When she finally poured herself out of bed, she realized she hadn't asked Garrus how his mission went. She'd thought while she had been able to think that he did not seem like a disappointed man. She was afraid if she'd asked after being tackled, he would have gone for that makeshift gag thing, so she'd waited until she had a shower, food and clothes. Seemed the professional thing to do.

So she was debriefed slightly professionally, if that could be defined as sitting on his lap on the couch. She was clothed though, and able to pay attention.

He said "I won't tell you everything, 70% of it was boring posturing. But I have to thank you for letting me observe your negotiation technique. It was useful. He became slightly less overbearing when he realized I wasn't taking the bait."

She said "Give me an example of bait."

He chuckled and said "After he rambled for a while he opened with a picture of you, me and Thane at Eternity. Seems the story had gotten back to him about a Vakarian punching someone in the throat and he'd done a little digging of security footage."

She said "Uh oh…"

Garrus laughed and said "Yeah, he thought it was an uh oh. I think he expected me to explain or apologize."

She asked "What did you do instead?"

He said "Well, I didn't prep for a week for no reason. I told him that consensual relationships on the Normandy were not against any ruling from the ship's captain."

She pumped her fist "Yessss. That's me. I'm cool like that. Then what did he say?"

Garrus laughed and said "I don't think he prepared for a week. I think the picture was all he thought he needed. I swear, he expected me to come home with my fringe drooping. He stared at me for a bit and said 'She is human.' Since that was obvious, I ignored it. I tried out that stare you do where you're waiting for someone to get over being an idiot. He said 'The Drell is suspected to be an assassin.' I ignored that too. Then he said 'You risk being stripped of your marks' and I said 'I have a list prepared of just a few of the C-Sec and Hierarchy representatives that sleep with Drell and humans. I have a second list factoring in Asari. You can address that and I'll just ask Solana to get me an audience with another representative of the Hierarchy. I'm here to discuss the Normandy's involvement with Reapers and cooperating regarding eradicating them, not your opinions on my sex life. Some of the people on that list are your friends, some of them are not your friends and that could be useful. I have no interest in provincial and ignorant attitudes about sex. I have been no burden to the Vakarian clan, have drawn no funds and I have exercised no influence over clan politics. If you wish to declare me bare faced, go ahead and do it. I have nothing to lose other than the ill regard of family that does not appreciate an opportunity. Perhaps another clan would appreciate the opportunity and be intelligent enough to see that I have invaluable experience and information that could benefit them and assure their survival. Unlike you, Commander Shepard has opted to treat me as an adult and asked me to extend her invitation to the Hierarchy in order to cooperate. You were the obvious first choice and as your son I thought it could benefit clan Vakarian and offer you first right of refusal. We do have second and third choices. The relay 314 incident happened too long ago for most Turians entering service now to care about. But they all know Commander Shepard's name. And mine. Isn't it time we started talking about what's happening now?'"

Jane whistled low and said "Nice."

Garrus kissed the top of her head and said "Thank you. Felt good. He backed down. He wouldn't push to make me bare faced. He couldn't stand the shame. To cut out someone who took down Saren and saved the Citadel over a bed mate would be…"

Jane said "Ridiculously petty."

Garrus said "Yeah. My father's a lot of things, but ridiculously petty isn't one of them. It was a bluff. I realize now how many times he bluffed me into getting his way. From there on he got more and more reasonable. He still took the list. Leverage. He might not be able to bluff me, but there are a lot of names there who feel safe on the Citadel doing whatever they want, but wouldn't want their Avahs hearing about it. An Avah is the matriarchal leader of a clan or family. She's part of how I know he'd never make me bare faced. My mother would never permit it. Even with a lot of her mind gone, she would never let that happen over something so small. She'd have every Vakarian turned against him with a wave of her frail hand. Sol is next in line for that, and she'd never allow it either."

Jane said "Starting to kinda like your dad…and your mom."

