Chapter 25: Husband and Wife

Jasmine thought maybe the best way to approach things with Isaac was to do less asking and a little more informing. They weren't operating on the Citadel as Phantoms, but as … fuck it, yeah, she was going with 'vigilantes'. And, she wasn't asking to invite Drali onto their 'crew' or to help out with a job or anything. She was just letting him come visit for awhile. It was a personal matter, and she was allowed to have a personal life. Besides, he wasn't Thane's boss, and if Thane wanted to invite his brother over, who was Isaac to tell him no?

Still, she dreaded disappointing Isaac. Again. He wasn't all too happy when he learned she didn't take the whole 'secret identity' thing to heart with everyone she knew, especially other assassins. Drali wasn't an assassin—as far as she knew, anyway—but he was definitely a little too curious for his own good at times and didn't seem to take a whole lot seriously. She didn't believe he'd tell anyone who she was or what she did for a living, but her faith in the drell didn't automatically mean Isaac would be alright with him poking around.

Taking a deep breath, she placed the call to Isaac. It only took a few seconds for his face to pop up on her screen, and she smiled. "Hey, Bossman."

"How's it going, Sunshine?" He walked through his loft apartment and took a seat on the couch. "Are you two heading back?"

"Not yet, here in a couple of days." She pulled her laptop closer and leaned back in her chair. "Thane has one more treatment left for this round."

Bobbing his head, Isaac asked, "He doing alright?" The soft, compassionate tone he used warmed her a little. They may never be best friends, but he and Thane definitely made progress toward leaving their past encounters behind them.

"Yeah," she said, glancing at the closed door to the bathroom where Thane took his stupid-no-water-sonic shower. "Things were a little rough for him the first couple of days we were here, but he's coping. He, uh, took part in the funeral procession. Acted as a pallbearer, or whatever drell call it. I don't know. I think it helped him some, you know? Gave him that little bit of closure."

"Good, good." Isaac watched her expectantly, letting a moment of silence fill the air before asking, "Is everything going alright with his treatments?"

She nodded and said, "Yeah, and he decided to pass Mordin's medical suggestions along to his doctor here. The doctor reviewed his charts and agreed with Mordin's recommendations, so that's cool."

"I'm glad to hear Mordin can be trusted to look after our health, but uh," he said with a smirk, reaching up to scratch his jawline, "I'm still waiting for you to tell me why you called. I can tell you have something big to say, your eyes are damn near glowing with … what? Excitement? Nervousness?"

"Shut up," she said with a chuckle, although she knew he was right. Actually telling someone, outloud, that she was engaged was sort of a big freaking deal. Honestly, letting him know about Drali's visit seemed like child's play next to the announcement. Yet, she really wanted him to know. "Okay, so, yes, there's a couple of things …." She took a deep, steadying breath and held his gaze. "First, Thane asked me to marry him, and I said yes."

Eyebrows darting up, Isaac leaned in closer to his omni-tool. "Seriously?"

She scraped her teeth over her lip and nodded. The look in his eyes … she thought she saw a glint of happiness beyond the genuine shock. She hoped he'd be happy for her.

"Well, shit." He chuckled and shook his head softly. "Congratulations. Just do me a favor?" he asked, running his hand over his scalp.

"What's that?" she asked, eyebrow twitching as she steeled herself for an emotional blow to the gut.

"Wait until your service contract is up, since you already said you won't be renewing. That way I don't have to worry about filing paperwork." Flashing his teeth at her in a teasing grin, he added, "I'm happy for you, Sunshine."

She scoffed at his request, but she'd honor it, even if he did just mean it as a joke. It was a good idea, anyway. She really didn't need the Phantoms knowing anything else about her life, and Thane didn't need his name showing up in her personal file. "Thank you."

"Yeah." He nodded, affection in his dark brown eyes as he watched her. "What was the other thing you wanted to say?"

