Chapter 1 for Fathers and Daughters is up! This chapter marks the beginning of the main story and takes place in 2204, when Emma is fifteen years old. This chapter was originally over ten thousand words, but I ended up cutting it in two. And, of course, I decided to break it in two at the worst part, right when it was getting good and steamy. Sorry in advance for the awful cliffhanger!
Sereneffect deserves another huge thank you for editing everything and beta reading this story. She's been an amazing springboard to bounce ideas off of and I really appreciate all of her encouragement. Thank you! Another thank you all of those that read the prologue and to those that followed, favorited, or reviewed! As a reminder, this is rated M for interspecies smut and adult language! Also, Mass Effect belongs to Bioware.
"So," Jane Shepard drawled, "are you going to be alright tonight?" She rounded the corner from the hallway, sauntering into the kitchen; her hair was still damp from the shower and she was toweling it, trying to squeeze out the excess water. Her husband was sitting on a bar stool at the counter, fiddling with some new mods for his Widow.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well… considering the last time Emma came home with a date, you scared the poor boy to death with your very descriptive account of Archangel's heroics…" she hopped up on the counter by the refrigerator, laying the towel across her legs and raking her fingers through her hair, clearing out some of the residual tangles; she'd left early this morning to drop Emma off at her boyfriend's house before heading over to headquarters for some drills.
"We were simply talking about good military tactics…" her husband trailed off, looking far too interested in the mods which were scattered all over the marble counter top – along with some oil and grease smears.
"Yes, which you brought up. I believe we were talking about what they were each doing in school when you cut in with 'I remember this one time…' The poor kid was from a civilian family!" Shepard groaned out exasperatedly.
"Well, if he expected to date her, he needed to get used to military talk," he rumbled, looking up at his mate.
"Garrus… no one is used to you describing in vivid detail how an 18-year-old, hot-shot, gun-for-hire got the back of his head blown out by one of Archangel's 'perfect headshots'," she rolled her eyes, trying to stifle a grin that threatened to erupt on her face. Despite what she was saying, her husband's stories always reminded her of the old days, when they ran across the galaxy, trying to save everyone, never returning to the Normandy without a few stories and broken bones or plates. "I'm pretty sure your exact words were 'And, then his brains exploded out the back of his head, splattering the wall before the life had even left his eyes'. That poor kid had never even held a gun and avoided Emma for the next month!"
"What can I say?" he shrugged, casually averting his eyes from her mock glare and glancing back down to his weapons mod. He was rather pleased with himself.
"Well… at least this boy has a little military experience. From what I've heard about him, he's a couple years older than her and has some training in hand-to-hand and a bit in short range weapons. Though, Emma said he's much more interested in history than the military."
Garrus had stopped listening the moment he heard military, his head snapping back to his mate. "How much military experience?" he growled out.
Jane just rolled her eyes. "Well, I've heard he's trained with a few drell who have left the service of the hanar – his parents are both rather highly respected officials. I actually think his dad is a Spectre. The kid seems to be from a really good family and I think he would be—"
"You think he's a 'good fit' for our daughter?"
"Garrus, I believe you were the one who just said 'If he's going to date her, he needs to get used to military talk'. Besides, I think they would be a good match, especially if she ends up enlisting – they could even run some drills together. You know she's the best in her class in rifles and, well… the stubborn sniper and the shotgun expert…?" She glanced up at him through her lashes with an innocent smile. He knew that smile.
She was obviously trying to appease him, and in spite of himself, Garrus's eyes softened, his mandibles flaring into a small smile. He'd always been her sniper – always on her six. Since she had recruited him on the Citadel, he had joined her on almost every mission, if you negate the two years she was… well, he'd always had her back – and always would. He couldn't bear the thought of her being alone and vulnerable; he had never dealt with that well, even before they had even considered "blowing off steam". After they were reunited on Omega, he never wanted to let her out of his sight, terrified that she would get caught in another life or death situation and he wouldn't be there to save her. And, those protective feelings only amplified once they had started their relationship – it had never been about easing tension for him; it could never be just that with her. And no matter how hard he tried to rationalize that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself – she was N7 and a Council Spectre – he couldn't shake the protective instinct; she was his mate and he'd be damned if anything happened to her. Or their child.
