The Normandy docked on the Citadel just like normal and she watched after the hospital attendants as they pushed Grunt out of the Normandy and to Huerta for evaluation and full-repair. She reminded the crew to prepare for Shoreleave that would begin the next day. Everyone seemed pretty excited for a few days for themselves- it wasn't as though there were many chances to just relax while in the middle of a war with giant, mythical beings.

Kaidan smiled warmly at her as she left the Normandy….

Almost like they had a secret….

Not yet, her mind reminded her.

With a sigh worthy of a stage, she headed to the embassies and smiled as random officers and other important people greeted her. She made her way into Bailey's office and smiled kindly at the man.

"Bailey," she greeted, looking over him- a habit she had picked up thanks to the war.

"Commander Shepard," he responded, standing up and handing her a datapad that had been sitting right beside his terminal. "I've got news on the kids you brought in a while back."

Shepard frowned as she read the report. "Out of the five kids, only two of them had surviving parents?" she murmured. "What happened to the other three?"

Bailey sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Two have been taken into other families. The other- the youngest-, well…he's sick. He's been at Huerta for a while, asking for you by name."

The words on the datapad seized to mean anything as she tried to process what he was saying. "What's wrong with him?"

"Above my pay grade," he shrugged empathetically. "From what I could tell, though, it was pretty serious."

She took a deep breath. "What's his name?"

"Tyler."

Carefully laying the datapad on Bailey's desk, she nodded her head. "Thanks for letting me know. Anything else that I need to know about?"

Bailey shook his head. "Doesn't seem like you need anything else to worry about, all things considered."

Shepard shrugged and gave him a small smile. "What's a little bit more?" she chuckled.

"You're telling me that you've been up in her cabin every night, and you've yet to-"

"Jeff," EDI admonished, "it is clear, due to the Major's vitals, that he is uncomfortable with this line of questioning. Perhaps you should change the topic."

Joker frowned in the general direction of the comm before looking back to Kaidan. "You wanna know what's worse than having a girlfriend?"

Kaidan raised his eyebrows, not quite sure where this line of questioning was going to go. "I don't know- one that you work with on a tin can in the middle of space?"

His frown deepened. "A, don't call my baby a tin can. B, no. And, C, when your significant other happens to be a fully evolved AI with the capability to hear and yell at you anyplace on the Normandy."

Smiling, Kaidan shrugged. "How about a girlfriend who's the savior of the galaxy twice- not to mention working on a third time- and having an eerie sixth sense that can tell when you're talking about her."

"So you're admitting she's your girlfriend now?"

Kaidan rubbed his nose, and fidgeted a little. "Well…no. After…everything…it's a little more complicated than that."

"Do you love her, Major?" EDI asked.

He lowered his head in defeat. Getting tag-teamed by, essentially, the Normandy and her pilot just wasn't fair. "Yeah," he admitted.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" she asked.

"Would it stop you if I said no?"

"Yes."

"Go ahead, EDI."

She paused and seemed to think over her question. "How did you know that you loved the Commander and- despite everything- how did you know that you would still love her?"

Kaidan nodded his head as he looked up at the ceiling, thinking over how best to answer EDI's question as Joker shifted uncomfortably in the pilot's chair. "A person doesn't really get to choose who they fall for- you just fall in love and you get a person who is absolutely all wrong and entirely all right at the same time. And you know you love them so much even though they drive you completely insane- no one can explain it, least of all me."

"That is very confusing," EDI admitted.

"That's because it's love and, if love didn't have challenges, what would be the point?"

EDI and Joker said nothing- a fact that had Kaidan fighting a blush that, he swore, would start in his toes and work its way over the entirety of his body. It was clear that he had surprised them.

"Normandy, this is Commander Shepard, come in," Hope's voice filled the helm.

Kaidan and Joker looked at each other. "No kidding with the sixth sense!" Joker whispered.

"Better answer her," Kaidan urged.

"Hey there, Commander, you need something?" Joker asked easily.

The comm was silent for a minute. "Can you please have Major Alenko meet me on the Presidium? Something's come up and I need his help."

Joker looked over at Kaidan and waggled his eyebrows good-naturedly. "Sure, won't be a problem. I'm sure he'd be glad to help out."

Hope fell silent again and that worried Kaidan more than a little. "Thanks, Joker. Shepard out."

Joker's shoulder's sagged a little and he frowned at the comm board. "Was it just me, or did she seem a little off?"

Kaidan was already on his feet and heading to the airlock. "Everything's probably fine," Kaidan lied. "Don't wait up."

Shepard fought the urge to pace- it wouldn't do to frighten the civilians on the Citadel. She still had an image to uphold and she could feel eyes on her from every angle. Instead, she stood at one of the balconies and gripped a handrail tight enough to turn her knuckles while. It didn't even matter what she was looking at.

"Hope," Kaidan's warm, honey voice filled her entire being and his hand rested briefly on one of hers before moving away. "What's wrong?"

She loosened her grip and turned to look at him. "I have to go to Huerta," she informed him quietly, her voice tense.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly, looking over her. "What's wrong?"

