Chapter 01

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Abigail Gable, had meant it when she told Dr Chakwas that she said she enjoyed living on Omega though she had perhaps misspoken when she said the hollowed-out asteroid had charm. Omega was not charming. In fact, it was anything but. It was a harsh place to live where half of the populace was living under duress from the other. Mercenary gangs such as the Blood Pack and Blue Suns were constantly at odds, trying to get the upper hand on each other for territory, money and Aria's favour. There were no laws on Omega, no police or enforcement agency that saw to it that the ordinary citizens weren't harassed.

But there were guidelines as far as Abby could gather. People living in constant fear for their lives moved away and took their credits with them. The mercenaries needed those credits and therefore had to ensure that they had some kind of support base to sell their drugs to or extort protection money from. So… the different areas and gangs policed themselves and ensured that in their section of Omega, their people were relatively safe. Some areas of Omega had more wealth per capita than most regions of the Citadel and wealthy people liked to enjoy security and were willing to pay a premium to any who could ensure it. And that was where the mercenaries came in. That was what they considered to be their jobs.

Protection to the wealthy. At a steep price.

Businesses were also regularly accosted but perhaps one of the reasons Abby enjoyed living on Omega was because hers never was. Her clinic was on the outskirts of the central region in Omega which was directly under the oversight and rule of Omega's de facto leader.

Aria T'Loak was the reason Abby and her partner could stay there unmolested. They were under her… Protection.

And, in her own right, Abby had become appreciated by those who came to know of her. Most medical professionals willing to serve the population were respected. Mordin, though he had not been on the asteroid for months now, was one of the most respected citizens because he tried to make a difference. He had saved Omega from the plague that ravished the slums by designing a cure. These days people had forgotten Shepard's hand in it, but they did not forget his. His clinic was not near hers as it operated down in the lower slums, but Abby had worked there during her first few months on Omega, initially as his apprentice and then later as that of his assistant's Daniel. She still helped there occasionally when her own practice was not too busy because, after Mordin's departure, the clinic was a little short staffed. She wasn't naturally inclined to work with patients who could talk, but Abby had come to understand that on Omega the best doctor or medic was simply the one who was on hand.

And that was one of the other reasons she enjoyed working here. All citizens, be they human or alien, were very grateful for what people like her did. And, she felt as if she made a difference.

Walking home from her own practice, Abby enjoyed the hustle around her as denizens came and went, either to begin or end their day. Vaguely she could hear the muted beat of Afterlife in the background and wondered if she and Asura should go dancing. It was the one thing she genuinely loved doing and one of the greatest gifts Asura's touch had given her.

Before she had come to this world, she had been unable to dance for years.

And, she loved doing so with Asura. She didn't know whether it had something to do with their bond, but they were able to anticipate the other's moves with near telepathic connection. They danced well together and those evenings generally always ended… well.

Snorting at herself, Abby found herself blushing when she realised where her thoughts were going. She sniffed and tried to quell the rising feelings of desire in her, choosing to focus on the people around her instead. A vorcha passed by her and he made eye contact immediately, lifting his thin lips to reveal more of his teeth as his hand came up to his chest to make a gesture in her direction. Abby smiled at him and tried to imitate the sign.

She had learned a lot about the vorcha, things she suspected very few others bothered to figure out. One of the things was that vorcha, with their limited facial expressions, used hand signals to convey a lot of their emotions. She had always noticed that their hands were busy when they spoke, their shoulders rising and falling as they articulated messages in their terrible grasp of language. Like the elcor spoke their emotions out loud when dealing with other species, vorcha… signed them. She didn't know half of the signs and interpretations used but she knew enough to make an effort. It had earned her some respect in a species' community that was generally regarded as little more than sentient pests.

Her source of information was trailing behind her as he always did when she walked home.

Grom lived in her clinic and had become her guard, janitor and bodyguard practically overnight. It was the last that had endeared him to Asura, who had always been torn between trying to keep her safe and giving her much needed independence.

