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Before the Worst, An Origin Story
WARNING: Mild Language and Slightly Suggestive Themes
1
Year of 2178
   So much better than the vids!
   Vera Landen stepped out onto the docking area of the Citadel space station, barely glancing behind her at space cruiser that brought her to this wonderful place full of new, exciting opportunities. The twenty-two year old slowly spun on her heels, taking in the breathtaking sight of ships zipping in and out of the docks. Her big, green eyes sparkled under the bright lights of the Citadel, the considered-central hub of the entire galaxy.
   Her moment was ruined, though, by the rush of colonists behind her who wanted to do the same thing, as well as a few grumpy natives to the space station that yearned to escape the gaping newcomers. The large bag that held most of her clothes and other possessions was nearly jostled from her shoulder as she was pushed and shoved from behind by the mob. Vera yelped, jumping out of the way of the stream of people before she was overrun. Brushing a loose strand of auburn-brown hair back into place, Vera readjusted the strap of her bag before melding in with the crowd. The people-river was heading towards the main elevator that led from the docks to the center of Citadel Security Academy.
   "Only so many can fit at once-spirits, just wait your turn!"
   A turian officer that was getting very angry very fast was standing at the elevator entrance, pushing the hoard back as the first set of tourists traveled down the elevator. Vera was always interested in the other species throughout the galaxy, and turians were one of her favorites with their fringe, mandibles, and distinctive face paint that told which colony they belonged to. This particular turian bore dark blue paint, and Vera wished she knew what color meant what colony. Then, she was startled to find that she was at the front of the crowd, the turian putting a three-fingered hand on her shoulder to hold her back.
   "Just wait, ma'am, please." He said with his strange, flanging vocal tone, which had lost its frustrating strain and was replaced with pure exhaustion.
   "Oh, of course, yes." Vera replied, stepping to the side to stand next to him. "I'll just wait, go last. If that's alright?"
   The turian gave her a quizzical look, waving in the next bunch of spacers to be zoomed down. His small, blue eyes held her gaze without anxiety. If anything, he looked amused. It made her want to smile. And so she did.
   "If you really want to, sure. S'pose it would be easier for me." He paused, holding back the mass once more. "Or would it…?"
   Vera laughed, which got a strange looking expression from the turian that she supposed was a smile. As he waved in the next group, he held out his other to Vera. It took her a second to realize that he wanted to shake her hand.
   "Garrus Vakarian of C-Sec, Investigation Division." The turian introduced himself as they shook hands.
   "Vera Landen of…" She trailed off, trying to think of what to say. Her colony? Or should she say 'of the Citadel' now? How about both? She pulled back her shoulders and proudly finished her introduction. "…formerly of New Canton and presently of the Citadel."
   Now it was Garrus' turn to laugh. He gestured in the next, and last, cluster of visitors into the elevator. She leaned against the railing running along the dock's walkway as the final bunch was stuffed into the elevator.
   "How did you get stuck with this if you're in the Investigation Division?" asked Vera as the elevator began another descent.
   "Beats me," Garrus answered gruffly, crossing his arms and leaning against the railing next to her. "Not much has been going on, surprisingly, so I guess the administration is just throwing us wherever we can help. No matter what division we're in."
   "Well, that's dumb." Vera commented, as the elevator zoomed back up.
   "You're tellin' me." The turian muttered, stretching out his arm in the 'ladies first' gesture.
   Vera grinned, pushing herself off the railing and into the open elevator. Garrus followed her in, and the glass doors slid shut behind him. He huffily punched the down button before crossing his arms again.
   "If it wasn't for my father, I wouldn't even be here…"
   He trailed off, and Vera respectively let the topic drop. She knew where peoples' boundaries were, where the line was specifically drawn. Plus, this was a complete stranger. It wasn't her business. Noticing the awkward air that began to sift in on the ride down, Garrus turned his head to look over at Vera.
   "So, if you don't mind me asking, what brought you to the Citadel? Is there anything I can help you with?" Vera noted how his voice didn't insinuate anything provocative or seductive; he genuinely wanted to assist without anything in return.
   "I got sick of my colony," Vera replied, happy to have met a decent person already. "I wanted to see something new, and just explore, you know?"
   Garrus nodded, actually paying attention to her words. That was something new to her. Back home, there wasn't anyone for her to talk to, really. Except for Connor. Vera had to hold back a gag at the thought of him. Garrus titled his head, inquiring to Vera's sudden silence. She cleared her throat and continued on with a slightly forced grin.
   "Plus, a good friend of mine moved here years ago. I've been meaning to visit, but things happened…" She paused as her thoughts again landed on Connor, but quickly continued before Garrus could inquire; he had a right to know where her line was, too. "Anyway, you might know her. She works in C-Sec. Kedzie James?"
   His immediate reaction was comforting, but not, at the same time. He knew who she was, indeed. The turian tossed his head back and laughed, echoing throughout the little space of the elevator. Once he recovered, he gave an apologetic look.
   "Oh, man. James? Yeah, I know her, all right." Garrus explained as the elevator door slid open. He gestured for her to follow him, and Vera gladly shuffled after him as she took in the Academy. "Crazy bitch, she is. Hope you don't take offense to that. She takes it as a complement."
   "Sounds like Kedzie, definitely." Vera assured with a smile as she watched the various species walk by her; more turians, a few salarians, and even a krogan! (There were humans, of course, but Vera didn't really care much for her own species, having lived with them for twenty-two years.) It was wonderful!
   "But, yeah, she's with the Internal Affairs Unit." continued Garrus, taking them down a flight of stairs that led to a hallway. "Gets the job done, no matter what. I like that about her."
   "So you guys are friends?" She ventured warily as they paused outside a door along the hall with Garrus typing something on a holo-pad embedded in the wall; IA agents were not looked highly upon by other cops, or so Vera's heard.
   "Oh, yeah. If she doesn't have a problem with me, I don't have a problem with her." Garrus looked over his shoulder and gave that smiling expression again. "Let's just say that I've always met with her on…good terms."
   The door slid open, revealing an office. There were a couple turians crowded around a desk, staring at one turian's screen. It sounded like news coverage about something utterly dull to Vera. A few other desks were scattered about, and a human female was hunched over one in the far corner. Her shoulder length, pale blond hair was messily yanked up into a ponytail with her straight-across bangs playing about her equally pale brown eyes.
   "Well, you haven't changed much, have you?" Vera said aloud, startling the group of turians for but a second before they realized that this human wasn't addressing them and went back to their screen.
   But, the other human in the room was suddenly up and out of her chair, dashing across the room to crash into Vera's arms, screaming the whole way like a banshee. The childhood friends squealed with absolute delight, getting harsh looks from the turians. Garrus, noticing this, pulled the now-gabbing pair into a small adjourning room before closing the door privately behind.
   "Oh, my God, Vera! Why didn't you tell me you were coming-?!"
   "I wanted it to be a surprise! I-!"
   "Well, I'll leave you two to it then, hm?" Garrus shouted over them.