Shepard led him to the elevator and then pushed for the appropriate floor when they were both inside. "After Cerberus' attack on the Citadel, I found a few kids- their parents were missing. Well, the youngest is in Huerta for something serious."

The little boy that she had held so tightly in her arms, Kaidan realized.

"No clue what's wrong with him?"

She ran her hands through her hair and shook her head. "No clue. He managed to survive Cerberus forces on the Citadel and now he's in the hospital for something serious. I just need to check in on him."

Kaidan nodded and pulled her into a hug. "I bet he just has a really bad cold or something. Some of the best work at Huerta- no matter what, he's in good hands."

She pulled away from him as the VI let them know that they'd reached the appropriate floor. She was out the door before it had fully opened and was at the information desk before he had stepped out of the elevator.

"I'm looking for a little boy whose name is Tyler," she informed the person behind the desk.

The woman didn't even bother looking up from her terminal. "Are you family?" she asked, sounding bored.

Kaidan stopped next to Shepard and smiled reassuringly. A half-smile made its way onto her mouth and he knew that she was planning something devious. He decided to step in before she lied too badly (or well, depending on one's point of view). "No, but we're on important Spectre business and need to talk to him," he said briskly, sounding all business.

The woman looked up at the two of them as Shepard frowned at him and then the other woman was instantly on her feet. "C-commander Shepard!" she gasped out, hurrying around the desk. "Follow me."

As the woman walked by and they followed, Kaidan briefly rested his hand on the small of Hope's back and whispered, "You can yell at me later."

Hope cocked an eyebrow and pursed her lips but said nothing as the woman stopped in front of a closed door. "Tyler's just in there."

"What is it that he's in here for?" Shepard asked carefully.

"Malignant brain cancer."

"Type?" Kaidan asked.

The other woman glanced at the datapad outside of Tyler's room. "Brainstem gliomas. That kind of cancer is found in the brain stem, just like the name indicates. We're waiting for the proper doctors and equipment before we attempt to remove the tumor."

Shepard shook her head and walked by the other woman without another word. Kaidan quietly thanked the hospital worker and followed Shepard quietly. As she stood in the doorway with her hand covering her mouth, he rested his hand, again, on the small of her back. She looked up at him, horrified.

"Hope?" the little boy on the bed murmured.

She lowered her hand and smiled as she stepped away from Kaidan. "Hey there, Tyler," she said, walking closer to him. "I heard you were sick."

The little boy shrugged. "They didn't find my mommy and daddy," he informed her matter-of-factly, "and nobody wants me because I'm broke."

Kaidan looked over as the door to the room opened to Adria. He shifted uncomfortably, but said nothing.

"You're not broke," Hope assured him, brushing aside the boy's brown hair from his eyes. "If anyone ever says anything, you tell them to talk to Commander Shepard- you're sick not broken."

Tyler smiled tiredly at her. "Thank you," he whispered.

"The main problem that presents itself is the amount of funding there is available," Adria explained, bustling forward, not seeming to notice the way Shepard's shoulder tensed at the sound of her voice.

"Doctor Moore," she said, sounding as though her teeth were clenched together tightly.

Adria went around to the other side of the bed and began reading Tyler's vitals and making notes on her datapad. "What is about to be attempted is not an easy- nor cheap- procedure."

Shepard looked over her shoulder at Kaidan and he just shook his head helplessly. "Credit's aren't an issue," she informed Adria, smiling down at Tyler. "I'll cover any medical expenses there might be."

To say that Adria looked surprised would be an understatement. "That's very considerate, Commander."

"You can't take it to the grave- I have firsthand knowledge on that," she chuckled darkly. "This is for a good cause."

Kaidan frowned at her choice of words. It was just like her saying that Thane wouldn't be alone long. It was like she was expecting to die.

"Take care, Tyler," she murmured. "I'll come back as soon as I can."

Without any hesitation, she turned on her heel and exited the hospital room as quickly as she could. Kaidan rushed after her and nearly thought himself delusional when Adria hurried past him and stopped Shepard with a hand on her arm.

"Commander," Adria murmured.

He could see the strain in her hands and the tension in her shoulders and knew that she was keeping her temper barely in check. "Doctor."

"I know that Kaidan will've told you what happened last time you were on the Citadel," she began slowly and Kaidan could hear Shepard's forcibly calm breath. "I owe you both an apology."

Shepard slowly turned around and stared at the other woman, studying her face. "As far as I'm concerned, you don't owe me anything. Major Alenko, on the other hand, deserves an apology for being put in that situation. I understand why you did it."

"You do?" Kaidan and Adria asked at the same time.

She nodded. "Absolutely. Kaidan is special. Hell, he's what every woman wants in a guy and he isn't gay. However, with that said, you need to respect his decisions in regard to with whom he wants to be with."

Adria nodded, seemingly dumbfounded and didn't say a thing when Shepard turned and walked away, followed by Kaidan quickly behind her.

Commander Shepard was full of surprises.