A Promise is a Promise (Atroxa & OstrichFromJoust)

"Of course, thank you for the excuse to get an actual lunch," he said with a chuckle, getting up and leading them back to the C-Sec door. Vexus felt bad that they had to get right back to it, him right back to work, her back to the docks to wait and worry. He admired it though, she seemed to be staying strong through all the crap she was getting, keeping up hope that her parents were going to arrive. Experience and knowing how this galaxy was made him think otherwise, but her hope picked him up, made him maybe think the galaxy could give them a break, just this once.

They went back through the corridor, back to the station. He checked the ID back into the terminal and led them through the door, and the loud noise and cramped space of the docks greeted them with open arms. A co-worked happened to see him and wave him over hurriedly, it seemed there was some sort of issue they needed him for. "Gah, back to the grind I suppose. I'll see you later," he said, hope in his voice that they could hang out again. With a smile and wave, he walked quickly back to the security desk.

The next day marked some sort of event the Council was supposed to appear at. With everything going on, they wanted a boost to morale, to keep up appearances that everything was running as usual, and so it pressed on even as the galaxy around them was falling apart. Security was a big issue, so Vexus was dragged from his spot at the docks to assist with the logistics of the security detail for the council. His mind was elsewhere though, missing his spot at the desk, mainly a certain person stopping by to brighten his day. He surprised himself, he'd only seen her twice now, yet she was stuck in his head. An incident made him snap out of it and pay heed to his job, though it was unimportant, some fanatic of one of the council members just tried to rush the stage. Gotta love the crazies.

Things back to "normal," Vexus found himself back at the desk. His feelings were again conflicted at the fact that there were even less shuttles coming in. Fewer people to add to the chaos of the docks, but something was keeping them from coming here, good or bad. He typed at the virtual terminal, running a check on some refugees before he passed them on for a final approval into the Citadel. Moving his head up to stretch his neck, fringe hitting his back, his gaze caught a familiar blonde head moving to the desk. He smiled, mandibles coming in a bit as it faded, seeing her face. It wasn't hard to see she was distraught. "Hey, Tamsin. Yeah, the Council had a thing, apparently I'm good enough that they needed my help," he said with a cautious chuckle, some concern growing in his face. "Still waiting, I see. How are you doing?"
 
Tamsin could hear more than see his concern, she was getting the hang of turian expression, but she still wasn't a master of it by any means. She didn't want him to worry though, and forced herself to smile a little better, trying to brush away the stress and worry in her eyes. “I'm fine, still just... waiting,” She told Nexu with a shrug, trying to seem nonchalant and unworried, “I mean, they promised they'd be here. And they always keep their promises.” Her father prided himself on being a man of his word, if he said he was going to do something, he did it, he would make it happen no matter what he had to do. But Tamsin sounded like she was more trying to convince herself of the surety of her parents' arrival than him or anyone else.

“Most everyone else is gone now, so I've just been trying to keep busy. It's kind of boring, you know?” And lonely, and kind of scary, but she wasn't going to tell him that. Tamsin wasn't used to being alone, her family was very involved, and her community had been tight knit. And it wasn't like she had much to do, so there was nothing to distract her from the fact that she was alone, and the circumstances that had caused all this to happen. All she could do was try to make friends with the other refugees, but most of them weren't interested, or they were gone the next day, so she'd practically given up on that as well.

Still though, she had never been one to seek sympathy, and Nexus had a job to do, she wasn't his concern or responsibility. He'd been very nice to her, but she didn't want to be a bother or a burden. The girl was lonely though, and she hadn't been sleeping well, her blue eyes not so bright, with hints of bags starting to form under them. She was plagued by nightmares, and it was hard to sleep with all the noise going on, and last night she'd woken up to see some batarians standing not too far away, staring at her. So she'd gotten up and gone to one of the more crowded areas of the docks. It had made it impossible to sleep, but at least she was safe. Speaking of, Tamsin interrupted her own thoughts with a wide yawn, covering her mouth in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I haven't been sleeping very well," she apologized.
 
Vexus nodded, seeing that it was starting to get to her. It had been a few days now, just waiting here in the same spot for someone to arrive, every day seeming less and less likely. Not just anyone, the most important people in her life. "Of course, I'm sure they'll keep it," he said, giving a smile. There were more and more people that were fitting her story, wondering where their family was, sure that they would come even though it had been a while. Slow shuttles, that was all.

