Disclaimer: I don't own Bioware or it's awesome characters. Though that may change.

Missing

Chapter 4.

When she did eventually return back to the ship (much later on); she didn't bother sparing the Major a glance. After all but acting like a child and storming off, she wasn't in any sort of mood to be dealing with the overgrown man-child. Granted she had provoked him just a little, but not enough for him to go off sulking.

Not that the Major even noticed that she refused to go near him, being that the console he stood working at was apparently far more interesting and important than her. How his fingers punched random buttons on the terminal; it was obvious that he wasn't actually doing anything on it, except using it as an excuse to avoid her. Which she didn't mind in the slightest.

So instead of him, the first person she turned to was Riley. Who saluted her before she could stop him.

"Commander, your back." She bit back her comment about stating the obvious in favour of getting straight down to business. Childish sarcasm could come later.

"Riley, find some space for Kasumi to stay. Somewhere that doesn't have anything valuable in it." A single nod and he was off, so she turned to her next order of business. They had a lot to do, with only a short amount of time to do it in. Since she had already wasted a fair amount of that precious time drinking with Kasumi (not her idea, though she hadn't protested against it), she promised she would make up for it now.

"Kasey?" She called out into the air, hoping she didn't look like she was talking to herself.

"Commander?" Came the questioning voice over the Comm not a moment later. Giving Kasumi one look, the thief answered with a nod of approval.

"Set a course for the Shrike Abyssal. Sooner would be preferable to later." She could almost hear the pilot saluting as she set about her work. Perhaps it was because the last ship she worked on was the farthest thing from military, but this ship was strict even by Alliance standards. Everyone was too formal and too proper, and it was quickly becoming a dull ship to work on. She really was missing the Normandy, and it's crew.

"Mila?" She called, and her bouncy friend popped into her view startlingly fast, grinning broadly as always. For once she was thankful for this, since it meant not having to trek all around the ship to find the girl. Or endure a ride in the stupidly slow elevator.

"Need something Commander?"

"Get Hackett on the Comm system. There's a lot he needs to be caught up on." In response Mila nodded, saluted, then ran off towards the elevator before pausing and turning back to face her.

"Should I get the Major as well ma'am?" Giving Mila one long look, her initial thought was no. It still was no, even as she looked over to the Major, who was still busy pushing random buttons on the console. While she knew what she should do, she didn't want to do it. Being near him just seemed to end in an argument these days.

Eventually the child in her groaned, while the rational adult side nodded her consent to Mila, who grinned and bounced off towards the Major. There was no going back on her word now, even if she still fervently believed that them being in the same room would be disastrous. But he needed to hear what she had found out, personal feelings aside. The mission came first. Anderson came first.

Whilst Mila spoke to the Major, she hurriedly rushed into the elevator before he too started heading towards it. A meeting with him would be bad enough, but an awkward ride with him in the galaxy's slowest elevator would undoubtedly make her suicidal.

It was her hope that he too would act mature about this. Like she swore she would be.

And undoubtedly wouldn't be.

The image of Hackett walked up in front of her, which she did actually salute at. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Major doing the same. After saluting to the both of them, the Admiral got straight down to business. No doubt he was as eager to hear what she had learnt as she was to tell him and get on with the mission.

"Commander. Mila says you have some important news. What have you and the Major found out?"

"I've found out where Anderson should be sir." She responded with, making a point to exclude the Major. He wasn't going to get credit for something he didn't do, since while she had been finding important information out he had been back on the ship sulking. This exclusion didn't go unnoticed by the Admiral, who looked curiously at the two of them just before Shepard herself continued to speak.

"According to Kasumi, Anderson's ship experienced a malfunction and lost power in the Shrike Abyssal, meaning that it's Communications were down so it couldn't contact anyone for help. That's where it should still be, along with Anderson and the rest of the crew on board."

"Kasumi Goto? You believe the word of a thief?" If the Major had been irritating before, then he would be unbearable now. She could almost feel his smugness rolling off of him in waves.

"Exactly what I said sir. Should I arrest her?" Before Hackett was able to speak, she butted in. Never mind that she had just interrupted a superior officer. With Hackett she could get away with it. If not, then she would deal with the repercussions later. That's what she always did.

"That won't be necessary Major." He turned just enough to stare at her. "You'll remember who's in charge on this mission, I hope." That stare of his soon turned into a glare. Smugness was replaced with irritation, which she was happy to see. Now she wasn't the only frustrated person. Though she had now broken her promise not to act like a stubborn child.

