AN: Month end... Busy... Chapter... Forced... me... to... finish...

The Park

Sitting in the sunshine on a park bench, Abby closed her eyes and took what felt like her first breath in days or even weeks maybe. She was surprisingly at peace as she sat there amidst the flurry of activity that came with a pleasant day, alien kids and fountains. As water was a universal thing, it seemed that the urge to play in it was as well.

Abby had been pleasantly surprised with Illium. She had not paid a lot of attention to it in the game and didn't realize that the whole planet was actually built in the air. With surface temperatures too high for comfort the mostly asari run planet had reached up to the heavens where they lived in elaborately designed skyscrapers that supported sport stadiums, neighbourhoods and even parks. She had learned all of this from her new omni-tool, which admittedly was still showing her who's boss. She had never been very technologically adept and she had never even considered gaming until she spent a week with a good friend of hers and discovered her son's Play Station. When she reached the Illium level she had still been giddy having survived the attack on the Horizon Colony (which had taken her hours) and had hardly bothered to read anything about it. Although the asari made her nervous, she liked it but then again, she also suspect that she would like any planet more than Banrio.

There was a shift next to her as Kasumi sat down. She had not seen the woman approach but the thief would make a ninja sound like an elephant. She had what looked like two twisted bread sticks in her hands and happily handed Abby one. The vet hesitated as Kasumi had bought her something perfectly horrible only an hour before which had not gone down well.

The asari liked strange things in their seafood.

Things that were alive.

"I thought you'd enjoy the simplicity of this," Kasumi said with a smile. "Simple sweet bread on a stick. Cinnamon, sugar and raisons. The most exciting flavour that it has is that hint of custard that you get between the layers." When Abby didn't bite into it immediately she grinned and patted her back. "And, I promise that this meal won't try to kill you. Scout's honour."

Searching the stick for movement, Abby smiled slightly and poked at it. "You're not a scout Kasumi," she pointed out. "And you know what they say about honour amongst thieves."

Kasumi grinned and to Abby's surprise sat back and put her arm around her shoulders. "That we have a lot of it?" she queried. "Come on pet, take a bite. You won't regret it."

Smiling slightly, shaking her head at Kasumi's enthusiasm, Abby tried to bread and immediately voiced her approval by a pleased sound. It was delicious and just what she needed to make this day seem perfect. It was strange how, in this foreign world, in this life that was not real, that could not be real, she managed to find contentment. She had certainly not felt this way in days or even weeks.

"You seem happy," Kasumi pointed out, having finished her bread. "You like shopping this much?" They had bought quite a few things which had already been sent to the Normandy. Abby wasn't sure whether she would get round to wearing any of it, but it had been interesting to watch Kasumi heckle the stingy sales reps of Illium.

"I'm..." Abby hesitated, struggling to find the words for what she was feeling. "I'm just enjoying the sunshine. And the atmosphere and the company." She shrugged, feeling embarrassed suddenly. "I haven't had a day like this in weeks. And... I feel good Kasumi. I haven't... I mean..." How do you explain to someone that you were ecstatic because you haven't fallen over your own feet? Or you haven't broken anything yet? "I guess it's just all the fresh air."

Kasumi smiled, though it was hard to see what was in her gaze when she looked at Abby. Patting the woman on the back, she stood up and made a vague gesture in some direction. "I have to go see a man about a dog," she said. "While we're here. It won't take long. Do you mind?" Her sentences were short but still lively and seemingly unconcerned but Abby knew immediately that the thief wouldn't just randomly ask to see somebody.

It had to be important.

She shrugged and nodded, smiling at the woman as she did so. "Sure," she said. "Go ahead. It must be boring being babysitter the whole time."

Kasumi laughed, the relief clear in her voice. "It's hardly a chore," she said. "I'll be right back Abby, don't go anywhere alright?"

Abby nodded and watched as Kasumi disappeared back into the crowded park. She lost sight of her very quickly, though knew that with Kasumi that could mean anything from she was standing behind her to she was halfway across Illium by now. The woman moved like a snake when she wanted to.

