Strength of Heart

Chapter One

Duct Rats

She weaved her way through crowd and darted around the corner, her ratty cap held tight to her head and her heart slamming in her chest. Few people paid attention to her and that was the way she liked it. Those that saw her pretended they didn't. Adults were good at that and not a one ever bothered to look her in the eyes. But that was okay, it made it easier for her to take what she needed and get away.

She didn't pick pockets or anything like that. What would be the point? What could she do with a credit chit? No one would ever sell her anything. Not that she was a thief…she wasn't – not really….but she was good at finding things, she always had been and she was good at hiding. She found what she needed in debris piles or the keeper's trash mounds – if she could get to them before they cooked them in their vats.

She'd been surviving in the Citadel Wards for nearly a year, ever since the batarian raid on her colony had resulted in her parents' deaths. She stowed away on the first ship that showed up afterwards. The ship belonged to aliens she'd learned later were called salarians. She'd gotten good at watching them from hidden places. She'd nearly been caught once by a blue boy that looked to be a little older than her. She could have sworn he'd seen her, but then he'd resumed his conversation with a salarian. That alone had earned her interest and she'd spent the rest of the trip watching him whenever she had the chance.

It soon became clear to her that the boy knew she was there, food and drink or blankets would be left out in odd places. It had become a game, of sorts for them. He would hide things and she would find them. In payment she would leave behind little trinkets that she'd made with whatever she could find lying around.

At first, he had seemed somewhat distant. Maybe she was as much an alien to him as he was to her. But he always seemed to find her no matter where she hid. Was he looking for her? Or was finding her merely a coincidence? She had no way of knowing. He was the first of them to smile. She would never forget that first smile and the way it lit up his face. But that smile was all it had taken for her to start wanting to be near him. Then it became her finding him…he was her only connection on the ship of aliens and something about him made her feel both comfortable alive. She'd never had a friend before and a part of her wished they could stay in this moment forever.

She found herself taking more chances just too see him and be near him. And she couldn't help but wonder if he took the same chances. Finding him had become easier and he always seemed to know when she was nearby. Maybe, just maybe, he liked being the center of her attention…maybe he wanted a friend too.

She'd nearly been caught once, but he'd distracted the salarians so the she could melt into the shadows. That, more than the things he'd brought her, had won her heart. He had protected her by putting himself between her and the threat. She'd felt closer to him after that. She'd even venture from the shadows when they were alone to watch him work. In this way, he'd taught her about slicing and how to use the technology he had access to. In return, she taught him about self defense and eventually how to take someone down.

They never spoke to each other; she would have never understood him anyway. Nothing he or the salarians said to each other made any sense to her, but that was okay. They didn't need words to feel and he had become her light. She only hoped that in some small way she had become his as well.

The second saddest day in her life was when they'd finally docked at the Citadel. She knew she would never see that little blue boy again – a boy that had chosen to be her friend rather than turn her in. She would never forget him and she often found herself wondering what he was doing and if he ever thought of that little girl that he'd helped. Although, he'd never said a word to her, she'd left her heart behind with him when she left.

A soft whimper drew her from her thoughts and she backtracked to an alley, trying to peer through the shadows. She heard a soft sob and a slight rustle. "You okay?" she said softly into the dark. There was another rustle and a small thud, followed by an 'ouch'. It was obviously a child's voice. "Do you need a friend?" she asked curiously. She hadn't had one since that little blue boy and she was tired of being alone.

"Y-yes," came the hesitant reply.

Elvie smiled. She held out her hand. "Then come with me and I will show you my secret hideout. We'll be safe there." That is when she finally got close enough to see the little girl sitting between the wall and a large rubbish bin. "I'm Elvie – take my hand, it's not safe here."

"I know," the little girl whispered and took the hand that was offered. "I'm Rhynn," she said as she was pulled up. "Will you be my friend?"

The little girl appeared to be just a bit younger than her. "I already am," she said with a grin. She tugged the cap further down on her head and took Rhynn's hand. "Come on, this way."

They hurried through the advancing shadows; the artificial lights were beginning their evening cycle down. She didn't like being out after dark fall. It was never truly safe here, but dark fall was when all the bad people came out. She didn't like the bad people. Many had eventually come to avoid her, they didn't like her magic lights, but it was always a risk to be seen at night. "Over here," she said as she darted behind some broken crates, kicked the latch on the grate and it swung to the side. She dropped down into the duct and waved her hand at the little girl to encourage her to follow.

Rhynn eyed the whole in the ground suspiciously. "Is it scary down there?" she whispered.

Elvie shook her head. "No, we'll be safe down here. It's scary up top once the lights go out. We gotta hurry!" When Rhynn dropped down next to her she turned a handle and the grate popped back into place. "This way," she said with a wave of her hand. She followed the duct and took the second left and eventually ended up at another grate. She pushed on the latch and it swung to the side. "In here." Once they were in she pulled the handle down and it swung shut. "This is my home – our home now. This duct shaft has been closed off. It was damaged when I first found it, but I've cleaned it out."

There were small lights affixed to the walls of the duct that lit up when they entered it. Rhynn looked around in surprise. It actually looked like a home. She could see blankets and pillows on the left in one of the duct's 'T' shaped arms. There was a table and chair near the end of the duct with a bright light sitting on it. There were various tools and trinkets on the table.

"That's my work bench, be careful of the sharp things. At the end of that arm," she said pointing to the one opposite of her bedroom, "is the potty. There's a hole in the middle of the chair over the broken pipe, water flushes it away every time someone up there goes potty or takes a bath, so it doesn't get stinky in here," she said waving a hand over her nose.

Rhynn giggled and pinched her nose. "P.U."

She sat down on a pillow at a small coffee table and motioned Rhynn to sit on the other one. "I have food and water," she said and opened a small trunk. She pulled out a wrapped sandwich for each of them and two bottles of water. "I shower, refill the water bottles and wash my clothes every couple of nights at the gym after it closes for the night. But never on Mondays. Do not ever leave our home on Monday nights. The keepers do a duct flush – if you are out there," she said pointing to their entrance grate, "you will be swept into the keeper's vats and melted into goo. That's important. Don't forget it. It's the first rule." She handed a sandwich and water to Rhynn. "When we are looking for supplies, never get food from the bins. It will make you sick. I learned that the hard way," she said with a wry grin. "I will show you the best restaurants. Every night they throw away their leftover food – that food is safe. The second rule is never take more than you need. The only time I bend this rule is getting food, because what I don't need I hand out to others that do need it. Rule number three, if you ever take something from someone replace it with something. That is why I have my workbench. I make things and rebuild things so they work. I can teach you how. Rule number four…don't get caught."

"How old are you?" Rhynn asked with a mouthful of food.

"I'm six," Elvie told her.

Rhynn pursed her lips. "You don't act six."

"I don't? How am I supposed to act?" Elvie asked curiously.

"I dunno – but not so grown up. I'm four. I act like I'm four," Rhynn said with a nod of her head.

Elvie grinned. "I'll remember that. What happened today? Where are your parents?"

"I don't know," Rhynn said with a shake of her head. "They stopped coming home. I heard some bad men break in and I ran. It was scary. Do you ever get scared?" she asked with wide, somber eyes.

She studied the little girl's brown eyes. Would the little girl feel better if she admitted it or denied it? In the end she chose to admit it, she didn't want secrets between them. "All the time, but I use that to keep me going."

"Are you my sister now?" Rhynn asked innocently.

Was she? She'd never had a sister or a brother. What she did know was family cared about each other and relied on each other. She nodded her head and smiled. "Yes – we are sisters now."

She spent the next few weeks teaching Rhynn her routine. How to stay out of sight or when it didn't matter. How to find useful things that could be repaired or used to make to make other things, which restaurants to go to after dark, how to get around security to bathe and wash their clothes and most important – how to defend herself. Rhynn didn't have magic lights, but that didn't make her helpless.

It wasn't long before they were working together like a well oiled machine. She'd gone back once to check the house Rhynn had been hiding behind, but there was no sign of anyone that could have been her parents. Squatters had taken over the dwelling. People had a way of disappearing down in the wards, never to be found. Likely, they had been dumped into the ducts to be swept away like unwanted garbage – not that she ever told Rhynn that. She also never asked why Rhynn didn't seem particularly bothered that her parents disappeared. She never talked about them and Elvie did not intrude on that privacy.

The first few nights she let Rhynn share her pallet. But after they acquired more blankets and another pillow…and a discarded doll she'd managed to find, she tucked Rhynn in across from her in the duct's other arm. She found comfort watching Rhynn brush and braid the doll's long, black hair before they went to bed. Her mother used to do that to her to keep her hair out of her eyes during her combat exercises.

Much like her sister, she didn't talk much about her past. She missed her parents, but she didn't miss the lonely, secluded life she'd lived and she certainly didn't want to think about her first year aboard the Citadel. No, the past and its pain were better off buried deep.

When Rhynn dug up a couple of broken datapads Elvie showed her how to use the parts from one of them to repair the other. With a grin she flipped the datapad on and handed it to Rhynn. "Now the real fun begins." At least it was fun to her – she loved figuring out puzzles. She began by working on Rhynn's reading and math skills in their down times, for it was the heart of solving puzzles. When she thought Rhynn had learned enough basic knowledge she explained that slicing was a puzzle that begged to be put together – the harder the puzzle the more rewarding solving it was.

Rhynn blew her bangs from her eyes in frustration. "My head hurts from all this. How did you get so good at it?"

Elvie shrugged. "I don't know. I've always been driven to learn. I know it's silly, but I want to know everything," she said with a grin. "If I stumble on something I don't know then I beat it to death until I figure it out. I enjoy the challenge."

"Will I ever be good at this?"

She bumped her sister's shoulder. "Of course you will – practice makes you better. Everyone needs to practice to get good at something, silly. Right now, I'm just showing you the basics to get by. You don't have to be great at everything. You'll find something you enjoy and when you do, you'll be a whiz in no time."

She shot Elvie a lopsided grin. "Yeah, but you're great at everything."

Elvie shook her head. "I've been doing this longer than you have, you goof. But, no – I'm not great at everything. I can't cook and I'm horrible at washing clothes – let me see," she said tapping her lip thoughtfully. "My writing is awful – you write better than I do….you sew straighter than I do…you draw better than me too. But I can draw a mean stickman," she said with a giggle.

Rhynn covered her mouth to try to stifle a giggle but failed miserably. "Queen of the stickmen," she teased.

Elvie rose and bowed to her. "Thank you – thank you very much."

"I also dress better than you," Rhynn pointed out.

She looked down at her clothing. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"They don't match – it's funny looking and that cap is ugly. Why do you wear it?" Rhynn said honestly.

Her clothes were funny looking? They seemed perfectly serviceable to her. Shirt, pants and jacket – what was funny about that? She shook her head. "I wear the cap because my hair draws attention."

Rhynn's dark brows drew together in confusion. "Why? Does it stick straight up or something?"

"That might be better," she said with a sigh. She turned around and took off her cap.

Rhynn was surprised. "Ooooh…it looks like it's alive." Elvie's hair fell to mid back. The waves of light brown hair had an almost liquid gold to it, making it shine in the light's reflection.

Alive? That was an odd way to describe hair. "It just makes me too noticeable – which I don't want to be, so I have to wear this cap to cover it up."

"Well, your clothes still look silly," Rhynn teased.

Elvie frowned. "Silly? I'll show you silly," she said as she pounced on her sister and tickled her mercilessly. She rolled off of her when they heard the hum followed by the burst of air. The vibrations of the duct rippled through her back. "I love Mondays. This feels goooood," she said, her voice vibrating with the force of the air current.

Rhynn took her sister's hand and smiled as the vibrations carried her into dreamland.

-BREAK ONE-

Elvie nudged Rhynn's foot. "Wake up, sleepy head!"

Rhynn groaned and pulled the blanket up over her head. "Go away."

She grinned. Her sister had never been a morning bird. "Not going to happen. It's our birthday today, remember? And if you don't get up I'm going to cook breakfast," she warned.

Rhynn sat up, the blanket falling away. "I'm up and don't you dare or I will wash your clothes with cortin root!"

Her mouth dropped open in shock. It was a soap root that grew in more humid conditions, which meant it was plentiful, but she was allergic to it and swelled up like a tomato. "You wouldn't!"

Rhynn crossed her arms over her chest. "If I have to suffer even one more of your meals, I will. You cook as good as I sing. If my singing makes ears bleed just think what your cooking does."

She raised a dramatic hand to her heart. "You wound me….see if I give you your birthday presents now."

Rhynn grinned and stretched. "Oh, you'll give them to me – especially if you want some of the pancakes I'm going to make."

She stuck her tongue out at Rhynn and sat down at the table to finish working on a project while Rhynn cranked up the portable stove.

They didn't know when their actual birthdays were so they chose December 29th, four days after the commercialized holiday. Unwanted and newly broken gifts were usually tossed away by the 28th; this allowed them a day to make something presentable. With her turning eleven and Rhynn turning nine they were too old for childish gifts and she had been working on Rhynn's gift for awhile. Rhynn had gotten used to her tinkering at the table and tended to ignore her for the most part, which did make things easier.

Rhynn wasn't technically inclined, she was an artist. She'd made her a flute last year for her birthday, which she'd taken to right away. The year before that she'd surprised her with drawing pads and shading pencils, both of which she still used whenever they found spare time.

Time was something they had less of. Over the years they'd found more people in need. Young or old, it didn't matter; there would always be people down on their luck. And while they didn't have much to give those people, they did help teach them skills they would need to survive in a world that didn't care. And since they were so good at getting around unseen they'd managed to overhear information no outside ear was meant to hear.

She started off sending recordings she'd made through scrambled channels to csec. They still did when it warranted it, but with her slicing skills improving she started reaching out to people that would be affected by what they'd learned and sold that information to them. It didn't sit well with her, but they needed to survive. Rhynn took to the intrigue better than she did; in fact, she seemed to thrive on it.

For the meet ups she would hack into a service mech and would only have the mech release the data after it had the chit locked safely in its chassis. But only after she'd had the chit scanned before accepting it. She would wait hours before having the mech drop off the chit at another dead drop to collect it. Thankfully, now that she was getting older, few people raised a brow when she purchased something with a credit chit.

Rhynn usually got her clothing for her birthday, because she still hated what she chose for herself to wear. She didn't really see a difference, but clothing was always nice to have because it meant less trips to wash them.

This year she'd made Rhynn an automatic easel and had fixed a holosign at a store in trade for paint supplies. She was starting to earn a name for herself in the Wards as a fixer, trading her services for food, hygiene and medical supplies, but that was also making it harder for her to get around unnoticed. It was time for her to turn the spy game over to Rhynn, it was never something she liked to do anyway. But her sister thought it was exciting and considered herself an information broker, which was as good a name as any for what they'd been doing. Her second gift would help her in the spy game.

When she smelled the pancakes she rose from her workbench, slipped the case with the four small balls into her pocket and settled herself on the pillow at her side of the table. They weren't going to be able to stay in their duct home for much longer. She couldn't even walk without ducking anymore. She'd banged her head more times than she wanted to count the past few months. But she'd been saving what they'd made in the spy games – no...information brokering and they should have enough to pay rent top-side. To keep them going she could start selling her fixer services and some of the devices she'd made. If Rhynn sold some drawings and paintings, they could make it work. She didn't like the idea of going top-side, it wasn't as safe, but the time would come sooner than she liked.

"You're quiet," Rhynn said as she finished the last of her pancakes.

"Sorry…just thinking. You know, we'll have to leave this place someday."

Rhynn grinned. "Why? Just because your head likes to play drums to my flute?" she teased.

"Ha-Ha…it is to laugh. Just worried that I'm going to slam my head one too many times and my brains will leak out my ears."

"Gross…but I doubt anyone will notice in the clothes you wear," Rhynn said with a grin.

"Ouch, little sister – that's harsh," she said giving her foot a playful kick. She lifted up the blanket behind her and pulled out the gifts. "I thought you might like to do something more than just drawing." The look of joy that lit up her sister's face let her know she'd done well.

Rhynn clapped her hands. "Thank you – thank you! I can't wait to try out my new paints. Can we go to the Presidium later?"

Elvie just blinked. "Of course – what kind of sister would I be if I got you something and then didn't help you to use it? Hmm? A rotten one – that's what." She sniffed each arm pit. "And I don't think I smell rotten."

Rhynn made a big to-do about sniffing. "Nope, you still smell like pumpkin pie." They'd taken their showers late last night and her sister loved her pumpkin pie gel. She, herself, preferred vanilla. Together they smelled like a delightful desert. "Stay there. I'll be right back." She jumped up from her table pillow and hurried through her "T" of the duct and hooked a left when it opened up. She reached behind the broken mirror and pulled out the gifts. She hurried back to the table and sat down, keeping the one without the bag behind her back. "I got you two gifts this year." She handed her the bag.

She looked at the bag that said Celisse on the side and looked at her sister. Celisse was a department store they couldn't begin to afford to go to. Her mouth fell open in shock when she pulled out the royal purple leather jacket. The leather was buttery soft and smelled like heaven. It was a loose, relaxed fit jacket with two hand pockets and several pockets in the inside lining. The cuffs at the wrists would keep the sleeves out of her way. Her favorite colors were royal purple and dark teal. It was perfect. "It's stunning…but how did you-"

Rhynn shrugged but had a big grin on her face. "Give the right man information he can't do without and you'd be surprised what he'd be willing to do."

Rhynn had a much better knack for information brokering than she did. "No doubt…and on that note," she pulled the case out of her pocket and rolled the four small balls onto the table, "I have something that will help you with your surveillance. I've already uploaded the program to your OT to remotely control them. Each of them is on a different frequency and can be controlled individually." She activated one of them and it rolled, its legs springing out. It swiveled its head to the left then right and then skittered across the table towards Rhynn.

"It's a spider!" she said as her hand flew to her mouth.

"Well, yes…but it's also a bug. It will stream live audio and video to your OT. It's small enough to go unnoticed and can hide just about anywhere.

"Oh my god, that's amazing!" She picked up the little spider and placed it on her palm. When it ran around in circles she laughed. She looked at her sister thoughtfully. "Have you considered selling these?"

Elvie shook her head. "No, I won't be responsible for my creations hurting people and bugs have the power to destroy lives. I know you will use them to help people, even if you make money from it. I will never trust others to do the same."

"Fair enough. I will definitely practice with them tonight. And there is one more thing I wanted to give you." She pulled the pillow out from behind her back and handed it, edge side, to her sister.

Elvie turned the pillow over and gasped as her heart fluttered. The little blue boy's face stared back at her. Well, she knew he was a drell now, but she hadn't then. She'd described him to Rhynn once and told her how much what he'd done for her had meant to her. And now she had him back. She could only imagine the time it took to sew each little stitch. She gently touched his teal colored cheek folds as a tear slipped down her own cheek. "It's beautiful."

"Are you crying? You never cry! I can't believe you're crying," she said in disbelief.

Elvie looked over at her sister. "Oh – hush. I thought he would be lost to me forever…now I have him back, just as I remembered him. Thank you, Rhynn. I can't tell you what this means to me."

Rhynn beamed her a smile. "Make sure you don't sit on his face – he probably won't appreciate that much…and if you do – don't fart," she said with a giggle.

"You're so gross, Rhynn. I have no intension of ever sitting on him much less that. He'll stay in my bed nice and safe…I'm only going to sleep with him - no sitting. I couldn't bear to risk strings."

"Sleeping with him only – with no risk of strings. Sounds safe enough. If I see any strings starting to form, I'll snip them quickly before they cause a nasty snag."

"Thanks, Rhynn – that's thoughtful," she said as she settled him against her pillow. "I'm sure he'd appreciate it as much as I do. Now, come on, let's get to the presidium while there is good light."

She took off her old jacket and pulled on her new one, the smell of leather surrounding her.

Rhynn eyed her critically. "You are going to leave that hat here, right? It would look more ridiculous than usual with that jacket."

"Fine," Elvie said and pulled off her cap. She tossed it at the foot of her pallet and ran a brush through her hair. "Better?"

"Much," Rhynn said with a nod of approval. So that is what it took to get the damned hat off

She felt naked going up top without her cap; she hadn't been capless since shortly after she'd arrived on the Citadel…a time she didn't like to think about. She picked up the case that held the collapsed easel and paint supplies while Rhynn picked up the bag that held the canvas boards.

As they passed a taxi she stopped. "Come on. We'll splurge today – it's our birthday." She held the chit up to be scanned, when it beeped and the door slid up she settled in the seat. She noticed that the Presidium was a preprogrammed nav point. She locked in their destination and grinned as the skycar lifted off.

Once they reached the Presidium Rhynn walked around aimlessly trying to find the perfect spot, but nothing felt quite right to her. She turned to look at her sister and her eyes lit up. Behind her was a massive window where you could see the ships coming in. "There! That's the spot I've been looking for."

She picked a table not far from the window and took the case from her sister. She set the easel on a low setting so it wouldn't obstruct her view and started by painting the background while she still had good light.

After a couple of hours Elvie rose from the chair she'd been sitting in and moved to the window. "Will I be in your way?"

"No, I've already painted that part. You're fine." Better than fine. She began the strokes that would soon become her sister. She watched her sister raise her hand to the glass, a look of longing on her face as she saw the sleek black ship fly past the window with a light blue Oasis emblazoned on the side. Perfect. Now she knew just what she wanted the picture to look like.

"Did you see that ship?" she asked Rhynn.

"That I did," Rhynn replied with a grin as she added the ship's contours to her painting.

"I wonder what it looks like on the inside? Not that I'll ever know," she said with a wry grin.

"Maybe not…but sometimes the reality doesn't measure up to the dream. Right now, that ship is a stunning on the inside as your imagination wills it to be."

Elvie studied her sister for a moment. That was a very mature thing for her to say. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd done the wrong thing all those years ago by taking Rhynn in. She'd robbed her childhood from her and helped her grow up too fast. Maybe someone would have adopted her, given her a nice family and home where she could just be a kid. But she had been lonely and selfish. "You're right," she said as she moved to the table and resumed her seat. "Do you ever wonder what your life would have been like if I hadn't found you?"

Rhynn looked over at her sister with concern. "No," she said matter of fact. "I've never wondered that even once."

"You might have been adopted, had a new mother and father…siblings…"

She put down her brush and gripped her sister's hand. "Stop right there, Elvie. I had parents once, I don't remember them now, I only remember that it wasn't a home. I found that with you. I found love, acceptance, family…for the first time in my life I had a home. I belonged…and I have never once regretted taking your hand."

"Thank you – I guess I needed to hear that." She looked out the window as her sister resumed painting. Out of respect she wouldn't look at the painting until she was finished, but she had no doubt that she would paint as magnificently as she drew. After another hour she rose once more. Not that she had a hard time sitting still for long periods of time. "I'm going to get us a small lunch and a big dinner to take home."

She didn't worry so much about her sister being on her own. Rhynn had become good with a knife – a knife she always had on her and was fast on her feet. Plus, her sister was in the middle of the Presidium with patrolling csec officers. She looked at directional map and chose Apollo's.

She settled at a table and placed her to go order. She looked around while she waited and noticed a man in a blue military suit sitting at a table by himself, a forlorn, lost look on his face. She wasn't the type to just walk up to strange men and talk to them, but the look on his face pulled at her heart strings. She caught sight of a clean napkin on her table and the trash bin not too far behind him. She crumpled the napkin and headed towards the bin. She stumbled and fell briefly against him, slipped the dolphin in his pocket and apologized as she continued to the bin to toss away the trash.

David startled out of his thoughts as the little girl bumped him. She threw something in the trash and then walked back by him to sit at a table further down. He looked around but no one seemed to be with her. Wait…she'd bumped into him. His hand reached into his pocket to see if his credit chit was still there and it bumped into something that shouldn't have been in his pocket. He stared at the smooth, wooden dolphin that was a little larger in length than the palm of his hand. It looked like it had been painstakingly carved. He glanced up at the little girl who was pretending like nothing happened.

He looked back down at the dolphin and turned it over. The name Elvie was engraved in script on its belly; there was also what appeared to be a tiny slot for a chip and a button. He pushed the button and blinked when holo pictures were projected from the dolphin's blow-hole. He set the dolphin on the table; it balanced on the tip of its flattened tail and a flat bottomed plum of water that sprayed up off a rock, looking like it was frozen in mid-jump. He smiled when he saw the little girl making faces, each one sillier than the last. He glanced back over at the little girl and noticed her skin had turned red. Likely, she didn't intend to include the picture chip.

He rose from the table and motioned at a chair at the girl's table. "Do you mind if I have a seat, Elvie?" he asked, hazarding a guess.

She bit her lip and then nodded. "I'm not staying long; I'm just waiting for my order."

David settled himself in the chair across from her. "That's fine, child. I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me. Most folks never bother to notice or care if someone is hurting or needs help. They look through you…if they look at all. But you didn't do that. You showed a compassion most only pretend to have and you gave me just what I needed…a smile. I am David," he said as he held out his hand.

She took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "I'm Elvie, as you guessed. And no, I didn't intend to leave that chip in there. I used the chip to test the viewer to make sure it functioned properly." She had been going to sell it, but when she saw him she knew he needed it more. "I honestly thought I'd have my order and be gone before you found it. I had wanted it to be an anonymous surprise."

David grinned. She was a young girl with a big heart. "I'm glad it didn't work out that way. It was a sweet surprise and I'm glad I was able to meet the giver. And consider your dinner on me."

Her mouth opened in surprise and she shook her head. "David – no. I didn't give you that gift in hopes of something in return. I gave it to you because you needed it more than I did."

He chuckled. "I'm not buying your dinner because of the gift; I'm buying it because it's your birthday. Since it is your birthday you have to accept my gift. It's a law."

She rolled her eyes and snorted. "Huh…rubbish. And how did you know it was my birthday?"

He leaned forward and reached behind her to gently pull the sign off her back."This gave it away," he said holding up the 'Birthday Girl' sign.

Her face fell into her hands. "Oh my god. I'm going to kill her. I can't believe she did that to me."

Several staff members came over to the table with her bagged order and a small cake with a candle in it. She turned bright red when they began to sing happy birthday to her. She was even more embarrassed when David grinned and joined in singing the song. When it came to an end they returned to the kitchens after scanning his chit.

David watched her just stare at the candle. "What are you waiting for?"

"The floor to open up and swallow me whole," she admitted as she rubbed her stinging cheeks.

David tilted her chin up. "It's not that bad, child. I'll tell you what – when it's my birthday I will let you slap a sign on my back saying birthday boy and parade me around and have the last laugh. Does that sound fair?"

"Yeah," she said with a wry grin. "You won't even be here."

He drummed his fingers on the table a moment. "Tell you what; I'll make it a promise. Do you have an OT?" When she held hers up he aimed his at hers to share contact details. "One way or another I will be here on my birthday and I will gladly let you embarrass me. Deal?"

"Deal," she said making a wish that he would keep his promise and then blew out the candle. She slid one of the forks on the plate towards him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Again, she'd surprised him. She was far too mature for her age. And for some reason he found himself telling her. "I just go word that my wife - ex-wife was married today."

She placed a hand over his. "I'm sorry; I imagine that would be difficult to deal with."

He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand and then took hold of the fork and slid it into the cake. "I knew it was coming. Military life can be hard on a marriage. She chose to stay at home rather than move around every few years. We rarely saw each other. In all honestly, our marriage had been over for some time, we just never bothered to do anything about it until she found someone that would be there for her."

"If I married someone in the military, I'd want to go with them. There's so much to see and experience out there. Someday, I'll be out there and experience it for myself, even if I have to join the military to do it. Did you have any children, David?"

He frowned. "No, we didn't. I mean, I wanted children - I always thought there'd be time later. But it seems time has a way of getting away from you if you aren't careful. And in hindsight, it was for the best that we didn't, divorce can be more painful to the children involved than the adults. What about you?"

She grinned. "No, I'm not divorced - not even married, come to think of it…and I don't have any children yet either, unless you count my little sister – the sign planter."

David laughed, he couldn't help himself. "You might want to put off getting married a few years – and if you are lucky you'll never know divorce. But I meant your parents." He noticed her cheek ticked and he wondered what she was thinking, because he doubted she was about to tell him the truth.

She tucked her fork into the cake and took another bite. She liked him, she did. But she couldn't tell him the truth. She couldn't risk losing what little she had. "My parents never divorced, but they are busy people." Busy being dead.

David nodded. He knew there was something more going on. "Do you want me to help you carry your dinner home?" he asked when they finished the cake.

She blinked. Nope. Not going to happen. "Thank you for the thought, but there's no need. I'm not going home just yet. I'm going to hang out with my sister awhile longer before we head home." She rose and slipped the bag of food over her arm. "When is your birthday, David?"

"June 8th, so expect to see me then," he told her.

"I'll hold you to that. It was good meeting you, David. See you in June." She hurried off before he could ask any more questions.

He ran a hand over his close cut hair. "You'll see me sooner than that, child." Something was wrong and he intended to find out what it was. He allowed her to get ahead and followed. He wasn't concerned if she got away, he had her frequency and could locate her on his OT if need be.

-BREAK TWO-

Her sister was already packing up by the time she'd returned. One thing she didn't see was her painting. "Did it not turn out well?" she asked as she set the bag of food on the table and handing her sister her lunch. The excited shine in her sister's eyes told her something big was up.

Rhynn grinned and held up the credit chit. "Ten thousand credits. Do you hear me, Elvie? He bought the painting for ten thousand credits!"

She took the chit, scanned it and then sat hard in the chair. "Who did?" she asked hoarsely, her lunch forgotten.

"The owner of that ship you loved. And guess what he looks just like your blue boy! Well – except bigger. He doesn't look much like a boy…but still, what are the odds?"

For just a moment she'd wanted to hope. "Practically nill, the boy I knew didn't look rich and he was with salarians. But, I am curious about the man that owns that ship and why he spent so much on the painting. Not that it wasn't good – I've no doubt it was, but that's a lot of money for a painting from an unknown artist. Which way did he go –to his ship?"

"Nope," she said with a shake of her head. "That way," she said pointing towards the right.

"I'll meet you at home. There are a few things I need to do, but I'll be back before 8pm with dinner." Her sister had enough to carry back without adding a big bag of food.

"Better be…it's Monday," Rhynn said with a grin. "Good luck finding him…but if you hurry you might get to him before he gets on the elevator."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She grabbed the bag food and took off at a run, her lunch left behind on the table forgotten. She was out of breath by the time she turned the corner and saw the elevator door closing. She pulled a tiny ball from her pocket and threw it at the elevator. She grinned when it rolled into the elevator before the door closed. She flipped on her OT, looked around until she saw his foot. That would do. Her bug crawled up the side of his shoe and latched onto the rim. With her bug firmly attached she walked over to a bench near a potted tree and sat down, placing the food next to the arm of the bench.

She realized quickly that she would have to do a bit of calibrating to the bugs sensor to make up for the motion, because the man's fast pace and the camera's angel was making her stomach rebel. So instead of watching the camera feed, she instead watched the little red dot on the map. The Silversun Strip. Obviously the man did have a lot of money. She was glad she didn't follow him; she'd have been carted away on sight…if they saw her.

Once he finally slowed down she pulled up the camera feed again. From what she could see it looked like a hotel suite. She moved off his shoe and watched him put the painting over a fireplace mantle. She zoomed in on the painting, the angle was off, but it was clearly of her staring out the window at the Oasis. A moment in time captured on canvas. The man must really love his ship.

She watched him pull his jacket off and drape it neatly across the chair. She raised the camera up and her heart turned over in her chest. He did look like her little blue boy. The coloring was the same, but he looked older than her blue boy would have been. Perhaps the coloring was common or he was a relative. Hard to know. When he sat down at a desk and pulled out a datapad she moved in for a closer look.

There was a sudden movement and she backed up, but everything went dark. It happened faster than a blink. Had he stepped on her bug? After a moment there was a slight haze of light, but it was coming from below her. Black met the haze all the way around. His face, much closer, slowly came into view as the black lifted. She took a quick look around. Ah…a coffee cup had been placed over her bug and paper had been slid underneath. She was now sitting on his desk. She backed up quickly, but he'd picked her up and she could see little besides his blue eye.

At first he thought he'd captured a spider and wasn't quite sure what to do with it. But when he lifted the cup he realized it was a bug, alright, but not a spider. It was, in fact, rather ingenious. When he picked it up between his thumb and forefinger his first thought had been to crush it, but he found he couldn't. He was drawn to its simplistic look but obviously intricate design. He turned the bug upside down and peered at its belly. Elvie was engraved in tiny script.

A brief smile came to his lips as a memory that had never left him flitted through his mind of a little girl so very long ago. A little girl that carved L.V. in everything she'd left behind for him to find. Logically, he knew this wasn't her. Yes, she'd escaped onto the Citadel when they had a lay-over, but her name began with an L. That little girl had haunted him ever since. He rubbed his sore shoulder. So much so that he'd had those initials inked on his shoulder in a metallic golden brown, similar to the color of her hair. And that is what had prompted him to purchase the painting. The girl staring out the window had the same color of hair as the little girl he'd come to care about so many years ago.

He placed the bug on his palm and studied it a moment. It ran a circle around his palm and looked down as if trying to decide if it should make the jump to the desk. He wasn't sure what the spy intended to find out, but they would be sadly disappointed. He always used a dampening field when he spoke to someone, even over a secure line. And he always scanned for bugs, so he would have found this one even if he had not seen it.

"Did you hope to learn trade secrets?" he asked the little bug. "You've gone to a lot of trouble and would have learned nothing, even had I not seen you."

The little bug turned around, its tiny focal lens rose up to view his face. He blinked when the lens moved left and right as if shaking its head. Intriguing. Then it was a live feed and the stalker was actively listening. "So if you did not come for trade secrets why are you here?"

He watched two legs come up and it skittered to the left and the right and back again, bobbing. Was it dancing or shrugging? Of course, what had he been thinking? It had no way of answer his question. He needed to find a better way to communicate. "Are you salarian?" It shook its head. "Asari?" Again, the head shake. "Human?" The lens rose up and down. Human then. "Are you male?" A head shake. Human female. "Are you a reporter?" A head shake. "A spy?" Another head shake, of course. Who would admit to being a spy? He grinned, set the bug down on his desk and flipped on his OT, setting it to human so she could decipher the alphabet. He laid his arm on the desk. "Then tell me why you are here."

The bug looked at the OT briefly and then jumped onto his arm. It waved a tiny leg at the English language and he set that function. Since the bug was too tiny to interface with the OT he pulled out his datapad and watched at it pointed to letters. Y-o-u _b-o-u-g-h-t_m-y_s-i-s-t-e-r-'-s_p-a-i-n-t-i-n-g. Interesting. He wondered if she was the girl at the window.

"Why do you care?" Y-o-u_p-a-i-d_a_l-o-t_o-f_m-o-n-e-y_f-o-r_i-t. W-h-y? A pale blue browridge rose. "My reasons are my own, but it is a stunning painting and worth every credit to me." C-a-n_I_s-e-e_i-t? So she didn't even have the chance to see what her sister had been working on before he bought it. He rose carefully so that the bug did not tumble off his arm. When he stood in front of the painting he lifted his arm level to the mantle. "Are you the girl in the painting?" he asked quietly. The bug turned to face him after studying the painting a moment longer. Its camera rose up and down.

He returned to the desk and lowered his arm to rest on it. "Why did you want to meet the buyer?"

M-y_r-e-a-s-o-n-s_a-r-e_m-y_o-w-n. He laughed. "Fair enough. Can you scan my frequency?" The tiny lens moved up and down and then turned towards his OT. W-h-y? "So I can show you where the painting is placed when I get home. Every artist has the right to see what happens to their work," he threw in to hedge his odds. I_w-i-l-l_s-e-n-d_y-o-u_h-e-r_f-r-e-q-u-e-n-c-y. That wasn't what he wanted, but it would work. "That will do." When the bug turned back to face his OT he grinned. If anyone scanned him or linked with his OT it did an automatic back-trace. He would have her frequency, even if she didn't want him to.

A little red light blinked. "I have received it. Thank you. I want you to know that I am intrigued by your design. It is very sophisticated for what it is." The bug's legs slid in and a little ball rolled around before the legs popped out again and one leg bent forward making it look like it was bowing. It truly was remarkable. He could use a mind like that at Teiner Tech. If he didn't hire her she could very well end up a worthy rival someday.

"Like you, I am an inventor and I would like the meet the mind behind by this ingenious bug." The little bug stilled and then returned to his OT. W-h-y? "I seldom get to meet anyone that shares my passion. Is it so wrong to want to be friends with someone that has similar interests?" Friends. He didn't have any. The only friend he'd ever made slipped through his fingers years ago. He wasn't in a business that could afford to trust anyone enough to get close to them. It was also why he avoided females. He didn't want pretty lies and greedy hands. He didn't need that in his life. But she intrigued him. She was obviously intelligent and had proven to be witty with both the bug's physical responses as well as her words. That she reminded him of someone else was just an added bonus.

Her silence made him think she would refuse him. It didn't matter if she did. He had her frequency locked; she could not hide from him. I_a-m_a-t_a_b-e-n-c-h_ n-e-a-r_t-h-e_e-l-e-v-a-t-o-r_y-o-u_f-i-r-s-t_g-o-t_i-n-t-o_a-f-t-e-r_p-u-r-c-h-a-s-i-n-g_t-h-e_p-a-i-n-t-i-n-g. "I will be there shortly." He flipped off his OT and laid his hand on the desk for the bug to hop onto his palm. When it curled into a ball he slipped it into his pocket and headed back to the Presidium.

-BREAK FOUR-

Nerves hit her once he was on his way to her. She got up and began to pace. She'd wanted to meet him simply because he looked like her little blue boy, but that was a ridiculous reason to meet a man you didn't know. He was wealthy and educated; she was just a lowly duct rat trying to survive. He said he wanted a friend and that had tugged at her heartstrings. Outside of her sister and possibly David, she had no friends. She did jobs for people, but she never let them get close to her. She couldn't bear to put her or her sister at risk. Would she put them at risk? No, surely not. He didn't live here; he'd be gone again in a few days. And if they did become friends, they would be long distance friends, which meant she and her sister would remain safe.

She settled back down on the bench with her heart feeling a little lighter, but the nerves remained. If he laughed at her lack of education or ideas it would shatter her, because it would feel like the little blue boy was laughing at her and she couldn't bear that. Until she found a sister he had been her only companion. His remember smile her only comfort. He gave her strength when she didn't have any left. If she took something she pretended he'd left it for her to find and she would leave something she'd made in return, just like the game they'd played on the ship.

When he stepped around the corner she rose in shock, her hand fluttered to her heart. She knew he looked like her little blue boy, but in person….emotion flooded through her and knees gave out. She didn't even realize she was falling until he caught her.

He wasn't sure why her legs gave out, but he was glad he had reached her in time. He'd scooped her into his arms and settled her on his lap when he sat down. He could see the little girl in her if he tried, he could smell her too, but he knew it had to be his mind playing tricks on him because that was what he wanted to see and smell. Humans changed so much as they aged. He felt her arms slip around his neck to hold him tight and his throat tightened with emotion. He hadn't been hugged since he was a very small boy, before the clan raid had destroyed everything he knew. He hadn't even known he missed being hugged. Or maybe it was just her and who she reminded him of. He held her back, one hand rhythmically slipping through the long, silky waves of hair, something he'd wanted to do with that little girl. He had wondered what it would have felt like. Now he knew.

