A Secret Revealed
Chapter One
Year is 2400
Dr. Liara T'Soni is reviewing some intel from Serrice, Thessia that her information drone, Glyph, has given her. "Thank you, Glyph."
As she reads the information, the Shadow Broker's mouth drops open in shock. Oh, Kaja. What did you do? She reads the information packet again. You don't know do you, little one? Goddess, why would she do that? Liara covers her mouth with her hand. She wants to scream, but what good would it do? No one besides Glyph would hear.
Doing what she does best, Liara starts a search on...
Dr. Cassandra Mitchell is in the bathroom getting ready for work. She is brushing her hair and pulling it back into a pony tail. She is talking to her wife, Kaja T'Soni, who is still lying in bed. "Kaja, are you sure you don't want to go with me to my doctor's appointment?"
"Yes, Cass. Tell me what she says when I pick you up or when you feel the time is right," replies Kaja as she starts to get out of bed.
Cass finishes with her hair. She looks at herself in the mirror and thinks it looks good enough for work. The human walks back in the bedroom, "You're just now getting up? Are we still leaving for Earth when I get off of work?" Cass gives Kaja a kiss before meeting her friend, Tracy Andrews, for a ride to the doctor's office then to work.
Kaja flops back on the bed while saying, "Yes, I'm just now getting up even though I don't know how long I will stay up for. I plan on doing nothing today. I know how you are when we go to Earth." The asari sits up enough to smirk at her bondmate.
"Kaja! I thought you were going to have everything packed before you pick me up from work, so we could leave." Cass grins at her wife. Cass knows Kaja will have everything packed and ready to go an hour after she leaves. Two hours tops.
"I don't know about you, my dear. But my stuff is already packed." Kaja points to the bags on floor. "So, if you don't have your stuff packed. Well, that's on you." She sits up and points to Cass with a smirk on her face. She moves her index finger in a 'come here' motion.
Dr. Mitchell moves closer to T'Soni, but far enough away to make the asari get off the bed. Cass places her hands over her heart. "Oh, sweetie, won't you pack my things for me. Please." Kaja keeps moving her finger and Cass shakes her head 'no'.
Kaja gets off the bed and kisses Cass fully on the lips. "Don't blame me if I pack things you won't want to wear," jokes Kaja as she kiss Cass' cheek.
Cass starts laughing. "Don't worry, sweetie. If you picked it out, I'd be honored to wear it." Seeing the time, Cass says, "I have to go, Kaja. Tracy is picking me up. So you can have the car. I'll talk to you later, sweetie. I love you."
"I love you too, Cass. I might take our stuff to the shuttle before I pick you up from work. Other than that. I'm the lazy spouse today," says Kaja. The asari kisses Cass again before the human leave to meet her friend outside. Dr. Mitchell is sure Tracy is already waiting for her.
When Cass gets outside, she notices two asari walking towards their apartment building. One of the asari looks like a child and the child looks confused and scared. Poor girl, thinks Cass then she notices Tracy waiting for her. Tracy opens the car door so Cass can get in. Tracy asks, "Kaja really wants to be surprised, doesn't she, Cass?"
"Yes, she does. Give her this, Tracy. Kaja was with me during the procedure and is trying to look at from a guy's point of view. And she gave me a good convincing speech about it. I would say argument, but we weren't arguing." Cass gets in the skycar, closes the door, and Tracy drives Cass to her doctor's appointment then to work.
Back in the apartment, Kaja is in the shower when she hears the buzzer for the front door. She quickly finishes her shower, dries off, and gets dressed. Kaja opens the door to see two asari. One is a child and the other is an adult dressed in formal attire. The child looks confused and scared. She keeps looking up and down the hallway with her arms wrapped around her chest. "Detective Kaja T'Soni?" asks the older asari.
"Yes, may I help you?" asks the confused detective. Kaja leans against the door blocking them from entering.
"My name is Matriarch Moirta, I'm from child welfare services in Serrice, Thessia. May we please come in, Detective?" asks the older asari. She is carrying a briefcase in her left hand.
Kaja moves to allow Matriarch Moirta and the child in the apartment. She closes the door behind them and says, "Please, have a seat." Kaja sits on the couch.
Matriarch Moirta whispers to the child to sit in a chair, which the child does without question. She takes the backpack off her back and puts it in her lap. The child is wearing clothes that are worn and dirty. Kaja looks at the youth and then to the Matriarch and wonders what is going on. The detective has that bad feeling in her gut about this. Why would someone from child welfare services on Thessia need to talk to her? Vela, this is your daughter isn't it? Which makes me think I'm her father. Why would someone from child services and Serrice need to talk to me? And you're the only person I know in Serrice.
