Theodus pushed his chair back, gathering the empty cups and saucers onto the tray as he stood. "How is Kolyat?"

"He's well." Thane folded his hands on the table. "He asked me to tell you hello and that he has finished the last of the coding tutorials you sent to him." He didn't know his cousin began mentoring Kolyat in the field, but he found the idea warmed his heart. Of course, he hoped his son chose a different means than Theodus of applying the skills he learned; perhaps they might be useful in medical research. It still made Thane so proud to know Kolyat wished to follow in his mother's footsteps.

"Excellent." Theodus grinned, picked up the tray, and started walking toward the kitchen. "I'll send him some more."

Jasmine chuckled and pushed herself up from her chair, waving Thane away when he started to stand to help. "I'm fine," she said softly, her voice staying between the two of them. "I promise."

He gave her a smile and dipped his head, knowing she'd tell him if she truly needed his assistance in anything. "As you say, siha." Turning slightly in his chair, he watched her as she made her way down the hallway and into the bathroom.

She moved with so much more ease, her bruises all but faded. He knew he only had two or three days, at most, before she'd once again suggest it was time they leave the Citadel. He wouldn't have any room to argue, and neither would Isaac. He'd just have to trust in Jasmine and always be by her side to ensure she returned from missions safely.

"She's looking better," Theodus said as he returned and took a seat at the dining table once more.

"Indeed." Thane straightened himself and turned his attention to his cousin. "I was just thinking the same. And you? Your injuries have healed completely?"

Theodus waved a hand as if it weren't even worth mentioning, although they both knew how jarring the experience on Gellix had been for him. "Oh, yes. Good as new. Well, almost new, but what's a few new scars to add to my collection."

"You have many scars, Cousin?" Thane lifted a brow ridge, the idea at odds with Theodus' personality and career choice.

With a dry smile and shrug, Theodus said, "The batarians couldn't punish me through implants as they did their other slaves." He tapped a finger against his temple. "They didn't dare risk damaging the very thing that made me so valuable to them."

Ah. Of course.

Thane frowned, turning more fully toward Theodus. "My apologies, I didn't consider—"

"There's no need." Theodus shook his head and held up a hand, staving off the rest of Thane's statement. "Truly, it was a long time ago, and those aren't even the memories that hurt the most."

"Indeed?" Thane assumed the reference was to the betrayals Theodus endured by the asari he thought loved him as family. He wondered what other atrocities Theodus might've experienced, but he didn't wish to put pressure on his cousin to speak about the pains of his past. "Nevertheless, it was a thoughtless question."

Theodus waved his hand as if the gesture not only absolved Thane of any wrongdoing but also wiped the entire conversation from existence. "So, Malcolm is planning on going to Binthu next?"

"That's correct." Thane glanced over his shoulder when he heard the bathroom door open and smiled when Jasmine stepped into the hall. He turned his attention back to Theodus, finding the man grinning as he watched Thane. "Have I said something amusing?"

"No," Theodus chuckled and shook his head. "It just still amazes me to see you softened and in love. Every time you look at her, you just …." He laughed and gestured toward Thane.

Jasmine stopped next to Thane's chair and rested her hand on his shoulder. "If I did to you the things I do to him," she said, her eyes dancing with mischief and her voice oozing with lewdness, "you'd light up when you see me, too."

Somehow, she still managed to surprise Thane at times. His frills warmed, and he coughed into his fist. Theodus tipped his head back and laughed, though whether at Thane's reaction or Jasmine's words, Thane wasn't certain. She put a finger under his chin, and he lifted his head to meet his wife's gaze.

An adoring smile spreading across her face, she leaned down and kissed him softly. "Never gets old," she whispered against his lips before kissing him again.

He tugged her down to sit on his lap, her legs between his knees, and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Colossal pain," he muttered and then chuckled when she grinned. He held her closer, soaking in her radiance. "Life would be quite dull without you."

"I know." Leaning in, she rested the side of her head against his face, filling his nostrils with the scent of her shampoo. She sighed and then hummed softly before stretching an arm out to idly trace a scratch in the table's surface with her fingertip. "So, what are we talking about?"