Without thought her head raised to kiss his cheek, but he must have turned to look at her because her lips found his instead. In a surreal daze she felt his hand slide up to cup the back of her head as his lips moved against hers with a tingly, pleasant sensation. Her eyes flew open when he pulled back and she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin. She blinked when she realized she was staring into his beautiful blue eyes and holding him tight. She could feel heat flush into her face and she scooted off his lap and onto the bench. "I'm sorry." She shook her head and covered her face with her hands. She wished the floor would open up and swallow her. "You must think I'm an idiot – none of that is like me."

He didn't get a sense that she was playing him and she was too young to even know those games. But that didn't stop his body from responding to the touch of her lips. She was his first kiss and he had not known it would be like that. He had wanted to taste her, but he knew she wasn't ready – despite the urges of his body, he wasn't sure he was ready either. He gently pushed her hands away and turned her chin to look at him. "I don't think you're an idiot - I think you are an incredibly intelligent girl." He withdrew the ball from his pocket and placed it on her palm, curling her fingers over it. "As for the kiss… it was my first and I was caught up in it too," he admitted.

Her gaze slid down to his perfectly shaped lips and her fingers rose to touch hers. The pleasant tingles were fading. Like her little blue boy he made her feel alive. "Oh my god, I have a crush on you," she murmured. As soon as the words left her mouth she wanted to shove them back in. She jumped up, slipped the ball in her pocket and grabbed her bag of food. "I should go." She'd embarrassed herself enough for the day.

He could neither smell nor taste any fear in her pheromones. She wasn't leaving because she was afraid of him she was leaving because she was embarrassed and she had nothing to be embarrassed about. He didn't understand what she meant by crush, so her sentence didn't make much sense, but it was clearly what had embarrassed her. He rose and took her bag. "We need to talk – but not here, someone is watching us." He had felt the heat of someone's gaze but could not find where it was coming from. Clever stalker. He held his hand out to her. "Will you come with me?"

She didn't even have to think about it, she still had plenty of time to get home. She placed her hand in his with a grin. And like the children they still were they ran all the way to the elevator.

When the elevator door closed he programmed in their destination and flipped on his OT. He looked up the word crush that had seemed so out of place in her sentence. His lips tugged into a grin and he flipped off his OT. Crush. He would never look at that word quite the same again. She was nothing like the girls and women that flirted with him. Maybe because she was too young to understand flirting, but she was refreshingly honest, direct, intelligent, daring, witty and he found her endearingly charming. If he was smart he'd run and never look back, but he knew he wouldn't. He hadn't felt like this since that little girl. He didn't want to lose them both.

He noticed the color heighten in her cheeks when she held out her hand to him. She was obviously embarrassed, but it didn't stop her. He took it without hesitation. When her fingers laced between his it was a strange sensation, but one he found he liked. "Do you need to com your parents and let them know you'll be a little late with dinner?"

She shook her head. "No, I certainly don't need to com my parents," she said with a grin. Hard to com the dead. "I'm not expected back until 8pm with dinner, so I have time." They stepped out of the elevator to an area of the Citadel that she'd never been before. The increase of wealth was evident everywhere she looked and the further they went the wealthier the area became. "What brings you to the Citadel?"

"I had two reasons for coming. For one, I'd hoped to run into an old friend, but I've found little to go on…I'm not even sure if she's still here." Or if she was even alive. That thought pained his heart. He hoped she was doing well somewhere. "The other reason is financial. I've purchased a hotel and will be renovating it."

"Good for you. That sounds exciting. I can't wait to see it." She closed her eyes and turned her head to hide her embarrassment. "I'm sorry, that was presumptuous of me. Don't mind my mouth, it gets carried away sometimes."

He pulled her to a stop. He was careful not to knock her with the bag of food as he turned her head to look at him. "I find I am rather fond of that mouth." He lowered his head to graze his lips against hers. "There was no presumption." he said as he straitened. "I want to show it you."

She raised her free hand to her lips when they resumed walking. The tingly sensation was back. "Good," she said with a nod of her head. "I'm glad of both."

"Both?" he asked curiously.

She smiled up at him. "I'm glad you want to show me your hotel – I'm excited for you. And I'm glad you are fond of my mouth." Her gaze slid down to his too perfect lips. "Because my mouth is fond of yours. You make my lips tingle when you kiss me."

He released an unsteady breath and his hand tightened on hers. That direct honesty of hers was going to bring him to his knees. "Then I can assure you I intend to kiss you often."

It didn't even occur to her that kissing him might be considered inappropriate, all she knew was that he made her feel alive. "You will?" She cleared her throat. "I'll hold you to that." She blinked when they stepped out of another elevator onto the Sunset Strip. Dazzling neon signs and colored lights were everywhere. "Wow – this is…uh…"

"Too much?" he asked with a grin.

"Yeah…just a little bit," she said as she pinched her fingers to about an inch apart.

He pointed across the open divider. "That will be my hotel."

She looked over to where he was pointing and tried not to cringe, but knew she failed. There were bright neon signs down the building that read 'Love Shack', with large pillows and hearts all around it. "I assume you are investing a lot to make it – er…presentable?"

He chuckled. "You are not fond of the Love Shack?" he teased.

Her eyes were drawn back to the awful sign as if staring at an impending crash. "If there was love in those walls, I would be okay with that – but that doesn't look like love to me. That's just hideous. I can't imagine the mindset of anyone that would take someone they cared about there." That's when it dawned on her. She had seen a lot of things over the years at night, none of which love had anything to do with. Her cheeks pinkened. "I see – that place was not meant for love."

"No…no it wasn't," he said with a sigh. "But I'm redesigning it inside and out. I haven't made a final decision on the name yet, but I can guarantee you it will be classy. Nothing will be left to remind anyone of what it used to be."

"It would seem you have your work cut out for you…I cannot wait to see it when it's finished."

"Would you like to join me for the first walk-though after it's finished?"

"Of course I -" her lips spread into a slow, wide grin. "Only if you promise to kiss me on every floor."

"There will be a lot of floors," he said softly.

She grabbed his shirt with her free hand and pulled him to her. "Trying to back out, Tayln?"

His eyes narrowed. "Never. And what happens when we get to my suite at the top?"

She cocked a brow, surprised he hadn't caught on yet. "Then you will have to kiss me in every room. That's how this works."

"I like how this works," he murmured and brushed his lips over hers. He backed up and gave her hand a tug. "This way. We're almost there." He led her to into the hotel's lobby and then into an elevator.

She pulled him over to the glass as they rose. She peered down watching the ground get further away. "I've never been in a glass elevator. It's exhilarating."

He looked at their reflection in the glass. If someone had told him when he woke up this morning that he would meet a girl that would bowl him off his feet, he wouldn't have believed them. Only one girl had ever had this effect on him before and he felt a pang of guilt as if he was betraying her in some way. But she was the one that had left him. Maybe it was time to let her go.

The elevator chimed softly when it reached his floor. "We're here," he said as he stood in front of the scanner. When his biometrics were read the door slid open. "Occupant two," he stated and pulled her over to the scanner.

She tried not to blink as the red beam scanned her eye.

"Occupant two accepted," confirmed the mechanical voice.

"You have the whole floor to yourself?" she asked in surprise as she followed him in. It was nicer than anything she'd ever seen. It was obvious there were a lot of credits dumped into this room.

He grinned. "It cuts down on noisy neighbors." He led her into the kitchen and released her hand to put her food in the sani-warm, so that it didn't go bad. He poured them each a glass of juice and carried it out to the front room. He lowered himself to the sofa. When she joined him he handed her a glass. "Be warned…it's sweet."

She took a small sip. "Ooh – wow…it is. What is it?"

He took another sip and placed the glass on the table. "It's gorbol berry juice. Apparently, drell on Kahje use the berries to sweeten just about everything. And since I'm drell, so must I." He chuckled. "I've never even been to Kahje."

"Really?" she asked in surprise. She'd hacked into the archives and read how they'd been rescued by the hanar. From what she understood they were the only surviving drell. "Were you born here then?"

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "I was born on Rakhana."

That was surprising. "I thought there were no surviving drell left on Rakhana."

"There are some," he said with a somber voice. "The clans turned on each other, fighting over scarce resources. But there are survivors. At least there were the last time I was there."

"How did you get off of Rakhana – I mean, if you want to talk about it. I know it's personal." She wished she hadn't asked – it was too personal.

He took her hand and raised it to his lips. "It's okay. I don't mind. Another clan raided ours in the night. We weren't ready for it. None of my family survived the raid. I barely made it out. I wandered the desert for weeks, trying to survive on whatever I could find. I thought I'd finally lost my mind and was seeing things when a ship landed. But it was real. A group of salarian scientists had landed to take toxicity samples and I stowed away on their ship. When I was discovered, they took me in. They encouraged my need to learn…to take things apart…to build and here I am – Tayln Nikyrian Teiner – young, billionaire tech mogul in the flesh, are you impressed?" he teased.

"Oh, hush," she said and gave his ribs a poke. She'd heard of Teiner Tech, but she hadn't been aware that was who he was. "'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!' And I am simply Elvie, queen of the stickmen."

She honestly didn't seem the slightest bit impressed by his name or his money. She just saw him as Tayln, a guy that made her lips tingle and a guy she had a crush on. A normal guy she felt comfortable enough to be herself around. "I think I prefer Tayln to Ozymandias…it's easier to say. But I don't quite understand what you mean by queen of stickmen."

She laughed and curled up against his side. When his arm came around her she snuggled into him. It felt good to be held. "I can thank my sister for that title. When we were younger she didn't think she'd ever be as good as me, but I told her we were all good at different things. She didn't have to be good at what I enjoyed doing. Then I started naming off things that she was better at than me. Like cooking – don't think of having me cook you something, not if you value your belly," she warned. "She was better than me at writing...good luck reading anything I write by hand. She was better than me at drawing…but I told her I could draw a mean stickman…she laughed and called me queen of the stickmen. So, that's how I earned my title," she explained.

"And it is an impressively lofty title," he said as he kissed the side of her head.

"You missed my lips – that's not well done of you, Tayln."

"You are quite right," he said and pulled her onto his lap. He turned her so her back rested against the sofa's arm and captured her lips. He groaned when her fingertips caressed his sensitive cheek folds. His lips parted with the need to taste her, but he pulled back instead. "How old are you?" He wasn't a good judge of human age, but he knew she was young.

"Eleven," she said quietly. "How old are you?"

He released a ragged breath. Eleven. He knew humans considered that to be young. He would wait. "You don't act like a child."

"So everyone keeps telling me. I don't know how to act any different than I am. I'm just me. And you never answered me. How old are you?"

"I'm Fourteen and I'll wait."

Only fourteen - that did surprise her. He looked much older. "I thought you were much older."

He grinned. "I hear that a lot. Seems we have that in common too. But it doesn't matter, I'll wait."

"Wait for what?"

"For you to get older."

"Why does that matter?" She wasn't sure she liked the direction this was going. She hated it when people thought she was incapable of something because of her age.

He drew his fingertips down her cheek. "When you're older I'll be able to kiss you the way I want to kiss you," he admitted.

Now that made her curious. "How do you want to kiss me?"

He looked down at her lips, slightly swollen from his kisses. When her tongue peeked out to dampen them he bit back a groan. "I want to taste you. But I'll wait."

He could do that? You tasted with your tongue, but she hadn't realized that could be a part of kissing. What she'd seen late in the nights had little to do with kissing and more to do with mating like dogs and cats, of which she'd seen lots of times as well. She had little interest in mating, because the grunts she'd heard didn't seem at all pleasant, but the kissing idea intrigued her and made her wonder what he tasted like.

She moved her hand further down his irresistibly soft cheek and grazed her thumb across his lips. Something he'd done to her that sent pleasant shivers down her spine. When the tip of his tongue slipped out to taste her thumb more sweet shivers slid down her spine and a tingle in her breasts. She knew men liked breasts, she'd seen them squeeze and kiss them and she wished hers were bigger because she was curious what that felt like. The night ladies seemed to like that. She wasn't completely flat like her sister anymore, but she didn't consider them anything a man would want yet. Her hand slid to the back of his neck and she pulled him closer. "Will you kiss my breasts when they get bigger?"

He released a heavy breath and tightened his grip on her as more blood poured into his groin, "Yes," he said in a voice he barely recognized. He drew in her pheromones across the sensitive glands at the back of his mouth. She wasn't ready yet. Her lips found his and moved against them suggestively, something he realized he taught her. And then she was caressing his cheek folds, when her fingers discovered a marking gland pleasure shot through him and groan slipped past his lips in a pant.

As soon as his lips parted she slipped her tongue past them to taste him. She flicked his tongue and tasted the sweet of the gorbol berries but also something slightly spicy, similar to cinnamon. She slid her tongue along his wanting more of the taste. She felt a tremor run through his body and with a groan he pulled her against the hard muscles of his chest and took over the kiss. As his tongue moved against hers it sent pleasure sparks through her body.

She moved to straddle his lap in a need to be closer to him. She could feel the hard part of him in this position, but she had no interest in that. Those things looked funny and were the cause of the disgusting grunting. What she wanted was the feel of his hands and the pleasure his lips and tongue gave her.

When the urge to grind against her became unbearable he pulled back and dropped his forehead to hers, his breath coming in short, harsh pants. He knew she could feel the trembling of his body, but there was little he could do about that. While he could taste the change in her pheromones, she still wasn't ready for him. And he was okay with that. He was glad for it, truth be told, because he doubted he would be able to stop himself from making love to her if she was ready for him and he wanted what they had to have time to grow deeper before they took the next step. "You are too young to be kissing me like that," he teased.

-BREAK FIVE-

That set her off like nothing else could. She pulled back and started poking his chest hard. "Tayln Nikyrian Teiner – don't you ever say those words to me again!" She poked him harder. "I have spent my whole life proving I could do what needed to be done and age had nothing to do with it. I am not my age – I am me! Deal. With. It."

Her fiery beauty had left him breathless and by the time she yanked him to her, he wasn't quite sure who started the kiss or if they'd met in the middle. But she poured her fire and passion into the kiss and it was all he could do to keep his hands from drifting lower, keep his sanity intact and his control in check.

She pulled back, none to steady to look him in the eyes. "I love the way you taste." She leaned forward and drew her tongue along a soft grove in his cheek folds. It slid over a small lump and she explored it with the tip of her tongue. She could feel the grip of his hands tighten and felt the tremor that coursed through him. He liked what she was doing. She moaned when a small burst of cinnamon lit up her tongue. Sweet mother that tasted good. She locked her arms around his neck and drew the small lump between her lips and into the heat of her mouth. She suckled it like a piece of candy and was rewarded with small bursts of deliciousness. She felt him moving against her, heard his cries of pleasure but it was secondary to the sweet explosions in her mouth.

The caress of her tongue had sent spirals of pleasure through his body, but the floor had dropped out from under him when she drew upon his gland. He was lost to the waves of pleasure, unable to keep from moving against her until her suction and the feel of her against him catapulted him over the edge into an ecstasy he didn't think possible. His mouth found hers, hungry with need as the last of his seed was spent against his belly. This wasn't how he pictured his first release. But he was glad it was in her arms.

On Rakhana, drell his age were usually married with children. Their lives tended to be harsh and brief. Drell near her age were looking for their future mates, mates that would awaken their bodies to pleasure. "Are you all right?" he asked gently. At first he feared she had milked a venom gland, but the smell of him on her left no doubt that she had milked a marking gland – a gland that produced nothing until a mate was found. He knew his body would have eventually awakened on its own and he thought that was what had happened, but the gland she had milked had proven it went deeper than that. She was his mate and now she had marked herself as his. The fluids in his marking glands were even now infusing her cells to be reproduced. She wasn't drell and she didn't know what she'd done. He would not use that as a hold over her. The choice to be with him was still hers to make. But he had no intension of letting her walk out of his life.

She rested her head against his chest and could feel the wild slamming of his heart, her own a near match. That last kiss had made her all shaky inside. She raised her head to kiss the hidden gland. "You are delicious. I can still taste you and it makes me feel all warm inside."

A smile pulled at one corner of his mouth. Then she had not realized the pleasure she had just given him. That was for the best. Perhaps, someday he would tell her, but she was too curious and determined to learn everything for him to enlighten her any further than he already had. "I feel it too," he said as he kissed her forehead.

She wasn't naïve. She knew he wasn't here to stay, that he would leave soon to get back to his life. Her heart ached at the thought – losing him like she lost the little blue boy that he reminded her of. "Tayln?"

"Yes?" he asked softly.

She cleared her throat. "Will you still be my friend after you leave?" She didn't want to lose him, even if she could no longer kiss him.

"What?" He was stunned by her words until he realized she didn't know what she meant to him and he couldn't tell her the full extent of it yet. He kissed her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks and her lips. "Do you think I intend to let you slip away so easily?"

"I'm not naïve, Tayln. I know you will have to leave soon – go back to your life. There will be other girls for you to kiss. I just – I don't want to lose you even if I can't kiss you anymore. I still want to be a part of your life, even if it's just a small part." She wiped the stupid tear off her cheek. "I don't want to lose you as a friend."

His heart squeezed in pain. He didn't want to think about leaving. He wanted to tell her he wasn't going anywhere, but that would be a lie. She was right; he would have to go back to his life. And he knew at her age her parents would never let her come with him. He wanted to tell her she was his mate - that no one else could turn his head, but again – he couldn't. She was human and that meant she was still too young to think about what having a mate meant. He wanted her to choose him when the time came. He cupped her face between his hands. "Just because you were the first girl I ever kissed - that doesn't mean there will be others. Have you considered you might just be the only girl I want to kiss? Do you think me so fickle with my affection? Elvie, know this - you are the first…the last…the only girl I will ever kiss - until you tell me you no longer want me," he added quickly, he did not wish to scare her or make her feel trapped by his declaration. And even though he didn't want to think about it, he knew that time could very well lead her to someone else. For him, that could not happen. She was already imprinted on his body or his glands would have been empty. She was his mate; the only way that could change would be when his body finally accepted the mate bond was broken – if it did. Such bonds were rarely broken.

His words gave her hope. She didn't like the jealousy she felt when she thought of him kissing other girls. "And if I choose to keep you?"

He grazed his thumb across her cheek. "Then I belong to only you."

Belong? As in owner? Possession? "You are not a thing, Tayln. You can't belong to me or anyone."

He swallowed his chuckle. He did not want her to think he was laughing at her. But she didn't quite understand. "That's not how I see it, Elvie. I'm not saying I'm an object that has an owner, but when two people care enough about each other, they become one. They belong to each other. I'm yours, you're mine. It's not about possession…it's about a sense of intimacy and attachment."

That made belong sound beautiful rather than ugly. "And you are willing to give yourself to me – the queen of the stickmen?"

He grinned. "I would be willing to give myself to you completely – If you would be my queen of the stickmen."

He would be hers. She wouldn't lose him. She brushed her lips against his.

One boy, one girl, two hearts beating wildly,
To put it mildly it was love at first sight.
He smiled, she smiled and they knew right away,
This was the day they'd waited for all their lives.
For a moment the whole world revolved
Around one boy, and one girl…

She leaned in and her lips clung to his. "I'm yours…" she murmured against him.

The words she's sung to him filled his heart with warmth. But it was those last two words that meant the most to him. He hugged her to him. "That's all I needed to hear." He knew she may not always feel that way about him…that she could still find someone else. Humans did not mate for life as drell did. But for now, until he could wed her, he was content. "I didn't know you could sing."

She grinned. "There is much about me that time will reveal." She just hoped he took it well.

"I am eager to learn everything about you." He gave a brief peck on the lips. "If you will excuse me a moment I need to - visit the facilities."

She swatted his butt playfully as he rose. "Don't take too long – I might get bored," she teased. When he disappeared up the circular stairs into what she thought might be his bedroom she glanced at her OT. She still had a little time, though she would have to leave soon in order to make the long walk back home.

She rose from the sofa. Behind the living room area was the kitchen and dining room connected by a door. The table set was elegant, the chairs padded. She couldn't imagine eating as such a table. What if she spilled something on it? She moved back towards the living room. She passed a small atrium on the right that had a door leading out to a landing pad and continued through the living area to the large, grand piano in the right corner. She wished Rhynn could see this. She ran her finger along the wood's cool, satin finish and then softly touched the keys. She sat down on the bench and ran her fingers over the keys. She started humming a song and let it flow through to her fingers. She closed her eyes and focused on the song, letting the melody fill her.

One hand reaches out
And pulls a lost soul from harm
While a thousand more go unspoken for
They say what good have you done
By saving just this one
It's like whispering a prayer
In the fury of a storm

And I hear them saying you'll never change things
And no matter what you do it's still the same thing
But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so this world will know
That it will not change me

This heart still believes
The love and mercy still exist
While all the hatred rage and so many say
That love is all but pointless in madness such as this
It's like trying to stop a fire
With the moisture from a kiss

And I hear them saying you'll never change things
And no matter what you do it's still the same thing
But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so this world will know
That it will not change me

As long as one heart still holds on
Then hope is never really gone

I hear them saying you'll never change things
And no matter what you do it's still the same thing
But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so this world we know
Never changes me

What I do is so
This world will know
That it will not change me…

She let the last notes slip from her fingers and jumped when she felt his hands settle on her shoulders. She started to lean back against him but jumped up instead. "I'm sorry. I had no right to touch it. I – it was pretty…" she could feel the heat blooming in her cheeks.

Tayln shook his head to clear her confusing words. "Why would you apologize for playing the piano? I certainly don't play it – and that is what it's here for."

"I don't know how to play the piano," she said with a shake of her head. "It's pretty and expensive – I had no right to touch it. I might have broken it."

He lowered the piano's top and picked her up to sit her on it, which put her at more of equal height to him. He settled himself between her legs and looked her in the eye. "Let me point out a few flaws in your logic. One, I don't real care if you break it – I can replace it easy enough. Two, for someone who doesn't know how to play the piano - I did not hear even a single missed or off key. Three, do you recall when I had you scanned as an occupant when you first entered the suite? I did that because even then a part of me knew that we would be one. This is your home as much as mine. We own everything in this suite," he said with a wave of his hand. "I pay an annual stipend for the suite. It will always be here for you, even when…I'm away."

She placed a finger over his perfectly sculpted lips. "My turn. One -," she blinked. "Okay, there's not much I can say to one except I would never purposely break something of value. Two, I really don't know how to play the piano. I cannot read or write music and I cannot just play something. What I did was mimic. I played the song in my head and it flowed into my fingers. I was mimicking what I heard in my head. That is all. Three, I'm not with you because of what you can give me or do for me – do to me, maybe, but not for me. I have everything I need – you and my family. That is enough for me."

He already knew it was him she wanted not his wealth. He was truly blessed to find someone like her. He leaned in and kissed her. "Regardless whether you play the piano or mimic what you hear, you have an amazing gift and I hope to hear more of it. As for the other words that fell from your very enticing lips –maybe you don't feel you need more than me and your family. But so long as we are one, what I have is yours, because we are one. And I wouldn't have it any other way. So, as you so sweetly told me earlier: Deal. With. It."

She stuck her tongue out at him for throwing her words back in her face. And then he was kissing her and nothing else mattered.

When he pulled back he grinned. "Just so you know – when I see your tongue I consider it an invitation."

"I will keep that in mind," she said with a laugh. Her sister's painting above the fireplace caught her attention. She edged off the piano and slid down his body to the floor and slipped around him. She stepped up on the hearth of the fireplace and studied the painting. She hadn't even been aware of the look of longing that had been on her face. "I didn't know I had that look in my eye," she admitted softly.

He drew a hand down the spines of his head. "You were the reason I purchased the painting – not my ship. Something in you called out to me."

That was when she noticed what was lined up on both sides of the painting. Her heart turned over in her chest and she sucked in a harsh breath. Hot tears streamed from her eyes and this time she did not curse them. Every little offering she'd ever given the blue boy was sitting on the mantle. The metal trinkets looked polished, the wooden carvings smooth as if handled frequently. All but one. One was missing. The last one she'd left for him before she slipped out of the salarian ship. He looked like her blue boy because he was her blue boy. She picked up a carving of a horse – horses and dolphins had always been her favorite. She turned it over to see the L.V. on its belly.

His grip on the piano tightened. A part of him wanted to tell her not to touch those, because no one but him and that little girl had ever touched them -but he had to let the past go. She was his present and his future.

"We have more in common than you know," she said in a voice thick with emotion. "The friend you said you hoped to find, will you tell me about her?"

He didn't want to talk about the past, but nor did he wish to keep secrets from her. "We met as children. She stowed away on a ship I was on. I kept her secret and brought her things she needed and she would leave those precious mementos of herself behind. It became a game that lasted until she left me without a word. It was the first time since I left Rakhana that my heart was broken."

"Why did you keep them?" she asked hoarsely. She had to fight to keep the sobs from showing.

He cleared the emotion from his throat. "Because I loved her. She was the only one besides you that ever made me feel alive. But I'm letting the past go. You are all I need now."

She didn't want him to let the past go. "Don't you dare let her go – you were all that kept her going when she wanted to give up. She left her heart behind for you that day she left – where is it?"

He gripped the piano tighter when his legs threatened to give out. No one knew about the heart, no one had ever seen it. No one but him and that little girl.

She put the horse back on the mantle, stepped off the hearth and spun around to face him. "Where is her heart?"

For the second time today his world tilted. "It's next to mine where it has always been." He pulled necklace out from under his shirt with fingers that were stiff from shock. "She can't have it back. It's mine."

She saw the heart she'd made him, smooth and shiny suspended on a gold chain around his neck. She closed her eyes and finally gave into the emotions that were overwhelming her. Her body shook with the force of her tears and her legs gave out. As before, he was there in a blink holding her. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "It has always been yours."

They cried until there were no tears left to be shed then he picked her up and carried her back to the sofa. "Why did you leave me?" he asked quietly once they were settled.

She tucked the heart back under his shirt so his skin could keep it warm. "I was afraid of getting caught. I didn't want to be one more unwanted child stuck in the system."

He closed his eyes a moment and released a painful breath. It was his fault she ran. He'd enjoyed having her all to himself – he'd enjoyed their games, their time together too much. If only he'd brought her presence up to the salarians, he wouldn't have lost her. "They wouldn't have done that to you. Before we stopped off to aid your planet the ship landed on Rakhana to take toxicity samples to see if anything could be done for my planet. Like you, I stowed away on their ship. They found me not long after they left Rakhana airspace. Apparently, I was more concerned about their science than keeping out of sight. One of the couples took me in. I shouldn't have kept you a secret, but I was selfish and you were lost to me."

She reached up to touch his soft cheek. "Tayln – you don't know they would have taken me in. Maybe they have a one stow away adoptee per trip limit," she teased.

He captured her hand and brought her palm to his lips. "They would have taken you in as they did me. Salarians respect intelligence and you would have intrigued them as much as I did – they would have wanted to foster that intelligence."

She moved to sit up higher against the sofa's arm. "If I had stayed I would never have met my sister."

He nodded. "And the rest of your family – step parents?" he asked.

She bit her lip in thought. She didn't want there to be lies between them – or at least not as many as there were. "No, when I said family I meant my sister. She is my only family here." She told him about the batarian raid that had cost the lives of her family, how she stowed away on the salarian ship, her arrival on the Citadel, how she survived for nearly a year before meeting her sister. She explained most everything right up to meeting David, his promise to her and then finding out her sister's painting had been sold.

Her life had not been much different than his own. A raid taking away everything she knew, a life of scavenging whatever could be found just to survive and hiding from a death that stalked its prey on two legs. The difference between them was that she was still living that life and she didn't need to live like that anymore. "You and your sister will move in here. There is plenty of room. There is even a second guest room."

"No," she said her voice tinged with sadness. "It doesn't work that way here. You look like an adult, but not so much so that you could be our guardian. Nor would I accept you in that role. Living here would put us at risk - I won't risk losing her to the system, not after all that I've done to keep us together."

He supposed she was right. Unless they hid out in his suite, two kids running around the Silversun Strip would draw attention. "Then stay in our suite, don't leave. In a few days we'll all go to Sur'Kesh. You wouldn't be considered a child there. That was one of the reasons I wanted to meet you. I was going to offer you a job at Teiner Tech. We can-"

She placed a finger against his lips. What he was offering her sounded like a dream. She couldn't begin to imagine living in his world. She was a duct rat with no formal education. That in and of itself was not that high of an obstacle - she knew she could adapt, she was good at that. But too many people depended on her - she couldn't just leave them without protection. And that was the only thing she could not share with him. It was not even something she shared with her sister. Both would try to stop her. If she stopped her nightly patrols it wouldn't take long for the criminal element to take hold again. Everything she'd done would have been in vain. Not that she was able to stop all crime in the wards, she was only one person, but she had put a dent in it – made them think twice about preying on the less fortunate. "I'm not ready to leave this place yet. When I am, I'll go with you." That was the most she could concede.

That wasn't good enough for him. Where she lived wasn't safe. "I can't accept that. It's not safe down there."

She rose from his lap in a huff, her eyes narrowing on his. "I've lived there for six years, Tayln. I know what I'm doing. I get by, I always do."

He shot up from the sofa and glared down at her. It was obvious she could survive, her being alive proved that - but surviving wasn't living. And regardless how adept she thought she was it did not stop him from fearing for her safety. "You don't have to get by anymore, Elvie. You know I can't stay. What do you think it would do to me to know you weren't safe? To worry that any moment I might lose you again. I can't -" He took a deep, shaky breath. "I can't lose you again."

Those last words were like razor blades to her heart. She reached up and cupped his soft cheek. "You won't lose me. I know what I'm doing. I need you to trust me in that. Right now – I need to get home. I promised dinner by 8pm and if I don't go now – I'll have an angry belly screaming at me when I get back. If you have some free time after lunch tomorrow…."

It wasn't a matter of trust. No one, no matter how good they were, was infallible. He would set the matter aside for the moment, but he was by no means done with it. "Of course. I have a meeting in the morning, but I should be free by then. Where do you want to meet me?"

"The fountain in the Presidium," she said without hesitation.

He nodded. "That will do. Now, let me get you home."

She froze. That was out of the question. He might know – in an abstract way – how she and her sister were living, but she in no way wanted him to see her home. There was little doubt in her mind that he would balk at her living conditions. She also doubted he would let her go on her own without a fight she did not have time for. If she didn't make it back on time, then she would have to find somewhere else to bed down, the sweep lasted for hours. It wouldn't be the first time she'd missed the clock, but she wanted to tell her sister about Talyn. "No – not tonight. I love you."

He felt a brush of lips across his and then she was gone, little more than a blue blur. Her biotic ability had stunned him. Most humans didn't show many signs until they were teenagers. Species that were naturally biotic like asari and drell were still learning how to use their biotics at her age. His biotics were nothing compared to hers, he hadn't spent much time honing them since he was a child on Rakhana. He'd never catch up with her that way. But he didn't have to. He'd track her and deliver the dinner she'd left behind. With his mind made up he headed back up to his bedroom to grab his magbelt, his weapons and his shoes. He never left his home unprepared.

-BREAK SIX-

David had to force himself to remain hidden when he saw her kiss the drell. He was relieved the kiss was nothing more than a brief touch of lips; he doubted he'd have been able to maintain control if it hadn't been and he was determined to find out exactly what was going on in her life. He focused his attention back on the drell. The drell was too old for her and she was certainly too young to be kissing anyone. He would find that drell and have a word or ten with him later. The man had no business hanging around a girl that young.

He growled in frustration when the drell sensed him and the pair took off. Regardless, he followed. When they slipped into the hotel he knew he would have to wait, he'd never make it past the security. One thing was very certain…If he found out that drell had done anything to hurt her - his body would never be found.

It had felt like days rather than hours had gone by when he finally saw her exit the hotel. What surprised him was the fact that she no longer carried her bag of food. He saw her eye the fast-food restaurant wistfully as she passed by it. While keeping one eye on her he darted over to Darjan's and placed a quick order.

He'd nearly lost her a couple of times when she took the elevator, but he was able to retrieve the last stop and quickly picked up her trail on his OT. His concern grew as they entered a rough area in the Wards. But his concern lay with her, not himself. A little girl should not be on her own in a place like this.

He blinked when he saw an arm snake out of the shadows to grab her and in a flash of blue he'd been flung hard against the back edge of a community trash dumpster and fell forward into the bin. A grin pulled at his lips. She was a witty young girl that was obviously used to taking out the trash. Regardless, he remained on high alert as he followed. If anyone was concerned about him following a little girl, they said nothing. In this area it paid not to get involved. He understood their fears, but it frustrated him that there were still places on the Citadel where people had to live in fear.

He blinked when he realized he'd lost her. He studied his OT. She was still moving and he should see her, but it was as if she'd become invisible. He looked down at the floor. Of course, she had gone underground. He searched until he'd found the grate. It took him a moment to figure out how to work it and then he followed her into the ducts. Well, this was not what he'd expected – indeed, it was far worse. He crouched low and followed her marker.

-BREAK SEVEN-

Rhynn looked up when Elvie slipped through the grate. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd make it back on time. I see you must have gotten hungry along the way," she teased when she noticed her sister did not have any food. It didn't matter, she could cook them something tonight. Heaven knows they had more than enough credits to buy food now.

"Funny, Rhynn. I sort of left it at someone's home by accident," she admitted as her cheeks warmed with color.

"I take it you found the drell?" she asked curiously. There was a glow she'd never seen in her sisters eyes before and she wondered what put it there.

"Oh, I found him," she said as she sat down on her pallet and picked up the pillow her sister had made for her. "It was him, Rhynn…my little blue boy. I found him."

Rhynn put down the clothes she'd been mending for her sister - she'd always been hard on her clothes and jumped up to run over and hug her. "I'm so happy for you, Elvie. I know how much he's always meant to you! She sat down next to her. "Tell me all about it!" When her sister was done telling her the story she shook her head. "I can't believe you kissed a boy. Ew – that's just gross!"

Elvie's laughter fell silent when she heard the scrape and motioned her sister to get behind her.

"I don't think so," Rhynn whispered in a huff and pulled her knives from her belt.

"You need to leave," Elvie shouted.

"Not yet, child. It's David. I wanted to make sure you had something to eat. Can I come in?" David asked.

"You followed me?" she asked stunned that she hadn't realized it. Not paying attention was a quick way to find yourself dead…or worse. "David, you need to leave now! It's not safe here. Go – please."

David released a breath of air. "That is exactly why I won't leave. I brought a peace offering – burgers and french fries. I brought enough for everyone." He couldn't believe her family lived down here. This was worse than the slums above them.

Rhynn didn't know who this David was but the thought of burgers and fries made her mouth water. She looked at Elvie when they heard the tell-tale sign of the sweep.

Elvie darted to the grate, unlocked it and pulled David in. The grate slammed shut with the force of the air being propelled through the ducts. Well, fuck. She turned to face David and slammed her head on the top of the duct. "Take a seat," she said pointing to her pillow at the table while she rubbed her head. She continued around the table and sat down on her pallet.

David could feel the vibration from the air current. "What was that?"

Elvie sighed and pulled off her purple leather jacket. "That is why it isn't safe down here…at least on Monday nights. The keepers flush the ducts once a week to clear out any debris that may have fallen into the ducts…or unwary people. Saw a sofa fly by once. Hope you're comfortable, because now you will be spending the night. The sweep goes on for hours. Lucky you." She took the burger and fries he handed her and sat them in her lap. "Why did you follow me, David?"

He looked around the 'T' shaped ducts they'd made their home. It was more than evident these two children lived alone down here. There were no parents. "I am a soldier, child, and I learned a long time ago to trust my instincts. My instincts told me something was very wrong – so I followed you." He glanced over at the younger girl. "I take it you are the 'her' behind the birthday girl sign?"

"I am," Rhynn said with big grin. "Thanks for the dinner," she said shoving a fry in her mouth with a moan. "I'm Rhynn."

He grinned. Rhynn's brown eyes sparkled with enjoyment - it was obvious the two didn't get take out often – that bag of food had meant far more to them than he'd realized. He was thankful he'd stopped to replace it. "Good to meet you, Rhynn. You're sister enjoyed the lovely birthday song the Apollo's staff sang to her."

"Sure did," Elvie grumbled. "I will pay you back for that, Rhynn. Just you wait," she promised.

"So, I see your parents are away. I suppose you were right when you said they were busy," David said pointedly.

"Busy being dead," Elvie mumbled when she swallowed a bite of burger. "Look, David - I know how adults think. Before you say anything just know that we are happy here. I don't want you to say anything to anyone about us. Just let it go."

David frowned. "You know I can't do that, child. It's not safe here and you shouldn't have to live like this."

Elvie shook her head emphatically. "You are wrong. We are safer here than top-side. We have it better down here than many do up there. We do not have to fear closing our eyes. No one knows about this closed section of the ducts. We have food to eat, clothes to wear, a…bathroom – of sorts. We're making money now, we can protect ourselves. The only predators down here are occasional rats and they don't survive long enough to be a problem." More often than not they ended up on the table. "We have survived down here for years and we have everything we need."

These two little girls had been on their own for years. It was too much to fathom. He wasn't naive, he knew that many families were homeless, but it had always been an abstract issue, never anyone he'd known, much less come to care for. "No, child, you don't. You barely have enough to eke out an existence. You deserve to have more. A proper home, a bed…parents that-"

Elvie held up her hand. "I know you mean well, David. But you are wrong. No one deserves anything. Life is what it is - you adapt or you die. And I am not so naïve as to believe we will find loving parents. I'm too old for anyone to want and Rhynn probably is too – if we are discovered we will end up in some orphanage or worse – separated. We are all that we have left. I can't risk it. I've done everything in my power to make sure that never happens. I won't lose her, David."

It was no wonder the child did not act like a child – she never had the chance to be one. He wasn't going to lie to her. She was right. Their ages were detrimental to adoption. And it was even less likely that anyone would want to adopt two children. Two older children. But nor could he just leave them down here to live in the ducts. He was obligated to do something about it.

"Do you have any children, David?" Rhynn asked curiously around a bite of food in her mouth.

He swallowed his fry and shook his neck. "No, as I told your sister my wife – ex-wife and I thought about it, but we never felt it was the right time – or maybe I never felt it was the right time."

Rhynn licked the grease from her fingers. "You seem like a good guy. You didn't have to follow Elvie, but you did. You didn't have to get us food, but you did. It's obvious you have a heart. I hope you get the chance to have kids someday. I think you'd make a pretty good dad."

"Huh," David said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not too sure of that. I'm a soldier, child; I get re-stationed every few years. My ex-wife didn't like the military lifestyle – not sure children would be any different. They would probably resent being uprooted and taken away from their friends."

"Maybe," Rhynn conceded, "or maybe they would see it as a chance to make new friends. Children can be very adaptive, David, especially if learned from a young age," she said with a shrug. "So don't give up on having them."

Elvie studied her sister carefully, her heart heavy with pain. It sounded like her sister might want more than they had. But did she have the strength to let her go so she could live a new life? A slow breath escaped her lips. Yes. She loved her sister. She would let her go if it meant her sister would be happy.

Out of the mouth of babes. "You are very perceptive, child."

