Chapter Nine

Shepard leaned over the communication terminal after Admiral Anderson terminated the conversation and his holographic image dissipated with a mechanical hiss. Shepard had just received bad news, good news and more bad news. The bad always seemed to outweigh the good. One of the bad was that Liara approached him yet again about Ashlyn. She was even more suspicious. Ashlyn had taken out at least twelve of the enemy single-handedly and even took out the heavy gunner. The girl had skill, but they couldn't find out how or why and it made Liara more nervous the more skill that blossomed in Ashlyn. Shepard asked Liara to put aside her suspicions and that he would keep a close eye on her, but he still didn't believe the asari was convinced. He could tell that she knew he bore feelings for Ashlyn, but luckily for him she was polite enough to keep it to herself.

More bad news followed when EDI told Shepard that the Normandy needed repairs from the mercenary attack, but that followed a bit of good news. Anderson just offered Shepard his apartment in the Citadel. It would be a great opportunity for him and the team to get some shore leave while the Normandy got her repairs.

Shepard smiled faintly as he opened his omni-tool and began working up a message. He hardly ever got to give good news, even if it was hand in hand with bad news.

Attention all Normandy crew,

Our mission on Tamgauta was a success. However, we did not expect the presence of mercenaries. Though they were taken out, the Normandy will need repairing. We will be heading back to the Citadel and staying for a few days for repairs. Use this time wisely since we will probably never have another chance to relax like this.

Commander Shepard

Ashlyn smiled when she received Shepard's announcement, but then instantly frowned. Would she even be allowed back on the Citadel after what happened last time? She also wasn't too happy that the Normandy needed repairs. Her spirit was dampened when she realized she wasn't fast enough when she took out the heavy gunner. It could've been much worse, but she had hoped it would've been a straight up win. Unfortunately, she was slowly beginning to understand that nothing in this universe was ever easy.

She considered messaging Shepard and asking him about her training, but she felt as if she didn't even need it. Ever since her first training sessions and even her computer training, she felt her body and mind becoming stronger. Her reflexes were sharpening and her intelligence was rising, but if only she could remember how she got this way. Was she some sort of warrior in her past? Maybe a military unit like Shepard? She shivered at the thought of her being some sort of merciless shedder of blood, but when she killed those mercenaries, it felt… natural. She killed them to protect her friends. She could never see herself killing someone out of cold blood, but what if that's who she really was?

She decided that there was no point in struggling to remember. It never worked. So she climbed into bed and decided to force her mind to sleep.

Ashlyn felt as if she'd just left the Citadel when EDI announced that they'd be arriving within the hour. She also felt a little apprehension since her last visit didn't end so well, but she made a promise to herself that she would behave if she was allowed to go. When she received the message from Commander Shepard yesterday, the thought of never having a chance to relax again disturbed her. She could feel the hot breath of war on the back of her neck and she had to decide if she was going to join Shepard and the Normandy in their battle for Earth. She was human. At least she thought she was, so in some way the Earth was her home, even though she'd never actually been there. At least she didn't think she had.

As she ran a brush through her hair, attempting to tame the mane before arriving, there was a knock at her door.

"Come in." She called out.

The door slid open and Garrus's armored figure stepped in.

"Hello Garrus," Ashlyn greeted, her lips spreading in a warming smile.

He flared his mandibles in response, though his eyes showed a little concern. "Hey, uh, I heard about what happened during the mission, you okay?"

She nodded. "Yes, I know I probably freaked everyone out a bit, but I couldn't sit there and hide while my friends were getting shot at. I kind of surprised myself actually."

"Seems like you have some talents you didn't know you had."

A distanced smile crept onto her lips. "Yeah, makes me even more curious about myself."

"Well you are learning more and more about yourself, sooner or later your memories will follow, I'm sure of it."

"Thanks Garrus."

He moved his icy blue eyes away absently as he changed the subject. "Uh, I was wondering if I could maybe spend some time with you on the Citadel. You know, since our last trip didn't go so well."

"Oh," Ashlyn stated in pleasant surprise, her eyebrows lifting in interest, "well, sure, that would be great."

He looked at her again and his mandibles flared even more. "Wonderful, meet me at this bar tonight around seven. I'll send you the location and please, no detours."

Ashlyn laughed. "You won't have to worry about that."

Shepard was surprised to see Garrus leaving Ashlyn's quarters. Garrus didn't seem at all his usual grumpy self. He swore he saw the turian walk back to the main battery with a skip in his step. Shepard chose to ignore Garrus's strange behavior and continue on with what he came to do. He approached Ashlyn's door and gave a sharp knock.

"Come in."

Shepard entered and smiled as Ashlyn turned to him. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," she answered, "Doctor Chakwas scanned me all over after the battle just like you ordered. Not even a scratch."

"Good, but that's not why I'm here. I came to bring you this." He held out a small flat square object to her. "Here's your first paycheck. You did a good job defending the ship and you deserve this. Just don't spend it all in one place."

"Wow, Shepard… thank you!" She took the credit chit in her hand and smiled thankfully at him.

