Chapter 16

Jeanette awoke the next morning fully rested and thanked who ever had invented sleep pills. The pill had put her out like a light and she had not been assaulted by a single dream or memory, just the blissful dark peace of sleep. She rolled out of bed and frowned upon realizing she had gone to bed with her day clothes on and that one of her sleeves was missing. Shrugging helplessly Jeanette sauntered over to her closet and shuffled through what little clothes she had. As she parted the hangers her eyes landed on a box that had been pushed back to the far wall. Curious as to what it was Jeanette pulled out the large box and placed it on her bed. She pried off the lid to find some folded clothes with a note on top.

Thought you might want a fresh set of clothes, Jean. I was able to find some spare time when you were gallivanting around the Citadel with Garrus and Thane and picked you up something. After studying you for two years I figured out what you would like best. It's a good thing I also know your size. And I better see you wearing it at the Dark Star, everyone's going to be there at eight on the first night of shore leave.

-Miri

Jeanette almost laughed at the small smiley face the Cerberus operative had left on the bottom of the note. She contemplated calling Chakwas to check Miranda for a fever but let the note slide for the moment before she returned her gaze to the box. The first thing she pulled out was a pair of blue denim skinny jeans. Though she did love denim she wasn't a big fan on tight pants but understood why Miranda had gotten them when she spotted the dark brown leather boots that reached just below the knee. Back home she had a similar pair of boots but they were worn and dusty with a few straps. Jason had often joked that he couldn't tell if she was dressed to ride a horse or a motorcycle. After pulling the boots out she found a clean white tank top, most likely to replace the one stained with her own blood, and a brown vest. Jeanette didn't really have a style when it came to clothes, she just grabbed what she liked whether it was form fitting and bright or loose and dark with chains, but Miranda picked out a great outfit that was also simple.

Smiling to herself she grabbed her new clothes as she headed to her bathroom, feeling in desperate need of a shower. She set the clothes down on one of the shelves built into the wall. Right before she was about to undress she spotted a bottle of pills on the counter with a label for instructions. She picked up the bottle and read the label. It was the pills Mordin had promised her but Jeanette couldn't actually remember being given them. She figured Thane must have grabbed the bottle before he helped her back to her room. The instructions told her to take two a day, one in the morning and then one at night, relatively speaking seeing as she flew through space where there was no clear time of day. Jeanette popped off the lid and shook a single transparent red pill out before placing the bottle on the shelving unit. She stared at the large pill in her hand before thinking, I'm suppose to swallow this thing? Knowing for a fact there was no way she could swallow such a huge pill dry she grabbed one of the glasses and filled it with water.

Jeanette hurried her shower and almost pranced to the elevator in glee, almost. But right before she exited her cabin she turned to look back at her desk. The crate Garrus had given her still lay untouched, filled to the brim with some of her old belongings. She stood in contemplation, wondering how quick Mordin's pills took to kick in or if they truly even worked. Jeanette soon found herself in front of her desk, hands on either side of the box, and she couldn't even recall moving her legs. She lifted the box and carried it with her to the end of her bed where she sat down. She held the crate in her lap as her eyes scanned the contents, organizing everything in her mind.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained right?" Jeanette mumbled to herself. What better way to try Mordin's new pills then touch the things closest to her past? Her hand slowly reached in, taking something at random before pulling it out. The first thing she pulled out was a dusty looking brown hat that seemed like it had been sewn back together a few times. Jeanette knew it was supposed to look like a varren had chewed on it. She had gotten it years ago, just liking the way it looked. Its wear and tear look had reminded her of life back at the farm and so she had bought it. She smiled as she plopped the hat on her head, the brown matching the rest of her outfit.

Jeanette took the lack of a memory attack as a good sign and reached for something else in the crate. The next thing to be pulled out was another holo with the frame currently turned off. She pressed the side button and a picture lit up the screen. A tall red haired man with red stubble along his jaw and gray eyes stood in an Alliance uniform with his arm around a younger Jeanette who had her blond hair grown out a little above the shoulder. It was the marine who had saved her on Mindoir. Sven Locke was a kind and loving man who lived by himself. He was thirty with no wife or children. Jeanette knew as soon as she stepped foot in his house it would be a learning experience for both of them but the two had grown fond of each other and she really thought of him as a father. Once she joined the Alliance she had sent him messages whenever she was given the chance and spent every Christmas leave with him on Mindoir. Now that she had come back from the grave she had not sent him a single message, too afraid he'd react like Ashley had.