Rhynn grinned. "I've had a good teacher," she said with a wink to her sister.

David's gaze slid from Rhynn to Elvie. "I know you don't want to lose what you have, but I also couldn't live with myself if I just walked away and did nothing. I'm obligated to-"

Elvie sighed. It was time for them to move. "You will do what you feel you have to and so will we," she said in a tone level and devoid of emotion. "We have survived down here too long to allow ourselves to be cornered."

"I see," David replied with a sigh. "You won't remain here to be found." It was not a question.

Elvie grinned at him. "Now who's being perceptive? Just so you know – if you intend to call someone on your OT and wait here until they arrive to take us – it won't work. I always have a backup plan. And unless you intend to have us kept in chains, no facility can hold us."

"It doesn't have to be that way-" David began.

"You're right. If you can find a family to adopt Rhynn – people that would love her and protect her…give her what I can't. Then I would let her go – if that's what she wanted."

"No!" Rhynn said emphatically. "You are all the family I need."

Elvie's smile was somber. "Perhaps, but I'm not all the family you want."

Rhynn shook her head. "I don't want more at the cost of what I already have. The gain does not outweigh the loss. I could never leave you."

Elvie nodded and then looked at David. "Sorry, David – I know you only want what's best for us, but what we have is what's best for us."

David straightened his shoulders. "No – it's not. I happen to know of someone that would be willing to adopt you both."

Elvie stood up, careful not to slam her head again. "Who?" she challenged. "Who could possibly want to adopt not just one but two of us? I need to meet them – I'm not just going to blindly agree."

David had briefly considered his brother Thomas and Cora, his wife – but the thought had been fleeting. Elvie had won his heart this morning and Rhynn was already under his skin. "Me – David Edward Anderson. I would like to adopt you both."

Rhynn looked from her shocked sister to the man that sat across from her. "You want to be our daddy?"

David smiled warmly at her, rose and settled next to her. "As I recall, I heard on very good authority that I would make a pretty good dad – if you would be willing to take a chance on me." When her little arms hugged him tight, he knew he'd made the right choice. Her innocent hug had warmed him in way he had not thought possible. He kissed the top of Rhynn's head and looked up at her sister. Elvie would be the one to convince. She was older, more set in her ways. And he could tell when he first met her that she tended to carry the weight of the world on her small shoulders. A burden he wanted to help her carry. "It's not a gilded cage that I'm offering you, but a chance to grow, learn new things and experience more than you have."

She could see the glow on her sister's face – her need to have a family. She didn't think Rhynn remembered her past family, but maybe that loss had left a void in her that she alone could not fill. She had tabled Tayln's offer. Not only because of what she still had to do here, but because of Rhynn. Despite his wealth, it would not have given Rhynn what she needed. Not like David could. Her sister's needs came before her own. They always have. "I'm not ready to leave the Citadel yet."

"We don't have to. I'm on a six month leave to recuperate after a difficult mission," he admitted.

Six months to find and train a replacement. It wasn't much time, but she had a couple of prospects she could look into. She would give up some of her freedom for her sister's happiness. "Ok – but there is something you should know about me. I-" The color drained from her face when she saw the grate open and Tayln's face appear. She reached out with her power and yanked him in. The grate slammed shut with the force of the air current. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" she screeched as she stormed over to him. "You could have died out there!" She gave his shoulders a hard shove, but he barely moved. "Couldn't you just fall on your ass and give me some bit of satisfaction? I'm pissed at you!"

He untied his jacket from around his waist and set the food aside before he pulled her into his arms. He knew she was mad only because she was worried and likely because she had not wanted him to see how she lived. He could tell she'd done her best to try to make this place a home, but there was no way he was going to let her continue to live like this. "I love you too," he murmured as she slipped her arms around his neck and clung to him.

Rhynn placed a hand on David's arm. "There are some things you can't control, David. She's one of them. Love her – guide her, but don't try to control her or you will lose her. They have loved each other since they were small children. Don't try to break that bond – you will fail. She has carried him in her heart for years and they have only just found one another again." She smiled softly. "It is obvious he feels the same – that he has carried her in his heart as well." A tear slipped down her cheek. "There was always a place in her that I couldn't reach, because it belonged to him. The pain and sadness she carried with her…It's gone now. I'm happy for her…she is whole again."

It was hard to grasp that the two had known each other as small children. He looked so much older than her. It was apparent there was much he had to learn about his soon to be daughters. But the love part didn't sit well with him. "She's too young to love someone that much."

"Don't tell her that," Rhynn said with a laugh. "My advice to you is to love her and accept her for who and what she is. Don't try to force her into a mold, regardless whether it is a mold based on age, gender or what you want her to be. She is like a wild animal, which does not want to be tamed. With a caring hand and love she will stand by your side with fierce loyalty. Without that she will fight or she will run, either way she will be lost to you. That is something Tayln will be learning all too soon."

Tayln cleared his throat. He hadn't intended to eavesdrop on their conversation, but his hearing was acute. "That was something I learned as a small boy. I neglected to tell her that I loved her back then and I lost her. And it is something I've been relearning ever since I found her again."

Elvie felt like she missed something. She picked up the bag of food, set it on the table and motioned him over to her pallet. "What have you been relearning?" she asked once they were seated.

He would not hide his love for her from anyone. "That you are a girl that cannot be generalized."

"Smart boy," she said as she pulled him down and grazed her lips against his. "Now tell me how you found me and how you survived the sweep."

Tayln inclined his head to her. "And I shall do just that as soon as introductions are made." He looked at Rhynn. "It is good to see you again, Rhynn. Your beautiful painting adorns my mantle."

Rhynn chuckled. "A painting you only bought because my sister was in it. You looked at her the way she looked out the window at your ship."

Tayln felt the heat rise in his cheeks. "I had not realized I was quite so transparent." He was known for his ability to conceal his emotions, but apparently not when it involved Elvie.

"That was one of the reasons I told her where you went," Rhynn admitted.

"So it is you I owe for that. Tell me, what were the other reasons," he asked curiously.

Rhynn smiled, looked at her sister and then back to him. "Because you looked like her little blue boy – the one she never stopped talking about – the one that left a void in her that I could never fill." She pointed behind him.

He saw Elvie grab for something behind her, but his longer arms gave him the advantage. He brought the pillow out into the light and just stared at it. His face…or at least the way it had looked when he was a child stared back at him.

Elvie knew her cheeks had to be bright red. "My sister made that for me. She gave it to me this morning as a birthday present. I promised her I would never sit on your face." She shot her sister a warning glance – she didn't need her to say anything about farting. She glanced over at David when he started choking. After she knew he was okay she looked up at Tayln, the love and heat in his eyes made her shiver. She didn't know what put it there, but she liked seeing him look at her like that. "But I was eager to sleep with you tonight." She ran a finger down the little blue boy's cheek. When David started choking again she looked over at him in concern. "Are you alright, David?"

"I'm fine," he said as he held a hand out to wave her off. He knew she was far too young to understand that her words could be taken another way. He leveled a warning glare at the drell, just in case the young man had read another meaning into those words.

Tayln wasn't blind to the warning in the man's eyes. "She's safe with me, Mr….David. I could never hurt her, sir. She is my m – the heart the beats in my chest."

"See that you don't," David said, his gaze not leaving the drell.

"He loves me, David," she said without hesitation.

She may not be a rebellious teenager yet, but something in him told him to heed Rhynn's advice. If he tried to push them apart or make her choose between them, he'd lose her. "Even so," he said, directing his comment to the drell, "sometimes those we love are the ones we hurt the most. So make sure that heart of yours keeps beating."

Tayln's lips tightened, but he inclined his head to the man seated next to Rhynn. He well understood the veiled threat for what it was. "If you do not mind me asking, sir, what role do you have in their lives?" She'd told him about meeting David, but the man seemed far too protective for a new friend.

"I am their father – or at least I will be when I locate their birth records and adopt them," David said matter of fact.

That did explain the threats; he would be just as protective of his own children, were he and Elvie to have any. He inclined his head once again in understanding.

"My sister needs this," she whispered into his ear before giving her attention to her future father. "I can show you where I found Rhynn, you can probably look up who was living there at the time to find her birth records, but you won't find mine - and I never learned my parents' real names. It always seemed they were careful not to reveal them. They were just mom and dad," she said with a shrug. "I'm not even sure where we lived."

"I can pinpoint the coordinates of where we found Elvie," Tayln told him, "but she is right. The colony was destroyed in a batarian raid. We didn't get there until it was too late to do anything but record the aftermath. There were no other survivors. Nothing was left of that colony, except one little stow away."

David rubbed the back of his neck. They were sisters but unrelated. It would be easy enough to track down who Rhynn was, but Elvie was another matter. "That will…complicate things, but I won't rest until you are legally mine."

"Then you may be able to sleep sooner than you think. If you are sure this is what both of you want." It was obviously something Rhynn wanted; he could see it in her eyes. But he could also see the hesitation in Elvie's eyes. He knew she cared about David - that was apparent when she told him about their encounter; but there was something else behind the hesitation – something she hadn't told him. Regardless, he was unsurprised when she agreed with her sister. He knew she'd do anything for her sister. "Do you know your birth date?"

"No," Elvie admitted. "I've never celebrated a birthday until after I found Rhynn and we decided to make our birthdays on the same day."

"That's going to change," he said softly and then looked at David. "Send me your details, sir. I will locate Rhynn's birth record and have one created for Elvie. Once that is done I will draw up an adoption contract that you can all sign and I'll see that it gets officiated."

David just blinked. "How is it that you can get all that done so quickly?" David shook his head. "Never mind, I don't want to know." He beamed his OT at Tayln's and sent him the information he would need.

Tayln chuckled and glanced down at his OT. "The packet has been received and it pays to have a remarkable legal team. Just give me a few days, sir. I will see that the legal matters are wrapped up."

A few days? Was that even possible? He supposed time would tell. "Son – since you are doing so much for us, I think that more than earns you the right to drop the 'sir' and just call me David. I also want to thank you. I appreciate everything you are doing to help in this matter."

"You are most welcome, David," Tayln said with an incline of his head. His attention returned to his mate. "As for your questions, whenever someone attempts to scan or link with my OT a back-trace is automatically completed. I had your frequency and was able to track your OT on mine. I did so because I wanted to make sure you got home safely and I wanted to return the food you left behind. I must admit the sweep caught me off guard, but I am never unprepared. The ducts are made of a metallic alloy compound. Once that was deduced, I activated my magboots."

"Well, color me impressed – but I'm still pissed, mister," she said as she poked his chest. "People die in the sweep, Tayln. They are sucked into the keepers' vats and never seen again. Why? You might ask. Because they get turned into people goo. You," she said poking his chest again, "could have been turned into Tayln goo. What am I supposed to do with Tayln goo? I don't want goo – I want you. Don't take reckless chances, Tayln. I can't lose you again."

He cupped the side of her face, his thumb sweeping over her cheek. "You won't lose me. You won't. I needed to know you were safe, Elvie. This - being here…it was not a reckless chance. I measured the air velocity and knew my boots could handle it."

So it was a calculated chance and not a reckless one. It was still a chance that he'd taken with his life. But what right did she have to call him out on it when she did the same thing every night – well, except for Mondays. "I understand that sometimes there are…reasons to take a calculated risk – just have a care. You are precious to me."

He wasn't sure why he wasn't exactly comforted by her words. Maybe it was because he knew, in his heart, that she was keeping something from him…and that worried him. "Then you have that same care, because I love you - I don't want to see you get hurt."

-BREAK EIGHT-

She took the pillow from his lap and looked down into the face of her little blue boy. Her fingertips caressed his cheek. "When I told you not to let go of that little girl – that you were the only thing that kept her from giving up…I wasn't just talking about on the ship. After I escaped the ship I found myself in a world I was not prepared for. Scavenging was nothing new – I learned how to do that after the batarian raid. But here – I became the prey. I had to learn to disappear, because I saw what happened to those that were caught."

"Were you ever caught?" Tayln asked softly.

"Once." It was a time she did not like to think about.

"Did they hurt you?"

"Yes…." She looked up from the pillow to meet his eyes. "But I hurt them back." She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about that. The shadows hid me – but danger also lurked in the shadows. Safety was an illusion. But I had one advantage that made me luckier than the other prey. My parents made sure I was combat trained because they were paranoid that someone was going to kidnap me. I wasn't allowed to go outside, I couldn't play with the other children – all I did was study and train. I used to sneak out whenever I could just to watch people doing mundane things that I could never do. When the batarians came I was able to make it the panic room under the house. My parents failed to get there in time. I watched them die on the surveillance feed. When the house started burning I stayed in that room until the smoke drove me out the back escape door. I ran into the woods. One couple and their three children were also hiding there, they tried to get me join them – said they would protect me, but I kept running until my legs gave out. I found them a few days later, their sightless eyes staring up at me…there was no sign of their children. If I had stayed they might have survived."

"No," David said quietly. "If you had stayed you would have died with them."

Her brows drew together. "I can take care of myself! And I could have saved them if I hadn't been blinded by grief."

Tayln gave the barest of nods to David. The older man was right. He knew she was a capable fighter, he'd learned that when she was training him, but she had been a little girl who would have had no chance against several armed men. He gently touched her chin and turned her head to towards him. "Their deaths were not your fault, nor is it your burden to carry. What happened next?"

She blinked and released a breath. "I don't know how I wasn't caught, but by the time I returned I found no other survivors. Maybe others made it to safety and couldn't bear to come back, but that place was all I knew, so I stayed. I don't know how long it was before your ship showed up. I lost count of the cycles. Even though I was alone, for the first time I was free. Free of the house, free of hiding, free of my parents' constant fear of me being kidnapped."

She looked up into his eyes and saw the wet trails. She gently wiped the tears from his cheeks. "You were my first friend and by the time we reached the Citadel I knew I loved you." She pulled the heart out from under his shirt. "That is why I left you my heart." Her thumb caressed the sleek wood before she slipped it back under his shirt to rest against his heart where it belonged.

"I wish…" he swallowed hard; her story was harder to hear than he could have ever imagined. She didn't act like a child, because she'd never been one. "I wish I had asked you to stay…I wish I had found you…at the very least I wish I could have given you a piece of me to take with you – because I fell in love with you too."

One corner of her mouth pulled up in a half smile. "You did, Tayln. You were with me here," she said as she tapped over her heart. "And during my darkest moments when taking even one more step was too much, or the will to fight wavered - even when I was injured and delirious my little blue boy was there with me. He told me I couldn't give up that I had to be strong because he was the keeper of my heart and since he held my heart I would always be safe. But he told me I had to find him because I was the keeper of his heart and I left without taking it with me. Without his heart in my hands there was nothing to keep him safe." She rubbed her stinging cheeks. "I was delirious with fever when he said those particular words to me, but those words gave me the strength to get back up. I –er robbed a clinic that night, but I only took what I needed and nothing more. I left behind something I'd made, but I knew it was not enough. I'm not a thief and the choice I made weighed heavy on me – I repaired some of their equipment earlier this year to make up for what I'd taken and -"

He placed his finger over her lips to still them. "Your little blue boy spoke the words I'd wanted to say to you. Words I would have said if you had stayed. Words I would have said had I been lucky enough to have found you after you ran. You are the keeper of my heart. I knew that the moment that I first saw you. And I've known that every day of my life since." He began releasing the stays of his shirt. "The first thing I did when I arrived on the Citadel was visit Raphael's Arte Parlor. He's young, he's new, but his talent is undeniable." His heart started slamming in his chest as the heat of her gaze followed the progression of his fingers.

"Slide the shirt down my arm," he said when the last magnetic stay fell away. He felt the light touch of her fingertips skim over the muscles of his chest and a shiver raced down his spine. Her hand slipped under the material of his shirt and slowly slid down his arm. There was only a brief flicker of pain when her hand passed over the artwork.

She gasped when shirt lowered to reveal what he had wanted her to see. Tears she was unaware of trailed down her cheeks. The pale, sleek wood of her heart was on the shoulder of his arm, her initials in a metallic golden brown. The bright, golden chain that held her heart was looped tightly around a faceted sapphire heart that had the initials TNT chiseled through the sapphire, the light blue of his skin showing through it. It was a stunning ornamentation, but she couldn't figure out how it adhered to his skin. It was odd, she hadn't remembered feeling it there when she lowered his shirt. She gently touched it and was surprised when she only felt the warmth of his skin. "It looks so real…" she grazed her lips gently against the sapphire heart. "I want one," she murmured so only he could hear.

Rhynn wiped the tears from her eyes. Her sister had never really talked about what her life had been like before they met. She knew this had only been a glimpse, but it made her realize she never would have survived on her own if Elvie hadn't taken her in. She rose from her pillow, walked around the table and dropped down to her knees next to the couple. "Can I see?"

Tayln turned enough so that she could see the design on his shoulder.

Rhynn studied the masterpiece in awe. She saw the name Raphael inscribed on one of the links in the golden chain. "I thought I was good, but he's amazing. I have to meet him!"

He grinned. "I'll see that you do. You have a talent, Rhynn. Rafe will see that and I've no doubt he would mentor you – if that is what you wanted."

She clapped her hands in excitement. "I do!"

David was stunned by everything he'd heard. Knowing she lived down here was one thing, hearing about that life made it far more real to him. He had so many questions about her parents, what her life had been like with them, everything she'd gone through in the ducts, but he also knew she might never be willing to tell him everything, that some memories were far too painful to reopen. He hoped that one day, however, she would want to talk and if she did he would listen. "Son-" he said motioning to Tayln's shirt when he caught Elvie looking a bit too intently at the muscles being displayed. It was still hard to believe he was a boy and not a man.

Indeed, David had the right of it. Her curiosity might end up getting the both of them into trouble if he wasn't careful. He slid the shirt back over his shoulder and fastened the stays.

"How did you find this place?" David asked curiously.

"By accident," Elvie admitted. "There are very few ducts damaged to the point where they are shut down. The keepers are good at repairing them. I'm not sure what happened here. It looked like old damage when I found it. I slipped into the ducts to escape Dagger's men. They like to force people like us to work for them. Be their eyes and ears, run their contraband. That wasn't the kind of life I wanted. I refused to play by their rules, so I made my own. I've been in the ducts many times – they are easy to get around in when you are small…not so easy now," she said as she rubbed her head. "I'm not sure how I found this place – luck, I suppose…but I found it when I needed it most – just as I heard the hum of the impending sweep. This," she said with a wave of her arm, "saved my life. I cleaned it up as best I could and made it my home. It's been more of a home than anything I've ever had. Except…" Her eyes met Tayln's. "Except for that time on the ship with you – I wanted to live in that moment forever…but time didn't let me."

He pulled her to him and hugged her tight. He could have lost her so many times over. That she was still alive and with him now was a miracle he would never lose sight of. One thing he did know – he was going to find a way to protect her when he couldn't be with her. For now, at least she would be leaving the wards for a better life…and soon, a life with him. "We have that moment now, Elvie…and it will be as forever as you want it to be."

She kissed the side of his neck. "Be careful, Mr. Teiner, because if that was a promise there is no take-backsies."

He chuckled. "I think my translator glitched –no take what?"

She pulled back to look into his beautiful blue eyes. "A promise once given cannot be taken back. If you promise me forever then I expect you to keep that promise."

David cleared his throat. She was far too young to be thinking of forever. He looked down at Rhynn when he felt her hand squeeze his arm. His lips thinned when she shook her head. He released a slow breath. Surely Tayln knew that no child could truly understand forever, hell – he wasn't even sure he did.

Tayln ignored David. There was nothing he could do to come between him and his mate, only she had the power to break that bond. "You have always had that promise. I have known that since we first met. You are the keeper of my heart – there can be no other. Only you have the power to break what has been forged between us. For me – we are forever." That was as close as he could come to telling her the truth.

For a moment she forgot to breathe, lost in his blue eyes, until her heart turned over and started beating again. She rested her cheek against his. "Then you've sealed your fate, Mr. Teiner. No take-backsies," she murmured in his ear.

He chuckled quietly. "No take-backsies."

Rhynn knew David wouldn't take much more and she didn't want him to say something he would regret later. "I hear Bevin and Mackels were found trussed up and gifted to csec. The story hit the newsvids this afternoon.

Elvie blinked, released Tayln and settled her hands on her thighs. "What else did you hear?" She'd been so caught up with everything that had been happening to her that she'd not seen the newsvid.

Rhynn grinned, excitement sparkled in her eyes. "Just another gift from Valkyrie – and as usual she left enough evidence behind to put them away."

David had to admit he was pleased Rhynn had spoken up when she had. He was not at all comfortable with what was going on between Elvie and Tayln. "Who are Bevin and Mackels? And who is Valkyrie?"

Rhynn rubbed her hands together. "Jonus Bevin and Savon Mackels are two of Dagger's enforcers. The usual thug variety scum whose main job was making sure the runners…or duct rats under their control stayed in line – but that wasn't all they were responsible for. They would shake down business owners for protection money, press children into becoming runners – even if they had to threaten the child's family. And…if you are female chances were you knew them in a whole other way."

David sucked in a harsh breath – she was far too young to know what she knew… "Did they…did you…" He released an unsteady breath. It was hard to even force the words out.

"No," Rhynn said quietly. "They never caught me." Her gaze flew to her sister and darted away – she'd just found out tonight that her sister had been caught. "But it looks like Valkyrie has made sure they won't be hurting anyone else. Valkyrie has been around for about three years now…protecting the wards as best she can. I tried to talk Elvie into letting us help with that, but she didn't want to compromise our safety."

Elvie studied her sister for a moment. She knew Rhynn wanted to do more, but what they were already doing was risky enough. Spying on the criminals was not the same as actually fighting them. And she would not risk her sister in that way. "She's a vigilante, Rhynn. Csec would probably toss her in with the criminals if they found her. We were risking enough as it was," she said with a pointed look at Rhynn. She couldn't exactly tell the others about their about their side hobbies. A slow breath slipped from her lips. "I know that you know self defense, but that is defense – it is not the same as trying to take someone down…it is a means for escape not confrontation."

She closed her eyes. "I know…." She looked over at her sister. "But you-"

"No!" Tayln cut her off. He did not need Rhynn giving Elvie any ideas, especially when he was not thinking so clearly himself. He couldn't let go of the fact that they had caught her and hurt her. He needed to find out who had hurt her and then he would pay them a visit…if, that is, he could get her to open up to him.

David's mouth slammed shut. Why would Rhynn even think that Elvie could do anything? "You can't expect your sister to go after hardened criminals she's too-"

"Determined to keep you safe," Tayln stepped in before David could put his foot in his mouth. There was little doubt in his mind that if David said she was too young or too small, she would do something dangerous to prove him wrong. "It doesn't matter how well she can fight. If she were to go after men like that it would be putting herself at risk and if something happened to her it would have left you alone and at the mercy of those same men."

Wow. Talk about a guilt slam. She'd made sure Rhynn knew how to survive, how to defend herself, how to take care of herself and stay safe, but she'd not played by her own rules for years. She knew she wasn't infallible, but she never once believed she wouldn't come back. She knew how to survive. Yes, she felt the weight of her decision every time she slipped out at night, but what she was doing – it was the right thing to do.

David nodded at Tayln. He couldn't have said it better himself. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of there being a vigilante down in the wards. They could be just as dangerous as the criminals they go after. "Have you ever seen this vigilante?"

Rhynn laughed softly. "No, she tends to hunt long after we go to bed. From what I've heard she's like a shadow, you don't see her coming until it's too late."

David raised his hand. "Just be careful. Vigilantes can be as dangerous as the men they hunt."

She patted his leg. "Valkyrie is not like that, David – er, dad. She saves – she doesn't kill. Occasionally, someone is caught with an arrow in a non-lethal hit, or sedated, but usually it's just bruises and then they are trussed up and left for csec."

David blinked. "Arrows?" he mumbled. Why would anyone choose to use arrows? They were inefficient, bulky and limited in the number you could carry.

Rhynn grinned and shrugged. "Maybe she likes them because they are quiet or maybe she uses them so that everyone would know she was the one responsible – her way of sending a message."

"Does she walk on water too, Rhynn?" Elvie teased.

Rhynn's mouth opened and closed. "Maybe," she said with a small grin. "But what I do know is she's done more for cleaning up the wards than csec has managed to do. That makes her a hero."

She cocked a brow and studied her sister intently. There was something she needed her sister to realize for herself. "If she was such a hero, why doesn't she let anyone know who she really is?"

"Huh…and I thought you were the intelligent one," Rhynn said with a slight frown. "Obviously, there are two very good reasons. One, if csec knew who she was they would take her into custody for vigilantism and two, she probably has family and friends that she needs to protect. If the criminals knew who she was they would target those she loved to hurt her or coerce her."

Nailed it. Elvie nodded and decided to push a little more. It was risky. Her sister was smart, but in the event she ever found out she wanted her prepared to understand. "Those are sound reasons. I wonder if she's a solo huntress or if she has a team working with her. She seems to know a little too much about what's happening down in the Wards."

"No," Rhynn shook her head, "she works alone. Her goal seems to be one of protection and she wouldn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt. I doubt even those closest to her know what she does. I suspect she knows a lot about the Wards because she lives here. And she's obviously good with tech; those arrows and that cool webbing she uses aren't exactly something that can be purchased. She also must have a network of surveillance in place, maybe even something normal scanners can't pick up on." The grin widened on Rhynn's face. "Maybe she does walk on water. I wish we could meet her – but," The smile slipped from her face. "I wonder what happened to her that made her want to take a stand. Not that it matters, I'm just glad she chose to protect us."

She felt Talyn go still next to her and could feel the heat of his stare. She had erred in pushing her sister and forgotten there was another keen mind in their midst. A keen mind with fresh eyes. "You don't even know she's female. No one has seen Valkyrie. They infer to her gender because of a name. But, the choice of weapons makes me wonder if it isn't a man. A gun is far easier for a female to wield than a bow."

Was this what she'd been hiding from him? Too much was falling into place now and he did not like what was being revealed. He knew she was an accomplished fighter, even as a little girl. He also knew she was remarkably intelligent and a skilled engineer, even without formal training. He doubted that intricate little bug was the only thing she'd designed. He also knew she'd been captured and hurt and that she'd hurt them back. That was more than enough to cause someone to take a stand. It might all be circumstantial evidence, but every last bit of it pointed to her being the vigilante Valkyrie. Even her attempts to throw them off the trail were not enough to still his unease. A talented engineer could design a weapon even someone of limited strength could use. That bug had proven she was talented –so much so that he had wanted her working with him at Teiner Tech. They needed to talk, but it would wait until they were alone.

"You're right," Rhynn agreed. "We do assume she's female because of her name. But I still believe Valkyrie is a woman. As a symbol she gives more hope as a woman than a man. Proof that even those considered weak can make a difference."

"Sounds like a good argument for her being a woman in my book," David said with a smile as he dropped a kiss on the top of Rhynn's head. "Where did you say the restroom was?"

Elvie pointed behind him. "Behind you. Keep walking past Rhynn's pallet – it's further down the duct towards where it is sealed off."

"It's behind the curtain…about as good as you're going to get for privacy," Rhynn told him. As soon as he was far enough away she turned to look at Tayln. "You realize he's going to be protective of her."

"So will I," Tayln returned without hesitation. "We are one – we have always been one and he is going to have to come to terms with that."

Elvie leaned over and kissed his shoulder, more precisely what lay beneath his shirt. "He will. David is a good man, we are lucky to have him in our lives."

"I'm the lucky one," David said as he settled in next to Rhynn. "And I'm thankful for the sanigel you have back there, because I wasn't about to wash my hands in that pipe's water."

Rhynn's nose wrinkled. "Ew."

"My thoughts exactly," David said with a shudder. "How is it that you two are able to remain so clean. Do you have a hidden shower somewhere?" At this point he wouldn't put it past them.

"Not exactly." Elvie tried to ignore the heat in her cheeks. "We let ourselves into a local gym after hours to shower and wash clothes. Well – Rhynn washes the clothes and I –uh…work out."

Rhynn crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought you were keeping watch," she said with a pointed look.

Her eyes widened. "I can do both, Rhynn. Have a little faith in my abilities."

"Oh, I do, Elvie. And that at least explains why we wash our clothes before we shower. Hmmm…seems like I got the worse end of that deal," she teased.

She pursed her lips. "Really? Okay then – I'll wash our clothes next time."

Rhynn's hands flew up as she waved Elvie off. "No…no. I stand corrected. Don't you touch our clothes!"

David found their banter amusing. "That is not something either of you will have to worry about again. I will find a larger place to lease tomorrow. You'll have your own bedrooms, machines to do the laundry and I'll even make sure there is a gym in our building."

"There is no need for that, David," Tayln spoke up. "I will be leaving in a few days and I have a suite with two master bedrooms, 3 guest rooms – one of which Rhynn can use for her art, a workout room, and an office that Elvie can use for her projects."

David held a hand up. "I appreciate the offer, Tayln – but I can provide for my girls."

He understood the man's need to provide for his family. "I do not doubt that, David. But there is no need for you to pay a higher rate just to lease a place for a few months when I have one that will be sitting around gathering dust. If you are using the suite then I am not throwing money away. You staying there is doing me a favor."

"Indeed," David said with a grunt. This favor favored him far more than it did Tayln. But he'd give the kid credit. He had put more thought into their living arrangements than he had so far. The girls' hobbies did require more space. It was only his pride that was getting hung up. They would be shipping out in a few months and wanted the girls to have some stability for once in their lives. If he leased a place, he would have to lease a new place each time he took leave. That would not give them any sense of home. It was illogical of him to pay on a lease when they would only be there a few weeks out of each year and he wanted to give them a home. Tayln's offer would provided the girls stability, someplace to call home, someplace familiar to return to – but only so long as Tayln and Elvie remained together. That was the rub. They were children. Children fell in and out of love many times before they found someone – if they found someone. Hell, he was still looking for that someone special.

He looked at Elvie then Tayln and he saw in their eyes something that had never been in his own. Something he only rarely saw shining in someone else's eyes. Home. Somehow, despite their young age, they'd found a home in each other – something most adults were incapable of doing. Maybe he'd been wrong about them. Maybe they would survive the years to come. Maybe love had nothing to do with age. Time and adolescent hormones would be the deciding factor. Something he was not looking forward to. He rubbed his forehead for a moment, dropped his hand back into his lap and released a heavy breath. "I want to give my girls stability. A home. That's not something I can do if I lease a new flat every time we return to the Citadel. I considered purchasing a flat, but that is not economically responsible, at this time, considering we will rarely be there. So I will accept your offer on one condition…that you will accept payment from me for the length of time that we stay there."

Tayln nodded. He would in no way charge him what he actually paid for the lease, but he would work out something acceptable. "I will work out those arrangements with you, David. I will reschedule the meeting I had for tomorrow. They can wait another day. Tomorrow we will get the girls moved into their new home and then we will find Rhynn's birth record and create one for Elvie. I want to make sure that you and the girls are taken care of, then I will worry about my meetings."

"For the hotel?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, it's just formality now. I need to go over the final addenda, sign the contract and make arrangements for the remodeling crew." He took her hand between his. "Come with me. I can guarantee it will be boring, but I'd like you at my side. And I'd also like a fresh pair of eyes to review the contract with me."

She laughed softly and raised a hand to caress his soft cheek folds. "I love that you would ask me, but you have to know they will not take me seriously. And that may cause them not to take you seriously for inviting me."

He lifted one hand to cover hers. "I don't care what they think. Yes, they may be uncomfortable but they won't say anything, because to do so would risk the sale. The building no longer meets the safety requirements, so rather than investing in an overhaul they want to rebuild the Love Shack on Ilium where they will have higher revenues." He ignored Rhynn's burst of laughter. "Please, come with me."

She stuck her tongue out at him and froze, slowly pulling it back into her mouth. Her heartbeat quickened when his gaze dropped down to her lips. "I want to t-" She blinked. She'd nearly said she wanted to taste him. Probably not something David would accept. She cleared her throat and withdrew her hand. "But I can't walk into a boardroom looking like this," she quickly amended. "Duct rat, remember?"

Tayln inhaled slowly to clear his mind from wanting to kiss her and bring it back to what they had been talking about. "I'll make sure you have something to wear."

"I will make sure she has something to wear," David corrected.

He looked over at the man. "You will have that right soon enough, David. But even once she is your daughter I will not stop providing for her when I can. I love her, she's my – my…heart."

David ran a hand over his short crop of hair and released a harsh breath. "It's called girlfriend."

His browridges drew together. "It is true she is my friend, but she means more to me than just friend."

David shook his head. "I did not mean girlfriend as in a friend that is a girl. To humans a girlfriend or boyfriend is someone that is more than a friend. If the relationship lasts, then girlfriend can become fiancé and eventually wife – and that, son, is a very long way off."

At least now he knew of an acceptable term for her. "I am very aware of that fact, David, and I will wait until she is ready."

David nodded. "See that you do."

"So, the Love Shack," Rhynn said with a giggle.

Elvie grinned at her. "Trust me, Rhynn. The hotel is as awful as its name. I hope that sign is the first thing Tayln gets rid of."

"It will be," he assured them.

-BREAK NINE-

Rhynn showed them her sketches and Tayln purchased every sketch that had Elvie in it. Even David had purchased a few. The rest, Tayln had told her, they would have framed for display in an art gallery. When she woke up this morning she had no idea how quickly everything in her life would change. It was surreal that this was happening to her. She could only imagine how her sister felt – finding the one thing she thought forever lost to her. She occasionally glanced up from the sketch she was working on to stud their faces as the others talked over the din of the sweep. Art was her emotional release and while she was pleased that she might eventually make a name for herself, it would never be her life's work. No, she needed the rush of adrenalin and that she found in spying. The sneaking, the risk of getting caught, the whisper of secrets, making the choice of who to turn in to csec and who to sell the information to – that was her life's work.

She took a short break from her sketch to lay out the dinner that Tayln had brought with him. She was surprised by how much the drell could eat, but unlike them she doubted he'd had the chance to eat dinner. Regardless, there was still food left over and since it was Monday they couldn't give it to others in need. She slipped the containers back into bag and rose to pull a small, circular disk from its dock. Her sister had used the wiring from one of the lights to power the dock that held the stasis disks. She attached the disk to the bag and activated it.

Tayln blinked as a stasis field enveloped the bag. Remarkable. "Rhynn, are there any more of those disks?"

"Yes," she pulled another from the dock and tossed it to the drell as she settled back on her pillow to resume her sketch.

The disk was small and thin with a round, raised middle. Elvie was engraved on the bottom. He wanted to take it apart to see how it worked, but he didn't. Instead he placed it on his water bottle and activated it. A stasis field surrounded the water bottle but nothing else. His fingers felt slightly numb as he picked up the bottle to look at the bottom of it. The stasis field completely wrapped the bottle with a startling precision. He deactivated it and slid it back across the table to Rhynn. He smiled at his mate – his girlfriend. "You, my love, are a genius."

"Of course I am," she teased. "And you are lucky I love you so much or one day I'd give Teiner Tech a run for its money."

Rhynn stilled her pencil and laughed. "Oh my god – Elvie Tech would be E.T.!"

"So would Elvie Teiner," Tayln murmured.

Before David could say anything Rhynn had stolen the floor again.

"That's even better! Elvie Anderson-Teiner would be E.A.T.! Oh!" She giggled. "E.A.T. T.N.T. – hilarious." She saw the sparkle in her sister's eyes and winked at her.

"Good one, Rhynn. You picked that up faster than I did." She smiled impishly and leaned over to whisper into Tayln's ear. "Eat tnt...mmmm…I want to taste you, Tayln…" she drew her tongue along the outer edge of his ear canal.

"Elvie!" David snapped a little louder than he'd intended. He didn't know what she'd whispered to him and he didn't want to know, but there was no mistaking the look in the young man's eyes.

She frowned at David. "What?"

He knew she didn't understand what her words did to him – they weren't meant as sexually teasing or even flirting. It had just been an honest declaration. "Let it go, David. I told you she was safe with me. I can handle it."

She looked at her sister's confused expression and then from David to Tayln. "Why do I feel as though I've missed a large part of the conversation? Handle what, Tayln?"

He smiled softly at her. "How you make me feel."

She blinked. "You had better be able to handle loving me," she said as she poked him in the chest. "I already told you no take-backsies."

"No take-backsies," he agreed. "Not ever."

Rhynn yawned, finished the last few strokes and signed her name in the lower right corner. "Done. I – I wanted you to have it. What do you think?" She handed the sketch pad to David.

David's heart warmed as he studied the drawing. She had drawn them as a family. He was in his dress blues, Tayln was in a suit and the girls were both wearing dresses. He smiled wondering if he'd be able to get Elvie in a dress like that. He was standing behind Rhynn with one hand on her shoulder and the other on Tayln's who was standing behind Elvie with his arms around her waist, her hand rested over his, their fingers entwined. He could see the warmth and happiness in his features were mirrored in Rhynn's. She had captured the love and heat in Tayln's expression a little too well and there was no mistaking the strength of love and fiery determination in Elvie's. "Our family. It's amazing, Rhynn. I could not imagine anything more perfect." He handed the sketch pad over to Tayln and pulled Rhynn in for a hug. "Thank you, daughter. That picture is priceless to me."

She snuggled into her new father. "I'm glad you found that dolphin in time, dad."

"Me too, child. Me too," he murmured to her.

Tayln was mesmerized by the picture. He intended to have a copy made to take with him. She had rendered their likenesses perfectly. He studied his own visage. He was alive with a fiery love. He'd never seen himself look like that before, but then he'd never had the chance to look in the mirror since Elvie had come back into his life. And the way he held onto his mate as if he couldn't bear to let her go, not even for a moment. Rhynn could see more than he thought. And if she could see that, then maybe she was right showing David with his arm around him and his hand resting on his shoulder. Maybe David would one day see him as more than a threat – he would see him as family. "It's beautiful, Rhynn. If you don't mind, I'd like to have a copy made so I can take it with me."

Rhynn yawned. "Of course, Tayln. I'll make a picture of just you and Elvie later. Elvie? Do you want it as much as I do?"

She smiled at her little sister. "I do, honey…I do." She hadn't realized how much she wanted it until she saw them together in that picture. She loved her parents, but she'd never been happy with them. Maybe she could have the life she used to dream of…the life she watched all the other kids have.

Rhynn wiped her tired eyes. "Thank you for giving dad that dolphin. I think he needs us as much as we need him."

David chuckled. "You are as perceptive as your sister."

"Dad?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Will you hold me until I fall asleep?" Rhynn asked during the exhale of a yawn.

He had intended to have the girls share a pallet while he shared one with Tayln, but he couldn't resist her heartwarming words. "Of course I will." He followed her to her pallet, settled next to her on his side, drew the blanket up over them and put his arm around her.

Tayln set the sketch pad on the table. He was thankful the arm of the duct Rhynn's pallet was on was wide enough that he could get by without walking over them, even if he had to do so hunched down. He looked at the makeshift toilet and realized that standing up was not the best of options. When he was finished he, like David, was happy to see the sanigel.

When he stepped out from behind the curtain he saw Elvie looking into a broken mirror. He stepped up behind her and put his arms around her waist. "Were you having a hard time believing the look on your face in the picture too?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she admitted, "but I see it now that you're here. You put that look on my face." She laced her fingers through his as she had in the picture. "There – now we are perfect."

