The day was warm and clear, unlike Ganis's thoughts when the buzzer at his door sounded tearing him away from the empty screen in front of him. He had asked for over a year for word of his daughter. Each time he was told it was none of his concern and that she was fine. Making his way to the door he stretched trying to release the tension he had held in his back. The last year had been hell for him, his life had no direction, he was lost without word from Jane, sleeping and eating were a chore and he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. His little Red had promised she'd write, and she always kept her promises to him.
As the door hissed open he was greeted by Nihlus, who always seemed nervous when he came over looking for word of Jane.
"Hello Sir."
"Afternoon Nihlus, you can call me Ganis you know."
"Yes Sir, I know."
Ganis chuckled and moved to the side of the door motioning for him to come in. Nihlus entered waiting until Ganis had taken a seat before sitting himself.
"How are you Nihlus?"
"I'm fine Sir. Thank you."
"I was sorry to hear of your Father."
"Thank you Sir. Have you heard from Jane?" Nihlus's eyes were hopeful but as Ganis shook his head his eyes fell to the floor.
"I was, well I was hoping you would have heard from her by now, I'm leaving in a few days. I'm sixteen now and my mother wants me to join the military. She's moving back to be closer to her family now that my father is gone."
Ganis laced his fingers together and nodded leaning back slightly in his chair.
"Yes I figured you would be leaving soon, I'm surprised you didn't join last year."
"Yes Sir, my family was surprised too. I was, well to be honest Sir, I was waiting to hear from Jane. I wanted her to know, I wanted to tell her myself. I just feel like leaving here is like leaving the last piece of her behind." Nihlus sighed.
"I know Nihlus, I'm worried about her too. You'll be the first person I message when I do hear from her, but you need to do your duty too."
"I know Sir."
There was a pause before Nihlus took a large breath and blurted.
"Sir, when your daughter comes home, I know we don't know when that will be. It could be after both of us have served and I don't even know if she'll feel the same way but if she does I want to make my intentions for her clear. Sir."
Ganis lifted a brow plate and smiled.
"I know how you feel about my daughter Nihlus and how she feels about you. I want you to think about something though; if she's your mate you won't be able to have children, not to mention you'll be considered an outsider for the rest of your life for more than one reason."
The silence stretched between them for a moment before Nihlus cleared his throat.
"Sir, first look where we're from; we're outsiders coming from this colony, secondly Sir and most importantly, you gave up everything to be with Jane, not having children didn't stop you, do you regret it?"
There was no pause as Ganis shook his head.
"No Nihlus I don't regret it, not one moment of it, Jane is my life and my child. I just wanted to make sure you know all the things that come with being in love with my daughter."
"Yes Sir I know, and I'll be back for her. She promised me she'd find me; I should have told her unless I had to find her first.' Nihlus stood making his way to the door.
"I have to run Sir, thank you for everything, you know from when we were kids." Ganis stuck out his hand and Nihlus accepted it griping his wrist in a firm farewell.
"See you soon Nihlus."
"You too Sir, tell Jane I love her when you hear from her."
"I will son, take care."
~~00o00~~
It was late, that's all Kaidan knew as he glanced around the empty hallway. Jane no longer slept within the bunks. Vyrnnus had separated her from them in almost all things. She slept and ate alone. The only things she was ever present for was training and drills and even then Kaidan thought it was to show what would happen to you if you were to cross Vyrnnus.
Taking one more look around Kaidan prayed that Jane's door wasn't locked as he quickly crossed the hall and hit the entrance button. The door swooshed open and he stepped inside.
Jane heard the door open and she just about jumped off the bed until she saw who it was.
"You shouldn't be here." She watched in shock as he nodded and sat on the edge of her bed. His hair was messy and she almost smiled in-spite of the fear that now griped her.
Kaidan was beyond caring at this point as he sat on her bed, he noticed her face and the fresh bruise under her left eye and the newly split lip. Shaking his head sadly he reached forward to brush her hair back so her could see the gashes on her neck but she pulled away.
"Kaidan, you shouldn't be here." She could tell he wasn't listening to her and she sighed.
"Hey, you called me Kaidan."
Jane pinched her nose as he smiled at her. "This isn't funny."
"Why should I care Jane? He punishes us by taking away food depriving us of sleep but he only does this, to you. Please don't give up, fight him Jane."
"I can't."
Kaidan leaned forward his hand coming to rest on her knee.
"You're strong Jane, your father, he wouldn't want you to give up."
"Don't you get it?" Jane's voice was a harsh whisper. "He'll hurt you."
Kaidan was taken aback for a moment.
"He'll hurt me? Like he hurts you?" Kaidan felt very warm all of a sudden. The thought that she would be willing to do this for him. It both thrilled and pissed him off.
