Author's Note: Now we are out of "in between land." This is the first chapter of the second part that takes place during the ME3 story line. Hope you are still enjoying the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please Review and thank you for reading

Now that Thane was back on the Citadel to live out the rest of his short life, Ali visited him at his apartment then later at the hospital almost every day. They argued about his future many times. He was ready to face his death whereas she wanted him to keep fighting. It was when Shepard came to visit his friend Ashley at Huerta Hospital that she came up with an idea. Maybe if they were with Shepard, she could somehow ask him to take them to a planet where a group of Hanar scientists were in the final stages of creating a promising cure. She had gotten the status report a few days before from one of her contacts along with what her man thought was a booster that the Hanar had given him. She had thought nothing of it. All it could do was to provide him enough strength to give him a few more "normal" months before the disease continued where it left off. Ali also didn't trust the sudden arrival of this cure. How come she had never heard of it until a few months ago? Surely they must have been working on it for years. And why were the Hanar and Salarians keeping it quiet? This cure would give hope to an entire species where as they all just accepted that they might die of it. While she didn't want to force Thane into anything, she was seriously tempted to knock him out and join the Normandy crew hoping he wouldn't regain consciousness until they were too far away to turn back. Of course then he might never speak to her again, but was it worth his hating her if he lived? To that she didn't know the answer.

Then Cerberus had to attack the Citadel. It wasn't that she hadn't expected it at some point. It was simply a very large inconvenience. Ali had her entire team all over the station holding key points, working alongside C-SEC. She was busy trying to find Thane. Leave it to him to not be able to stay at the hospital or his apartment where he would be safe. According to Shepard's comm which she had hacked into by some stroke of luck, he was on his way to C-SEC headquarters. Then after that was a bust, he was going after the Salarian Councilor. "Has anyone seen the Councilor or the Executor anywhere?" she asked into her comm.

"Boss, the executor is all ready dead. But I saw the Councilor in a conference room not far from his office. He was cloaked under the table. Sending you the location now." She glanced down at her omni tool and tore off in that direction deciding to ignore that he had called her boss. She could hear Shepard talking to Bailey over the comm when he located the counselor then the crash of glass that came from ahead of her. That was when she saw him.

Thane was running up the stairs a pistol on his hip. He looked like the man she remembered from so long ago before he lost his wife. So intent on his mission without even caring that he was gasping for breath. Ali almost couldn't stop herself from calling out, but she didn't want to alert any hidden Cerberus agents to his presence. Knowing that he would not appreciate her jumping into his fight if he didn't need her help, she went the only way that presented itself: up.

The fight that ensued was almost impossible to watch. Her muscles were straining to join and protect him leaving her trembling with pent up energy. Then she glanced at Shepard. He was just standing there watching Thane fight for him. She wanted to shout at him, to tell him to do something. She looked back at Thane smiling to herself when she saw that he was holding his own even when his lungs were barely working. Then they charged at each other, and she knew his arm span wasn't long enough to beat the sword. She heard herself scream not even realizing she was as she dropped from her perch. Shepard's bullets glanced off her shields as she fell on the assassin grabbing his shoulders and using her downward momentum to throw him away from Thane who was on the floor in a growing puddle of his own dark blood.

Ali shut him out though it proved harder than she thought it would be. Her body moved around the assassin's blade like water, and she had to give him credit for recovering fast from her unexpected entrance. His eyes registered surprise for a split before reining in his facial expressions to one of pure rage. "You will pay for that, you son of a bitch. I will make sure of it personally," she growled. His eyes narrowed, and his sword swung in a perfect practiced arc. She blocked using the newly added blade from halfway up her forearm to just about an inch past her elbow making a slight hook which she could stab with. He stopped short and thrust, but she was one step ahead of him in her sense heightened state and captured his blade between her gloved palms. He kept pushing hoping to overpower her for what seemed like minutes when it was actually only a split second before he yanked it away and jumped over the low wall and onto the steps. Shepard gave chase without so much of a glance back at them. "Get me medical assistance here now," she spat into her comm. There were many answering affirmatives which she ignored.

When Ali turned around, Thane was up and moving towards the stairs leaving a trail of blood behind him. "No, Thane," she said wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. "You need to keep still." He pulled weakly against her then fell against the table before hitting the ground. She was able to keep him from getting hurt, but that meant taking most of the fall on herself. They both landed with a pained grunt.

"Ali, you shouldn't have interfered," he breathed looking up at her. She had his head on her shoulder, and the rest of him was splayed across her body.

"I couldn't have watched you die. You know that, Thane." He coughed weakly turning his face away from her. "I am not letting you die."