"That we are," he murmured with a soft smile.

She released his hands and turned around in his arms, her palm flattening against his chest. She looked up into is baby blue eyes. "Did you mean what you said earlier when you called me Elvie Teiner?"

Nothing got by her. "Yes, I did. I'd marry you today if I could."

That was what she'd wanted to hear. "Then consider us -"

He placed a finger over her lips. "Shhh…there are no take-backsies, remember?"

"But…"

"Use the facilities, we will talk in bed. I'd rather not have this discussion right next to the sewer pipe."

"Fine," she said with a nod. "But this conversation is not over."

"I would expect not," he murmured as she slipped behind the curtain.

He sighed wishing he could stand up; his back ached with the need to straighten. He made his way past David and Rhynn to the opposite duct opening, pulled the top blanket down and stretched out on the pallet with a sigh of relief. When he saw her returning he rolled onto his side so that he could face her. After she was settled next to him he pulled the blanket up over them. "I owe you an explanation. Drell and humans have more than just physical differences." He knew he had to be careful with his words. He did not want her to know that she was his mate – he wanted the choice to be hers. "When drell marry or at least when they have a mate they go through a physiological change, their bodies imprint upon each other. That bond is lifelong. We mate for life. Humans do not imprint on each other. They marry…they divorce, as if it were no more than changing a favorite restaurant. Wait," he said when he saw her mouth open to say something. "You know I have to leave. I will not be able to see you very often. Someone else may come along that you wish to give your heart to. I don't want you to feel trapped-"

Icy cold dread filled her. "Is this about me? Or you? What are you trying to tell me, Tayln? That you don't want to be trapped by me - that you want to be free to be with someone else? Or do you just believe that I am fickle and my love for you means little? I gave you my heart to care for it not shred it." She rolled away from him, not wanting him to see the tears she couldn't stop.

It felt like his heart was being squeezed in a vice. "No…Gods no." He pulled her against him and wrapped his arms around her. He pushed back the pain of her stiffening in his arms. It only just dawned on him that he was doing the one thing she hated – generalizing her. Putting her into a mold. A human mold. Yes, she was human…but he shouldn't have let that define her, just like he knew her age and gender did not define her. "I love you and I am sorry if I hurt you. I know your age and gender don't define you, but I let being human define you and I should not have. You aren't a trap – I'm where I need to be…with you. You are the only place I can ever be happy. There is no one else for me but you. I don't ever want to be free of you because I will never stop needing you – you are the light that guides me, the air that I breathe, the blood in my veins and the heart that beats in my chest …you always have been."

She wiped the stupid tears away. "Damn it, Tayln," she mumbled as she turned around in his arms. The feel of his muscles pressed against her front was a far more heady sensation than against her back. "How am I supposed to stay mad at you when you melt me with such beautiful words?" She slipped her hands between their bodies to release the stays of his shirt. She pushed the material aside, her fingers tracing over muscles that rippled under her touch. "Do you know how much I've been wanting to touch you ever since you showed me the artwork on your shoulder?" As her hand trailed lower she heard him inhale sharply. "Are you breathing?"

"No," he said in a rushed exhale as her hand slid around his side to his back. He wouldn't join with her and complete the mating bond until she was ready, but nor would he stop her from touching him. She was his mate and he needed her touch…craved it.

She pressed herself against his wall of muscles. "I love the way your body feels against mine, but I also feel something I've never felt before…safe. I feel safe in your arms. Will you sleep with me every night until you leave?"

He knew that wouldn't sit well with David, but it wouldn't stop him. "I already planned to. So long as I am nearby I will be at your side."

She smiled and looked up into his eyes. "Tayln?"

"Yes?" It almost felt like he was drowning in the earthy richness of her green-hazel eyes.

"No piece of paper defines me either. I am your wife and you are my husband. Deal. With. It."

Her words banished the last bit of fear he had inside of him…a fear he had not realized had been lingering until he felt the weight of its release. Her simple words made it official by Rakhana standards. She had claimed him in the presence of others – they were married. He knew it wasn't official by human standards and wouldn't be until she was of age, but he was complete now. "I agree to the claiming. Under the law of Rakhana we are bound as mates…husband and wife," he murmured as his lips found hers; when they parted beneath his he did not hesitate. His tongue swept in as he rode the tide of hunger and need.

This kiss was different than the others they'd shared. This one called to her and sent pleasure filled sparks throughout her body. By the time he pulled back her body was trembling and her breathing was as harsh as his. "Now that's the way to kiss a girl," she said in thick voice she didn't quite recognize.

His hand slid through her hair and he cupped the back of her head. "No…that is the way to kiss a wife."

A smile spread on her lips. Wife. "I've never felt anything like that kiss before, it made my whole body tingle – even places I didn't think were possible. It made me want to breathe you in so I could feel you inside me. I wanted to feel you surrounding me, touching me everywhere at once. You know, I'm going to be expecting more of those kisses…a lot more."

He released a shaky breath as his arms tightened around her. It sounded like she describing the need for him to make love to her, even if she didn't understand it yet herself. "I felt it too. I wanted to feel you against every inch of my body, surrounded in your warmth, buried so deep in you that we can't tell where you end and I begin. Our bodies together as one, just as are hearts are."

She raised her hand to stroke his soft cheek folds. "That is so beautiful, Tayln. We can do that?"

Gods, yes. But he knew he could not admit that to her. Her curiosity and need to learn would take her to a place she was not ready to go. "Can anyone truly touch the stars? That is what makes a dream. Maybe someday we will touch the stars together, but until then I want nothing more than to kiss and hold my wife." He rolled over onto his back and drew her up against his side. He sighed with contentment when she pillowed her head on his chest and her fingertips caressed his skin. Falling asleep with his wife in his arms, nothing could be sweeter.

-BREAK TEN-

Except waking up with her sprawled on top of him…that could very well be sweeter. He gently maneuvered himself from under her and righted his shirt.

David had woken up a few minutes before Tayln to the warmth of his youngest daughter snuggled up against him, trusting him to keep her warm and safe. This was what being a dad felt like and he wouldn't change it for anything. If only he could have found them sooner. He tucked the blanket around her as he sat up. That was when he noticed his older daughter all but laying on top of Tayln. If it weren't for the fact that they were fully clothed he'd have been furious.

After he returned from the restroom he sat down on a pillow at the table and watched the young man wake up. David had to admit he was impressed when the young man did not take advantage of his daughter's position. It spoke a lot of the kid's character. Maybe he was wrong about the drell. If he was, he'd admit it. "Good morning, son. Is your back feeling it too?"

Tayln winced when he stretched. "Good morning, David. And yes it is. It's been a long time since I've slept on anything quite so hard," he said as he passed David. "When I return I think we should speak privately."

"I suppose we should," David said quietly after Tayln stepped around Rhynn and headed deeper into the duct. He winced when he saw Elvie get up and slam her head on the top of the duct.

"I'm not going to miss the headaches," she grumbled as she rubbed her sore head.

"I don't suppose you will," David said with a chuckle. "Is sleeping beauty here always the last to wake up?"

She made her bed and joined David at the table. "Rhynn has never been much of an early bird. I tend to threaten her with making breakfast to get her up."

"Only because I don't want to die," Rhynn mumbled. "How is a girl supposed to sleep with all that blabbering?"

"You may wish to get up soon, Rhynn," Tayln told her as he stepped past her. "We've got a lot to do today."

"More than you know," Elvie said with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"Did you notice the boxes stacked between the mirror and the restroom?" At his nod she continued. "I work as a fixer in the Wards for supplies. Until I was old enough to use credits without suspicion, supplies were the only form of payment I could get. I still do if it's easier for my client to pay with supplies. Credits can be hard to come by down here. I have medicine, personal hygiene, toilet paper and other supplies people were willing to part with. I tend to have more than I need so I regularly take supplies down to the shelter."

David's brows drew together in confusion. "I haven't heard of a shelter down in the Wards."

Elvie bit her lip. "That would be because it is not an official shelter. Rhynn and I cleaned up an abandoned house after the squatters vacated." She didn't think Rhynn remembered, but it was the house she used to live in. "It didn't start out as much, but it's grown over the last couple of years. We built cots and donated pillows, blankets and other supplies. Restaurants we used to take leftovers from now donate their extra food to the shelter. Sometimes we have as many as two dozen people living there. But at least they have a roof over their heads and a place to eat and shower. It is more than some have."

"It is more than you have," David pointed out. "Why did you and Rhynn not move into the shelter?"

Elvie shrugged. "This was our home and those people had no home - they needed it more than we did."

"How do you keep the squatters from coming back?" He inquired.

She cleared her throat and rubbed at her red cheeks. "I reprogrammed a couple of security mechs. They keep the peace there." One of which had special programming so that it could help Rhynn in her spy games.

Tayln nodded. "So we need to move all the supplies to the shelter. That won't be a problem. I will also see that the local restaurants continue to supply the shelter with food after you move out of the Wards." He flipped on his OT. "C.J., I need you to bring C.C. and the mechs to my location. We've got some moving to do, so bring the shuttle."

"Care to enlighten me any further, Tayln?" C.J. asked.

"You will know everything soon enough, my friend. See you soon. Tayln out." He flipped off his OT. "We will have help moving." He also intended to pay off the mortgage on the house. That was something he could do to help keep her shelter going.

"Thank you, Tayln." Her gaze shifted to her sister who was now sitting up in bed. "There is one more thing you should know. The shelter was Rhynn's old home. It was why I knew we could use it. I – I found notices of delinquent payments and did what I could to catch them up. Rhynn's parents died in that house, but she told me it had never been a home to her. I didn't want the house to know nothing but bad memories. I wanted to give it a better legacy than that. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want to risk bringing up bad memories."

Rhynn shook her head. Her past truly was gone, she never recognized the house. "It doesn't matter, Elvie. I don't remember any of that and it means nothing to me. If the house can be used for good, then so be it."

"David and I will step out and give you two time to change and get ready while we wait for the mechs to show up." Tayln said with a nod to David. He followed David out and shut the grate behind them. With a sigh he sat down against the side of the duct and stretched out his legs. There were so many things he wanted to say but he wasn't sure to begin. "I think you are good for the girls, David. They both need you, even if Elvie doesn't fully see that yet. She will – just give her time. That picture Rhynn drew…it made me realize something. I want a family. More precisely, I want that family. I know you don't trust me and what I'm going to tell you – you won't like it. So, maybe it will be a long time before I have that family, but I won't give up on it."

David grunted. Even if he didn't like what he was about to hear, he respected the kid. "What won't I like hearing?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and then settled his hand on his thigh. "A great many things, I suspect. But the first thing you need to keep in mind is that I meant what I said…I will wait for her to be ready before things progress between us physically. I'm in no hurry about that and I'm content with the wait. And if she still wants me, I intend to marry her when she is of legal age according to human custom."

"So you've said before. But, tell me this, son…how will you determine when she's ready?" He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. There were some things a father didn't need to know. He raised his hand. "Never mind, I probably shouldn't know."

Tayln inclined his head. "That is your choice, but it does tie in with other things you probably won't want to know. There are physiological differences between humans and drell. Once drell find their mates they mate for life. There is no divorce. Their bodies imprint upon each other and even the death of one will not free the other. Once they have found their mate, their marking glands begin to fill in preparation of a future heat. The serum in the marking glands, when released, affects the other on a cellular level. It is permanent. I'm telling you this because Elvie is my mate and she found one of those glands and drained it. Many species are aware of pheromone changes and they will smell my scent on her and know she is mated …if I'm not there when she goes into heat it could cause problems – at least with the turians and batarians. I'm sorry, David, but you had to know so that you would be prepared. I don't want her accosted while I'm away. I need to know you will protect her during her heats in my absence."

David's mouth went dry. Of anything he expected to hear that was not it. "She's my daughter, of course I will protect her," he said hoarsely. "But humans don't have heats."

"Yes… they do – humans are no longer capable of deciphering pheromone and hormonal differences, so they are unaware. Turians…batarians – they will be very aware and a mate left alone can become a target."

David rubbed his temples. "That is how you will know when she is ready." It was not a question. He looked into the younger man's eyes. "She could have her first heat at any time. Just because she is capable of having a child, does not mean she's emotionally ready for sexual relations."

That was true. "I am aware of that, David. If I am near her when she goes into heat, her heat will pull me into heat and instinct will cause me to become very protective of her until her fertile time passes. And if she does go into heat when I am around I would be incapable of walking away from her. All I can tell you is that I will fight to maintain control. She will be safe, even during heat, until such a time that she pushes me past what I can endure. I am physically incapable of refusing my mate's needs. But it is she that will decide when we become one, not I." he released a harsh breath. "There is one more truth you must know."

"I'm not sure how much more truth I can handle," David said honestly. He was thoroughly overwhelmed by what he'd learned. "Does she know all of this?"

"No. I'm going to talk to her tonight, when we'll have some privacy. I – uh…won't tell her about how I will know when she's ready. If I try to tell her she's not ready, she'll only try to prove me wrong…and that's not what I want our first time together to be about."

David pulled his knees up and rested his arms on them. "You were right; I didn't trust you with her. And I really want to dislike you after everything you've told me. I'm her father and I want her to wait until she's thirty…at least." His lips twitched, he wasn't yet thirty and he was already married and divorced. "But I respect your honesty and integrity. Now, throw your last punch."

Respect. That was more than he had hoped for. "Last night I said something that upset her. She asked if I meant it when I called her Elvie Teiner. I told her I did, but then I placed a human generalization on her about how humans don't marry for life as drell do. I told her if she found someone else to give her heart to while I was away I did not want her to feel trapped in a relationship with me. She didn't take that well. When I finally got her to understand that I intended to remain with her for as long as she would have me she said 'No piece of paper defines me either. I am your wife and you are my husband. Deal. With. It.'" His eyes met David's. "I couldn't refuse her, David. She's my mate. I told her 'I agree to the claiming. Under the law of Rakhana we are bound as mates…husband and wife.' On Rakhana she would be old enough to find a mate. Drell my age already have families. I am a son of Rakhana and she is my wife." He held up his hand to halt David from speaking. "But know this – it changes nothing that I have said. If she finds another, I will walk away. I do not believe our marriage is recognized in Council Space, so she would be free to wed another." He swallowed hard. "If she chooses to remain my wife, I will wed her when she comes of age."

A harsh breath slipped from between David's lips. "If she weds another…it wouldn't free you, would it?"

"No…it would not," he admitted honestly. "But I would never tell her that. Her happiness means more to me than my own."

And there it was. Those were the words he hadn't realized he needed to hear, but those words changed everything. The maturity, the conviction, the love and the sacrifice he'd be willing to make for Elvie's happiness. No man could wish more for his daughter when it came to finding that special someone, regardless of her age. He shook Tayln's hand. "You've told me what I needed to hear and I trust that you will do right by her. No man could wish for a finer son."

David felt the heat rise into his cheeks. "Now there is something I need to tell you. When I was waiting…for a very long time, I might add...for you two to leave your flat, I investigated you." He paused for a moment to see if there was any change in the younger man's eyes…guilt…wariness… but his expression remained the same. "What I found surprised me. It would appear you are honorable for a businessman. I assumed those two words would never be used in the same sentence must like honest politician," he said with a shrug. "I am impressed how you handle what you create. The safeguards and failsafes you put in place to prevent tampering or altering is more responsible than most businesses care about. For them the bottom dollar is what matters most. What I uncovered about you shows that responsibility and safety mean more to you than the bottom dollar and that says a lot about the man behind the company. That makes you a good man in my book. I thought you should know."

He would have been surprised if David had not investigated him. "Thank you, David. I-" He was interrupted by the sounds of many advancing feet. He rolled into a crouch and deployed his drone. "Savvy, I need you to find out who is headed in our direction."

Soft colors rolled over the holodrone. "Right away, Tee," she purred.

He watched the drone dart away. "I suspect it's the mechs, but she gets prickly if I leave her in the dark too long."

"She?" David asked with a quirk of a brow.

Tayln cleared his throat. "Yes...well…Savvy was my first successful attempt at an AI. But she is shielded and scans as a VI."

After what happened with the geth, any sort of AI was a concern. AIs were illegal in Council Space. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do. I would not risk having an AI go live unless I could guarantee it was safe."

"Is that so? Then why did you give her that voice? You do realize that voice sounds seductive? I would imagine Elvie would have a few words to say about that when she realizes it," David warned.

Tayln's lips thinned and he shook his head. "Savvy said her voice sounded too much like a little girl, so I let her adjust it. I didn't think anything about it – I've only just been awakened."

"Awakened?" David asked with a tilt of his head. He saw the young man's cheeks darken with embarrassment and wondered what had caused it.

He had told David a lot of personal things today, but this was not one he expected to talk about. "Drell bodies can awaken on their own allowing them to …uh…experience sexual relations. But they can also be awakened when they find their mate. Being awakened by a mate is more primal, causing physiological changes in pheromone, hormone and glandular production."

David held up his hand, his cheeks now burned as hot as the drell's. "I get it – you don't need to tell me any more." It was obvious drell did not go through puberty in the same manner as humans.

"Thank you," he said in a strained voice. He was saved by Savvy.

"CC and CJ have arrived with the mechs, they will be at your location in shortly," Savvy informed them in a sultry tone. "I'll stay behind to protect the shuttle."

"Thank you, Savvy." He turned to David. "I'll correct her vocalization."

"Smart man," David teased; thankful the conversation had been steered in another direction. "Your Savvy – it's a combat drone?"

"That is part of her functionality." He flipped on his OT and commed his wife. "The mechs will be here in a moment. Are you both dressed so we can enter?"

"Come on in," she replied.

They left the grate open when they entered the duct. The somber tone in her voice concerned him. He ran his fingertips down her cheek when he reached her. "Are you all right?"

She looked around the duct she had made into a home. "It's the end of a chapter of my life. I didn't realize how hard it would be to let go."

He dropped down to his knees next to her and cupped the sides of her face. "Try not to think of it as the end of a chapter, but the beginning of a brand new and exciting chapter. This place…down here…it has nothing more to offer you. To keep growing you must keep learning and that is what you are embarking on….a new journey of discovery. But this time you will make that journey surrounded by the love of a father, a sister, and a husband."

A small smile pulled at her lips. "I know…I'm just not very good with moving on. It shattered me when I left you behind and I never could close the door on my little blue boy."

His lips brushed against hers. "And he will be grateful for that every day of his life. But you aren't closing the doors of the past, wife…you are simply walking the halls of the future – and there are a great many doors waiting for you to discover them and I'll be here to walk through them with you."

She slipped her arms up around his neck and pulled him close. "Never doubt that I love you."

"We have arrived, Tayln. What would you have us move?" CJ asked as he peeked in through the open grate door.

He dropped his forehead to hers. "Never doubt how much I need your love." He dropped a quick kiss to her lips and turned to face the mechs. "There is a stack of boxes through that duct," he said as he pointed past Rhynn's pallet. "They are stacked against the wall to the right of the mirror. Please see that they are secured in the shuttle while David and I help the girls gather their belongings."

In the end, she could not bring herself to take much. A few pieces of clothing her sister had bought for her, her projects, her leather coat and her pillow with Tayln's face on it. All but the leather coat and the pillow could fit inside a pillow case. Her life condensed into something as trivial as a small sack.

He gently rubbed her arm. "Are you sure you want to leave your tools and your stasis disks behind?"

"I'm sure," she said quietly. "I can build more. Whoever moves in here after we leave will need them more than I do."

Now it made sense why she wanted to leave everything just as it was. She expected this to become someone else's home. She must have someone in mind since no one knew this place even existed. Another mystery he intended to find an answer for.

She made sure she was the last one to leave. Once she left it would no longer be her home. With a final look she closed the grate and followed the group out of the ducts and into the sleek black shuttle emblazoned with Oasis on the side. She gave CJ the coordinates and sat down next to Tayln on a plush seat. She had never even been near anything as nice as the shuttle.

David was stunned. He'd been in more public and military shuttles than he could count, but he had no idea that any could be as nice as this one. A rich man and his toys. "This is one hell of a ride."

Tayln grinned. "That she is, David." He flipped on his OT and sent the address to his legal team with the instructions pay off the mortgage and find out what the home would need to meet code requirements so that it could run officially as a shelter. They were also to locate the birth record of the child that was born to the occupants of that address. He then sent them David's personal details so that they could create an adoption record. He would be handling Elvie's birth record himself, he wanted to make sure it was done right…after he ran her DNA.

While the mechs unloaded cargo he put out feelers to his contacts to locate someone that could manage the shelter under Elvie's supervision. He was going to make sure the people who depended on her would continue to be cared for.

-BREAK ELEVEN-

David studied the pair that was sitting across from him and Rhynn. He settled his arms on the table and leaned forward. "I understand that you two consider yourselves married." His lips tightened. That would never sit well with him – not at their ages. "But I also know that marriage wouldn't be recognized in Council Space. Granted, there are places like Illium that allow marriage at sixteen – and no, I'm not suggesting you do that – don't. What I'm trying to say – and I can't believe I'm actually saying this - is that many species still practice betrothal, even as early as birth. A betrothal is a pledge or promise to marry. While there is usually no contract involved, it is still considered a formal and accepted arrangement even among children." He rubbed his temple and settled back against his chair with a sigh. "It will also allow for engagement rings." He cleared his throat. "I will come to accept whatever you choose to call each other in private, but it is up to you whether you choose to call each other boyfriend and girlfriend or betrothed in public.

Tayln knew that was the closest they would get to David's approval of their relationship right now. "Thank you, David. I appreciate what it cost you to say that. Elvie and I will discuss the options later-"

"Betrothed," she cut in without hesitation. "If I can't tell everyone we're married, then I'm sure as hell going to put a ring on your…" she studied his hand for a moment and then touched his little finger, "pinky finger so everyone will know you are mine."

David sighed. "Boyfriends and girlfriends can still exchange promise rings, if a ring is what you care about," he informed them hopefully.

She shook her head. "No. Betrothed, David. Boyfriends and girlfriends come and go – it is not taken seriously. I researched that term while you two were outside this morning. He's my husband and if I can't claim him as such yet then he is my betrothed.

Tayln nearly asked her if she was sure…he didn't want her to feel trapped in the years to come no matter how much his heart cried out for the betrothal. But if he learned anything about her it was that once she made her mind up little could change it. "Then we are betrothed." There was no denying the relief that he felt saying those words.

Rhynn smiled at the couple. "I'm so happy for you, Elvie…for both of you. You have held onto each other for so long…and to find each other again – it's like a fairytale…or fate. It's hard not to believe in fate sometimes. Elvie found me, you found each other again, David found us. It's like everything is happening as if it were meant to happen."

David felt his cheek tick, but he merely nodded. He was at a weird state of mind. He didn't like the thought of her being engaged, much less married. But if she stayed true to her heart then at least he wouldn't have to suffer the stress of a revolving door of boyfriends in the next several years and watching her heart break over and over again. He respected Tayln and if she had to give her heart to someone then he was glad it was him. He covered Rhynn's hand with his own. "I don't know if I believe in fate, but everything that's happened has happened because of your sister. She found Tayln when she was a little girl, she found you when you needed her, she put that dolphin in my pocket that led to me meeting her and she tracked down Tayln and found him again. She is at the heart of it all and if it wasn't for that big heart of hers, none of us would be here right now."

Elvie cleared her throat and tried to ignore the stinging in her cheeks. She was a nothing…a nobody…a lowly duct rat. She didn't deserve any accolades. "Yes – well…you give me far too much credit, David. I'm only a duct rat – nothing more."

It hurt that she saw herself that way. He flipped off his OT and laced his fingers through hers. "You are so much more," Tayln said softly. "You are a light that shines bright and radiates a warmth that draws people to you. You have a brilliant mind and a big heart that keeps on giving regardless of the cost. And if you don't like hearing that," he said with a grin. " .It." He glanced over at the door when the mechs returned. "David, give CJ the name of your hotel so we can pick up your belongings while we have the extra help."

"Deal. With. It," David told her with a wink as he rose to speak with the pilot.

Rhynn aimed a finger at her sister. "They're right, you know. You took me in, took care of me and taught me how to survive."

"Exactly," Elvie pointed out. "I took you in when I should have turned you in. I was selfish."

Rhynn shot her a raspberry. "That's not the way I see it, Elvie. Deal. With. It."

Elvie rolled her eyes and released a slow breath. "Fine. Might I point out you all are crazy – but I love you anyway."

"Oh – when you get the chance take a look at the D-9 security mech. It sounds like something got knocked loose in it," Rhynn told her as an afterthought. She had benn unable to retrieve the last credit chit from it.

One brow arched in disbelief. "Yeah – you know you could have told me while we were still there."

A cheshire grin lit up her face. "Better late than never?"

"Huh…right. I'll take a look at it." her attention turned to the drone that continued to hover around Tayln almost as if it was glued to his side. She saw David leave with two mechs and then pulled away when the drone positioned itself between her and husband as if it were trying to push her away.

Tayln looked away from David when he felt his wife hand slip from his grasp. He could barely see her through the drone's holosheen. "Savvy, get out of my face."

"I'm not in your face, Tee – at least not until you turned your head. Perhaps, you should look the other way," Savvy pointed out.

She blinked in surprise. The drone's voice reminded her of how the street ladies talked to men before they exposed themselves and the grunting began. "Did you just purr at my husband?"

"He's NOT your husband and I am not some mangy cat," the drone said in disdain.

So…an AI with attitude. "Really? You sounded like a cat in heat to me; care to tell me why that is, husband?"

"Are you really that dense? He's NOT-"

Tayln slammed his hand down on the table. "Enough, Savvy! You will never talk to my wife like that again or I will reprogram you. Have I made myself clear?"

"It's okay, Tayln. I can handle her."

"No, it's not okay. Am I clear, Savvy?"

"Yes, Tee," the drone pouted. "I never meant to upset you."

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to my wife and don't ever come between us again," he said coldly.

Dull colors rolled along Savvy's holosheen as she moved away from the pair. "I'm sorry if I offended you, Elvie. I'll try not to let it happen again."

"Thank you, Savvy. And I'm sorry I teased you about your voice, it just caught me by surprise." Her eyes followed the drone's movements. "Just because we are in love with the same man doesn't mean we have to be enemies. In fact, girl to girl, I need you, Savvy."

"You need me?" Savvy asked in a voice that was both hopeful and cautious.

"I absolutely need you," she said with a smile. "You can go places with him that I can't and I will count on you to keep him safe when I'm not around. We can work together to make sure he always comes home to us safe and sound. So why don't we forget that other ever happened and just focus on becoming friends. After all, I'll need someone to fill me in on all the juicy gossip when he's not with me and I think you're the perfect girl for that. Do we have a deal?"

Tayln was stunned. But he wasn't sure what he was stunned by most. The fact that Savvy felt feelings he hadn't programmed her to feel – and certainly not for him…or the fact that his wife had neatly outwitted the drone. He flipped on his OT to adjust the drone's vocal output.

A friend. The human wanted to be her friend. She'd never had a friend before, except for Tayln and he'd never called her a friend. Her colors brightened. "We have a deal." She fell silent. "Did you have to do that, Tee?" she whined.

Much better. Tayln grinned. "Consider yourself lucky that I did not make you sound like a man. Deal. With. It."

"I'd like to be your friend too, Savvy," Rhynn told her as she tucked a small, dark strand of hair behind her ear. "And I think your voice is prettier now. Before it sounded all whispery like you were soft and weak, now it sounds like a beautiful, confident woman. I wish I had a voice like that."

Tayln caught Elvie winking at Rhynn and giving her the thumbs up. Very neatly played.

The colors rolled faster over the drone. "Thank you, Rhynn. I wouldn't want anyone thinking I'm weak…and I'm sure you will have a lovely voice when you grow up."

The shuttle door opened, David and the two mechs returned with four bags. "Take us home, CJ," Tayln said when David was seated. He was actually looking forward to having them share his flat. Last night had made him realize how much he missed companionship. "Look out the window," Talyn told Rhynn as they entered the Silversun Strip.

Like any child was wont to do Rhynn plastered her face to the window. "Look at all those lights – it looks like Christmas everywhere! Does it stay lit up all night?"

"Yes, it sure does," Tayln said with a grin. Rhynn was an odd mix of uncanny adult and blissfully innocent child. He was glad she had not lost all her childish vigor. It meant she still had the chance to have a fulfilling childhood. That was something her sister would never have.

"How does anyone ever sleep?" she asked in wonder.

Tayln chuckled. "The windows are on a timer and darken in the evenings. In fact, if you look out the windows at night you will see the stars. Not actual stars, but pretty all the same. I'm going to have something similar in the hotel I'm renovating. I'm also going to add virtual windows above the beds that can be programmed to see whatever you want them to show: stars, the sun, rain, the moon, and deep space nebula. I was able to look up at the stars at night on Sur'Kesh as a child and found comfort in that. I'd like to think others will too."

"I didn't realize you were into the hotel business as well," David said curiously.

"Everywhere I have a Teiner Tech tower I have a hotel. Thus I will have a secure and comfortable place for my clients to stay. A hotel that will assure them that their business is important to me. The hotel will service more than just my clientele, however. In about a year's time, if all goes as planned, we will be moving into the new hotel."

"I think you should make sure that virtual window also includes a mirror so that I can put on my makeup without getting out of bed," Rhynn said matter of fact.

Tayln grinned at David when he started choking. "I can see how that would be useful. Consider it done, Rhynn. Are you all right, David?" he asked innocently.

"Fine," David said with a wheeze. "And you're too young for makeup."

Rhynn blew her father a raspberry as the shuttle touched down on the private landing pad outside the suite.

With their hands full Tayln led them to the door. You will need to have your biometrics scanned to get into our home. He stood in front of the holopad and the red light scanned his eye. He stepped aside so that his wife could be scanned. When she stepped back Rhynn looked up at the pad. "Occupant three, minor. Rhynn Anderson."

"Occupant three confirmed. Child settings initialized."

"She will be unable to leave the flat after nine p.m. without an adult; unless emergency protocols are enacted."

"And Elvie?" David asked.

His lips twitched. "Sorry, David, she has full access."

"I had better," she mumbled.

"Occupant four, David Anderson," he said after David was scanned.

"Occupant four confirmed."

The door slid open and he led them into their new home. "On the left is the dining room and the kitchen. Continue on past them and you will be in the front hall that leads to the lift. There is a closet on the left and a washroom on the right. To the right is the living room. The two circular staircases on either side of the living room lead up to the master bedrooms. The one on the right is yours, David." He led them into the living room. "Past the living room is a large nook with a wrap around window ledge seat, feel free to enjoy it. The grand piano is also yours to use. Go ahead and take David's bags up to his room," he informed the mechs. "You can get to the other bedrooms by either walking under the stairs or around them." He led them under the stairs. The first room is the office – you can rearrange it as you see fit to accommodate your research and development, Elvie. The next room is the workout room. Feel free to use it whenever you like. I'm usually in their in the early mornings. Not much of a fan of working out on a fully stomach. The next three rooms are the guest rooms. The last two will be perfect for you, Rhynn because they are attached. There is an interior door that connects them; you can go from bedroom suite to art studio without having to leave your room. You may wish to make the far room your art studio, as it is a corner room and has two window walls, so will give you plenty of light to work by. Take a look and let me know what you think, Rhynn. I will have the furnishings removed from your art room and replaced by more suitable tables and shelves."

Rhynn was in awe of everything she'd seen. It was like out of some fairytale. "I've never seen anything like this place! It's an entire floor of the hotel all to yourself! The door of her room slid open. She stepped in and stopped cold. The room had more than any bedroom had a right to have in it. Straight ahead was a sofa set and a vidscreen, past that was a desk with a terminal, behind the desk was another window ledge seat. To the right of the entry door there were three steps that led down to the bedroom area. She walked down the stairs. On her right were two over stuffed reading chairs with a table between them. Against the wall was the door leading to the other room. To the left of that door was a huge bed, with small night tables on either side of it. There were doors past the bed and as she walked towards them they slid open to reveal a closet bigger than most bedrooms she'd seen. She couldn't begin to imagine filling up such a closet. Between the closet and the bedroom wall was a hall that opened up into the bathroom. "I have my own bathroom…" she said in a stunned voice.

She turned around to look at Tayln, tears bright in her eyes. "Tayln…I don't know what to say. I mean, it's more than I need…but it's wondrous." She set the things she was carrying on the bed and then ran over to hug him. "Thank you."

He smiled and hugged her back. "Like I told your father, you are doing me a favor. This place shouldn't sit empty. It needs to be used and enjoyed. So, thank you for being here." He lowered his voice. "You're my family now, Rhynn…you belong here with me– I don't want to be alone anymore."

"Bring your cheek down here so I can reach it," she told him. When he hunkered down she kissed his soft cheek. "You'll never be alone again," she whispered to him. She stepped back and spun around. "This is my bedroom. I'll use the other one as my art room."

"Good call," he said. "I'll have the mechs drop your art supplies in the closet of the other room for now. I'll have a crew come by tomorrow to make it more suitable for its new purpose. Go ahead and put away the rest of your stuff while your father and sister put their belongings in their rooms."

It was more than obvious to David where Elvie would be sleeping, since he had not given her third bedroom. He didn't approve, but he believed in Tayln and he'd been a soldier long enough to know when to pick his battles. "I'll head upstairs and put my things away. We'll discuss the terms later tonight."

"Thank you, David. Let me know if you need anything." When David left he led her into the office where a mech had just finished cleaning off a large desk. The terminal that had been on the desk was now sitting next to the terminal that was on the second desk. "The terminals are linked together now so you only need one interface to control them. It will come in handy when you need to have several holoscreens open at one time. The second desk," he said as he placed her pillow case of projects on it, "can be your work station. There is plenty of shelf room and even a closet to store what you need stored. It's not as nice as a lab, but it will work for now."

She placed her pillow on the shelf above her desk so she could look at him whenever she wanted and then slipped her arms around his waist. "It's perfect, Tayln. I can't even imagine how nice it will be working on a surface that doesn't wobble." She gave him a quick hug before she turned to remove what clothing she brought with her from the pillow case before following him up the stairs to their bedroom.

It was similar to Rhynn's room but much larger and more spread out. The bed itself looked like it could fit five people on it. Who needed that much room to sleep? There were two huge walk-in closets, one of which was empty. There were three angled mirrors at the back of the well lit closet. She guessed they were there for people that liked to preen in front of a mirror. She couldn't imagine ever doing that. She hung up her few items, including her purple leather jacket and laughed. "Seems a ridiculous amount of space for what I have."

"We'll be taking care of that today," he informed her.

"Oh, really?" she asked and then yelped as he picked her up and tossed her onto the bed. In a blink he landed on top of her, but she noticed he was careful to keep the majority of his weight off of her. Her legs spread with his weight and he settled between them, which was an odd feeling, but more comfortable than him laying on them.

He sucked in his breath when he found himself between her legs. He was once again thankful for their size difference. She would remain blissfully ignorant of what this position was doing to him. "Really," he said in a voice huskier than normal. "Shopping, lunch, and then a trip to the Oasis' lab. I'm going to draw your blood to run a DNA test; it will help me create your birth record. Then we will meet up with David and Rhynn for dinner. The hotel has a pretty nice restaurant. We'll have an early night and then the meeting in the morning. After that we will see about getting you and Rhynn enrolled in school."

She locked her legs around his waist in case what she was about to tell him pissed him off. "I'm not enrolling in school, husband. I'm going to test out. And before you get pissed you should know there is nothing they can teach me there. I've been accessing the Archives for years. I know every secret the Council doesn't want us to know. I know several languages. I probably know more about mathematics and science than the teachers teaching it. I even-" He silenced her with a kiss that melted her.

He pulled back and dropped his forehead to hers while he reined in his control. "You don't have to convince me. I'll see that they allow you to test out. Will you be furthering your education?"

"I don't know. What I really want to do is what I've been doing. I love puzzles. I love thinking up something new and then figuring out how to make it work. I think – I think anything I need to learn you can teach me."

He dropped a soft, tender kiss on her lips. "There is so much I want to teach you. So much I want to learn with you…learn from you. And I would love to have you at my side at Teiner Tech."

"I promise you – one day that will happen. Right now, this is where I need to be…at least until Rhynn is older."

A soft breath escaped him. "I know. I can't help but fear someone will always need you. Just remember, I need you too. Now – if you will release me, I'll get off of you."

"Maybe I like you just where you are," she teased.

"And maybe I wish I could stay right here forever, but our errands won't take care of themselves," he pointed out. As he'd come to expect, she stuck her tongue out at him and he took her up on her invitation. When her fingers started releasing the stays of his shirt he groaned. "Elvie…"

"Fine," she said with a huff. "We'll continue this later." She unlocked her legs and let him pull her up.

They hurried downstairs and ran into David. "Do you have everything you need, David?"

"Yes, son...I have more than any man needs," he said with a wry grin.

He inclined his head to the older man. "I can agree with that. Elvie and I will be leaving to take care of a few errands. I need to make sure she has a presentable wardrobe for the meeting tomorrow. We are going to take the shuttle, so you are welcome to take the skycar to see to Rhynn's needs," he said as he motioned to the private pad in the back. "If you decide to eat lunch here, CC can take care of you. I'd like to meet up with you around 6pm for dinner at the hotel's restaurant, if you are amenable to that."

David nodded. "Then we will meet you there."

Tayln flipped on his OT when it blinked. "Rhynn's records have come through. There are no next of kin that can claim her. I'm sending you the adoption decree. Return it to me when you have authorized it so I can have it recorded. Her full name will be Rhynn Iris Anderson. She actually is nine years old and she was born June 8th."

David looked over the document he'd been sent with a wide grin on his face. "I'll take care of this before we leave. Thank you, Tayln. This – it means a lot to me."

"It was my pleasure, David – and congratulations."

-BREAK TWELVE-

Shopping was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. People actually dressed her like she was a baby! Then she had to parade out and do a little song and dance just so Tayln could see what she was wearing from every angle. She had to admit he knew just what he wanted and she was relieved to leave the decisions in his hands. At least he didn't have her parade out in the under-things, which was something to be thankful for. She also learned that bras actually did have a purpose. Her boobs were small but very tender and they would often pain her if she moved too quickly or if she bumped them against something. She could already feel the benefits from the padding and support. But still…how many undergarments did a girl need? For that matter, how much clothing did a girl need? Because she swore they had to have bought out every store they went to.

The only time she nearly complained was when he had her trying on dresses. Dresses? What did he expect her to do in those? She didn't think they served any real logical purpose and she certainly couldn't sit like she was used to sitting. She actually didn't mind the heels though; they gave her a new way to work on her balance and as soon as she put them on she felt the effect in her legs. Heels were a simple way to work out without having to take the time to work out…as long as she didn't have to run. Running with your toes squished together did not sound like a solid strategy.

He knew she tended to just throw something on so he made sure to choose outfits that were obviously designed to go together due to color or design or items that could mix and match and still come out looking tasteful. He also made sure she had casual items to wear when she was working. Their purchases, along with her old clothes, would be delivered to their flat. He did learn two things today. His wife wore baggy clothing to hide who and what she was…female. And, she was far more beautiful than he'd thought.

