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"Well this is a change," a familiar voice said.

Kate looked up from the report she'd been writing to see Kaidan standing in the doorway of her hospital room. She'd been ordered, by both Dr. Michel and Dr. Chakwas, to stay at Huerta Memorial for at least 24 hours. She'd been too emotionally drained and in far too much pain to put up a fight.

"Hey," she said, smiling weakly.

"You have a minute?" Kaidan asked nervously.

Kate smirked. "I've got nothing but time for the foreseeable future. So what's up?"

"Can we talk about what happened before, with the Council?"

She nodded towards a chair. "I dunno what there is to talk about, but sure."

Kaidan sighed heavily. "I... I'm sorry. For Horizon, Mars... everything."

"Apology accepted. While we're on the subject, I'm sorry for breaking your jaw. I will always maintain that you deserved the punch, but didn't actually expect to break anything."

He smiled. "If there's one thing that can be said for you, Kate, it's that you definitely don't hit like a girl."

"Thanks. I think."

He looked down at the floor for a moment. "I have to ask. When you lowered your weapon and stood in front of me, did you know I wouldn't shoot you?"

Kate shook her head. "Not 100%. But I was hoping that if I did something so... I think my dad will probably call it stupid and reckless... that you would see that I was telling you the truth."

Kaidan laughed. "I think I'd have to agree. That was pretty damn stupid and reckless, especially given our previous conversations."

"Anything else?" Kate asked quietly.

"Actually, yes. If I hadn't backed down, would you have shot me to get to Udina?"

She nodded. "Absolutely, without hesitation. Though I'd have made sure it wasn't fatal," she added with a small smile. "And it wouldn't have been because you were being a stubborn jackass, but because I will do absolutely anything to protect the Council."

"Good to know. So are we OK? Have we cleared the air?"

"Depends on you Kaidan," she said carefully. "You still think I'm working for Cerberus?"

Kaidan shook his head. "Without a shadow of a doubt, you are definitely not working for Cerberus."

"Alright, then we're good," Kate said with a smile.

"Good. I just wanted to make sure, before I leave."

"Leave? Where are you going?"

"Admiral Hackett's offered me my own biotic squad. I'm supposed to report to him in twelve hours."

Kate said nothing for a couple of minutes. Finally, she looked at Kaidan. "What if... I made you a counter-offer?"

"What would that be?"

"I could always use another good soldier on my ship. I'm sure Garrus and James are more than a little tired of going on every single mission."

"Wow. Back on the Normandy. That's one hell of a counter-offer, Kate. What about Massani?"

Kate raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"Will he have a problem with my being on the ship, after everything that's gone down between us lately?"

"Probably, but I'm pretty sure that will be low on his list of things he's pissed about when he gets back, so I wouldn't worry about it."

Hackett couldn't hide his grimace when Kate finally connected via the QEC two days later. "Again, Katie? You spend more time in the hospital than you do fighting lately."

Kate sighed. "Really not in the mood, Dad." She looked to the other screen. "Nice to see you're still alive and kicking though, Anderson."

"Same to you, Shepard," Anderson said with a smile. "And Steven, she's looked worse."

Kate winced as she laughed. "Thanks a lot."

Hackett rolled his eyes. "Anyway. I read your report on the coup attempt, Katie. Sounds like you had your hands full."

"That's putting it mildly."

"Do you know who the assassin was?"

Kate shook her head. "Some Cerberus jackass with a sword... who kicks really fucking hard," she said as she ran a hand over her ribs. "That's five ribs broken in the last month."

"Kai Leng," Anderson said quietly.

"Who's Kai Leng?"

"He's former Alliance, former N7 actually. Dishonorably discharged and imprisoned after he murdered a krogan while on shore leave. He escaped not long ago. Now you say he's working for Cerberus. That doesn't surprise me in the least."

"And you dove out of a window straight at him," Hackett said, glaring at his daughter.

Kate groaned. "What the hell else did you expect me to do?"

"You would have achieved nearly the same results, minus the broken ribs, if you had simply jumped from the window."

"Whatever. Valern is safe, that's all that matters."

"And Udina is dead," Anderson said.

"Yes, yes he is. I've been wanting to kill that bastard for three years."

"Apparently the feeling was mutual," Hackett said soberly.

"That or he was just pissed that I actually got through to Kaidan for once."

"Don't even get me started on that part, Katie."

Anderson raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"She literally dared Major Alenko to shoot her for working with Cerberus. You do realize, Katie, that if you hadn't done that, Udina wouldn't have shot you?"

Kate shrugged. "It was worth it. Kaidan finally came to his senses and I gained another soldier for my ship."

"I haven't approved that yet," Hackett growled. "You may have forgiven him for Horizon, but I haven't."

Another two days of rest and Kate was back in action, but still on the Citadel. She'd received a message from Primarch Victus about a Cerberus attack on turian fleets that was linked to a volus ambassador. She figured it would be easy light work while she continued recovering.

Was that... Zaeed's voice? she wondered as she ran through the apartment block on the Presidium, looking for the ambassador. What the fuck is going on?

She finally found the correct apartment and stopped dead in her tracks. Zaeed was leaning against a rail, two Cerberus agents dead at his feet.

Behind the relief she felt at seeing him alive, Kate suddenly felt anger. "Where the hell have you been?" she asked as she stalked towards him.

"Later," Zaeed growled as he turned his attention to the ambassador, who stood in the corner farthest from the bodies.

Five minutes later, they had "convinced" the volus to not only reveal the location of the turian colony his betrayal had threatened but also give Kate command of the Volus Bombing Fleet for the war.

As soon as the ambassador fled the apartment, Kate turned on Zaeed. "I'll ask you again-" Her words were cut off as he pulled her into a bruising kiss. She momentarily forgot why she was angry as he threaded his fingers through her hair and she melted into the kiss.

When they finally pulled apart, she looked at him and frowned. "You have an irritating way of interrupting arguments before they begin. I was all set to yell at you."

He leaned in and nipped at her neck. "So what's stopping you, kitten? Yell if it'll make you feel better."

She groaned. "I... don't remember what I was going to yell at you for."

He chuckled. "You're welcome."

"Don't think you're off the hook. I'll remember... eventually," Kate said as she leaned against him, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms again.