"Yeah, I can see how it might be a little boring here," he said, looking around. The people of the docks weren't really interested in recreation or fun things, just waiting...waiting for family, waiting to be let into the Citadel, waiting for news about the war...just constant waiting. That didn't stop some people, he'd heard of a card game taking place further down the alley, of course gambling was alive and well in a time of crisis. "I guess the view is only interesting for so long," he said with a light laugh, glancing at the windows. The shuttles and part of the galaxy they could see from here had been in his sight for days now, and even he was getting a bit tired of it.

At her yawn he looked back, mandibles shifting downward into a frown. "I see, I'm sorry to hear that," he said, now catching the slight bags under her eyes. There wasn't much to do about it unfortunately, the crowded docks didn't lend well to anyone's sleep, it showed in the frustration of people as they checked on their status throughout the day. It was turning almost into it's own city here as the people settled in for the long haul, all down the long stretch of the holding area there were little areas set up by the people stuck here. That led to some bad stuff of course...he caught himself before his mind drifted to anything too bad. "Is it...has anyone been bothering you?"
 
Tamsin knew she wasn't the only one waiting, and she knew that more and more people were giving up on their missing family members. The Reapers were taking more and more planets, controlling more space and territory, making it nearly impossible for people to get around. She could only hope her parents were simply stranded somewhere and not... dead. She hated to think that that was even a possibility, she didn't know what she would do if they had been killed. Being an orphan had never been something she thought had even a remote chance of happening.

She had seen people managing to entertain themselves, but card games weren't really her thing, and she had nothing to gamble with anyway. No money, no possessions but the clothes she'd managed to bring and a few sentimental items that she didn't think she could ever part with, especially if her parents never did make it. The girl nodded a little when Nexus spoke of the view, glancing out the large overhead windows, “Yeah, I liked watching them at first,” she agreed. It had been interesting when she'd first come here, but now it just made her anxious, wondering if one of the incoming shuttles just might have her parents on them.

Tamsin blinked a little when he asked if anyone had been bothering her, “I-No, I'm fine, really, it's just loud in here,” She tried to assure him, her hesitation had been brief and quick, she hoped he hadn't caught it. She had no real reason to think anyone would bother her, no one had yet, not directly. She told herself that the rest was just paranoia from being tired and worried. After all, it wasn't like being looked at could hurt her. She'd seen a lot of people look at her, not just the batarians, but human men as well, and even a few asari. Tamsin was a beautiful young woman after all, and anyone who had been watching her would have figured out that she was alone, but no one had done anything to really make her concerned.
 
It was probably just because she was tired, but Vexus thought he caught a bit of hesitation when she spoke. Eh, it was probably just that, he was sure it was hard to sleep out here. So many people, privacy was pretty much nonexistent, so finding a nice quiet place to sleep would be hard. Well, something where you weren't also off by yourself and secluded, potentially dangerous. It was harder and harder for C-Sec to keep an eye on things with all of the people here, so many without records so C-Sec had no idea who they were, who was all here.

"Yeah, I'm sorry it's starting to get to you. I wish there was more we could do," he said, interrupted by a superior stepping behind the desk. The gruff-looking human tapped on the entrance to get his attention. "Vexus, we had an incident, some vorcha got on the station and we need to find the leak," he said, leaving after speaking, the older human hurrying back. Vexus cursed under his breath, and looked back to Tamsin. He hated to leave now, when he could tell she just needed someone talk to. Vorcha sneaking onto the station was a serious issue, especially depending on where they'd gotten.

"Sorry, they need my help. I'll check in on you later, if that's fine," he said, waving his omni-tool to log out his station. He gave a sad smile, wishing he could stay to chat. His two-fingered hand gave a wave, and he turned to leave the desk and move to the door back to the C-Sec office. He was worried about the girl, she was getting more and more alone as the people of her colony were being processed and she had to wait. It seemed nothing had happened yet, but with more and more people showing up, it might be a matter of time. Maybe a C-Sec officer showing up off duty would let people know she wasn't to be messed with.
 
