Ganis clicked the console in his room off it had been two weeks and he checked in daily with the General about the condition and mental stability of Jane. Now that she was talking the General wanted to know if she remembered anything about the base where he had found her, he didn't want to ask those questions but the General insisted, he stood stretching; the house was quiet. He wasn't sure if kids were normally this quiet or if Red was just different.

Poking his head out the door and looking around the small sitting room he didn't spot her so he glanced in her room.

She was sitting legs crossed on the bed red hair disheveled about her face staring down at one of his data pads. Jane's face was scrunched up and she looked agitated at least he thought that's what that look was.

Leaning against the door he waited watching her. She growled a bit in her throat and tossed the data pad next to her; crossing her arms over her chest.

"What's wrong Red?"

Silence answered him.

He crossed the room and sat down next to her on the bed picking up the discarded data pad.

"Do you know how to read?"

She shrugged.

"No." She looked upset he knew more from her body language than her face.

"But sometimes the Sergeant I was with had things with pictures in them."

Ganis hummed a bit in his chest thinking.

"How about I read to you? I don't know anything about human culture or your history but, I do know a lot of great Turian history. Would that be okay?"

She nodded and what he knew was a smiled played over her small face.

"Will you show me how?"

"How to read? I, I'm not sure Red, I don't know the Human language."

She stared up at him and her little hand wrapped around his talon and she pulled slightly.

"Please Ganis, Please? Teach me yours."

"We'll see Red, alright?"

He paused looking down at the hand that held his talon.

"You said the Sergeant you were with, was that your Dad or?"

She shook her head "No he was like you; he had to take care of me."

Ganis, confused about this asked.

"What do you mean? Your parents had to leave you with him? Were they sent away?"

She bit her lip and shook her head.

"I, no, he just had to take care of me, I don't remember."

"Where are your parents Red?" The thought that she might have someone out there looking for her bothered him more than he cared to admit

She shook her head. "I don't have any."

"Oh." He brushed his talons through her hair.

"We've got to get this stuff under control."

She smiled but didn't laugh.

"Where are your mom and dad Ganis?"

"I don't have any either Red."

She nodded and looked up at him with a knowing look in her little green eyes.

Clearing his throat he turned the data pad towards her.

"How 'bout we read for a while and then I'll make us something to eat hmm?"

"Yes!"

He leaned back on her bed and she quickly scooted up next to him. He had just started reading when she scooted closer and tucked herself under his arm and leaned back. Smiling he began to read to her of Turian military history.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Ganis, Ganis!"

He spun in his chair to watch as Red jumped up and down in the door way.

"What is it?"

"Can I go outside? There are kids outside can I go?"

Ganis's mandibles pulled in close to his face.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea Jane."

"But"

Ganis held up a finger.

"No buts Red, come here."

Taking slow labored steps towards him like she was being lead to the gallows she stopped when she was in front of him and he traced the brown spots on her face with the tip of his talon.

"Listen, I know its rough being cooped up in here with me. We'll go out soon I promise. I just don't think you should go out alone yet."

She nodded slowly.

"Will you come read to me soon then?"

"Sure."

She was sitting at the window staring out when he found her a little later.

"What are you looking at?"

She didn't answer and when he leaned over her to look out he saw two Turian boy's fighting across the way from their house.

"Why are they fighting like that? Won't they get hurt?"

He chuckled "Nah they are practicing, they are learning hand to hand. I'd say they are close to fifteen and getting ready to join the military academy, remember like I read to you the other day."

She nodded and turned away from the window.

"I'm going to join the Academy." she said this with such certainty he didn't know what to say and before he could disagree she looked at him with such a determined gaze that he had to shrug.

"Well who am I to stop you." He laughed and she smiled

"Will you show me how to fight like that?"

His mandibles pulled in close to his face and he crouched in front of her.

"Red, I don't know you're not built like us."

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest; he was starting to know this as a sign that she was damn and determined to do what she had her mind-set to.

"Alright, alright I'll show you. But you have to pay attention and listen to what I tell you, the first thing about the military is you must always listen to your superiors."

She nodded.

Over the next few days he not only just read to her of Turian culture and the military he began to teach it to her as if it was her own.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ganis sat up something was wrong, it was barely light out and he realized that Jane wasn't at the end of his bed. Jumping up he paused only for a moment to check her room. She wasn't there; he checked the front room and then the kitchen. Nothing.

Dragging a hand over the back of his neck he didn't stop as he made his way outside. Where could she be? Stopping out front he looked left then right, he had no idea where she would go.

Searching for her until the sun was high in the sky he decided to head home and see if she had gone back. As the door closed behind him he heard movement in the kitchen. Stepping around the wall he saw her just as she swallowed something.

"Red! What did you just eat and where have you been?"

She stared at him startled at the force in his voice and she shook her head and shrugged.

"Nothin…nowhere…"

Crouching in front of her he stared into her eyes. "I need you to answer me honestly about what you ate Red."

She pointed at the plate and he flinched. That was his food not hers and he scooped her up in his arms and ran out the door heading towards the med center in the colony.

An Asari met them as he rushed in. "I think she ate something she shouldn't I had a Doctor say that it might hurt her. Please can you check her?"

The Asari motioned to a bed and he sat her down kneeling next to her. The Asari stepped to her and began running a few tests.

Jane held Ganis's talon the entire time and she was quiet as he watched her nothing seemed wrong as he waited for the Asari to finish what she was doing.

"So, is she okay?"

"Yes, as far as I can tell she's fine. Has she been eating any of it since she came here?"

"No, well I don't think so."

He watched Jane chew on her bottom lip.

