The Greatest Gift of All
Anastasia Shepard entered the hall leading to her Citadel apartment with two large handfuls of grocery bags that were full of an assortment of different ingredients. I really should have taken James with me for an extra set of hands. She readjusted her arms to ease the rising soreness but was less successful in the endeavor, and possibly Garrus too.
When she had received the two separate lists from James and Kasumi for the ingredients needed for their meals, she really hadn't anticipated it to really be this much. What the redhead had forgotten to take into account was the fact they had to feed her entire squad plus their children, which included more than ten humans, four Asari, two Turian's, two Quarian's, two Krogan's, and one Prothean. Plus a partridge in a pear tree.
If she wasn't so stubborn she would have taken multiple trips back to the skycar, but Shepard and stubbornness went together like Santa Claus and magical reindeer. It isn't so bad. I'm almost there, Shepard thought positively.
Despite her growing aches, she was in a wonderful mood. Today was the eve of Christmas and she would be celebrating it with her gorgeous lover, her amazing four children, and the rest of her squad.
For Ana it was a giant family reunion. Everyone had been able to make it to the reunion and most planned to stay around on the Citadel until the New Year. A few of her friends, like Jacob, Samara and Wrex, wouldn't be able to stay the entire week due to their family or other responsibilities, but having them around even if only for a day was enough for the retired Commander.
Part of her missed the old days when she was around them constantly. Even though it was extremely stressful due to the Reapers and the war, the Normandy team from her days chasing Saren to the end of the war had become her family.
Ten years had passed since the end of the Reaper War and some of her friends had settled down to start a family of their own, like Garrus and Tali, or were in the process of it, like Jack and Miranda. Others like James, Kaiden, Samantha, Cortez, Donnelly, and Gabby still served in the Alliance on the Normandy with Kaiden now serving as the captain of the beloved vessel.
Nowadays she did her best to maintain contact with all of her friends despite the distance between them. Each year they did their best to all come together at least once but it wasn't always easy with their responsibilities as parents or as soldiers.
The pang for the old days was eased tremendously every time she looked at her children. Seeing their smiles, hearing their laughter, witnessing their growth day by day, it brightened her life beyond the brightest of suns. Zenia, Denia, Xandria, Miyako and Kasumi were the lights of her life burning away all the darkness of the past and replacing it with the love of family she had never thought she'd experience after losing hers so many years ago.
I hope they haven't been causing too much trouble in the kitchen, Shepard thought as she neared the door. She had left her little ones in charge over the kitchen where James and Kasumi were awaiting her return, but she hadn't expected to be gone as long as she was. Traffic had been heavy and loading everything up into the skycar as well as taking it all and making this walk had taken time.
I suppose I shouldn't really worry about them. They can be cute little tricksters, but they are always well-behaved. I should be more worried about Kasumi and James vying for control over the kitchen in my absence. The pair hadn't had an issue with sharing the kitchen, but when it came to cooking their special meals they got a little defensive. Asking to help was like insinuating they couldn't cook, and that was suicide mission in of itself.
I hope Kasumi hasn't stolen his armor and painted it to look like a candy cane while I was gone. As humorous as it would be to see Vega in striped red and white or, more likely, pink and white, she didn't want to put James in that position. I'd feel bad about it, I'd laugh the red right out of my hair, but I'd feel bad about it later.
She entered her apartment and let out a content sigh at the sights sounds that greeted her. The sounds of bantering friends and laughter met her ears making her feel right at home as faint Christmas music breathed holiday spirit into the apartment. Christmas decorations lined the apartment all across both floors. Lighted garland covered in white-gold baubles and bows lined the balcony and stairwell while a row of stockings hung above the holographic fireplace waiting for goodies to be dropped into them.
The living room table and couches had been moved further away from the holographic fireplace to accommodate for all the gifts that would be under the big green faux tree adorned from top to bottom and all the way around with numerous designed baubles and other Christmas themed ornaments.
It still lacked a tree-topper but had otherwise been completed by her little ones prior to everyone showing up, much like the rest of the decorations around the apartment. Sure they had a little guidance from their parents and help for the higher up areas, but the kids were the ones to pick out the ornaments and places to put them.
Ana and Kasumi had both reveled in helping their four adorable daughters decorate the apartment. They were each bubbling over with enthusiasm for the holiday and were doing what they could to spread good cheer. If that meant being ultra-cute when asking others to wear Santa hats or being extra cuddly to make the hearts of all their cuddle victims grow four sizes bigger than they were prepared to do it.
"Mommy!" two little girls chorused as they latched onto Shepard's leg and waist.
Shepard gave a jovial laugh as she struggled to maintain her balance. "Zenia, Xandria! Did you miss me?"
