Chapter 36: Across the Sea
All hell broke loose around them, cacophonous wails of fury, delighted shouts of glee, but a handful stood aside listening and waiting to see where the tides would take them. For the first time since it all began, the veil was down, and the door open. Anyone could step through. Everyone seemed too busy to notice, though, what with the excitement going on all around. Everyone except Brooke. And Brooke knew Thane waited for her on the other side.
She stirred, reaching out for the expanse separating her from her love. He said he would wait for her across the sea. She died, she remembered that, but she didn't get to cross the sea. "Is this the sea?"
"I should go. I should go. I should go. I should go." Roger's voice echoed back to her in response.
"We shouldn't be here. What if she sees? She's going to be angry." Sarah pushed against Brooke, urging her to leave.
"How do I get across the sea? Thane's waiting. He must be very tired of waiting for me." Brooke willed herself forward. "How do I …?" She felt something slip, something shift inside of herself. "That's it, I think." Brooke pushed again, and then relaxed into the feeling, letting herself slip away.
She opened her eyes, jerking upright in the bed. Gasping for air, she coughed and gagged on the utter unfamiliarity of breathing again. "Oh!" She ran her hands down her body, gasping again as flesh and bone met flesh and bone.
"Shepard?" Thane's voice cut through the giddy haze surrounding Brooke's thoughts.
Her head jerked around, spotting the man she loved sitting on a couch—her couch, in her cabin—a few feet away. Her breath caught in her throat, tears welling up in her eyes. "Thane!" She grabbed the blankets, flinging them off and pushing her legs over the edge of the bed.
"I urge caution, Thane. Current biometric scans show erratic brain activity." EDI's blue hologram contrasted with the red glow of the fish tank.
Brooke squinted her eyes at the fish tank. Something was wrong with it. It wasn't supposed to be red.
"Thank you, EDI." Caution filled Thane's voice.
His words drew Brooke's attention back to him, her smile returning anew, all worry over the fish tank gone for the moment. She watched him as he leaned forward, settling the datapad in his hand to the coffee table. The dim light made it difficult for her to see him. She wanted to see him, all of him, every last detail of his face in front of her. Why was he so far away?
She slid forward, pushing the soles of her feet into the floor and stood. Wobbling, trying to get used to having legs and feet again, Brooke tested out the new sensation by taking a shaky step forward. "Oh my God. Thane. You're here. Thank God, you're here."
Thane stood, as gracefully as she ever remembered him being and edged around the coffee table, tucking his hands behind his back. Shadows danced over his face, keeping his features hidden from her still, he took slow strides forward. "Shepard, what's wrong?"
Brooke, feeling more confident on her feet, rushed toward him. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I tried to get here sooner but I couldn't! I couldn't get across the sea."
Thane took a step to the side, and held a hand up palm out. Brooke halted in her steps, confusion washing over her. Why did he tell her to stop? Wasn't he happy to see her? She whimpered, rocking back and forth, bringing her hands up to wring in front of her.
"Across the sea?" Thane asked, taking a hesitant step closer. "You're not—I haven't died … yet, in this life."
"What? No." Brooke shook her head. "You died, I was there. Kei Leng stabbed you—you—you saved the dalatrass, and—and—and then you died in the hospital. Kolyat was there with me, we read a prayer together and …." Brooke brought a palm up pressing it into her temple, shaking her head more vigorously. "I was there! You were going to wait for me across the sea, and I'm here now." Brooke raised her other hand, forming it into a fist and slamming it against her thigh. "I'm here now!" She raised the fist to her other temple, digging her palm against the hollow. "I'm here. Why—why are you doing this? I don't understand." She slammed her palms against her temples, tears streaming down her face. "I don't—."
Thane moved to her, taking her hands in his, keeping her from hitting herself again. "My apologies. Please, be still."
"I do not believe this is either Dawn or Jane. I believe another Shepard has broken through." EDI's voice filled the cabin. "She seems to be presenting genuine confusion about her circumstances. I have alerted Dr. Chakwas, and she is on her way."
"Thank you, EDI." Thane eased Brooke's hands away from her head, allowing her to hold onto his hands instead.
