Nadir was never empty.

Most mornings the bar was dim and relatively quiet, a far cry from the blinding neon and noise of its nights. The lack of windows kept the light firmly shut outside, save for the few stray beams that wormed their way through cracks in the walls, lighting up the desert dust that clung to its patrons. Even the music was more subdued, quiet and forgettable instead of ribcage rattling. But even this early, a dozen or so people were in the shady room, spread around but still filling out the darkened corners. Too far from The Slot for the occasional passerby, it was more for locals who had connections and worked on their own schedule.

And all of them were now the unwilling audience of Marcella's shameless display.

"Oh...oooh oooh...!"

Her feet hadn't quite cooperated as she staggered away from the ornery bartender and across the dance floor, a cup precariously held in one hand. By the time she made it back to the DJ booth, she had lost her footing and slammed into it with the full weight of her body, spilling the half-full drink over the counter. Bodi was seemingly doing everything in his power to pretend she wasn't there, his head still hidden behind his datapad even as the spilled liquid dribbled down the sides of the booth.

Marcella wasn't much of a singer but she continued to warble out a tune as she clambered back onto the wobbly stool. Her finger slid the spilled liquid on the counter around in small circles. "Oooh oooh! Your body was so divine...but you are no longer mine

From behind Bodi's datapad, she heard him muttering faintly to himself. "Oh no, noooo I didn't want to be a doctor...I wanted to be a bounty hunter...I wanted to see the world...wanted to dispense justice..."

"My love was so true...but now I only dance to... "

"Yeah, great choice and how'd that work out for you? Working at a crappy bar in the middle of nowhere—"

"...the rhythm of sadnessss-"

"Shut up!"

"B...Bodi…" Marcella's head felt so heavy. She propped her elbows onto the counter and placed both hands under her chin, "...have I ever told you - y-you're my only friend…?"

Bodi's face was practically pressed against the screen of his e-book. "Yes!" he screeched, "Twice now!"

"Mmmm well, it's true She raised her drink to her mouth even as her stomach churned.

This was pretty sad, even for her. She was no connoisseur of the dating world but still had a few break-ups under her belt. Usually, she took it in stride; it was all part of never staying in one place for too long. A few of them even ended much worse than this. All things considered, this was pretty clean.

But even after mentally preparing herself for such a happenstance...this one still hurt. Cas was...different. They could have worked out, maybe, probably, if the stars aligned - and if she wasn't such a screw-up. For a second, it really seemed like there was a future there and she would have had it, had she just tried harder, had she just been more honest. Had she not been such a self-sabotaging pain-in-the-ass.

She took another long sip. Whatever. The crying and throwing up could come later.

"Ooooh...oh oooh

"Shouldn't you go home?"

"Bodiiii, I can't go back to The Compound, you know their policy on singing...!" Marcella joked, rubbing her eyes and letting out a weak chuckle. "Heh, 'The Compound'...'The Slot'..I'm surprised this place isn't just called 'The Bar'." If she were sober, she might've made some observation about how nothing was permanent on Kaeus, not even the names.

"Do you think it's really wise to still come around here? From what little she could see of Bodi's face, it never lost that hardened scowl.

"Awwww, worried about meee?"

"If I had pissed off as many people as you, I'd be a little more concerned about watching my back."

Marcella scoffed. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve..." She gave the drink in her hand a flourishing wave, spilling more of its contents on the counter.

"Until someone realizes they've had about enough of your 'tricks,'" Bodi continued, glaring as she attempted to mop up the mess with her sleeve, "Sooner or later, your luck will run out and someone will shut you up for good."

Hm, nooo, no, not with Ol' Reliable ...! She took pleasure in seeing Bodi flinch as she suddenly whipped out her short knife and sunk it into the counter. She twisted the handle and smiled. "This baby has gotten me out of quite a few jams. Call it a...treasured family heirloom. Never leave home without it, ya know?"

Bodi finally lowered the datapad enough so that his frown was on full display. "Be that as it may, I'm sure someone's gonna come looking for you so you really should get out of here."

"But Bodiiii, you're my best friiieeend."

"Seriously, go away."

"Aww, c'mon "

He finally slammed down his datapad with a poignant clack and pointed an accusing finger. "Every time you come around here you start something! You're nothing but trouble! Just leave before something happens and I get mixed up in it!"

"Ugh, fine just...just gimme a...a second Marcella's head pounded and her body ached in exhaustion and far too much alcohol. Thoughts flooded in unwillingly and her stomach lurched and throat tightened as the warm buzz turned into something cold and emotional. She had hoped she could at least keep it together until she was able to slink off somewhere more private. Then the real pity party would begin.

But it was too late, her stomach hurt, her eyes stung and her mood soured. She lowered her head until her chin rested on the smooth metal surface and the words slipped out of her mouth in a pathetic murmur.

"I just...I just wanted to pretend a little longer...just...a little..."

At least her whining was muffled by the ambient sounds of everyone else mixed up in their own dealings. Thanks to the constant muttering and clinking of drinks and bags in the bar, nothing of substance could be made out from any party. Nadir was always a hive of activity and if someone wanted to make a scene, people usually just minded their business. It wasn稚 out of the ordinary to witness a drunken revelry or shouting match or some sort of scuffle here and there.

So when she heard the rusty squeal of the entrance door open and someone burst in, loudly panting and wheezing and muttering a little incoherently, she didn't even turn around to look.

She didn't even lift her head. Her eyes remained shut and she focused on the pleasant sensation of the counter swaying slightly in her inebriation as the loud stranger made their way around the room, still gasping like they had just been strangled.

Probably had, this place was the worst.

The faint murmuring of the suspicious patrons could also be heard as the staggering footsteps became louder. In fact, if she didn't know any better, she would say it sounded like they were making a beeline in her direction. Sure enough, after a few loud uneven footfalls, the sounds of ragged heaving were right behind her - and they weren't leaving. Marcella breathed in slowly, clenching her jaw. She really wasn't in the mood for trouble. Maybe if she just kept her pounding head on the nice, cool table, they'd go away.