"You don't have to protect me Jane." Jane shook her head and gestured towards the door.
"Them, all of them. I couldn't take it if he hurt one of them like this because of me."
Kaidan rolled his eyes at himself, of course she had meant everyone.
"Jane I still." He didn't have time to finish as the door opened behind him.
"Well, well what do we have here?" Vyrnnus stood in the door way his eyes dropping instantly to Kaidan's hand on Jane's knee.
With one step Vyrnnus was in front of Kaidan. "Alenko, lights out was hours ago, on your feet."
Kaidan didn't move and Vyrnnus grabbed the front of his shirt hauling him off the bed.
"What the fuck are you doing in here?" Jane was on her feet before Kaidan could answer.
"He was just dropping off those for me." She gestured towards the data pads. "It was nothing he was just leaving don't."
"Don't what Jane? Don't punish him for disobeying direct orders? What sort of example would that set for everyone if I let such a disregard for a direct order go unanswered?" His tone was mocking as he turned a smirk at her holding Kaidan's shirt.
She was scrambling, her eyes never left the floor and she was afraid but she couldn't let him hurt Kaidan.
"It was my fault he stayed so long, I was talking about my father and I lost track of time, let him go. I'm here."
With that Vyrnnus turned and the door opened, shoving Kaidan out he gave the stunned young human a smile that made his skin crawl before closing the door in his face.
Kaidan stood there only a second before he heard the first blow, he heard a small whimper as the second blow landed; he hit the entry button but it didn't open. He felt helpless, why did she do that? Kicking the door he spun and made his way back to his bunk. He couldn't' stand there and hear that and not be able to do anything; but that wouldn't last long. Kaidan made up his mind then and there. He'd had enough and this was going to end.
Jane had lost count of how many times he'd hit her, this time though he struck her with an anger she hadn't felt from him since the first few days in solitary. Every blow held his spite and anger towards her. She didn't shield herself and she had no more tears for him.
The last blow knocked her to the bed, standing in front of her he pulled her roughly to him.
"I will take everything from you Jane. Since you seem to have moved on from Nihlus to that boy you should have no problem with this."
Forcing her head to the side he quickly bit down on her neck over the mark that Nihlus had made, in no way was it a loving gesture of a mate but one of ownership. Crying out Jane tried to pull away but he held her firmly against him. The tears stained her shirt as she hardened her heart trying to keep her thoughts on home.
~~00o00~~
"Bastard." It only took one look at Jane's face the next morning for Kaidan to know the severity of the beating she had received the night before. He tossed the box he had lifted with his biotics against the wall watching it splinter. His head was pounding, every noise, every light caused his vision to shimmer.
Next to him Rahna groaned, she could barely lift the little rubber balls on the table and fling them across the room. She slumped hands down against the table. "I'm so tired Kaidan." Kaidan barely heard her above the pounding in his ears.
Rahna reached forward for the glass of water on the edge of the table and Vyrnnus was on her yelling so everyone could hear.
"I told you, biotics only. Apparently you think you're above everyone else in this room."
Vyrnnus had a hold of her arm bending it backwards slowly. The next sound to hit Kaidan sounded like the snapping of twigs he realized too late that it was Rahna arm and with that Kaidan Alenko snapped.
He jumped the Turian and they both hit the floor. The class moved back, as the human and turian wrestled about the room. Vyrnnus finding his feet jumped back from Kaidan.
"I've had enough of you Human."
The next second his knife was in his hand. Jane saw the flash of steel and ran towards Kaidan.
"Kaidan move."
But he had already seen the knife and didn't care. With a jump to the side Kaidan spun and landed a full on biotic kick to Vyrnnus's jaw snapping it backwards; and just as quickly as it had begun, it was over.
~~00o00~~
Jane could hear Captain Anderson's voice and it seemed very far away. She sat against the wall Kaidan next to her. They had been grilled by the Alliance when they arrived over a week after Kaidan fought with Vyrnnus.
"No, I won't listen, this place is to be shut down immediately. Those old enough will be offered a place in the military academy those not of age yet will be returned to their parents. Those with no parents will be placed on earth until they decide if they wish to join the Alliance or pursue their own careers. That is final."
They could hear the Conatix doctor, trying to argue that it was all a mistake and that policy would be changed.
"I don't care. This is what is going to happen. Do you know the shit storm you've started with the Turian Goverment? Hiring an ex Turian Commander turned Mercenary? You're lucky you didn't start the damn war all over again. Our relationship with the Turians is too fragile to allow this to continue without action."
Their voices faded down the hall and Jane sighed resting her head on her knees.
"Hey Jane." Alenko's hand rested on her shoulder and she turned her head keeping it on her knees.
"Yeah Kaidan?"
