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estalfaed-archived · 7 years

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Day 1: Reds

This was written for the @meflashfanwork August Theme: Family

Set within the same ME universe as my A Galaxy On Fire series. Set in ME:1, pre any established mshenko relationship.

Leave the Past in the Past

Kaidan stared at the body, slowly cooling on the dirty, pitted street. His stomach churned and he felt the telltale twinge of an oncoming migraine as the blood pooled around Shepard’s boots, as it slowly congealed into a horrid mess. He was frozen, unsure of what to do, how to handle the situation before him.

On one hand, Kaidan was horrified at how callously Shepard had killed the man, one shot to the head, brutal and efficient. On the other, he felt a strange surge of rage and protectiveness that…Finch would try and blackmail Shepard.

The man in question stood stock still, staring at the dead man; blue eyes lost deep in thought and memory. Kaidan shared at look with Garrus and the Turian shrugged, mandibles twitching. He took a deep breath and reached out a tentative hand and placed it on Shepard’s shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

Blue eyes shifted focus and met soft brown. A shiver ran down Kaidan’s spine and his breath hitched, but he powered on. “Commander, we should leave, let C-sec handle it from here.” The other man nodded distractedly, allowed himself to be led away from the pool of blood. His boots left red smears behind him.

They made their way towards the Normandy, the further from Chora’s Den they got, the more Shepard became himself. He stood straighter, broad shoulders pushed back. He strode with purpose, each step sure. His face was stoic and reserved, distant, every inch the Commander again.

Once boarded Shepard went straight to his cabin, Garrus to the main battery and Kaidan to the med-bay for some pain killers, migraine now in full bloom. Karin turned down the lights and left him alone to sleep off the pain and Kaidan’s last thoughts as he drifted off to sleep were of blue eyes, filled with turmoil and pain.

————–

It was well into the night cycle when Kaidan awoke, migraine blessedly faded to an occasional but manageable twinge behind the eyes. It was dark in the med-bay but he knew the layout well enough to navigate easily. As he made his way towards the sleeper pods he heard a crash, the sound of glass shattering and a string of muttered curses. Upon investigation he saw Shepard, slumped against the doors to his cabin, broken bottle of whiskey, apparently empty, littered around his feet and a rather nasty cut across the palm of his hand was bleeding.

The man looked up and muttered a slurred “Kaidan,” and he was reminded again of those pained blue eyes meeting his before roughly shoving the image away. Kaidan reached down to clasp his commander under the arms, hauled him up and let the younger man lean heavily against him as they ambled over to the med-bay.

One Shepard was settled on one of the beds, Kaidan rummaged through the medical supplies for a packet of disinfectant and medi-gel. He also grabbed the scanner to make sure there were no shards of glass in the wound before he sealed it up.

There was no reason wake Karin up for something like this, Kaidan more than able to handle it. Shepard remained silent as Kaidan ran the scanner around the wound, and once he was satisfied it was clear of glass he began to gently clean it with disinfectant.

“You want to tell me what’s going on Commander? Never seen you like this.” Kaidan tried to keep his voice light and nonchalant, but couldn’t hide the waver completely as he dabbed at the cut.

Shepard was long in responding, his voice quiet when he finally did. “I’m sorry you had to see that Kaidan. I never…” He sighed harshly before scrubbing his face with his good hand. “Finch was…well you know we ran together in the Reds…”

Kaidan nodded as he continued to work. “I got that much.”

Another sigh, this one softer and the commander continued. “Finch was like a brother to me once. For a long time, before the Reds, it was just the two of us, watching each other’s backs. He would be a decoy while I nicked some credit chits or something for us to eat.” He shook his head. “I killed him. A man who used to be my brother, I shot him down in cold blood.” His voice broke but he continued on. “What kind of man does that?”

Against his better judgment Kaidan looked up into the commander’s face. His breath caught as blue eyes filled with unshed tears met his. It was hard to think when he was inches away from the commander’s lips, when he held the other man’s hand in his own, felt the erratic beating of his heart between fingers clasped around it.

Kaidan cleared his throat and dropped his eyes back to the cut, uncapping the medi-gel and gently adding a layer over the wound. It did its work and soon enough all that was left was an angry line along the palm, it too would fade. The silence was becoming stifling and Kaidan finally broke it with a hesitant, “Finch was aiding a xenophobe who tried to kill millions of Turians…he threatened to ruin your career, he tried to blackmail you.”

He let out a huff and met those blue eyes again, “Whoever he was when you knew him, he wasn’t that man anymore. You…you made the right call Shepard.”

“They used to be my family once. It was all fucked up, but it was all that I had.” Shepard clenched his hand into a fist before continuing, “The Alliance is all I have now. I couldn’t let him take that from me.”

John reached out and settled his now healed hand on Kaidan’s shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze, still meeting Kaidan’s eyes. “This is my family now. I won’t lose it.”

They stayed like that, both caught up in the other, and when he would look back at this moment, the two of them tucked away in the med-bay, Kaidan would have no idea who moved first; all he would think about is their lips meeting, the feeling and taste of Shepard pressed against him. A kiss that would stay with him forever.

I’m going to try and post something for each of the six days. Wish me luck! I hope you enjoyed this little thing. A bit rough, completely un-beta’d. Love ya’ll.

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5

#mshenko #my writing #meflashfanwork #kaidan alenko #commander shepard #shepard x kaidan #shenko #sheploo #mshepard #mshep #john shepard #10th street reds #mass effect #me:1 #bioware #fan fiction #writing #first kiss

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continuous-spec · 7 years

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ME Fic: Rain on Distant Shores

Summary: Garrus has a conversation with his mom on Cipritine's beach. For @meflashfanwork prompt: Family.

Characters: Garrus Vakarian, Laesia Vakarin, Solana Vakarian

Words: 1125

Links: AO3

Damp sand crunched under Garrus’ feet, Cipritine’s shoreline spread for miles with endless rocks and tidepools. Solana and their mom, Laesia, just ahead of him, searched for a secluded spot.

“Here is nice.” Their mom pointed out a spot near flat rocks that lead to water.

"I call the rocks!" Solana said, throwing her bag toward the ground and strolled off to the rocks, pocketing shells and driftwood along her path.

Their mom placed down a towel down, trying not to disturb the sand. She sat and turned to Garrus, patting next to her.

“Sit with me for a bit.”

He followed suit, soaking in the heat and sights of the beach in silence for several minutes.

Clouds grew and shifted in the distances with winds pushing the scent of salt towards them. Streams of rain fell from the clouds onto water, glinting in the light. The sun beat down, drying out small tide pools that formed from high tide. Guard nets streamed down the coastline, keeping out the odd predators and beach goers within safe water levels.

“Looks like it’s coming this way,” Garrus noted towards the clouds.

“We still have time left,” she said, closing her eyes and tilted her head towards the sun, her brow plates furrowed a little. “When are you leaving for the Citadel again?”

Garrus sighed and answered. “Orientations in a week, like I said already, a day before Sol ships out again.”

“Right, right,” she said, now concentration on brushing away loose sand on the towel, clutching her mandibles close to her jaw.

“Everything alright?” Garrus asked.

“I’m excited for you. I am, it’s just that,” she stopped and flared out her mandibles, twitching her nose.

“Are you still worried? It’s on the Presidium, safest duty in C-Sec,” Garrus stated.

“Until you’re promoted, and that’s going to come quicker than you think,” she retorted, continuing to brush away at the sand. She sighed, her brow plates dropped, as she looked out to the water.

“You know, the first time we took you here, both of you,” she motioned her head towards Solana and continued to speak. “You almost drowned.”

Garrus laughed at the change in subject. “In a tidepool? One way to go out.”

She rolled her eyes at him in response. “Not funny. You were barely a spurs height and decided to run out of the tidepools and into the waves.” “Your father just panicked as we lost sight of you.”

“Dad, panicking? Sure," Garrus said with doubt.

“He might not be the best at showing it, but he worries about you two a great deal.” She glanced over to Solana, who laid down on the rocks. “Anyway, he froze, while you were dragged out towards the nets. I ran out there and pulled you out by your cowl. It felt like forever, even if it was barely 30 seconds.” She looked back towards him.

“You were shivering, covered in sea grass, but you know what you did?”

“What?” Garrus asked with a small laugh.

“You just looked at me and yelled ‘let's go again!’” Her mandibles flared out in a smile, but her voice dualed a somber tone. “I mean we both knew you were never in any danger, the waters a barely a half a meter tall, but the threat, even with the net, is still there.”

Garrus hooked his around her arm and patted it with his other hand, trying to reassure her. “I know what you’re getting at, I know there are still dangers, but trust me, it’s way safer than my deployment with the Resolute. I’m going to be fine.”

“I guess, I don’t know. That’s all unknown to me. I was stationed on Menae for most of my service, never patrolled, the ships came to me.” She rested her hand on his and gave it squeeze. “But I know the dangers of C-Sec and what that brings.”

“So would you rather I go with the known or unknown dangers?”

She smacked his hand playfully. “Smartass, fine, I know I’m worrying, but I’m not going to be there to pull you out and the nets aren’t going to be there forever is all I’m saying.”

“Maybe Solana should be getting this talk too.” Garrus grew a little uncomfortable at the worry, trying to throw it off him.

“Oh I know, she will. But she’s more behind the scenes, dealing with the numbers, not on the front lines.”

“Front lines of lost tourists and protesting permits.”

