"SIT!" The terrifying roar of one doctor Lexi T'Perro could be heard throughout the Tempest and had crew members desperately scrambling away from the medbay. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of the asari's wrath.

Unfortunately the woman who was often the cause of said wrath had been attempting to sneak out of the medical themed torture chamber when the order was thrown at her.

To say Lexi was fuming would be an understatement.

Yelping, Grace scrambled back into the room to plop harshly down onto the stool.

"Did you set yourself on fire?" Lexi frowned down at her like a mother scolding a child.

"Ah what? Who told you? Peebee-no she won't come near you. Liam." Grace hissed. Once this torment was over... she would have her revenge.

"Ryder!" Lexi warned with a flick of her scanner.

"I might have… been caught in a… backlash of an explosion" Lexi's stern glare prompted her to finish with "… that I caused." Grace gave her doctor a sheepish smile as Lexi growled.

"Off now."

"Now?"

"Ryder."

"Fine." Grace grouched.

She had been hoping that by the time Lexi roped her into a physical exam Jaal would be gone. It was a foolish thought considering he hadn't detached from the Moshae's side since she awoke, fervently lavishing the exhausted woman with all his adoration. It was almost sickening listen to him coo over her, asking if she was alright.

No she wasn't jealous!

Just… miffed he hadn't spoken to her since the shuttle. Hell, when he looked at her there was a ripple of anguish spreading across his features that made her feel all the more guilty.

Not like I fell off on purpose.

Pressing her lips into a thin line, focusing on not looking at the male who was not looking at her, Grace slipped off the sweat soaked tee she wore beneath her wetsuit and waited for Lexi's reaction.

Sure enough Lexi gasped, looking at the canvas of black, blue, purples welts splotched across her once uniformly tan skin.

Under the cover of her bangs Grace chanced a look at Jaal. He was standing beside the Moshae but his attention had shifted to her grotesque display, clearly horrified and a little disgusted. He was expelling harsh puffs of air while staring at the discolored skin that covered the front and back of her torso.

Heart dropping to her stomach, Grace slumped in her seat as Lexi circled her. Briefly touching the unmarred patch of skin as she did so.

"Ow." Grace said blandly as she looked down at her knees.

It was a little game she played with Lexi. The doctor would poke and prod and Grace would go 'ow.' It didn't matter if the places she was poked at didn't hurt, Grace still produced the lackluster wounded noises.

"By the Goddess look at your back." Lexi probed her shoulder.

"Ow." Grace frowned as she sniffed the matted hair falling in front of her face. Wrinkling her nose, Grace pushed the greasy strands back into place. She smelled like a stinking pile of varren shit.

"What happened to your ribs?!" There was now a hysterical note in her voice as she started poking at the black and blue swelled skin.

"Ow." Grace actually hissed as the asari's fingers skimmed over the throbbing skin. "Got kicked by a kett."

Lexi sighed through her nose as she straightened. "SAM, report."

"Ryder has multiple contusions on her dorsal side. There is inflammation and swelling on her abdomen. A few lacerations on her arms. 3 broken bones in her right hand, consisting of a boxer's fracture a-

The rest of the AI's explanation was swallowed by Lexi's pained noise as she swooped to the front of Grace, lifting her hand. Slowly the woman peeled away the glove to reveal the mess that lay twisted inside.

"GRACE!" Lexi cried looking at the massive bleeding, internal swelling, and bone fragments sticking out of her skin.

"It's not that bad." She croaked.

It was that bad. The hand was nearly triple the size it should be, the skin that should have covered her knuckles had been peeled away, leaving a bloody wreck of bone and muscles exposed. There was also a small metacarpal bone shard jutting out into the open air.

It was a nauseating sight to see.

"W-what did you do?" Lexi gaped at the horridious sight.

"Punched stuff." Grace offered while flinching as Lexi felt around for more fractures.

Straightening Lexi rubbed her temples while muttering under her breath about 'Ryder's death wish.' and 'she doesn't get paid enough.'

"Jaal can you hold her?"

Head snapping in the direction of the two angara who had been silently observing her hissy fit, realization dawned and Grace started to shake her head as Jaal rose from the Moshae's side.

"Come on Lexi it-you are NOT sticking me with that!" Grace attempted to stand, only to be shoved back into her seat by two very strong hands. Her eyes glued to the three inch needle Lexi was prepping.

Ryders weren't scared of anything.

But fucking NEEDLES!

Grace jerked forward attempting to get out of the hold, but his hands were like shackles.

"When I get out of here." Grace hissed. "I'm hitting you."

Jaal's return answer was to purr. A loud reverberating rumble that started deep in his chest. It reminded Grace of the big cats back home. The Moshae in the corner laughed lightly as she watched the pair.

There was an expletive on the tip of her tongue till Lexi turned towards her with the silver piece of metal designed by hell to send good soldiers to their knees. Squealing in an undignified manner, Grace started to thrash in Jaal's hands, almost succeeding in freeing herself until he changed his grip. She was suddenly airborne before being cradled against a hard chest. Her left hand was smooshed between their bodies as he anchored the broken one over his shoulder all while pressing her face into the material of his rofjinn. Taking her seat, one of his thighs pushed up, acting at a ledge to keep her in place as one leg was trapped between his thighs and the other hung by his hip.

If Grace wasn't panicking she would certainly be embarrassed that she was being held like a belligerent child.

"Grace," Lexi sighed exasperated. "Stop making this harder than it needs to be."

"Fuck. You." She hissed against the shoulder her face was anchored against.

The purring being produced by her jail keeper kicked up a notch as she struggled to escape him.

