White Knight

A/N: This story is the result of living in a crappy apartment with thin walls, and having a neighbor who is obsessed with getting a perfect score to the Killer's 'When You Were Young' on Guitar Hero. Well, at least it is one of my favorite songs.

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When Shepard had asked him if he wanted to get drink, Kaidan instantly agreed. It had just been a friendly request to go out and blow off some steam. Nothing was going to come from it. He wasn't that big of an idiot. Still that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate her company.

He liked Shepard. Maybe more than one should for their commanding officer. Like all the women that he had been attracted to before, Kaidan had just started to notice little things about her. He would find himself thinking about these things for no reason. Like how her hair was always messy from her nervous habit running her fingers through it. Or the pale sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheeks that were only noticeable when you were standing right next to her.

Kaidan had noticed them when Shepard leaned against the lockers to ask if he wanted to go get a drink. Her expression had been serious, but her voice had a bit a playful tone to it. She had also made it seem like an exclusive get-together, "You want to join me for a drink at Flux later?"

So when he arrived to find her already in conversation with Ashley Williams, there had been a twinge of disappointment. It wasn't that he didn't like the chief. It was just that it could be difficult to get a word in edgewise when she got going.

With a curt nod, he joined them at a table tucked away in a corner, "Commander, Chief."

"Drop the formalities, Alenko, we're on leave." Shepard ordered over the rim of her drink, something orange in a martini glass with a cherry on a plastic sword.

"Aye-aye, ma'am." He tried to flag down the waitress, who was too busy staring at nothing.

Ashley shook her head at his attempts, "Don't even bother with her. We've been watching her for while, absolute space case."

Shepard finished her drink, "I'll get it, what do you want?"

But before she could move, Williams half jumped, half stumbled up, "Hey Shepard, I'll buy your next drink."

Shepard scoffed, "With your pay? Chief, you are either trying to pick me up or keep me from going to the bar."

Williams made an exaggerated, frustrated motion with her hands, "You're not my type." It had been obvious since Eden Prime that these two women got along extremely well, and had bonded quickly. Mostly by teasing each other. "Anyways, can't I have bragging rights that I bought the first human Spectre a drink?"

"Oh shush, not so loud."

"There's no reason to go incognito when no one recognizes you. Your face won't be plastered all over the news until tomorrow."

Shepard grumbled, "Don't remind me. Anyways, what's the real reason that you don't want me going to the bar?"

"Nothing gets past you, does it? I'm calling dibs on the scruffy guy at the end with the obviously unthrilled wingman."

"Oh, great." Shepard's tone dripped with sarcasm, "Does this mean I get to play the role of the ugly, jealous friend who doesn't want anyone hooking up?"

"The wingman's not bad. A little chunky, but not bad. Anyways, we have Alenko here to be the prude. Look at him; he's thrilled to be here." Ashley plopped back down and twisted her face into an unpleasant expression. It took Kaidan a second to realize that she was miming him.

"Go get us some drinks, that's an order Williams." Shepard made a little shooing motion with her hand, "I'll have the same. Alenko?"

"I'll just have whatever's on tap from Earth."

Williams made a mocking salute and scampered off. Shepard leaned against the table and played with her empty glass, "So, Alenko why did you choose to come drink with us instead of going to Chora's den with boys?"

He wasn't going to tell her the truth, "I, uh, I'm not one for strippers, ma'am."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, "Let me guess, have a girl back home who wouldn't approve?"

"Just my sister, something about the objectification of women in male dominated society."

Shepard grinned; he had never seen her smile before. It was lopsided and playful, "Let me guess, college kid?"

"Just graduated with a double in Political Science and Psychology."

"Smart kid."

"She's a liberal pain in the ass, ma'am." Kaidan found himself leaning towards her.

Shepard laughed; it was deep and husky, "Seriously?"

Before Kaidan had a chance to explain, a glass of beer was thrust roughly in front of him, "I just thought of something." Williams sat down with a goofy grin, "This means you're going to be leaving us, huh?"

Stirring her drink Shepard sighed, "Yeah, knowing Udina I'm going to be on the next dilapidated tug out of here."

Kaidan hadn't thought of this. A part of him had just assumed that she would just stay with the crew of the Normandy.

"And here I was just starting to like you." Ashley teased.

"Only now?"

"Okay, okay. From the first moment I saw you. But only because you were shooting the geth and not me."

"I'm still kind of hurt."

"Well at least we know you have three aspects Alenko likes in a person." Ashley ticked the list off on her fingers, "You're a beautiful woman."

Why hadn't him seen this coming? Williams must have been itching for days to mock his little slip-up.

Shepard took it all in stride, by asking a little too coyly, "Are you sure you're not asking me out on a date, chief?"

Two fingers, "That emotion called love."

"Oh really, where's your proof?"

Ashley paused for a moment, before saying thoughtfully, "And I don't how, but apparently you're also an ocean."

Without missing a beat, Shepard shrugged and said nonchalantly, "I've always been told that my sandy beachfront is my best feature."

"Nice." Williams lapsed into a fit of tipsy giggles, after a bit she turned and gave Kaidan somewhat of a sadistic smile, "You're being awfully quiet lieutenant."

Shepard answered for him, "Just let him enjoy his drink."

"I think he just finally realized that for these last few days, he's been outnumbered."

Shepard looked confused for a second before grinning just as broadly as Williams, "We could talk about fashion."