“For now.” She paused for a second like she was pondering on what to say next. “Just promise you’ll come back to me?”

“Of course.” Garrus leaned his head against her shoulder. “I wouldn’t go running off into any waves either, I promise.”

“Thank you.” She eased and rested her head on his in return.

A few minutes passed before she pulled out her omni-tool and gestured to Solana, who was preoccupied twirling a stick in the sand with a limp wrist.

“Nevermind it all, go over there with Sol, I want a picture.”

“One, twenty, or a hundred this time?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Hush, the more you complain, the more I’ll take.”

Garrus groaned but followed over to Solana stretched out on the rocks, blocking any comfortable sitting.

“Pictures?” Solana said, eyes still closed.

“Yeah, so move over a bit or get up.”

“Make me.” She stuck her tongue out and him and held her place on the rocks. Without hesitation, Garrus scooped up sand and threw it in her cowl.

“Ass!” Solana laughed and leaped from the rocks. Garrus sprinting already passed their mom to flee from Solana.

Solana ran down to the shoreline, cupping wet sand in both her hands, half of the content spilling out when she caught up with him. She dumped the sand down his neck, it pooled in his cowl and dug its way under his plates.

More sand was lobbed between the two as they chased each other around their spot. Their mother blocked her face to stay out of range of the fight, holding the omni-tool their way, capturing the moment for memories later.

When the sand settled, they ate lunch, enjoying the remaining sun, until clouds finally came overhead. Rain filled the drying tide pools and pattered lightly on their plates.

Their mother closed her eyes and smiled, not packing up alongside them. “Let’s just enjoy this a bit longer? I don’t know when I’ll have you both back here again.”

They agreed and settled themselves against her, watching the rain fall on the shore.

She grabbed them both around the neck and nuzzled her chin into their brow plates. Covering herself in damp sand along with them, her laughter sung in the air.

#mass effect #meflashfanwork #garrus vakarian #solana vakarian #laesia vakarian #my fics

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bethadastra · 7 years

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“If you’re going to pick a fight with a turian biotic, I recommend something a little more involved than a single fist to the face.”

“Saren had it coming. I’m not going to let him talk to me - ow!- or my crew like that. He was being rude.”

“Is this a Shepard thing, or a human thing?”

“Growing up alone on Earth meant fistfights were the easiest way to get things done. Simple as that.”

“I see where you get your charming personality from now.”

“Thank you.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

“I know.”

(I couldn’t resist following up with another image for the What Might Have Been prompt for @meflashfanwork because a shryik romance is the ultimate what-might-have-been. #NihlusDeservedBetter)

#meflashfanwork #nihlus kryik #mass effect #*cries forever*#Team Nihlus Deserved Better

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natsora · 6 years

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The Cetus Arc - Chapter 10

Abyss of Pain

WARNING: TORTURE AND NON-CONSENSUAL TOUCHING, THREAT OF RAPE IN THIS CHAPTER

Cora was tired. She had been running on adrenaline and battle high for 24 hours straight with only a couple of breaks for food and water. At least, we’ve located two thirds of Ryder’s team but where are you Ryder? She glanced at Jaal who was trying very hard to keep his panic and fear in check. His usually expressive and open face had been a closed door since things went to shit. When exactly is that? It has been all shit for a while now.

Cora was surprised Jaal didn’t demanded a immediate search and rescue mission for Ryder the moment she ordered the Tempest down to get the salarian team. It seemed he had taken Ryder’s concerns to heart. Jaal was more than a soldier, he was able to see the bigger picture. The rest of the crew didn’t know the deal Ryder had stuck with Jaal, neither were they informed of the fight they got into. However, Cora was there, she had seen it all gone down. As the XO of the Tempest, she wasn’t sure how much Jaal should be kept in the loop. Was she supposed to treat him like a crew member? Or the eyes of the foreign species she could ill-afford to let witness a disaster unfold? She hadn’t even had a chance to speak to Vetra in private.

She sighed, her breath fogging up her helmet. It took a while for the condensation to clear. The Tempest had the nav point where they lost contact with Ryder’s team and with the Tempest to ferry them, it was much faster than walking. Cora saw the blackened marks on the bridge. It was a wonder the bridge hadn’t collapsed under the blast. Then, it was a simple task of looking down to discover the Nomad below.

Everyone feared the worst when they saw the Nomad. With the help of the jump jets, they made their way down to the floor of the Chasm. They didn’t spend much time hanging around the Nomad as soon as they found it empty. A quick scan by SAM using the Tempest’s superior scanning capabilities pointed them towards several likely locations to search for the others. It didn’t take long before Vetra located Liam and Peebee.

Cora glanced at her chronometer. The 48 hours were long up. It’s well into the 55th hour if not later. With the salarian team safely off Havarl, absconded on the Tempest. The mission was technically a success but nobody was willing to just leave. Their damned Pathfinder was missing. The details Liam and Peebee had managed to give them were scant and it didn’t make Cora feel any better. Vetra escorted Liam and Peebee back to the Tempest. Ryder had done an admirable job splinting their broken limbs but they still needed an actual doctor.

She sighed and ran her hand over the buzzed side of head. Worry had taken up permanent residence on her brow, keeping it furrowed. “SAM, is the Pathfinder authority still with Ryder?” she asked for the fifth time.

“Yes,” SAM replied. “It is.”

“How will you know, if your connection with her is terminated?” Cora whispered, her voice shaking at that last part. “Would you even know?”

Her throat tightened. Giving voice to her fears out loud albeit in a whisper felt at best a jinx, at worse a prophecy. SAM didn’t give a response immediately as he customarily did. The silence of the pause was a loud roar to Cora’s ears. It felt foreboding and it threatened to pull the tightness in the pit of her belly to her throat. She tightened her jaw to prevent it was escaping. Keep it together, Harper. You are the one who actually had training for this.

“I would know, Cora. I would just know,” SAM said, his voice quiet with an undertone of anxiety.

“I’m sorry, SAM. I shouldn’t have said that.” Turning her attention back to the Nomad she asked, “What did the scans tell you?”

“From the blast pattern along the exterior and undercarriage of the Nomad, it’s clear that the Nomad had triggered an explosive device on the bridge. It’s carefully calibrated for the Nomad,” SAM said.

“Calibrated? How so?”

“It was calculated to throw the Nomad off the bridge but not bring the bridge down with it,” SAM explained. “Plus evidence of an EMP device detonation is clear from all the non-fuctioning electronics.”

Cora glanced at Jaal kneeling down as he peered into the carriage of the upside down Nomad. One of the doors was ripped from the Nomad, the hinges bent and torn. Ryder’s work probably. Then, signs of a biotic Barrier scorch marks were obvious as well. Also, by Ryder, she probably used it to stabilise Liam and Peebee as she extracted them from the wreck. SAM’s explanation went on but Cora’s attention was mostly on Jaal. She was afraid he might crack. The tension between him and Ryder was unresolved, everything just put on hold and left on shaky ground. Goddess, had it only been two days? Why does it feel so much longer than that? It had coiled both Ryder and Jaal up tight like a spring, and she was afraid it would snap. It would only hit the one that was left waiting.

She watched as Jaal stretched an arm into the Nomad and pulled a helmet out. It was a black helmet all scuffed and banged up with its visor totally shattered. It belonged to Ryder. Jaal handled the helmet gently as if it was a wounded person. Her jaw tightened at the sight of the helmet but she forced her attention back to SAM. “So you’re telling me this was planned. It wasn’t a case of wrong place wrong time?”

“Yes, that’s correct, Cora.”

Shit.

“Ok, let’s see where Ryder’s tracks lead to,” Cora said. “Come on, guys, we have a Pathfinder to find.”

Jaal took the lead, Ryder’s broken helmet was left next to the Nomad, almost like a marker. Cora shook her head. No, not a marker. Definitely not a marker. Having something concrete to do seemed to have settled Jaal, he kept his omni tool trained on Ryder’s tracks. At first it was slow going, like Ryder was trying to keep hidden.

Cora looked at Drack. He looked almost bored but Cora knew better. It’s impossible not to pick up everyone’s tells after working and living together in close quarters for as long as they had. Drack’s claws on his shotgun was tight. It wasn’t the loose relaxed hold he usually had. Though Drack would probably not admit it, he was obviously very uneasy.

Drack and Ryder seemed to have adopted each other since Drack joined the crew. Drack was the surrogate father that Ryder had not found in Alec. It’s not that Drack showered love on Ryder but he cared and it showed. Ryder actually appreciated the advise she got from Drack. His words carried weight with her. She had given him a purpose that he had lacked with his clan. Cora was kind of envious of the easy relationship Ryder formed with the crew. She found it harder to do so. Professionalism was a shield she hid behind.

Cora’s musings were interrupted when Jaal picked up the pace. “I found something,” he called.

They picked up the pace and joined Jaal. There along the trail, there were signs of vegetation that were trampled upon. More worryingly, or maybe less Cora can’t quite make up her mind, were two dead bodies. One took a headshot from the back, the other took a couple of rounds in the neck and bled out. Based on the rough trajectory, Cora found a spot among the bushes where the branches were depressed. “Come on, we’ve got Ryder’s trail.”

“Goddess,” Cora whispered.