"Binthu," Theodus said, regaining his composure. "The auxiliary human and I—"

"Raúl." The name sliced through the air as it fled Jasmine's lips, but then she lifted her head and looked at Theodus. "Sorry," she said, "I just …. He's actually a really good guy."

Theodus smirked, seemingly unfazed by her outburst. "Am I to call him Raúl now instead of Mateo?"

She cringed and said, "Shit." A second later, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, who am I kidding? We both know you already knew his name."

"Don't worry, Cousin, I'll continue using the aliases he and Isaac prefer." He leaned forward and reached across the table to pat her hand. "Your slip will stay between us."

It said much about Jasmine's growing comfort with Theodus for the slip to have happened at all. She wasn't wearing a mask with him anymore or performing in his presence. Indeed, they'd become family.

"Thanks," she said, voice soft.

"Of course." Theodus straightened himself once more. "As I was saying, Mateo and I uncovered more information about the research facilities on Binthu. From what we were able to gather, it appears they're studying wildlife."

"Wildlife?" Thane raised a brow ridge. With everything they knew, everything they saw at the Cerberus facilities, it seemed so unlikely.

"Studying or experimenting on?" Jasmine asked, the muscles along her spine tightening beneath Thane's palm.

Theodus spread his hands. "It's unclear, but whatever creatures they're holding at the facility aren't from Binthu. The planet is too hot and it's atmosphere is toxic, there are no native creatures and very little plant life. There also doesn't seem to be any test subjects with higher levels of sentience involved, as far as we can tell."

The tension melted out of Jasmine, and she leaned back into Thane's embrace. "That's a nice surprise."

"Hey, kiddo." Geoffrey flashed his teeth at her in the first, real smile she'd seen from him since … since before Karin's murder. His gaze roamed over her face a couple of times, and his smile faltered but didn't disappear completely. "Looks like you've had a rough time of things."

Jasmine actually almost forgot about the splotches of bruises, reduced to barely-even-there yellow tinges, still decorating her face. Apparently, they were noticeable enough for Geoffrey's keen eyes. She returned his smile and shrugged, hoping to reassure him. "Meh, it's not so bad. You know me, I always find trouble whether I'm looking for it or not."

"I do know you." He let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. "So, were you looking this time?"

"Yeah," she said with a nod. "We've definitely been looking, and we've found a shitload. Far more than we'd imagined."

"Sounds pretty dangerous." He studied her a moment, lips parted as if his next words caught just behind his teeth and he needed to work them loose. "I know you can't tell me about it, but Jasmine, if you need anything …. If there's anything I can do to help, to make sure you stay safe, just tell me what. I'll find a way to make it happen."

"I know, Geoffrey." She gave him a soft smile and leaned a little closer to her laptop, resting her elbows on the table and cradling her chin in her palms. "I honestly don't think there's anything you could do to make any of this easier or safer. I'd say try not to worry, but I know you will anyway. So, how about you? How've you been?"

He sucked in a deep breath, chest expanding enough to put a little strain on the buttons of his uniform shirt. Blowing it back out in a great woosh, his whole existence seemed to deflate with his exhale. "I miss her." He rubbed a hand over his face and then scratched his jaw. "At night, once the house is quiet and the kids are all asleep, it's like … I don't know how to explain it." His gaze drifted away from her, and he shook his head. "I sort of shut down. I feel like without the kids to look after or work to keep me busy, I just cease to exist. My body's just an empty shell until sunrise."

Tears welled in her eyes, and she brushed them away. "It stopped getting easier?" Her voice cracked as she spoke, and she swallowed against the knot in her throat.

"I don't know." Shaking his head again, he shrugged and met her gaze once more. "Some days are easier than others. I'm, uh, I'm sleeping in our room again and starting to sort through her things. I have a box set aside for you, by the way."

"Thanks." She took a deep breath and sat upright, brushing her cheeks dry. "There's something I wanted to tell you …." Shit, it was going to be even harder than she'd thought. "I don't … God, this is going to seem so …." Insensitive. Heartless. How could she tell him that she and Thane were married while Geoffrey was still in so much pain over Karin's murder? But if she didn't tell him soon, when he did find out, he'd be hurt she kept it from him.