   Kedzie turned her bright smile onto the turian. She playfully knocked her fist against his shoulder. He gave an uneasy smile, unconsciously showing Vera his true feelings for Kedzie: He respected her a whole hell of a lot, that was true, but her renegade attitude about her job and how she does it, that even comparable to Garrus', made him a bit nervous. Vera laughed aloud at piecing this together, quickly covering her mouth with her fist to hide it.
   "Thanks, Garrus." said Kedzie sincerely. "If you hadn't had found little Vera here, who knows what would've happened to her…"
   "Hey, hey, I'm quite capable of taking care of myself." Vera interjected defensively.
   As the two began to continue their banter, Garrus rolled his eyes and began to creep backwards, out of the room. But he wasn't going to get away that easily. Kedzie made sure of that as she grabbed the large collar of the turian's armor, tugging him back.
   "But seriously, Garrus," Kedzie continued, keeping her grip on him as Garrus began to squirm uncomfortably. "We're good friends, right? Right. And I appreciate what you did. You didn't have to help this alien-lover of a human."
   "Hey-!"
   "It was nothing, James." Garrus assured, carefully prying Kedzie's hand from his armor. "It's nice to meet a friendly face every now and then. Nice to meet you, Vera. Maybe I'll see you around?"
   "Nice to meet you, too, Garrus." Vera responded with her ever present smile. "And I hope so."
   Garrus nodded, his smiling expression flashing across his face before he left the room to just to the two women. Kedzie snapped her head around to look at Vera. One eyebrow was raised with a questioning air, Kedzie's lips twisted up into a suggestive smirk.
   "Oh, goodness, no." Vera quickly shouted at realizing what her friend's face was for. "He seems nice enough, Kedzie, but I'm not getting involved with someone right now."
   "Aw shit, Vera." Her friend moaned, lips dropping down in defeated frown. "You two would be perfect together! I've known Garrus for a long time, and it would be all sorts of adorable."
   "That's not why I came to the Citadel, Kedzie-"
   "Why did you come, anyway?" Kedzie interrupted, collapsing onto the sofa in the small break room. "You didn't come all this way just to see me, did you?"
   Vera sighed, dropping her bag to the floor before flopping beside her friend. She leaned her head back against the upholstery, staring up at the ceiling.
   "That's part of it, yes, but I wanted to do something with my life, Kedzie." Vera explained, tossing her hands in the air with a flourish (Vera was one to talk with her hands). "Of course, my mom wasn't too upset over me leaving. And I won't even touch the subject of Connor." Just saying his name left a bad taste in her mouth. "I needed something new, something exciting. I figured that the Citadel was perfect for this."
   Kedzie bobbed her head along in agreement, making a face when Connor was mentioned. Long story short, Connor was an insane douchebag that treated Vera very terribly before he left the colony for good. But not without leaving her broken and scarred, both emotionally and physically. It was a topic Vera didn't like to speak of.
   "Something new, huh? And exciting?" Kedzie murmured, mostly to herself as a thought began to grow in her head. "I have it! Vera, dear, you can get a job with C-Sec!" She bounced up from the sofa, hands at her cheeks with excitement. "We could be partners!"
   Vera raised her eyebrows with surprise and uncertainty. It certainly would be something new, but something like this? Working under cover to nail the back guys within C-Sec and possibly become one of the most hated people on the Citadel?
   "Hell," Vera muttered. "Why not?"
***
   With Kedzie's very impressive track record, it was relatively easy to get Vera the job. The administration was willing to do anything for their star undercover agent, and maybe getting her a partner will double Kedzie's already incredible results.
   The supervisors were very impressed with Vera's easy conformity to the job expectations. Vera was always one for self-defense, especially after the whole Connor situation. She already knew how to defend herself with just her hands and disarm any foe with ease. The colonist was even able to get some training in with a pistol back home. Plus, it helped that she could easily blend with other human females with her normal looks.
   Within a few weeks, Vera had basic training down pat and was ready to go out on the job. During her basic training, Vera had Garrus for a few sessions, and the two quickly became good friends as they beat each other with the flats of their hands and fists. For awhile, Vera was afraid that Garrus would ask her out on a date, but it was like he knew better than to ask such a thing. There was an unsaid mutual decision about it, a silent pact that announced they would just be great friends. Vera was glad to have Garrus as a friend with his witty responses to pretty much everything and careless attitude toward, well, pretty much everything. And, it was pretty sweet that he was a turian, too. She'd never met a different species before, much less have one has a friend. It was amazing and, indeed, exciting.
   At first, she lived in the recruitment facilities of the Academy, but once her training was finished, Vera moved in with Kedzie in an apartment complex not far from the Academy. The apartment was a modest size with a bedroom that housed two beds, a bathroom with a state-of-the-art shower, a kitchen with everything a chef would need, and a front room that had a loveseat with matching chairs, a coffee table, and a screen on the wall that constantly had the new Blasto movie on pause (Every time Kedzie would try to finish it, she'd be called to work or remember something important that she had to do). That first night Vera moved in, they finished the movie to Kedzie's elation and Vera's relief.
Vera fit in so perfectly on the Citadel it was like she was meant to live on the space station. She cursed herself for not leaving home sooner.
   Just as the partners were leaving their apartment to trudge over to work and get their first job together, Vera spotted him at the end of the stairs. She slid to a complete stop with one foot on the first step, entranced by this human male talking a bit heatedly with another human. His uniform gave it away immediately; an Alliance Navy man. Kedzie was halfway down the stairs before she turned to see Vera ogling at the man.
   "Vera? Let's go, we can sight see after our shift." Kedzie climbed back up to her friend, grabbing her arm.
   The man had shoved the Navy man in the chest, and then the Navy man made a gesture like "I'm-done-with-this", and began to storm away, leaving…
   Vera had to find out who this was.
   She sprinted down the steps, taking two at time as well as dragging Kedzie along with her. And then she was falling, tumbling down the stairs. Her grip on Kedzie was lost as Vera very ungracefully stumbled down, head over feet, till she landed, sprawled, at the foot of the stairwell, right in front of the Navy man.
   His not-so-pale-but-not-exactly-dark-brown eyes widened at the sight of her. He blinked, once and then twice, before his gentlemanly instincts kicked in. The man offered Vera a hand and a smile. God, that smile,, Vera thought as she grinned back stupidly and took his hand.
   "You took quite a tumble, there, ma'am." He said as he pulled her up, his voice the perfect mix of deep and high, and Vera gladly took note that his touch on her hand lingered longer than necessary. "You alright?"
   "Oh, yes. I just-stairs and I aren't the best of friends." Smooooooth, Landen. Super smooth.
   "I could tell," He laughed, running a hand through his dark brown hair. "Well, ma'am, you best get better aquatinted with stairs. This may be the most technologically advanced place in the galaxy, but there happen to be more stairs around than you think."
   "That's probably a good idea," She said, only slightly stumbling over her own words. "I'm Vera, Vera Landen. Thank you for not laughing at that display of mine."
   "How could I laugh when that 'display' let me meet you, Miss Landen?" He replied smoothly, that smile creeping back up on his handsome face.