She squeezed his hands in her own, marveling at how solid he felt—how solid they both felt—she had him again, could feel him again, and she'd never let go. Staring up into the black pools of his eyes, she trembled; fear and confusion consuming her. "I've missed you so much." A sob tore its way through her chest, and the tears began to fall in a heavy deluge. "I don't understand."
Sadness tugged at those beautiful lips of his. Thane turned his hands, trying to pull them free. Brooke panicked, grasping for him wildly. He shushed her, a hand on her elbow, letting her fall into his embrace.
"I do not believe that is wise, Thane," EDI said.
He didn't respond to EDI, instead he wrapped his arms around Brooke, stroking a calming hand down the back of her head. She clung to him as if they were both adrift in the sea, and he her only life raft. Breathing deeply, she pulled his scent into her lungs and held it there, desperately trying to quiet the wailing pushing its way past her throat.
Nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck, she planted little kisses all over his soft scales. "I missed you so much. I love you. God, I love you so much."
Thane hummed in response, the gentle sound rumbling through his chest and into hers. The cabin door hissed open, and Thane turned to look over his shoulder. Brooke lifted her hand to his face, willing his attention back to her.
"What's happened? What's wrong?" Dr. Chakwas voice intruded on Brooke's reunion.
"I don't want to talk to her, make her go away. I just want to be here with you," Brooke whispered against Thane's neck.
"Shepard …." Thane tried to pull himself away from her.
Brooke whimpered and clung to him. "No, you call me Siha. Call me Siha."
"Siha." The word seemed to catch in his throat, coming out as little more than a rasp. "Siha, the doctor needs to speak with you. Please."
"No. I—I'm tired. I just want to be here with you. Why can't I just be here with you?" Brooke buried her face deeper into Thane's neck and shoulder, her fingers fisting around his jacket. "Please don't leave me again."
"I … I'll stay with you, Siha, but you must talk to the doctor," Thane said, a firm edge to his voice at the end.
"Commander, we need to take you down to the med bay. EDI has informed me of erratic brain activity." Dr. Chakwas placed a hand on Brooke's back.
Brooke looked up, turning just enough to see Dr. Chakwas concern filled face. Garrus stood a few feet behind her, his mandibles tight against his face. Brooke smiled a moment, and then realization hit. If Dr. Chakwas and Garrus where here with her, then they'd gone to the sea, too.
"Are you dead, too?" Brooke whispered.
Dr. Chakwas blinked a few times, her hand falling away from Brooke. Garrus' mandibles flared, his brow plates dipping low on his face. He looked up past her, his eyes settling somewhere above her head; on Thane, she thought.
"Siha, will you sit with Garrus a moment? I'd like to have a word with the doctor." Thane tried again to extract himself from her grip.
"No! Don't leave me." Brooke whined, clinging to him more desperately.
"Let him go, Jane." Garrus' voice held a threatening edge.
Brooke jerked around to stare at him, her mouth agape. "That's not my name, thank you very much, and since when do you take that tone with your commanding officer, Vakarian?"
Garrus' brow plates shot up, his mandibles falling slack. Dr. Chakwas looked between Garrus and Brooke, her own eyebrows raised.
She settled her gaze on Brooke. "I see. Well then dear, can you tell me what your name is?"
Brooke swallowed, a whine bubbling up in her throat. "This isn't real, is it? If this were real, you'd know me. You would all know me."
Dried tears renewed themselves, pouring down her cheeks. "My name is Commander Brooke Shepard, and I died saving the galaxy from the reapers. I fought so hard … so long, just to get here to be with Thane again … but it's not real. I don't understand." Brooke's chest heaved, sucking in rapid, shallow gasps of air. The room swam around her. "I don't … I don't …." She brought a hand up to dig her palm into her temple again, but Thane's gentle fingers urged it back down, locking her fingers in his grip.
"Commander, Brooke, listen to me. It's alright, you're safe. Look, Thane is right here with you." Tears began to well up in Dr. Chakwas' eyes; her voice trembled ever so slightly. "We just want to help you, alright? Will you come with us to the med bay for scans?" Her gaze darted up to meet Thane's. "I think Thane is more than willing to go with you."
