Desert Rose belongs to Sting

Kaidan sighed as he walked out of Anderson's office. Hackett and the Councilor wanted to discuss the information Garrus and Thane provided to them. He knew that the two were still wary of the information, but they would take what they could get at this point. His eyes looked up to see Garrus and Thane speaking with Wolf by the Avina hologram. All three men left as soon as the turian was done his explanations on the information that he was given. Wolf had a thing against him, he knew that, and after last night he was sure that Garrus would too.

Forcing his legs to move forward, he began to hear pieces of the conversation.

"I don't interfere," Wolf said while looking at Garrus. "Whatever is between them, they have to sort out."

Garrus was quiet as he studied Wolf for a few moments. He questioned the human about what happened last night and was surprised to be met with honesty. Garrus didn't know why the human was so interested in the Commander, but he wasn't about to question it. He was after all paying their fees now.

"May I ask how is it that you know Shepard?" Thane asked.

"You are an observant man Mr. Krios," Wolf countered. "But Shepard's secrets are her own."

Thane gave a small smile. "I was merely suggesting you would be able to point us toward the right way to comfort her." Wolf raised an eyebrow. "From what I was told, you two are quite close. And Shepard is not the kind of woman who should suffer for the wickedness and hindsight of others."

The human tilted his head. "For an assassin you are awfully spiritual."

"Funny, Shepard said the same thing," Garrus smirked. He had been busy making sure Alenko didn't walk too close to them as they spoke. When the turian had shifted toward his gun, the soldier had stopped and just waited. His eyes turned back to Wolf. "Would you like to see her?"

Wolf's violet eyes looked up at Garrus with hope. "Thought you would never ask," He said with a grin. The turian nodded. "Then let's go! No sense in waiting!"

Thane smiled briefly before he followed Garrus as the turian walked away. Wolf sidled up beside them like he belonged with them. The drell frowned as he felt the hum of the Alliance soldier's biotics as they got off down to Ward 27. Garrus and Wolf were talking about different enhancements that could be done to one's assault rifle.

"Garrus," He murmured. "We have company."

"Alenko has been tailing us since we left the Presidum." Wolf said.

"How could you tell?" Garrus questioned quietly so not to arouse suspicion.

"Powerful biotics can sense other biotics." Wolf answered. "Plus, he is not very good at stealth tailing. I knew he was following us since he pretended to go to the C-Sec docks."

Thane was impressed. "I've just recently saw him ten minutes ago."

"Garrus," The human man next to the turian said. "Shepard left you in charge, it's your call on how you want to deal with it." They stopped in front of the C-Sec docks on Ward 27.

Garrus was surprised that the gang leader was letting him call the shots. "Thane escort Mr. Wolf onto the Normandy and tell EDI to let him up to Shepard. I'll deal with Kaidan."

"Okay Vakarian."

Kaidan walked through the C-Sec area to the docks. He looked at the new Normandy with shocked eyes. He didn't think it would look so similarly to the old one. He noticed the holes that were punctured through the armor and the damage that was done to it. His mind immediately went back to the attack on the Normandy that happened two years ago. Kaidan's mind was so deep in thought he didn't see Garrus storm up to him and drag him into the darkened area near the airlock of the Normandy.

"I thought humans were smarter than this." He growled.

"Let me see her Garrus," Kaidan said as he snapped out of his trance.

"The Commander is not up to taking up visitors like you."

"That's not up to you!"

The Turian grabbed his throat and slammed Kaidan high on the wall behind him. "When she is emotionally tried because you called her a whore, that's when it becomes my decision!" He narrowed his eyes as his grip tightened on the Staff Commander's neck. "You didn't go with her into hell Alenko, you weren't there to see her struggle because she didn't have enough time to cope with the fact she's been dead for two years. I was!" Garrus jerked him closer. "She's protected everyone and done everything for them. Saving Tali from exile, helping Kasumi find her former lover's grey box, reuniting Thane with his son. She did all that. Even back on the old Normandy she was the Alliance lapdog and messenger for our problems." He leaned in close to Kaidan. "For once, I'm going to help her. And that means you are not welcome on the ship." Garrus pulled back before letting go of the human, letting him fall onto his ass.

"Garrus…" Kaidan rubbed his throat.

"I should kill you, but then Shepard would never forgive me." Garrus glared down at Kaidan.

Kaidan stumbled up and stared up at his former teammate. "I need to talk to her Garrus." He tried again. He didn't care if the turian was in his way.

"I think you've talked with Shepard enough for a life time Alenko," Garrus countered. "Don't push your luck."

"You don't understand…"

"Understand what?" The turian hissed, his mandibles flaring in anger. "That I had to watch as Shepard shut herself down because of what you did on Horizon? That the woman who died two years ago is exactly the same and has to come to terms that everyone and everything she knew is different!" He stomped back, hovering over the human. "Shepard always has me or Tali in her ground team because she doesn't know if her other teammates will stab her in the back. I see the change that is happening in her Alenko! I see it! She's not as trusting as she was two years ago. She's grappling for familiarity…and when she tried to find the person she trusts the most…" Garrus stepped back from Kaidan, seeing that his words caused his shoulders to hunch. "He abandoned her and turned his back. You understand what it feels like not to have the person you care for beside you, now suffer the same pain a little more." The turian turned away from him and headed to the airlock.

"Garrus…" Kaidan's voice cracked. With each word the turian had said in anger, he knew was the truth. His chest tightened painfully.

