A/N 7/19/2012: Thanks to GoogleFloobs for thetaing (Check out his story)! Again, this story is currently under revision, so please excuse any inconsistencies. A full plan of my revisions is avail in Chp. 59, Author's Explanatory Note: An Update.

Disclaimer: Mass Effect is copyright of Bioware. Ci-Ci is mine.

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Thank you for reading. Enjoy!

21 May 2183 — Edolus, Sparta System, Artemis Tau Cluster

Corinthia's knuckles were white as she clenched the steering wheel of the Mako. Of course, not that anyone could see beneath her armor. Even though she and Shepard had organized a tactical plan to avoid thresher maws if they showed up, she was so nervous that she thought she was going to be sick. Shepard had worked with her to try and make her feel less wound up about the mission and she hadn't even heard him when he suggested that she stay on the Normandy.

Somehow, this mission had become personal. He hadn't quite seen it the night before, but the way her eyes had hardened meant that she'd found something else — something she wasn't going to tell him about. Yet. He'd get it out of her before the end.

Shepard had always thought that she'd taken the losses from Akuze well. She'd cried a couple times, but she'd never lapsed into depression over it. Worse, she'd barely opened up to him and he was supposed to be the one to comfort her, for her to trust so that he could help her like she did him.

To be on the safe side, Shepard had asked Liara to come as well. Not only had the girls bonded, but Liara could use her biotic fields to protect the Mako while Shepard and Corinthia took down any maws that appeared.

Frankly, Shepard thought Corinthia was being paranoid. They would see what was happening on Edolus, get the bodies (or, at least, their dog tags), and leave. In and out. Then they could move on to more important things. Prove that Akuze was an isolated incident.

Torfan may have given him a reputation, but Akuze followed him. It wasn't in an obvious way, either. Actually, he wasn't sure how to describe it. It was as if that moment, when the thresher maws had broken through the earth, wasn't going to be the last time he'd face overwhelming odds that he could do nothing but run from. Run. Shepard didn't do that, ever, but he had in that moment. He didn't regret it; if he hadn't, he never would have become friends with Corinthia. The fact was, though, that he'd only managed to get her out alive and, although he'd save her life a thousand times, he secretly wished that he could've gotten everyone out alive. It was as much about the stigma of being a survivor at any cost as it was about doing his job. The first rule of being a soldier was to come home alive, but the law of the marines was no man left behind. Shepard still had a bit of trouble believing the latter, except in Corinthia's case, but now that he was a Spectre, it was like he had to care. Was supposed to or some stupid shit like that. And, the truth was, he did care; he always had, but had been too selfish and pig-headed to do anything about it — a ruthless bastard, an ass-hole, and a renegade, not to mention the anger management issues, acidic sarcasm, a mini-nuke, and "I don't give a fuck" tattooed on his forehead.

To be marked as a survivor didn't bother him. He was one and the horrific things he'd seen hadn't bothered him in the least. What did, though, was that they'd been ambushed. He hadn't been ready. Those marines were innocent. Well, in a sense. They couldn't have fought off that attack. They were dead in the blink of an eye and he watched. He survived. It wasn't quite survivor's guilt — after all, he didn't feel that kind of thing — because it didn't make him worthless; it enraged him.

On Torfan, he'd known that they could win and he took that victory. It had cost him, but that was expected in war. To that day, the deaths of every last soldier didn't bother him in the least. The incidents were all that different, but the mercs they'd fought on that moon weren't maws. It had been war, where there were acceptable losses for acceptable goals. That was part of being an officer, what set the command apart from the raw recruit. Shepard could handle that. But losses without good reason? That made him want revenge — well, a glorified kind of it, because more than anger or a desire for justice drove him. Yeah, they were marines and their job was to get in harm's way and put their lives on the line, but it was different to take a bullet in a fight than to be killed when ambushed.

