Chapter 44

Jane didn't try and stop Jack because, for both of them to be safe, they had to get out of the docks. Jane never intended to flee but felt that she was left with no choice when Admiral de Sevigny ordered his people to pursue and recapture them. She hadn't needed to hear the words to know that he had authorised them to use whatever force was necessary. She knew that they wouldn't kill her, but she was very worried about Jack. She could not fathom what had come over the biotic but hindering her now might only get her killed. So she allowed Jack to guide them as she wove their way through the outer docks of Omega, trusting that the ex-criminal had exit strategy.

They ran into an Alliance contingency once, just as they were about to flee into a market place adjacent to the docks. Both parties caught the other by surprise and the Alliance soldiers started firing immediately, clearly not caring who they hit in the process. Jane, with her leg already aching from the exertion, didn't focus on the soldiers but dove Jack to the ground just as she released another two shockwaves aimed directly that the group. They hit hard, with Jack grunting in pain. For just a second Jane considered giving themselves up but then another commotion broke out over head as she heard a krogan yell.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?! Drop your weapons!"

Jack, scrambling out from underneath her, grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her up.

"Come on!" She yelled. "This way!"

Jane was a bit slower to her feet, frantically looking around for a potential krogan charge. There was one, but it wasn't aimed at them. The Alliance soldiers were being scattered by a group of Bloodpack mercenaries. It was hard to tell why they had gotten involved, this could either have been their territory, or whether they simply wanted a fight. She had to fight a momentary urge to help the Alliance but reminded herself that they had been the ones shooting at them.

Jack had grabbed her by her hand and dragged her forward but her grunt in pain made Jane look at her immediately.

The biotic was bleeding.

"Jack..." Jane started but Jack all but hauled her forward.

"It's nothing," she snapped. "They're distracted, come on – lets run!"

Jane did, because in that moment she couldn't think of anything else to do. They ran, but not as far as the commander anticipated. When they were just out of the market, Jack pulled her aside abruptly and into a through alley. A bag materialised in Jack's hand and soon she was pulling two brightly coloured robes from it. Jane could see where she was bleeding now, as her shirt was slowly seeping with blood from the side of her chest. By the location, Jane judged that it was either going to be very serious or simply a flesh wound.

"Put these on," Jack said. "This is some traditional asari robes, frequented here occasionally. I'm playing the fucking salarian for this farce. We get these on and we walk out. I did some research; the Alliance has absolutely no power here."

Jane didn't comment as she pulled the robes over her head and allowed the hood to settle over her face.

"Jack..." She began again but the biotic shushed her.

"We do not have time to fucking talk now," she said. "We have some walking to do."

Jane felt her stomach turn a little as she thought about the people she had left behind.

"Yes but Jack..." She started but again, the biotic held up her hand, this time nearly reaching out and grabbing her mouth.

"When we stop, we can talk," she snapped. "But there's nothing to plan or say. I've got it all figured out. You said you trusted me. Well fucking trust me, we'll be off of Omega before the end of the day."

Oh stars...

Jane didn't want to leave. She wanted to go back to the Alliance and try to sort something out but she also knew that they would not be open to negotiation, especially not of some of them got hurt in the process of pursuing her. She looked at Jack, who had now pulled her hood over her head, hiding her face in the deep hood. The salarian's suit had some padding in places to expand the form a little and, Jane had to admit, Jack had a point because it changed her appearance just enough for someone not to look at her if she walked calmly without showing signs of pursuit. Jane adjusted her own clothes, not feeling confident that she would be able to pull it off.

Jane gave in a little, thinking that the longer she had, the more time she had to try and figure out how to get Jack out of this.

"Okay," she said and adjusted her hood again, hoping they'd pull it off. "Where are we going?"

Asura was watching Abby from across the clinic, studying the way the veterinarian tugged at her hair when she concentrated. She wasn't sure what she was reading, though she knew it was something that Mordin had sent over. It held her concentration intermittently, though every now and again she would look at her omnitool, seem a little disappointed and then continue her reading. There was very little else for them to do in the clinic at the moment. Grom was walking around, cleaning the place and muttering to himself as the varren Oz followed him around, presumably because he was a little bored and was trying to intimidate the vorcha. Grom would stop in his sweeping occasionally to snarl at the varren, which made the creature hiss back at him.

Abby had told them both off several times.

The previous day, the human woman had exercised her independence through ordering the vorcha a small pallet to sleep on, having realised that he slept in front of the clinic's door when they weren't around. Asura had tried to explain to Abby that it was normal for a vorcha, that they didn't have apartments per say but the vet was having none of it.