"Oh, don't do that." He furrowed his brow and slapped a palm against his chest. "I'm getting old, Jasmine, my heart can't handle the suspense."

She snorted and chuckled, taking another deep breath. "Uh, well, I wanted to tell you that Thane and I are engaged … or already married … depending on who you ask …."

Blinking, he leaned closer to the camera and raised his eyebrows. "Well, the only person I care to ask is you, and the only thing I really need to know is does he make you happy and treat you right?" Giving her a one-sided smile, he added, "And I already know the answer to those questions, so, congratulations, kiddo."

A weight lifted, she grinned. "Thank you, Geoffrey."

Avalina ran her fingertips over Jasmine's head, sliding through her hair. Biotics crackled in the asari's hands, stimulating and massaging Jasmine's scalp. Jasmine moaned, a shiver running down her spine, and Avalina laughed.

"No," Jasmine whined when Avalina pulled her hands away, "don't stop."

Laughing again, Avalina rested her palms on Jasmine's shoulders and asked, "How are you feeling?"

Tipping her head back, Jasmine looked up at Avalina and gave her a reassuring smile. "Better." The lack of pain with the movement supported the statement. Yeah, she was still a little banged up, but she'd recovered her full range of motion. "I'm ready to get back out there."

"Of course you are." Hands sliding off of Jasmine's shoulder, Avalina sidestepped and pulled out a chair. She sat down facing Jasmine, one elbow resting on the table with her hand draped over the edge. The corner of her mouth curled upward. "But does the doctor agree?"

Jasmine scoffed, adding a little sass to her tone when she said, "Yes, actually."

Raúl chuckled, drawing her attention for a moment. He looked at her, a hint of affection in his normally broody, brown eyes. They'd both be lying out of their asses if they'd said Benning hadn't changed the way they thought about one another. Their war might not take them into trenches, but they sure as shit endured hell together, and she had no doubt that he had her back.

"Leendar cleared us both for active," Jasmine said, nodding toward Raúl. "He suggested we avoid hand to hand combat and any weapons with a strong kickback for the time being, but yeah, we're okay."

She glanced past Avalina as the commando grinned and nodded. Ares' good eye tracked the asari's movements despite standing in the kitchen with Isaac, laughing over some private joke. His gaze shifted to Jasmine, and he flicked a mandible before saying something to Isaac which brought a rich, musical laugh from the man.

Shifting her attention back to Avalina, she opted to change the subject. "We're just waiting on Razik and Jack." No sooner than the words left her mouth, the door's buzzer sounded. "That must be one of them."

She pushed her chair back from the table and stood, stretching her arms high above her head. She only felt the slightest twinge of pain in her ribs, and it was totally worth it when her back popped several times. She made her way to the door and turned on the security cam. Much to her surprise, Razik and Jack both stood on the other side of the door. She punched in the door's lock code and slapped a smile on her face as she opened the door.

"Hey. You two come together?" She wiggled her eyebrows, one part teasing and one part genuinely curious.

Jack scoffed, moving past Jasmine without any other response. Jasmine turned to watch the moody teen, checking out where she headed. Jack made her way to one of the couches and sat down opposite of Theodus and Thane. She didn't say anything to them, either, instead she dropped her bag next to her feet and opened her omni-tool.

"One of the attendants denied her entrance," Razik spoke softly, drawing Jasmine's attention back to him. He lingered in the doorway. "I'm pretty sure I showed up just in time. Another few seconds, and she probably would've put the salarian through the window."

Jasmine sucked a breath between her teeth with a hiss. "Why were they trying to deny her entrance?"

He stepped inside when she tipped her head toward the living room. "Apparently one of your downstairs neighbors made some complaints about her the last time she was here. I don't know the details, but I told them I'd make sure she didn't bother anyone coming or going."

"Great," she said beneath her breath with a groan. "Thanks."

"No problem." Razik fluttered his mandibles. "You look like you feel a lot better."

"I do." She gave him a halfhearted smile and waved a hand at the couches. "Have a seat, I'll let Malcom know you're here."

