"So you do care, Mr. Vega..."

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A/N: To your reviews... Talhiri, you're right, pyjaks can be a pest. He actually already screwed up my timeline (I guess I'll let the varren eat him when he gets too annoying) ... :) I had to add him to the first chapter, but don't worry, you don't have to go back there and read it again... Here are the parts I've changed (or rather added the pyjak)... You're all very welcome... ;)

Her smile widened at the groan coming from the bed as a pillow was pulled over dark hair. The pyjak who'd been sleeping on it shot an angry glare at Shepard on behalf of its owner, whose head was currently covered by the pillow stolen from under him, before he curled back into a ball. Shepard winked at the pyjak, amazed at how similar his glare had become by now. Just like her...

Miranda's head shot up, her hair slightly tousled. "My eyes didn't sparkle." And seeing Shepard's imitation of her expression that fateful day and realising that she didn't have another pillow to throw (and her pyjak had grown on her by now, so that option was out of the question as well...), she simply growled while narrowing her eyes dangerously, the pyjak next to her imitating her expression. Unlike Shepard, the varren got the warning and hurriedly left the room.

A/N: Leene, if there's a hate list of the KAAS, I wanna make it to the top there... :) And, as always: your wish is my command, I've named the pets (still don't know what's wrong with "varren" and "pyjak" though... ;) ). Their names will change again, but I'll reveal them in a following chapter... And believe it or not: I had no idea you get renegade points for killing them. I actually ran over one of them accidentally with my Mako... Still haunts me... ;)
To the timeline I mentioned before... Let's say the first chapter plays in the present, all following chapters tell what happened before and this chapter right here picks up where the first chapter stopped. Don't worry, it sounds more complicated than it really is, you'll know what I mean once you read it... As for the timeline, the next chapter (which will be the last one) should make it clear why I chose it. And before anyone starts with threats, I'll explain what happens to the story in the next chapter. This note's already pretty long, so before it gets longer than the actual story... enjoy... :)

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"Shepard, can't you show her your spaceship collection when we get back?"

Miranda turned her attention back to the little asari in her arms and whispered, "And don't you dare making a mess of my clothes again or we'll push you out the window together." Benezia gurgled and happily wriggled her feet in agreement.

"Coming..." Shepard appeared in the doorframe of their bedroom, followed by Shiala who proudly patted her new toy.

"An omni-blade?" Miranda burst out. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Tali designed it, it's perfectly safe, trust me."

Miranda shook her head. "Liara will have your head for this if she finds out about it..."

Shepard waved her off. "Ah, don't worry, she can't hurt anyone with it. See?" She pointed at the small asari standing next to her, poking Shepard's thigh with the flickering omni-blade. "It's just for show, in case there are any mean batarians at school..." She caressed Shiala's crest and the young asari nodded eagerly. Shepard smiled and approached Miranda. "And this..." She produced a plush elcor from behind her back and handed it to Benezia, who immediately closed her hands around it and giggled happily. "Is for you..."

"Well, at least one good idea today... You're improving..." Miranda remarked dryly before she winked at Benezia. "Ready?"

Shepard shot Shiala a quick sideglance and they both nodded in unison. Ugh. Miranda rolled her eyes as she turned on her heels and left their apartment.

"Shepard, there's a blonde man following us..." Miranda grabbed Shepard's arm with her free hand as she looked over her shoulder.

Shepard stopped and turned, sighing heavily as she spotted the figure quickly hiding behind a tree at a distance. "I'll be right back," she murmured and let go of Shiala's hand, gently shoving her towards Miranda who placed a protective hand on the asari's shoulder. The trio watched Shepard approach the tree with quick steps. "No means no, Kaidan!" the former commander yelled in her pace.

After a few more steps, she had finally reached the tree and was now shouting at the person hiding behind it, gesticulating wildly to emphasize her words. "For the last time: I'm not interested. Now go home! Shoo! How did you even find me here? Is that a wig? And a fake moustache?" She threw her arms up. "I don't believe this!"

Shiala tugged at Miranda's arm. "Who is that jerk?"

A smile spread across Miranda's face as she knelt down beside the asari. "He was your mom's competition on the first Normandy..." she explained, turning her head from Shiala to Benezia in her arms.

