Hi guys! I know you probably hate me for not getting this posted, but please, don't. I promise I'm gonna try to put these up faster. Anyways, Ridley and Shepard relationship hit a bit of a milestone! Those of you who want insight into their feelings for each other, Shepard sees them like the song 'Undisclosed Desires' by the Muse, and Ridley sees Shepard's love for her like 'Flawless' by the Neighbourhood. Virmire is this chapter and the next. I mean, so much happens! Now, as promised, chapter 11.

Shepard POV

"I know my driving is bad, but is all the groaning necessary?" I said, glancing at Ridley and Tali.

"Yes!" Tail yelled, holding her stomach.

"Unfortunately Shepard, your driving skills are horrible." Ridley said, seated next to me, gripping the side of the Mako like it was a life raft. "Add it to the fact we're being chased by geth, and today isn't looking so great."

"Thanks for the sarcasm." I replied, sarcastic myself.

She managed to grunt out an, "Always my pleasure," after we hit a bump while wading through the water. I wasn't that bad, was I?

After a radio from Joker, (which caused some pointed looks in Mako) we pulled up to the beach where the STG operatives were stationed.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Ashley asked, impatient as ever.

"Stay put," he replied.

"Are you in charge?" I said as I came near, "What's going on?"

He spoke quickly, even faster than a normal salarian, "Captain Kirrahe, Third Infiltration Regiment, have landed in a declared hot zone. We cannot allow your ship to leave, because every AA gun within ten miles has been alerted to your presence."

"What are we supposed to do in the meantime?" I asked a little impatiently must.

"Wait while we assess the situation and make a pla- Ridley!" Kirrahe said, taking an involuntary step backwards. I turned around to see Ridley there, her gaze amused.

"Kirrahe. Doing well I see."

"Uh... y-yes, Ridley. And you?" he said, almost panicky.

"I'm not dead, so yes obviously." She could be so sarcastic sometimes. "What's this here about a delay?"

The salarian seemed to gulp at the thought of denying Ridley what she wanted, "Yes, there has been something of a delay, but it is mostly because we are in a hot zone and the geth are well aware of your presence. It's also because I am not sure why you are here."

"The council sent us to find out what is going on." I replied, straight faced.

"What? That is a repetition of our task. We were asked to investigate this area and found Saren's base of operations."

"You did?" I asked, truly surprised.

"Yes. We told the council to bring a fleet, not this!" he motioned the growing collection of people behind me.

Ridley and I spoke at the same time; "What do you mean 'this'?" "The message was sketchy."

Kirrahe, looked to and from both of us, unsure who to answer, "Look, the gets are jamming our comms, so you're all I've got. We need to plan an attack on the base, but it's going to be tricky."

"Why?" I asked, ever the strategist.

"Saren is trying to cure the genophage. They're brainwashed into doing exactly what he says."

"He's curing the genophage?!" I heard a voice blast out from not very far away.

"He is." Kirrahe said, moving away from the manic krogan, "We already have a plan, so tell me when you want to assemble, uh..."

"Commander Shepard, Alliance navy." I said, my attention focused on Wrex as the salarian walked away.

"Wrex... they aren't really krogan you know. They are just copies, fractions of the real thing." I said, cautioning patience with my tone.

"No, you don't understand. These are my people, and this our burden. If there is anyway to lift it, I have to. We need a cure." he said his gaze steady on me.

"We have to stop it, stop him."

"No, we don't!" Wrex said, pulling his gun, with the reaction of me doing so as well.

"Wrex, think about it. They aren't true krogan. They have no honor." I said, putting my gun down.

Wrex got a searching look in his eye, as if mulling over my words. He put the gun down and spoke, "Okay. Let's go blow it up."

"All right." I said, and moved towards Kaidan, Ridley, and Ash for a talk on tactics.

Ridley graced me with a small smile as I approached, unnoticeable to anyone who wasn't looking. I smiled back at her, basking in our newfound relationship, secret though it was. It had only been a little while, an hour at most, but I felt like a huge burden had been lifted off my shoulders, like the feelings I had tried to suppress and the possibility of her rejection (all too real after she ran away from the mess) were suddenly and all together elevated after she had agreed. The only thing I could think of that would threaten our relationship was that darn secret of hers, big and gaping, taking up the space that should occupy her childhood.

What was she hiding? Why does she think it will tear us apart? My questions quickly grow, but I shushed my clamoring mind so I can focus on my crew and their ideas for the assault.