A/N – I started working on this at Christmas, but due to all the horror in my life and my up and down moods, it took me two months to get it finished. Oops. I hope you all enjoy this little glimpse into Rennah and James' (and Jack and Kaidan's!) life after the reaper war! (Cover art by Avionetca on DA)
Oh, this is a spin-off fic from my Shega fic Lights in the Sky. You don't need to have read that fic to follow this one, but it does explain why and how Kaidan and Jack hooked up! ;) Enjoy!
Of course Kaidan would have a secluded cabin in the Canadian wilderness, Rennah thought with amusement as the skycar touched down outside of the Alenko's mountain retreat. Though the word retreat hardly seemed an adequate word for the large double story structure that sat nestled amongst the towering pines. Constructed of natural river stones and pine logs, the windows glowed warmly with firelight; an inviting sight against the backdrop of incredibly white snow.
The front door burst open as she turned off the engine and the Alenko family appeared; Jack and Kaidan waving as their dark-haired son David came zooming down the front steps, the family varren hot on his heels. Besides her, James waved back, and Lyra bounced with excitement in the backseat, her biotics jittering along Rennah's nerves as she flared at the sight of her friend.
Rennah tried not to feel too grumpy as she pulled her gloves on. Had she had her way, they would have been holidaying on a private cruise somewhere in the depths of space, or visiting an exotic part of the galaxy, or maybe even their friends on Palaven, Rannoch, or hell, even Thessia. But James loved Earth, and as Lyra was growing older it was becoming obvious that while she may have resembled her mother in looks, she was her father's daughter in every other way, and her heart belonged to Earth.
She was, essentially, outnumbered.
"Okay," James said he zipped up his parker and looked in mock sternness from Rennah to Lyra. "This is it, people. Game faces on. We can't let the Alenko's out-Holiday us, can we?"
Lyra giggled and shook her head. "No!"
She was a decidedly cheerful sight indeed in her patterned leggings, fur-lined boots and short block woollen dress and red parker. Her black hair was up in pigtails and her pale cheeks were flushed pink with excitement. Rennah couldn't help but smile despite her Grinch-like mood.
"Ren?" James raised his eyebrows at her and she swallowed a sigh.
"No, we won't let them out-Holiday us," she grumbled.
James rewarded her with a heart-stopping smile. "Excellent. Okay, troops, let's move out!"
Lyra burst from the car in a flurry of excitement and was immediately swamped by Eezo and David who danced around her with flickers of biotic lights. James and Rennah got out more slowly, and they exchanged tired smiles with Jack and Kaidan who hurried down to help them with their bags.
"You made it!" Kaidan said by way of greeting as he clasped James in an enthusiastic hug, the two men grinning wildly as they thumped one another on the back.
"I wouldn't miss our family get together for anything!" James led the way to the back of the sky car and they began to unpack as Rennah and Jack rolled their eyes at the men's enthusiasm for the holidays.
Jack's chestnut hair was still shaved at the sides to show off her tattoos, but she had cut it since the last time Rennah had visited, and it was now shoulder length and hung around her face in a feathery cut that suited her. She was wearing a hideous knitted sweater with a lopsided snowman on it and Rennah smirked as she recognised Kaidan's elderly mother's handiwork. Each year the spry old lady knitted both Kaidan and Jack matching sweaters, and each year Kaidan pleaded with Jack to wear it.
And for some reason, unbeknownst to Rennah, Jack usually did.
"Nice sweater," she commented, po-faced, as they went to help the men.
Jack scowled. "Shut up or I won't give you your Christmas present."
Rennah just laughed as she took a suitcase in each hand and headed to the cabin with her friend grumbling behind her. The annual Christmas holiday that their families took together had become a tradition after all four of them had lived together on the Citadel in the months following the end of the Reaper war. Housing had been in short supply, and with more than enough spare bedrooms to accommodate them, she had been happy to have Jack and Kaidan live with them.
The idea of an annual holiday together had been James', though Kaidan had been quick to second it, and Rennah had to admit that the idea had been a good one, especially as Lyra grew older and after Jack and Kaidan had David. There wasn't much room in any of their lives for holidays and celebration; Jack and Kaidan both worked full time training students at Grissom Academy, James was training students at N-School at the newly opened base at Rio, and she was on active Spectre assignment chasing down Leviathan Orbs.
These holidays were precious for all of them, and Grinch-like and grumpy though Rennah felt as she trudged through the icy snow with the heavy suitcases, part of her revelled in the fact that at least she would be Grinch-like and grumpy amongst her best friends and family.
She shook her boots off as best she could before she followed Jack inside and was swallowed by the toasty warmth of the house. Heat, light, and the delicious smell of pastry and chocolate assailed her, and she inhaled deeply as she headed through to one of the guest rooms and set the bags down.
"You've been baking?" she asked.
Jack scoffed. "Me? Please! You should know better than to ask that. No, Kaidan's been making Beaver Tails for the kids."
Rennah perked up and grinned slyly. "Just for the kids?"
"Don't worry, he made a few extra for you too." Her friend bumped her shoulder in a friendly manner. "We have your chocoholic back."
