Thanks for the patience, guys. Lots of stuff going on! LIKE ME3!

Gunshots sounded through the alley, and the scent of blood, metal and dirt hung thickly in the air. Both Ellen and Nihlus were panting, sporting a few wounds- a gunshot in the shoulder for Ellen and a gouge in Nihlus' arm from a bullet grazing past it.

Most of the Vorcha had been dealt with, save for a few stragglers, and despite being Blood Pack, they had yet to see a single Krogan. Plenty of Varren had crossed their path and died- loathe as Ellen was to shoot them. All that was left- that they could see- was a Varren and two Vorcha.

"Get down, Shepard!"

Ellen ducked just as a barrage of bullets went flying over her head from Nihlus' assault rifle, the squalling of a dying Vorcha following suit. Rolling, she moved to another cover and popped up over it, aiming her shotgun at the very surprised remaining Vorcha just on the other side of the crate.

"BREAK YOU!" it screeched, only to get a face full of incendiary ammo. The vile alien fell to the ground, face no longer a grinning mouth of teeth, but a mangled mess of gristle and blood.

"Nice shot," Nihlus called, felling the Varren before it could get too close.

He looked up at the same time as Ellen at their remaining target- A Krogan on an intercept path with their location.

"Finally! A Krogan. Can stop worrying now!" Ellen exulted as she vaulted over the crate effortlessly, shotgun brandished. Nihlus hissed at her.

"What are you doing? It's dangerous, Shepard, get back here!"

Ellen grinned over her shoulder.

"What I do best. Charge in and distract while you get off a good shot," she retorted, and before Nihlus could protest, her biotics flared, generating a mass effect field around her, and she shot across the distance between them and the now very surprised Krogan. She launched right into the large reptilian humanoid, sending him flying back.

The Krogan let out a shout, and tried punching her in the jaw, but his fist was met with a freshly recharged shield, which shimmered in a periwinkle haze over Ellen's form. She grinned at him.

"My turn," she quipped, and sent a biotically charged fist into his gut. His shields flickered and faded, and Ellen leapt back, winded from the effort- and just in time for a round of bullets to lodge themselves into the Krogan's skull.

"Not bad, huh?" She grinned, hefting her shotgun over her shoulder. Nihlus growled and grabbed the front of her armor as she got close, pulling her to look at him.

"This is not about show boating, Shepard. That was a huge risk. He could have been a biotic and therefore immune to your charge. You have to get in a warning shot to test the waters before charging in! You took an unnecessary risk!" He hissed angrily. Ellen blinked at him.

"It was necessary, Nihlus. We are running out of time. If this were Blue Suns, we'd have time to yell at me over my tactics, but this is Blood Pack, and we have a kidnapped child to rescue, yes?" She countered.

Nihlus sighed and let her go.

"You're right. You worried me by just charging in like that," he apologized. Ellen smiled smoothly at him.

"Hey. Just a Krogan, Nihlus. I've survived a Thresher Maw, hon," she teased, putting her shotgun back on her lower back before following him into the building the hostage was supposedly held.

Nihlus ignored her comment, but a small smile tugged at his mandibles. His sharp green eyes scanned the area for any hostiles, Ellen following close behind him. His eyes narrowed as a small whimper reached his ears. He motioned to Ellen, and darted towards the sound. Behind a stack of crates, a small Asari girl was lying on her side, bound and loosely gagged. She whimpered at seeing the both of them, struggling to get away. Nihlus knelt down next to her, making soothing sounds, relieved that the daughter of the Asari delegate was relatively unharmed.

"Shhh. We're here to help, Esara," he crooned. Her bright blue eyes fell on his Spectre badge, and relief flooded her young face.

Nihlus untied her and pulled the gag from her mouth, and Ellen scooped her up, holding her close. The girl couldn't have been older than five. Esara bit back a terrified sob and buried her face in Ellen's good shoulder. Ellen rubbed her back gently.

"You're safe now, Esara. It'll be alright," she soothed.

"Let's get back to The Serenata, Shepard," Nihlus asserted, satisfied when another scan of the room proved it to be empty. Ellen nodded, and they quietly left the building, their objective safely in tow.