After a quick stop for a hair trim he took her to a jeweler. Nothing too fancy. Simple gold, gold caged diamonds and pearls. She balked, but in the end he had managed to get her to accept them and have her ears pierced. The only jewelry she had no problems accepting was the engagement rings. Simple bands of gold with a smooth cut row of inset diamonds encircling the ring in the middle. The bands were completely smooth to the touch to ensure they would not snag on anything and they were thick enough to allow for enlargement if they outgrew them.

He handed her into a chair at La'Vierre's and settled himself across from her. No, that wouldn't do. He rose and pulled a chair close to her, angling it just enough that he could see her as well as touch her. Much better. She was dressed in a striking sapphire pant suit with a gold belt angled to emphasize her waist in a flattering manner. She'd chosen to wear heels with the suit and with the gold caged diamond jewelry adorning her wrists, ears, and throat she was a vision. Her hair had been trimmed to mid-back, with long layers that thickened her shimmery waves and wispy bangs now accentuated her face. "I knew you were beautiful, but now you take my breath away."

She fiddled with a cloth napkin, trying to ignore the heat rising in her cheeks. "I'm not sure what I feel right now. I don't feel like me. I'm used to my cap and my clothes and no one taking notice of me. Now I feel like I'm on stage naked and everybody is watching. I don't really know what to do with myself."

He rubbed his cheek and then slipped his hand over hers. "You are a beautiful girl, you are going to be noticed and you will get used to it. You are also my wife – my betrothed," he corrected, "and that is also going to garner attention. That is not something you will be able to escape. All you can do is hold your head high and don't let them get to you. You are strong and sure of yourself – there is nothing you can't handle."

She was about to say something when a hostess arrived.

"Sere Teiner, it is good to have you back with us," she said, barely sparing a glance as the girl next to him "It's been awhile since we've seen you. Will you be staying long?" the brunette asked with sparkling doe eyes. If she could bag him she'd be set for life.

"Longer than I originally planned – would you mind?" he asked as he held his hand out for the datapad menus.

"Let me take care of that." She stretched across him, making sure his hand brushed her breast as she situated her assets so that he could get a good view of them when she laid the datapad menu down in front of the girl and then him. "Let me know if there is anything I can do for you, Sere Teiner. Anything at all….perhaps, we can start with a drink when I get off work and see where that takes us?"

Elvie pursed her lips. Why that cow-uddered hussy. "Why don't you find a street corner to pedal what you're selling, he's not interested."

Her eyes narrowed on the impudent little brat. How dare she talk to her that way!

Tayln bit back a laugh and made a slow and deliberate show of wiping his offended hand off on the cloth napkin. "Aptly put, my love. The only thing my betrothed, Elvie, and I want from you is a meal. That is why we are here."

She blinked in surprise and then caught sight of the rings that adorned their fingers. Well, he wasn't married yet – and even if he was, it wasn't the first time she spent lucrative time with a married man. "Then I will leave you two to look over the menu. And if you change your mind about desert, just let me know."

"I can assure you I won't," he bit out.

"Well now…," she said when the bitch walked away. "I guess I am still invisible to some people. Is it always like that?"

"It can be," he said honestly as he itched his cheeks. "People smell money and they do what they can to try to make it their own…by whatever means necessary."

She slipped her arm through his. "Not everyone is like that," she pointed out.

"Perhaps not, but it does make it harder for me to trust someone's motives." He grinned. "I was impressed by the street corner remark. It was hard to keep a straight face."

She laughed softly. "She was lucky I didn't call her a cow-uddered hussy. I was this close," she said pinching her fingers together so that only the smallest bit of space was between them.

Now that did make him laugh and he thoroughly enjoyed dining with his wife. He was caught off guard when she offered him a bite of her meal and that simple act led him to see the dining experience in a different light. It brought a deeper intimacy to the meal, one he wanted to continue and thus he shared his meal with her as well.

Thankfully, he had a tab with the restaurant and did not have to wait for the Hostess to collect payment. He then whisked her away to the Oasis. This would be their main ship, but he didn't want to leave her without the use of a ship, so he intended to begin production of a ship for his wife.

He had his wife scanned in the airlock for admittance. "Ase, this is my wife, Elvie. She is to be granted full access."

"Acknowledged. You move impressively fast, Captain Tayln," Ase remarked with humor in its voice.

"Not particularly, we've known each other since we were small children – she is my mate, Ase," he replied.

"Congratulations, Captain…and Elvie. Welcome aboard. If you ever have need of anything, Elvie, just ask. I am here for you as I am for the Captain," Ase informed her.

"Thank you, Ase. Let me guess," she said to Tayln, "Ase is the ship's AI."

Tayln grinned. "What the Council doesn't know…" He laughed. "CC and CJ are also AIs. I've designed them to appear human, though they scan as mechs with a VI interface and can act accordingly if the situation is warranted."

She was stunned by the revelation. "Sweet stars; you did an amazing job on them. I thought they were human! I've never seen anything like them before. I'm assuming you do not sell their models?"

"I do, but not the AI variation. CJ is a combat jock mech and the version I sell has extensive combat software, but lacks the AI integration. CC is a cooking cleaning mech, her available version is programmed a protocol and assistant mech. I'll be leaving CJ and CC behind at the flat when I leave to assist our family. I can upload AI protocols into the VI models and transfer a copy of their memories, so I will not be without their services. They will run on different frequencies, but can upload future memories with their counterparts when they link with their counterpart's frequency. I am currently working on a P.A.M., a personal assistant mech, which will be proficient in defensive combat, cooking, cleaning, protocol, and medical aid."

She shook her head in wonder. "I can't imagine ever being able to create anything like that."

He didn't believe that for a moment. He dropped a brief kiss on her lips. "With a lab and the right equipment, you'll be able to create just about anything. Now, let me show you around the Oasis." He absently rubbed his cheeks.

The ship had three decks and was obviously designed for only a few people. There were only four cabins aboard, but lacked for nothing. There were two lounges, a gym, a mess, QEC, and Executive Boardroom. She also discovered it had 2 labs, a small one that was obviously medical and connected to the medbay, but he also had a large lab that was clearly designed for him to work on intricate projects. The armory had an interesting array of weapons and armors, some of which she'd never seen before. There were several pairs of his bats and other gadgets she wasn't sure about – though she knew she'd seen most of them on his magbelt at one time or another. The ship's elevator itself was interesting because it opened up to both the bow and the aft, allowing you to access rooms on each side.

They took the elevator down to the lower deck where the hangar deck, med bay, labs and armory were located. The medbay beds were tucked away but slid out of the wall to admit patients. Patients could be tucked away with the wall and remain fully monitored, they could even be put in stasis until they could reach a hospital, if the injury were dire enough.

He helped her onto a soft reclining chair in the medlab. She slipped her finger into a small device he held out to her and she felt the barest of pricks. She watched as he pulled a tiny disk from the device and inserted it into an analyzer. "What did you mean when you told Ase I was your mate? Is it because I'm your friend too?"

He probably should not have said that, he had intended to have this discussion tonight, but he wanted Ase to understand what she meant to him. While he waited for the analysis and report to complete he spun around on the stool and maneuvered it over to her. He settled his hand on her thigh. "Do you remember when you emptied one of the glands in my cheekfolds and said it tasted like cinnamon?"

That brought a smile to her face. "I always remember everything and it was as delicious as a cinnamon roll."

He tilted his head. "You have an eidetic memory?"

"Yes," she admitted. "That is why you were always with me. That connection to you never faded."

He nodded. "Just as mine could not fade with you." He cleared his throat. "The gland that you emptied was my marking gland. It is how drell mark their mates when they are in heat."

She hadn't even been aware drell had marking glands. "There wasn't any mention of that when I researched what species you were."

"No doubt," he said with a wry grin. "Drell are not widely researched. Normally, the marking glands will swell during ovulation and begin to leak; this fluid is absorbed into our mate's skin where it is reproduced at a cellular level."

Now she was seeing the light. "Ahh…during mitosis that material is duplicated for each new cell created. What you mean is that it's permanent."

He inclined his head to her. "Yes, it is," he admitted quietly. "Asari, humans, they may smell the scent on you, but they won't think anything more of it than a skin care product, but species such as batarians and turians, that can differentiate scents on deeper level and will know that you are mated."

Why would that even matter? "Tayln, I have pledged to be with you forever, do you think smelling like you would bother me?"

A breath of relief slipped from his lips. "I would hope not, but there are other considerations. Mates do not separate when they are in heat. If you go into heat and I am not there it could cause you to become a target to turians and batarians. They are aggressive species by nature and they will know you are in heat and unattended….some may try to take advantage of that." He rubbed his cheeks and neck and felt the need to itch his groin area. Was he having some sort of allergic-" he blinked as childhood memories filtered through his mind. His father rubbing his cheeks for a couple of weeks before he and his mother sequestered themselves.

She snorted. "That hardly worries me. I can take care of myself. Are you okay?" she asked with concern.

If it was what he suspected, it was completely natural. "I think so."

She wondered if he was having an allergic reaction. He'd been itching since before lunch. "If you say so – but see a medic if that itch doesn't go away or if it gets worse." She thought back over what he'd told her. "Is there a difference between being mates and being married?"

He closed his eyes for a moment. "Yes…" he said cautiously. A soft chime alerted him that the results of the test were complete. "Your results are in."

She grasped his hand before he could remove it from her thigh. "Wait. My results aren't going anywhere. What is the difference between being mated and being married?"

She was going to a place he did not want her to go. But he should have realized she would. She had a need to know everything. He took a deep, cleansing breath. "Being mated is a physiological bond, while being married is an emotional bond. It is possible to have one without the other."

It appeared that talking about this was difficult for him and that made her all the more curious. "How are mates physiologically changed?"

He wanted to keep her ignorant, but it was at the point to where he had to either tell her the truth or lie. "Elvie…"

Her hand tightened on his. "Why is this so difficult for you to talk about? I'm your wife…there is nothing you can't tell me."

He knew that if he told her he was trying to protect her so she wouldn't feel obligated to him if she found someone else to love that she would be furious with him. "I know and I'll tell you. When a couple is mated their bodies change. The closest thing I can relate it to is imprinting. Once that occurs the couple is incapable of responding to the pheromones and hormones of others, they are bound to each other – hence, mate for life. When the female goes into heat those hormones affect the male's body and pulls him into heat. Their marking glands begin to fill up and they become more territorial and protective of their mate. Mates usually sequester themselves during the time of heat to prevent aggression against others they feel are encroaching."

That was actually rather amazing. "What happens if one of them dies?"

He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "With a select few the bond may eventually fade allowing them to find another, but that - that is extremely rare, because the mate bond is physiological - it cannot be undone."

"I see," she said slowly. "Do drell marking glands produce fluid at any other time?"

And there it was. She knew. He rubbed his cheeks. "No. They only activate when a mate is found."

She wasn't quite sure if she should be hurt, angry or concerned that he hadn't told her such a monumental detail. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He released a harsh breath. "I don't know when you imprinted on me. It may have been when we were children, or when I saw you again or when we kissed. But I knew when you emptied that gland that you were my mate. I also knew that humans were physiologically different, that I wasn't your mate. I wanted to give you a choice."

Her eyes narrowed. "I chose you when we were children when I gave you my heart. I chose you again when I married you. Tayln, I chose you. I will always choose you. So why didn't you tell me afterwards?"

"Elvie, we have had little to no privacy since we were married. I had intended to have this discussion this evening." Though he wouldn't have told her all of it, he'd wanted to give her choice. She could still choose another over him, but he doubted her heart would let her now that she knew that he was bound to her – and that took her choice away from her.

A tender smile formed on her lips. "That is certainly an acceptable reason to postpone this particular conversation, I'm just glad we had it." She slipped off the chair and wrapped her arms around his neck, his head pillowed on her sensitive chest. She inhaled sharply when his cheek rubbed against her. His touch had been gentle, so she felt tingling instead of pain.

He stilled when he realized what he had done. He pulled back to look up at her. "I'm sorr-" Her lips silenced him.

"It made my breasts tingle – I like it," she murmured against him before capturing his lips once more.

He pulled her against him when she poured heat into the kiss. Nothing mattered but her touch… her taste and the feel of her body beneath his hands. Her soft, breathy moan nearly brought him to his knees. He was unable to keep his hands from straying lower to grip the soft mounds of her ass. He felt her arms tighten around his neck a moment before she straddled his lap. He groaned at the feel of her heat pressed against is arousal and had to fight to keep his sanity and control in check. When her lips left his he nearly keened out in frustration until he felt her tongue flick across his gland before she drew it into the heat of her mouth. He stilled for a moment as his harsh panting brought her pheromones through the glandular ducts at the back of his mouth and straight into his bloodstream. She was aroused… ready and he was unprepared for his body's response to the hormonal changes in hers, not only was she ready – she was going into heat.

Pleasure cascaded through him with her gentle suction. A cadence of sultry seduction slipped from his throat and he was helpless to stop it. His body was a live hotwire of need. He'd promised David she was safe with him, that he could handle it. But he'd spoken out of ignorance. Now he knew what it felt like and he couldn't begin to imagine how he'd be able to hold out when she went into full blown heat. Whatever the cost, it would be her choice, not his.

Another chime broke through the daze of need. He dropped his head to her shoulder and fought to reign in his wayward body. He could feel the trembling of her body and knew that she had felt it too. He was not going through it alone this time.

"I feel all strange inside," she said as she tried to catch her breath. "I felt fuzzy – I couldn't think and I'm all hot and tingly everywhere. Do you think I'm getting a fever?"

He bit back a chuckle. "No. I felt it too. Your body liked my touch as much as mine liked yours. You'll be fine in a few minutes. We both will," he assured her.

Her fingers caressed the spines and ridges on his head. "Touch me again…"

He knew he should say no, but he couldn't. She was his mate and he was incapable of refusing her needs, especially when she was in heat. He rose from the stool. "Let me download the results and then we can go somewhere more comfortable."

One thing caught his eye before he transferred the data. April 11, 2154. His wife was twelve going on thirteen, not just turning eleven. When the transfer completed he flashed her a grin. "You will be thirteen in April."

That shocked her and it didn't make much sense. Why would her parents lie about her age? "My parents told me I was younger."

That was perplexing. "Do you want to go over the rest of the report with me?"

"No," she said taking his hand. "The report isn't going anywhere, but you will be in a few days. Now take me someplace more comfortable, husband."

He couldn't disagree with that. He wanted as many memories with her as he could get before he left. He wasn't sure how long he'd have to live on memories and coms before he'd be able to see her again. "So I shall," he said with a grin. He led her to the lift and pressed the D1 holokey. When they exited the lift he led her to the Captain's cabin on the right. The lights popped on as they entered. He gave her a moment to look over their bedroom.

To the right of the entry way was the bathroom. Within it nestled a toilet, large dual basin sink and a large tub with dual showerheads, one on each side of the tub. Nice addition for a ship and obviously designed for two. "There are holo-controls for temperature, water spray, tub jets, shampoo, sani-gel, and quick-dry," he informed her.

A few feet from the bathroom was another 'L' shaped desk that faced the rest of the room, the short side along the starboard hull. The entryway, bathroom and desk area were raised. There was a slight ramp leading down into the rest of the cabin. On the other side of the desk was a wet bar with four stools. There was a long 'C' shaped sofa facing the starboard hull on which hung a large, edgeless vid-screen. A coffee table sat in middle of the 'C'. "You can choose to see the vid-screen or not when the large, virtual window is activated. In the back, behind the door, is our bedroom. It's standard as far as bedrooms go, but the floor temperature can be regulated."

She pulled him back to the bedroom to see what he considered standard. The door slid open and they stepped in. The bed was large with dark, silk wood night tables on either side of it. There was a large closet, a vidscreen on the wall across from the bed, along with a matching dresser and desk. If this was standard, she couldn't imagine what opulent was. "I'm beginning to think there is nothing about you that is standard."

-BREAK THIRTEEN-

She turned and stepped into him, her hands splaying across his chest. She slowly released the fastenings on his shirt, revealing more light blue covered muscle with each inch. Her mouth had gone dry by the time she pulled the shirt from his pants and freed the last fastening. She skimmed her hands over muscles that rippled under her touch. Her fingers slid up to his shoulders, under the shirt and down his arms until the shirt pooled on the floor at their feet.

Once again she was drawn to his magnificently muscled chest. As her fingers trailed down his chest she saw his nipple tighten. Was it because he was cold or due to her touch? She drew her fingernail over it curiously and she heard his gasp as it tightened further. She flicked her tongue at the hard peak and was rewarded with a groan. She did that to him. He liked her touch and if the tingles in her own body told her anything it was that she liked touching him just as much as he liked being touched. She wondered what else he would like.

Before she could do anything else she was swung up into his arms. He carried her to the bed and lowered her onto it. She watched as he removed his shoes and magbelt and then he slipped the heels from her feet and removed the belt from her waist. When he joined her on the bed he faced her. "No," she said with a shake of her head. "I want to feel your weight against me – just be light on my breasts, they're tender."

He adjusted the heart necklace so that it now lay against his back, lowered himself over her, his weight on one forearm, and settled between her legs with a groan. He was already becoming intoxicated on her pheromones. He lowered his head and placed slow, lingering kisses along her jaw line to her ear. When his teeth grazed her lobe he felt her shiver and the bite of her nails on his back. "I love you," he murmured in words little more than a whispery breath and then captured her lips with a hungry kiss.

Each stroke of his tongue set sent curls of warmth through her body until she no longer wanted to think she just wanted to feel. Feel the frantic beating of their hearts, feel the texture of his skin beneath her fingers, feel his body pressed to hers, feel the magic of his lips and tongue and how her body reacted to each movement. But she wanted more. She wanted to feel his skin against hers. She pushed against him and he pulled back.

He blinked and tried to clear his thoughts. "Did you want to stop?" he asked in a voice thick with desire.

She shivered at the sound of his voice. "No – I need more. I want to feel your skin against mine," she said as she removed her shirt. She tried to unfasten her bra, but gave up and pulled it over her head and tossed it to the floor.

His gaze lowered to her small, perfect breasts and felt himself thicken. Their stiff peaks caused his mouth to go dry. "So perfect," he said in a soft, guttural growl as he lowered them back down and claimed her lips. He groaned as his chest brushed against the peaks of her breasts. While he could feel her honed muscles, her skin was soft and silky against his.

She moaned at the feel of his textured skin as it grazed against hers. Her breasts grew warm and tingly as she moved against him needing to feel the friction of his body against hers. The fingertips of his free hand skimmed along her side, igniting her flesh with tendrils of heat. She placed her hand over his and slid it up her ribcage to her breast. A small cry slipped from her lips when she felt his thumb brush over her nipple.

He could smell her desire, taste her ripening pheromones. She was in his blood at the chemical level. Right or wrong there was no battle left to be fought – he'd already lost. He trailed hot kisses down the column of her throat, his tongue stroking the pounding vein as his fingertips caressed and teased her breast. He knew nothing about making love, but instinct had taken over. He was in tune with her body and used her responses to guide his movements. A slide of tongue, scrape of teeth, light nips, soft caresses…each response he received from her fueled his need for more…and his need to breed.

Her hand moved to his head as his mouth moved over her collarbone and trailed lower. She missed the feel of him against her as he slid lower, but his lips and tongue built an anticipation she didn't understand. She cried out softly when she felt his tongue flick against her hard, sensitive nipple. She cried out his name and arched against him when he drew peak into the heat of his mouth. Pleasure rippled through her and shot fire down to a place that had never had much meaning to her before. She could feel the stroke of his tongue even as he suckled her breast and her body writhed beneath him, alive with the pleasure he was giving her.

She keened when her nipple slipped from his lips, but it quickly replaced his fingers on her other breast. She bucked against him only to discover a deeper pleasure in a newly sensitized area. She moved against his upper belly to feel the new, delicious friction again. Her body was raw with a need she didn't understand.

He was drawn by the warm scent of her need and slid further down her body, his mouth slowly following his descent. Notes of hunger and need slipped from his throat in a cadence that was lost on her.

She keened in desperation at the lost of the friction. "Touch me!" she cried out. "I need – I need.." but she was at a loss. She wasn't sure what she needed.

He knew she was as lost to the pleasure as he was, but this was still her call and he would give her anything she wanted. His tongue dipped into her navel. "Where do you want my touch?" he asked in a shaky, guttural voice.

She blinked through the fog trying to make sense of his words. She raised herself to her elbows to look at him. "Between my legs…the friction...gone…need it…."

Her eyes were dark and glassy; the heat in them caused his shaft to jerk. His hand slid up her thigh, his breath coming in harsh pants as his thumb grazed over her flesh. When she cried out and her hips bucked he knew he found the right spot. He watched as pleasure danced across her features. He gently nipped her lower belly and slid his tongue along the waistband of her pants. His mouth watered with the need to taste her.

Pleasure shot through her with each stroke of his thumb, but she needed more. Her hand lowered to the side zipper of her pants to lower it. She moaned and her hips bucked as his tongue slid lower. "Take them off….feel your touch," she said in a breathy moan.

A ragged breath caught in his throat. To see her…all of her….to touch her…taste her…know her on a primal level …memories of her he could take with him and relive. With shaky hands he hooked his fingers under the waist band of her pants and panties and drew them down her legs. They dropped, unheeded to the floor as his gaze settled on the juncture of her thighs. Silky golden brown floss trailed down to soft, damp skin folds that beckoned for his touch. His hands slid up her thighs to part them further and settled between them. His thumbs grazed over the soft folds, moving them aside to see what they hid from his gaze. He groaned at the sight of her swollen and wet for him. "So beautiful," he murmured as his thumb slid over the swollen nub. Her hips bucked at the contact. He gently rolled the engorged bud between his thumb and finger, her harsh moans sent him over the edge.

He continued the massaging rhythm as his tongue dipped into her heat to taste the nectar within. He groaned and swirled his tongue seeking out more.

Her body was whirling out of control, but her trust and faith in him kept her from being frightened. She cried out when his tongue slid up to replace his thumb. The soft, nimble movements were pleasurable than anything she ever could have imagined. She felt his hands slide under her hips to hold her tightly to his mouth. She rocked against him as something odd began to coil in her lower belly. "Yes…oh god, yes…don't stop…" She stiffened on the edge of something just out of reach and then her world shattered with a harsh cry of ecstasy.

He kept her pleasure going until her body shied away. He kissed a trail back up her body, turned them on their sides and pulled her into his arms. Pleasing her had given him more pleasure than he could have imagined. It was enough for now.

She snuggled into him because a small part of her felt empty and she needed to feel close to him. "You made my body sing…it's still throbbing," she said as her breathing and heartbeat began to slow. "Can I make yours sing?"

He did not want him to be the reason things progressed between them, so he would not tell her where he needed to feel her touch. "Touching you…tasting you…that gave me pleasure…it made my body sing louder than I imagined possible." He wished she could have heard his cadence… and she would. As soon as he could he would begin work on an implant that would allow her to hear a broader range of sounds than humans were capable of hearing. He wanted to share that part of who and what he was with her.

Something about that didn't quite sit right with her, but she didn't know what it was. What she did know was that he'd touched her and tasted her and that had taken her over the edge. Maybe it was the same for him. And she knew men loved shoving their parts into anyplace a whore would let them. She'd always been repulsed whenever she happened to see it, but the thought of touching her husband didn't repulse her – it made her curious. "Is that so?" she asked softly as her hand trailed down his chest and over the muscles of his abdomen. She heard him inhale sharply as her hand slid down past his navel. "Let's just see if we can get it to sing louder." Her hand slipped over the band of his pants and down the hard length hidden beneath the material. The air whooshed out of him in a deep groan as she explored his arousal. "Take them off," she said in a voice that was growing husky. "I want to see all of you."

He stilled at her words. It was time to be completely honest with her. "My pants are the only barrier that I have."

"I know that, husband. That's why I want them gone," she pointed out.

He groaned and his hips bucked when she gripped him. "That's not what I meant. I want to make love to you. I want to sink into the heat of your body until we are one." He panted as she continued to stroke him. "But right now it is more than a want - it is a need that I'm not sure I can control. You are in heat, which is why my glands are swelling and the instinct to breed with my mate grows by the minute. I can't be trusted right now. I'll make love to you if my pants come off."

Now she understood but she wasn't afraid and she didn't want to wait. She released the first fastening on his pants. "Do you remember when I told you I was throbbing?"

"Yes.." he said, barely able to get the words past his tight throat.

She released the second. "That throbbing caused an empty ache because you weren't buried inside me where you belong." She released a third, her fingertips grazing his silky, hard flesh. "I want to see you, touch you, taste you and feel you so deep inside me that you touch my womb."

She grinned when he rolled out of bed with a growl. He was facing away from her, but at least she got to watch as his amazing ass came into view. She scooted to the edge of the bed and ran her hands up the backs of his thighs and over his well muscled posterior. In a blink he stepped out of his pants and spun around. Fire burned bright in his icy blue eyes, but that only stoked her own need. Her gaze traveled slowly down the dense muscles of his chest and abdomen to settle on his thick arousal. The light teal skin on his groin and upper, inner thigh area was the same soft skin folds he had on his cheeks. She noticed a few small lumps in his groin area. Interesting. She hadn't been aware that he had marking glands down there as well. She never seen a human male up close, so she was oblivious to any differences they might have had. She drew her finger down the length of his shaft to feel the blood vessels that wrapped down the length of him. His groan let her know he liked her touch. What surprised her was the fact that the veins thickened. She wrapped her hand around as much of as she could and stroked over the veins. She could actually feel the blood rushing through them against her palm.

A drop of fluid formed at the tip of his arousal. "You are beautiful, husband," she whispered as she slid her tongue across the slit to catch the drop. His cry of pleasure and the trembling of his body encouraged her to continue. She felt his hands slip through her hair to cup her head as she flicked her tongue along the edge of the head of his shaft. She slid him slowly into the heat of her mouth to see how far she could comfortably take him. His keening pants made her core clench in need.

He watched himself slide into her hot mouth until he felt his testicles tighten. "Stop…I need to release inside you…" he said hoarsely. He was about to step back when he felt a hard suction that yanked him over the edge with shout of pleasure. This was nothing like the first release he had when she'd suckled his gland for the first time. The stroke of her hand the heat and feel of her tongue gave him a pleasure that nearly dropped him to his knees. But it wasn't enough. He could smell her desire and his need to bury himself and touch her womb had not been abated. When she backed up on the bed he followed like a predator stalking prey.

He growled softly when she spread her thighs to bear herself to him. His hands slid down her thighs, parting them to give him more room. He instinctually rubbed his cheeks against her inner thighs before his tongue slid through her folds to taste her. He could taste her previous release but her scent of need was almost more than he could bear. His hands slid up her waist to caress her breasts as his lips and tongue teased the swollen bud.

Her hips rose off the bed as her hands slid down his arms. She watched his lips and tongue pleasure her; the sight of it ignited her into a frenzy of need. His answering growl against her flesh made her body quake. Her hands slid up to capture his head and hold him prisoner against her as he propelled her towards the edge. Her gaze lifted from what he was doing to meet the fire in his eyes as she felt herself fall. She cried out his name as she tumbled into the abyss, rocking against his mouth until she became too sensitive. Now she felt the emptiness as her core clenched around nothing. "I need you…" she keened.

He'd never seen his wife more breathtaking than when she climaxed. She'd given him a priceless gift when she locked gazes with him and left the windows to her soul open to show him what he'd given her. He crawled up her body and rocked against her wet heat to coat himself. He captured her lips in a fiery need that was consuming him. When she relaxed and fell into the kiss he thrust into her, burying himself in her heat with a strangled cry. Her legs locked around his waist to imprison him as her muscles quivered around him in pain.

His body shook as he fought the instinctive need to thrust until he bathed her womb with his seed. He knew she needed time to adjust to his invasion. She responded to his kiss again sooner than he'd expected. He groaned when he felt her move against him and his body responded to the needs of his mate. The veins ribbing his shaft thickened with blood and became more sensitive with each thrust.

She had known there would be pain and it had been raw and sharp, but his size had been more painful than the breach. Nothing she'd read had been able to prepare her for that. But pain was nothing new to her and she'd learned long ago to focus on something else. She focused on his kiss, the feel of his body against her and the small vibrations from the blood that pounded through the veins of his shaft. When pleasure found her again she moved against him needing more and he gave it to her.

Her lips trailed down to his throat and she located another swollen gland with her tongue. She drew it into the heat of her mouth to suckle it. She was rewarded two-fold, with the sweet burst of cinnamon roll against her tongue and the grip on her hip tightening as his thrusts came hard and fast. She released the empty gland and cried out when he hit something inside her that sent a wave of pleasure shooting through her body.

He felt the bite of her nails on his back when she cried out and angled his hips to ensure he'd continue to give her that kind of pleasure. He was not prepared to feel her muscles clamp down around him when her body stiffened he tumbled over the edge with a shout of release, she followed him over a moment later, the clenching of her muscles milking him of every last drop of seed he had to give. He rolled them onto their sides and pulled her thigh up over his hip, unwilling to leave the heat of her throbbing sheath.

The pleasure from the vibrations of his shaft caused her aftershocks to continue longer than before. She held him close, enjoying the feel of his skin against hers. "You were right…our bodies were one and we touched the stars."

He tilted her chin up and his thumb caressed her cheek. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I'd have given anything to make us one without causing you pain." But he had also been relieved to know that the men that hurt her had not raped her too. He would still kill them if he ever found out who they were but it would not be as slow as he'd originally planned.

She smiled softly. It was kind of him to say that. "Pain is nothing, it can be dealt with. What you gave me was unimaginable pleasure and I intend to have a lot more of it before you leave," she warned him.

He chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Wife, you are in heat – keeping my hands off of you will be the challenge."

"Hmmm…I don't recall asking you to keep your hands off me," she teased and used the weight of her body to roll him onto his back with her straddling his hips. She leaned forward, placed her hands on his ribs and rocked herself against him, needing to feel that pleasure again.

His hand slid along her thighs to her hips to guide her movements while he thrust into her tight heat. After they soared over the abyss she collapsed bonelessly on top of him, her head resting over the slamming of his heart. "I would stay in this moment forever, if I could,"

"Why do I sense a but coming?"

A small smile pulled at his lips. "But I need to get your adoption paperwork completed while I can still think clearly."

She raised herself up on her forearms, making sure her elbows did not dig into him. "You are referring to my heat? Will it really be that bad?"

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "I don't consider your heat or what I will go through during it as 'bad', but I do know that it is possible that I could lose myself to it until your hormones stabilize, so I want to make sure I get as much done today and in the morning as possible. So we need to shower and get dressed, as much as I might wish it otherwise."

"Fine," she said as she blew a lock of hair from her face and slid off her perch. She could feel the pinching of her muscles as she led him to the bathroom, but that was quickly forgotten once their bodies were slick with cleansing gel. By the time he hit the quick dry she could really feel consequences of their afternoon.

"Are you all right?" he asked when he noticed that she seemed to be in pain.

"I will be. My muscles are not used to having that particular type of exercise," she admitted.

"And your muscles are hurting?" he asked in concern.

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks. Yes…and I'm feeling a little…raw down there."

He blinked. Of course she was. She was a virgin and he'd made love to her three times. "That I can do something about." He opened the bathroom closet and pulled out some medigel, he spread a copious amount on his finger and knelt down in front of her. When she spread her legs he gently smoothed some over her abused skin and then sank his finger into her. He tried to be clinical about it, but failed miserably when she moaned and started scenting. He lowered himself to his knees and brought his mouth to her still swollen bud. He felt the weight of her hands when she used his shoulders for balance, her breathy moans music to his ears. He located the spot inside her that brought her pleasure and rubbed against it as he made love to her with his lips and tongue. He groaned when she stiffened and her muscles tightened around his finger. He felt the sting of her nails as they dug into his shoulders a moment before a hoarse cry tore from her lips. He slowly brought her down and gently eased his finger from her heat.

When he rose she slipped her arms around him. "No dose of medicine has ever been sweeter."

He dropped a lingering, chaste kiss on her lips. "Forever is not long enough to love you," he murmured against her lips.

"No…it's not," she agreed. He would live just over half her lifespan if he didn't come down with Kepral's. A cure or a vaccine was a puzzle worth solving. And now she knew what she was going to do with her free time when she wasn't tinkering.

After they dressed he settled on the sofa flipped on his OT and read through the reports, what he learned had the power to changes lives and not all for the better. "Elvie – we need to talk."

She blinked, flipped off her OT and turned to face him. Nothing good ever came from those words at least not from what she'd experienced with the spy games. "You're not ending things with me are you?" she teased.

"What? No! Why would you -" Then he noticed her smile and knew she was she was only teasing him. "The DNA database located you. Your DNA is a perfect match with your parents and your twin brother."

She felt her stomach drop and waved her hands as if to ward him off. "No…it malfunctioned…it read it wrong. That's not me. I've never had a brother. My parents were killed and I have a sister named Rhynn and a father named David. I don't want to hear this."

He pulled her into his arms and held her. "I know, but you need to hear this and then decide what you want to do. Your parents, Wesley and Hannah Shepard are in the military. When she was due to give birth to you and your brother Lokirian, they went on leave to Earth. You were stolen from the hospital right after you were born. They searched for you, sent vids out on the extranet begging the kidnappers to return you. They followed every lead, no matter how weak or cold, but it was as if you'd vanished."

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "It's not me…it can't be me. My name is Elvie. I'm not that Shepard baby."

There was nothing he could do to ease what she was going through. "You are right, you are L.V. and those initials stand for Lorianna Valkyrie." He suspected that she was the Valkyrie vigilante and if she was then some part of her remembered hearing her name at some point.

"Valkyrie…" the word little more than breath. It was a coincidence - that was all. "I'm not her, Tayln…I'm not.." But the words sounded weak even to her own ears. She wanted to put her hands over her ears; she didn't want to hear any more, she didn't want to know any of that. Stolen from her parents to live a lie. Her childhood made perfect sense now, but she didn't want it to. She needed him to be wrong.

"The people you knew as your parents gave you the only truth they could…your initials. It's why they you lived in a small, out of the way, colony. It's why they kept you hidden. It's why they changed their names. It's why they lied about your age. It's why they taught you how to fight and defend yourself – because they were afraid someone would come and try to take you away." His voice dropped low. "I know you don't need me to tell you all of that, but not wanting it to be true doesn't make it any less the truth." He swiped his OT and pulled up a picture of a couple. "Gabriella and Nicholas Laznik were suspected in your abduction. Their daughter died in childbirth right before you were born. They took you so they wouldn't have to face their grief. Look at their pictures, Elvie, and tell me those aren't the people that raised you."

She didn't want to look, but a part of her hoped it would not be them…that she could prove none of what he said was true. She turned her head to look at the holoscreen, her mouth opening but no words came from her lips. The smiling faces of her parents stared back at her and her world crumbled.

He saw the shock on her face and pulled her onto his lap. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I'm sorry you were torn from the life you were meant to lead, but I'm not sorry we met on that ship when we were children. It is selfish, but I can't bear to think of my life without you in it."

"It changes nothing," she said in a voice devoid of emotion. "It's been almost thirteen years – they've moved on and so have I. No one can know this, Tayln. No one. Lorianna is dead; she died a long time ago. I am Elvie Anderson-Teiner. That is the only truth that ever needs to be known."

"Elvie…," he said gently, "your birth parents loved you a great deal. They would want to know that you're alive."

She gripped his shirt. "No, Tayln. I don't want them to know the life I lived. I have a family. This needs to remain buried. No one is to ever know. This dies with us. Promise me, Tayln."

He exhaled slowly and rubbed his cheeks. Family was the strongest bond drell had. They were a dying race and every family member they had was precious. He couldn't understand her why she wanted nothing to do with them, but it wasn't his choice to make it was hers and he wouldn't take that away from her. "This dies with us." He brushed his lips against hers. "Will you be all right while I get the adoption details worked out?"

"Of course I will," she said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Only you have the power to break me….nothing else ever will."

He kissed the tip of her nose. "And that is something I would never do. I will be back shortly." He rose from the sofa and returned to the desk. Now that he had her birth record he could make an airtight adoption, which is what she needed if the truth was ever discovered. He just had to ensure he cut through every last security measure or her legal name on the adoption decree would throw red flags.

A twin brother…No. She pushed what she'd learned into the back of her mind and locked it away. She flipped on her OT and began researching Kepral's along with every documented attempt at a cure or vaccine. She may not be a geneticist, an epidemiologist, or immunologist, but she could learn from the best and she would damn well do everything she could to ensure her husband lived a full life.

He sent the finalized decree to David and then patched into Teiner Tech to order the building of the Valkyrie. When David returned the decree he sent it to his legal team to have it officiated and recorded. He then opened a financial account in his wife's name, Lorianna V. Anderson and arranged for a weekly transfer of funds. He pulled a chit out of his drawer, cleared it and scanned it onto her account to lock in the new details. Like the chit he used, it was of his own design. It could not be hacked and it could not be scanned by anyone unless her thumb was pressed to the biometric pad while it was being scanned.

He slipped the chit in his pocket and returned to the sitting room. "Ready to go, Elvie?" He grinned over her silence. She must be absorbed in whatever she's reading. "Elvie," he said as he rubbed her shoulder, "time to go meet up with David and Rhynn."

"What? Oh – Sorry, I was reading an article on genetic viral transmutations." She flipped off her OT and slipped into her heels.

He grazed his lips against hers. "Am I going to lose that beautiful mind of yours to medicine?"

"Not at all...but a girl does need hobbies," she said with a grin.

He laughed softly and took her hand. "Most people are content to paint or read or race skycars for a hobby and you want to alter genes."

She tapped her foot. "And just what about me screams normal?" she asked in a mock huff.

"Point taken," he said with a grin.

-BREAK FOURTEEN-

They took the shuttle back to the flat. When they arrived David and Rhynn weren't there. She used the bathroom, ran a quick brush through her hair and studied her reflection in the mirror. She didn't recognize the face that stared back at her. Though, in all fairness she'd rarely looked at herself in the mirror. She adjusted her blouse and stilled. She'd never before cared what she looked like. Was it really so easy to slip into a new life as if changing a pair of shoes? She sighed. It didn't matter. Her old life was beyond her reach now anyway. There was too much tying her to her new life. The light dimmed and winked out as she left the bathroom.

Tayln was waiting in the hall with his arm crooked out to her. She slipped her arm through his and they entered the lift. She noticed he'd changed his navy shirt for a peach colored shirt. Should she have changed too? There were so many rules she still needed to learn. She'd certain never cared about rules or which fork she ate her salad with. Who was this girl she was becoming and how much she was still going to change? She shook her head. Some things did not bear thinking about. "I like that color on you. It makes me what to peel it off and taste every inch of your body." She heard his soft pant of breath and dropped her gaze to the growing bulge in his pants. "It appears you find that idea appealing," she said in a voice that was more throaty than she'd intended.

In a blink her back was against the lift's glass wall and she was treated to a delicious kiss. She rocked her belly against his thickening shaft and his groan tasted like sweet ambrosia.

He pulled back when the lift doors opened to admit a young batarian woman. "You don't play fair."

She smiled and slipped her arm back through his. "I never have," she teased.

Litu recognized the drell. Her parents often did business with him, though she'd never met him in person. "Congratulations," she said softly, forcing the words past her shyness.

Her pulled her gaze away from her husband to look at owner of the voice. She stiffened at the sight of the batarian and forced herself to relax and smile. She was not that little girl anymore and this was not the batarian that killed her parents. "Congratulations?"

