The elevator door opened, and Garrus moved to enter, pausing only when he saw Tali already standing there.
"Going up?" she asked.
Garrus gave a mental shrug and walked onto the elevator to stand beside her. It wasn't exactly unusual to see Tali outside of Engineering, but it was uncommon enough to be of note, especially when there was little on decks above them except CIC, and Shepard's quarters.
"Going to bother Mordin in the lab?" Garrus asked.
Tali shook her head.
"Shepard asked me to come talk in her quarters," Tali said.
That was enough to turn Garrus's head.
"You too?" he asked.
Tali tilted her head.
"You?"
Garrus nodded.
"Wonder what she wants to talk about."
"There's only one way to find out," Tali replied as they felt the elevator come to a stop.
The pair exited the elevator and stood awkwardly outside the Commander's quarters, nervousness encroaching on their mission.
"Ever been in there?" Garrus asked.
"Never. Have you?"
Garrus shook his head.
"I wonder what it's like," Tali mused. "Quarters on a Fleet ship are small compared to anything on a human ship."
"Her quarters on the SV1 were pretty small," Garrus reminded her. "Of course, this ship has a different pedigree."
Tali fidgetted nervously, as though being reminded of the SV2's designers suddenly brought them to bear on her. The anxiety was infectious. Garrus felt himself wanting to shuffle his feet and scratch his neck.
"Aw, to Hell with it," he muttered. He hit the chime to alert the Commander.
"Come in," Shepard's voice called.
The door swung open to show Shepard standing in front of a large, vacant aquarium, one hand pressed against the glass. Garrus wished he was better at reading human body language and faces. Not that it likely would have helped with Shepard. She was an enigma to most.
"Good, your both here," Shepard said, glancing at the door. "Have a seat."
Garrus and Tali walked carefully into the room. Two folding chairs were placed in the Commander's office area, arranged so that they faced where Shepard stood. Tali and Garrus glanced at each other curiously before sitting.
"Still mourning the loss of your Illium Skald?" Garrus asked.
Good, he thought. Start with a joke. Lighten the mood.
Shepard gave him a half-hearted glare before staring back at the empty tank.
"Fluffy was a good soldier," Shepard muttered. "He deserved better."
"Only you would call a spiny fish 'Fluffy'," Tali chuckled.
A smile skirted around Shepard's lips.
"It just seemed like a good pet name," she replied.
The trio chuckled. As the laughter died, an anticipatory silence descended over them, heavy with whatever Shepard had called them for. Once again, Garrus wished he could read Shepard. He knew she always had a reason for her actions. He didn't always understand her reasons, but the reasons were there. But trying to read her, and figure out what she was thinking was a nightmare. The unflappable nature which made her a terror on the battlefield also made her an unreadable monolith.
Garrus gave up.
"What are you thinking about, Shepard?" he asked.
"Blood"
Garrus stiffened and glanced at Tali. The two shared a worried look.
"Blood is culturally important to humans, as it is in many other cultures. We say people directly related are related by blood. One's child is their own flesh and blood. When someone is enraged, their blood boils. There's even a centuries old tradition that people would cut open their hands and let their blood mingle to become 'blood brothers'. People who have a bond closer than mere friends or comrades."
Shepard finally moved from the aquarium, directing her intense gaze upon the pair of them.
"Then, of course, there's the heart," she continued. "The core of one's body, pumping that precious blood out from the center. Many Earth cultures thought the heart was the seat of emotion. If we say someone is heartless, it means they are cold or cruel. If we have a heart-to-heart, we are speaking openly and intimately."
Shepard looked away, looking, what? Bashful, Garrus wondered? Could Commander Shepard look bashful?
"I don't have any family," Shepard said. "I was orphaned on Mindoir. There's no one of my 'flesh and blood'."
Understanding began to dawn on Garrus. Could she really mean…? Could she really be proposing…?
"I know you have families of your own," Shepard said, "and I'm not proposing we slice open our hands. God knows, if the genetic issues didn't kill us, Dr. Chakwas probably would. But we've been through a lot. Therum. Ilos. Vermire. And I'm closer to you two than I have been to anyone in a long time."
"What about Ashley," Tali protested, "or Liara?"
Shepard's face darkened.
"Ashley made her feelings known on Horizon," Shepard said, "and Liara…"
Shepard looked down at her hands.
"Whatever we had, I think it's clear it meant more to me than it did to her."