Garrus said "They're good people. Stubborn people. Loyal people. I take after them. We've got our contact. With what we gathered in information, with what we've seen, he forgot all about my marks and wanted in. He's going to speak to the Primarch. Sol can help coordinate, and we can trust her. He said he'll present this information regarding what the Collectors are up to and as you suggested, he will try to arrange for some sort of tech exchange as an excuse to allow the Normandy to dock at Palaven. He would like a visit before we go through the relay. One official visit for a conference, and one…mom wants to see me, and I want to go."

Jane said "Of course, as soon as it is arranged."

Garrus said "Good, now we just wait. Won't take long. Within the week, he thought."

Jane shook her head "I'm impressed."

Garrus said "And we can take on some dextro food. Tali told me about your idea for the galley, and housing. I get my own cabin?"

She smiled and said "Absolutely you get your own cabin."

He said, teasing "And Tali had some other ideas I found charming that she told me were your idea. But I still get to sleep here?"

She nodded "Whenever you want."

He breathed in deeply and said in a warm, sincere voice "I want." He took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her. He said "Kerim, you pulled me onto this ship half dead. You have given me back my life and a way to live it that I wouldn't have imagined for myself. Before we go through that gate, I will walk on Palaven as an honored Turian. I will see my family and I didn't think that possible. It might still be possible that I am dead and this is heaven. But I believe I am alive, and I am transforming my life and you've shown me how. I discover I will have a space of my own that you will give me and I need to invite you into it before it exists. Wherever I am in this life, my Kerim, wherever you go or wherever time leads us, you will always be welcome in whatever space I hold as mine. There's one more thing I want from you, a promise." She tilted her head to look at him, her brows raised, and he said "I need you to inconvenience me." Her brows rose higher and he said "You are…reserved, and accepting, and very much in control of yourself." He tilted his head and said "I want you to find me when you haven't figured out what you need, but you need something, and my name pops up in your head as the person to go to for help. Before you decide you don't want to bother me with it, which I know you will, I want you to come to me. Promise me, Kerim, please."

His eyes were solemn and his voice was beguiling and she closed her eyes and smiled. She said "Will you…put a set of motion detectors up in your room for me? Fair is fair."

He laughed and stroked his hands through her hair and said "I will. I still want you to come to me. This is for me, but it's also for you. I know you will sit in silence until solutions come to you, but I want to be sure, Kerim, that if my name passes through your mind, you will not dismiss me. I want to be there for you when I don't know you need me."

She curled into him and his arms wrapped around her shoulders and waist. She said a soft "Okay." To be known. To be loved. To be invited. She choked up a little but didn't cry. He brought her his own blend of peace and safety, a feeling she'd never get out of his arms. She said with the tears in her voice "Thank you."

They sat like that for a long time, a soft consoling hum from Garrus and soaking in the moment, feeling she wanted to stay there indefinitely. He'd just told her she could.

Eventually she said in a small, overly hopeful voice "Can I fire your rifle?"

She could hear the smile in his voice as he said a mock "What? No. You'll break your arms and be sad."

She scoffed a little and said "I won't. I'm strong."

He said "You're tiny and delicate and a fragile flower."

She said "You're just afraid I'm going to beat your record."

He groaned and said "Leave me my gun, Kerim. It always surprises me when an exotically small and exquisitely colored, soft creature with moon eyes, midnight hair and twilight skin kicks my ass."

She said "You must be surprised an awful lot."

His hand came and cradled the back of her head and he pressed his mouth to her hair "Yeah. I must like it."

She said softly "Garrus, I love you, I need you."

He said with warmth "You are my dreams become day, Kerim. I love you, I need you."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Liara checked in to give her an update on looking for help against Reapers and even discuss official contact with Asari command. At the end Liara said "Jane, there's one more thing and it's weird. I'm starting to get some reports about a group that calls itself "The Flock." Do you know anything about it?"

Jane stopped, searched her memory and said "No, why would I?"

Liara paused a moment and then said "Well…The Flock…sheep…Shepard…they're apparently your Flock, Jane."

Jane's eyebrow went up "They're what?"

