A/N Hey guys! Sorry it took me so long to get this one up. I'll try to work on it more. (: Anyways I hope you enjoy it. Leave me a comment if you have your own ideas about what should happen next. If I like it I will put it into my story.
Shepard's POV
What the shit. What the shit. I thought as I entered my cabin. I walked over to feed my fish. You know what, I thought as I went over to my desk spinning my chair around sitting down to my private terminal. It read "you have three unread messages" I'll read them in a minute, I thought as I searched Admiral Violet on the Xtranet. Her picture blew up on almost every page. Alliance conspiracy, Matriarch Vexly, as well as the Legend behind the Angel and Demon. I clicked on Alliance conspiracy, "Emily Wong's latest discovery is the acclaimed conspiracy of one Alliance Admiral. The name she is going by now is Violet Wilder. But if you look at their records there have been over fifteen Violets, and people with the last name Wilder more often than not. All female, all same build. What gives her away is her eyes. They're hard to cover…etc."
I stopped reading, furrowing my brow in frustration as I clicked on Matriarch Vexly. She looked much younger in the picture, wearing a beautiful teal blue dress surrounded by her followers. It read, "Matriarch Vexly was one of the greatest teachers the Asari had the privilege of knowing. One of her students being Matriarch Dilinaga, it was rumored Dilinaga fell in love with her and when she told her, Vexly turned her away. Afterwords Dilinaga left her fellowship, Vexly was said to have died on a trip to the Quarian homeworld. Her body was never recovered, but you can visit her memorial he-"
So she really is telling the truth, I thought as I leaned back in my chair spinning around looking up at the ceiling. "I really should do more with this room," I said to Hammy who was watching me through the glass. "I would pick you up but last time I did that you bit me. So you can stay in there for awhile. I still love you though." I said to him feeling bad. "Look at me talking to a freaking hamster about my problems."
"Commander?" Kelly said over the intercom.
"Yeah?" I said thinking now what.
"Tali, wishes to speak with you Commander."
"Alright send her up."
"Yes Commander." The intercom went dead.
"EDI, tell joker to set a course to Illium."
"Yes, Shepard."
I clicked on the last link, the Legend behind the Angel and Demon. This time a picture came up with her standing beside a man. He was slightly taller than her, dark brown hair and marble teal eyes. His arm was wrapped around her waist and she was smiling, like I've never seen her smile before. That's when it hit me, this was David; her husband. I began reading greedily, "Legend has it two mere mortals found the secret to everlasting life, to staying young, but more importantly for staying in love. Or so it was told. No two souls were more in love, their crew would say. They would light up whatever room they entered together, you never saw one without the other. And to think the Angel tamed the Demon. He stayed with her, though the good and the bad. Even when everyone else turned their backs on her. She was the Demon who did what we asked of her. He was the Angel, who never let them take her away from him. They continued to serve their home world and every other race even after they've seen firsthand the wars we've caused. But then death caught up with them as she had to watch her husband die in front of her, to save her crew. No one knows who's choice it was in the end but all that matters is the only family she had left is gone, she will no longer wake up to him every morning, or see him smile at her when she enters the room he was in. I can only imagine the pain of living with those memories…." I was brought out of my trance as Tali entered the room.
I quickly turned off my terminal turning to face her. Something about her was different. "What's up?" I said leaning back in my chair.
"Oh, nothing." She said walking into the room staring at my fish tank a smile playing on her lips.
"Uh-huh." I said standing up to join her. We stood in silence for a moment watching the fish chase each other around the tank.
"What were you looking at?" She finally asked turning to look at me.
"Violet's past. There's more to it than I thought." I said rubbing the back of my neck.
"I think-" She said pausing as she began pacing, "That it bothers you so much because in your eyes she took on the role of a mother figure in your life. I mean she taught you everything. And yet she still doesn't trust you with hers."
She was standing in front of me now. I took her hands in mine.
"You know, I don't think anyone could have gotten it better. So what is new, I mean really. You're different somehow."
"Different. Well, I am wearing my sexy underwear." She said getting all flustered. "Wait! That's not what I meant to say. Oh keelah. What I meant was Violet gave me some advice on life and I took it."
