Author's Note: Okay, I know this is short, but it has a point. I'm actually setting up the next few chapter's that I know with a 100% certainty is going to happen (plus, I'm really supposed to be working on an essay for English about why video games are art and, as I was writing it I was all "Mass Effect" and this came from it). Okay. Enough ramblings. Enjoy.

"Tell me, Commander, how you command such loyalty from those who serve under you," Javik inquired.

She leaned against the wall beside of his door. "I don't demand that they're loyal to me, necessarily- so long as they're loyal to my goal."

Javik frowned at her, trying to compute what she was saying. "Yet you hurt when one crew member wasn't loyal to you."

It took a moment for her to rid herself of the shock of hearing his words. "Hurt, yes, but I understand where he was coming from- I was dead and he was lonely. We weren't married- not committed to each other, really. I don't begrudge his choices."

Javik shook his head. "He would have been forced to eat her entrails for what he had done were we in the Empire. Even if a mate is killed, we remain loyal to them- to their memory."

That fascinated her- the Prothean's had been monogamists. She wondered if he had lost someone to the war- someone he mourned still.

"Who do you fight this war for, Commander?"

No one had ever asked her that question before. They had just expected her to fight for them.

Shepard nodded her head to let him know that she was going to answer, but thought for a few minutes before she finally decided to speak. "I fight for everyone in the galaxy- all species. I fight for the previous cycles who were killed. I fight so no future generation has to be part of a vicious cycle. I fight for my crew. I fight for life."

"In all you spoke for," Javik said slowly, "not once did you mention yourself."

Clever Prothean.

"I've already died once- watched as my ship was destroyed. I lost two years of my life. My living is something that goes against nature. So, no, I don't fight for myself."

Javik didn't like her words. He frowned at her in such a way that almost made her chuckle. "You are blind- as so many primitives are. You have the potential to be superior, but you limit your mind with thoughts such as those." He was getting angry.

Javik was an interesting person.

Oh, he acted like a total hardass- what with all of his insults and what-not. However, Shepard could sense the pain and loss that he fought to keep buried- unseen.

He turned around and frowned. "You are called Hope," he ignored her wince, "is that you name or what you represent?"

Shepard decided that she liked him. She hoped that, one day, they might even call each other friends. After all, she'd broken through tougher attitudes and distrust before (Wrex).

"Both," she said matter-of-factly. "Apparently my mother had good instincts when she named me."

Javik huffed. "You have fought and won many battles," he stated, "yet you still hide the truth from many."

"I don't understand."

"You fight alongside of a robot. How many know that it is an artificial intelligence? You trust the lives of many to it."

Well….

"No one aboard this ship is the enemy," she said gently as he stood before a basin of water and washed his hands.

"There is only one thing do with one such as you have," he informed her.

"Oh?"

"Throw it out of the airlock before it decides that we're no longer useful. We are nothing more than a mortal inconvenience to them, Commander. No good can come from having it aboard."

Shepard slowly made her way to the helm, occasionally pausing to talk to the crew. She could see the worry and tension that plagued them and promised to herself that she would dock aboard the Citadel for a few days leave after she dealt with the Quarian's and the Geth.

She stopped in the doorway of the helm and made sure that no one but Joker was there before she entered.

"Joker," she greeted, taking EDI's normal spot.

"Commander." They sat in silence. "We're heading to the Quarian Fleet."

"I know," she said easily, enjoying making him a little nervous.

Silence.

"I turned in all my reports."

"I know."

Silence.

"You here for a reason?" he asked, giving up any pretense of checking ship stats.

"Yes."

Silence.

"Does this have to do with my patching into your private comm during the mission?"

She glanced over at him- her face completely blank. "What d'you think?"

"You two are the most stubborn, private people on this damn ship! Neither of you want to be the one to fix your…whatever it is. You won't because you think that he'd be happier with someone else and him because he has his head stuck up his ass."