Liara said "I was kind of hoping you could enlighten me. They're a group claiming you as…well, as a savior, a prophet, and resurrected. They claim you've worked miracles and will save us. Not that I'm really disagreeing with any of it…except the scary, shady religious sycophantic part."

Jane said "How do you know they exist? What do they do?"

Liara answered "Not much yet, but the weird thing is I can't get any more information than your average citizen. They seem to interrupt Ethernet transmissions, fairly sophisticated. I can't figure out where they are coming from. You sure this isn't Kasumi having fun?"

Jane chuckled and said "I'll ask her, but I don't know anything about it."

Liara sighed and said "Yeah, neither do I. I am worried about when they upgrade from interrupting a 'net cast with your face and…it's eerie. I can't record what they say. They've got some sort of technology I do not understand. Recordings of the transmission give only what would have been transmitted instead. I have no idea what's going on and I haven't seen it myself, but I've heard some accounts. I just…thought I'd ask. I don't like it. They're supporting you, and that's great, but all this secrecy makes me nervous. If they'd contacted you or if you knew where they come from, I'd be less worried. Seems they don't really care what it is you do, as long as you're free to do it."

Jane said "Well, I'm a Spectre, I've already got that ability."

Liara sighed again and said "I know. It's…why the need for secrecy? Why not just hold a rally and put up some posters?"

Jane considered "I don't know. I really don't know anything about this. Wish I could help. Could be good reasons for secrecy, like not wanting to be the first targets for indoctrination."

Liara said "Yeah, that just makes it worse, doesn't it?"

Jane nodded "Indeed it does. I'll ask around. Seems like I should know about such things, but they haven't consulted me. That reminds me…you have some studies from the old Shadow Broker about indoctrination still? Could you shoot me over a report on it? I think we should go after the process. See if there's some way to reverse it."

Liara said slowly "That's…ambitious."

Jane tsked "Apparently there are a couple of people here and there who don't want me to fail. I shouldn't let them down."

Liara said drily "Right. Okay, give me a few days to have Glyph put it all together, he's better at indexing. I don't want to admit it, but I need him. I just wish…he had a mute. Talk to you soon."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Kasumi knew nothing about The Flock. It gave her a laugh though "It's such a shame that nobody is ever going to start a religion to worship me. I deserve it, but they just can't find me."

Jane had chuckled and said "Liara's on it, but she's a bit confused by the tech of their transmissions. Think you could help?"

Kasumi said "I'll look into it. Sounds like they have something that affects inner recording in a device, but it would be hard to bypass external recording. I'll start fishing. Might get lucky and have an external eye once I figure out their patterns."

Jane asked "Need any bait?"

Kasumi said "Bring me a sandwich?"

Jane asked "How long have you been waiting to ask me to bring you a sandwich?"

Kasumi said "I have dreams, Shep, you can't take them from me."

Jane sighed and said "Fine. What do you want on it?"

Kasumi said "There's this great place down on Kithoi…"

Jane grumbled for the effect but took the order and headed out to the Citadel with relief. No more worries about Turian offense. Well, official worries. If Garrus wasn't concerned any longer, neither was she. It was still going to likely make headlines and gossip, but that she was used to.

The sandwich place was crowded and it gave Shepard so much time to look over the menu that she ordered one of everything, two of what Kasumi wanted, and asked to have it delivered to the Normandy's berth in two hours. That gave her a little time for some other shopping. Spent some time happily speaking to a lovely Drell proprietor of a specialty shop, learning about fruits and vegetables, preparation methods and availability. She wasn't presuming to cook for Thane, thinking the odds were high she'd manage something offensive and he'd smile and tell her she'd done beautifully. She did want the galley stocked for him. It appeared he had always arranged for his own meals, which was very…Thane of him…but she could put in some effort.

She also bought a coveted mod for a weapon for Garrus, which he didn't need but he still wanted because it was there. Luxury status purchase. She'd been doing this for him for a while, since they'd both had matching Spectre quality HMWSR sniper rifles on the SR1. They always had something to talk about when it came to weapons.

She also checked a Quarian specialty location, with neat and light packaged, sterilized rations and a few delivery methods and doohickeys that would make it much easier for Tali.

