HOME | DD

Description
Mass Effect Fanfiction
Over the Edge
(slight language, mentioned once)
   It was a rather typical day on the Citadel for IA agent Vera Landen. She still had the satisfying tast of victory lingering in her mouth. She just nailed an Alliance officer who was helping this asari cover up her murders, smugglings, and plenty of other things that the officer should've reported.
   Yes, just a typical day.
   As Vera was returning to C-Sec to report her findings, she overheard plenty of things, as usual. She heard two turians arguing; one angry and loud, the other more collected and soft. There was a group of mercs gathered around a table, talking in hushed, fast voices. When Vera passed them, the conversation stopped as they all glared her down til she was past. An asari was flirting very opening with a handsome looking human that Vera recgonized as a well-known businessman. Chances were that the asari was an assassin, but Vera didn't have time to deal with it. The man was well-known, but not well-loved.
   Just as Vera was getting lost in her thoughts, she felt a hand on her arm. Instinct took ahold of her, and Vera lashed out, grabbing the hand and preparing to twist it-
   "Whoa, whoa! Calm down, Vera; it's just me!"
   Vera let go immediately at the sound of his voice. Her face flushed, embarrassed that she was unusually jumpy, as she looked at the turian's face. She gave a small smile, spreading her hands in apology.
   "Sorry, Garrus." Vera said to the turian with blue armor and face paint to match. "That last one, it-" Vera paused at Garrus' somber expression. "What? What is it?"
   "I think you should see this." He answered, turing towards the apartments. "Quickly, if you could. They'll be there before us if we don't."
   "What are you talking about?" Vera asked, her smile creeping back to break the tension that was quickly building up.
   "Just, come on."
   Before Vera could argue, her close turian friend clasped his three fingers around her wrist and began to pull her away.
   "Garrus..." said Vera, although she let the turian walk her briskly towards the apartments. "What's going on?"
   He didn't answer, but rather began a faster pace. Vera muttered and complained, and on Garrus went until they reached the apartmnet entrance.
   "It's Kedzie." He finally said as they stepped into the elevator.
   "Oh?" Vera inquired as the doors closed and the elevator rose. "She wasn't at work today, true. She wasn't feeling too good last night, though-" Vera stopped upon seeing Garrus' face; it was the same expression he had earlier, but looked more...sad. "Garrus?"
   The elevator opened, and Garrus got about before he answered. He continued on, expecing Vera to follow. And she did, but slowly. He was waiting impatiently a few doors down, and Vera knew whose room that was.
   "Garrus," She repeated softly, her face turning white.
   He silently pushed the button on the door, and it opened within seconds, leaving a circular hole-doorway.
   Suddenly, Vera's blood was pumping at an alarming rate as she ran into Kedzie's apartment. And there Kedzie was, hanging from a noose tied to the light fixture.
   "No!" Vera screamed, pulling out her pistol and expertly shooting through the rope.
   Kedzie's limp body fell, fast, the short distance to the ground as the rope burned through, and crumpled on the ground with a thunk. Vera knelt next to her friend, her partner, cradling Kedzie's head in her hands.
   "No, no, no, no..." Vera moaned, the hot tears running down her face to plink onto Kedzie's frozen cheeks.
   "I found her like this," Garrus explained from behind, waiting in front of the now closed door. "But, from the looks of it, I'd say that she's...she's been like this for almost a day." He paused. "I'm sorry, Vera."
   "She wouldn't give up like this, never..." Vera cried, her voice cracking and defensive. "She's stronger than that, than me!"
   "I know, Vera." Garrus murmured, moving closer to kneel down next to her. "I also found this," He held out a note (Kedzie was very old fashioned) with Kedzie's familiar scrawl on it. "It was on the table."
   But Vera only stared at her friend's suicide note, her tears blurring all the words together. Her hands stayed put, holding Kedzie's head in her lap. With a sigh, Garrus pried one of Vera's hands free, placing the note gently in her palm.
   "Read it," The turian ordered softly.
   Vera shuddered, holding back a sob, before she reluctantly read the note:
   Vera, for I hope you're the one that finds me,
             I want to say I'm sorry, first. This has nothing to do with you, I want you to know. You did all you could, I know. I was the one who didn't do enough. I just let that harassment continue, and it was too disheartening to bring it forth for I know that I would just be dismissed with my claim. It became too much, my dear friend. I love you like the sister I never had, and I always will.