Tamsin started to tell the turian officer that he was already helping, but they were interrupted by the arrival of a human C-Sec agent, telling Nexus about some vorcha sneaking onto the station. Her brows arched a little but she looked back to Nexus, nodding when he said he had to go. “It's alright, that seems pretty important,” she told him, “but I'd definitely like to see you again later.” The girl watched him go, keeping her expression as pleasant as possible until he was out of sight. Once he was her shoulders sagged a little and Tamsin gave a sigh, feeling alone again. She wasn't angry or anything, Nexus had a job to do, and while she had never seen a vorcha she knew that that they were not something that she'd want on the Citadel with her. So she went to try and go get a nap or something, the lack of sleep wearing her down.

She'd found somewhere relatively quiet to lay down, and there were enough people, more specifically humans, around that she still felt safe. The girl was so tired her nap turned into a deeper sleep than she'd intended, for once not plagued by dreams of giant creatures coming out of the sky to grab her, or her parents to take them away. Or dreams where she was absolutely alone and lost. Tamsin slept even as the people around her moved away, some left the docks completely, the rest was just the usual flow of bodies through the docks.

One by one, everyone left until there were just a few others sleeping like her.

Tamsin was woken abruptly though with a hard tug on her blonde hair, making her wake with a start and immediately trying to shout in reaction, but a hand covered her mouth before she could, muffling it. The hand in her hair kept it's grip, and the hand over her mouth clamped down even harder as she tried to struggle away, attempting to scream now. Her eyes were open but whoever it was was behind her. Then she felt some one grab her feet and she looked up to see a batarian, giving her a lewd, toothy grin, “Morning blondie,” He growled and Tamsin tried to scream again, kicking as hard as she could, her blue eyes wide with fear.

She managed to twist her ankle out of the grip of the batarian holding her feet and reared back, kicking him hard in the chest. He let out a grunt and was startled enough to let go of her feet, Tamsin trying to twist free of the grip holding onto her head. He held on tight though and after some arguing and struggling, they got her feet again and started hauling her off, still struggling and trying to get out a scream for help. They took her to one of the alleys created by the stacked freight carts, dark and secluded, arguing and laughing in barotone voices as they held her down and started trying to get her clothes off, one of them still keeping her mouth covered. Finally Tamsin struggled enough to get her mouth free a bit, biting hard into the hand over her mouth, hard enough that she could taste metallic blood on her tongue. The batarian jerked his hand away with a yowl and Tamsin got out a scream, a wordless, carnal scream, cut short just at the end by a hard back hand across her face.
 
Vexus caught her words as he left, not able to help but smile as he hurried back to the C-Sec office. He left the back of the desk, moving to the door he'd led them through to go to lunch the other day. This time he turned down a the earlier hall, back to their office to meet with the rest of the officers. They were briefed on the situation, some C-Sec agents had caught them in one of the wards, of course they were armed and moving to cause trouble. The group left after the briefing, moving to the ward and the ones around it. They had to check to see if all of them had been found, and figure out how they'd gotten on.

A few hours later Vexus came out the door to the docks with a sigh. He rubbed his shoulder, they'd found a separate group of vorcha that they'd gotten into a fight with, and a couple teamed up on him. It was handled though, the illegals in custody and the hole was plugged. Apparently one of the gangs of the galaxy had found a way to keep some access tunnels open, and were using them to sneak people in. Their mistake was bringing in a race that actively sought to cause chaos. The problem taken care of, Vexus was let off for the day. He took the chance to come back to the docks to check on Tamsin, and hopefully cheer her up some.

She wasn't by the desk, not anywhere near it. He remembered the area she seemed to come from when she'd stop by, thinking someone might know where she was. Vexus asked a few people, most said they hadn't seen her, now that he thought about it, there were lots of people, they probably don't remember one girl. Finally another human, one of the last from her colony to be here in the docks, pointed off somewhere and told them she'd headed away a while ago. Thanking them, the turian headed back the way they'd indicated. "Tamsin?" he called out as there started to be less and less people the more he walked. He started to worry a bit, fewer and fewer people wasn't a good sign.

Frowning a bit and turning to head back, his fringe suddenly shifted as he caught it, the scream. Vexus reached to his side, removing the sidearm C-Sec had given him, shifting into a pistol as he hurried back around some of the shipping containers. His mandibles pulled back in anger as he came around one and caught the sight: a group of batarians around a body, human, blonde. "C-Sec! Back away from the girl!" he shouted, raising his gun and tapping the wrist his omni-tool was on, signaling the office.
 
