Chapter 25

Garrus

He brought her back to the Med Bay and delivered her to her bed. She was able to walk back, but she was still easily exhausted. Light was back in her eyes, not just the false confidence and canny manipulation that had been there hours earlier. She believed him.

He was still concerned about attempting to let her meet other people. He'd been able to distract her with the mystery of being involved with him, which was fine. More than fine. He couldn't count on everybody in the ship having the discipline it took to not give her information she was angling toward, or to remember not to call her Commander. Javik would be able to do it, but he was more of a problem just because of who he was. She wouldn't have access to memories about Protheans. EDI was another anomaly. He'd have to arrange some briefings and some visits.

Nuar had offered to travel with them, and he was considering it. For now the colony was also offering their help with the Crucible and Tali was touring the facilities. That was enough of a reason to stay, resupply and plan.

So much Morim had yet to learn, things not yet revealed inside her own mind, and things that have happened since she was told the truth.

There were impossibilities to be faced. You died. You lived again. You fought Reapers. You won. You lost. You're trying to win again. This is a Prothean. People you love have died. You are a biotic. You are Commander of this vessel. Leviathan casually ruptured your mind, which has been ruptured before. Our mother is dead. Balak killed her.

He helped her into bed, kissed her forehead and promised to go get food.

Morim said to Nuar "May I have my husband back now?"

Okay then. Garrus tilted his head toward her and said with accusing humor "You just can't keep a secret, can you?"

She smiled and answered, not the least bit contrite "Best to face these things head on."

Nuar smiled and said "It is good that you know, that you want. It will be easier, now that you have him with you. Spending time with him could not help but reveal to you how you cared, regardless of your memories. Some things are true and have their own language."

Garrus leaned against a wall and said "She started it."

Morim laughed and retorted "You finished it."

Liara shook her head and said thoughtfully "I should have put money on it."

Nuar shook her head slightly and said "I cannot do as you ask. You must wait. Other things must come first."

Morim sighed, but said "Bring it on, I want my husband back."

Garrus shrugged and said "Let me know when you remember my name."

Morim retorted "I'm working on it."

Garrus turned to Nuar and informed her "She remembers a conversation with Ashley Williams."

Nuar smiled and replied "This is good. We know you will remember, Morim. We will move back through time and then forward."

Morim said with trepidation "What do I have to do?"

Nuar reassured her, saying "You eat, and then you sleep, and then I will work."

Morim said with relief "That sounds like something I can handle."

Garrus raised a finger and said "Food, coming right up."

He went and spoke to Kaidan first, and asked him to give him some food tutorials. He should have done this a while back. Kaidan had been on a ship with her for a year, knew the names of things and how to put them together. While they were going over specifics Kaidan asked "How is the Commander? I've been in to see her, but she's been sleeping. Sounds like she's awake now?"

Garrus let him know "She is. She is doing well for where she is in her recovery. She doesn't remember any of us."

Kaidan said cautiously "What does Liara think?"

Garrus replied "She thinks she's going to be okay. The hardest part is over, but she has to re-assimilate her life. Some of that…is enough to choke on."

Kaidan reiterated "Let me know if I can help in any way."

Garrus smiled and said "Thanks. I will. This helps. If you want to come back with me, say hi, I'm going to bring people in. Just don't feel bad that she doesn't recognize you." He hoped he wasn't making a mistake, but if he was there with Kaidan, maybe he wouldn't trip. He had earned the right to see her.

Kaidan said quietly "Thank you, Commander."

Garrus gave him the rundown, saying "You can't tell her my name and you can't call her Commander."

Kaidan laughed "Oh…no…wait, really?"

Garrus nodded "We told her I was the Commander. If that slips we're screwed, she'd take over and who would tell her no?"

Kaidan laughed "Good point. But why your name?"

Garrus answered "She knows me as Commander Vakarian. She knows I'm her husband, but I need to know when she actually remembers me versus what she's learned by digging it out of people's brains."

Kaidan considered and said "Well…that makes me nervous. What should I call her?"

Garrus informed him "I called her Ms. Shepard, then Morim."

