Caeus looked down at his holo pad, periodically scrolling down as he read through the mission reports of Tuchanka. He was slightly impressed that Shepard was able to cure the genophage, though he wasn't so surprised that they went through with it. He took the time to read everything in the file, the small hum of the engine above the hull surrounding him.

He looked around as he picked up a new scent, lowering his brow plates to his eyes at the recognition of another turian. After a moment of looking around slowly, he smiled to himself. A small, broken growl started on the other side of the room, causing him to walk over to the sound. A small, playful scream rang out as he got closer, making him step back. A small fringe poked out of the small space that Rayhel had forced herself into.

Caeus let out a laugh, kneeling down to the child, who growled louder at him.

"I can't growl anymore."

The child began to pout, a small quiver in her voice before tears fell. He looked around the hull, then back to the child. He felt bad for her.

"Why not?"

"I can't get it to work."

She looked up at him, getting to her feet after crawling from the tight space.

"Where is your Mother?"

"With Daddy."

"Where is your Dad?"

"I don't want my Daddy." He rubbed his face, sighing heavily as he sat down on the small desk in his room. The child walked over to him, climbing to sit with him. "I wanted to play with you, Caeus."

"What do you want to play?" he asked, grabbing the holo pad he'd been reading before.

"Can we play games?" she replied, looking at the pad before putting her hands on it. He sighed as she closed out his files with her beatings on the pad, letting her take it from him after a moment. "Daddy plays games with me."

"I'm not your Dad."

She pat at his arm, making him draw up his Omni tool.

"Pictures!"

"You can look at the pictures." he said, watching her touch the orange tool with delight.

Caeus had grown used to the little girl wanting his attention, though he still hadn't quite understood why she wanted it in the first place. He figured it was because he was turian and she found him to be familiar, but she didn't exactly shy away from all of the humans on the Normandy either. Still, he let her sit with him and play with his omni tool until she grew bored.

"Can we find Daddy?"

"Sure."

He walked with her up the stairs, waiting patiently as she used her whole body to accomplish one stair. It took some time before they reached the top, finding the elevator once they did. Rayhel threw her hands in the air and squeeled, sitting down on the lift's floor. He shook his head with a smile as she beat on the ground.

"Can we find the Shepard?"

"I thought you wanted your Dad."

"Daddy!"

Caeus laughed at her as the doors opened to reveal the crew deck. Rayhel got to her feet, running to the galaxy map. Doctor Chakwas laughed as they walked through the mess hall.

"Going to have one of your own after she's older, Caeus?"

"Not so sure about that, doc."

"You'll miss it when she gets to be too old to play her little games with you."

He shook his head, escorting Rayhel to the main battery. She was quite happy when she found her father, who picked her up with a smile.

"Daddy I was playing with Caeus!"

"I see that." he replied, looking over to the other turian.

"She was sad. She's losing her growl."

Garrus looked back to his daughter.

"Are you feeling alright, Ray?"

She blinked at him with a large smile. He let out a short laugh, looking back to Caeus.

"She might be getting sick." Caeus said.

"I'll have the doctor look at her."

Natasha knit her eyebrows as she walked into the medbay, taking in the sight of her daughter on one of the beds, Chakwas looking into her mouth curiously.

"What are you doing?" she asked, stopping at the bedside.

"Garrus here is concerned with your daughter's health."

Natasha glanced over to the turian who leaned against the wall of the medbay.

"What's wrong with her health?" she asked defensively.

"She's losing her growl." he told her.

Natasha looked back over to the doctor.

"Is that normal?"

"No." Garrus said.

"I'm not so sure if it's abnormal." Chakwas told them. "Rayhel is a very special case of turian. Remember that for as many turian traits she has, she's still part human."

"She's been purring and growling since she was born."

Chakwas gave her a reasurring look.

"I think it's just how her body is growing. Perhaps she's coming into more human traits as she grows older."

"I haven't heard her purr in some time." Garrus said. "Or chirp."

"Is she sick at all?" Natasha asked, not taking her eyes from her daughter.

"She's the perfect image of health." Chakwas told her. "She's just growing."

Garrus let out a sigh, straightening up before walking to the door. Natasha watched him for a moment before sitting on the bed next to her daughter.

"I don't think he likes it." she noted.

"Maybe he's scared."

"He is." she agreed.

"She's healthy, Natasha."

"I don't think that's why he's scared."

The doctor looked at her for a long moment before looking back to Rayhel.

"Can you try growling for me, Ray?"

