A/N: I've always regretted not finishing this fic. Here we are three years later and I still want to know for myself how this story ends. Thank you to all my new readers and reviewers and a huge thank you to those who bother to catch up with this story.

So the story continues….

Chapter 7: Heat Sink

"We are part of this universe; we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us."

-Neil deGrasse Tyson

/-^-/

Omega smelled like shit.

I shifted uncomfortably in the armor that I embarrassingly had to ask EDI instruct me to assemble correctly. The metal plates pinched in places against the Exo-Suit and my fingers nervously twitched at the gun holstered against my thigh. Zaeed strode next to me confidently not paying mind to the numerous holographic advertisements scrolling across the walls. The dull orange glow illuminated his blue eye that darted across the numerous Vorcha and Batarians that clustered in small groups around the docking bay.

"Try to control your face Commander." Zaeed huffed once our eyes connected.

I realized my face was scrunched up in what had to reflect the smell and relaxed my features instantly.

"Welcome back to Omega."

Garrus' voice sounded to the right of me.

"You sure you wanted to come back here Garrus?" I breathed into the com of my helmet. "Not so long ago you were sniping half these… thugs."

Garrus' mandibles flexed and he let out a chuckle.

"As far as they're concerned Archangel got taken out by a gun ship." His eyes scanned across the room with a focused gaze. "Plus, you're out of your human mind if you think I'm letting you into this dump with just Massani and a hand cannon?"

Thane cleared his throat from behind me.

"She's has more than a pistol Garrus."

"Will you two put your dicks away?" Zaeed scoffed.

"All right Massani," His blue eye found mine. "You going to show us a good time or what?"

I was the unspoken leader and automatically uncomfortable now that I was taking point. I gave a quick roll of my shoulders and breathed out my mouth instead of my nose.

"C'mon then."

Zaeed gave a sharp wave of his hand to follow and began heading forward out the docking bay. I was already starting to sweat and it had nothing to do with the temperature. My Exo-Suit beneath the armor made sure to control my body's temperature within acceptable limits. Or so I read on the extranet. I was unable to sleep last night after that… vision or whatever I had with Shepard. I spent all night scrolling through holographic information of everything I could find. I even book marked some Drell anatomy extranet sites I found. A few articles even delved into more… intimate aspects.

I could feel the flush on my neck and risked a glance to my right.

Thane was only a few steps behind me. He was a comfort in the sense that I was sure he would do almost anything to keep his Shepard alive. No matter how royally I fucked up. We neared the docking bay doors.

"Human scum!"

I took two quick steps back and bumped into Garrus with my breath in my throat. My hand instantly gripped the hilt of the pistol.

A group of two or three Vorcha sat huddled against a corner near the door. One stood and growled at me with long exposed thin and pointed teeth. Small, black beady eyes peeked beneath a squashed nose and shot from me and around my teammates rapidly. It bounced with nervous energy while I took in it's sickly pale yellowish tan color of it's skin. They were built with an almost sickly thin frame. I could see it's tendons corded around muscles and joints barely obscured by pieces of leather armor strapped in random places of it's limbs, torso and groin region. My hand tightened on the gun when it's two friends stood from their haunches to join the instigator.

"You all deserve to die!"

The doors opened with a soft swoosh.

"Fuck off." Zaeed gave the finger and strode forward.

"Ignore them Commander." Garrus' voice was low and there was a supportive alien hand at the low of my back.

I felt a push from an elongated thumb, palm and two long thick digits and my legs remembered how to walk.

"Who the fuck just says that?" I muttered to the Turian next to me.

Garrus only chuckled.

My right hand never left my hip as we strode through the doors into the warm, stale air of Omega. I failed spectacularly at not ogling like a tourist at the red beams of light, sounds and musty smells that immediately assaulted me.