She leaned as far as she could and placed the holo on a nearby desk. She looked at the smiling faces before returning once more to the crate. Deciding she could go through the rest later in the day she only pulled out one last thing. In her hands she held a leather bound book with a small strap to keep it closed. She slipped the strap off and flipped through the pages. Most of the pages were filled with sketches she had made over the years and the book was one of only a few things she kept from Mindoir before moving in with Sven. Though there were a lot of sketches she still had at least a fifth of the pages left to use. Jeanette replaced the crate on her desk and grabbed a small satchel to stuff her book in along with a few pencils. She slung the bag over her shoulder and finally left her cabin, not a single memory trying to overtake her.

She felt invigorated and she had no idea why but also didn't care. It was going to be shore leave as soon as they docked on the Citadel and she had made sure she had done all her reports ahead of time so she could enjoy a little fun before the inevitable Omega 4 relay. She had made a small list of things to do in her head, first of which was a hearty breakfast. She stepped out of the elevator with a spring in her step but stopped when she reached the mess. It was completely deserted which meant one of two things, she had either woken up earlier than everyone else as usual or the sleep pill had really knocked her out. Fearing the latter Jeanette pulled up the clock on her omni-tool and was relieved to see it read seven in the morning. Back in the Alliance everyone would have swarmed the mess an hour ago for breakfast but now on a Cerberus vessel, Gardener didn't make food for another half-hour as everyone was just now waking or were trying to catch just a few more minutes of shuteye.

Feeling like making herself busy until Joker told the crew they arrived Jeanette decided to make herself breakfast. She rummaged through the cabins pulling out a few containers before ducking behind the counter to shift through the pots and pans below. She did her best to make as little as noise as possible, not wanting to wake anyone just yet. She heard the swoosh of doors sliding open and knew who it was by the lack of footsteps sounding against the metal floor. She ignored the visitor until she found the small pan and tea kettle she had been looking for. She popped up from behind the counter to see Thane jerk back and set himself into a fighting stance. He lowered his arms once he realized he was in no danger.

"You are getting quieter as each day passes. I was not aware anyone was up"

Jeanette beamed a smile at him as she set the pan on the burner along with the tea kettle after filling it with water "I'm not an infiltrator for nothing, mister. And you are a great way to keep my skills sharp" Jeanette took a container and emptied a powder into a larger bowl before cracking a few eggs into the bowl as well. She took a whisk and started beating the mixture as she turned back to the drell, the smile still tugging at her lips "How do you feel about pancakes?"

"I have heard of them but never tired one"

"Well we should change that! What do you think about strawberries and bananas?"

Thane chuckled lightly as he watched the Commander enthusiastically beat the batter and add a few more ingredients "You needn't make me anything, Siha. I can fend for myself"

"Nonsense. The most important meal of the day is breakfast and I've already made more batter than I could eat. You can help if you want"

"What do you need me to do?"

Jeanette put the bowl down and jogged the short distance to the fruit bowl. She took a few bananas from it and placed it on the counter. She then retrieved a small carton of strawberries from the fridge. Soon a cutting board and knife sat on the counter between the two. Jeanette demonstrated how to cut the fruit before passing the knife over to Thane. The two worked in companionable silence, Thane slicing the bananas and cutting the strawberries in quarters as Jeanette poured some batter in her pan.

It wasn't until the Commander started humming a song cheerily that the assassin spoke again "You seem quite happy this morning"

"Yeah, I don't know why. Maybe I just got a good night's rest. Oh and thank you for leaving the pills on the counter" Jeanette deposited a couple of the cooked pancakes on a plate before turning her attention to the kettle. She placed a small thermometer in it and waited a few seconds as it read the temperature. Once satisfied she pulled the kettle off and reached for a small cylinder on a chain and two large containers. Thane's nostrils were assaulted by a sweet and delightful smell as soon as one of the lids came off and as the second lid came off the smell of exotic spices mixed with the previous smell in the air. He watched the Commander unscrew the tiny cylinder before shaking a tiny amount of leaves and spices from each container into it. Once the lid was screwed back on the cylinder was deposited into the steaming water of the kettle. As she let the tea steep Jeanette returned to her pancake batter "So have any plans today?"

