Before I say anything else, I just want to apologise to all of you for how late this update is. Uni is pretty hectic at the moment so finding time to write has become a real struggle. I was up to 3am three nights in a row trying to finish this chapter off!

I haven't been able to spend very long editing it because of how much else I have to do so there may be more mistakes in the text than usual. I'll probably edit it again once I have more free time.

Thanks for the lovely reviews since the last update. They helped encourage me to keep working on this even after the sun had gone down and I felt more like crawling into bed. Also, thanks for all the new alerts and favourites. They mean a lot to me too :)

This chapter picks up a few hours after the last one.

…..

Garrus stood in the courtyard of the medical centre, holding Teagan's hand as he prepared to head inside and face Solana and his mother. He was so glad that she was still with him and that he hadn't been left with only himself for company when he'd climbed out of the taxi a moment before.

Just like any time they'd confronted near-impossible odds on the battlefield, they were in this together.

She squeezed his hand. "You've gone all quiet and serious on me, Garrus. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he replied, "I'm just trying to work out what to say to Solana when we get inside, and what to say to my mother, you know, about us."

"It's funny to think that a few months ago there wasn't really an 'us', but now we're together and all of your family already knows. And so does most of the galaxy." She paused. "Do you think the cab driver recognised us?"

"I'm not sure."

Truth be told, he'd been pretty distracted throughout the whole journey and hadn't really paid much attention to anything except for Teagan whenever she was talking to him or looking his way. He had noticed the driver glancing at them once or twice, but that was it.

"I guess it's possible," he added.

"Hmm. I thought I caught him watching us a few times. Maybe he'll be telling all of his friends that he had two famous xenophiles in his car later."

"That certainly would be something of a talking point."

"Yeah."

They both laughed, but the sound that left their mouths was a little weak and was soon replaced by silence. For a few seconds, the two of them stared at the squat form of the medical centre rather than talking.

It was Teagan who spoke again first. "Are you ready to go and face the music yet, Garrus?" she asked.

"That depends. What the hell does 'face the music' mean?"

"I, ah, actually don't know. It's another one of those weird human phrases that most of us don't even understand. We're confusing like that. I just meant, are you ready to go inside?"

"I guess so. What about you, Teagan?"

"Yeah, sure. If you are, then so am I."

"Let's go then."

They exchanged a final glance with each other, both trying their best to look calm and collected, before starting to walk forward. A moment later, they had reached the medical centre's lobby and were surrounded on all sides by white walls.

In no time, Garrus knew he'd be upstairs, talking with his mother about how Teagan, a human woman, had become the most important person in his life. Chances were that this visit was going to go totally okay. Solana and his father had already, in their own unique way, said that they accepted his relationship with Teagan and his mother tended to be more understanding than the two of them put together. However, it was hard for him not to feel any trepidation about being here under these circumstances. His mother had always been the family member he'd been closest to, and her opinion mattered to him.

If she didn't approve of him being with Teagan it wouldn't be enough to make him consider leaving her. No mortal being would ever be able to convince him to end their relationship. But he did very badly want his mother to like her because she had come to mean so much to him.

Thankfully, Teagan seemed to have a fair idea of what was going on in his head and did what she could to comfort him. She talked to him on and off, and continued to hold his hand in hers as they crossed the lobby and then began to make their way through some of the medical centre's long and depressing corridors.

When they got to his mother's floor, they found Solana sitting in the lounge, staring out of the room's only window. Garrus thought Teagan might let go of his hand when she saw his sister, but she didn't. If anything, her grip tightened. He squeezed back, pleased they would be presenting a united front to her. Just in case her mood had taken a turn for the worse, and she wanted to take them on about the photo, that might be a very good thing.

Solana glanced down at their intertwined hands once they were standing in front of her, but didn't say anything.

"Hey, Solana," Garrus said in the cheeriest voice he could muster given the circumstances.

"Hey, Garrus. Hi, Teagan," she replied. She both sounded and looked exhausted.

Just like when they'd met up with her before, she hadn't made any effort to put on a false front for the rest of the world by hiding her tiredness under cosmetics. She was also dressed plainly again. This time, she had on a dull black and brown outfit that she once would never have allowed herself to wear out in public.

"Have you been waiting for us for long?" he asked.