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

The bass of techno music thrummed the air as soon as we stepped out into the open. My eyes immediately focused on red glaring holographic letters that read "AFTERLIFE". Aside the sign flashed videos of scantily clad Asari and the occasional spurts of fire.

"Subtle." I thought.

A long line of patrons huddled beneath the club sign with a glaring batarian looked down at a holopad flanked by two Krogans. The doors slid open occasionally to let women or a few party members in a time and the music became cleared and amplified for only a moment. It unnerved me knowing that what acquaintances Afterlife held for me.

I did not want to run into Aria T'Loak anytime soon.

The backdrop of the scene consisted of murky oranges and browns beneath a haze of steam and smoke. Stalactites of flickering lights and cylindrical buildings hung from above and I felt as if I was in some sort dirty steampunk cave of legalized crime.

"We're not here to go clubbing Shepard." Zaeed crossed in front of me.

I felt my face go hot. It seemed the group had taken note of me ogling like a tourist. There were more than one lingering glance shot towards our group. Various aliens in nondescript dark clothing mixing between obvious armor painted either a bright blue or red stripes.

"Let's keep moving." I squared my shoulders.

"God help me."

Zaeed gave a grunt of approval and lead the charge down the open walkway to the right. We passed the hallway that lead to residential areas and the marketplace. Most of the crowd seemed to part around us. I did my best to ignore the occasional group of growling Vorcha or glares of mercenary packs. My right hand still seemed to twitch and flex towards the gun.

We continued dank corridors of metal and steam. Zaeed wound us through hallways and only stopped once or twice to glance towards the flickering yellow holograms that had indication arrows. Just as I wondered if we should ask EDI for directions our squad took a sharp right down a poorly lit, cramped hallway I most likely would have missed in passing.

"Oi," Zaaed barked at a lone Batarian standing at the end of the hallway.

"What's your business?" He barked back.

"We want a test run." He turned to walk towards the Batarian.

I instinctively stepped to follow when there was a sudden hand clasped around my wrist. I turned and raised an eyebrow at the Drell. I became aware of how close his face was to mine.

"We'll let Massani handle this."

Thane kept close while Massani exchanged a few words with the guard. It only took a minute or so before he gave a wave of his hand and we followed down the dim hallway. The guard tapped at his holopad and the wall behind him began to ascend upwards. A dull orange spilled over us and we were ushered forwards. The guard kept his eyes on us the entire time and continued to tap at his screen.

We continued forward down two winding hallways before the room opened up into a marketplace that was much more well kempt than the dingy one we had passed near Afterlife. Clean and polished humans and aliens spoke quietly to vendors that all wore all black armor with an indistinguishable red mark on the arm. Though the volume of the room was kept low there was tension that pressed against my chest. I had the feeling we were being watched very closely.

"Armax?" Garrus sounded surprised. "What the hell is an elite Turian military arms dealer doing in the back alley of Omega?"

"Credits are credits." Zaeed scanned the room with folded arms.

"Armax has had subsidiaries in the black market for years." Thane supplemented. "The weapons sold in markets such as these are supposedly exclusive to the Turian military."

"The markup is the real fucking crime but you're not gonna find modded weapons like this on the Citadel." Zaeed strolled casually towards one of the open Vendors.

"Would you like to place an order?" The turian continued to tap at the holographic screen. "We've got a new shipment in if you're looking for some heavy weapons. Grenade launchers with a little something extra."

"We'll shoot first." Zaeed crossed his arms. "We'll start with what M-3s you got lying around. Throw in a Tempest and an Avenger."

The Turian raised an eyebrow.

"You interested in purchasing?"

"Would we be here if we weren't?" Garrus cut in.

I'm assuming he spoke before Zaeed something that would get us kicked out.

"All right…" He swiped at the screen. "Mr. Massini. You and your party will be escorted to the range momentarily."

