It'd been two days since Shepard and Thane slept together, neither had left their rooms since. Shepard had ordered Joker to Omega. The ship needed restocking and she wanted shore leave for the crew, this would be their last time before going after the Collectors.

Thane wasn't doing all so good with his feelings, his meditations would turn into him repeating their time together in the cabin and speaking it loudly towards the blank wall. Sleeping had eluded him with only being able to rest for an hour or so at a time. He woke up most of the time with a boner of needed Shepard, his body was betraying him.

"Shepard are you okay?" Tali asked for the third time that day as she tried to get Shepard from her room. The crew had noticed their Commander not being around and with Thane also doing the same, some rumours were spreading about the two.

"Yes, I'm fine," she croakily called back. Shepard wasn't okay, she barely moved unless it was to use the bathroom or eat the food Garrus had been leaving outside her door. She felt so lonely and the rash between her legs was making her time very uncomfortable. She needed to see Mordin, it was a common reaction to Drell skin and venom. It would go with time, but without cream, it was painful and itchy.

Tali sighed, she needed to see her. She knocks again, "the crew are worried about you, Shepard. What happened between you and Thane?"

Shepard perked her head up, even though the crew was gossiping didn't mean Shepard knew anything about it. She finally gives up the isolation and unlocks the door. Tali walks in and gasps as she sees the sight of Shepard curled up in her bed, her thighs red-raw as she scratches them. Her cybernetics glowed through her skin as if she'd scratched right through to them.

"Edi, get Mordin, quickly," Tali called as she rushed down the stairs and scooped Shepard into her arms. She let her Commander cry and wail as she stroked her hair. "What happened?" she asked in a low voice.

Shepard pulled herself back, she wasn't used to talking about her feelings with others. She wiped her tears and struggled to catch her breath, she shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "He... he came to see me yesterday and one thing led to another... and," she bit her lip, unable to say anymore.

"Garrus knew you slept together, he could smell it the moment he saw Thane, but he's been locked in his room for the same amount of time as you." Shepard looked at her, narrowing her eyes in question. She thought Thane wouldn't care that much if he upped and left her.

"He left me, we fucked and walked out after." Tali gasped. She wanted to kill Thane for doing this to her friend. Mordin came rushing through the door, already knowing what he needed.

"Ah, Shepard. Let me see," he says in his quirky voice as he pulls Shepard's legs open partly, she'd only been wearing shorts as anything else caused the irritation to become worse. "See problem. Drell skin secretes venom. Cream," he says, passing it to her. "Apply each time before sexual contact. Own skin will become used to venom. Oral contract can also cause mild hallucinations. Have you expressed this?" He tapped his foot as he waited for her reply.

"Only for a moment and then it went," she replied as she applied the cooling cream, she was already feeling much better as the coolness brought much-needed relief.

"I see. Cybernetics, maybe, will do research from reconstruction." With that he turned and left, he had enough information to figure out why Thane's venom didn't have the usual side effects aside from the rash.

"I need to see him, Tali," Shepard says as she finally gets up from her pit of depression and finds her N7 jogging bottoms and an oversized hoodie.

"I don't think that will be a good idea," she comments as she gets up. Shepard sighs but shakes her head and heads for the lift, Tali follows.

"There has to be an explanation to why he was like this? Maybe a Drell thing?" Tali shook her head, her arms crossed over her chest.

"He left you, Shepard, what else could it be?" The lift got to deck three and both women got out. Some crew members looked at Shepard but quickly moved away as she had the face of fire.

"Just keep this between us, Garrus will be the last person to know," she whispers. Knowing if the Turian was close by he would have definitely heard them both. Tali dropped her arms in defeat but nodded, still not happy with Shepherd's plan. "Go, I'll talk to you later and... thank you," she says with a hand on her shoulder. Tali nods and leaves Shepard outside the life support room.

Shepard didn't knock, she unlocked the door and walked straight in. Thane heard it but didn't move or greet her, he sat on the floor at the end of his bed. Shepard's heart broke as she saw him, he looked just as bad as her. He wore nothing but his leather pants, she finally saw his chest. It was the same green colour as his face, but he had two stripes of dark green down each arm and two more of an even darker green with the hint of moisture on his back. His chest and stomach put even Jacob's body to shame and that man worked out every single day.

"Thane?" she whispered as she knelt down in front of him. Thane looked up, his lips partly opened as they trembled.

"Irikah?" he mumbled in question. Shepard's face scrunched up, she shook her head and waved her hand in front of his face. "Shepard?" he finally says, now able to get his surroundings clear.

"Yeah, it's me. Who is Irikah?" Thane's eyes snapped open more, realising what he said. He got up and grabbed his shirt, but Shepard pulled it from his hands. "Answer the question," she hissed at him.

"My wife," he shouted in her face. Shepard backed away, her eyes tearing up. She thought he had some sort of feeling for her, but now she felt like a used garbage bag.

"You're married and you fucked me?" she shouted equally as loud. Shepard pushed him away from her, he barely stopped himself from falling into the table. He caught the back of the chair and pulled it out with a huff as he slumped down in it.

"She is not my wife anymore, she died ten years ago." Shepard looked at him, he held back the tears as he bit down hard on his lip. She couldn't grasp why he was so upset. "I am sorry for leaving you yesterday, I did not know what else to do."