The carnage before her was grisly. Two other bodies slumped in close proximity, both down by gun fire. Biotic scorch marks streaked across the ground. Who did it belong to, Cora couldn’t possibly began to guess. One human had her head burst open like an overripe fruit, brains and skull sprayed across the ground. Then blood, a mix of red and orange, human and krogan all over. Two krogan bodies, one dead from a sharp blade into the brain cavity, the other lying on its face next to the largest patch of dried red blood. Cora frowned. That last krogan body didn’t look right.

Drack snorted to get the smell out of his nose. He bent and did a cursory look at the bodies. “This one was taken out with sniper rifle rounds,” he pointed out. “The kid is not one for long distance killing.”

Cora nodded, she turned and found Jaal staring at the darken patch on the ground. It’s still obvious enough for it to be blood. He lifted his omni tool and did a scan. “Is that human blood?” he asked SAM.

“Yes,” SAM replied. “It matches the Pathfinder’s blood.”

Jaal’s fists clenched. Nobody spoke. Each locked in their own special mental cage of fears and worries. Finally Drack huffed and started to examining the ground around the blood patch. There were tracks leading away. “Turians,” he concluded. “From the looks of it. Two of them. They were dragging something between them.”

Cora nodded and followed Drack as he trained his omni tool on the tracks. Jaal didn’t move, still staring. Cora didn’t need to speak to him to feel the guilt that was radiating off Jaal. Logically, this wasn’t his fault but the heart feels what it feels. Cora pushed it out of her mind. The priority was Ryder not Jaal.

Cora caught up with Drack. The clearing was about 200m away from the battle site. “The tracks stopped here,” Drack rumbled, anger coming through clearly in the curt way he bit off his words. “Damnit, kid.”

“They must have left on a shuttle,” she said, pointed at the thruster burns on the ground.

She was disappointed and angry at the same time. What on earth did Tann get us into? We basically walked into a Goddess damned trap. He has hell to pay! “Kallo,” Cora called via her omni tool. “We’re headed back to the Tempest. Meet us at the drop off point earlier.”

The tension on her arms were killing her. Her left shoulder throbbed with an passion that’s beyond pain, beyond agony. She could feel the shattered pieces of her clavicle pressing against the inside of her skin. Her arms were stretched up above her head with her weight resting entirely on them. Groaning, she tried to find her feet but only her toes could reach the floor. Her head felt fuzzy from too much sleep but it ached in a way that felt deeply wrong.

Something was fundamentally wrong with her, something that was beyond the physical but her mind couldn’t hold the thought. It just flowing through her fingers like sand, and it floated away with the wind.

She suppressed a shudder as goosebumps raised on her skin. Cold, she’s so cold. She opened her eyes and looked down. Naked, I’m fucking naked. Fear rose from the pit of her stomach. Where the fuck am I? What happened? Clenching her jaw, she bit back a moan. She closed her eyes as she tried to recall. Remember! Fucking remember! What was the last thing that happened?

Opening her eyes again, she tried to catalog her wounds, maybe it would jog her memories. Her abdomen was a mess of half dried and half bleeding wounds. It looked like she had caught a blast right in the middle. How did that happened? Her head and neck felt like a massive pulsating bruise. Her thoughts were constantly slipping from her mind just as she thought them, making the entire process that much more infuriating.Did I hit my head? The worst pain of all was her shoulder. The grating feel of bone against bone sent white hot stabs of misery down her arm and back. Her head lolled forward in a bid to control her pain. as her toes slipped and her weight fell back onto her shoulder. The pain that she held back burst through her lips.

I can’t remember.

The heavy footsteps of booted feet echoed as it approached her. “Waking up, I see. How are you feeling, Pathfinder?”

Ryder’s pain glazed eyes didn’t have searched for the owner of the voice. She’d recognised the voice anywhere. The owner had been a pain in her side ever since she had fucking held to her morals on Kadara. “Reyes fucking Vidal,” she croaked, voice dry from disuse. “You think I could get a glass of water?”

“How droll of you, Ryder,” Vidal drawled, his eyes raked over her naked body.

He stepped ever closer to Ryder. She could feel him looking at her like a piece of meat. She couldn’t help the heat that crept up her face. Silently she cursed her body’s betrayal. “Embarrassed?” he asked. “You shouldn’t be. You have an amazing body.”

Ryder clenched her jaw tighter, concentrating on keeping her balance on her toes. Vidal circled her, coming closer with every step. “Look at you, the famed Shield of Meridian trussed up like a pig,” he laughed.

Eyes roved over her naked body. “You have amassed quite a collection of wounds,” he continued without a beat. “I’m sorry that my men were a little rough retrieving you.”

Apparently he didn’t need a partner to have a conversation. Vidal looked at her scarred thigh, Ryder couldn’t help but cross her legs. She had never ever felt more exposed than she did then. Showers on the Tempest with the crew never made her uncomfortable but the way Vidal’s amber eyes scrutinised her flesh disgusted her. It made her felt dirty. “Now that’s new,” he said. “It looks very sensitive to the touch. I wonder if it is.”

Vidal brushed a hand down her thigh and she trembled. The way his eyes were smouldering with desire sent a chill down her spine. He raised a hand and gently brushed against the faint line on her abdomen. “That looked like a stab wound.” he asked. “I think I remember that one. I made this scar didn’t I? Well, not me specifically but one of my people. I’m glad we didn’t get you then. This is so much better.”

Vidal moved closer to brush against the scar again. Ryder lifted her legs to lock against Vidal’s neck but he danced away and her reward was pain that flared anew. His laughter grated against her ears, more so than his touch. Ryder’s eyes met his. “Don’t look so angry. You made it personal. When you warned Sloane back at the cave, it was still a difference of opinion. We could have parted ways then but no. You had to disrupt my operations, all but put me out of business.”

Vidal stood with his arms folded over his chest. “Actually I should thank you. If you didn’t close Kadara to me, the Collective would have never branched out. Look at where that brought me.”

Ryder took the chance to study the room she was in. The room wasn’t big but it was empty. Nothing around just the bare infrastructure, all furniture that had been here were removed. Ryder could still see the outline of the furniture on the ground. The interior wasn’t like the usual pre-fab buildings. There was a pair of doors she was facing and there were no windows to see out of. Her head throbbed louder and harder as she tried to remember. The last thing she remembered was preparing for a mission but what was the mission?

Vidal kicked her legs out from under her. “Are you listening?” he demanded.

Ryder cried out. Gone was the desire, it’s now anger in Vidal’s eyes. Her arms burnt with effort and her toes were constantly slipped and giving way. Every grunt of pain lifted Vidal’s mouth up, higher and wider. He smirked. “Now you will get your just reward, Shield of Meridian,” Vidal all but spat the title.

“All that talking, Vidal,” she said through clenched teeth. “You just love the sound of your voice don’t you?”

“Defiance,” he laughed. “Enjoy it while you still can.”

“I take it that’s a no for that glass of water.”

Before Vidal could reply, the double doors swung open. “Ahhh, they are back,” he said.

A mixed group of human, turian and asari came walking in, their arms laden with things. Her heartbeat loud in her ears as her eyes scanned the materials brought in. Fear gripped her heart and squeezed hard. A whimper escaped unbidden from her lips. Vidal barked a laugh so loud it echoed. “Where’s your defiance now, Pathfinder?”

“Leave them here,” he instructed.

Ryder watched with dawning horror. A metal bat, a large battery the kind found in the Nomad thumped on the ground along with cables and a prod, a box that was labelled medi-gel and finally a flask containing some liquid. Not water, Ryder would wager. She took a deep shuddering breath and steeled herself.

Cold, freezing water hit her skin jolting her awake. Her skin felt raw, more exposed than merely the fact she was fucking hanging naked from the ceiling. Her toes slipped again, the dull throb screamed into a raging inferno of agony. “Is that all you can take, Pathfinder?” Vidal said, his voice smooth honey over glass.

Ryder coughed and she realised something warm and metallic filled her mouth. Fuck, I bit my tongue. She spat a glob of blood onto the ground. Vidal stood outside of spit range but she had to try anyway just on principle. He cocked his head and turned to the turian holding the prod. “Go easy on the voltage, I want this to last.”

The asari and human worked fast, applying medi-gel perfunctorily on her new wounds. It had been like this for how long? Ryder couldn’t remember. Minutes? Hours? Surely not days? The medi-gel provided a measure of numbness but it was barely enough to put a dent in her torment. At least I am not about to die immediately.

The chains jingled as Ryder tried to keep her balance. Her arms felt cold and numb, her wrists rubbed raw. She didn’t know if she could hold out hope for rescue. Did anyone know what happened? Was the mission even a success? How could anyone fucking find me? Vidal flicked his eyes to meet hers. She read smug satisfaction from his. She trembled. It’s the cold, that’s it the fucking cold.

Vidal shifted his weight from one leg to another and stepped towards her. “Let’s change things up a bit.”

Ripping the electrode from her thigh, Ryder whimpered. The electrode had left a large blackened patch right next to the healing scar she got on Ryder-01. His hand hovered her crotch for a moment, his smile hitched higher. “We’ll leave that for later,” he teased.

Ryder saw red and let the blood pooling in her mouth loose. Blood and spit took him straight in the face and if Ryder was right, he definitely got some in his mouth. She chuckled at the tiny victory she had, showing him her bloody teeth and all. Vidal wiped the mess off his face, his smile now a snarl of rage. Ryder watched as he took a step back before slamming his fist into her face. It’s a certain kind of horror to watch it happen and be so helpless to avoid it. His fist connected with her nose and stars bloomed behind her eyes. Once, twice and thrice. She screamed as the bone cracked. Blood poured from her nose.