She got some advice about Asari specialties and called in to ask Samara what she liked to eat. Samara demurred on the food, but did ask if she could pick up a small tree, comparable to an Asari bonsai, it seemed. Jane was directed to a small shop with plants in their own self-renewing environments like a high-tech terrarium. Thessarium? It also had a generator that simulated the gravity on Thessia. She could have spent hours in there, and vowed she would someday. She almost bought one for herself, but wanted Samara's to be unique.

Mordin was somewhat on his own on the food front, because he preferred nutrient paste to more time consuming alternatives. She asked him via Omni Tool if he wanted anything from the Citadel. He specified a store and some incomprehensible components, and she obliged.

Okay, so today the Citadel didn't suck so much.

She spent a happy rest of the day delivering presents and advising people of specialty sandwiches in the mess hall. She brought Kasumi's sandwich to her.

Kasumi took a bite and said "Soooo good. Tell me you tried one."

Jane smiled and said "Definitely. New favorite place, everyone's getting one, but yours is hand delivered."

Kasumi grinned and spun her chair back to the console "Glad to help."

oOoOoOoOoOo

She went to go check on Thane but he wasn't in the Med Bay. He occasionally exercised in the shuttle bay, so she headed there to discuss Drell fruit and hopefully see that he was feeling better.

Sleep had clearly done him some good, he was not sickly looking any longer. Bare feet, bare chest, bare arms, wearing only an alternately flowing and clinging pair of workout pants in the tones of green in his skin that should be illegal, but she was glad they weren't. He was moving through a fluid Drell form, motions she thought of as kata, but she didn't know the Drell name. It was reminiscent of Tai Chi but had more sudden, violent movements, blurring and then resolving into slow, difficult maneuvers that looked impossible. For her they would be impossible. For him they seemed as though there could be no disbelief, that he could begin to levitate and walk on air, and she would accept that as something Thane could do.

She watched, transfixed, but it didn't take him long to notice her there. It might have even been by scent, because he'd slowed, then stopped, facing away from her, then turned unerringly to her and smiled. Her mouth had gone dry from the cumulative effect and she only had a slightly wry and appreciative smile for him. His smile deepened on one side of his mouth and tightened on the other, and that should be illegal too. That whole…Drell thing happening there, should be illegal. Then she realized he was illegal everywhere but here, wanted for effortless murder and this was not helping with her inability to speak.

He stepped over to her, watching her eyes, getting close enough to look down at her, making use of those crucial few inches of height he had over her to his advantage. He took her hand and walked her out to the center of the space he used to work out in. No mats. Of course no mats. This was Thane.

He stood behind her, his body mirroring hers, standing so that he was not touching her until he moved, and then her hands or leg or arm moved with him as he applied pressure in those directions, her left arm left lax as his left arm was around her waist. He bent and moved through the motions of his kata, correcting the attitude and placement and tension in her hand with his. He corrected her with endless patience, repeating the movement as demonstration. There were no words from him, slight squeezes on her waist of affirmation when she improved on a form, a glancing tap on her hand or elbow, arm or wherever he wanted her to draw her attention. After teaching her a few fluid movements he stepped around her to mirror her, encouraging her to move along with him, step back, begin again. When she'd strung them together in a rudimentary way, nowhere near his grace or poise, he would take an isolated move and put it into combat context. A complicated set of moves with poised hip and sweeping leg would become a throw. A hooked finger would become a strike. He would demonstrate the isolated move distinct from its stylized kata form and demonstrate its practical use slowly. He'd hook his hip behind hers and begin to push her, then step back, demonstrate again. He'd hook a strike intended for her throat, slowly, step back, demonstrate again.

At the end of each isolated move he would gesture for her to do it, practice on him, her hip behind his, her hand on his chest, her fingers millimeters from his throat. With a warm smile and a slight bow he walked behind her again when she had demonstrated those moves to his satisfaction.