"About twenty minutes. I got out of work as soon as I could and headed straight over here. Someone who knew you were my brother found out about the photograph and then decided it would be funny to tell everyone else on my floor."

"Oh, crap. I'm sorry, Sol."

She just shrugged. "It's okay. They were bound to find out at some point anyway. The photo is all over the extranet and some people out there are giving you guys a pretty hard time. Have you read any of the stuff that's been written about the two of you yet?"

"No. We didn't want to waste the rest of our morning scouring the extranet to see what strangers were saying about us. I guess we're saving that fun activity for later."

"Well, I have read a bit of it," Solana said, "And I think I should warn you that some of what's been written is not at all pretty. I still can't believe the two of you were dumb enough to get photographed together, but you don't deserve to be talked about like that."

"Thank you, Sol," he said, feeling rather touched. Sure, she'd just called them both dumb, but the rest of what she'd said was pretty sweet. Well, for her anyway. "So…are you coming with me to see mom?"

"No, I think you should handle this on your own. Besides, I popped in to see her before you arrived and said you were coming. She seems to be doing okay, but I think she's getting a little impatient to talk to you."

"Right…I should probably go see her now then."

Rather than making any attempt to do that though, he looked towards Teagan, whose hand was still grasping his, silently seeking her approval. She smiled. "Yeah, I guess you should. I'll stay here, Garrus. Me and Solana can keep each other company until you get back."

"Right," he agreed, knowing that leaving her behind was the only sensible thing to do. He could hardly risk bringing her into his mother's room without being sure she was okay with their relationship.

Truth be told though, he didn't really want to go on without having her by his side. Nor did he want to leave her alone with his sister for the second time in only two days. They still barely knew each other and Sol was not the type to form fast friendships. Plus, the whole photo incident had the potential to make things even more awkward between them.

However, if Teagan was at all annoyed with the situation, then she didn't show it. She reached up to stroke his cheek and whispered, "I hope it goes really well," into his ear, before separating herself from him and sitting down in a chair opposite Solana.

He glanced towards the door. "I guess I'll just go then. I'll, uh, see you both soon."

"Take as long as you want, Garrus," Teagan said. "We'll both be waiting right here for you when you get back."

Her words of encouragement, though quietly spoken, were enough to get him moving. He set off in the direction of his mother's room, walking slowly at first, but as soon as he left the lounge his pace increased. He knew exactly where to go after two his previous visits and he wanted finally end the suspense he'd been feeling ever since he'd stepped out of the taxi. Already, he'd stayed on the edge of the cliff for too long; he needed to just throw himself off it now.

Once he arrived at his mother's room, he simply walked straight in through the door without remembering to knock.

Phadra seemed surprised by his sudden entrance, but smiled at him anyway from where she was sitting in a red armchair at the back of the room. At least from the outside, she appeared to be feeling well-enough in spite of the events of the morning.

She'd looked so much worse when he'd come to visit her on the previous day, only to find her fast asleep in bed, swamped by her thin cotton blanket. He hadn't liked stumbling across her in such a terribly vulnerable state. After all, she'd once towered over him and guarded him from all the galaxy's evils.

Even seeing a minuscule improvement in her today meant a hell of a lot to him.

"Hello, Garrus," she said. "It's good to see you. Come over here and sit with me."

He did, dropping his body down into the chair closest to her. Then he smiled at her. "You're looking well today, mom. I tried to see you yesterday too, but you were asleep."

"Yes I know. One of the nurses' told me. I wouldn't have minded if you'd woken me up, Garrus."

"Oh...well, I thought it was best not to disturb you. You didn't seem very well the day before either."

"I've just had a few headaches lately. Nothing that should worry you too much, and I've been almost pain free so far today."

"That's really good."

"Thank you, Garrus. I have to admit though, I did get a bit of a shock when I came across that photograph of you and your Commander half an hour after I'd woken up. I thought I might have finally lost my mind for a moment."

She looked at him rather sternly, just like she often had when he'd been trying to hide something from her as a small child. He found he couldn't break eye contact with her. That same look had caused him to confess a multitude of sins in the past.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a mate sooner, Garrus?" she said. "I don't understand. This is a good thing."