She finally opened her eyes when she heard Bodi's nasally voice mutter in disgust "Oh, no...

She looked up at the salarian's impossibly deep frown. Any other day she would have turned right around and faced the trouble, ready and eager to stab them or run away or say a dumb quip or do something but right now she didn稚 move and she didn稚 care. She opened her mouth but it was too dry and she was too groggy to even get the words fully out. "I...is..."

Is this the one that's finally gonna shut me up?

"Hh...hhhh - hey..." The stranger behind her finally wheezed.

It took a second - just a second, for the voice to work its way through the gears of her drunk, sluggish mind. It was...familiar. Deep, rumbling, kinda sexy-

NO FUCKING WAY.

She jolted upright as though she were electrocuted, banging her fingers painfully on the undersides of the counter as they flew up to grip the sides of the booth. No. It had to be a drunken hallucination. She almost didn't want to turn around in case it wasn't real.

But she did, pushing against the edge to slowly wheel herself around on the rusty stool, which let out a loud, steady squeak in protest. And she blinked his blurry eyes and saw...

It was really him. Cas. He was there, right there in Nadir, the Scary Murder Bar, teetering on shaky legs, gasping for air and clutching his side with one hand.

Marcella sputtered, waving her still-throbbing hands in vague, confused motions in front of her. "...What? What!? I don't...what are you...wait... she shook her head, blinking rapidly and finally getting a good look at his shaking form. ..did you run all the way here?

He opened his mouth but only managed a wheeze.

Spirits, of course he did.

She still struggled, bewildered and nervous. This place was dangerous for him. At least he wasn't wearing his look-at-me-I'm-a-cop uniform. His clothes were still official and pristine but a lot more dressed down and subtle. But the pure elation kept bubbling up. She just couldn't seem to finish a full thought. "You...seriously came all the way to...you could've just...this place is so why "

He attempted to speak again but still just huffed and wheezed. Instead, he reached out and took both her hands.

She looked down blearily at their entwined hands and then back up. "Y...you..." Her head swam and she held onto his hands tighter to keep her balance. The drinks had already made her emotions out of whack and it was getting to be too much - the sight, the scent of him - "You...you came here...forme "

Finally, between gasps, Castis managed a word. "...Always."

Wha..! Marcella痴 eyes went wide and her breath caught in her throat. All at once, she pounced on him, wrapped her legs around his waist, threw her arms around his neck and her head back, laughing until her lungs hurt. She had always liked to think of herself as a romantic (without the naive optimism) but this had thrown her completely off-guard. And being drunk didn't help at all. She felt giddy and dizzy and light-headed - was she gonna swoon? She thought swooning only happened in vids. It definitely wasn't just the alcohol. He was...he was so...!

"I can'tbelieve iiit! " She pounced on him, grabbing and pushing herself up onto his shoulders, her feet digging into his thighs and waist, climbing him like a tree. " You "

He struggled to hold on to her as he finally seemed to be catching his breath. "Hey - ow - careful - !"

She babbled excitedly and borderline incoherently as she hugged his head to her chest. "You're r-really - you're really here - came - after me - you shouldn't have - but - but you did! It's not - that's so - so - oh, Cas! Cas! Cassie—!"

His voice was muffled against her. "Do not call me 'Cassie'!" His tone was firm but at the same time, his subvocals emitted a purr of happiness that vibrated her entire body.

Damn, she missed him. Had it really just been one night? The alcohol was making her stupid and emotional but she found it hard to care. All she could focus on was how well she fit in his arms and the rumble in his throat and the smell of his skin and clothes. She put her hands on his cheek plates, nuzzling and kissing, trying to reach every part of him she could. To his credit, he was handling her drunken sloppiness quite well. It was like he didn't even remember their fight

OH YEAH

Marcella attempted to climb back down, though still holding on to his shoulders for dear life. "Cas, listen—"

Cas shook his head, still partially muffled by the full weight of her body. "No, wait, I need to tell you—"

They both pulled away and spoke the same thing at the same time.

"I'm sorry!"

There was a pause. They exchanged confused looks and spoke in unison again. "Why are you sorry !"

"Wait, what? But…?" Marcella began.

"I thought..." Castis sputtered.

"Woooow...!" An obnoxious flanged voice suddenly rang out from one of the darkened corners. "Dinner and a show...!"

Marcella froze. Another recognizable voice. Her drunken elation evaporated, replaced with a sting of irritation. She turned her head and shouted over her shoulder. "...It's morning, you idiot!"

"...Fine, breakfast, whatever..." A few snickers could be heard from the corner as the voice's owner stepped out of the shadows. The dim light hit his face: ugly, green, punchable. "All the more shameful if you ask me

Marcella gripped her talons harder into Cas's shoulders making him flinch. He was here? Really? This early? Of all the losers

"Say, Maaaar, Turkus continued to tease, gesturing toward the others in the room. "When you're done can we all have a turn too...?"

Marcella fumed, but not as much as Cas, whose eyes practically bulged out of his head at the man's words. He snapped a look over at Turkus, then back at her, a mix of outrage and confusion. He opened his mouth only to clamp it shut and a barely-audible whimper squeaked out of his throat. He seemed almost more upset with the insult than she was. But why-?

Oh no! The nickname...!

Aw...! It would be kind of funny if he didn't look so genuinely distraught. She leaned in and purred reassuringly. "It's not like that, he's just a dick."

She turned back toward the green turian. "Okay, see, I told you not to call me that - and you caught me at a bad time so now I'm gonna kick your ass just like I did at Bodi's birthday party."

"Hah! Go ahead but I'm not drunk this time so give it your best shot!" Turkus said though the slight sway in his stance suggested otherwise.

"Oh, I'm not gonna need my best " Marcella turned and took her own wobbly steps toward Bodi's booth where she wrenched her knife out of the counter. "Scuze me - gonna need thisss " Bodi narrowed his large, black eyes in accusation. Damn, he really was right about her.

"Hey! No weapons!" Turkus shouted.

