Vyrnnus had stopped her completely, and anger flowed through Lauren like hot lava. She knew she couldn't lash out or one of the guns held by the guards accompanying her would be used without hesitation. Still, her body glowed with biotic power from her fury as she was brought to the infirmary.

The medical staff that came to see her wasn't nearly as friendly as the ones she had seen take care of Indi. They brought her in to what looked like an operating room. "Lie down on the bed," a man ordered. When she complied, they tied her down in restraints, pulling her dislocated shoulder hard. She cried out in pain.

"This won't take long," the man said, putting a mask on Lauren's face. Everything went black.

x-X-x

"Kaidan, where are you?" Rahna said, waving her hand in front of his face.

His dark brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, Rahna. It's hard to explain. I'm just…worried."

She took his hand with one of hers and stroked his arm with the other. "I'm right here. I'm listening," she said softly.

Kaidan let out a deep sigh. "It's about Lauren."

"Yeah, I can't believe she got hurt. It was wrong when Indi left, but now with two bunks in our room empty…it's depressing."

"So they told you she got hurt?" he asked, reaching down to scratch at the cuff they had put on his ankle to keep track of his movements. He was glad the pants covered them. He couldn't explain that away to Rahna.

"Well, in so many words," she said. "We all got a message on our datapads the other day saying she would be staying in the infirmary for the near future while she recovered from a separated shoulder, but that she could not have visitors."

"Nothing else? Nothing on how it happened?"

Rahna shook her head. "No, and I didn't really think about it. I figured Lauren was doing what she does when she's alone and fell or something."

"I wish it were just that," lamented Kaidan.

"Why? What happened? I didn't know you knew. Were you there?"

"Uh, no…" Kaidan paused because he didn't want to say too much. He leaned in to whisper as quietly as he could, looking around the room while he spoke. "It was just a special training session with Vyrnnus that got out of hand. He hurt her." Kaidan closed his mouth hoping that he covered the truth with just enough of a lie that she wouldn't get suspicious.

Rahna instead clutched Kaidan's arm tightly. "On purpose? I knew that he was acting grouchier than usual, but I didn't think anything like this would happen."

"It won't happen again. Don't worry." Kaidan leaned in to kiss Rahna's cheek. "I hope this was just a one-time thing."

"You won't let him hurt me, right?"

"Never."

x-X-x

When Lauren woke, she found herself completely isolated from the rest of the students at Brain Camp while she recovered from the injuries Vyrnnus inflicted. After about two weeks, her face had healed with only a scar on her forehead remaining. Her shoulder was put back into socket and surgically repaired, but it remained painful and stiff. It also took about that entire time for her to figure out that instead of the biotic amp that she had had in her neck, there was a dampener. She barely had the power to lift the blanket on her bed. There was no way she could fight her way out now.

x-X-x

Vyrnnus was standing in the classroom a week later, eyeing Kaidan as Lauren entered and took a seat on the other side of the room. Rahna shifted excitedly in her seat when she saw the girl. "Oh! I'm so glad Lauren is back! Come with me and say hi."

Kaidan gave a quick shake of his head, nervously catching Vyrnnus' gaze. "I don't need to. She cares more about seeing you. You're her better friend."

As Rahna stood and ambled over, his eyes shot to Lauren. She gave him an almost imperceptible head lift. Then Lauren's face quickly changed to a bright smile as Rahna leaned in for a tight hug. From the look in her eyes Kaidan knew they hadn't broken Lauren Shepard.

That evening, as Kaidan sat with Rahna in the lounge, her datapad beeped. "Oh, hey, Kaidan…it's a message from Lauren. She wants to talk for a bit." Rahna got up and giggled. "I don't know why she had to message me. She's just over there. Weird."

Leaning back in the couch, Kaidan watched the girls chat. Then Vyrnnus walked in, which Kaidan thought unusual because he was never with the students during their evening free time. He turned his head, so he could only see the girls talking in the very corner of his eye. As Vyrnnus strolled around the room, giving curt nods to the students who greeted him, he kept his own eyes on Lauren and Rahna.

Rahna started to cough and she stood up to get the bottle of water she had left on the floor beside the couch where Kaidan sat. Trying to speak as she coughed and laughed, she said to Kaidan. "I don't know…what…happened…something caught…in my throat." She bent over, grabbed the bottle and raised it to her mouth to take a drink. Vyrnnus exploded. "NO!" Rahna stopped and looked at him, eyes wide in fear.