He stuck the electrode just under her right breast before stepping back. “I take that back. Let’s up the voltage instead,” he instructed.

“My pleasure,” the turian sneered. “I had always approved of the Hierarchy’s treatment of turian biotics let alone human ones.”

Oh, he’s one of those hard liners. Turians and their fucking fear of biotics.

Ryder blinked quickly to clear her vision. Her eyes staring at each and every person in the room in turns, her mind trying its best to memorise every feature on every person. The turian with the prod walked forward, leering at her body. The prod crackled with electricity and the turian stabbed it right to her chest. As white hot pain coursed through her nerves, her body shook and convulsed uncontrollably, muscles contracted and pulled in ways unnatural. What probably lasted mere seconds left like an eternality to Ryder. Her jaw locked up over her tongue again and she wasn’t even able to scream.

“Dance Ryder, dance,” Vidal said, watching at the prod stabbed again and again onto Ryder’s naked form. Burn marks blooming everywhere it touched. There was barely any break between each stab, it felt like a long continuous torture of pain and loss of control. Ryder writhed as electricity coursed through her body. A sudden stink filed the air. Vidal laughed harder when he realised the Pathfinder had voided her bowels. Urine and shit joined the water that was used to wake her up earlier.

Then, a hint of red joined the mess on the ground. Vidal traced the trail of blood up from Ryder’s leg, to her abdomen, passed her breast to her shoulder. The contraction of her muscles was so strong that it forced the bone to break through her skin. Blood from the fresh wound mingled with the old. Vidal gave the turian a signal. The turian snorted, unhappy his pleasure was cut short. Ryder’s head lolled and hung down between her shoulders. She panted heavily to catch her breath as blood dribbled down her chin.

“I think you had enough,” Vidal said. “My eyes are tired just from watching you.”

Ryder’s eyes felt heavy. She was tired, so fucking tired. What hope was there for a rescue? If she wanted out, she had to get herself out. She grunted as she lifted her head up. Ryder dug deep, deeper than she ever thought possible. Slowly she tried to gather her biotics energy, maybe just enough for a Charge to get a head start or a Shockwave to cut that smile off Vidal’s face.

Vidal had his back towards her but the turian was eyeing her with suspicion. Ryder knew she didn’t have much time. She had to act while she still had the strength to, if she waited too long she probably wouldn’t survive the escape. The familiar flare of her amp didn’t come. It was inert like it was dead. Panic seized her. That was her last line of defence, she had no ace in the sleeve. “No…”

Vidal had a syringe in his hand when he turned to face her. “I think she was trying to use her biotics,” the turian remarked, laughing as he did so.

“I knew she would eventually. Luckily we have a little something to combat that,” he said, holding the syringe up meaningfully.

Fuck, he has biotics inhibitor.

“Ryder, Ryder, Ryder,” Vidal said as he moved closer with the syringe. “You are not going anywhere but where I want you to.”

She flinched away as the syringe moved towards her but there was only so much play the chain had. Pain flared with her every movement but Ryder ignored it all. She needed her biotics if she was to get out of here. Vidal’s smile grew wider, his movement just slow enough for Ryder to move out of the syringe’s way. Ryder knew what he was doing. He was allowing her to avoid him enough to cause pain to herself but she couldn’t stop herself. To stop was to give up on herself, she couldn’t do that. Though Ryder couldn’t remember, she knew she had something important to do. Then, there was a sharp prick of a needle at the back of her head, right where her amp was. A cold so intense it hurt spread from that point throughout her body. The inhibitor flooded her system cutting all hope of an escape.

“No!” she screamed.

How long was it this time? She craned her neck up, the room was empty now, her wounds again slathered with a meagre layer of medi-gel. Ryder glanced at the box of medi-gel packs, there were plenty left. Does Vidal intend to use it all up? Before he’ll actually kill me? Ryder pushed that line of thought out of her mind. They will come, Jaal will. Tentatively she tried to gather her biotics but nothing came. How long do the inhibitors last anyway?

“SAM?” she whispered.

There was no reply. She wasn’t surprised. Why not? Ryder frowned and made a sound of frustration. Why can’t I remember?

The smell that filled the room was nauseating. Her toes stepping in her own filth. Shame crept up her face. How the fuck did this happen? No sooner had the thought came to her mind, the doors opened again. Vidal strode in, his pace quick and confident. “Good, good,” he said. “You’re awake.”

“You managed to outlast the battery so it’s move on to better things,” he said.

“Vidal,” Ryder rasped, “You can’t even do your own dirty work? Why do you have your gang here do it for you?”

Vidal’s face darkened, he glanced at the people around, a strange look on his face. Ryder frowned but the thought was quickly dispelled from her mind when Vidal took up the bat and smacked across the burnt mark on her thigh. She screamed. Then, the bat connected with her face, the blow splitting her skin and blood poured.

Ryder’s voice was hoarse and her breaths ragged. Medi-gel isn’t going to help this time. “Is that all you got?” she spat, laughing a little. “Are you tired already?”

Vidal dropped the bat on the ground, panting with effort. The bat rolled to a stop at her feet. Ryder laughed again. “You got shit all over it now,” she said.

Vidal glanced back at the gang at his back, the same look crossed his face. Is that disgust? Ryder couldn’t be sure, her vision was tunnelling. She was sure now, there was no getting out of here. She wasn’t going to last much longer. “Hand me the flask,” Vidal barked.

Ryder’s eyes following the movements of the human who took handed the flask to Vidal. The flask was a thick walled bottle with clear exterior. The liquid inside sloshed and it looked vaguely blue but clear. “I brought something from home just for you, Ryder,” Vidal’s voice back to being smooth like honey.

She vaguely wondered if Vidal got whiplash from the switch he made all the time. She didn’t deign to provide him with a response, since he didn’t need one anyway. Vidal uncapped the flask and poured a little onto the ground near Ryder’s feet. The moment the liquid touched the ground, it sizzled. Her eyes widened as she realised what that was. Her toes shifted to avoid it.

Vidal’s eyes looked onto Ryder’s, a smirk on his lips. “Yes, that’s what you think it is,” he said. “That’s the acid from Kadara’s lakes.”

“No,” she said, she no longer cared if Vidal could see the fear. “No!”

Then an asari rushed in through the double doors, breathless from running. “What is it?” Vidal asked, obviously annoyed at being interrupted.

“We got to go, now!” she said.

Hope flared in her heart. All her hurts suddenly didn’t seem to bother her. The others began to pick up their weapons and left the room while Vidal grimaced. “See you around, Ryder,” he said. “Let this be a parting gift from me to you.”

With that said, Vidal smashed the flask at her feet. Ryder howled as droplets of the acid splashed against her legs and feet. Instantly she lifted her feet up and screamed as her arms took her weight. Her shoulder was the epicentre of white hot agony.

#The Cetus Arc #Trials of Ryder #writing #fanfic #mass effect andromeda #mass effect whump #fem ryder #meflashfanwork

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rafawriter · 6 years

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Mass Effect/After Earth Chronicles: ANN News Bulletin-Movies

From: Alliance News Entertainment Desk

December 27, 2195

2196: The Year of the Historical Vid

By Joan Calder

MILGROM, BEKENSTIEN – 2196 will be the “Year of the Historical Vid,” claims vid critic Roger Eberron of Milgrom Morning News. A dozen vids based on historical events will be released next year as studios across the galaxy rush to cash in on the tenth anniversary of the Battle of Earth.

The year kicks off with the action/drama vid “based on true events”, Archangel: Omega Nights staring Anton Vilius as the mysterious vigilante that shook up the Omega underworld and managed to unify the station’s worst merc bands against him. Michael Betchel of Miraflor Studios, confident of the new franchise, personally signed the Turian action star to a multi-vid contract for an as of yet unspecified amount. At least two other movies Archangel: Illum Dawn and Archangel: Citadel Days were filmed concurrently with Omega Nights to be released in 2197 and 2198 with more on the way.

New Krogan documentaries are also on the pipeline. After the success of Wrex?, Sheppard! a documentary about the relationship between Urdnot Wrex and Admiral Shepard, Set the Record Straight productions plans to release Shamans & Battlemasters!, the story of the greatest leaders in Krogan history. In a press release Urdnot Talmok said, “We hope to revive interest in Krogan history and clarify a lot of misconceptions about our people while presenting an entertaining and accurate portrayal.” Set the Record Straight gained a reputation for well researched documentaries that do not flinch when it comes to the visceral truth.

The Human/Turian partners at Nova Star Productions hope to hit it big with back to back docudramas: Sapphire and Die for the Cause: Miracle at Palaven. The first recounts the heart wrenching tale of a former colonial militiaman caught with his family on Earth during the Reaper Invasion. Separated from his Asari wife, Ricardo Alvieri fights through the streets and tropical forest of the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico while protecting his newborn baby. Miracle portrays the heroic sacrifice of a group of young Turians as they see their community torn apart by the Reapers and the sacrifices they make to stop them. Twenty percent of the profits will go to charities for Alliance and Turian war widows and orphans.

In other news, the Quarian New Wave continues with three new films: the surrealist-existentialist Preserver Awakening, the organic-synthetic comedy Those Two Geth, and the coming-of-age drama Merchant Fleet. Critics hailed this explosion of new quarrian cinema as,”Breathing a new air of artistic expression and realism to modern holographic entertainment.” Vigor vas Rannock, director of Preserver Awakening, won several Academy of Holographic Arts’ awards for We Will Be Free and Synchronicity.