Litu saw the pain flash in the woman's eyes for a brief moment before it was shut away. Just once in her life she wished someone would look at her without pain, fear or recrimination…that they would see her and not her race. A race she too despised with every breath in her body. "On your engagement. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." she said quietly. "And I'm also sorry for anything those bastards did to you. Just please…forget I'm here."

Elvie blinked and tried to make sense of the girl's words. When the pieces fell into place her heart went out to the young woman. It had to be hard being a batarian in a galaxy that tended to shun them. She slipped her arm free and hurried to the girl's side. "You have absolutely nothing to apologize for and I will most certainly NOT forget you are here. Why that would be indubitably rude of me and I'm only rude to people who actually deserve it." She beamed her a smile. "Look at that, I actually said indubitably without stumbling over it. Score!"

Litu couldn't help but smile; the girl was a little strange, but she was okay with that because she was a little strange too. She was a batarian that had her sharp teeth pulled and human teeth implanted as well as having her ears rounded.

"Thank you," she said to the batarian. "But I was unaware anyone even knew of our betrothal."

Litu's eyes widened in surprise. "You must have been busy, it's been all over the vids all day – as if they were afraid someone might have missed the announcement the first ten times. 'Pull out your tissues ladies, because hearts will be breaking all over the galaxy tonight. Young billionaire tech-mogul, Tayln Nikyrian Teiner is off the market, ladies. Yes, off the market. According to our source he is officially and happily engaged to a young mystery woman known only as Elvie. Stay tuned while we find out who this mystery woman is and how she managed to steal the billionaire's heart.' It was something like that," Litu said with a wave of her hand.

"Wow." She said, stunned that the news had been circulated so quickly. "Welcome to the public eye," she said mocking herself. She held out her hand. "Elvie…Anderson, billionaire heart stealer."

Litu grinned. This was the first time anyone offered to shake her hand if it wasn't required. "Litu duPont, shy wallflower."

Elvie was surprised by the very human looking teeth Litu had but tried not to let it show. "Not for long," she said with a gentle smile.

Tayln slipped an arm around his wife and held his hand out to Litu. "Miss duPont, well met. I've done quite a bit of business with your parents but have never had the opportunity to meet you."

Elvie bumped her husband playfully. "Stop being so formal. She's a friend, not a client."

He chuckled. "I stand corrected. My apologies, Litu."

Litu blinked. Friends? No one had ever wanted to be her friend before. This whole encounter was surreal. She wanted to pinch herself to see if she was sleeping but she knew that would look odd.

"Do you have exciting plans tonight?" Elvie asked the obviously flustered young woman.

"No. My parents are away and my younger sister and I decided to go downstairs to eat. I just like to get out of the house sometimes," she admitted. She could feel the heat in her face, but was thankful her short, fine, silvery hairs covered it up. "She beat me to the lift, forcing me to take the next one."

"Perfect! You two can join us. We're meeting up with my…dad and younger sister, so I know what they can be like." When she saw the wariness in the young woman's eyes she smiled gently. "I want you there. I'm new to this part of the Citadel. You are the first friend I've met and I selfishly want to get to know you better. How old is your little sister?"

"Ten-"

Elvie smiled. "Sweet stars, mine is nine. Maybe they will get along as well as we do!" She normally wasn't quite so pushy…at least she didn't think she was, but she thought Litu needed a small push or two.

Tayln grinned. "Give up gracefully, Litu. When my wife sets her mind to something there's no changing it."

"Wife?" Litu asked in stunned surprise. She could see the drell's cheeks darken. Interesting.

Elvie laughed. "I guess this is the part where we can either lie and say he's overly eager for our marriage or let the cards stay where they fell and admit we are already married. At least by the law of Rakhana. We can't legally wed here until I'm eighteen, hence our 'betrothal'.

They could have easily lied to her, but instead Elvie was entrusting her with the truth. That faith warmed her heart. "Consider your secret safe with me – though it may not be safe with Tayln," she teased.

"Touché," Talyn said with an incline of his head.

When the doors of the lift slid open she slipped her free arm through Litu's.

Again, Elvie had caught Litu by surprise, but she didn't pull away. It was nice to have someone other than her parents and sister willing to touch her.

They passed the line of people waiting to be seated and approached the hostess station. "We are with the Anderson party, have they arrived yet?"

The asari smiled. "They are already at your table, Sere Teiner. Miss Elvie, nice to have you join us. Miss Litu, your sister is already at your table. Sere Teiner, Miss Elvie, please follow me." She led them to the table to discover it no one was seated there. Her eyes scanned the room. "It appears they are on the dance floor," she said as she pointed to where she'd seen them.

Elvie blinked. It was apparent she was going to have to get used to people she didn't know knowing who she was.

"I'll be right back," Litu said and hurried over to her sister to explain that they would be joining friends tonight and that there was a little girl her age that could use a friend.

"Really?" Suvi asked, her mandibles jerking down in surprise. Her sister rarely talked to anyone and certainly didn't have any friends. She would go, not because of the thought of making a new friend but because she wanted to make sure no one hurt her sister. She followed her sister and was surprised to see one of the new friends was Mr. Teiner and the young human seated next to him must be the fiancé, Elvie, that had been plastered all over the vids. "You didn't tell me it was one of dad's associates," she whispered.

She grinned at her sister. "Tayln, Elvie…this is my sister Suvina." She noticed that two more chairs had been added to the table. "Go ahead and take a seat, Suvi." She sat down next to Elvie.

"Congratulations," Suvina said as she settled into a chair next to her sister. "Nice to put a face to the mystery woman," she teased with a spread of mandibles.

"Oh my god, Elvie – I didn't even recognize you! I thought this was the wrong table until I saw Tayln. You look amazing!" Rhynn beamed at her as she sat down next to the turian. "Looks like Tayln isn't going to let you hide anymore," she teased.

Her eyes flew to her sister's. Rhynn had had a haircut too. Her silky, dark brown hair was cut into an angled bob that framed her face. She was in a high-waisted emerald dress that came down to her knees with matching flats. "Very funny – but you are the vision…not I."

"I think David and I are both blessed to be sitting at a table full of beautiful young women," Tayln pointed out.

"That's right," David agreed as he settled into his chair. He had been surprised at how much older Elvie looked dressed in that sapphire pant suit, but he was even more surprised to find two more young girls at their table. Two young girls he hadn't seen since they were much younger. "Litu and Suvi?"

She blinked in surprise. "You know them, Da – dad?" It felt strange calling him that. She wasn't even sure she needed parents anymore. Maybe time would make it easier.

"David!" Litu said in shock. "When she said her last name was Anderson, I never thought it would be you. I haven't seen you in years. It is unfortunate my dad is away, he'd have wanted to see you."

Suvi frowned. "I'm sorry, I don't remember you."

David grinned. "And I don't expect you to; you were only a little girl when I last saw you. Their father Jared and I served several tours together until he gave up military fatigues for a business suit."

"It's a small galaxy. Since Li and Suvi's parents are away I invited them to eat with us. They even live in the same hotel as us. We'll be in shouting distance," she teased.

"Please stick to coms and the lift and leave the shouting to a minimum," David said in mock horror.

Suvina's mandibles spread. "That's okay, David. We wouldn't need to shout too loud. We have the suite right below yours."

David groaned. "I'm going to need ear plugs."

Rafe frowned as his date for the evening walked away. Apparently, her husband was returning home early. As he turned to leave he spotted a familiar blue face and the young woman sitting next to him. A slow smile spread on his face as he hurried to their table. "Tayln Teiner, it is good to see you again. I trust your arm is faring well?"

Tayln looked up in surprise. "Nearly healed and as beautiful as ever, Rafe. I assume you are meeting someone for dinner?"

His face fell into a dramatic, forlorn expression. "Alas, my plans have fallen through. My date had to leave suddenly and now I find myself in a bit of a quandary – all dressed up and nowhere to go. It is very tragic. And you, my friend, failed to mention that you were getting engaged. Might I presume that this glorious young woman sitting next to you is Elvie? I am Raphael Saviano." A dimple popped out and he held his hand out to her. When she took his hand he bowed low over it and brushed his lips against the top of her hand.

Talyn's lips thinned. He liked Rafe, but not around his wife.

Elvie beamed a smile at the dandy. "You have quite the flair, Rafe. Why don't you grab another chair and join us. No one should eat alone on this beautiful evening."

He flashed both dimples and bowed again. "Never let it be said that Raphael Saviano denied a beautiful woman something she desired."

"I'm the one she desires, Rafe!" Tayln growled. Heat burst into his cheeks and he cleared his throat. "My apologies – just behave."

Rafe pulled a chair up to the round table between Talyn and David. A slow smile spread on his lips. "I always behave…"

Litu snorted. "Badly, it would seem."

Raphael looked over at the batarian and flashed her a dimple. "Only on my best days, bella," he teased. "Now, who is the vision that has called me out I wonder? Hmm…the queen of Mindoir?"

"There is no queen of Mindoir, silly," Rhynn said with a grin.

"Oh dear me…quite right you are. Hmm…the queen of Alderaan?"

David shook his head over the man's dramatics, but decided to join in. "Only in a galaxy far, far away."

Raphael winked at the man and returned his attention to the batarian. "Quite so. Then you must be the queen of sass."

Suvina shook her head. "That title belongs to Valkyrie."

Elvie shot her sister a look of confusion, but Rhynn only shrugged. How could Suvina know anything Valkyrie said?

Raphael blinked. He thought he'd had her on that one. "The vigilante…right...right...and so it does. Well then, would you give me the pleasure of your name, bella?"

Litu knew he was just being dramatic and it was more than obvious that he was a lady's man, but she couldn't help liking the attention. "Litu duPont, queen of me."

Raphael chuckled and flashed her both dimples. "Lovely, Litu….does the queen of me have a king by her side?" he asked softly.

Litu's smile widened and she played along. "Handsome, Rafe…if I had a king by my side I'd be the queen of we not the queen of me."

Raphael laughed and shook his head. She had him there. "Touché, bella. Are you sure you are not the queen of sass?"

"Only on my best days," she tossed back at him.

Suvina just blinked. Who was the girl in her sister's body? Litu had always been shy and reserved and here she was bantering with a man as if she were…truly happy and free for the first time in her life. Maybe she needed these people in her life. Way to go, sis. But she would keep her eye on Rafe. Her sister did not need the kind of pain he could give her.

The hostess came by to hand Rafe a datapad menu and retrieved the others while he was making his choices. When he finished she retrieved his pad and a moment later drinks were brought to the table.

Since he was the one that knew Rafe, Tayln knew it was up to him to introduce the others at the table. "Rafe, I would like to introduce you to David Anderson, Litu's younger sister Suvina duPont and Elvie's younger sister Rhynn Anderson. I was going to bring Rhynn by to meet you, but you have saved me a trip. Rhynn is a talented young artist who could benefit from a mentor and you are the best on the Citadel…if you have the time to take on a student."

Raphael tried not to take offence. "I am the best. Period," he said with an inclination of his head. He looked from Rhynn to David. They did. "You are Rhynn's father, yes?"

"I am," David said with a nod. He wasn't sure how he felt about Rafe. The man was entirely too smooth and he didn't trust him. If the man intended to mentor his daughter he was damned well going to be there with her.

"Then I will make the arrangements with you tomorrow. Rhynn," he said turning his attention to the youngest Anderson, "I would very much like to see if your hands are as talented as you are radiant. Please do me the honor of gathering a holofolio of your latest work."

She couldn't believe an artist of his caliper was actually willing to take a look at her work, much less mentor her. It was like every dream she ever dared to have was coming true. "I will! Thank you, Rafe!" she said, her dark eyes sparkling with excitement.

He flashed his dimples at her. "It is my pleasure, little dove."

Suvina snickered and pulled Rhynn close to whisper in her ear. "That man could charm the mask off a volus!"

"And the volus would pay him for the honor," Rhynn whispered back in agreement.

During dinner Rafe found his eyes drawn to the batarian. He'd never seen a female batarian before. The females were much more feminized. Her bone structure was finer, her head more smoothly rounded. She lacked the roles of skin that ran from nose to neck; her nose itself was much smaller, her lips fuller and the protective cream colored bone ridges around her large, dark, luminous eyes much less pronounced. He could not see her smaller pair of eyes because they were covered by a lacey veil that matched her attire and was held in place by an intricately woven band of gold that encircled her head and ran down the back to wrap around her neck in a fine golden mesh. The pale fawn colored hair on her face appeared to be fine and sleek and had a metallic shimmer. Fascinating. The artist in him admired the beauty of it and wondered I it felt as silky as it looked. She was beautiful, as all women were, but she was also an enigma. She had human teeth and rounded ears, though she would have been beautiful even without those alterations.

"Rafe…Are you with us, Rafe?" she teased when he didn't respond. She followed his stare and saw Litu laughing at something David had said. "She is beautiful," she said with a grin.

He inhaled sharply when he turned and caught sight of Elvie. Her thick waves of golden brown hair captured the light as if it were a living, breathing entity. "A rose bears no envy for the butterfly."

She tilted her head in confusion. "Both are beautiful, but am I the rose or the butterfly?" she asked curiously.

He made the barest motion in Litu's direction. "Admire the golden butterfly, on new and fluttery wings; dancing in the warm sunlight, free of chrysalis strings."

Her brows rose. How had he known that? Granted, she's only just met Litu, but the girl seated at the table was nothing like the shy, uncertain girl in the elevator. It did rather seem like she was opening her wings and taking her first flight. She smiled. "That was beautiful and…surprisingly accurate from what I can see. So I guess that makes me the rose?"

He flashed her a dimple. "An enticing, lavender rosebud, a red flush upon its tips; for a love that is the sweetest has desire on its lips. And when thy petals unfurl free, many a heart will fall to thee."

Tayln dropped his hand hard onto Rafe's forearm. "A man cannot choose where his heart falls, but he can gird the words that fall from his lips."

Sage advice, though nothing he was very good at doing. Regardless, it was obvious Tayln was on edge and that was very unlike the controlled man he knew. "You do not look well."

"It will pass," but that was all the more he was willing to say in front of the children.

David's lips thinned as he watched the drama unfold. Something deeper was obviously going on. He hadn't heard what Rafe said because he'd been talking to Litu, but it obviously didn't sit well with Tayln. From what he'd seen so far from Rafe, Tayln likely had reason for responding as he had, though it was unlike him. He saw Elvie slip her arm through Tayln's and whisper something in his ear that seemed rein him in and the tension faded back into small talk.

With one hand still on her husband she slipped her arm through Litu's. "Can you and your sister stay the night with us tonight? Rhynn has a huge bed, so there is plenty of room for Suvi and we have a guest room for you." She saw the hesitation in her new friend's eyes and that would not do. "We can watch a movie and eat popcorn. Besides, you're my best friend, Li, you're not allowed to say no."

A best friend. The concept was not something she'd ever associated with herself. So much was happening it was hard to grasp it all. She'd made a friend, she'd bantered playfully with a guy and now she'd been invited to stay the night with a friend…something she'd only ever watched other girls do. She smiled at Elvie and nodded. "We'll stay the night." She laughed when the children clapped their hands enthusiastically.

"I hope you all have enjoyed your meal," the hostess said when she returned with a attendant to clear the table. "Miss duPont, we were hoping you would be willing to sing something for us tonight before you leave."

Litu bit her lip. "I don't - I don't think so…not tonight." It was one thing singing in front of strangers, but something else entirely to sing in front friends.

Elvie squeezed her arm. "I didn't know you could sing, Li! I'll join you – we'll sing a duet. I've always wanted to do that."

Litu's eyes lit up. "You sing too?"

"She has an amazing voice," Rhynn repied. "Of course, I'm the only one that has ever been blessed to hear it. She sings when she works, she sings in the shower and she used to sing me to sleep when I was little. Just don't ask me to sing, I'd make your ears bleed."

Litu chuckled and looked up at the hostess. "Fine, give us a few minutes and then we'll talk to the band."

They put their heads together to come up with what they were going to sing. In the end it was Elvie's suggestion of an oldie about friendship. Litu chose the song and once Elvie read it over, she had to agree. It was a heartfelt piece. She didn't have to know Li long to know that she'd do anything it took for her.

She brushed her lips against her husband's, took Li's hand and followed her up onto the stage. This was a big step for a girl that did not like to be seen, but she'd chosen to do it to challenge herself. She no longer lived a life in the shadows and had to get used to people watching her. Her husband was high profile and she knew that made her high profile too. After they sent the piece to the band and Litu told them what she wanted she was led to a mic table. Because she'd never used a mic, she followed Litu's example and picked up a hand held mic.

With her arm still in Litu's she followed her to the front of the stage. The music flowed around them and she focused on that rather than the crowd that was watching.

"A true friend is someone you can count on no matter what you are going through. If you have such a person in your life, never be afraid to tell them what they mean to you. Words have power and with them, even a new friend can become everlasting." She turned to look at Elvie. "Thank you for seeing me – your friendship means everything to me."

She leaned over and kissed the tear on Li's silky cheek. "You are beautiful, Li – how could I not? Just try to get rid of me."

"Never," Litu said softly. Then she nodded at Elvie to begin the lyrics.

(Chorus)

Count on me through thick and thin

A friendship that will never end

When you are weak

I will be strong

Helping you to carry on

Call on me, I will be there

Don't be afraid

Please believe me when I say

Count on...me

(Elvie)

I can see it's hurting you

I can feel your pain

It's hard to see the sunshine through the rain

I know sometimes it seems as if

It's never gonna end

But you'll get through it

Just don't give in cause you can

(Chorus)

Count on me through thick and thin

A friendship that will never end

When you are weak

I will be strong

Helping you to carry on

Call on me, I will be there

Don't be afraid

Please believe me when I say

Count on...

You can count on me

(Litu)

Oh yes you can

Oo, I know sometimes it seems as if

We're standing all alone

But we'll get through it

Cuz love won't let us fall

(Chorus)

Count on me through thick and thin

A friendship that will never end

When you are weak

I will be strong

Helping you to carry on

Call on me, I will be there

Don't be afraid

Please believe me when I say

Count on...me

(Elvie)There's a place inside all of us

Where our faith in love begins

(Litu) You should reach to find the truth in love

The answers' there within, oh

(Elvie) I know that life can make you feel

It's much harder than it really is

(Litu) But we'll get through it (Elvie: yes, we'll get through it)

(Litu) Just don't give in (Elvie: I will be there for you)

Chorus:

Count on me through thick and thin

A friendship that will never end

When you are weak

I will be strong

Helping you to carry on

Call on me, I will be there

Don't be afraid

Please believe me when I say you can count on...meeee…

Elive hugged Litu and then froze, her eyes sweeping over the audience that was standing and clapping. Her heart was thundering in her chest, but she'd done it. The applause caused something new and warm to open up inside of her and she knew she would do this again and next time it would be easier. She saw her husband standing at the foot of the stage with love shining in his eyes and his hand held up to her. She barely felt Litu take the mic from her hands before she hurled herself off the stage and into his arms, never doubting for a moment that he'd catch her.

He held her close and tipped her head back for a kiss. "I've never heard anything quite so beautiful. You two affected a lot of people tonight. Sometimes people need a little push to see what is right in front of them and I've little doubt everyone here will be comming their friends when they get home tonight." He felt her stiffen and noticed a small crowd was closing in wanting to talk to her, their hands reaching out to touch her and he turned her around, sheltered her in his arms and maneuvered her onto the dance floor. He knew she wasn't ready for that yet, but she'd taken her first step into the light and as for the rest – some never got used to it, though he hoped she would because she'd be spending a lot of time in the light.

Her hands trailed up his chest to lock around his neck as she leaned into him. She didn't know how to dance, but she had a strong sense of balance and spatial awareness and was light on her feet; she would follow his lead. "Thank you and if I step all over your feet, forgive me." She smiled at Litu when she saw her and Rafe join them on the dance floor.

He chuckled. "My feet shall forgive any trespass – though you may have to kiss them better later," he teased.

She kissed his chest. "I'll kiss anywhere you want me to. The tops of your feet, the backs of your knees, the soft skin that covers your-"

"Elvie…." he groaned, cutting her off. The thought of her kissing her way up his body had already caused a chain reaction he had little control of.

She laughed softly. "I was going to say cheeks." Though that was the smallest of lies. Cheeks were quite a bit north of what she was going to say. But she was working her way up to them, if that counted for anything.

Sure she was. "No you weren't," he said, calling her out.

She pulled him closer, enjoying the feel of his body moving against hers. Her thoughts turned to his body moving against hers in another delicious way. "Well," she said, though none to steady, "I would have eventually gotten to your soft cheeks."

Gods, she was scenting. He shut his mouth to limit the exposure of her pheromones but it was too late, they were already in his blood. He gave in with a groan, capturing her lips in hungry defeat. Where they were faded from his thoughts, his hands lowered to grip her ass as he ground against her in need. Fury whipped through him when she was whisked away from him and into Rafe's arms.

Litu gripped his shoulders tightly. The thick cloud of pheromones were nearly too much for her, but she knew neither would have wanted to put on such a public show, especially in front of Elvie's father and sister. "Tayln, control it. I know she's in heat, but you have to calm down."

"Not with him," he growled, not taking his eyes off his mate.

"Tayln, she's safe with him - for now anyway. I told him what was going on. Now that he understands he will be on his best behavior. If you cannot trust him then please trust me. I would not put her in a position to be hurt. Tayln, she's the only person besides my family that has looked past what I – what I look like to see the real me," she admitted. "I love her for that."

He took a shuddering breath and tore his gaze from his wife to look down at the young woman in his arms. "She needs you as much as you need her. Business will keep me away from her far more than I can bear, at least for the next two or three years. I'm glad she will have someone there for her."

"Of course and I'm sorry. I can't imagine having a mate and not being with them. Will you be building one of your towers here then?" she asked curiously.

"Yes. My first concern is getting my new hotel renovated; afterwards I will be laying ground for the tower," he told her.

"How long will it take to renovate the hotel?" she asked.

"The team I have on call said it would take a year, give or take."

"And how long will it take to build your Tower?"

Why was she asking all those questions? Why would she care how long it took to finish the hotel and his tower? "Until it's usable? About a year, but it would take another year to have it fully operational."

"And would the renovation team be the team working on your Tower?"

"No, of course not, that requires a different kind of skill that - " Then he realized what all the questions had been leading up to. He liked to control everything in his life. He'd made a plan and he would see it through, but it didn't occur to him to change that plan, because he'd already decided on a course of action. "Thank you, Litu. Your questions allowed me to see my plan in a different light. I will make arrangements to begin construction of my tower tomorrow. It can be at least usable by the time the hotel is completed."

She grinned at him. "That sounds like the perfect plan! Now you only have to deal with one year, rather than two or three. Perhaps less if you can find another way to stay until David has to return to active duty. After all, a lot can be done via coms and terminals."

She was right again. His business technically didn't need him to run on a day to day basis. He needed the labs to design, but his employees and VIs could handle production, since he didn't sell any of his modified advancements. As of yet, he had not met anyone he trusted those designs to. He was just used to maintaining tight control, but that didn't necessarily require his presence. For now, he could use the lab on the Oasis, if need be. When David returned to active duty would be soon enough for him to return to his towers. That would also give him time to make sure both the hotel and the Tower progress as planned. By then the Valkyrie would be ready for his modifications. "Thank you again, Litu. Once again you have opened my eyes. I am normally not quite so distracted."

She laughed softly. "That is called being in love. They do say your head is in the clouds and your feet don't touch the ground when you are in love. And I imagine the heat is exacerbating what you are feeling."

When the melody faded Rafe returned Elvie to Tayln. "Sorry we had to interrupt the show, but as you can see I have returned her unscathed by my charming wit and my feet survived the encounter despite her warning to the contrary." In fact, he had enjoyed every stolen minute with her in his arms. He found himself regretting his policy of not trespassing in a friend's garden, but he doubted she'd be amenable to such a trespass in any way as she was very much in love with the lucky man. He held out the crook of his arm to Litu to escort her back to the table.

-BREAK FIFTEEN-

"Vid time!" Elvie said when they returned to the table. "It's going to be a survival thriller about meteor shower that bombards the Citadel with spores that infect anyone who breathes them in, mutating them into twisted creatures that kill."

David cleared his throat. "You four enjoy that movie. I think I'll grab some popcorn and the girls and I will find something a little tamer to watch."

"Oooh…Isn't that the one with that handsome drell in it? I've been wanting to see that!" Litu said with a wide grin.

She took Litu's arm and headed for the lift. "There was a drell in the ad! You know, I've never seen a vid before, I just searched most popular new vids and this one was at the top."

Litu was stunned. "Well, you are in for a treat, my friend. Vids are a great way to step out of yourself and into another world. Did you know Rallo is the only drell actor? It seems they rarely leave Kahje, but I'm glad he did – he's gorgeous."

"I do believe I'm feeling a bit slighted," Rafe teased as he joined them in the lift.

"Oh, hush. You know you're gorgeous. You hardly need anyone to tell you that," Litu scoffed.

Rafe flashed her a dimple. "But it is nice to hear from a beautiful woman's lips."

Litu felt heat bloom in her cheeks. She was not used to people outside of her parents giving her compliments. She would need to be careful around that scoundrel. She found that she enjoyed the novelty of the banter and teasing, but she feared falling under his spell and that would bring nothing but pain. If he had any interest in her at all, it would only be as a diversion and that wasn't what she was looking for. Was it? Marriage was not something that would ever be hers. She despised batarians and no other would have interest in her. That meant a lifetime of being alone unless she found random people who would consider a fling with her, if only to see what it was like with a batarian. But could she do that and not lose her heart or soul in the process? Was it wrong of her to want to know what a touch or kiss felt like? Was it wrong of her to want to know what it felt like to spend the night in someone's arms? Right or wrong, she needed that – at least once in her life. It would only be an illusion, but she wanted to feel cherished, at least for one night. And Rafe was the only man who had ever treated her like she was pretty. Maybe with a little encouragement…dare she even try? She could never come right out and ask him, could she? But maybe if she just played along with his flirts he would make the first move. That would at least save her heart from a rejection. Yes. That is what she would do. One night to remember, that's all she really needed. She winked at Elvie and released her arm so that she could slip her arm through Rafe's. She raised up on her the tips of her toes. "What else would you like to hear from my lips?" she whispered into his ear.

Rafe was surprised; he had thought she was an innocent. He had never taken a virgin and he refused to. A woman's first time should be with someone special, not him. But, perhaps she was not as innocent as she seemed and that thought intrigued him. "Many things come to mind," he said with a waggle of his brows.

Out of concern, David pulled Litu aside after they were scanned and entered the flat. "As you know, your dad is my best friend and I will look out for you and your sister as if you were my own. So, I'm warning you to be careful around Rafe. He seems like the kind of man to play fast and loose and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Thank you, David. And it's very obvious what kind of man he is. He's a charmer and a ladies' man, but he also accepts boundaries even if he likes to pretend otherwise. He won't hurt me. I won't let any man hurt me. I know where to draw the line."

He grazed her shoulder with his hand. "See that you do, child," he said with a slight nod. "You kids head up the stairs on the right and I'll be up in a few moments with a big bowl of popcorn. The rest of you – enjoy your thriller."

Tayln followed David into the kitchen to make his own batch of popcorn. "I'll watch out for her," he said quietly. "I won't let him push her."

"I appreciate that," David said with a slight nod. "Is there something going on between you and Rafe? I noticed there was some tension over dinner."

He absently rubbed his cheeks and then withdrew a package of popcorn and slipped it into the quickheater. "I didn't appreciate how he spoke to my wife. He needed to understand what will and won't be tolerated."

"Boundaries," David replied with a nod. "I get that. Are you alright, son? You don't look so well." His cheeks were darker than normal and there were lumps he hadn't noticed before.

There was no way he was going to be able to get through her heat without David knowing about it. After tomorrow she'd be in full blown heat and so would he. "My wife is in heat. What I'm going through is normal, I'll be fine in a few days."

He'd had a budding suspicion but had hoped he was wrong. "You'll be able to handle it?" he inquired holding his breath.

A slow breath slipped from his lips as he pulled out the popcorn and emptied it into a bowl. It wasn't his place to tell David what happened between them. "I thought it would be easier," he admitted, "but I meant what I said. She will be the one to decide when we join, not I. Don't ask me to refuse her, David. I can't. But nor would I push her."

"That's all I can ask," David said quietly as he took the bowl of popcorn from Tayln. He respected Tayln. What's more, he liked him. The young man had a good heart and strong values and, from what he understood, Elvie was imprinted on him he would never step out on her or leave her. That was far more than most people had. He might be Elvie's father now but Tayln was her husband, despite the lack of paperwork. Regardless whether he approved he would respect that vow so long as it did not hurt his daughter.

Tayln pulled out the second package of popcorn when the quickheat chimed, poured it into a bowl and returned to the front room. He placed the bowl on the table and settled against the arm next to his wife. He noticed the two girls had elected to sit next to each other with he and Rafe at either end. "Lights off," he said and the room darkened.

The vid started prior to the meteor shower to build up attachment to the characters. There were no actual villains, but the drell had a surprisingly snarky attitude.

"You know, that man is hotter than sin," Litu whispered as she pointed to the teal colored drell that was wearing a tank top cut down low to expose much of his chest, "but I really want to smack him right now."

"I know, right? Maybe turn him around and introduce his ass to my foot," Elvie whispered back.

"I think I'd be too enamored by that ass to remember to kick it," Litu giggled and then yelped when Rafe pulled her against him.

"How hot is sin, bella?" he murmured in her ear.

She shivered at the feel of his warm breath against her skin. She turned her head to look up at him. His thick, short, dark hair looked as if it were sculpted, not a hair out of place, his warm brown eyes alive with something she couldn't quite read, his face chiseled perfection, his mouth framed with a trim mustache that curled ever so slightly at the corners. "Hot enough to melt me," she murmured back.

His gaze slid down to her lips before he looked back into the dark, liquid pools of her eyes. "Is he the only man that can melt you?" he crooned as he cupped the side of her face, his thumb caressing a cheek as soft as velvet.

How could he not hear the frantic beat of her heart? She grinned. "Is your male ego feeling neglected, Rafe?"

He released a long, suffering sigh. "Dreadfully so."

"We can't have that now, can we?" Since he was touching her, didn't that give her the right to touch back? If not, it should. She slipped her hand under his arm and flattened her palm against his chest. She could feel the swift beat of his heart under her palm. He was not immune to her, it wasn't all teasing on his part – he was interested in her and that gave her a boost of confidence she badly needed. Her hand slid up to the back of his neck, her fingertips sank into is thick, dark hair. "You are hot, delightful, wicked sin incarnate, Rafe. A man mother's warn their daughters about, a man that makes women swoon and virgins quake. Can any woman resist you?"

He lowered his head, his lips a breath from hers. "Can you resist me, bella?" he murmured softly.

A slow smile spread on her lips. "Yes," she said and curled up into his side to watch the vid.

He closed his eyes and released a slow breath. We'll just see about that, bella. "Well played."

"Look," Elvie said as she nudged Litu. "He's got a soft spot for Corida. I guess even snarky drell have a weakness."

"And there goes the shirt," Litu whispered with a soft laugh. "He's famous for taking off his shirt in every vid – the question is how long it will take." She heard Rafe's grunt and settled her hand on his chest, her fingertips tracing patterns as they slowly trailed lower. She felt the ripple of muscle beneath her touch and heard him catch his breath, but he didn't halt her trek downwards. That both surprised her and peaked her curiosity. If he didn't stop her she knew she wouldn't follow through. She didn't have the right to touch him like that and she wasn't sure she even had the courage to.

His breath came out in a pant when her fingers trailed below his navel. He was torn between wanting her touch and wanting to be the center of her attention when she touched him. "You don't play fair, bella," he said in a voice laden with desire.

Her hand stilled when it reached his belt. She was thankful he'd said something…anything, because it allowed her to use it as a reason to stop. But she was glad it was too dark for him to see the smile that lit up her face. Maybe him wanting her should have been enough, but it wasn't. Things had just fallen into place this evening and that might never happen again. He could fall in love with someone tomorrow or just change his mind about wanting to be with her. But this night, this one night, she might just have the chance to give flight to a dream. "You're right, I don't."

They watched in horror as the meteors rained down on the Citadel, buildings pulverized, collapsing on the victims trapped within them. They realized soon enough that those had been the fortunate ones. Day by day those affected by the spores sickened and began to mutate. Those immune or not exposed could only look on in horror as friends and family became unrecognizable, twisted, ravenous creatures. Some knew they were infected and chose to kill themselves, some were murdered for the sake of mercy, but many others were not discovered until it was too late and nothing recognizable was left of the original host. The drell's heart was shattered when he'd been forced to kill the woman he'd come to love. With tears nearly blinding him he'd fallen to his knees, a gut wrenching cry of agony welled from his soul – his dead lover clutched in his arms.

It was more than Litu could bear. Tears rained down her cheeks and her body trembled. She clung to Rafe when she felt his arms tighten around her, his hand rhythmically stroking her arm until her tears dried up. It had been a touching thing for him to do. The man may be a playboy, but he was a big hearted playboy.

After that it became a non-stop thrill ride of twisted being coming out of nowhere to devour anyone they could. Survivors forced to fight for their right to live. No one was coming to save them; they could not risk the infection spreading. But the survivors feared they were up against a clock. The leader of the survivors, Colonel Sanders, knew that it would probably come down to extermination of all lifeforms, even if it meant absolute destruction of the Citadel, rather than risking even one spore or infected person escaping quarantine. Their only chance lay in finding as many survivors as possible, scan them for infection, get them to a secure location and provide them with oxygen masks. Because the Citadel life-support would be powered down and all shielding removed, leaving the Citadel open to the vacuum of space. Maybe they would survive the purge, maybe they wouldn't, but there would be zero chance of surviving the Citadel's destruction.

What they planned was ambitious and deadly. It required all duct vents and all doors to be open when they shut the power down. Countless lives were lost in their fight to live. It had taken weeks for them to comb through the entirety of the Citadel and only 48 survivors remained by the time the purge was enacted. When they reactivated the Citadel a few days later, they scanned for contamination, but no traces of the spores could be found. Hugs and tears ensued. They all lost so much, but against all odds they had survived the unsurvivable.

They banded together at the QEC to let the circling ships know that the crisis had been averted. The ship captains completed their own scans to ensure accuracy before they would consider standing down. A soon as the order was given to all the ships to stand down, Colonel Sanders began to shake. A gelatinous tentacled creature burst from his belly, showering the survivors in bone, blood and skin. The drell yelled for the men stop, but it was too late, bullets filled the creature until it exploded in a puff of spores. That was when the drell realized that the survivors were not survivors at all, but incubation chambers for the creatures growing within. He sshouted 'Fire' at the top of his lungs. The cameras pulled back to show the ships firing on the Citadel until nothing but bits of floating debris was left. The credits ran.

"I didn't realize it would end like that," Elvie said, her voice more hoarse than she'd intended.

"Do you think anything like that could really happen?" Litu asked, shaken by what she'd seen.

"It's possible," Elvie replied honestly. "There are still parts of our galaxy that are uncharted. Who knows what's out there and if the meteors came from outside our galaxy, then they could carry a multitude of pathogens that could infect or kill us. Do I think it's probable this will ever happen? No. After all, it hasn't happened yet, but probable and possible are two very different things." She cleared her throat. "Perhaps a comedy next time?"

"A comedy it is," Litu agreed. "At least that won't give me nightmares."

Tayln rose from the sofa and picked up the empty popcorn bowl. "Litu, come with me a moment…I need to have a word with you."

Litu looked at him curiously but followed him to the kitchen. "If this little talk is about Rafe, David already had it with me."

"I'm sure he did," Tayln said with a small grin as he deposited the bowl in the sink. "But you need to know that Rafe is not the kind of man that will give you forever. A few days, maybe – but a few weeks would be far longer than he's shown himself to be capable of. He has a reputation and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I appreciate that you care enough to say something, but I don't have expectations when it comes to him. I know where to draw the line; he won't hurt me." she assured him.

He inclined his head to her, returned to the front room and held his hand out to his wife. "Elvie and I have an early morning. If you will excuse us, we will retire for the evening."

Elvie hugged Rafe and Litu and then took her husband's hand to go upstairs.

Litu settled on the sofa next to Rafe. "I think I remember seeing David and the girls come down during the vid. He was probably tucking them in to bed, but I don't remember seeing him go back up?"

"He did. I imagine Tayln was warning you about me?" Rafe asked quietly.

"He did. He doesn't want to see me get hurt. I told you wouldn't hurt me and he dropped it," she told him.

His hand reached up to stroke her velvety cheek. "I wouldn't want to hurt you. I would never intentionally hurt you." But that didn't mean she wouldn't get hurt. Whenever two people came together there was always a risk of someone getting hurt. The only way to ensure she didn't get hurt was for him to go. "I should go," he said quietly and rose from the sofa.

She rose too, seeing her dream slip away like so much Citadel debris floating in the cold vacuum of space. "I – ok…" she said and turned her back to him so he wouldn't see how much his words had hurt her.

"Litu…" he said softly.

"It's okay, Rafe." She took a cleansing breath and straightened her shoulders before she turned to face him. "I'm a big girl, Rafe. "If you don't want me, I understand. Thank you for spending the evening with me, I had a wonderful time. Maybe we will bump into each other again sometime."

"Lutu…wait," he said taking hold of her hand. "You don't understand – not if you think I don't want you." He brought the palm of her hand to his lips for a lingering kiss. "I didn't want to leave…I was leaving so that there was no risk that I would hurt you." He lowered her hand to his arousal. "Do you really believe I don't want you?" His breath came out in a pant as she explored him. "I wanted to feel your touch earlier, had you done so you would have know how much I wanted you." He lowered his head to claim her lips. He groaned into the kiss when she gripped him and nearly cried out in loss when her hand slipped away. In a blink her body was pressed against his and his thoughts fled. His hands skimmed down her back to grip her ass to rock her against his length. Her soft moans encouraged him and he slipped a hand between the backs of her thighs to stroke her. Her growl and the feel of her heat made his body tremble.

He was scenting for her, heightening her need for him. She released the stays of his shirt, and moaned at the feel of his warm skin and the small hairs that tickled the palms of her hand. She explored every inch of his chest and then followed the thin trail of hair that guided her path lower. She tugged at his belt until his words sank through the fog of her need.

"Where is your room? We need someplace more private." He wanted to make love to her on a bed, not a sofa in the middle of a living room anyone could walk into. He smiled in relief when she led him under the stairs. She wasn't sure which room the girls were in , but the first bedroom opened for her and was blessedly empty. Rafe made sure the door was locked behind them. When he turned around he nearly swallowed his tongue, she wore nothing but the lacey veil that covered her smaller pair of eyes. Shimmery pale fawn hair covered her body; her extremely ample breasts were firm, their peaks tight and beckoning to him. The curve of her hips begged to be explored. She was perfection in his eyes. He stepped down into the bedroom, pulling off his shirt as he walked towards her. He stepped out of his shoes and then his pants when they pooled at his feet. And then she was in his arms, her sleek, velvety hair a soft heaven against his skin. "Take the veil off, I need to see all of you." He could feel her stiffen. "You don't need to hide who you are from me, Litu. You are beautiful to me and I want to see the hunger and pleasure in all of your eyes." He watched as her hands rose to release the clasp at the back of the band and it fell to the ground with the rest of her clothing. "Perfect," he said when he saw the desire in the inky pools of her smaller eyes.

