Thane knocked on Shepard's door to her cabin, even though it was unlocked he wanted to be respectful. A moment later she called for him to enter, and he walked in. Now taking the time to properly view her room and of course the exits, he found three just as he walked in. Mentally noting them if they both needed them.

"Hey, Thane. Give me a minute," Shepard called from the bathroom. Thane groaned, he could smell her body scent and heat from the other side of the door. She was getting out of the shower and he was already feeling a lot hotter as her sweet body cleanser smell called to him.

He distracted himself by looking at the many model ships that hung her in her glass cabinet. He then looked at the possessions on her desk. There was an old N7 helmet, it was broken. He knew of the trip from Joker about Shepard returning to the old Normandy crash site, that was all she brought back with her and some dog tags Admiral Hackett had asked her to return for families. He hurt Thane to know the Alliance made Shepard do it instead of sending someone else when it had been over two years since the crash occurred.

His sights turned to the fish in her built-in-wall tank, there was a mix of colours and species all swimming together in harmony. His memories returned to the times of seeing the Hanar and smaller fish species swim magically in the water halls of Khaje, how he missed those times.

"You could have walked in, you know," Shepard called from behind him. He continued to stare at the fish as he felt her brush past him.

"I was..." he stopped in his tracks when his eyes drifted to the little piece of cloth that was around her body. Her hair and body were still partly wet as a white towel was wrapped around her body, it barely hid the side of her ass that poked out from the slit in the towel. Thane swallowed back his lust for her and walked down the stairs, deciding to sit down on the corner sofa. "I can give you some privacy."

Shepard laughed as she opened her drawers to get her SR2 uniform out, Thane saw Cerberus uniforms in the drawer, but they were untouched. "Thane, we've slept together. May not have been how I wanted to be our first time to go, but I think you're past not seeing me nearly naked."

Thane scratched his chin, letting his left leg cross comfortably over the other. "And I am still very sorry for that," he replies. Shepard waves her hand at him.

"Don't be, I have forgiven you," she says with a smile. She looks down at the towel and then at him, shrugging her shoulders she drops the towel. Thane didn't even know what to do, but he felt his blood circulation stop as he held his fists tightly. "What did you need anyway?" she casually asked as she started to dry her body.

Thane took a full minute to stop staring at her perfect breasts or curved waist before answering. "I... I did as you asked and tried to get in contact with Kolyat." Shepard perked up at that and stopped with her hair in the towel. "My brother... Irkahs brother got in contact with me as I was unable to get Kolyat's current details. I... when I knew I was going to die, I put a holo together of memories of him and his mother. Even an explanation for my abandonment. He seems to have gotten possession of it early and taken up as a freelance assassin on the Citadel."

Shepard threw the towel to the floor and started putting her clothes on quickly, "Edi," she called in a commanding voice.

"Yes, Shepard?" The AI called as her hologram popped up in the corner of the room.

"Tell Joker to get his ass out of bed and get us to the Citadel now, ASAP," she says, clapping her hands. Edi seemed to take a moment to process it.

"But, Commander. The crew are expecting shore leave. So is the Illusive Man, he..." Shepard shushed her and she walked up the stairs to face the AI. Thane also got up to watch.

"I don't care what the fucker has to say, this is my ship and mission. We are going to the Citadel, if any of the crew have a problem tell them to come to me personally." Edi's hologram pulsed as she relayed the details.

"Of course, Shepard. Joker is already on his way to helm, logging you out." The AI then disappears. Thane looked at his Siha with his mouth dropped, he didn't expect her to drop their plans and just go.

"Siha, I was going to go by myself," he mutters. Shepard shook her head and went down the stairs. She rested her forehead into his, letting his hands snake around her waist.

"We are in this together, Thane," she replies with a small kiss to his nose. He smiles and nods, letting their bodies become one with a tight hug.

Word spread about Shepard's urgency to return to the Citadel, no one was upset about it. Shepard even promised them shore-leave once they'd done. Garrus had heard and quickly found Shepard, telling her he had a lead on Sidonis. The Turian who betrayed Garrus and his crew that was doing some good on Omega, he and Garrus were the only ones left alive. Once Sidonis led the gangs of Omega to Garrus and the crew. He never would have made it off alive unless Shepard found Garrus barely hanging on at his stronghold.

So now with two reasons to return to the Citadel, Shepard was determined to get everything done. But Thane's took priority as they only had a couple of days before Kolyat would fulfil his contract and disappear into the galaxy.

The first stop was Captain Bailey, he had helped Shepard in the past and she knew she could lean on him. They found him at his usual station at the security officers by the docking bay doors.

"Well, Commander. Lucky seeing you again, can I be of some help?" Shepard had brought Thane and Garrus with her, seeing if she could get both their problems sorted within the day. She leans into the desk, not wanting their conversation to travel.

