A/n: Surprise! Although I said the main story was on hold until I found a co-author, I received a large number of requests to patch a gap in the story that the jump over the days of adjustment and early testing referred to in chapter 3 represented for many. I was going to do some one-shots to address this but found another way forward that lets this likely three-shot segment (which could be nearly as long as the original five-chapter set), be a part of the main plotline. This chapter is the first of three, covering that key period in Sigren and Sithana's lives. I have no idea at all when the next chapter will be done but it will be a while.

Thanks to everyone who has favorited, followed, and/or reviewed, particular thanks go to those who encouraged me to patch this hole in the plot…. there were several of you and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Even more particular thanks to Desert Sunrise for help with the mechanics of getting this to you.

Thanks also to Bioware for the Mass Effect universe and its characters. Anything and anyone you don't recognize from the game is probably a result of my own ruminations and experiences.

Early morning August 19, 2170 Apartment 1418, Tiberius Towers, the Citadel Presidium

Sithana, who was emotionally and physically exhausted herself, needed a lot of time to use a mix of massage, light mental linking and talk to relax Sigren enough to facilitate sleep.

It took even longer for her to find rest herself. Sigren's memories of the battle on Mindoir were horrifying, not only because of what the Human had experienced, but also because they were clear indications to Sithana of what she would have suffered had Sigren not rescued her from her own Batarian attackers more than a year earlier.

Worrying about what might have been was one of Sithana's self-perceived weaknesses. Even now she sometimes wished she could go back to the simple and very rewarding life of a leading acolyte to Consort Sha'ira. Work that was, generally, far safer and far better paying than the wide range of dangerous occupations and behaviors that most of Sithana's age mates engaged in. Jobs and choices that, recent data showed, meant that Asari who were 286 had outlived fully half of the Asari children born in the same year as they were. This was fortunate for the Council because the known Galaxy's resources could not support the Asari population alone if it were allowed to come to full maturity—and its full potential fecundity. One-thousand-year-old Asari matriarchs could be expected to consume nearly twenty times as much in food and other material in their lives as the oldest Humans, and nearly fifty times more than the most senior Salarian males. A matriarch's life-time resource consumption could only be equaled by most Elcor and the Salarian dalmatics who produced literally thousands of the eggs that became tadpoles if they hatched. The average Asari was likely to have five daughters once she started having children which, of course, would have compounded the resource issue further if the Asari tendency toward risky behaviors in the maiden stage not built a strong enough cap on their population growth to ensure that the number of Asari wouldn't more than double every five or six hundred years.

In spite of the loss in revenue and respect that she now faced, knowing Sigren as she did today, Sithana was sure that whether simple luck or the workings of the universe, she had found the being who would be the father to as many children as she could convince her bonded to have with her. Children who would, Sithana hoped, keep the Tamara family name that she bore proudly as the present form of the Serrice T'asht'vara lineage founded 26,821 Thessian cycles earlier by the mother-ancestress from whom she descended over 73 unbroken mother-to-daughter generations.

Sithana was sure she would succeed as both Human-style psychologist and Asari-type mind-healer—roles her medical training and apprenticeship to Consort Sha'ira made her eminently qualified to excel in. She could only hope she wouldn't need too much of her professional knowledge to help Sigren overcome the experiences she had survived in her life already, not to mention those Sithana feared her bonded's personality and family culture would lead her to in the future.

As it often did, Sithana's widely trained mind turned toward the adjustments they had managed in those early days of their relationship and bonding shortly after her near kidnapping. Challenges she willingly shouldered then because of the debt she felt she owed Sigren for her freedom and, almost certainly, her life. Problems—and rewards—that even if she hadn't felt indebted to Sigren, Sithana would have accepted for the simple reason that there was no-one better qualified to handle them.

May 1, 2169, Rm. 1567 Huerta Memorial Hospital

Although she couldn't know it yet with certainty, Sithana was aware that this day was likely to be a great and terrible day for Sigren Shepard. Today was the first day the fifteen-year-old girl was to be let out of bed for any significant period of time. This, in itself, made it a great day.

Today would also be filled with tests and other procedures meant to determine how difficult it would be for Sigren to see through Sithana's eyes, and the Asari maiden would soon learn that not knowing how today's tests would go made May 1, 2169 more than a little terrible in Sigren's proverbial eyes.

