Hello! Happy Anniversary to Familial Ties! It is so exciting that I have made it a year and still going strong with this story! Who knows where we will be in another year (if it continues that long)! I am a little disappointed with how busy I have been lately, so I couldn't put as much time into the anniversary as I wanted to. I want to thank those of you who have been with me for so long and those who are brand new! It is for you, the fans, why I am still writing this. Thank you to those of you who sent me the prompts and although I don't have those done (SORRY!), I will still work on them and post them referencing the anniversary invitation. I do have one posted, Very Model of a Scientist Salarian… In Love, a prompt from JaliceAZ. The prompts were meant to be short. Because, let's face it, life is busy and I still want to get FT out for you guys! I will try to have the next prompt posted soon and with another chapter of FT. Thanks again to everyone reading/following/favoriting and reviewing! Feel free to PM me any questions. Love you all!

Chapter 31

"John, do you really have to leave now?" Jane asked as they sat on the couches in her room.

"Sorry, I wish I could stay but there are still other dossiers that I have to see." He watched her face fall and he leaned forward to give her a hug. "You going to be okay?" He felt her nod and he released her to sit back and stare at her, "You sure?"

Jane forced a smile, "Of course."

"I know everything is really strange right now, but I know you will find the swing of things. You are back now. You can do anything." Although he was convinced, he could tell that she wasn't in the slightest, "Who will you recruit next?"

"I'm not sure… I was leaning towards Dr. Okeer."

"Head towards the Citadel first, I received a message about the thief I was after before. I had tried to recruit her but she kept eluding me. But, as luck would have it, she decided to reach out to Cerberus. I say, go there first, you could always talk to Anderson too."

"Yeah, I guess I could."

"Jane, I know that things can't be exactly like they were before, but maybe they could be better. Give this a 'll get through this with flying colors."

Jane nodded as if she agreed, "You want me to walk you to the docks?"

"Thanks, but I'll be okay. I need to go say goodbye to a few people."

Miranda? Jane wanted to ask, but instead she only nodded.

Once he reached the door, he turned and smiled, "Once you have decided who will be on the team, I'll be back on the Normandy. I promise." She waved half-heartedly at him and he backed out. The door shut in his face, blocking the view of his sister and he let out an audible sigh. It broke his heart to see her like that and know there wasn't anything he could do about it; especially now that he had to leave. There were deeper issues going on with her, but she wouldn't open up.

John headed towards the main battery, there was one individual he had to talk to above all else. The door opened and he saw the turian's back. "See you later, buddy."

Garrus had been prepared to dismiss the man but instead turned to look at his friend, "I thought you would be staying on board."

"Not yet. I have a few more things to wrap up. So, in the meantime, I am going to need a favor, for old time's sake."

"What is it?"

The way Garrus had spoken told John that a lot had changed over the last two years, and the 'old times' might not be so easy to get back. "I don't know what happened to you all this time, or what you went through, and I am sorry. But, I need you to help Jane right now."

Garrus looked away, "What?" he asked sarcastically, "Need me to keep an eye on her again? I have to protect her from harm while you are away?" his words dripped with poison.

It stung John, but now wasn't the time to start a fight, "Jane is dealing with a lot right now too. Everything is different from her and she woke up thinking she would have friends that would be there for her. Instead, she got another battle to fight. To make things worse, she actually did run into Tali," he saw Garrus look at him a little differently, "Tali turned her back on Jane. What kind of a slap in the face is that? Now, of course, as soon as I see her, I have to leave. Talk about a risk of developing abandonment issues. Just, let her know that she isn't alone. You two were friends before and you got her to speak to you like no one else did." He waited for a reply but nothing came, "Alright…" John pressed his lips together. "See you around."

Garrus watched the doors close and he leaned against the console. The information about Tali really surprised him, but it didn't change his mind. I can't be her friend anymore. I am too much of a risk. The way I acted with her when she was only trying to help is proof that I am only good for the battlefield.