Their mouths met halfway, hot and hungry for what was to come. He explored her back, the dip of her waist, the curve of her hips before his hands slid lower to grip her ass. His fingers slipped between her thighs, he groaned at the feel of her soft folds slick with desire. He swung her up into her arms and carried her to the bed. Only once he lowered her to the bed did his mouth leave hers to trail down to the tight peak of her breast. His tongue rolled around the nipple, flicking and teasing it until he drew it into the heat of his mouth. He felt her hands slip through his hair as her hips rocked against him in need. His hand skimmed down her silky belly to find the hidden, swollen nub within her soft folds. He kissed a trail to her other breast as his fingers expertly played her, giving her pleasure, letting her get close and then easing off. By the time his kisses descended to the part of her that ached for him, her body was a trembling live wire and the sounds of her pleasure had nearly driven him over the edge. He'd had to squeeze himself to maintain control, which had surprised him.

He spread the soft folds with his thumbs, his tongue flicked along sensitive areas to tease, explore and taste her before sliding up to the part of her that needed the attention most. He groaned when her hands gripped him to hold him close as his lips and tongue danced over her, driving her towards the edge. Before he could slide a finger into her heat she stiffened on the brink and plummeted into the abyss with a hoarse growl. He eased her down gently and slowly kissed his way back up her body, spending a bit of time worshiping her beautiful breasts before he captured her lips once more.

He rocked himself against her, coating his arousal with her essence. Poised to drive in the heat of her he stilled when he felt small barrier. She was a virgin, something he avoided at all costs. But some selfish part of him was pleased that he'd been the only man to touch her and he knew he would take her innocence; his control was gone and only need remained. He thrust deep, tearing past the small membrane and eased his hand between them to give her something other than pain to focus on. When her nails released their bite on his back and her moans of pleasure returned he removed his hand and rocked into her tight, clinging sheath slowly picking up the pace. Her legs locked around him and her body moved against him, drawing him deeper into her heat.

She was aggressive and primal in her need and it took him to a place he'd never been before, the pleasure more intense, the drive more instinctual and he gave into it. The last bit of control slipped from his grasp and he drove into her like starving man and she his only source of nourishment. When her body stiffened and her muscles clamped down around him his hoarse shout of release drowned out her own. He dropped his sweat slick forehead to hers while he tried to catch his breath. For the first time in his life he'd lost all control, but what he lost in control he'd gained in pleasure. His body still hummed, alive with that pleasure. He cupped the side of her face; his lips claimed hers in a tender kiss.

She stroked his back as their bodies cooled and heartbeats slowed. In him she'd found a pleasure she never dreamed possible and now that she knew what he could do to her, could she give it up? But even if he wanted to be with her again at some point, could she be content at being casual lovers while he had other women on the side? Should she be content with one and done or take whatever pleasure she could get with him? Right now she would keep her options open; with her body still thrumming with pleasure she wasn't in a right set of mind to give those questions consideration.

His fingertips caressed her velvety skin. "I have never wanted to make love to a virgin. A woman's first time should be with someone she cares about, and yet I couldn't stop myself from claiming your innocence when I discovered it. It is a precious gift that I do not deserve but I selfishly have no regrets. I can only hope that you will not come to regret what you have given me."

"No regrets, Rafe. I couldn't regret what we shared even if I wanted to – which I don't. You are a considerate and caring lover; no woman could ask for more, regardless how many times she's ah…enjoyed herself. Whether this is the only time we have together or the first of many such moments, I have no regrets."

This was normally the time he'd say a few carefully chosen sweet nothings and leave, but he wasn't in a hurry to go. And while he did occasionally sleep with the same woman more than once, there was always a significant amount of time between hook-ups. It was cleaner that way and less of a chance of unwanted strings. He was a man that liked pleasure, but he did his best to ensure the women he was with weren't hurt by their encounters. And that, however, was the rub. He'd experienced far more pleasure in this woman's arms than the arms of any other and he was in no way ready to walk away from that yet. So he was uncertain as to how to continue to enjoy her and not hurt her. "I confess I'm at a loss as to what to do with you, bella."

She wasn't sure she liked the way that sounded. "What do you mean by that?" she asked cautiously.

That hadn't come out the way he'd intended and the tone of her voice left him no doubt that she'd taken it wrong. "I mean that I don't want this to be an only time between us, but I also don't want to do anything to hurt you."

Ah. Well that was certainly better than 'I don't know what to do with you'. "Why don't you let me worry about my heart and you just focus on my body. I know what I'm getting into with you, Rafe. Maybe I'll even come to like casual – er friends with benefits and we can both remain free spirits, but if I don't and I can't do it anymore I'll let you know."

He should have been elated and maybe a small part of him was, but the rest of him felt…he wasn't sure what he felt, he couldn't put a name to it – he only knew her words didn't make him feel the way he should have felt. He pushed back his unsettling thoughts and flashed a dimple. "Your body has always held my undivided attention." And then he proceeded to show her the benefits to that attention.

-BREAK SIXTEEN-

Elvie laid quietly, curled up against her husband, waiting for him to fall asleep. She had tried to tire him out, but the man had more stamina than she did. She had to judge by his breathing alone since he didn't have the decency to snore to let her know he was asleep.

It was after midnight, she had to go. She moved a little to test her chances. His arm tightened around her but it seemed more of an instinctual move rather than deliberate. She slipped out from under his arm and froze waiting to see if he would open his eyes or say anything, but he continued to sleep. Taking pains to be quiet, she slipped into her clothing and crept down the stairs and made a beeline for the lift. She had a long way to go to get down to the Wards, so she moved at a steady jog.

Tayln sighed. He'd expected her to make a move and he was unsurprised when she did. He threw on some dark clothing, snapped on his magbelt and made sure he would have anything he might need at hand. He then drew a deeply hooded cloak around him. He did not need to draw attention to himself.

Rhynn smiled when she saw Tayln coming down the stairs. "Then you know."

Tayln was surprised; he hadn't seen her sitting there in the dark. "That she is Valkyrie? I had my suspicions. This just proves they were on point. What are you doing up?"

"I always wake up when she leaves and I don't go back to sleep until she returns. That's why I'm always so tired in the mornings. I worry about her when she is out. I followed her the first couple of times after I saw her leave – what she does is amazing, Tayln. But I realized that if she knew I was there or something happened to me then her attention would be divided. I didn't want to risk her getting hurt just because I was curious."

He'd noticed a few light scars, but he'd never asked her about them. "Has she come back injured?"

"A few times back when she first started out. She would come home and quietly stitch her wounds closed. I don't know how she handled that kind of pain." Rhynn shook her head. "It was like she didn't feel it. But if you are referring to the scars, she had those before she found me. I assumed she got them when she was captured, but she won't talk about what happened to anyone. Tayln? Come back in one piece. I don't want to worry about both of you."

"I'll make sure she is safe, Rhynn," he assured her.

Rhynn shook her head. "She doesn't need you to protect her, Tayln, she needs you to support her. Help her if that is the only way you will accept what she's doing, but don't try to take Valkyrie out of her – it is as much a part of her as you are. To lose either would destroy who she is. She needs to do this and just as important - the Wards need her."

He had intended to put a halt to her nightly crusade, but Rhynn's words held wisdom. "Thank you. You have given me much to think on. We'll be back soon." When he entered the lift he flipped on his OT and followed her progress. Before too long it became evident she was heading back to her old home in the ducts. Why would she return – of course, she likely wore something that would prevent anyone from recognizing her and she would surely have some kind of weaponry, none of which they'd brought with them from the old residence.

He arrived at the duct just as she was exiting. She was wearing some sort of thin, black, form fitting suit with a thin mask that covered her entire head. A magbelt encircled her waist, attached to it were several small items that he couldn't make out. She kept to the shadows and when she was far enough ahead he followed.

She had caught sight of a pair of drug dealers on her surveillance feeds. She'd captured them before for lesser offences, but this time it looked they were dealing Uno. Uno was a red heart shaped pill that dissolved completely in liquid or food, leaving no sign it had ever been there. It was the newest date rape drug that left its victims highly sensitive to pleasure while lowering their inhibitions. They became willing sex slaves. The drug left no trace of itself in the victim's system and they had no memory of anything happening to them. It was highly illegal and judgment was harsh, regardless whether they turned on their supplier.

She slipped around a building and squatted down. She had video feed of them with the drug, but she wanted to capture a sale. Luck, if you could call it that, was on her side. She'd only had to wait a few minutes for a man to approach them. She zoomed in and nodded when she saw the little red hearts. She downloaded the data on the disk, added a quick message and raised her arm. A small projectile shot from her OT striking the buyer in the back. He catapulted forward into the buyers, the projectile opened up and webbing wrapped around them and the lamp pole, locking them tight.

She shook her head as she stepped out of the shadows. "Marty and Dillon, you are idiots…and this time there is no get out of jail card. Welcome to hell, boys. You're going to get a lot of practice picking up soap where you're going. Good night, assholes." She raised her other arm and fired three tiny darts in succession. She saluted them and slipped back into the shadows. C-sec would have received the ping from the chip in the webbing and would be here shortly.

Tayln watched her disappear and then approached the downed men. He scanned the flashing chip and walked a fair distance away before seeing what was on it. He blinked in surprise, if he hadn't seen his wife make the recording he never would have known. Her voice was deeper and huskier.

Hello, nice officers. Remember us? If you don't, that's okay. We're Marty Tillmont and Dillon Miner and we have rap sheets a longer than you are tall. Funny thing is you keep letting us out of jail. We appreciate your thoughtfulness; you treat us better than our own dear mothers. But, as you can see, we've stepped in stupid again. Bet you're surprised. Can't help it, you know, we're natural born idiots. What's your excuse? Think you'll be kind enough to let us go again? We promise to behave. The guy here with us? He's just a degenerate rapist, he means no harm - surely you will be kind enough to let him go too.

After the message, raw video feed played out showing them with small, red heart shaped pills followed by the sale. There was a brief stream of data, likely the aforementioned rap sheets and then it ended. He shook his head. His wife had a snarky humor about her, no wonder she earned the title queen of sass. He switched back to the map and began following her once more. He frowned when he noticed where she was going. He ran.

As she moved deeper into the underbelly of the Wards she heard scuffling and a whimper. There was a sound of something striking flesh and a harsh cry of pain. She arrived in time to see a young woman on the ground, backpedaling away from a large, tatted man. She'd never seen him around the Wards before, but he looked like trouble. Her arm shot out and biotic wave slammed his against the wall. She whipped the grip off her belt and a full sized bow sprang open. When she pulled back the string a small cartridge slid free, an arrow sprang from the cartridge and she fired, nailing the man's hand to the wall.

She hurried from the shadows. "Get to safety – now," she told the woman, never once taking her eyes from the man who was trying to free himself from the arrow. She flipped open her OT, scanned him and sent it off to Cole.

The woman rose, her body shaking. "He wanted my baby…" she said before turning to flee.

Her baby? That made little sense.

"I was wondering if I would hear from you tonight, Valkyrie. I see you've found the lovely Peter Wilks. He has quite the bounty on his head. He's wanted in several ports throughout the galaxy. This is a dead only contract, Valkyrie."

"Cole, you know I don't kill anymore," she reminded him.

Cole rubbed his forehead. "I know. But before you think about turning him in know that he will walk. No one has ever gotten anything to stick with him. He leaves no evidence behind. But make no mistake, the man is a monster. He's a pedophile that preys on children under five. None have ever survived. If he finds one particularly appealing, he will take out the whole family to get to the child."

A cold fury filled her. Now the woman's remark made sense. Another two arrows sprang out and she fired. His shrill scream cut through the night. Both arrows sliced through his penis to skewer his testicles to the wall. "He's already dead, Cole."

He nodded. "The credits are already in your account. Cole out."

She stepped from the shadows. "Peter Wilks. Man with no peter. Savager of infants. I am Valkyrie. You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting. You've raped and killed your last child. May hell have mercy on you, for I've none."

The man knew he was dead, but he wasn't going to die begging for his life. "Do you have a little sister you fucking cunt?" he growled. "Her hot blood will bathe my-"

She loosed the arrow; it pierced him through the mouth and drove his head into the wall. "Shut up…" she mumbled and then straightened her shoulders. The body had to disappear. She collapsed her bow back into the grip and hurried over to the pinned trash. When the arrow shafts read her biometrics the prongs folded in, they slipped free from the corpse and collapsed into themselves. She slid them into a pocket to be cleaned and encapsulated later. She used her biotics to raise the body and move it to the closest grate. She kicked the grate open and dropped the body in. The sweep would take care of the remains. She closed the grate and decided to check on Mikel and Jorgus the two guys she hoped to train to take over for her once she left the Citadel.

Tayln wanted to say he was he was stunned by what he'd heard and witnessed, but he remembered the look in her eyes when she said 'I hurt them back'. More precisely, she'd killed them. That much was evident. He did not judge her for that. Any caged animal would fight back against its tormentors. Nor could he judge her for killing the man after what he'd heard. He'd pulled out his bats and was about to use one of the whips to break his neck, but she'd been too fast. What he didn't understand was how she could be involved with an assassin's guild. For now he would continue to follow her.

She stopped by the shelter and retrieved the chit from the security bot that Rhynn used. Poor Rhynn was going to miss her spy games when they left. Not much to spy on aboard the SSV Hastings. She glanced over at the cots they usually slept in, but they were empty. She thought as much; they spent the evenings much as she did, they just didn't have access to her surveillance system. She flipped on her OT and scouted her feeds. She found them in the belly of Kithoi Ward. She sighed. Would have been nice if they had been a bit closer to home. She only patrolled one Ward a night and she primarily stuck to the underbelly, because the upper and lower wards had their own security network and she didn't need to be caught on camera. Because she worked alone it was simply too vast to cover all five arms in one night, not if she intended to get any sleep. But she made sure never to establish a pattern. Ideally, she needed to find at least five people, though ten would be ideal so they could work in teams, so that each of the Ward arms could be covered on a nightly basis. Getting between Wards was a pain if you didn't take transportation, which she couldn't do if she wanted to stay off the radar.

She slipped into the nearest duct and followed it down to the ring where it split off. She took the left duct and followed it around until she reached Kithoi. Each Ward had a series of ducts, many were interconnected, but some were not. If you did not know exactly where you were you could get lost in the maze, but she'd had plenty of time to learn the duct system and an eidetic memory helped. She slipped out of the duct and caught up with Mikel and Jorgus who were tying a woman to a fence. "Hello boys…"

"Help! They're going to rape me!" the woman cried out. Large tears began to fall down her cheeks.

They spun around. "Valkyrie….it's not what it looks like. We're on your side – you know that!" the turian all but pleaded. Being caught tying up a crying woman screaming rape didn't look good.

She inclined her head to him. "I know, Jorgus." She turned to the woman. "I really hate it when women use tears to manipulate someone, so dry up the water works, Lissabeth Marxia – they don't impress me. I scanned you and know exactly who you are and what you are wanted for. You'll find no pardon with me." She turned back to the men. "Make sure you leave a note with her name and crimes. We wouldn't want C-sec to fuck it up - then send a message to C-sec for pickup."

Mikel folded his arms over his chest. "We follow your example, Valkyrie – we may not have your fancy gadgets, but we know your protocol."

"Good, because that's what I need to talk to you about. Meet me at the dugout when you're through." It was the closest private area on Kithoi where they could talk. At least it would be when she cleaned out the trash. The dugout was a popular meet-up with the criminals because it was a large, hidden area between networks of pipes. The only way into it was over the large pipes.

When she reached the dugout she scouted from the shadows. It was clear. She slipped out of the shadows and used her biotics to get to the top of the pipes. There were eleven in the group below. She completed a quick scan and sent it through Cole's databanks. Three faces were hits and one was surprise. She pulled up the contracts. Standard dead or alive. She raised her arm and fired three webdisks followed by three darts. She flipped off the pipe and landed on the ground. "Seems someone forgot to invite me to the party."

Pistols turned in her direction. Only one of the perps sat down in a chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "Really? Guns? Oh this is going to be fun. If it's fun you wanted, why didn't you just say so? I can be loads of fun." She held up her hand when the rounds started to fly, they bounced harmlessly off the pale blue membrane of the shield she'd created. Her other hand whipped back and forth, ripping the pistols from the hands that held them to land harmlessly behind her. "Are we having fun yet?"

He finally caught up to her in time to see her rise to the top of the pipes. He really wished he'd practiced more with his biotics. He'd have to work on that. For now he activated his jet boots. He ripped the bats from his belt, amped the booster on his boots and launched himself upwards, he twisted his body over the pipes and dropped down next to his wife, igniting his bats. Red, glowing coils snaked out along the ground. "You shouldn't have started the party without me." He flicked his wrists, the searing tendrils whipped out, coiling around two unfortunate necks; a quick jerk and the bodies fell limp.

She was stunned and impressed by her husband's dramatic appearance "Well, you were late…you never write, you never com, what's a girl to think?" She sent a wave of power at a turian that targeted the husband and ripped the gun from his hand, sending it flying over the top of her head. A whip hummed past her, taking out another man. She brought her hands together and two men slammed into each other, fell to the ground and didn't get back up.

He chuckled as his whips sang out in their dance of death. "Then I shall just have to make it up to you."

"You are welcome to try, I'm just not sure you have what it takes to win my heart back," she teased as she watched the last man fall.

"Impossible is not in my vocabulary. Never doubt what I'm capable of." His gaze fell to the human seated on the chair. He tensed for a moment and then extinguished his bats, snapping them back to his belt.

"You were never asleep, were you?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"No, I wasn't," he admitted. "I wanted to know if my suspicions were accurate. They were."

"I see. I figured as much. I knew I said too much yesterday. But I didn't need you to come and save me. I was handling it," she replied.

"Yes, you were. And I helped you handle it faster," he pointed out.

"You did, yes," she agreed, "but I don't like to kill. I don't want to become what I hunt. I'm tolerated only because I walk the edge of acceptable. If I kill, I become the criminal and C-sec will hunt me – even if they don't want to…they will have to."

"Then I will dispose of the bodies," he said coldly. "But do not expect me to do nothing if you are in danger."

Reed rose from the chair and approached the pair. "You captured three without harm; they fired first. It would be considered self-defense."

She turned her attention the handsome, very tall, very well muscled, copper skinned man with the long, dark hair. Ah, the unexpected face. "Why are you here, Reed?"

He blinked in surprise. He was here undercover; no one should have known his real name. "I see…my cover is blown."

She shook her head. "No, it isn't. I have access to a database very few have access too. I have no intension of blowing your cover."

Then she was no mere bounty hunter. The only covert groups who might be able to figure out his identity were government based and quite possibly an assassin's guild – if they had high enough reach. The fact that she wore a costume that completely hid who she was spoke of her affiliation. "You should call in your contracts," he said with a motion to the downed men in webbing. "I will take credit for the kills. It was my sting and I was able to get the information I needed before you arrived. I was waiting for backup to make the arrests."

She grinned under her mask. "You are going to get arrested? My...my…the perks of your job."

"Yes," he said with a grin. "There are many such perks with the Citadel Intelligence Agency. You should try torture some time, which is one of the more interesting perks."

She held up her hand. "No thanks, I've already tried it. It's highly overrated as a perk."

The smile slipped from his lips. "My joke was out of line – I am sorry."

"Nonsense. Since you were not one of those delightful gentlemen, you have nothing to be sorry for. Besides, it happened many years ago. It's already forgotten." She didn't want to talk about it. "It's unfortunate humans are not allowed to be Spectres. If they were there would be no need for the CIA."

No, it wasn't forgotten, but it was obviously a subject she didn't want to talk about. He respected that. "I'm content with the job I have. It is not glamorous, but it does allow me to stay in one place for the most part. Though I would prefer if I were stationed planetside. Artificial environments are an acquired taste that I have failed to acquire."

She laughed softly. "On that we can agree. The only artificial environment I want to be on is a ship so I can explore planets and maybe find one I can call home some day."

He glanced at the man in the hood that was quietly watching and then returned his attention to the woman in black. "You do not wish to see Earth?"

"Not particularly, from what I've seen of it there are very few open spaces left. It is damned near as artificial as the Citadel," she responded.

He agreed with her assessment. She was a remarkable woman, one he would like to get to know better. "I would like to remain in touch, Valkyrie. I don't often get to socialize with people other than criminals – none of which I'd want to spend time with were it my choice," he said with a wry grin.

"Uhh….not sure that will work to well, big guy. I'm a vigilante…a criminal…and you are the law. It seems like a conflict of interest with me getting the short end of the straw," she pointed out.

His smile widened as he shook his head. "It is not so black and white as that. We are not C-sec and we have no interest in bringing you to justice. Most of us applaud you for doing what we cannot do, which is the only reason I'm not asking you to join the CIA. We need you, even if we cannot officially endorse you."

The man may lie for a living, but she believed him. There was something about him that called out to her. "Thank you, Reed. That means more to me than you know. The people appreciate what I do and that is enough for me, but it is good to know that the law can appreciate me as well. Reed? I don't suppose you'd be willing to swap information when the need arises?"

It didn't even occur to him that she would try to play him for information. Despite hiding behind the black mask, he sensed no deceit. His childhood totem was the snow leopard and his intuition was keen. He knew when people were being deceptive, he felt it. But there was no deceit in her. "Provided it does not compromise an ongoing investigation then I would be amenable with that. But I'm not just seeking another informant."

"She's taken," Tayln growled. The man's pheromones had left no doubt about his budding interest.

She frowned. Reed had been nothing but polite. "That wasn't necessary," she said in a huff.

"It was," he stated coldly, saying nothing more.

The man had been correct. The warning had been necessary, though he wasn't sure how he was aware of his interest; he thought he'd been subtle. It was also unfortunate, but not a deciding factor. He still wanted to get to know her better. "Many paths join for reasons other than romance and such paths are worthy of exploration."

She was glad he wasn't letting Tayln's surely attitude sway him. "I couldn't agree more!" She aimed her OT at his to exchange frequencies. While her OT was on she sent a quick message to Cole about the three men she captured and let him know they would be taken into custody by the CIA so that he could confirm it.

"You two should leave. I'm sure you do not want to be here to be questioned…unless I am wrong," he said with a grin.

"You are not….and stay in touch," she said as she took Tayln's arm and lifted them over the pipes with a burst of biotics.

"I intend to," he said quietly as he watched them disappear. It would appear Valkyrie no longer worked alone. Interesting.

Mikel and Jorgus were just arriving when they touched down on the other side. "Hello, boys. It appears we need another location. This one is about to be swarming with the authorities. "I have a place in mind that no one knows about. Follow me."

Tayln knew she'd not give her previous home's location out to just anyone. She had a plan for these two.

"Who's he?" Mikel asked as he followed her.

"My husband…Tyr." She grinned. The Scandinavian god of war and justice…and she was his valkyrie…though she doubted anyone would ever make the connection, because few cared to learn about ancient gods that were nothing more than myth.

She led them back through the ducts the way she'd come. When she reached the grate of her old home she opened it and dropped down into it, continuing the path to her old front door…or grate, as it were. She ushered everyone in, told the guys to take a seat at the table and then joined her husband on her old pallet. "As you can see this is not the most comfortable of hideouts, but I've been using it for years and no one has found out about it. There is a toilet of sorts, deeper into the duct, past the opposite pallet," she said as she pointed past Rhynn's bed. "If you come on Mondays, make sure you are locked in here before 8pm or you will die. The keepers run a duct sweep every Monday night. For as long as I've been here, they have never altered their schedule; they are creatures of OCD level habit."

She took a breath. "I'm not telling you this so that you can bring your dates here. This is not a love nest, it is a war room." She faced her OT to the rear wall of duct and the small frame she'd installed on the wall lit up. The duct wall filled a grid of every live surveillance feed she'd put up. Each square of the grid was labeled with the name of the ward and the coordinates of the feed. "This is how I keep track of what is going on in the Wards, with close attention to the underbellies." She rose to stand in front of the holodisplay. "Touch one and it will expand to get a better view." She touched on of the feeds to enlarge it then dragged her finger back and forth and around in circles to show them that the camera's angel of view could change with a touch. Then she swiped it and it reverted to normal. "There is a portable stove not far from the table, but as you can see there is no cooler down here." She walked around Mikel and pointed to the dock that was being powered by the light. "If you need to keep food cold or hot, that is what these are for." She pulled off two of the disks and handed them to Mikel and Jorgus. "They are stasis disks. They will contain whatever they are attached to up to about 48 hours before needing a recharge. She took the bow grip from her magbelt and set it on the table. "Jorgus put your disk on it. They will stick to most surfaces, but you can also use the clip function when needed."

"That is your bow?" Jorgus asked in awe as he placed the disk on it. A blue field lit up around the grip. He picked it up and looked at every angle, but completely surrounded the weapon. He set it back down and flexed is numb fingers. "That is amazing. I didn't even know they made those."

"They don't. A friend of mine by the name of Elvie made them for me. I purchase a lot of my tech from her. Since she's she doesn't charge exorbitant prices like you'll find at Teiner Tech." She was very glad her mask hid the ear to ear grin she was wearing. She retrieved the disks, set them back into the dock and returned her grip to her magbelt.

Tayln laughed at her jab to his company. "You have heard that the owner of Teiner Tech and your Elvie are engaged? It won't be long before they merge together – you better get what you need from her before her prices rise."

Mikel and Jorgus snickered. "They are probably already merging on a regular basis," Mikel said with a snort.

"Good one, Mik," Jorgus laughed, his mandibles spread wide.

"Okay, boys," she said trying to draw them back to why they were here, because thinking about sex with Tayln was going to move them in a direction they did not need to go in front of Mikel and Jorgus. "You are probably wondering why I was willing to share this place with you. The truth is I may not be on the Citadel for much longer and when I leave I need to know the Wards will be taken care of. I've watched the both of you for some time. You need more training, but your work is good and, more important, your hearts are in the right place."

Jorgus' mandible jerked downward and he shook his head. "You can't leave. It was you that inspired us."

"I may have started this crusade, but you both are more than capable of keeping it going. For the next few months I - we will train you. I'll provide you with webdisks and sleep darts. I'll show you how to use the security mech to retrieve the webdisks from C-sec, it's up to you to retrieve the sleep darts and refill them. I'll augment your OTs to use them – and so long as you continue to operate in the same manner in which I did, I'll know the Wards are being kept as safe as possible."

"No killing," Mikel said with a nod of his head.

"That is right. If you kill you fall from vigilante hero to vigilante villain and the authorities will no longer turn a blind eye – you will become the hunted and the people you protect will come to fear you. That is not the legacy I want to leave behind."

"We get that," Mikel said. "You gave us the courage to stand up and help keep our neighborhood safe. We're not doing this to end up in prison playing pattycake with someone we helped put there."

"Then we are on the same page and henceforth you two will be known as the Guardians. Treat the name with respect and it will serve you well." She studied their costumes with a sigh. "Work on your costumes. Masks that just cover your eyes do not hide your true identity well enough…or at all. If your markings or too much of your hair or face is displayed you are risking getting discovered and that could put your friends and family in danger. Use some scent neutralizer too – not cologne, you don't want them to smell you coming – you don't want them to smell you at all. Tomorrow, start working on throwing darts; it will help improve your aim. I'll order your new OTs, webdisks and sleep darts - it might take her a few days to make everything, but I want you to meet me-"

"Us," Tayln interjected.

"Tyr..are you absolutely sure about that? Think it through." Tomorrow night, according to her husband, she would be bordering on full blown heat.

"That's exactly why you won't be leaving without me," he said pointedly.

"Us here – top-side tomorrow at…10pm. We will begin working on your self-defense." She was going to have them meet her at midnight, but the sooner they could get back the better. "If you will please hold out your OTs, I will send you the program needed to operate the surveillance feeds." After they received them she pointed behind her husband. "Can you please grab the small trunk behind you? It's …the last of my belongings." After he picked up the trunk and joined her she turned to the occupants. "Guardians…the war room headquarters officially belong to you. Just remember about Mondays. Be in before eight or death is your fate."

"That sounds simple to remember. Thank you, Valkyrie…for having faith in us," Jorgus said, his words simple but heartfelt.

"I know you'll do me proud, boys," she replied as they stepped out of her old home for the last time.

-BREAK SEVENTEEN-

"Rhynn knows," he said quietly once they were topside and away from ears. "She's known from the start…apparently and she said she doesn't sleep until you return."

She winced and exhaled slowly. "That would explain why it's hard to wake her up in the morning. Maybe if she knows I'm no longer alone she will be able to sleep." She stepped deeper into the shadows. "Set the trunk down, I need to change." After the trunk was set at her feet she opened it up and quickly removed her nightsuit and magbelt and slipped back into slacks and blouse.

Tayln removed the cloak, deposited it in the trunk and then tucked the trunk under one arm. He flipped on his OT and called for his skycar. "The skycar will be here in a few moments." He studied his wife for a moment. There was so much he'd learned about her tonight and some of it didn't sit well.

"What ?" she asked feeling the heat of his gaze.

"Are you an assassin?" he asked quietly, unsure if he even wanted to know the answer.

She closed her eyes for a moment. "You saw what happened with Peter." It wasn't a question. "I don't really have an answer for you. I belong to a guild. But I am and am not an assassin. To label me as one or the other is too black and white. Have I killed? As you saw tonight, yes. Have I gotten paid for those contracts? Yes. Do I like to kill? No. Do I kill with every contract I take? No. I prefer to earn the bounty by turning them in rather than killing them."

"You don't need that money anymore." He pulled the chit out of his pocket and activated it. He took her hand and pressed her thumb to it. The light turned green and went out. He placed it in her palm and wrapped her fingers over it. "I set up an account for you under Lorianna V. Anderson. It is attached to my account, so if you need to spend over the amount in the account you will be able to do so."

"Tayln…"

He placed a finger against her lips. "I know you are a strong and independent young woman, but you are also my wife. We are one in all things…heart, body, soul…bank account," he added with a grin. "Deal. With. It."

"I don't take contracts for the money. Well, I did at first but now I have other ways of making money. I take the contracts for the same reasons that I'm Valkyrie. I do it to keep people safe…and for personal reasons." She was saved by the arrival of the skycar. She watched Tayln place her trunk in the trunk and then he handed her into the skycar before returning to the driver's side. The seat was more luxurious than the shuttle seat had been and she didn't think that was possible.

"Will you share your personal reasons with me?" he asked as he took over manual control and eased the skycar up into the sparse traffic.

She drummed her fingers on the side arm for a moment and then expelled a cleansing breath. "I killed a lot of people when I was little. Please don't ask me to talk about what happened. I'm – I'm not ready…I don't know if I'll ever be. The night I escaped …everyone that was there that night…I killed them all," she said in a tiny, little girl like voice. "Not with a weapon…not with my bare hands. I could take someone down, I could hurt them badly, but I didn't have the strength or weight required to kill. But I was so angry my biotics became an explosive force and I – I liked it. I could have escaped without killing all of them, but I liked watching them die…and I'll spend the rest of my life atoning for that."

Tayln's heart thundered in his chest, his wife's child-like voice and pain had undone him. He switched to autopilot and pulled his wife onto his lap to hold her. "If I had been there – I would have killed them for hurting you. But you have to know what happened wasn't your fault. You were only a child. They were at fault for the consequences of their inhumane actions. It is not uncommon for someone who is abused to turn on their abuser. It is a fight or flight instinct and you chose to fight. Right or wrong, most people, if given the chance, would have done the same thing and they would have enjoyed that revenge too. Do you honestly think you were the only child they…hurt? If you had not killed them, how many more children would have been gone through that hell? How many had already suffered that hell before they captured you?"

Her body trembled but her eyes were dry. She hated tears. "I don't know, Tayln. I think most children gave in or broke early. I didn't. I refused. I didn't cry or scream or beg. I locked the pain away and refused to let them see it. That angered them. They - they did worse things…but I didn't crack. I didn't. That song you heard me play on the piano – it was me. I wouldn't let them change me. I wouldn't let them break me."

He pulled her closer, his heart breaking for the little girl he'd come to love so long ago. He should have been there for her. Tears fell from his eyes, he would cry for both of them. She'd told him once that he was the only person who could break her, he was the only person she'd ever shed tears for…now he understood the enormity of those words. "And they never will. They're gone now and they can't hurt anyone anymore."

"No," she whispered with the barest shake of her head "…three survived. They weren't there that night. I found one of them a few months later. The last thing he saw was my face. Now there are only two and Dagger is the only one I care about. Even Cole couldn't help me; no one knows Dagger's real name or what he looks like. He is as elusive as smoke and just as deadly."

He would see what he could do about finding this Dagger. "What about the other man?"

"Han? No, Hanska never hurt me. He took care of me when no one was looking. He tried to protect me as best he could, but he wasn't always around. After – he tried to get me to safety but we were caught. I don't know what happened to him after that. I never saw him again…" The color drained from her face. She scooted off her husband's lap and flipped on her OT to com a ghost. A sleepy face filled the holoscreen. "Han?" she asked in childlike voice. "H-Hanska?"

Reed blinked and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "I'm sorry you have the wrong-" He froze. It was a voice he would never forget, one he heard every night in his nightmares. The mission he'd failed. The little girl he'd failed. He stared at the young woman on the screen and saw hints of the little girl she'd once been. Maybe he was seeing what he wanted to see. What he needed to see. "Usdi Unaha? Is that you?"

The breath rushed from her lungs, the once familiar words made her heart ache. She didn't hear her husband get out. She didn't hear the trunk open and close. All she heard was Usdi Unaha. She had refused to give anyone her name, so he'd called her by that name. She reached her hand out to touch his cheek but she felt nothing but the hum of the holoscreen. "You survived. I never saw you after that night. I thought – I thought….I didn't know."

He sat up in bed, his heart pounding in his chest. "I need to see you. Where are you?"

"In a skycar."

He grinned. "That's not what I meant. Can you come to me then?"

"Where are you?" She slid over to the driver seat and programmed in his address and the skycar lifted off. "I'll be there soon." When he stood up she caught a glimpse of a phoenix on his chest.

In his excitement he had forgotten that he'd been asleep in bed. "Give me a moment, I need to get dressed."

Her OT went dark. A movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She saw a woman standing at the edge of a balcony in nothing but her skin. When a man approached her she climbed over the railing to stand on the outer edge. "Manual override!" she yelled at the car. When she had control of the vehicle she looped around. "Open passenger front door." She sidled the skycar up next to the balcony. "Get in!" she shouted at the woman.

Laura whipped her head around, nearly losing her grip on the railing. She looked at the girl in the driver's seat and back at the man. When he lunged for her she dove through the open door and curled into a ball.

"Close passenger door," she said as she swung the car away from the balcony. "Auto-pilot engage." She looked at the shivering woman to discover she was not much older than herself. "You're safe now. I'm Elvie. Can you tell me what happened?" she asked gently.

She pushed her pale honey hair out of her face. "I – I don't know. I was out with my friends. We were dancing, gambling… h- having a good time. I – don't know how I ended up here!" She gripped Elvie's arm, her golden-green eyes wide with fear. "I don't even know where here is!"

She needed to calm the young woman down. "Tell me what your name is."

"I'm sorry. I'm Laura Rayne Wolfe," she said as she tucked her knees against the dash to keep her body below window's edge.

"I'll wait outside for you on the public landing pad," Reed said after he made himself presentable.

Elvie glanced down at her OT when it lit back up. "Before you come out I need you to grab one of your shirts. I'm bringing a new friend and she is in need of something to wear."

Reed blinked. That he had not expected; none of what he'd heard made much sense. "Of course, Usdi Unaha," he replied as if it were not an unusual request.

"Laura, what is the last place you remember being tonight?" she asked calmly.

"We were at the Silver Coast Casino," she said in a dull voice.

Elvie nodded. It sounded as though Laura was dosed with Uno at the casino. She would need to look into it and see if she could find the dealer. That meant she'd have to go as herself. "Do you want me to take you home?"

She balled her hands into fists. "No! My parents died a few months back. I – I don't want to be alone. I don't want to…"

"That's fine. I won't take you there. Do you have a friend's house that you want to go to?" Elvie asked gently. When she noticed the girl was shivering she turned up the heat.

Laura shook her head. "No." She bit her lower lip. "I don't want them to know what happened…I don't know what happened. Why did they let me leave? I – I don't want to see them." She raised her hands to cover her face. "I'm so confused," she mumbled into her palms. Her hands fell to her lap. "Damn it – I – this isn't - I mean I'm not your responsibility. Just drop me off anywhere."

"I'm not going to do that. Friends don't let friends run around in their birthday suits in the middle of the night," she teased as the skycar settled onto the landing pad.

Laura looked over at her with a weak smile on her lips. "Only on galactic streak day?"

Elvie laughed. "Only on galactic streak day."

Laura noticed a very tall, very muscular man approaching the skycar. "Ohhh my…I'd like to see him on galactic streak day. He's breathtaking. Catch me if I swoon, Elvie." She fanned herself. "Can a man be any more sinfully delicious? Is he your friend? And more important – is he single? Tell me he is single!"

"Yes…he's my friend. His name is Reed. He's a very old and…dear friend. He also heard everything you said, my OT is still on. Sorry about that."

She dropped her head back into her hands. "Oh sweet mother of all spirits, could the night get any worse? I'll just stay here and hope the ground swallows me whole while you go talk to him. Don't let him see me…please don't let him see me. Just let me disappear…" The last words were little more than whisper.

Reed was stunned she knew his real name and he intended to find out how. What concerned him more was the conversation he'd overheard. Something happened to Laura that had really frightened her and he was beginning to suspect he knew the answer - that answer infuriated him. But the last of what she'd said intrigued him. He'd never been called sinfully delicious before – at least not that he'd ever heard. When the window lowered he kept his eyes averted and passed the shirt through the opening.

Laura pulled the large white tee-shirt over her head. "I'll wait here," she said, her cheeks still red over what she'd said.

Once she was dressed Elvie opened the door, climbed out of the skycar and the door closed behind her. She studied Reed for a brief moment and then launched herself into his arms. "Han – er Reed…you've changed so much since that kid I met. You're hair is longer – I love it and sweet hell you grew!"

When he held her a sense of relief filled him. He had never been able to find out what happened to her. She was alive…she was safe and he could finally close the door on what happened back then. Maybe the nightmares would finally stop. "It is good to see you free, Usdi Unaha. I feared the worst when I failed you."

She pulled back to look up at him. "You never failed me, Reed. You were there for me over and over again, despite the risk to yourself…and in the end you gave me the strength to break free." She stepped back. "Help me get Laura out of the car; she's mortified that you overheard what she said. I don't want her left alone right now and we need to talk."

"I know – I overheard your conversation. It sounds like someone roofied her with Uno. I don't want her left alone either." No one should have choice taken from them like that. He rounded the back of the skycar, opened the passenger door and squatted down next to her. He wanted to say something but all he could do was stare. Her beauty had stolen the breath from his body. Her skin was the color of creamy pearls, her hair like honey and when she turned to look at him he was spellbound. Her lower lip, fuller than her top, beckoned him and he had to tear his gaze away before he gave into a temptation he hadn't felt before. He looked up into her eyes and his breath caught in his throat. Honey stars stood out against emerald irises and he couldn't look away.

