III

Dr. Solus' operation on Dylan was a success. His damaged bones were reset and his hand was reattached to his left arm using microsurgery and biomimetic gel. After encasing the hand and forearm into a nutrient suspension cast, the salarian advised the rescue tech that months of physical therapy would be needed to regain the full use of his hand and prescribed a "vacation from suicidal heroics" to facilitate healing of his bandaged injuries, causing Dylan to laugh out and hold his sides from discomfort.

Hannah had awoken from Samara's telepathic sedation and spent her time aboard the Normandy 2 near the medical bay at the commissary, numbly pacing about, lounging in chairs or chewing on protein bars. Unusually silent and sullen, she spoke only once in communication with her first officer, placing him in command of the Orizaba until further notice was given; Commander Kendrick was in near shock of her sudden change in tone. Attempts by members of the crew to get her to speak further were fruitless. Hannah was deeply ashamed of her actions several hours earlier; she went completely still when asked about happened during those hours, but would only nod or shake her head softly to "yes-no" questions about other matters.

As Hannah slept through the flight and rescue mission to PGV-81D, Cadrina questioned Samara on what had transpired, learning of Dylan's message to her. She also hacked into her mother's omni-tool and found Dr. Wilson's recording on the Illusive Man's designs along with some of his notes and briefs on the Interface. Cadrina did not have much time to read or listen in depth as she assembled and prepped a team with Samara to rescue her father at the mines, leaving Dr Chakwas to watch over Hannah. But on returning to the ship, she listened to the entire recording in her quarters and finally understood what had driven her parents to their crazed attempts. She sent for her mother while she stood in the medical bay observing her father propped up on one of the beds, ordering Chakwas and everyone else to wait outside. The family said nothing to each other for a while, Cadrina pacing the room trying and failing to find words. Dylan was still alert despite the painkillers he was administered and watched his daughter closely. Hannah sat in a chair at his bedside with her eyes to the deck and arms crossed, her expression unchanged from before. Cadrina then stopped, accessed her omni-tool and played back Dr. Wilson's recording for her family to hear…

(For the good of Shepard's soul. For the good of all the souls that exist and have yet to exist… Shepard has to die…)

"… well… this confirms a suspicion of mine," said Cadrina as it ended and she switched off her omni-tool, looking off to one side "While I was accessing the Interface, I felt something inside my head. Like there was someone else in there, watching me… hiding from me…"

No response from either Hannah or Dylan. Cadrina looked to her father.

"… and you weren't going to say anything to me…?"

"We couldn't take that chance… he could have been listening…" Dylan summoned up.

"So you went off by yourself to kill him…" shrugged Cadrina as she shook her head and chuckled in exasperation "Well, great job, Dad. He got away and his pet assassin nearly cuts you to shreds!"

"He hasn't won yet," said Dylan, recalling his confrontation with Kai Leng "You could still use the Interface against the Reapers."

"I've taken my own precautions against him," Cadrina dismissed "Who knows? Maybe we won't need the Interface. Maybe all our ships and their new weapons will be enough."

"You heard the tape, Cadrina… it chose you…"

Cadrina looked uneasy a moment, holding back the urge to admit that the Interface did not really choose her but actually manifested as her in order to safeguard it from abuse and to study corporeal life up close. She stiffened and relaxed, intent on keeping control of the situation. She resented her parents for not confiding in her, but knew that all present were guilty of keeping secrets from each other. She could not even bring herself to address her mother. Most likely she would have received more silence.

Cadrina raised her hand before her and dropped it as she spoke, unconsciously using it as an anchor for her thoughts "Honestly… I… don't know what to think or feel right now. There's too much to do to do either. I… the fleets are all assembled… final preparations and assessments are being made."

"At 0800 hours" her voice trailed off "… we hit the Charon relay…"

Cadrina turned and walked to the entrance to the medical bay, picking up speed as she approached. She stopped abruptly, seized with the notion to not part with her mother and father so coldly. She slowly came about to face them. Only Dylan looked on his daughter as her gaze met the deck.

"I never asked either of you for your help, but…" Cadrina lifted her eyes and thinned her lips in a weak attempt at a smile "… I'm grateful… that you came along and tried…"

Cadrina proceeded across the deck to the elevator. A minute or so after she left, Hannah finally broke her silence.

