A/N: So I've decided to make Shepard be able to speak French. Let's just assume that it won't be dead by now and that one of his parents was French (Mindoir, you know?). I don't know if I'll use it this chapter but be on the lookout. And remember, they both don't know that they like each other… yet ;)

Chapter 6

Teambuilding

"It's one o'clock," Shepard said and stood abruptly, gathering his things off the table. Without another word he left the room, not daring to look behind him. He sniggered slightly as the door closed, imagining the look on the Council's faces at his departure. He had told them one o'clock, they should've taken him seriously.

Shepard let out a long sigh and rubbed his eyes, carefully maneuvering around the cramped hallway. A woman bumped into him and knocked the datapad out of his hands, her face hidden behind a large stack of papers. She seemed to not notice him and Shepard simply smiled, continuing through the hallway without retrieving his datapad. He was finally free. He sped up, wanting nothing else than to get out of the building.

The last twenty-nine hours of his life was dedicated entirely to the council. Nothing but meeting after meeting, discussing the Krogan and trying to make allies if the conflict turned into full out war. Shepard had made it very clear that today was his last day, and that he was going to Rannoch whether the council wanted him to or not. He knew they wouldn't take away his Spectre status no matter what he did, and he laughed out loud at his influence over the council.

"Saving the galaxy has its perks," Shepard said out loud, causing a few people to stare curiously at him, as though just realizing who he was. Now that he was out of the Citadel and into the public eye, he was starting to feel more and more like a celebrity. At times like this – when he was walking through the hallways – more than a couple people approached him for autographs. He didn't mind the soldiers looking up to him, but it had morphed into hero worship since he ended the war.

Shepard went into a partial jog as people began to approach him, and he only had to do some careful shoving before he was out into the London air. It wasn't raining today, and surprisingly enough the sun was poking through the clouds.

He had told James to meet him by the Normandy, mainly so he could change into his armor and reassess their trip. Shepard chose to walk by the Thames on his way to the ship. The water was getting clearer by the day, the blackness of war being washed away with the promise of a new future. He dipped a hand in and it came away wet, tinged just slightly with the colored hues of oil.

His omnitool beeped at him as Shepard walked across a small bridge, the Normandy already in view. The Council approved of him going to Rannoch after all. He would check the rest of the message later, he decided, as he saw James eagerly waving at him from the ship's airlock.

Shepard clasped the marine's arm tightly, glaring at him. "I see you haven't gotten yourself killed yet, Vega," Shepard said, a hint of a growl accenting his voice.

"You look terrible," Vega said seriously, sliding out of Shepard's handshake and crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes raked over Shepard's wilting eyes and shot up in concern when he noticed him favoring his left side. "I thought you had a limp…" Vega said, frowning. "What did you do this time, Loco?"

"Reconnaissance," Shepard said, grinning slightly as James exhaled.

"Yeah we'll be doing some of that today too. You sure you're up for the trip, Shepard?"

"I was wondering the same thing," an all too familiar voice spoke up from behind Vega. Kaidan emerged from the Normandy's airlock, equipped with his usual blue armor and a helmet dangling loosely from his hand.

Shepard's heart jolted from his sudden appearance and he turned away, steeling himself. Before he had time to set up his usual emotional barriers, Kaidan had a hand on his shoulder. He willed himself to keep avoiding his eyes, but Kaidan put a hand on his chin and turned Shepard's face up to his.

For one terrifying moment, their eyes locked. Shepard melted in Kaidan's concerned stare, and for a single second he wanted nothing more than to lean forward and kiss him. Before he could correct himself, Shepard felt a sudden pressure on his injured side and cried out, breaking the contact.

"I knew it," Kaidan said and huffed at him, not seeming to notice anything odd about Shepard's behavior. "What are you doing, Shepard?" Kaidan's tone was reprimanding, and Shepard glowered back at him.

"I'm fine, Alenko," Shepard snapped, the use of his surname putting some control back into Shepard's tired mind.

"Yeah? You don't look fine."

"Not when you punch me in the stomach," he growled. "I didn't know you were coming." In all honesty, he thought that Kaidan would be gone by now, that maybe he would stay in London awhile and help with rebuilding.

