A/N - All credit for the characters and universe depicted in this fic go to Bioware. I own nothing, I just like to play with them (in a way that is hopefully pleasing to both them and you!) Are you liking my original character? When I planned this fic, it was around the idea of having a Kris, and having her paired with James - not spoiling here, it was fairly obvious, right? - but to tell that story entirely from the Shenko perspective... looking in from the outside and being able to give advice, etc. If you want more of James and Kris, that might be something I could write separately outside this fic... drop me a line and let me know!
In the end, the plan was simple, though it took three weeks for all the pieces to finally fall together. It was a tense and stressful three weeks, where James and Kaidan hovered around Kat so much she thought she would go crazy at times. It took a great deal of patience and control to remind herself that they were just worried because they cared about her so she shouldn't vent her infamous temper on them at every opportunity. If it hadn't been for the distraction of James and Kris, she might not have succeeded, but watching the two of them alternately go out of the way to avoid each other and clash in brilliant displays of Latin tempers (mostly from Kris) amused Kat highly. And her Spanish vocabulary was increasing nicely, even if it mostly included insults.
Kat had remembered Kasumi's love of real books so the 'booty' for the heist was a first edition of Pride and Prejudice. Even if Kasumi was stealing it for someone else, Kat didn't think she could resist being able to touch the Jane Austen masterpiece at least once. Since the novel contained themes of love winning out in the end, she knew it would appeal to their friend's romantic side as well. The problem was locating an intact copy of the 375 year old publication, and convincing the owner to risk their prize possession. Although they didn't plan on actually letting Kasumi go through with the crime, if they were wrong, it was a mistake valued at upwards of 2 million credits. It had to be real, though, as they knew Kasumi wouldn't be easily fooled.
Ultimately, they brought the Villa's CO into the loop, and it turned out to be a wise decision. The admiral had a friend who was a rare book collector, and once they revealed their plan, she was able to convince her friend to cooperate. Once the target was located, they set about hiring their thief. Again, they reached out for help, this time from Council Spectre Jondam Bau. Kat remembered that the salarian had a special interest in Kasumi and figured he would have some ideas on how to reach her. He didn't let her down, and suggested several underground extranet sites as the perfect place to start. Kaidan spent several evenings posting to the sites before they got a reply and set up a meet.
"So I get why you don't want to take a chance on electronic communication given that there's a high level hacker out there," Kris said as she stood in Kat and Kaidan's bedroom, brushing out her long hair in preparation for the meet.
"And I even understand the elaborate scheme to draw your friend out," she added as she peered in the mirror with eyes narrowed to check her appearance. "And why you're not going is obvious," she said to a wave, who was seated on a chair in the corner with her hands resting over the 'obvious' part of the reason.
At five months pregnant, Kat's condition had finally become impossible to hide, though she was far from fat. She just had a noticeable bump across her middle now, which never failed to make Kaidan smile when he saw it. Although it could be concealed with loose-fitting shirts, the visible reminder of her condition had, more than anything, made Kaidan put his foot down and state she was not leaving the base for the meeting with Kasumi. He just couldn't ensure she would be safe, even among the Saturday afternoon tourist crowds visiting the National Museum of Fine Arts in Rio's Centro district. Kat had given in somewhat gracefully. Getting Kasumi back here was the goal, she didn't have to be the one to do it.
"But why me? And why dressed like this?" Kris finally reached her point as she simultaneously tugged on the hem of her dress to lower it and the neckline to raise it.
"You because the deal that I made with Kaidan was that if I couldn't go, he couldn't either," Kat explained as she studied her friend.
The dress was red, short, and tight. She knew Kris well enough to know it had probably hung in her closet for years – rarely was her assistant in civilian attire – and she had just grabbed the first thing she found for the assignment without thinking. Kat made a mental note to ask Kris about her pre-war days. If the dress were any indication, the Lieutenant had been a much less sober person before the Reapers. But then, so had they all.
"That left you or James," Kat continued her explanation. "I don't want to spook Kasumi before we get a chance to explain ourselves, and she might recognize James from... London," she hesitated before using the geographic location to summarize her months of trauma in the hospital after she had fired the Crucible. "That left you. You picked the dress yourself, although may I say I wish I could look like that right now... or ever," she said with a pat of her baby bump and a self-deprecating grin. "I just said civies. Kasumi isn't fond of the military."