Tamsin was stunned by the blow, and stopped struggling for a moment, her ears were ringing and her head was spinning, and she suddenly felt very distant. She was only vaguely aware of her pants finally being pulled off, but started to come around as they tried to take her shirt off. She weakly tried to pull away, but they weren't even taking her attempt seriously. They did taken the sudden shout seriously though, freezing like deer in headlights, staring towards the opening of the alley. There were four of them, two standing about while the other two tried to undress Tamsin and restrain her at the same time. The two holding onto her let her go and stood, all four glaring at the turian.

“I thought you said he'd gone for the day,” one of them snapped at another.

“He did! I saw him leave!”

Tamsin seemed to have regained her senses enough to sit up, crawling away from the four batarians quickly then scrambling to her feet to run to Nexus. The girl clung to him as soon as he was in reach, shaking uncontrollably, her face pale from shock except where she'd been hit, the left side of her face already beginning to darken with a large bruise. She looked terrified, blue eyes wide and frightened, threatening tears, and her blonde hair disheveled, but she was keeping herself together, even if only just barely. She didn't think she'd ever been so glad to see anyone in her life. Tamsin didn't speak though, afraid that doing so would make her lose her composure, she just clung to the turian, trying not to lose it completely.
 
"Attempted rape and assault at my location, send back up," Vexus muttered into his comm, arms up to keep his pistol pointed at the group. Training from the military, and C-Sec made him a decent shot, even if he was mostly working from the sidelines. Officers were most likely already on their way, tracking his omni-tool signal since he'd signaled it. C-Sec knew to keep people handy in the area, since the first day this had been happening. Shit like this was bound to happen when you got a bunch of random, angry, tired people all cramped into one place.

His left arm dropped from the grip as Tamsin got to him, going around her defensively, right arm steady on the four. Rage flashed in his eyes as he took in her condition. A bruise was quickly forming on her cheek, terror lined her face as she hung onto him. Her pants were gone, but that was all...At least he'd gotten here before...Rage flashed in his vision, sharp teeth emerging and a quiet growl emitting from his throat. "Move. I dare you, give me an excuse," he said, his flanging, unwavering voice strong with anger but also restraint. He would be glad to put a bullet in each of their skulls, should they give him a reason.

The stand off lasted only a short time before two more uniformed officers arrived, pistols out as they quickly took in the scene. They stepped in front of Vexus, still holding his gun up. His green eyes were filled with hatred as he finally lowered his weapon, holstering the sidearm and putting his other arm around the girl, holding her close. "It's okay, you're safe now."
 
Tamsin clung to the turian like her life depended on it, still shaking from adrenaline and fear. The bruise hadn't started to hurt yet thanks to the very same thing, but it'd definitely make itself known once that started to wear off. What hit her harder though was hearing him say it, what they had been about to do to her. It brought it all home and made it very real, just how close she'd come to being raped. If Nexus hadn't gotten here when he had... she clung to him all the tighter, not caring that he was really still very much a stranger to her, he was the only good thing in her life right now.

The other officers arrived and the batarians were arrested, Tamsin keeping her face turned away from them, she didn't want to look at them. She just buried her face into Nexus' chest, shaking softly and breathing heavily. The tears that had been burning at the back of her eyes spilled over though when he spoke, the girl letting her emotions go a bit as he assured her that she was safe. That was enough for her, so she just clung to Nexus, her head against his chest as she shook and cried.

Tamsin just wanted to go home. She wanted her parents to finally get here and the Reapers to go away and go home. She didn't like being here, she didn't like being alone, and she certainly didn't like having people attack her and try to rape her. She hadn't even been so afraid when the Reapers had attacked her home, it had been so surreal that it hadn't really seemed to register until much later. But this, this was far more personal and real, much to her horror. “Thank you,” Tamsin managed to choke out, her voice shaky and soft.
 
Vexus took deep breaths himself, trying to calm down. If he didn't he might take it out on the batarians as they passed by in handcuffs. His fellow officers arrested them, taking them in. They'd got themselves a ticket to the Citadel and off the docks, though their new homes would be jail cells at C-Sec headquarters. One of the officers paused as they passed, a hand extending to Vexus, holding something. One of the turian's hands let go of her, taking the girl's pants. He nodded a thanks to the human. Technically he should go with them to file the report, but it could wait. The officer followed after his partner and the criminals, leaving them alone.