"Shoes."

"Soap operas."

"I do miss my soaps. I haven't been able to find out if Julia snapped out of her amnesia in time to stop Enrico's wedding."

"That is sad, chief."

"We all have our guilty little pleasures."

"You are aware that a space rotation means being in a pop-cultural vacuum?"

"Well, I know what I'll be doing on my—" Williams stopped suddenly to smile sweetly and wave at someone. Both Kaidan and Shepard twisted around in their seats to see a young man standing at the bar pointing towards the dance floor.

Shepard sighed and waved her hand, "Go, have fun, make stupid mistakes."

Williams grinned and scrambled up, "Aye-aye, ma'am."

After she had left, Shepard chuckled, "How did she do that? She was just up there long enough to get the drinks. Oh well, maybe we'll get some peace and quiet now?"

"So you've noticed?"

"Between her and Tali I never get a moment's peace. They're both very…loquacious."

"That is quite the word, ma'am."

"When you're the only kid on a space station, you read a lot of books."

A moment of uncomfortable silence fell over the table. Kaidan broke it with the only question he could think of, "Both of your parents are navy, right?"

"My mother's the XO on the Kilimanjaro and my dad is stationed god-knows-where with the Alliance Medical Corps."

"That has to be some Christmas dinner."

"You have no idea." Shepard chuckled and looked away with a fond smile.

Kaidan drummed his fingers nervously on the table. This was like a first date, uncomfortable small talk about nothing in general. He suddenly missed Williams and her verboseness. At a loss, he blurted, "What about you, ma'am, are you involved…?" He couldn't help but trail off.

That was a question to regret. Sure, he wanted to know, but she was his commanding officer! But then what if Williams was right and Shepard was transferred? That would eliminate the problem of the regulations breeches. Fraternization charges were only brought up with immediate chains of command.

"Nope," she just seemed amused, "Still waiting for my knight in shining armor."

A bit flabbergasted, Kaidan grinned and made a weak attempted at flirting, "If I may ma'am, you're not exactly the damsel in distress type."

Shepard laughed softly, "You have me all figure out, don't you Kaidan?" She had never called him by his first name before.

"I wouldn't say all the way, ma'am."

"Could fool me," There was a pink flush across Shepard's face. Was she blushing or was it just the alcohol? "You've already figured out why I'm single. Other than the fact that I'm on a ship for ten months of the year."

"I did?"

"If I'm the one saving princesses, doesn't that make me the knight?"

Kaidan narrowed his eyes, was she referring to him?

"Because that's a bit disturbing," Shepard continued, "really ugly princesses. With those broad shoulders, protruding adam's apples, and hairy legs."

Two could play at this game, "Fitting for a knight who gets knocked out for almost fifteen hours."

"Touché." Shepard rested her elbows against the table, "You know; I'm actually having fun."

"You weren't expecting to?"

"I actually didn't want to come." Shepard laughed nervously, "Hanging out in a bar isn't really my idea of fun, but I want to keep on eye on Williams."

"Are you afraid that she'll do something?" Kaidan asked tentatively, unsure what Shepard was disclosing.

She shook her head before saying almost too softly to be heard, "It's hard to lose your unit." A strand of hair fell into her eyes.

Without thinking, Kaidan reached over and brushed it back. She looked up at him; the pink flush now a dark red and her eyes were wide open. Her eyes were dark blue. For the longest time he had thought they were green, to fit in with the romantic ideal that women with bright red hair had to have vivid green eyes.

"That was…bold, Lieutenant." While he had been demoted back to his rank, there had been something in Shepard's tone. Something, that made him hear in the back of his mind, I like bold.

"No disrespect, ma'am."

"None taken," Shepard suddenly straightened up in seat, "Here comes trouble."

An Alliance soldier in uniform was standing in the doorway, scanning the crowd. When they were spotted, he hurried over and saluted, "Commander Shepard."

"What is it," Shepard scanned his uniform, "Private Gallagher?"

"Ambassador Udina and Captain Anderson are asking for you, ma'am."

"Understood."

"They're waiting for you at the Alliance docking bay. Commander."

"Dismissed Private." Gallagher saluted again before leaving Flux with the same clipped pace.

Shepard sighed, "I should be going then. Can I ask a favor Alenko?"

"Of course, Commander."

"Make sure Williams makes it home. The Captain doesn't need her moping around the ship heartbroken over a guy who can't even figure out how to work an electric shaver. You have my permission to pull rank, physically drag her away, or make claims about weird rashes."

Shepard stood up and shrugged into her jacket. Kaidan braced himself; this could be the last chance he had to talk to her. In his head he it all planned out, "If you're not on the Normandy anymore, can I see again?"

Shepard would smile and ask, "Are you asking me out on a date?"

And he would shrug casually, "Sure, if you want."

But the words wouldn't come, all he could get out was, "I can do that, ma'am."

"Thanks." As she walked past him, Shepard paused and rested a hand on his shoulder, "You're not half bad Lieutenant."

And with that, she was gone.

Kaidan knew that he was grinning like an idiot. He couldn't help it. Maybe there was a chance for something.

"Don't look so happy," Without him noticing Williams had shown up and was now leaning against one of the chairs with self-satisfied smile, "You're not that good."

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A/N: Squeak, squeak. Do you hear that Ashley? It's the sound of a third wheel.