"You could have easily lifted that bottle!" he hollered at he took several large steps to yell in the girl's face, that was now teary. "You don't need to use your stupid arm!" And on the last word, he grabbed Rahna's arm and pulled, cracking the bones in her forearm from the force. She shrieked under the pain, crumpling to the ground, as Kaidan shot to his feet. The rest of the room was silent as the other students, including Lauren, watched.

Kaidan stood toe to toe with Vyrnnus. "You son-of-a-bitch! You can't touch her!" he yelled. "You know you can't fucking touch any of us!" The turian's eyes flashed in acknowledgement, and he started to turn away. Kaidan eased for just a second, as Vyrnnus quickly turned back, giving the boy a hard backhand to the face.

"You, my boy, are expendable." The turian's voice was a low growl. Kaidan couldn't take any more, he knew he had to do something or this was only going to get worse. He threw a punch at the turian's neck, the one soft spot he could see. It connected and Vyrnnus gave out a hiss. A three fingered hand grabbed Kaidan's arm. With his other hand, Vyrnnus punched Kaidan's face, causing blood to gush from his nose.

Students were screaming and leaving the room en masse as Kaidan and Vyrnnus fought. Only Rahna and Lauren remained; Rahna because she had no escape route and Lauren because she wanted a chance to get a crack on Vyrnnus. As Lauren was readying herself to take out Vyrnnus' legs while he was engaged with Kaidan, quick as a flash, he pulled a knife, holding it to Kaidan's neck.

The turian sneered at Lauren. "You thought you had me, didn't you? Now your friend is going to die and no one will believe a word you say. You can't control your fate. You never will be worth anything. Human biotics are only made for…" Vyrnnus was cut off as Kaidan had gotten free and, glowing biotically, threw a kick at the turian's face. A sickening thud and snap could be heard as Vyrnnus hit the wall. He took several rattling breaths and was still, a trickle of blue blood running from his nose and mouth.

Lauren rushed to the turian. "Oh my God, Kaidan. I think he's dead."

Kaidan was breathing hard from the exertion and his dark energy was beginning to subside. He moved toward where Rahna was curled up, sobbing loudly. "Hey, Rahna, it's ok. He's not going to hurt you again."

Rahna's red eyes look at Kaidan in fear. "How do I know you aren't going to hurt me? You killed him! I've got to get out of here! I need to go! Just…just stay away." The girl ran out of the room. Kaidan blinked in confusion. "I-I thought…I don't know." He looked at Vyrnnus. "What have I done?" he hissed to Lauren.

"Something that had to be done, Kaidan."

x-X-x

Everything moved quickly from that moment on. Parents, grandparent, and caregivers were contacted. The students were coming home immediately due to some problems at the BAaT facility. Details were not specified in the messages home. The adults hurried the students on the station to pack quickly and within a few hours, the first shuttles were headed back to Earth.

Kaidan and Lauren were ushered into an isolation room together. They were both quiet, occupied in their thoughts. "Look, there's a message telling everyone to pack. They are shipping us out," she said, holding her datapad and finally breaking the silence. "We need to make sure they don't open this place back up."

"I've done enough," Kaidan's voice strained. "I'm not doing anything anymore. You're on your own."

"I'm glad you did it. He didn't give you a choice. I would have done the same thing, you know."

"I was just trying to protect her…"

Lauren moved to sit beside him. "And you did! You protected all of us in that room."

"I lost control. I just snapped."

"Sometimes you have to do the right thing, regardless of the consequences."

Her words were not soothing to Kaidan's anguished mind. "What do I tell my folks? Their son is a murderer!"

"Kaidan!" Lauren said forcefully, grabbing his shoulder. "No. You are a fucking hero. You stood up for Rahna. She's lucky to have you."

Kaidan looked up, irritated. "Why did they bring you in here anyway?"

"Probably because I was the only one left in the room with you…and I'm already pegged as trouble."

"Rahna's gone," said Kaidan unexpectedly.

"What do you mean?"

He pulled the datapad out of his pocket. "I've been messaging her ever since we got in here. She hasn't answered."

"Maybe she's busy."

"No. She's actually gone, as in off the station. The last message I sent bounced back saying she was no longer on Gagarin Station."

"I'm still here," Lauren said softly. She debated in her mind a moment, then wrapped her arms around him. "I've got your back."

Kaidan's arms responded, winding slowly around Lauren. "Thanks," was his hoarse reply.

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews, follows and favorites! There will be one more chapter, an epilogue.