The producers of the Blasto series hope to hop on the proverbial bandwagon with Blasto 8: Collect This! This time Blasto faces down a slaver ring run by Collectors in the Terminus systems. The Hanar Anti-Defamation abandoned plans to boycott the movie. A spokejelly for the league said, “This one realizes the futility of past protests and will endeavor to bring consciousness to the public by other means.”

The last entry on the list comes from former ANN anchor Diane Allers, Battlespace: The Real Story. Built as the story of a war correspondent during the Reaper invasion it is seen by many as a bid to restart her scandal riddled career. The scandals include, but are not limited to; buying illegal biotic breast/buttocks enhancement packages, transmitting nude images of herself in various explicit positions (and with several expensive erotic toys of Asari make) on Alliance classified channels and criticizing former ANN anchor Emily Wong reporting on the Reaper Invasion (during which she lost her life). Her reputation suffered further after two tell all books by former spouses; My Time in Allers by Marco Blond and Media Viper by Samantha Traynor. Suffice it to say that expectations are low, to say the least.

Joan Calder is a correspondent for ANN Entertainment Division.

@meflashfanwork

#Mass Effect #fan fic #fan fiction #After Earth Chronicles #meflashfanwork

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gwynbleiddyn · 7 years

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coffee and rain;

pairing: Scott Ryder x Caderyn Shepard

rating: Gen

summary: Sometimes it’s difficult to see a future when you’ve never had a chance to think of one. Cade reflects on his situation, six years on from the Reaper war, and for the first time, decides that he’s entirely content with where he is.

a quick, short one shot for @meflashfanwork August prompt: Family. outside of posting day, but the idea took hold and i couldn’t let go!

Sitting up in a messy bed, Shepard stares bleakly out of the window, a full length wall of glass opening up a small corner of the place he calls home. It’s a grey day outside, rain marking telltale lines down the windowpane, almost making Shepard reach out to draw his finger along with every drop. He resists, though - it’ll hurt, he’s only just woken up, and the aches of a broken body are hard to ignore.

Looking away from Vancouver’s grey skyline, Shepard scrubs a hand across tired eyes briefly, before calloused fingers scratch at his jaw while he yawns, slowly waking. Once he settles, he closes his eyes and waits for the dull ache from his movements to subside.

Or, rather, he waits until the feeling blurs into obscurity, just out of reach for the day. The pain won’t go, not entirely. Cade knows he hasn’t stopped aching since he woke up in the rubble of London.

Six years, eight months and 24 days ago, if he’s counting.

He says he isn’t, but it’s hard to ignore the passage of time when everything insists on catching up with you and you’re barely able to run. It’s overwhelming, like waiting on the edge of train tracks with lights in the distance; growing brighter, coming closer.

Cade feels like he wants to keep his eyes shut, but he forces them open and steels his aching shoulders as best as he can in the cold room.

“Oh, hey. You’re awake.”

Cade looks up, startled by the voice, but his eyes land on Scott’s familiar shape, blue eyes cutting through the grey of the room. Cade feels his expression pull into a smile, and his thoughts are forgotten.

“Only just.” Cade’s smile is lazy, eyes softly lit by the low light of the dim morning outside. Scott chuckles quietly, and Cade notices he’s holding two steaming mugs. He’s about to get up, but Scott shakes his head and smirks.

“Yeah, uh, Cade, if you get up, you’ll be knocked straight back down again.” he says, and Cade quirks an eyebrow, about to ask why, but he hears two sets of running footsteps in the hallway outside, and his smile turns into a full blown grin. Moments later, Cade barely has time to think before he has his arms full of two giggling toddlers, wildly retelling their adventures in the kitchen before it dissolves quickly into bickering over who made Da’s coffee.

“You both made it.” Cade rolls his eyes, trying not to laugh, but both toddlers stare up at him with complete indignance. Cade shoots Scott a withering look as he approaches with the said coffee, sniggering as he sets them down on the table. The boys still aren’t happy with their delegated roles.

“M’did it! Tommy helped!”

“Noo, Connor helped. I did it.”

The mattress dips as Scott settles on the bed behind the twins, smiling in amusement at the debate. Despite the normality of it all, it’s still a blessing to wake up every day to this, and neither of them would take it for granted - even if the 6AM wake-up calls leave a lot to be desired.

“I think...” Scott drawls, reaching out one arm slowly to pry Tommy from Cade’s arms, sneaking a tickle to the belly that has Tommy squealing with laughter, “Tommy added the sugar, and Connor did the stirring. Yeah?”

Connor huffs, clambering up to sit in Cade’s lap with a pout and an adorable frown firmly in place. Cade does a terrible job of hiding his laughter, and even Scott has to bite his cheek to keep from upsetting Connor any further.

“Aw. Are you a grumpy boy today?” Cade runs a hand through Connor’s short, wild hair, errant curls running through the thick brown locks. Connor mumbles something and tries to bat his hand away, but Cade catches it gently and brings it to his mouth, blowing a raspberry on his tiny palm. Connor finally cracks and giggles, pitching into laughter when Cade does it again.

“Noooo, Da, stop!”

When the boys finally calm down, playing quietly in the middle of the bed, Cade lets himself relax and sit back, coffee mug firmly in hand. He just watches them play for a while, finding every little bit of Scott he can see in both of them. Connor’s got his mouth, all quiet smiles and dimples, but Tommy’s the one with the eyes, sharp and inquisitive. He’d be content to sit there and draw up this imaginary list all morning, but Scott nudges his shoulder gently next to him, bringing Cade back to the real world.

“You look miles away.” Scott says quietly, sipping at his coffee. Cade just gives him a half smile in return, looking down at the mug in his own hands.

Truth be told, he’d never expected this. He’d given up on the idea of family a long time ago, when ‘Shepard’ meant more than he did. And in a way, he’d always felt like he’d grieved for that loss, somewhere inside. He had Scott, and that was more than enough - or so he told himself.

But Scott.... his Scott - of course he knew. He’d figured it out for himself, like he always does, and he’d just waited for Cade to tell him.

Like he always does.

The few years in the aftermath of the Reaper war have been far from easy, and both of them know it more than anything; between the hospital visits for Cade, the rehabilitation, the therapy -- it’s taken its toll. It used to fill in all the cracks of a life that was becoming so torn between duty and what each of them wanted, it became background noise so that they wouldn’t have to talk about the things that were hurting them. But something had to give.

And Cade went to him, full of doubt for a thought he’d long abandoned, but never quite left out of reach. Cade just went to him, with nothing but an honest heart.

Like he always does.

Scott listened. And Scott... well, he always has a plan, if nothing else. He just needed to hear it in Cade’s own words that it was what he really wanted. He needed Cade to echo those thoughts that Scott had been keeping in himself, too.

But to be here now, Cade thinks, is nothing short of a miracle.

He wouldn’t change it for anything.

Glancing at Scott, Cade leans in and presses a short, sweet kiss to his cheek, stubble scratching with pleasant familiarity. He can feel Scott smiling, and it makes him smile too when he sits back.

“Just thinking.” is all Cade says in response, but Scott knows better. His smile turns from genuine to knowing in a second, eyes glinting with fondness as he looks from Cade to the twins and back. He doesn’t need to say anything, so he settles for resting his head on Cade’s shoulder instead, full of quiet adoration and wonder for a family he never thought he’d have.

#tag: nyarmamaitar #x: i am dissonance #im dead #meflashfanwork

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sparatus · 7 years

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Words: 1,114 Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Desolas Arterius, Saren Arterius Additional Tags: Pre-Canon, Brotherhood, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Comfort, Family Summary: Saren wakes up from a nightmare. Luckily, that's what he has a big brother for.

written for @meflashfanwork prompt “family”; this occurs when saren is about 6 years old

the “implied/referenced character death” tag is about mom and dad arterius who died fairly recently at this point in the timeline, the brothers are still feeling the impact of their deaths

#saren arterius #desolas arterius #meflashfanwork #ierian's writing #saren tag #desolas tag #i woke up with this scene in my head and i Had to write it

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masseffectfanwork · 40 minutes

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MAY’S THEME: Reflection

Dates: May 24th-May 31st

What can be posted?: Fics, art, edits, photography, crafts, music, or anything creative on this theme for the Mass Effect Series. At the end of the month, your creative works will be reblogged here.

Tags: @masseffectfanwork in the post or #meflashfanwork

If you have any questions, feel free to stop by the ask box, anon is always on!

#mass effect #meflashfanwork #mass effect fanwork #mass effect andromeda #mefanfic #mefanart

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rock-paperback-scissors · 7 years

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Even when you were little, you dreamed of the life you have.

I just want you to know that I am proud of you, honey. So proud.