"I think you need the help." Shepard returned his icy stare but a twinge to his side shot down his pride. Kaidan noticed Shepard cringe and nodded solemnly, his face softening. "You had better get suited up."

Shepard came back outside to see Kaidan and Vega hunched over a couple of guns, loading them and talking quietly. Shepard heard his name come up and he cleared his throat behind them, not wanting to eavesdrop on their conversation.

They stood immediately and saluted him, forcing Shepard to come over and remove their hands from attention. "I guess you've forgotten I don't like you doing that," Shepard said calmly, his eyes lingering on Vega's guilty posture.

"Just a habit," they both said, slightly out of synch. Shepard smiled widely at the pair of them, trying to express his gratitude to the best of his ability. After being surrounded by politicians and generals, their company was well received.

"So what are we doing, Shepard?" Kaidan asked innocently. "Vega doesn't really know either."

Shepard sat on the ground and motioned for his squad to follow suit. He pulled out a small holographic map and projected its image into the air. "Sorry I didn't mention it before," Shepard quickly apologized, his hands searching idly over the map. "We're going to an abandoned research center on the outskirts of Birmingham." He nodded at Vega.

"From what I've gathered from the council, Rannoch is surrounded by Krogan warships. It's mostly to prevent the Migrant Fleet from entering the atmosphere, but it's doing a damn good job of keeping other things out too."

Kaidan frowned from across him. "Like us."

"Exactly," Shepard replied, his eyes lingering ever so slightly on his pursed lips. "This research facility is known to contain a prototype stealth system designed specifically for Alliance vessels. I plan on taking it."

"When you say prototype…" Vega said, absentmindedly running his thumbs over the barrel of his rifle.

"EDI speculates that it will work for the Normandy, and that the ship's systems will boost the chance of that happening."

Vega nodded eagerly. "So we just run in with Cortez and grab it?"

Shepard shook his head at the Lieutenant's foolishness. Even though he was N7 now, he still chose enthusiasm over brains. It could easily lead to a tendency to kill first and ask questions later, and Shepard made a mental note to beat it out of him when they started training together.

"It's not quite that simple," Shepard said lightly as Kaidan rolled his eyes. He finally found the image he was looking for and zoomed in, focusing on a square building. "See these red patches? I'm pretty sure that those are raider camps. The labs are stocked with medical equipment and other supplies, a treasure trove for any outlander."

"But Cortez is getting the shuttle ready," Kaidan said, gesturing at the pilot. He was making modifications to the light craft by the Normandy's left wing, and waved genially at them when Shepard glanced over his shoulder.

"He's taking us about two miles west of the base; it should be enough to keep us out of sight but within walking distance." Shepard pointed to the map and a green marker appeared against his finger. "That's where were landing. Only one group of raiders and we're inside."

"Yo Estaban, you ready yet?" Vega yelled across the landing area.

Shepard smirked just barely and stood, gathering up the map as he did. As soon as Vega joined him, Shepard lashed out and caught the marine with a heavy blow to the jaw. James reeled at the contact and nearly fell over, his face contorted with rage and shock. Willing himself not to wring his hand in pain, Shepard glared at the Lieutenant.

"Excitement is welcome, impatience gets you killed." Vega bit back his retort and wiped at the corner of his mouth. "First lesson," Shepard said, smiling impishly.

"So you just punch me every time I do something wrong?" James whined, his voice sounding both pouty and affronted.

"It could be worse," Shepard said threateningly as he walked away, his right hand glowing blue. Kaidan was sniggering slightly in front of him and Shepard glanced back at Vega, who had turned a pale shade of green.

"I'm so boned," he mouthed, his eyes glazing over.

Shepard and Kaidan burst into laughter and James snapped out of it, joining in with them. His shaky laugh indicated that he was still quite afraid, but Shepard gripped his shoulder tightly as they walked towards the shuttle. "I'm only joking about the biotics, you know."

"Thank god."

"I'm saving them for your real training." Shepard caught Kaidan's eye again and grinned. He wasn't kidding.

By the time Cortez was done prepping the shuttle the sun had begun to dip over the horizon, casting a pale orange light over the clouds. The crew trooped into the undersized aircraft and Cortez fired the engines. Before long, London's ruin had receded into the distance.

