Disclaimer: Mass Effect and all its characters belong to Bioware… and EA…

Story: After a devastating meeting with Garrus' father, Jane Shepard meets Lauren Miller and Arius Makyk, a human/turian couple whose love story began right after the First Contact War. Intrigued by their story, Shepard listens to their past – and tries to build a future for her very own turian/human romance…

Pairings: Shepard / Garrus, OFC/OMC

Author's Note: If the timeline is correct, the first contact war did not happen very long before the events of Mass Effect. So, I think it's safe to say that turian/human relationships may not be accepted easily by everyone. This story will not only focus on the relationship of the original characters (though I hope you will find it interesting) but also on Shepard and Garrus after the events of Mass Effect 3 (destroy ending, Shepard survives).

Rating: T. Some chapters in the future might go up to M.

Love in the times of war and peace

Chapter 1: Eavesdroppers

"Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them.
They move on. They move away.
The moments that used to define them are covered by
moments of their own accomplishments"

(Paulo Coelho)

.

Citadel, 2190 CE, Apartments

Captain Jane Shepard sits on the couch, eyes focused on the window, hands clenched to fists.

"Well, that was…" Garrus begins.

"Devastating?" she suggests.

The turian shakes his head and sighs. He walks over and sits down beneath her, attempting to take her hand, but she withdraws.

"Look, Jane… I told you my father is a man of principles…"

"And one of the principles includes not dating humans?"

"Yes… No… It's complicated."

She rises. "Yeah, you said it would be."

He blinks, puzzled. "Are you mad at me?"

"No, no. It's just… I didn't expect it to go so bad. I mean, I don't think my mother was too happy as I told her, but as soon as she met you, she liked you."

"That's the turian bad boy archangel charm, you remember?"

"Well, it works a lot better than the human I-saved-the-god-damn-galaxy one", she replies.

Garrus walks over to her and wraps his arm around her. "Come, come. We fought a rogue spectre, the geth and the reapers. I'm sure we'll win this battle as well."

"It should not be a battle to begin with", she mutters.

"It's not that he doesn't like you, you know? He does. It's just… Well, his views are a little antiquated."

"Really? How many human/turian couples do you know?"

He remains silent.

"See? Turian and asari, yeah, that might be acceptable, but a human…"

"…Is the one and only person I want to spend my life with. Believe me, he'll accept it sooner or later. Just give him time to understand that this is serious to me."

She frees herself out of his embrace. "Yeah, sure", she says and walks up the stairs.

Garrus looks after her, wondering if he should follow her up, though his words just seem to upset her even more. He had aimed to prepare her for this, knowing his father would probably not approve his choice. He's sure it's not about her, though. It's about him. His choices never seemed right to his father. But this time, he will not alter it, like he did when he declined the spectre training. This time, he'll stick with the choice he knows is right for him.

Anyway, he supposes it's better to leave her alone for a while. He strolls around the apartment aimlessly. She's become the center of his life and whenever she's away (or mad at him, for reasons he doesn't always understand), he finds it hard to busy himself with something else. Even more when they are on the citadel, without any weapons to calibrate or things to blow up. Eventually though, he ends up in front of her laptop, browsing Kasa fabrication, wondering if she'd approve if he spent 10.000 credits on the newest sniper rifle model.


Citadel, 2190 CE, Presidium Commons

She's told him she'd go for a walk. He has looked at her, worried. Of course he has. She never really goes for a walk, unless they lack milk or practice slugs. But she needs to be alone now, to clear her mind. Not that she questions their relationship just because of some stubborn, stick-in-the-ass turian father, but she's really… Disappointed.

She thought his father would approve, like her mother did. Seems she was wrong. Being the savior of the galaxy wasn't enough to make this turian forget about race, old conflicts and family honor.

She growls a little, startling a salarian walking next to her, then takes a deep breath and sits down on one of the benches near to the market. There are only a few people around, most of the inhabitants still working.

The citadel is still being rebuilt, after she has used it against the reapers, as well as some of the relays. The main relays are already intact, though. Maybe they should leave this place for a while and check on some of their old companions. Tuchanka is reachable again; she's heard it in the news. Wrex would surely be happy to find her some distraction; something to shoot. Even more because it would mean he'd finally get some free time from the women.

As she sits there and ponders her situation, she suddenly hears the sound of a male turian voice saying: "Careful, now. You know what happened yesterday as you tried to run down the stairs."

"Yes, I remember. I happened to do the most impressive salto ever and you didn't even acknowledge the effort", a female voice replies.

"I was too busy worrying you'd broken your new leg. Again."

