AN: An early N7 day present. Sorry for my absence.

Chapter 15

Alone in a small but comfortable hospital room, Anderson thought about the past few days. He looked at the woman sleeping in the bed beside his chair, memorising her face, noting every wrinkle, every hair which was whiter than blond. Kahlee had been his friend for nearly two decades. Two decades of wasted friendship, he realised.

What they should have been was lovers.

They had faced many trials together, seen the world change. They came very close to losing each other several times. This, he believed, was the closest escape they ever had.

I have always loved her, he realised. It was a conclusion he came to as he waited for the doctors to finish examining her. Her injuries were seen to, and she was given strong pain medication. It knocked her out, letting her retreat into sleep where he hoped her heartache would heal.

Were they lovers? He found himself wondering about Grayson. Would it change how I feel?

He touched her hair, pushing a strand away from her face.

No, he thought quietly. That's not important.

His touch made Kahlee stir, and a soft sound escaped her throat. He heard pain there and whispered soothing words.

"It's alright, Kahlee," he murmured. "We are safe."

She blinked slowly and opened her eyes. They were clear and no longer red with tears. Looking around the room, she turned a questioning look on him.

"Are we still with Dr T'soni's people?"

He nodded, thinking about all the asari revealed to him. The world and people were changing too quickly.

"Liara said that her employer will arrange transport for us when we are ready to travel."

Kahlee nodded, her expression briefly shifting to anguish. "And Paul?"

"I don't know," he replied honestly. "They haven't discussed him." He paused. "Should I find out?" He was sure if pressured, Liara would be able to tell him what happened to the corpse.

Again, Kahlee's expression shifted, but she shook her head. "I think I just want to be done with it," she said, her voice heavy with grief. "He has a daughter, you know. It's why we were friends. We saved her from Cerberus. She had the potential to be just as powerful as Jack, I think. She had special needs, though. He managed to break the hold the Illusive Man had on him, and he took her away. He sacrificed his own peace for hers."

Anderson sighed softly. "Will you tell her?" He asked. "Did they have regular contact?"

Kahlee shook her head. "Not for years," she said. "I don't think she'll understand. Honestly, I don't even know if she'll register it if I did tell her. She's autistic." He could hear how this hurt her. "Maybe one day. If I have the time to do so."

Anderson nodded slowly and gently took her hand. It was still in Dr Gable's splint, and he was relieved to hear the veterinarian had done an excellent job. There was nothing Liara's people could do more but caution them to give the hands time to heal.

"I am sorry for your loss, Kahlee. You tried your best."

Her hand twitched in his.

"I did what I could," she said. "Not my best." She turned away from him, her eyes brighter. At a loss for words, Anderson brought her hand to his lips and lightly brushed her knuckles with a kiss. The touch made Kahlee turn back to him, surprise replacing loss.

"And that?" she asked. "Where did that come from?"

He smiled sadly and put her hand down. "We can discuss it later," he said. "I am just grateful we made it out alive." She surprised him by awkwardly retaking his hand.

"I want to discuss it now," she said, her light blue eyes intense. Anderson hesitated, feeling strangely out of his depth. As a soldier, he had very little to offer any relationship. It was one of the reasons his first marriage failed. Cynthia walked out on him because she could no longer sleep in an empty bed. Kahlee understood this because she understood duty.

The world is ending, David. The reapers are coming, and you don't even have a battle plan. It would be a greater tragedy if you let this moment pass than if you lost it.

"I love you, Kahlee Sanders," he spoke earnestly, surprised by how afraid he was suddenly. How could those words make him feel so panicked when he had faced death on so many battlefields?

Because she might not love you back.

Her eyes lost their intensity, though, and it was relief he saw there, not confusion.

"I never thought I'd hear those words," she whispered. "Coming from your lips."

Well, at least it wasn't a direct denial of his interest. Anderson chuckled and shrugged, a little embarrassed.