Kaidan chuckled "Shepard it is, I never did call her Morim. Not once …this is weird."

Garrus agreed "So it's a normal day."

Kaidan raised a brow and then said "Put that way, yeah. Let me grab her a fork to go with this, and we can head over. I will try not to screw up."

Garrus said kindly "My bet is she'll get something out of you. Be on your guard."

Kaidan closed his eyes, opened them and said, worried, "Okay"

Garrus thought a moment and then said "I can't wait to see the day when we tell her she's a biotic. That's going to be fun, we'll be lucky if we don't lose some bulkheads."

Kaidan brightened and said "I'd like to help with that."

Garrus considered and said "Better you than me. I'll be there, but I can't explain how to make things glow blue."

They made their way to the Med Bay and Morim watched them enter. Kaidan tentatively brought her a tray. Mashed potatoes he knew, but as Kaidan had explained, most food needed to be tested for seasoning to make them palatable. Garrus could get her some seasoning dispensers so she could do it herself. Meat was harder and not recognizably human. They were in an Asari port and there was Asari meat that Kaidan said was about the best she was going to get.

Kaidan put her tray on the swing-out support and said "Here you go, ma'am, uh, Ms. Shepard."

Garrus introduced him "Morim, this is Kaidan Alenko, he is a member of our crew. You've worked together."

Morim smiled and said "Thank you for the food. I'm sorry I don't remember you. I hope someone has explained?"

Kaidan smiled…awkwardly…part way…and tripped over some words "Yes…uh…Shepard, yes. We're all just hoping you are back to yourself soon."

Garrus explained "Kaidan is giving me some help with human food. He picked dinner out for you."

Morim looked at Kaidan with a slight brow raise and said "Thank you. I'm sure it's fine. I appreciate it." She was subdued and tired. Kaidan was so uncomfortable he just stood there, shifting weight from one foot to the other.

Morim tilted her head and looked at Kaidan, then looked at Garrus, then looked back at Kaidan. She said drily "That bad, huh?"

Kaidan stammered.

Garrus crossed his arms over his chest and told her "You're making him nervous."

Morim raised the eyebrow fully "I'm making him nervous?" She smiled, looked at Kaidan and said "Oh, if I could get you in a room alone. Whatshisname wouldn't allow that, would he?"

Kaidan looked at Garrus and then fled.

Garrus's eyes followed Kaidan's retreat and then he said with a smile "Best outcome, really."

Morim smiled, crossed her arms over her chest like he had over his and said "I'm definitely evil."

Garrus turned back to her and said "I'm not going to argue."

He sat with her as she ate quietly and then held onto her hand as she was sedated back into a controlled sleep.

After Nuar spent a brief time with Morim, Garrus waited. He was told that she was doing well. She would need to sleep for 8 hours, and when she woke they would attempt restoring knowledge of biotics to her, and her military training.

Thanking Nuar, he returned to Command decisions.

There was an update from Primarch Victus, who had overseen the reconnaissance of Caduceus Station. No survivors. The station's bulkheads had been ruptured. His mother had likely suffered partially the same fate that Morim had herself, death without oxygen. Add to that the decompression of the station, she would have died faster. Station monitoring had confirmed loss of vital signs within minutes. He closed his eyes. Her body had not been recovered, but he was assured she was gone.

Garrus was rippling with the guilt of having not protected his mother. It felt like bleeding cuts everywhere, under his plates, guilt and grief leaking from unstoppable sources. Victus was pursuing possible exploitation of the study data. Traynor and EDI were still working on locating Balak.

What he would do when he found Balak, how he would explain it all to Morim…he had no idea. He wanted to tear Balak to pieces in cold blood. As cold as possible. He'd enjoy it most if the man were sleeping. He wanted an unfair fight. He wanted him to suffer.

He might have blamed Morim for it. It might have worked, had Morim been herself, had been there to argue, to feel responsible. Now with his bond mate struggling with her identity, he knew better, had different priorities. Perhaps he had learned something over time.