Brooke nodded her head, her breathing still too frantic to speak coherently. Dr. Chakwas smiled at Brooke, the relief clear on her face.
Patting Brooke's shoulder, Dr. Chakwas nodded. "Good, very good. Thank you, dear." She turned, leading the way to the door.
Thane guided Brooke, tucking her under his arm, one hand resting on her shoulder. Her breathing starting to settle, tears drying on her cheeks once more. Brooke adjusted her arms, snaking them around his waist and followed the doctor. Garrus stepped into place at her right. Once up the stairs, she hesitated in front of the fish tank, catching sight of a snake instead of the expected fish. She frowned, opening her mouth to ask where her fish were when her focus shifted, and she caught sight of her face reflected in the glass.
Brooke gasped. "That's not my face! Oh God, where is my face?!"
Thane shushed her, and Garrus moved forward to block her view. Her gaze darted up to meet the turian's eyes, hoping he would tell her something. Garrus had never let her down before; surely he would tell her what was happening. He only frowned, his mandibles dropping.
They ushered her out of the room and into the elevator, the brighter light giving her the first clear view of Thane's face. She gazed at him in wonder, awe soaking into the very fiber of her being. He turned his head, meeting her eyes and smiled. Not a happy smile, but a sad one; one Brooke didn't like seeing on his face at all. Her brow furrowed, and she turned her gaze to the floor.
Garrus shifted beside her as the elevator started to descend, turning his back to the side wall, drawing Brooke's attention back to him. She studied his cobalt blue markings, his face unmarred by scars. There should be scars there. She lifted a hand hesitantly toward his face. He flicked his mandibles in unease, but didn't pull away from her.
She traced her fingers down his smooth plates and cocked her head to the side. "Your face …." Worrying her lower lip with her teeth, she pulled her hand away letting it return to Thane's side. "You're not dead?"
Garrus chuffed, his mandibles fluttering again. He shook his head. "No, I'm not—."
"Oh!" Brooke's hand shot up to her head, her weight falling against Thane. "I don't—something's not right. Something's happening. I don't feel so—." The elevator tilted sideways, Thane's strong arms holding her on her feet.
She could hear Dr. Chakwas calling her name, could feel Garrus' hand slip around her waist to help hold her up but she couldn't form the words to respond. Her vision started to darken around the edges, her eyes desperately seeking out Thane's face one last time. She was falling—no, being pulled—back into that terrible place with all the noise and the fighting, the whispers, and the screams. She didn't want to go back; she wanted to stay with him.
Jane stumbled forward, gasping for air. Pulling her arms away from Thane, she latched on to Dr. Chakwas, shaking the woman's arms. "She's waking up. I can't—I'm trying to get to her, but the others are fighting. Dawn's—I can't stay here. She's waking up."
"Brooke?" Dr. Chakwas shook her head in confusion.
"No, no. Brooke's back inside. I—Shit, I have to go; they've found her." Jane closed her eyes, trying to let go.
Garrus shook her, forcing her to look at him. "Who's found her? What's happening?"
"I'm sorry, Garrus. I'm so sorry. I'm trying to help her, I promise. I'm going to get her back to you, please just trust me." She planted her hand against his chest, urging him back and closed her eyes.
Garrus resisted, shaking her again. "Jane? Jane?"
She let herself fall back into the darkness, a peaceful smile on her face.
"Jane!" John's voice tore through the darkness, rising above the chaos. "Where the hell are you?!"
Feeling as if she were moving through quicksand, she struggled against the hundreds of crazed Shepards surrounding her, trying to push her back. Gritting her teeth, she shoved herself forward, fighting through the horde. She could see Dawn in the distance, a spark of glowing light in the darkness, a beacon pulling Jane—and every other Shepard—to her location.
Jane pushed with every ounce of her will. Straining, struggling—like so much of her life and all of the lives she'd endured since the moment she chose her path on the Crucible—at last something gave way. She was free and moving. The singular goal of saving Dawn, the only thing that mattered; undaunted, and no longer weighed down by the voices of the others who she let lead her astray.