He taught her other forms, and those transformed into counter moves to each move he'd taught her, those moves that had seemed so definitive. A hip snap and step back that turned into an escape and then counter throw, moving into another strike to the throat while on the ground.

She was getting blurrier, enough venom from his hands on her body and arms against hers were making contrails of color and light scatter from his movements. The dance became more difficult for her to emulate, harder for her to track at all. She lost her balance and swayed back against him and felt his hard cock against her lower back. His left hand around her waist pulled her back tighter and he rubbed up and down the curve of her spine from the top of her ass to her waist. His right arm shadowing hers guided her arm to cross over her chest, leaving her hand to rest on her shoulder. He pulled a finger from her hand into his mouth, licking, sucking, using his teeth along the length, moving to another. He released her right arm and moved distinctly hooked fingers he'd shown her from a strike along her throat, up to her mouth, to brush along her lips and inside until she was sucking on his fingertips sliding in and out of her mouth, venom flooding her into full hallucination, mirroring the motion of his mouth on her fingers. The progression of tiremit had established follow the leader, he was her leader. It didn't occur to her to move until he pushed her limbs, set an example, shifted his body on hers. He pulled his fingers from her mouth, inserting his other hand, and sliding the knuckles of his wet hand down her body, slipping under her pants and hooking inside her. He made no sound so she made no sound, panting around his fingers and shaking with the effort it took to remain silent.

He made no effort to move from the center of the bay, exposed to rows of windows and multiple entrances, and she accepted that as his due. It made perfect sense that everybody would want to and should be able to watch him blur with the light he emanated, the trails of color, his grace. She was only warmly and gratefully aware that she was chosen by him as worthy of display, unwilling to interrupt his pleasure in her body to accommodate for the possibility of being interrupted or observed. It made her proud when her thoughts returned to the idea to check that nothing was wrong.

Nothing was wrong. Everything was perfect, she was learning, the unnamed kata flowed from his inspiration to her example, strikes and leverage and superior technique moving from his fingers inside her and palm on her clit, his tongue on her fingers, his hand leaving her mouth and sliding under her shirt to stroke at her breasts. She came, dizzy and proud and swamped with sensation. He withdrew his fingers slowly, moving his hand to her waist to squeeze once in approval, giving her a few moments of panting rest to soak him in, bright bursts of color and time stretched out to extend the pleasure further. When the tension in her thighs slowly eased he took her hand in his and drew it around to her back, so his cock was gliding over her palm, her fingers spread out along the sides of him. His hands undid the fastenings of her pants and slid them down, then he tugged down the fabric of his own until her hand was gliding over his skin, the wet tip of his cock sliding over her palm.

He bent her over by slow degrees, a hand along her spine, his mouth traveling down from her shoulder, pressing her down. His hand guided hers to take his cock and find her core, holding her fingers between them as he slid into her, keeping her hand there so his cock was pressed against the curve of her circled fingers with each thrust. His thumbs along her waist, he pressed his hands into her abdomen and down, hard in against the muscle, so she could feel each thrust also through the movement of his fingers giving way in rhythm. With his fingers pressing in, accentuating the movement it seemed to extend as though he were deeper, further inside than he could be, taking up so much space, setting off shockwaves and trembles. His hands were beginning to tremble on her body and his breath was harsh as he bent over her, teeth and lips on the throat beside her ear. He slammed into her, tightening his hands painfully, biting at her shoulder until it became impossible to be quiet, forced moans at the end of each increasingly savage thrust as he angled her body for friction, moved his hands back down to stroke at her clit, and his hand pressing hers harder into his cock. She came with a rending scream and with a harsh groan he pulled her hips tighter to him and emptied into her, moving moments after to soothe over scratched and bruised skin on her back and neck and shoulders with his hands and mouth.

He repaired their clothing with no effort, lifted her into his arms and took her to the elevator.

Garrus was already in the elevator, leaning back against a corner. Thane nodded a greeting. Garrus said "Hell of a show."

Thane's lips twitched and he said "Glad to be of service."

Garrus said "Everyone saw it, well, most everyone, and then there was video. I'm the only one who would get into the elevator though. Cowards."