Shiala snorted. "Yeah, right..." Noticing Miranda's expression, she raised an eyebrow. "You're serious?" Even Benezia seemed perplexed. She had stopped moving and was staring at Miranda with wide eyes, her mouth slightly open.

Miranda simply shrugged her shoulders and got back up, her smile returning. Shiala gave a short laugh. "Wow, I'll have to ask her about that..." she decided before they all turned their heads back to Shepard who was now pointing in their direction.

"I've got a hungry varren over there who hasn't eaten today, so if you don't leave RIGHT NOW..." she threatened, which obviously seemed to have worked... They could hear a loud shriek as Kaidan jumped out of cover and ran away, the blonde wig unnoticedly falling to the ground behind him.

Shepard turned and walked back to the small group waiting for her, taking a deep breath while she ran a hand through her hair. Her smile returned. "So, who wants ice cream?"

"Babe, I've got your ice-" James' eyes widened as the two women standing next to Cortez turned around. "Hey, Lola..."

"James." Shepard smiled and nodded towards the newcomer.

Steve Cortez' eyes shot from Shepard to James, who was still holding two dishes of ice cream in his hands, looking a little lost. The shuttle pilot scratched his forehead. "Erm... I was just telling Shepard about... us..."

Us? "Right, right..." James cleared his throat, evading Shepard's amused eyes, feeling the panic inside of him rise while he wondered how much Shepard knew by now...

Shepard answered his unspoken question swiftly. "What are the chances..." She shook her head, musing, "You two still serving on the same ship... Together..." Her smile turned into a grin. "You seem to be inseparable..." Miranda rolled her eyes. Shepard seemed to enjoy torturing that poor guy...

Benezia started wiggling in Miranda's arms and she lowered her head to smile at the baby. Satisfied that she had Miranda's attention again, Benezia squeaked happily and seized the finger tickling her stomach, still clinging to the plush elcor with her free hand. Miranda smiled at her once again before she raised her head and let her eyes wander over the park, spotting Shiala chasing a small turian across the playground nearby. She turned her attention back to the awkward conversation taking place next to her. James was still clinging to the ice cream, obviously unsure what to do next while his face had taken on a light shade of red...

Shepard was just turning to leave, placing an arm around Miranda's midsection. "Well, don't let me keep you... Wouldn't want that ice cream to melt in the heat, now would we?" She winked, despite Miranda's ellbow colliding with her ribs.

"Yeah, yeah..." James, ever the fluent speaker, nodded, quickly handing one of the dishes to Steve and punching the pilot's shoulder with his now free fist. "We better get going then," he announced, nodding insecurely. "You know... doing... manly stuff... like men do... real... manly men..." He cleared his throat. "Which we are..." He stirred the already melting ice cream with a tiny spoon, which looked even smaller in his big hands, and licked the ice cream off it.

"Right." Shepard nodded, smiling affectionately as she turned, waving her goodbyes to the two stressed men, both relaxing as soon as Shepard had turned her back on them.

Once they were far enough away, Shepard chuckled. "Garrus owes me 200 credits..."

Rolling her eyes once more, Miranda sighed. "I didn't ask..."

They sat down on a nearby bench, Shepard waving at Shiala as soon as the asari looked up from the turian's back she was now sitting on, waving back with her free hand while her other hand still pressed the turian's face in the sand underneath them.

"Adorable..." Shepard sighed.

"Well, as long as she doesn't use her new-" Miranda stopped, turning on the bench to face Shepard, her eyebrows raised expectantly.

Shepard bit her lower lip and nodded. "I'll go and get her..."

"That was absolutely uncalled for, Javik."

"That hanar was insulting me with its stupidity!"

"He simply asked you for an autograph..."

"Those aliens shouldn't worship us like gods."

"And yet the Protheans saw themselves as a superior race during their cycle, which they thought gave them the right to dominate all other supposedly weaker races..."

"Shut up, asari!"

"I. Have. A-"

"Dr. T'Soni..."

"Sounds like your mom's coming to pick you up..." Shepard got up from the living room carpet, where she and Shiala had just had a small competition to see whose biotically lifted space ship model could float through the air longer, and approached the door with the young asari following close behind her. Miranda rolled her eyes at Shiala's eagerness to follow Shepard everywhere she went. She just hoped the young asari wouldn't take on even more of her role model's traits, or else she was pretty sure Liara would search for another babysitter in the future...