- Hannah Shepard

[@meflashfanwork August theme: family]

#mass effect #commander shepard #hannah shepard #femshep #meflashfanwork #fan art

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omegastation · 7 years

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FIC: a closed box and the silence of earth or ashes

Written for the Betrayal theme of @meflashfanwork FShepard/Kaidan (747 words, title from the poem What the Dead Don't Need by Faith Shearin) Focused on Kaidan and his feelings about Shepard coming back from the dead and joining Cerberus. ao3 link

1. The woman you love dies. You spend your days crying and your nights getting little sleep thinking about her. You think about how much you love her and about her future, now destroyed. Everything else that she could have accomplished, with or without you. She had that spark that others didn't have. She could have done it all, and now she's gone. 2. The anger is constant for months, until finally, you decide to let go. Being like this, it won't bring her back. Besides, she wouldn't like it. She would tell you it's not like you at all. You feel ashamed. 3. There are rumors. You don't listen to them until they grow persistent. Shepard is back, they say. You think - know - it's bull because they say she's with Cerberus now. It's ridiculous. There is no such thing as bringing someone back from the dead, no matter how much you wish it would be possible. And finally, Shepard would never be with a terrorist organization. Never. 4. You get sent on this need-to-know hush-hush assignment to Horizon, a colony where no one wants to see you (as they've told you every day since you got there). You are quite tense, quite unhappy, but most of all, you feel like your anger is back. Anger that people are spreading lies about a dead woman, anger that they're projecting, that they're ruining Shepard's reputation and name. 5. You see her. She's alive, and she's with Cerberus. 6. When you come back to your room, you lose it. You fall on the ground and cry the way you cried when she had just died. The anger is there, but this time it's not against the people who are talking. It's against her. You misjudged her, and that, more than anything, is crushing you. 7. You miss the Normandy like one misses a limb. Time passes though, as it always does, and when you see the ship grounded on Earth, it makes you sad. That ship is meant to fly high, just like Shepard was. 8. There is no time for reconciliation, not really. A bit of clearing the air, but that doesn't really help. Shepard is frustrated with you. Joker tells you to tone it down. You want to tell him he doesn't understand. She didn't even tell you she was alive. Not even a message, nothing. Joker says it would have been impossible anyway, that you were deep off the grid. You tell him she probably didn't even ask about you or where you were. She didn't care. He tells you you're wrong, but you don't listen. That's when he screams at you. Man, what happened to you? You don't tell him but he knows. You're broken. 9. She comes to see you and says you were the first person she thought about as she woke up. She talks about the facility, the mechs, Miranda's voice in her ear, about not feeling like she had a choice. Barely awaken and already on her way to Freedom's Progress. She tells you about the shock, to find out she had died, and yet not having a single memory of those past two years. She gives you a tired smile and explains how utterly different her body feels, yet her mind is still the same. Sharp and always attuned to you. She says she kept asking about you, but no one would tell her where you were, not even Anderson. Seeing you on Horizon, she says, was like breathing again. She understands, though. She figures it's too late, but at least she wants to tell you. She missed you like you missed her. 10. Tears fall down and a part of you feels terrible about taking comfort in the fact that the sadness you felt, she felt it too. It just makes it real, this thing you two had. You didn't dream it all. You tell her you always felt like she would have a bright future and Cerberus was the opposite of that, but maybe...maybe, you didn't consider what it was like for her. You didn't have all the facts, yet you judged. You're sorry. You're sorry, and you missed her so fucking much. Can you two start over now? Can you take her in your arms? She nods. That night, you fall asleep listening to her breathing. There are so many things that need to be said, that need to be fixed, but still. You're lucky she's here.

#meflashfanwork #mass effect #fshepard x kaidan #fshenko #shenko #kaidan alenko

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estalfaed-archived · 7 years

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Day 3: Lost

This was written for the @meflashfanwork August Theme: Family

Set within the same ME universe as my A Galaxy On Fire series. Set just after the events of ME:2, after the Normandy went down. Established mshenko relationship. Angsty, and I’m sorry for it.

You Were Supposed to be Here

Kaidan stared at the red door for what felt like ages. It was attached to a small but charming little blue bungalow, craftsman touches, white shutters. It was so unexpected, this home, so unlike Shepard. The lawn was well taken care of despite the commander rarely being home. Clearly someone was doing it for him. That…that would have to be taken care of as well. Kaidan let out a ragged sigh and felt the firm grip of his father’s hand on his shoulder.

He looked up and Henry Alenko gave his son a sympathetic smile and a quick nod. Trying and failing to match the smile, the biotic entered the security code and the door opened with a soft hiss.

The interior of the home was bright and cheerful, natural light filtering through tall windows, and clean. Distractedly, Kaidan wondered if the same person caring for the lawn also kept the house clean. There was a lot he didn’t know, didn’t ask, didn’t even know to ask. Like if Shepard had owned a home, where he went when he had leave. There were so many other things on his mind, and he had thought there was time, so much time ahead of them.

Funny how important the unasked questions became. Funny how you never had as much time as you thought you did.

He wandered the house, looking at different odds and ends. Brown leather sofa and chairs in the living room, dark wood trim contrasting with light colored walls. Shepard had a very spartan style, clean and simple, not a lot of décor, a few pictures on the walls, a few bookshelves with paper books and random odds and ends he’d collected.

When Kaidan entered the master bedroom, it was too much. He felt the weight of his loss and it buckled his knees. They would have shared this space, this home together. This would have been their room. Kaidan would have put a photo of his parents on that end table and Shepard would have put a photo of the Normandy crew next to it. He would have woken up every day next to the man he loved, kissed him despite morning breath, gone late to work because of Shepard.

Gone, all of it gone. Lost to the cruel whims of fate or god or the universe, what did it matter. Shepard should have been there. Should have been the one to share with Kaidan this part of himself.

Three weeks. Three of the longest fucking weeks of his life since Shepard died with the Normandy. Three weeks of ceremonies, funerals, debriefings, psych evaluations, and meetings with lawyers.

Three weeks crying, self-pity, loneliness, crippling anxiety, migraines, sleepless nights and smothering depression. Kaidan was sick of it. He had so much time ahead of him and Shepard…Shepard was gone. What did you do when you lost the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with? How do you come back from that?

Shepard had no blood family, no distant relations to invite to the funeral. It had fallen to Kaidan, listed as next of kin, for funeral preparations. They had settled for a simple service, those he had considered close friends and the survivors of the Normandy. They had buried an empty box in the Alenko family plot. It had felt right, in the moment. While they had never gotten to have a service, an actual marriage, John would have been a Shepard-Alenko, proud to call himself a part of their family.

The tears fell and he stayed like that awhile, allowing himself to pour it all out in an empty room, an empty house, empty yet so full of what-could-have-been. When the tears stopped, when his shaking faded, Kaidan felt hollow and used up. Scrapped raw and so damn weak.

Strong hands lifted him to his feet. “C’mon son, time to go. Easy now.” His father embraced him in a hug before leading him out of the house to a car where his mother was waiting. She shot Henry a look of concern, who just shook his head, before reaching out to pull Kaidan into a hug as well.

“We were thinking that you’d stay with us a while dear, just until you were settled again? How’s that sound?” His mother was trying to hide the fear in her voice with false cheer and Kaidan allowed himself a moment before answering.

“Yeah mom, I think that’d probably be good.”

He may be lost, directionless with what felt like an endless road ahead of him, but at least he wasn’t alone. He had his family, he had his friends and he had his memories of Shepard. For now, it would be enough. It had to be.

Sorry for the sadness y’all, but I’m trying to experiment with the different ways we fall back to and rely on family. In all the different contexts that we consider it to be. I don’t know. Day four will also be kinda angst filled, but five and six should be full of the fluff. Thanks for reading this :]

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5

#mshenko #kaidan alenko #shepard x kaidan #shenko #meflashfanwork #commander shepard #sheploo #mass effect #me:1 #me:2 #bioware #space husbands #light angst #my writing

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kylan-writes · 7 years

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Family Matters

Been a while, huh? I posted this to AO3 some time ago and never put it here. Thanks to the @meflashfanwork theme for this month being “Family” I figured this was a good excuse to post it. I hope you enjoy <3

Link to AO3

“What do you mean you never told them!?”

In the Shepard-Vakarian household, fights were usually things that were done quietly. For the most part they never classified as fights, just disagreements and arguments over random bullshit that didn’t even matter, followed later in the evening with a session of lovemaking when they were certain that their daughter was asleep. After their years of living together they’d grown too accustomed to each other for there to ever be true fights.

“It never came up!”

This was different.

Rhea’s fingers itched, wanting to trigger her biotics so that she could smash something. Her brows pinched in the middle and her eyes narrowed. “Not once in the last two years did you ever think it might be a good idea to mention, ‘Oh by the way, I have a daughter’!?”

“I’m sorry, Ray!” Garrus snapped back, pacing in the living room and stepping over some toys that Navi had neglected to pick up before going to bed. “Things haven’t been easy since the relays were destroyed and now that they’re fixed they’ve been busy with the reparation effort.”

She was still mad, her anger boiling inside as her clenched knuckles turned white. “Have you even told them about me?”

“Spirits, Rhea!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands up a bit. “You know damn well that I have! But we all have things on our minds, and the safety of my family…”

“We’re your family too!” She was shaking by now, her breath catching in her throat. Rhea choked on a sob, tears starting to fall from her eyes and streak down her cheeks. She let her hands relax enough so that she could bury her face in them, sobbing as she managed to say, “I just…” Rhea sank into the couch she’d been standing in front of, crying.

Garrus crossed the space over to her, kneeling down in front of his sobbing wife. “Rhea,” he said, his voice as gentle as he could manage.

“I’m sorry,” she breathed out, inhaling a shaky breath that got caught in her throat.

He reached out to her, taking hold of one hand and cupping her cheek with his other. His blue eyes looked over her face, thumb brushing tears from her skin. “I’m sorry, Ray, I didn’t mean it like that…”

“No no, I know,” she said, cutting him off.

