AN: This here is a collection of short stories portraying the lives of Aria, Tevos, Liara and Shepard. It takes place after the arrival of their daughters and revolves around all the changes the kids have brought into their lives. With sporadic appearances of the Legion of Aunts and Uncles, of course.
Everything here is posted with the approval of amazing Rae D. Magdon. This assortment of drabbles can be viewed as a companion piece to her Moments In Time series. All the praise goes to her for creating such a wonderful universe!
Family Matters
. . .
Episode 1: Aria is stuck at home babysitting the kids while Tevos, Shepard and Liara are off on official business.
. . .
Aria's Omni-tool beeped, then buzzed. Then beeped again. The infernal thing would not shut up! She had only managed to get a few hours of sleep collapsing on the bed in her infamous leather attire. It wasn't comfortable. Not like usual nights with her bare skin on the silk sheets and Thea's warm body wrapped around her. Aria missed that warmth, not that she would freely admit that out loud. The device on her wrist buzzed in umpteenth time, interrupting what could have been a daydream about one of those mornings when Tevos was so eager to wake her up with her tongue.
Aria groaned. Evidently, whoever was on the other end of the line had some patience, or they were testing hers. She pulled herself up on her elbows and sat up on the edge of the bed. Flexing her shoulders and working the kinks out of her neck she pulled up the interface. Ugh. Why did it have to be her?
Grinning face with sharp lines accentuated by heavy make up and a tattooed shoulder appeared in the frame of the call. Jack seemed to physically absorb her disheveled state, rather far from the splendor of the Pirate Queen. She spread red lips in a carnivorous grin seeping with glee.
"What do you want, convict?" drawled Aria in irritation.
"Oh, nothin' much, majesty. I just heard that Aethyta has gone off the rocker on one of her debauchery rampages. And since Miri was all over the news about the PR tour or whatever-the-fuck that is, I put two and two together."
"Get to the point!" growled Aria. The smile on Jack's face only grew wider and richer with taunt.
"How do you like being a stay-at-home mom, oh terrifying Queen of Omega? Running around after three miniature bombs equipped with biotics, huh? Must be thrilling getting to know the little fuckers better. I'm almost jealous. You know, all those exhausted nights and not having any fucking free time to yourself, toys everywhere and only you to clean up the mess..."
"If you called just to have a go at mocking me, Jack, you have to do better than this. I'm hanging up."
"Aw, come on, don't be a pussy! It's too good of an opportunity not to give you a punch in the ego! Otherwise it's gonna explode with the might of a thousand dark suns! Kah-fuckin'-boom!" Jack snorted at her own joke and squinted at her. "Anyway, how long will they be gone?"
"Two more weeks. This is nothing more than a PR stunt! The annual memorial cruise of the council member Homeworlds. The whole Council on-board the Destiny Ascension. Only this time they had to drag another fifty dignitaries along for the ride." Aria let her annoyance with the precarious situation she was in show.
"Why is Liara on that thing then? Okay, she's Shepard's wifey, but why couldn't she stay at home? Like those pretentious fucks give a damn about archeology professors, ha! Or, ya know, whoever is organizing this whole shebang has ulterior motives. I had seen Liara in that asari professor outfit of hers. Seriously hot, like uptight librarian hot."
"Her influence among the matriarchs has been growing..." Aria ignored the last jab answering absently and concentration far more on the sounds of the house. The silence was suspicious. Either all three of hyperactive kids were still asleep, or they were plotting something.
"So you have been left on your own playing house with T'Soni's brood!" Jack laughed. "This is rich. Don't forget to feed them and shit. I had enough problems taking care of Eezo at first. Can't imagine you being a responsible mom."
"That's because I'm not! Thea is the one..." words almost left her lips before Aria could stop herself. That wasn't for any other ears to hear, especially not those pierced ones. Fortunately she was spared from continuing the conversation. Although, 'spared' might be not quite what Aria would have named the interruption.