Jane sighed as she leaned back in her chair. She pushed lightly off her desk to slowly spin around and watch the items around her blur. Eventually, she came to a halt looking at her completed model of the turian cruiser. Sleep was weighing heavily on her but she continued to fight it; she didn't want the nightmares that came to her. Joker had offered to hang out with her until it was time to dock at the Citadel, but she really didn't feel like having company at the moment. She hadn't completely fallen back into her "commander" role and she wasn't sure that she wanted to just yet.

I really should do a quick set of rounds before we hit the Citadel. She sighed and stood up to change into one of her uniforms. Once set, she headed out, figuring that she would start down in engineering and work her way back up.

After speaking to Ken and Gabby, she started to walk towards the AI core to take a good look at it. Behind her she heard the two engineers share a few words.

"I'm amazed Shepard came down to see us," Ken said.

"I told you she would," Gabby retorted.

Jane allowed herself a small smile. It was weird knowing that people still looked up to her when she never felt that important, let alone not feeling like herself right now. She stared at the drive core for a moment longer before stepping away and heading back. Just as she passed Ken and Gabby she saw the empty console across from them. She couldn't help but think that Tali belonged there. She let her mind wander as she moved back to the elevator, Maybe I made a mistake telling John that I had seen her. He obviously has some deeper issues with her. I just wonder how much is of him still hurting and knowing that he still cares for her. At least… I think he does.

She looked up as the doors opened and she stepped out, rounding the corner as she heard a conversation going on, "I'm sorry, princess," Gardner replied to a couple of crew members, "Filet mignon and caviar are coming right up. Just let me get out my doillies!"

"That'd be real nice, Mr. Gardner."

Jane took a few minutes of her time to speak to the Mess Sergeant before she turned and looked down at the main battery. She froze to the spot. Taking a deep breath, she moved forward and entered the room. "Hey, Garrus, got a minute?"

Her voice pained him, so full of apprehension and fear. He must have really terrified her… how could he talk to her right now? "I'm kind of in the middle of something right now. Can it wait?"

Jane was about to back out, she didn't want to push him but if she was going to trust him, she had to talk to him now. "No. It can't. If I am going to have you on my team and join me for missions, I need you to talk to me."

Garrus stopped what he was doing and turned around, "Alright, what do you want to know?"

"What happened? In the two years that I was gone… what the hell happened to you?"

Simple… I lost you, he wanted to say. "What specifically do you want me to say? Two years is a lot to cover." He saw her look away pained and he realized what he had said. Two years was a long time, but not for Shepard; she had missed everything going on in her friends' and family's lives and couldn't have done a thing to change that.

"What happened with your Spectre training?"

He took a deep breath, "Honestly, I was one of the best and was on the fast track to becoming a Spectre. I know I told you that before…" he said the last bit in a whisper, "Councilor Sparatus still had a special interest, until I blew that. I stayed in it for a little while after the Normandy had been destroyed. I kept appealing to the council to refocus on the Reaper threat but they ignored everything. It was like once you were gone they didn't have a reason to believe any of it anymore. In short, I left. I didn't see a point to serving people like that."

"How did you end up on Omega?"

"Chance, really. Hadn't planned on it. Hopped on some shuttles that eventually brought me here. Omega was filled with criminals nobody else could touch and there was no red tape to slow me down. It was a perfect fit." He started to move around in the small space, trying not to focus on her for too long. He felt like a monster in front of her. "I didn't try to become Archangel. It just sort of happened. Started doing a few things to damage the merc groups and people start to join up." Memories of his old crew started to come back to him and he rubbed his brow, "Can we move on please?"

"Just tell me what happened… I just want to help. How did those mercenary gangs take down your team?" she stepped forward and immediately regretted it as he stepped away. It felt like exactly what had happened with Tali.

"It was my own damn fault! One of my people betrayed me!" He moved to the corner and slammed his fist into the wall. "A turian named Sidonis. He drew me away just before the mercs attacked my squad, then he disappeared. Everyone except me is dead because of him. And because I didn't see it coming." He turned around with a new rage in his eyes.

Jane fought with herself; her instinct told her to take a step back from the dangerous alien, while her love for him told her to run to him. Instead, she stayed still.

