Garrus parked the speeder in front of the dwelling. He jumped out and walked around the other side to help his father exit the vehicle.

"I can manage, Garrus," Cadmus protested.

"You'll pass muster, but you're still recovering." Garrus reached out an arm and helped his father stand.

Cadmus took a deep breath. "Your mother was the one who stopped my drinking. I used to drink after work in the beginning. She finally confronted me one day. Told me it was inconsistent with my principles. She was right. Look, don't ever drink, Garrus, it's not worth it."

"Okay, fine, dad," Garrus said, acquiescing to his father. However, his inner thoughts contradicted his words: But drinking isn't against my principles. And I can hold my liquor just fine. Garrus let go of his father's arm to test if he could walk by himself. When his father started forward, steady on his feet, Garrus followed. At the door, Cadmus paused a moment, then pushed the keypad. The door slid open and they walked into the living area.

Solana rushed over to Cadmus from the couch and took his hands in hers. "Are you alright, dad? What happened?"

"Just took too late a walk," Cadmus said. "I didn't mean to worry you, Solana."

"Just a late walk?" Hannah asked skeptically. Cadmus could tell she was analyzing him, gauging the truthfulness of his statement.

"Yes," Cadmus professed. "Just thinking."

"You got drunk, didn't you? Passed out, I'll bet." Hannah was grinning from ear to ear.

"My dad doesn't drink!" Solana rounded on Hannah.

"He did last night, dear. I can see it in his eyes." Hannah laughed. "It's not shameful, Cadmus. The older you get, the less you can hold it."

Cadmus scowled at Hannah. He was miffed at her, but also partially grateful he didn't have to hide the truth. Hannah's open way forced him to be honest.

"She's right, Solana," he admitted, patting his daughter's arm. "I did drink a little too much. But I'm fine."

Solana backed away from Cadmus, disappointment in her eyes. She walked over to the armchair at the end of the couch, sat down and went back to her habit of saying nothing. Cadmus cleared his throat, walked gingerly to the couch and sat down, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. There was an uncomfortable pause until Tev's giggling came from down the hall. Shepard entered carrying the infant.

"You're back," she said with relief, glad to see Cadmus alive and in one piece. She looked to Garrus who shook his head slightly. She got the message: don't ask, I'll tell you later.

Shepard felt the unease in the room. Everyone seemed apprehensive, except her mother, who was smiling delightfully at Cadmus. Shepard once again considered Solana's suspicions. Was it love or something else?

Cadmus yawned loudly. Embarrassed, he spoke sheepishly, "Out too late. I need to get some sleep."

"It's just now noon. You go ahead and take a nap, Cadmus," Shepard insisted, wanting to accommodate her father-in-law and alleviate his embarrassment. "I'll go pick up some lunch for us."

"There's no need to get me something. I'm not hungry," Cadmus said quietly.

"I think you and Garrus and Solana should go out to lunch. Enjoy yourselves," Hannah encouraged. "I'll stay here and watch over Tev…and Cadmus."

Cadmus sent Hannah a look of annoyance at the implication that he needed someone to "watch over him." But he agreed with her suggestion. "Yes, go. I'm not going to be completely functional for a while. You three go. You haven't spent much time with your sister, Garrus."

Garrus felt his sister's gaze, so he turned his head to meet it. It was clear that both she and he were thinking the same thing: they didn't need nor want time to be together. But Garrus had too much respect for his father.

"Then let's go," Garrus simply stated. "I'm starved."

To his surprise, Solana didn't object. She stood and walked to the door, a silent shroud. He wondered if she simply wanted to get out of the dwelling, away from a father who had fallen off the pedestal she put him on. He felt a glimmer of sympathy, knowing her emotion probably wasn't that far from his own when he'd seen Cadmus unconscious at the bar.

Still, she sent Garrus a furious look on the way out the door. Any sympathy Garrus felt disappeared at her bitter look. Yeah, just what I need, time with my sister, he spoke sarcastically to himself.


Garrus, Shepard and Solana piled into the speeder he'd driven home. They drove to the hole in the wall Turian restaurant, no one saying a word. Garrus stopped along the way for Shepard to pick up some chow mien from a street vendor. At lunch, Solana maintained her antagonistic attitude, speaking only to order.

Shepard gazed awkwardly between Garrus and Solana. Neither even glanced at each other. As an only child, Shepard was out of her element. More than once while growing up she'd wished for a sibling. Now, she wondered if being an only was actually a blessing.

"So, Solana," Shepard spoke up, unable to take the silence anymore. "What do you do?"

Solana turned an annoyed face on Shepard, like she was a fly pestering a pleasantly undisturbed meal. "Father's secretary," she said shortly.

Garrus snorted dismissively. He couldn't help it. What with the tension from fearing for his father's life early in the day, then having to sober him up, something he never thought he would need to do, he was entirely fatigued. Self-control took a back seat to his frayed nerves.

"Problem with that, Garrus?" Solana challenged.

Garrus looked up from his meal, his eyes squarely on Solana. "I don't mind you working with dad, but you're wasted there, Sol."

"And how is that?" Solana asked angrily.

"You've got too many talents to be just a secretary."

"So you don't think I'm handling my career correctly, is that it?"

Garrus shrugged, but didn't answer.

"Like you've managed to do anything with yours, a simple head of security on a backwater world," Solana huffed.

Garrus plunked his fork down angrily. "I'd say defeating the Reapers beats anything you'll ever accomplish."

"Oh yes, your fall back," Solana mocked. "'I can't come home, Solana, I'm on a secret mission fighting Rachni or Collectors or Reapers.' Mom dwindled away while you traveled the galaxy. Fighting your enemies was more important than she ever was."

