AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm not sorry. Enjoy!

Tali'Zorah vas Neema

Overlord was an abomination. And I wish we could have bombed it from orbit, but we had neither the ordinance nor the time. At least John had sent a message to the Alliance, Admiral Hackett specifically, of what had happened and where, to try and get a team there as soon as they can. I was still concerned about what had happened to John when he attempted to shut down the VI. But now, he was busy caring for David. I'll speak to Chakwas or Mordin back on the ship. Even Miranda if I have to. John wasn't comfortable saying where we were bringing David yet, just that he had sent a message to Anderson, asking for the destination to prepare and expect us. And the shuttle touched down within the Normandy's cargo bay, which sealed and repressurized, and we could disembark. Dr. Chakwas, Mordin, and Lia'Vael were immediately leaving the elevator at that time with a medical gurney. And David was still repeating his square roots quietly. But at least he seemed to accept John's help. He walked him out and helped him onto the Gurney.

"Mordin, please, just a moment?" I asked.

"Yes? Yes!" He turned his head around then locking on me, the source of the voice. "What is it?" I answered quietly, Shepard joining Chakwas and Lia'Vael as they began rolling David towards med-bay.

"Something else happened on the mission. John. The only thing that makes any remote sense would be that the VI gained some control of his cybernetics. When you can, I think it needs to be checked out."

"I'll help. No one on this ship knows the enhancements made to the Commander better than I do. I think I can narrow the search significantly," Miranda offered, having listened in.

"Good, good. Would have asked for records. Should allow for less invasive diagnosis and solution procedure. Must follow. Patient David Archer in more immediate need. Thank you for alert," the Salarian answered rapidly, then turning to leave, just managing to get in the elevator as the doors closed. I looked at Miranda, expecting to see evidence of an ulterior motive on her features, anything, really. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it, looking down.

"I know." She murmured, taking a few steps back and gesturing for the rest of us to take the elevator, once it came back, without her. All of us got off at the crew deck and I went into the med-bay, the others waiting, at least for now, while Grunt just wanted food. The doors opened and I could see that David had been moved from the gurney onto a medical bed and was being sedated. It seems John was going to stay with him for a while, though he did ask Chakwas to take a page out of a physical notebook she uses and borrowed a pen when she let him. He wrote something on it then looked up to me.

"Can you see that Joker gets this quickly? I'm taking every precaution I can so that they don't have a head start on us, have their own welcoming party. EDI will hear it if I speak, won't be her choice to repeat it.

I nodded, not really having any words with everything that's happened. I couldn't read the writing on it, but my suit's VI could, and translated it into Khelish across my visor.

Don't read out loud. Elysium. Grissom Academy. Chart a course to the Citadel instead, first. Then either break off or keep going, but only have the jump to Elysium charted when it's all that's left.

I didn't waste any time in bringing it to Joker. The crew in CIC were totally oblivious to what had been going on down there, so they were just glancing at me and wondering what I was doing up here since I clearly wasn't going to the armory to stow some of my gear. Such a stupid placement anyways.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm up EDI, quit it," I could hear Joker grumbling as I approached before he yawned. Seems EDI had woken him up from a nap, knowing I was on my way.

"Joker," I called out.

"Tali?" He turned his seat around. "What are you doing up here?"

"It's from John. He needs discretion," I answered, handing over the paper.

"A paper note? Must be serious," he remarked, shrugging as he read it. "Alright," he stretched, pocketing the note, and turning his chair around. "I'm on it." With that I returned to the crew deck and to the med-bay. David was still unconscious, and they were working on removing the neck brace. Careful incisions where it attached to his skin. John was resting on a chair to the side. Another chair was beside him. I took my seat and lay my head against his shoulder.

Miranda Lawson

It had been a full day since we left Aite, and I couldn't stop thinking about what I saw. They've managed to remove as many of the grafts or implants that were added to David. The Neck brace, and the plugs to his arms mainly, the latter of which fortunately went around the bone. But some of the neural implants had to stay.

I kept thinking about Oriana in that position. Would The Illusive Man ever ask that of me? I'd refuse, of course. Wouldn't I? The Illusive Man was asking for a report. I hadn't written it yet. He's going to want David back in Cerberus hands, isn't he? And… I don't want him to be. What should I do? The Commander's not saying where he's bringing him, so I can just report that the Commander won't say. But… there's something else I want to do. I want to know if he'd ask the same of me with Oriana.

You know he would.