"It's not as if I have heard them from yours," he said, not knowing where to look. "Now should I…"

"I love you, David Anderson."

His heart leapt to his chest, and he felt giddy. Giddy!

They looked at each other and laughed together.

"Now, isn't this a thing," Anderson chuckled. "I am so surprised; I don't know what to do next."

Kahlee drew her other hand up, hooked it behind his head and pulled him closer in a kiss. It was all he dreamt it would be and more. "I do," she whispered when their lips parted. "We don't look back. We don't plan, and we don't strategise. We don't waste a single second more." Her voice was shaking. "Do you understand?"

It was one order he figured he wouldn't mind obeying.

"Yes, Ma'am," he said before he leaned in and kissed her again.

Miranda Lawson stood by the viewing window, her arms folded tightly over her chest and her face drawn in discomfort. Liara looked at her for a long time, thinking the human would notice her, but she did not.

She grimaced, thinking about the news the woman brought and quietly joined her in the small room.

"You should be resting," she said. "Your wounds can't be healed yet."

Miranda's cool eyes turned to her, acknowledging her presence. It was so hard to read her sometimes.

"I have work to do," she replied quietly. "I want to speak to Anderson, but he's… occupied."

Liara allowed herself a glimpse through the window. She blinked in surprise. "Oh my," she said. "I didn't realise they were lovers."

A rare smile played across Miranda's lips as she considered the two kissing humans. "I doubt they were," she said. "But it seems the heat of battle has rekindled old flames." The smile vanished as her expression hardened again, her thoughts turning inward. Liara moved as close to her as she dared. She didn't want to look at the two kissing, so she turned her back on them and leaned against the wall.

"What did you want to ask him?" She asked. "Anything I can help with?" When Miranda didn't reply, she ventured a guess.

"Does it have anything to do with Shepard?"

Blue eyes met hers.

"I want to see her," she said. "Tell her what's happened."

Liara was a little relieved to hear she wasn't the only one. But she had made her peace, knowing she wouldn't see the commander again for a long time. If ever.

Goddess Jane, I would have loved you so much…

"You know that's not possible," she spoke quietly. "No authority or influence can get you to Jane's side." She sighed. "Trust me, I've tried. It's too dangerous for you. I need you out here."

Miranda looked at her, her expression unreadable. She grimaced after some consideration and shrugged, finally turning her back on the two humans and leaning against the wall beside Liara.

"I guess you're right," she said. "Silly me." She grimaced as she moved, then wrapped her arms around herself again, holding her side. Liara was interested to learn that Miranda had denied any aid her doctors wanted to give her. She wanted the wound to heal naturally without regenerating the tissue.

"What's really bothering you, Lawson?"

Miranda grimaced. "I received an update from Jack," she said. "Asura is conscious but traumatised. The medical staff feared that she might lash out with her power, so they sedated her again. They'll bring her back to consciousness a little slower next time."

Liara could understand why. "Only Dr Gable can survive her." She could not keep the scorn from her voice. She had come to admire Asura, but old prejudice ran deep. "It seems like a wise choice. How is Dr Gable handling it?"

Miranda grimaced. "Bravely," she said. "Solemnly. Jack's decided to delay her return to the Academy until Asura's better." She sighed and shook her head. "Jack is a mixed bag of surprises, I tell you."

Liara smiled slightly. "Being with Shepard changed her," she pointed out. "Just as it's changed you and me." Her heart ached again as she thought of the commander. "Is it so surprising?" When Miranda didn't answer, Liara considered resting a hand on her shoulder but decided against it.

"What happened to her wasn't your fault, Miranda."

The agent laughed, her eyes tightening with pain as she did so. "Oh, I know," she said bitterly. "We didn't have any of the variables, and I don't possess a crystal ball to predict the future." She grimaced and tightened her arms around herself.