Before long another black armored Turian lead us to another long hallway. Two guards flanked the door that opened with a soundless swish. We were beckoned onto a large square platform that contained two large lockers on either side equipped with an empty weapons stand. The guard turned and placed a code into the locker and revealed a pistol similar to the one on my hip. A female turian took out the gun and placed it on a display case to the right. Another code and another gun was distributed until the opaque case held five or six weapons on fitted hooks. The alien keyed in codes on the locker and quickly stepped off of the platform.

"Don't do anything stupid." She warned.

Before Zaeed could reply the platform suddenly lifted us into the air. I let out a yelp of surprise and grabbed on to the closest person next to me. The weight of my body rock forward onto the balls of my feet and Zaeed kept me upright.

"Easy Commander." He gave me a wink.

I could practically feel Thane's gaze drilling into the back of my visor.

"I'm fine." I coughed awkwardly and righted myself. "So where are the targets? The hell am I supposed to shoot fifteen feet up in the air."

Zaeed pointed across the platform to large cargo boxes rotating across the ceiling.

"Oh fuck."

"You want me to shoot moving boxes?"

"What?" He grabbed a heavy pistol to inspect. "You think the Collectors are gonna stand there and wave at you Shepard?"

I narrowed my eyes.

"C'mon Commander I bet you've still got it." Garrus offered a supportive nudge.

I breathed out my nose and tried not to give Shepard's BFF a disparaging look. My right hand unclipped the pistol at my hip and I brought it upwards to inspect as Zaaed had done to the other weapon.

"What's wrong with mine?" I gave it a shake and placed it back in the holster.

"That is a M-5 Phalanx and it's gonna knock you on your ass if you don't remember how to shoot." Zaeed handed me a lighter model dark with scuffed markings across the side as though it had seen combat. "It holds ten extra rounds so you don't need to drop the heat sink as quick."

I wondered if I should mention that I had no idea how to 'drop the heat sink' first. I grabbed the gun from him and took a few steps forward.

"All right boys let's give her some space."

I rolled my shoulders and breathed out my nose. There were a few times my dad brought me to the range with my brothers… that was five or so years ago. I brought my right hand up and my visor automatically highlighted the boxes as targets.

I squeezed the trigger.

The shot went wide and I heard a groan from behind me.

/-^-/

I sucked.

It felt like hours I was stuck on that platform. My first few attempts were laughable. I managed to hit a box or two after Zaeed came over to yell at me that my shoulders were too stiff and my feet too close together. Once I did manage to graze one of the moving targets the gun clicked and nothing happened. I was hyper-aware of the glances of my teammates as I uselessly slapped at the gun the way Zaeed had done in attempts so the clip or heat sink or whatever would discharge. Garrus graciously showed me wear to press and how to load a heat sink. After I had blown up a few boxes I was given a heavier pistol and my aim was back to shit. We continued the process with submachine guns and sniper rifles. By the end of hour two even Shepard's lean and muscular arms were sore as all fuck. Then Zaeed thought it would be a good idea to lower the platform to get some close range shots in with the shotgun. I did better slightly less terrible with the short range weapons. Shotguns seemed to be less about precision and more so about blowing to bits whatever was in range.

Still, I could only imagine what was going through my teammates' minds when they watched their badass special ops militant trained commander miss slow moving cargo boxes. There wasn't much chatter while we made our way back to the Normandy. Garrus offered to bring me to the Citadel so we can practice some sniper rifles and he could work on my 'technique'. Thane's gaze was unblinking and unreadable. Zaeed didn't bother to sugar coat the fact that he's not done with me and my aim is trash.

I was unsure if it was my pride or my right arm that was more sore by the time we entered the Normandy SR2.

"Don't worry Commander." Garrus placed a hand on my armored shoulder. "We'll get you back into the... groove of things. As you humans say."

