AN: My apologies for the delay in this chapter. Work interfered as did the occasional lull that my creativity takes.
Chapter 45
"After that, we came here," Jane Shepard was saying, her voice hushed but fierce. "Trust me, Asura, if I had known that she was bringing us here, I wouldn't have followed her. I do not want to put you and Abby in any danger and I certainly don't want you on the Alliance's radar."
Asura stood closer to her than she should have. She couldn't help herself. The commander was radiating intensity as she spoke and, through her recount of the events that brought them to Abby's clinic, she had never broken eye-contact with Asura.
It was almost too much for the ardat yakshi, who had always secretly both feared and admired Shepard. She was the one who had killed Lenelle, a creature who had prayed on the living for centuries. And Asura still had no doubt that Jane would kill her the moment she judged her to be a threat to Abby's safety. Or any of her crew.
This fear of course, didn't spare her from Asura's ire. She was furious and more than a little scared for the safety of her partner.
"Have they followed you here?" She demanded. "Do you know whether they'll be coming here to look for you? Do they know about us?" Asura had no idea what Shepard's most recent association with the Alliance had entailed and whether she had shared any information with them on past exploits. She relaxed a little when Shepard shook her head.
"No," she said. "And Jack made very sure that we weren't followed. She won't put Abby in danger either."
Sneering, Asura couldn't keep the heat from her voice.
"She did by bringing you here!"
Jane's eyes narrowed at her tone and she dropped her hand to her hip where Asura saw the outline of a heavy pistol underneath the robe. She wanted to reach out and grab her hand, but there was a shift beside them. Abby had approached, sliding her crutch over the floor so as to draw their attention. Her dark eyes were unreadable as she regarded them, but Asura had no doubt that she had seen the near confrontation between the two of them.
Both she and the commander had the grace to look embarrassed and Jane straightened immediately, her hand moving away from her hip.
"Jack…" she began, but Abby replied before she could finish her question.
"It's a flesh wound," her tone was clipped, her accent, which was so different from Jane's, coming through very clearly. "Ugly, but I was able to glue it together. Not my finest work, but there you go."
"Glue?" Jane asked, a little confused till Abby focused her dark gaze on her.
"I am beyond putting in stitches Commander," she pointed out. "Have been for a few days. The wound will heal, but she needs to lie still for at least an hour or so. I don't want it tearing open and I'm not sure how long it will take to set properly." Her hand tightened on her crutch.
"Do you have any injuries? Your leg was still quite bad when last I saw you."
Jane shook her head. "There's nothing that you can do for me," she said. "Abby, I'm so sorry."
Abby snorted then went to join Asura's side, taking her hand in the process. Her grip, though trembling, was like iron, cautioning her to keep her temper.
"Don't be sorry," Abby said. "This isn't your fault. What happened to the rest of your crew? Were they injured in this? Where's Catherine?"
Jane grimaced. "I don't know," she said. "I have to get back there." Her mouth thinned as her voice dropped to a barely audible whisper. "I hate to do this to you two but, can I leave Jack here? If I can intercept them before they find me, I can... draw their attention away from Jack. I don't think they'll be interested in capturing her."
Asura thought it was a great idea, but Abby gave the commander a strange look.
"Jane, she'll just follow you out," she spoke in a whisper. "She's convinced they'll harm you and, from the way she made it sound, I'm not so sure it's a good thing you go either."
That clearly wasn't what Asura or Jane Shepard wanted to hear.
"Abby," Jane hissed. "I don't have a choice. You know this!"
Asura squeezed Abby's hand to try and deter her, but the veterinarian was having none of it.
"You should," she spoke vehemently, now pulling against Asura's hand so that she could stand by herself. The asari didn't let her go. "But I am not going to argue semantics. I understand where you are coming from, but we can't keep Jack here. Not against her will." She paused and glanced back in the direction of her examination room. "What are your options? Your other options? Would it hurt to simply leave with Jack and follow her lead for a bit?"
The way Shepard frowned at Abby made Asura wonder how good the commander was at following anybody's lead.
"This is about more than my..." Jane started, but Abby interrupted her. She was still speaking calmly but her eyes were fierce.
"This is about Jack," she said, motioning down to the room for emphasis. "Nothing else. She brought you here to protect you and keep you out of harm's way. Nothing is more important than to understand that."
"Your safety is," Jane retorted, glancing at Asura as she said this. "Neither of you can afford to step into the limelight. Which might happen if they find us here. Anybody could have followed us."
At that, Abby immediately made a dismissive gesture and finally managed to pull her hand out of Asura's after giving her a very pointed look that the asari couldn't ignore.
