Update - 30 August 2013: I've recently commissioned a piece of artwork of the alluring and deadly Wednesday Shepard as she will appear later in this saga (though no less hot for doing so!). Uou can find the link in my profile.
This isn't right, it should be raining, Liara thought as everyone was finally seated. She was in the front row of the official seating next to the rest of the Normandy crew and the Addams clan, gathered together in public in the greatest numbers seen since the last human world war. Not that it ever rained on the Citadel, but the artificial sunlight didn't seem to fit the occasion of an Addams funeral. But then, most of them didn't know her as Addams, they knew her as Shepard, Liara reminded herself. So she sat, dressed in the long black silk gown given to her by Morticia, silent as the memorial service proceeded. The eulogies were given by recently appointed Councillor Anderson, Admiral Hackett, Pugsley, Councillor Tevos and even STG Captain Kirrahe. The coffin itself was empty, given Wednesday's body had never been found. Morticia sat next to Liara, holding her hand, but not a tear fell down either of their cheeks, even as the folded Alliance flag was handed to them and the 21 gun salute was fired. Instead, both of them looked sidelong at each other with purpose and dignity.
Finally, the service was over and the crowd began to disperse, which took time given how many mourners had crammed themselves into standing-room only at the back of the Citadel's largest hall. The scene repeated at numerous public screens through the Citadel and Council space at the death of one of its newest heroes. As the crowds finally filtered away, Liara joined Garrus, Tali and the Addams as they filed away in silence to their private ship to take the long journey back to Mindoir.
Throughout the long flight Liara couldn't stop herself from staring out at the void, remembering her last time with Wednesday. A night of exploring just how vulnerable, exposed and excited a woman could be made using only two satin sashes from their robes, followed by a surprise attack by a still unknown foe. Liara could remember being battered around in the escape pod, listening as Wednesday broadcast her final words to anyone who could hear her.
"Liara... if you... get this... I didn't regret it. You... were worth it... all of it. Only wish... that I wasn't dying... heh"
She was broken from her reverie by the touch of a cold hand on her forearm.
"Don't let that memory linger, my dear. Wednesday was full of life, and she would be terribly ashamed of us all if we allowed ourselves to be saddened by her death. Remember her alive and vital, as you would like her to do were your positions reversed. And remember this above all, dear Liara: Death will come for us all, whether we feel we are ready or not. All we can do is laugh in his face when he does, and remind ourselves why we are still alive."
"Why are you so... nonchalant about this Morticia? She was your daughter."
"My wonderful Woe isn't the first child I've lost, nor I suspect will she be the last. I do not shrink from Death, and neither should you. But that does not mean that I do not feel. I just know where my emotions would be most useful, and it will not be here and now. No, I will deal with this later. Perhaps you should join me, once we return to Mindoir."
"I would like that," Liara replied, going back to staring out the window again.
Once back on Mindoir, the Addams and their new alien members filed out to the manor. They were all sombre and respectful as they passed the newest grave in the small cemetery, one inscribed deeply with Wednesday's name. Under hers was a list of other names, ones Liara had helped pick out when she had heard that it was custom among the Addams to list the names of enemies killed by the dearly departed, to remind everyone of a Duty done and a Balance kept. Chief among them was Saren Arterius, as well as numerous others Wednesday had killed during her life.
The sombre mood continued right up until she entered the grand ballroom, whereupon a party atmosphere was encountered. Fester had left Lurch and her mother Benezia, alive but not the powerful person she used to be before Fester 'cured' her indoctrination, to set up the wake for when they returned. When asked, Fester said it was another Addams tradition, taken from old Earth, to celebrate rather than commiserate the death of a friend. Liara was hesitant until she had finished her first drink, when Garrus and Tali began to share their favourite stories about their too-short time with the Commander.
The two dextros, sipping on turian brandy, regaled the gathered Addams with the tale of how Wednesday, while looking for Fist on the Citadel, had saved Tali from Saren's agents. The tale particularly emphasised her use of a knife in his shoulder to steer him, finally using him as a meat shield, all for 'disrespecting Tali as a lady.' Even Liara had laughed at that, it seemed to be a particular quirk that Wednesday had, she wouldn't bat an eyelash if you tried to kill her, but be impolite or disrespectful while doing so, and she'd take it very personally. Often, the place she took it to was her assailant's grave.
