This chapter takes places a little before and then during the Crazy Biotics Chapter. Thought I had submitted this one already. Must of just uploaded it. Oh well, most of these aren't in any particular order anyway. Happy reading!

PE

Classic Stories

Kaidan sat on the comfortable sofa in front of the fireplace reading from an actual book. He had been surprised to find them. He hadn't thought Anderson would have had such things. His parents had a few books, but nothing like the classics Anderson had stocked here.

"These are classics…almost ancient books." He exclaimed to Shepard, who had been giving him a tour of the apartment.

Shepard had laughed and came to stand next to him. "If you say so."

"You don't read?" Kaidan asked genuinely surprised.

Throwing him a knowing grin, Shepard plucked a book off the shelf. "It's not that I don't read. Just not a lot of real books on spaceships." She delicately flipped the book over examining it's cover and title. "Red Badge of Courage." She read out loud. "Sounds interesting," She handed the book to Kaidan.

Kaidan looked at the leather bound cover and the gold lettering on the front he had read the book but only in digital form. "I've read this one. It's a good one. You might like it." He said helpfully.

Shepard shrugged. "I don't really have the time."

Raising an eyebrow at her questioningly, Kaidan tucked the book under his arm. "And why won't Commander Shepard have time to read some on her shore leave?"

"Because Commander Shepard promised a certain crazy ass biotic that she would meet her down at the combat simulator at fifteen hundred hours." Shepard shook her head and took his free hand. Her fingers were warm in his. He resisted the urge to pull her closer. A pang a jealousy surged through him. It was brief-a fleeing moment of passing fancy. He wanted Shepard all to himself. He wanted to spend all shore leave together. But he knew that wasn't possible. Shepard was important to a lot of people and she had good friends that wanted- even needed- to see her. He couldn't deny them or her that.

Instead he simply squeezed her hand. "I'm certain, Jack, would understand if you were a few minutes late." He stated raising her hand to his lips kissing the back of her hand. He felt her shiver even as she closed her eyes, exhaling.

"Then you have never met Jack." Shepard replied stepping closer to him. He could smell her- like rain and salty ocean breezes.

He smiled, chuckling. "Actually, funny story, I met her once before shortly after Anderson promoted me. I went to Grissom Academy to see about potential recruits and I happened to meet Jack."

"Really? Bet that was a trip." Shepard smiled knowingly opening her eyes.

Kaidan shrugged. "She's not what I expected, but the kids liked her. Hell, as a teenager I would have traded her for any of my Brain Camp instructors."

Shepard stiffened cocking her head slightly as she regarded him. He didn't mention BAaT much and when he did he noticed she paid close attention to what he was saying. Like she was listening to the words he wasn't saying. It was true Jack would have been a welcome relief to the instructors of BAaT, her methods might have been harsh but she cared about her students. She cared about what happened to them. That was refreshing to see.

Shepard pulled her hand from his. She stepped forward and touched his cheek lightly. Her fingertips ghosting over his cheek, jaw and lips, he closed his eyes and just let himself be carried away for a moment by her nearness and touch. Such a simple gesture and he was very aware of what it did to him.

"I guess I could be a few minutes late." Shepard purred in his ear. Her breath warm and inviting on his skin, his free arm snaked around her waist closing the gap between them. He opened his eyes focusing his stare on her face.

"No, I can wait." He whispered back smirking slightly. "I want you to have fun. I'll be here waiting when you get back."

"You're certain?"

"Positive, go have some fun, Shepard." He kissed her cheek lightly letting his lips linger longer than necessary. "Besides I have something to read now, so I'll be fine, for a while."

She had left shortly afterward with her telling him to make himself at home. He had planted himself on the sofa with a bottle of beer and the book in hand. He was a couple chapters in and engrossed in the story that the first time the door buzzed he didn't hear it.

The door buzzed again and he jerked his head up looking around for the source. Realizing it was the door he stood up. He felt suddenly very strange. Should he answer Shepard's door? She had told him to make himself at home, but still it was her place. What would he say? Why should he have to worry about saying anything? Shepard and him were together it was war time, they were Spectres, it didn't matter anymore. But still…

He opened the view screen and accessed the camera to the outside door. A drell stood at the door. At least he assumed it was a drell. He had only met one other drell before. The body, skin and shape were right, but the coloring was slightly different. Kaidan studied the figure for a moment more, before he watched the drell push the door's holographic buzzer again. The drell's fused fingered hand jerked back and he glanced around not nervously, more apprehensively.