His mother had ordered him to watch over Morim, and he would. His mother would want him to be sane, would want him to care for Morim and not blame her. His mother wouldn't have wanted ugliness, would have given her life to spare him from it, probably spent her last moments regretting pain she might cause, as Morim had. He was aware that he wouldn't have visited his family, gone back at all, if it hadn't been at Morim's insistence. In ugly truth he'd abandoned his mother when he left C-Sec, and when he went to Omega. Twice. Unrepentantly. She'd given him forgiveness anyway, only asking to see him happy, giving him a way to be bonded before witnesses.

Morim had given him back his family. Morim had saved hostages. Morim was not responsible for the results. He wouldn't allow Balak to make her responsible.

She'd feel she was.

He loved two women who would want him to let vengeance go, deliver Balak to authorities for questioning, find out how data was being used.

They loved him as well. He would get a vote. Right now he got the only vote.

He took his rifle to the Battery and set up his regional targeting program, testing his sighting capabilities on virtual targets, and accuracy with virtual shots. The structure of the physical activity and mental exertion gave him just enough space to think, and not enough space to feel.

He was now in command. He could divert everything to tracking down Balak now, before the trail went cold. Measured against Morim's health, it wouldn't be done. She required his full attention. He was negligent in a few categories on that front, listing her as physically injured but not mentally incapacitated. Second in command to a Spectre with spotty communications was working out in his favor. He didn't want her relieved of command. They were staying in one place and not moving forward with other missions. They were here to garner support for the Crucible. As far as command was concerned, Leviathan was still in progress.

How to preserve options and forward the mission…get everything done.

He considered more targets, then paused the program.

He was in command. The people he had at his command included Javik. Javik had excruciatingly vicious answers to problems. Garrus could call on Kasumi, who would find Balak for him. Garrus could put Javik in contact with Zaeed Massani. Between the two of them, every bit of information would be extracted from Balak before he was killed with extreme prejudice.

Garrus considered all of the personal choices Morim had been unable to make while in command. He understood better, the constraints against what he might personally want to do, the constraint she had felt against what she had personally wanted to do.

He was going to send Javik after Balak. It would get Javik off the ship so Morim wouldn't trip over him. Garrus didn't need to have specifics about how Javik handled Balak. As much as Garrus wanted to feel Balak's throat crushed in his own hands…Javik would ensure suffering. Enough so that perhaps Garrus didn't want to ask, didn't want to see…but he could trust in a satisfactory outcome. He wouldn't look and he'd advise Morim to do the same. Between Javik and Massani…he might almost pity Balak.

Morim had wiped out 300,000 Batarians, innocents. He would only go after one, guilty.

He thought of Morim trying to protect him from killing Dr. Saleon, killing Sidonis. Her choices could be justified, though he still didn't really agree on either. He'd shoot all three of them if she were not involved. He was past protecting, far beyond feeling guilt for loss of innocent life. He'd condemned millions to death since the Reaper invasion. He would not apologize. He wanted to have the murderer of his mother torn to painful pieces over a long period of time.

The relative innocence of thinking, as she had with Saleon, as she had with Sidonis, that she could protect him from the experience of taking a life in vengeance was irrelevant now that he'd made enough choices in this war to cost potentially millions of innocent lives. As though it could weigh heavier upon him somehow. The first time they'd gone out he'd asked for her help with Saleon. The second time they'd gone out he asked for her help with Sidonis. The third time he could do it alone, but he had help.

Her choices had already cost her life once, it had cost her psyche, which she likely wouldn't have survived without help. He'd put his psyche on the line to protect future victims from the likes of Balak.

Morim might be disappointed in him, but he no longer worried about argument or disagreement. Had she made a choice, he'd have abided by it. She would have to do the same and if she didn't like it, perhaps she shouldn't have jumped into an ocean, leaving him in command.

He was going to delegate.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Time to practice tactics and biotics.

She was physically better and no longer needed any help walking. Unfortunate. If he was lucky, maybe she'd get injured and he could carry her back. Now that her recovery was going so well he didn't mind that she was confined to bed in a room where he always knew where she was. He almost smiled. He brought her to Vega and Kaidan in the shuttle bay.