"I was going to on my first visit, mom, but your headache flared up before I got round to it. I really did want to tell you and I wasn't going to leave Palaven without letting you know somehow. I promise. I'd already told Sol and dad before the photo got out."

As soon as the last few words left his mouth, he wished he could drag them straight back in. That was just not a sensible thing to say.

"You told your father before me?" she said.

"Yes," he replied, speaking quickly, "But not on purpose. Honestly. He, ah, turned up at my hotel yesterday, uninvited, because he wanted to talk to me. Midway through our conversation he noticed some of Teagan's clothes on floor, then about thirty seconds later she came up to the room. I didn't have any choice but to tell him."

"That must have been awkward." She chuckled, and some of the sternness left her face, but he couldn't quite bring himself to laugh with her. Thinking back to his father's visit still left him feeling more horrified than amused.

Perhaps one day he'd look back on that morning and laugh. It was possible. There was no way in hell he was going to do that today though.

"Yeah," he said. "And stressful. And just plain awful really. But I told him and I suppose he could've taken it worse. Trust me though, I would far rather have spoken to you first. I'm really sorry that things worked out like this with the photo and…everything."

"It's alright, Garrus. Next time you have important news like that, just tell me sooner. Keep details about your mission from me by all means if you want, but not personal things like that. I want to know, and preferably not after everyone else. Okay?"

"Yes."

"Good." She smiled at him, the last of the sternness now gone. Unlike his father, she'd never been able to stay cross with him for long. "So…are you going to tell me about her? She must be very important to you if you brought her all the way to Palaven."

"Wait...aren't you going to say something about how she's a different species from me and my commanding officer?"

"No. If those things don't bother you, then they certainly shouldn't bother me. I just want you and Solana to be happy. Some turians, including your father, would probably look down on me for saying that, but I don't care. Life's already short, there's no point in making it miserable as well. And you are happy with this…Teagan, aren't you, Garrus?"

"Definitely."

"So tell me more about this human woman who's making you so happy. Solana talked to me a little about her earlier, but I'd like to hear more from you."

"Uh, well she's..." he said, before coming to an abrupt stop. Three words in and he already didn't have a clue what to say next. That had to be some sort of record even for him. He just didn't know how to sum up someone like Teagan in a few succinct sentences. Finding the right words and then using them in a pretty ways had never been his strong point after all.

"She's...great," he continued. "She's smart…and funny…and she always tries to do what's right even if it makes things ten times harder for her. I guess I probably should find that kind of annoying but I don't. I just…I just think she's pretty great all round. Uh…yeah."

He hoped his mother wouldn't take his inability to form complete sentences as a sign that he didn't really care about Teagan all that much. Because he did. He really did.

He was very relieved when he realised that Phadra was smiling at him. "She sounds like someone very special. You love her, don't you, Garrus?"

"Yeah. Us getting together like this…it was all her idea in the beginning and I suppose we haven't been together for all that long, but I'm…crazy about her. I've never felt this way about anyone before."

Her smile widened. "Do you think I might need to dust off my best ceremonial robes at some point in the future?"

"You mean are we going to get married one day?"

"Yes, Garrus."

"I…I don't know."

Given that he'd never once spoken to Teagan about marriage, he couldn't really provide his mother with a better answer than that. However, the idea of pledging himself to Teagan for the rest of his life certainly did appeal to him. In his head, he'd already done that anyway, and he had no problem with it becoming official at some point.

If he belonged anywhere, then it was with her.

"That wasn't a no," Phadra said.

"I suppose not. I just have no idea what she thinks about that whole…subject."

"Well, there's only one real way to find out: talk to her about it."

"I guess that's true."

"But, Garrus, she obviously cares for you a great deal if she agreed to come all this way with you. I hope it turns out that you want the same thing."

"Thanks, mom. I hope so too."

He smiled at her. Not for the first time in his life, he found himself feeling so grateful that he'd been given her as a mother.

Even the possibility that she might one day have a human daughter in law didn't seem to faze her. She'd probably never date a human herself - hell, he'd done so many things she'd probably never consider doing - but she was still being supportive of him anyway.

"Would you…would you like to meet Teagan?" he asked. "She's sitting with Solana in the lounge right now. I could bring her here to see you. I mean, if you want."