"I'm afraid I've picked a bad time to leave."

"No, Thane, you're not going anywhere. I won't let you," she murmured defiantly trying to hold back a choking sob. "Please, don't leave me." He coughed wetly and painfully turning his head away from her again. He gasped for breath, and she pressed her forehead to his.

"Such beautiful things from your lips." She choked on her sob, it coming out as a strangled gulp before putting her face into his neck.

"Where is the medical team?" she bit out.

"They're on the way to you. ETA about two minutes, boss. They needed to wait until Shepard stopped firing near where you are," Nat answered.

"Hold on, Thane. Medical is on the way." He smiled up at her faintly then his eyes closed very slowly. Ali's eyes widened. "No, no, please, Thane. Don't leave me," she whispered cradling his head against her. Inspiration struck at that moment, and she took the temporary cure syringe out of her pocket. Sending a silent prayer up to all her species' gods and all the Drell gods hoping they would take pity on their dark warrior, she injected it into his neck. "Come back to me, Thane. I'm not ready for you to leave me. I never want you to leave me. Please, Kalahira, he is not yours to take. He is mine, and I will protect him from you. Arashu protect him, keep him with me. Amonkira, you still have a lot of prey to be hunted. Do you want your hunter to fall? I need him." She continued muttering things like this until she was gently pushed out of the way by the medical technicians who immediately took stock of Thane's conditions.

Looking down at herself, she was appalled to find blood covering almost every inch of her front. She started to tremble. "Are you seeing this?" one of the paramedics asked under his breath.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked in a voice that was way too high to be her own.

"His pulse is actually getting stronger, and his blood oxygen level is rising as well. We need to find a blood donor though otherwise he will bleed out," he said not looking at her. She blinked. The cure actually worked. She was shocked.

"I will call his son and ask him to meet us at the hospital."

Ali followed the floating stretcher into Huerta Hospital, but they would not let her past the door to the operating room. She was tempted to force her way in: her anger and sadness swelling when she heard a familiar voice behind her. "Ali, what's happened?" Kolyat asked as he walked up to her. His eyes were worried, and they widened when he saw she was covered in blood. "Are you all right? Were you injured as well?" She swallowed thickly and unable to hold the wave of despair that flowed over her, she hugged the young man. She cried into his chest as he held her to him whispering soothing words into her ear.

"I-I should have helped him sooner. But he just shocked me with how well he was doing in his condition. I just forgot how sick he was. I'm such an idiot," she sobbed brokenly. "Oh, Kolyat, if he dies, it will be my fault."

"Ali, don't say that. It won't be your fault. He would not have gotten medical attention so quickly if it hadn't been for you." She choked then started coughing wetly into his shoulder.

Kolyat cradled her head against him putting his hand in her hair. He understood why his father was so attracted by it and her scent. Ali was a very special person to both of them, and seeing her like this was like a knife to the heart. "I'm sorry. Here I am crying when it is your father in the hospital," she tried to laugh but it came out as a broken sob.

"You've known him a lot longer than I, Ali. You're his Siha."

"Kolyat," she whispered tightening her arms around him.

"Do you know anything?"

"No," she snapped angrily pinning her eyes on one of the doctors scurrying past. "They won't tell me anything."

"Maybe they will for me. Are you all right? I'll only be gone a moment." She scrubbed at her face knowing she probably looked blotchy and wet.

"I'm fine. Go," she ordered jerking her head at another doctor. "And Kolyat, thanks." He smiled at her and nodded before heading towards the front desk.

Hours later, Thane opened his eyes for the first time since he lost consciousness. Ali was up before she could stop herself. His dark eyes found hers and held them for several long seconds before he glanced at his son Kolyat who had been with her since he had arrived at the hospital. He looked back at Ali in slight confusion. "How are you feeling, father?" Kolyat asked before Ali could find her voice which was somewhere in the pit of her stomach.

"Better than I should." The confusion was still there, and his brow ridges furrowed. "Ali, what did you do?" She swallowed nervously not wanting him to be angry with her.

"She saved your life. What difference does it make?" She would smile every time she looked back at that moment. Kolyat to the rescue. Shock flickered in Thane's eyes.

"I suppose you are right."

Slowly Thane sat up against the protests of both Kolyat and Ali. "I feel fine, my son. Better than I have felt since before I met Shepard." He glanced at her with a promise that he would interview her later.

"Just don't reopen the wound, Thane. Kolyat gave a lot of blood to make sure you survived," she muttered dreading the questioning. Thane rarely got angry, but his calm was almost more unnerving than anger.