"No. Bailey messaged me saying he was swamping Kolyat in the community service you suggested. We only just reunited and I do not wish to crowd him"

The woman nodded but stopped for a second. Thane noticed the Commander stare at nothing in particular and for a moment believed she was reliving a memory but the look of deep thought said otherwise "Sounds like a good idea but maybe you could at least visit him once right before we leave. But seeing as you have no plans for today then maybe you'll let me drag you across the Citadel. I did promise to show you that tea shop the next time we visited"

"Is it the same place this tea comes from?" After cutting the fruit Thane had moved around the counter and lifted the still open container, taking in the delightful aroma.

"Yep. Those are my two favorite, honeybush vanilla and maharaja chai oolong, and they blend magnificently. The place sells a variety of loose leaf tea as well as some quick and easy to make teabags. They also sell the most intricate teapots, cups, and thermoses"

"Now I know where you obtained your strange red teapot"

"What? Oh, no. My grandmother gave me the strawberry shaped teapot when I was younger and it keeps tea hot for hours" Once she had used up all the batter Jeanette lightly buttered the pancakes while Thane graciously closed her containers of tea and put them back. Soon the two sat down at the table as they heard the faint noises of the crew beginning to stir. The cut fruit lay neatly on their pancakes and each had a mug of Jeanette's tea. Jeanette couldn't help the smile that blossomed on her face as she heard the drell give a small noise of approval as he took a bite "If you like that then you would have loved my brother's cooking. He liked to get all fancy with his meals and they tasted as great as they looked"

"I find it hard to believe that anything he made would taste better"

"Trust me, if anyone could do it he could" Jeanette watched Thane close his eyes as though in pure bliss as he drank from his mug. The smile on her face only grew "It's funny really. When he first started making dinner he sucked. I'm talking charred chicken and overcooked noodles. He even flipped a pizza upside down while it was still in the oven. Don't know how he did that one, but practice makes perfect it seems and he enjoyed making dinner. I'm better at baked goods though like cookies"

"Hey Commander, we'll be at the Citadel in ten minutes" the pilot called over the intercom.

"Thanks, Joker"

"As a thank you how about you bring me up a plate of those pancakes?"

"Joker, if I've told you once, then I've told you twice…"

"We goin' light it up like it's dynamite!" the pilot sang in a high, scratchy voice over the intercom midway through the Commander's sentence.

"-the security cams are for emergency viewing only and that spying is wrong. Furthermore, work on your singing voice, it's terrible"

"Sooo... no pancakes?"

"I'll think about it"

"Pancakes?" the two turned to see Jack strolling into the mess eyeing the plate still filled with pancakes on the counter. It was a little surprising to see her up and about already. Jack was usually the kind who slept in or at least that's what everyone thought when they didn't see her at breakfast but no one actually bothered to check Jack's hidey-hole for fear of being ripped apart.

Jeanette saw the crazy woman's eyes twinkle just a little as she turned to the Commander and she couldn't help but chuckle just a tad "Feel free. I made way more than the two of us could eat"

A smile crept on the biotic's face, probably the most sincere one Jack had ever given her. The smile didn't last though, soon replaced by a neutral almost uncaring gaze "Pancakes are for pussies" Jack walked slowly to the counter "but I'm too lazy at the moment to make anything better so you ought to hope these taste good"

Jeanette only smiled as she scraped the last of her meal from her plate and chugged the tea in her mug. She dumped her empty plate and mug along with Thane's in the sink before reaching in a cupboard and pulling out a thermos. She poured the remaining tea from the pot into the thermos and stuffed it into her bag "Come on" Jeanette smiled as she took a new plate of pancakes and fruit to give Joker "We should leave before people start fighting over breakfast"

"Fuck these are good!" Jack said with mouth full of food. She was scarfing her plate down like there was no tomorrow and ignoring all table manners. The Commander shook her head in amusement as she and Thane left for the elevator.

