Beta: None
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Thanks to pixelatrix for all the help on this chapter.
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Had an errand to run, left early. Meet for dinner, 2100h, Dark Star. Alone.

Kate grinned as she read Zaeed's message. Boring though the day promised to be, at least she had the night to look forward to. The Normandy and her remaining crew had been on the Citadel for three days as one by one they made arrangements either to stay on the station or find transport to their home colonies. Though she tried, Kate couldn't convince Dr. Chakwas to leave, so she was coming with her and Joker when they made the trip to Earth. Whenever that was. The last time she'd talked to Anderson, he'd indicated she'd probably have no more than two weeks of freedom left. And she intended to make the most of every moment.

The day passed slowly, but finally Kate found herself outside the Dark Star Lounge. In Garrus' absence, Thane had taken to following her around everywhere, as much the over-protective bodyguard as Garrus and Zaeed had ever been, but she'd managed to shake him off at C-Sec as Kolyat was getting off of his shift as they passed by.

She looked around the lounge but didn't see Zaeed anywhere, so she walked up to the bar and the turian standing behind it. "Have you seen Massani? I was-"

The bartender nodded. "He's got a table in the back. I should warn you, he's forbidden me from serving you any ryncol, so don't even ask," he added with a twitch of his mandibles. "Said something about you having a two-day hangover and not being able to remember anything last time."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Thought I was supposed to be having fun tonight. Where's the fun in no ryncol?"

That damn turian is laughing at me, she thought as she made her way towards the back of the lounge. Finally, she saw Zaeed sitting in a small corner booth.

"Glad you read the hidden meaning in my message," he said with a smirk as she slid into the seat next to him.

"Oh you mean 'bring anyone else with you and I'll shoot them'?" she teased.

"That's the one." He smiled at her. "Everyone else takes up so much of your time lately. But tonight, you're mine. No interruptions from the crew, no more missions. Just us," he said, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her in close as he kissed her.

"I could get used to this," she said as she snuggled into his arms. "I wish we could just stay like this forever."

"Me too, kitten."

"So where did you disappear to?" she asked after awhile. "I didn't see you all day."

Zaeed shrugged. "I had something to pick up."

"All day?"

He chuckled. "Yes. All day. But if you keep pestering me about it, I'm not going to give it to you."

She looked at him in surprise. "It... you bought something for me?"

He said nothing as he pulled a box from his jacket pocket and put it on the table.

She opened it and gasped. Inside was a silver necklace with a pendant shaped like- "Is this... Jessie?" she whispered as she took the necklace from the box and turned the gun-shaped pendant over in her fingers.

"It is." He brushed her hair aside and gently kissed her neck as he put the necklace on her. "A reminder that no matter how bad things may seem, something good can come of it. Or something like that."

Kate smiled. "I love it." She reached up and unhooked her melted tags and pressed them into his hand. "I want you to have them. So you'll always have a part of me close to your heart."

Zaeed opened his mouth to say something and quickly shut it again as a look surprise crossed his face. Kate looked over her shoulder to see what he was looking at and saw her father walking towards them.

"Crap," Zaeed muttered.

"What? You're not scared of my dad are you?"

He rolled his eyes. "'Course not. I was just hoping not to run into anyone tonight."

Kate laughed. "Uh-huh. So that's why you picked the most popular club on the Citadel for a supposedly quiet date."

He shrugged. "Call me an optimist."

Hackett walked up then and laughed. "You are a lot of things, Massani, but an optimist isn't one of them."

"Hi Dad. What's up?" Kate asked with a smile.

"Nothing. Just talked to Anderson, he said you were here. Thought I'd-" Kate could practically see the light-bulb go on over his head. "How long have you two been together?"

"I think it was shortly after I broke Kaidan's jaw," she said with a tight smile. "If he didn't get the message we were broken up then, he's an idiot."

"Well, he did send you that e-mail a couple of weeks later," Zaeed reminded her. "And yes, I'd say he's an idiot."

"Seems I owe your pilot some money," Hackett said with a smirk.

"Oh for fuck's sake. Not you too!" Kate rolled her eyes. "Why me? What the hell did I ever do to deserve this?" She looked up at Hackett. "Oh crap. You're gonna have 'the talk' now aren't you?"

"Well-"

"You never talked to Kaidan, Dad," she pointed out as she got up and stood beside the table.

"Clearly, I should have," Hackett said soberly.

"And that's my cue to go bribe the bartender into giving me all the ryncol he has in stock," Kate muttered as she walked away. There was no way in hell she was sticking around for that conversation.