                            Nail those bastards for me,
                                         Kedzie
   The note fluttered to the ground as Vera's hand loosened. She stared foward, not really looking at anything. Garrus watched her carefully, having read the note himself before, and was waiting for her reaction. He expected Vera to go on a rampage, to hunt down those men who harrassed her friend. He expecected violence, but not this:
   "I have to leave," Vera said, bowing her head to look down at her partner.
   "What? Leave? Vera, what do you mean?" Garrus questioned with concern. "It was suicide, Vera. They won't suspect foul play, if you think they'll try to pin this on you-"
   "No," She cut him off fiercely. "I have to leave. I can't stand being here any more." Vera paused, stroking a piece of stray hair from Kedzie's face. "The Alliance, the Council, all of it is just...stupid. I don't know why I've put up with them for so long. Humans mean nothing to them."
   A harsh silence drifted in, and Garrus kept his similiar thoughts to himself. It was Vera's moment to rant, not his. Not yet.
   "I'm leaving, Garrus." Vera said firmly, her voice more stable, as she met his gaze. "And I'm going to miss you."
   Before Garrus could question her further, Vera kissed Kedzie's forehead and picked her up easily to carry her to her bed. Vera put her partner down gently, pulling the covers up to her chin. She murmured good-bye, brushing her fingers across Kedzie's face to close her eyes.
   "I'll get them, I swear." whispered Vera.
   She looked down at her partner for an extra second before turning away abruptly. She cut across the room, bent down, picked up the note, and crumpled it up in her hand. Only then did Vera look back at Garrus, who had stood back up and was now watching Vera again.
   "I trust that you'll keep this a secret?" Vera asked, her voice low. "That you have no idea where I am?"
   "Well, you never did say where you were going." Garrus answered, slightly confused.
   "Exactly," Vera smiled, tucking the balled-up note into her pocket. "I will miss you. Good-bye, Garrus."
   She brushed by him, and then she was gone. Garrus turned in time to see the door close again.
   "May our paths cross again, Vera." said Garrus, his words bouncing off the walls.
   Little did the turian know.
***

Description
Mass Effect Fanfiction
Over the Edge
(slight language, mentioned once)
   It was a rather typical day on the Citadel for IA agent Vera Landen. She still had the satisfying tast of victory lingering in her mouth. She just nailed an Alliance officer who was helping this asari cover up her murders, smugglings, and plenty of other things that the officer should've reported.
   Yes, just a typical day.
   As Vera was returning to C-Sec to report her findings, she overheard plenty of things, as usual. She heard two turians arguing; one angry and loud, the other more collected and soft. There was a group of mercs gathered around a table, talking in hushed, fast voices. When Vera passed them, the conversation stopped as they all glared her down til she was past. An asari was flirting very opening with a handsome looking human that Vera recgonized as a well-known businessman. Chances were that the asari was an assassin, but Vera didn't have time to deal with it. The man was well-known, but not well-loved.
   Just as Vera was getting lost in her thoughts, she felt a hand on her arm. Instinct took ahold of her, and Vera lashed out, grabbing the hand and preparing to twist it-
   "Whoa, whoa! Calm down, Vera; it's just me!"
   Vera let go immediately at the sound of his voice. Her face flushed, embarrassed that she was unusually jumpy, as she looked at the turian's face. She gave a small smile, spreading her hands in apology.
   "Sorry, Garrus." Vera said to the turian with blue armor and face paint to match. "That last one, it-" Vera paused at Garrus' somber expression. "What? What is it?"
   "I think you should see this." He answered, turing towards the apartments. "Quickly, if you could. They'll be there before us if we don't."
   "What are you talking about?" Vera asked, her smile creeping back to break the tension that was quickly building up.
   "Just, come on."
   Before Vera could argue, her close turian friend clasped his three fingers around her wrist and began to pull her away.
   "Garrus..." said Vera, although she let the turian walk her briskly towards the apartments. "What's going on?"
   He didn't answer, but rather began a faster pace. Vera muttered and complained, and on Garrus went until they reached the apartmnet entrance.
   "It's Kedzie." He finally said as they stepped into the elevator.
