I'm so sorry this took so long! It was midterms and then spring break so I had no time. So, I know the last chapter was a little discombobulated, but that's what happens when you make last revisions at midnight on a Tuesday. I think that this one will be better (I hope). Also guys, tell me what you think of Ridley, her relationship with Shepard, or my writing, I want to know what's going on in those heads of yours. Chapter 6, peeps!

Ridley POV

"Why weren't you paying attention?!" Shepard snapped at me, obviously pissed.

"Look Shepard, I get you're angry, but what happened isn't because I wasn't paying attention, it's because I was a little busy and so were you and Wrex!" I yelled back, my anger spiking.

"That asari clone got right up behind you, and you say you weren't paying attention?" he asked, his words chock full of sarcasm.

"I was being attacked by those Thorian creepers, I was looking around for a surprise attack." I tried to explain, but Shepard looked like he was going to explode.

"So that clone was able to just get right behind you?"

"Yes, that is what I'm saying."

"Fine, I believe you," Shepard said, "But I don't like it. You nearly fell."

My eyes went soft, "But I didn't. Shepard, I'm fine. That's all that matters."

He stepped closer to me, his eyes full of emotion. "But it was on my watch." he stomped away, his shoulders tense.

As I watched, Ashley walked up behind me.

"I take it things didn't go well?" she said with an eyebrow raised.

"No, it didn't." I said, and then I began to take my armor off again.

"What happened?"

"The thorian. It had an asari prisoner and it decided to make clones of her. I was a little… preoccupied, so one of them was able to get up behind me and push me off the ledge."

"The ledge? Shouldn't you be dead?" she asked, puzzled.

"I managed to grab the ledge at the last second, and flip myself up. Shepard wasn't happy though." I said, stripping the last of my armor.

"I'll say. He looked like he was ready to kill you himself." she said with a laugh.

"He probably was." I sighed, knowing that our relationship had taken a fatal blow.

Ashley returned to her workstation, snickering. As I looked around, I set eyes on Garrus and decided that he, more than anyone else, would understand.

"Hey Garrus."

"Hey Ridley. That was a nice argument over there."

"Yeah, I know."

"I heard what you told Ash."

"Are you on Shepard's side or mine."

"Officially, I'm not on anyone's side," he began to move a little closer, and lowered his voice, "But unofficially, I agree with you. You can handle yourself, Ridley."

"Thanks for seeing things my way." she said with a small smile.

"Don't think I'm on your side though. Shepard had a good reason to be angry." Garrus says.

"Like what?" I ask, fuming.

"You have gotten yourself killed." he said in a grave tone. "You're nimble Ridley, but that was a ledge. He's your commanding officer, and he's responsible for you."

"I know." I said, feeling like Garrus had made a good argument.

"Besides, don't beat yourself up about this Ridley. You and Shepard will be back to disagreeing about everything in no time."

I offered a small smile, and Garrus walked over to the Mako, successfully ending the conversation. As I stood in contemplation for a few more moments, I realized that I wasn't even bothered by the fact that Shepard was my commanding officer. When I had first come aboard the Normandy, that fact had driven me up the wall. For fourteen years, I've been on my own. Fourteen. To go from that to having a commander and following orders… It was not a seamless transition.

But now… It was almost comfortable, natural. And Shepard was not normal Alliance material. He understood that you need to bend the rules sometimes, but he also kept to his own strict moral code and principles. Being on his team was one of the most honorable things I'd ever done. And I realized, by some twist of fate, Shepard had become my friend.