Shepard nudged Kaidan with his boot to catch his attention. "Not to make it seem like I don't want you here, but why are you coming on this mission? I was assuming you were going to stay in London; maybe go out on some of your own Spectre missions."

"You don't expect me to come back to the Normandy," Kaidan said, his eyes widening with the realization. Shepard looked at knees.

"I thought that after the war we would…" Shepard hesitated.

"Go our separate ways?"

"Yeah," Shepard said, a trace of hurt in his voice. He looked back up at Kaidan and saw him staring oddly at Shepard.

"For one thing, Tali needs our help. For another…" Kaidan avoided his eyes, turning his stare on the empty seat opposite him. "I go where you go." It was almost a whisper. Shepard took a long look at Kaidan – who was still resolutely avoiding him – and saw that he was explicitly serious.

Shepard wasn't sure how to take Kaidan's sudden statement. It felt almost as though he was confessing something; that he couldn't hold it in any longer. Almost as if he wanted it to slip out.

Shepard went back to his prefight vigil, mulling over what had happened. He decided that it was worth testing.

Cortez gave the signal a few minutes later and the three squad members dropped out of the shuttle. They quickly set off toward the outskirts of Birmingham, the roar of the shuttle's engines slowly fading.

"I'll be right here if you need me Commander," Cortez's voice sounded in his ear.

Shepard fell into step in his usual place, looking back at Kaidan and Vega periodically. Kaidan was gazing into the distance, lost in thought. Vega, on the other hand, was constantly edging forward, threatening to overtake his lead. Shepard clenched his teeth and stopped suddenly, causing Vega to crash into him. Shepard turned around slowly, his face completely relaxed, and looked Vega right in the eye.

"What are you doing?" Shepard asked, nonchalant.

"Sorry sir," Vega said with a salute.

"What are you doing," Shepard repeated. It was no longer a question. Vega rubbed the back of his neck, obviously perturbed by his commander's blank stare.

"I thought N7 would've changed you, James." The Lieutenant stared at the grass. A breeze swept though the field, rustling the yellow-green stalks. "Good thing it didn't."

With that, Shepard ran back ahead, the sun finally dipping below the horizon. Vega stayed in line behind him, the confused look on his face slowly shifting to the old grin he used to wear. Good to have you back, Lieutenant James Vega.

The stars twinkled feebly overhead, the night overcast with the smoke still rising from Birmingham. The squad was splayed out behind a rocky hill, the research facility looming metallically in front of them. As Shepard had planned, a group of men were standing post in front of a back door, each of them holding formidable rifles.

"Ok," Shepard said, turning onto his back and cracking his knuckles. "There are only six of them, so I'll just pop in there and-," Kaidan cut him off by hitting him in his injury again. Even under the armor he was wearing, the wound still flashed with pain.

"Son of a bitch, Kaidan," Shepard snarled. "Stop doing that!" Kaidan looked at him contemptuously.

"You seriously think you're going to charge in there?"

"Like I always do, yes."

"You don't think I noticed you flinch every time you ran a little too fast?"

"Charging biotically and running are two very different things, Kaidan."

"Yeah, one of them gets you killed."

"You wouldn't know. You've never done it before."

They glared at each other, neither of them daring to blink. Kaidan's stubbornness impressed Shepard. Had he always been this concerned for him? Shepard suddenly remembered the night he died – the first time – and realized that Kaidan wore the same face that he did back then. Anger mixed with worry.

"You're right Kaidan," Shepard said, his glare softening. "Sorry," he added under his breath as Kaidan turned away. The word held more weight than he thought it would. He saw James looking on with a mystified expression, but the marine chose not to comment. As Kaidan and James went to take down the sentries, he wondered what it all meant.

Shepard was infuriated that he couldn't do anything in his… condition. The sound of gunfire and pulsating biotics had his blood boiling, but he made himself lay in the grass, unmoving.

After a few minutes the mixed groans of the men ceased, and Shepard chanced a glance over the hillock. James and Kaidan were crouching over one of the dead guards, and Shepard rolled himself onto his stomach to push himself up.

