Chapter 08

Running with Oz had become a nearly daily ritual, when Abby was capable of doing it without falling on her face. She had kept the old three-legged varren after she had amputated his leg. It had seemed like a good idea at the time though she soon realised that she didn't really know what to do with him. But, not wishing to admit that everybody had been right, she had tried to integrate him into her life.

Varren weren't like dogs, even though she had hoped that he would be.

He didn't stay with them often as it was easier to keep him at the clinic with Grom. Asura also didn't like to have him in the apartment unless she had to go away on business for a day or two. Then she had no qualms to allow the beast to return with Abby because she felt that he offered her more protection. She never made Abby forget how dangerous Omega could be.

In the beginning, running him had been near disastrous. People didn't run with their varren, especially not three-legged ones. Once or twice she had had to stop the guard patrols from killing him because they thought he was chasing her. People also didn't really run on Omega unless they were trying to get away from something. So, once or twice she had even had to stop the guards from arresting her. Yet, with time people had become accustomed to her on the five-mile route that she had made for herself and she had gotten used to Oz.

She was happy that he had three legs because otherwise, she would never have been able to keep up with him.

Feeling better than when she had left the clinic, Abby returned to her practice out of breath and sweating. She was starting to do some mental arithmetic to plan her day when Grom practically yanked her through the door and bustled her into the clinic.

"You," he snapped. "Message. Now." Sentences weren't his strong point when he was being authoritative.

Feeling her heart clench, Abby glanced at her omnitool and saw that she had a waiting call on her private channel. She went to her office, wondering who it could be. Aria's people didn't message her, so she doubted that it could be them. She hoped that it was Jack as she had yet to hear from the biotic but it wasn't her.

It was a different biotic.

Miranda Lawson.

Abby blinked at the woman as her face came up and felt… a little inadequate. Miranda's presence was immaculate as always. Not a hair was out of place as she stared at her, her mouth thinning to a polite smile.

"Dr Gable," she said. "You're looking… flushed."

Abby took a moment to breathe in deeply and settle down.

"I just came in from a run," she said quickly. "Good morning, Officer Lawson."

Miranda's face twitched a little as she shook her head, her smile a little less genuine.

"Miranda," she said. "Please. I'm not… Well, I don't have any official capacity anymore. A run? That's…" Her expression softened because she understood how much it meant to Abby. "I take it you are doing well then, Dr Gable."

Abby wondered if she should tell her to call her by her name, but it felt awkward in her mind. She wasn't sure what Miranda would be comfortable with. Surely she understood that, if she wanted to, she could simply drop the formalities.

"I am," she said. "Very. Thank you. You? I… I wasn't expecting a call but it's good to see you."

The Normandy's XO shrugged nonchalant.

"I am… close by," she said. "I was on Omega for… work." She looked a little guilty. "I'm sorry for not contacting you."

Abby didn't know how to feel about it but chose to smile, thinking that if she was this awkward simply receiving a call from Miranda, then a visit might well have been disastrous. And Miranda and Asura didn't get on very well. It wasn't that they were openly hostile but Miranda's first encounter with Asura had been a violent one.

"I've been busy," she said. "Things have been…" She trailed off, not sure how to explain. "I mean, the good thing is that I have you here… I mean…" Stop being an idiot. "It's good to see you, Miranda. You haven't told me, are you well? Did Liara contact you?"

There was something in Miranda's eyes when she mentioned the asari. It was so fleeting that Abby wondered if she imagined it. She certainly couldn't place what she thought she saw but she knew… she knew that it had been a soft emotion, something she wasn't used to seeing on the woman's face.

"She did," Miranda said. "Dr T'soni and I have been… working together on a few projects." She hesitated. "Thank you for asking Dr Gable, I am… well. Keeping busy." She glanced away from the screen briefly but this time her expression grew harder. "You are aware of my… status."

