After returning from Dr. Leao's office they gathered their belongings and went to the spaceport. It took some arm twisting, but after Anya showed the port official her Spectre status she got her family, and Niall and Neelah, onto a cruiser leaving for the Citadel. It had already been two hours since the planet receded into the distant black of space and it would take another twelve hours for the cruiser to get from Zorya back to the Citadel. To pass the time, Anya, her family, and the young couple gathered at one of the large tables in the mess hall, laughing as they took advantage of the chance to grow closer.

Michael was waving his arms dramatically as he told a story from their childhood. "We'd already been in the water for hours. I swear, you couldn't tell us apart from prunes, but Banana insisted on another race." He shielded his mouth with a hand as he stage whispered to no one in particular, "She'd already lost ten of them."

Anya gasped at her brother's exaggeration. "It wasn't that many, Kael," she argued and their group laughed at her half hearted protests. Looking around at the others at the table she insisted, "He beat me once." Anya held up a finger for her brother to count, "Once."

"Okay," her brother held up his hands defensively. "I beat her once, plus another nine times." Michael laughed and dodged the balled up napkin Anya shot at his head. Wrapping his arm around the back of Mika's seat, Michael leaned down and said to his son, "You have to understand that your aunt is very competitive. It doesn't matter if it was once, or ten times. I had beaten her and she was not going to let that go."

Shaking her head, Anya didn't even bother arguing with him. Mika and the others were enjoying the story far too much for her to correct him with the truth. She leaned back in her chair and let him tell the story the way he remembered it, knowing exactly where he was taking this exaggerated tale from their youth.

"So we're swimming, and we're swimming," Michael moved his arms and acted out the memory. "And then Banana gets a nasty cramp in her leg. But God forbid that I win, again." He looked up at his sister and winked at the scowl she gave him. "She grabs me by the ankle and drags me down with her. My dear old sister would rather me drown than let me win."

In response to the boisterous laughter her brother's story caused among their group, Anya intervened. "I wasn't trying to drown you," she protested, "I had a cramp! For Pete's sake, Kael, I was the one who was going to drown."

Her brother nodded deeply, a sarcastic sparkle to his pine green eyes. "A likely story."

Turning to Thane, who was happily seated at her side, she wondered, "Can you believe this?" appalled by her brother's shameless slandering of her good name.

"Yes," Thane admitted with a mischievous grin. "You forget that I've raced you as well. When I won you accused me of not being chivalrous. What was it you said?" his smirk grew. "Where I come from we take 'ladies first' quite seriously."

Oh he was going to get it. Anya stared at him, mouth hung open in disbelief. The slithery drell actually had the gall to side against her. "First, there is nothing wrong with my memory, I'll have you know. And second, you cheated!"

"I don't know, Banana," Michael said along with a few other comments from the peanut gallery. "Thane doesn't seem the sort."

"That's because you don't know him like I do!" Giving the man beside her a playful glare, she said, "You've got them fooled, Krios, but you can't fool me."

Her mate shrugged, the roguish grin still firmly rooted on his full lips. "I don't know what you mean."

She shook her head incredulously, "You've got some nerve, mister. You know you're just as bad as I am." When Thane raised an eyebrow, Anya explained, "So all that I had to get to her first talk about the Dantius towers was because you aren't competitive."

Thane shrugged again, knowing that the gesture would only irritate her more. "I never claimed to not be competitive, Anya. The difference between you and I is that I can lose with grace."

Her eyes widened at his words. "You did not – "

"Oh, yes he did," Michael helpfully observed.

"I can't believe you'd take Michael's side over mine."

"Believe it, sister," Michael snapped his fingers. "We men have to stick together. Isn't that right, Niall?"

The turian looked from Michael to Thane and then to the women at the table. Uncomfortably flapping his mandibles, he held up his talons and said, "Don't drag me into this. I actually like sleeping next to my lady."

Neelah petted Niall's fringe before resting her head on his shoulder. Approvingly patting his leg, she said, "You are a very intelligent man, my love."