He left her with a nod and made his way to the same couch as Jack, sitting on the far end. Thane caught her eye as she passed, smiling warmly before turning his attention back to his cousin. She stopped in her tracks and turned, taking a detour to lean over the back of the couch next to him. When he shifted to look at her, she kissed him before straightening again. They shared a smile and she brushed her thumb over the ridges of his cheek before going on to the kitchen.

"Razik and Jack are here, Bossman." She gently bumped her hip against Ares as she passed by, giving him a playful grin, before opening the refrigeration unit and grabbing a bottle of water. "There was some issue with Jack being allowed inside due to resident complaints. Razik diffused the situation for now, but we might need to smooth things over later."

"Alright. We'll figure it out after things quiet down." Isaac drained the last of his drink, rinsed his cup out, and set it in the sink. "Is everyone ready?"

"Three, nondescript, modular buildings …" Raúl's voice faded back into the recesses of Thane's mind.

His focus kept splitting between listening to Raúl and silently reexamining the new details of the events on Thessia his memories uncovered the night before. He hadn't spoken to Jasmine about them, nor Theodus. He would, of course, just not yet. He wanted to wait and discuss the matter with Dr. Solus present. He hoped the doctor might help him make sense of the images in his mind.

Theodus had already filled Thane in on much of what they were discussing, and Isaac never failed to provide the group with written reports. Still, Thane's behavior was incredibly rude and dangerous. If he missed even the smallest detail about what they expected to face on Binthu, it might cost them the mission. Worse … it could put his wife in danger again. Sobered by the thought, he pushed away the memories and forced himself to pay attention.

"… same layout, I don't think it's going to make any real difference which one we hit first." Raúl pointed at three circles clustered together in a triangular pattern near the bottom right of an aerial image. "The survey team that took these photographs failed to report back to their company, and their ship was never found. It's likely Cerberus killed the team and disposed of their vessel in an attempt to keep the location secret. Lucky for us, the images were buoyed back for approval as soon as they were taken."

"Which means we must anticipate immediate resistance, possibly even danger to the Iliad," Avalina chimed in, and Ares grunted, seeming to agree with the statement.

"But why? If it's just three buildings and some—what are those? Generators?—and they're just experimenting on animals, doesn't that all seem over the top?" Jasmine's brow furrowed as she studied the grainy images as if they might provide her with answers. "Hell, even the turrets on the buildings seem like overkill on an uninhabited planet."

Thane hummed, weighing her words. "Indeed."

"Agreed." Avalina gave them both a nod. "Perhaps there is more on Binthu to be found. Although, I suppose their drastic measures may be due to piracy or scavengers. It's also a mountainous region, any enemies approaching planetside would have plenty of coverage to stage an ambush."

"We'll keep looking on the way, but whatever the reason, we might not know until we have boots on the ground." Isaac leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands. "More important than why, we know that it is, so we can prepare." He directed the last of his statement at everyone, but glanced at Jasmine, a hint of concern in his eyes. Turning his attention back to Raúl and Theodus, he said, "Go on. What else do we have?"

"Unfortunately, not much else." Theodus turned his palms out. "And I believe Mateo and I are in agreement," he said, glancing at Raúl and getting a nod in return, "it's unlikely there is much else to be found in this instance. Binthu is mostly uncharted and, other than Cerberus' facility, uncolonized. This means no records, no trails, no news reports, nothing."

Thane liked the idea of targeting Binthu less and less as the moments passed. He wasn't used to taking on contracts with so little information, and he agreed with his wife and friend: Cerberus took a lot of precautions for such a small compound in such a secluded area. What could possibly be so significant about the animals they studied to warrant such extreme measures?

"You have my thanks for staying, Dr. Solus." Thane pushed out the tails of his jacket and took a seat at the dining table next to his wife.

His cousin and the doctor sat across from them. Theodus busied himself at his laptop, but Thane didn't take it as a sign of disinterest; not with Theodus. The thought of sharing his discovery, going through the memories again, admittedly left Thane uneasy. He wanted nothing more than to hold the storm at bay forever, but he knew it wasn't an option.