Banshees screamed, reapers blared their sirens, husks clawed at her face and arms, but Jane didn't stop. She couldn't stop. Miranda now, cutting, scraping, drilling, and screwing into her body. Don't stop. Ashley and Kaidan, body parts scattered across Virmire, hands reaching out to her, their voices begging her for help. Won't stop.
Closing in on the glorious beacon, the brilliant bright light, Jane realized something was wrong. Something was terribly, terribly wrong. No longer just running to the light anymore, the pull too strong—she felt herself being dragged into the light. All around her others disappeared, their sparks being sucked in; consumed by the light. The weak, the frail, the broken fed the light, making it grow bigger and brighter.
"Run!" John was at her side, pushing her, urging her to flee. "Jane you have to run!"
"What? No, I have to save Dawn!" Jane pushed back.
"She doesn't need saving. Please Jane, you've got to run!" John urged, dragging her away from the light.
The light pulsed, throbbing and warping the chaos all around. For one, perfect moment, everything stood still. Then, the light exploded.
Shepard gasped, screaming and clawing at her throat as she bolted upright in the bed. The bright lights of the med bay were harsh and unforgiving to her eyes. She glanced around, frantic to find a foothold on reality; desperate to reassure herself she wasn't still trapped in the dream.
"Dawn?" Garrus' voice, rich and thrumming with concern reached her ears.
Her head snapped to the right, a relieved sob escaping her lips when her eyes landed on Garrus and Thane. With shaking hands she reached out for them; whimpering with joy when they moved closer to her.
"Commander, I need you to lie still until I finish my scans." Dr. Chakwas moved into Shepard's line of vision.
"The councilor?" Shepard asked, lying back on the bed.
Thane moved around to her other side, stepping out of Dr. Chakwas' way, but Garrus didn't yield an inch. Dr. Chakwas started her scans, working around the looming turian clinging to Shepard's hand as if it were his only anchor to sanity.
Garrus cleared his throat. "Councilor Sparatus is fine, Dawn." He said her name with such awe; such reverence. "We got him out of the apartment, and he's back on Palaven now."
"Palaven?" Shepard turned her head to look at Garrus, earning her a tutting sound from the doctor.
"The councilor chose to retire, Siha." Thane squeezed her hand. "He's decided to return to Palaven; to encourage his people to prepare for the arrival of the reapers."
"Oh. Well, that's good, then. Right?" Shepard fought the urge to shake her head to clear the rest of the fog surrounding her thoughts. "How long have I been out?"
Dr. Chakwas glanced up from her omni-tool to look at Shepard. "Eleven days, Commander."
"Eleven … dear gods. Where are we? I need a sitrep. Where's Miranda?" Shepard started to sit up, only to be guided back to the bed by both Thane and Garrus.
"You don't need anything until I finish these scans." Dr. Chakwas continued waving the omni-tool over Shepard.
Shepard frowned, glancing between the three people hovering over her as if she were a fragile doll about to break. "EDI!"
"Welcome back, Shepard. What can I do for you?" EDI's blue hologram hovered next to the med bay door.
Shepard's lips quirked up in a smile. "Thank you, EDI. Get me Miranda, please."
"Miranda is currently asleep. Shall I wake her?" EDI asked.
"Might as well, EDI." Dr. Chakwas glanced at the AI interface. "Mordin, too."
"Right away, doctor." EDI's hologram disappeared from sight.
Miranda came in as Dr. Chakwas finished her scans. Garrus helped Shepard sit up, still refusing to move more than a foot or two away from her even as Miranda edged her way in to do her own scans. Shepard's request for a sitrep got shoved aside while Miranda worked at checking Shepard's implants and double checking Dr. Chakwas scans. A few moments later, the door opened again and Mordin entered; an excited smile on his face.
Shepard did her best to sit by passively while the three medical professionals checked her over, but her patience grew thin. "Someone answer my damn questions!"
"What do you remember, Commander?" Dr. Chakwas asked.
"I remember fighting The Dissension; trying to get to Sparatus. There was an explosion right next to me. Uh, it threw me into the wall I think." Shepard rubbed her forehead. "I asked Jane to save the councilor, and then that's it until a few minutes ago. Now will someone please tell me what the hell I've missed?"
"While you were unconscious, Jane maintained control over your body during the days—at my request—to keep muscular degeneration as well as a whole—." Dr. Chakwas stopped when Shepard held up her hand.