"There is space in storage," she had said that evening when Asura discovered her purchase. "And I'm hardly paying him anything at the moment, it's the least I can do till we figure out how much I can afford to pay him."

Not wanting to upset the vet more than was needed, Asura had simply given in, quietly loving her partner's kindness though feeling an even quieter dismay over the vorcha's presence in their lives.

Asura would have liked it if she got a more... sophisticated assistant.

But, that being said, the vorcha carried a well-kept shotgun and by the way he looked at Abby, Asura would bet that he would give his life to protect her.

A little bit of kindness went a long way it seemed.

Asura noticed that Abby had looked at her omnitool again, her expression darkening slightly. Thinking of Samara, Asura sat up a little. She had to go and check up on the justicar as well, but didn't feel like leaving Abby just yet. She just wanted the other business to be done with first.

"No," Abby said after a moment. "But I guess... I didn't expect any." She sighed, frowning. "I'd have hoped that Jack would be here already." Another presence in their lives Asura had no say over. "I guess... I mean, I should stop expecting any. Chakwas said that..." She trailed off, looking distressed. Earlier, Abby had received a message from Chakwas, saying that she had to stay away from the Normandy if she had changed her mind about not coming back again to say goodbye. The Alliance was there arresting everybody. Abby had been upset by this and Asura could still feel her distress. For once, it didn't fill her with her unnatural desire to feed on it.

"It will be alright," Asura spoke mechanically but her words were hollow and Abby knew it. The woman looked across the room to where she was sitting, her dark eyes sad.

"You don't have to be here Asura," she said finally, sounding tired. "I'll be fine and Grom is here. I'm sure he'll help if..." She shrugged, leaving another sentence unfinished.

Asura felt a little embarrassed suddenly, realising that Abby knew the other reason why she decided to hang around the clinic today. Through all of this turmoil, they had not yet had the chance to meld and the veterinarian wasn't having a good day. They were planning on melding that evening, if all went well with Jack, but it was hard to plan. Abby had choked on her food that morning and although it had been quickly dealt with, it had scared Asura. Until the woman got her coordination back, she didn't want her to be alone.

"I don't mind," Asura spoke kindly. "After the few days we've had, I don't mind just sitting down and reading for a bit. And, I'll go to see Samara later, I promise I won't linger all day." She decided to change the subject. "What are you reading?"

Abby studied her for a moment, then smiled warmly. The distress Asura felt from her diminished and, in its stead, she felt a deep, resonating love.

That stirred her desire and she could tell Abby picked up on the change in her mood immediately because she cleared her throat and motioned to the datapad, breaking eye-contact in an attempt to distance herself a little from the ardat yakshi. Asura was starting to realise that Abby, perhaps, had a lot more self-control than she did.

"Everything Mordin has on the vorcha," Abby pointed out, then motioned to another datapad. "Which is considerably more than anybody else does and even he's just..." She hesitated, considering her words. "Skimmed the surface. His interests were from the plague that was here." She glanced at Grom who was now poking at Oz, trying to shift the beast from a place he was resting. Abigail had insisted that they walk him around the area for some exercise when they had come to the clinic.

"Grom, he'll take off an arm and I can't stitch it back," she cleared her throat and started to push herself away from the receptionist table. "Let me put him in a bit..."

The vorcha bared his teeth at her and lunged at the varren without warning. Even Oz didn't expect it as he found himself unsuspectingly yanked to his feet by the training harness Jack had given them and dragged to the back where his pen was.

"I go," the vorcha snapped as he wrestled with the varren. "I go! You stay."

Asura tried to smile at the stunned expression she saw on Abby's face. The woman carefully shifted back onto the chair and sighed.

"Of course I understand that I will not be immune to regret the decisions that I have made in this new life," she intoned then raised her voice a little. "Thank you, Grom." She turned her attention back to Asura, who had not schooled her face to calm in time.

"I'll refrain from commenting if I were you, Asura."

Enjoying the way the mood lightened so quickly, Asura smiled at Abby warmly, wishing – not for the first time – that she had the ability like other asari to meld with Abby in the moment she chose to without consequences to show her how she felt.

Speaking would have to do.

"I love you, Abigail."

Startled by her words, the vet dropped her head embarrassed and snorted.

"God only knows why," she muttered, a human expression. Asura considered this, then smiled.

"The goddess does," she pointed out. "Tell me of the vorcha."

Abby studied her a moment longer, her lips thin with a hidden smile before she motioned to the datapad.

