Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'd just like to give a little notice: after this chapter, my username will be changing from Analya-Shepard to Aliemah. This is to make it easier to find me across various sites. If you didn't already know, I'm posting stories on AO3 as well, and if you follow me on tumblr I occasionally post little stories there, as well. I thought I'd give those of you who are following me a nice little heads up so that if you see an alert and you don't recognize the user, at least you'd have something to reference.

Thanks for putting up with my ridiculous updating schedule and reading along with ! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

She'd been a little nervous to show herself to him after it being so long since they'd last spoken, really. Had she known things might end up like this she would have cleaned herself up. But, she hadn't woken up the previous morning knowing that she'd end up having Kaidan back in her arms. God, his lips hadn't changed at all, leaving patches of tingling skin behind as he ran them all along her neck once her shirt came off. Her breath hitched a couple of times, especially when he leaned her back with his tongue leaving a cold trail from her throat down to her chest. Then he paused, the tips of his fingers at the base of her skull and toying with her hair.

"What is it?" she asked, nearly breathless.

"Nothing." Kaidan said. Catherine lowered her gaze an saw him smirking up at her, doing terrible things to her insides. "I suppose Cerberus couldn't have known every little detail about you, now could they?"

As if to make it more obvious, she watched as he pressed the flat of his tongue to her nipple, flicking it up before bringing his whole mouth down to her breast. She let out a breathy laugh that was quick to return to soft moans as his fingers darted beneath the hem of her pants and between her legs. She jumped, unintentionally pressing into him and sending them both backwards on the bed. She caught herself before she hit the wall, looking down and laughing with him as they both sat up and parted. She threw off the rest of her clothes just as he did the same, and they readjusted themselves on the bed in a relatively calm manner, willing to try that again with less accidents.

She laid on her side facing him, both of them having calmed down from the initial excitement. Much as she was sure Kaidan wouldn't have minded something a little more spontaneous and rough, that just didn't seem like him. But as she reached up, gently trailing a few fingers down from his temple to his jawline that was covered in stubble, then up to his lips, she felt a sense of serenity in this moment. It was perfect. His hand roamed over her back, admiring her fresh, clean, flawless skin. Though he did express some heartbreak over seeing the loss of the tattoo along her side, knowing how much it meant to her.

She nudged him with her leg, and managed to roll him on his back, crawling over him with a gentle kiss that felt more like Kaidan. Catherine had missed the gentle way he treated her, as if she were made of glass as opposed to steel. Every now and then she loved being treated like she was more fragile than she was, like if she broke or was unhappy everything would fall apart. Kaidan made her feel like she was more important than anyone or anything in the galaxy. And now, looking down at him, that knowing, yet still innocent smile on his face, she couldn't have felt any luckier that he was here with her right now.

"Catherine, as much as I'm loving the view, I was also planning on getting some form of food today." he chuckled, his hands appreciatively running over her backside, giving her a gentle squeeze. She grinned and lowered herself to plant a kiss on his forehead.

"Nope, you're going to have to starve." she smirked, lowering her body just enough that she brushed against him. Watching his body shiver, she suspected that maybe it had been a long time since he'd last been with anyone. Much as she wanted to ask, the pressure on her backside, pressing her towards him, was more than enough of a distraction that she was willing to go along with.

Both let out a relieved sigh once she'd managed to slide herself down, biting her lower lip as she felt herself blush, knowing he was looking at her without having to look back. There wasn't much else for him to look at, but she knew it was more than that. Catherine knew Kaidan loved her, the words just hadn't been explicitly stated. She knew her actions spoke for how she felt about him, too. Finally looking down, she smiled as she pressed her hands to his chest for support, slowly moving herself to properly enjoy what time she had with him.

As usual, he was attentive to every inch of her body. Even when she thought she couldn't feel any better, he found something to prove her wrong - typically with his biotics. It was exciting, to say the least. She'd never thought of using her own biotics in that way, but maybe now she'd have more incentive to learn how to really fine tune her control the way he had. Though, Kaidan had always had a tight grasp on his biotics out of fear. At least now it seemed he was more relaxed, and less fearful of accidentally hurting her. For a brief moment, she realized that in the past she'd never been this sensitive to his touch. It was almost like her nerves were just feeling things for the first time. In some ways, it was true. But the way her heart was racing, and the level of pleasure she'd gotten from him repeatedly was... Well a little concerning. Not that she was about to take any of it back, if she was easier to please, it made everything easier.

Either way, she found herself watching as he closed his eyes, ready to sleep the rest of the night away. It was strange that they'd both woken up in the middle of the night like that, worried that the previous day had been a dream. But yesterday had been real, and she hadn't realized how much she missed watching the rise and fall of his chest as he slept until now. She snuggled in closer, wanting to get a bit more sleep as well. Yesterday had already been much more than she'd anticipated, and tonight had only added to it.

