Chapter 06

It was the pain that woke her, the dull throbbing in her hands that she couldn't place. Lying in bed, Kahlee was a little confused, her mind slow to concentrate and orientate itself. It wasn't her bed, she thought. And, she knew she hadn't put herself to sleep.

Living in a school, where emergencies could come at any moment, Kahlee didn't make a habit of getting into bed naked.

Where am I?

The question had already been answered, she realised.

Omega.

She looked around to see if she could spot Dr Gable but the timid woman was nowhere in sight and she wasn't at her clinic anymore, no she was in a proper bed in a very elaborately decorated room. Feeling a rush of panic, Kahlee got up, careful not to move her hands too much and awkwardly tried to pull some of the bed covers around herself as she scanned the area. Her eyes passed over a chair beside the bed that had some clothes on it. They weren't any she recognized but it was better than being naked. She moved over, then realised that she might have a problem with her hands.

Damn.

She dropped the covers around her and tried to pick up some of the garments, but her fine motor skills failed her even before the pain got too much for her. Worried that she was going to hurt herself further she stopped and realised that she would have to wait for help – if it was coming.

Anderson.

Panic and guilt warred for the driver seat in her soul as she realised that he wasn't with her. Looking around bewildered, fending off the panic she felt but swaddling herself in the guilt for not thinking of him first, Kahlee noticed the set of double doors that led to another mysterious room. Kahlee rushed to them and threw them open coming face to face with a set of dark eyes that didn't belong to her long-time friend.

Kahlee Sanders found herself blinking at Dr Gable who was slowly turning a darker shade of pink. She didn't care though, she had one question her guilt needed to know the answer to immediately.

"David?" She said. "Where is he?"

Biting her lip, Dr Gable motioned behind her, she was slightly shorter than Kahlee.

"Couch," she said. "Asleep." Her ears were the colour of an N7 uniform now, she turned away slowly and looked at a figure behind her.

"Griss, I'll be alright. You can go."

Kahlee met the turian's gaze and this time, it was her turn to start blushing. All things considered; this wasn't a very good position to be in. The turian was looking her up and down, his expression hard to read.

"I'll leave you to it Doctor," he said. "Call if you need help. I'll be right outside."

Neither of the women moved until he closed the main door, disappearing from the parlour behind the veterinarian. Dr Gable turned back to her, her face still glowing but she seemed to be trying to remain professional.

"David Anderson's fine," she drawled in her strong accent. "I've just had a look at him. He's just sleeping, he is." She cleared her throat. "You…" She faltered. "Clothes, Dr Sanders?"

The rooms were a little cool.

"Please," Kahlee said, relieved that Anderson was nearby and even more so that he was still asleep. They were close and she certainly wouldn't have minded if he attempted to see more of her skin but… Well. Maybe not under these circumstances. She couldn't imagine that these splints on her hands were sexy at all…

The doctor was still standing in front of her, her expression strained.

"I'd ah… imagine that there are clothes in your room."

Oh yes, I should probably move.

Kahlee felt a nervous laugh settle in her chest but refrained from doing so. She stepped back into the room, feeling her own face heat up as the other woman closed the door behind her and stepped in with her, looking around. She spotted the clothes immediately and, while Sanders remained standing there like an idiot, Dr Gable went to collect them.

"These are not the ones you came in," she was saying as she sorted through the pile. "We'll have to see if they fit. If they don't, I might have some things at home… Should I help you?" She shook her head. "Of course, I should." She seemed to be having the conversation mostly with herself and Kahlee let her, taking her first good look at the veterinarian, her memories of their previous encounter fuzzy and disconnected.

"Here," the doctor said and put the clothing on the bed. "We'll start here, I'll just…" She stopped her train of thought and looked up at Kahlee, embarrassed. "I am a professional. I've just… never done this."

The laughter finally broke through and Kahlee couldn't help herself. It started as a chuckle and then matured into a fully-fledged laugh. The dark-haired woman blinked at her and then, suddenly, she started laughing as well.

"What?" Kahlee asked her, while laughing. "Have you never actually put clothes on a person? Haven't you played with dolls woman? What kind of a relationship do you have?"