   Vera blushed immediately, numbly mumbling sounds as she tried to find words. No one ever made her crumble so easily, not even Connor. The man offered his hand again, this time in order to shake. She hoped her hand didn't look desperate as it flew to meet his.
   "Kaidan Alenko of the Alliance Navy, Miss Landen."
   What was it with people here saying 'of blah de blah'? Vera thought while thinking about how proper and cute this Kaidan was at the same time. Kedzie rolled her eyes from her position behind Vera, starting to get impatient.
   "Vera, I'd hate to break up this little…whatever it is," Kedzie stepped in, curling her fingers around her dazed friend's arm. "But we gotta go to work. You know, since it is like your first day."
   "Oh, my apologies." Kaidan said, looking at Kedzie for the first time, but only for the briefest moment before looking back at Vera. "I didn't mean to keep you from work. You best get goin', Miss Landen."
   "Just Vera would be alright," Vera murmured shyly even as Kedzie began pulling her away.
   "I know this may seem forward, Vera," Kaidan called as the pair got farther and farther away. "But could we see each other again?"
   Having lost the capability to use to her mouth and work her vocal chords, Vera could only nod enthusiastically in response with a smile that was beginning to hurt her face. Kaidan waved, a soft grin playing about his lips before Kedzie had yanked Vera around the corner and he was out of sight.
   "What the hell was that?" Kedzie shot at her friend, but her tone had something that sounded like pride.
   "I…I don't know…" Vera turned her head, hoping to catch a glimpse of this man who had stolen her heart within seconds.
***
   As one can imagine, it was very hard for Vera to focus on her first day after that incidence. Thankfully, there wasn't much to do because as it turned out, the girls were too late to get their assignment. It was given to someone else, giving Kedzie a good reason to glare at Vera the whole day for making them miss it. Kedzie tried to pry a new assignment from her supervisors, but they honestly had nothing else. Garrus was right; the Citadel was on the quiet side of criminal activity. Kedzie and Vera spend most of the day just sitting in the offices Garrus first brought Vera to with Garrus himself coming to visit for a little bit, but Kedzie made sure to show Vera the Citadel since they had nothing better to do but sit around and do paperwork.
   "I know it isn't some dark, mysterious, and handsome stranger, but I figured you'd like a tour of the Wards." Kedzie told her as they strolled about. "The Wards make up the arms of the Citadel, holding the residential and commercial segments of the station. It's nothing too impressive, but maybe to a colonist like you…"
   "Was that supposed to be offensive?" Vera ventured, half-listening to her friend's tour speech while half-searching for Kaidan in the crowds.
   "Only if you want it to be, dear. Anyway, the Wards are just like a big city back on Earth. Some even consider the Wards to be the cultural heart of the Citadel, and maybe even the galaxy because of--okay, you could at least pretend to listen."
   Vera peeked over at Kedzie, not even aware of her lack of attention. She gave an apologetic shrug paired with a grin. Kedzie rolled her eyes, looping her arm through Vera's.
   "He wouldn't be down here, Vera. If anything, he'd be up by the Presidium."
   "Can we go there next?"
   Kedzie laughed, and Vera realized how much she missed her friend. Her laugh was deep and infectious, just as she remembered, causing Vera to giggle along. They made it to the commercial section of the Wards, various vendors of different species calling out to the masses for their new wares. A volus, one of Vera's least liked species because their breathy speech got on her nerves fast, was attempting to argue with another volus. From what Vera could catch, it was about an item the first volus bought from the other that was unsatisfactory. And it was becoming very annoying to her.
   "Welcome to the markets," Kedzie announced, throwing her free arm out with a flourish and taking Vera's attention away from the short, stumpy volus. "A place where you never want to go alone."
   "What?"
   "Don't worry, we're just passing through."
   And before Vera could open her mouth, the two were on the outer rim of the markets, leaving the shouting and haggling behind. Kedzie towed Vera onward, curving around the markets and backtracking to the C-Sec offices.
   "I could show you Flux or Chora's Den, the clubs down here in the Wards, but I don't think you're ready for that yet." continued Kedzie with a dismissive wave. "We should be heading back to the offices, anyway. That paperwork isn't gonna do itself, unfortunately."
   "You sure we can't see the Presidium?"
   Kedzie laughed again. "Not today, Vera."
***
   Somewhat disgruntled because she didn't do anything work related that day and very disgruntled that she didn't run into Kaidan again, Vera trudged home with Kedzie. Kedzie was going on and on about this case she had just solved days before Vera's arrival. Vera found herself three-forths listening to Kedzie and one-forth searching desperately for his face.
   But she knew it was hopeless once they reached their apartment door.
   Kedzie opened her omni-tool to unlock the door. Her fingers brushed across the orange holo-glove with a habitual air. The door slid apart, and just before Vera skulked in after her friend, she thought she heard a voice call her name.
   Of course, it was her imagination playing tricks on her. And Vera began to wonder why she was so hung up on this one guy whom she met once as the door closed behind her with an annoying sense of finality. Ever since Connor, she'd turned a cold shoulder to the opposite sex of her species, refusing to get romantically involved with or even close to anyone of the sort. What made Kaidan different? What about him made her heart gasp the same way Connor, regretfully, used to? Was it his warm smile and friendly disposition?  What the hell was it?
   "Damn, Vera." Kedzie murmured, taking note of her friend's completely drained appearance. "I've never seen you like this. Not even when you vid-chatted with me about Connor."
   Vera only shrugged, pulling the hair tie free to let her auburn-brown hair brush past her shoulders. She scratched her scalp, heading towards the bathroom. She needed to be alone, have time to think. And as she turned the shower on and the hot steam filled the room, she suddenly never felt so alone.
   The young woman wrapped her arms around herself, letting the scorching water smack against her skin and dribble down her naked, exposed, and scarred body. Her fingers scratched at her arms, frantically trying to find something solid to hold onto, something to anchor her in the present, in the now. But it was too late. Vera's mind was already spiraling of its own accord back to the past, to when her life changed forever…
***
Year of 2174, New Canton
   Connor Cyprus was a good kid, didn't get into underage drinking or red sand and all that other bad stuff. Ideally, he was the perfect candidate for a boyfriend. No, he was just perfect. And Vera was determined to have him. Not just because he was perfect (although it didn't hurt that he was also drop-dead gorgeous with navy blue eyes, caramel skin, and dark red hair), but also because he was just a nice kid and good friend. They started dating their senior year, going on for about two years without any problems. She adored him, and Vera thought them to be in love.
   But, then Connor started behaving strangely. He would call off their dates and disappear for days on end. It worried Vera immensely, and it didn't help that his parents covered for him. "Oh, he's gone to a concert with his friends," "He wanted some time to himself, dear," "You know Connor. He's probably out in the quarries again, digging up new things, or whatever it is he goes excavating for."
   And, when he would return, his demeanor would change drastically. He became…violent, Vera usually being his way to get his episodes out. At first, it was a small slap or smack, nothing too physical, but it made Vera wary. She tried to talk to Connor about it, but that only made him more upset. That was when the punches and the bruising they left started. He wasn't leaving as much now, but Vera was ironically wishing he did.