Well, what I do know is that The Illusive Man should absolutely not discuss this mission or its results with Shepard. And so, I wrote my report. Detailing in full objectivity of the events on the station with one exception, one that, considering EDI's disconnect from the mission, will not be able to refute. I made sure to leave out how the VI appeared to take control of the Commander through his cybernetics. I'm not entirely sure why. It was a nagging sensation. There was some time ago that he had asked for me to arrange the control chip implant that I… interpreted as another test and have not done. This would be… involved. And a method of controlling the Commander would not go over well. But this isn't the discussion I need to have with myself again, I reached that conclusion. Already. Before ending my report, I made sure to emphasize the incompetency of the Project's safeties and precautions. How the VI had relatively easy access to transmitters to spread throughout the facilities. Additionally, both a recommendation not to discuss this with The Commander, and a request for a supplementary debrief.

About an hour later, I was alerted to an incoming call in the comm room. From The Illusive Man, of course. I wasted no time at all, and soon found myself within a hologram of The Illusive Man's office, the man sitting in his chair with a cigarette and bourbon as always.

"Do you know where the Commander plans to deliver the asset?"

Told you.

"I know we have a course charted to the Citadel, but that's all."

"Do you believe you could secure the asset?"

"No. The Commander was at David's side through the return to the ship and waited for him to come out of surgery with the grafts and some implants removed." I did not mention how he was being examined himself.

"I see." He took a sip of his drink. "And the purpose of your request?"

"A question. Would you ask of me to do to Oriana what Archer did to David?" The Illusive Man paused, setting down his drink and taking a long drag of his cigarette.

"We have an agreement regarding your sister. However, if there was no alternative candidate, of which I would certainly search for, and it was for the good of Humanity as a whole, yes, I would. And you, and she, I believe would understand."

You knew all along. But would you understand? Would you accept it?

No. Never.

Good.

"Will there be anything else?" he asked.

"No, that's all." The Illusive Man cut the feed.

Tali'Zorah vas Neema

Two days since we left Aite. David was still in Med-bay, reading, mostly, and Shepard was resting after a small surgery he underwent yesterday. With Miranda's notes, we had determined what allowed the VI to take control of Shepard. Coincidentally, it was involving the very same arm he had attempted to access the console with. All his limbs have some amount of cybernetics to both facilitate their movements and enhance them beyond what is otherwise achievable, even with modern day gene therapy that Alliance soldiers undergo. His spine is mostly cybernetic as well, and all his cybernetics, bar one, at least those that require some form of neural impulse to function are connected via nerves, synthetic or organic, to the spine. His arm is wireless. Apparently, it was something to do with an awkward connection path during the stage of reconstruction it was installed in. While the new physical wire connection taken from the spares would be a little longer than a natural nerve connection would be, it meant we could disable the wireless transmitter and receiver, even remove them, allowing Shepard's body to be a secure, closed circuit. And I don't think I had fully grasped how much of his body was cybernetic. He's still mostly organic, of course, anywhere they could salvage or replace an organ or limb they had done so, but in either scenario, it was repaired and/or enhanced by cybernetics. His bone density, synthetic muscle fibers, his spine, obviously, and more.

It puts things in perspective. And relatively little is even… original. His helmet had worked wonders that day. But, well, I saw that remnant of his armor in Liara's apartment. As for the results of the surgery, they woke him up after the connection was made, still with local anesthetic but conscious. He was able to move his arm through the new connection, and full functionality was verified a few hours after the surgery. In the room with us, David was across the room on another bed reading through books quietly in his medical garb. His arms still bearing scars and marks from the grafts needed to repair the damage to them while Chakwas was at her desk, and Mordin was standing at the counter at the far side pouring over Miranda's notes on John's cybernetics as well as his own observations of them. Lia had been helpful during the surgeries, acting as Nurse. With Mordin's current interest, she mostly was just helping take notes, so Mordin let her have the day off. So, I made a point to excuse Kenn for the day as well. I may have been blind to my own emotions and John's responses before, but I can see theirs. And-

What was that… humming? From Mordin? It had caught John's attention too, he had tilted his head slightly and was staring at Mordin, his face a little scrunched up as he was trying to figure out what he was doing. Chakwas also was giving the Salarian her attention but I saw a recognition on her features.

"Gilbert and Sullivan of all things, Professor?" she asked, amused.

"Hm?" he paused, crashing back to reality, and looking around room. "Apologies, was in thought. Repeat, please."

"You were humming Gilbert and Sullivan's Modern Major General," Chakwas chuckled. At least John still looked confused, not recognizing it. That meant I wasn't alone.

"Yes. Yes, after STG work, tried numerous professions, hobbies. Fun. Science TV show host, five episodes before cancelled. Appeared on talk shows. Wrote a book. Tried performing. Performing had some success. Not others. Will demonstrate, if wanted."

"I have no idea what Gilbert and Sullivan, or the Major General thing are, but I do want to see a Salarian sing."

"How uncultured," Chakwas teased.

