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Sleep had evaded her for days. Every time she would close her eyes, the ghosts would try their hardest to make sure she wouldn’t find rest. Nightmares plagued her when she did sleep and once awake, she would find it impossible to ease her anxiety enough to sleep again. The Normandy was approaching the Omega 4 Relay, the final battleground against the Collectors. Charley Shepard would fight until the people that the Collectors had stolen were free… or until she was dead.
She lay in bed, her eyes fixed on the ceiling where a window was the only thing between her and the stars. She wondered how many of those stars had worlds and how many worlds had entire populations on them. Then, as if her mind couldn’t let her forget what awaited her in the next few hours, she wondered if the Reapers had already destroyed some of those worlds.
Charley glanced at the drell that slept peacefully beside her. His face was softened in sleep, something she wasn’t used to seeing. He was always so focused. It usually hardened his features, made him seem more serious than he really was. Thane Krios was an assassin and definitely not an enemy you’d want. But seeing him as he dozed, he seemed as harmless as the fish in her aquarium.
Resisting the urge to touch him, Charley quietly slid from the blankets. Her bare feet touched the floor and with a curse, she hurried across the cold metal to where her slippers waited. As she pulled them on, she bounced around on the opposite foot, almost falling over in the process. Once recovered, she realized that she was no longer the only one awake.
Thane was leaning against his pillow, propped up so that he could watch her struggle. She could swear that she saw a brief smile.
“Were you just going to watch me fall and hurt myself?” She asked, turning away from him so he wouldn’t see the blush that colored her cheeks. Finding a distraction, she grabbed the rubber band from the desk in front of her and started to tie her hair back. “That’s rude, Krios.”
He chuckled, the deep sound sending a shiver down her spine. Damn him. “Siha- look at me.”
With a deep sigh, she gave up on her hair and faced him. His black eyes watched her thoughtfully, his expression nothing but soft for her. He could make her crumble beneath his gaze, his words could easily tear down the walls she’d spent so many years building up around her heart. There was no one like Thane Krios.
He tapped the spot on the bed she had vacated only moments before. It was probably still warm from her body heat and the thought of snuggling up to Thane was a lot more appealing than sitting in the mess hall and eating her nerves away.
Without hesitation, Charley hurried to the bed. Once close enough, she leapt onto the mattress, kicking her slippers off in the process. She landed heavily on the bed, the force of the landing causing the breath to exit her lungs. With a laugh, she buried her face in the blankets, feeling a little foolish for the sudden childish act.
“We’re lucky the bed is bolted to the floor.” Thane mused, a smile in his voice.
Charley snorted, lifting her head enough so that he could hear her next words without a blanket muffling them. “As if we haven’t already tested that out.”
Thane laughed as she buried her face in the blankets again. She didn’t know what was happening to her. She was acting like a love sick teenager. Even when she was a teen on Mindoir, she had never acted like this. She groaned, mortified at her actions. If she could curl up on the spot and disappear, she would take it.
Thane reached out and stroked her hair, silent as they lay there beside each other. It was peaceful despite the turbulent fears that dominated her thoughts. She’d never faced a threat like the Collectors. The Geth had been nothing compared to this… compared to what was coming. It was the uncertainty that scared her the most.
“You’re tensing your body, siha.” Thane murmured as he continued to brush his hand against her hair. “Are you still having nightmares?”
Turning her head, Charley rested her cheek against the warm blankets, her dark eyes watching him in the blue glow from the aquarium. Concern was etched on his face and the sight of it pulled at her heart. She hadn’t had someone care about her in such a long time…
“Sometimes.” She admitted, hating the fear that crept into her voice. But with Thane, she could be honest. With him, she could reveal her deepest fears and know that he would never think less of her. He would help her face them.
As if he could read the real meaning behind her response, he moved and pulled her with him so that she sat facing him. He pulled the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders, a small gesture that meant everything. “You’re not sleeping.”
It wasn’t a question. He already knew the answer.
“No.”
He nudged Charley’s chin upwards so that she had to meet his gaze. “You are the strongest person I know, siha. You’ve overcome so much: loss, bureaucracy, even death itself. You’ve proven that no one else could lead us in this fight. We fight to destroy the Collectors… to stop the Reapers, yes, but the truth is, without you, none of us would believe we had a chance. We do this for you.”
Charley glanced away. Her mind was a confusing swirl of emotions, but to see how certain Thane was of her leadership, of her ability, it made her swell with pride... even if she was a bit embarrassed to be praised so highly. “It can’t be that easy.”
“It’s not easy, but I have faith that you will find victory, Shepard. You were meant for this fight.”
A smile found its way on her lips. “You make me feel invincible. As if I can really do this.”
When she returned her gaze to his, she found that he was smiling as well. “Because you can.”
Charley let the blanket drop back to the bed, wrapping her arms around Thane’s shoulders and leaning into him for a hug. He returned the embrace, knowing how much she needed his touch. Maybe there wasn’t anyone left to save, but if there was even the smallest chance, Charley would see it through. She had to… for all those who didn’t survive.
She would make sure the Collectors never took another human again.