[Once again, Mass Effect owns the universe. We only own Claire, Veronica (sort of), Mahria, and Benjamin. But if someone wants to claim Ben they can. After this, it's about to start getting more serious. Thanks for letting us build up the relationship between the Shepard girls. Hope you're liking it so far.]

The barstool was sticky under Claire's legs as she sat up straight, eyes glued onto the screen above the bar. There was a newscast running about the Alliance, specifically a recent mission on Akuze.

It hadn't gone well, and there were casualty reports running along a rolling ribbon below the newscasters face.

Claire was tracking the list with her eyes, looking for one specific name.

Veronica Shepard. Please, please don't be dead, V. Please don't be dead.

She was only eighteen, not ready to lose her sister. Hell, she'd be a hundred and not ready to lose the only person she had.

"Reports have confirmed the marines were attacked by a nest of Thresher Maws. There had been only one confirmed survivor."

"They're really dragging this out." The bartender murmured. "Can't just tell us what's going on, they've got to make a big production out of it."

"Get me a shot of vodka… better make it two." Claire muttered quietly.

"How old are you, kid?"

"Old enough to need the liquor "

The bartender sized her up, slim and dressed in jeans tucked into boots, a crop top, and a leather jacket. "ID?"

She pulled one out of her pocket and passed it to him. "Yeah, yeah. I've got a baby face."

He eyed it quietly, looking hard for a forgery. "Yeah." He passed it back, pouring her the double.

She threw it back sharply, taking a breath. The journalist was back on the screen, talking through a repeat of the Akuze mission.

"The only surviving member of the unit was-"

"Veronica Shepard."

Claire nearly jumped out of her skin, the voice right behind her barstool. She spun around with a yelp. "V!"

The redhead looked like hell, arm in a sling and covered in bruises and cuts. Claire registered that while midair, too late to stop herself from squishing into her sister with a hug. "I thought I was gonna see you on the casualty list." She murmured fiercely into her hair.

Veronica winced and put an arm over her. "Me? Pfft, you think I'd go down that easy?"

Claire leaned back, smiling sheepishly. "Threshers are big…"

For a moment, Veronicas expression seemed to be a thousand miles away. "Yeah…. Really big."

Claire looked at the bartender again. "Get her a whisky on the rocks. My tab."

He nodded with a slow smile. "Yes ma'am."

Claire settled Veronica into a seat beside her. "You hungry? They've got pretty good sandwiches here, and the kitchens open another hour." She was hovering, those big blue eyes worried.

"I could eat. Better make it something I can eat with one hand, though." She chuckled gently.

Claire smiled softly and nodded, grabbing a menu that sat on the bar and sliding it over to her sister. It was rare that Claire had to look after Veronica, but it seemed she was making a point that she could do it now.

The stitches above Veronica's right eye itched something fierce, and it took all of her self control not to reach up and scratch. Her entire body felt like a walking bruise, though the medical gel, medi-gel, would do its wonders in a few days. She had gotten off lucky. Everything on that mission had been done by the book but all she could hear in her own head were the screams of her unit getting destroyed by the Threshers. A shudder went through her and she felt cold, barely seeing the menu as she picked up the whiskey on the rocks and downed a large gulp of it. Screw the fact she likely shouldn't drink with her painkillers.

"V?" Claire murmured, staring at her older sister like she wanted to fix her, but this wasn't a weapon she could put back together.

"Hmm?" She asked and looked over at Claire. Blinking a few times, she smiled. "I'm fine. Really. I just hurt. Um, I'll get the club with chips," she told the bartender, mostly to reassure Claire that she would eat something.

"So, was it that bad?" Claire couldn't help but ask. She'd seen Veronica after a few missions. It normally wasn't like this.

Veronica's gaze got distant for a moment. She could hear the weapon fire, the screams, the panicked scrambling, and the shrieks of the Threshers as they dove in and out of the ground like water. "It was bad. My entire unit's dead, Claire. I failed them, and the Alliance doesn't see that," she grumbled, finishing off her drink in one swig. "Another."

The bartender gave the lieutenant a sideways glance and then shrugged as he started another whiskey on the rocks and put in the order for her lunch.