"My associate is looking for his son, we feel he may have fallen in with the wrong crowd." Thane stood at the side of the desk, his hands kept neatly behind his back. Bailey looked at him with narrowed eyes before typing on his terminal.

"Should be easy enough, we don't get many Drell here... There, one of my men spotted a Drell speaking to Mouse, interesting." Thane perked up at that name.

"Mouse?" He knew that name, his memory nearly split back but he came back under control when Bailey spoke again. Shepard looked at him with worry but kept professional, the galaxy didn't need to know her dating life just yet.

"Mouse, he's a former duct rat. Probably who put your son in contact with whoever he's after. Mouse isn't known to do the work himself." Shepard questioned the name duct rat. "Duct rats are a nickname for kids who hide and usually live in the ducts of the Citadel."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Shepard asked, not liking how little care C-sec had for homeless kids.

Bailey looked at his desk with closed eyes and shook his head in sadness. "Sometimes we find a little body or find out some have gone missing by being spaced through the ducts exits. Mouse is too big to fit in the ducts now. You'll find him outside of DarkStar, he works out of a comms terminal. He actually sold an illegal VI of you, Shepard."

Thane nearly smirked, he knew of those VI's he was tempted to buy one but the thought was actually disrespectful. "Me?" Shepard questioned. Bailey grunted.

"Yeah, it was buggy though. Kept giving you warnings about how the galaxy was at stake and to fix the problem yourself." They all heard Garrus laugh from behind them.

"Laugh it up, Garrus," Shepard said with a playful smack to his arm. "Thank's, Bailey. We'll be back once we get a name." They all left Bailey to his work and went through the wards to the DarkStar, known as a nightclub.

"You didn't tell the Captain about our true purpose of being here?" Thane questioned as they walked up the stairs. Shepard shook her head.

"He would only stop us or slow us down. We need to find Kolyat before C-sec does," she replies. Thane grabs her hands and squeezes her gloved, suited hand. Garrus watches, clearing his throat as the pair looked as if they would kiss.

"Can you save it for another time?" he mutters as he pushes past them both. Shepard chuckles but nods and removes her hand from Thane's.

They found Mouse outside the DarkStar just as Bailey said. He was talking on his omni-tool before turning and nearly shitting himself at the sight of Thane. "Jesus, Thane?" He looks at Shepard. "Commander Shepard? I thought you were dead," he comments with a quiet, shy voice.

Thane moves closer, bringing the kid up against the wall as he puts a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Be calm, Mouse. You can change your pants in a moment." Shepard nearly snorts at his words, but clears her mind and moves closer to Mouse.

"We need some information you gave a Drell, about an assassination?" Mouse looks at Thane.

"But, you know me..." He then looks at Shepard. "If Thane has not told you anything, then I won't either." Shepard looks at him, waiting for the explanation on how the two know each other.

Thane looks at the floor as he speaks, "I've known Mouse since he was a child. He and others would get information on my targets."

"You used kids?" Shepard asked with disgust in her voice. Thane felt her back away, he hoped he hadn't broken her heart again.

"My people call them Drala'fa: They're everywhere, see everything. Yet they are never seen." Thane gets back on track and looks at Mouse. "He is my son, Mouse. Tell me the contact," he threatens.

"You won't be linked to us, Mouse. I swear you won't be named." Mouse thought with Shepard and Thane's words, he finally relented and spoke.

"He came with that holo you took of me. I looked through your old contacts, the only one that would give him a chance is Elijah Kelham." Thane knew of that name, he was a human. Aliens were the blight of the galaxy in his eyes and he became very rich and popular after the battle of the Citadel.

"Before you go," Shepard says in a deep voice as she moves closer. "I heard about those VI's of myself?" Mouse quickly quivered.

"Hey, you were dead. I had to make a living." Shepard grabbed the collar of his shirt, bringing his face close to hers.

"Give me a copy and stop selling them and maybe I will consider not kicking your ass over it." Mouse quickly nodded and brought his omni-tool out to transfer a VI to her. She lets him go and he quickly scurries off, telling Thane to kill Elijah if he could.

"You okay?" Shepard asked Thane as he stood in front of her.

"Mouse knew more of my life than Kolyat ever did." He paused as the memory consumed him. "He stares at me, scabby knees and dirty clothes. Loving the petty gifts I offered him. 'Sere Krios, take a holo to remember me', he begged. I hesitated but did so, leaving him with holo and favourite chocolate." Shepard put her hands on his shoulders, steadying him as the memory finished. "I left him when he had no one else in his life, just as I did with Kolyat."

"Don't blame yourself," Shepard says as she holds his warm cheeks. He closes his eyes and sighs against her touch.

"If I don't, no one will. Let's return to Captain Bailey."

Part two will continue into the next chapter.