"More intelligent than two other men we know," commented Cassandra as she adjusted Ana's position on her lap. Looking at her husband she shook her head and laughed, "Your sister is going to kick your butt if you keep at it." She then looked at Thane, to whom she advised, "And you might want to start groveling. That doesn't look like the face of forgiveness." pointing his attention at Anya's frown.

Thane met Anya's glower and wiped the smirk from his face. Leaning closer to her, he brushed a kiss on her shoulder before whispering into her ear, "I'm not afraid of you."

Anya arched an eyebrow, boring her deadliest glare into him. "You should be, Krios. You should be very afraid." When he brushed another apologetic kiss on her shoulder she placed a forgiving kiss on his brow, and quietly added, "You'll make it up to me later."

When she looked back up the rest of the group was staring at them and smiling. The only thing missing was a collective aw. She couldn't help but agree. It didn't matter that they were acting like love drunk teenagers, Thane was her mate and she couldn't care less if the entire galaxy knew how much she loved him.

Cassandra grinned at the both of them, leaning against her husband as if to participate in the love that was radiating from the recently reunited couple. Honey brown eyes watching Thane warmly, she observed, "I've never seen you this happy before, Thane. It's a good look for you."

Further down the table, Niall nodded in agreement. "Grandmother would have liked to see you like this."

Neelah grinned beside him. "Oh what beautiful human-drell hybrid babies you'll make."

Anya tensed at the mention of children and the others noticed immediately. Thane's arm wrapped around her and pulled her against his side. Shutting her eyes, she tried to purge the sadness that was beginning to nest in her gut. Glancing at the man beside her, she offered him a small smile to show that she was okay. She knew he wouldn't believe her, he would be able to see the devastation in her eyes as clearly as she could see the concern in his.

"What?" asked Neelah, her tone ringing with confusion. She blinked, her four eyes inspecting Anya closely as she searched for the reason behind her sudden change. Looking at Thane for guidance she asked, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No," Anya bit out. It was ridiculous how much the young woman's playful words hurt. Shaking her head, she tried to get past the heartbreaking emptiness inside of her. She placed a hand on her stomach and gazed down at it, knowing that she wouldn't ever hold life. She would never make a family. "You couldn't have known. It's okay."

"Couldn't have known what?" Michael's auburn eyebrows were furrowed, his green eyes shining lovingly despite the stubborn set of his features. She knew that face; that was his persistent face. He wasn't going to let this go until she told him everything. "What's wrong, Annie?"

Looking up at Thane, Anya stared into his loving green eyes and found the strength in them she needed to make it through the conversation. She took his hand into hers and smiled softly when he brought her knuckles to his lips. Heaving out a sigh, she prepared herself to speak.

"I can't have kids." Her eyes were on her brother, trusting that he knew her well enough to keep his emotions to himself. "I was shot in the stomach with explosive rounds before shutting off the Catalyst. The explosion caused extensive damage to my abdomen and when a search party had finally found me I had lost a lot of blood. It was too late to reverse the damage, so the doctors had to remove my uterus in order to save my life."

Anya tried to ignore the shocked gasp that escaped from Cassandra, and kept her gaze as far away from her brother's wife as possible. Cassandra knew the beauty of motherhood, she reveled in it. If any one of them was going to pity Anya it would be her; and the last thing Anya wanted was to be pitied.

"I'm so sorry," Neelah pleaded with Anya to forgive her. "If I'd known I never would have made such a joke."

"I know," Anya replied softly, offering the young batarian a small placating smile. "It's okay, you couldn't have known."

Neelah shook her head, "I feel terrible."

"Don't; it's okay," she repeated before standing from her seat. Anya gave the group an apologetic smile; sorry that she had ruined their happy get together. "I think I'm going to call it a night. I'll see you all in the morning."

Though their expressions were sorry to see her go, no one protested her retreat. They didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was. They may not have understood what she was going through, but they understood that she needed space. Anya was grateful for that when she left them in the mess and fled to her small cabin.

