***Author's Notes***

A big thank you to Gamer072196! This chapter is dedicated to you!

Enjoy :)

Chapter 10 - Omega

Thane sat in the med-bay. A breather mask was fastened snuggly onto his face and wires trailed from beneath his shirt. Mordin and Dr. Chakwas both scanned him and them moved on to the various machines and devices that would tell him if his condition had gotten worse.

Movement and a flash of white caught his eye and he turned his attention to the goings on in the mess.

Shepard was casually leaning against the counters in the kitchen as he watched the doctors work on him. His pale brow was drawn in a mixture of worry and curiosity. Miranda stood beside him, clad in her white tight-fitting suit. Does that outfit offer any protection at all? He had heard some of the men on the ship complain about how distracting it was, but Thane knew that most of them were glad for it.

Her full lips were moving rapidly and as he watched them he picked up on a few of the words. Marie...Illusive Man...you need too...mission.
He watched Shepard's reaction. His face was dangerous, the red scars on his face glowed slightly. No...my crew...my rules.

Thane grinned at his commander. Then the two stepped away from each other as two figures appeared from around the partition in the room. Garrus; tall and intimidating, and yet Thane knew of twenty-six ways to kill him nearly instantly. Marie; the complete opposite of her companion, but he could sense a strength in her.

They walked toward Shepard and Miranda as Shepard (Thane assumed) told them everything Miranda had told him. Marie simply shrugged and looked unconcerned, but then she didn't know who the Illusive Man was. Garrus glared at Miranda who squared her shoulders and glared back.

"Thane." He blinked and looked at the good Doctor. "We have mixed a serum that should help with your symptoms." She gestured at a rather large needle and he winced. The amount of times I have been shot or beaten and I still can't stand needles. He nodded regardless.

The doctor wiped down his bicep with some disinfectant and maneuvered the needle so it slid beneath on of his scales there. The sharp scratch made him suck in a breath and he caught the doctor's smirk. Mordin on the other side of the room looked at him and laughed gently into his palm.

"It is not funny." Mordin only laughed harder, it was infectious and Thane allowed himself a smile at the two doctors.

"Okay. All done, that wasn't so bad was it?" He glared at her. "Now, sit there for five minutes so I can monitor the effects, then you can go and play with your friends."

He shook his head and looked back into the mess. Shepard, Miranda and Garrus had left, leaving Marie alone in the kitchen. She was drumming her fingers on the counter as she watched steam rise from a mug. She turned her head and the corner of her mouth tilted upwards, she pointed at the mug and let her eyebrow rise in question. Do you want some?
He nodded and she smiled, bustling away with another cup for him. And then his attention was again captured by the doctor's who insisted on some final scans.

"So...what's up with Miss Universe?" Garrus placed his hand on Shepard's shoulder as they made their way to the main battery of the ship. He heard Marie behind them let out a small laugh as she made tea.

"She wants me to hand Marie over to the Illusive Man. Apparently, ex-Cerberus members don't tend to be one hundred and ninety-three and he wants to ask her questions about some old operations." He sighed and massaged his temples as the door shut behind them. He rested his hip against the railing beside Garrus' workstation and looked up at the turian.

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing. If he tries to claim her then I won't give her up easily. I'm surprised she's holding together as it is and if people start fighting over her I think she might cave. Also, she's technically a civilian, I can't just give her up with a good conscience." He took a breath and pulled his long hair into his palms. "I asked her if she wanted us to leave her on earth..."

"Oh? Does she want to leave us?" Garrus was surprised and a little crestfallen. In the short time that he had known Marie, he had gotten to know and like her. He felt like he could just talk to her. Not even about anything important, just stuff. He found that he didn't like the idea of her leaving them.

"Nah." He sighed in relief. "She said she wants to help. She knows there's the possibility that she might have descendants but she doesn't want to just appear in their lives."

"Oh, good. What does Miranda think?"

"I told her no. Marie's part of my crew now. The Illusive Man put me in charge so Miranda can follow my rules...like everyone else." He grinned up and Garrus and he felt his mandible flutter in response.

He left the med-bay with the expectation that Marie would be there waiting for him. Instead he was greeted by a few members of the support crew. A few nodded or smiled at him politely to which he returned in kind before he moved on to his and Marie's room.