Grom didn't have to walk home with her, but he always did.

Stopping to give him time to catch up, Abby touched the vorcha's thin shoulder when he was within reach. "I'm alright from here," she said. "You can go back."

She could tell he wasn't happy with the statement.

"Omega changing," he said. "Too many of the eyes. Too many batarians. See? I counted four tens and five. I take you to your door." Grom was a compulsive counter.

Abby sighed inwardly but gave him a grateful smile.

"Thank you," she said. "Then walk beside me, please?"

The vorcha responded quickly. "No," he snapped. "See better from the back. You talk too much."

No good deed, Abby thought dryly before she shrugged and started walking again. At least the clinic varren had the decency to walk beside her when she took him out. Of course, Abby would never admit it to Grom or anybody else, but she considered the varren to be the smarter of the two.

However, Grom wasn't wrong. Omega was changing slowly and even though she had been there for only a short time, she could tell how the emotions had shifted since the Ba'hak incident. Racial tensions were at an all time high, spurred on Abby suspected by the slight influx of humans that Aria's new association with Cerberus had started. It was subtle and their numbers were mainly confined to the central region as that was where Aria could offer them the best protection but, in light of the batarian genocide, it had not sat well with the other occupants.

How Aria kept this place from exploding was beyond Abby.

They reached their apartment complex where Grom didn't bother to say good night to her as he slunk back off into the bustle of Omega. Abby watched him go, then opened her door and stepped inside, still entertaining the idea of asking Asura if she wanted to go dancing. She moved through the door, letting her hand drift to the small table by the entry way where she caressed three of the tiny carved figures placed there. Each represented a member of her family that she had left behind, her mother and brother and then a tinier carving in the shape of a dog. Though her thoughts rarely dwelled on them long, she felt comforted by this ritual. There were three other figures on the table. Two asari; one matriarch and one child, and a larger statue that depicted Asura's deity. The night she placed her own small family beside Asura's, Abby had found herself quietly praying to the asari goddess and asked her to take care of them across the time and space that separated them.

But they probably never existed here because in this world her past was a void.

Abby withdrew her hand, her mood darkening. I am real, she thought fiercely. I am.

"Abigail?"

Asura's voice brought her back to herself and to the warmth of their apartment with the peace they tried to keep here. Abby took a deep breath and turned to find her partner by the kitchen table, her thoughts shifting back to a possible detour to Afterlife. When she looked at her lover though, her heart went cold as a part of the asari's emotion washed over her.

"What's wrong?"

Saying those words always came with some measure of panic. Danger and violence had found its way into her life too often for her to remain comfortable and naive. Anything that worried Asura to the level that she sensed from her now had the potential to bring anything into their lives. Asura rose from her spot, her hand resting on the kitchen counter. It was hard not to simply go to her. Everything in Abby, who had been entertaining thoughts of courtship and seduction before she came to the apartment, screamed at her to go to the asari.

And it would not entirely have been out of her freewill.

Asura had an ability to compel anybody to bow to her whim and wishes. It was so ingrained in her that half the time; she hardly knew she was doing it. Abby had struggled in the beginning to separate her needs from that of the ardat yakshi's but time at least had taught her some resilience. It was still hard occasionally but Abby had taught herself to evaluate any instinctive reaction that she had and really weigh it up against what the circumstances required.

"Aria's daughter is dead."

Abby's stomach dropped and it felt as if someone had doused her with a bucket of ice water. She jerked involuntarily and immediately hugged herself.

"What happened?" She breathed but it felt silly asking because the life Liselle had chosen could only end in violence. She didn't know the asari, had only heard from her through Asura.

"Murdered," Asura said. "Griss informed me, he wants everybody to be on standby. Though of course, it is under the ruse of trying to find the missing drugs that had also been stolen. They are trying to find the culprit." Her features darkened. "It happened in the apartment of her human lover, Paul Johnson."

