Chapter Eleven:

Lycoris felt sluggish. Her consciousness struggled through an ocean of weighted thoughts in a valiant attempt to surface. Part of her wanted desperately to stay in the serenity of the darkness, where she could float without any worries, but something stronger called to her. The closer she got to that mysterious force, the harder she struggled to break free from the depths of her own mind. The… Athena needs me.

Snippets of sensation filtered in before Lycoris could escape her internal prison, and they only urged her on more. A warm hand held her own, and light fingertips trailed up and down her forearm. The touch was familiar, and Lycoris knew exactly who was by her side. Athena had done the exact same thing more than once when they'd lazed around in bed after making love, and Lycoris had come to adore those unconscious gestures as she'd read her own hopes and dreams into Athena's actions.

"...taking after your grandfather with those headbutting skills. But you are part krogan on your mother's side, so it shouldn't be such a surprise…"

"Shh, Aria. You know that isn't how it works."

The words phased in and out, frustrating Lycoris with her inability to listen. Still, she'd heard enough to be amused by the mental image that popped effortlessly to mind. When they were children, Athena had almost always tried to headbutt any classmates who dared to tease her for being a pureblood. It was as much a part of her fighting repertoire as her biotics were. Lycoris had always found the little quirk cute, at least when she hadn't been the one on the receiving end.

"Yeah, yeah. You did a good job, kid. I just wish you'd left more than one pathetic commando for me to deal with when I got there." Lycoris was very familiar with that drawling voice. There was just the slightest hint of satisfaction in her father's tone as she continued. "That merc had it easy. The ones at Cythia's base weren't so lucky."

"Aria," came the soft censorship of her mother's voice. Lycoris could just imagine her mother standing next to her father, calming her with a touch. The diplomat in Tevos probably objected to Aria's harsh methods, but Lycoris didn't doubt for a second that her mother would have done the exact same thing if she'd been given the opportunity.

All the love surrounding her made it easier for Lycoris to claw through the last bit of darkness that tried to keep her down. She groaned softly as she opened her eyes only to have to immediately shutter them again. She wasn't used to the light, and it started a soft but insistent pounding in her head. There was a rushing sound as she threatened to succumb again, but she determinedly fought it off.

"Corrie?" A soft hand brushed her forehead, and her headache receded a little. It was enough for her to crack her eyes open. The first thing she saw was Athena's worried face hovering over hers. It felt like forever since she'd seen her, and Lycoris had never missed anything more. Coldness she hadn't even been aware of vanished from her body, chased away by the warmth of Athena's presence.

Lycoris's throat burned when she tried to speak, but eventually, she forced out a few cracked words. "Mm. The. You okay?"

Athena nodded, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm fine, thanks to you." Lycoris sighed in relief, but then she noticed a small butterfly bandage above Athena's left eyebrow. She made a noise of concern, reaching out to stroke the bruised skin above it. "No, don't get up," Athena said, pressing a gentle hand to her shoulder so she couldn't move. "That warp broke a few ribs."

She opened her mouth to protest, but the sight of her father's worried face peering down at her over Athena's shoulder convinced her to stay still. "What in the galaxy were you thinking, kid? Trying to reason with mercs, forgetting how to shield yourself... what the fuck have I been training you for all these years?"

"Sorry, Dad," Lycoris said, coughing painfully for breath. She was starting to believe Athena about the broken ribs. Her chest felt like a krogan had charged straight into it. "I'll... I'll work on... my barriers..."

"Your barrier was just fine," Athena said, cupping her cheek. "You saved my life."

Lycoris tried to smile, but her face hurt too much. She gave up halfway through, hoping Athena would understand.

"We're very proud of you, Lycoris," her mother said with a noticeable waver in her voice. One of Tevos's hands touched her shoulder, in the same place Athena's had rested moments before. "And we're so happy you're awake."

The love and worry on her mother's face sent a stab of guilt through Lycoris's stomach. She hadn't meant to scare her parents. Her only thoughts had been about keeping Athena safe. "Sorry," she rasped again. "Love you both..."

"We know," Aria said, softly this time. "Us, too." That was when Lycoris noticed the state of her father's jacket. The usually pristine white leather was stained a dark, sticky purple, especially around the sleeves. Lycoris's eyes widened in alarm, and Aria noticed where she was looking. "Don't worry about it, kid. I just finished what your girlfriend started. Cythia and Eclipse won't be bothering either of you any time soon."