   She tried to escape him in any way other than leaving the colony itself. And Vera knew better than to tell anyone. Besides, the only person she could tell was her mother, and Vera's mother didn't like Connor to begin with, so all Vera would get from her mother who sometimes pretends to be a mother was a snarky retort. Vera didn't need that, so she put up with Connor's beatings for nearly a year.
   When the cutting started, Vera knew she had to get away from him. Connor would hold her down, his knife digging into the bare, pale skin of her shoulders, upper thighs, and even along her spine. At the sight of her dark red blood, Vera was horrified to see a gleam of pleasure behind Connor's once-considered beautiful eyes. The cuts overlapped each other, and the one along her spine spelled out 'love'. That's what he would whisper to her as his knife sliced open her skin.
   "This is for love, Vera." His voice was always eerily calm and soft while the flat of the blade stroked Vera's face before he cut into her body. "Love…"
   One night, he went too far. With an expert swipe, the blade cut open the front of Vera's shirt. She screamed, face red with embarrassment as Connor traced her bra gently with the knife's tip.
   "Love," He whispered again, his tongue whipping out to wet his lips.
   Just as the knife began to slide under the cup of her bra, Vera lashed out for the first time in weeks. The flat of her palm flew up, hitting Connor right under his chin. He cried out, rolling off her as he cradled his face. Seeing him writhing in agony gave Vera a burst of strength. She screamed, kicking him in the gut as her new cuts screamed back in protest.
   "You deserved that and more, you son of a bitch." Vera spat in his ear, but her revenge was short-lived.
   Connor slashed up at her, and Vera tried to jerk back but he managed to catch the blade on the lower part of her sternum between her breasts, leaving a jagged line of blood. She yelped, pulling her shirt together and putting pressure on the unexpectedly deep cut. Draining the rest of her resolve with one last shriek, Vera kicked him in the head. Connor's knife fell from his grasp as he collapsed onto his back, unconscious.
   Then, she ran back home in tears.
   She admitted everything to her mother, who, surprisingly, didn't reproach her daughter but comforted her and tended to her new cuts. She was actually being a mother, and a good one, at that. Her mother even teared up at Vera's cut on her chest. That blew Vera's mind; never before has her mother shown such emotion. She chooses now of all times to be a mother to me? Vera thought bitterly, but she really very thankful for her mother's strange and unanticipated change as she gingerly cleaned Vera's wounds.
   After Vera was clean and patched back up, her mother said there was an operation available to get rid of the scars, but Vera insisted on keeping them. They were a part of her now, whether she wanted them to be or not.
   Of course, Connor was gone the next morning along with one of the small cruisers kept in the colony's rarely-used dock. His parents were conveniently out of town, too.
   The Cypruses never came back to New Canton.
   Vera wanted to go after him, to find him and made him pay for all the misery he gave her. Because of him, she was left scarred, anxious, and very cautious towards the opposite sex of humans. He ruined her life, and she hated him for it. She never did find out what Connor did when he disappeared, what made him change. Then again, Vera didn't really care anymore. She just wanted to see him bleed for once.
***
   Vera gasped at Kedzie's timid knock on the bathroom door, her fingers frozen on the scar between her breasts. She heard her friend ask something worriedly, probably if she was alright, so Vera shouted an assurance. Of course, Kedzie didn't believe it, but there wasn't much else she could do.
   Kedzie waited outside the door, her ear against it as she listened for any other sounds. A few minutes passed before she heard the shower get turned off. I just had to bring up Connor. Shit, Kedzie, shit. She thought bitterly to herself as she walked across the room to the kitchen.
   Kedzie was gone before Connor ever came along, having left with her military-dressed father at the age of seven to the Citadel. Every time Vera would be yanked back into the past during their vid-chats and now in person, Kedzie wished she stayed around. This Connor kid had ruined her best friend's life, left her with countless scars that Kedzie has only heard about in breathless whispers dripping with anxiety. And she knew better than to ask Vera about it. Even after four years, it was a very touchy subject, and Kedzie couldn't blame her. Memories fade, but scars are forever.
   Another half hour or so passed before Vera came out of the bathroom with a white robe wrapped securely around her small figure. Kedzie glanced up from her work in the kitchen, chopping up some vegetables for an asari stir-fry recipe she found on the extranet. Vera briskly walked across the front room, but gave pause at the smell from a pot on the stove. Kedzie gave her a smirk.
   "Those asari sure know their food, huh?" Kedzie gestured to the pot with her knife before going back to work. "It did call for asari tentacles, strange enough, but I replaced it with something else, don't worry."
   "And what would that be?" Vera said sarcastically. "Turian fringe?"
   "Have you seen those things? There's no meat on 'em!" shot back Kedzie playfully. "Stuff we're used to, alright? It should be done soon, so don't be goin' anywhere!"
   Vera rolled her eyes (Where would I go?), continuing across the room with a much better state of mind. She went into her bedroom, closing the door softly. As Vera stripped herself of her robe, she faintly heard Kedzie beginning to sing along with a muffled song. It sounded terrible, of course, but it made Vera smile. Her fingers lingered on her bare skin, tracing the all too familiar scars laced across her shoulders. With a shiver, Vera quickly pulled on a black hoodie and a pair of Kedzie's charcoal Bermudas. Comfortable and clean, Vera came back into the main room, leaning on the counter Kedzie was still using to cut up more food. She pulled the sleeves over her hands, letting her chin rest on her black-covered fists. Her large green eyes watched Kedzie closely with interest, trying to be as bothersome as possible just because.
   "You can help, you know." Kedzie finally said pointedly, taking a break from her singing and turning down the radio with a free hand. "And you should ask before you just decide to wear other peoples' clothes."
   "Meh," Vera muttered, walking around the counter to find some way to assist.
   Kedzie handed her the knife she was using without even thinking about it, but Vera didn't even think about it either. Surprisingly, Vera didn't have a problem with knifes. It was just him she had a problem with. Kedzie paused, though, watching Vera carefully as Vera began where Kedzie left off. Vera pulled up her hoodie's sleeves to her elbows, glancing at the knife to Kedzie's concerned expression.
   "I'm fine," Vera said gently as her friend kept her gaze on her. "Is there anything else I could do since you've annihilated most of these poor veggies?"
   "Oh, har har, but yeah. Once you're done choppin', go on and dump them in the pot, then you could-"
   A knock on their door gave Kedzie pause. Kedzie hitched up an eyebrow, wondering who this could be at this rather late hour. She exchanged a look with Vera, a "Don't-look-at-me" type of look. Vera sighed sharply through her nose, though a smile was on her face.
   "No, no. Don't worry. I'll answer the door." Vera put the knife back down before marching over to the door. "I know that's scary and all."
   As the door slid open, Vera realized that she wasn't wearing any undergarments under her hoodie and shorts, and so that made it immediately awkward when it turned out that Kaidan Alenko was standing just outside the door.