Settling back, Abby finished her bread, still watching the commotion in the park. She began to feel herself nodding off as time progresses and had to sit up to wake herself. Yawning, wondering how much time had passed (and having forgotten how to check the time on her omni-tool) she stood up and stretched to get some oxygen back into her system. It was while she was straightening up that she felt as if she was being watched.

Abby paused before she sat back down, scanning the crowd around her. Her gaze turned to the asari immediately and for a moment she held her breath, scanning each of their faces to see if she could pick out Asura. When she didn't see anybody that she recognized specifically, she started sitting down when a movement caught her eye. She didn't know what had made her look but she had caught of glimpse of a plain dressed batarian seconds before he disappeared behind one of the large park trees. She knew for a fact that she would not be able to tell whether it was Fedora's companion or not (and she had no idea what happened to him) but she was fairly certain that he had been watching her. More alert now, Abby slowly sank down on one knee so that she could pretend to tie her shoe laces. She dropped her head, using her hair to obscure her face and scanned the rest of the crowd. This time she picked up out a human and an asari staring at her.

Shit, she found herself thinking. Kasumi? She looked around for the thief but couldn't find her. Images of Banrio flashed through her mind as she remembered the chaos that had exploded around her. Surely she was imagining all of this? Shepard had said that Illium was safe... The batarian, the human and the asari all started moving towards her as one. Their pace was slow but deliberate; they were most definitively coming towards her.

Closing her eyes, Abby pretended that she had not seen them and slowly started walking away from the bench, thinking that if Kasumi was watching her that she would come to her immediately if she saw her leaving. She kept glancing around for the thief but couldn't find her. Her mouth went dry when she realized that the people following her might've distracted the thief.

Or hurt her.

Abby picked up her pace, glancing over her shoulder to see the three people fall in step a couple of yards behind her. It was a mistake because when she met their gazes, she could tell immediately that they knew she now knew that they were coming for her. Her heart skipped a beat and in a moment of blind stupidity and panic, Abby started to run.

She chose the straightest path across the path, her gaze searching for more people who might be following her and for Kasumi. She had always been good at running and was still quite fit as she had not stopped the activity even if it meant she would have to eat asphalt every now and again. But, her leg was sore and when she glanced back she realized that they were gaining on her fast. Panicked she looked for a way out, now being at the edge of the park where the store front began. She wove through the terminals, bumping into their tenants and clients alike. A lot of rude remarks followed her but she paid them no mind. She saw a gap between two buildings and raced towards it but suddenly found a small round alien in her way. A volus. She jumped over it and stumbled only to be caught by his two large turian body guards who yanked her to her feet and started shouting at her.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry!" She yelled, managed to pull out of their grip, losing the loose black jacket that she had been wearing in the process and continued running to the alley. It was filled with storage containers from the nearby stores and metal stairs that probably acted as fire escapes. She was about to run through it to the other side when someone hissed at her.

"Here!"

Abby looked up at to see a dark silhouetted figure motioning her upwards. The person was on the second walkway that had no ladder reaching up to it but the figure hunched, holding out her hand. Kasumi...

Abby didn't bother looking as she leapt up, grabbed the woman's hand and allowed her to pull her up. "Go up!" the person hissed when she was on the walkway. "Open window! Go!"

Relief that she had an ally Abby rushed forward blindly, taking the stairs two at a time. She didn't even bother looking back to see where her pursuers were, trusting that she was safe with her friends. She fell through the open window, her breathing ragged as her world was plunged into darkness. Strong hands grabbed her and pulled her up, taking her to the corner and putting a hand over her mouth.

"Be quiet," a voice whispered so softly she hardly heard it. "Try not to breathe too loudly."

Abby shivered and tried to hold her breath, blinking when she saw the figure who had been running behind her appear in the room without actually having gone through the window. Had Kasumi been cloaked? Who was with her? The person stood still for five seconds by the window, then ran into the darkness towards another window that was open. Seconds later the batarian burst through, breathing heavily as he ran towards her. The human followed, cursing when the figure climbed through the other window.

"Tell Lea to call for back up!" the batarian hissed. "She's fucking fast!"