They kept a companionable silence during the elevator ride up and once they were let onto the CIC Jeanette headed straight for the cockpit. Thane watched as the Commander walked, every step she made was silent and her stance was almost predatory as she ducked her head just a little as though trying to stay out of sight. She kept the plate of food hidden behind her back as she stalked her way over to Joker whose eyes had not left the console in front of him. Jeanette stopped just behind the leather chair, her head lowering closer to the pilot's and Thane heard her whisper "Boo"

Joker jumped in his seat, giving a startle scream. His seat swiveled around and a hand rubbed his chest that was heaving heavily "Damn it, Jean! I hate it when you do that"

"Think of it as a lesson, Joker. I'll stop scaring you if you stop eavesdropping on my conversations. Besides, I bring a peace offering" Jeanette pulled the plate from behind her back and waved it under the pilot's nose, letting Joker get a good whiff of it.

"Did I mention I love you?" Joker tore the plate from the Commander's hand with a goofy smile on his face.

"Only the last time I made food. Make sure to get some fresh air and relax, this will be our last shore leave until we're done with the Collectors and we still have some things to take care of before then"

"Don't worry about me, I got me some pancakes"

"I'm serious, Joker"

"So am I. Don't worry. We're just about to dock so you can stop fidgeting, Jean" Joker set the plate down as he swiveled back to the console. He pressed a few buttons and the shutters opened up to the view of the Citadel. The Normandy began to slow as it neared the docking ring, the hum of engines quieting. The Normandy came to a full stop as the docking clamps latched onto the ship.

"Attention crew" EDI's synthetic voice spoke on the ship wide intercom "Upon Commander Shepard's request I am to inform you that we are now docked at the Citadel and that your shore leave has started. Please enjoy your time"

"Alright! Let's go, Thane"

The drell nodded and headed out the airlock as Jeanette followed but she was stopped by Joker's voice "Commander" Jeanette turned back to see the pilot motioning for her to near him. She took several steps closer to him until she could just hear him speak in a whisper "Hope you have fun on your date"

"Do not stay out too late, Commander" Jeanette swore she could hear a note of amusement in the AI's voice and could only quirk her eyebrow at Joker as he gave her a wink. She was about to correct them when Thane called for her. Not wanting to keep him waiting she ignored the smirk on the pilot's face, she would just deal with Joker later.

Thane waited patiently, hands clasped behind his back as usual, as he took in the horizon of the station. Jeanette came to stand beside him and looked to see the skycars passing nearby in the artificial light "Come on, that tea shop isn't going to come and find us"

The two walked to the closet transit station and took a cab. Jeanette punched in their destination and the cab took off. The two chatted away, talking about what they could do while on the Citadel. They soon landed somewhere in the wards. Jeanette led the assassin along a long walkway that overlooked the length of the Citadel. Skyscrapers reached high above the streets, some even higher than the walkway. Beautiful and exotic plants ran along the streets. Cars zoomed past in the artificial daylight and Jeanette found the hum of their engines relaxing.

It was a bit of a walk from where they had left the cab but Jeanette always liked walking along the open view. Every time she saw the sights and sounds of the Citadel it felt like she was seeing it for the first time and she never got over the view. Though she loved sightseeing she didn't really care for the tight spaces or rowdy crowds, even if she had spent a good amount of time living on the station. She preferred being out in the open with fresh air that wasn't recycled.

The two found themselves wandering through the markets. Thane did his best to follow the Commander as she weaved through the crowds. When its daylight all the time it wasn't really a surprise so many people were up and about. Seeing the waves of people increase Jeanette reached behind her and took one of Thane's hands. She knew from experience how easy it was to lose sight of people though she supposed that the assassin was capable of taking care of himself. He didn't protest as she pulled him through the crowds, in fact his hand tightened slightly around hers. It felt nice, the warmth of his hand in hers. She kept a firm grip until she stopped in front of a neon sign, her hand letting go of the warm scales.