But since when had soldiers been innocent? Shepard's train of thought screeched to a halt. Soldiers, marines, officers... They knew the risks. Every last one of them signed a waiver stating that their death wasn't the Alliance's fault. It was understood that they'd get a medal for being hurt in combat at one point or another. Even on Akuze, they'd been prepared for the worst, and something worse than that had happened, but that didn't make them innocent or make them deserve his pity. Torfan had been about getting the job done, no matter the cost, but was it, in fact, too high?

What the fuck was wrong with him?

Then, the answer came to him, so obvious that he almost smiled: Corinthia. That goddamn woman was rubbing off on him in more ways than he'd expected. It wasn't a bad thing, but it sure as hell was amusing to think that she'd gotten to him that much. It had started just to protect her, keep her safe, but now he was going to show her, and everyone else around, that Akuze wasn't going to happen again. Not on his watch. Not one more life stolen.

Corinthia up-shifted as she tried to maneuver them over a steep climb. Liara held onto her seat as tightly as she could. "Can't we go around it?"

"The transmission's only two clicks north," Corinthia answered. "We'd have to go thirty out of our way to go around."

"But it'd be a lot smoother…"

"Don't bother," Shepard muttered. "She's not going to listen to anyone right now."

Liara nodded. "I think I'm going to be sick…"

The Mako lurched as it reached the top of the cliff. Corinthia didn't stop. They accelerated right to the edge of the plateau and just dropped off. Liara screamed. Corinthia applied the ship's thrusters just in time to save them from dying in a crash.

Shepard smirked and looked at Corinthia. "That's my girl."

"You encourage her?" Liara gasped.

"You'll start having fun before long," Shepard reassured the asari. "Right, Ci-Ci?"

She wasn't listening. She pointed. "It's the signal. See it blinking?"

Shepard nodded. The distress beacon was sitting in the middle of a flat basin. It screamed "TRAP" like a character in a horror movie. The red earth seemed to glow eerily, lengthening the distance between the signal and the Mako.

"Liara, be ready to make a field at any time," Shepard ordered. "Ci-Ci, scan for hostiles. I'll drive."

They deftly switched places. Corinthia took out her omni-tool and started scanning. "I can't do a thing in this metal heap…"

"Then hook it up to the externals," Shepard suggested, implying that it was obvious.

He expected her to say, "I knew that," but instead she just did as she was told. "Localized seismic activity… Not a good sign."

She didn't have to say the signs for Shepard's stomach to tense. "How many bodies?" he asked, voice determined.

"Fifteen."

"The signal?"

"Processing... Legit, though a little… tweaked. Can't say why, just be ready for—"

The ground shook, cracked, and broke. A thresher maw reared up in front of them, screeching in rage at being disturbed.

Corinthia put down her omni-tool. Her heart almost stopped beating because that worm was the incarnation of one of her worst nightmares. "Shit."

Shepard turned hard and started executing Emergency Contingency Plan GTFO Protocol: Driving in circles. This was Ci-Ci's brilliant idea (who else?). By going in circles, the thresher maw ("beastie thingy") would get dizzy. The monster's physical limitations made it difficult for them to lead shots, so they would be shooting at where the Mako was rather than where it was going to be. The Mako could still escape if it got hit once while Shepard and Liara were holding up biotic fields.

Unfortunately, while he was driving, Shepard couldn't do a thing with biotics. Fighting it would be up to Corinthia and Liara. This was not good, not because of Corinthia, but rather because of the asari.

Corinthia shifted so that she could use the turret. "LIARA! MAN THE ROCKETS!"

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Put the shell in the tube, aim, and press the red button."

"But, I…"

"I thought you checked her out on this shit!" Shepard shouted.

"I - I was," Liara answered. "But the shell... It's too heavy…"

Shepard groaned. "No wonder you got stuck in that goddamn field."

"Oh, this is pointless." Corinthia pushed Liara aside. "Just put a biotic barrier around us and let me handle this."