"Shepard, you had better take a look at this," Kaidan said when Shepard walked over to them. Shepard's eyes followed the angle of Kaidan's index finger, coming to rest on a set of black and orange armor. A diamond crest flanked by two symmetrical arms was set into the man's shoulder.

"Cerberus," Shepard cursed.

"Shepard," Kaidan said warningly, as his Commander began to blaze blue. "The Illusive Man is dead, you killed him yourself."

"Then what are they doing here?" James said, nudging the dead soldier with his foot. Shepard ignored him.

"They killed Anderson, they killed Thane, they killed thousands of innocent people."

"They don't exist anymore," Kaidan said, letting a hint of doubt escape from his mouth. Shepard stared at Kaidan then stared at the door.

"I'm going in there." For once, Kaidan didn't object. Shepard stalked over to the door and crossed his arms, trying to calm himself before he did something stupid. The Illusive Man was dead and Cerberus disbanded after the war. They had no reason to start up again; humans were one of the top species in the reconstruction effort.

"Why are they here," Shepard grumbled audibly. He flared blue again and kicked down the door. The inside of the building was shrouded in darkness, with a few dim lights pulsating in the distance. They appeared to be in a large storage space, piles of crates lining the walls and crisscrossing though the room. A long hall of crates was stacked before him, and Shepard signaled Vega to take point, keeping Kaidan behind him. As much as he loathed admitting it, he was the weakest link in the party at the moment.

Shepard cranked up his motion sensors to their peak and crept along silently, checking the ceiling every once and awhile. Shepard glanced back at Kaidan to see how he was doing, and he was puzzled to see him looking at Shepard's back rather than the corridor behind them. Kaidan turned away immediately at Shepard's inquiry, a flush creeping unbidden up his neck. Was he…

No, he definitely wasn't, Shepard told himself. Still, he had been noticing more and more odd behavior from the Major since he rejoined the Normandy. Shepard punched a crate as they walked along, the pain quickly shutting down his thoughts. He immediately regretted the action as an invasive clanging swept through the room.

Vega jumped about a foot in the air and whipped around, his assault rifle pushing against Shepard's neck.

"What the…" Vega trailed off, removing his rifle from his commander's throat. "Jesus, Loco, don't scare me like that." Shepard shoved by Vega and knelt on the ground, his ears straining. A solid line of red dots had appeared on his sensors.

"Genius," Shepard muttered to himself, cursing his sudden outburst. "They're coming." Shepard gestured to a gap between the crates on both sides of him. "Split up, try your best to stay hidden. If you can't, be ready."

"Let's party," Vega grunted, ducking to his left.

"Be careful," Kaidan said with an awkward pat on his arm. He withdrew it immediately, a slight color accenting his face through the gloom. Shepard would sort out Kaidan's weirdness later; he had some Cerberus soldiers to kill.

A few seconds later, an armed battalion of Cerberus infantry filled the hallway, their flashlights reflecting off the metal containers.

"I swear I heard something," a soldier near the back of the group said, his voice muffled through his helmet.

"Spread out, check the ceiling." They filed through the boxes, guns raised and boots clicking metallically on the floor. Shepard was crouched on a crate two rows to the left of the soldiers. His side burned, and for once in his life he hoped that he wouldn't have to fight Cerberus.

A battle-crazed yell sounded throughout the storage bay. Shepard gritted his teeth.

"You never were the subtle type, Vega," he mumbled. He was doing a good job of luring the enemy away from him, though. Shepard jumped down from the crates and landed lightly, only a small wave of pain echoing his dismount. He saw Kaidan running ahead of him and followed silently, keeping pace with the Major despite his injury.

Shepard glanced down at the Predator in his hand and sighed. The gun felt so alien to him; he hated having either one of his hands preoccupied.

A stray soldier suddenly emerged from around the corner and Shepard charged immediately. Before even a second had passed the soldier was dead, his chest cavity ravaged by Shepard's (regrettably) left hand.

Shepard exhaled, feeling the energy course around him. Surprisingly his injury wasn't acting up too badly, even though he had flung himself nearly 50 feet down the aisle. Kaidan looked wide-eyed from where Shepard had left him, but he wasn't sure if it was in awe or concern.