Thane felt a pang of disappointment when the human let go of his hand. He looked up when they stopped, a bright sign hanging in front a small store. Exotic smells wafted out from the shop, nothing too strong to overwhelm his senses. Jeanette walked into the store and Thane followed suit. The store was lit in warm lighting and he could hear the faint sound of an instrument playing, a string instrument if he had to guess. The shop was smaller than he expected. The walls all had shelves that reached to the ceiling, stuffed with odd shaped pots and cups and there were some dispensers filled with sample teas. There were a few shelving units in the middle of the store all just reaching to the top of his chest. The place gave off a calming effect that Thane found quite delightful. He turned around when someone tapped on his shoulder. Jeanette stood before him with two small plastic cups in her hand. She held one cup out to him with a smile still on her face "Here, try this"

Thane gently took the cup from her hand and took a sip. He hummed in approval as the warm liquid slid down the back of his throat, a slight fruity taste lingering on his tongue. The Commander's smile grew before she turned around and headed for the counter. A young purple skinned asari and grey salarian were placing some containers on the shelves. Jeanette rang a little bell on the counter to gain their attention. When they turned to greet their customers their faces lit up with joy and surprise.

"Our favorite customer!" the salarian beamed as the asari maneuvered around the counter and hugged the Commander "We thought you were dead"

"You have no idea how many times I heard that line. How have you been, Jaynor?"

"Good. Great actually!"

"And you, Ezinnia? Did you get a touch up? Your markings are darker than I remember"

"Good eye as ever" the purple asari pointed to the black tattoos adorning her face "I got them touched up just a month ago" Ezinnia's eyes flickered to Thane "Who's your friend?"

"This is Thane Krios, he's part of the Normandy crew. I promised to show him your store" Thane bowed slightly to the two while Jeanette rubbed her hands together "So show us what you got. Anything new?"

"We always have something new!" Jaynor pulled two large containers from the shelves and put them on the counter "Including some news"

"Oh? What's the up and up?"

"Ezinnia and I" the salarian paused as he pulled the asari close to him, a hand around her waist "are bonded"

"What? I missed the ceremony? How long? Wait, do you have kids?"

The couple chuckled at Jeanette's stream of questions and dumbstruck face before Jaynor spoke up "No, no kids. Not yet anyway. We've been together for a year now. We would have loved it if you could have come but we understand, being a Spectre and all you were probably on some classified mission"

Ezinnia waved them over as Jaynor removed the lid from one of the containers. It was filled with loose leaf tea, flowers and little dried fruits "This is a new blooming tea we got a few weeks ago" the asari explained as the salarian beat the air gently with the lid to allow the fruity scent to hit everyone's nostrils "The fruit's raspberry and the flowers are so beautiful when they bloom. We also have a new mint tea, cacao mint I believe. It has just a hint of a chocolate flavor"

"And if these don't satisfy you we still have your usual in stock" Jaynor added as he pulled down a third container "Ah, but I'm forgetting your friend. Ezinnia, you can help out Jean while I help Mr. Krios. You can trust me sir when I say I can pick out the perfect tea for your needs"

The women wandered to the back of the store to let the men discuss teas. They stayed in the shop talking and tasting teas for an hour or two with only a scant amount of customers wandering into the store. The conversation was pleasant but Jeanette had a list of things she still wanted to do and bid her old friends farewell after purchasing her tea, Thane not far behind. The two left with their purchases and walked through the markets, occasionally looking through a store here and there. Jeanette found it relaxing to say the least, the assassin giving off his usual calm aura. She loved when she could relax around someone, being on a military ship you were stuck with a chain of command where you took orders or you gave them but Jeanette had a hard time trusting people if she wasn't allowed to be herself around them. The Alliance usually overlooked her when she got a little more friendly with the crew than they would like but she suspected it was because she hadn't let her emotional attachments interfere with a mission yet. If she ever let that happen she doubted the Alliance would look to fondly at her anymore, not that they were looking at her in a positive light now with Cerberus looming overhead.

Jeanette steered her mind away from the thought of Cerberus and the Alliance, she was on vacation and spending her time with a friend. Thinking about work and the end of the galaxy could wait just a little while. She wanted to enjoy herself and hoped Thane was having a good time. If the smile was any indication he was quite happy at the moment. She couldn't really recall the last time she had spent so much time just talking to someone and it was refreshing. She remembered chatting with Ash and Wrex on the SR-1 but that was mostly about missions and exciting adventures not about life on the farm or on Kajhe, and her chats with Garrus usually involved the newest sniper rifle on the market or headshot counts. This was different and Jeanette wished she had more days like this. She wondered if retirement would be as peaceful.