Garrus continued without being prompted, "Sidonis asked for my help on a job. When I got to the meeting point, nobody was there. By the time I got back to my hideout, the mercs had killed my squad."

"Are you sure it was a betrayal? Maybe they took Sidonis out first."

"No," Garrus said bitterly, "I've put out feelers to some old contacts. He booked transport off Omega during the attack. He also cleared out his private accounts before he left. He sold me out and ran."

Jane could tell where this conversation was heading and she didn't like it. Cautiously, she asked, "Do you know where Sidonis is now?"

"No. His trail vanishes after he leaves Omega. But I'll keep hunting. I lost my whole team except for Sidonis. One day I'll find him… and correct that." A heavy silence fell between them. He didn't know what Jane was thinking of him now, but he was sure that it wasn't good. "Thanks for coming by, Shepard. I've got some things to take care of."

The way he said it gave Jane a clear indication that the conversation was over and he wouldn't be answering anymore of her questions. "You'll be on the team when we dock at the Citadel." She left without another word.

Garrus watched the doors shut and leaned back against the console. How was he going to be around her so often and not speak to her? Just that short interlude was bad enough.

Jane stepped into the conference room to take a breather. She had managed to hold herself together while she talked to Jacob and Mordin but she was crumbling. Her body and mind were fighting against her. She knew that she needed to sleep but she was terrified about what might happen. But it was clear that she couldn't keep functioning like this. Besides, after hearing what had happened to Garrus her heart was breaking. He wasn't the same as he was before and he was pushing her away. This new life of hers was looking worse than the one before… if that were even possible.

Rubbing her eyes one last time, she took a deep breath and headed towards the cockpit. Before she could reach it she heard Kelly Chambers call out to her, "Commander, you have new messages at your terminal."

"Thank you, Kelly," Jane headed over to her console and opened her inbox. There was only one that caught her attention:

From: Councilor Anderson

On the off chance that the rumors are true and you actually are alive, I need you to come and talk to me on the Citadel. A lot has changed in the last two years. You put me on the Council, and it's only fair that you be allowed to speak for yourself about what we've been hearing.

Jane could feel her chest tighten again. Why couldn't she get over missing out on the last two years? Maybe Anderson can answer some of my questions about what's going on and what happened to Mom. She closed the terminal before looking at any of the others and moved towards the cockpit. She had to finish her rounds before she collapsed. As she got closer she could hear Joker talking with EDI.

"Why don't you loosen your wires a bit? Don't be so uptight," Joker said.

Jane stepped through the doorway, "Everything okay up here?"

Joker turned around in his chair, "We're just having an argument over personalization of my workspace."

"Cerberus regulations are clear, Mr. Moreau," EDI interjected. "Personalization does not include grease on my bridge cameras."

"Heh! It's just mad that all it's footage of me looks like a dream sequence," Joker laughed. "Oh yeah! And Commander, great job on getting Garrus back! That's great, because he was totally my favorite. And I know yours too!" He waited for her to laugh or scold him, something, but she didn't do anything. "Hey, Jane, you alright? I have to admit, you aren't looking so good. Maybe you should get some rest before we hit the Citadel." She nodded at him. "I mean, come on," he smiled, "you can't show up looking like death after being reported missing in action and presumed dead. They might call a zombie outbreak."

"Yeah," Jane forced a smile, "I think you're right."

"Jane, if you ever need someone to talk to, you know that we're here for you." When she raised an eyebrow at his use of 'we' he caught on to her meaning though he was surprised he had to clarify. "You know… Me, Chakwas… Garrus? And who knows? We might even be able to get more of the old gang back together."

"Wishful thinking, Joker… On all counts. But I guess you are right, I have you and Karin." She turned around and started to walk away, "Play nice, you two."

I might need to have a word with that turian… Joker studied Jane as she walked away and only turned back to the controls when she was out of sight.

Garrus adjusted his glove and rechecked his weapons. He had to keep his hands busy or he would let himself think too much.

"Everything okay with it?" Jacob asked next to him.

