End Game – Chapter Twenty

As Tabitha exited the ship, Cortez saluted smartly, "Commander."

Tabitha saluted back, raising an eyebrow and quirking a smile, "Everything in order? The Collectors, or Cerberus, or the Reapers haven't taken over the ship?"

Tabitha caught the slightest hesitation before he replied, "No, Ma'am. Neither Collectors, nor Cerberus, nor Reapers have taken over the ship."

As Tabitha walked to the elevator, she spoke over her shoulder, "Carry on, Cortez," At the elevator, she turned on her heel looking at Cortez, "and Steve, I would like an update on the acquisition of the equipment we spoke about earlier." Turning back around pressing the "up" button, she waited for Thane, Feron, and Garrus.

The elevator door opened as they approached, and they all piled in. Vega had his work station down in the shuttle bay with Cortez so Tabitha knew he was not getting on the elevator. Glint in her eyes, smirking, Tabitha inquired, holding her hand over the "level 3" button, "Garrus, heading to the forward battery to do some calibrations?"

Garrus responded wryly, "Commander, I was going to ask you the same question."

Glancing at Thane, gray flames flickering in the depths of her ocean colored eyes, Tabitha smiled slightly, "In time, Gar…in time. Duty comes first. I need to find out what happened with EDI and the Normandy, meet with General-now Primarch Victus, conduct a mission de-briefing, and report to Admiral Hackett and the Citadel Council."

Garrus laid a hand on Thane's shoulder, clacking his mandibles, "No calibrations of your main gun in the near future. You may have to do the calibrations yourself."

Thane smiled looking up at Garrus, "I am very patient." His eyes shifted to Tabitha, allowing her to see the hidden flames, his voice dropped to a deep growl, "I prefer help with my calibrations."

Tabitha caught her breath at the implied meaning of his words, heat speeding through her system centering in her groin. Smile spread across his face as he caught the change in her scent. The elevator doors opened as Garrus and Feron exited quickly.

As the elevator doors closed, Garrus looked to Feron, "Any bets that the elevator gets stopped in between floors and he gets his calibrations sooner than later?"

Feron smiled, placing one hand on Garrus' shoulder, "I do not wager on determinable outcomes. I will talk to you later. I need to discuss some important issues with Liara."

Garrus headed to the forward batteries as Feron headed to Liara's work area, his feet suddenly heavy, hands damp and shaking slightly, chest tight and hard to breathe, taste of bile in his mouth. He felt like he was back on the Shadow Broker's ship after a torture session. Standing outside of her door, "What is wrong?" He thought to himself. "I can flirt with Tabitha, Thane, Kolyat, Liara, and others. Why can't I express my true feelings to Liara?" While one part of his mind asked the question, another part answered, "You know the answer. You are a coward. You are not good enough for her. You are a liar, thief, cheat. You cannot commit to anything. Why even try?"

As Feron was warring with himself, the door opened to a startled Liara. "Feron…"

Hearing Liara's voice prompted Feron into action, moving rapidly, grasping Liara by her upper arms holding them firmly against her side; he lifted her, propelling them back into Liara's work area, stopping by her bed before gently placing her back on her feet, "We need to talk."

Looking at Feron, Liara became worried. His body language screamed anxiety and panic. "What happened on Menae to scare him so?" She thought to herself. "What am I thinking…he was with Tabitha." Smiling to herself, "Tabitha has scared a couple centuries off my life in the time I have known her."

Placing a comforting hand on Feron's shoulder, speaking in a calming voice, she replied while smiling, "If you do not want to go on any more missions with Tabitha, I understand. She can be suicidal at times. I will talk with her. She will understand."

Feron stared at Liara, not comprehending what she said at first. Shaking his head from side to side, he stated, "It has nothing to do with Tabitha or the mission or…" His words trailed off as he pulled Liara into his arms brushing his lips against hers gently sucking on her bottom lip. As Liara opened up to him, he deepened the kiss, eliciting a moan from her. When the kiss ended, both were breathless, a slight purple flush to Liara's normal blue complexion.