Abby nodded slowly. "I am," she said, knowing that Miranda was one of the Alliance's most wanted criminals. Since getting away from the team that took the Normandy, she had been branded a terrorist and written up to be one of Cerberus' most notorious mad scientists. Abby had stopped following the news, because that was always hard to hear. She and Miranda might not be the kind of people who would ever be friends, but she knew how much the woman had been willing to sacrifice for Shepard. It felt wrong, what the Alliance did.

All of it felt wrong really and Abby doubted that she would ever seek out the protection or company of her own species.

"I'm sorry Miranda."

The ex-XO smiled; her expression kinder. "None of this is your fault," she said. "Anyway, what can I help you with? Liara said you have a question for me. She said it sounded rather urgent."

Abby wondered what Asura had told the Shadow Broker.

"There's been…" Abby wasn't sure how to explain it. "Things have been a bit confusing here for the past few days. Aria's pulled Asura and myself into a… project of hers that Cerberus is also involved in." She noticed Miranda's change of expression and waited for her to speak.

"Why you?" The woman asked, though she didn't question Asura's involvement.

Abby grimaced. "I have my multi-species license now," she spoke quietly. "Asura was send with a team to extract two individuals who might know the location of an ex-Cerberus agent. They were hurt in the process. Aria… appointed me as their physician."

Miranda's face was cold and emotionless.

"And she is doing this for the Illusive man? Which agent?" Her tone was very controlled.

Feeling stupid Abby realised how it must have sounded.

"Not you," she said. "Or anybody that I know. The man's name is Paul Grayson." That made Miranda shift.

"Grayson?" She repeated, the tone of her voice going up a notch as her accent became more prominent. "That's not a name I expected to hear again."

"Do you know him?" Abby asked.

"Acquainted," Miranda said. "He left Cerberus while I was working on the Lazarus Project. Didn't see eye to eye with the Illusive Man over the care of his daughter." Miranda thought a bit. "She was a very powerful biotic, but very unstable. Autistic." She frowned. "They should never have put amps in her to be honest."

Abby didn't comment, thinking about Jack. Miranda wasn't done.

"I shouldn't ask this," Miranda said. "But Grayson… What do you know about him? He has been on the run from the Illusive Man for a while now and there was a time that some of Cerberus' best people were on his trail. Do you know where he vanished to?" She paused, looking a little sheepish. "Of course you won't, he is probably just a name to you."

Looking a little embarrassed, Abby shrugged.

"Actually," she replied. "I know that he has been hiding out on Omega under the name Paul Johnson. He was working for Aria till… Till all of this started."

Now she had Miranda's full attention and it reminded her of the time she had been on the Normandy when the woman ran tests on her to try and determine why she could survive an ardat yakshi's touch.

"I want to know everything," Miranda said. "Please tell me."

Abby did, as much as she could because she could not deny any of those who had helped her on the Normandy anything. She spoke about Asura's mission and divulged Kahlee's identity. Miranda had apparently met her once when they took David Archer through to Grissom. She spoke of the circumstances under which Grayson disappeared from and then…

"Miranda, how secure is this line? Is there any chance that someone might be listening in on us?"

The dark-haired woman shook her head, her expression still lost in thought as she considered of everything Abby had told her.

"Not when I'm talking to you," she said. "I'd know. Liara has some of the best encryption technology in the galaxy. We have as much privacy as your office allows us."

Abby nodded slowly. "My office is secure as well, Asura sees to it. She regularly pays a lot of people a lot of money to do an audit." Feeling a little sheepish, Abby shrugged. "It's not that I have something to hide but…"

"It's safer that way," Miranda said. "What do you want to tell me?"

While she had been recounting the past couple of days, Abby had been thinking about Liara and how Asura had kept her close regardless of how tense their relationship was or how much distain Liara seemed to hold for her kind.

"When Grayson disappeared from Omega with Aria's red sand, one of her top agents was found in his room. Murdered." Abby was taken back to the night she had gone to Aria to comfort her. "What nobody knows is that, the agent that he had spend the night with was Aria's daughter. They had been in a relationship though I doubt he knew her identity. Very few people did."