He remembered when Shepard had first told him she was pregnant and the fear that engulfed him. She was still on duty and wouldn't be taking her leave for another 3 months. Even the crew members of the Normandy that knew him the best left him a wide berth those first few months; he had followed Jane throughout the ship, never leaving her side, glaring at almost anyone who got too close. He was pretty sure he even growled at Vega once or twice when he had causally patted her on the back. Garrus had tried to rein it all in – for her – since everyone on that ship was her family, but he couldn't seem to control it; turians were infamous for their protective streak – especially when their mate was pregnant. And, even though Shepard wasn't pregnant with his offspring, biologically speaking, he never once felt like it wasn't his child.
Emma… She was so much like her mother; she had the same stubbornness and the same passion that Jane did. He was pretty sure those qualities were passed on from Jane rather than the donor. In fact, Emma seemed to have gotten most of Shepard's qualities: they had the same eyes and the same freckles that littered their faces. The main visible difference between them – besides their age – was Emma's hair; Emma's was strawberry blond and had more of a curl to it while Jane's was straight and red. Really, she just seemed like a miniature Jane Shepard, so much in fact, that he truly feared she would pack up and join the Alliance the minute she turned 18. They would support her fully if she wanted to join the military, but Garrus wasn't overly keen on it. Though, he had to admit, it was better than her starting to date; the military taught a person to defend themselves, it helped a person to become stronger. Dating… that was all about a person letting down their barriers and showing their weaknesses.
He didn't like the idea that Emma would ever be forced to rely on anyone else – in her personal life or in a combat situation. Especially in a combat situation. Even if she was in cover, far away from the action, sniping everyone… the questions ate at him. What if something went wrong? What if someone snuck up behind her when no one was watching her six? What if she went down to help and got cornered, unable to defend herself? What if… what if this boy accidentally hurt her himself? The moment when Shepard's head had lined up directly with his crosshairs on the Citadel… it still haunted him. He had been so focused on killing Sidonis, so focused on his own agenda, that he hadn't even paid much attention to where Jane actually was. And his fingers had been so twitchy that day… No. He couldn't imagine his daughter entrusting her life to anyone else. Too much could go wrong.
"No," he snapped. "She doesn't need anyone else protecting her. She doesn't need to be putting her life in someone else's hands. I'm the only one who…" he trailed off, mandibles fluttering as he realized what he just admitted.
"Oh… So that is what this is all about?" Shepard smirked, raising her eyebrows at Garrus. She'd noticed her husband had been a bit more protective around Emma over the past few months, and she'd figured that it was because their daughter was starting to date, but he had never actually admitted it.
"Garrus, you know if she ends up joining the military, you aren't going to be able to be there for her all the time right?" she said gently, shooting him an almost resigned look. She didn't like it much either – the thought of her daughter dating or enlisting – but she knew how teenage girls were; mainly, she knew how Emma was. Their daughter was just as passionate and headstrong as she had been as a teen. Besides, Jane was far more concerned about Gaius who was off on another planet, working his way up the ranks at just 18, with no family to come home to at night, no parents to give him support…
Her thoughts were cut off by her husband's worried trill. "Jane, I—"
"Garrus. Just… be nice, please? Give him a chance? I'm sure he isn't going to kidnap her and drag her off to Omega or anything," Garrus scowled at her as she tossed the towel to the side and hopped off the counter. She walked around behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, bringing her hands up his carapace. He never tired of her touch; even after all these years it still felt just as fresh, just as intimate as it had on that first night. Jane began to trace patterns on his plates, pressing in here and there, skillfully finding all the tension in the muscles beneath his plates and rubbing it away, while she simultaneously planted light kisses on his cowl. He absently thought about how their relationship had started and that fateful conversation about "easing tension". Jane continued the slow massaging patterns as his thoughts wandered; once she felt some of the tension ease out of his body, she moved around to the side of the bar stool, gently turning her husband's head so he was looking at her.
"Come on Garrus, don't you remember how nervous I was when I met your father? I was scared he'd throw me out the house 'cause I had 'sullied the Vakarian name!' and then burn off your markings! And he did scare me the first time, almost enough to make me second guess my choice in mates…" she trailed off, eyebrows raised in a teasing fashion.