"Oooh, scared?" Marcella mocked, though she put the knife back in the sheath at her hip. "Don't worry you big baby, it's just in case you try anything funny. My fists are all I'm gonna need-"

"Hey!" Cas interrupted, causing them both to jump. He had reverted back into Cop Mode; standing absurdly stiff, hands on his hips. The annoyance in his subvocals also indicated he didn't appreciate their reunion being cut short. "That's enough ."

Turkus turned slowly toward him, mandibles flicking with disdain, as though just now noticing he was there. He let out a derisive snort. "Oooh? And what are you gonna..."

He paused, finally getting a good look at Marcella's companion. His eyes narrowed as they slowly traced the blue line along Cas's cheek and nose plates.

"Wait, wait - this guy again ?" Turkus sneered, looking back at her while jerking a thumb dismissively in Castis's direction, "C'mon Mar, I know it was just a joke but don't you think it's gone on long enough?"

Marcella's budding anger finally boiled over. His stupid face was long overdue for a pummeling. "Okay, now you're gonna get it—"

"Alright - stop - we're not doing this." Cas stepped between them. "No one is fighting."

He turned toward Turkus, a rumble in his throat telling the lanky turian that he was quickly running out of patience. "You. Go away."

Turkus didn't let up. "How stupid are you? She doesn't actually like you, she's just messing around. You're really embarrassing yourself right now."

"I said leave."

Turkus stuck out his chest, which only seemed to emphasize his scrawny frame. "Or what, huh? Are you gonna do something about it?" He let out a chuckle laced with a threatening hum and lifted a fist. "Let's go "

At that, Marcella scoffed. "Uh, yeah, I wouldn't." She stepped around Cas's needlessly protective stance. "He's a hand-to-hand speciali—"

She froze, snapping her mouth shut before she could finish. Slowly, her mandibles began to twitch in excitement as her eyes flicked back and forth between the two.

On second thought…

"Actually...yeah, " She trilled in excitement. "Go ahead, Turkus. Go on, kick his ass."

Cas shot her a look. After a moment, his eyes widened in understanding and he slowly shook his head. No way.

She returned a slow nod, flicking her mandibles in a wide grin. Yes way

Turkus's own mandibles wiggled excitedly against his stupid face, laughing at the joke he wasn't even in on. "Yeah - yeah I'll kick your ass!"

Cas glared, sizing up the lanky turian, and let out an irritated grumble. "...I am not fighting anyone."

"What, scared? Go on, take a swing!"

Marcella watched as Cas slowly turned to look at her, jaw set tight. He knew exactly what she was doing.

Pleeeease...! she mouthed silently. She even placed a hand over her heart for good measure.

Cas emitted a low buzz of resignation. He turned toward Turkus and spoke, slowly and flatly. "...If you attempt to attack me, I will be forced to retaliate."

Turkus let out a triumphant laugh. "That's more like it!" He widened his stance and raised his fists.

Cas pivoted slowly toward his opponent, his face hard, arms still at his sides.

Turkus sneered. "...uh, you're supposed to raise your hands?"

Cas just continued to glare silently.

"...Alright buddy, your funeral! Tell you what, I'll go easy on you. See, first, you hold up your fists like this," Turkus rumbled condescendingly, "You plant your feet...and then -" He swung a right hook, zeroed in on Cas's jaw.

Cas ducked, yanking the out-stretched arm with one hand and catching him in the stomach with the other. In one solid motion, he lifted him overhead and threw him onto the floor where he landed with a sickening crunch. Turkus gasped, curling up in pain, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Pffft " Marcella snickered and clapped a hand to her mouth, eyes flashing wickedly at the crumpled turian on the floor.

Okay - okay - y - you got lucky Turkus snarled, scrambling to his feet. He swayed a little, wincing in pain but still stepped forward, and put up his fists. "You saw that coming...but you won't - see - this - " Another wild punch was thrown in Cas's direction.

Cas did something so fast and fluid that Marcella's eyes couldn't keep up. A quick flurry of movement and Turkus was flat on his back again, arms and legs akimbo. He writhed on the ground like a desert beetle, legs flailing uselessly in the air. He really was a buffoon.

Marcella was ecstatic. Cas looked bored.

Shockingly, he managed to get up again, albeit slowly, twitching and stumbling in pain and disorientation. His words were a garbled mess. "O...okay...you...y-you're gonna...get it...thish ...time…!"

He shambled toward Cas, wincing and gurgling. He raised a shaky fist and barely managed to pathetically wave it in his direction.

Cas didn't bother with anything fancy. He hooked Turkus's leg with his foot and yanked. A pitiful yelp escaped Turkus's throat as he hit the ground.

Cas turned toward her, mandibles hitched up sternly, hands on his hips. "Happy now?"

Marcella couldn't contain her glee. She clapped and bounced on her toes. "Very much so, yes."

Cas just huffed, readjusting his tunic and muttering something that sounded like very unprofessional under his breath.

She continued to snicker at Turkus on the ground, the liquor in her system making her feel silly and snarky. "Hah, look at me...being fought over - just like in the vids!"

To her surprise, Cas flicked his mandibles in a minuscule smile, though his hands returned to his hips. "Hm, well I've seen the kind of vids you watch. As I recall, it didn't end well."

She snickered louder, wobbling over to give his bicep a teasing squeeze, "Hmph! They're still better than that boring war movie you made me watch."

Castis paused, jerking his head toward her. "You - wait - you...didn't like it...? But you said...!" He sounded heartbroken.

Marcella faltered.

Ah, crap.

"...Cas, I'm sorry, it's just - it was just hours of talking! Everything happened offscreen!"

"It's taboo to show wartime dead!"

"But it was fake - it was just a vid"

"I know, that's what makes it so realistic!"

A loud gurgling was coming from the floor. Marcella frowned at Turkus's sad, broken body, as he desperately attempted to drag himself to his feet. "Shtupid ugly little sh-shit..."

"Stay down," Turkus. Marcella tutted, "I don't don't feel like burying you." She pushed his chest down with her foot, making him fall back onto the floor. "Just take a little nap.

Turkus attempted to get up again, glaring in Cas's direction even as he clutched at his sides, bruises blooming over the exposed tender hide of his neck and around his eyes. "...think you're...sho tough He gave up trying to rise to his feet and sat back down, breathing hard through his teeth. 添ou池e just..a meat bag...to fight her battles...you f-fucking idiot..."