Sithana didn't need twenty years of medical training along with many more in practice, as well as nearly thirty cycles apprenticed to Consort Sha'ira to know that getting to this point hadn't been easy for Sigren. The Human teen already had to deal with a wide variety of uncomfortable situations and feelings while she struggled to begin the process of regaining at least some self-sufficiency and hopefully, her sight.

For nearly four days Sigren had been fed intravenously. The first two days she was fed this way because she was unconscious after the Batarian's attack. The last two days, IV feeding was done so that her shattered wrist would have time to recover before being asked to do the essential work associated with trying to bring food and drink from plates and cups to her mouth, a task that was easy for the Human teenager until four days ago.

Knowing of the challenges Sigren was likely to face in getting food from plates to her mouth, the Human Surgeon Dr. Chakwas had ordered breakfast for her, including a wide variety of foods "just in case."

Within moments, Sigren had made a total mess of her hospital gown and the bed.

It was becoming ever more obvious to Sithana that like Asari under age 200 or so, Sigren didn't have the body sense that older Asari had simply by repeating tasks in a body that didn't grow or change very quickly for years or centuries on end. This disaster proved to Sithana that eating was going to pose a significant challenge for Sigren since she couldn't see where food was on her plate or where the cup of water was on her hospital tray—a task the numerous monitor leads and other wires that still festooned her bed and body made even more difficult.

No matter the discussions or meetings that might be happening with respect to Sigren's health, Sithana was always available to guide the Human teen to the bathroom when she needed to go. Sigren needed a full day before she could manage the three-foot trip mostly on her own. Sithana knew Sigren had to be frustrated since she and Dr. Chakwas ordered her to make the trip as many times as needed before she was allowed to stop. Even then, any time Sigren had to actually go to the bathroom, Sithana made sure to be present in the water closet itself.

Sithana was shocked to discover that Sigren was uncomfortable having someone with her in the bathroom. Asari had little body modesty once they matured. Their unisex culture meant bathrooming wasn't done in the enclosed spaces that most bi-gendered species often preferred. It took a long time for Sithana to explain to Sigren that until she could learn how to navigate places like this by herself, either she or Sigren's parents would need to be with her—for safety if nothing else, no matter how uncomfortable the Human teen might be.

Sithana did her best to make sure that Sigren understood that as a healer, she was comfortable with caring for patients. Even so, the young, highly independent and equally self-conscious teen was struggling to deal with the fact that she did, indeed, need help.

Sithana's mind turned from the innumerable practical challenges they would have to overcome to the more immediate issues they were facing. Although it was obvious to Sithana that Sigren was definitely glad to be released from bed, it was equally clear that the prospect of the day-long battery of tests that was the cost of her release was deeply frightening to Sigren.

Sithana could definitely understand the young Human's fear since the results of the testing would go a long way to saying whether she would be able to see for Sigren. With success they could be confident that Sigren would see herself someday. Failure would make the next little while far more complicated. Sithana expected success with this complex and desperate procedure but admitted to herself that she was a little worried, too.

Having discussed how Sigren would be taken through the day's tests with Dr. Chakwas the night before, Sithana sat back in order to let the Human medical team explain how the day was going to go to the girl who would be such a huge part of her life—hopefully for a little while only, but Sithana both feared and hoped, for much longer.

"Let me explain the procedure we're going to start this morning," Dr. Chakwas said to Sigren who was now sitting in a comfortable chair in her room in Huerta Memorial Hospital.

"We need to take this step by step. Our first step is to have you link with Sithana and see how that goes. Because Asari and Humans have made informational links before without reporting any painful consequences, we'll start with just letting you … get to know each other as it were."

"Okay," Sigren said, a slight quaver in her voice.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Sithana asked Sigren in her gentlest voice.

"No," the young Human said, impressing Sithana with her honesty, "but it won't get any easier the longer we wait so let's get to it."

"Very well," Sithana murmured. "Embrace Eternity."

Sithana was always fascinated by how other minds perceived her on that first delicate connection. After encountering—and doing what little she could to relieve—the physical pain Sigren was feeling due to the ongoing issues she was facing in trying to heal, Sithana dove deeper.