"That's not what I asked, doc." Shepard turned her head, looking from Dr. Chakwas to Miranda.
"Where are we? What have we done in the last eleven days?" Shepard raised an eyebrow. "I doubt Jane would've had us sitting idle."
"Shepard, Jane announced herself to Councilor Anderson … he insisted she step down from command and be kept on the Normandy under constant guard." Miranda glanced down at her datapad, her fingers running over the screen. "I've been in command of the Normandy, and have kept us on course by handling some of the lower priority missions."
Shepard pinched the bridge of her nose. "I need to speak with Anderson."
Miranda handed Shepard the datapad. Shepard glanced at it long enough to see the list of reports of missions the Normandy crew covered under Miranda's command before resting it on her thigh.
Looking back to Miranda, Shepard asked, "Where are we?"
"Sigurd's Cradle. We're headed toward a derelict ship called the—," Miranda halted her elaboration when Shepard raised her hand.
"MSV Strontium Mule, I remember." And she did remember. All of it. She knew exactly what they would find aboard the ship, even without Jane whispering in her ear.
Something wasn't right. Normally the memories came to her filtered through Jane, not like this, not like they were her own memories already there in her head. Shepard rubbed her forehead and nodded. She couldn't hear Jane or John right now, which didn't come as a surprise considering Jane usually had to recover for a while after taking control, but this felt different.
Shepard swallowed against the sick feeling in her stomach. "EDI, what time is it on the Citadel?"
"Oh five-hundred hours, Shepard." EDI's hologram bobbed next to the door, waiting for further comment.
Shepard nodded. "He'll be awake. I'm going to my cabin." She glanced at the group gathered around, her voice warning it wasn't a request and she would brook no argument. "Patch me through to Anderson's apartment."
Shepard slid down off the bed and gently pushed her way past the crowd. Garrus and Thane fell into step behind her. Turning, she lifted her eyebrow, expecting some sort of disagreement.
"I haven't been able to talk to you in eleven days. You're not getting rid of me that easily." Garrus smirked, his mandibles flaring.
"Indeed." Thane squared his shoulders, tucking his hands behind his back.
Shepard chuckled and nodded her head back toward the door. "Alright, come on then." She didn't want them with her, and she hated herself for feeling that way, but she needed some time to herself. She needed to think, to sort out whatever it was making her feel so … wrong. She couldn't tell them though, not if it'd been eleven days for them. If they thought she held something back from the doctor … no, she needed to figure this out herself.
"How late is it?" Shepard asked as they made their way through the quiet, dim third deck to the elevator.
"Early, actually." Garrus flared his mandibles and hit the elevator call button. "Morning shift will be getting started soon."
Shepard glanced between the two of them as the elevator door opened. "Have either of you slept?"
"Ah, I acted as guard overnight. I slept earlier in the evening; I will be fine, Siha." Thane waved his hand out at the open elevator, inviting Shepard and Garrus to enter before him.
"I got a few hours. You know I don't need much," Garrus said.
Shepard stepped into the elevators, turning to narrow her eyes at the two men who followed her inside. "Uh huh. Why do I get the feeling you're both exhausted and full of shit?"
Garrus flicked his mandibles and stepped on to the elevator. Closing in on Shepard, he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck, nipping at her sensitive skin. She yelped, earning her a chuff from Garrus, his breath hot on her neck. Thane's chuckle sounded from nearby. It did feel nice, so nice, being wrapped up in Garrus' arms with Thane in arms reach, too. She reached out blindly, smiling against Garrus' crest when she felt Thane's hand slip into hers.
"We're both grown men. We'll sleep when we want to." Garrus lifted his head to look at Thane leaning against the elevator wall next to them. "Isn't that right?"
Thane smiled and dipped his head. "I have gone days without sleep without any ill effects. I require only a couple of hours to meditate each day."
Garrus chuffed again. "Alright, he's got me beat there, but really, I'm fine."
Shepard lifted her hand to rest on Garrus' face, tracing her thumb along the lines of his lips. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" His brow plates dipped.
"For being gone so long." Shepard pushed up on the balls of her feet to kiss him before tucking her head under his chin.