"Huh," Marcella spat, anger rising again. "That meat bag is ten times the man you will ever be.

He was shouting desperately now over her head at Cas. "She's using you! I know this bitch! She'd never stay with you - weakling - asshole -!"

Marcella snarled, squatting down to stick a finger into Tukus's chest. "You're weak you slimy little bastard." She pointed the finger back behind her. He is the noblest man I've ever met! The alcohol was coming out in full force and she wouldn稚 have been able to keep her mouth shut if her life depended on it. "He's genuine and sweet and honest and I Luhhhhh...

Oh no.

Her words trailed off weakly, eyes wide and stomach tightening.

..No. You're kidding.

"..."

YOU'RE KIDDING.

REALLY?

" I...I'm pretty damn fond of him." She finished through barred teeth. Her heart pounded and her stomach twisted.

Well, fuuuuuck.

Turkus screwed up his face, mandibles flaring, nose plates twitching. Spirits, he looked like he was gonna cry. 的t痴 not fair! He sputtered childishly. "Why him? Why him and...and not...?!" Turkus seemed to flush, mandibles continuing to wiggle erratically.

It took a second, but his tone registered and it clicked. ...Huh.

Marcella wrinkled her nose plates in disgust."...Ew, Turkus, not in a million—"

"Khatirus."

The bar seemed to come to a standstill, as a tall figure stood silhouetted in the light of the doorway. A tall turian, black marks on his nose and cheek plates entered the room, flanked by two goons. His face was neutral as always but he radiated a violent energy. At the sight, Turkus balked and dragged himself from a dark corner to lick his wounds.

Marcella stood up quickly, placing a hand on her hip casually to mask her surprise. "Sulla. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"You're dead, Khatirus." His eyes seem to pierce right through her.

Wow, it really wasn't her day.

Marcella scoffed and waved a hand dismissively, though the way his subvocals screamed for her blood was more than a little concerning. "Sulla - I already dealt with Grak. Whatever he told you, it's over." She kept her voice steady but still took a small step back. "Go have a little chat with your boss.

Sulla's subharmonics ramped up, a loud buzzing that made the few barflies who up to this point still tried to mind their own business look over uneasily. "I just heard the funniest story... He took a step forward, slowly closing the gap between them. Apparently...someone saw you riding around on a hovercycle." The slightest ghost of fury flashed in Sulla's eyes. " My. Hovercycle."

"...Ah." Marcella froze. The sweet haze of alcohol evaporated and was replaced with the unforgiving vice grip of reality. "...Was that...that was y-yours " She chuckled weakly.

Sulla's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, intense and unblinking.

Her insides twisted with apprehension. She really should have seen this coming. Sulla wasn't one to be messed with and stealing from him was up there with her more suicidal ideas (of which there were very many). But…

It was just so stupid - if she had a credit for every time she had seen that cycle holed up in an alley of The Slot, covered in dust, no use to anyone The original plan had been to swipe it just for a few days and then return it none the wiser, but damn if it hadn稚 been good to have a reliable mode of transportation. And it made her sloppy.

"I was just...keeping it warm for ya...!"

Sulla took another step forward. His two thugs eyed her hungrily.

Marcella continued to retreat, the fear starting to creep up her spine. "Hey, hey - you left it in that alley, it would've been scrap by now if I didn't take it - if anything I did you a favor "

Cas spoke up, voice firm and shoulders squared. "Hey, listen, we don't have to —"

"Restrain him." Sulla tilted his head so slightly toward Cas it was almost unnoticeable. He didn't even turn to look at him as the two men at his side immediately snapped to attention to do their master's bidding.

Sulla's two mooks marched over and each took a place at Cas's side. Between them, they each snatched an arm and gripped it firmly. Cas stiffened, eyes darting back and forth. He clenched his fists but otherwise didn't resist. "Everybody...just...relax…!" His calm, authoritative voice came out but his subharmonics sounded strained.

Marcella's heart leaped into her throat. She clenched her hands but they started to shake.

No - no - please no -

She swallowed, struggling to remain calm between the fear and her boozy lightheadedness. "Sulla...Please. I'mthe one you want."

Sulla's eyes flicked back over to Marcella and almost seemed to consider her for a moment. "She's right, of course. Keep him still, but...eyes on the prize, boys."

He took the last few steps toward her, closing the gap between them, and seized the front of her jacket, pulling her close to his eerily impassive face. Not a twitch of a mandible or flaring of a nostril, just cold, unfeeling, nothing.

"Sulla...come on now you know me! I wasn't gonna keep it!" She gingerly patted his hand even as his talons threatened to rip her heart out of her chest. She had really picked a bad day to leave her pistol at home. But she wasn't out yet.

As her subvocals soothed and purred, her other hand slowly reached behind her, fingers brushing the hilt of her knife. "It - it was helping me pay back Grak, he - he'd want me to use it-

In an instant, Sulla's hand flew to her waist, snatching her knife out of its sheath, leveling it straight under her chin. "Oh, no, no. Not this time."

Fear clutched her chest. Damn it. Guess she tried that trick one too many times. This was why you never stayed in one place for too long. "Sulla - hey - let's just talk about this

Sulla's tone remained disturbingly neutral as he lightly dragged the knife up the side of her face. "A mandible isn't enough, not for you. I think I値l take an eye.

She jerked in panic away from the knife driving straight toward her eye and felt a sting on her cheek plate followed by the faint sensation of something warm trickling down her neck.

"Sulla - Sulla please - don't - !"

"MAR!"

The force of Cas's scream made Marcella tense, eyes darting past Sulla to his face, contorted with rage. Even Sulla stopped and turned around, and she felt his fingers tense.

In one quick motion, Cas snapped his arms back, breaking out of the grips Sulla痴 goons and knocking them hard in their stomachs. As they bent over, he gripped a throat in each hand and squeezed. They both pulled uselessly at his hands, gasping and choking for air. The skin under their plates grew flush and thin streams of blood trickled down the clawed fingers embedded in their necks. Only when the gasping turned into faint gurgling and they both sank to their knees did Cas finally let go. They slumped to the floor shuddering and twitching. He stepped over them, eyes blazing and shaking in fury.

