My eyes open wide, and I'm greeted by Fletchers face over mine. He smiles and hugs me as I come to.
"Cassie!" He exclaims, and I slowly sit up as he hugs me.
"Thank god, are you okay?" Jane asks as she kneels down next to me, pushing the chair I apparently fell out of away.
"I... I think so..." I say softly, rubbing my throbbing temples. Urz and the pups trot over, sniffing me to make sure I'm fine to them. I smile a little and pet them, and Urz licks my face. I look up at Garrus, and he holds his hand out to me, a very concerned look on his face.
"Are you okay to stand up?" He asks, and I nod as I take his hand. He helps me up, then Jane.
"How often does this happen?" He asks, and I think he's talking to me.
"It's hard to expl-"
"Only when she's really nervous," Andrew speaks up, and I look at him.
"You told them?" I ask, starting to feel angry.
"Well, you fainted and fell into one of your memories. There wasn't time for you to wake up and explain it yourself..." He says, looking a bit guilty. The anger subsides, and I heave a sigh.
"It's okay... You did what you had to." I say, ruffling his hair, to which he blushes and bats away my hand.
"You didn't hit your head or anything, did you?" Jane asks, her hand on my head as if she's feeling for bumps.
"I don't think so." I say as I look around a bit. The table is all messy, clearly from the panic.
"I'm glad you're okay," Garrus says, his hand on my shoulder.
"Thanks... I'm getting better at controlling it, though... This is the first time it's happened in almost a year." I say, blushing softly.
"Didn't you work with a Drell? They have the same kind of thing, right?" Andrew speaks up again.
"Yeah, we had one on our team when we went up against the collectors. His name was Thane." Jane says, and I see the sadness wash over her. Garrus apparently does as well, and he pulls her to him.
"The Drell you met before the wedding is actually Thanes son. He's part of the team Vega and I are training for C-Sec" Garrus says as he holds Jane close.
"What happened to him?" Fletcher asks out of curiosity. He apparently doesn't notice the sadness filling the room.
"He died, didn't he...?" I ask, and Jane nods.
"Not too long after the Reaper Invasion began, Cerberus attempted to take control of the Citadel." Garrus speaks up again. "Long story short, we stopped the assassination of the Salarian Councilor with his help, but he was wounded in the fight."
"He had Kepral's Syndrome, right?" I ask again. "That kept him from recovering the way he would have if his lungs were fine. The Salarians actually offered their help in finding a cure for it as a way to thank him. They've got a treatment being given to the Drell affected by Kepral's, but they're still working on something permanent."
"I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that," Jane laughs a bit and pulls me into a hug. "I've got to say, it's pretty awesome though."
"Agreed. I didn't even know humans could have that kind of memory." Garrus admits.
"It's really rare, but it's been in my family for as far back as the records go. The firstborn has always been a girl, and they always have it."
"That explains why you remembered so much when talking to EDI about synthetics," Jane says. "I think she would find your ability very interesting."
"To say the least," Garrus says with a smile. I blush shyly, a faint smile on my own lips.
"I'll tell her... eventually... I've just had enough excitement for one day, though. And we've barely finished breakfast."
"I think we're okay with that," He laughs. Andrew walks up closer, looking at me.
"I think I know what memory that was," He says softly. "The first day of the invasion... with that Asari thing, right?" I look at him a bit wide-eyed.
"How... how did you know?"
"You were talking. Saying things like 'Asari' and 'Monster'."
"It won't be enough." Fletcher speaks up now, and we all look at him.
"That, too." Andrew laughs a little.
"I said that out loud?" I ask, to which Andrew nods. "Well, that's... great." I laugh awkwardly and rub my neck before I notice the clock.
"We're gonna be late!" I start to turn, but Garrus puts a hand on my shoulder.
"Hey, relax. You'll be fine. Finish your breakfast, then you guys can leave for your first day of school. They'll understand." He says with a smile, and I feel a weight lift off me.
"...Okay... Thanks." I find myself smiling back as I sit down and continue my breakfast. My pancakes are a bit soggy, but they're still warm.
I notice the prongs of my fork are a bit warped, wondering how it got that way. It wasn't like that before.