"Excellent."
They both laughed and wandered back to the front of the house where they could hear shrieks of childish laughter and the sound of Kaidan and James shouting happily. Eezo's wuffling varren-barks were echoing around the snowy yard, and Rennah groaned as she stepped out onto the porch to a ridiculous sight; James and Kaidan appeared to be engaged in a snowball fight with the children, and the women ducked as a stray ball of snow whizzed at their heads and smacked into the house.
Annoyed, Rennah turned to see who had thrown it.
"Oops!" Kaidan poked his head up from behind a snowdrift, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Sorry, ladies!"
The grin on his face made it plain that he wasn't sorry at all, and Jack grumbled under her breath. Rennah only laughed as a moment later Kaidan was hit squarely in the face by a snowball lobbed by James, the biotic falling to the ground with a squawk of surprise.
"Children!" Kaidan gasped desperately as James vaulted over the car and bore down on him. "Defend me!"
This time both women dissolved into laughter as David and Lyra burst from behind the snowdrift and flung themselves at James in what appeared to be an ambush, Eezo the varren running alongside them. Kaidan used the distraction to crawl back behind cover, and he quickly formed up more snowballs which he flung biotically at James in rapid succession. Pinned under Kaidan's attack and with the children weighing him down, he was forced to beat a hasty retreat.
"Typical!" James lamented as he struggled through the snow with both squealing kids hanging off him and the pet varren running in excited circles, barking. "Everyone gangs up on the poor non-biotic!"
Kaidan's only response was to lob another snow ball at him.
"I guess we better go join them," Rennah suggested as she gasped with laughter as James staggered and almost fell. "I'd feel mean leaving poor Jimmy to defend himself against your husband and the children."
"Pfft, speak for yourself." Jack grinned devilishly and glowed with biotics. "I have a snowball with your name on it, little miss Spectre!"
They exhausted themselves with a snowball fight that lasted the better part of fifteen minutes, and would have gone on longer if the kids hadn't worn themselves out. Then returned to the house, panting and tired, with broad grins plastered over their faces. James piggy-backed Lyra who was chatting happily about her plans to fix a small cart to Eezo so he could pull her and David around the yard, while Kaidan carried his son; who was red cheeked with excitement.
"So, before dinner we thought we'd exchange presents," Kaidan announced as soon as they had dried themselves off and shaken the lingering snow from their hair. "Christmas was almost a month ago after all, so it doesn't seem fair to make the kids wait."
Rennah met James' eyes from across the room and she grinned; he and Kaidan were always trying to outdo each other with their presents. It had become a yearly competition between them.
"Sure," she agreed easily, to the delight of the kids who ran squealing into the living room where the Christmas tree still sat decorated and waiting.
James excused himself to get their gifts for the Alenko family, while Rennah helped Kaidan with the Beaver Tails – the pastries were coated in chocolate and other delicious toppings. They smelled amazing and her mouth was watering before long. They could hear Jack with the children, the three of them cackling with laughing at whatever was going on.
Kaidan caught her smile and he grinned back. "Don't be fooled by the laughter and 'mommy routine'," he told her with a wink, "Jack's as mean as ever when you get her in the Armax Arena."
"Good." Rennah snagged a plate in each hand and followed him through to the living area. "I'll be sure to challenge her to a match when she's next on the Citadel."
He snorted in amusement. "You'll be sorry."
They set their plates down and helped themselves to a treat just as James returned with the gifts. The kids grabbed up their chocolatey snacks and settled themselves on the floor by the tree, looking expectantly at their parents. James however, looked smug and pleased with himself as he twirled one brightly coloured gift in his hands and waggled his eyebrows at Kaidan.
"I have the best present for you this year, Iceman."
Kaidan grinned broadly. "It can't possibly be better than what I got for you."
Jack and Rennah exchanged exasperated glances and handed out the kids' presents, which they ripped into with glee. Jack and Kaidan had given Lyra a new biotic amp which she insisted on trying out right away, while Rennah and James had given David a new set of games for his omni-tool, including a game which he evidently had been bugging his parents to buy him for some time. He excitedly followed Lyra into an adjacent room, each child already immersed in their present.
"Right!" James grinned broadly. "Now it's time for the good stuff."
"James!" Rennah elbowed him. "Anyone would think all you cared about was Kaidan's present."
He pulled a face. "Well, to be honest … ."
Jack and Kaidan laughed, and Kaidan held out a squishy package. "Here you go, Merry Christmas and I hope it fits."
James tore into the present and his eyes widened as a grey cotton shirt with the words 'TOP GUN' unfolded from within it. The military logo beneath it was familiar, and within a vague sense of annoyance, Rennah recognised it from the stupid Earth movie that both men were so obsessed with. James had forced her to watch it with him on numerous occasions, and she always suffered her way through it.
"This is perfect!" James gushed, ripping his own shirt off, and, much to Rennah's delight and amusement as he exposed the broad expanse of his muscled chest, pulling on the Top Gun shirt in the middle of the room. "How does it look?"