"As we far as we know, they are immune to disease, though I suspect Grom might not be. They are highly adaptable, their body capable of changing individual cells on a genetic level in order to adjust to their environment. And they can regenerate... almost everything. Even nerve cells." That Asura suspected, was her main course of interest. "This is a fairly unique characteristic among most life around. Varren heal quickly, but they don't adapt. Not like this." She sniffed. "And the strange thing is, Asura, nobody's really looked at it. Nobody's gone down and studied how their bodies are able to do it. The salarians are obsessed with..." Her eyes darkened in memory. "With the yagh. And... Well. Nobody else seems to care."

Abby now had Asura's full attention. "Do you... think you can find a cure to your condition in them?" She voiced the first thought that came to mind. Abby shook her head immediately.

"Me? No," she said. "This kind of science, I won't see in my lifetime. I mean, I don't know how quickly things can progress here but... No." She sniffed. "Besides, I... I don't need a cure. I have you. If anybody needs to figure out a cure to something it would be to your condition. You'll outlive me by centuries."

Asura didn't want to be reminded and was saved from commenting when the bell rang. Abby, not being officially open for business yet, had chosen to keep her door locked for the time being. She hadn't been in the mood for visitors and they had only received their last shipment of medication and equipment that she needed the night before. As they had packed it out that morning, Asura had wished that the moment wasn't ruined by the drama surrounding the Normandy.

She felt that it was something to celebrate.

As soon as Abby was able again, she would be able to open up her clinic and start her new life. Their new life.

Asura got up quickly and went to the door, motioning to Abby to stay where she was. The vet had reached for her crutch but appeared a little relieved when she realised she wouldn't have to get up. Grom also appeared around the corner, but when he saw her move, he turned around and headed back to the storage area. Asura watched him go for a moment but had her attention drawn back to the door when the bell rang again.

Stilling her irritation, Asura quickly opened it and frowned at the two unknown individuals. One was dressed like an asari, though she could immediately tell that she wasn't one and the other was... what? A salarian?"

"Can I..." she started to ask if she could help them but was interrupted when the tiny figure pushed past her.

"Let us in, Asura," the person hissed. "We can't stay outside."

There was a sound of dismay from the other as she too stepped through the door. Asura recognized Jack's voice immediately and numbly allowed her to move through unhindered, closing the door behind them and locking it. The person in the asari garb dropped her hood, looking around concerned before she turned a fierce look on Jack.

"Jack, I didn't know you were bringing me to Abby's clinic."

Abby had stood up when she realised who it was, her crutch immediately in hand as she walked over to their new guests, her features stark with surprise.

"Commander," she breathed, her gaze fixed on Jane Shepard who had just stepped into the clinic with Jack. "When you said we'll meet again, I didn't expect it to be this soon." The two women made eye contact and Asura, not knowing what to make of all of this, watched as the commander's expression fell.

"Dr Gable," she greeted her, the two strangely formal with each other. "I am... so sorry for barging in like this. Jack, we have to go."

The biotic turned to her defiantly, pointing to Abby. "Nobody in your Alliance knows about her," she said. "Omega's big, we can lay low here and move on when Aria's fed up with the Alliance and throws them out. She won't let them move around Omega freely and we'll be safe here. They are under her protection. This is the best place for us. We'll be safe here."

Asura had felt herself compelled forward by the two women's alarm. They weren't scared exactly, but there was an alluring undercurrent of stress she struggled to resist. She would have reached out to touch Jack, had she not felt a hand on her wrist, gripping her tightly. It brought her back to herself a little and she took Abby's hand quickly so that she could steady herself.

"What is going on here?" she demanded, feeling that it wasn't an unreasonable request. "What are you talking about?"

It was Jane Shepard who looked to her, her expression hard and calculating suddenly.

"We're fleeing from the Alliance," she explained. "I will go into the details later." She grimaced suddenly, glancing at the human biotic. "I know we can't stay but I have to ask, Abby can you have a look at Jack? She was hurt." She motioned to the dark stain on the side of the biotic's clothing.

Abby's hand jerked involuntary in hers as a response to her heightened stress but she pulled away from Asura. The asari didn't want to let her go immediately, feeling alarmed and protective but Abby turned back to her and gave her a look which made her stomach turn a little.

She wasn't going to be able to deny the veterinarian any involvement.

Letting go of her, Asura watched with dismay as Abby closed the distance between her and Jack with her awkward gait.

"It's nothing," Jack was saying but now that Asura paid attention to her she realised that she was pale. Damn it, what are they bringing to our door? Abby ignored her protest and reached out to touch the salarian like robe she was wearing.

"Please, Jack," was all she needed to say to make the biotic mutter and carefully try to lift the robe. She grimaced though, which led Abby to motion to her to stop as she reached out and lifted the robe herself. The wound was hidden from Asura's view but she could tell that her partner didn't like what she was seeing.

