Ah writers block, thou art a heartless bitch. I had hoped to have this chapter out quicker than the last. Alas, my efforts were in vain. I've been writing, deleting, and re-writing incessantly with the hope I might create something that would satisfy my compulsive need for perfection and, in turn, satisfy those who will eventually read this. I sincerely hope it was not a useless venture, that this is something actually worth reading. Without further ado, I give you Chapter 3 as promised. Before I dive in, I'd like to thank JTheClivaz and Stuch for their reviews. You guys are awesome.
Nebula giggled as Nihlus tugged on her hand, urging her to move faster. "Come on Nihlus. Can't you just give me a hint?" she pleaded. As with every other time, she only received a smirk in response. "You'll see." he said. Nebula rolled her eyes, then caught sight of something from the corner of her eye. Turning slightly, she saw they were passing the bay where the Cairo was docked. "Wait! You have to see this!" she said, stopping abruptly, and she began pulling him in the direction of the battered vessel. The sudden switch threw him off balance and he stumbled, catching her shoulder with a sharp talon as he attempted to steady himself.
The pain was sharp and immediate. Nebula hissed as blood began to rise to the surface. "Shit. I'm sorry." Nihlus apologized. Nebula gave him a small smile. "It's fine. It was my fault for tripping you up." she said. She inspected the cut closely and grimaced. "I might need bandages though."
She grabbed his hand again, continuing to pull him toward the ship. She nodded to the survey team and flashed her military ID. The workers nodded back, seemingly satisfied, and allowed them to pass. As they made their way to the bridge, Nihlus took a moment to assess the damage. "Sweet spirits. What happened?" he asked. "Batarian pirates," Nebula said, "Caught us by surprise on our way through the Exodus Cluster." She plopped down in the pilot's chair and reached under the control console, fishing out the first aid kit. She fumbled with the bandages as she attempted to wrap her shoulder. Nihlus shook his head. "Here, I'll help you." he said, gently pulling away the gauze. They were silent for a moment before he spoke again. "So how did you shake them?" he asked. Nebula shrugged. "A great crew and an insane amount of luck." she quipped. Nihlus chuckled. "Is this why you were at the club?" he asked. She nodded. "Nothing like a brush with death to reduce a girl to a drunken idiot." she said with a laugh. Nihlus couldn't help but laugh himself.
He ripped off the final bit of tape and secured the patch in place before standing. "Done. It should heal in a few days." he said, holding out a hand to help her up. Nebula took the offered hand and pulled herself out of the chair. As they began to make their way back outside, Nebula stopped again. "Hang on a second. I need to get something." she said, running back up to the bow of the ship. Nihlus watch curiously as she rummaged through a closet before emerging with a large and oddly shaped black case. He shot her a questioning look. "What in the name of the spirits is that?" he asked. Nebula smiled coyly. "Tell me where we're going first." she said. Nihlus laughed and shook his head defiantly. "Guess I can wait then." he said, leading her from the ship.
Two elevators and a short flight of stairs later, Nebula finally recognized her surroundings. The Presidium Ring at the heart of the Citadel. In her three years of Alliance service, she had never been to this part of the station. Extranet pictures didn't do it justice.
"Wow. This is amazing." she said. Nihlus nodded. "Wait until you see where we're going." he said. He broke into a jog, leaving Nebula lagging behind, almost having to run to keep up with him. "No fair! Your legs are longer!" she shouted. He laughed. "You want to see where I'm taking you, don't you? Hurry up or you won't get the chance." he retorted, picking up speed. Nebula broke into a sprint, attempting to catch him to no avail. When she finally caught up to him, he had come to a stop beside the lake.
The area was secluded, far from the apartments and offices. Large patches of grass had been laid out and spotted with small trees and clusters of bushes. Perhaps this place was intended to be a park. It even had a bench to complete the illusion. Nebula smiled and set down her case before stretching out on the grass. Nihlus settled himself beside her as she sighed contentedly.
Looking up at the skyscape, a thought struck her, and she smiled at the memory.