"What does life have to do with sexy underwear?" I said trying to make the connects without to many images of what Tali would look like without her suit.
"She said just because no one can see something doesn't mean it's not sexy. The reference was to sexy underwear… but… you know.." She said mumbling off at the end. I could hear her blushing as she said it and it made me smile.
"So, you planning on looking sexy for someone?" I said raising one eyebrow at her.
"You decide Commander." She said squeezing my hands tracing a finger along my right palm before turning and leaving.
Thane's POV
She was obviously shaken up about something but she refused to tell me what it was. To be honest my head was still spinning from the kiss earlier. I never felt more alive or more alone than I did then. When she pulled away from me to look at me her ocean blue eyes blood shot from crying.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to impose myself on you." She said pulling further back suddenly self conscious. I didn't say anything for a moment, just watched her wipe her eyes trying not to look at me.
"You didn't." I said softly. She looked at me, her eyes thanking me with a wary smile on her face.
"Was there something you wanted, before I um interrupted you?" She said at a loss for words.
"Just came to thank you for talking with me today. But I see I should have been the one talking to you." I gently grabbed her hands not sure if she was going to pull away or not my heart skipped a beat when she wrapped hers around mine tightly.
"You're not going to let this go are you?" She said her voice rough from crying still.
"I will if you ask me to." She was silent looking off into the distance, as she bit her lower lip making me want to kiss her even more so. She sighed heavily obviously this wasn't going to be easy for her to talk about. I gave her hands a gently squeeze of comfort.
"I am very old Thane," She said slowly. Looking down at our hands before looking me straight in the eyes. I nodded.
"I just.. I need you to promise me you want see me any differently after this."
"You have my word."
"A long time ago before the Protheans there was a time when the humans were in fact a very advanced race. We already sent ships out into space and everything. Well I was on one of their colony ships that happened to be sent out. While we were in cyro the reapers came. All of the other colony ships were destroyed, the ship I was on was fired upon. Two thirds of the ship lost power. I believe our life signs were so low, thinking we weren't a colony ship they figured we would die anyways. But a third of us didn't. Eventually we were found by the Asari. They did hundreds of tests on us, learning from us. Most of us died from shock of from their tests. Either way they ended up with just David and I. We were scared, I didn't know what was happening to us. I just wanted to go home. But I couldn't, I knew it didn't exist anymore, my friends and family were gone, except my husband David.
One day they decided to try and separate us. I couldn't let that happened every time they took someone away they died. I pulled and pushed to get away from them and when I reached my arm out to reach for David the Asari pulling him away went flying. That was the first time I used biotics ever and the first time the Asari were afraid of us. Eventually we figured out a mutual beneficial situation. We learned from one another, they taught me how to hone my skills while we taught them about humans and our language, culture. I became a Matriarch with thousands of followers. But eventually left because I preferred to stay close to David who was one of their top Commanders at the time. I joined his crew. We mostly went and found data, and he was killed doing just that. I lost it without him…" She trailed off, seeing things I understood more than most.
I pulled her into me, hugging her. She nuzzled my neck softly.
"I had a wife once, still have a son." She nodded into my neck, listening to every word as I told her my own story.
Tali'Zorah's POV
I can't believe it worked! I thought to myself as I was riding down the elevator. Shepard actually noticed I felt more confident too. And when eh held my hands, I sighed as I thought about it getting a flush all over. I can't wait to tell Violet. The elevator opened, I walked out. "Violet?" I called out before I turned to see Thane and her untangling themselves from each others arms.
"Oh uhm, sorry!" I said turning around.
"Uhm, I was just leaving." Thane said his voice off key flustered. I turned back around to see Violet half smiling at me as Thane walked back trying not to make eye contact as he left.
"So…"I said one he was gone. She smiled and laughed.
"So…Yourself." She said.
"You and Thane huh?"
"He did actually just come to talk, and I was upset. He was comforting me." She said casually. I crossed my arms to her.
"Uh-huh."
"And what about you? I saw you heading up to Shepards. Did he notice?"
"You were right."
"Ha! I knew it." She said smiling clapping her hands together softly.
"So tell me everything." We both said in unison. Then laughed together.
"ETA to Illium is Five minutes." EDI said over the intercom. We both looked at each other.