"Let her go." he demanded.

Marcella stared, eyes wide. She suddenly realized she had never really heard him yell. Castis was very reserved even in his more emotional moments, his outbursts were usually contained to stern lectures, weirdly passionate tirades, and silent fuming. At his worst, he had shouted a bit and carried on when he was embarrassed. But this ...the way his eyes flashed, the way his chest heaved, the sight of the two incapacitated men at his feet...this was intense.

And admittedly, kind of sexy.

There was a pause as the two men stared each other down, Marcella only having the privilege of seeing Cas's menacing expression as Sulla was still turned away from her. After a beat, she heard a low tone of recognition rumble out of Sulla's throat. "You—"

Even without seeing his face, the vibration of his subvocals held something else. Was that...fear?

Now was her chance. She jerked her elbow up, feeling his jaw and nose crunch on impact. He yelped in pain, his hand loosening its grip on her. She wrenched the knife from his other hand and dived for the ground, kicking him hard in the side, making him crumple to the ground in a heap. Not bad for being six drinks deep. Thank the spirits for instinct.

As she rose to her feet next to Cas, brandishing her knife, she couldn't help but chuckle. "'Eyes on the prize' Sulla, remember She readjusted her grip on the handle and flicked her eyes in Cas's direction. "That was really hot, by the way."

Cas glanced at her for a second before looking back at the crumpled turian on the ground. "Um, thank you," he mumbled.

"You're totally gonna get it later."

"Wha—"

"Argh...You...!" For the first time, some form of emotion had stirred in Sulla's face. His eyes were wide, one hand attempting to push himself up while the fingers of his other hand clutched his mouth. Genuine shock flitted across his face as his little facade began to crack. It seemed without his little brute squad he was quite vulnerable. He really looked dumb sprawled there on the floor. Amazing.

But it seemed he had one last trick up his sleeve.

"C...Cop!" Sulla shouted, dark blood dripping heavily from his nose and into his cowl. "He's a Cop!"

Marcella tensed a cold, grip of fear twisting her stomach.

It was true, Nadir was never empty...and the dozen or so patrons who had stayed in their respective corners and chairs, mostly ignoring the commotion, had all had turned toward them. There was the sound of the shuffling of chairs and angry, suspicious murmuring as they turned their attention to the both of them. From the corner of her eye, a few had already started to make their way forward, the dim light from the ceiling outlining the malice and outrage in their faces.

Marcella held out a hand as though to shield Cas from their view. "Sulla...Don't do this."

"Cop!" Sulla pointed a long talon in their direction, his dual tones shrieking. "Cop! The traitor bitch brought a cop!"

Marcella's mandibles flicked into an innocent smile even as the scrapping of chairs and tables being pushed back became louder as more and more onlookers started to stand, growling and muttering. "Hey, hey now - it's okay, come on, guuuuys! We don't have to do this...!" She let out a loud forced laugh before turning to her hiss at Cas out of the corner of her mouth. " Shoot them, shoot them, shoot them...!"

"I - I didn't bring a gun —"

"What!?"

Cas hissed back. "Weapons escalate confrontations!"

Marcella laughed again, loud and nervous as the leering crowd grew closer. "Well, consider this confrontation escalated."

Behind them, she heard Sulla, still hacking blood on the ground, though his voice was tainted with a sick glee. "Whoever - brings me them - alive, I'll get you whatever you want - I don't care what condition they're in - just make sure there's enough - for Grak to tear apart later."

Marcella winced. What Sulla had in mind was definitely not preferable to death. "Cas, I hope you're good at uh, fighting a lot of people at once " she chuckled nervously.

Castis was whipping his head around trying to keep an eye on the many advancing figures. "I - I've never done anything like this outside training...!"

"Well…" She swallowed and widened her stance, "welcome to the big leagues...!"

Marcella blinked rapidly through the booze, trying to focus as the crowd swam in front of her eyes. One of the shapes stepped forward and took a swing. She ducked. Too slow, it cuffed her on the side of the head. Damn alcohol.

The good news was she was so out of it, it barely registered, only a dull pain on her right mandible. She fell back and hit the ground hard, smacking the back of her head on the dirty metal floor. The whole room seemed to sway back and forth as the back of her head throbbed where it had made contact with the ground.

"Mar!"

She looked up from the floor, barely able to focus on the Cas-shaped blob that was above her. She craned her head back toward him, smiling despite her aching head and mandible. "D...id you call me 'Mar'?"

"I - I'm sorry!" The Castis shape sputtered, "It won't happen again!"

"Oh, it better happen again...!"

The room righted itself as she felt his arms hook under hers and pull her back onto her feet. But there was no time to clear her head, another contender was already stepping forward. And from the corner of her eye, a few others were already circling around them.

"Get behind me!" Cas was already attempting to maneuver in front of her, his eyes darting around the room. They were surrounded on all sides, the haze and dim light of the bar obscuring some of the shapes that were slowly advancing toward them.

"No, I can handle myself." Marcella said, "Just watch your back."

Cas's eyes flashed with worry, but he gave her a quick nod and turned with her to face them

Marcella turned back toward a large dark-plated turian that was sizing her up. She smirked, cracking her neck from side to side. "Come and get us."

Marcella never liked getting close to her targets. She preferred long-range. In the few hand-to-hand scraps she found herself in (too many) she had relied on cheap shots. Honor was for people with something to lose.

Cas was a machine. No one could land a hit on him. His movements were both fluid and precise, bobbing and weaving around blows. Yet when it came for the offense his punches came as hard and unyielding as a tank, his form impossible to topple. Would that she could just sit and watch him beat these idiots up for hours, but she was just as much a target as he was. Not that it seemed to matter at this point, blood was in the water fueling some kind of frenzy. Between the dim lighting, the relatively small space, and the already ruthless nature of the bar patrons exacerbated by the greed of Sulla's promise, it was pure chaos. Bodies flung themselves at both them and each other, flailing and hitting anything they could reach, poking eyes, breaking noses, smashing tables and chairs to bits, and chucking half-full drinks to shatter and spill across patrons, tables, and the floor.