His long fingers were at her back to hold her close, just letting her get it all out as the tears hit his clothing, hearing her sob into his shirt. His eyes just stared down, not able to help feeling angry at himself. With all he had now in C-Sec, all he'd tried to do, he couldn't stop this from happening. No, that wasn't the way to think about it, that was a slippery slope that would be terrible to climb back up. He stopped it and saved her, and that was what was important.

"You're welcome," he said stoically, giving a deep sigh as he finally started to calm himself. His thoughts went to what would happen next, was he just supposed to leave her here, giving someone else a chance? Would she even be able to deal with being here alone after this? No, he wouldn't let that happen. "You're not staying here tonight."
 
Tamsin began to calm down as well, she was still crying a little, but she wasn't shaking anymore and she wasn't clinging to the turian so tightly. The only downside was she could feel a throbbing pain radiating from her left cheek. She forced herself to draw in a long, calming breath, releasing it as a shaky sigh, but felt better for it. The girl just kept making herself breath slowly, trying to calm down, but she looked up when Nexus told her she wasn't staying there tonight, her brows drawing together in confusion.

“Then where am I going to stay?” she asked him, her tone both curious and nervous. She wasn't approved to leave the docks, she certainly didn't want to stay here, but she didn't want to get Nexus in trouble. He'd just saved her, what kind of person would she be to possibly get him into serious trouble? It was one thing to take her out of the docks real quick for lunch, but for a night? Tamsin worried that that would be pushing it a bit, but she knew she wouldn't have the resolve to really refuse. She didn't want to stay here tonight, she didn't want to stay here at all, but especially tonight.

The girl winced a little as the bruising on her cheek gave an especially hard twinge, and she reached up to touch it gently, testing how sore it was, but quickly drew her hand away with a soft hiss of pain. That batarian had had quite a back hand. Then she saw he was holding her pants, and she remembered that she was, in fact, half naked, making the rest of her face turn almost as red as her bruise. “Oh, I'll take those...” She murmured, taking her pants from Nexus and pulling them back on quickly.
 
Vexus knew there would be red tape he would have to cut through to get her into the Citadel, to allow her to stay. He'd go through whatever it took to get her the hell out of here. Really, there shouldn't be fallout until the next day, tonight should be easy enough to slip her out from the docks. Hell, he could put her into "protective custody" to keep the paperwork floating for a while until they got it figured out. He wasn't worried about it, to say the least. Vexus barely stepped outside the lines with protocol and the formal aspects of the position, he could afford to shake things up a little bit.

He handed her pants back to her, turning his head as she stepped back to slip into them. "Well, I do know this pretty cool turian with a decent apartment and a pretty comfy couch," he said, giving a slight smile as he hinted an invite for her to stay with him. It would be fine, he lived alone anyways, anywhere was better for her than staying on the docks tonight.
 
((short, sorry, wasn't a whole lot to do))

Tamsin blinked a little when he answered her, not getting it right at first, then her blue eyes went a little wide, “Really? You'd let me stay with you?” She asked him, “Nexus, you've already done so much for me... I don't want to be an inconvenience...” The girl murmured. She really wanted to just jump at the opportunity, leaving the docks to stay with Nexus, even if only for the night, but it just seemed like such a big thing to ask. Well, she wasn't really asking, he was offering, but she felt like she was being selfish by accepting. "A couch does sound far more comfortable than these cots though..." She told him with a small smile.

The girl could be surprisingly stubborn at times, a trait she'd gotten in spades form her father, even if it was in her best interests she would dig in her heels if it mean swallowing her pride. But right now, she'd give just about anything to get out of the docks and not feel so alone. This was about the last place she wanted to be.
 
(Ha, not a problem, same for me)

"Yeah, of course," he said. It was more than an offer, he was insisting. He wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if she stayed, knowing she was stuck in the place where something this awful happened to her, being able to look down the docks and see right where they'd taken her. "It's not an inconvenience, trust me," he said, giving a slight sigh as she thought.

Really, she could take as long as she wanted to think about it, but Vexus wouldn't take no for an answer. He wasn't going to let her stay here. "Exactly. Consider it an upgrade to your room. Now instead of being crowded by strangers and a cot, you can have a couch, TV, non-public bathroom, it's like an executive suite," he said jokingly, trying to edge her into accepting the offer.
 
