I wrote this when I was only halfway through ME3, all emotional & trying to absorb what my Shep was feeling, so this isn't perfectly canon. I had to take certain liberties to get it how I wanted, so I hope everyone is okay with that.

Rayne Shepard (Sentinel/Spacer/Sole Survivor) is almost hardcore Paragon, she stayed loyal to Kaidan but developed a strong bond with Thane during their time on the Collector Mission.

I don't have a beta, so apologies for any errors etc. This is only my 2nd fic.

Set in first half of ME3 at Huerta Memorial Hospital – post Mars, pre-citadel coup\

Bioware owns all.

One More Reason To Fight

The hospital's clinically shiny white hallways echoed with the sound of her footstep as she made her way down the corridors. She had been spending far too much time in this hospital than she would have liked, with Kaidan injured from the showdown with Cerberus on Mars, and Thane... dying.

She hated that. She hated that her wise Drell friend, who had given her such comfort during their mission to destroy the Collector base was suffering. Wasting away. It made her feel so helpless and that was not something she dealt well with. It was worse to see him waste away than to die on the battle field. At least in battle, she knew she had a fighting chance, that if she tried her damnest, gave it her all, then there would always be some tiny flicker of hope of being able to save him. But against the Kepral's Syndrome, she was totally and utterly helpless. Helplessness was not an emotion Shepard could deal with comfortably.

She heard a familiar husky voice as she entered Thane's room. Kaidan looked up, his eyes widening in pleasant surprise. She halted in midstride, startled to see him and suddenly a little bit unsure. She had been told that the Major had been released, but she hadn't realized that he would be here visiting with Thane. In retrospect, she should have expected it. Thane had said to her that he would keep an eye on the Major during his recovery as a personal favour to her and she should have known these two deep souls would have struck up a kinship. "Kaidan," she said, her voice filled with warmth. They had come a long way since Horizon, trying to repair some of the fractures in their relationship. The mission still came first as always, but somehow, it was just enough to know that he still cared. Kaidan inclined his head in her direction, standing up from where he had been seated by Thane's bedside. "Shepard." he responded, his eyes warm and welcoming.

She looked past him to where Thane lay on the hospital bed and her heart caught in her throat. "Thane," she breathed.

The Drell looked nothing like she remembered, just a shadow of himself. For the first time, it hit her how close to the end he really was. Tears pricked unbidden at the back of her eyes. Reapers, Collectors, Geth- she would gladly fight those to the death on his behalf, but this horrible, wasting illness that was stealing her friend away... It hit her like nothing else she could imagine. For a moment she struggled to find the words, to hide the shock of seeing him like this. It was an effort to rally herself, to affect the casual charm to speak to her friend that he was used to.

"Siha"

"Thane, you lay-about. Taking a snooze on me?" she joked half-heartedly. She moved closer to the bed and took the seat that Kaidan had just vacated. Gently, she reached out and took Thane's webbed hand in hers. His emerald fingers were cold, clammy to touch but she ignored it, instead twining her warm fingers through his. "You know, if you really didn't want to join me on the Normandy, you could have just said so."

Thane chuckled weakly, before a rough painful cough wracked his frame. When he had caught his breath, he spoke. "Siha, it is good to see you. I have missed your dry wit."

In spite of the distress she felt at seeing him in this condition, her lips quirked in a ghost of a smile. "You never did tell me what that means."

Thane regarded her with his deep fathomless eyes. "One day, Siha, you shall discover its meaning."

For a moment, they sat in a comfortable silence. His room at Huerta Memorial Hospital had a stunning view overlooking the Presidium and its famous lakes, but no one paid much attention to it. As always in his presence, Shepard was keenly aware that Kaidan was still in the room, but that he had moved to a respectable distance away to give her some privacy with Thane. She wasn't sure what he knew of her friendship with Thane, but she wasn't concerned with that. Right now, her focus was on her friend.

"How is Kolyat?" She asked eventually, inquiring about Thane's son. She had helped to reunited them, and she had been pleased to discover that their estranged relationship had slowly blossomed in the time since they had returned through the Omega 4 relay. Thane's eyes brightened and shone with pride at his son's name. "Kolyat is excellent," he said. "He has a son now."

"Well, now," Shepard said, sitting back in surprise as she absorbed the news. A genuine smile cracked her face. "You're a grandpa, now. Grandpa Thane."

Thane's lips quirked in response. "He will be here soon."

"I'm looking forward to seeing him again. Isn't he a little young to be a dad, though?"

Thane gave a feeble shake of his head, barely a movement at all. "We Drell do not have long lives, even when not affected by Kepral's Syndrome. Often, we raise our children young, barely more than children ourselves. The Hanar give us the guidance we need."

"Every time we speak, I learn something new about your people."

There was movement by the door and Shepard turned to see Kolyat enter with his long stride. He paused when he saw her. "Commander Shepard."

She released Thane's hand and stood up from her chair to make her way to the foot of the bed where Kolyat waited. "It's good to see you, Kolyat. How have you been?"