Matriarch Moirta sits in the chair next to the young asari. The Matriarch opens her briefcase and removes a few data pads. She closes the case, sitting one of the data pads on it. She looks over the dossier for both the child and for Kaja T'Soni. "I'm sorry, Detective T'Soni. I need to ask you a few questions."
Kaja's eyes move from the young asari to Matriarch Moirta. "Okay, ma'am. But first. Please introduce the young asari with you first." Kaja gives the child a reassuring smile and a nod.
Whispering in the child's ear again, Matriarch Morita motions for Kaja to follow her. Kaja takes the Matriarch to the study. "I'm sorry, Detective. I need to verify everything before the introductions. Where you ever in any type of relationship with Vela Tradere?"
"We were friends before she moved to Serrice." Kaja's shoulders slump when she says "Serrice" because she knows Vela was pregnant when she moved and they melded before she moved. Fuck, Vela. You lied to me. Now, I understand why you moved. "And you could say we had a relationship."
"Again, I'm sorry Det. T'Soni. I need to verify the following. You're Kaja T'Soni. Oldest daughter of Dr. Liara T'Soni and Leia Shepard. You served in the military, stationed in Armali, and reached the rank of Lieutenant. You were given a medical discharge in 2387. Your bondmate is Dr. Cassandra Mitchell and you've been married for almost eleven years Oh, I see your anniversary is Tuesday. Congratulations." Moitra pauses to give Kaja a smile. "For the past twelve years, you've been a detective assigned to the homicide unit here in Illyria." says Matriarch Moirta. She peeks out of the study to see the child still sitting in the living room chair.
Kaja answers, "Yes to everything you said. I was born in Nos Astra on Illium in 2187. We moved to Elysium when I was fifteen. I have two younger sisters named Gaia and Olivia."
Moirta hands Kaja a data pad. "I did forget to mention. I am not only with child services, but I am also the child's guardian ad litem . This data pad is from the child's mother, Vela Tradere. It's for you and I'll leave you alone to listen to it." Matriarch Moirta returns to sit next to the young child.
Kaja sits in the chair next to the desk. She hits a few buttons on the data pad and the message starts playing.
Kaja, it's Vela Tradere. I have a confession to make. I'm sorry. I lied to you, Kaja. I lied to everyone I know in Armali. I took advantage of you. I knew you were still mourning your father when you came over the night you returned from attending your father's funeral. I'm a horrible friend. I said I only wanted to share happier memories with you, but I wanted more from you. I wanted for a while for you to be the father of my child. So, my daughter would be related to the most famous couple in the galaxy. Kaja, I knew that is something you would not agree to. Fuck, you were not even two-hundred yet.
So, I took advantage of not only your drunken state, but your mental state as well. I realized I had made a mistake when I saw your reaction to waking up naked beside me the next morning. You asked if something happened between us and I said no. I also said I only shared happy memories with you. It was like you knew some how. You did say you didn't remember much from the night before, but you said you thought we melded and that is when you asked if something happened.
I'm so sorry, Kaja. Something did happen between us that night. You were drunk. You kissed me and that was all I needed for my desires to take over. I doubt you even remember anything from that night. You didn't remember much of it the next morning. But I'll never forget the night I melded with the father of my child. Karrera is your daughter, Kaja. I lied and said I was with a turian and it was a one night thing. It was a one night thing, but not with a turian. Goddess. [sniffles][barely audible]What have I done?
[Back to normal audio volume after several seconds of silence]Every time I look at her, I see you, Kaja. Not only am I a terrible friend to you and to everyone in Armali, but I have been a shitty mother to Karrera. Seeing you when I look at her has given me nothing but guilt. The guilt of you being her father without your consent or you even knowing has gutted me. I can not find the words to explain why I melded with you for reproduction without your consent. I can't even explain to myself why I let my desires take over my better judgment. Let alone explain to you, or Karrera.
She keeps asking about you. I keep saying it not fair to you if she knew who her father is if you, Kaja, don't know. I've never been able to bring myself to contact you and tell you. Too ashamed to face you. Too scared to tell you. I don't know why I'm so scared, Kaja. You're the nicest, sweetest asari I have ever met in five centuries. I can't face what I did to you or what I'm doing to Karrera. I got what I thought I wanted, but it is has turned into more than I can handle. Goddess, Kaja. I've been doing things I'm not proud of to rid myself of the guilt. I'm not blaming you. I'm not blaming our daughter. This is all on me.