Ryder pushed forward into Jaal's chest, and despite her anxiety, the deep purr was affecting her. Her body loosened just before there was a decidedly bullshit jab in her wrist, just above her hand. Grace gave a wailing cry, jerking in his hold as he smothered her hysterical noises with a full body purr.

Though it was only mere seconds the needle pierced her skin, to Grace it was an eternity. The muscles of her arm contracted as her hand twitched while a wet sounding wail emerged from her throat. Over the distressing noises and heart pounding fear Grace could hear Lexi grumbling as she patted Ryder's head.

"Can break bones, hunt down murderers, face new aliens without blinking and it's needles she's scared of." The asaris shook her head while backing away from the pair.

Jaal, who had taken the brunt of Grace's hysterics was eying Lexi with a frown as he rocked in inconsolable woman in his arms. Lexi would have smiled if it weren't for the fact that Grace seemed to be breathing harsher than necessary.

Panic attack?

"Grace," Lexi stooped low the catch the gray eyes peering over blue fabric, her hand twitched again as she looked at Lexi. Sharp gasps escaped her lips as she jerked occasionally in the angara's hold.

"Breathe deep Grace, there are no more needles." Lexi soothed as she ran her fingers through Grace's hair.

"Liar." Grace choked out as she gulped in a large breath before holding it and exhaling slowly.

As she started to calm, Grace noticed that while she partially dangled in the angara's arms, he was rubbing her back as well as purring. She also happened to hear another weak, sputtering purr coming from the corner.

Energy spent, she layed there against the big chest of the soothing angara watching Lexi work. The asari gave her hand a small poke, watching Grace's face for any sign of discomfort, but Grace felt nothing as she stared at her doctor with droopy eyes. As Lexi set her hand Grace let out a litany of 'ow's that had the asari sighing through her nose in annoyance.

"You can let go of her now Jaal." Lexi patted his shoulder. "We'll be good from here."

The angara hesitated before relinquishing his hold on her and Grace was all too quick to jump out of his lap. She had become increasingly aware of his warm thigh pressing solidly against the junction of her legs and the way his large chest had vibrated against hers. If it hadn't been for the blinding panic and the exhaustion that followed, Grace might have lost herself in the embrace.

Jaal didn't say anything as he stood and returned to the Moshae's side. Grace felt a painful twist in her gut as he again took his seat while Lexi grabbed material to wrap the wound. Bending down she scooped up the discarded shirt. Legs trembling from the ordeal, Grace flopped back onto the stool. The once lulling purr was now gone as silence descended upon the occupants.

A silence that perhaps was more damning than any scolding Grace had ever received. It was almost as if they had returned to just before the night spent in the cavern.

"There," Lexi finished wrapping her hands in a medi-gel infused cast. "Now I'd like to run some blood tests on-."

"Noooo." Grace whined as she slid further down her seat.

"Why not let the kid rest, Lexi." Drack came striding into the room, shooting Grace a significant look that had her perking up a bit. If anyone could save her from Lexi, it was the old man.

"I need to make sure she's okay." Lexi turned to eye the veteran as he snorted.

"Food Lexi," Drack crossed his arms, he frowned at the angaran male before looking at the asari doctor. "Kid needs food, shower, and rest."

Lexi tapped her arm impatiently while her gaze jumped from Ryder back to Drack before sighing. "Fine."

A wide toothy grin appeared on Drack's face as he ushered Grace from the door and away from the horror room. "Got some stew waiting for you in the kitchen Kid."

"Drack," Lexi called after the old krogan before he could take another step. "I haven't seen you about those implants yet."

"Now Lexi-." He didn't get to finish speaking before the asari was pointing at the stool Ryder had abandoned. Whatever argument he had prepared to wage was lost to Lexi's fierce glare. Giving Ryder one last push to the door he ambled over to the chair.

"Thank you." Grace mouthed as she slipped out the room, away from all the occupants and the deafening silence. She had been more than happy to finally sit in the alone in the gallery. The day had been one hell of a demented rollercoaster.

The kett facility had been the tip of the bullshit iceberg. After they had landed back at the resistance base with the Moshae in tow, it had been like fighting against the tide. Angara flocked all around, wanting to see the beloved woman. If it hadn't been for Lexi and the Angara doctors Ryder didn't think they would have made it out of the shuttle.

Gaarul had adequately named her, the angara revered her like a hero which unsettled Grace as they all tried to thank her one by one. It didn't help matters that Jaal had essentially left her to deal with it alone.

Exhausted and in pain she eventually told them all, as kindly as possible, to shove off.

Sighing into the booth, Grace reached for the steaming bowl of soup that had been prepared for her.

Drack Nakmor, caretaker of all.

The picture of Drack caring for baby Kesh popped into her mind as she awkwardly dipped her spoon into the brown liquid. It turns out not eating for more than 13 hours left Grace ravenous. If she had the two fully functioning hands, she might have picked up the bowl and gulped straight from the source, but Grace had to settle for awkward spoonfuls.

The day was not done dicking with her yet, Jaal came into the room just as Grace dribbled some stew down the front of her shirt. She could only blame it on the fact she wasn't naturally left handed and eating as such made her clumsy.

It wasn't nerves.

He glanced only a moment in her direction before moving to the pantry, turning his back on her. Grace looked down at her steaming bowl of Drack surprise. Clenching the spoon in her hand, she took a deep breath.

It's now or never.

"Hey," She bit her lip briefly rolling it between her teeth before releasing it. "Jaal how are you doing?"

"Should you not ask yourself that question?" He didn't turn around as he pulled a tube of angara paste out.

Extreme colds detected Pathfinder.

Opening and closing her mouth, Grace stared at his back with an ugly mixture of frustration and aggravation and-for fucks sake her back hurt.

Shifting Grace pulled a frown as she stared at the undersuit of the angara's armored back. "You still mad about-."