Ellen tucked Esara into her own personal bed-the terrified child had insisted on sleeping with her rescuer- kissing her forehead gently and handing her Ammut.

"Here. You can hold onto my buddy Ammut tonight. She'll protect you from bad guys and monsters," she murmured softly. Esara smiled and wrapped her arms around the stuffed Varren, eyes wide.

"Where'd you get such a big stuffed Varren, Miss Shepard?" She asked. Ellen smiled and tickled her under the chin.

"Hey now, what'd I tell you, Missy? You can call me Ellen, okay?" Esara giggled.

"Sorry, Ellen."

"There we go. Now I can tell you," she grinned. "Nihlus gave her to me after a very bad day. She made me feel a LOT better, so now I take her wherever I go."

Esara hugged Ammut tighter, rubbing her cheek against the toy's silky muzzle.

"I'm going to ask my mama to get me one, too! I don't want keep yours, cause that wouldn't be very nice," she chirped.

Ellen stroked her cheek tenderly.

"Well you can hold onto her tonight, to scare away bad dreams," she assured her. Esara grabbed Ellen's wrist, alarmed.

"Are- are you not gonna sleep in here? I'm still scared," she whimpered. Ellen kissed her cheek.

"I have to go talk to Nihlus, but I'll be coming back to sleep next to you, don't you worry. Ciara can come tell you a story if you want," she consoled, referring to the Asari pilot. Esara shook her head vehemently.

"Uh uh. I want you. You saved me from the toothy men," she stated stubbornly, jutting out her chin. Ellen chuckled.

"Alright. I'll be back once I get done talking to Nihlus, okay? I'll be right down the hall."

Esara yawned widely, nodding as she did so, clutching Ammut tightly. Ellen laughed again and slid out of the room, running smack into Nihlus.

"JEEZE, Nihlus! Scare the crap out of me, why don't you?" She wheezed, laying a hand over her chest. Nihlus chortled.

"Sorry. Was listening to you tuck Esara in. Our delegate is thrilled to know her daughter is alive, and the Council is pleased with the outcome. Six months with me, and you've done nothing but impress- despite your recklessness," he declared. He tilted his head, eyes studying her.

"I don't know what's sweeter. The fact that you gave her that stuffed Varren to hold, or the fact that you not only kept it, but named it and brought it with you," he rumbled.

Ellen felt her entire face and neck turn bright red, and her tongue turned to cold heavy clay in her mouth.

"I..."

Nihlus laughed softly, but his tone was warm and kind.

"I'm touched, actually. I didn't think you'd even keep it, Shepard," he stated. Ellen glanced down at her feet, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

"...I never thanked you properly for it- for her...I ah. Well. You heard what I named her," she mumbled, glancing at him.

Nihlus smiled at her gently and held out his arms.

"You can thank me with a hug."

Ellen bit her lip, then with an awkward grin, she moved in close and wrapped her arms around his ribs. His arms slid around her as he pulled her close, hugging her tight. Ellen bit her lip harder- it'd been so long since she'd hugged anyone, and Nihlus was so warm, and with the way he towered over her, he made her feel safe. It was everything she wanted and NEEDED in a hug. She pressed her cheek against his chest, letting out a small sigh, hoping he wouldn't hear it. They stood in silence for a few moments, until a small voice rang out in the hallway.

"Ellen? Ammut says you don't give her enough hot cocoa. You should give her more hot cocoa!" Esara announced, holding up the stuffed Varren as best she could- the doll was almost as big as she was.

Ellen looked over her shoulder at the young Asari, then back at Nihlus, who pulled away almost reluctantly with an amused rumble. Ellen turned and leaned forward, resting her hands on her thighs. An amused smirk curled the corner of her mouth as she looked Esara in the eye.

"More hot cocoa? Is that right?" She asked in amusement. Esara nodded.

"Yup! She said she didn't get any tonight! Can we make her some?" She hesitated. "Please please please?"

Ellen laughed and took Esara's tiny hand in hers.

"Come on you, let's get Ammut some hot cocoa."