"Oh please, Kat," Kris said as she turned to her friend. "You've never looked more beautiful," she corrected her with a cross look.
"I couldn't agree more," Kaidan said as he walked through the open door with a smile. He walked to Kat's side and leaned over to kiss his wife. "Thanks for doing my job for me, Kris," he added with a smile. He walked to the other woman and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Although Kat's right, you're stunning," he added as he stood at arm's length studying her. "James is waiting out in the car, if you're ready?"
"Fine, but you owe me for the hour I have to spend in the car with that mico," she growled as she walked out of the room with a huff. She hadn't been thrilled with her choice of escort, but she had lost the argument that she could go alone.
Kaidan waited until she was safely out of earshot before he turned to his wife and commented casually, "I believe the monkey is going to swallow his own tongue when he sees Kris in that dress."
"Hmm, I bet she regrets not thinking about her choice a little more now," Kat added speculatively.
Kaidan sent her a surprised look, then shook his head. "Kat, a woman doesn't wear something like that by mistake," he said pointedly. "Even I can see that she picked that dress out with James in mind."
"What?" Kat cried in alarm. She stood abruptly and turned to Kaidan as if she was preparing for combat. "What are you trying to say, Kaidan?"
"Seriously?" he asked with another shake of his head. "You haven't noticed that they've been dancing around each other since they met?"
"Well, yeah, they don't like each other," Kat replied, hands on hips. She relaxed slightly, but Kaidan's chuckle had her tensing again.
Kaidan walked across the room and placed both hands on his wife's shoulders. When she met his laughing eyes with fire in her green ones, he smiled softly. "They like each other just fine," he told her patiently. "They're just playing a game I seem to remember the two of us playing years ago," he added.
"We never fought like that," she countered, still unwilling to concede.
"No, we just hid behind regulations and vague comments," Kaidan agreed easily. "Until we couldn't hide anymore," he added with a kiss.
"James and Kris?" Kat said in irritated confusion when they parted. "They can't like each other, not like that," she argued, as if convincing Kaidan would make it not so.
"Why, Kat?" it was Kaidan's turn to be confused. "I thought you'd be happy, that you'd want them to be happy..."
"I do want them to be happy," Kat replied. "Just not together."
"They'd be good together," Kaidan pointed out, "They have a lot in common, really, and they're both our friends. And James deserves someone, after everything..."
"But she's my assistant," Kat said with a sigh, "And he's my..."
"Brother?" Kaidan filled in when she struggled for the right description. He had always seen their relationship in that light, though he realized when Kat looked up at him in surprise that she had never defined it before now.
"Yeah, I guess he is," she replied after a thoughtful pause.
"And you're ridiculously protective of all your family," Kaidan added with a proud smile. "Which is why you're going to be an incredible mother," he said as he placed a palm over their child. She placed her hand over his and they shared a smile that communicated their love for the life they had created.
"I guess I should start being a better sister first," Kat finally said with a sigh and a wry grin. "You really think they'll be good together?" she asked a little timidly. She felt stupid now for not seeing it herself, but she trusted Kaidan in this as all things.
"Yeah, if they ever figure it out themselves," Kaidan responded. "Now, in the meantime, we have a little time before they return..." he added suggestively as he lowered his mouth to hers.
"Not sure we have time for what you're thinking," Kat said against his lips before she completed the kiss.
"Mmm," he murmured into their kiss. He pulled back enough to add, "Then let's pretend we're still dancing around regs and make out like we used to in engineering."
"Ah the good old days," Kat said with a happy sigh before she opened her mouth under his.
###
They were a little disheveled but still dressed when they opened their door two hours later to three people in radically different moods. James was grinning like a fool, Kris was scowling, and Kasumi, well, she looked both concerned and irritated. Her look immediately changed when she saw Kat... to one of pleased surprise. The thief threw her arms around her old commander as if they were nothing more than girlfriends meeting after a long time apart.
