Chapter Fourteen

Garrus had leapt after Shepard the moment he fell, but Liara grabbed his hand first. Garrus's thoughts immediately went to Ashlyn and he turned to see Kai Leng circling her like a vulture. His legs went to fire him towards her to push her out of harm's way and take out Kai Leng himself, but he stopped. Kai Leng wasn't attacking her. They were talking.

"Garrus," Liara groaned, "help me!"

He quickly turned to grab Liara's hand as they pulled Shepard up together. They did it slowly and carefully so not to cause more floor to give way beneath them. While pulling up Liara, Garrus turned back to Ashlyn and Kai Leng. He had her on the ground now. He must've attacked her. His heart quickened and his blood pumped adrenaline through his veins. He had the sudden urge to rip out Kai Leng's throat, but something happened he did not expect.

Ashlyn raised her hand to Kai Leng and from her palm came a powerful blast. It was red energy and the first thought that sprang into his mind was, Reaper!

Everything that happened between Ashlyn's hand erupting to Garrus, Shepard and Liara approaching her, was nothing but a blur. Kai Leng must've escaped. He was gone, as was his ship, but the fragments of memory remained.

"Ashlyn," she heard Shepard call. "Are you okay?"

She turned and smiled with relief at them. "I'm okay."

She glanced at Garrus, who, for some reason, bore icy blue daggers into her.

"How did you escape Kai Leng?" Liara asked.

Her eyes darted to the ground. "I-I'm not sure."

"I know how." Garrus spoke up with an angry twitch from his mandibles. "She knows him."

Both Shepard and Liara exchanged glances between Ashlyn and the turian. "What?!" They blurted simultaneously.

Ashlyn was speechless as she gave a pleading look into Garrus's hard, accusing eyes.

A pillar crashed down behind them. "Alright, let's deal with this back on the ship, we can't stay here." Shepard stated.

"No," Garrus leaned in towards Ashlyn and thrust an accusing finger in her face. "She's a Cerberus spy. You can't let her back on the ship."

Ashlyn's mouth gaped open. "You can't possibly think…"

"What else am I supposed to think when you stand here and have a casual chat with a Cerberus assassin? Or when a strange Reaper-like weapon comes out of your hand?"

Shepard turned to Garrus. "Wait, what?"

Something else crashed and sent tremors across the remainder of the temple floor. "We really do need to get back on the ship." Liara said nervously.

"Yes, we do." Shepard agreed. "We'll handle all this when we're safe." He put his hand to his ear. "Shepard to Cortez, we need extraction now."

"On my way." Cortez radioed back.

Ashlyn didn't stop in the armory. She stormed off towards the elevator before anyone could utter a word. The trip back to the Normandy was most awkward. Liara was devastated over her home's state, Shepard was frustrated over the mission's failure and probably now confused over Garrus's accusations and Garrus was just straight up pissed off. But everyone kept the pregnant silence as they made their way back. When the doors opened and revealed the shuttle bay once more, Ashlyn went straight to her room and began removing her armor. She set it down on the floor piece by piece. Her clothes were soaked with sweat from being so nervous, so she removed it as well. She tossed it next to her armor, leaving her undergarments on, and pulled some casual clothes from her storage. She pulled the pants up to her hips and fastened them at the same time she heard the door hiss open.

She was too pissed to be embarrassed by the fact she was still wore nothing on her upper half but her bra. She spun around to see those accusing blue eyes.

"Don't you ever knock?" She growled.

The door shut behind him and he closed in on her. She moved back until her back was against the cool window. He kept minimizing the space between them until he was nearly touching her. He looked down on her with his jaw set and his mandibles tight against it. His eyes bore into hers. "You better tell me what the hell is going on before I convince Shepard to throw you out of the airlock."

Her muscles tightened. "I only just found out myself so forgive me if I didn't have the chance to tell you."

He glanced for a moment at the scar on her shoulder. It was healing. It was no longer irritated, but it stood out like a blissful, yet painful reminder. His eyes were back on hers. "Well then you better get to it."

"I don't know much." She told him. "I met Kai Leng once when I was a kid, but I was only for a moment. My father was talking with someone who he called the Illusive Man."

Garrus's mandibles flicked.