Lycoris knew she shouldn't be pleased about her father murdering a bunch of people. Her mother certainly wasn't, judging by the expression of disapproval on her face. But the knowledge that no one else was going to come after Athena for revenge was a huge relief. "Thanks, Dad. I owe you."

Aria nodded once. Her lips trembled, as if she wanted to say something more, and Lycoris's stomach lurched. She knew her father had already lost one daughter in similar circumstances. Today, it had almost been two. Only sheer luck and Athena's bravery had prevented her from suffering the same fate as Liselle, the sister she had never known.

"You can repay me by actually carrying the pistol I bought you and shooting first next time," Aria said after a very long pause. "Leave the negotiating to your mother and the stupid heroics to your Aunt Shepard."

A terrified look crossed Athena's face. "Oh Goddess! My parents! I was so focused on Corrie I didn't even think to call them—"

"I already did," Tevos said, squeezing the side of her arm. "They caught the first transport they could."

"I'm not sure if that's good or bad," Athena moaned, shoulders sagging in dismay. "I don't think I want them to know how much danger we were in."

"If they're smart, they'll be proud of you," Aria said. "Taking out a squad of mercs by yourself at your age is impressive, no matter how you slice it."

Athena's worried expression lightened a bit, and Lycoris reached up, lacing their fingers together. "Look on the bright side. Your Dad has no excuse not to like me now," she said, running her thumb over Athena's knuckles.

"My Dad loves you," Athena said as she brushed the fingers of her other hand over Lycoris's forehead. "Maybe she forgot that for a little while when she found you in my bed, but you'll always be important to her." She leaned close so only Lycoris could hear her next softly spoken words. "And you'll always be important to me, so Dad will just have to learn to adjust."

Athena placed a gentle kiss on Lycoris's cheek, and Corrie couldn't help but blush a little. Her parents were watching them, and even though it was no longer a secret that they were sleeping together, Lycoris was still slightly uncomfortable with showing affection in front of her parents. Although she was also incredibly happy that Athena had no reservations about being open with their relationship. Feelings were strange, fickle creatures that Lycoris didn't fully understand, but she didn't have the energy to be concerned with the conflicting emotions. Instead, she was content to continue staring into Athena's beautiful eyes and dream about what the future might bring.

The sound of someone clearing their throat pulled Lycoris back from her internal musings, and she blinked as she looked around. "Aria, perhaps we should give Athena and Corrie a little time to themselves. They're safe and Corrie's awake. And we have guests coming that we need to prepare for."

Lycoris felt the beginnings of a smile quirk the corner of her lips. Only her mother would ever be able to boss her father around and get away with it. But Aria wasn't going to leave without a parting shot. "Don't get too cozy, kids. Shepard and T'Soni could get here any time. The last thing we need is for them to find you two fucking again."

"Dad," Lycoris groaned, but the humor in the situation quickly faded. Aria reached down, stroking the side of her face in something almost like a trance.

"Kid…" Her eyes closed, and she took a deep, shuddering breath, almost as if she was enduring a wave of physical pain. "You did all right. You saved someone else, and you survived. That's better than I would have done at your age." Then her hand fell away, and she turned to Athena. "Thank you for keeping her alive."

Athena seemed surprised, but she recovered quickly. "You're welcome. You know I'd never let anything happen to her..."

"I know." Aria stepped away from the hospital bed, forcing a smirk. "Lycoris, your Mom and I are going downstairs to make a few calls. Try to keep your pants on."

Lycoris blushed, but Tevos was already hustling Aria into the hall, complaining about her lack of tact once again. "She gets it from you, I swear…" Lycoris heard her mother say as they left the room.

Athena just shook her head and laughed, not at all scandalized by Aria's words. And it wasn't even a full minute after Lycoris's parents had left that Athena climbed up into the bed with her. "What are you doing?" Lycoris said, a bit of panic in her voice as she held the blanket to bed, preventing Athena from slipping beneath the thin covering.

"Calm down, Corrie." Athena placed a soft kiss on Lycoris's mouth before brushing her hand away and settling down beside her. "I just want to hold you for a few minutes. Even if you begged me to jump you right now, it wouldn't happen. You just woke up, and you need time to heal." A frown of disappointment made its way onto Lycoris's face, and Athena lifted her fingers to smooth it away. "Don't worry. We'll take you for a test drive as soon as you've properly healed. I promise."

