I do not own Mass Effect or any of the associated contact. Jagher Shepard is my Shepard and Fayelle Shepard is my friend's Shepard. This is a collection of moments set throughout the games. They're rated for language and violence mostly.

Mass Effect 2: Moments.
A Moment In Need.

The Citadel was different.

And not just because of the portion that had been blown to hell was being completely rebuilt or something arbitrary like that. It just didn't feel the same. There wasn't that carefree atmosphere, the air of people of all races who were enjoying living in a beautiful place. The people of the Citadel were scared. It wasn't an outright feeling of terror, but a subtle undercurrent, a furtive glance cast to her weapons. And who could blame them? The Citadel had almost been completely destroyed by a Reaper. Who could honestly blame anyone who had lived through that from being alarmed?

But Jagher didn't like the way the new Citadel felt. She rotated her shoulders in her armour as she stepped out of the shop; she wasn't used to the new fit of her armour yet. Miranda and Kasumi were standing behind her, both watching the Commander but neither saying anything.

"You two can head back to the ship," Jagher told them suddenly. "We have everything we need."

"And you Shepard?" Miranda asked.

"I just want to take a walk around before I get back on the ship and fight more. I haven't had a lot of quiet since I… woke up."

She heard her companions agree and then walk off towards the rapid transit. Jagher followed their path after they were gone. Instead of taking a shuttle back to where the Normandy was docked, she took one up to the Presidium.

Shockingly, the predominately white area that was where she had spent most of her time on the Citadel before looked almost identical to its former appearance—or at least what she remembered of it. The air of fear was here as well though, and it took away from the joy of seeing something unchanged. Jagher walked along the path, one hand trialing along the railing as she moved, as she remembered. The trees were maybe a little shorter, the light not quite as bright, but this was a place she had felt safe, up until Sovereign's attack. Safe from everything but politics.

She stopped by a particular pool of water that had once held fish. Her and Kaidan had sat there and talked about how they had needed a break from all the fighting, from the stress, and how they would have time when it was all over. Jagher half expected Kaidan to show up there and put his hand on her shoulder, to bring up the exact memory running through her head and give her that warm, reassuring smile as his fingers danced across the back of her neck.

Jagher shivered with the memory of his fingers on her.

But he's not here, Jag. You've got to stop expecting him to show up. Maybe you'll find him, but you can't wait.

Jagher sighed and pushed herself away from the railing. There was business still to be done on the Citadel. It wasn't any business that had to with Cerberus or the Illusive Man's plans for whatever; it was personal business and thoughts of Kaidan could wait.

She had received a message from Captain Anderson, the man she had appointed a council member after the dust from the attack had settled and a man she had served under proudly. He couldn't believe she was alive, so she had promised him to stop by once she was back on the Citadel and say hi, to show that it was really her. She understood his need to see her in order to believe it wasn't some imposter Shepard—after all, how often does someone come back from being liquefied?—but that wasn't the only reasons he had said she'd come. Jagher was in need of a friendly face, of someone she knew and trusted.

Jagher Shepard was in dire need of a friend.

Author's Note.

I remember the first time I played ME2 and I went to the Citadel and I was hoping Kaidan would be there.

*sigh*

Next Moment: A Moment Of Being Shut Out.