"Well," she replied, "I'm not exactly dressed for company and if we were following proper procedure, then I definitely shouldn't be introduced to her like this, but, to hell with all of that, I'd love to meet her."

"You're sure you're up to it?"

"Yes, you said yourself I seem better today. Go get her."

"Alright then, I will. I'll be right back, mom."

He quickly got to feet and then headed towards the lounge to fetch his mate with a new a spring in his step.

….

Making small talk with Solana Vakarian was not the easiest thing that Teagan had ever had to do, but she'd been trying her best to keep the conversation between them flowing ever since Garrus had left them alone together ten minutes before. This was partly because she wanted to stay on Solana's good side. However, she was also afraid that all she would do was sit limply in her uncomfortable chair and worry about what was going on between Garrus and his mother if she didn't continue to chat with her.

Their conversation had got off to a bad start when Teagan had attempted to apologise to her for the whole photo incident, only to have her words brushed completely to one side. However, once they'd moved on to other, less incendiary subjects, they'd begun to get on considerably better. Solana had even started to open up more about herself. They were currently talking about how she didn't want to be stuck working in an office as an administrative assistant for the rest of her life; a topic that Teagan was actually pretty interested in. She felt like Solana was finally showing her a glimpse of who she really was underneath all that fire and bluster.

Out of genuine curiosity, she was just about to ask her what career she eventually hoped to pursue instead when Garrus suddenly appeared back in front of the two of them.

With her mouth still slightly open, Teagan looked up at him. So did Solana, who immediately began to speak. "Garrus!" she exclaimed, "I thought you'd be gone for longer than that. Did things go okay with mom?"

"Yeah…they did actually. She, ah, sent me back to get Teagan. She wants to meet her."

"Wow. I guess things must have gone better than just okay then. That's good."

"Yeah. She was a little annoyed that I hadn't already told her about having a mate, but that was it really." He turned towards Teagan with a smile on his face. "So are you…okay with meeting her now?"

"Uh…yeah, of course," she said automatically.

Mere seconds ago she'd been in mid-conversation with Solana, but she could hardly say no to him. She'd told him on their first day in Vectis that she would meet his mother if he wanted her to, and she wasn't going to hurt him by backing out now.

She held out her hand and he took it, pulling her to her feet. "We'll be back soon," he said to Solana.

"Sure," she replied. "I'll be right here, waiting to hear how it goes. Good luck, big brother."

"Thanks, Sol." He smiled at her, before abruptly leading Teagan across the lounge and then straight out into the corridor.

He seemed almost impatient to get back to his mother's room with her in tow. His pace sped up as they kept going, but Teagan offered him no resistance, simply letting her body be swept along by him. It was only when they started to approach a door labelled with the name 'Phadra Vakarian' that her nerves caught up with her. She stopped moving, causing Garrus to stop too and turn to face her.

"Is this your mother's room then?" she asked. It was an utterly stupid question, but it found its way out of her mouth anyway.

"Uh, well, yeah," he replied. "That's why her name's on the door. Are you ready to go in?"

"I guess so, but do I look okay? I don't really know how these sorts of things are usually done in turian culture. I mean, am I dressed appropriately for meeting her?"

That was probably a stupid question as well. It wasn't like she could change out of her pants and shirt if he said no. But she was hoping that he just would reassure her by telling her that she looked fine. Then she wouldn't have to worry so much that she would somehow create a bad first impression. She really didn't want to do that. Everything Garrus had said to her about his mother during this trip had made it clear how important she was to him.

"You look nice, Teagan," he said, looking her up and down in an almost amused way. "Trust me though, my mother's not going to care about what you're wearing. She's still in her pyjamas."

"Right…is my hair okay too though? I feel like it's sticking up a bit on one side."

"It is a little. I'll fix it for you if you want?" She nodded, and he began to smooth it down with one of his hands. When he finished a moment later, he gently stroked her cheek. "There, perfect. Not that it really matters that much since turians don't have hair. My mother probably wouldn't notice if it was a complete mess." Teagan pulled a face. "Not that it is. It's shiny, and nice, and you look good. And I really do think she's going to like you."

"Thanks, Garrus."

"No problem. So…are you ready to go in now? She can probably hear our voices through the door."