"I'm not sure—"

"That's an order," Shepard snapped.

Liara gulped and nodded. She'd never done anything like this before. She'd never even worked her biotics on a larger scale than to move something. She held out her hands and made the barrier.

"How odd," Liara murmured. She'd had a bit of formal training and that had been difficult. This, however, was surprisingly easy. Not without strain, but not a true challenge. Yet. "Are you sure we're being attacked?"

"Pretty damn sure," Shepard yelled, jerking the wheel to avoid a ball of acid. "Ci-Ci, where are you on killing that thing?"

"If you shut up and let me aim I can!"

"Then do it!"

"SHUT UP!"

"I think it's going to do something," Liara said uncertainly.

"I know. It's about to melt us in acid."

"And you're calm about that?"

Corinthia ignored Liara. "Almost… there…"

"STOP TALKING AND GET ON WITH IT!" Shepard shouted.

Corinthia took the shot. "And she's off! Two seconds to impact…" The thresher maw's head exploded. "Booh-yah! Take that you beastie-bastard-thingy!"

Shepard slowed down. "Good job, Ci-Ci. Want to go in and investigate?"

She sat down. Whatever glee she'd gotten from the kill was gone and her face was emotionless.

"We know how they died," she answered coldly.

"Yeah, but we still have to confirm." He paused before adding, "There might be more to find this time." He kicked the Mako into gear and slowly drove towards the signal. Corinthia was tense, expecting a thresher to appear at any moment. Thankfully, by the time they reached the charred and mangled remains of the search party, not a single maw reared its ugly head out of the ground.

Shepard stopped, looking out the front window. "Ci-Ci," he said.

"On it." She checked the air seals on her helmet before opening the hatch and jumping outside. Her omni-tool glowed as she ran it over the bodies and then the area.

Liara leaned in, her wide eyes eagerly drinking in the scene. She wasn't morbid, but her curiosity was too powerful to do not look. Though she didn't study the Protheans' deaths, she had to understand it so that she could deduce more about their lives. The carnage before her was like something out of the Commander's vision. She managed to tear her eyes away for long enough to look at him, but his face betrayed nothing. This was not the worst that he had seen, nor was it likely to be the last time something this horrible would cross his path.

But as calm as he seemed — or, at least, emotionless — Liara could feel that such placidity was only on the surface. Although certainly worried about Corinthia, his mind wasn't focused on the mission at hand, but rather on something much darker and far more sinister. Liara didn't know what, but the thought sent chills down her spine.

After a few moments, Shepard climbed out of the Mako to join Corinthia. Neither spoke as they collected the dog tags of the fallen and shut down the distress signal. Shepard briefly put his hand on Corinthia's shoulder.

Liara looked away. Whatever moment they were having, it was theirs and she had no right to intrude. She already knew more than she should have about the Commander and, so far as Liara could tell, the only person that Shepard wanted that close was Corinthia.

Finally, they returned to the Mako. Corinthia took the wheel and they tore off without a backwards glance.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Liara asked after several minutes.

"That's one way of putting it," Corinthia answered.

"I'm sorry. It isn't easy to see comrades fall."

Neither Shepard nor Corinthia replied. The silence was only broken by Joker, radioing for pickup.

21 May 2183—Cargo Bay, SSV Normandy, orbiting Edolus, Sparta System, Artemis Tau Cluster

Liara exited the Mako as quickly as she could. She fell to the cold metal ground and practically embraced it, not caring that the entire squad was there watching and snickering. "Oh, thank the goddess!"

Garrus chuckled. "I see you've experienced Ci-Ci's driving. You just need to let go, relax, enjoy yourself..."

"I think not," Liara muttered. "I am not getting into one of those things ever again."

"She's a bit of a maniac when she drives, but she knows what she's doing," Garrus reassured the asari. "At least, I think she does. I've only been with her in a regular transport." He paused for a beat. "Never felt so sick in my life."