Description
Before the Worst, An Origin Story
WARNING: Mild Language and Slightly Suggestive Themes
1
Year of 2178
   So much better than the vids!
   Vera Landen stepped out onto the docking area of the Citadel space station, barely glancing behind her at space cruiser that brought her to this wonderful place full of new, exciting opportunities. The twenty-two year old slowly spun on her heels, taking in the breathtaking sight of ships zipping in and out of the docks. Her big, green eyes sparkled under the bright lights of the Citadel, the considered-central hub of the entire galaxy.
   Her moment was ruined, though, by the rush of colonists behind her who wanted to do the same thing, as well as a few grumpy natives to the space station that yearned to escape the gaping newcomers. The large bag that held most of her clothes and other possessions was nearly jostled from her shoulder as she was pushed and shoved from behind by the mob. Vera yelped, jumping out of the way of the stream of people before she was overrun. Brushing a loose strand of auburn-brown hair back into place, Vera readjusted the strap of her bag before melding in with the crowd. The people-river was heading towards the main elevator that led from the docks to the center of Citadel Security Academy.
   "Only so many can fit at once-spirits, just wait your turn!"
   A turian officer that was getting very angry very fast was standing at the elevator entrance, pushing the hoard back as the first set of tourists traveled down the elevator. Vera was always interested in the other species throughout the galaxy, and turians were one of her favorites with their fringe, mandibles, and distinctive face paint that told which colony they belonged to. This particular turian bore dark blue paint, and Vera wished she knew what color meant what colony. Then, she was startled to find that she was at the front of the crowd, the turian putting a three-fingered hand on her shoulder to hold her back.
   "Just wait, ma'am, please." He said with his strange, flanging vocal tone, which had lost its frustrating strain and was replaced with pure exhaustion.
   "Oh, of course, yes." Vera replied, stepping to the side to stand next to him. "I'll just wait, go last. If that's alright?"
   The turian gave her a quizzical look, waving in the next bunch of spacers to be zoomed down. His small, blue eyes held her gaze without anxiety. If anything, he looked amused. It made her want to smile. And so she did.
   "If you really want to, sure. S'pose it would be easier for me." He paused, holding back the mass once more. "Or would it…?"
   Vera laughed, which got a strange looking expression from the turian that she supposed was a smile. As he waved in the next group, he held out his other to Vera. It took her a second to realize that he wanted to shake her hand.
   "Garrus Vakarian of C-Sec, Investigation Division." The turian introduced himself as they shook hands.
   "Vera Landen of…" She trailed off, trying to think of what to say. Her colony? Or should she say 'of the Citadel' now? How about both? She pulled back her shoulders and proudly finished her introduction. "…formerly of New Canton and presently of the Citadel."
   Now it was Garrus' turn to laugh. He gestured in the next, and last, cluster of visitors into the elevator. She leaned against the railing running along the dock's walkway as the final bunch was stuffed into the elevator.
   "How did you get stuck with this if you're in the Investigation Division?" asked Vera as the elevator began another descent.
   "Beats me," Garrus answered gruffly, crossing his arms and leaning against the railing next to her. "Not much has been going on, surprisingly, so I guess the administration is just throwing us wherever we can help. No matter what division we're in."
   "Well, that's dumb." Vera commented, as the elevator zoomed back up.
   "You're tellin' me." The turian muttered, stretching out his arm in the 'ladies first' gesture.
   Vera grinned, pushing herself off the railing and into the open elevator. Garrus followed her in, and the glass doors slid shut behind him. He huffily punched the down button before crossing his arms again.
   "If it wasn't for my father, I wouldn't even be here…"
   He trailed off, and Vera respectively let the topic drop. She knew where peoples' boundaries were, where the line was specifically drawn. Plus, this was a complete stranger. It wasn't her business. Noticing the awkward air that began to sift in on the ride down, Garrus turned his head to look over at Vera.
   "So, if you don't mind me asking, what brought you to the Citadel? Is there anything I can help you with?" Vera noted how his voice didn't insinuate anything provocative or seductive; he genuinely wanted to assist without anything in return.
   "I got sick of my colony," Vera replied, happy to have met a decent person already. "I wanted to see something new, and just explore, you know?"
   Garrus nodded, actually paying attention to her words. That was something new to her. Back home, there wasn't anyone for her to talk to, really. Except for Connor. Vera had to hold back a gag at the thought of him. Garrus titled his head, inquiring to Vera's sudden silence. She cleared her throat and continued on with a slightly forced grin.
   "Plus, a good friend of mine moved here years ago. I've been meaning to visit, but things happened…" She paused as her thoughts again landed on Connor, but quickly continued before Garrus could inquire; he had a right to know where her line was, too. "Anyway, you might know her. She works in C-Sec. Kedzie James?"
   His immediate reaction was comforting, but not, at the same time. He knew who she was, indeed. The turian tossed his head back and laughed, echoing throughout the little space of the elevator. Once he recovered, he gave an apologetic look.
   "Oh, man. James? Yeah, I know her, all right." Garrus explained as the elevator door slid open. He gestured for her to follow him, and Vera gladly shuffled after him as she took in the Academy. "Crazy bitch, she is. Hope you don't take offense to that. She takes it as a complement."
   "Sounds like Kedzie, definitely." Vera assured with a smile as she watched the various species walk by her; more turians, a few salarians, and even a krogan! (There were humans, of course, but Vera didn't really care much for her own species, having lived with them for twenty-two years.) It was wonderful!
   "But, yeah, she's with the Internal Affairs Unit." continued Garrus, taking them down a flight of stairs that led to a hallway. "Gets the job done, no matter what. I like that about her."
   "So you guys are friends?" She ventured warily as they paused outside a door along the hall with Garrus typing something on a holo-pad embedded in the wall; IA agents were not looked highly upon by other cops, or so Vera's heard.
   "Oh, yeah. If she doesn't have a problem with me, I don't have a problem with her." Garrus looked over his shoulder and gave that smiling expression again. "Let's just say that I've always met with her on…good terms."
   The door slid open, revealing an office. There were a couple turians crowded around a desk, staring at one turian's screen. It sounded like news coverage about something utterly dull to Vera. A few other desks were scattered about, and a human female was hunched over one in the far corner. Her shoulder length, pale blond hair was messily yanked up into a ponytail with her straight-across bangs playing about her equally pale brown eyes.
   "Well, you haven't changed much, have you?" Vera said aloud, startling the group of turians for but a second before they realized that this human wasn't addressing them and went back to their screen.
   But, the other human in the room was suddenly up and out of her chair, dashing across the room to crash into Vera's arms, screaming the whole way like a banshee. The childhood friends squealed with absolute delight, getting harsh looks from the turians. Garrus, noticing this, pulled the now-gabbing pair into a small adjourning room before closing the door privately behind.
   "Oh, my God, Vera! Why didn't you tell me you were coming-?!"
   "I wanted it to be a surprise! I-!"
   "Well, I'll leave you two to it then, hm?" Garrus shouted over them.