She was not surprised to find that Sigren found her physically beautiful. Most Asari and many Humans thought her far more attractive than average. She knew this would only increase as she grew in age and presence. She was deeply humbled to learn that the Human teen already saw her as very smart and incredibly kind. Sithana hoped she wouldn't be smashed on the rocks by the fall from the mental promontory on which Sigren had put her when the teen found the personality flaws and limitations in skill and perspective that she, like all other beings, had to overcome.

Sithana pushed forward the incredible thankfulness she felt for what Sigren had done four days earlier on the Presidium. She hoped that this would both lower that mental promontory a bit and soften Sigren's self- perceived limitations—some actual some not—in contrast to what the Human girl saw as Sithana's vast knowledge and life experience.

"Thank you my young friend," she said softly in mind speak alone. "I truly can never repay you for what you did for me four days ago. I am very sorry you were hurt. I promise you here, just as I did when you woke, that I will do everything I can to help you recover and have the life you desire."

Because she had worked with so many other beings with no telepathic gifts, Sithana wasn't surprised when Sigren both thought and spoke her response: "I was happy to help." It didn't take Sithana long to realize that the sentiment wasn't surprising either—for this singular Human girl at least.

Rather than focusing on Sigren's words or the sentiments behind them, Sithana gave Sigren a first lesson in the freedoms they would have in communicating while they remained linked:

"You may of course speak out loud if you like, but you need not speak your thoughts for me to hear them," she said, in ways only the girl in front of her could hear.

"Oh!" Sigren replied, obviously embarrassed that she hadn't thought of this earlier.

"There is no need to be embarrassed, you are young and this is very confusing for you," she sent via the link. "You seem to feel that I have vast experience that you can barely imagine but in truth, I think we will have many things to learn from each other over the next many weeks," she thought to Sigren while trying to reinforce her words in ways impossible outside of the link. "I look forward to learning at least as much from you as you will from me," she said while pouring as much positive sentiment into Sigren's mind as she could.

"Um," Sigren thought, "how can that be when you're so much older than me?"

"It is possible because you have experiences of a world I have never been to along with desires and abilities that I do not," she reminded the Human teen. "I have also never been linked to another at the depth that we will come to know each other. Your heart, your spirit, and your sense of self are tremendous," she said, in order to build Sigren's sense of self. "They are what drove you to save me from a fate worse than death. I will take great joy in discovering how they developed in you over our time together," she told Sigren, meaning every word.

Much as she might have some insight into Sigren's mind and spirit, the Human girl's objection to her sentiments shouldn't have surprised Sithana as much as they did: "Anyone would have…" the teen's thoughts came through very loudly.

"No, Sigren," Sithana murmured forcefully across the link, and aloud as well. "Most wouldn't—or couldn't—have. They would have stood aside, saying they couldn't change things or that helping me would be too hard or dangerous for them."

"Those few who had the skills to help might have, but no-one other than you saw and realized my danger in time. You did both, and because the kidnappers were able to distract C-SEC, only you could take the action that you took to save me."

"Do you know anything more about why they tried to take you?" Sigren asked, reminding Sithana of her own curiosity on this matter.

"We don't know for sure, all we know is that many high ranking Batarians have been acting very strangely for some time. We don't know why this is happening. I'm told that the STG thinks the Batarians don't know why either. In any case, we do know that many Asari who are known for their empathy or for the strength of their telepathy have been kidnapped from colonies throughout Asari space," was all Sithana could say, much as she wished she knew more herself.

After some thought on the matter she decided that it wouldn't hurt Sigren to tell her what little was known with respect to their situation in particular:

"Mine was the first attempted kidnapping on the citadel. I am told by Mistress Sha'ira that she and Counselor Tevos are afraid someone may try again. Particularly because the Batarians you killed were a highly ranked warlord and his favored son. The family is very angry even though their anger is badly misplaced. Their relatives after all, are the ones who started the sequence of events leading to their deaths."

"Whether their anger is misplaced or not, we will have to be protected from it for some time to come since I will be busy seeing for you and you won't be able to protect yourself from many forms of attack if we lose physical contact."

Sithana's awareness that she couldn't protect herself even when not seeing for Sigren didn't cross the barrier between their minds, but she knew it wouldn't take long for Sigren to realize that this was yet another reason that they would need protection.