"What? Second guess bonding with the most feared vigilante in the Terminus?" He brought his hand up and brushed his fingers tenderly over Jane's bondmark, tracing the jagged edges of the scar.
"Oh yes, 'cause that's such a great catch for an Alliance Admiral and Council Spectre," she nodded slowly, eyebrows raised.
"Well, you needed someone to keep your stress at bay… and, of course, to watch your back. Do you even know how many times I had to cover your ass" – he turned around on the stool, reaching down and giving her rear a tight squeeze; she squeaked – "from mercs that snuck up behind you? You were always so focused on blowing bodies – or crates – to the other side of the room with your shotgun," he purred affectionately, dipping his head and fluttering his mandibles against the side of her neck.
"Someone had to make those missions interesting…" she said, trailing off as his hands roamed up to her lower back, talons ghosting over the thin fabric of her tank. He trailed one hand down to the hem of her shirt, fiddling with the edge, as the other came up to grasp the back of her neck, fingers tangling in her loose, still damp hair.
"Mm hmm…yes, interesting."
The sheer power that radiated from his body never ceased to amaze her; she could feel every tendon twitch in his hands as his fingers began to massage the base of her skull. She reached around to reciprocate, grazing the back of his fringe with her nails. Her head lolled back in his hand as he started to rake a talon up her spine causing her to arch into him. His legs were spread on either side of her hips, securing her in place as he continued his ministrations. Drawing the talon down her back again, he grasped the bottom of her tank, raising it up slightly, revealing the expanse of pale flesh around her waist. She removed her hand from the back of his head momentarily, allowing him to drag her shirt up over her head, tossing it to the side.
"Jane…" he moaned, nuzzling farther in to the dip between her neck and shoulder, inhaling deeply. He'd never tire of her smell: fresh and sweet, especially when she was freshly out of the shower. She moaned as she felt his teeth graze over her shoulder, teasing her, goose bumps erupting over her body and heat shooting straight to her core. Garrus bit down slightly over the bite mark on her shoulder, barely breaking skin and eliciting another sharp moan from her lips as her hands clenched at the back of his head, nails cutting lightly into his soft flesh. One hand moved up to support her head while the other drifted down, his fingers lightly grazing over the round flesh of her backside, reaching down between her thighs and brushing against her center; she tensed and groaned at the light pressure, feeling his talons through her fatigues.
He slowly released his teeth, gently flicking his tongue over the small wound, and she pressed her head against his hand, opening more of her throat to him and his wandering mouth. She removed her hands from his fringe once again, reaching around and unclasping her bra. As the bra fell to the floor, Garrus shifted both of his hands, grabbing her waist. He turned and shoved her back up against the counter, bending her over slightly to expose more of her chest. He began to travel south with his mouth, circling one taut nipple with his tongue, carefully avoiding the peak. She arched her back further, nails scraping against his cowl for purchase, when he started nipping lightly on the underside of each breast. Jane writhed underneath him, grasping at him, trying to drag his head to where she wanted it; he simply chuckled in response, small vibrations tickling her skin.
"God, Garrus," she gasped as he grabbed her knees, spreading her legs even wider, pushing the bar stool back and maneuvering himself so he was between her thighs. He dragged his teeth down the flat of her stomach, reaching one hand up to the top of her pants, toying with the zipper.
"Garrus, please…" she moaned and he chuckled again. He loved driving her wild like this, loved hearing her voice break on his name as she begged for more. His tongue darted underneath the top of her pants where they puckered over her hips, teasing at the delicate flesh resting on top of the bone. He was just starting to undo her pants when a sharp ping rang through the kitchen. Shepard yelped and jumped, jerking her hands away from his back and planting them on the counter, trying to brace herself as she looked frantically around the room.
"50 years old and you are still acting like a new recruit caught fooling around with their XO?" he chided, head still dipped to her hip, lightly licking across her stomach. She still held the same spark that had drawn him to her in the first place; still just as fiery and energetic. Her hair was still the same sharp red, eyes still the same bright green, muscles still just as wiry and strong - courtesy of her Cerberus cybernetics. Garrus reluctantly removed his face from her stomach, missing the smell of her immediately, but brought his head up to press against her forehead. She pressed back, nuzzling against his brow, smiling up at him, while simultaneously pressing against his arms, trying to push him away from her so she could shimmy off the counter.