"Oh, uh, Thane's brother-in-law is coming back to the Citadel with us. Just to visit for a few days. Figured I'd give you a heads up on it, since you'll probably end up meeting him." She reached behind her, running her ponytail through a loose fist before pulling it over her shoulder. "He knows what Thane does professionally, and … I didn't correct him when he inferred I do the same. He doesn't know anything other than that, though. Nothing about the Alliance or Phantoms, nothing about you, and nothing about this Cerberus thing. Thane trusts him to keep his secrets, so I do, too. He's a good guy. Actually, I think you'll get along well with him."

"Alright." Isaac bobbed his head again after a few seconds of silence. "I'll let the others know he'll be around and it'll be a few days before we head out again. I still think we should plan on locating Subject Zero before hitting the next location."

Breath seeping slowly between her lips, she relaxed and gave him a nod, grateful for his easy acceptance. "Agreed."


Thane sat his tea cup on the saucer and looked at Jasmine, raising his brow ridge in question. She swallowed and smiled before nodding her head and reaching for his hand. He closed his fingers around hers and gave them a gentle squeeze before bringing them to his lips for a kiss.

Gently clearing his throat, he called everyone's attention to him. "I have asked Jasmine for her hand in marriage, and she has agreed to be my wife."

"This is wonderful news, Brother." Rone gave him a warm, encouraging smile as the room broke into a flood of voices, all speaking at once.

Thane dipped his head to Rone, so very grateful for the support of Irikah's family. After speaking with Kolyat, Thane had made a point of revealing his intentions to Rone, Kelena, and Drali. Their approval carried weight, too, but even if they had frowned at the idea, it wouldn't have been enough to deter Thane. Even Kolyat's disapproval wouldn't have dissuaded Thane indefinitely; thankfully, it hadn't been an issue at all.

Kelena's face glowed with her grin, whether from pregnancy or joy, only Arashu knew. She stood and rounded the table, arms outstretched, palms turned out toward Jasmine. Smiling, face flushing with a soft pink, Jasmine stood and allowed Kelena to pull her into an embrace.

"Welcome to the family," Kelena said, pressing her cheek to Jasmine's, "Sister."

"Thank you … Sister." Jasmine's voice cracked, and when the two women separated, she had tears in her eyes.

Thane understood her emotions welled from both love and grief. She'd endured so much loss when it came to family, spent her most formative years alone, orphaned and homeless without even a sibling to lean on. The loss of Karin—a surrogate mother just as Alahana had been to Thane—remained fresh in her mind, as well.

"Congratulations, Father." Kolyat's words drew Thane's attention away from Jasmine. The boy stood next to Thane's chair, a soft smile turning up his lips. "I am happy for both of you."

"Thank you, my son." Thane returned the smile and reached up, pressing his palm to Kolyat's face. "Thank you."


Jasmine knocked on Kolyat's open bedroom door, and he turned from his desk to look at her. She gave him a tentative smile and said, "Hey, is it alright if I come in for a minute?"

"Of course." He pushed out his chair and stood, moving away from the desk. Tucking one arm behind his back, he gestured with the other toward the recently abandoned seat. "Please, make yourself comfortable."

"Thanks." She stepped over the threshold and turned the chair to face him before sitting down.

He sat on the edge of his bed, face calm, gaze quizzical. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"I just wanted a chance to talk to you, alone." She leaned forward, wedging her elbows against her knees and threaded her fingers together. "About your father and I." Nerves set her on edge, the muscles of her neck and shoulders tightening despite her willing them to relax. "I wanted to make sure you're actually good with this whole … engaged thing."

"Engaged? Oh, of course." He waved a hand before she could say anything, brushing aside his own question. "In our culture, there is no engagement period as there is in human cultures. In Arashu's eyes, you and Father became one the moment you agreed to give him your hand in marriage."

Stunned, Jasmine blinked a few times. Thane failed to mention that specific detail to her, but in the grand scheme of things, it didn't really matter. As crazy as the whole thing felt, she loved him with all of her heart. The mere thought of returning to a life without him left her breathless with her stomach in knots. There really wasn't much she wouldn't do for him, and those things, well, he'd never ask of her anyway.

Kolyat hesitated, frozen in time as he stared at her, lips parted. "Is this not what you wanted?"