Miranda had gone quiet, surprise arching her eyebrows. "I didn't know Aria had a daughter," she murmured. "I don't even think Dr T'soni knows that. I mean, it stands to reason but…" She trailed off, looking at Abby expectantly.

"Aria was very secretive about it," she spoke quickly. "The fact that Asura and I knew was pure chance and I think it's only because Asura has a way of reading people that others lack. If she found out I told you…" Miranda made a soothing gesture.

"She won't," she said. "You said she and Paul was in a relationship?"

Abby nodded. "It's why she wants him. Why she's indulging Cerberus to get information about him. She wants to know what happened."

Miranda was quiet for a bit, her gaze lost in memory.

"I can't speak to knowing all of Paul's vices," she said. "But… This doesn't sound like him, simply murdering someone he cared for. You can't fake it with an asari, they simply… know if it's not genuine. The red sand maybe, the last time I saw him he was strung out on the stuff. But, I always wondered whether he got clean somehow, when he left Cerberus. Or simply overdosed. But, you say he was on Omega? So, he had to be sober, having escaped the Illusive Man as long as he did. You need a clear head." She grimaced. "I am just speculating Dr Gable. Is this what you wanted to ask me about? About Grayson?"

Abby wondered if she was running out of time to chat and tried to make it brief. "No," she said. "But it ties in with that. Another Cerberus agent is here, a man called Kai Leng…" Miranda's face made her stop immediately. "You know him?"

Miranda's mouth had thinned with distaste. "Kai Leng? Yes." Her words were short. "Have you had any contact with him?" When she saw Abby shake her head she nodded curtly. "Good, keep it that way. He is a very dangerous man Dr Gable. I'm assuming he is there for Grayson. When Grayson left us, the Illusive Man put him in charge of apprehending him. He is a ruthless, cold-blooded killer. Stay out of his way and instruct Aria to do the same."

Abby imagined trying to instruct Aria to do anything and succeeding.

"Aria told me to find out whatever information I can about him," she said. "Is there anything important that she should know? Anything you can tell me?"

Miranda grimaced and looked away from the screen as old loyalties warred within her.

"He specialises in wet-work," she said. "Assassinations, if you do not understand the term." She paused again, considering her words carefully. "I explained to Shepard once that Cerberus doesn't have the linear hierarchy as the media's making out. I wasn't second in charge in the organisation. I was high up, as high as I could go, but even I didn't have total access to everything happening across the organisation." She shrugged. "Biotics for instance. Those death camps the media's blaming me for. I had nothing to do with it, it never interested me. So, needless to say, you need someone spear heading that department and those in it. Someone similar to me, but different skills. Same goes for… the kind of work Kai Leng is used for. People in his line need a special kind of attitude. The Illusive Man needs someone who can think on their feet and can take autonomous decisions without thinking too much about what they were doing. Kai Leng's like that. He is task-orientated without being imaginative. He is no risk to the organisation because he is loyal to a fault." Abby wondered whether Miranda possessed the self-reflection to understand that she was describing herself before she met Shepard. "As I've said, he was put on Grayson's case and I can tell you, he was furious when Grayson got away from him. He has never stopped looking for him."

Abby was thinking about Miranda through all of this, and her decision to leave Cerberus to follow Jane.

"Do you think he's after you as well?"

Miranda blinked slowly. "Probably," she said. "Or he might have special instructions if he happens to come across me. The Illusive Man's…" She stopped what she was saying. "Well, I guess you can say the Illusive Man in thorough enough to have send out a kind of instruction to all of his agents, I am sure. Just… stay out of his way Dr Gable. Please."

Abby wasn't sure whether she would have that luxury.

"I'll relay what you said to Aria," she said. "If you have anything else… I'd appreciate it if you can send me something. I won't tell Aria where I got the information." She was surprised to find that Miranda looked tired.

