Kaidan had been waiting in the Captain's quarters for a quarter turn. He was congratulating himself on managing both not to have set anything on fire with his recent foray into the Mess Kitchen and having had the foresight to have grabbed tray covers and reheat packs for the food.
He should have known Shepard would have taken her sweet ass time about talking to the crew. Try as he might, he really couldn't bring himself to be too annoyed at her insistence to visit her crew. The past few days she had been like a walking corpse and it would do moral a huge boost to see Commander back as she should be. He felt overly proud for having played a part in that.
Is that what it must have been like when she came back after Lazarus?
Finally giving in to the grumbling of his stomach Kaidan tries to content himself on coffee and toast while he waits for her to make her way back up to him. The idea makes him pause, a wad of bread in his mouth half chewed.
You mean her room.
The idea that she was going through the motions with the crew only to spend more time with him was utterly ridiculous. But that didn't make the simple idea of sharing breakfast together before going over the newest terrors of the war any less significant to him. She had said she would include him in the war efforts and that was one thing. But something in her demeanor had made a marked change which he could only take as a good sign.
A strange motion catches the corner of his eye. Something in the fish tank that darted back out of sight when he turned his head. Curiosity peaked he walks over to the large tank. It was odd to see so many fish inside an Alliance ship. Shepard had collected a fair number of the things in her rogue Specter days. Jellyfish and skates swam between the two panels. But what had darted out? Taking a closer look at the fish he can name just the koi native to Earth and the terrestrial equivalents to the others. Peering in closer to look at the school of sunfish a sudden maw pops out from the rocks and hits the glass barrier with a wet thunk.
An eel the size of Kaidan's forearm slinks back into its den in the rocks. In his prior visits he could not recall seeing the thing but based on its habits it is possible it had been there all along. Hiding beneath the rocks, just out of sight.
"EDI? Can you identify the eel in this tank please."
"That is a Khar'shan Snapping Eel Major. "
Khar'shan, the batarian home world. Leave it to Shepard. Mindoir, the Blitz, the Alpha Relay and she put a damn predator fish from their home world in with her guppies. But somehow they had survived all this time. The gesture seems oddly symbolic but Kaidan can't decide if it is a motion to save a now probably endangered species or a constant reminder of how she had suffered at the hand of that race.
Still puzzling out the stupid fish, his omni starts to beep. A local transmission meant it was from someone on board. Opening the keyboard to reply he is not surprised to see it was from Joker. The pilot would have been one of Shepard's first stops and the chance to needle Kaidan would never go unchecked.
Just letting you know I am putting in a commendation for your man parts.-Joker
The hell…?
What are you talking about?
Shepard just left. I don't know what you did but she is back in this thing. On second thought I know WHAT you did just would rather leave the "you" part of it out. Much less disgusting that way.
Nothing like that. But glad we got priorities straight with or without you thinking about my junk.
Yea, yea "priorities" so black and lacey eh?
You're an ass. And no, not black.
With that he closed the display board. A smile crossed his lips when he glanced over to the pile of clothes Shepard had partially kicked under the bed this morning. A true Marine she refused to leave the room without making her bed but peeking just out from under the bedspread was her rumpled civvies and the green undergarments she had threatened to how had she put it so eloquently to Joker?
"Just for that Joker I am gonna rub my ass on all the handrails!"
Typical Shepard classy as hell when she wasn't busy saving the whole damn galaxy. The whole damn thing was nuts but somehow none of it really surprised him. From Shepard to Joker the crew just kinda meshed in a way unlike any other assignment he had been on.
Another beep from his omni and Kaidan was expecting it to be another quip from Joker but was pleasantly surprised to see it was from Tali. He could almost hear the excitement in the message.
I found them! Tali
The what brought a smile to his face. It had only taken a few days but securing and installing would probably take more.
You're the best. Where is she?
Just finished with Adams. Headed your way lover boy.
The idea of Tali calling him lover boy when she and Garrus had been playing find the" seam leak"since before the ship had left port struck Kaidan as more than a little funny. It also meant that she was no longer as pissed off at him. The old adage held true a happy Captain makes a happy crew.