As if to cement her vow, Athena's hand managed to slip between her legs without her knowing. The gentle squeeze made Lycoris forget all about the danger of getting caught again. A flood of heat dropped down through her belly, and she groaned with a mixture of surprise and desire.

"Th—that's not nice," she stammered, struggling to stay still. Battered and bruised as it was, her body wanted to buck into the pressure… A sudden thought struck, and the pounding between her legs became less insistent. "Oh Goddess, the cock! I was wearing it when I passed out. What happened?" Her face burned with embarrassment as she considered the possibilities. "The, um… the paramedics didn't have to take it out, did they?"

Athena laughed. "No, don't worry. When they arrived on the scene, they were too busy taking care of you to notice. They left your pants on. Once the medigel kicked in and they put you in your own room, I took it out while they went to get you a hospital gown."

Lycoris breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks. I'm sure the nurses have seen stranger things, but it still would have been awkward." A shadow of sadness flickered across Athena's face, and Lycoris's forehead wrinkled with concern. "Hey, are you okay? I didn't say anything wrong, did I?"

"No. I was just remembering..." Athena blinked several times, and Lycoris realized her eyes were glistening and ringed with red, as if she was about to cry again. "You lost a lot of blood, Corrie. There was a whole pool of it under your head when... I gave you all the medigel I had, but I was scared you weren't going to make it until the paramedics got there. I thought I'd never get a chance to tell you..."

"Tell me what?" Lycoris asked, her voice threatening to crack.

"That I love you too, you idiot. I love you so much. I always have, ever since we were kids growing up together."

At first, Lycoris was stunned. She had known Athena loved her. She had felt it in the meld and hoped with all her might. But somehow, hearing it out loud in completely unambiguous words was different. Gradually, her lips spread in a smile. It took up her entire face, and soon, she was grinning like a fool. "It feels like I've been waiting forever to hear you say that."

"I know, right?" Athena whispered, sniffing a little. "How stupid were we?"

"Pretty stupid," Lycoris agreed, "but I don't care. I love you, Athena T'Soni. You're gonna have to do a lot better than mercs if you want to get rid of me."

"Just try and get away. You're stuck with me, Lycoris Tevos. We're going to get bonded, and grow old together, and have a whole Skycar full of little blue children, and I don't care what my parents have to say about it."

"Excuse me?"

Both of them jerked up in surprise—Lycoris with slightly more difficulty. Her heart, which had been floating on air just moments before, came crashing back to earth. Commander Shepard was standing in the doorway, and judging by the scowl on her face, she didn't look pleased with what she had overheard. Shit. This can't be happening… How did she even get here so fast? My parents just went down to call her!

"Shepard, we talked about this on the way over," a soft, warning voice said, and Lycoris finally noticed Liara standing at Shepard's side. The expression on her face was concerned, but for the most part, she seemed rational. "Our daughter and Lycoris are both safe, and Aria has already taken care of the responsible parties. That's the only thing that matters."

Lycoris was instantly relieved. She shot Doctor T'Soni a look of desperate gratitude, receiving a smile in return. Okay. Maybe instead of getting murdered, I'll just end up in the hospital for a few more weeks…

Unfortunately, Shepard wasn't satisfied. "That was before I walked in and heard our kid talking about bonding and getting pregnant!"

While Lycoris wondered if she was strong enough to create a barrier that could withstand an attack from the great Commander Shepard, Athena remained completely relaxed. The hold on her hand tightened, and Lycoris squeezed back despite her fear. "I think you pretty much covered it," Athena said, staring Shepard straight in the eye. "Lycoris and I will bond in a few years. And when we're both ready, we'll get to work on giving you grandchildren."

Shepard's face darkened even further. "You are far too young to think about getting bonded, young lady," she insisted, taking a step forward to crowd into their space.

Lycoris's first instinct was to shrink into the bed, as far away from Shepard's wrath as possible, but the unapologetic way Athena held her hand infused her with courage. She could be brave with her lover by her side. She sat up, and though she remained silent, she didn't flinch or avert her eyes.

"Mother was only a few years older than me when she met you," Athena pointed out. "And from the way you both tell it, you knew from that first month on the Normandy that you were destined to be bondmates."

"But we still didn't go through with the ceremony until many years later. When we were both very, very sure," Shepard argued, almost pleadingly.

Athena rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Dad. You only waited because of the war. There was so much uncertainty, and no time to think of only yourselves."