   Kedzie turned her bright smile onto the turian. She playfully knocked her fist against his shoulder. He gave an uneasy smile, unconsciously showing Vera his true feelings for Kedzie: He respected her a whole hell of a lot, that was true, but her renegade attitude about her job and how she does it, that even comparable to Garrus', made him a bit nervous. Vera laughed aloud at piecing this together, quickly covering her mouth with her fist to hide it.
   "Thanks, Garrus." said Kedzie sincerely. "If you hadn't had found little Vera here, who knows what would've happened to her…"
   "Hey, hey, I'm quite capable of taking care of myself." Vera interjected defensively.
   As the two began to continue their banter, Garrus rolled his eyes and began to creep backwards, out of the room. But he wasn't going to get away that easily. Kedzie made sure of that as she grabbed the large collar of the turian's armor, tugging him back.
   "But seriously, Garrus," Kedzie continued, keeping her grip on him as Garrus began to squirm uncomfortably. "We're good friends, right? Right. And I appreciate what you did. You didn't have to help this alien-lover of a human."
   "Hey-!"
   "It was nothing, James." Garrus assured, carefully prying Kedzie's hand from his armor. "It's nice to meet a friendly face every now and then. Nice to meet you, Vera. Maybe I'll see you around?"
   "Nice to meet you, too, Garrus." Vera responded with her ever present smile. "And I hope so."
   Garrus nodded, his smiling expression flashing across his face before he left the room to just to the two women. Kedzie snapped her head around to look at Vera. One eyebrow was raised with a questioning air, Kedzie's lips twisted up into a suggestive smirk.
   "Oh, goodness, no." Vera quickly shouted at realizing what her friend's face was for. "He seems nice enough, Kedzie, but I'm not getting involved with someone right now."
   "Aw shit, Vera." Her friend moaned, lips dropping down in defeated frown. "You two would be perfect together! I've known Garrus for a long time, and it would be all sorts of adorable."
   "That's not why I came to the Citadel, Kedzie-"
   "Why did you come, anyway?" Kedzie interrupted, collapsing onto the sofa in the small break room. "You didn't come all this way just to see me, did you?"
   Vera sighed, dropping her bag to the floor before flopping beside her friend. She leaned her head back against the upholstery, staring up at the ceiling.
   "That's part of it, yes, but I wanted to do something with my life, Kedzie." Vera explained, tossing her hands in the air with a flourish (Vera was one to talk with her hands). "Of course, my mom wasn't too upset over me leaving. And I won't even touch the subject of Connor." Just saying his name left a bad taste in her mouth. "I needed something new, something exciting. I figured that the Citadel was perfect for this."
   Kedzie bobbed her head along in agreement, making a face when Connor was mentioned. Long story short, Connor was an insane douchebag that treated Vera very terribly before he left the colony for good. But not without leaving her broken and scarred, both emotionally and physically. It was a topic Vera didn't like to speak of.
   "Something new, huh? And exciting?" Kedzie murmured, mostly to herself as a thought began to grow in her head. "I have it! Vera, dear, you can get a job with C-Sec!" She bounced up from the sofa, hands at her cheeks with excitement. "We could be partners!"
   Vera raised her eyebrows with surprise and uncertainty. It certainly would be something new, but something like this? Working under cover to nail the back guys within C-Sec and possibly become one of the most hated people on the Citadel?
   "Hell," Vera muttered. "Why not?"
***
   With Kedzie's very impressive track record, it was relatively easy to get Vera the job. The administration was willing to do anything for their star undercover agent, and maybe getting her a partner will double Kedzie's already incredible results.
   The supervisors were very impressed with Vera's easy conformity to the job expectations. Vera was always one for self-defense, especially after the whole Connor situation. She already knew how to defend herself with just her hands and disarm any foe with ease. The colonist was even able to get some training in with a pistol back home. Plus, it helped that she could easily blend with other human females with her normal looks.
   Within a few weeks, Vera had basic training down pat and was ready to go out on the job. During her basic training, Vera had Garrus for a few sessions, and the two quickly became good friends as they beat each other with the flats of their hands and fists. For awhile, Vera was afraid that Garrus would ask her out on a date, but it was like he knew better than to ask such a thing. There was an unsaid mutual decision about it, a silent pact that announced they would just be great friends. Vera was glad to have Garrus as a friend with his witty responses to pretty much everything and careless attitude toward, well, pretty much everything. And, it was pretty sweet that he was a turian, too. She'd never met a different species before, much less have one has a friend. It was amazing and, indeed, exciting.
   At first, she lived in the recruitment facilities of the Academy, but once her training was finished, Vera moved in with Kedzie in an apartment complex not far from the Academy. The apartment was a modest size with a bedroom that housed two beds, a bathroom with a state-of-the-art shower, a kitchen with everything a chef would need, and a front room that had a loveseat with matching chairs, a coffee table, and a screen on the wall that constantly had the new Blasto movie on pause (Every time Kedzie would try to finish it, she'd be called to work or remember something important that she had to do). That first night Vera moved in, they finished the movie to Kedzie's elation and Vera's relief.
Vera fit in so perfectly on the Citadel it was like she was meant to live on the space station. She cursed herself for not leaving home sooner.
   Just as the partners were leaving their apartment to trudge over to work and get their first job together, Vera spotted him at the end of the stairs. She slid to a complete stop with one foot on the first step, entranced by this human male talking a bit heatedly with another human. His uniform gave it away immediately; an Alliance Navy man. Kedzie was halfway down the stairs before she turned to see Vera ogling at the man.
   "Vera? Let's go, we can sight see after our shift." Kedzie climbed back up to her friend, grabbing her arm.
   The man had shoved the Navy man in the chest, and then the Navy man made a gesture like "I'm-done-with-this", and began to storm away, leaving…
   Vera had to find out who this was.
   She sprinted down the steps, taking two at time as well as dragging Kedzie along with her. And then she was falling, tumbling down the stairs. Her grip on Kedzie was lost as Vera very ungracefully stumbled down, head over feet, till she landed, sprawled, at the foot of the stairwell, right in front of the Navy man.
   His not-so-pale-but-not-exactly-dark-brown eyes widened at the sight of her. He blinked, once and then twice, before his gentlemanly instincts kicked in. The man offered Vera a hand and a smile. God, that smile,, Vera thought as she grinned back stupidly and took his hand.
   "You took quite a tumble, there, ma'am." He said as he pulled her up, his voice the perfect mix of deep and high, and Vera gladly took note that his touch on her hand lingered longer than necessary. "You alright?"
   "Oh, yes. I just-stairs and I aren't the best of friends." Smooooooth, Landen. Super smooth.
   "I could tell," He laughed, running a hand through his dark brown hair. "Well, ma'am, you best get better aquatinted with stairs. This may be the most technologically advanced place in the galaxy, but there happen to be more stairs around than you think."
   "That's probably a good idea," She said, only slightly stumbling over her own words. "I'm Vera, Vera Landen. Thank you for not laughing at that display of mine."
   "How could I laugh when that 'display' let me meet you, Miss Landen?" He replied smoothly, that smile creeping back up on his handsome face.