Shepard climbed out of the Mako, dragging the transmitter behind him. "Tali, see what you can find, will you?"

"Of course, Commander," the quarian answered. She took the beacon and examined it briefly. "Is there something in particular you want me to look for?"

"Anything out of the ordinary," Shepard answered. "Garrus, see what you can find me on Kahoku. Alenko, the rescue party. Williams, anything on incidents like this in the past. Start with incidents related to Akuze. Report to the comm room in twenty hours with results. Dismissed."

Alenko took a step towards Shepard. "Where's Ci-CI?"

Shepard jerked a thumb to the Mako. "In there, finishing up something on her omni-tool. Whatever it is she looks at."

"Just wanted to check."

"You think I'd be this calm if she was hurt?" Shepard murmured.

"Of course not. She just looked kind shaken when you left."

"With good reason," Shepard answered, heading to his locker. "Don't you have something else to do?"

"Sir," Alenko answered, leaving.

Shepard slowly started removing his armor, staring with his gloves and gauntlets. Edolus had brought back a lot of unwanted memories, both for him and Corinthia. Honestly, he wasn't sure what to do. Corinthia was shaken. She was trying not to let it on, although she was climbing out of the Mako more slowly than she might have after another mission. She had yet to take her helmet, too. Usually it was the first thing to come off, so something had to be wrong for her to keep it on.

After a moment, she joined Shepard. It took her a few tries to open her locker, her hands were shaking so badly. She could stay steady in a fight, but when adrenaline rush left her, her self-control waned quickly.

Uncaring of whoever saw, Shepard put his hand over hers. "Keep it together," he murmured. "This isn't over yet."

She nodded, withdrawing from his grasp so she could remove her helmet. Her eyes were red, like she'd been crying, but whatever tears she'd shed had long since dried. If anything, she looked enraged. Badass, even, with how her scars were standing out.

"Yeah, I know," she answered quietly, carefully setting her helmet in its place and beginning to remove her armor.

With little else to do, Shepard waited for her to finish. He wanted to talk to her or hold her or something. Honestly, he didn't care if it was for her sake or his own because, in that moment, the only thing that seemed important was being near her. Even after Akuze, though he hadn't admitted it, he hadn't wanted to be alone. In fact, he'd almost sought out her company.

"I'll help you run analysis," Shepard offered after a long moment.

Corinthia had her back to him as she fumbled around to get on her casual uniform's shirt. Shepard could see the various scars from one event or another running along her back. Some were so faded that they were probably from the Blitz, others newer from their more recent fights. He had more than his fair share, too — bullet holes, gashes, etc. — but it seemed wrong for her to have any at all.

"Whatever," she replied, rubbing her arms as if she were cold. "I'm not feeling that great, anyway."

"Need to see the Doc?"

She faced him, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. "No."

Shepard blinked in surprise. He hadn't gotten the hint that she wanted to be alone with him, although her being subtle was a very, very rare thing. Barely managing to hide his smirk, he jerked a thumb to the elevator.

Corinthia led the way, feeling Shepard watching her. Well, she had asked for it. Sort of. Not really. She didn't actually know what she wanted or what she was thinking. Edolus had been... weird. Like Akuze, but even creepier because they were the ones finding the bodies, not being lured into the trap. Part of her felt like she could have, and should have, prevented it, but how? Everyone believed Akuze to have been an isolated incident, not a recurring disaster. Since the former was clearly no longer the case, Corinthia felt nothing short of obligated to find out what was really happening. If she could find out. As good of a hacker as she was, she had her limits.

She only snapped out of her thoughts as the door to Shepard's cabin slid shut and he was standing very, very close to her, his hands lightly resting on her waist.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

"No," she answered, surprised that she was being so honest. "Are you?"

"No."