Her little Asari and mirror image gave nods of confirmation. "Yep! We've been working really hard to keep Uncle James and Mama on their bestest behavior," Xandria told her.
She smiled down at her two daughters holding onto her lower half as they looked up at her. They both had Santa hats on but wore different outfits. Zenia was wearing a rose red tank top paired with a black skirt and leggings while her human sister wore an emerald t-shirt and blackish blue shorts.
Ana wanted to scoop them up in her arms and shower them with kisses and tickles until they were giggling madly for their cuteness. Unfortunately her hands were full and she was a little worried about the current state of the kitchen. "Have James and Mama been misbehaving?"
"They were debating who would cook first when you got back. We put them on a timeout until you got back," Zenia answered.
Ana snorted in amusement at the thought of her four daughters putting Kasumi and James on a timeout. That had to be quite the sight, especially with James involved. "How did that work?"
"Uncle James said we were too small to do that, so I put Xandria on my shoulders and Denia put Miyako on hers to become bigger."
Ah, good, their using their teamwork skills to outsmart adults. I'm glad they are taking my lessons on teamwork seriously. "And?" Shepard asked the pair to continue with a grin pulling onto her face. This was starting to get good and she couldn't wait to figure out how it worked out and see the results for herself.
"We laid down the law like you told us to," Zenia finished. "Uncle James is thinking about his choice of words now."
The redhead barked out a laugh she had been trying to hold in. Oh James, I don't think I can ever let you live this down. She set the bags down onto the floor so she could kneel down and embrace her daughters. "Thank you for keeping them in line while I was gone, little ones." And for giving me banter ammunition for years to come. "Let's go free Mama and James of their timeouts. It is Christmas Eve after all."
"Yeah! They can earn their way off the naughty list by cooking really good food!" Xandria said enthusiastically.
"Exactly," Ana nodded in agreement, grinning at her little redhead.
She began grabbing the large handfuls of groceries only for her daughters to start trying to pick up the heavier ones. Their cheeks puffed out in effort as they lifted the bags off the ground and struggled to keep them up. "Heavy," Xandria said with strain.
"Yeah," her sister followed.
Ana released the bags already in her hands and placed her hands on her daughters, gently guiding their hands to place the bags back down. Their faces became relieved with the weight no longer in their hands. "You're really strong, Mommy," Zenia said.
"Perhaps, but you two will be as strong as me someday," she said, giving the pair encouraging smiles. "If you two really want to help, take these bags," the redhead woman lifted up six extremely light bags and handed them to her daughters, "they aren't as heavy but it'll definitely help me a lot." The duo took them gladly and waited for their mother to get the rest of the bags in her grips again to start their short walk to the kitchen.
Shepard had to stifle her laugh when they entered it due in no small part to finding Miyako still very much on the shoulders of her sister with her arms crossed and her chest puffed out as she stared up at James. Even on the shoulders of Denia she wasn't tall enough to actually be eye to eye with the burly soldier, but that didn't make her back down from their staring contest in the slightest.
It was a little hard to take Miyako seriously when she was wearing a white shirt with a big candy cane on the front and red skirt with candy cane striped leggings. James was managing to do so though as he kept his arms crossed over his tree trunk sized chest. Denia was right there with them in keeping up her stare as she stood her ground in a pink long sleeve and black shorts.
Sitting at the counter watching on in clear amusement were Steve and Joker. They were all in their Alliance casuals while the pair wore looks that transmitted the same thoughts Ana had: James is never living this down.
Next to the oven was Kasumi in her hooded purple tank top with the hood up, a Santa hat on top of it, N7 tags around her neck and knee-length black shorts. Her arms were crossed under her bosom as she wore a playful pout. As Ana entered the room the two lover's eyes met turning the pout into a smile and the redhead's smile into a grin.
Have your hands full, love? Ana's eyes asked silently in mirth.
In all the best ways.
"I'm back. Has everyone been behaving?" Anastasia asked knowingly.
"Mommy's back!" Miyako cheered.
Denia turned around with a smile and rushed over to her returning parent. Shepard had just enough time to lift the groceries up and set them on the counter before her daughters embraced her waist and upper body. The redhead picked Miyako up off Denia's shoulders, grinning at the pair as she knelt down and wrapped Denia up in a hug. Her other two daughters joined in the hug after going up on their tiptoes to put their bags on the counter top.
Ana gave them all a round of kisses and a few tickles eliciting giggles out of them. We weren't apart for more than a few hours, but I missed you four. She hated being apart from her little ones and her lover, especially all at the same time. I can't imagine how terrible it would be if I was away for a few days. I doubt I'd be able to sleep…I doubt any of us would be able to.
