"I should stay here tonight, Harry… Don't want to leave Peebee alone for too long." Said Lexi to a small picture of Harry on Ryder's computer. No one stayed on the Tempest, so she borrowed hers. It was not her intention to wake Peebee up after she finally felt asleep in her bed. Ryder's PC was handy as it was just next to the med-bay.

"How is she?" Asked Harry worried. Lexi sighted.

"Hard to say. But it's far from better, Harry. I've never seen her so…. so down. Meeting Kalinda was hard for her."

"Well, that woman had actually 2 ribs broken. One bad movement and she would suffer internal bleeding." Lexi needed to massage her temporals in order to calm down. It was good that Peebee stopped whatever was going on, because if it went further… Kalinda could end up dead for sure this time. And it would be a slow death.

"Just don't tell Peebee… She doesn't need to know how serious it really was. It is hard enough for her now."

"Got it Lexi…." Harry paused for a moment. "Lexi…"

"Hmm?" She was deeply in her thoughts.

"What about you and Sara?" Harry could not help himself. It was important for him to know.

"There is nothing to say, Harry." Lexi relaxed her back on the seat and looked around the table. There were models of ships on the wall, some zombie-plant robot which was strange… She saw more of those things around the Tempest.

"Hard to believe, Lexi… I know you've had feelings for her…" She noticed a picture of the whole crew took after the movie night which happened night before locating the lost signal of the Turian ark. She leaned towards it and took it in her hands.

"And, I'm going to pay for it…." She was looking at the picture of them together and smiled. However, sadly… No picture of her real family, of Scott or her parents. She really saw the crew as the only family she had now.

"What do you mean, Lexi?" Said Harry watching the limited vision he had.

"I've reported that night…." She was still looking at the picture.

"Wait… WHAT? Why, Lexi? They'll await your resignation!" Harry could not believe what he heard.

"Maybe. But I could not risk someone would notice anything. Kalinda had her spying device here for long. It is better to report it before someone else would try to blackmail our Pathfinder… Or, Peebee." Lexi touched the photo with her fingers, still smiling. She loved this group of people.

"But, Peebee was also part of the problem…"

"And that is an information I omitted in the report. If I take the full responsibility, the Initiative would not believe any other report. Peebee will be safe. I don't want her to experience other distress now." She put the picture back and looked at Harry again.

"I see… That seems logical, but I still… I don't think that… You really should have taken the risk instead of putting yourself in the front line…." Lexi interrupted him.

"They are the ones fighting in the front lines, Harry. They need backup, here, in the base camp, and that is the job YOU signed me up to do." She emphasised. This was her job. To keep them safe and healthy. Both mentally and physically. Harry went silent for a moment.

"That's true. And you prove to be the best choice I could make." He had slid his fingers into hair.

"Tomorrow, I need to attend a hearing about my actions." Said Lexi calmly.

"Already tomorrow? Why? Why you haven't said so…." Harry was really worried.

"I didn't want anyone to know. Nor you, because I was sure you would inform Sara. She just had an opportunity to speak with Scott. He woke up, and…." Lexi stopped and needed to take a deep breath.

"And any moment of happiness is… is important for Sara to enjoy fully. She will need good memories while fighting with Archon." She remembered the family photo in her shelf. She needed to re-establish that connection with Scott in order to face her family again. To make their spirits proud…

"If they lock you up, Lexi. She will be depressed…. that is stupid." Said Harry. He did not like this plan at all.

"And who was talking about getting arrested?" Lexi smiled knowlingly.

"You cannot fight the station Lexi…" She laughed while imagining her fighting her way back to the Tempest.

"No, nothing like that. I have a plan and they will accept my conditions. I have no means to leave this crew, to leave broken Peebee, or to leave Sara… So… please." She looked at him determined.

"Please, believe in me and trust me that I know what I'm doing. You know me better than anyone…" Harry sighted.

"I do trust you, Lexi…. Fine… I'm not going to say anything to anyone. Just… No.. I trust you and I mean it." He said and Lexi smiled.

"Thank you, Harry…."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Peebee was still sleeping and the ship was quiet. Lexi was on her way from Peebee's room to med-bay holding the Geth plush toy in her hands, bringing it to her new friend and patient.