"I..." Abby began, her voice hinting at protest before she sighed and let the robe drop.

"You'll have to come to the exam room with me Jack, I'll need more light." In a strange gesture, both she and Jack turned to Jane for permission, showing Asura the silent power that the human woman exercised over all she met. The commander nodded, shrugging out of her own robe.

"Go," she said. "I'll check up on you in a moment." Her green eyes turned to Asura but then moved to another who joined them, her expression now one of confusion. Asura turned to see that Grom had also come into the reception, his hands dropping to the shotgun he now had strapped to his thigh.

"Grom," Abby spoke, her voice stern but not unkind. "Go and make us some tea, please."

It seemed to be her answer to every situation.

"Cupsss," the vorcha hissed. "No cups. Not for many."

Jane, still studying the strange spectacle, held up her hands. "I won't take..." she began but then Grom hissed at her.

"You take!" He snapped. "Docta offa. I go buy." He stormed to the door, not bothering to take off the lab coat he was wearing. Asura suspected he saw it as some sort of status symbol and he kept it meticulously clean. He was out of the clinic before any of them could protest. Abby didn't waste time in guiding Jack to the exam room leaving Asura and Jane alone in the room, the commander looking a little dumbstruck.

The tension in the room was starting to get to Asura but she didn't dare try and pacify it with her influence because she knew that Jane wouldn't tolerate it.

"Don't try to argue with him," she pointed out instead, motioning to the door. "Abby's word is law to him and he feels that it should be exercised on all."

Jane blinked, her features amused for a moment.

"I didn't know she had a vorcha working for her," she sounded perplexed which made Asura smile a little and shrug.

"Neither did I till she had him," she pointed out. "She even has a varren in the back." Asura shook her head, then took a steadying breath and turned back to the commander.

"Now, please," she spoke with measured patience, but she knew Jane would not miss the undercurrent of stress she had. "Tell me what you've just brought to our doorstep."

Jack had said nothing as Abby examined her, her expression as tense as her body was. Her hands were gripping the edges of the table and every time Abby touched her, she flinched.

Abby was studying the wound, having listened to Jack's breathing to determine whether or not she could hear any irregularities. It occurred to her only afterwards that she had very fancy equipment that could have told her the same thing but… In a situation that she wasn't comfortable with, Abby stuck to what she knew.

"It's just a flesh wound," Abby breathed, peering at the cut that she had cleaned. "But it's bad. It's going to need sutures…" She looked at her hands but it wasn't necessary. She could feel them tremble and there was nothing she could do to stop it. "But I can't give them to you. Not now."

Jack didn't look at her, her gaze fixed on some point on the wall.

"Do what you fucking must," Jack said. "I've had worst."

Abby couldn't help but look at the faint scars that decorated Jack's person, some hidden by tattoos, others over them. The violence Jack invited so easily into her life had left its mark.

A violence that was born in the Cerberus facility on Pragia, where Jack was nothing more than a lab animal.

Breathing out, Abby pulled closer the tray of implements that she had put together.

"I have some wound glue," she said. "I'm going to…" she mimed bringing her fingers together. "Bring the two edges together and… And just glue it shut. It's not ideal, it's not as sturdy as stitches. You are going to have to be careful."

Jack sniffed and, when Abby bid her to lie down on her side, she complied.

"Hopefully I've done my fucking worst," she said. "We have to lay low here for a bit."

Abby struggled not to show her concern but cleaned the wound again for good measure. Wounds were wounds but working on a human patient made her very very nervous and it showed in the way she jerked and struggled with her coordination. Jack was watching her now, her mouth thin as Abby started to work on the wound. She considered asking Asura for help but then decided against it, not wanting to make Jack more nervous.

When she dropped the glue however, Jack grimaced.

"Why haven't you and that ardat yakshi melded yet?" She asked, her tone a bit harsh. "You're fucking terrible."

Abby snorted.

"Not that it's any of your business," she pointed out. "But we were planning on doing so tonight or tomorrow night, depending on how things worked out. There just… hasn't been time. I wanted to wait until Shepard left…" She trailed off. There was no telling when that was going to be now.

Jack said nothing, her eyes now fixed on Abby. There was… something in them.

Something that made Abby's heart ache.

"I couldn't leave her."

Unfamiliar with the material she was using, Abby struggled to figure out how much wound glue she had to put on the wound. She elected to use a little on a small piece and slowly bring the edges together. She didn't like how it was turning out.

Should have gotten that bloody staple machine. But Mordin said that it wasn't needed. I can even use my fancy laser equipment… But I'm too scared to on Jack.