Give her a home Kaja. I know you well enough or I think I do. If you knew about her from the beginning, you would have been in her life. And maybe she wouldn't be in the spot I put her in. Kaja, if you are hearing this. Then something happened to me. Chances are I'm dead. You know I have no other family. My mother died in the war and my father was a salarian who died when I was a kid. Karrera has you and your family and that's it.
I'd rather have her be with her family than with a foster family. I know I should have contacted you before now, but I'm too messed up most of the time to think straight. I don't know what you are doing now or if you are with anyone. All I do know is you moved from Thessia back to Elysium. Please, Kaja. Don't do this for me. Do it for your daughter. Please, take care of Karrera.
[sound of a lighter and a deep inhale]You always said things happen for a reason. I always thought you were crazy for thinking that way, but maybe your right. Maybe things do happen for a reason. I don't know what the reason is. I don't know anything anymore. I do know there was a time I wanted us together as bondmates. But it wasn't something you were ready for or what you wanted. So,[another flick of a lighter] I stole a piece of you. You'll never forgive me, Kaja. Not that I can blame you. Maybe the reason for this is so you can fix my mistakes. I don't know.
Kaja, I can never say I'm sorry enough or make up for what I did. Karrera will always hate me too. It's nothing less than I deserve. You're not me. I'm selfish, weak, pathetic excuse for an asari. You, Kaja T'Soni, are the exact opposite. Or how I've always seen you. I know you'll do the right thing. And you'll do them for the right reasons. Again, please. Take care of Karrera. You are all she has.[audio stops]
"Damn you, Vela." mumbles Kaja to herself as she tosses the data pad on the desk. Her gut says to smash the data pad into tiny bits, but her brain says to keep it. She rubs her temples with her fingers thinking what just happened. I have a daughter and she's almost forty, fuck me. No, no, fuck you, Vela. Selfish fucking bitch. The detective grabs the data pad and puts it in a pocket then leaves the study to join the two asari waiting in the living room. Kaja regains her calm composure and enters the living room with a soft grin on her face.
"Twins!" says Cass. Shocked is an understatement. Her and Kaja always knew it was possible to have a multiple because of the treatment she's been taking for the past year. "You sure about that, Dr. Gibbs?"
"Absolutely. Here listen." Dr. Gibbs places the stethoscope against Cass' abdomen to allow her to listen to the duel heartbeats.
Cass' face lights up when she hears what sounds like an echo. "I can't wait to tell Kaja the good news. She is going to be so excited."
Dr. Gibbs has a smile on her face. It always brings the doctor joy seeing a patient react like Dr. Mitchell. Excited about being pregnant and with twins. "Tell that wife of yours, she better come with you for some of these appointments. For now, I want to see you every four weeks. Then every two weeks and finally every week until you're ready to deliver. I have already booked your next appointment. Four weeks from today, same time as today. I'll see you then, Dr. Mitchell." Dr. Gibbs leaves the examining room to check on another patient.
A nurse walks into the room while Cass is putting her pants back on. "Dr. Gibbs wanted me to give you these instructions. You are very healthy and everything looks good." She hands Cass a piece of paper. "This is what you can expect to experience during the first trimester. And this is what you should and should not do during the pregnancy. We'll see you in four weeks." The nurse leave the archeologist in the room. Cass puts her hands over her lower abdomen, "Wow, twins."
Dr. Mitchell grins, leaves the examining room, joins Tracy in the waiting room. Tracy asks, "So?"
"So, what?" replies Cass with an impish grin on her face. The archeologist walks out of the office, heading to the parking lot.
Tracy walks briskly to catch up with her friend. "Oh, come on, Cass. What did the doctor say? From the look on your face, I'd say it was good news."
Cass waits until she gets in the skycar before she says anything to Tracy. "Twins, Tracy. I'm carrying twins."
"Twins?! Holy shit, Cass. Kaja is going to be happy to hear that. You want me to take you home so you can tell her?" asks Tracy. She is very happy for her friends. Before starting the car, Tracy leans over and gives Cass a hug. "Congrats, Cass."
Cass hugs her friend back. "Thanks, Tracy. No, take me to work. I don't plan on telling Kaja until tomorrow when we are lounging on the beach with no one else around. Maybe we can lounge around in skimpy outfits or naked all together" Cass moves her eyebrows up n' down with a grin on her face.