She looked at Garrus and then started laughing.

Thane said "I believe the lady is spent for the moment."

Garrus raised a brow plate and said "You seem to still be standing. She can watch."

She laughed harder, breaking into trails of giggles when she tried to stop.

Thane brought her into the shower and began soaping her body, washing her hair. Garrus came in a bit after, he always wore so much armor…she was dizzy happy, they were gentle with her and not so gentle with each other, rough kissing and kinda grabby. She said "You guys can just lean me against a wall, I'm okay."

Thane disagreed and made sure she got rinsed, handed a towel to Garrus and Thane combed her hair. They didn't bother with clothing her, and leaned over her a few times to kiss each other, still dropping kisses on the top of her head or her shoulder, caretaker strokes and soft murmurs of loving her.

Garrus said critically "She's got a lot of bruises."

Thane said without reproof "The majority of them are from you."

She chirruped "I don't mind, I heal quickly."

Garrus said playfully "Shepard, can I have a raise?"

She said helpfully "Of course you can have a raise, Garrus. Neither of you are paid enough."

Thane said "I am paid not at all. You could not afford me. Garrus, stop that or I will make sure you ask her less flattering questions."

Garrus scoffed and said "Like I've got pride."

Thane said "You have a great deal of pride. If you ask her to write my name on your rifle in glitter, she'll do it."

She smiled "Glitter! That would be lovely. Blue!"

Garrus said "Anybody comes near my Widow…"

She frowned. Garrus kissed her and said "Okay, you can come near my Widow."

She grinned and said "Yesssss."

Garrus said "Glitter will mess up the intake, though, so no glitter, okay? For me?"

She stroked a hand along the side of his face "For you, Garrus. Of course. I was being selfish."

Garrus sighed and looked at Thane "You said she was resistant."

Thane shrugged and said "She is. She wants to give you a raise if you want a raise and wants to make you happy, and if glitter would do it…"

Garrus smiled and stroked her cheek "I don't deserve you, Jane."

Thane kissed her shoulder and said "Neither do I." Thane moved down so she was at eye level. He said "Are you tired? Would you prefer to sleep? Garrus and I can be undeserving of your attention elsewhere. Perhaps in the shuttle bay."

Garrus laughed, she frowned and said "What do you want?"

Thane stroked her cheek and said "What we want is to take care of you." Thane said to Garrus "She's acutely empathic. She often cannot choose without knowing what everyone else needs."

Garrus nodded thoughtfully and said "We definitely don't deserve her."

She said earnestly "Yes, you do. Just leave me here. I'm not tired, but I won't bother you."

Thane looked at her and he said "Beloved, does it distress you to think that we think we do not deserve you?"

She nodded somberly and he said "Then it was a joke, love, only. We will not leave you because we feel unworthy. You think of others first, Jane. You want everyone to succeed and that is part of what makes you special to us. Garrus and I have gifts you do not have, but this is only one of your gifts, what you give to us that we cannot return in kind because we have not your capacity to think of others as you do. I know you sometimes feel unworthy, you haven't Garrus's strength, you haven't my grace, you wonder sometimes, why we love you?"

She nodded solemnly again, eyes huge. Garrus looked surprised and alarmed and she wondered if she'd offended him. Thane drew her eyes back to him with a finger on her chin. She said "Yes" quietly. They should know.

Thane searched her eyes and said "You think perhaps we cannot love you as you love us. That may be true, Jane. Compared to you we have depths of selfishness you perhaps cannot see or believe. We need you. You possess ethereal beauty and a will and a heart that draw us to you, bind us to you. Your beauty, though considerable, is the least of your gifts. When you doubt, remember how very, very hard we have worked to impress you. Remember that you could not buy me, but I gave myself to you. Remember that Garrus has followed you into the hells of a dozen worlds because he knew you would lead him out or that if you could not lead him out he wished to protect you to his last breath. See yourself through our eyes and not your own. You have grown accustomed to your own miracles. Look to those who love you who have not, and never will grow accustomed. And when you look at me, Siha, as though I set the stars in their paths, before I've touched you, and when you allow me to discover what pleases you, I have less control over my actions than I have ever had in a lifetime of discipline. By the will of the Gods, yes, when you look at me like that." He pulled her to him and kissed her with a worshipful gentleness, her worries fled and she accepted what he said as true.