He looked over at the human, "Yeah. Everything is good."

"Oh, alright. Just wanted to make sure. It's like the third time you have checked it and I was worried that I had messed something up with your gun while cleaning it up."

"You cleaned my gun?" Garrus said cooly.

"Uh… yeah. When they brought you in it was covered in your blood and I could tell it had been used pretty heavily. I couldn't just let it sit like that. Hope that was okay…" Jacob added cautiously.

"I guess…" Garrus said, his tone clipped. "Future reference though, no one touches my weapons."

"Gotcha."

"Same for Shepard's guns, too," Garrus added without thinking.

"Oh yeah," Jacob chuckled a bit. "I figured that out the hard way. I had started working on hers first after they brought you in, when she found out she was pissed. I mean, she hid it well, but I could tell it was there. I assume she is the same way. No one touches her weapons but her."

"Not always," Fuck… why did I just say that?

"Oh? So you have clearance for her weapons when she is incapacitated, huh? You two must be pretty close."

Jane announced over the Normandy's comm into the armory, saving Garrus from having to answer the question, "We're docking at the Citadel now. Jacob and Garrus meet me in the airlock."

The ride to the Zakera Ward was quiet. Everyone was looking out the windows to take in the sight of the Citadel, each for different reasons. As they landed, Jane got out and waited for her team to catch up.

"What's first?" Jacob asked.

"We'll recruit Kasumi Goto first. There is supposed to be an ad terminal nearby." As she scanned the area she saw an ad terminal flicker and hooded face appear.

"Got problems with Collectors? Try Kasumi's credit services!" The face disappeared.

Jane shared a look with her team and moved towards it. She stopped in front and looked the terminal up and down.

It came to life again, "Commander Shepard," it said a soft voice, "we have the finest companions waiting for you. Perhaps something petite, smart, and Japanese would be your style?"

"Well, if that's not an invitation, I don't know what is," Garrus said.

Jane crossed her arms as she stared at the terminal.

"Um… Commander?" Jacob leaned forward. "This is the terminal, right?"

Jane nodded.

"Just enter your password for a fabulous prize package worth millions of credits!"

"Do you not remember the password?" Garrus said dryly.

Jane turned and glared at the turian. "I remember the damn password. I am just seeing if this is a recording or if she is watching nearby. My bet is on the latter."

"Okay, really? How long can you stand there like that?" Kasumi said.

"And there it is," Jane smirked. She accessed the terminal and said the password when prompted.

"Good to finally meet you, Commander Shepard," the face on the terminal said, "Kasumi Goto. I'm a fan."

"What's with the password and the sneaking around? Are you in trouble or something?"

"I'm the best thief in the business. Not the most famous. Need to watch my step to keep it that way. I also needed to make sure all this was legit. And I have no doubts now. You're the real Commander Shepard."

"What makes you so sure?"

"There's a certain… aura about you. Like you have seen things no one else has. Even without knowing what you looked like. I knew it was you."

Garrus watched Jane's expressions as the conversation continued; she almost seemed relieved to hear that someone thought it was her. How much does she doubt herself? He wondered.

"Has Cerberus filled you in on the mission?" Jane asked.

"Honestly, I'm shocked they didn't come to see me sooner. My fault for being hard to find I guess. Though I did give that delicious dark-haird man the runabout for a while. I have to say, he did get closer than anyone before him."

"Who?"

"Hmm, tall, short brown hair, blue eyes, good build on him too. I assume he was the original one sent to recruit me." Kasumi almost sighed, "Shame I won't be seeing him again. I did enjoy making him run around in circles."

Jane contemplated whether or not to say it. She did. "That would have been John. John Shepard."

"So that would mean… Oh. Oh. My, my, it's a small galaxy afterall. Or is this just the way you Shepards pass the time?" Kasumi chuckled, "Either way, I trailed him to find out why Cerberus was so interested in me. I found out they were looking for someone to join you on an important mission. And were offering a serious signing bonus. I had a thing I needed help with, so I made them a deal."

Quirking up an eyebrow Jane asked, "I am assuming this deal is something I should know about?"