"Yes."

Pursing her lips, Grace turned back to her cooling soup, not really feeling as hungry as she had before. Fingers tapped against the table before she sighed, putting the spoon down and pushing the food away. She doesn't notice that the male was now watching her with a worried frown.

Walking forward, he placed the paste on the table before looking down at Grace's bent head.

"Eat." He commanded pushing the bowl back.

"Not hungry."

"But you were before."

Lips peeled back, Grace flashed him a mean smile before saying. "That's before you came in."

It was mean and childish, but Grace didn't give a shit. She was tired, in pain and the throbbing behind her eyes was getting so much worse.

I'm not fucking crying over being scolded.

Jaal took her moodiness in stride as he tilted his head in contemplation before squatting down at her side. "Grace," His eyes were imploring while his hand hovered over her thigh, as if to pat her. "Please eat."

She stared at him for a moment before suddenly reaching forward and cupping his face with her good hand, which was slightly dirty with food. The tingles speared at her skin, alighting a flame as always while tracing a path down her nerves and settling in her heart. There was something about him that just drew her in. Perhaps it was the general rawness in his eyes or the sincerity of his actions. Whatever it was Grace knew that if she didn't do something she would start falling for him and hard.

But all of her worrying for herself paled in comparison for what she saw in those familiar eyes. Nestled between the oceans was a deep layer of hurt that hid the transgressions of the day.

"I'm sorry." She whispered watching as his breath hitch and pupils widen. "I didn't mean to worry you, and….I know that what we found in the-the base was bad."

"Jaal I know I'm not the Moshae or your um... people but I'm here if you need me." There, that wasn't so hard. Even if she did halt between each word.

There was a odd cooing-keening noise he made before he abruptly shifted. Tentatively, he pulled her forward, practically out of her seat, and wrapped his arms gently around her form. The table pressed awkwardly into her ribs, thankfully not the side that took the hit, but even if it did she wouldn't have complained because it felt so damn good being held.

Cheek pressed against the smooth skin of his neck ridges, Grace could smell his spicy oils and the underlying musk of Jaal that reminded her of the forest after a storm. Earthy undertones of home. Tempted to bury her nose into the scent, she nuzzled her cheek against the pulsating warmth, almost like a vein.

Jaal's face buried itself in the crook of her neck. Grace could feel his shuddered exhale as his arms tightened a fraction around her shoulders.

Lifting a hand she patted his arm. "We'll stop them, I promise."

The sweat dried tee was steadily getting wetter as Jaal cried earnestly into her shoulder. Grace didn't know what to say or if there even were words she could say, so she started to hum him a popular lullaby under her breath as she gently rocked them both while rubbing between his shoulder blades.

They stayed like this for several minutes until Grace's back started twitching in pain and she had to shift back a bit. Despite the movement, Jaal stayed wrapped around her breathing deeply into her skin before slowly pulling back.

"Feel better?" Grace smiled as she wiped away a lingering tear. His hand immediately reached up, wrapping around her wrist, a loose grip she could pull away from if she wanted to. Grace didn't know if he was telling her to stop or not, but he didn't pull her hand away.

"You are so small." He murmured absently as his thumb rubbed the underside of her wrist, across her pulse. The hand that encapsulated hers could wrap around it twice almost.

"Small but fierce." Grace joked as she felt a jolt of warmth. Her heart was dancing to a fluttering tango of emotions.

"Small but fierce." He agreed looking at her like she was a marvelous wonder.

"How's the Moshae?" The question escaped her lips as she founder herself glancing furtively below his nose.

Don't go there Grace.

"She is resting once more." Jaal supplied as he started studying her little limb. "Lexi asked me to leave while she sleeps."

"I imagine, she's needs the rest."

Eyes focus he starts bending the digits of her fingers, testing the flexibility of them. "She has not told me much of the horrors she experienced." He paused looking back up at Grace with the same intense focus. "She has been through a lot."

Sighing, Grace curled her fingers inward. "I'll have to talk to her at some point." It was not a conversation she was looking forward too.

Jaal nods at this assessment before sighing.

"It's times like these I miss my family." Grace could hear the deep yearning in his voice that made her heart twist. She was well aware of the sacrifice and risk he'd taken to come with her.

He'll be back with his own in no time.

That caused a jab of pain to slice through her. Grace clamped down on the nagging feeling. She had enough on her plate, she didn't need, or want, to develop a crush.

"Are you close with your family?" She asked as she tugged her hand out of his grasp. The thumb sliding across her fluttering pulse was distracting. Once extracted she placed the tingling limb on her lap. There was still a ghost of his touch whispering across her skin.

"Very much so…angara families are large." Jaal smiled a little at this.

"How big?"

"I have 33 siblings." Grace wheezed a little as she stared at his open expression. There was no mischief gleaming across his eyes, only a soft loving looking as he thought of his family. His 'enormous as all hell' family.

"Wow," She couldn't imagine the galaxy handling thirty plus Ryders. "I have like one brother and that's it."

Jaal seemed to be yanked from his thoughts at her words. The soft look from earlier clouded over with sadness.

There is was, the sad puppy look. "That must have been lonely."

Lonely. A word Grace had come to know all too well in her days as Pathfinder. She lost everything

"Nah," She gave him a small smile before looking over at the bowl of soup waiting to be consumed. Her throat constricted as she forced whispering words to pass through her vocal cords. "We are twins so….it's like being cut from the same cloth. We did everything together."

A hand briefly touched her shoulder as she looked back at him.

Gentle eyes urge her to tell him more. To cut open the wounds and let them heal. But she's not ready. She might never be ready.

"Where is he now?" He ask in a soft voice, almost as if he can since her vulnerability.