Looking Liara fully in her eyes, he gently caused her to sit on the edge of the bed as he knelt down in front of her, "Marry me, Dr. Liara T'Soni. Be my bond and life mate."

Liara was completely astounded. Never in a thousand years did she think that Feron would be proposing marriage. Since she first met Feron, he intrigued her, as she felt a connection between the two of them. Even with his betrayal and double dealing, she could not stop caring for him. In time, her affection became love. She never thought he would reciprocate her love, though they had a physical relationship while searching for Tabitha's body, which continued after his rescue from the Shadow Broker. Keeping her voice calm and facial features normal, she inquired, "Before I answer your question, I need to know the reason why you are asking me."

Standing up, Feron began to pace the length of the room, "I was fascinated with you from the first time I saw you entering the bar on Omega. You were so determined and self-assured…so beautiful. Try as hard as I could, I could not stop my love for you." Stopping, he looked at her, sadness filling his eyes, "You were a score…a mark to be had." Looking away, he started pacing again, "But you cared…you treated me as an equal and showed me I could be more than a liar and a thief. You believed in me. You even forgave me when I betrayed you. There was no question..no hesitation to make sure you got away with Commander Shepherd. The memories of our time together are what sustained me through each torture session."

Liara saw such emotion..such love from Feron's eyes as he knelt in front of her taking her hands in his, "When you and Commander Shepherd rescued me, she was the avenging angel, Arashu's siha, but you were…" His voice broke as a tear slid down his cheek into his neck fringes, "I thought I was dreaming. You came for me. You actually came for me. I was a broken man and you cared. I wanted to ask you… planned on it... but you were so busy being the Shadow Broker, and helping Admiral Hackett and…"

Feron stood up, pacing again before stopping in front of Liara, "Please forgive me, Liara."

Standing up, taking Feron's hands in hers, she replied, "Forgive you for what, Feron?"

"I dishonored your name," he answered staring at the ground.

"How?" She asked.

Looking at her, he replied, "Flirting with Tabitha, Thane, Kolyat, and others. I would not have actually done anything, but still…"

Smiling, gently kissing Feron, Liara whispered against his lips, "Yes."

Feron pulled back from the kiss like he had been electrocuted, a shudder running through his body. Eyes wide, full of astonishment, Feron asked cautiously, "Did you just say, 'yes?' You will marry me?"

As Liara nodded her head in confirmation, Feron lifted her in his arms swinging her in a circle, "I am the luckiest drell in the universe!" He exclaimed. Upon setting her down, he wrapped his arms around her back, bringing her flush against his chest. Liara could hear a rumbling purr coming from his chest as he feather kissed her fringe before fluttering his tongue behind her right ear, "Liara, I want to have beautiful blue-scaled daughters with you. If Thane and Tabitha can have children during this war, we can too. I promise I will protect you and our daughters till my last breath, my love."

Startled, Liara exclaimed, "Tabitha is pregnant?!"

Pulling back to look at Liara keeping her in his arms, he spoke, voice gravelly from desire, "You did not know, my love?"

She shook her head, 'no', and Feron replied, desire evident in his voice, "Well, you can ask her later. Now, I plan to worship your body and claim you as my own," he picked her up gently, and laid her on the bed.

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Once the elevator doors closed, Tabitha pressed the "stop" button on the door panel, eyes alight with a seductive gleam. She crooked one finger urging Thane forward, a slight smirk lifting one corner of her mouth. Instantly, Thane was pressing Tabitha against the elevator wall with his body, his hands clasping hers, holding them against the wall on either side of her head.

Bending his head fluttering his tongue behind her left ear, he growled, "Siha, your scent is intoxicating."

Tabitha could not stop the moans escaping her lips as she moved her head to the side, granting him better access to her neck, "I am yours, Kadar," she responded in a voice filled with desire.

