What happens if I don't give Ashley a gift right when she wakes up?

Question

What happens if I don't give Ashley the gift right after she wakes up?

1. Will I have another chance to give her the gift?
2. If I bought the wrong gift will there be another chance to buy the right one and give it to her?
3. If I didn't give it to her would that cause anything bad?

Answer 1

The comments on two GameFront articles: "Buying Ashley is gift is NOT required to have a romantic relationship with her, but it does help" and "The gift isn’t completely essential!". So you should be OK as long as you're doing most other things right.

If you're worried about what gift to get, the guides say:

Even when she’s unconscious in the Citadel, visit her and offer some kind words anyway. While there, you can purchase a special item, a Tennyson Collection, at the store terminal in the hospital lobby. You may have to wait until she’s awake to purchase and gift the special item.

Answer 2

1. No, you will not have another chance to give her a gift.
2. No, if you screwed up on the gift, there's no chance to make it right.

3. Maybe. The gift is one of a number of ways you can build trust and repoire with the Virmire Survivior (either Ashley or Kaidan) prior to the events on the Citadel after curing the Genophage. Whether you've built up enough trust with them will determine whether they will believe you outright when you confront them, require a hard, or possibly even max level Charm/Intimidation check to persuade, or if you've been truly neglectful and/or hostile, they may be unable to be swayed. If you can't make the dialog check or the check is not there, you'll be unable to take them into your squad as events unfold which make them irrevocably unavailable to you. These factors include:

   • Whether you saved the Council in the original Mass Effect
   • Whether you pursued a romance with them in the original Mass Effect
   • Your response in conversations on Mars regarding your prior work with Cerberus, and whether you can be trusted.
   • How many times you visited them in the hospital between missions, and your gift, if applicable.
   • If you romanced them in ME1, whether you pursued a different romance in ME2
     • If you did, whether you were honest and/or apologetic about that alternative romance.
   • Your use of Paragon or Renegade interrupts in the final conversation.
   • If Major Kirrahe or Thane Krios have been kept alive through the previous two games. In the case of Thane, you'll need to have visited him in the hospital prior to this mission.