"I just wish I didn't feel as if it was." She sniffed. "It's too much sometimes, you know. We have Grayson's body. It is quite a find, but I don't know what we will do with the knowledge. I don't know how we can use it to stop the reapers. I don't know if anything we've done in the past few weeks has changed… Anything." Her expression shifted to grief. "Maybe that's why I wanted to speak to Jane because… Because at least with her, I felt as if we'd survive."

Liara raised her hand before she caught herself, but when she saw no movement from Miranda, she committed to the gesture and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"When Shepard died, I didn't know what to do with myself," she said. "You know this; you met me in those weeks." She waited till Miranda looked at her. "When you had Shepard's body, you told me to get out there and rebuild my life. Get a purpose. A purpose which… didn't involve Jane Shepard." She sighed. "That's what I did. I know where you are, Miranda. I know what you are feeling. It's been hard, I know. You have had to rebuild your life around the broken ruins of your career with Cerberus." The woman turned to look at her, and Liara offered her a kind smile.

"You are too hard on yourself, Miranda Lawson," she said. "We will continue to proceed one day at a time. It doesn't feel like it now, but this was a win. All of this. Go to bed. Rest and, by the goddess, go and see my doctors. There's no need to torture yourself like this."

Miranda blinked in surprise at her words, then laughed, her expression softening.

"Not the first time I've heard that," she said. "Here, I thought I was a quick learner." She shifted away from the wall, prompting Liara to slide her hand from her shoulder. Before her arm was at her side, though, Miranda moved subtly and caught Liara's hand in hers. She didn't look at her, but Miranda's fingers tightened around Liara's briefly before she let the asari go and left the room.

Miranda's action caught Liara a little off guard, and Liara turned back to the window, looking at Anderson and Kahlee's bowed heads as they whispered to each other.

"One day at a time, T'soni," she breathed. "It's not tomorrow yet."

So much potential yet… We are infinite; did you really think that you could swallow eternity?

Eternity.

This was eternity. Endless darkness that stretched beyond comprehension. She was in a void, deprived of emotion. Of energy. Of life. Yet, she wasn't alone. Whispers moved around her, emotionless voices streaming together in a cacophony of force bent only towards the destruction of everything.

Oh, goddess, save me.

She recognised this depravity, a part of it. For months, she had destroyed lives, first with rage, then later… nothing. Asura remembered how she had looked at the dark-haired human woman on a battlefield long ago. The veterinarian had risked everything to save her. Yet she had consumed her without a second thought. She destroyed her because she existed.

Oh, goddess, save me.

There was no rage in the voices, no emotion on which to feed. Only the void and the resolution to destruction. She was a part of it now; it was inside her. It was tearing her apart.

"Oh goddess…" The void shifted, and she felt… warmth. A hand folding over hers and squeezing.

"It's alright, Asura," the voice of life whispered. "It's alright, Asura, I am here. I love you. I am here." More whispers followed, but they were hushed, worried. Emotion.

Emotion.

Asura breathed out and opened her eyes to light.

To Abigail.

Asura looked into her dark eyes and started crying. "You weren't supposed to live," she sobbed, unable to rid herself of the memory of their first encounter. "I wanted to kill you. I was meant to destroy you." The reapers need to do the same welled up inside her. "Goddess, Abigail, get away from me."

She tried to push her away but was too weak.

"No," Abigail's voice was soft yet firm. "No. It's okay, Asura. I want you to take deep breaths. Don't speak. Look at me and…" Her voice broke for a moment, and she took a deep breath. "Just breathe with me."

"Abby, I…" Asura began, but fingers found her lips and applied pressure. The pain of her lover's touch was unbearable, her compassion searing.

"Not one word." The woman insisted. "Just breathe. Come on, on my count. One…" Asura sobbed as she gulped for air. The emptiness was suffocating her.

Did you really think that you could swallow eternity?

They are going to destroy us!