The cramped room had space enough for a bed and a small bathroom. There was a window that stretched across the wall, allowing the galaxy's glittering blackness to fall into the cabin. It was the perfect view of the galaxy's beauty, a beauty she'd never be able to share with her children. Tearing her gaze from the window, Anya slunk into the bathroom and summoned the lights as she stood in front of the mirror

Lifting her shirt, Anya inspected the scar that ran horizontally across her lower abdomen. She trailed a finger over the discolored flesh, and felt a surge of tears prickling at her sinuses. Biting her lip, she held a hand over her barren stomach as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Siha," she didn't jump when Thane was suddenly standing behind her. She heard him coming but didn't acknowledge him until he appeared behind her in the looking glass.

Briefly meeting his gaze in the mirror, Anya stood silently for a moment before returning her attention to her stomach. She sniffed back her tears and released her lip from between her teeth. Without looking up from where her hand was still held on her abdomen, she confessed, "It was easier to accept when you were dead. I could never imagine having a family without you, so it was fine." Her gaze returned to his in the mirror, noticing the sadness darkening his eyes. "But now . . ."

Thane stepped into the bathroom and wrapped his arms around her. He held her, laying his hands over hers where they rested against her stomach. Kissing the junction where her neck met her shoulder, Thane whispered, "Now..." prompting her to go on.

She shook her head, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. "Now," she gritted out. "Now you're alive, and we're a family with nothing to show for our love." Thane turned her around to face him. He cupped her face in his hands, his large dark eyes were watching her closely, letting her see all of the pain he shared with her.

Lips trembling, she forced the words out. "Mika and Ana are the embodiment of Michael and Cassandra's love. Kolyat is this handsome, intelligent, and funny young man, and even he is the result of the love you shared with Irikah."

Finally the tears fell from her lashes and flowed down her cheeks. "But what about us?" She asked, searching Thane's orbital eyes as if she'd find the answer there. "I'll never be able to hold our child and say, 'you're here because I love your father so very much'. I'll never be able to bring something beautiful and pure, and ours, into the galaxy."

Anya buried her face in Thane's chest and cried, "All I've ever done is brought violence and death into this galaxy. And now I'll never be able to bring something good."

His strong hands rubbed her back comfortingly as he pressed her against him, accepting her weight and sharing the burden of her sorrow. Stroking her hair, his silky voice caressed her ear. "We do not need a child to be evidence of our love, Siha." He placed a soft kiss on her crown. "I love you and you love me, what more evidence do we need than that?"

Pushing her slightly away, Thane cupped her face in his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. He pressed his forehead against hers and murmured, "You don't need to be able to have children in order to be a mother." Placing a kiss on both of her wet cheeks, he continued, "All you need is the desire to love and care for one who cannot care for themselves. You've already done this time and time again. Siha, you are already a mother, all that is missing is a child to call our own. And after the Reaper war there are many children in need of loving homes."

She stared deeply into his eyes, allowing his words and his love to soothe the ache in her heart. Thane was right, she was down a uterus, but that didn't mean that she was out for the count. Anya could still be a mother. She exhaled the morose thoughts with a sigh and instead focused on Thane's warmth against her.

He was so much stronger than she was; when she saw only darkness, Thane saw the light. Anya depended on him to anchor her. She'd already experienced what life was without him, and knew without a doubt that she couldn't survive without her mate.

Stroking his brow, Anya gazed deeply into the black of his eyes, marveling at the beautiful green hidden within. She brushed her fingers over his bottom lip and whispered, "I love you so much, Thane."

"And I love you, Anya," Thane brought his face down to hers and kissed her, tenderly at first.

Her blood started to burn as his lips pressed against hers. Thane's tongue snaked out, teasing her lips until she let him in. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Anya pulled herself against him, losing herself in the embrace. The deeper they kissed the quicker she sunk into a pleasant high. His saliva sharpened her senses, making her skin sensitive to his touch and her vision burst with the vibrancy of previously muted colors.

Thane had her enveloped in his arms, his hands exploring her curves. His scales scraped over her skin, leaving a trail of fire that burned all the way down to her core. Anya moaned when his hands wandered down past her waist and cupped her backside. Hoisting her up, she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her the short distance to the bed.