"I remember a story, when she first got her biotic implants," Gomez began.
"Oh yes, I remember as well," Morticia added. "The screaming, the blood, the tears and years of therapy, and that was just the receptionist. She was such a little hell-raiser at that age."
"Wait a minute, just how old are we talking here?" asked Tali.
"Oh, she would have been around six at the time her biotics had manifested enough to warrant an implant," Gomez explained. "She was lucky in that they had just brought out the L3 line, so she was one of the first to receive that generation of implants. Sadly, no one predicted that the anaesthetic would have an... adverse reaction when she woke up. She was understandably upset."
"That's putting it mildly," Fester said, almost spilling his drink with his outburst. "I had to develop an entirely new anaesthetic for biotics after her outburst. Made a fortune! Still, she did lose control a bit. I thought that beating the doctor to death with his own spine was a bit over the top. Inventive certainly, and when it came out about what said doctor had been doing with some of his other underage patients certainly justifiable, but a little over the top." The three alien additions to the Addams clan looked down at their drinks as they tried to picture a six year old Wednesday beating a man to death with his own spine. They all took a long drink once they had, in a vain attempt to rid their minds of the image.
"Hey, what about the time she and Pubert came out to visit me and my unit?" Pugsley asked. "Now that was a fun time."
"Knowing your very odd definition of fun Pugsley, I can only assume explosions were involved," Garrus replied.
"Well duh! This is Wednesday we're talking about. Anyway, I was still messing around with some grenades when Wednesday and Pubert bet me they could make a bigger explosion than I could with their biotics. Now admittedly at the time, I hadn't seen either of them in actual combat using biotics, so I didn't know what they were capable of. Suffice to say, both of them won that bet, so I had to spend the next week wearing a uniform they had dyed a horrible bubblegum pink. But it did give me a few ideas, and I'm almost ready to release the prototype of my biotic grenades. It'll be a real game-changer."
"Hey, remember the time that Cerberus group tried to kidnap me?" asked Pubert.
"Wait, I remember hearing about them. Didn't the Alliance kill a lot of them recently?" asked Tali.
"Yes they did, but I don't think they are gone yet," replied Morticia. "And Pubert, I don't think anyone on Elysium will forget that week anytime soon." She turned to the aliens to give them the story.
"Just after Pubert was born, he began manifesting his biotics. We took him to the doctor on Eden Prime, where I had given birth to him unexpectedly a week early. One of the doctors told me he had died suddenly, though it wasn't very convincing. So I kept tabs on the clinic and followed as Pubert was sent to a remote facility. I learned that it was some sort of research facility looking at unlocking biotic potential in humans. Pubert and another girl were the main subjects, anything that worked was done to them. Most of the rest of the children there died. I was about to alert Gomez to the situation when there was some sort of incident. Most of the guards and children were killed, while Pubert and the girl managed to escape independently of each other. We grabbed Pubert, and after taking a few months to convince him of who he was, he turned out just fine for an Addams. We never did find the girl, she would have found a home with us I'm sure."
"Anyway, years later some Cerberus agents had obviously tagged him on Elysium. Wednesday was there on shore leave, and between the two of them it was the most creative use of biotics I've ever seen. Forensic scientists were still finding bits of them weeks later. But there was a lot of confusion I suppose, with the Skyllian Blitz and all that. Just lucky it ended the way it did I suppose." There was a long silence, before Garrus spoke up, raising his glass in a toast.
"To Wednesday, the most badass human I've ever had the pleasure of knowing."
"Hey, what about me?" Pugsley protested.
"I said badass, not just ass," Garrus teased, before taking a drink. Everyone took a sip and chuckled, and the rest of the night was spent drinking, reminiscing and remembering the life that Wednesday had led. In the morning they would return to the problem of preparing the galaxy for the Reapers, but tonight was all for Wednesday, may she rest in peace, or at least acceptable violence.
A/N: So Hey Everybody! Welcome back to the saga of Wednesday Shepard (nee Addams)!
This story is obviously called Interlude, and will follow some of the major plot points and characters that occur to the Normandy crew in the time between Wednesday being killed at the end of Classified Memories and her rude awakening in the continuation of the Wednesday saga in Prized Collection.
Please read, review and enjoy this work looking at some of the little moments that were overlooked while Wednesday was dead for tax purposes.