"This place reminds me of Central Park." she said. Nihlus looked at her, confusion mapping its way across his face. She smiled and explained. "I grew up on Earth. New York City, the place I grew up, is huge. It's all skyscrapers, warehouses, shopping malls. Anything you could ever need or want." She paused for a moment and laughed. "It's a lot like the Citadel. Millions of people packed into a single location. Central Park was a protected area within the city limits. It was the only place in the entire city that wasn't made of metal and circuit boards. I used to play there with my brother and sister when we were kids. It was always my favorite place. Just one small patch of green amid all the industry and chaos." She smiled fondly.
In spite of himself, Nihlus felt his mandibles spread to match her grin. Her smile was contagious. Nebula turned onto her stomach and rested her head on her arms, watching him. "Were there places like that on your home planet?" she asked. He shrugged. "If there were, I don't remember it." he said, looking over at her. "Not a lot of natural beauty to be found amongst thieves and mercenaries."
"Is that why you love this place so much?" Nebula asked. He didn't even have to think. He just nodded. "My father was a Blue Sun. He tried his best to keep mom and I out of it, but everyday was a new struggle. We had to fight for everything. All we wanted was to survive to see another day."
Nihlus propped himself up on his elbows, still staring up at the sky. "After my father died, it only got worse. Then I was forced into the military, and now I'm a Spectre. It's nice to come here and slow down every now and then."
His eyes showed a sadness Nebula knew all too well. She reached out and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "My dad's dead too," she said, "killed by pirates when I was 16." She sat up and opened the case she'd retrieved from the Cairo, revealing an age-worn instrument. Nihlus looked at it curiously. "What is that?" he asked. Nebula smiled. "It's a guitar. It belonged to my dad before he died. He taught me to play when I was 10. Watch this." she said. She ran her thumb over the stings, producing a tune unlike anything he'd heard. "Is that all it does?" he asked when the sound faded. Nebula laughed and nodded. "Pretty much." she replied. "What's so special about it then?" he asked.
Nebula smiled. "I'll show you." she said. She set her fingers to a G chord and began to play.
Another turning point
A fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist
directs you where to go
So make the best of this test
and don't ask why
It's not a question
But a lesson learned in time
It's something unpredictable
But in the end is right
I hope you had the time
of your life
Nihlus' mandibles spread lazily as he listened to her sing in time with the guitar. Definitely an alien sound, but certainly not unpleasant. It was enjoyable, in fact, and so he let his thoughts drift as she continued.
So take the photographs
and stillframes in your mind
Hang it on a shelf
in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories
and dead skin on trial
for what it's worth
it was worth all the while
It's something unpredictable
But in the end is right
I hope you had the time
of your life*
She looked down at him as the song ended and set the guitar to the side. "That's what's so special about it." she said, laying back down beside him. Nihlus nodded. "Special indeed. Does all human music sound like that?" he asked, looking over at her. Nebula laughed and shook her head. "No. Not so much anymore. Hasn't for almost two-hundred years. I guess I can thank my dad for that too. He left me with a really weird love for classic Earth music." She smiled. "I got a lot of things from my dad."
"Does that include your uncanny ability to chug down massive amounts of alcohol?"
Nebula giggled and gave him a playful slap on the arm. "If I recall correctly my dear turian friend, you drank just as much as I did." she said. Nihlus laughed and nodded. "Point taken." he said. They fell into silence, and Nebula pulled her guitar to rest on her stomach, strumming a few chords and humming an unfamiliar tune. A lazy smile spread across her faces as she closed her eyes. Unwilling to interrupt, Nihlus let the soft tones of her humming fill him and allowed his thoughts to wander.
"I thought turians didn't dance."
Her teasing tone played over and over again in his mind. He didn't quite know what to make of her. Listening to the soft hum of her guitar, he determined he was going to find out. He wanted to know her, wanted to befriend her.
His thoughts became clouded, the need for sleep nagging at him. He was tired. Too tired to think anymore, and so he allowed himself to slip easily into an alcohol induced coma.