"A baby, Shep!" Kasumi nearly squeaked in excitement when she pulled out of the hug and clapped her hands together happily. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"You weren't the easiest person in the galaxy to locate," Kat said drily as she led the group inside to the living room. She suffered Kasumi's first pat of her baby bump, but when she went in for a second, she batted her friend's hands away. She motioned to the comfortable seats and took one herself, on the small loveseat, and Kaidan sank beside her.
"Sorry about that," Kasumi finally said in meek contrition. "And I'm guessing there's no Jane Austen?" she added with a little disappointment.
"There is... but it's not why you're really here," Kat answered. At Kasumi's thoughtful look she added, "And you have to promise not to steal it," with a threatening glare.
"You're really no fun anymore," Kasumi replied with a pout. "But a baby," she went on in a tone of soft wonder, as if she had just remembered, "I guess I can forgive you. I want to know everything... When are you due? What are you having? What are you naming it? Is Kaidan the father?" Kasumi shot questions at her rapid-fire until Kat was finally forced to raise her hand in a 'stop' gesture.
"Four months, we decided it would be a surprise, we haven't picked a name, and... really, Kasumi?" Kat answered the questions in the order asked.
"Well, you never know," Kasumi defended her paternity question casually. "But you must be so happy," she said directly to Kaidan.
"I am," he agreed with a nod, then he picked up his wife's hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. He threaded their fingers together and let their joined hands rest on his thigh before he added, "We are."
"We will be a lot happier if we can find whoever is trying to kill me," Kat growled and turned the subject to business.
They spent the next hour and a half laying out the details of the investigation and answering Kasumi's few questions. When they had shared everything they knew, all eyes in the room turned to Kasumi who sat perched on one of the chairs in the corner. She leaned forward and tapped her chin with two fingers as she thought. Finally, she sighed and sat back.
"I don't know who shot you," she said to Kat regretfully, "And I could give you a list of potential suspects, but that's not the real solution," she concluded. "You can spend time chasing these people like you did me, but it seems to me, you need to figure out who is behind all this more than catch the shooter."
"We were hoping the shooter might lead us to them," Kaidan reminded her reasonably.
"Waste of time," Kasumi dismissed that with a wave of her hand. "There's very few people – or should I say organizations – with the resources to pull all of this off," she announced with dramatic flair.
"You're talking about Cerberus?" Kat guessed with a surprised look.
"Yes, given the connection to you, it seems obvious, doesn't it?" Kasumi confirmed with satisfaction.
"But, the Illusive Man is dead," Kaidan said hesitantly, turning to Kat. "You said he killed himself before you fired the Crucible?"
"He did," she confirmed slowly. "But he also warned me that Cerberus was an ideal; that it wouldn't die with him," she added with a tired sigh. She tightened her hand around Kaidan's and met his eyes in the hopes of seeing a contradiction in them. She really, really didn't want Kasumi to be right. She just couldn't think of an argument against the theory. It all fit... too well. Unfortunately, Kaidan looked as shell-shocked and grim as she did.
"They didn't name themselves after a three-headed dog for nothing," Kris added ironically. When everyone turned to look at her in surprise, she shrugged. "What? I remember my mythology," she explained a little sheepishly.
"Smart and beautiful," James said with a low whistle and a grin. "That's a deadly combination."
Kris blushed at the praise before she remembered herself and glared at James. His grin didn't falter, and Kat realized that Kaidan was right about them. She just hoped they had an easier time of it than she and Kaidan had.
"So let's assume Cerberus is behind this," Kaidan said. "What are they trying to accomplish? And why?"
"Draw me out by killing people I used to know?" Kat guessed.
"Maybe they want revenge for your part in the boss' death?" James added his own hypothesis.
"It's been quite some time since the Illusive Man's death, and it's still a very elaborate scheme for simple revenge," Kaidan countered. "If they could get someone on base to shoot Kat, why the other killings? And how?"
"I don't know," Kasumi conceded with a shrug. "But Shep might know some people who could tell us..."
"Miranda or Jacob?" Kat guessed at what Kasumi's hint meant. When the thief nodded, Kat went on, "They cut their ties to Cerberus before the war."
"But they still might have some insight," Kaidan pointed out with a nod to Kasumi for her idea. "Especially Miranda."