Ashlyn continued. "The Illusive Man was very interested in me. Apparently, I was the subject of many experiments, most of which I don't even remember. I was asleep… or drugged for probably half my life. The only thing I remember was being in a lab until I was about ten. Then, I was on a ship with my dad and a small human crew. He didn't tell me much. He still experimented on me, but I think it was in order to keep me alive and healthy. I never saw the Illusive Man or Kai Leng after that one moment. My father made a great effort to stay under the radar, I remember that much. I do remember how I got into the storage crate though. Our ship was under attack and my father was frantic. He didn't want to put me into an escape pod because he knew they would be looking for them. So he put me in a storage crate and jettisoned me out. Before he sent me away he injected me with something. I think it erased my memories. He told me he loved me and to stay safe. He left me with the datapad, closed the crate and sent me on my way. The crate had no restraints so I was thrown around like a ragdoll. I'm guessing the Normandy found me some time after that." She turned around to face the window.

"Tell me what you're capable of." His usually sexy voice now dripped with venom.

"I'm not sure of the extent. I have the energy beam, accelerated strength, agility and healing. I have the ability to hack into any computer system using my mind. With the scanning assistance of my suit, I was able to hack into each of your omni-tools." Garrus's glare deepened as he stared at the back of her. "Though I didn't abuse it. I also have the ability to copy any skill I see and learn it in an instant. I know I'm not normal, but I don't know what I am. If I knew what I was I would tell you, but I don't know."

"If you don't know then how would we know if you're secretly sending information to the Illusive Man? How do we know that your memory loss wasn't just a convenience?" He felt his anger rising. His heart ached and the mark on her shoulder was like the knife that pierced it. As much as Garrus cared for her, he couldn't get over the pain and anger. That was what caused him to use blind words. "How do I know you weren't sent onto this ship to fuck the hearts and bodies of the entire crew? How do I know that this rivalry you sparked wasn't on purpose?"

Ashlyn didn't turn around like he expected. He expected her to bite his head off, but she stayed facing the window. Her shoulders jerked. Garrus was still angry, but now he added guilt to his already heavy emotions.

"How can you say that?" She said in a whimpering voice. "I thought…"

"You thought wrong." He said harshly, a growl lining his voice. His anger wasn't backing down. "What happened between us was a mistake and I would've never acted on my urges if I had known the truth."

"Garrus, Ashlyn," EDI's voice rang across the room. "Commander Shepard is requesting that you both meet him in his quarters."

Garrus turned around immediately and left the room. Ashlyn took a moment to wipe the tears from her eyes and throw on a hoodie.

When Ashlyn entered Shepard's quarters, Garrus was standing in front of the fish tank. His arms were crossed, his stance was rigid and the tank cast a blue glow over his tall profile. Shepard was seated on the couch. His hands were balled together in front of his face. He was staring into the floor. They were both silent.

Ashlyn stayed at the threshold so she could look at both of them. They were all silent for a moment, but Shepard spoke first.

He sat up, straightening his spine and met Ashlyn's gaze. "So, explain to me why Garrus accused you of being a Cerberus spy?"

She pursed her lips, cleared her throat and told him everything she'd just told Garrus.

After she was finished, his eyes narrowed. "Are you saying that your father was trying to keep you away from the Illusive Man?"

"I don't know." She replied. "He was desperate to keep me safe and was always paranoid, but I never knew who was chasing him. He never said. He tried to keep me oblivious to it all. I was rarely even let out of my quarters on the ship."

"So you spent nearly fifteen years on a ship without knowing anything?"

Her jaw tightened. She was getting the idea that Shepard didn't believe her either. "There were times when my father put me to sleep. I think he was continuing his work on me, but those times I was asleep for months at a time. So time would sometimes blur by."

"How is it that none of EDI's, Tali's or Chakwas's scans came up with anything?"

"I think my father spent most of those fifteen years figuring out ways to protect me. I'm not certain, but I believe he could've made it so that I could subconsciously 'trick' scanners into showing me as a normal human." She explained to the best of her knowledge.

Garrus huffed and Shepard's attention was drawn to him. "Something to say?"

"Are you really buying this crap?" He moved from his position against the fish tank and took on an offensive stance. "She's Cerberus. Plain and simple."

"I used to be connected to Cerberus." Shepard stated matter-of-factly.

Garrus's mandibles flicked in aggravation. "Yes, but she can do things a normal human can't do. She is probably a weapon for the Illusive Man and he's just waiting for the right time to fire her off."

Ashlyn tensed, preparing to defend herself, but Shepard continued. "Or maybe she is trying to escape him? Are we to condemn her for what she is rather than who she is? Why are you being so intolerant about this? It's usually not like you to disagree with me."

