AN: Ok peeps, here is my fluff piece. Stick with it, this Chapter is setting the scene so no fluff just yet. But, as I promised CyanB, this will be fluffier than a pure bred angora bunny. There will also be fluffy smut (hence the M rating), and you can go ahead and blame CyanB for that too :0)

~*Chapter One*~

He watched her from the war room doorway, concern evident on his handsome features. To say Rannock had been a gruelling mission was an understatement. It had been a seemingly endless series of difficult battles, culminating in Shepard going toe to toe with a Reaper. A shiver ran up his spine as he remembered the sight. She looked so small and venerable aiming up at the towering synthetic behemoth. He was sure he was going to lose her again and he knew he wouldn't survive that, not again, not this time.

When the Reaper fell, the wave of relief and elation that spread among the ground forces was palpable. A real shot in the arm for everyone, something positive to hang on to. Right now, the way things were, they all needed that. Shepard needed that. But as always it seemed like there was a steep price to pay for every victory they fought hard for and won. The price this time was Legion. The Geth had sacrificed itself –himself- just as he had achieved true consciousness. He gave his life to save the rest of the consensus.

He had seen the look of devastation on Shepard's face as the Geth crumpled to the ground. He hadn't been there as they took on the collectors, hadn't served with him but he didn't need to, to know that Shepard cared about Legion. He had been part of her crew, and she was fiercely committed to those who worked and fought alongside her. It was one of the many reasons people gladly walked into hell at her side. She had already lost two people close to her heart, Mordin on Tuchanka and Thane at the hands of Kai Lang. She had taken the loss of the assassin particularly hard. When Kaidan broached the subject with Garrus, he gave him some insight in to the depth of their connection. Thane and Shepard seemed to connect on a spiritual level, two kindred spirits. Gentle natured beings who, through upbringing or circumstance, developed a proclivity for battle, for the art of war.

She had not yet begun to confront her feelings of loss after Thane's passing, and now she had to content with this on top of it.

He was worried about her. From the moment he'd come on board he could see the difference in her. The wild fire that he glimpsed in her eyes back on the SR1, the fire that made her the most impressive marine he had ever seen, had dimmed. She spent less time with the crew, no long personal debriefs. All most people got was a nod as she strode past datapad in hand, her brow furrowed in concentration. She was rarely in the mess hall at meal time and he knew she wasn't getting enough sleep.

Since their official 'reunion' at Apollo's on the Citadel, he'd spent just about every night in her cabin. He made sure to rise early so he could sneak back to Starboard Observation of course; they were command officers and needed to maintain a level of professional appearance. When he woke up she was always showered dressed and either hunched over her terminal or, more likely, gone completely. That coupled with the fact that she woke several times a night, drenched in sweat and shaking as the images of her nightmares faded, meant she must be getting only two or three hours sleep a night. Nobody could survive on that long. Especially a marine with the weight of the galaxy on their shoulders, and physically and emotionally strenuous mission before them most days. She was going to burn out.

He watched her now, trying to make her way to the QEC room for a briefing with Hackett and Anderson. An endless barrage of questions and proffered datapads blocking her path. She dutifully waded her way though the issues and problems with a look of sheer exhaustion. Her usually commanding posture was slipping. Her shoulders slumped and there was visibly less determination in her stride. Her complexion was pale and sallow. Her eyes, usually so bright and alive, had a ghostly absent quality to them now, highlighted by the dark circles that underscored them.

She hadn't stopped since they came back to the Normandy from Rannock. She'd stowed her gear before checking in with Traynor. Following that she'd suffered through one of Allers' monotonous, inane interviews. He really had no time for that woman, especially after Shepard told him about the sleazy pass Allers made at her. She'd had a meeting with Tali, where she received an update on Rannock's situation. And now she was off for a vid conference that was likely to last a good hour at least.

Something had to be done.

"EDI?"

"Yes Major." Kaidan turned round on reflex, expecting to see her there and was greeted by an empty doorway. He was still getting used to the VI's omnipresence aboard the Normandy.

"Can you and Traynor meet me in the conference room right away please? Oh and EDI, be discreet."

"Of course Major."

With a sigh, Kaidan turned from Shepard and made his way to the conference room just behind him.