Thane felt his fangs drop from the roof of his mouth. His body wanted her so badly. His mind knew this was not the right time or place. He did not want a quick fix, but a night of never-ending passion. Willing his body under control and allowing his fangs to retract back into the roof of his mouth, he moved his head, placing his forehead against hers. From her short breaths and rapid heart rate, he knew Tabitha was affected similarly. Unknown timbre to his voice, "Siha…" he rasped.

Moving her head slightly, brushing her lips against his, she breathed hoarsely, "We cannot do this…" Her body clearly not following her mind as she feather kissed down to the red ribbing, tonguing the layers on the left side of his neck.

Thane's legs buckled for a moment at the intense pleasure spiking through his body. In a voice hoarse with desire, he commanded in a deep growl, "EDI, get this elevator to the Captain's quarters now!"

EDI responded, humor evident in her vocalization, "Yes, Sere Krios."

From Thane's neck, Tabitha stated, "and EDI, erase all audio and video feed since the time Thane and I entered this elevator."

"Yes, Commander," replied EDI. As the elevator doors opened, EDI inquired, "Do you wish for me to lock the Captain's quarters?"

Thane growled, "Yes," lifting Tabitha up moving rapidly into their living quarters pressing her up against the fish tank. His hands were removing her armor as his tongue flitted around and behind her right ear, "Siha, I agree. This is not a good time. Do you wish for me to stop?"

As Thane was removing Tabitha's armor, Tabitha was removing Thane's jacket and vest having memorized every buckle, clasp, and zipper years ago. Clarity of mind surfaced for a moment past the passion pushing Thane gently back, "Yes."

Looking up into his fathomless black orbs smelling his masculinity, she grabbed his shoulders wrapping her arms around his neck bringing him down to meet her lips, "Hell, no." The kiss was long, slow, and languorous, promising so much more.

Thane sensed more than heard and felt the ever so slight change in Tabitha's breathing. His Siha was going into a Kepral's attack. He knew most of the nuances of the disease having dealt with it for years. Tabitha had ever been by his side, never leaving him - always comforting him and looking for a cure - never giving up. His passion turned to compassion in less than a heartbeat. Not allowing her to see his concern, he slowly withdrew from the kiss fluttering his tongue down her neck to the hollow of her collarbone continuing to undress her down to her military underweave shorts and sports bra. Stepping back, he quickly finished what Tabitha had started by removing his boots, socks, and leather armor pants, staying clothed in his underweave shorts.

Scooping Tabitha up into his arms, he moved toward the bed. With a slight movement of one hand, he utilized his biotics to pull the comforter down exposing the sheets. "I am not feeling the symptoms of a Kepral's attack," he thought to himself, "Why is Tabitha?"as his acute hearing detected the wheeze of her bronchi constricting. Placing her gently in the center of the bed, he moved beside her speaking calmly in drell, "Tabitha, please place your arms above your head," placing his hands in hers to gently lift them up. Thane saw apprehension in her facial features. He knew that fear and anxiety would only exasperate the symptoms.

Removing his hands from hers, "Siha, keep your arms up. It will help keep your airways open." Placing one hand in the center of her back and the other on her chest between her breasts, he moved his hands in a clockwise motion focusing his biotic energy from one hand to the other through her body. "I am glad I have eidic memory to remember exactly what Tabitha does to alleviate, counter, and stop the attacks," he thought to himself. "She has done this many times over the years since I was diagnosed with Kepral's syndrome." Smiling to himself, he remembered her response when told of his condition, "We will find a cure, Kadar. I have faith. You are not alone. I am here for you and with you. We are mates. Mates do not give up on each other…leave when times get tough. I am here till the end." He knew she would not have left him, but the words were so reassuring.