Garrus paused. He knew why he was being intolerant. He was falling for a human who just happened to be a tool of the enemy and he couldn't get over the fact that she might've been betraying him.

Ashlyn sunk and sat on the edge of the bed. Her face buried into her hands. Shepard glanced over at her and spotted something he'd never seen before. It looked like a wound, but it was odd. Shepard rose from his seat on the couch and moved towards her. She looked up questioningly, but jerked compulsively as he pulled the edge of the hoodie away from her right shoulder. It was a bite mark. There were sixteen punctures, each curving around in the shape of a mouth. A turian mouth. A lump formed in his throat as he looked down at Ashlyn. Her face was turned away, but he noticed the bright red color that flushed her skin. He then turned to Garrus, who blinked at him twice and turned his head to the floor as he crossed his arms again.

"What the hell is going on?" Shepard demanded to know.

Neither of them seemed to have the courage to answer.

Shepard moved towards Garrus, standing less than an inch away from him. "Did you do that?"

Garrus looked at him. There was no use hiding it anymore. "Yes."

"Why?"

Garrus's jaw clenched. "It's a mating ritual for turians."

Shepard stood frozen for a moment, then eyes closed and his nails dug into his palms. His entire body became tense as he turned back to Ashlyn and his voice was injured. "You lied to me?"

She looked up and her eyes were lined with tears. "I'm sorry, I never meant for it to happen."

Garrus cut in. "It was my fault." As angry as he was with her, he still cared for her and he didn't want her to take the fall for him. "I… persuaded her." He paused. "It was a mistake anyway."

"So you knew I had feelings for her," Shepard went on as he turned back to Garrus, "yet you still had your way with her?"

"I had feelings for her too, but I'm the only one with enough sanity to see that she is a risk on this ship! She's come between us and she'll tear this crew apart!" Garrus was near shouting.

"That's enough!" Shepard yelled back.

"If you won't open your eyes, maybe I should just throw her out of the airlock myself?" It was an empty threat, but Garrus couldn't control the hot, angry words that came from his mouth.

"Drop it now." Shepard's voice lowered into a growl. "That's an order."

Garrus glared at him.

Shepard continued. "I decide who stays on this ship. We've all got skeletons in our closets. So, I advise you excuse yourself from my quarters."

"Yes, Commander." The turian murmured as he turned and left.

An awkward silence came between John and Ashlyn. She was still looking at the floor. Everything that he'd been through, nothing compared to the storm of emotions he was feeling that moment. He'd known Garrus for years, but he suddenly felt like he barely knew him at all.

John spoke without looking in her direction. "Do you want me to remove him from the ship?"

Her head shot up. "No! I never wanted this! I think the logical choice would to remove me."

He met her gaze. "I can't do that."

"Why?"

"Because I still care about you." He stepped closer to her. "Garrus has always been a friend and partner, but you… you've given me real happiness. You made me feel like I was just a man, not Commander Shepard, not ex-Cerberus, not even the Alliance hero the media makes me out to be." He knelt down before her and took her hand, just as he had when they first met in the med bay. "I believe you. If Garrus has a problem with it, he knows where to go. I know there's so much going on in the galaxy right now, but I would still be with you in a heartbeat if you'd let me. I can forget what happened with Garrus, as long as it never happens again. I can't be sure what the future holds with the Reapers, but at least we can be together just for now."

Tears still fell from Ashlyn's eyes, but now it was happiness. John was willing to forgive her, willing to let go of the horrible mistakes she's made, just to be with her. Her heart was torn over Garrus's sudden turn on her, but seeing John knelt in front of her, pouring his heart out, was making all that disappear. Maybe she should've been with John from the start? With John, it was easy. Everything felt comfortable. She wouldn't have to sneak around anymore, or feel ashamed.

Ashlyn smiled, brought her hand to John's cheek and stroked it softly. He returned the smile, leaned forward and kissed her. Though John was a war-hardened man, his lips were incredibly soft and warm. They invited her in with no hesitation and with them, Ashlyn forgot about the stupid turian's mistrust in her. She'd never known anything other than love and friendship for those on the Normandy and for Garrus to think that she was out to hurt them caused a stab in her heart. Luckily, John's lips were there to take that away.