"What do you mean the Alliance doesn't think you failed?" Claire asked as she scrunched up her nose as she thought. This wasn't making much sense.

A loud sigh answered her as Veronica dug into the larger pocket of her pants and pulled out an envelope. Before passing it to Claire, she studied the Alliance insignia on the envelope once again. These people were becoming her family in a different way than Claire was, but they were her family. She didn't understand what they were thinking with this.

"I mean this." She grumbled and took the new glass of whiskey and sipped at it this time.

Claire didn't know what to expect. Authority never did things well when people messed up, and now she was worried. While the military certainly wasn't her cup of tea, it was Veronica's and she didn't want her sister to feel like they were abandoning her. Veronica wasn't looking at her, and after a moment Claire opened the envelope and pulled out the two letters inside. The first letter had the N7 logo emboldened in the right corner of the letterhead.

"Sis, this is an N7 assignment."

"They're rewarding me for failing. The unit dying is my fault, Claire. I was in command. I did everything by the book and they still died. And now they want me to lead more people?" She sighed and closed her eyes.

"Then you didn't fail, they think you did well. I know you're upset, but could you have done anything better?" She inquired.

A sigh left her lips and she refused to answer her younger sister, which was an answer in itself. Once the sandwich arrived, she picked it up and took a bite. The bartender had done her the kindness of cutting into four pieces so she wouldn't have to struggle with one hand. As much as it made her feel like a child, she wasn't about to refuse the help. Her pride only went so far.

The news continued to drone on in the background, talking about various elections and changes in command, but the volume had been turned back down. No one cared who was running for office right now. The big news stories were missions and how the Alliance was coping with working with the other races.

"Well, since we do have the good news of the N7 program I've got a surprise. I feel like we need to celebrate" Claire chimed in after a moment.

"You're wanting hibachi, aren't you?"

"No! Well, I mean, I always want hibachi. That's not the point. I remember that Asari I was telling you about?"

"Yeah. The one that occasionally dyes her scalp? What about her? You aren't a dad are you?" Veronica looked nervous.

"No! God no! But...we're still together. And she's cooking dinner tonight….. So it's a good thing you're coming home. I already messaged her, she took out more food so you could have dinner with us."

"I think Benjamin is coming. Would there be enough for him? He wanted to check on me."

"I guess so. I'll let her know there will be four of us."

Claire grinned brightly, leading Veronica to her hoverbike once she had finished her food. "You gonna be able to hold on? I'll go slow." She rigged a little seatbelt with a carabineer and her own belt buckle, hooking V to her and taking off.

The apartment wasn't far, and when they arrived there was an Asari waiting on the porch with a couple grocery bags. "Claire!" She said eagerly. She had on a purple sundress and had her head dyed to match.

"V, this is Mahria. Mahria, this is my big sister."

The Asari looked delighted. "Veronica, yes? Claire has told me a lot about you. I'd hoped to get to meet you." She shook Vs good hand.

"She cooks way better than me." Claire took the bags from her and opened the door to head up the stairs. "What we having, Baby Blue?"

"Grilled salmon, seasoned cauliflower, and twice-baked potatoes."

Claire leaned over and kissed the Asari's blue cheek. "Healthy never sounded so good."

"That remains to be seen. I also made a cheesecake."

Claire whooped. "You get a bubble bath and massage."

"Just a massage?

"That's up to you, good looking." She grinned.

Veronica couldn't help the smile that curved her lips at seeing her younger sister happy as they made their way up the stairs to their second floor apartment. They had upgraded a little bit since her days in basic and had a standard three bedroom apartment. It was pricier, but now that Claire could work a little they could manage it without a problem.

"Do me a favor and keep it down if you two get up to shenanigans." She countered the couple as they got to the door and she fumbled for her keys. She had come by here before the bar to drop off her things, with help from another member of the Alliance, and now she had to hunt for the illusive key in her pocket.

"I got it, sis." Claire chirped as she darted in with her key and unlocked the door quickly, ushering everyone inside.