"You are not breathing," Abby spoke again, her voice insistent in the darkness Asura felt around her. "Look at me, my love. Look at me. We'll get this right. On one…" Dark eyes held hers, dark eyes filled with love and determination and fear which couldn't master her. Asura sobbed through a breath and forced the air out of her lungs. Abby's hand moved from her face to her chest.

"Two," she breathed, and this time, they took in a breath as one. Emotions came back to Asura. Fear and horror. Need, hunger. She breathed out and closed her eyes.

"Three," Abby whispered, her voice still steady. An anchor. Asura took another breath and blew it out slowly, the pressure of Abby's palm helping her focus. Her senses returned to her. She felt pain and discomfort. The need to move came and went, but her body was heavy, heavier than it had ever been.

"Four," Abby breathed. "There we go. Well done, love, and another."

She breathed out her fifth deep breath and opened her eyes again, seeing the familiar interior of the clinic. The rooms she knew so intimately though rarely frequented herself. Abby was leaning over her, her hand trembling sporadically. Fingers contracted around hers, the movement not conscious.

Asura looked up to a face which was gaunter than she remembered, strangely older. Humans aged too quickly. Holding Abby's eyes, seeing the warmth in her soul, Asura felt the void shift around her as love burned between them. A smile as bright as the first sunrise came to Abby's lips, and she let out her breath, her eyes brighter as she shifted back. Asura was afraid that she was going to leave and clung to her hand, but the woman kissed her fingers and sat down.

"I'm not going anywhere," she replied to the unspoken plea. "Don't worry, I need to sit down. That's all. Do you know where you are?"

"Mordin's clinic," Asura breathed and saw more people. Daniel and an asari stood in the corner, their eyes intense as they studied her every movement. Grimacing, Asura lay back, trying to deny her fear. "How long have I been here?"

Abby tried not to grimace; she could tell. "A day or two," she said with a smile. "You… struggled to find your way back to us." She brought her hand to her lips and kissed it. "But you're here now. Can Daniel and Emera have a look at you?"

Asura wanted to deny them, but she couldn't. The concern in Abby's eyes was too great.

"Alright," she whispered and closed her eyes. Unexpectedly, the darkness frightened her and she opened them again, needing to see the world around her. She needed to be reminded that the echoing void in her soul wasn't real and wouldn't swallow her.

"Alright."

"When I wanted you to send me a body, Aria," The Illusive Man sneered. "I didn't mean it to be one of my people!" He couldn't keep the anger from his voice and didn't care that she saw it.

"Body?" Aria's image was seated, her luscious figure sprawled over an oversized couch. "Well, that is a shame; he was alive when I put him in the pod." She sighed. "I thought the stasis would keep him alive. You humans are so fragile."

He was seething, but he could also not show her how angry he was.

"I demand an explanation," he said. "We had a deal!"

Aria turned her gaze to him and smiled, though there was no warmth. "A deal," she murmured. "You and I have had several, and I have not seen any significant gain. A few days ago, you came to me, begging to allow more of your people here. Begging for sanctuary. You know what I said? Yes." The way they remembered it was quite different. Aria had been tough to negotiate, still worked up about Paul Grayson.

"I am paying you," he said. "And I would have paid you for Grayson! Now, what happened between you and Kai Leng?!"

Aria sat up slowly, her long legs flickering in and out of focus as she shifted position.

"I'll ask the questions," she said. "Take care how you answer. Even as we speak, my people have surrounded your facilities here. If I feel you are not sincere, you will receive more pods. Or maybe a skip. My people aren't as precise in dealing damage as I am."

Her words struck him hard because he could tell she wasn't bluffing.

"Tell me what happened," he said slowly. "So we can clear this up."

Again, Aria smiled, though this time there was some amusement in her expression.

"Good," she said. "One of my favourite pastimes. Tell me, why didn't you tell me you created the monster which came for Kahlee Sanders?"

He had hoped she would not figure it out, but… The Illusive Man schooled his features to calm and spread his hands apart.