Vakarian opened the airlock and stepped within it. "I have a better idea," He said before turning his head slightly to glare at Kaidan over the damaged part of his armor. "Why don't you go tell your Lieutenant. I'm sure she would love to comfort you."

Kaidan's eyes widened as he watched the airlock door slide shut hiding Garrus from view.

Brian entered the loft and stopped just inside the door to see Shepard sitting on her bed with a stress ball circling around her. He smirked and used his biotics to make the ball zoom from the path she had it on toward him. He raising his hand he caught it next to his head. Her eyes snapped open to look at who came up into her room without her knowledge.

"Your control needs work," He said. "I was never able to do that before."

"Brian," She let out a slow weak smile. "Dying had an adverse effect on my abilities. So you've just gain a handicap."

The man smiled and threw the ball back to her. "I heard what happened. Fall over the edge because of one Sentinel?" He asked quietly.

She looked up at Brian with a frown, her eyebrows furrowed. "Bri…I don't want to talk about it."

"Are you really that upset about what that Alliance Commander said?"

Shepard turned away from him.

"He called you a whore!" Brian argued against her silence. He was angry that his sister let herself get so close to someone like this. Someone who would say those things as well as walk away.

"I know…"

"You know?" An eyebrow rose over his dark violet eye. "If you know then you wouldn't be feeling like this! You wouldn't be emotionally exhausted!"

"I know damn it!" Her voice rose.

"Then tell me why he is still on your mind and in your dreams after he abandoned you!" He was shouting at her now. He knew he shouldn't, but she was stubborn. If he didn't make her understand that Alenko was bad for her, she wouldn't move past it. "He didn't even let you explain! Why shouldn't I go back into the Presidum and kill him?"

Biotic energy flared around her darkly, her eyes shifting to a silver blue as she did. "Because I love him damn it and if you touch him I'll kill you!" She yelled as the glass to the ship model case shattered. Shepard jumped, her biotics disappearing as she realized what she had done.

Brian jerked as though he was punched. She couldn't possible… "Show me." He held out his hand. It was glowing with his power, his eyes a silver-blue. "Show me that this isn't a fling. Show me what happened to you since Saren." His voice was hard as stone.

Shepard knew that without her control, this experience was going to do harm than good. "I don't have my control Brian," She whispered as she raised her hand. Her hand flared with a familiar corona as her eyes shifted to the silver-blue like her brother's. "Don't lose me to my memories." She pleaded before letting him grab her hand.

She gasped as their link opened up wide to let Brian see what he missed in the last couple years. Shepard felt the shifting of memories, her brother was looking quickly through them so as not to harm her. With each memory, Shepard felt herself fall back into that time. By the time the memory of Virmire hit, she was panting with exertion. His anger at Udina's lock down boiled over her, washing her away in its tides. It only stilled when Brian got to the memory of the night before Ilos. But as his emotions stilled, she felt her own overwhelm her. This was the night everything changed. This was when Shepard thought she was going to die. She remembered it vividly.

His breath fluttered against her neck as she stroked his chest. His heart was beating a solid rhythm under her ear. She didn't know how, but he got to her. She, Shepard the Madonna Volpe of the White Lotus, the survivor of Akuze had come to care for a man. Not just any man either. She fell for her subordinate, her Lieutenant. This was not something she was ashamed of. Lifting her head off of his chest, she looked into his relaxed face knowing that either of them might not come back.

Leaning forward, she let her lips brush against Kaidan's as the biotic ability she had hidden from everyone flared. Her hand curled at his chest, over his heart as she deepened the kiss. The power flowed from her onto Kaidan before sinking into his skin. Pulling away from the man she murmured again his lips. "I will not let you die for me," She said. "No matter what happens, you will survive."

Shepard now remembered what she did. She didn't think it was significant but apparently it was. Her memories of the last battle and being sent on the missions to eradicate the geth flash by quickly, pausing only to see her interactions with Kaidan as well as the rest of her crew.

Then it got to the fall of the Normandy.

She could hear screaming echoing in her ears as she got spaced. Her thoughts were on Kaidan. How she never got to tell him how she really felt. Then she couldn't breathe. She struggled for breath knowing that this was just something caused by Brian's biotics. Just as she felt herself falling, Shepard felt hands around her waist.

'Hang on mia sorella, just a bit more.' Brian's voice murmured as the events passed by quickly. It slowed down for her missions to recruit Archangel, Brian feeling a bit smug at the things Garrus said, and the mission to Horizon. Here Brian's emotions were restrained, but Shepard could see feel the edge of them. Anger. Fear. Happiness. She felt the arms tighten around her as he scanned her last bit of memories. The images of losing her crew, the mission to the Collector base…the Harbinger flashed before her eyes.

She had felt Brian pulled away from their link as well as take his hand away from hers. Opening her eyes, she saw that there was more than just Brian in her room. Garrus and Tali were there along with Chakwas. Frowning, she sat up on her bed noticing that Brian was on the couch with Garrus's pistol trained on him. Tali came over and next to Shepard.

"What's going on?"

"You tell us Commander," Chakwas said. "EDI alerted us of you screaming and we rushed up here to see both of you flaring in biotics. And since you don't have biotics, we assumed he was doing something to you."

Brian and Shepard looked at each other. The man nodded before relaxing back into the couch. He knew that Garrus would shoot him if he tried anything. It's one of the reasons why he liked the turian so much. But now they were going to tell these three their secret. He hoped the man didn't change his mind.

"You see Doc…that's not entirely true."