After a couple minutes, Thane stopped rubbing her front and back, positioning himself instead in a sitting position against the head board of the bed keeping his legs spread apart. Motioning with one hand, "Tabitha, my love, come here…lean against my chest." Tabitha did not say a word, lowering her arms and positioning her back against his chest. Thane could feel the tension throughout her body as he placed his right hand toward the back of her head and neck and his left hand toward the front of her head and temples. Applying slight pressure with both hands on specific nerve clusters and muscle groups, he spoke softly, "Breathe deeply, my love. Follow me. When I inhale, you inhale. When I exhale, you exhale."

Her reply did not sound like his Siha, so child-like, so uncertain, so quiet, as she started to shiver from shock, "It hurts, Thane. My lungs are on fire...cannot breathe."

"I know, Siha. I know it hurts, but you have to try. I am here. Focus on me…now…the present. I am not leaving you." Keeping his voice deep, soothing and calm, he spoke reassuring words to her, accentuating the gravel and bass of his voice from his chest.

Alternating between her temples, head, neck, back, and chest; Thane felt Tabitha relax against his chest, her breathing less strained and more even, voice humming and purring in cadence to his own reverberations. While keeping Tabitha focused in the present, his mind slipped into memories of the past remembering one episode when he had a full blown Kepral's attack. The mission to check out a scuttled and damaged Collector's ship went horribly wrong as the Illusive Man had betrayed them. Everyone on the mission survived, but injuries had been sustained and nerves frayed.

Thane's Memories

Sweat glistening off Tabitha's face…hair damp hair framing her face…eyes alight with desire…lips full, deep red from kissing…her head moving side to side…moans, groans, and sighs of passion…hands clasped..smell of battle…smell of Siha..Tabitha urging me faster, harder, deeper…lungs begin to burn…ignore the pain…breathe catching…head swims…muscles cramping…lungs on fire…cannot breathe…shivering…darkness

Soft voice, so calm, so soothing…biotic glow, so warm…hands moving, lifting…darkness pushed back by the light of my Siha…eyes the color of the ocean-blue, green, gray…eyes full of love, full of concern…pain recedes…breathing returns..fall asleep, heart overflowing with love for my warrior angel thanking all the gods for giving her to me...

Thane could feel Tabitha's breathing slowing, becoming regular. He listened carefully, not hearing any wheezing. "I'm tired, Thane. I'm so tired," her voice still small.

Pushing the hair from her eyes, he brushed his lips against her hair, "Sleep, Tabitha, I will protect you." Wrapping his arms around her, letting himself be her pillow, he used the toes of one foot to grab the end of the comforter, pulling it up to cover them. Absently, he continued to hum a Drell lullaby his mother had hummed to him as he thought to himself, "Why is Tabitha having Kepral attacks? Is it the merging? Did she have past memories resurface again?"

Relaxing, he let himself go into a meditative state, "Aminkira, Arashu, Kilahira…I need your guidance…your wisdom and insight. You have helped me in the past with my Siha's night terrors and migraines. Why is she having Kepral attacks? Is it the merging? Is it the stress of our unborn child on her body? The stress of this war? You have placed me in her life as her Kadar. If I am to protect her, I need to know the enemy." As he meditated, voice whispered in his mind, "The enemy is within and without. Friends become enemies and enemies become friends. Trust your heart over your mind. What you have stated you will never do again, you will to save the ones you care for." Praying, Thane responded, "Thank you for your wisdom and insight. Thank you for your continual guidance. I will meditate on what you have revealed to me."

Tabitha shifting in her sleep caused Thane's thoughts to stray to how she helped him through the after effects of several Kepral attacks. As contradictory as it seemed, sexual activity and sexual release promoted quicker recovery times. Smiling to himself, Thane opened his eyes noticing the rapid eye movement under her closed lids. He breathed deeply inhaling the scent of arousal wafting him his Siha.

Leaning forward, he whispered near her ear, "Siha."

Tabitha mumbled back, "Yes, Thane."

"What are you dreaming about?" His voice a husky whisper fluttering his tongue along the rim of her ear softly blowing into the inside shell.

Tabitha moaned a reply, "You," her breathing slightly more erratic from arousal.