"Shepard, we need to talk," James said, breaking her from her thoughts.
"True, we do." She gave her children one more kiss each then stood up. The look James gave her was begging for her to take his side just this once. If the situation didn't involve her little ones putting them on timeouts she may have done it, but this was too good to pass up. "I heard you two were being very bad while I was gone. I was really hoping you two would behave while I was gone so my little ones didn't have to lay down any law, but I see I expected too much. I promise your punishments will be quick and severe."
Steve and Joker covered their mouths as they tried to hold back their laughter at how serious Ana was pretending to be. James looked like he was struggling to keep his jaw from dropping off its hinges in disbelief and it was almost too much for the retired N7 to continue. I can't break yet. I've barely gotten started. She steeled herself with a calm even breath and kept her smile from forming and her laugh from bubbling out.
"He started it!" Kasumi declared as she pointed at him.
"What?!" The muscular soldier was taken off guard by the declaration of her lover. Shepard bit the inside of her lip to prevent herself from losing all of her steeled will. Hold it together! Don't you dare break into laughter! Steve, Joker and her daughters were barely containing themselves and it was making it that much harder not to laugh with them.
"Okay," Ana broke in before James could, "regardless of who started it, you were both put on timeouts. It's not in my power to release you from it, but I will decide who cooks first and end this debate once and for all." Take charge of the conversation, she coached herself, keep focused on the objective and don't let yourself break. She turned to Kasumi. "Love, your sponge cake will go first. It will take the longest to bake for our serving size and it will give you time to decorate it while James works on dinner."
The retired N7 turned to the Alliance marine and took on her mom tone. "James, have you behaved while on your timeout."
"Seriously, Lola? Are we really going there?"
"Do I need to put you on an indefinite timeout?"
Vega let out a sigh of defeat. "No. I behaved." He sent a scathing glare at Joker who released a laugh he was unable to hold back.
"Good." She turned to her lover. "Love, have you behaved on your timeout."
"Of course."
"No she didn't!" Denia tattled, giggling as she did. Kasumi mocked a gasp then brought her finger to her lips like she was telling her daughter to keep a secret. "Every time we tried to stay serious, she would start tickling us. It wasn't very fair."
Her three sisters confirmed it with cheers of 'yeah she did' and 'she's right, it wasn't fair' in turn making Shepard smile at her thief. Cheater.
Can you blame me? It was cute and fun.
Shepard couldn't blame her and undoubtedly would have done the same in her shoes. "I see. Little ones, was James honest?"
"Yes, Miyako was just playing when you got back," Denia answered.
"Have fun, little shadow?"
"Mmhm."
Ana turned her eyes back to her friend. "In that case, little ones I think it's time to let him off his timeout." James brightened at the news. "Only if he puts a Santa hat on and promises to make the best Huevos Rancheros you four have ever tasted. Agreed?" she asked to her daughters. They cheered in agreement. "You heard the little ladies, James."
James smiled and put on the Santa hat sitting on the counter next to him. "How can I say no to that promise? I promise to make the greatest Vega Special you four have ever tasted." Again her four daughters let out cheers of excitement and ran over to the man to hug his legs and waist. James laughed heartily and began assaulting the girls with tickles. "Ha! You four are in trouble now!"
"You can't say no to those cute faces. It's impossible," Cortez said, smiling at the group.
"Yeah, if you do you'll wake up with pink armor," Joker responded.
"And don't you forget it," Kasumi teased the pilot.
"Just remember that when you find one of them in my lap flying the Normandy or with Steve flying the shuttle."
If Shepard didn't trust Joker and Steve she may have paled at the thought of them letting one or all of her daughters sit in their laps to fly the ship or shuttle. She didn't though. They were the best pilots she had ever known and with EDI on the Normandy it was doubtful if the situation ever did arise that anything bad would come of it.
Granted if it did happen she knew she would still worry. In the meantime, I still have one last punishment to dole out. She moved around the island in the kitchen and behind her thief who had started to unpack the groceries. "Don't think I forgot about you, my love." Ana rested her hands on her lover's hips and closed the distance between them.
Kasumi leaned back into her and turned her head to look at her. "And what punishment awaits me, Ana?" she asked in a seductive whisper.
You asked for it. Anastasia smiled at her and began leaning in for a kiss. As Kasumi lowered her guard, the redhead quickly slipped her hands under her tank top and began attacking her sides with tickles. Her thief yelped in surprise then giggled as she tried to squirm out of her grip. Unfortunately for her the redhead had better leverage and a rock climbers grip on her.
"Ana!" the thief chided between giggles.
"Do you promise to bake the best cake ever?"
"Yes!"
"And to let our daughter's taste test icing for you?"
