James was still breathing heavily from his fight with the batarians in the club as he followed Anderson's quick pace through Omega's streets. He was still trying to process what he'd been asked to do.

"You're kidding me right? Haven't you read my file? I let those Fehl colonists die, along with my own unit, and you want me to protect someone you've got in custody?" he questioned, incredulously. "Shouldn't you be locking me up for that incident just now?" He gestured back towards the club.

Anderson glanced over his shoulder at him but didn't slow down.

"I'm willing to over-look that. I saw what led to that… and I get why you did it."

James raised his eyebrows in surprise as he stared at the back of the man's head. So the Admiral was just as angry about Shepard's incarceration as he was.

Maybe he shouldn't be surprised. He knew a lot of soldiers who would take this latest back-stabbing move by the Alliance, against one of their own, with disgust. Okay, so technically she was under the Cerberus banner, but the fact that she was out there doing what the Alliance was failing to do - stopping the colonist abductions - and had promptly handed herself in after she'd succeeded, told him all he needed to know. Shepard was Alliance to the core. If she said she had destroyed that batarian system in order to stop these… Reapers, then he believed it. No way was she 'delusional' or 'over-tired' like the Citadel Council had tried to make her out to be a few years back. She was N7. She was the first, and only, human Spectre. She was the only survivor on Akuze, the hero of the Skyllian Blitz, and the Saviour of the Citadel. Hell, she was the catalyst for him joining the military. She deserved respect, not a media-circus turning her into a scapegoat for something she had no choice in.

That's why that news report had angered him, and the combination of anger and alcohol had fuelled him to rip the screen off the wall. Probably not a good move, considering he was in the middle of a poker game with several batarians. They'd called him 'Shepard-lover' before they'd signalled to some others, and he'd had to defend himself.

James was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he nearly barrelled into Anderson who had came to an abrupt stop outside a docking bay.

Anderson turned to him, then looked him right in the eye, demanding his full attention.

"You've got to put Fehl behind you, Lieutenant. You made a call, a hard one, but you made it with the information you had at the time. Right now, I need the best, and I think you're it. Now, do I have your commitment to focus on the task in hand, or do I need to find someone else?"

James squared his shoulders at what he felt was a direct challenge, and gave a single stiff nod.

"I won't let you down, Sir."

James finished with a smart salute, wondering what the hell he'd just gotten himself into.

Anderson looked satisfied by his response and they proceeded through the air-locks into the ship.

It didn't take an engineer to see that the ship he'd just stepped into had taken some serious damage. Anderson stopped at the cockpit, several control panels sparking as they passed them.

"Flight Lieutenant Moreau, this is Lieutenant Vega, he'll be-"

"Yeah, whatever. You can save the introductions okay, 'cos this whole thing stinks," interrupted the pilot, insolently.

James raised his eyebrows at the way the man had just spoken to the Admiral, then he noticed the Cerberus logo on the pilot's cap and uniform as he moved around Anderson to catch a view of the guy. Okay, so this wasn't an Alliance vessel.

Anderson was trying to appease the angry pilot.

"I know how you feel Joker, I do, but you have to understand-"

"Understand what!? That the one person out here, who's actually doing something about the crap happening out there, and has gone through hell to do it, is about to be arrested for doing the right thing!?"

James watched silently as Anderson just placed a hand on the pilot's shoulder. James was intrigued that the pilot was clearly well known to the Admiral, and the fact that Anderson was obviously as unhappy about it as the Cerberus guy, was even more interesting.

"And if I had my way we wouldn't be here, Joker, but this is bigger than I can contain, and you know that."

The pilot seemed to lose his fire then, as despondency overwhelmed him.

"She's been through so much, Anderson," Moreau murmured. "She doesn't deserve this."

"I know," Anderson agreed, solemnly, "and I'm going to do everything I can for her, you have my word on that."

Moreau nodded slowly, then turned to look at Vega.

"Just…just look after her, man. She may seem tough, but she hides a lot of the damage inside, you know?"

James nodded mutely, and the pilot seemed to get embarrassed by his outburst and swung back to his console.

Anderson waved for James to follow him, and they made their way past fallen structural beams and debris, before they entered an elevator.

"Uh, is it a good idea to use the lift?" he queried with concern.

"I can confirm that the elevator is working at optimal efficiency, Lieutenant Vega," came a computerised female voice, which James took to be the ship's VI.

