Possibly the shortest oneshot I've ever created.
Just something I whipped up during study hall.
Refers to my previous oneshots: 'A Child Like Me' and 'Cally Shepard'
Not really required for you to read them but its recommended.
I own nothing.
Enjoy.
(Don't worry-I'm still working on 'I Jumped'.)
"Could you move a little to the right? Perfect. Okay on three. One. Two. Three." The family smiled and a light flashed, the holo taker satisfied.
Shepard walked past the scene, curious as ever and staring at the happy family. Another light flashed and Shepard blinked, a frown etched on her features. The feeling of nostalgia took over her as the family continued smiling; the father patted his daughter's shoulder and told her to sit up more. Shepard's frown still remained. As she continued walking past the still happy family, she looked down at her holopad, trying to distract herself from the scene.
She wished she was that little girl, that father's daughter, that mother's little 'princess'…but every time she tried to conjure up the image of her own young self to replace that little girl's place…she just couldn't do it. Because every time she did, all she saw was the haunted look of herself, the blank dead look in her father's blue eyes and the sobbing face of her mother before she took her own life.
Shepard resisted the urge to moan and cry about it every day. It just wasn't her. She had to move on. But with each passing day, it's been getting increasingly harder. She had Garrus which just made her think about it even more so. Garrus had her father's blue eyes…and it killed her.
She had to practically hide behind the holopad to avoid the happy families and couples all over. An asari and her turian arguing what to get as a souvenir, Thane was back in the C-Sec interrogation room talking to his long lost son, Miranda had agreed to meet Oriana here on the Citadel, and that one occurrence with that little girl who reminded her of herself.
She just couldn't escape it. Shepard finally ducked into a dingy uni-race bathroom, fighting an inner emotional battle. She was losing.
Slamming the stall door she took a seat in the corner, trying hard to ignore the smell of piss and crap as she balled up her fists. "No." She told herself, determination set in her voice. This whole mourning process had to end. It's been over twenty years ago. Time to officially move on. With a heavy sigh Shepard got up from her hidey corner and stopped dead in her tracks.
Just because it's happened once, doesn't mean it won't happen again. The turian just gave her an uncaring glance as he continued on with his business and Shepard quickly maneuvered around him, the scene killing the mood. After avoiding the rather disgusting thing back there, Shepard vowed to never think about her parents or her 'oh so terrible' childhood ever again.
"Shepard." Garrus' voice made her jump, startling her out of her skin. "Ready for that uh…hair appointment of yours?" Shepard turned around slowly and tried her best not to look into his turian blue eyes but failed. It was the best feature about him anyways. At that exact moment…she broke her vow.
The holo taker from earlier called out to the family leaving, a wide cheeky grin on his face, "A perfect family portrait."