"Thank you, for everything you tried to do for us. I know you didn't have to but you tried to do the right thing. No matter how fucked up I think it was. Still thank you."
"I really wish you wouldn't, I just didn't think some of you would survive that. That's all." Jane tried to smile but she just didn't feel it.
"What are you going to do now?" Kaidan's soft smile was warm sweet but Jane adverted her eyes. She wasn't ready for warm and sweet.
"Well Anderson said those not of age could go home to their parents. I'm going home."
Kaidan chewed on his bottom lip for a bit before nodding. "Yeah, do you think they'll let you?"
"I don't really care what they think they're going to let me do, I'm going home."
Kaidan tapped his fingers on her shoulder before brushing her hair behind her ear, she flinched and he pulled his hand back.
"I was thinking maybe you'd come to Earth, I could show you all those things you've read about. You know maybe get some hands on history."
Silence greeted his question and they sat without speaking for some time before finally as Kaidan was starting to fidget Jane responded.
"Thanks Kaidan, I know what you're asking me but, I, I need to go home. I hope you understand."
He nodded. "I do, I think we all need to get right after what just happened. No one more than you Jane." Kaidan stood he wanted to hug her to hold her and tell her how sorry he was that he hadn't been stronger for her before that last day, but instead he simply just smiled.
"I'll see you again Jane. I know it."
~~00o00~~
Captain Anderson stopped Jane as she tossed her bag on board the shuttle taking the students to ships and then on back to their homes.
"Jane, I hope you'll think about what I said before. It's still true. You'll make a fine soldier. I'm deeply sorry for what happened here. Please think about it."
Folding her arms over her chest Jane waited for Captain Anderson to finish.
"Sir, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I'm not old enough to join I'm just now sixteen. I need time to, well hell Sir I just need time."
"I understand Jane, so you know there is a special waiver you can fill out to join the Alliance at seventeen, it needs to be signed by a parent but seeing as you don't have any I can file to have that waved and you could enlist then."
"Sir, I have a father. When and if I decide to join he will sign it. Good day Sir." With that she saluted and boarded the shuttle. Anderson took note of the difference in her and hoped she could find herself because she was just what the Alliance needed.
~~00o00~~
Jane halted on the road outside her house and stared at her door and then to the door of Nihlus's house. Nihlus's house looked dark, abandoned. Turning up the walk to their door she paused. Should she just walk in? She regretted now not sending that message, but at the time she didn't know what to say, there was so much in her and yet nothing.
Making up her mind she walked through the front door and dropped her bag in the entry way and called out gently.
"Dad?" She found him in the kitchen, he was standing with his back to her head down, not moving.
"Dad?" He spun and when his eyes found hers they lit up.
"Red? Spirits it is you." She was in his arms in seconds he held her close running his talons over her now shorter hair.
"I thought I was hearing you again, I didn't think it would actually be you. How did you get here? Why didn't you write me?" He set her back from him looking at her face. Her eyes instantly dropped and he frowned.
"What's wrong sweetheart?"
"Dad, I, I can't not yet."
He nodded an understanding in his eyes, he could see the scars and new lacerations on her face and neck as well as the still fading bruises underneath. He didn't know what had happened to his little girl but when he found out who did this to her he would make sure they paid.
Pulling her back to his chest he felt her relax if only slightly.
"How bout I finish up supper okay?" She nodded and sat down at the table.
Ganis watched her eat like she hadn't eaten since she left, he noted that her eyes were dim and she couldn't make eye contact with him.
He hugged her again as he stood up from the table and leaned his forehead against hers. "I love you Red."
"I love you too daddy." she whispered.
"Nihlus left for the Military some time ago, but he want's you to know he loves you too." He smiled but she flinched in his arms at Nihlus's name. He tried to take no notice and nodded towards her room.
"You look tired sweetheart, maybe you should get some sleep?"
She nodded and made her way towards the room, it was dark and he watched in wonder as she clicked her old nightlight on before laying down not bothering to remove her clothes.
She hadn't used that nightlight since she was seven. He watched her sleep for a long time, watching the even breaths counting them and thanking the spirits for every breath and that she was home.
~~00o00~~
It was the screams that awoke him in the middle of the night. Ganis rushed to Jane's room to find her still asleep thrashing and calling for him. He sat on the edge of her bed holding her close, her eyes opened and she screamed again before he calmly told her it was him and she stilled in his arms. He lay close to her, not sleeping just letting her ease back into sleep as he stroked her hair.
Ganis had seen soldiers come back from battle like this, but his little girl? He didn't know what she had been through but as he lay listening to her breaths separated by little whimpers he knew she would need time, because time heals all things and silently prayed to the Spirits that his little girl would be able to come home to him in more than just body.