"Lexi…" hearing a voice completely got her from her thoughts. It was Sara, just entering the ship.

"Oh, good night, I suppose." Lexi smiled. Sara looked happy and rested. The time with Scott surely rejuvenated her whole being. She was glad. She walked a bit closer still holding the toy.

"Hey, you have my little friend here. Bringing it to Peebee?" Her voice was full of energy and kindness. This was a voice of a happy and young woman Sara deserved to be once and then.

"Yes... She forgot it…" There was no need to mention Peebee's condition. She wished to preserve this happy state Sara was experiencing at least for today. The Pathfinder laughed and reached the Geth in Lexi's hand and pet it like a real one.

"Good boy." She laughed again which filled Lexi's heart with the utmost joy and responded in the same manner.

"I needed to pay some older lady on Kadara to make it. Can you guess what was her price?" Sara looked at her.

"No… not really…" She was curious but did not have a clue.

"Oh.. come ooon… Just try…"

"Hmmm. Food? Medicine…" Lexi tried … That would be what she asked for living on a place like Kadara.

"Completely wrong, doc." There was a victorious expression.

"A can of cola." Lexi could not believe what she heard and the shock in her face made Ryder laugh.

"Seriously…. And I couldn't believe in Vetra's capability to really get anything until I've seen it with my own eyes. So, word gave word, pay was sent and here we are holding an original plush Geth. The lady was a toymaker back in the Milky way." Lexi looked at the toy. Sara really tried hard searching for these gifts.

"What was the cost of mine?" She asked quietly

"Hmmm… well… You know how I spend time picking up flowers on every planet, that even Drack calls me crazy?" She said, suddenly blushing and looking away.

"Yes… when you got nearly poisoned on Havarl." Said Lexi suspiciously and her typical scanning look landed on Sara's face.

"Exactly… Well… that was the price." The facepalm which followed was supposed to hide Lexi's own shade of blue. This crazy was running around and like a botanist picking up plants just to get her a white lily. When she thought Sara could not go beyond herself more.

"You are a crazy woman, Sara…" Said she rolling her eyes.

"I know…. about you." She smiled nervously and looked at Lexi. She finally said it… In a way… She did not dare when things were being so complicated, but, after today when she had seen Scott awake and alive…. Life was too short, too short for everybody now to be afraid… Lexi raised her eyes towards Sara.

"I love you Lexi..." Said Sara with a soft voice. They were maybe one step away, but it appeared to be more. She felt courage filling her veins and confidence in her heart. It was not important whether Lexi rejects her or not… She just needed to let her know.

Lexi was silent, looking at Sara squeezing the toy in her hands. It gave her strength for tomorrow's fight, for everything coming and waiting for her. It was easy to forget about the Universe itself in those blue eyes.

Lexi moved towards Sara who looked as she could stop breathing any second. Their eyes were connected by some unknown force, driving Lexi closer to Sara since the day they met at the SAM Node…. She smiled and touched Sara's lips with two fingers only and slid them down in a slow movement ending at the tip of her chin. She desired to hear those words every day as well as she feared them… Sara's energy was stronger than ever despite her body was shaking under Lexi's touch.

Lexi could feel how their spiritual selves were seeking each other and the blue was connecting with a white source of Sara's energy core. Or Aura, as humans called this body spirit… She spoke…

"I've loved you since the day you kneeled in front of me asking for forgiveness…" Her own words reminded her of situation Peebee was in. What had happened between her and Kalinda was for Lexi a trigger to move on, to fight for Sara, for the crew, for herself. Life was too precious even for living for thousands of years, and the uniqueness of love deserved to be embraced…. Despite the times of pain, despite the times of betrayal or death… it was this uniqueness which made them all leap forward and feel alive. Sara's touch made her forget about her own fear, her kisses modelled her beauty…. Watching her sleep on her chest felt like a home long lost but returned to her with every Sara's breath warming her skin.

Lexi's fingers travelled to Sara's waist and gently pulled their bodies together. She slowly closed her eyes and let her heart guide the way to the Pathfinder's lips.