Kaidan raised an eyebrow and pressed the talked button. He had to admit he was curious. "Yes?" he asked keeping his voice as calm as possible.

"Oh, I'm sorry I was looking for Commander Shepard's apartment. Do you happen to…"

Kaidan chuckled, "You have the right place, but the Commander is not in at the moment."

"Ah, then I will return later." He stated abruptly and started away.

"Hold up."

The drell stopped and half turned back toward the door. "I can tell Commander Shepard you stopped by, but you'll have to give me a name."

"It's Kolyat."

"Kolyat." Kaidan replied testing the name out. That sounded familiar. Why did it…? "Wait a minute, you're Thane's son." He stated more than questioned. Kaidan pressed the button to open the door. The drell seemed shocked. His eyes blinked as Kaidan stepped into view. "I met your father. We were staying in the same hospital for a time."

Kolyat regarded him for a beat before nodding. "Yes, he mentioned you when I came to visit once. Said you were a friend of Commander Shepard's and that you were injured badly on a mission serving with the Commander."

Kaidan nodded. "Yeah," He rubbed the back of his neck his fingers brushing his amp. "But your dad looked out for me while I was in the hospital. He even let me know about the Cerberus attack before it got real bad." Kaidan gestured behind him. "Shepard's out for a bit, but you can come and wait for her if you would like. The hallway doesn't seem like the place to be discussing this."

Kolyat regarded him canting his head to the side. His eyes blinked again and then he nodded. "You don't think, Shepard would mind?"

Kaidan shook his head. "I don't think she will at all. And if she does blame it on me, okay?"

The young drell looked dubiously at him for a moment before following him into the living room of the apartment. Kaidan catch the wide eyed look on Kolyat's face as he glanced around the apartment.

"This is Commander Shepard's place?" He asked awe and skepticism mixed in his voice.

"Yeah, though it was an Admiral's private apartment before that." Kaidan shrugged.

"It doesn't seem to fit her." Kolyat stopped looking up at the spacious vaulted ceiling. "Commander Shepard always struck me as the living on spaceships person."

Kaidan laughed and headed into the kitchen. "Most people think that way about her. Seeing where she lives makes for feel like more of a real person as opposed to the legend of the stories."

"My father told me many stories about his time with Commander Shepard. It is hard to believe that she is a real person some of the time. And that I have meet her," Kolyat paused and regarded Kaidan with an odd expression on his face. "She barely knows me and she treats me like…"

"Like a normal person, like she's not Commander Shepard and you're not some charity case because she was friends with your father." Kaidan stated as Kolyat nodded. "Yeah, she's like that. Look, I know Shepard she treats everyone the same. She gives everyone the same chance. Would you like to drink? Or eat?" Kaidan hesitated at the refrigerator, "Sorry to have to ask, but want exactly do drell eat?"

Kolyat blinked at him and wondered slowly over to the bar separating the kitchen from the living room. "We can eat most human foods, we aren't like turians and quarians. There are only a few human food we try to avoid. Milk based foods and we don't drink it either. But I'm not hungry so don't bother yourself…"

Kaidan waved a hand and opened the frig looking inside. There was bottled water, some cans of vanilla soda and beer. Most of the food was vegetables, cheese, and meat. Shepard liked cheese. "Well, how about a bottled water?"

"That will be fine, thank you." Kaidan tossed a water bottle at him and Kolyat caught it without batting an eye.

"So what exactly brings you here?" Kaidan asked closing the door.

"I was hoping to speak with Shepard about my father's memorial arrangements." He twisted the bottle back and forth between his hands.

"Shepard mentioned something about that. She said she was trying to get most of their crewmates together for it." Kaidan replied moving into the living where he had left his book and beer. He sat down and motioned for Kolyat to join him. The young drell sat down on the chair across from him.

"Yes, she said that several were interested in coming." He cracked open his water bottle and took a sip. "I just wanted a small service nothing large, but Shepard seems to think there will be a bigger turn out than I'm anticipating."

"Well, I know Tali and Garrus are interested. Possibly Jack, Shepard's meeting her as we speak down at the combat simulator. I think she mentioned Jacob and Miranda." Kaidan smiled and sat back crossing his arms. "Your father made quite the impression on many people. I know Shepard called him friend and I'm saddened that I didn't get to know him better."