Shepard opened her mouth, ready with some other retort, but Liara's hand landed on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. "This is not a conversation we need to have now," Liara said, her tone as soft as usual, but with an unmistakable authority suffusing it. "We came to see that the children were all right. And to thank Lycoris for saving Athena. Right, Shepard?"

There was a low grumbling as Shepard's taut body relaxed a little, but she took a small breath and said, "Right. Thank you, Lycoris, for protecting our daughter. No matter our differences, I know you care deeply about Athena. She's lucky to have you."

Happy to take whatever vote of confidence she could from her lover's father, Lycoris sat up as straight as she could and looked Shepard in the eye. "Thank you, ma'am," she said, purposefully using the human term of respect. "I love Athena, and I hope that one day you'll give us your blessing."

The furrow in Shepard's brow smoothed out, and her eyes softened. "You have it already, Corrie. Just don't get any ideas into your head about eloping. If you do, I will hunt you down, and we will be having words. And you don't even want to imagine what I'll do to you if Athena tells me she's pregnant."

Lycoris swallowed, hoping her trembling wasn't visible. "Understood, ma'am."

"Good." Shepard approached the hospital bed, and Lycoris flinched until she realized that the Commander's arms were opening. To her complete surprise, Shepard pulled her into a firm embrace, bending over to hug her for several long moments. "You turned out just like Aria, kid," she said, her voice breaking a little with emotion. "Thank God."

Lycoris didn't respond, completely confused by the statement. It was true that she had inherited her father's appearance—and had borrowed most of her wardrobe—but in all honesty, she didn't see many other resemblances. Aria was always brave and confident, and here she was, only able to keep her composure because Athena still had a death-grip on her hand. "I—I'm sorry, I don't..."

Shepard laughed, pulling back slightly without letting go. "Because even though she likes to pretend she's a cold, unfeeling badass, Aria would do anything for the people she loves. I've seen her run straight into gunfire and blow up walls for Tevos without a moment of hesitation. If that's the kind of person you are too, Athena couldn't have made a better choice."

"Jeez, Dad," Athena drawled, grinning from ear to ear. "That's setting the bar pretty high, isn't it? 'Must be willing to face down a squad of mercs to date my daughter.' If Lycoris wasn't interested in me, I'd never get a girlfriend."

"From what Aria told me, you were the one facing down the squad of mercs," Shepard said. She ended the hug, and Lycoris saw her lean over again to give Athena a tight squeeze. "I'm so proud of you, but never ever do that again, okay?" she whispered, rocking Athena back and forth. "When I heard you were in the hospital, I nearly had a goddamn heart attack."

Athena tolerated the fussing, but didn't let go of Lycoris's hand. "It's fine, Dad. I'm fine. Corrie's the one who got hurt..."

"How are you doing?" Liara asked, and Lycoris realized she was being addressed. "Aria and Tevos told us you were unconscious for several hours."

"Not bad under the circumstances," she said, even though her chest felt like an elcor had stepped on it and her head was starting to drift into a tired fog. Liara had been like a second mother to her growing up, and Lycoris didn't want to worry her.

Instead of accepting the explanation, Liara activated the small datapad built into the wall above the bed, scrolling through the glowing white text and reading aloud. "Emergency staff notes significant blunt trauma to the chest, broken ribs, pulmonary contusions, internal bleeding... that doesn't sound like 'not bad' to me."

Lycoris tried to laugh it off, but immediately wished she hadn't. The attempt made her chest ache too much. "I thought you weren't that kind of doctor?"

Liara gave her a look. "I served on a warship. I know a thing or two about serious injuries."

"It's nothing that won't heal," Lycoris said, giving Athena's hand a reassuring squeeze when she felt her lover tense at the list of her injuries. "The important thing is that we're both alive, and the future holds infinite possibilities." And now, Lycoris was excited about her future because there was a great possibility that Athena would be a part of it.

Athena gave her a smile and squeezed her hand in return. "Then you should gets some rest. Help those 'minor wounds' heal so you can get back on your feet and greet that future you're talking about."

It was Lycoris's natural instinct to object. She'd just been passed out for a few hours, and now she wanted to spend some time with Athena. But she was really tired, and she did want to get out of the hospital as fast as possible, so maybe resting wasn't such a bad idea. Lycoris was still trying to make a decision one way or the other when her body decided for her and she slipped off to sleep.