Thanks for the reviews and new fav :)
Beta: None
A/N: Considering Kate neither rescued Tali from Haestrom nor activated Legion, the bit about Rannoch is completely AU.
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"Don't you dare say a word, Dad," Kate said. "I did what had to be done to take down that Reaper."

Hackett raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Katie."

"So you... do you even read my reports?"

"Of course I do. But I haven't had a chance to read this one. I will, however, assume you've been to Rannoch and have been at least somewhat successful in negotiations with the quarians?"

"Um... sort of. Not... how do you know where I am if you didn't read the report?"

"It was kind of a dead giveaway when a group of geth Primes showed up, claiming you sent them to work on the Crucible," he said with a smile. "So, what is it you think I'm going to yell about?"

Kate shrugged. "Read the report, I'm sure you'll find something. God knows I got an earful from James and Zaeed on the shuttle-ride back."

"That tells me nothing, Katie. Massani has always been over-protective of you."

"Pot, meet kettle," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm your father. That's my job," Hackett said.

"I'm 32, Dad."

"What's your point, besides making me feel old?"

Kate grinned. "Sorry. So what's this about putting the Normandy in dry-dock? You have any idea how sick of the Citadel we all are, Dad?"

"Tough. She needs repairs and your lot needs actual shore leave."

"They were just on shore leave a few days ago, when I went-" Kate clamped her mouth shut. If he didn't have a reason to yell before, her father was definitely going to yell about Omega.

"When you went where, Katie?" Hackett asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Nowhe-"

"She went to Omega," Zaeed growled as he walked through the door. "Alone."

Kate turned and glared at him. "I'm gonna kill you," she hissed.

"Why the hell would you go to Omega?" Hackett demanded.

"I didn't do it just for... fun... or whatever," Kate said. "Cerberus controlling that station was bad for the war. They were capturing any ships that passed by with food and supplies. So Aria being back in control is a good thing."

"That's... a fair point," Hackett said after awhile."

"Ha!" Kate turned and stuck her tongue out at Zaeed.

He rolled his eyes. "I still think it was stupid that you sneaked off in the middle of the night," he said.

"Yeah, well, you've already yelled about it, so shush."

Hackett cleared his throat, bringing their attention back to the QEC. "Anyway," he said, "whenever you get back to the Citadel, make sure everyone is off the ship."

"And by everyone, you mean Joker," Kate said with a smirk.

Hackett chuckled. "Yes, I mean Joker. And you, Katie. The two of you are overly attached to that ship."

"Don't worry. Between us, I think EDI and I can manage to break their hold on the ship," Zaeed said.

"I don't want to know," Hackett said with a grimace. "Also, Anderson left you his apartment."

"Seriously?" Kate exclaimed. "Wow. That place is incredible!"

"Have fun, but try not to wreck anything."

Kate grinned. "No promises, Dad."

Three Days Later...

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Oh fuck that hurts!" Kate groaned as she landed hard on her back in a shower of broken glass. She tried to sit up and quickly realized that wasn't happening without help or extreme pain. No one was around, so she opted for pain. And more cursing.

"Commander? Are you alright?" The squeaky voice of Brooks broke through on the comm.

"I just feel three stories through a fish tank, Brooks. Of course I'm not fucking alright," Kate ground out between clenched teeth as she tried to pull shards of glass from her hands and arms. "What about you? You got shot."

"Um... yes. I'm fine. I used medi-gel. All the medi-gel actually."

"That explains why you sound so fucking hyper," Kate muttered. "Oh fuck me! Everything hurts." She winced as she gingerly leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes.

"If this is what happens when you go out without me, then you're never going out without me again." Kate nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized that Zaeed's voice was coming directly from the man himself, not the comm.

"Bite me, Massani," she said. "I'm so not in the mood for your sarcasm."

He chuckled. "Fine. Then I guess I'll just leave you here to figure this out for yourself."

"Rabid varren," Kate said hoarsely.

"Come again?" The mercenary looked at her with concern. "Exactly how hard did you hit your head, kitten?"

She shook her head. "If you leave me, my dad will throw you in a pit of rabid varren."

"I believe he said starving varren, but I see your point. And I wasn't going to leave you anyway."

She raised an eyebrow. "How'd you find me anyway?"

"Followed the screaming and cursing," he said as he began applying medi-gel and bandages around the larger pieces of glass in her arms. "That and Moreau told us what happened. Said you used him as bait?"

Kate groaned. "Oh he is never gonna let that one go, I can tell."

James whistled. "Yowza! Lookin' good, Lola!" he said as Kate gingerly walked from the master bedroom in Anderson's apartment three hours later.

"Thanks, James," she said with a smile. Going to a black-tie fundraiser was not at all what she'd planned to do after the disastrous sushi date with Joker, but Liara insisted it was the best way to get the information they needed. So Kate had grudgingly squeezed into a floor-length black dress that had sleeves to hide the bandages on her arms, but featured a thigh-high slit on one side and a plunging neckline. She had to admit she felt pretty damn sexy. And she practically drooled on herself when she spotted Zaeed standing by the fireplace in his black-on-black tux.

"Well, this should be a productive evening," Liara said with a laugh when she saw the look on Kate's face. "You two do remember why you're going to this thing, right?"

"Of course. We're the distraction while Brooks finds a way to break into the panic room. Don't worry, Liara. I've done this before."