Shepard looked back at her companions, and reached out to place a hand on each of theirs.
"Regardless, I still have those I care about. And with what we're walking into… well, I guess I'm feeling a bit… I don't know… nervy. Like I want to pull all my loved ones close. So with your permission, I'd like to consider each of you family. Siblings. Brother and sister. Not of blood, but of the heart. You… you don't have to say yes. I won't hold it against you.
Shepard graced them with a shy smile.
Garrus surprised himself by laughing.
"When have I ever been able to say 'no' to you?" he asked. "My father may not like the fact that you're a Spectre, but I know he'd like you as a person. And my sister, well you may be her new hero. I'd be more than honored to consider you family, Shepard."
Shepard's smile widened. She squeezed Garrus's hand and looked curiously to Tali.
"Are… are you joking?" Tali stammered. "You followed me into a ship swarming with Geth. You held me when we found my father, and then yelled at the Admiralty Board for court martialing me! No one's ever… I mean, I can't… I…"
Shepard stood and pulled Tali up into a hug as her words broke down.
"Does that mean you'll accept?" Shepard asked softly.
Tali nodded.
"Bosh'tet" she muttered.
Shepard smiled as she let Tali return to her seat. She walked back to her own, pausing only to pick up some items from her desk.
"I'd hoped we'd have a reason to use these," she said, handing an empty glass to Garrus. Tali received a sealed glass, already sloshing with liquid, and a wrapped straw.
Shepard poured an amber liquid into Garrus's glass before pouring something lighter into one of her own.
"To the three unlikeliest siblings in the universe," Shepard said, raising her glass. "There's no one I'd rather have beside me."
Garrus touched his glass to Shepard's and listened to the glass chime as the met. He did similarly with Tali's. As the trio sipped their drinks, the conversation devolved into small talk, reminiscing, and general ship business.
"Commander," Joker's voice spoke over the comm. "Contact with the Omega 4 relay in 10."
Shepard set down her glass.
"I guess break time is over," she mourned, rising. "Gear up and be ready for anything."
Garrus rose from his seat as Tali did the same. Shepard surprised them by stepping forward and pulling Garrus into an embrace, placing her hand on his neck, touching that sensitive place without plates. Garrus reciprocated, wrapping his arms around her. He breathed in, his nose filling with the unique smell of a human female, and even more, the smell of Shepard.
Turians were not huggers. Their physique simply didn't lend themselves to that particular expression of intimacy or affection. However, as Turians interacted with species without their dermal plates, they learned to endure such cultural differences. Now, feeling the warmth and softness of Shepard against him, Garrus wondered for the first time if Turians might not be missing something.
"Peace, heart brother Garrus Vakarian," Shepard whispered before releasing him. "You are worthy of trust, and you have mine completely."
Garrus watched as Shepard embraced Tali. Now Garrus could see how the fleshier beings, those without the dermal plates like Turians, fit together. The softer bodies melded together, more easily wrapping around each other. He wondered, watching the two intertwined, if Tali could feel Shepard's warmth through her suit. He'd thought the fact that Quarians were suit-bound was a tragedy before, but now his heart had a curious ache at the thought.
"Peace, heart sister Tali Zorah vas Normandy," he heard Shepard murmur. "You're stronger than you realize. If only you knew how much I relied on it."
Shepard released Tali.
"OK," she said, her voice husky. "Off you go. Things are about to get bumpy."
Garrus and Tali nodded and headed toward the door. Yet there was something missing.
Garrus paused.
"Shepard," he said, turning back.
Shepard looked at him, her eyes bright and shining.
What did he want to say? What could he possibly say?
"Thank you."
Shepard smiled and nodded.
Garrus took his place next to Tali in the elevator. An awkward silence stretched out between them.
"So," Garrus spoke. "That was… something."
"Yes," Tali said simply. Her voice was even more distorted than usual. Garrus wished he could see her face and read her expression instead of trying to find nuance in her suit-modified voice.
"For what it's worth," Garrus continued, "I think my father and sister would be pretty taken with you, too. If you ever need a place to get away, you're welcome. And at least on Palaven you can eat the food."
The elevator door opened to reveal the crew deck. Garrus stepped out.
"Garrus," Tali called. "Thanks."
Garrus nodded to her as the elevator doors slid shut. He rolled his neck and shoulders to stretch some of the tense muscles. Shepard was right. Things were about to get rocky. But at least he had friends… family he could count on.