Tracy laughs seeing the look on Cass' face. "You're so bad, Cass. And I'm sure what evil, dirty thoughts you have floating around in the brain of yours, Kaja will enjoy them." Tracy merges the car in with the flowing traffic as she heads to the history museum. Tracy parks the car in the lot next to the employee entrance to the museum. "Call me if you need anything. You two have fun on Earth."
"Thanks, Tracy. I'll talk to you when we get back next week," comments Dr. Mitchell before she walks into the building to take care of museum business before she takes her vacation.
Kaja sits as close to Karrera, she leans forward with her elbows on her legs, and her chin resting on her hands. She has a smile on her face. Kaja is trying to stay calm and collected. The last thing her daughter needs is to see her not being calm and collected. Matriarch Moirta says, "Karrera, this is your father, Kaja T'Soni. You're going to be staying with her now. Detective, this is your daughter, Karrera Tradere."
"Hi, Karrera," says Kaja with a big smile on her face. She reaches out with her right hand to see if the young asari shakes it.
Karrera shakes her father's hand. "Hi." She clutches her backpack tighter.
Matriarch Moirta pulls out a few papers for Kaja to sign. "Det. T'Soni, I have a few forms for you to sign." The Matriarch hands Kaja two forms and a pen. "One, is simply stating you are taking over as Karrera's legal guardian and you are her second parent. The other one is giving the local authorities permission to check on the welfare of Karrera. This is a proxy for the child welfare services on Thessia."
Kaja sits back and reads both forms thoroughly before signing anything. She finds it annoying because Vela was a bad parent, Karrera needs to have child welfare check in on her. "How long will these checks from child welfare continue? I'm a detective for Illyria police department. I will provide a good home for Karrera. Who decides when they stop?"
"My office will decide, Detective T'Soni. If you were living on Thessia, someone from my office would check on Karrera. I'm sorry, Detective. Both of you have been put in a bad situation. My job is to make sure Karrera is taken care of. I'm sure you can appreciate that," answers the Matriarch.
"I do, Matriarch Moirta. I don't mean to sound ungrateful. This is... unexpected." Kaja signs both forms and hands the papers and pen back to the Matriarch. Kaja leans forward again and puts her hand on Karrera's thigh. "Karrera, are you okay? You're being quiet."
Matriarch Moirta scans the two forms to make copies and hands the papers back to Kaja. "These are for you. If you need any assistance, don't hesitate to contact me. My contact information is on the bottom of the proxy form." She closes her briefcase then gives her full attention to the young asari. "Karrera, this is your new home. You won't be bouncing from one foster home to another like before. Everything will finally be stable for you again."
Kaja leans her head to one side and grins at her long-lost daughter. "What has been going on? How long as she been in foster care?" asks the detective with concern in her voice.
Karrera speaks for the first time since entering the apartment. The young asari looks at Kaja when she asks, "Are you really my dad?"
"Yes, I am. It's what your mother said in the message she left for me. Did she ever tell you about me?" asks Kaja. Karrera shakes her head 'no' without saying a word.
The Matriarch grins watching Karrera finally say something. The girl hasn't said anything since they left Thessia. "Detective, Karrera has been in foster care off and on for about five years. And steady for the last year and half. She was found alone when a concerned neighbor called saying they thought there was a neglected child living next door. Her mother died six weeks ago and we've worked on confirming you were her father since then. The data pad I gave you was found on her mother's body." The older asari stands, so she can inspect the apartment. "I'll leave you two to get better acquainted. I need to look the apartment over. Make sure you can provide a stable home for Karrera."
Detective T'Soni says as she motions her hand towards the bedrooms and kitchen, "Be my guest, Matriarch Moirta. I wish I knew about Karrera before today. I would have taken care of her and she would never been in foster care." The Matriarch nods to Kaja before she starts her inspection of the apartment.
It takes the Matriarch only a few minutes to look around the apartment to realize the child will be well taken care of. "Everything looks in order. The only issue I see is she doesn't have a bed to sleep in. I see there is a couch in the study. Is that going to be her room, Detective?"
"Yes, ma'am. It is now. I know we'll have to move things around. Don't worry, Matriarch, I will make sure Karrera has what she needs. I do have a few questions. Has Karrera been going to school? If she has been in and out of foster care for the past few years, it makes me concerned she hasn't been going to school," remarks Kaja with concern still in her voice. "And how did Vela die?"