"I don't suppose you should," she said. "If she is dealing with the Illusive Man. That will just complicate matters for me. Is there anything else you needed from me Dr Gable, or is this it?"

Abby hesitated, thinking that she should simply end the meeting. But, she had not yet mentioned Anderson to Miranda and the idea of having a link to Jane…

"There…" she hesitated. "There is something else that I should mention. Kahlee Sanders wasn't the only human that was taken during this raid. She was with Councilman David Anderson. It's one of the reasons Asura feels we should remain involved, she doesn't want his blood on her hands and, if possible, she wants to make sure that he makes it out of here unscathed."

Miranda had gone very still at the name was now watching her. Abby wondered whether this was what she had looked like when she asked Anderson to convey a message to Shepard. There was… an air of desperation there that was completely unlike Miranda.

"He told me that he's had access to Shepard, to a fashion. He said that she is as well as can be. She is being held on a facility on Earth. I'm not quite sure where but he made it sound as if she was near some sort of Alliance command centre. I… I don't know a lot about Earth I am afraid." She remembered suddenly that she had been going under the auspices that she had come from Earth. "I mean, I don't know anything of the Alliance and where their central… Well, you now what I mean."

The broken hope in Miranda's face was terrible to witness.

"And he is involved in all of this?" She asked. "With Aria and Kai Leng…" She trailed off. "Dr Gable?"

She must have seen the look on Abby's face who was suddenly regretting saying anything about Shepard to Miranda.

"Yes," she said. "He's with Sanders, as I've said. He wasn't meant to be taken, they didn't know that he would be there and, I guess… If Asura hadn't gone along they would have killed him."

She wasn't sure how much attention Miranda was paying beyond hearing that he was involved.

"So you have access to him," she stated more than asked.

"Yes," Abby nodded slowly. "He is my patient."

Miranda was very quiet. She sat so still that Abby thought the screen had frozen and was about to check her connection status when Miranda blinked and let out a slow breath.

"I… Thank you for giving me this information Dr Gable," she said. "I appreciate that you thought to share this with me."

Shifting uncomfortably, Abby inclined her head. "I… If you want I can see if I can get a message through for you… I was thinking of trying to send one with Anderson myself…" Miranda cut her off with a curt wave of her hand.

"Don't trouble yourself," she said. "And don't show too much interest in Shepard. It will draw attention to you."

Abby couldn't help but shake her head.

"Shepard was taken from my clinic," she said. "He was here. He knows I know her."

Miranda was looking at her as she had looked at her on the Normandy when Abby had told them that they must wait before they fled Omega after the destruction of Ba'hak.

"That may be," she said. "But I would still advise you to use caution. Remember, there is nothing you can do for Shepard now. Nothing." She was frowning, her gaze becoming distant. Yet, Abby couldn't help but feel as if she was trying to convince herself.

"I have to go Dr Gable, though… Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that you shared this with me. I will forward what I have on Kai Leng and Paul Grayson to you. I trust it will be sufficient."

A cold hand of apprehension settled around Abby's heart as she nodded, looking hard at the video screen, trying to figure out what emotions she was seeing on Miranda's face.

"It's… perfect Miranda. Thank you."

The woman nodded and severed the link without another word leaving Abby feeling estranged and worried.

Shouldn't have mentioned Shepard, Abby thought as she pushed herself up. Shouldn't have mentioned her at all. There is something about her that makes us all loose track of reason.

In her shuttle orbiting Omega, Miranda Lawson sat very still after she had severed the link with Dr Gable, willing her mind to calm. She hoped that the veterinarian hadn't picked up on it, but her conversation had brought up a lot of subjects that felt as if it threatened to push her off balance.