"Yeah… I guess it slipped their minds. I'm looking for my old partner's graybox. A man named Donovan Hock took it. And I'm planning to get it back."

"What's this heist you're planning?"

"Not here, Shepard. You'll get a briefing when the time comes. I need time to nail down the details anyway. I've taken the liberty of getting you some evening wear though. You'll want to look presentable."

"Sounds intriguing. We'll take care of it."

"It'll be fun! And if we're lucky, you won't even have to draw your gun." Kasumi deactivated the terminal, "We should probably wrap this up. You look pretty silly standing there talking to an advertisement. See you on the ship, Shepard."

Jane shook her head as she and her team watched Kasumi walk and then disappear out of sight.

"Huh," Jacob said, "guess you were right about her being nearby."

Jane only nodded before heading towards the security check.

"Damn it, EDI," Joker shouted at the blue orb, "Just let me have a little fun."

"You are still on the clock, Mr. Moreau and altering my cameras to better spy on individuals is not an efficient use of your time."

"It's not like I am flying right now. What the hell else am I supposed to do? Sit here and twiddle my thumbs?"

"You could always read the flight manual."

"Excuse me?"

"The flight manual. I assume you have never read it due to your blatant disregard of safety precautions and the general flight capabilities."

"Don't tell me what the Normandy can and can't do! I have flown this ship before and I knew everything about her! If what Cerberus claims about this one is accurate, then we have nothing to worry about."

"Then perhaps could I interest you in a 'professional etiquette' pamphlet?"

"You know? I am not sure that I am liking this whole 'sassy computer' façade you got going on." Out of the corner of his eye, Joker noticed the notification of the doors opening. "Hey, what was that?"

"To what are you referring?"

"Don't pull that shit. The doors just opened. Shepard is already back, who the hell was boarding?"

"I am not reading any unapproved visitors to the ship."

"Huh…" Joker leaned back. "Weird…" He heard a faint whistling that seemed to be going down the bridge and into the CIC but there was nothing to see, "What the hell… Am I going crazy?"

"Was that meant as a rhetorical question?"

"Ah, shut up you damned computer!"

One, two, three, four, kick. One, two, three, four, kick. Jane continued to push herself harder and faster, fighting the bag more and more. She tried to block out her thoughts but it wasn't working. At least working out helped prevent her from overthinking things.

Garrus was still hardly speaking to her. The only time he seemed (more or less) like himself was while they were on mission but this was hardly the one to test. They really only toured the Citadel, they didn't even have to pull their weapons. But maybe this was the first step to regaining that trust. There is something serious that he is dealing with but he won't open up. I need my friend back.

That C-Sec officer, Bailey I think his name was, he did say that I was really me. Well… not directly. The scanner on the Citadel can read anything down to an unregistered gene mod. That must mean that I am the same person.

At least Anderson knew some of what was going on with Mom. More than what John knew. Mom seems to be managing but she is probably just hiding it. A trick I learned from her it seems. Jane wanted to contact Hannah, but she worried that it would only pull her mother down with her. The fewer people she associated with while she worked with Cerberus, the safer they would be and Anderson agreed with her decision. I hope Mom will forgive me.

Jane had asked about Alenko, but Anderson had been especially cryptic concerning Kaidan's whereabouts. And he got a promotion… I'm happy for him. Maybe he is moving on. Building a better life for himself.

The Council was the same as always. They didn't plan on doing anything about the missing colonies and were reluctant about reinstating her Spectre status. No one but Anderson believed her. She had thought that maybe Vigil would be able to back her up but apparently it wasn't working anymore. The Council wouldn't even conclude that Soveriegn wasn't Geth created. It was all bullshit. The fact that Sparatus called her mental state compromised was even more insulting. Then again… I am working with Cerberus right now… I would be just as doubtful.

But still… she thought, How could they say that what I was doing was treason? I know that Cerberus isn't the best to align myself with, but who else will help stop the Reapers? I am sure the Illusive Man has his own agenda but that doesn't mean I will let him follow through with it. Jane took a deep breath and slammed her fist into the bag again, At least they reinstated me… Maybe I can prove to them that I am worth the risk.