"Oh, wow," Sigren said nervously. "I didn't realize how big of a deal this is."

"Yes, this is a very big deal," Sithana replied, knowing that to say anything less would be a lie—and a terrible injustice—to the being who had saved her.

Hands on both of their shoulders disrupted this first link.

"How do you feel?" asked Dr. Chakwas.

"OK," Sigren said, mirroring what Sithana had sensed in her mind. Fortunately, no pain was directly caused by this first link, even though Sigren was clearly still suffering from the effects of the Batarian's attack. Even with this factor to cloud her perceptions, Sithana was confident that there would be no pain from the connection itself for either of them. She was less sure about whether what they proposed to do using the link would cause pain or not.

After establishing that neither was in pain from the first connection, Dr. Chakwas turned to the next step in the process of helping Sigren on the road back to sight.

"Now that we know you can link without pain, the next step is to get baselines for your sensory input without the link, and then with Sithana linked to you. We need to understand what is going on in your brain now, and when Sithana is linked to you, and so a team of specialists and I will be using a variety of neural stimulation techniques to get a picture of what is happening in your brain without the link. Once that's done, Sithana will link to you and we'll go through the neural stimulation procedures again."

"Okay," Sigren said before asking a question that any scientist would have been able to answer right away, but that Sithana now knew a Human teenager in only her ninth year of schooling could not be expected to come up with on her own.

"Why do I have to have all of that done twice?"

"Because we need to see what is happening in your brain now to have a baseline for how your brain is working when you aren't linked to Sithana. We do that first and then take a look at what happens in your head when you're linked with her. We know that linking radically changes how Human and Asari brains work but because it usually happens when they are being intimate, we don't have a lot of data about what, exactly, is happening."

"Being intimate?"

"Having sex, dear."

"Oh!" Sigren said, flushing.

The girl's reaction told Sithana that there was, and should be, a vast difference between nearly 300-year-old Asari consorts and fifteen-year-old Humans with respect to comfort in discussing sexual contact.

Dr. Chakwas cleared her throat (reminding Sithana that Human adults also seemed to have issues in talking about sex that she did not), and continued:

"Because what you're doing is very different from a sexual bonding and it may last a long time, we need to understand what is going on in your brain to help you and Sithana manage any possible negative consequences like headaches for instance."

"Well, I've already got those," Sigren grumped.

"I know, dear." Karin said softly. "That Batarian device is a nasty piece of work and I'm not at all surprised you're still hurting. Please tell me when the pain gets too bad and I'll do what I can to help you with it."

"Okay, Doc." Sigren said. "They're not too bad now."

"Good."

"You should also tell me immediately if you have pain when we are linked," Sithana said. "I will be busy seeing for you. I will also try to avoid being so deeply in your mind that I would automatically know without your telling me if you have pain."

"How likely do you think headaches related to the link will be?" asked Hannah Shepard from where she sat on Sigren's right.

"We honestly don't know," said Dr. Chakwas. "What do you think, Sithana?"

This question had been the subject of a great deal of Sithana's thought and research in recent days. As a result, Sithana was relatively confident in her response:

"I would think at first headaches will be a near certainty. Sigren's mind perceives things differently and even though Asari are used to transferring images and knowledge to each other on a regular basis, Humans aren't evolved for mind links of any kind, particularly to a being whose visual processing and range of color perception are somewhat different than that in Humans."

"Since Sigren's cerebral cortex is being regrown and will have to be retrained it's even possible that, for the moment, she won't interpret the images I send her very well until the tissue is fully recovered in two or three days."

"Informational bonds can be tiring for both Human and Asari partners, and of course sexual connections tend to be very pleasurable for the participants in Human-Asari relationships. With something like this where the Asari is literally acting as the eyes for a Human? We have no knowledge."

"Hmmm," Sigren's parents said in near unison.

After a few moments' wait to see if her patient or her patient's parents would say any more, Dr. Chakwas introduced the neuropsychologist who Sithana would soon wish was the consulting psychological specialist on Sigren's case.

"Dr. Xia will be the one running the neural stimulation protocol. She is one of the best Human psychologists anywhere. She will be putting electrodes for a high resolution electroencephalograph on your scalp. She will use a conductive paste that helps the electrodes connect to the electrical activity in your brain. There are a lot of them, so she will need time to get you set up. Once that's done, she'll explain the procedure to you," Dr. Chakwas told Sigren.