"Oh... Well…. No problem, then… thanks," James stammered awkwardly.

Anderson just pushed the button for the top floor.

"Uh, so…a Cerberus ship?"

"Not for long. It's being handed over to the Alliance, but as you can see, it's in need of some repair before we can risk a flight back to Earth. That will take some time, so we'll be returning on an Alliance vessel."

James mind whirled through all the thoughts and questions he had, as they waited. Okay, so this person- this woman, was obviously a Cerberus agent gone rogue, and to warrant an Alliance protection detail, she must have important information that Cerberus doesn't want her spilling, and they were probably responsible for the damage to the ship. He wasn't sure how Anderson knew the pilot so well but other than that he figured he had the situation worked out.

"So, who am I protecting, Admiral?" James asked as they arrived outside a locked room.

Stopping outside, Anderson turned to him once more, hands behind his back, as he seemed to stand taller, every inch of him an Admiral.

"Commander Shepard," Anderson announced proudly.

In that breath-taking moment, Anderson hit the door lock, revealing Shepard, and James was blindsided.

Well, now everything made a new kind of sense.

He was standing on the Normandy SR2, a Cerberus ship under the command of Shepard, and she had just returned from the Omega 4 Relay, after bringing down the Collector home world, and was now giving herself up to face the charges against her for the destruction of the Bahak system two weeks ago. Whoa… He'd assumed she was already detained. Never in a million years would he have made the connection, because it was too unbelievable.

James stared in shock at the woman he'd heard so much about, had so much admiration for, as she looked over her shoulder at them. She was sitting at a desk, data pad in hand. Placing the pad on the desk, she turned to them. He couldn't help the thud in his chest as she rose to her feet in one smooth motion, and he noted that she was petite. Her body like a dancer's, lithe and strong, and she had curves in all the right places. She looked damn good in her uniform too, regardless of the patches where the Cerberus logos had been torn off.

Shepard walked directly towards Anderson and saluted. Anderson waved her formality away.

"No need for that, Shepard. Not with me."

James felt caught in her gaze as she looked him over.

Crystal-blue eyes like the waters off an idyllic island beach, framed with long lashes. Black hair tied into a bun at the base of her neck that hinted at the length concealed within. Her full lips were a dusky pink against her lightly tanned skin. The vids he'd seen had shown her to be beautiful, but in the flesh… she was stunning.

"This is Lieutenant James Vega, he's been assigned to watch you."

Anderson indicated towards James, and James snapped off a respectful salute. Shepard visibly stiffened and frowned.

"I handed myself in voluntarily Anderson, you don't -" she began to argue, looking somewhat disappointed at what she thought was Anderson's lack of trust.

Anderson, however, realised how careless his words had been and interrupted her with a raised, supplicating hand.

"I trust you implicitly, Shepard, make no mistake about that. Unfortunately, given the circumstances, there are a lot of angry batarians out there who are baying for blood, maybe even Cerberus now you've walked away with some of their assets - including yourself - and I'm not about to leave anything to chance. Vega's here to protect you, Shepard. He'll be in charge of planning your every move so no-one can get to you."

Vega actually witnessed Shepard sag with a sadness that suddenly encompassed her. Her head bent down so she was staring at the floor.

"I wish there had been another way, Anderson," she murmured quietly.

This was a woman struggling with guilt over a decision she'd made. Though that decision had saved billions it had still cost thousands of lives, and she was clearly haunted by it. James understood that feeling only too well.

Anderson moved forward and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You did the right thing, Shepard. Fighting the Reapers was never going to be easy. Focus on those you saved, not on those you lost, because the living still need your help."

"Huh," Shepard huffed sadly as she looked back at him. "What good can I do from inside a cell, Anderson?"

Her exasperation was clear, and it was mirrored in Anderson, who nodded in understanding.

"I know, Shepard. Believe me when I say that Hackett and I are going to be fighting tooth and nail to get you out of there a-sap. Damn politics."

He shook his head in disgust.

"We have to be seen to be taking this seriously. We just can't afford a war with the batarians, not when we have the Reaper threat."

"That's why I'm here, Anderson. I don't want that, either." Shepard's tone was soft, as she affirmed her position.