Reheating another set of mugs he hears the elevator doors open outside and her door disengage. Shepard comes in balancing a tray with mugs of coffee and two bowls. Barely managing to enter the room without spilling she looks at the two covered trays at the table with a questioning eyebrow.
Kaidan walks down the stairs to the small table. Putting the mugs he had just made down and taking the tray from her, she is still looking to the trays he had brought up questioningly. Motioning for her to take a seat he removes the tray covers to reveal eggs and bacon. Reconstituted of course but at least Kaidan thought it looked light years better than the oatmeal Shepard had brought up with her.
"Well that kicks the crap out of my working breakfast." Her eyes already fixed on the plate. Handing her a mug and sitting beside the second tray.
"Well I knew you would be a while so I made use of the time."
"Oh my god, Kaidan this is amazing. Thank you." Bits of egg threaten to fall from her mouth as she attempts to eat all the food while simultaneously showing her gratitude. No one had ever said table manners were Commander Shepard's forte.
"It is just standard mess hall food. You would know if you ever made it down during hours." Chuckling, he dabs at the corner of her mouth where an egg curd had taken up residence.
"Cluck, cluck, cluck mother hen. You sound like Traynor." She takes another bite of her food, savoring it as if it was the most delicious meal she had had in months. For all he knew it was.
"No, it's better. It's hot and real-ish. From the powdered chicken and everything."
They fall into a comfortable silence while they eat. The calm is interrupted by the sound of several messages hitting Shepard's terminal indicating they had just passed a comm buoy. With a cynical chuckle and an eye roll Shepard reaches over to her desk and grabs a fresh set of data pads in her left hand, toast still grasped in her right.
"Oh here before I forget." Around a mouthful of toast she begins typing one handed before sliding the pad to Kaidan.
"What's this?" The icon of the Systems Alliance on the screen before fading to reports.
"Personal files. I figured the XO should have them. Got to be honest I haven't even looked at them, for all I know they are all outdated. Hell as is we are only running on half crew without counting in dignitaries, mercenaries or stranded Marines." Referring of course to the two female Marines who had gotten stuck on the Normandy when the ship had left Earth.
"Hey you're not on here." Kaidan says with a smile.
"Neither is Joker. Remember we were "pending trial" when the Reapers hit. I doubt there is a bunker somewhere under the cities with a secretary diligently updating our records as we speak."
While the mental image was amusing it was clear that her thoughts had gone back to the day that Earth was attacked. Now knowing her connection to Anderson a little better he could empathize why leaving had been more difficult than he had seen at the time.
"Shepard don't think about it like that. Anderson was giving you the ship back. Before the meeting he told me so. Why else would your armor and equipment have already been here? You think anyone other than you would have been able to fit that stuff? "He hooks a finger at the locker.
"Think about how scary the coincidences were Kay." Leaning back on the couch she rattles off details on her fingers.
"Joker just so HAPPENED to be aboard while I was being sent with Anderson." First finger
"You getting done with the admin and leaving with Vega just moments before the attack so you managed to get to the Normandy in time." Second finger
"Traynor and Cortez aboard already familiar with the new systems and on board." Third
"The three of you convincing Campbell and Westmoreland to sit down and shutup while you effectively stole an Alliance prototype vessel." Fourth
"Sounds almost as crazy as you and Anderson making it to ground level and to the Normandy with two pistols and 6 clips between the two while an army of things ran you down." Kaidan retorts with a smile.
Shepard gives a shrug.
"Meh. It was like being back at the Villa again. But I was just thinking what would have happened if even one of those things hadn't worked out right."
"No you are trying to process Thessia. I know you Shep, you are trying to find your mistake. You are dwelling so you don't make the same mistakes again. Let me be clear in this. There is nothing you could have done to prevent this. Asari high command refused to help Earth remember? They wanted to shore up their defenses while the Reapers tore us and the Turrians to pieces. Stop beating yourself up over it."
"Guess I am that predictable huh? Still not gonna make this any easier."
"Oh? Where we headed?" Shepard had left her message console blinking since the last buoy.
"The Citadel. Damn I hate playing politician."
A/N Forgot to add "the villa" is another name for the n school of the Marines. It is the private training facilities in Rio de Janerio where the first 6 training events occur. My version of Shepard had never been to earth prior to starting her N training. May or may not come up later ;)