When he'd finally pulled himself off of her, she slid off the counter, tossing her tank back on before activating her omni-tool.
"Mom?" Emma's pale face filled up the video screen, her green eyes questioning her mother's flushed face. Maybe she'll just think we were… sparring. Or something.
"Emma, how are you?" Jane sounded breathless as she paced across the kitchen and Garrus smirked, pleasantly pleased that he was successful in derailing their previous conversation – he did not want Jane catching on to his tactics – and of course, that he could still turn her on just as easily. He'd heard that in humans, their sex drives tended to wane as they aged, but from what he'd experienced with her, that was either a myth or they were just perfectly matched. He tended to lean towards the latter.
"Good. Just checking in like Dad asked."
Jane scoffed, casting a sidewise glance at Garrus; he never fully understood how humans could contort their faces into such strange expression, showing so many emotions at once. Shepard currently looked like a confusing mix of exasperation and blissful amusement. He simply shrugged.
Turning back to her omni-tool, she said "Thanks, I'll make sure to tell your father." He could hear the slight scoff that came from Emma, and tried to stifle his annoyance; these women always seemed to gang up on him. It must be some human thing. If only Gaius were here…then we'd at least be evenly matched.
Their adopted son had left a little over three years ago, heading back to his home colony on Palaven to join the military. Gaius had been orphaned during the initial invasion of Palaven in the Reaper War – just an infant at the time. Both of his parents were killed in action trying to defend the colony from the invading husks. A chill swept though Garrus as he remembered looking up at Palaven from Menae and seeing his own home colony burning, the blaze an eerie orange. He had told Shepard and Vega that he still had family there, but it wasn't until much later that he realized just how true that was. Liara – the dutiful Shadow Broker that she was – had stumbled across Gaius when she was helping Victus contact all the other Hierarchy officials that had survived. The small turian had been transported off world at some point, and was being cared for by a young turian medic on board a frigate. The minute Liara had seen him, she'd asked the young female medic if Gaius had any family left; when she'd answered in the negative, Liara had sent Garrus a message, saying that there was a young turian boy that needed a home and if he knew of anyone who might want to take him in.
The conversation that followed had taken only minutes, both Shepard and Garrus realizing how perfect it would be; Garrus had always wanted a son and Shepard had always wished she could give him that. And what better way than to adopt a small child from Garrus's home colony? He hadn't had his markings tattooed at the time, but his plates were the same silver-grey that his adoptive father's were. Liara had gone out of her way to get Gaius to them as quickly as possible, wanting desperately to give Jane and Garrus some happiness after all they had lost; they had held their son less than a week later.
And, sure enough, true to Garrus's colony's reputation, Gaius was the model turian, loyal and righteous almost to a fault. He had wanted to join the military as soon as he was able, to do his part for Palaven; re-building was still ongoing and every planet needed as much help as they could gather. They visited him as often as they could, but it wasn't nearly as much as either of them would like. Jane was still on active duty, her position as Admiral Shepard requiring her to be stationed at Alliance headquarters for most of the year. But whenever she could grab control of the Normandy and captain her own mission, she always made sure to plan a trip to see him, even if it were only a few days.
"Okay, well, we are doing lunch with his parents, so I'll let you know when I'm leaving." His daughter's voice brought him out of his thoughts and he realized he wasn't quite sure what Jane and Emma had been talking about beforehand.
It was a "weekend" or whatever that human thing was, so she wasn't in school. Turians went to their tutors every day, the focus primarily being on government and the Hierarchy or the turian military; even the females were trained in politics and war. Here on Earth though, they seemed to dawdle in a little bit of everything, so everyone was just as versed in economics as they were in math at this age – no specialization at all. Apparently the specialization came later in something they called "university" but that didn't happen until their early twenties.
"Okay sweetie, have fun!" Shepard said and shut off the connection. Garrus immediately shook his head, dispelling any other stray thoughts bouncing around, and started striding over to his mate, fully intent on continuing their previous fun.
"How come they get to have lunch with her before I even get to meet this boy?" he mumbled, starting to rub her back again; she sighed and her eyes fluttered shut in bliss as his talons scratched over her shoulder blades, somehow finding every itch that she didn't realize was there.
