Ashley collapsed into the softness of the bed, still gasping for breath after her final orgasm. Her lover seemed equally exhausted, collapsing on top of the Spectre's bare chest and pressing weak little kisses on the curves of her breasts while Ashley let her hands rest on Sha'ira's back. The sweaty warmth of her skin felt so good, and just being able to touch it as much as she wanted was a gift she'd been denied for far to long.

"Feeling better?", she asked, her fingers stroking up and down the asari's spine.

"By the Goddess, yes," Sha'ira panted, curling up into the marine's embrace. "Truly, there was nothing that I needed more." Smiling at the compliment, Ashley just held the Consort close until Sha'ira spoke once more. "I feel as if I have missed so much these last few weeks," she told her, "This terrible war reached its climax while I was locked in a cargo hold. I know little more than that we won."

"I'm not sure whether to say you didn't miss much or that you missed a lot," Ashley laughed. "It was complete madness at the end. 'Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war' doesn't even begin to describe it. Half the galaxy was there with us at Earth and we still almost didn't make it." Ashley shuddered a little as she remembered that last battle. With everything that had happened since then, she'd barely had time to reflect on what a narrow thing it was, but in the cold light of day, it seemed nothing short of a miracle that any of them were still there.

"Of course, it was the skipper who got through and activated the Crucible," she explained. "Blew those Reaper sons of bitches straight back to hell. It also kind of dimmed the lights on the Mass Relays for a while, but otherwise things turned out okay."

"And is the commander all right?", Sha'ira asked the Spectre. "My captor seemed to believe that she was still a force in the galaxy."

"Yeah, Liara's looking after her now, though I suspect it'll be a while before she's back to forcing anything. She took one hell of a pounding."

"She certainly deserves her rest," the asari said before leaning up to catch Ashley's lips for a kiss, "As do you. You have all done remarkable things and you should enjoy the fruits of your victory."

"I'm working on that," Ashley grinned before adding, "I am still a Spectre though, so eventually I'll have to get back to work, especially with the galaxy in the shape it's in, but yeah, a little R&R does seem to be called for." She stroked the Consort's crest, enjoying the feel of her lover murmuring happily against her collarbone. "What about you? The Reapers trashed the Citadel pretty thoroughly, and what they didn't get, Shepard blew up when she fired the Crucible. I imagine you'll have to find somewhere else to work for the time being."

"Now that you have mentioned my job…" Sha'ira looked up at the marine, her dark blue eyes unusually unsure, and Ashley felt a fresh pang of guilt as she guessed where the conversation was headed.

"Listen," she said, raising a hand in an apologetic gesture, "I meant what I said before. I was upset and I mouthed off without thinking. You don't owe me anything."

"I appreciate that, but I do think you deserve more than what I have given. I was so busy telling you what I was not that I didn't properly help you to understand what I am."

"I'm not sure I really wanted to ask," Ashley admitted, both to herself and to Sha'ira. "I liked you so much and I was afraid I might not be happy with your answer."

"And that was a reasonable decision when our arrangement was of a more casual nature," Sha'ira agreed. "But I love you, Ashley. And you love me. We will require some measure of honesty if we are to undertake a more committed relationship."

The marine took a deep breath. She was still apprehensive, but Sha'ira was right. The asari made her feel things and want things that she'd never considered before and if she was going to have a shot at getting them, they had to move past this. "All right," she told the Consort, "Help me to understand."

"There is not a human word that entirely describes what I am," the asari began. "But the closest one I have found is councilor. People come to me because they desire guidance and comfort in what can be a difficult galaxy." At the word "comfort," Ashley felt a pang of jealousy, but she said nothing, determined not to interrupt this time. "I do my best to provide those things for my clients, to set them on a path that will be of help to them."

"For some, simple advice is enough. Others however require encouragement or reassurance and in some cases that help can take on physical and even sexual forms." Sha'ira paused, the beautiful asari clearly considering her next words carefully. "I have lived a very long time by your standards, Ashley, and experienced many things. There is little more precious than the intimacy shared between beings who truly love one another, but it is not the only reason that people chose to have sex. Sometimes it is purely a physical pleasure, and sometimes, it can be a way of conveying affection and comfort to someone that you care about, even if they are not a romantic partner."

"I only take on those clients that I choose, and even with them, there is no guarantee that there will be a sexual component to our arrangements. At times though, when I thought that it would benefit those who sought my help and that I could also enjoy it, I did form such a connection. It was a decision I always considered carefully before making it, and there were times, as with Septimus, when it did not work out as I would have wished, but it was my choice and I am not ashamed of it. It has been a long span of years since I had a bondmate, and why should I not then find my pleasures elsewhere and perhaps bring happiness to others in the process?"

The Spectre bit her lip, chewing over Sha'ira words. "I think I see what you're saying," she conceded. "It's not really… It's not how I think about this stuff, but what do I know? I'm just a dumb grunt, and you're from another species and you've had a totally different life. But now, I…" She hesitated, afraid to say something that would spoil the incredible afternoon they had just shared but knowing that she had no real choice. "Look, I'm not going to judge you for your past, but when I think about you being with someone else now, I don't like how it makes me feel. I can't tell you what to do, but I don't want it to be that."