Catherine had been hoping to avoid running into anyone on her run down to the mess to grab a snack. From what she'd been able to gather, everyone was taking advantage of their few days of uninterrupted travel, so the Normandy was fairly silent. She hadn't even really dressed herself, she'd just thrown on the first thing she grabbed from her wardrobe that was decent.

In the elevator, once the doors shut, she let out a soft groan, practically doubling over with a grin on her face despite the pain she felt in her core, back, legs... everything hurt, but in one of the best ways she could think of. Catherine knew Kaidan wasn't one to casually have sex with just anyone, so even if things weren't exactly settled concerning their private relationship, the fact that the past few hours had happened at all spoke volumes about what he hoped would become of their relationship. She was hopeful, and confident that everything would work out.

As soon as the elevator slowed, she forced herself upright again, and stepped out when the doors opened, the silence practically screaming to her. She walked quietly to the small kitchen, and found whatever she could fit on a tray to take back up to the cabin. It was only a minute into her search when she heard a door open somewhere, and she glanced up, considerably neutral to see Miranda was coming over. For once, she wasn't in her usual outfit, but rather she was actually in something that resembled pajamas. They looked cute on her. Catherine gave her a soft smile and stood up again.

"Hey there." she called out.

"Hello." Miranda looked over her, and then cracked a soft smile as she stepped around Catherine to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. "You look like you slept well last night, for a change. I can't possibly imagine why that might be."

"Strangest thing, isn't it." she chuckled, looking around for anything else to eat. She couldn't find anything so she settled against the counter, looking across at Miranda for a moment. "So, while I'm here, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Oh, that." Miranda looked around and then sighed, "You remember me telling you about how my father more or less grew me in a lab, right? Well, I have a sister, too. When I ran away from him, I took her with me. I didn't want her to grow up under those same conditions. I found her a nice little family, so she could have a normal, happy life away from him..."

"I take it your father wasn't too happy about that."

"Not at all. He's been hunting for her. I've already had to relocate the family a couple times, but now I worry that he's finally got her. The sooner we can take care of this, the easier it would be."

"Where is her family?"

"They're on Illium. I've set up another relocation, but it's just a few kilometers off from where they are now. Not too much to disturb their lives completely like before."

"I'll talk to Joker, and see if we can't make a stop there before hitting the Citadel..." she smiled, stepping over and putting a hand on Miranda's shoulder. "We'll keep your sister safe."

"We should stop at the Citadel first, and drop off your friend..." Miranda shook her head, though she smiled. "I appreciate you making the effort, regardless. We can talk more later, if you'd like."

Illium was a bit out of the way, but Catherine knew how important family could be, especially since it seemed like Miranda didn't particularly talk to her sister all that often. Maybe she'd ask about it later. For now, they both went back to their respective rooms, Catherine balancing a full tray on one arm while she pulled up her omni-tool on the other to browse through a few messages.

When she walked back into the cabin, the lights were still dim, and it looked like Kaidan had fallen back asleep. She carefully set the tray down on the coffee table once her omni-tool shut off, and she walked closer, grinning as she saw him laying face down, clutching her pillow to his bare chest while the blanket rested on his waist, covering him. She doubted he'd gotten much sleep since he'd been stationed on Horizon, but she wanted to keep spending time with him, and getting to know him again. Though he deserved a break, and some proper rest.

Pulling her shorts and t-shirt off, she slipped herself back under the covers of the bed, trying not to wake him. Though she should have known he'd wake up at the slightest motion. His head lifted and he smiled at her, gently putting her pillow back and opting to pull her to his chest, this time. The giddiness that surged through her when she felt his warm hand against her waist was equally exciting. Her skin easily glided over the sheets until his bare body stopped hers. Catherine giggled quietly as she stretched her neck a bit, planting a firm kiss on his lips before she settled against him. The feeling of her legs tangling with his and both of them holding the other in their arms was the feeling she had when she was at peace, relaxed, and comfortable. The softest of sighs from him rolled over her neck as he tucked her head beneath his chin. Pulling the blanket up to combat the chill, she found that he was very warm, and soon she felt herself getting drowsy, eyes closing as she listened to his soft breathing.

When Kaidan woke up, his head was throbbing, and opening his eyes was painful with the light from the empty fish tank. He tried rolling over and while he could open his eyes, his head was still in pain. He didn't have any of his medication. He should have gone back to get it. He'd have to wait until they got to the Citadel to get more. Groaning, Kaidan tried to keep himself calm, so not to aggravate his migraine more.

"Kaidan?" he heard Catherine say in a sleepy voice. "What's wrong?"

"Migraine..." he grumbled, appreciate her cold hand on his back. "Could you-"

"Let me go get Chakwas for you." she said, shifting. He could hear clothing being pulled on, and he wondered suddenly when Chakwas had boarded the Normandy. There wasn't much time to ask. He felt something heavy land across his hip and he reached down, realizing his was the pair of pants he'd worn earlier before... He smiled and moved carefully to pull them on, and then rolled onto his back, throwing his forearm over his eyes while he waited. It felt like hours but he heard the door open quietly, along with a box likely filled with empty needles and other emergency supplies.