I gave his hand a small squeeze and a halfhearted smile. I was suddenly acutely aware of Thane's gaze fixed on my hand over the Turian's and my hand dropped. I quickly made my way to the elevator. Careful to avoid crew members that would want to know how my pathetic attempt at target practice went. I had the familiar urge to bang my head against the nearest wall. Instead I slunked back into my cabin to half heartedly do some research. With a heavy sigh I asked EDI on how to get out of the armor and placed back in it's rightful display drawer. The pistol went back into the weapon's locker and I decided I needed a long hot shower and clean clothes.

Unfortunately, the shower did nothing to soothe my thoughts. I grabbed a plain black shirt as well as boy-short type underwear that seemed to be the standard in space and dressed quickly.

"This no-bra/perky boobs thing is amazing." I thought as I settled at Shepard's desk.

"Meep!" A space hamster greeted me from his cage.

"Oh hey buddy," I peered into the small glass cage that sat next to scattered holo-pads on the desk. "Did Shepard ever name you?"

The small rodent stretched his small claws against the glass and stretched his large belly. Two small beady eyes blinked up at me and I couldn't help myself as I gently opened the perforated lid so I could hold the animal.

"Are you a girl or a boy?" I stroked its' chestnut fur splattered with random patches of white.

"This is a relative of the earth born genospecies Mesocricetus Auratus, also in laymen's terms, a hamster Shepard. She is approximately three years of age and have proven, with the appropriate nutrition and care, to live up to ten years. You have not selected an official name." EDI blinked to life to my left.

"Ten years?" I blinked. "Damn... come a long way huh you chunky thing?"

"Meep!"

She sniffed my palms for food and her little feet scrambling up my forearm. I giggled as her long whiskers brushed along my skin and I placed her back in my palms.

"I'm calling you Chonky."

"Meep meep."

I carefully placed Chonky back in her habitat and made sure that whoever stocked the green vegetables had left enough. She blinked back up at my before occupying herself with a rather large green leaf. I sat back in my chair and turned my attention towards Shepard's computer. With a wave of my hand the holo-screen came to life with a dull orange hue and ordered EDI to dim the lights. I tapped on the screen to zoom in on a krogan unloading a grenade launcher on a half decrepit building.

"That looks pretty fun." I muttered to Chonky.

Ding!

"You have a visitor commander." EDI announced.

"Uhm…"

"Mr. Krios is here to see you." The computer's voice sounded sympathetic.

"Sure." I shrugged.

Then I realized I was wearing close to nothing and stumbled out of the computer chair. I hoped that EDI would take a moment to let in the assassin.

"Shepard."

"Shit!" I tripped on the small steps towards the bedroom.

"When was I ever going to remember those are fucking there!?"

"Do you ever make noise?" I accused instantly defensive that the drell had caught me off guard and watched me almost fall on my face.

"Siha I- apologies, Shepard." There was a small twitch of the corner of his mouth.

The annoyance quickly dissipated with the drop of his smile when he corrected the pet name he had for Shepard.

"Oh, uh…" I cleared my throat. "Yeah, I see how you being an assassin and all that with the whole quiet thing. It uhm…it makes sense."

His chuckle was a low soft rumble and I shifted nervously.

I was very aware that I had no pants on.

"I came to see if you would be further interest in lessons." He kept his hands behind his back and stepped forward. "After today's excursion I believe it would be beneficial when it comes to combat if-"

"If I wasn't terrible at shooting?" I interrupted and placed a hand on my hip with a raised brow.

Those pools of obsidian seem to soften and he took another step closer and down the stairs. The empty soft blue glow of the fish tank illuminated the left side of his face. My eyes couldn't help but trace over the line that ran down the middle of his soft lips.

"Are you still interested?"

I felt my face grow hot and redirected my gaze back to his obsidian eyes.

"I-Interested?" I stuttered and my eyes flicked black down to that line.

"In training?" He took another step towards me. "If your aim is indicative of your melee skills… well I think there is much to be desired."

"Desired huh?"