Laughing in good humour now, Dr Gable shook her head. "I'll have you know I didn't play with dolls," she said. "And I'm in the kind of relationship that specialises in taking clothes off, thank you very much." She chuckled but started to grasp for her professionalism again. "No, I mean. I have my multispecies licence…"

"You've said," Kahlee said. "I'm not feeling it." The woman now started to help her get dressed and they were both awkward, but the ice had been broken.

"Nor me," the good doctor said. "Honestly you're one of a handful human patients I've had. I feel it's important to say that up front. My patients never speak honestly. And most vorcha only sit there and growl at me so they hardly count."

It was hard not to simply take over and try to help Dr Gable as she pulled up the loose pants. They were soft at least and fit perfectly. Sanders wondered who had selected the clothes. Still, she smiled at the doctor as she started helping her with the top half of her honour.

"Are you saying you'd have been more comfortable if I start growling at you?"

Abby's laugh was quick and rich as she instructed Kahlee to lift her arms.

"Gosh no," she said. "My girlfriend's probably standing right outside."

Well, really what happens behind closed doors… Still, Kahlee wanted to test the water a bit.

"As is that turian probably and he didn't look impressed at all." Her girlfriend and the turian, how many other guards?

Dr Gable shook her head, finishing up by tying a sash around the beautifully trimmed Sherwani type coat that Kahlee had been given. "My experience with them is that they rarely are," the veterinarian pointed out and stood back. "There. Now we can both take a breath and maybe reintroduce ourselves." She sounded more at ease but now that they were done, Kahlee was reminded of the circumstances that brought them here. She fixed the doctor with a stern look that immediately wiped the smile off her face.

"Did they leave any of the turians alive? Any of the crew except us?"

The woman shrunk back as the mirth left her features. She didn't answer Kahlee immediately but moved to the chair where she had put a medical bag of some kind and took a steadying breath.

"I don't know," she said and grimaced as she motioned to the bed. "I doubt it. Here. Sit." The command sounded a little as one would have given a dog, but Kahlee had the sense not to be too hard on her, considering her background. Still, it didn't mean she would cooperate, and she didn't want anybody touching her until she had more answers.

"I'm alright," she said as she crossed her arms, though when her fingers brushed clumsily against herself, she couldn't help but grimace.

Dr Abigail Gable didn't miss her flinch.

"I'll be the judge of that," she said and motioned to the bed again. "Please Dr Sanders."

Kahlee stood her ground.

"Dr Gable," she said with all the ice she could manage, and she could tell her tone influenced the woman. She looked down to the ground and Kahlee caught a glimpse of her hand as she tapped all her fingers onto her thumb in a nervous taboo. Then she seemed to come to some sort of decision as she turned a desperate look on Sanders.

It was all honesty and no malice.

"Please, don't make it harder than it is," she pleaded. "I want to make sure your hands are alright, and I need to see if the bones have remained aligned. If they are, they'll start mending by the end of the week. If I've messed up, there is a very small window in which it can still be fixed but then I am going to have to tell Aria that I need help."

So, Aria was behind all of this. Why?

"I need help," Sanders insisted. "Did you call…?" The doctor cut her off with a hiss.

"You and I don't know the same people," she insisted but her dark eyes pleaded at Sanders. "I don't know what you're talking about."

When Kahlee frowned at her, she grimaced and motioned to the bed again in a futile gesture. With her dark eyes now cast down on the floor, it struck Kahlee that she really didn't have the type of personality to be an enforcer. Kahlee almost felt sorry for her. When she didn't move however, the woman finally sighed.

"I have a friend who might be coming to visit me," she offered. "I'd like to get this over with because she is coming in from across the galaxy."

Wait.

Kahlee felt stupid.

"Are we being listened to?" She asked and wished she hadn't been so difficult. The look the woman gave her made her feel even more like an idiot.

"You are in Aria's private apartments."

Of course.