"… so…"

"So?" Dylan inquired of his wife, turning his head.

"… are you going to tell her…?" Hannah responded, still looking down and away from Dylan.

"About?"

"You know 'about.'"

Dylan squirmed in his bed "I told her… and you… about my past in black ops."

"But not exactly what or with whom."

"Just drop it - it's behind me now." Dylan's volume began to rise.

Hannah met her husband's stare and flung invective "Well it sure caught up to you like a son of a bitch!"

Deep inside Dylan realized that she was lashing out to draw attention away from her own sins, but he felt unappreciated. He had worked out and executed an involved plan that would free his daughter from Cerberus control and help save untold numbers of lives. And all his family could do was decry what they believed was a desperate attempt to redeem himself.

"Well, what –about- you? I told you to wait for me!" Dylan matched Hannah's tone.

Hannah rose from her seat "Wait… and go out of my mind for four fucking days?"

A few crew members gathered just outside the soundproof medical bay windows. Nothing could be heard other then the murmur of the drive core and the growing crowd watching Cadrina's parents fighting; Dylan's bed facing away from them, Hannah mouthing and gesticulating angrily.

"I did the best I could!" shot Dylan.

Hannah countered "And we agreed 'Tell no one!' But you could go tell Samara?"

"I only told her to keep an eye on you, that you might try something rash!"

Hannah stretched out her hands "I thought I had lost you!"

"I said I was coming back!"

"Yeah, cause you're so GOD DAMN sure of yourself!"

"HANNAH!"

"DYLAN!"

Hannah leaned in to fire off another accusation when something made her pause and glance out the windows to the crowd outside. Hannah then quickly fumbled over to the wall controls and engaged the privacy feature, darkening the glass to near total opaqueness. She padded back to Dylan's bedside, panting.

"Jesus, Dylan… what's happened to us?" Hannah's voice trembled, pointing a finger to the deck as if their argument was suddenly personified as a vile creature lying upon it "We're supposed to be above this. We – we are… better… than this…"

"We're… just folk after all, Hannah" swallowed Dylan softly, using her late mother's term for ordinary working people who wanted to live peacefully "Just scared like everybody else… scared we might not make it…"

Hannah smoothed back her short hair with both hands, holding in tears "I don't know which scares me more… dying or surviving…? What happens after…?"

"I guess we find out, "concluded Dylan "If life will still be… if we'll still be…"

"Can we? After I find out…"

"But you tried…" interrupted Dylan

Husband and wife went quiet at once, locked in a stalemate. Hannah still wanted to condemn Dylan for his past and for not ending Cerberus while it was still in its infancy, allowing it to grow powerful enough to threaten their daughter and society at large. Dylan wanted to condemn Hannah for choosing to take their child's life over having faith in him or Cadrina to foil the Illusive Man. Even people such as they were not immune to the fear; their daughter also feared but only she was in a position with the means to face it and hopefully banish it forever. To hurl more accusations and hateful words at one another meant surrendering to it. Neither would allow this, but then neither could bear the presence of the other at this time. They needed time, time to pass and space to heal if possible; if it would ever be possible.

"I just wanted to protect her," her voice cracked "… that's all I wanted."

Dylan looked away from her, no longer in a mood to speak. Hannah lowered her head slightly and walked to the entrance. She leaned forward on the edge of the passageway as she looked back on her husband one last time, envying the trials and tribulations of most other married couples in that moment. They would fight over infidelity or problems with finances or different types of abuse. Serious problems to be sure, but Hannah and Dylan were at odds over actions that could change the course of galactic history. The parents of whom many considered and a few came to worship as a god. They were the king and queen of Olympus quarreling, but he was in no way the philandering Zeus or she the troubled Hera. Yet even the gods were much like mortals with the capacity to err and forgive. Most mortal couples had separated over far less.

Hannah breathed "Could you ever find it in yourself… to forgive me?"

Dylan still faced the opposite wall from his bed.

"…Could you…?"

Hannah briefly interpreted Dylan's pause as a redirect of her question and motioned to answer before he finished.

"… find it for me?"

Hannah remained at the entrance for several minutes sadly staring at her husband before releasing the door and heading on her way.

THE FINAL BATTLE APPROACHES

Author's Notes and Thoughts:

- The first story in the Interface arc, Personal Interests, features Dr. Wilson's entire transcribed recording