It was too quiet.

The only sound was the beeps from his computer terminal as his hands flicked over the holographic keyboard. The whole ship was silent, as though it could sense the hopelessness that lay before them.

He was used to the quiet but this was different.

It wasn't the companionable silence that came with calm and loneliness, it was suffocating and agitating, a calm before the storm. If it would have helped he would have gotten up and paced, but his legs wouldn't do much good in that department, more of a lope really.

Besides he was sure she was doing enough for the whole crew, the entire galaxy even.

Ever since they had been grounded by the Council and that ass Udina she had become more and more frazzled.

Alannah Shepard.

Suddenly there was an insistent beeping on his console, there was a message for her.

"Ah Commander?" He put out tentatively over the comm system, "There's a message from Captain Anderson. He says he needs to meet with you."

There was silence for a few seconds, she sounded tired when she finally replied.

"Thanks Joker, I'll look into it."

He shook his head sadly, he hated to admit it but he missed the old Shepard; the incessantly annoying talk too much always asking questions Shepard.

The Shepard who had fire in her eyes and a wit that could almost match his, almost.

He remembered times where she would ask a question and he would be an ass to her, he loved winding her up because it was just so easy. He never thought he would admit to himself that he missed their chats but he did. Her never ending cheerfulness was much preferable to this deflated, defeated shadow.

He didn't know what the Council had said to her but she hadn't been the same since being grounded, he thought she might have fought back with her usual vigour and fierceness. Instead she silently accepted what they had said to her. That wasn't the Shepard he new.

He wished he could comfort her, but even the thought made him feel awkward. He wasn't a people person and not particularly touchy feely. If she needed comfort that's what Kaidan was for. Something twisted in his gut and he was suddenly angry with himself, he was a lowly crippled pilot, not worth her attention. She deserved someone who could take care of her, watch her back in a fire fight, protect her from the scary things they faced.

He smirked at this thought, Shepard needing protection? Who was he kidding?

He didn't realise how long he had been thinking as running footsteps pulling him out of his revelry.

He turned his chair to see her standing there, her eyes wide and her face crinkled in that familiar determined look.

He was taken aback.

"Get ready Joker, we're going to Ilos."

Ah, now he understood.

He looked her over as she stood there, panting and clearly out of breath. He smirked at her.

"Welcome back Commander."