"Every time! Every time!" Bodi screamed at Marcella from his booth, ducking to avoid a thrown glass and crawling underneath for cover. "Why!?"

"Sorry, Bodi!" Marcella couldn't help but laugh, dodging a few projectiles of her own. "Does this mean I'm not your best friend anyHRK"

Her laugh was cut short as a lanky arm wrapped around her neck and squeezed. A shrill voice assaulted her ears.

"So, you're the one that stole his cycle...!" Pyra trilled in delight between grunts in the violent effort to practically rip her head off. "When he cuts your eye out, I'm - keeping it - as - a trophy - !"

Marcella choked, hands flying up to wrench at the arm around her neck. Even with her vision beginning to darken she couldn't help but snark at her luck.

Spirits, her too? What was this, 'The Revenge of the People That Really Sucked'?

"Get - off - me " Marcella croaked, clawing at the arm with one hand while the other fumbled for her knife, taking it out and swinging it wildly behind her. Pyra was too quick, pulling her hips back to avoid the chaotic swings. Marcella felt her legs get weak and her lungs ache.

Taken down by Pyra. How embarrassing.

A scream rattled her eardrums and she felt the arm release her. She sucked in a lungful of air, turning just in time to see Cas level the screeching woman out with one strong punch to the back of the head. She watched Pyra shriek and wail in pain, writhing pathetically on the ground. So much like her brother.

Before she could properly thank him two more rushed in, arms flailing. Cas held them off easily but still shouted to her. "Mar - listen…!"

"Mar - listen…!"

He had said it again! Awww! Some of her panic alleviated, even as she turned to grapple with a man twice her size.

Cas was shouting to her over the din, periodically disappearing from sight as he jumped and ducked, only to pop back up to throw a quick punch. His words came out fast and broken.

"I know I'm a lot to put up with - " he turned to quickly elbow a large batarian between their multiple eyes, "But I just want you to be happy! You don't deserve what happened to you -" He ducked to avoid a punch. "- and if you're not happy with me, that's okay! Really! All I care about - " he grimaced as bottle glanced off his shoulder, "- is making you happy - "

Marcella was busy dodging her own set of punches and kicks, but she yelled back her own argument. "No, it's my fault - I'm the one who - oh shit -" She narrowly dodged the leg of a chair someone was trying to beat her with. "I came on strong in the beginning, then I got scared - " She turned and cleared a table, toppling it over to use as cover. "- I ran away and it wasn't fair to you—"

"No, it's my fault!" Cas's shouting became strained as the same batarian tried to maneuver him into a headlock. "My feelings put you in a corner and you got overwhelmed - I should have given you space - I turned on the pressure by moving too fast -"

"I was okay with fast!" She popped up to throw a bottle from behind the safety of the table before ducking back down. "I knew what I was getting into - I was okay with it until I wasn't - I'm just not used to it "

Cas heaved and grunted, both his arms wrapped around the necks of two small squealing vorcha, "That's...perfectly...reasonable "

A loud screech of metal followed by a rattling bang resounded from the entrance making everyone stop in their tracks. The door had been violently thrown open and was now barely hanging on its hinges. revealing two figures. Marcella slightly relaxed the grip of a woman she was strangling, who in turn slightly lowered the broken bottle aimed at her face. An eerie quiet fell over the bar as everyone looked toward

The first was Sulla, a triumphant look on his face, and right behind him was—

"What the fuck is going on here?!"

The doorway was entirely blocked by the frame of a very large, very angry krogan. His yellow eyes scanned the broken mess of a room until they finally settled on Marcella. They locked eyes and she saw every muscle of the krogan's large, meaty figure bulge in rage.

Grak raised a stubby finger and pointed it straight at her. "YOU."

Marcella's entire body went cold. "…I can explain—"

With a roar that shook the entire frame of the building, all 800 pounds of angry krogan barreled straight at them.

Marcella had literally run for her life on at least a few occasions, but it never really seemed to get any less terrifying. The good thing about doing it on multiple instances was that she had it down to a science.

It was pretty straightforward. First, you scream in abject terror. Marcella managed pretty well despite her sore throat. She ripped herself away from the woman she had been attempting to strangle and turned to put as many people between herself and Grak as she could. She even threw a chair roughly behind her, though she didn't stop to see if it made contact with the charging krogan. Not that that would slow him down in the slightest.

Then, you grab anything you don't want to lose. In this case, the hand of your on-again-off-again boyfriend who was currently looking at Grak with as much sheer terror as you felt. At least you were both on the same page about that. (Were they still broken up? Was it even a breakup in the first place? What a weird thing to be wondering at a time like this. Adrenaline was a hell of a drug.)

And finally, and most importantly, you run like hell.

The krogan's roar made everyone run for cover, the smashing and screaming becoming an overwhelming blur of motion and sound as Marcella sped past them all, ducking and dodging, dragging Cas toward the safety of the back door.

The light was blinding as they both ran outside, the sound of terrifying chaos echoing across the flat landscape as they put as much distance between them and Nadir as they possibly could. Grak's bellows still rang in Marcella's ears even after the bar was only a pinprick in the distance.

Huh, well, this all seemed very familiar.

Every part of her ached, but she still ran, still clutching Cas's hand for dear life, not daring to look behind her.

Must...make it...to the grass-!

Something sharp jutting out the ground hit her foot and she stumbled, hitting the dirt hard and pulling Cas down behind her, billowing dust and sand all around them. She groaned, the blinding sun, and dust stinging her eyes as she lay on the hot ground, feebly attempting to wipe her face. "...ow."

She felt Cas shuffle to his feet next to her. "Spirits - hey - !"

She felt his arms wrap around her waist and lift her easily, setting her back gently on her feet. She grabbed his shoulder to steady herself, her legs still shaking and throbbing with pain. "Ugh...well..." She attempted to stand up straight but flinched at the sharp pain that raced up her back. "We...we lived," she groaned, "how nice."