Abby closed her eyes, feeling tears that she had no control over trail down her cheeks and over the other person's hand. She could feel the woman's strong curves pressing against her and wondered whether it was Samara. It wasn't Miranda, she was sure of that. The human moved back to the dim light of the window, standing with his back towards them as he called up his omni-tool and asked for more help. The batarian meanwhile had already climbed through the last window and was running after the diversion. She realized suddenly with a wave of panic that she was still holding her breath and that she was going to have to breathe soon. Her body shuddered and the woman holding her pulled her tighter against her, wrapping a secure arm around her chest. Abby grabbed her wrist, her hands tightening around it in effort not to breathe.

Leave, she found herself begging the human. For heaven's sake, just leave...

Her body shuddered again and the hand around her mouth tightened. I'm going to smother to death...

The human moved, running towards the other window to catch up with the batarian. He was scarcely through it before Abby's breath exploded from her, her knees giving way as she gulped for air. She had a flash headache as spots danced before her eyes and would've crumbled to the ground had the woman not been holding her up.

"Ssh," she whispered, pressing her head against her chest and running her fingers through her loose hair. "It's okay. It's okay, don't worry – you're save." Her hand touched Abby's cheek as she caressed the tears away and pressed a light kiss on her forehead. "You're safe Abigail."

Abby stiffened and realized that she was holding her breath again, her hands shaking on the grip she had on the woman's wrist. Save me, she thought. Heaven save me... It's not Samara.

Her body remembered the woman, the contours that pressed against her, the smell that filled her senses. The slight electrical sensation that accompanied her touch. The feeling of calm that threatened to wash around her. Even as her fear increased tenfold, she felt her body betray her with a memory of the destructive pleasure she had felt the last time this woman touched her.

Asura Dushkriti.

"It's alright Abby," the woman said again but this time her voice was more cautious. "It's..."

Abby pulled away from her, violently, her legs giving way the moment she pulled out of her support. She sat down hard but immediately fumbled to get up. "Don't touch me!" She hissed and managed to scramble to her feet. "Don't you dare..." A biotic light flared up in the darkness, revealing Asura's face and her bright indigo eyes. Her gaze was fixed on Abby's as she held up her hands in surrender.

"It's okay Abby," she said softly. "I'm not going to hurt you. Please, just relax... And get away from the window, they might still be around."

Feeling trapped and panicked, Abby glanced out of the window and took a step away from it. Her stomach was twisting in fear and she realized that she was going to throw up if she didn't get herself under control.

"What the hell is this?" she demanded, latching onto anger because it was easier to deal with than fear. "What just happened?"

Asura's face was calm as she kept her hands where Abby could see them. "They were mercenaries hired to apprehend you," she said. "Seems that now the Blue Suns and Eclipse alliance wants you as well." Her eyes travelled to Abby's face where just a shadow of the bruise that Fedora had given her still lingered on her cheek. "I am very glad that you managed to get away from them. They are murderers."

Abby snorted and shook her head. "Like you?" she snapped. "I know what you are Asura. I know what you can do. You tried to kill me."

To her amazement and disgust the woman smiled, looking pleased. "I know," she said. "And you lived Abby. I have never had anyone survive my touch. Never." A look of hunger came and went across her features, making Abby shudder. She would've stepped away, but she knew that she had nowhere to go and she would not be able to escape Asura even if she tried.

"How many have you killed?" she said. "What are you going to do to me?"

Asura's face saddened as she shook her head, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "None that I regret," she said simply. "I'm not going to hurt you, you have to believe me Abby. Banrio was... a mistake."

Despite the situation Abby chuckled. "A mistake?" she said bitterly, remembering the carnage. "Is that what you called it? People died there Asura! What the hell happened?"

Studying her, the asari shook her head sadly. "I was hiding there," she said. "When these mercenaries found me. Maon, the turian that you saved is a very good friend of mine. Thank you." Abby tried to close her ears to the sincerity in the woman's voice but it was undeniable. She remembered the desperation that Maon had shown when he told her to go and find the asari.

"Is he under your spell too?" she said bitterly. "Are you using him?"