"Like your old shirt with a different logo?" she suggested sweetly, but James wasn't put off by her sarcasm.
He got up and looked up at himself in the mirror over the fireplace. "It looks awesome. Thanks!" James picked up the brightly coloured package from earlier and passed it to his friend. "This is for you, buddy."
Kaidan ripped the paper off and let out a cheer as a limited edition Kaidan Alenko Super Spectre action figure – still in the box – tumbled out. "YES!" he crowed. "Where did you find this?"
James grinned back at his friend. "It wasn't easy. I had to buy it off a hanar who collected 'human memorabilia'," he used air quotes around the words. "Not many action figures of you guys survived the war. You're lucky I found one."
Jack rolled her eyes. "A doll?"
"An action figure," Kaidan corrected her, smiling broadly, "Of me." He held it up so that his wife could see it. "Maybe we can put it on display with your action figure … Oh! That's right! They didn't make a Jack action figure! Too bad!" He laughed and ducked out of the way of her playful cuff and then reached over to clap James on his shoulder, "Thanks, man. I love it."
"You're welcome." They grinned at once another as they showed off their presents.
"I have your gift right here," Rennah said, handing an envelope to Jack. "It's no doll," she threw Kaidan and James a filthy look, "but it's fun."
Jack opened it and a hellish look of delight came over her face as she pulled out a yearly family pass to the Armax Arsenal Arena. "YES!" she clutched the pass tightly. "Finally I can kick your ass in the Arena whenever we stop by the Citadel, Alenko!" Her eyes flashed blue with bioics and everyone laughed as Kaidan pretended to cower.
Jack's addiction to the Arena was well known, as was her frustration that try as she may, she couldn't get a higher kill count than her husband. It wasn't for lack of trying or for lack of biotic strength either – but rather because she tended to lose her temper in fights and rely on her biotics, whereas Kaidan tended to keep his cool, and his Spectre and Black Ops training usually kept him one step ahead.
Jack's claims of kicking his ass in the AAA were all talk, and they all knew it.
"This is great, thanks Ren." Jack gave her a fist bump. "And now, I have a really special present for you-"
"It's kind of for you and Lyra, actually," Kaidan interrupted, looking slightly worried. "I hope we weren't out of line, but we know you were thinking of getting one."
Rennah exchanged a look with James and narrowed her eyes. "Getting a what? What have you done, Jack?"
"Well … its more what Eezo, did." She got up and walked out of the room without explaining more, then came back in with a small wriggling varren pup in her hands, the tiny caramel coloured baby looking around happily. "One of our co-worker's at Grissom also owns a varren and she asked if she could breed her with Eezo a few months back. We said yes, and she gave one of the pups to us. This little girl is for you and Lyra."
The sight of the small sleek pup wriggling in excitement sent a thrill through her, and Rennah let out a decidedly un-Spectre like squeak of excitement as she took the baby varren in her arms. "Holy shit!" she exclaimed. "She's beautiful!"
"I had a hell of a time keeping this a secret," James admitted, looked pleased.
"You knew?" Rennah gushed as the varren tried to lick her face.
Jack snorted. "Kaidan was his usual sensible self and wanted to check that it was okay to give you a pet for a present. I didn't want to spoil the surprise, so asking Muscles here was the next best thing." Her long-time friend watched her with the puppy and began to smile. "You like her right?"
"I love her!" She laughed as the pup let out a growling bark and began to chew on her dog tags. "And Lyra is going to flip. "Thank you so much!" She passed the small pup to James and gave Jack and Kaidan a hug, excitement coursing through her at the thought of Lyra's face when she saw that they finally had their very own varren. "She's beautiful."
"Fucking right she is." Jack looked pleased with herself. "Just promise me you won't let your daughter name her something soft like Cinnamon or Fluffy or some shit."
The varren was now growling playfully as it chewed on James' hand, and Rennah's heart melted even more. "Somehow I don't think she'd going to end up being called Fluffy unless it's a very tongue in cheek name." She petted the varren and the little pup closed her eyes and pushed against her hand, the growls fading away as she whined happily.
James returned her grin. "See? Earth isn't all bad, is it?"
"No," Rennah agreed reluctantly as she picked the pup back up and cuddled her. "But you can't give me a varren every Christmas."
Kaidan leaned back in chair and pulled Jack, who let out a startled curse, into his lap. "No," he agreed smugly "But James could get you a pyjack next time."
"Or a kitten!" piped up Jack.
"Or some fish," James added silkily as he slung an arm around Rennah's waist. He stood up and pulled her close, the little varren squiggling between them merrily. "You know, if can remember to feed them this time."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up and kiss me!"
His warm brown eyes were smiling as he dipped his head and kissed her, his lips firm and his kiss tasting of gingerbread and eggnog. She leaned into him as she broke the kiss, closing her eyes and relaxing against James's solid chest. Her heart would always belong to the stars, and holidays on Earth would probably always be a trial to get through, but the saying that 'home is where the heart is' was true enough.
And her heart belonged to her friends and family.
A/N – Fun fact: Lyra did, in fact, name her varren pup Cinnamon.