Kaidan hung back but Vega came over, saying "Lola! You're up. Ready to beat the hell out of us?"

Morim raised a brow and asked "Lola?"

Vega shrugged and said "Nickname. You just look like a Lola."

Morim gestured at Garrus and said "What's his nickname?"

Vega shook his head and smiled "Trying to get me in trouble with Scars here?"

Morim chuckled and answered "Couldn't hurt to try. Do I beat the hell out of you regularly?"

Vega shook his head "Only twice so far, but you'd promised we could do it again."

Morim held out her hands in a 'bring it on' gesture and said "Here's your chance."

Vega held his hands in a 'Whoah' gesture and said "Oh hell no. I break it, I buy it. This is refresher training, not sparring."

Garrus told Vega with hope in his voice "I could always break your nose like I wanted."

Vega walked to the mat and said "Yeah, yeah. I get it. C'mon Lola. You already know this, but let's see what you don't know."

Morim stepped out on the mat and she was smiling. Vega didn't intimidate her at all. It took only a few seconds to see why. Once he signaled to start, she knocked Vega off his feet with a controlled biotic burst and kept doing it until she had him in position, on his stomach. She had him in a choke hold with his hands immobilized in a few more seconds. She'd either been holding back every time he'd seen her fight, or something from this Leviathan deal gave her more speed and focus. Her biotics had flares of color he hadn't seen before. Not from her, not from anybody.

She smiled back at Garrus and said "Are we good?"

Kaidan said hurriedly "I'm good. You remember how to reave?"

She nodded "Definitely."

Kaidan said "I will take your word for it. Garrus can…ah…shit."

Morim smiled back at Garrus, who was shaking his head, and said with a grin "Garrus can what?"

Garrus laughed. He had figured it wouldn't last the day "Don't sweat it, Kaidan. She was going to get it out of someone. I'm assuming that meant Garrus could take the brunt of it if he wanted to test you further. I'll just have to rely on things nobody else knows but me."

Morim stood up and offered a hand to Vega, who took it and stood. "So…none shall pass, is what you're saying…Garrus. Am I allowed to call you Garrus?"

Garrus nodded "None shall pass until you answer my questions three. More fairly tales. Yes, it's just Garrus to you." He said it in the same tones he had used when she found him on Omega. "Though I don't mind you calling me Commander, either. I have fond memories of you calling me Vakarian as well."

Morim laughed and said "Damn. Questions three is going to make it harder. But not impossible."

Garrus nodded and said "It's not supposed to be impossible, just measured."

Morim nodded to at Kaidan and said "So your job is clearly not as a spy."

Kaidan shrugged "No, right now my main utility is fetching meals. Dammit."

Morim said kindly "I appreciate it. I couldn't find my way to the mess just yet without asking for directions, and I don't know if that's what is going to be on the test." A joke, as the mess was directly outside the Med Bay.

Garrus said "The next question will be…what is your Omni Tool password?" It was still Fuck_Off_Garrus because why mess with something that works? He continued "You're stronger than you were before. Do you know the difference? Can you tell?"

Morim considered and said "Right now I only have the knowledge of how to do it. I don't remember doing it before. I guess that would lead to situations. Upsetting situations?"

Garrus agreed "Deeply upsetting situations, but you went through them once, you will be fine the second time around. It's just going to take a little while. Would you mind testing out your new speed on me? I'd like to try it on. Just…without the biotics, please. I'd like you to demonstrate those to Liara… carefully… later. It doesn't look human and it doesn't look Asari, but she might know what they are."

Morim said "Sure" and Kaidan and Vega backed away from the mat more than might be strictly necessary for being spectators.

She was motionless other than looking him up and down once, with a quirk to her lips. There was no play of humor or recognition in her eyes. He assumed she already knew what she was going to do because there was also no calculation. He nodded to start and she moved in quickly, no testing. He jabbed at her, and she blocked, then twisted her blocking arm around his striking arm, trapping it. Her speed was blurring and her strength was approaching his. She yanked his torso forward, swept his legs out from under him at an angle so he pitched forward. She had him down with her straddling his waist, fists on either side of his throat.

