Mass Effect: Tangled by xfiredancerx

A/N: Hey everyone, so I wrote a brief ME one-shot awhile back and just got around to posting it recently. But I have been wanting to write a more in depth fic for quite some time and finally have some free time to play around with some of the ideas that have been brewing for the last several months. This is a relationship based fic, but there were so many dynamics between the different characters in both games, that I couldn't decide on just one pairing- and some pairings weren't even an option in either game. Then I started toying with a very complex idea and decided…why the hell not, it could be fun. So this story will contain multiple and group pairings of a same sex relationship (f/f) and if that is not your thing or legal where you live, please stop reading now and move on.

I have played the games through so many times now that this isn't really based on any one character of mine, but I tended heavily towards Renegade in most of my play-throughs, with a soft spot for the ladies lol. I will be loosely basing my dialogue off actual dialogue from the games, but since this is going to be a fic of some length I will try to keep the verbatim down to a minimum. Plus, the beauty of fanfic is that a writer can create things to their own liking, so there will be things that stray from canon. Purists be warned! I am posting as I go, so while I am trying to edit this on the fly so to speak, it is otherwise unbeta'd so forgive spelling or grammatical errors.

Final warning: There will be swearing, violence, angst and of course since this is relationship based- sex! Don't know how graphic it will get, but you get the picture that this is not for the kiddies. I'm still trying to decide on a few things so feel free to review and throw out your opinions as to what you would like to see as a reader (or PM me if your more comfortable with that). I may not use everything, but I'm having fun writing this story and your input will always be appreciated regardless! I hope you enjoy :)

Chapter One: After the Storm

Ashley Williams jerked awake, and then gasped as the action caused pain to lance through her badly injured body. "Easy Chief," came the soothing tones of a familiar voice as Dr. Chakwas' face finally came into her view.

"Doc," she whispered hoarsely. It was both a greeting and a plea and the older woman intuitively understood and pressed a hypo against Ashley's neck, administering a painkiller that quickly eased the agony. Several moments later, Ashley's eyes closed as she exhaled slowly in relief. "Thanks."

Chakwas smiled down at Ashley and patted her free arm before reaching for a cup with a straw in it. "Here you go, just sip it, and if this doesn't bounce then I'll let you have the rest in a few minutes."

Ashley lay immobile on the bed as Chakwas held the cup for her and sipped a bit of the water down, chasing some of the bitter taste and dryness from her tongue and throat. When she was done, she looked down at herself and grimaced. Her entire left side was immobilized. "What happened?" she finally asked dropping her head back onto her pillow.

Chakwas frowned in concern. "What do you last remember?" Ashley's injuries had been severe, more than she'd first let on, but there had been no indication of any head trauma severe enough to cause loss of memory.

"I remember being pulled out of the wreckage and thinking…." her throat closed off as she closed her eyes in pain. "I remember thinking that the Commander had been killed. And then just as we were leaving, there she was….beaten all to hell and barely able to walk…but she was alive. The med team helped her to us, and she and Liara and I hugged…and then I passed out."

Relieved, Chakwas chuckled. "You both passed out. With the Citadel in shambles, I ordered all of you to be brought here for treatment since you both needed surgery right away and I knew you couldn't get it anywhere else."

"The Commander?"

Chakwas smirked to herself. "Seen better days, but she'll be fine after a few weeks of rest and physical therapy…as will you."

"What's the damage?"

"Standard fare after the firefight you obviously had, but you were all apparently running low on medi-gel by the time Sovereign came crashing down around your heads. Both of you nearly bled out by the time we got you back here. You're armor saved you from being crushed completely from the debris, but it couldn't protect you from the force of the impact. We had to take a cutting torch to both of you to get off half your armor. Five broken ribs, your shoulder was dislocated and the collarbone fractured in multiple places. Your leg suffered fractures in multiple places, but thankfully none of the breaks were complete. When we finally removed your armor however, we realized a thin sliver of metal debris had punctured clear through your knee causing extensive damage."

Ashley's eye's closed as she drew in a steadying breath. "Will any of this affect my performance in the future?"

"If you follow my orders to the letter and stick with my regimen of therapy…no it won't. You'll be back out there throwing yourself into the line of fire in no time at all Chief, you just need to do as I say for now, understood?"

"I hear you Doc."

Chakwas smiled warmly at her. "Good. Now here's the rest of the water and then I want you to get some more rest."

Ashley wanted to ask more, but she could already feel her eyelids getting heavy and knew she couldn't fight it for much longer. And in all honesty she didn't want to. All her life she had been forced to struggle and fight to get where she was at, but here, on the Normandy, she had been given a new life…and a chance at earning respect. That's why she liked the Doc so much. Chakwas was a straightforward woman who called things as she saw them. And Chakwas had never held Ashley's family history against her. In fact she'd been one of the few to befriend Ashley when she'd first come aboard. She trusted Chakwas implicitly, and if the Doc told her she and Shepard would be fine, then Ash knew they would be.

Comforted with that knowledge, Ashley finished her water and let herself slip off into a deep and healing slumber.

~Sorry I know this first chapter is bit short but I am working on two already and hope to have that up shortly.~