"Alright. I'm going to go rest for a bit before dinner gets underway. It's lovely to meet you, Mahria. I'm glad you're cooking. Claire's cooking would kill us." She laughed, closing the door to her room quickly before a flying pillow could hit her in the face.

It didn't feel like long after her nap that Claire knocked on the door to rouse Veronica for dinner. She hadn't heard a doorbell or any male voices as she stirred to wakefulness, the screams from her dreams fading as she sat up carefully. Daniels, Tombs, Bailey, and Steele were the ones that still seemed to haunt her the most. Hopefully she could lead and live in a way that would honor their memories.

Claire was worried about her, but she knew the older woman needed space.

"What's-his-face just pulled up in the parking lot, V. You good?"

Veronica nodded. "Yeah. Let him in for me, I'll be out in a minute. I want to change."

"One sexy Shepard coming right up." Claire chuckled, shutting the door.

She let Veronica's boyfriend in, plastering a smile even though she didn't like him much. "Sit over there and don't touch anything until V comes out. I'm going to the kitchen to help." She left him in the living room.

Veronica struggled to change her clothes, carefully moving her arm in the sling. The medi-gel was already knitting things up rather well, but it didn't take away the rather intense pain. She'd have to wait another day or two before she could start using her arm again. She changed into a nice skirt, a pair of flats, and an off the shoulder top before she came out of her room. Benjamin sat on the couch waiting for her, scrolling through the alerts on his omni-tool. He looked handsome enough, in slight dress clothes rather than his formal Alliance uniform and his black hair slicked back from his face.

"Veronica." He breathed as he stood up and walked over to her, hugging her carefully as she relaxed into his arms. "I'm glad you're okay. I'm sorry about your unit."

"Thanks, Ben. I appreciate it." She whispered into his shoulder before pulling away and heading over to their little dining room table, sitting down so she could stay close to Claire and Mahria while they cooked in the kitchen.

Ben glanced into the kitchen before he followed his girlfriend and took a seat next to her at the table and poured the water pitcher that was on the table into their two glasses.

The two chatted about different weapons mods that the Alliance was getting, their previous commanding officers, and plans for their mutual shore leave. He was shipping out in four more days, while Veronica still had her two weeks to play around with before she shipped out to the N7 training facility.

Mahria came out balancing two plates with Claire following close behind as she passed them out. The pretty Asari took the seat next to Ben and across from Shepard so Claire could sit at her other side. Claire sat food in front of Ben and V before going back into the kitchen and coming back with more glasses and a bottle of wine. She poured a bit for each person before taking her seat.

"It looks fantastic, ladies." Veronica murmured, lifting the glass of wine to her lips first to take a sip.

Ben simply nodded his head, glancing between the two who made dinner, and took a bite of the salmon. A look of surprise crossed his face at the taste, resulting in all three women smiling at him almost smugly before they all started to eat as well.

"Didn't think my girl could cook?" Claire grinned

"So, I have to know. How long have you managed to keep my sister out of trouble, Mahria?" Veronica teased

The Asari laughed lightly and glanced over at Claire before taking her hand. "A few months now. I decided to help her out instead of joining up with the Eclipse."

"I'm glad I could tempt you away from a life of merc-dom." Claire teased as she finished off the last bite on her plate and leaned back in her seat, sipping at the wine. "You're too cute for those ugly uniforms anyway"

"You aren't of age...are you?" Ben asked incredulously as he sipped at his own glass of wine and winced as he felt a shoe grind into his toes.

"I'm her guardian. Drinking in the house is fine as long as she doesn't go anywhere near that bike of hers after she drinks." Veronica smiled, watching Ben carefully in with new eyes. She respected her partner, but if he didn't respect her enough to let her raise her sister her way then she was beginning to wonder just how much of a future this relationship had.

Claire crossed a finger over her heart with a smile. "Promise to never drink and drive, V. Especially not when I have so many better things to do here."

Mahria giggled and Veronica smiled brightly at the two of them, though the silence from Ben felt heavier than usual. Normally they spoke mostly on weapons, Alliance gossip, the new ship prototypes, and occasionally about vids and music. But this silence seemed strange. Did he have something to tell her?