Instead of reacting to his words, she merely asked, "Oh?"

"Have you guys even talked- I mean really talked? What about argued? Have you let him know how pissed you were about Horizon- about Mars?"

"Joker," she interrupted quietly before he could work himself up further, "why're you even-"

"He saw the feed."

Confused, she shook her head. "You have to be a little more specific than that."

"Of you and James when you came back aboard the Normandy after taking those kids to C-Sec."

Instead of getting embarrassed and flustered like he was obviously hoping for, she just raised an eyebrow. "Okay?" she prompted.

Joker threw his hands up in the air- exasperated. "While I get that James wouldn't be the first Lieutenant you've gotten friendly with-"

"I make it a point to be friendly with all of my crew and squad," she pointed out.

He ignored her interruption, "You won't ever have anything with James that'll change what you feel for Kaidan."

Shepard just shrugged. "Okay."

"You're just afraid. Face down angry, killer zombies of ever species and machines bent on killing us all- sure, you hop right on that. But face something that involves feelings and normal life…you run the other way."

Still, her face remained blank. "I'm sorry you think that about me, Joker."

Joker frowned at her. Everything that he said that he intended to get under her skin didn't do a damn thing. He noticed something though and he couldn't stop himself as he leaned forward and pulled out the chain that held her dog tags and the other chain.

"If you're so removed from the situation, why're you still wearing the key that Kaidan had me give to you?"

She let slip a smile and touched an index finger on her nose and nodded. "You're not as unobservant as you would have other's believe."

"You're good, Commander- you'd be a kickass poker player…maybe even a good politician."

With a chuckle, she pointed out, "Have you seen my ship? I already am a politician."

"I'm not going to stop," he warned her suddenly. "You both need to face what's going on between you two. I don't care if you beat the shit out of each other or just talk. I'm going to keep interfering."

As she stood up to leave the helm, she smiled, "At this point, I wouldn't expect anything less."

Kaidan stood talking to Adams down in engineering when their newest recruit walked in and glared at him until he was practically obligated to talk to him to figure out what the hell was his problem.

"Have something on your mind, Javik?" he inquired as he walked beside the Prothean out into the hall.

Javik glared at him- if looks could kill…well…he'd probably have been nothing more than a pile of smoldering ashes on the floor. "You are Major Kaidan Alenko."

That hadn't been what he was expecting.

"I am."

Javik fell silent as he looked him over critically. "I am unimpressed."

"I'm sorry?"

"The James creature is seemingly more suitable, and yet it is you," Javik said, seemingly muttering to himself.

That was almost enough to cause Kaidan to lose his temper. He had had pretty much all he could take when it came to Lieutenant James Vega. Kaidan wasn't quite sure what Javik was talking about, but, it didn't matter.

"Is there something that you want, or are you just going to stand there and think to yourself out loud?" Kaidan demanded.

As quick as a cobra, Javik reached out and grasped Kaidan's bare forearms. With his head bowed, he stood there silently for a minute or so before he released him and narrowed his eyes.

"You mourned- you still are," Javik murmured. "Yet you considered another even as you mourned- knowing that you'd never truly love her."

"Excuse me?"

Javik gave a brief nod. "You are even blinder than she is. Let us hope that it's a temporary condition."

With that, he walked away leaving Kaidan staring after him with a confused expression.

Sitting at a table in the mess with one hand holding the datapad she was reading and the other holding a spoon for her dinner, she was completely oblivious to the world around her.

Hence the reason why Joker's voice startled her.

"Commander, we've received the coordinates for some Cerberus scientists who defected. Apparently things are going so hot for them."

Setting down her datapad and spoon, she asked, "ETA?"

Joker was silent for a minute (obviously plotting the change in their course). "Two hours."

"Let Javik and EDI know they're to gear up and report to the cargo bay in an hour and a half- geared up and armed."

"Aye-aye, ma'am."