"I know." Abby spoke softly, even though she didn't know what had happened. She could guess but.

"See, I planned to convince her to come with me," Jack said. "But, Shepard didn't want to, you know. She just… she was so fucking pious. As if the Alliance was some greater entity she had to give account to. And, you know. I respected that. I didn't fucking understand it. Nobody fucking did. But I thought: Just let it go Jack. She's made her choice." She sniffed angrily, flinched suddenly when Abby's fingers jerked on her skin.

"Sorry," the vet muttered, mopping up some fresh blood with gauze. "What made you chance your mind?" It was a silly question, Abby knew. The answer was painfully simple.

Jack's loyalty to Shepard.

But there had to be more than that.

Jack grimaced, then sneered.

"They fucking arrested her!" She said. "They led her out like some fucking prize. The crew, Kenneth, Gabby, Dr Chakwas. They fucking took them all!" Her anger was so tangible suddenly that Abby was afraid that her biotics might show itself and sure enough, when she looked at the place where Jack was gripping the exam table she could see the blue light dance over Jack's hand. And, there was already an impression on the metal as Jack's fingers had sunk into the supposedly hard material.

This is why I can't have nice things.

Abby grimaced.

"It, we knew it was going to happen, Jack," she said slowly, but trying to make sure that her tone reflected no argument. "I think that's why she wanted everybody to leave."

"Yeah?" Jack snapped. "Well that was her fucking mistake then! They led her out there… Fuck, Abby, you should have seen the look on that man's face! He was… He was a fucking bastard! A cruel bastard! I could see it in his fucking eyes. He liked taking her away in such a manner. He liked seeing her crew uncomfortable! Whatever deal she had made with that Hackett fuck, that man's presence voided it." She bared her teeth, her breathing faster.

"I couldn't see her taken. Not like that. They were going to throw her in some hell hole! They were going to take her to some prison to rot! I won't have it! I fucking won't! You don't know what they did to me in Purgatory!"

Hearing the name of the prison ship that Shepard had rescued Jack from, Abby's heart ached. She swallowed back sudden tears, because she didn't want Jack to see it. Instead she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, not daring to take her hands away from Jack's wound, lest she contaminated the gloves, but wishing that she could give her shoulder a squeeze. Her work was coming along better now as she was starting to get into the rhythm of it. She almost considered abandoning the glue for stitches but still didn't trust her hands.

"It's okay, Jack," Abby tried to sooth her friend. "I understand."

She understood that Jack's frame of reference made her feel as if she had no other choice. That she couldn't think beyond Shepard's incarceration. Abby knew that Jane wouldn't have ended up in a place like Purgatory. She had done some research into human political prisoners and they were all kept on Earth, or in Sol somewhere at some black site. She had no doubt that Jane would have gone to one of those facilities from the start but from the way Jack made it sound, this person who had come to collect Jane had made a show of it.

What an idiot. She didn't even have a face to put to the emotion.

Jack was silent again, not speaking, not explaining herself further. From behind her, Abby heard Grom enter, heard the sound of cups on a plate. And, she heard the murmur of voices from somewhere in the clinic and Jane and Asura spoke to each other. She didn't care what they discussed; her place was here with Jack. She worked methodically, finally closing the gash and happy that it seemed to stay. It wasn't her best work and it would scar but she knew Jack didn't care.

When she felt that Abby was done, Jack wanted to sit up but the veterinarian dared to put a hand on her shoulder, keeping her down.

"Let's give it a moment," she said. "let it set, then I'll bandage it. I don't want some remnant glue to fix the bandages to your chest. We have time, nobody will come for you here." She hoped. "Can I give you something for pain?"

Jack's eyes burned.

"No," she said shortly, then hesitated. "But, if you can pass me a cup of that vorcha's swill."

Abby nodded, stripped off her gloves, washed her hands and then took the cup, taking up her crutch again in the process. She had too much to think about and couldn't spare any thoughts to her balance. She gave Jack the cup and helped Jack settle in such a way that she could drink a little. The biotic took the drink but didn't try it, her eyes seeking out Abby's instead as she reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"You'll help, won't you? We can stay here?"

That ache returned to Abby's heart.

"Of course," she said. "I promise. I'll help with… whatever you need."

Jack's grip was painful for a few seconds before she let her go.

"I need to keep Shepard safe," she said. "That is what I need. Nothing else."

Abby wondered whether Jack knew how big a task that might be but she didn't refuse her.

"Stay down," she said. "I'm going to see what the other two are up to. Then I'll… come back and we'll figure something out. I promise Jack. We'll figure this out together."

The End of Chapter 44