The crew was briefed on both Shepard's and Saren's condition. It was mostly good news: their Commander had no serious injuries apart from the one on her head. She lost a bit of blood, but her brain was fine, and her cybernetics were already working diligently to fix the damage in addition to the doctor properly treating the wound. Saren on the other hand lost a lot of blood. His left arm being cut off just above his elbow was responsible for that, and although he wasn't in mortal danger, Chakwas was not entirely happy with his state. For now they were both resting in the med bay, no visitors on doctor's order.
They also debated on what the next step would be considering their mission. Garrus and Liara quickly shed light on the fact that summarizing the data collected by Tali and Saren on Horizon will be crucial. But analyzing both of those took time and had to involve Saren, as he was an expert on reaper analysis. They decided to wait a day or two until at least one of them wakes up. Tali also suggested that the geth stationed on Haestrom might help them in decrypting all the data they had while Shepard and Saren were out, possibly making their work a lot easier once they return to service.
And so the Normandy headed to Haestrom.
Still discussing all of this, Tali and Garrus were walking through the ship, mostly taking over the operation on the Normandy, considering their seniorship.
Tali sighed. "I never thought I'd see this day..."
"Yeah, me neither… I feel like shit." Garrus replied. Tali looked at him with questioning eyes:
"Why?"
He stopped, right at the memorial wall. "I was sure that Saren would betray Shepard someday. And now, look at him… He not only brought her back, but he lost an arm while doing so, and he still went through with it. That bastard even sent the reaper into the sun for her… A reaper. Into a sun. I'm not sure how you can top something like that." he looked at Tali "I feel like an asshole."
"Oh, come on." she calmed him, stroking his mandible gently "He's Saren Arterius. Being suspicious was natural. But I guess they were never really that different."
She was right. Garrus smiled a bit as he thought about it. Crazy tactics, constant fighting… It wasn't even surprising how much trouble they got into and how they were experts at destroying everything around them.
"You're right." he eventually said.
Jane woke up with a pounding headache. She pushed herself up on the bed and noticed the med bay around her. She looked around and her eyes fell on the bed next to her. Saren laid there, asleep, machines beeping next to him. She climbed down from her bed, still a bit dizzy. She stepped to him.
He was sleeping soundly, not moving an inch. His face was peaceful, he looked alright apart from his left arm. Her eyes wandered to it, now bandaged up. Crushing regret filled her at the sight, and she pressed her lips together in angst.
This was all her fault.
She wanted to win this war so hard, and now he paid for it. He lost his arm in saving her. In fact, he did everything for her that no one could. Saving her, protecting her, giving his all to her. And with such power and strength that left her astounded. She didn't want him to suffer this much, she never did. She slowly put her hand on his chest, feeling it rise and fall slowly.
She loved him.
She loved everything about him, and she realized that it did not matter to her if he had a left arm or not. He was still the same turian she known, and nothing was ever going to change that.
"Hey" she heard and found Saren looking at her, his eyes barely open. "Hey" she replied.
He turned his head to allow a better look at her, still laying down, and he noticed her looking at his arm.
"It's just an arm." he said. So nonchalant, she thought. Like it was just a tool, mere convenience.
"I'm so sorry.." she sighed, dropping her head as she sat down next to the bed, so that he would not see her tear. But he reached up with this right hand and brushed his talons along the side of her face, wiping away that lone tear. He continued to move her hair behind her ear.
"I can always get a geth arm installed, you know. I did it once, and I can do it again."
She looked at him.
He was correct, he did have a geth arm after Sovereign upgraded him. Back then it was because of that monster, but now…
"You'd have a geth arm again, but this time because of me.."
He frowned. "I'd rather have one because of you, than because of Sovereign." he was firm in his statement, causing her heart to ache "I don't regret losing this arm. I would on the other hand forever regret leaving you there."
"But.." she sighed "It is all my fault. If I hadn't gone there..."
"Then I wouldn't have essential technical data about what happens to a reaper eezo core if it comes in contact with dark matter. Jane," he looked deep in her eyes, his gaze burning "You are winning us this war. If that cost us only a turian arm, well then it was a damn good trade."
That didn't make it okay in her eyes though.
She reached for his hand and idly took it in hers. His hand was giant, his talons sharp, amazing natural weapons. She was wondering if they'll survive this war… if it's ever going to end. The only thing she knew was that she's not going to give up just like that.
"You should rest some more..." she exhaled, letting go of his hand. She stood up and decided to go look for the doctor. As much as she loved being around Saren, and did not want to leave him here, he needed rest. And since she already felt a bit better, she could let him rest properly.