Moirta looks at the youth, "Karrera, you should answer about school." The elder asari steps closer to Kaja to say in a hushed tone, "She died from a drug overdose. Some new synthetic drug. Project X or something like that." Matriarch Moirta steps back then says, "Everything looks in order. I will follow-up with the locals here and I may send you a message personally from time to time to check on Karrera. I should get back to Thessia."
Kaja walks the Matriarch to the front door, making a mental note to do a search on the drug later. "Thank you, Matriarch Moirta. Is there anything about Karrera I need to know? Behavior problems or anything like that?"
"No, Karrera is well-behaved and doesn't talk much. She kept getting moved because the system kept sending her to over crowded homes. It had nothing to do with her behavior. I assure you on that, Kaja. She's a good kid that needs a good parent. I know you are young, but so is your mother. If I go by age, not maturity. I have no doubt, you'll be the type of parent Karrera needs. I'll be honest with you. I don't see but one more visit. And that will probably happen in a few weeks. Give the household time to settle," answers the Matriarch.
"Thank you again," says Kaja before she closes the door behind the Matriarch. She returns to the living room. Karrera is still sitting in the chair, holding on to her backpack like she is afraid someone is going to steal it. Kaja is sure everything her daughter owns is in that backpack. She doesn't blame Karrera for not wanting to let it go or for being over protective of it. If Karrera as been moved as much as it sounds, Kaja is sure she's lost most of her stuff. Something Kaja wants to correct after eating breakfast. "I haven't had anything to eat yet. Do you want something, Karrera?"
"Do you have anything from Thessia to eat?" asks Karrera.
Kaja smiles, "We do. It's mostly fruits. Want some?"
Karrera says softly, "Yes, please."
Kaja T'Soni offers her hand to Karrera, "Come with me and I'll show you where you can keep your things and where everything is around the apartment."
"O..Okay," replies the young asari as she reluctantly takes her father's hand. "If I leave my pack here, will it be here when I come back?"
Hearing the scared tone in her daughter's voice is heartbreaking. It's bad enough Vela got pregnant and didn't tell her, but to neglect Karrera is hard for Kaja to understand. Kaja pulls Karrera in for a tight hug. "Karrera, I really wish your mother told me about you. I'm sorry she didn't. Yes, you can leave your bag on the chair. It's not going anywhere."
Karrera hugs Kaja back then leaves her backpack on the couch. She keeps looking around the apartment. It is bigger than the one she lived in with her mother and most of her foster homes had several kids, so they seemed smaller than they actually were. "This place is huge. Where am I sleeping?"
Kaja shows Karrera around the apartment. Kaja says, "This is your room. We'll have to rearrange the room and buy you an actual bed." The detective removes the cushions from the sofa to reveal a hide-a-way bed. "This turns into a bed, but we'll get you bedroom furniture. You can pick it out. I have final say if we can afford it or not." Kaja folds the bed out to allow Karrera to lie on it.
The young asari notices the ring on Kaja's left hand when she climbs on the bed. "Do you have a bondmate? I see what looks like a wedding band on your finger." Karrera lies on the bed, thinking it's better than what she had before. Anything is better than what she had before.
"Yes, I do. Her name is Dr. Cassandra Mitchell. She's the curator at the history museum and she's at work. We have to pick her up when the museum closes at 1800. Then we are going to Earth on vacation," replies Kaja. The detective starts thinking about Cass and wonders how her bondmate is going to handle an instant family. Goddess, Cass. I'm sorry about this. I didn't know. What did the doctor say? Did you get pregnant this time? I hope so, even with Karrera being here.
"What's a vacation?" asks Karrera when she sits up again.
Taken back by the oddness of the question, Kaja offers her hand to Karrera, who takes it. They walk into the kitchen. Kaja shows her daughter where everything is located in the kitchen. The detective hands Karrera a piece of fruit imported from Thessia which resembles an apple. "Here, there is more if you want."
They both sit at the kitchen table with Karrera eating the fruit. Kaja hands her a napkin when she sees the juice from the fruit dribble down Karrera's chin. The youth wipes the juices from her chin. The older asari decides she wants to cook something to eat. "You sure you don't want something else, Karrera? I'm not a bad cook. Cass is better though."
Karrera asks, "What can you cook?"
"I was going to scramble a few eggs and have some toast," answers Kaja as she opens the refrigerator to grabs the carton of eggs. She also grabs a bowl and fork to beat the eggs with. As she scrambles the eggs in the bowl, Kaja heats up the skillet.
