24

"Honestly Shepard I don't know how you do it." Kaidan mushed around the small plate of food in front of him.

Like a champ Rupert had dished out food knowing Kaidan had already eaten and poured a massive cup of coffee for Shepard before even grabbing her tray. Shepard had her head down over the steaming cup as if just the smell would diffuse the caffeine into her bloodstream. Her tray was filled with a grey mush that was certainly not a meat like product that she had promised.

"Honestly? I have just fallen into the 36-hour day and even then it gets tight." She admitted her eyes peeking up through her bangs. She still hadn't done anything about her hair since leaving Earth. It had grown out and was at that point where it just long enough to get in the way but not long enough to be held back.

"36 hour? How does that even work? "

She shrugs, finally wrapping her long fingers around the cup and taking a swig before answering.

"Well the citadel is on a 20 hour day; Anderson is 30 LY's that way" She motions in a general direction. "Hackett is at Arcturus 47 LY's away that way" She makes another motion in the complete opposite direction "so I take the calls when they can make contact. While they are out there fighting seems to be the least I can do not to have them talk to an answering machine"

No wonder she looked so damn tired all the time. He nods, brushing the fingers wrapped around her mug with the back of his.

"I am a Major now you know; Maybe I can take some of the field command calls so you can get some sleep. You look like you could use it."

"Yea maybe." Was her noncommittal reply

"What the hell are you eating anyway?" He gestures with a spoon to her bowl of grey-mush.

"Oatmeal."

"You're serious."

"What? I LIKE oatmeal."

He shakes his head amused. Shepard ran around for hours in 20 kilos of armor went toe to toe with a formerly extinct species and she was having oatmeal for dinner as if she was on R&R.

"Nothing. Thinking like a biotic. I would keel over if all I had to eat was THAT." He makes a face and gestures again to the congealing pool of food.

"Well there is the coffee."

"One of these days I'm gonna have to take you out to a real place. Wine, Candles, Honest to goodness from the cow's ass beef."

"Promises, promises." She says but she does not seem to object. "Besides most places like that don't let me take my gun."

"Maybe not on Earth. I'll have to ask around; maybe Allison Gunn would have some ideas."

Shepard's eyes went wide, and then a half scowl as her eyes flicked upward toward the bridge deck. The next thing Kaidan knew there was a "plop" and a damp stickly spot on his shirt.

"Did you really just fling oatmeal at me? What are you five?" He was more shocked then disguised. This day was just full of surprises. She shrugged, licked her thumb and index finger clean of the goop and stood.

"You want command responsibilities? Good go knock our pilot down a peg. I gotta hit the bay. " She pauses a second , turning to him."Thanks for everything today Kaidan." She reached out with her hand and ruffled his hair as she turned to leave.

Out of the corner of his eye Kaidan watches Shepard head toward the elevator. He always liked the way she moved but now the graceful fluid motion was replaced by a steel determination. He was just about to return to his meal as her movement catches his eye. Just as she is about to round the elevator, blocking his view. He could have sworn he saw her reach into her pocket pull something and palm it into her mouth before grimacing and taking another pull from the coffee.

A/N The 20 hour day on the Citadel is actually discussed in one of the books when Anderson is there. The 36-hour day is a nod to the circadian cycles which are natural but in places that don't have day/night cycles (like space stations and starships) can be modified over time. Just my take on them