Chapter 10


He zipped up his pants and buttoned the top, "….If you are all set with what I've told you, we should head to Verne's," he motioned her towards the door leading to the garage.

He appeared a little "dejected" in his posture as he waited by the door to let her out into the bay, watching her take her time to come over from last-minute touchups to his room and bed, and as she moved by him towards the door, Braith "butted" him with her hip, causing his spirits and his countenance to lift from the forgiving brush-by….He opened the door to the garage bay, following her out….Braith went around the H-lift with its car again, out into the waning evening.

Before she could pass under the garage door to go left down the street, he took her by the elbow, pulling her back to him as she turned to see what he was about, and kissed her by the frame, not caring for anyone who might see them.

She pulled away from the kiss, looking into his eyes, "….I won't judge you," he nodded to her words, "….unless you choose to run forever, Casnar." She watched his chin dip down again, understanding, and she felt duplication, as she had said the same to someone else she cared about, years before….Another Drell even.

He went with her to the bar down the street, getting stares from those milling out front for a while before heading in for their evening drinks. It was a quarter after seven and Braith and Casnar walked side by side, he going with her into Verne's instead of by himself—as he had said he would do….He shot down several looks from the patrons outside, looks of envy, looks from new faces who did not appreciate the history of her, Casnar, and that bar.

Their closeness triggered jealousies for what he and Braith had, but Casnar did not engage with the "staring contests" for too long.

He wanted to get inside for her meeting without any issues.

The door to Verne's opened by Braith's hand initially, sounding a bell on the catch above it, and Casnar's golden hand planted on the aged-wood above her fingers, holding the door wide for her to look for the man named Kaidan….Casnar's eyes adjusted to the dim interior.


Kaidan looked up, about to call it Quits for today since it was 19:15 on his omnitool, but he saw her, and knew patience had borne him its fruit.

Braith's eyes had been drawn to his uniform first, as she had sought what she expected—and easily recognized—of the Alliance "Standard" of appearances that Kaidan wore well….She walked out of Casnar's shadow, moving towards Kaidan at the back of Verne's, "….Kaidan…." She stopped before him, the light behind her from the doorway diminishing as Casnar moved in to let it close, the bell ringing again.

Kaidan stood to greet her eye-to-eye, noticing the drell from the mechanic shop went to the bar and sat down, his shirt fresh on the back he showed to them, though his "ear" was turned towards Kaidan's table….Kaidan had taken up Casnar's "usual" spot, coincidentally, where he would wait for Braith to make her showing at Verne's, nightly at 7:00 P.M….but tonight, much was about to change.

To those who knew the conditions before the man in the S.A. uniform appeared, the ball was already rolling.

They might have hugged at one point but Braith offered her hand to Kaidan instead, and he clasped it with his own, "….Braith," his husky voice, his touch in her hand, carried so much weight to her, and she had fond memories—mixed with the ill, "….or do I call you Commander still, what with all the years passed….since you deserted the Systems Alliance…." His voice tapered towards the end of this accusation in confidentiality between them, and his grip—with hers—tightened fiercely….so much that the "friendly" union of hands shivered in the air between them.

Braith's glare was dark and unforgiving, "….No one came looking, Kaidan…." She continued to hold his hand like a vise, and he didn't give up his grip either….Casnar turned his face to see what was happening, with a green iris filling the corner of his right eye, "….Ask anyone here….They all know me, I walked into this bar five years ago….Nobody's come looking until now."

Casnar started to turn, a growl growing in his belly, but Kaidan suddenly chuckled, squeezing her hand harder before relinquishing his grip, and Braith freed him from her hand-vise with some surprise, "….Okay, okay, relax….I was ribbing you with the 'desertion' claim….No one came here because no one thought you'd survived….We've had people claim you walked away from the Citadel site, but let's face reality….No one should have survived that wreckage on London."

Braith and Kaidan had freed up the air between them, hands withdrawn to their sides….He motioned for her to take the seat across from his and slowly each sat down, watching the other's eyes.

Casnar relaxed, listening with intense interest to the dynamic between the pair behind him and so concentrated on what was going on there, he did not notice the glass placed down next to him by the bartender's three-digit hand, "….She through you, onto someone else, Soterios?…."

Casnar glared at the salarian, saw the glass full of liquor, "….Verne, evening…." He picked up the shotglass, sniffed the liquid, drank the glass empty and set it down as the wizened salarian grinned and wove his horns in a good-humored shake.

"You smell like you've been laying down foundation, Soterios….You going to woo her and ask her to move in with you soon?…."

Casnar flattened his tebris to his neck, "….Quiet, I'm trying to eavesdrop."

He managed to overhear: "….You have to come back, Braith. They need to see you—find out how you lived….You shouldn't even be sitting here without your body crisped or missing parts, and look at you—Geez, you're…." Casnar smiled at that unspoken compliment to Braith that Kaidan was only expressing through a rueful silence, "….Not even Husks or Reapers," the silence ended, "….were found on that station-wreck, Braith….It's a miracle you're alive….Unless you're a clone, but I think the fact you recognized me—"

"We both know I'm not a clone, Kaidan, and I'm the same woman who was there, listening to those logs on Kronos Station before we gut that Kai—"

"Yes," Kaidan's voice went quieter, stopping her, "….I know….I was there, too, remember?….That Commander Shepard….The others want to know if she's the one I'm meeting here tonight…." Casnar chanced a peek over his shoulder, not liking the sound of that last statement, "….I feel like it's déjà-vu….Will you go with me?…." Kaidan's voice grew urgent, "….I have shuttles on the outskirts of town….We'll leave this evening, get you checked out, Braith….When's the last time you had a physical, or been evaluated?….Christ, your implants—"

"Kaidan," she had her hands in her lap, looking across the table at him, her voice softened, "….I've never seen a doctor, not since I said Goodbye to Karin that last day I was on the Normandy with you all."

"That's…." He stared, "….You have to come with me."

"She doesn't need to go anywhere," Casnar slid off his stool backwards, setting his boots to the floor heavily, causing Kaidan to look up at him sharply and Braith turning, only more slowly, to see Casnar standing before the bar, with Verne watching from over his shoulder, "….Leave her alone if she says No."