"I didn't want to complicate matters," he said. "He escaped our facility, and you wanted him. Everything in between was irrelevant."

Aria nodded slowly. "Didn't want to complicate matters," she repeated. "Yet, Kai Leng had complicated it already. Do you know he killed one of my agents when he extracted Grayson the first time?"

He sighed. He hadn't asked for the details. "I know he took your red sand," he said slowly. "If that is what this is all about, I will compensate you for your losses."

"You can't," she said calmly. "You see, this is not about the red sand. The agent he killed was my daughter." He felt as if he had been drenched in cold water. She must have seen his horror because she smiled cruelly.

"Now, here's my question. Do you think mutilating Kai Leng is enough to satisfy that debt?" She asked. "I assure you; he was breathing when I sent him back, but…" She shrugged. "Perhaps I misjudged how tough he was. I was told he liked the sight of blood too much. It's a shame he couldn't enjoy the sight of his own. I should have considered that before I plucked out his eyes."

He closed his eyes, not caring if she saw his weakness. It might even help him here, in this moment.

Oh, Kai Leng, what have you done?

"Aria," he said, no begged. "Don't kill my people. I didn't know you had a daughter."

Her eyes were hard and piercing.

"I believe you," she said. "But before I call me people off, I need your promise. I need you to swear to this. Don't. Touch. Any. Of. Mine. Again." She stood up as she said this and slowly walked forward to the projector so it felt like they were standing face to face.

"We won't," he said and meant it. "Please, let us renegotiate our terms. I want you to understand this will never happen again. I need you to believe it."

Her smile was cold. "Miranda Lawson came up for you," she said. "I found it to be most peculiar. She told me you wouldn't have sanctioned anything like that." She turned her back on him and returned to her couch. "I believe her word, not yours. Still, I believe you. So, how do you and I move forward from here? What do we do? You owe me."

Later, he wondered if he would have been so accommodating if he wasn't in the mess he was. He had lost a lot of good people, and what lay beyond the Omega-4-relay was his last hope. He needed Omega.

But do I need Aria T'loak?

He did, for the time being, but he began to feel firmly it had to change. He walked from his control room to the medical bay where a ragged man was lying in traction, his eyes bandaged and his breathing shallow. The Illusive Man considered this, wondering what must have been going through Kai's mind when he realised that he had killed one person too many.

He didn't blame him. That was just Kai's way.

"Oh Kai," he murmured. "It's as well that you didn't die. I will have need for you." He turned to the man's doctors.

"Do what you must; I want him back on his feet as soon as possible."

It was a gamble, but Abby had to take it. Standing in front of their fridge, Abby quietly reached for her box of medication and slipped out one of the quick-action hypodermics. She had to concentrate on the motion because it had been several days since she and Asura had melded. Her body could not be trusted anymore. Even though it was prepared, she checked the dose and held the instrument to warm it a little. Then, with a practised gesture, she pressed the hypodermic against her leg and injected the dose.

It burned, hell. It burned. But it was her fault because she had not warmed it enough.

Serves you right, she thought and blew out a soft breath, massaging the spot. She felt a little guilty when she disposed of the hypodermic and rearranged her clothes again. Then, she picked up the snacks she collected as an excuse to get out of the bedroom and carefully made her way back.

Asura had been home for a few days. Her body was all but healed, but her mind…

Abby was worried, yet she sent Jack home that morning. She told her she didn't need any more help and Jack was needed back at the academy. There was little the biotic could do for them now. They had to figure this out for themselves. Taking extra care when walking, Abby stayed close to the wall in case she lost her balance. At first, she didn't want to put any pressure on Asura, so she hid her degenerating condition from her as much as she could. It was easier than usual because Asura was rarely present. She had slipped into a deep depression, and it was difficult to get her to interact.

Oh, she tried, but Abby often found her sitting quietly, crying because of something she could not bring herself to discuss.