"Jack is very careful," she said. "I trust her Commander and I know she won't put me in danger. If she says nobody followed you, I believe her. She knows Omega well enough." Abby shuddered suddenly as a dark memory crossed her features. "Think Jane, what other options do you have apart from running back to the Alliance?"
The commander was getting very frustrated, an emotion that Asura sensed like a bitter aftertaste in her mouth.
"I don't know!" She hissed. "God damn it, Abby, can't you just sedate her till I'm gone?"
The anger Asura felt from her partner was hot and unexpected.
"No," Abby snapped. "I can't. Jane, I understand that something needs to be done. And I'm sorry I don't have answers for you. But, I also understand that Jack came here because she feels safe. Because she trusts us. And yes, you might be picked up by the Alliance one day. Even today. But when that happens, Jack has to know that she is still safe here. That I had her back. I told you, this is about her." She motioned behind her with a shaky hand. "Because when you are gone, either through your own choice or not, she has to know that she is welcome here. She believes that I abandoned her once. I cannot do so again." She sniffed, shifting her weight to the crutch as she took a deep breath, calming a little as she balled her free hand into a fist and pressed it against her chest.
When she realised that both of them were staring at her, Abby grimaced and took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry," she said earnestly. "I know I'm not helping. I know what you feel you need to do, Commander." She went quiet for a moment. "I can't help you. I wish I could, but I can't help you. I can help Jack. That's where I am in this. You have time, Jane. Nobody will come for you here. Nobody knows about us."
It was Asura who spoke this time.
"I can't take that risk, Abigail," she spoke quietly. "This isn't something Aria will protect us from."
Abby breathed out slowly at the mention of the Matriarch's name. She glanced in the direction of her exam room and frowned.
"Give me a moment," she said. "Please." Asura glanced in the direction that her lover was looking at saw Jack appearing around the corner, walking slowly and holding her hand against her now nearly naked chest.
Goddess, if she stays with us, she's going to have to learn how to wear more clothes.
Abby had made her way to the biotic and, despite the tension Asura sensed in her, she couldn't pick it up in her voice as she spoke to Jack.
"Please go and lie down again, Jack, it hasn't been enough time." The biotic glanced at her, then at Shepard, her eyes sharp.
"You're not leaving are you?" She demanded. "You said you trusted me."
Jane reacted a little as if she was struck. She blew out a soft breath and closed her eyes. Then, she nodded.
"I do," she said. "Go lie down, Jack. I'm not going anywhere."
If the biotic wanted to say something, she didn't get the chance as Abby ushered her back to the room, leaving them alone again.
Jane grimaced suddenly and there was pain in her features. Feeling the mood settle to something akin to stalemate, Asura remembered what Abby had said about the commander's leg and offered her an arm, intending to take them both to the two chairs that were at reception. Jane looked at her offered arm and, after some consideration, took it, allowing Asura to guide her deeper into the clinic. She didn't look happy, but it had nothing to do with the ardat yakshi's presence at least.
"What do you think Aria's involvement in this will be? If the Alliance approaches her?"
Asura couldn't say.
"Your guess is as good as mine," she said. "Because it's you? Maybe nothing. She's... She has her own game. She has left us alone since... Abby went to tell her of your mission." Anger stirred. "It was unfair of you to make her face Aria on her own."
Jane glanced at her. "I didn't cultivate that relationship," she said. "And I didn't tell her she had to go on her own. I'll have you know I always disapproved of it. But, Aria wants to know how useful her tools are and that was all I could give Abby." When they reached the reception she let go of Asura immediately and blew out a slow breath. "And she used it as she should. Damn her, Abigail's too stubborn for her own good. However, I hate to say it but she's right in this. I'm going to have to find another way around the situation; I have to find a safe space for Jack. I thought she'd be fine on her own but, this just showed me she won't be." She rubbed her hand over her brow.
"Why can't anything ever be easy?"
"She might leave and go do something fucking stupid. I can see it, I know that's what you were talking about."
Abby didn't comment, but bid Jack to return to the examination table. Silently, she went to wash her hands again and donned some gloves before returning to Jack's side. The biotic was still standing by the table, having not moved onto it. Not quite sure what to do, Abby first turned her attention to the wound. The gash had started seeping but the skin remained quite close to each other. Rubbing over the edge, murmuring under her breath when Jack flinched, she decided that, at least on the surface, the glue seemed to be dry.
"I'm going to bandage this," she said, not making eye contact with the tiny biotic. "Please, get onto the table Jack, I need better light."
Jack stiffened, her clear eyes immediately turning to Abby's features to study her. What she saw there made her hesitate and, in the time it took Abby to go and get some of the supplies she would need, make her way back up to the table, though she didn't lie down again.
