Jane couldn't sleep, every time closing her eyes to the horrors of her nightmares.
She runs down the never ending hallway to try and get to the lab before it's too late, before they take away one of the best things to ever happen to her, but she's always too late. She always comes to an empty room, an empty cell where perhaps her only friend once was.
What can she do? How can someone like her convince the world that the first ever alien to set foot on Earth shouldn't be harmed?
It's something she doesn't know and something that is keeping her up.
She doesn't know why or how, but just hearing that voice that sounds like two echoing off each other just calms her, brings her to a happy place. Holding his hand was one of the best experiences she's ever had, both because she was probably the first person to ever hold hand with an alien but also because, long claws and rough skin aside, it felt like she's known him for her entire life, like what he was didn't matter.
Sitting up from her too hard bunk, she buries her head in her hands, crying softly. Garrus doesn't deserve what they'll do to him in only a few days and he's just fine with it. He doesn't fear the torture Dr Lawson will inflict and that only makes her feel worse.
She'll lose a friend, maybe her only one, and he doesn't even want to fight for his life. Whatever sort of job a Spectre was, it was a stupid one that was going to get him hurt and then killed because it won't let him fight.
Hearing her alarm blaring urgently to get up, she sniffles and wipes at her eyes. She quietly and sluggishly gets up to start getting dressed, pulling on jeans and a comfortable shirt before her flat sneakers. At least, she figures as she dresses, she will have the lab to herself and Garrus, Lawson not one to work on the weekends. It doesn't help the nagging feeling of dread, but she hopes she can make his time the best she is capable of.
Which makes her think…and come up with what has to be the most amazing idea she's ever had. She'll need to go home to prepare it and make up the time she'll miss tonight, but it should be completely worth it.
Plan in mind, she quickly grabs her things and rushes out.
She doesn't return to the base for a few more hours, way into the late hours of the afternoon. With hopes, her surprise will make it up to Garrus for her absence.
Stepping out of the lift, holding the plastic, square container to her chest, she stops in surprise when she sees a familiar face waiting outside of the lab. Arms crossed over his chest and fingers tapping distractedly against his arms, the dark haired Lieutenant Commander doesn't see her at first until she speaks.
"Lieutenant Commander Alenko?" She frowns in confusion as she approaches, wondering why he's down here waiting and not just passing by on his daily checks. "Is something wrong?"
"Wrong? No, nothing is wrong." He chuckles, winking at her and taking a step closer, his eyes never leaving her face. Just as he stands directly in front of her he notices the container she carries and raises his brows in question. "Got a surprise for me in there?" He chuckles softly and tries to lift the lid to take a peek.
Frowning, Jane lays her hand on the top of the lid, holding it down. "It's my lunch. I made it for the… special occasion." She fights her wince at pretending to take any joy in the idea of cutting open her, if she really considers it, best friend.
He snorts at that and still tries to open the lid, not really satisfied with the answer. "Yeah, I can't wait to find out how this ugly fucker looks on the inside… Come on, show me what you got? Maybe we can share?" Another step closer to her, laying his hand on hers. "And I can make it up to you tonight…"
He has an almost greasy smirk on his face, showing his bright, white teeth and it makes her step back, pulling from under his touch. "I don't think I have the time," she says with a forced smile and isn't ashamed at pressing against the wall as she rounds him. "If you'll excuse me, I'm already really late and I don't want to take any more of your time."
She nearly runs once her back is to him, rushing for the lab and trying to ignore the feeling of eyes boring into her back. She doesn't know what is is about Kaidan Alenko, but he has a way of making her skin itch and stomach clench. It's not a very comfortable feeling even if his words are trying to be friendly.
When the thick doors finally let her through, she practically jumps into the lab. Back to the wall, she lets out a heavy breath as her, for some reason, speeding heart slows to a more languid pace.
Once calmed, she looks up to her friend, smile fading into a deep set, concerned frown.
Garrus thrashes and growls, mandibles twitching uncontrollably in his sleep and head tossing around as his body jerks. Deep gashes dig into the wall where he must have clawed at it and the mattress lies in shredded tatters under him. Whatever he is dreaming, it must have quite the effect and hold on him.
"Garrus." She rushes to the window, forgetting the box in her hands, and calls to him, "Garrus! Wake up!" When he doesn't react, she kicks the glass hard, perhaps hurting her foot but not feeling it in the moment and shouts again. "Wake up!"
His eyes fly open, his body and head snap up and he can't hide the smile and purr at the sight of her standing there. "Hey, Jane." He looks at her and tilts his head in question as he sees the look on her face. "What's wrong?"