"And for that, he has my eternal gratitude." A rare smile touched his lips which his son returned without pause. "Will you please leave me with Ali? We have much to discuss." Kolyat hesitated glancing at her wanting reassurance from her, and she nodded. Before passing her on his way out of the room, Kolyat bent down to whisper in her ear.

"Don't let him bully you. Ali, you have my thanks for what you did. Thank you." He smiled lovingly at her before pecking her cheek and leaving.

"I'm sorry," she said under her breath not daring to look him in the eye after his son left.

"I was prepared to die."

"I know. I just couldn't let it happen." She chanced a glance through her eyelashes to be met with his bemused smile. Thane nodded, and she realized what he was hinting at. "You heard me?"

"Indeed." A flush colored her cheeks before she looked down at her shoes. All at once, he had his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. She could feel the bandages against her cheek, and unable to stop herself, she put her hands against them to tell herself that he was actually there alive with her. "You have nothing to apologize for, Ali." His words grounded her again, and she felt the emotional pain blossom in her chest. He loosened his grip, so he could look at her face. "I am curious though. How did you do it?" She distanced herself from him and leaned against the wall.

"I started looking into research for the cure when you came here after Shepard was arrested. About a month ago, one of my contacts came across a highly classified research project by Hanar and Salarian scientists. They are close to what they believe is going to be a cure for Kepral's Syndrome. It hasn't been tested on Drell subjects yet, but the last I heard, they synthesized the cure. My guy managed to get a temporary 'cure' for Kepral's that basically retards the disease giving a false retreat of symptoms for a few months before it comes back and continues its progress," she paused glancing up at him. "And that's the limits of my understanding. The Hanar who are working on it would be able to explain it better and in more detail."

"And you want me to join Shepard with the condition that he brings me to these scientists to be cured. You do understand that a war for the galaxy is going on, correct?" He knew her too well, and she felt the blush creep up her neck subtly.

"Of course I do, Thane. He needs you. Shepard has to see that."

"I am hardly the lynchpin of his team, Ali." She glowered crossing her arms getting ready for the fight she knew was coming, but she was interrupted when the door opened. Speak of the devil.

"Thane, I am glad to see you up and about. That injury looked serious," he said in his usual emotionless monotone. This caused Ali's mood to sour even more. It wasn't that she didn't like the commander. They had never seen eye to eye though.

"I have Ali to thank for that." The commander looked over at her in surprise like he hadn't seen her when he entered and held out his hand in greeting. She took it just to seem agreeable.

"Commander," she said shortly.

"Good to see you again, Miss Daniels. Thane mentioned that you were still here. How is your team?"

"They're doing fine. We're working with C-SEC and the Council now to bring some semblance of order back to the Citadel."

"That's good to hear. I can honestly tell you that I am impressed with you team and your resources. They almost rival the Shadow Broker herself."

"I wouldn't go that far. Dr. T'Soni and I made a deal a while ago when I discovered she had taken over the position. She gives me the information I need free of charge when it involves one of the causes she supports. Plus, we have most of the same contacts. She's very good at her job." Shepard looked shocked at the knowledge that she knew who the Shadow Broker was.

"How did you find out?" She shrugged opting for silence over telling him more of her ways. He shook his head taking a second to absorb the information, then he turned to the Drell.

"Thane, are you sure you can't come with me? I have a hard time believing you are not up to at least a bit of your old ardor after surviving a fight like that." Thane glanced at Ali who bit her lip and looked away.

"Actually there has been a new development in my situation. I would like to join you. But to keep me with you until the end, I will need a favor."

"Name it, and I will see what I can do?"

"There is a research facility that holds a promising cure to Kepral's. I would like to make sure the research gets put to good use for my people. I don't want them to be unprotected in the event that the planet is attacked by the Reapers. I would rather have them on a ship maybe where you are building the Crucible. I believe they would be willing to help in building it also." Shepard thought for several seconds.

"Any effort against the Reapers is worth looking into," he said. "I suppose we could make this happen, Thane."

"It is much appreciated." Ali couldn't contain her face splitting grin, and she barely stopped herself from jumping up and down applauding like a school girl. "I would also like, Ms. Daniels to join your crew." This caused her to pause. He had his hands folded at the small of his back, and he was staring at her waiting for her reaction, with a ghost of a knowing smile on his lips.

"I saw how she fought with that assassin. It was very impressive. I was actually going to ask her before I left."

Ali looked around the room trying to weigh her options. "As long as my team including some of my contacts on the Citadel get transport to this Crucible. I don't want them here. I remember the fight for the Citadel. It seems this place is almost always the center of these conflicts with the Reapers."

"I can arrange that."

"Then I will be free to come with you as well." Shepard nodded to them both.