"Oh…right, I hadn't thought of that."

She allowed Garrus lead her in through the doorway and just like that she was standing in front of his mother for the first time. She'd seen photographs of her earlier in the week when she'd been in the Vakarian family home, but they had been taken years ago and she looked so much older and far more tired now. It was obvious that she hadn't been well for some time. Her bright amber eyes, however, still had life left in them and shone out from in between the cracked plates on her face.

Although she didn't rise from the chair she was sitting in to greet them as they came in, she did offer them both a smile. She then focused her attention solely on Teagan as if she was an object of great interest to her, something strange and exotic. However, her gaze was not unkind.

There was something almost warm about it.

"Mom," Garrus said. "This is Teagan."

She smiled again. "Yes, I can see that. Hello, Teagan."

"Hello, Mrs Vakarian," she replied.

"Call me Phadra. Mrs Vakarian sounds far too formal. And come in properly and sit with me. There's no need for the two of you to hover by the door like that."

Obediently, they both did as she'd suggested. However, Teagan then became unsure of exactly what her next move should be. She ended up staring awkwardly out at her surroundings rather than speaking and was struck almost immediately by just how small and dim the room Phadra now called home was. It had very little in common with the luxurious house she'd once shared with Garrus and Solana. However, Teagan could tell that she had done the best she could with it, despite her illness.

She began to wonder if she should make some sort of comment about how nice the room was as a polite way to break the silence, but was glad when Phadra spoke before she could.

"Thank you for coming to see me, Teagan," she said. "Meetings like this are always a little awkward, and me being stuck in this place doesn't make things any easier. If I was still at home, I could have offered you a proper welcome."

"Don't worry about any of that," Teagan replied quickly. "I'm just glad to finally meet you. Garrus has told me a lot about you."

"He's talked to me about you too. It would probably embarrass you if I repeated any of it."

"Really?" She looked at Garrus. "What exactly have you been saying about me?"

"Ah..." He tugged on his collar. "I don't know. Just the truth."

"Well, it was enough for me to realise how happy you make him," Phadra said. "I should thank you, Teagan. Garrus has had difficult times in the past."

Teagan let out a soft laugh, born more from gratitude towards Phadra for how nice she was being than anything else. "There's no need for that. He makes me just as happy."

"Yes. I can see that too. He's being a dutiful mate to you then?"

"Yes. Definitely. I have no complaints."

"And he's been serving you well as a soldier too?"

"Yes." She glanced in his direction again. "He's always watching my back when we're out on missions and keeping me safe. I honestly don't know what I'd do without him now."

"I'm glad you the two of you found each other then."

"So am I."

Teagan smiled at Garrus for a moment, and he smiled back. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Phadra watching the two of them with a rather amused, but happy expression on her face.

They went on to spend the next half an hour sitting beside each other in Phadra's small room, simply talking with her. And, in marked contrast to what Teagan had come to expect during this trip, nothing remotely disastrous happened during their stay. Among other things, they told Phadra more about how they'd first met and the time they'd spent together over the last few years. Phadra didn't say all that much, and occasionally looked tired, but she still led the conversation in her own quiet way.

The longer they all remained in each other's company, the more Teagan began to see similarities between Garrus and her. They shared a lot of the same facial expressions and often laughed at the same things. Just like Garrus, she also didn't seem to care that Teagan was a human and not a turian. In fact, she made no attempt to bring the interspecies issue up at any point.

By the time their conversation was drawing to a close, Teagan knew that she could come to like Phadra quite a bit - something she wasn't so sure would end up being true of Garrus' father, or even his sister. Even better, the feeling seemed to be mutual.

When she eventually stood up to leave with Garrus, Phadra looked genuinely sorry that they were both going, even though it was obvious that the effort of talking for so long had tired her out.

"So," she said, "Will the two of you be coming back to seem me again soon? I still feel as if there's a lot more we could talk about."

"Well," Garrus said, "I was thinking of dropping in again tomorrow and I guess I could bring Teagan along with me. As long as she's okay with that idea."

She nodded. "Of course I am."

Phadra smiled at them and, despite her weariness, a slow burning warmth seemed to radiate from her eyes. "Excellent," she said. "I'll look forward to seeing you both then."

….

