Cass drew her weapon quickly, only to have it knocked out of her hand, as one cold metal hand clenched around her throat, the girl came face to face with white metallic eyes. Struggling to breath, the teen could feel lungs burning as the robot continued to choke her; with the blood rushing in her ears as well as her vision starting to blacken, the girl was knocked to the side; her limbs tangling with one another as she fell to the floor in a heap while coughing violently. Looking up, the girl swallowed painfully as Cerberus machine wrapped it's hand around Ashley's helmet.
"Shit! Ash!" Cass yelled gruffly, her eyes widening in horror as the lieutenant commander's head was continuously smashed against the crashed shuttle. Struggling to her feet as the Alliance officer was dropped to the ground, reaching for her gun, the teen's hand dropped to her side at the realization it wasn't there but kicked across the roof. As the AI charged, Shepard leaped in front of her daughter, repeatedly firing upon the robot.
Cass leaned around her mother's shoulder to watch as the automaton clattered against the ground, the teen sighed, clearly relieved. Rubbing her now bruising throat, she watched as her mother rushed to the fallen alliance officer.
"James! Grab that thing; we're taking it with us." Shepard commanded, hoisting Ashely over her shoulder's in a fireman's carry.
Cass stood still, frowning, everything around her catching up. The Reapers are here. And she almost got killed by Cerberus again. And Ashley saved her. The last thing she said to Ashely was horrible. Ashely might die. There might be a huge super weapon to defeat the Reapers. Her mother was here, Alive.
As a warm arm wrapped around the shell-shocked teen, Cass shook her head, waking herself from this thought induced stupor. Shrugging away Liara's arm, the girl followed the rest of the team into the awaiting shuttle.
"I've done all I can for her, Shepard." Liara leaned down on the other side of Ashley's cot, forcing eye contact between her and the commander. "We need to get her to the Citadel."
"I know." Shepard paused. "Joker, set course for the citadel."
"On it, commander." Joker's voice floated out of the intercom.
Cass stood back near the door, watching the scene before her while absentmindedly rubbing the hand print bruise along her neck. Following her mother's gaze, she felt a sharp tug as they made eye contact, looking away the girl shifted her gaze to the floor; her mother's distraught gaze too unrelenting to hold. Debating whether to slip out the door, a hand placed it's self on the teen's shoulder. Looking up once more, Cass frowned as her mother's stare bore into her.
"Are you okay?" Shepard asked quietly, placing two fingers of her free hand underneath the girl's chin, raising her head ever so slightly to examine the bruising underneath.
"I'm fine." Cass replied hoarsely. "You should focus on Ashley."
"We're taking her to the hospital, and Liara's watching over her now." Shepard stated. "Right now, I'm concerned about you."
"I'm alright. Really." She swallowed painfully, pushing away the older woman's fingers. "I little medigel or something will patch me right up."
"When we get to the citadel, I want you to get checked out as well." Shepard frowned.
"I- okay." Cass sighed, not really in the mood to argue.
"Okay." Shepard smiled, almost if she was considering this a victory between herself and Cass, because the girl had actually spoken to her.
Cass rolled her eyes before slipping out the door.
"You're going to be just fine." Chakwas stated, "The bruising will go away in a few days with proper care."
Cass nodded, stretching her arms over her head and hopping of the examination table.
"So what have you been up too? I haven't heard much since I've been in the labs." Chakwas spoke, folding her arms over her chest, leaning against the counter in the small exam room.
"I- not much." Cass frowned.
"Not much?" Chakwas' eye brows rose in question.
"I may have gotten into it with Aria again and then Cerberus happened and then I ended up with Liara and now there are reapers. So long story short; not much."
"Ah, I see." Chakwas laughed.
"What about you? You're in the labs, but will you be coming back to the Normandy?" Cass inquired.
"Yes, I spoke with your mother when they brought Ashley in, once I finish up things here then I'll be there."
"That's good." Cass smiled half-heartedly. "I- How is Ashley… Is she…?"
"She's stable for now; I am hopeful that she has a very good chance of recovery." The doctor explained.
Cass nodded. "Thanks. I supposed I'll see you later, I should really get going."
"Alright, Cass. Be careful and stay out of trouble."
"Ash- I- I didn't mean what I said before. You were being a major pain in the ass, but- I'm sorry. So you should wake up soon because we're gonna need people like you-" Cass sighed, standing over the unconscious woman.
"Cass?"
The teen whipped around at the sound of her mother's voice. "Oh, uh, hey."
"Hi." Shepard half smiled. "I just spoke with Chakwas, she says you're just fine."
"Yeah." Cass frowned, turning back to the injured alliance soldier. "What did the council say?"
"That they wouldn't help; non-commital as per usual."
"Oh." Cass paused. "Was it bad- down on earth, I mean?" Her attempt at small talk taking a dark direction.
"There were people screaming in the streets and we left, it- well, maybe this isn't the best place for this." Shepard's lips turned downward at the site of Ashley. "We should probably head back to the ship-"
"We?" Cass frowned, following her mother our the door and down the hospital halls
"Yeah, of course." Shepard's brows knitted together in confusion, like this was the obvious and only option.
"But-"
"No. You're coming with me, you're not going to run back to Aria again." Shepard stated harshly; the hurt showing through the mother's usually calm demeanor.
