Their business with the Pirate Queen concluded Shepard and Kaidan take their leave. Not a moment too soon in Kaidan's case either. That device might have been relatively nonintrusive but it had triggered a full blow migraine and his neck was still burning while his amp cooled down.

Managing to walk down the stairs and follow Shepard's lead, he is lost in his own pain. The doors of the club swish shut blocking some of the music before Shepard turns to him her concern evident. For appearances sake she had not offered to help him within eye shot of anyone who might report back in to Aria.

"How are you holding up?" Her voice low so not to aggravate his pounding head more.

"I'll live. Not what I was expecting but I've had worse." His hand absently rubs the nape of his neck where the amp lies buried.

"Well its past 0300, you have got to be beat. You gonna head back to dry dock and catch some rest? I got a few things I can handle on my own."

"Maybe if I had some good incentive. Otherwise I'll grab some meds and manage for myself."

As they exit the outer doors of the club Shepard leads them over to the skycar. Leaning against the side panel she folds her arms and looks up at him. The worry line clearly visible between her brows.

"I don't know who made it back to the ship yet but the loft will be quiet. You need to get somewhere secluded. If I know Samara she already reclaimed the observation deck. Looks like we'll have to bunk up, XO."

"Like you didn't invite her to "reclaim" her old room. You planned it all along. "

The ups and downs of the day were finally starting to get the best of him. His stomach was rumbling and his head was breaking apart. He hated when Shepard knew his limits better than he did. One of the things that made her such a good Captain, but such an irritating girlfriend.

"You win. I'm gonna grab some food and head back. Be careful okay? We don't know how many more Balak's there are gunning for you."

"No promises I can't keep remember? But I'll try, I'll see you later."

Back on the Normandy Kaidan makes his way to the Crew deck quietly. Managing to fix himself some of Gardner's leftovers without disturbing those sleeping in the bunks nearby( most of which still appear empty). The room is eerily quiet, the med bay darkened as he signs himself out some meds and returns to the mess table.

He supposed he could have brought his food upstairs and eaten in the Captain's room but regardless of his status both as XO and Shepard's boyfriend it felt like an invasion of her privacy to hang out there needlessly.

"Major, I did not expect to see you here tonight." The even voice from the darkness almost makes him jump out of his skin.

Silently a pair of eyes takes shape out of the darkened hallway. Without another sound Samara steps into the singular light Kaidan had turned on over the mess table. He had known she was probably on the ship but had not given much thought into running into her in a now vacant mess hall in the wee hours of the night.

She was standing just in the corona of the light. She had not approached nor spoken but had chosen to make herself known to him when obviously she could have just let him brood in the darkness. For a second he felt bad for being so apprehensive about the woman that Shepard held in such high regard, but given the two women's prior arrangement he could hardly feel at ease under her ice blue gaze.

" Samara good to see you again. You are welcome to join me." He motions to the seat across from him. With a cats grace she takes it and holds her hands on the table.

Great just what I need, her to watch me eat.

Sensing his discomfort she rises again a few moments later and walks over to the prep station and opens two cabinets before returning with a mug of a strongly scented liquid. Apparently whatever she had taken was still in stock. He noted she also knew exactly where things we kept.

"Not coffee but smells familiar." He remarks around a mouthful of chipped beef.

Classy Alenko. And you are going to be working side by side with this woman? You can't even break the ice with her.

"Yes Shepard introduced me to it. Lemongrass tea." She wraps her long fingers around the mug with slow deliberate motions. The first real show of something almost like an emotion he had seen since leaving Lessus from the Justicar.

"I even replenished the Normandy's supply with my recent travels into human territory." She puts the mug down to focus on Kaidan. Without being consciously aware of it he sits up straighter. Being under the gaze of the Justicar was like being back in basic and under scrutiny of a girlfriends disapproving mother rolled into one.

"You have no reason to fear me Major. If I could stomach being ship bound with Zaeed and the young Krogan I assure you that we will find common ground."

"It's not that. I got to know Thane in the hospital before his death and he spoke very highly of you."

Kaidan was not sure how to address his discomfort in what Shepard had ordered the woman to do. It was much as Thane had said of his own profession, the Justicar was the pinnacle of all that is Just in the universe. A code that leaves no room for interpretation or forgiveness was a bit too stark for Alenko's comfort.

"Thane was a good man. He was the one who convinced me to visit my children when the war began. I owe him much thanks, as I do to Shepard as well."

Kaidan was almost tempted to ask how her code allowed her to be friendly with a hired assassin but he was not sure he wanted to know. His migraine was still in full swing and trying to wrap his head around the relationships that had developed on the SR-2 was complex enough without pain meds to dull his head.

Finishing up his plate he gets the feeling that Samara wants to say something to him so he leans back, meeting those ice blue eyes. The Justicar seemed to be appraising him before she continued their stilted conversation.

"You are tired and pained Major. Let it be enough to comfort you that I respect Shepard and consider her the closest I have had to a friend or loved one in many centuries. Regardless of what you think of me or my methods I shall serve her and by extension you, to the best of my abilities even without an oath of fealty." She pauses and smiles at him for the first time since entering the room.

"And it speaks well of your character that she cares for you so much even when she was at her worst. I think we shall forge a similar working relationship."

She stands and with a silent nod is gone, back into the darkness of the Crew deck. Something about her last words had a sense of déjà vu that made him feel uneasy. His biotic stomach satiated he was beginning to feel the effects of the medications. The auras from the lights were something he had learned to ignore a long time ago but the sense of vertigo as he stood and headed back toward the elevator was something he had not experienced since the attack on Horizon.

Taking Shepard's advice he heads to the loft which was of course still vacant. Not bothering with the lights since the fish tank provided enough illumination he makes his way toward the bed. Of course, he had not had the foresight to ask the Asari to let him into the Observation Deck to take some clothes Kaidan was resigned to strip down into his underpants and crawl into the blissfully still bed.

"Regardless of what you think of me or my methods. I still serve." Samara had said that but it sounded so familiar. In the still darkness just as sleep was about to take hold of him, it comes to him. The image of Shepard on Horizon. Her face a patchwork of orange scars and fresh cuts. She had tried to convince him that she was still Marine to the core but he wouldn't have it. Garrus and Mordin with her but it might as well have been only them on the colony. She had been torn apart on the inside but keeping up appearances of calm on the outside.

The last thing Kaidan thinks before falling into the darkness is that if Shepard had gotten the support she needed then, how would things be different now? Didn't he owe the same thing to the Justicar who had sacrificed so much.

Wooohoo 49 chapters! trying to decide how I should celebrate 50 XD

As you can tell my update schedule is all kinds of crazy so if you have not yet you may just want to follow the story.

Thanks to everyone for follows/reviews what have you. I love hearing from you guys.-Raven