Garrus walked out to the mess hall, sitting down at the table across from Caeus.

"She ok?"

"Growing out of some turian traits, or so we're being told."

"You don't seem particularly happy."

Garrus let out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"She has enough reminders of not being mine... It's not like she needs any more."

"Garrus, that girl loves you." Caeus said with a laugh. "Nine times out of ten she runs to you before her mother."

"Don't make it sound like she doesn't love her mother."

"I know she does, but she loves you too. You're her Dad. She has no reason to believe otherwise."

"She'll ask questions later..." Garrus mumbled.

"You can answer them later." Caeus watched him for a moment before letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry it bothers you so much that she isn't yours."

Garrus looked up to him quickly.

"She's mine." he snapped.

Caeus couldn't help but to smile. It was no secret that Garrus was protective over the child, he had been since Caeus had joined their little group. Still, it was interesting to watch.

"I know." Caeus told him. "And so does she."

"Daddy, pictures." Rayhel said, patting at his arm.

Caeus watched Garrus open his Omni tool for the girl to play with.

"Find the krogan." he said before looking up to Caeus. "So do you plan on moving forward with Calpurnia anytime soon?"

"Are you moving forward with Natasha anytime soon?" Caeus replied with a smirk on his face.

"Uncle Wex!" Rayhel said with a smile, tapping on the picture of the krogan.

"Good job. Find the salarian." Caeus watched the girl put a talon in her mouth as she looked around at the pictures.

"I take it you two are having problems?"

"We're not really having problems." Caeus replied. "We just... Want to make sure it's right."

"I suppose that's fair."

"Mordin!" Rayhel laughed, tapping on the picture of the salarian.

"Good job. Find the human." he told her before looking over at Caeus. "Things are just difficult with Natasha right now."

"I know…" Caeus said with a light tone, watching the little girl find the picture she'd been told to. "But it'll be worth it in the end."

Garrus watched him for a moment as Rayhel squealed in happiness, pointing to the picture of the human.

"Mommy!"

She looked up at him, grabbing his mandible to get his attention. He laughed at her, breaking the eye contact with the turian.

"Find the turian."

"You've just got to figure shit out, Garrus." The other turian gave him a scolding look, glancing at Rayhel. "Sorry."

"What kind of stuff?"

Caeus sighed, looking around at the empty mess hall.

"The Reapers… It's not the time for pointless breakups. You care about your family. You care for Natasha, she cares for you."

"That isn't the issue." Garrus said, stroking Rayhel's fringe as she tapped on him Omni tool.

"Caeus!"

His looked down at her, pretending to be hurt.

"I'm a turian too."

"Caeus is my friend." she said, smiling up at him.

"I'm not your friend?"

She frowned at him for a moment before looking back down at the picture.

"Caeus!"

"Find the quarian." Garrus said, shaking his head with a smile.

"So you what is the issue?" Vallok asked.

Garrus looked over at him with a small smirk.

"She can't handle all of this."

Caeus shook his head with a laugh.

"And the real issue?"

"She's scared, I think. She's ready to be more than what we are, and I... Have issues with it. Had issues. I don't know."

Garrus let out a short sigh before Rayhel threw her arms up with another squeal.

"Tali!"

"Find the varren." Garrus told her, stroking her fringe gently for a moment.

"I can't say the feeling is unfamiliar."

"What do you mean?"

"Everytime I get close to her, I see that damn mark on her shoulder and it's just a reminder that she isn't mine."

Garrus could hear the bitterness in Caeus' voice as he spoke.

"She's yours, Caeus. You just have to get over that frame of mind."

"Is she though?" he asked, looking back up to Garrus.

Garrus sighed as Caeus watched the little girl giggle on Garrus' lap as the picture of the varren moved and growled.

"Did you know Calpurnia when Saren was alive?"

Garrus and Caeus looked in the direction of the footsteps in the messhall to see the female turian smiling over to her lover. Caeus let her kiss him when she stopped at the table, causing Garrus to clear his throat. Calpurnia gave Caeus a smile before she walked over to the counter to grab a plate of food. Garrus gave Caeus a look, the two of them exchanging smirks before she sat next to them at the table.

"What are we talking about?" she asked, looking at them after taking a bite of her food.

"Rayhel is losing her growl." Garrus told her, looking away from Caeus.

"Poor thing." Calpurnia said, looking at the little girl.

The conversation rolled on as if the previous one had never happened between the two guys, both of them grateful that their women were unable to see the vulnerable side of them at the time.