"And you'll remember your not actually a Commander, Shepard." It was now her turn to pull a smug smile.

"No, but I'm still a Council Spectre. That makes me above the law and allows me to do what I want." The Major opened his mouth to respond, but the clearing of a throat stopped him. Turning back, she could see the Admiral waiting with his arms crossed. As a way of apologising, she offered up the Admiral a half-smile. The look he gave her was order enough for her to continue speaking, childish arguments aside.

"Besides sir, Kasumi can be trusted." The Major scoffed. So she ignored him and continued. Responding to him would only lead to yet another argument. "She helped me bring down the Collectors. That's more than can be said about certain others." To the Major, she raised an eyebrow and pointedly gave him an expectant look. Judging by his souring expression, he had no doubt got her message. It wasn't exactly a subtle one after all.

Not noticing - or not caring about - any of it, Hackett just nodded.

"I trust your judgement Commander, I just hope that we can trust Kasumi's."

"You can sir." She answered with, just being thankful that she wasn't going to lose the first friend she had since the start of the mission. Nor would she lose her best source of information either, and that wasn't just regarding the mission. If the Alliance had a whole crew spying for them, then she thought it only fair to have a master thief doing the same for her. Hackett gave another nod.

"Then head to the Shrike Abyssal and let me know what you find."

"Already en route sir. My money's on either slavers or space pirates." A fit of mocking laughter burst from the Major then, as he stared at her patronisingly like she was his inferior.

"Space pirates? What are you, five?" Pursing her lips, she glared at him.

"Shut up." That only made him laugh even more, a sound that would have before made her laugh too. Now it only succeeded in irking her even further. If that was even possible.

"That was a terrible comeback. Even by your standards." Another glare, though this time she felt more in control. She wasn't going to let the Major think himself as her superior, never mind that he technically was. His ego was big enough already without that. And she had other things to focus on, that were far more important than him.

"I'm not going to play games when we have an Admiral to be saving." Was her blunt reply. She turned back to Hackett, who stood frowning at the two of them, looking as if he was formulating some sort of plan in his head. She didn't think much of it.

"I'll let you know what we find as soon as possible. Shepard out." Seeming to break from his speculative stupor, Hackett saluted the two of them, which she answered with a salute of her own immediately.

"Excellent, keep up the good work. Hackett out." It took not even a second after the Admiral had faded from view for the Major to turn to leave. And she would have let him do just that, had her big mouth not decided to rear it's ugly head.

"Kai-Major." She called out to him, correcting herself as she did. Stopping - or better put tensing like her voice was a bullet hitting him - the Major turned his head just so she could see his expression turning to a glare.

"Hurry up and spit it out." Came his blunt reply. At least he had answered. Opening her mouth to speak, she just as quickly shut it again. A couple more attempts at speaking failed, every one of them sounding either false or too forced. Eventually she just sighed, and gave him what she hoped was an earnest expression.

"Look, we don't have to get along okay? Just try not to second guess my every movement, since were not going to get anywhere if you do." She paused to gauge his reaction, which seemed to be as impassive as it had been the first day they saw each other again. Impassive was a lot better than angry though.

So she chanced it and continued speaking.

"If we work together, then we'll get this problem solved a whole lot quicker. But you've got to understand and go along with my methods, because we are on the same side even if it may not feel like that." She exhaled, dropping her eyes to the ground so her voice came out as barely a whisper. Admitting her feelings was hard, especially to someone who she had once called her closest friend. The next part was almost impossible for her to ask, for she was terrified of the answer being the one she hoped it wouldn't be.

"After everything we've been through, don't you trust me?" There was a tense pause before he too sighed and finally answered.

"I did trust you Shepard. With my life." Another pause. "Then you joined Cerberus." With nothing more to say, the Major turned and left. Leaving her to stand staring at the space where he had been, a million conflicting thoughts dancing around in her head.

So the answer was the one she had expected. Though knowing the truth hurt so much more than she thought it would.

Author's Note.

Oh my LORD, I haven't updated this in what? Three weeks? More, less? I don't even know damn it. What I do know is I shouldn't have left this so long, and I'm sorry for doing it. Feel free to be angry if you so wish to be.

Thank you all the same for all the continued support, and thanks again to the people who have shown interest in the story so far!

Reviews would be much appreciated, but I'm not going to get upset if I don't get any so don't worry! Haha.

Over and out until next time! :)

P.s - Next chapter the REAL action begins, I promise!