He smiled faintly at her, then turned around and left. Ashlyn was even more surprised that there was no mention of their awkward encounter after the battle, but she had to force herself to remember that he was the Commander and had very little time to worry about awkward encounters.

What Ashlyn didn't know was Shepard's mind was buzzing constantly like a swarm of bees about their encounter. After the doors had shut behind him, he paused, silently cursing himself. He'd gotten so close, so very close, and now he was just silently pushing her away. As his feet finally began moving himself away from her door, he promised himself he would use this time on the Citadel to make it up to her. He might never have the chance to again.

Now that Ashlyn was a little better acclimated, she was allowed to leave the ship on her own. Shepard was wary when she asked, but she seemed much less naïve since their last trip. He allowed it, but made Ashlyn promise to message him if anything went wrong. And since she had her very own paycheck, the first place she ran off to was the Presidium Commons. She did notice some strange looks as she frolicked from kiosk to kiosk with a very eager smile on her face, but she didn't care one bit. She was going to get something that was hers and hers alone, her first ever possession, other than her clothes. Her first stop was a weapons shop. She browsed and immediately bought herself her own Phalanx with an extended clip. The shopkeeper handed it to her and she cradled it like a newborn baby. It was shiny and clean and she couldn't wait to try it out, but as she passed into her right hand, she realized she felt better when she had two. So she ordered another. They came with their own holsters, so she placed one at each hip and it just felt… right.

As she moved to the next shop, she decided on her very own suit of armor as well.

"Have you made a decision?" The salarian shopkeeper asked impatiently as she browsed the different designs on the computer screen.

There was a lot to choose from. Some armor was built for defense, some was built to enhance biotic skills, but she eventually settled on a suit that was for easy movement, while having a fair amount of defense and weapon attachments. "I like that one." She told the salarian.

"Ah, wonderful choice. My computer has scanned your measurements and we will have it fabricated in a few hours. Any choice of color?"

She thought a moment and the image of Shepard crept into her mind, encased in black, like a monster ready for blood. "Black," she began and realized she wanted some color and suddenly Garrus entered her thoughts and how his blue armor suited him so well, "with blue trim," she finished.

"Alright, just place your credit chit in the slot and we'll complete the transaction. We can have it delivered to a home or ship if you'd like?" The salarian asked with a slimy smile.

"Uh, sure, Docking Bay 24. The Normandy."

"That'll be an additional one hundred credits then."

Ashlyn grumbled under her breath over the salarian's sneaky fee, but she didn't want to have to carry around a suit of armor all day anyway. She paid for everything, then moved along to more shops.

As she continued on her way, she spotted a shop that caught her eye. It was for formal wear. She remembered Garrus had asked her to meet him at a bar and as she looked down at her black cargo pants and green hoodie, she realized she wasn't really dressed like the people were in Purgatory. Most were in dresses and stylish clothes and for some reason, she felt like looking nice. Her breath caught in her throat at the thought. She wanted to look nice… for Garrus. The more she thought about it, the more her heart pounded in her chest. She couldn't understand what she was feeling. It was reminiscent of the feeling she had when Shepard was less than an inch away from her, but how could she feel that way with an alien? She realized that she liked Garrus, but was it more than that? She had to admit he wasn't ugly like she considered a krogan to be. He was actually uniquely attractive. Embarrassed to admit it to herself, she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She thought about his impressive height, his swoon-enabling voice and those piercing blue eyes. She knew Garrus to also be protective, loyal and kind, all attractive qualities, no matter the species.

She wondered what Garrus's thoughts were in all this. At first she thought Garrus was asking her out as friends, but with these newfound feelings, she wondered if he was feeling any of the same.

She finally approached the shop front and nervously picked out a dress and matching shoes.

The nightlife in the Citadel always seemed to be so alive to Garrus and he was surprised to see so many people out partying when there was a war going on, but then he realized it was better to enjoy the short time you had having fun than worrying. After all, that's what he was doing. Though Palaven and even Earth was on his mind constantly, he also needed these moments to clear his head because when the battle came, he didn't want to be hindered by apprehension. And the war wasn't the only thing on his mind. Ashlyn had her fair share of his brain space.

The bar was pounding with lively music as he sat at the bar, patiently waiting for her. Every type of species was on the dance floor. Even a krogan was out busting a move. Colorful lights were scattered over the place, dancing along with everyone. Though Garrus enjoyed watching, the longer he sat, the more uncomfortable he got.

Garrus had felt a lot of things in his past. Pain, loneliness and even a thirst for vengeance, but never had he felt naked. He decided to wear the black and white suit without even thinking what Ashlyn might think when she shows up in her hoodie. The only time he was ever out of his armor was when he was bathing, and then he was actually naked. This time, he felt exposed, vulnerable, without it. He had half a mind to run back to the ship and put it back on, but then he saw her and all doubts disappeared as his breath ceased.