"I intend to.." Saren smiled, turning his head away to rest.
Jane left the med bay. She didn't even need to look for Chakwas, she was just now coming around the corner. When she saw her, her thin lips pressed together and Jane knew a scolding session was coming.
"Commander!" she reprimanded "What are you doing, up and running?"
"I'm feeling better. And besides, Saren needs rest, I don't want to bother him."
The doctor tilted her head in question. "Did he wake up?"
"Yes, but he's back to sleep now."
"Good. You should do the same. That head wound is no joke." she motioned at the bandages on her head. "How do you feel?"
"I'm dizzy… and tired. How long was I out?" she asked, scratching her head uncomfortably.
"Two days."
Jane froze, her eyes widened. "Two days?" she screamed almost "Who's in charge?"
"Garrus. We're on Haestrom at the moment on the geth station. You can rest up, Tali will brief you and you can decide on our next moves. But first you need more rest. At least a day."
That sounded horrible, but the doctor was right. Her head was fuzzy, she was tired, and clearly Garrus had everything in his hands. "I can do that in my cabin." she said as she left the doctor, going to the elevator.
"Come back for bandaging in the morning!" Chakwas shook her head. She was gone.
Jane woke up in her bed. She looked at the clock and saw that she slept through the night. She wanted to see him already… but she had things to arrange first, and so she called Tali up to her cabin.
"Shepard..." the quarian whispered nervously as the door swooshed open and she noticed Jane. She ran to her and wrapped her arms around her. "I'm so happy you're back."
"Me too, Tali" she returned the hug "Me too." after their reunion Jane sat down on her bed and they started to talk over the details regarding the Normandy and the mission. Jane supported the idea about Haestrom, and now that she thought about it, it was convenient as well. Maybe the geth happened to have a spare, unused arm?
"Very well" she started "Good work. We'll continue the mission as soon as Saren can look at the data. In the meantime, tell the geth that we'll be needing spare parts if they have any. Saren just suggested to me yesterday that he could do well with a geth arm."
"Similar to the one he had back in the day?" Tali asked. It almost sounded like "in the old times". She hated how it made her feel. Shepard nodded. "That should be no problem."
"But I want the best one they have. Whatever they want in exchange, it's theirs." she added with a stern expression on her face. Tali couldn't help a smile.
"So, how are you?" she eventually asked. Jane looked at her feet.
"I don't even know..." she admitted "What Saren did… it..."
"... It made perfect sense." Tali finished for her. That was not what she wanted to say. She wasn't even sure she could have finished that sentence, but what Tali said came by surprise.
"What do you mean?"
The quarian walked closer, sitting down next to her on the bed. Shepard could make out a small smile behind her helmet.
"He loves you."
Her heart skipped a beat. It sounded so raw, so perfect. She looked into the distance, an idle, small smile on her lips.
"I know." she whispered "We kissed."
Tali almost jumped up in happiness. She hugged her and Jane rolled her eyes in an endearing way.
"I knew it!" she squealed "Imagine the headlines: Unbelievable! Brutal, rogue spectre Saren Arterius seduced by humanity's hope, the sexy Commander Jane Shepard!"
Jane laughed out loudly, but quickly realized: "Wait? Shouldn't you be sad or something? You all hate him, right?"
"Nah" she waved "Not after he saved our Commander. And that ring too… completely convinced me."
"Ring? What does that have to do with this?" she asked, confused.
"Why, he didn't tell you?" Tali asked back, tilting her head in question. Jane shook her head as means of saying no. "The ring he gave you… he gave it to protect you. It blocks infrasound. That's why you could barely hear the reaper unlike me when we first boarded. The ring was keeping you shielded."
She froze. She looked down at the ring, not a breath escaping her. Her stomach was suddenly in nuts and her throat got tight as he watched the emerald hue of the jewel. Tali stood up and after putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, she left to let Jane deal with her thoughts alone. She didn't even hear her exit.
She only focused on the ring, and with every second she sank deeper and deeper into her own mind. She looked, but she knew no words that could express her feelings. She lost her voice and tears choked her, again. He counted on this too, and protected her from the thing he hated the most. They were completely even now.
What he gave her, what he meant to her was more precious than this fucking universe ever was and ever will be. She found comfort in this feeling, like a hole has just been filled inside of her. He wasn't going anywhere. He wasn't going to go away, leave her… or die. No one ever came this close to her without being burned by her flames.
No one, but him.
After another full day of resting, Saren sat on the bed in the med bay, looking at the geth in front of him.