   "Oh?" Vera inquired as the doors closed and the elevator rose. "She wasn't at work today, true. She wasn't feeling too good last night, though-" Vera stopped upon seeing Garrus' face; it was the same expression he had earlier, but looked more...sad. "Garrus?"
   The elevator opened, and Garrus got about before he answered. He continued on, expecing Vera to follow. And she did, but slowly. He was waiting impatiently a few doors down, and Vera knew whose room that was.
   "Garrus," She repeated softly, her face turning white.
   He silently pushed the button on the door, and it opened within seconds, leaving a circular hole-doorway.
   Suddenly, Vera's blood was pumping at an alarming rate as she ran into Kedzie's apartment. And there Kedzie was, hanging from a noose tied to the light fixture.
   "No!" Vera screamed, pulling out her pistol and expertly shooting through the rope.
   Kedzie's limp body fell, fast, the short distance to the ground as the rope burned through, and crumpled on the ground with a thunk. Vera knelt next to her friend, her partner, cradling Kedzie's head in her hands.
   "No, no, no, no..." Vera moaned, the hot tears running down her face to plink onto Kedzie's frozen cheeks.
   "I found her like this," Garrus explained from behind, waiting in front of the now closed door. "But, from the looks of it, I'd say that she's...she's been like this for almost a day." He paused. "I'm sorry, Vera."
   "She wouldn't give up like this, never..." Vera cried, her voice cracking and defensive. "She's stronger than that, than me!"
   "I know, Vera." Garrus murmured, moving closer to kneel down next to her. "I also found this," He held out a note (Kedzie was very old fashioned) with Kedzie's familiar scrawl on it. "It was on the table."
   But Vera only stared at her friend's suicide note, her tears blurring all the words together. Her hands stayed put, holding Kedzie's head in her lap. With a sigh, Garrus pried one of Vera's hands free, placing the note gently in her palm.
   "Read it," The turian ordered softly.
   Vera shuddered, holding back a sob, before she reluctantly read the note:
   Vera, for I hope you're the one that finds me,
             I want to say I'm sorry, first. This has nothing to do with you, I want you to know. You did all you could, I know. I was the one who didn't do enough. I just let that harassment continue, and it was too disheartening to bring it forth for I know that I would just be dismissed with my claim. It became too much, my dear friend. I love you like the sister I never had, and I always will.
                            Nail those bastards for me,
                                         Kedzie
   The note fluttered to the ground as Vera's hand loosened. She stared foward, not really looking at anything. Garrus watched her carefully, having read the note himself before, and was waiting for her reaction. He expected Vera to go on a rampage, to hunt down those men who harrassed her friend. He expecected violence, but not this:
   "I have to leave," Vera said, bowing her head to look down at her partner.
   "What? Leave? Vera, what do you mean?" Garrus questioned with concern. "It was suicide, Vera. They won't suspect foul play, if you think they'll try to pin this on you-"
   "No," She cut him off fiercely. "I have to leave. I can't stand being here any more." Vera paused, stroking a piece of stray hair from Kedzie's face. "The Alliance, the Council, all of it is just...stupid. I don't know why I've put up with them for so long. Humans mean nothing to them."
   A harsh silence drifted in, and Garrus kept his similiar thoughts to himself. It was Vera's moment to rant, not his. Not yet.
   "I'm leaving, Garrus." Vera said firmly, her voice more stable, as she met his gaze. "And I'm going to miss you."
   Before Garrus could question her further, Vera kissed Kedzie's forehead and picked her up easily to carry her to her bed. Vera put her partner down gently, pulling the covers up to her chin. She murmured good-bye, brushing her fingers across Kedzie's face to close her eyes.
   "I'll get them, I swear." whispered Vera.
   She looked down at her partner for an extra second before turning away abruptly. She cut across the room, bent down, picked up the note, and crumpled it up in her hand. Only then did Vera look back at Garrus, who had stood back up and was now watching Vera again.
   "I trust that you'll keep this a secret?" Vera asked, her voice low. "That you have no idea where I am?"
   "Well, you never did say where you were going." Garrus answered, slightly confused.
   "Exactly," Vera smiled, tucking the balled-up note into her pocket. "I will miss you. Good-bye, Garrus."
   She brushed by him, and then she was gone. Garrus turned in time to see the door close again.
   "May our paths cross again, Vera." said Garrus, his words bouncing off the walls.
   Little did the turian know.
***