Garrus hummed contentedly. "You're back now, that's all that matters."
The elevator opened, and Shepard broke away from Garrus and Thane to head to her cabin door. She ducked into the restroom to relieve herself and run a brush through her mussed hair before returning to stand in front of her desk. Garrus and Thane hovering behind her.
At EDI's cue, Shepard activated the vid screen, saluting when Anderson's image appeared in front of her. "Good morning, sir. Sorry to bother you so early, but it appears I need your permission to resume command of my ship." Shepard grimaced.
Anderson watched her for a moment, sipping his coffee. His focus shifted to the two men standing behind her. Shepard glanced over her shoulder in time to see Garrus nod at Anderson, and she frowned.
Anderson's chest heaved in a sigh. "Glad to have you back, Shepard. As soon as I receive clearance from Dr. Chakwas, consider yourself reinstated."
"Thank you, Anderson." Shepard rubbed the back of her neck before turning to look at Garrus and Thane over her shoulder. "Give me a minute to talk privately with the councilor, please?"
Garrus hesitated, but Thane dipped his head, encouraging Garrus to follow him to wait outside the cabin. She waited for the door to close behind them before facing the screen again. She wasn't surprised to find a hint of disappointment etched into Anderson's features.
"You should've told me this was happening, Shepard." Anderson lifted his coffee cup to his lips.
None too proud, Shepard hung her head in shame. "I know, Anderson. I'm sorry. I thought—."
"You thought I'd have you locked away somewhere." Anderson finished the statement for her. "And this mission is too important to have its most valuable piece removed from the board. I know, Shepard. God help me, but I know."
She gripped the back of her desk chair, using it to support her weight as she leaned forward. "It's really not as bad as it sounds, sir."
Anderson scoffed and shook his head. "How exactly is that? And stop calling me sir. I'm not in uniform, and I haven't clocked in yet. Until I leave this apartment, I refuse to be called sir."
Shepard smirked. "You got it, Anderson, no 'sir' this early in the morning."
"Hmm. That's right." Anderson took another drink from his mug.
"I know Jane can be difficult, and at times she's done some … extreme things, but all in all I really feel like she's still an asset and can be trusted with the bigger picture." Shepard stared into Anderson's eyes, hoping he'd see her sincerity.
He grunted and shifted in his seat, leaning closer to the screen. "If I didn't think you're right about Jane, you wouldn't be on that ship right now, Shepard. I love you, you know that, but I've got to think about the future, and if I think for one moment Jane's becoming too much … I can't let her put the entire galaxy at risk."
"Of course, si—Anderson." Shepard caught herself before she could call him 'sir' again, and he chuckled at her quick switch. "And again, I'm sorry. I hated not telling you everything. Hated it. I just wanted to do what's best for everyone without the red tape getting in the way."
"I understand, Shepard." Anderson raised his eyebrows. "Anything else you're forgetting to tell me?"
Shepard thought, "You mean like I can tell something happened to me in there, I'm just not sure what, and I'm not telling anyone about it until I can figure out what the hell is going on?" Her thoughts filled her with more shame. "No, sir, nothing else I'm forgetting to tell you. Gods help me, Anderson, I'm sorry."
No response came. No Jane, no John, and not a peep from anyone else locked inside her head.
Shepard shrugged her shoulders before giving him a response he could actually hear. "It would take me until the reapers are knocking on our front door to give you all the details of what I know thanks to Jane. It just isn't feasible. So, unless you're interested in the details of my love life …."
Anderson chuckled and held a hand, palm out, toward the screen. "That's alright, kid. You can keep those to yourself."
Shepard grinned, seizing the opportunity wrought by Anderson's discomfort to change the subject. "So, Sparatus retired?"
"Mmm, yeah. I got to say, between you and me; the Council sure is less stressful without him." Anderson smirked. "Sounds like you really got to him, though. He's back on Palaven to rally the troops for the war, and to dig into uncovering the top dogs behind The Dissension." Anderson's eyes lit up, his eyebrows twitching. "Oh, I didn't get the chance to tell you, but two more people from that auction list of yours have been arrested and brought in for questioning. The Alliance is holding Newlin, since he's CAT6, but C-Sec had Fairfield brought in from Noveria. We're following leads on Namri."