She doesn't know whether he's hiding it for her own worries or doesn't actually know he was having a nightmare, but forces a smile. The last thing she wants to do is force him to open up about something so seemingly intense that he dug out deep gouges in the wall.
Instead, she motions the container in her hands. "Hungry?"
"You can read my mind." He chuckles and hides his groan as he stands up, his back aching, but the last he wants is her worrying about him even more than she already did. His tall, almost naked form towers over her, just the glass wall of his cell separating them now.
She smiles, unafraid, and crouches down, wedging the container under the slot in the wall. It's a tight fit, but she manages to hit it under, the box sliding to his feet. "I hope you like it," she says with a chuckle.
His eyes wander to the plastic box, he bows down and feels and hears his back crack. At least one thing I won't have to worry about much longer, he thinks sarcastically.
Halfway down he decides to not get back up again, just falling back and landing on his ass and picks the box up. He looks at her before opening the box. "You won't eat with me?"
Jane just shrugs and motions it. "Open, open."
Her eagerness makes him chuckle and he opens the box as he nods, growling intrigued as the smell of REAL meat hits his nose. "You got me meat? Wow… For me? Really? Why?" A typical turian smile, one mandible flared, as he looks at her.
Jane chuckles and sits down with him, crossing her legs. "It's brisket. All five pounds of it."
"Wow… I don't know what to say." His eyes wander between the meat and his friend, mandibles twitching. "Please, share it with me?" He gives her the obviously galaxy wide known puppy eyes.
"Did… did you just give me puppy eyes?" she asks with a chuckle and smiles, nodding. "Okay, okay. Hand some under."
She then slides her hand under the glass wall, unafraid for a while of him ever hurting her. If he wanted to, he'd have done it plenty of times. Heck, he could have probably killed everyone here if he chose.
His sharp and long claws rip the meat apart without much effort, the delicious smelling juice flowing over his palm. He holds up a piece, about a third of the whole steak and lays it in her hand, his fingers touching her hand. It lingers even as the meat is already in her palm and his eyes search for hers with a wide smile on his face.
Chuckling, she switches hands to hold his with her free hand as she pulls the piece of brisket back out. It feels good touching him, differences and all, because he feels more human than even her own people. Something about him makes her feel a sort of safety she hasn't felt since her father passed.
Her hand in his was all the peace he needed in this hell of a cell. If he can chose, this is exactly what he wants to do with what little time he had left in this galaxy. Right here, right now, holding her hand was all he wanted.
His steel blue eyes are locked with her green ones and he gently squeezes her five fingered hand as he basically eats the whole steak at once, taste taking him by surprise, causing him to moan shameless and obscene. She chuckles and chews much more casually on her piece as she squeezes back, his hand way too large for hers.
"Good?" she asks in between one bite and the next.
"Hmmm… Fucking good." He growls and smirks, licking his mouth plates and fingers clean from the tasty juices. "You're a fucking amazing cook, Jane."
Blushing, she ducks her head shyly and chews silently. The only one to ever compliment her cooking was her dad, and it's been too long since she's heard his soothing voice.
The only bad thing about the silence is it has her thinking. Just like her father, she is soon to lose her best friend. It turns this silent, comforting moment sour and sickly, something Garrus is sure to be able to pick up on.
"And now you gonna tell me what you're thinking." Garrus chuckles and raises his brows. He still has difficulties to read other humans but Jane? No big deal.
"I… I don't want to lose you," she admits as she looks up to him, frowning deeply. "We have to think of a way to keep them from hurting you. Monday is only a few days away…"
"Yeah… I don't want to leave you, Jane. How long until Monday?" He purrs, tugging her hand and smiling reassuringly.
"Two days-" She stops herself as her eyes widen. "I have an idea."
"Huh? What idea?"
Releasing his hand, she stands and rushes to the computers. "If I can modify the samples… I might be able to make you seem deadly. I mean, besides the obvious."
"Hold on… You want to turn me into a venomous, dangerous alien monster?" He chuckles.
"Pretty much, yeah," she responds with a smirk. "All it will take is a few changes to the bits and pieces of DNA I got off your armor."
"You can really do that? I mean, how?"
"Well, they don't the readouts but me. All I do is just adjust what the results say and we should be able to make you out to be a poisonous alien that they shouldn't mess with without proper equipment." She frowns and stops typing for a moment. "I might just be able to extend the time before they hurt you, though."
"Jane, I will take any extension I can get." His mandibles flick in a smile. "Every minute I can talk to you is worth a try."
Looking to him, she blushes and nods. "Let's do this. Ready to become poisonous?"
"I waited all my life for a girl to ask me that question while I'm locked in a cell." He rumbles amused and she laughs, getting to work