Having collected some bandages and a topical antibiotic ointment, Abby pulled her working light closer again and carefully set to the task of dealing with Jack's wound, putting on the ointment before she bandaged everything. She felt Jack watching her, but the biotic only spoke again after a while. Abby sensed her need to talk when she breathed in deeply and then sighed.
"Why would she come with me, if she didn't want to be rescued?"
Abby, still carefully wrapping the bandage around Jack's middle, wondering if it would stay put or slip down, glanced at her, meeting her gaze for the first time.
"That's easy, Jack," she spoke quietly. "She wanted to protect you."
Snorting, Jack shifted and brought her one free hand to the bandage, holding it in place as Abby began to fix it in place.
"She knows I can protect myself."
Not looking at Jack this time, Abby fixed her attention on the job at hand, mentally coaching her trembling fingers to finish off the fine work. The bandages were quite adhesive to each other at least, though not quite as high tech as the ones that Vasir had used on her. She spared the dead Spectre a thought and a quiet prayer to their Goddess.
"Not from her perspective. Never, not when it comes to anybody," Abby said simply. "Jane... Did you know that Shepard and Liara T'Soni had had a massive argument before we left Hagalaz?" She could tell this wasn't news to Jack.
"According to Garrus, they had more than one," her tone was dry. "You'll have to be more specific."
Abby sighed softly. She was nearly done, though she was considering what medicine she could give Jack to stop infection and possibly help with some of the pain she had to be in. And, she was looking at her hands, still thinking about Vasir.
"Liara told her that she had trouble letting go. That she held people so tightly that she..." She felt uncomfortable discussing this behind Jane's back but told herself that it couldn't hurt. "Well, made them dependent on her and chocked them eventually. Or... something along that line, I had to fill in a lot of the gaps myself."
Jack still didn't look impressed. "What's that got to do with anything?" she asked.
Abby ignored her tone.
"Well, I think she had it all wrong," she pointed out. "Dr T'Soni that is. It's not that Jane doesn't know how to let go. But to her... she trusts nobody with any of those close to hers' safety. She'll protect any of us to the death. Look at me, she just... accepted me. Made me a part of her inner circle and took on an ardat yakshi to try and save me." Her heart ached when she remembered her first, terribly confusing few days in this world. "I didn't deserve it. But she protected me. So, how much more do you think she'll do for those she's known longer? How much do you think she would put herself through to protect you?" She met Jack's gaze. "Her needs and plans vanished the moment you put yourself out there."
Jack said nothing though she watched her, her face expressionless. Abby made sure to maintain eye contact as she put her hand over the one Jack had clenched around the edge of her examination table.
"Jack, I need you to promise me that, if Jane does go. If she leaves you here because she trusts us to keep you safe... Please, please don't follow her. Let it go. Let her go."
Jack's eyes never left hers, but to Abby's surprise she turned her hand up and squeezed hers.
"I can't promise that," she said. "Never."
Abby let out a slow breath, her heart aching suddenly when she considered how much the biotic must have changed since she met Jane. How different she was from the ball of rage Commander Shepard had pulled from Purgatory. It made her love the young biotic suddenly and deeply. Unable to stop herself, Abby reached up, touched Jack's face and pulled her closer so that she could press a kiss against her forehead. She expected retaliation, denial but Jack remained very still, allowing her the gesture.
Abby pulled away from Jack before the biotic became uncomfortable and rested a hand on her shoulder briefly.
"Stay here for a bit," she said. "I want to go and get one of my datapads, see what I can give you. If you need to leave here in a hurry, I want to pack you a… a supply kit. Some stuff for Jane as well, if she is in more pain than she is letting on."
The relief on Jack's face was very clear.
"Thank you, doc," she said. "For this. For… understanding. Not talking me out of it"
Sighing, Abby managed a small smile as she reached for her crutch.
"That's what friends do," she spoke quietly. "I'll be right back."
She left the examination room to find Grom lingering in the corridor. Wanting him out of the way, Abby reached out and touched his shoulder, motioning him to the room where Oz was kept.
"Stay there and keep an eye on the varren for me," she said. "I'll call you if I need you. Please Grom." She watched his lips move as he tried to imitate a smile but he paused.
"You need… Help?" The words were awkward as he tried to smile, but Abby got the gist of it.
"No," she said but felt touched. "Thank you." She watched as he glanced at the room where Jack was then turn and slowly move to the storage room, glancing behind him once or twice to make sure that she didn't change her mind. Abby watched him until he closed the door between them, marvelling at how little kindness it took from her to win his loyalty. Was it the same as with Jane and those loyal to her?