Shepard sat down across from him, he turned and wouldn't stop glaring at the table. "Why did you leave me?" she finally asked, near dying to know.

"I... it is hard to explain when you are not Drell," he says as he looks up. He places both hands on the table and hitches a breath.

"So you don't like that I'm not a Drell?"

"No, god's no," he shouted. He tried to grab her hand but she pulled away. She needed the explanation first before they could do anything else together. Thane sighs, closing his eyes as he begins to speak. "I have been with a few Drell before meeting Irikah, but she was the only one who... spiked my instincts. She did not approve of my work... but accepted me. We married and had a son." Shepard cut him off as she waved her hand in his face.

"Wait, so you didn't tell me you were married, but now you're telling me you had a son?" Thane nodded, realising this had been the worst possible way to tell her. But he continued, even with her glare burning through his face.

"I still do, he is in the care of his aunts and uncles. I left after Irikah died, she was murdered by those who wanted me dead. They paid the shadow broker to find out about them, I was gone too long and returned to my home destroyed and my son hiding in the wardrobe." Thane had to blink a few times to get the memories pushed back before they consumed him. "I have been able to move past the grief and guilt of abandoning my family, my disease is my karma for all my wrongdoings."

Shepard sat back in her chair, this was the very last thing she would think about Thane's past life. He seemed like someone who would be alone most of their lives, enjoying the solitude. "But this doesn't explain why you left me after sex, was it that guilt that made you leave?" Thane shook his head.

"No, that was far from the real reason. I... When Drell's mate it's only known to be the one who can make one ejaculate and orgasm to finish within them. Irikah was that one, but during the last couple of years of our lives, it wasn't anymore. Our marriage became... toxic. When I met you, it was deep feelings that returned with a lust for you. I had to know if they were true."

"But you did finish with me?" she said with a low voice. He nodded in agreement.

"When that does happen, to Drell it means a deep connection has been made. Something deeper than love." Shepard's mouth dropped, making Thane grunt. "That is why I did not want to tell you, it is not the same for humans. I was panicked by your reaction and you'd turn me away."

Shepard closed her mouth and looked around the room, "why have you locked yourself away?" Thane followed her gaze.

"When that connection is made you have a near-obsession with that person. It is hard to stay away and you will do anything to be with them. I was the same with Irikah, but she was able to help me with distance and my work. By the end, I was able to be away for weeks or months at a time without the feelings becoming too hard to control."

"So why can't you control them with me?" Thane looked at her, he wanted to do nothing more than kiss her and take her right there on the table. He shook the thoughts away.

"It has been ten years, Shepard. I may be patient and resistant, but I have desires. I cannot keep myself away from you, but I have hurt you and I can never forgive myself for that." Shepard watched as he began to cry, the tears looked like acid that burned from within that cold assassin heart of his.

"I... I want you, Thane. But I can't if you'll leave me again. I can't be hurt like that again, it nearly killed me the first time." Thane placed his hands out for her, she hesitated but intertwined their fingers together. It was harder with Thane's two middle fused fingers, but she let his rest between two of her fingers instead of one each.

"I will not leave you unless my last breath forces me. I cannot keep myself away from you if I tried, Shepard." She climbed up the table and came closer to him, letting him pull her down onto his lap as their lips intertwined. She could finally taste him for who he was, not rushed. He was sweet, nothing she would have expected. His venom added extra moisture to their kiss as their tongues joined together.

Thane moaned into her mouth, holding her tightly against him. He dropped one hand between her legs, rubbing her wet clit, but she hissed in pain and pulled back. "What is wrong?" he whispered, catching her lips again.

"I can't, not today. My skin has had a reaction to yours and it's really painful." Thane pulled back, his brow ridge dropped in sadness and guilt.

"I am sorry, I didn't think so. Have you gotten some cream?" She nodded as she kissed him around his face, letting her tongue run along his frills.

"Siha, you must stop or I will not be able to control myself," he groaned. Shepard pulled back with a sigh but nodded and climbed off him.

"I heard the name before," she said quietly. It was a name from one of the datapads, but she couldn't remember what the meaning behind it was. Thane got up and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning their foreheads together.

"I will tell you what it means... one day," he said with a small kiss. Shepard giggled and kissed the tip of his nose.

"I need you to do one thing for me," she says as she strokes his biceps, letting her nails dig into his scales. He groaned and tried pushing her into the wall, but gained control and stopped himself. "I want you to get into contact with your son."

Thane pulled himself back, his face dropping as he backed away. "I don't think he will speak to me, he resented me when I left." Shepard moved towards him, placing both her hands on his cheeks.

"Please, he must know about your disease and... us. I don't want to stand between you both, I can help you with my Spectre contacts." Thane didn't like the idea but nodded in defeat. He couldn't say no to his Siha.

Shepard and Thane had finally gotten back on track together and spent the rest of the day together in each other's arms. They were just a couple of hours out from Omega when Thane finally got the message from his step-brother, who was very shocked to even hear from him. But he told Thane the news of his son that was something he feared the most.

He had to find Shepard and save his son before it was too late...

A/N: Little cliffhanger for you all. I'm glad to finally get them both on the same page and get those misunderstandings corrected. See you all next time :).