"Okay. I'll have some," says Karrera before she walks back into the living room to grab her backpack. Everything the girl owns is in the pack. And what little she does have, she doesn't want to lose. She returns to the kitchen and sets the pack in the chair next to her and opens it. She pulls out a square cube toy and starts playing with it. The toy looks like a Rubik's Cube, instead of being a 3x3 cube. It's a 5x5 cube.
Kaja looks over her shoulder to see Karrera playing with her cube. She goes back to finish scrambling the eggs. Kaja puts half the eggs on one plate and the other half on a second plate. The detective grabs the toast from the toaster and puts two pieces on each plate. Opening the drawer, Kaja takes out two forks. Setting the plate of eggs in front of Karrera, "Here you go, Karrera." Kaja sits in a chair across the table from Karrera.
The young asari looks the plate of eggs, puts the cube on the table, and grabs a fork to begin eating her eggs. Karrera smiles as she eats her breakfast. "Thank you." is the only thing Karrera says while she eats.
"My pleasure, Karrera. Your mom never took you any where on vacation?" asks Kaja in between bites.
"No." Karrera finishes her eggs and toast. "If you and your bondmate are going to Earth, what happens to me?"
Sighing softly when she hears Karrera's question. It makes her think Vela left Karrera alone often. "You are coming with us. Did your mom leave you alone a lot?" Kaja reaches across the table and pats on her daughter's arm. "I promise you, Karrera. Cass and I will always take care of you."
Karrera looks at her father, looks at the table, then nods. She doesn't know what to say. It's been far too long since Karrera felt she was part of a family. Karrera doesn't know if she should call Kaja 'dad' or not. Her life until this point has been chaotic at best. Or a complete disaster at worse. "Mom made promises too. She always broke them. How do I know you won't do the same?"
Tears start trickle down Kaja's cheek. She covers her face with her hands unsure what to say to her daughter to assure her. Karrera has a point and it's hard to hear. "You don't. Cass and I will have to gain your trust." The detective takes the empty plates and puts them in the sink. "Karrera, make yourself at home. This is your home too. I need to finish packing Cass' things then I am taking you shopping. I don't think you have much in way of clothes."
Detective T'Soni goes into her bedroom to start packing Cass' bags. She opens the closet door and grabs the bags. There is a note on the top bag.
Sweetie,
I already packed my bags. See you when you pick me up.
Enjoy your day.
Love you,
C.
Enjoy my day. Oh, Cass. I am so sorry. How do I explain to you, I have a daughter who is almost forty? Goddess, I love you, Cass. Please continue to love me and help me finish raising my daughter. There are tears in Kaja's eyes when she grabs her bondmate's bags. Kaja wipes the tears from her face and takes the bags to the living room and sets them on the couch. She goes back to the bedroom and grabs her bags and puts them with Cass' bags.
Walking back into the kitchen, Kaja sees her daughter is back playing with her cube. She pulls out a chair and sits next to her daughter. Kaja places her hand on Karrera's arm, "I know you don't know me. I understand you if are not comfortable being here. All I ask from you is to try to trust me. Trust me to provide you a stable home. I love you, Karrera. I'm sure you don't believe me or trust me. Try to, please. I wish your mother hadn't kept us apart. I didn't know I was your father." Kaja kisses the girl's forehead.
Karrera's body stiffens when Kaja kisses her forehead. The affection is something she isn't use to receiving. She grabs her backpack and holds it tightly against her chest. There is an emptiness in the girl's eyes. Kaja can tell by looking at those violet-colored eyes, Karrera has had it rough and Kaja wants to make things better for her. "How can you love me? You just met me."
Karrera's reaction doesn't go unnoticed by Kaja and it hurts to see her daughter's reaction to a simple kiss on the forehead. A simple sign of affection and Karrera doesn't seem use to it. "Because you're my daughter, Karrera. Good parents love their children. I'm sorry, I haven't been part of your life until now. I really wish things were different. But we have to make due with situations we are given during our lives. That is a lesson I learned the hard way. I know words are cheap. Judge me by my actions, Karrera. I will try my hardest to give you the love and support you need. When we get back from Earth, we'll get you enrolled at school. The next term doesn't start for a few more weeks, but we need to get you enrolled before school starts."
The youth's eyes light up when Kaja mentions school. "I can go to school? Really?"