"Ye- yes!" Ana relented in her tickles to let her thief regain the breath she had lost through giggling and in her efforts to escape the torture. "You are as cruel as you are beautiful," Kasumi said, panting lightly with a smile on her face.
"And don't you forget it," Ana quipped as a smirk pulled onto her face. She gave Kasumi a peck on the cheek then moved to her side. "Here, I'll help you get all of these groceries out and organized."
The pair began working while making small talk with each other as well as with Joker, Steve and James, the latter of which helped them in getting his supplies organized. Their four daughters ran off to go play only after giving their returning parent a Santa hat to wear with her zipped up N7 hoodie and navy blue jeans.
When they finished getting everything ready, Ana left the kitchen to give her lover the space she needed to bake four sponge cakes, one for their Turian's and Quarian's, two really big ones for Wrex and Grunt, and another large one to feed everyone else.
It was the same for the food James would end up cooking, hence the large and heavy bags of ingredients she had to pick up. Vega's Huevos Rancheros, or the Vega Special as he liked to call it, was a legendary meal among the Normandy team. Eating rations and the like made his flavorful taste bud blasting home cooked meal the greatest food in all of existence.
He didn't just make it taste good though, he made it look good too. For all the crap that Shepard gave the man she would give him credit for going the extra mile on the presentation of his food. With a beautiful sight of the warm meal, plus the glorious smell that could make anyone drool, it was hard to imagine there was something else out there that was better.
I dare say Kasumi's sponge cake is even better, but that may because of my weakness for sweets. On the first Christmas they shared with Zenia and Denia she had revealed her ability to cook the greatest cake in the entire galaxy. The reason the retired redhead had removed herself from the kitchen was because she knew Kasumi needed no help whatsoever in baking her cake.
She was a master chef when it came to baking her special sponge cake and any offered help would only slow her down. It was like she was in dance while she was baking. She moved around smoothly and hit every maneuver with elegance and precision, and anyone who tried to help would end up stepping on her toes.
Watching her move around the kitchen was a gift in of itself for the redhead, but the cake was the real reward. She styled it differently for each Christmas or birthday, but the end result was always the same: a beautifully designed cake with a taste that made every other sweet taste duller than a slice of plain bread.
Sometimes I think I should have just had Kasumi bake one of her cakes for all the leaders of the galaxy during the war. There's no way they would have been able to resist our pleas then. The cake was amazing, but even Shepard knew her thought was an exaggeration. They were all too stubborn, too stupid, too embroiled in bad blood, hiding secrets or all four put together. I bet we could keep peace just using her cakes nowadays though.
Anastasia was looking forward to seeing what kind of design this newest cake would have. She mostly couldn't wait to taste it. While she waited for the cake to be done she went around the apartment checking in on everyone. They were all lounging around taking in the nostalgia of everyone getting together again or questioning the holiday they were unfamiliar with when the kids were far out of ear shot, like Garrus had.
"So we're letting an old man in a red suit break into the apartment to deliver gifts to our children? And parents all over Earth, the Citadel and the rest of the galaxy don't see any problem with letting some stranger into their homes for the promise of gifts?"
"He's not going to steal your children, Garrus," Shepard had teased her friend.
"I know that. The concept is just strange. Why not just let your children know you're the one who gave them the really nice gifts instead of making them believe someone else got it for them? They might think you didn't care."
"I know. I considered that, but it's the spirit of the holiday. I know it doesn't make complete sense, but you know you love the excitement they exhibit for it."
"True. But are you sure we don't have to worry about a break in? If you want I'll set up a perimeter so our kids are safe."
"And you want to tell the kids we're preparing to prevent Santa from coming?" Tali had questioned her lover with a smile in her voice.
"…good point."
Getting everyone to go along with the holiday prior to their arrival had been a bit difficult, especially with Javik. The Prothean couldn't understand the "primitive" holiday or the need to lie to their children about who gave them gifts. It had taken some coaxing to make him promise not to tell the truth to the kids, but in the end he agreed.
It had become a bit of a game for her kids to put a Santa hat on him, and thus far they were unsuccessful. They were still trying though and having fun in the process of doing so. At the same time Ana was almost certain Javik was actually playing along to make them earn getting the hat on his head for his own bit of fun.
I wouldn't put it past him if he considers it entertaining. He's always had a strange sense of humor by our standards and he hasn't asked me to make them stop or showed anger towards them. I'd never say it in front of him, but I think he has a bit of a soft side for the girls.
Her girls called him "Grandpa Javik" so maybe that had softened the old warrior up a little. She would never know because she would never ask him out of the fear he would become a bit harsher towards them. Anastasia was content to watch on from a distance as he interacted with her little ones.