When the meal was finished, Veronica pushed back her seat and started collecting the plates." You two cooked. Ben and I will clean up. And by we'll clean up I mean he'll wash and I'll dry." She joked, wiggling her fingers in her sling.

Claire laughed, pulling Mahria down beside her on the couch and refilling everyone's wine glasses as Veronica carefully balanced a few of the plates, using her biotics to hold them in place. The light blue glow resonated around the plates as she walked them to the sink and Ben smiled a bit as he followed her with the larger serving dishes and water glasses.

"Well, I'm actually glad that you volunteered us." He muttered.

"Oh? Been wanting to get a moment alone away from the younger love birds?" She teased as she carefully placed the plates down into the sink and turned on the hot water as she moved to a cabinet to grab a drying rag.

"You could say that. I wanted to talk to you about your sister and her….girlfriend." He hesitated around the title, which made Veronica pause as she looked over at him. She gestured with the dish towel for him to continue. "Well. You know I don't mind aliens and that I don't mind people dating those of the same sex, right?"

"Riiiiight?" She questioned, concerned about where this was going as he started to hand wash the plates.

"Why would you let her date an Asari? They're good for sex but not to take home to your family. They're just sex toys that talk." He drawled as he passed her a plate.

Taking the plate she stared at him, not drying it but just studying him. "Come again? Are you implying that Asari are lesser?"

"Well, yeah. They strip for hundreds of years. What else are they good for?""

The chattering in the dining area had died off. Claire looked into the kitchen with narrowed eyes, an arm around Mahria while the Asari looked like she was on the verge of tears. Or crushing something with her biotics. Veronica hadn't known her nearly long enough to be able to tell.

"I'd like to speak to you outside. Now, Benjamin Jones." She snapped as she put down the still damp plate on the towel and walked to the door of the apartment. She looked over her shoulder at Claire, giving her a very slight nod of her head before she disappeared out into the hall and Benjamin hesitated only a moment before following after her.

Veronica paced back and forth in the hall, glad she had opted into wearing flats instead of heels, and looked up at him with a look that had made many under her command wither and cower from her. "What the hell, Benjamin? You realize you're spouting the same racist crap as those that were against interracial or gay couples?!"

Benjamin stood up a bit straighter, his face smoothing into his military bearing as he listened to her, though he shook his head. "No...I'm not. Asari aren't taken seriously. They spend the first half of their lives as mercs or strippers, about a hundred actually being serious, and then the rest of their lives on Thessia or somewhere else just advising people based on their 'worldly experience'. So why are you letting Claire date one?"

Before the last sentence left his lips, Veronica stepped forward only about an inch or two away from his face. "First of all, I don't 'let" Claire do anything. She's grown. Second, the Asari are graceful and beautiful beings that have more intelligence than you seem to have in your pinky finger. Thirdly, you realize I've dated Asari, don't you? I've dated Asari, went on a date with a Salarian, and I've attempted flirting with Turians. They're a little oblivious but still. They are no less deserving of love than humans and certainly more deserving of love than you are."

"What are you saying?" He questioned, actually showing a bit of concern for a moment.

"I'm saying you're dumped. Get the hell out of here and don't come back."

"Yeah!" Claire cheered from the other side of the door, causing Veronica to glance over at the closed door and roll her eyes with a slight smile.

"Veronica...please." He begged.

She walked away from him, her hand moving to the doorknob of her apartment as she looked over her shoulder. "The Shepard girls don't deal with any form of bigotry. Against skin tone, blood, sexuality, anything. If you don't get out of here, I'll fling you down the hallway with my biotics. Damn the consequences. Leave, Jones."

Without another word, she opened the door and slipped inside. She almost laughed as Claire stumbled back from the door and tried to look innocent. While V could count on one hand the number of partners she approved of Claire dating, this woman was one. And she needed her sister to be happy. Most of her life seemed like it would be devoted to the Alliance, the least she could do was attempt to safeguard her sister's happiness.

Claire stuck her head out as Ben stood on the doorstep. "If I ever see you again, you'll regret it." She hissed.

The door slammed hard. Claire turned back around to look at the other two. "So, cheesecake?"