She leaned forward until her breasts were pressed against his back, and her mouth came to his ear, where she said softly "Are we good?"

He could hear Vega saying "Now I feel much better."

Kaidan said with a short laugh "I'm glad I didn't go first."

Garrus was going to respond by being in shock for a few seconds, a hard flush of blood to his skin and brain, plates bulging at the sound of her voice at his ear. Shock and then conflicting impulses; to answer her question, ask to do that again, or flip her over and see if he could hold her down.

He took a few seconds to imagine it, kissing her until she clung to him. He wondered if she'd ever cling to him again or just shove him against a wall. Either one was good as far as he was concerned. Not with witnesses, not right now.

He wondered if she'd been holding back on strength all along. No way to really know without Morim telling him, and she might just lie for any of the multiple reasons she chose to lie.

He said calmly once he could manage it "We're good." She laughed and then he said more quietly "You don't have to get up though. This works for me."

The fists at either side of his neck opened, palms and fingers on either side of his neck lingering in strokes against his skin that made him stifle a groan. She said "Good to know, Commander" against his ear and then she was gone.

As he stood he made a promise to himself to make sure she knew what it was like to cling to him. She wanted him, he could sense it on her, around her. Maybe he'd just gotten weaker because it took so much strength to restrain himself. He could hope.

He wanted to get a read on some of her changes of personality, wanted to get as many examples of her behavior in this state as he could. She hadn't done any physical harm to him or Vega, she'd just passed whatever test they gave her as quickly as possible, no screwing around as she was accustomed to doing. She screwed around for her own reasons, he'd screw around for his.

He asked her "Let me get a baseline strength testing. For comparison purposes. Arm wrestle?"

She quirked a brow and said "Comparison? Have we done this before?"

He said sadly "No, but now I wish I had. We can do it after."

She shrugged and agreed "All right."

They dragged chairs to either side of a flat console and gave it a try. Vega and Kaidan followed them and Garrus asked them "Don't you both have something better to do?"

Vega shrugged "Nope. Cleared my schedule. Besides, that's my chair."

Kaidan said wryly "Not unless she's hungry…"

Garrus snorted and then sat down, put his elbow down and smiled at her until she put her elbow down as well. When they were ready Vega said "Go" and he started to push, she pushed back. They stayed in a wobbling strain at the top there for a few seconds. She caught his eye and dropped her shoulders slightly, just slightly and then he was able to push her hand down. She was looking at him intently, her back was to Kaidan and Vega, and she pushed back against his hand, holding it still and gaining a little ground, while Kaidan and Vega were rooting for her. Then she dropped her shoulder again and let him push her hand down, which he did slowly. He stared at her for a moment and Kaidan and Vega finally took the hint and walked away. Vega muttering "Too much to hope, I guess."

She watched him in return and he let her hand go. He said "Thanks."

She nodded.

He offered "Let's go test weapons proficiency."

She grinned and said "Now that sounds like fun."

He'd picked up her weapons and brought them for maintenance in the Battery, where he led her and set her up with some simulations.

He observed "You're quiet."

She nodded "Seems this is a serious place for serious people. I just want to get through this, get back to who I am. Though it seems I may not be pleased."

He nodded "There's a lot to be not pleased about. But it's not about you, it's about the situation. Why did you throw the arm wrestle?"

She shrugged and then said "You want information, I can give it to you. I trust you. But I don't know those guys, I don't know your relationship to them, I don't know my relationship to them. I'll tell you, but I don't have to advertise it. I imagine if I lied about my strength or if I have a lot of new strength, there'd be a reason to hide it or you wouldn't have asked. Pulling you off balance to win a fight is one thing, flat out overpowering you is another."

He asked "Could you overpower me?"

She shrugged and said "I don't think so. I'm strong and I'm fast, but I don't have any other context. It's like all my training was done with faceless dummies and combat simulators. I don't feel any way or the other about it, but tactically I'm nervous putting it all out there."