They continued wandering through the Citadel but Jeanette stopped when the assassin suddenly went quiet. She turned to see Thane staring off a little past her head, his forehead scrunch in thought. She followed his gaze and saw a turian making his way toward them. It wasn't long before she recognized the turian as Sidonis and the first thought that came to her find was pretending she hadn't seen him and leave. Sidonis however seemed dead set on talking to her because as she drifted off to the side of the busy street the turian mirrored her movements. She sighed and mentally prepared herself for anything the turian decided to do, she stood her ground and waited for the man to near. Sidonis stopped just a few feet away, keeping enough distance that they weren't within arm's reach of each other. His mandibles were held tightly to his jaw and his eyes darted back and forth before finally resting on the Commander. It was clear to Jeanette he was nervous.

"I..." Sidonis paused, unsure of how he should proceed but took a deep breath to steel his resolve "I thought you looked familiar when I first saw you but I was too scared to think more of it. You're Commander Shepard"

Jeanette nodded before crossing her arms across her chest. Thane took a position to her side and Jeanette saw him stiffen just a little. He was there to provide her any assistance even though his posture seemed nonthreatening. He kept quiet as the Commander spoke "What do you want, Sidonis? You were given a second chance and I hope you're not wasting it"

"I'm not! If you check the news you would know I had turned myself over to C-Sec... They can't actually arrest me because the crime was done on Omega but they've put a watch on me" the turian cranked his head behind him. Jeanette tore her eyes off him to see two C-Sec officers a few meters back with eyes trained on Sidonis' back "I'll be under watch for at least six months and if I don't commit any crimes I'm free to leave the Citadel. I decided that while I'm here I would write letters to... my team's families, letting them know it was my fault and that I..."

"Admitting to your mistakes takes a lot of courage, Sidonis. It won't fix anything but it's the right thing to do"

The turian's mandibles flickered into what Jeanette believed to be a sad smile "Garrus always mentioned how you always did the right thing"

"Garrus?"

"He talked a lot about you to the team, even showed us some holos of you. Told us the craziest stories like you flying off cliffs in a Mako"

A chuckle escaped the Commander's lips as she recalled driving the Mako on several occasions "Always did like giving my crew a little scare but regardless of what anyone says I do know how to drive that thing. When you're going off a cliff you just have to use the lift thrusters at the right moment for an easy landing and to keep up right. The lift thrusters are also useful when you find the Mako upside down, just hit the thrusters, skid across the ground a few yards until you hit a large enough rock and flip back over"

The turian shook his head as he imagined the large tank on its side skidding across the ground, dirt and rock flying into the air and trailing behind the vehicle. He could only imagine what it was like inside the vehicle, strapped upside down as it kept moving. He could already feel the blood rushing to his head by just thinking about it "Garrus said you were crazy"

"And I meant it" the two turned surprised eyes to the turian headed toward them, Thane however, was doing his best from hiding a smile when he saw the Commander's face light up "Every story I told you was true like that time I saved the Hero of the Citadel from a squad of asari commandos who had somehow found their way onto the Normandy" Garrus turned his gaze to Jeanette, an apologetic look on his face and his voice quieter "Hey"

"Hey"

"I should probably go" Jeanette turned back to Sidonis who was fidgeting a little "Stay safe out there, Commander and… keep Garrus here out of trouble, Spirits knows he loves jumping into the fire" Jeanette was sure he was trying to lighten the mood with banter as though nothing was wrong but the look on Sidonis' face told her he was thinking twice about it.

"As I recall" Garrus drawled, not fazed by the other turian "you were the one who decided to go for a joy ride with a Blue Suns merc's car and rammed it into a giant neon sign"

"Yeah" Sidonis scratched the back of his neck "but I was drunk and that was your fault. You get into trouble without the help of intoxicating drinks. I really should get going though, it was… good to see you, Garrus"

"You… too" Garrus nodded his head before his old squad mate left.

"Now wait a moment" Jeanette tapped her finger on her chin, a look of contemplation etched on her face "When you say 'asari commandos' do you mean a fumbling asari scientist by the name of Liara and by 'saved' you mean hide as she tried to express her feelings for me?"

"You just like to down play my heroic deeds so you don't look bad"

"I'm pretty sure hiding from an innocent woman who wouldn't purposefully hurt a fly looks worse than not being able to take on commandos"

"Guess you're right about that one"

"Thought we weren't on speaking terms"

"Yeah, well a certain someone" Garrus drawled out the last word as he turned sharp eyes to the silent assassin "reminded me that I was being unreasonable and was quite persistent in his endeavor to make me see I was being childish"

"Really?"