As she journeyed around the apartment and interacted with everyone she took note that some were still missing, Grunt, Kaiden and Zaeed to be specific. She knew her fellow Spectre had some business to settle before he could relax but had no idea what the other two were doing. The retired N7 knew they were on the Citadel and were going to arrive eventually, she just didn't know where they were or when they would show up.
Zaeed is probably playing cards down in the Wards…unless he still has his addiction for the Claw machine. Shepard had considered buying him his own for Christmas, but she relented just in case it would cause it to become a real addiction. That and because she didn't want him to smash it when or if he lost.
Grunt was the one who caused her the most worry, though. Yes the C-Sec incident had only happened once, but she always worried about her tank-bred Krogan when he was out on his own. I haven't got a call yet regarding him getting in trouble. That has to be a good sign, right? Shepard shrugged the thought off, I'm sure he's just kicking simulated ass in the Combat Arena…I hope.
As time passed she eventually came upon Jack and Miranda sitting on the love seat in the quiet sanctuary of the second floor away from prying eyes. The tattooed biotic had her hair out of its ponytail as she laid her head in the lap of the former Cerberus Operative. Her hands were resting on her stomach as she kept her eyes shut in relaxation. Jack's usual black jacket was folded on the nearby table leaving her in a grey loose tank top and beige pants.
Miranda, who was running one of her hands through her lover's black hair, wore a white V-neck and black jeans. Her eyes portrayed the bliss she was swimming in as she spent this quiet time with her pregnant lover. She was resting her other hand on top of Jack's, tracing the tattoos on her hands with surgical precision.
It was still a bit strange to see them like this even ten years later, but it wasn't a bad strange. I'm happy they made peace with each other and found it in being with each other, Ana thought. I had never expected it. I only ever thought it was a funny way to get them riled up. Then again I don't think even they expected it. All I know is that I'm happy they found some happiness. They deserve it after all the things they went through in their lives.
Not wishing to disturb them long but wanting to ensure they didn't need anything, Ana made her presence known. "Hey, just checking in on everyone. Everything okay?"
"Well so far no one has fallen into a frozen lake so I'd say everything is going well," Miranda jabbed lightheartedly. Jack, awoken from her relaxation, barked a laugh as Shepard shook her head. I'm never living that down. At least it wasn't a fish tank joke. "And no fish tanks have been hit with terrible casualties by a certain Commander falling through them, so I think you're doing fairly well this year, Shepard."
Or not...The retired N7 sighed mentally while Jack snickered, it's not like I tried to fall into the lake or through the fish tank. My weight was too much for the ice or the crack weakened it and those mercenaries shot the floor out from under me. I can't be blamed entirely for that.
"Very funny, Miri. I hope you enjoy your box of coal this year," the redhead retorted.
"Oh I will," she said, chuckling lightly at Shepard's expense.
"I'm okay, Shepard," Jack told her.
"I actually need to excuse myself for a moment. Could you keep Jack company?" Miranda asked.
"Sure."
The tattooed biotic opened her eyes and stared up at her raven-haired lover. "I'm not going to suddenly pop while you're gone, Cheerleader. I'm barely ten weeks pregnant," she scolded tiredly.
"Humor me."
Jack rolled her eyes and began to sit up to allow Miranda to stand and excuse herself from the room. Her lover laid back down and rested her arm over her forearm. "She's a real mother hen, Shepard. Was Kasumi like this when you were pregnant?"
Ana chuckled lightly and strode over to the couch, sitting down on the arm of it. Being pregnant and watching over her pregnant lover had definitely given her some interesting experiences to say the least. "Yeah, but I was probably even more of a mother hen than she was when she was pregnant." Probably was also a lie, she knew she was even if Kasumi never would agree to it. "We just want what's best for who we love and the child they bear."
"Yeah, I know. She can be a real pain in the ass though."
"But you love her."
"Yeah. She may be a pain in the ass, but she's my pain in the ass." And to think you two used to want to smear the walls with each other, Shepard thought, smiling as she did. "Hey, what's with the smile?"
The retired N7 chuckled and waved her off. Jack had mellowed out a lot, but she wasn't going to ruin the woman's tranquility with her nostalgia. "Nothing, don't worry about it. How do you feel about all of this? Excited?"
"Try scared shitless." And there goes that plan. Jack stared up at the ceiling in silence for a few moments before speaking again. "Be honest with me, Shepard, am I really mother material? Look at me, look at what I've done."
"Honestly? Yeah, you are." Jack met her eyes with surprise at her confident answer. "I know how you feel, trust me, I've been there with Xandria and the twins before her. I wasn't sure I'd be any good as a parent. Raising kids was foreign ground for someone whose specialty was kicking ass and shouting down politicians. I was afraid I'd fail them or that they'd hate me."