He nodded and said "When you're back to yourself you'll be back out in the field."

She sighed heavily and said "Yes, I know, you can't tell me what field. Garrus."

He chuckled and said "A field where you need to shoot and fight. I will be there with you. I've been there with you."

She nodded at the gun and the simulation he was setting up "All right, Commander, let's see what you've got."

He tilted his head and said "This isn't mine, this is yours. Mine's the Widow." He gestured to the monster gun.

She raised a brow "Really. Let's see what you've got with that. Can I try?"

He shrugged and said airly "You could, but that's not your favorite. Too slow. You lack patience."

She twisted her lip and said "Yeah, I do think I could have figured that out about myself."

He picked up the Widow and hooked up the simulation controls "I just beat you recently at a shootout, so I can be smug and you get to practice." He ran through 20 targets, 20 down, 42 seconds.

He handed her the gun and she laughed, hefting it. Starting the simulation she ran through 20 targets, 19 down…and then she pointed up and missed the last one. 39 seconds. She said "You sure I didn't fake letting you win?"

He laughed low and said "No, no, no, you can't take that away from me. You're just trying to fuck with me."

She shrugged, handed him back the rifle and said "Okay, if you say so. I'm sure I'd never, ever have fucked with you."

He closed his eyes and said "No. No, it won't work. I will confirm that you are evil."

She pressed her lips and then said "I'm pretty sure I figured that out for myself also. Give me my actual gun, I'll be impatient with it."

20 targets down, 35 seconds.

She looked at the gun and said "It's got grooves I've worn into it that fit my fingers and I don't remember it."

He said quietly "You will."

She looked up at him and said "No doubt. But then I will be gone, and I'll be someone else. Someone with a past and a life."

He tilted his head "And a future."

She looked at him and said "A past I need to be shielded from and a future that involves killing people."

He nodded "It is what you chose."

She narrowed her eyes "Are you sure? Or did it choose me? I just want to read a book or something, and I can't." She held up her hand "Omni Tool disabled because I might learn something."

He considered a moment and said "I could read you a story."

She rested her head against the wall and said "Do you have any idea…how weird this all is?"

He tilted his head and shrugged and said "Yup. And it gets weirder. We were going to spend a few hours working on your fighting skills, how about we just…don't do that and do something else."

She considered and then said "Well, at least I won't forget it. Hopefully."

He said "Hey, I can do my awkward impression. It's me, but just a few years ago. So we can meet each other for the first time again."

She smiled and closed her eyes, then tilted her head back "Awkward off, huh? How awkward do I get on a scale of 1-10?"

He Turianed his voice up, got more formal "Who, you? You, Shepard? You're a one on that scale. No, wait. A zero. Wait, can we use negative integers? What about imaginary numbers? I could draw up a chart…" He sounded painfully earnest and helpful.

She pressed her lips together and said "What would I say in answer to that? I feel like a negative imaginary number."

He thought a moment and said "First you'd just look at me as though I was crazy but you understood, sort of. There, yes, like that. Perfect."

She started to laugh and said "So I'm patronizing?"

He considered "Well, yes…though I haven't been properly patronized, disarmed, redirected or lied to lately. I miss it."

She said regretfully "Well, if it helps, I have lied to you."

He shrugged and said "It is to be expected. Information is power, you want it."

She looked at him, considering, and said "I don't remember you. I know it's planned that way and I can't, but I don't remember you and I don't know that I gave you the mark on your neck. I'm sorry."

He snorted briefly, and then said "Well…you did." He stepped forward and pointed to the crack on the plating and paint on his nose "You also gave me this."

She squinted and said "I broke your nose?"

He laughed and said "Oh yeah. And my knee."

She whistled low "What did you do to deserve that?"

He grinned and said "Accused you of lying and pushed for the truth."

She grimaced and then said "Was I lying?"

He tilted his head "Not exactly. You were withholding the truth though. It mattered to me."

She asked tentatively "Did I tell you?"

He responded "You did. It just took a little effort and a joint. This will take some effort, but you can keep your knees."