The door opened and Liara smiled at them, the exhaustion she'd felt before immediately vanishing as Shiala swung her arms around her mother's midsection. Shepard quickly scanned the empty hallway. Obviously, Javik had already taken his leave, probably sulking on his way down in the elevator right now... Oh well...

"I hope they weren't a burden... Did they behave?" Liara caressed Shiala's crest, her concerned features relaxing as Shepard nodded.

"Miranda would have been nagging me for the next couple of weeks if she wouldn't have been able to see her niece..."

A short laugh could be heard from the living room. "You're lucky I've got my hands full right now..."

Shepard winked and leaned in close to whisper, "She loved it," before she nodded down the hallway. Liara followed her and a smile spread across her face at the touching scene in front of her... Miranda was sitting on the couch, Benezia sleeping peacefully in her arms, still clinging to the plush elcor. Shepard's smile widened as she noticed Liara's expression. Obviously, she hadn't been the only one noticing how much the former 'ice queen' had changed and how natural a baby in her arms looked. Not that she'd ever tell her that, of course... Shepard planned on having all her bones as intact and in place as they were right now...

Miranda's head rose and she smiled, carefully shifting the asari's weight in her arms as she got up from the couch and handed her to her mother. Benezia didn't even stir as Liara took her, lightly touching Miranda's arm and mouthing 'Thank you'. The former Cerberus operative smiled and nodded.

"Well then..." Liara turned her head to look for Shiala, finding her standing right next to her, quickly hiding the omni-blade behind her back. Liara's eyebrow rose but she still smiled as she turned back to Shepard and Miranda. "It's time for us to go home, little ones... Let Shepard and Miranda get their well-deserved rest," she announced and hugged Miranda before Shepard led them to the door. Shiala smiled and waved at Miranda before she followed her mother and they left the apartment.

"We'll still have to talk about your new toy, young lady..."

"But Moooooom, it's absolutely safe!"

"Are you going to explain that to all those shocked parents in the future or will that be my job?"

Miranda heard the door to their apartment hiss shut and she sank back into their couch, Shepard sitting down next to her only seconds later. A silence followed as they both watched the passing skycars outside their window. Realizing how empty and silent their apartment suddenly was, Miranda gave a heavy sigh. Shepard patted her thigh and turned her head, smiling. "We still have each other..." she offered, and as Miranda simply raised her eyebrow, she added, "And we still have our pets."

Miranda nodded absent-mindedly, a smile still tugging at the corner of her mouth. Shepard, not yet satisfied with the reaction, leaned closer. "You know, I think we should name them..." Miranda finally turned her head and Shepard nodded eagerly. "I was thinking about 'Gabby' and 'Ken'..." she announced, nodding in their pet's direction.

The Normandy's bickering Engineers?Miranda's raised eyebrow lowered as their pyjak sped past them, victoriously dragging the varren's favorite sleeping-blanket with him, an enraged varren chasing after him. She shrugged. Shepard had a point...

As soon as their pets were out of sight, she turned on the couch, placing her arm on the backrest and challengingly faced Shepard. "What if the pyjak's a 'he'?"

Shepard shrugged her shoulders. "Ah, who knows with these things?" She grinned. "Besides, he always struck me as the feminine one..."

Miranda snorted. "Right... Because your varren is the embodiment of masculinity..."

As if on cue, the varren whimperingly plodded back into the living room and sat down at Shepard's feet. The commander immediately leaned forward and started caressing the back of his head. "Oh, did he take away your favorite blanket?"

Miranda gave a short laugh. "You said 'he'," she announced, but Shepard just waved her off and turned back to her varren.

"I'll get it back, wait here!" she announced and got up, determinedly approaching their bedroom. Not long after, they could hear a displeased squeak followed by rumbling as Shepard obviously chased the pyjak around the room to get her varren's stolen blanket back.

Miranda turned to the varren still sitting in front of the couch and they both looked at each other for a moment before Miranda sighed and shrugged her shoulders, the varren giving an aggreeing whimper before they both turned their heads towards the door.

"Stop right there, you little..." Shepard roared. "You know, back in the day, we would just run over little pests like you..." That seemed to have done the job since Shepard left their bedroom only seconds later, grinning as she walked back to the couch and put the blanket back on the floor where it belonged, the varren happily curling into a ball on it.

"I think we should re-think those names again... I was thinking about 'sweetie pie' and 'satan'..."