"Here, in Heleus I mean...he's…." She couldn't seem to say it, so she just bit her lip instead, gaze returning to the table.

As if sensing that this wasn't a something she wanted to discuss, Jaal changed topics.

"Are you close with your family?" Jaal echoed her earlier words.

There was a moment when her heart stopped, before resuming a normal rhythm. Grace could feel SAM stir, but he remained silent.

Swallowing she gives a breathy laugh. "I miss them." She answers instead.

Perhaps what Lexi had said held some truth, that she couldn't handle the grief. But Grace covered it with the excuse that she didn't want to unload on him anymore than what he already was dealing with.

"Will you tell me about them?

"Another time perhaps." Grace inclined her head, keeping a pleasant smile upon her lips. "We can swap family stories."

"It would take a long time to cover all the stories."

"With over thirty siblings I would imagine so." Grace gave him a real smile this time. "You probably could top anything I had."

"Nothing would be more pleasing to me then hearing about you and your family."

It should have been a sweet compliment, but it left a bitter tang of agony in her heart. Still, Grace flushed in mild embarrassment.

"Thank you."

The morose mood broke when Grace giggled at his cheek, the one she had cupped earlier. "I got food on you." She pointed out.

Jaal frowns a moment, before swiping his thumb across the cheek she's gestured too. Sure enough he swept away the juices from the stew.

Suppressing a smile as she sees him sniff it, Grace wondered idly if he liked how it smelt and if he wanted some. Abruptly those thoughts came to a screeching halt as he looked up and caught her watching him.

Eyes locked on hers, his tongue swept out licking the pad of his thumb clean. He swirled it deliberately around the tip of the digit, giving it one more flick before the purple appendage slowly disappeared back into his mouth.

Grace wasn't sure, but she might have let out a whimper at the sight of the dark purple tongue. Jaal huffed, his face suddenly very close, pupils expanding rapidly. A puff of breath fanned across her lips, and Grace shuddered, swaying forward just a bit. There was a fluttering in her stomach. A clench and release of muscles as he reached for her.

"Grace-"

"You are supposed to be eating."

Jumping, Grace swung her gaze towards Drack. The krogan was frowning something fierce, glaring at Jaal who was still leaning over her.

"I was." Grace smiled, trying to play off the tension building in the room. She shifted back just a bit, away from the angara to look at her self-imposed caretaker.

"Finish the bowl, or I'm taking you back to Lexi Kid."

"Meanie." She slumped a little in the booth and cast a side glance to Jaal who appeared to be frowning with the same intensity as Drack.

Instead of moving away, he nudged her side. Looking at him in confusion, Grace realized he wanted her to scoot over. Wiggling a bit, she slid further into the booth to accommodate the male. Jaal's legs' didn't quite fit beneath the table, so he ended up sitting with them stretched outside the booth while twisting his torso a bit to look at her.

Drack, who had been watching the two of them, grumbled something under his breath as he walked towards the counter.

"Want some bread kid?"

"God yes." Grace reached for her bowl only to have Jaal push it gently into her hands before handing her the spoon. "Thanks."

Jaal nodded as he brought the nutrient paste to his mouth.

Drack slapped the loaf of bread a little too loudly against the counter before producing a large gleaming knife that seemed far too big to cut a small piece of bread. Eyebrows raises she watched as he began meticulously slicing up the loaf with apprehension. Jaal seemed completely at ease sitting next to her watching the old man cutting up the bread like he was peeling the meat from a pyjack.

"Ryder," SAM cut through the unnerving tension as he spoke over the comms. "Director Tann is on the comm, he wishes to speak with you."

Grace groaned, dropping her spoon into the nearly half filled bowl. "Bastard has the worst timing."

"He can wait." Jaal spoke suddenly.

"He's right kid," Drack put down the knife and handed her a piece of bread. "Take time to care for yourself."

Grace snorted accepting the piece of bread before dipping it into the stew, soaking up some of the meat juice. "Myself? I didn't think I needed to be cared for?"

"Why would you not need care?" Jaal asked as he twisted around more to look at her.

She tilts her head a bit towards him. "Tann and Addison see a Pathfinder, nothing else."

"It's not how we see you." Jaal declared as Drack nodded in the background.

"You're human kid," The krogan rumbled as he wiped down his shotgun, it probably wasn't all that sanitary to have it in the kitchen, but Grace wasn't going to say anything. "You're squishy and need a lot of maintenance to stay alive. Hell, salarians have less requirements than you humans do."

"Meh," Grace wiped more stew off her chin as she spilt more on herself than she got in her mouth.

Jaal seemed to be pondering something as he stayed silent. Which is how the rest of her meal went before she slipped out with a thank you towards Drack and a smile for Jaal.

There was hell to pay making Tann wait, and Grace couldn't care less as she watched the Salarian huff and slander her with thinly veiled insults. She had been very tempted to ask SAM to cut the signal so she could go shower. But no, here she stood coated in sweat and dry blood that belonged to her and the dead, listening to a pompous asshole seeth at her audacity to put off talking to him so she could have a decent meal.

"TANN!" Grace finally yell cutting off the salarians rant on how he had better things to do then wait for her. "Get to your damn point."

"Perhaps you should take a trail of patience, Ryder." The director frowned. He didn't take particularly well to being cut off.

"You get your hand broken and stand around coated in blood then come talk to me about patience."

A very distinctive cough sounded below that had her narrowing her eyes further. It seemed Liam was hanging around.

"Right," Tann folded his hands looking at her disgruntled form with no small amount of disgust flashing across his big lizard eyes. "What you did on Voeld has shown your outstanding skills as a Pathfinder, why I could even say Alec couldn't have done better."

Grace stiffened at her father's name, her lips peeling back in a small sneer. Tann either doesn't notice or doesn't care as he continues on.