"Hey, the Alliance and the Villa back in Rio taught me a lot of things. Old…"

"Plays," Chakwas filled in.

"Old plays were not part of the curriculum. Or my personal interest."

"Well, if we're about to watch a performance," Chakwas began. "David, dear, would you like us to leave you in quiet?"

"Yes. Quiet is good." David answered, not looking up. 'Rudely' almost came to mind, but I remembered details of his condition. Shepard was wearing a medical garb as well, but the surgery was only needed for his upper body, he still had sweatpants, and was only under observation for a little while because of the cybernetics. He can walk just fine, so we left to the mess hall. Kenn and Lia were present, eating, a decent portion of the ship's crew, Samara, Thane, Kasumi, Zaeed, Jack, and Garrus were also lounging or eating. We took seats where we can, everyone present wondering what was going on.

"So Mordin just told us of an old talent of his, and he's willing to take a break from work to demonstrate for us."

"Can I record it?" Kasumi asked, smirking as she pulled up her Omni-tool.

"No reason why not," Mordin answered. He then cleared his throat.

I am the very model of a scientist Salarian.

I've studied species Turian, Asari, and Batarian

I'm quite good at genetics (as a subset of biology)

Because I am an expert (which I know is a tautology).

My xenoscience studies range from urban to agrarian,

I am the very model of a Scientist Salarian.

Well. Alright then. Chakwas seemed to enjoy it, Samara with a ghost of a grin and gently clapping of hands, while John, Garrus, and about half the general crew had half open mouths of amusement and trying to process what they just saw. Jack and Kasumi had some laughter, but nothing from Thane. And Zaeed?

"What in the Goddamn…"

Tali'Zorah vas Neema

It was almost evening of the third day of travel, and we had just recently exited FTL in Elysium's orbit, and were making our approach to Grissom Academy. This is where that Biotic girl had come from, and Anderson's friend… what was her name? Sand… Hers? Something close to that. I was waiting with John at the bridge, he was dressed, while not in a suit, in some nicer attire. Somewhat formal, though I don't know the name Humans give those clothes. Obviously, David was here, dressed in the best spares we could get from the ship, standing and watching through the bridge's viewport and Chakwas in attendance to pass on medical reports. It took a few minutes, and I could hear Joker in contact with flight control, but we finally docked, and a docking tube connecting the Bridge airlock to the academy.

"Head on through, they're waiting for you on their side," Joker called out. We stepped into the Normandy's airlock, which pressurized to match that of the station and the docking tube and the decontamination unit active before it let us pass, the docking tube clean and sterile and white, and around twenty meters to the other side. The airlock opened, and while the pressure matched the station, it did run another decon unit before letting us onto the station proper. Waiting, was a woman with Blonde colored hair, as the Humans called it, a few hints of aging wrinkles, dressed more formally, a kind of suit, and a woman beside her, her hair tied up behind her head and dark skin, also in a suit. With a security guard off to the side, a man.

"Commander Shepard, it's good to finally meet you," the blonde woman offered her hand. "Dav-The Councilor, speaks highly of you." I suppose I shouldn't be as surprised as I feel. I didn't think she still worked at the Academy.

"Please, for a friend of Anderson, John is fine. And it's good to meet you too…"

"If you allow John, I'll allow Kahlee. I just wish we could be meeting under better circumstances." She turned to me quickly.

"Tali? I presume?" She offered a hand for a quick handshake. "Please, give my thanks again to your father and the rest of the board for their hospitality, and for keeping Gillian safe."

"I will." Kahlee smiled, and then turned to David.

"And you must be David Archer," she began gently, his name seemed to get some level of attention. "My name is Kahlee Sanders, I'm the director for the Ascension project at Grissom Academy. David just looked ahead at her. She still kept her smile. "And this," she gestured at the other woman, "Is Professor Alia Ritson. While I handle our biotic students, she oversees the education and care of our prodigy students."

"Hello, David. The Commander here says you're good with math. That you have your square roots memorized. Is that right?"

"Square root of 906.01 is-"

"30.1," the professor smiled.

"Yes."

"Would you like to see your new room?" David was quiet for a moment.

"Yes."

"Good. Follow me, please," she answered with the same gentle smile. David began to follow but stopped and turned after a few steps and looked at John.

"Thank you for making it quiet again. The voices were very loud." He turned and continued following Professor Ritson. I looked at John to see and hear him releasing a deep breath, and a smile he was struggling to conceal.

"I heard a little of what happened, David, Anderson, that is, didn't pass on everything. Just that it was Cerberus, his brother put him through it, and that it looked like a torture device. I'll be happy not knowing the rest. But after the first Cerberus Operative got in, well, we take a few extra precautions. David will be safe here, I promise."