"No, it is. I love your father, I want to spend the rest of my life with him." She gave him a reassuring smile; God only knew what flurry of expressions she'd let slip a moment before. "I just didn't realize … I guess I just expected a little more time to adjust to the idea … plan a wedding or, I don't know, tell people we intended to get married." Closing her mouth on her own awkward rambling, she took a deep breath. "It's okay, though. I just want to make sure you're … not upset with us."

"I am not upset." He stood, and so she did, too. He took a few steps closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I am happy to have you as a part of our family—as my second mother, Jasmine."

The word 'mother' brought with it the acidic bite of bile trying to force its way up her throat. She swallowed it down and let out a soft, self-conscious chuckle. "Thank you, Kolyat. I guess this means I get to be even more of a bad influence on you, yeah?"

Grinning he opened his arms for a hug, and when she stepped into his embrace, he said, "I would not call you a bad influence, more … a liberating influence."

Letting out a bark of laughter, loud enough to make him wince a little in her arms, she patted his back before letting her arms drop back to her sides. "You already sound like me," she said as he pulled away.

"Indeed?" He raised a brow ridge, teasing smile growing. "A delightful comparison, my thanks."


"I'm terribly disappointed," Theodus said with an exaggerated sigh as he sat down next to Thane on the couch. "I'd hoped to one day steal Jasmine away from you. Now, I'm sure that'll never happen."

Drali laughed and turned sideways, draping his leg over the arm of his chair. "I understand, dear Cousin. She is a stunning human with great cunning and wit." He glanced up at Rone as his brother passed by him and shoved his leg off the arm of the chair, but then he put it back and returned his attention to Theodus. "It's truly devastating to know she will never look at me with the love and devotion she looks at my brother with."

Kelena chuckled and rubbed her swollen abdomen. "You are both incorrigible."

"Indeed," Thane said, smirking at the two men. He knew quite well they only toyed with him, but the truth of the matter was, luck chose his side the day he met Jasmine. Although he once thought of her as a burden, time showed him just how much of a miraculous gift she truly was, sent to be his salvation by the goddess Arashu. "Though I know she adores you both."

"Well, of course she does." Theodus gave him a cheeky grin. "What's not to adore?"

Returning from the kitchen with a warm cup of elocol, Rone took a seat next to his wife and passed her the steaming tea. "It interests me to know whether the two of you intend to have a formal ceremony, and if so, whether it will be held on Kahje or Earth."

"We haven't discussed the matter, yet." Thane hummed as he considered the options. "I suppose if she wishes to have a ceremony, she will want her loved ones to be present. That may be difficult on Kahje given travel restrictions. We would wish for all of you to be there, as well, however."

"So, we will travel to Earth instead." Drali waved a hand, dismissing the concern. "Or, perhaps, you will choose to have two ceremonies."

"I think visiting Earth would be a fascinating experience." Kelena smiled, tipped her head, and added, "After the baby is born, of course."

"Of course." Thane dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Kolyat has spoken of a desire to visit Earth …."

"I am not opposed to either idea. Whatever you and your wife wish, Brother," Rone said, "I will be happy to be present either way."

"Where is your beautiful bride, Thane?" Drali sat up enough to glance around the apartment.

"She and Kolyat are in his bedroom, I believe," Theodus answered the question for Thane.

"Indeed." Thane nodded when Drali glanced his way. "Jasmine wished for the opportunity to speak with Kolyat in private. He took the news of our relationship so hard when he first learned we are together; she wants to ensure he truly accepts our marriage. She thought he might be more inclined to voice any doubts if they were alone."

"Do you think he has doubts?" Drali raised a brow ridge.

"We spoke of the matter last night, once everyone left for the evening." Rone glanced at Kelena, silently sipping her tea, and smiled. "He seemed quite certain as he spoke of his hopes for Thane and Jasmine's marriage."

"Indeed?" Thane watched Rone closely, looking for any sign of deceit, even though he didn't truly expect Rone to lie to him. He supposed he still held some concerns about Kolyat, too.