The two of them walked out of the room a few moments later and the door slid shut behind them, leaving them alone in the corridor. The last two times Garrus had said goodbye his mother during this trip, he'd felt downhearted and stressed out, but his mood was soaring far higher on this occasion. She was doing better today and seemed to genuinely like Teagan. If she'd just been pretending to approve of his choice of mate for his benefit, he was sure he would have been able to tell.

He grabbed Teagan's arm, pulling her in for a celebratory hug. She'd now met all of his family and lived to tell the tale. That was pretty damn impressive.

"I think my mom likes you a lot," he said, nuzzling her.

"You do? So…I didn't say anything too stupid?"

"No. You did really, really well."

"Thanks, Garrus. Hearing that makes me very happy."

"Good. I mean it."

He nuzzled her again, pressing his nose against her skin and taking in her scent, before releasing her from his arms. Side by side, they then walked back down the corridor towards the lounge. Garrus presumed Solana would be sitting alone in there still, waiting impatiently for him to come back and report on how things had gone with Phadra. However, by the time they returned, she'd been joined by another figure and all her attention was focused on him.

Both Teagan and Garrus stopped in their tracks as soon as they realised Solana had company.

"Is that your father?" Teagan said, peering at the two figures from across the room.

"Yes," Garrus replied, unable, for the moment, to bring himself to say anything else.

Virgal was dressed in another new suit and looked for all intents and purposes as if he was about to head into some sort of business meeting, but instead he was sitting right in front of them in a hospital lounge.

"Right…uh, what's he doing here?" Teagan asked.

"I'm...not sure."

"Do you think he knows about the photograph?"

"Maybe…but that doesn't explain why he's come to this centre. I don't see how he could have known we were here too. I guess we better just go over and talk to him."

"Yeah, right, okay."

They began to approach Virgal and Solana, but Garrus couldn't help feeling apprehensive about what was going to happen next. Separately, he found both his sister and father hard enough to deal with sometimes. Handling them together could get even more difficult. Hell, he was surprised the universe didn't start to tear apart anytime the force of their two personalities was contained in the same room.

When he and Teagan drew up to them, he felt the need to take in a deep breath before he managed to get the simple words, "Hello, dad," out of his mouth.

Virgal immediately turned round, taking in both him and Teagan, before focusing his eyes on Garrus. "Hello, Garrus," he said evenly.

"Uh…what exactly are you doing here dad? You told me you had to be back on the Citadel today."

"I decided to take another day off so I could come here and see your mother since you said she wasn't doing well."

Garrus was so taken aback he couldn't speak for a moment. "You mean…you listened to a piece of advice I gave you?"

"Yes, I suppose I did. But I won't necessarily be making a habit of it."

"Fair enough. I'm just glad you came."

"Yes, well, in the end I suppose it just seemed like the right thing to do."

The expression on Virgal's face remained rather blank as he spoke, and gave absolutely nothing away. Garrus had no idea what was going on in his head and why, for once in his life, he'd decided to listen to something someone else had said. But he was here, and he was going to see his wife. Maybe that's all that mattered.

"I'm sure mom will be pleased to see you," Garrus said, hoping he wasn't wrong. "She might be a little tired when you go in though. I just spent the last half hour introducing her to Teagan."

"Yes. Solana told me. How did that go?"

"Ah…it went well"

"I suppose that's good, especially considering she found out about your relationship from a photo on the extranet."

"How do you..."

"Solana told me that too. It must have been quite a shock for her when she came across it first thing this morning. It certainly was for me and I already knew the two of you were together."

"Oh…so you've already seen it." Garrus tried his best to put a penitent expression on his face while Teagan shuffled awkwardly beside him. He'd only just started to talk to his father again and, yes, reconnecting with him was going to be damn hard, but he didn't want something as stupid as that photo to estrange them from each other again. "I'm sorry."

"Hmm. I just hope the two of you will be more discreet in future. I've built up a good reputation at C-Sec and incidents like this don't exactly help me to maintain it."

"Trust me dad," Garrus said quickly, "We don't have any intention of getting caught out like that again."

"I'm glad to hear it. You used to be an officer of the law, Garrus. You should know how to conduct yourself better than that."