Two years, three months, and seventeen days since I had last stepped foot on the Citadel… Two years, three months, and seventeen days. She held the bag for a moment before punching into it with a new fury. She would try to get her old life back. She started to hammer her fists into the bag again.

"I always found you so sexy when you were working out, especially when you were focused."

Jane froze. She knew that voice. She turned on her heel and stared at the man, "Leng. It's been a while." The only sound in the room was the creaking of the bag.

"Janey," he smirked, "it has been longer for you. Not necessarily me." He strode forward to stand in front of her. He was only a few inches from her and he reached over her shoulder to stop the bag. "You look good. Oh, wait, I've already told you that."

Jane narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't call me that."

"Oh," he made a 'tsk-ing' noise as he walked around her, "you should be more appreciative of compliments. Say 'thank you' every once in a while." He stopped to face her again and tapped his forehead, "Of course! My mistake… You only let daddy call you 'Janey'."

"What do you mean it has been longer for me?"

"Oh, I visited you while you were under. It's a shame they took away your tattoos. I especially loved this one," he ran his hand along the contour of her ribs towards her breast before she swatted it away. "And the scar? Hmm… I will miss seeing that one." He touched where her scar had been before she stepped away.

His gravelly voice seemed to resonate through her. "How the hell did you get on my ship?" she snapped?

"I am fairly close with the Illusive Man. If it weren't for me… you wouldn't be here like this."

"What do you mean 'like this'? I am not their puppet."

He stepped closer to her, "Oh, I know that. They would have preferred to have you as a mindless drone that they could activate when needed. I stopped that from happening." Leng reached up and pushed a strand of hair from her face. His voice seemed to drop an octave lower, "I couldn't let them do that to you."

Jane involuntarily closed her eyes as he touched her face. Suddenly, she shook out of it and shoved him away from her but he regained his footing a few inches away. She heard him chuckle at her reaction as she walked away from him. How did he still have this effect on her? Still?

Leng smiled at her and looked her up and down, appreciating the tight shorts and tank top.

"You can stop checking me out now," she said bitterly without turning around.

"We do know each other, don't we?" He let out a sigh, "Oh, Janey, why can't things be as simple as they used to be? When we were both recent recruits in the Alliance and hating all that was around us. Hate is a better bonding factor than love, don't you think?" When she didn't answer he took a few steps closer to her. "Jane," his voice rumbled in her ear. He smiled as he felt her shiver, "Think back to the years long ago, when everything wasn't so complicated. When we weren't so complicated," he ran his fingertips along her collarbone, along her neck and finally up to brush the stray tendrils of her hair. "I am sorry for what happened."

He sighed heavily, his breath running cooly over her. Jane knew that she should push him away again and throw him out of the Normandy as well, but he still seemed to have a power over her. His voice always seemed to undo her. She felt his lips brush against her neck and his other hand touch her shoulder and run down her arm.

"I missed you, Jane. What happened to us?" he brushed his fingertips along her back. "Come on," he touched her hair and pulled the band out letting her hair fall free. He ran his fingers through her hair and twisted the strands to hold them tightly, "we can always have some fun together…"

Something about his voice snapped Jane out of the trance; maybe it was the obvious menace and cruelty that he was capable of seeping through. As soon as he dropped his hand from her hair she reached around and grabbed his neck, holding him in place as she spun around to face him. In response, he grabbed her wrist and thrust his hand forward but she deflected it and pinned it under her arm.

"Ooh, you still have some fire in you," he sneered.

Pushing her out with his free hand, he gave himself enough space to move under her, throwing her over his shoulder causing her to release his arm. Switching her hold, she slung her arm around his neck and tried to wrap her legs around his torso. Before she could get a grip on him, he dug his fingers into the back of her knee and his other hand into the juncture at her neck and shoulder, each hand finding her pressure points easily. Jane yelped in pain as he pulled her off of himself and wrapped his arms around her arms and torso, her back pressed against his chest.