"How about tonight, when everyone goes to bed we'll stay up and talk?" Violet said as she hugged me.
I nodded happily. Still thinking of Shepard.
Shepard's POV
"Shepard, Samara would like to speak with you." Kelly said over the intercom. I was still standing by the fish tank trying to make sense of what just happened between me and Tali, what to do about Violet and how to help Miranda."
"Also Shepard we will be arriving at Illium shortly." EDI said.
"Okay, thanks." I said to both of them as I headed to Samara's room.
"Shepard," She said as she sat up. "I'm glad you came by."
"Kelly said you wanted to talk to me?"
"Yes, remember that criminal I was hunting on Illium?" I nodded.
"I found her. She's found her way to Omega."
"I'll set a course for Omega."
"Shepard there is something you need to know. She is my daughter. She has a very rare genetic disorder. She's called and Ardat-Yakshi."
"I'm sorry, Samara. This must be hard for you to talk about."
"Just help me find my long lost daughter and kill her Shepard."
"Of course." I said as I walked away.
Well.. That was..weird. I thought as I left. I wasn't expecting that. But at least I'm not the only one with a messed up life on here. Maybe that's why we all get along so well I thought as I entered the CIC.
"Kelly, have Miranda and Jack come up here please."
"Yes, Commander."
This should be interesting I thought as we entered Illium.
"My Intel said to meet her at the bar." Miranda said obviously getting tense as she walked in front of me.
"Alrighty then." I said following her.
"This is going to suck." Jack said giving me a dirty look.
"Tell me about." I mumbled and she laughed.
"Shepard, hurry up." Miranda said over her shoulder.
Violet's POV
Tali is adorable I thought after she left. I hope her and Shepard get together, they'd be good together. She's all rainbows and glitter and he's the I'm sensitive but I can kick your ass in a minute if you piss me off. I think he learned that from me.
"Vi, can I talk to you?" Shepard said as he entered my cabin.
"What's going on?" I said as I sat on my couch looking over our supplies list.
"I've been on this ship for a few days and you haven't really taught me anything. You've just been having me doing light work around the ship and following you on mission."
"You want to learn something about fighting?"
"Well yeah." He said like it was a trick question.
"Alright." I said as I got my shotgun beside my bed out.
"Remind me not to sneak up on you at night." He said pointing at it.
"You have no idea how many guns are hidden in my cabin." I said smiling as I handed him the gun.
"Hold it up as if you were going to shoot me." He did as he was told.
"Now I'm going to take it from you. Try not to let me." I said as I quickly took it from him flipping his arm away.
"I'm going to show you how to stop that from happening." I pulled the bottom out of the handle pulling out a clear string wrapping it around my wrist.
"You try." He tried grabbing it and it held strong.
"How in the hel-." I showed him the string.
"There, you learned something. Not everything is as it seems. And sometimes you can't bully someone out of their gun. You have to use that thing called a brain hun."
We laughed.
I have no idea what's going on between Thane and I. I mean he had a wife, still has a kid. And I'm just me, I won't die anytime soon, he doesn't know how much time he has left. Ironic isn't it? We find someone who fits with us and they can't stay in your life. Wow I'm being a debbie downer I thought as I went to the crew deck. Suddenly finding myself outside of Thanes room.
"Do you need something?" He said not even turning around.
"Just wanted to talk a bit."
"Oh, Violet it's you." He said gesturing for me to sit. I sat down across from him. His face seemed more vibrant than ever.
"How are you?" I said reaching across to hold his hands.
"I am well and you, are you still troubled?"
"Memories are themselves a haven or a burden. That only few can see." I said.
"I know what you mean."
"Drell have perfect memory and Asari and transfer memories through the nervous system. It's amazing at what we can do. What we can hold onto forever."
"I didn't know the Asari could do that." He said dwelling on it.
"It's hard to master. But it's easy once you know how to do it."
"So you've done it before?"
"I was taught a long time ago and only done so a three times in my entire life."
"They must have meant a lot to you. The few you shared your memories with."
"They did." I said thinking about them.
"Would you like to share?" He asked his voice trickling down my neck giving me chills.
I smiled seductively at him as I stood up and sat on his lap.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" I breathed on his lips as I kissed him. He wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me against his hardened chest.