The marine had turned away slightly as she said the words, afraid that the sight of the beautiful asari would make her lose her resolve, but Sha'ira moved to meet her gaze once more, and when she did, Ashley immediately started to breath easier. There was a warmth in the Consort's eyes, and her voice was soft as she answered, "I told you earlier that it had been a long time since I had a bondmate. That word is another that it is difficult to translate, but it means someone that an asari has formed a powerful connection with. Sometimes it is associated with bearing children, but that is not the center of it. The heart of the word is how we feel about the other person, and you make me feel uninterested in sharing that kind of intimacy with anyone else."

Ashley smiled, an almost unbelieving joy filling her heart at what she'd just heard. "You really mean that? You want to be my bondmate?"

"I do. I don't know what the future will bring, but I want it to be you that I share that journey with."

The Spectre leaned down, giving a long kiss to the woman she loved. "You don't know how happy that makes me."

"No," Sha'ira agreed playfully, running a hand down Ashley's torso, "But I look forward to finding out."

"Is there anything we're forgetting?"

Sha'ira didn't bother looking back into the mansion as the couple made their way towards the massive front doors. "No. I lost all of my possessions during my captivity. Indeed, I lack even my omni-tool." She linked her arm with Ashley's. "Until I am able to get access to my accounts once again, I am, as they say, dependant on your charity."

"Don't worry," the Spectre assured her, "I won't take advantage." She grinned. "At least not too much."

"I trust I will enjoy any favors you request," the asari said coyly as they them made their way to the shuttle. It was just the two of them now, well, the two of them and Gorax waiting back on their stolen frigate. Zaeed had left them a message saying he was heading off on his own after getting some intel from Liara, and the rest of the former slaves were either making their way to what remained of civilization on Bekenstein or holing up in the mansion.

"I think you'll be fine once we get back to Earth," she told Sha'ira as they strapped themselves in into their seats. "I'm sure Liara can get you into your accounts even if you're short a few pieces of ID. She's got a lot of reach these days."

"I'm pleased to hear it. What about this krogan you have been working with? Gorax I believe you told me his name was. Can we trust him?"

"Trust might be a strong word," the marine said with a derisive snort, "But he's got no reason to screw us at this point over one more ride. He's walking away with the ship now that this is done with, plus whatever goodies from Hock's house he's busy stowing away up there now." Indeed, they'd brought both of the frigate's shuttles on the mission for that purpose and the krogan had left several hours earlier with what the freed slaves had described as a prodigious amount of booty. She reached over to the other seat to stroke Sha'ira's cheek. "He's welcome to it. I already got the most valuable thing there."

"Flatterer."

The Consort kissed Ashley's palm and for a time the two women sat in silence, enjoying the view of Bekenstein growing smaller below them. Everything with them felt so much less rushed than it had before. They'd spent too much time squeezing in quick fucks in-between missions, and Ashley was happy to savor this slower time together, admiring of the little details of her gorgeous –she could hardly believe the word applied –bondmate: the curve of her neck, the sparkle of her eyes, the complex shapes of her crest, and of course, that intoxicating scent that was better than any drug.

It wasn't until they were nearly docked with the frigate that Sha'ira spoke once more. "When we get the chance," the asari informed her, "You will have to tell me more about how you found me. I saw a few flashes when we were joined but it was not enough to know where you journey led, only to confirm that it was an difficult one."

"Difficult is definitely a good word for it," she agreed. "And I will explain more when we've got time." And when I figure out how to explain about Ilara, she added to herself. The way that the murderous asari had twisted her head in knots was not exactly her a topic she was looking forward to going into with Sha'ira. "What about you?", she asked, changing the subject. "I figured out the broad strokes when I was following you: the mercs, the slave market, Hock, but not a lot of the details."

"There is relative little to tell," Sha'ira said, but Ashley could hear in her voice the fear that the memories brought and she reached her arm out to wrap around Sha'ira's slim shoulders. "Everything happened so suddenly and I knew so little of what was going on as it did," the asari explained. "The Reapers were almost on the station before we knew that they were coming and the mercenaries who evacuated us simply locked their passengers in the cargo hold after we departed. The first time I realized I had been sold was when two of them came to take me to Hock's ship."

"I'm so sorry," Ashley told her.

"For what? As I told you, what happened was not your fault, it was mine."

"I still wish I could have gotten here sooner."

"You have done more then enough," Sha'ira assured her as the shuttle door opened out onto the cargo bay. "As much as anyone could have. Indeed, I may still have some additional gratitude to express on our trip back to…"

The Consort stopped speaking as she sensed the sudden change in Ashley's demeanor. Something was off, the Spectre realized as she dropped down onto the cold metal floor of the hold. "Where's Gorax?", she asked, the question directed as much to herself as to Sha'ira. "When I messaged him on approach, he said he'd meet us here."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about Gorax." Ashley's blood froze as she heard the voice coming from the cargo bay's upper walkway. The silky, menacing sound was one she'd suspected she'd face again some day, but not now. Not with Sha'ira here.

"You've been a very bad girl, Ashley Williams," Ilara purred, and Ashley's hand went for her gun.

And she's back, much as many of your surmised would happen. Anyway, let me know what you think of Ashley's talk with Sha'ira and Ilara's return, and thanks as always for reading.