His voice continuing to tickle her ear, he asked seductively, "What am I doing?"

Her only response was an audible moan, "Yes, more."

Thane smirked and shifted slightly on the bed, alleviating the pressure of Tabitha against his erection. Smelling her arousal and hearing her moans of pleasure were very distracting to both his physical body and mental facilities. Keeping his lips near her ear, he whispered, "Take my hand, my love"

"Yes," came the husky reply as he grasped one of her hands; his other hand gently kneading one breast through the material of the sports bra, thumb tracing across the nipple.

His voice a deep growl, "Siha, do you feel my erection? Only you cause my body to react so. You feel so good…your smell arouses me so. Do you feel my kisses? You taste so good. I'm sucking on your bottom lip. Open for me, my love."

Through their clasped hands, Thane was experiencing Tabitha's dream and Thane was influencing her dream through his seductive talk. Though his mind's eye, he saw himself kissing Tabitha nibbling her bottom lip trying to gain access to her mouth with his tongue. He knew he was not physically kissing her, but it felt like he was.

Thane heard the husky reply, "Yes, Kadar," as she opened her lips slightly. In the dream state, Thane saw and felt her open her lips, her tongue snaking inside his mouth teasing the roof before he wrapped his longer more flexible tongue around hers. Thane heard himself groan audibly as he became fully engrossed in the dream.

As Thane continued to fondle Tabitha's breasts, he whispered near her ear, "Do you want me to continue? Do you wish for me to stop?"

Tabitha's response a plea, "Don't stop, Thane. Please, I beg you. More..."

"More, what, my love?"

"Touch me…I need your touch."

His voice a deep growl ghosting along the back of her ear, "Siha, I am yours," as he clasped his hand tighter with hers, "What do you want? Show me and I will make it happen."

In the dream, Thane trailed kisses from her lips, along her neck to nip at her collarbone before moving down to her breasts. As Thane was tweaking her nipples between his thumb and forefinger outside of the dream, he whispered, "I love the taste of your sweat as you become aroused. I love how your breasts feel in the palms of my hands as I knead and fondle them. I love the gasp of pleasure when I suckle and nip your nipples till they are at full perkness"

As Tabitha sensed everything in the dream, so did Thane. He tasted the sweetness of Tabitha's mouth and the saltiness of her skin. He heard her moans and groans of desire, along with his own. He felt everything in her dream being done to him along with her. He felt the kisses trailing along his neck, nipping at his collarbone, and tracing across his chest.

Outside of the dream, Thane moved his hand from Tabitha's breasts downward under her military shorts to rest along the folds of her womanhood. Near her ear, he whispered, "You are so warm, Siha. So moist…" Pushing his conjoined middle finger into her depths, "You are so tight. I want to hear you. Come for me, my love."

In the dream, Thane was moving slowly in and out of his Siha, resting on his forearms. Looking into his Siha's eyes, gray with ardor, he saw her face flush with passion, lips slightly parted, sweat sheened across her upper lip. From her parted lips, she moaned, "Yes, Thane. Harder…Faster."

Inside the dream, Thane complied picking up the pace, Tabitha arching her back with his downward strokes. Outside the dream, Thane's conjoined fingers also picked up the pace hitting her g-spot with each inward stroke, his thumb circling her clitoris in an ever quickening pace feeling his own erection growing longer and thicker.

Thane heard Tabitha cry out in passion, "Thane…I…Thane…I'm…" Outside of the dream, Tabitha climaxed, her inner muscles massaging and holding Thane's fingers in place. Inside the dream, Tabitha climaxed, the inner walls clenching down, massaging, and milking Thane's drellhood, causing him to climax both inside and outside of the dream.

Thane slowly released Tabitha's hand settling back against the headboard of the bed allowing his heart rate to return to normal. Wrapping his arms around Tabitha moving them so he was spooned against her back on his side, he closed his eyes. Smiling to himself, "This merging does have its benefits," as sleep overtook him.

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