A/n: In case you're wondering why this chapter is so short, it's been edited for sexual content. In fact, the majority of the chapter is a lemon. If you wish to read the explicit version and are of an appropriate age to do so, it is on my homepage on my profile.

This is the last chapter to Armor. I just wanted to let everyone know how much I've appreciated the hits and reviews. This is not the end of this story arc! I will see you in the sequel, so be on the lookout for 'Conduit'! :D

Kaidan didn't understand.

Shepard left him behind on this mission; she'd always taken him with her whenever the mission directly involved Saren and the geth. Did she not trust him anymore? Maybe she just needed space. Maybe she chose the ground team that she took with her for reasons other than him.

But why did it hurt so much to be left behind?

He sat alone in the mess, his head in his hands. If Feros was any indication of how Saren operated, it was very likely that Shepard would end up in a dangerous position with Benezia. Kaidan knew he could trust Liara and Garrus to do well, but he would never forgive himself if something happened and he wasn't there to help.

They had been gone for too long and there were security guards standing right outside the ship, glaring at it. What was going on out there?

Finally, the moment of truth arrived; the gentle hum of the decon scan reached his ears. Kaidan perked up as he heard armored boots walking down the stairs. They rounded the corner. It was Garrus. He shot the turian a questioning look.

"Lieutenant Alenko," Garrus nodded and looked around at the empty space. His voice was quiet, his tone solemn as if someone had died.

Any question he might have asked was cut off by Shepard and Liara rounding the corner. The exhausted Commander had her arm around the asari as she led her to the medbay. He watched Liara mumble something to Shepard, then they embraced and parted ways. Garrus nodded at the Commander and touched her arm. For a moment, he eyed the closed medbay door in indecision. The turian shook his head and left for the engineering level.

Shepard put her weapons in her locker then strode over to her quarters. She opened the door and leveled her Lieutenant with a gaze that beaconed him closer.

Curious, Kaidan stood from his seat at the mess table and entered the Commander's quarters.

"We had to kill Benezia," Shepard murmured as she closed the door. "She was indoctrinated. Liara…"

Her sentence was cut off by a series of violent shivers. Kaidan moved behind Shepard to hold her.

"It's so cold out there," she said, her teeth chattering, "I don't think I can get this off by myself. My hands aren't steady."

He froze as soon as the words came out of Shepard's mouth.

"I'll just wear it to sleep, I guess," Shepard began to talk to herself, "it can't be that bad." She gently broke free of her Lieutenant's embrace.

"I can help you if you'd like," he said, his voice soft, "you need to get out of that armor and get warm."

She turned around and looked Kaidan in the eyes.

"I was just thinking out loud," her eyes grew huge, "I didn't mean to suggest that…"

"I know," Kaidan interrupted, "but it's not healthy for you to be sitting around shivering in that stuff."

Shepard hesitated for a moment then nodded. She shook as his hands slowly removed the protective parts that covered the zipper. Her eyes followed him as he almost reverently put them on the table. Kaidan reached for the tab to the zipper; she may have picked a different ground team, but only he could do this. It made him feel like a page that helped a knight with armor.

He would make this woman his.

Their eyes met as Kaidan gently tugged on the zipper to Shepard's armor. Slowly, he leaned in and stole a kiss from the shivering woman. Her shaking ceased as she looked up at him. The Lieutenant grew bolder and continued to unzip his Commander, his insistent mouth covering hers. Roving hands gently peeled the armor away from Shepard's torso; hungry lips tasted the newly revealed skin. The material rolled down her body and over her hips. Kaidan tugged when he felt the armor snag against Shepard's legs.

Shepard laughed as she hopped; her Lieutenant kept tugging.

"Access denied!" she chuckled. The insidious armor wouldn't budge.

"Please, Mr. Armor," Kaidan replied, "I promise I'll take care of her."

The 'Dance of the Removal of the Armor Worn on Noveria' turned serious once again as the Lieutenant kneeled before his Commander and gently pried the armor from her legs.

Gingerly, she held onto his shoulders, stepping out of the armor. His hands caressed up and down her abused legs as he gently kissed her stomach.

Kaidan slowly stood; a pair of cold hands worked their way under his shirt and tugged it over his head. Their lips met in a heated frenzy as their tongues brushed against each other. Kicking the armor to a corner of the room, Shepard began to unbuckle Kaidan's belt and drew her head back to gaze at him intently.

"No boots on my bed, mister," she purred as she turned around and walked away, the belt unwrapping from his waist in one smooth motion. It sailed through the air to land on the sloppy heap of armor.

Kaidan's mouth went dry; Shepard was so damn sexy. He plopped down on a nearby chair and scrambled to remove his boots and socks. The Lieutenant approached the bed as he began to unfasten his pants. Shepard pulled him in for another searing kiss and pushed his hands out of the way to remove the last of his clothing. Kaidan tipped her over on the bed and moved to cover her body with his.

Finally.

Shepard slowly awoke and stretched, her muscles screaming in protest. She looked at the sleeping man next to her and smiled. He was beyond incredible.

The Commander gingerly extracted herself from his embrace and made her way to her shower. Turning the water on, she sighed. There was so much to do yet. They had to go to Ilos.

Soapy water washed down the drain as Shepard lost herself in thought. Mechanically, she dried her aching body and strode over to the pile of armor on the floor.

Deep inside, she had a feeling of dread. Something was going to go terribly wrong. Whatever happened, though, she was sure that she could make a difference. Sovereign would not succeed. It was time for action.

Commander Shepard donned her armor, unaware of the new life that now nestled itself inside her womb.