Now Garrus slammed his hand onto the table. Patrons turned their eyes, alerted to something happening in their direction.

"Garrus," Shepard whispered harshly.

Garrus took a long breath. When he spoke, his voice came out measured and careful. "I can't bring mom back, Solana. There were things more important at the time. The Reapers were defeated. End of story."

Solana shook her head, not buying Garrus' defense. "So you never had down time? Never a moment to stop by Palaven?"

Garrus took another long breath, but said nothing, only glanced quickly at Shepard.

"Ah, I see," Solana spoke quietly. "Shepard again. This human woman was more important to you than your own family."

Garrus abruptly stood up. He walked to Solana's side of the table, grabbed her roughly by the arm and started to haul her outside. Shepard stood up to follow, pausing only to instruct the restaurant owner who met them at the door to put the meals on Garrus' tab. When she stepped outside, she saw Solana trying to push her brother off her arm, but to no avail.

"Garrus, let her go," Shepard demanded. Garrus ignored her, but when he got to the speeder he let Solana go after he pushed her into it, not to hurt her, but to pin her down so he could talk to her. When he spoke, his voice was low, angry and dangerous.

"I've had it, Sol! This whole visit you've been acting like the brat of a four-year-old I wouldn't let tag along when I was a kid. You haven't been civil to my wife. My wife, Sol! She's an honorable, beautiful, compassionate woman and you haven't even tried to like her. We're ending this, now!"

Garrus pulled Solana away from the speeder and opened the door.

"Get in!" he commanded.

Solana stood still. Her eyes were narrowed in anger. "How dare you…" she started to say.

"Get in, Solana, or I swear, I'll get you in any way I have to." Garrus' voice was taut with a clear threat.

"I hate you, Garrus," Solana rebutted, but climbed into the back seat of the speeder anyway.

Garrus shut her door a little too hard and tromped over to the driver's side. Shepard opened up her own door and slid into the passenger seat. She swallowed hard. She'd seen Garrus when he fought every horror imaginable. His face during their battles had always been set in a steely, cold, furious gaze—the same way he looked now, only then, as his commander, she had always known the plan of action. At the moment, she had no idea what he was up to. And that worried her.


Garrus pulled the speeder next the Combat Training Center so quickly, Shepard held onto her seat, afraid the vehicle would flip. The short ride to the center had been made in all too familiar silence. Shepard eyed Garrus, whose anger obviously hadn't diminished. He flung open his door. Shepard exited as well. Solana stayed put.

"Out!" Garrus commanded his sister when he opened her door.

"Garrus," Shepard pleaded, putting a hand on his shoulder. Garrus shrugged her hand off and sent her a solemn, furtive look. She knew he was warning her to back off.

"Don't dare me to drag you out," Garrus commented, staring Solana down.

Solana slowly got out. "You're just like I remember. My arrogant older brother."

Garrus didn't answer, but took her arm again. Solana put all her strength into shoving him off this time. In doing so, Shepard became aware that Solana was stronger than she looked.

"Get off me, Garrus!" Solana growled.

"Then you better…" Garrus began, but was interrupted by Solana who had already stomped off into the Combat Training Center. Garrus ran to catch up with her, stepping in front her to direct her down the hall. When he reached the door he was looking for, he gestured for Solana to enter. She went in before him and Garrus followed with Shepard bringing up the rear.

Shepard knew where they were. They were standing in an observation room. A window along one wall looked into a combat training room, a room devoid of any equipment save a cushioned mat that covered the floor. Shepard didn't come to the training center often, but she had stood by this window once or twice watching as Garrus instructed his security forces in hand-to-hand combat.

Shepard heard Garrus' voice, rough and hard, behind her. "Put it on." She turned and saw Garrus had thrown his sister some kind of outfit consisting of a navy blue shirt and pants.

"I wondered what you had in mind," Solana spoke haughtily. "This is child's play, Garrus." She folded her arms across her chest and stood glowering at her brother.

"So, you think you can't take me now that we're all grown up?" Garrus goaded Solana. "You didn't take down the Reapers, so I guess you're right."

Solana unfolded her arms and gestured with a fist at Garrus. "I can take you any time, Garrus Vakarian!"

"Then prove it."

Solana walked up to Garrus and pushed her face into his. "You're going to regret this." She moved over to a corner and began to change. Shepard turned away, wanting to give Solana her privacy. She took the opportunity to speak to Garrus, who likewise was changing into his own set of clothes, a loose fitting red shirt and pants.

"What are you doing?" she hissed out.

Garrus pulled the shirt over his head, then looked at Shepard. "This is the only way to put Solana in her place."

"So humiliating your sister in some wrestling match is going to make her like you better?" Shepard tried to reason with Garrus.

"No," Garrus agreed with her. "But it will settle the rest of this trip. And it's not wrestling. It's Pugna, the first combat art we learned as children."

"Garrus…" Shepard broke off when Garrus touched her arm.

"Trust me, Shepard." He didn't say it like he was pleading with her or asking her. He said it like he was demanding it, his anger still rich. He looked beyond Shepard at his sister, pushed passed his wife and walked over to Solana. He gestured towards the door to the combat training room.

Solana moved towards the door. It slid open, but before she entered, Solana looked back to Garrus. "Sure you want your wife to stay? Want her to watch as I kick your butt?"

"You wish," Garrus barked out, walking past her into the combat room. Solana laughed harshly, then followed him in. The door slid shut.

Shepard stood looking through the window. Garrus had proceeded to the far side of the room. Solana stood on the other side. Shepard pushed a button on the wall that would allow her to hear as well as see the match. She shook her head. What in the world did her husband think this would prove? That Solana needed to be more polite? This whole thing had gotten way out of hand.