The more she talks with Karrera, the more Kaja realizes how messed up her daughter's life has been until this point. She vows to herself to make sure Karrera has the same environment she grew up in. A stable, loving home. She kisses her daughter's forehead again, this time Karrera doesn't tense up when Kaja shows her affection. "When was the last time you went to school? The Matriarch wouldn't answer when I asked earlier" inquires the detective. She isn't sure if wants to hear the answer or not, but knows she must.
"I miss school." Karrera isn't going to give her father a complete answer. It's been almost two years since Karrera went to school and even at times, she would miss days at a time. Karrera looks at her father's face. Kaja is smiling and giving Karrera good vibes. Kaja's demeanor is making the youth relax. She finishes answering, "Two years ago. Going from one home to another made it hard to go to school. Every few months I would move and it usually included a new school. So, I stopped going."
The young asari with violet-colored eyes looks at her father again. Kaja's demeanor is the same. The detective reaches out to pat Karrera's arm. "You can go to school all you want, Karrera. College too. I didn't attend college, but your grandmother, aunt, and step-mom all have Ph'ds."
Karrera's face lights up again. "I can go to college?" She gets off the chair and hugs Kaja tightly for the first time. Kaja holds her daughter close. Karrera sits back down, "Wait, I have a grandmother?"
"Yes, you have a grandmother. You will meet her later today. We're using her shuttle for our trip to Earth. You have two aunts. One lives on Earth and the other lives on the Citadel," comments Kaja with a sense of pride in her voice. Seeing Karrera bring her protective barrier down even a little is making Kaja feel confident they can come together as a family. "I have something to show you. I'll be right back."
Kaja walks into her and Cass' bedroom and grabs a picture off the wall. Kaja shows the picture to her daughter. She points to each person when she says their name, "This is your grandmother, Liara T'Soni. This is your aunt, Olivia. She rather go by Liv. This is your other aunt, Gaia. That's me. And this is your grandfather, Leia Shepard."
The young asari points to Gaia in the picture. "She's the actress, right? I remember seeing her in some vids."
Kaja hugs Karrera again. "Yes, she is. You'll meet her soon. I hope. Gaia works too much. I wish she'd take more time for herself, but she loves what she is doing." She leaves her arm on the back of Karrera's chair. "Karrera, what all did you bring with you?"
The youth dumps her pack on the kitchen table. The girl doesn't have much. It's mostly clothes in the backpack. Couple of days worth. Kaja picks through the items on the table. There is a frown on the older asari's face. The clothes look like in the same shape as the clothes Karrera is wearing. Old, worn, and dirty looking. There is also a data pad and a hard bound book. Few small nic-nac items. Kaja doesn't like it at all. The only thing she can do is correct the situation by taking Karrera shopping. She was planning on doing that anyway. The detective already figured Karrera needs more clothes.
Karrera says, "This is everything." The young asari with violet-colored eyes stuffs her clothes back in the backpack. She unzips the front pocket and shows her dad the items. An old ratty looking toothbrush and an empty tube of toothpaste. Karrera hangs her head in embarrassment. Everything in the apartment looks well-kept and clean. Everything she owns is old, dirty, and unkempt.
"Would you like to get some new clothes? We can also go and find you a bedroom set." Kaja hugs Karrera. This time Karrera wraps both arms around Kaja and lies her head against her father. The asari with ocean-blue eyes holds the daughter she didn't know she had until a little while ago. Good, she's opening up some. Damn you, Vela. How could you do this to our daughter? How? All because of who my parents are? Goddess, how selfish can you be? Kaja gives Karrera a loving squeeze. Vela, I'm sorry it took you dying for me to find out about Karrera. You should have contacted me years ago. I would have taken custody of her.
The young asari sits back up saying, "I would like that." Karrera grabs her backpack, slides off the chair, and asks, "You said I have my own room. So, I can keep my stuff there and no one will mess with it?"
Kaja is trying hard to keep the positive attitude. Inside, she's a ball of mix emotions. Seeing Karrera reaction to things, seeing how concerned the child is over the few possessions she owns makes Kaja seethe with rage, but she also feel anguish for her daughter. She is furious at Vela for neglecting their daughter. She is heartbroken for Karrera and what Vela has done. Or not done. Which is to provide the child with a home.
The detective stands, grabs the picture, so she can hang it back on the wall next to the dresser. "Yes, you stuff is safe here. Can I assume people have taken things from you before?" Kaja talks in a calm, even, caring tone. She can see how her tone and actions are positively affecting Karrera. The youth goes in her room and puts her pack on the bed without saying anything. Kaja remembers what the Matriarch said to her before she left. Karrera is quiet and doesn't talk much. So, far the Matriarch is correct. Hopefully over time, Karrera will open up and talk more. Time will tell.