The name was unfamiliar to her.

Struggling with the news, Abby found that she moved to Asura out of her own volition and embraced her. They had discussed their life on Omega often in the months that passed, and the truth was, they both understood the necessity for Aria's wing of protection. But, it came at a price. Asura occasionally had to do work for Aria and Abby always feared the day her partner would not come home. What use would Aria's protection be then?

Asura returned her embrace, holding her tightly for comfort as she allowed Abby to process the news in silence.

"How is she?" Abby asked when she found herself capable of speaking again, her heart aching for the matriarch.

Asura, feeling a little confused, pulled away a little to study her.

"What do you mean?"

Unsure of herself, Abby grimaced and motioned to her heart.

"Have you spoken to her?" she asked. "Aria I mean." At the mention of their patron, Asura blew out a quick breath and shook her head.

"No," she said. "Of course not. Their association was a well-protected secret. It was by chance that I figured it out. And heard of this." She shook her head then frowned when she saw the look in Abby's eyes. "You can't talk to Aria about something like this."

Rubbing her arms as she moved away from Asura, Abby hugged herself her mind turning to the alien who was partially responsible for their tenure here. When she had just come to this world, she had made terrible mistakes that ultimately led to her asking Aria for help. The asari had agreed to her needs, on the account that she told her the truth of her existence here. She had listened without too much judgement, but had left Abby with the chilling suggestion that she might be an experiment set loose in the world. Her genetic affliction, Huntington's Disease, had been all but eradicated in human beings which meant that nobody knew of the unforeseen side effect that it had. Abby could meld with asari who had another type of genetic affliction. They simply called them ardat yakshi, with no name for the condition Asura suffered from. They were a well-kept secret in asari society, outcasts and dangerous. On average, they were more powerful than normal asari and had the same ability as Asura, to bend all to their will. Her partner had a very strong moral compass, instilled in her by a supportive family who had apparently tried everything to give her a normal life.

But there were others, such as Samara's daughter Morinth, who used it to their own advantage. And, they could also use it to kill. Any who melded with them died, wrapped in throws of passion and pain that seared the life out of them.

Abby's degenerating nerves buffered her from the full force to the asari's power, making it possible to meld with Asura. And, in return, it gave her the normal motor function her disease robbed from her.

She was unique for all the wrong reasons and Aria knew this which led her to believe that Abby was a product of a laboratory.

Abby denied this completely. She didn't understand how she had come to this fictional world but her previous life was so real in her memories that she didn't dare deny its existence. Still, the idea did frighten her and she avoided Aria as much as she could, even though she accepted the alien's offer to allow her to open up a veterinarian clinic here in Omega.

Experiment or not, Abby loved her life here, she loved Asura and for all the caution she had when dealing with Aria, she was grateful for the hand the alien had in this.

It was why she could not get her out of her mind as she stared at her partner, rubbing her hands together as she tried to put to words what she was feeling.

"She must be devastated, Asura," she spoke softly. "Surely…" Her partner reacted by taking her hands, concerned.

"Abigail, this isn't something we can get involved in, unless I am called to action." She pointed out. "I just… told you so that you know. Aria acts like the heart beat of Omega. This is bound to have some effect."

"Of course," Abby agreed. "But…" she looked around the room, still searching for the words. "She lost her daughter, Asura. I… I suspect nobody but us knows. Nobody will know what this means to her." Parenthood was something denied to Abby but she remembered the dreams she had in the life before.

"It's not our place," Asura insisted and Abby could tell immediately that she regretted telling her. Abby squeezed Asura's hands and stepped away from her, breathing deeply to try and quell the pain she felt for Aria. She wondered if she should send a message but didn't know how. She put her hands in her hips and stepped away from Asura for a moment, realising that she had to control the turmoil in her heart.

Her partner studied her as she moved and when they made eye contact again, Asura's smile was kind and filled with understanding.