She winked at Nihlus over her shoulder as she led Esara to the mess hall. His mandibles twitched, his breath invisibly catching in his throat at her smile. It was odd seeing this maternal, compassionate side to her when she was usually so fierce and battle ready. He liked it. He watched the two of them head to the mess hall, pondering the fact that Ellen had taken the stuffed Varren with her.

He was also pondering why he had been so very reluctant to release her from his embrace, and why he still felt her warmth on his arms and chest.

Ellen and Nihlus watched contentedly as Esara squealed and ran into her sobbing mother's arms.

"My baby!" Vimala wailed, clutching her daughter to her chest. "Oh, my baby, I'm so glad you're alright!"

"I was scared, Mama, but Ellen and Nihlus saved me! Ellen let me have hot cocoa, and Nihlus was nice and let me see the bridge of his ship! Oh, and Ellen let me hug her stuffed Varren- she kept me from having nightmares, can I get one, Mama?" Esara rambled.

"You must have been so good to her- she's normally so shy!" Vimala remarked, looking at Nihlus with wide eyes. Nihlus shook his head.

"Ellen was. She treated her like her own daughter. She kept her mind off the whole ordeal," he replied. The delegate turned to Ellen, appreciation written all over her face.

"You're the human training to be a Spectre aren't you? You definitely have my support as thanks for all you've done for my daughter, Commander Shepard. Thank you ever so much. Thank you both," she praised. She looked back at Esara.

"Yes, darling you can have a stuffed Varren," she promised. Esara waved over her mother's shoulder as Vimala walked away, giving Nihlus and Ellen another grateful smile.

"That felt good," Ellen sighed. Nihlus nodded in agreement.

"Mmm," he asserted. "Did you want to get anything or do anything before we leave the Citadel?"

Ellen blinked.

"Do we have another mission already?" She inquired.

"Yes. We have at least two," he replied. "Neither aren't urgent- yet- but we shouldn't linger too long."

Ellen chewed her lower lip, thinking, then shook her head.

"Unless you have something in mind, I'd rather not linger and give people time to find and harass us."

Nihlus rumbled.

"My thoughts exactly. Let's not give Udina or Sparatus time to find us...or Saren," he grumbled.

Ellen curled her lip. She didn't want to see Udina, or either of the arrogant, uppity turians. The Turian Councilor she just disliked in general, but Saren...she was genuinely worried about her own safety around him if Nihlus wasn't with her. She had no desire to be around either of them.

"Back to the Serenata, then?" She asked hopefully. "Or do we need supplies?"

"Already had them ordered to be loaded while we brought back Esara to her mother," Nihlus rumbled, grinning. Ellen grinned back at him.

"Let's get back to work, then!"

Nihlus chuckled and started walking with her.

"Maybe back to the ship, but not to work so quickly. I was hoping I could talk to you over dinner now that Esara isn't stealing your attention from me," he purred, his tone playful. Ellen shoved at his shoulder teasingly.

"Why, Mister Kryik, are you asking me out to dinner?" She drawled. Nihlus snorted in laughter.

"Just on the ship, nothing fancy. Just wanted to talk," he smirked. Ellen returned his snort with one of her own.

"Uh huh."

"Oh, come on. Humor me, Ellen," he pleaded.

Ellen blinked. That was the first time he'd called her by her first name since they'd started working together.

"I...okay, Nihlus. Sorry. I was just teasing."

Nihlus rumbled and held out his arm.

"I know. Come on, then."

Grinning stupidly, Ellen took his arm, and walked with him back to the ship.

Ellen laughed, then drained the rest of her wine, her cheeks ruddy. Nihlus chuckled, wiping his mouth.

"You can't be serious!" She trilled.

"As a plague!" He exclaimed. "We fell through the wall, and instead of tossing us out, she asks if we want to join her in the shower!"

Ellen leaned against the back of the couch, giggling.

"What did you say?" She inquired eagerly. Nihlus flared his mandibles sheepishly.

"I said yes- but only after we finished taking down the Krogan. 'Krogan?' She says, 'You mean that one?' And she points to an unconscious Krogan laying on her living room floor!"

The pair both roared in laughter, Nihlus shaking his head in amusement.

"Asari Commandos. The ONLY thing that comes close to being as interesting are human Vanguards," Nihlus rumbled good naturedly.