A moment's consideration made her realise that it was not. Jane wasn't per se,but she treated people… with so much humanity. The best of it. And, it seemed to awaken that trade in others. Jack, Miranda… Perhaps even herself, when she survived the end of what she considered to be her path in life.
Abby realised through all of this that she understood why Jack did what she did and would continue doing so. If their places were reversed, if she had to make the same choice as Jack did, she could almost see herself doing the same had she the courage to do so.
Grant me that courage, Abby prayed silently into the universe. Give me that.
Her doorbell rang again.
"I'll get it!" Abby found herself calling into the practice, as much for Grom's sake as Asura's. "They're probably here for me." Most of their visitors had been and she didn't want Asura to frighten anybody away. She hurried into reception, already holding out a hand to her lover, bidding her to sit down again where she had shared a table with Jane. The asari didn't comply but Abby fixed her with a look that invited no nonsense.
"This is my clinic," she said as she crossed the room. "I have had patients so let me turn these away if they future clients. I won't let them in," she said this for Jane's sake who looked uncomfortable. She had stood up, her hand moving to the sidearm on her hip. Asura, who had also stood up, had no weapon but Abby knew she didn't need it. The ardat yakshi positioned herself between Jane and the door, her body shielding the commander from vision.
Abby, who was now at the door, glanced back at her and waited for her nod before she instructed the door to open only a hand's width. She didn't forget the way Phora had managed to gain access to her premises and made a mental note to try and install a better security system once they were up and running.
She didn't recognize the man standing before her.
"Yes?" She began. "Can I…"
"Dr Gable, be so kind as to open the door."
The voice was familiar.
Jane's mum.
Blinking, Abby didn't comply but automatically glanced to Asura and Jane. The ardat yakshi left the commander's side immediately and hurried to the door, placing herself between Abby and the opening. Her expression changed quickly from intended violence to surprise. She seemed to recognize the other figure.
"Councilman Anderson," she breathed. At her words, Jane rushed forward and beckoned Abby to open the door. The veterinarian complied a few seconds later though Asura pushed her out of the way and kept her between the two figures who rushed in.
"Close the door," the man barked at her in a voice very used to command. "Quickly."
Abby fumbled but did so, though Asura still kept herself between her and the newcomers. They watched as Captain Shepard shook herself out of some ragged clothing and scanned the room. Her face was a mirror of Jane's tension but there was also a slight smirk of satisfaction that played in the corner of her mouth.
"Mum," Jane's words cut through the tension in the room. "What are you doing here?"
When Captain Shepard turned to her, her gaze travelled up and down her daughter's person, seemingly reassuring herself that she was unharmed. Even more still, she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around her daughter, hugging her tightly. Feeling like an intruder in her own clinic, Abby turned her attention to the other human. Now that she knew whom she was looking at, she could see the resemblance between this Anderson and his 3D counterpart in the game she had played. He was taller than she imagined though, his face hard and marked. He looked at the two Shepards, then turned his attention to them.
"Dr Gable, I presume," he said and held out a hand. "David Anderson."
Abby moved away from Asura, though she took the ardat yakshi's hand even as she offered her other to the councilman. She felt a little silly for not recognizing him immediately because she had seen clips of him on the news, but then again she had never expected that someone like this would be on her doorstep. His grip was firm, brief and he let go of her hand before she did. Abby shifted back to Asura's side, tightening her grip on her lover's hand as she motioned to her.
"This is… my partner Asura," she said.
Anderson's gaze flicked to Asura but he didn't offer her a hand, instead he inclined his head formally, a gesture Asura returned after a moment's consideration. The Shepards in the mean time disentangled themselves from each other, with Hannah briefly running her hand over Jane's head and cupping her cheek.
"Your Jack is a simple mind," Hannah spoke softly though at the mention of her name, Abby startled out of her reverie and looked in the direction of the corridor, wondering why the biotic had not yet made her appearance. "She needed to keep you safe and she had few options. This place, this clinic and her friendship to Dr Gable would count as a sanctuary." She glanced back at the couple who were still holding hands and inclined her head slightly.
"I figured this should be the first place we must search, which is why, I believe, we beat the rush."
Abby tugged on Asura's arm, indicating that they should move closer to the corridor so that she could mitigate Jack's response to the two intruders.
Jane didn't look very happy at the revelation, glancing in the direction of the corridor before stepping to Anderson, offering him a hand in greeting.
"What do you mean rush?" She asked, momentarily making eye contact with Abby and also motioning her in Jack's direction. "Who else is coming?" She gestured to Abby and Asura. "These are my friends, Anderson." The words seemed to be all that was needed as an explanation as Anderson considered them again.