"Excuses, excuses. You just remembered how often I won our sparring battles like that."

Shepard turns her head.

On the stairs downwards to the market stands a woman, human, carefully taking the steps down. Right next to her is a turian man, holding her right arm as she proceeds. It appears something is wrong with the her right leg; the way she moves seems unnatural. Still, it's quite a sweet sight, the tall, strong turian keeping her from rushing, while she tries to move faster.

As they made it down the stairs, they walk over to Shepard's direction and sit down on a bench right next to the one she's sitting on.

The turian shows his companion a data pad and the woman smiles at him happily. Shepard can't resist but watch them. Are they a couple? If yes, is this what she and Garrus will look like, some day in the future? And if, wouldn't it be great?

"I think we're being watched", the woman suddenly says and nods into Shepard's direction.

Jane feels herself blush and quickly turns away.

"Isn't it…?" the turian asks.

"Yes, it is. You know, I'm worried. Did we get into trouble again?" she asks.

"Darling, we didn't get into real trouble since 2164, when you decided it was a good idea to take a dive in this holy lake on Kahje."

"Weird, I remember you pushing me to do it."

"I said: you would never do it. I did not say: Yes, go and swim naked in a holy lake, that seems like a good idea."

"Well, if it hasn't been me, then it has to be you who has been up to no good."

"What makes you even think anyone of us did something wrong?"

"There's a spectre watching us. And I doubt it's because either of us looks so nice."

Jane suddenly feels silly for her attempt on ignoring them, after she's already been caught staring. Slowly, she stands up and walks the few steps over to them.

"I'm really sorry", she says. "I just watched you coming over and… well, I fear I was a little intrigued."

The woman blinks at the turian. "You see? If even our silly talk intrigues a spectre, we sure are in trouble."

Jane can't help but smile. The human appears witty and, even though she's surely close to sixty years old, is very attractive. Her long hair is still black but with shades of grey, her eyes a deep green, her cheekbones high and dominant. The turian is good-looking as well, as far as she can judge. His skin is a little bit darker than Garrus', contrasting nicely with his white colony markings.

"I assure you, you are not in any trouble. Well, at least, as far as I know", she says.

"I told you we've become respectable people", the turian says.

"How boring. How very boring indeed", the woman replies but smiles at him warmly.

Shepard watches them and quickly decides to make up for her rude eavesdropping.

"Can I invite you for a drink, maybe? To make amends?" she asks.

"Dear, you really don't have to", the woman says. "Unless you'd like to have a drink with us. Then, we'll gladly accept the offer."

"I'd like to", Jane says.

"Good", the woman says and rises, the turian immediately standing up as well.

"We'll have to walk slowly, though, I fear. I'm just testing my new leg", she says and points at her right. "Lost it in a very bad explosion. Batarians. There was a time when they thought they'd have to blow up every alliance officer they see."

"You are in the military?" Shepard asks.

"I was. Retired some years ago", she replies and shots a glance at the turian.

"Oh, not that look again. You said we'd shaken up the galaxy enough."

"Ah, we sure did."

"You served together?" Jane asks.

"Yes, much to our dismay", the turian says.

Shepard blinks.

"It's a long story", the woman says.

They approach a table at the café and sit down.

"But, where are our manners? My name is Lauren Miller", she says. "It's an honor to meet you, Captain Shepard."

"Arius Makyk", the turian says and shakes her hand shortly.

A waiter approaches their table and takes their orders.

"So, about the dismay…" Shepard starts.

"You really want to hear the story?" Lauren asks.

"Only if you don't mind."

"Oh, I don't. I don't suppose you do, darling, do you?" she asks the turian, who shakes his head.

"I think we never really told it to anyone, did we?" he asks. "Just don't bore the captain with all the silly details."

The woman rolls her eyes playfully and sighs. "You surely have heard about the SSV Redemption, have you?"

"An alliance ship, in duty after the First Contact War. I think its job was was mostly to explore the galaxy and collect data for the Alliance."

"Yes, that was our official order. Unofficially, though, it was the first attempt of humans and turians to work together, just three month after the war had ended."

Shepard looks at her. "Sounds… explosive."

"Oh, it was. None of the humans were happy, I assure you. Neither were the eight turians we had on board. Mutiny was always close the first months."

"I actually wanted to resign as they gave me the order to board that ship", Arius muses.

"Yeah, you were going easy on your superiors."

"You did not?" Shepard asks."

The woman smiles. "Oh, I remember it as if it has been yesterday… I was 26, lieutenant, an unbelievable hothead and hated turians like hell, as every good alliance soldier at that time…"


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