Garrus said quietly "That's just what her face does. She has no idea."

Thane pulled back, her face framed in his hands. He said "All is well. A tiny push in tiremit can bring a storm. We have all been perhaps too exposed and that fault lies with me. I did not intend harm."

She said "I'd say we should pretend it never happened, but that's not going to happen on this ship. I'd prefer it didn't show up on the news…"

Garrus snorted and said "I could kill some people then. Things are looking up. Grunt really wanted to interrupt just so Thane could train him. I stopped him. Barely."

Thane said calmly "Siha, I doubt that anyone on this ship would risk their life in such a way. You would perhaps be chagrined but forgiving. I would not be either of those things. Anyone capable of such an act on this ship considering our circumstances and mission does not belong here. I would not have done it if I believed you would be at actual risk of anything other than enjoying yourself."

She kissed Garrus's cheek and then Thane's and said "Okay. I will make. A command. Decision. Drum roll please."

They both looked at her and she sighed and said "I believe Thane is correct and yes, the lady is spent. For now. Congratulations to you both. I'm going to see if on top of being an exhibitionist I'm a voyeur. I think I know the answer. Can I tell you guys what to do?"

Garrus grinned and said "No."

She said "That was the right answer, just testing. Wake me when you're done. Someone hold onto me. Decision making reasoning…I've had time with both of you, lots of time. Thane has been sick, Garrus has been working. You should catch up. If that doesn't involve any talking, I'm okay with that because sometimes Garrus can suck at talking and Thane might just lie anyway."

Thane's lips twitched and Garrus grinned and Thane said "Reasonable and fair. As expected."

Thane helped her stretch out on the couch and covered her with a blanket, ruffled her hair and then combed his fingers through. He said "I am glad you are an exhibitionist, Jane. That pleases me. I did warn you that I would discover what you want to do. To know I could not compel you to do it but that you did it because you wished to, irresistible."

She gave a raspberry sound, which seemed to surprise him enough to make her laugh and she said "You're kind of an ass, Thane."

He kissed her and said "I shall continue to be, and you shall continue to be lovely."

She closed her eyes and said "Mmm. I meant to tell you, I'm glad you're feeling better." She yawned and said "I bought you some fruit."

Thane smiled at her and said "Of course you did. Show me tomorrow."

Garrus came over and crouched down beside her and said "Kerim, remember, inconvenience me if you need to."

She smiled and opened her eyes and said "Garrus, I love you. Go beat up Thane for me, he was mean."

He stroked the side of her face and said "You like trouble an awful lot."

She said "Leave me alone, I'm going to sit here and be superior and judge your technique."

He laughed, kissed her and said "I expect an evaluation tomorrow."

Her eyes closed again, but did open when he'd gone. She was pretty damned voyeuristic, it turned out. She was also loopy as hell, trying to gain a hold on reality with tiremit and emotion coursing through her. They talked, urgently, quietly, and she knew it was about her but wouldn't intrude. They glanced her way occasionally, rumbles and flanging depths, but no words reached her. Their voices were comforting in her already warm sleepiness. She did know if she asked what they were saying, they would tell her. She didn't. She smiled instead and closed her eyes. Thane's voice began to dominate the conversation and Garrus asked no more questions. When it got quiet she opened her eyes and saw Thane's hand come to the side of Garrus's throat, Garrus turning into the caress. Garrus's hands came up, palms wide enough to cover the frill on either side of Thane's face, bending down to kiss him, palms rotating along the curves there, talons on the back of Thane's head. Jane thought Thane's frill looked like a heart with the point beginning in the depths of his throat, most prominent when his head was tipped back, like now. Drell heart and the facsimile of Cupid's pointed sharp arrow of Turian talons.