Kolyat inclined his head, and Shepard was stuck by the sudden resemblance to Thane. It shamed her to admit, but she often found it difficult to tell Drell apart, their variations in skin tones and their features were so similar. The similarity was more in movement though, that same regal, upright bearing, the calm controlled movements. Very different to the Kolyat she had first encountered. "I am well, thank you, Shepard."

She nodded and stepped to the side, allowing Kolyat to move past her to his father's bedside. Without a word, he gripped his father's hand. "Father, Hanisa will be here soon." he said.

Thane looked up at his son. "And Dyant?"

"Yes, of course. He is with Hanisa."

Before Shepard could ask who the names belonged too, another Drell entered the room, this one quite obviously female. She wore a long red gown and travelled with a flurry of short, sharp movement. In her arms, she carried a bundle wrapped in a white cloth. In a whirl wind of energy, she breezed into the room. Her entrance was in complete contrast to stoic Koylat's calm arrival.

"Oh, please forgive me. I was not expecting there to be other visitors." She halted at the foot of the bed, taking in the faces around her. Her eyes widened and she appeared flustered.

Gallantly, Kaidan stepped forward and introduced himself. Shepard suppressed a smile. Good old Alenko, always the gentleman. God, she loved that about him. She stepped forward as well. "Hello," she said warmly. "I'm Commander Shepard. You must be Thane's family he has been proudly telling me about."

Hanisa's large dark orbs blinked slowly and her movements stilled, as though she was frozen in shock. "The Commander Shepard?" she asked in surprise. "Commander Shepard, savior of the Citadel?"

Shepard ran a hand through her dark hair, feeling faintly embarrassed. Here we go again. "Er, yes. That's me."

All at once, Hanisa became animated again. "Oh, it is so wonderful to meet you! I am so honoured. Kolyat has told me so much about you." She looked past the Commander to her mate and gave a broad smile. "Why didn't you tell me, Kolyat?" she chastised gently.

Kolyat looked distinctly uncomfortable, looking down to avoid eye contact. "I apologize. I did not know Commander Shepard would be here."

"Oh, Kolyat. She is your father's friend, how did it not occur to you that we could meet her?" Hanisa turned to Shepard, her face a picture of earnestness, "Please forgive us, Commander, we are honoured to be in your presence."

Shepard groaned inwardly. Sometimes, this reaction got real old, real fast. "It's ok, really. I'm just here to see an old friend, to spend some time with Thane before our next mission."

Hanisa blinked again, as though suddenly remembering the reason why they were all there. "Oh yes, of course!" She turned to the bed and she smiled warmly down at Thane, who looked on at proceedings with a bemused expression. Kolyat looked stoic and completely unsurprised, as though used to his mate's antics.

"Hanisa," Thane spoke from the bed. "May I see Dayant?"

Immediately, Hanisa moved towards the bed, her body language contrite. "Of course, he is here." She held the bundle towards him. Thane lifted a shaky hand and moved the material gently to the side. "He is growing fast."

"Fast, and strong." Kolyat said proudly.

Hanisa straightened and turned to Shepard. "Commander, you would do my family a great honor if you would nurse my son for a moment." She smiled sadly. "Thane is no longer strong enough to hold him."'

All eyes turned to the Commander expectantly, and she baulked. Commander Shepard, who had stared down a thresher maw on foot more than once, had traveled through the Omega 4 relay, destroyed a Collector base, defeated Saren, and saved the council, was now filled with panic at the thought of holding a tiny, fragile baby. Were Drell babies like human ones? All soft and floppy and squishy, needing such delicate care? What if she dropped him? No, no, that was silly. Her heart raced but she set her jaw and gingerly stepped forward to accept the small, squirming bundle into her arms. Behind her, she sensed Kaidan's enjoyment at her obvious discomfort. She could feel his grin boring into her back. She made a mental note to berate him soundly for it later.

But the instant she looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms, she was lost. Huge, dark eyes stared solemnly up at her. Pale green lips pressed in a tiny pout. It didn't matter what the species, she was floored by the emotional response that suddenly came screaming to the forefront of her being. She was a woman, and she still felt maternal instincts. It was why she was so dedicated to her crew, why she felt every injury, every loss so violently. She cared about them, they were her responsibility. As she stared down at the newborn Drell, the room seemed to fade away. There was nothing but those huge, dark and impossibly deep eyes. It didn't matter that it wasn't a human child she held in her arms, this was a new life. Life continuing despite the threat of the Reapers to the galaxy, to their very existence. This child deserved his chance. His chance to grow and learn and make his way in the world, to blaze his own path among the stars. It was a right that belonged to each and all organics in the galaxy and she would be damned if she let the Reapers steal that from them. Her heart pounded and her eyes pricked with unshed tears but she took a deep breath to steady herself. With sheer force of will, she gained control of her emotions. She broke her gaze away from the infant and looked up. Her eyes met Kaidan's across the room. He should not have been surprised by the look of fierce determination that suddenly blazed there.

"This is why we will defeat the Reapers." She looked down again at the baby in her arms. "This is why we fight."