Well, that's going to change, Abby decided. This can't go on.

Reaching the room safely without stumbling over her feet, Abby slipped in beside Asura and put the snacks between them. She didn't plan to keep them there for long.

"This is fresh," she said cheerfully. "Jack stopped by the market before she left. I don't know what she thinks we'll do with all those beers, but there you have it." As before, Asura didn't look at her but continued staring into space. The truth was, Abby doubted her lover heard her. It hurt, and it made her resolve crumble a little.

If I can't save her if I can't bring her back… A love fiercer than any she had ever felt before burst inside her, burning through the sudden fear she felt.

I will not let them win.

She shifted the snacks from the bed and slipped underneath the covers, touching Asura's naked leg as she did so.

"Asura, look at me." She whispered and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "Come on, darling, look at me." Her lips shifted to the corner of Asura's mouth, causing the ardat yakshi to breathe deeply.

It was a sign she knew, a breath of hunger. Of instinct.

Yet, her lover's senses clawed back to the present, and she turned to her, looking surprised and horrified as she fought with her instinctive need to feed.

"What are you doing?" She demanded and tried to shift away from her touch. Abby refused her and kept her hand on her leg.

"What I should have done the moment you came into this room," she pointed out but didn't act immediately, grateful she had Asura's attention. "I need to get inside your head and chase those monsters out." It had sounded better when she rehearsed it…

Asura looked at her in horror, her hand moving to her chest as if she planned to push the darkness inside.

"Abby, I can't," she breathed. "I can't do it to you. I can't."

That wasn't the solution, Abby thought. When she had decided on her course of action, she had to do a lot of soul-searching to make sure she wasn't doing this for her own gain. She wanted to make sure she was doing this with Asura's best interest at heart and not her own.

She had to be sure this was about saving Asura and not herself.

Abby carefully moved so she could sit on Asura's hips. She wanted to look at her lover while they were talking.

"Can't or won't?" she asked. "Because those are two different things. If you can't, then I get you up, and we go for a walk. We leave this apartment, and we get some fresh air. But, if you won't… Well, then, we have something to talk about."

She could see Asura's anxiety as it built in her. She reached up and put her hands against Abby's chest as if she wanted to push her away. Yet, her fingers also tightened in her loose clothing. For just a moment, she thought Asura meant to pull her closer.

"You don't know what it's like," the asari breathed. "You don't know what I'm feeling."

Abby made sure to keep her expression kind. "I know," she said softly. "But I want to. I can help you carry this Asura." When her lover closed her eyes and shook her head, she sighed and put her hands on Asura's.

"If you don't want to meld with me," she said. "You must tell me, Asura. I need to understand what you are feeling." She squeezed her hands. "I might be one of the few people in this world who'll be able to understand."

Asura swallowed tears, her eyes turning to the ceiling before she closed them and breathed out.

"I am terrified, Abigail," she breathed. "I have never been this scared… in my entire life. Not when my family died. Not when we were fighting Lenelle. All of that… They were enemies I could defeat. They were battles I could win. I can protect you from Aria. I can protect you from mercenaries and thieves. But… How do I protect you from what is out there? The reapers are real, and they are out there…" She opened her eyes again to look at Abby.

"You have known all along. How do you stand it?"

Abby sighed softly, turning her mind to one of the last images she had from the second Mass Effect game. Of Shepard gathering her crew to face an onslaught of reapers. She left that world before the third game was to be released, but she believed, she believed it was going to be alright.

"Knowing about the reapers?" she clarified and sighed softly. "I don't think about it, Asura."

Her partner looked horrified.

"I felt them, Abigail," she breathed. "I had them in my head, their absolute resolve to destroy all of us. It wasn't filled with hate or need. There was no emotion there, nothing. Simply the cold resolution. The overwhelming sense that what they were doing had to be done. It isn't even personal. Nothing will be spared; we are all marked to die."