"I apologize for intervening, Siha, but you seemed quite upset. I wanted to ease your mind"

"Thank you" Jeanette gave Thane a gentle smile as she looked into his dark eyes "That was sweet of yo-"

"There she is!" three pairs of eyes turned at the gruff voice behind them. Zaeed was pointing at the Commander, drawing his companion's attention. Jack spun on her heel and followed Zaeed's finger, her face lighting in mischievous glee as she spotted the human Spectre. The two jogged up to the three, pushing through the crowds.

"What can I… eh?" Zaeed and Jack each grabbed an arm and started dragging the Commander backwards "Whoa, where are we going?"

"Got a surprise for you, my treat" the tattooed woman replied "Don't worry about Jean, Thane. We'll bring your girlfriend back in one piece"

"Girlfri-what is going on? Someone help!" Jeanette almost pleaded toward the two men who were watching her be dragged away.

"We'll meet you at the Dark Star" Garrus shouted over the thrum of people "Have fun!"

Garrus chuckled as he heard the woman curse a few times as she disappeared into the crowd. He turned to the assassin who had decided to speak up "What was that about?"

"I have no clue. Just pray Jack and Zaeed's idea of a surprise doesn't include explosions and everything will be fine"

It was a few hours before the two saw their Commander again, deciding to spend what time they had left looking through some shops. When it was time they headed for the club that most likely all of the Normandy's inhabitants would be occupying. The place rang true to its name, the entire room dark with only a few dim blue lights so you could see in front of you. The music was upbeat and not nearly as deafening as the sweaty club of Afterlife on Omega. The Normandy's crew was scattered about the place, some at the bar, others on the dance floor but the squad had all seemed to huddle around one corner of the room. There was a large corner booth with a long table that had been dragged over to it with several seats to accommodate the large party.

Previous grudges seemed to have been pushed aside, at least for the moment, as everyone was laughing and threats weren't being spewed about. Even Jack and Miranda kept their distaste for one another away from the fun. The table was cluttered with filled glasses and even more empty ones, the smell of alcohol impossible to miss. As the two neared they saw Jeanette was standing up, one foot on the booth's table, the other on the seat. She flung her arms out, swinging them wide as she regaled the team of some tale but stopped midsentence as she spotted them. Her smile grew as wide as possible and her eyes crinkled in joy. The Commander's footing stumbled a little and she waved her arms a tad to keep balance. Once they were close enough to hear over the music Jeanette shouted "G-Dog, T-Bone! Wondering when the last of my homies would show!"

"Spirits" Garrus shook his head in exasperation, mandibles fluttering just a little as he tried to contain his laughter "How much did you give her to drink?"

"I tried to warn them" Tali shouted over the music "but everyone wanted to see the great Commander Shepard drunk. Just be glad she's being a happy drunk tonight"

"She's just getting started. She'll kill us in the morning, you know"

"Don't be a spoilsport, Garrus" came an older female voice.

"Dr. Chakwas? You're here?"

"I'm not too old to live a little and for the moment just call me Karin. No need for formalities here. Now who thinks we should get Jean another round?"

A round of cheers echoed off the walls and some of the crew left for the bar to replace the empty glasses. Garrus took a seat at the end while Thane slipped in next to Jeanette with Tali on her other side. He smelled the alcohol on her breath and surmised that from the smell and purple concoction before her that she had not had many drinks but duped into having a glass or two with very strong effects. Jeanette twisted in her seat to face the assassin fully with a smile that showed her white teeth. As she turned Thane's trained eyes spotted the black bandage wrapped around her right bicep.

"Are you injured?"

"What?" Jeanette followed the assassin's gaze "No, well yes but… Hey Jack! Can I take this thing off yet? It feels kinda slimy"

"Yeah, just don't touch it"

"Sweet" Jeanette peeled away the plastic bandage to reveal red irritated skin around a very colorful design on her arm. It was a tattoo. A wicked army knife tattoo with feathered wings behind it. The wings were white fluffy feathers that were tucked in rather than spread in fight and the silver knife looked as though a ray of light of hitting off the side of it while its handle was a camouflage green "Cool, huh?"