She knew he was next to her. She was mortified that he'd heard what she had said; she just needed to gather the courage to face him. She closed her eyes and exhaled a cleansing breath before she turned to look at him. He was even more magnificent up close. He had a wide, thickly muscled chest and broad shoulders. His long, thick, black, silky hair hung well past his shoulders. Warm toned coppery skin molded over his square jawed, chiseled face. He had perfect, sculpted lips and his piercing, dark eyes were warmed with a hint of cinnamon. For a moment the world stood still until she realized she wasn't breathing. Air rushed into her lungs and her cheeks heated once more. "I…uh…don't suppose you'd forget everything you thought you might have heard?" she asked softly.

"No," he said quietly. "I have no desire to unhear them or forget them, uwoduhi agalisgv." One corner of his lips curled up. "And yes, my heart is free…no one has claimed it." He held his hand out palm up. "Let us go inside, we will speak more after I catch up with Elvie." It was nice to finally know Elvie's name, though he would always remember her as Usdi Unaha…little heart.

His deep voice sent pleasant shivers down her spine. She'd never been attracted to anyone like this before. Sure, the pleasant thrill from seeing someone who was good looking, but never anything that made her body hot and shivery. It was exciting and frightening at the same time. She'd just recently turned sixteen, but she was the only one among her friends that was still a virgin. She'd had boyfriends, but they never stayed long because she didn't give them what they were after – and she wouldn't. She wanted love…she wanted forever…she wanted the impossible dream. She bit her lower lip and then slid her hand into his. A hand that was large enough to engulf hers and for some reason she felt comfort in that.

As she rose from the car her muscles pulled and raw pain clawed between her legs. By the time she took a second step she stumbled and gripped him tight to stay on her feet.

His hand rose to take her arm and steady her; he felt her trembling, saw the beads of sweat on her forehead and knew something was very wrong. That was when he noticed blood on the white of his t-shirt. He looked down further to see a trail of blood marring the pearl of her thigh. "You'll be fine," he said gently, trying not to give into the fury that filled him. He swung her up in his arms and looked over at Elvie as she hurried to join them. "We should get her to the hospital; she's bleeding."

She held on to his neck in a death grip. "No! Please don't take me there!" she pleaded. "My dad - er…I own Wolfe Pharmaceuticals, we supplies the hospitals - …everyone would find out. Please don't do that to me. Please….." When she felt the hot trails of tears slide down her cheeks she buried her face in his neck as sobs wracked her body.

Elvie could well understand not wanting anyone to know what happened. Some things were just too personal. All she could do was be there for her and support her. But she also intended to go after the man that hurt her. One way or the other, he would pay for what he did. "Let's get her inside. Take her to your bathroom and gather a washcloth, another shirt, some medigel and Q-tips. I'll help get her cleaned up and into the shower. She needs to feel clean."

Reed hurried into the apartment complex and entered the lift.

"I don't think I'm a virgin anymore," Laura muttered in a small voice against his neck. "I wanted to wait..I wanted love. I'm – I'm not like my friends."

He closed his eyes for a brief moment. He understood what she felt. He would give himself to the woman that stole his heart and nothing less. To have that choice ripped away… he expelled a harsh breath and curled his arms tighter around her. "He stole something he had no right to take, but he did not steal your innocence, agalisgv. Nothing that happened was your fault. You did not choose to give yourself to him. Your heart…your soul…your mind…all the places that really matter remain innocent. And there are many physical firsts that are still yours to discover. Have you been kissed?"

"Yes."

"Did your body respond to it?"

"No."

"Then you can still feel your body respond for the first time. You can still choose who you will willingly give yourself to for the first time," he murmured.

"I've already felt it," she admitted in words barely more than whisper.

Reed blinked in confusion. "I don't understand…you said-"

"You make my body feel hot and shivery." She'd already thoroughly humiliated and embarrassed herself in front of him. At this point, she was beyond caring. She couldn't really dig the hole any deeper than it was.

The lift door opened but he was rooted in place by her words. His breath came out in a shaky pant. "You have given me that same first," he admitted as she stepped off the lift and moved down the hall. "110," he told Elvie. "Entry code 8993." He watched her hurry ahead to unlock the door. Laura's warm breath fan across his neck and he shivered. And then he felt the press of a lingering kiss and the flick of tongue against his skin.

"Reed – are you coming?" Elvie asked with a grin when he did not enter behind her.

"Yes..." The word got caught in his throat, so he cleared it. "Yes," he repeated in a stronger tone, his cheeks warm with embarrassment s as he carried her across the threshold.

Since Reed was apparently distracted by the woman in his arms she scanned the flat. It was a nice, moderate flat. At the front was a small atrium that led to a T'd intersection. To the left was main living quarters. Further in were the kitchen and dining area. She looked to the right of the 'T' and saw a hall. The hall ran parallel. A quick trip showed that there were large bedrooms at either end and the bathroom in between. She hurried into the bathroom and rummaged through the closet. She was able to locate cotton, medigel and Q-tips. Ah…and a wash cloth and towel. All they needed was a clean shirt for Laura to get into.

He came to a stop as her kisses trailed up his neck. He shuddered when he felt the graze of her teeth against his neck. He was drowning in sensations he'd been unprepared for. When her kisses moved along his jaw line he groaned and lowered his head to claim her lips. With the slide of her tongue against his lip he fell into the kiss. He had to lock his knees when her kiss threatened to bring him to his knees.

When Elvie realized they hadn't joined her she stepped back into the hall and nearly ran into them. "Reed! What the hell are you doing?" Though it was beyond obvious what he was doing. She didn't blame them. When something bad happened people sought out something comforting…something good to rebalance the scales. And Reed was a good man. He'd been there for her and maybe he could be there for Laura. But right now she needed cleaned up.

Her words filtered through and he pulled back, dazed and confused. It didn't take long for reality to right itself. "Apparently, falling under the spell of a beautiful woman," he replied as he carried her into the bathroom and lowered her to her feet. He noticed Elvie had already gathered most of what was needed and felt his cheeks heat up. "You will find pain medication behind the mirror. I'll be right back with the shirt."

He continued down the hall to the master bedroom and pulled a green t-shirt from his dresser. The white one had been a bit too revealing under the light for his peace of mind. He returned to the bathroom to see Laura, with one foot on the lid of the toilet, running a damp washcloth along her bent leg. The leg she was standing on was exposed almost all the way up and he swallowed hard. He set the shirt down on the sink. "Let me know if you need anything more." He shut the door behind him and went straight to the kitchen to pour himself a drink. He rarely drank anything and never much, but right now he needed something to calm him.

"I do believe you've gotten under his skin," Elvie teased.

"Serves him right considering he's under mine," Laura admitted as she rinsed out the cloth in warm water. She winced as she ran the cloth gently across her abused flesh."

After Laura rinsed the cloth clean again she set the temperature for the water, tested the spray and then pulled the shirt up over Laura's head. "Go ahead and hop in the shower. I'm not going anywhere; I'll be here in case you need anything." She tossed the shirt down the laundry chute and settled herself on the lid of the toilet. "How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

The warmth of the spray was just what she'd needed. It felt like she was washing away the filth from earlier. "I turned sixteen on September 24th."

"I'll be thirteen in April."

Laura was stunned. "I thought you were much older than that."

"I get that a lot," she said with a wry grin. "I haven't exactly lived a life that allowed me to be a child. But I'm content and my life is full…changing, but full. I have a younger sister, a new father that just adopted us both, a husband and a few new friends."

Laura drew the curtain back and peaked around it, her hair lathered with shampoo. "You are married?"

Elvie laughed and raised her finger to her lips. "Shhh…only family and close friends know the truth. He is a drell and we were married by Rakhana law, but that is not acknowledged here, so we will be wed legally when I'm eighteen…unless we run off to Illium when I'm sixteen. My dad asked us not to do that." She grinned. "We'll see."

"So you know…even at your age that you want to spend the rest of your life with him?" Laura asked curiously.

"For one, I'm not my age. I never have been. But to answer your question…yes. I've known since I was five that he was the one for me."

Laura leaned her head back to rinse out the shampoo. "That's not normal," she said with a laugh. "But neither was me wanting to wait to have sex until I found someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. How did you know he was the one? It couldn't have been sexual at five."

She grinned. "I knew because he filled the void inside of me and made me feel truly alive for the first time in my life. He still does…he always will. He's a part of me."

"That sounds romantically beautiful. I hope I find that some day. What..ah…can you tell me about Reed?" Laura asked as she lathered her body with cleansing gel. The hot water stung her tender flesh, but it was small price to pay.

"Reed is an amazing man. He has a beautiful heart and soul and unwavering loyalty. He was there for me at a time when I had no one else. He risked everything to help me and I will always love him for that."

"He sounds too perfect. He's got to have faults."

Elvie laughed. "If he has any, I sure don't know what they are. It could just be that there are a rare, few perfect men left in the galaxy – and I just happened to marry one."

When Laura turned the water off Elvie jumped up, rinsed out the glass on the sink and looked through the medicine cabinet to find the pain meds. She tapped out two pills onto her palm while Laura dried herself off with a towel. She took the towel from her new friend and handed her the glass of water and then the pills. She took the glass back and handed Laura the shirt to slip into. She then spread medigel liberally over a piece of cotton and pointed to the rim of the tub. "This is going to be awkward and I apologize for that. But I'll have a better view of the damage than you have. So take a seat on the tub's ledge and let me take a look. You can talk to me while I get you medicated. It might take your mind off what I'm doing."

Awkward, she said. Just a little. "Under normal circumstances I'd balk at that, but right now it hurts too much to care." She set her ass down on the edge of the tub and spread her thighs. "It's not like this is any more embarrassing than a doctor's exam and you have far more compassion than any doctor I've seen."

Elvie frowned at the abraded, raw flesh. There were obvious swelling and small tears. The man had not been kind to her, but it at least appeared that he'd used spray on protection. She could still see a bit of the residue left behind. She gently spread a thick layer of medigel over the abused exterior. She threw the cotton in the trash and picked up the Q-tip and eyed it skeptically. "You have a choice to make. I need to get some medigel up inside to repair the damage. I can either use tiny Q-tips - it will take some time, since they are small or I can put a lot of medigel on my finger and be done in a few swipes." That was certainly not something she ever expected to be doing.

Laura held her hand up and looked at her long fingernails. Nope. She looked at the fingernails on Elvie's hand. Short. If she had to weigh the choice between awkward embarrassment and pain, embarrassment would always win. "I wish Reed had smaller fingers," she said with a soft sigh.

"Believe me…so do I," Elvie agreed with a nod.

Laura rubbed her forehead. She didn't remember anything that happened earlier, but she would remember this. Anything was preferable to falling from a high-rise. "I'll deal with a little extra pain if it means the pain goes away quicker. Pain and I are mortal enemies."

"This remains just between us and we will never talk about it, right?" Elvie asked. She wanted to forget what she was about to do…if only she could.

"You have my full agreement. I have no desire to let anyone know that I was fingered by a girl," Laura teased with a grin.

"Ew! Did you have to say that?" She shuddered. "That was good though. I'd have said the same damn thing." Here goes. She covered her index finger in a thick layer of medigel. "Just try to stay relaxed, it will hurt more if you tighten your muscles." She slowly eased her finger in, swiping the medigel over the opening. She felt her start to tighten up. "Relax, Laura. Think about something else," she said as she slowly sank her finger deeper. "Do you want me to call your friends to let them know you are okay?" She asked trying to take her own mind off what she was doing.

She winced from the pain but forced herself to stay relaxed. "No. I'm done with them. They are superficial brats. You and Reed have shown more caring for a complete stranger than my friends have ever shown me. Tell me, would you have let me let me go off with a stranger?"

"No - not even if you wanted to. As a friend I would have known you wanted to save yourself for love and I would have done my best to talk you out of it. And if, say, you'd have disappeared on me when I took a trip to the lady's room I'd have pinged your OT and followed. If you were acting strange when I found you I'd have dragged you home. Look," she said as she gently withdrew her finger and rose to wash her hands. "Reed and I believe you were roofied by a new date rape drug that is out called Uno. It's undetectable. It lowers the victims' inhibitions and acts as an aphrodisiac. The victim remembers nothing and there are no traces left in the body, so it is nearly impossible to pin rape charges without tangible proof. That is why it is a highly illegal substance with harsh punishment."

Oh god, her body had gone into sexual combustion with Reed. "Am I still under its influence?" she asked, unable to hide the dread I her voice.

Now she understood. Laura was afraid what she felt for Reed was the drug's effect. "No. The drug's effects had already worn off by the time you were on that balcony. It doesn't slowly peter out, it's like the blinders are ripped away and you can see again. What Reed makes you feel, honey…that's real – not the drug."

"Thank you," Laura said as she hugged Elvie. "I wish I could have met you under better circumstance, but I'm grateful you showed up before I jumped. I didn't want to kill myself, but I was confused and terrified and ran the wrong direction."

"It's okay, honey. I'm just glad I saw you. I wouldn't even have been there if Reed hadn't asked me to come see him. It is odd how things work out sometimes. Just know that I'll always be there for you when you need me and probably lots of times when you don't. All I ask is that you warn me ahead of time the next time you get the urge to jump off a high-rise."

Laura snickered and held her hand out. "You have a deal."

-BREAK EIGHTEEN-

Elvie shook the hand and they exited the bathroom. "Would you be interested in learning self-defense?"

Laura nodded. "I was thinking about hiring an instructor after what happened tonight," she admitted.

"You don't need to hire anyone. I, Tayln, Reed or hell, my little sister Rhynn could teach you. Every woman should know how to protect herself."

"I agree completely," Reed said as he rose from the sofa. There she was taking his breath away again. The green of the t-shirt caused her eyes to sparkle like sun-kissed, faceted jewels. "I would be happy to teach you."

She smiled softly at him. "Then I will put myself in your hands – ready and willing to learn everything you want to teach me."

He knew he had a silly grin on his face but he couldn't seem to straighten his lips. Instead, he held his hand to her. As she walked towards him his mouth went dry when he noticed the tight peaks of her nipples through his shirt. He quickly looked back up at her eyes. He took her hand, led her to the sofa and pulled her down next to him. The shirt rode distractingly high. He lowered his head to her ear. "Some things are best when learned together."

When Elvie joined them on the sofa he looked over at her. There was something he had to know before they talked about anything else. "How did you know my real name?"

She probably should have continued to call him Han until he told her the truth, but she trusted him and did not want to keep their first meeting after so many years a secret. She glanced at Laura and then back at him. "Because I learned it when we met a few hours ago. I didn't realize you were Han then - you'd changed so much since I'd last seen you and I'd assumed you were killed back then, so it hadn't occurred to me."

He hadn't met any women earlier except….ah, Valkyrie. "You are a young woman with interesting hobbies."

She grinned. "You have no idea. How did you survive?"

His cheek ticked. "I almost didn't. I was escorted off the base by six…gentlemen and hauled away to be disposed of. I was able to take down two before a round to my chest took the fight out of me. They beat me and left me to bleed out. Though, it was likely they thought I was already dead. Lucky for me, the round didn't hit anything vital. I was able to crawl away when I came to. After I patched myself up, I went back to make another attempt to free you, but there was no one left alive. I assumed you'd been disposed of too." He stiffened when there was a loud knocking at the door. He wasn't expecting anyone and none of his 'friends' knew where he lived. "Stay here," he said as he rose from the sofa and pulled his pistol from the end table.

He moved down the hall, his body angled to the side to give as small a target as possible in case rounds were fired through the door. He glanced at the small security feed and saw a blue drell. Drell were often assassins for the hanar, but he couldn't see how he'd have been on one of their contracts. And likely an assassin wouldn't knock on his door…or pound on it as the case was. He kept his gun low, at the ready, but just out of sight when he opened the door. "How can I help you?"

Tayln had decided to give his wife some privacy to deal with her past, but when he return to check on her half an hour later he discovered she'd taken the skycar. He'd followed her coordinates in the shuttle. "I'm here for my wife." His lips thinned. "My betrothed, Elvie."

Now it made sense. "The man behind the cloak." He stood back. "Come in, she's in the front room." He led the way, slipped his pistol back into the drawer and watched as Elvie jumped up and threw herself into the man's arms. He lowered himself back onto the sofa. He smiled and put his arm around her when Laura curled herself back up against him. He enjoyed the feel of her pressed to him and was glad she hadn't let what happened to her destroy her faith in all men. For her sake he was grateful she couldn't remember what had happened, but if she ever did he'd be there to help her through it if she let him.

"I'm sorry, Tayln. I didn't mean to go without saying anything. I was reacting rather than thinking – but it turned out a fortunate thing. If I had taken the time to talk to you I wouldn't have been there to save Laura. She was a victim of Uno. When the drug released its hold she was confused and ran to the balcony rather than the front door. She'd have fallen to escape her abductor if I hadn't flown by in time to see her. She didn't want to be alone so I brought her with me. She's a beautiful soul, I'm glad I was there."

Now that she was in his arms again and heard what had happened his anger at her leaving dissipated. "You appear to be developing a habit of finding and collecting good people," he mused.

She grinned at him as she took his hand and led him to the sofa. She sat down next to Laura and pulled him down next to her. "Laura, Reed this is Tayln – my secret husband." She smiled at Reed's surprised look. "Our marriage isn't acknowledged here; we'll marry legally when I'm of age. Until then, we are demoted to betrothed – if my husband can remember that when we are out in the public," she teased.

"I remember everything," he groused as his cheekfolds warmed. "But you are my wife and it is hard to refer to you as anything less."

Laura turned beneath Reed's arm so that she could see them and shivered when the movement caused his palm to graze her breasts. "Sere Teiner-"

He glanced at the blonde in Reed's arms. He liked the man a lot better now that his attention was focused elsewhere. Though he was curious why she was only wearing what had to be one of Reed's big shirts – unless she'd had nothing on when she ran from her abductor. "Tayln is fine, Laura."

"Tayln then. I know you – at least indirectly. My company does business with yours. Wolfe Pharmaceuticals. You would have known my father Kadar Wolfe. He – well, my parents died returning home from a business meeting several months back."

He remembered her father. "I'm sorry to hear that – I was unaware. I've only just returned to the Citadel a few days ago. You have my condolences." Had it really been only a few days? So much had happened it felt like he'd been here longer.

"Thank you. They were good people trying to run a business in a field known for lax scruples. My father found out members of the board were doing some unsavory things behind his back and he was gathering the intel needed to expose those members so they could be removed from the board. I honestly believe that my parents were murdered to stop his investigation." This was not something she'd shared with anyone before. They were her private thoughts. But she felt safe here with these people; a safety she hadn't felt since her parents were killed. "I've never told anyone, because I knew if what I'd suspected was true then I might be the next one to have an unfortunate accident."

The picture she'd painted made obvious sense to him. "I'll look into the matter discreetly," Reed told her. "Until the matter is resolved you will stay with me or Elvie when I cannot be here – you will not be left alone."

Elvie grinned. "You know me so well, Reed. I was just going to say the same thing."

"I know," he said. "You've always had a tenacious heart, Usdi Unaha."

"Wait a second," Laura said with a lift of her hand. "I'm not about to let myself be a burden to either one of you. This is my problem, not yours."

"You are not a burden to either one of us, Laura," Elvie assured her. "And your problem is our problem as well because we care about you. Deal. With. It." she had no intension of leaving Laura alone. What happened tonight on the heels of her parents' deaths no longer seemed like a random act of violence, but a preconceived one, perhaps to make sure she stayed in line or maybe she was supposed to have died tonight. She intended to find the answers before something else happened to her.

Laura's mouth opened and closed. She wasn't sure what to say to that, but it cemented the understanding that her previous friends had never truly been her friends. It was a child that had taught her the true meaning of friendship. No, child was wrong. Despite Elvie's age, she was no child. She was a woman whose body was still catching up to her wisdom. In truth, she had not wanted to be alone.

"She is right, uwoduhi agalisgv. You are not safe until we find out who was behind the deaths of your parents. I need to know that you are safe, whether it is with me or with them."

There was safety and comfort in his arms, something Elvie could not give her... "Would you be willing to stay with me at my place until this is over? It will be easier for me to work from there. And you simply must tell me what that means, I never learned more than a few words of the language."

"Of course and it means beautiful sunshine," he said quietly.

Elvie laughed, Laura was indeed beautiful sunshine with her light hair and the gold in her eyes. "Okay, big guy, since you are up for sharing meanings… after all these years will you tell me what Usdi Unaha means?"

He grinned. "It is Cherokee for little heart. I never meant it as in your heart was little, but that you were little. I've never known anyone with a heart as big or strong willed as yours."

Laura leaned back so she could look up and see his face. "You're Cherokee! I'm part Cherokee too." She closed her eyes as heat bloomed in her cheeks. "I'm sorry that was incredibly stupid of me to say."

A smile tugged at his lips and he lowered his head to brush his lips over hers. "That was not stupid at all."

"Yes it was. I'm white as a corpse, blonde with green eyes and I'm 5'10 – I look like I just walked out of the Scandinavian past." There were very few natural blondes left. She stood out like a beacon in a galaxy of brunette women.

"Corpses are technically grey," Elvie teased. "You most definitely do not look like a corpse. How far back is your Cherokee blood?"

"My great grandfather was full blood Cherokee and my mother's great grandfather was full blood Cheyenne. That makes me about 12.5% Cherokee and 6% Cheyenne. But the men in my family seem to be drawn to blondes. Not sure how they managed to find them," she said with an ironic shake of her head. "My dad was dark blonde, my mom light blonde and here I am, nearly 20% Native American, but as pale and blonde as a Scandinavian used to be."

"Cheyenne," he said with a grin, "the pretty people."

Laura blinked. "I don't know about that, Reed. I'm looking at a Cherokee and I've never seen a more beautiful man."

Reed felt the heat crawl into his cheeks. He was teased a lot as a child for being pretty, but he didn't mind that she saw him as beautiful.

"She has a point," Elvie teased. "You are beautiful." She felt her husband's arm tighten around her and grinned.

"See? She agrees…and she's obviously a woman that knows beauty – look at the man she married."

Reed cleared his throat. He wasn't thrilled about the direction the conversation was going so he changed it. "How did you escape, Elvie?"

"Party pooper," Laura teased and sat back up. She had been a little lost in what happened between Reed and Elvie years ago, so anything she learned might help her to understand better.

Elvie frowned. "After they separated us, there was only two left behind to guard me. I was terrified for you and my anger just kind of ignited my biotics. I…ah…called them magic lights back then, because I didn't know what biotics were. I combed the base looking for you, but I never found you."

Something inside of him settled into place. "Out of the ashes rises the fiery phoenix, reforged and reborn. That explains what I found when I returned for you. What happened that night bound our spirits. My spirit totem since that night has been the phoenix and I now I know that it is yours as well. Both of us were remade that night. I hunted down the men that separated us – they will not harm anyone else."

His beliefs had a beauty she didn't see in most religions. Perhaps he was right. She had changed that night. "That explains the phoenix I saw on your chest earlier. From what I could see of it, the work is amazing."

He couldn't agree with her more. It was a stunning work of art. "It is a complex piece; it covers my chest and my back. I had it commissioned at Raphael's Arte Parlor. Rafe is a very talented artist."

Tayln didn't like that the man thought he and his wife's spirits were bound. He didn't want her bound to any man but him. But he could see why the man believed what he did. "Yes, he is. I commissioned work from him as well."

Laura turned around wanting to see the phoenix. She lifted up his shirt and just stared in stunned silence. The phoenix, its beak opened in a silent cry, covered his entire chest and abdomen. It looked as if it were taking flight off his chest, its feathers moving with his muscles. She drew her fingertips down the length of the bird's body and watched as it fluttered with the ripple of his muscles. "I knew it was a tattoo, but I still thought I'd feel its feathers." When she realized her fingers were trailing a tail feather below his navel she froze in embarrassment and slowly removed her hand to lower his shirt. "I'm sorry; I had no right to touch you like that. I've become really talented at embarrassing myself around you."

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about. If I did not want your touch I would have moved your hand," he pointed out.

Elvie rose from the sofa. "We need to head home, we have a meeting in the morning. But one more thing –how is it that you came to be in Dagger's crew at such a young age?"

He rose to a stand. "My father worked for the CIA. He was deep under. I caught sight of him one day and followed. One of Dagger's men found me. To prove his loyalty my father had to bring me in. When he died doing a job for Dagger, I took over his mission since I was already in. It became my mission to find out exactly who Dagger was. I failed to do so. We still don't know. Everyone who knew me had died, so the mission ended."

She hugged them both. "We'll com you after the meeting to meet up and discuss what we're going to do about what's going on at the wolf farm."

Laura chuckled and shook her head. Oh brother. "Did you have to call it that? Now I'm going to think of breeding wolves every time I hear my company's name."

Elvie beamed her a smile. "You're welcome." At the door she turned to look back at Laura. "I'm assuming you wanted to stay here?" She saw the young woman's cheeks turn bright pink and laughed under her breath.

She took Elvie's hand between hers. "I do," she said softly. "He makes me feel special, safe and…alive."

She pulled Laura in for another hug. "I understand. He's a good man and you've already won his affection; bring him to his knees and he'll give you his heart," she whispered into her ear.

"Ha…Nothing is ever that simple," Laura whispered back.

"Maybe it will be. Either way, Reed's worth it."

Tayln put his arm around his wife when she returned to him. "Good night. We'll see you tomorrow. I'll leave the skycar here for you to use tomorrow, just com before you leave and I'll give you access." With his wife's heat progressing, tomorrow was going to be a lot harder for him to handle. At least now both Rafe and Reed's interest was turned elsewhere, much to his relief.

When the door closed behind them Reed took her hand. "You can sleep in either bedroom. I'll take the sofa."

That was an odd thing for him to say. "Why would you do that if you have two bedrooms?"

"I can't be sure that you and Elvie weren't followed here. I'll feel safer staying between you and the front door," he admitted.

She wasn't sure if he had a reason to be cautious or if his job made him so. "How romantic…but also ridiculous. If you are that concerned then you can protect me better if you are next to me," she pointed out.

He stilled at the suggestion. She was right, of course, but he hadn't wanted her to feel uncomfortable. He studied her expression. "Are you sure?"

A soft smile spread on her lips. "I've never felt safer than when I'm in your arms. So, yes…I'm completely sure."

He exhaled slowly and held his hand out to her. When she took it he smiled and led her to his bedroom. The pictures on his walls were of wide open spaces and wild animals roaming free. There was a dreamcatcher above his bed and wooden carvings of animals displayed on shelves. The rest of his home was modern, but his room was his roots.

"It's beautiful in here…though I'm not sure of the skins on the bed," she teased. In truth, they were unsettling. She liked animals too much to see their skins used that way.

"They are synthetic replicas, nothing more than bits of nostalgia for a past long dead." While he did occasionally yearn for the peace of being one with the land, the life of yesteryear had never been one of peace for his people. Even before the white-eyes came. Raids, torture, stealing horses and women had always been the way of The People and the tribes respected each other for prowess and cunning. The white men thought their ways barbaric and savage and thus began a war the culture of his people had not been able to survive.

"Why didn't you say so?" She ran over to the bed and jumped, twisted her body and landed on her back on the soft furs.

"I did-" the words fell silent when she her legs spread as she twisted her body in the air to land on the bed. The green shirt rippled upwards as she landed and her hands quickly smoothed it back down, hiding the pale fleece from him once more.

Her cheeks grew hot and she pretended like she had not just accidently flashed him. "This is much softer than I expected. I don't know what real fur feels like, but it's got to feel just like this." She was itching to do snow angels in the fur, but she'd already embarrassed herself enough, thank you very much.

He cleared his throat and forced his feet to move to his dresser. "Yes. My grandfather used to have furs around his house. I cannot tell the difference." He pulled out some pajama bottoms, considered the shirt too but decided against it. He didn't like the feel of wearing clothing to in bed; the bottoms were going to be irritating enough.

When he turned his back to her she did a couple of quick snow angels, enjoying the soft texture against her skin.

"Give me a moment. I'll be right back," he said as he hurried from his room to the bathroom. He tossed his shirt and pants down the laundry chute, used the facilities, slipped on the pajama bottoms and then looked through the closet until he found a new toothbrush. He opened the door. "I have an extra toothbrush if you need to use it."

She jumped from the bed and made a beeline for the bathroom. "Oh hell yes – you are…perfect…" she came to a screeching halt when she saw him in nothing but pajama bottoms. "Oh brother…I mean, you are not my brother…I mean I don't have a brother. Damn me. You are glorious." At 6'6" he was damned near as wide as a doorway and had a mountain of mouthwatering muscle.

He had to admit her nervous babbling was charming…embarrassing because it was about him, but endearingly charming. "And you are beautiful and adorably charming."

He laid her toothbrush down next to her side of the sink and reached for the toothgel.

She saw a part of the phoenix on his back and moved behind him to get a better look. The back of the phoenix, in perfect synchronization with the front, was displayed on his back as if the bird were within him. "You said it was on your back too, but I had no idea…I couldn't picture it – it's like the phoenix is a part of you…inside you." Her fingers skimmed over the bird and firm muscle of his back. "You feel so good. I mean…" she blinked. "That's what I meant."

She moved to the side and kept her eyes averted. She knew her cheeks were red as tomatoes, but there was little she could do about that. She grabbed the toothgel and spread it on the toothbrush and began to scrub her teeth, taking special care to make sure none of it dribbled out of her mouth. She'd never brushed her teeth next to someone before and surely seeing all that delicious muscle wasn't helping the drool factor. She cupped her hand around the side of her mouth and spit out the foam. She ran the brush over her tongue and spit again. It was silly to hide it, but she didn't want him to see her spit. She rinsed out the brush, set it in the holder and then darted around him into the small room the tub and toilet were located in and closed the door. She breathed out a sigh of relief. She'd managed to get through that without drooling like a rabid animal and hadn't said anything further to embarrass herself.

She finished up in the bathroom and was relieved to find herself alone while she washed her hands. No doubt she'd have opened her mouth and said something ridiculous if he'd been there. He was sitting on his side of the bed, his feet planted on the floor when she returned. She crawled into the bed and got up on her knees behind him. She ran her hands up his back, moved his hair so that it fell down the front of his left shoulder and slipped her arms around his neck. "Deep in thought?"

He felt the heat of her body and the press of her breasts against his back. "Just thinking about you," he admitted. There was no denying the attraction. She made him feel things he'd never felt before – both physically and emotionally. But what did she feel about him? Was it just physical or did she care about him too? He wasn't even sure how to ask without risking offending her.

She grazed his lobe with her teeth and flicked her tongue against the edge of his ear. "What about me?" she murmured.

"Would you be willing to see me on a regular basis?" he asked quietly.

"We're going to be living together, so I would say that's a given," she pointed out.

One corner of his lips pulled up in a grin. She had him there. "Touché, but that is not what I meant. I was referring to dates, allowing me to court you."

She hadn't even realized anyone used the term court anymore. She found it endearing and highly romantic.

"Any man using the word court can have all the dates he wants," she said with a grin.

He turned sideways on the bed so that he could see her. She didn't quite understand what he meant, though that was likely his fault. He had no real experience when it came to women or dating them. "I care for you, agalisgv. Before I feel too much I need to know if this is more than physical for you."

She fell back against the bed disgusted by her actions. It was all so clear now. She was the one doing all the touching and a lot of it, like some oversexed whore or a bitch in heat. "I deserved that. I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable or dirty. I've never been attracted to anyone like this before. I've never felt as alive as I do when I'm touching you or near you. And I only just realized that I'm the only one that has been doing the touching. I've been behaving like a bitch in heat and you deserve better than that. I'm sorry. Forgive me."

She'd taken his words in a way he hadn't intended. He rolled onto his side and cupped the side of her face. "You misunderstood me; there is nothing to forgive. Dirty or uncomfortable is the last thing I'd feel with you and the farthest from the truth. I've been holding you most of the night and I think that construes as touching." He took her hand and pressed it over the rapid beat of his heart. "I want your touch – I just need to know that you are touching me with heart and not just attraction."

"Reed, when I said you made me feel alive, it was not just sexually. You held me and comforted me when I was hurting. You made my heart sing with words I needed to hear when I felt dirty and ashamed. You make my body sing whenever you are near. I feel lighter inside… effervescent when you look at me. I feel cherished and safe when I am with you. I've never felt any of those things until I met you. But," she said as she poked his chest, "you are wrong – putting your arm around me is not the same as touching."

Those were the words he needed to hear…words that warmed his heart. "That is unfair, Laura. You are not built as I am. I could hardly just lift your shirt up and touch your chest," he pointed out.

She sat up, wiggled the shirt out from under her hips, pulled it over her head and tossed it to the floor. "Why not?" she asked as she fell back against the bed, the fur soft against her skin.

His heart turned over in his chest and his lungs forgot to work as he drank in the sight of her naked on the furs. His gaze slowly slid down her body from her creamy, full breasts with their tight peaks, her soft, flat belly, the curve of her hip to the pale fleece that covered the part of her he'd gotten a glimpse of before. He inhaled sharply and looked back up into her eyes. "You are more beautiful than I could have imagined."

Since he used a term of endearment for her she thought she'd use one that she'd often heard her mother speak to her father. She believed it meant something like treasure or treasured one."Uyehi," she said softly. "You still aren't touching me." She wasn't normally the aggressive kind and she'd certainly never felt a man's touch…at least none that she could remember. But she felt safe with him and she knew he cared about her and that gave her the courage to ask for what she needed.

A slow smile spread on his lips and his hand skimmed up her back to cup the back of her neck as his lips found hers. He wasn't sure what she'd meant to say, but he doubted she'd intended to call him husband. Still, he did not correct her. The tender word of the ancient language of The People from her lips felt like small butterfly wings brushing against his heart. He felt her arm slip around his waist and the stroke of her fingers down his back made him shiver.

His hand trailed down her back to draw her closer to him. He groaned when the tight peaks of her breasts brushed against his chest and her accompanying soft moan sent spirals of heat through his body. His hand dipped to the base of her spine and rounded over the supple mound of her ass to draw her thigh over his hip, closing the distance between them. Her skin was like silk beneath his hand as it drifted back up her curves to caress her breast. He drew his thumb over the tight bud and she arched against him with a cry of pleasure. He broke the kiss, his mouth trailing down to nuzzle the breast that filled his hand. He flicked the bud and rolled his tongue around it before he drew into the heat of his mouth.

"Yes!" she breathed the word out, her body shuddering. Her hands slid into his thick, silky hair. When he pulled back to look at her she shivered under the heat simmering in his dark eyes. Her fingertips softly traced over his chiseled cheeks. "Don't ever stop looking at me like that," she murmured, her fingertips gliding down his neck, over his collar bone to his chest. She grazed her nail over his nipple; his gasp sent a ripple of pleasure through her. Her hand continued its southern journey, tracing over thick muscle that contracted under her touch.

He was torn by what he was feeling…what she made him feel. He'd had little interest in a physical relationship because he'd wanted to wait for the right woman…for love. He didn't miss the lack of intimacy because he couldn't miss what he'd never had. But now that he'd experienced her kiss…her touch he knew that if he lost it he would miss it. He would more than miss it because it was more than just physical. He wanted her laughter, he wanted her babbling, and he wanted her teasing. He wanted her cheeks tinged with pink when she was embarrassed. He wanted her soft words, her tender touches. He wanted to hold her, and watch her sun-kissed emerald eyes fill with humor and passion. He wanted to hear her call him husband by accident. He wanted to protect her and keep her safe. He wanted her...all of her kisses…all of her touches…his alone. "Would you be willing to allow only me to court you?" he asked hoarsely when her fingertip circled his navel.

Her fingertips slid below his navel. "Are you asking me to be your woman, uyehi?"

"I am," his deep voice cracked over a pant of breath.

She drew her finger along the band of his pajama bottoms and his muscles contracted almost as if he were giving her room to slip her hand beneath the band. "And you are a one woman man – you are mine?" She knew he was but wanted to hear the words.

"Always…yes…" His body trembled in anticipation of her touch.

"Then I am yours, Reed Walker." She flicked the band of his pajamas and it snapped against his skin.

He groaned as her hand slid back up his chest and dropped his forehead against hers, his breath coming in harsh pants. "Then I am content."

She ran her leg over his, the fabric soft but unpleasant. "Do you always sleep in those?"

"No. I do not like the restriction of clothing when I sleep, but I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable," he admitted.

So he was willing to be uncomfortable just to ensure she was comfortable. "That is noble, but unnecessary. I want you naked." Her cheeks flamed. "I mean I don't want you uncomfortable on my account. I hate the pulling and bunching of material when I sleep. It's unnatural and uncomfortable and it's not like we have children – I mean it's not like we will be interrupted – I mean-"

He grinned at her babbling and dropped a kiss on her lips. He rolled out of bed to step out of his pajama bottoms.

She bit her lips to stifle a moan when the band lowered to show off his toned ass. "You have an amazing ass. I mean-" She sucked in her breath when he turned around, her embarrassment forgotten. His arousal was thick and gloriously proud. She swallowed hard when he grew even larger.

He couldn't stop his body from reacting to her heated stare. "Do you want me to put them back on?" he asked gently.

"No," she squeaked and cleared her throat. "I didn't know a man could be beautiful…there." Her cheeks heated up once more. "God, I'm such a silly virgin," she grumbled as she pulled down the blankets. When she realized what she'd said she froze, sat down and pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. "Except, I'm not…" she muttered softly. She was free of the memories of what happened, but she still felt violated. Something she'd wanted to give had been taken from her. "How can anyone do that to someone?"

He settled next to her and pulled her into his arms. He'd give anything to be able to turn back the clock and protect her from what happened. "I don't know, Laura. Some people are dark and twisted – their soul damaged and withered." But he would make sure the man fell hard and didn't get back up.

Her finger absently stroked the phoenix on his chest. "You have a beautiful soul." And he did. He was generous, thoughtful, caring and willing to help others in need. He also lit her up like a living bonfire and touched her heart in a way no one else had before. "If the choice had been mine I'd have given you my virginity."

Her soft-spoken words profoundly affected him. He gathered her closer and kissed the top of her head. He'd only known her for a night, but she was already under his skin and in his heart. Love at first sight were words he'd heard spoken, but he always thought they were only pretty words for lust – maybe they were for some…but maybe there was some truth to the expression. There was no denying the affect she had on him, but it went deeper than that. And he knew that when she was ready he'd make love with her. "The choice is still yours to make. A tiny membrane that can be lost to a fall or riding a horse or feminine products or even a doctor is not what makes you a virgin. When you choose to give yourself for the first time…that is when you will lose your virginity." He brushed his knuckles down her cheek and lowered his head to graze his lips against hers. "And, when the time is right, if you choose to give that gift to me I will treasure it and will give you mine." He scooted them down in the bed, settled her next to him with her head pillowed on his chest and pulled the covers over them.

When the time is right…she supposed he wanted to be sure of her before they took things further. "That's okay, uyehi," she said with a yawn. "Take all the time you need to know for sure about me. A day, a week, a month, a year – however long it takes…you are worth the wait," she murmured as she tumbled into sleep feeling the beat of his heart under her palm.

He grinned at her misunderstanding. He was ready to claim her in every sense of the word as his own; the words had been meant for her – when she was ready, both physically and mentally after what happened to her. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her against him. This was how man was meant to fall asleep.