Shepard relaxes on her bed, while what's left of her crew drinks the night away at Omega. Datapad in hand, soothing music filling the room from her nightstand, Lyn finds herself at peace for the first time in a while. When the alcohol wore off, and she woke up with a horrific hang-over, she finally snapped out of the rut she'd fallen into. She's Commander Fucking Shepard(according to Jack), and she's not going to submit anymore. Garrus said it himself, her enemies have a way of dying. Kepral's Syndrome was her enemy, and she couldn't wait to kick its ass. She just hopes the ass kicking happens before it takes Thane. The conclusion to that problem eludes Shepard, but some hope is better than none.
The sound of her private terminal beeps sharply, trying its damnedest to not be drowned out by music. Her imperfect human senses almost miss it, but she bolts out of bed and rushes to her computer, clicking on the flashing notification. Overwhelming relief stuns her body, eyes wide and breath refusing to escape her throat.
"Mom..."
"I'm glad you're well, darling." Shepard's mother flashes her a brilliant smile, bringing tears to her eyes.
"I'm not sure well is how I'd describe it. Better, yes, but..." Shepard's posture relaxes, upper body stretched across an ignored computer chair.
"Man issues, huh? I recognize that look. It's the same, no matter the species." Shepard chuckles, closing her eyes to control the onset of more tears. There's nothing in the universe that can console her quite like her mother's velvet voice.
"Mom, I miss you. I need to see you, see that you're really alive..." Images of empty human colonies flash in Shepard's mind, emphasizing her statement.
"I can be on the Citadel all day tomorrow, if you'd want to meet up there?"
"See you in the morning, then." Shepard smiles brighter than she has in a long time, and logs out of her terminal.
Thane takes to the shadowy recesses of the room, finding some security in knowing that he's hidden. I really need to learn how to cloak... His eyes land on the blue face of his son, eliciting a slight twitch of his lips. A smile- or, at least, what could be called a Thane smile. Only someone that knows him well would notice. Shepard. She'd smile back at me, causing my heart to flutter. The urge to feel those lips against mine would take me by surprise, and dominate my mind for a good 15 minutes. Time is taking its toll on the leather-clad assassin. It's getting harder to deny that he misses her. Hm. Maybe only 10 minutes. Depends on if she's in kissing distance, I supp- dammit Thane! Focus on Kolyat!
He's on the Citadel, unable to fight off the desire to check on his son. He's not sure how long he's been off of the Normandy- a month maybe? He just knew that the childish excitement, upon seeing his father, returning back to Kolyat's dark Drell eyes-which he inherited from said father- is what he needs to see right now.
What he doesn't expect is his eyes falling on the familiar figure of his siha, receiving a very warm hug from an older woman. From his spot on the rafters, he could see the shimmer of tears falling down her elegant face. The sight makes him uncomfortable- all he wants to do is jump down and take her face into his hands, wipe away the tears... Kolyat. Focus on Kolyat. With a lingering glance in Lyn's direction, Thane disappears back into the shadows, determined to get a visual on his son again.
"I didn't know if they'd gotten to you or not..." Shepard wraps her arms tightly around her mother, needing to feel that she's still alive. Her mother returns the embrace gladly, letting out a quick laugh.
"Ha! Those bastards sure tried. They got a missile to the face, though. The damn bugs and their stunning ability were quite annoying, but here I am."
"I see where you get it from, siha." Both women turn their heads in surprise, though Shepard already knows who the voice came from. So, maybe he didn't exactly go after Kolyat...
"Thane..." Their hands entwine, both momentarily forgetting the issues between them. The feel of his firm hands holding hers again makes a warm feeling wash over her body, soon followed by the crippling fear. This time, Liara's words ring in her ears. "...you'd stop what you're doing now..." In other words, it's time for me to stop running.
"I'm not going to intrude more than I have. I just wanted to let you know how happy it makes me to see you with your mother. I'm staying here, on the Citadel. Come find me when you're ready. I want to talk to you, siha." He draws a hand up to his mouth, kisses it tenderly, and disappears as abruptly as he appeared.
"A Drell. I approve, dear." Shepard runs a hand down the side of her face, letting out an embarrassed sigh. "He's sweet, and that suit... What exactly is the problem?"
"He has Kepral's Syndrome. He's come to terms with his death, and his wording put me at ease, at first..." She pauses to study the floor, unsure of what else she could say. Her mother cuts her off with an inappropriately timed chuckle.
"So, it's true. Women really are attracted to men that are like their fathers. Honey, your father had a rare terminal illness." Shepard meets her mother's gaze, shocked.
"You never told me that. Why?" The older woman twirls a curly strand of tawny hair around her finger, a nervous habit that Lyn hasn't seen her do that often.
"I tore the universe apart, trying to find someone, something that could help him. Turns out, he was the first known case. Leave it to a Shepard to create his own damn disease, huh?" The younger woman couldn't help but smile at that, a sense of pride pulsing through her body.
"I received news of an advancement in a cure, the day after his funeral. He died knowing that I cared enough to raise hell to try to keep him by my side. Thane deserves that too, but... your strength surpasses my own, dear. There's not a doubt in my mind that you can save him. And, you know, I guess you can stop the Reapers while you're at it." The older woman jokes, earning a smile from her daughter.
"I was weak, when we made it back after destroying the Collector's base-"
"You WHAT?" Her mother's bright blue eyes widen, genuine shock strewn across her face. Shepard scratches the back of her head, smiling innocently at her mother.
"I couldn't let them take my dear mother away from me, now could I? It was rough, though. The fight drained me, emotionally and physically. When I let my mind drift to him, and Kepral's wreaking havoc on his blood... Fear got the better of me, and I told him it wasn't meant to be."
"He doesn't seem to agree with you." Shepard's mom winks suggestively, remembering how Thane took her daughter's hands into his own. Such a sweet gesture, one that isn't seen much anymore. "Honey... What if he were to die tomorrow? The last memory you'd have of him, aside from seeing him tonight, would be how you felt while breaking it off with him."
"It's not very often that my enemy is something I can't kill with my biotics or my shotgun. It's also not very often that I can't solve an issue by commanding my crew member to do something different. I can't exactly say, 'Thane, I'm gonna need you to stop having Kepral's Syndrome.'" Her mother laughs at that, and places a soothing hand on her shoulder.
"No, but you can make sure he's loved until his final day. Not many people are that lucky." Tears spill from Shepard's eyes. The older woman pulls her into another hug.
"Mom, I've missed you. I've really needed your wisdom. I guess love isn't one of my skills."
"No, but I bet it's one of his." Shepard picks up on the lewd tone of her mother's voice, and looks up from the embrace to see her smiling.
"Mom..."
The older woman laughs heartily at the blush rising on her daughter's face. She grabs her daughter's arm and tugs gently. "Come, let's go get drunk at the Dark Star. Gotta get some courage into you before I let you go talk to your man."
Author's note:This was just a character developing chapter, but I promise that every chapter after this will have more Thane-goodness than this one did. Next chapter, Shep finally talks to Thane! Thanks for the reviews, I wasn't expecting feedback so soon!