Abby would have been lying to herself if those words didn't scare her. She tried to imagine the destruction the reapers would cause and couldn't grasp the scope of it. If Asura had gotten a glimpse of it… If she had been faced with their mortality, it would have been daunting. Asari rarely thought of death.

Death didn't scare Abby. She had died before.

"I know," Abby said softly. "I've known ever since I've come here."

Asura stared at her in horror.

"How can you be so calm about it?!" There was a hint of accusation there as if she wasn't in her right mind not to be afraid.

I've heard that tone before, Abby thought with sadness. She heard it when people spoke to her about her disease when they tried to convince her to live a calmer life. She had heard it when she insisted on her independence, and she had heard it when she tried to tell people she knew she was dying. It was strange how, at this moment, there was a part of her who was looking at herself in Asura's eyes.

"Because…" Abby began, wondering how she could put her resolve to words. "Because death doesn't scare me. There are worse things than dying. Dying is easy." Look at me; it brought me here. "I know Shepard will save us, Asura. There will be a plan, and it will succeed. This cycle won't continue. All we must do is stick together and ensure we live long enough to see the end of it." Why else would there have been a third game? Surely victory lay at the end of it?

She searched Asura's eyes for hope, but all she found was the absence of it, the hollow fear slowly consuming her. She believed now she understood why. At the core of Asura's needs was the desire for emotions. She fed off them as Abby did off-air. Her power was the weapon she could use against anything living. To be faced with beings that embodied the absence of it…

Abby grimaced and shifted in her position. Again, Asura's hands tightened on her clothes with the slight pressure that hinted at her need to pull her forward. Her self-control was admirable because the part of her which had to feed was starving.

"Asura, I know what it is like to feel hopeless," she said. "I have seen despair and felt that… that emptiness you must feel now. I know it is unbearable to be faced with something you can't conquer. I wasn't strong enough to carry it on my own in the life I had before." That and I was a coward. "However, I have realised it was a lie. Despair is a lie, Asura. There is always hope if we still breathe. If we share the darkness. You know I am here today, not because you give me physical health, Asura. I am here with you because your love has given me life. Your soul has banished the darkness which convinced me I had no hope left. Let me do the same for you. Meld with me. I want to remind you who you are, what we have to live for. What we have to fight for."

Abby leaned forward. When Asura didn't protest, Abby steadied herself and kissed the asari lightly on her forehead. Asura's features crumbled again, but her hand travelled to Abby's hair. Her touch was painful when she knotted her fingers there.

"I don't want this darkness to corrupt you too."

Abby chuckled softly and rested her forehead against Asura's. "You underestimate how strong you have made me," she whispered. "I want to carry it with you, but more than that, I want to destroy it. I want to remind you that there is more than despair out there. I want you to feel me inside you, to feel how much I love you. Don't you think what I feel for you is stronger than the destruction of a machine?"

Silence stretched around them. Abby tried not to move as she felt Asura's breath against her face, concentrating on keeping her body still. She didn't want the reminder of her disease to sway Asura. This moment wasn't about her.

She almost lost hope till she felt Asura's hand tighten in her hair, and her lips came to meet Abby's. They shared a long kiss, and Abby knew they would be all right. She braced herself for what was to come, regretting that she always lost consciousness afterwards. But, perhaps it was good as well. Maybe Asura needed a reason to get out of bed and start living again.

"I love you, Abigail," Asura breathed. "I love you more than life itself." She took a steadying breath, and Abby didn't need to open her eyes to know Asura's eyes had gone as black as the very darkness they were trying to dispel.

"And I you," she said and meant it. She allowed herself to feel all of the emotions, all of the love. She held onto it so tightly it hurt, but she wanted to make sure it would be the first thing Asura felt as they melded. The asari kissed her one last time before her hand shifted behind her head to steady her.

"Embrace eternity," she breathed, and Abby did.

To be Continued…