"I know you want to help but she isn't our friend, Abigail," she pointed out. "We can support her in this by respecting her boundaries."

Abby nodded though she didn't want to accept it. Shrugging out of her coat and taking off the old hat Kasumi had still given her when she was still on the Normandy, Abby turned back to the door to leave the items on the rack they had there. She heard Asura get up and hands found their way to her hips, though not before Asura's thumbs traced a line down her spine. Abby took a sharp breath as her flesh erupted in goosebumps.

"You were thinking of other things when you came through the door," Asura's voice was low, her breath warm on Abby's neck as she kept her lips mere inches from her ear. Breathing deeply, Abby felt the knot in her chest ease and she welcomed it, not caring if it was perhaps a part of Asura's subtle influence.

"I was thinking we should go dancing," her mouth was a little dry. "But ah..." She swallowed. "Maybe not under these circumstances."

Asura murmured some disappointment. "I agree," she sounded a little disappointed. "But that would have been a good idea. Still I have made dinner and we can have a drink here." She leaned in then and kissed the back of Abby's neck as her hands moved to her stomach to rest there, just a few inches below her naval.

Save me from myself, Abby thought as she turned and caressed Asura's cheek before she raised herself on her toes to kiss her.

"That can be just as much fun," she said and was happy for the distraction.


Asura Dushkriti could hear that her partner was still awake. Lying with her arm around her, Abby's body was too... still. Her breathing too measured. She was trying very hard to be quiet and motionless as not to disturb her, but her turmoil pulsed against Asura's perception. The distraction had been welcome but it seemed it had not been enough to take Abby's mind from the news Asura had shared with her. She could feel the subtle ebb and flow of Abby's emotions as she first tried to find some measure of calm before she seemed to give in and lay there in silent distress. Asura could not possibly phantom why her partner would want to go and comfort Aria, but she had long since accepted that Abby was not like her. She didn't think like her or felt like her. People often said that asari were the most empathic species in the galaxy, but Asura could argue against that because it was a trait she had witnessed not just in Abby but in other of her species.

Abby's breathing changed as she sighed softly, her arm twitching slightly as she urged it to move. Asura lay still as Abby withdrew her arm and turned on her back. When she didn't move further, Asura turned on the bedside light, bathing the room in a dull ambience. Her movement made Abby sigh loudly.

"I'm sorry," she said before Asura could comment. "Did I wake you?"

"No," Asura made sure that her tone was kind as she turned to her, this time putting her own hand on the woman's chest, feeling the warmth of her skin through her thin sleeping shirt. "Can't sleep?" She could barely make out Abby's grimace as she shook her head though the vet offered nothing else.

Asura could only guess at the reason but respected Abby's silence. The woman didn't speak, didn't dare to touch her and only moved when she took a deep breath and sat up, slinging her legs off of the bed so that she sat with her back towards Asura. The asari shifted closer to her, missing her closeness.

"Anything I can do?"

Abby, who had been in the process of dry washing her face in her hands, stopped and chuckled softly.

"You've... done enough," she said. "I'm just... ahm... I think I'm just going to get up and make a cup of tea." She turned, her expression troubled. "I'm sorry, Asura, why don't you try get some sleep. I'll... go to the guest room when I'm tired."

Asura doubted that would happen.

"Is this about Aria?" She knew it was, but she wanted to hear Abby say it.

The vet didn't bother to hide it.

"Among... other things," she said and sighed again. "I feel very sorry for her, Asura. I don't think she has a lot of close associations. And... in that same breath I'm thinking about you and Liselle. I don't want you to end up dead and murdered in some apartment building." Her words made Asura reach out and touch Abby's back. She trailed her fingers down the woman's spine till she found the bottom of the shirt Abby was wearing. There she placed her hand on Abby's bare skin, hoping it gave her some form of comfort.

"I won't," she reassured her. "You know I'm careful."

