What's lost in a War Becomes Garrus'
This was it; the end. The reapers worked for them now. No longer did the races of the galaxy have to worry about any more reaper invasions, reaper attacks or attacks from the reapers. The galaxy was safe now. But it didn't come without cost...
Garrus remembered the friendly faces he'd come to know and love. Thane, Legion, Mordin, and the most horrible casualty: Shepard, the woman he'd loved more than his own life. Her death shocked everyone. The press confronted him on numerous occasions, asking him about his relationship with the Commander. Sometimes he wouldn't say a word and walk away from them; other times, he'd reach around and punch them in any body part he could reach first, not caring what race or gender they were.
His relationship with Shepard wasn't any of the press's damn business. So what if people judged them? So what if the press made it public? Shepard was his and his alone! She didn't belong to anyone but him! But now, she was dead. Dead and it was all his fault! He should've been down there with her, dying with her. He should've told her he loved her beforehand; not at the Citadel beam with everyone dying around them and with her soon to follow them.
And now here he was, alone, battle-scarred and heartbroken; at a café trying to get some time to himself. Garrus looked up and glanced around the café, his eyes scanning across the people's faces and expressions. Some of them had neutral faces, others depressed expressions.
A few tables away from him, a young Turian girl stared at him. Her eyes were wide with wonder with just a hint of fear. The girl's mother sat next to her, chatting with a waiter. While the girl's mother was occupied, she scooted out of her chair and wandered over to Garrus, stopping at his chair. She tapped his leg and he looked down at her to see she was holding up a piece of chocolate.
"You looked sad and my mommy says chocolate makes people feel better!" She announced. Garrus' mandibles flickered in a slight smile. The little girl grabbed one of his hand, turned it face up and placed the chocolate in his hand, curling his fingers over it. "You can have it; you need it more than I do." And with that, the girl toddled off back to her mother, scrambling into her seat like nothing had happened.
Garrus chuckled a bit and looked down at his closed hand. He slowly opened his fingers to examine the piece of chocolate the girl gave him. It was just a regular piece of candy, but it seemed to mean so much more, to the girl and to him. Garrus sighed and shook his head, smiling. A piece of pointless candy managed to soften his heart only slightly.
He looked up once more at the girl, then down at the chocolate. Children did the strangest things, but they made people happy in their own special way. This made Garrus yearn to have a child of his own; to be called "daddy" by his little girl or to be called "dad" by his son. He wanted a family, but lacked the partner or the wanting of any other partner to make it happen.
With a look of determination, Garrus set down the chocolate and brought up his Omni-tool, looking up small children that needed homes. If he couldn't have a child created by him, he'd adopt a child that needed him.
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Later that afternoon, Garrus found himself outside a local orphanage for children of all age and races. He looked at the door, his heart racing in his chest. What if the child didn't like him? What if they're more than he can handle? What if what if what if?!
At that moment, Garrus was glad he'd invited Liara, Tali and James to come along with him. Liara placed a hand on his shoulder and Garrus looked down at her.
"Garrus, we know how much you want this. Some child in there is waiting for you to be their father. And no matter what happens, we know you'll love that child with everything you are." She soothed.
James slapped his other shoulder. "It's all cool, Scars. We've got your back." Tali stepped in front of him.
"We'll always be available whenever you need help, Garrus." She smiled. Garrus looked from Liara to Tali to James, smiling his thanks and with a sharp intake of breath, Garrus stepped inside the orphanage.
Inside was unlike anything Garrus had expected. Bright colors covered walls, painting rainbows and flowers. Not a child was in sight, though. A small, old human woman was sitting at a desk not far from where Garrus and the others stood. They walked over to her stood in front of her.
"Err, excuse me." The woman looked up with saggy, dark eyes. "Uh, my name is Garrus Vakarian and I'd like to adopt a child." He said. Spirits, this was awkward. The woman smiled and stood up, shaking Garrus' hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Vakrain." Her voice was that of a sweet old lady's but the fact that she messed up his last name made him grumbled. With a kick from Liara and a slap from Tali, Garrus straightened out.
"Well, if before you adopt any child, I'm going to have to ask you to fill out this form." She handed him a data pad and motioned towards a few chairs resting against a nearby wall. "If you'll take a seat there, I'll inform the others that you're here."
Garrus and the other three sat in the chairs as he went over the questions. They were outrageous! "What?!" Garrus exclaimed. James leaned over his shoulder, looking at the data pad.
"What is it?" He asked. Garrus handed him the pad.
"It's these questions. They're crazy. 'Have you ever had any drugs confiscated from your possession.'?! 'Have you ever had sexual contact with a man/woman'?! 'Do you have multiple partners in your home on a regular basis'?!" He shouted. "These questions are crazy!"
"Crazy but necessary!" The old woman called from the desk. "Either answer the questions or don't adopt a child." Garrus grumbled and answered the crazy questions reluctantly. All he thought about was the child whose life he'd change. This was the moment he craved every minute of every day!
When he finished the wretched questions, he placed the data pad on the lady's desk and waited. She looked over his answers and typed something into her consol. "Take this data pad and look over the children. When you've found a child you want to adopt, let me know and someone will be by shortly to show you to them."
Garrus snatched the pad away from her and rushed to the seat, sitting down and scrolling through the faces and descriptions of children. He saw Turian children, Asari children, Batarian children and even some Hanar and Krogan. Many faces of Human, Asari, Turian, Quarian and other races and Garrus couldn't find a child that he seemed to like.
One seemed too bratty and the other seemed too aggressive. One was too shy and the other was too bold. Child after child, Garrus scrolled through the faces and not one made him stop.
Until... Garrus stopped, his eyes fixed on a small Human child. Her name was Leslie Boston, and she had the sweetest face he'd ever seen on any living being. She had long, straight black hair and these bright blue eyes that melted his heart. Her smile was wide and friendly as well as the look on her face.
He read her description and smiled at it. She was the perfect child as far as he was concerned. She was strong, intelligent, talented. Everything he sought to look for in a child. Liara, Tali and James leaned over to see what Garrus was gawking at and every one of them smiled.
"Oh, Garrus, she's adorable!" Liara squealed.
"Absolutely beautiful! Look at her eyes!" Tali chimed in.
"Cute," James remarked. Garrus didn't listen to what they said, he was focused on Leslie. She was so beautiful. All the way from her black hair to her bright smile.
Garrus' smile seemed to last forever until he finally stood up and slowly walked up to the lady, handing her the data pad. He smiled softly, still taken in by Leslie's sweet smile.
"Her," He said. "I want to adopt her."