A/N Another chapter up and atom! Anyone notice that I changed the cover picture of this fic? Would you believe that I was able to create that just on Microsoft Word and Paint? Who knew eh. Anywho... Onwards we shall charge!

The second day I came to your hospital door, you had a visitor. The nurse behind the desk today was noticeably more friendly than the body I had disposed of. I walked down the hallway with no trouble and I was just about to knock on the door when I heard the voice.

'….I cannot believe this! This was the third time this week that you tried to break out of the hospital!'

'Come on Mum! I need to get out of here. Its driving me nuts staying here when I should be out there looking for my crew and my ship!'

'Your crew is here.'

'Some of them yes, but not Joker. Not EDI. Not Kaidan-'

'I should have known he was the reason for all this nonsense. I can't believe after all this time, after the way he treated you, that your still in love with him. Don't tell me you slept with him again?'

'MUM!'

'Well did you?'

There was a long pause, before you sadly replied.

'What was once between us….. It was over a long time ago. But he is still my crewmate and so are the others. I can't abandon them.'

I heard a soft sigh followed by a squeak of the bed shifting under weight.

'Honey…. You don't even know if they are still alive.'

'Nobody thought I would survive what I went through, but I'm still here. Alive and kicking.'

'And as stubborn as ever. I was never like this with my mother, I've no idea we're you got it from.'

'Oh? Is that why Gran doesn't talk to you?.'

'Oh shut up.'

There was another long period of silence, before your mother's voice sounded again right next to the door.

'I really need to get going, but please. Think about what I said. I'll be back on Friday to-'

The door whooshed open in front of me, exposing a startled middle age red head.

I quickly apologised.

'I'm sorry ma'am if I gave you a start. My name is Lex Styx. I'm the Special Agent interviewing the Commander.'

Your mother responded with a kind smile and a firm handshake in hello.

'It's very good to meet you Agent Styx. I hear that this is your second interview with my daughter. The first you left unscathed. I must say, I am impressed. Usually "Commander Shepard" throws a chair after ten minutes at anyone who tries to interview her.'

'You do know I can hear every word your saying right?'

The Rear Admiral smirked at you, giving me a wink.

'Of course dear. I was simply interested to know the reason why you are allowing such a good looking and polite young man to stare at you for long periods at a time.'

You flushed bright red, and sputtered indignation.

'I would…. I would never…..EVER…..With a spook? Never!'

Hannah shrugged her shoulders before replying cheekily.

'I seem to recall another boy you would NEVER date. What was his name? Simon? Samson?'

'Samuel' You muttered bitterly.

'Aha! That's the one! Didn't he end up being your first…errr…..roomate?'

You shook your head vehemently .

'I find you extremely annoying sometimes.'

'Well I raised you, so we'll call it square.'

Hannah turned back to face me and walked through the door with a salute, that I responded to in kind.

'Have fun kids.'

The door closed with a sharp snap, and I could feel your stare on my back.

I grabbed a chair and sat down again in my previous spot. Your face was puckered in a grimace and your eyes dared me to be dangerous.

'So…..' I started slowly with a wide grin.

'Sleep well?'

A spark of humour lit in your eyes, finally overcoming the distasteful expression on your face.

'Not to badly. And yourself?'

I nodded several times before replying in a lazy drawl.

'Just fine pussycat.'

You looked shocked at the phrase, but merely narrowed you eyes before replying in a sickly sweet voice.

'Oh I'm so glad sugarplum!'

You held my gaze for a few seconds, before you broke out into laughter.

The sound rolled around the room and rung through my head. Deep and throaty, it reached in an ground at my being. Corny, I know, but it just felt so…..Normal. Scraping away at layers and layers of walls that had been placed around my emotions. It was the moment that a small shard fell away and I suddenly felt….Lighter.

And for the first time in twenty-nine years, I laughed as well.

We laughed until we reached hysterics, past the point of remembering what we were supposed to be laughing at. Laughing and crying, in desperation and frustration and anxiety. Laughing, because that's all that was left to do.