Corinthia wasn't sure that she'd ever heard him say that. Without another word, she slipped into his embrace, burying her face in chest and inhaling deeply, as if she were about to start crying (even if her initial goal had been to comfort him... yeah, that wasn't happening). Shepard held her back, trying to figure out if he was supposed to say something or do something else. Since they'd come to terms with the fact that they both wanted to be more than friends, he'd been unsure of how to proceed. Everything about being with her was going to be different, from how he held her to how he kissed her. If he kissed her. The damn woman kept avoiding him or making up an excuse for as to why they shouldn't get close. Shepard didn't give a fuck about the regs, but if she did, he was going to have to.

Then again, they were already flaunting them. She was holding onto him too tightly and he was pressing his lips against her hair. His hands were rubbing along her back in an attempt to provide some kind of comfort. Corinthia was still quaking, but her breathing was slowing and she was beginning to relax. They'd walked out of mortal danger alive, again. Together.

Corinthia swallowed some stupid comment, something about how she was starting to feel better now that he was — well, it was stupid, so she wasn't going to say it. She wasn't even sure what else she was supposed to do, like if they were going to talk about it or just stand there, hugging. Not that she'd mind; he was warm, surprisingly gentle, and holding her like she was the only real thing around them. At least, that's how it felt. Like she really mattered to him. Every so often she doubted that she did, since she was convinced that he didn't really need her, but it was more than obvious that, right then, she was the only thing he wanted or needed.

Shepard pulled away a little, carefully raising her chin so that she was looking at him. Thankfully, her eyes were calm and significantly less red than before. If anything, she was starting to look happy. As their eyes met, her cheeks flushed and she retreated shyly, but not very far. This time, whatever he did, she wasn't going to run away. He could feel her heart as it started to race. Hell, his was, too, as his nerves started to get the best of him. His fingers slid around her neck and tangled into her hair. It was probably a bad moment to kiss her, but he didn't care.

Corinthia swallowed. "John..."

He didn't move away; he wasn't going to let her ruin the moment. Part of him wanted to silence anything she had to say, but at the same time he couldn't do that to her. Besides, her voice wasn't fearful, just... uncertain. Admitting attraction was the first step, but, in her head, if their lips met, they'd have crossed the point of no return.

He almost asked if she was even serious about him, but that meant that she'd talk and the moment would be gone. If there even was a moment. If he stopped thinking about it and just did it—

He took a deep breath, leaning down and putting his lips over hers. She inhaled sharply, as if shocked, but didn't pull away this time. It was certainly the most chaste kiss he'd ever given — hell, his mouth wasn't even open — and he moved away after a brief moment, searching her face for approval or rejection or, as was most likely, total and utter confusion.

Instead, though, he was met with sparkling eyes, an embarrassed blush, a wide grin, and a happy laugh. That was all the invitation he needed. He dragged her against his chest, her feet almost leaving the ground, as he kissed the hell out of her.

If only for a moment, the rest of the galaxy and all its problems didn't exist. There was no Alliance breathing down their necks, no silent threats on the outskirts of the known world. It was just them, happy in each other's arms for however long they could have.

After not long enough, Corinthia pulled away, sucking in air. "Damn it, John..." she whispered, unable to suppress a smile.

Shepard looked nothing short of smug. "Don't complain," he ordered. He lightly pressed his lips against her temple. "You know you liked it."

"Well, yeah, but —"

He silenced her with another kiss, this one far calmer than before. Thankfully, she got the point and didn't try to say anything else. He intertwined his fingers with hers and led her to the bed. Her hesitation was palpable, but when she saw that his intentions were only to give them a place to sit next to each other, she didn't fight.

"Cassie, whatever happened down there... It's not going to happen again," Shepard started. He wanted to tell her about the fears gnawing at his mind, but he wanted to be close to her without a sense of guilt or pity.

Corinthia nodded, shifting nearer to him. "You're not going to let it."

"No, I'm not."

"Don't say that it's because of me."

"It isn't." He took a deep breath, watching their hands for a long moment. "It's hard to explain why, but it isn't about you."