Asura shook her head wordlessly, her indigo eyes meeting Abby's. Despite what she tried to tell herself, Abby started to feel herself relax. She knew that it was the Ardat Yakshi's work, but she was scared and tired of fighting.

"What happened to Risha?" she asked without thinking, remembering the young asari from her dreams. In her dream she had not made it to the room and she had not tried to think about the memories again till now. To her surprise, though she realized she should've expected it, Asura recoiled as if slapped. She gaped at Abby then touched her forehead in shock.

"Of course... I never considered but..." She blinked at Abby. "We melded."

Feeling tired, Abby nodded and steadied herself. "So they say," she said. "Do you have my memories?"

The asari didn't answer her. "Do you still think that I'm a killer?" she asked instead, fixing Abby with a stern look, having recovered from her initial shock.

"I don't know what to think anymore," Abby confessed. "But I know that you like killing. Very much."

The Ardat Yakshi's mouth thinned but she didn't deny it as she crossed her arms and stepped back into the shadows. "There will be two deaths in Illium today that will be my doing," she said, making Abby shudder. "And if you want to understand, if you want to know what happened in my home, then you should ask Commander Shepard to take you to the planet Tetra in the Hourglass Nebula. You'll find Risha there – she'll tell you herself."

The name sounded familiar. Abby swallowed and hugged herself. "Is that the planet with the Twin Peaks?" she queried to which Asura nodded, though she felt a wave of relief. Risha wasn't dead it seemed.

"I'll ask her," she said. "I'm not with them Asura, they just saved me. I can't say where they will take us to next. And... We have a Justicar with us. Samara. She'll kill you if she finds reason to. She just killed her daughter who was also an Ardat Yakshi. A terrible one."

Asura nodded slowly. "I think it's safe to go now Abby," she said. "Go to Tetra. You'll find your answers there. You don't have to worry going out, I'll make sure that nobody touches you until you join your crew."

Her crew. Abby wished it was that simple. Feeling anxious and lonely suddenly, she climbed back through the window without another work, looking around to see that there were no mercenaries hanging around in the alleyway. She wondered who Asura had used to pretend to be her, then realized that it could've been anybody from a random stranger to a would be lover. Illium was filled with hired hands that could do all sorts of tasks for the right price. She got out of the building and carefully made her way back down to the alley. There she walked back to the park, feeling the pull in her side from her leg. She stepped back into the sunlit area and couldn't believe that she had enjoyed being in the park so much before. Now it felt as if everybody was watching her and everybody could be a threat. She glanced back to see if Asura was there but couldn't see her. None the less, she could feel the woman watching her.

She was about to limp back to the bench when she heard someone call her name and turned to see a very puzzled Miranda walk towards her, another young woman on her arm. She could tell that they were sisters, with similar looks and features. Both had the same intelligent eyes but whereas Oriana was smiling, the XO of the Normandy had a cold glare on her face.

"Abby," Miranda snapped, looking around her. "Where's Kasumi?"

"I... I lost her," Abby said, a wave of worry for the thief washing over her. Did the mercenaries hurt her? "I don't know where she is. I tried to look for her."

Miranda blinked at her and grabbed her arm, calling up her omni-tool. "Why didn't you just call her?" she said. "We gave you one of these for a reason."

Abby blinked at her, dumbfound. "I forgot how it works," she said. "I'm a vet." She said it not as an excuse, but because she felt the need to remind herself.

Miranda shook her head exasperated muttering something about how intelligence didn't help you if you had no common sense. She used Abby's omni-tool to call the thief who responded immediately.

"Where have you been?" Kasumi's voice sounded panicked. "Abby, I was about to call Shepard!"

Miranda cleared her throat. "It's Miranda here Kasumi," she said. "Abby forgot how to use her omni-tool. She's safe here with us." She gave the vet a pointed look, clearly showing her displeasure but Oriana laughed, a clear contrast to her sister.

"Lighten up Miri," she said. "Do you know how many times I get lost on new planets? And Illium's confusing. Hey," she held out her hand. "I'm Oriana."

"Abby," Abby said simply and turned to Miranda, her heart thundering in her chest. "I... I have to talk to Shepard. I remembered something."

The End of Chapter 21