He would never admit, but his nerves were killing him. The memory of Sovereign and his tortures disguised as upgrades flooded his mind. He couldn't be indoctrinated anymore, but it seemed like his mind was vividly reliving every minute of that now. Jane was upstairs in the cockpit, knowing that the time has come for his new arm to be installed. She wanted to be there, but it was not possible. She went through enough, she did not need to see this as well.
Not to mention that he had no intention of having her there. His mind was in a very dark place, as the geth came to do what was necessary. He clenched his teeth in his mouth, and took a deep breath as the procedure was about to begin. It was a good decision to have her upstairs on the bridge, because the sounds coming out of the med bay were awfully painful for any one soldier to hear.
Jane was in the cockpit, extremely nervous but trying to divert her mind from what was happening down below. Javik and Garrus kept her company while she waited.
"I swear he tore Leng apart like a ragdoll" Garrus said, talking about their mission on Horizon "I did not mind."
"I second that. Having someone as capable as he is might mean your team is not so hopeless after all." Javik added.
"Ah, come on Javik" Jane waved, jokingly "Get off your high horse!"
"I have no idea what a horse is" he said, looking at Jane like it was a curse "But your cycle is strange. It appeals to me that someone is here to get the job done."
"We're all here to get the job done..." Garrus reminded him.
But their conversation was cut off by Jane's blinking omni-tool. Her face went dark, serious and she turned around without a word to say.
Jane saw the geth engineers flock out of the med bay. She took the last steps to the door slowly and stopped in front of it. She slowly sighed, deeply, letting all her nerves go and just concentrate on what was important.
She touched the console so it opened up the door, and as it swooshed open, she saw him.
He was sitting on the bed, his legs slowly dangling in the air. He hung his head, looking only at his feet and she could not see his eyes. She stepped in, her eyes fixed on his left side. A metallic, grey geth arm was mounted on him, its colour almost melting into his plates. The geth have done a great job, because she wasn't sure where his arm ended and the tech began.
His posture looked defeated, but somehow that was not the vibe she got from him. If anything, he looked godlike to her. There was no one in this universe she had more respect for. He was the strongest of the strongest, the best of the best. And that was proven when he raised his head to look at her.
The look in his eyes was pure fearlessness.
This turian was ready for anything and everything, and was not matched by anyone. He went through hell and back again, and came out on top. A geth arm, by choice, marked his resolve. She understood that he was truly ready to do anything that was needed.
This was how he dealt with all of that happened, so easily. His resolve left no chance for the weaknesses inside him. He crushed his own fears, he destroyed everything, to be stronger. The only thing he could not destroy was her.
And that's when she realized that they were unstoppable.
Their eyes met, just as she stopped in front of him.
He looked absolutely magnificent. His sharp, silver plates, his fringes framing his face looked absolute perfection to her. The blue in his eyes invited her, dying to share all its mysteries with her. He raised his geth arm and took her hand in his. The touch was cold, but not all that different from his usual. She stroked the metal and looked into his eyes.
His other hand moved down her shoulder to her arm, and from there travelling to the small of her back. He needed no words to be said, and he reinforced that by pulling her closer to him, almost into his lap. She accepted the invitation, and let him move her while she wrapped her hands around his torso. Even sitting on that bed, he was taller than her standing.
She traced her arm up his spine, and he gave her a small, sauve smile in return. His mandibles pulled apart a bit in anticipation as he scanned her features. She picked up on it but was too busy being buried in his clean scent and focusing on his hand running along her waist.
He felt her breath on his, and as she touched his nose with hers, he felt the smoothness of her skin, the blue of her eyes slowly disappearing when she closed her eyes. Her lips slowly brushed against his, and he heard her heart throb in her chest.
He tilted his head to deepen their kiss, to feel her more. Her hands released his torso and wrapped around his neck, getting more comfortable. The feeling of her cherry lips and her tongue on his was heaven to him, and he wanted more and more with each passing second.
They fell deeper into the sensation with every moment, molding together, never wanting to part. She responded to him, moving with him in a way that urged him to touch her even more. She was his, and she knew.
When they parted, they did so very slowly, scanning each other's eyes, but all they both saw was pure passion. A small smile appeared on his face, and he enveloped her in his embrace, stealing another kiss from her.
"We should toast tonight.." he purred right into her ear, sending shivers down her spine. All she could do was chuckle.
"Right.." she said in her oh so familiar husky voice, releasing him and slowly walking away with an expression on her face he could not describe. All he knew was that created a whirlwind in him that would just not disappear.