Beta: None.
Bioware owns all.
"Someone needs to go up and see if she's OK," Garrus said as he downed a turian brandy.
"And by someone you mean me," Zaeed said flatly.
The turian chuckled. "You catch on quick. Yes, I mean you."
"Why me?"
"Because Romeo," Kasumi said from her perch by the window, "it's obvious to everyone on this ship that you two are totally meant for each other. You might as well have 'I love Commander Shepard' tattooed in silver and gold glitter on your forehead, from the way you look at her every time she's around."
Zaeed scoffed. "I have no idea what you're talking about, little thief."
Garrus let out a bark of laughter. "I wouldn't have put it quite so colorfully, but she's right, Massani. As for Kate, you may not see it, but spirits, her eyes light up every time you walk into a room. And it's not just those of us on this ship, either. All of us back on the original Normandy could see it. Even Alenko."
The mercenary bristled at the mention of Kaidan's name. "If that's true, then why..."
"She didn't think you were interested. But every time she got a message that you were going to be on the Citadel at the same time we were docked, she'd get this look on her face. Ashley once said that she looked like... oh what's that human expression? 'Like a kid on Christmas morning'?"
Kasumi nodded. "I've only been here a couple of weeks and I've seen that look more than a few times."
Garrus looked Zaeed dead in the eye. "She shouldn't be alone right now. At the very least, go up there and be what you've always been to her, the one person she's always been able to turn to."
When Zaeed still hesitated, Garrus opened the comm channel to the cockpit.
"Joker? What's Kate doing right now?"
"Sitting at the foot of her bed, shredding a pillow with her bare hands," Joker said after a moment.
"How the blazes do you know that, Moreau?" Zaeed growled.
"I asked EDI and she told me," the pilot said a little too innocently.
"Yeah right," Garrus said with a chuckle.
"You should know that the Commander asked not to be disturbed for the rest of the night," EDI said.
"She said not unless it was an 'actual emergency,'" Joker retorted. "This qualifies as a fucking 'actual emergency.' Massani, get your ass up there."
Zaeed knocked on Kate's door. She sounded like a completely different person when she answered with a weary "Come in."
"Christ. What the hell happened in here, Kate?" he asked in alarm as the door slid open and he stepped into the room.
Data pads were strewn about the floor around the desk; nearly every pillow in the room had been torn in half, if not into quarters or worse; several throwing knives were lodged in the wall above the bed, while several others still lay on the glass coffee table; and Kaidan's picture was smashed to bits on the floor by her nightstand.
In the middle of it all, Kate sat on the floor, surrounded by the remains of a pillow, now just bits of fabric and feathers. She looked up at the sound of Zaeed's voice. "I may have taken my frustrations out on... everything." She nodded her head toward the terrarium on the shelf behind her desk. "And I'm going to have to apologize many times to poor Sam for the way I yelled at him."
Zaeed couldn't help the smile that played across his lips. "You yelled at your hamster?"
"I wasn't really yelling at him, just... towards him I guess. I was yelling at Kaidan."
"I see," he said, all traces of humor gone.
"But then I saw the picture and that got the brunt of my tirade. Well, that and Dad. I really did feel better after I 'talked' to him. I don't think he did, but right now, I don't care." Kate looked up at Zaeed and gave him a small smile. "I'm glad you're here, Z."
"I'm glad I'm here too, kitten." He raised an eyebrow. "You planning to sit on the floor all night?"
She shook her head as she held up her hands and he hauled her to her feet.
EDI's blue orb suddenly appeared in the room. "Commander, I tried to stop her, but she overrode the controls on the elevator."
"What are you talking about?"
Before the AI could answer, there was a knock on the door and it slid open to reveal Miranda. She was looking at a data pad. "Shepard we need-" Her words were cut off by one of Kate's throwing knives whizzing past her head. "What the hell?" She finally looked up, to find Kate struggling against Zaeed, who had one arm around her waist, the other hand firmly wrapped around the wrist of her throwing hand, which held another knife.
"That was a warning," Kate growled. "Next time, I promise you, I won't miss and the Illusive Man will just have to live without his precious Miranda."
Miranda shook her head. "You're a bloody lunatic, Shepard. I knew we should have implanted that control chip. I can see you're not going to listen to reason right now, so we'll talk in the morning." She turned on her heels and left, locking the door behind her.
After a minute, Zaeed released his hold on Kate's wrist and wrapped the arm around her waist. "You know you two are going to have to find a way to get along eventually, kitten."
Kate dropped the knife on the floor and leaned her head back against his chest. "It's not my fault she doesn't listen. I specifically told EDI that Miranda was not to get anywhere near this room tonight." She turned and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Thank you." She lightly pressed her lips against his. "I don't want to think what would have happened if you hadn't been here," she murmured.
"Same thing that always happens. You would have come out on top." Zaeed pulled her over to the couch and she curled up beside him as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Two years ago, maybe. Now I just don't know. I don't know who I am anymore."
He gently lifted her face in one hand and looked her straight in the eye. "You are Kate Shepard. You are the same strong, incredible, deadly woman you've always been. Just because that stupid arrogant sonofabitch can't see that doesn't make it any less true."
She smiled. "Will you stay with me?"
He kissed her. "Of course. I'll be here as long as you want me here."
She looked at him. "What if I want you to stay forever?"
"Then that's how long I'll be here."