"That's fantastic. What have they said so far?" Shepard leaned a little closer to the screen, excited to hear what Anderson had to say.
He frowned and shook his head. "Newlin isn't talking, but Fairfield finally caved and admitted she wanted to study you to gain insight on Cerberus' work in bringing you back. Binary Helix hoped to uncover the tech used, and patent it before it became widespread."
Shepard rubbed her chin. "You know, the fact that Newlin is CAT6 could be a bigger part of this than we might think. I never got the chance to look into before, but I know from Jane's memories she encountered a group of CAT6 working together basically as a mercenary group. It might be something to look into."
Never mind the fact she didn't need Jane's memories to remember the CAT6 troops attacking her while she had dinner with Joker on the Citadel. Never mind the fact she could remember crystal clear that they were led by a former Cerberus operative and Shepard's own clone. Never mind … she had at least a hundred memories of what her clone looked like, and not a single one of them had her face. Shepard swallowed down the thick knot forming in her throat.
"I'll look into, Shepard. We need you focused on the collectors right now. Where are you at with things?" Anderson asked.
Shepard held up the datapad Miranda gave her. "Just woke up, Anderson. Haven't been completely briefed yet myself. Came to see you as soon as I could get the Three Musketeers to stop with their damn scans." Shepard shook her head. "By the sounds of it, though, Miranda took care of some of the low priority things while I slept. So, I'd say we're no closer than we were eleven days ago, all things considered."
"Alright, Shepard. Keep me updated, and tell Dr. Chakwas I need her report before they go giving you your guns back." Anderson chuckled. "I know you're itching to get your hands on them again."
Shepard forced a grin. Her guns were actually the least of her concerns at the moment. "Will do, Anderson. Enjoy your day."
"You, too, Shepard," Anderson said.
"Oh, and Anderson?" Shepard raised her eyebrow.
"Yes?" Anderson paused, in the middle of getting up from his seat.
"I love you, too." Shepard flashed him her best Cheshire grin.
He chuckled and killed the call, her screen going black.
"EDI, send those two back in, will you? And tell Dr. Chakwas Anderson needs her report to clear me." Shepard called over her shoulder.
"Right away, Shepard." EDI opened the door, her voice coming through the speakers in the hall still clear to Shepard's ears. "Shepard will see you now."
She couldn't help the warm smile from spreading across her face when Thane and Garrus walked back into her cabin. Seeing them eased some of the tension from her shoulders, soothing some of the rising panic in her mind. Picking up the datapad, she made her way down the stairs to settle in on the couch. Glancing at her unmade bed, sheets strewn halfway across the floor she sighed, but sat down anyway.
Garrus and Thane settled in on either side of her, both seemed content to just be with her as she dug into the debriefing reports. Gratitude washed over her, she knew they must have questions; concerns they wished to voice, but they let her have the silence. Thane leaned forward, picking up a datapad from the coffee table. A moment later Garrus opened his omni-tool.
Shepard glanced between the two of them before shifting on the couch, wriggling down to throw her legs over Garrus' and snuggle into Thane's side. Garrus lifted her legs, pulling them closer to his chest and pinning them there with his knees, resting his feet on the coffee table. He glanced at her, his mandibles flicking out as he smiled before returning his attention to his omni-tool. Thane's arm shifted, freeing it from behind her head to idly run his fingers through her hair. Shepard let out a contented sigh and turned her attention back to the datapad.
A moment later she jumped up from the couch, tossing the datapad to the table as she spun to look down at the two of them in wide-eyed shock. "Tali's here?! Why didn't you tell me?!"
Garrus chuckled, sharing a look with Thane before he answered. "I guess it slipped our minds. I'm sure she and Kal are still sleeping." Garrus reached out a hand, urging her back to the couch. "You can see her when she wakes up … just let us have this, alright?"
Jane glanced to Thane, his green irises shining through the layer of darkness. He smiled at her, extending his hand, silently asking for her to join him. Shepard slipped her free hand into his and let them guide her back to the couch. She settled back, reaching for the datapad before making herself comfortable again.