"Hello, Kaidan." Karen said with a cheerful, quiet voice. "It's been a while since I've seen you."

"It has been." he said, smiling a little, feeling the bed shift as Catherine no doubt sat on his other side.

"Can you tell me how bad this is on a scale of 1 to 10?"

"Probably a 6." he mumbled.

"Alright. Just give me a minute to see what I can do for you." she said, carefully moving things around in her bag. Kaidan felt cold fingers slide between his, and he gripped her hand tightly, for reassurance. He wasn't sure what he would be doing if Chakwas weren't here - she knew him better than any other doctor he'd served with. After a couple more minutes, she gently tapped the arm covering his eyes. "I have something for you that should last through until tonight. I want you to come see me after you've eaten dinner." He lowered his arm after shutting his eyes, feeling the injection. Once she tapped his arm again, he threw it back over his eyes, sighing.

"Thank you."

"Of course. If it gets worse-"

"I'll come get you." Catherine said quietly, the sound nearly breaking his heart. She sounded so sincere, and worried about him. Weak to some, maybe. He knew better.

"Good. And you make sure to get something to eat, too. We've talked about this." Chakwas said as she packed her things up and headed out promptly.

"I'll eat." she sighed, laying down beside Kaidan again. Then there was silence. "Let me know when you start feeling a little better, alright?" she said as her head rested on his chest. He hummed in agreement, wanting to keep as still and quiet as possible while he was still suffering. Though it didn't last very long. He hesitantly pulled his arm off his eyes, pleased that the light from the fish tank wasn't blinding him anymore, or causing the throbbing in his head to get worse.

"Hey." he said softly, nudging her. She lifted her head, and smiled as her hand touched his cheek.

"That didn't take long. I left earlier to grab some food, it's on the coffee table." she said as she sat up. "Do you... want me to bring it over?"

"No, we can go sit over there." he said, pushing himself to sit up as well, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and then pushing himself up carefully. His legs were holding beneath him and the gentle throbbing in his head was nothing more than an annoyance he was sure some food might fix.

He walked over to the couch and sat in the same spot he had just last night, though he didn't dare touch his back to the leather, already feeling just how cold it was through his pants. Catherine, fortunately, brought over his shirt, and waited until he put it on to lean against him again. She seemed like she was craving being near him, but if he were being honest with himself, he was feeling the same way. He didn't know how he'd be faring if he hadn't chosen to come with her. Probably regretting it, first and foremost, and maybe even wanting to apologize for some of the things he said. If he hadn't come he wouldn't have known all that he did now, about how she'd tried contacting others for help.

"Eat." she said, practically shoving a granola bar into his mouth. He grinned and snatched it from her before she could shove it down his throat, taking a smaller bite just to see how his body would take it.

"I should be telling you that." he said around his food, finally leaning back and gently tossing his arm around her to pull her closer. "You're a bit lighter and thinner than I remember you being."

"Rude." she said, giving him a light shove.

"No, really. You don't exactly look healthy. Have you been eating?" he asked, looking down at her.

"Not really." she mumbled. "It's been hard for me, between all the recruiting, and now all these personal favors... And I've been worrying about you a lot too, I haven't been able to find anything about you anywhere."

"I know. I haven't really done too much, anyway, I spent almost a year just trying to get back on my feet." He glanced down. "Did Anderson tell you I was working with him for a little bit?"

"No, he didn't. What did you do?" she looked up, and Kaidan could have sworn he was looking at a child the way her eyes shone, and the smile on her face. It was adorable and he couldn't help himself from leaning down to kiss her lightly before he continued.

"I just worked on his personal detail for a few months, to help get me back in some sort of routine that wasn't too stressful. The most stressful it got was having to remove someone from the room after they got upset." He chuckled. "It wasn't much fun, but... It was better than doing nothing."

She kept asking for more stories from him, and he had plenty to tell as they ate. He made sure the food was split mostly in half, giving her more than himself. Before he knew it, he glanced over at the clock and saw that half the day was gone. He'd asked her if she had to go do anything and she shook her head.

"If anyone needs me, they know how to contact me. And I've specifically asked not to be bothered if I'm in here, unless it's urgent. Everything else just goes to my messages and I look at that every night before I go to bed." Catherine shrugged, and sat up. "I should probably go shower, though. I feel a little gross.

"Well you don't look gross." he countered, wrapping his other arm around her and pulling her into his lap. Kaidan was rewarded with a giggle as she playfully fought against him, both knowing she wouldn't want to be anywhere else, right now. Eventually she calmed down and he rested his chin on her shoulder, closing his eyes. Then he gave a soft sigh. "I've missed you so much, Catherine."

"I've missed you too, Kaidan." she said quietly, turning to face him, both of her arms snaking around his neck to hold him.