A loud bang! at the door was accompanied by an equally loud yell of "Surprise!" The door swung open and two small cannonballs whizzed towards Aria at astounding speed. Lycoris landed on her lap with a single jump while Diana hat to climb up the side of the bed first. They both clamored to see who she was talking to and wrestled with each other for the best seat. Sparing the rascals a glare, but not having the energy for much more after the apocalypse that was last night, Aria threw a look at the door. Athena was there peeking in on the side of the doorway and waiting permission to enter. Aria motioned Athena to come closer. She had always been a lot calmer and proper in the mornings. Unlike the two pine-sized cluster grenades fighting for a better view on her lap.
"Auntie Jack! What's up!"
"Corrie, lemme see! Hey Aunt Jack, you got any new pictures on your arms?"
"Ow, don't push it, Di! And she couldn't get any, 'cause her arms are already filled up!"
"No way, how would you know?"
"I'm older and smarter, that's how."
Aria closed her eyes for a moment gathering up her patience. A week with these two had already been a challenge, least of all she needed Jack to be getting on her nerves as well. The said biotic was laughing and watching the fight with that sort of an amused glint in her eyes that could at any time turn manic. Aria had to put a quick end to this.
"You two, calm down now! Jack has been calling to ask me something and now she has to go."
"Yeah, gotta go!" Jack snorted and gave Aria a little roll of her eyes. "Be good you little f-... fuzzballs! Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Bye-bye!"
"Bye, Auntie Jack!"
Once the call ended Aria shrugged off the kids off her lap and went to the bathroom. High pitched, excited voices were heard through the opened door while she attempted to address the fatigue settling in on her face. It would have been so much easier if she could use a nanny or even hire a babysitter. But even a thought of handing her child over to someone, someone who has not been scrutinized and trusted beyond what was possible, send a shiver down her spine. It wasn't just about Lycoris, Aria would never let anything happen to the other kids in her care. Which meant relying only on herself. Shaking off unwanted thoughts she dried her face and listened closer.
"The, wanna bet I can lift Diana up?"
"Hey! I don't wanna!" the squeal was accompanied by a whine. "Atheeeeena!"
"That is not fair, Corrie. You biotics are showing, you'll just cheat."
"Nah, I can lift her on my own. Look!"
"Eeek! Corrie, you suck! Put me down!"
With a heavy sigh Aria gave her reflection in the mirror a weary glance and returned to the bedroom. One wave of biotics and Lycoris was suspended in the air by a perfectly placed Singularity.
"I do not find that I like the way you are behaving, Lycoris." she said wearing a stern frown that didn't quite hit the mark. Partially because Aria was too tired and not all that concerned what her daughter was doing was really dangerous. Partially because as it turns out this use of biotics was not the best way to show she could be a true disciplinarian.
Lycoris giggled trying to make swimming gestures with her arms and legs, but that only made her rotate along her axis. More excited giggling ensued. Diana was staring at the levitating friend with enormous, awestruck eyes. Her mouth hung open for a minute until she clasped her hands together and exclaimed burning with excitement:
"I wanna fly like Corrie!"
"I thought you wanted to be put down, little one?" drawled Aria in a futile attempt to find logic in child's antics.
"And now I wanna fly! Send me up, too! Please-please-please!"
Giving up on pretending to play the part of a strict mother and custodian properly, Aria used a quick Pull to tether Diana to the same Singularity. The girls laughed and floated next to each other trying to clasp at limbs, but remaining just out of reach. In the meanwhile Aria lowered her eyes to Athena. The girl was bemused by the levitation trick, yet did not ask to be included. Nor did she look like she really wanted to. She glanced up at Aria giving her a shy little smile that was uncanny like her mothers. Despite herself Aria felt a surge of affection for that child. Athena did inherit the mischievousness of Liara as well, but she instinctively knew when the grown ups needed a hand. Moreover, she seemed to enjoy helping. Aria regarded her with half a smile tugging at her lips.
"Now, how about you and I go get breakfast going? Since I doubt there will be any help from those two. Not that we can't make a great meal on our own. Right?"
"Okay!" Athena beamed at her and tray as she may Aria could not stay unaffected by such an adorable smile.
She took Athena's hand and lead them out of the room. "Come on, you two!" she added with a tug of biotics. Two weightless kids were dragged after Aria like a couple of hot balloons to further merriment of said balloon-replacements.
Maybe, just maybe, there was something about this parenting thing Aria could handle even without her bondmate.