"Good." She smiled weakly. "I was worried for a second that it was. I mean, it's kinda sweet how you go all vengeful for me, but Akuze was... different."

Shepard wasn't sure she understood exactly what he thought, about how losing innocents bothered him, but he couldn't say a word without beginning to vent about the beacon and what he actually saw. He pulled her against his chest, falling back onto the bed. She squeaked a little, but curled up against his side without another word.

"I wanted to do this on Gorrah's ship," Corinthia murmured into his shoulder.

Shepard smirked. "I thought about it, but you were seventeen. Wasn't legal."

She giggled. "You were into me then?"

"Hell no. Damn it, that came out wrong."

"It's fine." She lightly kissed his cheek. "I know what you mean."

Shepard didn't feel much better. Well, the fact was that he had absolutely no desire to talk, about Akuze or Edolus or anything at all. Words were stupid and he had her in his arms, so verbal communication was the last thing on his mind.

Corinthia shyly pressed her lips together. "So... now what?"

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "You're serious?"

"Well, I mean, it's not exactly like I've made out with my best friend and commanding officer before, so..."

Shepard pulled her against his chest and fell back onto the bed. "What happens is that you stop worrying and sleep next to me. If the Alliance gets wind of it, fuck them. Like I care."

Her heart was still racing, although she had no idea if it was out of nerves or anticipation. "Oh, okay..."

Shepard sighed. "Cassie, did you want to talk?"

"Well, I thought that was the plan..."

"What's there to say? We both know what happened on Edolus and you've already said everything there is to say about Akuze. You're nervous, I get it. But this is me." He touched her cheek. "Why are you scared? You shouldn't be. I don't want you to be."

Corinthia's eyes searched his face for a long moment. "Geez, John. Don't you know how... intimidating you are?"

"Do you know how intimidating you are? I've been trying to get up the courage to do something to show you how I felt for a while now."

Corinthia blushed. "And of course you turn it right back around on me..."

"Damn right I did."

Corinthia took a deep breath. "I'll shut up, but can you just answer... I mean, it's a silly question, but —"

"Just ask, Cassie."

"I'm not like the other girls, am I? I mean, does this mean something? Or am I just another bit of... stress relief?"

Shepard frowned, barely managing to hide his sense of insult that she could even ask a question like that. With difficulty, he swallowed whatever anger he felt. Even if he understood her reasons for asking, she had no business even thinking that she was like the others. Worse, he wasn't sure what it "meant". Was being with her important to him? Damn right it was. She was.

Corinthia realized she touched a nerve a second too late. "Oh, God, John. I can't believe I just said that. Forget it. Please. I was just thinking and I got worried and —"

Shepard leaned over her and put his lips over hers. Not that he minded her rambling in certain situations (or his current method of shutting her up), but he had a point to prove. And she needed the practice, which he was more than happy to oblige and provide.

"No," he ordered firmly. "You know damn well that I've never seen you like that. I'm never going to, either. You mean something. Don't ask me what because I don't know. But it's a big deal for me. To care. About anything... anyone." He shook his head, falling back against his pillow. "Think I wanted to end up here?"

"Yeah," Corinthia answered. "You did kinda grab me and, you know, sweep me off my feet and all that..." She blushed and shyly met his eyes. "Not that I minded, because I didn't, but — Oh, right. I'll be quiet."

He curled an arm around her waist, lazily guiding her to rest against his side. "A lot's happened. Relax."

Although she was clearly intent on relaxing, she was still nervous and remained a little stiff for a few minutes. Then, as she finally came to terms with the fact that Shepard was not drunk (and therefore conscious of what he was doing) and wasn't about to let her go, she found herself burrowing deeper into his embrace.