"Okay," Sigren said with a sigh, obviously not looking forward to what would doubtless be an uncomfortable procedure.

Nearly 45 minutes, fifty sensors, and one headset later the neuropsychologist was ready to begin her tests.

"OK Ms. Shepard," she said in the deep, smooth tones it would take many years for Sithana to learn only a very few women of what the Humans called "Asian" descent could produce. Those who could would always remind her of this woman's kindness and professionalism to Sigren.

"I've got you set up. We'll literally be able to see activity down to the level of individual neurons in many areas of your brain. I'm going to use a wide variety of stimuli to get a baseline for how your brain is responding to sensory input. We'll use sounds, flashes of light, touch, taste and smell to determine how your visual cortex is being affected. We'll get data on how your other senses are responding, too. After I'm sure we've got good data, we'll then have Dr. Sithana link to you and we'll go through all of the tests again."

"I'm confused," Sigren said, raising her hand to stop the doctor before she could continue.

"About what?"

"Why are you using flashes of light when I can't see?"

"Because we know your skin can sense light in many ways. You feel some of it as heat, and you also respond to it in other ways that, even today, we still don't understand well. Broad spectrum light helps people in deep space stations remain healthy. Being exposed to light at certain times of day can help totally blind people remain on a proper 24-hour circadian rhythm, even though they can't see the sun. How that happens we're still not sure but we definitely know it's true."

Sithana was fascinated by this information. Asari skin was a great deal less responsive to light than Human. Instead Asari had a nearly unparalleled sensitivity to electrical fields, doubtless evolved to help them sense the biotic attacks that had been their primary method for hunting prey and killing rivals until the bow and arrow became the dominant offensive weapon on thessia some 35,000 years earlier.

As Sithana had told Sigren earlier, she was sure that there would be many months of fascination in the process of mutual discovery. Dr. Xia's comments more than proved this in Sithana's mind.

Sithana was pleased to discover that, in this instance at least, Sigren also seemed to be fascinated by this new knowledge.

"Huh, cool." Sigren said, obviously interested to hear that her skin could "see" light somehow.

"Definitely cool," the doctor agreed, a smile as apparent on her face as Sithana hoped it was clear in her voice.

The next forty-five minutes were filled with a barrage of sounds and sensations for Sigren. A loud noise on her left would be followed by a vibration from the stuffed animal she was asked to hold in her lap. Then her feet would be caressed by feathers followed by the taste of a shot of lemon juice into her partly open mouth. Then a truly unpleasant smell (that of an animal native to earth which Sithana thought was called a skank?) would be combined with the sound of waves on the seashore. At times Sigren was exposed to sounds, or touches or tastes or smells in series. At other times, stimuli were set to arrive with no stable pattern at all.

By the fortieth minute, Sithana could tell that Sigren was nearly exhausted by the continuous sensory influx.

"OK, we're done," Dr. Xia said to Sigren's obvious relief after the forty-five-minute series was complete.

"Now for the link tests."

Had she been a hundred years younger, Sithana would have laughed on seeing Sigren's horror at the thought of more tests.

"Do we have to, now?" the Human girl nearly groaned.

"We can give you a little time to rest," said Dr. Chakwas, "but the sooner we get this done the sooner we can see if your brain is ready for Sithana to visualize for you or whether you'll need a day or two more on medigel and the deep electro stimulus we've got your brain on to try to drive the cells in your visual cortex back to the conformation they had when you had your fine detail magnetic resonance scan series in prep for leaving Arcturus station last spring."

"I need a little bit to rest. I've got a hell of a headache," Sigren said quietly.

"May I try to help?" Sithana asked, hoping she could do something to reduce Sigren's suffering.

"Yeah," Sigren nearly groaned. "It's probably best for you to see what it's like in my head right now anyway."

Sithana's hands were soon in Sigren's own. Moments later, she was using relaxation techniques she had learned early in her healer's training to reduce the stress Sigren's badly overstimulated senses had exacerbated in her cranial vasculature and the outer layers of her brain. Sithana could literally feel Sigren's headache decreasing from what the teen would later say was a thirteen on a scale of ten to something Sithana came to learn Sigren would describe as probably about a four.