"But, you are our Pathfinder, Ryder, not the angara's." Tann reminded.

Working her jaw, Grace counted backwards from ten before speaking again. "Stop tip-toeing and tell me what you want Tann."

"Outpost." Tann spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We need more people out of cryo."

And there is was, the needs of the many. He's wanting demands come to press upon her overburden shoulders.

"You want me to settle Voeld." Wasn't really a question, she already knew their need for planets to settle. Voeld was a perfect candidate too. After all the time she put into it. All she had to do was get past the icy glacier of mount Evfra.

"Not just Voeld Ryder." Tann weaved his finger together giving her a slimy business man look. She knew where he would say next. "I've heard your reports on Aya."

"Most of that planet is molten lava and fire hurricanes." Grace tries deflecting but she sees the gleam in Tann's eye.

"Not all of it Ryder. Aya is a paradise, perfect for colonization."

She hears it then, the chuffing noise of an annoyed angara.

Well shit.

Seemed Liam had a companion to eavesdrop with.

"Aya is not an option." Grace tilts her chin up, firming her tone as he opens his mouth to argue. "Aya. Is. Not. An. Option."

Tann narrows his eyes on her then. "I was mistaken Ryder."

She steels herself for the blow.

"Your father would have done better."

Your father It's like a chant that rings over and over again in her ears as she listens to Tann promising they will discuss this further when she's on the Nexus again, before the line goes dead.

"Your father would have done better."

"What hope do we have now that Alec is dead!...Now he's gone and left you, his inexperienced daughter."

"Alec Ryder was the hope of the Initiative."

"Alec Ryder...your father...gone".

"FUCK!" She slams her hands onto the table before crying out at pain shoots down her arm.

"Ryder," Cora's head poked around the railing as she peered at her from the ramp. "Are you okay?"

"Just dandy." Grace sniffed, wiping her nose across her forearm. Her eyes were starting to burn again. "I'm fine Cora, thanks for your concern." Turning she started making her way down the opposite ramp.

"Wait, Ryder!" The biotic called scrambling to catch up, though she doesn't have far to go since Grace halted upon noticing half the crew gathered around the research station. All of them are looking at her with sympathetic looks. It pisses her off, she doesn't need their damn pity.

"Alec Ryder was a good man, I hope you will prove to be half the person he was."

She was not Alec fucking Ryder. She never would be. But god damn it she wished they would stop comparing them.

Turning towards Cora, Grace curled her hand into a fist. If the woman was about to give her a speech on how great her father was, Ryder wanted to prepare herself for the blows to her self esteem.

"He's wrong." Harper states, her voice sounding even, firm. Conveying how true she held all these beliefs. "You have done far more than Alec would have accomplished."

"I-thank you Cora." Grace shifted her feet suddenly feeling all to uncomfortable with the murmurs of conversation that followed Cora's statement. Jaal stood behind the rest looking like a proud mother.

"It's true Ryder." Cora straightened, placing her hands behind her in a parade rest stance. "You have done more than I think even Alec could accomplish."

"You have won the trust of my people." Jaal points out, though Grace isn't so sure of that yet.

"Prodromos wouldn't be here if not for you." Liam piped in as he nudged Vetra.

"Nexus wouldn't be functioning half as well without you." The turian nodded.

"Tann's an idiot." Drack added finally as he lumbered to lean against the door.

Grace was beat red now as her heart fluttered with joy. She couldn't ask for a better crew than what she had now. "Thank you...really thank you. Half the things I've done wouldn't have been possible without you."

It was their turn to smile sheepishly while avoiding direct eye contact.

"Go shower." Vetra hooted after a beat of silence. "You smell worse than a baked elcor pie."

Grace wrinkled her nose a bit before backing up. "Fine I'll leave and take my stink with me."

"Oh thank the goddess." Peebee suddenly chirped as she passed Ryder, having missed the whole 'Alec's better' stunt Tann pulled. "I though Drack had taken another dump and forgot to flush again."

"Happened once." Drack growled though there was no real fire behind the bite in his words.

Laughing, Grace ducks out of the area before she's roped into anything else that will put off her shower. At this point everyone of the ground unit had showered but her.

Grabbing a change of clothes, something soft and large that wouldn't bother her bruised skin, she hurries to the shower and strips.

Sighing beneath the heat of the spray, Grace sagged against the wall letting the abused muscles finally relax underneath hot water.

The day's events play in the back of her mind while rivets of warm water trickle down purpled skin. The horrors of that facility would haunt her for the rest of her days. What the kett are capable of was beyond any terror she had seen on Eden Prime. Even if it was a similar concept. Taking allies and making them enemies.

They had to be stopped.

In a few days they would be back at Aya, dropping the Moshea off and hopefully gaining access to vault. But there was one small voice in the back of her head that kept persisting on pointing something out.

Jaal will be leaving too.

It shouldn't bother her like it did. But the long nights and days spent on Voeld had brought the two closer together.

Worst yet was the fact that she had almost kissed him in the mess hall. Or let him kiss her if that had been the goal.

Trembling, Grace traced her lips as the scene picked off where they were interrupted. He would have cupped the back of her head, anchoring an angle where he'd have complete access to her. Then he would lean forward and-

Would it be a glancing kiss? Just a taste to provoke the desire for more? Or would he ravish her, stealing the very breath from her lungs. Were his lips soft, able to mold to hers as he pressed gentle kisses along the seams of her mouth? Or firm? As he demanded the pleasure he inspired in her while pressing seductive whispering touches against her mouth. Would he rub that pebbled tongue along her bottom lip, asking for permission or demanding it?

What would his tongue feel like?

There was a warmth that settled low into her gut as she pressed her legs together beneath the stream of water. It was bad she wanted to do more than just kiss the male that had so much power over emotions she would have rather left buried.