Gently laying her on her back, Thane peeled off his shirt, his hooded gaze trained on her. His movements were slow, seductive, as he started to undo his leather pants. She bit her lip, feeling her blood warming and her heart beating faster in anticipation of what was to come. Without looking away, Thane climbed on top of her. A moan parted Anya's lips as he cupped her breast, finding her nipple through her shirt and bra.

He kissed her with a ferocity that matched her ache for him. A groan rumbled through him as Anya dragged her nails down his back, sliding her fingers under his loosened pants and had a firm grip on his ass. Thane grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands from his body before securing her wrists above her head, staring down at the woman trapped beneath him.

Thane began to unbutton her shirt with his free hand, not removing his gaze from hers as her tanned skin peeked through the undone blouse. When the last button was freed his warm fingers left a trail of fire up her stomach as he traced his way to her bra. The green of his eyes was hidden in the lightless room, leaving Anya to stare into his black eyes as Thane unclasped the front of her bra, releasing her sensitive breasts to feel the cool cabin air.

Finally, he glanced down at her body and his appreciative gaze made Anya shift against him, her body rolling to make contact with his, needy for his touch. He still had her wrists firmly secured above her head as he brought his mouth down to one of her pearled nipples. Anya shouted out in delight at the pleasure pain of him taking the delicate flesh between his teeth.

"Fuck," Anya gyrated against him, rubbing herself against his leg as she tried to find any outlet for pleasure. She thrashed, in a fit of pent up wanton. "Oh, Thane, oh, fuck." He moved his mouth to her other nipple and his free hand wandered back down her body, sliding under her pants until he found the molten hot folds he'd been looking for.

Anya arched into his touch, encouraging his fingers to work her the way she knew he could. When he pulled his fingers from her sex, she whimpered in displeasure. The look on Thane's face was teasing and Anya didn't have the patience for it.

Twisting her wrists from his grasp, Anya wrapped her leg around his waist and rolled herself on top of him. There was a pleased smile on Thane's mouth when he looked up at her. His hands dragged up her body and cupped her breasts, his hooded gaze committing every moment to memory.

From her straddled position, Anya rubbed herself against him, feeling his arousal against hers. "No one likes a tease, Krios," she growled when he arched his pelvis up, grinding himself against her. Reaching down between their bodies, Anya tugged down his pants until his throbbing erection sprung free from its constraints. "You've left me no choice but to take what I want."

Thane's body vibrated with his purr. He gave her the sideways smirk he knew drove her wild, and replied, "I am yours for the taking, Siha."

Thane stretched out across the bed, enjoying the feeling of his muscles and his cracking joints. A smile lifted his features when Anya rolled against his side, burrowing in closely. He draped an arm around her and held her close, content to just lay there with his love in his arms.

Her fingers crept up his stomach to his chest and trailed along the scar to his collar bone. Thane took her hand in his and held it against his chest, allowing her to feel his heart beating happily within his ribcage. He looked down to meet her satisfied gaze, and his smile grew at the adoring look he found in the green of her eyes. Surely, he was blessed to have such a woman as his mate. Surely, the gods had smiled upon him the day they'd returned her to his arms.

Anya moved until she was perched on an elbow. Her gaze was on the vast galaxy beyond their cabin, watching the twinkling stars as she thought of things he wished he could hear. When she met his curious gaze a grin brightened her features and she asked, "Are you excited to see Kolyat again?"

"I am," Thane nodded, brushing back her long crimson hair. The length truly suited her. Watching as the silky strands fell from his fingers, he continued, "I have left him not knowing that I am alive for too long."

Her features brightened as a thought occurred to her. A mischievous simper tugged at Anya's lips and she flung herself out of bed. Throwing on some clothes she said, "You're going to leave him in the dark for a little longer."

Thane didn't bother to fight back his smile at the sight of Anya struggling to find the leg hole in her shorts and hopped around as she tried to locate it. Shaking his head, he asked, "Why would I do that."

Finding the hole, Anya pulled the shorts up and straightened her hair. She strode over to where her bag was forgotten by the wall and retrieved her portable terminal. Returning to the bed, she settled herself against the wall on the opposite side of the cabin and flipped the terminal on.