"How are you doing that?" Sigren asked thankfully via mind speech alone.

Along with the answer to Sigren's question, Sithana sent a wave of pleased approval in response to the teen's ability to use this newly learned skill so shortly after the neural stimulation and mapping tests.

"I'm using a modification of a type of Asari relaxation techniques to help let your brain come down from the very high level of processing that it has been doing to something closer to normal for you. Your headache is literally caused by a combination of too few nutrients in your brain and an electrochemical overstimulation that comes from your nerves firing too often. An electrolyte drink and half an hour's rest will have you close to where you were when we started this set of tests."

"Oh, goody." Sigren thought sarcastically.

Sithana let Sigren sense her gentle humor at this comment before she gave the young Human what comfort she could.

"I'll be with you this next time, and although I won't shield you, I will be talking with you and getting you accustomed to holding my hand while other inputs are coming in. I'll also be working to help you handle the inputs you are getting."

Knowing Sigren as she was beginning to, Sithana thought it necessary to warn her new friend that she, too, would likely suffer some from the forthcoming tests. "This will be hard on both of us so don't be surprised if you have the sense that I am also in some pain during the testing."

"OK," Sigren thought nervously. "I'm sorry this is going to hurt you."

Sithana decided to remind Sigren that this pain, at least, was her choice. "Better the pain I choose by helping you than the misery I would have faced with the Batarians."

Sithana sent an inquiring pulse across the link and, once she understood what the Asari wanted, Sigren, feeling no small amount of fear, called down the lightning.

"OK, let's do this."

With these words, the barrage of sensations began again, but this time Sithana was experiencing them both as herself and through Sigren's nervous system as well. She felt Sigren wonder if they would come in the same order as well as her thought that they weren't doing so. Sithana, of course, knew that Sigren was wrong in this, since they needed to make the circumstances as close as possible to the same—with the only new variable being the ongoing link.

Sithana could feel that Sigren felt that holding her hands was a powerful anchor to the world outside of the barrage. Unfortunately, as she had expected before the second wave of tests began, Sithana was soon suffering a terrible headache.

Sigren began struggling against her grip, clearly wishing to relieve her new friend of the agony she was going through.

"You must not let go," Sithana barked, shamed that she couldn't control her pain, and reactions, better.

"But you're hurting!"

"Yes, I am in pain," Sithana nearly growled, "but we will be done soon, and as I told you before, this is nothing compared to what would have happened to me if you hadn't stopped my kidnapping."

"But you're hurting!" Sigren repeated, horrified at the level of pain Sithana was allowing to come across the link.

"And I may be in far greater pain if the next many days aren't handled properly. We could both be killed, or worse, if we and the doctors, healers and my mistress don't know what we're doing! So allow me this pain now to ensure that no greater agony will come to both of us later," Sithana snapped, wishing that she had delayed today's tests by a day or two in order to get the rest she hadn't fully realized she needed after nearly four days of hard work to prepare for the procedure and equally great emotion where it, and its cause, were concerned.

Sigren, obviously chastened but still equally afraid and angry, seemed to recognize that she needed to hold the conversation for now.

Fortunately for both of them, the stimulation series ended shortly thereafter, allowing time to rest and regain some of their equilibrium that had been so badly disrupted by the tests.

"We have enough for now," Dr. Xia said softly, apparently knowing that both of her patients were in terrible pain. "I want both of you to get in lots of electrolytes and raw calories with lunch, and then we'll try to link you up and actually see if Sithana can see for Sigren."

Sithana, both exhausted by the tests and embarrassed by her inability to control the pain she had allowed Sigren to experience via their link, let the teenager speak for both of them. "Okay," Sigren said with a relieved sigh. "Only one question: Now that you've got me off the IV, how am I going to eat without making a total mess?"

This was Dr. chakwas' question to answer:

"For now, we'll have you eating mostly things like sandwiches that you can manage without using cutlery. If Sithana can actually see for you, you should be able to eat more or less as you did before."

Sithana didn't need a link to see that Sigren was relieved by Dr. Chakwas' words.

A/N: Even with these new interstitial segments being posted, I'm definitely still looking for a co-author with whom to progress beyond August 2170.