December 18, 2171. It was a bad day and Lauren wasn't quite sure why. Her last set of finals for high school were finished, so she was technically a graduate. The exams were tough and she was relieved to be done, but that wasn't what was on her mind.

All this time since leaving BAaT, Lauren had kept her biotics hidden. The only time she used them was when she was at home, helping her mother and father around the house or just doing exercises to practice control. Her parents had come to accept and appreciate her biotic abilities, which was helpful, but that didn't ease the loneliness she sometimes felt. Today was one of those very lonely days.

She wasn't hurting for lack of friends. She had a close circle of a few girls and guys, but even to them she had never disclosed her biotics. It was just an automatic protective wall she'd put up. Lauren would always remember her biotic flare-up that gained her notoriety in junior high and she didn't want to be known as a freak again.

She missed the camaraderie that she had had at Brain Camp. It was the ability to not have to hide a part of herself because everyone else shared that same, almost dirty, secret. The place was a shithole, without a doubt, but everyone was there for the same reason. Nearly two years spent with only biotics felt comfortable, in a way, but now nearly two years without any, save Indi's occasional vidcomms, she felt isolated.

So all of that brought her to this. Sitting in front of her console, she took a deep breath and started to type.

Kaidan,

This is Lauren Shepard from Brain Camp. I hope this reaches you. I guess it's been a while and you could have shut this account down or something. Anyway, I just wanted to see how you've been doing. I just finished up my final exams before graduating. BC actually put me ahead of the rest of them. Surprising, but worth it because I'm getting out of school. School sucks. Oh, wait, you said you wanted to go back...Did you go to university like you said you might?

I'm still going to enlist with the Alliance in April when I turn 18. I've been hearing that things are getting interesting out in the Terminus, so I hope I get posted out there.

Did you ever hear from anyone else from BC? I sometimes talk to Indi, but she isn't the same. Well, my life is super uninteresting, so I hope yours is a little more exciting. Hope you are doing well. Maybe drop a line when you can.

Lauren

Lauren breathed deeply again and pressed "send." The note was innocuous enough, she thought. It really couldn't do any harm.

x-X-x

It had been a few days since Kaidan got the message, and he was taking that familiar route to the therapist's office. He walked into the cozy room and sat down on the fluffy couch that had too many pillows, in his opinion. He took a couple off to clear himself a spot to sit and folded his hands in front of him. His last hit of red sand was about 8 hours ago, so he was nearly sober. He figured he should be to talk to her.

"Kaidan," the plump woman said kindly, "it's been a while. I was honestly surprised to get your call."

"I, uh, wanted to talk," he said quietly. The therapist raised her eyebrows to urge him to continue. "I got a note the other day. From a girl...a girl I used to know at Bra...BAaT."

"What did the note say? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she said.

"No, it's ok. It was just a bunch of nothing really. Asking me how I am, telling me what she'd been up to. It was short." Kaidan was wringing his hands as he talked.

"But it obviously bothered you."

"Well, it just took me by surprise. I thought I had forgotten about all that. Then this just...made it all come back." He paused and took a breath. "It was her that got me caught up in all the shit that was going on with Conatix."

"Are you angry with her?"

"Yeah, I mean, no, goddamnit...sometimes. I mean, if she wouldn't have been such a damn snoop, none of this ever would have happened probably!" Kaidan wished he had more red sand to mellow him out. The therapist was pissing him off.

"Perhaps, but have you thought about the consequences if she hadn't been suspicious? The implications for you and your friends?"

"Christ, yes! I thought about it then when they had me locked up in that damn holding pen!" His voice was nearly a shout, then it suddenly dropped. "I just...I just want to feel normal again."

"What constitutes normal to you?"

Kaidan gave the therapist a frustrated look. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Normal! Just normal...not a murderer, I don't know!"

The therapist jotted something on her pad. "We've been down this road before, Kaidan," she said without looking up. "Have you forgiven this girl?"

Kaidan shifted in his seat. "For what?"

"You're obviously holding on to something that involves her and it's evoking a passionate reaction from you. So what is it? Anger, bitterness?"

"No, I actually...I actually liked her. We had a good friendship. For a while. She was a good kid. I guess the note reminded me of that. She still is, but the problem is, I'm not the person she knew."

Looking up, the therapist looked Kaidan directly in the eyes. "How are you different?"

Kaidan ran both hands over his face and through his hair. This problem had been staring him in the face for the last two weeks since he was forced to withdraw from the university for violating its policy on substance abuse numerous times. The first time, he was given the opportunity to take a rehab program they had in place. He attended, but was so high every time, he couldn't even remember what was said. He and Brady got so bad they couldn't go to class without a quick hit. Kaidan's grades quickly plummeted because he forgot about assignments and tests. Even Kyra and Leslie backed away from the pair because they were so caught up in the drug use.

Kaidan hadn't told his parents about being dismissed from school yet either. They thought he had just finished up for the holiday break. In fact, a friend had let Kaidan secretly crash in his dorm room for the last few weeks until the semester ended. He knew they'd be pissed. Something had to be done. He was getting out of control, and losing control was the last thing Kaidan wanted.

"I...," Kaidan started slowly, "I need help."

A/N: This chapter was a short one, purposefully. This is not going to be a blow-by-blow of their lives. It will be like Training, catching important snapshots, so that is why I started including dates. Though this is AU, I intend to be faithful to the ME timeline (as close as I can, and sometimes that is very hard to do!) Thank you for the follows and the favorites! I hope you enjoy!