From that comment, Garrus was half-expecting him to launch into a full on lecture, but he didn't. In fact, when he spoke again it had nothing at all to do with photo and, for one of the first times in his life, Garrus felt as if his father had let him off easy.

"Well," Virgal said, "I think it's time I saw my wife. I have a transport to catch in just a couple of hours." He glanced at Garrus and Solana, then more fleetingly at Teagan. "Though I suppose it has been nice to see you all."

"Uh...thanks," Garrus said. "Bye then, dad. I'll, ah, contact you soon."

"So will I," Solana said.

"Good, I want us all to keep in better touch from now on." He got to his feet. "Goodbye Garrus. Solana," he said, and then, as if it was nothing but a careless afterthought, added, "Goodbye, Shepard."

She looked rather startled. "Uh…bye, Mr Vakarian."

He inclined his head towards her for a second, before abruptly turning his back on all three of them.

Garrus watched as Virgil strode away from them, dignified and tall, and began to head towards his sick wife who was probably still sitting, hunched over, in a chair in her small room. Despite their many issues, and the fact that they'd just had yet another awkward conversation with each other, Garrus didn't begrudge his father his good health. Not even a little bit. However, he did wish the fate of his two parents, who were the same age as each other, hadn't ended up being so utterly different.

His only comfort was that the medical trial might, against all the odds, work and restore his mother's strength and all of her fierce intelligence. It was a small hope but perhaps it was still worth clinging to rather than letting himself sink down into despair over the whole situation.

"What do you think he's going to say to her?" Teagan asked.

Garrus shrugged, his eyes moving from his father's retreating back to Teagan's face. "I honestly don't know."

"I'm not sure either," Solana said. "He called on me at home yesterday and told me about how he'd seen the two of you at your hotel, but he said he was going home that evening. I couldn't believe it when he just suddenly walked right in here and asked one of the nurses where mom's room was. I called him over and we got talking, but he never actually told me exactly why he'd come." She shrugged. "Maybe he just wants to catch up with her."

"Maybe. I guess stranger things have happened," Garrus said. "So, ah, what did you and dad talk about while me and Teagan were gone?"

"This and that. Don't worry our conversation didn't entirely revolve around you, Garrus. Although it's great that you and dad are finally speaking again. What did the two of you talk about with mom? "

"A lot of stuff. She was quite tired by the end, but it really did go well."

"I'm glad. I think it's safe to say our family's gone through enough drama already over the last couple of years." A brief smile flitted across her face before disappearing again, but it seemed genuine enough. "So what are your plans now?"

"I guess we'll go back to the hotel," he said, and Teagan nodded in agreement. "Are you leaving too?"

"No, not quite yet. I'm going to stay for a little longer before heading back home, just to make sure mom and dad don't try to kill each other."

"You're sure you want to stay?" Garrus asked.

"Yeah. I think in some ways I prefer being here to being at home anyway."

"You do?"

"Yeah. Maybe that sounds crazy to you, but it's true." She paused for a couple of seconds. "When mom first moved here, I thought that it might be a big relief for me. But it just…hasn't been. I hate how empty the house is now. It wasn't built for only one person."

She sighed. Her face had become very weary while she'd been speaking. For a moment, Garrus didn't see his kid sister anymore when he looked at her, but a grown woman with far too much weight on her shoulders.

Guilt tugged at him even more forcefully than it usually did when he thought about how difficult Solana's life had become over the last few years. He knew he couldn't make everything okay for her. No one could. But he also knew he needed to do something, anything, to help her out.

"Why don't me and Teagan take you out somewhere tomorrow, Solana?" he said. "It'll be my treat and it might help take your mind off all of this."

She shook her head. "I'm working again tomorrow."

"Well, whenever you get off then."

"Look, Garrus, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I don't want you to offer to take me out just because you feel sorry for me."

"I'm not. I only have a few more days left on Palaven and I want to see more of you while I still have the chance. You are my one and only sister."

"I'd like to spend some more time with you too, Solana," Teagan said.

Solana looked between the two of them for a moment. "Okay, then. I guess it would be nice to get out even for an evening. Thank you, Teagan. Garrus."

"You don't have to thank me," he said. "I'll be looking forward to it."

"I suppose I will too. I hope you both have fun for the rest of today…just not too much."