((yeah, after this should be bit more to work with))

Tamsin laughed softly at his joke, and shrugged her shoulders, “Well when you put it that way how could I resist?” The girl winced a bit at the sharp pain caused by how her face moved when she laughed, “Should I have this looked at? It feels awful.” She glanced over her shoulder though, her face falling a little with a frown but she looked back to Nexus quickly, “We should probably get going...” She murmured, not really wanting to come out and say that she just didn't want to be there anymore, though it was obvious, and understandable. Still though, her stubbornness flaring up a little. She was honestly looking forward to getting out of here, and was a little eager to go.
 
Vexus smiled, glad she'd finally accepted. "Great! It's settled then," he said happily. He saw she was a proud person, that it was difficult to accept help like this. He was persistent though, willing to stick it out until she did, and now they could get going. "Um, yes to both. We can stop by C-Sec to have them check it out, while I take care of getting you into the Citadel," he said, starting to lead them out from the containers, down the docks and back to the door they'd gone through before. He wanted to just get her away from here, somewhere safe. It hurt to really see something like this happening, a symptom of the problems they faced that really hit home.

The cab landed down on the edge of the Ward, side door opening as the two got out. Vexus thanked the driver, paying and sending him on his way. "Just over here," he said, pointing with a long finger, leading them over to a complex of apartments. It was a nicer area, one of the classier parts of Kithoi Ward. Finding his apartment, 44, Vexus let the lock scan his omni-tool, the door sliding with a 'whir' as it recognized him.

It was a one-bedroom and one-bathroom, decently sized for one to two people. It opened into the living room, kitchen to the left with the bedroom and bathroom off to the left. "Here's your new room, miss Tamsin. Unfortunately you'll have to share with someone, but I've heard he's a pretty awesome turian so I'm sure it'll be fine," he said with a smirk, walking in and letting the door close behind them. By now it was fairly late, after the time at C-Sec getting her face looked at and Vexus spending a bit of time fixing up a report and overlooking some details as to where she was and what needed to be done with her.

"You want anything? Something to eat, something to drink..." he said, trailing off as he walked into the kitchen and checked what was there. He hadn't eaten, with the vorcha incident taking up a large chunk of his afternoon and evening, then heading right from there to the docks to see her. He muttered a curse as he opened cupboards and the fridge, realizing most of what he had was dextro-amino based. "May have to order something if you're hungry, my bad."
 
She smiled when Nexus seemed happy that she had agreed to stay with him for the night, leaving with him and secretly very relieved to be doing so. Tamsin didn't think she'd be able to sleep tonight if she stayed here, knowing what had almost happened, and that it could happen again if she wasn't careful. How in the world she could be more careful she didn't know, grow eyes in the back of her head or be able to predict the future she supposed. Needless to say, that wasn't possible, so she wouldn't be sleeping very easily here again. A night away to hopefully get some rest wasn't something she could pass up, and besides, she liked Nexus, spending a little more time with him was a good bonus.

The cab ride distracted Tamsin in a good way, the girl staring out the window as they flew over the wards, trying to take everything in as best she could. Though of course, she wasn't able to do so very well at all. They landed and she followed Vexus to his apartment, still looking around curiously. She'd never been somewhere like this before, so it was all very new and kind of exciting, a good distraction. Her cheek was already healing up thanks to the medics at the C-Sec office they'd gone to. It still hurt a little, but not nearly as bad, and it wasn't as dark or angry looking. It would be healed soon though, far sooner than if they had left it alone.

She stood just inside the apartment once Nexus let them in, looking around curiously, her bag hanging off her shoulder. She looked at him though when he spoke, giving a small smile and a soft chuckle at his joke. “Well, I guess I'm okay with it then since he's so awesome and all,” she joked back. Tamsin was definitely starting to feel a bit tired, but watched as he started to worry about her being hungry or thirsty, smiling softly. “I already ate earlier,” she assured him when he apologized for not having any levo good, “But I could go for a glass of water.” She set her bag down by the couch and wandered over to the kitchen, hovering around in a sort of anxious way. She had no idea where things were, so she knew she'd have to let Nexus do it, but she'd never much liked people waiting on her.
 
Vexus stopped searching through the cupboards after her answer. "All right, one water coming up," he said, grabbing a glass from one next to the fridge, then took it to the sink to fill it with cold water. Lucky enough water was good for any species. "Uh, there's ice in the freezer, if you want it," he said, moving to hand her the glass. He stepped back and reached into a bowl on the counter, filled with something she would probably be clueless of, fruit from turian areas. He pulled out something that was basically an apple, biting into it with his sharp teeth.

