Shepard lost her in the crowd and she desperately scanned the press of people for an unruly mop of dark curls, an ill-fitting C-Sec hoodie, something, but saw nothing.
"Damnit." She hissed and opened her comm, "EDI, can you get a fix on Persephone's omnitool?"
"Yes, Shepard. There are also C-Sec reports about an attempted suicide bombing from a Batarian Extremist at the restaurant where you and she were dining with Major Alenko?"
"She killed him before he could detonate his vest and I need to find her. Where is she?" Shepard asked and there was a pause.
"C-Sec filed a report of a young woman matching Persephone's description who surrendered herself stating that she had killed a Batarian."
"She's at C-Sec headquarters on Zakera?"
"Yes, Shepard."
"Thanks, EDI!" The taxi pad to the lower levels had a line, so with a sound of frustration she ran for the stairs, running down them two at a time, going through the different levels until she got to C-Sec, the Turian officer at the desk jumping up as she approached. "Where is she?"
"Commander Shepard?" The officer asked.
"The woman who just turned herself in." She said, "Where is she?"
"She came in confessing to a murder, so we arrested her and placed her in a holding cell." He said, "It wasn't until after we filed the report that we received word of the attempted bombing."
"Are you going to book her?" Shepard asked and he gave a small sound.
"We should be offering her a job." He said.
"Can I see her?"
"We told her she can leave, but she hasn't moved." He said, "She's down the hall a bit."
"Thank you." She said as she moved past him, not really hearing his response. The officer at the door snapped to attention and waved their hand over the sensor, the door opening. Shepard's eyes immediately went to the interrogation platform, but it was empty.
"I'm over here." The voice was small, low, and she looked over, seeing Persephone curled up in a dark corner, knees pulled to her chest.
"Hey, kiddo." She said, going over and sitting down next to her, back against the wall. "C-Sec said you're free to go, you know."
"I killed that Batarian."
"Yes, you did." Shepard said, "By killing him, you saved lives. Yours, mine, Kaidan's, and everyone in that restaurant."
"I could have incapacitated him. Destroyed the detonator, taken out his hand or arm with that knife but I didn't, I killed him." Persephone said, her voice wavering, and Shepard sighed.
"Kiddo, I'm not going to belittle what you're going through right now. Taking a life, especially the first time, is rough, only someone with serious issues wouldn't feel guilt or remorse over that."
"I can barely remember doing it, I remember the knife in my hand and then…" She shrugged.
"You were acting on instinct."
"To kill?"
"To protect." Shepard said, "You protected your dad and I, and everyone in that room. This is my fault, anyway."
"How so?" Persephone asked, looking at her.
"He didn't get to finish, but I'm pretty sure he was going to say 'For Aratoht.'."
"What's Aratoht?"
"Aratoht is-or rather was-a Batarian colony in the Viper Nebula. About eight months ago, all three hundred thousand Batarians on the planet died when the Alpha Relay was destroyed to keep the Reapers from coming through." Shepard said.
"How was it destroyed?"
"I drove an asteroid the size of a small moon into it." Shepard said, "The Hegemony was pissed that I basically got off with house arrest and a slap on the wrist, but when the Reapers arrived, Batarian space was hit first and well..." She trailed off and after a moment there was a rustle of cloth as Persephone leaned against her, head laying on her shoulder. Her arm lifted so she could wrap it around her and Persephone tucked into her side, Shepard resting her cheek against her hair. They both looked up as the door opened again, Kaidan standing there with a bag.
"Hey, so we'll eat for free there from now on." He said and hefted the bag, "And I got our food to go."
"Ready to go, sweetheart?" Shepard asked and Persephone nodded. The two women got to their feet and headed for the door, but Kaidan handed the bag of food off to Shepard so he could pull Persephone into his arms for a crushing hug which she returned. When they parted, she was sniffling slightly, her eyes shiny with unshed tears and he pulled her back into his arms for a gentler hug, hand at the back of her head.
"You did the right thing, okay? I know it doesn't feel like it, but it was the right thing." His voice was low, soothing. "I know it's stupid, especially given what's going but...I don't know, I wanted to protect you from this. My child shouldn't be killing people."
"Hackett's ordered me to test her combat skills," Shepard said, "See if she's mission worthy."
"Does he know that she's…" Kaidan let it trail off, but they both knew what he meant.
"I haven't told him, and I probably won't." Shepard said, "It's really none of his business."
"Keep her away from Reaper forces." Kaidan said and Persephone pulled away from him, wiping tears from her face and clearing her throat.