Paul Grayson and Kai Leng were names from her past that she had not thought would cross her path again. Certainly not now, with the reapers so close to the civilised galaxy's door. She and Liara had tried to monitor their progress, knowing that they were in Ba'hak and together they had tried to make an estimate of how soon they would arrive. The prothean decimation, according to Liara, had taken hundreds of years but they had been a homogenous specie to conquer. This time, they were sure that the reapers would have more to deal with. They had looked at archaeological data and run simulations based on the information that Miranda had had access to while she worked in Cerberus and their best guess was that it would take the reapers between six earth months and a year to get to significant systems.

It wasn't enough time to prepare.

Liara tried her part, being in constant contact with her friends in the Alliance to try and keep a finger on the pulse of what they were doing to stave off the invasion. She had been encouraged by what she heard, believing that they were working on something at least but Miranda had never had faith in their system. They were too tied up in bureaucracy. It was why she had believed in what the Illusive Man did. He had seen a problem and he acted. No debate, no voting, no politics. He had acknowledged the threat that the reapers posed to all life and he had stood against it.

Miranda still believed in what he did but, through Shepard's eyes, she had also realised where her boundaries were. Like keeping the human reaper. She had seen it for the abomination that it was, and she had seen the danger that it posed. She would never acknowledge it to anybody but even serving onboard the Normandy with Jack had made her think. That maybe, it was good to have some limits at least.

Shifting Miranda got up and paced in the small space the shuttle afforded her. She couldn't say why but it had disturbed her to learn that Paul Grayson had been so close to her all the times they visited Omega. She wondered if he had clocked her and made sure to stay out of her way. Would he have bothered? Certainly. She would have given him up in a heartbeat.

And Kai Leng. That name had brought chills to her because she knew that if he had seen her before she saw him, she might not have had the chance to escape. She didn't know what the Illusive Man had planned for her when they met again but she didn't want to find out. She had moved her sister's family from Illium in the past few weeks, giving her care over to Liara's agents instead of continuing to trust Cerberus to keep her safe. They had no more reason to and when she had learned that the Alliance was looking for her, she knew the Illusive Man had given her up. He was the only one who would have been able to leak information on her involvement with Project Lazarus.

A modern-day Frankenstein one article had called her with a surprising up to date picture.

She wondered what her father had thought of that.

Just continuing your legacy, Father.

Pinching her brow, coming to a decision she feared that she might regret, she went to her coms and called up Liara on the secure network they had. The Shadow Broker answered immediately and despite the distance between them, the delay in communication was fractional. The Shadow Brokers of old had sat on a lot of technology that the rest of the galaxy would probably wage war to acquire.

"Miranda," the asari said. "I trust you got my message?"

Not bothering with formalities, Miranda nodded.

"I did," she said. "I'm sorry for the delay that this will cause with some of our projects but I can't return to Hagalaz immediately. Something has come up in Omega."

Frowning, she felt Liara study her, trying to gage her emotions. It was harder to hide things from Liara because her natural empathy had been honed to a fine skill.

"Does this have something to do with what Dr Gable wanted to discuss with you?" She asked. "Are they in trouble?"

Miranda made sure to control her expression.

"No," she said. "But something else has come up. I'd imagine I might need a week, no more."

Liara was frowning. "Is this a Cerberus matter?" She asked. "I've seen that they have been much more active on Omega. And you obviously heard of the upset that happened across their bases the past couple of days. Does it have something to do with that?"

Miranda couldn't exactly lie. She had come to respect Liara too much.

"It's personal," she said and left it at that, hoping her tone would tell the asari that she wasn't willing to say anything else. She watched as Liara sighed, realising as much. She considered Miranda for a moment before her expression softened somewhat.

"Do you need help?"

Miranda considered this for a moment, then shook her head. "No," she said. "I'll be fine."

There was nothing more to say. Shifting, feeling a little uncomfortable, reminding herself that sometimes, people needed more than simply a cold shoulder, Miranda forced herself to relax.

"I will send you a report on what has been happening here," she said. "And give you an overview of Dr Gable's conversation." I am not mentioning Anderson at all, she'll connect the dots very quickly. "I will be back on Hagalaz by the end of the week, no more than that."