James listened, quietly simmering. That's what all this was about. They were throwing Shepard in front of the media as a rogue Alliance soldier turned Cerberus agent who was going to be held accountable for her 'crime', to appease the Batarian Hegemony. His anger swelled at the Alliance brass for handing her up so readily. That she had still handed herself in, knowing that she was going to be dragged through the mud, raised his regard of her. She was a protector to the bone.

"It's just the thought of sitting in some… room, while I could be out there…" Shepard said with frustration, shaking her head, unable to voice her thoughts any further.

Anderson just tightened his grip on her shoulder and gave it a little shake.

"Keep that fire burning, Shepard. I have a feeling we're going to need it."

Shepard straightened once more, every inch a Commander, as she said, "Yes, sir."

Anderson smiled back at her fondly, before turning to Vega.

"We need to get back to Earth, so make sure you have everything you need, and be ready to transfer Commander Shepard to the Alliance ship at the neighbouring bay, in one hour."

Anderson acknowledged Shepard and left the room.

James suddenly realised that he was alone with Shepard and he became aware of her studying him.

He would normally give a subtle flex of his muscles whenever he noticed a beautiful woman appraising him - he knew he was a flirt - but with Shepard he wanted her to see his ability. He wanted her to know that he was serious about his assignment, that she could trust him to keep her safe, though given her legendary status it seemed rather ironic. She could probably take him down in a heartbeat.

Feeling slightly awkward as he stood before her, and finding himself unusually lost for words, he looked around her quarters, taking in the fish tank brimming with life, the model ships and the dozen or so data pads adorning her desk.

"Did you realise you're bleeding?"

His attention returned to Shepard as she spoke, and she frowned as she looked at him.

James reached up to where she was focused. His lip was cut. Huh, if that's all that he had come away with, he was pretty impressed with himself. He just shrugged at her.

"Just a little disagreement with a few pendejo's."

Her gaze went to his right hand and he realised his knuckles were also raw. He moved into a military stance so he could place his hands behind his back, and she didn't question him about it any further.

"So, Lieutenant, what did you do to get you noticed by Anderson?"

She smiled at his surprise.

"I know that baby-sitting duty isn't a big deal, but for Anderson to personally introduce you, he must have hand-picked you himself. Which means you've done something to impress him, and that's no easy feat."

James shuffled on his feet slightly, feeling uncomfortable about a subject he didn't want to re-live, despite wanting her to know he was more than capable. Shepard caught it though, and spoke before he had to respond.

"It's okay, forget I asked. Some things should stay buried."

She looked at him, knowingly, and James felt that thud again as they shared a look of understanding that they had both lost people in events that were beyond their control.

She went to turn away, then Vega spoke.

"It is a big deal."

Shepard quirked an eyebrow in question.

"Protecting you," he clarified, his voice soft and deep, referring to her earlier comment.

Shepard seemed to stare into his soul, then gave him a small smile, tinged with sadness.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," she murmured, and she returned to her position at the desk, sparing him a glance over her shoulder.

He took that as his cue to leave, and he turned, then spun back round when he heard her gasp. Shepard was making her way back over to him, concern on her face.

"Lieutenant! That looks like more than a little disagreement!"

Shepard placed her hand on his arm and turned him away, so his back was to her. He was so confused he just went with it. He felt her hands pressing gently on his back, and he flinched, suddenly aware that it hurt. Checking over his shoulder he tried to see the damage, but it was completely futile. Shepard then led him into her bathroom and pointed to a mirror on the wall, as she turned his back to it so he could see the damage.

Ouch! Through the gashes in his very bloody tee, he could see that his back was littered with gaping cuts. Must have happened when he took that dive backwards through the club window.

"It looks like there's glass in some of those deeper cuts. You should head to the med bay. Thankfully our doctor is still on board."

"Yeah, I'll do that. Damn, this is a new t-shirt, too," he muttered sadly, as he followed her back out of the bathroom.

As he passed her desk he noticed a photo frame spring to life, portraying the image of a man.

Shepard smirked at him.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Lieutenant, but I'm sure the Alliance will give you a suitable replacement for your very non-regulation top," she teased.

Vega smiled back at her. So the Commander had a sense of humour.

"No way, this is one of a kind! Just like me!"

James gave her a wink as he went to leave, her head shaking with an amused grin on her face as the door locked behind him.

After a quick trip to the med bay, he left to gather his gear, and was back on the ship in forty five minutes, enthused for the first time since Fehl, to get to work.