a response how*" EDI's voice stopped suddenly for a few seconds before resuming again. "He has already replied, patching through now." EDI's voice shut off.

Shepard wasn't surprised that the illusive man was so quick to reply, he was ready though. He knew the illusive man's tricks and ways to persuade you, Shepard was determined not to be taken in by any of them.

The hologram once again surrounded Shepard and placed him in front of the pale white figure. The illusive man had his hands on either arm of his chair and looked curiously at a very angry Shepard.

The illusive man spoke up in his usual emotionless voice. "Shepard…this is unexpected. I thought you weren't going to have anything else to do with us."

Shepard crossed his arms and held back a growing desire to attempt to shoot the figure. Even though he knew it wouldn't work it would have made him feel better.

Shepard replied back in a harsh voice. "Normally I wouldn't even think about talking to you, but right now you have some explaining to do. What is happening to me?"

The illusive man shifted his weight unnerved by Shepard's reply. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Shepard was infuriated, the illusive man always knew more than he let on and Shepard was in no mood for games. "You know damn well what I'm talking about! What did you do to me! Why am I losing control over my biotics! I WANT ANWSER!" Growled Shepard.

The illusive man stood up from his chair and looked out the window behind him, Shepard was breathing heavy and his patience was wearing thin. He didn't want to talk to the illusive man anymore then he had to and the illusive man seemed determined to drag out there conversation.

The illusive man spoke to Shepard without turning around. "I'm not sure off this…but…your probably suffering from the advanced cybernetics inside of you, they are…constructed from reaper technology and are meant to enhance your biotic power."

Shepard was stunned he took a step back, he knew that Cerberus had the ability to acquire reaper technology and the illusive man had no reason to lie…that he knew of.

Shepard slowly stammered out a sentence. "You….You put…reaper material inside of me?"

The illusive man turned around and faced Shepard. "It was meant to keep you from being indoctrinated. We assumed since you have been and were going to be around reapers you should have a defense against their mind control. So we implanted you with cybernetics designed from pieces of Sovereign. They enhance everything you do; they make you stronger and more able to take on your enemy's. However we knew there would be risks, we were performing tests on a young biotic to find ways to control this risk…..but she was taken from us….from me. She has years of research within her, and if you could recover her for me…….I could augment your cybernetics and allow you full control."

Shepard was listening attentively, following every word looking for a way to rid himself of this curse. Now that the illusive man had told him the cure….he wasn't sure. Shepard spoke up with a fire in his voice. "So what? You want me to go kidnap a kid so you can cut him open and look for me a cure!?"

The illusive man sat back down in his chair and looked up at Shepard. "Of course not, and it's a she. No harm will come to her; all we want to do is analyze the cybernetics within her. We can do that without cutting her open….were not monsters after all."

Shepard didn't know what to do. He thought about asking the illusive man how he lost her, but he knew the illusive man would just lie. Shepard saw no other options but to at least try this route.

Shepard was silent for a few seconds contemplating his choices once again. He spoke up after he had decided. "Alright. Relay me the info you have on her….and if you try anything so help me God….I'll make you suffer for all you have done." As Shepard spoke he clinched up his fists and conveyed a aura of hatred that even the illusive man could feel.

"Very well Shepard, I'll send EDI the info and it will be just like old times. The girls name is Gillian…Gillian Grayson and I expect you to retrieve her soon for me."