Chapter 156: To See a Candle’s Light

=== Summary ===
Mini-Arc: “Secrets’ Fallout” Concludes
Shepard and Reflections-in-Deep-Waters start their relationship over due to Shepard no longer experiencing pain from rachni communication- to which the queen apologizes for adding to her pain, even if unintentional. Shepard thanks Reflections-in-Deep-Waters for taking the initiative in assisting with protecting human refugees escaping Earth. The young queen then puts Shepard into contact with Free-Flickering-Flame, who wishes to help her with the emotional load Shepard has been carrying. 
Later that same day, Garrus and Shepard have their first couples counseling session with Sha’ira. Reluctantly, the two of them admit to the fight and resulting physical altercation and mind-control. Shepard tells Garrus that she’s not safe- and that he should take Vi and leave her. Garrus reaffirms that he doesn’t want to leave Shepard, or have her leave him. He asks her if he had accidentally triggered her by pinning her to the floor. Becoming more hysterical, Shepard confirms it, but while her ability to communicate was short circuiting, she knew Garrus wasn’t the Marquis. Shepard cries that she has tried to be something other than “Isabel” but has failed and begins to slide backwards into memory, first into her talk with Free-Flickering Flame in the web. The queen asks Shepard what might happen if “Isabel” was released, and is told that she (Isabel) doesn’t have to protect them anymore; was there someone else she might protect? Then she falls back to her recovery days back after her return from Illium in 2178, where her mother rocks and sings her a lullaby after a nightmare. Then, caught deeply in the iborihe Shepard remembers her daughter. She promises herself that until she can allow herself to fight her demons for herself, she will fight them for her daughter, because there is nothing she would not do for Viatrix.
As she pulls herself out of the iborihe, Shepard apologizes for her actions against Garrus’ free will and breaking his trust. Garrus points out that he broke her trust also, and his actions weren’t any less inexcusable. The two recommit to each other, despite the knowledge that they will fight again in their relationship. 
=== Title Meaning ===
=== Easter Eggs ===
==== Discord Highlights ====
Fucks and double fucks (no, it's not what you think), "we saw that coming, istie", and suffering because of love— surprisingly not in the context of shipping.