Deft hands started gently poking and patting down her arms and legs and around her torso and she turned to watch Cas circle and prod her, his browplates furrowed with anxiety. It took her a second for her to realize he must be checking her for more injuries. She looked forward, blinking a little slowly and sucking in breath through her teeth to combat the pain. "I...I'll be alright just give me a minute..." She even tried to force a laugh but it came out as a cough.

She felt him step away for a second then felt a light tugging of her jacket followed by something cool and numbing being applied to her shoulder. She jerked away and turned to face him. 哲-nono don稚 waste 賎el on me, trust me I知 fine. She stood up tall, clamping her mouth shut to withhold a whimper, and crossed her arms, almost shuddering at the soreness that radiated when she did so.

Cas frowned, a deep note of worry vibrating out of him. 添ou are not fine. He seemed to be in much better shape than she was, only seeming to have a few scratches and tears in his tunic. "Come here."

Marcella shook her head and backed up, wincing again at the pain in her shoulders. 的致e had worse, I just need to sleep it off. She noted the concern in her eyes. ..Iokay.

Cas looked at the ground and his mandibles twitched a little erratically. His hands were clasped and twisting in their usual way. He seemed very unsettled. At a time like this, he would usually be extremely upset, giving her one of his famous lectures, waving his hands around, stomping his feet - the works.

But he was quiet this time. He wasn't angry. He was...scared.

A soft voice hummed out of his throat. "...Please don't go back there anymore."

Marcella felt her chest tug. She flicked a sore mandible in a smirk. "You know...I don't think I could even if I wanted to."

His frowned. "You have a habit of getting into trouble."

Marcella's jaw dropped in mock offense and she gave Cas a playful nudge. "Okay, Officer Showed-up-at-the-scary-criminal-bar-a-second-time-so-I-had-to-save-your-life-again. By the way, you're welcome."

Castis huffed a little in indignation. "I did most of the fighting..."

"And I did most of the talking!"

"...Which led to most of the fighting!"

"Hah - oooh..." The landscape started to sway back and forth again and she clutched her head. "No...laughing..."

"...Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes - I told you, I'm - I'm fine " Marcella huffed, her stomach still twisting and the ground still wobbling The adrenaline was all gone now and there was nothing but soreness and pain. The booze had also finally dissipated and left her with a pounding headache. Combined with the various aches and injuries she had received in the fight, standing was becoming increasingly difficult. She leaned over and placed her hands on her knees. ..Ugh

It seemed he wasn't gonna take her word for it this time. His concerned rumble turned into a stern growl. "Mar..."

Despite her aching body, she purred in contentment. Oh, that sound! "Yeeees?"

"You need help."

There was the Cas she knew. "No, it's okay..." She sank to her knees as her legs finally gave out, clutching her head. "Just need to...lie down" She laid her head on the hot dirt and squeezed her eyes shut. She took a deep breath, slowly exhaling and flecks of sand scattered away from her mouth. "See...totally fine..."

"Mar...? Mar...!?" His voice sounded far away now. A weird heavy feeling was pressing on her from all sides, even the pain was relenting a little. Oh, wait, that probably wasn't good.

Got to hide...

They're...coming...

She felt a strange floaty feeling, felt the hot sun, a slight wind blowing softly on her face. She kept her eyes shut, the darkness strangely calming.

Weird sounds and phantom images were springing into her head, all echoes of thoughts that had no form when she tried to focus on them. Just the odd smell of burning and the feeling of being held tightly.

Don't...take me...

Her limbs felt so heavy. She felt herself being jostled and her head come to rest on something firm. More images. Burning leaves. A large ship with its back end wide open.

Not the mouth...

Something soft was rubbing against her cheek plate and she was swaying rhythmically. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking blearily, and saw the landscape gently bobbing up and down. She was lying against the shoulder of someone warm and breathing in and out a little raggedly.

Oh...he's...carrying me she thought stupidly.

She realized she must have dozed off sometime between passing out like an idiot on the ground and Cas picking her up. A little embarrassing but she couldn't say she minded. The swaying and warmth of his body were doing more for her injuries than medi-gel ever could.

Suddenly, a deafeningly loud voice coated in static made her jerk.

"Hey, helllooo? Vakarian - you there…?!"

She felt Cas's muscles tense. Her cheek plate vibrated as his panicked subvocals rumbled through his body. "Damn it damn it damn it damn it !"

There was the sound of a click and she heard Cas speak: "Fedorian - I'm sorry, please don't -"

"For what?" The loud voice made the comm buzz and screech. "Helping me organize?"

"I...what? No! For just...for going AWOL agai--"

"Why... I don't know what youe talking about!" Even through the horrible feedback, Marcella could still detect mischievous glee. "You were here with me all day...!"

"What? No, I…" Cas's confused rumble slowly faded and she felt the vibrations shift into a meek purr. "…..Thanks, Fedorian. Really."

"You're weeeelcome Oh - wait - is she there right now? Can I say hi "

She felt his arm jerk and the call cut immediately. He cleared his throat. "Anyway ..." he mumbled to himself. His subvocals continued to thrum. Marcella closed her eyes, relishing the gentle feeling.

"That was nice of him..." she mumbled.

She felt him place a hand on her back. "You're awake…"

"Mhm."

His voice shifted again. "Yeah...It was."

The vibrations were heavenly and she felt herself drift in and out again, the sun baking the plates of her face and soothing her sore muscles.

"Hey…Mar…"

Marcella snapped her eyes open, suddenly aware that she was in the shade of something large and square. She was sitting in Cas's lap, her head still on his shoulder. She doubted she had moved at all since she was last awake - It seemed he had simply sat down instead of trying to put her anywhere. It was...comfortable. She opened her mouth in an attempt to say something but settled for a contented purr.

Something...something...joke about you always carrying me...

Her eyes moved lazily about her surroundings. She recognized the top of Fort Audax, its squat roof poking out from behind the square thing they were leaning against which she also recognized as the shipping container she had stolen her pistol from. So he'd taken her all the way back here...

She lifted her head off his shoulder, head still pounding faintly, and met his dark eyes.