She had Jack's undivided attention now. The uncertainty she was going through and fears she had were things she too had felt. Kasumi had gone through it too with a little less fear over being a good parent and more fears on if everything with the pregnancy would go well.
By the time Miyako came along, we had a better grasp on parenting than when we first started with the twins and Xandria. Kasumi feared the possibility of a stillbirth more than anything else…and the possibility that she'd die while she gave birth.
"If I don't make it—"
"You're not going to die. Don't you dare even think like anything less than that, my love. You're going to give birth to a beautiful baby boy or girl and you're going to live to see them grow up. Understood?" Shepard's voice was stern and commanded to be heard.
Kasumi reached to her and held her hand. "I love you, Anastasia Shepard. Forever. Promise me you'll continue to live and raise our kids to be just as amazing as you are…and maybe as mischievous as me."
"Kasumi—"
"Promise me."
Ana clutched her hand and squeezed her eyes shut tightly to stave off her tears. "I…I promise…" She felt so utterly helpless and she hated it so much. Ana couldn't stand the thought of two souls going in and only one coming out, the thought alone made it feel like someone was squeezing her heart in their hand as they prepared to pop it. She didn't want this wondrous moment of having their final child be marked by the death of the woman she loved more than her own life. That…that was a burden she didn't want to bear. "Remember when we promised each other that we'd never let the other know what life without them in it was like?"
"Of course."
"It's not just us anymore…it's our girls too and this new one. You can't…you won't let us know what life without you is like. Promise me that, promise me that you won't leave."
"I promise."
Ana shook off the memories. It had been a troubling time and one she was glad had turned out for the best, but right now she needed to hone in on helping Jack out. Having someone they could talk to and ease their worries because they had gone through it before them was a luxury she hadn't had, but it was one she could grant for her friends.
"Jack, you've grown beyond your past. Look at what you've done since the war. You continually help to teach kids at Grissom Academy and they adore you. Zenia, Denia, Xandria and Miyako all love you and Miranda dearly. You two have been around them since we adopted and gave birth to them and you are so gentle and loving to them. You'll be the same way with your own child, trust me."
Jack glanced away at the evidence of her motherly material. "…I'm just worried…my kid will hate me or something. I don't want to screw this up or have them grow up like I did because I wasn't a good enough parent like you are."
"They won't hate you. Something I've learned from watching my little ones growing up is this: no child is born with hate in their hearts. Hate is taught, but that's not something you'll have to worry about because your child will know the love of two people who want the very best for them. Sure you may make mistakes, but so did I. You've got a great maternal instinct Jack, just trust in yourself and the love you share with Miri."
"Thank you, Shepard."
"Anytime. If you ever need help or are feeling psyched out, don't be afraid to call. We'll help to the best of our abilities."
Jack gave a thankful nod. She would take her up on the offer if she ever needed to and Shepard would be there to follow through with her promise. It was the least she could do to help her friend through an event that could be as thrilling as it was terrifying depending on the day. Miranda returned not long after and resumed her previous position with Ana leaving the couch and the upstairs area to give the pair the alone time they had sought out.
"Ow! Hey!" Shepard paused at the kitchen at the yelp of pain from James. She peered into the room with a quizzical look on her face and found the muscular soldier rubbing his hand as Kasumi was retracting her spatula.
"I don't dip my fingers in your Huevos Rancheros when you cook, don't dip your fingers in my icing when I'm baking," she scolded.
"You just let them have a taste!" James argued, pointing to the six children who were licking their fingers or finishing up the tube given to them in the case of Tali's son.
"Of course I did. They're too adorable to deny and I did promise to let them taste test it," she retorted as she turned back around to the oven to check on her baking cake. With her back turned James began sneakily attempting to get the icing again. Shepard merely shook her head at him to try to stop him, but he was on a mission and wouldn't be warded off.
Thwack!
"Ow!" James retracted his hand and stared perplexed at the back of the woman who had managed to hit him without looking. The kids were snickering at his poor luck and not being all that subtle about it either. "How did you even know?"
"I see everything, James."
Thawck!
"Ow!"
"You can have a piece of cake when everyone else is able to. No exceptions, unless you're adorable."
"Come on, not even a little taste?"
A smile pulled onto Ana's face at the begging coming from Vega. She had been in his shoes before and it hadn't in success, not even puppy dog eyes got Kasumi to break and she usually cracked under cuteness. I should probably try to stop him now before he ends up with an ice pack on his hand. "James," the man looked over to her, "trust me when I say it is better just to wait. You'll end up with a very swollen hand if you keep it up."
"All right, all right, I'll leave her be."