Being admonished in a strange accent didn't make her feel any better. With a look of defeat, Kahlee sat down where Dr Gable had told her to and let the woman look at her hands. The silence was very awkward, amplified by her foolishness just moments before. The doctor didn't talk to her, her face furrowed in concentration as she slowly turned over Kahlee's wrists, first doing a visual inspection of them.

The pain was more pronounced now and with it came a little bit of selfish worry.

Did she do it right? I can't ask now; I've asked enough stupid things…

"You said you are a veterinarian?" Kahlee said instead, watching her companion's dark eyes. "What animals did you specialise in? Did you study on Earth?"

Abby blinked slowly. "Yes," she said but didn't volunteer a school. "Mostly farm animals. Sheep, cattle. Dogs, cats… Just about anything with four legs really. Save for horses. Couldn't stand the owners." She carefully rested Kahlee's left hand on the bed beside her. "Hold still."

She ran her omnitool over the hand and Kahlee watched as a ghostly image of her hand appeared above her own. It drew her attention like a moth to a flame.

"So… you were practicing at the colonies? Part of colonisation?" Look at that fracture…

The doctor didn't look at her. "I guess I had the skills, yes," Abby spoke softly, her tone becoming lighter. "This looks good." Her relief was almost disturbing and Kahlee wondered whether she had the right to ask for a professional. But she stayed her mouth. Jack spoke of the woman often as it seemed to be one of the only normal conversations that she could have that didn't involve speaking of her past. Kahlee had picked up that she admired the veterinarian and that admiration had to have been earned by some deed. Jack wasn't easily impressed.

"You're happy with how it is healing?" She had to make sure, but Dr Gable didn't take offense.

"Yes," she breathed. "Very good. By tomorrow, I can show you some exercises that you can start performing. Keeping mobility is key but nothing I've read suggests that you'll have any side effects. Let's have a look at the other one. The wrist was broken…" She trailed off and seemed to remember something. "You should tell me if you are in pain." Concerned eyes met hers and her compassion was real.

"I will," Kahlee spoke softly. "Thank you." She hesitated, thinking about the guards outside. "Your partner, she is the asari yes? Was she the one that was on the team?" It made sense if the doctor was involved here and Kahlee remembered that Jack had said she was very powerful and occasionally worked for Aria.

Abby grimaced and nodded without saying anything. Her attention was now fully engaged with Kahlee's other hand.

"I think she saved David's life," Kahlee whispered. "Can you thank her for me?"

The other woman shifted awkwardly again and she put Kahlee's hand down on the bed and scanned it like she had the other.

"I'll tell Asura." Her words were very soft with a note of guilt. She wasn't comfortable with her role in this, that was for sure.

"Do you know what will happen now Doctor?" Kahlee asked. "Do you know why we were taken? I have never had any dealings with Aria. I can't imagine…"

The veterinarian cut her off.

"We need to wake up Anderson for that conversation," she said. "I don't think I'll be allowed to have it twice. This hand looks good, though I've recorded my findings and will share it with a colleague of mine who has had more experience with humans. Just to be on the safe side." She raised her omnitool and scanned Kahlee's person.

"And I will give you something else for pain. Medication that you can manage on your own as you need it."

Kahlee didn't protest. "Should I go and wake Anderson?"

The doctor sat down on the bed beside her and started to search through her bag. "Please," she said. "I'll join you in a moment." Kahlee saw it as her chance to get up but before she left the room, she rested her one palm on the other woman's shoulder.

"Thank you for what you've done," she said. "I know you did your best and I'm sorry I was such an ass."

Abby's expression was pained. "I know what you're going through," she said quietly. "I really do. Please, go and wake up David Anderson, we don't have a lot of time."

Kahlee went to the next room to do just that. He was still on the couch where she had seen him before, snoring softly. His face was bruised, and she had to deal with a sudden onslaught of memories. Of a krogan storming into the room and the asari storming in behind him just when she and Anderson thought they could celebrate a victory. It had been over so quickly and then the pain came and…

Kahlee Sanders swallowed when she took in the bruises on her friend's face and knelt beside him, bringing her lips to his ears.

"On your feet soldier."

