A/N – Another short one, but more to come as soon as I can upload it!
In re-reading this, I realized that Kaidan's mom really made an about-face from her last appearance to this chapter. Since I'm the only one in my head, let me clarify that her grief in "Mothers" was due to both being so upset over losing her husband and then hearing that Kaidan was in a trauma center (although she didn't know why). That's not the Mrs. Alenko you will see from here out, she has bounced quite a bit since her son is safe :-)
She didn't awaken again until two days later. The doctors weren't worried, they said sleep was good for her now, and that she would make her way back when she was ready and able. They had reduced the amount of paraphernalia connected to her to simple monitoring devices, feeding tubes and various IVs. They had also lifted the restrictions on her visitors, although they cautioned that there should be no "rowdiness" and the amount of visitors at a time should be restricted to less than the entire crew. All in all, they were pleased with her recovery – it was still just shy of a month since she had been injured in the final battle – she was making good progress.
Knowing all that didn't keep Kaidan from worrying that she'd fall back into the oblivion that had almost stolen her from him permanently, and he slept less now, if possible, than he had in those first few weeks. He knew it wasn't logical, but that didn't console him. He waited, watching, distracted even during the endless troop of well-wishers though her room, unable to really interact with them now. He knew there was only one person he wanted to speak with, and she was sleeping.
When she finally opened her eyes, groggy but very much Shepard, aware, awake, he wasn't sure what he expected. He held her gaze for a long moment while he watched her focus. She glanced around the room briefly then her eyes held his again, and she spoke for the first time in nearly a month. She was weak and her voice was desperately raspy from disuse so he had to lean over to hear her. With his ear near her lips, he heard her breathe, "Kaidan."
He corrected his earlier reflections and decided that this was now his favorite way she had ever said his name.
He smiled at her and gave her his standard greeting, although he had to swallow before he could get the words out. "Hey there."
She smiled back. It was wobbly and weak, but he saw it, in the slight change of the set of her lips. Then she proved that she was, indeed, still Shepard when the next words out of her mouth, in a bit stronger voice were: "Did we win?"
He barked out a laugh, thinking that this was the woman he loved, ever the soldier. The mission came first, last and everything in between. He wouldn't have her any other way. "Yeah, we did." He answered her, grinning like a fool. "You did it."
"Good," she replied. "Love you." The last was mumbled as she fell asleep again.
Kaidan whispered "I love you, too," although he knew she wouldn't hear him and settled down to watch over her, dozing off in the recliner after just a few minutes.
His mother found him there about an hour later. She studied the scene before her for a moment from the doorway before she entered the room. She saw her son, looking worn and more rumpled than she had ever known him to be, slumped in a battered recliner holding the hand of the woman lying on the bed, also sleeping. She studied her, the Commander – Captain, she corrected herself – Shepard. To her eyes, she was simply a woman, slight and pale with bright red hair. Oh, she saw the beauty in the face relaxed in sleep, even through the faded bruises. And of course, she had heard the stories, seen the vids. She knew Kaidan had served under her about four years ago, and most recently as well she assumed. He had praised her command in his messages home. But to a mother's eyes, and she certainly didn't miss the significance of her son sitting there, holding his commanding officer's hand, she was a woman. One she obviously needed to get to know asap.
To that end, she moved around the bed and approached her sleeping son. She reached out a hand and tucked the stray hair that had fallen on his forehead back in place and then kissed him on his cheek as if he was still her little boy.
He stirred and opened his eyes to see his mother standing before him, smiling, hands on hips. For a moment, he felt five again, being caught raiding the cookie jar before dinner, but he searched her face and saw mischief, not reprimand, there.
"So," she said, grinning, "is there something you'd like to tell me, son?"
Kaidan grinned back, reached out and pulled her into a warm hug. He was so glad to see the woman who seemed so disconsolate just days before had obviously found the resilience, the bounce, that so defined the strong woman she was. Seeing her broken had nearly torn his heart and seeing her now – just Mom – as he'd always known her - healed it.
"So, it turns out I'm in love with the most wonderful woman in the galaxy," he replied cheekily. Then he realized his gaffe and corrected himself. "Er, the second most wonderful woman in the galaxy."
Marina Alenko laughed softly at her son's backpedal. Ever the gentleman, she thought, with pride. "I think you can be forgiven for thinking her first, Kaidan," she said, settling on the air of his chair, placing her arm around his shoulder. "Now," she said, "why don't you tell me about her?"