Movement by the front door grabbed Shepard's attention making her turn to see Grunt entering the apartment. I don't see any C-Sec officers behind him or omni-cuffs around his hands, she sighed in relief internally, that's a weight off my shoulders. "Probably best," she said before excusing herself to greet the tank-bred Krogan.
A few strides away she heard another yelp of pain. "Ow!"
"Did you really think I would buy that little trick? I have four very crafty daughters, James, and they don't get anything by me."
"Can't I just get one little pinky sized taste?" he pleaded.
Her answer isn't going to change, James. I've been there before, but I learned my lesson after the first two attempts. Shepard's smile remained firm on her face as Grunt met her eyes and grinned. "Shepard!" He closed the remaining distance between them and picked her up in a giant bear hug, squeezing her tightly and popping her back in a few places.
"Hey big guy," she choked the words out. "I'm glad to see you, but you're crushing me."
Grunt set her back down on her feet, his grin never leaving his face. "You'll be fine. A hug never killed anyone."
I don't know about that. I'm pretty sure you could turn a hug deadly if you squeezed hard enough. She stretched out her back then clapped the Krogan on his shoulder. "Glad you could make it. The girls will be excited to see you."
"Uncle Grunt! You made it!" Xandria ran past Shepard and hugged the massive Krogan who in turn laughed and picked her up in a bear hug as well.
"Like I said," Ana said, chuckling lightly.
"Xandria!" The young child squealed and giggled as he tossed her up into the air and caught her. Shepard felt her heart race a little faster as she prepared to reach out with her biotic's on a moment's notice to catch her daughter. She had seen them do this a lot and had done it herself, but she always panicked a little when she saw someone else do it.
Her worry was needless, however. Despite how he handled her personally, Grunt showed a level of gentleness most did not expect out of a Krogan when he handled her daughter's. He adored them as much as they adored him and he would never do anything to intentionally harm them. They were his little nieces and he always did his best to make them happy.
He set the little girl down and ruffled her hat covered head. "Of course I made it. I couldn't miss seeing you, your sisters and everyone else."
Xandria giggled then stopped as realization came over her. "Oh! Wait here, Uncle Grunt. We have a hat like this one for you to wear, just bigger."
She took off before the Krogan could respond which left him staring at Ana in confusion for the reason as to why her daughter ran off. "They didn't want you or Wrex to feel left out with everyone else wearing Christmas hats, so we bought large ones for you two."
"Oh, right. I almost forgot about that." Grunt reached behind his back and pulled out his Claymore. He carried the weapon in one hand, holding it at the pump as he took on a serious look.
"Grunt, why do you have a shotgun?" Shepard asked, worry thick in her voice.
"I researched this Santa Claus, Shepard. Stories say he breaks into your home after watching kids while they sleep and when they're awake." His light blue eyes became deadly serious. "Well I've got news for him: he better watch out and he better start crying, because Uncle Grunt is in town and I'll smell him coming." Grunt pumped his shotgun with one hand. "Don't worry, Shepard. I'll keep them safe. He won't get anywhere near your daughters."
Oh dear…Shepard wasn't sure what was scarier, the fact that Grunt thought Santa Claus was a creepy pervert who he had to protect her daughters from, or that he turned a Christmas carol into a threat.
"Grunt…"
"Nooo!" Four little girls latched themselves onto the Krogan and began trying to reach for his weapon. Grunt, thinking quickly, raised it high above their heads. It did little to stop their attempts to jump up and grab it from him. "You can't hurt Santa Claus, Uncle Grunt," Xandria argued.
"But he's dangerous," Grunt tried to reason.
"No he isn't," Denia said.
"He's magical," Miyako followed.
"And wants to spread good cheer," Zenia finished.
Ana felt her heart beating hard and fast against her ribcage in fear as they continued to reach for the weapon. "Little ones, stop trying to grab his shotgun right now," she ordered firmly.
"Mommy," Xandria, who had a big red hat in her hand, and her three sisters turned around to face her with frantic faces, "you have to tell Uncle Grunt he can't hurt Santa Claus. He can't."
"I will, but you four need to understand that you should never do what you just did when someone has a gun in their hand. I understand that you four didn't want him to hurt Santa Claus, but that wasn't the way to do it. You could have gotten hurt yourselves or hurt Uncle Grunt."
"Sorry," the girls apologized.
"It's okay. Just promise me you won't ever do it again. You about gave me a heart attack." They gave a series of truthful promises that settled the redhead's beating heart. Good. Now I just have to get Grunt to not want to kill Santa Claus. "Grunt, I appreciate your desire to protect my little ones, I really do, but I think you've been given the wrong idea on who Santa Claus is and what he does."