As they kissed, her arms slid around his neck, pulling him closer, feeling the tight muscle beneath his shirt. His hands found their way to her waist and he deepened their kiss, allowing each other to explore the insides of their mouths. John slowly began to move forward, pivoting Ashlyn so she laid flat and positioned himself over her, never breaking their kiss. Ashlyn reveled in the feeling of John's weight on her, his hands getting lost in her dark mane and the hot pressure of his lips as they began moving down her jawline to her neck. His lips and tongue teased, sending pleasurable tremors down her body as her fingers grasped at his shirt. She found herself, without even thinking, trying to pull it off. He assisted and threw it on the floor. Her hands splayed over his broad, bare back, enjoying the soft skin and taut muscle. She had the urge to feel his skin against hers and sat up so she could remove her shirt and bra. John moved with her, eager for this contact as well. Once removed, he was on her again, covering her with his hands and lips. He caressed her breasts, kissed them, bringing involuntary moans from her. Ashlyn could feel her insides quivering with anticipation, wanting more, the thought of Garrus drifting farther and farther away.

They removed the rest of their clothing simultaneously and John eagerly delved inside her, fulfilling her need for him. Ashlyn's legs wound around his waist as he moved deep inside her. There was no discomfort, no worries, just pure bliss as his hips rocked rhythmically against hers. His lips worked too, on hers and on her neck and shoulder, though he avoided the right side and the bite mark. Ashlyn used her legs to pull John in as far as he could, filling her completely, allowing the pleasure that had built up within her to explode around him. He soon followed and then relaxed, kissing her temple tenderly.

A thin layer of mingled sweat coated them and their chests rose and fell in sync with each other. Ashlyn could feel John's pounding heart in her own chest. She sighed as a calming feeling washed over her. She wasn't ashamed nor did she feel awkward. Though, the small knife of Garrus's mistrust soon lodged itself back in her heart.

Ashlyn woke to the soothing sensation of John's fingers running through her hair. It sent wonderful tingles down her body. Her eyes opened to meet his. He smiled at her and she smiled back, but she still couldn't help but feel bad for what she did to him.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered gently.

He breathed a soft chuckle, "I've already forgiven you."

"I just want you to know that I'm sorry for lying to you about Garrus and I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused on the Normandy."

He inched forward and kissed her forehead. "I've caused the Normandy a lot of trouble too, but you're a part of her. And regarding Garrus…" he sat up and reached over to his bedside table. He returned with a tube of medigel. "We'll just put that issue behind us, okay?"

Ashlyn nodded as she moved her head to allow John access to the bite mark on her shoulder. He slathered the medigel over the wound. "What about the mission?" She murmured.

"If Garrus cannot complete the mission, he is more than welcome to leave, but I know that defeating the Reapers is important to him… to all of us and he won't let this get in the way of that." He put the tube away and then brought Ashlyn into an embrace.

Ashlyn breathed in his scent and savored being held by him, but still wanted to clear a few things up. "I promise I will only speak to Garrus regarding the mission and only if I have to. To be perfectly honest, I would rather not speak to him at all anymore."

"If that is what you wish," he paused a moment before carefully stepping into his next words, "if you don't want to be near him… you could… well, stay with me in my quarters?"

She slid back slightly so she could meet his eyes again. "I'd love that," she told him.

He smiled and kissed her lightly. "Good, now that that's settled, you should get some of your things and I should get back to reality."

He slid out of bed and began getting dressed. His tone and expression changed as the reality sank in. "We failed our mission," he stated with a dark tone. "We need to find that bastard. I'll have to see if we can get some location on him."

Ashlyn sat up holding the sheet against her bare chest. "You know, I think I know where he might've gone."

John's brow furrowed, "You do?"

"I think it's called Cronos something. I think it's where the experiments started on me. I remember my father warning the crew of our ship to stay away from the system Anadius. That has to be where it is."

John rubbed his chin. "Anadius… I didn't think there was anything there. I'm going to head to the bridge and see what I can find on it."

"Alright," she replied as John went to head out the door. He paused and turned back. His eyes travelled over her and he smiled.

"You're beautiful," he said to her.

She blushed and shook her head playfully. "Get out of here and find that system before I lock you in here with me."

"I'm definitely tempted." He said with a wink as he stepped out of the room.

Ashlyn dreaded leaving John's quarters. She had to get some fresh clothes, but she imagined that everyone on the Normandy had probably heard of the spat between her, Garrus and John. Now she had to face them. When she came off the elevator she received some side glances from some of the engineering crew. Ashlyn ignored it and continued to her now old room. She was tempted to have a look down the corridor to the main battery, but she held strong and kept her focus. She didn't expect to see a silver figure in her room though.

"Been busy?" EDI asked her as the door slid shut behind her.