Dr. Solus nodded and blinked, offering Thane a smile as he folded his hands on the table. "Of course. Happy to help. Interested in memory recovery progress. Would like to run tests, monitor neurotransmitters, synaptic growth. Glutamate uptake by N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors important for learning, memory formation, memory removal. Suspect inhibition of histone deacetylases may significantly increase memory retrieval. Hypothesize drell ability to instantly encode and permanently store detailed information allowed for memory formation but retrieval mechanisms damaged."

"So, you're saying if he wasn't a drell, the memories wouldn't exist at all?" Jasmine asked, creases in her forehead appearing as she frowned.

Thane fought the urge to reach out to her and use his thumb to smooth the lines away. He wished she didn't need to be involved. He wanted to save her from all of the darkness life had to offer, no matter the source, but it simply wasn't possible.

"Drell or salarian. Other species take more time to encode and store memories, go through more circuitous processes." Dr. Solus waved a hand toward Jasmine before opening his omni-tool. "Humans experience brief sensory memory, focuses attention called working memory, creating short-term memory." He pulled up an anatomical holo of a human brain. "Short-term memory lasts moments," he said, using his fingers to turn the holo and highlight the different areas as he spoke, "while information encoded and stored, after encoding complete, short-term memory fades. Some information lost during encoding process, generally details brain deemed insignificant or repetitive. Creates less precise but more efficient memories. Encoded data stored in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex; data retrieved only from hippocampus for roughly duration of full sleep-wake cycle before data becomes dormant in hippocampus. Data now accessible for retrieval from prefrontal cortex."

"And so somewhere between the time a human's sensory memory is initiated and data starts to encode in their short-term memory," Jasmine said, gaze shifting between Thane and Dr. Solus, "whatever happened to Thane took place, and whatever it was, it would've entirely prevented encoding in a human. In which case, even if the retrieval mechanisms weren't damaged, a human wouldn't be able to remember anything at all about that place."

"Couldn't the issue, then, be less about timing and more about the parts of the brain affected?" Theodus asked, an all-too-familiar curiosity in his eyes.

"Possible, yes." Dr. Solus nodded. "No way to be certain without learning source of memory disruption." He turned his attention back to Thane. "Look forward to hearing new discoveries."

A sickening dread settled into the pit of Jasmine's stomach. Listening to Thane recount his memories twisted her insides into knots. The tremor of fear in her husband's voice ripped her heart to shreds. She knew the things he described were nothing but memories, events months in the past, but she also knew remembering was synonymous with reliving for him. She felt helpless. A part of her wished he'd never uncovered anything more about the damn place, even though she knew how much it bothered him.

The sheer terror he must have felt ….

She didn't understand how he survived with his sanity intact. She loved him so much and hated seeing him so shaken. And what the actual, ever-loving fuck were the monstrous machines he described? The universe truly was filled with nightmares.

Speechless, she sat there in silence, watching Thane and wishing someone else would speak if for no other reason than to fill the eerie void, sucking the heat from the room and leaving her cold inside. It didn't seem like Mordin or Theodus really knew what to say just then, either. Theo appeared stunned into silence, but the fire in Mordin's eyes said his brain worked in overdrive even if his mouth stalled out for the first time, ever.

Thane raised his head, blinking his eyes and clearing his throat. "It disappears there; nothing until I find myself carrying her body through the trees. I'm curious to know your thoughts, Doctor."

Jasmine scooted closer to Thane and linked her arm through his. Maybe she needed the comfort of his touch as much as she wanted to soothe him. He turned his head and looked at her, spiritual fatigue etched into the lines of his face. She leaned in to nuzzle him, gently butting her forehead against his before pressing her free hand to his cheek. They stayed like that a moment, anchoring themselves in one another. They broke apart when Mordin gently cleared his throat.

"Unusual structure apparent source of hallucinations; auditory, visual, tactile. Content irregular, species you speak of … description similar to collectors. Corlina worked with collectors. Connection between the two in subconscious—"

"It wasn't the collectors." Thane folded his hands on the table. "I can't be certain, of course, but I believe—"

"It was the protheans, wasn't it?" Theodus finally spoke, eyes still just as wide. "Sahnira was right."

"Indeed." Thane said with a nod.

Eyebrows high, Jasmine blew out a heavy breath, letting her lips flap. "Fuck me."