The smell of herbal tea filled his nose as he entered the room. It was quiet but it was welcome. Marie was sat upon her cot, feet folded beneath her as she meditated. He looked at their desk and saw two mugs steaming away, he smiled and helped himself to one.

Taking a sip of the hot liquid he sat and waited for Marie to finish her reflections. When she found out that he too meditated they would sit together at the end of the day and do it together.

And so he sat and allowed himself to get into the calming rhythm. He felt the motions of his body; every pump of his heart, the careful motions of his breathing, the comfortable warmth of the mug still clasped in his hands. He became aware of everything around him; the pulsing of the drive core that reflected through the window, the nearly silent footsteps of the people in the mess, the calm breath of the woman sat opposite him. It was when her breathing picked up and became less controlled that he knew she had finished her meditations. She didn't disturb him to which he was grateful.

Like him she sat silently and waited sipping her tea as he had.

She could barely contain her excitement. Her first ever space station!

Her Omni-tool pinged as she sat in the Drive Core with Tali who was trying to patiently teach her the ins and outs of what would be her job.

Then Tali got a ping and then did the crew around them. A ship wide message? She opened it up as others did and heard Tali's barely contained sigh.

"Omega? Ugh, I hate that place. Boshtets everywhere..." Her silver eyes skimmed the message.

Marie's brow furrowed when she saw it was from Shepard.

A word of warning. Whilst we are docked at Omega you are all allowed a day of shore leave.

Travel in groups.

Do not order drinks from Afterlife's bar.

Do not venture into Vorcha controlled areas.

Do not wear Cerberus insignia.

Do not speak about our mission, the crew, the ship or the commander.

Have a nice time.

-Shepard

There are a lot of 'do not's in this.

"Tali, why is this necessary?" She gestured at her Omni-tool to make her point.

"Omega is not the nicest place in the Galaxy. It's a hub for terrorists, pirates and smugglers. And the 'ruler', Aria, is a total bitch." The quarian shrugged and began to make her way to the elevator, Marie followed.

"Then why are we going there?"

"Shepard most likely has business there. And, since the Council practically banished him to the Terminus systems, it's where we go to re-stock, refuel, get personal items...if you know where to go it isn't so bad."

They met Jack in the hallway. "Finally, a place where I can get some." Marie lifted her eyebrow at her. "The fuck are you looking at?" The biotic sneered.

"You like Omega?" It wasn't that she was surprised, it was just that omega sounded so...

"Yeah." She paused as they entered the elevator. "It's a place where you can fuck, fight and drink, and nobody will give a shit." She shrugged and stood silently. Marie could feel the excitement radiating of her. The wind had definitely blown out of her own sails though.

The exited into the Mess to be greeted by the rest of the ground crew. Jack rushed over to Zaeed and Grunt, who were talking enthusiastically about the clubs and possible fights. Tali wandered over to Shepard and Garrus, the three of them seemed to just fit together and Marie couldn't help the sharp pang of loneliness that pierced her heart. Even Miranda and Jacob seemed to fit together perfectly. Samara and Kasumi stood together, one silently waiting patiently whilst the other watched the squad with piercing eyes, gleaning any bits of information she could. Mordin was muttering to himself, his Omni-tool out as he scanned various members and noted anything interesting. Marie stood to the side. She wanted to join in but she didn't want to interrupt either.

Time passed at a snails pace as they waited for Shepard to finish his preparations with Garrus and Tali. The wall she was leaning against was uncomfortable but she had nothing else to do. Then she felt someone beside her. She looked up into his obsidian eyes, the slight green of his irises glittering in the harsh white light of the Mess.

"Are you well?" She nodded. "Then why are you stood alone?" He gestured out into the room.

"I...I don't know." She shrugged and watched him walk over to Shepard. Alone again. But then, he looked over his shoulder at her, a meaningful look in his eyes that simply said 'come on'. She followed him over to the commander.

"Okay! Now that we are all here." He nodded at Thane. "Me, Samara and Tali are together. The rest of you can do what the hell you want."

Jack let out a cheer as the squad moved to the elevator.