She didn't have to shout. David's eyes flew open, and years of experience brought him to his feet in seconds, his hand coming to his forehead for a salute. Kahlee couldn't help but smile at him as he blinked in confusion, his thoughts quickly catching up with his body.

"Kahlee," he breathed. "Thank god." He reached down to pull her up, then stopped immediately when he saw her hands. She had waved him off and was getting up on her own steam though he continued to stand over her, his hands ready to reach out and grab her shoulders should she lose her balance.

"I must have fallen asleep," he said, and she was glad to see that he was fully dressed as well, the clothes not his own but seemingly tailored to him. Where do these people put their priorities? "I was up but you were still sleeping…" He trailed off when she smiled.

"Oh, so you did take a peek did you?" she teased. "Not very gentleman like, Admiral." He couldn't read the humour in her voice and shook his head immediately, denying that he had somehow violated her honour.

"Of course not," he said. "But I needed to make sure that you were alive…" He trailed off, his eyes coming to the splints on her hands. "How did you get dressed?"

"Never you mind," Kahlee said and studied him critically. "Are you alright David? How do you feel?" She smiled, unable to help herself. "You snore like an elcor with asthma."

He had the sense to look suitably embarrassed. "I do have a broken nose," he said and touched it gingerly. He too had a kind of splint on and finding it seemed to surprise him. "Though…"

"It's been seen to," Kahlee told him softly, stepping closer so that her voice wouldn't carry. "We have company David." She used her head to motion behind her. David looked up, his expression immediately changing to anger. Kahlee didn't have to look behind her to know that Dr Gable was standing in the door. She raised her had to his chest quickly, pressing her palm there.

"Don't upset her David," she whispered. "I am hoping that she can help us get out of here, but she is very skittish."

His eyes were still hot coals when he glanced at her.

"And here is?"

She suspected that he knew.

"Omega."

His eyes narrowed.

"So, this does have Aria's hands all over it," he said. "I wonder what she has to do with Grayson."

Kahlee flinched at the name, she couldn't help but do so. What she had seen in those recordings, what the turians had said…

"He lived here," she said. "But, it might not be about him."

David's eyes were drilling into their other companion again. "Would be one hell of a coincidence if it isn't," he pointed out. "Dr Gable, we meet again."

Kahlee turned to see the younger woman grimace at his tone but her eyes weren't as kind as they had been when she dealt with Kahlee. In fact, she was starting to look angry herself, her gaze never leaving Anderson's. She was standing in the doorway that separated the two rooms but didn't look as if she wanted to come any closer.

"We didn't get to say goodbye properly last time," she pointed out with a touch of steel that surprised Kahlee. "Where's Jane? What are they doing to her? How are they treating her?"

Jane Shepard.

Jack asked her those questions often, but Kahlee didn't know – nobody did except a select group of people.

"That doesn't have anything to do with you Dr Gable," Anderson's tone was hard. "What is your involvement in this?" He started to take a step forward, but Kahlee stopped him, aghast that he forget her request so quickly. But then again she had not expected the woman to summon the spectre of Jane Shepard. It made all who knew her restless, angry.

"Jane Shepard has got everything to do with me!" Abby snapped and there was something dangerous in her eyes. "Don't presume to understand. And don't think I don't know what you did when she came to you on the Citadel. She asked you for help and you denied her! She asked you where Ashley Williams were, and you refused to trust her! You acted like a tired old man and…"

Anderson had gone quiet. "She told you that?"

Abby blinked and came back to herself. She looked scared suddenly as she bit her lip and considered her answer.

"Yes," she said but Kahlee knew it was a lie. "But… She didn't call you an old man, she respects you too much." She shifted and took a quick breath as she looked up at the ceiling then back to them.

"I'm sorry. I am out of place."

Out of place not out of line, out of place.

She didn't know what she was picking up on but Kahlee wondered suddenly why Dr Gable had lied to Anderson about where she had heard of his interaction with Shepard. It shouldn't have mattered in that moment but this was a puzzle she'd much rather face than the trouble she was facing here.

Paul, I am so sorry…

She felt Anderson sigh deeply against her hand.