The asari nodded, her expression still soft. It made Miranda uncomfortable in this moment but in a strange way, it also made her look forward to returning to the Shadow Broker's base. She felt as if Liara understood her, understood her drive and her need to ensure that everything worked out. Both she and the asari had given their lives to Shepard and, it had seemed fitting to her to seek out Liara after she had left the Normandy because she knew that, for Liara at least, there was no waiting.

The work wasn't done.

But she had to see to this first.

She was back with Aria's 'guests'. Sitting on the couch with Kahlee, Abby was taking her through some exercises that she could do with her hands to maintain flexibility and strength. Her rate of recovery felt like nothing short of a miracle to Abby, though her patients seemed to have expected nothing less. Even though she had seen similar recoveries in her own practice, future medicine was still a wonder to her. She hoped that she would never take it for granted.

"Do you see wht I am doing?" Abby was looking at Kahlee, studying her face for signs of too much discomfort, but she was addressing Adnerson. She could feel him watching her, much to her irritation because she felt that she wasn't paying attention to what she should. "If you can help her with this, then you won't need me anymore."

The man glanced to the spot where Kahlee was flexing her fingers against Abby's and applying some pressure which Abby countered.

"I think I'll manage," he spoke calmly. "Though your company is hardly a chore. Unless you perceive us to be?" His question was suspiciously good natured.

"I don't," Abby spoke a bit too quickly. "But I am not fond of spending more time with Aria's organisation than is absolutely necessary. I am just a veterinarian; I'd like to get back to being one."

She turned her attention back to Kahlee.

"Are you still alright? Should we stop? None of this should be too painful. A little discomfort's fine but pain's always an indication that you should stop whatever you are doing."

Anderson snorted behind her. "Tell that to my back," he said and stretched a little. Kahlee, though she had been focused on Abby's hands, smiled at Anderson, chuckling softly.

"And my knee," she said. "We're not as young as we used to be David." She turned her attention back to Abby. "I can still continue for a little longer I think," she said. "Let's switch hands again." Abby complied and, as if they were in some sort of dance, they pulled their hands away from each other and then raised their others. Abby gently put her fingertips against Kahlee and using subtle pressure, helped her to straighten her fingers.

"You seem impressed." Kahlee's words made her look up and Abby blushed when she realised that she had been staring at her own fingers.

"I…" She shifted. "Yes." She found that she could not share with them that she had been happy because her own hands weren't trembling yet. It was one of the first signs her body gave her when her coordination started going. "I'll confess, I am a little proud of this, I am."

Anderson was studying her now, his face passive.

"You probably know a lot about us," he said. "Me certainly. But we know nothing of you Dr Gable. Tell us a little about yourself. You said you came from Earth?"

Abby went a little cold. When Kasumi build her an identity, she had tried to research the lie that she was going to tell but had found it impossible. She didn't have the capacity to make up a life because what was left on Earth was so much different than what she had left behind.

"I left there a long time ago," she said. "If you are referring to my accent, my family was Welsh."

"Was?" Kahlee queried which made Abby shrug.

"I'm all that's left," she said. "It happened a long time ago." They were still looking at her expectantly. "There's nothing to say of my life before I met Shepard," she put a little bit of force in her voice. "It's hardly worth speaking of."

Kahlee was looking at her strangely and Anderson now looked deep in thought. "That is an awful long time you are wishing to forget," he pointed out then held up his hands. "But I'm not judging. How did you meet Shepard? I remember her saying something of slavers but I was hardly paying attention. That was a difficult time."

Abby sighed, realising that she had to give them something. "I got on the wrong side of a couple of mercenary's ire," she said. "Shepard pulled me off their ship. Saved my life." She felt her heart ache. "I am very grateful to her."

Anderson was quiet for a while as he considered her. "She spoke highly of you," he said finally. "Really… expressed the need to protect you from whatever backlash arriving at your clinic would have caused. I hope you understand that."