"Garrus, Thane..." The two men turned to their commander. "Take Marie. I don't want her...alone." He glared meaningfully at Miranda who had just entered the elevator. Garrus nodded and Thane acted as though there was no other option to begin with coming to stand beside Marie as he had since she arrived. "Excellent." He turned to her, his brown eyes looking down at her in worry. "Get whatever you've been missing these pass few days." He passed her a small chip. "That's a credit chit. Keep in a front pocket and don't wave it around. Garrus knows the best places for anything in this place-"

"Aw, you never give me credit chits!" The turian pouted good-naturedly.

Shepard winked at him. "I'll give you more than credit chits." A low rumbling could be heard from the drell beside her as they all watched colour rise in Garrus' gizzard.

"Right...well..umm..we'll just go." He stepped to the side and headed for the elevator, closely followed by Thane who was still rumbling his low laughter. "Shut it, Drell."

Marie turned to Shepard. "Thank you, commander-"

"Shepard." He wagged his finger at her.

"Shepard. It means a lot." He waved her off as Samara and Tali stood by his side.

"Just don't let those two out of your sights. Clear?"

"Clear." She turned and nearly ran for the elevator as Garrus held it open for her.

They walked through the CIC and Thane couldn't help but watch Marie tie her hair back, struck with the need to touch it once more. Garrus hummed beside him making the drell look up into his eyes, the turian winked and Thane could feel the pink of his cheeks darken.

"Be safe guys! Have fu...erm...be caref...how's about you all just come back in on piece, eh?" Joker waved them out making Marie giggle as she finished of the now braided tail down her back.

"Is Omega really that bad?" She turned to him, her dark brow raised quizzically.

"Oh, I don't think so. It all depends on who you know and what you're capable of." Garrus hummed at them.

Thane nodded in agreement. "And luckily you are in the company of the bane of Omega."

"Why? What did you do, Thane?"

"Ha! Him? He's talking about me!" Garrus flung his arms wide as the airlock open. "Archangel!" She merely shrugged and brushed past him, clearly not impressed. Garrus' mouth dropped open his mandibles going slack and Thane couldn't help but laugh. "But...Archangel..."

"I doubt she's read up on your good deeds, my friend." He clapped him on the shoulder as he followed Marie onto the station.

Omega was a cesspool and for a moment Thane felt ashamed that this was the first place that she had seen of their Galaxy. She bit her lip as she looked around, playing with her braid with her thin hands. Garrus bent in front of her and clipped a heavy pistol to the mag strip on her thigh. "Just in case."

The turian led them to a market in the less seedy area of Omega and Marie set of in search of whatever she needed. They followed her closely and kept her in sight at all times. One of them on their target the other watching those around her. She stepped up to a kiosk and tapped away at the screen.

"So, Thane." Thane canted his head slightly to show that he was listening, all the while watching a group of turian's who were straying to close to Marie for his comfort. "How are you getting along with our newest group member?"

"She has been on the ship longer than I have. If anything, I am the newest member of the group."

"Oh whatever, you know what I meant." Garrus crossed his arms watching Marie as she flitted to a different kiosk. He was surprised when her eyes kept glancing at them as if to be sure they were still there.

"Indeed. I believe we are getting along fine." He moved through a crowd that had crossed their line of sight.

"Yeah? What do you talk about?" Garrus growled at a fellow turian who was about to brush past the human.

"Bits of everything."

"You aren't going to tell me, are you?"

"No."

"Fair enough." He leant against a support beam and Thane followed suit. "What do you...do with her?"

Thane coughed lightly at the insinuation and un-furled his arms so they fell casually beside him. "I'm not sure I follow, Garrus."

"Oh? I think you do." He could hear the jibe in his voice.

"We meditate together. Talk, share stories." He thought for a moment. "I've been helping her with upgrades for the squads armor..." He paused as he fought with the memory that tried to emerge. "She is quite an adept when it comes to tech, it seems."

"Yeah, so I've heard."

Marie rejoined them warily eyeing some vorcha that entered the market. "What are those?"

Thane placed his hand on her lower back and ushered her between him and Garrus. "Vorcha. It's time to leave." Garrus nodded in agreement, grinning his turian grin at Thane and his hand placement.

Garrus' Omni-tool pinged and he quickly scanned the message.

Help.

-S

"Shit."

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