   Vera blushed immediately, numbly mumbling sounds as she tried to find words. No one ever made her crumble so easily, not even Connor. The man offered his hand again, this time in order to shake. She hoped her hand didn't look desperate as it flew to meet his.
   "Kaidan Alenko of the Alliance Navy, Miss Landen."
   What was it with people here saying 'of blah de blah'? Vera thought while thinking about how proper and cute this Kaidan was at the same time. Kedzie rolled her eyes from her position behind Vera, starting to get impatient.
   "Vera, I'd hate to break up this little…whatever it is," Kedzie stepped in, curling her fingers around her dazed friend's arm. "But we gotta go to work. You know, since it is like your first day."
   "Oh, my apologies." Kaidan said, looking at Kedzie for the first time, but only for the briefest moment before looking back at Vera. "I didn't mean to keep you from work. You best get goin', Miss Landen."
   "Just Vera would be alright," Vera murmured shyly even as Kedzie began pulling her away.
   "I know this may seem forward, Vera," Kaidan called as the pair got farther and farther away. "But could we see each other again?"
   Having lost the capability to use to her mouth and work her vocal chords, Vera could only nod enthusiastically in response with a smile that was beginning to hurt her face. Kaidan waved, a soft grin playing about his lips before Kedzie had yanked Vera around the corner and he was out of sight.
   "What the hell was that?" Kedzie shot at her friend, but her tone had something that sounded like pride.
   "I…I don't know…" Vera turned her head, hoping to catch a glimpse of this man who had stolen her heart within seconds.
***
   As one can imagine, it was very hard for Vera to focus on her first day after that incidence. Thankfully, there wasn't much to do because as it turned out, the girls were too late to get their assignment. It was given to someone else, giving Kedzie a good reason to glare at Vera the whole day for making them miss it. Kedzie tried to pry a new assignment from her supervisors, but they honestly had nothing else. Garrus was right; the Citadel was on the quiet side of criminal activity. Kedzie and Vera spend most of the day just sitting in the offices Garrus first brought Vera to with Garrus himself coming to visit for a little bit, but Kedzie made sure to show Vera the Citadel since they had nothing better to do but sit around and do paperwork.
   "I know it isn't some dark, mysterious, and handsome stranger, but I figured you'd like a tour of the Wards." Kedzie told her as they strolled about. "The Wards make up the arms of the Citadel, holding the residential and commercial segments of the station. It's nothing too impressive, but maybe to a colonist like you…"
   "Was that supposed to be offensive?" Vera ventured, half-listening to her friend's tour speech while half-searching for Kaidan in the crowds.
   "Only if you want it to be, dear. Anyway, the Wards are just like a big city back on Earth. Some even consider the Wards to be the cultural heart of the Citadel, and maybe even the galaxy because of--okay, you could at least pretend to listen."
   Vera peeked over at Kedzie, not even aware of her lack of attention. She gave an apologetic shrug paired with a grin. Kedzie rolled her eyes, looping her arm through Vera's.
   "He wouldn't be down here, Vera. If anything, he'd be up by the Presidium."
   "Can we go there next?"
   Kedzie laughed, and Vera realized how much she missed her friend. Her laugh was deep and infectious, just as she remembered, causing Vera to giggle along. They made it to the commercial section of the Wards, various vendors of different species calling out to the masses for their new wares. A volus, one of Vera's least liked species because their breathy speech got on her nerves fast, was attempting to argue with another volus. From what Vera could catch, it was about an item the first volus bought from the other that was unsatisfactory. And it was becoming very annoying to her.
   "Welcome to the markets," Kedzie announced, throwing her free arm out with a flourish and taking Vera's attention away from the short, stumpy volus. "A place where you never want to go alone."
   "What?"
   "Don't worry, we're just passing through."
   And before Vera could open her mouth, the two were on the outer rim of the markets, leaving the shouting and haggling behind. Kedzie towed Vera onward, curving around the markets and backtracking to the C-Sec offices.
   "I could show you Flux or Chora's Den, the clubs down here in the Wards, but I don't think you're ready for that yet." continued Kedzie with a dismissive wave. "We should be heading back to the offices, anyway. That paperwork isn't gonna do itself, unfortunately."
   "You sure we can't see the Presidium?"
   Kedzie laughed again. "Not today, Vera."
***
   Somewhat disgruntled because she didn't do anything work related that day and very disgruntled that she didn't run into Kaidan again, Vera trudged home with Kedzie. Kedzie was going on and on about this case she had just solved days before Vera's arrival. Vera found herself three-forths listening to Kedzie and one-forth searching desperately for his face.
   But she knew it was hopeless once they reached their apartment door.
   Kedzie opened her omni-tool to unlock the door. Her fingers brushed across the orange holo-glove with a habitual air. The door slid apart, and just before Vera skulked in after her friend, she thought she heard a voice call her name.
   Of course, it was her imagination playing tricks on her. And Vera began to wonder why she was so hung up on this one guy whom she met once as the door closed behind her with an annoying sense of finality. Ever since Connor, she'd turned a cold shoulder to the opposite sex of her species, refusing to get romantically involved with or even close to anyone of the sort. What made Kaidan different? What about him made her heart gasp the same way Connor, regretfully, used to? Was it his warm smile and friendly disposition?  What the hell was it?
   "Damn, Vera." Kedzie murmured, taking note of her friend's completely drained appearance. "I've never seen you like this. Not even when you vid-chatted with me about Connor."
   Vera only shrugged, pulling the hair tie free to let her auburn-brown hair brush past her shoulders. She scratched her scalp, heading towards the bathroom. She needed to be alone, have time to think. And as she turned the shower on and the hot steam filled the room, she suddenly never felt so alone.
   The young woman wrapped her arms around herself, letting the scorching water smack against her skin and dribble down her naked, exposed, and scarred body. Her fingers scratched at her arms, frantically trying to find something solid to hold onto, something to anchor her in the present, in the now. But it was too late. Vera's mind was already spiraling of its own accord back to the past, to when her life changed forever…
***
Year of 2174, New Canton
   Connor Cyprus was a good kid, didn't get into underage drinking or red sand and all that other bad stuff. Ideally, he was the perfect candidate for a boyfriend. No, he was just perfect. And Vera was determined to have him. Not just because he was perfect (although it didn't hurt that he was also drop-dead gorgeous with navy blue eyes, caramel skin, and dark red hair), but also because he was just a nice kid and good friend. They started dating their senior year, going on for about two years without any problems. She adored him, and Vera thought them to be in love.
   But, then Connor started behaving strangely. He would call off their dates and disappear for days on end. It worried Vera immensely, and it didn't help that his parents covered for him. "Oh, he's gone to a concert with his friends," "He wanted some time to himself, dear," "You know Connor. He's probably out in the quarries again, digging up new things, or whatever it is he goes excavating for."
   And, when he would return, his demeanor would change drastically. He became…violent, Vera usually being his way to get his episodes out. At first, it was a small slap or smack, nothing too physical, but it made Vera wary. She tried to talk to Connor about it, but that only made him more upset. That was when the punches and the bruising they left started. He wasn't leaving as much now, but Vera was ironically wishing he did.