Abby turned to look at her but didn't say anything. She moved away from her touch, taking Asura's hand in hers and bringing her head down to kiss her fingers, breathing in deeply as she did so.

"I'm going to make that tea," she said and stood up. "Should I bring some for you?"

Asura allowed the lights to go brighter so that she could see her lover's face more clearly.

"Abigail," she spoke finally, coming to a decision that scared her more than anything. "If you want to go, go."

The veterinarian blinked and stared at her, her features pale in the now bright light of the room. She was letting her dark hair grow, to Asura's private delight, and the asari could only marvel how similar yet different their species were. When Abby didn't comment, Asura sat up and made sure to make eye contact with her.

"It weighs on you," she said. "I can feel it. Abigail, you... are in touch with something that I am not when it comes to connecting with other people. If you feel that this is important, go. Go to Aria, but for the Goddess' sake be careful."

She immediately saw some of the tension flow from Abby as she breathed a sigh of relief, though her expression was pained.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "Asura, I won't go if you don't want me to."

One of the biggest problems they had during their first few weeks in Omega was Abby's headstrong need to show how independent she could be. Her partner had made decisions without consulting her, matters that impacted their lives, such as her employment of the vorcha, Grom. It was only after a lot of honest discussions that Asura finally came to realise that she was dealing with the demons from Abby's past, where she had slowly but surely been robbed of her independence, where people had tried to force decisions on her and treat her as one would a person of infirm mind. With her new lease on life, Abby had tried to reclaim her independence in this strange world, trying to prove that she could. Asura hadn't needed to be convinced that she was capable but she knew, deep down, Abby was still trying to convince herself.

"I'm sure," Asura said. "You... Follow your heart, Abby. Your relationship with Aria is different than mine. Do you want me to come with you?"

At her words, Abby moved to action, already hurrying to get dressed or at least partway decent.

"I... I'll go alone," she said. "I don't think you should come with, Asura. If... If you want you can walk me to the club, but no further. I... I don't even know if I'll get an audience."

Asura weighed the risk but couldn't deny that Abby was in less danger walking these inner streets of Omega than she was. The security around this section of Omega, and especially around Afterlife, was more than any she could provide without making a scene.

Besides, she knew it would mean a lot to Abby to do this on her own.

"I'll wait here," she said. "And make that tea." She got up from the bed and went over to where Abby was discarding her pants from the day before to choose another pair from her closet. She stopped what she was doing and look at Asura as she approached. The asari couldn't stop herself from reaching out and embracing Abby, happy that the gesture was returned immediately.

"Just because I fear for you," Asura whispered quietly as she ran her fingers through Abby's dark hair. "Doesn't mean I don't admire and perhaps even covet your compassion."

Abby shook her head, tightening her hold on Asura for a moment before she finally broke away from her touch.

"Do not underestimate your hand in it," Abby spoke quietly. "I am simply trying to be the person you think I am."


Originally when Abby visualised what she would do in Omega, she had thought that she would simply work on domestic earth pets. That perception soon changed when she found herself faced with quite a number of different clients and patients alike. Aliens simply didn't understand the difference between a general doctor and one reserved for animals, which was partially the reason she had to get a multi-species licence. It hadn't been too difficult, but then again, it wasn't as if she was going to be allowed to do specialised surgery. It barely allowed her to wipe a turian's nose, but it was a start and one day, should she chose to study further, she could specialise further.

On the grounds of being ethical and mostly ignorant, Abby rarely accepted most speaking patients, with the exception perhaps of vorcha. However, she was still occasionally put in a situation where she had no choice but to assist.

She met one such an individual at the doors of Afterlife, the large elcor bouncer named Chez. His species were among Abby's favourite aliens as they were honest and open almost to a fault. Chez saw her as she approached and, though his expression remained as blank as his tone of voice, Abby could tell that he was happy to see her – simply because he said so.

"Delighted," he greeted her. "Good day, Dr Gable. It is wonderful to see you."