“That came out so wrong. You and Navi mean so much to me,” he assured her, moving so that his forehead met with hers. He nuzzled a little, just wanting her close. “I wouldn’t trade any of the moments that I’ve had with either of you for everything, but my dad and Sol… It’s still not easy for them right now.”

Rhea swallowed a lump that had lodged itself in her throat. “I understand, I know what… What it’s like to worry about the people you care about.”

“I know you do.”

“Years ago. Back before you found me on Menae…” she began. “I didn’t know where my parents were, I didn’t know where you were. I hated not knowing if any of you were safe. And here I am yelling at you for…”

Garrus shushed her and moved to kiss her, catching her soft lips with his hard mouth. She kissed him hard and threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him almost desperately. Even though years had passed the horrors of the Reaper War still managed to find new ways to haunt them. Retirement had come as a brief respite from reality, but now they were in it again. “You’re forgiven, Ray.”

“I hate that we still have to worry about the safety of our loved ones,” Rhea managed, sniffling.

He held her close, breathing her in. “I hate it too,” he said, pulling back a little. “And you’re right, I should have told my dad and Sol about Navi sooner.”

“Your dad I could understand, but not even Solana?” Rhea could hardly believe it. “You guys send messages back and forth at least every week.”

“She returned to active duty to help the colonies in the Terminus,” he confessed, not really sure himself why he hadn’t told Rhea about it. “We haven’t been able to send much.”

Rhea’s eyes went wide, her mouth dropping a little as she breathed out, “Fuck… I’m so sorry, Garrus. I had no idea…”

“I never told you,” he said sheepishly.

She laughed lightly despite herself, shaking her head as she patted the space on the couch beside her. Garrus took his place beside her, gathering her in his arms and holding her close as she curled up against him. “We’re a fucking mess.”

Garrus chuckled in return. “We must be doing something right.”

Rhea snorted a laugh at their old inside joke, burying her face against him to hide her amusement. “I love you so much,” she mumbled into his chest.

“I love you too,” he said, the words spoken like a promise as always.

Rhea would have opened her mouth to say something more, but was interrupted by the sound of her almost five year old shouting, “You two are loud!”

The two untangled themselves, sitting upright on the couch now though they remained close. Rhea looked at their daughter as she walked up to them, a pout on her face.

“I’m sorry, baby girl,” Rhea said, hoisting her up and putting her on her lap. “Did we wake you up?”

Navi nodded, still pouting. She shifted from Rhea’s lap, planting herself firmly between her mom and dad. “Why were you two loud?”

“Your momma was frustrated,” Rhea explained simply, taking hold of Navi’s hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. “But it’s all better now.”

“It is?” Navi asked with a yawn that stretched her whole face.

Rhea looked to Garrus for the answer to this one, meeting his gaze. He smiled softly, love in his gaze.

“Yeah, it is,” he assured his daughter. He moved to pick her up, putting her in his lap. “And it is past your bedtime.”

“You woke me up,” she argued with a sassy little huff, pouting in his arms.

“And now you’re going back to bed,” he said, setting her down and holding her hand.

“Tell me another story!” she insisted.

Rhea smiled, knowing there was no way that Navi would settle without a story from either of her parents. “You should tell her a story about Archangel,” she teased.

Were he human, Garrus would have blanched at the thought. Instead his mandibles pressed tight to the sides of his face and he shot Rhea a disapproving look. She put a hand to her mouth to hide her amusement.

“Who’s that?” Navi asked, looking up at her father expectedly. He just stammered.

“A hero to the people of the Omega space station,” Rhea began, using her Story Teller Voice to really lay on the dramatics. “Dispenser of justice in an unjust galaxy.”

“Hero!” Navi cheered, bouncing on her toes at the sound of her favorite word. She gave Garrus’ hand a desperate little tug. “Tell me, Daddy!”

“Go on, Daddy,” Rhea teased, then continued with the voice, “Tell her the story of how Commander Shepard teamed up with Archangel to defeat the greatest threat the galaxy has ever known.”

Navi only grew more worked up at the mention of Commander Shepard, her mother the greatest of all heroes in her young eyes. “Momma, you knew Archangle?”

“Archangel, baby girl,” she corrected. “And yes I do. I know him quite well, actually.”

Their daughter kept tugging on her dad’s hand, almost as though she could pull him off of the couch if she tried hard enough. “Daddy, tell me a story!”

Garrus laughed at this. “Alright, I will. But only if you get in bed.”

At this Navi let go of his hand and ran for her bedroom, the light from her lamp spilling into the dim hallway. Garrus followed behind her, Rhea watching their shadows from the couch with a smile on her face.

It’d been a near nightly tradition since Navi had first come home. Either Rhea or Garrus would put her down for bed and tell her a story. Some came from books, but most of them were heavily edited versions of their escapades together. The edits often ranged from stretching the truth to making them outright outlandish and fantastical. They decided that until she was older they’d try and keep the horrors from that part of their lives to a minimum. But it was impossible to try and hide the fact the Rhea was Commander Shepard. She suspected Garrus would have an easier time hiding that he was Archangel from his daughter, no thanks to his wife.

Rhea moved into the kitchen to get herself some water to wash the taste of her own tears and snot from her mouth. She breathed deeply, enjoying the cool air of her home and watching the shimmering waves from the windows before moving into the bedroom.

Little things had been getting to her before the fight, an outburst just bubbling beneath the surface waiting for something to trigger it. With the reparation effort finally in full swing, old wounds were being picked at. The constant reminder that even though she had saved the galaxy from total extinction and annihilation, she hadn't been able to save them all. It was easy to forget that they were no longer in any immediate danger. No Reapers, no Cerberus, no clones, nothing that wanted her dead when she had the gratification of nearly everyone who had made it out alive.

She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind the way her therapist had taught her, focusing on her breathing until she heard breathing in her ear.

“You’re doing it again,” Garrus said as he moved behind her, pressing his front against her back and wrapping his arms around her stomach.

“Am I that obvious?” she asked, the slightest of smiles on her face as she leaned into him, lacing their fingers together.

“Hm,” he mumbled. “Yeah, you are.”

“What can I say?” she said, her voice lowering in an attempt to be sexy. “Subtlety has never been a strong suit of mine.”

He chuckled at this. “Navi is sound asleep and shouldn't wake up until morning at least.”

“Sounds like we’ve got a moment for us,” Rhea said, turning around and straddling his hips. She pressed her hands against his chest and pushed him into the mattress, remotely locking their bedroom door from her omni-tool. A smile pulled at her lips as she bent down to trail kisses up her husband's neck and chin before finding his mouth.

Garrus’ subvocals hummed to voice his approval. “Sounds good to me.”

Navi was well behaved as usual as she sat between her mother and father, the Shepard-Vakarians waiting for the Vakarians and Shepards. Rhea was dressed in black jeans and a red top that showed off her shoulders and covered her collar, her shoulder length black hair pinned back out of her face. Garrus wore his usual semi-formal outfit, blue with gold trim. Navi sat in a pair of pink leggings tailored for turian legs and her favorite purple sundress. The little girl sat content with her art tablet, doodling with her fingers while her anxious mother spoke with her father.

Rhea held Palaven and Earth in her palm, rotating them with biotics to try and keep her relaxed. “They’re not gonna like me.”

“They already like you,” Garrus assured her.

“We’ve only ever spoke over vid call,” she argued, staring at the stairs that lead down to the patio where they sat. In the background she could hear the Presidium fountain churning the waters below them. “They can’t possibly…”

“Relax, Ray,” he said, lowering his voice a little to try and get her to calm down. He reached behind Navi, taking hold of his wife’s hand. She latched on, grateful that he’d forgone the gloves and that she could feel his hand solid and warm in hers.

“I’m overthinking this, aren’t I?” she thought out loud, still fidgeting with the marbles.

“Yes,” Navi chimed in, obviously a little irritated by her mother’s fretting while she was trying to concentrate on her drawing. Rhea smiled at this, moving to kiss the top of her daughter’s head.

“Aren’t you adorable?”

Rhea perked up at the ever familiar voice of Hannah Shepard. She stood and slid her marbles into her pocket, greeting her mother with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Markus trailed just behind her, a smile on his face at the sight of his daughter. Rhea wrapped her arms around the taller man’s waist, standing on her toes to peck his cheek.

“It’s good to see you guys,” she said, taking a step back and smiling at her family. For a couple humans in their 60s her parents looked good, her father the first to go grey while her mother’s hair remained its gorgeous black. Hannah had come in her uniform, likely having to return after lunch. Markus came dolled up in a grey blazer and white shirt. He'd been out of a job since the war.

“It’s good to see you too, Rhea,” Markus said. “It’s been too long.”

“That it has,” Hannah chimed in, looking from her daughter to her son-in-law. “You’re looking handsome, Garrus.”

He smiled at this, nodding. “Always a pleasure, Admiral,” he said, extending his hand out for a shake. Hannah took hold of it and pulled him down so she could peck his cheek.

“Please, call me Hannah,” she insisted, smiling so that her eyes seemed to close. “It’s nice to meet when the sky isn’t crashing down around us.”

“That it is,” he agreed.

Rhea felt a tug on her hand and looked down to see Navi. “What is it, baby girl?” she asked.

“Momma, look,” she demanded, dragging her mother over so that she could show her her drawing. Rhea joined her daughter at the table, looking over the datapad.