"We are docked in D-24. Tomorrow at noon is when we are supposed to be moving on. Welcome back, Thane. And welcome, Ms. Daniels." They both nodded in turn, and the commander left the room without any further pleasantries.

"He has the personality of a stone," Ali muttered.

"Shepard more than makes up for it in battle."

"Mmhmm, right, Sere Krios. I will see you tomorrow. I have to prep my team and your son to move out." He gave her a wary look. "You didn't know that your son is an honorary member?" He shook his head. "Ah, well, I promised I wouldn't mention it until he told you, but that was months ago. Just act surprised when he decides to inform you, okay?" He nodded. "Good, he would kill me for telling you." This caused him to smile subtly.

The Normandy was truly a beautiful ship both aesthetically and mechanically. Chief Engineer Adams was a very helpful man, and he knew his ship very well. Ali was in awe of everything she saw. From what she could tell, the Alliance had taken away some of the beauty with the heavy weapons ammo canisters and random crates all over the place. What surprised her most was the sheer number of different species on his ship. Shepard was lovers with an Asari who was also the Shadow Broker which she knew all ready. She had greeted Dr. T'Soni warmly, and they had talked at length about many different things and how her contacts were faring. She complained that the Reaper invasion was slowing down the usual information intake that she was used to leaving her with more downtime than she had expected. They agreed to continue talking later.

Garrus Vakarian, who she had met on the Citadel a while ago, was his same old self: a gruff C-SEC officer who had gone vigilante on Omega when Shepard had died. He was shocked to discover that one of his men had been one of hers which she had planted there to keep an eye on his headway against the gangs on Omega. They exchanged a few war stories though Garrus had a lot of flare in his added by the suicide mission with Shepard. He beat her in intensity, but she had him with the sheer number of stories she had collected over the years including her time at the Fac. They agreed to continue their competition until one them ran out of stories to tell. Ali admitted that she looked forward to the lessons she could learn from the Turian.

Then there was the Spectre human named Ashley Williams who joined the crew after the attack on the Citadel. Ali had seen her a few times at the hospital and had even been present during her Spectre induction ceremony. The woman seemed very interesting plus she liked old literature which Ali couldn't ignore. They had in depth critiques of the old poets and author in the lounge over drinks on more than one occasion. The behemoth, James Vega, was quite the flirt but had a heart of gold. She took an instant liking to him. The pilot, Jeff "Joker" Moreau, was an interesting guy who she enjoyed talking to. It took her mind off of impending doom. The ship AI EDI was a conundrum. In the future, she would often ask Ali questions about human behavior, in particular Joker, when Shepard refused to answer the more awkward ones. Plus there were some girl questions which Shepard couldn't answer anyways because he wasn't one. There was also the shuttle pilot, Steve Cortez, who stayed in the shuttle bay all the time. She sensed that there was a great sadness in the man, but she wouldn't intrude on his privacy unless he opened himself up.

After going through the ship a number of times, Ali settled for the shuttle bay. She enjoyed looking out the windows of any ship into space, and after removing a few metal sheets from the window, she could see out into the abyss. It reminded her how small her problems were and served in grounding her. Vega and Cortez were there as well, but she found the empty sounds of them working calming in a way. She unrolled her bedroll and laid out on her back. There were a bunch of wide support beams above the floor of the bay, and honestly she was more comfortable high up unless she had some reason to not be like if someone was in her bed.

"We don't bite down here, you know," Vega called from where he was cleaning rifles.

"I prefer heights," she said without opening her eyes. Vega was loud and abrasive which made her smile to herself. Cortez was silently working on the shuttle like he was somewhere else, possibly with someone else.

"You're some kind of jungle cat then?" She laughed and rolled over to look down at him. "Did you hear that Esteban? She likes to be above her prey when she goes in for the kill." Ali rolled over farther grabbing the edge of the beam and falling lightly to the floor. Vega looked up at her then the beam with a slight smile in his eyes. "You might not want to do that very many times. You'll kill your knees."

"Genetic modification takes care of all that, Lieutenant."

"So you're like a super human cat." She laughed but nodded modestly. "I am very tempted to call you Pan."

"Pan?" she asked quizzically. He nodded to himself seeming to confirm his line of thought.

"Panther, you don't have to call me by my rank. James is perfectly acceptable." She smiled suspiciously.

"I sure hope that doesn't catch on with the rest of the crew, James." He responded with his own smile before going back to his work. She heard the almost imperceptible hiss of the ship being released from the docks of the Citadel and the drive car starting.

"Looks like we're under way." He looked up momentarily giving her a grin.

Ali went up to the crew deck when she found she couldn't keep still. Thane had taken up his old spot in Life Support, and she found him meditating. "Thane?"