He trotted back down the corridor, his biotics fading. When he stopped at Kaidan's side, he was shaking his head, baffled.

"James is right," Kaidan said, his eyes piercing into Shepard. "You are crazy."

Shepard grinned. Their relationship had definitely reached the point of friendship again. "Did you forget?" Shepard said playfully, punching Kaidan on the arm.

"Watch it, Shepard; don't kill me with those things."

"Flattering." They laughed in contentment for awhile, Shepard's eyes never leaving Kaidan's. It's actually working, he thought. Another cacophony of gunfire came from over the crates and shook them out of their reprieve.

Kaidan looked over Shepard again, gaze lingering over his injured side. Their eyes locked, and Kaidan nodded before turning and sprinting towards the noise. Shepard followed him as fast as he could, deciding to split up when they met another wall of crates. The fight sounded like it was just on the other side, and flanking the soldiers would be the easiest way to take them down. Kaidan threw him a mocking salute and jogged away, leaving Shepard standing in the hallway. He stood there for a moment, grinning stupidly, before shaking himself and heading around the other corner.

Vega was holed up behind a wall of crates he had knocked over, every once and awhile popping up to shoot at the brigade. Kaidan had distracted a few of them, his biotics flaring while the soldiers hung suspended in the air. He normally would've charged into their midst and hammered them to bits – there were only eight of them left – but he looked down at his side, Kaidan's concerned face swimming in front of him.

Shepard gritted his teeth and dragged a crate out of the wall, upending it in the hallway. "This is so inefficient," Shepard grumbled, taking a couple of pot shots at the Cerberus troops. His aim was impeccable – it had to be for N7 – but still the slow pace of the fight was getting on his nerves.

When there were only a couple more of them left, Shepard let loose a contained shockwave, tripping up the soldiers so that Vega and Kaidan could finish them off. The two of them rushed in, bullets flying, until all but one soldier remained. The man panicked, throwing his gun into the air as he ran wildly away from them. Shepard grinned mischievously.

Tucking his gun into his belt, Shepard oriented himself in the hallway, lining himself up with the fleeing soldier. He crossed one leg across the other, letting his right toe dig into the floor. With one final gesture, Shepard put a hand out, as if he were going to lean up against the wall. Just as the man ran by Kaidan, Shepard charged.

He hit the Cerberus operative hard in the face with his outstretched hand, coming to rest mere inches away from Kaidan. Looking as relaxed about it as possible, Shepard smirked up at him.

"You forgot," Shepard said casually, watching carefully as Kaidan turned scarlet at the words. He mumbled incoherently for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah," he finally managed to get out, breathless.

Satisfied with Kaidan's reaction, Shepard turned to look at Vega, who was unearthing himself from his crate barricade. He was dirty but unharmed, and Shepard felt a surge of pride.

"Not bad, Vega."

"It wasn't too hard," he said, but Shepard could tell that he was pleased with himself. Kaidan seemed to finally regain his senses and walked over to them, slinging his rifle over his back.

"Doesn't look like any more are coming," he said, a trace of color lingering on his cheeks. Shepard checked his omnitool and nodded, the motion sensor was clear.

"Might as well keep going," James added. "These crates are empty; I noticed when I knocked them over."

"Cerberus and an empty warehouse," Shepard mused, examining a dead soldier's face. The man had a hole in his helmet where Shepard had shot him. Cerberus had been experimenting with Reaper technology, and Shepard was relieved when no trace of the machines could be seen on his face. Still, he kicked the corpse onto its stomach, the old rage boiling in his stomach.

"You're right, let's go."

The three of them quickly ran through the warehouse, stopping every so often to check the sensors. Finally, they found a large door, Kaidan confirming that it was the only one in the warehouse (besides the one they entered in). Shepard went point and hacked the door, his omnitool lighting up his face in orange.

"Ready?"

"Ready." Shepard eased the door open.

"Commander Shepard," a haughty woman's voice echoed in the darkness. "I didn't think I'd find you here."

A/N: I think the next chapter will still be in Shepard's perspective, because there's a specific reason I want Kaidan in chapter 8. Sorry, no French (yet).

Sorry craftygamerchic but I'm going camping this weekend and wanted the chapter to be posted. Errors be damned!