"Reapers are easy; they're mindless, soulless. There's nothing in them that's even remotely redeemable." Persephone said, "And Cerberus…." She paused, "Well, I think I'll have no problem with killing Cerberus troops. They might be human, but their humanity is long since gone."
"Nicely put." Shepard said.
"I have my moments." She said with shrug.
"Still hungry?" Kaidan asked, "You still have quite a bit of your soup left."
"Not really," Persephone said and they made for the door, "But I can take it back to the Normandy, yeah?"
"Of course." Shepard said, "You need to eat more than energy fruit bars and Tupari, Persephone."
"That's not healthy," Kaidan said, "Especially for a biotic. You need to eat more to sustain yourself."
"I know that, I do, it's just…" She left it trail off, "I don't know."
"Promise me you'll at least try to eat more?" Kaidan asked and she gave a sigh.
"I promise." She said and they went to leave C-Sec, but as they passed by the Officer's desk, a video caught her eye. It was of the restaurant and she watched as she grabbed the knife and threw it, killing the Batarian before he was able to detonate his vest.
"All things considering," Shepard said, as she and Kaidan watched it with her, "It was a nice throw. You can't shoot worth a damn, but you're good with knives."
"Why would-" She cast a look at the C-Sec officers, "Those people train me in knives and not guns? What kind of training is that?"
"I don't know, sweetheart." Shepard said, "But it looks like I might have to change your training a bit. Can't even imagine how you'll be with hand-to-hand."
"Damn good, probably." Kaidan said, "Knife training? That's all up close work."
"But what if they didn't teach me to stop?" Persephone wondered, "No stopping when the other person yields, just…"
"Yeah." Shepard said and Kaidan grabbed Persephone's hand again, squeezing it gently.
"I hate how much I don't know about myself."
"We'll get it figured out, kiddo." Shepard said and they left C-Sec, heading for the taxi pad. Kaidan gave her one last hug, he and Shepard kissing briefly before they parted. They needed to go to the Docking Bays and he was needed back up on the Presidium.
She was quiet on the taxi ride back, container of soup still warm in her hands. The taxi landed and she got out as Shepard paid and they made their way through the civilians and military crowding around the docking bay.
"Shepard." She had that tone again, like the one she had in the restaurant, letting her know trouble was coming.
"Ah hell." Shepard said, seeing the mass of press around the airlock to the Normandy. They hadn't seen them yet which was a blessing, so Persephone pulled her hood up, obscuring her features and clutched her container tightly so not to lose it.
"Commander Shepard!" The call went out and they pushed forward as they were suddenly surrounded.
"Is this the girl that killed the Batarian?"
"Who do you think he was?"
"Was this an isolated incident, or do you suspect this is retaliation from the Hegemony?"
"Where did she receive her training?"
"Where did you recruit her?"
"Make a fucking hole!" The call was booming, fierce, and the press jumped back as James and Cortez pushed through, the large marine parting the wave easily. James wrapped an arm around her shoulders, shielding her from the press of people and camera drones as faint tremors began. She leaned into him gratefully, letting him guide her back to the ship as she kept her head down. She felt Cortez at her back, keeping the reporters from crowding behind them and Shepard wrapped her arm around her waist. Safety was forward, not back. Persephone kept having to remind herself of that, the press getting more persistent the closer they got to the airlock door. C-Sec was waiting for them, keeping the reporters back as they finally reached the secured zone and the doors closed behind them, the sound of people cutting off abruptly.
"Fucking pendejos." James growled out, his arm staying around her shoulders.
"What're you two doing here?" Shepard asked.
"EDI said you might need some help." Steve said with a shrug.
"Thank you." Persephone said, her voice small and trembling slightly.
"Are you okay?" James asked, turning her to face him.
"Lots of people make me nervous." She said.
"I know, linda." James said and moved as if he was going to take her into his arms, but she stepped away from him, heading into the ship with a quickly muttered:
"I need to be alone."
Shepard hadn't failed to notice the interaction, or how James had protected her and went to him, standing in front of him with her arms folded over her stomach.
"I asked her and she said there was nothing going on between you two." She said, "Is there something starting between you two?" James paused, looking at the airlock then down, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair.
"No, Lola," He said, "There's nothing going on."
"Vega-" Steve started, but stopped when he threw up a hand on his way back onto the ship.
"Cortez?"
"Don't look at me, Commander," Steve said, "I don't know what's going on with him these days."