Abby smiled at him and reached out to pat his shoulder as she would have with a horse in her previous lifetime.

"Delighted as well," she said with a smile. "It's always a pleasure to see you. How is your family?"

Abby knew them very well. A month ago, Chez had showed up at her apartment and insisted that she came with him. His wife had gone into labour and there were signs that it was going to be a difficult birth. Abby had not felt comfortable with assisting but didn't really have a choice when she realized that she didn't know who else would be available. Mordin had left Omega and she couldn't get a hold of Daniel, who later said he wouldn't have been able to assist anyway. She had finally approached the birth as she would have a dairy cow or horse. Only she found that elcors with their slimmer hind quarters had to come out legs and ass first and her patient had decided to go about it the other way. It had been awkward because for the first time in her life she had to apologize for where she had her elbows or the pain she caused when she pushed and manoeuvred the infant inside. Yet, it made her success so much sweeter. The joy so much deeper when she finally pulled the baby elcor into her lap. In a lot of ways, it was no different from a challenging labour in livestock, but the reward… Elcor didn't cry, at least not in a way she could perceive but she had shed enough tears for all of them. That celebration of life that she had shared with that family that night was unlike any she had ever experienced and she knew that she had a deeper bond with Chez and his infant than most of her acquaintances on Omega.

"Cheerfully," Chez was saying. "They are doing well. Thanday and Abby are travelling to her parents for a visit. Embarrassed relief. I am getting more sleep. Abby wants to play all the time."

They had insisted on naming their little girl after her.

"That's great," Abby said with a smile feeling and echo of the delirious joy she had felt when she finally managed to deliver the baby. Chez had nearly trampled her out of excitement.

"I am glad you are doing well."

She scanned the longer than usual line of patrons that awaited entry.

"Busy night?"

The elcor shifted his weight which immediately caught her attention as they very rarely showed any emotion or reactions.

"Worried. Anto said he does not want any trouble in the club so we are keeping the crowd thinner and more manageable." He scanned the candidates. "And the troublemakers, we are keeping them out."

Abby nodded in understanding, touching the elcor's shoulder again as she looked at those around them. Some met her gaze, clearly recognizing her. Others looked confused and irritated at the idea that a human woman was going to be allowed in when they weren't.

"Can I go in?" she asked. "I… need to see Aria."

Again the elcor shifted and Abby wondered how distressed he was.

"Cautiously. Tonight might not be the best night for that," he said. "But, you have never been denied here. I will not start now." She wondered if he would have refused her if she was anybody else.

Abby patted his shoulder gratefully and turned her back to the crowd.

"Thank you," she said. "I'll come by to say goodnight."

Abby moved into the club with a tight knot of anxiety in her chest, nodding at the guards as she passed them. The music was louder than usual and when she entered the main floor, she could tell immediately that the club was emptier. Asura had taught her to look to the dancers to judge the mood of the place and they all appeared to be a little desperate though the vet wondered whether it was because they were picking up on Aria's mood or worried about their income. She didn't study them for long but moved across the room to the steps that led to Aria's private balcony. Anto was at his usual space at the stairs and she felt his gaze studying her as she crossed the floor towards him. Abby never completely trusted the batarian, even though he was more tolerant of humans than most of his species. She suspected her perception was clouded by the fact that he threw her out of a car on their first meeting. He gave her a particularly strong stink eye when she approached him, but didn't stop her when she went past him and up the stairs. The balcony was empty of guests, the first time in Abby's memory. There were no guards, no patrons and no dancers. The only person present was the Queen of Omega herself. Abby stopped at the top to study the matriarch, the tension in her shoulders and the slight clench in her jaw as she looked across the nearly empty floor of her club.

Abby didn't know what others would see when they looked at her but, to the vet, her grief was tangible.