"At least I don't have to plan a heist to ask them," Kat said with a grumble. Kasumi gave a small smile of apology but Kat waved it away. Her sour mood wasn't Kasumi's fault, she was just the messenger. "I guess it's Normandy reunion time?" she added with a mocking grin.
"I'll get a message to her through safe channels, Jacob too," Kaidan said with a kiss to her cheek. He tried to stand to head to the office to do that, but Kat tugged on their joined hands to keep him seated. "What?" he asked her in concern.
"If this is Cerberus, I don't want to take any chances with our friends," she pleaded. "Let's face it, if Cerberus wants revenge against me, they have to want Miranda and Jacob, too. If we lead Cerberus to them..."
"Hey," Kaidan said as she trailed off sadly. He leaned over and kissed her softly before he stood again. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing," he reassured her before she finally smiled and dropped his hand so he could leave.
"I'll come with you," Kasumi told told him. "What you don't know, I do," she added with a smirk. "Between the two of us, Jacob and Miranda will be safe," she called over her shoulder as she followed Kaidan to the office.
Kat watched them with a worried look before they disappeared around the corner. She turned back to the only other occupants of the room and studied them for a moment. Kris and James were very carefully studying each other and trying to be sure that the other didn't notice. She sighed and both their heads swiveled to her in guilty surprise.
"You two should just get a room and get it over with," Kat growled, letting her temper loose for just a moment before she sighed again and reined it in. At their shocked looks, she shrugged an apology and added, "Sorry, that was a little blunt, even for me. But take my advice... Life is too short not to take your happiness where you can."
She lowered her head and studied her wedding rings, wishing that someone had said that to her years ago. Sure, things worked out in the end, but not without struggle, heartbreak, and even death. And now it looked like the organization that was behind much of that was rearing its ugly head to threaten them again. She placed her hand protectively over her child, thinking that she would do anything, fight anyone, to protect her baby. And Kaidan would do the same.
"We'll keep you safe, Lola," James said softly, seeing the gesture and correctly reading the motivation behind her words. He ignored the rest of her statement, though the light blush on his cheeks indicated that he had understood that as well.
"We'll figure this out," Kris added her support with a small smile. She, too, didn't comment on Kat's advice.
Kat smiled her thanks to her friends and a silence fell back over the room until Kaidan and Kasumi returned several minutes later. Kat looked up with hope that quickly turned to concern and confusion when she saw the grim look on Kaidan's face. She waited until he seated himself beside her once again and drew both her hands into one of his before she finally said just his name in a questioning tone. Kaidan placed his free hand against her cheek and took a deep breath before he answered her.
"We spoke to Jacob," he began hesitantly. "He and Brynn send their love, and Steven is fine," he added, referring to their son who was born before they had even left London.
"Kaidan, just tell me," Kat said in a stern tone that told him she knew he was stalling.
"We couldn't reach Miranda," he began carefully, "But we did get Oriana. She told us Miranda has been missing for a week," he finished, searching her face with concern.
"Missing?" Kat echoed in shock. "Like when she was searching for Ori..." she added, clinging to any hope she could find.
"No," Kasumi stepped in to deliver the bad news when Kaidan hesitated again. "She's been living with her sister and working at an Alliance research facility since after the war, as you know," she went on in explanation. "She left for work as usual last Wednesday and never arrived. No one has heard from her since. And..." here even Kasumi hesitated.
"Security footage has been hacked and corrupted?" Kat filled in her guess. She didn't need Kaidan's nod to confirm it. "So whoever is behind this has Miranda," she summarized with a growl.
"Kat..." Kaidan drew her attention back to him, and the look in his eyes told her that the bad news wasn't done yet. "Oriana received a message from the kidnappers. She was trying to get through channels to us since then, she just doesn't have the resources her sister has. The message is addressed to you." He paused and stroked her cheek in a futile effort to reassure her.
"What do they want?" she asked, and her voice held the hard edge of command. She brushed his hand away and gave him her Commander Shepard stare. "Kaidan, what did the message say?"
"Tell Shepard if she wants her friend back, she'll meet us at these coordinates within a solar month," Kasumi recited when Kaidan once again hesitated. "The coordinates are offworld... On Demeter to be exact," she added, naming the garden planet that was humanity's first extrasolar colony.