She shrugged and said "I feel I should at least…offer an elbow or something."

His voice was solemn "You've offered enough."

She looked at him and said "When was the last time you got some sleep?"

He stopped to think and then said "Thirty-seven hours."

She asked "Is it okay for a Turian to be up that long?"

He tsked and said "Not really. I should get some sleep, but I don't want to miss anything."

She said, bargaining "Okay. You were going to test my proficiency. I'm tested. Get some rest. Please."

He took a deep breath in and then let it out. He rubbed his eyes and said "You are doing so well, you're so very close to being back to yourself and I don't want to miss any of it. I don't want to sleep until I can do it with my arms wrapped around you. I don't think I can rest on my own. I could sleep, but I'd wake up tired. Not to be dramatic, but it does have to do with being bonded, knowing you are near. I can hang on longer than a human."

She asked "After that long without sleep, how much sleep do you need?"

He shrugged and said "Four is the most I usually get. Even one or two hours would make a difference."

She nodded and said "Where do you usually sleep?"

He laughed and said "We have a cabin, but I can't take you there, too many reminders, too many opportunities for you to be you and make me too nervous to sleep."

She pressed her lips together and said "If I promise to behave?"

He stretched and said "I would not believe you."

She tilted her head and said "Okay, that's fair. I haven't known me for very long, but if there's sufficient temptation…"

He chuckled and said "Yes, and we're not even talking about my body."

She lifted a brow and said "Well, don't count yourself out yet."

He smiled appreciatively and said "You're right, though. I lost a knee last time I got this close to exhaustion."

Her brows drew together and she said "Look, I understand that you can't trust me to hold still and that you wouldn't be able to rest. Would you agree to sleeping in front of witnesses? I've got a bed in the Med Bay and I've got nothing to do for a few hours. I could be watched and you could hold on to me and you could get some sleep."

He considered and then said "Well…on one condition."

She looked skeptical and said "What?"

He said solemnly with a little mock pleading "Let me carry you there. It'll be romantic."

She stepped up and held her arms out to her sides in surrender "For the intimidating gentleman with the big gun, anything."

He grinned and said "You are sounding more and more like yourself all the time."

She laughed and he lifted her off the floor. He said "Okay, do this right. Put your arms around me."

She did and he groaned and said "Oh, this is hard. This is good, but this is hard."

She leaned up to kiss him and he drew in a fast breath, then tightened his arms around her, pulled her in closer, and lost himself in tasting her. His claws were itching to spring free, to mark her. He poured the teasing frustration into her, nipping at her lips and then rubbing against the side of her face, tasting the skin at her neck. He flicked his mandible outward and traced her jawline with it. He said "It's a good thing we're going to have witnesses. My sleeping body is going to have ideas."

She murmured against his throat "We could stay here and get reacquainted. I don't mind."

He groaned against her neck and said "Stop. Can't. You're evil. Thank you for clinging to me, though. It's a lovely touch."

She laughed and tipped her head back, breathing hard, and he carried her to the Med Bay. Morim explained "He's tired. He needs rest. He doesn't trust me to not go secret agent, so he'll sleep here with me. He doesn't want to miss anything."

He just nodded, heading to an empty bed, pulling the curtain around it and saying "Four hours. Everything can start again in four hours."

He put her gently on the narrow bed and gestured for her to roll on her side, which she did, a smile on her lips. He slipped in behind her, muscles aching and mind screaming for rest on his terms. His sternum blade pressed to her spine and he pulled her ass back against him with a soft growl. He kissed her on the back of the neck and then moved his mouth to her ear. "Mine. Stay."

She said lightly "Have I ever told you that you're kinda bossy?"

He responded "Not often enough. Say 'Good night Commander.'"

She lilted "Good night Commander."

He growled softly and kissed the back of her neck, then drew his hand to his shoulder, painting her with his scent, down the bridge of her nose, along her jawline, along her cheekbones. Take Vakarian markings, Venri. You are mine.

He whispered in her ear that he loved her, and accepting that she would be safe in his arms, fell asleep.