Kolyat turned his head away looking off toward the fireplace's fake flames. A frown slipped onto his lips. "We were only getting to know each other again when he died. We spent months trying to reconnect after we reunited. I guess a part of me wishes that I had had more time with him."

Sighing Kaidan reached out and grabbed his beer taking a sip. "I know what you mean." His own father was still missing and his mother was more than worried.

Kolyat's borrow furrowed. "What about your father?"

"My father?" Kaidan hadn't thought about his family in a while. A twinge of guilt rushed through him. Solemnly and with a bit of remorse he replied. "He's missing back on Earth." He had only whispered to Shepard his fears and anxieties over his father's disappearance.

"Missing? You mean the Reapers…"

Kaidan nodded and took another sip of beer. "Yes, my mother doesn't know where he is. I'm presuming the worst." His last words were a harsh whisper. "It's torture not knowing though. I would rather know he's dead than nothing at all."

Kolyat eyed him warily then nodded. "I understand that. I miss my father, but when I was younger and he would disappear I never knew if I would ever see him again. And when my mother was killed…he just vanished. The not knowing was the worst part…I thought like my mother that he was…gone. But I wasn't certain."

Kaidan nodded. He understood that feeling. What more than anything for his father to okay, but in the darkest part of his mind he knew. He kept pushing it away, but the idea was still there. He and his father might not have always gotten along, but he was still his father and he loved him for that.

"Are you planning on attending the service?" Kolyat asked suddenly.

Kaidan shook his head. "I didn't know Thane that well. I feel like I won't do a very good job of honoring him. He was a part of Shepard's crew and her friend. I mean, I met him once…." Kaidan trailed off realizing that he was starting to ramble. He cleared his throat. "No, I won't be attending. I think this is more of a private affair. Family and close friends only."

Kolyat tilted his head slightly, his expression strangely calm. "I thought you wouldn't, but I wasn't for certain. Though if you wanted to attend I wouldn't mind."

Kaidan grinned. "Thanks, but I think it would be better if I wasn't there." He felt awkward speaking like this with Kolyat. It was strange because a part of him wanted to go just to be there for Shepard but another part thought it would be too strange to attend a service of a man he barely knew. "Besides I have to keep searching for my students and for my own father." He had been meaning to follow up on a few leads regarding both. And if Shepard was busy then he would that.

Kolyat stood up. "Then I will leave you to your business. If you would please tell Commander Shepard that I dropped by."

Kaidan stood as well. "You can stay until she gets back if you want."

Kolyat shook his head. "No, I have arrangements that I must see to. But thank you, for speaking with me."

"Not a problem. If you even need to talk again, I'm available."

"Thank you," Kolyat turned and started toward the door. Kaidan followed him.

As he reached the door Kolyat turned abruptly and extended his hand. "Good luck with finding your father and your students."

Kaidan took his hand and shook it. "Thanks, and it was nice meeting you."

"Same to you."

Once Kolyat had left Kaidan stood staring at the door to Shepard's apartment for a few more moments. His mind was awhirl. He should really follow up on those leads with both his students and his father. His students were trickling in reporting for duty on several fronts back on Earth. He had a few more that he was going to try and contact. As to his father…he looked back over at his beer and book. His father had been so proud of him when he joined the Alliance or he had been eventually, but it had taken a while once for him to come around. They hadn't seen eye to eye about Kaidan's life up until that point. His mom had worried and his father had fumed about his life's choices. But it had been Kaidan's life and he planned on living the way he had wanted too.

Kolyat reminded him of himself at that age. He hadn't exactly wanted his father's approval, but he had wanted to be closer to him. Joining the Alliance seemed like the best way to do that. Kolyat had tied to be an assassin. It seemed like the classic stories where the son only wants the fathers approval and in the end as the father lays dying they finally give it.

Kaidan flinched only a couple months ago he had been telling his parents about his promotion and his new job training biotics. His father had actually said the words, "I'm proud of you, son." The words echoed in his mind sending a pang of hurt and sorrow through his chest. "I'm proud of you, son." Yes, he knew had Kolyat had felt. In part he was feeling it now.

More than anything he had wanted to introduce Shepard to his family. He had wanted his father to meet her. To see the woman who was everything to him. But now…he knew it in that deep down dark spot of his mind. That wasn't going to happen.