"Is there anywhere we can speak in private?" he asked, directing his question to Abby, who shifted uncomfortably and the corridor.
"We'll be in my examination room," she pointed out. "Should I send Jack?"
Captain Shepard shook her head. "Not at first," she said crisply. "But soon. Thank you for understanding." It was hard not to be irritated by her tone but Abby smiled with as much grace as she could muster and made her way to the corridor. She wasn't surprised that Jack was standing there but proud of the biotic for staying her hand.
She searched Abby's face as the doctor reached out with her other hand and pushed Jack with them.
"They want a moment," she said. "Alliance to Alliance, I suspect. Then they'll send for you."
Jack nodded, but there was murder in her eyes.
"If they led anybody here," she said. "They'll regret it." Abby could see the sentiment echoed in Asura's expression as well. Abby tried her best to remain calm at the thought of violence.
And retribution.
Not in my house, she found herself thinking but the thought felt hollow and she remembered the conversation that she had had with Aria, where the woman spoke about the lines she so nearly crossed since she tangled with Asura.
Not under my roof. Not if I can help it.
"Admiral de Sevigny has rallied a man hunt," Anderson concluded. "Hackett is keeping us updated, though De Sevigny is trying to keep him from gaining information or details."
Jane's mum snorted, her arms crossed as she paced nervously between the two seated ex-crewmates. More so than any them, she had always been a woman of action rather than words. "He forgets who got him to the top," she said. "He is ambitious and always wished to prove his worth. He is only an admiral today because I declined when a position opened." Anderson glanced at her but didn't comment.
"The troubling thing is that Aria isn't stopping the Alliance. Oh, there are some hoops they have to jump through, but she seems willing to simply stay out of this and that includes seemingly instructing her mercenaries to allow the Alliance to storm through Omega relatively unhindered." He paused. "Well, by relatively I mean that the occasional spat has broken out, but nobody's killed anybody on either side. Yet."
Jane shifted, feeling uncomfortable with the information, especially when it came to Aria's apathy. She didn't trust the asari and wouldn't have thought she would allow the Alliance any freedom on her asteroid.
"What are my options?" she said. "What are their orders? Shoot to kill or…"
Hannah's mouth was thin. "Nothing was specified," she pointed out. "If you surrender, I'm sure they'll be… kind. But there is now a warrant of arrest out for Jack as well. And their orders are to neutralise her at any cost. They know exactly who she is and, my guess would be that De Sevigny won't be caught by surprise again. They have mobilised all the biotics they can from the men they brought, and De Sevigny is shrewd enough to hire mercenaries if he needs to." She paused when they looked at her. "That's what I would have done."
Jane stood and for just a moment, she was afraid.
"I have to get out of here," she breathed. "That fight can't come to this place. These people here…" Her heart ached. "I have to go…" She thought about Jack, then backtracked on her train of thought. "But I have to deal with Jack first. I can't just surrender." She grimaced suddenly and looked at the two people with her.
"And I don't want any of this to be a mark on you."
Her mother barked a laugh. "Still?" she snapped. "You are still more concerned for others? Jane, your pet biotics escalated this to a point of near war. The Alliance against you. You still speak of surrender?"
Jane didn't want to argue with her. She turned to Anderson because she needed his council, but he wasn't paying attention to her, his face grim as he looked at a message that had come through to his omnitool.
"There's a problem," he said shortly. "Information's been leaked, some anonymous tip that's given the Alliance your exact location. They'll be here in minutes."
Jane stared at him, then at her wrist where she saw that she too had a message. Feeling as if she was in a daze, she opened the message and read it.
You'll thank me for this someday. Get your affairs in order and off my asteroid.
Fury.
Jane looked at Anderson and her mother, her mind reeling.
She was always chasing time, she thought. She never had any. Never had time.
But somehow, she survived. Solutions presented itself.
Jane was aware that her mother was cursing but found herself turning away from the two Alliance officers and to the corridor where she found that they were not quite alone. Asura was standing there, perhaps in vigil, perhaps as a guard against whatever would threaten the woman behind her. When they made eye contact, Jane felt the fury subside, perhaps because Asura did something to drain it.
Perhaps because she knew facing the asari with so many emotions might be the death of her.
And, with the calm she felt suddenly, her mind gave her the time to come up with a solution.
It wasn't perfect, but she didn't need it to be.
"Asura," she called. "I need your help." She raised her voice as two others joined the asari in the corridor. "Jack, Abby. Pack us some supplies, anything you can. We're going."
The End of Chapter 45