The orange glow illuminated her features, revealing to him the mischief dwelling just under her surface. "You're going to do it because I'm telling you to." At the sight of Thane's quirked eyebrow she added, "And because I want to surprise him."

"Do you not think me being alive is surprise enough?"

Anya shook her head. "Now shush," she placed a finger over her lips. "I'm going to connect with him and make sure he doesn't suspect anything."

Shaking his head, Thane leaned against the wall and watched the screen darken as the terminal connected with Kolyat's. When his son's face appeared on the screen, Thane's heart soared. The young drell looked good, happy and healthy. He looked like he was doing well, and that was all Thane ever wanted for his son.

"Anya," was Kolyat's surprised greeting. He inspected Anya's features closely, obviously shocked to be getting a call from the human at all. "You're alive," his familiar voice rumbled. "I was afraid that I wouldn't hear from you ever again."

A fond smile lifted the corners of Anya's mouth as she gazed at the young man on the screen. It was apparent that she loved his son, her affection for him evident on her features. "Yeah, I'm alive, and a little insulted that you think I'd die so easily."

Kolyat shook his head, a weary but apologetic smile on his lips. "Sorry, Anya, it's just that you may not have left here with your head in the right place." His large dark eyes were watching Anya closely, the smile on his lips growing as he said, "But you're alive; and coming back home, right?"

Nodding, Anya said, "Yep, and I have a surprise for you." She rubbed her hands excitedly, a lopsided grin on her face.

The young man on the screen gave her a curious look, obviously put off by her unusual behavior. "Is it . . . what do you humans call it?" His attention went off screen as he explained. "The little decorative ornament that you place on shelves, made of glass and filled with water and glitter."

A female voice sounded from off screen, answering, "Snow globes, Kole."

He nodded in gratitude and returned his attention to Anya. Smiling, he tried again, "Did you bring me a snow globe?"

Anya laughed and shook her head. "This is much, much better than a snow globe. But, I'm not telling." She made a motion of zipping her lips and throwing away the key before grinning again.

The expression on Kolyat's face was of concern. He was watching Anya as though she had sprouted a second head. After a contemplative moment he finally wondered, "Are you alright, Anya?"

"Yes, of course." She paused, tilting her head curiously, and asked, "Why do you ask?"

"You're acting very strangely."

"I'm happy," Anya shrugged as though it were nothing. "What, I've never been happy?"

Very seriously, Kolyat supplied, "Not in my experience, not like this."

The smile on Anya's lips fell a little at his confession, and Thane wondered what exactly his Siha had been like during their prolonged separation. Shrugging again, Anya confessed, "I found my brother and his family. I have a lot to be happy about."

Kolyat's eyes widened with surprise. A grin spread over his face and Thane was astounded at how often the young man seemed to laugh and smile when it came to Anya. "That's great news! Have you told your parents?"

"Not yet," Anya shook her head. "It's their surprise."

"So what's mine?"

Laughing, she commended, "Nice try, but you're going to have to wait and find out."

The young man on the screen rolled his eyes and sighed, the air about him playful in a way that Thane was unfamiliar with. He smiled softly, almost lovingly, as he gazed at Anya. After a moment he asked, "When will you be returning?"

She glanced at the time before answering. "We should be docking at the Citadel in another nine hours."

"We'll be there waiting for you," Kolyat's departing smile warmed even Thane. "It's good to know that you're safe, Anya."

"I'll see you soon, Kolyat." Anya smiled and waited for the screen to darken before shutting the terminal and setting it aside on the bed. Biting her lip, Anya ran a hand lovingly over the terminal before meeting Thane's gaze. In response to the look on his face she asked, "What?"

"He cares about you," Thane observed, gladdened by the realization. There wasn't a better feeling than knowing that his son and his mate cared for one another. Thane had always feared that they wouldn't get along. But it seemed that the two got along better than he expected. They got along better than he got along with his own son.

Anya nodded in agreement. "And I care about him."

He took a moment to consider her words. After some thought, Thane asked, "Who was the woman that was with him?"

The smile that covered Anya's mouth grew as she revealed, "That would be Oriana."

"Lawson?" Thane arched a questioning eyebrow. "Miranda's sister?"