The words just seem to tumble out of my mouth and I took a few steps towards the Drell. I didn't have time to ponder where the sudden flirtatious confidence came from. I blinked and we were just close enough for me to touch be able to touch him with an outstretched hand.

Suddenly the world flashed blue and I fell backwards to the ground with my feet swept out from under me.

"WAH!" I let out a strangled yell and I braced for impact.

But the impact with the hard cabin floor never came. Instantaneously a hand wrapped around my back and I was aware of the moment of my body being swung forward instead of falling backwards. I stretched my hands outward and let out a small 'oomph' as my knees came in contact with the ground. My eyes open and I was suddenly a mere centimeters away from those soft lips I couldn't stop staring at. Our bodies pressed against one another closely and with a slight shift of my hips my face became the surface of the sun.

"See Siha?" He breathed, "you need to work on your reflexes."

It may be only the fact that we were only a breath apart and I found myself entranced by that god damn line again. It made a small valley between his lips with just the tiniest bit of red that matched his fringe peeking through. The air grew warm around us and his hands squeezed my hips. Maybe it was the fact that we were on a spaceship a few hundred years into the future or the fact that the old insecure me may be gone forever... but all I could think in this moment was 'fuck it.'

I pressed my lips against Thane's softly and and slightly tensed. Unsure if he would pull away or stop me but Thane stayed still and allowed me to make the decision. His lips softly pressed against my open and mine slightly open. I sneaked my tongue out to taste that line and ran my tongue along his lower lip. Thane's chest rumbled in a soft moan and I deepened the kiss. His lips were much softer than they looked and I couldn't taste the way he tasted. His tongue met mine with a swift easy practiced move and the next moan came from me.

"Thane." I sighed and the three digits of his hands squeezed me once more.

The heat began to grow between us and I sat up for much needed air. My lap shifted against his with the movement and we both groaned at the contact. I looked down at him slightly lightheaded. My hands moved from the floor on either side of his head to the hard planes of his chest. The blue of the tank illuminated his skin, 'scales?', into a shimmering turquoise. The light from the water danced on his skin and I couldn't help but trace the waving lines.

"Siha." His hands stopped my own. "Intimate contact... we need to stop."

"Hmmm?" I murmured and slid my hands free.

They continued their own path and slid against the planes of his chest to the edges of his red ridges. They seemed slightly puffed and were by far softer than his lips. There was some memory of reading material that mentioned these soft ridges elsewhere and either myself, or maybe it was Shepard's body, instinctively ground against his lap. I felt a hardness beneath all that leather and gasped. I leaned backdown to press my lips and against his. The heat was ten times more intense and there was this... need.

Suddenly the world spun again and found myself under the assassin with those large black pools unblinking at me. My hands pinned above me to keep them from wandering.

"Siha," His voice pleaded with me. "Anymore touching and you're going to start hallucinating and start developing and amazingly itchy, uncomfortable rash."

I bit my lip and slowed my breath.

"Shepard. Yeoman Chambers is at the door." EDI announced.

As quickly as he was there, Thane was now standing over me. I blinked and let out a large breath. With him gone I felt the heat that burned all over my exposed skin began to dissipate. A cool wind swept over me and it was replaced with a slight... tingling sensation. I also felt more like me than I have in a long time. The desperate worry about how to 'be Shepard' had disappeared with the new heat to my skin.

"Tell Chambers to fuck off." I grunted and sat up.

"I will inform her to come back later." EDI blinked out of view.

"Siha," Thane cleared his throat. "Ah, Shepard. I apologize-"

"Oh hush," I waved the apology away. "I was the one who kissed you remember?"

Thane's facade melted into a soft smile and he offered me a hand to stand up. We were close again and I missed the warmth.

"So I should be the one apologizing." My hand fell from his. "Does this mean no more... practice?"

"I never said that we couldn't practice." His ridged brow quirked. "Small steps Siha."

A swift kiss was pressed to my cheek.

Then he was gone.