She came from downstairs, nervously stepped into the dancing lights that cast an assortment of colors on her pale skin as her eyes moved around the room, looking for him. Garrus realized he'd never seen so much of her skin. The black dress she wore came up to her thighs, hugged her small curves and showed off her chest. He took in the sight of her bare shoulders and arms, want so badly just to touch them. Her dark hair was down and cascaded in waves down her back and over her shoulders. She'd added some sort of paint to her face. Her cheeks were more blushed, her eyelashes were darker, as was her lips, and it made her green eyes stand out like a beacon. Garrus finally took a breath and gulped the lump in his throat as those eyes fell upon him.

Ashlyn was pleased to see that Garrus had also dressed formally, but then caused her nerves to fire off. She almost couldn't move. She met his eyes and finally forced her feet to go towards him. He stood as she approached and she admitted to herself that he looked damn good in that suit. It was more slimming than his armor and he looked like he could be a turian movie star. Even with the scars.

She sat down at the bar as Garrus greeted her, causing a shiver up Ashlyn's spine at the sound of his voice. "Evening, Ashlyn, I'm glad you came."

Yesterday, she wouldn't have had a problem being articulate, but after realizing that she just might have a "thing" for him, she had trouble finding words. "Uh, yeah…thanks. I'm glad too."

"You look…" Beautiful? Sexy? "…nice."

"Thanks, so do you."

As a pregnant silence fell between them and Garrus suddenly realized that it wasn't going as well as he'd hoped. He'd pictured himself being this dashing, charming gentleman sweeping Ashlyn off her feet, but the reality was quite the opposite. She was looking very uncomfortable, and he was sure he probably looked the same. He had to bury his nerves, gather his confidence and be the bold turian he was meant to be. As the perfect tango song began flowing across the dance floor, he knew this was his chance.

"Hey," he said excitedly, grabbing her attention, "come dance with me."

He grabbed her hands and began to pull her from her bar stool.

"No!" She cried in protest. "No, no, no!"

"Come on," he coaxed, thanking himself for watching the vid on dancing and even practiced on his own in the main battery, as embarrassing as it sounds. "It'll be fun."

His strength was no match for her reluctance. He pulled her to the floor as her body became flush with his. He wrapped one arm around her waist, his hand resting on the small of her back, and held her hand with the other. She followed suit and placed her free hand on his shoulder, hoping he couldn't feel her heart thrumming like crazy beneath her chest.

"I, uh, didn't know you could dance." She murmured absently.

"I've been taking lessons on the side." He answered coolly.

All of the sudden, Garrus took the lead and they began to move. Her feet were like two tangled noodles in comparison to his. He moved like a bird, gliding through the air.

"Come on now, you danced with that strange turian, but you can't with me? What's the matter, you nervous?" He teased.

She clenched her jaw. He really hit the nail on the head. The turian from Purgatory was no one, but Garrus was Garrus. She had to get it together. She looked down, focusing on his feet, letting her mind soak in the movement.

Coordinated, graceful, smooth… legs and feet, moving to rhythm…

She blinked slowly and began to move her legs in unison with his.

"That's it," he said softly, "now you're getting it."

They alternated from twirling around the floor to crisscrossing their legs in a provocative pattern. It was almost as if her body was moving on its own accord, but Ashlyn couldn't care less. She was having the most fun she'd ever had. She looked up at Garrus and his flared mandibles as they moved gracefully across the floor, gathering attention from bystanders.

She was having so much fun that she forgot about her pounding heart and her fluttering nerves. She didn't want it to end, but the song was nearing it completion. In one final extravagant move, Garrus dipped her and their faces became so close, that Ashlyn could feel Garrus's hot, unsteady breath on her cheek.

Ashlyn's nerves crept up on her again, was he going to kiss her? Could he even kiss? He was just gazing into her eyes and all time seemed to stop. His mandibles and jaw were now tight and she wished she could know what he was thinking, but before she could even guess, the applause brought them out of their trance. The crowd that had formed around them clapped gleefully for their dance. Garrus lifted her to her feet and separated. Ashlyn let out a quiet sigh of disappointment.

As they both sat down at the bar once more, Garrus's omni-tool pinged. He opened it.

"It's from Joker." He stated. "He says their throwing a party at Shepard's new apartment."

Only a second after Garrus finished his sentence, Ashlyn's omni-tool went off.

Shepard: Hey, I'm having a party at my apartment tonight. I'd love to see you there. I think just about everyone from the Normandy was invited by Joker. I'll send you the coordinates.

"Shepard just invited me." Ashlyn pointed out.

Garrus stood up. "Well, I had a wonderful time with you." Ashlyn nearly frowned. He was leaving. "I'd like to get changed before the party. I hope I'll see you there."

She smiled faintly. "Thanks for the dance, Garrus."

He gave her a polite nod and turned to leave. As he went down the stairs, he felt like punching himself. He was doing so well. Ashlyn was smiling and laughing with him as they danced, then his cowardice took over.

Should've kissed her, you damned idiot! He told himself as he made his way back to the Normandy.

AN: Sorry it took a while. The holidays keep me busy. I hope you like my version of the Citadel DLC :P