"That's the one," Anya snapped her fingers into guns. "They've been romantically involved for a while now. It's pretty serious."

Thane blinked, unable to wrap his mind around the idea. It wasn't that he didn't think his son could be open minded enough to date anyone outside their species; it was the fact that he had chosen Miranda's sister. Returning his attention to Anya, he asked, "And how did Miranda take it?"

Anya shook her head as she recalled the memory. "Better than I expected, worse than I hoped." She shrugged, "She took it how you'd expect a classy Cerberus operative to take it."

"But they are a good pair?" Thane asked, not caring so much for Miranda's reaction but for whether or not Oriana was good to his son.

Smiling brightly, she confirmed with a nod. "They are great together. Oriana brings out his smile like no one else. It's a sight to behold, Sere Krios."

"He smiled for you," Thane observed.

"Not like he does for her." She thought for a moment before cringing a little, "And thank the gods for that." Crawling over to where Thane was seated, Anya settled in beside him and laced her fingers through his. She kissed his shoulder before resting her head against it, and said, "He'll be happy to see you again."

She had unknowingly addressed his greatest fear. Thumbing over her knuckles, Thane peered out the window and stared at the expanse of space laid out between them and the Citadel. "Do you think so?" he wondered, hoping he didn't sound as unsure as he felt.

Anya tilted her head up to meet his gaze. The smile that lifted her lips was reassuring. "Of course he will. He'll be surprised, that's for sure, but once that passes he'll be very happy to get another chance to be with his father." She brought his knuckles to her lips and peppered his hand with kisses. "Don't you worry."

Thane draped his arm around her shoulders and pressed her against him. With her at his side everything else could be faced. Anya was his strength, and she would help him through whatever waited for them once aboard the Citadel, even his son.

They entered the Sol system and made it to the Citadel without incident. He and Anya left their cabin and joined the others at the airlock, shuffling their feet in nervous excitement to be returned to their families and homes. The docking bay doors opened and they began to disembark the ship- the ship's captain thanking everyone as they exited.

Thane didn't recognize anyone at first, seeing only the back's of heads and the faces of waiting loved ones. He searched the crowd for his son's face, looking for the vibrant blue scales that separated Kolyat from the soft skinned humans in the docking area.

He found his son the same moment that Kolyat spotted Anya. He left the petite girl at his side, who Thane recognized as Oriana Lawson, and ran to meet Anya half way. Thane's mate threw herself into Kolyat's arms and squeezed him tightly, her laughter filling the docking area and causing Thane's smile to grow. The both of them truly did care for one another, more than he had originally thought.

When they pulled apart, Anya glanced over her shoulder to find the reason Kolyat stood shocked in front of her. Thane smiled at his son, staring at the young man's cerulean eyes and seeing Irikah in their depths. The men stood there for a moment, frozen into place as they exchanged searching looks.

Thane offered his son a disarming smile. "Kolyat," he said in greeting, his name holding all of the emotions Thane hadn't been able to say.

The young drell looked Thane from head to toe, shaking his head in disbelief. After a moment, Kolyat threw himself into Thane's arms and squeezed him. "Father," his voice was thick with emotion. "You're alive."

He returned his son's embrace with double the fervor, ecstatic to have his son returned to him yet again. "I am," he replied. "Anya has returned you to me once again."

When they parted their attention was drawn to the grinning crimson haired woman standing to the side. To Kolyat she sang, "Surprise!"

Kolyat chuckled and shook his head. "You weren't lying," he commented. "This is much better than a snow globe." When a young woman cleared her throat beside him, Kolyat's attention fell to the dark haired girl. He gave her a warm smile before returning his gaze to meet Thane's.

"Father, I don't think you've been introduced. This is Oriana Lawson, my girlfriend. Oriana this is my father, Thane Krios."

The young woman accepted Thane's outstretched hand and gave it a firm shake, a large smile on her lips as she regarded the older, green scaled drell. "It's a pleasure to be able to meet you, Mr. Krios."

"Please," Thane smiled, "call me Thane."

Oriana looked up at Kolyat, the smile on her lips was one so very different than any her sister had ever made. "So you're the reason that Shepard is so happy. We knew something was up," she said to Anya who shrugged indifferently.