Ashlyn's eyes grew wide. "EDI!" She blurted out, "I'm sorry I haven't spoken with you."

"I can understand why you haven't had the time."

Ashlyn sat on the edge of her cot as EDI leaned against the window. "I screwed up big time." She admitted to her AI friend.

"So I've heard."

"I should've stayed on the Citadel. I nearly sent this entire mission into a nose dive."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't, but I can see you've made Shepard extremely happy." EDI admitted.

Ashlyn sighed, "Maybe, but at the expense of his and Garrus's relationship. I was so selfish."

"You know what they say about hindsight. But even if you think you have caused problems, some people believe that things happen for a reason."

"Garrus now hates me for a reason?" Ashlyn responded, a bit skeptical of EDI's suggestion. "Just because I have some sort of connection to Cerberus he thinks I'm out to assassinate everyone apparently. Now, he can't stand the sight of me."

"I don't think that's the only reason he's being particularly bad-tempered." Ashlyn's eyes narrowed, seeking further answers as EDI continued. "He seemed to care for you quite a lot. He even marked you. That's a big deal to a turian. He's also victim to previous betrayal. Saren, a spectre before Shepard and a figure Garrus looked up to, betrayed them and the entire council. He was also betrayed by a teammate on Omega, which resulted in his entire team getting killed. I'm not sure if he can handle another betrayal."

"But I'm not betraying him!" Ashlyn protested, not surprised of her extent of knowledge on them all.

"I know you're not," EDI replied, "but having what you are revealed to him seems to have put it in his mind. And now you're with Shepard."

Ashlyn's head lowered. "I should break up with John," she murmured sadly.

"I don't think it would be wise. Keep Shepard happy for now. Let him share his heart while he has the opportunity to do so. I know you care for him. Garrus is a turian, they are not very emotional. He will learn to put his frustration aside at least until the mission is over."

Ashlyn cracked a small, thankful smile. "Thanks EDI. Thanks for always being there for me and being my friend. You never judge me for the stupid crap I do."

"Oh, I do, I just don't tell you."

Ashlyn's eyes popped open in shock of her comment.

EDI grinned. "That was a joke."

Ashlyn was eager to learn what John found when he scanned the Anadius system. When she received the message from him, beckoning her to the bridge, she knew he'd found something good. When she approached the holographic map at his post on the bridge, he turned and smiled, pulled her close and kissed her cheek.

"You're a life saver." He told her and it made her heart swell. "We sent a probe into the Anadius system and it fell off the map."

Her brow furrowed. "That doesn't really mean anything."

"It means everything! If there was nothing there, it would've let us know, but if it just disappeared it means it was probably jammed and destroyed. I really think this Cronos place is there where you said." He grabbed her hand and gave it a thankful squeeze.

She smiled. "Great, I can't wait to get in there and hack their systems." She told him, imagining all the missing puzzle pieces she could dig up to fill in the missing holes of her mind. But John didn't return her smile, instead he looked sympathetic.

"I know you want to go, but I think it would be too dangerous." He told her as he brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. "If I can, I'll try and grab some data files for you and maybe we'll find something."

Ashlyn tried not to look deflated. He was just looking out for her well-being, but he didn't understand. She had to know. She had to fill in the empty holes missing from her life. A scheme was already working around in her head, but it would mean lying to John again. For now, she simply smiled and leaned forward so their lips could meet. John wrapped his arms around her and gave her a wonderfully passionate kiss. She realized that getting into Cronos wouldn't be the difficult part… it would be seeing John after he realizes her lies.

Garrus had the intent to approach Shepard as a crewmember and offer his services for the mission to Cronos, but seeing him with Ashlyn stopped him dead in his tracks. His blood began to boil when he saw their closeness and their locked loving gazes. He was expecting himself to think, How could the commander be flirting with a tool of the enemy?! But really he found himself thinking, Why did she never show that type of affection to me?! He felt childish staring at them with such animosity, but he couldn't help himself. Maybe he was spending too much time around humans? He wanted to get out of there, back to the battery and maybe punch a wall to relieve some of the pain he was feeling in his chest, but he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away even during their lip lock.

Now, Garrus never knew Ashlyn well enough to put together what she was, but he knew her well enough to notice that strange look in her eyes when Shepard turned away towards the elevator. Something was going on in that labyrinth of a mind she had, the wheels were turning and it looked as if she was keeping it from Shepard. She was definitely up to something and he was going to find out what.

To be continued...