"Good," John still had his grin. "That's very good to hear. But if you don't mind. I think I'd like to take my leave of this system," John's smile faded as he glanced towards a viewport looking down at the planet below. There was understanding on Kahlee, and concern on Chakwas. I simply took his hand and squeezed.

"Of course. I understand. I'll let you know how he's doing from time to time."

"That would be nice."

After some short farewells, we returned to the ship and Joker took the Normandy away. We were aimless at the moment for what needed to be done next, maybe it's time to head into drydock, or maybe that IFF is almost ready. But for now, Shepard was just having us head towards the Citadel. We were in our quarters, my mask, helmet, and gloves were off, but that was it. We had already had dinner down on the crew deck, and John had just gotten out of the shower, getting into comfort clothes.

"You ok?" I asked as he finished.

"Physically? Or mentally?"

"Both," I shrugged.

"Physically, still a little sore in the arm," he answered rolling his shoulder. Mentally? I might still see that… thing, in my nightmares. But it's good to know that David is in a good place, cared for."

"And how have those been? You don't have to answer." Sometimes when we're sleeping, I'll wake up to John shifting, shaking, muttering in a cold sweat. The first time I tried to wake him up, he woke screaming the name of Toombs. That was after Grunt's rite. He told me that I shouldn't try to wake him, it doesn't work well with night terrors, as he called them. But I can't just do nothing when they happen. Normally I already have a hand on him, or I'm at least leaning on him. And even I'm not I can adjust, gently, I just slowly rub his arm, or his chest, his head I carefully put my hand on his cheek. I'll just quietly shush to help calm him. He still wakes up, but calmer. And always hugs me tightly afterwards. I haven't really asked about what happens in them, I just figure he wants to get some rest without thinking about it. It doesn't happen every night, but it still happens every few days or so.

"You help," he smiled as he lay down in bed. I got up off the couch to take my spot beside him. The blankets being pulled up to cover us both. His tone became somber again. "More often than I'd like, it's the images from the beacons. Or sometimes I'm over Alchera again. Akuze, Chasca. Elysium…" He was quiet a moment. Thinking. He looked over his left arm. "It's strange, no longer having the scars, then ran a finger where he used to have a scar on his forehead, a cut that stopped the growth of hair. "I got that on Elysium. The same Batarian that shot dad," he began.

"John, you don't have to," I offered.

"No, no. It's ok. I think you asked me about Elysium once, back on the original Normandy. I think I can talk about it." He put his hand under my head, between it and the pillow, playing with my hair or just simply rubbing. "We were on leave. Akuze had just happened after all, dad was there to help me… figure out how to get through it. Then the ships started coming down and we answered the call to action, got put it one of the fortifications. I had manned the gun, dad, feeding it ammo blocks. An hour of probing for the weakest fortification, an hour of preparation and more probing once they had it narrowed. The side we were stationed at, of course. I don't know how many ammo blocks we used up. I don't know how many I killed. Eventually they got close enough to start grappling up. Other gun emplacements started to fall; dad kept them from climbing. But it meant they could come in from behind along the wall. I was forced to take the gun off the mount and to keep them from coming in behind us. Did a good job of that till the ammo block was used up. The others out of reach. Just had my rifle, got some more. Asari made the climb, so did a Batarian. I got the Asari as he pinned dad to the wall, then a Human ran down the hall I was defending, tried to bash my head in, got my shoulder instead. Dad shot the Human as I managed a shot at the Batarian. But another came up where the Asari was. Two shots. One, the shields took. The other right in his back. I tackled him, was beating him within an inch of his life when he pulled a knife. Tried to shove it right up my jaw, but I pulled back, glanced my head right there instead," he followed the trail of where it used to be.

"I gripped his hand hard enough for him to drop the knife, and I sent it right through his throat. Stared in two of his eyes as the life began to leave him. Just as I rushed back to dad, Alliance reinforcements came in. Medevac didn't come quick enough." I didn't know what to say, so, I just hugged him, pulling him against me as we lay in bed. "I know what you're thinking. You don't have to say anything. This is more than enough." He lay a kiss on my forehead and shifted, turning onto his side, facing me. I knew what to do here, and I turned to face away from him, molding myself against him as best as I could. He wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug, his face behind my head, only about a third 'above.' I could feel him breathing on my neck, and my arms just held onto his own, clasped on my stomach. It felt so warm.

I wasn't going to sleep until after I knew he had. It took some time, but his breathing turned to hints of snores. And so, I closed my own eyes and began to let sleep take me too.

My Omni-tool pinged, not enough to wake up John. It lit up in a dim light along my arm.

A message from the Migrant Fleet?

It can wait until tomorrow.