Rone dipped his head. "Indeed. He said he will pray to Arashu for the two of you to have a long, happy life together, filled with blessings."

Heart warming at the news, Thane smiled. "He has a kind heart. I have the two of you to thank for raising him to be such a fine young man."

Drali cleared his throat noisily, and everyone laughed.

"My apologies, the three of you. Four, I suppose. I shouldn't forget Aleha." Saying Irikah's sister's name aloud brought her forefront to Thane's mind. The contempt on her face as she looked at him—a face so like Irikah's—twisted his insides. "I imagine she will be none too happy to learn I've proposed to Jasmine."

Scoffing, Drali shook his head and waved his hand at Thane. "Look, I can see you getting older by the second as you think about her!"


"So, Kolyat told me in the eyes of Arashu, you and I are already married." Jasmine cocked an eyebrow at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Did he?" Thane chuckled, taking her hand and tugging her down to his lap. "Does this upset you, siha?"

He knew it didn't, knew what anger looked like in his wife's eyes. Although his heart followed the ways of the goddess, he didn't expect Jasmine to abide by the tradition. He assumed she'd want to formalize their union in accordance with her own religious beliefs, and he saw no reason to deny her whatever she desired. She'd agreed to be his, and truthfully, nothing else mattered.

"No," she said, squirming until her back rested against the arm of the couch in their motel room. "Though it would've been nice to know …. So, does that mean there aren't official records or anything like that?"

"It depends on your wishes." He rubbed his hand along her thigh. "What you will be comfortable with. It is true, in the eyes of the goddess, we are wed. You are my wife, and I your husband. In the eyes of Council law … we are not until we fill out the proper forms and submit them to the archives. If I'm not mistaken, your religion would see us profess vows to one another in front of a priest, and Alliance laws would require a record of the proceedings to be submitted to the courts." He hesitated only a second before adding, "It's also a common human custom for you to take my last name, is it not?"

She smiled at him, wrapped an arm around his neck, and tucked her hand beneath his jacket to caress his bare shoulder. "You like the idea of that, don't you?"

"Of your having my last name?" he asked, seeking clarity on her question.

"Yeah." She bit her lower lip, watching him as she awaited his answer.

"I do, yes," he said, transfixed by the sight of her teeth tugging at the plump, delicate skin of her lip, "but the choice is yours, siha."

She hummed, letting her lip go. "I don't want to replace my last name, I don't have much to tie me to my parents, but I do want to add your name."

It seemed like a wonderful compromise to him. "Then that is what you should do." He rubbed her thigh again, just to feel her warmth beneath his palm. "Do you wish to have a ceremony?"

"You're a wanted man, Thane Krios." She scraped her teeth over her lip again. "Maybe putting your name down on official records, especially across governments isn't such a great idea …. It'd be nice, though, to have something small with family and a priest. Do drell not have ceremonies?"

"We do, optionally." He turned his wrist, flashing his palm at the ceiling before settling it back on her leg. "As Kolyat told you, we are already considered married, but some drell choose to have a ceremony not too unlike what I've seen from humans—a public profession of love and the intention to be husband and wife. It's a celebration of what already is as opposed to a binding ceremony."

"Is that something you want to do?" She raised an eyebrow, fingers creeping over his shoulder as she tugged her hand free from his jacket to caress his frills instead.

He choked back a moan the contact threatened to pull from him, refocusing on the conversation at hand. "I believe I would, yes. Though, if it suits you, our traditions can be merged into one ceremony. Rone would be happy to bring his family to Earth after Kelena gives birth, and Kolyat would be thrilled for the opportunity to see your homeworld in person."

She let out a soft sigh and leaned into him, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against his. "This is really happening, isn't it?" she whispered.

He lifted a hand to cup the back of her head, a hint of doubt skittering across the surface of his thoughts. "It is, so long as it pleases you, siha." He didn't dare think about the devastation it'd bring if she'd changed her mind

She pulled back enough to open her eyes and meet his gaze. A soft smile lifting the corners of her lips, she said, "You're stuck with me for life, Husband."