"Always loved this bit of foreplay myself," he chuckled as she struggled against his hold. "What about you, Love?" he kissed her neck right at her pulse.

"I didn't realize 'love' was in your vocabulary."

Jane threw her head back into him and elbowed him in the ribs and she kicked his right leg out in the same motion. He stepped back trying to recover some of his balance, loosening his hold on her. She twisted out of his hold and grabbed his wrist twisting it to an awkward angle. Leng grabbed Jane's foot and tried to try to take her down but she saw the movement coming and swung her leg over his shoulder. Using his arm, she pulled him forward and wrapped her other leg around his torso then proceeded to use her body weight to flip him over and pin him on his back.

Leng looked up at his pinned wrists in her hands, his arms pinned under her knees and finally up and down her body as she sat on his chest. "I knew it wouldn't be long before I was back between your legs."

"Fuck you, Leng."

He brought his legs up and over her, wrapping them around her chest and tearing her off of him. She was slammed on her back, the pressure almost knocking the wind out of her. Before she realized it, Leng was looming over her, his body stretched out over hers, pinning her joints to the ground. His hand was over her throat; his thumb pressing against her pulse, the curve of his hand placed perfectly over her trachea, and his long fingers reaching to her spine.

"You should choose your words more carefully, Janey," he said darkly and squeezed her throat. "That almost sounded like an invitation." He tightened his hand a little more and her begin to choke. "You will always be mine, Jane." Her hands struggled to remove his hand over her throat but he ignored her protests. "You may work with Cerberus, or for the Alliance, or for the Council, or whoever you think is more appropriate at the time, but we will always have something between us. We have a deeper bond than most," he continued to hold her down and kissed her lips longingly. Finally, he released her from his mouth and hand and she gasped for breath. "Hmm… I know, it was good for me too." Leng stood up, leaving Jane on the ground. "Don't forget about what I said. All of it." He started to move towards the exit until he heard her raspily call out.

"K… wait."

He turned around to smile at her as she gasped for breath and pushed herself to her feet. He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close, "Ready for the real match?"

"Oh yes," she whispered with hardly any breath. As he leaned forward to kiss her she brought her elbow up, catching him in the chin, causing him to back up unsteadily. She quickly brought her fist to the side of his face, nailing him in the jaw and her other fist came over to meet his nose and finally she planted her foot in his chest, sending him to the ground. "Don't you ever touch me again," she said with as much force as she could in her choked voice.

Leng stood up just as the door to the gym opened; both humans looked over to see a turian enter the room.

Garrus stopped in his tracks and looked between Shepard and her mystery guest. Whatever was going on, it didn't look like the dark haired human was invited, "Did I interrupt something?"

"Not at all," Leng said confidently and stood upright. "Janey and I had just finished up." He felt something trickle down his face and wiped away the blood. He wanted to make Jane pay for it in one way or another, but now wasn't the time. "See you soon, Janey," he said taking a few steps towards the turian. "Oh yeah, and tell your brother I said 'hi'. He and I will have to grab drinks sometime." He looked up at Garrus with a dark smile and flicked the blood off his hand and onto Garrus's armor.

Once the door shut, Garrus came closer to Jane, "Are you alright? Who the hell was that?"

"A shadow from the past," Jane said, her voice still hoarse. She marched forward, determined to make sure that Leng left the ship.

Garrus grabbed her arm, "Wait, look at me." She didn't move. It was odd that her hair was down and he could tell that she was hiding something. He pushed her hair out of the way and saw the reddening marks on her throat. "Did he do this to you?" he hissed.

Jane knocked his arm away, "Don't fucking worry about it. It was just a spar. Besides, don't act like you are suddenly worried about me now." She shouldered past him and headed straight for the door. "EDI, tell me how he got on this ship without clearance," she heard the doors to the gym shut behind her.

"Leng has clearance for all Cerberus ships, per the Illusive Man."

"Well take him off my list for the Normandy."

"I am sorry, Commander. That capability is blocked."

"Then at least notify me when he is even near my ship!"

"Noted, Commander."