The Hybrid | Book 1 | Garrus Vakarian | Mass Effect ✔

The Hybrid: Chapter Ten

Shepard sat on the edge of her bed looking down at her feet. It wasn't long until they boarded the Citadel, and Garrus had left briefly after they had shared their first kiss to pack. It had left butterflies in the pit of Shepard's stomach. She claimed that she would pack up her duffle bag but still hasn't done anything. Her mind was swirling again, her lips tingling from Garrus' kiss. She was happy with Garrus, but the pressure of the galaxy hadn't left her shoulders. The Reapers are still out there along with Cerberus. Then there was the doctor who was tormenting children for his own sick gain. And to top it off, there was the nagging feeling in the back of her head made her think that she wasn't the person she was before.

She was supposed to be dead.

She had died along with the Normandy. Cerberus brought her back together, piece by piece. She didn't feel like herself anymore; she felt like a monster. Garrus had told her repeatedly that she was human but Shepard knew better. All of this and for what? Even if she somehow saved the galaxy, the doctor would still be making hybrids. They would repopulate the galaxy only to cause another problem. What if these hybrids went mental? If her and Garrus could possibly have a child, she wouldn't want to. There was too much of a difference in their genetic structure, but... she also wanted it at the same time. Shepard sighed, getting up and walking to her closet. She grabbed her N7 bag from the top shelf and began to pack up a week's worth of clothes. She thought about the Council and the Alliance.

"Commander?" Joker's voice came through the intercom in her room. She folded a pair of pants and put them into her duffle bag.

"Yes, Joker?"

"ETA twenty minutes. Also, Anderson is on call."

"Forward it to my quarters."

"Sure thing, Commander."

Shepard placed another pair of pants into the duffle bag before grabbing her phone and going off to a corner in her room. She stared down at her phone, her heart hammering inside of her chest. She knew it had something to do with the Council. She knew what was going to happen, but she didn't want it to. She pushed the button, a small hologram of Anderson appeared in front of her. He was standing at attention. She stood there, staring at him, all the while her heart continued to race in her chest.

"Anderson?" She finally asked.

"Good to see your doing well, Commander. When you get to the Citadel, I need to meet you at this location. You will also have a meeting with the Council in two days."

Shepard glanced away from Captain Anderson, guilt plagued her mind once again. She finds herself wanting to run away from all of these problems. She wanted to stop the Reapers but now it seems like a bigger problem has arisen. With Doctor Heart gaining the trust of every race in the galaxy and presence of the mosters who brought her back to life, she didn't feel stable anymore. Any moment now she was going to snap. She was going to bust the walls down and kill everyone in sight. She wrapped her arms around herself, hardly hearing Captain Anderson as he continued to speak.. She wished Garrus was with her. Was she losing her mind? Was it because she was a clone?

"Thank you, Captain," Shepard muttered. It wasn't long before she reached down and pushed the button to hang up on Anderson. She stood there motionless; this was too much for her. She remembered when she could handle pressure like this, when she craved it. Now, she was beginning to crack. She knew she couldn't be like this, she knew that the crew needed her. The next couple of weeks is what she needed. She could go to the bar and drink herself into a stupor. She could forget everything that was happening for a moment and keep her head clear. Once she figured out what to do with Heart, she could finally focus back in her main objective: the Reapers.

She went back to her closet and packed up the rest of the things she needed. Once she was finished, she closed her duffle bag. She brought the strap to her shoulder and walked to the entrance of her room. She paused for a moment, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

Stay focused, Shepard. You're better than this.

She let out a calming breath and walked out the door, towards the elevator of the ship. She pressed a button, letting the elevator doors close. She stood there muttering under her breath. She thought about what the councilors were going to say, not noticing the drell in the corner of the elevator. Thane simply moved, the leather jacket creating a loud enough noise to cause Shepard to jump. She was quick to grab the gun on her waist.

Shepard groaned when she saw Thane standing there.

"Don't do that," She growled through gritted teeth. She put the safety back on her pistol and placed it back in its holster. Thane grinned at her, pushing off of the elevator wall.

"My apologies, Shepard."

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. She made a mental note that she should get her hair cut while she is on vacation.

"I could have shot you."

Thane nods, acknowledging his mistake.

"You seem... stressed," Thane remarks.

"Very," She sighed, "there's a lot going on and I just wish it would stop."

"I see. If you need someone to speak to, I am here for you, Shepard."

She gave Thane a small smile, thanking him for his kindness. The elevator doors opened, and Shepard stepped out, starting to chat with the others onboard. Thane witnessed her body language for a moment. He noticed the tension in her back. She seemed to be ignoring others who were attempting to get her attention. Garrus came up to her, putting his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, and they walked away together, his arm around her shoulder. She seemed... content with Garrus. Thane took note of this. He wanted to help Shepard with her stres and he wanted to somehow take the weight off of her shoulders. He could go on a mission himself. He could very well look more into this Heart character.

He grabbed the datapad from inside his leather jacket. He wanted to help Shepard and he wanted to do better. Thane put the datapad back into his leather jacket, cleared his throat, and made his way off of the Normandy, a plan coursing through his mind.