He had to do something for her, and as he stood in the small glass room, staring out at the vastness of space rolling on endlessly before him, he began to formulate a plan.

"Major Alenko" Traynor's smooth English accent broke through his thoughts. "You wanted to see us?"

He turned to greet them, clasping his hands firmly behind his back. "EDI, would you mind?" He gestured to the open doorway with a curt nod.

With a wave of her omni-tool EDI activated privacy mode. Anybody walking past would see the same open doorway, designed in such a way to promote free and open discussion. What they wouldn't see was the audio cancelling field; it not only blocked the ambient ship noise from being heard within the room, but also stopped whatever was being discussed inside the room from being heard by passers by.

EDI nodded to confirm the field was in place.

"Does the Normandy currently have a destination laid in?"

"Yes Major. The commander just ordered our return to the Citadel. Joker has plotted our course and is making his way to the first relay." Kaidan nodded and turned to Traynor.

"Do we know the reason for our return?"

"The commander was contacted by the Asari councillor on her return to the Normandy. She has requested a private meeting with the Commander." He liked Traynor, she was fastidious in her work and he admired that in a marine.

"Did the councillor give any indication what the meeting was about? Is there anything that Shepard would need to prep?"

Traynor paused momentarily, no doubt mentally re-examining the message. "None that I picked up on Major, the councillor seemed very guarded in her message."

Kaidan nodded, happy to trust the specialist. She had a real knack for picking up on subtleties; it's what made her so good at her job. He turned his attention back to EDI. "You monitor the vitals of the crew, correct?"

"That is correct Major. My sensors constantly monitor the crew while they are onboard, and via their suits environment sensors while they are ashore." Her synthetic face quirked a fraction, her interest piqued.

"Give me a run down of Shepard's current condition." EDI paused, her head cocking slightly to the side. Kaidan understood her reservation stemmed from the fact that it was not protocol to discuss the Commanders medical status with another crew member. "I'm asking as a superior officer and a field medic EDI. I have concerns about her medical state and I don't want it to adversely affect our mission."

This was all true of course, but it wasn't his primary motivation. He was worried about the woman he loved, and it pained him to see her the way she was now.

EDI's posture straightened and she mirrored his stance, clasping her hands behind her back. "Commander Shepard is exhibiting multiple symptoms associated with extreme stress and fatigue. She is displaying signs of tachycardia – pulse rate on average 120-130 bpm. She also has fluctuating blood pressure levels, at times presenting as borderline hypertension, bp 141/91. I have observed she is experiencing significant drops in her bp. For example, 30 minutes ago the Commander lost her balance while standing in the lift. When challenged, she advised she was experiencing dizziness and light headedness; these are common signs of hypotension. I reported this incident to Dr Chakwas, but the Commander refused an assessment."

With a quick tap of her omni-tool, EDI brought up the results of Shepard's last physical examination for comparison. "As you can see, this is a noticeable deviation from her baseline heath observations."

And there it was in black and white. The recorded decline of her health, glowing before his eyes. Kaidan's brow knitted and he crossed his arms before him, his thumb absent-mindedly stroking across his lower lip.

"Additionally I have noted changes in her dietary intake. She is presently not consuming enough calories to maintain her body mass. Her most recent metabolic scan has shown a marked decrease in her electrolytes and trace element levels. This indicates that the Commander is suffering iron and multiple vitamin deficiencies. Essentially, the Commander is malnourished. This is a significant concern, especially when taking into account her accelerated metabolism due to her biotics, and cybernetic implants. Dr Chakwas has recorded a weight loss of 15 lbs in the last month."

Jesus, why hadn't he notice that?

"Her sleep patterns are erratic and there has been a noted decrease in her hand eye coordination and response times."

Hearing her current condition listed out in a string of hard facts was unpleasant. It was worse than he had initially thought. He couldn't begin to imagine the pressure she was under right now, what it was doing to her mentally and physically. But he knew he could help, the Commander needed a night off. "How long until we reach the Citadel?"

"We should dock in around 16 hours Major."

He unclasped his hands and leant forward resting them firmly on the cool surface of the conference table. "Right, I have a plan but I'm going to need your help, both of you."