“It’s gorgeous,” she marveled, her mouth open a little to show astonishment as she did what all parents did when they were shown their kids’ art. It was obviously meant to be a view of the beach from their living room, but given that it had been drawn by a child it mostly looked like a mash of various colors. Far be it for Rhea to be the one to snuff out her child’s creative spark, however. “Can you draw me next?”

Navi grinned as she shook her head. “No,” she said proudly.

“Please,” Rhea begged, a smirk on her face as she hugged Navi and rocked a little bit.

“No Momma!” Navi giggled. “It’s a surprise.”

“Speaking of,” Hannah chimed in from the side, the little family happily watching the cute scene between mother and daughter. “You have gotten so big.”

Navi looked at Hannah with a confused expression on her face. The little turian looked to her mother for a rescue.

“This is my mother, Navi,” Rhea said calmly, her tone even. “Do you remember Mimi from the vid calls?”

She was still silent for a moment as she thought, then let out a little gasp. “I know you.”

Hannah smiled. “You do? That’s good!”

Rhea stepped aside to let Hannah play the role of grandmother, her father joining them on the other side of the table. Garrus put an arm around her, pulling her close.

“Two down, two more to go,” he said.

She smirked at this, putting her arms around his waist and nuzzling against his chest. “We’re off to a good start so far.”

“Dad and Sol should be here soon,” he said, petting her head and moving back to the table. Rhea stiffened when she heard heavy footsteps from behind her. She turned on her heel and startled at the sight of the Vakarians.

The family resemblance was uncanny, Castis appearing to be a more mature version of Garrus, his facial marks the same shade of blue but painted differently on his face. The same went with Solana, the younger sister just a little shorter than her brother and her face marked with similar blue strokes.

They’d met briefly years ago, not long after the Reaper war. Not long enough for them to have had a real conversation that lead anywhere before they were taken in separate directions. They’d been busy people.

“Dad,” Garrus greeted, holding his hand out to his father. Castis took hold of it, smiling at Garrus before pulling him in for a hug.

“It’s good to see you safe, Garrus,” he said, pulling back and the two starting a brief conversation, leaving Solana and Rhea to socialize.

“How’ve you been, Shepard?” Sol asked.

“It’s been good,” she said honestly, putting her hands into her pockets and looking up at her. “It’s been better than I could have hoped for. What about you? Terminus treating you okay?”

Solana nodded. “It’s been rough out there, and it’s not always easy. But we get by. We’re doing good work, helping people. It’s not often I get the chance to take a breather.” She let her shoulders loosen at this, breathing deeply as though to make her point further. “Thanks for inviting me to come along.”

Rhea smiled at her. “Of course,” she said. “You’re family. Make sure you keep us updated whenever you get the chance.”

Sol’s mandibles quirked into a small smile, her gaze soft. “I’ll do what I can.”

She nodded at this, going stiff when she noticed Garrus’ father step towards her. She stood straight as Solana went to talk to her brother.

“Shepard,” he began, holding his hand out to her. She took it immediately, shaking it firmly. “It’s good to properly meet you.”

“It’s good to meet you too, sir,” she said, still formal.

“Please, call me Castis,” he said easily.

“Alright,” she said, relaxing slightly and folding her hands at the small of her back.

“I suppose I should be calling you Shepard-Vakarian now,” he said, smiling a little.

“Just Shepard is fine, or Rhea,” she offered. “Garrus told me you’re back with C-Sec?”

“Not officially, no,” he said. “As a volunteer. Retirement never suited me anyways.”

“I hear that,” Rhea said, understanding. “What sort of work have you been doing?”

“It’s mostly been resettlement,” Castis explained. “Getting people back some part of their old lives. We help them find jobs, reclaim their old apartments. That sort of thing.”

“Have you run into much trouble?”

“Fortunately, no. Violence rarely breaks out except down in the Wards, which is typical. For the most part we deal with complaints.”

Rhea's face scrunched up at this. “Sounds like fun,” she said sarcastically.

Castis chuckled. “It keeps me busy, so I can't complain.” He glanced beyond Rhea and nodded his head. “Your family, I assume?”

“Yes,” she said, leading him to the table. Her parents looked up and stood to greet him, Solana trailing just behind. “These are my parents, Admiral Hannah and Doctor Markus Shepard.” The three parents all gave introductions and handshakes while Rhea moved to her daughter. “There's someone, I want you to meet, okay?”

Navi looked up, a bit more comfortable meeting new people now. Rhea picked her up and hooked her on her hip, her daughter still small enough for her to do so for now, before showing her off to Castis.

“This is Garrus’ and my daughter, Navi,” she said, smiling.” Then to Navi, “This is Daddy's father.”

“Hello,” Navi said in basic, smiling up at her grandfather.

“Hello, Navi,” Castis said, smiling gently at her. He looked to Rhea. “Does she use a translator?”

“No,” Rhea said. “We’ve been raising her to speak both English and basic.”

“I’m very smart,” Navi said proudly in turian basic.

Castis continued to smile at her. “You are indeed,” he agreed, causing Navi to beam at him. “It’s good to meet you finally. You can call me Grandpa.”

Navi tested this new word, already knowing the meaning but never having had used it more than a couple times. She smiled up at him again when she saw that she'd said it right.

“She has your eyes,” Solana joked to Rhea as she came over to greet her niece. “I'm your dad’s sister, Sol.”

“Hi there,” Navi said, waving a little.

“Can I carry you?” Solana asked her.

“Yes!” she said, reaching out to her aunt. Rhea handed off her daughter to Sol, smiling at how small she was in comparison.

Solana hooked her properly on her hip, Navi clinging to her cowl and smiling. “You are so tiny,” Solana commented, shifting to get a little more comfortable. “How old is she?”

“Almost five solar years,” Rhea said.

“Already?” Castis said, brow plates shifting into an expression Rhea recognized as confusion.

She nodded, glancing at her omni-tool and gesturing to the little green light that blipped periodically. “Navi’s small for her age, but she’ll get bigger.”

Castis looked from Rhea’s wrist to Navi's, suddenly understanding. “Ah. May I speak with you and Garrus?” he asked, looking to his son.

The two exchanged nervous looks before agreeing.

“Aunt Sol will stay with you, alright?” Garrus said to Navi, looking to his sister.

“Okay Daddy,” Navi said, Solana nodding her affirmation.

Rhea folded her hands behind her back, following Castis to the opposite side of the patio.

“What's her condition like?” he asked, concern in his tone.

“Navi's been in good health for the last year,” Garrus answered.

“What's wrong exactly?”

“She was born with a rare muscle condition,” he explained. “Her heart, her limbs... they’re not as strong as they should be, prone to giving out. It's why she's still small. We’ve only had one episode since we adopted her.”

Rhea nodded. “She gets regular treatments from a specialist every few weeks back home. We make sure she doesn't get too much stress and we keep emergency meds on us whenever we go out,” she continued, conscious of the weight of the little medpacks in her back pants pocket. “In another year she shouldn't need any more treatments, only basic checkups. Afterwards she should recover easily. She'll be strong and grow at a normal pace, as though nothing was ever wrong.”

“Does she have everything she needs right now?” Castis asked, glancing back at Solana and Navi.

“Of course,” Rhea assured him.

“Her monitor keeps us updated every few minutes. If there's any significant change it lets us know immediately,” Garrus elaborated. “We won't let anything happen to her if we can help it.”

Castis nodded, then looked to Rhea. “I know that it's none of my business, but how human are you raising her?”

Rhea inhaled sharply, knowing in the back of her mind that this conversation was inevitable. “As human as she wants to be,” she said easily.

“We've both decided that Navi should be allowed to choose for herself what traditions she wants to follow,” Garrus said, coming to Rhea's defense. “Her health permitting, she'll be encouraged to go through basic, if only to receive her Clan Makings. But she obviously isn't living in standard family situation.”

Castis nodded, seeming to accept this answer. “Alright,” he said. “If either of you need anything, for Navi or anything else. Don't hesitate to ask.”

Rhea nodded in turn, relaxing again. “Thank you, Castis.”

“Of course,” he said. “Anything for my family.”

She felt light at this, a bit of anxiety finally relieved by hearing this said. They were all family now, never truly alone.

“Momma!” Navi shouted from the table. Rhea looked over glancing down at her omni-tool and reassured by the blinking green light.

“What is it, Navi?”she called back, walking over to her. Navi sat in Sol's lap, enjoying the attention from her extended family.

“Can we get something to eat now?” she asked, pouting dramatically. “I'm hungry.”

Rhea smirked. “Sure thing, baby girl.”

The Shepard-Vakarians all situated themselves around the table, the families getting better acquainted. Hannah and Castis bonded easily over their military experience while Navi continued to relish in the attention she received from her aunt and grandparents. Even Castis indulged in coddling his first grandchild, telling her tame stories of his time in C-Sec after learning how much Navi loved that sort of thing.

The afternoon carried on without incident, again reassuring Rhea that her anxiety over the day was unnecessary. As she relaxed with her family, Garrus’ hand found hers, giving her a comforting squeeze. She smiled, a sense of peace falling over her as she allowed herself to enjoy the easy setting around her and the comfort of having her loved ones safe.

#shakarian #meflashfanwork #Garrus Vakarian #rhea shepard #navi shepard-vakarian #castis vakarian #solana vakarian #hannah shepard

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