   She tried to escape him in any way other than leaving the colony itself. And Vera knew better than to tell anyone. Besides, the only person she could tell was her mother, and Vera's mother didn't like Connor to begin with, so all Vera would get from her mother who sometimes pretends to be a mother was a snarky retort. Vera didn't need that, so she put up with Connor's beatings for nearly a year.
   When the cutting started, Vera knew she had to get away from him. Connor would hold her down, his knife digging into the bare, pale skin of her shoulders, upper thighs, and even along her spine. At the sight of her dark red blood, Vera was horrified to see a gleam of pleasure behind Connor's once-considered beautiful eyes. The cuts overlapped each other, and the one along her spine spelled out 'love'. That's what he would whisper to her as his knife sliced open her skin.
   "This is for love, Vera." His voice was always eerily calm and soft while the flat of the blade stroked Vera's face before he cut into her body. "Love…"
   One night, he went too far. With an expert swipe, the blade cut open the front of Vera's shirt. She screamed, face red with embarrassment as Connor traced her bra gently with the knife's tip.
   "Love," He whispered again, his tongue whipping out to wet his lips.
   Just as the knife began to slide under the cup of her bra, Vera lashed out for the first time in weeks. The flat of her palm flew up, hitting Connor right under his chin. He cried out, rolling off her as he cradled his face. Seeing him writhing in agony gave Vera a burst of strength. She screamed, kicking him in the gut as her new cuts screamed back in protest.
   "You deserved that and more, you son of a bitch." Vera spat in his ear, but her revenge was short-lived.
   Connor slashed up at her, and Vera tried to jerk back but he managed to catch the blade on the lower part of her sternum between her breasts, leaving a jagged line of blood. She yelped, pulling her shirt together and putting pressure on the unexpectedly deep cut. Draining the rest of her resolve with one last shriek, Vera kicked him in the head. Connor's knife fell from his grasp as he collapsed onto his back, unconscious.
   Then, she ran back home in tears.
   She admitted everything to her mother, who, surprisingly, didn't reproach her daughter but comforted her and tended to her new cuts. She was actually being a mother, and a good one, at that. Her mother even teared up at Vera's cut on her chest. That blew Vera's mind; never before has her mother shown such emotion. She chooses now of all times to be a mother to me? Vera thought bitterly, but she really very thankful for her mother's strange and unanticipated change as she gingerly cleaned Vera's wounds.
   After Vera was clean and patched back up, her mother said there was an operation available to get rid of the scars, but Vera insisted on keeping them. They were a part of her now, whether she wanted them to be or not.
   Of course, Connor was gone the next morning along with one of the small cruisers kept in the colony's rarely-used dock. His parents were conveniently out of town, too.
   The Cypruses never came back to New Canton.
   Vera wanted to go after him, to find him and made him pay for all the misery he gave her. Because of him, she was left scarred, anxious, and very cautious towards the opposite sex of humans. He ruined her life, and she hated him for it. She never did find out what Connor did when he disappeared, what made him change. Then again, Vera didn't really care anymore. She just wanted to see him bleed for once.
***
   Vera gasped at Kedzie's timid knock on the bathroom door, her fingers frozen on the scar between her breasts. She heard her friend ask something worriedly, probably if she was alright, so Vera shouted an assurance. Of course, Kedzie didn't believe it, but there wasn't much else she could do.
   Kedzie waited outside the door, her ear against it as she listened for any other sounds. A few minutes passed before she heard the shower get turned off. I just had to bring up Connor. Shit, Kedzie, shit. She thought bitterly to herself as she walked across the room to the kitchen.
   Kedzie was gone before Connor ever came along, having left with her military-dressed father at the age of seven to the Citadel. Every time Vera would be yanked back into the past during their vid-chats and now in person, Kedzie wished she stayed around. This Connor kid had ruined her best friend's life, left her with countless scars that Kedzie has only heard about in breathless whispers dripping with anxiety. And she knew better than to ask Vera about it. Even after four years, it was a very touchy subject, and Kedzie couldn't blame her. Memories fade, but scars are forever.
   Another half hour or so passed before Vera came out of the bathroom with a white robe wrapped securely around her small figure. Kedzie glanced up from her work in the kitchen, chopping up some vegetables for an asari stir-fry recipe she found on the extranet. Vera briskly walked across the front room, but gave pause at the smell from a pot on the stove. Kedzie gave her a smirk.
   "Those asari sure know their food, huh?" Kedzie gestured to the pot with her knife before going back to work. "It did call for asari tentacles, strange enough, but I replaced it with something else, don't worry."
   "And what would that be?" Vera said sarcastically. "Turian fringe?"
   "Have you seen those things? There's no meat on 'em!" shot back Kedzie playfully. "Stuff we're used to, alright? It should be done soon, so don't be goin' anywhere!"
   Vera rolled her eyes (Where would I go?), continuing across the room with a much better state of mind. She went into her bedroom, closing the door softly. As Vera stripped herself of her robe, she faintly heard Kedzie beginning to sing along with a muffled song. It sounded terrible, of course, but it made Vera smile. Her fingers lingered on her bare skin, tracing the all too familiar scars laced across her shoulders. With a shiver, Vera quickly pulled on a black hoodie and a pair of Kedzie's charcoal Bermudas. Comfortable and clean, Vera came back into the main room, leaning on the counter Kedzie was still using to cut up more food. She pulled the sleeves over her hands, letting her chin rest on her black-covered fists. Her large green eyes watched Kedzie closely with interest, trying to be as bothersome as possible just because.
   "You can help, you know." Kedzie finally said pointedly, taking a break from her singing and turning down the radio with a free hand. "And you should ask before you just decide to wear other peoples' clothes."
   "Meh," Vera muttered, walking around the counter to find some way to assist.
   Kedzie handed her the knife she was using without even thinking about it, but Vera didn't even think about it either. Surprisingly, Vera didn't have a problem with knifes. It was just him she had a problem with. Kedzie paused, though, watching Vera carefully as Vera began where Kedzie left off. Vera pulled up her hoodie's sleeves to her elbows, glancing at the knife to Kedzie's concerned expression.
   "I'm fine," Vera said gently as her friend kept her gaze on her. "Is there anything else I could do since you've annihilated most of these poor veggies?"
   "Oh, har har, but yeah. Once you're done choppin', go on and dump them in the pot, then you could-"
   A knock on their door gave Kedzie pause. Kedzie hitched up an eyebrow, wondering who this could be at this rather late hour. She exchanged a look with Vera, a "Don't-look-at-me" type of look. Vera sighed sharply through her nose, though a smile was on her face.
   "No, no. Don't worry. I'll answer the door." Vera put the knife back down before marching over to the door. "I know that's scary and all."
   As the door slid open, Vera realized that she wasn't wearing any undergarments under her hoodie and shorts, and so that made it immediately awkward when it turned out that Kaidan Alenko was standing just outside the door.