Vexus chewed for a few moments, taking a second to savor the flavor. It was the first thing he'd had since the late morning. He looked to her with a worried gaze. "Are you okay? Do you need anything else?" he asked, nervously turning the fruit around in his long fingers. While he didn't want to make her think about it, he wanted to be there for her. If she wanted to talk, not talk, just go to sleep, whatever. He knew that...type of incident could be incredibly traumatic, but really had no idea what was going through her head.

"I can make up the couch if you'd just like to get to sleep," he added. Vexus thought about offering his bed, but she'd only barely accepted coming here with him. He knew she wouldn't let him take the couch for her.
 
Tamsin took the water from him with a smile and a murmured, “Thank you,” taking a long drink from the glass. She felt dehydrated almost. They'd given her a little water at the clinic, but being so worked up seemed to have parched her. She watched Nexus as he grabbed what looked like a pice of fruit, her head cocking to the side a little as he ate it, then drank some more water. While he savored the flavor of the fruit, she savored the silence. Tamsin had been surrounded by almost nonstop noise for three days now, it had started to wear on her after a while. It was almost strange for it to be so quiet now.

Nexus was right though, that she wouldn't let him take the couch while she took his bed, so when he asked her if she was okay, if she needed anything, her immediate reaction was to say no. She paused for a moment though, knowing he wasn't just asking if she needed anything, but if she needed to talk about what happened. Tamsin did, really, but she stubbornly shook her head after a moment of thought. “No, thank you, I'm just tired,” She half lied. It felt ungrateful of her to complain. Of course, it wasn't actually complaining, she'd just been through a rather traumatic event, but she was still processing, and Nexus had already done so much for her.

“Having the couch made up sounds good,” she nodded, and gave him a warm, friendly smile. “Thank you so much, for all of this, I don't think I could have slept if I stayed at the docks tonight...” Tamsin told him. She finished her water and set the glass beside the sink, sighing softly and looking genuinely exhausted.
 
Vexus gave a quick nod. He wasn't sure if she would want to talk or not, now assuming she just needed some time. She could take all that she needed to think through things and get ready, he would be there for her. Just being away was a big help, he thought. He bit into the fruit once more, this bite going faster as now he just wanted to sate his hunger.

"You're welcome, I'm just glad I can help," he said, giving a warm smile. He set the fruit down to finish later, moving through the living room to a closet by the bedroom. Grabbing some extra bedding, he quickly set to fixing up the couch for her to sleep. He hummed some random tune as he worked, tucking in the sheet under the cushions, setting the pillow down on the end, laying a blanket down over everything. "There we go, couch is ready," he said, stepping away, giving a motion towards it before reaching to grab the fruit again. His thirst hit him now, and he went to get another glass and fill it with water.

Tossing the fruit into the trash and grabbing another quick snack, he accepted having a light dinner for the night. "Well, the remote is on the table if you want to watch anything. I'm not sure if you know any Citadel TV or if you even want to use it, but it's not too bad, and I'm just rambling now. Bathroom is back there by the bedroom. Thank you for choosing the Vexus Borin Hotel," he said with a smile, popping the bag open of his snack mix, sipping again at the water. He knew she probably just wanted to get to sleep, and so he started to move back to the bedroom.
 
Tamsin watched her turian host set up the couch for her, hovering nearby with that same sort of useless feeling she disliked. There wasn't a lot she could do though, so she just kept out of the way. She sat down when he told her it was ready with a flourish, looking at him as he prepared to go to his own room for the night, snacks in hand. She laughed softly though as Vexus bid her goodnight in a humorous manner, liking that he seemed to be able to make her laugh so easily. “Goodnight Vexus,” she told him before he disappeared then sighed softly, taking off her pants since she'd never liked sleeping in them, and laid down, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

The couch was significantly more comfortable than the cots provided at the docks, and the first sense of security she'd had in days, the quiet and darkness, and how exhausted she was, Tamsin fell asleep quickly. Her sleep was not deep and restful though, the dreams started almost immediately. She was back home, standing outside the prefab home she had lived in with her parents since childhood, but there was no one around. The sky overhead was an angry red, with dark clouds hanging low and heavy. She could hear distant thunder, but as it grew more distinct she realized it wasn't thunder, but deep voices.