"Glad you find me interesting," Ellen quipped. She smiled crookedly and set her empty glass down next to the plates that formerly held their dinner, then curled her legs under her. Nihlus smirked.

"I do. Very much so," he replied. Ellen swatted at him.

"What happened next? Did Saren say yes? I can't imagine he did!"

"Saren flat out refused. He is the biggest xenophobe," he snorted, emptying his glass and setting it down before pushing the rolling portable table away from the couch. Ellen laughed in her throat.

"But you're not, huh? I take it you said yes?"

"I did. That commando? Is now my pilot. Ciara- s'how I met her," he chuckled. Ellen's smile died down an infinitesimal bit.

"Oh, you two still together? That's sweet," she lilted, her tone light. Nihlus tilted his head.

"No, it was a one time thing. When I asked her to be my pilot, we decided to keep it professional. We're very close friends."

Ellen tried not to let her relief show, and she bit the inside of her cheek- why did she care? Was she growing fond of Nihlus? She couldn't think of a more stupid thing to do- relationships between humans and turians were still widely unaccepted, not to mention the Council and the Alliance would be appalled. They might even nullify her becoming a Spectre on grounds of favoritism.

'Never mind that, well, he's a turian,' she thought to herself. 'He probably doesn't think a human could be a compatible partner. Ellen, you're stupid, getting flustered over him.'

"That's great. It's nice to have friends with you on long trips," she commented, wishing she had more wine to busy herself with, even though her head was close to swimming as it was.

Nihlus, seemingly oblivious to her state, kept on talking. Ellen watched as he gestured with his hands, his mandibles flaring and flattening as he spoke, adding inflection to his tone and mood. His bright green eyes were slightly glassed over from the alcohol, but they still glittered and glinted with his mood as he talked. Ellen settled back, leaning her head against the couch cushions, smiling and reacting to his words, but she was more focused on him, rather than what he was saying. The wine was starting to weigh heavily in her head, and she found it hard to stay alert.

Nihlus blinked, then laughed as she slumped over and leaned against him, her cheek pressing against his shoulder. He slid an arm around her, chuckling.

"Wine go to your head, Ellen?"

"Sorry. Haven't drank that much in a while. Drowsy," she mumbled, trying to straighten herself up. Nihlus pulled her back to him, rumbling.

"What happened to watching Vaenia with me, huh?" He teased. Ellen laughed thickly.

"You think I can stay awake during an entire movie, Nihlus?" She drawled, enjoying his warmth. He laughed, then got up and came back with a blanket. He settled back down and draped the blanket over them both, then wrapped his arm back around her shoulder.

"At least watch it with me til you fall asleep. We can crash on the couch. How's that sound?"

"Done and done," Ellen agreed.

Nihlus rumbled and turned the lights off and the video on, not moving his arm from around her shoulder. Ellen tried to stay focused on the movie, but with her cheek pressed against his shoulder, his arm around her, and his side pressed against hers, it was very hard to pay attention. Wine always made her sleepy, and she'd had quite a bit of it. She was wishing they'd had bourbon- it made her pleasantly buzzed, and took a bit more to make her drunk, as it was her most oft consumed alcohol. Never made her drowsy like wine did.

She risked a look at Nihlus's face. He was watching the movie, but didn't seem entirely focused on it, like he was thinking about something else. She bit her lip, an odd sensation in her chest. She wasn't sure what to make of the fact that she was finding him attractive. He was completely alien to her with his physique- the mandibles, the plating, his flanging voice and two fingered, taloned hands. After the six months they'd spent together, however, his presence was utterly comfortable and familiar. She knew his face, his voice, the small things he did- the way his left mandible twitched when he was thinking about something, or the way his head tilted when he was interested in what he was hearing or seeing.

Ellen had never been attracted to males of her own species- not after her experiences. Being rough handled while in the Reds, being harassed while at boot camp, it all made her shy away from the advances of human men. After turning down date after date, the rumor that she didn't swing that way came up. Ellen didn't mind it, even though she didn't like women sexually, either. It kept men away, so she never denied it.