"Jane is on Earth," he said. "Where she was being assessed to see whether she was mentally stable. And…whether she as herself. Nobody understood what Cerberus did to her…"

The fire was back.

"They were experimenting on her?! She's not a clone!"

Anderson's expression was kind and calm and Kahlee was reminded why her heart leapt whenever she saw him, why she had turned to him to help her when she thought Cerberus would come for her. Ever since she met him, she believed that this man could save her from the very end of the world itself. Their lives had never been entwined for long but she wished… Oh she wished…

"We know that now," he said. "And she submitted voluntarily. These days she is…" He trailed off, glanced at Kahle then seemed to change his mind as to divulging the location of the infamous Commander Shepard. "Well, these days she is safe and generally left in peace. Her mother is allowed to see her once a week."

Abby didn't look happy.

"So she is still incarcerated? I saw nothing of a trial."

Anderson didn't flinch. "It's Alliance business," he said. "We don't air our dirty laundry out for the galaxy. And it's complicated Dr Gable, as a civilian, you won't understand." Oh hell David, didn't you learn any tact on the Council?

Dr Gable was getting angry again.

"And when the reapers come?" She snapped. "What are they going to do then? Let her out? Lock her up for them to find?" She sniffed angrily. "What is the point of keeping her locked away? She did more good out here."

Anderson, perhaps in a bid to stop the conversation, played a low blow, even by Kahlee's standards.

"Out here," he said softly. "She destroyed a whole system of batarians." It acted almost like a physical slap to Dr Gable, who breathed in sharply and blinked.

"She had no choice," she breathed. "None. I thought you'd understand."

With his features softening, Anderson put a hand on Kahlee's wrist and gently moved her hand away from his chest so that he could step closer to their physician.

"I do," he said. "Which is why I made sure that she is close enough to the Alliance high bras so that they can snatch her out of her cell immediately and give her the apology she deserves. She is alright with what's happened Dr Gable, she and I have spoken as often as possible, and I have good people standing guard over her. My people." He had crossed the distance between them now and very carefully put a hand on the younger woman's shoulder.

"I am sorry for the distress I caused you, now and in the past," he glanced back at Kahlee. "I am simply scared for my people."

Dr Gable was pulling herself together though she paused to grip Anderson's hand, her tone insistent when she spoke again.

"If you talk to her again, if you get to do so, give her my love. Please. I think of her every day." She swallowed and turned to Kahlee. "I have wasted time. I shouldn't have…" She pinched the bridge of her nose and pulled away from Anderson, motioning to the couch where he had been sleeping before. "You have to listen to me very carefully before Aria comes."

Both Kahlee and Anderson obediently moved to the couch.

"What is your association with Aria T'Loak?" Anderson asked, not as angry as before.

Dr Gable breathed out deeply. "Complicated," she said. "We know each other, personally, but I have never worked for her before. Never like this. I promise you. I'm not… This isn't what I do. I just work on her asteroid but that means I work for her. It's not my choice to be involved."

"It's your choice to stay here, full knowing the consequences," Kahlee couldn't help weighing in but Dr Gable shook her head.

"That is complicated to," she muttered. "And beside the point at this very moment." She fixed a look on Kahlee. "This is about Paul Grayson. Or Johnson. Or whatever his real name is. That's why you are here."

With her stomach starting to twist again, Kahlee began to feel nauseous. She tried to tell herself that it was due to hunger but she knew it wasn't.

"What's Aria's interest in him?" Anderson asked when he saw that Kahlee couldn't take the lead.

Abby glanced at the door, then looked back at them.

"When he disappeared from then station, a bunch of Red Sand went missing," Abby spoke quickly. "That is her reason for pursuing him… officially. He worked for her apparently. I've never met the man myself. Ah…" She wet her lips. "What Aria doesn't want anybody to know is that, when Grayson disappeared – one of her best operatives were killed. Liselle. What she is really looking for, is her killer. I don't think she thinks it is Grayson, but she wants answers. And she is desperate for them."

The name stirred something in Kahlee's memory.

"Liselle?" She asked. "He… he wouldn't have hurt her. He loved her."

