Curious Jealousy- a F!Shenko Fic

Chapter Twenty-Six: Tired

Shepard was tired.

All she had wanted to do was re-board the Normandy, check her messages, give Joker a heading, take a shower, and take a nap.

But, that didn't happen.

Of course, Kaidan coming back aboard was still up in the air as to whether it was a good thing or not, but she had been called to see Valern before she could even change out of her BDUs and into something that she didn't feel the urge to burn.

So, instead of unwinding after everything, she was trekking back through the Citadel, watching as C-Sec and other emergency crews put out fires, collected the dead, and tended the wounded. She stopped every time she saw that someone needed help and assisted, murmuring condolences or words of strength as she continued on her way.

The things that struck her the hardest was when she found a group of kids huddled into a corner, flinching at every sound- trying not to make eye contact as they looked around the corridor hopefully. She slowly made her way over to them and smiled gently at them. "Hey," she murmured.

An Asari, probably the oldest of the five of them (looking maybe like she was between thirteen and fourteen human years old), gave her a strange look- unsure as to whether she could trust her or not. "Who're you?"

"Commander Shepard," she said, "but you guys can call me Hope."

A small human girl, probably no older than seven, gave her a teary smile. "I like your name," the little girl informed her.

Shepard gave her an appreciative smile. "Where're your parents?"

The Asari pursed her lips as the other's eyes filled with tears. "We don't know."

The youngest of the group- a little human boy who couldn't have been older than three or four- looked at her, confusion evident in his young eyes. He didn't understand- not really. He just kept looking at her with sad, eyes…longing to be united with his parents. Standing up and tapping her comm, she waited.

"Commander?" Joker asked.

"Tell Councilor Valern I'll be a little bit longer, I've got to take care of something."

Joker was quiet for a minute. "Can I tell him what?"

"I've got a group of kids that I need to take to C-Sec. Tell him ETA will be about half an hour."

"Roger."

Shepard smiled at the kids again. "I'm going to take you to a friend of mine, okay? He'll help take care of you until your parents are found."

She looked down in surprise as the little boy tugged on her pant leg and gestured to be picked up. Hesitating for a second, she reach down and picked him up. When in her arms, he buried his face in the crook of her neck. The second to youngest (at probably age 5), a little Turian girl, took her left hand once she had the boy situated on her hip.

Slightly shaken, Shepard began to make her way towards C-Sec with the children following her.

"Are you really Commander Shepard?" the Asari asked suddenly.

"I am."

The kids fell silent for a while. "Do you really fly the Normandy?" a Turian boy (probably about 8) asked.

Shepard let out a small laugh. "No, I have a pilot for that- we call him Joker. I'm in charge of the Normandy- I tell everyone what to do and I tell Joker where to go."

There were various wows. "That's a funny name for a pilot," the little human girl pointed out, holding on to the back of her BDU pant leg.

"He's a funny guy." She gave a small smile and hitched the little boy in her arms a little further up. "He's the best pilot in the galaxy."