"How do you feel?" His subharmonics were still coated in concern.

...Better. She rubbed her eyes, shoulders thankfully a little less sore. She leaned back onto his shoulder gently gliding her mouth along the curve of his neck. Told you I just needed a nap...

...Are you sure? She felt his hands lightly trace up her back and arms, making her shiver in delight. "I put some more medi-gel on - I didn't see anything major ...I'd stay if I could but...I have to report back." Castis sighed, shaking his head, mumbling quietly to himself. "I'll never be able to pay back Fedorian for this. He's going to be insufferable..."

"Report in? So early? It's only..." She blinked heavily toward the sky but realized that the light she thought was the sun was actually the floodlights, bright and blazing from the fort. She whipped her head toward the horizon just in time to see the last bits of sunlight fade over the flat landscape. "...Oh."

She clambered off him, wincing with the soreness of her body, but her mind was now as sharp as it ever was. Spirits - you let me sleep on you all day?

"Well - I mean - you needed it..."

What about you? A pang of guilt stabbed her chest. "Are - are you okay? I didn't even get to ask, you were right there with me. She started grabbing and lifting his arm, inspecting his hands, grabbing his jaw, and gently turning it from side to side to get a look at his face. "Are you hurt? Do you need me to do...something? Her mandibles hitched in a small smile. ..Should I carry you somewhere for a few miles...?

Cas stared for a moment, then his mandibles twitched up slightly, matching her expression. "Well...my legs are asleep..."

Marcella's smile grew wider and she jokingly tugged at his arms. "Well, damn, hop on!"

Heh. Cas chuckled quietly, mandibles fluttering and he stared sheepishly at the ground.

A warmth in her chest bloomed like never before. Her stomach erupted into a light fluttering feeling that almost made her gasp out loud. Feelings and memories from that morning stirred back up in her mind. Especially a certain drunken realization. There was no denying it.

You told yourself you wouldn'tlet it happen. And here it is.

Her stomach bottomed out. Her chest tightened.

It's gonna hurt so badly when it ends.

She averted her eyes, quickly getting to her feet and holding out a hand to him "Sooo, you said you had to report in?"

"Um, yeah." Cas took her hand and pulled himself to his feet. "Sorry. I'd take you inside but…" Something flashed briefly across his face. Worry? Fear? "...I shouldn't do that."

"Alright. That's fine. I'll be fine, I'll just, uh, go now. Message me. Or you know. Whatever." Her words came out a little rushed as a weird feeling started to trickle its way down her neck. She felt strangely...embarrassed. Shy.

Vulnerable.

Cas was dusting off his pants and tunic. "I'm sorry, I wish you could stay, it's just..." An uneasiness rumbled in his throat. "...I'll have to explain later."

Marcella continued to back up, taking small hurried steps, her voice coming higher and faster. "Okay-well-thanks-anyway-talk-to-you-later-okay-bye…!"

She gave a small wave and turned around, preparing to take the long walk back toward home, her throat tightening.

I can'tbelieve you. Just look at you. What are you, a teenager? You know what you're getting into, right? You know you canbe with him, RIGHT? You thought last night hurt? You thought THAT was bad? Just wait until the time comes when you actually have to leave and you can NEVER see him again-

"Wait - hold on - before you go - There's something I've been meaning to do…!" She heard him call out behind her.

She turned and watched him dart to the other side of the container, hearing a few sharp beeps then the groan of a metal door being swung open.

She took a few cautious steps around to the front of the container, coming upon the opening where inside she saw more guns than anyone could ever use in their lifetime. Castis had already climbed in.

He paused and turned toward her, just a hint of smugness in his tone "What do you think?"

Marcella just nodded, doing her best to pretend like she hadn't already been in this container, attempting to steal as many guns as she could carry. "...It's pretty neat."

He turned and ducked into the back. She peered in after him, but could only hear the faint clanking and shuffling of metal in the darkness of the crate. Finally, he emerged, holding a large automatic rifle. He walked over and placed it in her hands.

Marcella raised her browplates and nodded down at the gun, humming in approval. "Ah, yeah, a Phaeston, standard-issue, good balance. Yeah, it's a nice gun-"

"I want you to have it."

Marcella's head shot up, her eyes wide in disbelief. Her mouth hung open stupidly as she gaped at Cas, then back at the gun. It trembled in her hands. She met his eyes again. "...I can't take this."

"It's...a loan." Cas tugged at his fingers a little nervously. "When you get enough money to buy a new one for yourself I'd...like you to return it. But keep it as long as you need."

She stared back down at the rifle, an older model but still much better than anything she had used in years. She set her jaw.

Well, then.

She shifted the gun to one hand while the other reached behind, her fingers wrapping around the worn handle of her knife. She paused but only for a moment, letting the familiar hold of the handle warm her fingers. She pulled at the straps of the sheath, unhooking them from her waist and held the still sheathed knife out to him handle first. The top of the blade that was poking out caught in the light. "...Here."

Cas looked down at the knife then back at her, mandibles slack in shock. He didn't know its true origin or how much it had meant to her but even he seemed to realize its significance. "I...I couldn't..."

"That's also a loan." She flicked her mandibles in a smile. She took a step forward and pressed it flat to his chest. He slowly reached up and curled his fingers around both her hand and the knife, the tips of his fingers brushing against her knuckle tenderly.

Gently, she released the knife and pulled her hand away, now feeling oddly naked without it. "Try attaching it to your hip." She winked. "It might just save your life."

"Mar He breathed, holding onto the knife with both hands as though afraid he might break it. "I..." His words were shaky but sincere. "If you need anything just...just tell me what to do and I'll do it."

She looked back down at the rifle, heavy in her hands. Her fingers gripped and re-gripped the barrel and she slid her thumb over the refurbished metal as her stomach twisted and fluttered.

She looked up slowly, meeting his dark eyes again. She opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. There was a lot she wanted to say, but she kept it simple. For now.

"...Thank you."

She had never bought into the romantic concept of The One. In this galaxy, it was a laughable and very naive concept. But if there was someone for her, he was certainly it.

Screw it.

Let's do this.