"Come here sweetheart, I got something to show you."

Sucking in a sharp breath Grace startled at the memory. The soft cooing voice with underlying subvocals. Clenching her fist, she pressed forward to the wall as the empty feeling of being used resurfaced.

Ryders weren't made to love.

Breathing out through her nose, Grace blindly grabbed for her loofah before she started scrubbing the grime from her skin with such vigor it left the pink patch of skin red. The truth was, Grace had a total of one romantic experience that left her cracked. It had started well enough but ended-

Grace stood there, her shirt gripped tightly between clenched fist as she stares at her supposed boyfriend. Something warm is trickling down her legs but she doesn't move to wipe it away, or cover her nakedness as Chufik sneers at her.

"Come now Sweetheart." He sounds condescending saying the term of endearment. "You honestly think anyone would want that." A three finger hands waves in her general direction. "You were just a pity fuck."

Those had been the last words he had said to her after taking her virginity. Grace had been so stupid too. At fifteen had thought she was in love. But Chufik had been the furthest thing from loving. Not only had he pressured her into sex, but he had effectively destroyed who she was. He had taken something from her, something she struggled to to maintain nowadays. Her self worth, her value, her dignity. Little pieces that made her Grace Nova Ryder.

Never again. Ryder had sworn she would never let anyone in like that again.

When Jaal left she would not leave another piece of herself behind.

Reaching for the Thessia Rose shampoo, Grace popped the top and squeezed a healthy dose into her palm. Humming in satisfaction as she lathered the soap through her thick hair and sighed as her nails ran over her scalp. Scrubbing the gunk from her hair, Grace was relieved to see the clumps of dry blood swirling down the drain. The gore she had been covered in was disgusting.

"Ryder?"

Screaming, Grace jumped to the corner, covering her lady bits as she tried to see who was intruding on her private time. Though she had a pretty darn good idea whose baritone voice called her name.

It was confirmed as she squinted at the broad shoulder alien lingering in the stall door.

"Jaal!"

The angara looked almost as shocked as she was. Perhaps it was her reaction, the fact she was screaming at him, and possibly thrown her loofah blindly at his direction. It had smacked his shoulder with a wet plop before hitting the ground. Whatever it was he had him frozen staring at her. Of course Grace was becoming a stuttering mess the longer he stood, gazing upon her nakedness.

"What's going on!" Liam yells as he crashed into the room with a pistol in hand.

"Oh my- LIAM!" Grace cried. Back pressed to the wall, Grace desperately hoped she could fuse with the metal surface.

"Whoa, buddy!" Liam exclaims as he covered his eyes while reaching out to grasp the angaran's elbow.

Jaal's gaze never left her as he was slowly and very much reluctantly, pulled away at Liam's insisting. Those those earth like eyes flickered up and down her from, taking in the expansive bare skin as he did so.

"What's going on?" Drack rumbled as he came sauntering into the cramped room to see one Liam covering his eyes, Jaal hungrily devouring Grace with his eyes, and a naked Pathfinder shrieking at both of them to leave.

"Leave! Get out!" Grace yells as she pulls her 'Mommy' voice as Peebee calls it.

Nothing like your whole crew seeing you butt naked to bring you all together.

The wonderful pleasure the hot shower had brought was now swirling down the drain. Grumbling beneath her breath, Grace took an extra minute to prepare herself for what was to come before exiting the shower.

Unsurprising all the crewmembers were gathered around the conference. Most were there to observe.

"Don't you have things to do?" Grace asked as she walked up the ramp.

"If you think for one second I'm missing this you're wrong." Peebee giggles as she plopped down on one the couches.

"Could you at least pretend to be busy?" Grace ran a hand through her wet hair, trying to detangle it since she hadn't had time to brush it.

Jaal was fidgeting by the time she looked his way. Multiple times he opened and closed his mouth. For a moment she wondered if anyone had talked to him about it or just left the angara guessing what he did wrong.

Sighing Grace squared herself. It was time to jump past the cultural hurdles.

"Look Jaal, you can't just go walking into the bathroom while others are bathing."

Brow dipping low, he frowned at her while looking around at the Tempest crew who eagerly watched the exchange like a bad salarian drama.

My whole life is a bad drama.

"Your people do not bathe together?" He asked.

Grace scrubbed a hand over her mouth. The alliance had kept strict regulation on diverse bathrooms, but the Tempest was a whole new playing field. Most the time she showered with Cora or Vetra or alone. Their had been a drafted shower schedule, men in the morning, girls in the evening, unless you were apart of the ground team time restrictions didn't apply when your had kett guts in your hair.

"Not always." She finally answered. "Family members do and same sexs do and couples but generally friends don't shower with friends."

Jaal is silent for a moment contemplating her words before speaking again. "Liam does not mind if I join him in the bathing quarters."

"Liam is a male." Grace explains a she points to the half dressed human in question. "And I'm sure you notice he has no problem walking around have nude."

"It's educational for him!" Laim puffs his chest out, as if to prove his point.

"You did it before he came aboard." Cora rolled her eyes, she had seen him shirtless enough times she didn't even blust anymore.

"Peebee doesn't mind," Jaal adds then. He seems to be trying to grasp the rules of conduct. "she offers to bath with me frequently."

All eyes swung to the rebellious asari who gave a sheepish smile.

"Peebee has no shame." Grace gritted out. She would be speaking to a certain assri later about sexual harassment.

"Hey!" She sounded aggrieved, but there was an upturning on her face that Grace knew meant the asari found this conversation funnier rather than insulting.

"It's true Peebs." Vetra pointed out. "You've made a proposition to the whole crew at least once."