"I wasn't lying. I actually did find my brother." Turning slightly, Anya waved for the rest of their party to come and join the reunion.

Introductions were quickly made before the lot of them moved to baggage claim to collect the items that Michael and his family had brought with them. They moved for the rapid transit terminal, trying to hail a vehicle large enough to carry all of them to the other side of the Citadel. Thane's attention was drawn to the feeling of someone approaching them.

A smartly dressed asari approached their group, zeroing in on Anya as she closed the distance between them. When Anya turned to face the woman a curious look turned his mate's features.

"Mila," Anya's questioning voice said by way of greeting.

"Welcome back from your assignment." The asari bowed her head before straightening back up and saying, "The Councilors would like to speak with you, Spectre Shepard."

Anya glanced up at Thane and gave him a speculative stare, considering just telling the messenger to inform the Council that she had better things to do; like unpacking and settling in with her family. After a moment she nodded and said, "And I'd like to speak with them as well." She laced her fingers with Thane's, gesturing that she would go nowhere without him. The asari picked raised a disapproving eyebrow but nodded that she understood.

When the messenger named Mila stepped away from the group, Anya turned to face the others. With a sigh, she said, "Thane and I are going to meet up with the Council. I have to give them my two week notice. Kolyat, bring them to the apartment and wait for us there, okay?"

He nodded and she gave them all a reassuring smile. "We'll see you in a bit."

Thane walked with Anya as they followed Mila to the elevator. It was a quiet ride to the Presidium and he silently wondered what it was that the Council would want to speak with her about. Anya had given them the full debriefing while she was still on Zorya, and Lysithea had stayed behind to deal with whatever remained to be done.

Arriving at the Presidium, Mila gave Thane a look, wordlessly informing him that he was unwelcome to follow Anya into the meeting with the Council. Reluctantly, and after much arguing, Anya relented and agreed to let him stay behind and wait for them.

He found a comfortable seat under some trees and watched as a keeper tended to something in between bulkheads. Thane looked to where Mila had taken Anya and sighed. He didn't like being separated from his mate. They'd been apart for too long, but he waited patiently for his Siha to return to him.

After almost fifteen minutes, Anya reappeared. Thane stood from the bench and watched as she sauntered down the stairs, a satisfied look in her emerald green eyes. She walked into his arms, giving him a quick kiss as she said, "That was the best feeling in the world."

"How did they take your resignation?" wondered Thane as he turned them towards the elevator.

"Not as badly as –" she was cut off by someone calling her name.

"Commander Shepard!" A salarian ran toward them.

Thane could see Anya's hackles rising as she bristled at the sound of someone's approach. "Now what," she grumbled as she turned to face their intruder.

The salarian stopped in front of them, out of breath from the hurried run to catch up. "Greetings Commander," he breathed out. "My name is Corel Ba'edesh, personal assistant to the Dalatrass."

Anya arched a crimson eyebrow, "And what does the personal assistant to the Dalatrass want with me?"

"I want nothing," Corel rectified, "I've come at the Dalatrass' behest. She would like to speak with you." His large slanted gaze glanced up to Thane and he corrected, "Both of you."

That was enough to warrant their undivided attention. It was Thane that inquired, "She wants to see me as well?"

"Indeed," Corel nodded, "If you both would please follow me."

Thane and Anya shared an unsure glance then, after a moment, followed the salarian further into the Presidium where the Dalatrass' office was located. As they entered the office they noticed salarians darting around, talking in their hurried pace as they exchanged information and did whatever it was that the Dalatrass needed of them.

Corel led them to the door at the back of the office and stood to the side. The door opened after swiping his identification chip on the console, and he gestured for them to enter.

The Dalatrass was standing in front of the window, staring at sky-cars as they zipped past. She turned to face them at the sound of visitors entering her office. When her gaze landed on Thane a smile lifted her features. Something that Thane mistook for pride was hidden in her strange large eyes.

"Commander," she addressed Anya with an unfriendly smile. The Dalatrass glanced again at Thane before adding, "I'd like to thank you for returning the test subject to me."