Abby continued to look desperate. "Saying that won't be enough," she said. "She wants to question him herself. Liselle… She was very close to her. Very. That's why she brought you here," she motioned to Kahlee. "She believes that you'll be able to summon him here. Bring him back."

Her heart felt as if it skipped a beat in anger. Kahlee started to rise to her feet but was worried suddenly that she would faint in the process. Her stomach was turning so much.

"I will not let anybody lay their hands on him again," she said. "You don't know what they did to him."

The expression on Dr Gable's face suggested that she did.

"I saw a clip," she spoke softly. "Where they were experimenting on him. It had been salvaged from the station where they found you. It is recent then?"

Kahlee nodded numbly. "The turians… they found him. He had been augmented somehow. They tried to bring him back to the Citadel but the shuttle carrying him went missing. He was traumatised and he didn't know who he was. I was trying to see what I could recover from the station when your people attacked us."

Dr Gable accepted the accusation quietly. She shifted and touched her brow before glancing at her omnitool. The time seemed to bring her some dismay.

"Tell Aria everything you know," she said. "Please. She… she can help."

"I doubt that," Anderson spoke again for the first time since the conversation turned to Grayson. "People who want to help don't storm into a space station and slaughter everybody."

The veterinarian didn't seem to know what to say to that but she wasn't left hanging for long. The door opened, causing both Anderson and Dr Gable to come to their feet. Kahlee chose to remain sitting, still trying to process what was happening. Two asari stepped in, one whom she recognized immediately as the one who had come for them at the space station.

Asura, she thought. And the other must be Aria… The funny thing was, she felt as if she hardly noticed the matriarch. She could not stop staring at Asura, remembering the asari's comforting touch on the shuttle. She had felt…

Abby shifted beside her but the other asari, who could only be Aria T'Loak spoke up sharply.

"Stay where you are Dr Gable," her tone was a mixture of amusement and irritation. "You've handled yourself so professionally in here. Don't ruin it now by running to your partner's apron strings." Kahlee could tell immediately that her words irritated the veterinarian who gave Aria a hard look, probably harder than anybody who worked for her usually did, and promptly stepped a little bit in front of the two humans.

"Aria, I'd like to introduce you to Kahlee Sanders and Admiral David Anderson," she said, then looked at her. "This is, as you can have probably gathered, Aria T'Loak." Her eyes moved to her partner. "And Asura." She spoke the word softly and no stranger who had heard it would have been able to doubt that she loved the asari fiercely. An unexplained envy came to Kahlee, a need to know this asari as well. To feel her touch again. Beside her, Anderson cleared his throat and when Kahlee looked at him he too only had eyes for the doctor's partner.

Asura shifted and moved so that she was just behind Aria and almost out of sight, breaking whatever spell she had seemingly cast on them. Kahlee's mouth had gone dry and she was horrified at the secret thoughts her mind had started to entertain.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Aria was smiling at them all, seemingly oblivious to the affect her companion had had on the humans. "I know who they are," she said idly then focused her full attention on David. "You wear that well," she murmured, motioning to his clothes. "I was curious. Suits you better than council robes, I can tell you that much. I'm sorry you were dragged into this, of course the alternative would not have been as… viable to your continued existence. I expect you to enjoy your newfound lease on life and stay out of this." Her attention focused on Sanders. "I would like to talk to you."

Kahlee didn't waste any time.

"I'm not helping you," she said. "I will not help you find Paul."

Aria laughed and, in that moment, Kahlee loathed her. The feeling was so strong that she stood up, ready to step up to her and… A soft hand touched her wrist and it was Dr Gable who steadied her. Kahlee hadn't realised it but when she got up, she had started to sway. Anderson too came up beside her and gently wrapped an arm around her waist, prompting Abby to step back. By now Aria had stopped laughing and was looking at them, her amusement cruel.

"My dear you don't really have much of a choice," she said. "I want him, and he wants to see you. We've already hacked your extranet account and he's left you a message less than a day ago. I need you to reply to that in whatever code you use to communicate and tell him to meet you here. This is non-negotiable so don't even belittle yourself by trying. My sources tell me that you are a very smart woman."