They were beautiful, and she was lucky, and they loved her, and she loved them, and all would be well until tomorrow when she would try very, very hard not to freak out. Please don't be on the news. Please don't be short a few crew members because she was on the news and Garrus and Thane cleaned ship before she woke up.

The thought actually made her smile. This whole exhibitionist thing was new. Thane was so damned pretty, Garrus was so apex predator and she really, really was proud that they wanted to touch her.

She chose to think of it as essential to her morale.

Sometimes having absolutely no shame could bite her in the ass.

She could never, EVER take Thane to go meet with the Council…because he might…well, that would probably be a good Council meeting for once. No. Bad thought. Really good thought. Stop.

Garrus was kissing the hell out of Thane, whose head was being twisted and tilted back. Groans and moans and goodness. She should do this more often, they made her close her eyes when they touched her, look at what she was missing.

Thane's hands were on Garrus's chest, along the opening seam of plates, green hands along blue length. Murmuring against mouths and a long tilting, twisting kiss. She never knew which way it was going to go, who was going to control what happened, one of them rising and the other one acquiescing and furthering each move like dancers who waited for the inspiration of the music and the moment, knew how to lead and how to follow and enjoyed both.

Here it resolved as it obviously should in the moment, though if it had gone the other way it would have been perfectly as it should as well. Thane had taken his time and pleasure with her body and Garrus had watched, bantering with crew mates and restraining an enthusiastic Krogan, controlling the crowd, and now he wanted what he wanted.

These men who were indulgent and careful when they touched her, due to her soft skin and fragile bones and giving nature, were more sudden and violent with each other, tougher hides and harder minds, their starting positions were tempered demand and curiosity about how far they could push each other.

Pretty damned far. In her experience.

Garrus broke the kiss first, lifting Thane bodily and putting him where he was required. Garrus's teeth closed over the back of Thane's shoulder with a snarl, moving his head in the predatory shake intended to make prey still, blood cresting forward and back. Garrus's hand wrapped around Thane's throat, claws extended, murmuring unmistakable demands, the words not heard but the tone and depth making the hair rise on her arms and back of her neck. Call and response, snarl and answer. Garrus licked at Thane's throat, hungry, and Thane moved Garrus's hand on his throat with blurring speed, biting with his sharper than human teeth into Garrus's wrist, drawing blood, twisting back to kiss him, that sound…that sound of Garrus tasting mingled blood, often met with gratitude from her. From Thane it induced physical frenzy and demand, already-dark pupils dilated to near demonic black and the angles and tension of his face twitching and feral.

She almost wondered why either of them ever wanted anything to do with her, but that thought didn't travel far, warded by Thane's reassurances.

A wrench and press from Garrus's hand and he had Thane impaled and restrained, Thane's head back on his shoulder. More growling call and response between licks and bites and kissing, now with closed eyes. Garrus's face relaxed from feral to pleasure with intent, his hand returning to Thane's throat, a hard hand pressing back on Thane's hip to a shared harsh groan, and then a closed fist around Thane's cock, Thane's nostrils flaring against hard breath. Garrus licked at Thane's throat along to the pace of his strokes, asking occasional smooth questions and getting shakes or nods of Thane's head, once a harsh laugh from both of them, changing his pace faster or slower after each answer.

Garrus watched Thane's face, flicked a glance to her face with a feral smile, making her spine melt and then freeze.

Appearing to be done teasing both of them and once again establishing she had impeccable taste in men, Garrus tightened his hold on Thane's throat, bit down again and pumped his hand until Thane came with a harsh groan. Garrus shifted Thane's weight, brought his arm under Thane's armpit and across his chest, offering a finger to Thane to suck, and bringing his mouth in to suck on the other finger.

They stood, unmoving, murmuring to each other with shared words and nips on fingers, withdrawn hand to brace and hold, and she closed her eyes, drifted off to the sounds of their soft voices.

Definitely a voyeur.

She woke later with Garrus lifting her in his arms, seemingly freshly showered again, and he said "Can't decide who is going to hold you so you're in the middle tonight, Kerim. Going with both."

Worked for her.