Nebula awoke the next morning to a splitting headache. The light of the Presidium's day cycle needled her eyes, causing her to groan as she attempted to sit up. It was then she registered the weight pressing down on her abdomen, previously unnoticed through the haze of her hangover. A plated arm was draped across her waist. Her face twisted in confusion, and she followed the arm to its owner. Seeing Nihlus, memories from the previous night came flooding back. "Must have passed out." she thought.
She turned carefully onto her side so she could face him. When he didn't so much as twitch, she giggled softly under her breath. "Heavy sleeper."
She studied the white markings etched into his face. She had noticed facial markings on nearly every turian she had encountered. They were beautiful, she thought, and made a mental note to ask Nihlus about their meaning in the future. Absentmindedly, she began to trace the tattoos with her free hand.
He wasn't such a heavy sleeper after all. A taloned hand shot up and grabbed her wrist, green eyes fierce and predatory. Nebula gasped, half in shock, half in pain. His features softened as he registered who had been touching him. He relaxed his grip, letting his arm fall to his side. He rolled over and growled, holding his hand up to shield his eyes from the light. "Spirits help me. I'll never drink that much again... Ever."
Nebula patted his shoulder sympathetically. "I know the feeling." she said. "While I appreciate the sentiment, would it be too much to ask that we move this party indoors. Away from the light. And the noise." he said, his voice thick, still recovering from the sudden wake-up call. Nebula nodded. "I like the way you think. You have a place in mind?"
"The Council provides its Spectres with apartments when they're between missions. They don't get used often. Should be nice and quiet there." he said, rubbing the last traces of sleep from his eyes.
He grudgingly got to his feet, then offered Nebula a hand. Grabbing her guitar case, she took the offering and pulled herself off the ground. "Ready when you are. Lead the way." she said, giving him a mock bow. She regretted the action immediately as her head began to swim. Her vision darkened and her legs shook under her weight. Nihlus reached out and laid a steadying hand on her shoulder, laughing softly. "We definitely need to sleep this off." he said, leading her away from the park.
Upon arriving, Nebula noticed that the apartment was small. A bed, a couch, a closet, and a small kitchen was all it contained. Living for one, but as Nihlus had promised, it was dark and quiet. The perfect place to sleep off a hangover. Almost immediately, she collapsed on the couch, grabbed one of the throw pillows, and curled up, abandoning her beloved instrument on the floor.
She looked up at him, her lips curling in a soft smile. "Thanks for letting me crash here." she said. "It's no trouble. Besides, I couldn't let you brave the wards hungover. You wouldn't make it very far before the noise split your head in half." he replied. Nebula laughed. "Such a gentleman."
She shivered slightly, the cold air in the tiny space beginning to take its toll. Nihlus smiled and shook his head. He pulled a blanket from the closet and laid it gently over her. "You humans are too squishy. It's a miracle you retain heat at all." he joked. Nebula raised an eyebrow. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't turians evolve exterior plates to keep heat and radiation out? I suspect your species would have fried before they ever made it off Palaven without them." she shot back.
Nihlus' mandibles twiched and he nodded. "Alright. You win." he said, bowing out. "Damn right I do." Nebula said, sticking out her tongue. "Two can play that game." Nihlus thought. He smirked, picked up a pillow from the opposite end of the couch, and threw it at her, hitting her square in the head.
"Ouch!" Nebula glared as her turian counterpart doubled over in a fit of laughter. She picked up the offending pillow and chucked it back at him. He blocked it effortlessly, only laughing harder. When the hysterics calmed, he cradled his head in his hands as the pain set in. "Sweet spirits, it hurts to laugh." Nebula giggled in spite of herself and he cast her a withering look. "Evil woman."
She held out her hand. A peace offering. "Truce then." she said. Nihlus knew little of human interactions, but he took the cue and grasped her hand in his. "For now." His eyes held a glint of mischief. Nebula tried to suppress it, but in the end she dissolved into quiet giggles. "Go to sleep. Goofy turian."
As always, I thank you for reading. Thanks once again to the people who reviewed. You guys are awesome. Did I ever mention that I really appreciate reviews? They let me know my work isn't utter garbage and help me improve upon the things that need it. In short, they keep me going. So if you're reading this story, feel free to leave me one. :)
*Song used in this chapter is Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day