"You can't be serious." Grace groaned, that's all she needed was Jaal going back to his people and spreading untrue truths about the Milk-way species. "Peebee, we're talking after this."

"Aw good going Vetra, you got me in trouble." She pouted crossing her arm as she attempted to look offended.

"You'll survive." The turian waved off her

"I don't see what the big problem is here." Peebee uncrossed her arms as she looked suddenly too serious for this conversation.

Uh oh.

"It's not like Ryder's a virgin, right?"

Silence.

Everyone looked at Grace, their eyes wide with anticipation. Even Jaal seemed far to interested in this answer.

"Seriously!" Grace floundered while a flush bloomed across her cheeks. "I'm not telling you my love life."

"I'll be damned, our girls innocent." Gil's cackling laughter could be heard below at the cargo bay entrance.

"Gil!" Grace growled.

"Not according to Temp-Tatious." Liam was all to pleased to point this tid bit out.

Grace felt the heat of her face double at the sudden knowledge that her crew has been listening to scandalous rumors involving her...and them. It seems the work of Tann's lapdog reporters had made their way onto her ship.

Curse you Calrus and Seriu.

"Don't you dare." She hisses twisting around to look at the former HUSTL member.

"Oh," Suvi slides in seeming very tickled by the sudden conversation. "Have you heard the newest one?" Suvi might have looked like a pretty innocent woman but she was damn devious in Grace's opinion.

"No-" Grace started but is cut off by Cora.

"Can't be me again is it? That was what five months ago? Think Liam was involved too."

"Oh ya," Peebee grinned watching Grace shift in discomfort as she desperately tried to steer the conversation away from her sex life. "Ryder was supposedly rocking your word when Liam came in and stole her-."

"Like a dashing hero." Liam perked up. "And we ended up arguing who was a better lover in Vortex."

"The whole reenactment vid of that dispute was wonderful." Peebee sighed. "Though the girl they got to do Cora made her sound a bit whinier than necessary."

"Oh my god." Grace covered her face.

"Then there was Vetra's turn." Suvi pointed out.

"I got to bang Ryder and she got a ship." The turian tapped her chin as if rethinking the whole thing.

"But you fell in love and followed her across the stars." Suvi sighed as if picturing the whole romantic series before her.

"Please stop." Grace tried as she avoided looking at Jaal who had a perplexed and shocked look on his face.

"You've slept with your whole crew?" He asked.

"NO!" Grace shot up from her slumped position.

"Not yet she hasn't." Vetra laughed as Grace's flush cheeks grew darker, the red color traveled down her neck.

"Who's the new lover?" Peebee asked like an excited dog nipping at a bone.

Suvi's lips curled into a devious smirk as she shot Jaal a significant look.

"No." Peebee gasped while the rest laughed.

"But we haven't mated." Jaal looked even more confused at this news.

"I'm dying." Grace gasped. She had only wanted to straighten out the bathroom mess.

"What's the story?" Cora asked, looking far more invested than she should.

"Apparently Ryder let it slip that the angara are great lovers, the greatest the galaxy has ever seen."

"We do make good lovers." Jaal proclaimed in agreement after Liam had whispered something to him.

Grace narrowed her eyes on the pair. It appeared the angara had been corralled into humiliating her. "I'm leaving, you've done it, I can't stand to look at any of you!"

Jaal's eyes widen as he attempted to stop her. "But you have not explained why bathing together isn't permitted."

Botttom lip jutting out, Grace looked at those innocent eyes and knew Liam had dug his claws into the angara. "I hate you all."

"Then why do you keep bedding us?"

In response she just dropped her heat to the table grumbling about how they were the worst crew ever. This only elected chuckles from the people around her.

It's time to split.

Taking a breath, Grace turned her attention on the angara who looked hopeful for an explanation.

"Look Jaal you have to respect people's boundary lines. Most women shower alone, unless they seek out company. This applies to both sexes. I'm more comfortable showering alone." Grace explained in a hurried breath. She had just about reached her limit on how much teasing she could take.

"I understand," Jaal nodded his head as if he finally grasped human reasoning. "though you should not feel ashamed of your body, you are very beautiful."

Grace sputtered while several of the crew laughed around the table.

Jaal only looked more concerned. "I do not understand you." He was gazing around the area with a pondering look. "Very well, I shall wait till you give me consent to bath with you then."

"Oh my god!" Grace covered her face, which was more than likely redder than a tomato at this point.

The improv meeting ended shortly after that, with only a few lingering jabs at Grace's overexaggerated sexlife. Lexi had grabbed her then, before she could slip away to her quarters to nurse her reputation.

The Moshae had requested to talk to her.

With a deep breath Grace stepped across the boundary of the medbay. Her earlier visit to the room resurfaced, causing her face to flush even more. Nothing says competent leader like weeping over needles.

I'm so fucked.

Immediately her eyes landed on the angaran woman laying in the far bed. Moshae Sjefa sat patiently for Grace to finish her trek to her side.

"I know you are angry." Grace blurted. The Moshae doesn't say anything, just watching Ryder as she floundered around, rambling. "I mean I'd be too. Trapped in that hell hole only to leave it standing for others to experience what you've gone through. But I did what I thought was best." She stopped taking a breath. "I do not regret my decision even if you do not approve. I could not give up hope. If there was any possibility of rescue I had to save them."

After her small rant, she stared down at the angara so many had told her was the wisest of them all. At the moment she didn't see a wise woman, just another victim of kett cruelty. Another alien seeking justice for the wrongs that had been inflicted upon them.

When she finally spoke her voice was soft, yet firm. The months spent in their clutches had not yet broken her spirit. "And what about the others that the Kett will take?"

"You assume the Kett will get the chance." Grace straightened. "Your people are not fools Moshae. They know the risks. And even if I had done as you asked and blown up that facility right there and then, they would take your people elsewhere."