I laughed, joyously, because it was the first time in years that I had.

'Ha ha ha….. No, don't make me laugh anymore!' You cried doubling over in your bed, tears streaming down your face.

'It wasn't even that funny!'

'No?' I giggled manically. 'Then why are you laughing?'

'Because' you whispered slowly; hiccoughing slightly.

'Because I needed to.'

I stopped my chuckling at your serious tone. Your face wore the mask of humour, but your eyes betrayed you. And in them, I saw myself.

A broken and damaged soldier.

Silence followed after the sound subsided. It was awkward and tense and you must have felt it too because you shifted uncomfortably in your bed.

'So' You started again briskly, as if what had just occurred hadn't happened at all.

'What are your intelligently insightful questions today Mr Styx?'

'Please' I stopped you 'Call me Lex, Commander.'

You paused, cocking your head slightly to the side as if you were a bird inspecting a worm, wondering whether to eat it.

'Was that a question?'

'No' I grinned back 'Merely a humble request.'

You snorted at that.

'I can think of many ways to describe you Lex, but humble is defiantly not the first word that springs to my mind.'

My ego twinged slightly at the insult, but I let it past as you had done as I requested. I opened my mouth to start my series of questions when you interrupted me.

Interrupted me again.

'However, If I must call you Lex then I insist that you call me Shepard.'

'Not your first name?'

Your gaze flickered slightly before answering firmly.

'Just….Shepard.'

The silence between us insured again, before I broached the elephant in the room.

'Alright Shepard. My first question is this; Why is it whenever you are mentioned in the media, and even whenever someone talks to you in person, you are never referred to by your first name?'

You looked annoyed at my question and tried to deflect it with one of your own.

'How do you know that nobody calls me by my first name?'

I shot back a return question just as quickly.

'Who?'

You opened your mouth again to answer but then hesitated. Eventually a look of sadness crossed your face before you turned your sight to look out the window of your room.

With your head turned just so, I could see the start of a rather wide scar running down the right side of your neck. I resisted the urge to touch it, my fingers twitching, until you turned back to face me.

'My father.' You said simply.

I frowned at your response. In all of the reports I had read regarding your background, not one of them mentioned your father. Even your birth certificate had the label UNKNOWN next to the spot. I had merely assumed a one night tryst on your mother's part must have resulted in your conception and didn't think more of it.

You nodded at my confused expression.

'Your father? I didn't know you knew-'

'Yes, I know you didn't. Not many people do.' You cut in acidly.

I recoiled at the venom in your voice before raising another question slowly.

'What exactly-'

'It's classified I'm afraid. Top clearance only. I must say, I'm surprised given you job to debrief moi, that you weren't completely informed.'

I bristled at your dismissive tone of voice, but before I bit back my own toxic reply I paused. The expression on your face was not one of derision, but rather a look of anger, pain and a deep sadness. I knew that feeling well from my time in the torture chair. A sense of deep confusion and loss towards the man who was supposed to be my father.

I gathered my courage before responding in a emotional clipped tone of voice.

'Father issues?'

Your eyes snapped to view my grim expression before nodding in assent.

'You too?' You questioned delicately.

I held your inquisitive gaze, before allowing myself to unashamedly answer your question.

'My father….. Was never the same after Mum died. He wanted revenge, and sought it by raging at the galaxy and everyone in it. Anyone he viewed as being….. wrong.'

'In his eyes…. In his eyes, I was wrong. Why should I have survived, when my mother didn't? The useless child he never really wanted. No…. My father and I never saw eye to eye regarding his treatment of me. We became estranged… My choice I admit but really when I left we hadn't had a relationship before that. I didn't talk to him again though.'

'He died, during the war.'

During my reveal I had been unable to hold your gaze, my eyes turned down towards my clenched hands.

A burst of fire ripped through them as I felt your heavily scarred, but beautifully clean, hands placed over them. I tore my vision away, so that I could look at your eyes.