Her heart began to beat in her chest, frantic and nervous, fueling the sudden need to run, and she did. Tamsin ran, knowing what was chasing her, but the rolling voices only grew loudly, and even as she ran, they spoke to her over the whistling of the wind in her ears. “Morning blondie.” On the edge of the town, she saw a shuttle waiting for her, its engines a welcome sound, and the faces waiting for her even more so. Her parents were on board, calling to her through the open door. If she could just reach them, she would be safe, everything would go back to how it was, and she would be happy again. She ran as fast as she could, but it was just as she neared the shuttle, her hands reaching for those of her parents, that other hands grabbed her.

She was yanked off her feet and dragged down, kicking and screaming, into darkness.
 
"Goodnight, Tamsin," he said, mandibles back in a warm smile as he left the living room, heading back to his bedroom. Shutting the door, he set his water and snack down on a nightstand to get ready for bed. His arms stretched back over his head, grunting a bit as he got all the kinks out. His shoulder still ached a bit from his fight with the vorcha earlier. Changing out of his C-Sec garb, he slipped his uniform up over his hard, metal-like skin. He donned a more comfortable apparel, still covering the large part of his back as most turian clothing did. Turning on a late night show for a minutes on the TV in the room and laying down in his bed, he made quick work of the snacks and water. Soon enough he shut off the screen and lights, closing his eyes and falling asleep fairly quickly.

His own nightly visions were of Palaven. Seeing his childhood home, zooming out as the colossal, incredible ships that were the Reapers attacked. It was mostly the sense of not being able to do anything, only being a witness, that got to him. It changed as his mind drifted to more personal things, what he could actually do. A flash of yellow hair was the last thing he saw before his eyes shot open, hearing screams coming from the living room.

The turian moved quickly, slipping out from the covers and out the door. It seemed fine, no one was in the apartment, it was just her screaming on the couch, still asleep. A nightmare...He knelt down to the couch, shaking her a bit to wake her up. "Tamsin, Tamsin! You're okay, it's a dream," he said, trying to get her out of it.
 
Tamsin fought all the harder when the turian grabbed her shoulders, trying to shake her awake. Her retaliation was surprisingly fierce for such a small creature, but Vexus' voice finally drew her out and she went rigid and still as her eyes opened, wide and frightened. She was panting, and had started to sweat a little, making stray blonde hairs stick to the sides of her face. She stared around for a moment, confused, trying to remember where she was, before she looked back to Vexus, and suddenly burst into tears. She sobbed uncontrollably, her petite body shaking with fear and adrenaline.

Her skin was flushed and damp with sweat, making stray strands of blonde hair stick to the sides of her face, which she promptly covered with her hands as she cried. Tamsin missed her parents and her home, she'd never experienced anything like this before in her life, and she didn't know how to handle it. She hated feeling so weak and alone, she knew she wasn't the bravest or strongest person in the galaxy, but she'd never felt so helpless in her life. She had no control over anything, and had been reduced to being the prey of others.
 
His mandibles pulled back in a frown, strong arms pulling her close as she slowly came to her senses and started to cry. "It's okay, I'm here," he said softly, pulling her into a hug as he leaned forward a bit, keeping her on the couch. His face shifted, eyes narrowing a bit as his thoughts angrily went to the bastards that had done this, made her lose her sense of safety. While not having gone all the way with it, it was enough to traumatize her, shake her beliefs and invade her head.

Vexus sat with her as she cried, a bit angry at himself as well as he was unsure of what else to do or say besides that he was here and she was safe. He wanted to help, the desire to do what he could for others was embedded in his turian blood and he wasn't sure how to move on. Even though it was in the apartment, she was alone out here on the couch. "I know you would refuse if I asked, but clearly the couch isn't working out," he said. His arms shifted, one staying at her back, two long fingers supporting as his other arm went back, under her legs to lift her. He stood, just letting her sob and do what she needed, deciding to carry her to the bedroom. He meant nothing by it, no hidden intentions driving it. Sleeping alone wasn't working, just for the night it would help to have someone there. They got back in, he sat her down on the bed, staying with her until she was all right. "I'll go above the blanket or you can, put some pillows between if you want, so...you know..." he said a bit awkwardly, giving an embarrassed chuckle as he released her and moved to the other side of the bed.
 
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