He chuckled. "Thanks, Sol. We'll see you soon."

"See you."

He and Teagan shot Solana one last smile, which she returned, before they walked out of the lounge. Garrus couldn't help feeling bad about leaving her behind, but she genuinely seemed to want to stay. He'd learnt from an early age, when they were both still playing with toys, that there was no way of changing her mind once she'd made a firm decision. And at least he was going to see her again tomorrow.

Right now though, he had some time alone with Teagan, which he was definitely planning to make the most of.

It didn't take the two of them very long to order a taxi and make their way out of the medical centre's front door. There was, after all, no sense in them hanging around in a place they both disliked for any more time than they needed to.

As soon as they were outside, Garrus guided Teagan over to a shady spot near a group of trees in the hopes that she wouldn't overheat too much while they waited for the taxi's arrival. They stood there side by side, both quiet for the moment. However, the silence that formed between them was a comfortable one, like you can only have when you're with someone you know well, and who knows you well too.

Though he loved his mother and sister, and even his stubborn ass of a father, Garrus just needed a little time to recover from seeing all three of them within the same one hour period, and he guessed that Teagan did too.

After they'd spent a while in complete silence, she turned towards him. "That all went okay, didn't it? I mean, it could've been a complete disaster with Solana and your dad in the same room, but it just…wasn't. I almost can't believe it."

"Same here," he said. "I think even my father might come to accept you as one of the family eventually. He'll be trying to lecture you in no time. You should be afraid, Teagan."

But she didn't seem at all perturbed by what he'd said. Instead, she looked pleased and that made a warm feeling spread all through Garrus' body. This thing between them, which had started so suddenly one day in the main battery, was getting pretty damn serious now. And it really did look like it was going to last in spite of all their differences and all the odds that were stacked so high against them.

"You really think they're all okay with me?" she asked.

"Yeah. None of them are the type to fake anything just to make someone else happy."

"You know, I haven't had any family for more than ten years, it's sort of strange being part of one again."

"Good, strange?"

"Yeah, but it is a big change for me. I spent years on my own, just looking after myself."

"Well, you're definitely not alone now."

"You're right."

A wide smile formed on her face and remained there for quite some time. Strangely, it was only when a rengal landed in one of the nearby trees that Garrus saw it begin to fade.

He cocked his head at her in confusion. "Uh, Teagan…is something wrong?"

"No…no. I'm fine."

"Come on, Teagan. You can't lie to me. I always know. I used to be a detective, remember?"

"It's nothing really, Garrus. I just hate those damn birds."

"You hate rengals?" He was genuinely bemused. It just seemed strange to him that she disliked an animal that was found all over the planet he'd grown up on. He'd been used to seeing them ever since he was a small child. "May I ask why exactly?"

"Okay, I know it sounds insane, but they just seem to…stare at me. And it feels like they're following me everywhere."

"Well, I'm pretty sure they're not following you, Teagan. They're just very common on this planet. And if they really do stare at you, it's probably because they're not used to seeing humans."

"That all makes perfect sense…but I still don't like them. I keep thinking one of them is going to fly at me with its claws out."

"Would it help if I promise to protect you from them as long as we're here?"

She laughed. "Yes. But how exactly are you going to do that? Your sniper rifle's back on the Normandy."

"Well, I am hand to hand combat specialist. I could definitely take one of them out."

"I'd almost pay to see that."

"No matter what happens, Teagan, I'll always be there to look out for you."

"Thank you, big guy. That means a lot to me."

The smile returned to her face and she leant against him, resting her head on his shoulder. A moment later, the rengal suddenly swooped down from the tree and began to peck at the dirt a couple of metres away from where their feet were resting on the ground. However, she made a point of keeping her eyes on him rather than letting them stray towards the bird.

By the time the taxi arrived, she was talking happily with him and seemed to have completely forgotten that the rengal was there.

….

There's just one more chapter of this story left now. Unfortunately, I have no idea when I'll be able to write it given how busy I am, but rest assured it will definitely post. I suppose this chapter could serve as an end to the whole story, but I feel like there's still a little more left to write. I want Teagan and Garrus to get the ending they deserve, and I do already have the next chapter planned out.

It might be a few weeks before I update again, but I will be back!

Thanks very much for reading :)