"You're right that he does watch everyone and sneaks into their houses, but when he sneaks in he leaves behind gifts for everyone who was good this year. He doesn't want to get caught though because it's against the law to break into people's homes, even if he is doing it for a good reason."
"He leaves…gifts?"
"Yeah, and we leave him cookies as a way to thank him for all the gifts he brings," Zenia explained.
"Cookies?"
Now Grunt was becoming invested in the idea. While Anastasia definitely had a huge weak spot for sweets, the tank-bred Krogan had an even bigger one. There was an opportunity here to get him to put the gun away and Shepard wasn't going to let it pass. "We baked a lot of cookies and Kasumi is baking her special cakes. I'm sure if you promise to put the gun away and put the hat on that she'll let you taste the icing and have a whole plate to yourself."
"A whole plate just for me?" Grunt's eyes were practically glowing at the thought of having a whole plate of cookies all to himself.
"Yes."
She reached her hand out to take the shotgun and found the heavy weight placed in her hand in an instant. "In that case, where's the hat?" Xandria handed it over to him and he made quick work of putting it on. The hat was actually about one size too big, but Grunt didn't seem to care. He was going to get those cookies and make his little nieces happy no matter what. "So, how do I look?"
"I think you'd still have enemies quaking in their boots if they saw you like this. You mix jolly and menacing quite well," Ana said, smiling as she did.
"Heh heh heh." Grunt's grin and laugh added more points towards menacing, but that was fine. She loved her little tank-bred Krogan and her girls loved their crazy head-butting uncle. "Let's go get some cookies!" He pumped his fist into the air.
"Cookies!" the girls cheered with him, pumping their fists into the air as well.
Ana's smile turned into a grin at the scene. They're cuteness is so infectious. Her little one's plus Grunt marched off for the kitchen in search of cookies with the redhead watching them go. It's a good thing I made a specific plate of cookies just for Grunt in case I had to bribe him. That might not have turned out as well if I hadn't.
"Nice to see Tiny embracing the holiday spirit," Zaeed's voice broke her out of her musings causing her to turn to the arriving man. He had a wide grin on his face and a laugh in his voice at the event he had caught the end of.
"Glad you could make it, Zaeed," Shepard greeted him with a smile and a handshake.
"Glad to be here, Shepard. Been a while since we've all come together, brings me back to the old days of facing down the impossible and destroying it with the biggest goddamn gun we could find."
The retired Commander chuckled and motioned him to come in. "Try not to frighten the kids with old war stories," she jested.
"They'll be fine. It builds character," he replied easily.
She smirked and let him go without comment. She headed up to her armory and stuck the Claymore in it then locked the room until she had to return the weapon to its owner. Kaiden showed up as Kasumi had been finishing her cake and James was taking over the kitchen with a few wrapped gifts and a tree-topper perfect for their tree.
It was similar to the monument placed at the original Normandy's crash site save for a few small details. For starters it wasn't made out of gold. It was made of a white material and lined with lights within it. The path left behind by the Normandy was smaller and colored with blue and red lights while the Normandy itself was actually flying to a large star that made up most of the tree-topper colored in shining white light.
Kaiden had let Miyako put the star on the top by placing her on his shoulders and then lifting her up higher when that didn't work thanks to a lack of height and reach. Time moved forward as it always did until everyone had eaten their fantastic dinner and filled their stomachs to capacity on the extraordinary cake a little while later.
It was getting close to her daughters bedtime when Ana found herself leaning forward on the railing of the balcony overlooking the main hall. All of her friends and children were spread out between the two rooms and seeing them all together made her heart grow four sizes larger than it was.
Her daughter's had managed to get Zaeed to wear a hat easily enough but were only now finally getting one on Javik's head, although to his credit he had allowed them to do so. Their cheers of joy only served to keep a joyful smile on her face.
"What are you doing all alone up here, my dear Commander?"
Ana turned her head to see her lover approaching. She took her place at her side and leaned forward on the railing as well. "Just taking in the moment, my beautiful thief."
"It is a pretty sight, isn't it? Everyone together, a festive spirit, and no burnt cookies in sight."
Shepard breathed out a laugh and nudged her thief's shoulder with her own. "I'm never living that down, am I?"
Lips pressed against her cheek. "Only around Christmas time." Kasumi's left hand glided down her right forearm and found her hand. They intertwined them out of natural instinct and turned their eyes back down to the scene before them. Her lover rested her head against her arm and let out a relaxed breath. "Merii kurisumasu, Ana."
"Merry Christmas, Kasumi. I love you."
"I love you more."
Having her lover here next to her, her four daughters in eye sight spreading their infectious happiness to others and seeing all of the people she considered family under one roof was truly the greatest gift of all.