"Emma thought it would be better if she met them first. Apparently, they are much less intimidating than we are," she smirked, earning an amused flick of his mandibles. He moved his hands to her arms, sliding them up and down, until he stopped at her hands, gripping them in an awkward handhold that worked perfectly for them. "Anyway Garrus, I definitely don't want to" – her breath hitched as he bend down and licked a trail up her neck, stopping to nip at her earlobe – "be focusing on that when you are teasing me like this."
"Then don't," he purred, receiving a shudder and a quiet gasp in return. His incessant nipping at her earlobe forced all thought out of her mind, her body simply shuddering in response. He'd backed her up, this time pinning her against the wall by the refrigerator. He grabbed her wrists and slowly brought them together over her head, enclosing both of them with one of his hands. He was flush against her, just a hair's breadth between their bodies, their foreheads touching, gently nuzzling each other. His other hand trailed down her side, coming to rest at the waistband of her pants, toying with her hip bones again. She had always loved this and never tired of it; it had something to do with the thin skin there and how his talons felt grazing over the bone. And, as the humans said "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Jane started squirming under his grasp, trying to free her hands, but Garrus just increased the pressure on her wrists, gaining a frustrated groan from her.
"Garrus, don't play," she huffed, still trying to wiggle free. Her fingers ached to be able to play with the soft skin at the back of his fringe and she flexed again, trying to free at least one of her hands. But his right hand had her arms pinned while his left just kept teasing her, never venturing farther than an inch below her belt. He bent down, nipping the side of her neck; the warmth of his breath had her craning her neck invitingly, trying to offer more of herself to him.
"Why? Do you want me to stop?" he rumbled next to her ear, a throaty growl escaping him. The growl sent a thrilling vibration down her spine; he was in the mood to play. He withdrew his head from the dip in her shoulder and moved so he was directly in front of her, blocking most of the room from her view. She continued to squirm under his gaze, trying to keep up the pretense so he would continue. Garrus took a step back, making sure to maintain his grasp on her wrists, and brought his other talon up to her collarbone. He slowly started tracing the bones before dragging the talon down her front, over the swell of her breast, then over the taut peak, and finally down her ribs. She shivered.
"If you do, I'll court-martial you. Spectre authority." She tried to sound sultry, tried to bring some sort of strength to her words, but they came out sounding breathy and weak, betraying just how much she wanted him. She had always loved it when he became a bit more possessive, more dominant. It felt so… primal and raw. His talon had continued down her body, coming to rest once again at the edge of her fatigues. He was toying with the front clasp of her belt now, his talons dexterously unclasping the buckle; it's amazing what almost 20 years of practice will allow.
"Mmm… now we don't want that, do we?" He released her wrists, but, before she had time to respond, he had grabbed her and spun her around, slamming her against the refrigerator, the side of her face pressing hard into the metal. A surprised gasp escaped her as she felt him press down on her, firmly securing her.
"I guess you just have to let me…play," he purred, nipping the back of her neck. The combination of his hot breath on her throat, the cold seeping through her shirt, and the completely vulnerable position she was currently in caused her nipples to harden even more, goose bumps erupting over her chest. Her bra still lay haphazardly on the floor; she was thankful that she hadn't put it back on, as the coolness wouldn't have had the same effect. But, before her mind could follow that thought any further, Garrus repositioned her arms, bringing them down to clasp them behind her lower back. Once he had a tight grip on them, pressing his weight into her back, forcing her to remain firmly against the refrigerator, he dropped down to one knee, grabbing the edge of her pants with his other hand. He suddenly dragged them down – underwear included – to her ankles and then raked his talons back up her bare inner leg, passing over the back of her knee and up to her core. She moaned, trying to spread her legs as wide as she could, but the fatigues at her ankles prevented her from getting too far; with her wrists securely caught behind her back and her legs bound by her pants, she was completely at his mercy, her ass pressing back into the open air, wantonly.
"Ahh, Garrus…" He was playing with her inner thighs, occasionally brushing the pad of his forefinger up against her wet lips, but never pressing inside. Her legs were trembling, pulling against the merciless imprisonment of her pants. Garrus reached up and spread her lips with a forefinger and thumb, pulling a groan from his throat as her arousal hit him full in the face; his plates had fully parted, his erection throbbing in the confines of his pants. He let his tongue slip out, teasing at her entrance, but, once again, never going far enough to give her what she wanted. She tried to press back into him, attempting to angle herself to give him better access.