Saddened and welling deeply with an emotion I couldn't place.

'I'm sorry for your loss Lex.'

'Why?' I replied candidly. 'I'm not. He was fighting with Cerberus'

Your face twitched at this, and for a moment I thought I felt a hint of suspicion cross your face before it disappeared again.

'Sometimes Lex, the people that matter the most to us. The ones that effected and shaped us deeply and were the ones that damaged us the most. Those are the people's deaths who hurt us the most. It doesn't change the fact that what they did was wrong. Or even mean that they loved you. But they shaped you regardless. And they made you into who you are today. Faults and all.'

Yeah, I thought sarcastically. Like minor fault of being a serial killer.

Mind you, I liked being a serial killer.

I squeezed your hands gently, a mask of relief playing across my face.

But you merely frowned at what I thought was the emotion you desired from me and tore your hand away from my grip.

'Was there anything else you wanted to ask me?' You asked in a curt tone.

My expression wavered, replaced with a look of annoyance at your impertinent question. Your lips twitched into a satisfied smile, as if you had caught me out proving an assumption you had made about me. For a second, my eyes narrowed. Had you discovered who I really was?

'I love getting under a Spooks skin. It so much fun to see the expression on your face when you realise you failed at playing me.'

I relaxed slightly in my chair before replying again darkly.

'My father….Is undeserving of anybodies sympathies. He was a twisted man, who deserved the fate he chose.'

You became contemplative at that, twirling a strand of hair about in your finger.

'I was brought back to life by Cerberus you know, and worked with them besides.'

I shook my head sharply at that and responded swiftly.

'You had legitimate reasons-'

'Let me finish' You said raising a hand for me to pause.

'I answered directly to the Illusive Man during that time and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, that he believed what he did was right. Many members of the organisation did as well.'

I froze in my seat at the mention of his name, but if you noticed you didn't comment instead continuing on with your train of thought.

'But regardless. He brought much pain and anger to many people. And performed or sanctioned despicable actions. But at the end of it all, he broke away from his delusions long enough to see that what he was doing was going to end up defying his one moral principal. And rather than see his actions cause the destruction of humanity, he killed himself. His one final act, was entirely selfless.'

My mind whirled at this new information. I had thought that he was shot by you, dying ironically muttering his idiotic beliefs. But this wasn't the case.

He killed himself…. To save us all?

I cleared my throat, which had gone bone dry, before you finished your sentence.

'It just goes to show, that even the criminal of us all, retains the ability to care and thus, is deserving of some sympathy.'

Even if that caring was never shown before? Even if his entire life was devoid of empathy even for his own son?

Even if….Even if what he had created had more evil inside, than even his father could contain.

'Hey Lex, you ok?'

I broke away from my silent deliberations to glance at your raised eyebrow.

'Yeah.' I muttered, running my fingers through my hair.

'You just….gave me a lot to think about.'

You smiled at that and responded kindly.

'I understand. Why don't you go home and rest. We can continue this tomorrow.'

Nodding vaguely I stood and walked towards the door. As I reached the doorframe my thought sharpened rapidly halting me in my place. Slowly I turned on the spot to look at you. You fought to contain the ripples of laughter as they vibrated silently through your chest.

'You….You…You….' I spluttered out as you suddenly released a peal of giggles through the room.

'You played me! You played on my emotional state! You made out like you controlled the interview, not me' I exclaimed surprised and irritated.

Slowly, a coherent answer escaped your lips as you beat your hands down on the bed like an excited little girl.

'To be fair Lex, you never had a chance of manipulating me!'

My ears burned red as I huffed out of the room and down the corridor, the sound of your laugh following me.

And I couldn't help it.

A smile touched my face.

I am Alexander Harper.

I am the son of the Illusive Man.

And I find you to be delightful.

A/N Soooooo...what did we think? Good or bad? I've been experimenting a bit this week with my writing style so I wonder if that had any effect on the chapter... Anyway, let me know what you thought and whether you like the new cover pic.

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