Again the Moshae studied her, a look Jaal often gave Grace when he was trying to figure out if she was worthy. Those lingering looks were nearly nonexistent now.

"Jaal told me what you did. He's informed me the resistance is already planning a counter attack to take the facility."

Oh thank god.

Sagging in relief, Ryder hesitantly took the seat next to the angara's bed with a tentative smile. "I had hoped to be part of the attack but Anjik and Heckt have informed me where my priorities lay."

Tann had also had a bit of a conniption when she informed him of her intentions.

"You do your people proud Pathfinder."

"Ryder...or Grace. I don't prefer to go by my title unless it's necessary." She hated to be reminded that some of the initiative didn't even recognized her as a person any more.

"Of course." The Moshae nodded. There was a small smile on her face now.

"Did you know, Grace, that my people have a heightened sense of smell." The Moshae unthreaded her fingers before picking at the blanket tossed over her legs. She didn't look all the comfortable lying upon the bed, but there were at least three pillows propped behind her back to take the curve of her back.

It took a moment for Grace to grasp the odd topic change and the thousands of questions that cropped up. Did humans smell to them? Did she smell? Was this the angaran equivalent at subtly telling people to shove off?

Clearing her throat, Grace shifted her feet, wondering where this was going. "I did not."

"It's how we find mates, or spouses as your people say I believe. It's called the culum mea, It means the souls bond. Some believe it is our reincarnated souls finding one another again. I find it very peculiar that your people do not have this sense."

"So…." She licks her lips, still unsure where this conversation is heading. "you're saying that the angara essentially have soulmates and they find them through scents?"

"Soul-mates." Moshea Sjefa hummed, testing the word. "Yes that is a term I would use. A permanent bond between two. We do not take this lightly Ryder."

Grace seemed extremely confused as to why this woman was telling her this, but she nodded and took the information to be filed away for later.

"Okay."

Sjefa was staring at her expectantly, as if waiting for Grace to react to something. Glancing around the room she gave the woman a small sheepish smile. After an expansive amount of silence she finally chuckled.

"You smell very odd to us." Sjefa informed her.

Grace wondered if she meant her or the general human species. "So I've heard. Maybe I should ask Jaal for some of his perfumes."

Moshae Sjefa stared at her a moment with a bemused grin, as if she had said something truly stupid. "Asking a male to wear his scent is asking to bond with him."

"Bond?"

"Mate. Produce children-."

"Got it!" She squeaked while shifting in her seat.

Laughing at her flaming face, the Moshae pats her hand. "No need to be afraid Dear….Though Sahuna has her work cut out for her."

"Who?"

The Moshae doesn't answer, merely smile as she hums beneath her breath.

By the time Ryder stepped out of the room, her eyes were drooping with exhaustion. She was more than ready to hit they hay, even if it meant part of the night was plagued by nightmares.

"Ryder, Liam is requesting your presence in the cargo bay."

"Really?" Grace glanced longingly at her bedroom door before sighing. "Is it important?" She asked.

SAM was silent for a moment before speaking again. "He says it is."

"This had better be good." With heavy feet she dragged herself to the cargo area. Of course Liam wasn't in sight, meaning he was probably lounging on that stained couch.

Thing needs a good steaming.

"Alright Liam, what's up-OH MY GOD!"

The last thing Ryder expected coming into the storage turned media room was a naked angara.

Very, very, naked.

The scientist part of Grace woke up since the rest of her had decidedly shut down.

He had an interesting chest. Grace wondered about the bone structure. Did they have acromion bones like humans did? What of the ribs? How where his organs organized? Did he have one heart or multiple?

Jaal seemed to puff up at the sight of her as he slipped around the table.

"Since I caught you off guard this morning I figured that the least I could do is show you-."

His words faded to the sound of the blood pumping through her ears. Her breath hitching with each inhale.

'"...nothing to be ashamed…"

Gaze dipped lower across the stomach. The ripple of muscles there looked human but-

"..our forms are similar…"

Lower still her gaze went, her breath left her lungs as she wheezed. Her eye snapped shut but she had already seen too much. Two thick columns of muscle and settled between those large muscular thighs was a rather sizeable and girthy violet shaft covered with delicate ridges that, like the back of his head, were a deep blue where they connected… and apparently those white speckles on his skin did in fact go everywhere.

Holy. Shit.

Grace made a few strangled noises as she stepped back, only for her ankle to catch something, sending her off balance.

"Ryder?"

"RYDER!"

A sharp pain flared in the back of her head and for a moment she lost consciousness, as the next time her eyes open she's nestled between Liam's legs, being propped up.

"Lexi's on her way." He informed her. Not that she was overly concerned with that fact considering Jaal was squatting before her, still naked.

"Please put some pants on." Grace wheezed, her eyes had been on level with the monster penis.

"Does my nudity offend you?" Jaal seemed sad at the prospect. Oh great now he thought she found him ugly.

I think distant cold Jaal might be an improvement at this point.

"On the contrary Mr. Ama Darav, Ryder has a high level of-."

"Not a word Sam!" Grace yelped as she tried to scramble up, only to be forced back gently by a pair of hands.

"Liam thinks you might have a concussion." Jaal crooned, clearly feeling much better knowing her embarrassing secret. "It is best if you stay still.

Liam was also losing his shit behind her. She could feel the laughter that racked his body, as he tried to cut off the sound.

Grace elbowed him in the ribs. Hard.

Wheezing, Liam tipped backwards, taking her with him.

Jaal reached out to grab her.

That was how a slack jawed Lexi found them. Grace smooshed between one shirtless Liam and a very large completely naked as the day he was born Jaal Ama Darav.