Hanging the picture back on the wall, Kaja starts thinking how is she going to explain this to Cass? Or her mother and sisters? If Cass is the woman, Kaja believes she is. Dr. Mitchell will love Karrera and provide the support the child needs. What if she did get pregnant this time? That will affect us even more. We're going to need more room. One of the houses in mom's neighborhood is for sale or going on the market soon. Maybe we should take a look at it. I don't think the yard is as big, but I do believe it is a three-bedroom house. I wonder if there is a basement like mom's house.
Kaja moves one corner of the picture to make it look level. Karrera is standing in the doorway. "I'm ready when you are."
"I want you to know something before we leave. We're getting things you need today. We are only looking at the bedroom stuff. Even though you get to pick what you want, we need to talk to Cass about it before we buy it. I'll arrange it where it will be here before we return. Okay?" Kaja smiles warmly at the youth. "Also, we're not going to spoil you with things you don't need. I can't make up for being out of your life until now by buying you things you don't need. What I want to give you are not things money can buy. I hope you understand."
When the youth returns the smile, Kaja's heart skips a beat. Karrera is slowly opening herself to her father. Slowly realizing she has someone who will care for her. The youth is willing to try to trust her father. Trusting her mother didn't bode well, trusting the foster mom's didn't bode well either. Karrera senses something different from her father. She wonders if Kaja's actions are real and if the affection will continue. The youth hopes so because it's nice knowing someone cares.
"Okay." is all Karrera says. She wants to know more about how Kaja knows her mother. The youth needs to know why her mother kept them apart. The only thing Karrera knows is her mother didn't think it was fair for her to know who her father was if her father didn't know. And her mother always changed the subject after saying it. Karrera needs to know why her mother refused to talk about it and almost every time the subject of Kaja came up, her mother would be gone for a day or two. Days turned into weeks then to months. She wonders if Kaja did something to her mother, but from her mothers looks and actions. Karrera thinks it was her mother who did something. But what?
Dr. Cassandra Mitchell sits outside on a bench waiting for Kaja to pick her up. She is still beaming from ear to ear from the news she received from Dr. Gibbs. The newest security guard locks the doors to the museum. He sees the curator sitting on the bench and decides to join her. "Waiting for a ride, Dr. Mitchell?" asks the turian with the white face paint across his nose and cheeks.
"Yes, Kaja is picking me up," answers Cass as she moves over to let the turian sit next to her.
Cathrik, the security guard, sits next to the curator. "You seem in an excited mood today. Ready for your holiday?" The look on Cass' face makes the turian grin. He suspects something else is the reason for the human's demeanor. It's not his place to ask, so the turian basks in the positive energy radiating from the human.
Dr. Mitchell glances at Cathrik, "Yes, I'm ready to go. Relaxing on a beach for a few days. Sounds wonderful to me." And the last time we'll have some quiet time alone for a few years. I'd love to tell you, Cathrik, but I really need to tell Kaja first. She smiles at the turian.
The turian notices a skycar descending from the traffic. Recognizing the car, Cathrik stands to meet his ride. "I hope you and the detective enjoy your holiday. I'll see you when you return, Dr. Mitchell."
"I'm sure we will, Cathrik. Thank you." replies the archeologist as the turian walks away. Twins, wow. Do we want to know the sex? Or not and let it be a surprise? We will need to move. The apartment is big enough for three, not four. We either get a bigger apartment or maybe we buy a house. I would love for the kids to have a yard to play in. A car descends and parks in front of the museum. Kaja and another younger asari exit the car.
Cass eyes move from Kaja to the young asari back to Kaja. Cass stands, but doesn't walk to the car. She remembers a young asari walking towards the apartment building. Cass covers her mouth with her hand, thinking the young asari is the one she saw this morning. Only difference is she has on a different set of clothes and doesn't look scared. At least she looks better. Kaja, my sweetheart, what is going on?
A/N:This a 3-chapter story. Actually, it's a one-shot that got too big, so I cut it into three parts. I thought 50+ pages and over 31k words was a bit too much for one sitting.
I am posting it in weekly installments. I did think about posting it all three chapters in the same day, then I decided to stretch it out because this is my last story to be posted for a few weeks. I need more time to work on my post ME3 arc. I am in the middle of working on it, but it is going slowly.
See everyone next week and I do hope you enjoy this ride.