"Fitting," Kat said as she recognized the location's significance easily. "Pro-human organization and all." She stood and began to walk out of the room.
Kaidan grabbed her arm to halt her, much as she had done to him earlier. "Kat, where are you going?" he asked.
"To pack," Kat replied as if it were obvious. "Then I suppose I need to speak with Command, and contact the Normandy..." she trailed off and she continued to think through her plans in her head.
"We're not going anywhere tonight," Kaidan said firmly and didn't cower under the glare she gave him. "We'll plan our next move," he added in a tone that brooked no argument. "But we'll do it carefully. Tomorrow. After you've had some rest."
"Kaidan..." she began, trying to appeal to his softer emotions.
"Don't 'Kaidan' me, not now," he replied with a stern look. "I care about Miranda, and I want to help her. But this isn't the old days. And you're not just Commander Shepard anymore. And my pregnant wife is not going to run off into what is definitely a trap without taking the time to rest... and plan."
They stared each other down for long, tense minutes before she finally sighed and gave in. Every part of her wanted to jump into action, to do something, so she didn't have to feel the sick guilt that people were suffering because of her. But Kaidan was right, and she knew it. She had the baby to consider, and she didn't take her promise to protect it lightly. She turned back to their friends, who had waited in silence while she and Kaidan argued silently.
"James, can you find Kasumi a place to stay?" she asked.
"She can stay with me," Kris put in. "I have a daybed in my office for when one of my family visits," she reminded Kat.
"Right," Kat said with a nod. "That ok with you, Kasumi?" she asked as an after-thought.
"Sure, Shep," Kasumi replied agreeably. "But I'm still not signing up for any suicide missions," she joked to lighten the mood.
"Neither are we," Kat said solemnly with a pointed look at Kaidan.
They said their goodnights and ushered their friends out the door shortly after. Once they were alone, Kat turned back to Kaidan.
"I mean it, Kaidan," Kat began as they walked to their bedroom together. "I will be careful. I love our baby as much as you do, and I'm not going to take any chances or launch any suicide missions," she promised quietly. "But I'm not going to sit on the sidelines and watch my friends get hurt or killed either..."
Kaidan sat on the bed and began to remove his boots and socks before he answered her. "I know that, Kat," he finally said as he set the first boot aside and switched feet. "All of that. And we've already talked about this. I'm not going to ask you to stand back... I wouldn't," he corrected as he finished the second boot and stood to start removing his shirt. "I would never try to change you, Kat," he added as he pulled the shirt over his head and bared his chest. "I just want you to be careful."
Kat found her interest in the conversation was decreasing with the amount of skin her husband revealed and wondered if that had been his plan. She opened her mouth to ask that very question when an odd sensation from her stomach caused her to cut off her words with a gasp. She sank onto the bed and placed a hand over her bump, going very, very still.
"Kat?" Kaidan asked in alarm as he knelt beside her, his eyes locked on her face, searching for clues to the cause of her strange behavior.
"Ssshh," Kat replied and waved a hand dismissively. She waited patiently for another few seconds before she felt it again, then she broke out in a huge grin. She grabbed Kaidan's hand and drew it to her stomach, placing hers on top of it.
"What's going on?" Kaidan asked in concerned confusion.
"The baby kicked," Kat answered with a grin. "Wait, it'll do it again." Almost on cue, the small jab came again, right under Kaidan's hand. Kat met her husband's eyes and noted the tears welling in them. She smiled softly and her heart melted with love all over again. She leaned over and kissed him chastely then sat back and said, "I think it knows its father."
"That's... incredible," Kaidan said after a long pause. He was nearly speechless in wonder and love.
"Hmm," Kat hummed in happy agreement. "Although we should probably stop calling the baby 'it' now," she added with a sigh. "Somehow the whole thing is so much more real now. And I guess our son or daughter has made your point for you," she concluded.
She looked down and saw that Kaidan was still completely distracted by the bump on her belly. He lifted her shirt and pressed his cheek against where they had felt their child kick. He closed his eyes and sighed in happy contentment and she brought her hands up into his hair and held him against her. They had plenty of time to worry about the outside world tomorrow. For now, they could share this quiet moment of intimacy and love together and forget about the rest.