Sighing softly, Abby closed the distance between them and put her hand in the small of Aria's back. She didn't consider that it might have been a mistake till the asari turned around and grabbed her by the throat. Abby yelped in surprise when she was violently jerked around and lifted from her feet. There was murder in Aria's eyes as she started at her, recognition coming much later than Abby would have liked.

"Aria," she gasped. "It's alright… Please…" If she bruised, Asura might well try and kill the matriarch.

The murder didn't leave the asari's gaze but her grip eased slightly and Abby was put back on her feet.

"Do you have another death wish, Dr Gable?"

Aria was one of three people who knew that Abby had tried to take her own life before she came here. The revelation had been part of the price she had to pay for Aria's assistance to help and save Asura's life from Lenelle. She had been cautioned and admonished many times because of it. Even Asura who acknowledged the need for Aria's protection, didn't approve of her close association.

Abby found herself clinging to Aria's wrist out of delayed self preservation but tried to speak calmly.

"Asura told me about Liselle," she whispered. "I…"

Aria's hand enclosed on her throat.

"Don't you dare speak her name," she hissed as panic slowly began to war with calm in Abby's psyche, urging her to escape. She tightened her grip on Aria's wrists and tried not to gasp for breath immediately.

"Aria," she coughed, digging her fingers into the soft flesh of Aria's arm to try and draw her attention. "Easy, please."

The matriarch met her gaze, blinked slowly and finally let her go. A strange expression crossed her features as she turned away from her and scanned the floor again.

"I told Anto I need privacy," she sneered. "You have no right to be here. You are overestimating the limits of your boundaries, Dr Gable."

Trying hard to refrain from touching her throat, Abby took a steadying breath and made sure to keep her voice low and steady. She didn't want to show Aria that she was unsettled.

"I know where you would want the limits to be tonight," Abby spoke softly and focused on her other emotions, on the sadness she felt for Aria's sake, hoping that the asari's natural empathy will pick up on it and understand why she was there. "But I feel strongly that your perceived needs are irrelevant." She swallowed and looked to the side where Aria kept a private stash of alcohol. Not looking at the matriarch, she went to the bar, took two glasses and proceeded to inspect the drinks available until she found one they would both be able to consume. She poured Aria a healthy portion and took the drinks back to her. The asari was still standing as she had left her, that strange expression on her face. Abby inspected her as she handed her the drink, trying to place the emotion.

Grief, she finally decided because it was one she saw on Asura's face often when she spoke of her murdered sister. Agony and grief.

"I think my place is here in this moment."

Aria laughed at her words, a touch of madness in her tone.

"You are mad," she told the human woman. "Out of place and mad. What do you aim to achieve here? Why are you here?"

Abby hid her nerves by taking a sip of the drink she had poured for herself. It wasn't as much as Aria's as she didn't drink a lot, not liking the feeling of inebriation as it made her more unsteady on her feet.

"I came here to help," she said softly. "I feel as if I need to be here." She sniffed and confessed what she had to Asura. "I think I'll be the only one who would be here tonight. Nobody else would…" She trailed off but knew that Aria would be able to finish the sentence on her own accord.

Nobody would dare disturb you in your grief. Nobody probably even know what happened to you on this day.

"You can't help me," Aria spat. "This is not your place."

Ignoring her tone, Abby gave her a sideways glance and simply sat down on the couch.

"One drink," she said. "Then I will leave."

Again the matriarch studied her, her piercing gaze cutting through Abby's soul though finally, she seemed to give in a little and sat down beside her, crossing her legs and taking a big gulp from her glass. The liquor was strong but she hardly showed it.

"Did you see this happening in that game you think you played?" Her tone was dangerous and Abby shook her head quickly.

"No," she said earnestly. "If I had, I would have warned you. I didn't know you had a daughter till Asura told me."

Aria was quiet, studying the liquid in her glass.

"Few did," she spoke finally. "But I… Our daughters are our constants. Our legacy. They are meant to be with us long after…" She closed her eyes, clearly struggling to keep her pose. When Abby reached out to touch her leg, the asari slapped her hand away.