She never expected that her desires would lie in another species, but there was no denying that she liked the look of Nihlus. Hell, she liked the look of turians in general. She couldn't put her finger on it, but almost everything about them was aesthetically pleasing to her eye. Their voices were easy on her ears, and leaning against Nihlus now, she admitted to there being a small amount of discomfort from the top of his hip pressing against her side, but the warmth, and the broadness of his ribcage made up for that. Even the way he smelled was enjoyable- he smelled of a soft, almost dusty musk, similar to a bird, but with a feral note under the soft dust that reminded her he was definitely not a bird. His scent was warm, masculine and although it was alien, it was comforting. Even a tad delicious in the way that she wanted to keep inhaling it to keep it in her nose.

Ellen tried pondering this some more, trying to figure out what it was about Nihlus- or Turians in general- that appealed to her, but her thoughts were becoming muddled and thick in her head. Her wine-heavy mind was slowly dragging her into sleep. Nihlus' hand on her shoulder, the firm strong fingers warm on her bare skin exposed by her tank top only helped coax her further into dozing, and she finally nodded off against him, head lolling onto his chest.

Nihlus chuckled with a low rumble as Ellen fell asleep against him. They'd been up since an ungodly early hour, and she'd consumed a great deal of wine with dinner. Add a warm comfy couch, a dark room and the drone of a video on low volume, and he was surprised she didn't fall asleep earlier.

He shut the video off and pulled her into his lap, turning to the side and laying back on the couch so that she was sleeping on top of him, her side pressed against the back of the couch. He stretched slightly, kicking off his shoes, flexing his toes, then rubbed her back gently. She was out cold, fingers curling in the cloth of his shirt. He rumbled fondly.

He'd caught her looking at him with his peripheral vision, and he was wondering if she was just staring at him because she was drunk and overwhelmed by the day, or if she was looking at him for other reasons. He was confused as to how he felt about her- when he'd let go of her so she could give Esara hot cocoa, he'd felt her warmth for a while afterwards, and had wanted to hug her again.

Did she have the same conflicting thoughts, he wondered. Was she feeling attraction to him, but was balking at the fact that they were different species? Nihlus never considered himself a xenophobe- not like Saren. He'd had his share of flings- Quarian, Asari, and he'd even been propositioned by a female Salarian. He'd never had any experience with a human- having Ellen sleep peacefully on his chest was a milestone as for how far he'd gone with a human.

He didn't dislike them or find them repulsive like some turians did. He didn't hold grudges from the First Contact War. If an individual could get the job done, or if they were a good person, that was all that mattered to him. Ellen was both. She was a good person, and a capable one at that. She was... unorthodox, but capable, and while she had the tendency to want to shoot first and ask questions later when it came to Batarians- something that would end up getting her in trouble later, he predicted- she was a good person.

He admitted, he didn't find her wholly attractive- not like he would an Asari or a Turian. She had qualities and traits that were attractive, but in an alien way. Her eyes were his favorite thing about her- they were almost the same shade as his, but greyed, muted, yet clear and piercing- and they were large and insightful. He liked the curve of her clavicle- it was graceful and sweeping, and the shadows of it from the light of the video were striking. He knew humans and Asari liked breasts, but they were something he could care less about. He saw no purpose in them, and actually appreciated that Ellen's were relatively small.

He hesitated, then ran his fingers through her hair. He'd been wanting to touch her bright red hair for a long time now, and now that she was asleep with him in the same room, he chanced it. It ran between his fingers easily- each strand was thin, but spirits, did she have a lot of it. It was soft and silky on his fingers, eliciting a surprised purr of pleasure from him. He changed his mind- her hair was his favorite thing. She may not have fringe but her hair was very nice. He pulled his hand away after a few moments, and she shifted in her sleep, nuzzling into his chest with a small murmur. He smiled softly, his mandibles flaring.

"I have no idea what to make of this, so I'll just make the best of it, won't I?" He rumbled.

Ellen made no reply, deeply asleep, and he chuckled, putting an arm around her waist, the other behind his head, willing sleep to come to him.

He laid awake for a quite a while before he finally exhausted himself by thinking in circles about the "Why not's," and the "Why I shouldn't's."