"I'm not-"
"Cassandra! Enough, there is so much at stake right now and I don't have time to argue with you about this! I will drag you back to the ship if that's what it takes; I'm not leaving you behind. Do you understand?" The mother spoke with a tone of finality.
"I'm not a part of the alliance, if you've forgotten." Cass growled, stopping in front of the elevator doors.
"Enough, Cassandra." Shepard wrapped her hand around the teen's upper arm, pulling them forward into the elevator.
"The hell? You have no right-"
"If you've forgotten: I'm your mother! And you're going to stop being petty and listen to me right now!" The parent's arms crossed over her chest.
"I'm not being petty!" Cass' foot stomped childishly.
"I know you're mad at me and I understand that, but now is not the time for this anger. There's a war going on and I'm not going to leave you behind."
Cass glowered briefly before dropping her glare. What were her other options? But would this be for the best? Only time would tell, and they may not have a lot of time left. "I'll see you on the ship." The girl snarled before pushing her way past her mother and making her way out of the elevator.
Cass went straight back to the Normandy as she didn't even stay around her mother long enough to know when they were going to leave the dock. She hadn't the chance to explore the ship in its new retrofits and was taking advantage of most of the crew being on the Citadel, trying to get ahold of family and such.
Slipping in through the door next to the ship's elevator, the girl marveled at the sight of the upgraded Normandy. The war room was an entirely new addition; gone was the armory and Mordin's lab; replaced by a space designated completely to the horror that was now happening. It made Cass a little nostalgic, no longer were Jacob or Mordin ever present, or any of the old Normandy crew, she missed them more than she realized. Perhaps they could all be reunited someday, and war has a way of bringing people together.
Gliding her fingertips along the cool metal of the rounded table, she shivered; like everything was catching back up again in that moment back on mars. If only there was more time; more time to prepare, more time to heal. How could she be on this ship again with her mother? Hadn't she learned her lesson? Doesn't her mother understand? Why can't she see that them being together, especially now in the galaxy's time of need isn't good. That they can't be selfish? They can't fix their relationship now; that their bond has become nothing more than a lonesome, broken road. A road that will not be repaired so easily, at least not without time; which is now something that is in short supply, this Cass knew.
"You brought that thing with you?" Cass spoke with disdain.
"Yes. glyph is a very valuable resource, and well, I have come to enjoy his presence." Liara spoke evenly; her hands gliding away at the center of the mass of Shadow Broker screens in front of her.
"Well, I hope you trained it to not use "shadow" and "broker" in the same sentence to anyone who walks by." Cass frowned, watching the small white drone float around the room.
"I reprogrammed him, so no. He doesn't do that anymore."
"Good." Cass paused, "So what exactly happened to your ship anyways? Since you're all set up here."
"It blew up- or rather, I blew it up with Cerberus on it."
"You're joking." Cass' said flatly.
"No. There was no way I was going to let the Illusive man get his hands on that data." Liara responded seriously, "I took everything I could and dstroyed the ship as they invaded. It was a simple matter."
"Fucking Cerberus." Cass groaned.
"Language." Liara scolded, earning herself an overdramatic eye roll from the teen seated on her bed.
"You know Liara," Cass smiled slyly, "You've become quite the badass. When I first met you, well, you seemed to be a bit of a prude. Well, you still are a bit, but-"
"I am not a prude!" Liara shrilled.
"Oh come on, Dr. T'soni!" Cass grinned, "I mean, sure you fucked my mother on a desk-"
"Cassandra!" Liara nearly shrieked, a bluish blush coating her cheeks. "We did not!"
"Say what you want, but I know the truth, but what I was saying is that you're not as prude-ish as before." Cass paused to laugh at the Asari's offended look. "What? I meant it as a compliment!"
"It certainly did not sound like a compliment!"
"Well, I meant it as one." The teen laughed.
"What's so funny?" Shepard asked, appearing from the door.
Cass' mirth halted, sighing, the teen got up. "I'll talk to you later, Liara."
"You can stay," Shepard stated hopefully.
Cass frowned before walking out of the room, leaving Shepard and Liara both with matching disappointed expressions.
"Hey Joker." Cass greeted, falling into the co-pilot's chair.
"Shepard spawn! How goes it? Well, besides the massive machine's tearing apart the galaxy and Ashley almost getting killed…" The pilot trailed off.
"I'm fine." Cass rolled her eyes. "You?"
"I've been better. Someone's messed with my seat. I can tell." Joker spoke seriously.
"Tragic." Eyes rolling once more.
"IT is!"
"Sure." Cass paused to stifle an incoming yawn. "Well, it was good seeing you again, Joker. I'll talk to you later."
"Sure. See ya, Shep Spawn."
Cass nodded goodbye, frowning as she headed down the bridge toward the elevator intent on finding a bunk or somewhere to sleep, because she sure was not going to spend the night in her mother's cabin.
Hopefully she would be able to sleep, anyways.
So I cut this one a little shorter than planned, but I think it will be better off this way. Also, a lot of you suggested that Cass should be the one to get hurt instead of Ash, but I didn't want to spend however many of the next missions with her being in the hospital lol. Anyhow, we're in the main story line and will be proceeding to menae next! Please Review!