"Do you need something?" he asked not turning around.

"How are you feeling?"

"Very well. Whatever it was you gave me is working. Even Dr. Chakwas was flabbergasted that I feel so well for being in the final phase of Kepral's." She felt a smile flit across her lips, but it was gone before she could try and paste it into place. Why was everything so awkward around him? They were always so compatible even after she made him leave and during his marriage to Irikah. Why wasn't it the same? They had made up long ago, hadn't they?

"What are we doing here?" he asked quietly. How the hell does he know exactly what I am thinking? Must be some kind of Drell mind trick. She sighed almost missing the movement of him rising when she looked at the floor. He grabbed her chin with his thumb and forefinger tilting her head back, so he could look into her eyes. Ali bit her lip self consciously and swallowed. "You shouldn't do that," he said lowly. Immediately, she released her lip and grinned.

"Sorry," she mumbled. Man, it's hot in here. Damn him. "Thane?"

"Yes?"

"I don't want to keep fighting."

"Neither do I."

"Then we can stop?"

"If you wish." She sighed though she noticed the amusement in his eyes.

"You're always the diplomat, aren't you?" A small smile played on his lips.

"Yes, when we're near a window, I am always inclined to let you have your way."

"I have never thrown you out a window," she scoffed. His eyebrow ridges shot up.

"You've threatened it enough, have you not?" Kissing him quickly, Ali effectively silenced him.

"Hush, let me speak first." He nodded still a little stunned by her action. She took a few steps back trying to get away from his scent. She had to ground herself as she sobered closing off the slight euphoric feeling from flirting with him again. "I know I made a mistake after Mark and everything. I accept it, and I have been kicking myself ever since." He opened his mouth to disagree, but she raised her hand. "Let me finish, Thane.

"That piece of shit was a huge part of my life, and a part of me who was still that little, scared girl at the Fac loved him with everything she had. He was her protector, and the only thing that made that life bearable. And he betrayed me, and I had to kill him with my own two hands. There was a part of me that was lost. That fucking little girl was terrified that there was someone else that could take Mark's place and be even more." His face darkened slightly. "It's not your fault, Thane. I was afraid, and let it get the better of me. I should have trusted you, but I just couldn't.

"So I threw myself into something I knew I could do. I am a leader. I was raised to be a leader, and I'm damn good at it. Something about having other people's lives in my hands makes it so I don't have to worry about my own life. Work fulfilled me in ways that I was afraid you couldn't. I was only nineteen when we met, and you were little older. That was a long time ago, and my feelings for you haven't changed. I still love you, and I'm still afraid. But I want to be with you. Because fear needs to be faced and conquered, or it rules over you. I love you, Thane. And if it's not too late, I want to be with you." There was a long silence, and Ali awkwardly leaned against the wall waiting for him to speak. "Okay, I'm done," she finally said impatience getting the better of her.

Thane slowly walked towards her until he was barely a few inches away from her. He slowly trailed a finger down her cheek staring into her eyes. She felt like he was just reading every single one of her emotions and fears and doubts. He knew everything about her. What she loved, what she hated, her weaknesses, her strengths, what made her self-conscious, and all those things in her past that made her who she was. And what amazed her was that he accepted all of it without any hesitation.

He didn't answer her which made her squirm inwardly. Slowly, he moved his hands into her hair pushing it back over her shoulders. "Siha," he breathed. It was like she was the only one in the world that he would ever speak to again, and it made her stomach fall onto the ground at her feet somewhere. He leaned forward and gently ran his teeth over her shoulder inhaling her scent in his most intimate way before standing back up straight. "Siha." There it was again. How in the hell can that one word turn me into goo? I am supposed to be this super soldier, right? Reading her reaction like it was the only thing that mattered to him; he leaned forward again and kissed her. Their lips barely touched before he pulled away making her almost fall forward because she tried to follow him. "Siha."

"Fuck," she mumbled mostly to herself finally voicing the mantra that had been going on in her head. A small smile flickered across his face before he kissed her again. She threw her arms around his neck ensuring that he couldn't back away from her again. His hands traveled to her lower back, and he pressed his palms into her.

When they finally separated, she put her forehead against his and smiled up at him goofily. His eyes were dancing with mirth, and a genuine smile graced his lips. She pressed her fingers to them tracing the smile before she looked back into his eyes, and he quickly kissed her fingers not able to let the opportunity pass. A whole new excitement filled her eyes which caught his interest, and he cocked his head questioningly. "Are you ready to jump back into the fray?" she asked answering his silent question.

"More than ready. Being stuck in that hospital has made me rather claustrophobic."