22 May 2183 — Shepard's Quarters, SSV Normandy SR-1

The last time Shepard woke up with a woman curled around him, it had been Corinthia and she had freaked out. This time, though, he wasn't hung over and Corinthia had her head nestled on his shoulder. His stomach plunged a little as he realized that he'd been nervous, either that she wouldn't be there when he rose or that she'd ruin it. Well, maybe not ruin; just break the mood with a stupid question or something.

He leaned over and kissed her temple. Not that he wanted to wake her, but part of him was still in shock that the night before had happened at all. Sure, they hadn't done anything beyond kissing, but he'd never just kissed anyone before. There was always something else to go along with it, things that Shepard hadn't wanted to imagine doing with Corinthia because he doubted he could stand keeping his hands off of her for very long. In that moment, he just wanted to be content with what they had. She was next to him, looking calm, although she was mouth-breathing and her scars seemed more obvious than ever...

Not that he cared. It was her.

As his fingers intertwined into her hair, she groggily opened an eye. For a second, it looked like she forgot where she was or why their faces were so close, but then she grinned in a half-lazy kind of way, like she didn't want to go anywhere anytime soon.

"Hey," she wheezed. She coughed to clear her throat. "Damned mornings... Can't talk."

Shepard's lips curled into a leer. "Who says we have to?"

Corinthia buried her face into the pillow, trying not to look as mortifiedly embarrassed as she felt. Shepard found himself smirking as he tried to extract her, which really only served as an excuse for him to kiss her again. The damn woman was becoming a distraction. He didn't care, but it was likely to become a problem before long.

"Commander. Commander! You there?"

Shepard growled in annoyance, but didn't release Corinthia, even though she had stopped responding and was trying (unsuccessfully, thanks to him) to listen.

"I know you're in there, Commander," Joker continued. "Everyone's looking for you."

Corinthia managed to extract herself from Shepard's grasp. "John, maybe we should get back to... whatever."

Shepard shook his head. "Hell no." He ran his fingers through her hair. "About damn time we ended up like this, if you ask me. I'm not cutting it short."

"Tali says that she found something —"

"Shut up, Joker," Shepard ordered, pulling Corinthia close to his chest once more. "I'm busy."

"Ci-Ci wouldn't happen to be there, would she? Liara was looking for her. Something about Cerberus."

At that word, Shepard knew that whatever moment he'd wanted with Corinthia was gone. He let her go and sat up, fumbling to tuck in his shirt (since he hadn't, exactly, had a chance to take it off the night before). Corinthia was quietly trying to get her boots on before Joker heard her.

"Why's it matter?" Shepard answered, covering for her. "She can go wherever she wants." Even if he was perfectly pleased to have her, he could tell just by how she was moving that she was afraid of regs and what would be said if they were seen as being together. Shepard needed her to get Saren. He couldn't risk getting her reassigned because they weren't being cautious.

"So she's either hiding somewhere or she's with you," Joker replied, his smirk ringing through his tone. "C'mon, Commander. We all saw her leave the cargo hold with you. Look, I'm just sayin', don't be surprised if the crew's waiting outside your door when you come out."

"Fuck off, Joker," Shepard commanded.

"Alright, alright! Fucking off, sir."

Shepard shook his head and looked at Corinthia. "That fucking goddamn pilot..."

Corinthia shrugged, but she looked anything but casual. Her fingers shook as she did up the straps on her boots. She cursed under her breath and ran her fingers through her hair. After observing her for a moment, Shepard came over and took her hands.

"It's gonna be fine," he reassured her. "We'll get the bastards."

Corinthia smiled weakly. "I know, but that doesn't mean — It's Cerberus, John. If they've done this, something else, or..." She shook her head. "We have so many more important things to do."

"Fuck 'em," Shepard replied, touching her cheek. "And fuck Cerberus. I've fought them once. I'll do it as many times as it takes. Never again, right?"

She nodded. "Never again..." she repeated.

Shepard leaned forward and kissed her lightly, causing her to grin and giggle. That had been the point, to get her into a good mood again. It was oddly empowering to have so much control over her emotions.

He liked it.