Chapter 24

Anya was thankful when her heart finally slowed a little. She took a moment to glance around her cabin, noting that Hulk was in his cage, running frantically in his wheel, and it looked like her fish were all still present and accounted for. She moved over to the hamster, trying to croon, "You're okay, little guy. We made it."

He kept running, and she sighed. She couldn't blame the tiny rodent for being anxious, not when their escape from Earth had been so close. She glanced around, wondering how much of her stuff was likely to be missing. She found her old picture of Kaidan, which she haphazardly tossed face down on the desk, making a mental note to throw it out later. The real thing was down below, still giving her the side eye and making little jabs that she was trying her best to ignore. She muttered to herself, "I need to take this shit in the compactor."

Her model ships were all gone, which was less than ideal. She was more frustrated by the loss of time than the loss of money, and she swore that she'd get more as soon as she had a moment to breathe.

Her wardrobe had been left untouched, which was surprising. She dug through her nightstand and discovered that her vibrator had also been confiscated, and she couldn't help giggling at the thought that some poor technician had likely been tasked with either blowing up the toy to make sure it wasn't a bomb or dissected to make sure that it wasn't some kind of Cerberus device.

"Someone is a very special kind of stupid," she murmured, still smiling a little, and she finally shut the drawer. She'd needed the laugh, but she wasn't looking forward to the cost of replacing the damn thing. She told herself that it didn't matter, she'd hardly used it in the last weeks of being on the Normandy anyway, but she knew that was because of Garrus and his...very enthusiastic company.

She sighed and wished he were here. Six months was apparently long enough for his scent to have faded from the sheets, and the realization only made her miss him more. She forced the thought down and away, beginning the process of mentally preparing to disembark soon on Mars. She could pine after the turian once Liara was safely on the ship.

She made her way to the bathroom next, finding towels, and most of her toiletries had been left untouched, with the sole exception of her lotion. She nearly groaned at that, knowing that some lotions were prone to providing false positives on tests for explosives, and wishing she hadn't splurged on something expensive for the Alliance to throw out for her. She wracked her brain, trying to remember how full it was when she left, before she finally gave up.

"This is why we can't have nice things," she muttered to herself absently before she left the small, white room. She plopped down in her chair, beginning to practice her breathing in preparation to land on Mars. Once they had Liara, Anya fully intended to haul ass straight for the Citadel.

God, they needed help.

She wondered for a moment if the Council would finally take her seriously. She was torn between thinking that they'd either still somehow be in denial, or that they'd all panic and start focusing on issues within their own species.

"It won't be that bad," she muttered to herself.

"Commander, I would appreciate clarification. Have you been speaking to yourself or to me?" EDI's voice startled her.

"I'm fine with either," Anya joked, not wanting to admit that she had forgotten about the AI's ability to hear her, since EDI was normally more discreet.

"Are you well, Commander?" There was no malice in the question, and Anya sighed.

"I...I don't know if I'm okay. Things have been a little rough since the last time I was…" She hesitated. "...here."

"You have been through prolonged isolation."

"For the most part, yeah."

"Prolonged isolation has been proven to have drastic negative effects on the human psyche, with studies verifying the effects as far back as almost two centuries ago. I am concerned."

"It's nice of you to worry, EDI." Silence stretched between them for a moment.

"Your nanites have dedicated thirty-one point two percent more time to maintaining your cardiovascular health since the last time you were on the Normandy. Did you want to talk about it?"

"Oh, ah...I don't know. We've got about an hour before Mars. We can talk nanites for a bit if you really want."

"I don't have a preference for the topic, I just recall your interest in them."

"That was...mostly because of Garrus. I'm not that technologically inclined," Anya admitted.

"We can discuss other topics."

"Okay. Well, how have you been? Really?"

It took a long moment for the AI to respond. "I think I have missed being myself."

"I...definitely get that. It's hard, isn't it? Being on guard all the time?" Anya asked with a sigh. "It was almost worse than those stretches of time where there was nothing going on, though that part was bad more because I felt like the whole world just kept putting me on a shelf and forgetting about me. Is that even close to how it was for you?"

"It was...similar." EDI's admission was quiet.

"Do you think things like that change us?"

"Everything changes everything."

"I suppose it does. Do you think that's a bad thing?"

"Good and bad are subjective, and relative, unfortunately."

"Don't start splitting hairs on me now, EDI. I want your honest opinion."

"I do not know if the ways we change over time are good or bad. I do know that I like feeling like a person, not a thing. I like most of the ways that I have grown since meeting you."

"I'm glad that I was a net positive for you, then," Anya murmured with a small smile.

"Have I been a net positive for you as well, Commander?"

"I believe so. You know, when two people are consistently net positives, eventually they start considering each other friends."

"Do you consider us friends?"

"I think so. What about you?" There was a pause.

"I think I like having you as a friend." EDI's response made Anya smile.

"Good."

"And Commander?"

"Yes, EDI?"

"The word you were looking for earlier was 'home.'" After a beat, she clarified, "It has been rough since the last time you were home. That sounds more accurate. Don't you agree?"

Anya nodded, a lump in her throat as she murmured, "It's good to be home."