"I don't need your pity," she barked. "You over extend yourself!"

Abby didn't flinch but made sure to meet Aria's gaze.

"This isn't pity, Aria," she spoke quietly. "I hurt for you."

Her words made the matriarch pause and Abby felt her studying her again. She found asari attractive these days and Aria was no exception. She could see the age in her eyes, experiences and memories that spanned over centuries. Her ageless features turned to a frown and unexpectedly she reached out and touched Abby's cheek, not as one would a lover but perhaps a child.

Abby instinctively knew that she wanted to meld. It made her pause because this part of her, her thoughts and emotions, were for Asura alone. But, before Aria, three asari had tried to meld with her and failed and she couldn't see how this time could be successful. So, she leaned into Aria's touch because she understood the significance of Aria's willingness to share this moment with her. Aria leaned closer to her and rested her forehead against Abby's, her hand still cupping her cheek. Abby in turn reached up and linked her fingers with Aria, giving her the permission she knew Aria was waiting for.

"Embrace eternity," Aria whispered. The words had come to mean much to Abby. They were always the last words she was aware of when she and Asura melded, her last connection to consciousness. She heard those words whispered by the mercenary Fedora when she tried to extract information from her, and they were on the lips of Samara when they tried to figure out who and what she was on the Normandy. Lenelle had spoken those words as well, thinking that they would be her last when she intended to kill her, not knowing that Abby would survive her touch. It had given Abby access to parts of her most intimate thoughts and memories. She still felt Lenelle in her mind, like a dark passenger she would never get rid of.

She felt Aria trying to sink into her thoughts to connect with her as others of her kind had tried. It was instinctive to the empathic asari race who could sometimes not help but share their thoughts to gain a better understanding. Abby felt honoured that Aria would try to do this in this moment because she also knew it would have shown her the extent of Aria's grief.

But, as she expected, the melding didn't happen.

Aria blew out a slow breath and drew back, studying her features though surprisingly, there were tears in her eyes and a sorrow that seemed to swell around the well of loneliness that this loss brought to her soul. Sensing that it was the right moment, Abby leaned forward and did what she had come to do. She carefully let go of Aria's hands and wrapped her arms around Aria, hugging her as tightly as she dared. She could not give her the strength of melding.

But she could be human in this moment. She could be there for Aria the way humans were. She hugged the asari and after some time Aria shifted and wrapped her arms around her, returning the gesture. A soft wail broke through the lips she pressed into Abby's shoulder and sobs tore themselves from her chest as she cried from a loss she should never have had to live through.

Children, in any culture and species, were sacred and parents should not have to bury their children.

Feeling a little overwhelmed, Abby bit back her own tears. She held onto Aria till she felt the asari sobs subside and finally push away from her. Abby pulled away quickly and reached for her drink so that she didn't have to look at Aria as she composed herself. The asari got up and went to her bar to refill her own glass. When she didn't offer Abby another, the vet swallowed down the rest of her liquor and got up heading to the stairs without another word.

"Dr Gable."

Abby stopped and looked at the Pirate Queen of Omega, who had managed to recompose herself.

"Do you realise that there is no place in this world for people like you? Not here, not on Omega and certainly not with that murderous partner of yours. Your soul will slowly be destroyed, much like your body is."

Abby had expected something like this, the slap and retaliation for seeing Aria so compromised. She had steeled herself against the rebuke, but her mind still returned to that time when they were facing Lenelle on the roof and she had picked up a gun in order to try and kill the ardat yakshi before she killed Samara and Asura. She had fired and her shot had hit true, though it had been Shepard's headshot that dealt the killing blow. She had come very close to a line there she never wanted to cross.

"I think," Abby spoke quietly. "That you have to give me more credit than that." She inclined her head at Aria and left to try and regain her composure and strength, in the arms of her lover.

The End of Chapter One