"Garrus, please…" she moaned, breath coming fast and hard. He groaned. He quickly flicked his tongue out, grazing over her clit, and she let out a strangled cry, writhing underneath his grip. He flicked it out again, this time dipping it into her warmth, eliciting another gasp from her lips. The taste of her quickly started to overwhelm him as he continued to tease at her bud with his finger while plunging his tongue up into her; he wasn't going to be able to keep this charade up for long.
A few blissful minutes later, she shuddered, a desperate cry coming from her lips, her inner muscles clenching around his tongue, and he lost the last of his control. Spirits, he needed to be inside her. He quickly started undoing the clasps of his pants, just enough to let his throbbing length out without taking his fatigues off, while his tongue was still lapping at her entrance; she sagged a bit in front of him, legs weak from her release, his arms the only thing supporting her. He stood up, gripping her wrists a little more and pushing her up on her tiptoes; her legs were still trembling and threatened to collapse underneath her if he didn't hold her up. He reached down and spread her ass, positioning himself between her thighs, sliding his tip back and forth against her wet lips, brushing over her clit with each pass; once lined up, he pressed his tip into her tight core slowly, trying to drag the first push out as long as possible. She threw her head back, eyes wide and mouth open in a silent scream. He gradually pushed forward, burying himself in her wet channel, his grip pressing into her back once again as he brought his teeth down on her shoulder, this time, sinking them in fully and reopening her scar. Jane moaned and her eyes fluttered shut as the familiar pain of piercing teeth met her shoulder; she tipped her head to the side, exposing more of her neck to her husband, as all the tension started to melt from her body. Once fully buried in her warmth, the rough edges of his fatigues pressed up against her ass, Garrus stilled for a moment, just relishing in the feel of her walls around him, tight and wet. When she wiggled her butt a bit, trying for a bit more contact, he pressed himself into her to the hilt and ground his teeth farther into her shoulder, holding her firmly in place. He was going to take his time with her today – going to make his mate beg for it. He pulled out and was slowly pressing back in when a sharp, metallic rap came from their front door.
Garrus roared; Shepard whined. Honestly, he just wanted to keep going, to keep slowly thrusting into her until she came, screaming and writhing under him. And even then, he wouldn't let up; he would just keep plunging into her, over and over, until he found his release as well, spilling himself inside her. But as he pressed into her fully once more, a second knock was heard and he knew they wouldn't be able to ignore it. He reluctantly pulled out, releasing her wrists, and she slumped to the ground, shivering, her eyes a beautiful mixture of lust and frustration; that look only made him want her more. The look she gave him also held a promise that he could continue this game later on. Her pants were still crumpled at her ankles and her shirt was wrinkled, slightly torn in the back where his hand enclosing her wrists had been. He clasped his pants back, mandibles twitching in agitation, and bent down to help her gather herself before they went to open the door.
"Do you want to go to the bedroom? I can say you're… indisposed at the moment," he said, taking a second look at her and at the trickle of blood that was dripping down her collarbone.
"That might be best," she replied faintly. "I don't know how much good I'd be at talking at the moment." She ached from the loss of contact with him, her center feeling much too empty for her liking. She grabbed her pants, pulling them up loosely as the third knock sounded on the door followed by a very loud "Quit calibrating each other and let us inside! It's cold out here!" Garrus cast a sideways glance at her, which she returned with an eye roll as she quickly stood up, grabbing the towel from earlier and trotting up the stairs toward their bedroom. Garrus turned around, and began stalking to the front door, before realizing that Jane's bra was still somewhere in the kitchen. He turned back, finally finding it underneath the table. He grabbed it and tossed it on top of the refrigerator, hoping that no one felt adventurous and looked too closely; they'd have to remember to move it before dinner tonight. He started back towards the door, trying to rein in his frustration and compose his expression as his hard length pressed firmly against his zipper, her scent lingering in the air.
I'm evil, I know. I promise the next chapter will be up really soon, I just have to finish tweaking a few things before I upload it. I would love to hear what you guys think, no matter if it's good, bad, or somewhere in the middle. Thank you so much for reading!