Abby did, but she said nothing. That moment had felt a little like a betrayal.

"You seemed unwell at the time," Anderson said. "I am happy to say that you are looking well Dr Gable."

Sighing, Abby shrugged.

"As you've said, it was a difficult time." she said. "I got better. Have you heard anything else about your Paul?" She glanced at Kahlee hoping the woman would change the subject.

"Aria said they've received a message that Grayson is on his way," she said. "It's hard to make out from the message but their guess is that he should be here in a day or two."

Abby hoped that Jack would be here within that time as well. She would have to talk to Asura on what they were going to do if she wasn't. Asura was with Aria at that very moment, probably strategizing for that very moment. Having delivered the information that Miranda gave her to the matriarch, Aria had summoned her partner into a private meeting, leaving her to see to her patients.

"I don't think her intention will be to kill him," she spoke softly. "I mean that, I'm not just leading you on."

Tired eyes looked at her and it was hard for Abby to tell if Kahlee believed her but the older woman spared her a smile at least.

"I know that's not your intent," Kahlee said and sighed. She pulled her hand away from Abby's and slowly flexed her fingers.

"I think I've had enough for now," she said. "Thank you for all you've done for us Dr Gable."

Abby nodded and didn't speak as she gathered up the few things she had brought with her. Anderson was watching her, his eyes following every small move she made. It made Abby uncomfortable or rather, more so because she suspected he was still trying to figure out what her place was in Shepard's life. And, why she wasn't walking with a crutch as she had when he met her before. Wishing to draw his attention away from her, she tried to give them a little more information.

"Asura's with Aria now, discussing… whatever they are going to do when Grayson comes," she said. "She'll be involved through to the end. I thought it might… Well, you'll know that she'll have your back."

"That's good to know Dr Gable," Anderson said. "Just… I just want to know. Why are you two on Omega? You seem to be quite talented in your field and your partner…" He hesitated and Abby could understand why. Asura had a way of lingering in one's mind and she had certainly used enough of her charm on Anderson to imprint on him. "Well, she seems to have talents of her own. You'd do well on Earth or an Alliance colony."

Thinking about her conversation with Miranda, Abby was surprised that she had an answer.

"I don't believe in your Alliance," she said. "And in that same breath, I don't believe in Cerberus either, before you accuse me of being on their side. I'm here because…" She trailed off, struggling for words. "As rough as it is, life here is more honest." Having gathered her things, she stood up from the couch and ran a hand through her hair.

"I'll come and see you before all of this reaches it's conclusion," she said and made sure to look at Kahlee. "Hopefully I'll have more news. I can't… I can't stress enough that it's better for you if you all cooperate with Aria's people. I know I sound like a broken tape recorder but…" She saw them blinked and realised her context was wrong. "I mean a corrupted audio file but, I am saying it out of concern for your wellbeing." She wished she didn't feel like such a hypocrite when she said it but at least the two nodded, acknowledging her truth. She wasn't sure whether they were doing it simply to humour her though but, in that instant, she didn't really care. She wanted to get back to her clinic and patients that didn't talk.

She went to the door but there she hesitated.

"I have something very selfish to ask you," she said, looking to Anderson specifically. "And I know in this moment, I have right to make any demands of you. But I have to try." She waited for the ex-councilman to nod though his pleasant demeanour had slipped to stone.

"I want to write Jane a letter," she said. "Or, at the very least, one to her mother so that she can deliver it. I'm asking you to either carry one for me, when you leave here…" She emphasized the when. "Or at least give me Hannah Shepard's contact information. If she can see Jane, then she can take it for me."

Anderson didn't hesitate.

"I'll do it," he said. "You can give me anything you wish to give her." His eyes were serious. "When we get out of here." She could tell he meant it.

"That will happen," Abby said. "I can promise you, it will."

The End of Chapter Eight.