"And what sources would that be?" Kahlee could not keep the contempt from her voice. Still, she allowed Anderson to guide her down to the couch again so that she could sit down. It was probably an attempt to slow her down if she decided to leap at Aria.

"That is none of your business…" Aria began but Anderson calmly interrupted her.

"Spare me," he said. "It's Cerberus, isn't it?"

Aria blinked, then smiled, not gracing him with an answer.

"I'll have an extranet terminal brought in here," she said. "Communication is monitored, and you won't get the message out before my people have reviewed it first. Failure to comply will result in dire consequences."

Kahlee shook her head numbly. "Nothing you can threaten me with can make me help you kill a friend out of stupid revenge…" Aria shook her head.

"Foolish child," she murmured and motioned to Anderson. "I can kill him. And I will. My apologies Admiral, nothing personal."

How did this happen? Kahlee wondered. How did I get here? She should have expected that Aria would threaten him. It was only reasonable. That's what people like her did. But how could she get away with it? He was a powerful man… God please, I don't want to give up on Grayson but I cannot loose Anderson.

She felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

"She'll help you." Anderson said and she knew in that moment that he knew her better than she knew herself. That he was saying the words she didn't have the strength to say. Still, she could not help but exclaim in shock.

"David!"

He sighed and it was a deep sigh that came from making hard decisions but also from taking the lead when there was nobody capable of doing so. His hand squeezed her shoulder, offering her strength.

"Kahlee," his voice was very level and filled with authority. "Listen to me and, with all due respect Aria, you listen to me as well. Grayson needs help. He is out there, and he is dangerous and perhaps bringing him here is the best way of dealing with him until we have more information on his current condition. That base you pulled us out of was a Cerberus base. I don't know what lies they fed you, but they had Grayson and they lost him. If they promised to help you find him, then they are just using you to do their dirty work."

It was hard to tell, but Kahlee thought she saw a touch of respect in Aria's eyes when she looked at Anderson. It wasn't reflected in her voice thought.

"You presume I am stupid," she sneered. "I won't kill him as they expect me to. The Illusive Man wants that too much. I want to ask him what happened to my…" Aria faltered and it startled Kahlee a little, then made her feel stupid, like she had when she realised that Dr Gable couldn't tell her outright that she had contacted Jack. There was more in this for Aria. More than just her stolen property. The vet had all but spelled it out to them. This was about Liselle. "My red sand. And my agent. If he was at that base, he was either captured when he fled this station. Or captured here. Which, if the latter is the case… He has information that I need. I am using Cerberus as much as they think they are using me."

Kahlee knew that she was beaten. But she could not give up so easily. She had to try one last time, if only to plea to Aria to see some reason…

"It's not worth it," she tried to tell her. "Do you know what you are dealing with when you play with Cerberus? The scope of their organisation? Please, just let us go. I will find Grayson and ask him about your… property. But, I can't bring him here. He might not even come, he isn't stupid."

The Queen of Omega didn't care about her excuse.

"Find a way to convince him then," she said. "I don't care how." She did not allow for further argument but turned on her heels and marched to the door where Asura stepped out of her way. There was a tense moment between the two asari when Aria passed Asura.

"You could have been of more assistance," Aria spoke to the other as she went passed. Asura shrugged it off, her eyes moving to the humans in the room.

"Some things need to come naturally," she said as her eyes rested on her partner. "I'll be right outside."

Nodding, the veterinarian turned back to the two of them. She was troubled and trying not to show it.

"There is some medication for you in your room," she said. "I suggest you two get some rest. I'll come round in a few hours. Is there anything else that you need?" She first looked to Anderson then to Kahlee though neither had any requests for her. She took it as a sign to leave and went to the door, closing it behind her and leaving them on their own.

Anderson sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulder in comfort. Kahlee was still staring at the door, an all but hopeless question spinning around in her head.

"David," she breathed softly but was worried that even that might be picked up by their monitoring equipment.

"What are we going to do?"

The End of Chapter Six.