"Red…have you been eating the food I told you not to?"

She nodded slowly.

The Asari laughed. "Kids are funny that way. Don't worry about her; she seems to have no adverse reaction to it so ease up."

Ganis stood and Jane hopped down next to him still holding his talon.

The Asari looked from the little girl up to the Turian staring down at her.

"I'm Le'lani by the way. I'm new to the colony I took over for the old medical director. If you two need anything just stop by." Le'lani leaned down and whispered something to Jane and she ran out to the front desk.

"Red, don't go far okay?" Ganis called after her.

"She'll be fine; I just told her where I hide the candy that's all."

Le'lani smiled. "You honestly worry about her. That's different from what I thought it would be."

"Why what have you heard?"

"You know how people talk. They say you have a human child holding her like a prisoner for the Turian government. That's not what I see."

Ganis nodded.

"Like I said if you need anything."

"Thanks, I'm not sure what to do with her sometimes. She needs to be around others but, I'm afraid they'll hurt her."

Le'lani nodded.

"Well kids are kids, they get hurt sometimes."

"This is different, she'll never fit in and they know it. I'm Ganis by the way and that's Jane. Thanks again Doc." His mind was on the little girl infront of him and

Le'lani watched him stop and lift the little girls chin up at him, he smiled and she took his talon in her hand again and they walked away.

They were just about home when a Turian boy who couldn't be older than Jane ran up to them.

"Hey Jane, wher'd ya go? Thought you said you were going to come back?"

Ganis stopped shocked and stared from Jane to the boy next to her.

"Red, who's this?"

"I'm Nihlus."

"Is this your Dad Jane? My friend was adopted when his parents died."

Ganis lifted a brow plate, this kid talks too much he thought.

Jane shook her head letting go of Ganis and running to the house she let herself in.

"When did you meet Jane Nihlus?"

"Few weeks back, I saw her sneaking outside. She's nice. Can she come play more? She said you might be upset."

"I was just worried that's all she's new and."

"Yeah my mom said something about her being human but she also said that she shouldn't be inside all day, not good for her."

He was walking away and waved.

"I gotta go my mom is calling. Nice to meet you Mr. Ganis." The boy trotted back to his house and Ganis headed inside.

"Red?"

She was sitting on the chair in his room.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. Please don't lock me in my room."

He quickly kneeled in front of her.

"Red, I'm not mad I'm just glad you're okay I would never lock you in your room. I'm glad you made a friend really; I was just worried about you. Please don't feel like you can't tell me things."

She nodded slowly.

"You and I need to be able to talk. Okay? I won't be mad if you always try to be honest with me. It's a very important quality in any military personnel."

She perked up and nodded. "I promise Ganis."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Jane was lying on his bed practicing her reading while Ganis went through the motions of cleaning his equipment and armor. He couldn't help it, it had been a daily routine for most of his life and it was a difficult one to give up.

"Whatcha doin Ganis?" He turned and smiled.

"I'm cleaning and calibrating my guns and armor."

"Will you show me how?"

He laughed.

"Yes Red I'll teach you all of this, just not today. When you're older."

"Nihlus said his dad was teaching him all that, how come he gets to learn now?"

"I don't know how Nihlus's parents do things but in this house you have to at least be eight to start any of that."

She screwed up her face counting.

He watched her thinking that he really needed to work with her on math and her science, all those things that should be learned in school.

"How long is that?"

"I don't know when your birthday is but what it's been six months or so since we got here so how about that. Your birthday can be the day we got here. It's as good as any right?"

She nodded.

"I've never had a birthday, I don't think anyways."

His heart pulled, hearing her talk like this always made him sad. She couldn't tell him what she had gone through and those memories whatever they had been were quickly fading from her child's mind. I mean how many of us remember anything from when we were six? He had already made it up in his mind to make sure any new memories were good ones.

"Well you'll have a birthday now Red, the year after that I'll teach you how to use all this."

She grinned and jumped off the bed running to him and throwing her arms around him.

OOOOOOOOOOO

He heard the door open and close but no footsteps, standing he clicked off the console where he was working and walked towards the front door.

"Red?" He saw her sitting head on her knees leaning against the door.

"What's wrong?" That's when he heard her sniff. He froze, was she crying? He had never in the months since he found her on the surface of that damn planet had he ever heard her cry and the sound struck fear into him. What in the hell could have made his tough little girl cry?

"Come on Red talk to me soldier." She sniffed again and lifted her tear-stained face towards him but she didn't speak instead her eyes welled up again and a fresh batch of sobs ripped through her body.

"Hey, hey." He picked her up in his arms and pulled her to his chest. She tucked her head into his chest and he held her while she cried he patted her back and as the sobs turned into little hiccups he lifted her face with a talon.

"Tell me what's wrong."

"I don't want to."

"Come on Red, you can tell me anything."

She nodded and wiped the back of her hand across her nose.

"I heard Nhilus's mom talking. They said….they said that…I ruined your life, that you should have a family a mate they say you should have left me down there, or killed me. That it wasn't fair to you…"

He sat stunned rocking her slightly

"They don't know what they're talking about."

"Did I ruin your life? Am I the reason you don't have a family?"

Before he could really think about what he needed to say he hugged her closer to him.

"No, no sweetheart you didn't ruin my life, you are my life and I do have a family. You're my family."

She pushed back from his chest and stared at him with green shining eyes.

"We're a family?"

"Yeah Red, we're a family."

They sat in silence together her head on his chest and he traced his talons over her back.

"I love you." She lifted her hands to his face and kissed his mandible.

Those words broke open something in him he never knew existed and he knew in that moment that he would do anything to keep her, his family with him and safe.